As the door swooshed shut Tessa joined the men with trepidation. The two Enigma agents eyed the man left behind with contempt.
“I’ve changed my mind. I’ll join the others.” Pug face took a step toward the exit doors but was cut off by Zoric who raised his weapon a little higher toward the man’s head.
“Sorry. We don’t have time for that.”
“But!” he started to protest but stopped when the captain held up his hand, looking angrily down at the floor. Beads of perspiration began to trickle down pug face’s sideburns. “You can’t…” he started again and decided to gulp a swallow when the captain leveled his narrowed eyes at him.
“We’ll ask the lady.” Captain cradled his weapon in his arms as a laser like stare bore into his captive. “She’s in training. What should we do?”
Tessa knew he meant only for the scientist to be more respectful. However, she couldn’t swallow how ungrateful he’d been at having been rescued. “I say tie him, gag him, and then throw his ungrateful butt back in the locker.” All three men turned to look at her in astonishment. Tessa shrugged. “That’s what the handbook says!” she said lifting her hands in mock exasperation. “Now get with the program boys! We’ve got work to do!” With that she marched boldly to the locker and pointed inside. “Let’s go hotshot!”
“Please,” he begged as Zoric ripped off a piece of duct tape from his pack. “I’ll not make a sound. Just don’t gag or tie me up.”
The men looked to Tessa. “Don’t even think about coming out. Our men have orders to shoot to kill anyone wandering the hall. Got that, sweet cheeks?” Tessa said as the scientist began bobbing his head in agreement. “We’ll be back within the hour. Can you handle that?’
“Yes. Thank you, mam!”
“One more thing,” Tessa said stopping Zoric from slamming the door shut. Pug face waited in anticipation. “You owe these men an apology for insulting their brave attempt to rescue you.”
“Of course! I apologize with my whole heart. If there is anything I can ever do for you, please call on me.” He wiped the sweat from his face and slouched onto a stool.
Tessa pushed the door shut with her foot and turned precariously to face the men who stared at her in surprise. With a shrug, Tessa adjusted her Kevlar vest, and then retied her ponytail with a sly smile. As she wrinkled her nose Tessa softly said, “I always wanted to do something like that.”
“I think I’m in love,” Zoric said calmly in his thick East European accent.
“Oh,” Tessa said nervously.
“Fall in, G.I. Jane,” Captain Hunter said as they moved out of the room into yet another lab. Two more safe lockers were discovered with some thirty people. Two of the captain’s men joined them, escorting them out with Tessa’s assistance.
Slipping into the stairwell five of the captain’s men rejoined them. A cautious downward spiral began, their backs pressed close to the concrete walls painted a sterile white. The slightest step seemed to echo a deafening explosion to Tessa who feared the terrorists might locate them with a shower of bullets or deadly gas. More of the captain’s men waited at sub level three. Body language shouted readiness to engage the enemy, but their steely eyed demeanor left Tessa somehow comforted that these men knew what they were doing. They had no intention of sacrificing one of their own for the sake of terror. Whatever it took to secure lives here at Oak Ridge would be accomplished one way or the other. It was the “other” that gave Tessa pause.
A young soldier held up three fingers then used his thumb to point inside sub level three. A series of sign language signals ensued between the men. From what Tessa could understand there were three armed men with hostages. One of the men held a wallet size computer and with a few typed instructions, suddenly the lights were extinguished.
Captain Hunter felt Tessa Scott grab his arm when the stairwell went black. Everyone but her had flipped their night vision apparatus to disperse the darkness. He reached across his weapon with his free hand and gently touched her shoulder. Leaning in, Chase could smell her hair as it touched his unshaven face. “Stay here,” he whispered. “Will secure.”
“Don’t leave me!” Tessa begged as she turned to face him, not realizing how close her mouth was to his. “Please.”
The others looked around at their captain in anticipation. “Here,” he fished in his vest and removed a small key chain flashlight and a lipstick size canister. “If someone comes through that door besides us and you can’t get out of the way use this.”
Tessa slipped her hand into his, strangely aware of its warmth and strength. She shook her head in confusion.
“The flashlight and the red pepper spray I removed from your purse. I’m sure you know what to do.” Chase felt her nod. He patted her cheek. “If I had a broomstick I’d gladly give it to you,” he tried to sound reassuring as he moved his lips near her ear.
Suddenly Tessa brought her arms around his chest and gave Captain Chase Hunter a quick hug. “I’ll say a prayer for you and your men,” she breathed lightly. “Be safe!”
The sound of a heavy door being pulled open, the smell of sweat and the brush of deadly force, caused Tessa to shove herself into the wall, hoping in the worst case scenario she’d be invisible. Her unstable shaky knees longed to collapse to the floor as she found herself alone, but sheer will power forced them to lock and stand ready. She had a flashlight. Why not take this opportunity to make a run for it? Surrounded by darkness she imagined the sweet beam of light that could lead her upwards to safety, maybe even to escape. No one would know she wasn’t one of the ORNL personnel if she grabbed a lab coat. After all there were some 22,000 people working at Oak Ridge. Blending in would be unbelievably simple.
Her mind began to click details of catching a ride to the airport when the flash of gunfire erupted inside sublevel three. The hope of escape evaporated as quickly as it had materialized. The rapid sounds of automatic fire mixed with loud voices of surprise forced Tessa to fumble her way into the corner behind the door, paralyzed with the fear that she would never see her family again.
“Oh God, please, please, don’t let them die!” she whispered to herself. Silent tears began rolling down her cheek as her grip on the flashlight tightened and her thumb pushed the lip off the cap of her red pepper spray. Touching the small canister with her index finger, she managed to locate the spray nozzle. If the situation demanded it, Tessa didn’t want to make the mistake of spraying herself in the face.
Loud voices began moving down the hall. The sound of return fire exploded in her ears. She knew instantly that the invaders were nearing her. The flash of several gunshots were too explosive to be the men of Captain Hunter. It had been obvious that their assault weapons carried silencers. Men like that make war silently.
Two men slammed into the door, firing precariously into the darkness from within. The gun flash lit their faces for only a split second, but it was long enough to see one of them take a hit in the head, splattering blood over the entire window of the door. Tessa watched in horror as the second man pushed his comrade aside. The door began to open as the remaining man fired. Tessa heard the sound of anguish then the clatter of a weapon hitting the floor. The terrorist had shot one of the captain’s men. The soldier must have been close because the terrorist stepped away from the door cautiously, letting the door escape his grip. The dead terrorist’s arm fell through the opening, propping it open.
Tessa inched forward and felt the hand of the dead man beneath her foot. Her inclination was to panic, but something caught her eye as she peeked through to the hall. An emergency exit light had not been extinguished, allowing Tessa to see the terrorist bend over and take the soldier’s assault weapon. In the red glow of the exit sign, he looked like Satan as he smiled down at the wounded soldier.
Chapter 12
“You are going to die, infidel. Tell me how many others are here.”
“Go to hell!” the soldier snarled slipping his left hand cautiously down the side of his leg where he’d been
shot.
“You first!” the terrorist replied angrily.
“Excuse me,” Tessa said as she tapped the invader on the shoulder.
Startled he whipped around just as Tessa let lose her pepper spray in his face. Tessa caught the falling weapon carelessly in her arms like a baby. Staggering backwards, the terrorist yelped in pain just before he fell over the downed soldier, landing haphazardly on the floor with a thud. The soldier pulled his ten inch bladed knife from his pants leg pocket and rammed it into the terrorist’s heart.
“Oh, dear Lord!” she cried looking down at the dead man then to the soldier who was trying to stand.
“Lady,” he said reaching out to her as he groaned with the pressure he put on his leg, “I don’t know who you are but I’m sure glad you’re on our side.”
“I, I,” Tessa didn’t realize she was stuttering. Instinctively she offered him assistance to stand. She’d never seen someone killed. “I’m going to be sick!” Tessa turned and grabbed a trash can under the exit light. Since she hadn’t eaten since the day before all that came out was dry heaves.
Just then more soldiers began rushing down the corridor, Captain Hunter in the lead with Zoric bringing up the rear. Everyone was accounted for, it seemed. “I see you took out the two that got away,” the captain breathed a sigh of relief. His eyes then went to Tessa who had her head stuck in the trash can, coughing and gagging. “Did she see you do this?” The tone of concern sounded more like a growl.
“She saved my life, captain.” He nodded down at the stabbed man. “If she hadn’t come in here and pepper sprayed him I’d be dead. He had me cold. I owe my life to her.” One of the other soldiers helped prop him up and retrieved his knife.
Captain Hunter moved to her side. “Are you alright?” His calm, unemotional voice caused Tessa to jerk her head up and fall back against the wall. There was nothing left in her so that she could speak. She couldn’t nod, grunt or cry. Carefully Captain Hunter removed the carbine from her arms then handed it to Zoric. He snapped his fingers at one of the men and was brought something to wash her face. His touch was gentle. Next Chase carefully took her hands and cleaned them too. The cooling sensation helped her to swallow and look into the captain’s dark eyes that were only visible because he’d lifted the night vision apparatus. The light of the exit side cast a peculiar glow over his face and neck. He never took his eyes from hers while he cleaned her hands. Later she realized he’d been showing her the blood spilled today was not on her hands.
Many years earlier Tessa had read a book about angels. It was a work of fiction but based on some rather interesting facts and experiences of people who had encountered angels. All of them had said they weren’t cherub like creatures, but mighty warriors that were enormously strong and resolute about their objectives. Looking into the unflinching eyes of Captain Chase Hunter, Tessa began to wonder if he wasn’t one of those warrior angels. Doesn’t the Bible say that angels walk among us? A weak smile of relief toyed with the corner of her lips.
“Drink this, Mrs. Scott.” Chase held a bottle of tepid water to her lips until she began to drink. “Better?”
“Is everyone,” she looked down the wide corridor expecting someone to appear, “safe? Were they hurt?”
The captain informed her all were accounted for, locked securely in various locations on this sublevel. Several had cuts and bruises from their encounters with the gunmen but there were no deaths. Some would need medical attention but not so soon as to jeopardize the completion of the mission. The gunmen had open fired and were quickly subdued. Two were now locked in a room with several scientists who volunteered rather eagerly to watch over the intruders. The captain’s men bound their wrists and ankles along with a rather uncomfortable gag before leaving. The scientists were not in danger of learning anything vital considering neither of the gunmen could speak English.
Taking one last sip of water, Tessa handed the bottle back to the captain. “Thank you.” Her voice sounded like she’d been gargling thumb tacks.
“Ready?” Chase tried to offer an encouraging grin. “You’re doing fine. This will soon be over, Mrs. Scott.” Chase motioned everyone out into the stairwell with a slight motion of his thumb. Reaching out to Tessa, he took hold of her elbow and tugged her away from the wall. “I need you, Mrs. Scott.”
Tessa found herself inches from the captain’s body. A hard swallow sounded in her throat as Chase’s steady, brown eyes bore into her. “You, you do?” Something about this man made her anxious, irritated and mesmerized all in the same instant. She knew her voice sounded like a love sick school girl looking into the eyes of a rock star.
The captain stepped back toward the door leading Tessa forward. The dead body had been removed. Tessa squinted to try and see the blood splattered glass. One of the captain’s men nonchalantly slipped in her line of vision and pulled the door back so far that the darkness blocked out any hint of blood. She couldn’t help but grab Chase’s forearm as the darkness began to engulf them.
“We need to move to the fourth level where the super vault level is located, Mrs. Scott. What can you tell me about it?” He began gently leading her down the flight of stairs. “How many have access? Size? Purpose? Capabilities? Anything, Mrs. Scott.” His men gathered at the bottom of the stairs in anticipation of the next assault. Bodies tense with fortitude, the men looked to the captain for instructions. Chase suddenly stopped, feeling the landing beneath his feet. He carefully assisted Tessa as his eyes went to the solid concrete wall.
There were no more stairs and no place to go. Had Tessa been mistaken? After all, it had been nearly twelve years. He waited patiently for Tessa’s response, noting that she swallowed with a little difficulty as she cleared her throat. Tessa licked her lips nervously. Fear still revealed itself in her eyes that seemed to sparkle in night vision.
“Mrs. Scott?” Chase realized she was blind in so much darkness. He should have retrieved the night vision goggles from the wounded soldier at the top of the stairs who now guarded the stairwell. Tessa would have felt more confident. But then he wouldn’t have been able to observe her so closely and freely as he did now.
Her eyes drank in the darkness, wide and blinded by the abyss of black. Shifting them at the sound of a restless soldier’s feet caused Tessa to reach for Chase’s arm with a feathered touch of her fingertips. The jolt of satisfaction he experienced both disturbed and pained him as tightness gripped his chest. Chase made a mental note to see the Enigma doctor upon completion of the mission. Heart attacks didn’t happen to men his age and in his physical condition. After shouldering his weapon, Chase laid his hand on Tessa’s to discover how cold her skin had become with the fear she must be experiencing.
“Mrs. Scott, there is nothing here.” Chase motioned for one of the men to relinquish his goggles.
Tessa quickly donned the goggles and examined the wall before her. Chase watched her curiously as she reached out and touched the cement wall. “Yes. This is it, Captain Hunter.”
“I see nothing, Tessa” Zoric commented as he stepped forward to stand beside her.
This time Tessa didn’t shy away. The intense focus in her eyes gave both Zoric and Chase pause as they studied the woman who had become instrumental to this clandestine state of affairs. Both men looked from the woman to the wall. When she smiled Tessa turned to face the men.
“Yes!” Tessa’s sudden enthusiasm made her a little breathless. “Yes! It’s here! Look,” she said waving at the entire wall. “It’s not just cement blocks. You see here,” she pointed to a row of blocks, “it’s a grid. Twenty-six across, twenty six down, each block representing a letter of the alphabet.” Tessa touched the wall. “They also represent numbers. The trick is to put in the correct numbers and letters to open it.”
“We’re screwed, captain,” one of the men whispered. “How do we get in?”
Chase turned his eyes back to Tessa, knowing her assistance probably had come to an abrupt end. “How many people have this code is hard t
o say. It was still in the planning stages when I left. Dr. Haskins didn’t plan to make it accessible to just anyone at the ORNL. He was definite about that. Although the vault was completed before I left, Dr. Haskins hadn’t completed all aspects of the security.”
Chase sighed in frustration. “These walls are too thick to blow with what we’re carrying. We need someone with the code. Any ideas, Mrs. Scott?”
Tessa looked to the wall on her left, farthest away from the stairs. Walking awkwardly because of the night vision apparatus, Tessa reached the wall and touched one of the blocks without any reaction. After the third time a glowing computer screen appeared.
The shock of the light made Tessa step back, nearly falling. She felt familiar hands catch her and jerk the goggles from her face. Managing to look up into the deep brown eyes of Captain Chase Hunter gave Tessa energy to push away and straighten herself. He too, now stood goggle free. Others were lifting their goggles up onto their foreheads.
“Mrs. Scott, you have a lot of explaining to do when we get out of here,” Chase said nodding at the blinking computer screen. “You know the code, don’t you?”
“I’m not sure.”
“What do you think it is?”
“E=MC2.”
“Brilliant. What lame brain thought of that one?”
“I did.” Tessa said simply ignoring the insult. “No one would suspect a graduate student outside of Dr. Haskins department would be allowed to do such a thing. He’d just made me read Einstein’s biography so E=MC2.
“Oh.” Again Chase sighed with irritation. “Why didn’t I guess that one? Do it,” he motioned with his weapon that he removed from his shoulder.
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