“You are,” Stark explained, “But visual sightings are being broadcast all over Sina Weibo, China’s Twitter.”
Again, Lopez showed his mettle. There was no whining. No angst, just a simple question, “How long?”
Stark switched back and forth between several screens. “They are flying out of Shahezhen so ten, fifteen, minutes at most.”
There was a silence that was only filled with the sound of the mini-jet engines. From the helmet cam footage, it looked to be the ride of a lifetime, even if it might be cut short.
“Did we lose the feed?” Stark’s mother asked.
Stark shook his head. He knew Lopez. This delay was just him concocting another ridiculous, yet highly successful plan.
“Did you find them yet?” Lopez asked.
“Sorry, we lost them in central Beijing. They must have switched cars,” Stark explained. “We are monitoring the airports and tourist attractions carefully.”
“He isn’t going there,” Davidson stated with certainty. “I don’t know China well, but what would be the equivalent of bombing the White House?”
“The Emperor’s Palace?” Stark ventured a guess, but that’s on the tourist’s list.”
“No, China is a communist country, it wouldn’t be destabilized by damaging a building, I meant more figuratively.”
Stark looked to his mother. This kind of tangential thinking wasn’t his strong suit. He’d failed the allegory portion of his SATs.
“Especially if they want to blame the Russians, Baasha is going to want to hit something that really kicks them in… excuse my language, but the nuts.”
Stark nodded, but where was China’s greatest vulnerability? What would frighten them enough to make a knee-jerk reaction to go to war with Russia?
* * *
“Money,” Bunny blurted. All heads in the flying car turned to her. “I mean, China holds most of our debt as well as the rest of the world’s. It is their new claim to fame and to prove that communism is the best way to run a society. If Baasha were able to knock that out…”
“Their stock market is in Shanghai though, not Beijing,” Stark explained over the com.
“What is Beijing’s equivalent?” Malvern asked.
“They have a financial district, and strangely, we spotted a car that might be the one Baasha switched into heading that way.”
“I’ll take it,” Lopez said, turning the steering wheel as they banked to the south. “Get me coordinates to that famous outdoors bizarre.”
Bunny frowned, “Do you mean Wangfujing Street?”
“Sure, whatever, I just need a wide boulevard to land,” Lopez stated.
“Sending them now, but it is going to be close,” Stark stated.
“What is that?” Levont asked, pointing out the window to a huge billowing cloud of sand.
“Our salvation,” Lopez answered.
Bunny knew about China’s sandstorm problem but had never thought she’d see it in person. When you thought sandstorms, you usually thought of the Sahara or the Arab states, however, China had more frequent and worse sandstorms than Iraq, Kuwait and Dubai, combined.
It was one of those natural disasters that had held China back from becoming a world power for the millennia. Technically they were dust storms from the surrounding dry lands. For decades, China had been cloud seeding and leading experts in forcing rain to help control the dust levels, which only accentuated the smog problems in Beijing. The capital city wasn’t proud of the fact it spent a good third of the year with dangerous air pollution levels.
The billowing cloud blocked the sun, making it seem like it was twilight rather than early afternoon. Tink, tink, tink, sounded as tiny dust particles hit the windshield of the car.
“They aren’t going to be able to fly in this.”
“Then how are we?”
“Our engine’s air to thrust ratio is much lower, their jet’s high performance engines are very susceptible to particles like this. Just wait,” Lopez said.
Bunny cocked her head, waiting for Stark’s report.
“They are breaking off!” Stark yelled. “They have been called back to base.”
Lopez smiled that fierce smile of his. “Told ya.”
Then the car’s jets starting knocking.
“Okay, so maybe we might have a bit of trouble,” Lopez said, still heading straight for the center of the storm. “But I’d like to see them try to catch us now.”
* * *
Davidson couldn’t see anything out the windshield, so he wasn’t quite sure how Lopez was “steering” their flying car. Lopez kept saying he was doing it by “memory.” However this was the first time he’d ever been to Beijing and unless the corporal had gone off on a guided tour without the rest of them, they’d barely gotten a glimpse of the city.
Wind screamed all around them as dust pelleted their vehicle. Lopez had kept the engines running, but just barely. Visibility was at zero. The windshield wipers were just a blur.
And every once in a while, Stark would scream, “Turn left!” barely in time as they would swerve to miss a random high-rise.
“Turn right!” Stark screeched. They narrowly missed a tall pagoda this time. They could see the intricate carvings on the mahogany wood structure. Their “tail” hit, but bounced off.
“We should be there soon,” Lopez said, straining forward as if the few inches he got could give him some insight into the dust storm.
“You’d better cut speed for your descent,” Stark stated.
Lopez just laughed along with the rest of the team. Right. Lopez slowing down until the last possible second.
“There!” Prenner yelled, pointing ahead. Luckily the outdoor mall’s lining buildings were painted in bright colors. So bright you could actually see them through the dust.
“Hang on!” Lopez yelled, reminding them all that he was way better taking off than landing. Way, way better.
Luckily the streets were fairly empty as the bustling marketplace was cleared by the dust storm. The few remaining pedestrians fled at the sight of their flying car descending from above.
Prenner and Levont were making large waving motions with their hands, like that was going to help get the people out of their way.
“Hope your insurance premiums are up to date,” Lopez joked as he brought them in for a landing.
The flying car tilted right to left as he fought the crosswinds. This long line of buildings flanking the marketplace were like a huge wind tunnel.
Davidson gripped Bunny as the wheels hit the ground, They skidded as Lopez applied the brakes.
“That’s not the Japanese Drift!” Lopez yelled as he struggled with the steering wheel. “That is the Chinese Careen!”
A wheel flew off. Suddenly they were driving on metal. Sparks flew up behind them. Then another wheel flew off. Apparently this vehicle was still in the research phase of development.
Lopez never flinched, clinging to the steering wheel, keeping them pretty much in the center of the lane. Then finally they came to a halt. Impossibly they had landed. Sans two tires, but they were safely down from the sky.
“And look, I didn’t even destroy any World Heritage structures.”
“No, it’s just the great wall of China is down,” Levont shot back.
“Oh, you can’t blame me for that one! That wasn’t even us!”
“True, true,” Levont stated as he opened his door.
“Hurry up,” Lopez said. “We’ve got some shopping to get done!”
Now Lopez was talking her language.
* * *
“I can’t see anything,” Stark moaned. The dust storm was reeking havoc with nearly every bit of telemetry. Forget traffic cams. And visual sighting even from the closest satellite was just a blur of brown.
“Don’t be so dramatic,” his mother replied. “We’ve still got thermal.”
Which didn’t do you a whole hell of a lot of good in a city with over eleven million people. Although Stark didn’t say any of t
hat out loud. They’d lost track of the team once they left their flying car. At the least that vehicle had a unique thermal signature, now the team was just six people lost amongst the throng.
“And the storm is blowing itself out,” his mother added.
Not nearly quickly enough for Stark. They also had no luck in pinpointing Baasha’s location. The car they thought might contain the Righteous leader went into an underground parking lot and never came out. The lot was a few miles from the financial district. Had they guessed wrong? Was Baasha targeting another part of Beijing?
If he was, the city and the team were doomed.
“Have you developed an exit strategy?” his mother asked.
“Working on it,” Stark replied even though he really hadn’t thought that far ahead. Stopping Baasha was the only thing on his mind, but his mother was right. First off he needed to think positively. He needed to believe the team would survive this last assault. And if they survived they would probably like to high tail it out of China as soon as possible since every one of those eleven million citizens was going to want their heads, even if the team had just saved their country.
Right now the red sky was seeing only red. The loss of the Great Wall was cutting the country to the bone. It had been their heritage. Their identity for millennia. Social media was exploding with anger over the destruction of the Wall. No one was going to notice the minor detail it wasn’t the team that did it, but instead the Righteous.
Far easier to believe the evil capitalist America had done it.
Unfortunately the nearest American base was in South Korea. They couldn’t have the team head to the embassy in Beijing. That thing could be taken over in a New York hot minute. No, they needed to evacuate the team to another country, even if that country was right next to the world’s greatest nuclear threat.
His mother glanced over to Stark’s screen. “You better alert the fleet as well. This could get ugly.”
In that, his mother was 100 percent correct.
CHAPTER 24
Davidson looked skeptically at the pair of roller blades that Lopez handed him. “Really?”
“Really,” Lopez countered, handing out the rest of the team’s skates.
“We go from flying car to roller blades?” Davidson questioned.
“How else are we going to get there in time?” Lopez asked, indicating the street where the cars were packed due to the dust storm. The entire city was in grid lock, which in one way made their lives easier. The police were going to have a hard time tracking them down, but on the other hand it meant they too were stymied.
Unless of course you counted the roller blades.
“This is the most efficient way to get to the financial district. Seriously, man up,” Lopez snorted.
Davidson laced up along with the rest since he had no better plan and that was going to be Lopez’s next tact. “Give me a better idea and we’ll go with it.” Everyone knew there wasn’t a better plan. There were just these skates.
Bunny helped Malvern put his skate on over his splint. “This is going to hurt.”
The colonel bit his lip then nodded, grimacing as she got the boot over his damaged ankle.
“Let’s hit it,” Lopez said, tapping his skates on the ground, testing them.
“We’ll help Malvern,” Davidson said as Levont got ready to lead the pack. Lopez didn’t even respond, he just rushed off, overtaking their lead man.
The corporal had perfect Apollo speed skating form. One arm tucked behind his back, the other swinging in motion with his stride. Soon Lopez disappeared into the dust. Levont did his best to keep up, taking short choppy, thrusting strides, but Lopez was out of there.
“You sure you don’t want me to help?” Prenner asked Bunny as she draped Malvern’s arm over her shoulder.
“No, we’ve got this,” she said. “Go catch up with Lopez.”
“Yah, right,” Prenner snorted before he took off.
Then it was time to get Malvern on his feet. Even with two good ankles, Davidson wasn’t sure the man could have stayed upright on his blades.
“Sorry, in my day they were roller skates. Never got into blading,” Malvern explained.
As part of his cover, Davidson had grown up in a small Mid-West town. He could remember those clunky skates down at the roller rink. It felt like a lifetime ago.
“Just lean into us. Keep your bad foot up and balance on your good one.”
“Easier said then done,” Malvern chuckled as Davidson and Bunny shoved off, trying to gain some speed. They were never going to catch up with Lopez, that was a mathematical impossibility, even if they didn’t have Malvern, but they did need to get over to the financial district as quickly as possible.
Bunny was a pretty fine skater herself, providing as much stability and power as he was. Soon they were making their way down the deserted sidewalk. Another bonus of the storm. The pedestrians had cleared out, waiting out the storm in nearby buildings. The path ahead was clear, if not a little bumpy.
* * *
Baasha reveled in the strong winds that buffeted the car. His brother was having trouble keeping the vehicle on the road. But to Baasha it was another sign from God that he was on the right path.
The world was ready for a good cleansing fire. Or gas as the case may have it.
God would provide for what happened next as he should.
Sky scrapers soared above them. This steel and glass shrine to money. Just as Jesus dashed the temple and their money lenders. A perfect place to start the next evolution of man’s faith.
His brother pulled up to the curb and Baasha’s other three brothers exited the car and held open his door, a hand outstretched to help him out. He no longer took shame in requiring such assistance.
The elders may still look down upon him, but he knew. He knew his lineage. He knew that his brothers were no better than him now. They were all the same mutts. They all sprang from the same unholy DNA.
Just as Judas bore the suffering for Christ, Baasha would bring about the apocalypse for the Righteous.
Only he had the steel and the nerve to see this through.
His brother rushed ahead to open the large glass doors that led inside the banking building. Once past the doors the whine of the wind abruptly stopped and was replaced by the whir of the air conditioner. Several other people had sought shelter in the lobby. They were all dust covered and clustered together in the corner where the high end, luxury sofas were assembled.
Baasha limped past them. He could not take time to rest, nor find shelter.
No, he had set his sights much higher than that.
* * *
Bunny’s calf was cramping and her shoulder felt like it might dislocate at any moment, but they were here, and the wind was much calmer amongst the high rises. She pulled down the handkerchief she’d had over her mouth and coughed as Davidson pulled them to a stop.
“Took you long enough,” Lopez said, shaking his head.
Neither Bunny nor Davidson bothered to defend themselves. Lopez would never accept any excuse for being late.
“Davidson you are going up to a perch,” Lopez continued. I’m going to find us a ride and the rest of you will take a building each.”
“In this wind, I might need a spotter,” Davidson stated.
Lopez nodded. “Take who you like.”
“Malvern,” Davidson replied.
Bunny tried to keep her hurt feelings to herself. Usually she was his spotter, but that was before.
“You don’t have to baby me,” the colonel said.
“I’m not,” Davidson replied while he took off his skates. “I need a spotter.”
With that Lopez took off, disappearing around the corner. Levont and Prenner turned toward the line of tall buildings.
“I’ll take the far right,” Levont said.
“I’ll take the far left and we’ll work toward the center?”
There were seven buildings that lined the street. Each one a major financial instit
ution. How long was it going to be to clear them all?
“And what about me?” Bunny asked.
Prenner was the one to answer. “You stay safe, here.”
Bunny shook her head as she reached her hand out. “Give me a gun. I can help.”
Prenner’s eyebrow went up. “You sure?”
“I’m positive,” Bunny stated accepting the gun he put into her hand.
“The safety is off,” Prenner informed her.
“I’ve got this,” Bunny said.
The men didn’t give it any more thought. They just trotted off across the street to their assigned buildings. Bunny took a little longer, sucking in a breath, trying to calm her nerves. The gun felt heavy in her hand. It was a compact semi-automatic. She’d trained on one with Davidson.
She could do this. Couldn’t she?
* * *
As Davidson helped lug Malvern to the elevator, he wondered if he shouldn’t have brought Bunny. They could have stashed Malvern somewhere safe until this was over.
The lobby of the office building was practically empty as everyone else was gathered around the guard station’s TV. The broadcast regarding the destruction of the Great Wall was playing loudly.
None of the guards even took a second look at the two of them as they made their way to the elevator or even when they loaded into it. This was a low security mortgage firm. No one suspected that an American Black Ops team would be trying to breach it.
They were whisked up to the eighteenth floor within moments. Malvern pushed off of Davidson and leaned heavily on the elevator wall.
“I can take it from here,” the colonel said breathing harder than a man who could take it anywhere.
As the elevator dinged, Davidson forced Malvern’s arm around his shoulder. “You don’t have anything to prove.”
The colonel didn’t argue as they made their way down the long hallway to the corner office. A lone secretary sat behind an oversized desk.
“My friend isn’t feeling well,” Davidson explained in perfect Mandarin. “The Restroom?”
Trained to be helpful, the woman popped up from her chair and pointed down the long hallway, not asking a single question of their presence.
Davidson looked into each office, avoiding any that had workers in them. Finally they found an empty office, facing directly at the financial buildings. He shimmed the lock open and helped Malvern inside. Pulling the blinds closed, Davidson set Malvern down next to the outer window then grabbed his pack, getting out his glasscutter.
Bull's Eye Sniper Chronicles Collection (The Second Cycle of the Betrayed Series) Page 28