Denton coughed, then pushed Jay away. He unbuckled his harness and clambered down beside them. He was still wearing just his singlet, black combat pants and boots, a USP Compact pistol and magazines holstered in his utility belt.
‘US Marines versus NYPD,’ he said. ‘Now there’s something you don’t see every day. Are you packing?’ He withdrew his USP, the suppressor still attached.
Damien checked his waistband, but his pistol wasn’t there. He looked around Jay’s troop seat but couldn’t find it.
‘We don’t have time,’ Denton said. He was back in the cockpit, trying to open the pilot’s door, now above them.
Jay didn’t have his pistol either. They were around here somewhere, but Denton was right. Protesters were rushing down First Avenue, straight for them. As soon as they were in range, all bets were off.
UN troops appeared around the cockpit to check for survivors.
Denton flashed a badge through the window. ‘UN officials!’ he shouted.
The UN troops immediately moved to the cockpit door above them. They opened it and helped Denton out.
Jay was next out.
Damien climbed over the co-pilot’s seat. Using the pilot’s harness, he hoisted himself up and onto the helicopter’s side. Behind him, protesters surged towards the Speedhawk and the UN troops. They were closing from both sides, plain-clothed marines leading the charge. The police officers scattered, withdrawing to their squad cars. But it was too late, the protesters were upon the officers. Disarming them, throwing them to the ground. Shouting, pointing to injuries on their own bodies and faces, screaming. They looked angry as all hell.
‘Move inside!’ one of the UN soldiers said, pointing inside the UN headquarters.
Damien looked over to see more UN troops stationed at the rear of the plaza, alongside a pair of white armored security vehicles and a pair of white Land Cruisers, a blue UN painted on their sides.
Denton and Jay were already moving along the Speedhawk’s body. It had ploughed right through a checkpoint, causing the wrought-iron gates to buckle inward and into the front of the Chinook, knocking it on its side. Denton jumped over the buckled gate, into international territory. Jay jumped after him. Damien followed suit. The UN troops followed them in, squeezing between the crashed Speedhawk and the crumpled gates.
‘Lieutenant General Denton, United States Marine Corps,’ Denton said as the UN troops approached. ‘Military Staff Committee. You need to call in reinforcements right now. These checkpoints won’t hold much longer.’
‘General, we already have.’ The UN sergeant checked his watch. ‘Their ETA is five minutes.’
‘Don’t count on it,’ Denton said.
He pocketed his wallet and strode past the ASVs and Land Cruisers.
Damien didn’t make eye contact with the blue-helmeted soldiers. He kept pace a few steps behind Denton, with Jay on his immediate right.
‘Out of curiosity,’ Jay said, ‘are you actually on the Military Staff Committee?’
‘Hell, no. But I do have UN ID,’ he said. ‘This way.’
‘So what the fuck hit our helicopter?’ Jay said. ‘Are the protesters packing missiles now?’
‘I think an RPG detonated near the tail fan,’ Denton said. ‘Either a protester, or one of our agent provocateurs inciting violence from the police. Although at this point I don’t think the protests need our incitement.’
‘No kidding,’ Jay said.
Denton led them into the lobby of the glass-walled Secretariat building. From the outside, it looked about forty stories high. Inside, half of it was fenced off for renovations. Denton took them past the elevators, swiped his ID on a reinforced steel door and let them through. Inside this chamber, the pastel-colored marble floor was as yet untouched by renovations. There was a smaller family of elevators. Denton took them to level five, only this level five was underground.
Jay slapped his hands together. ‘So what’s the plan?’
Denton stared at the elevator buttons. ‘I get you your answers. After that, it’s up to you. You can help me dismantle the Fifth Column. Or you can walk away.’
The elevator lurched to a stop. The doors opened. More marble floor. A glass wall at the end, and a manned desk. Soldiers in pale blue helmets stood on either side.
‘Are they meant to be there?’ Damien said under his breath.
‘Follow my lead,’ Denton said. He walked out of the elevator.
Damien exchanged a glance with Jay. They moved from the elevator’s far corners, giving themselves the widest views possible before stepping out. Together, they followed Denton, walking with confidence. From the edges of his vision, Damien confirmed a pair of UN soldiers on either side of him and Jay. He hoped they were posted there as nothing more than a precaution.
When Denton reached the desk, the UN soldiers shifted fractionally closer. Denton paid them no attention and showed another ID.
‘I’m scheduled to see the General,’ he said.
The man behind the desk checked his computer. ‘I’m sorry, Colonel, I don’t have anything here. Would you like me to contact his office?’
‘I can do that myself.’ Denton pulled his com out, but dropped it. ‘Shit.’
Damien and Jay reached the desk in time to see the com slide towards the UN soldier on the right. The soldier ignored it, but when Denton moved towards him, he stepped forward.
‘Allow me, Colonel.’ He picked up the com and handed it to Denton.
Denton gripped the soldier’s wrist and bent his hand back towards his elbow. The soldier buckled, sticking his elbow out. Denton took it and tucked the soldier’s arm behind his back. He stepped behind the soldier and stuck his pistol into his neck, using him as a shield. The soldier immediately dropped his weapon, arms in the air.
Damien jumped over the desk. His boots connected with the receptionist’s head, sending the man sprawling. Jay disarmed the UN soldier on the left, stealing his M4 carbine.
‘Drop your weapons!’ Denton yelled at the four soldiers standing at the elevators.
Jay joined Damien behind the desk, M4 carbine in both hands. Damien searched the receptionist for a pistol. He was out cold, and unarmed. ‘Great.’
One of the soldiers fired at Denton. The shot struck his hostage in the shoulder. Denton dived behind the desk and Damien heard something clatter along the marble floor.
‘Well, that didn’t go to plan,’ Denton said. ‘Oh, by the way, flashbang.’
Damien didn’t need to be told twice. He shut his eyes and covered his ears as firmly as he could. Even with his eyes shut, he saw the shift in light, and he heard the loud bang. When he opened his eyes, Denton was already on his feet.
Damien stood to see the four UN soldiers collapsed near the elevators. Denton strode towards them, USP Compact in both hands. As he approached, he squeezed off three or four shots into each soldier. Replacing the magazine from his utility belt, he then scooped up an M4 carbine, turned on his heel and walked back to the desk. He flicked the shoulder strap over his head and kept his suppressed pistol in both hands.
‘You just killed those men,’ Damien said. ‘They’re American.’
‘You seem to think I had a choice.’
Denton aimed his suppressed pistol at the soldier he’d taken hostage just moments ago and shot him in the face. Damien looked away.
‘Take him out.’ Denton was pointing to the UN soldier on Jay’s side.
Jay aimed his M4 carbine at the soldier, then lowered it. ‘No.’
Denton glared at him.
‘You know how loud these M4s are,’ Damien said. ‘Do you want to alert everyone to our presence? Use your suppressed pistol.’
Denton was already taking aim at the unconscious man behind the desk. Then he shook his head. ‘No. I need to conserve the suppressed rounds. We have to bluff our way from here anyway.’
* * *
‘Protesters have breached the plaza,’ Denton said to the Blue Beret bodyguard as he flashed his ID. ‘These aren�
�t fucking hippies. They’re military trained and they’re organized. They know the General is here and they want his blood.’
There was no reason for the Blue Berets not to believe him, Jay thought. Sure enough, the bodyguard standing in front of the security door spoke into his throat mike.
‘We need to extract the General ahead of schedule.’ He turned to two of his three men. ‘Secure the emergency exit.’
Jay retreated a few steps, as naturally as possible. He monitored the corridor they’d come from, pretending to watch for protesters.
The bodyguard stepped towards Denton, eyes narrowed. ‘No one should even know he’s here. How did that happen?’
Denton raised his rifle and shot the bodyguard through the throat.
Two to go.
Jay aimed and dropped the bodyguard at his ten o’clock. The other one slumped to the floor, shot by Damien. Jay turned to the corridor and shot two more in the face as they reacted to the gunfire. Their heads burst over the corridor walls.
Regrouping with his trio, Jay saw Denton push the dead bodyguard off himself. Blood had soaked his singlet. Denton didn’t say a word, just pushed forward. Damien broke into a run, catching up with him and taking the right flank. Jay moved in and decided to watch their six.
At the security door, Denton planted his middle finger on the fingerprint pad and let the retinal scanner check his eye. The red light switched to green and they were granted access.
‘Get in, quickly,’ he said.
Damien was first in, Jay followed him. The security door sealed behind them. They advanced, rifles at eye level.
‘Did you actually plan any of this?’ Damien asked.
‘Only the necessary parts,’ Denton said. ‘The men I’m taking you to aren’t even meant to be here. The security here is basically zero. Trust me, compared to the OpCenter, this is a walk in the park. And a rare opportunity for us.’
‘I wouldn’t exactly call that crash landing a walk in the park,’ Damien said. ‘So far, we’re lucky to be alive.’
Denton chuckled softly, but kept his rifle steady. ‘Do I need to remind you that we’re half-invincible?’
‘All it takes is a round to the head,’ Damien said. ‘You’re impulsive.’
Sometimes Damien should just keep his mouth shut, Jay thought.
‘We have company,’ Damien said. He’d stopped moving.
Denton pressed himself against the wall and crouched down. ‘Talk to me.’
‘I can hear reinforcements,’ Damien said. ‘Wait. I can hear bodies. People falling.’
Jay blinked to get rid of sweat trickling into his eye. ‘Are you sure?’
He knew Damien was sure. His pseudogene-enhanced hearing could pick up far more than Jay’s ears could.
‘Protesters?’ Denton whispered.
Gunfire erupted in front of them.
‘Contact!’ Denton said.
It was Denton doing the firing. Jay stood to shoot over Denton’s crouched figure, but it was too late. Whoever it was had disappeared before Denton could drop them.
‘Right,’ Denton said. ‘So the escorts know we’re coming.’
Jay checked over his shoulder again. No one had come near the security door. He hoped whoever it was didn’t have access.
‘OK, this corridor moves in an oval shape,’ Denton said. ‘Damien, you’re with me. Jay, advance and hold back until we’re in sight.’
‘Fine,’ Jay said. ‘Hurry.’
He watched them move forward, then dart to the left, branching off into the other side of the headquarters — or administrative level or whatever the hell this place was. He wiped sweat from his forehead, slowed his breathing and moved forward. Slowly this time. He shifted to the right wall and kept his knees slightly bent. With every step he tried to minimize the bounce in his aim, half-expecting someone to appear around the corner and open fire.
The whole level seemed to have been evacuated, or at least the secure section of it. There was just lots of glass and plastered wall. The floor was white marble, or fake white marble. He couldn’t tell which.
Why was Denton really doing this?
Denton and Damien were in position much quicker than he expected. Denton was in the lead, two feet from the corner Jay supposed the escort had appeared from. He moved up to the end of the corner, checked the chamber on his M4. Safety catch was off. He nodded to Denton.
Denton counted off.
Together they turned into the new corridor.
No one.
The corridor was quite short, with just a double door at the end.
Denton shifted closer to Jay. ‘Conference room on the other side.’
Jay nodded. He knew Damien would have heard even from a few feet back.
Denton turned to Damien and tapped his ear. Damien nodded and moved silently forward.
Denton and Jay took up back-to-back positions while they waited. Jay was facing Damien. He saw him move in close to the door and put his ear to it. He remained there for a moment, then retreated. Instead of speaking he held up his fingers. One thumb, two fingers. He could hear three people.
Denton tapped his rifle and raised his eyebrows.
Damien pointed to the ceiling with one thumb and one finger. He extended his arm up high, indicating rifles, not pistols.
Denton nodded, reached for his fancy flashbang gadget.
Counting it in, Jay shot through the doorjamb with a tight three-round boost. Damien kicked the doors open and ducked. Jay watched their back while Denton tossed the grenade in. No one was immediately within his field of view, so Jay retreated. He let his rifle hang by its shoulder strap, shut his eyes and covered his ears.
The sound wasn’t too bad, but the flash — even through his eyelids — blinded him. He dropped to his knees, the light searing his vision. He opened his eyes slowly, but all he could see was white.
He could hear Denton and Damien moving into the conference room. There were two short bursts of gunfire. Had they cleared the conference room or had they surrendered?
Jay heard someone approach and pull him to his feet. The white flash slowly faded, revealing Damien’s concerned face.
‘Are you OK?’ Damien said.
‘Yeah,’ Jay said. ‘Must’ve gotten too close.’
He followed Damien carefully into the conference room. It had a high ceiling with six domed lights. It was like the Knights of the Round Table in here: everything was expensive oak and fancy black and white marble-tiled floors. It reminded him of a chess table. Two Blue Beret bodyguards lay in dark pools of their own blood, one on their immediate right, the other near the third man, who sat comfortably at the table with a glass of wine and a laptop. A pistol lay on the marble between the man and Jay’s trio.
Damien closed the double doors behind them and secured them with two pairs of plasticuffs, which should stop anything short of a battering ram.
Denton aimed his rifle at the man at the table. ‘Where are they?’
The man lowered the glass of red from his mouth. ‘I know why you’ve come, Denton, but I’m sorry to say your sojourn may be in vain.’
He moved the bottle so he could study his new guests. Jay peered closer at the bottle: Château Margaux. He moved forward so he was standing beside Denton.
‘Who is he?’ he asked.
‘The only six-star general in existence,’ Denton said. ‘Commander-in-Chief of the Fifth Column. And he was supposed to be in company.’
The General laughed. ‘Do you really think I would be entertaining guests at this… volatile location? Especially men such as the Benefactors.’ He sipped his wine. ‘All in one place. That would be far too dangerous given the current circumstances.’
Jay walked down the steps to the round table and raised his rifle at the General. ‘Here’s the deal. You tell us the truth and we’ll be on our way.’
The General’s eyes, set in a lined, exhausted face, lingered on him. ‘I don’t deal in truth, young man. And I certainly don’t make deals with toy sold
iers.’
‘But you deal in reality,’ Damien said, coming to stand beside Jay. ‘Reality is what you say it is, right?’
The General’s lips grew taut. ‘If you like.’
Jay shook his head. ‘There’s not a chance in hell you’ll be able to keep Project GATE secret. Not forever.’
‘And why is that?’ The General grinned, a fissure in his otherwise granite expression. ‘We developed the first atomic bomb in complete secrecy. Hundreds of thousands of employees, dozens of facilities, the equivalent of tens of billions of dollars. For Christ’s sake, son, if we can keep that a secret we can keep anything a secret.’
‘You miserable son of a bitch,’ Jay said. He felt anger boiling inside him, but didn’t want to give the General the satisfaction of seeing it. ‘What gives you the right?’
The General exhaled. ‘We don’t need the right. We don’t need anything.’ He looked over at Denton, still standing near the double doors. ‘Not the brightest operative, is he?’
Jay felt his fist close over. ‘I’m not an operative. That ship has sailed.’
‘No,’ the General said. ‘At this rate, you’ll likely be a dead one.’
‘Speak for yourself,’ Jay said.
‘I speak from experience,’ the General said. ‘People like us run the world not just by chance but because we’re the only ones capable of doing it. We know your flaws. We know you better than you know yourselves. Our sense of honor compels us to take command, to guide the weak through times as dark as these. And our sense of humor compels us to enjoy it.’ He started to laugh.
Jay leaned over the round table. He could smell the man’s cloying cologne. ‘The times are dark because you made them dark,’ he said.
He turned to Denton, who seemed to be enjoying the show too much to say anything. ‘Aside from putting this sick bastard out of his misery, why did you really bring us here?’ Jay asked. ‘What’s the point?’
‘You wanted to know about your past.’ Denton walked down the steps towards the table. ‘Perhaps you’d like to show the young man the debrief of his first operation?’
The General didn’t say a word. He exhaled slowly, with disappointment, then pulled up the debrief on his laptop.
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