The Hunted

by Steve Scheunemann

  “Hank, that’s true but we are just three. While we are better than anyone on the security staff of that place, they aren’t slouches and there are a lot more of them than us,” replied Calvin.

  “Cal is right Hank. We need to concentrate …Cal, Hank, the little dark skinned guy in the corner is just a little too interested in us. His emotions are eagerness, tinged with a bit of apprehension,” said Dex tapping into his empathy.

  “Stay sharp, he knows he’s been made. Here he comes. Make sure his backup is identified fast.”

  Approaching the table was a small man of indeterminate race. Dark of hair and eyes, with the slightest of epicanthic folds at his eyes, he was trim, fit, and moved very well in his center.

  “Gentlemen, I think we need to talk.”

  “Who are you and why should we talk to you?” said Hank.

  “I am known as Roger Bahadur, but that is not my true name. I am Prince Kalbhoj of the Gurkha people of Nepal. I have but recently been in touch with your Colonels Rawlson and Thibodaux. I have with me 300 men who will sell their souls dearly in the cause of freedom. In addition, the Sons of Liberty are present with an additional 130 men. All of us bring our own arms and ammunition. The Colonels contacted us through our secure channels and asked that we aid your commander. His name is Matthew, yes?”

  “Well, Hank,” said Dex, “the time for subtle is over. We hit them hard and we bleed them.”

  In response, Hank just grinned.

  Matt approached the main gate with Abbey at his side, Ralph and Kit following behind. They had chosen the direct approach. Matt and Abbey were Hunters escorting a science team led by Ralph with Kit as his assistant.

  It was thin but should hold long enough for their purposes.

  Ralph had rescaled the three illegal PDT’s to appear legit. It would not last and Matt’s Hunter PDT would not pass any real inspection. Then again, no one wanted to piss off a Hunter so he should be safe.

  There was a tense moment at the gate when Abbey went active on her PDT, transmitting her ID to the guards. It was unlikely that Malone had any kind of hold order out on her, since he’d then have to explain much that he still wanted secret, but it was always possible he was desperate enough.

  The guards passed them through without delay and, as ordered by Matt, escorted them to the director’s office. Upon arrival the director appeared flustered and nervous, having barely beat them to the office.

  Doctor Tomas Valdante, the director, visibly gathered himself and appraised his guests.

  Both women were stunningly beautiful. The Hunter, of course was dangerous, but the other might be interesting. Her scar, no doubt from some lab accident in her past, added to her allure rather than detracted from it.

  The Hunters were surely only here for the afternoon, but the science team must remain to do whatever it was they were here to do. It must be important considering their escort, but this was where all the most important projects were housed. This was a departure from normal procedures, but the presence of the Hunter meant that it was sanctioned by the BGP.

  Once they left he’d be able to distract the scientist and surely his assistant would leap at the chance to bed a man as powerful as the director of the government’s most important research facility. Many a woman had acceded to his power, willingly or otherwise.

  The male Hunter, uninvited, took a seat at the Director’s desk. He made a show of picking up documents, perusing them briefly and even looking in the drawers. He spoke not a single word while he established his dominance. The director felt a hint of trepidation returning as the meeting went nothing like he’d envisioned. The Hunters were supposed to make introductions and perfunctory noises about security and then leave. They were not supposed to act as if they owned the place. He was an important man and, despite their own power, they were after all, just hired muscle.

  Still, neither the man nor the woman spoke. She stood to one side watching everything while he made himself at home in the director’s office.

  When he could stand no more the director spoke, “Might I enquire wha…”

  The Hunter’s upraised hand stopped him, and silence reigned once again. After several long minutes the female Hunter spoke at last.

  “Director, this is Doctor Hansen and his assistant Doctor Wells. You will give them access to such materials and areas within your facility as they require. They are here to audit your performance.”

  “Of course, I will immediately have access cards made up granting them access to all non-secure areas of the….”

  The man in the director’s seat finally spoke. He did not raise his voice but something in his tone made the director chop off his words abruptly.

  “I do not recall my associate saying anything about non-secure areas. They are here to audit the entire facility. If they are balked in any way, I am certain that it will not be any of your doing. However, since you are the director of this facility I’m sure you will understand why we must hold you responsible.”

  “I-I u-understand, sir.”

  “Just ‘Agent’ will do, Director.”

  “Yes, s-Agent.

  “Good. See to it”

  “Agent, there are two areas that require clearances from higher authority than mine. They are Top Secret projects. One of them is so secret even I do not know what goes on inside its enclosure.”

  Taking a risk, Matt said, “Director, the larger area contains a project that you yourself lead and requires no authorization other than your own. As to the other area, it remains none of your concern.”

  Matt hid his relief as his gamble paid off.

  “As you say, Agent. I can indeed authorize access to the area of my project. However, I cannot authorize computer access. I say cannot, not will not. ”

  “Well, since a large part of Doctor Hansen’s job is to test your security, he will attempt to gain access without your help. You yourself will be with us at such times as he makes his attempt. The remainder of your facility is to know nothing of our attempt and act accordingly. The entire project is kept entirely offline correct? None of the research or technical data resides anywhere but inside this facility?”

  “More than that, there are no notes allowed outside the actual project area. In fact, that is why I arrived at my office just ahead of you. Even I am prohibited from working from here. I must do all project related work within the project area. It can be damnably inconvenient, but still, on this project, security must be maintained. That is why I cannot grant computer access.”

  “Very well, Director, that agrees with my information. That being the case, let us proceed to your project area” Matt spoke very softly and allowed a hint of threat into his voice.

  Swallowing nervously, the director stood. “If you’ll follow me then…agent.”

  The two fraudulent BGP agents, along with two fake doctors, followed the director through the facility and walked right into the most secure area within the most secure research facility in the world.

  The equipment was huge. Somehow, Matt hadn’t quite understood just how big.

  “Dr. Hansen, if you would be so kind, begin your security checks,” Matt said.

  Sitting at a computer terminal inside the project area, Ralph began to hack the system. He found it oddly funny that the director was actually watching him work and thought it was merely a test of security. Instead he was placing a worm in the computer that would completely eradicate any trace of the program. That alone would not be enough of course. Matt and Abbey would need to destroy all of the equipment and of course the director would need to be dealt with. Thankfully, all indications were that no one else on the project even began to understand the tasks they were assigned. Mostly they were technicians. None of them were comfortable with the idea that the director might need to be eliminated. They would try to extricate him, but if that proved impossible he could not be allowed to recreate this abomination. That would not be his problem to deal with, however. His job was to eradicate all digital traces.

&nb
sp; 52

  August 18, 2080

  New York, NY and Northbrook IL, North American Territory

  “Assemble the team!” snapped Malone. “We are going to Chicago now. Load for combat. We’re taking on some dangerous gene trash. Do not underestimate them.”

  Malone had had a tracking program keyed to the bitch’s PDT. He knew sooner or later it would pay off. The good news was that she was only 700 miles away. Based on the facility they were attempting to infiltrate they knew about the ‘zombie program’ as Malone referred to Operation Sunflower in his thoughts. That meant they would be there some time. They obviously intended to destroy the project. It seemed they were not making a full frontal assault so he would bring only his team. The facility’s organic assets should provide all the bullet catchers he might need.

  Accessing the files on his PDT he saw that she had entered the facility with three others. One was the bastard protégé of Angus. One other looked like a fighter and the last was surprisingly the little librarian who used to supply Malone with info on the military all those years ago. He’d have to snap the little traitors neck too.

  He still had eight Hunters on his team plus himself, discounting even the advantage he expected to possess in skills, he also had a numerical advantage of three to one. He discounted the librarian as any kind of threat.

  It took a brief flight by military aircraft to the airfield in Chicago once known as O’Hare, followed by a brief helicopter flight to a small airfield still called Palwaukee for its location on Palatine and Milwaukee roads. They were now a short ten minute drive from the facility.

  “We will keep a low profile on our way in”, Malone told the team as they met in an empty hangar. “This subject has escaped us once and we’ve lost two of our number thus far. Do not underestimate them. I expect you to take them down with extreme prejudice. If Abbey maintains her cover as a member of the team do not hesitate to take her out as well. She will have stored everything she has learned to date in her PDT’s internal memory. That will allow us to break the “resistance” once and for all. I will try to inform her of the end of the mission but if she does not receive the message she will act as one of them to the end. It would be unfortunate to lose her, but taking out the threat to genetic purity takes precedence.

  “I’ll take Halsey-Smythe, McLeish, Hu Li, and Wallace in with me. Depardieu, you will have Miller, Kournikov, and Cabelosi outside with you and remain outside. Make sure there is no back-up at hand for them. Whatever they bring the four of you should be able to handle it. Use the facility’s external guard force if needed.” Each member of the team acknowledged their orders and loaded into the waiting ground transports.

  The director was uncomfortable with the “security tests” being run. He was not a security expert, but he was an extremely intelligent man who was intimately familiar with his systems. This Doctor Hansen seemed to be doing more than merely testing the system. He blew past all the firewalls, taking them down in the process. He seemed to gain access to progressively more secure systems with contemptuous ease.

  “Doctor Hansen, I assure you that the systems you are accessing can be done so only from that very terminal. I fail to see the point in this exercise.”

  Standing up from where he had placed the thermal charges at the base of the array that sent out the control signal for the system, something Matt had taken advantage of the director’s distraction to do, he said, “Director I’m afraid we have not been entirely honest with you.

  “My name is Captain Matthew Connor of the New Zealand Marine Corps. We are not here to test your security; we are here to shut you down. You will be leaving with us after we destroy your research and equipment.”

  “What? I’ll do no such thing!” he spluttered, momentarily forgetting his fear of these people.

  “Abbey, please restrain the director. Director, please don’t fight us. We are every bit as dangerous as you previously thought, we just serve a higher purpose. We serve not the state which desires to control every aspect of human life, but rather those who still strive to be free. We will not allow this abomination you have created to be brought online.”

  While he spoke Abbey had quickly tied the doctor’s hands using zip ties brought along for the purpose. The doctor represented an intelligence goldmine and if it was in any way possible he would be brought back to New Zealand. Matt was still uncomfortable with the idea of killing him if they were unable to extract him. Killing in combat was one thing. Killing him in cold blood, no matter what evil he had perpetrated, was different.

  “Matt, we have a problem,” Kit said.

  “Security just cleared Malone and four others through the front gate. They are here to “join” our fact finding mission.”

  Taking his out PDT, Matt signaled Dex. “Dex we’ve got trouble. Malone is in the facility with four others. I’m guessing that means the rest are out there. Watch your backs and launch the diversion in ten minutes.”

  “Okay, Matt. We’ve had a little augmentation to our combat strength.”

  It took only a few moments to fill Matt in on the Gurkahs and Sons of Liberty. Matt and Dex quickly worked out a revised distraction plan.

  “Keep your eyes open for Hunters out there. We know we’ve got them in here. Ralph is just wrapping up, so well activate our GOTH plan in here” Matt said referring to the GO To Hell plan for evac.

  “Okay, Director, here it is. Some people have come to try and stop us. They are too late to save the research or equipment, meaning the only place this abomination still exists is inside your brain. I will not allow it to ever see the light of day again. Understand that I would prefer to keep you alive and extract you to New Zealand. However, I will ensure that you are dead before I’ll leave you behind to recreate this or any other nightmares for free people.

  “If you come along and, in fact, take an active role in our escape, you might live another day. If you hinder us in the slightest I’ll kill you right then and there. Do you understand?”

  “Y-yes”

  “Good. See that you keep it in mind. Okay, people, GOTH time. Kit, stick to Ralph. He’s still too important to lose. Abbey and I will take point. Ralph, disable all internal and external surveillance and communications devices now. We’ll be going out the back door. Dex and the guys will create a far larger diversion than we first expected. That’s good because we did not anticipate facing nine Hunters.”

  Moving through the facility they kept a careful watch for Malone and crew. Disabling the internal surveillance systems meant Malone would not know precisely where they were. Matt hoped that Malone would then be forced to split his forces. Encountering five Hunters was a stiff challenge, especially with two non-combatants in tow.

  Turning a corner in the corridor Matt saw Wallace at precisely the moment he saw Matt. Wallace was fast. His BGP sidearm rose and pointed at Matt’s chest, his finger already beginning to pull the trigger. Before he could finish the trigger pull his brain shut down. Five inches of steel entering through the eye socket and lodging in the back of the skull trends to do that.

  Matt went and retrieved the knife from Wallace’s head. He was grateful he’d had the time to rework the SOG Government Model’s blade back to a pristine razor’s edge.

  “That was too close. But at least we have one less to face now. We were lucky. He was trying to shoot me at the same time he was worrying about the rest of you. I only had him to focus on.”

  Moving through the labs and offices Matt ordered his team to sabotage everything. Soon smoke and flames filled the building. Matt reasoned that the more chaos they created the greater the chances of their escape. Smoke and fire within while the suddenly more robust diversion was going on outside would only help.

  “I killed Angus, and you are next. Burn this place to the ground if you want, I will find you and kill you like I did the traitor. Traitors and gene trash must be purged from society”, Malone’s voice echoed through the facility, coming from every speaker in the public address system. “You can
run, you can even hide, but you cannot escape. I will find you and I will kill you and all your friends. I’ll take you out first then take my time with the others. I promise it will be painful for them. Very, very painful.”

  “Matt, sounds like Dex is kicking off his diversion”, Abbey said, listening to security traffic on her PDT. “Security says there are approximately four hundred combatants attacking the building. That is two thirds the number of security on duty at the moment. They are pulling all security to deal with them. I guess for now anyway we only have the Hunters to worry about.”

  “Yeah, and Dex has six hundred highly trained security troops plus four Hunters to worry about. To face that he has Calvin, Hank and some troops we don’t even know.” Switching to his PDT, Matt called Dex.

  “Dex, do not engage completely. I want you and the troops to be able to disengage and scatter at need. Do not enter the facility. Just keep the security tied up for us.”

  “You got it, Matt. God speed.”

  Dex turned to Prince Kalbhoj and Connor Tucker, the leaders of the Gurkha and Sons of Liberty, “Gentlemen, keep your forces in light contact with the enemy. We want to be able to break off and retreat when the time comes. If this gets too big they will mobilize Storm Troops from Kansas City. As long as local forces think they have it under control, that won’t happen.”

  “Lieutenant Maxwell, I understand the plan, but I have one alteration that will occur”, said Prince Kalbhoj. “I and all of the Gurkha peoples have sworn personal fealty to Matthew Connor. He is in effect King of the Gurkha. I and a squad of armsmen will enter the facility and we will guard the King. This is not negotiable.”

  “How do you propose to get in there?”

  “We are Gurkha, leave that to us” he replied, thumbing the edge of his kukri.