by Stuart Field
Samara felt Steel’s eyes on her and turned towards him. She was still talking on the headset but gave him a gentle smile.
Steel looked at the city and the streets below he saw the large domed church. He figured they were over Mgarr and Attard wouldn’t be far away. The sky was a deep purple, the stars were out and shining bright. The moon was already out, displaying a brilliant half full.
Steel nudged the cold pack between the body armour and his t-shirt. He felt the refreshing cold on his skin. He could not wait to get back to the hotel and take a long shower or even a deep, soothing bath.
He looked down and saw the lights of a vast city to his left – Mosta. He had to admit, seeing it from up above was impressively beautiful. He had seen most cities from above and during the night. New York still gave him chills.
As the helicopter touched down in the embassy's cleared parking lot, Steel saw Bolton and a hand full of Marines following him over. The side door slid open, and Steel got out first and helped Samara out, while the Marines grabbed Foster’s stretcher.
The transport waited until they were clear, then took off, returning to the aircraft carrier.
‘Is it working?’ Foster asked.
‘Yes, it’s working,’ Bolton said with a surprised smile. ‘The damn thing works.’
Bolton had always been a bit apprehensive about the software – they all had. The company had promised the earth, and they had delivered.
Foster smiled and nodded to himself.
As they all headed for the blockhouse entrance, Steel lagged behind. Thinking about the events of the past week. Reflecting on Lucy’s death and the possible death of thousands more.
As the string of people marched into the elevator, Steel got a text message. It was from a friend he had reached out to.
‘I’ll catch you up,’ Steel said waving his cell phone as if to say he had to take this message.
Bolton nodded and pressed the button, the doors slid shut, and suddenly Steel was alone. Steel pressed the button to checked the message. The office in Whitehall had done some digging for him. They had reviewed emails, financials, and background checks on the names Steel had given him – including Price, Bolton, Tipp, Sloan and Calver.
The result raised Steel’s eyebrow and made him tense with anger.
Steel pressed the call button and waited.
People passed by behind him. They were going here and there, none of them paying him any notice. He was invisible to them, a shadow, a figure in the corner of the eye.
The doors slid open, and Steel found himself face to face with Foster. He had ridden the elevator back up.
‘We need to talk… alone – away from the others,’ Foster said, looking around the lobby.
‘Sure,’ Steel replied as he stepped into the elevator. There was a silence as the doors closed. Each stood with their backs firmly against a wall.
Their gaze locked in front of them towards the door.
‘Did you find what you needed?’ Foster asked calmly.
Steel waited for a moment before answering.
Letting his anger subside.
‘Yes, I’m still wondering why though,’ Steel’s voice was calm, but his fists were clenched tightly as if taking the strain.
The men remained still.
The air was full of tension.
‘How did she die?’ Foster asked. A simple question Steel thought. One he would have thought Foster would have known – if he’d checked himself.
Perhaps that’s why Foster had gotten Steel over, ask the questions he could not. But what father wouldn’t want to do it himself, especially one with Foster’s background?
But Steel already knew the answer. It was a plain and straightforward one that scared Steel to the bone while causing his blood to boil.
‘She was murdered, possibly run down by a car with no plates. She was then taken to the Blue Hole and tossed off the edge,’ Steel said, working his theory in his head as he spoke. Steel thought back to the pathologist and the report. He thought back to the broken bones and injuries that Lucy had sustained. They had been too severe for a simple fall off a cliff, and besides, she had not fallen from Azure Window. Steel had already proven that was impossible. Steel had tried it during the day, and it was hard going, so at night carrying a body would have been impossible. It was probable that was the killer’s first intention, but after seeing how difficult it was, had chosen the easier option. But she had landed in the Blue hole, not the ocean.
‘So, a car killed her?’ Foster said, almost relieved at the thought it had been quick. But Steel remained silent for a moment, his mind a million miles away. ‘Steel, did the car kill her?’
‘I can’t be sure,’ Steel said. ‘I’d like to think so. There was no water in her lungs, so she did not drown,’ Steel’s words were soft and calming, despite his hidden rage. In reality, after speaking to the medical examiner, Steel concluded it was more likely the shock of the fall that had taken her. However, Foster did not need to hear that.
It hadn’t been quick because they did not want it to be – someone wanted her to suffer. And the thought of her crying alone, stuffed in the back of a car or truck while they drove her to her watery death, angered Steel.
‘Do you know who did this?’ Foster asked. He looked over at Steel who just stood rigid. ‘Do you know who killed my little girl?’ Foster’s words rang with anger and revenge, possibly too much emotion for some.
Foster watched as Steel just turned his head slowly and stared at him. Foster could feel the cold glare from Steel’s dead, soulless dark emerald eyes even through Steel’s sunglasses.
Foster had seen that very same stare once before, years ago in Bosnia.
A ruthless soldier was butchering innocent women and children. Until their SEAL team had caught up with him and his men, Steel’s team had been sent in to rescue an American pilot who had been shot down. The enemy soldiers had seized him and were offering him for ransom. Five million dollars or they would get him back in pieces, and they would send a film of the parts being taken.
The team had located the camp; Steel had gone in alone to recce the area; as he always did. One person can disappear, a squad cannot. This had always been Steel’s way of thinking. It was in a small village. The soldiers were in the middle of a rape and slash rally on the women and kids. The men had left to fight in the war, leaving them defenceless.
When Foster and the rest of the team heard nothing from Steel, they moved in, only to find the soldiers dead and the commander injured and cowering on the floor. Steel, standing over him, drooling like an animal, covered in blood and scratches. And all Foster could remember were those eyes glaring back at his team. His body screamed with rage, but those cold, dead eyes just stared without emotion. Even when Steel tossed the man over to the women so that they could deal with him.
Foster still shivered at the thought of those chilling, soulless eyes he had seen that da, with the same anger that had now. Foster said nothing, he just shivered and looked away.
‘Lucy died, for nothing Foster. But I made sure that they died for something,’ Steel said.
Foster nodded silently.
‘I head that Stan had an accident,’ Steel said.
‘Must have been Price when she escaped, tying up tie up loose ends?’ Foster replied.
‘Maybe?’ Steel said, his gaze was now fixed on the doors of the elevator.
‘Shame, he could have told us a thing or two.’
‘He did that already, but I think he only knew what he was required too,’ Steel said. Nobody spoke after that, the ride down was silent. All the while, Steel had his doubts. Price did not have time. Also, he still had no idea who had transported Samara to the airport.
The software and transfer had worked perfectly. Bolton looked around the dimly lit room of the NSA operations room. Under the circumstances, he felt changing the venue was more appropriate as there was still blood all over the place downstairs. Washington had agreed. Bolton knew it was irrelevant on wh
ose system it was launched because they would all have it using piggy-back shareware. Bolton watched all the operators who were cheering and clamping at the success. It was almost as if they had just landed a guy on the moon. Bolton smiled shook Tipp’s hand again, a feeling of relief flowing through his body, he was a happy man.
As Bolton looked across the room, he noticed the two men from SteinTech Industries. One had a brown suit, the other wore grey.
They wore broad grins on their neatly shaven faces. Bolton could sense all they wanted to do was punch the air and scream out with joy.
But they remained composed – professional.
Bolton walked over and said his congratulations to the delegates. He felt he had to do something, the Director was now gone, and Bolton thought he was the best person to step in for the moment. Tipp wasn’t really the people sort of guy, come to think of it Sloan had often sent Bolton to do the people thing. Bolton had spoken to Washington as Foster was travelling back on the Black Hawk, given a full briefing on the situation as he knew it. It felt good not being in the hot seat. Bolton felt the tension as he explained about Director Sloan and Agent Price.
They would need new people to replace them.
They would need a new Director In Charge.
Bolton had hoped his suggestion of using someone who already worked there would pay off. There were only two apparent candidates, himself and Tipp. Foster was a junior section chief compared to Tipp and Bolton. He would move out of the monitor room and get a senior position in the upper levels if anything. It was a natural progression – dead man’s shoes the army called it.
Besides, Foster’s title of section chief was the only honorary. The old Director In Charge had been from the FBI, and with him out of the picture, Foster’s position could be fully instated. If the CIA got the Directorship.
For Bolton, things were looking rosy. The program worked, Sloan was out of the picture, and now a chance for promotion was in sight. Life was good.
Bolton looked over to Calver who was sat in a corner, watching as everything unfolded. Bolton walked over, confused by the look on Calver’s saddened expression.
‘What’s wrong?’ Bolton said quietly. ‘We did it, it’s up and running, mostly due to your help.’
Calver nodded slowly, as if accepting the recognition, but the sadness remained.
‘I can’t help but feel we didn’t win anything, people have died, and for what?’ Calver said.
The elevator doors opened everyone looked over to see Foster step out onto the floor. He was greeted by loud clapping and shouts of congratulations. Foster’s face was pale from shock, and his walk laboured. His body felt like he had been run over by a steam roller.
Bolton hurried over to his colleague, just as Steel stepped out and onto the tiled floor. Bolton stopped as he looked at Steel’s sour expression. Bolton stepped back slightly and composed himself before rushing forwards to shake their hands.
‘Damned fine work, men. Washington sends their thanks. There’s talk of a medal for you both,’ Bolton said with a skip in his voice.
‘Any sign of Price?’ Steel asked, his gaze fixed on Bolton.
‘No, she’s completely vanished, but then, she was a hell of a spy back in the day,’ Bolton said.
‘So, Steel, you’ll be flying back to New York tonight…tomorrow?’
‘I can’t go yet; my investigation isn’t done,’ Steel replied. He looked around the room, spotting Calver and stopped. Calver held Steel’s gaze, unable to move.
‘What do you mean you’re not done, we got the disk, the software was downloaded, you stopped the attack, you got Foster and Samara back. What more is there?’ Bolton asked, trying to understand the man’s thinking.
‘I didn’t come here for your software or to stop terrorists from parking a bomb in the middle of New York, I came here to find my goddaughter’s killer,’ Steel growled.
‘You mean two bombs? And it was Washington, not New York,’ came a voice from behind them. Everyone turned to look at Tipp, who was still looking at the monitors.
Steel smiled as if his plan had worked perfectly.
‘How did you know it was two bombs?’ Bolton asked, a sudden fear running through his veins.
‘Because I was there when Foster gave his report to you over the Satcom,’ Tipp reached for a cover story.
‘But he never said how many bombs, or where they were heading, all we knew was it was stateside,’ Bolton replied hoping someone had called security.
‘No… I’m sure you….’ Tipp said. Then he froze.
‘It’s over Tipp,’ Steel said. He felt his blood starting to boil again. Tipp snarled and pulled out a 9mm M&P 9C nano pistol from his trouser leg and grabbed a female agent who was next to him. Tipp stuck the barrel of the weapon into her back next to her kidney.
‘Oops,’ Tipp said as he watched the man aimed directly at Steel. Tipp swaggered over to the elevator, the man with the weapon, followed. The gun still trained on the people in the room.
‘Everyone just stays where they are, and nobody gets hurt,’ said Tipp, smiling a confidant.
Steel just watched them step into the steel box of the elevator, and the doors slide shut behind them. Suddenly, the room was busy with people on the phone to the main desks and the embassy's security division. But the phones were dead and the internet down.
‘What the hell is going on?’ Bolton shouted, tossing the handset of the telephone at the cradle.
‘He’s cut you off, wouldn’t surprise me if he has a plan for the power supply down here as well. No, loose ends, no one to tell the world. He could make up any fact he wanted, including saying Price had done it,’ Steel said calmly.
Panicked, Calver rushed over to the lift and pressed the button, but to no avail.
‘He’s locked off the elevator somehow,’ Calver said, somewhat unsurprised.
‘So what can we do?’ asked Bolton, suddenly feeling powerless.
‘Well next time, make a place with emergency stairs, but for now, we climb,’ Steel said with a grin.
Bolton and Foster looked worried.
‘We are about a hundred-feet down, and you want to climb, are you nuts?’ Bolton asked, looking up at the ceiling. Steel headed for the lift shaft and opened the with Foster and Calver and a few others.
‘Climb, yes,’ Steel said. ‘we’ll get on the counterweights’ Steel pointed to one of the counterweights on the side. ‘You lot coming or what?’
‘No, that’s fine, we’ll catch you up,’ Foster said, looking up the long, dark shaft.
‘Don’t worry, I’m only kidding. There’s a backup relay just in case things go wrong, the problem is, it’s over there,’ Steel said, pointing to a control box on the other side of the shaft.
‘This will send down the elevator whether the doors are open or not, a safety feature they installed but didn’t tell everyone.’ Steel said. Looking at the massive gap between him and it while deciding if it was a good idea after all.
‘How did you find it?’ Bolton asked.
‘I looked up the schematics of the place. I felt a little uncomfortable about been stuck underground without knowing the escape routes.
‘Smart,’ Bolton said. Wondering why he’d never thought about doing the same. But then he thought about all the great minds down there that could get them out, even if it meant hacking a system. Steel leapt out and grabbing a small service ladder on the side.
Steel moved around the shaft slowly, using the support structure as footing. Finally, he reached the box and opened the panel, inside was lots of wires and switches, on the one side was a blue-lit console with an options panel. Steel went through the reprogramming menu and set it for the elevator car to return down. There was a metallic clang, and a hiss as the motors started to work. The counterweight to the side began to move, meaning Steel had little time to get back before being stuck behind the elevator.
Steel chose to jump from one metal pillar to the other. The sound of descending metal got closer, as
Steel made his next jump just as the elevator came whooshing passed him. Steel’s body flew through the gap knocking over one of the female computer techs and landing on top of her. As he looked down at her face and large lens glasses, he smiled, she blushed and giggled.
‘Hi,’ Steel smiled.
‘Uhm…hi,’ she said back.
Steel pulled himself off her and helped her up on to her shaky legs.
‘What now? Tipp’s probably already left, how we are going to trace him?’ Bolton asked. Steel turned to Calver, who smiled at Steel, knowing full well what he would ask.
‘I take it Tipp didn’t mess with the power then, that’s nice of him,’ Steel said.
‘I have people going to the generator room now, make sure he hasn’t left any presents,’ Bolton replied. ‘Still can’t believe Tipp was involved.’
‘I’m still not sure you’re not, given that nearly everyone else was,’ Steel said.
‘What makes you sure I ain’t?’ Bolton asked, wearing a stern look.
‘You’ve only just got here by all accounts, the others have been here since the beginning, and they knew each other before that. Don’t worry, I had you all checked out, I just got the information back,’ Steel admitted. Steel turned to Calver.
‘You get me the internet and the air vents back online, and I’ll get you a location,’ Calver said. Steel nodded and stepped inside the elevator.
‘Anyone going up, do it now,’ Steel said, but only Foster stepped in.
‘We have work to do down here, Steel. Just get us back online, and then catch that bastard,’ Bolton said. Steel nodded and stepped into the elevator.
As the doors slid shut, Bolton turned to his people.
‘OK, people, let’s get this place running again, I want to know what else they’ve done to our systems.’
Chapter Seventy-Eight
Steel and Foster took the elevator up to the ground floor lobby. As the doors slid open, they were greeted by a squad of Marines with their M4 rifles targeting the elevator door. Steel stood for a second with his hands raised until the sergeant recognised him.