By hooking one of the carabiners around the cable and the other around the center of the paddle, Boone figured he could turn it into a makeshift zipline. The only issue he saw with his plan was the stop at the other end.
Boone looked down at the man once more. He’d guessed right; the smuggler kept looking over his shoulder, but not once did he look up. Boone sat on the platform’s edge, connected the carabiners, and readied himself to take the dizzying plunge.
He froze when movement caught his eye.
18: TAKEDOWN
Sky Park Grounds
Had the person atop the clock tower been looking in Boone’s direction, the young Marine’s intent would have been intuited and the man pushing the dolly warned. As things stood, it was the sky park’s entrance that held Jay’s undivided attention instead.
Wow, that was fast!
A quick look at the timestamp had Jay blinking in shock. For the Mastai cartel enforcers to have arrived this quickly, they must have been very close, indeed. That suggested Jay’s preliminary heads-up had been taken seriously.
The imposter took two steps to the left to get a better view, anticipation bringing a smile.
I love it when a plan comes together.
Jay followed the enforcers’ progress, waiting until they had progressed deep into the park and had begun canvassing the area before contacting Petra on a private channel. There was now zero possibility that the woman’s small gang of thieves could avoid contact with the newcomers.
{Hey boss,} Jay infused urgency into the words {We got company.}
{Who?} Petra’s voice was sharp.
{Enforcers. They’re Mastai.}
Jay had to give the woman credit for inventive swearing.
{How many?} she demanded.
{Only three.} The lie came easily, cutting the numbers by half.
{Are they carrying?}
Jay leaned forward, carefully studying the newcomers. From the bulges in their clothing, the answer to that question was a resounding yes.
But how best should I respond? Surely, she’d realize I was lying if I said they weren’t armed…
For Petra to continue accepting the information being fed to her, Jay knew the lies had to be seasoned with bits of truth.
{I can see bulges in their clothing, so yes, I’d say they’re carrying concealed. Looks to me like you’re more than a match for them.}
The silence from the other side made Jay wonder if that last bit was oversold.
Then Petra’s voice returned. {Understood.} A map of the park appeared over the channel. {Drop pins on their locations. And keep us apprised where they’re headed.} She cut the connection.
Jay chewed on the inside of a cheek and thought about which enforcer locations to add. Finally, with a mental shrug, three dots appeared on the map. That part of the plan firmly in place, Jay dismissed the enforcers, bending to scoop up the four explosives that had been held in reserve.
Casting a last, wistful look around, the thought sprang to mind, Damn, but I wish I could stay and watch it all unfold…
Vowing to return as soon as this final task was complete, Jay hastily headed for the tower roof exit.
* * *
Thad had a difficult time staying out of his target’s visual range. Taller than most adults, the former Marine towered over the kids who made up more than fifty percent of the park-goer.
It helped that the man was more focused on the smuggler pushing the dolly than he was anything else. When Thad’s target tensed and ducked behind a display of balloons, Thad followed the man’s eye-line to see what had elicited the action.
The thief carting the stolen weapons had paused to look behind him, as if to ensure he wasn’t being followed.
Interesting… Now, why would you hide from your own team?
The obvious answer was that he wouldn’t.
Who are you, ami?
One thing was now crystal clear: neither man was a legitimate park vendor.
When Boone’s {I’ve been made} came a beat later, Thad knew he had to make his move. He was under no illusions that he looked anything other than what he was: a deadly Unit operator. If his target saw Thad coming, he’d respond viscerally to the threat. Whether the response would be fight or flight remained to be seen.
Thad knew there would be witnesses; the sky park was simply too crowded for the situation to dictate otherwise. But he couldn’t let the opportunity pass to apprehend the man. Grabbing a water pod from a nearby concession kiosk, Thad fired it directly at the man’s head.
He didn’t wait for it to connect. Legs pumping, he raced to relocate so he’d be outside the man’s field of view when he turned. He heard the slap as the drink landed. The fact that no startled exclamation issued from his target as he took the hit told Thad his opponent understood the need to maintain operational silence. Only professionals would react in such a way.
Coming to a stop behind a kiosk that sold colorful lanyards, Thad turned in time to see the man’s head snap around, seeking the source of the attack. There would never be a better opportunity.
Thad pulled his Blackout from his shorts. When the foldable blade met his hand, it synced with his wire. A mental command unlocked the knife; the flick of a wrist snapped it open. He moved quickly, closing the distance in three long strides. Snaking an arm around the man’s neck, Thad put the man in a rear choke hold.
His opponent reached up a hand, fingers digging into Thad’s forearm, while his elbow rammed repeatedly into Thad’s gut, seeking to break his hold. Thad brought his blade up and pressed it against his neck. The man stilled.
“Careful there, hoss, or I rearrange your carotid for you,” Thad growled into the man’s ear.
As predicted, their scuffle caught the attention of others. With a knife now in play, Thad heard a man’s angry shout. A woman gasped in alarm. Ignoring them all, he dragged his opponent around one of the park’s many faux stone walls. The man began to struggle again. Thad let the carbyne blade’s sharp edge bite into his flesh.
He dropped to his knees behind the ceramacrete wall, pulling the man down with him. He increased pressure to the choke, and within seconds, the man was out.
The shouts swelled in volume, and Thad heard a man’s voice call out, “Over there!”
He rolled to a crouch, quickly sheathing his blade when he saw the park visitor had flagged down a security guard. The man was closing on his position, weapon drawn. Thad carefully raised his hands, palms spread to show he was unarmed.
He knew there was a possibility this guy might be an accomplice. He sincerely hoped this one was legit, and then gave himself a swift mental kick in the pants for the stray thought.
Riiiight, idiot. Hope is not a plan, he reminded himself.
When the man motioned to him with his CUSP and ordered him to his feet, Thad let out a silent breath and rose.
“Lieutenant Severance, Special Reconnaissance Unit.” His words came out staccato and fast. He ignored the growing crowd of onlookers. “I need your assistance.”
The guard stared back at him for a beat, surprise written on his face. It was apparent this was the last thing the man had expected to hear, and Thad wondered briefly what kind of drunken altercations he was used to defusing.
When he hesitated, Thad took a step that placed the man inside his reach. When the man didn’t react, Thad’s suspicion crystallized into certainty. This man was legit park security. Bonus: he had no formal military training. With a quick motion, he disarmed the guard.
The man’s reaction told Thad he was seconds away from wetting his pants. Thad lifted a cautionary hand. “Easy, there. I’m one of the good guys.”
He looked down at the weapon. A fast assessment confirmed it was nonlethal, the civilian equivalent of the CUSPs the Geminate Navy used. It would do the job. Thad dialed it to its strongest setting, and then fired the CUSP at the downed man, who had just begun to stir.
There were murmurs and gasps from the crowd as the weapon discharged, but Thad ignored those
, too. He turned back to the guard and handed the weapon back to the man, butt-first.
The look of consternation on the guard’s face would have been comical under any other circumstances. “Why’d you do that?” he sputtered. “That’ll—”
“—Knock him out for half an hour?” Thad interrupted. “I know. That’s why I did it.”
Silently, he waggled the CUSP at the guard, whose head jerked from the man Thad had just shot to stare down at the weapon. When he took it, Thad kept his hand extended, palm out. At the guard’s questioning look, he said patiently, “My credentials.”
Belated understanding crossed the man’s face. Holstering the weapon, he shook Thad’s hand, the physical contact initiating a peer-to-peer connection across their wires.
An icon floated on Thad’s overlay, identifying the man as Ronald Jones, Searcy Sky Park. “Thanks for the assist, Mister Jones.” Stepping back, he motioned to the unconscious man. “The Navy could use your help…”
“I, uh, sure,” the man stammered. “What is it you need?”
“What’s your security protocol for station emergencies? Does Searcy have shelter-in-place spots set up for its visitors?”
The man blinked in confusion at the unexpected direction of Thad’s question. “Well yes, but—”
“Good. I need you to contact your superiors and begin an orderly evacuation of the park to its safe zones.”
“But… why? This is just—”
Thad jabbed a bladed hand in the direction of the unconscious man. “This man is one of six people who are using Searcy as an intermediate location to launder a cache of stolen weapons.” He lowered his chin and stared the man square in the eye. “Do you hear what I’m saying?”
The guard swallowed hard once more and nodded, but it was clear to Thad that the man didn’t get it. “While the Geminate Navy’s going to be very concerned about the lives of civilians, I can’t say the same for a bunch of gun runners. Can you?”
Finally, the man’s eyes widened in comprehension. “But… if you’re chasing the gun runners, then why are you dressed like that?” he stuttered.
Thad barely managed to keep the exasperation he felt off his face. “I’m not here in an official capacity,” he explained with as much patience as he could muster. “I was here on a day off. I stumbled upon their operation. Since it’s Navy munitions they’re trafficking, and since I’m with the Navy, it’s my duty to do something about it.”
“Oh, of course. I see.” The man blinked in rapid succession, still struggling to reconcile what he’d just seen.
He looked off into the distance, the slightly vacant expression that fell upon his face a visible cue that he’d initiated contact with his superiors. Thad hoped the man had enough clout to get sky park security to agree to what he’d requested.
He’d just leaned down to check the man he’d subdued one last time when a flash of movement caught his eye. Looking up, he saw Boone crouching on a platform high in the air, a canoe paddle in one hand.
Now, there’s a sight you don’t see very often…
Shoving to his feet, he ordered, “Do not let this man out of your sight. He begins to stir, you stun him again. You got me?”
He gave the man his best Marine glare when he didn’t respond fast enough. After receiving the guard’s hastily stammered agreement, Thad let his glare sweep over the crowd of onlookers. They quickly caught on they weren’t welcome here any longer.
He didn’t wait for them to fully disperse. He took off at a run in Boone’s direction. He rounded a kiosk just in time to hear Boone’s, {LT? We have company.}
19: NEW THREAT
maintenance platform
Boone fervently wished for a scope that would magnify his view beyond what his augments allowed. It would be nice to have more clearly defined evidence to pass along to the lieutenant, rather than just a handful of suspicions and gut instinct.
Slitting his eyes nearly shut, he let his vision defocus to better take in overall patterns of movement. His lips tightened as he realized what had caught his eye. Two small groups of people were moving deliberately yet discreetly through the crowd in a manner that screamed ‘predator.’ The clothing they wore suggested they could be sky park employees… but something about their dress felt off.
The glimpses he caught through the crowd suggested they’d come to the sky park prepared for a fight. What he didn’t know yet was the ‘who’ and the ‘why.’ Did the gun runners call in reinforcements, or was he witnessing some sort of internecine conflict brewing?
The newcomers scanned the throng, clearly looking for someone. As they came closer, Boone could make out slight bulges in their clothing. As a woman dragging a child behind her tried to stop one of them to ask directions, he brushed her off.
That settled it. Definitely not Searcy, then.
It was time to contact the lieutenant and give him a heads up.
{LT, we have company. New contact, two groups.}
He’d seen Thad running toward him. At his words, the Unit operator stopped and looked up.
{Not sure I want to know why you went high, Corporal, but it sounds like it’s a good thing you did. Who are they, how many, and any idea who they’re after?}
Boone had been asking himself the same questions. {Definitely not friendlies,} he replied. {Two groups of three each, all armed. One’s at your eleven o’clock about half a klick away and closing on your position. Another’s headed my way. The others have dispersed and are moving through the park.}
Thad hummed thoughtfully. {Those headings are pretty specific. Are they reinforcements?}
{No, I don’t think so.} Boone drew the words out as he thought it through. {The only person these gun runners think is onto them is me. I doubt I rate this much firepower.}
Thad snorted in amusement, and Boone saw him pivot and race back toward the man he’d taken down. {Got an idea. If that security guard has a ziptie on him, I can use it to mask this couyon’s signal.}
Thad came to a stop in front of the guard and Boone saw the two men engaged in brief discussion. The guard rummaged around in a pocket and pulled out a thin piece of film, which he handed over to the lieutenant.
{Got it. Okay. Let me know if this gets their attention…} Thad slapped the ziptie on the man’s neck.
The effect was immediate. The man approaching Thad’s location came to an abrupt halt. He appeared to mentally confer with the others before breaking into a fast jog.
{Yessir, that got his attention. He stopped, but now he’s sped up, and headed straight for you,} Boone reported. {The others are moving faster, too.}
At Boone’s words, the Unit operator bent and scooped the insensate man up into a fireman’s carry. {Something fishy’s going on, if they noticed when he dropped off the grid. Going to relocate this fils-putain so they can’t find him. Keep me apprised of their movements.}
20: ENFORCERS
maintenance platform
Boone acknowledged Thad’s last order, his attention split between the newcomers and the man Thad had told Boone to apprehend. It was quickly becoming apparent that one of the men from the second group was closing on Boone’s man. He’d have to act soon or lose the opportunity altogether.
Gabe’s voice cut into his observations. {Corporal, can you share your optical feed with us, so I can get a better look at these guys?}
{You think you might have an idea who we’re up against?} Asha asked.
Boone could hear the speculation in the special agent’s voice when he replied. {Possibly. This whole setup’s a bit unorthodox. I’d thought initially that these were just small-time thieves, but what if they’re part of a larger organization, one that wouldn’t ordinarily go after the Navy?}
{You mean organized crime? And these new players represent some sort of internal police action?}
{Could be,} Gabe told her.
{But sir… that doesn’t track,} Boone argued. {None of the big, organized crime groups is dumb enough to hit a military shipment this close to
a Navy outpost like Ouray. They must know we’d come down hard on them.}
{If my guess is right, this wasn’t sanctioned. Somehow the parent organization got wind of it and has sent a team to shut them down,} the agent replied. {To be honest, if it weren’t for the civilians, I’d be inclined to let them fight it out, and then come in and mop up afterward.}
{You mean, let them thin the herd for us?} Asha’s voice held a trace of sarcasm. Her tone quickly turned serious when she added, {Seconding that part about the civilians, particularly the children. They open fire in here, someone could get real dead, real quick.}
Boone dropped his feed to the combat net, and it began to play.
{Hold on,} Gabe interrupted. {Roll that back. Stop. Right there. See that guy in the middle? Dark here, shades, taller than the rest. I think…} His voice faded as he studied the feed. {Okay, you can resume.}
Boone reverted the feed to what he was now seeing, live. The figure turned and they got a clear view of the man’s face.
{Oh, yeah. That’s one of the enforcers for the Mastai cartel. Looks like we’ve got some rogues on our hands.}
{Mastai? Don’t they usually deal with more high-end stuff, like rare metals and fine art?}
It was Asha who answered Boone’s question.
{That’s right,} she confirmed. {They’re into the white-collar crimes. I can see where they’d want to nip this in the bud before it gets out of hand. Bonus: disciplinary action not only stops them from branching into the kind of criminal activity the cartel doesn’t want, but it’ll serve as a warning to the rest.}
Gabe voice was thoughtful when he replied. {You know… A report crossed my desk recently that suggests Mastai might be going legit.}
{You think this is evidence someone within his cartel thinks he’s gone soft?} Asha asked.
{I suppose it’s as good a reason as any,} he replied. Gabe’s tone turned brisk, and Boone could tell the man was in profiler mode. {Okay none of these people will want to draw too much attention to themselves. That’s the good news. Problem is, what their definition of drawing attention and ours is might be completely different —}
Sudden Death (A Military Sci Fi Thriller) (The Biogenesis War Files) Page 10