A subtle agency omnibus, p.59
A Subtle Agency Omnibus, page 59
part #1 of The Metaframe War Series
Anton shouted, “No.”
He strove to his utmost. Swinging his MGL up toward the nightfalcon, he pulled the trigger. The first grenade zoomed away. Anton kept pulling the trigger until the MGL clicked on empty.
Turning away to the east, the nightfalcon disappeared into the night as the grenades all fell short of the target.
“No, damn it, no.”
Anton dropped the MGL, fell to his knees, hiding his face with both hands.
After a moment, he sighed. Picking himself up, he retrieved the MGL at his feet and headed toward the Order operatives. They were already returning from the field, heading for the remains of the safe house.
There would be another chance.
While he was alive, there would always be another chance.
* * *
Marcus Drake moved forward to take over the flying of the nightfalcon.
Chloe Armitage moved into the main cabin, she wanted to meet her guest. Ramin Kain lay on the floor of the cabin, bound with chains. There were plenty of empty seats along the walls of the cabin. She took one where she could easily look into his face.
Someone had hit him hard; he was unconscious. His eyes flickered once, and then again. He woke up with a start.
“What the hell,” Kain swore, his eyes darting around the cabin at Chloe and the four Red Empire assassins.
“Hello Ramin,” Chloe stated airily, unable to hold back a smirk of delight. “Do you know who I am?”
“Crane’s whore,” Kain snarled.
Chloe’s eyes went flat, her hand flashed out, and Kain’s head rocked to the side. He shook his head, staring at her with naked hatred flashing in his eyes, the outline of her hand a red print on the side of his face.
“Who am I?” Chloe asked softly, just loud enough for him to hear over the helicopter’s engines.
“General Chloe Armitage.”
Chloe smiled, but her eyes remained flat.
“That’s better,” she observed evenly. “Now you’ve found a civil tongue in your head.”
“What game are you playing at?” Kain demanded. “Crane would not have sanctioned this. You’re completely out of bounds.”
“Indeed.”
Recognition flashed across Kain’s face. “You’re the other player - you killed Crane’s vampires on the water tower. You called me that morning months ago to warn me of Anton Slayne - you played me!”
Chloe studied him silently.
Kain leaned his head forward, his gaze darting over the four Red Empire assassins, then it flicked back to Chloe. “What strange bedfellows? I see you needed help to capture me. What? Couldn’t do it on your own?”
Chloe smiled, her eye’s twinkling. “If you’re expecting a ‘gloat speech’ where I reveal the details of my plan to prove how superior I am.” She lashed forward with her fist, catching Kain on the chin, his head snapping back hard against the floor.
He quivered momentarily before his eyes glazed over.
“… You’re talking with the wrong girl.”
Chloe patted Kain’s pockets, found his smartphone and fished it out. It was still fully operational. She went back to the front of the nightfalcon and sat in the co-pilot’s chair. She plugged the phone into an available charging socket.
It wouldn’t do to have it run out of power.
She looked across at Marcus. “Call Logan Airport and get our aircraft ready. We’ll be coming in hot. There is no time to waste.”
The Order was sure to follow, and follow hard and fast. They couldn’t afford to leave the Head of the Order in the hands of their enemies. Their pursuit was a certainty.
Chloe was counting on it.
Soon Anton, Li and the rest would be in the middle of her trap.
It was inevitable.
* * *
Francis picked up the White Dragon’s scabbard from where it was taped underneath the briefing room table. Once it was free, he slid the White Dragon home and returned it to the belt at his hip. He fished around under the table for a second and stood up with a Glock 9mm in a holster. He attached the holster to his belt on his right hip.
All the survivors had returned, the house was damaged beyond recognition, but it still stood. It hadn’t caught fire the way the barns had. They were still burning, but the peak of the fires was over as they had collapsed in on themselves.
“Two minutes, just the essentials,” Francis commanded.
Peter walked into the room, shaking his head sadly. “John and Mary are both dead. Must’ve been caught by cannon fire.”
Francis nodded grimly. The farm family had been loyal Order helpers all their adult lives. They knew the risk and had volunteered anyway. Brave, kind people, he vowed never to forget them.
“Quickly now. Shadowstone will return to eliminate any evidence,” Francis directed. “We don’t want to be here when they arrive.”
“Why not?” Anton asked grimly, Li at his shoulder. She was holding the Green Dragon in its scabbard at her side.
“We don’t have time. We have to rescue Ramin Kain.”
“What the hell for.”
“He’s the Head of the Order,” Luther spat.
Anton snapped back, “He’s a traitor.”
Luther shook his head, stepping in close to Anton. They stared at each other, a few inches apart.
Francis pushed between them. “Stand down. There is no time for this. Anton - we have to get Ramin Kain back before whoever took him pumps him for everything he knows.”
Anton blinked and nodded, stepping back.
Luther sneered silently and stepped back as well.
Anton looked at Francis and asserted loudly, “It was Armitage and Drake.”
“What?” Francis asked in surprise.
“It was Armitage and Drake who took Kain. I recognized him tonight. He was the big, blond assassin. I kicked him through the damned wall.”
Luther snarled, shaking his finger at Anton. “You’re still running with this insane conspiracy crap.”
“It’s true. It was Marcus Drake. I’m sure of it.”
Luther implored Francis, “Why are we listening to this crazy kid?”
“I know exactly what I saw,” Anton insisted.
“And what did you really see?” Luther sneered. “Just another man.”
Anton spread his hands wide and snapped, “What do you want from me? I’m telling the truth.”
“What does that mean when you’re a Slayne?”
“Enough!” Francis commanded, stepping between the two men. “Enough of this bickering. It would be safer to assume Anton is correct until proven otherwise.”
Luther started to speak, then stopped himself.
“Marcus Drake wouldn’t be working with a Red Empire troop without Chloe Armitage’s permission,” Juliette observed calmly, putting the strap of her laptop satchel bag over her shoulder. “Vampires, Red Empire assassins and Shadowstone all working together. Chloe Armitage must be running her own operations behind Crane’s back.”
Luther shook his head once, his eye’s narrowing.
Francis and Juliette exchanged a glance.
“We need to move,” Francis declared. He waved his hand around his head and called out, “Everyone, listen up. We’re heading for rendezvous point number one. We’ll split up to make sure we don’t get caught as a group on the way there. Jay, please take Luther, Yvette, Justin and Chiara. Peter, take Anton with you. First hit the demolitions and then follow after us. Li, you’ll come with Juliette and me.”
Everyone nodded.
“Let’s go.”
The team streamed away from the house.
Anton turned to Peter with a quizzical look on his face. “Demolitions?”
Peter shrugged his shoulders and nodded. “Yeah. I’ve got the place wired. It’ll only take a minute to arm it.”
“Right,” Anton noted, following after him as he tracked through the site.
Three minutes later they were at the south tree line. Peter looked back at the safe house, frowned for a second and then pressed a stud on the top of a silvery cylinder in his right fist. The safe house erupted. A fraction of a second later the first explosion was dwarfed by the armory under the training barn going off. The ground shuddered. The northern horizon over a mile away darkened and then a bright flash ripped away the night. Six seconds later a thunderous boom rolled over them.
“What the fuck was that,” Anton asked in awed tones.
“A fuel-air explosive,” Peter answered glumly. “The only one I had.”
Anton wasn’t entirely sure what saddened Peter the most, the loss of the safe house or the loss of the bomb.
“I’d plans for that one,” Peter whispered as he turned to the forest. He looked across at Anton and grinned ruefully. “Follow me.”
Anton ran after him.
Chapter Sixteen
THE METEOR THAT NEVER WAS!
August 21 | Permalink | Comments: 87
By Chief Tinfoiler
Categories: Secret Government, Aliens, Extra-terrestrials, Signs
Well Tinfoilers, gather around and listen up. This is big. No this is HUGE! No, this is GINORMOUS! I know it’s all over the corporate-state owned “mainstream media.” The Meteor, the Star Rock, The Sky Hammer. The fake news of the rock that fell just short of the sleepy hamlet of White Hill in western Maine - well, there was no rock.
I REPEAT - THERE WAS NO ROCK.
Read on to find out how a secret government agency destroyed a nest of extra-terrestrials using advanced tactical weapons not available to our military. That’s right, the extra-terrestrial menace is lurking out there and hiding in sleepy hollow.
- Blog post snippet on the Internet
* * *
South of White Hill, Maine, August 21st, 20:37
Light flashed at the horizon behind them. Fifteen seconds later a thunderous detonation washed over them from the north.
Francis led Juliette and Li into a clearing. There was just enough moonlight to navigate the paths through the forest. He suddenly stopped and swore in harsh French, “C'est un foutu bordel!”
He turned to Li, held out his hand and demanded, “The Green Dragon, pass it to me.”
Juliette, her eye’s wide, asked, “Francis?”
Li stared at Francis for a moment and then handed her katana to him.
Francis whipped his Glock 9mm out, putting the barrel against Li’s temple.
“Francis!” Juliette shouted in alarm.
“Merde! Mon ami. I must know.”
Juliette, her eyes flashing, declared earnestly, “Francis. You don’t need to do this.”
Francis ignored Juliette and asked, “Li, are you a spy for anyone?”
Li shook her head and stated hoarsely, “No.”
“Are you wholeheartedly committed to the Mirovar force team.”
“Yes.”
“No reservations?”
“None.”
“What of the Order of Thoth?”
“It has its problems.”
Francis sighed and frowned.
“Do you know of anyone else who is a spy?”
“No.”
Francis jerked the gun away from Li’s head. “I’m sorry Li.”
He holstered the Glock and gave the Green Dragon back to her. She took her sword and stepped back, her face pale in the moonlight, her eyes glistening as she stared at him.
“Satisfied?” Juliette asked in annoyance.
“The sensor array was bypassed. There must be a spy in our team!”
“Well, it’s not Li.”
Francis glanced back at Li; anguish flitted over his face. He turned back to Juliette and declared, “The only person above suspicion is you. If you are the spy, then the team is already dead.”
“I could have told you it wasn’t Li.”
“Your mind palace is a powerful tool, but it couldn’t predict this attack, nor tell us who the spy is. I had to take action.”
Juliette grimaced. “Li, you’re on the inside of this now. Your training with me means it’s inevitable that you will know. There is a Red Empire spy within our team. It’s one of Peter, Yvette or Chiara. Lamar’s arrival two days ago indicated it and tonight’s attack confirmed it.”
“I had to clear you as well,” Francis addressed Li. “To make sure you hadn’t been co-opted in any way.”
Li stared at him.
“I have to defend this team.”
In a voice filled with shock, Li asked incredulously, “By putting a gun to my head?”
Francis dragged his right hand down his face and looked at Juliette. Naked panic threatened to overtake him. Juliette had been unarmed in the middle of a fight against a superior force. It was a miracle that so many of his team had survived. If the Red Empire had been dedicated to killing them, rather than capturing Ramin Kain - they would all be dead. The security of the safe house had been completely compromised. The Order was in disarray, and the Mirovar force team was hanging in the wind.
The situation was intolerable.
“Yes. Yes, absolutely,” Francis declared wholeheartedly, his eye’s glistening in the moonlight. “And you, you wonderful, loyal young woman with a true heart passed with flying colors.”
He bowed low. “My sincere apologies. You have been horribly abused in the last few hours, and it tears at me that I’ve added to your burdens. But know this, I will declare for you at the next Order conclave, and you will always have a home in the Mirovar force team should you desire it.”
Li shut her eyes for a long moment. The clearing seemed to hold its breath. Something indefinable flitted across her face.
Stepping forward she put her hand on his shoulder and offered softly, “Apology accepted.” She glanced once at Juliette before staring into his eyes and whispering, “We all must serve unto death and death will claim all who we love.”
Francis’ breath fled. He stood up; his heart filled with horror. He nodded once, glancing at Juliette and directed in devastated tones, “Follow me.”
Juliette, her eyes wide, whispered. “Of course, mon ami.”
They ran from the clearing toward the rendezvous point.
* * *
Anton followed Peter through the doorway and into the log cabin.
Everyone else was already there. Justin loomed in a corner talking quietly with Jay. Yvette had just finished suturing Chiara’s shoulder, and they were comparing combat moves. Juliette had her arm around Li’s shoulders and was talking with her in quiet tones. Francis and Luther were standing apart, apparently lost in their thoughts.
There was a bucket of water just inside the door filled with wet towels. Peter grabbed two and handed one to Anton before scrubbing dried blood from his face.
Francis looked up as Peter and Anton arrived and declared, “Good, everyone is here now.”
Luther looked up, lifting his smartphone to show everyone else in the room. “Look here. I have a track on Ramin’s phone.”
Everyone stared at him for a second. Juliette moved to stand next to him. Luther turned the phone to show Juliette. “See.”
“That’s incredibly lucky.”
“He’s trying to help us find him. He’s managed to turn his phone into a GPS beacon.”
“Or Armitage is trying to lure us into a trap,” Anton snapped.
“Not this again?” Luther snarled, pushing past Juliette to stand in front of Anton.
“ENOUGH!” Francis roared.
Everyone stopped and stared.
“Samuel Luther, stand down,” Francis ordered. Whipping around he pointed his finger at Anton and commanded, “And you be quiet.”
Anton blinked and stepped back.
“It’s clearly a trap,” Juliette observed knowingly.
“They could’ve wiped us out with missiles,” Francis observed. “Instead they took losses to snatch Ramin Kain.”
“We have to get him back,” Luther demanded.
“Of course,” Francis agreed. “We can’t allow him to remain in the hands of our enemies. He knows too much.”
Francis looked at Justin. “Will you join us for this mission?”
“No. I have to leave,” Justin advised with a frown. “I have to prepare the next conclave … most likely we need to elect a new Head of the Order.”
“Don’t be so sure of that,” Luther snapped. “Ramin is a living genius and a hero of the Order. Mark my words, I’ll be proven right.”
Anton glanced at Peter, who shrugged his shoulders. He held his tongue.
“Be that as it may,” Juliette conceded without a trace of sarcasm in her voice. “We will proceed on this mission as if it is a trap. We do not know the agenda of those who abducted Kain. But it is obvious they would expect us to pursue him. The availability of Ramin Kain’s phone as a GPS beacon to follow is too convenient. They want us to follow him. Soon we’ll know where he is going. As to why?”
Juliette left the question hanging and flipped open her laptop.
“We’ll have to find out - the hard way,” Francis answered directly. “We have two SUVs parked here and ready to go. Juliette do we have a track on Kain’s beacon.”
Juliette scanned her screen. “Heading directly to Logan Airport. They’ll arrive in ten minutes. From there, they can go anywhere.”
“We’re three and a half hours away from the airport. Three hours at best,” Jay advised.
“Five minutes, everyone,” Francis directed. “Peter and Jay, you’re driving. We’re heading to Logan Airport as soon as possible.”
Anton nudged Peter with his elbow and asked in a whisper, “Will Kain reveal what he knows?”
“He’ll squeal like a pig,” Peter whispered back.
“Peter, your hands are idle - prep the vehicles,” Francis ordered
“Yes, Boss. Anton give me a hand.”
“Sure.”
Anton followed Peter out, and around to the back of the cabin, where a carport shielded two late model Ford SUVs.
Peter declared, “Let’s get to work.”
Anton nodded. He helped Peter get the cars ready. In minutes, they would be on their way.
