“Copy that.”
I set off in a light jog, taking the directions Josh is relaying to me on comms.
“I see the hospital,” I confirm after a couple of minutes.
“Good. On the other side of that building, half a klick northeast, is a medical research facility. That’s where the underground lab is.”
“What’s the best approach? I must admit, I’m feeling skeptical about just walking up to the front door and knocking…”
“That’s not like you,” says Josh. “You’re normally about as subtle as a—”
I turn right with the hospital in front of me, seeing a parking garage next to it. It has three levels — one ground and two up. I stop for a moment, staring across the street at the structure.
“Tank?”
“Yeah… that’s you alright.”
“No, Josh… I can see a tank.”
“Are you sure?”
I frown with slight frustration. “What kind of a question is that? Of course I’m fucking sure… it’s a tank!”
There’s silence on the line for a moment. “Where is it?” he asks.
“It’s inside a parking garage on the ground floor,” I reply.
“Hmmm…”
“What?”
“Oh, shit!”
“What, Josh?”
“I just completed a sweep of the area and came back with nothing — no signs of life anywhere. Then I thought, they know you’re coming, so they can probably hazard a guess as to the kind of support you have. They would’ve parked the tank under the cover of the garage to remain out of sight from any satellites or drones.”
I step back around the corner and drop to a crouch. “Well, that’s just cheating…” I say. “Any signs of life nearby?”
“I couldn’t see anything initially, but then I did a second sweep looking at buildings and structures nearby.”
“And?”
“And… there are four bus shelters near the entrance to the facility. Except they aren’t bus shelters — they’re just made to look like they are, so someone like me wouldn’t think twice when they see them looking down from a satellite feed.”
“So, what are they?”
“My guess is they’re makeshift tents or covered guard posts. They’re about twenty feet long, maybe six feet wide. You could easily stand five guys under each one side by side and be hidden from view. There’s no way you’re getting inside that facility through the front door, Adrian. They’re too well prepared for you coming. This is really bad.”
“No shit, Einstein.”
“Sherlock.”
“What?”
“The saying is: no shit, Sherlock.”
I sigh. “You can be a real pedantic sonofabitch when you want to be, you know that?”
“Yup!”
I take a moment to think. I don’t have eyes on any patrols or sentries, so I’m happy that as things stand, they don’t yet know I’m here.
“Any other way into the facility?” I ask.
“Not unless you can find a way to the roof without being seen,” he replies.
“Shit.”
I instinctively look around, second-guessing myself and thinking I’m surrounded and just haven’t noticed. My gaze rests on the tank. It’s a state-of-the-art combat vehicle, green and black. It’s only been in circulation twelve months. The sides, and back, consist of several thick, angular, metal plates that are welded to the basic frame, providing unrivaled protection on three sides. It’s concerning that a relatively new and unknown terrorist network is able to get its hands on tech like this.
From my current position, I can’t see the head and long barrel of the attached cannon, but I’m pretty sure I know which model it is, so I know what the gun will look like. There’ll be a hatch on the top with two men inside.
After a few moments, I’ve pretty much figured out how I’m going to get Tori back.
“Josh, I take it you already have schematics of this place?”
“Of course!” he scoffs, as if the notion he hadn’t already thought of that was borderline insulting.
“Good. Work on finding the quickest way inside the facility and to the underground labs.”
“And what are you gonna be doing?” he asks.
I look across at the tank and smile. “I’m gonna go work on my subtlety.”
28
Keeping low, I dash over to the garage, approaching the tank from behind. It’s a Goliath-class assault vehicle, which I know uses a system of cameras to offer the two-man crew inside something close to a three-sixty view of the surrounding area. Pretty hard to sneak up on someone that basically has eyes in the back and sides of their head. But, if I can get close enough without anyone seeing me, I can rush the tank before they have a chance to react. It’s a big and powerful machine, but it’s slow and currently in a confined space, so that’s advantage me, in terms of maneuverability.
Careful not to get too close to the parking garage, I cross the street and plant my back against the wall of the building next to it, in a small alcove. I lean against the side and slowly edge forward, just enough to glimpse up and down the street.
“Adrian, I can see what you’re doing, you crazy bastard,” says Josh.
I don’t reply, focusing on the task ahead of me. I try to make a move for the tank, but for a brief moment it feels like I’m standing in quicksand and I stop myself.
I grimace, angry at myself.
“I saw that,” says Josh. “Hesitation will get you killed. If you’re intending to do what I think you are, then for crying out loud, just fucking do it — don’t piss about worrying about being seen. They know you’re there, so go and kill them already!”
I take a deep breath. I’m annoyed at myself for that split second of doubt. He’s right. As always.
Don’t tell him I said that…
I close my eyes, reaching behind me and drawing one of my Berettas. I take another deep breath and open my eyes again. When I do, I feel all traces of humanity leaving me. My heart rate increases as the adrenaline starts to kick in. I feel the buzz — the excitement; everything I gave up nearly three years ago.
My Inner Satan slides behind the wheel and starts the engine.
Showtime.
“Just find me a way inside,” I say to Josh.
I step out and run at the tank, heading inside the parking garage and approaching it from the left rear side. In one movement, I jump up on the back of it and make my way up onto the head. I place my left hand on the hatch and yank it open, revealing two very startled men in military fatigues, looking up at me with a vacant stare. As I’d hoped, they mustn’t have seen me approach.
Without a word, I fire twice, putting a bullet in each of their heads, killing them instantly. I holster my gun and climb inside, shutting the hatch behind me. The whole area is maybe seven by seven. I’d find it a tight squeeze without the two dead terrorists in here with me… I drag the guy at the front off his chair to the floor, stepping on him to climb into the seat and take control.
In front of me are three monitors, with two consoles side by side on the small work surface. On the left and right screens a single horizontal line down the middle of the screen splits the view. On the outside of the feeds is a view of the left and right sides. On the inside feeds are images from behind the tank, to the left and right.
The middle screen does two things. Firstly, it shows what’s ahead of me. Second, it does so, essentially through the eyes of the cannon.
These new tanks really don’t mess about when it comes to warfare. They’re as close as you can get with a tank to semi-automatic, firing large incendiary shells at whatever you aim at.
I know how to drive a tank. I mean, I did it a couple of times about twenty-five years ago, so I wouldn’t call myself an expert or anything, but I reckon I can figure it out.