“Tell Kovak to fly you out there first thing in the morning,” LaForgue instructed. “Don’t speak about what you discover to anyone and report directly back to me when you return.”
“What do I tell the SkyTech team?” Uri asked. “They were all witness to everything that I saw.”
“You will tell them nothing further until I understand more,” LaForgue ordered. “Is that clear?”
“Crystal,” Uri replied.
“What else do you have to report?”
“That’s it, Trish,” Uri said.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Uri stressed.
“Then, why haven’t you mentioned that the transmission had been deciphered?” she asked, testily.
“Because we have no idea of its authenticity yet,” Uri snapped. “You were adamant the last time we spoke that you didn’t want information in drips and drabs. You wanted all the facts.”
“Be very careful how you play this game with me, Dr. Lovinescu,” she said, in a threatening manner, and ended the call.
Gene had already arranged for the deployment of a drone from Nellis when Uri walked back from the communications centre into Level-2. Emily, Nathan and Obadiah had been watching its progress on the TV with interest. It was now a mile or so north-east of its destination.
“Hi, Uri,” Emily said. “Did LaForgue have anything new to say?”
“Nothing new or out of the ordinary,” Uri said, with annoyance. “It really is becoming impossible to talk to her. I might as well have provided feedback to a brick wall, for what it was worth.”
“Sorry to hear that,” she said, compassionately.
“Who’s controlling the drone?” Nathan asked.
“It’s on auto-pilot at the moment,” Gene cut in. “Nellis provided the GPS coordinates to Cevallos’s residence and in the next minute or so, when it’s about two hundred yards away, it will notify us and I’ll take over.”
Gene plugged an apparent gamer’s console into the computer. Within two minutes, an audible beep came from the TV. The drone had stopped in mid-air, waiting for further instruction. Gene nimbly moved his fingers over the console’s controls. To Emily, it appeared as if he was about to play a shoot-‘em-up video game. But this was no recreational activity; this involved the lives of two innocent little girls. No reset; no pausing to get refreshment; no points clocking up, and no advancing to the next level. This was for real.
Too far away and too small to be seen by anyone at the mansion, Gene adjusted the drone’s lens for a closer view. One guard was lazily walking around a marble fountain in the middle of a paved driveway. On the second-floor balcony, another guard had just stubbed out a cigarette. Three more guards were on the large flat roof of the Spanish-style mansion; two in idle conversation, the third overlooking the back of the vast estate. All had rifles. Gene zoomed in a little closer.
“Russian made AK-47s,” Obadiah observed.
For the next twenty minutes, Gene slowly guided the drone around the mansion and the perimeter of the grounds. Satisfied that there were no more guards, Gene zoomed in for a closer look through the windows on each of the three floors of the huge manor. Starting at the ground floor, the drone’s eye moved left to right, window to window. From the confines of Level-2, the interior of each room was scrutinised with careful attention to detail. A few female workers could by seen actively involved in various domestic duties. Each had a resigned expression that suggested their paltry lives held no future. The drone continued around the side and back of the building where there were fewer windows.
Raising the lens to the next level, Emily saw them.
“There!” she shouted.
Huddled mournfully on a couch in a large bedroom of the mansion’s left wing, the girls seemed to be staring at nothing.
After a few minutes, Gene continued scanning the rest of the rooms. Satisfied that there was nothing other than what they had now seen, Uri made a call. When he gave the word, Kovak would take Obadiah and himself directly to Cevallos’s home by helicopter.
Chapter Fifty
“Just received some info from Sven on Cevallos,” Nathan said. “Personal wealth… Shit! Various pastimes and business interests◦– a few less than honourable◦– but most important, he never gets home from doing the rounds at his gambling halls before midnight.”
“That’s excellent news,” Uri said. “Once his goons have been neutralised, we move in. Are you still okay going on this little jaunt, Obadiah?”
“Can’t wait,” Obadiah said, and meant it. “I have genuine concern for the safety of little girls.”
“You don’t think I should come along?” Emily asked. “The two of you are kind of large and intimidating and the girls may be more receptive with the presence of a woman.”
Uri hadn’t thought of that. “You have a good point, Emily. Yes, I think that would be an excellent idea.”
“Well, I’m coming too then!” Nathan exclaimed, not wanting to be singled out.
Shortly before sunset, a Bell-UH-1Y utility helicopter, more commonly known as a Super-Huey, lifted off from Groom Lake. It was piloted by Kovak. Forty-five minutes later, at three thousand feet above Cevallos’s estate, countless Nano-bots were dispensed.
Emily prodded Uri. “Won’t the bots simply spread out in all directions?” she shouted over the noise of the helicopter’s engines and whipping blades.
“No,” he replied, equally as loud. “Each has a built-in GPS and won’t stray beyond the pre-programmed coordinates of the estate.”
Emily was a little overwhelmed with how much they could fit into such tiny, almost microscopic machines. She’d have to ask Nate about it some time.
From the drone’s point of observation, Gene, sitting in front of the Level-2 computer with console in hand, gave a running commentary on what was taking place on the ground.
The lethargic guards strolled around in their usual disinterested and casual manner, bored with their mundane day-to-day task. Protecting a wealthy estate where nothing ever happened was hardly challenging, but what did they care. They were being paid, although not much, had free food and accommodation, and best of all, access to some of the willing young housemaids.
The guard ambling around the driveway fountain looked up absentmindedly at a helicopter high above. He paid it no further attention.
One of the guards on the roof was telling a story, when he paused and wondered why his companion suddenly started dancing around and slapping himself on his arms and neck. His impending laughter died when seconds later, he too, joined in with the self-flagellation ritual. They both dropped, weapons clattering to the ground by their sides.
The third roof guard, the one on the balcony and the last guard by the fountain followed close behind.
Gene quickly piloted the drone around the estate. Ten minutes later, he reported that all five guards were unconscious and would be so for many hours. He gave the all-clear.
Kovak landed on the roof of Cevallos’s mansion and neutralised the rotor blades. Obadiah reached for the handle of the Huey’s left sliding door.
“Stop!” Nathan shouted, and reached for Obadiah’s hand.
They all looked at Nathan, in surprise, wondering if there was a guard who had been missed by either the drone or the bots, and aiming his assault rifle at them.
Uri looked around outside, then back at Nathan. “What? Something wrong?”
“Those Nano-bots won’t recognise our faces. The minute we step out, we’ll be in the same condition as Cevallos’s comatose security guards.”
Shit! Uri hadn’t thought of that.