Spooky said, “We could burn it. Best we can do. We have to go.”
“Oh, I got something better,” answered Larry in a gravel voice. “I got claymores. And thermite. In the bag in the first closet.” Claymores were command-detonated explosive mines. Not ideal for blowing up buildings, but good enough as a field expedient. Thermite was a high-temperature incendiary that would melt its way through damned near anything.
Zeke nodded. “Excellent. Set them up. Find the fire suppression system and turn it off. Skull, Spooky, get some flammables. Miss Wallis, are there records?”
She pointed at one wall, where several computers sat, with rows of disks and a big commercial-grade hard drive.
Daniel walked over, started dumping all the recordable data media and drives he could find into a pile onto the floor. “Make sure we pour some accelerant over here,” he said.
Elise went over to the computers, opening a drawer and reaching far into the back. She came up with something in her hand, something small, about the size of a pack of cigarettes. “Flash drive. It’s got a secret copy of almost all of our work on it, just in case.”
In case of what, Daniel wondered? He supposed in case of something like this.
“Take this and go over there.” She handed him the flash drive and pointed toward the door.
Puzzled, Daniel complied, moving away.
She picked up a strange heavy device with a handle and a thick three-prong cord on it. She plugged it in and flipped a switch. It started to hum with a noise that made his teeth hurt. “Electromagnet,” she said. “It’ll wipe everything.” She started running the thing over the computer cases and hard drives. He saw now why she sent him and the precious flash drive away.
Skull came in with a five-gallon jerry can of diesel and started pouring it all over everything. The guy in the hood began to scream through the gagging tape when he smelled it.
Probably thinks we’re going to burn him. Daniel thought, watching Skull carefully.
Zeke shoved Skull out of the way, dragged the bound man outside.
Spooky kicked Karl, who was either still unconscious or shamming. “One of you strongmen grab this one. I am no weightlifter.”
Daniel left Elise to her magnetic wiping and grabbed Karl by a leg, then dragged him none too gently out into the parking lot and left him with the other one by the Jeep.
It was quiet outside, except for a faint buzzing sound, like a weed-eater heard from two yards over. Or a helo a few miles out. It was getting louder.
“We got company coming, fellas,” Daniel said. “ETA one to two minutes. I can hear a bird inbound.”
Zeke answered for everyone. “Roger. Rally at the ORP, go go go.”
“Wait, I have to let the chimps out!” cried Elise. She ran for the other room, frantically opening cages. She led the two apes outside, holding each by a hand.
“We have to leave them, you know,” Zeke said gently. Elise looked pleadingly at him but he shook his head. “They’ll be fine; they will want them for the future research program. Just lock them up in the other building.”
Elise nodded tearfully and quickly did so. The childlike primates did not want to let her go but she had no choice.
The six of them streamed for the rally point, flames licking at the laboratory behind them. They heard two explosions inside, rattling the walls and spitting dust and debris out the doors. Larry’s claymores and thermite had done their work.
Zeke counted heads as they arrived, then led everyone quickly through the woods by moonlight. Daniel stayed right behind Elise. A couple of brief minutes later they got to the rubber boat.
The buzzing of the helicopter was closer, but the only thing they knew was it was coming from the east, and the trees blocked their view. They couldn’t embark on the raft until they were sure the helo wasn’t a threat. They heard it making a couple of passes near the burning lab, then it turned toward them.
It raced overhead, suddenly visible as it passed above the tree line and then out over the water. It looked like an OH-6 or Hughes 500 variant, commonly called a “Loach,” or “Little Bird,” probably the best light helicopter ever made. It made a sharp turn south, paralleling the shoreline two hundred yards out.
Suddenly tracers spat from the helo’s open door, striking the rented boat. Two assault weapons on full auto responded from the little squad on the beach, reaching out to intersect the insectlike device in flight. The helo’s tracers started to shift toward them, then the bird staggered in the air and lost power. Smoke started pouring from it, and they could see flames. A moment later it made a hard splashdown in the water beyond the boat, pieces of rotor flying.
“Stupid,” said Zeke, pain in his voice. “Dammit, why did they do that?” It sounded like the Eden Plague was plaguing his conscience as well.
At least it isn’t just me, Daniel thought.
“Arrogant,” responded Spooky. “Be glad they did. Is one less variable.”
“We have a bigger problem,” said Skull, standing up and walking out of the trees onto the rocky beach. “Look.”
Their rented boat, their way off the island, was already listing noticeably. The helo’s shooter must have holed it badly below the waterline before it was knocked down.
“Dammit,” said Larry, staring. “What now?”
“What are you doing, DJ?” Zeke asked. “We can’t save the boat.”
Daniel was singlehandedly dragging the rubber raft toward the water. “How about the people in the helo!” he yelled. “There might be survivors!”
Zeke stared at him for a second, then grabbed the other side of the raft and helped him get it to the water’s edge. “Spooky, you and DJ paddle out there.” Zeke ran back to the tree line. “Elise, is there a boat in that boathouse?”
“Yes there is! An 18-foot powerboat. Let’s go get it!” she said eagerly. She started back into the woods in the direction of the dock, Skull and Zeke following right behind.
Daniel and Spooky rowed out to where the Loach had hit. Wreckage was still floating, and there was one man clinging to a piece. They dragged him into the rubber boat and he lay there gasping. Spooky kept a weapon pointed at his nose. They looked around but couldn’t find anyone else. Daniel kept his mouth shut. They’d saved one man anyway.
By this time they heard, then saw, the powerboat screaming around the south end of the island at thirty knots or more. Daniel hoped they didn’t hit a submerged rock at that speed. As they got closer he could see Skull driving, with Elise in the back. The boat soon pulled in close to shore.
They got their feet wet loading up, leaving the helo survivor on the shore with his hands zip-cuffed and his eyes taped over. He could peel off the tape, walk back to the burned complex, find a sharp piece of metal to cut the cuffs, and free his two buddies, but by that time the team would be long gone.
It was crowded in the boat, but Daniel didn’t mind. Elise was pushed up against him, shivering in the cold spindrift wind. He wrapped his arms around her, just enjoying the feeling of survival, freedom and healthy woman.
She responded, pressing herself against his muscular warmth, but suddenly pushed him gently away. She put her left foot up against the coaming and pulled up her pants leg. Strapped to her ankle was an electronic device with a light on it, flashing angry red. “Cut it off,” she instructed. “They said they could track me with it.”
While the rest stared, Daniel took out his knife again and carefully sliced the strap. He tossed it into the blacking sea. Track that, spy-boys.