But Denton knew that by now the bridges were sealed and manned instead by soldiers. Anyone on the island who hadn’t escaped during the evacuation was instructed to remain safely inside his or her residence. Anyone off the island could not return until the hurricane had passed.
It was the largest evacuation in US history. Denton couldn’t have timed his mission more perfectly.
He turned to see Czarina emerge from Lexington Passage. At almost the same time, his Blue Beret captain emerged from Graybar Passage. They approached him in unison.
‘The meteorite from the museum,’ Denton said to the captain, talking fast. ‘Who stole it and did you recover it?’
The captain’s expression seemed impenetrable. ‘Colonel, we assaulted the Waldorf Astoria hotel but the meteorite was taken elsewhere. We were driven back soon after. They’re operating at least at company strength,’ he said. ‘At this stage I’d say we’re dealing with a detachment of Blue Berets.’
‘This is less than ideal,’ Denton said. He held up his GPS device. ‘You’re tracking this, just as I am.’
‘We recovered our operative,’ he pointed to Czarina, ‘but the ruck with the meteorite is — as you can see — on the move. We have them surrounded now.’
‘No,’ Denton said. ‘I want all four Blue Beret squadrons to lock down this terminal and that includes entry to the OSS base. No one comes in or out without you knowing about it. That meteorite contains one of the Phoenix viruses and it cannot leave the island, is that clear?’
‘Yes, Colonel,’ he said.
‘The meteorite sample below Grand Central,’ Denton said. ‘Tell me you’ve located it.’
The Colonel nodded. ‘It’s in our possession now. Do you want the team to—’
‘Tell me the label,’ Denton said.
‘Violet plague,’ the Colonel said. ‘Dated November 22 1998.’
‘Good. Get the analysis team down there now,’ Denton said. ‘I want it tested and confirmed.’
Denton turned to Czarina. ‘Tell me something good.’
‘The package from Peru has landed at JFK. Cargo’s en route,’ Czarina said.
‘OK, that is good,’ Denton said. ‘Just make sure it gets through the National Guard on the bridge.’
‘Yes,’ she said.
‘The OSS base,’ Denton said. ‘Once the virus is ready. I’m going down and you’re coming with me.’
Czarina hesitated. ‘Just us?’
‘Just us,’ Denton said. ‘I’ll place our backup outside. If we need them―’ He wiggled his thumb, gesturing to the distress signal he’d placed inside. ‘One crack of this knuckle and they’ll come running. Not that I anticipate the need for it.’
‘Of course,’ she said. ‘Do you want a guinea pig for the virus? Like you did for the virus from Peru?’
Denton flexed his thumb. ‘No. We’re out of time. But I want every operative other than yourself tracking that meteorite. Do whatever it takes to get it back, just don’t damage it. If the virus is exposed under the wrong conditions we could risk destroying it, is that clear?’
‘Clear,’ she said. ‘Already tracking, Colonel. No offense to the captain but he didn’t have them surrounded.’ She gestured to his GPS device. It showed no indication of elevation, but she said with confidence, ‘They’re in the tunnels.’
Denton nodded, allowed a slight smile. ‘Excellent. Send enough to cut them off. You have five minutes then we’re going underground.’
He watched her step away, her hand over a button concealed under her T-shirt. She was relaying orders to the other operatives.
Like the rest of her detachment, Czarina was what happened when you took a Special Forces soldier and you took an intelligence field officer and you mashed them together, and then gave them the best, most progressive training on the planet and coupled that with genetic enhancements that were decades ahead of public science. Denton placed a great deal more trust in his nine operatives than he did in his platoon-sized Blue Berets detachment.
Chapter 23
‘You broke protocol,’ Nasira said.
Thirty seconds of standing guard, Jay thought, and she’s already found something to disapprove of.
‘What are you talking about?’ he said.
‘Oh nothing, just the email telling me and probably everyone from the Fifth Column where you’d be at,’ she said. ‘You know, in case I happened to be around.’
Jay folded arms over his carbine. ‘Well, you happened to be around.’
‘Not how you wanted.’ She wrinkled her nose. ‘How did you want it?’
‘I wanted it without being shot with an arrow,’ he said. ‘Why were you in Peru all this time?’
‘What you been doing in New Mexico for the past few months?’ Nasira said. ‘I was in Peru finding Lucia’s relatives, not that it’s any your business.’
‘So it’s you and Sophia now, a happy couple?’ Jay said. ‘I’ve just been playing bodyguard. Without a resume.’
‘Bodyguard work big on the damsel in distress market? Skills to pay the bills?’ Nasira winked at him. ‘Sophia only got the tracking thing removed last month; we been separate a while.’
‘I hear the “dudes in distress” market is stronger these days,’ Jay said. ‘So is assassination and interrogation just more of a mood swing or—’
‘Crime of passion.’ Nasira pulled him by the lapel and pressed her lips on his. ‘On both accounts,’ she said.
He felt her breath on his face. He tried to carefully place his carbine on the rocky ground. She stepped closer, pressed her vest against him. He wanted to feel her warm body against his but her chest was covered in pouches. It didn’t stop her exploring his though. Her fingers dug into his neck and ran through the back of his hair. He’d thought about kissing her for so long that it was hard to believe it was happening.
Between breaths, he said, ‘I’m not — carrying a pistol.’
‘So you are — just happy — to—’
‘See you — Fuck!’ He jerked suddenly as her hand got too close to his arrow wound.
Nasira raised an eyebrow, confused. ‘There are a few steps before that, Jay.’
‘No, the arrow,’ Jay said.
‘Oh, sorry.’ She backed away, hands in the air.
He instantly regretted making a big deal out of it.
‘No, it … hasn’t quite healed yet,’ he said.
She rolled her eyes. ‘If that arrow went through me it would take days, weeks to heal,’ she said. ‘So stop complaining. Also, I am really sorry.’
Jay heard footsteps and looked over. Someone was approaching. He adjusted to infrared and spotted Damien walking toward them.
‘Hey,’ Damien said. ‘Fall in.’
Jay picked up his useless carbine and followed back to the group. Sophia was taking the stolen ruck off her shoulders, leaving just her own ruck on her back. She tossed it at Jay.
‘You said you wanted to get off the island,’ Sophia said. ‘Now you can.’
Jay caught it with his free hand. ‘I’m guessing there’s a catch,’ he said.
‘If you can’t do it, I will,’ Nasira said.
‘I can do it, easy,’ Jay said.
He pulled the ruck over his tuxedo. More pain in his shoulder but he ignored it. ‘So, what the hell’s going on?’
‘I’ll explain on the way,’ Damien said.’
‘I just need to know one thing,’ Jay said. ‘How many people exactly are going to be looking for this rock?’
‘Everyone,’ DC said.
‘Numbers?’ Jay said.
‘Nine operatives,’ Aviary said, checking her phone.
‘He has two more operatives as backup, without RFIDS. And he has some Blue Berets of his own. From what we can tell, anywhere between two and six squadrons.’