I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. All along, I’d hoped to throw Pascal off his game. I’d hoped to distract him.
Instead, he’d distracted me.
Gun drawn, he darted into the reception area. I grabbed his hand.
A small spark lit the air as he fired his weapon.
The shot grazed my side. We struggled for a moment. Our guns came loose and clattered to the floor.
He dove for the guns. Grabbed one and turned around.
I unsheathed my machete. Rearing back, I threw it with all my might.
The blade spun end over end once, then twice, then thrice. It sliced into his upper chest at an awkward angle.
He collapsed, spitting out blood. Twisting his face toward me, I saw shock etched across his visage.
I retrieved my gun. Lifting it high, I swung back to face him. I kept expecting him to rise up, to keep fighting.
But he remained still.
“He’s dead,” Beverly said.
I glanced at the inner doorway. She leaned against the frame, arms crossed and holding her gun in one hand. “You were watching?”
“Only the last bit.”
“Thanks for the help.”
She shrugged. “You didn’t need it.”
Grasping my machete with both hands, I pulled it from Pascal’s corpse. Blood oozed out of the wound, soaking the floor. Although I didn’t like killing people, I felt no remorse for the man.
I hope you rot in hell.
Stooping down, I wiped the blade on his shirt. Then I followed Beverly to the elevator.
“We’re ready.” Graham arched an eyebrow. “What took you so long?”
“I thought you needed time,” I said.
He grinned. “Not that much time.”
Shaking my head, I walked into the elevator. Graham pressed the B button. This time, the doors closed. As the car began to descend into the earth, I kept my pistol at the ready. “Be prepared,” I said. “For anything.”
Chapter 70
“What’s that, Wade?” Hooper held the satphone close to his ear. “I can’t hear you.”
The line clicked. Frowning, Hooper redialed the president’s private number. But all he heard was static. He tried to call the president again. When that failed, he tried calling colleagues as well as close friends. But all he got was static.
“Major Ford.” Hooper stuffed the satphone back into his pocket. “How’s your radio?”
“Lousy,” Ford called from the cockpit. “I can’t raise anyone.”
“Weather interference?”
“Maybe. Or maybe something’s jamming our signals.”
A young, freshly-shaven Delta Force operator named Dexter Harbridge donned his lightweight tactical headset. “Barkin, I need a radio test.”
Cliff Barkin put on his headset. For a few seconds, he spoke quietly into the transmitter.
Harbridge shook his head. “Nothing. Hey Dorsten, call Burger for me.”
Lyle Dorsten grabbed his headset and whispered a few words into the transmitter. “Did you get that?” he asked.
Lee Burger shook his head. “Just static.”
Harbridge pulled the headset from his scalp. “You said this place deals with a lot of data, right? It could be causing interference.”
“Maybe.” Hooper glanced out his window. From his vantage point, the island of Pagan looked like a slab of rock and desert.
“What now?” Ford grunted. “We can’t land without talking to the tower. They need to turn on the lights, make preparations.”
“Oh?” Hooper’s eyes turned steely. “This thing can reach Mach Twelve, but can’t land without assistance?”
“That sounds an awful lot like a challenge.”
“Does it? Because I thought it sounded easy.”
With a wide grin, Ford returned to the controls and continued to direct the aircraft toward the landing strip.
Grant Porvin cleared his throat. “I finished looking through these files, Dexter,” he said in a deep, rumbly voice. “Nothing useful, I’m afraid.”
“Are you sure?” Harbridge asked.
“There are some blueprints of the facility, but they’re definitely pre-build. And there’s no mention of defense systems.”
Hooper’s neck muscles tightened. They still lacked information on Eco-Trek’s defensive capabilities. And the only person who might’ve had such information, namely Secretary Bane, was currently unreachable.
Hooper glanced at the faces of his team members. Their brows were furrowed in thought. Stress lines creased their cheeks.
“Once we hit the ground, expect radio silence,” Harbridge said. “Watch me for hand signals and stick to the plan. Got it?”
His team nodded in unison.
The HyperMax slowed a bit. Hooper angled his vision toward the ground. A long runway stretched across a strip of land. The runway, as well as Eco-Trek’s research station, was sandwiched by two volcanoes.
“What the hell?” Hooper pulled himself close to the window. “Did anyone see that?”
The operators gave him blank looks.
“See what?” Porvin asked.
“The animal. It ran northwest into that tree grove.”
“What kind of animal?”
“I’m not sure.” Hooper shook his head. “It was big though.”
Porvin’s look turned skeptical.
Hooper’s shoulders sagged. God, he was tired. Maybe that explained it. Maybe he was too exhausted to see straight.
“Just be ready for anything once we touch down,” Harbridge said. “Guards, animals, anything. Everyone got that?”
Heads bobbed.
“Last chance,” Ford called from the cockpit. “Say the word and I’ll peel off. We can circle the island, even go somewhere else if you want.”
Harbridge studied the hangar, the runway, and the forest of dead trees. “We’re good. Take us down, Major.”
Ford nodded.
Harbridge shifted his gaze back to his team. “Safeties off, everyone. As soon as the skids halt, we’re out of here. Group One will set up the protection detail. Group Two will spread out and prepare for infiltration.”
Hooper checked and rechecked his gun. Then he pressed his back against the seat. His shirt felt clammy underneath his body armor.
The island seemed to open up as the plane descended into the darkness. The gaps between the trees widened. The edges of the pavement came into view. The research station grew increasingly large.
The wheels thudded against the ground. The HyperMax rolled for a short distance before wrenching to a stop. Then Major Ford threw it into reverse, directing the aircraft to the far end of the runway.
Porvin unlatched the door and thrust it open. Delta Force operators filed outside, quickly and in relative silence. With their guns pointed outward, they separated into two groups. One group ran outward. They formed a loose circle, sticking relatively close to the HyperMax.
The second group hurried past the first one to the black sand beaches lining either side of the runway. They flattened themselves on the ground.
As Hooper climbed out of the cabin, dust swirled into his face. Clamping his jaw shut, he twisted toward the research station. He knew it was more than just a hangar. It also included offices, bunks, and other areas. Even so, he hadn’t expected it to be so large.
The HyperMax’s engine died off. An uneasy silence spread over the runway.
Major Ford exited the cockpit. He checked his firearm and then lowered himself to the ground.
“Stay here,” Harbridge whispered. “I’ll call you when it’s clear.”
Hooper frowned. “But I can help.”
“Let us do our job. That goes for you, too.” Harbridge glanced at Ford. “I need you here with the plane. If things go bad, we may need to retreat.”
Ford nodded.