TS6 - Chapter 38

“I’m jammed.”  Belle’s voice was clipped as the woman stood up suddenly, her assistant scurrying backward to get out of the way.  “It seems like all communications outside of the facility are being blocked.  Unless we can physically get a transmitter outside the walls, we’re trapped.”

Kat blinked her eyes once, letting her pupils dilate, activating her smartglass communication systems and trying to put out a call to the forward security stations inside the laboratory only to see nothing but static.  She stood up.

“We can’t reach anything inside the building either,” Kat said grimly.  “That means they’re using stallesp technology, and its more advanced than anything we’ve been able to synthesize.”

  Belle’s assistant whimpered and took a step away from the table.  He brought one hand up to his face, half covering his mouth as he urgently whispered to himself.

“Oh God, Oh God.  Is he here?  Mr. Jackson disappeared from surveillance a couple days ago, that means he could be anywhere, but does that mean he’s attacking right now?  If the rest of the security forces are somewhere else and we can’t call for help that means that the samurai-”

“Whipppoorwill,” Kat said, standing up.  “You need to go and get Nina.  This attack was too meticulous.  Millennium has been planning this for months.  I will bet my last credit that they have something in place to stop Haupt and Donnst reinforcements.”

“I would also bet that Mr. Jackson leaked he had surpassed the twenty third floor because he correctly predicted that it would bring all of us together in one location where he could decapitate our entire faction in one swift stroke,” Belle replied sourly.

Kat didn’t bother trying to respond.  She was pretty sure that Belle was right.  All of the pieces were slotting into place.  The arbitration fiasco had made it clear that their clique was aware that Millennium was hacking their communications.  Evidently, Mr. Jackson had caught wind that they were sending their security after their Amazon base.

For all she knew, that base was nothing more than a decoy designed to draw her defenses away.  From there, it was only logical that they would call an in person meeting to marshal their resources the second they found out that he had made it to level twenty four.  It galled her to admit it, but she had been well and truly played by the man.

Another explosion shook the stateroom, rattling the door in its frame and sending a steady trickle of dust down from the ceiling.

“Kat no,” Whippoorwill said softly, her voice intense.  “I can’t just leave you here.  We don’t have any idea how many mercenaries are out there.  For all we know Millennium managed to put together a full corporate army from one of our competitors.  If he can mess around with electronic communications, for all we know our spies and agents have been urgently reporting on their movements for months but none of it has reached us.  Plus, most of the security teams aren’t here, the entire complex is only defended by-”

“Whip,” Kat said, taking both of the other woman’s hands in her own and turning to face her. There were unshed tears in her eyes.  It was clear that she wanted to say something more, but she bit her tongue so that Kat could reply.

“We are going to need help from Nina and her samurai.  They’re going to be watching for me.  There’s no way I’ll be able to get out of the building, but if I show my face I can draw their reinforcements toward our established positions.  We might not have our full defense team, but between the automated security, blast doors, and our teams’ knowledge of the facility, we should be able to hold them off for at least a day.”

“The same goes for both of you,” Kat continued, turning her attention to Jasper and Belle.  “There is a rear exit that opens up underwater in the nearby river.  You will need to hold your breath for about twenty seconds while you swim upward but you should be able to escape.  There is an outdoor motor pool about a five minute walk away.  Whippoorwill can lead you there and help you requisition a vehicle.  Once you’re free, send reinforcements.  Right now there’s no way to know how many mercenaries are attacking but I can’t imagine that Mr. Jackson is using half measures.  His goal is to kill me before I can force a level up.  He’s not going to take any chances.

Jasper stood up, his hands shaking slightly as he walked around behind his chair and gripped onto the back of the seat.  He set his jaw.

“I-I’m n-not going anywhere.” Jasper forced the struggling words out.  “I-I’m a p-player too.  G-give me a gun.  I can fight.”

Davis shook his head slowly.

“I’m sorry son,” the older man said.  “I truly am, but your physical therapy isn’t complete.  You can walk and even run as well as the average person, but you can’t fight like a samurai yet, at least while you’re awake.  If we stayed and fought, it would only mean more of Debs’ security being assigned to keep you out of trouble.  It’s a noble thought, but we would be hindering rather than helping.”

“No,” he finished, finality weighing heavily on his voice.  “I might be able to help, but the best thing you can do for everyone is to get back to our estate and lead our security forces.  That means that I need to go with you.  Plus, as talented as Whippoorwill and Belle are, they aren’t primarily combatants.  If the four of us are going to make it out of here in one piece, I will need to lead the way.

“Frederick will go with you, but I am staying,” Belle replied, motioning with a hand toward her page.  The man’s eyes were as wide as tennis balls and his hands were shaking.  As much as Kat needed every person she could muster to protect the compound, Belle’s assistant didn’t seem like he would be much help.”

“It’s Jeffrey ma’am,” he said nervously, voice cracking.

“Fine,” Belle responded smoothly.  “Jeffrey if you want to nitpick the tiny details.  He has my personally identifying electronic signature on him for when I need to officially sign documents.  He can use that to call in support.  I will stay behind and assist Miss Debs.  I might not be as adept of a combatant as Mister Davis, but I am sure that I can be of some assistance.”

Whippoorwill opened her mouth to say something, but Kat shook her head.  They could debate the optimal next step for hours, but that wouldn’t change the fact that someone needed to leave the complex to get help, and Whip was the only person that Nina would know and trust.

“Follow me to my living quarters,” Kat said, walking toward the door as yet another distant explosion caused the lights to flicker.  “I have enough emergency equipment there to equip all of us.  After that Belle, my security team, and I will make contact with the enemy.  If enough of them see us they’ll try to concentrate their forces inside the complex.  With any luck that will leave the rest of the facility uncovered enough for the three of you to get help.”’

As soon as they left the room, four guards from Kat’s security detail peeled off, their backs stiff and guns already drawn as she led the way to the VIP housing complex.  Her enhanced hearing could make out the sound of a handful of executives and senior researchers hiding behind blast doors and customized security barriers as they breezed past en route to Kat and Whippoorwill’s private wing.

Once they got inside, Kat didn’t waste any time.  Within seconds she was wearing her infiltration suit, experimental shield generator strapped over her left wrist, pulser on her hip and a sub machine gun hanging on a sling over her chest.

Whippoorwill and Belle were both equipped similarly, albeit without pulsers while Davis had managed to scrounge a squad mounted machine gun.  Kat began sliding knives into their various concealed sheathes in her armor as she watched Davis transform into Merrimac, growing almost a half pace taller as metal seemed to appear from nowhere, wrapping him in magical armor that would outperform even the most advanced APEX suit.

Finally, after double checking all of her gear, Kat unsealed her infiltration suit’s facemask. Whip had her facemask off as well.

“Kat,” Whippoorwill whispered.  “Don’t do this.  We’ll be able to get out on our own.  God knows what secret weapons Mr. Jackson has on hand to deal with your powers.  He’s not an idiot, he knows what you're capable of.  Please, don’t pick a fight with him.  Just find a place to ride out the attack.  I’ll be back with Nina’s samurai before you-”

Kat leaned forward, grasping Whippoorwill’s shoulders and pulling her tight as she pressed her lips into Whip’s.  For a second, Whippoorwill was unresponsive, her muscles tight and her back stiff.  Then, she melted into Kat’s arms.

Wet patches appeared on either cheek and Whippoorwill shook slightly, but Kat didn’t say anything.  Whip was right.  She was about to do something incredibly stupid and Whippoorwill wouldn’t even be there to help.

That said, what was the alternative?  Only an incompetent attacker would attack a compound like Kat’s without putting a cordon around it.  It was clear that his main goal was eliminating her.  Four people might be able to slip out on their own, but the risk was too high.  Only by Kat personally drawing his forces off could she give Whippoorwill a proper chance to succeed and if the cost was additional risk for her?  Well, Kat was willing to take that extra risk if it kept Whippoorwill safe.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, voice pitched so that only Whippoorwill could hear.  “If there was any other way for me to keep you safe, I would take it, I don’t want to worry you but-”

Whip kissed her back, sealing the last half of Kat’s apology forever before she pulled away, fire in her eyes.

“Save it,” Whip said, straightening her hair.  “I’m going to read you the riot act when I get back, so you had better make sure to be alive and well when I get back.  If not, I swear that I will track down your spirit and make you wish that you’d never died.”

Kat couldn’t help but smile.  “I’ll hold you to that,” she said.  “I’ll even let you yell at me all you want so long as you make it back safe and sound.”

Whippoorwill’s body shook one last time, and then she stepped away, an arm quickly darting up to her face to wipe away any last traces of liquid.

“Don’t go playing cowgirl,” Whip said, her voice barely steady.  “Remember, hit and run.  Let them see you, kill a couple people and then move somewhere else.  I’m sure they’ve got a laser cannon or something stupid and unfair somewhere in the attack force.  Don’t let them get a chance to bring it to you.  You might be named after one of the furies, but until I get back, you should focus on being a Phantom.  The goal is to not get caught, not to rack up a massive body count.”

“I’ve changed,” Kat said with a quick wink.  “I promise.”

Whippoorwill rolled her eyes and the tension seemed to leave the room.  Everyone was still on edge, it was impossible to be fully relaxed in the middle of an attack by an unknown number of enemies, but at the same time, it didn’t feel like things were about to boil over.  Like everything was within reach.

Then the moment was over and Whip had turned around.

“Follow me,” she called out, leading Davis and Jasper out of the room while Kat remained with Belle and her security detail.  “Remember, stay safe and make sure to activate the intruder protocol once I have a bit of a head start.”

Kat watched her leave, her throat tightening as she tried her hardest not to think about how this might be the last time she saw Whippoorwill.  A million and one images of the pink haired woman dying or disappearing the second she was out of Kat’s sight flashed through her mind until Belle shocked her out of her torpor.

“Intruder protocol?”  Belle had her facemask unsealed as well, and Kat could see a faintly bemused expression on the older woman’s face as she raised a single eyebrow.  Once again an explosion shook the building, followed a half second later by the distant rattle of automatic gunfire.

“Computer,” Kat called out.  “Activate intruder protocol.  Password Debs Two Zero Nine Eight.”

All the lights in the room flickered out.  A second later they came back on emergency power, filling the room with dull amber light.

“All networking and the main generator are now off,” Kat said with a smile. “Whip, Emma and I were concerned that the facility might be compromised by Mr. Jackson given how adept his hackers are.  Right now, everything is on local manual control only.  My security teams have the passcodes to open doors, but their electronic warfare team will need to interface with each door and elevator independently.  Unless I miss my guess, there are only a handful of slicers working with Millennium that can pull the sort of supernatural jobs we’ve come to expect from them.  This will spread them thin and slow down their advance.  It might even give us a chance to stop them entirely.”

“A well thought out countermeasure,” Belle replied approvingly as she drew her pistol.  “Now, let us go and make an appearance.  With all of these guests, it wouldn’t do to keep them waiting.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
<-Previous<-

Index

->Next->