Polar Quest

44

A third man, winded from a long run, met up with Kilkenny and the other security guards in the main corridor outside the lab wing.

‘Hey, Jeff, you and Jon check the locker rooms for anybody else. I’ll stay here with the prisoner.’

The two guards went into the women’s locker room with pistols drawn. Kilkenny’s captor looked him over with contempt.

‘So, tough guy, you got any friends here with you, or are you flying solo tonight? Bet you’re some kind of liberal, tree-hugging, no-nuke, Greenpeace, animal fuckin’ rights advocate. Am I right?’

Kilkenny remained silent.

‘You got the wrong place, asshole. No cute little bunny rabbits getting perfume sprayed in their eyes here. We cure diseases ‘n’ shit. We help people. Too bad we can’t find a cure for dickheads like you.’

The two guards returned through the men’s locker room.

‘We swept ‘em both and found nothing.’

‘You check all the lockers and the stalls?’

‘Yeah, they’re empty.’

‘Okay. Jon, you help me escort this turd back to Ops. Jeff, go see if you can find where this guy left Carl. He disappeared near corridors five and six, this level.’

‘Got it,’ Jeff said as he holstered his pistol and walked off.

‘They’re leaving with Nolan,’ Grin’s voice spoke into Tao’s ear. ‘The corridor is clear.’

‘I read you,’ Tao replied in a whisper.

Tao carefully pulled a two-by-two ceiling tile out of the grid and slid it off to the side. Through the square opening she peered into the locker room below. It was dark and empty. Silently she lowered herself through the opening and dropped onto the floor.

‘Where’s Nolan?’ Tao asked.

‘They’re moving into the administration wing. Best bet, they’re taking him to the Security Operations Center. You better think of something before they call in the cops.’

‘Can you cut off the phone lines?’

‘Nope. Right now, I can only tweak building security. I could hack some of the other systems, but that would take time that Nolan doesn’t have.’

‘All right, Grin,’ Tao said. ‘I need you to guide me to the Ops Center, and I need to know the location and numbers of security personnel.’

‘I’m already on it,’ Grin replied. ‘Do you see the map?’

An overhead view of the first-floor plan around her position appeared in front of Tao — a holographic projection from Kilkenny’s glasses. A thin yellow line extended from the point where Tao stood down the corridor.

‘Yes, I see it.’

‘Good. I plotted out the quickest route to the Ops Center; just follow the yellow line. I’ll mark hold points if I need you to stop for some reason, and I’ll holler if any of the guards get too close.’

Tao began following Grin’s illuminated path, moving swiftly through the partially darkened corridors.

‘Good work, boys,’ the senior security guard said as Kilkenny was brought into the Operations Center. ‘Straddle his ass in that chair and tie his feet.’

The man watched as the two guards bound their prisoner to the chair. Kilkenny was drenched with sweat, like he’d been in a sauna.

‘I’ll take it from here,’ the senior man said. ‘Do a perimeter sweep and see if you can find out how this guy got in.’

‘You got it,’ one of the guards replied, and the two men left.

‘So, Harry-fucking-Houdini, how the hell did you get in here?’

Kilkenny looked straight into the man’s eyes, but said nothing.

‘You are in a world of hurt, my friend. Deep shit, and nobody’s gonna throw you a line. You tell me why you’re here and my employers might cut you a little slack. We just need to know what you’re doin’ here. You some drug company’s spy or just a troublemaker?’

Kilkenny still remained silent. He looked past the guard at the bank of video monitors, looking for flickers in the images.

‘Fine, play the hero. I could give a shit. You’re the one goin’ to jail.’

‘Hold up, Roxanne,’ Grin said. ‘There’s a guard in the next corridor to your right, heading toward you.’

Tao slowed down and began moving with deliberate steps toward the intersecting hallway. She could hear the security guard approaching, the slapping sound growing louder with each footfall on the terrazzo floor.

Near the intersection, Tao pressed her back against the wall and waited. Her eyes were fixed on an imaginary line her mind drew across the end of the corridor. After several seconds, a foot appeared and, moving forward in stride, it crossed her line. Turning like a hinge, Tao pivoted on her right foot and shot the ball of her left into the guard’s groin.

The guard staggered back, doubling over, as Tao’s knee struck his face. The man’s head whipped back, blood and teeth sprayed from his mouth. As he fell, Tao grabbed his head and slammed it against the floor. The guard lay limp and motionless. Tao crouched over him, disconnected his radio, and pulled the Beretta from his holster.

‘Your route is clear all the way to the Operations Center,’ Grin said.

‘I’m moving.’

The guard grabbed the phone and hit the speed dial. Duroc picked up the line before the first ring faded.

‘What’s happening?’ he asked brusquely.

‘Sir, I have the intruder here in the office. It appears he was acting alone, but I have the men running a full sweep of the building in case there are others.’

Kilkenny saw a flicker on one screen. A moment later, it flickered again.

‘Good. Have you gotten any information out of him?’ Duroc asked.

‘Not a thing, sir.’

‘Describe him.’

‘He’s a white guy, about six foot, lean and muscular, clean shaven, red hair cut short. Looks almost military issue.’

‘Red hair? Send me his picture,’ Duroc demanded.

‘Hold on, sir.’

The guard pressed the hold button, set the phone down, and picked up a digital camera. Behind the guard, another monitor flickered.

‘Smile, asshole,’ he said as he snapped a picture.

The guard connected the camera to a computer and e-mailed the photo to Duroc. Then he picked up the phone and took Duroc off hold.

‘The picture is on the way, sir.’

‘I am opening the file now.’

Duroc’s stomach tightened when Kilkenny’s face appeared on his monitor.

‘Merdel Hold him there. I’m on my way.’

‘Do you want me to bring in the police?’

‘No, I will handle this myself. Stay with him until I arrive.’

‘Yes, sir.’

The guard looked at the phone in his hand in wonder for a second before placing the handset back in the cradle. The monitor showing the corridor outside the Operations Center flickered.

‘Well, buddy, your life just took a serious turn for the worse. The guy on the other end of that phone has taken a personal interest in you. He’s on his way for a little chat, and I don’t think you’re gonna find him to be as nice as me.’

‘Then we’ll just have to leave before he gets here,’ Tao said as she aimed the Beretta at the guard’s forehead. ‘Cut him loose.’

Startled, the guard slowly took a pair of scissors from the desk and cut the plastic ties around Kilkenny’s wrists and ankles.

‘How are we doing on time?’ Kilkenny asked.

‘About three minutes before another guard swings back this way,’ Tao replied. ‘Less if somebody calls in and doesn’t get an answer from your friend here.’

Kilkenny sat the guard down in the chair and restrained him.

‘This even things up between us?’ Tao asked as she handed him the combat electronics pack and the glasses.

‘It does in my book,’ Kilkenny said with a smile. ‘Grin, plot us a clear path out of here.’

‘Good to hear your voice again, Nolan. I’ve killed the exterior lights around the building. Just follow the route on your display.’

True to his word, Grin led them quickly out of the building. They sprinted across the darkened lawn with only the distant illumination of the adjacent buildings to light their way. They slowed as they reached the rear corner of Vielogic’s property near the drainage ditch.

Kilkenny stepped down into the ditch first and quickly led the way back toward their car. They soon heard the sound of rotors beating the air. Kilkenny held his hand up, halting their progress.

Looking just over the tree line, north of where they stood, Kilkenny saw a blinking red light appear in the sky. As it moved closer to the Vielogic building, the thumping of the helicopter blades grew louder. It touched down briefly on the helipad, just long enough to drop off a passenger, before returning to the air.

As the helicopter rose, its floodlight cast a powerful beam of cool white illumination. It swept around the building perimeter first, then moved on to the grounds.

‘Let’s get moving,’ Kilkenny said. ‘If that chopper gets anywhere near us, find some cover quick.’

Kilkenny and Tao moved as quickly as they could in the slippery, uneven terrain of the ditch. Tree roots and thick brush grabbed at their feet. The sound of the helicopter grew louder, and Kilkenny saw the bright beam moving in their direction. They quickly scrambled up the muddy sides of the ditch and ducked beneath the boughs of an overgrown pine.

Slowly, the helicopter moved toward them, the pilot searching for any sign of the two intruders. Tiny slivers of white moved over Kilkenny and Tao as the pine needles filtered the light. The helicopter stopped, hovering with its light aimed at the pine tree.

‘Shit,’ Kilkenny hissed angrily. ‘He must have caught a reflection off my glasses.’

Kilkenny turned his head facedown and cupped his hands over his temples. The helicopter hovered for several seconds and Kilkenny could see fragments of the intense light probing through the tree. Then all was dark and the helicopter moved on.

‘Do you think they spotted us?’ Tao asked.

‘I don’t know, but I don’t think we should wait here to find out.’

They ran along the edge of the drainage ditch until they reached the cul-de-sac, where they had parked the car. Kilkenny and Tao waited in the shadows but found no sign of Vielogic security.

‘You drive,’ Kilkenny said, handing Tao the keys. ‘I’ll navigate. Grin, you still there?’

‘Ready and waiting.’

‘Great. We need a good route out of here.’