The Jefferson Key

SEVENTY-FOUR

WYATT BEAT CARBONELL AND HER CONTINGENT BACK TO FORT Dominion. He felt a little like he had that night years ago, trapped with Malone in the warehouse. Except he was now the fox, instead of the hare. He’d assumed a position similar to what the Commonwealth had taken on his arrival, utilizing the wall walks to maximum advantage. He’d also found his backpack, ditched earlier before his confrontation with Malone, and re-donned his night-vision goggles. He wished he had a supply of flash bombs. They’d come in handy right about now.

Below, he spotted Carbonell with three men. Two were armed. The third was Clifford Knox and he was unarmed.

He decided to strike the first blow.

So he aimed for one of the armed men, the night-vision goggles providing excellent visibility, and fired.

The man standing five feet away from him cried out in agony then collapsed.

The other armed man reacted, diving for cover.

So did Carbonell.

He fled.

Disappearing into a doorway a few feet away and climbing toward the roof.

CASSIOPEIA LED THE WAY, TRYING TO STAY AS FAR AWAY FROM Hale’s house as possible. There’d been no more explosions, and the gunfire had subsided.

“You’re telling me,” Stephanie whispered, “that Edwin has no idea who’s attacking this place?”

“That’s what he said. But it’s most likely NIA. We suspect its director is deep into this.”

“You can’t trust a thing Andrea Carbonell says or does.”

“Right now, I’m glad for whatever she’s doing. That attack made my job a thousand percent easier.”

They kept moving, guns ready, keeping a watchful eye on the forest around them. Something caught Cassiopeia’s attention off to the right. She grabbed Stephanie’s arm and signaled for Kaiser to stop. Sprawled on the wet soil was a man, not moving. She crept over and saw that half of his skull was gone.

The other two women came, too.

Stephanie bent down and examined the corpse. “Body armor. Night goggles.”

A radio lay to one side.

Stephanie lifted it and tried, “Is anyone listening on this channel?”

Silence.

“This is Stephanie Nelle, head of the Magellan Billet. I ask again, is anyone on this channel?”

HALE SURVEYED THE DEAD MEN, ALL EQUIPPED WITH BODY armor, night-vision goggles, grenades, and automatic weapons. They lay in the trees, rain drenching their corpses. They each carried a radio with an ear fob, one of which he now held.

“Where is my prisoner?” he asked his crewman.

“We took him inside. He’s waiting for you.”

He still held his weapon. Reports from the main house confirmed that more intruders were dead there. Nine all told. None of his men had sustained any injuries. Had Carbonell thought him that incapable? The security center confirmed that the estate was again secure, and the two vehicles the men had arrived in had been found about half a mile from the north perimeter. The storm had effectively masked the gunfire and the estate’s isolation would aid in the cleanup. His men had also checked with the other captains. No one had been attacked save for him, and none of the three had dispatched any men to assist.

“Is anyone listening on this channel?”

The words startled him. A female voice. Coming through the radio’s ear fob, which he’d inserted a few minutes ago on the off chance that there might be some chatter.

“This is Stephanie Nelle, head of the Magellan Billet, I ask again, is anyone on this channel?”

KNOX FOUND THE UPPER WALL WALK BUT KEPT LOW. HE MADE his way to one of his dead men and discovered no weapons. Either Wyatt or Malone had made sure there was nothing to find. The only other gun he might retrieve was from the man Wyatt had just taken down. But that would be difficult.

Two shots rang out from below.

One sent a round off into the night.

The other a bullet his way.

CASSIOPEIA WATCHED AS STEPHANIE TOSSED THE RADIO TO THE ground and said, “Useless.”

“Shouldn’t we get out of here?” Kaiser asked.

Cassiopeia agreed. “We’re only about halfway and it sounds like things have calmed down. It won’t be long before they know you’re gone.”

Stephanie gestured with her weapon. “We’re leaving, but I’ll be back for these bastards.”

HALE RAN TO THE PRISON BUILDING, FOUND AN ESTATE PHONE, and called Adventure.

“Has a cart arrived with two prisoners?” he asked the man on the other end.

“Nothing, Captain. Just a lot of wind and rain.”

He hung up the phone and pointed at two crewmen.

“Come with me.”