Deep Dive: Legacy War Book 5 Page 7

  Essentially, where people didn’t have enough to do so they looked around for trouble.

  “Experiment commencing in five seconds.” The voice piped into his speakers because he was in one of the security centers. Few people on the rest of the ship would’ve had such a warning. He peripherally wondered about it but didn’t really care. He had another twelve files to go through and after Captain Gabriel told him not to screw up, he intended to be thorough.

  “Initiating scan intensity.”

  What the hell does that even mean? Heat wondered. Must be what made Agent Alexander go into the thing the first time. Lucky her that she gets to try again.

  A sharp pain caught him just behind the left eye and Heat winced, falling back into his seat. He rubbed at the offended area, gritting his teeth as the discomfort intensified. A moment passed and he couldn’t see, his entire body felt numb. Drawing a deep, rasping breath, he flopped back into his chair, struggling to remain conscious.

  Heat tried to lift his arm, to hit the com button to call for help. He couldn’t even open his mouth let alone articulate words. His limbs ignored his commands, his body lost all feeling. Light pressed against his eyes, a bright white color that threatened to make him ill. He wanted to turn away but he couldn’t even let his head lull to the side.

  In an instant, he was standing outside on a ridge high over a facility located in a valley. Chill air bit at his cheeks and low clouds cast flecks of freezing rain on him. He carried a rifle in his right hand, a scanner in the left and he became aware of a squad of men behind him. Six at least.

  Sergeant … no, Corporal Lawrence Gorman stepped up beside him. “We’ve finished the recon of the path to the east. It leads straight down to the target but Anderson’s sure it’s trapped … or at least monitored. Before you ask, the drones didn’t show any signs of tech. It could be something new though.”

  Heat blinked several times, feeling oddly out of place. He ran a hand over his thigh but there was no wound. Flexing the muscle gave further proof. What the hell happened? When he turned to Gorman, his heart nearly stopped. He died. Totally obliterated on that other planet … we had a service and everything.

  Was it all a dream? The Gnosis, traveling the stars, the Tol’An terrorists … made up in a fever dream?

  “Yo, Heat?” Gorman snapped his fingers. “You with me, man?”

  “Yeah, I’m with you,” Heat grumbled. “So Anderson thinks they’ve developed something our scanners can’t detect? Some kind of … I don’t know … bioengineered shit?”

  Gorman shrugged. “Must’ve been. How do you want to proceed?”

  They brought climbing gear and were prepared to scale the wall. Before the mission, Heat saw the holo-maps and knew there was no reason to try the paths but it would’ve been crazy not to check them out. As he peered down the hill at the facility below, he had to consider whether they’d be seen against the rocky cliff.

  Night time is less than two hours off. And these suits will defy scanners so we should be good.

  “We’ll descend here,” Heat said. “At dusk, we go.” He stepped away, shaking off the strange vision that distracted him earlier. When they got back to base, he might need to talk to someone about it but until then, he needed to focus on the task at hand. It wouldn’t be an easy climb, even with advanced tech but it would give them the element of surprise.

  ***

  Cassie felt a stinging sensation slap her in the face just as the technician stopped counting. She closed her eyes, biting her lip and trying not to cry out in terror. Warmth spread up her feet, sliding up her legs past her knees and to her hips. Like being submerged in water, she began to feel weightless but something pressed upon her stomach and chest.

  Breathing became difficult. She labored as if sprinting a great distance. Her eyes flew open and she stood in a long corridor with light on either end. The metal ceiling seemed to only be two feet above her head and if she put her arms out to either side she wouldn’t be able to hold them straight before touching the walls.

  A sense of claustrophobia threatened to overwhelm her but she pushed on, desperate to reach the other side. Entering the tunnel had given her a brief fit of fear, a sense of terror that she might never get to the other side. No one talked about this part of the course and she couldn’t think of a good reason for it to exist.

  What could this possibly teach me? It’s like running down a ventilation shaft.

  Something clamored behind her, a sound of metal on metal. Cassie glanced over her shoulder, gasping as she saw a figure pursuing her. She had a head start but she’d been running for some time. Chances of staying ahead were slim to say the least. Especially if they were fresh before coming after her.

  She’s already been through the obstacle course and finished the swimming section. Her limbs complained under the strain and her chest felt like a foreign object took up residence. A pain in her side began to grow and she worried the muscles in her legs might be cramping. Whoever was behind her would be there soon.

  Can I make it to the end of the tunnel before they catch me? Cassie hated the idea of a conflict in the closed quarters. That tunnel would make a brawl difficult but might offer her the advantage over a larger foe. Providing she wasn’t so beat. Any conflict might be lost before it even began.

  Cassie tried to gauge how much further she had to go before she’d reach the end of the tunnel. She guessed sixty yards but she didn’t trust her judgement just then. The person behind her might be twice that distance away but the way their metal soled shoes hit the ground, the echoing sound made it hard to tell.

  Drawing upon a reserve of energy she didn’t think she possessed, Cassie pushed herself harder, grunting as she made another sprint. The sky came into view ahead, blue and brilliant in the early summer morning. Clouds drifted by, lazy with a light wind. The serenity of it mocked her discomfort, frustrating her.

  “You won’t make it!” A man’s voice shouted behind her, full of rage and menace. “You’ll never finish this course, you worthless little slag. Quit now and I’ll bring you back to the beginning. You can wash out with some grace rather than be dragged home in a sweaty, exhausted mess.”

  Cassie didn’t waste words on them. She’d never heard the person before but she already hated them. Perhaps that was the point. Everything about her time with the AIA had been a test. Classes themselves were little more than opportunities for the instructors to push their buttons, to see what made them tick.

  She realized early on that she wouldn’t start learning anything brand new until the hazing portion of her lessons ended. When she passed their physical requirements and moved on to the real training, then she’d know what the organization was all about. The first stage was there to see if they had what it took to be spies.

  Then they got to learn how to do the work.

  Fresh air hit her face. Cassie could count the steps before she’d be free from the tunnel. Twenty paces at most. Green grass spread out before her. The finish line to the entire course sat at the other end of a small field. Depending on what the jackass behind her did, it could be a straight shot to completing her test.

  Three paces before the entrance, strong hands grabbed her shirt and yanked her back. Cassie cried out, slamming hard into the man’s body. He tried to wrap his arm around her throat but she tucked her chin down instinctively and grabbed at his hand. They began to struggle. Adrenaline took her limbs.

  “Give up!” He grunted in her ear. “Stop pretending you can win! You’re mine. I’ve already got you. No one’s escaped me when I’ve caught them in the tunnel. Face it. You were weak.”

  Cassie struggled, her mind threatening to wander to some crazy dream of a spaceship and other planets, traveling faster than light and a man … Vincent Bowman. Some part of her refused to let go of him, refused to cast him off as a fantasy. What the hell was going on? Why would her mind betray her at such a pivotal moment?

  The fight continued and she refused to give up but her strength faltered. Some
part of her didn’t want to give up but she knew she might not have a choice. Tensing up, she tried to squirm free. She had maybe two minutes before her opponent would win and she’d exhaust herself past the point of escape.

  Think, Cassie! You’ve got this. Don’t give up now … but … but who is Vincent? Damn it, girl! Focus! Just … focus.

  Chapter 5

  Vincent stood near the door as they initiated the experiment, hitting the scanning frequency Cassie used the first time. At first, nothing seemed to happen. He figured they would need to go much deeper but then Gil went rigid and slumped in his chair. Cassie’s body went stiff and she seemed to fall unconscious.

  One of the Pahxin physicians tended to Gil and with the help of Doctor Stevens, they moved him onto one of the beds. Harper stood beside Cassie, holding her scanner over the agent’s head. Vincent tried to remain still, attempted to give them space to work but he couldn’t handle it.

  Vincent moved over to Harper. “Did it work?” He asked. “Has she made contact with the Orb?”

  “I can’t tell.” Harper sighed. “Something obviously happened as she’s in a catatonic state right now.” She turned toward Gil. “Is he okay?”

  “Also catatonic,” the Pahxin said. “It happened the moment we began the experiment, just like Agent Alexander.”

  “Orb activity has increased,” Thayne added. “I’m definitely seeing some sort of reaction from the devices.”

  “Then I’d say we were at least partially successful.” Harper’s eyes narrowed. “Will they remember what they see as she did the first time? Why did it impact Gil but none of us? I want a full analysis of blood work right away. And continue scanning brainwaves with an alarm for any dramatically increased activity.”

  Vincent started to ask a question but Harper held up her hand to stop him. “I’m sorry, commander but I don’t have time right now. We’ll give a full report when we’re not in the middle of something monumental. I’m sure you understand.” She gestured for the others. “Let’s make this quick! Come on!”

  Dulain approached, touching Vincent on the arm to grab his attention. “This is what we were hoping for, Commander. Not exactly as we wanted it, but some reaction is better than none. Truth be told, I thought for sure we’d be struggling with this for hours before we saw any sort of success.”

  “I’m glad you’re pleased.” Vincent couldn’t help but be snide. “We’re talking about people’s lives. God knows what they’re suffering right now. Or if they’ll ever recover from it.”

  “Price of saving humanity.” Dulain shrugged. “The ends justifying the means and all that. We’re dealing with an alien threat that could wipe out multiple cultures. Agent Alexander and … that other fellow understand the risks. How do you not?” He paused, his brows lifting as he noted Vincent’s scowl. “Oh … I think I understand.”

  “Do you?” Vincent clenched his fist. “What is it you suddenly get?”

  “You … and Agent Alexander.” Dulain gestured to Cassie. “Don’t tell me you and she … I mean … and she…”

  “I don't think it’s any of your business.”

  “On the contrary, she’s a member of a secretive organization but we don’t generally have secrets from each other. I didn’t know.” Dulain rubbed his chin. “Unless she’s play acting. I suppose that’s possible. You’re rather earnest to be of interest to most agents. Of course, she’s pretty young …”

  “That’s enough,” Vincent interrupted. “If you’ll excuse me, Mister Dulain, I need to report in.”

  Stepping into the hall, Vincent let the door close before he let his shoulders slump. A moment of rage threatened to overwhelm him, the same emotion that prompted him to nearly punch Dulain in the face. Somehow, he refrained though he wasn’t entirely sure where he found the discipline. Probably for the best.

  A couple deep breaths put him in the proper state of mind to contact Captain Bradford. He established a com link to the bridge. “Captain, I’ve got news from down here.”

  “Go ahead,” Desmond said. “We heard they initiated the experiment.”

  “It seems to have worked but Cassie and Gil are both in a catatonic state. They’re running tests to find out what’s happening to them.”

  “Understood.” Desmond paused. “We’ve got many hours to figure it out but I’d recommend they hurry nevertheless. Anything else going on down there?”

  “Not at present. It seems we’re doing well right now. I’ll let you know if anything else comes up.” Vincent killed the com link and took another few moments to settle down. Once he managed to not make a fist, he walked back inside, keeping his eyes on Cassie and pointedly ignoring Dulain.

  Maybe we should’ve had Doctor Holland down here just in case. The physicians they brought from Earth were just as capable but Vincent felt more comfortable trusting one of their own. Helplessness gripped him but he remained near the door, waiting as patiently as he could. If they needed him, they undoubtedly would say so but he wasn’t holding his breath.

  ***

  Darren walked in on the security control station with a fire in his belly. He couldn’t believe Heat would’ve dropped the ball on his duties so completely. The man was always so reliable but he missed a check-in and his deadline for going through the new passengers. He was about to get a serious ass chewing.

  Heat slumped in his chair, seemingly asleep. Darren couldn’t believe his eyes. Part of him wondered if it had been the injury but the doctors said it wasn’t that bad anymore. They didn’t even prescribe any pain medication. Yet there he was, dosing on duty. The surprise of it nearly knocked the wind from his irritable sails.

  “Gunnery Sergeant!” Darren barked. “Get your sorry ass up this instant! What the hell do you think you’re doing, sleeping on duty? I expect an explanation?”

  When Heat didn’t respond, alarm caught Darren almost as quickly as his anger had. He stepped closer, peering at the gunny’s face. He seemed both relaxed and stiff at the same time, a combination that was horrible to behold. His left hand was held in a tight fist while the right seemed relaxed.

  Darren tapped his com and established a connection with medical. “I need a team in security control stat. I have a man down. Seems to be … unconscious but I’m not sure from what. No notable injuries. Hurry.” He checked Heat’s pulse and breathed a sigh of relief when he found it steady.

  “Hang in there, Gunny. We’ll get you taken care of.” Darren hoped he had not experienced a seizure or something equally debilitating. That would be the end of his field career for sure and possible grounds for early retirement. A man like Heat would not be happy being forced to return to civilian life.

  ***

  Heat hated rappelling. Early on in his career, he saw one of his unit fall to his death and another guy broke both legs when his rope broke. They used better material than before but it didn’t placate his fears. Every time he stepped off a ledge and leaned back, he swore he would fall and just as surely, when he touched the ground, he felt a profound sense of relief.

  I’d rather jump out of an aircraft than this garbage. We should’ve used wing suits or parachutes.

  Half way down, with the cool wind kissing his cheeks and biting through his clothes, Heat felt another wave of distraction hit him. He began thinking about Corporal Gorman. When he first saw him, his instinct was to call him Sergeant. Why? He wasn’t up for promotion for a while.

  And what the hell is a Tol’An? Heat appreciated the distraction. It made it easier to climb, to ignore the fear in his gut and continue down without worrying about it. But even so, he found the thoughts in his head disturbing. They must’ve been the result of a dream, some kind of nightmare that stuck with him.

  I don’t usually remember my dreams and certainly not to such an extent.

  “Almost there,” Gorman’s voice piped through his ear piece. “We’ll scout the path and secure the area when we get down.”

  “Good,” Heat replied. He didn’t bother to look down but he knew he was c
lose. “I’m … not far behind. We’ll hook up in a minute.”

  Cassandra Alexander. The name meant something to him but he couldn’t place from where. He thought she might’ve been an instructor for a training course or an administrator back at base but why would it come up now? And how did she relate to this Tol’An business? Or the mission he was in the middle of?

  I need to focus! I’m going to get myself and everyone on this mission killed if I don’t.

  But something warned him against casting aside the thoughts. Heat knew it wasn’t safe but why, once again, eluded him. Some part of himself rebelled, shouting at him to remember. “Remember what?” He asked aloud, hoping it would somehow jar this hidden memory that was buried in his head.

  “What?” Gorman asked. “What did you say, Heat?”

  “Nothing,” Heat grumbled. “Just … are you down there yet?”

  “Yeah, we’re on the ground. We’re initiating our security sweep. See you in a minute.”

  Heat needed to keep it together until they finished their tasks. The last thing he needed was for the men to catch on to odd behavior. Infiltrating an enemy base held enough stress without their unit commander losing his shit. Heat had seen that before too and really had no desire to be the guy who did that to his men.

  The wind picked up, making the rope bounce in Heat’s hands. His left foot touched the ground and he breathed a sigh of relief, glad he’d made it just in time. Readying his weapon, he stepped away from the wall. Night vision made the area glow green. The facility was barely a mile and a half ahead.

  Even with magnification, he didn’t see any movement. Evans was on overwatch with his sniper rifle and he started painting targets. That would be the real deciding factor on how they went about the attack. Each time he identified one, it appeared in Heat’s headset with a tiny red dot. Ten total were outside.