How do you defend yourself against an enemy you can't see ? The team are turned upside down by events and everyone has to work outside their comfort zone to win the latest battle. This story follows on from 'Leaps and Bounds'.
"This place gives me the creeps !" complained Aneisha. "Why is it always dark ? I can't believe KORPS can have armies of thugs, run huge industrial complexes, but they can't afford a few lightbulbs !"
"I think they like the dark," answered Dan. "Like cockroaches."
"I hope you're concentrating team," warned Frank. He knew they were nervous, but he wanted their minds on watching for danger.
"It's not like it's double geography Frank," replied Dan. "Believe me, I am concentrating !"
Zoe's voice entered into the frame for the first time. "I haven't found anything so far Frank. Are you sure this is supposed to be a huge KORPS operation. There's nothing and nobody here !" she said, sounding puzzled.
"I have to admit Frank, there's absolutely no sign of life," agreed Aneisha. "How about you Dan ?" she asked.
"Nothing. Not a footprint, nothing. There's no dust, which is a bit weird though," commented Dan.
"There must have been someone there recently then if there's no dust," said Frank. "I have no idea why, but they have always been clean freaks in KORPS," he added.
"Maybe the Crime Minister has asthma," suggested Tom. Frank looked over at Tom. Tom shrugged. "Just a thought," he said smiling. Frank raised his eyebrows and turned back to his screen where he could see the trackers on Zoe, Aneisha and Dan spread out through the complex. Three separate screens showed head camera views from each of the agents. They showed empty corridors and empty rooms. There was no sign of life.
Zoe and Aneisha had almost reached the outer limit of the complex building in their search directions. Dan wasn't far off. "OK, Zoe and Aneisha, you may as well start making your way back," said Frank. He ran his fingers through his hair. The intelligence had been very specific. He couldn't believe there was nothing at this location. It had all the hallmarks of a KORPS installation, except, of course, the people.
"What about me ?" asked Dan.
"You may as well check out that last corridor," said Frank. "Just in case."
"OK. On it," said Dan. "What the .." There was a crashing noise and then static on the screen as Dan's connection was broken.
"What just happened ?" said Tom, sounding worried. "Dan ? Dan can you hear me ?" he asked. They could hear the tension in Tom's voice rising.
"Dan ? Respond !" instructed Frank. "Zoe, Aneisha, I need you to converge on Dan's position. We've lost contact with him. Be careful !" ordered Frank. The video images from Zoe's and Aneisha's head cameras showed the scene of them running through the corridor's to Dan's last known position.
Aneisha arrived first. She found Dan lying on the ground beside a wall. He was unconscious and his arm lay at a funny angle. "Frank ! He's hurt !" called out Aneisha. She caught a glimpse of movement in the corner of her eye. "What ! Is that you Zoe ?" she asked nervously. As she looked round she could have sworn that something had moved, but she couldn't see anything. Now really nervous she stood staring all around her, only for Zoe to arrive on the scene. She gasped when she saw Dan lying on the ground.
"Is he alright ?" asked Zoe, the fear obvious in her voice.
"Oh, I don't know," said Aneisha, confused. She knelt down beside Dan and felt his neck for a pulse. It was beating steadily. "Yes, he's OK. Someone must have attacked him and knocked him out. Frank we need a medical evacuation !" she instructed.
"Already on it's way. Stay where you are," instructed Frank. "Stay together, and stay alert you two. Whoever attacked Dan may still be there."
MI9 agents and a medical team arrived not long afterwards. The agents swept the rest of the building only to confirm what the MI High agents had discovered. There was nothing there. Dan was taken to the MI9 medical facility. It took Aneisha most of the journey to the hospital to reassure a distraught Zoe that Dan would be fine. They met Tom and Frank at the hospital. She handed Dan's broken headset to Tom. He stared at it in his hand, and shivered slightly. "How did they get out ?" Aneisha asked Frank. "There were no exits on that side of the building and Zoe and I were covering the other routes out."
Frank shook his head. "I don't know. There was nobody there. I can't understand it."
They were eventually allowed in to see Dan for a short time once he had come round. There was a small cut and a large bruise forming on his forehead. His left arm lay in a plaster cast at his side. He looked confused and uncomfortable.
"Dan ? How are you feeling," asked Frank quietly.
Dan blinked at him and mumbled, "Um, OK. Head hurts,"
"Did you see who attacked you ?" asked Frank slowly and carefully.
Dan shook his head very slightly. "Nobody," he muttered. At this point a doctor came into the room and said they should leave. Dan needed rest to get over the concussion. As they were filing quietly out of the room, Tom heard Dan say his name. He turned and Dan gestured him back over with his right hand.
"What is it Dan ?" Tom asked gently.
Dan leaned towards him urgently. "Tom," he whispered, making Tom lean closer to hear him. "It was the wall. The wall reached out and hit me," he murmured. Exhausted, Dan sank back into his pillows and closed his eyes. Tom stood stunned at what he had just heard. Had he heard Dan correctly ? The wall had hit him ?
"Tom ! Come on, let Dan rest now !" said Frank, sticking his head back into the room. Tom hurried out after the others. He wasn't sure whether to tell them what Dan had just told him. He decided he wouldn't, not until he had done some investigating of his own.
In an icy, clean room in KORPS Headquarters, the Crime Minister was reporting to the Mastermind. "The Stage two test is complete Mastermind. MI9 took our bait. They don't know what hit them. Literally !" crowed the Crime Minister. "One of their agents has been neutralised."
"Excellent. Proceed to Stage 3 !" ordered the Mastermind.