Chapter 3 – Breadcrumbs
LOWER MANHATTAN – NYC 04:30 / 2046
"We're here" Laura confirmed, halting the three others with a stiff raise of her hand. Conrad looked around at the unassuming street section of the old financial district. The police cordon had instilled an eerie silence to the usually bustling city sector. "Where's here?" James replied, keeping his volume low.
"The sewer intersection beneath our position was where Mr Dean was last spotted" Said Yang,
"And that was?" said James, trailing off.
"Approaching twelve minutes ago" Yang finished. "A hundred metres north west of our position the diagnostics show a large branching of tunnels, intel suggest we pick up the search from there".
"Don't suppose there's a door round here?" James queried.
Yang flicked her head to the right, indicating a small stormwater drain set in the gutter. "That's the only direct entrance to our branch".
Conrad's corded metal sinews flexed with strain as he tried to rip the grate from its setting in the pavement. It's unusual strength owed to the recent restructuring of this part of the city, a last ditch attempt to save the struggling towers of the old corporate dynasties. The grate was set in place with pillion reinforcement for this very reason, to keep people out of the sewers. Conrad turned to Bull and called him over from the others busy readying their weapons. Without a word Bull took position crouching over the drain, one knee bent in a sprinters pose. With no ceremony he plunged his fist through the reinforcing pillar and buried it in the surrounding concrete. With a firm anchor Bull moved to a squatting position and flexed his tremendous legs. The concrete groaned under the pressure as it battled the mechanical forces opposing it, before finally giving way. Bull lifted the massive slab of pavement over his head and dropped it with a crunch on to the street. Chunks of concrete crumbled, leaving Bulls arm coated in a chalky film.
James and Laura stepped up to join Conrad and Bull on the ledge of the hole. The stench of sewage wormed into Conrad's nostrils causing him to gag involuntarily. Catching himself he attuned his olfactory adjustments to a tolerable level and activated the commlink to his team. "Alright everyone knows the drill, all friendlies are searching to our east so we have this section to ourselves. We are ordered to eliminate and dispose so if it moves blast it. Sound will carry for miles down here so don't go letting off rounds until you have a shot. We'll run on night vision so keep your torches off until contact." He paused to check each face before continuing. "Something's strange about this one so watch yourself, lets get it done".
Conrad had barely finished speaking before James jumped down into the darkness, making an echoing splash as he landed in the ankle deep waste. "Aww shit" he hissed through his commlink. Conrad smiled at the unintended pun but ordered silence over his comm. Bull was in next, landing with a more discernable splash. Followed by Conrad and the barely detectable Laura. Conrad slowly dialled up his night vision, allowing his eyes to accustom to the near pitch black of the sewer. It was wider than he thought. At least double his height and wide enough for the team to stand abreast comfortably. It reminded Conrad of a garage more than a sewer. Conrad unslung his shotgun from his shoulder and clicked off the safety, checking again that the barrel clip was fully loaded. Accuracy was something he'd rather not have to worry about after an already exhausting night. It wasn't his own weapon but one he was familiar with none the less. The others quickly followed suit and assumed alert positions around Conrad.
Conrad lowered his voice to a barely audible whisper, "Yang you lead, Bull will take the rear". Silently acknowledging, Laura overtook him and set a bearing into the darkness. The team followed softly, watching the sole light source shrink behind them. After what seemed like about thirty metres to Conrad he detected a slight curve in the direction of the sewer and instinctively hugged the inside bend. Behind his head could feel James' large SMG twitching with contained anticipation, the hollow points begging to be put into action. Bull meanwhile handled the no less sedate assault rifle. Conrad thought his brutish hands made the deadly weapon seem almost child-like in comparison.
Another forty metres onward and the light of their entrance had disappeared completely, focusing Conrad's attention entirely on the tunnels ahead. Straining the limits of his augmented hearing he could just detect the faster flowing of water ahead. A few more steps and Laura confirmed his suspicions. "Thirty metres ahead is the intersection, watch your footing". Conrad didn't know what he was supposed to be watching his footing for but he suspected in a sewer he'd rather not know. Approaching the intersection with painful slowness, the sound of water emanating from the intersection increased to the point that the team activated their aural dampers so they could hear their comm-links. Through the hazy green of his night-vision the wide tunnel opening suddenly loomed into focus. A torrent of water surged from the stormwater outlets above. Beyond it Conrad could see a cylindrical tunnel bisecting their own and continuing endlessly downwards. Laura gestured to a tunnel opening on the opposing side of the gap, on the level below their own. "That was where Mr Dean was last spotted" shouted Laura, competing with the roar of water. "The facility forces couldn't pursue so they've gone around".
"Keep sharp team" shouted Conrad, taking over from Laura. "I want you alert as soon as you hit the other side." He lifted his shotgun and pulled back the firing arm to chamber a round. "James, you first." Expecting this James had taken a step back from the edge and stood bouncing on the suspension of his ankles. Taking three long strides to the platform he launched himself through the showering water, gaining unnatural distance before falling on to the opposing ledge. Conrad couldn't help but be impressed; James had cleared the gap by at least a metre. Following suit Laura took a longer run up and bounded across the chasm to meet James. Conrad readied his grapple for the second time that night, Bull and himself lacked the athleticism of Laura and James. But in the spirit of augmentation machines made up for their shortcomings.
Hitting the ledge together Conrad used his momentum to take a few quick steps in to cover at the front of the group. Looking behind, Laura held her pistol steady behind a concrete protrusion, while James and Bull crouched in the open. Conrad quickly pressed himself to a wall and took in his surroundings. This tunnel was significantly smaller than the previous and left him feeling more uncomfortable. This would restrict their tactical options in a firefight, they would have to continue in single column. Before he could signal to Bull, James's voice beckoned excitedly over the commlink. "Boss you should see this." Conrad hurried back to James position.
"What you got kid?"
"Blood Sarge, lots of it." James ran a gloved finger down the wall and presented it to Conrad. The black of his glove reflected an angry red as his small visor LED clicked on. Running the light over the section of concrete tunnel Conrad could make out six separate gouges beneath the slick ruby coating.
"Looks like a fifty cal, or perhaps a tetra-type weapon, definitely military or police." Said Conrad, turning to Laura. "Did you say SWAT had been through this section?"
"No sir, only the facility security cleared this section, Swat's been working east of here."
"Well whoever it was they scored some heavy hits, look at this blood I'd be surprised if our scientist isn't in a puddle up ahead". Conrad poked his finger into a bullethole, testing the depth. Why would a psychiatric hospital need weapons like that, it made no sense.
"Alright guys move quick, I want out of here. We'll have time for this after. James hit that trail; Bull and Yang fall in behind me".
The team continued on down the tunnel, snaking through the labyrinthine underground system. Occasionally they would stop to analyse some markings; blood, disturbed flotsam, smeared grime on the wall. Conrad couldn't believe how much blood there was. This guy must be running on meds and adrenaline he thought. Picking up pace the four team members maintained a cautious jog. The tunnels felt more comfortable now, the smell of prey not far from the senses. Making their way up a slow incline Conrad stopped everyone. "Yang when was the last blood you spotted".
Laura took a second to scan back through her internal recordings before replying.
"Approximately one hundred metres past was the last significant deposit."
"What about the frequency?"
Laura took a few more seconds. Her forehead bunched in confusion as she reached the same conclusion puzzling Conrad. "Decreasing, significantly."
"You think the bleeding stopped?" Bull asked.
"Don't be stupid" James retorted, "You saw the damage, you don't just stop bleeding from holes like that".
Conrad cut in, pre empting a response from Bull. "Yang check the schematics, there must be a bisecting tunnel we've missed."
"This is an open and shut tunnel sir, one exit at each end. The blood would indicate we are on the right track but I agree with James, there's no way a wound of that size would stop bleeding without attention."
This was becoming too much for Conrad, the stims were beginning to wear off and he could feel the cobwebs of fatigue dulling his thoughts. Sensing his friend's weariness Bull replied for him. "I don't know what's happening but there's only one way this guys going and I don't see a body so I say we keep going."
Conrad put a thankful hand on Bulls shoulder, "he's right lets keep moving he may not be dead but he can't keep up our pace with that much blood loss. Move out."
With a clear objective Conrad set off at a run, the rest of the team following close behind. Deciding covering ground was more important than caution at this point he navigating around the sharp bends and dips in the tunnels, keeping his shotgun tucked tight into his shoulder. The hard plasteel of the collapsible stock was a comforting stability in this increasingly frustrating night.
"One hundred metres until exit sir" Yang said as she jumped over an uneven section of tunnel. Conrad let his shotgun swing at his side as he kicked into a sprint, fuming at the potential escape of his target. Bull dropped back to the rear but James and Laura matched his speed close behind. Conrad could see a sharp bend just ahead and slowed to a manageable speed to take the corner without tripping. James sprinted along his outside, his augmented soles cutting silently through the thin layer of grime covering the sewer floor. James reached the corner first and stumbled suddenly, colliding with the adjoining wall to maintain his balance. Conrad could see in his expression he had seen something significant.
"Contact twenty metres!" James shouted through the commlink, bringing his SMG to a firing position. Conrad reached the corner moments later but could see nothing beyond the further bend in the tunnel. All four members ran with weapons raised as James filled them in.
"Sarge I'm sure it was him but it was dark, I only saw his leg."
"Shoot on sight" Conrad replied to the whole group.
Reaching the last bend the team slowed and moved into a box formation. Conrad veins coursed with adrenaline fed fury causing him to struggle to maintain a steady grip of his weapon. His vision focused utterly on the one remaining bend, every ounce of concentration channelling years of combat experience and instinctual reaction. Conrad rounded the bend first and balked at the behemoth before him. For a split-second the appalling monstrosity of the creature before him paralysed his reactions. Standing a head taller than Bull the creature appeared to shrink the sewer around him. The sillouette from the distant exit illuminating a near deamonic physique. The basic form resembled a human but thick plated protrusions ribbing the wide stretched torso reminded Conrad of a reptile. Bulging shoulders rippled with strength and danger, the adjoining limbs covered in thick bony spikes down to more human-like hands. A flat broad forehead shadowed the creatures eyes from view. Conrad barely had time to lift his weapon as the others joined him in shock.
Yang reacted first, taking a two handed firing stance and loosing three rounds down the tunnel. The blasts reverberated through the tunnel like a thunderclap, triggering a further fusillade from Bull and James. The creature threw himself to the left in a vain attempt to avoid the fire but Laura's unyielding accuracy had found its home in the collarbone and chest. The creature fell still to the ground, light from the exit reflecting in the spreading pools of yet more blood. The team advanced with Laura and Conrad in the lead, quickly closing the gap between themselves and the body. As they neared Conrad could pick out the human similarities he hadn't noticed at first glance. It was essentially a human form, just horribly disfigured and overgrown, if that was the word for it. Before any of them could react the prone body shot to its feet and took one long stride towards the opposing tunnel wall. Dropping a shoulder the creature hit the wall with enough force for the ground to tremor under Conrad's feet. The creatures grossly exaggerated shoulder broke the bricks like tinder, crumbling them at his feet and letting light pour in to the festering sewer. The sudden light source flooded the team's night vision, blinding them while their neural sensors processed the information needed to correct their optical levels. By the time Conrad could pick out the rubble from the impact the hole was completely empty.