~~~~~Chapter 4~~~~~
"Will. Henry. Suit up. Let's move out in 10." Magnus words were sharp and quick. "Henry I want proximity grenades primed now before we leave. I want the automatics a first priority on this one, make the MOLES backup." "You got it boss." Magnus put a hand on Henry's shoulder as she reached in to grab her black bag from the back of the truck. With that she headed over towards the building across the road.
Will unzipped his black bag and pulled out his Kevlar vest. "Helicopter? What helicopter?" Thaddeus opened his car door, but stood outside. He turned and faced Will. "Will. It's easy. With no one here, and Nevkov's men not having been here for five days, we drove the flat bed into the warehouse across the street." He points to where Magnus is walking. "We have many hangars on this island. Some in plain sight. We move each piece of machinery when they are needed and no one knows a thing. We had everything on Standby so that if our intel was right, there would not be any delays. We've been watching their movement for the last five days now from backlogged SAT images. There's been no surface movement from the Submarine yard since. This is the best chance to hit them. They won't be expecting you." Henry's face was in battle mode, focused and in deep thought. He raised his hand to his brow and saluted Thaddeus. It was a gesture of thank you for your life's work your commitment and now you can leave the rest to us. He opened his black bag pulling out his vest. Thaddeus smiled and got into his truck. Will watched as the black suburban drove away kicking up a white sediment sand trail into the air. He could only imagine what kind of mysterious world he was returning to at that Marine Sanctuary.
Henry fastened his vest tightly over his black short sleeve shirt and wrapped the Velcro rib snaps in place. After giving himself a pat on the chest to make sure the fit felt right he opened his hard cased tactical box. Nestled neatly inside the foam borders were an array of small round titanium discs. Little screens and a slot, set in the center, each having room for some sort of small computer chip. Henry need not ask what Will was thinking as he investigated the bombs. "Ah, the proximity mines are controlled by pre-programmed chips. They can either go off by remote, timer, or sensory."
Will pointed a finger and pushed it gently into his shoulder. "And that is why you are the weapons master, and I the doctor." Henry laughed his I am techno nerd king and never ashamed by it giggle and pulled one of the discs out of the cradled foam. "See it's simple." He took a camera size black container out from his vest pocket and opened it. Inside were various color coded computer chips the size of a thumbnail. "Red goes boom when someone walks by. Blue is a set timer. And Yellow receives a controlled signal from a remote detonator." Will gave a slight smirk. "You used primary colors for when you prime the bombs? Nice." Henry grinned as he placed the yellow chip into the receiving slot on the mine. He never ceased to amaze himself with his efforts of bringing the James Bond gadget world to Magnus' Sanctuary For All cause. Their cause.
Magnus took hold of the warehouse door and pulled it free from its crooked and awkward hold against the other door. The door scraped against the hard dirt ground as the bottom wood panels splintered off leaving a scattered trail of tiny wood fragments. She walked through the entrance. Who would have guessed a million dollar helicopter was waiting in the wings.
Will loaded his automatic machine gun and connected the shoulder strap. Henry tightened his leg strap to his belt and secured his 9mm in the holster. He did the same with another on his other leg. He loaded another automatic and checked to make sure both safeties were in place. The two men silently checked ammunitions and communication devices. Each in their own mind set they readied themselves for whatever lies ahead. Will made sure his vest was secure and snug. He pulled down the bottom of the vest and padded down the shoulder to reassure the close fit. These new Kevlar vests had sleeves on the shoulders. The addition came from another weapons maker at London's Sanctuary, Jack, who often collaborated with Henry on projects. He once had to take desperate measures after the pterodactyl at his Sanctuary nearly pecked his shoulder off as it came out of sedation. This after the creature's return from breaking free over London. Both Jack and Henry both wondered why they hadn't thought of the sleeve addition before.
Magnus had changed into her Kevlar vest and leather wear – holstered hand guns and boots adorned. The cracked and weathered tin roof of the warehouse invited rays of sunlight to cascade down lighting up the shiny surface of the heat shield covering the flying machine. She carefully pulled away the canvas cover as not to put any downward pressure on the rotor blades. The last thing they needed was for the cover shield to get tangled in the blades on either end of the helicopter. A momentary flashback surfaced of her flight above Big Bertha's islands. Terrance was at his worst and she knew one day it would come to that. His madness for power oozing like puss from a wound. She shuddered with annoyance and disgust.
Her memories returned to the helicopter crash. After hitting that water she was able to right herself and swim out of the doorway. Magnus remembered the minutes she treaded water before Edward Forthsight's men pulled her out. The water was so cold and the constant hissing from Bertha was one of the most horrific things she'd ever heard. Even as she watched the lava eruptions from Bertha's land volcanoes it could not drown the noise. It was only the second time Magnus had felt that much fear from an Abnormal. A fear of immense helplessness. The first, and the most painful, from her daughter as she looked into her eyes that night in the sublevel of the Sanctuary. Ashley's eyes had faded back to blue. Blue. Ashley's blue. Not the cannibalistic yellow Cabal pigment from Dana's soulless experiment. No, my Ashley will not be remembered that way. She was my daughter. My daughter. My flesh and blood. A little piece of my humanity that I raised. Magnus' heart started to beat faster as she closed her eyes. She felt herself getting angry. She remembers Ashley's face in the warehouse. So clear. Like it was yesterday. What have they done to you?
Magnus kept her eyes closed and stood motionless next to the helicopter. Arms at her side. Hands holding clenched fists. The wind against the tin roof unloosened a few pieces already broken from weather and time causing them to rattle. A wind chime effect filled the air all around her. Magnus took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Dana has no power over her anymore. Ashley is not in danger anymore. She's not disoriented or hurt. She was my daughter – She was my life. Please. I'm so sorry. It was Ashley's blue eyes she saw last. "Mom?" It was her daughter's blue. The last act she did she did as Ashley. Magnus still wonders when she will find comfort in that.
The echo of the creaking warehouse door pulled Magnus from the grips of loss. The other door of the warehouse was being pulled free from the ground's hold. Splinters sheared off the bottom too as Henry pushed it open. Magnus unclenched her fists and walked nearer to the end of the flat bed towards Henry. "That's good enough Henry. We just need to retract the ramp and we'll be set." Magnus walked to the end of the flatbed truck and joggled a few switches on the side. A low humming sound advanced the ramp. It came out and extended horizontally from beneath the floor of the helicopter's rest. A floor under the floor. The floor brought the extension out into the open. Magnus pressed another switch evoking another humming sound. A rail conveyer belt, under each landing leg of the helicopter, tracked backwards taking the helicopter itself out into the Grecian heat and out of the warehouse. No doors ordained this one helicopter. Magnus pulled herself up into the pilot's seat, sat down and reached for her headset. The sun had already set, yellows and pinks shading the skies above them. Thin white wispy clouds lingering in the stratosphere.
Magnus sat looking over one of the recon SAT images. Henry jumped up into the back of the helicopter pushing his hard cased container into a netting that was pinned over his seat. Will lifted his case up and Henry shoved it in place next to his. He reached and tightened the side belts making sure the fastening belts of the netting were tight and secure. Both men sat back down and buckled themselves in. Will took extra care in making sure his belt was completely locked. "You boys ready?" Magnus yelled out as she eyed the many buttons and switches on the dash and above her head. "Yeah Doc." Henry leaned back into this seat and straightened up his back. "We're good to go." "Alright. Hold on." Click, click, click. One by one Magnus turned on the On switches for takeoff.
The engine powering the rotor blades came to life and sent vibrations into every inch of flesh and metal. Magnus voice came through the headsets. "We've got about an hour and fifteen minute flight to our location. We can access the underground tunnel leading into the Submarine shipyard from the water purification facility just west of its location." Will closed his eyes and leaned his head back. He body recognizing that familiar feeling of every bone being unsettled from normalcy. "Try and relax Will." Will opened his eyes and looked forward to see Magnus looking back over her seat at him. She hadn't forgotten about that crash into the oil rig and that he was with her too. Her reassuring voice always seemed to calm his nerves. Magnus gave Will a wink. "Don't worry about this okay." Will gave Magnus the best of his fake smiles of confidence. He hoped she'd didn't see through it.
Henry made a fist and raised it towards Will and gently bumped his shoulder. Will gave a nod in congruence. The helicopter slowly left the Earth. The winds of the rotating blades sent dry sand scattering like a gale force wind – the white hard sand pulsated from beneath them and into little dust devils below. Will watched as the top of the warehouse started to look smaller and smaller. The helicopter climb so fast it seemed. The ancient port wall of marble was now the only thing that stood out. A white line engulfed by light blue. Will watched the sand colored seashore change to a myriad of green as they made their way inland. Containers secured in netting above their heads shifted as the helicopter's nose slowly titled down as they gained speed to lift further into the sky. Will held tight to the above safety bar with his left hand, wind blowing through his hair, and tried not to think of the day with the Vampire Squid.