Chapter 10: Between a Clock and a Hard Place
A team of technicians inspected the lift as they had been doing for the last hour. The entire room was now illuminated by the eerie glow of red emergency lights. General Collins paced across the hanger while three fifths of Mysteries Inc. leaned against the wall, resigned to the fact that they might not be done here for a while. Of course there were other ways out, but Division 4 procedure stated that in the event of a non life threatening malfunction, no one was permitted to leave until it was fixed.
"Like, how much are you missing you're show now?" Shaggy asked as they watched the techs work.
Last year Daphne had stared in her own television program; Coast to Coast with Daphne Blake. She and Fred had traveled around, visiting sites of hauntings and doing news stories. In addition to running the Blake Foundation, which she had inherited from her father upon his retirement, she had also made a name for herself as a journalist. She did freelance writing on the side and still held a position at the network which had approved a second season set to begin production in the next couple of months.
"Clearly you've never been with Fred while he's trying to set up a camera."
"General!" One of the techs called urgently.
Collins walked over to the tech, seated by the computer terminal that controlled the lift. Daphne, Shaggy and Scooby watched from the other end of the room. As the tech talked, referring to the screen periodically, Collins' expression changed from standard military stiffness to, briefly, outright fear. He stiffened back as he approached the three civilians.
"The Tantalus Protocol has been initiated." He said gravely. "It means that the system has been breached from the inside. The base shuts down for a twenty four hour period at which point a knockout gas is released throughout the facility in preparation for a strike team to invade the facility and detain every living soul inside of it."
Shaggy and Scooby's eyes widened.
"Like that's…"
"Rextreme"
"Division Four…" Collins began severely. "…is the most secure and secret branch of the US Department of Defense. If someone has broken in then the security of the country and the world is at stake."
Daphne considered the situation for a moment. It had been the de facto protocol of Mysteries Inc. that when Fred was not around, she was in charge.
"What if we find the breach?"
"That's the one way to stop Tantalus Protocol; we find and neutralize the breach. Then and only then, am I authorized to abort the program at which point the strike team still arrives to detain the perpetrator."
"Oh, well how hard…"
Shaggy clapped a hand over Daphne's mouth.
"Like if you say how hard could that be…"
Two metallic canisters rolled into the room and began blasting thick white smoke. Everyone coughed as it filled the room. A blast shook the hangar as the door to the lift, thirty feet up on the ceiling was blown open. The sky outside had grown dark with storm clouds, casting no light into the hangar. Thirty commando armored bodies descended on repelling lines. Another squad loomed in with flashlights. Expert shots took out the guards in the room. Instinctively Shaggy grabbed Scooby's collar and Daphne's hand. Scooby led them through the smoke the main door which had been sealed shut.
"Merde" Daphne cursed.
She and Shaggy each took a hold on the door and pulled, forcing it open. A gun barrel made its way out of the smoke. Daphne grabbed hold of it and pushed it back, slamming the stock of the rifle into the attacker's chest. She slammed her heel into the man's boot, following with a karate chop to the neck.
She rejoined Shaggy and together they forced the door open. The three of them ran inside as two more commandos emerged from the smoke. Daphne let the heavy sliding door close on the attacker's arm. She kicked him back out, pulling her leg in before the door slammed shut.
"Like… at what point… in reading Catwoman, did you decide to become her?" Shaggy panted as he leaned against the door.
Back in the hangar General Collins forced himself against the wall, pressing a bullet wound in his side. He reloaded his sidearm, waiting for the smoke to disperse. Then he could take out whoever these men were. Another hail of bullets filled the air, this time two caught him in the other side of his abdomen. With a reluctant breath, Collins gave the order for this situation. He pulled his radio from his belt, linked to the main computer system.
"Computer…" He croaked. "Execute Medusa Protocol."
"Medusa Protocol initiated" The computer responded to him. "Twenty Four hours to total base extermination."