"Are you certain this is not something we have dreamed, Comrades?" - Russian bombardment survivor
Chapter Twenty Four
Almas Tower
Business District, Dubai
"Ghostex Lead. this is Daugherty. I've taken my squad along the south side of the tower, moving toward the Silver one, but take a look at this..."
The image appeared in Dib's HUD, and Daugherty zoomed in. Through the somewhat grainy green of night vision came a flash that lit up a group of combatants hunkered down near a small bridge facing one of the Almas Tower's garages. The combatants, about ten or twelve, were dressed in all dark colors and wearing heavy gear. Daugherty panned to show that they were trading fire with one of the Irken DMOV crews and two Elite troopers.
"Can't ID them yet," Daugherty continued, "But they're laying down some nice fire on the Irkens."
"Storr's got somebody on his tail. His enemies are our friends," Said Dib.
"And that's not all of them, sir. Two other squads just showed up. Got about thirty or forty of them now."
"Do what you can to make contact. Let's see who they are. Offer to hire them. You know the drill."
"Roger that. Money talks, sir. Just be careful when you come around.
"Dib," Tuvia called.
Dib turned around to face Tuvia before he spoke.
"They're GRU Vympel, they're here to collect The Empress."
"Whoever they are, let's just hope they can help. Come on."
Lakota took point this time, leading them around the other side of the building. When they reached the corner, she checked the area, then gave the signal. They darted across the street, reached the next building, and traversed the shadows beside it, and then Dib leapfrogged past her to the next corner. From there he spied the Silver Tower.
"Ghostex Lead, are you there, over?"
Wait," Dib called as a window opened in his HUD. "I'm here, buddy, what do you got?"
Schleck had tucked himself into a narrow maintenance hallway running adjacent to one of the vault tunnels. "I'm hidden here,"He whispered into his microphone- even though they probably couldn't hear him. "Volker's right behind me."
Forklifts weighed down heavily with gold bricks hummed on by, one after another. Dib counted four in all, and he couldn't believe how many bricks they were hauling out of there. Just seeing gold piled up that way was surreal; the pallets might as well be props from a movie set.
"This is the third trip already," Said Schleck. "If you guys don't get down here soon, they'll get away with all of it. They're making very good progress, up and down the elevator and back again."
"I hear you, Schleck. Just sit tight, man. You're doing a great job."
Just as Dib had finished talking with Schleck over the radio, Tuvia rushed up behind him, radio in hand, as he tapped him on the shoulder. "Dib, my man cannot establish an uplink with any of the satellites, but I've just had contact with the Chesma."
A new data window opened in Dib's HUD. Captain Ikashanko stood on the ship's bridge, rubbing his lightly bearded chin in thought. "Lieutenant, are you there? I'm afraid I've only got audio contact on my end. Video is breaking up."
"I'm here, sir, and sir? I could use a favor."
"Better make it a quick one. We're being called out to assist an assault on an Irken destroyer."
"All right, here's what I have in mind..."
The Empress marched forward with Chen Ji to her right, another of his Special Forces Sergeants to her left. They moved directly toward Storr, who was approaching with a trio of his Elites, their weapons leveled on her.
"Stop right there," She told him. "Take off your helmet."
"Why, Jul, what is this? Don't you trust me?"
She shook her head.
He grinned.
And Lucifer himself had taught Storr how to smile.
As he removed his helmet, she did the same, her holographic disguise fizzling away, and Chen Ji looked at her. The gas canisters that had been ignited by the Americans were still billowing, but they were at the far end of the tunnel. The air was still clean, but not for much longer.
"You come with me and my trucks. I want all of your men. There will be a ship waiting for us at Mina Jebel Ali, far south side of the port. Order your driver to head back to the airport." She checked her watch. "In about ten minutes a Chinese cargo plane will touch down. You have them drive right onto the plane. I'll make sure it's arranged."
Storr chuckled under his breath. "Jul, it sounds like you have been planning this all along.
"You always have two escape routes," She said with a smirk. "What I didn't plan on was you."
At that moment, she whirled, and knowing exactly where to aim, she put a bullet in Chen Ji's neck and another in the Sergeant's. Both men dropped, gasping. Storr's Elites advanced on them and confiscated their dog tags, a type of trophy for them. She spun back to the Elite Commander. "Tell your men to kill the rest of them when they're finished loading."
"So you prove your loyalty."
"And you prove yours. It's me and you. No one else, okay?" She raised an antennae.
Storr nodded.
"Let's go."
Without warning the concrete floor began to rumble, and what sounded like a violent earthquake began to rip through the tunnel. A crack splintered up the wall ahead, growing into multiple veins and arteries, and then chunks of rock began falling away even as Storr cried out to his men in Irken and all of them sprinted on wobbly legs.
A pair of thunderclaps struck, followed by another pair, and then she realized what was happening.
Dib, Lakota, Tuvia, and the launcher guy, who had since abandoned his weapon and traded it for a light machine gun, had reached the entrance to the Silver Tower's parking garage- all of ten seconds before the first pair of Ch-82 Zinka Ballistic Missiles launched from the Chesma struck the Goldcrest tower, blasting off huge sections that came raining down in a horrific storm of glass, concrete, insulation, and supports struts.
The Irkens in the DMOV below never saw it coming.
And as they vanished beneath the massive pile of debris, a second pair of Zinkas struck the Lake Terrace Tower rising just north of the Almas. The missiles hammered into the skyscraper about two thirds of the way up and exploded with such force that a portion of the remaining third simply fell away.
And all the while Tuvia was talking to the crew aboard Chesma as he watched via pre set up observation areas. Because they were all tied into the same tactical network of situational awareness, Tuvia had been able to stream his video of the targets back to the ship's control room. With his artillery men's help, he'd passed along four critical points on the buildings that would result in the desired effects.
"That's two, we got two," He told them. "They're buried good; outstanding work, gentlemen!"
The south and north parking lot entrances to the Almas Tower were now successfully blocked, and two of the six DMOVs had been taken out of the fight, buried beneath tons of debris. That was no cause for a victory party, but Dib was damned pleased.
"Gotta love Russian fire power." Lakota said.
Tuvia nodded as he stood up, chest out like a hero over the city, head faced toward the gaping holes in the buildings.
"Tuvia," Dib began. "Can you back us up with a few squads? I can't do it without you. Here come my guys now."
Tuvia nodded and turned away to call his men.
Div waved Daugherty, Copeland, Heston, Pak, and Noboru into the parking garage. They gathered around him.
"Destroy the other exits," He ordered. "If she tries to come out through this tower, I want this to be her only way out."
"Have composition four plastic explosives, will travel," Said Heston. "We're on it, sir."
"She's still got two other exits via Almas," Lakota pointed out.
"Yeah, but those GRU Vympel guys are keeping the DMOV crews busy over there," Said Dib. He faced Daugherty. "You dig up any dirt on them?"
"I got in close enough to examine one of their dead, pulled his mask, took a picture. But there's still no uplink to run his ID..."
"All right, we'll get to that later. But for now, we'll take all the free help we can get."
"Ghostex Lead, you better hurry," Said Schleck. "They've cleared the vault area. I think the last of the forklifts is in the elevator now."
They boy was talking to him and crying, but Chopra could barely sense him through all the cold. There was no fear, only growing sense of calm like a soft wind blowing in his ears. He reached out, took his father's hand, and felt the calluses of a man who had toiled all his life. That was what love felt like. His father smiled, and there was pride in that grin.
Chopra smiled now at Hussein, who had made a promise to continue his father's dream.
There was one more breath coming. One more.
Chopra took it.
When they reached the cargo trucks, The Empress nodded in satisfaction at the sight of the dead Chinese Special Forces troops with missing tags. Storr's Elites had dispatched them with precision. Had there been any doubt? After all, Storr's troops were Irken.
The bad news was that they'd lost two of Storr's vehicles. They still had the tank and the four remaining DMOVs. She hesitated before climbing into the cap of one of the cargo trucks loaded with gold. "You drive the lead truck. I pull up the rear," She told Storr. "I'll tell you where to go."
"As always," He said with a sigh.
Just then he got a report from one of his troops: A missile had struck their heavy ND-II. Now it was out of the fight, too. He cursed in Irken.
As did The Empress. Her original plan had two trucks going to the airport, two going to the ship. The idea was to split the gold so that any opponents would believe that one shipment was a diversion, when in fact both were hot and at least one should be able to escape. She'd never disclosed that to Patti, who, of course, wanted all of the gold, but fifty percent of something was better than nothing.
But, of course, they'd lost a truck and had overloaded the remaining three. The DMOVs had room enough to carry the gold and were much better protected, but she feared that wasting any more time to make a transfer might result in their being trapped.
Were she an American Special Forces leader, what would she assume? Well, the smart money had the gold inside the better protected vehicles. So she had to hope they'd go after the DMOVs. That made sense. Thus, they'd send out the armor first. The cargo plane landing at the airport would also raise suspicions.
"Can you get the choppers outside to cover the DMOVs when they leave?" She asked Storr.
"Tak has put me in direct contact with the Enforcers Corps Commander," He answered. "I've never seen such an efficient piece of blackmail."
"Good. Do it."
"I will, but first, I'm putting those chopper's on the entrances. Your friends from the Vympel have become a wart on my ass."
She rolled her eyes. "Thanks for that image."
"Anytime."
With their rifles at the ready and targeting data streaming across their HUDs, Dib and his team hustled their way through the garage and down toward the main tunnel that would take them over to the Almas Tower. Tuvia remained up top to meet the two squads he had called over.
When they were halfway through the tunnel, the Spec Ops Commander called to say that the choppers were gunning down the Vympel combatants opposite the east and west entrances, and it seemed likely that Dib's target would exit from one of those areas because the choppers were clearing the path.
Dib could hear all the booming above and feel it in his legs. He told Tuvia to get as many vehicles as he could near those exits. Once the choppers neutralized the Vympel elements, only Tuvia's men could slow down The Empress's escape, while Dib and his Ghostex Team came in from behind.
Schleck and Volker cracked in. They'd slipped into the main vault area for a quick recon, and Volker's camera picked up a figure wearing an environment suit and kneeling over an old man whom Dib quickly recognized as Manoj Chopra. He used a finger to gesture to widen the data box and watch as Volker confronted the figure, who turned out to be Hussein.
"We're not here to hurt you," Said the Phoenix.
"I know," Answered the boy, his accent distinctly British. "Where are you taking me?"
"Someplace safe."
"What about him?"
"We'll come back when we can. Later..."
"Get him through the Silver Tower," Dib ordered. "I'm charging both of you with keeping him safe. That's royalty right there. Do you guys read me?"
"Yes, sir," Said Volker.
"Don't worry, Lieutenant," Added Schleck. "This kid's got the best body guards in town. Moving out now."
"Dib, it's Tuvia! The choppers are backing off and the DMOVs are coming out! Four of them now, turning up toward the highway. Still small arms fire from a few stragglers, but they're getting away."
"Schleck, did she load the gold into the DMOVs?" Dib asked the sniper.
"Sir, I'm not sure. She's still got three cargo trucks, but I'm still trying to pinpoint their locations."
"Dib, it's Tuvia again. One of my teams up near the airport says a cargo plane just touched down. It's military, unmarked though."
"She'd got gold in the DMOVs, and they're heading to the airport. Everyone, turn around, we're getting the hell out of here! We need to get back up top! Tuvia, is Chesma still available?"
"Negative, Dib."
Dib cursed. "Lakota, still no uplink?"
"Nothing. I've got a loop set to alert us the second we break the jamming."
"Dib, some of the Euro armor is now moving in behind the DMOVs, escorting them, and they've got the choppers covering by air. That was to be her."
"Tuvia, what do you have in between here and the airport? Anything that can stop her?"
"I'm sorry, Dib. My armored columns are still waiting on Kish."
"Can your guys at the airport at least attack the plane?"
"I'll see what I can do."
A new window opened in Dib's HUD: His laser based radar system (LADAR) had detected movement behind them, about a thousand meters back. The image revealed three contacts growing more distinct: the cargo trucks. Whatever people she'd left behind were probably making their escapes as well.
Not five seconds later they came under heavy plasma fire as headlights wiped into view and reached up the tunnel toward them.
Lakota screamed to take cover.
Dib threw himself toward the wall, dropping down and rolling back up with his rifle to fire on the lead vehicle as it roared by with an Irken hanging out the cab window and firing a steady stream of bolts.
The second truck roared by, and Dib ordered the others to hold fire-
He was blinded for a moment by the truck's headlights, and then his mouth fell open.
He'd just caught a glimpse of the third truck's driver. She might be wearing a suit and a helmet, but he recognized those eyes. He'd studied them for too many hours.
Perhaps the gold was being shipped out on the DMOVs, but Jul Mik'hini, The Empress, had another route in mind.
"Get on!" He screamed.
He and Lakota raced behind the last truck and launched themselves into the air, groping futilely for some purchase. They both tumbled to the ground as the exhaust washed over them. Lakota rolled up with a grenade, about to throw it, when Dib looked down and saw them. Four more plasma grenades rolling toward them like baseballs, lobbed by the Irkens in the trucks.
It was all he could do to turn around and throw himself back when the explosions tore though the tunnel in magnificent blue balls of super heated, energized plasma, and the blast wave lifted him from the ground.
Chen Ji's men had not reported any more Americans in the tunnel, and The Empress had felt the breath escape her as they roared by. That Storr's Elites had dropped a handful of plasma grenades before the Americans could throw theirs was just luck, and as the booms echoed and the blue explosions flickered in her side mirror, she called up to Storr and told him how lucky they were.
As they reached the uppermost level, he reported that all three exits had been sealed off by explosions and debris, and only one path was available; it would no doubt be defended.
"Call off one of those choppers," She told him. "Wait, no. Just blast on through."
"Are you sure? One of my Lieutenants says two squads outside. Looks like only small arms, but we will take a lot of fire, maybe an RPG or something bigger."
"You're right. Stop here. Call the chopper. Put some fire on those guys outside. Clear us a path."
He pulled to a screeching halt, as did the truck behind him. They were at the far end of the garage, ground level, and out in the darkness she saw the shadows move- Prokofiev operators waiting for them... Or maybe even more GRU Vympel.
She glanced over at the Elite sitting beside her, a young, lean, dark blue eyed Irken, those eyes seemingly vacant. "Where are you from?" She asked him in Irken.
He just frowned.
"Do I offend you?"
"We all know who you are. You betrayed the Empire. Our job is to bring you in. Storr has other plans. My orders are to follow him. So I do. But I do not have to like it, nor do I have to talk to you."
"Get out."
He looked at her.
"I said, get out!" She drew her pistol and shoved it into his neck, just below the helmet.
He opened the door, climbed out, jogged to the next truck, and was let inside.
"Okay, three more minutes," Storr finally said.
"Tell that pilot to hurry up!"
When Dib finally looked up, he saw most of his team lying on the concrete floor. Copeland was already tending to Daugherty and Heston, who'd been nearest to the blasts, their helmets scorched, shrapnel jutting from all over their scorched suits. Noboru and Pak were assisting him, but they too looked dazed, covered in shrapnel, some of which had clearly penetrated the more vulnerable sections of their suits.
"Dib, I'll stay down here with them," Said Lakota. "That was her, wasn't it?"
"Yeah," Dib gasped.
"Then you have to go after her. We'll link up with Schleck and Volker."
He nodded, "Tuvia, she's coming your way! Three trucks!"
"I know, I know," Cried Tuvia. "But here comes the chopper!"
Even as he spoke, Dib heard the powerful whomping in the background. The gunfire. Explosions. Screams.
"Lakota, Copeland will stay with them. You come with me."
She shrugged.
"I need you with me."
"We're hurting, Dib. We're hurting real bad. I don't know if there's anything else we can do."
"There's one thing," He said. "We can try. Not give up. Not yet. Come on."
They sprinted through the lingering smoke, rounded the next corner, then raced through the next leg of the tunnel, heading up to the deepest level of the garage. Somewhere above came the hum of idling engines. Lakota slowed, stopped, then rasied a finger to the ceiling. "Listen. They've stopped."
He did. Nodded. Then urged her on, just as Tuvia's voice broke over the channel. "My men are dying out here, Dib! We have to pull out. Here come the trucks. They're coming now!"
Dib tensed and picked up the pace. This was it. He was going to lose her. Again.
(End Chapter)