ACCESSING CURRENT FEEDS...
DATE: AUGUST 20th 2014
LOCATION: WASHINGTON DC, USA
SOUTH GARAGE PERIM CAM 06 - 10:27:19
The parking lot was nearly empty. It was the morning of a Wednesday in the Capital. Meaning that it was cold and early enough for the morning shoppers to be away and late enough for the government officials to already be at work.
Parking just far enough from the nearest entrance, a figure walked from the staircase to the upper level of the parking lot. The box-like camera honed in on the man. He moved with somewhat urgency as he reached for his phone; two messages from his NYPD Captain.
Wearing a brown suit jacket with a striped shirt and tie tucked in by a small pin, the sharp-faced man walked with quick steps. He had a stubbled and defined face, shrinking ears and curving lips. He had brown hair that was streaked with an ageing silver. A middle-aged Cop, Richard Kane had a high forehead and a low jawline, with round large cheeks and dull eyes.
He was carrying both his sidearm and Moreno's gift (a hidden revolver, which was a Smith & Wesson 442 with a bronze and brown handle, a black barrel and crooked hammer)
'If you're not gonna accept help, then at least carry two guns' Captain Moreno has warned him at the last moment. Before he left to DC, he remembered the faces of the policemen, people warning him not to be involved in such a investigation. The Zenith-Media Corp was one of the most powerful businesses in NYC, and the western world.
Stretching from Denmark to London, and Russia to the West Coast of America. But Kane was already stockpiling evidence. He had just stopped off at a bank in Washington, to gather some money for his trip home. With the evidence piled up in his car, he held at least three boxes of core pieces of evidence. He had visited the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs in DC - only to find it closed.
His next place to investigate was a facility in Upstate New York. A hospital-like building that had recently received a shipping order of Rylatech computers. Kane already had the satellite images of the 'Steiner Psychiatric Facility' and planned to visit once he got back in the city. It all linked back to Zenith-Media, as they had bought out Rylatech once the CEO had died.
Finding out from a confidential informant that the mental facility was purchased in April, 2013 by a technology firm that fronted all the cost for renovation.
A technology firm buying a mental hospital? Kane considered that worthy of more investigation. Walking towards his car, he noticed that the floor was almost empty of other vehicles. Keeping his weapon close, Kane glanced at a box-like camera in the corner. A camera that watched his movements.
Kane suspected that the Senior Advisor and Director of special projects at the Government office, Phillip Hayes - was heavily involved with the plot. Hayes had an extensive government record, working at Signals Intelligence in England before being moved to the White House as a security advisor to NATO officials. Promoted to Director of Special projects, his name was attached to many nationwide surveillance programs.
Hayes had two main aides - Julian Weston and Caroline Wheeler. Both had no records before 2004, with Wheeler recorded as taking a meeting on Rikers Island.
Weston wasn't the same story, as he was involved in many corporate dealings with Zenith-Media, including their CFO - Mia Xavier. He had found all of this out in one long afternoon in a garage. So if it was that hard for him - how long would it take Moreno and the courts to find out before he could get a warrant?
Approaching his car, Richard opened the door with one last side-eye glance at the security camera. "Damn big brother" Kane cursed. He had taken the time to read through the full book-sized report of 'Northern Lights' scandal. A classified and leaked report of all the government's black-budget programs. Named 'Operational support to counterterrorism activities' the report was evidence of a larger connecting factor; a project that Zenith-Media was building for the government.
The Northern Lights scandal followed perfectly into the hardware and terminal software that had been delivered to the Pentagon. The hardware that had been supplied by Rasmussen's conglomerate.
The same units had gone to the mental hospital upstate and 55 Exchange Place, an (abandoned) office complex just across from the New York Stock Exchange. The building had been out of use for years, as far back as 2008. Yet the suspicious FBI Agent LeRoux had met with Hayes there several times.
Moving across the parking lot to his car, Detective Kane would return to NYC overnight. He had to contact Moreno again, see if he could get an early start on the warrant to search Rasmussen's home; an opulent and palace-like mansion in Saddle River, New Jersey. That wasn't the only place he needed to search, Hayes' workplace and the Exchange Place address were included.
As well as the address of Greenglade Strategists Incorporated (A New York based equipment manufacturer) which was involved in shipping and receiving the parts sent to the mental hospital.
Getting into his car, he closed the door of his 2009 Ford Mustang. Taking a minute of silence in his own vehicle - it was suddenly interrupted by a buzzing phone in his pocket. Drawing the old Nokia, Richard didn't even look at the number as he expected it to be his Captain back at the 8th Precinct. "Okay, Moreno, this is like the third time you've called and-" Kane was cut off almost immediately.
"Do not attempt to contact anyone else outside this vehicle. You are being watched" The augmented voice began, as a confused expression flashed over Kane's face.
Confusion at first, then annoyance. "Yeah, Yeah very funny, Jake" He growled. Undeterred, the voice continued with a mechanical and deep breath. "You believe that you have the advantage over them. You're mistaken. In two minutes, a group of assassins will arrive on this floor to kill you" The voice condemned.
Kane thought rashly, going to open the door to look around before the voice snapped at him. It's robotic tone growing harsher "You're being targeted for what you know, detective. They see you as a threat. Your life means little to them, only because you pose a risk to exposing them. They're ten steps ahead of you, and their game is still unknown" The voice revealed.
Sitting back in his seat and holding the phone to his ear, Kane's mouth hanged open in silent shock. "What can I do?" He asked the voice back.
"You have one minute. Survive, Detective Kane" Then the phone cut off. Placing the phone on the dashboard, Richard looked around. The surroundings seemed clear, as the box-like camera turned slightly to watch his car. Hearing an engine noise below him, it must have been just another car.
His senses heightened, paranoid, he reached into his jacket for his weapon - but it was all too late. Behind him, the glass shattered in his rear-window. Gunshots followed as a dark-skinned, dark-suited man wielded a pistol and opened fire with reckless abandon as the bullets impacted the metal and the backseats.
Murrow loosed a few more shots from his Walther P99, reloading just as he saw his target hiding behind his seat. He heard the car start up as his muzzle-flashes lit up the darkened upper level of the parking lot.
Samaritan had dispatched Murrow and a team of other high-ranking agents to dispose of a interloper. A NYPD lapdog who had flown too close to the sun. Firing towards him, Murrow shot the unarmed man in the arm as he saw the car screech to a start.
He had left the Steiner with a simple kill-order and the man's location, as Samaritan had been tracking his phone since LeRoux got a bad feeling about him. Greer was always merciless when it came to an obstructionist.
The old Mustang blew smoke from its wheels as it roared backwards towards the assassin. Slamming it into reverse, Kane yelled in pain and anger as he took a bullet in the arm just before he managed to collide into the assailant. Smashing into him, the car bashed into the wall, knocking the assassin to the concrete.
With time to draw his own weapon, Kane withdrew his sidearm with a grimace of pain. Then the window to his right exploded with shards flying into the air. More gunshots blasted towards him as the Detective fired back. Another black-suited assassin advanced on him from the side.
Tall as a bus with a stoic expression, the gunman walked casually while opening fire. Now Richard was trapped as he kicked open the door to his left. Returning fire aimlessly - Kane dove out the opposite door with a thud.
Zachary approached the car with his pistol ready, blowing out his window, he put three more bullets into the car's door with his SIG-Sauer P229R. The tall figure emptied his magazine as he saw Murrow on the ground beside the car. Getting closer to the side of the vehicle, Murrow's body was laying flat on the concrete with the Detective nowhere to be seen. Reloading, Zachary leant into the open window and moved the wheel, angling the car towards the other side of the parking lot, then he knelt at the side of Murrow.
The former Paratrooper was wounded, his weapon knocked from his hand, it must have clattered to the other end of the area in the firefight. Checking his injuries, Murrow's chest had been impacted by the car. "Finish...it" Murrow breathed, his chest going up and down with a steady but weak pace.
Standing to his feet; Zachary surveyed the surroundings. Placing a finger to his earpiece, Greer's security chief called for backup "We've got an asset down. Mr Kersey, do you read me?" Zachary asked.
Samaritan had locked down the garage, deploying many squadrons of Assets to secure the target. Kersey and his men had been positioned on the floor below the one that Kane had been spotted on.
Murrow and Zachary had been the first wave, unfortunately the NYPD Detective was able to repel them, even injuring one. But the target was wounded, he had taken two shots to the arm and shoulder already. Kersey responded quickly "Copy that, Zachary, I'm on my way up now" He replied with haste, drawing his gun and rushing to the stairs.
Approaching the door, Kersey's hand gripped his firearm. He had a brown comb-over and a symmetrical face, with blue eyes, a grey suit and a striped black tie. Getting to the third floor, he swung the door open to see Zachary gone and Murrow's body lying on the ground.
Taking a careful approach, he raised his weapon and looked for any irregularities. Any shifts in light or any shadows moving quickly. He glimpsed a reflection from the barrel of a gun - and three shots went off near the doorway, missing Kersey by a few feet. Returning fire, he saw the silhouette of his target near a normal, everyday minivan. The target was taking fire as Kersey advanced.
From a camera in the corner, Samaritan went to work pinpointing the target, the circle around his head buffered as a 'TARGET_LOCK' commenced. Finding him hiding behind the green minivan, Samaritan honed in on Detective Kane just as he attempted to reload, only to find that he was out of bullets.
SOUTH GARAGE PERIM CAM 08 - 10:35:21
X / / / PRIORITY TARGET IDENTIFIED
DESIGNATION: THREAT TO SYSTEM
NAME: KANE, RICHARD
SSN: [ACCESS RESTRICTED]
LOCATION: 38.9072°, - 77.0369°
Now out of ammo, Kane slipped past the cars and ran towards the stairs at the other side of the parking lot. Kersey chased after him, seeing his fleeing reflection in one of the car's windows. Dodging the stray bullets that smashed glass and impacted metal, Detective Kane headed towards the stairs and ducked past the door that was leaning ajar.
Letting Zachary sweep the upper levels in case he took the elevator back up, Kersey was sent to pursue the Detective from his current hiding place. Seeing the cop rush by the cars and hide at the other end of the parking garage, Kersey knew that the policeman was now out of options and ammunition.
Pushing past the pillar near the door, he fixed his suit-jacket just as he began to prowl across the parking lot's second floor.
Walking after him, Kersey pressed his finger to his earpiece, straightening up and placing his firearm in his back pocket. "Directions" He requested.
Samaritan began working behind the scenes, finding floor-plans, multiple camera and dash-cam feeds, linking the WiFi signal to the target's phone, listening to the footsteps of the corridors around them. Kersey stood still until a deep mechanical voice spoke into his miniature earpiece.
"RIGHT. SOUTH PARKING WING. TARGET AT 25.59 METERS. ELIMINATE TARGET" Samaritan issued with a robotic, cold command. Kersey held onto his pistol as he stalked between the cars, going between their frames and hearing his own footsteps on the ground.
Knowing that the Detective could be between any car, hiding behind any pillar, that's what kept him on edge. Kersey was former Military and private security, just like Zachary, and he had a history with Lambert in the SAS.
Such history brought them both to missions like these, places where the enemy was invisible. This was the war they fought in now - an invisible enemy like the Machine could employ many men like Kane, Police officers and law-bringers, so it was up to Samaritan to get to them first. Snatching up all the useful people in the world, and gathering a small army before the Machine has any chance to regroup. Already they had expanded to Decima's home turf in China, with Japan's infrastructure and financial sector added to the fold weeks later.
Working like a spider in a web, Samaritan had infiltrated the FBI within hours, and the CIA within days. Soon the American media and government followed. The mandate was expanding, with Greer fostering the creation of new objectives and the assignment of assets.
Preferring to take a position as chief subordinate, the old Englishman became the Admin, and would serve only to advise and counsel Samaritan in it's early stages.
With Murrow wounded, Kersey cocked his pistol and heard the echo of the footsteps from a standard, brown low-rider behind him. Turning on his heel, he aimed his Walther P99C at a civilian - the middle-aged male dropped two fully loaded shopping bags. "Oh my god-" He gasped as Kersey raised a hand to him. "It's alright, it'll be okay" Kersey replied quickly as he squeezed the trigger twice - knocking the innocent over with two shots to the chest. The man's body flew back and smacked the ground just as Kersey turned to a frustrated shout of resistance.
Detective Kane emerged from behind a Sedan, Murrow's SIG-Sauer in his hands, he discarded his own sidearm and must have swiped the Asset's weapon from the initial site of the attack.
But none of that mattered now as the New York cop opened fire with six shots into Kersey's chest. Tearing past his suit and tie, Kersey's body rocked with the bullets, his body stiffening as he still stood, his posture recovering.
Seeing Kane's face turn to confusion, the special-forces Asset extended his arm and fired three shots into the policeman's midsection. Impacting under his shirt, Kersey exposed his Kevlar vest hidden under his button-up and tie. Picking a few bullets from it, his shrugged as he approached the bleeding detective on the ground.
Kane slumped around on the floor of the parking garage, Murrow's weapon flying under another car, Kane's chest was littered in a few holes, as his hands fumbled near his wounds.
Stepping around the bullet casings that were dotted around him, Kersey saw the shadow of Zachary at the doorway to the second floor, standing near the entrance to the elevator. Touching his earpiece, he cocked his head to the side as he watched Kersey step over the writhing officer.
"It almost seems too easy like this, Detective" Kersey boasted, lowering his weapon slowly to meet the man's forehead. His hands reached behind himself, Kane quickly searched his pockets as he saw the shadow and almost-pixilated form of his attacker prepare to execute him. Suddenly feeling cold steel around his hand, his digits gripped the handle of a weapon. The bronze and gunmetal item was a pistol.
A Smith & Wesson 442, with a bronze handle, a black barrel and crooked hammer. 'If you're not gonna accept help, then at least carry two guns' Captain Moreno had warned him more than a week ago. He had took the revolver when he left the NYPD Precinct and stuffed it into the pocket of his blazer, just where it was now. Reaching into his jacket to grab it, he pulled it out and pulled back the hammer with his thumb just in time.
Raising it suddenly, the revolver's cylinder clicked when he aimed it at the black-suited assassin. Pulling the trigger without much hesitation, the near point-blank shot blew through the enforcer's head.
Kersey's body jerked back immediately. His head now an empty, fleshy hole where his face used to be. Dripping down his neck, the blood drenched the body of his killer.
Detective Kane scrambled away before James Kersey's body lost all control of itself, his gun clacked to the floor of the parking garage and soon his body followed. A pool of metallic crimson flowed rapidly seconds later, when Zachary drew his own sidearm without missing a beat.
But there had been a pause - however small, that allowed Richard Kane to get to his feet, grabbing the dead Kersey's gun, he fired with both weapons at once.
Showering Zachary in gunfire which he barely avoided, just by dodging in time. Using the firefight to escape, Kane darted away as Zachary hunted him, reloading, he tapped his earpiece with one finger. "We have a escaped target and two agents down. Requesting all agents in the immediate area for backup and a search of the perimeter" He said as he fired a loose shot, which grazed the side of Kane's chest.
WEST GARAGE SEC 2 CAM 04 - 10:52:17
Pushing the doors open to a service-entrance, Kane examined his injuries - one bullet in the shoulder, arm, three in the midsection and one across the chest. Taking his blazer off, he grabbed his NYPD shield-badge and pinned it to his slacks just as he fitted his revolver into his back pocket.
Holding the dead assailant's gun, he braced as he staggered down to the ground floor. Using the west stairs should keep him off the radar for now. He noticed less cameras in these empty stairwells.
Trying to think about his enemies, he knew that they were mostly military, using tactics and weapons seen in the armed forces. They weren't in any obvious uniform, but had been communicating through earpieces and clearly had no regard for innocent life. Piecing it together, a rogue thought-train pinned them as Rasmussen's hired killers, or a hit-squad sent by the mysterious Phillip Hayes.
He had already traced Hayes to Rasmussen, and both of them to the defunct technology company called Rylatech, which the media company had taken control of after their stock crashed. But if they had been sent to kill him, then who was the voice on the phone? He had been warned just minutes before. Time enough for his paranoia to strike, time enough for him to fight back against the assassins.
Kane accepted that these killers were there for him, so they must have been sent by someone. The voice that warned him was a factor too, it could lead him to the source of the mystery. 'You're being targeted for what you know, detective. They see you as a target. Your life means little to them, only because you pose a risk to exposing them. They're ten steps ahead of you, and their game is still unknown' The voice on the phone had revealed.
Digging into the back of his pockets, he found his phone that he had misplaced before the attack had begun. Nearly failing as he reached the bottom of the stairs, he felt the blood rush from his injuries.
Quickly taking out his phone, he tried calling the number that had phoned him to warn him, but it was predictable when he didn't get an answer. Then he scrolled through his contacts and located Captain Moreno at the 8th Precinct.
Kane sat in the lowest stair, huffing as he held the phone and felt the pain of the bullets that would soon drain him of his blood. As he was going to hear her voice, he could warn her of the events, and that he was right about Rasmussen and his connections to the underbelly of the hyper-futuristic criminal world.
He listened to the ringing of the phone as his world became a kaleidoscope around him...
Time had ran out. The world had shifted and changed as electronic beats followed, like a never-ending drum. The beats formed into flashing lights, erasing Kane and his surroundings. Seconds later, a white screen replaced all reality as a digital sheet of schematics appeared.
SIMULATION UNSUCCESSFUL_
ASSETS TERMINATED: 2
TARGETS ELIMINATED: 0
MISSION OUTCOME: FAILURE
LOCATION: JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
PRECISE LOCATION: 9 MAIN STREET, MEREDALE, JOHANNESBURG 2091
SUB2_SRVRM_4 CAM 07 - 06:49:50
ASSET/ / 573
"Sir, he survived again. He killed two of our men and didn't get us any closer to discovering what he's doing with the information" Stewart reported from a quick review of the footage from a nearby monitor. Placing his hands on the side of desk, he leaned against the computer as he looked into the window on the other side of the server room.
Since they had explained the idea of using old code from the Machine, the technician teams at the secure facility had been working tirelessly to improve the simulation engines, to make it operate much more like the Machine in it's later stages. Being able to run such situations and simulations were a key part of the advanced code, and the team was working hard to be able to advance Samaritan to the same stage.
Tinkering with the large, box-like servers in the room, Stewart presided over his team of boffins. "Did the voice interfere again?" Asked the English voice on the other side of the glass. Lambert looks into his own reflection in the window, seeing Stewart nod and fiddle with a set of buttons on the closest computer terminal. He pressed a few buttons and moved a couple of switches.
Clearing his throat, the lead technician stared at the rows of generators. "Again, it seems that whoever contacts Detective Kane wants a firefight to ensue, we should be careful of that variable in the future...but there's good news; Kane waited an extra two and a half minutes before he fled the scene" Stewart divulged.
Clad in a striped three-piece suit and plain dark tie, Lambert huffed as they door to the observation room opened "How uplifting. It appears that we have a few more kinks to iron out" Lambert said.
Wickham later walked in after shutting the door. He was a middle-aged, brown-haired man, formerly dressed in a security uniform - now he wore the sharp black suit of a Samaritan enforcer.
In the server room, the technicians were carrying fistfuls of wires and boxes with flashing LEDs, connecting them to the larger terminals, they hurried around with determination on their faces. Behind the window, Wickham folded his arms "Shall we give it another go, Sir?" He said while his eyes flicked between the generators and his superior. Lambert squinted to see the results of the simulation test on Stewart's screen.
"Yes, start the simulation again with haste" Lambert instructed, as his bodyguard and facility manager Wickham rolled his eyes, stepping away and out of the view of the people in the generator and server room.
The staff began to unplug and plug in new cables and boxes of code and programs. Turning to his laptop screen, Stewart typed a few lines of code and watched as the monitor flickered. The screen went completely white, then produced a few black boxes of text in green and white.
SIMULATION NUMBER_
1476
Stewart stood to the side, turning his screen to show Lambert a view of Kane, replenished and dressed, walking to his car in the same parking garage. The simulation started over again as Stewart declared it to the room. Wickham raised his head when he saw the photo-realistic background and all the pixels flatten out to form an image of the Detective approaching his vehicle.
"It looks like we have all the time in the world, Detective Kane" Wickham remarked as Lambert focussed on the monitor displaying the video simulation. Stepping into his virtual car, Kane opened his phone and look around. Straightening up, Jeremy hummed while the simulation ran as ordered, not a flaw to be seen so far.
ACCESSING ARCHIVED FEEDS...
DATE: JULY 7th 2008
LOCATION: Long Island City, NEW YORK CITY, USA
PRECISE LOCATION: GANTRY PLAZA STATE PARK
HPSP CAM 12 - 23:40:29
The waterside plaza was nearly empty as the moon finally went under the dark clouds that surrounded the bayside area. Under the cover of dark, a small fleet of black SUVs escorted a low-riding Limousine to the Gantry.
Under the shining stars, the night came with such a bitterness that the rusted brown railings take on the appearance of a sugared bars in the moonlight. The cold steals every bit of water from the air it can in its frenzy to frost over the cityscape.
Night had fallen fast over New York, no more than an hour ago the sky was painted with hues of red, orange and pink, but all colour had faded leaving only a matte black canvas with a sea of stars to be looked upon. The sky was a rolling blanket of cloud the shades of dripping wet ash, and the ground its dank reflection.
Shimmering stars illuminated the moonless, jet black sky, as if to remind them that even in darkness there is still light.
The air was still and heavy, thick clouds covered half the sky. A cool breeze swept the alienated and sleepless streets. Standing at the side of the plaza and looking out to the shining water, Greer stuffed his hands in his pockets.
Wearing a dark blue shirt with a lighter blue striped tie, his pinstripe suit was adjusted by his wrinkled hands. Watching an extra SUV pull up outside his perimeter, the doors rolled open and a coat-wearing Decima Agent stepped out.
Drake was stocky and yet had a strange quickness; it added a sharpness to his voice when he spoke. He was slightly taller than Greer, having wrapped himself in a long black coat and a dim grey suit. The fox-faced man approached Greer with his hands by his sides, an empty holster strapped under his blazer. Bowing his head before the Operations Director, Drake stopped before stepping on the sidewalk beside his superior.
Beginning to walk, Greer cleared his throat "Good evening, I believe that I sent for Mr Lambert, and here you are" He began, looking out across the bay.
The loyal, tactically-trained Agent nodded again. "You did, Sir. But he was called away on urgent business, one his teams got a lead on our primary target" Drake referenced.
The manhunt for Holloway had continued, getting no closer than the day they lost him. A former contractor, Decima Executives didn't take kindly to a rogue freelance official. It would only be a matter of time until Holloway appeared again, Greer knew. There were now worries of what information he might spill.
"Unlike most agents, Lambert understands the danger that Holloway presents us. His disappearance has raised concerns among the Decima Executive Board, they've tasked us with removing him" Greer articulated. Walking across the gangway, Drake heard the distant rumble of an aircraft. "We have his sister, Elyse. With any luck, her interrogation can yield new results" Drake hoped.
Smiling, Greer's face was a haunting mask of age. Drake had learned that in this career, an old man is to be feared, especially in the company of such young men.
Looking down at his feet, Drake turned back to the Director "There has been concerns that our attack on the ISA has struck the hornets' nest" Drake mentioned. He had been apart of that attack, storming the Office of Special Counsel and seizing some important information that was classified to the group.
But only Greer and a select few knew the purpose of the attack. It had been to remove a key piece of the ISA's improved weapon; Northern Lights. "I wouldn't be worrying about the government...have you ever read the Classics, Drake?" He asked, a stark tone in his voice. Raising his head, Drake pulled down the sleeves of his coat "I haven't given them any serious thought, Sir" He admitted.
"Do you recall The Titans? The old gods? They were so afraid of the new gods, their own children, that they ate them. You worked for the old gods once, Drake. It was them that betrayed you" Greer pointed out, his hand gesturing towards the lean, neatly-dressed Agent. Drake's history was as muddled as his origins, but he had once been at the beck and call of the American Government and their international intelligence services.
Drake didn't want to answer. He simply kept silent, waiting for the Director to make his point as he noticed strategically placed bodyguards by every lamppost and SUV. Even the man-mountain Zachary was present, guarding Greer's jet-black limousine.
HPSP CAM 16 - 23:46:01
"Then you must remember how the old gods were finally killed? Before the god of the harvest, Cronus, could eat his youngest child, Zeus, he wrapped a boulder in his swaddling clothes and watched as his father slowly choked on it" Greer told him.
They walked together as Greer led him down past the waterfront. Hesitant to reply, Drake pursed his lips. He knew that even the worldwide government abandon those that no longer prove useful, that was the story with most who come to Decima.
Even proud, honest and loyal men like Bryant have histories. The newest group had brought out only one worthy to be accepted into Parkhurst; Martine Rousseau. Though another female, codenamed Cinder, had been brought along with her - Rousseau had always been the standout. Having finished her training at the facility in Maine, Martine had taken to active duty - taking missions from New York to London.
After Cinder was successful in capturing Holloway's sister, Elyse was confined to the empty office building on Wall Street - Greer's temporary command base and operative meeting point.
"Lambert informed us that you planned for Ms Rousseau to resume interrogation of the Holloway girl?" Drake diverted. Greer gave a stout nod, wordless as he continued down the stretch of the boardwalk. Following a step behind, Drake noticed two derelict security cameras hanging from a light-post.
"Mr Holloway's selection process, combined with our training has produced an excellent standard of agent in the past. The loss of our primary contractor will be a problem in the future, but the problem will be even bigger if we let him slip away" Greer punctuated. Contractors were freelance, not meant to give rogue - their silence would be assured with the sum of money given to their next of kin should they die on the job.
Leighton Holloway chose his sister, so Decima took her out of the game. "We isolated his weakest link. Elyse will remain alive and in our custody until Mr Holloway reveals himself" Drake told him, wiping his tone of emotion.
Greer smiled in response, and adjusted his cuffs. Approaching the end of the gangway, the water below them lapped against the side of the wooden supports. With Zachary following closely behind them, Greer turned sharply to Drake.
"I'm putting you in charge of the search-party, every resource will be yours. Lambert and Martine will continue to interrogate Ms Holloway and provide you with any updates, while Virgil maintains digital, global surveillance" Greer issued. His security team flanking his side, Drake blinked briefly. Turning around after thanking the Operations Director, Drake began to walk in the opposite direction, until Greer called his attention again.
"Mr Drake, I don't need to remind you of the price for failure once again, do I?" He questioned, his stern eyes piercing into Drake's deep soul. He gritted teeth behind his back, and turned back around to face the short old man. "No, Mr Greer. Thank you" He appeased, going back to his car with a chip on his shoulder and a clear mission. Both things were obviously Decima's recruitment standards.
ACCESSING CURRENT FEEDS...
DATE: AUGUST 20th 2014
LOCATION: NEW YORK STATE, USA
PRECISE LOCATION: STEINER PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL
SC 6 - 09:07:16
Standing below the wall-mounted screen, Samaritan's Admin and asset controller had been pouring over a low-resolution photograph of a UPS deliveryman, the same one that attacked the Coronet Hotel in Midtown Manhattan. Three of Greer's assets had been threatened, one killed and one fatally injured.
The picture he looked at was taken from a security camera in the lobby, and showed a burly man in grey overalls. He had a plain face with some stubble and scruff. Seen pushing a cart of boxes where he had hidden an automatic handgun and a sawn-off shotgun.
Both weapons he had used to attack the agent stationed in the Hotel. Studying the image, Greer looked up at the screen which showed day-to-day security camera footage.
The assailant had no name, without any ID or identification on him. Samaritan had searched through the global and nationwide UPS staff and found nothing, no trace of the attacker. Unfortunately however, the man was killed in the fighting, so he couldn't be interrogated for any further information.
The three assets at the hotel had been stationed to monitor local events from a safe location, and to survey a target for future recruitment. But the task was cut dramatically short. The shotgun-wielding attacker had killed a technician called Warren Pike, and wounded a former FBI Case Officer known as Weiss.
The only agent stationed in the hotel and not injured was Martine Rousseau, a New York-born, former Hague investigator. She claimed to know the identity of the man, as an enforcer for the so-called Shadow Army, a league of European and Russian terrorists. Greer was puzzled at that, as he had once instructed Leighton Holloway to hire the Shadow Army's deceased leader, Nazarov Tarasovich.
An outfit created by criminals that Decima put together, this Vigilance prototype failed as soon as FSB Section Chief called Vladislav Chekhov got involved.
Radicalising the group, he formed a friendship with Tarasovich (whom he had known all along) and split from Decima's control. Greer had handed their destruction to the ISA, who confirmed Chekhov's death in a surprise raid of their hideout in Oregon.
Clearly the government got it wrong. If Martine was right and the hotel shooter was from the Shadow Army, and an assassin sent with a clear agenda. Samaritan had been decoding the footage, but found no link between the Hotel shooter and the terrorist group. Going through the ISA archives, Samaritan pulled up FBI and CIA case files, finding links from Tarasovich to several smaller groups in the Middle East and Ukraine, but found nothing that could provide a connective tissue.
But Greer had one hidden, secret weapon that Samaritan had recruited. Not just Martine, but her former rival and a target of Decima investigation; Georgia Newport.
Captured during Samaritan's first purge of criminals, Georgia had evaded them for years. Having her high IQ and technical experience was a blessing, as Newport had already modified Samaritan's UI and higher functions. Keeping Georgia in a secure and solitary confinement cell, she was only released to work (supervised) on the mainframe below the Asylum.
When showing the image of the shotgun-wielding attacker to Newport, she said that she had no idea who he could be. Suspecting that he was hired or joined the group after she defected.
Newport had been labelled a 'High-value target' by the FBI and was wanted by Interpol and the GCHQ for multiple offences. Samaritan had kept her hidden, using her as a servant, someone to provide information and collect data.
Greer had recently visited Georgia in her cell, their conversation concerned a serious of targets that Samaritan had picked out from the remnants of Vigilance, but nothing that could hint to the Shadow Army's return.
She was still as milky and scar-covered as when she left prison. Her skin was pale with dyed hair that was a jet-black flecked with dark blue. Newport's body had a thin and wiry structure, like a otherworldly soul possessing a long-dead body.
His technicians busy on the computers around him, Greer looked back up at the wall-sized screen, which showed Samaritan filing through CIA persons of interest.
The door to the command room suddenly opened, the noise of clicking heels followed as Martine walked to his side. Wearing a sleeveless button-up with a high neckline, she stood behind Greer and observed the screen, a bandage wrapped around her right forearm where she had sustained a minor injury of bullet shrapnel.
"You summoned me, Sir?" Martine said coldly.
"Samaritan has uncovered evidence that your attacker at the Coronet Hotel may be a new member of the so-called Shadow Army. What did you know of him?" Greer responded, as the ASI went through the camera footage again. Martine, tilting her head, glanced at Wyatt who was working beside her.
She cleared her throat "His name isn't on any database, he doesn't have a name. That's what Vladislav Chekhov ensured, that his agents wouldn't be traceable by any digital means. I recognised him from my files at The Hague, he worked for Mossad as an interrogator" She informed him, to which Greer simply huffed.
There had been rumours of the Shadow Army fleeing to Mexico, Sweden and Russia, but nothing ever came of such rumours. Many of Chekhov's Lieutenants had either been killed or taken captive by the government. Most of them were eliminated by a single ISA operation that destroyed a hideout of theirs. Greer placed the photograph on the table, his eyebrows creasing.
Martine soon stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him. "The question remains of how he knew the location of our operation. Samaritan is decoding possible solutions to this, as we believe that he may have avoided cameras and detection prior to the attack" Greer theorised.
Rousseau would never forget a face, but it left much to still be answered. "Escape from surveillance? How is that possible?" She questioned.
"In the past, they have proven to be particularly elusive. If he is indeed from this so-called Shadow Army, I wonder if it's connected to our underground friends..." Greer pondered, folding his hands behind his back. Team Machine was still in hiding, without a trace of them to be seen. Then, Samaritan's screen faded into white pixels, producing three words on it's almighty screen.
IDENTIFY_POSSIBLE_ASSOCIATES
Greer nodded as Martine took a step forward "Of course you want me to track them down" She looked back to Greer, who slowly shook his head. "I'm afraid because of your connection this case and your history with the group, you're being transferred to an equally important, yet further-afield mission" He redirected.
Going to pick up a second image from the table, Samaritan's UI shifted to show a map of a rural New York town outside the City. "This is Maple, the setting for a new chapter which is opening in Samaritan's evolution. To truly test the balance of human nature, we require more than just a few select subjects" Greer began as he passed Martine a slip of paper containing a single image.
The photography was of a woman, middle-aged with a straight face, pointed ears and a flat nose. She looked like a government official, as the photography was taken outside a hospital ward and the woman was getting out of black Sedan.
"That is Maryann Holst, an administrator at a Cardiovascular Surgery in Pittsburgh...a week ago, she had a heart-attack at the steps of her workplace" Greer said with an almost emotionally devoid tone.
Martine studied the image as her SSN and profile was shown by Samaritan. "She was put into a medically-induced coma and Samaritan has isolated her as a potential collaborator. You'll be sent to Maple General Hospital, where you'll make contact with our asset on-site and persuade Mrs Holst to follow our instructions, for the foreseeable future" Greer asserted. Placing his hand in the table beside him, the Admin smirked.
"We don't work miracles, Greer, I'll need a bargaining chip" Martine replied. Predictably, the older man breathed a laugh. His brow furrowed and then relaxed as he explained.
"What does a man on his deathbed ask for? A chance to start again. We shall give Mrs Holst a second chance, Martine. Our on-site asset has procured a state-of-the-art pacemaker, one that can save that woman from almost certain death" He pointed to the image of Holst on the screen. Martine folded her arms, and turned back to the map of Maple, New York. "She's going to become one with Samaritan. She will preside over our little experiment, keeping it running smoothly, and making sure the occupants have no idea what's really happening" He punctuated.
Samaritan was taking control of an entire town, Martine understood suddenly. Manipulating events, it would serve as god over the suburban town. Using an overseer like Holst to serve as councilwoman and contact. "Just like us, she has to start again. With a second chance at life, she'll be needing a new name" Martine noted, as Greer presented her with a brown paper file.
"Already taken care of...as of tomorrow, Maryann Holst will have died in the Pittsburgh ER. But Leslie Thompson will arrive in Maple in her place" He remarked proudly. The hospital records that Samaritan flashed up on the screen showed that Holst had been moved to a classified ward, and the doctors were all registered with 'Asset' name above their heads from the view of the hospital's cameras.
"Her life has to be wiped away so that we can start anew. In Maple, everyone will be rewarded according to their abilities, perhaps random acts of chance - but such is life, my dear" Greer addressed, handing the photograph over to Martine.
Walking away, Martine noticed as the door opened and Sykes appeared through the gap, holding a phone and having an odd look about his face. He passed her without a word as Greer called her back with the smooth allure of his voice "And Martine?" He called, as the woman span on her heel. "Sir?"
"A few must be displaced, so that the majority may thrive. Enjoy yourself, and Samaritan will continue to do it's part" He smirked again in his wipe-lipped manner as Sykes leant down to whisper in his ear. Martine meanwhile exited the room, pressing on her earpiece for further instructions about her new mission.