Chapter Eleven: Infiltration
It seemed to take forever to get from Seattle to the base in question. Logan looked anxiously from the back where he sat through the shifting bodies in the van around him to look out the windshield. On the edge of the horizon he could just make out the glow of the base looming in the distance. His gaze moved to those around him, all of them including himself were dressed in infiltration suits, and to someone with normal vision the company he was keeping would be hard to pick out of the background darkness. Each one in the party was armed to the gills, assault rifles and shotguns, extra clips and shells. Zach, Tinga and even Kito carried a limited number of flares and grenades. They were in this to win, he knew and all of them even Tima seemed comfortable and relaxed about the impending assault on a major Manticore installation. He silently wished he felt the same.
This was not something that he had ever been comfortable with, and Tima was dead on the money when she had told Kito that it wasn't his style to go on the offensive. The thought of killing only chilled him, as it had whenever he had been forced to it. He drew in a deep breath, "Keep your eyes on the prize," Logan thought. Getting Max back was his foremost concern and damn it, if anyone got in his way… to hell with the consequences. He spent four years of his life in hell thinking that he had lost the best thing he had ever found in his life, and nothing was going to stop him from getting her back.
Then a chill ran through him as a thought dropped like lead into the pit of his stomach. It was something that hadn't really occurred to him to this point. He had been so caught up in wanting Max back that he hadn't even thought about the baby. It hit him hard now. Max was still alive… did that mean that the baby was as well? Max would have been in a real bad way when Manticore had taken her back. She had been bad enough that Logan had thought her dead in his arms before they knocked him unconscious. That would affect the chances of a successful pregnancy, for sure. But what if the baby had survived? And for just a moment he entertained the thought that it had survived. What had it been… boy or girl? Then the thought soured in his mind, just as it had created hope the moment prior. If the baby was alive, it would already be indoctrinated into the Manticore program, programmed to only recognize the objective, not family, not love, "One dilemma at a time, Logan," He thought to himself.
Kito was anxious too, but not nearly for the same reason. His apprehension grew as they neared the complex he had just barely been able to escape from. Now he was bringing a well armed, renegade group of Manticore soldiers back to the installation for something that Kito should have known nothing about in the first place, "How to win friends and influence people," Kito thought to himself sourly. He was going to have to face all of his former brothers and sisters again, and it was not going to be a happy reunion.
Something else was bothering him as well. He had already balked in a combat situation, and that made him nervous. This time he would be going against those he had fought side by side with prior to last week, and he was conflicted on if he could bring himself to kill Torri or Kenai, or Tempest, or even Blade, if the situation came down to it. He could not afford to hesitate this time, it would mean his death and probably the death of some of the group he had with him now.
Kito shifted his concentration outward looking at Logan. He considered the older man to be the weak link in this chain. Everyone else he trusted to carry his or her share of the load, even the two Manticores that he had never met before today. Tima may have been out of it for a while, but she was sure to get back into the swing of it quickly. Logan could fight, but avoided it unless absolutely necessary and that made him a liability. But Kito could not fault the determination he saw in the man's face. This Max was very important to Logan and he was willing to get involved to get her back. That showed courage, Kito just hoped Logan would back it up in actions.
Kito looked away as they veered off the paved road onto the dirt road that would take them nearest their entry point. He shifted as the van bounced and rocked, as Zach sped down the jeep trail. It didn't take them much longer before Zach stopped the van. He looked around and back, "Last stop." He said quietly.
They all filed out of the van and made final preparations. Zach had stopped in the woods skirting the base so not to make as easy a target of the group. They all gathered around Zach as he reviewed the plan, Logan even deferred the lead to the younger man next to him. Kito wondered vaguely why, but let the thought slide as he listened to the last minute instructions.
"Kito you have point, Tinga and I will follow, Logan, Tima you guys bring up the rear. Once we're in we stick close, no wandering," He looked directly at Logan, as if it was supposed to mean something. Perhaps Zach had the same doubts about having Logan in the party.
After that not a word was spoken, Zach giving a silent signal to Kito. Kito didn't look back he swiftly covered the distance between the trees and the fence. He paused a moment looked down the length of the fence either side of his position then signaled all clear. He rose, stepped back and leapt the fence. Landing lightly he immediately moved into the shadow of a nearby building alternately watching Tinga and Zach's progress and the fence-lines for perimeter patrols. It was only moments before they were crouched next to him. Zach signaled back to the other two to proceed, his mouth thinning as he watched the progress. Logan crouched down just the other side of the fence his eyes looking to the left of the group as Tima, without hesitating jumped it.
"Shit," Kito thought angrily, he was balking already. Zach signaled impatiently for Logan to join them. Logan shook his head and then signaled them to cover pointing up the fence line, before crouching lower into the tall grass. Kito was livid, what did he think he was doing? Logan was going to spoil this party before they even got close to building 241. He looked up and down the fence-line, not seeing anything. Kito signaled to the spot where Logan had blended in, impatient to move on. Then he heard it, the faint sound of boots approaching their position.
With practiced ease the four of them melted into the shadows until the two-person patrol passed by their position, not even aware of their presence. They all peeked out seeing Logan rise from the patch he had melted into and easily clearing the fence he joined them.
Kito looked at him with concern, "How did you know?" Kito asked him ignorantly, even as Zach signaled Kito to resume point. When he didn't move Zach thumped his shoulder hard signaling again.
Logan looked into his dark eyes smiling slyly, "Sixth sense."
"Huh?" Kito said, even as he moved away.
"I'll explain it later," Logan breathed.
They moved on, avoiding the sparse patrols that kept the perimeter clear of unwanted visitors. Kito was uneasy, this was going way too easy. Did Lydecker have that much confidence that Kito would not attempt to come back here and free Max? He listened to the minimal noises coming from the group behind him as they easily gained the outbuilding they had been looking for.
They broke the lock and entered to the loud humming of the auxiliary power transformer that the building housed. Kito moved quickly around the equipment to the access panel he was looking for and opened it.
The entirety of their party was through the access and into the underground service way in less than a minute, all quickly jogging down the dusky corridor in the direction of their objective. Kito turned the corner on point and slid to a stop. The way was two thirds blocked by rubble and debris. By the look of it, it had been erected there rather than having come from a cave in, and recently too. That made Kito's heart sink as the rest joined him.
There was enough room for them to move past it on the right side of the construction but it would only be one at a time. Kito looked at Zach, who looked like he had the same feeling, it stank of an ambush. But what choice did they have? They could retreat, but that still left Max trapped here, and there was more than one man in the party who did not wish that to remain the case.
Zach looked down at the floor then back at Logan. Logan nodded to him, Kito still wondered if there was not something more that these two understood that Kito was not grasping. Zach signaled them on and each one in turn squeezed through the small opening into the corridor beyond. To Kito's surprise there was no contingent of soldiers the other side of the barricade like he had half been expecting. The way was clear. Kito smiled in relief, and just a bit prematurely.
They all jumped as a small bang was heard followed by a loud rumbling. They all turned back to see the opening that they had come through was now sealed.
"Shit!" He heard Zach and Logan say simultaneously, and they all turned again as the sound of many running feet echoed down the corridor getting louder. When the dust had settled they found themselves five against fifty.