Agent in the Dark (The Agents for Good) (16 page)

C
hapter Eighteen

Mighty Mouse

I ducked back around a corner, as bullets chewed up the drywall spraying dust into my face. I pressed Asia back. This wasn’t good!

We were going to be caught in
a crossfire soon. We’d lost our Special Force escort to a series of grenades three floors down and it wasn’t looking good for us now.

I glanced across to the elevator. We’d likely be cut down before we could get to it, but right now it seemed like the only option as those pursuing us were closing in fast. I didn’t want to dwell on the fact that even if we did get to the elev
ator and away from this floor, we would still be practically gift wrapping ourselves for those waiting on the next floor.

I heard steps down the hall behind us. I slung my rifle on and then picking Asia up I slung her across the space to the elevator gallery before a shot could be fired. I followed after her, but wasn’t so lucky.

Shots slammed into me, knocking me down at one point, but I managed to crawl out of the field of fire. Asia was in a panic, as she helped drag me clear of the bullets. I couldn’t breathe. She was screaming at me and then a little air seeped back in and I felt better for it.

My chest and back smoked from where hot lead stuck out of my vest and burned widening holes in my clothes, “I’m okay!” I said wheezing my way up to my feet.

I jammed the elevator button hard, as I held my gun ready to fire. Something wasn’t right with my gun. It was shot to pieces and I threw it down disgustedly and undid my pistol. The elevator doors opened up to thankfully reveal an empty space. We quickly stepped in and I punched in the top floor.

The doors had starred to close, when I heard automatic gunfire from both ends of the corridor. Going on instinct I held the elevator doors open, while Asia looked at me as if I was nuts for waiting.

I shrugged, some things you had to take by faith, and my instinct was one of them. Temple and Maria soon appeared coming down one corridor and a moment later Tyre and Ga
lloway came down the other.

Galloway approached with a big smile and I gave him one of my own. He and I had always gotten along well t
ogether.

“Room for a few more?”
He asked with a cheeky grin.

I grinned back, “Sure thing, hop in!”

Tyre stepped over my shattered rifle and peeled another one off his back to hand to me, as he stepped into the elev
ator, just as the doors whisked shut. Tyre punched the button for the floor beneath the top floor.

I glanced down at him then, “So I heard you got ma
rried.” I said.

He nodded.

“Congratulations!” I said and got another nod.

“Any kids?”
I asked.

Tyre tapped the elevator door twice with the muzzle of his rifle, in cryptic response to my question.

We reached his floor and he stepped out with both of his guns hammering. The elevator doors closed shut as we continued to rise. A man of few words that one was.

“He does actually talk more than he used to.” Maria said into the silence.

I hit the stop button and the elevator came to a halt in between floors.

“What are we waiting for?” Asia exclaimed.

I glanced at her still slow counting in my head, “Waiting for Mighty Mouse to do his army of one routine.”

Galloway burst out laughing, while Maria and Temple both tried to stifle grins.

Galloway recovered first, “You know saying things like that is what made him not like you to the point that he won’t even talk to you.”

“I know. I really feel bad about it inside.” I said disi
ngenuously.

I disengaged the stop button and the elevator rose to the last floor that it reached to. The doors whisked open to r
eveal a pile of bodies and the image of Tyre changing out his gun magazines. The little dude sure did love his guns.

“Classic as usual Tyre.”
I said in genuine admiration, as I looked around at the cleaned out space.

“Likewise.”
He said in response.

I wasn’t quite sure I understood what he meant by that, but I didn’t think it was in reference to a good thing. Had he heard me in the elevator or just surmised my smart co
mment? Probably the latter.

Tyre led point out into the dark room filled with tall windows, beyond the short hall leading from the elevator bay. Lights came on suddenly and something moved away from the wall in front of us. Before Tyre could get a shot off he was picked up and lobbed across the room to thud heavily against the wall, where he lay still not moving at all on the floor.

There were four of them. They were like tall people only they were somehow robotic as well. Their arms and legs looked, as if they’d come out of a Terminator movie, but the skin of their faces looked real. What were they?

“Go!” Maria screamed, as she broke left and Galloway broke right giving us cover fire. I saw the door that would lead to the other elevator that went to the top floor and I ran for it tugging a petrified Asia along with me, as Temple followed after me giving covering fire. It was one loud hammer of sound within the room as guns roared. I wanted to stay and fight, but I couldn’t. I slammed through the heavy door and Temple slammed it shut locking it after us.

Maria fired until her gun clicked empty. Three of the robot things had left immediately breaking through the glass and disappearing along the outside of the building. They’d left one of their number behind though to finish them off. Whatever it was it was bleeding, but it looked unfazed as it sprang for her. Oh God she was going to die!

Something shoved her hard and she fell away to roll over and see that it had been Galloway, who had shoved her. The robot’s hand had fashioned itself into a blade and it was run clear through him. The robot twisted the blade and Ga
lloway jerked hard before being tossed to the side by the robot.

The robot came for her then and Maria drew her pistol and started emptying it into the thing from where she lay on her back on the floor. It just kept coming though. Suddenly it jerked hard as it was hit from behind by gunfire and Maria saw Tyre on his side firing up at the tall robot person from the other end of the room. He must’ve hit something vital, because it pitched over to land heavily onto the floor.

Tyre dropped the rifle and crawled across the floor to Galloway, who was coughing up blood. Galloway’s eyes traced over to Tyre and Tyre grasped his hand hard.

Galloway managed a brief smile, “End of the song little buddy.” He was dead then, but Tyre didn’t let go of his hand.

Maria saw that Tyre’s other arm was broken badly. Maria went to him and helped pull him up to his feet, “We need to get you out of here!” She said wiping tears away. She’d ne
ver cared for Galloway’s lusty devil-may-care-attitude, but in the end he’d given his life for her. What more could one ask of a person than that?

Tyre stared at the closed door, where the others had gone through, but Maria pulled him along with her stubbornly, “We can’t help them now! We need to group up with any others that might still be alive, come!” Resolutely she tugged him away and back toward the elevator that they’d used to reach this floor.

Chapter Nineteen

Past Revisited

I saw the second elevator that would take us up the last few floors to the broadcast room. We’d met with no resistance, and I was hopeful that our journey would soon be at an end.

“Well what a surprise this is! Do come in.” The voice was feminine and it had Temple walking out into the dark space toward it.

The lights came on to reveal an attractive brunette with three of the robot figures backing her up.

“Lori?” Temple asked disbelievingly, his face as white as if he’d seen a ghost.

The woman smiled coldly, “Well hello dear brother. Long time no see, bye-bye now.” She said, as she fired the pistol in her hands twice and Temple with a gasp fell to his knees clutching at his chest.

“No!” I roared rushing to his side.

Temple’s eyes left his sister’s to move to mine, “You knew! All these years you’ve been protecting me! Why?”

I eased Temple to the floor, “You were my friend and to noble at heart for your own good. It would have killed you inside to know that she joined the other side.”

Temple shook his head, “You’re a good friend John, but you should’ve told me.” And with that he was gone.

I continued to stare at my dead friend, even as I spoke up loudly, “This wasn’t the deal we made Lori!”

“No Logan it wasn’t, but then neither were you to ever come find me so I guess the deals off officially.”

I looked up to see Lori standing beside Asia with her gun to Asia’s head. I stood up, “You hurt her and I’ll kill you in the hardest way I can imagine!”

Lori smiled, feigning a fake eroticism that no longer worked for me, “But Logan you already did kill me don’t you r
emember honey? You’re not still having headaches are you?”

I started for her then, but she pressed the gun muzzle against Asia’s head suggestively.

“Ah Ah Ah big loverboy. Now, I think it’s time that I discovered what your little Code Breaker girlfriend here has been up to, while you have a few nightmarish moments to think over all the things I’m going to do with your precious little lover, when I have what I want from her.”

The three robot-like figures had closed in on me from three opposing sides.

Lori spoke up once more, “Don’t you love the latest evolution of the perfect soldier darling? You were always far too volatile and lacking in control to be a good soldier. Fun aspects to have in bed I grant you, but not on the battlefield. The element of feeling anything has been completely removed along with a few other upgrades that make you obsolete. Have fun playing with your replacements, while I dissect your girl here. Won’t that be fun!” She laughed coldly, at her own words, as she shoved Asia from the room at gunpoint.

How had I ever been attracted to her?

I studied my opponents, as they began to close in slowly. They no doubt had orders to make it last or they’d already be on me ripping my limbs off with their powerful artificial arms. The tips of their fingers lengthened out into serrated talons. With continuous firing I might be able to sufficiently penetrate the body armor they wore, but I’d only succeed with one of them, which left the other two free to slash me apart at will.

No emotion crossed what little I could see of their faces. It would seem that they were the perfect soldiers, strength combined with the loss of the ability to care about anything. Their wetsuit like armor clearly revealed that two of them were male and one was female, not that it mattered.

I reached back and pulled my latest sword creation free from its harness on my back. I had experience with talon wielding opponents before, but never three at one time. It would be a new experience.

I attacked, my sword clanged off one’s arm, only serving to push the individual back somewhat. I ducked under the swipe at my head by another and swung hard the edge of my sword slicing through the tough body armor causing blood to spurt.

My strike, while it had scored blood, seemed to have had no effect at all and it was all I could do to avoid mortal inj
ury. Their taloned hands sliced away at my flak vest and bear arms unmercifully. I was making them bleed, but I wasn’t winning the fight.

I dove past one and came up behind it and swung a quick reflexive swing at it off my back foot. My sword was b
ecoming blunt from connecting with the indestructible alloy that their arms and legs seemed to be made of, but blunt as it now was the sheer momentum of my strike drove it through something on the back of the neck of the figure I had dodged around. The soldier abruptly collapsed to all fours in disorientation.

Yes! I had no time to crow over my victory though. A t
aloned grasp closed down over my shoulder with all fingers penetrating in a grip of agony and I was abruptly thrown, somersaulting through the air. I slammed into something and it was all I could do to stave off unconsciousness.

I blinked my eyes open to find myself laying against a wall at the other side of the room. I wasn’t good. My eyes met the figure still on all fours that was looking at me, then I glanced up to the two approaching soldiers. I really couldn’t even will myself to move in order to get away.

Grimly, I watched one stoop and pick up my sword. Holding it in his taloned grasp he abruptly broke it in half. I got the point. My play time was up. No sword, no gun within reach and no strength left. I had failed and Asia was going to die and with her the rest of the world’s best chance for fre
edom.

The soldiers knelt beside me and grasped me painfully by the upper arms. They sliced off my flak vest and with it my shirt. It was obvious what they were intending on doing to me. They were going to slice me open and pull out my organs as I watched.

As their free hands descended toward my stomach to a
ccomplish their bloody play I shook my head, “God this isn’t how I wanted it to turn out at all.” What did it matter anymore, the cares of this world were going to be history soon enough for me.

The soldiers abruptly jerked hard, as electric sparks shot out from their heads along with splatters of blood. Their grip on me released and they both fell over stone cold, dead, as I watched the female I had incapacitated earlier pull her t
aloned hands out of the back of the two men’s skulls. The talons reassembled into fingers and she abruptly picked me up and sat me on a table.

I was dizzy from loss of blood and possibly my senses as well. I blinked trying to clear my head, as she tore a tabl
ecloth up and wrapped it tightly around my sliced up arms to stop the bleeding. Was this really happening? She tied the bandages off tightly and painfully I had to admit this must be reality, because pain was a very real emotion right now.

“The good Lord sure does work in mysterious ways!” I breathed out in expressive wonder, at the form that my salv
ation had taken.

The soldier glanced at me mysteriously then and I saw real emotion in her eyes. And then my mind abruptly cleared, Asia! I jumped off the table and stumbled for the door that Lori had taken her through. I landed up against it inelegantly to find it locked. I pushed, but I had nothing left in me to bust through the door.

“Curse this weakness!” I raged against the door and at myself. Even now Asia might be in the process of being dissected like I was to have been! On a sudden thought I stepped back from the door to regard my robotic companion.

“I don’t suppose you could break this….” The soldier’s fist shot out slamming into the door with such force that the door blew black off its hinges.

“Door down.” I finished lamely.

This girl really packed a punch!

“Ladies first.” I said and surprisingly she went through and I stumbled after her kind of glad for my guardian, even as much as I was puzzled by the occurrence of her.

Asia stumbled ahead of Lori, as she was prodded along by the gun barrel in her back.

“So tell me Asia is he still like he used to be in all his beastly glory? I have to admit I really miss those special times with him. He really is a hunk isn’t he?”

Lori leaned in close to Asia’s ear, “You know what I always loved most was when he took his….” Asia shoved back against her viciously and Lori moved back laughing wickedly, “Oh come on dear don’t be so bashful. I know what it’s all about with him. Sex and lots of it! Oh how I miss those days! Oh well, plans change and a girl’s got to adapt along with them.”

Asia looked back at Lori with real hate in her eyes for the woman, “John’s a better man than the likes of you could e
ver deserve!”

Lori smacked Asia across the face with the pistol, “You got it all wrong
girl! John didn’t deserve me! I changed to fit in with the times. I stayed strong, while he refused to veer off the path of weakness. He’s nothing more than a boy toy that’s become obsolete in a technological age, which I rule in, while he’s getting cut to pieces even as we speak. He’s a loser Asia, just like your father! You know in a way you and your father are responsible for all this. It was your research that helped bring this all about don’t you know?”

“You’re lying!” Asia screamed in response.

Lori smiled coldly, “You didn’t seriously think that we would leave a brilliant intellect well versed with technology like yours free to roam do you? We could have ripped you from your ivory tower whenever we had wanted to, but there was no need to, as dear daddy passed along everything to us to keep his precious daughter safe.”

“It’s a lie! He would never have done that!” Asia r
esponded back passionately, but inside she was starting to question what she knew about her father.

Lori’s face fell apart into merriment, “Oh I really had you going didn’t I!” Lori said laughing hard.

Asia felt her hatred for this woman intensify to a fever pitch, “What did you do to John?” She asked.

Lori’s face took a conniving look of self pride, “Why honey, I made him into the beast he is today. He wouldn’t turn believe it or not. Despite everything I offered and pro
mised him he refused me, now that was a mistake let me tell you. No one refuses me and gets away with it! Torture had no better results on him. I even held a knife to what you and I love most about him and he still wouldn’t budge. It turned out that he was as self righteously sanctimonious as both our older brothers were. I could’ve just killed him then, but I wanted to make him suffer so I turned him on himself. I implanted memories of things he would never have done directly into his mind. What do you think it feels like to remember doing something awful, when you know you didn’t and yet somehow you must have, because you’re remembering it. It drove him crazy. He became violent and useless to everyone, a danger even to himself, cast off even by his friends at his precious Agency. In a way it was the most perfect torture I could have ever come up with. A living torment, until you messed it up somehow!”

“You sick freak!” Asia accused harshly, as the riddle of John became all too clear to her.

Lori smiled, “Yes, I am a bit of one. The tampering with his memories had the added benefit of intensifying the headaches that he routinely got anyway. Now there is a little added in bonus I bet you haven’t been able to overcome yet.”

“Actually I have!” Asia replied smugly.

Lori’s features twisted harshly, “Enough of all this! I want to know what this little misbegotten adventure has all been about tonight!” She said, as she lifted the pistol, but Asia batted it away and slammed her fist into the pit of Lori’s stomach causing her to gasp for air.

Lori wrenched the pistol back around, even starved for air as she was, but Asia shoved her backward on top of a desk and with both hands she slammed Lori’s hand holding the gun down onto the edge of the desk repeatedly. The gun went off several times the bullets shattering a tall window at the other end of the room.

Lori’s broken hand dropped the gun; even as her other hand came up, as she swiped at Asia’s face with her nails. She tried to bite Asia too. Asia grabbed her by the throat and backhanded her hard repeatedly and viciously. Lori’s hand came back up with a pair of scissors and Asia lunged back out of the way of their plunging swipe at her.

Asia kicked out and the scissors went flying. Lori turned and stooped down for the fallen pistol in desperation. Asia leaped off the ground and sent a double kick in to land on Lori’s rear and with a scream of pain Lori somersaulted over
several times before landing beside the shattered out window. Her legs and bottom fell through the opening and in a slow slide her torso followed scraping along the broken glass, as she screamed now in terror.

Lori’s one hand was useless to her and it was only her other hand’s grasp on the sill that kept her from falling down the side of the tower entirely. Asia walked up and squatted down beside the heavy breathing Lori.

“Please save me! I’ll do anything!” Lori begged.

Asia’s voice was calm and modulated as she responded, “That has become quite clear to me, even knowing you for the short time that I have.”

Lori’s grip slipped slightly and in panicked fright the ho
rror in her eyes racketed up a notch, “I can help you break the Code and shut it down! I know the passwords and the secret access codes!”