The Complete Assassin Episode 16 FIVE WEEKS LATER The fortress seemed empty and devoid of any activity except the steady sound of clanging metal. Steven was on the padded press bench, pushing the bar bell up above his head and down back to his chest. He had drilled himself hard, working on the dumbbell and the treadmill. Now, he was doing the final rounds of this grueling work out, squeezing his face as he pushed the final stretch. He was alone in the fortress and he needed an extra pair of hands to help him place the barbell on the hook. He used the last strain of energy in him to place the instrument in its holder as he screamed. He lifted his heavy frame from the bench. He was panting heavily as he sat up and tried to gain his breath. He was testing his endurance limit, stretching it to the extreme and he felt good about it. So far, he had not broken down. This workout had been his regular routine for the past three weeks. He had to be mentally and physical complete if he was ever going to succeed with the suicide mission he had in mind. He got up after a few minutes and stretched. The pain in his muscles did not let him extend his hands beyond a certain point, but that did not bother him. Steven’s muscled bulged, threatening to rip his body hugging t-shirt apart. He had grown bigger and tougher and his shape had taken a semblance to that of a body builder, only milder. He wondered where the whole gang had run off to. At any given point, there was always at least some one in the fortress with him. He had woken up to find himself all alone. It was strange but he didn’t mind. He only wondered why there was no communication of any sort to him. He walked slowly to the part of the fortress that had been redesigned into a mini kitchen. He opened the pots and found some food. He helped himself to some food and carried the plate with him into the control room as he made himself comfortable on the sofa. He had disabled Isis’ entry authentication requirements for access into the control room. He reckoned that since they would be down here a while, there would not be any need to keep repeating the same cumbersome access verification every time. As he settled in the sofa, there was a loud scream from behind him. “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!” The trio of James, Stella and the Detective screamed as they came out of hiding in the electrical room behind Steven. Their faces were all smiles as Stella led the party, carrying a huge cake with just one tiny candle in the middle. Steven was surprised and shocked. He was rooted to the chair as he still tried to comprehend what was happening. He got up as Stella approached him, receiving the cake from her. He hugged her heartily and pecked her on both cheeks. James and the detective came after Stella as they congratulated him for getting a year older. Steven shook the detective more firmly than he had done to James. “Heard from your wife? How is Caroline?” Steven asked “Not really. The safety of my family depends on how often I don’t get to contact them. Yesterday, James created a mock demo of a transmission, mimicking my attempts to contact them. He noticed that there were two traces on the transmission from unreadable IP addresses. He managed to lead them on a wild goose chase before abandoning the traces on a remote server serviced by MDT communications in Port Harcourt. We were almost caught.” The detective replied. “I’m sorry about that. Things will sort themselves out soon.” “It’s okay. Besides, it’s your day. Let’s make merry. Where is the booze?” The detective said as he sat on the floor and opened his arms in curiosity. James joined him on the floor and looked at Stella, who had now sat on the couch and was helping herself to Steven’s meal. “Me? What are you guys looking at me for?” Stella said with her mouth full. Steven dragged the plate away from her and moved to a far corner of the room. There he sat in silence eating his food. “When were you guys going to tell me about Sensei Magnum? I know he is in town and I know about the messages he sent.” Steven said. Nobody spoke. About a month earlier when Steven had begun to feel better, he asked to know all that had happened in the time he had been unwell. Reluctantly, Stella had narrated how he had been kidnapped and tortured by Sheila, how they had gone to rescue him and how Sheila and Sensei Marcus had died. Steven had asked for detailed description of what happened at Block 14 Mariana and Stella had unwillingly obliged. Ever since then he had not spoken about the incident and had kept to himself. He began his daily regimen of extreme workouts and grueling exercises. They had all watched him every day as he immersed himself in his exercises, drilled his mental alertness by solving riddles, puzzles and codes that Isis drew up at his request. They had all assumed, and quite wrongly that that was his way of dealing with grief. Sensei Marcus had been like a father to him and he was visibly shaken by news of his death. Little did they know that what brought out the dread in him was a very good motive, and now he had the strongest motivation he needed to take down ShadowCorp. “How did you find out?” Stella asked surprised. “I know I have not really spoken much since I learned of Sensei Marcus’ death. However, my ears and eyes have been open. Shedding tears or getting emotional will not bring him back. I channeled all that negative energy into getting stronger. I think I am ready. When you guys are asleep, I work on Isis and she gives me all the information that she has processed during the day. Five days ago during my debriefing of Isis, I noticed that Sensei Magnum had been in contact with you. He said he wanted me delivered to him or you’ll all be dead.” Steven said and paused. He looked round, scanning the faces of the three people in the room. These were people who risked their lives to rescue him, and still risked more to keep him away from the hands of ShadowCorp. He looked at James. His world as he knew it was over a long time ago. He had stopped being in public places and had no social life all because of him. Detective Samson was cut off from his family and he was a target. He turned and looked at his sister. He locked her gaze as they stared at each other for seconds. She meant everything to him and had proven that the feeling was mutual. If he was ever going to do anything for someone, he was going to do it for her. He stood. “Magnum wants me. Let’s give him what he wants.” Steven finished and clamped his hands. A tiny smile played on his lips. The others got up too. Stella approached her brother and hugged him tight. “What was that for?” Steven asked confused. “I have been waiting for you to give us the go ahead. We already have a plan drawn up.” Stella replied. “I figured that you would have had something planned. I searched Isis’ database but found nothing. Where is this plan drawn up?” Steven questioned. “Inside his brain.” Stella replied pointing at James. James crossed his hands across his chest, feeling very important. Steven merely laughed, shaking his head. James deserved to feel a little bit cocky. He was the brain behind the operation and a lot depended on the tiny details that he would provide. He let James enjoy the moment. “Well done James.” Steven said, giving him a thumb up. He continued, “Well, are you going to let me in on this master plan?” “With all pleasure. If you please . . . ” James replied motioning that Steven take a seat on the couch. As Steven, Stella and the detective all sat on the couch facing the giant smart screen on the wall. James opened a blank presentation on the smart screen and began to explain the strategies he had drawn up. He took time to explain in detail, the extraction points, the decoy moves, the infiltration styles and the cloning of the network infrastructure. “We have been watching Sensei Magnum for the greater part of one month. He leaves the Sanctuary on Wednesday and Fridays at exactly 14:00hrs each day. He moves in a convoy of four identical Porsches never riding in the same position twice. The closest we have gotten to him is the Sanctuary gate. He keeps a close knit of highly trained guards who have very vast knowledge of hacking, martial arts, and network infrastructure. Planting a stooge is a no go area because these guards show unbelievable loyalty to the Sensei. They all have a cyanide pill lurking inside the roof of their mouths at all times. If there’s a threat on the Sensei from their part, they take their own lives.” James explained and paused. “Carry on.” Steven insisted “Going in the dark is not an option. There is a general wariness about darkness so security would still be top notch. We will attack in broad daylight. Possibly before midday. Detective Samson will carry out a frontal assault providing the decoy we need to infiltrate their systems. I have a plan of the building and have marked out entry and exit points, including vantage positions from where you and Stella can strike from within. It will not be easy but from where I stand, we can pull this off. The only challenge is, how do we draw Magnum out?” James asked. “Leave that to me. Is this the only plan we are going with?” Steven asked. “Of course not. We have plans B and daredevil plan C. I hope we won’t have any reason to use them.” James went on to describe the details of the other plans he had in case the first one failed. Steven kept nodding at intervals as James animatedly gave vivid description of infiltration plans. By the time he was done, Steven agreed that the other plans were deadlier and required more gut. He did not make any modifications to the plans and agreed in totality with what James had proposed. Ninety minutes later, he was done with his presentation and the Fortress was quiet again. They were waiting for some sort of order from Steven. “Where are my SilverBallers?” Steven asked. “I thought you’d never ask” Stella replied. She got up from the chair, moving into the electrical room behind them. She reappeared in seconds, brandishing twin nine millimeter silver pistols. They looked polished and clean. Steven got the guns from her, checked the safety and corked them. He felt alive. “I need to visit a shooting range. I think I may be a little bit rusty. Detective, do you mind coming with me?” Steven said. It sounded more of an order than a request. The detective obliged. Not that he had anything else doing. Besides, he yearned for fresh air too. The detective took his gun from his hostler putting it behind his hip. Stepping on the panel, the detective and Steven ascended the fortress and then got out into the grassy plains that surrounded the fortress’ entrance. As they walked away from the Fortress, Steven uncharacteristically came close to the detective and put a hand on his shoulder, holding him tight. They were approaching the road now, where they would take a ride to the outskirts of town. “Don’t look detective. There are three people tailing us. I noticed the grass move immediately we got out of the fortress. I could have attacked but I needed to be sure of how many they were.” Steven said and laughed loud. They were getting closer to the road and their initial fast pace had reduced to a slow stroll. It seemed like they were discussing something that was very amusing. “Do you know where they are exactly?” The detective said silently while he also laughed out loud and slapped Steven on his back. “I do. How good is your aim? Especially your blind spot aim?” “In the 99th percentile” Detective Samson replied. “That will suffice. There is one at my six o’clock, one at my 7 o’clock and the other is at your 3 o’clock. We will turn the bend and when I say move, take out your 3 o’clock. Leave the others to me.” Steven replied touching his wristwatch. They kept moving slowly as they approached the road. The detective who was more alert now could see the movements from the corner of his eyes. He laughed hysterically for no reason and told Steven he was an idiot. They kept taking funny jibes at each other. Getting to the road, both men turned the bend and moved forwards very quickly. In an attempt not to lose visual of Steven and the detective, the three goons had to come out of hiding as they half ran towards the road. “Now.” Steven whispered to the detective, brandishing his twin silverballers in each hand and taking aim. The detective was ready too, his gun in his ever trusted left hand. The men had barely stepped on the asphalt of the road when the bullets were fired. They did not even know what hit them. It happened in a flash. The detective took out one of the men with a clean headshot, sending him falling to the ground. Steven also hit his target, shooting the other two men, one on the eye and the other in the groin. The three men lay on the ground, their blood changing the color of the tarred road. “You missed.” The detective said, mocking Steven. Steven uncorked his guns and put the safety on. He looked at the detective and smiled. “I never miss. Never.” ******************************************************************************** The last floor of The Sanctuary had a long corridor and just two doors. One of the doors was labelled “APO”. It meant Authorized Persons Only. It had no handle, no lock and no control panel to input access codes. It was just a simple mahogany door with a sign written in red ink on a white background. However, only a few people in the sanctuary had the level of clearance to be in that room. The second door was at the other end of the corridor. It was made of steel and quite different from the other door. It was the elevator access to the last floor. It was made of fine steel and it glistening under the burning fluorescence of the light bulbs in the hallway. Sensei Magnum appeared from the elevator that opened sideways, and stepped into the corridor. He walked for a few meters towards the door that had the APO on it. When he was halfway across the corridor, he stopped. The tiles on the ground had changed patterns. Only authorized persons knew the implication of the changed pattern of tiling. From the elevator to the middle of the hallway, the tiles had been laid in a simple regular rectangular pattern. The tiles were large, five inches, and square shaped, big enough to take a foot. However from the middle of the floor till the other door, the tiles were laid in random patterns, creating a lovely design on the floor. Each authorized person had to step on certain tiles to get entry into the room. Sensei Magnum stood still, studying the tiles carefully. After a few seconds, he moved imitating the Knight on a chessboard. He stepped on the first tile in front of him, and then stepped on two more tiles to his right. He paused again. This time he took the first two tiles ahead of him and then the next tile to his left, in an L shape. As he completed the L movement, the door labelled “APO” swooshed open. He walked slowly but confidently towards the door. Immediately he entered, the door closed behind him automatically. The room was wide and spacious. At first glance, it looked nothing more than a conference room. There was a huge table in the middle of the room and ten chairs on either side of the table. There were three people seated already. He made his way directly to the head of the table and pushed back his chair. The others stood up in respect. He sat down and made himself comfortable. The others followed suit. Resting his elbows on the table, he cracked his knuckles. The sound they made reverberated through the room. “Now I would like to know what the emergency is about and it had better be good.” He threatened. Sensei Magnum was looking directly at a young man in his late twenties. The man wore dreadlocks and had horn rimmed glasses on. He was totally beardless. He avoided the Sensei’s gaze but he could feel his Master’s eyed poring through his very soul. The question was thrown open, but he knew that the Sensei was waiting for him to reply. He kept quiet. At least the Sensei did not specifically mention his name. Even though he was a top and very important member of ShadowCorp, he was the least experienced and least qualified in the room. He did not respond. He was the only on sitting on Sensei Magnum’s right side of the conference table. He sat four chairs away from the sensei. The two other agents sat together, one chair separating them from Sensei Magnum. The only female agent in the room decided to reply Sensei Magnum. “Sensei, there has been a few developments in connection to the rebels. We thought it would make a lot of sense to deliberate on the next course of action.” The woman said. She was in her early forties, her voice sounded with authority and power. She did not seem to fear the Sensei. She had deadly eyes. She was never seen by anyone except the Senseis. This made the dreadlock man even more timid. “I did not receive an email from you Colonel Grant. I received an email from Raven. Now Raven, why am I here?” Sensei Magnum said, not taking his eyes off the man with the dreadlocks. The man wanted to speak but he could not. His voice seemed to have a mind of its own. It refused to obey him. He did not want to sound scared even as he knew that he was very scared. “You are Raven, aren’t you?” Sensei Marcus asked him. “Yes I am sir.” “So tell me, why am I here?” The Sensei asked, with a smile on his face now. Raven was relaxed. He could now speak. “On your instructions, we kept a few goons around Shadow Prime’s fortress and kept strict surveillance of the area just in case there was any activity. There has been some activity there. Less than an hour ago, ShadowPrime and another man came out of the fortress and smoked our men. It was a clean, perfectly orchestrated take out; our men did not even know what hit them. The implants in their eye were destroyed by the headshots. I was able to salvage some information and I forwarded it to Colonel Grant, who in turn ordered me to send the encrypted mail to you sir.” Raven spoke hurriedly. “Finally. Some action!” Sensei Magnum said rubbing his palms together. He continued, “Do you have any footage for me to look at?” “Certainly.” Raven replied. He took out a small palm device and placed it on the table. He pressed a button and the lights in the conference room dimmed. He pressed another button and a holographic screen appeared from the device, towering a few feet. The holographic screen displayed the images of Steven and the detective as they walked away from the fortress and laughed. It continued to play the images through the eye of one of the goons. Then they began to run, trying to catch up with tracking Steven, and then all of a sudden the transmission died. The screen went static. “That’s the first headshot I suppose?” Sensei Magnum asked. Raven nodded. Seconds later another image came on. The screen showed the steady image of the blue sky. And then Steven was in view. He bent low, looked into the eyes of the ‘camera’ and said ‘I’m coming for you’ Then the transmission went off again. Raven pressed a button, dispersed the holographic screen and restored the lights. He took his palm device from the table and put it back in his pocket. Sensei Magnum heaved a heavy sigh and lay back in his chair. “General Tyron you have been uncharacteristically quiet. What do you think?” Sensei Magnum asked the only other male in the room. “It is obvious that Steven is stronger and his senses are sharper. He has made it clear that he wants to take down the corporation that made him. I do not doubt his abilities as Shadow Prime. He looks even sharper than he has ever been. It would be very dangerous to underestimate him. If it was up to me, I would send out a SAD team. I know we only use them in the deadliest of circumstances. But that is exactly what this is proving to be. The earlier we strike the better.” The General replied “The Search And Destroy team? What would our rivals think of us? That we are sending our most dangerous and elite team of killers for just Steven, Stella, a rookie Detective and one IT boy? This is laughable! I refuse to be a part of this if that decision will be taken.” Colonel Grant said almost immediately. “Did you watch that clip? Did you see how they took out those goons without breaking a sweat? The most dangerous weapon you can give your enemy is to underestimate him. You forget so soon that it is the Shadow Prime we are talking about!” The General retorted raising his voice. “And you forget so soon that an STK squad was sent to his beach house. What was the result? What if he humiliates the SAD team the same way? I don’t think your idea would work” Colonel Grant countered. “You cannot compare the Shoot To Kill squad with the SAD team. They have different…” The general was saying but Sensei Magnum cut him off. “Enough! I had thought I would get sensible input from the both of you. I have my own agenda but thought I could add one or two things from your input. As it is, you have nothing tangible to contribute so I will continue as planned. I will send the detailed plans to your emails within the hour. Shadow Prime wants to come, let’s prepare a welcome party for him.” Sensei Marcus finished. There was a smile on his face. A wicked knowing sinister grin. ************************************************************************************* Steven searched the pockets of the men they had just shot while the detective stood watch, making sure there no more surprise attacks. Steven found nothing of worth except a level four access card. He went to the other corpse and searched the insides of the jacket the man wore. There was a wallet. He opened it and searched. “We have incoming. Non hostiles. Hurry.” The detective said, keeping his eyes on the road. Steven quickly searched the rest of the man’s pockets. He found a Taser and a few cyanide pills. He pulled the men by the collars into the bush, hiding their bodies from view. “I’m done. Let’s head back.” Steven said. “I thought we were going on a gun slinging adventure?” The detective asked surprised. “Yes detective. We are. Only this time, it’s going to be a real gun fight.” Steven said and began walking back towards the fortress. The detective was lost for words as he watched Steven walk away from him in the opposite direction. Realizing that Steven was actually serious, the detective picked up the pace and ran after him. Together, they went back into the fortress. Stella and James sat opposite each other, separated by a chessboard. The game was far gone as only a few pawns and three generals remained on either side. Stella moved her queen from beside her king, and put it on a black tile. James’ Bishop and Castle were in the line of fire. James thought for a bit. He had less than 50 seconds to counter that move. He contemplated checking her king. Even at that he had two moves at best. He could only check the king once and he was back to square one. He checked the timer. 26 seconds more. He examined his remaining pieces. He didn’t have much to work with. He decided to take the path of least damage. He moved his knight backwards in a very strategic position. If Stella took his castle, the knight would knock out the queen. If Stella took out his Bishop, he would advance to check her king and possibly knock out two more of her generals. He did not hesitate. He move d his knight and pressed the buzzer. “Your move.” James said loudly with sarcasm Stella knew she had to retreat. There was no other option. But, what if she called his bluff? What if she still took his bishop? She looked at the connecting squares. She could not get his knight with the queen. “Furck!” Stella exclaimed. Just then, Steven and the Detective walked in. “Who is furking who?” Steven asked rhetorically. “You are back already? I had the impression that you would be gone a while.” Stella replied looking up at him. She was quite surprised, but relieved too to see him back in one piece. “Yes I am. ShadowCorp stationed a few of their goons to tail me which means they already know the location of this Fortress, although I strongly doubt anyone would be able to penetrate our defenses.” Steven said taking a seat behind James. “That’s a good thing isn’t it? All we have to do is wait them out, right? And when they run out of patience, they will come at us, guns blazing and then we pick them out one after the other like we hunting in duck season. Yippee. And checkmate!” James exclaimed rather too excitedly. Steven did not share in his excitement. His face remained expressionless. He did not speak but rubbed his hand on his chin. He was thinking. Detective Samson walked to the water dispenser and took some water. It was not his call to make. He thrashed the disposable cup and walked back to where the trio gathered. “What do we do? I think James has a point.” Stella spoke. Steven smiled. “Nah. We won’t be sitting around here waiting for the SAD team or the STK squad to come knocking at our door. It will be like smoking a rabbit from its hole. We go with the original plan. We take the fight to them.” Steven said. “Steven, things are different now. You know they will be expecting us this time around, don’t you? The element of surprise was what made the original plan unique.” The detective chipped in. “Well, we would not want to disappoint them now, would we?” Steven replied. Nobody spoke. Steven could tell what they were thinking. He was not going to chicken out now. If any of them developed cold feet he was not going to persuade. If it meant going in all by himself, he was ready. “Who’s with me?” Steven asked scanning the faces of each person. James spoke first, “This is suicide! This is like walking blindfolded into a minefield! Well, you would need some protection. I will provide some cover. I still think this is a stupid plan though.” Steven laughed, patting James on the back. “Thanks bro. Anyone else?” “No way I’m letting you have all the fun. Promise to let me kill more people than you?” The detective said, shaking Steven and griping the palm. Steven nodded and thanked him. There was only one person left now. Stella kept her gaze on the chessboard. She was looking but she was not seeing. This was a suicide mission. She knew that the odds were definitely against them. They were going up against the best of the best in ShadowCorp and how many were they? It did not make sense. A lot was running through her mind. She thought of everything. Memories began to flood her subconscious. A lot had happened from reuniting with her only brother, to almost losing him in death. Twice. Now he wants to kill himself. Stella knew he would not be dissuaded from this decision he had taken. This was it. The moment of truth. It stared her in the face and now she could not admit that she was scared to lose the only person in the world that mattered to her. “Stella, I know how much you like weighing your options and being very careful. You don’t have to come. I would understand.” Steven said, taking her hand and sitting in front of her. He had flung the chessboard to the ground. “They are expecting us, aren’t they?” Stella asked. “Yes, they are.” Steven replied. “Then, let’s not keep them waiting.” Stella said and smiled. ************* Sensei Magnum was standing in his office looking at several large screens on the wall. They were surveillance images in and around the Sanctuary. He clasped his hands behind him as he scrutinized the dots on the mapped imagery on display. Just then there was a knock on his office door. He turned. “Come on in Colonel Grant. Door is open.” The Sensei said. The Colonel entered the office and took a seat opposite the Sensei. She was wearing a grey skirt suit and her hair was in a ponytail. She looked younger than her age. The Sensei had thought about making her more than just a lieutenant. He dismissed the thought. “The perimeter in and around the sanctuary is secure. Dispatched agents to necessary quarters, and the STK squad is on standby. We have the whole grid under scrutiny and Raven is currently on top of all rooting and routing protocols of our network infrastructure. If a fly gets within an inch of the perimeter, it’s dead.” The Colonel said. “Sweet. I hope you did not make too much of a fuss about this? I want things to look normal but tighter. I don’t want there to be two agents where there used to be one. Just replace agents with capable ones and make sure that there are no loop holes.” The Sensei replied. “That is exactly what I have done sir. The best agents are on duty and will not be compromised.” The Colonel said. “Good. Now, we wait.” ************** Two cars moved side by side on the freeway. The Sanctuary was eight minutes away. Stella and James were in one of the cars. The Detective and Steven were in the other. Steven put a hand in his left ear. There was a tiny brown transmitter there. “Are we good for takeoff?” Steven asked. “Yes we are. Jamming signals in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 . . .” James said. As he finished, the connection went dead. This was because the Sanctuary would be able to pick up foreign bandwidths that did not originate from their networks and then trace the connection. James would create a mock of the Sanctuary’s network protocols and sync them to his hybrid router. That way there would be no detection of interference. But now, they had to get into the Sanctuary first. After driving for three minutes, the two cars separated. “Where are they going?” James asked Stella. “To create a diversion so we can enter through the back.” Stella replied with a stern face. James wanted to ask another question but decided against it. Stella was in a killer mood. He did not want to be her first victim. Stella parked fifty meters away from the sanctuary, hiding the car inside an abandoned gas station. She got out of the car with James not far behind her, as they walked carefully towards the back of the sanctuary. The Sanctuary was not such an intimidating sight. It was just a three story building, painted in white. It could pass for a residential home. It was the caliber of people inside the Sanctuary, the secret entrances and exits and the ammunitions that it housed. Stella didn’t let that bother her. She had resolved to take this mission one step at a time. And at the moment her first task was to get James into the Sanctuary without being noticed. She had walked to a safe enough distance and was now looking at the back of the Sanctuary. There were two guards on duty. Stella checked her wrist watch. 5:21pm. “Come on Steven.” She whispered. ****** Steven stepped on the brakes and brought the car to a screeching halt. The car stopped about ten yards in front of the Sanctuary’s gates. Smoke and the smell of burning rubber filled the air. Neither Steven nor Detective Samson got out of the car. The car stayed motionless, the windows wound up. The way the car stayed there seemed suspicious. The guard at the gate wanted to call in back up, but realized it could just have been a stray civilian. He decided to check it out. The guard walked to the car and knocked on the window. There was no response. He knocked again, harder this time. Still no reply. Then he bent low to view who was in the driver seat of the car. As he bent, Steven pushed the door with all the might he had. The door hit the guard on the knee and face simultaneously as he yelped in pain. Getting out as fast as lightning, Steven went behind the guard and grabbed his neck, choking him. The guard stretched his arm, trying to reach for his gun that was in a holster on his hip. The more he stretched, the more Steven squeezed. The guard’s finger was now on the handle of the gun. If he held on a bit longer he would reach the gun, pull it out and fire. Steven squeezed harder. The guard had now gripped the gun and was about pulling it out when there was a gunshot. Steven looked up to see the detective standing by the passenger side of the car, holding a semi-automatic silenced pistol. He had shot the guard’s hand away from the gun. The bullet barely grazed the guard’s skin, but it served its purpose. It stopped the guard from pulling the gun. In one swift move, Steven twisted his arms and snapped the guard’s neck. There was a crack sound and the guard went limp. Steven picked up the transmitter from the guard’s ear and strapped it in his. The detective joined him as they moved quietly and cautiously, approaching the main gate. As they moved, the device in Steven’s ear crackled to life. “Hey Tim. Everything alright with you over there? Tim? Stop these pranks. Okay then, you asked for it.” a voice said. Steven listened intently but did not reply. As he got to the gate he heard footsteps coming from the back of the building. He braced himself. He signaled to the detective that they had incoming. The detective nodded at Steven as they understood each other. Before the guard got to them, Steven quickly made himself visible, raising his hands in the air. “Please I am unarmed.” Steven screamed. As the guard lowered his aim, the detective popped out from behind Steven. “But I am not unarmed. Hands where I can see them?” The detective commanded. The guard surrendered his gun and transmitter as they hit him on the head, rendering him unconscious. They tied his hands and dumped him near his friend, Tim. There was just one guard left. Steven and the detective were still contemplating how to take down the last guard when they heard a loud thud on the ground. Upon checking it out, they saw that the guard they were thinking about taking out was lifeless on the floor. Steven looked around carefully and saw his sister in the distance. He smiled and nodded. She was good to go. Now all they had to do was to wait. ******* Stella walked quickly but cautiously till she got to the back of the Sanctuary. James was scared but he did his best to keep up with her. They got to the fence and Stella waited a few seconds to be sure there was no one watching. “Plier” Stella commanded. From the sling bag James was carrying, he took out a small plier and handed it to her. Stella took six steps back away from the fence, and then ran at the fence. She climbed the fence and took the plier from in between her lips where she had placed it. The fence had an electrical wiring to prevent intruders from gaining entry. She cut the electric wiring, creating enough room for her to scale the fence. “Bag” She called out to James. James handed the bag to her and she wore it on her neck. “Now, jump. I’ll help lift you. And be smart about it.” Stella ordered. Left to her James should not be a part of the operation. However he was needed to be able to disable the alarm systems of the Sanctuary and to destroy the database that ShadowCorp had built over the years. James could only do it from within the Sanctuary. It was not going to be easy but they had to do it. James moved back a few steps like Stella had done, and ran towards the fence. He tried to catch the top of the fence but his grip was weak. He was about falling off the fence when Stella caught his arm. She pulled him up with one arm until he held the fence. He pulled himself up and sat on the fence. “Thank you.” James said. Stella did not reply. She scanned the view of the sanctuary from where she sat. Everything seemed calm. “Do you still remember how to get to the operations room?” Stella asked. “Perfectly.” James replied. “Good. Let’s move. Try and keep up.” Stella finished. She took out a .23 colt and inserted the silencer. She got off the fence, landing softly inside the Sanctuary. She walked very fast, yet cautiously. The back door was just a few meters away. She glanced back and saw that James was not as close to her as she wanted. She gave him a very stern look and he hurried forwards. They were at the door now. Stella opened the door very carefully leaving just enough room for her eyes to view what was on the other side. There was a guard patrolling the corridor. He had a small pistol tucked away in a holster on his hip. The guard was heavily built and looked menacing. Stella waited and counted. The guard walked back to the door, and then walked to the far end of the corridor. Eleven seconds. That was more than enough time for her to move. “Wait here.” Stella whispered. The guard had begun walking away from the door when Stella quietly opened the door and tip toed into the corridor. She mimicked his footsteps and continued to trace him. She was close to him now. He was going to turn any moment. Stella clenched her fists and anticipated his movement. As he turned, she gave a straight right hand jab to the side of his face. Although the punch caught him by surprise, he didn’t seem the least shaken by the punch. Recovering quickly, he tried to left hook Stella but she blocked with her right hand and rained punches to his stomach below his rib cage, finishing it off with a left hook of her own. The guard fell backwards, landing on the ground. The guard moved slowly, his back on the ground trying to get some space between himself and Stella. Stella watched him. He put his hand on his hip, attempting to draw his gun. Stella shook her head, as a warning that he should not attempt it. He kept at it, removing the gun from its holster. Before he could aim, Stella took out her gun from behind her hip and shot him in the head. She waved at the door where James had been peeping, signaling for him to enter. James was the same height as the guard although less built. Stella took off the guard’s clothes and asked James to wear them. He did not even think about objecting. He just nodded and obeyed. Together they moved cautiously, avoiding the lights and crowded areas. The staircase had been cordoned off, making the elevator the only way to access the first floor where the Network Operations room was. Now, the problem they faced was that the elevators had surveillance cameras. This meant that only James could go into the elevator since he was already disguised as a guard. What happened of James was found out? What happened if he encountered some sort of hindrance? He had no knowledge of combat. The plan was going to fail. Stella was thinking. “I can do this, Stella.” James said, encouraging Stella. “If you get caught, we are all as good as dead. I can’t let you do this.” Stella replied. “Trust me.” James persisted. “I have a better idea.” Stella said and smiled. Stella and James got into the elevator and he pressed the button to take them to the first floor. In the elevator, James covered his face with the cap and held Stella as though she was a hostage. Her hands were behind her back and her head was facing the ground. The surveillance in the operations room saw them, but could not make out their faces. A voice spoke through the speakers in the elevator. “This is surveillance to Elevator 3. What is your status and who are you bringing in?” James did not utter a word. He did not know how they communicated nor did he know if his voice would sell him out. He kept quiet. The voice repeated again. The elevator chimed, signaling that they had gotten to the first floor. Stella knew that they would have company once the elevator door opened. As the door opened, there were four guards waiting for them and armed with pistols. Two stood in front, guns aimed while the other two stood behind, with their hands across their chests. Stella appraised the situation. She could not take the four of them at once. But she had to. She considered her options. All these happened in a split second. She whispered to James. “Duck” James got out of the elevator with Stella and went flat on the ground as she took out her gun. The guards reacted trying to shoot at her but they were not quick enough. Stella was fast. Very. She took out the two guards who had their guns aimed at her in single clean headshots. The remaining two guards began to pull their guns from the holsters. Rolling on the floor, Stella aimed at the guards, shooting one on the neck and the other in the arm. The last guard had managed to let a bullet fly from his gun. It hit the wall. Stella hurriedly got up from the ground and pointed her gun at the guard who had attempted to shoot. His arm was bleeding and he grabbed it with his other arm. She waved her gun at him, commanding him to move sideways. He obeyed. Stella picked up a transmitter from one of the dead guards and wore it. As if right on cue, a voice spoke. “Surveillance to first floor, is everything okay? I could have sworn I heard gunshots.” Stella aimed the gun at the guard’s head. “Reply him. Tell him everything is okay. Now!” The guard pressed his hand against his ear. “First floor to surveillance, everything is under control. No issues worth reporting.” “Copy that. Over and out.” James got up from his position and led the way to the operations room. Stella held the guard by the neck and followed James, the nozzle of her gun resting on the back of the guard’s skull. As James opened the door to the Operations Room, the man running Surveillance jerked from his chair, shocked. “Who the hell . . .” The man started to say but stopped when he saw Stella and the guard. “Don’t do anything stupid. Just cooperate with us and no harm will come to you.” Stella warned. “Okay…Oh, okay…” The man stammered. In an attempt to be smart, the man running surveillance quickly turned and attempted to press a button to his right. Stella saw him. She shot him on the back, the bullet piercing his heart and exiting through his chest. He fell on the wide floor of the operations room, eyes open, and very dead. “I told you not to do anything stupid.” Stella said, and turned to the guard they currently held captive. “Borrow a page from that, will you?” The guard simply nodded. James dropped his sling bag on the table inside the Operations room and brought out a small tablet. He connected the tablet to one of the ports in the switch and began to work. He bypassed firewalls, mimicked codes and isolated the Trojan that wanted to terminate his connection. Six minutes later, James spoke. “I have access of all surveillance and I am remotely monitoring all radio signals and network comms. We can use our communication without fear of being eavesdropped upon. ” Stella simply nodded and pressed her hand to her other ear, where the original transmitter was. “Steven, we are in.” ********** Sensei Magnum paced in his large office. Something did not smell right. His instincts told him that something was going on but he just could not place what it was. He was very restless. He had sent General Tyron on an assignment far north. He was the one he could count on in times like this. Colonel Grant was a very capable woman but she was too prejudiced. She was always ruled by what people thought about her actions. He pressed a button on his table. “I need the Colonel.” Minutes later, Colonel Grant walked in. “You called Sensei?” She asked. “Yes I did. I have this feeling that something is not right. Has any agent reported to you yet?” The Sensei asked “Negative. Maybe Steven and his friends finally came to their senses and have decided to chicken out.” She answered. “Maybe, but very unlikely. Call up the cameras watching the exterior of the building.” The Sensei commanded. The cameras watching the exterior of the sanctuary was called up and there was an image of a car parked carelessly in front of the gate. “What is that car doing there?” Sensei Magnum asked “I’m checking it out.” The Colonel replied. She pressed a hand to her ear and spoke. “Tim, what’s that car doing there? Tim? Are you there?” The Sensei continued to gaze at the wide screen. As he continued to look, his eyes caught something. “Colonel, zoom the tires of that car.” The Colonel did as commanded. By the side of the tires were two boots on a pair of legs. He smiled. “They are already in the building. Commence backup and offsite transfer of all Corporation files. Immediately.” “Yes Sir.” The Colonel replied as she made her way out of his office. “And Grant?” Sensei Marcus called after her. She turned. “Activate the Shoot To Kill squad.” ********* Steven and the detective walked into the compound. They walked steadily until they got to a double door. The detective tried to pull the door open. It didn’t budge. “James, door is locked. Wave your magic wand.” Steven said. “The protocols do not accept a remote override. It seems to require some sort of access card to open from outside. Do you have any?” James replied. Steven remembered that he had taken an access card from one of the guards earlier. He took it out and slotted it in the card hole. The red light on the door handle turned green and the door opened inwards. No sooner had they stepped into the compound, that the door slammed shut behind them. Seconds later the lights inside the Sanctuary went off. They were in pitch darkness. “Was that supposed to happen?” The detective asked. “They know we are here. This can only mean one thing. The STK squad has been activated. Be very alert Detective, these men are highly trained and are designed to work in the harshest of conditions. Darkness is one of their strong advantages. Keep your back to me.” Steven commanded. “What next Steven?” Stella asked “We wait.” Steven replied. Stella could see James working frantically to restore illumination. The light from his tablets and the surrounding screens were enough to create visibility in the Operations Room. “Can you restore the lights?” Stella asked James. “I can. But we have bigger issues here. Raven is trying to knock me off the sanctuary’s network. He keeps changing the IP address of the major router and readdressing the subnets. He is also performing an offsite back up and transfer of the Corporation’s database. I can’t reach him. I am hanging on by my claws. If I lose sight of him, we would be picked out like blood in snow.” James replied. “Is Raven controlling the connection remotely?” Stella asked. “I don’t think so. He needs direct access to be able to pull the stunts he is currently doing. If I were him, I would be on the last floor. With most tall buildings, the radio from the mast drops off on the roof and is patched into a TC Rack on the last floor. That’s where the connection is strongest.” James replied. “Nomatter what you do, do not lose sight of him. I will be back.” Stella said. She grabbed the guard who was bleeding less now and made to leave the Operations Room. “Are you leaving me here all by myself?” James asked, fear written all over his face. “I am going to buy us a little more time. If I am lucky, I will stop Raven. Don’t go cold turkey on me. Please.” Stella finished as she shoved the guard in front of her, exiting the room. “What are you doing sis?” Steven asked. “What I ought to do. Be careful” Stella replied. She took off the transmitter from her ear and kept it in her back jean pocket. “Work with your ears detective. They will come at you like ghosts. Shoot as your instincts direct you.” Steven said. He had barely finished talking when he saw an STK agent coming from the distance. The distinctive blinking red led on the agent’s infra-red mask had given him away. He pulled out his twin silverballers and aimed at the red led. The gun was silenced so it made no noise. The agent fell and rolled downwards. It was a staircase. “Got one. Follow me.” Steven commanded. As they hurried towards the agent that Steven had shot, bullets were fired. “Arrggghh” The detective groaned. He had been hit. The bullet had caught him in the leg. It was a flesh wound but he was bleeding profusely. Steven forced him flat on the floor. “How bad is it?” He asked. “I can manage. Go on. I’ll meet you.” The detective said Steven looked at him for a few seconds. The detective was right. Only one of them was fit enough. If he insisted on carrying the detective, they both would be shot dead. “Hang in there buddy.” Steven said. Lying flat on the ground, Steven crawled towards the dead agent. He needed to get the infra-red mask that the agent had on. In seconds, five infra-red masks filled the room. They had heard the gun shot and were scanning the area, looking for the targets. One of them saw the stationery infra-red light and knew that an agent was down. He began to walk slowly towards the infra-red light. He was getting close to Steven. Steven sensed the agent approaching. The detective saw it too. “I’m sorry Steven.” The detective said. Picking his gun, he fired at the agent approaching Steven, drawing attention to himself. He missed by a few inches, and then shot again. This time the bullet caught the agent on the arm. The agent forgot about the infra-red light he was going for earlier and turned his attention to the direction of the gunshot. So did the remaining four members of the STK squad. It was enough diversion for Steven, as he hurriedly rushed towards the dead agent and picked his infra-red mask. At the same time, the STK agents had closed in on the detective. “Drop your weapon” one of the agents said to the detective. Detective Samson smiled. He was sitting, resting his huge frame by the wall, with one hand on his bleeding leg. He would rather die than go with the STK agents. He raised his gun. The agents opened fire on the detective. Bullets rained on him as the agents shot at him from close range. Steven was livid with anger. “Noooooo!!!” He screamed, unable to contain his emotions. With his twin silverballers, he ran towards the agents, shooting at the same time. He got three agents in precise headshots. They fell at once just as his bullets finished. The remaining agents ducked and tried to move away from the line of fire. They shot back at Steven, but he was now hidden behind a wall. Their bullets whizzed past him, some of them hitting the wall. There were just two agents. The shooting stopped. They were trying to create a perimeter around him and take him out. He heard the sounds of magazines being changed. They were reloading. That was his chance to strike. He moved out of where he was hiding and took out two combat knives from his boots. He rolled on the floor and flung the knives at the agents, one directly in front of him and the other a few yards to his left. The agents were slow to react. As they attempted to lift their guns to shoot, the knives hit their target. One in the forehead and the other on the neck. Blood gushed as the agent tried to stop the fountain of blood that now flowed from the knife wound. He fell whilst still struggling with the knife and the fountain. Seconds later he stopped moving. Steven hurried to where the detective lay, crouching beside him. He lifted the detective putting his head in his arm. His clothes were soaked in blood and he was barely alive. “Samson. Hey buddy. I am right here. We are going to make it. Don’t close your eyes. Come on damn it!” Steven exclaimed. In between gasps, the detective struggled to be coherent. “My. . . wife . . my . . .my . . . children . . . safe . . . pls . . .keep” He struggled. And then all was still. The detective stopped breathing. Steven could not contain his emotions. A tear dropped from his eye. He moved his hand over the detective’s face closing his eyes. “Your death will not be in vain. I promise you.” Steven said. He dropped the lifeless body and put a hand in his ear. “Stella, are you there?” There was no reply. Picking the detective’s gun, he moved upstairs. ****** Stella forced the guard to give up the location of the room where Raven would be holed up. He was hesitant initially but finally complied after Stella had threatened to shoot his balls. Taking the access card from the guard she opened the door to the room, using the guard as a human shield. She had barely stepped into the room when shots were fired at her. She held the guard up and ducked behind him. He took all the bullets as Stella tried to see who was shooting at her. There were two agents, one on her left and the other on her right. Still using the already dead guard as cover she moved a few yards to her left to get a clear shot. Satisfied with her position, she waited. Then the shooting stopped. That was exactly what she was waiting for. She flung the dead guard at the man on her left, while immediately taking out her gun from her hip. She shot at the other man on her right, catching him in the eye. He fell immediately. Before the other man could recover, Stella shot him on the knee. He tried to pick his gun which had fallen from his hand. Stella finished him with two shots to the chest. “Well, well, if it’s not the prodigal daughter.” The Colonel said. The Colonel was standing directly in front of a very young man. Stella did not need to be told that was Raven. He typed away frantically on a small keyboard attached to a wide plasma screen on the wall. “How do you want us to do this Colonel Grant? I say we see who has got better skills” Stella said, throwing her gun sideways. The Colonel contemplated for a minute. Getting into physical combat with Stella would actually buy them more time. And when Raven gave the signal she would finish her off. She agreed. “Well, let’s see if you have improved from the scrawny little girl I trained back at the academy.” She replied, throwing her gun sideways too. As the Colonel prepared to lunge forwards, Stella bent low, pulled a knife from behind her hip and flung it at her. The Colonel was very quick to see the move as she swerved sideways just in time to escape the knife. Stella anticipated that move. She actually had two knives. No sooner had the Colonel dodged the knife that Stella flung the second. The Colonel did not expect that. The knife caught her in the belly. She fell to her knees, clutching her stomach. The blood came out in spurts. She bled from her mouth. Stella walked to her. “I have improved from the scrawny little girl you trained, Colonel.” She left her to bleed to death. Turning to the young lad, she spoke. “Raven, time’s up. There’s no one left to protect you. Just give up and I promise I won’t hurt you.” Stella said. He obeyed and got away from the computer. Stella took out the transmitter from the back pocket she had kept it and inserted it in her ear. “James how are we doing?” “What magic did you pull? I am back online. Lights have been restored, I have disrupted the offline backup and I am currently injecting the virus into ShadowCorp’s database.” Stella smiled. She waved Raven ahead of her as they exited the room together. They went into the Operations Room where Stella waited until James finished all he was doing. “Steven, come in. Where are you? Mission accomplished.” Stella spoke into the transmitter. Steven was standing in Sensei Magnum’s office. The office was empty. The Sensei had bailed. “Mission not accomplished sister. Sensei Magnum just bailed. The detective is dead. He has to pay. I am coming to you.” Steven finished and walked out of the office. He knew that the Sensei was out of his reach for now. However he had made a promise to a dying man. He had promised to get the Corporation and to avenge his death. No matter how long it took, Sensei Magnum would pay. He had to. Steven had made a promise to the detective. Even if it was the last thing he would do, someday somehow he would kill Sensei Magnum. THE END.
Posted on: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 06:54:17 +0000
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