The Shift: Book II of the Wildfire Saga Read online

"Does the security system tell you if anyone's been in the building since you were here last?" asked Charlie.

  “I—I don’t know.”

  “I hope not,” said Mike as he stepped into the entrance. "I’d hate to have to kill anybody else today." He disappeared down the hallway.

  "How we look, Swede?" asked Cooper.

  "All clear. Moving."

  Cooper turned back to Boatner. "All right Doc, take Charlie and Mike down to your lab. I'll wait here for Swede and make sure the building is secure."

  He watched the virologist move down the hallway, muttering to himself as he collected Mike and Charlie on the way to the lab entrance. Cooper switched screens on his HUD and watched through Charlie's helmet-cam as Boatner held his badge to the janitor’s closet sign. As Cooper was about to ask what the hell he was doing, he was surprised to see the door open with a quiet hiss. The soft glow of LED lights illuminated the interior of the small supply closet.

  “Can you leave your badge outside the door in case the others need it?” asked Charlie.

  Down the street, the bright headlights of another car appeared like stars in Cooper's eyes. "Swede! We got company—double-time it!" He brought his rifle up and trained it on the vehicle down the street. Another German patrol.

  Cooper switched his display back to night vision in time to see Swede race around the corner of the building and approached the front door.

  “Civvies?”

  "It's the Germans. Get your ass in here!”

  It seemed to take forever, but Swede finally made his way to the front door. The German vehicle had not accelerated. Cooper shoved Swede inside and quickly shut the door. The two of them crouched below the narrow window and kept their backs to the wall. Cooper switched back to squad-level comms.

  "Heads up, Striker. We got company. I got eyes on a German patrol out on the street just as Swede entered the building. I don't know if they saw him or not—we’re laying low up front."

  "Copy that," said Charlie. "We just entered the lab. There’s an elevator inside the janitor’s closet. Left the access door open for you."

  "Ask the good Doctor if there's another exit." Lights flashed through the window above them. "I think the Germans are gonna try to check this building out. We better have a backup plan." Cooper tapped Swede on the shoulder and motioned down the hallway. Swede nodded, his black helmet reflecting the flashlight from outside. He began to crawl toward the end of the long hallway, staying underneath the beam of light that flashed through the main window.

  Cooper was never as thankful for ugly government architecture as he was just then. The narrow vertical window to the right of the front door would make it difficult for anyone to see inside from the street. If they moved within reach of the door, they would easily be able to see inside.

  “Swede keep moving. I think the Germans are still in their vehicle. I’m right behind you.”

  “Don’t gotta tell me twice…”

  Cooper scrambled to follow Swede, keeping an eye on the beam of light as it moved around down the hallway. He noticed that the light only moved from side to side — indicative of a vehicle mounted light. Someone was merely scanning the outside of the building.

  Then he heard the muffled sound of a car door slam shut.

  Shit.

  "Move it Swede! Jerry just got out of his vehicle." He got to his feet and sprinted the last ten yards. His boots slapping on the linoleum floor created an echo that reverberated down the hallway. Swede reached the janitor’s closet and ducked inside.

  Cooper risked one last glance back toward the main door as he threw his body into the janitor’s closet. For a split second he saw the silhouette of somebody as they passed in front of that narrow window by the door.

  Swede slammed the door to the janitor’s closet and Cooper hoped that he was fast enough to block the light from the access panel from bleeding out into the hallway.

  "Dr. Boatner says there’s an emergency exit,” reported Charlie from somewhere below them. “Sounds like a tunnel that leads up out of the lab and comes out at street level behind the building. He says he’s never used it, though. Trying to find it now."

  Cooper cursed under his breath as he closed the inner access hatch and activated the small elevator. It looked to be designed for no more than two or three people. Typical government contracting. No one had taken into account that at some point in the future, the scientists working in the lab might need to bring gear down or up as the case may be. Certainly no one had planned on fully armed operators trying to squeeze bodies and weapons into the confined space.

  The stark white paneled walls of the elevator were lit by blue strips of LED lights that ran in between the metal panels, giving the entire elevator the impression of a tiny, glowing, futuristic prison. There was no indication that they were passing through sub levels, no indication of depth at all. Comms went dead the moment it started to move. Cooper could talk to Swede, but no one else.

  At last the elevator shuddered—which surprised the hell out of Cooper—and the door opened with a hiss. Cooper and Swede stepped out into a brightly lit, technology-filled, state-of-the-art laboratory.

  “How’s the air filtration in this joint?” asked Cooper.

  “The best money can buy,” replied Boatner with a smile. “You’ll be quite safe removing your helmets if you’d like. I assure you, I am not infected.”

  “How can you be sure?” asked Charlie. He stood in the aisle behind Boatner, his rifle hanging casually from a combat sling.

  “I helped develop the vaccine for the Great Pandemic, young man. I have Mr. Huntley’s magical antibodies in my blood.” He shrugged before he leaned over a computer and began typing. “I don’t have near the level of immunity he does to most diseases, but to anything related to the influenza virus, I may as well be invisible.” He looked up and smiled. “I like to think of it as a hazardous duty bonus…”

  “So if you guys could work some mojo on you to make you immune back then, why can’t you do the same for everyone?” asked Swede.

  Boatner hesitated, as if considering how much to say. “It’s complicated. Let’s just say that my body took to the antibodies in Mr. Huntley’s blood extremely well.” He shrugged. “No matter what we tried, we couldn’t replicate the process in others.”

  “So you’re one of a kind—like Huntley?” asked Swede.

  “There’s a lot more science to it, but…basically, yes. I can no more be a carrier of the virus than I can be infected by it.”

  Swede grunted as he moved to the rear of the lab. “Figures.”

  “You’re quite safe around me,” Boatner said to Swede’s back, like an afterthought.

  “Good enough for me,” Cooper replied. He switched off his HUD and powered down his suit’s systems before unlocking the helmet from around his neck collar.

  “Damn, man—gutsy,” muttered Charlie. “I thought Brenda told us—”

  “I heard what she said,” replied Cooper. “But I’m sweatin’’ like a pig in here…these things weren’t designed for urban combat missions.” He unhinged the helmet and removed it slowly so as not to tangle or snap any of the delicate wires from the camera and speakers. He took a breath of clean, well-filtered air and felt the sweat begin to evaporate from his neck. He sighed. “God, that’s better. Take ‘em off if you want, boys.”

  “Amen,” said Mike. His transmission went to static as he began to remove his own helmet.

  “I’m good,” said Swede.

  “Me too,” replied Charlie. He shook his head. “I’ll deal with the sweat.”

  “Suit yourself.” Cooper put his helmet down on a workstation and glanced around the lab. He whistled. “Doc, you must have some serious backers in Washington.” The amount of taxpayer money spent on the lab was stunning. Computer screens and workstations were organized in neat rows and every wall was plastered with giant display screens and interactive smart boards.

  Boatner chuckled as he moved into a side room and turned on the lights.r />
  Cooper continued his visual inspection of the lab and saw security cameras in the four corners of the room. In the center of the lab was a large digital conference table with a number of chairs around it. On the left-hand wall there were three separate rooms, two of which had biohazard symbols on security hatches that looked like they belonged on the space station.

  Space station…I wonder how those guys are handling all this shit up in orbit? Gotta be the safest place in the world right now.

  Cooper strolled past the rows of humming computers and saw the third door had a sign on it that indicated it was Boatner’s office. He entered and found Boatner huddled over a computer station along the far wall. Charlie was in the far corner removing panels from the wall and cursing. Cooper glanced and saw that Mike was near Charlie, sans helmet. Mike put a hand to his mouth and coughed quietly. Charlie froze and turned his helmeted head to look at Mike. When he looked up and caught Cooper's eye, Mike’s face looked flushed.

  Warning bells began to jingle in Cooper's head and he heard Brenda's voice echo through his mind from her briefing presentation back at Denver: “If individuals or—God forbid—entire units under your command show signs of infection, you must isolate them immediately.”

  "You good, Dr. Boatner?" asked Cooper as he placed a hand on the virologist’s shoulder.

  The older man glanced over his shoulder and grunted before returning to his work. "I'm copying our latest findings from the secured mainframe onto this portable hard drive as well as this memory stick. This research cannot fall into the hands of our enemies, but it will be next to useless if I can’t bring it back to Denver."

  Cooper paused. "Hey, I thought you were working on a cure? You said it was just research…"

  Boatner sighed and stood to stretch his back. He spoke slowly, as if he were lecturing a class of dimwitted freshmen. "Because, if our enemies have the information on how to cure this disease, they can use it as a weapon on someone else.” He tapped the portable solid state drive. “And this information will tell them how to make a cure—if they’re smart enough to figure it out.”

  A racking cough from the other side of the room caused everyone to stop what they were doing. Cooper looked up and saw Mike leaning against the wall with a fist over his mouth. His eyes were round as golf balls as he looked around the room. Cooper had never seen fear cross Mike’s face before.

  “Beaver, I need you over in that corner there, please. I need a word."

  Cooper never took his eyes off Mike, who nodded and slowly made his unsteady way down the length of the wall toward the far corner. Cooper urged Boatner to continue then moved to follow when Mike suddenly dropped his rifle and had to use both hands to keep himself from collapsing to the floor. That was all the confirmation Cooper needed. He sprinted to Mike and caught the SEAL just as he collapsed to his knees in the corner.

  "Whoa there, buddy," said Cooper as he gently lowered his friend to the ground. Even through his HAHO suit and gloves, Cooper could feel the heat emanating from Mike's body.

  "Does he have a fever?" called out Boatner.

  "God dammit…" said Mike through gritted teeth.

  Cooper could see the sweat roll off Mike's face. He gripped his hand and felt Mike's fingers tremble slightly. Cooper looked down the length of the wall to Charlie, knee deep in an access panel. Charlie gave a tiny shake of his head, the black visor a swirl of reflected light. Cooper nodded. Charlie threw the panel to the floor and began tearing through wires as he tunneled into the wall.

  "Swede," grunted Charlie. "Come lend me a hand back here. I think were probably gonna have to get going faster than we think."

  “On my way.”

  "Doc, how much time do you need?" shouted Cooper.

  Boatner shuffled out of the office carrying the portable drive encased in armor. He slipped the memory stick into one of his lab coat pockets and disappeared through the door.

  "I'm all done,” he called from deep in the lab a moment later. “I just established a secure uplink with General Daniels at the Army's Molecular Biology Lab. I don't know how long the satellite link is going to last—it's the first one I've seen since all this started. But we have to at least try to upload the data. The faster they get it, the faster we can start on a cure."

  Cooper frowned. "General Albert Daniels? He's in Denver."

  "I know," said Boatner. He sounded irritated that he had to explain his actions. "One of the last communications I received from him indicated he and his team had joined the Speaker of the House. They're setting up the new government out there—"

  "Yeah, I know that, that's where we came from," replied Cooper.

  "And I assume that's where we’re going…" said Boatner. He appeared in the office doorway and frowned at Mike. "I understand they have a top-notch medical facility there. Albert tried to get me to do my research from there a few months ago. Should've taken him up on his offer.” He sighed. “At any rate, we need to get your friend there as fast as possible. He doesn’t have much time."

  Mike groaned on the ground and clutched at Cooper's arm.

  "Anybody ever say you have a shitty bedside manner?" growled Cooper. He looked down at Mike. "Hang in there, brother, we’re gonna get you out of here."

  "I suppose I don't need to tell you, that you should probably isolate him from the rest of us…" Boatner said in a quiet voice. “Well, at least from your men.”

  “Really? How do you propose we do that? You got any containment suits down here?"

  "Found the tunnel, Coop! You guys ready? Let’s get the hell out of here…" said Charlie's voice.

  Cooper looked down the wall in time to see Swede emerge from a hole where the access panel Charlie had removed had been. He stood and brushed drywall dust from his shoulders.

  "We’re good to go, man. Once you get through the wall here, it opens up and we can stand. Not a very big tunnel, but it's enough that I can stand. Goes about 100 feet, then there's a sewer access ladder heading up to the surface."

  Charlie emerged behind Swede and stood, covered in cobwebs and white dust. "We ready?" He wiped the ballistic visor on his helmet and looked around.

  "Go on," grunted Mike, his jaw clenched tight. "Leave me and get the hell out of here…"

  "You know I can't do that," said Cooper quietly.

  "If you don't," Mike hissed, "you'll all get sick and die, like me."

  "Shut the hell up. Nobody's dying on my watch." Cooper turned to look over his shoulder and saw that the virologist had returned to his workstation. Charlie stood over his shoulder.

  "What the hell are you doing?" asked Charlie.

  "I'm uploading the data—"

  "Uploading? We don't have time for this. We have to get out of here.”

  A red light lit up on the far wall above the elevator entrance and began to flash. A soft beeping sound echoed through the lab. The lights dimmed. Cooper stood and brought his submachine gun to his shoulder, covering the elevator. For a split second, he missed the automatic targeting reticle projected by his helmet’s HUD. However, the greater visibility gained by going helmet-less more than made up for that little tech-treat. "Doc, what the hell's going on?"

  Boatner froze in the middle of the room. He tapped a few keys on the nearest computer and the large wall screen opposite him came to life showing the image of five, heavily-armed German soldiers walking down the main hallway up in the CPS building. They checked every door they passed and shined flashlights through every window. They were working their way inexorably toward the janitor’s closet.

  “We’re running out of time…” warned Charlie.

  "Okay, that settles it. Doc, get your shit moving or shut it down. Now. We don't have time to wait any longer." Cooper slung his rifle behind his back and bent to pull Mike to his feet.

  "The files aren't done—" Boatner protested as he pointed to the computer screen.

  "Times up,” growled Charlie. “The Germans are gonna find—"

  Charlie turned to look at Cooper as the
y heard the elevator begin its climb up toward the waiting Germans. "We’re definitely outta time, now.”

  "Doc, how long do you need?" asked Cooper.

  Boatner turned from Charlie to face Cooper. "Just a few more minutes—it's almost done. I don't know if we’ll have another chance at this. If something happens to us before we reach Denver——"

  Cooper glanced at the wall monitor and saw the Germans already heading into the elevator. “They’re going to be here any second…”

  “We can’t let them take this facility! There’s too much sensitive information stored in here—” moaned Boatner.

  Swede," said Cooper, never taking his eyes off the screen. "Get your ass down that tunnel and secure the exfil point. I don't want any surprises."

  "Hooyah.”

  "Dr. Boatner, gather whatever you need to take with you and head down that escape tunnel.”

  "What are you going to do?"

  “Now!” Cooper barked. He turned Boatner around and pushed him a little harder than he had meant toward the office. He shot a glance at the wall monitor. It showed an empty hallway.

  Cooper made his decision and turned back Charlie. "Semtex!"

  “Finally…” Charlie swung one of his hip bags around and pulled out a block of gray, plastic explosive. He tossed it to Cooper and pulled out another.

  "I want a delayed charge, 30 second fuse. Set yours over by the door—I’ll set mine over here by the main computer station. Hopefully that'll be enough to take this room out."

  "Roger that."

  As Cooper worked to quickly assemble the charge, he shot a glance at the elevator. The door would open any second, now, he was sure of it.

  "All set!" called out Charlie. He had already lifted Mike to his feet and was moving to the emergency exit tunnel.

  Cooper slapped his charge in place and pinned it. Damn, I'm getting old and slow…

  He finished setting his charge. “I'm right behind you." Cooper grunted in pain as his right knee protested the sudden movement and nearly gave out as he joined Mike and Charlie at the tunnel entrance.

  “Leave me… can’t risk infecting anyone else…” mumbled Mike.