Designated Survivor (8 page)

He ran the power cord and Avery found a socket and he began drilling one-inch holes every six inches along the border of the newer cement blocks.

“We don’t have time for this,” Grace said. “We should already be a quarter mile down the tunnel.”

“Levi, give me a block of the Semtex,” Holden said.

“You want to let everyone in the hotel know what’s going on?” Levi said.

“Trust me,” Holden said.

He took the block of orange plastic explosives and cut thin strips off with his pocketknife then pushed one piece into each of the holes he’d drilled in the wall. Then he placed a blasting cap into each piece and ran the wire down to the floor.

“Just inside the door to the boiler room there was a cart with building materials on it,” Holden said. “Someone go bring it here.”

Avery turned and jogged off down the long hallway and returned a minute later pushing a large maintenance cart.

“Thanks,” Holden said. “On the bottom of the cart there’s a big can of spackle. Pull it out and open it for me but don’t stir it up. I want it thick.”

Avery knelt down and looked at the bottom level of the cart. Between a box of light bulbs and a broken plastic toolbox was the round tub of spackle. “How the hell did you see this?” He pulled the plastic container out.

“Know your surroundings,” Holden said. “Never know what you’ll need. I took inventory of that cart with a glance as we walked past it.”

Holden took the spackle and a trowel and filled each hole then ran the wires together.

“Is that it?” Levi said.

“One more thing,” Holden said.

“What’s that?” Levi said.

“Get the fuck back,” Holden said.

Everyone went around the corner as Holden ran the wires and attached them to the small black box with a hand crank on the side, a trigger he’d built that required no electrical power source.

“Fire in the hole!” Holden turned the handle a full rotation. A metal cylinder spun inside a series of magnets, creating a small electrical charge that traveled down the wire to the detonators in the plastic explosives. A series of small explosions went off inside the cement block wall. The floor shook for a moment then everything was done.

They all went back around the corner to see the wall still standing.

“Any other ideas?” Avery said.

Holden walked towards the wall then stopped just in front of it. He ran his hand around the perimeter of the holes then stepped back and extended his right leg out in a kick, striking the wall with the bottom of his heavy work boot.

The wall began to crumble from the bottom, which allowed the top to fall away.

“Damn,” Netty said. “That’s some kick.”

Holden and Levi cleared enough of the debris to let them climb over carrying their bags. Ten feet past the rubble was the decades old steel door.

Grace walked up to the door and turned the unlocked handle and pushed but the door was jammed in place.

“How about you bring your thunder boot over here again,” Grace said.

“Thunder boot, I like that,” Holden stepped to the door and repeated his kick and the door opened eight inches.

With a few more shoulders and kicks it was open wide enough for them to pass through with their bags. Following Grace they each wore night vision goggles. They came to a metal stairwell that went down twenty feet then found themselves standing on the wooden platform where the electric subway train used to pull up.

“You’re standing where J. Edgar Hoover once stood, men,” Grace said.

“And women,” Netty said.

“And women,” Grace said.

“So now we have two miles to walk in this tunnel?” Corbin said.

“Hopefully not,” Grace said. “Avery, over here.”

Twenty feet down the track sat an abandoned open-topped subway car. A tower came out of the middle and attached onto a grooved track in the ceiling. Electricity would have flowed through the elevated groove and traveled down the tower to the electric motors on each set of wheels on the subway car.

“It’s an electric subway car from the 1950’s. It was used to transport members of Congress back and forth,” Grace said. “Can you get it going?”

Avery opened the large duffel he’d been wearing as a backpack and pulled out a two-foot square battery pack. “Let’s give it a try.”

“Give it five minutes, if you don’t think it’ll roll then we’ll set out on foot,” Grace said. “Everyone else, get ready. Either way we’re out of here in five.”

Bags were opened and gear spread out on the platform. Each person took off the grey coveralls to reveal their green combat pants. They pulled on the bulletproof vests they’d brought and strapped side holsters on and filled pockets with extra ammunition.

Chip opened his second bag and handed a Sig Sauer 516 tactical rifle to each person along with two extra magazines.

“I modified them myself,” Chip said. “Sound suppression is better than anything on the market.”

A clicking sound came from the small electric motor on the subway car followed by some swear words from Avery. He reached under the motor to check the wiring then tried to start it again and the motor came to life in a low hum.

“All aboard,” Avery said.

Everyone sat along the edge of the narrow platform of the cart. Netty put two bags in the middle and was the last to climb on.

“Here we go,” Avery shoved the handle forward to push the transmission into gear and the cart lurched forward almost throwing him off the back then steadied out and moved along.

“Not the fastest thing,” Corbin said.

“Probably seven or eight miles per hour,” Avery said. “Faster than we could make on foot through here.”

CHAPTER 13

“You know if we have to leave in a hurry, this thing ain’t gonna do the trick,” Avery said. The electric subway car moved slowly within the tunnel

“These boots were made for running,” Grace said.

“That’s reassuring,” Chip said.

The ride took 18 minutes through the dark tunnel. Avery turned the motor off as they neared the end point and they rolled to a stop and sat in the quiet to listen for any movement.

“Sounds clear,” Grace said. “Let’s just hope we don’t have to blast another wall.”

“Yeah, I’m guessing security in the basement of the United States Capitol is a little better than a hotel’s,” Levi said. “Shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Not helpful, Levi,” Grace said. “For that you get to scout. Avery, you’re with him.”

“Just because I Indian, no mean I scout,” Levi said.

“Can it and get moving,” Grace said. “Okay everybody. Earpieces in, volume on low. Maintain radio silence as much as possible. We don’t know what channels might be getting monitored. Even with our secure channels, we can’t count on them unless necessary.”

Levi disappeared down a dark hallway at the end of the tunnel with Avery right behind. The team sat in silence as they waited. It took four minutes and Avery returned.

“Door’s still there,” Avery said. “Levi ran a camera underneath. Looks like a clasp and padlock on the other side.”

“Netty, you’re up,” Grace said. “Show me what you got.”

“Sure thing, captain,” Netty said.

She moved into the darkness. At the end she found Levi then opened the satchel she’d carried with her.

“Any movement?” she said.

“Nothing,” Levi said. “We’re in the basement still so they’re probably all watching the ground level.”

“Good.” From her bag Netty pulled out a can of automotive air conditioner refrigerant and a short crowbar. “I need you to pry the door away from the jamb as much as you can. I need at least a third of an inch.”

Levi took the crowbar and placed it just above the doorknob then leaned back and let his weight pull the lever back. A quarter inch gap opened up allowing Netty to see through to the back of the metal clasp. She mounted a brass valve to the can with a six-inch extension tube attached to it and pointed it into the jamb and began spraying.

“How long?” Levi said.

“Only a minute or so, hopefully,” Netty said.

“Will it break the clasp?”

“No, it’ll weaken the hinge,” Netty said. “The clasp is all one piece of metal. I’d need liquid nitrogen to get through that. The pin in the hinge is usually weaker. We just need it to get fragile enough to break apart with a little bit of pressure.”

“Where’d you learn this?” Levi said.

“Girl Scouts,” Netty said.

The can stopped spraying as it ran out of refrigerant and she set it off to the side.

“Keep the gap open,” she placed a thin metal bar through the gap and put tension on the back of the clasp. “Still quiet?”

Levi looked down at the small screen attached to the fiber optic camera running under the door.

“Unless someone’s around that corner, we’re good,” he said.

Netty took a rubber mallet and lightly tapped the end of her crowbar several times to make sure the end was resting against the back of the clasp on the other side of the door.

“Here goes nothing,” she pulled back and gave one more hard hit.

The clasp broke free and the sound of metal hitting the outside of the steel door was followed by small pieces falling to the floor. She held still and watched Levi as he stared at the monitor. Ten seconds later he nodded.

“No movement,” he said.

Netty put her tools into her bag and ran back down the dark hallway to get the rest of the team.

“We’re unlocked,” Netty said.

“Great work,” Grace said.

With Netty leading the way they made it to the door.

“Holden, you’re in first to the left. Avery to the right on point.  Subdue over shoot. We don’t want to alert anyone we’re here and we don’t know who might be actual tangoes or who’s just been coerced. This is recon only. I repeat, this is recon only.”

Levi checked the monitor one last time then nodded as he pulled the fiberoptic camera from under the door and stepped back. Grace pulled the door open as Holden moved in, rifle up and ready, and turned left as Avery turned right. Grace went through next followed by the rest of the team.

They moved down the hallway to the right, Avery taking the lead as Holden became the sweeper, walking backwards. Corbin was in front of him and made sure Holden never backed into anything or anyone. At the first corner Levi moved to the front and ran the end of the thin cable with a high definition camera mounted in the tip around the edge at floor level then nodded and stepped back. Avery went around the corner with his rifle scanning left and right as he cleared the way and everyone followed.

They were in the main congressional subway on the House end of the Capitol. Senators and Representatives used the private electric train cars to move between the office buildings, out of sight of the public. The team reached the stairs and escalator leading up to the first floor of the Capitol building. The escalator was still running in the silent and empty halls.

Once up to the first floor they fanned out to check all directions. The maze of hallways are home to the windowless private offices for members of Congress, usually the newly elected with less seniority to claim something with a window and perhaps a view in one of the office buildings surrounding the Capitol.

“This is freakin’ me out,” Grace said.

“How the hell is nobody here?” Levi said.

The level cleared, they moved to the stairs that would take them up to the second floor and the entrance to the House of Representatives. Holden led the way with the rest of the team behind him, their weapons angled out to cover all directions, fingers stretched across the trigger guards to avoid accidental firing.

They reached the landing for the second level and the floor was littered with the dead bodies of Secret Service and Capitol Police officers as well as more than a few civilians. Just to their left was the door to the main hallway that ran in front of the House of Representatives.

“Scope it,” Grace said.

Levi stepped up to the corner and used the fiber optic camera once again. His head began to nod then stopped and he held a fist up. Grace looked over at the monitor and saw nothing but bodies on the ground. Levi pointed at a dark area at the far end of the hall. A moment later there was the slightest movement. Grace motioned for Levi to keep an eye on the monitor.

He scanned the rest of the team then stepped quietly to Netty and whispered in her ear. She gave him a confused look then shrugged. She took ten steps back away from the team and faced the other direction.

“Oh god, somebody help me,” Netty cried. “Is anyone here? Oh my god it hurts. PLEASE! Somebody help! I’ve been shot!”

Grace was back at Levi’s side watching the monitor. As Netty began her act the movement stopped for a moment then finally a shape emerged from the shadow.

The black uniform of a Capitol Police officer in tactical gear appeared as the person moved slowly towards them, still 50 feet away. Grace gave a signal to the team to be ready, that they only had one target sighted.

Netty cried in pain again. The uniform moved closer, becoming clearer on the small monitor. A black balaclava covered the face and an assault rifle was raised. The figure’s steps were unsure and slow.

Grace leaned in to Levi’s ear.

“He looks nervous as hell,” he said.

Levi nodded then reached to his belt and handed Grace a six inch black canister. Grace looked at it and nodded. He glanced at the monitor and pulled the curved aluminum pin on the canister and waited.

Thirty feet. Twenty-five. The figure got closer. He held his hand with the black metal canister up so his team knew what was coming.

Twenty feet.

Grace tossed the canister around the corner. The sound of the metal casing echoed as it hit the marble floor. The team all covered their ears just before the nearly 200 decibel blast came from the non-lethal flashbang device as it exploded within its steel casing, the blinding light lit up the hall and the monitor turned white. Holden was through the door first with Avery and Grace right behind him. They covered the 20 feet before the smoke dissipated and found their target kneeling on the floor, hands over ears. Sounds of yelling and screaming came from the closed doors to the House chamber.