Politics of Blood (Gray Spear Society Book 8) (40 page)

"You're probably right." She nodded. "Boreas, finish them."

Boreas took off his mirrored sunglasses. The whites of his eyes had become the color of the Arctic Ocean. All three Corners of Freedom groaned and collapsed to the floor. They stopped breathing a few seconds later. Aaron checked Joseph's pulse and found the corpse was as cold as a body in a morgue. The bystanders in the room murmured fearfully.

Aaron took the radio from the dead man's hand. "Let's go." He headed for the nearest door and kicked it open.

Ethel, Boreas, and Brownie followed.

Chapter Twenty

Tawni was grinning like an idiot. She was flying down the Interstate at a hundred miles an hour. Police sirens surrounded her, but the cops weren't chasing her. They were escorting her. Five cruisers lead the way, and five more were behind her. Four black, Secret Service sedans formed an inner circle of protection. The motorcade had an open road as far as the eye could see thanks to police blocking the on ramps.
I love my job,
Tawni thought.

She glanced at Atalanta. As always, the Japanese warrior's face was expressionless.

"I've been practicing with the sword a lot," Tawni said. "Hours every day. You really inspired me when you were in Chicago."

"Good." Atalanta nodded once.

"And I learned how to combine the sword with my gift."

"What is your gift exactly?" Atalanta raised an eyebrow.

"I can use my shadows as lethal weapons."

"Interesting."

"And when I wrap my sword in shadows," Tawni said, "it cuts through anything."

"Seferis mentioned something about that," Atalanta replied calmly. "You're an impressive, young woman. Aaron made a wise choice."

"Thanks." Tawni grinned even more. "How much longer?"

Atalanta checked a navigation app on her phone. "Five more minutes at this speed. Then we have to slow down."

"I hope our people are still OK."

"It's an extremely capable group. I have confidence they can hold their own until we get there."

Tawni nodded. She was still afraid though.

"How is life with the brat?"

"Always a challenge," Atalanta said. "A storm cloud of drama and revelation surrounds Wesley wherever he goes. It's exhausting, particularly for me. I'm not good with feelings."

"I noticed," Tawni said.

Atalanta looked down at her hands. "He's been helping me. I'm remembering a little more every day."

"Remembering what?"

"My childhood. What my life was like before I became... this." Atalanta knocked on her forearm with her knuckles, and it sounded like stone striking stone.

"How did you become that?" Tawni asked.

Atalanta glanced at the passengers in the back seat. "Not here. Later."

"OK."

Tawni focused on the road.
Hold on, guys,
she thought.
We're coming.

* * *

Aaron looked out a second-story window at the Marines in the parking lot. They stood shoulder to shoulder with their rifles and eyes aimed unwaveringly forward. He didn't doubt they would shoot anything that moved. Alert officers stood behind the rank and file troops.

Aaron turned back to face Ethel and Boreas. The Spears had moved to a manager's office on the upper floor of the Transit Center. Brownie was guarding the door.

"It won't be much longer until they run out of patience and attack," Aaron said.

Ethel nodded. "We need to break through the line somehow. Maybe we can use a bus as a ram."

The radio in Aaron's hand crackled to life. A male voice said, "First Corner, are you there?" Intense buzzing and hissing noises overlaid the words.

Aaron pressed the "send" button and made his best attempt at imitating General Joseph's gravelly voice. "Yes, Fourth Corner. I'm receiving. There is a lot of interference."

"That's the jammer. It can't be helped. What's your status?"

"Still talking with the enemy. Hold your position."

"We can't stay here all day," Fourth Corner said. "Police are already at the barricades asking questions. This was supposed to be a lightning-fast operation."

"I'm doing the best I can!" Aaron said. "Be patient. Out." He lowered the radio.

Ethel sighed. "Ten minutes at the most. Then we'll have to fight for our lives. It will be a slaughter."

Aaron left the room, walked down a short hall, and looked out the back of the Transit Center. Sixty or seventy buses were parked in diagonal spaces behind the building. Muscles and Hairy were hiding in one of those buses. The solid line of Marines extended all the way around leaving no gaps. Teams of four soldiers patrolled between the buses as additional security.

Four soldiers in a team,
Aaron thought.
There are four of us.
He had an idea.

A truck with a radar dish on top was parked by itself. The dish was aimed straight at the building.
Must be the jammer. That's our first objective.

Ethel and Boreas came up behind him.

"You seem to be thinking deeply," Ethel said.

"Yes, ma'am," Aaron said. "Boreas, the maximum range of your gift is twenty feet, right?"

"Yes," Boreas said. "The Marines are too far away."

"We'll have to get closer. Brownie! Come on! We're moving!"

Aaron led the group down a flight of stairs. He tried a few doors until he found one that went to a maintenance bay in the back of the building. He saw giant lifts big enough to raise entire buses. Long shelves along the walls held tools, bottles of fluids, and spare parts. Air hoses hung down from the ceiling. Aaron saw nobody working there.

He turned off the work lights. Sunlight still poured in through windows and open garage doors, creating patches of bright light and shadows. He silently dashed forward and squatted behind a bus which had the engine cover removed. Ethel, Boreas, and Brownie caught up to him an instant later.

Aaron pressed the "send" button on the radio and said, "Fourth Corner, respond."

"I'm here," the Fourth Corner answered with a heavy overlay of static.

"The enemy got away from us. They're holed up in the maintenance bay in the back of the building. Send a team to flush them out. We'll stand by."

"Affirmative. Out."

Aaron took out his gun, a Brügger & Thomet MP9 with a custom suppressor. It could be fired in fully automatic mode, but he set the selector to semi-auto. Precision and stealth were more useful than throwing a lot of lead at the moment.

"Are we killing or incapacitating?" Boreas said.

"We can't risk them sounding the alarm," Ethel said. "We have to kill quickly and quietly." She drew her twin machetes from sheathes under the back of her jacket.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Try to keep their clothes clean," Aaron said. "We'll need them."

The four Spears found good hiding spots for an ambush. A couple of minutes later, eight soldiers marched through a door into the maintenance bay. They fanned out and began to look around.

The battle lasted just a few seconds. Boreas killed four with his cold gaze. Aaron shot two soldiers in the eye sockets. Ethel killed the last two by slashing the backs of their necks and severing their spines. This unusual technique limited blood splatter. Brownie was still choosing a target when the fight was already over.

Aaron and Boreas quickly dragged the bodies to spots where they couldn't be seen from the outside.

"We have eight uniforms to choose from," Aaron said. "Find one that fits you."

* * *

President Haley was thrown forward in his seat. Tires squealed as the sedan fishtailed wildly. He heard other cars crashing together. Tawni's expert driving prevailed, and they came to a stop without having an accident.

He shook his head to clear it. "What happened?"

"The off-ramp is blocked," she said.

He looked out the front windshield. A line of stopped cars stretched backwards from a highway exit. To reach the PRTC Transit Center, the sedan would have to get past that traffic jam.

"Go around," Atalanta ordered.

Tawni stomped on the gas. She recklessly smashed through cars to reach the shoulder on the other side. She drove along the shoulder with two wheels on the dirt. Haley grabbed a strap as the car bounced violently over rocks. The police cruisers and Secret Service cars struggled to follow.

He saw the reason for the stopped traffic. A green Army truck was parked directly across the off-ramp. A line of six Marines in full battle dress guarded the barricade.

"Stop!" Atalanta said.

The car skidded to a stop.

"What now?" Tawni said.

Atalanta faced George Seferis. "Where is the Transit Center?"

"That way, I think." He pointed across the highway.

"Stay put, both of you! Tawni, let's go."

Atalanta got out and sprinted across the highway. Tawni followed close behind, her long legs pumping like pistons. They vaulted the barriers, reached the far side, and disappeared into the forest beyond.

Haley let out his breath. "Whew. That was exciting. George, find out what the hell is going on."

"Yes, sir," Seferis said.

He got out and walked past the stopped cars to reach the soldiers. He showed his badge, and it got their full attention. There was a short conversation. He returned and spoke to Haley through the open door.

"They say terrorists with biological weapons are in the Transit Center," Seferis said. "The Marines are here to capture them. The whole area is sealed off."

Haley had a cold feeling. "Those so-called terrorists are Miss Pickenpaugh and her team."

"Why do you say that, sir?"

"Because the people who tried to kill me were high ranking generals in our own military. The same gang is probably responsible for this mess."

"You're kidding!" Seferis' eyes widened. "Why?"

"The new budget," Haley said.

Seferis became pale.

Haley pulled off his fake mustache and beard. "The story about biological weapons is bullshit. I'm going to talk to these soldiers myself and get some answers. Put together an escort."

He stepped out of the sedan. People in other cars stared with wide eyes when they saw the President standing beside the road.

Seferis ran around as he gathered all the police officers and Secret Service agents who had been part of the motorcade. After a couple of minutes, Haley had an escort of twenty armed men. It would have to do.

He marched up the road. The soldiers snapped to attention when they saw him coming.

"Who is in charge here?" Haley demanded.

In a quavering voice, a Marine sergeant at the end of the line answered, "That's classified information, sir."

"As Commander in Chief, I authorize myself for that information.
Who is in charge?
" Haley bellowed.

"Sir! General Wordsworth, sir!" The sergeant's knees were shaking.

"Tell the general to come here
now
. His boss wants a word with him."

Haley abruptly turned and walked away. He headed back to the safety of the armored sedan.

Seferis followed. "What do you want us to do with the general?"

"Arrest him for treason," Haley growled. "If he complains, shoot him."

* * *

Tawni followed Atalanta through the dense forest. Both women had their swords out. The polished blade of Atalanta's katana reflected the sunlight like a perfect mirror. Tawni's katana was wrapped in black smoke, and as she moved, she left a trail of darkness.

Tawni was doing her best to walk silently. Aaron had drilled her relentlessly on ninja techniques, and her footsteps were barely audible even to her own ears. Atalanta took it to another level. She was so quiet it was like she didn't exist.

They reached the edge of the forest and saw the parking lot of the Transit Center. It was full of Marines who looked fully prepared to fight a war. Hundreds of them surrounded the building. Tawni had never seen so many soldiers in one place.

"Holy shit," she whispered.

"Our adversary is formidable." Atalanta took out her phone and stared at the display. "We're being jammed. We have to move away so we can call Neal."

"Do you think our friends are OK?"

Atalanta craned her neck. "It doesn't look like any fighting has happened yet."

Tawni heard the sound of feet crashing through underbrush. She automatically squeezed her body into the nearest dark shadow. Atalanta climbed a tree with astonishing quickness.

Four soldiers were marching through the forest in tight formation. They would walk right past Tawni's position, so she decided to take the initiative. She waited until they were about ten feet away, and then she threw a small rock into the forest. The noise made all the soldiers turn in that direction.

She silently came up behind them and cut one man in half. Her blade entered his right shoulder, slid through his body without resistance, and exited near his left kidney. Body armor, weapons, and flesh were sliced with equal ease. She even chopped a grenade in half.

The other soldiers turned, but Tawni was already spinning around for a second attack. At this range, a sword was a much better weapon than a gun. With a single, broad stroke, she bisected all three remaining opponents. Body parts made wet noises as they fell to the forest floor. Blood and guts sloshed onto the dirt. She grinned at the mess.

Atalanta jumped out of the tree and landed next to Tawni with a thump. "I'm jealous."

"Why?" Tawni said.

"I need to use technique to kill. You just chop your enemies in half. That's cheating."

Atalanta kicked the torso of a corpse. It was still wearing most of a Kevlar vest, and inner layers of fabric were visible.

"But my skin and bones aren't tough as steel," Tawni said.

"True. Let's go. Neal is waiting for our report."

Atalanta ran deeper into the forest, and Tawni followed.

* * *

Aaron, Boreas, Ethel, and Brownie were marching in tight formation, two in front and two behind. Their feet struck the ground in perfect synchrony. They wore the green battle gear of Marines. A helmet covered Ethel's hair so her age wouldn't be apparent, and she was walking behind the big men.