Reason For Vengeance (Dark Vengeance Book 1) (30 page)

Sneaker grimaced.  “The real bitch though is how they’ve rigged the building.  At a push of the button in the security room, blast doors seal all the entrances and windows.  Only the hanger has any sort of override.  Once that button is pushed, there’s no way in or out until it’s released.  They will also block standard coms, including what I have available.  After they come down, we won’t be able to talk to anyone on the outside.  The good news is that neither will Tumbler.”

Valerie cocked her head to one side.  “How strong are the doors and can they be stopped from closing?”

“Humph.”  Sneaker grunted.  “They’re blast doors from an old Legion cruiser.  They can’t be stopped.  Anything in their way will be completely crushed.”

“What is the rest of the building made of?”

“Internal walls and doors are Polycarb sheets on Carbon-Fibre frames filled with Bio-Fibre.”  As it was the fourth most abundant element in the universe, carbon became the basis for many building materials, once the processes to manipulate it became readily available.  Polycarb was a carbon/wood fibre polymer that was cheap, easy to manufacture and created no pollution, with a designed life span of only one hundred years.  Once its century of life was up, it would begin breaking down to a substance easily absorbed by any diverse Terran based eco-system.  It could even be disposed of earlier by the application of a simple, sprayed chemical that would start the decomposition process. 

The Polycarb was fixed to a Carbon-Fibre frame with little in common with its earliest incarnations, other than its component elements of Carbon and Silicon, the eighth most common element in the universe.  This light weight, rigid and very strong material, was perfect for manufacture in a variety of uses.  Along with the Bio-Fibre filling, it had the same decay safe guards as the Polycarb.  All of this gave the Corporations holding the permanent patents, an ongoing supply of orders for building components needing to be replaced.

”Outer walls are stronger, as you would expect, made of standard permacrete.  The only differences are the ground and second floors.  Both have been reinforced with carbonide.”  Permacrete was the preferred building material for the areas settled by the Manuals.  It was cheap and easily manufactured.  Carbonide was a different material altogether.  Almost a hundred times stronger than permacrete, it was what was used in the construction of the massive towers set aside for the Privileged.

“Personnel?”  Valerie asked.

“A lot, forty to fifty Enforcers and another hundred plus workers.  Most of which will stay out of the way if they can.”

“How good are the Enforcers?”

“Normal Ghetto hired guns.  Tumblers got some good one’s though and her Chief Enforcer is a right evil bastard named Gaunt.  He’s big and as mean as they come.  His favourite pastime is picking fights in bars with as many people as he can and relishes breaking their arms.  He’s hooked on muscle enhancers, he’ll try anything he can get his hands on and he’s killed off just about every one of his nerve endings, so he can’t feel pain.”

Valerie looked at Sneaker questioningly.  “And how were you proposing to follow up on that promise to get Hanna out without my help?”

Sneaker shrugged.  “Call in every favour I’m owed to get as many Enforcers as I can.  Two pronged assault.  Firstly on the main gate to distract them, then come in from the air.  Land on the roof and blow the doors.  Hanna will probably be close to Tumbler, whose offices are one floor below the hanger.  Fight our way in, grab Hanna and get out the same way we got in.”

Valerie sat back, looking at the hologram.  “What’s this building here?”  She pointed to the one up against the wall directly opposite the gate.

Sneaker shrugged.  “It’s a housing block, about half occupied with derelicts and degenerates.  Most probably work for Tumbler in her processing plant.”

“OK,” Valerie nodded to herself.  “Will Rush, Troll and Barney be in on this?”

Sneaker nodded.  “They’re on their way here now.”

“Can you shoot?”

“Yes,” he said calmly and Valerie could see he meant it.  She looked past him and quirked an eyebrow at Deni.  “No,” Sneaker said shaking his head.

“Hey,” Deni piped up.  “She’s my friend.”

Sneaker turned and chopped his hand in front of her, demanding quietly.  “Have you ever killed anyone?”  Deni shook her head.  “Ever fired a gun?” 

“No,” she said.

Sneaker turned back to Valerie.  “Not a chance.”

Valerie was still looking at Deni.  She could see the determination in her face and body.  Hanna obviously meant a lot to her and she was fully prepared to do whatever she could.  Valerie nodded to one of the chairs at the table.

“Stick around and grab a seat.”  Deni slipped into the chair hesitantly, obviously not knowing what she would have to do, but still just as determined.

Valerie leaned forward and looked at Sneaker.  “We just need one more shooter and they need to be a good one.”

“What?”  Sneaker exclaimed.  “That’s just impossible.  Six of us to go into that building?  We’d need at least 10 guys to attack the gate!”

“Six is fine,” Valerie replied calmly.  “The problem is the hanger.  That will need to be neutralised. It’s an escape route Tumbler can use.”

“Escape route?”  Sneaker said in disbelief.  “Wait.  If six of us go in there she won’t need an escape route.  If, by the most impossible odds, she does, there is no way she would dare use it anyway.  Tumbler’s up for promotion to a Top.  Her life wouldn’t be worth spit if word got round she was run out of her own building by just six guys.”

“Good, I was worried we’d need a ground to air missile.”  Valerie said seriously.  “One that would need to be very advanced if that aircar is as powerful as you say.  You’ve got most of what we need in your stash of weapons.  All we are missing is that extra shooter and a recycling lorry.  Can you get them today?”

Sneaker shook his head, the incredulity obvious on his face.  “Yeah, the truck is easy and I know a guy.  Hobbs.  He’s close by.  He’ll be expensive, but I reckon we can get him.  Now what the hell are we going to be doing?”

“Get him, promise him loot from whatever Tumblers got stashed in there.  I’d put money on there being a Families ransom inside.”  Valerie said.  “Now here’s the plan….”

Deni was seated behind Troll and Barney in a ground car across the road from the housing block Valerie asked about.  Troll turned around and looked at her.

“You ready, kid?”

“Yeah,” she replied.  “I know what I’ve got to do.”  Her voice sounded strong even to her ears.  That amazed Deni, she really wasn’t sure about this.  She had never been in a fight where guns were involved.  The girl was determined to do this and do it well.  Hanna was her friend

“Good,” Troll said.  “Just stay behind Barney and me and make sure you get the ammo to us as quick as you can.”  Troll looked over at Barney and he nodded to her.  “Let’s do this.  Remember slow and steady over to the building, no rush.  We don’t do anything memorable and no one will remember us.”  She got out of one side and Barney the other, slinging their large bundles over their shoulders.

Deni grabbed her bag with sweaty hands and followed them out.  The three of them crossed the road in the early morning sunshine and went up to the building.  It was even more run down than Sneaker said, every other window was smashed and the doors hung ajar, looking like they could never be closed properly any more. 

The inside was even worse.  Debris was scattered everywhere with a strong smell of human excrement and in all probability remains as well.  A thin woman wearing, what only could charitably be called, rags stumbled out of a doorway.  She looked at them briefly before wobbling past them.

They picked their way through to the stairs and headed up two flights before going deeper in to find their primary position.  Troll knocked on the door and it swung in slightly.

“Hello?” she called, not loudly, but clearly to be heard within the apartment.  “Maintenance.”

“Really?” Barney said quietly.

“What?”  Troll replied.  “I can’t exactly say hired killers can I?”

“I bet you can here.  It would make more sense than maintenance.”  Deni said under her breath.  Barney glanced at her with a slight smile.  He’d obviously heard her and Deni felt herself blush slightly.  The big man hadn’t said so much as a word to her so far.  This was the only acknowledgement he gave to say he knew she was even there.

Troll meanwhile drew her pistol.  “Stay here, Deni,” she said and moved into the apartment, going left.  Barney drew his and followed her in, going right.  Deni saw them checking every corner carefully before they moved out of sight.  It didn’t take long for Troll to call back “Clear.”  She came out of the left hand room and Barney came back from the right.  Nodding his head and holstering his pistol to indicate his side was also clear.

“Set up your spy cams, Deni,” Troll ordered.  “You’re on watch.  I need to know if anyone is coming up the stairs.”  She came over, pointing to several places in the corridor and by the stairs.  “Set your spycams here, here, here and there.  That’ll give you good coverage and set your datapad just inside the door so if you need to give it an old fashioned eyeball, you can do it easily.”  She went back inside and said to Barney.  “Let’s get the charges placed.  We’ve got a few minutes, but not many more than we need.”  The building had originally been designed and built with windows.  When Tumbler moved in, she made sure no one could look into her compound and had all the windows in the surrounding buildings filled in.  Now the only way they would be able to see out would be to blast a hole.

Deni had her own job to do and moved quickly placing each spycam as precisely as she could to Troll’s instructions, hiding each one with a small piece of chameleon cloth.  When placed against a surface it copied to blend in.  Once the camera was in place and covered with the cloth, only a small bump on the wall was visible.  That in itself was not easily seen, so a casual glance at the walls wouldn’t show them up.  It wasn’t as good as the Legion’s Camocloth, but it would do the job here.

Deni hurried back in.  Barney was just finishing up setting the explosive against the wall.  Troll was on the floor unpacking their weapons carefully and placing them to either side.  She was lining them up so they could switch from one to another quickly, without needing to reload.

Deni set herself up by the door, fixing her datapad to the wall.  It was out of the way and she could glance at it quickly, without having to look for it.  She activated it and linked in the spycams with the screen split to show the four images simultaneously.  She glanced up as Troll came back over to her.

“Here,” she crouched down next Deni and held out a small pistol.  “Do you know how to use this?”  Deni  shook her head.

“It’s simple enough,” she showed the gun to Deni.  “Safety here.  Keep it on until you need it or you’re liable to shoot yourself, Barney or me and that wouldn’t be a good idea.  Some of Tumblers Enforcers may show up here.  Tell Barney and me, but we may be a bit too busy to do anything about it so switch the safety off, point it round the corner and pull the trigger.  Just the gun.  Don’t stick your head round as well.  Use the cameras as best you can.  Keep firing until you run out of ammo then reload and keep going until Barney or me tell you to stop.  Got all that?”

Deni nodded.  “Not good enough, Deni.  Repeat it back to me.”

Deni took a deep breath.  “Shout if Enforcers are coming.  If you’re busy, switch the safety off, point only the gun round the corner and keep firing until you tell me to stop.”

“Good.”  Troll replied with a smile.  “You’re a smart kid.  Now take this,” she handed the pistol to Deni.  “Unpack all the ammo packs.  Lay them out just as we rehearsed.  Keep your eyes on the datapad.  We’ll use the guns in the order we agreed before throwing them back to you.  You reload them and slide them back.  After the first round it’ll get confused.  We’ll probably be grabbing whatever gun is to hand.  By that point though, it should be past time to leave, so we shouldn’t have to worry about that.

“Just keep it together, kid, and we’ll get through this.  Don’t forget your ear protectors.”  Troll ruffled Deni’s hair before getting up and heading back to her position.  Barney was crouched down to the right of the explosives, with the missile launcher at the ready and ear protectors in.  Troll was already wearing them and Deni quickly put hers in.  Like the others she would still be able to function after the blast.  Troll picked up a Mag assault rifle and set herself to the left with the detonator in her hand.  She glanced at her wristcomp’s chrono before looking back to Deni.

“Eyes on the screen, Deni.  It’s almost time,” she admonished before reassuring her.  “Don’t worry, you’re well out of the line of fire so you’ll be fine.  Tonight we’ll be toasting this in the Dawning Sun with Hanna and the others.”

***

It was dark in the back of the recycling lorry and reeked of old waste, with just enough light to make out her companions.  Not caring about the smell, Valerie looked at each of them, weighing their mettle in her mind, just as she would for her own platoon in Shadow Company before battle.  Rush was hunched over, concentrating on his datapad as he drove the truck they were in remotely. 

He stole it before meeting them and jury rigged it quickly before they left.  The dummy in the cab wouldn’t pass a close inspection, but it was good enough for anyone looking from five metres or more away.  He wore his body armour poorly on his skinny body, often scratching were it rubbed against him.  A Mag rifle was slung over his back, with plenty of spare ammo magazines strapped to his armour.  A pistol was holstered at his side.  The four of them were all armed the same except Valerie, who carried an additional pistol.  They would all use the Mag rifles as their primary weapons while Valerie always preferred her pistols for close quarters.  She knew Rush had known Hanna almost as long as Sneaker and was just as determined to get her back.

“Controls feel OK,” Rush said, the truck weaving back and forth.  Valerie braced her legs to stop from falling over.

“Good enough to do the job?” Sneaker asked nervously.

“Only because I’m here,” Rush answered with a forced chuckle.

Sneaker sat next to Valerie, leaning forward on his Mag rifle, his hands opening and closing gently about it.  His shoulders were hunched and taut, sweat was on his brow and his eyes were closed.  Valerie reached over to him and gently squeezed his shoulder.  He opened his eyes and looked at her.

“It’s alright,” she told him.  “Your job is to watch our rear and I don’t plan on leaving anyone alive in front of me.”  The words were right, she’d said similar things to hundreds of nervous soldiers over the years, but she could hear how cold she sounded.   Sneaker still nodded and smiled to her reassurance.  She guessed it helped a little at least.

“You’re very confident of that.”  The fourth person of their small squad said.  That was Hobbs, dark haired, 190 centimetres tall and a slightly stocky build.  He was leaning back opposite Valerie, with his legs stretched out in front of him, giving the impression he was completely at ease.  To Valerie’s experienced eye he had an edge to him, a nervousness that wasn’t readily apparent.  She had seen it many times over the years, he wasn’t trying to hide it, he was just acknowledging to himself that he was about to put his life into the line of fire. 

This is why she picked this professional Enforcer to be her Slack man, while she took point.  Sneaker and Rush would then cover the rear of the squad, in case anyone managed to get round behind them.  He also carried their only heavy weapon, an old but still very effective, Plasma rifle.  Not the sort of weapon to be used in an enclosed space, though one they carried, for a specific purpose, which had to be used sparingly.  There was only enough charge for a handful of shots.

He was staring at her through the combat goggles all four of them wore.  The slim, light weight, dark goggles, fitted easily over his eyes, giving him all round protected vision.  Sealed to his face to protect against dust, debris and smoke, the goggles had a low light capability and heads up display.  They were an important and highly effective piece of equipment.  Valerie was glad Sneaker had them as part of his arsenal.

She shrugged her shoulders slightly and the corner of her mouth quirked up in a hint of a smile though her eyes were devoid of life.

“I know what I can do, all that matters is what they can do and I can’t control that,” she replied.  “I’ve been doing this for a long time and I’m still here.  Most of those I’ve come up against aren’t.”

Hobbs leaned forward.  “Why haven’t I heard of you?” he demanded.  He’d kept quiet during the short planning meeting they had before coming straight here.  Now, just as they were about to go into battle, he was testing her, pushing to see if she could do what she promised.

Valerie looked back at him steadily.  She could see his jaw clench and some remote part of her knew this was a reaction to her cold eyes.

“I haven’t been here long.  My other Jobs have all been outside the Pantheon and, trust me when I say this, I’ve been up against better than what’s waiting for us in that building.  You watch my back and I’ll get us through this.”

Hobbs relaxed back.  “It’s all the same to me.  Tumbler knows me,” he shrugged.  “If it comes to it and I yield, she’ll take it.  She’ll work my balls off on the nastiest Jobs she’s got, but she knows I’m good enough to make it worth her while,” he smiled.  “The rest of you she’ll gut like fish if you survive, so I suggest you don’t.”

Valerie could see he meant it and that concerned her.  The man, who would be directly on her six, could well decide it would be time to get out at any moment and try to shoot her in the back.  She was about to draw her pistol and shoot him cleanly through the head when Sneaker cut in.

“Don’t worry,” he said.  “Hobbs won’t yield unless he absolutely has to.  He’s a freelancer and they rely on their reputations.  If he double crossed us or any of his clients, best case, he’d never work on Blaze again.  Worst case, he’d get his throat slit.  Isn’t that right Hobbs?”

“Yeah.  I’m in until it’s hopeless.  Then… Well, for what you’re paying, I’ll go quite a way before I stop.”

Valerie hadn’t moved a muscle, otherwise Hobbs would have reacted, but mentally she relaxed.  The code they lived by felt strange to her.  She considered them the scum of the Galaxy, one step from Billy Bacc’s Rebels.  She was sure they would sell their own mother to get what they wanted.  This is what she had been taught by the Legion.  Nothing in all her years killing scum like them, inside and outside the Pantheon, disabused her of that notion.  Here they were though, willing to risk their lives for one of their Crew, just as she would have done for any of Shadow Company.  Then there were these iron codes binding them, enforced by everyone in their violent and uncaring community.

Her eyes hadn’t left Hobbs and she nodded to show she understood.

“Coming up on the turn for the gate,” Rush called, interrupting them.

“Get yourselves ready.”  Valerie ordered.  She turned to face the rear and moved into a crouch, grabbing a handhold with her left and having her pistol ready with her right.  Hobbs moved smoothly to crouch next to her on her right at Rush’s call.  Valerie glanced behind her to check on Sneaker who was also moving into position.

She felt the truck turn right into the road heading towards the gate.  The hum of the engine underneath them increased as the truck sped up.

“Here we go,” Rush shouted.  “Brace yourselves and hope the others are on time!”