Savage Bay (7 page)

TITAN SIX, SAVAGE BAY

The six commandos were now within meters of Hawkeye, Tank, and the others. They scanned the beach continuously, but paid much less attention to the choppy waters of the bay where most of the Titan Six team was hiding in the waves.

“Shooter, on three ... ”

Suddenly the lead commando stopped. He made a hand gesture and all six of his squad members dropped to a crouch. But their attention was focused down the beach to the east.

Hawkeye squinted to see what had alarmed them.

“Parachute,” said Tank.

The dark fabric of a parachute canopy bobbed on the waves at the water’s edge.

“Now,” said Hawkeye.

Four hundred meters away, Shooter squeezed the trigger of her sniper rifle.

OPS CENTER, ABOARD THE ALAMIRANTA

On the holographic display in the Ops Center, a small muzzle flash erupted from Shooter’s position in the trees. The round slammed into the first commando. It nearly tore the man’s right arm off at the shoulder. He cried out in surprise as the force of the impact spun him around and threw him to the ground.

The remaining five soldiers, now aware of their precarious position, all turned their weapons toward the tree line. The shot had made almost no sound. The integrated suppressor on Shooter’s AWS sniper rifle almost entirely eliminated the noise.

But the commandos had seen a brief flash from somewhere in the trees. They were focused entirely on the east end of the beach, searching for some indication of the sniper’s position to return fire.

It was a costly mistake.

TITAN SIX, SAVAGE BAY

“Now,” whispered Hawkeye.

Tank, Hawkeye, and Pyro crept out of the water behind the commandos. Titan Six’s coordinated attack took place in rapid succession.

A second shot from Shooter’s sniper rifle exploded the head of another commando. His tactical helmet provided no protection from the armor-penetrating round.

Next, Tank leapt onto the nearest soldier, yanking the man’s head back and drawing his knife across his exposed neck.

Pyro slammed into the back of the next commando in line, pitching him forward onto his face. Sitting astride the man’s back, Pyro jammed his knife upward at his waistline, penetrating his lower back beneath his body armor.

A third round from Shooter’s sniper rifle slammed into the rocks just centimeters from one of the remaining enemy soldiers.

Hawkeye sprinted up behind the leader, who continued to focus his attention on the tree line. The commando raised his assault rifle to fire at Shooter’s position. Hawkeye snaked an arm around the man’s neck from behind, then knocked him off his feet backwards. The soldier fell on his back in the water. Hawkeye dropped one knee down hard on them man’s right arm, pinning his weapon beneath the waves. With one hand, he held the man’s head underneath the surface of the water. With the other, he stabbed his knife upward into the underside of the commando’s jaw. The blade thrust up into his skull, and the commando instantly went limp.

One commando remained standing. Shooter looked through her night scope and centered the crosshairs on the man’s head. Before she could fire, Gator sprang from the waves and swung the butt of his assault rifle into the side of the man’s head with tremendous force. There was a loud
crack
as the his head jerked to one side. He dropped to the ground in a heap.

“K.O.,” said Gator.

“Finish it,” said Hawkeye.

Gator knelt and fired a round from his Glock point-blank into the soldier’s head.

OPS CENTER, ABOARD THE ALAMIRANTA

“ -- clear,” said Hawkeye.

“Clear,” said Shooter and Gator, one after the other. The avatars on the display that had belonged to the six commandos were now fading from red to pale yellow.

The color drained from Cruz’s face. Her stomach churned at the brutality of the violence that had unfolded.

“Are you okay?” asked Dr. Ambergris.

Cruz nodded her head. Her face took on a light green hue.

On the holographic display, the Titan Six team moved from the beach into the woods north of Savage Bay.

“SitRep,” asked Touchdown, requesting a Situation Report from the Titan Six team.

“All six hostiles down,” said Hawkeye. “No casualties on our side.”   

“Now that we know this was an incursion -- a planned attack -- what are your thoughts?” Caine asked.

“Well,” said Hawkeye, “we have to assume a worst case scenario: that a large hostile force is occupying the Savage Bay facility. We have no idea what their numbers are or what they intend to do. It’s been several hours. If this was just a hit-and-run raid, a kidnapping, or some type of industrial espionage, they should have been long gone by now.”

“I agree,” said Caine. “It doesn’t make any sense that they would still be there after so much time has passed. There must be some variable we aren’t considering.”

“If we’re going to retake the Savage Bay facility from an occupying force, we’re going to need reinforcements,” said Hawkeye. “A frontal assault against a larger force occupying a defensive position is unworkable.”

 “We can pull five tactical teams from the Sudan and Pakistan, but there’s no way we can have them on site for at least five hours,” said Touchdown.   

“Make it happen,” said Caine. “Let’s set that in motion and figure out what other options we have until we can get reinforcements to Savage Bay.”

“We may still be able to enter the facility and do recon if we’re careful,” said Hawkeye. “And if there’s an opportunity for a search-and extraction of some of the staff, maybe we can pull them out before the tactical teams arrive.”

“You’re going to need a covert entrance,” said Quiz.

“And there’s got to be a way to minimize or neutralize some of the threat from the commandos inside the complex,” said Hawkeye. “Let’s talk it through.”

“Quiz, could you bring up the Savage Bay floor plan?” asked Cruz.

Within seconds, a slowly rotating 3-D diagram of the facility rotated on the holographic display.

“Okay, the Savage Bay complex was hollowed out inside the granite mountain that forms the central ridge of the island,” said Cruz.

“Talk to me about the layout,” said Hawkeye.

“The main entrance actually lies alongside a kilometer long tunnel bored straight through the heart of the mountain,” said Cruz. “The tunnel is wide enough to accommodate large trucks and runs along a north-south axis. At the South Portal is a gravel road to the beach.”

“And the north entrance?” said Hawkeye.

“At the North Portal is a floating dock in a deepwater cove. Ships unload cargo for transport down the main tunnel to the cargo bay.”

“Okay,” said Hawkeye. “So two entrances, and they’re both situated off a tunnel that runs right through the middle of the mountain. Lovely. Tell me about the blast doors.”

“The main entrance and the cargo bay entrance are both secured by two twenty-five ton steel blast doors,” said Cruz. “They were designed during the Cold War to protect the old submarine base from a nuclear strike.”

“And the general floor plan?”

“Behind the blast doors is the building complex constructed in a grid of excavated chambers. There are three levels, below which is the submarine facility.”

“Let’s assume the blast doors are closed and secured,” said Hawkeye. “Is there any way to open the doors from the outside?”

“No. When those doors are shut, Savage Bay is a fortress. It’s virtually impregnable.”

“The facility is currently in lockdown,” said Caine. “Is that correct, Touchdown?”

“Affirmative. Satellite data confirms that the outer doors are down. Plus our inability to access Savage Bay’s computer network indicates that complete lockdown protocols have been initiated. It’s an electronic lockdown as well.”

“What about ventilation?” asked Tank.

“No love there either,” Cruz replied. “The fresh air intakes are located at the South Portal access, but the vents are less than a quarter meter in diameter. Far too small for a person to fit through. Incoming air is run through a system of chemical, biological, and radiological filters.”

“And are there ... ” Hawkeye began.

“Wait, wait,” said Quiz. “The ventilation system. That’s the answer.”

“But you heard Cruz. Too small.”

“It’s plenty big enough,” said Quiz. “You just need a little help. And an air drop.”

TITAN SIX, SAVAGE BAY

Thirty minutes later, a stealth helicopter deployed a small cargo container attached to a static line parachute above Savage Bay. The black parachute canopy opened almost immediately, and the package hanging beneath it floated slowly toward the ground.

Tank and Gator followed a
GPS
beacon attached to the payload to its landing site in the woods on Es Vedra Island. They carefully retrieved the package and brought it to Hawkeye, who waited with the rest of Titan Six near the base of the mountain ridge.   

OPS CENTER, ABOARD THE ALAMIRANTA

Dr. Ambergris switched off the microphone in his headset. He turned to face Caine and spoke in a hushed voice.

“Catherine, you have to tell Hawkeye about The Genesis Project,” he said. “He’s leading a team of men into harm’s way. They need to know what’s going on at Savage Bay.”

Caine shook her head adamantly. “It’s not necessary for Titan Six to complete the operation.”

“You can’t possibly know that,” said Ambergris. “And there is far too much at stake. Not just the life of your daughter and the rest of our people down there.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” said Caine.

“Catherine, The Genesis Project will change human civilization forever. It’s already starting. Hawkeye needs to know why Savage Bay is so important. It may be crucial to his mission.”

Caine considered his words. “Not yet,” she said. “I hear you, but I’m not convinced. I’m not telling them anything yet.”

Ambergris frowned.

Caine pointed a finger at him. “And neither will you.”

TITAN SIX, SAVAGE BAY

The Titan Six team gathered in an area of thick undergrowth near the base of the central ridge on Es Vedra Island.

“Ops, we’ve retrieved the package,” said Hawkeye.

“Acknowledged,” said Cruz. “Make your way to the air intakes at the South Portal. The ventilation shafts are located next to the South Portal entrance about six hundred meters north of your position.”

“Understood.”

Hawkeye and Titan Six moved silently their through the trees. Wet debris covered the forest floor, and a continuous rain of water droplets fell from the foliage above. The air was thick with humidity, and the sound of cicadas filled the air.

After several minutes, Touchdown spoke again over the COM just as Titan Six neared the edge of a broad clearing in the forest.

“You should have a visual on the South Portal any minute.”

“Acknowledged. I don’t see -- ”

Thunderous machine gun fire erupted from the woods on the opposite side of the clearing. Tracer fire mingled with tungsten-jacketed rounds that shredded foliage and splintered tree trunks all around Titan Six.

“Cover!” yelled Hawkeye.

Gator and Tank leapt to the ground behind a large fallen tree trunk. Hawkeye and Shooter took refuge behind a massive oak. Pyro disappeared into the underbrush.

“Ops, what the hell?”

OPS CENTER, ABOARD THE ALAMIRANTA

In Ops aboard the
Alamiranta
, the roaring machine gun fire filled the room, emitted from speakers arrayed around the circular command center.

“Touchdown, where is that fire coming from?” yelled Caine.

“I don’t know.”

“Aren’t you watching the infrared scans?”

“No heat signatures show up on the satellite feeds. They’re either shielded somehow, or the data we’re getting is wrong.”

“Wrong?” asked Caine.

“Either corrupted data or intentionally altered,” said Touchdown. “The hostiles should show up on infrared imaging. Their body heat should show up red on the scan. But they just aren’t there.”

“Which is it — corrupted data or sabotage?” asked Caine.

“I can’t tell from here. Maybe neither. Maybe they’re shielded from the satellite imaging somehow.”

“Ops, can you get a visual?” asked Hawkeye over the COM.

“Already on it,” said Touchdown.

The field of view on his monitor narrowed in on Titan Six’s position on Es Vedra Island. In the grainy image, Touchdown could see machine gun fire erupting from two positions across the clearing from Titan Six.