The Viperob Files Page 16

  Ethan dove forward, stabbing the blade hard at the eyes. The point of the knife punctured the middle two, black liquid squirting from the orbs as he drove the blade deeper. Jaego leant his strength, both boys now driving the spear onward with all their weight.

  The Tri-Claw screamed, a sound of high-pitched agony as it dropped back to the ground. With one last shove, the boys buried the knife to the hilt, finally reaching the brain. The Tri-Claw shuddered before its legs collapsed into the dirt, tail twitching for a moment before falling still.

  Ethan slumped to his knees, chest heaving from the exertion as he kept his eyes on the corpse blocking the doorway, part of him not believing they’d succeeded. Jaego looked similarly wiped out, sitting against the wall, his muscles trembling from adrenaline overload and tiredness. A thump behind them sounded as Gwen dropped from her perch to the floor below.

  “Are you guys ok?” she asked, forehead creased with concern. Gwen pulled out a torch and shined it over their bodies searching for blood or other evidence of trauma. “Bloody hell, I can’t believe it didn’t get either of you. That was one hell of a close call.”

  “Yep, a little too close,” said Ethan, an exhausted half-smile forming as their victory sunk in. “Thanks for drawing its attention. We weren’t getting anywhere until you got its head up.”

  “You kids did well,” said Kane.

  Ethan glanced over his shoulder, having forgotten for the moment that an adult was with them. Kane was standing a few metres back into the room, well away from the front door. A pistol hung in his right hand, fingers still gripping the handle tightly. Ethan’s gaze moved from the gun up to Kane’s face and after a moment the older man looked away, unable to hold eye contact.

  “Have you had a gun this whole time?” asked Ethan.

  Kane didn’t answer.

  Jaego’s mouth opened in surprise. “Are you kidding me? You stood behind and let us fight that thing with nothing but a pair of shit homemade spears!”

  “I… I couldn’t risk using it,” said Kane. “If I fired a round this close to the station, we’d have had security officers onto us in no time.”

  “So, you’d rather we get diced by this psychopathic piece of shit?” said Jaego, kicking at one of the front claws for punctuation.

  “Settle down, kid. You have a bang stick capable of delivering a .303 round that you didn’t use. I figured you had the same strategic thoughts as me,” said Kane.

  “It was in three bits in my backpack. There wasn’t a whole lot of time to pull it out and put it together. We were just trying to keep the damn thing from bloody eating us,” said Ethan.

  Kane shoved his handgun back into the concealed holster under his jacket. “Grow up,” he muttered. “You’re alive; either move on or give up. Your choice.” He glanced at his watch. “We have less than twenty minutes to make the next train. Are we going to catch that ride, or do you want to whine a little longer?”

  Ethan took a deep breath to settle his anger. As much as he wanted to continue the argument, Kane was right on one thing—they needed to get moving. The priority had to be getting off the island, otherwise they’d never get the files to the Army.

  “Kane’s right,” Ethan said. Jaego glared at him, opening his mouth to speak, but Ethan cut him off before he could start. “I’m just as pissed off as you, but it’ll need to wait.”

  “Fine,” muttered Jaego, before climbing over the Tri-Claw carcass that blocked the doorway.

  Ethan leant down and wrenched the spear from the monster’s face, the blade sliding out with a sickening slurp of black ooze. He waited for both Gwen and Kane to climb their way over the Tri-Claw before joining them on the street.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Harris had an uneasy thought that he’d gambled on the wrong location. He lifted his communications radio on his chest and depressed the call button. “Charlie Team, any sign of the target at the foreshore?”

  After a few moments, he received a negative reply. Harris cursed violently, stood, then began pacing back and forth in the station’s security control room as he considered other possibilities. He stopped and ran one hand over his scalp, forcing his breathing to slow as he sought to regain control of his demeanour before one of his officers found him in such a state. Harris sat on a black office chair and studied the screens before him that supplied a feed from multiple CCTV cameras dotted around the station. He had to be right, the station was the only sane choice to leave the island.

  Outside of his commandeered control room, the station was deserted aside from a handful of transport employees on shift, and they’d made themselves scarce. It was the same everywhere he went. No one interacted with his team unless they absolutely had to, but it wasn’t something that concerned Harris in the least. If people complied with his orders, he could ignore the expressions of poorly disguised fear and revulsion that followed his steps.

  Looking at his watch, he felt a knot of frustration rise that Alpha Team had gone offline. Twice now they had failed to respond, and if it happened a third time, he’d be forced to waste more resources to see if they’d been ambushed by a Tri-Claw whilst dumping the bodies outside the wall.

  Something moved in his peripheral vision. Harris jerked his head to the right, eyes searching for what had caught his attention. The screens relayed colour footage, but with so little light outside, everything appeared in various tones of grey. There it is again. First one, then another three figures emerged from the shadows against a building to cross a road. Harris used a control to move the camera to follow their movement. Within moments, they’d left the field of vision of his camera, but Harris had seen enough. He clenched his hand in triumph. He’d found them, and the data chip would soon be in his hands. Harris stood and left the room, going to join his men at the eastern entrance for the arrest.

  Behind him on a different CCTV relay, another figure appeared on screen. Weaving slightly like a punch-drunk fighter, a man approached the station through the covered walkway.

  Kane skidded to a stop on gaining the shadows on the far side of the street, breathing hard. They’d made it. On the other side of the ancient intersection was the eastern entrance to the Maglev station, the only access point after nightfall. Hearing the teens close behind, he turned and beckoned closer with a sharp wave of his hand, bringing them into a huddle.

  “You three stay here while I scope out the situation and make a deal,” said Kane. His voice was tight and breath rate up, words spilling in a rush. “Don’t move until I say so. Once it’s safe, I’ll call you up.”

  “I think I saw a CCTV camera move back at that last street,” said Jaego. “What if someone’s already seen us?”

  Kane tried to force nonchalance but failed to take the tension from his voice. “I’ll find out soon enough, but all the more reason for you to stay here and out of sight.”

  He looked at Gwen. “If you guys still want a ride on that train, I need that ring to make a deal. Time to hand it over, kid.”

  Gwen clenched her jaw at the order, clearly annoyed by his tone of voice. With a few sharp twists, she removed the ring and held it out in the palm of her hand. As Kane went to claim the prize, Gwen closed her fingers about the ring in a fist.

  “Cut the crap, Gwen. I don’t have long, that train’s supposed to leave in ten minutes.”

  Gwen held his gaze, brows narrowed. “I want something as insurance so that you don’t screw us over. Give me your handgun.”

  Kane swore under his breath. These kids were seriously starting to annoy him. “I don’t have time for this shit, Gwen.”

  “So, give her the gun and get moving,” said Ethan.

  Kane grit his teeth as he drew the weapon from his chest holster. In ten minutes he’d be safe on the train and alone again, free of these bastard kids that seemed to read his motives like a book. He thumped the gun down into Gwen’s waiting hand who promptly ran through a weapon’s check before finally passing him the ring.

  “Like I said, don’t bloody move
until I call,” he muttered, tucking what he hoped would be his ticket off the island into a pocket at his waist.

  “And if you don’t come back?” asked Ethan.

  Kane let out a short humourless laugh. “Then I’ll be the least of your worries kid,” he said, ignoring Ethan’s scowl as he turned and walked towards the station.

  He could only hug the shadows of the derelict building for another twenty paces before he reached the intersection. On the far side stood the entrance to the Maglev station, but to reach it, he’d have to cross thirty metres of flood-lit tarmac. Kane swallowed a sour taste, suddenly doubting his own plan. Trying to ignore the anxiety that squirmed in his gut like a bowl of worms, he stepped out onto the intersection. None of the options for escape held great chances of success; he’d just have to roll the dice.

  A quiet buzz sounded from ahead as a camera tracked his approach. Kane quickened his pace, breaking into a run to cover the distance quickly as his pulse started to surge. He reached the gate in moments. The entrance to the station was obstructed by a barred gate like that of a prison cell, thick steel bars serving to keep roaming Tri-Claw on the outside. Behind the gate was a short blue-walled passage that opened onto the main platform of the station, giving a partial view of the Maglev he needed to board.

  Ignoring the intercom beside the doorway, Kane rapped his knuckles on the metal bars, the sound bouncing about the short corridor like a cowbell. He waited for a moment to see if anyone responded to the noise.

  Nothing.

  Kane glanced over his shoulder as he heard a Tri-Claw in the distance, the metallic chirp setting his heart pounding as he recalled the ferocity of the last attack. He turned back to the gate and hit the button on the intercom, now desperate to get behind the bars. Kane cringed as a two-tone chime issued from the speaker at volume, repeating every few seconds not only from the intercom, but also over speakers throughout the station. If Spec Ops were on site, they’d be zeroing in on him any second.

  Footsteps sounded ahead from farther down the hallway and suddenly a man in Transit uniform appeared, walking quickly toward him. Kane gripped a bar of the gate in each hand, leaning forward eagerly as he recognized his planned contact.

  “Marco, you’re a sight for sore eyes.”

  Gwen’s father came forward quickly, arriving mildly out of breath. He punched a code into a security pad on the wall, disengaging the gate’s lock so it could open. Kane went to step through the gap but was stopped by a raised hand.

  “What do you want, Kane?”

  “I need to get off the island. Can you get me on an outbound train?”

  Marco let out a short laugh. “You’ve got be kidding me. Do you have any idea how closely security is watching us these days? I can barely scratch my own balls without one of them enquiring what I’m up to.”

  “I can make it worth your while,” said Kane, his finger scrabbling in his pocket for the ring. Finally, he hooked the ring and brought it into the open, light sparkling within the diamond as he held it up. “Surely getting your hands on this would make the risk acceptable?”

  Marco stared at the ring, his tongue darting out to lick his lower lip. “All right,” he said slowly. “Just this once then.” He accepted the ring, then in the blink of an eye it was gone, tucked into a pocket with the skill of a close-up magician. “There’s only a few minutes to get you all on board before the next service heads out. Call the kids over so we can get moving.”

  Kane jolted at his words. “Marco, I didn’t say I was travelling with kids.”

  Marco didn’t meet his eyes. “Yeah you did. Just call them up, we haven’t got much time.”

  Kane glanced over his shoulder and took a hesitant step back. Something’s not right. “You know what, keep the ring. I think I’ve changed my mind.”

  Marco shot out a hand, a wild look coming over his face as he clamped onto Kane’s arm. “You’re not going anywhere until you help me bring in those boys.” Using his free hand, Marco ripped a communications radio off his shoulder and smashed it under his heel. “Spec Ops are watching, you idiot. We don’t have much time. Is my little girl out there? Is she safe?”

  Kane ripped his arm down violently, trying to dislodge the man’s grip but Marco clung on like a terrier with a rat in its mouth.

  “God damn it, man, this might be my last chance to protect her!” grated Marco.

  Footsteps thundered down corridor and Kane felt his gut contract as he saw a pair of Spec Ops officers descending. Heavy hands latched onto both men and wrenched them into the station.

  One of the officers kicked hard into the back of Kane’s knee while the other pushed down on his shoulder, forcing him onto the ground. Kneecaps hit the concrete with the sound of a hammer strike, causing him to scream out in pain.

  Harris’s lip curled in distaste as a wad of clear snot bubbled from Kane’s left nostril. The man was a mess. Tears streamed from his eyes, lips mumbled incoherently, and eyes skittered all about like a cornered animal desperate for an avenue of escape. One officer held Kane’s left arm, twisting it high behind his back.

  “Pull yourself together,” muttered Harris.

  Kane’s eyes flicked toward Harris, before looking away again, unable to hold his gaze for more than a second.

  “He tried to bribe passage on the Maglev with this,” said the other officer, holding out a diamond ring.

  Marco lay on the tiles unconscious, blood oozing from a flattened nose. Harris’s lips pursed with irritation. He’d make sure the man died in agony later for his actions, but he had more pressing issues at hand.

  Harris took the ring from his officer, studying it briefly before tucking it into his own pocket. He knew next to nothing about gemstones, but if the rock proved to be real—it was a piece of evidence that would cease to exist in any formal records. One of the occasional perks of his job.

  Harris stood to his full height, clasping his hands behind his back as he stared down at Kane.

  “I know you’ve made contact with Ethan Claymore and his mates,” said Harris, getting all the confirmation he needed as Kane flinched on hearing the teenager’s name.

  “You tried to bribe your way off the island, but the kids aren’t with you. That leaves two possibilities—either you were checking the coast was clear before calling them up, or…” Harris paused and studied his prisoner’s face. Kane seemed to shrink in on himself, staring at the ground.

  “No, that’s not it at all. You never planned on taking them, did you? It’s hard enough when you only have to look after yourself, let alone having to chaperone a bunch of sulking kids. Bravo to you, sir. That’s a ruthlessness I can appreciate,” Harris said with a smile.

  “But, time’s a’wasting.” All pretence of civility dropped from Harris’s features. His gaze was hawkish as he gripped Kane by the chin and wrenched it up, forcing the man to meet his eyes. “Do you have the data chip?”

  Kane said nothing. The officer holding Kane’s arm jerked it higher behind his back, the shoulder making a disturbing popping sound as he screamed.

  “Next time you fail to answer a question, we won’t be so kind,” said Harris. “So, let me ask again, do you have the data chip?”

  “Ethan…” sobbed Kane. “Ethan Claymore has it. He’s carried it the whole time. I don’t have any copies of the files, I swear.”

  Harris let go of his chin, wiping mucous-covered fingers on his pants in disgust. The man was pathetic, an embarrassment.

  “Nikolai would have been so proud,” said Harris. “Giving up his son without even a fight. You know, he lost every finger on his right hand along with an eye before he talked about the data chip, but I guess you’re not half the man he was.

  “But don’t worry, I’m nearly done with you. Just call them out from their hiding spot and bring them up to the station. You do that and who knows, maybe I’ll let you live a little longer.”

  The officer holding Kane’s arm released the limb and hoisted him to stand. Kane sniffed a stream of snot b
ack into his nose and cuffed the tears from his eyes, still looking anywhere but at the lieutenant.

  “Well, what’s it going to be? Are you going to help me? Or do you want to start losing fingers one at a time?” asked Harris.

  Kane finally met his captor’s eye. “I’ll bring them up, but then I’m a free man, right?”

  Harris emitted a short bark of laughter. “You do your job well enough, and then we’ll talk afterwards about what sort of outcome you deserve.”

  Zach exited the covered walkway and stepped onto the Maglev platform, dragging his right foot behind. A strip of burnished steel beside him reflected a visage he didn’t recognise. His face was a mess, dark bruises beneath eyelids so swollen he was reduced to viewing the world through slits. The left side of his scalp was a matted travesty of gore. Blood slowly oozed from the ear, while cerebrospinal fluid tinged with pink dripped from his nostrils.

  He knew he was living on borrowed time as his vision started to grey and his right-sided limbs became progressively more numb and unresponsive. But the agony within in his skull amplified the one thought that drove him on. I have to reach my son.

  Zach ran through a check of his pistol and grimaced as he realised there were only two rounds left in the magazine, cursing himself that he hadn’t stripped the security officer of ammunition when he’d stolen the weapon. Ahead, three Spec Ops officers entered a side corridor with weapons raised. Zach powered himself onward in chase, uncaring of any noise he made as he gripped the pistol in his left hand. Each round would have to count.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Ethan crept back along the edge of the wall, hugging the shadows until he reached his friends again. Jaego held his improvised spear, watching the street behind for danger while Gwen held their sole firearm.

  “Did you see anything?” she asked.

  Ethan shook his head in the negative, a crease on his forehead as he frowned in concern and crouched next to the pair. “Nah. There’s no one there, just an open gate into the station. All seems a bit odd.”