Once More Unto The Breach…
MIT Physics Lab
0300
Kat, Riley and I made our way into her lab. I was shocked by what I saw. The air in the room was…Shimmering, for lack of a better term, at the center was a smooth construct, resembling a mirror, about eight feet high and five feet across. I caught sight of what lay beyond… and it took my breath away.
Lush green trees, as far as the eye beheld
The howl of a Timberwolf
The soft light from millions of stars
“Everfree” I breathed
“Holy shit” Riley said, his mouth hanging open
Kat just smirked, “Am I good or what?”
I wordlessly wrapped my arm around Kat’s shoulders, tears filling my eyes. “Thank you Kat”
She leaned in, “Anytime Mickey”
Riley was at a loss, “I-uh, I think I need to sit down” he grabbed the edge of a worktable, easing himself down to the floor.
I chuckled, “What’s up Chief?, thought I was bullshitting?”
He looked paler by the second, “Nope, I believed ya, just a whole different thing seeing it in person”
I smiled, “Take care of my family Chief?”
Riley nodded, not taking his eyes off the portal, “Fuckin’ A brother”
I looked at Kat, “The Chief is gonna set you and mom up with new Passports, ID’s, and SSN’s. You gotta disappear, I’m so sorry Kat.”
“We’ll manage, Mickey. Hell, I need a vacation anyway” she finished with a smile.
I wrapped her in a tight hug “I love you Kat, remember that”
She sniffled a little, “I will Mickey, I love you too.”
I tried to find the words to tell her how much I loved her, that she was the greatest sister a guy could ask for, then she looked up and I saw all the love and admiration she had for me in her eyes. I didn’t need to say anything at all.
“Time for me to go guys, the longer I stay, the more chance of something going wrong”
Riley nodded, “Get on it brother, I’ll take care of them”
Kat smiled through her tears, “Go Mick. And say hi to this Twilight chick for me”
I kissed her on the forehead, “Will do Kat”
I started towards the portal and Kat started to cry in earnest. I stopped dead in my tracks as lightning struck my brain.
It could work….
Can’t leave them
“Chief?”
“Yeah Zaz?”
“How fast can you get my mom here?”
“My guys made contact with her as you and Fuller went into the DOE, they’ve been trucking towards us ever since, so about 4 hours tops”
Kat spoke up, “What’re you thinking Mickey?”
I smiled, “You and mom are coming with me”
Kat blanked, “What?”
“Situation changed the minute the Agency found out about all this, you can’t live the rest of your lives on the run. Make it so Chief”
Riley nodded and walked away, pulling out his phone. Kat was leaning on her desk smiling like the cat who swallowed the canary.
I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, “What’s on your mind kiddo?”
“I’m speechless Mick, you’ve just given me the scientific opportunity of a lifetime on a silver platter, and I’m at a loss.”
“Well, I can’t leave you here”
Riley walked back into the room, “My team is in the air, your mom will be here in about 4 hours We’ll pull security until then.”
“Thanks Chief, Kat? Grab whatever you need. As soon as mom arrives we’re out of here”
An hour later after I’d gathered up my go bag and various odds and ends, I made my way up to the roof to grab a smoke and avail Riley’s shooters of an extra set of eyes. We had no idea if those OGA assholes were going to try something else. My money was on yes.
One of the guys was sitting in a hide with a rifle I recognized as a suppressed SR-25, the 7.62 semi auto held it’s accuracy while maintaining a rapid rate of fire, perfect for urban areas. The hide he’d built at the top of the stairwell gave him a clear line of sight across the empty parking lot and the buildings beyond.
“Hey bro, take 5, I’ll keep an eye out”
He nodded and relinquished the rifle without a word, heading down to the first floor, I slid in behind the scope. The parking lot was deserted for the most part save for a homeless guy passed out behind a dumpster. I lit a smoke, letting the blue tinged smoke circle into the cold night air, almost missing the flash of movement in the window of the office building directly across from me. I flicked my smoke and pulled the scope back up, getting a good look at the guy. He cradled a long rifle as he snuck through the darkened building, he was too exposed, the only thing I could think was that OGA must’ve thought Kat and I were alone.
I smiled a little sadistically as I watched a couple more guys join him, setting up their rifles.
Sucks to be you….
I keyed up the radio, “Chief, send that shooter back up here, I’ve got contacts”
“Rog’ How many?”
“Four so far, all rolling long guns, they’re across the road in an office building, I’ll take care of ‘em. Tell your guys to keep an eye out for a ground incursion.”
“My guy is on his way up, we’ll keep the first floor secured”
“Copy, will keep you posted”
I watched through the scope as two of the OGA snipers set up their weapons, the other two setting up security in the adjacent office. After a minute I felt a light tap on my shoulder and Riley’s shooter slid in next to me, another suppressed SR-25 cradled in his arms. He quickly set up next to me.
“Targets?” he whispered
“Reference: Office building across the street, 3rd floor, fifth window from the right”
“ I tally four targets”
“Roger, range?”
“672 meters”
I adjusted my BDC two clicks up, “Wind?”
“Quarter value, west to east”
I pushed my windage knob a click to the right, settling the crosshairs on the chest of the guy pulling security by the door.
“I’m on the guy by the door, take the other one.”
“I tally”
A short pause, “Fire”
Our shots were simultaneous, I watched as the glass spidered and my target went down in a spray of blood.
“Hit” I called out.
“Hit, tracking second target. I don’t think they heard their buddies go down” The shooter replied
“Sucks for them, I’ll take the one on the right…On target”
“On target”
“Fire”
This time the window shattered as the heavy Black Hills 175 grain Boat Tail rounds smashed through it. Both snipers died without a sound.
“Hit”
“Hit, they’re down”
I slapped the shooter on the back, “Thanks for the assist bro”
He nodded, his eye still glued to the scope, “Anytime Petty Officer”
We watched the parking lot for the next 2 hours for a sign of an incursion, nothing materialized. Which didn’t mean a thing, if they didn’t report in someone would come looking for them. The question was, would my mom and Riley’s men get here in time…..