Matthew Reilly - Area 7

a networked terminal. We use the computer to open up an

exit during the next hourly window period and then we get

out of Dodge.

"Dr. Franklin," he turned as they all started down the

circular vehicle access ramp. "Where's the nearest security

computer? Something that will open up an exit during the

next window period."

Herbie said, "There are two on this level—one in the

hangar's office, the other in the junction box."

"Not here," Schofield said. "The bad guys'll be here any

minute."

"Then the nearest one is on 4, in the decompression area

down there."

"Then that's where we're going."

A woman's voice came through Schofield's earpiece as

he moved: "Scarecrow, this is Fox. We are at the bottom of

the ventilation shaft. What do you want us to do?"

area 7 193

"Can you cut across the bottom of the aircraft elevator

shaft?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Meet us in the Level 4 lab," Schofield said into his

wrist mike.

"Got it. Oh, and Scarecrow, we--uh--picked up a couple

of new passengers."

"Wonderful," Schofield said. "See you soon."

They raced down the vehicle ramp to Level 2, where

they came to an opening in the floor that accessed the emergency

stairwell. The eight of them hurried down the stairs

until they arrived at the heavy firedoor that led to the decompression area on Level 4.

Brainiac tested the door.

It opened easily.

Schofield was immediately worried. This was one of the

doors they had locked and then disabled earlier. Now it was

unlocked. He made a hand signal: "Proceed with caution."

Brainiac nodded.

He quickly and silently swung the door open as Book II

and Mother slipped inside, an M-16 and a P-90 pressed

against their respective shoulders.

No fire was necessary.

Aside from the bodies on the floor--from their previous

encounter with the 7th Squadron here--the decompression

area was empty.

Juliet and the President went in next, stepping over the

bodies. Schofield followed, with Love Machine draped over

his shoulder.

A couple of computer terminals sat sunk into the wall

on their right, partially hidden behind the telephone-booth-sized test chambers.

"Dr. Franklin, pick a terminal," Schofield said.

"Brainiac, go with him. Find out what we have to do to get

out of this rat maze. Book, take Love Machine. Mother,

check the lab next door for a first-aid kit."

Mother headed for the doorway leading to the other side

of the floor.

194

Matthew Reilly

Book II lowered the grimacing Love Machine to the

ground, then made to shut the door behind them.

"What the hell ... ?" he said as he looked at the door.

Schofield came over. "What is it?"

"Look at the lock."

Schofield did so, and his eyes narrowed.

The door's bolt mechanism--the thick rectangular part

of the lock that extended out from the door and secured itself

inside a matching slot in the doorframe--had been

sheared off.

Cleanly.

Perfectly.

Indeed, the cut was so clean that it could only have been

done by some sort of laser ...

Schofield frowned.

Somebody had been through here since the battle.

"Scarecrow," someone said.

It was Mother.

She was standing in the doorway leading to the western

side of Level 4. Standing with her was Libby Gant, who had

appeared from the other side of the floor.

"Scarecrow. You better see this," Mother said.

schofield went over to the doorway set into the white

wall that divided Level 4.

He checked the lock on the door as he met Gant and

Mother. Its bolt had also been sheared off with a laser cutting

device.

"What is it?" he said.

He looked up and was surprised to see, standing with

Gant, Colonel Hot Rod Hagerty and Nicholas Tate III, the

President's slick Domestic Policy Adviser. Gant's new passengers.

Gant jerked her thumb at the area behind her--the high

ceilinged hall-like space that housed the great glass cube.

Schofield looked into it ...

... and immediately felt his blood run cold.

The cube looked like a bomb had hit it.

area 7 195

Its clear walls lay at all angles, shattered and broken.

Entire sections of glass had fallen in on the bedroom inside

it, exposing the room to the outside air. Toys lay on their

sides. The colorful furniture had been overturned, hurled

roughly aside.

There was no sign of the boy, Kevin.

"Looks like they took a whole bunch of stuff from up in

the lab, too," Gant said. "The entire area has been ransacked."

Schofield bit his lip in thought as he looked at the scene

before him.

He didn't want to say it. Didn't even want to think it.

But there was no denying it now.

"There's someone else in here," he said.

THE LANGUAGE WAS AFRIKAANS.

The official language of the white regime that had ruled

South Africa up until 1994, but which now, for obvious reasons,

was no longer the country's official language.

After consulting with the DIA's two African language

specialists, Dave Fairfax now had all of his recorded conversations

translated and ready for presentation to the Director.

He looked at the transcript again and smiled. It read:

COMM-SAT SECURE WIRE TRACE E/13A-2

DIA-SPACE DIV-PENT-DC

OPERATOR: T16-009

SOURCE: USAF-SA(R)07

29-MAY 22:10-56 AFRIKAANS-- ENGLISH

VOICE 1: Kan bevestig dat in-enting plaasvind. Can confirm that vaccine is operational.

13-JUN 18:01:38

AFRIKAANS--ENGLISH

Test on latest strain expected

on the third. What about

the extraction unit?

VOICE 1: Toetse op

laaste poging

word op die vierentwientigste verwag. Wat van

die onttrekkings

eenheild?

VOICE 2: Reccondo span is Reccondo team has already alreeds weggestuur. been dispatched.

15-JHN

area 7 197

14:45:46

AFRIKAANS--ENGLISH

VOICE 1:

16-JUN

Voorbereidings

onderweg.

Vroeg oggend.

Beste tyd vir

onttrekking.

19:56:09

Preparations under way.

Early morning. Optimal time for

extraction.

ENGLISH--ENGLISH

VOICE 3:

21-JUN

07:22:13

VOICE 2:

Everything is in

place. Confirm that

it's the third.

Everything is in place.

Confirm that it's the third.

AFRIKAANS--ENGLISH

VOICE 1: Ontrekking kan 'n Extraction is the biggest

probleem wees.

Gestei ons gebruik

die Hoeb land hier

naby. Verstaan hy is

'n lid van Die

Organisasie.

Sal die instruksies

oordra.

problem. Plan is to use the

Hoeb land nearby. Member

of Die Organisasie.

Will pass on those instructions.

22-JUN 20-51-59 ENGLISH -- ENGLISH

VOICE 3: 23-JUN Mission is a go. 01:18:22 Mission is a go. AFRIKAANS -- ENGLISH

VOICE 1: Die Reccondos is Reccondos are in place.

gereed. Verwagte

aankoms by

beplande

bestemming binne

nege dae.

Estimate arrival at target

destination in nine days.

"That is some seriously weird shit, my friend," one

of the African language experts said as he was putting on

his jacket to leave. He was a short, pleasant fellow named

198

Matthew Reilly

Lew Alvy. "I mean, Reccondo Units. Die Organisasie.

Jesus."

"What do you mean?" Fairfax asked. "What are they?"

Alvy took a quick look around himself.

"The Reccondos," he said, "are the baddest of the bad

when it comes to elite units. They're the South African Reconnaissance Commandos. Before Mandela, they were the crack assassination squad of the white regime. Specialists in