Chapter 18 #2
Phoenix leaned forward. “I’m still stuck on why they changed tactics. Even if they wanted the thumb drive, it doesn’t wash with me. To go to all this trouble, then just decide to leave us breathing?”
“Maybe it’s because they wanted you to take the fall for something much worse.”
Everyone turned as Brady walked through the doorway, holding one of the cases they’d recovered in the box from the lodge.
Bishop motioned to the case. “Do you know what that is? We haven’t been able to uncover any intel. Nothing else like it that we’ve come across.”
Brady scoffed. “Oh, I know what it is, and it’s epically bad. You’re looking at an advanced bio-tech container. For transporting extremely nasty pathogens then distributing them in aerosol form for maximum effect.”
Cannon stood. “That’s a bioweapon?”
“State-of-the-art. Some kind of new prototype. There’s a hermetic seal that locks everything inside once it’s primed.
” He closed a door on one end, twisting a lock in place.
“When it’s ready, there’s a timer on the side.
It counts down until it reaches zero. Then, it shatters the vial inside before this valve on the top opens and, bam.
.. You have yourself a deadly agent no one can see, smell or taste. ”
“We talking Anthrax?”
“Anthrax. Smallpox. Botulism, Pneumonic Plague. There are seven Category A agents that could pose a serious threat if weaponized.”
“But the CDC has countermeasures, right?”
“Sure, for some, but the initial attack could kill tens of thousands before anyone clues in. Place those canisters wisely, and you can cripple or topple governments. Especially if our friend, Smyth, has access to all levels of national security.”
Dungeon groaned. “You think they were gonna have us take the fall for an attack, don’t you?”
“If you can’t kill your enemies, discredit them. They wouldn’t have had to set off an actual attack, either. Just have you found with these containers, and you’d all be labelled as terrorists. Would probably get the blame for any subsequent attacks, too. Put Smyth in the clear.”
“Mother fucker.” Dungeon punched the top of a couch cushion. “I want Smyth. I don’t care what it takes, I want that son of a bitch.”
Cannon walked over, gave Dungeon a firm pat on the back. “Easy, buddy. We’ll figure this out.” He focused on Coen, motioning to Dungeon and the others. “Brady, is there any chance they’ve already been exposed?”
“I doubt it. I ran a few tests on Dungeon, Priest and Relic’s blood.
They’re clear of the worst culprits, and since they spent the most time around the boxes, they would have been compromised.
Especially with a firefight cracking a few of those cases open.
I also tested the cases, but they’re clean.
My guess is our buddy, Smyth, was either selling or purchasing them. ”
“Damn it, those tracks.” Phoenix stood, shoving one hand through his hair.
“That’s why we saw so many coming from that one sub-level exit.
They were conducting their own private summit in that restricted area.
They must have snuck people in while we were out on patrol.
Disguised as those perimeter checks the other security guys were always doing. ”
Cannon sighed. “No way you could have known. Is there any chance they’d make the bioweapon here?”
Brady shook his head. “It would be challenging. We have too many safeguards around labs that have the ability to produce that level of toxic agent. And even if they could, they’d be tracked down fairly quickly after the fact.
I’m thinking Smyth has a contact in a country where the government doesn’t have the time or manpower to regulate laboratories with high level containment capabilities. ”
“Which means, it might not even be in the country, yet.”
“Hard to say. But I’d feel better if we knew what rock they’d crawled back under. Make sure they can’t use those cases to launch an attack or sell them to someone else.”
“Then, let’s figure out where those bastards went, and go pay them a visit.”
“Molsen.”
Cannon turned to look at Becca. “What?”
“Molsen. It’s an old ghost town north of the lodge in the Cascades. That is the direction Bishop said the sheriff saw tracks, right? Not a bad place to set up a small base to get people in and out. And I doubt there’re any tourists this time of year.”
“Agreed, but there have to be other options. And we don’t have time to search every possible location in the northern Cascades.”
“Trust me, they’re at Molsen.” Another image popped up on Becca’s laptop. “Unless the resident ghosts just bought a snowcat.”
Cannon leaned over the computer, shaking his head. “How the hell did you get that image?”
“You’ve got your weapons. I’ve got mine. That was taken an hour ago. However, there’s one catch...”
“Only one?”
Becca smiled. “I might have activated an algorithm to alert me if there are any unusual flights from anyone in the DIA, CIA, or DoD to Washington State. I’ve got a deep-cover VIP plane landing at a private airstrip in Methow Valley in six and a half hours.
No aircraft registration or name on the executive order, which means it came from pretty high up. ”
Priest coughed. “You have an algorithm for the DIA, CIA, and the DoD?”
“Hey, new guy. No judgement.” Becca turned to Devlyn. “And I thought Crow was a pain in the ass.”
Priest shook his head. “I second what Bishop said. You’re scary.”
“You’d best remember that, or I might have to share those photos from Costa Rica you’ve got hidden away. A Speedo? Really?”
Cannon chuckled when the color drained from Priest’s face, before giving the man an apologetic smile.
“And here I’d almost convinced myself you were warming up to us, Becca.
Though, that’s one hell of a catch. I could contact Admiral Hastings, but by the time he can get the authorization to send a team, they’ll be long gone.
And it’s not like we have any concrete proof we can show anyone.
Well, not without ending up in jail. Even those cases aren’t enough to get a bio-hazard response team scrambled.
Not with them void of any trace of viable pathogens. ”
Bishop nodded. “It’s only a ninety-minute drive from here, though, it’s started snowing, again. Roads up that way might not be so nice.”
Olivia stood up beside Phoenix. “I can get you close. But with the way the sound echoes in the canyons, you’ll have to go partway on foot.”
Bishop eyed her. “You sure you can fly in this? Safely?”
“I can fly in it.”
“Safely?”
“Like I told you before. There’s no fun in that.” She held up her hand. “You just worry about how you’re gonna catch all these men by surprise and not die.”
Cannon crossed his arms over his chest, looking at Phoenix. “How about we start with the best overwatch there is and go from there. It’s time to see just how far you can push that envelope, kid.”