30. April 15, 2023 #2
“Nova able to give us some help negotiating movement in the passages? I don’t want to have the elevator doors open and be facing a brute squad with guns.”
“Routing her into the camera feed now.”
With purpose, he moved down the hallway to the elevator. When he got there, he waited for Midas’ AI program to clear the gauntlet for him. “Good evening, Demon.” Her voice, frighteningly sultry and human, came over the airwaves.
“Nova,” he replied. He always felt a little stupid talking to a machine. Especially one with a voice that sexy. “How is the path to the basement warehouse via the elevator?”
“Your current path is clear. When the elevator doors open, press the LL3 button.”
He followed her instructions. “Which way after that?”
“The blueprints we have accessed show that the LL1 and LL2 subfloors should maintain the same rectangular shape as the above-ground floors. However, there is some indication that the LL3 floor is much taller, wider, and more open, with air vents that travel from the topmost floor, the main floor, and floors LL1 and LL2. Currently, the internal camera system shows that all activity on LL3 is isolated to the southern corner.”
“What about floors LL1 and LL2?” he asked. “Shouldn’t we look at those?”
“Those floors are too populated at this time. I am tracking fourteen heat signatures between the two floors, and all are in near-constant motion. They also would not be deep enough for the types of vehicle tunnels you are expecting.”
“Got it. Elevator is here. I’m heading in.”
“I will ensure that the lights and sounds associated with the elevator moving will be turned off for your descent, and I will only open the doors partially so they do not distract anyone who might be looking in that direction.”
“Copy that.”
When the doors closed behind him, Demon did a quick check of his gun that was holstered in the back of his waistband and the knife at his hip.
At LL3, the doors opened just enough for Demon to slide through and to his left.
He found himself behind a stack of long crates, approximately seven feet long and four feet wide, that had been placed in stacks of five.
A forklift was heading his way with two similar crates, but it turned at the last second, the lift rose, and it deposited the two boxes on top of three others previously stacked there.
When the forklift backed away and drove back to where it came from, Demon slunk to the very last row and stack, then hiked himself up on the uneven corners, daring to look at what was inside the top crate.
A coffin, similar to the ones they’d found when rescuing Flame last year, and exactly like the ones Nemo and Steel had found in Egypt.
“Motherfecker!” he whispered.
Midas barked, “What are you seeing?”
“They’ve got more stacks of crates down here. Each crate contains one of those sophisticated coffins.” He did a quick survey of the warehouse. “Estimated fifty of them. Where the hell are they keeping the women?”
“Irrelevant right now,” Midas reminded him. “What else do you see, D?”
“I really hate not having a working body cam,” he muttered.
He looked out between the crates, but from as far back in the corner as he was, he couldn’t see anything. Slowly, he worked his way around several stacks of crates until he was behind the front-most row toward the center of the room.
“The elevator dumped me into basically a large warehouse. It’s just one big empty space. Metal all around, no dirt or rock, so they shored up the hole they dug here.”
“They’re at the foot of a volcano. Wouldn’t the ground be harder there?”
“Depends on the depth we’re at, the direction of the lava flows, and a lot of other geology stuff I have shite knowledge of,” Demon admitted.
“But from what I remember in science class, volcanic soil is perfect for growing things because it leaves the soil full of minerals. Certainly a perfect placement for the banana trees, vineyards, and whatever else people want to grow on the island, and why the family farm had periods of such economic success. The soil would be softer toward the top.”
“What else are you seeing?” Midas asked.
“On the surface, a lot of boxes of supplies, crates of equipment, whatever you’d need to run a research facility. I’ll try to get closer and see if the items are actually what they are labeled.”
“Anything else?”
“Vehicles. Two panel trucks. Those are probably what Steel saw coming into the groves. They’re unloading them now.
Again… crates say they’re things like lamps, clothing companies, probably for clean suits, but could be hospital gowns, scrubs, what have you.
I’d need to look closer. Wait. Hang on a minute. ”
Three men came out of the truck, wheeling a much bigger crate than the others. Demon went back a row in the stockpiles and got closer to the trucks.
“They just wheeled out a large crate that says it’s medical equipment.
I saw an ultrasound machine delivered once to the hospital.
It’s about the right size for that.” He looked around.
“Few more vehicles down here. Some golf carts, open jeeps, that sort of thing. There’s also large equipment like air purifiers and generators.
I see offshoot tunnels that lead to the north, northwest, maybe?
Wide enough for vehicles to go through.”
“What’s northwest of that building?”
Demon swore silently. “The recycling facility. There’s a huge incinerator in that building. How much do you want to bet that’s where they’re disposing of the bodies?”
“As awful as it sounds, I don’t think any of us would bet against you.” There was the sound of swearing over the comm link. “We’ve got a redheaded problem, gentlemen. TB, what’s your location?”
“I saw. Already on it. He’s going through the house. Turn on her tracker in case I lose him.”
Demon froze. There was only one “redhead” they would be talking about. Only one “redhead” TB was watching. “What’s going on?”
“D, stay where you are. Chances are, they’re bringing her to the plantation somewhere. TB will follow. Steel? Get ready to follow her signal.”
“GPS is booted up,” Steel replied.
“They’re going to move quickly. She’s unconscious.”
Demon couldn’t seem to get a full breath of air.
He knew running toward Cherry when he didn’t know where she was actually headed was a mistake.
Not only that, he wanted to race out into the warehouse, tearing apart limb from limb anyone who was part of this fucked-up shit show, but he’d only get himself caught without backup.
That wouldn’t help her either. He needed to wait for direction from Midas.
But it was so hard not to give in to the impulse.
“TB,” he croaked.
“Don’t have to say it. Let’s go get our girl.”