Chapter Three
Ciaran
Well, this sucks. That’s the first thought that pops into my mind when I hear the click echoing through the tunnel, and I know, undeniably, that we are not alone. Unlike the intel had led us to believe. I feel a faint vibration against my chest, not loud enough to be heard by the others around me, but enough to let me know something unnerving is waiting for me. It’s probably from Reed, which most likely means it’s a warning.
We’ve been made.
Unfortunately for us, that means our secret descent into this area was leaked by someone we trust. And last I checked, Reed was too far away to be of any help right now.
I glance at Silas, who is now stopped next to me, his senses already heightened, eyes taking in everything. I use my hand to make a chopping motion across my neck, our silent communication so he knows our next move. Momentary surprise flashes in his eyes, but it’s swiftly followed by disappointment, and anger. No matter how far we try to stay ahead, there is a constant struggle to find people we can trust.
Silas takes my cue, and moves quietly to the other wall, behind me. I lower my stance so he can see above me with his weapon drawn. Silent and efficient, we continue moving deeper into the tunnel. Kai, with a small team, approaches from another location. Our main goal is to meet in the middle, where the targets should be located. My ears strain, listening for some indication of where the sound I heard earlier came from. At first it sounded like a gun, but the more I think about it, I’m not sure. I move us deeper underground as swiftly as possible, working from my memory of the diagram Reed had sent us. The air is getting thicker, and I’m beginning to feel confined. If there’s anyone down here, they are losing their prime opportunity. We’re almost on them.
I feel Silas tap my right shoulder twice. He is thinking the same thing. Either we’re going to be ambushed soon, or we may be walking further into a larger trap. Both options suck, but we have no choice. At least twenty people are waiting for us to help them. Breathing in and out, I take another step when I hear it again. Click.
Silas reaches for me, hauling me back hard. My back slams into the wall, making my lungs instantly seize. An orange ball of fire bursts through the air past us, the material on my jacket is singed as it goes. Heat radiates on my face and my eyes slam close.
It’s fucking hell.
The burst dies away, leaving Silas and me breathing hard through the smoke. Sweat now drips into my eyes, and I can faintly feel my skin sting, like I have a massive sunburn. This was not in our intel. How are we getting around this?
I feel my chest vibrate again twice. I can’t risk taking the phone out yet to check though. If we can’t make it on this side, I only hope Kai and his team are having better luck on their side.
I tap Silas’ leg once. I can sense the small moment of hesitation in his body, but eventually he slides closer, and I take a step forward. Right as I do, the same event occurs. Click. Boom. Burst! We flatten against the wall, and this time I turn my head to the side as I send out a silent prayer. Once the last of the flame moves past us, I whip to the side and fire three shots into the darkness.
“Umph!” There’s a grunt, and a body falls. Footsteps start to retreat, right as Silas whips around me, shooting off ten rounds into the darkness. There’s a scratch noise followed by another thud. We wait for a second before I start moving forward. Using my night vision goggles, I’m able to step over the body of the first guy. Usually I’d take the time to stop, but we’ve already wasted precious minutes. I keep moving and jogging until we come upon the other body. His arm is slung around a backpack and attached to a hose-like device. At least we took care of the fireball situation. I motion Silas forward. Eventually, the tunnel curves right, but there is a small opening to the left for which I was actually looking for.
As quietly as we can, obviously we’ve already been compromised, I use my hand to feel over the steel panel. There is no indication of a latch, or knob, to open it. My head falls forward. “Tools,” I whisper to Silas. Once I start, we’re going to be on borrowed time, if anyone else is waiting here for us.
Silas slaps the crowbar into my hand. I use all my weight to shove it between the space where the wall meets the panel. The scrape and thud echoes in the silence. Silas brings his weapon up, while I grab onto the crowbar and tug. I use my foot on the wall to give myself leverage before the hinge breaks, and the panel finally pops open. A cold breeze pours from the darkness. I frown. This tunnel is radiating heat yet suddenly it’s cold behind this door.
Following my training, I head into the room, and once again, we’re plunged into darkness. Only a small, white, light can be seen down from what looks to be another tunnel. Reed’s intel did not signify what was going to be behind the panel. There was just a mark to indicate where the targets were. There is also no sign of Kai and his team yet. Silas and I glance at each other, and know we need to keep moving forward. Silas takes the lead this time, and as we get closer to the light, a swirling noise, similar to a running generator, can be heard. We move faster. A single bulb hangs from a beam in the ceiling, and another panel door sits on the left. Using the crowbar again, the panel pops off more easily this time. Dim light is coming from inside. As my boots hit the tile floor, more lights pop on.
“Oh, shit,” Silas looks around the room. My own eyes follow his. A medical table is set up in the corner, complete with leather straps across it. Walls are filled with jars, labeled with blood type, race, and age of owner of the organ inside. Silas moves over to a back wall and opens an industrial fridge door. “No way.”
The door swings open, and suddenly I can see arms, legs and feet hanging up, butcher style, from the fridge ceiling. Silas moves further inside.
“Blood bags and more organs,” he says into my ear piece.
I use my bodycam to take pictures of the room, and everything we’re seeing. We’ll take the information back to Rogue, but I think it’s pretty evident this is related to some sort of black market operation.
Static sounds in my ear piece, “Ci, you need to come see this,” Kai’s voice breaks through.
“Where are you?” I ask, moving towards the door.
“In here,” Kai suddenly steps through a hidden door at the back of the fridge. Silas spins, taken off guard.
“Didn’t know this was back here did ya?” Kai grins, but his face turns solemn. “Prepare yourself. The guys are combing through for survivors.”
We follow Kai into the fridge, and in the back, there is another opening. The nightmare waiting for us on the other side is one I know will haunt me for the rest of my life. Being in Rogue, I’ve seen blood. I’ve seen death. I know that evil in the world doesn’t discriminate among people, and preys on who it thinks is weak. Being in this field, I try to expect the unexpected. Right now, I’ve never felt more unprepared.
“What happened?” Silas asks the question we all are wondering. Bodies are everywhere in the room. Men, women, children . They are piled on top of each other in a star shaped pattern. The air in the small space smells metallic and putrid. I fight the urge to gage, and swallow the nausea down. Blood paints the walls in sprays of sinister combinations of letters, numbers, and symbols. Only the women have their eyes open, staring in death.
“Looks like a ritual of some kind,” Kai explains.
“How many?” I ask, watching as our team separates the pile of bodies.
“Thirty-three,” Kai responds. “It’s hard to say how long ago we missed the window. Reed’s intel was accurate, but obviously, they also knew someone was coming.”
“I sent a message to Matt and Jason. Instructions are to bring them all to headquarters for identification and notifications. We need to head home with these images. Jason is calling Reed in. But in case we’ve been made, we need to get out of Dodge,” I relay the message to the room.
“I’m destroying the other room once we grab the evidence,” Silas announces, his jaw tightly gritted. I nod at him. Despite the look of this room, it’s clear the other is being used to sell organs and body parts on the black market. The evil in this room was an added, horrific bonus.
“Let’s get this wrapped up.”