breath. “I can talk to them…explain that this was all a mistake…they’ll listen to me….”
“Joseph—Joseph!” The other man stared at him dully.
“What is the status of the guidance system?”
“Last I checked, they were almost done—just a couple more minutes—”
“And they have their orders to launch once the repairs are complete, yes?” Sepehr asked.
“Of course.” Joseph flinched as another explosion shook the walls around them.
Sepehr turned back to the guard. “Mamood, do you truly believe in the glory of Islam and the righteousness of Allah?”
“With my very last breath.”
“Good, I am entrusting you with this most sacred mission.” Sepehr snatched a short-barreled AKS-74U from its clips under the table and thrust it at the man. “You must protect this room with everything you possess—above all else, the enemies of Islam must not be allowed past this point. Do this, and the highest respect and honors will be yours.” He decided against adding “in Paradise.” This one might be naive enough to believe that he could come through the onslaught outside in one piece. “I must get Joseph to safety, but I will radio you when the time comes to leave, all right?”
“Yes, sir.” The young man took the weapon and checked the load, then hunkered down behind the console to await the coming invaders. Meanwhile, Sepehr took Joseph’s elbow and steered him out of the room, making sure the security door closed behind him. Once inside, he smashed the key card panel with the butt of his pistol until it was completely destroyed.
Joseph stared at him in shock. “What—what are you doing?”
“I am sorry, my friend, but precautions have to be taken to insure that we are able to complete our divine mission.”
They heard the chatter of rifle fire from outside, then another explosion that made the hallway tremble. “Your man out there will be in the hands of Allah soon enough, and the rewards of Paradise will far outweigh any pleasures he might have known in his life here. You said the tunnel is ready?”
“Of course, this way.” Joseph took the lead, and Sepehr followed him past the main workroom to a small supply closet. Producing a different key card, he swiped it through the reader, making the red light turn to green. Opening the door revealed a small, empty space with a patterned metal floor and a hatch in the middle. Joseph bent down to open it, while Sepehr made sure no one was around.
“All right, everything is ready. I’ve even set the trap on the door—once we go through, we cannot go back.”
Joseph turned back to him. “We must leave now.”
“Contact your team once more,” Sepehr urged. “To ensure that they have finished their task.”
Joseph raised his cell phone and hit the walkie-talkie feature. “Guidance control?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Give me a status report on repairs to the nozzle guidance system.”
“Sir, the fix has been made, and the entire system is functioning perfectly. The rocket will go to full launch status in the next sixty seconds.”
“You have done well. As soon as the launch status is confirmed, initiate ignition cycle, I repeat, initiate ignition cycle as soon as you have confirmed launch status. Once done, you will take up arms and fight the infidels as long as possible. The rocket must take off unmolested.”
“Yes, sir.”
Joseph flipped the phone closed. “You see, we have done it. Now, let us get out of here before it is too late.”
Sepehr motioned at the square of darkness in front of them. “After you.”
As Joseph turned to descend, Sepehr raised his pistol and fired point-blank into the back of Joseph’s head. The founder of Spaceworks, Inc., died instantly, collapsing to the ground in a limp heap.
Sepehr dragged the body out into the hallway. “You see, my friend, precautions have to be taken, and leaving you here is the best way of insuring that no one comes looking for me.” He walked back inside the room, closed the door behind him and climbed through the hatch, pulling it shut above him once he was completely inside the narrow tunnel.
Every step sent a stab of pain shooting through Nate’s side, but he didn’t slow down as they ran across the compound to the front door. Made of heavy steel, he thought, it looked damn near impregnable. Reaching it first, he took up a position on the left side, and looked for a keypad or card slot or any other way of getting in. He was joined by Tracy, Briggs, Travis and four other Border Patrol agents. Around them, the battle raged as the snipers on the roof exchanged fire with the riflemen on the perimeter.
“Okay, hotshot, you got us this far. Now how are we opening this sucker?” Travis asked.
“Can’t exactly take a SWAT door knocker to it.” Briggs rapped on the door, getting only the heavy, distant echo of thick metal. “I doubt the Barretts could get through this.”
“No, but I know someone who can.” Tracy grabbed her cell phone and turned to Nate. “Send someone up to take out those emplacements. If—”
“We come at them from the side, we should be able to get the drop on them. I’m on it,” Nate said.
Travis gestured for two other agents to follow him, but was stopped by Nate’s hand on his shoulder.
“That hero bug better not be catching. I expect to see you back down here in one piece,” Nate said.
“Don’t worry, old man, someone’s gotta look good at the press conferences. Come on, boys.” The cocky Border Patrol agent led his small team around the corner and into the darkness.
Nate turned back to Tracy, waving at her with a “hurry up” motion. She was on the phone.
“No, the rocket is still on the ground, but we need access to the main door. Haven’t your people accessed their security yet? Look, we don’t have a few more seconds—just run the override on the door’s maintenance program —”
Shouts and automatic-weapons fire made everyone duck, and Nate, Tracy and Briggs all scanned around, looking for the threat. “Come on, come on,” Tracy muttered, keeping the phone glued to her ear. “I know the government is slow, but they have to get something done sometime.”
Over their radios, they heard, “Front door, this is Team Charlie. We have accessed the back door, and are on- site, over.”
Nate keyed his radio. “Roger, sweep forward, and we’ll come to you from the front and meet in the main control room, over.” Just when he was about to suggest trying to find another way in, the main door jerked up several inches, then stopped, then rose another three feet before grinding to a halt.
“Good enough, Stephanie, thanks.” Tracy put her phone away while Briggs handed Nate a flash-bang grenade.
“Just pull and throw it inside. Ready?”
Nate nodded, and the two men pulled the pins and tossed the grenades into the room, ducking and covering before detonation. The million-candlepower flashes lit up the area like a miniature supernova, their deafening blasts echoing in the enclosed space.
Nate took his hands away from his ears and whistled.
“Damn, that’s gotta fuck up your whole day. Let’s see who’s inside. Briggs, you go left. I’ll go right. Tracy, come in behind us and cover the middle. Take out anyone you deem to be a threat.”
He ducked under the door, leading with his shotgun.
The recessed halogen lights in the room flickered on and off, lending a surreal look to the area, now wreathed in smoke from the flash-bangs. A security console stood on one side of the main doors, and next to it was another formidable-looking metal door. Nate swept and cleared his side of the room, confident that Briggs was doing his part on the right and that Tracy had the middle covered, as well. “Clear left!” he called out.
“Clear right!” Briggs responded.
“Moving to—” Tracy froze as a flash of motion from the floor console alerted them that they weren’t alone.
Nate swiveled his gun over just in time to see a swarthy, bearded man bringing up a stubby assault rifle, aimed at Tracy, and spitting fire and bullets in Tracy’s direction.
Without thinking, he aimed from the hip at the shooter’s upper chest and squeezed the trigger. He cycled the slide and let the man have another, his shotgun’s boom overwhelming the popping sound of the AK-variant
