[Quinn 03] - Shadow of Betrayal

They filed out of the room.

Tucker glanced over at the table in the back where several of his men sat drinking coffee. “We’ve got forty minutes to get the cargo up to the surface and into the helicopters,” Tucker said. “You should be able to fit four packages per elevator car. I want both cars in constant operation. Should be able to have everything all topside by,” he paused, looking at his watch, “fifteen after. Petersen’s bringing the truck around.”

One by one they stood.

“This is what we’re getting paid for, so let’s not fuck it up,” Tucker told them.

As soon as his men were gone, he pulled out his cell phone.

“It’s Tucker,” he said. “We’re in final prep and should be off the ground by one-thirty. Flight time a little less than two hours, so figure three-thirty worst case.”

“We’re ready and waiting,” the man on the other end said.

“No problems?”

“None at all.”

“And the targets’ schedule?”

“Unchanged. They’ll be at the center at nine-thirty a.m.”

“Good. And the distractions?”

“Both cars already in place. I’ll give you the detonators when you arrive.”

“Perfect,” Tucker said.

The distractions were a little extra something he’d added into the mix that Mr. Rose didn’t know about. It was going to be his ass on the line, after all, so anything that could help with a successful escape was welcome.

He disconnected the call and headed for the exit, wanting to get down to the second level so he could supervise the first load himself. As he did, he checked his watch again, then smiled.

With any luck they’d actually be off the ground ahead of schedule.

Quinn had just begun his search for the second room when he heard someone talking. The voice was distant, but that could have been a trick of the corridors. And, he soon realized, it wasn’t just a single voice, it was several.

He knew he should find an empty room and hide out until he could move freely again, but he also knew he was running out of time. So he increased his pace, checking the rooms he passed, but finding nothing.

When he turned down an intersecting corridor, the voices grew louder. He crept forward, passing two hallways, then stopping before he reached the third. The voices were coming from around the corner. Though they were distant enough that he knew they were down the hall a bit, he could make out snippets of conversation.

“… time to take … fine.”

“We need … think?”

“… promise anything … best.”

He checked the lighting and realized he was in a deep shadow. He knew if he took a look around the corner, the risk of being noticed would be minimal. Keeping his motions slow, he leaned out just enough to see around the edge.

Forty feet away, the hallway widened out into a common area where over a dozen men were gathered. Most were big, ex-military types like the ones who had captured Furuta. A few were smaller, wearing white coats like doctors or lab workers. All were focused on the man standing in the middle. Tucker.

Quinn hesitated only a second, then crouched down and crossed the intersection. He moved as fast as he could, taking a back route to the room where he’d found the first group of children. Maybe he could find a way to block the door, and at least slow Tucker’s people down. He wasn’t going to be able to stop them, not on his own, but if he could throw off their timetable, he might be able to get back to the surface and figure out some way to keep them from leaving.

Only he was too late.

Four other men were already at the room. Quinn could see them through the half-opened door. They were arranging the gurneys in some kind of order.

Quinn had no choice. He reentered the same room he’d hidden in earlier, this time leaving the door opened a crack.

The first thing he heard was one of the gurneys being wheeled out of the room and back into the hallway. Just before it passed the room he was in, someone called out, “Hold on.”

The cart stopped.

“Let me get the drip going,” the voice said. “We don’t want them waking up mid-flight.”

Flight? Quinn thought. Maybe there was an airfield and a plane that could hold all the children.

“Hurry up,” a second voice said.

“Two seconds,” the first said. A pause, then, “Okay. You’re good to go.”

As the cart started up again, a second came down the hallway. Again the first voice—one of the technicians?—stopped it for a moment before letting it move on. After that, the carts began rolling out unhindered. The technician was no doubt getting each of the IVs going before they left the room.

Quinn pulled out his cell phone. He wanted Nate to get into a position where he could observe the main ground-level exit so that he could see where they were taking the children.

There was a voice message waiting for him. He pressed Play and put the phone to his ear.