James Acton 01 - The Protocol (5 page)

In the chair at the end of the table sat a tall, lean man with silver hair. He calmly puffed on his 1937 Cuban La Carona cigar as he watched the operation unfold in front of him. The unique aroma of the tobacco from Cuba’s Veulta Abajo, a district that is to cigars what Bordeaux and Burgundy are to fine wines, filled the air. Eleven of the twelve other chairs were occupied with people in various levels of excitement.

“If they do recover it, what do we do?” one of them asked.

“You know what we do. We implement The Protocol once again,” answered another.

“The Protocol, isn’t that a little bit of an overreaction?” exclaimed the first.

“Maybe, but we’ve kept the plans current.”

“But we don’t know their intent!”

“What the hell are you talking about? Of course we know their intent! Remember who we’re dealing with! This is the same tosser—”

The man at the head of the table leaned forward. “We are the Triarii!” his booming voice grabbing everyone’s attention, spinning them from the monitors. “Just as our forefathers did for generations, we swore an oath to do whatever it takes to prevent what may happen if they do successfully recover it. The Protocol may not have been executed in our lifetimes, but if it is to be executed, then it shall be. No matter what the cost to us, or to those who get in our way!”

On the screen, one of those being interrogated fell to the ground, a green pool of infrared blood forming beside the body.

Andes Mountains, Peru

Mickey glanced at the crumpled body at his feet, his face revealing no emotion.
Fuck me, he looks young!
He looked away, turning his attention to the other prisoners. The rest of the team were redeployed to hold the perimeter leaving Red, Spaz, and himself to stand guard as Dawson interrogated the prisoners behind one of the cabins.

“Where’s the professor?” shouted Dawson at the next prisoner who was crying and staring at her fallen friend. “Where is he?” He pressed his gun against her forehead.

“I don’t know! I don’t know!” she cried. “Please God, don’t let them kill me!” She fell to her knees and tried to hug Dawson’s legs. “Please! I have a son!” Dawson kicked her onto her back, straddled her and placed a bullet between her eyes.

Mickey looked over his shoulder at his commander, uncomfortable with this part of the mission.
They don’t look like enemy combatants to me. What the hell is he doing?

Dawson saw his look. “They’re on the Termination List. Now do your job!” Mickey briefly snapped to attention then went back to watching the prisoners, his heart racing.

“If someone doesn’t start talking, you’re all dead,” said Dawson calmly. He pointed to the injured Garcia. Mickey pulled him out of the group and shoved him to the ground at Dawson’s feet. “Where is the professor?” he asked firmly.

“I-I do not know!”

Dawson knelt down in front of Garcia and put his hand on his shoulder. “Where
could
he be hiding?”

“I do not know, I swear to God I do not know! Dios mio salvame!”

“Kill him,” said Dawson as he rose to his feet, motioning to Mickey. Mickey, now more than ever determined to follow orders without hesitation, walked up and raised his weapon.

“The cave!” yelled Garcia. Dawson spun back toward him and motioned Mickey to stop.

“What cave?”

“He could be in the cave!” stammered Garcia, pointing up the hill.

Dawson looked up to where he was pointing and could barely make out the entrance. He motioned to Spaz and Mickey. “Check it out.”

Acton tried to calm a hyperventilating Robbie who couldn't stop muttering, “It’s my fault, it’s my fault,” when something echoed through the chamber.

Footsteps.

“Quiet!” he said in a loud whisper. “They’re coming!”

Robbie looked even more scared and put his hands over his mouth to quiet himself. Acton peered around the altar, trying to see who was coming. A shaft of light from a rifle mounted tactical flashlight shone into the room. The attacker entered the chamber cautiously, aiming his weapon as he looked for them. All of a sudden Robbie jumped out from behind the altar before Acton could stop him.

“I surrender!”

The man aimed his weapon at him, training the light on his face. “Where’s the professor?”

Robbie gulped. “H-he’s not here. He left for Lima when he heard you coming.”

“Bullshit!” was the barked reply. “All of the vehicles are accounted for. Where is he?”

Robbie held his hands up in front of him, trying to shield his eyes from the light.

“He didn’t take a Jeep, he took one of the horses!” he cried as the man pointed the gun to his head and Robbie fell to his knees.

Adrenaline pumped through Mickey’s veins. There was no other way out of the cave so the target must be in the chamber, hiding. “You don’t have any horses.” His finger hesitated on the trigger.
He’s on the Termination List. Follow your damned orders!
He squeezed the trigger.

Robbie crumpled to the floor, his head hitting the ground, facing Acton. Robbie’s eyes were still open, staring at Acton as the blood trickled out of his head wound.

Rage surged through Acton. Knowing he was going to die, he gripped the pickaxe tightly and came out from behind the altar with a roar. He swung the axe high around as he did, and before his target could react the axe had buried itself deep in his thigh. The man screamed out in pain and collapsed. Acton used his foot to push him away from the axe so he could remove it for another swing. He swung again, this time at the man’s head, but as he did, his opponent turned to avoid the blow. Instead, the axe broadsided him, knocking him out cold.

“Mickey!” Acton jerked his head toward the voice. Someone else was running toward the chamber. Grabbing the now prone man’s weapon, he ran to the entrance of the room. As soon as he saw the man’s partner he opened fire, hitting him in the stomach. He went down immediately.
There’ll be more
. He knew death awaited him if he tried to leave the cave so he made a split-second decision.

He snatched two grenades off the belt of the unconscious man and ran to the entrance of the chamber. Lights were moving at the mouth of the cave now. Pulling the pins, he threw them toward the entrance then ran back behind the altar and waited.

The resulting explosion rocked the room. Acton had covered his ears, but hadn’t been prepared for the volume resulting from the confined space. He was disoriented momentarily then regained his bearings. He ran back to the entrance and looked down the shaft. It was completely blocked, the cave having collapsed. He was safe.
Until the oxygen runs out.

Dawson heard the explosion and spun around in time to see a puff of debris spew out of the cave entrance.
He must be in there.
He quickly placed a single bullet in the heads of the remaining prisoners and radioed his men to head to the cave. Red stared at the crumpled bodies. Dawson looked his old friend in the eyes. “Control gave the orders. They were all on the list.” Red nodded and headed to the cave.

Dawson watched his friend go. The look on Red’s face had mirrored the confusion swirling through his own mind.
These weren’t enemy combatants.

“Holy shit! Did you see that?” Jimmy removed his eye from his finder and looked at Niner. “He just capped them all!”

“That was the mission,” responded Niner as he continued to watch through his scope.

“They look like a bunch of kids to me, not enemy combatants.”

Niner watched the team approach the cave entrance through his scope. “Big Dog must have got orders from Control that they were enemy combatants. That was the mission,” he repeated, this time slower and firmer than before. “Eliminate all resistance and anybody on the Termination List.”

“But—”

“Do we have a problem here?” Niner roared. “Get back on your fucking scope and do your job! This isn’t the first time you’ve seen something like this.” He lowered his voice, having shocked his partner back into reality. “Listen, we aren’t told everything for a reason. We don’t know who these people really are. For all we know, they could be domestic terrorists disguised as students. If they’re so innocent, why would we be here?”

Jimmy grunted, not completely convinced. “If Big Dog says it’s okay then it must be. I trust him, not Control.”

Niner nodded. “Right. Trust the boss, but not his.” They both returned to their scopes as Dawson exited the cave.

White House Situation Room

General Russell and the few trusted personnel watched the feed from the UAV. It was clear this mission was going further than he had anticipated, but he wasn't in charge. This was Control's mission.
Whoever the hell that is.
Russell was forced to listen to the communications between Control and the Bravo Team, and he had no doubt that if something he wasn't supposed to hear was said, the feed would be cut.

“Bravo One to Control.”

“Control here, go ahead Bravo One.”

“Control, we believe the subject is either terminated or trapped inside a cave. It will take some time to clear through the debris to confirm. We have two men missing, presumed on the other side of the debris. What are your instructions?”

There was a squawk as the comm changed channels. “What do you think?”

Russell activated the comm in front of him. “Sir, a supply truck is due at their camp in an hour and our team cannot risk being seen by the locals. Nobody else is looking for the package so it will be safe trapped in the cave if the professor does indeed have it with him. Once things cool down in the area we can go back in with a properly equipped team and dig it and our guys out.”

“Fuck the locals!”

Russell grimaced. “Sir, with all due respect, if our guys are caught there it could create an international incident. Right now they will execute their orders and make it look like a rebel raid. Nothing will point back to us.”

There was a pause then another squawk as the channel was changed. “Bravo One, execute your previous orders and return to base.”

“Roger that, Control, Bravo One out.”

Russell turned back to the display in front of him as the team could be seen rendezvousing with the helicopter. Then Control's voice came over the comm, muttering as if to himself. “All these years of searching. We’re closer than we’ve ever been, and now we’re stopped by a fucking supply truck?”

Everyone in the room looked at each other.
What the hell is he talking about?
Russell activated the comm. “Sir?”

“Shit!” was the response. “Disregard that, just follow your orders. Control, out.”

There's definitely something I'm not being told.
Russell watched as the helicopter took off.

Andes Mountains, Peru

Acton used the tactical light on the liberated weapon to find one of the portable battery-powered floodlights that had been used earlier when exploring the chamber. When he turned it on, the chamber filled with light, momentarily blinding him. After his eyes adjusted, he checked to see if the soldier was still unconscious then removed all his weapons and communications gear. Next he bound his hands and feet with plastic ties he found in the soldier’s utility belt. Acton inspected the leg wound and began to treat it with the man’s med kit. As he did so, his patient started to come to.

He began to struggle against his bonds. Acton pushed his chest into the floor. “Take it easy, you’ve got quite the hole in your leg and a nasty gash on your head as well.”

“What happened?”

“I sealed the cave. Your friends are going to take a long time to get to you, Mickey is it?” He looked at the man’s ears.
Must be.
“Who are you and why are you here?” He was answered by a glare. “Not going to talk, eh? So be it.” He started to search for markings on the uniform. Nothing. He picked up the sidearm and removed the clip. Fully loaded. Reinserting the clip, he cocked the weapon. He pointed it at Mickey’s head. “Ready to talk now?”

Mickey remained silent.

“I’m not afraid to use this, and, yes, I know
how
. I was in the National Guard when I was younger, learned how to fire all kinds of neat toys.” He looked down at his prisoner. “No, you black ops boys don’t talk. Too bad.” He raised the gun and brought the butt down on Mickey’s head hard enough to knock him out cold again.

Now to find a way out of here.

He returned to the cave entrance and inspected the debris. It would take him hours to dig through, and he didn’t know what was on the other side.
Time to Indiana Jones it.
He picked the axe up off the floor and tore the sleeve off his shirt, wrapping it around the pick. Next he took a lighter from the soldier’s utility belt, lit the shirt and held it out in front of him.
No fuel so it won’t last long.
He went to the far end of the chamber and held the torch up to the wall. Carefully watching the flame for any movements from wind, he slowly made his way across the wall.
Nothing.
He came back along the bottom of the wall and halfway across, the flame suddenly started to whip and crackle as it changed direction. He knew the only thing that could cause that was air blowing from somewhere under the floor.

He moved the torch along further and it returned to normal. Sweeping the flame slowly around the stone seams, he didn’t see anything. Looking down at the floor, he saw a crack. He moved the flame over it and the flame sputtered again. Then it went out.
Dammit!
He reached into his belt and pulled out his flashlight. Turning it on, he shone it down at the crack.
It must be another hollowed out floor section!

He ran back into the other chamber and grabbed the pry bar that had been used to remove the stone tile earlier in the day. Jamming it into the groove in the floor, he leaned on top of it. It took almost all of his weight to get it to lift, but once it did he was able to work the pry bar farther under the stone. He then knelt down on the bar. The stone rose up and he swung it out of place with his hands. Sweating, he collapsed backward on the floor, panting.