The side of her palm bumped against something cold and metallic. She withdrew her hand quickly, staring at the space in front of her in search of a telltale arc of electricity. Nothing lit up, and she felt no pain. Probably not electrified then. Gingerly gliding her fingertips along the smooth surface, she felt the cylindrical shape of wrought iron rungs. This was the ladder she had seen leading to a round hatch in the ceiling. If she could make it one level up, she would be able to find the tube that accessed the control room.
She climbed up and felt the same kind of latch she and Toro had encountered before. She tried the lever.
Locked.
She waited to see if a display screen might provide a clue to open the hatch.
Nothing.
She climbed back down and considered the situation. Nemesis did not want her moving up to the next level. He was keeping her contained, trapping her below until he made his next move. She had decided to go on the offensive after Toro died but now had to recalibrate her approach based on her new circumstances.
Her captor had access to night-vision equipment, which put her at an extreme disadvantage if he decided to engage her. She would have to rely on her hearing to warn her and provide an idea of where her target was.
A high-pitched sound echoed through the corridor. Her body tensed as she strained to identify the source. Had Nemesis figured out that he could cover his approach with noise? That would mean he was making his move. She pulled a second pistol from her boot and held one in each hand, pointing them in different directions.
The sound grew louder, as if it was getting closer. She tilted her head, trying to get a bead on where it was coming from. The noise died out and then began again, piercing and ominous. She had heard it before but couldn’t place it. Why did it make the hair on the back of her neck stand on end?
And then she recognized the hiss of the king cobra that was apparently no longer contained in its tank.
CHAPTER 56
Wu stood between HRT Leader Jamar Benton and Flint. The team had cleared the surface area around the door to the silo. After detecting no sign of land mines or other hazards, Benton had beckoned them over to join the team.
“Just got a report from Patel,” Wu said to Benton. “He reviewed the new aerial surveillance. No vehicles have been anywhere near this location. Johnson heard back from the FAA. The flight plan taking Brinkley back to his house is still on file but not active.”
“So he’s still here,” Benton said.
“Has to be,” Wu said, then shifted his attention to the silo’s entrance. “Will you be able to open the door?”
While his fellow operators stood in a protective circle facing outward to watch for threats, the breacher Benton had referred to as Gizmo crouched in front of the door.
“Halligan tool won’t even scratch this thing,” Gizmo said over his shoulder. “But there’s a cipher lock with a keypad next to the latch.” He glanced up at them. “Lucky I came prepared.”
He unzipped a black nylon duffel, fished out a device the size of an eraser, and held it close to the metal door. An instant later, the interior magnet pulled it flush against the hard surface with a snap.
Benton gave his head a small shake. “This is why we call him Gizmo,” he said to Wu. “It was either that or Inspector Gadget.”
While Gizmo finished wiring the device and running it through the decryption program, Benton and his team reviewed the entry plan they had developed on the flight over.
“We’ve jammed his signal,” Benton said. “But we still have to assume he knows we’re here.”
“What are your protocols when you get in?” Flint asked. “Is this a stealth op?”
He had discussed the logistics with Benton on the flight. FBI agents were required to announce themselves and give suspects an opportunity to surrender before using lethal force, but this situation was so far from the norm that it required a different approach.
“We can’t go in guns blazing,” Benton said to Flint.
“If you announce, this becomes an instant hostage situation,” Flint responded. “Every inch of this place is under Brinkley’s control, and he’s got Vega.”
Wu cut the discussion short, outlining his decision. “HRT will go in quiet and establish control over the exit. They will advance in stealth mode but verbally challenge anyone they encounter.”
It had been the best compromise he could come up with.
“Not perfect,” he said to Flint. “But it’s the best we can do under the circumstances.”
“Got it,” Gizmo called out, getting to his feet. “It’s unlocked. Let me know when you’re ready to make entry.”
Benton addressed his team. “Line up.”
Wordlessly, the tactical operators formed a queue. Gizmo took point by the door while one of his teammates shouldered a rifle.
Abiding by their earlier agreement, Wu and Flint stood back.
Benton raised a gloved hand and silently counted down, lowering one finger at a time. When all he had left was a closed fist, Gizmo grasped the handle, turned it, and flung the door open.
CHAPTER 57
Dani stood in the inky blackness, rooted to the spot, as the hissing grew louder. Her time in the field had familiarized her with various types of snakes, but she was no expert. She racked her brain for information. Could they see in the dark? Scent their prey? Feel the vibration of footsteps through their bellies when they slithered close?
What was her best option? Any move she made might result in stepping on the cobra. Standing still allowed more time for it to zero in on her location. Her boots would probably withstand a bite, but they reached only midway up her calf. Every other part of her body was vulnerable to venomous fangs.
If bitten, her death would be painful and inevitable without antivenom. What if she survived every trap, overcame every obstacle, outwitted every attacker, only to be killed by a creature who operated on pure instinct?
Instinct.
The snake would attack if it felt threatened or sensed prey. What could she do to eliminate that possibility? Put distance between herself and the cobra. The only way to do that safely was to use her acute hearing to figure out where the snake was.
She angled her head to one side, then the other. The hiss filled the space, echoing off the walls. To be so loud, it must be right beside her.
A steadying breath calmed her frayed nerves and beat back the wave of panic that threatened to swamp her. Centering herself allowed the pulse that pounded in her ears to subside, improving her hearing. And then she realized the sound was coming from above her.
Last she checked, snakes couldn’t fly.
Which meant the sound was being piped in through the speaker in the ceiling.
“You’ll have to do better than that, asshole,” she called out into the darkness, deliberately baiting her captor.
The hissing ceased and the lights popped on, stinging her eyes. Blinking, she fought to recover her vision. Nemesis would be aware that sudden light would disorient her. What was he planning?
A resonant thunk sounded above her. She turned watering eyes up to the ceiling to see that the locking mechanism on the round hatch was now in the open position.
Nemesis had held her trapped for hours and now wanted her to move up to the next level. Two things were certain. First, her captor had taken the time to engineer a trap of some sort. Second, she could not escape her prison unless she made her way up to the surface.
Lacking any good option, she chose to go back on the offensive.
She tucked one pistol back into her boot and climbed the ladder, still holding the other gun. Once at the top, she hooked her elbow around the highest rung and used her free hand to open the hatch.
She bobbed her head up for a quick scan. The room was empty. Two doors on opposite walls stood open. She climbed up and kept her back to the wall, circumnavigating the room to peek through the doorway on the left. A short hallway containing no visible threats led to a bend. Unable to see around the corner, she moved to the second doorway to investigate.
She was surprised to see a tube rather than the square corridors she’d been used to. The pieces of the map she had seen indicated that the control room was connected to the rest of the structure by a wide cylindrical passageway.
This whole game had been set up as a series of quandaries and impossible choices, and another one confronted her now. Which path should she choose?
The recent reminder of her encounter with the cobra brought the words of her regiment commander back to her. “When you cut off a snake’s head, the tail dies.” He had been referring to taking out the enemy’s leadership and communications, but she would adapt the concept to her current situation. With her weapon in low ready position, she edged into the tube that led to what she believed was the brain that made the whole operating system function. Nemesis would not be able to hide behind electronics any longer.