Crow's Gambit, page 23
part #1 of Sylphan Revelations Series
He paused for several seconds before continuing in a quieter voice. “You are also aware of the technical and personal challenges we have faced and continue to face. I know some of you have been shaken by the recent destruction of the Garber hanger, the attempt on Cassie’s life, and the injuries Gloria has sustained.”
Darrow walked calmly around the perimeter of the room with his hands clasped behind his back. Everyone waited for him to continue. “I’m sure you are wondering where we go from here. Well I’m here to tell you our plans haven’t changed.”
There were a few murmurs around the room.
“Up until now only a few of you in this room have known about what you are about to see.”
This time, the room exploded in murmurs and confused whispers. Cassie wasn’t even surprised this time. Secrets were part and parcel at Crow Works. She didn’t like it, but she was familiar with it now.
Darrow raised his hands, and the room quieted back down.
“I assure you this was absolutely necessary to protect the project as well as you. You have all proven yourselves to be steely eye missile men and women, and now we’ve come to a point where it’s time we told you more.” Darrow looked around the room. “Bala, please show them Phase 2.”
Bala stepped forward and activated a large holographic projector that hung in the air above them. An image of the XS-9, or something like the XS-9, appeared on the screen. There were subtle differences in the fuselage and engines Cassie immediately noticed. It also seemed to be freshly painted black.
“Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce the XS-9F.” The murmurs in the room grew louder this time. “Mostly she is a duplicate to the design of the XS-9E. Using the portions of the original plans that have survived, and supplemented by the Smithsonian restoration data, Harvey and his team have built her from scratch. We’ve also learned a few things in the last several days we’ve been able to incorporate into this version.”
Cassie was speechless. She had suspected Darrow was still hiding secrets, but the design and construction of a new drone? With crossed arms, she glowered at Neil. Although if she had to be honest with herself, she wasn’t sure what upset her more—the fact they were still keeping secrets from her or the fact they hadn’t let her help construct the drone.
Darrow gave a sheepish shrug. “We couldn’t tell you Cassie. It would have put you in more danger.”
More danger? Did he just say more danger?
“It’s not ready,” Harvey muttered from the side. “And using PX-345 as fuel is the definition of insanity. I wouldn’t be surprised if the entire thing just blows up when you engage the pulse engine. I mean that is what PX is designed to do.”
“We can control it,” Neil said wearily. “The chemistry team guarantees me we’ve got the amounts right to avoid a chain reaction starting. Right, Bala?”
Bala clicked a remote and the image changed to one of the engines. “While I don’t share Harvey’s pessimism,” she commented, “he has a point. The simulations show the vibrations from the pulse detonation engine can be high. It might not blow up, but equipment failure is a very real possibility.”
“And if it does crash?” Wang asked, his eyes wide.
“That would be amazing!” Darrow exclaimed. Everyone turned to look at him. “Don’t you understand? A crash would still be a success. It would mean it flew, even for a brief time, and the Sylph didn’t vaporize it.”
Cassie found herself shaking her head and the words were out before she could stop them. “I’m not sure if you realize this, but people aren’t thrilled when things crash in their backyards. Trust me, I know.”
“Not to worry,” Neil replied. “We’ve installed a standard self-destruct in case something goes wrong.” Neil glanced at Darrow. “Or right, then wrong.” Neil shook his head. “You know what I mean.”
People aren’t real happy with flaming wreckage either, Cassie remembered her unsuccessful flights.
Joe spoke up this time. “This thing, it’s built?”
“Yeah,” Harvey drawled. “Already passed all systems checks and a ground check of the engines. Of course, there’s only one way to flight test it, but it could be fueled and prepped in a couple hours if needed.”
“We have a few administrative and public relations things to get in order, but we’re expecting to have a test flight in two days,” Darrow added. Behind him two workers wheeled in a catering cart with a large cake on it. There was a small model of the XS-9 stuck in the middle of it and in frosting it read: “To Orbit or Bust!”
“I think a little celebration is in order.” Darrow smiled at the group. “You’ve all worked incredibly hard to get to this point. No matter what happens, we appreciate it all.”
Wang rushed away from her side to be first in line for a piece of cake.
Cassie remained standing in the back, watching the group talk and laugh around her. The phone in her pocketed started buzzing. The pattern shook Cassie out of her reflections. It was the emergency signal she had arranged with Lizzy. Glancing down, she read the short message.
She looked around the room quickly counting heads. Someone was missing. That technician with the freckles that liked her. Bobby?
She spotted Neil and pulled him to the side.
“You’ve got a spy. Someone inside the company has bypassed your security.”
Neil raised his eyebrows. “I know that, but how do you know that?”
“Lizzy found a hole in your security system. Someone has been sending information about the XS-9 out of the building.”
“She found the backdoor? My staff’s been looking for that for over a week! Why didn’t you say anything sooner?”
“I just found out last night and I haven’t had a chance to tell you until now,” she hissed. He looked like he might explode, but she hushed him sternly. “Listen to me. I had Lizzy watch the system for the next time they started sending data. She just buzzed me. They’re transmitting right now!”
Neil hurriedly looked around the room counting heads like Cassie had. “Where’s Bobby?”
Waving at Dale, he motioned for him to follow and hurried away in the direction of the simulator room. Cassie hung back and studied the small crowd again. The revelation there was a second, improved XS-9 didn’t come as a complete surprise.
She had known Darrow and Neil had something up their sleeves. However, there was serious doubt in her mind they had worked out an autopilot system that didn’t need a human pilot involved. Based on what Walt had told her, they all thought she was the one for the job.
Can I do it? Will I do it?
There was a muted commotion in the hallway and Cassie went out to investigate. There she found Neil and Dale returning with Bobby. Dale was holding Bobby’s arm twisted behind him.
“Seems like a strange time to catch up on work Bobby,” Neal was saying. “From the computer log, it looks like someone just downloaded all the data on the XS-9F. Who did you send it to?”
“Neil, I think there may be better places to have this conversation,” Dale spoke in a low voice. But Neil was too focused on Bobby.
Bobby had a scared expression on his face. “I didn’t send anything!” The technician shouted, a tremor in his voice. “I told you. I just remembered I left some diagnostics running and wanted to check on them.”
At the commotion Darrow emerged from the doorway.
“What’s going on out here?”
“Someone just downloaded all the XS-9 information,” Neil growled. “We found Bobby in the simulator room.”
“Hmm.” Darrow’s face was expressionless. “I still had my money on Hodson as the only mole. I guess that would have been too obvious after all.”
“Hodson must have been a diversion,” Neil offered.
Darrow turned to Bobby. “Who are you working for?”
Bobby just shook his head.
Cassie stepped closer. “I better not find out you’re the reason people keep trying to kill me, Bobby!”
His eyes darted to her.
“Because I’m getting really tired of that.” Cassie tapped her finger into Bobby’s chest on each of the last three. Harder each time.
Bobby just shook his head. “Honestly, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t send anything about the XS-9. They just wanted to know about the boy.” Bobby’s face and shoulders dropped. “They said it would be worth a lot if I could get it to them.”
The boy? Wang?
Cassie felt other people spilling out of the conference room then. She turned and found Wang, Bala, Harvey, and Joe all standing just behind her. Only Andrew was missing.
Neil sighed at the audience but forged forward. “Bobby, who are you working for? The Admiral or the VP?”
Bobby went mute, a confused look on his face.
“The Vice President of the United States?” Cassie echoed in a whisper.
“It would seem certain parties have been operating a network of surveillance satellites in support of their own personal agendas. They want to stop the XS-9 not because of the Sylph, but because they don’t want us to reveal the truth. If we made the flight, it’s possible we could detect the satellites.” Cassie felt the shock filter through the group. She was shocked, too, not by the satellites, considering Walt’s data, which made sense. The fact the Vice President was trying to kill her was a little harder to come to terms with. She had never felt so popular.
Bala had come up just beside Cassie shortly after entering the hallway. She stepped back and smacked straight into Harvey, who’d been stepping forward toward Darrow, his mouth open to ask a question. An “oomph” was all that came from him as Bala rammed into his solar plexus with an apology. On collision, Bala’s phone had slipped out of her hand and landed by Cassie’s feet.
Picking up the phone, “Bala, here you—” Cassie glanced at the screen and froze. She stared silently at Bala for a moment, her stomach clenching. “Why did you just send a message that says, ‘They know’?”
Everyone’s heads seemed to snap around to look at Bala. “You’re working with them, too?” Darrow demanded. “We took you in when you own country disowned you.”
She sighed shaking her head. “Actually, I was born in Toledo.”
“I don’t understand. Bala?” Cassie shut her eyes, trying to keep some sense of emotional balance. “Bala, who did you send the message to?”
“I wouldn’t worry about it, dear. You’ll soon be in jail. Along with Darrow and this idiot.” She pushed Harvey away from her.
“Me? What did I do?” Harvey protested.
“You built an XS-9, Harvey.”
“You’re working for the Navy?” Cassie was still trying to wrap her mind around it. Her mind and heart were trying to reconcile the image she had built up of Bala with this new person in front of her. This person was spiteful with a hint of hatred in her eyes. The motherly presence Cassie had always felt with her had vanished.
“Oh no, dear. My orders come directly from the Vice President.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me, man.” Joe looked like he was going to have an anxiety attack. “See, this is why I don’t give out my real name to people.”
Bala’s phone buzzed in Cassie’s hand. She read the incoming message. “It says ‘Get out.’ What does that mean?”
Darrow and Dale stared at each other silently for a moment before both went into high-speed motion. Darrow ran down the hallway, not even bothering to whisper into his implant as he began to relay what sounded like a series of orders.
At the same time, Dale grabbed Cassie by the arm and started pulling her along with him. Bala took the opportunity to turn and bolt down the opposite hallway, but no one bothered to chase her.
“Dale! What’s going on?”
“She just told them their secret is about to be revealed. They’ll want to stop that from happening.”
Dale’s other hand went to his ear, as he talked into his implant. Alarms suddenly went off in the building and the lights changed to an emergency red. Neil and Dale started yelling at people, steering them toward an emergency shelter sign.
“I’ve got to get my Lincoln souvenir!” Wang started to turn around, but Dale dropped Cassie’s arm and in one smooth movement grabbed and picked up Wang. He carried him under one arm down the hallway and half flung him down the stairs towards the shelter door.
Everybody headed down the narrow staircase and into a long white room. There were several couches, a small table, and a wall shelf filled with emergency supplies.
“What is this place?” Cassie asked.
“This region of the country experiences both tornados and hurricanes,” Dale explained. “The building has several emergency shelters like this one.”
“What do you think they’re going to do to us? Hit us with a hurricane?”
Dale’s eyes locked with hers for an instant. “They also built them to withstand another incident like Baltimore.”
Just then, Darrow entered the room. “I think we’ll get everyone into the shelters.” He looked around the room and his expression changed from anxious to panicked. “Where’s Wang? I thought he was with you.”
Dale jerked around and surveyed the room. “Damn it. The little sneak must have slipped back past me. I’ll find him.” Dale swung open the door and ran up the stairs.
Cassie was right behind him. “Dale, he’ll go to the lab fir—"
One second she was in standing in the doorway and the next everything seemed to stop. She heard what sounded like a quick whistling sound then a deep bass thump. Her world exploded in sound and she found herself smacking face first onto the bottom stair. The lights went out turning everything black. There was a rumbling sound from above and dust filled the air.
Chapter 38
CASSIE FOUND HERSELF lying face down trying to regain her senses when the red emergency lights came back on, dimly illuminating the room. Her upper lip felt wet. When she ran her tongue over it, she tasted blood. Whether it came from her smashed nose or a busted lip she couldn’t tell. Her ears were still ringing too.
Dale was already on his feet and stumbling up the stairs. When Cassie tried to stand, dizziness caused her to drop back down to her knees. Neil appeared, kneeling next to her. He put his arm around her shoulders to steady her.
“Dale will find Wang. Come inside.” She watched the words on his lips more than heard them. Her world still consisted of a muted hum.
Neil shined a small flashlight on her face and then handed her a handkerchief to hold against her nose. With his help, she came back to standing and reentered the room. Minus the dust that came in through the open door and the emergency lights, the room looked intact. No one inside appeared injured, but several people were shaken.
Neil led her over to one of the couches.
“What the hell was that?” Cassie finally gasped when the ringing in her ears mostly subsided.
Harvey had just found his way over to them and answered her. “Concussive blast. Not a chemical explosion shock wave. I’d say a kinetic energy weapon.”
“A what?”
“Railgun,” Neil answered. “Probably a Navy destroyer off the coast. We’d be in range here of one of their new artillery units and they’d have the accuracy to make a strike like that.”
Cassie wasn’t sure how to reply to the revelation. She sat on the couch with her head between her legs, unwilling to try standing again. In a few minutes, the red lighting shifted back to a jittery white as the main power was restored. Ten minutes later, emergency personnel started to arrive. Harvey helped her stand and walked her up the stairs.
By the time they reached the top they were stepping over pieces of rubble. Emerging from the stairwell, they found the Crow Works a disaster zone. This section of the building had been destroyed. A crater now stretched across the center of the building. The amount of rubble was less than she would have expected but she imagined the sudden conversion of kinetic energy had vaporized some of it. Instead of a ceiling, the evening sky greeted them.
Looking around at the devastation, a single thought chimed louder than the rest: Where was Wang?
The majority of Crow Research personnel Cassie ran into were a little shook up. Overall there were only minor injuries. It took several minutes to dig out a path to a couple of the emergency shelters. There was one instance of a heart attack from stress, but Cassie heard the person was expected to recover. Only two people were seriously hurt.
They found Wang just near the shelter stairwell. It was lucky he hadn’t gotten any further. One of his eardrums was ruptured and he had a concussion from the blast. Initially, they had been worried he might have internal injuries as well. Dale had carried him out through the rubble and halfway to the front of the building before an emergency crew caught up to him. Wang got rushed to a nearby hospital where they determined he hadn’t sustained any injuries other than a few bruised ribs.
The other severe injury was the technician, Bobby. In the chaos he had tried to get out of the building. He had forgotten, or had never known, when the building alarms were sounded, the Crow Works security doors sealed. Unable to get out, he had cowered under a desk. The search team had found him there, half of his body crushed by a large chunk of reinforced concrete. He had died before they could get him extracted.
Cassie could tell Darrow had been deeply shaken by the attack. The damage to the building was bad. The fact innocent Crow Research employees were placed in danger was worse. But the thing that had really hit him was Wang. Darrow’s guardianship of Wang turned out to be more than just a legal arrangement. Darrow and Wang were closer than anyone had realized. Now, with Wang on his way to a hospital, Darrow looked devastated.
The paramedics checked the rest of them over and treated a few minor injuries, like her bleeding and bruised nose and split lip.
Eventually the group congregated in one of the undamaged cafeterias. The chefs offered to make them some late-night snacks, but none of them wanted to have anything other than coffee. The exception being Neil, who was having coffee mixed with the contents of his silver flask. He had dark circles under both eyes and his skin had an unhealthy pallor. Cassie was worried about him and wondered if the stress was worsening his condition.
