Agent in the Dark (The Agents for Good) (15 page)

C
hapter Sixteen

The Resistance

“Welcome to the resistances last stronghold of modern power or dare I say just electrical power.” Chantry said expansively from his wheelchair.

I looked around at the lofty space above us and the ma
ssive turbines still working and generating electricity despite the EM pulse’s effect on the world. We were inside Hoover Dam. It was a first for me. Sort of like a school field trip that I’d never taken when I was younger. Asia had a similar look of awe.

The dam may well have been old and behind the trend, but it was still awe-inspiring in its massive proportions. We made our way out of the open gallery of the engines of the mighty dam into what had once been an office most likely, but had now been turned into a war room of sorts.

I stayed close to Asia in case a traitor was present at the meeting. The room was filled with a hodgepodge of basica
lly all the branches of the military, even some Canadian and south of the border parties. Screens displayed other remnants of the world’s nations gathered together in a live chat framework reminiscent of an international corporate board room.

“How do you get a signal out globally that the Code doesn’t pick up on?” I asked curiously.

Temple sitting beside me answered glibly, “We don’t. The signal is the Code itself. We’re hacked into a back door and riding along on its wavelength piggyback style.”

I noticed Asia’s eyebrows move upward eloquently at that statement. In computer geek language it was essentially the gesture of a high five from one geek to another.

“Isn’t that risky?” I asked.

“Isn’t everything old friend?” Temple responded, not looking up from the tablet that was before him.

Old friend?

I studied him carefully. That had been most uncharacte
ristic of him to say. Chantry was talking and all talking within the room went silent, as everyone paid attention both in person and those gathered in the screens to the old man in a wheelchair.

“Ladies, gentlemen, everyone gathered all over this world, we are gathered together in an epic struggle over essentially one inalienable human right, freedom. It’s the core of our humanity! Freedom is everywhere within and around us in the ways we can express ourselves and live our lives! The freedom to be who we want to be. The freedom to go where we want to go. The freedom to believe and worship whoever we want to. The freedom to be different than all those around us. In short, many are the ways of freedom. Many are the ways our freedoms have been taken from us by this Code that seeks to control all and have all do its bidding. An entity that decides which of us is fit to live or die based on a formula all of their own, with no consideration for the right to exist by matter of current existence alone. Without freedom life can be truly purposeless. So all of us have gathered here this day, while different in many ways we are of one accord in that we have joined together in order to preserve freedom itself and of its many ways which are unique to us, as different cultures, ethnicities, and unique individuals in general, all worthy of life and the opportunities open and available to each of us to live it accordingly. To that end we have in collaboration joined together with what resources and forces of arms that we, free people, still have to launch one massive assault to free mankind from the tyranny and the hopelessness of our forced existences as slaves to another’s bidding. The day has come when we can put our combined strengths that you all have so patiently held in reserve to the test. It is with great pleasure that I tell you today that a solution to the Code’s iron grip on humanity has been found. Not only found, but one that is fully implementable. Without further ado I will leave you with the brilliant young woman, who has single-handedly given humanity its best chance for overturning the Code and bringing its masters to justice for their crimes against humanity!”

Asia stepped up to the cameras her face red with emba
rrassment, as Chantry rolled out of the way to make room for her. There was no applause, only a solemn hope to be seen reflected throughout the room and on the screens, as everyone silently watched her in great expectation. Asia didn’t waste any time in getting to the point.

“All of you have already been briefed as to the final i
ntentions of the Code, but I’ll restate them now. Its intentions, if fully implemented will result in a one world government, a universal language, and a uniformity of belief based on self-glorification. The Code is not a recent breakthrough. It was planned well before the age of computers and technology the way we know it today. It has been an idea in the hearts of some dating back to the days of the Tower of Babel to control all mankind with a uniformity of thought. The modern era with its reliance on technology, namely communication, unwittingly provided the means by which such evil intentions could be implemented across the wildly diverse range of peoples that our planet consists of. The Code is the fruit of their longtime labor. It cannot be broken.”

There was a flutter of exclamation both in the room and on the screens at Asia’s admission. Asia held up both hands to forestall the wild speculation and despair that her words had brought to everyone, “However the Code does have a vulnerability that we can exploit to good effect.”

There was complete and utter silence, as everyone seemed to wait with baited breath for her to continue.

“Its vulnerability is found in the very thing that it seeks to impose upon all of us, which is language. There are simply too many defenses and complexities of code language to try
to change either the mission of the Code or stop it completely, but we can change relatively easy how the Code is displayed. I consider it either an act of Divine will or one of arrogant stupidity on the part of the Code’s writers to allow such a vulnerability to exist such as there does. As you all know the Code is freely relatable to and hackable. This very signal is being transmitted across the Code’s very own mainframe. Temporary cosmetic changes to the Code are very easy to make. If we can change the language by which the Code is read across the entire network then we have the ability to confuse anyone relying on it for communication. In the brief window of opportunity presented we will be able to strike out at the Code structures and its allies with complete impunity, as they will have no ability to either send or comprehend any communication relying upon the Code signal.”

The silence that followed was interrupted by a question, “Won’t the Code immediately recognize the change to it and return itself to its own language?”

“What change? The Code itself is unchanged, only the means by which it is read is different. When the Code is updated then yes it will revert to its own language. The Code is independent across the entire network, but it receives its updates from one central hub. If we can infiltrate that hub, change the language of the Code and then destroy that hub station we will have a virtual lockout of the Code, as long as they can’t crack the language that we have transcribed the Code over into.”

People looked among themselves as hope and understanding began to dawn upon them. A voice called out from one of the screens, “During the operation then we will be in the dark as far as communication goes, as well, right?” A general asked in heavily accented English.

“Not at all.
Far from it actually, because we will know the language the Code is displayed in. We will be free to use the Code itself to coordinate our attacks on the Code installations and its allies, as long as the Code remains a viable signal. Should we succeed enough against the Code’s mainframe that it should fall along with its signal then yes we would all be in the dark, but we would have achieved our goal at that point of shutting the Code down so it wouldn’t matter.”

“How will we read the Code if it’s scrambled?”
Another asked from a different screen.

“I have prepared data inscription protocols, which have already been dispersed out to all of you, which will decipher the Code for you into the languages that best suit all the n
ationalities of speech gathered together for this military strike.” Asia said confidently.

“Who is to be tasked with the uploading of the language and the destruction of this central data hub?” A South Ame
rican General asked.

Chantry spoke up, “I have committed my entire Agency to the task, we will be assisted by Special Forces from seve
ral nations, all of which are already in place and ready to strike. The signal to commence the global attack will be when the Code language changes and the attack will not be stopped, until victory is achieved over this device of evil men. If we should not be successful in capturing the hub and destroying it, the language encryption will be uploaded from a satellite site, but we will only have two hours globally to press the attack, until the Code updates itself and reintegrates back into its former language. We might not have the ability to change the language again with the Code people actively working against us.”

“What language will the Code be encrypted into?” Som
eone within the room asked.

Asia spoke up, “Only I know what the language is for s
ecurities sake.”

There appeared to be no more questions either in the room or from those gathered on the screens. I stood up and began to clap loudly looking straight at Asia. She blushed scarlet, as everyone in the room and on-screen followed my action with loud claps of their own.

Asia looked at me shaking her head with a gleam in her eye that said I would pay for this later. That should be fun. I hadn’t done it to embarrass her, but rather to give her the honor she deserved, but would never ask for.

Chantry gestured Asia, me, Temple, and Maria aside into a side room before we headed out onto the runway and the planes that awaited us. “I just wanted to say thank you for everything you’ve done and are about to do. You people r
eally are great at what you do and who you are, but I’d like to send you away with prayer, if I may, for your success and safety.” Chantry said gruffly looking up at us from his wheelchair.

He really didn’t wait for us, but just sort of began and I felt the power of his faith, as his fervor for us touched my spirit in shared spiritual sanctity of being. I’d always r
espected Chantry, but it was even better to be a friend of his once more.

We headed out onto the hot airstrip to the two awaiting planes. They were jets. Their black sleekly proportioned bodies gleamed in the bright sunlight. Asia walking beside me gazed at them curiously, “What are they? They don’t look like any kind of F-fighter I’ve ever seen.”

“Their Blackbirds, the ultimate Cold War spy plane.
They were amazing in their time, still are. The Soviets didn’t have a fighter jet fast enough to engage it and they never really knew when they were coming, but they heard the sonic boom after they’d already gone by. It freaked the Russians out. It was just another sign to them of who was winning the Cold War in a big way.” I said proudly.

“How fast do they go?”

I told her and she moaned, “That’s really fast!”

I nodded in eagerness, not able to tamp down the joy that I felt at soon experiencing it for myself.
“Their expensive pieces of carefully wrought art. All the important wiring is 24 karat gold. They were built to last, unlike so many other creations of man. The Air Force pulled them out of an aeronautical museum, dusted them off did a few calibrations and they’re good to go.”

Asia was shaking her head at me, “You just can’t wait to fly that thing can you?”

I grinned big at her in acknowledgment.

“We’re on a serious mission to save the world from mass genocide and tyranny by a select few and you look like the cat that swallowed the canary!” She exclaimed.

“Blackbird.” I corrected.

She rolled her eyes and laughed, as she slugged me in the arm. I did get serious once we were in the spy plane though, at least mostly serious.

Temple was flying the other one, with Maria along as a pa
ssenger. The airstrip was clear ahead, as Temple roared away into the blue sky.

“I’m not sure I’m ready for this!” Asia said into the hea
dset.

“Ready or not baby here we go!” I stated before screa
ming euphorically, as I engaged the power. Asia screamed too, but for different reasons.

C
hapter Seventeen

Savanna on Fire

It was a bumpy landing and at one point the plane almost flipped over, as it was the plane would never fly again, which was a shame. The African savanna just wasn’t meant to land a jet on no matter how flat it was. Oh well, the jets had both been sacrificed for the mission, as Temple had pretty much wrecked his too.

The jets had more than served their purpose in life and earned their outrageous price tags, especially if our mission was a success today. Headlights lit up the dark, as two veh
icles drove toward us out over the night across the savanna.

Friend or foe?

With relief I saw it was Flint and I lowered my gun. He got out of the Range Rover and pounded me on the back hard, “Welcome to the Serengeti little bro!”

“Yeah I love what they’ve done with the place.” It was my first time in Africa believe it or not. Some lion pride out there in the night was probably thinking what a good evening snack we would make right now.

“All right get in; it’s a four hour drive from here. We should get there about two a.m.” Flint said.

All four of us piled in after him and we took off across the bumpy plain hearing the night sounds of the savanna echo loudly around us.

Flint almost drove into a herd of elephants at one point. Now that would’ve been funny! But the four hours passed soon enough and we drove without headlights the last half-hour, as the great tower aglow with light loomed up from the African savanna ahead of us in the distance.

The tower’s purpose, while tall wasn’t to reach heaven, as its earlier counterpart’s purpose had been. Instead it was the place where the signal of the Code was updated and then amplified outward to form the virtual tower globally that had visions of heaven in mind. It had already been completed in secrecy in this barren stretch of savanna b
efore the EM pulse had been set off worldwide.

While the tower was not essential to the Code’s conti
nued dominance, it was still an integral part of the update system and eventually it would form the nexus of the great metropolis that was even now being constructed at the base of the tower and radiating outward from it across the savanna.

We were at the outer perimeter fence and we stopped. Getting out I kept Asia close to me, as we approach a breach in the electrified fence. All five of us slipped through and then like ghostly shadows the forms of men rose out of the African savanna all around us. Asia gasped and clutched at me in the darkness.

In a whisper one of the dark camouflaged men spoke, “Company A at your call Sir. Companies B through G all in position Sir.”

“Good!” Flint responded. “Take us to the tower. Have company C and E converge likewise. All remaining companies are to engage the secondary security forces in the city and any reinforcements that may appear.”

“Understood Sir.”
The man said before relaying the orders over a com line at his ear.

I kept Asia behind me, as we stalked onward through the savanna grass. The men who’d risen up from the ground formed a protective shell around us, as a few of them ranged out further ahead. Dimly I could see another group moving off in the dark to the right.

There were over 200 Special Forces commandos from all over the world converging on the tower along with over 30 field agents of Chantry’s agency. If the combination of those two forces wasn’t enough to complete the mission then I didn’t know what would be.

We were heavily outnumbered, but skill and surprise were on our side. Something else we had was commitment. We were all here to die, if need be to see the mission completed. There would be no retreat, until the objective was attained or every last one of us was dead.

I heard it then up ahead of us, the zings and pinks of heavily muffled assault rifles being used to take out sentries and onlookers alike that lay in our path. It was estimated that there were about 500 security type personnel stationed in the city workings and the tower itself. Another 5000 strong security force was located ten minutes away in a village that had been set up for the slave workers.

It was a bit of a stacked deck for less than 250 of us to take on, but it was the best that could be arranged given the li
mited circumstances we had to work with. Loud shots filled the night, as some of the defenders caught on to the infiltration of the city and the annihilation of their number by the swift moving scouts up ahead of us. We kept going, as firefights erupted all over the place with stated viciousness.

Several stray shots pinged off around us, but we reached the tower complex a complete unit. The tower was fully locked down, as to be expected and bristling with the en
emy. I pulled a mask on and then helped Asia put one on. A special unit guy brought up a tube to his shoulder.

“It’s
showtime!” I said in adrenalined eagerness for the action to begin. This was a lot more fun than hacking away at bears with a sword.

Click. Swoosh.

I watched the incendiary missile slam into the base of the tower followed by several others from the other two companies tasked with taking the tower. The explosions rocked the concrete beneath us and glass and men went flying. More incendiary missiles poured into the bottom floor of the tower leaving nothing un-scorched by their explosive flame.

“Alright that’s enough!” Flint said, as he took off for the burning wreckage of the bottom floor of the tower.

All three companies’ converged on the tower, as bullets pinged off the concrete all around us. Now came the dirty fighting. My only job was to keep Asia safe and deliver her to her objective, which meant that I had to stay objective in the fighting and not lose myself in it.

It was hard to skip by and not return fire with my comrades, as I tugged a somewhat shell-shocked looking Asia behind me. Flint was there to lead, I was to protect Asia. Simple, but hard.

I’d just made the second floor when a door burst open. I gave the man a round in the face and then mowed down the other two in the room behind him. I glanced into the room and saw several computer displays.

I pushed Asia into the room, “Will they work?”

She nodded.

“Well get busy honey, because companies coming!” I opened up on the enemy at the end of the hall, as bullets chewed into the expensive interior of the tower all around me.

I pinpointed the flight of a grenade coming right at me and I unslung my rifle and prepared to play softball for the first time in my life. I swung and connected with the grenade
sending it flying back down the hall from whence it had come.

“Incoming!” I shouted out before ducking inside the room, as the grenade exploded on its hapless thrower. I then chucked one of my hand grenades down the hall for good measure. Oh this was fun!

There were no more shots after the grenade exploded. Special Force guys streamed by me to clear out the area ahead and I glanced at Asia seated at the display. “Have you found out where we need to go honey?”

“Yes, but you’re not going to like it.” She said pointing upward with a finger.

“Hey baby, I’m with you for the long haul, let’s go!”

Shalako glanced through the night vision rangefinders again, as explosions and gunfire ripped the night apart behind him. “700 yards and closing, they are in the kill zone. I repeat in the kill zone. Lay down hot and heavy Blue Angel, plenty of hostiles to go around.” Shalako said into the com receiver.

“Roger that Arc Leader. Commencing
turn, will be in target zone in five seconds.” Came a voice back over the com into Shalako’s ear.

Shalako let the night glasses fall, as he watched the u
nbroken line of troop transports roar over the savanna headlights glaring in their approach toward him and the tower beyond. The heavy roar of engines overhead signaled the presence of the three fighter-bombers in strung out formation.

Bright white tracer fire began to pour out from the fighter-bombers into the packed convoy like a Trans-Siberian Christmas laser light display gone wild. Bombs fell and explosions rocketed up and down the column, as vehicles were blown apart, under the withering barrage from above.

The screaming birds banked and came back down the long column expending the last of their ordinance upon the chaotic scene of flaming mayhem below in an excellent di
splay of what air superiority is all about.

“That’s the last of it Arc Leader. Cut the party down for you some hopefully.”
Came the voice over the com line again.

“You did great Blue Angel we’ll take it from here, Sh
alom.” Shalako said.

The three Israeli pilots responded in kind, as they headed north through the night for home hoping they had enough fuel left to make it so they could participate in the greater struggle that would soon be rocketing around the world.

Already a semblance of order was being achieved out of the survivors of the convoy, as they pulled out away from the burning debris of those transports forever immobilized. Shalako turned to the tall black man beside him, “Alright Utah start your 50 caliber batteries up, when they come into range. As your positions are compromised, fall back into the
city and commence guerrilla warfare. Do whatever it takes to slow them down!”

“Yes Sir!” Utah Blaine responded calmly before heading down toward his machine gun locations.

Shalako shook his head, as he watched the capable young man move off in the dark. Where did Chantry keep finding such capable individuals to man the Agency?

Shalako turned to the four waiting mortar crews behind him, “Fire at will!”

Put! Put! Put! Put!

The mortar rounds soared high and then came down with deafening explosive force onto the beleaguered remnants of the convoy, which were now once again charging for the city, as the bulk of the convoy burned brightly lighting up the savanna in the background.

The big fifty caliber’s chattered alive, as they carved out their own share of carnage on the convoy converging on the city in a staggered out line, even as mortar rounds continued to fall with mass effect up and down the line of the convoy.

“I’m too old for this!” Shalako muttered to himself. War was a young man’s game. Oh well. Shalako stooped and pulled a missile launcher up onto his shoulder to sight down it grimly at an important looking truck with lots of antennas radiating out from it. He may be old, but he could still pull
a trigger.