Out of the Black - Lee Doty [89]
At the elevator bank on the twenty-fourth floor they stopped. A few minutes later, they had hacked into the security system and located their prey in the observation room for OR-3.
Shiva's eyes lost focus for a moment and the lights flickered, then flickered again briefly. She smiled and her eyes fluttered open. "Ok, the wireless trunks are down, but I'll need to get to the basement to cut the hard wires." Another glance, and the elevator door before her opened, revealing the dark shaft.
"Vega, take your men and keep the cops out of the way." she said to the leader of the undercover Grunts. She stepped casually into the empty air of the elevator shaft, then hovering, she turned back to face the hard-eyed leader of the heavy weapons team. "Signal me when you've released our allies from the security ward."
The woman with the assault gun nodded, lips stretching slightly. "The gloves are off?"
"Don't kill its precious key, but you can shoot anything else that moves as many times as you'd like."
The woman didn't nod, but her grin and the sparkle in her cold eyes told Shiva that she understood.
The elevator doors closed and Shiva began her quick descent through the dim shaft.
***
The car with the metal patch tape on the roof was in the garage. A few pieces were gone. Ping examined the power plant beneath the hood but he couldn't see the difference. Alex had assured him that Dek had "done the deed" back at the library, meaning he'd disabled the 'jack system that provided satellite tracking for the car. He was going to arrest that guy later... tampering with the anti-theft system of a police vehicle was a serious offense. You get knocked out for a couple of days and the rule of law goes on holiday.
"How we doing?" He asked, closing the hood.
Rae dropped another box in the back. "Alex is bringing up the rear now. You have to hit the bathroom- now's a good time. I'm not stopping later."
"And what makes you think you're driving my fine police wheels?"
Rae made a few quick jerks on a pantomime steering wheel and hooked a thumb at herself, "Amped. Remember? We might need to do some fancy driving, right?"
Ping pointed his finger at her, "Delusional." he corrected.
Alex came through the door with a large, padded instrument pack.
"Magic or science?" Ping asked, glancing at Alex's load.
"You mean there's a difference?" He gave the rhetorical pause before continuing, "Some stuff I brought from home... spare tablets, some security equipment, most completely legal."
"Most?"
"Arrest me later."
"Deal. So no phoenix feathers or eye of newt?"
"You really need to get your perceptions roughly aligned with the universe, Detective Bannon."
"Uh-huh. Ping, remember? Generally you call the cops you go on the run with by their first names... We ready?" No one's head shook.
"Lets go then... Shotgun!" Rae opened the passenger door, but stopped before getting in. Alex seemed lost in thought. "You are coming, right baby?"
He was staring a little to the right of Ping's ear. Ping turned to follow Alex's gaze, but he was only rewarded with the sight of a rather boring tool cabinet.
Alex's lips moved only slightly, "Rae, take this," he held out his pack, "In the back. Hurry." his voice was wistful, like one lost in reverie, perhaps contemplating the merits of a favorite childhood pet.
Rae was expecting a joke. There was amusement in her face; then realization froze her smile, sent chills down her spine. "What is it?" She asked. She didn't really want to know.
"Remember the library?" he droned, still obviously distracted by something neither Ping nor Rae could see. "This is going to be much worse."
"What are you... get his bag Rae!" Ping interrupted himself as realization dawned, "Close the hatch!"
Rae went for the bag, Ping turned, leapt over the front corner of the car, and ran for the driver's door. Relieved of the bag, Alex stumbled toward the back seat like a very distracted blind man. The hatch slammed and Rae ran