Faith Defiled (Gray Spear Society Book 14) (29 page)

"We just need a vehicle with enough armor," Imelda said.

"I don't remember seeing a tank parked under the tent," Corrie said sharply.

"Calm down. We have that green Land Rover, and it's already battle-ready. If we bring it inside, I can quickly weld on even more steel and a few weapons."

Corrie appeared unconvinced. The Native American scientist was wearing a red shirt with an eagle on the front embroidered in green thread. Her jeans were very snug around her big hips. Long, black hair flowed like silk across her shoulders.

"You have a better idea?" Imelda said.

Corrie frowned. "You'll still have to go outside to get the car."

"The enemy is getting into position, and the security system can keep them pinned down."

Green coveralls hung loosely on Imelda's very thin body. She was wearing work boots and knee pads even though she hadn't been working on a project. She just liked to be ready. She seemed more excited than scared, and Jia envied her bravery.

"Fine," Corrie said. "Let's just move fast. The more time we take, the more danger you'll be in."

Imelda nodded. "Min Ho, stay here with Jia and help manage the defenses. Marina ordered us to kill the soldiers, so we might as well get started."

She and Corrie left the booth. Min Ho sat on the second chair in front of the huge control console. He cracked his knuckles as if preparing to play the piano.

He was wearing his usual outlandish clothes. He had a green nylon vest over a white silk shirt. A green stripe went down the center of his hair. Diamond earrings sparkled nicely, but Jia could tell they were costume jewelry.

She heard a quiet knock on the steel door of the booth. Min Ho pulled it open.

Olivia came inside. "What's going on?" the girl said in a fearful voice. "Why does everybody look so scared?"

She turned her attention to the surveillance monitors on the console. Her eyes widened.

"It will be OK," Jia said quickly. "We're all getting out of here together."

"How many are there?" Olivia whispered.

"At least a hundred, but we're the Gray Spear Society. We can handle it. We installed all kinds of deadly weapons around headquarters for exactly this situation. Sit on my lap."

Olivia climbed onto Jia's lap and huddled against her chest. Jia put her arm around the girl.

Jia checked the monitors showing the interior of headquarters. There was a sliding garage door on the north side of the building, and oversized objects could be brought in that way, but it was rarely used. The door only opened from the inside. Corrie stood in front of the button that would cause the door to slide up. Imelda was stretching her legs and jogging in place to warm up.

After a minute, Imelda yelled, "Fire up the weapons! Tell me when I can go!" Her voice came into the security booth through a system of microphones in headquarters.

Jia flipped all the power switches on all the weapons. Then she typed in a command that would let the security system pick its own targets and kill them automatically. Jia and Min Ho could've aimed and fired the guns manually, but the computer would do a better job. The twins in Chicago had written the amazing software.

"Verbal confirmation is required," the computer said in a masculine voice. "Please state your name."

Jia jumped in surprise. She had never heard the computer speak before.

"Jia," she said.

"I recognize you as a member of the San Francisco cell under the command of Marina," the computer said. "Are we under attack by enemies of the Gray Spear Society?"

"Yes. Kill them, please. Final defense mode."

Jia heard mechanical sounds as weapons deployed on the roof. She knew some of them were sniper rifles mounted on high-precision gimbals. They could rapidly pick off targets up to a mile away, and the huge, steel-core bullets could punch through any body armor.

She couldn't hear the rifle shots because of suppressors on the barrels, but she saw the effect on the surveillance monitors. The soldiers' heads began to explode. She pulled Olivia close and covered the girl's eyes.

"Go!" Jia yelled through the intercom.

Corrie opened the garage door. Imelda sprinted outside even before it was done opening. Jia switched the monitor to another camera and saw Imelda running to the white tent. She was weaving from side to side to make herself harder to hit. She reached the green Land Rover without incident.

Imelda drove the car back around headquarters. The ground was rough, but the big wheels went over the bumps easily. A few bullets plinked off the bulletproof windows and armored doors, but she was unharmed. She drove inside and squealed to a stop on the cement floor. Corrie closed the garage door.

Jia breathed a deep sigh of relief.
The first step is done,
she thought.

* * *

"It's begun," Laurence said.

Iris raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Already?"

"Some kind of automatic sniper system is peppering the hills facing the building. The men up there are getting clobbered."

The two of them were in a small house in Pacifica. The owners were out of town, and Iris had made the place her temporary command post.

It was a darling home. Big, glass doors and an abundance of windows made it seem very open. A nice chandelier hung in the living room, and an antique mirror reflected the light. A stuffed pink flamingo under a glass cover was a great conversation piece.

Laurence was sitting on a white couch. He had his computer on his lap, a radio headset over his ears, and a phone by his side. He was well connected.

"Tell them to pull back for now," Iris said. "They can hide behind the ridge until we launch the main assault. The good news is we have definitely found the Society."

"I agree, ma'am."

"Have you shut down the police dispatch system?"

"Yes, and the local phone service," Laurence said. "The authorities won't get in our way."

"Where are Walfred and his Warriors?"

"They'll be ready to go in twenty minutes."

She frowned. "That's twenty minutes the enemy can use to improve their defenses."

"They started shooting ahead of schedule."

"OK." She rolled her eyes. "Just encourage Walfred to move quickly."

"Yes, ma'am," he said.

* * *

Lightning split the sky.
What is God up to now?
Marina thought.

She had seen thunder-snow before, but the storm in front of her was unlike anything she had ever witnessed. Lightning flashed so often it was like a strobe, and it was coming from a dense mass of clouds as black as ink. Tendrils of vapor twisted around each other in crazy patterns.

The bus led the way into the parking lot in front of the Rosemont Tower Hotel. All the cars had been cleared out to make space, but there were other buses. The captured Army trucks filled in and formed a neat line.

A crowd of
legionnaires
immediately poured out of the hotel. They flooded the parking lot and surrounded the trucks. Crates full of weapons, armor, and other essential supplies were pulled off at a frantic pace. With so many strong people helping, it would just take a few minutes to unload all the cargo.

Marina stepped out of the bus and went into the hotel to look for Aaron. She had to dodge crates coming at her at high speed. Being outside meant being exposed to enemy fire, and everybody was moving as fast as possible. It was also bitterly cold.

She entered the lobby but didn't see Aaron at first. There was total chaos inside the hotel, and crates were being shoved wherever there was room.

Legionnaires
were also carrying things out the door. The aperture components were being loaded onto the Army trucks as soon as they were cleared. Every part was important and irreplaceable, and Marina hoped nothing got left behind in the confusion. The group was also taking food, tools, and other necessities for what could be a long stay in Chinatown.

Marina finally spotted Aaron. She walked up to him with a sexy swagger. He grabbed her head and kissed her on the lips.

"We need to get you out of here," he said. "We stopped the main convoy, but there are other military units in the area. I'm sure they're on their way."

The lobby was too crowded, so they went back outside. It was cold, but at least they didn't feel hemmed in.

Another thunderclap made Marina jump. She pointed to the west and said, "Is that what I think it is?"

He nodded. "A healthy dose of divine wrath to help cover your escape."

"Nice of Him."

The level of activity around the trucks was inspiring. She had never seen so many big bodies moving so fast. The
legionnaires
were hauling and running as if their lives depended on it.

After freezing her ass for a couple of minutes, Marina decided she preferred being inside. She grabbed Aaron's hand, and they went back into the lobby.

Wesley walked up to them. His black and gray armor looked cute on his small body. Norbert, Yvonne, and Guthrum were guarding the boy in full battle gear. Norbert even had an automatic grenade launcher. Yvonne's weapon of choice was a sledgehammer which she could swing with supernatural strength.

"The aperture will open tomorrow night," Wesley said to Aaron. "Don't be late."

"I know," Aaron said. "You told me four times. Do I get to hear the big, crazy secret yet?"

"No." Wesley looked around. "This isn't the place or time."

Aaron sighed.

Bethany and Leanna joined the group. They were bundled up in heavy gray coats and snow boots.

"Are you scared?" Aaron said.

"We can't feel fear," Bethany replied in her synthetic voice.

"That's probably a good thing in this case. Make sure you get some rest tonight. You've been working very hard. I don't want you to drop from exhaustion right before the end."

"Yes, sir."

Aaron looked towards the trucks outside. "I think they're almost done. Marina, is your group ready to go?"

"Of course, dear," Marina said. "I told everybody exactly which vehicle to ride in. Most will go in the buses. I think you need to get some rest, too."

"I will." He kissed her.

The Army trucks were finally loaded and ready to go. All of the members of Marina's group took their assigned places, some in trucks and some in buses. Marina drove the truck at the head of the convoy because she wanted to lead from the front this time. Nancy would be her guide and rode in the passenger seat.

Wesley surprised Marina when he insisted on sitting between her and Nancy. Wesley's bodyguards sat in the back of the truck between the crates despite the cold weather. Marina didn't envy them, but at least the truck was covered.

One by one, the vehicles filed out of the parking lot. The convoy looked like a regular military procession and hopefully wouldn't attract attention. Chicago was full of such convoy's these days.

A vicious thunderclap made Marina look back. The storm was almost on top of the hotel, and it was a slice of Hell. Blue shafts of lightning rained down continuously. The US Army would have a very difficult time accomplishing anything in those conditions.

"Why did you ride up front?" Nancy said. "You'd be safer further back in the convoy."

She was wearing a gray coat, snow pants, and rubber boots. A ski hat and a scarf nearly covered her entire head, but a little frizzy hair poked out.

"Because Marina has something to tell me," Wesley said.

Marina raised her eyebrows. "You're right, as always. Olivia is in great danger. The San Francisco headquarters is under attack. How did you know?"

"Because certain things have to happen at certain times."

"We're talking about your girlfriend and your future wife. You could've warned me. I would've told my team to get out before the enemy arrived."

Nancy glanced at Wesley. "You have a girlfriend?" she said with astonishment.

"It's a secret." He winked. "I'm not in love with her now, but I will be in the future. She's a wonderful girl."

This kid leads the strangest life,
Marina thought. "You didn't answer my question. If you knew, why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I wasn't supposed to. If the plan works and the aperture opens, Olivia will be OK. Yang will save her."

"But she's in California."

"That won't matter," Wesley said. "The aperture will change all the rules. Everything will be different."

"What if the plan doesn't work?"

"Then everybody will die, including Olivia. God will start from scratch."

Marina furrowed her brow and looked forward. Snow was coming down in sheets, and the thunderstorm was making a fearsome rattling noise. Her phone chirped indicating it had lost its signal, probably due to radio interference. She wasn't worried about being attacked on the way to Chinatown. Not even the hardiest warrior would dare to fight tonight. The Lord had arranged for a clean getaway, and she was deeply grateful.

Now she just had to hope she didn't get lost. She could barely see the road.

* * *

"Do you think Yang is worried about us?" Olivia said.

"I'm sure," Jia said. "If he could help us, he would, but he has problems of his own in Chicago."

Her gaze flicked from surveillance monitor to surveillance monitor as she tried to watch everything at once. Imelda, Corrie, and Min Ho were upgrading the car in the machine shop area of headquarters. They were working with hoists, chains, torches, drills, and big sheets of steel. Imelda was giving frantic instructions while building at the same time. Corrie and Min Ho weren't expert mechanics, but they could handle tools and were keeping up pretty well. Fear was a great motivator.

Most of the monitors showed the land and roads around headquarters. Cameras were hidden everywhere, and the enemy couldn't get close without being seen. Jia didn't have much to do besides cuddle with Olivia. The computer was in charge of the defenses.

Sudden activity made Jia sit up straight. A military convoy was rumbling down the main road of Pacifica towards headquarters. The enemy was driving black armored cars with thick panes of green tinted glass. Big, knobby tires looked capable of overcoming difficult terrain. The cars were made of flat metal plates welded together. They had an angular, aggressive look.