Legacy (47 page)

“Pestilente gringo,”
Jack said and they all laughed as they hit the stairwell.

As Everett was unceremoniously shoved into the locker area, he called back with a semi-loud voice, knowing that Jack and Sebastian were the only ones who would understand what he said.

“I heard that,” he said using a melodious tone to the words.

“What did you say?” Sebastian asked, wondering why Jack would take a chance at saying anything at all.

“I called him a stinking white man.”

“Oh,” Krell said, not understanding the colonel’s humor in the least.

Collins turned when he saw Everett being told to get out of his yellow jumpsuit. The steam from the showers wasn’t what Collins would have preferred, but it would have to do. He stepped inside the locker room. The unsuspecting guards had their attention on Everett as he soaped down. Jack was almost hesitant, but knew he could afford to give these two guards a chance. He tapped the first guard on the shoulder just as he pulled the man’s holstered Smith & Wesson Police Special. Sebastian, knowing the drill, was quick to follow.

“Lo siento, pero este hombre se va,”
Jack said, as he gestured for the two guards to follow him into the break room across the way. Sebastian took his cue and escorted the men, while Collins opened several lockers until he found what he was looking for, an extra-large police uniform that would fit Carl.

Sebastian came back a moment later and Jack eyed him. “What did you do with our friends?” he asked, worrying that Krell was too calm.

“They’re locked up in the pantry.” Sebastian looked into the shower and then back at Collins. “I have to learn Spanish. What did you say that time when you took the guards?”

“I said that I’m sorry, but this man is leaving.”

Again Sebastian was impressed by the simple way Collins had of handling an awkward situation.

Jack winked and then walked into the shower room.

“Hey, swabby, it’s time to trip the light fantastic.”

Everett turned and caught the clothes Jack tossed him.

“How long were you standing there watching me shower before you said something?” Everett asked as he quickly dried himself.

“Long enough to know I’ll be happy with Sarah for a very long time,” Collins answered.

“Liar, you know you liked what you saw.”

*   *   *

Europa’s escape plan fell apart the moment they hit the stairwell leading to the first-floor exit they had planned to use. Not knowing where all of the police officers were inside the station had been Europa’s major difficulty in devising the planned escape. As it turned out, it was the fraternization of a male Quito police officer and his female partner that sent the plan spiraling in a direction they hadn’t counted on.

As they went down the third-floor stairwell, the couple was hidden away under the staircase. Jack saw them just as they passed. Everett was recognized immediately and while Sebastian reacted quickly by grabbing the male officer, the uniformed woman slipped past and was through the third-floor doorway before anyone could stop her.

“Damn!” Sebastian said as he held the frightened officer in his powerful grip. “ ”I think this is bad, Jack.” He looked at the smaller police officer as if he were contemplating the man’s fate.

“Well, let him go. We can’t kill him for liking his partner too much,” Collins said and removed the Smith & Wesson revolver and pointed it at the officer.
“Vámanos,”
Jack said as he waved the gun at the policeman, who took the hint and shook free of the much larger Sebastian before he ran for the door.

Collins didn’t hesitate as he turned and continued down the stairs with Sebastian and Everett close behind. They hadn’t made it to the first floor when the warning bells started inside the building, and just as the three men reached the door Collins heard the loud “clack” as the doors locked automatically. Jack came skidding to a stop.

“Jack, I really don’t want to finish that shower.”

“Can’t blame you. Sebastian, I hope you brought that little item with you.”

The German was already pulling out the quarter-pound charge of C-4. He tore off a small bundle and wadded the claylike material into a ball. Then he slapped it against the door and the lock, just to the right of the push bar. He pulled his own revolver and gestured for Jack and Carl to take cover under the stairs.

“Excuse me, gentlemen,” he said, as he placed his large frame half in and half out of the stairwell. He aimed and then pulled the trigger. The bullet struck the C-4, which detonated, producing a loud bang that almost deafened them. The door flew off its considerable hinges and Sebastian was the first one through, followed by the two Americans.

“Think you used enough there?” Jack said, running past Sebastian and into the long alley to the rear of the station.

“I thought it was adequate,” Krell said. Everett gave the German a stern look.

The three men ran down the alley, shedding police jackets as they went. They heard the sirens and the pounding of feet behind them as the alley started to fill with policemen. Bullets began flying, echoing off the brick walls.

They reached the end of the alley and had the choice to go right or left. Jack chose right, as it would lead them north, where traffic in the city was heavier. He figured if they failed to escape it would be harder for the police to shoot them in the midst of a crowd. But he realized that he had been wrong before when judging police reactions.

As they made the turn onto the main street, one round narrowly missed Everett as he skidded around the corner. Just as he made the turn behind the German, he glanced to his left and saw that the street on that end was full of screeching police vehicles.

“We’ve had it, Jack,” he called out loudly from the end of the three-man line.

As they neared the street, Jack’s hopes of escape faded. An Audi patrol car skidded to a halt, blocking their path. As Collins stopped, wanting to turn and see if there was something he’d missed, the rear window of the police cruiser lowered and a skinny arm started waving them forward. All three men were caught off guard, as this was not the reception they had expected. Jack reacted first by running in that direction, soon followed by Everett and then Sebastian. As Collins neared the car, the rear door was thrown open and he jumped into the lap of someone who grunted as his weight collided with him. Everett soon followed and Sebastian after that. The patrol car burned rubber just as the side window shattered from a bullet. Then they heard several loud clunking noises as the trunk was struck.

“Jesus, those guys are serious,” Everett said as he tried to push Sebastian off him.

“Jack, if you don’t mind, your head is about to break one of my ribs, and I only have so many of them,” announced a familiar voice.

Collins looked up and could not believe what he was seeing. Scrunched up against the door of the car was none other than Senator Garrison Lee. As his eyes widened he sat up quickly and looked up front at the driver. She was small and could barely see over the steering wheel. The woman turned sharply onto the broad avenue.

“Where to, Jack?” Alice Hamilton asked, as she fought to control the car. They skidded around the corner.

“What are you two doing here?” Jack asked. He slid in between the open Plexiglas enclosure and into the front passenger seat. He just stared at Alice, unable to form any more words.

“Well, I can pull over and give you the long version of what that old man back there is thinking, or I can give you the short version on our way to wherever we need to be. Which will it be?” she asked as she threw the car around another corner.

“The short version on the way out of the city—that way,” Jack said, pointing to a side street.

Jack momentarily allowed the tension in his body to ease. He turned and looked at Lee. He could see that the senator was in a lot of pain as he popped two small tablets into his mouth. Then the old man looked at Jack with his one good eye.

“Don’t look at me like that, Colonel. I’m not dead yet.”

“No? The last time I saw you, you were well on your way. Now what in the hell are you doing here?”

Lee seemed to relax as he leaned forward and looked at Sebastian, who was busy looking out the window as police sirens wailed from every direction.

“Who is this?” Lee asked, getting the German’s attention.

“I am Major Sebastian Krell, here under orders of my chancellor.”

“Senator Lee, this is the man responsible for getting me out of Germany. He’s German Special Forces,” Jack explained.

They were all tossed to the left as Alice threw the car around another corner to avoid a passing police car.

“Damn, woman, I’d like to spend the time I have left getting to that godforsaken mine and finding out what this is all about,” Lee said, grimacing in pain.

“Shut up, old man. I’m not talking to you at the moment.”

Sebastian threw Jack a look and pursed his lips as if he was going to whistle. He turned away, knowing that the old woman in the front seat was truly angry and probably wouldn’t understand his surprised demeanor.

“Don’t mind her. She’s in a little bit of a snit because she thought I was just going to go out like an old fool, lying in bed so she can have final control over me after all these years.”

“I told you to be quiet,” Alice said as she turned onto a road with houses lining both sides.

“I can see this is going to be a fun ride,” Everett said, turning to face the front windshield.

“I don’t really care to hear anything from you or Jack either.”

Alice floored the police cruiser and the car shot off.

10

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA

As the twelve-man crew sat at their stations inside the shuttle
Atlantis
waiting for the tower crew to break out the wrenches to free them, thereby ending the mission of
Dark Star 3
, a flurry of activity started around them that sent the astronauts into a quandary. They had been informed in the previous two hours that both Ares platforms had performed magnificently and that
Discovery
and
Endeavour
had achieved low Earth orbit on their way to rendezvous with the International Space Station. That was the last information that had been passed on to them.

For Sarah, Ryan, and Mendenhall, located in the crew pod in the cargo hold, they were wondering if they had been forgotten. They had been hanging in their seats with their backs against the pod bulkhead facing straight down for two hours and they were starting to feel light-headed. Mendenhall was being driven crazy by the sweat that dripped from his nose and collected against the clear faceplate of his helmet. He shook his head and then they felt the movement of the shuttle. An extremely loud rushing noise reached their ears.

“Jesus,” Sarah said, turning as far as she could to the center of the three seats. “They’re beginning to fuel the main tank.”

“No, they would have said something to us,” Ryan said as he returned Sarah’s worried look.

“
Atlantis
, CAPCOM, we are a go for launch. Stand by for a message from the president.”

When the announcement came through the speakers in their helmets, all three froze as they thought at the same time that this wasn’t a good thing.

“Crew of
Atlantis
and
Dark Star 3,
it is with a heavy heart that I pass on to you the following information. At 1740 hours Eastern Daylight Time, the shuttles
Endeavour
and
Discovery
were destroyed in low Earth orbit by an unknown enemy. There were no survivors. I made the call to inform you myself, as it is my decision that you be sent into space as per the backup plan.
Dark Star 3
is now the United States’s only hope of stopping the foolishness that has brought nations to the brink of armed conflict. While we are near to discovering the identities of those responsible for these horrific acts, including the assault on this office, I fear we cannot wait for an outcome we would like before risking your lives. You know what needs to be done, and I am sure you will all do your duty. May God bless you. I and the American people wish you Godspeed,
Atlantis
.”

A tone sounded, indicating that the president was done.

“Okay, people, we have completed fueling procedures and we are now in a five-minute countdown.
Atlantis
will launch at 2010 hours, immediately after the Saturn is in low orbit. We will not follow
Discovery
and
Endeavour
. We will be maneuvering at every opportunity once we have cleared the atmosphere. I have informed our shuttle flight team that they will all be fired if we don’t make it. Good luck, and I’ll see you at the space station.”

Sara, Will, and Jason listened to Colonel Kendal and they could all hear the worry in his voice despite his bravado. Whoever was responsible for the attacks had equipment that was meant to do the job.