“I know this was a cold blood execution, but some people just deserve to die. After all he has done to us he gave us no choice but to kill him and his men. One day everyone must die. We continue as planned.”
Samuel stepped forward. “What is your call sign?
John wasn’t thinking about that. Suddenly he thought of his codename in official files.
“Crisis.”
They continued as planned, John headed for Briggs first. Again hallways were empty Claire managed to keep this part sealed. It was strange to be alone here, John wondered where are all guards they should be sealed inside. John found Briggs in his office drinking whiskey and looking at photo of his family. There was a piece of blank paper and pencil in front of him.
“Hello John. What do you need?” He asked.
“Names.”
General took a pencil and wrote twenty names, folded paper and gave it to John.
“These men are responsible for the attack. I can’t tell you where they are. They were taken into custody and transported away. Are you going to kill me now?”
John put paper into his pocket.
“No. Briggs, you are a good man. You have family and you have been always nice to us.
Stay here, someone will pick you up when we’re done.”
Then he turned around and headed for data storage.
Halfway to data storage he met Caroline. His first reaction was to pull trigger, but then he saw white lab coat. Bullets missed their target.
“Hey! It’s me!” She shouted from door she took cover behind.
“What are you doing here?” John shouted back.
“I wanted to find you. I guess I succeeded. Can I come out now?”
“Yes, you can.” John sighed.
She carried small metal briefcase in one hand and pistol in another.
“You’ll need this to get inside data room.” She handed him her ID card.
“And this to interface with system.” She opened briefcase and took out tablet with USB wire. Tablet was armored from one side and covered with blue contact foil on other side.
“There should be a slot for it on your armor… here got it.”
She fastened it to John’s thigh.
“There you go.”
She picked up pistol from the floor and observed John. John was much taller that her.
“Caroline?”
“Is there something you want to know about data storage?” She asked.
“No, but that pistol you have… it’s empty. You can’t shoot anyone with that.”
John gave her his pistol.
“I thought you have proper training. Be careful with that.”
She nodded and walked away the way John came.
After few minutes of walk John ended up in front of dark hallway leading to data storage.
“Claire? Why are the lights out?” He asked.
“Uh… I don’t know. Power in this part of facility was cut off.”
John activated night vision.
“Let’s take this slow.”
Total blackness engulfed them. Only sound was echo of John’s steps. Hallway was empty but John was sort of scared anyway. Suddenly Claire reminded him of her developing personality.
“John you should know that I’m afraid of darkness.”
“No kidding? John grinned.
“I mean it.” She claimed.
“Don’t worry I’m here with you.”
John knew that A.I.’s can learn, they can develop themselves, it fascinated him in some way. You could see only wires and chipsets, holographic projection maybe, but there was a person inside. Green color of night vision filled John’s mind. Hallway was empty like hallways before. John proceeded quickly until his eyes found dead body in a lab coat.
John inspected the body. It was Harper, he had broken neck.
“We’re not alone here.”
From that moment he checked every corner and looked back every few steps.
“Crisis 0-1 you still there? Come in Crisis.” John could hear gunfire along with caller’s voice. HUD displayed who calls.
“Crisis 0-1 here. Go ahead Alpha 1-4.” John crouched in a corner with good view on data storage door.
“They are pushing hard, requesting immediate assistance. We can’t hold this position without support, over.” Voice said.
John switched comm channel.
“Bravo 0-1 what’s your status?” He asked.
“We’re all clear, Crisis, over.” Gillian spoke on the other side.
“Alpha needs ground support. Move to their position ASAP. Expect no resistance on the way. Do you copy?”
“Affirmative Crisis, moving to RV with Alpha. We’re two minutes out, over.” There was sign of adrenaline in her voice.
“Copy that Bravo, Crisis out.” John never thought that guards could create serious offensive. Now he has to focus on his task, then he can think about guard’s ability to counterattack.
He tried to unlock door with Caroline’s ID card. Everything was powered down, lock included. John cursed.
“Anyway we can power it up again?” He asked Claire.
“I don’t think so, wires were damaged. That’s only wooden door, nobody expected someone to use brute force to get inside so I think you can kick it in.”
John looked at the door more closely.
“You should have told me earlier.”
Door fell after first kick. Data terminal was still online because databases had their own power generator which turned on after normal power grid went down. John approached it with smile of a madman, finally he will know everything.
“Throw your gun away Stump!”
John turned to face new threat… James. He was holding assault rifle. They stood there aiming at each other.
“I told you to drop your gun.” James repeated.
“You first.” John grinned.
“You just refused an order soldier. I don’t want to do this the hard way.”
John didn’t move.
“You think those guys who attacked you and nearly killed you and your girlfriend just woke up with that thought one morning?”
John had a dark feeling about what James just said.
“No Stump, they made a plan for it months ago. They even elected a leader of their group.
But he’s not on the list.” James revealed truth slowly.
“Who’s the leader?” John asked.
James smiled.
“Those idiots couldn’t even think of anything useful to kill you, so someone helped them.
That plan would have gone well, but you survived and saved others. You ruined MY perfect plan to get rid of you and retire.”
John was burning from inside again but maintained calm voice.
“So you wanted to kill us.”
“Yes and I still want.” James said shooting two rounds into John’s chestplate not doing any damage.
John threw his rifle away. He wanted James to suffer. John directed first punch just under ribcage aiming up. James fell forward gasping for air and John bashed James’s face against his knee guard. Then he threw James against a wall and ejected blade. And stabbed and stabbed until there was just bloody hole left in James’s chest.
“I trusted you!!” John shouted hitting wall with his head.
“I thought we were friends!” He tore concrete from walls.
John continued to demolish walls for several minutes until he sat down leaning against one side of data terminal. He was breathing hard.
“John, focus! I know it’s not easy but we have to finish this.” Claire’s voice was calm.
John forced himself to stand up and connect adapter tablet to data terminal. It took them few minutes to crack password. And few more minutes to copy all data to John’s internal drives. Only one thing surprised John. Project Vigil wasn’t only one facility. There were dozens of them. Locations were unknown to both John and Claire. John picked up his rifle and dusted it off.
“Let’s go, freedom is waiting.