“I don’t know… pray?”
“I see what you’re saying,” Beverly said. “There has to be a manual way of shutting down the guns.”
I nodded and looked at Graham. “Think you can figure out their systems?”
“Sure. If I can find them.”
“That looks promising.” Beverly pointed to a small booth positioned on the right side of the gate.
I punched the intercom button. “Corporal Wendell?”
His voice came out over the speakers. “Go ahead.”
“Listen, drive through that gap in the fence. We need to get to that booth on the right.”
“I’m not authorized—”
“People are dying,” Graham said. “Now, are you going to help us save them or not?”
A loud exhalation sounded out over the speakers. Then the SUV jerked forward and to the right. Loud scratching sounds filled my ears as Corporal Wendell directed us through the sheared fence. Then he gave the wheel a violent turn. The vehicle slid in a half-circle and came to a stop near the booth.
More patches of fake grass lifted up and outward, revealing dark concrete silos. Automatic gun systems rose upward, spitting bullets at us.
We ducked down as Graham reached for the door handle. “I just want to go on record stating I hate this idea,” he said.
I grinned. “Then you shouldn’t have taken that fake job.”
“That fake pay had better be good.” He pushed the door open and hurried into the booth. The automatic guns adjusted their aim, peppering it with gunfire. Chunks of concrete began to break away from the structure. Smoke and dust shot into the air.
After a few minutes, the gunfire ceased. Peering through the thick smoke, I saw the machine gun installations slow to a halt. Silence took over the area. And then a new set of noises appeared. Engines puttered softly. Doors cracked open. Soldiers called for medics.
I glanced toward the president’s vehicle. I couldn’t see him, but I wondered what he was thinking. Did he feel guilty for all the bloodshed? For overruling K.J.’s desire to take a step back? Was this gold standard plan of his really worth the lives that had already been lost?
Was it worth any lives?
Chapter 47
With deep hesitation, soldiers ducked under the third fence and headed forward. Their machine-like precision was gone and for the most part, they marched with short, jerky movements.
The soldiers approached a black wrought-iron fence, the last physical barrier between us and the depository. Like the previous fence, it was arranged in an octagon-shape. It also appeared quite old. Maybe even old enough to be part of the original construction.
On either side of me, soldiers hiked across the lawn. Some used detectors to search for land mines. Others worked on dismantling the automated gun systems.
A couple of soldiers knelt in front of the last gate. Using tin snips, they cut a large hole in it. Then they quickly retreated to an armored vehicle.
Several minutes passed as K.J. barked orders at his troops. Then one of the cars drove through the opening. Soldiers exited and fanned out. After an extensive search of the immediate area, they gathered around the massive front doors.
The other cars and SUVs held back for a few more minutes. All around us, the area was still. There were no Mint Police, no automated guns, no exploding land mines.
The rest of the armored cars drove through the newly-cut fence. Immediately, more soldiers climbed out of their vehicles and began conducting another search of the grounds.
Finally, K.J. waved us through. Corporal Wendell drove into the gap and onto a circular road. He parked off to the side of the building. I cracked my door open and stepped outside. My gaze traced the tall marble-lined doors, the gold seal, and the United States Depository inscription.
President Walters was a little slower to emerge. When he finally slid out of his vehicle, he dusted off his sport coat and approached K.J. “Why didn’t you know about those guns? Or the land mines?”
K.J. hid it well, but I could see hints of fury under his steely surface. “They weren’t public knowledge, Mr. President.”
“But surely you’d heard rumors.”
“Yes, sir. But I’ve also heard rumors about satellite defense systems and surface-to-air missiles.” K.J. breathed softly. “Unfortunately, the nature of this mission didn’t give us much time to prepare. We did the best we could, given our limited intelligence of this facility.”
“I see.” President Walters turned toward the front entrance. “What’s going on now?”
“Nothing yet, sir. The doors are sealed tight.”
I studied the area just outside the front doors. Numerous monitors and connected keyboards were mounted on the nearby walls. Soldiers stood around them, studying them from all angles.
“Are those keypads?” Beverly asked.
K.J. nodded. “From what we can tell, it appears nobody is allowed to enter the depository alone. Three codes are required to open the door. My guess is they’re changed regularly and have to be entered at the exact same time.”
“Can you crack the codes?” the president asked.
“Given enough time, yes. But it’ll take hours. Maybe even days.”
“Codes?” Graham rolled his eyes. “Boring.”
“Agreed.” K.J. allowed a small grin. “Look behind you.”
Spinning around, I saw a giant tank turn onto the driveway. It slammed into the outermost fence, busting through it with ease.
Beverly arched an eyebrow. “Didn’t you say the building was blast-proof?”
“Maybe back in the 1930s.” K.J. focused on the tank. “But that beast is an M1A2 Abrams with a 120-millimeter smoothbore. It’s one of the most technologically advanced weapons in the world.”
I watched the tank crash through the second fence. Its main body was colored desert tan. Some of its parts, however, had been painted green. The result was a strange patchwork look.
The tank smashed into the third fence. The pre-cut wires squealed and wobbled as the metal monster pushed through the relatively small hole. Cables snapped and curled backward. Without pause, the tank pushed through the hole, leaving the now-sagging fence behind it.
Graham whistled in appreciation.
K.J.’s grin widened.
The tank, an unstoppable mass of metal and treads, rolled toward the fourth and final fence. The wrought iron crunched as the tank lurched over it.
The soldiers hustled to move the cars and SUVs out of the way. The tank rolled to a stop, just shy of the exterior steps. Meanwhile, K.J. escorted us behind the newly-parked SUVs. “Kneel down,” he ordered. “And plug your ears.”
I heard the faint sound of clanking metal right before I complied. A moment later, the ground reverberated. A loud bang swept through my hands and filled my eardrums. Smoke curled backward, passing overhead.
Three more bangs followed the first one. Then silence.
Still covering my ears, I peered over the top of our SUV. Black and gray smoke filled the area, covering the entire front entranceway. Squinting, I saw hints of what looked like a black void.
“Well, that was easy,” Graham muttered.
“Gamma Squad.” K.J. strode out from behind the SUV. “Secure the entranceway.”
Soldiers joined together in front of the depository. Weapons at the ready, they strode into the smoke.
A few seconds later, a feminine voice rang out. “Sir?”
“What is it, Murdo?” K.J. shouted.
“We’ve got a problem.”
“What…?” His voice faded away.
The smoke was starting to clear and I could finally see the building. That void I’d seen… it wasn’t the interior. It was soot-covered metal and slightly charred black marble. Despite all its power, the tank had failed to destroy the doors.