“Shut thefuckup.”
Jamie ignored them both in favor of switching over to a different channel to call into MDF headquarters. “Apollo to base, do youcopy,over?”
Jamie was vaguely aware of Burwell’s mouth dropping open in the rearview mirror, but Jamie didn’t care about the surprise he was dumping on everyone with him who didn’t already know the truth. The director might not approve of the number of laws and regulations Jamie was currently breaking, but hedidn’tcare.
“Apollo, this is base, we copy. Status, over,” Nazari answeredimmediately.
“Declan, Cillian, and the Sons of Adam are making their move. We have Splice bombs going off on the ground. I need all the backup you canfield.”
“Understood. All agents within the vicinity not already at Boston Common performing undercover security work will be activated. I’ll inform our contacts with the first responders that we’re deploying Alpha Team and others.Baseout.”
The line cut out inJamie’sears.
Larson yanked on the steering wheel and guided the SUV into a handicapped spot. “Valdez, Yamane, deal with the securitycameras.”
Two of the security personnel jumped out of the SUV and scattered. Jamie ignored them as they took out the nearby security cameras. He undid his seatbelt and shrugged out of his suit jacket inseconds.
Jamie shoved open his door and got out, hurrying to the rear of the vehicle. Larson must have opened the trunk door from the driver’s seat, because it was already lifting upward. Inside was a heavy-looking, biolocked military-grade travel crate, along with a stack of other rifles secured together in a portable travel locker. Jamie pressed his palm to the scanner, allowing it to read his print. The crate beeped and unlocked. Jamie opened the lid and started toundress.
“Apollo to Alpha Team, do you copy, over?” he said as everyone started to exit thetwoSUVs.
“Viper to Apollo, Alpha Team and Gamma Team copy, over,” Katieresponded.
Jamie hauled out his combat uniform, already stripped of his civilian clothes and prepared to gear up in the required ninety seconds he’d learned to when with the Recon Marines. “Splice bombs are going off in Boston. Require backup for containment purposes ASAP. Send me who you can spare from your prioritymission.”
“ETA five minutes, Apollo. We still don’t know the exact location of Inferno and Wraith. Has base been updated on the newdevelopment?”
“Base knows. The director is mobilizing all agents in Boston to assist.” Jamie calculated the distance between an unknown location in the Seaport District and Boston Common, and came up with the most logical direction he needed to go. “Senator Callahan’s campaign rally is a likelytarget.”
“I’ll drop half the team at your location and I’ll take the rest to find our missingteammates.”
“Understood. Track my location. I’m with a group of securitypersonnel.”
“Copy that.Viperout.”
Jamie yanked his hard helmet on and snapped his facemask into place, activating the voice modulator. After being so prominent in the media lately and here in Boston, he needed the cover it provided. The HUD on his tactical goggles came online as he lifted the AKR-75 assault rifle out of the crate. He undid the biolock with a read of his print on the grip before pulling on hisgloves.
“Larson,”Jamiesaid.
“Yes, sir,” came the other man’s immediateresponse.
“My team is on their way. I’m not going to ask you to comewithme.”
“It’s a good thing we’re volunteering then, isn’tit,sir?”
Jamie smiled tightly as he slammed a magazine home into the rifle. “We’re heading back to Boston Common. The Sons of Adam may have their people embedded in the rally crowd and the protesters marching through the street. Whether or not they’ll use another vehicle to set off a Splice bomb is unknown. They used suicide vests back in London, so there’s a good chance they might use those hereaswell.”
“Understood. I’ll relay that to our people back at therally.”
Jamie turned around, geared up and ready to roll, finding that the security personnel employed by his family who didn’t know the truth had taken the revelation of his identity in stride and claimed a weapon for themselves. The Secret Service special agents were a little slower on theuptake.
“You’re a metahuman?” Burwell asked slowly, staring at him inshock.
“I never needed your protection,” Jamie replied. “I’m not asking you to follow me. Stay here if you want. It’s not going to be pretty outthere.”
Running headfirst into the fray and risking death by Splice wasn’t something Jamie would ever force anyone to endure. Those who joined the MDF knew the risk. For everyone else, it was an academic realization until it became their reality. Jamie didn’t know how many Splice bombs Cillian had at his disposal, but even just the one was deadly. He would never think negatively of anyone who chose to staybehind.
This fight, this kind of life, wasn’t foreveryone.
