They’ve never seemed to take longer than now, and Kade practically runs through the last one butjustmakes it out in time because ten seconds later, the power drops out, plunging the Tower into darkness.‘Motherfucker.’He presses his earpiece.‘QG, come in.’
The radio answers.‘Gage here.’
‘You night-blind?’
‘You know I hate night vision.’
‘Second floor.Bring anyone recovered from the flash.’
‘Heard.’
Kade is almost onto the third floor when he hears gunshots from below.
‘Cole, you have eyes on him?’
‘The Mesh is malfunctioning now.It’s hard to track him.’
The Mesh never malfunctions.
‘He’s still on ground floor?’
‘From what we see, yes.’
‘Hold fast for six minutes until the backup line kicks in.’
‘You shouldn’t have gone down there, Kade.’
‘Keep the line clear.’
‘Heard.’
By the time Kade reaches the second floor, Gage and several others are there waiting.Kade crouches beside him in the payroll room, switching to tactical hand signals, taught as standard in Iron Star.Kade speaks fluent sign language, but Gage doesn’t, so it’s this or whispering.
Kade makes the signs slow and clear.
One-man operation.No backup.
Gage taps his chest twice.Confirmed.
Maintain visual.No blind angles.Close quarters imminent.Encircle the target and take him out.
Kade hears footsteps.
Gage silently instructs the rest of the team to take up point all around the room.Kade stays in direct line of sight.He wants toseethis fucker with his own eyes.Bathed in shadows, they wait.
The man walks inside with an unhurried pace.
Kade aims his handgun from a position of semi-cover.
They need to wait until he’s in the centre of the room.
It’s such anobvioustrap, Kade can’t help but feel curious as to what this man will do.The trick with the goggles was smart, but wearing no protective gear seems suicidally stupid.
The room is dark, only light coming from outside whenever the half-moon deigns to shine through the glass.
When he walks inside, Kade strains to see him.
He clocks height first, maybe five ten.Silent-tread tactical boots, worn at the toe instead of the heel.Shoulders level.No wasted movement.Trained gait.He’s favouring the MP7, exactly what Kade himself would choose for close-quarters infiltration.The sidearms are untouched.Same with the rifles.
