Datafile 0023
“Put us down over there,” Ito said as he pointed toward a deserted parking lot two blocks away from the apartment building. Charade nodded, her fingers steepled in front of her as she flew the ship toward where Ito had indicated. It landed with a soft thump, the repulsars slowly fading to a low whine as everything began to power down. Ito knew the stealth tech would be able to keep the ship camouflaged longer with minimal systems running and while it couldn't remain concealed forever, it should give them enough time to get in and do what needed to be done.
The rear ramp began to lower as Ito looked over his team. Mayuzai and Steiger were double checking their gear while Castiglione was slapping fresh clips into his Tactica T-95 Valkyrie. They all had on their standard tactical gear which included kevlar vests as well as helmets that covered their entire faces. Ito double checked his own Spitfire as Toyoko slung her heavy assault rifle over her shoulder.
“Don't you think that's a bit over the top?” he said, the speakers in his helmet giving his voice a tinny sound.
“Nope,” she said as she shook her head. “The bitch already got the drop on us once. I'n not going to give her a chance to do it again.”
Ito couldn't argue. Caldera had gotten the drop on him, managing to switch out the datachip they were after with an almost identical one. He still wasn't one hundred percent sure that she had been in on the scheme or if it was all Korehammer's idea, but it didn't matter. His previous relationship with her had clouded his judgement, possibly made him miss things that he normally wouldn't have. He wasn't going to let it happen again.
“Okay team,” Ito said as he used his NIIC to activate the helmet comlinks that would allow them to communicate. “Charade pulled up the specs on the building and there's an maintenance tunnel we can use to get in that's connected to the sewer system. Should bring us right into the basement. We keep to the shadows and get this done fast and simple.”
“Do we have a green light to exterminate on sight?” Steiger asked.
Ito hesitated. He simply said “Yes,” as he looked at Toyoko.
With that, his Sutoriaku squad walked down the ramp and into the humid Vegas night.
***
Castiglione gave the plastisteel cover one final push and it came loose with a slight pop, giving Ito's team access to the apartment building the bio-tracer said Caldera was in. Steiger climbed the ladder first and swept the basement with his rifle, going back and forth in the dimly lit room.
“Clear,” he said into his comlink.
The rest of the squad slowly entered the basement, Ito coming up last. He silently gestured toward the stairs, Castiglione taking point and Toyoko bringing up the rear. They moved slowly and efficiently, making their way from floor to floor working their way upward until they came to the door that opened onto the sixth floor.
“Charade,” Ito said in a hushed tone. “Which apartment is Caldera's bio-tracer coming from?”
“Third on the right. From what I can see it's just a simple studio. One large room with a bathroom to the right of the front door.”
Ito motioned for Castiglione to lead the way down the hall. Suddenly they heard a noise come from the direction of the elevator. The doors began to open and inside was a man and woman, both young and obviously drunk, making out. When they finally realized where they were and walked out of the elevator they were shocked to see five soldiers pointing handguns at their heads.
“Oh fuck no,” said the man as he began to slowly back up and shoved the girl into the still open elevator, repeatedly hitting the button for the doors to close again.
Steiger looked at Ito, waiting for the order to pursue but he shook his head. “Let them go. We have more important things to worry about.”
They continued down the hallway and soon found themselves in front of the third apartment. The door was made of some kind of plastic and next to it mounted on the wall was a NIIC reader, the number 608 printed in faded numbers above a red light.
“Charade, I need you to hack this lock and get us in. I don't want to set off any alarms.”
After a few moments the light went from red to green and there was an audible click from the door. “Done.”
Ito walked toward the door and it slid to the side, revealing the small apartment within. It was dark, the only light coming from the red neon glow of the sign across the street. Even with the filters built into his helmet he could tell the room smelled terrible, like something had been forgotten and died. There was a small table with a single chair, an unmade bed, a synthstation and not much else.
There was also no Caldera.
“Mayuzai, watch the door,” Ito said as he looked around. “The rest of you, keep on your toes. Steiger, check the bathroom.”
Ito walked toward the small table and saw there was a plastic shipping box on it that was still sealed. It was addressed to a Viktor Andreas and a NIIC was needed to get it to open. Ito was about to ask Charade to hack it when he heard Steiger from the bathroom. “Commander, you might want to see this.”
Ito turned and walked toward the bathroom. It was so small Steiger had to move out of the way for Ito to see inside. When he did, he swore a curse under his breath. A man was laying on the floor, slumped against the toilet, his throat ripped out. Blood and gore covered his clothes as well as the walls and floor as if he had put up one hell of a fight.
“Damn it,” Ito said, not bothering to hide his anger. “Charade, did you get a good look at that box through my optical feed?”
“Yep.”
“Can you get it open?”
“No problem. Give me a minute.”
As Ito waited Toyoko walked up next to him. “What are you thinking?”
“That this whole situation stinks. Obviously Caldera isn't here or if she was she's long gone. We got a zeroed out corpse in the bathroom that looks like he was dinner for a goddamned bloodsucker and a mystery box that better have some answers or we're fucked.”
Just then he heard Charade in his comlink. “It's open boss, but be careful.”
“What do you mean?”
“There was an explosive of some kind rigged to go off when a particular NIIC was used to open it. Specifically the NIIC of a Mr. Andreas who I can confirm is the dead body in the other room.”
“Shit,” Castiglione said as he and Ito walked over to the table. Ito slowly opened the lid and when he saw what was inside, he smiled in spite of himself.
“What is it?” Toyoko asked.
“Take a look,” he replied as he started to laugh. Inside was Caldera's cybernetic eye from BioCyber running off a bioenergy generator. More worrisome was the Helix Plasma Detonator that was wired to the eye. If Charade hadn't deactivated the trigger device and it had gone off, this entire floor of the building as well the entire squad would be nothing more than a memory.
“I should have known she would've found a way to have it removed,” Ito said as he shook his head. “She's always managed to stay one step ahead.”
“So what now?” said Mayuzai.
“Now?” Ito said as he looked at her with a dejected expression. “It's done. We have no leads on where Caldera or Korehammer are or where they might be going. It's game over.”
“Ito,” Toyoko began but was interrupted by Charade. “Squad, we have incoming.”
“Give me a sitrep Charade,” Ito said, immediately regaining his focus.
“Two armored troop carriers just pulled up to the front of the building and another at the rear. We got clercs all over the place as well as bloodsuckers, including an old friend of ours from a few nights ago.”
“Felicia?”
“In the flesh. Metaphorically.”
“That means Crimson Light is involved in this shit,” Toyoko said from behind him.
This whole operation is going to hell, Ito thought as he walked over to the window. Sure enough, he saw numerous clercs clambering out of the pair of vans as well as a couple of women dressed all in black. One was tall, with blonde hair pulled back into a tight ponytail and wearing mirrorshades. Ito had no idea who she was but the other was all too familiar. Short neon pink hair, sullen cheeks and skin as pale as bone. None the worse for wear despite the fact Ito had fired a bullet into her forehead.
As Ito watched the clercs ran into the building, firing their Hachisuka ARS-42 shotguns indiscriminately, blasting anyone that moved or was in their way. Soon the building was filled with the sounds of screams and gunfire.
“Charade, get airborne. We're going to EVAC from the roof.”
“Boss, there's no way I can land this bird on that roof. It won't be able to take the weight.”
“Then I guess we'll have to improvise. Just get in the air. Now!”
Ito turned to see that Mayuzai and Steiger were already out the door with Castiglione right on their heels. He indicated that Toyoko should go next but she shook her head. “I got your back.”
Not having time to argue, he ran out the door and was headed toward the stairs when he heard a chime from the elevator. He turned to see four clercs walk out, guns firing. He shoved Toyoko behind him and started returning fire with his Spitfire revolver, not bothering to try and aim.
Suddenly the head of the clerc in front exploded in a cloud of blood and bone. That was quickly followed by the one behind him losing an arm and the next one having his shins explode out from under him. When the remaining clerc stopped to look around and try to figure out what was going on Ito shot him in the throat. He spit blood as he slumped to the floor, the wet sound of gurgling coming from his mouth as he tried to breathe.
Ito turned to look at Toyoko as she lowered her assault rifle, the muzzle still smoking. “Do you still think me bringing this was over the top?”
“Hell no,” Ito said with a smile. He turned to look at the bodies on the floor and found himself wishing the clercs were useful for more then just muscle. Since the vampires started using the cloned mercenaries a year ago the Sutoraiku had learned they weren't exactly what anyone would call independent thinkers. They were designed to follow orders and not much else, which meant they weren't worth interrogating for information.
The two bloodsuckers, however...
Maybe this whole op isn't screwed after all, Ito thought as he motioned for Toyoko to head toward the stairs. “Charade,” he said with a sense or urgency. “What's the location of the two vamps?”
“They're standing on the sidewalk, talking into their NIICs.”
“Open fire. Don't zero them out, just make them run into the building lobby for cover. Then come to the roof and pick us up.”
“What are you doing?” Toyoko asked as they ran up the stairs, taking two at a time.
“I have a plan. I think.”
Toyoko and Ito ran through the door to the roof and immediately heard the sound of gunfire coming from the assault ship and then a thunderous explosion. Ito looked over the edge of the roof to see the two troop carries engulfed in flames, pieces of fiery steel raining down on the sidewalk.
“Mission accomplished boss.”
“Good job. Get over here and get level with the rooftop. Open the rear hatch so we can jump in.”
“On it.”
From below he heard the sound of the repulsar emitters grow louder as the ship rose to the same level as the roof. The hatch slowly lowered as the Datamurai kept the ship in position and hovered in midair, waiting for the squad to make the jump onboard.
Ito watched as everyone made the jump and was getting ready to make the leap himself when he heard the door to the roof burst open. He turned to see the remaining clercs rushing toward him with shotguns raised and opening fire.
Ito ducked behind an maintenance shed as he heard the bullets thud into the plaststeel surface of the roof. He chanced a look around the corner and saw that two were firing repeatedly on the assault ship while the rest were focusing their attention on Ito.
Shit, he thought. Why should anything about this mission be easy?
“Charade,” he yelled trying to hear himself over the gunfire. “Are you still connected to Caldera's cybernetic eye?”
“Little busy here boss,” she replied, sounding a bit harried. “But yeah. Why”
“Blow the Helix.”
The was silence on the comlink for a moment. “You sure about that?”
“Yeah, just keep your eyes open for a moving target.”
“Get ready.”
A moment later it felt like the floor vanished from underneath him as the Helix detonated. The sound was deafening as the entire sixth floor exploded outward in a torrent of flame, raining glass and metal onto the street below. Ito knew he had seconds before the floors began to collapse onto one another, bringing the entire building down and reducing it to a smoking pile of rubble and ash.
Ito ran for the edge of the roof as fast as he could, already starting to feel the roof give way underneath him. When he reached the edge he leaped out into the night air, not really sure where he would land.
Suddenly he felt someone grab his arm so tight it hurt. Ito looked up to see Castiglione on the very edge of the ramp, gripping his forearm, Toyoko anchoring him from further in the ship. With a massive heave they pulled Ito in and the trio fell onto the steel floor in a heap. He looked down at his arm and realized that it was probably broken, the pain getting worse by the minute.
“Glad to see that cybernetic arm is worth what it cost Hachisuka to have it installed.”
Castiglione looked at him with disdain. “If it wasn't for them I'd still have the original so we'll call it even.”
Just then the air was filled with the roar of the apartment building collapsing in on itself. Smoke and dust billowed into the air, making seeing anything next to impossible. Ito walked into the cockpit and looked over Charade's shoulder, the infrared and night vision scanning showing a twisted mass of metal and glass.
“Can you get a reading on our two friends?”
Charade opened a handful of holoscreens and hit a few buttons, refining the resolution to read for what they were looking for. Soon she pointed to one screen in particular. It showed what used to be the lobby of the building, now nothing but piles of rubble and dust.
“One should be right there under that girder. The other one is further into the lobby but I don't think she'll be very helpful.”
“Why is that?”
“Because see that big red smear on the floor? That used to be her head. Part of the roof collapsed right on top of her, crushing her body. I don't even know if a bloodsucker can come back from that.”
“Okay. Let's go get the one that might have made it.”
“Wait,” Toyoko said in disbelief. “We're going into that wreckage to get that vampire piece of shit and what, nurse her back to health?”
“Something like that, yeah.”
“Have you lost your fucking mind Ito?”
“No,” he said with a smirk. “If everything works out like I think it will, this could be our ticket to finally finishing this.”
Charade waited a few minutes for the worst of the dust to dissipate and then landed the ship a block away. Ito and his squad cautiously waded into the wreckage of the building, guided by Charade who was directing them through the comlink. Eventually they found a woman lying under a large steel girder, her lower half crushed and one leg lying at an odd angle.
“Castiglione, Steiger, grab an end. Mayuzai, when we lift the girder pull her out from underneath. On three...”
The three men strained to lift the large metal beam but managed to make enough space so Mayuzai could pull the woman out from under it. When she did the woman screamed in pain and it was easy to see why. Both her legs were broken, she had a large piece of plastic sticking out from her rib cage and her right hand was twisted in an unnatural manner. When they got her to the street in front of where the assault ship was, she finally opened her eyes. She blew pink stands of hair out of her face as Ito walked over and crouched down to look at her.
“Felicia.”
“Fuck me.”
“Damn right,” Ito said as for the second time in a week, he put a bullet in her head.