Page 38 of Black Bay Defender
“Even if you can,” the General remarked, “the damage is already done. That AI knows where you are and that means the government agencies that are controlling it know where you are. Christ, I’m surprised they haven’t already come knocking.” Then, more to himself, he added, “Makes me wonder why General Rivera didn’t come right out and say something.” He shook his head and squared his shoulders. “They know of our intentions to free the Resurrection soldiers. If we make a move now, they’ll be expecting us.”
“Even if we wanted to make a move,” Grady returned, “we don’t have a location. Standard protocol dictates that after a location has been compromised, the soldiers are to be transferred. They could be anywhere by now.”
The General shook his head. “I still have eyes watching the facility. There’s been some activity on the grounds, but nothing to suggest a move. As far as we can tell, the soldiers are still inside.”
Grady blinked. “That’s… unexpected.” He frowned and began to sit up. “But beside the point. I’ve become a liability. I’ll leave, take the focus off Black Bay.”
Lark’s chest tightened with apprehension and she gripped his hand hard. “No.” She wouldn’t lose him. Not if she could help it. And if the General insisted he leave for the safety of the Beasts, she’d be going with him.
The General shook his head. “Lark’s right. You leaving won’t do shit. They’re already aware of Black Bay’s involvement, but for the moment, they’re playing things close to the chest. We wait and see how they’re going to respond. We’re still on high alert. I’ve got ears listening to all sorts of chatter and there’s been nothing even remotely tied to us. If they move, we’ll know.”
Lark wanted to hug the man. While her reasons for wanting Grady to stay were very different from the General’s, the result was the same. Grady wasn’t going anywhere. She relaxed once he settled back against the pillow.
The General eyed him. “Work on severing that connection.”
“Yes, sir.”
With a sharp nod, the General turned on his heel and left.
The Senator walked into the boardroom and took a seat. He looked around at those in attendance. Those who could get here in time were here in person, like Governor Adams and General Rivera, while others were faces on the multitude of monitors, accessing the meeting remotely. They ran the gamut from military brass and politicians to scientists and businessmen. Everyone who had a stake in Resurrection – or, at least, everyone that was left.
CIA Deputy Director NCS, Grant Ridley and Doctor Tanner Blackmore weren’t in attendance. They were missing and currently presumed dead. While the Senator’s knee-jerk reaction was to lay those deaths at the feet of the Commander, the Resurrection soldier that had gone rogue – especially after what had happened to Doctor Craig Jerome – the two men had been missing since ORION had locked everyone out. If the two of them had been inside, the AI might have been behind the disappearances. Had it ordered one of the Resurrection soldiers to terminate them and dispose of the bodies? The Senator shuddered at the thought. A powerful, unmonitored AI built for war, with weapons at its virtual fingertips.
General Rivera stood. He didn’t bother with any greetings or rehashing why they were all here. He got right to the point. “It’s been two weeks and we’ve had zero success accessing the Resurrection facility or opening lines of communication with ORION.”
No explanations, no demands, just silence from the AI.
“We can no longer wait in the hopes of locating Navy SEAL Weaponized Combat Unit 7 known as The Commander. If anyone has any ideas, let’s hear ‘em, otherwise, we’ll need to move on the facility with military force to retake control.”
“An EMP,” someone suggested only for one of their computer experts to counter, “That would destroy the stasis pods along with the AI, potentially killing all of the assets.”
Assets, the Senator thought with a hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach. Not soldiers. Not men and women. Assets.
Everyone began talking over each other and none of it, from what he heard, had to do with the preservation of lives – of what was best for those soldiers – all of it had to do with the money that would be lost. While part of him shared their concern for lost revenue, another part was sickened by the greed. There were fifty-one soldiers housed in that building. Fifty-one of this country’s best fighters. Men and women who had fought, given their all… Swallowing hard, he hung his head in shame. He’d once been a human rights advocate. He’d lobbied hard for Veteran’s rights. He’d dreamt of real change. But this is what he had become. This is what all of them had become.
Chapter Twenty
Larkhadherreservationsabout Grady attempting to immediately search for and sever the connection the AI had made. The guy had just had someone digging around in his brain, he needed to rest and recover, but she also understood. She was stubborn too and would have insisted on doing the same. So she stayed by his side, watching over him as he searched his mind.
It had fascinated her when his eyes had changed, the blue shimmer of a grid pattern overlaying the hazel green of his irises drawing another memory to the forefront of her brain. The Ohio operation, the unexpected deployment of gas when they’d entered the building, and Grady, connecting to the AI. His eyes had done the same thing then, she recalled.
When a sheen of sweat bloomed on his brow and upper lip she became concerned. And when his jaw had locked so tight the tendons in his neck had stuck out, she finally called a halt. This was hurting him.
“That’s enough.”
He didn’t respond. His body locked up as tight as a bowstring and it didn’t look like he was breathing.
“Grady,” she said, raising her voice as she shook him. “Stop. That’s enough.”
He blinked, the shimmer disappearing from his eyes as his muscles released. He sagged into the mattress, panting.
“Are you all right?”
His head turned a bit to look at her and his lips pinched together into a tight hyphen as he nodded sharply. He didn’t need to say the words for her to know that he’d been unable to find the connection.
“It’s all right,” she told him, rubbing his upper arm soothingly. “We’ll figure it out.”
He nodded again, but she could tell by the look on his face that he didn’t believe her.
