Death List Excerpt
CHAPTER ONE
March 1, 2042, 11:17 P.M.
Tyson’s Corner, Virginia
NICK YEAGER STEPPED silently onto the rooftop and closed the door behind him. A flag flapped loudly across the street, caught by the brisk night wind. Despite the relatively clear skies, he could tell a storm was on the way. A big one, he guessed.
He remained in the doorway’s shadow. As a security officer, he knew where to position himself so that he wouldn’t be seen by the eight security cameras around him. Smoking was strictly forbidden, and the last thing he needed was video evidence of the transgression.
Satisfied he was hidden, he removed a pack of Camels and tapped out a cigarette. These were real smokes—dinosaurs of a bygone age—not the ridiculous electronic ones people smoked now. The pack had set him back thirty dollars, but it was worth it, a pleasurable way to endure an unsatisfying job.
He flicked the torch and lit the cigarette, letting the smoke slowly fill his lungs. Despite the pleasure it gave him, he knew this was a habit that needed to be kicked. In fact, he’d recently set a goal for himself: he’d stop as soon as he got the promotion he’d been waiting for. Once that happened, he’d gladly give up the foul things. But until then, they helped him cope with the boredom of protecting a building that would never be broken into.
Nick had been with Steele Security Systems for two years. Being a relative newcomer, he’d been placed in a low-crime neighborhood of a low-crime city. If he performed well for another year, his superiors had promised him a raise and a new position in DC. Until then, he needed to pay his dues and undergo this rite of passage.
As he took another draw, moving lights drew his attention to the east. Several miles away, across the Potomac, police drones cruised over the nation’s capital. That was where the action was. That was where law enforcement and security personnel actually encountered crime, often the kind that required a forceful response.
The most excitement he could hope for that night would be running off a band of teens. There were several groups of rich kids in Tyson’s Corner who relieved their boredom by breaking into buildings for fun. Spoiled little brats.
Nick shifted his gaze to the south. A waxing crescent moon hung on the horizon. Even with the naked eye, he could see a few of the massive dark plains that scientists called seas. It never ceased to amaze him that people actually lived and worked there now. A small colony of scientists, engineers, and researchers had been established on the lunar surface some six years earlier, and over time, it had grown into a full-fledged city. Much of the work was secret, but Nick guessed it was probably more mundane than people imagined.
Who knew—maybe he’d find work there some day. He’d heard there was a large security contingent in place, although he wondered why they were even needed. Who would want to commit crime on the moon?
As he was about to take another draw, his phone chirped loudly. He smirked. It was probably a text from Maria. They’d argued before he’d left for work, so she probably wanted to ask for forgiveness. She always blinked first.
Leaving the cigarette dangling from his mouth, he pulled the phone out of his pocket. His eyes widened as he opened the screen. What the…?
It was a notification from the building’s security system. Two of the perimeter sensors had gone off, which meant someone or something had penetrated the exterior fencing. This was no roving band of teenagers. Kids couldn’t scale a thirty-foot wall.
He thought about rushing to the edge of the roof to scan the courtyard, but that would take too much time. If he didn’t see anything, he’d have lost precious minutes. Before doing anything else, he needed to return to the command center and check the monitors.
After tossing the cigarette, he re-entered the building. As he sprinted down the stairs, he reviewed Steele’s protocol in the event of a breach. If the security officer was alone and the intruder had not yet gained entry, he was to contact headquarters. That would trigger two responses: a drone with additional security personnel would be dispatched, and local law enforcement would be notified. If all went well, the place would be crawling with backup in ten minutes or less.
For the moment, Nick decided against following protocol. Despite the rules, the team was given broad leeway in determining whether or not to adhere to each individual step. The last thing Steele wanted was for backup to be sent out for every false alarm. If the threat could be identified and safely neutralized by one officer, and if property damage or theft might occur before backup arrived, then the officer had the liberty to act on his or her own.
But Nick had an even better reason for going solo. If he successfully thwarted the breach, then accolades would surely follow. And if there were accolades, there might be that promotion he’d been waiting for.
Who knows? Maybe the local media might even be called in. He allowed himself a smile.
After arriving on the fifth floor, Nick rushed into the control room. Triggered by movement, a dim light came on overhead. There was a large desk on the right, its top lined with six monitors.
Nick slid into a seat facing the screens. “Sara, give me a SITREP.”
“Certainly,” the operating system said.
There were times when the smooth female voice was annoying. That night, it was comforting.
“At 11:21, there was contact with the exterior fence—”
“I don’t need a history,” Nick barked. “Where is the intruder?”
“The intruder is ascending the southeast side of the building. I’m bringing it up now.”
He’s ascending the southeast side of the building?
The center screen transitioned from a live feed of the building’s lobby to a live feed of the exterior. A large oak tree obscured most of the view. Nick cursed under his breath.
“Sara, give me a different view. This one is blocked.”
“I’m sorry, sir. There is no other view of this wall.”
Of course there weren’t any other views. That was why the intruder had chosen that wall to scale. Nick pondered the revelation. If the intruder knew he couldn’t be seen, that meant whoever was behind it all had someone working on the inside. That, or they had somehow hacked into the system. Both possibilities pointed to the same thing: they were professionals.
His heart racing, Nick stared at the screen. He could finally see the movement of arms and legs through breaks in the dense foliage. A man was scaling the wall with his bare hands.
Maybe he was using one of the new climbing suits, which had suction devices on the palms and toes. Nick had read about them online just a week before. Even used suits cost a minimum of $30,000 dollars, which meant they were only accessible to rich adrenaline junkies and the military.
The movement stopped. Nick leaned closer. Where was he?
“Sir, the sensors indicate we have contact with a fourth-floor window.”
That didn’t make any sense. “Adams Catering Service?”
“Yes, sir.”
Nick remembered another important protocol. When possible, a droid was to be dispatched in order to assess the threat prior to contact. Unfortunately, there was only one droid in the building, and Nick knew from another screen that it was currently patrolling the first floor.
“Sara, send our unit to the point of contact.”
“Yes, sir.”
“ETA?”
“Four minutes, ten seconds.”
Nick cursed again. That was too long. He could get there much quicker, perhaps in one or two minutes.
“Sara, link to my headset.”
“Yes, sir.”
Nick crossed to a row of cabinets. He placed his hand against the biometric scanner, and the lock clicked in response. He opened the door and retrieved his communications visor and a Bradley P7 rifle.
“Shall I call ERU?” Sara asked, referring to the emergency response unit.
Nick slid the visor over his head and powered it up. “Not yet.”
“Item twenty-seven, subparagraph two, states that—”
“I said not yet. We need to find out what’s going on first. We may not need them.”
“As you wish.”
His rifle in hand, Nick descended to the fourth floor. After the door slid open, he stepped into the corridor beyond. Light spilled out from the bottom of several doors along the hall.
“Sara, shut down all power on this floor.”
“Yes, sir,” Sara said through the visor’s speaker.
Seconds later, the hallway went dark. The visor’s screen adjusted for the lack of light, transitioning the hallway into milky greens and blacks.
As Nick stepped forward, a question surfaced: why would someone break into the offices of a regional catering business? There were nine tenants in the building, and Adams Catering was the least likely candidate for burglary. Maybe it was simply the easiest point of entry since the tree blocked the windows. And if that was the case, the intruder probably had another destination in mind.
Half a minute later, a door appeared at the end of the hall. The name Adams Catering Service swirled on a hologram plaque to the right.
“The window has been breached,” Sara said through the visor’s speakers.
Nick frowned. How had he gotten through so fast? The triple-layered glass was virtually impenetrable. If the intruder was through already, it meant he or she was using advanced equipment. Like the climbing suit, it hinted at an enemy who had come prepared.
Maybe Sara was right. Maybe it was time to call for help.
“Sara, call ERU, and tell them we have a Level Four Threat.”
“A wise choice, if I may say so.” There was a long pause before she continued. “Sir, I’m having trouble getting a message out. My primary signal has been jammed.”
Nick’s chest tightened in response. Steele used the most advanced communications hardware and software available. “Are you sure about that?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Is there any other way to get a signal out?”
“There are a few alternate routes. I’m testing them now.”
Nick hesitated, wondering if he should enter while she tried to establish communication. Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to go in and perform a little due diligence. He was well armed, after all. The P7 was the second most powerful rifle in the world. If called on, it could bring down anything he might find lurking inside.
Nick placed his hand on the biometric pad, and the door slid open.
He set the P7 on stun then stepped inside. A maze of desks, computer monitors, and concrete columns appeared on his visor. Nick gripped his weapon tightly. There were literally a hundred places to hide in this room alone.
“I found an alternate route for my signal,” Sara said. “The message has been sent, and I’ve already received a reply. Additional personnel will arrive in twenty-one minutes.”
Nick bristled. “That long?”
“I’m afraid so. Might I suggest we retreat to—”
“Can you give me a layout?” He was going to have a look around first.
“Yes, sir.”
A map of the offices appeared on the left side of the screen. He was standing in a large administrative area. To the left were a series of hallways that led to the executive offices. One of the windows glowed red there, indicating the location of the breach.
Nick walked down the center aisle, looking down each row of desks he passed. So far, nothing showed up on the thermals.
As he continued on, a faint noise came through a door at the rear of the room. The intruder had bumped into something. The map indicated the room was used for file storage. Maybe the offices weren’t just a point of entry. Maybe the intruder was looking for something in the company’s records. But what? It was a freaking catering business.
“Sara, is the map current?” he whispered.
“It’s the only one on file.”
“I see two exits. Is that correct?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you have an updated time of arrival for the ERU?”
“Sixteen minutes.”
He couldn’t wait that long. Actually, he could retreat back to the corridor and wait, but he didn’t want to. There was only one way out of the storage room, which meant he still held the advantage. The P7 would ensure his safety as he cleared one section at a time. If he ran into trouble, he could always retreat through the area he’d already cleared.
Confident in his plan, Nick slid his finger over the trigger of the P7 and passed through the door. The room beyond was pitch-black. It was so dark it took the night vision hardware a few seconds to adjust. Once it did, rows of cabinets appeared. They were at least seven feet high, preventing him from seeing the other parts of the room.
A distant noise echoed off the walls. Nick stood still. The rows of cabinets distorted the acoustics, making it impossible to tell which direction the sound came from.
Hearing nothing further, he continued down the aisle. Suddenly, a new concern arose in his mind. What if the intruder wasn’t human? It might be a weaponized droid. He hadn’t thought about that. Some of the newer models might even be able to withstand the blast of a P7. He quickly pushed aside the thought. He was letting his nerves get the best of him. The stun blast of the P7 could bring down an adult elephant at two hundred yards, and if it could do that, it could take care of whatever was out there.
A scuff sounded nearby. Nick froze in place.
A heat signature flashed across the intersection ahead. He lifted his rifle and pulled the trigger, sending a blast down the aisle.
“Direct hit,” Sara announced.
Nick hurried forward. He’d done it. He’d hit his target. Now it was simply a matter of putting the thug in restraints until the others arrived.
He reached the intersection, and a frown spread over his face as he looked around. No heat signatures registered on his visor. Concerned, he turned on his gun-mounted light and shone it around. It’s not possible. And yet there was nothing in sight. No person. No droid. Nothing.
Something creaked behind him.
He pivoted, his eyes drawn to the top of one of the cabinets.
A dark figure hovered there, but he couldn’t tell what it was. It seemed human, and yet there was something about the way it crouched…
A low growl came from its mouth.
What the…?
As Nick brought up his light, the figure leaped.
