Page 29 of A Ballad of Blackbirds and Betrayal (Dynamis Security #4)
Sabrina followed Atticus toward the southern approach, where a drainage culvert offered access to the demonstration area with minimal exposure.
They moved in silence, Sabrina matching his pace with the focused determination that had defined her military service and surgical career.
The weight of the aerosol countermeasure against her back reminded her of exactly what was at stake—not just the lives that might be lost today, but the thousands more that would perish if Mitchell’s bioweapon reached the international market.
The drainage culvert smelled of stagnant water and rusted metal, the confined space forcing them into a crouching position that strained muscles already taxed by the night’s events.
Atticus moved ahead of her, checking each junction before signaling her forward, his movements economical and precise.
“Patrols every sixty seconds,” he murmured, pausing at a junction where the culvert intersected with a larger drainage channel. “Motion sensor ahead, ten o’clock.”
Sabrina spotted the small device attached to the culvert’s ceiling—easy to miss if you weren’t trained to look for it. Atticus extracted a specialized tool from his tactical vest, extending it toward the sensor with controlled movements.
“Neutralized,” he confirmed after a moment, the tiny light on the device shifting from red to green as his countermeasure worked. “Temporary bypass. We have three minutes before the system resets and registers the anomaly.”
They emerged from the culvert into the gray light of early morning, immediately taking cover behind a stack of construction materials near the demonstration platform.
The compound had come alive with activity, security personnel in tactical gear establishing a perimeter while technicians made final adjustments to the demonstration equipment.
Through her specialized optics, Sabrina could see inside the main building, where well-dressed men and women gathered near the windows, champagne flutes in hand as they observed the preparations with the casual interest of consumers evaluating a product.
The disconnect between their cocktail-party demeanor and the lethal purpose of their gathering turned her stomach.
“Visual confirmation on primary targets,” Cal reported through comms, his voice pitched low despite the secure channel.
“Executive from Yongsan Defense Initiatives, North Korean front. Representative from VectorScope, tied to Russian bioweapons research. CFO of Schwarztech, German arms manufacturer with known terrorist connections. Plus six other high-priority targets on international watch lists.”
“Mitchell’s Christmas list,” Max commented from his position. “All the naughty children in one place.”
“Any sign of Mitchell himself?” Atticus asked, scanning the gathered buyers.
“Negative,” Cal replied. “But we’re picking up a secure video feed being broadcast to the main building. He’s running this remotely, as expected.”
Sabrina’s attention shifted to the demonstration platform, where technicians in hazmat suits were making final adjustments to the dispersal system. Beside the platform, a windowless van had arrived, its rear doors opening to reveal what looked like medical transport stretchers.
“They’re bringing in the test subjects,” she said, dread pooling in her stomach as figures in lab coats emerged from the van. “We need to move now.”
“Not yet,” Atticus cautioned, though she could feel the tension radiating from him. “Wait for?—”
“Alpha Team in position,” Nate’s voice came through the comms, followed immediately by Eden’s confirmation. “East access secured.”
“Bravo Team ready,” Jade reported. “I have eyes on the primary deployment system. Four technicians, two security personnel. Clean shots available on command.”
“Hold positions,” Atticus ordered. “We need to assess the bioweapon before engagement. Doc?”
Sabrina studied the deployment system through her optics, analyzing the components with the experienced eye of someone who’d dedicated her life to understanding how things worked—whether human bodies or mechanical systems.
“Central cannister is the primary deployment unit,” she identified. “Based on the configuration, it’s designed for aerosol dispersal with a coverage radius of approximately one hundred meters. The smaller cylinders are likely backup samples or calibration controls.”
“Can we disable it from here?” Atticus asked.
She shook her head. “Not without risking accidental deployment. We need direct access to the control systems.”
“Reynolds just arrived,” Max reported. “Southeast entrance, with four security personnel. He’s carrying what looks like a reinforced case—similar to what we saw at the airfield.”
“The primary bioweapon sample,” Atticus concluded. “Mitchell’s not putting all his eggs in one basket after the airfield loss.”
“They’re moving the test subjects into position,” Eden added urgently. “Five individuals, civilian clothing, appear to be sedated or drugged. One elderly male, two middle-aged females, one younger male and one younger female.”
Sabrina’s heart clenched. Five innocent lives, selected for slaughter to demonstrate a weapon’s effectiveness. Everything in her rebelled against the calculation, the cold disregard for human dignity.
“We need to move now,” she said, already reaching for the aerosol countermeasure.
Atticus nodded, decision made. “All teams, execute infiltration. Jade, on my mark, neutralize the security personnel at the platform. Viper, create a diversion at the west perimeter on my command. Warlock, Nightshade, secure the civilians. Doc and I will neutralize the bioweapon.”
The Dynamis team acknowledged their orders with professional efficiency. Atticus turned to Sabrina, his expression grim but determined.
“Remember, if something goes wrong, the countermeasure is the priority,” he said. “Those five lives represent thousands more if that weapon reaches the market.”
“I know,” she replied, though the words tasted bitter. “But we’re going to save them all, Atticus. That’s what we do.”
Something flickered in his eyes. His hand found hers briefly, a warm pressure that conveyed more than words could express.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Ready,” she confirmed, tightening her grip on the countermeasure container.
“All teams, execute on my mark,” Atticus said, his voice steady with lethal purpose. “Three, two, one…mark.”
The world erupted into controlled chaos.
Two sharp cracks split the air as Jade eliminated the security personnel at the deployment platform, each shot finding its mark with lethal finality.
Simultaneously, an explosion rocked the western perimeter as Max’s diversion drew attention and resources away from their primary target.
Atticus and Sabrina sprinted toward the deployment platform, using the momentary confusion to cross the exposed ground between their position and the bioweapon. The technicians scattered in panic, abandoning their equipment as gunfire erupted across the compound.
They reached the platform just as Reynolds turned in their direction, recognition and alarm flashing across his face. He reached for his weapon, but Atticus was faster, a single shot striking center mass. Mitchell’s security chief dropped to the ground, the threat permanently neutralized.
“Secure the case,” Atticus ordered, gesturing toward the reinforced container Reynolds had been carrying. “I’ll handle the deployment system.”
Sabrina moved toward the case, keeping low as bullets ricocheted off the platform’s metal supports. Inside the main building, the assembled buyers were scattering, their casual interest in weapons of mass destruction replaced by the very real fear of becoming casualties themselves.
“East side secure,” Nate reported. “Civilians located and confirmed alive. Moving to extraction point alpha.”
“West perimeter compromised,” Max added. “Security forces redirecting to the main building. You’ve got about ninety seconds before reinforcements reach your position.”
Sabrina reached the case, carefully examining it for booby traps before attempting to open it. No obvious triggers or alarms, but the digital lock would require bypassing.
“Cypher,” she said into her comm, “I need remote access to a biometric security system. Standard BioGenix protocols.”
“On it,” Cal replied. “Transmitting bypass sequence to your tactical display…now.”
The sequence appeared on her heads-up display, a complex pattern of override codes that she immediately began inputting into the case’s security panel. Across the platform, Atticus was dismantling the deployment system with the efficiency of someone who had studied its schematics extensively.
“Security forces converging on your position,” Eden warned. “Thirty seconds max.”
The case’s lock disengaged with a soft click, the panel flashing green. Sabrina opened it carefully, revealing six vials of clear liquid nestled in custom-molded foam—each one containing enough of the bioweapon to devastate a small city.
“Primary samples secured,” she reported, transferring the vials to her specialized containment pack with the careful precision of someone handling nitroglycerine. “Moving to assist with the deployment system.”
She joined Atticus at the central console, where he had removed the access panel to expose the inner workings of the dispersal mechanism. Red and yellow wires connected a central processor to the delivery tubes, the entire system designed for maximum lethality with minimal warning.
“The dispersal mechanism is armed,” he said, voice tight with concentration. “Timer set for three minutes. Mitchell’s fail-safe—if the demonstration is compromised, the system deploys automatically.”
“Can you disarm it?” she asked, studying the complex wiring.
“Not in time,” he replied grimly. “The system’s designed with multiple redundancies. Cut one wire, and it accelerates the countdown.”