Page 6 of So Deadly
“What?”
“Yeah, guy’s nuts.All PsyOps guys are.”
Jayce turned the laptop so David could see an image of the facility.Sure enough, it looked like an abandoned oil field.There were fifteen derricks scattered across about thirty acres of flat dirt, sparsely inhabited by tufts of grass and low shrubs.A long, low-ceilinged building had probably once served as a bunkhouse and now, presumably, contained records on the 93rdTesting Brigade’s activities along with the dogs being used to conduct those experiments.Other than a chainlink fence topped with razor wire, there was no visible security.
“Getting through the fence is going to be challenging,” Jayce said.“Getting back over it is going to be more challenging.”
“We could wear motorcycle gear,” David suggested.“The thick cloth and leather should handle the razor wire if we’re not too clumsy.”
“That would be an excellent idea if there weren’t eight hundred amps of electricity being pumped through that entire fence.”
David blinked, trying not to imagine what eight hundred amps of electricity would do to his body.“Ah.”
“Once we figure that out, the rest actually won’t be too hard.I can fool the infrared sensors and security cameras long enough for us to get inside and get out.I’ll only need five or ten minutes at any computer terminal to crack in and download all of the information we need.Figure twenty minutes, thirty tops, from enter to exit.You’ll watch my six and tell me if the guards notice us while I focus on getting the information.”
“Infrared sensors,” David breathed, slumping back in his chair.
It hit him, not for the first time, but for the hardest time, that this was going to be very difficult.What Jayce was describing sounded like the plot of an action movie.It made what Faith did look like parking cars at a shopping mall valet lot.He was orders of magnitude underqualified for this.
Jayce glanced at him.He smiled sympathetically and held the chip bag out.“Take a couple.It’ll make you feel better.Seriously.Junk food’s designed to overstimulate dopamine receptors.It’s literally medically addictive.”
David didn’t think the potato chips would help, but he ate a couple anyway.He was right.It didn’t help.
“We’ve got this,” Jayce said.“Trust me, dude.Bravery is by far not my strong suit, but I’m doing this anyway.”
David managed a smile, but he was keenly aware of just how far Faith was from him and just how likely it was that the conversation they’d just had was the last one they would ever had.
What if it was Turk?
His jaw firmed.That question had sustained him through several periods of uncertainty since he started this investigation, and it sustained him now.If Turk was in this position, then he would want someone to help him.So would Faith.That was why, even though she was worried about him, she was agreeing to let him finish this.
He ate a few more chips.It still didn’t help but knowing that he wasn’t going to lose his courage did.Whatever awaited him on the other side of that electrified fence, he would face it with his shoulders square and his head held high.
And if he died in the attempt, then he would die knowing that when it really counted, he didn’t lose his courage.
CHAPTER THREE
Margaret Hayes was so sick of being called a Karen.That was just a term that people used when they couldn’t handle strong, assertive women willing to stand up for themselves.If they didn’t like her, they had her permission to get out of her way.
Like the mom pulling her kids out of Bruno’s way and glaring at her.Seriously?Screw you, lady.Just because Bruno growled at her little brat to warn him not to slap his face like a clumsy doll come to life just to eat and poop and stumble around in everyone’s way?
A security officer approached her, a resigned look on his face.Here we go again.
“Yeah, read the vest,” she said.“He’s a service dog.”
And then the doubtful look as he looked down at Bruno, who was growling again.“Problem?”Margaret asked.
“He doesn’t look like a service dog.”
Margaret felt a pang that she wouldn’t admit to herself was guilt.Of course, Bruno wasn’t a service dog.She’d got the vest online because it was stupid that places wouldn’t let her bring her dog.It wasn’t like Bruno was going to run wild in a jewelry store and break everything or jump onto tables at a restaurant.He was a good dog.He was well-behaved.So, he didn’t like to be approached by strangers.How about this?Don’t approach him.And don’t approachherfor that matter.
“Well, he is.”
“What service is he trained to perform?”
Margaret rolled her eyes and walked past the officer.She was so sick of this crap.The officer followed, and Bruno turned around and growled at him.He decided it wasn’t worth his time, but she could hear him on his radio as she walked away.“She says it’s a service dog, which is obviously bullshit.Typical Karen.”
She bristled.It wasn’t fair.She was an attractive single woman who lived, worked, and shopped alone.She wanted a dog for protection.Why did people get so bent out of shape over it?She only got the stupid vest because so many places didn’t allow dogs.If they would just let her have a dog for protection, then they would never have to worry about whether or not Bruno had a piece of paper saying he was a professional fetcher or some bullshit.
