Chapter Nineteen
Without waking Sky to tell her what he was about to do, Kane left her house for his reconnaissance mission at the factory a few minutes before midnight. Between where he parked and his destination a mile away, he had to lie low for minutes on end in case motion sensors were strategically placed nearby. From his military experience, the intermittent stop and go often confused those machines. What he really wished for were a few trees along his path or a large rock to hide behind. The ground was dirt strewn with small rocks, which if accidentally kicked, would bounce and ping down the ravine to the river below. He might as well use a bullhorn to announce his arrival if that happened.
His goal for tonight was to find out how many men arrived and in what kind of transport. That was all. There’d be no heroics, as he did not intend to enter the Base to see what the military was keeping secret. Despite his credentials, they’d frown on his intrusion. In fact, they might imprison him underground for life if he snuck in.
Kane took close to an hour to reach his secret ledge, timing his entry to the sentry’s movements around the building. Except for the wind occasionally slapping the side of the glass greenhouses and the even pounding of the sentry’s boots on the pavement as he marched in a large circle around the perimeter, the place was as still as the ravine was deep. Up above, clouds swirled across the moon in a rhythmic fashion, gaining speed with each minute. One strong gust while he was standing on the narrow ledge, and he’d be free-falling the thousand feet to the river below, which was exactly why he’d snuck out while Sky was still asleep. This mission was too dangerous for anyone but a trained Special Forces operative.
Unfortunately, after four hours of surveillance, Kane still had no idea when the workers would arrive for their shift or if they had already arrived. He hoped their day didn’t run from ten at night until six in the morning, as waiting until the sun rose would put his escape plan at risk.
He also worried Sky might wake and find him gone if he stayed away too long. She’d freak, but he needed answers about the military base in order to ensure her safety. If he’d written a note regarding his mission, it would either have calmed her, or prompted her to follow him. In the end, he opted for the safe route and said nothing.
All of a sudden, the drone of engines set him on alert, and with his night vision goggles, or NVG’s, in place, he peered at eye level across the barren ground. All kinds of trucks, cars, and military vehicles came around the back of the building with their headlights off. The stealth implied a secret base existed after all. No one lived on the other side of the canyon to see their lights, but perhaps they worried a satellite view would show the stream of lights entering a normally dark region. These men were either paranoid or smart.
The vehicles stopped in front of a tool shed that was wide enough for one double garage door yet was rather tall. The door lifted up, and like robots, the convoy followed the first truck into the shed—a shed that couldn’t house more than four cars end-to-end. After the fifth vehicle piled in, he figured there must be a ramp that led down to a parking garage as nothing else made sense. Sky and the General had both been right. There was a deep underground military base.
After about thirty vehicles had driven in, Kane lost track of their number. Then an equal number piled out, confirming a shift change. As much as he wanted to waylay one of the men, it was too dangerous.
A ton of questions bombarded him, but unfortunately, no answers followed. Had the military been responsible for the Senator’s and Sky’s kidnapping? If so, why take a public figure and an officer of the law? Sky had mentioned that a local man, Dan Joe, claimed he’d been taken too. Surely, he had nothing the military would want. Only the Senator’s capture made sense.
Perhaps Sky had witnessed some event that alerted National Security, or they found out about the cone she’d discovered in the cave—a cone she claimed was alien in nature. He shook his head to clear out that kind of nonsense. This was military, no doubt about it.
The flow of vehicles exiting eventually stopped, and the large door squeaked closed. The temperature had dropped to around forty, and while he’d dressed well, the biting wind chilled his face, and the air smelled of rain. Maybe if they had a rare storm, the one security guard would be more interested in taking cover than in patrolling the area. From the way the man slumped as he walked, Kane doubted the guy had any Special Forces training.
With his intel complete, Kane was about to leave when he heard a group of men come around the corner laughing. They were on foot and dressed in jeans and camouflage jackets. They approached the side of the shed, swiped a card in a slot, and a side door opened.
The security sure seemed to be lax above ground, but he bet underneath, it was like Fort Knox. He wouldn’t be surprised if the personnel had to pass a retinal or fingerprint scan to go deeper into the DUMB.
As soon as the men disappeared, Kane climbed up to ground level. Just then, another figure darted around the corner and pressed his back against the wall. Kane squatted and held still, ready to run should the person catch sight of him. The man had his face averted, but his hands glowed white in the moonlight.
The creeper edged along the wall in starts and stops almost as if he was debating his next move. Something wasn’t right. If he was a worker, why wasn’t he going inside?
From the gait, height, and small build, he’d swear he was a she. She turned her head, and the moonlight reflected off her face. Oh, shit. His NVG’s allowed him to see her clearly. It was Sky. His pulse raced as he fisted his hands. She’d promised not to come here. What the hell was she thinking? If anyone else rounded the corner, she’d be a goner. Intruders were shot first and questioned later. The best case would be she’d lose her job, and the worst case, her life.
Kane stood and quietly darted to the east side of the building to check if anyone else was coming. All clear. He dashed along the back of the perfume factory while Sky closed in on the shed door that led to the parking garage.
Fearing she might cry out if he called to her, he snuck up behind her and clamped a hand over her mouth. No surprise, the feisty little woman elbowed him in the gut and stomped on the arch of his foot. He had to hand it to her. She was tough.
“Sky, it’s me,” he whispered in her ear.
She stilled, her chest heaving. He slowly lowered his hand and turned her around. Her lips were pressed together, and her eyes narrowed. Before he could question her or yell at her for being stupid for coming, another set of voices rang out from the side of the building, and escape routes raced through his mind. He needed to get them out of there.
Kane tugged on her arm to move her away from the perfume factory just as several people came around the side of the building. He did the only thing he could think of.
He kissed her, goggles and all.
He wasn’t sure if she was grinding against him to get away or if she enjoyed the passionate kiss, but he wanted to believe it was the second option. The men closed in. Her cheeks were chilled and her nose frozen, so he softened his lips and drank in her lavender scent for one more second.
“Hey,” one of the men yelled then followed it with a laugh. “Get a room.” Sky pulled back and pressed her hands on Kane’s chest, but he didn’t lessen the pressure of his body against hers. He had no idea what she’d do if he let go.
Another companion chuckled. “That you, Starman?”
Starman? He wasn’t sure how he could answer and not give himself away. Every muscle tensed. He then planted a hand next to Sky’s face to block their view and placed the other on his weapon. He leaned close, and with their lips almost touching, he moaned loud enough to wake the dead. “Oh, baby, what you do to me.” To his dismay, he didn’t have to fake it.
“Yo, lover Boy. Better hurry before the Colonel catches you. He’s on his way.” The first one cackled, but they didn’t harass him anymore, thank God. Instead, they continued to the door.
Shit. The parade of personnel seemed non-stop. Kane waited a few seconds to make sure his tormenters wouldn’t return, and then he and Sky ran toward the far end of the building away from the parking lot. Thankfully, she didn’t complain. As soon as they rounded the far corner, he stopped, and planted her back against the wall.
She opened her mouth and he placed a finger on her lips. “Shh.” Now wasn’t the time for their much-needed conversation or her excuses as to why she was there.
“Where did you park?” Dumb question, but he needed time to assess the situation since his head was swimming from that kiss, one that had been intense and exciting.
“Next to you.”
How had she found his Jeep? The problem now was how to escape without being seen. If he’d been alone it wouldn’t have been an issue. Perhaps if Sky had been closer to five-foot eight instead of five two, she might have passed for a military man.
“You packing?” he whispered.
“Yes.”
At least they both had firepower, but he didn’t want to have to resort to a shoot-out. They’d lose against the automatic rifles. The sound of rocks rolling down a hill put his senses on high alert. Someone was near, and he motioned with his hands for her to go north. Taking the south route would take them in front of the factory.
She nodded and took off at a trot. From the east, a flashlight hit Sky’s face, the rays nearly blinding her. She stopped. Kane whipped off his goggles as the owner of the light raced toward them.
“Who are you?” the sentry asked.
He flashed the light directly in Sky’s face and held up something. A click sounded that was too soft to be a gun. Sky squinted, but from the way her legs were spread and her shoulders squared, she was more pissed than afraid. Please don’t pull out your badge and act hostile.
Kane stepped forward. “Yo, man. It’s cool. I was showing my little lady here how I used to do it in the Special Forces. We have a few minutes before my shift starts.” He knew he probably sounded like Sylvester Stallone, only not with as heavy an accent. Kane wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “That’s right, doll?” This was worse than a bad B-movie.
The guard stood up taller. “Well, the game’s over. You know the rules. No fraternizing. Now get inside. And check your watch. You’re late.”
That answered one question about shift times. Kane could probably take him down, but if Sky were hurt in the scuffle, he’d never be able to live with himself.
She then waved something small and white in front of her. “That’s right, Tony. We need to get to work. We don’t want to piss off the boss.”
Tony? Either she knew the sentry or she was calling Kane by that name to throw off the guard. If that was the case, he had to admire her fast thinking.
She took off toward the shed and he followed, the light from the sentry’s flashlight leading the way. He bet the guard was running names through his head to see if he could figure out just who the hell they were. Kane half expected the sentry to use some high tech equipment to check them out, but he didn’t. Kane also wondered why he hadn’t asked for ID. The General would have a heyday with this guy.
At the door, Sky swiped a card and miracles of miracles, the door opened, and his shoulders relaxed. Luck was on their side when the sentry didn’t follow them inside. Kane checked out the small space. No one was standing guard, but he noted a ramp sloping downward that had to lead to a garage. The metal shed looked rickety from the outside, but the interior walls were reinforced with steel, and low wattage lights rimmed the ceiling. He wouldn’t be surprised if they had mounted cameras around the inside. Kane turned his head away from the interior and leaned over her. “Is that the card Earl found?”
“Yes.”
“How did you know the card would open this door?” He made sure his body blocked her face.
“I didn’t, but I suspected it might be for the factory or this underground Base.”
He wanted to question her logic further, but they needed to leave now. The only way out as far as he could see was the same way they came in. “Let me check to see if the coast is clear.”
He pushed open the door and looked outside. The sentry wasn’t there. Kane grabbed her hand and tugged her outside, and they headed south, this time toward the safety of the ledge. They were halfway there when the sound of more vehicles came toward them. Perhaps one contained the Colonel.
He dragged on his goggles and ran with Sky along the ridge. At the ledge’s location, he stopped. “Climb down.” Her hand tightened.
“No way.”
“Don’t worry, there’s a ledge. Okay fine. I’ll go first and then help you down.” Kane dropped to his haunches and jumped the four feet to the flat surface below then held up his arms to help her, but Sky didn’t move. The engine noise got louder. “Get on your butt. You have to jump.”
“I can’t.”
Gravel crunched under tires as a vehicle approached. In a few seconds, she’d be found.
“Come on.” He lifted the rope he’d left there, to ensure she wouldn’t get tangled in it, since Sky probably couldn’t see a damned thing.
The engine noises were getting louder—and closer. If she didn’t trust him, she’d get caught and life as she knew it would be over.
She crouched on the edge of the ravine and as she leaned forward to take his stretched fingers, she must have tripped, because she tumbled outward as if an invisible hand pushed her—right over the edge.