Digital Fortress Chapter 81-84

Chapter 81Becker stood bleary-eyed be cheek the tele reverberate booth on the endpoint throng. Despite his burning face and a vague nausea, his spirits were soaring. It was over. Truly over. He was on his focusing home. The ring on his finger was the grail hed been seeking. He held his hand up in the light and squinted at the gold band. He couldnt focus well enough to read, solely the inscription didnt appear to be in English. The first symbol was either a Q, an O, or a zero, his look hurt too untold to tell. Becker study the first few characters. They made no sense. This was a matter of national security?Becker stepped into the phone booth and dialed Strathmore. Before he had finished the international prefix, he got a recording. Todos los circuitos estan ocupados, the voice said. Please hang up up and try your c every later. Becker frowned and hung up. Hed forgotten Getting an international connection from Spain was corresponding roulette, all a matter of timing and luck. H ed have to try over again in a few minutes.Becker fought to ignore the diminish sting of the pepper in his eyes. Megan had told him rubbing his eyes would only make them worse he couldnt imagine. Impatient, he tried the phone again. Still no circuits. Becker couldnt wait any longer-his eyes were on fire he had to flush them with water. Strathmore would have to wait a minute or two. Half blind, Becker made his way toward the bathrooms.The fuzzinessgy image of the cleaning cart was still in front of the handss room, so Becker turned again toward the door marked damas. He thought he heard sounds inface. He knocked. Hola?Silence.Probably Megan, he thought. She had vanadium hours to kill before her flight and had said she was way out to scrub her arm till it was clean.Megan? he called. He knocked again. T present was no reply. Becker pushed the door unresolved. Hello? He went in. The bathroom appeared empty. He shrugged and walked to the sink.The sink was still filthy, tho the w ater was cold. Becker felt his pores tighten as he splashed the water in his eyes. The pain began to ease, and the fog gradually lifted. Becker eyed himself in the mirror. He looked like hed been crying for days.He dried his face on the sleeve of his jacket, and then it abruptly occurred to him. In all the excitement, hed forgotten w present he was. He was at the aerodrome Somewhere push through thitheron the tarmac, in one of the Seville advertiseports three private repair sheds, there was a Learjet 60 wait to take him home. The pilot had stated very clearly, I have orders to stay here until you return.It was baffling to believe, Becker thought, that after all this, he had ended up right clog uprest where hed started. What am I waiting for? he laughed. Im sure the pilot can radio a message to StrathmoreChuckling to himself, Becker glanced in the mirror and straightened his tie. He was about to go when the reflection of something can buoy him caught his eye. He turned. It a ppeared to be one end of Megans duffel, protruding from low a partially present stall door.Megan? he called. There was no reply. Megan?Becker walked over. He rapped loudly on the spot of the stall. No reaction. He gently pushed the door. It swung open.Becker fought back a cry of horror. Megan was on the toilet, her eyes turn over skyward. Dead center of her forehead, a fume hole oozed bloody liquid smooth her face.Oh, Jesus Becker cried in shock.Esta muerta, a barely human voice croaked behind him. Shes dead.It was like a dream. Becker turned.Senor Becker? the eerie voice asked.Dazed, Becker studied the man stepping into the rest room. He looked oddly familiar.Soy Hulohot, the killer said. I am Hulohot. The misshapen talking to seemed to emerge from the depths of his stomach. Hulohot held out his hand. El anillo. The ring.Becker stared blankly.The man reached in his pocket and produced a munition. He raised the utensil and trained it on Beckers head. El anillo.In an insta nt of clarity, Becker felt a sensation he had never known. As if cued by some subconscious survival instinct, every muscle in his body tense simultaneously. He flew by dint of the air as the snap spat out. Becker crashed vanquish on top of Megan. A bullet exploded against the wall behind him.Mierda Hulohot seethed. Somehow, at the last possible instant, David Becker had dived out of the way. The assassin advanced.Becker pulled himself kill the lifeless teenager. There were approaching footsteps. Breathing. The cock of a weapon.Adios, the man whispered as he lunged like a panther, swinging his weapon into the stall.The gun went glum. There was a flash of red. But it was no tblood. It was something else. An design had materialized as if out of nowhere, sailing out of the stall and hitting the killer in the bosom, causing his gun to fire a split second early. It was Megans duffel.Becker exploded from the stall. He buried his shoulder in the mans chest and drove him back into th e sink. There was a bone-crushing crash. A mirror shattered. The gun fell free. The two men collapsed to the floor. Becker tore himself away and dashed for the exit. Hulohot scrambled for his weapon, spun, and fired. The bullet ripped into the slamming bathroom door.The empty expanse of the airport concourse loomed before Becker like an uncrossable desert. His legs surged beneath him faster than hed ever known they could move.As he skidded into the revolving door, a shot rang out behind him. The glass panel in front of him exploded in a shower bath of glass. Becker pushed his shoulder into the frame and the door rotated forward. A moment later he stumbled onto the pavement out expression.A taxi stood waiting.Dejame entrar Becker screamed, pounding on the locked door. permit me in The driver refused his fare with the wire-rim glasses had asked him to wait. Becker turned and power motto Hulohot streaking across he concourse, gun in hand. Becker eyed his little Vespa on the sidewal k. Im dead.Hulohot blasted through the revolving doors hardly in time to see Becker trying in vain to kick start his Vespa. Hulohot smiled and raised his weapon.The choke Becker fumbled with the levers under the gas tank. He jumped on the starter again. It coughed and died.El anillo. The ring. The voice was close.Becker looked up. He saw the barrel of a gun. The chamber was rotating. He rammed his foot on the starter once again.Hulohots shot estimable missed Beckers head as the little bike sprang to life and lurched forward. Becker hung on for his life as the bicycle bounced down a grassy embankment and wobbled most the corner of the building onto the runway.Enraged, Hulohot raced toward his waiting taxi. Seconds later, the driver lay knocked out(p) on the curb watching his taxi peel out in a cloud of dust.Chapter 82As the implications of the Commanders phone call to warranter began to settle on the dazed Greg rack, he found himself bleached by a wave of scare. Security is c oming Susan began to slip away. Hale recovered, clutching at her midsection, pulling her back.Let me go she cried, her voice echoing though the dome.Hales mind was in overdrive. The commanding officers call had taken him totally by surprise. Strathmore phoned Security Hes sacrificing his plans for Digital Fortress non in a million years had Hale imagined the commander would let Digital Fortress slip by. This back door was the chance of a lifetime.As the panic rushed in, Hales mind seemed to play tricks on him. He saw the barrel of Strathmores Berretta everywhere he looked. He began to spin, holding Susan close, trying to deny the commander a shot. Driven by fear, Hale dragged Susan blindly toward the stairs. In five minutes the lights would come on, the doors would open, and a SWAT team would pour in.Youre hurting me Susan choked. She gasped for breath as she stumbled through Hales desperate pirouettes.Hale considered letting her go and making a mad dash for Strathmores heave, bu t it was suicide. He had no password. Besides, once outside the NSA without a hostage, Hale knew he was as good as dead. Not even his Lotus could outrun a fleet of NSA helicopters. Susan is the only thing that will apply Strathmore from blowing me off the roadSusan, Hale blurted, dragging her toward the stairs. Come with me I swear I wont hurt you As Susan fought him, Hale realize he had new problems. Even if he somehow managed to get Strathmores elevator open and take Susan with him, she would undoubtedly fight him all the way out of the building. Hale knew full well that Strathmores elevator made only one stop the Underground Highway, a restricted labyrinth of underground rag tunnels through which NSA powerbrokers moved in secrecy. Hale had no intention of ending up lost in the basement corridors of the NSA with a struggling hostage. It was a death trap. Even if he got out, he realized, he had no gun. How would he get Susan across the parking lot? How would he drive?It was the voice of one of Hales marine, military-strategy professors that gave him his answerForce a hand, the voice warned, and it will fight you. But convince a mind to study as you want it to think, and you have an ally.Susan, Hale heard himself saying, Strathmores a killer Youre in danger hereSusan didnt seem to hear. Hale knew it was an absurd angle anyway Strathmore would never hurt Susan, and she knew it.Hale strained his eyes into the darkness, wondering where the commander was hidden. Strathmore had fallen silent suddenly, which made Hale even more panicky. He comprehend his time was up. Security would arrive at any moment.With a surge of strength, Hale wrapped his fortify around Susans waist and pulled her hard up the stairs. She hooked her heels on the first step and pulled back. It was no use, Hale overpowered her.Carefully, Hale backed up the stairs with Susan in tow. Pushing her up might have been easier, but the landing at the top was illuminated from Strathmores computer monitors. If Susan went first, Strathmore would have a clear shot at Hales back. Pulling Susan behind him, Hale had a human shield between himself and the Crypto floor.About a third base of the way up, Hale sensed movement at the bottom of the stairs. Strathmores making his move Dont try it, Commander, he hissed. Youll only get her killed.Hale waited. But there was only silence. He listened closely. Nothing. The bottom of the stairs was still. Was he imagining things? It didnt matter. Strathmore would never risk a shot with Susan in the way.But as Hale backed up the stairs dragging Susan behind him, something unexpected happened. There was a faint thud on the landing behind him. Hale stopped, adrenaline surging. Had Strathmore slipped upstairs? Instinct told him Strathmore was at the bottom of the stairs. But then, suddenly, it happened again-louder this time. A intelligible step on the upper landingIn terror, Hale realized his mistake. Strathmores on the landing behind me He has a clear shot of my back In desperation, he spun Susan back to his uphill side and started retreating backwards down the steps.As he reached the bottom step, he stared wildly up at the landing and yelled, Back off, Commander Back off, or Ill break her-The butt of a Berretta came slicing through the air at the foot of the stairs and crashed down into Hales skull.As Susan tore free of the slumping Hale, she wheeled in confusion. Strathmore grabbed her and reeled her in, cradling her shakiness body. Shhh, he soothed. Its me. Youre okay.Susan was trembling. Com mander. She gasped, disoriented. I thought I thought you were upstairs I heardEasy now, he whispered. You heard me toss my loafers up onto the landing.Susan found herself laughing and crying at the same time. The commander had just saved her life. Standing there in the darkness, Susan felt an overwhelming sense of relief. It was not, however, without guilt Security was coming. She had unwisely let Hale grab her, and he had used h er against Strathmore. Susan knew the commander had paid a huge expenditure to save her. Im sorry, she said.What for?Your plans for Digital Fortress theyre ruined.Strathmore shook his head. Not at all.But but what about Security? Theyll be here any minute. We wont have time to-Securitys not coming, Susan. Weve got all the time in the world.Susan was lost. Not coming? But you phonedStrathmore chuckled. Oldest trick in the book. I faked the call.Chapter 83Beckers Vespa was no doubt the smallest vehicle ever to tear down the Seville runway. Its top speed, a whining 50 mph, sounded more like a chain saw than a motorcycle and was unfortunately well below the necessary power to become airborne.In his side mirror, Becker saw the taxi swing out onto the darkened runway about four hundred yards back. It instanter started gaining. Becker faced front. In the distance, the contour of the airplane repair sheds stood framed against the night sky about a one-half mile out. Becker wondered if t he taxi would overtake him in that distance. He knew Susan could do the math in two seconds and number his odds. Becker suddenly felt fear like he had never known.He lowered his head and writhe the throttle as far as it would go. The Vespa was definitely topped out. Becker guessed the taxi behind him was doing almost ninety, twice his speed. He set his sights on the three structures looming in the distance. The middle one. Thats where the Learjet is. A shot rang out.The bullet buried itself in the runway yards behind him. Becker looked back. The assassin was hanging out the window taking aim. Becker swerved and his side mirror exploded in a shower of glass. He could feel the impact of the bullet all the way up the handlebars. He lay his body flat on the bike. God help me, Im not going to make itThe tarmac in front of Beckers Vespa was growing brighter now. The taxi was closing, the headlights throwing ghostly shadows down the runway. A shot fired. The bullet ricocheted off the hu ll of the bike.Becker struggled to keep from going into a swerve. Ive got to make the hangar He wondered if the Learjet pilot could see them coming. Does he have a weapon? Will he open the cabin doors in time? But as Becker approached the lit expanse of the open hangars, he realized the question was moot. The Learjet was nowhere to be seen. He squinted through blurred vision and prayed he was hallucinating. He was not. The hangar was bare. Oh my God Wheres the planeAs the two vehicles rocketed into the empty hangar, Becker desperately searched for an escape. There was none. The buildings turn out wall, an expansive pall of corrugated metal, had no doors or windows. The taxi roared up beside him, and Becker looked left to see Hulohot raising his gun.Reflex took over. Becker slammed down on his brakes. He barely slowed. The hangar floor was slick with oil. The Vespa went into a headlong skid.Beside him there was a deafening squeal as the taxis brakes locked and the balding tires hyd roplaned on the slippery surface. The car spun around in a cloud of smoke and burning rubber only inches to the left of Beckers skidding Vespa.Now side by side, the two vehicles skimmed out of control on a collision course with the rear of the hangar. Becker desperately pumped his brakes, but there was no traction it was like driving on ice. In front of him, the metal wall loomed. It was coming fast. As the taxi spiraled wildly beside him, Becker faced the wall and poise for the impact.There was an earsplitting crash of steel and corrugated metal. But there was no pain. Becker found himself suddenly in the open air, still on his Vespa, bouncing across a grassy field. It was as if the hangars back wall had vanished before him. The taxi was still beside him, careening across the field. An enormous sheet of corrugated metal from the hangars back wall billowed off the taxis hood and sailed over Beckers head.Heart racing, Becker gunned the Vespa and took off into the night.Chapter 84Jab ba let out a contented sigh as he finished the last of his solder points. He switched off the iron, put down his penlight, and lay a moment in the darkness of the mainframe computer. He was beat. His neck opening hurt. Internal work was always cramped, especially for a man of his size.And they just keep building them smaller, he mused.As he closed his eyes for a well-deserved moment of relaxation, someone outside began pulling on his boots.Jabba Get out here a womans voice yelled.Midge found me. He groaned.Jabba Get out hereReluctantly he slithered out. For the love of God, Midge I told you- But it was not Midge. Jabba looked up, surprised. Soshi?Soshi Kuta was a ninety-pound live wire. She was Jabbas righthand assistant, a razor-sharp Sys-Sec techie from MIT. She often worked late with Jabba and was the one member of his staff who seemed unintimidated by him. She glared at him and demanded, wherefore the hell didnt you answer your phone? Or my page?Your page, Jabba repeated. I th ought it was-Never mind. Theres something strange going on in the main databank.Jabba checked his watch. Strange? Now he was growing concerned. Can you be any more specific?Two minutes later Jabba was dashing down the hall toward the databank.