24 Declassified: Vanishing Point 2d-5 Page 23

  The man was an experienced knife fighter, so fast Tony did not completely sidestep the blow. The razor thin blade raked his ribcage. Tony howled. Shutting out the pain, he locked Boca’s knife arm under his own and stepped around the helpless man. A quick jerk, and Tony felt the bone snap in Boca’s arm. Tony used his elbow to strike the man three times. The first blow smashed Boca’s nose. The second shattered his jaw. The third strike killed him.

  He stepped back and the dead man pitched to the floor. Tony reeled as blood streamed down his flanks. Megan was instantly on her feet to steady him.

  “Antonio? Is that you?” she cried, recognizing him despite the layers of grit and grease. Tony took in the woman’s pink Meow, Meow Kitty teddy and matching panties. “That’s a new look for you, isn’t it Doc?” he grunted.

  “You’ve been wounded!”

  By now, the hostages were starting to rise. “Get down, stay in your places. At least until I close the hangar door.”

  Tony limped to the control panel and hit the switch. It took a minute for the door to come down. When it did, he visibly relaxed but did not slow down.

  Tony tossed Boca’s assault rifle to a young airman with dark hair and Hispanic features.

  “Go stand in that doorway—” Tony pointed to a narrow door adjacent to the blast-proof steel gate. “—pretend you’re a guard. The longer the bad guys think they’ve got us, the longer they’ll leave us alone.”

  Dr. Reed kept her arms wrapped around Tony while he moved across the hangar. She clung so tightly Tony wasn’t sure who was supporting whom. Tony opened the idle generator and reached under the hood. The Glock was right where he left it. With his fist around the familiar weapon, Tony felt complete.

  Dr. Alvin Toth touched his arm. “You’re bleeding, young man.”

  “I don’t have time to bleed,” Tony replied.

  “I saw that movie, too,” Toth replied with a sly smile. “I also have a First Aid kit right here. Let me fix you up…”

  Tony nodded and leaned against the generator. He lifted his arm while Toth smeared a disinfectant on the ragged gash. Tony winced, sucking air.

  “Be careful, Dr. Toth! You’ll hurt him,” Megan cried, arms wrapped around Tony’s broad shoulders.

  23. THE FOLLOWING TAKES PLACE BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 10 A.M. AND 11 A.M. PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME

  10:06:22 A.M. PDT Hanger Five, Experimental Weapons Testing Range Groom Lake Air Force Base

  Yizi drifted through Hangar Five like a shadow. Ignoring the others, she approached Jong Lee. Her master had his back to the open door while he admired the sleek design of the experimental stealth helicopter. A few commandos were with him in the hangar. Many more had been deployed across the base, anticipating a military response from the Americans

  “The jamming ceased approximately one hour ago,” the woman reported in whispered Chinese. “I was able to re-send the emergency message to our base in Mexico. They acknowledged receiving it, but offered no timeline for our extraction.”

  Jong Lee frowned. He’d suspected the truth, but only now did he know for certain that he’d been abandoned by his own government. It was a stinging blow, but not unexpected after their setbacks. If Jong Lee were back in Beijing, he probably would have issued the same command.

  “Very well,” Lee said, his voice grim. “We still possess the only prototype of the Malignant Wave device, and the Blackfoot helicopter to carry it. It is time to retreat with what we have, rather than mourn what we have lost.”

  Lee called Captain Hsu to his side. “I believe an American counterattack is imminent. We will depart within the hour.”

  Pizarro Rojas watched the exchange, Stella Hawk by his side. The Colombian pulled away from the woman and strode over to the Chinese agent.

  “You’re leaving us, then,” Rojas said bitterly.

  Jong Lee did not reply. His face remained impassive.

  “I don’t need to understand Chinese to see what’s going on,” the Colombian continued.

  “I must surrender to expedience,” Lee replied. “Many valuable assets have been lost. There is only one way to achieve victory from this morass.”

  “You’re not going run away without me,” Rojas cried. He yanked the pistol out of his holster and waved it at Jong Lee.

  “Baby, what’s wrong?” Stella cried.

  “This pig thinks he’s going to fly away in that damned helicopter and leave us behind,” Rojas cried. He pointed the pistol at Lee’s head. “But if he thinks—”

  His words were cut short. Pizarro Rojas suddenly grunted, and the gun tumbled from his grip. Stella screamed when she saw Yizi’s three-bladed sai sticking out of the Colombian’s throat, the dark, thick blood bubbling out of the wounds.

  She rushed to the man, cradled Pizarro’s head in her arms as he fell. With manicured fingers she tried to stem the tide of blood that flowed from a punctured carotid artery. Pizarro managed to smile up at her before life faded from his eyes.

  “You bitch!” Stella screamed.

  Fingers curled, she clawed at Yizi’s throat, raking the Asian woman’s cheek, drawing blood. Yizi slapped Stella several times, until the woman sank to the ground.

  “Put her with the other hostages,” Jong Lee ordered.

  Two commandos grabbed Stella Hawk under each arm. Wailing loudly, she tried to cling to the dead man even as they hauled her away.

  10:15:11 A.M. PDT Hangar Six, Experimental Weapons Testing Range Groom Lake Air Force Base

  When she saw the stranger emerge from the shadows, Dani Welles cried out. Everyone turned. Dr. Bascomb moved quickly to shield the woman while he aimed a captured AK–47 at the intruder.

  “Don’t move or I’ll shoot,” the scientist snarled.

  Untangling himself from the clinging Dr. Reed, Tony jumped to his feet. “Wait, Doc. Don’t shoot. This man is on our side.”

  Dr. Bascomb lowered the assault rifle. Tony stepped between them.

  “Hello, Jack,” he said. “You look like hell.”

  “I made it.”

  Jack Bauer’s clothing was torn and scorched. Most of the hair on the right side of his scalp had been burned away when the helicopter exploded. He walked with a discernable limp, and Tony spotted a bloody bandage torn from his shirt wrapped around Jack’s right calf.

  It took a few minutes for Tony to bring his boss up to speed on recent developments. Bauer didn’t exhibit surprise when he heard the Air Force was willing to blow the base up.

  “It’s a smart move. I’d do the same thing,” Jack declared.

  “Right now, the Chinese think we’re still prisoners. But as soon as someone comes through that door they’re going to find out the truth.”

  Jack nodded. “On the way over here, I noticed a lot of activity in the next hangar.”

  “That’s Hangar Five,” Tony said. “There’s an experimental stealth helicopter in there, designed to elude radar. Once it takes off, the Air Force won’t be able to find it.”

  “It’s a two man craft,” said Jack. “That would mean they’re leaving most of their strike team behind.”

  “There’s an experimental weapon installed in that helicopter, Jack. It called Malignant Wave and it’s a real bitch. If the Chinese escape with the prototype, it would be worth any sacrifice.”

  Jack’s eyes narrowed into slits. “Then we have to get inside that hangar. Stop that helicopter from taking off.”

  “That’s going to be tough,” sighed Tony. Dr. Reed heard their words and stepped forward. “There’s a back door to that hangar…”

  “I tried it, doc,” Tony said. “It’s locked, and it’s made of reinforced steel. If we try to break in, they’re going to hear us.”

  “Beverly Chang gave me a copy of the key,” she replied. “It’s over there, in my locker…”

  The airman guarding the door interrupted them. “Someone’s coming,” he hissed. “Two soldiers with a prisoner.”

  “Everyone get down,” Tony cried, racing for the entrance. Jack was already t
here. They positioned themselves on either side of the open doorway, waiting to pounce the moment the soldiers entered.

  When the commandos reached the narrow door, they shoved Stella through first. Then the first commando stepped over the threshold. Tony seized the man, pummeled him to the ground with the butt of his Glock.

  Stella recognized Jack.

  “Jaycee!” she cried, stepping between Bauer and the commando he was supposed to take down. Jack thrust the woman aside, but it was too late. The soldier turned and raced across the tarmac, screaming a warning. Jack aimed his Glock with both hands and fired once. The commando’s cries abruptly ceased.

  Jack stepped away from the door. “They know we’re free now,” he shouted. “Everyone who isn’t armed, take cover!”

  Stella Hawk wrapped her arms around Jack Bauer’s neck, tight as a boa constrictor. Mascara ran down her cheeks and her face was swollen and bruised. But her lush lips rained kisses on his lips, his cheek, his neck.

  “I knew you’d rescue me,” she sobbed.

  Jack’s eyes met Tony’s. “Get her off of me,” he snarled.

  Outside, commandos burst from Hangar Five when they heard the warning cry. Tony picked up the dead soldier’s AK–47 and fired on the men as they scurried across the runway. Three commandos dropped, the others turned around and bolted for cover.

  Tony heard shouted commands, saw the soldiers begin to regroup outside of Hangar Five.

  “Here they come,” Tony warned. Legs braced, he stood in the doorway and fired another burst.

  10:52:56 A.M. PDT The Tank Farm Groom Lake Air Force Base

  Nina rolled the sandrail into a prefabricated storage shed hidden among a sea of aviation fuel tanks. She and Curtis climbed a steel ladder to the top of the tallest tank, to observe the situation at the hangars.

  Before they finished their ascent, they heard the sound of gunfire in the distance. Scrambling to the top of the tank, Nina focused her mini-binoculars on the hangars.

  “It’s a firefight, not a massacre,” Nina said, squinting through the lens. “It looks like some people are holed up in one hanger. They’re putting up a good fight, but the raiders are rallying for another attack—”

  “Another attack?”

  “I count four dead men on the tarmac,” Nina said, handing Curtis the binoculars. “The Chinese have tried to take that hangar at least once before.”

  Curtis frowned. “The commandos just drove a tow tractor out of the hangar with the weird aircraft inside. I think the Chinese are planning to use the tractor for cover in an attack on the other hangar.”

  Nina moved to the ladder. “We’ve got to get down.”

  Curtis followed her to the edge. “What’s your plan?”

  “I haven’t got one,” Nina replied.

  “Look over there,” Curtis said, pointing to a small tanker truck parked about a hundred yards away. “I think I have an idea…”

  24. THE FOLLOWING TAKES PLACE BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 11 A.M. AND 12 P.M. PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME

  11:00:04 A.M. PDT Hangar Six, Experimental Weapons Testing Range Groom Lake Air Force Base

  Tony peered around the door, only to jump back when bullets splattered against the doorjamb and peppered the wall behind him.

  “Get ready, they’re coming again,” he cautioned.

  Tony risked another peek, saw the Chinese commandos advancing in disciplined ranks behind the tow tractor. They were about fifty yards away and closing fast. Even if he had a clear shot, Tony would have trouble picking them off.

  The hostages had knocked out the glass window on the blast proof hangar door. Phil Bascomb had been using the tiny opening as a gun position, providing Tony with cover fire. As the commandos closed on them, Tony glanced over his shoulder. “Tell Dr. Bas-comb to lay down more suppressing fire,” he cried.

  The airman frowned. “Bascomb was killed in the last attack. Lucky shot came right through the hole. I think Dr. Toth has the gun now.”

  Tony was thrown by the loss. He’d liked the middle-aged, pony-tailed scientist from Berkeley. The irony was that man had protested the Vietnam War, only to die at the hands of a Communist enemy that had invaded his homeland. A ricochet snapped Tony back to reality.

  “Tell Toth to start shooting,” he yelled.

  Shots rang out, inside the hanger and out. Tony dropped to the ground, peeked around the door. One commando had straggled behind the others and Tony picked him off, only to retreat again when a hail of gunfire blasted through the door. Tony rolled to a sitting position, leaned against the wall. He scanned the frightened faces of the others, who were depending on him to save their lives.

  We’re running out of ammunition and shooters. We can’t hold out much longer, Tony mused. I hope Jack made it into Hangar Five. If he can’t stop that helicopter from lifting off, we’re going to die for nothing….

  11:16:31 A.M. PDT Hangar Five, Experimental Weapons Testing Range Groom Lake Air Force Base

  The Blackfoot’s dual engines produced a ear-splitting roar that reverberated inside the massive hanger. The noise more resembled the whine of a high-performance jet fighter than the sound of a traditional rotor-bladed helicopter. The Blackfoot also flew faster and higher than any helicopter ever developed — so high the cockpit was pressurized and the pilots were required to wear pressure suits.

  While gunfire exploded outside, the commandos who served as the ground crew had completed the final flight check. Now they scrambled to get out of the way.

  Jong Lee stood at the bottom of the cockpit ladder, clad in a form fitting, silver-gray pressure suit, helmet in hand. Leaning close, he issued final instructions to Yizi.

  “The old men in Beijing care more about commerce than they do about China,” Jong Lee said. “It is up to me to teach them a lesson, and force their hand.”

  “What will you do?” Yizi asked.

  “Before I fly to the base in Mexico, I shall fire the Malignant Wave at downtown Las Vegas. The act will most certainly provoke a war. But with a weapon as terrible as Malignant Wave in China’s possession, what can the Americans do but surrender?”

  Lee frowned. “My strike will mean that when the Americans come, they will seek revenge for what happened to their city, their people. You must fight them to the death. No one must be taken alive. I expect you to deal with anyone who tries to surrender.”

  “I understand, Jong Lee.” Yizi’s face was stony.

  The man hesitated before boarding the aircraft. He wanted to say something more to this loyal and courageous young woman, but for the first time in his life, words failed him.

  Meanwhile the figure of Captain Hsu emerged from the back of the hangar. He also wore a pressure suit, the featureless helmet and tinted visor covering his head, masking his features. Silently, the man stepped around Jong Lee and climbed the ladder.

  Lee touched the woman’s arm. She raised her eyes to meet his gaze. “Yizi, I want to—”

  “Stop him!” a pained voice interrupted.

  The real Captain Hsu stumbled into the center of the hangar, blood trickling from his nose and mouth. He pointed to the figure climbing into the cockpit, then pitched to the floor, a stiletto sticking out of his back. “Hùnzhàng!” Lee cried, realizing he’d been tricked.

  Lee raced up the ladder. On the way, the helmet slipped out of his grip. He abandoned it and dived for the hatch. Lee slipped through the automatic door before it closed.

  Yizi raced for cover as the Blackfoot lifted off the ground. The stealth helicopter spun in a tight circle inside the hanger. When the helicopter’s nose was facing the door, it leaped forward like a race horse leaving the starting gate. The craft paused to hover over the runway, then it suddenly shot straight up, into the bright blue desert sky.

  Yizi ran into the sunlight, watched the aircraft rise until it disappeared in the billowing clouds.

  11:23:31 A.M. PDT Runway 33R/15L Groom Lake Air Force Base

  Nina sped along the concrete runway in a cloud of desert dust. She pushe
d the pedal to the metal, until the rail achieved top speed.

  Ahead, commandos heard the sound of her engine. Some fired at the oncoming vehicle. Most scattered, running toward the open hangar.

  When she was in range, Nina opened fire. Clutching the steering wheel with her left hand, she fired with her right. She and Curtis had removed the windshield before they left the tank farm in anticipation of this attack. She could aim better that way, and she didn’t have to shoot through the glass.

  Firing from a moving car wasn’t easy, but it was something Nina Myers had learned at The Farm, and she felt a rush of professional satisfaction when two commandos dropped to the tarmac.

  When she emptied her Glock, she tossed it into the empty seat beside her, grabbed Curtis’ gun and opened up again. There were fewer targets this time. Almost everyone had run into the open hangar for protection.

  Nina raced past the enemy and skidded to a halt in front of Hangar Six. The blast doors were pitted and pockmarked, but no bullet had penetrated the thick armor. Tony Almeida, clutching an AK–47, limped through the hangar’s shattered doorway to greet her.

  “You’re just in time,” Nina said, pointing to a second vehicle fast approaching.

  11:24:55 A.M. PDT Runway 33R/15L Groom Lake Air Force Base

  The battered tanker truck could not keep up with Nina’s sandrail — not with a full tank of jet fuel, anyway. Curtis watched helplessly as Nina pulled ahead.

  As their vehicles approached the runway, they both watched the high-tech helicopter blast out of the hangar and into sky. Though they were too late to stop someone from escaping, there were still hostages to rescue. By silent consent the CTU agents proceeded with their original plan.

  Curtis smiled grimly when she saw Nina speed into the melee, saw dead men in her wake. Best of all, almost everyone ran to the hangar. Curtis aimed for the open door, lashed the steering wheel in place. Then he shifted a steel pipe waiting in the seat next to him.