Accession: CATU Book 5 Ch. 04

Siberia

Jonathan Stone and Melissa Dupree step off the plane carrying only a bag of clothes each. Grines decided the best way for them to enter the country was the proper way: using a passport. The only trouble with doing so is they have no weapons or supplies, but that isn't going to stop either of them. Stone was a CIA agent working many missions in Russia before transferring over to the FBI and eventually CATU. He has several contacts he has available to get what they need.

It takes a day or two to get in touch with those contacts but once he does the two agents have everything they need for infiltration into the True Solar facility, including a pair of snow mobiles. Their arsenal includes a pair of Russian AS Val assault rifles with an integrated suppressor and two Makarov PM pistols. Both agents aren't sure of what to expect from either weapon, but they are assured they are quality made weapons.

They were set up to take an Ilyushin Il-76 cargo plane to carry them and the snow mobiles to Irkutsk, one of the largest cities in Siberia. Though it seemed like overkill, but the plane was already going there with a load and it was faster than using a cargo truck.

When the two agents land they are met by two men sent to meet them. A meeting set up by one of Stone's contact. The two men guide the agents out of the city and set them on the path they need to take and they give the agents a map with the course laid out.

"It seems a little too easy," Dupree remarks once they are left alone.

Stone gives her a coy smile. "You need to lighten up, you worry too much."

"Of course I worry," she says defensively. "Between the two of us, someone has to be the responsible one."

"Don't worry," he says putting his hand on her shoulder. "I've known these people for years. They came through for us many times over."

"If you say so."

"I do," he answers with a wink. He cranks up the snowmobile and yells over the roaring engine. "Try to keep up!"

——

Stone and Dupree blaze through the Siberian country side effortlessly thanks to the snow mobiles. Their ride is going smoothly until gunfire rattles out from behind. Both agents look back in time to see four snow mobiles drop out the back of a CH-53 Sea Stallion. The snow mobiles are cast in white along with the riders.

They turn back to each other and Stone says, "You're right; it did seem too easy."

Dupree's only response is to smile. The reverie is broke by a stream of fire that kicks up snow between the two. They swerve apart then back continuing to weave in and out. The four riders continue to pelt the ground and surrounding trees as they slowly gain ground.

Neither agent can fire back at their pursuers without risk of wrecking. The snow that is being kicked up blur their vision and there are far too many trees, many huddled in masses to cause concern. The game of cat and mouse continues for the next several hundred yards until finally one of the riders gets close enough. He slings his rifle and leaps from his snow mobile and onto Dupree's.

Dupree is quick to throw an elbow into the rider's gut but the effort holds no effect of him. The rider reaches up and grabs a handful of hair and yanks her head back while drawing a knife in the process. Staying calm, she lets her head go back without resisting while reaching into her jacket to grab the butt of her Makarov PM. She pushes it toward the rider and pulls the trigger.

It only took two rounds before the rider lets go of her hair and falls backward off the snow mobile. Stone slides in next to Dupree and yells, "I have an idea!"

"Anything about now is helpful!" she yells back.

Stone throws a look over his shoulder then back to her. "Spin it to the right and hop on!"

Dupree gives him a questioning look before it dawns on her what he has in mind. She does as he instructed, sliding in behind him on the seat.

The sudden turn causes the snow mobile to overcompensate and twist onto its side spinning toward the three remaining snow mobiles. Dupree wraps her legs around Stone's waist and bends backward and swings around her AS Val assault rifle and fires at the rolling and tumbling snow mobile.

She riddles the machine until the gas tank is hit and it turns into a rolling chunk of flaming metal. The two closest pursuers manage to pull off and around avoiding the wreckage but the third isn't as fortunate and takes the full brunt force of the impact followed by the explosion of another fuel tank.

"Fuck," Dupree murmurs under her breath. She hoped to take out two if not all the riders. Without a second thought, she rights herself and grips her partner's shoulders and then pulls herself up until she stood on the back of the roaring machine. She reaches into Stone's jacket pulling free his pistol.

"What the hell are ya doing?" Stone yells over his shoulder. Most of his words are lost over the combined roar of the wind and snow mobile but Dupree has a good idea what he said.

She thinks about saying something along the lines of reassurance, but decides against the effort that will only be lost with the wind. Instead she pulls out her pistol and leaps off the back into the air. Dupree's momentum takes her sailing into the air between both riders. She opens up on both until both guns go dry with clicks. Both riders fall backward, their bodies riddled and bloody. Their machines sail into nearby trees exploding into a roar of flames.

Dupree tucks her body just before hitting the snow and she rolls to a stop. The softened snow absorbs and distributes the force of impact allowing no injury to befall her. She lays face up to the stars, her hot breath turning into a fog as she tries to calm her breathing.

Stone kicks the snow mobile to a sudden halt forcing the big machine to turn and slide to a stop. He jumps off leaving it idling and runs for his partner. "Mel!" he yells not seeing her lying in the snow. As he gets closer he sees an indention in the thick snow and little wisps of hot breath. He is instantly filled with relief. "You are fucking crazy!" he says sliding to her side.

She gives a short laugh. "Now you know what you're getting into with me."

"Yeah I guess so," he agrees with a laugh of his own. "Let me help you up, we still have a mission to finish."

"They know we're coming," she says with a great deal of concern in her voice.

"All the better." Dupree looks at him curiously. "It gives us a chance to test our covert skills." He stands up and holds out a hand which she gratefully accepts.

——

Julie led Spencer through the alleyways of London while avoiding the majority of people. Using her cell phone she makes a secured call and within minutes they are met by a member of the Black List in a black Lexus LS F10.

They pass several groups of police, rescue and fire vehicles heading to the scene they just left. The ride lasts only minutes and before Spencer knows it the car is coming to a halt in front of a large building. Julie ushers Spencer from the car and up the set of stairs. Neither agent looks back to the car as they pass through the double doors. After a couple flights of stairs Julie opens the door to large flat.

It is large and open but sparse. In the center of the central room sits a medium sized couch, fifty-six inch television and a laptop sitting in the center of the coffee table. To the right through a doorway is a simple built kitchen. To the left sits the bedroom with a single bed and bathroom linking back to the center room.

"See what there is to eat," she says to Spencer as she points toward the kitchen.

Spencer nods as she walks over to the couch. She sets her belt, guns and sword beside the laptop and grabs the remote and flips the television on. Spencer can hear the news as he opens and closes cabinets. The kitchen is full of can goods and other food that would last a long time before needing to be replenished. After searching for some time he grabs a pizza from the freezer and throws it in the oven.

Spencer is walking out of the kitchen just as Julie cuts the television off. The laptop is open to a blue screen with white text. The last line says to wait until something new develops. His eyes switch from the screen to Julie. She looks up at him as she closes the top. "I got a pizza in the oven, what's up in the news?" he questions.

"Not much to go on. Luckily there weren't any cameras or eyewitnesses to point a finger at us or anything. Sternigan has agents making double checking that and other than that there isn't anything for us to gone on."

"So we wait," Spencer says folding his arms across his chest.

"Looks like it unless you have any good ideas."

"Yeah," he says unfolding his arms as he walks around the couch to sit next to Julie. "Can we for starters find out where that beam of light came from?"

A look of embarrassment crosses her face at not coming up with the idea herself. She immediately flips the top of the laptop back up and she begins typing into the Google box. "There are only two explanations," she says while scrolling down the page. "The beam came from a satellite or some other means from space."

"Not entirely unbelievable," he remarks. "Can you guys tap into the system of satellites and get an idea of who it owns it?"

"The system is far too large and with constant changes and upgrades we have to rehack into individual systems."

"So that's a no."

"At least for now," she answers off handedly. "Now there are reports of a quick and sudden burst of energy sent into the sky just before the beam we saw."

"Doesn't seem that helpful," Spencer says.

"By itself no," Julie confirms but her voice says something else. Spencer can sense she is a little excited. "But when you take the accounts from different parts of the world..."

"And plug in a random suspect," he says beginning to catch on to what she has in mind.

"A simple search for facilities owned by True Group near the eye witness accounts and we get," she pushes the Enter and three locations pop up on the screen. "Russia, Australia and Argentina."

"That explains the large dish set in the crater," Spencer says.

Julie's attention is instantly caught and drawn in. "What all did you see there?"

"Mostly the dish and a few other things. It was for the most still under construction and after the damage we caused I didn't think it'd be built this quick."

"You'd be surprised just how fast something can get done," she says with a smirk of disapproval.

"So if that one was rebuilt, obviously with haste, then knock it out and their system falls apart," Spencer speculates.

"Seems plausible," she agrees. "How much damage can two agents do?"

"Sam and I nearly blew the entire facility to hell," he answers with a broad smile.

"Can you contact your agents sent to Siberia?"

"I can contact Grines and see what he can do but I doubt they are equipped for that kind of task," he realizes. "Can Sternigan get something out there?"

"We don't have a lot of resources in Russia but I can see what can get done. I'll make a few calls, but for now we have to wait for the next attack."

Spencer nods his head in agreement then turns around to walk toward the kitchen, pulling his cell phone out at the same time. He pauses at a sudden thought and spins back around toward Julie. "Who did we fight out there?"

"I believe it was an Ancient," she says with a grave look.

Spencer lets the thought roll through his head before considering his next words. "Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't Ancients supposed to be more powerful than she was?"

"They are thought to be but what we faced was far less than expected," she agrees. "That is why we think there will be more attacks."

"Makes sense," Spencer comments. "They built a complex network of businesses just to have it fail doesn't make much sense."

"No it doesn't. The question is: how they are all linked?"