Monday, Memorial Day - 8:30 a.m.
My hair is bleached blonde, cut short, and my goatee has been shaven off, I don’t even recognize myself. I arrive at the B.H.O. industrial plant, my ex-job site. I’m chosen because I know the building like the back of my glove. The plant is less then a mile from downtown’s square where the Memorial Day festivities will take place later in the day. The building is a ghost town except for a few expendable low level employees. Memorial Day is perfect because it gives top management good reason not to be in the building when the virus is released.
The small, red MX2 airplane is donated by a local airport that is affiliated with BHO industries. It’s to be used for aerial stunts to entertain the masses after the mayor’s speech and is kept in one of BHO’s large warehouses as a temporary hanger.One of our boys inside BHO was able to get the security codes to the warehouse so getting inside is a piece of cake. Not one alarm goes off and I disable the motion detectors before I enter the make shift hanger through a side door unseen. The pilot arrives in about an hour giving me ample time. We are still unsure if the pilot knows what he is about to do or is a willing servant to his fuehrer president, doesn’t really matter.The warehouse is dusty, has an extremely high ceiling of about forty feet and is filled with large 6 X 4 foot boxes packed with steering wheels for the latest Ford Explorer. I hide behind one of these large boxes and scope the area. The plane is parked near the large shipping and receiving entrance, the huge garage-like door is locked shut.I was given a crash course in airplane mechanics last night, specifically the MX2. If it weren’t for a photographic memory I could never have a job like this. I know how to access the storage unit underneath the plane that holds the Cerberus 14 storage tank. I have a special protective casing in the black leather bag that hangs over my shoulder to contain it.Everything is clear as I make my way to the plane along the dirty cement floor and bring the tools in my bag. It’s too quiet, which allows my other senses to become heightened. I see movement, ever so slightly, atop one of the 15 foot shelving units that hold the boxes packed with steering wheels. I immediately dive behind a parked hi-lo as the tink, tink, tink of gunfire bounce of the metal. I see him up on the shelf near the ceiling next to a box, it’s the same asshole dressed in black who almost killed me when I stole the vile. He still wears that black mask and has got his rifle again. Using my handy dandy 9mm I fire from behind the hi-lo. I let go five rounds as my rival ducks behind boxes of steering wheel on the top shelf.His turn, he shoots back with his rifle before jumping off the top shelf onto the one about six feet across from it. He lands on the middle shelf and uses another box for cover. He’s getting closer, probably for a better shot. I can’t let that happen, I’m going to have to take him out before I disarm the plane.From behind the hi-lo I keep an eye on the box that covers him. I know how these wheels are packed inside, there’s nothing but air in between the cell spaces that separates the stacks of steering wheels. If I can get a shot through one of those spaces then there is nothing but cardboard protecting him.I take a chance and aim at the weak areas of the box and release a barrage of rapid fire as he jumps out from behind this time landing on the ground floor behind another parked hi-lo. He leaves his rifle, probably too bulky, so has a side arm. We exchange fire and neither of us hit our target. I’m low on amo and don’t have another clip. Stupid.The nose of his pistol peeks out from the back end of his hi-lo. I have to make the last shots count. I use one of the oldest tricks in the book and fling one of the tools from the bag across the warehouse. He does as I expect and changes the aim of his gun toward the echoing sound which gives me a shot.I let go my last rounds and hit the barrel of his gun knocking it out of his hand. It lands on the cement floor and slides behind a stack of wooden palates. He steps out from behind the vehicle then motions his top four fingers toward himself in a come here fashion, the way Bruce Lee used to do. He wants do this hand to hand and I have no choice. I leave the tool bag on the floor and step out from behind it to engage him in battle. We get into our stances and by his style I see he is trained in a style of Ninjutsu. So am I.We face off and step closer to one another. He throws a handful of screws at my face he found someplace in the warehouse. It stings and I flinch giving him a few seconds that he takes full advantage of with a swift front kick to my stomach. It hurts but I fight the pain as I’m taken a few steps back.He sends fist after fist my way, I block a flurry of punches. He’s fast. I strike back with a few shots my self but he dodges them. I get closer and end with an elbow to his chin. It pisses him off and a quick round house kick is delivered to my face. The blow shocks me and I loose my balance, my back lands against the side of the plane near the wing.He rapidly pulls a knife from his belt, jabs at my face and I dodge it left and right as the blade strikes the metal of the plane with a tink, tink. The next jab is at my chest, I parry out of the way blocking his arm with my right and I grab his knife welding wrist with my left. I twist the wrist back, almost breaking it which forces him to drop the knife and he succumbs to the pain.With his wrist now in a lock I snatch the blade from the floor and slam it side ways through his leather suit between his ribs. I repeat the stab again and again and I pull it out quickly so that blood doesn’t slide on my hand. I wipe the blood from the blade on his back, put the knife into my inside jacket pocket and drop him to the ground on his stomach.His wounds are deep and he’s too weak to fight back. I want to see his face. I notice something odd about the suit he wears when I turn him over, it’s bulky, thick like some sort of padding. It’s probably a type of Kevlar but not strong enough to take a blade at close range. His frame is small; the armor makes him look much bigger than he really is.The mask is easy to pull from behind the neck and strands of long hair fall to the floor when the mask comes off. I thought I was seeing things when I saw her face. She looks at me with those gray eyes.“Rebecca? You’re a double agent…”“Of course…,” she says in a weakened voice, “who do you think sent Taylor late to pick you up yesterday?” “Why?”“We’re going to win eventually, Ryan. It’s just a matter of time. Cerberus 14 won’t be the last contagion created… you know that.”She closes her eyes and dies in my hands, by my hands. I need to hurry so I leave her on the floor while I retrieve my tool bag and the tool I threw across the room. Underneath the plane I find where the Cerberus14 tank located and remove it, extremely carefully. I place it in the special containment box in the bag. Just in case they have another tank of the virus to install I open the front engine of the plane dismantle it by taking pieces from it apart. I leave the engine exposed and visible so they’ll know not to fly it. They’ll know something’s wrong when see blood on the floor too.I’m not going to leave Rebecca in the warehouse. I wrap my jacket around her wound to prevent a bloody mess and drag her body to the door I entered. I call Taylor and he pulls up within seconds. I put Rebecca’s body in the car and we get away, not a soul watching, as far as I know.At the Base, one hour later:
I don’t know what they do with Rebecca’s body but no use worrying about it; it’s out of my hands. Makes me wonder who else can’t be trusted, Taylor, Colonel Hatcher?
I’m told the antidote for Cerberus 14 is almost complete and should be ready in about three days, they work fast. If BHO tries a stunt like that again with that particular virus we’ll be ready.From the conference room Colonel Hatcher, Taylor, a few others, and I watch the Memorial Day speech by Mayor Grant. He stands behind the podium in the downtown plaza and a large tarp covered object is erected behind him. The sky is a bright blue and not a cloud in it, perfect for BBQ ribs, soda, and potato salad.Channel 2 new reporter Kimberly Salidos appears on screen holding a microphone in front of a crowd waving American flags. The mayor in the background gave his final words and the reporter provides us with the news: “Mayor Grant finished up his speech today by thanking United States Veterans for their service and sacrifice. He told us to remember those who have died for freedom. He also promised an exciting new addition to the city’s downtown landscape, let’s take a look,” Salidos says.The camera zooms past the reporter to the twelve foot object behind Mayor Grant. The blue tarp is removed by three unknown city workers and falls to the ground unveiling what’s underneath. The cameras zoom in closer and we see a statue of the one who is believed to president of the United States. His image stands and is sculpted wearing a suit and tie. One arm is to the side, the other waves and the face displays a most benign smile. To think, he was the one behind the Cerberus 14 aerial plot and they adore him. He’s been the media darling since his campaign and this statue only adds to the fuel. The crowd cheers and I think, what does this politician have to do with Memorial Day? Nothing, it’s just another publicity stunt. The reporter speaks again: “We’ve just received word that the airplane that was supposed to entertain the crowd this morning with an aerial demonstration was found to have mechanical problems and won’t be flying. Fortunately, a back up plane has been provided in case of such a scenario. The stunt plane will ready for take off in just ten minutes.” END
