“Bullshit. I know when I’m being played, Hans.” His reply was aggressive, but the gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach told him there was truth to all this. “You expect me to believe that it’s pure coincidence that the one that got away from you just happened to turn up on your doorstep after all these years?”
“It’s not a coincidence at all. If it wasn’t for Icarus you never would have been drawn to us. I will admit your induction into DS5 was a surprise, but after that it was only a matter of time before our paths crossed.”
“And how do you even know I’m with DS5?”
The question produced an odd, quizzical look from Bauer. “I already told you, we infiltrated DS5 some years ago. I think you’re allowing your emotions to overwhelm you. You’re not thinking straight.”
Emotions no, anger yes.
“Who?” Munroe demanded, wishing to focus his attention back on the mole rather than the painful truth being revealed to him.
“Do you really want to know?”
“No! That’s why I’m asking you,” Munroe replied sarcastically, and Bauer leant forward and whispered a name in his ear before standing back up straight and taking a moment to enjoy the shocked expression.
“And in a way, you’re the other one.”
Munroe’s face was now seething. Not because he was being toyed with, but because it could be true.
Was he really the result of a Nazi experiment to create a super soldier?
The ridiculous label caused him to relax slightly. This was all too crazy, and he reined in his anger as Bauer changed the subject.
“There is another truth that I feel you should know, and this one’s going to sting.” Bauer lifted his hands in the air with his palms open faced. “You wanted to know about the deaths of your family, and on this matter, I can provide some clarity. I heard the little conversation you had with Icarus back at Dr Bute’s. We had the room bugged. Of course I know you saw my written debrief, but allow me to give you all the details you so want. From the beginning.”
With his teeth gritted and struggling to contain his anger Munroe descended into silence, allowing Bauer to take the trip down memory lane. A trip the Nazi appeared excited for.
“You were stolen from us some time ago, that is true, but we rediscovered you a number of years ago purely by accident. When you entered the Special Air Service a blood sample was taken from you, as is standard practice. What you may not know is that these samples are checked by the military for genetic abnormalities, anything that could negatively affect a soldier’s health. Your data was, as with others, placed on a governmental database. It is this database that we gained access to through our military contacts, and you can imagine our surprise when one of our scientists noticed our own handiwork.”
Munroe looked wholly unconvinced. “Why would you do that?”
“Simple. Genetics is our speciality, and we’re always looking for unique blends that may aid us in our work. We also have access to the databases of many health organisations and departments around the world. The NHS and WHO are but two. It’s the only way to get genetic information from a broad range of the global populace. Many companies trade in personal information in the modern age, and we’re no different. My superiors’ initial idea was to just leave you alone. You had no idea who you were, and we were happy to leave it that way… that is, until you decided to marry and have a child.”
Bauer shook his head in disappointment. “A Jewish wife! You can’t really have expected us to stand by as your genome was polluted by a Zionist.”
That Munroe’s wife had been Jewish had never even entered his mind. Christ, he’d even considered converting at one point, and along with the anger he felt a cold sadness wash over him as Bauer callously made his point.
“The intention had been for you all to be killed in that bomb blast. My debrief stating your family as collateral was correct. You were the main target, but fate allowed you to dodge that bullet. Still, at least the abomination that was your child did not survive. That would have been unacceptable. As for you, Ethan, you are a survivor through and through. Just as we bred you to be. But you do seem to have an angel watching over you… an angel that has brought you to us.”
Without warning Munroe dove forward and headbutted Bauer right at the base of his nose, hearing the bone crack, and as Bauer fell back against the wall one of the guards gripped him in a headlock from behind and restrained him tightly.
“You’re dead, Bauer. And I’m taking Daedalus down with you.” He fought wildly against the guard’s grip as Bauer stood back up, his nose wrinkling at the pain. “Of course you will, Ethan, that’s the spirit.” He laughed sarcastically. “You’re a killer at heart. Everything we made you to be.”
The grip around Munroe’s neck tightened and as he struggled Bauer pulled a white handkerchief from his pocket and used it to absorb the trickle of blood oozing from his nose. “Of course, you should know we’re not alike, you and I. You were bred, whereas I am of pure stock.” Bauer expelled a deep laugh. “Do you know who I am, Ethan? I am the direct descendent of Reinhard Heydrich, of pure Germanic blood. The person Hitler described as ‘the man with an iron heart,’ and whose righteous actions led to the concentration camps until he was gunned down by Serbian cowards. I have taken on his mantle, I have become death incarnate to all who would oppose a thousand-year Reich.”
Munroe watched as Bauer changed from a mild-mannered man to a raving psychopath within the blink of an eye. He spat his words and his hair fell down across his face from the neatly slicked-back hairstyle he’d had moments earlier, his eyes widening feverishly. “Under Reich Führer Bormann we will cleanse the world of the rats who have infested its sacred soil for far too long and, when the time comes, we will march across their broken, shattered corpses and piss on their graves as the world bows down to our will. You thought we caused the world pain last time around? You ain’t seen nothing yet.”
Bauer slammed his fist into Munroe’s gut before taking a step backwards, slicking back his hair again and composing himself, although his eyes still bulged with rage. “You will die a painful death, Ethan Munroe. You have my word on that. Perhaps you’ll be eaten alive by rats, and as they sink their teeth into your soft, tender eyeballs you will think of me, slowly torturing to death anyone and everyone you ever cared about.”
Bauer reached under his tweed jacket and pulled out a silver-coloured dagger with an ebony wood grip and now held the tip to Munroe’s throat. “This was my father’s SS dagger, and do you know what the inscription reads?”
There was no way Munroe could tell with the blade so close to his throat and he shook his head slowly.
“It reads ‘Meine Ehre Heisst Treue’. It means ‘My Honour is my Loyalty,’ and I will enjoy probing the softer parts of your body with it, Ethan. My loyalty to the Fourth Reich is beyond reproach, and I will do what I must to ensure its survival. Remember Herr Kessler? A great man, a man of the Reich. I slit his throat with a garotte wire for making one simple mistake, and he was a friend. That’s loyalty to my cause. Just imagine what I will do to you before this night is over.”
The mention of Kessler had Munroe staring at him wide-eyed and Bauer now grinned. “Does that surprise you, Ethan? That I would kill one of my own?”
“It’s not a surprise, no. I was just thinking about how that old man manged to tag me with a tracker. There’s just no way to escape you bastards, is there?”
“There’s nowhere anyone can hide, Ethan. Daedalus is everywhere. We can track anyone.”
“Well, that’s good to know,” Munroe replied, now swivelling his wrist against the zip tie binding it and motioning to the small cut in his forearm and the little bump protruding from it. The final parting gift from McCitrick’s care package, which Sloan had administered to him back on the C-130. “Because so can we.”
From somewhere above the sound of an enormous explosion rocked the walls, and as Bauer reeled in surprise Munroe thrust his head back, catching the guard restraining him square on the nose, and the man lost his grip. Munroe slapped the dagger from Bauer’s hands, sending it across the room before landing a kick to the Nazi’s chest, throwing him backwards.
Behind Munroe, Icarus had also seized the moment and jammed his knee into his guard’s groin. As the man bent forward in pain, Icarus brought up his knee and slammed it into his face, laying him out cold.
A second explosion now erupted from somewhere up on the ground floor, and as Munroe struggled with his guard Bauer did something unexpected. He didn’t fight or hold his ground but instead ran for the doorway and disappeared through it. With no time to lose, Munroe slid his bound arms around the guard’s neck and tensed before swivelling his shoulders powerfully. Hearing the neck snap, he dropped the body to the floor and made a dive for the SS dagger nearby. The sharp blade cut through the plastic with ease and as he turned to the open doorway he found Icarus standing in front of it with his bound hands held out before him.
If Bauer got to the elevator before he did then he’d be stuck down here until DS5 reached him, and so making a split decision he stepped over to Icarus and placed the knife against his plastic bindings. “Can I trust you?”
There was uncertainty in the Icarus’s eyes, and it didn’t look like even he knew the answer. “I think so,” came his reply, and Munroe hesitated before cutting through the bindings.
“Good enough.” He grabbed one of the M4s and tossed the dagger to the killer. “No guns. Now follow me.”
Munroe was already out of the door and running down the hospital corridor before Icarus replied, but he did glance back to see him sticking to the request, holding only the dagger as they both charged back towards the elevator.
As they approached the grated metal stairs another series of explosions went off overhead but they were smaller this time, possibly grenades. DS5 were making one hell of an entrance, and Munroe was thankful. As he reached the first step of the stairwell, though, he was pushed aside by Icarus, who leapt past him and up towards the elevator as the sound of doors sliding open could be heard.
The barge caused Munroe to stumble, his knee slamming against the steps, and he paused for a moment in pain before striding up the stairs just in time to see Icarus disappear into the waiting elevator. There were the sounds of a struggle and as Munroe finally reached the opening with his M4 pointing inside he saw Bauer in the process of slamming Icarus’s head against the wall, now raising the SS dagger to the killer’s throat.
“Don’t move or I’ll slit his throat,” Bauer yelled, but Munroe ignored the threat, and keeping his carbine raised he entered the elevator.
“Not another step, Ethan.” Bauer’s tone of voice was more measured this time, keeping his own head hidden behind Icarus’s as best he could.
The doors slid shut and the elevator began to slowly ascend upwards, the commotion of gunfire above becoming ever louder.
“Shoot him, Ethan,” Icarus ordered, without any hint of emotion. “Shoot him now.”
“Shut up, you idiot,” Bauer spat, with only one eye visible as he hid behind the killer.
The thought had crossed Munroe’s mind, but given everything he had learnt about Icarus he was inclined not to take the chance. The Daedalus assassin was unstable and he needed to be locked up, but at that moment Munroe couldn’t help but think a psychiatric ward was more suitable than a grave.
“There’s nowhere to go, Hans. If you walk out of this elevator you’ll likely be shot.”
“Oh, I doubt that Ethan. I’m worth far more alive to DS5 than dead. I’m still holding all the cards, so here’s what we’re going to do. When we reach the ground floor, David and I are going to walk out of here. Considering the gunfire up there I would surmise that my men are holding their ground. We will part ways, and then the real game begins. You have learnt more about Daedalus than anyone else has in a long time, and that will be your reward. In fact it might even sway your buddies at DS5 not to have you sanctioned, given the truth of the origin of your birth. I doubt they will take kindly to having someone like you within their ranks.”
Before Munroe could answer, the elevator floor raised back into the room and with a slight jolt Bauer was already moving towards the security door leading back into the main facility. His free hand appeared and he threw Munroe the key card. “Open the door, and you go first.”
Munroe paused for a moment, but then he reached down, picked up the card and, carbine still held high, moved over to the door and swiped the card. The door automatically swung open and the whole room was flooded with the sound of gunfire as Munroe looked over to see two familiar figures. Sloan and Colonel Remus were hunkered down on the opposite wall twenty metres away. They were flanked by a small squad of US Marines who had taken cover inside the open cubicles and were already pressing their advance upon the group of Daedalus guards, who were huddled up at the far end, next to the welcome desk and clearly making a last stand.
From behind, Bauer was already slipping past with Icarus still in his grip, moving backwards with incredible speed to a set of fire escape stairs leading upwards, at a guess to the roof.
Help his squad, or go after Bauer.
Munroe hesitated, but then saw Sloan glance back at him and briefly smile as bullets thudded around her, stopping her from moving out of cover. She looked over at the man being dragged by knifepoint up the stairs and then flicked her finger in that direction before focusing back on the firefight.
Munroe turned and chased after Bauer as some of the Daedalus guards further up now noticed him and began sending a barrage of bullets his way. The wall plaster above him exploded into plumes of chalky dust as he leapt towards the stairwell and then upwards as more rounds exploded off the metal railings. As he reached the top the door was only just closing and he kicked it open to see Bauer, with Icarus still in tow, heading across the roof towards the same stealth helicopter he had seen back in London and Brazil. The rotors were already spinning and two guards standing next to the aircraft began shooting at Munroe, who dove to one side and sought refuge behind a large air-conditioning unit.
Bullets rattled the metal frame and then there was a pause, and as Munroe peeked out from behind, it all went to hell. He watched as Icarus grabbed the dagger pressed against his neck and pulled it downwards in an attempt to wrestle the weapon from Bauer’s grip. As he did so the guard on the left turned and put a single shot in Icarus’s, chest sending him down onto his knees, but having retrieved the dagger.
Munroe seized his chance and took aim at the shooter, landing a shot to the face, dropping him to the roof instantly. But in doing so he opened himself up to the other guard who had him in his sights.
As Munroe stared at the barrel aimed directly at him, time suddenly slowed, and even as he swung his gun towards the man he knew he was caught cold, with no hope.
Then the glint of something silver streaked across his line of sight before embedding itself square in the guard’s chest. The dagger.
It gave Munroe time to squeeze off two rounds, which slammed the guard backwards down hard onto the rooftop. He turned to see Icarus, his arm still outstretched from the knife-throw, collapse in a heap. Behind him Bauer was mere metres from the helicopter and Munroe dropped to one knee, aimed and pulled the trigger.
The bullet shattered Bauer’s left kneecap, causing him to tumble into a faceplant against the hard tar-coated rooftop, and he let out a high-pitched scream. It was a solid shot, especially as, and only now did Munroe realise, one of the guard’s bullets had caught him in the shoulder, but he could hardly feel the wound, the adrenalin fuelling his focus.
Beyond Icarus’s motionless body Bauer was now crawling to the helicopter, his face turning pasty and white, sweat already beading his brow at the shock such a painful wound had caused. But it was a futile attempt, and Munroe began firing at the helicopter cockpit. He knew the bullets wouldn’t penetrate, but that wasn’t the point. The shots ricocheted off the canopy but it was enough to warn the pilot off, and the helicopter pulled up into the air and reared off to one side. As Bauer yelled after it, clutching his shattered knee, the aircraft silently slunk off into the night sky.
Munroe approached Bauer with his gun raised. Bauer was fumbling for the Luger stuffed in his waist, and rolled onto his back, aiming it at Munroe. A single round into the Nazi’s wrist sent the Luger scraping along the tar roof and out of reach.
Down below the sound of gunfire had stopped and Munroe figured he didn’t have long before an audience arrived. He stopped a few feet away from Bauer and held the muzzle directly at the man’s face. He said nothing as he mulled over his next move, and it was Bauer’s whining that pulled him from his trance-like state.
“Kill me, Ethan,” he spat through clenched teeth, the pain in his knee agonising. “I won’t be taken alive. Pull the trigger and do what you do. What we bred you to do.”
Munroe did nothing, and with his gun still raised he stood there in silence as Bauer attempted to goad him.
“I’ll tell them everything. What you are. They’ll never accept you. You’ll be an outcast. They’ll probably kill you themselves.”
Munroe thought about it for a moment, images of the smiling faces of his family passing through his mind, and then he lowered his gun. “I’m not what you think I am. I’ll take my chances.”
With that he strode over and slammed the butt of his carbine across Bauer’s head, dropping him unconscious, before quickly jogging back over to the body of Icarus. As he got closer he realised the killer was still alive… just. Munroe rolled him onto his back and immediately began pressing his hand against the wound, but he knew it was pointless and so did Icarus.
“Stay with me, David.” Blood poured from Icarus’s mouth, and even though no words were spoken Munroe knew exactly what his eyes were telling him, and he turned his attention to the quivering hand now being offered.
No one wanted to die alone.
Munroe gently clasped his hand around Icarus’s, and the two men stared at each other for a few moments. He could not be forgiven for the things he had done, the pain he had caused his victims. But for what it was worth, in that moment, Munroe felt only pity for the person Daedalus had created, for the innocent boy he had once been.
With one final widening of his eyes Icarus’s hand went limp, and slipped from Munroe’s grasp.
From behind him, he heard the sound of the roof door being hurled open. He turned to see Sloan and Colonel Remus exiting, and while scanning the area for any hostiles they made their way over to him.
“Is he alive?” Remus asked, pointing his gun at Icarus.
“No, he’s gone,” Munroe replied as Sloan moved over to Bauer.
“How about him?”
“Took a nasty one to the kneecap but, yeah, he’s alive.”
“Good.” Remus pulled a white zip tie from his pocket and set about securing Bauer’s hands.
“You OK?” Sloan asked, and Munroe nodded.
“Where the hell are we?” he asked, the dark landscape beyond giving no clue to their location.
“Just outside Houston, Texas. You were out for hours but we followed you at a distance. You were never out of our sight, but you won’t believe who owns this complex.”
Munroe couldn’t believe they had taken him so far, hundreds of miles from New Orleans. “Blackstar.” Sloan raised her eyebrows at this response, and then smiled before tapping him on the shoulder. “I’m looking forward to your debrief, Ethan.” She said and then reached over and slid her finger across the bump on his forearm. “The tracker worked, then.”
Munroe nodded and got to his feet. “She did her job. I felt it click just before you breached, just like you said it would.”
While sticking him with the tracker on the flight over Sloan had droned on about how the small pellet beneath their skin could not only track but emit a single pulse as a warning. She had repeated it multiple times not because she believed Munroe to be slow, but because she had found the technology so impressive. In truth, it was just a small metal ball that vibrated when activated, but it had worked, just as she said it would if either of them ran into any problems. And problems were just what Munroe had found.
Kneeling next to Bauer, Colonel Remus made sure the zip tie was secure and then he stood back up and joined them. “Good work, son. I’m hoping this place is a Daedalus goldmine. We should get a lot of…”
“Remus,” Munroe said, cutting him off abruptly. “There’s something important you need to know. About me. And if DS5 are OK with it, then we have to make a trip to London. ASAP.”
Remus looked concerned, but he skipped over whatever Munroe wanted to tell him and went straight for the trip. “What’s in London?”
Munroe glanced back at Bauer, who was still sleeping like a baby, and then took a deep breath. “The mole in DS5. And you’re not going to like it.”