‘Entering the Hive once was crazy, going in twice is insane!’ exclaimed Amir as Connor kitted himself out with his own contact-lens camera, earpiece and throat mic.
‘If we save the colonel and locate the others, Equilibrium will hold no power over us. We’re back in control,’ argued Connor, handing Amir the flash drive for safe-keeping. He clambered out of the rickshaw.
Amir grabbed his arm. ‘Our plan was to hack into their systems and locate the shipping container our friends are being held in. Nothing more. Beyond that we’re jeopardizing the entire operation.’
Connor shook Amir off and rifled through his Go-bag for the iStun phone and XT tactical torch. ‘At that time we didn’t know where Colonel Black was or what state he was in. This may be our only chance to save his life.’
Amir threw up his hands. ‘I realize that! But think about what you’re doing first. Zhen going in was a risk, but you – they’re on the hunt for you. How do you plan to get past the guards? As a Western-faced delivery boy? I don’t think so.’
‘You’ve access to Equilibrium’s security systems, haven’t you?’ asked Connor, slipping the torch and iStun into his pockets. Amir nodded. ‘So we play them at their own game. Deactivate the alarms, then direct me when inside and cover my tracks.’
Amir shook his head in defeat. ‘I now see why your previous assignments were all so eventful. You’re willing to risk everything for one person.’
Connor shrugged. ‘I suppose it’s the reason why my Principals are still alive.’ Then he remembered Eduardo and his face clouded over. ‘Well, almost all. Now, can you override the security systems or not?’
Amir sighed heavily. ‘Yes. I can disable the CCTV cameras and unlock the doors, but only for a few seconds at a time. Otherwise a security officer is bound to notice.’ He pulled up a three-dimensional interactive map of the Hive on-screen, numerous blue dots moving around the various levels. ‘The Hive’s security tracking system,’ he explained. ‘It monitors everyone’s movements in the building. But I can mask your presence. I can also track you with your thermic smartband and plot your location on to this plan.’ He pointed to a room near the top level. ‘This is where I think the colonel’s being held, judging by CCTV camera reference. I’ll guide you there.’
‘Thanks,’ said Connor, glancing at the wafer-thin electronic band on his wrist. The bio-display showed his heart rate as elevated to ninety-five beats per minute. He was sure that would rise during the coming rescue operation.
‘Do you want my jacket and helmet too?’ asked Zhen.
Connor shook his head. ‘I’m going in the back entrance. No disguises this time. I’ll have to rely on evasion, rather than deception.’
‘Good luck then,’ said Zhen with a tense smile. ‘And if the situation gets out of control … just run for it.’
Connor let out a laugh. ‘Don’t worry, I intend to.’
He jogged down a side alley and worked his way round to the back of the 1933 Building. He knew Amir was right. He was gambling everything to rescue the colonel, endangering all of them and the flash drive. But he owed it to Colonel Black to do all that he could. Connor recalled a story the colonel had once told him about his father in the SAS – how Justin Reeves had disobeyed a direct order to save the colonel’s life, living by the decree: no man is left behind on the battlefield. Connor wanted to be his father’s son and wasn’t going to leave any man behind, especially not the colonel. Having discovered that Equilibrium was responsible for his father’s death, he had no intention of letting them kill his surrogate father too.
‘Amir, are you reading me?’ he asked as he crouched behind a large refuse bin in the rear service yard. The area was unguarded, but monitored from all angles by CCTV.
‘Loud and clear.’
‘I’m by the bins at the rear. Can you cut the cameras and unlock the door?’
‘Done in … 3 … 2 … 1 … Go!’
Connor sprinted from his hiding place and over to the back entrance. The electronic lock beeped green as he approached. He yanked the door open and darted inside the Hive. He was greeted by a cool waft of air conditioning and the hum of a generator. The room appeared to be a general storage area and dump zone for rubbish and recycling before it was transferred to the bins outside. Sprouting from the ceiling, a CCTV camera was directed at the rear door.
‘Straight ahead and up the stairs,’ Amir instructed in his ear. ‘Hurry! Remember I can only override the system for a few seconds at a time.’
Connor rushed across the room to the opposite door, waited for the coded digital lock to go green and entered a deserted corridor. The walls and floor were all grey concrete, broken regularly by white-panelled doorways. He heard voices echoing from the far end of the corridor.
‘Move!’ urged Amir.
Connor bounded up the staircase ahead of him. He was almost on to the next landing when Amir warned, ‘Stop! Two hostiles approaching from left.’
Connor hunkered down in the stairwell, praying they wouldn’t spot him. His smartband was now peaking at a heart rate of a hundred and sixty beats per minute and he could hear the blood pounding in his ears. A pair of white-coated technicians strolled past the staircase, too engrossed in their discussion to even look his way.
‘All clear,’ whispered Amir. ‘Turn left at the landing, then over the second air bridge on your right.’
Connor dashed up the last few steps and along to the air bridge. He glanced up and his breath was taken away by the sheer complexity of the internal structure of the 1933 Building. The central atrium was a cat’s-cradle of concrete walkways and bridges to numerous levels and rooms, spiralling all the way up to a glass ceiling. But the confusion of ramps, bridges and corridors played to Connor’s advantage. Like a mouse in a maze, he’d be able to evade the other people walking around the building.
He scampered over the air bridge and up a ramp to the next level.
‘Follow the balcony to the end, then up the spiral staircase,’ instructed Amir.
Connor raced along but as he was about to ascend the staircase Amir hissed, ‘Down to the next level, quick!’
Doing as his friend instructed, Connor heard footsteps on the stairs behind him. He bounded down and kept going, past the ground level towards the basement.
‘No, stop!’
Connor froze, his ears listening to the ever-approaching footsteps.
‘Wait … wait …’
Pressing himself against the wall, Connor fought the overriding urge to run and flee. Against all his instinct he stayed where he was –
‘OK, retrace your steps. They’ve gone a different direction.’
Hearing the footsteps fade, Connor breathed a sigh of relief and tore back up to the spiral staircase.
‘Two more levels to go.’
His heart thudding in his chest, Connor took the steps two at a time. But he was forced to leave the stairwell early as another lab technician descended towards him. Under Amir’s direction, Connor shot down a corridor lined with white-panelled doors, a mystery concealed behind each one.
‘Back! Back!’ ordered Amir. ‘Hostiles up ahead.’
Connor spun on his heels and rapidly retreated. He heard Amir swear in his ear at the same time as a door further along the corridor began to swing open.
‘Quick, through the door on your left,’ hissed Amir as voices converged on both sides of Connor, threatening to entrap him.
Connor darted over and wrenched on the handle, diving through the doorway just as two security guards entered the corridor and a technician stepped out.
‘No! The other left!’ cried Amir. But it was too late. Connor had already bolted inside the room and closed the door behind him. And he wasn’t alone.
‘Connor?’ said a surprised voice.