A New World: Conspiracy (39 page)

“On my count,” Greg says as Kyle positions
his carbine. “Three…two…one…”

The cave flashes with split-second strobes
as high-speed projectiles are launched down the darkened space with
muffled coughs. The bullets connect with force, impacting the sides
of each guard’s head. Both rock to the side as the steel core
rounds penetrate their skulls near the ear and explode inside of
the brain. One guard falls violently to the side, knocking over a
lantern. Some of the liquid spills out and is ignited by the
lantern. The other guard slumps down the wall to a sitting position
and then slowly falls over to the side.

Acting quickly, Greg motions Kyle behind the
door and pulls out his 9mm handgun. Reaching through the door, he
places the barrel close to the padlock and, shielding himself
behind the steel portal, he fires. The round hits the lock and
whizzes down the hall. Looking at the lock, it has held. He repeats
the action and, looking again, is rewarded by a shredded and
unattached lock.

He removes the hasp and opens the door. Greg
and Kyle move quickly at a crouch to where the two figures lie on
the cold cave floor. Greg rights the lantern and quickly smothers
the small fire with his boot. The two of them check for any signs
of life and, finding none, grab the pair by the ankles and drag
them back. He sends two soldiers to erase the drag marks as he and
Kyle drop the bodies over the edge of the wall.

Returning quickly, the team moves to where
the lanterns are illuminating the small area. Greg closes the door
and attaches the broken lock before joining them. Another steel
door blocks an upward tunnel that branches off and Kyle identifies
it as the main entrance.

“The tunnel heads up into the main building
above.”

Greg tests the door and finds it unlocked. A
key extends from the inset lock. Greg turns the key and locks the
door.

“You two stay here and keep out of sight,”
he says, detailing two soldiers to stay behind.

The three remaining continue into the cave
system. Kyle leads as Greg doesn’t want to lead them astray by
taking a random exit or missing the one they need. Coming to an
intersection, a cave branches to the left, another heads to the
right, and the one they are on continues straight ahead. Kyle turns
and heads down the branch to the right. The cave width fluctuates
as they proceed, sometimes wide enough for two abreast and at
others, there’s only enough room for one to squeeze through.
Although the path is straight, it varies in elevation and, contrary
to what Kyle said earlier, they are seldom able see very far in
advance.

With their night vision goggles lowered,
they move rapidly yet quietly in a crouch, their carbines out in
front ready to engage anyone they should they encounter. Anyone
they meet is considered a hostile in this environment and they’ll
get the first shot in and either move up or withdraw quickly in the
dark.

After a time, Greg makes out a yellow glow
of light ahead illuminating the width of the cave. It literally
looks like the light at the end of the tunnel. Kyle halts with Greg
close behind. The other soldier with them goes to his knee and
covers their rear. Even though there are two guarding their
backside, there is no telling where someone might materialize with
all of the cave’s offshoots.

“That’s the Canopy Hall ahead. I don’t know
where the captives will be since the cavern is so large,” Kyle
whispers.

Greg takes the lead, knowing now where they
need to go. He inches forward in the freezing cold of the cave.
Small stalactites hang from the ceiling, dirty yet with gleams of
ice showing. His boots shuffle across the gritty surface as he
crouches with his M-4 pointing steadily in front of him. Plumes of
frosted breath fill the lower part of his vision as he exhales,
vanishing over his shoulders as he pushes on. The flare of light
ahead grows in size with each step.

As he approaches, he sees that the cave
opens up. Faint voices are heard from ahead, rising and falling in
volume. Greg can’t make out individual words, but it’s apparent one
person is speaking loudly. Sweat trickles down the side of his face
despite the freezing temperatures. His hands grip his M-4 loosely
but with tension at the same time. His breath comes quicker and he
feels his heart rate kick up a notch. The chill air on his ears
makes them ache and he feels both hot and cold simultaneously.

He eases against the wall to minimize his
outline in the center of the hall. If someone comes their way,
he’ll drop them where they stand. With the team still in the dark,
any return fire from others will be directed down the center of the
cave. He inches closer.

At the edge of the light, Greg notes that
the pathway descends and extends through the middle of the cavern
which stretches out to either side. The voice becomes louder and
other voices join in as if cheering, echoing off the hard walls of
the cavern. Greg peeks into the wide cavity.

Lanterns are scattered throughout the cavern
causing alternating places of brightness and gloom. Shadows dance
across the floor and wall like wraiths. To his immediate left, he
sees two guards sitting against the rock walls, their knees drawn
up and attention focused around a corner from where the voices are
coming. They are in a small notch extending into the bedrock away
from the central cavern. Around the corner from their sitting
place, more light glares. And between the two guards, in the center
of the notch, four people are chained to a wall.

The four sit despondently with their arms
and foreheads resting on drawn up knees. Their tops and pants are
tattered and grimy. Any length of hair they have looks like a cross
between morning hair and being dragged behind a horse. Of
particular note is the four instead of five that should have been
there as indicated by Kyle’s sister.

Greg shrugs and motions his findings to the
two behind him. He pulls them close and whispers his plan. He’ll
take out the guards quietly and then move up to observe around the
corner. The two are to search the guards for keys and begin
unshackling the prisoners. He feels his pulse pounding as he’s
about to step into that fine line between being hidden and opening
himself to the potential of getting caught. Action which can draw
attention to them is near and approaching like a speeding freight
train.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he
eases around the corner. The guards are still preoccupied with the
person that is out of sight and talking. He centers his aiming
reticle on the nearest one and waits. Soon, the shouting voices
that he’s heard from time to time erupt in the cavern and he
squeezes the trigger. The carbine kicks against his shoulder - one
delivery is outbound. He quickly shifts his aim to the other guard
and fires while the sound of cheering still echoes off the walls.
His suppressed, subsonic rounds both connect a second apart. Blood
splashes against the light brown walls and both men slump to the
side leaving dark smears on the walls.

Greg is up before the second body hits and
places a round in each head as he hastens past them in a crouch.
The single voice picks up again as Greg drops prone and peers
around the corner.

Across the hall, a gaggle of men stand with
their backs to him. Unable to see beyond the last row of people, he
still gets the impression that there are approximately thirty
gathered. On the wall on the far side, over their heads, shadows
flickers from the light of a fire. Greg still can only catches
snippets as they bounce off the granite.

“Work of the gods…you fools…sacrifice
will…demons sent forth…appeased…the…demand it…”

This reminds Greg of the prison where he and
Jack entered to conduct a similar rescue. Only this has a more
maniacal aspect to it. He can’t really explain the difference
except to say that this has more of a heated fervor to it –
bordering or passing into true insanity. The other was one man,
although crazy himself, that had some control. But this seems like
it has a fever attached to it – almost demonic.

He doesn’t know if the people standing in
front of him actually believe what the man is spouting or if they
just like hurting people. That really doesn’t matter at the moment
as he is now in a race against time. At some point, the talking
will end and the people will leave to go about their business. And
that will carry them his way. Everyone he sees is armed, and most
appear to have some flavor of an AR-15 or M-4. If his team is
engaged, they won’t be able to outgun the group.

Greg turns back to where his two teammates
are trying key after key in the padlocks that hold the captives in
their manacles. Between the prisoners, empty manacles hang from
U-bolts that have been driven into the rock. Where they came up
with so many shackles is beyond him.

“Come on…hurry up,” Greg whispers.

“We’re trying, sir. There must be a hundred
keys here,” Kyle replies.

Greg turns his attention back to the
gathering. Another cheer rises from them. The anxiety of staying
here for so long grows within until Greg doesn’t know if he can
stand it any longer. He gets the feeling that this little soirée is
drawing to a close. He’s about to say fuck it and leave with what
they have when he feels a tap on his leg. He startles and turns to
see Kyle mouth, ‘We’re ready.’

Greg nods, expecting Kyle to turn and go
with the captives. The other soldier with them begins leading the
prisoners out. They stagger with weakness but, holding onto each
other, they walk slowly into the darkness. Kyle remains.

“What?” Greg asks, whispering.

“Sir, Diane mentioned six. With the one we
rescued last night, there should be five and there’s only four,”
Kyle says, nodding in the direction of the departing
ex-captives.

Greg gets what he is saying. His sister
mentioned that they periodically take a prisoner and haul them in
front of the group to beat them. Greg has a sinking feeling and
feels like throwing up. There’s nothing they can do, though. If
they engage, they will get chewed up. Tossing a grenade in this
enclosure to even things up will hit the team as hard as the
others.

“Was your brother in those we have?” Greg
asks.

Kyle nods his affirmative.

“As much as I hate to say this, we’re just
going to have to call this a win and get out of here,” Greg
says.

Accepting what Greg says, Kyle turns and
heads toward the cavern exit. Greg stops to pick up an open padlock
lying on the ground and then follows on Kyle’s heels.

Greg trudges down the narrow cave with a
heavy heart. With his decision, he has possibly condemned someone
to be beaten and tied to the crosses. This is where the tough
decisions come and he has to draw a line between team safety and
saving others. He wracks his mind as to how he can save that person
– if there even is someone. Taking the group one-on-one is
absolutely out of the question. He could wait until the one was
tied and rescue them, but it won’t be long until this group finds
their dead and missing members. They’ll be alerted.

Even with the Stryker, their chances would
be risky. It’s apparent that these people have raided armories at
Fort Carson and they may have anti-armor weapons at their disposal.
He can’t hazard that. If he had C-4, he could attach it and bring
the ceiling crashing down on them, trapping them inside. His
decision is not only condemning that one person to die, he’s
allowing this hatred and evil to continue. The weight is enough to
drown him, but there’s nothing he can do. He’s saved five people
and, providing they get out without trouble, his team will live to
fight another day.

He knows this decision will stay with him
forever, but he will mark this place and talk with Jack when he
sees him. On this leg of their trip, Greg has encountered some of
the highest examples of humankind in this new world – the people of
Lamar and the peace they have there. From the evil he is now
walking away from, he’s also come across the lowest forms of
humanity.

He and Kyle catch up to the prisoners and
they make their way quickly to the guards they posted at the
entrance. Through gaps in the door, Greg sees two bodies lying in
the tunnel just beyond the other side of the steel door.

“What happened here?” Greg asks,
gesturing.

“They wanted us to unlock the door…and we
didn’t want to. There was a disagreement…they lost…sir.”

Greg nods, his mood lightened a little, and
they make their way through the other steel door. Greg reaches
through once they close it behind them and padlocks it. He then
slips the large key ring into his pocket.

At the edge of the drop, each team member
takes one of the newly freed hostages. Hugging them against the
wall, their bodies shielding them from falling, and helping them
place their feet, they manage to get the weakened people down.

Greg climbs the rope with two other
teammates. The climb is arduous but, with the help of the knots,
they make it. Kyle remains below with another teammate. Using the
other ropes they brought, they fashion Swiss seats on the four
ex-captives. They tie a carabiner at the end of the rope dangling
from the hole high above and attach it to the first person. With
the job finished, Kyle sends the other soldier up the rope and
stays behind.

“Hold onto the rope to steady yourself and
don’t let go,” Kyle tells the people. “You probably won’t fall if
you do, but being upside down sucks big time. If you do let go,
spread your legs and try to orient yourself back upright.”

With two keeping watch, Greg and another
soldier begin hauling the first of the former captives up. The
knots help but their backs and arms strain with the effort.
Eventually a head pokes through the sinkhole. With the soldier
holding the rope steady, Greg grabs their shoulders and hoists them
up. He sends them a short way down the path and tells them to wait
there. The four on top alternate in teams of two with each person
and, although it takes some time, they get everyone up.