The Chimera Vector

Chapter 5

Chapter Five

‘Hands in the air!’ one of the marines yelled.

Jay had nowhere to run.

Under the moonlight, Sophia noticed the three chevrons and rocker on the shoulder of one marine. Staff sergeant.

Sophia couldn’t tell if it was a dream or a memory, but she had the distinct memory of watching another staff sergeant die. He slumped, face down into the dirt, and lay there like a plastic figurine.

‘I called it in!’ Jay yelled, showing his open hands. ‘They took the other corporal hostage.’

The marines slowly lowered their carbines.

Jay pointed left, down the road. ‘They took a Cruiser that way. They’re in stolen uniforms.’

‘Can you ID them?’ the staff said.

Jay shook his head. ‘Only seen the back of their heads. They’re in that Cruiser at the rear.’

The staff called to his marines, ‘Cruiser at the rear of the line! Move!’

Jay was so busy watching the marines run for the base’s entrance that he bumped into one of them. But Sophia knew why. The soldier just happened to be the driver, and carried his carbine right-handed. Magazine catch button above the trigger. She saw Jay press the catch, saw the magazine drop into his hand. The marine didn’t even realize. Jay apologized for bumping him and kept walking.

Sophia shook her head. Now he was just showing off.

Jay called out to the marine, his breath pluming in the night air. ‘Hey! Your mag!’ She saw the marine’s face flush.

Jay handed him the mag, then moved closer to point at the magazine. ‘Make sure it’s in tight.’

Sophia watched Jay’s other hand run his stolen knife under the marine’s right hip pocket. The 4x4’s ignition was on the right so the keys would be pocketed with the right hand. Jay had probably pushed his hip against the pocket when he bumped the marine, just to be sure they were there.

A ring of keys dropped from the sliced pocket into Jay’s hand. He curled it into a fist so the keys wouldn’t jingle, then watched with mild curiosity as the marines ran for the base’s entrance.

Damien got up and moved for the 4x4. Sophia followed him, trying to walk as naturally and purposefully as possible. The marines had run on foot to the base entrance and she could see why, it wasn’t far away. But now it would be even more difficult to get past them.

Jay was in the driver’s seat, key in the ignition. Damien was a few steps ahead of Sophia, jumping in the front. Sophia took the back, hoping no one saw her.

The eight-cylinder engine growled. The tires were run-flat and the sides were layered in level B-6 vehicular armor. At this rate, they were going to need it.

Jay put the 4x4 into first. ‘Which way?’

They were facing an exit eight kilometers ahead. Beyond it, the twilight revealed a main road and bridge. It would’ve been a possible escape route, had there not been a couple of armored Cruisers in the way and—thanks to Jay throwing the marines off their scent—a whole bunch of armed marines going haywire at each other.

Out Sophia’s window, another dusty road. Too much traffic up ahead. She looked behind them. The road stretched on, flanked by concrete walls for a distance. Right into the heart of the base.

‘Turn us around,’ she said.

She noticed a disposable cigarette lighter sitting in front of the stick shift. She pointed to it. ‘Damien, hand me the lighter.’

Damien passed it to her while Jay turned them around and hit the gas. Two Cruisers streaked past them.

Two faces from the second Cruiser registered in Sophia’s mind. Operatives. Her cheeks flushed as blood shunted to her muscles.

‘I thought we were the only team in Iraq,’ Damien said. He’d seen them too.

‘Guess you thought wrong,’ Jay said.

He changed gears as they passed a KFC.

‘Slow down,’ Sophia said.

Jay’s eyes went wide in the rear-vision mirror. ‘You for real? I should be going faster, not slower.’

‘We don’t want to attract attention.’

In all honesty, she wanted nothing more than to get out of there as fast as possible. Before those marines worked out they’d been duped.

The stretch of dusty road ended just shy of its second klick. A set of gates were open and manned while a single vehicle was waiting to be cleared. She searched the pockets in the back of the driver’s seat, found a first-aid kit and stole a small tube of Dermabond. Holding on to both, she curled up in the foot space behind the passenger seat and pulled an olive-colored backpack over her, hoping it would conceal her in the waning darkness.

Jay kept the 4x4 in second gear while Sophia held her breath. She heard boots crunch on gravel as they moved just outside her door. A radio crackled and a scratchy voice said something. She listened, breathless.

‘Go ahead.’

Jay whisked the 4x4 through the gates, out of Joint Base Balad.