Trojan Horse Read online

  “Nonsense, son. You commanded your team with incredible precision. I know you’re busy, but I wanted to talk to the person responsible for my rescue. I have met too many bureaucrats in my day, and I thought it would be refreshing to talk to a man that understands war,” said Dr. Eris.

  “I don’t think I’ve quite figured that out yet.”

  “Son, you know more about war than you realize.”

  “I’m sorry, but I was under the impression that you wanted to discuss your debriefing with me?”

  “Yes, I apologize for wandering off topic. My old age pulls me away all the time. I’m just amazed the U.S. government still asks for my help.”

  Adam laughed. “That’s okay; at least, you still have your sanity. That’s more than anyone can say right now.”

  “I just wanted to add that these soldiers, the Global Alliance, are horrific people and you must stop them,” pleaded Dr. Eris.

  “Well, as long as we know their plans, then we won’t have to worry.” Adam became annoyed with the scientist’s comments.

  “Are you familiar with the ancient myth of Icarus?” asked Dr. Eris.

  “Yes, he flew too close to the sun. What does this have to do with the Global Alliance?”

  “Well, NASA and I have been working on a project called Icarus, which could be very lethal in the wrong hands.”

  “And…” prompted Adam.

  “You must find it hysterical that the U.S. government is working with NASA ever since the EMP attacks rendered our satellites inoperable . Do you remember that day? The day when cell phones stopped working, the day when people couldn't even send an email?"

  "Dr. Eris. What is Icarus?" demanded Adam.

  The old man leaned forward in his chair and waved Adam to do the same. Dr. Eris remained silent while Adam tapped the metal table awaiting the scientist's response. "Do you have a deck of cards by chance?"

  "What?" replied Adam.

  "A 52-deck of playing cards. I was thinking we could play a game of Texas hold ‘em while we discuss Icarus."

  Adam glared at Dr. Eris and clinched his fist. The scientists took his glasses off and used his shirt again to clean his glasses. Adam watched as the scientist obsessively cleaned his lenses. Adam couldn't bury his anger any longer. He jumped up from his chair and slammed his fists against the table. The scientist jerked backwards and fumbled his glasses to the ground. Adam leaned over the table and stared into Dr. Eris's eyes.

  "I didn't risk my life and the lives of my men so you could play a fucking game!"

  Dr. Eris leaned as far back as he could in his chair pressing his spine against the metal backrest of the chair. His legs started to shake as he looked at the man across the table. He stared at Adam's arms that were planted on the table and the muscles and veins that popped.

  "Well, it's not just a game, son. There's a lot of strategy that goes into it. For example, my favorite strategy is to make the other players at the table think my cards are harmless. I like for them to think that they have already won," explained Dr. Eris.

  Before the scientist finished speaking, Adam grunted and marched out of the interrogation room, slamming the door as he left. The lights flickered as the vibrations from the door hit the threshold.

  Chapter 13

  “That’s three in a row; I’m hot right now, boys!” screamed Hunter.

  “This is bullshit. Your elbow was over the table,” said Ramos in slurred words.

  The whole room broke out in laughter as Ramos struggled to maintain his balance. The team was decompressing after a long operation. Guys were playing beer pong while others played video games.

  “John, it’s quite disturbing to see you killing terrorists on that Xbox. Didn’t you already get killing out of your system today?” chirped Ramos.

  “Not nearly as disturbing as your lack of coordination,” replied John.

  “I could use a big, juicy cheeseburger right now with a side of crispy fries,” announced Ramos.

  “And a chocolate milkshake,” added Hunter.

  “What are you smoking, bro? Oreo milkshake is what you have with such a delicious meal,” replied Ramos.

  “Too bad there aren’t any cows around this part of the world anymore,” said John as he continued to focus on his video game.

  “Shut up, Reaper 2; this is my fantasy,” replied Ramos.

  Meanwhile, their team leader was not enjoying the post-op celebration with the rest of his teammates. Adam was bent over a table in the Ops Center with a cup of coffee by his side to keep his insomnia going.

  “Really, Adam? Do you ever stop?” scolded Katherine as she climbed down the ladder of the pool.

  She placed a can of Budweiser in front of her colleague, smiling.

  “Come on, Adam. Doctor’s orders.”

  Adam didn’t acknowledge Katherine. He kept staring at the intel that his team retrieved from the warehouse. Katherine stood behind Adam, grabbed him, and started to kiss his neck.

  Finally, Dawkins turned around. “You made it pretty clear that it was a one-time deal.”

  "Ooops. I meant a two-time deal," said Katherine with a grin.

  Adam went back to staring at a scattered pile of papers.

  “Listen, for all we know, this Icarus project died at the beginning of the war. DHS, CIA, and the DIA haven’t found any proof of this project’s existence. For all we know, this scientist has started to go senile,” explained Katherine.

  Adam remained focus on the documents.

  “Let me help then,” said Katherine as she stooped under Adam’s arms and squeezed in between him and the desk.

  Adam felt Katherine’s tight butt pressed against his lower half. Katherine just continued to act as if she were analyzing the documents in front of her. Adam tried to continue his work, but he couldn’t resist.

  “Fine Kat, you win.”

  Adam turned Katherine around. He gripped the back of Katherine’s neck and jerked her to his lips. The couple started to make out and then Adam threw her on top of the table. The team leader ripped the shirt off her chest. The sparks that flew didn’t resemble romance but an intense attempt to blow off steam, yet there may have been something more in that moment.

  Afterwards, the two colleagues lay on top of the desk exhausted, but Adam couldn’t sleep. His insomnia wasn’t about the mission, this time. Adam couldn’t stop thinking about Katherine. He tried to resist the fantasies of another life, but they were too powerful. Adam pictured himself with Katherine on a beach somewhere on the East Coast. They were sharing a bottle of red wine while listening to her gossip about her friends. They would hang out all day under the warm sun lying on the soft sand. Then he would return to his apartment and look at financial statements to prepare for the upcoming week at his investment firm. Adam snapped out of it, realizing that his life would never be that way. The world had taken a turn for the worse. Too many things had happened in the past three years. He knew that it wasn’t just the world that had changed. He had seen and done too many terrible things to deserve a naïve and blissful life. Adam continued to rub his hands over Katherine’s side, reaching for his pistol and pointing it toward the entrance.

  “Whoa, whoa, cool it, brother,” said John.

  “What’s up?”

  “Uh, well. I don’t know if you realized this, but we just had a big win today and now the whole team is celebrating. So how about y’all get your asses up to the team room and party with your boys," said John.

  “I’ll come up for one drink,” declared Adam.

  “Haha, yeah, and I’m the President of the United States."

  The members of Reaper team had already transitioned to the hard stuff as Katherine and Adam walked in. Carly was talking privately in the corner with Ramos.

  “Yo, chief, I have three shot glasses full of bourbon with your name on ‘em,” said Hunter.

  Adam reluctantly walked toward the table full of booze and one by one knocked each glass back.

  “Now, that’s the team leader I re
member,” smiled John.

  Just as Adam started to grin, he felt a fist impact the side of his face. He was now on the ground.

  “Get up, coward. You murderer,” said Ramos.

  Just as the rest of Reaper team moved to intervene, Adam kicked Ramos’s legs from underneath him. In less than a second, Adam was on top of his teammate, throwing punches left and right at Ramos’s face. The team leader was flushed with anger and showed no indication of letting up.

  “Adam, stop man. He’s had enough,” pleaded Hunter.

  But he wasn’t going to stop. He looked like he was going to kill his teammate. John tackled his brother to the ground and pinned him down until Adam stopped resisting. Both men slowly made their way up off the ground with their fellow teammates in between them.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you?” shouted Adam.

  “What’s wrong with me? You murdered Sarah. She was just a little girl!” replied Ramos.

  “What are you talking about?”

  Adam then looked at Carly. The room became silent and Carly was horrified to speak with all eyes on her. “Um…The team. The team we sent to pick up Sarah; they found her. She…She didn’t make it. The Global Alliance found her first.”

  Everyone in the room was speechless. Adam just looked straight into Ramos’s angry eyes. The team leader felt the guilt pour into his mind every second he mulled over the tragic news.

  “I am so sorry, Ramos. We had to stay on mission. The information Dr. Eris possessed could have killed thousands and if the G.A. tortured…”

  “Always trying to be the hero, justifying your actions with your self-righteous bullshit. But you know what, you’re just as bad as the men we’ve been fighting..."

  "Come on man. I had no idea..."

  "No! No. You don't get to the play the victim here. I'm done. I’ll never go on another op with you.”

  Chapter 14

  “Let’s load up, boys. John, make sure you bring enough plastic explosives to breach those doors. This is going to be a fast hit.”

  The team was preparing for a new mission. Central Command had just passed along new intel on the location of a safe house that the G.A. had been using to insert reconnaissance units.

  “I’m not packing extra bullets; I’m packing my kit with aspirin. I’m too hungover for this shit,” said Hunter.

  “What’s our insertion plan for the target building?” continued Hunter.

  “We’re taking the ATVs above ground. The intel is fresh, and we don’t have time to use the sewage tunnels,” replied Adam.

  Team members started to shake their heads at this news.

  “Where the hell is Reaper 3?” asked Adam.

  “Chief, Ramos is not coming on this one. Trust me—I tried, but he barricaded himself in his room,” said Hunter.

  “Fine, if that sorry drunk wants to abandon his team, then so be it.”

  ***

  “All right, people, I want all radio channels monitored and maps of the area of operations pulled up on the screens. Reaper team will begin their insertion within the next fifteen minutes. Let’s have their backs and keep them safe,” announced Katherine.

  “Kat, DHS just sent us an encrypted message. They said that Dr. Oppenheim is headed to the base, escorted by DHS. He wants to see Dr. Eris with his own eyes,” said Carly.

  “What the hell? We’re about to initiate an operation and DHS wants to bring a VIP to our outpost? We don’t have the security measures for this type of visit.”

  “I know boss, but Central Command gave DHS the OK.”

  “Classic DHS, pulling strings with Central Command behind our backs.”

  The intel team continued to prepare for the operation when Dr. Eris entered the room. “Good afternoon, everyone.”

  “Sir, you can’t be in here. You don’t have the security clearance,” said Katherine.

  “My apologies, dear. I was going crazy cooped up in that infirmary. And I need a smoke. Badly. Does anyone have one?”

  Katherine shook her head and then pulled out a pack of Marlboros from her pocket.

  “Well, thank you, my dear.”

  Katherine proceeded to light the scientist’s cigarette with her Zippo.

  “I have to say that I’m surprised to see such a beautiful woman like you engage in such a terrible vice.”

  “I blame this war," replied Katherine.

  “I can relate, my dear. This war has changed people. It’s ironic. Politicians around the world thought that the Global Nuclear Disarmament Treaty would bring out the humanity in us all. Yet once the nuclear bombs were removed from the playing field, everyone resorted to their primitive nature.”

  “The existence of those weapons would have prevented this damn war,” asserted Katherine

  “See, my dear, you and I see eye to eye. We don’t allow ideology and fantasies to cloud our judgement.”

  Katherine nodded in agreement.

  “Kat, DHS just arrived,” interjected Carly.

  “Well, Dr. Eris, it looks like your colleague is here to see you.”

  ***

  “Two klicks from the target location,” announced Adam over the radio. “Reaper 2, find a building overlooking the target area and provide overwatch.”

  John veered off onto another street with his ATV while the rest of Reaper team continued their advance toward the safe house. The men were still tired from their last mission, but they pushed their fatigue aside. They parked their ATVs inside a vacant parking garage 200 meters from the safe house. John climbed several stories to the roof of a building that overlooked the target building.

  “Reaper 1, I don’t see any hostiles in the proximity. You are clear to breach.”

  Adam and the rest of the team moved swiftly toward the safe house with their weapons raised in every direction. The place appeared to be an old bar located in the Georgetown area. Shops and townhouses were demolished from bombings earlier in the war while empty cars scattered the street in front of the place. The team leap-frogged from car to car for cover during their advancement.

  “Reaper 2, we are approaching the entrance,” radioed Adam.

  “Wait, who has the breaching charges?” whispered one of the other team members.

  “Oh shit, I think John has the explosives,” said Hunter.

  John smacked his forehead with his hand after hearing the unwelcome news over the radio.

  “Fuck it,” said Adam.

  Dawkins threw his shoulder into the door, then Hunter tossed several flash bangs into the room. The team quickly breached the entrance to the bar and scanned the room for potential threats.

  “Clear, clear!” announced multiple team members.

  Adam motioned towards the kitchen with his hand. The team crept towards the kitchen door. Adam pulled out his sidearm and slowly opened the door. After scanning the room, Adam didn’t see any threats.

  “What the fuck is going on? Where’s the intel? Hell, where’s our fucking enemy?”

  Chapter 15

  “Hello, Agent Reyes. It’s good to see you again,” said Katherine as she reached out her hand.

  The senior agent didn’t acknowledge her handshake. “Where’s Dr. Eris? Our guest would like to talk to him before we escort both scientists back to NORAD.”

  Katherine was irritated by the agent’s continued impoliteness. “He’s in our conference room. My colleague, Carly, will take you to him.”

  Dr. Oppenheim, the top scientist at NASA, didn’t say a word to Katherine as he passed by her.

  Dr. Eris was leaning over the table in the conference room. He remained still, acting as if he were looking over some data that had been sent over from his laboratory.

  The famous scientist who was considered the “savior for humanity” passed through the threshold of the conference room.

  “Oh, my longtime friend, it’s so great to see that you are finally safe from those animals!”

  Dr. Eris slowly turned around. He had blood all over his shirt. Dr. Oppenheim’s smile so
on vanished as he laid eyes on his friend.

  “You aren’t Dr. Eris?”

  The impersonator pulled out the pistol he took from the dead guard’s body and aimed it straight at the scientist’s head. He could see the fear inside Dr. Oppenheim's eyes as he pulled the trigger.

  Bang, bang.

  Dr. Oppenheim collapsed to the ground as the bullets pierced his skull. Agent Reyes rushed into the conference room with her weapon drawn. Once she saw the impostor with a gun, she raised her sidearm but was too late. The impersonator had already zeroed in on her chest and she knew she was done.

  Bang.

  The impersonator walked over Agent Reyes’s body and fired two more rounds at her abdomen.

  The shooter dragged the bodies all the way into the room so that nobody would spot them. However, before exiting the conference room, the shooter walked over to the dead guard’s body and grabbed the grenade attached to his body armor. He then shut the door and scanned the hallway.

  Guards heard the gunfire and sounded the base’s alarm system. Loud rings filled the ears of everyone in the bunker.

  “What the fuck is going on?” shouted Katherine.

  “This must be a drill,” responded Carly, coverings her ears with her hands.

  The two analysts witnessed other guards rush to the armory to collect their weapons and Kevlar. Katherine started to panic. She paced around the empty pool looking in every direction.

  The shooter continued down the hallway shooting guards who stood in his way. He systematically picked-off every unprepared guard and grabbed extra ammo from their dead corpses. He knew exactly where he was going. The shooter moved swiftly through the dark hallways with alarms blaring in his ears. He had trained for this moment for an exceptionally long time and knew he was close to finishing his mission.

  Ramos ran into the Ops Center with both hands gripping his pistol. “What the fuck is going on?”

  “The base might be under attack; I think I heard gunshots. Could this just be a drill?” asked Carly.

  “I don’t think so,” said Ramos as he scanned the room.