Polaris Rising (Consortium Rebellion, #1)(41)
The detention center server was easy to find. It was harder to breach. I kicked off my cracking scripts while I manually poked around. It took longer than I would’ve liked, but the scripts finally found an overlooked, vulnerable service. I set up a back door and then I was in.
I pulled up the various video streams. The outside of the building showed from all angles. No blind spots. The inside was the same story.
I flipped through the cameras until I found Loch. He was in a solid-sided holding cell in the middle of the building. Shackles connected his spread arms to the wall and his ankles were attached to a short chain and leg shackle. By the way he slumped, he was sleeping, passed out, or dead. Blood ran down his arms from his wrists. Bruises and swelling marred his face.
Richard had not been kind. Rage burned hot and my decision to rescue Loch cemented.
I pushed the rage back and focused on the other cameras. The lack of interior guards was an unexpected surprise. The house Richard was staying at was less than five minutes away at a flat run, so they must figure they could get there before any escape attempt succeeded.
I would have to prove them wrong.
Loch shifted. Still alive, then, but I didn’t know how hurt. If he couldn’t walk then we were royally fucked. I could only deal with one problem at a time, so I prayed he looked worse than he felt and moved on.
Veronica poked her head in the room. “I received word that the last of your supplies just arrived. They were not cheap and I didn’t have room to bargain.”
“They’re worth it,” I said without looking up. “I’ll reimburse you.”
She lingered. “Is this really going to work?”
I met her gaze. “I don’t know. But I’m going to do my damnedest to make sure it does. And I need you to do the same. You good?”
“I’d be better if I knew what you were planning.”
“All in good time. Are you packed and ready?”
“Nearly.”
“Good. We’re going tonight.”
She sucked in a breath. “I’m almost afraid to hope,” she said very quietly.
“Then I’ll hope enough for both of us.”
I strapped on the thin ballistic armor designed to deflect energy bolts. It only worked about half the time, but with the backup of my necklace and cuff, I hoped it was good enough to keep me alive. Ideally, it wouldn’t even be needed, but I’d never be that lucky.
Pistols went in holsters on each hip. A pair of flash-bang grenades went next to them, along with two modified smoke grenades and a set of six mini vaporizers. A knife and a plasma cutter rounded out my easily accessible equipment. Each had a distinct shape so I wouldn’t grab the wrong one by accident.
A backup battery snugged against my low back and connected via inductive charger to my cuff. With the extra boost, the cuff should protect against six or seven glancing shots and two or three direct hits. Loch would not be protected, and I couldn’t afford to be slowed down by an extra set of armor. I’d just have to stay between him and any shooters.
A small pack with the rest of my supplies went on, then my cloak would go over the whole lot. Veronica would be responsible for my big pack, as well as her things. Loch and I would meet her two blocks from the detention center.
I picked up the control tablet of the first drone. The drones were the last items on my list and the most expensive and difficult to find. I had no doubt that Veronica reached out to contacts on the smuggler side of the planet to purchase them, because they weren’t something that normal people had just sitting around. The fact that she hadn’t needed me to transfer money to pay for them said a lot about her financial situation.
The size of a shoebox, these drones were flying EMP bombs used by police and military forces to shut down the electronics of a single building or small block. Depending on the layout and shielding of the target building, either the electronics inside would go down permanently until replacement parts were ordered, or they would experience a temporary hiccup that could be corrected in a matter of minutes. I hoped for the former and planned for the latter.
And there was a sort of beautiful irony in the fact that these were Rockhurst drones.
I logged in to the control tablet, changed all of the default codes, and set the mode and target. I watched as it took off and circled high away from the city. I did the same with the second drone, except I set it to attack fifteen seconds later. The first would hit Richard’s house. The second would hit the detention center. Both control tablets went into my pockets.
I now had an hour to get in position. Adrenaline blitzed through my system. My fingers trembled as I set up the last of my scripts on the detention center’s server.
My backup plans had backup plans. I patted all of my gear one last time. I was as ready as I was going to be. I pulled on my cloak and settled the smart glasses over my eyes. The glasses synced to my com and could overlay info on the transparent screen. The time ticked away in the upper left corner of the display, along with a countdown timer.
“You know where we are meeting,” I said to Veronica. She nodded, but she was pale and sweating, with a hunted expression. “Are you okay?”
Her throat moved as she swallowed. “I’m worried you won’t show. That this is all for nothing.”
“And I’m worried that you’re going to double-cross me at the last minute,” I said bluntly. She looked appalled. It was better than the stark fear she’d worn before. I continued, “So we’re both worried. But I will be there.” If I don’t die first. I didn’t say that aloud because it wouldn’t help her.