Sons of Abraham: Pawns of Terror Read Online Free Page B

transmission.”
    “I suspected as much,” she snapped. “Otherwise, I’d be welcomed by your lovely faces, rather than my own.”
    The screens mirrored her once more. The pause lasted for several minutes, a sign that all was not well on the other end of the transmission. She wanted to look at Jones, to gauge his reaction to the conversation, but the tall man had slid into the shadows, making it impossible to see his face.
    “We have reached a decision,” the right screen started. “You have proven yourself worthless to our cause. We will take more, DIRECT measures. Good day.”
    The connection ended, both screens showing her own image, as well as the disgust upon her aging face. She stormed out of the room, barely remembering to avoid the grating in the middle of the floor. She didn’t need to turn to know that Jones’ eyes were upon her, watching her exit his presence. She’d played the part of the puppet for too long, leaving her little choice but to reach out for assistance. The possibilities swirled in her head as she reached the stairs.
    “If you move her using your usual methods,” Jones called out. “They will know.”
    Jana took a deep breath and climbed the concrete stairs.
     

 
    2 CHAPTER two
     
    Sargent Bearden edged the corner to the power relay station. Like many of the areas in the science facility, the power relay station led down a long tunnel, separating it from the rest of the facility. Bear didn’t pretend to know why someone would design the facility like a spider web, but he knew it was a pain in his ass to get from one place to another. He estimated the trip down the long hallway to be around three hundred yards, with only a small handful of utility rooms between the station and the main corridor.
    Seasoned eyes skimmed the walls and floor, looking for more signs of violence, as he’d witnessed in the main corridor a few minutes prior. Neither he nor his two companions had seen any other signs of foul play since they’d turn the last corner. Carter stayed back, covering their six as Bearden and Mullins led the way. Bear made Mullins take point, given that it was impossible for the five foot, seven-inch man to see over the Sargent, nearly a foot taller than the Corporal was. Carter had a better chance to see around the man, his own frame reaching over six feet in height, but he insisted that the Sargent remains in the middle, an asset for them to protect. Bearden didn’t like the idea, but he knew better than to argue with a couple of former grunts.
    A groan buried deep in Bear’s throat whenever the husky Mullins walked heavy on the metal grating. Unlike the main corridor, the flooring in the maintenance tunnel was a grating, with cables as wide as Bear’s head running beneath them. Lights were hung every fifteen feet over the corridor, allowing for darkness to fall in the four feet between each light’s reach. The group stayed to the edges, prepared to duck into the shadows should anyone come out of the doorway ahead of them.
    The lights did little to make seeing easier in the long corridor. The dark tan of the walls absorbed the beams, rather than reflect it. The lights were covered in metal cages, to protect them when a hauler trekked down the hallway to bring necessary equipment or personnel to the power station relay. The use of vehicles was the reason for the doublewide doors, its frame buried into the ground so that the wheels of vehicles could gain access. Normally, the overhead lights were on, but the lack of power left them wanting for the flashlights in their pockets. Despite their youth, both of the two men were wise enough to avoid giving away their position by use of the flashlights. It helped that neither of them wanted to upset the large man in between them.
    The metal doors were closed, a site that failed to surprise the seasoned Sargent. Mullins guarded the seam of the two doors and Carter continued to watch their backs as Bear pulled a driver from his belt and