Read Online Callsign: Bishop - Book 1 (An Erik Somers - Chess Team Novella) by Jeremy Robinson, David McAfee - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jeremy Robinson, David McAfee
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probably hadn’t seen a need to smash it since no one knew the place existed, but had they searched it thoroughly? He hoped not. In less than a minute, he found what he was looking for.
“There it is,” he said. He reached into his backpack and pulled out the KA-BAR knife CJ had supplied, which he then inserted into a thin seam in the base of the bank of monitors. After a few moments of prying, a panel popped off, revealing a compartment underneath. The door to the compartment was locked, but the designer hadn’t put in a very strong lock. Most likely, they didn’t think they would need one since the compartment itself was supposed to be hidden.
“Did I say you were good?” CJ asked. “You’re James Freaking Bond.”
Bishop didn’t reply. Instead, he jammed the KA-BAR into the compartment seam and pried it open. It took a few seconds, but the lock eventually gave under the pressure and the compartment popped open, revealing a stack of DVDs. Bishop looked through the discs; all of them were labeled according to date and sector, with the last of the entries dated just over two weeks previous. Above the compartment, a single DVD drive sat, its light blinking red. Bishop touched the eject button and another DVD came out. This one was dated the day the two men from Hassi had found the place. He held it up to show CJ.
“Score!” CJ said, and held up his palm for a high five.
Bishop looked at CJ’s upraised hand and raised a single eyebrow in response. Not a chance. “These should tell us everything we need to know about who raided this place.”
CJ lowered his hand. “Here…” He reached around his back and removed his backpack. “Stick ‘em in there for the time being. We can watch them when we get back to Hassi.”
“We might be able to watch them now,” Bishop offered. “If the technicians were living here, there’s bound to be a DVD player somewhere.”
“Unless the terrorists stole it,” CJ said. “Those guys like to watch movies too, you know.”
“It won’t hurt to look. Besides, we—”
“You guys should get out of there,” Ilias’s voice crackled through the radio. “There is a helicopter coming. I can see it without my rifle scope. Ten kilometers away. Perhaps less, and moving fast.”
“Is it one of ours?” CJ asked into the radio.
“No, it looks like a charter. I can’t read the writing from here, but it has two-tone paint. Blue and tan, and it is flying straight toward us. No question. This is its destination.”
Bishop shoved the DVDs into CJ’s pack. “Let’s move.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” CJ replied, and both men ran for the exit.
On the way out, Bishop’s foot kicked something. He turned just in time to see a clear water bottle roll across the floor. It sported a bright yellow biohazard symbol on the label. The jihadists must have missed it. He thought he should grab a sample for the lab back in the US.
Bishop paused for a moment to pick up the bottle and look at it. The liquid inside was perfectly clear, and could easily be mistaken for water. In fact, it probably was water. Water infected with Manifold’s new and improved ergot. If someone were to drink it, say, someone who didn’t know what the biohazard symbol meant, they would be in for a nasty shock.
“You coming, B?” CJ shouted from the exit.
“Right behind you,” he replied. He shoved the bottle into his pack and ran to the ladder. When he reached the top, CJ was waiting for him.
“What kept you?” CJ asked.
“Later,” Bishop said. “Where is that chopper?”
“Right there,” CJ pointed.
Ilias was wrong. The helicopter wasn’t ten kilometers out.
It was hovering right over their bikes.
***
Ilias squatted behind the four wheeler, his eye glued to the scope. He could make out the pilot’s head through the helicopter’s portside window. So far, they hadn’t paid him very much attention. He was just an old man, after all. They wouldn’t be the first
“There it is,” he said. He reached into his backpack and pulled out the KA-BAR knife CJ had supplied, which he then inserted into a thin seam in the base of the bank of monitors. After a few moments of prying, a panel popped off, revealing a compartment underneath. The door to the compartment was locked, but the designer hadn’t put in a very strong lock. Most likely, they didn’t think they would need one since the compartment itself was supposed to be hidden.
“Did I say you were good?” CJ asked. “You’re James Freaking Bond.”
Bishop didn’t reply. Instead, he jammed the KA-BAR into the compartment seam and pried it open. It took a few seconds, but the lock eventually gave under the pressure and the compartment popped open, revealing a stack of DVDs. Bishop looked through the discs; all of them were labeled according to date and sector, with the last of the entries dated just over two weeks previous. Above the compartment, a single DVD drive sat, its light blinking red. Bishop touched the eject button and another DVD came out. This one was dated the day the two men from Hassi had found the place. He held it up to show CJ.
“Score!” CJ said, and held up his palm for a high five.
Bishop looked at CJ’s upraised hand and raised a single eyebrow in response. Not a chance. “These should tell us everything we need to know about who raided this place.”
CJ lowered his hand. “Here…” He reached around his back and removed his backpack. “Stick ‘em in there for the time being. We can watch them when we get back to Hassi.”
“We might be able to watch them now,” Bishop offered. “If the technicians were living here, there’s bound to be a DVD player somewhere.”
“Unless the terrorists stole it,” CJ said. “Those guys like to watch movies too, you know.”
“It won’t hurt to look. Besides, we—”
“You guys should get out of there,” Ilias’s voice crackled through the radio. “There is a helicopter coming. I can see it without my rifle scope. Ten kilometers away. Perhaps less, and moving fast.”
“Is it one of ours?” CJ asked into the radio.
“No, it looks like a charter. I can’t read the writing from here, but it has two-tone paint. Blue and tan, and it is flying straight toward us. No question. This is its destination.”
Bishop shoved the DVDs into CJ’s pack. “Let’s move.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” CJ replied, and both men ran for the exit.
On the way out, Bishop’s foot kicked something. He turned just in time to see a clear water bottle roll across the floor. It sported a bright yellow biohazard symbol on the label. The jihadists must have missed it. He thought he should grab a sample for the lab back in the US.
Bishop paused for a moment to pick up the bottle and look at it. The liquid inside was perfectly clear, and could easily be mistaken for water. In fact, it probably was water. Water infected with Manifold’s new and improved ergot. If someone were to drink it, say, someone who didn’t know what the biohazard symbol meant, they would be in for a nasty shock.
“You coming, B?” CJ shouted from the exit.
“Right behind you,” he replied. He shoved the bottle into his pack and ran to the ladder. When he reached the top, CJ was waiting for him.
“What kept you?” CJ asked.
“Later,” Bishop said. “Where is that chopper?”
“Right there,” CJ pointed.
Ilias was wrong. The helicopter wasn’t ten kilometers out.
It was hovering right over their bikes.
***
Ilias squatted behind the four wheeler, his eye glued to the scope. He could make out the pilot’s head through the helicopter’s portside window. So far, they hadn’t paid him very much attention. He was just an old man, after all. They wouldn’t be the first
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