right behind them.
“She looked terrified,” he grunted to Justin as they ran in strides through the hallways made of canvas slapped over metal framing.
The other man just grunted. They emerged into the command center to find everyone clustered around the television. There was a newsman talking, but his words didn’t immediately register on Jared as his jaw dropped open at the headline displayed.
Local King City Terrorist Base Discovered!
Behind him were images of their warehouse.
“What. The. Fuck,” he said into the stunned silence.
“Terrorists?” Madison said in a small voice, equally shocked.
Jared was the first to snap out of it. “Okay, this is a complete clusterfuck, but it’s out there now. Kendra,” he said turning to the young woman. “How long has this been broadcasting?”
“I noticed it and came right to you,” she said, her eyes darting left and right nervously. “It may have been on for a few minutes beforehand though.”
He nodded smartly. “Okay, we need to get non-combatants out of here ASAP. Madison, how long for them to start computer wipes and evacuate?”
Madison turned to him, and he saw her eyes focus as she got a hold of her shock. “Five minutes, tops.”
She turned and began barking orders before he could say anything, and the handful of techs jumped into motion. Jared nodding approvingly. They had already been poised and ready to dump everything. Screens started flashing immediately as they gathered paper files and dumped them into a bin. A moment later flames burst from it.
“Sentinels, to the garage!” he shouted over the commotion.
They had their own evacuation procedures to follow. As he ran back down the hallway he couldn’t shake one particular thought.
How did it get on the news before the Agency got here?
“Somebody fucked up,” he said aloud with a little smile.
“What do you mean?” Connor asked as they started tossing bags of gear into their trucks.
“If they know where we are, why isn’t the Agency already here in force?”
“Hah, good point,” the other shifter said with a laugh.
The mood went somber as the human contingent of the Underground poured out from the tunnel and headed for a pair of sedans. They purposely did not drive trucks, to better differentiate themselves from the shifters.
Without a word being said, Jared and his team moved to the big garage door and peered out through concealed holes to ensure the path was clear.
Justin and Josh both gave him thumbs up immediately. Connor took a moment longer to reach his post, as he was the farthest, but after a brief survey his thumb went up as well. Jared hit the button and the door swiftly opened. They nodded to their comrades, and watched as they departed, driving out into the industrial area and splitting up. The news copter was nowhere in sight, which Jared took to be bad news.
“Newsies are gone,” he said as the door closed. “We don’t have much time.”
The sound of frantic honking outside drew his attention. He peered out under the door.
And threw himself violently out of the way just before a vehicle came flying through the door, bending the metal and ripping it from its tracks. Sparks flew, metal screamed, and rubber screeched to a violent halt.
***
Jared climbed slowly to his feet, staring at the compact crossover vehicle. Not a car, not an SUV, it was a little of both and a lot of neither.
“Everyone okay?” he called out, though he never averted his eyes from the vehicle.
Affirmatives rang out, and when everyone was accounted for, he closed on the car. The driver’s door opened, and he heard the sound of pained coughing, following by a very feminine-sounding groan.
He didn’t take down his guard, but he did relax. The Agency was as old-school sexist as it came. To his knowledge, no one had ever seen a female working for them. It was a strictly male environment. That meant the odds were heavily against the newcomer being an Agent.
“Stay where you
William K. Klingaman, Nicholas P. Klingaman
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