Daemon

three-foot sword blades unfolded from the forward hydraulic assemblies, lashing forth on gimbals, arcing smoothly with blinding speed as they ran through diagnostics like insects cleaning their antennae.
    At some unseen signal, the bikes retracted their kickstandjacks and hit the pavement, rear wheels smoking. They streaked off toward the hulking silhouette of Building Twenty-Nine in the distance.
    Philips and The Major moved swiftly down a corridor, followed by Ross and four heavily armed Korr guards. Personnel raced past them in both directions, carrying computers and boxes of files. The Major was speaking on his L3 phone. ‘I understand.’ A pause. ‘Yes. We’re working back channels to warn off civilian authorities. I will.’ He snapped the phone shut.
    They reached the gaming pit and could see black smoke seeping from the seams of the sealed lab blast doors, hinting at the inferno burning within. Korr medics were doing CPR on two strike team members, while other guards were placing bodies in a row on the floor.
    Philips slowed for a moment. ‘My God …’
    The Major pulled her past and motioned for Ross to follow. ‘We’re evacuating this facility. Choppers are on the way. I’m taking the first one to go after Agent Merritt. I want you and Mr Ross on chopper two.’
    ‘Where is Merritt?’
    ‘He went out after this “Loki” person, but we can track him. His radio has GPS.’
    Ross noticed guards pass by, uncoiling detonator wire from a reel. ‘What’s going on?’
    ‘We’re about to have a serious industrial accident here. Prearranged cover story.’
    Philips snapped alert. ‘This facility still contains critical equipment and data, Major.’
    ‘This facility is in danger of being overrun by the enemy, Doctor.’
    Philips thought about this for a moment, then produced her own encrypted phone and started punching numbers. ‘I haven’t received orders to abandon this facility, and until I do, I’m not going anywhere.’
    ‘In that case …’ The Major drew a Glock 9mm pistol from his coat and chambered a round. ‘I can’t risk you falling into enemy hands. Your knowledge of U.S. ciphers is too great.’
    Ross stepped in front of her. ‘Wait!’
    ‘Do you want to see my orders, Doctor?’
    She was speechless, staring at the business end of the pistol.
    Ross held his hands up. ‘She’ll go, Major.’
    The Major lowered his gun. ‘Puts it into perspective, doesn’t it? Now get ready to pull out.’
    ‘What about my people?’
    ‘They’re no longer your people. This task force has been dissolved. I’ve been ordered to send you back to Fort Meade and to remand Mr Ross to the custody of the FBI.’
    ‘On what charges?’
    ‘Multiple counts of wire fraud and identity theft.’
    She stared at The Major. ‘That’s insane. He just made a breakthrough.’
    ‘This task force has been ineffective at curbing the rapid growth of the Daemon. Your narrow field of expertise is being folded into a larger effort. Mr Ross’s services are no longer required. If they ever were.’
    Ross looked unsurprised. ‘But I have an amnesty agreement with the Justice Department.’
    ‘The terms of which you failed to meet.’
    ‘We failed because task force functions were compromised by private contractors.’
    The Major nodded to the nearby guards, who raised stun guns. ‘These men will see that you’re delivered safely. Resistance is optional.’
    Philips kept shaking her head. ‘Major, if Merritt captures Loki, we can find out how they compromised our systems.’
    ‘The Daemon won this round, Doctor. I have orders to break off contact with the infiltrator as soon as possible.’
    ‘You can’t just let Loki escape.’
    ‘The number one goal right now is keeping the existenceof the Daemon a secret until we mitigate the risks to the global economy. That goal is not compatible with open warfare on our perimeter or by Agent Merritt pursuing a pack of robotic vehicles through downtown Oakland. We’re lucky we don’t already have news choppers swarming overhead.’
    ‘If we can stop this thing now, it will be worth the hit to the economy.’
    ‘I’ll be sure to put that in my report,
Comrade
Philips.’
    The thumping of a chopper was now audible. The Major spoke to a nearby Korr guard. ‘Hold them here, and rush them to the roof when the second chopper arrives – but not before. Understood?’
    The lead guard saluted. ‘Yes, Major.’
    The radio on the guard’s belt crackled to