The New Haven Incident - Part Nine

Warrant Officer Franz went first, stepping through the door of the ninth-floor office, his weapon raised. Grier, Savage, Carter and Bosch followed, with Captain Sakata making up the rearguard. No sooner did the formation break for the next step than Franz was struck from the side, air rushing from his lungs in a painful wave that left him on the ground, unable to move. Grier was immediately disarmed and before he could gather himself for any sort of reaction, was pulled off balance, the cold, sharp edge of a knife pressed against his throat. He found himself turned around and leaning back, his body entirely supported by his attacker’s chest. He stared at his teammates, eyes wide in panic.

“Identify yourself,” Sakata demanded, the flashlight on his rifle settling on the face of a blond man who had Grier expertly incapacitated against his chest.

“You first, asshole,” the man replied.

“What is going on here?” a small Asian man said, exiting one of the large rooms - a boardroom was Sakata’s guess - looking like he just woke up.

“Captain Sakata, Sigma Extraction Team Three, contracted by Cedarwood BioSecurity,” Sakata said.

After a pause, the blond man released Grier, shoving him forward so he stumbled into his group. Carter and Bosch helped him straighten.

“Sebastian,” the ambusher said, his voice soft, sullen but nevertheless dangerous.

Sakata waited for more. There was none. The captain raised his eyebrows.

“For God’s sake turn off your lights!” Dr. Liu hissed.

“What?” Sakata demanded.

“Lights! Off!” There was something in the urgency with which the small man in the lab coat spat the words that told Captain Sakata that he’d better comply, and so he did, with his team following suit.

“We’re looking for Dr. Liu,” Sakata said.

“I’m he.”

Team Three relaxed a little, though Sebastian’s quiet, vaguely intimidating presence still had them on edge.

“Captain Sakata,” Sakata said again, this time addressing the doctor. “We’re here to escort you and your team to the extraction zone for evacuation.”

Dr. Liu straightened, his expression relaxing a little. “Oh good. I thought we had been forgotten.”

“No, doctor. Cedarwood does not abandon its employees.”

Sebastian scoffed and turned away. Sakata turned to him, observing what he could in the dark. The man named Sebastian looked as though he belonged on the front of a men’s athletic clothing store, in underwear advertisements or on the runway. Perhaps a boy band. But the man’s eyes were dark, for all their pale hue, and his face looked as though it had never known a smile. There was something in the set of his shoulders and the strength of his stance that told the captain that this was not a man to be underestimated. Franz groaned and stirred.

“Something to say?” Grier growled at their attacker. Sakata turned to silence him, but Grier had already snapped his mouth shut. Turning back, Sakata noted that Sebastian had fixed his subordinate with a glare that could freeze fire.

“Alright,” Sakata said. “Everyone needs to calm down. Doctor, if you’d be so kind as to recall your guard dog?”

Dr. Liu looked at Sebastian and then at Sakata. “It’s alright, Sebastian,” he murmured. “I don’t think they have anything nefarious planned.”

“It’s Cedarwood,” Sebastian answered dryly. He did not elaborate, but the implication was clear. Nothing Cedarwood ever did was anything but nefarious.

“Welcome, Captain,” Dr. Liu said, ignoring Sebastian. “We’re glad you’re here. We can’t go anywhere until daybreak. I imagine you need a little space to set up for the night?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Follow me, then.”

Dr. Liu led the biosecurity team to one of the spare boardrooms.

“Intel says there are twelve of you?”

“Thirteen.”

“Thirteen?”

“Sebastian is new. Came to us just this afternoon, actually.”

“You know him, Doctor?”

“As much as it’s possible to get to know anyone you’ve only met half a day ago, I suppose.”

Sakata grunted. He paused at the door to one of the smaller meeting rooms and cast a glance around. It would do. He turned and looked at Carter. “Alright, nerd,” he said. “Let’s see if you can’t get the radio working. We need to make our report.”

Carter flashed a quick grin and entered the room, putting down his pack and unloading his equipment.

“Perimeter, the rest of you. Look sharp. We can relax when these folk are safe.”

Sebastian stood alone in the darkness of the furthest boardroom, his eyes scanning the city visible through the glass of the building. He saw nearly none of it. Instead, his mind whirled with memories of his escape from Cedarwood City; and all the horrific death he encountered along the way. And after. The screams from the city as it was firebombed echoed in his ears. He had no doubt that Cedarwood Corporation had sent in their biosecurity teams with orders to evacuate their own people, and to hell with everyone else. Anger boiled in his chest, a sharp fiery pain that he struggled to push down.

Just like then, there were probably civilians down there, hiding, praying for rescue. They would find none. Just like Cedarwood, they were already dead; just animated corpses clinging on to useless hope. Sebastian’s hands balled into tight fists.

“You should get some rest,” Dr. Liu said softly from the door of the room. Sebastian did not reply. He pulled away from the memories, forcing himself to see what was in front of his eyes now; a silent city on the edge of annihilation. He blinked rapidly, trying to address the dryness in his eyes that he was suddenly aware of.

“How many, do you think?” Sebastian asked at length.

“Pardon?”

“How many people are out there, hoping for rescue? How many innocent people will they burn to death this time?” Knowing there was no way Dr. Liu could answer, Sebastian scoffed. He shook his head. “Go to sleep, doctor. It will no doubt be a long day tomorrow.”

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