Matrix Trigger by Ken Britz

Author:Ken Britz [Britz, Ken]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ken Britz

26

Triggered

SOMEWHERE OVER THE MID-ATLANTIC OCEAN—

Morgan checked the AIS transponder, speaking above the constant drone of the Osprey engines. “Any change?”

Chevalier Safír shook his head. “Negative. Holding steady on course and speed. Only doing ten knots.”

“Nice and leisurely,” Morgan said. “I don’t like it.” Preparations for the search had taken much longer than expected. She glanced out the Osprey’s windshield. The predawn light hinted at another gray day.

“We’ll be there in ten minutes,” Safír reported, bringing up the tactical plan with the four Osprey planes. “Tango Four will keep in reserve. Tango One near the bridge at the stern. Tango Two amidships, Tango Three forward near the bow.” He drew up blueprints of the Matrix Trigger and noted the three points. “If her internal structure hasn’t been altered, it’ll take about an hour to sweep the ship. Longer if we’re methodical.”

“That’s a long time.” Morgan flexed her gauntlet and seized the waveform from the grid mounted within the Osprey. It felt good, and power washed through her, trickling down her back.

Safír flicked his tablet to weather data. “Trigger is in the path of an oncoming storm. Depending on fuel, we won’t have on station time and we can’t keep the Ospreys on deck in rough weather. I’d rather you stayed behind, ma’am. After what happened at Baltimore—”

Morgan gave him a look that brooked no argument.

“Duly noted,” Safír said. The pilot pointed and Safír leaned forward. “Motor vessel sighted.” He gave the commands to the eight other Chevaliers in the Osprey. There were fifty Chevaliers, which was a lot for this operation and the main reason for their delay. Morgan had received hourly updates on the Matrix Trigger as she cajoled personnel to give her not two but five Ospreys. It was work, but if Leto was there . . . Morgan closed her eyes. She drew more and let the torrent of power wash away her weariness and emotion. She floated on the manifest current.

Something warbled in the flight deck. Safír motioned for the Chevaliers lining the Osprey to put on their helmets. They all complied, except Morgan.

“What’s going on?” Morgan asked.

“Paladins.”

Morgan grew cold. T. S. was wrong, and it involved the Paladins. “How many?”

“Not sure, but there are white and black suits on the deck. Hard to tell in the weather, but Tango Three made a flyby of the container vessel. It’s slowed to four knots. Barely steerageway.” Safír tapped commands on his tablet. There was the thump of a release. “Low-altitude grid drones deployed.”

“Any of their flying ships?” Morgan asked of the Paladins.

“No, but hard to tell in the weather and radar,” Safír said. “And they’re stealthy.”

“Let’s count on numbers to overwhelm.”

“I’ll use all our assets then. Tango Four will drop personnel in place of Tango One. Drop and dust off. As Tango One, we’ll go last. The deck should be secure when we disembark.”

“That’ll be fine,” Morgan replied, and he radioed the commands. She sat next to a window. It was damned hard to see what was going on in the murk of the Atlantic.

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