The Aegis Solution by Krygelski John David

Author:Krygelski, John David [Krygelski, John David]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction - Suspense/thriller - Science Fiction
ISBN: 9780983052869
Publisher: Starsys Publishing Company
Published: 2011-12-05T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

"We've lost two Accelerants! How is that even possible, Mr. Killeen?"

The young man, still in his twenties, and for the first time in his brief life feeling that he was in over his head, answered, "I'm still not sure, sir. It's a little difficult to piece together exactly what happened."

"A little difficult? Maybe you could provide me with your best guess."

Stinging from the overt sarcasm, the subordinate began talking quickly. "They might have been prepared for the visit. We found unburned remnants of netting on the perimeter of the area where the shack had been."

"We already knew the old man was anticipating us, you fool. That's why he filled his little courtyard with all the vegetation, to slow down our Accelerants!"

"Yes, yes. I know. But it looks as though there were other measures – the netting…defensive barriers…and this."

Killeen stepped carefully over the heaps of debris and still-smoldering wood until he reached the spot where the porch had once stood. Pointing downward, he explained, "They had an escape route."

The other man looked down at the opening to the storm drain and said nothing.

"We didn't discover this until after the fire was out, and even then, not immediately. We had assumed they died in the blaze. The fire caused the roof to collapse, and we were digging through the rubble looking for their bodies when we found it."

The man stared down into the manhole, feeling his blood pressure rise. "You still haven't told me how we lost two Accelerants? Are you telling me Charon is that good?"

"No sir," the younger man replied hastily. "From what we can tell, I think it was a fluke."

"A FLUKE! We lost two subjects, who were both the result of years of the most advanced immersion and training, to a fluke?"

Sucking in a deep breath, Killeen plunged ahead. "I guess that was an unfortunate choice of words, but apparently one of the Accelerants was wounded from gunfire. The doctor said that the wounds wouldn't have been fatal. The other had been knocked unconscious before this happened."

At the end of his sentence, the man had swept his arm around to indicate the overall area surrounding them.

"Evidently, while both Accelerants were down, all of these solar panels crashed into the atrium. With their speed and agility, they probably would have been able to outrun or outmaneuver the metal and glass. But they were both incapacitated before it happened – one from the gunshots, the second from some other cause. They were both crushed to death."

Before the older man could respond, they were joined by a third. "I may have your answer on why the second Accelerant was unconscious at the time."

"That would be appreciated, Doctor."

"After we pulled the heavy steel frame off him…which was the cause of death, by the way…my assistant and I put him on a field stretcher. This area was far too cluttered for us to use our gurney, so we left it outside the atrium, in the corridor. I helped him carry the stretcher to the corridor, and it's a good thing I did.

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