AGENT 23 BLACKOUT (Agent 23 Book 1)

CHAPTER 39

With Agent 24 and Kayla riding in the truck bed, I drive the battered Jeep Gladiator across the bridge and up to the yawning mouth of the tunnel. There is no traffic. It's quiet except for the low rumble of the Jeep's engine. With my window busted out, I catch a whiff of pine or cedar, or spruce, not sure which. A breeze carries a slight chill, but now that I'm dried out a little, it's not unbearable.

I assume Zero has rerouted anyone coming from her direction. I still don't know where we are. Coastal City sets on the eastern seaboard, north of the nation's capital. This is further away from the city than my dad's private mountain retreat. I'm familiar with the type of tree-line around that area, which covers everything, even the tops of the tallest mountains, which aren't this tall. With snow crested peaks in the background, the evergreens halt shy of the higher elevations where white blankets the tips. Some cliffs don't have trees at all. Reminds me of the Rocky Mountains, but if that's the case, how did we get from the east coast to the mid-west? Kayla and I, our vehicles, everything? Maybe back in the van, Agent 24 sedated us much longer than I first believed? It's possible Zero has more resources available to her than I suspected. After all, she had a drone. She could have access to a cargo plane, too.

If so, we're slightly out of the CCPD's jurisdiction.

At the entrance, I stop and wait for them to hop out and scurry off to either side, where they slither into the tree-line and start climbing the steep mountainside. Before long, they disappear.

I drum my fingers on the steering wheel, waiting, stalling, giving them time to get into position. But not too much time. If I wait too long, over the allotted thirty minutes, Zero will grow suspicious. Truth is, she probably already expects foul play from our side, as do we from hers.

This tunnel differs somewhat from the first one we went through. This one doesn't have any ceiling lights. Despite the bright sun outside, darkness envelopes my dad's SUV as I putter along inside the long concrete tube burrowed through the heart of the mountain. I flip on the headlights, but as soon as I round a bend and see light at the end, I switch them off. As I draw near the exchange point, I glance at the space where the passenger side door used to be, and snort. We've been through a lot in one weekend, and it's about to get even more intense. But one thing I notice about myself. I used to swallow lumps of anxiety like it was takeout from a local café. Now, I stare into the depths of darkness and evil with a fortitude I haven't felt before. My jaw grinds together like two pieces of granite. It's not nerves, it's resolve and grit. I'm determined to save my dad and do whatever it takes to stop Zero, short of murder. I won't kill anyone, and I demanded the same from Agent 24. He agreed, so our plan has to be clever.

The closer I get; the light diffuses into specific details. I see the blasted end of Trailer 1, which is now the only trailer. The semi rests in the center of the two-lane highway, blocking the way. Zero stands in front of it with two armed guards. If I remember correctly, back at the warehouse, she had four men as an escort besides Agent 24. My heart twists in my chest. She has the other two men hidden for an ambush, or up on the mountain looking for Agent 24 and Kayla.

Standing next to Zero, the guards carry H&K MP5 submachine guns with shoulder straps. I remember the MP5 being a weapon in my dad's arsenal at his secret lair. One of them was in the black duffel bag. The H&K must be a rifle of choice with The Collective.

I have a sudden realization. If my dad remembers the location of the room under the museum, we'll have to pick a different place to meet in the future. How could I even work there in the basement? Agent 24 said he remembered everything while under the spell of the Mind Benders, only it took away his will. He simply wanted to do what Zero wanted him to do, but that's of little consequence now.

Before I reach the tunnel exit, I perform a three-point turn, aiming the front of the Jeep toward the path from which I came. After that, I switch off the engine and hide the keys in a magnetic case I found in the glove-box. As I move down the side of the Jeep, I casually slap it under the fender well. It's our agreed location to hide the keys if one of Zero's guards tries to steal our getaway ride. It's not the greatest choice, but our options are few.

Zero waits for me with a snarky grin on her face, wearing her black leather pants, dark green blouse, and, of course, her block-heeled shoes. The two guards take up positions on either side of her. My dad stands in front of her, slightly to the right, so I have an unobstructed view of The Collective's leader.

Again, I'm stalling, waiting for Agent 24 and Kayla to maneuver over the top of the mountain, which thankfully is a fair bit lower than most of the surrounding peaks. Also, this one is rockier and has fewer trees. That means it's easier to climb but offers less cover, so they'll need to be more careful, especially with the two missing guards lurking about.

Our thirty minutes are up.

It's time to make the exchange. As I stride into the sunlight, my dad walks toward me and meets me halfway between the tunnel exit and Zero's position. I stare into his eyes, trying to judge whether I'm looking at my dad or Agent 1. Despite his wounded shoulder and bruised neck, his gaze is brighter than before. His smile appears genuine. He swallows and nods at me, and my heart soars. Everything is going according to plan until Agent 24 comes lumbering down the mountainside and stumbles to the roadway with a guard, pointing a submachine gun into the agent's back.

Agent 24's H&K hangs on the guard's shoulder. My jaw twitches, but on a promising note, Kayla is still out of sight.

But so is the guard sent to get her.