THE IRON SHIELD

PART V WINTERS REVENGE CHAPTER XXV

XXV

Winter, 2040

It had been eight months since Eckhart had been frozen inside the case. Although he was unconscious, he still had memories and visions float through his mind. He was still, for eight months, frozen in a case being displayed as a trophy for Jones. He had been moved from Mount Everest to another unknown location. Jones knew that an attempt would be made to go back for Eckhart. So, he had him moved shortly after Patton, Scheider, and Kruger left. It was a short window, but it was long enough for Jones.

In the unknown location that Eckhart was being kept in, a technician checking on Eckhart walked into the room identical to the one at Mount Everest. He sat at the desk with the cabinets over it. He wheeled over to the computer on the machine next to the frozen case and examined it. His vitals were normal, but he noticed something peculiar. In the corner of his eye, the technician noticed that a small orange spot was blinking on Eckhart's right arm. It puzzled him.

He gazed as close as he could to the case, but could not understand what it was. He did not know how long it had been blinking. The blinking stopped. He continued staring for another minute before examining the computer as he normally did every day. Eckhart was Jones' most prized possession.

Suddenly, glass and ice exploded all over the room in all directions. The technician was hit with glass and ice. He had to cover his eyes and face from the incoming projectiles. Eckhart fell to the floor, but landed his right fist and left knee on the floor. He began to cough and breathe heavily. He did not stay pale or cold for long for the rage he had been building up for eight months quickly warmed him up. His pulse and blood pressure increased dramatically. He did not shiver at all. The technician hid under the desk in fear. Glass and ice covered the floor. Although Eckhart was barefoot, his feet did not bleed with the glass cutting him due to his robotic legs. He had no blood in his legs.

Eckhart, still breathing heavy, stepped over to the cabinet with his clothes and gear in it. He pressed a spot on his right forearm and a small, square, metal piece opened revealing a battery pack. Eckhart removed it and replaced it with an extra in one of the pockets in his gun belt. He changed out of the jump suit into his clothes he was wearing before he was frozen. He took a deep breath and checked his gear. His pistol and knife had been untouched. He also placed his black combat gloves that covered his hands on as well His helmet sat inside another cabinet. He pulled it out and put it on.

Eckhart's boots crushed the glass and ice beneath his feet as he stepped over to the desk at the cowering technician. He knelt down and quickly pulled him out and held him up off of the ground. "Where is Jones?" asked Eckhart with a deep, metallic voice having been changed by his helmet.

"He's not here."

"Where?!"

"I don't know." Eckhart grew inpatient and threw the man hard against the wall knocking him unconscious. "Fine, I'll find him myself," Eckhart said to himself.

Eckhart then connected to the speakers throughout the facility and let out a long loud screech. The whole facility was so silent a pin could be heard when it fell to the floor. Eckhart stepped towards what should have been a door, but was actually the back of a vault door. He was locked inside a vault. The lights began to flicker as he prepared for his escape. His right middle knuckle changed to a high powered laser beam. He slammed his fist against the vault door and began to cut through the vault door. He started on the right side and made his way around in a large counter-clockwise circle nearly the same size as the door itself. The laser cut the metal like butter.