The cave moved downward now, and the AGF�s could see the water trickling past their feet. The cave seemed to be getting smaller as they went on, but Sam appeared truly confident, and guided them around every turn. There were lights down here too, but fewer and farther apart. The team, while keeping up with Sam, tried to make sure they were spaced far apart. Their minds had been hardwired deeply enough for them to instinctly know that they were susceptible to a grenade attack in here. The closing walls gave them no room to maneuver. Up ahead, the lights were out. But before they reached the blackout area, their boots felt the familiarity of concrete. Sam stopped to face them.
�The entrance to the facility is only a hundred meters ahead or so, so we should probably keep as quiet as possible. We need to wait here while I check up on the status of security.�
The team did as Sam said, and stood there, waiting for something to happen. William sat down, and ate some of the fish he carried in his thigh patch. The rest of the group did about the same, trying to rid themselves of anything they could not carry into the base.
Sam took from his pack what seemed like a small keyboard. He tapped a fairly distinct red button, and a screen materialized on the end of it, looking almost as if attached to it. He frantically typed several commands, and another screen appeared. This one was substantially larger, however, and looked like an old blue print, the ones that were only for 2-D. In one of the �rooms� on the map, a few yellow dots moved. Small strings of text followed them, showing what looked like some sort of serial code.
�What�s that?� asked Hisheena. Her gaze made it obvious what she was looking at.
�That,� said Sam, �is a map of the lower level of the facility. It�s the only level we�re really concerned with. Those yellow dots are what�s left of the security patrols. The rest are off somewhere else. We need to move quickly, in case our luck changes. This room, there, is where the council will be meeting. Because it�s supposed to be all hush-hush, there really shouldn�t be any threat as far as guards go. But you�ll be needing these.� Sam unslung his pack, and pulled out a set of pistols. They had monstrously long barrels, and were a strange glossy black. He handed one to each of the AGF�s, and they inspected them.
�They�re light as a feather!� exclaimed William in a whisper, as he turned his new toy over in his hands.
�Decent sights� 30 mm red dot with a 3X zoom�� N�tn�see was obviously pleased. He held the pistol out, switching his aim between rocks in the distance.
�They�re like your old Tranq pistols�, said Sam, �but they fire at a much higher velocity with greater accuracy. You�ve only got the fifteen shots in there though, as I didn�t have enough room to bring extra mags.� That was okay. If there was one skill David could say he was proud of, it was the fact that he was perfectly capable of infiltration without fancy technology. He was still glad to have the pistols, though.
Sam pressed the red button on the keyboard again, and the windows closed down. The green status light on the keyboard winked off. He put the device away, his pack now almost empty. He slung it over his back and stood up with the AGF�s. �Shall we?�
David took point, leading the team toward the darkness. He put his hand out; palm exposed, and then drew an imaginary line across his lips. His team acknowledged; from now they were only to use hand signals.
As they approached the end of the pavement leading into a room, their pace slowed. As nice as Sam�s intel had sounded, David preferred to use his senses to check for threats. He approached a door, and stopped. There was no sign of a handle or switch, just a flat door. Sam stepped up next to David. He placed his hands on the side edges, and drew them slowly together, until they almost touched. He muttered something, then rushed his hands back out to the sides. The door hissed open.
David and his team were backed into corners, ready for an attack, but none came. Though Sam was irritated by their slow approach, he knew they had every right to be suspicious. He was surprised they had actually accepted his story. He stayed behind them, trying not to get in their way.
David drew his pistol, and nodded to the rest of his team. They drew their guns as well. David had no external cameras, and his motion detectors would be useless in this situation. So he peeked. All he saw, however, was what seemed like a dark office room. Shadows engulfed the place, another perfect place for an ambush. Dozens of enemy troops could be hiding in those shadows, and there was no way for them to ensure their security. Screw it, David thought, and stepped into the room. He slowly waved his hand, and the others followed him. Sam tapped his shoulder. David turned to look at him, and saw he had his hand on something on the wall. He tried to aim at him, but his arm simply didn�t move fast enough.
Click.
