Chapter Sixteen
Vital Signs
Pier 91
Tacoma, Seattle
April 20, 2059
5:58 am
Fog rolled over the pier like a long lost lover. It was not thick, but it did give an eerie feeling to the pier. The water was barely visible. Dark, polluted water of the Sound.
Pier Ninety-One was not large. Compared to its neighbors it is actually very simple in design. A single road on a raised dock lead into the Pier. Two docking ports handle vessels as big as a freighter. A half dozen or more small anchoring points support smaller ships. Of the three warehouses, one of them is built right on the water. The other two are separated by the road that leads into the Pier. The warehouses are a little more than forty meters apart. Two support cranes are perched at the end of the boat docks, used in lifting heavy cargos and placing them onto trucks.
Pier ninety-one had last been leased to a small company out of California, but that lease ran out two months ago. With no one working the Pier there was no security to speak of. One had to simple cut a locked gate and drive through.
Lenny had moved in two hours before the meet. The first thing that Lenny noticed when they arrived was that there was only one way for ground vehicles to leave the Pier. That was on the access road. Everything else was surrounded by water. This made the need for a speedy escape invaluable. Riggs also complained about it as well. He did not want his Bison sinking to the bottom of the Sound. Lenny also got into an argument with Gideon. The original plan was for Lenny, Smiley, and Nightsky to approach Gabriel. The three runners would turn Abigail over to him. Gideon would be positioned with his sniper rifle. He would be the primary support just incase things went south. Lenny felt that this plan was the best because it put Nightsky and Smiley in close where they worked best. Nightsky with his monosword and Smiley with his implants. Gideon protested. He wanted to be on the front line during the exchange. He didn't say why at first, but Lenny could have guess. Gideon did give one logical reason for him to be up close. Gideon and Smiley, along with Lenny, were the three shadowrunners that Gabriel had met with during the meet. Gabriel had never seen Nightsky or Riggs. That gave the runners the element of surprise.
Gid probably worried that Lenny would choose not to hand Abigail over. Lenny had considered it, but he gave his word to the team and to Frost. He would carry out his word.
Things finally settled down an hour before the meeting. Gideon, Lenny, and Smiley took Abigail to the warehouse that was built onto the water. There they waited patiently for Mr. Frost's arrival. Nightsky was given Gideon's rifle. He climbed into the operator's box on the crane. There he could see most of the Pier.
Riggs got his wish. He did not have to leave the Bison on the pier. Instead he parked it half a mile down the shoreline. He still had a visual with the pier. The placement of the Bison was also of part Lenny's escape plan should the group need it. Besides, Riggs was a rigger. He did not have to be right next to the group to be in the action. A Spotter drone watched the pier from overhead. It monitored the access road. Meanwhile Riggs heavily armed rotodrone, Big Bertha, was perched on top of one of the warehouses. Big Bertha was saving power until she was needed.Tart wanted to come to the meet. At first Lenny refused her. In the end he gave into her constant whining. She was sitting the back of the armored Bison. Lenny figured that she would be safest there.
"Heads up, chummers." Riggs sounded over the commlinks. "I've got a caravan moving down the road."
Lenny glanced at his watch. "Gabriel's early. Very early." It was still half an hour from the scheduled meet.
At the mention of Mr. Frost, Abigail sighed. She had stopped crying a little while ago. It looked like she was going to start up again.
"They're halfway there." Riggs reported. "Big Bertha is going airborne. I'm keeping her behind the warehouse. Any sensors they got won't pick her up."
Lenny switched the channel on the commlink. "Nightsky, what do you see?"
Outside, Nightsky crouched in the operators box of the crane. It was cold out here. The adept was already shivering. He attached the datacord that ran from his goggles to the sniper rifle. His goggles magnified the incoming vehicles and cleared them up with a thermographic overlay.
"I see two incoming." Nightsky reported. "One looks like a sedan. I can't make out the other one. Some kind of a van."
Lenny switched channels again. "Riggs, any reading on the van?"
"It's running hot, bossman. Infrared shows it glowing like a Christmas tree."
The two vehicles pulled into the space between the two main warehouses. Lenny could see them now. His eyes zoomed in on the sedan. Tinted windows made it hard to see, but a thermograph revealed that there were three people in the car. A look at the van in a thermograph showed it to be running unusually hot, just as Riggs had said. A lot of heat came from the rear. That is strange. Any heat given off should have been centered over the engine compartment.
The van, now clearly visible as a EuroVan, stopped just behind the sedan. Then it turned, heading towards the end of the Pier. Lenny watched it with some interest. There is no logical reason for the van to be here.
Quickly, Lenny pulled out his phone and hit the speed dial. All the time he kept his vison focused on the people in the sedan. The phone rang once before it was answered. Lenny noted that a person in the backseat of the sedan held up a phone as the voice came over the line.
"Yes?" Gabriel's voice asked. "What is it?"
"That's close enough, Mr. Frost." Lenny said flatly. "Lets keep that van where we are all comfortable with it."
"Lenny?" Gabriel sounded surprised.
"Yes." Lenny confirmed. The van stopped in its tracks. "You're a little early, no?"
"You are here already? At the pier?"
"I am." Lenny replied, motioning for Smiley to bring Abigail forward. Smiley had slapped Abby with a pair of restraints. "Step out of the sedan. Let's make the exchange."
"Very well." Gabriel sounded hesitant at first.
Lenny lead the runners out of the warehouse that was built on the water. The three runners stood just outside the door with Abigail in tow. Once Gabriel saw Lenny, he cut the call and stepped out. An associate carrying a briefcase followed. The men walked towards each other. They met halfway in between the sedan and the warehouse.
Gabriel seemed to look the shadowrunners over. Gideon had a hard look on his face. The ork was carrying a M22 assault rifle. Smiley held onto Abigail's restraints with an iron grip. A heavy shotgun was slung with a strap across Smiley's back. Lenny did not look to be heavily armed, but he was carrying a Predator II. A stun baton was also clipped onto his belt.
Across the way Riggs was running his drones. He kept the Spotter drone centered on the EuroVan. Big Bertha slowly hovered at the edge of one of the warehouses. He was ready for anything. Nightsky was using the scope of Gideon's rifle to watch the action. A targeting reticle from Nightsky's smartgoggles tracked Mr. Frost's assistant.
"We've got Abigail Starlight." Lenny said, motioning at Smiley. "You've got the rest of our money. Let's see it."
Gabriel nodded and motioned to his assistant. His assistant opened his briefcase. Lenny fought the urge to duck. For all he knew there could be a gun in there. Lenny reminded himself that between Nightsky and Riggs, the assistant would be dead before he tried anything. Nevertheless, Lenny let a small sigh of relief as the assistant pulled out a shiny credstick.
Lenny held out his hand. "Give it to me."
"Not so fast, Lenny." Gabriel put his hand on his assistant's shoulder, stopping him. "Abigail first."
Lenny slowly pulled a small electronic device off his belt. "Not until I've had a chance to scan the credstick."
Gabriel chewed his lower lip. "Then I get to inspect Ms. Abigail."
Lenny nodded. "Fair enough."
Smiley stepped forward. He handed Abigail over to Mr. Frost's assistant. Lenny and Abigail exchanged glances as she move by. Her eyes were shamed and tearful. Her face had the look of defeat about her. All of the defiance that she had displayed before was completely gone. What Lenny say pulled at his heartstrings. He was tempted to pull his Predator and put a bullet into Gabriel. Then take Abigail away. Do the right thing for a change.
Then Lenny noticed how closely Gideon was watching him. The ork held Lenny in a cold stare. Without breaking the stare, Lenny took the credstick from the assistant. He inserted it into the reader while returning his glance to Abigail as the assistant lead her away. Abigail looked at Lenny as she was lead away. The driver of the sedan got out.
The reader gave an upsetting beep as the credstick was inserted. A red light flashed on it.
"What the frag?" Gideon rumbled. "Bring her back!" The ork warned, holding his M22 at Gabriel's gut. "Your 'stick didn't scan!"
Lenny spared a quick glance a the reader. It a small digital display showed the funds on the credstick were false. It wasn't worth the plastic it was made with. Lenny yanked the stick out and threw it at Gabriel's feet. "What is this, Frost?" Lenny demanded. "This credstick is a fraud."
Gabriel had been concerned since Lenny put the credstick in the reader. He had not expected the shadowrunner to check the credstick.
"This is just compensation, Lenny." Gabriel sneered.
The EuroVan was in motion. It spun around to where the back of the van was facing the shadowrunners. The back door and the side door both popped open. Men in armored jackets pour. The back door held a nasty looking gun mount.
"A fragging setup!" Gideon roared.
Before Gid could depress the trigger and gut the Johnson, Gabriel snap-kicked the barrel away from him. It was a movement that suggested reflexive modifications to Lenny. Gabriel was faster than Gideon. That meant that Gabriel had to have something better than Gid's Wired Reflexes Mark I under his skin.
Lenny unhooked the stun baton from his belt. "Smiley!"
"Fearless leader?" Smiley grinned.
"Get Abigail back!" Lenny ordered.
"Yes, fearless leader." Smiley darted off after the assistant. The assistant nearly had a nervous breakdown when he saw Smiley heading for him.
Lenny used the baton to block a backhand from Gabriel. Gideon, angered by the insulting blow he had received, was about to use his M22 to decapitate Mr. Frost. Bullets slammed into the ork's Secure jacket and metal arm before he could get a shot off. Gideon switched his aim from Mr. Frost to the men pouring out of the EuroVan. Only to come face to face with the barrel of a machine gun mounted in the back of the EuroVan. Tracers lit up as they sailed towards Gideon and Lenny.
"Take cover!" Gideon roared as he collided with Lenny, pushing him out of the way. Lenny was about to give Gabriel a charge from his baton, but did not have the chance. Bullets tore up chunks of plasticrete as the ate their way across the Pier. Another burst from the machine gun cut through Gideon's Secure jacket. Fortunately his body armor stopped them from doing serious damage. Layering the Secure jacket with the body armor might have made Gideon uncomfortable, but the protection it provided saved his life.
"No! No! Get back!" The assistant screamed as Smiley leaped into the air. "I'm only an accountant!"
"Then count how many bones I break!"
Smiley pulled his shotgun free and used the barrel to flatten the head of the assistant. He crumpled to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Smiley brought the shotgun up and centered it on the chest of the driver. The rapid succession of booms deafened the air. The driver managed to duck behind the car. Explosive slugs shattered the sedan's windshield and duck deep craters in the armored hood. A mirror on the door flew off.
"What's happening?!" Abigail cried. "What are you doing?"
Smiley pulled Abigail up by the restraints on her hands. "Change of plans." Smiley hoisted her over his shoulder and ran off toward the warehouse that was built over the water.
Smiley did not make it far. A burst from the gun mount tore up the area around him. A few rounds punched through his long coat and impacted against Smiley's lower leg. The Smiley stumbled and fell, slamming Abigail onto the unforgiving ground. Blood pumped from the gash in his leg, but Smiley did not seem to notice. Thanks to his reinforced skeletal system, no bones were broken.
The fall nearly knocked Abigail cold. The back of her head hit the ground hard. It sent sparks into her vision. As she tried to get up she heard the deafening boom of Smiley's shotgun. The sound urged her back down. Abigail could see a round hit Smiley in the chest, but his armor caught it. Across the way three armed men were charging them.
One of the men fell. A round from a sniping rifle went right through his jacket like it was paper. Smiley put a shotgun slug into another.
"Hang in there, Smiley." Lenny called.
Lenny and Gideon hit the dirt as a burst from the EuroVan shot tracers around them. Lenny took a round in the shoulder. His Secure Jacket barely managed to stop it. There would be a nice bruise there in the morning. Gideon got to his knee with his M22 pointed at the men from the EuroVan. He walked his fire across them, making their orderly line scatter.
"They're packing some serious armor." Gideon noted. Most of the hits he was scoring did not bring the men down.
Lenny drew his aim onto the legs of the men. The legs were not covered by armor. Once hit from Lenny's Predator II, the men collapsed. "Go for the legs. It will bring them down quicker."
The operator of the gun mount apparently had some kind of thermographic sensors. One minute the gun was targeting the shadowrunners in the open. Suddenly the gun locked onto the crane at the end of the dock. Heavy fire began chewing into the operator's box of the crane.
"Riggs!" Lenny heard Nightsky curse of the commlink. The transmission was crackling with static and the sound of breaking glass. "Do something about that van!"
Big Bertha swung around the warehouse. The LMG mounted on the drone's underbelly tracked the EuroVan. It cut lose into the van's windshield. Sparks and shards of glass flew from the impacts.
The van shifted into gear. It spun a tight donut, trying to get the gun mount in line with the nimble drone. Riggs kept the drone out of the gun's firing arc. Every time the van overshot Big Bertha, Riggs swooped down and took out a tire. It was not long until the van was grinding bare rims against the plasticrete.
"On your feet!" Lenny commanded. Gideon dragged Smiley up just as a bullet bounced off the ork's metal arm. Smiley managed to stand on his own, but Abigail was still huddled on the ground.
"We're all going to die!" Abigail cried.
"Not today we're not." Gideon bent down and snatched her. He hoisted her none to gently over his shoulder.
A man took a shot at Lenny. The round punched through Lenny's jacket and hit his left arm. Fire of pain swept through him, but Lenny tried to push the thought aside. A sniper round took the man's head off whom had shot Lenny.
"Let's buzz." Lenny said. That was the code for the team for escape. He called it out to the group that was surrounding him as well as into his commlink.
The gun mount trained onto the shadowrunners as they made a break for the warehouse. Gunfire erupted from the sedan. Gideon took a few hits, but his armor held strong. He returned fire with his M22. The gunfire from the sedan was silenced with another sniper round.
Lenny opened the warehouse door just as a burst from that heavy machine gun tore the doorframe into shreds. Lenny pulled Abigail off Gideon's shoulder and pushed her inside. Once he landed Lenny keyed his commlink to Riggs's channel.
"Do something about that van!"
"I'm almost there, bossman, keep your pants on."
Big Bertha moved in on the van. A few rounds bounced off the drone's armored frame. Riggs brought the rotodrone as close as he dared to the windshield. Sensors could just determine the form of the rigger in the van. The rigger was sitting between the two main seats. He was the one running the gun mount.
Suddenly the van spun around. Almost like the rigger in the van saw the threat Big Bertha posed. Bare wheels screeched against the ground. The tires had long since been shot off. Riggs easily maneuvered Big Bertha into firing position. He swung Big Bertha to the side door that had been left open when the armed men inside leapt out. Then Riggs cut loose, tearing the inside of the van into a smoking wreck. Little was left of the rigger inside, but a gooey stain on the floor.
Gideon closed what was left of the warehouse door. Inside this warehouse was an open pool that lead directly to the bay. Gideon hit the control that raised the docking door. Lenny took Abigail and put her in a small boat that the team had prepared earlier. It was nothing more than an inflatable raft with a strap on engine, but it was enough.
"What's going on? Where are you taking me?" Abigail demanded to know.
Lenny held his hand up to her. "Save your questions until we get out of this mess."
That hushed her up. Abigail slide into the middle of the raft. Gideon hopped on next to the engine with Smiley taking point.
Lenny keyed his transceiver as he untied the moorings and got in. "Nightsky, we're pulling out."
"I heard you the first time." Nightsky replied, thumbing new rounds into the sniper rifle.
"Abandon position. We'll be there in a few seconds."
"I'll be waiting."
Gideon started the motor and brought it up to full throttle. Which, unfortunately, wasn't much. The raft bumped down the pool towards the open doors that lead out to the Sound. Smiley pulled a pistol and took a few shots at a man as he tried to open the outside door.
Nightsky strapped the sniper rifle across his back. Bullets smacked the operators box as he slid down the ladder. Those guys had attained Nightsky position. They weren't letting up on him now. Only only a few of them left. Machine gun fire from Big Bertha and sniping had cut their numbers severely.
Nightsky pulled a smoke grenade and tossed it between him and the gunmen. Then darted to the end of the pier. He arrived to find nothing, but the cold water waiting for him.
"Where the hell are you guys?" Nightsky screamed into the commlink.
Then there was the whine of a small engine. A raft scooted around the pier with Gideon at the helm. Abigail was in the middle being sheltered by Lenny. Smiley was there. Right on the bow like a psychotic masthead.
"Jump on, Nightsky." Gideon commanded. "Riggs is waiting for us."
Nightsky leapt off the pier and landed neatly between Smiley and Abigail. As soon as Nightsky hit Gideon took the little raft across the water. Leaving a mass of smoke and wounded men behind. Bullets splattered on the water as the raft moved away. It wasn't long until the group was out of range. Only then did the flying lead cease.
Nightsky yanked the goggles off his head. His hair was wet with sweat and water. Small sprinkles of glass twinkled in the dim light of a full moon. Glass from the shattered operator's box. "What the hell went wrong?"
"Gabriel tried to pass us off." Gideon rumbled as he angled the raft across the Sound. "He gave us the money, but the reader didn't okay the 'stick." Gideon exchanged glances with Lenny.
"You people were going to give me to Gabriel?!" Abigail spoke with a frightened and hysterical voice. "That's it! Let me go! I don't want to be with you people anymore."
"Pipe down." Gideon warned the girl.
"Injuries?" Lenny called, breaking the growing harsh feelings between Gideon and Abigail.
"Clean." Gideon answered.
Nightsky ran his hand through his hair, sending the little sparkles of glass flying about. "Clean, I think."
"My foot's a funny color." Smiley sneered, his boot was covered in a crimson red. Blood from the wound had leaked over his boot.
"Keep pressure on it." Lenny instructed, holding his arm up. There was a deep gash that was leaking away vital life fluid. Lenny tore off the tail of his shirt and wrapped it around his wound. "There's a medkit in the Bison."
"They had a support gun for crying out loud." Nightsky said.
"On a gryo-mount that was hooked into a rigger control system. That's expensive drek." Gideon rumbled. "How many men would you say, Lenny?"
Lenny shrugged. He had torn off the end of his shirt and used it to cover the wound on his arm. "I can't say for sure. I know of three gunmen, Gabriel, his assistant, and the driver of the sedan."
"Rigger in the van, too." Smiley added.
"Seven then?" Gideon wondered.
"More like ten or twelve." Nightsky offered. "That's what I saw. Riggs would have had a better view of them."
"Ten guys for a simple exchange." Lenny repeated to himself. "Packing some serious hardware at that."
"That's a lot for a simple meet, Lenny." Nightsky sighed.
"Gabriel arrived half an hour ahead of schedule too." Lenny reminded. "That's unusual in itself."
"Think he planned it that way." Gideon said.
"Gabriel set the meet location, I set the time. He did not have the money with him, either." Lenny leaned back in the raft. Waves from the Sound sloshed against the side of the boat. "I don't believe that he had any intention of paying us."
"He didn't intend to be straight with us from the start. If he was, he would've brought the money." Gideon grumbled unhappily. "I think we just cut him off before he could setup his men."
"That still leaves us with a minor problem." Lenny said.
"What's that?"
Lenny and Abigail exchanged glances. "What are we going to do with her?"
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