never mind a new one. We've got to go after them before they get too far. If someone has stolen them, the only reason I can figure is because that person wants the new strain. I have some worries about that person's motives. Maybe something went wrong and the monkeys escaped from whoever freed them. I don't know. All I do know is that I agree with the chief -- we can't waste any more time."
Riley nodded his agreement. Seay was a good man, and on the few occasions he gave advice, Riley paid attention. The slightly balding, skinny medic was one of the smartest people Riley had ever met. And Seay had common sense, a more important commodity than pure intelligence, in Riley's opinion.
Freeman proposed a compromise. "How about if I go with the team after the monkeys and Doctor Ward goes back to the lab with one of your men to get the rifles? Then they can fly out here on one of the helicopters."
Riley gestured around at the forest. "There's no place for a helicopter to land around here, sir." He pulled out the map and looked at it. "But the bird might be able to touch down where this creek runs into the lake. The map shows an open area."
Riley turned to his team. "T-bone, you go back with the doctor. When we hear the bird coming in, I'll send someone down to that open area to meet you and guide you back to wherever we're at." He pointed at his senior weapons man, Trovinsky. "Mike, check out that area where the collars were and see if you can find the monkeys' tracks leading away."
Trovinsky walked over to the bush, and Ward and T-bone took off to the east. Riley waited until they were out of sight before he turned to Freeman. "What were you two arguing about, sir? This whole thing is getting kind of flaky."
Freeman shook his head. "It doesn't make much sense to me either. That's what I was talking to Doctor Ward about. We don't know whether the monkeys escaped or if they were stolen. Who would have done that and why they would still be in the area, I don't know."
"Maybe one of those radical animal rights groups did it," Doc Seay suggested. "When I was going through the med lab portion of the Q-course at Bragg, some of those people tried to break in and free the goats we were using to study wound trauma."
Freeman shook his head. "The presence of monkeys at this lab is classified, as is everything that goes on there. I doubt if any animal rights group could have found out about it. Regardless, if you see the monkeys, you're authorized to shoot to stop them from escaping. Attempt to detain any people if they are involved."
Riley addressed the team standing around him. "I want everyone to lock and load. A round in the chamber and the weapon on safe. Like the man said: You see the monkeys and they try to get away, you shoot and stop them."
The air filled with the sound of magazines slamming into weapons and the slap of bolts being released.
Trovinsky yelled from his position, about ten meters behind the bush. "I've got tracks moving upstream. Same as the ones going in."
Riley led the team over. "Any sign of human tracks?"
Trovinsky shook his head. "Nothing. With the rain we had last night, there should be some sign if people were with the monkeys."
Riley gestured for the men to spread out in a wedge. "Let's move out."
Following Trovinsky, the team began moving up the east side of Williams Hollow Creek.
* * * *
Biotech Engineering
_12:56 P.M._
After reaching the dirt road, Ward had turned south, heading down to Route 64 and then following that up to the lab. Going that way instead of cross-country had saved a considerable amount of time. Ward had ignored the few questions that the Special Forces soldier asked when they first started out, and the rest of the trip had been made in silence. He was busy thinking, trying to figure out how the collars could have been cut off. He had to acknowledge the growing possibility that someone had survived the break-in. It would explain several of the more unusual
Riley nodded his agreement. Seay was a good man, and on the few occasions he gave advice, Riley paid attention. The slightly balding, skinny medic was one of the smartest people Riley had ever met. And Seay had common sense, a more important commodity than pure intelligence, in Riley's opinion.
Freeman proposed a compromise. "How about if I go with the team after the monkeys and Doctor Ward goes back to the lab with one of your men to get the rifles? Then they can fly out here on one of the helicopters."
Riley gestured around at the forest. "There's no place for a helicopter to land around here, sir." He pulled out the map and looked at it. "But the bird might be able to touch down where this creek runs into the lake. The map shows an open area."
Riley turned to his team. "T-bone, you go back with the doctor. When we hear the bird coming in, I'll send someone down to that open area to meet you and guide you back to wherever we're at." He pointed at his senior weapons man, Trovinsky. "Mike, check out that area where the collars were and see if you can find the monkeys' tracks leading away."
Trovinsky walked over to the bush, and Ward and T-bone took off to the east. Riley waited until they were out of sight before he turned to Freeman. "What were you two arguing about, sir? This whole thing is getting kind of flaky."
Freeman shook his head. "It doesn't make much sense to me either. That's what I was talking to Doctor Ward about. We don't know whether the monkeys escaped or if they were stolen. Who would have done that and why they would still be in the area, I don't know."
"Maybe one of those radical animal rights groups did it," Doc Seay suggested. "When I was going through the med lab portion of the Q-course at Bragg, some of those people tried to break in and free the goats we were using to study wound trauma."
Freeman shook his head. "The presence of monkeys at this lab is classified, as is everything that goes on there. I doubt if any animal rights group could have found out about it. Regardless, if you see the monkeys, you're authorized to shoot to stop them from escaping. Attempt to detain any people if they are involved."
Riley addressed the team standing around him. "I want everyone to lock and load. A round in the chamber and the weapon on safe. Like the man said: You see the monkeys and they try to get away, you shoot and stop them."
The air filled with the sound of magazines slamming into weapons and the slap of bolts being released.
Trovinsky yelled from his position, about ten meters behind the bush. "I've got tracks moving upstream. Same as the ones going in."
Riley led the team over. "Any sign of human tracks?"
Trovinsky shook his head. "Nothing. With the rain we had last night, there should be some sign if people were with the monkeys."
Riley gestured for the men to spread out in a wedge. "Let's move out."
Following Trovinsky, the team began moving up the east side of Williams Hollow Creek.
* * * *
Biotech Engineering
_12:56 P.M._
After reaching the dirt road, Ward had turned south, heading down to Route 64 and then following that up to the lab. Going that way instead of cross-country had saved a considerable amount of time. Ward had ignored the few questions that the Special Forces soldier asked when they first started out, and the rest of the trip had been made in silence. He was busy thinking, trying to figure out how the collars could have been cut off. He had to acknowledge the growing possibility that someone had survived the break-in. It would explain several of the more unusual
Similar Books
