Scully was pissed, and Reyes wasn’t far behind. At this point, following her new female partner’s directive wasn’t a problem. Scully simply told her to direct very specific and very vicious thoughts at their enemy. Reyes replied evenly, "No problem."
They moved silently through the warehouse, guns drawn. Reyes bit her lip. Could she fire on a child if required? And could the FBI justify killing a child, if it came to that? The Bureau had taken hell for its bungling of Waco. What would the press do if it came out that the agency took aim at children? If these children were themselves violent, it was unquestionably due to brainwashing.
This whole scenario was every peace officer’s worst nightmare.
The warehouse was eerily quiet now, save the occasional soft rumble of thunder and the drum of light rain on the tin roof. An FBI SWAT team flowed silently through space, a swarm of black jackets and caps emblazoned with white letters that announced their affiliation. Tears sprang unbidden to Reyes’s eyes. Never mind the FBI… Could she ever face herself in the mirror again if she knowingly hurt a child?
The thought pushed her forward and renewed her inaudible mental assault on their enemy. Now she imagined him covered in pustules that oozed pain. Whether or not thinking had any impact on Attila, it helped keep her focused on the nature of their quest. This was war, like it or not. Attila had achieved his goal, if his goal was to remind everyone how precious and fragile life was, and how important to defend it.
When they encountered the first of the tiny warriors, they were surprised. Despite the fact that the little girl carried an armory, she offered no resistance when officers reached for the semi-automatic she carried. One of the younger men knelt beside her and gently wiped tears from her mocha cheeks, whispering, "It’s gonna be all right, honey." She yielded the rest of her equipment without fanfare, and her self-appointed savior carried her to safety.
The second child behaved comparably, as did the third and the fourth. Even the older kids were subdued, confusion shadowing their eyes.
Scully motioned to Reyes and the two women darted through a half-hidden doorway, stepping boldly into the darkness. Reyes clicked on her large halogen flashlight. There was a creak and a loud groan to one side of the room as the ancient elevator awakened.
Scully raised her Sig Hauer, her body poised to release a deadly barrage at whoever stepped out of the maw of the sub-basement. Reyes doused the light, figuring they didn’t need to paint a target for Attila’s practice.
Both women held their respective breath while the antique machinery ascended. They wouldn’t have a choice. With the light, they’d be sitting ducks. Without it, they’d be forced to fire blindly into the elevator.
Go to Part Thirty Eight.