The Phoenix Variant: The Fifth Column 3 Read online

  TERI: fancy I like it

  MAY: Is everyone … you know, ok with this?

  TERI: having second thoughts may?

  MAY: Fifth thoughts. What happens if things go south? We’re toast.

  TERI: don’t think about that. don’t ever think about it.

  HUGH: Death, man.

  MAY: Ya think Hugh? Because I didn’t sign up for that.

  TERI: yeah well who did

  HUGH: They’re psychopaths, all of them. You’ve read the research, right? Owen transcribed it to English, he knows better than any of us.

  HUGH: Nothing is off-limits.

  MAY: Is there any way to restore them? You know, make them human.

  OWEN: No.

  [NAVEEM CONNECTED]

  NAVEEM: DIE UNSTERBLICHEN

  TERI: goddammit Naveem will you stop blazin that shit

  NAVEEM: ???

  HUGH: Ok let’s change the world brothers!

  HUGH: And sisters.

  TERI: you’ve always been the sister, H!

  HUGH: Breaking my heart here.

  MAY: Yep, one marriage at a time

  TERI: right on

  OWEN: Naveem, are you ready?

  NAVEEM: Just setting up guys …

  NAVEEM: Sorry I’m late. Couldn’t attract suspicion, had to be cool.

  OWEN: We’re all here. Tell us when you’re ready.

  HUGH: Do you think Denton knows?

  TERI: unlikely

  HUGH: He knows everything. That man is crazy on wheels.

  TERI: he’s not a man

  HUGH: I hear that.

  MAY: Cleaned your ears this morning Hugh?

  HUGH: No but I actually hear something. Just the wind I hope. You in the lab?

  MAY: Yeah. Graveyard shift with Valentina. OpCenter is a little too quiet.

  HUGH: At least you’re not home alone with strange noises outside.

  TERI: been smoking again, H?

  MAY: No seriously guys if Denton finds out we have the virus code we’re done for.

  OWEN: Now is not the time to scare yourself. Stay focused. Stay on task. Everyone.

  NEVEEM: OK, it’s raw and ready.

  TERI: i bet

  OWEN: May, enter your access with Valentina.

  MAY: Standby.

  HUGH: If this is the end, I just want to say I love you guys.

  TERI: shut up H

  TERI: we love you too

  NAVEEM: DIE UNSTERBLICHEN

  HUGH: I swear Naveem will you stop with that German shit!

  TERI: is he telling us to die? not cool

  NAVEEM: I told you, it’s not me.

  NAVEEM: I’m not doing it.

  MAY: And … we’re in!

  OWEN: Naveem you see clearance?

  NAVEEM: No. I don’t.

  TERI: great

  NAVEEM: Disregard that, I have it. I’m in.

  OWEN: Excellent.

  NAVEEM: OK, ready to transfer.

  TERI: waiting for it baby

  MAY: Um, guys?

  HUGH: What??

  OWEN: Is everything fine?

  MAY: Not really. I’m seeing activity from under Grand Central terminal that isn’t Naveem.

  HUGH: What the hell does that mean? The OSS base?

  OWEN: Is it ours?

  MAY: Definitely not.

  OWEN: Have Valentina kick them from the mainframe. Now.

  MAY: OK on it.

  OWEN: Naveem, I’ll need you to check the logs after.

  NAVEEM: Will do.

  MAY: OK we booted their ass. You’re good to go!

  HUGH: Let’s blow this taco stand!

  HUGH: I could go a taco right now.

  NAVEEM: Sending. Teri, you should see it soon.

  TERI: I see it alright

  TERI: wow this is some crazy virus

  HUGH: You can read that?

  TERI: no not really

  HUGH: Outer space. I bet it was aliens.

  HUGH: Siberian aliens.

  MAY: It is not aliens, Hugh. It’s from a mountain in Siberia for God’s sake.

  TERI: two decades of analysis

  TERI: Denton gonna be pissed!!

  OWEN: He’s already been assigned to a new project.

  TERI: how do you know that

  MAY: We aren’t Owen’s only friends on the inside, Teri. He knows other people.

  TERI: oh so betrayed right now

  MAY: What project is ol’ Denton on?

  OWEN: Project Genesis. Another enhanced soldier program.

  MAY: Like Phoenix? His father’s project?

  HUGH: Hey, if you believe the rumors, his father is actually him.

  TERI: shut up H. yeah except this project isn’t based on some fairytale written on silk

  HUGH: So, not like the Bible then?

  TERI: would be funny if this Phoenix code we’re risking our lives for didn’t even do anything

  HUGH: Yeah. Hilarious, Teri.

  MAY: We can’t risk Denton testing it.

  OWEN: We can’t risk Denton even knowing he had it in the first place. He’s been hunting them since WWII.

  HUGH: Hey the Phoenix virus could just be the flu!

  TERI: shut it H

  HUGH: Yeah that is definitely not wind outside

  HUGH: I’m going for the safe.

  MAY: The safe?

  TERI: he has a revolver

  TERI: ok I think I have all of it

  TERI: that’s all of it Owen

  OWEN: Naveem, check and shut down.

  OWEN: Forget the logs.

  NAVEEM: Ok if you say so.

  MAY: I have activity again guys

  MAY: Definitely Grand Central

  TERI: Denton?

  NAVEEM: Shutting down now.

  OWEN: Good.

  NAVEEM: Gotta book, catch you later.

  [NAVEEM DISCONNECTED]

  HUGH: so I can’t remember the combination to my safe

  TERI: hahahaha well done H

  HUGH: It’s not funny. Or well timed.

  TERI: like most of your jokes I guess

  OWEN: Teri, what’s your progress?

  TERI: packaging now. might take a sweet while for May to get it across the pond.

  OWEN: OK. Keep me posted.

  HUGH: what are you doing with the code?

  OWEN: I can’t tell you the answer to that, Hugh.

  HUGH: You need to!

  OWEN: It’s for your safety. No one can know.

  HUGH: Hey man it’s alright for you on the other side of the world, we’re the ones in the line of fire.

  HUGH: Speaking of fire,

  HUGH: what the fuck was tt4grsu78bgv c

  [HUGH DISCONNECTED]

  MAY: Um.

  TERI: fuck

  MAY: well that doesn’t sound good

  TERI: let’s hope he just fell over and banged his knee on the power switch

  MAY: or something

  OWEN: How much longer, Teri?

  TERI: packaged

  TERI: hey may are you seeing this

  MAY: interference

  MAY: weird

  OWEN: Keep reporting guys.

  MAY: received the package looks good

  TERI: hope those cables under the pacific can handle this

  NAVEEM: DIE UNSTERBLICHEN

  MAY: yep totally FUCKING CREEPED OUT NOW

  OWEN: Never mind the glitch. Are you sending?

  MAY: in the dead drop now posting

  TERI: great now im hearing sirens

  MAY: its brooklyn isnt that normal?

  TERI: maybe

  TERI: they got naveem didnt they

  MAY: it took you that long to figure it out

  TERI: shut up

  OWEN: Don’t think about it now. We need to finish this.

  MAY: still posting to the board and holy shit this virus is big ive never shunted this much code before

  TERI: you know denton was trained by james bond right

  MAY: yeah right

  OWEN: He
was trained by the man on whom James Bond was based. Not quite the same thing.

  MAY: youre actually serious

  TERI: told you

  MAY: sending the whole damn Phoenix virus 50 seconds to go

  OWEN: Patience.

  MAY: oh no

  MAY: This is not good

  TERI: ???????

  OWEN: What’s happening, May?

  MAY: theyre here

  MAY: blue berets they shouldnt be here

  MAY: fuck it

  MAY: weve locked ourselves in

  MAY: emergency seal why not right

  TERI: can they get in

  MAY: not yet

  MAY: 35 secs

  MAY: SHIT THeyre everywhere

  NAVEEM: DIE UNSTERBLICHEN

  OWEN: Cancel it.

  OWEN: Wipe the computer. You can deny everything and live.

  TERI: oh my god

  OWEN: I don’t want you to die for us. We can extract you.

  MAY: valentina says goodbye

  TERI: send it

  TERI: FUCK THE FIFTH COLUMN

  TERI: FUCKING SEND IT

  MAY: they have Naveem its too late to turn back

  MAY: im seeing this through

  MAY: lets break the devils dishes

  TERI: im crying

  MAY: 10 secs

  TERI: this cant be happening

  MAY: 5

  OWEN: You did good, May.

  TERI: are you there

  TERI: anyone

  [MAY DISCONNECTED]

  OWEN: It’s just us now, Teri.

  TERI: what happened

  OWEN: My guess is they’re waiting for the Blue Berets to take them now.

  TERI: ok

  TERI: i dont know what to think

  OWEN: I have the virus. She got it out just in time.

  TERI: guess it was worth it

  TERI: was it worth it

  OWEN: Teri, this is worse than I thought.

  TERI: is there another phoenix virus

  OWEN: If I’m reading this right, there are three. And the Fifth Column already has the second one.

  TERI: what?? where?

  OWEN: They’re collecting them right under Denton’s nose.

  TERI: he doesnt know

  OWEN: Not yet, anyway. But that’s not the worst of it.

  TERI: what the hell is then?

  OWEN: We have a live one.

  OWEN: A child from Czechoslovakia. Blood work. Zophia Novotný. Three years old. Denton has her on some sort of list.

  TERI: what a psych out

  TERI: knock on the door

  OWEN: Denton has been waiting for this.

  TERI: which denton

  OWEN: That doesn’t really matter anymore.

  OWEN: But he’s been waiting for a long time.

  TERI: knock knock

  TERI:

  [TERI DISCONNECTED]

  [TERI CONNECTED]

  TERI: Owen Freeman. Hello.

  OWEN: You’re too late.

  TERI: Teri really is quite the screamer, you know.

  OWEN: Goodbye, Denton.

  TERI: You can’t take this.

  TERI: Not from me.

  OWEN: I just did, mate.

  TERI: I will track you down.

  TERI: And I will pry it from your dead hands.

  OWEN: Good luck with that.

  [OWEN DISCONNECTED]

  Chapter 5

  New York City

  1998

  The last time Denton had set foot in this bar it was a private function at the opulent office of an American financier. While the other attendees listened to a recital, he was invited to the balcony. It was here that a five-star US Navy Fleet Admiral offered to recruit him to an agency he’d never heard of. An agency that would remain nameless until 1963. That same admiral was awarded a sixth silver star, promoting him to the rank of Supreme General. The General had coined the agency’s unofficial name: the Fifth Column.

  The bar was mostly wood and mahogany, and mostly empty. A woman sat alone at a table. She was in her late sixties, with curled gray hair, pearls and a flash of gold. There was one other customer, sitting at the bar, a man in his mid-fifties with slicked hair and square glasses that pinched his nose. He wore a dull gray suit that pulled across his swelling midsection. Both hands clasped a glass of mostly ice.

  Denton found the balcony occupied by a single person—Gabriel Denton. His son. Denton indicated for his bodyguard, a young former Navy SEAL, to wait below the stairs.

  ‘Father,’ Gabriel said. ‘I was expecting—’

  ‘I used a false name,’ Denton said. ‘Sorry to mislead you, but I need to be careful.’

  ‘You’ve been missing a week now,’ Gabriel said. ‘They think you’re one of the traitors. The Akhana.’

  Denton shrugged. ‘The Akhana want me dead, so I doubt that. Why do you think I’ve been in hiding?’

  A shadow fell over his son’s face. ‘You’ve used the Nazi serum,’ he said. ‘To rejuvenate your aged muscle stem cells.’

  ‘Yes, I have,’ Denton said, removing his overcoat and hood. ‘Not too shabby, sixty years off and I couldn’t feel better.’

  ‘You’re—’

  ‘Not an old man?’ Denton said. ‘Yes, that’s quite apparent now, one would hope.’ He flashed a grin. ‘I could pass for your brother.’

  His son stared at him for a long moment. ‘You could pass for me.’

  ‘That could work,’ Denton said. ‘Unfortunately it’s not quite permanent.’ He sat down in a plush armchair and inspected the menu. ‘Well, things have certainly gone up in price since the forties.’

  ‘What are you doing?’ Gabriel said. ‘That’s unauthorized use of the serum.’

  ‘Trust me when I tell you it was necessary.’

  ‘Why?’ Gabriel said.

  Denton paused as a bow-tied bartender entered, scooping nuts from a silver bucket. ‘Fresh nuts?’

  Denton glared at him. ‘We are in abundance, thank you.’

  ‘A Gibson please,’ Gabriel said.

  ‘Cancel that,’ Denton said. ‘Two Old Fashioneds.’

  ‘Certainly,’ the bartender said. ‘Are you brothers?’ He grinned. ‘You look almost alike. Except only one of you has hair.’

  Denton gave him a curt nod. ‘You’re very observant.’

  The bartender, pleased with himself, left them in their privacy on the balcony. His son glared at him.

  ‘If you put vodka in a martini I will shoot you,’ Denton said, running a hand over his shaved head.

  In truth, he didn’t want his son ordering a clear beverage.

  ‘Shaken or stirred,’ his son said, ‘you’ve done it for less.’

  The shoulders of his son’s suit were bunched and ill fitting. Another off-the-shelf Denton tried to ignore.

  ‘Listen to me carefully,’ Denton said. ‘Someone inside the Fifth Column has the Phoenix virus. From the Nazis.’

  ‘It was destroyed,’ Gabriel said. ‘We recovered it first, but it was destroyed from the inside. Owen Freeman and the Akhana.’

  ‘I’m not talking about the Phoenix virus we lost in the castle. I know he destroyed it; the prick did it right under my nose. Destroyed the sample and stole our analysis.’

  ‘So why are you asking me?’

  Denton’s bodyguard arrived with both drinks, handing his son one first. Denton took his and noticed the slight difference in color between them.

  His son sniffed it and pushed the glass across the table. Denton’s bodyguard returned to his position downstairs, leaving them alone.

  ‘Sugar crushed with bitters,’ Denton said. ‘And three fingers of rye. Try it.’

  His son’s nostrils flared as he raised it to his mouth.

  ‘Not just yet.’ Denton leaned in and took the glass from him. ‘There’s a second virus that no one knows about. Someone inside the Fifth Column is in possession of a second Phoenix virus.’

  ‘And how did you come to this conclusion?’ Gabriel said.
<
br />   ‘The Nazis recovered a total of seven samples. All seven were the same particular class of meteorite.’ Denton placed his son’s glass back on the table. ‘My father—your grandfather—only tested six. We never saw the seventh. It never made it to the castle.’

  ‘The castle was overrun before it arrived,’ Gabriel said.

  ‘The seventh sample,’ Denton said. ‘It wasn’t lost. Where did it go?’

  ‘What makes you think I know?’ His son reached for his glass. ‘And what makes you think it contains another Phoenix virus?’

  ‘Because I think you have it,’ Denton said.

  Gabriel drew the glass to his lips. ‘How did you draw that conclusion?’

  ‘Because you’re a terrible liar.’

  He grimaced, lowered the glass. ‘I’m good,’ he said. ‘Some say better than you. I’m in charge of a project now.’

  Denton laughed. ‘And what project is that?’

  Gabriel’s lips pursed together. A vein flickered across his forehead. ‘Something more important than your toy soldier program.’

  Denton almost took the bait, but thought better of it. ‘I don’t care what you’re doing with the second Phoenix virus. What I care about is the Akhana getting their hands on it. They already got to one. They’re inside the Fifth Column. They’re everywhere.’

  The younger man shook his head. ‘Is this more Cold War paranoia?’

  ‘You’re my son,’ Denton said. ‘And you’re the only person I can trust right now.’

  ‘Now you trust me?’

  ‘I trust you to do the right thing.’

  ‘And what’s that?’ Gabriel asked. ‘Move it? Even if I could, I would be discharged.’

  ‘And if you don’t you will be killed. And so will I. The clock’s ticking. The Akhana cannot be allowed anywhere near this. And they certainly cannot possess all three.’

  ‘That’s not possible: they don’t have one, let alone three.’

  Denton raised an eyebrow. ‘They have our analysis. They’ve had it for years. It’s possible they can rebuild the virus. And if they take this one, they will have two. It’s a shame you haven’t read the silk manuscripts.’

  ‘I have read them,’ Gabriel said.

  Interesting, Denton thought.

  ‘They can’t get the third,’ his son said. ‘It doesn’t even exist.’

  ‘Yet,’ Denton said. ‘Once they do, they have the world. And they’ll do a lot worse to this planet than the Nazis ever could.’

  ‘Weren’t you helping the Nazis?’

  ‘No, they were helping us,’ Denton said quickly. ‘That’s a big distinction.’

  ‘How many … Akhana are in the Fifth Column? Are there any moles in my project?’