CHAPTER 1

Route 27 Montauk 09:30

Shaun Kane sighted down the barrel of his police issue Glock G22 RTF2, taking aim at the two men standing over a third who was unconscious on the ground.
"Montauk PD,drop your weapons and get on your knees!"
It was Shaun's first day as an Officer in the Montauk Police department and the last situation he thought he would find himself in was facing down two armed gunmen. In his previous job as a Texas Ranger it had happened on quite a few occasions. He had also served time as a Navy Seal where it was a occupational hazard, but coming to the quaint fishing community that was Montauk on the south shore of Long Island. A place where the rich and shameless played in the summer months,he never expected this, Montauk just did not have a reputation for gun toting desperado's.Shaun's day had started with a welcome speech by Chief Barnard,the precinct is actually an annex of the bigger station in East Hampton with only a body of five officers to cover the whole Montauk area. Shaun had been given the area stretching from the Plaza out to the Lighthouse at Montauk point.He had been heading out to the Lighthouse that morning, the sun was shining and the sky was a bright azure indicating the day was going to be a beautiful day. Shaun had just passed Deep Hollow Ranch, where holiday makers can learn the skills of the old west, or hire horses to go trekking through the state park. Beach side residences gave way to the deep Forrest's of the state park off route 27 when he hit a deep fog bank that came out of no where, he thought it unusual on such a sunny day but he was also aware the weather could change on a dime here.

He slowed as he came adjacent to the off road parking area where hikers would leave their vehicles before exploring the park and because his window had been wound down he heard the sound of automatic fire from the parking area. That is how he came to be facing the gun men down.

The immediate reaction to his shouted command was to whirl and fire in unison, bullets spanged off the hood and starred the wind shield. Shaun retreated from his position behind the open drivers side door to the Trunk and hunkered down.His mouth was dry and his heart pounded as he considered his options, he was about fifteen feet from them and the fog surrounding them was so thick that it would be easy for them to disappear into it.Shaun could not let that happen. He fired with out aiming then moved to the passenger side of the car. Quickly looking he saw the gun men had reacted as he wanted, steadily they approached the drivers side, weapons raised in a shuffling movement, lead foot moving off rear foot following. Everything about these two screamed professional so Shaun had to time it just right. He took some coins from his pocket and threw them into the fog behind his car, the trick worked. Like robots their weapons tracked to the sound the coins made. Shaun stood up and fired twice, both shots finding their mark dropping the gunmen.

With his gun aimed at the fallen men he walked over to them and removed their weapons and checked to make doubly sure they would give him no more trouble. Next he crossed over to the man on the ground and found he was unarmed but unconscious, no doubt from the head wound he was sporting. Shaun checked for any other wounds but found none. The man was dressed in an orange jumpsuit of the type worn by prisoners but he knew of no prisons in the area and could see no reasons for a prisoner being in this area. The two gun men were dressed in jeans and hunting jackets so did not look like typical prisoner escorts. It was a mystery all right. He checked their pockets but came up empty, no ID wallets or cash.
He tried to radio Tracie on dispatch but got only static in reply, the fog which was still just as heavy must be playing havoc with the airwaves. Shaun’s main priority was the injured man but he could not leave the two dead men for civilians to stumble up on. He had no choice but to move them to their pick up truck which was parked nearby.

Once the bodies had been hidden he moved the injured man to the rear of his car and hoped it still worked after being shot up. He climbed in the drivers seat turned the key and was satisfied when it roared into life.

Thirty minutes later Shaun was back at the Precinct house on S Embassy Street and his prisoner/victim was secured in a cell being treated by the local Doctor. He had come round and Shaun was waiting in the booking office for the Doc to finish up so he could speak to him.
Chief Barnard entered the room and picked up some files off the booking desk.
“Can you get a report to me as soon as possible Shaun,” he said, “The town council will want to know a gang war is not about to start on their streets.”
“I think we can say they weren’t gang bangers, these guys were pros”
Tracie popped her head round the door.
“Call for you chief, a Jim Salazar,”she said, “says he’s with the FBI.”
“Frig, that’s all I need, for FBI read trouble, as if I ain't got enough on my plate.” He smiled at Shaun and left the room. Just then the Doc came out of the cell area and told him the prisoner was ready to speak to him.
“How does he seem doc?”
“A bit confused, scared.Reasonable way to feel under the circumstances.”
Shaun walked into cell eight to find the man sat on the bunk his arms wrapped round his chest which was pulled up to his knees. He looked up as Shaun came in.
“How you feeling’,” he said, taking out his notebook and pen.
The man stood up, he was a little shorter than Shaun’s six foot, and wiry, some would say raw boned, where as Shaun was well built.
“You have to let me go, I haven’t done anything.”
“All in good time, what’s your name?”
“Eric Cutter.” He started to pace and appeared agitated.
“I don’t want to go back, I’ve had enough of their prodding and poking.”
Shaun had no idea what he was going on about but it was clear something was scaring him.
“Eric sit down and tell me what happened to you.”
Cutter stopped pacing and looked at Shaun.
“We do not have enough time, they are coming and we are all going to be dead.”
“Your in a police station Eric and quite safe.”
He laughed, “No one is safe from them, you don’t understand.”
“Then make me, tell me who your scared of?”
Cutter was just about to answer when the chief appeared.
“Stop the interview Shaun, he’s Fed property,” Barnard said, “An escaped prisoner and it appears you killed two federal agents.”

CHAPTER 2

Montauk Precinct House
Shaun was sat with the chief in his office, he had been relieved of his weapon. He could hear the click clack of a type writer in the staff area and traffic noises out side the one way window. The Chief drummed his fingers on his desk, flicking through a file on his desk.
“Not a very good start to your first day is it?”
“No way were they Feds Chief,” Shaun said ,”For a start I clearly identified my self and they just turned and fired on me.”
“We got to do it by the book Shaun, you discharged your pistol, so an investigation has to take place.”
Shaun felt as if a heavy ball was lodged in his stomach, in his mind he knew it was a righteous shooting. Federal agents would not just open fire plus they carried no identification. Something did not feel right. He looked over the Chiefs shoulder at the traffic passing by outside, it looked like this was his first and last day.
“Am I confined to this room Chief or can I go get a Coffee?”
“Just don’t leave the building,”he said not looking up from his paperwork. Shaun stood up and crossed to the door.
“Stay away from Cutter as well.”
Without a backward glance Shaun left the office. Deputy Steve Hodson was at his desk and he did not look up from the report he was finger typing as Shaun crossed the room to the stairs leading to the kitchen and rec room. Looks like I’m persona non Grata already, thought Shaun. Two years ago his mother was diagnosed with cancer so he gave up his job with the Texas rangers and moved to Montauk to take care of her, he was an only child and she had no other family after his dad died in an automobile accident. Shaun had nursed her right up till the end and after she died he felt at a loss what to do with his life until he was approached by the Chief of Police from East Hampton, his mother had been good friends with his wife. The chief said a job had come up in the Montauk PD and it was his if he wanted it. After spending two years in Montauk he had fallen in love with the area so Shaun had jumped at it, part of him now wished he had not, up until now his career in the Military and the Rangers had been unblemished and he knew full well mud sticks even if he came out of this clean.
Five minutes later he was sat on one of the battered red sofas in the rec room drinking his coffee. He ran the action over again in his mind, did he do anything wrong? No, it was totally by the book and if the same situation arose he would do exactly the same thing. He decided to ride it through, hold his head high.

The sound of smashing glass and a scream from downstairs brought him out of his thoughts. He rose and moved to the stairs just as a man in a black suit reached the top , he had a Sig Saur 226 held in both hands and it had a silencer attached. This guy ain’t here for coffee, Shaun thought and threw his steaming hot drink in the mans face before unleashing a flurry of punches to the mans head and body. The man dropped unconscious to the floor. He picked up the Sig and sidestepped down the stairs. At the bottom he saw Steve’s life less body sprawled across his desk, a bloody hole where his temple should be. The glass in the door of Chief Barnard's office was smashed and Shaun knew he would find the Chief dead in there. Cutters words echoed in his mind-”They are coming and we are all going to be dead.”-Shaun had no idea who these people were or who Cutter was but he was going to find out. Now he was pissed and some one had to pay. He knew where to go next-the cells.

Quietly he sneaked through the door into the booking room where he found the body of Sergeant Dodds. Shaun crossed to the door to the cells and slowly opened it. Two men could be seen standing in front of cell eight, both held silenced Sig's. They had not noticed him. Shaun raised his gun and fired twice, both men dropped with out a sound. He ran to the cell door, Cutter is knelt on the cell floor, his hands on his head.
“Cutter, it’s me Officer Kane!”
Eric looked up at him, “I told you they would come.”
“I know my friend, look this place is not safe,” he heard a sound behind him and he whirled raising his gun. Tracie the dispatch girl was standing in the door way, a hand over her mouth.
“I only went to the toilet, Oh my god!” she said looking at the bodys on the floor.
Shaun went over and held her as she began to shake. Feeling her legs go he helped her over to the bench in front of the booking desk.
“It was not a call from the FBI earlier, these guys had a hard on for Cutter in a big way,”he said, “This was a sweep and clean op, who ever they are they did not want any one to know Cutter was here.” He went back to Cutters cell and unlocked the door.
“Come on we got to leave here and find some where safe,” Shaun said,”Then me and you are gonna sit down and you will tell me everything, Capice.”
Eric nodded and followed Shaun out to the booking room.
“Tracie, get on the radio and contact east Hampton, tell them wha…” Eric cut him off.
“No, they will listen in to the airwaves and we will be dead on the road or another station will be attacked,” Eric said, ”You have to believe me, they are beyond the Government, a deep black program.” Erics eyes pleaded with him.

Shaun turned to Tracie,”Can you use a gun?”
“Yes. I may work on dispatch but I had to be fire arm trained to get the job.”
He retrieved one of the Sigs and tossed it to her.
“Okay this is the plan,”Shaun said,”I will go check out side see if any one is waiting for these jokers, then we hit the road after locking up here.” He looked at Eric and his orange jumpsuit-”Tracie see if you can find Mr Cutter some cloths so he don’t stand out.”
She nodded and went off to find suitable clothes. Shaun led Eric to the outer office. It was a collection of desks partitioned off by an l-shaped counter which separated the office from the reception area. A huge glass window ran the entire length of the reception and ended at the wall which was part of the Chiefs office. Shaun made Eric sit at one of the desks facing reception but out of sight of outside. He made his way through the glass door into reception and looked out the window. A large car park fronted the Precinct building which also served the Chase Bank and the Bridgehampton national bank as well as the Marine Arts and Grill restaurant, alongside Shaun's police cruiser and the Chiefs car there was only a hand full of other cars parked, none of them occupied.
Hiding the Sig behind his right leg Shaun stepped outside, the fog had drifted into town now and he could not see farther than the car park. No sounds could be heard except for his own breathing, it was very eerie. The air smelled of ozone, hairs on the back of his neck stood up and a irrational fear welled up from deep inside him. It consumed his thoughts and dragged him down till it was his everything. Shaun blacked out.

CHAPTER 3

BASE 1 MONARCH CONTROL
General Luther Mandrake was not a happy man, the fact that one of the subjects had escaped, was one of the reasons, this subject had also achieved realization, not good, not good at all. The other reason, the snatch team had failed to take control of the situation even with the activation of the mind manipulation beam and camouflage fog.
“Am I surrounded by incompetents!” he threw his coffee cup at the wall of his office. Jim Salazar flinched and wished he was anywhere else but here, Mandrakes temper was legendary, he was a large man and still well muscled for his fifty years, his black hair was streaked with only a peppering of silver and his piercing blue eyes seemed like they could see through walls.
“We are managing the situation sir,” he said.
“Managing, managing, what the fuck does that mean.” He slumped down into the leather chair behind him.
“I’ve put it out on the wire that Cutter and Kane are responsible for what happened at the precinct house and they are to be contained till we arrive on scene,” Salazar said,”All surveillance apparatus are at our call, it will not be long till we have them sir.”
Mandrake took a deep breath and tried to calm down, he needed his mind focused to deal with this situation.
"What about his implants?" he asked stepping out from behind his oversize oak desk.
"They fried at his last electro shock phase," Salazar said, taking a step back,"He was on his way to having them replaced when he escaped."
He perched on the edge of the desk and spoke more calmly.
"OK, do we know how he achieved realization?"
"Yes sir, he was involved in a RTA where he received a bang on the head,"Jim said,"The knock seems to have allowed some or all of his memories to surface."
Mandrake nodded his head, chewing on a finger nail.
"Get everything on it Jimmy, I want this locked down as quickly as possible, we are fucked in the ass if what he knows goes public."
Sunset Lake New Jersey
His awareness came back slowly, sounds trickled into his consciousness along with the smell of coffee. Shaun felt the softness of whatever he was laying on and a small breeze touched his face. He opened his eyes and closed them against the bright light that filtered through to his brain. He sensed someone nearby, and opened his eyes more slowly this time, to see Eric Cutter standing over him with a cup of coffee.
"Welcome back," Cutter said. Shaun sat up and took the proffered cup.He felt groggy and confused and his mouth felt as if a rat had slept in it.
"What happened, where are we?"
Eric sat on the sofa next to him, drinking his own coffee.
"They ramped up the manipulation beam, your mind could not handle it so you passed out."
Shaun rubbed his eyes and leaned back.
"I got us out of there, because of what they did to me I know how to block out the beams effects."
"Cutter I have no idea what you are talking about, sounds like something out of the X-Files." He stood up and crossed to the window, pulled back the curtain and looked outside. The sun was reflected of the lake, flashing back in all it's majestic glory. A few people could be seen sat or walking round the lake enjoying the suns heat. He turned back to Cutter.
"Where's Tracie?"
"She's still asleep upstairs," Eric said, "We already made the news, it's been reported you and I are wanted for the slaughter at the precinct house and possible kidnap of Tracie."
Shaun's mind was in a whirl, who ever was behind this was powerful and connected. He needed to know more but was not sure he could trust Cutter, for now though he had no choice. Tracie came in to the living room looking tired with dark patches under her eyes.
"I feel like I been on a hell of a bender, my heads gonna explode."
"It'll pass," Cutter told her then filled her in on what had happened including the news of the warrant out for his and Shauns arrest. She sat down ashen faced.
Cutter went off to make her a coffee and she turned to Shane.
"Hell Shane what we gonna do?" Shane shook his head and finished off the coffee in his cup.
"At the moment I have no idea, I need to know what Cutter Knows and at the moment I don't know if I can trust him."
"Shane, he saved us when he could of run, surely that counts for something." He agreed she had a point, but his policeman's mind could not help but be suspicious.
Cutter returned and gave the cup of coffee to Tracie who thanked him.
Shane's mind seemed clearer now he had finished his drink, he put his cup on the table next to the sofa and sat down, Cutter sat in the easy chair across from them both.
"Okay, before we decide on a plan of action, I need to know everything you know."

Impressum

Texte: Andrew Scorah
Bildmaterialien: Montauk X
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 01.04.2012

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