Other links:
Sapphire Angel, Superheroine (Book 1)
Power Play (Book 2)
Deconstruction (this book - Book 3)
Satellite images helped Beth pick the best path for Sapphire Angel's approach to the WarTech campus. She parked Jack's SUV in a park a mile from the campus, made her transformation, and set off through a wooded area. She approached the location from the north, which took her through the woods and toward the side gate.
The costumed woman stopped when she reached the edge of the woods, which bordered a parking lot packed with cars. A tall chain-link fence rose in the distance, separating the lot from the WarTech buildings looming beyond it. The fence, topped by barbed wire, ran the entire length of the facility, with surveillance cameras mounted every thirty yards. Guards patrolled the open area beyond the fence, their automatic rifles visible.
Sapphire Angel angled through the parking lot, toward a macadam walkway leading to a gate in the fence. A metal sign reading, "Employees Only" faced her from atop a post at the start of the walkway, and a guard shack sat at the end of the walkway, just before the gate.
Four buildings rose beyond the face. To her far left stood a large nondescript stucco building, about three stories tall, filled with balconies and windows. To her right, and closest to her, was an equally tall concrete structure, devoid of windows or any personality. Between the two buildings stood a smaller building, perhaps a warehouse, also windowless. Far to her right, and near the main road, loomed a building covered with glass windows.
She stepped onto the employee walkway and strode toward the gate, just as two men appeared from within the guardhouse. The man to the left wore black military fatigues, with a sidearm holstered in his belt and a black helmet covering his head. The helmet's dark visor hid his features.
The other man wore brown loafers, khaki pants, and a blue Oxford. He had close-cropped brown hair, and he turned his mouth up with the hint of a smile. His eyes appraised her with an amused twinkle, like a scientist studying a thrilling problem in front of him. She thought she detected a hint of tension and exhaustion, though, like he carried a heavy burden.
As their paths met, they stopped. The guard remained silent, while the other man extended his hand.
"A thrill to meet you, Sapphire Angel," he said. "I'm Mark Devlin, the CEO of WarTech."
She took his extended hand and shook it. She couldn't miss the appraising way in which he continued to examine her, his eyes traveling up and down. This felt different than how many men ogled her, though. His gaze was more cold and clinical.
"Very nice to meet you, too," she replied with a nod.
Devlin's grip lingered on her gloved hand. He looked down, taking in the sight of the pristine white fabric.
"This is so smooth and soft," he commented. "Yet I have to imagine you wouldn't wear them if they impaired your grip. Is the rest of your outfit made of the same material? What exactly is it?"
"That's a trade secret, I'm afraid," Sapphire Angel replied with a coy smile as she withdrew her hand.
"I guess I can relate to the need for secrecy," he replied with a smile. "We're protective of our secrets here, too. Normally, outsiders don't even get inside our fence, but I'm making an exception for you, Sapphire Angel, given your unique... stature in America."
"I appreciate your courtesy," she replied with a nod.
"In any event, I'm glad you're here. Senator Chappelle says you're curious about WarTech, because of someone who did contract work for us?"
She studied him as he spoke. She wished Senator Chappelle hadn't revealed her motivations, so Devlin wouldn't have his guard up, but it was inevitable.
"Yes, Mr. Devlin. I like to know the lay of the land whenever I'm looking into something. And I thought you might help."
"Well, we'll certainly do anything possible to assist you in finding this young man. If understanding WarTech helps, then by all means, so be it. Follow me." He gestured with his arm toward the building behind him, and turned and headed back through the gate. The guard stayed in step next to him as Sapphire Angel fell in on the other side.
"What are these buildings?" she asked. As they moved toward the building, she studied the other guards on patrol, all wearing the same black fatigues and visored helmets.
"The building in front of us, where I'll take you, is the bread and butter of this place, and has two different parts. It contains a research section, and also a production section where all the magic happens. Over that way," he said as he pointed to their left, "is a warehouse. Behind it is the housing for some of our workers. They don't have to live here, but many do."
"And the one out front, near the road, with all the windows?" she asked.
"Those are offices. That's what all the boring stuff happens, such as human resources, payroll, and of course a place for our lawyers. And I have an office there, as well as one here, in the research and production building."
They crossed the macadam between the fence and the building, and stopped in front of a nondescript metal door, painted maroon, in the middle of the wall. Devlin held a thumb against a sensor to the right of the door. Moments later, Sapphire Angel heard a click and Devlin pulled the door open.
"This is one of the main employee entrances," he explained.
They stepped inside, and the door closed behind him. They stood in a long, wide hall ending at a door about thirty yards away. Metal grates lined the walls and ceiling, inset with circular light fixtures and what appeared to be cameras and other sensors mounted everywhere. The lights gave the place an eerie glow.
"This way," Devlin said, leading the superheroine down the hall, with the guard at his side. She followed, looking about her at the strange hall.
"What's with the grates?" she asked as they reached the midpoint of the corridor.
"The employees must pass this way every morning and every—"
His answer was cut off as a vibrating hum filled the air, followed by an ear-splitting, high-pitched whistling sound. Sapphire Angel felt as if invisible waves of force were buffeting her body.
She staggered, reaching one hand to her head and wincing as she reached to the wall for support.
"Ohhh..." she murmured, as the hall seemed to spin around her.
With her face clenched in discomfort, she looked up at Devlin and the guard. She couldn't see the guard's face behind the helmet, but he stood in a normal pose. Devlin's face, however, was twisted in pain and anger. Whatever she was enduring, he was enduring tenfold.
"Damn it!" he hissed between gritted teeth, his eyes bugging out. "They were supposed to have turned that off!"
He leaned against the wall, and his eyes traveled to Sapphire Angel. Between the pain, he watched her with the same appraising look he had given her earlier. She placed one hand against the wall, trying to stay on her feet.
Other links:
Sapphire Angel, Superheroine (Book 1)
Power Play (Book 2)
Deconstruction (this book - Book 3)
......WeII, this tour's off to a great start. Did WarTech somehow get their hands on the same technoIogy that was used in the machine that first gave Sapphire her powers? I don't know, something about that ending scene just reminded me of that. I was going into this fuIIy prepared for this to be some kind of ambush or trap, but I wasn't thinking that DevIin wouId end up being invoIved in it, too. He said that they were.....supposed to turn it off.....whatever it is, so cIearIy they---whether that be the staff or some other group---either simpIy forgot about it or Ieft the harsh waves on intentionaIIy. Or maybe the pIan was to activate the waves after Sapphire had been isoIated, and they just accidentaIIy did it too earIy, when DevIin was stiII there.
The guard seemingIy having no reaction to the sound waves is a IittIe suspicious. They might be in on this, the guard outfit may be protecting them from the hallway's effects, or some combination of both. This actuaIIy did a IegitimateIy great job at subverting my expectations; I'm so used to seeing Sapphire get Iured into traps and have to fight her way out of them, but to see the person whos presumably the main antagonist get tangIed up in it as weII is intriguing.
Maybe it's Mantis. I wonder if he's going to pop up suddenIy on a screen somewhere and say something Iike......''Hahahaha! I've got you now, DevIin!'' and then the guards are reveaIed to be IoyaI to him instead, then they start advancing towards both of them and then Conner, Ross, and Jack burst in to save everyone.
......Ahhh, who am I kidding, they're going to get out of this just fine. Time to forge onward!