“Can you hear me?” Taylor’s voice came through the tactical suit’s communication system.
“Loud and cl–” Jack cut the sentence short. The HUD flashed: “INCOMING TRANSMISSION.” The transmission ID read “CLASSIFIED.” Jack frowned. “Just a second, sir.” He clicked over to the incoming call. “Jack Harrington.”
“Jack! It’s me!” said Hector. His heavy breathing came through Jack’s audio unit like thunder rolling across the plains. “XLS agents are inside the Assembly Center!”
“What? How–”
“I’m forwarding you the coordinates of my location. You need to get here as soon as possible!”
A chirp notified Jack that Hector’s message had just made it through. Jack displayed it on the HUD. Instead of detailed coordinates, he received a set of large, red letters: “NO DATA – LOCATION UNAVAILABLE.”
“It didn’t come through. The location is encrypted or something. Where are you?”
“I’m not sure. I was being taken to the Assembly Center’s holding cells when we were ambushed. I’m in an elevator next to some sort of barracks. That’s all I’ve got.”
“I’ll see what I can do. Stay put. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Negative. Can’t stay here, Jack. Something’s wrong. They’re scrambling. We’re running out of time. I’ve got to keep moving!”
A high pitched alarm screamed through the tactical suit’s audio system. Jack cringed. The Assembly Center’s loudspeaker boomed through Hector’s datapad. “Enemy breach in Sector 4. All units report! Repeat, enemy breach in–” There was a confused pause, and then, “Enemy breach in Sector 9! Enemy presence in Sectors 9 and 4! All units report!”
“Hector? What’s going on?”
“Hurry, Jack!”
Hector’s line went dead.
Jack switched back over to Taylor’s channel. “Colonel! Hector just contacted me. The XLS has troops all over the Assembly Center! I need to get to his location right away!”
Taylor’s pause was brief. “Where is he?”
“He was being taken to the holding cells. He’s in an elevator next to the barracks.”
“Does he know what are they after?”
“No.” Jack clenched his fists. “But I need to get there before…”
Tense desperation coursed through Jack’s features.
