The Middle Child

Chap 4 "What's Next?"

Lynnea's POV
"Anything?" Hobbs asked.
"They're gone," Mom sighed. "Long gone."
"And DOD confirmed it was a nuclear football," Lucas added. "He got an EMP and nuclear launch codes. I don't know what it is."
"They're building towards something," Mom pointed. "They're launch codes for some nukes."
"Deckard?" Hobbs asked.
"He didn't make it," Lucas sighed. Hobbs got up and punched a metal wall leaving a dent. "I'm sorry."
"Look, just give him time," Mom sighed.
"So, what do we do now?" I asked. I sat down. "Pull up the picture of the guy in the alley."
"Okay," Ramsey sighed as she did. "Recognize him?"
"I do," Letty sighed as she got up. "That's Connor Rhodes. I met him when I was working with Shaw's brother. He wanted us to get the Night Shade device for him."
"Connor Rhodes," Ramsey nodded as she started typing. "He's also linked to somebody I'd quite like to forget."
"Mose Jakande," Hobbs stated. "Warlord who tried to get God's Eye."
"Which means that twice that Dom has messed up Cipher's business," I responded. "The problem we have with tracking Cipher is there's nothing to trace them. Now we have Rhodes information."
"And we're getting snapshots of his data before it's scrubbed off the net," Tej nodded.
"That looks like somebody's bank account," Rome stated as he looked at the computer.
"It's the longitude," Hobbs nodded. "Given the fact that Dom had hit the Russian Motorcade, safe to say it's Russia. Is that right Katie?"
"Yeah," Mom nodded as the map was put on the screen.
"Let's start here and run the possibilities," Hobbs nodded.
"Yalta, Poltava," Tej read. "It's like they just threw letters together. Konyert."
"Try Vladovin," Mom sighed.
"Correct," Mr. Nobody walked in, smiling.
"What are you doing here?" Lucas asked.
"I thought I was gonna check in on you from time to time to see how you were doing. By the way, not so hot," Mr. Nobody replied. "Special Agent Katie Queen is here because of me. She does know more than most of you."
"Because she's older and wiser?" Lucas asked.
"Because I know what I'm doing," Mom sighed.
"But there's nothing in Vladovin," Ramsey replied. "It's just ice."
"No, no, no," Mom nodded. "There's a secret Russian naval base where they retrofitted Cold War Submarines." I looked at Mom. "Well, for now, it's not Russian anymore. The base was taken over by a terror group of military separatists about a month ago and the Russians haven't taken it back yet." Mom smiled. "So there's your little window of opportunity." Mom's phone started ringing and she looked at it. "Uhm, I gotta go now. You guys are on your own. I got my own mission to worry about right now."
"Russian made submarines, nuclear football," Rome sighed as my mom left. "It sounds like everything we do our legs gonna be blown off."
"It sounds like you still number eleven on the list," Tej stated.
"It sounds like you've changed since your little punk ass facial hairs came in," Rome nodded.
"Guys, guys, hey," Lucas nodded. "We gotta call this in all the way up the chain."
"That's good thinking champ," Mr. Nobody sighed. "Except, unfortunately, the Russian Minister of Defense got himself involved in a little incident on US Territory and the two governments aren't talking to each other for a while. And by the time they do, it'll be too late." I crossed my arms. "So, any other suggestions?"
"Yeah, I got one," Hobbs nodded. We all looked at him. "How about we just stop them ourselves?"
"You're talking about a Russian Military Base," Lucas stated.
"Separatists," Mr. Nobody corrected.
"Whatever, it's suicide," Lucas looked at Mr. Nobody.
"It's stopping World War Three," Hobbs stood his ground.
"Lynnea?" Lucas looked at me.
"I'm not in it," I put my hands up. "I'm neutral. No, I'm Switzerland."
"So, what's it gonna be rook?" Hobbs asked. "You gonna close your eyes on this one too? Pray that the apocalypse doesn't come knocking on your mama's front door?" I looked at Lucas. "Or are you gonna saddle up, be a man, and save the entire goddamn world?"
"You know, I think I figured it out," Lucas sighed as he grabbed a crowbar.
"What's that?" Mr. Nobody asked.
"Rule number three," Lucas nodded.
"Which is?" Mr. Nobody asked.
"There are no rules," Lucas shrugged as he smashed the glass to the keys case.
"The world is coming to an end," I smiled. "Lucas always followed the rules."
"What did I tell you, Luke?" Mr. Nobody smiled. "I knew he'd get it in three."
"Areal transport leaves in an hour," Lucas nodded. "Take whatever vehicle you want. All bets are off."
"All bets are off?" Tej asked as he stood up.
"Bets are off?" Rome asked as he stood up as well.
"Great," I nodded. "I'm riding with you, Lucas." Lucas chose a white Subaru, Rome chose the lambo, Tej got the tank, Hobbs got an armored truck, and Ramsey rides with Letty who is driving a dodge. We got to Russia and started a stake out. "Lucas, this armor you gave me, how do you turn the heat on?"
"Here," Lucas pushed a button on my arm. "Better?"
"Much," I nodded.
"I got a nuclear attack submarine," Hobbs sighed. "Letty, I don't like telling you this one bit, but the game's changed. Before, we were just trying to catch Dom, but now after all this...I want you to know, if I have to...I'm gonna put him down."
I put my hand on Letty's shoulder and she looked at me. "Then you might have to take the three of us down," I nodded.
"This ain't right, man," Rome sighed. "This ain't for me. I come from a different kind of lifestyle, bro." I looked at him. "Ladies know me. They know where I'm at with it. I tried to take a piss, I didn't even recognize myself." I smacked Rome in the back of the head. "What the hell was that for?"
"Well, according to NCIS Special Agent Gibbs, my great grandfather, it's a wake up call," I smiled. "But that is just for entirely too much information."
"Well, one thing's for sure," Lucas nodded. "Dom's gotta be either working with them or making a trade, 'cause no one will be this insane to hit this place without a damn army."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that," I sighed. "He does have the EMP."
"Speak of the devil," Hobbs sighed as he saw a black charger.
"Damn," Tej sighed as he looked at the tablet. "I think Cipher just rebooted that sub and slaved its command systems."
"What the hell is he talking about?" Rome asked.
"She just carjacked a submarine," I sighed.
"We can't let it get away," Ramsey sighed. "There's the control room. If you can get me into that room, I can tap the network and counter hack Cipher."
"Keep it from flowing into the water," I nodded.
"No, what we need to do is get me on that sub," Tej pointed. "I find the weapon's room and I can pull the launch chip before she can fire any of those nukes."
"That is too crazy," Ramsey stated.
"What you're saying is too dangerous," Tej looked at her.
"We'll do both," I nodded. "I'll get on that sub with Tej, Rome, and Lucas. Everyone else with Ramsey." We got into the cars. Lucas was driving. Hobbs was first, Letty and Rasmey, Rome, Lucas and I, and then Tej, since he had the tank. We went through a wall to get on the base. We got to the sub and parked our cars. We got out of the car. "Let's go."
"Let's haul ass team," Hobbs sated. "Double time, double time."
People were shooting at Lucas, Tej, Rome, and I. I started shooting back. We got to the sub and opened the hatch. "Go, go," I nodded. I shot back. I got into the sub and closed the hatch. "Remind me why I decided to be the one to hold a gun."
"I don't know but you're a hell of a shooter," Lucas nodded. "You sharp shooted before?"
"No, but I think it's a skill I acquired from my mom's side," I replied. We made our way to the weapon's room. The door closed on Tej, separating him fro us. Lucas, Rome, and I were in the weapon's room. "Tej."
"Lynnea, we gotta find the chip," Lucas stated. "Come on."
"Right," I nodded. I looked around the room. "Okay."
"Tej, I can't stop her," Ramsey stated through her walkie talkie. "You're gonna have to pull that chip."
"I can't," Tej replied. "This thing's gone into attack mode. The door's not gonna open until you pull the chip."
"Tej, we got no idea what the hell we're looking for," Rome stated.
"I got it," Lucas stated.
Both Lucas and Rome pulled something and red lights started flashing with an alarm. "What in the hell are you guys doing?" I asked.
"It will be labeled Guidance Go," Tej stated as they put the things back where they got it.
"Okay, I got something," Rome stated.
"What?" Lucas asked.
"It says haha slack slack back smoke dear jack na jack," Rome read. "Do you understand that?"
"He's trying to read something in Russian," I nodded. "Rome, stop playing around and look."
"Nuke's going hot, she's trying to fire this thing!" Tej exclaimed.
"Roger that, we're moving out," Hobbs nodded.
"Disable that chip, now!" Tej shouted.
"Roman, what are you seeing?" Lucas asked. "Come on, talk to me."
"I don't see shit," Rome replied. "I'm holding on. What the hell is going on, man?"
"We're about to launch a nuclear missile is what the hell is going on," Tej stated. "Pull the damn chip!"
"A countdown," I stated as I realized that's the only thing that won't be in Russian. I looked for a countdown. I saw it and I pulled it. There was six seconds left. "I got it." The door opened and Tej walked in. I handed it to Lucas. "Let's go." We got off the sub and ran to our cars. "Let's go."
"You alright?" Letty asked.
"There's nothing alright about any of this," Rome nodded. "Let's go."
"What about the missiles?" Ramsey asked.
"We got the chip," Lucas held up the chip. "No nukes for her."
"Let's go," I sighed. We got into the car and headed out. "Okay."
"Guys we got company," Tej stated. "A lot of company."
"Alright team, here's the plan. There's a sea lock at the opening of the bay," Hobbs stated. "We get there first and close it, we can stop the submarine from escaping into open water, and disappearing forever."
"I've got a location," Ramsey added. "It's ten miles south west."
"Ten miles?" Lucas asked. "We're not gonna make it in ten seconds."
Rome started spinning. "What's the matter, Roman?" Tej asked. "You forgot your snow tires?"
"You loving that lambo now?" Letty asked.
"Why are they shooting at me?" Rome asked.
"Maybe because you're in an orange Lamborghini," I smiled. "I don't know."
"Shut...up...Lynnea!" Rome yelled.
They kept shooting at us. "Roman, get in front of me," Tej stated. Rome did and Tej started shooting back. "We got this."
"We got snowmobiles on the right," I stated.
"They're gonna flank us," Letty added.
Hobbs took out a car. "No they ain't," Hobbs stated.
A missile was fired creating a crack in the ice with Rome's right side tires in the water. He was still going. "Tej!" Rome yelled.
"Roman, hold tight," Tej stated. "I'm on the way."
Tej shot a missile into Roman's left door. "Really, Tej?" Rome asked.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no," Tej stated as the lambo submerged into the water. "Roman, grab your door. Grab the door, Roman."
"Come on," I nodded. Roman came flying out of the water with the door. "Yes."
"Hold on, Roman," Tej stated.
The line was cut by a missile. "Hobbs, swing by and get Rome," I stated.
"On it, Lynnea," Hobbs nodded.
"Let's stop this sub," I smiled. Lucas looked at me and smiled. "Keep your eyes on the road even though there is no road, okay, Lucas?"