Crydrop: The Accepted Agony (Book 1 of the Crydrop Series)

By Lewis Young

Life isn't what it seems for David Walker.

Being bored of your life and wishing for something more can come with a consequence, especially when you're told you were built to become the next generation soldier.

Life becomes survival very quickly for Walker as he is hunted by an unknown organisation who are threatened by the skills he must still discover for himself, to save not just himself but the ones he loves.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lewis Young
• Release date: Jun 20, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310852237

Book preview

FENDER-ZERO

Chapter 1:

Operation Cage Diver

The Boeing Sentry cargo plane flew high above the grey, colluding clouds overseas, heading towards its isolated and secret location. Cage sat in the back of the plane organising his gear for the jump that was moments away. His infamous gas mask sat on his lap; the gazing dark lenses stared back at him with the look of an intent killer, which is what Cage was. He brushed his thumbs over the lenses, wiping them clean from the last mission he’d been on. Cage’s face was engulfed by the darkness of the blacked-out cargo space. He slammed his silenced Beretta pistol into his side utility belt along with a set of throwing blades.

30 SECONDS! echoed the voice of the pilot. Cage responded with a sharp pick up of his spine, bringing himself to his feet. The pistol, sniper rifle and the set of blades were enough – it seemed to be more like a game for him, the less gear the better. Cage saw each mission as a test of his own violent nature. With each test, the better he got.

15 seconds! the voice repeated. Cage moved towards the back of the plane and smashed his cupped fist into a solid red button on the side of the whale-sized plane. All of a sudden the back of the plane opened up to the dark night’s sky and within seconds a gust of brisk winter air stormed into the deck. Cage stood as nothing but a silhouette against the cold air.

GO! GO! GO! And as the pilot roared through the comm, Cage looked down into the back of his mask as it fitted around face. Within moments he’d propelled himself out of the plane into the deep, black oblivion. The clouds formed around him, almost suffocating his vision. Cage – the killer – raised his right hand and tapped a small button on the side of his mask, turning his vision to infrared. It was silent, even the sound of rushing wind passing through his vibrating body was quiet and soothing. As mere seconds passed the outline of a cargo ship came into frame. Cage stared at the outline, observing it.

Target acquired. His voice echoed through and around his moulded mask.

Execute Operation Cage Diver, another voice replied through what seemed to be his mask. Having gained his confirmation, Cage straightened his body like a pencil and head first moved in fast for the target. He picked up rapid speed, moving faster and faster towards the back deck and then once comfortable that he was close enough, he pulled a cord. Out sprung the parachute and Cage’s body violently jolted to a near stop. He began his slow glide towards the target in the cold, dead air. Once his feet made contact with the solid metal surface of the ship, Cage pulled another cord detaching the parachute, releasing it altogether, causing the wind to helplessly move and sway the canopy into the dark black, liquid sea.

He moved behind a set of barrels that were an easy front to disguise the ship’s true intentions.

This is Cage, I’m on track.

Good work Cage. Stay frosty out there. Then the voice went silent, which was Cage’s cue to do what he pleased, as long as the objectives were completed. Time to get to work, his mind sprung on him, forcing him to peek round the side of the barrels. He clicked yet another button on the side of his mask, allowing him to have night vision. Then he saw it; four guards in sight. Two were on the bottom deck talking, one on the balcony and one approaching his position. Maybe one saw him land? Cage pulled out his sniper rifle and placed it on the ground, then quietly cocked his silenced Beretta pistol. Deep breaths, in and out, in and out, in and hold…

He sprung from cover; a bullet recoiled from the chamber of his gun, slamming through the chest of the oncoming guard. Then he kicked up his rifle and placed his pistol back into its holster, catching the rifle in mid-air. Two silenced shots soared through the air, as the rifle bounced against Cage’s shoulder. All four guards had fallen – one shot of the rifle had caught the two guards talking side by side and the other bullet had taken care of the lone guard on the balcony. Once Cage had finished throwing the bodies off into the dark, gloomy sea, he lurked into the shadows of the open ship deck, planning his next move.

He stood underneath the balcony, in the place where three of the guards had fallen, standing in silence, listening to nothing but the sound of the rain and his slowing rhythmic heartbeat. Suddenly a hatch door swung open, crashing into the wall next to Cage. Three male guards appeared, talking and laughing to each other, whilst Cage slowly crouched down and moved towards the door. The men turned the corner, still laughing in the distance, unaware of the killer in the shadows. Cage moved through the door from which they had come and closed it gently behind him. He was now alone.

Everything inside was wet. Was there a leak? he asked himself. He then moved through the inch-high, murky water and through the unknown maze of danger. The sound of footsteps started to arise from around the corner in front. The water was making too much noise to move without being compromised, but he knew he needed to hide. Cage took shelter on the side of a corner, just as he could hear the footsteps turn into the corridor in which he’d just lunged from. The single set of footsteps kept a pace and got closer by the second. Cage knew he needed information – this nuke threat was not going to be just on display. Closer, closer; the water began to make a ripple around his stationary feet. Suddenly, the guard walked around the corner to be finally attacked by Cage; a madman now, holding a knife against his throat. The guard was thrown backwards against an opened window. Cage cupped his hand over the guard’s mouth.

Where’s your nuke? Cage spoke in an aggressive but quiet tone, attempting not to alert any other guards in the area. He then removed his hand from the guard’s mouth, expecting a nice, short answer from him, however he received a ball of spit to the face instead. Cage casually wiped it off with his shoulder and smiled back. He then placed his leg behind the guard’s and slammed his elbow into the guard’s lower neck, forcing him into the window with violent pleasure. The window cracked beneath him and was decorated with a spray of blood. Cage removed his hand from the man’s mouth once again, who now began to speak.

At last we’re getting… but then Cage’s thoughts were cut off by the accent of the Russian man speaking in front of him. Shit! Russian…

Unexpectedly, a voice started to crackle across into his mask. Cage? This is Jones, I’m afraid the other operatives had no luck in the other locations. So it’s got to be here? Cage jumped in.

Correct, the voice replied.

Okay, give me a sec. Cage looked back to his hostage, he was a bit rusty on his Russian but there was no other choice. He asked the location of the threat in more or less Russian. The guard smirked and replied in Russian.

You have nothing on me, SPY! he smirked. Cage cocked back his arm, which was holding the guard’s neck, and propelled him into the glass window once again. The glass smashed open, allowing a desperate gust of wind inside the walls. Half of the guard’s heavy torso was hanging out of the open seal, as Cage’s hand still hung on to the man’s throat.

Where is it! Cage was now shouting out of the open window, as the man’s legs kicked and wriggled, gasping for air. WHERE? Cage released the man from his clutches, allowing him to breathe, but at a cost. The guard fell backwards from the window towards the dark dread water of oblivion, until Cage caught his ankle. Tell me! Cage’s Russian was still sounding rustic.

Okay, okay. Lower deck, lower deck, were the words that Cage could make out. The wind was too strong and without any hesitation, his grip became nothing. The guard fell to the water, which engulfed him with a single splash.

It’s in the lower decks, moving in now, Cage spoke through his mask to the operators listening.

Okay, move with caution, a voice advised. Silence filled the corridors. No one seemed to hear the struggle that filled the air. Good, Cage thought. He then opened a metal seal and threw the chunks of glass out, allowing a small cover-up of the events that just taken place. Cage didn’t want anyone to know of his presence just yet. He walked away from the open window and began to walk quietly down the unobstructed corridor. He opened up his holster and picked out his pistol for defence in case of any attacks. Suddenly a sound smashed behind him and the door that he’d come in through opened. Three familiar voices echoed from around the corner, the three guards from earlier had returned from their patrol. Shit. Cage looked around for cover, but there was nothing.

Must have just gone for a quick smoke, Cage sighed heavily, standing still in the open, water-based floor. Running would be a stupid option, the corridor was too long. Time grew short and there was nowhere else to hide, except…

As they rounded the corner, all three guards stopped with sudden violence. Oh, damn! they spoke in Russian.

It’s bloody cold in here! one said to the other.

You’re fucking Russian, deal with it. They all began laughing once more and continued past both of the open windows. Cage’s fingers held tight on to the bottom of the open seal of the window, dangling by one hand on the outside of the ship in the violent wind, whilst the other hand gripped his pistol as a contingency in case they investigated the cause of the open breeze. His fingers began growing tight and tired from holding his entire body weight. The voices grew quieter and quieter, allowing him to feel safe enough to pull himself back through into the water-filled corridor. Without thought, the killer crashed down, spine first, on to the puddled floor, causing a loud crashing sound that lingered through every seam of the metal-filled maze. Oh fuck. The killer had made another mistake, big enough to cost him his stealth.

As Cage got to his feet he began to hear a stampede of feet crashing through the corridors, gaining ground on his current location. Suddenly, one guard made it around the corner behind him, gun not raised and seemingly investigating the cause of the noise. The killer used this to his advantage and leaped on the man, blade ready, forcing it into the guard’s throat and killing him instantly. Just then the three men that he had been avoiding so well crashed around the corner, guns at the ready.

Freeze! they all screamed. They saw a man, dressed in complete black and wearing an intimidating mask, pick up the dead body of their comrade to use as a shield.

Cage held the corpse upright in place, hoping it would absorb any bullets in order to protect himself. One of the three men fired a warning shot at the floor just beneath the killer’s feet; either that or he had a terrible aim, which was unlikely. Cage stayed calm, for situations like this had happened all the time. One of the guards abruptly began approaching Cage with his gun ready – probably to seize his weapons and equipment. Huh, like that’s going to happen, he thought. It was a rookie move on their part. Once the man had reached the killer, he stared at the emotionless, dead face of his fallen comrade, putting him in a very uncomfortable place. Adding to his unease he saw the killer peek round the side of the corpse, revealing the mask which was horrifically menacing.

In a mere second, Cage viciously swiped his leg out from around the corner of the human shield into the side of the clueless guard’s leg. His leg snapped from the top of his shin to the bottom of his kneecap, forcing him to fall down like a ton of bricks as the sound of the blood-curdling screams bounced off the walls. The killer raised his silenced weapon out from his makeshift, blood-soaked shield and began walking calmly towards the other two men, who were now shooting repeatedly at the killer. With eyes fixed on the two enemies in front of him, Cage walked past the man on the floor frantically clutching at his broken leg – the man’s rage-fuelled eyes engulfing the killer that broke it, ceased as Cage’s gun recoiled, splattering his brain on the wall. Once Cage’s enemies were in range, the killer threw the body of the bullet-ridden, human shield at the fearful guard on the left, forcing him to the ground under the weight of the bullet-infested corpse. Cage moved towards the other guard and grabbed his AK-47, twisting it anticlockwise to crack the man’s elbows. He let go with one hand and jabbed the man in the face with a military-issued bowie knife. The remaining guard had managed to throw the corpse off himself with a shriek of disgust and fear, and advancing to his feet he stumbled down the corridors for cover. But Cage spun around, throwing his knife with force, capturing the retreating man in the spine.

In a matter of seconds Cage had already reloaded his gun and began a slow, emotionless stride away from the scene as if nothing had just happened. In the fraction of time it took to walk towards the first victim, he finally heard the wounded guard collapse, the knife still embedded deep within his back. Unexpectedly, a protruding light on the wall beside Cage began to twist red, followed by a screeching loud siren, alerting those on board of an intruder.

Must have heard the gunshots, Cage murmured, his face twisting with thought. Operator, I might go offline for a while. Received and confirmed. Stay frosty, replied the operator and Cage moved on through the hull of the ship, deeper and deeper towards the lower decks.

Chapter 2:

Cage down

Guards ran through the decks and halls, searching for the intruder. After they found the bodies of many men, it injected fear into the rest of the security team guarding the nuke. There was talk of a ghost on board, killing off the men left right and centre. It gave Cage satisfaction to know they were scared of him. So you should be, he thought. Cage lay motionless in the air vents just above the lower desks; he’d hid himself away after fleeing from the alerted ship members. He’d been cornered and was limited for choice and had had to crawl into a vent system, from there he’d used his instincts to navigate himself into his current location.

Cage wriggled quietly into position by the side of a vent that he could look from; as he peered through he saw it. There was a massive container, with a cylinder encased in the middle. It looked like the cylinder was held in place by two separated casings with a red key card panel next to it.

Cage turned on his comm and began to speak, Operator, I’ve found the remote launcher as well as the nuke. There was a short pause.

You mean to say they are shipping both the mini nuke and the remote trigger?

Yes sir.

It’s worse than we thought. Is there any way of them firing that thing off the ship? Cage listened to the reply and as he did, he saw a set of well-dressed men enter the room and begin typing things into the panel.

Yep, Cage answered without hesitation.

Okay agent, execute anyone who stands in your way, as well as retrieving the weapon.

On it. If I can, shall I damage the trigger?

It’s optional, but if you can then yes.

Okay, Cage out. With that Cage was unscrewing the four corner screws on the vent with the side of his blade.

Cage was ready. He opened the vent slowly without any sound, then began to observe the guards’ patrol routes on the second scaffolding level below. He maybe had a seven-second gap to drop down and take out the top level silently. He then began to slide a heatproof glove on to his left hand, to allow Cage to catch the shells that propelled out of his gun as he pulled the trigger. The shells would be burning hot, so catching the shells would improve Cage’s stealth.

Three, two, one… The guard passed him under the vent, it was time. He dangled his legs out of the opening and hung on with just his fingertips while his other free hand held his silenced gun. Not long till they would turn round on their patrol. He dropped down leaving behind a small clunk of a sound. The guard closest turned in question, Cage flung his loose hand up past his waist, collecting his throwing knife and whipped it through the air. Impacting the knife through the guard’s unarmed throat, he collapsed limply through the atmosphere of the ship’s belly. Cage slid his body towards the dead man and caught it in his muscular legs. Soundlessly, Cage retrieved the knife from the man’s lower neck. The final guard suddenly turned the side corner, where the view of Cage and the body was in sight. The killer propelled the knife sideways through the air, the blade crushing through the guard, penetrating the exhilarated heart, which then came to a dead stop.

Bullseye.

The guards were now aware of the second noise; the body had smashed against the metal railed floor of the scaffolding. There were a number of guards on the ground level and now time was running out. Cage pulled three pins out of all his grenades, two flashes and one stun. He tossed them down to the next and last level, allowing the guards to be immobilised by the stun and flashes that went off. The killer jumped down to one of the poles holding up the scaffolding, he then proceeded to slide down it with fixated eyes looking at the nuke.

Once his feet made contact with the floor, he began to fire his gun. He caught each shell that came out of the chamber, so that the disorientated guards would still not know his position. Bodies dropped and the operative proceeded forward. Just a few more targets, he thought then unexpectedly a beeping sound erupted from the direction of the portable nuke. He turned his direction whilst flipping towards cover; metal sparked on the covered pillar as bullets spat their way towards Cage. Then he saw the origin of the beeps. One of the lab-dressed men was franticly typing at the control panel, an alarm started to form, which even started to draw the concentration of the conflicting guards.

NO! one of them screamed in Russian, creating just enough of an opportunity for Cage to move out of cover and finish off the rest of the guards. He then sprinted up to the lab-coated gentleman, who was now finished with whatever he was doing, and slammed him up against the side wall.

What did you do! Once again the Russian was rusty.

Nothing you can do, with all your fear and strength. The world will…

UNDO IT! Cage smashed the man’s face up against the green cylinder, attempting to give the man no choice, but he simply laughed at the operative. Suddenly the machine began to make a humming sound, as the top of the cylinder displayed a canister that was steaming with cool air.

30 minutes until launch.

Cage’s eye withered with fear. Did you not hear me? I said…! But as he pulled the man’s face up to his, it seemed that the gentleman had a cyanide tooth, his mouth was covered with foam and he had a weak, dying pulse. FUCK!

Cage raised his hand to his ear. Get me an engineer!

Why? questioned the operator.

I have a time bomb here and it’s ticking away to a nuclear explosion. The line went silent for a moment.

Cage? This is Jones, what’s the situation? Cage explained within a matter of panicky seconds. Okay, okay. I’m calling the mission off. Get yourself out of the area. Fender was never there, do you understand?

But sir the…

Get yourself out solider! But the transmission started to go all static and the timer was growing smaller by the second.

A thought struck the killer like a sledgehammer. I need to sink it! And as he ran for the side door exit he saw a map of the ship’s lower deck. His finger ran franticly over it, memorising the area so he could escape without hesitation. Suddenly a word made his finger shudder to a halt. ‘Armoury’. Jackpot. If they have grenades and other explosives then it may be a start. And he was through the doors and into the corridors of the metal-ridden ship.

The operator sat at the desk of the computer screen with the head of Fender standing by his side. The tension was slaughtering Jones’ leg structure. The man was in his late 50s and with the realisation of the near destruction of a city or worse being nigh, standing only made his weight increase.

If the portable device was on board, then why transport it with the nuke within the device? Jones spoke rhetorically but was hoping for the answers.

They may have had it on board for other means sir?

You mean like there was no destination?

Yes sir. The pause between them lingered.

Okay, check the direction of the ship’s course and tell me where it would be heading for a possible location, one which could allow it to be launched or sold. The authority of the man echoed through and around the concealed room. The reason for the lone room was because of the urgency of the mission’s objective.