Page 24 of Nothing Special X: The Last Stand

God’s deep voice answered. “That gate should’ve failed both of you before you hit the sidewalk. Proceed to post two.”

Green could hear his lieutenant’s disgust.

He and Ruxs dumped the delivery bags and changed clothes, happy to get rid of the fake uniforms.

They were back in their boots, graphic T-shirts, and holstered weapons under their jackets.

Green noticed a passersby glance at them, with a hint of suspicion— because unlike the pizza delivery boys, now they actually looked dangerous—but no one stopped them.

Four minutes passed before Tech’s voice came through the comms.

“We’re in.”

Green leaned beside the cab of a big rig while crew hurried around them, going about their jobs.

“How?”

Tech answered, smugness pouring through every word.

“I told them we’re contracted IT support from Silverline Systems Integration—I thought it sounded legit enough—and said were responding to a critical firmware failure in the DMX synchronization network connected to the atmospheric pyro sequencing system Wes and Law are using for scene forty-two.”

Green stared ahead blankly.

“What the fuck did that mean?”

“Nothing at all. I just said a lot of big words,” Tech laughed. “They let us right in.”

“I also brought my laptop, tablet, and a portable server with enough cable to wrap around the lot.” Free chuckled. “I look like I do computer shit, so they let me in too.”

“We should audition for a part,” Ruxs muttered. “We’re some damn good actors.”

A few minutes later Free added calmly, “Mainframe acquired. I’m inside everything.”

“What’s ‘everything’?” God asked.

“The gates, internal phones, security cameras, lighting systems, communication channels.” He paused. “Honestly this place is offensively vulnerable.”

Ruxs whistled low.

Day spoke up. “Get ready, we’re entering.”

Green moved farther along the soundstage perimeter and watched.

God, Day, and Steele approached the gate openly, wearing dark suits over T-shirts and jeans with fake federal badges clipped onto their belts.

The guards waved them through before they’d even finished speaking. One of the idiots even pointed them toward the security office without assigning them an escort.

Steele stole a walkie-talkie on the way past, and nobody noticed.

“All teams in position,” God said quietly.

Green looked toward Ruxs across the lot.

Ruxs grinned before he fired two rounds in the air—aiming so the bullet would fall onto the roof—holstered his weapon and pulled the fire alarm.

The shriek exploded through the soundstage, blaring about ten seconds before crew members, actors, and personnel scattered like birds.

A commanding voice barked over the security’s radios.