The New James Bond (ON HOLD)

Chapter 1: Just Another Job

Just another job, I thought, as I slowly paced down the darkened hallway. That’s all this is. Just another job.

My body begged to differ. My breathing became hushed in an attempt to become silent. My heartbeat seemed to slow to the speed of my steps. It was as if the world around me were moving in slow motion. However, since I was the only thing moving, the word around me moved in fast-forward as well.

My senses went into overdrive. Touch became radar, as my hands were feeling for any vibrations along the wall. Hearing became sonar, listening for any sounds that I didn’t make. I found nothing threatening so far.

The power was cut off by other operatives earlier in the mission, so the area was very dark. Dim emergency lights were on, adding an element of eeriness to the place. The bodies of hostiles I took down that were strewn all over the place didn’t help lighten the atmosphere.

My guard was higher now than it was during the heat of combat. It all felt…too easy. There was no way something so well-protected could fall so fast.

“Too easy” is the key to the gates of hell, I thought.

The fight to the vault was intense, but I had advantages almost no one else had. Still, it took as much effort and planning as several US government installations we raided. That was a promising sign. It meant that there was at least something here worth fighting for.

My objective waited inside the vault, a prize sought after by many organizations. What made it so desirable was what it could be used for. I was informed that it was a vital component in the process that made me what I was today. My organization declared that having it end up in the hands of either the criminal underworld or radical terrorists was unacceptable.

The door to the vault had a three-part lock: retinal scan, fingerprint scan, and keycode. They were all active, suggesting that they were also powered by the generator that kept the emergency lights on.

I didn’t want to run the risk of triggering some hidden security system. I did the only thing I could think of: call for help.

“Agent 8B14 to SitComm”, I said. “I have reached Vault 72. Need tech support to crack.”

“SitComm responding. What do you need, mini-Bond?”

I couldn’t help but laugh a little on the inside. So he was the tech support again? The guy was more like an older brother than anything.

“Three keys. Eye, finger, number. Need a bypass…wait”, I answered. I was examining the lock as I was talking and felt something along the bottom edge. It felt like…a slot.

“There’s another keyhole. Looks like I need a credit card. Any suggestions?”

“Yes. Take the blank card left with you and slide it. When it fails, put it back in your pocket for five seconds.”

I did as instructed. My very active imagination already had a few ideas as to what the point of this was.

“Hm…interesting. Not the most difficult lock, but definitely different.”

“We can worry about that later. First, I need to get it out of here.”

“Slide the card again.”

As I did, I heard the gears of the vault door turning. That card somehow bypassed the entire lock.

In case anyone waited inside, I used the slowly opening door for cover.

That’s a really bad design flaw, I thought. It was as if whoever built it wanted the safe cracked.

“The vault door’s opening! Take your positions, and shoot anything that pops in front of you”, said an authoritative voice inside the vault.