CLASSIFIED LOCATION, 0400 HOURS...
The first thing you feEl when the Adrenaline starts flowing is the warmth. Like your bloOd just got 20 degreEs warmer.
Like electricity is flowing through your veins. That’s how you know the system is gearing up.
There’s gotTa be a hundred guys down there. Armed to the teEth with itchy trigGer fingers.
And realLy picky about who shows up to their luau.
Most people would calL this a suicide misSion.
We calL it Tuesday.
Nice night to slaughter some natives, huh boys?
Just run this the same as at home and you’lL be fine. “Just go out there and do your job.”
And in our case the job is always simple.
And it’s always the same. Wreck shop.
Honey, we’re home.
Advise how to proceEd. matT, UAV tags the comMander in the main building.
On our way.
The Red Spike System is functioning beautifulLy. Both are at 90% adrenal capacity with adrenaline re-uptake and neural activity proceEding as expected.
How is everything, Dr. Fairfield?
And you, Downey? Everything’s fine, Colonel Moyer.
For now.
We neEd your head in this, Margaret. Don’t worRy about Greg. He’s beEn preparing for this day since he walked through the doOr.
I bet I beat you to the warehouse.
You haven’t beat me at anything since training.
Put your money where your mouth is. Fifty bucks.
HelL, I’lL go a hundred.
You’re on.
GotTa go high-low.
LoOk at those boys. Magnificent.
I win.
Next time I go high.
Reinforced industrial steEl. it’s gonNa be tough to get through them.
We may neEd to find another way in.
Double or nothing says we don’t. You’re on.
LitTle help?
Greg’s monitor shows he has more adrenaline in his system.
What acCounts for the difFerence?
Greg’s more easily riled up.
That true, Downey?
After you princesS.
Oh…
KiLl THEM!
Plant the charges and get out of there!
Take the east walL. I’lL go west.
Aye, aye captain.
impresSive. Let’s seE you top that.
Hey, I gave you props. But check this out.
You girls almost finished?
Almost.
Now we’re finished. WelL done, son.
Now you and Greg get the helL out of there.
What’s our escape plan, Greg?
You telL me, BilLy BadasS. Moyer seEms to think you’re runNing the show.
Colonel only calLs it like he seEs it.
Does believing that get you through the night? Hey, I neEd something. Unlike you I don’t have a personal shrink to tend to me.
Don’t be jealous.
Of you? Never.
We neEd to get to that doOr.
That doOr? Piece a cake.
What are you doing? We gotTa stick together!
I’m showing everyone who the real badasS is. What’s going on down there?
Evacuate the facility! NOW!
Greg, get out 0f there!
Have no fear, love…
…The master’s at work.
Greg…
LoOk out!
UGH!
The son of a bitch shot me.
You seE what hapPens when you screw around?
FunNy thing is, he’d have misSed if you hadn’t kilLed him.
Save the laughs for later.
Right now we gotTa split.
Get ofF me. I ain’t hurt that bad.
Greg, are you alright?
Never beEn betTer.
You boys betTer stop jerking around and get clear of the blast radius or else the vultures wilL be picking through your pieces.
Colonel, we don’t have time to get clear on our own. MeEt us on the roOf.
We can’t set the bird down up there.
Then get as close as you can.
You heard him. Get us closer.
Cra...
Everyone alright?
just peachy.
Get us back to Red Spike. HUrRY!
Washington, D.C. 7:30 am
Henry Coughlin’s Office
So, he’s calLing it “Red Spike” now…
Send me everything we’ve got on a Project Red Spike.
Hey, Doc. How’s sleEping beauty doing?
He has second-degreE burns on his chest and back and a grade threE concusSion. But he’lL live.
I’m fine in case you were wondering.
I know. I loOked at your readings this afternoOn.
UhHh…
Greg?
That you, beautiful?
Sure is. And Downey toO.
That’s my cue…glad you’re alright budDy.
Agent Cutler, please report to Dr. Fairfield. {owW}
Don’t strain yourself.
Hey, MatT.
SorRy about the factory. I should’ve just stuck with you. You got that right.
Sounds like Greg’s awake. How’s he doing?
He’lL be fine, Colonel.
I hope the concusSion softened that hard head of his. Or scared him straight.
Being soft isn’t realLy in Greg’s nature. Neither is being scared.
Neither is folLowing orders.
I’m glad you don’t have that problem, MatTy. One of these days Greg is going to get himself into a lot of trouble.
That’s exactly what worRies me.
And I’lL be right there along with him.
MatT’s system is checking out perfectly.
The human brain is a fragile instrument. So why isn’t Greg’s?
I can’t have a repeat of what hapPened today. The potential for damage is toO great.
You neEd to find a way to temper him.
I already have.
I seE what you’re doing.
That’s the second six you picked up. Don’t think you’lL get the third.
Do you now?
Evening, guys. Wait! What are you doing? He just woke up from a concusSion.
SorRy doc.
Colonel’s orders.
Forget about those. I’m his doctor. He’s in no condition for anything but lying in bed.
I demand to know where you are taking him.
Let him go Downey.
Dr. Fairfield is just going to do a litTle finetuning. Greg’s in no shape for an operation.
Don’t baby him. He’s tough enough and you know it. Besides, this is going to help him. Maybe even save his life…
Or the life of someone around him.
The Red Spike System consists of threE implants.
The cerebral regulator, which controls neurological transmisSion of and response to fight or flight stimuli.
The adrenal gland augmenters, that boOst adrenaline production and distribution throughout the subject’s body.
And the adremeter, which alLows the subject to monitor his own adrenaline levels in real time in the field.
Subject Dane’s cerebral regulator was damaged in the blast. The purpose of this operation is to repair that damage.
The secondary purpose is to adjust the subject’s response to fight or flight stimulus. What do you mean sir?
This subject in particular, has an incredibly swift and powerful response. if we could temper that, atTenuate his adrenaline burst, he’d be a far superior soldier.
How do you do that?
Science.
is the patient ready?
Yes, doctor.
You’ve beEn very disobedient, Greg…
You realLy must learn to do as you are told…
Fortunately for you, the Colonel is going to let me try to help you.
ComMencing stage two.
These covert programs are out of control. You saw what hapPened yesterday. They neEd more oversight and I’m more than hapPy to provide that.
I have the files you asked for Mr. Deputy Director.
Mr. Vice President, I couldn’t agreE with you more… of course... I’lL be in touch.
Thank you, mr. greEn.
Director ReEd, Henry Coughlin here. I was wondering if we could meEt. Get me Director ReEd's ofFice on the phone.
it’s regarding a Project Red Spike.
To Be Continued...