Chasing a Familiar Shadow

by Aman Gupta

“Who are you, and why are you following me?” asked Vik.

  Chapter 15: Execution

  The woman repeatedly tapped on Vik’s hands when he tightened his sleep hold on her neck. He let go a little, allowing the woman to breathe. She smelled familiar.

  “It’s me,” coughed the woman.

  “Emma?” said Vik.

  He let go completely. Emma tried to catch her breath.

  “You almost killed me,” said Emma.

  “What are you doing here?” asked Vik. “Why are you following me?”

  “I thought you would need my help wherever you’re going,” said Emma.

  “So you followed me from the station?” asked Vik.

  “What? No…umm...From your house,” said Emma. “But yeah, I did drop by your house and saw you leaving. So I followed you.”

  “Why? I don’t need your help,” said Vik as he got up. He helped Emma get on her feet too.

  “Where’s your car?” asked Emma.

  “I’ve hidden it behind the bushes,” said Vik.

  “Are you sure? Those tire marks suggest you applied emergency brakes,” said Emma.

  “There’s no point arguing with a mechanic. Yeah, I crashed, so I’m headed back,” said Vik.

  “I could give you a lift,” said Emma.

  Vik thought about it for a minute.

  “Fine. Turn the car around,” said Vik.

  “I meant I could give you a lift to the place where you were headed to,” said Emma.

  “No, thanks,” said Vik.

  “If you’re saying this because you don’t want me to be a distraction, then don’t worry. I’ll drop you off and leave. No questions asked,” said Emma.

  “Why?” asked Vik.

  “I know this is about Katie, and I know what it means to lose your family. I couldn’t save my sister, but if I can help you save your daughter, it will help me breathe a little. I know you don’t need me around for the fight, so I would be glad if I could take you to the destination,” said Emma.

  Vik was hesitant to take her assistance. Somewhere, in his heart, he knew Emma wouldn’t leave when they would reach TS – 17. It was a huge risk, but he didn’t know how long they would wait for him to show up. He didn’t have Joey’s part of the puzzle, so he couldn’t afford to lose any time. Reluctantly, he agreed.

  “Great,” said Emma.

  Vik went towards her car. “Stop smiling.”

  “I’m not,” said Emma, simpering.

  He put the bag in the backseat. They drove towards their destination. He didn’t tell her where they were going, rather just told her the next checkpoint, which was Eldora Town in Fedric County.

  After an hour of silence, Emma finally gave in and asked him to tell her everything. Vik kept quiet. She let it go and continued driving forward. A few minutes later, he looked at her and saw she looked like she was on a mission to help him, even though it wasn’t her fight.

  “The clues I got from you, Kate, Eric, and Emily, suggests that they are holding her somewhere in TS – 17 East,” said Vik.

  “17?” said Emma.

  “Yeah, that’s where we are going. So if you want to turn back, now’s the time,” said Vik.

  Emma decelerated the car for a couple of seconds, before accelerating again.

  “You got a location?” asked Emma.

  “I think so. I could be wrong, but it’s the only lead I have,” said Vik.

  “How will we get in TS – 17?” asked Emma.

  “We aren’t. I am. TS – 17 East isn’t as developed as West. Most of the area is covered with forests or rather used to be. We’ll find an opening in the fence, and I’ll go in, while you will head back. Just like you promised,” said Vik.

  Emma didn’t utter a word. Vik was concerned about what the silence presaged.

  They reached the town in the morning, where they had their breakfast after Vik could hear Emma’s stomach talking to him in Latin. Morrow and Fedric were two of the seventeen counties in the region that had formed a pact about a common currency. Some of those counties weren’t in the same state as Morrow. Not that any county went by a state or a district anymore. Each had their identity. There were 2700 habitable counties left in the country, as per a census by an independent organization. A county with a population of 2 or more was considered habitable. The data was considered inaccurate by many, but Anthony Arnold believed in it when he told Vik about it. Anthony Arnold often stressed about taking New Frontier to the pinnacle of luxury, Vik remembered.

  After their breakfast and a quick pit stop at the gas station, they headed towards TS – 17. As they passed through the boundaries of Fedric County, they could feel that the air smelled different, the fields looked darker, and the winds sounded different. Vik would ask Emma to slow down the car whenever they could spot a turn. They were driving blindly, as the roads weren’t marked anymore. He only had a guideline in terms of the general direction that they needed to take. Beyond the fields, they could see a fence line. They realized they were near TS – 18. The fence line was irregular and inconsistent. TS – 18 didn’t care if people got inside. Perhaps, it made it more dangerous, Emma thought.

  Driving around for another twenty miles, the roads became narrower and tattered. They couldn’t go over 10 miles an hour, even on a good straight stretch.

  As they climbed up a small hill, one bend at a time, they could see human-made structures inside TS – 18. Emma stopped the car and got out when they reached the top. She had never been on the other side of the fence. Neither had Vik in his current persona. She could spot huts, cottages, and buildings. It was almost 5 miles away, yet her face was glittering like she had discovered an alien world. Vik took out the binoculars from his bag and tossed it to her.

  Initially hesitant to break the mirage of that other world, she couldn’t resist anymore. She zoomed in to spot human beings. After looking at different spots, she found a group of them. Vik could see her smiling, while the binoculars covered her eyes. He was in a hurry to leave but decided to let her have these moments.

  “Makes you wonder why these fences were created,” said Emma.

  “To lock down the concept of true freedom,” said Vik. “It was too precious to share.”

  “I don’t remember our world being free,” said Emma.

  “Not ours. Theirs,” said Vik.

  Emma removed the binoculars glued to her eyes and looked at him. She could notice a strange expression that she had never seen him wear. It looked like gratification.

  “Perhaps all the traitors beyond the fence have died as I can’t find anyone worthy of that title,” said Emma.

  “Neither could them when they castigated the people who drew the lines and raised the fences,” said Vik.

  “History would have us remember Clifford as the greatest President ever for stopping Simmelman,” said Emma, giving back the binoculars.

  She walked back to the car.

  “History never remembers the absolute truth. Only a version of events,” said Vik.

  “What’s the absolute truth?” asked Emma.

  “What makes you think people are ready to hear it now when they weren’t all those years ago?” remarked Vik as he got in the car.

  ****************************************************************************

  Victor was having his lunch when he received a call from Dr. Adam Rakter, who was in charge of Sierra. He told Victor that they had successfully developed a prototype as per Victor’s specifications and were ready to put it in action. Victor told him that there was a change in plan and told him to standby for deployment news. In the middle of the conversation, Sarah walked in, and Victor hung up the phone when he saw her.

  “Who was that?” asked Sarah.

  “Someone who’s working for me,” said Victor.

  “So could be anyone,” remarked Sarah.

  “What brings you here?” asked Victor.

  “Nothing,” said Sarah.

  “Has the husband settled in?” asked Victor. />
  “Yeah. He likes it very much. He called yesterday to tell me he would be visiting soon,” said Sarah.

  “Does he know why we’ve sent him there?” asked Victor.

  “No, because we haven’t. I simply said yes when he proposed the case,” said Sarah. “As you wanted.”

  “He is not the smartest one you’ve married,” said Victor.

  “Speaking of my husband, have you heard about Jay?” asked Sarah.

  “Why?” asked Victor.

  “Just curious. I still don’t know why you won’t let me kill him,” said Sarah. “You’ve got the chip.”

  “No, I haven’t. He outplayed us. It was a fake,” said Victor.

  Sarah was stunned. Victor noticed that but wasn’t surprised. She had never faced Jay on a battlefield, he thought.

  “How is that possible?” asked Sarah.

  “Olivia betrayed us for him,” said Victor. “Though she didn’t know about us per se.”

  “That bitch!” said Sarah. “I knew we shouldn’t have trusted her.”

  “She wasn’t alone. Anthony wasn’t completely honest with me too. That’s what happens when you have a lot of variables. The outcomes surpass your imagination. But now Vik can’t trick me anymore,” said Victor.

  “That’s why you haven’t approached him directly. You need the chip. Thank God, they are only two, and we got one,” said Sarah.

  Victor didn’t correct her. Only three people remained in the world who knew about the three chips, once Anthony died. They were a failsafe in case Josh went rogue. Initially, Jay had planned to create only two of them – for himself and Victor, but Anthony Arnold forced Victor’s hand. Victor knew that Jay was lying when he told him that the chips only had an overriding function, but didn’t question Jay. Jay had the ears of both Josh and the President, and was calling the shots in agreement with the President, which had put Victor on alert about the potential threat of Jay turning against him. He had later learnt that Jay had no intention of overthrowing Victor.

  Sarah left the room when Anton entered and asked to speak to Victor alone.

  “What’s wrong?” asked Victor.

  “I have received word on good authority that he has gotten all the clues and might be planning to leave Morrow tonight,” said Anton. “He should reach by tomorrow.”

  “Good. All preparations are done?” asked Victor. “Remember, chip first.”

  “Yes. We’ve occupied every corner in West,” said Anton.

  “What about the contingency?” asked Victor.

  “Vicky is laying low too. My men tell me she hasn’t left the house she was last seen staying in,” said Anton.

  “Pay her a visit tonight. Just in case,” said Victor.

  “Okay,” said Anton.

  “Are the towers up?” asked Victor.

  “Not completely. They still need the numbers to track,” said Anton.

  “Good thing he doesn’t have many friends,” said Victor.

  Anton smiled. Victor took a sip of his drink.

  As Anton left, Victor sat back in his chair, anxious and excited. He could feel the rush in his veins. He expected Vik to bring the chip. He had no qualms about Vik’s love for his daughter, which almost mirrored Sarah’s. Perhaps, that was the main reason he didn’t tell her about Katie. She would never allow her daughter to be used as bait, but Victor needed Katie to reel in Jay and harness his potential for stimulating destruction.

  A few hours later, Anton was visibly scared when he approached Victor, who was drinking wine while reading a book about anarchy, in the study. Victor looked up at Anton and immediately knew something was wrong.

  “What happened now?” asked Victor, condescendingly.

  “Vicky. She’s..,” said Anton.

  “Let me guess. Not living in that house,” said Victor.

  “The house blew up when we entered. How did you know?” said Anton.

  “Because I wasn’t born yesterday,” said Victor.

  “My men are looking for her everywhere,” said Anton. “We’ll find her.”

  “What were the odds of you finding that wonderful wine cellar a year ago while raiding a home in TS - 109?” asked Victor.

  “I don’t understand,” said Anton.

  “A million to 1. Maybe worse. But still better than the odds of an 11 year old disappearing without leaving a trace, from a highly secured facility guarded by a hundred armed mercenaries in TS - 17, a place she has never seen before. However, those odds change drastically if she has a partner who knows the place like the back of her hand and has unlimited access to the facility,” said Victor.

  “You mean Vicky knows where Katie is?” asked Anton. “Why would she do that?”

  “Why indeed?” said Victor. “It’s no coincidence that she chose to leave today of all days. She’s the only one apart from us who knows that Vik’s deadline expires in the next two days.”

  “But why risk it?” asked Anton. “She could’ve stayed hidden. She knows Vik is coming here, so if she plans to take Katie to her father, West is the place to be.”

  “Unless…” said Victor.

  “Unless what?” asked Anton.

  “Call off the search for Katie. Concentrate on Vicky. Find Vicky, and you’ll find Katie. I need both of them alive, especially Katie,” said Victor. “Spread the search.”

  “We’re already looking for her,” said Anton. “We’re covering all exits and the entire fence line.”

  “She’s not going outside, you idiot. I need every inch of the 50 square miles of 17 East to be scanned,” shouted Victor.

  “Understood,” said Anton as he walked out with a radio in his hand.

  He left the mansion and headed to the camp. He gathered the remaining force, numbering a little over a hundred, and instructed them to head to TS – 17 East on foot, covering every path that leads to it. He divided them into various teams and allocated sectors. When the men left, Anton received a call from his informant that they had spotted Vik leaving Morrow. Anton relayed it to Victor, who smiled when he heard the news.

  ***************************************************************************

  It was 7 PM. The sky was dark, the winds were rough, and the roads were unforgiving. Vik and Emma were driving outside TS – 17 for the last half hour, their car crawling at a speed of 5 miles per hour. The headlights were the only source of light that gave an element of comfort to Emma. Vik was focused on finding an opening in the fence. As per the decade old satellite images stored in the GPS device with him, they were inching closer to the area which was nearest to the coordinates that Vik had with him. The device wasn’t capable of detecting the current location, so Vik knew he would have to track his miles on foot by experience. In the vast wilderness ahead of him, it would be extremely easy to lose your sense of direction. He hoped that the stars and the Moon would help him.

  “This is as closest I can be,” said Vik. “Stop the car.”

  Emma applied the brakes. Vik got out of the car and grabbed his bag from the backseat. Emma got out of the car too. He approached the fence, and Emma followed him. The fence was around 10 feet high, covered with barbed wire. The fence looked like it was made of steel but wasn’t. He noticed red lights spaced evenly on top of the fence, as far as he could see on either side. TS – 17 wasn’t as lenient with their fences as TS – 18, he thought. The area was supposed to be silent, yet he could hear a certain buzzing sound every few seconds through the fence. Emma headed back to the car, took out bolt cutters from the car’s boot, and returned to Vik. He saw she was holding a bag in her hand as if she was ready to go on the other side.

  “What are you doing?” asked Vik. “You promised you would return to Morrow.”

  “I changed my mind,” said Emma.

  “Just leave please,” said Vik, and grabbed her arm.

  He took her back to the car and threw her on the bonnet. He was trying to hold back the pain. But he knew Emma was smart enough to see through his ruse.

  “Let go
, please. You’re hurting me,” said Emma.

  “And you’re hurting me,” said Vik. “My mission, my rules. You’re not coming.”

  “No, I’m coming,” said Emma.

  He took out a gun from his bag and pointed it at Emma. Emma walked back towards the fence, shook her head, and ran to the fence line.

  “Stop!” shouted Vik.

  He ran after her and pulled her back only away a foot from the fence, both of them falling on the ground. She tried to get up, but he held her down.

  “What do you think you’re doing? You’re going to die,” said Vik.

  “No, I’m not. You need me on the other side of the fence,” said Emma.

  “If I hadn’t stopped you, you wouldn’t have made it on the other side,” said Vik.

  “What are you talking about?” asked Emma.

  “Shh...Listen,” said Vik.

  He let her go as they listened for a sound with which Vik was too familiar.

  “I don’t hear anything,” said Emma, after a few seconds.

  Vik grabbed a rock and threw it at the fence. A spark, originating at that spot, travelled through the fence before dissipating few yards away.

  “What is that?” asked Emma. “An electrified fence?”

  “Something like that. I’ve heard of this stuff. It’s some sort of self-sustaining magnetized plasma,” said Vik.

  “Where did you hear about it?” asked Emma.

  “A company that Verati was competing against, back in the day, made it and sold it to all TS colonies before it went under,” said Vik.

  “Went under?” asked Emma.

  “The best euphemism I could think of,” said Vik. “Anthony Arnold created a compound that rendered this material’s properties useless before taking out the leadership of the firm.”

  “Anthony killed them?” asked Emma.

  “No, of course not,” said Vik.

  Emma breathed a sigh of relief.

  “He hired people for that,” completed Vik, before getting up. “Like he hired Jenna.”

  Emma stood up too. Vik was monitoring the fence for a weakness, but couldn’t find one.

  “How do we get across?” asked Emma.

  “There’s no we. I’m going alone,” said Vik.