by Tracy Lawson
Should she wait in her office until Atari delivered the girl? It would be more dignified, but the longer she waited, the more anxious she became, and her dignity eroded. She didn’t want anyone to know she’d found out what Kevin and Nicole were up to the other day, but with the prospect of getting Careen back dangled in front of her, she found she couldn’t care less about the surprise party. She checked the time on her phone and headed for the lobby. Kevin was already there and hurried toward her.
“Come on! Let’s go!”
She couldn’t go until Careen was in custody. “So soon? I mean, don’t we still have a few minutes?”
“No! Didn’t Garrick get ahold of you?”
Kevin’s phone pinged with an incoming text. He looked at it and swore. “We don’t have time to discuss the details now. We have to get over there before it’s too late.” He took her by the arm and hustled her out to their waiting town car.
As soon as they were settled, she asked, “What in the world is going on?”
“The real terrorist was inside the OCSD building all along. I still can’t believe it. The chemical weapons attack was an inside job.”
“What? There was never any real chemical weapons threat. Stratford made it up, remember? You reminded me just the other day.”
Kevin shook his head. “Turns out that’s not true. Garrick turned up evidence that Stratford and Trina were working together from the beginning. She knew everything. When she demanded too much power, Stratford shut her up.” He added, “There really is a poison, and Phase Three really is the antidote. Somehow, Trina’s got them both.”
“She was working with Stratford? Why didn’t I … so she really was a terrorist?”
“Looks like it. She fooled me too. Garrick’s got intel that she’s returned to the capital, and he has the QM out looking for her.”
“But where? How?”
The car pulled up to the Capitol. When the driver had helped Madalyn out, Kevin took her by the arm again and hustled her inside. When they were in the hall outside the House of Representatives chamber, he checked his phone and swore again.
“We’re too late.”
“I thought we’d ordered increased security!”
“She got past it somehow. This is the live stream from the State of the Union address.”
Madalyn grabbed the phone out of his hand and watched in horror. Trina Jacobs, looking dignified and professional, just as she had when she worked at the OCSD, stood in the center of the room and addressed the House and the Senate.
“The chemical weapons threat you heard so much about last fall was real, and Lowell Stratford’s plan was farther-reaching than anyone realized. Once he’d used CSD to bring everyone under his control, he planned to unleash the chemical weapons anywhere in the world that he believed posed a threat to our security. That, combined with a civilian army that was on a heavy dose of CSD, would have put our country firmly in control as the world’s greatest superpower.”
There was a murmur of assent from the members of Congress.
“Obviously, the man was insane. And as it turns out, we’ve got some people in the room who agree with him! I’m here to tell you that the days of complacency, complicity, and corruption are over. In a few minutes, the president will giving his final State of the Union address—but not all of you will be alive to hear how it ends.
“Some of you think it’s a fine idea to poison people. But how does it feel to know that the same toxins you’d unleash on other humans have been piped in through the ventilation system here? We have three minutes until the poison will be released.”
Everyone started yelling and jumped up from their seats.
Madalyn clutched at her throat as she watched Trina on the screen. How long can I hold my breath? If she turned and ran, could she get away in time?
“Wait!” Trina’s magnified voice boomed over the crowd. “You can’t get away in time. Your only hope is one of these.” She held up a little amber bottle.
“You stood by and let Lowell Stratford do whatever he wanted. Search your soul and be honest with yourself—if you can. Did you accidently fail the people you were elected to serve? Or did you knowingly lord your power over everyone? Did you refuse to abide by the rules and laws that apply to everyone else? Did you have plenty to eat during the food riots? Did you push to have humans drugged and microchipped so they could be controlled and kept under constant surveillance?”
Madalyn stood frozen the hallway as Trina glanced at her watch. “Okay. I could go on and on, but obviously I gotta wrap this up. The Resistance has been watching you, and you’re either on our Naughty or Nice list. There’s a bottle taped to the underside of your chair. If you’re on the Nice list, the antidote will save you. But if you’ve been too naughty, you have a placebo dose.”
The members of the legislative branch of the federal government abandoned all dignity as they overturned their chairs, jostled, and crawled over one another to claim the bottles.
Trina craned her neck and grinned as she watched them scramble. “Everyone drink up! We’ve got about fifteen seconds left.”
Madalyn went cold with horror. She’d sold the formula for the poison to that terrorist and passed it off as CSD. She had a vague sense that all this was related. She’d be responsible for what happened to the people in the next room, not some terrorist’s minions! She shoved Kevin’s phone back into his hand and burst through the double doors.
“Wait! Stop! It’s poison!”
Chapter 29
8:45 PM
Careen dashed up the stairs and burst through the door of the rooftop solarium, calling for Jaycee, but there was no reply. Night had fallen, and the huge space was cast in shadow. Could the girl be refusing to answer, sulking because she’d been left out of the meeting?
She checked every corner, hoping she’d simply curled up and fallen asleep on one of the chaises, but she was nowhere to be found.
Careen ran back down the stairs to check the library and then the gym. She was driven to speed by her mounting concern and was panting when she arrived at the basement.
Someone had been there since she and Tommy had taken target practice. The locker that Tommy said had contained Atari’s bomb-making supplies was open and empty.
Her heart pounded as she headed up the last flight of stairs. As she rounded the turn at the landing, Atari’s voice rang out.
“Oh, there you are.”
He stood several steps above her, clutching a trophy.
“Where is she? Where’s Jaycee?”
“Don’t know. Don’t care. She told me she forgot something in the car. That was the last time I saw her.”
“Then why did you tell me she was in the solarium?”
“My bad. Come on. We’ll go find her together.”
She followed him up the stairs. “Where’s Tommy?”
He turned around and lunged for her. She wobbled on the top step, and his hand closed around her left wrist. “He doesn’t figure into things anymore.”
He laughed as the light on her Link flashed even faster.
He held her arm up as he dragged her into the lobby. “Why, your heart’s going like a little bunny rabbit’s!” The rank smell of him filled her nostrils and conjured the memory of the QM interrogator who’d laughed and taunted as he’d nearly strangled her. She drew gasping, panicky breaths. Atari’s face was just inches away. “What’s the matter? Don’t you still believe the Link will protect you? Madalyn’s looking forward to seeing you again.”
Her panic turned to anger as she realized she wasn’t powerless this time. She wrenched her arm free and he fell against the sofa. He made a grab for the tablet lying there as she pulled the .22 out of her waistband and leveled it at him.
“You’re just postponing the inevitable.” He advanced on her, holding the tablet where she could see it. “Put it down, sweetheart, and come with me now, or I’ll activate the Link.”
She stood her ground. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“Of course you are. You have to. It’s part of the game.”
She glanced around the lobby.
“There’s no one to help you.” Atari’s lips curled back around his feral smile. “I think this is what Eduardo would call a Mexican standoff, and it’s just about to end.” He held his finger poised over the Activate button on the screen.
The door to Command Central opened. They both looked, and Careen cried out in horror. Tommy, hair matted with blood, sagged against the frame.
“Don’t!”
Atari’s finger touched the screen just as Careen pulled the trigger.
8:40 PM
Quadrant DC-001
Finding the OCSD building had taken Jaycee longer than she’d anticipated. It should have been easy, since it towered over all the nearby structures. Instead, she’d been confused by the traffic and the one-way streets. City driving was more difficult than driving on the country roads at home.
She parked the van with the OCSD logo on the side panel at the back of the employee parking lot, and chewed her lip as she looked out at the imposing building before her. It was something like a portal to hell, if her father was to be believed. Now that she was here, she had doubts about her plan.
She gave herself a mental shake. I can do this. Tommy and Careen and Wes all snuck into this building before. It can’t be that hard. As long as no one looked at the name or the photo on the ID badge clipped to her coveralls, she’d be just fine.
She glanced at herself in the rearview mirror and adjusted the knit cap, pulling it low over her eyes. None of her fiery red hair peeked out. Stop stalling. Just go. Whatever danger she faced now would be worth it if she could cripple the OCSD and destroy their ability to use the Link.
She swung the duffel bag onto her shoulder as she headed across the lot, swiped the ID card at the employee entrance, and the guard on duty at the security stand waved her through. Thick carpeting muffled her footsteps, and she tried not to stare as she crossed the expansive lobby. She wished she had time to climb the curving staircase to see what everything looked like from the balcony above the lobby. I might be one of the last people to ever visit here. It’s an awfully pretty place, maybe the prettiest I’ve ever seen, but what they do here is bad. They’ve done bad things to Careen and Wes, and now to me. I’ll be the one who puts an end to it.
She found the elevator and studied the directory before she pushed one of the buttons. The director’s suite was the perfect place to begin the end of the OCSD. But when she peeked around the corner, she saw a woman at a desk in the outer office. She looked nice, even though she obviously worked there, and Jaycee was struck by a pang of conscience. But then she felt her resolve strengthen.
If I give a shout and let people escape, it won’t fix the problem. She headed back to the elevator.
8:38 PM
Madalyn skidded to an undignified halt in the center of House of Representatives chamber. It looked nothing like the scene she’d witnessed on Kevin’s phone. The room was in perfect order, each member of Congress in their seat, though a few of the representatives jumped to their feet and applauded when she came in. She looked around in confusion. “Where is she? Where’s Trina Jacobs? There’s no surprise party ….” The applause stopped, and everyone sat, as confused as she.
“I’m right here.”
Trina made her way through the rows of seats until she faced Madalyn across the open floor. Madalyn looked around wildly. “Bailiff! Arrest this woman at once!” No one moved.
Trina took another step to close the distance between them. “Don’t you have something you’d like to confess?”
“I could ask you the same thing.”
Trina grinned like she was having the time of her life. “Why don’t you go first?”
Madalyn, cornered, cried, “I don’t want a surprise party. I’m not turning forty! I’m only going to be thirty-six!”
Someone in the seats guffawed.
Trina turned and pointed to acknowledge the man who had laughed. “Okay, Madalyn. Let’s run with that. Tell us more.”
“I lied about my age and falsified my records so I could go straight to law school.”
Some of her audience burst into incredulous laughter, but angry murmurings rose above it. Madalyn’s face flamed. “What? I didn’t need college. Professor Tom Bailey thought he was teaching me a lesson when he had me kicked out of law school. But I found that academic credentials and honesty don’t matter in the real world. Isn’t this proof? I’m the director of the OCSD, and I’m only thirty-five.”
Trina advanced on her, flashing the amber bottle she held in her hand. Madalyn tried to dodge, but Trina caught her by the arm. “Relax. It’s the same formula you gave me.” Then she spoke to the room. “That certainly explains a few things, but it’s not the confession I had in mind. What else will we find out about you when the Link is activated?”
Madalyn tossed her head and tried to pull free. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re the wanted criminal.”
“Who killed Lowell Stratford?”
“You did! Everyone knows that. It happened on live television!”
“Not everyone believes it’s true.” Hoyt Garrick moved to the center of the floor. “Where did you get the poison?”
Madalyn looked at Trina as though expecting her to answer. When Trina remained silent, Madalyn pointed a shaking finger at her. “Trina made it.”
Trina laughed. “I would have destroyed that experimental batch of antidote if Stratford hadn’t locked me up. You found it in the refrigerator in my lab and used it to poison Lowell, didn’t you?”
“I didn’t mean to poison him!” Madalyn bit her lip, and Trina gripped her arm harder.
“Who then?”
Madalyn’s glance flicked to where President Christopher Wright stood at the podium.
Garrick stepped forward and reached for Madalyn’s other arm, but Trina gave him the antidote bottle and then signaled for him to wait.
“Madalyn has something to say to me and to Careen Catecher. Don’t you, Madalyn?”
Madalyn looked around for some means of escape. Kevin stood in front of the nearest door, arms folded, grinning from ear to ear. She tried to wrench free again, but Trina hung on, slapped her across the face, and shook her by the shoulders.
“I want an apology in front of God and everyone. Now!”
Madalyn tossed back her tumbled hair. Her chest heaved with unvented fury and humiliation. Garrick unscrewed the lid on the antidote bottle, but Trina shook her head.
“It doesn’t count if she’s dosed.”
“Fine!” Madalyn spat out the word. “I’m sorry. Okay?”
Garrick took over and fastened on handcuffs. “Madalyn Davies, you’re under arrest for the murder of Lowell Stratford and the attempted assassination of the president of the United States, and for high treason for aiding a suspected terrorist organization. You have the right to remain silent … oh, wait. Criminals don’t have Miranda Rights anymore, do they? I’m looking forward to hearing the details of your confession.”
A smattering of applause echoed through the chamber as he led her toward the door.
Relief showed on President Wright’s face as he called the room to order. “Members of Congress, I realize it’s unusual to ask you to respond on such short notice, but in light of recent events, I ask you to attend to this matter immediately, as it’s within my capacity to recommend measures that I deem necessary and expedient.
“Now, about that vote to reduce the power of the Office of Civilian Safety and Defense …”
Chapter 30
8:50 PM
Quadrant DC-005
The gun blast that echoed in the lobby was louder than any of Atari’s video games. Careen stared down at the red stain blossoming on Atari’s shirt.
Tommy limped toward her, and she could hardly hear her own words as she shouted, “Is he dead?”
Atari groaned and clutched at his shoulder. “I totally did not see that coming!�
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Tommy looked down at him. “Nope. Not dead.”
“Are you all right?” Careen asked Tommy, the gun still pointed at Atari.
“More or less. He smashed my knee pretty good.”
“Your knee? What about your head? You’re bleeding an awful lot.”
Atari groaned. “I’m bleeding an awful lot, you stupid girl!” He tried to sit up and fell back, clutching his shoulder. “Help me!”
She shook her head. “Where’s Jaycee?”
“She told me she forgot something in the car. I put her on the elevator, and that was the last I saw of her.”
“You let her leave?”
“No. Maybe? Ow! Jeez, it hurts so much I can’t even think.”
“Where would she have gone?” Tommy shouted to Careen.
“Stop yelling, both of you! We can track her.” Atari winced as he raised his arm to tap his left wrist. “She’s in the club.”
“Oh, shit. She’s Linked?” Tommy turned to Careen. “No wonder she wanted to talk to you.” He looked down at Atari. “How much time do we have before the QM starts hunting people down?”
“I don’t know. It’s not like anyone said, ‘On your mark, get set, go!’ The QM has had a training sim running on their hand scanners for about a week. Now it will switch over, and at some point, they’ll realize it.”
Careen handed Tommy the gun and dashed down the hall, returning a few moments later with the getaway bag they’d packed and two heavy winter coats. “The disguises could help for a while.”
“My gun’s under the desk in Command Central. Can you please get it?” She hurried off again, and Tommy kept the .22 pointed at Atari as he reached for the man’s throat. Atari cowered and tried to fight him off, but Tommy’s fingers closed on the chain around Atari’s neck and liberated the elevator key with a single tug.
Careen reappeared, took shelter outside the open doorway, and opened fire on the computer equipment in Command Central. Sparks flew as she emptied the magazine. Atari covered his head with his good arm and writhed on the floor.