by Peter Hoole
Catherine told Larissa about the source, and the serum, and about the path they were all on.
Initially, Larissa was apprehensive, particularly regarding the means through which they would achieve their goals.
A lot of people needed to die.
But such was the glory and potential of the end result, Larissa’s initial fears dissipated.
But not completely.
While she believed in the plan, and was truly looking forward to the gift she would be given, Larissa had never quite come to terms with the fact that it may be she that had to do the killing.
And after Seattle, Larissa had felt a great sense of relief that she would not have to have any blood on her hands.
That is why she was surprised by the call.
“What do you need me to do?” Larissa asked her mentor, feeling she was now being called upon.
“I need you to grab your things, and take the Shark south.”
“Very well.” replied Larissa, not wanting to let Catherin down, “Where am I going?”
“You’re going to Zone Fourteen.”
Zone Fourteen related to the Northern part of South America. From what Larissa had learned in her training, her target could be in any country north of Paraguay.
“No problem.” Larissa replied, “Anywhere in particular.”
“It will be sent to your tablet. Call me when you’re on the way.”
With that, Catherine hung up the phone.
Larissa let out a great sigh.
Once she regained her composure, she picked up her already-packed bag, and made her way out of the apartment.
Chapter Sixteen
“I guess I was one of the lucky ones...” Murphy began, “I was born into the group. There was no initiation for me, no need to pass any tests. I was born, and I was in. I’d heard stories. Stories of what some of the new members had to go through to prove themselves. I always thought that... that they needed to prove themselves to us.”
Caleb was listening intently. He wanted to understand the depths of his colleague’s intent, and, more importantly, how much she knew. The more he could find out, the more confident he would be that they could stop the Colonials.
Murphy continued, “William was one of those people. But he was… different. He was so keen to prove he was worthy to the cause that he would do anything he was ask… I mean anything. I still remember the day… the day I lost faith in the group.”
Murphy paused.
“It was a day that started as any other. I was wandering the facility as I often did, trying to learn as much as I could about the group. At the time, it was to help the cause, so one day I could help my father to achieve his goals. I was walking towards his office. As I approached, I could hear him talking to someone. The voice was familiar – it was Zach, probably the most senior person aside from my father. They were discussing the progression of the plan. You see, up until then I thought we would one day join the rest of the world, to guide them to creating a better world. But what I heard that day… it changed me.”
Murphy paused again, as though recalling a bad memory.
“Changed you how?” asked Caleb, not wanting to lose any momentum.
“I heard what they planned to do...” Murphy continued, “Not in its entirety… but I heard enough.”
“What did you hear?” asked Darcy.
“They were discussing the next phase of the plan. At that time, I was aware of the first part. It was the preparation phase. Strengthening the group, building the colonies. It was a great time to be part of the group. We made great technological and social strides. We were able to help people live again, and provide a focus for their lives. Many of the people, like William, were killed or died through natural causes. Most of them had immense potential, and we were able to help them realise it. We were all able to work together to build a better world, to build a world the rest of humanity could look to for inspiration. But then… then I heard what my father’s real plan was. He and Zach were discussing the third Phase of their plan. What I once believed was a noble plan was in fact a nightmare. They called it ‘Ascension’ at the time, but it was just the next part of the plan – Phase Three. They wanted to wipe everyone out. Every person that did not fit in with their ideals.”
“This much we’ve heard before,” interrupted Dunleavy, “Tell us something we don’t know.”
“I really wish I could tell you more, but I couldn’t stay in the colony any more. I should have stayed and learned more.”
“So what did you do?”
“I grabbed a tablet, and downloaded as much as I could. Unfortunately, I was interrupted, and was only able to gather so much. I left Haven, and hid the tablet in a small house about ten miles away.”
“So what happened next?” asked Caleb, trying to refocus his lieutenant.
“I knew I couldn’t just leave. If I had run, they would have pursued me. It took some planning, but I knew I had to make them think I was dead.”
“And how did you do that?”
“Getting away from Haven was easy. I spoke with my father and requested to go on a scouting mission. It was something I had done before, and I had helped recruit some people in the past. It was not difficult to get away. But, this time he insisted on accompanying me. I wasn’t sure why, but it eventually became clear.”
Darcy continued to console Murphy as she spoke, recognising the difficulty with which she was now talking.
“We made it to Sydney. According to my father, we had a prospect in the area that had tested well, but was on a downward path. They were bright, but a family incident years earlier had turned them to drugs. After observing people for so many years, it was easier to see patterns… patterns that would eventually lead to death.”
Murphy paused again, but continued a few moments later, “We found the prospect on a cliff on the coast just north of Sydney. They were, as many people previously, about to jump… to end it all. My father and I approached, and I expected him to begin talking to the prospect. But this time was different. Rather than talking the prospect away from the cliff, my father pushed him.”
Caleb and Darcy let out a gasp. They knew James was callous, but Caleb always anticipated he would keep his hands clean.
“After he pushed them, my father grabbed me, and pulled me to the edge. It was quick, so quick I couldn’t do anything to stop it. He spun me around, facing the Pacific. Just before he pushed, he whispered in my ear ‘I’m so disappointed. You broke my heart.’”
Murphy allowed a single tear to fall down her face. Again Darcy comforted the normally strong willed Lieutenant.
After regaining her composure, Murphy continued, “It was the last time I saw my father… until yesterday.”
“Jesus.” Dunleavy explained. It seemed even the hardened CIA man was affected by Murphy’s story.
Caleb stood and reflected on Murphy’s story. He felt for her – something he didn’t think he would a few hours earlier. Earlier, he had been convinced she could not be trusted. But now it was plain to see that she was invested in stopping the Colonials as much as the rest of them.
“So what happened next?” Darcy asked, her journalistic compulsions kicking in.
Murphy turned to Darcy, addressing her directly.
“After I fell... I hit the water hard. Fortunately, the waves were timed to perfection. As I hit the water, the crest of a wave formed, cushioning my fall. Don’t get me wrong, it still hurt, and I felt a few of my bones break with the impact. But... I had just had a new injection of the source the previous day, and that is when it is at its strongest. The Source sustained me for several hours, and I was able to sort of hibernate beneath the water. I have no idea how much time passed, but when I came too... I went to the surface, and there was no one there. I would have thought my father would be more careful... But for some reason he wasn’t.”
“He probably wanted to keep it a secret.” Darcy suggested, “He couldn’t really go back to his people and tell them he killed you
. Not if he wanted to keep their loyalty.”
“I’m sure that’s it.” Murphy concurred, “Anyway, after I got out of the water, I made my way back toward Haven. It was a slow journey. I had to stay off the main roads, for fear of being spotted by any Colonials. After a several days walking and trekking through the bush and across farmland, I was able to make it back to the house in which I’d hidden the tablet.”
“And that’s when you contacted me?” asked Dunleavy.
“Not quite. You see... I thought I could do something myself. And for a time, I could. The major problem was that I was only able to download pieces of information. I was able to get locations of facilities... or rather... outposts throughout Australia. Using a drop box I found on the tablet, I was able to get some cash. With that I bought a car, and clothes. I lived out of that crappy Mazda for a year or so, making my way to the various outposts, tailing some of the people listed. After time though, I realised I would need some help.”
“So that’s when you contacted me?” asked a persistent Dunleavy.
“It was around about then. But before that, I did my research. At one of the outposts I was able to access some of the data we acquired from the annual aptitude tests we did. These tests were able to identify who would be a likely prospect for the Colonials.”
“Wait a sec... just hold on.” Dunleavy said, sounding sceptical, “We did those tests. We had the details.”
“Mike,” Murphy said, using his first name for the first time, “Where do you think you got them from? Whose idea do you think it was?”
Dunleavy was silent, simply shaking his head.
Before he could answer, Murphy continued, “The Colonials... they are everywhere. All the information you have, they have. Do you think they could have accomplished all they have without being part of the outside world? They had to be involved with outsiders. Only specially trained agents were tasked with such a thing, and they were good. They were trained to fit right in, and not be noticed. That way, they could use not only the resources of the Colonies, but of the intelligence and government agencies across the world.”
“Shit.” Dunleavy exclaimed.
Caleb shared his sentiments. While he figured the Colonials had infiltrated the world, he had no idea it was to this extent.
“So, using the information the Colonials extracted from high-school students, I was able to identify those who could help me take them down.”
“You mean Caleb?” asked Darcy.
“Yes. I mean Caleb.” Murphy replied, “But not just Caleb. There were others. But once he was in the Marines, it was clear he had both the aptitude and the willingness to help. And that’s when I contacted you Mike. It was time to start sowing the seeds. For the first few communications, it was about gaining your trust. From there... well... you all know the rest.”
The room was silent. Hey were all contemplating the magnitude of what Murphy had been saying. She was truly behind what had happened – Dunleavy had confirmed as much.
But there was one thing that Caleb didn’t understand.
“OK. I believe you.” He began, “But there is one thing I don’t really get.”
“What’s that?” asked Murphy.
“I know you put some planning in, but you’ve left a lot up to chance. How did you know I’d choose you to be on my team? To be honest, it was a close call between you and a couple of others.”
Murphy considered her answer.
“I know it was a risk. But, to be honest, I think it really just came down to luck. I made sure you noticed me. Noticed what I could do. From there, I was banking on you making the right call.”
Caleb just shook his head, “You seem to be leaving a lot up to chance... and luck.”
“Cap,” Murphy began, “We’re gonna need all the luck we can get.”
“Were gonna need a shit load more than luck.” Dunleavy spoke up again.
“No shit, Mike.” Darcy replied.
She had been listening intently to the Murphy’s story, trying to pick up as much as she could. As a reporter, Darcy knew it was often what a person didn’t say that told her the most.
Right now, they could leave nothing unsaid, so Darcy asked a question.
“You still haven’t answered our main question Murphy.” Darcy said, “Why did William need to be killed. And Casey...” Darcy turned her attention to the Sergeant, “Why did you agree with her?”
“I’m sorry, Darc, I guess I got side-tracked.” Murphy responded, “William... he was one of the worst people I’d ever met. You saw what he did to Jane. He did that to someone he had worked alongside for a long time. He did it without even thinking.”
“Yeah... but he wasn’t an immediate threat, Casey had him covered.”
“Darcy, people like William are always a threat. He had served his purpose. It was clear that he was not going to give us any more information. Once we got to that point, Casey and I decided the time would be right to take him out.”
Darcy again turned to the Sergeant, “Casey is that right?”
Casey nodded.
“Darcy,” Murphy began again, “We can’t be soft on these people. Their only goal now is to kill as many of us as they can. To make sure that the world is inhabited only by them. We must be as ruthless as they are.”
Darcy stood up. What Murphy had said had made her angry.
She paced the floor, trying to think of the words to express what she needed.
After a few moments, she knew what she had to say.
“What if they aren’t all like that, Murphy?” Darcy asked.
The question stunned Murphy, and she seemed to search for an answer. When none came, Darcy spoke again, “Let me ask the question another way... What if there are more like you? What if there are people that don’t know what the final plan is, what the final goal is? What about them? Are we to kill them too?”
“William was not like them. He was a killer, and he would have killed us at the first chance he got. And then… then there would have been no stopping them!”
“Right now…” Caleb interrupted, trying to provide some calmness, “it doesn’t matter.”
“What do you mean it doesn’t matter?” asked Darcy, feeling a little angry with her paramour’s attitude.
“That’s not what I mean, Darc.” Caleb replied, “I mean… it’s kinda the least of what we need to be thinking about now. The whole point of us being here was to question those two.”
Caleb motioned towards the two now-dead prisoners.
“We need to figure out our next move. If we’re going to have any hope of stopping them, we need to act fast.”
“Hope?” Dunleavy asked, “What the fuck kind-of hope do we have, Jackson? Didn’t you just hear? There’s over a million of those fuckers. What hope do we have of stopping them… just the five of us??”
“You’re right, Mike…” Caleb said, a plan forming in his head, “We’re gonna need help.”
Chapter Seventeen
Deanna had been on the road for some time, most of which had been getting out of the City. As she had begun her journey, the radio switched to yet another attack – a soccer stadium in England.
The sense of dread that Deanna felt earlier had exacerbated.
She was terrified.
She was kind of grateful she had a task to focus on. She knew that if it she didn’t have focus; she would begin to panic.
Much like many of the other citizens of the city.
Across the streets, people were piling into their cars. According to the radio, most people feared being in the large cities, especially internationally significant ones like D.C. They felt they were an obvious target. As such, it seemed like most people were trying to leave.
This added to the time it would take Deanna to reach North Dakota.
But, at least she was on her way, she thought. At least the miles were getting less. While she hadn’t originally planned it, she knew she would have to find a motel in which to spend some time. She didn’t want to wa
ste too much time, but she knew rest would be required if she were to make it toe Minot in one piece.
After several hours driving, Deanna noticed a change in the pattern of the cars.
While she had been accompanied for much of her time, she was now one of maybe four other vehicles making their way on the I-76 West. As she had approached Pittsburgh, Deanna saw a lot of cars heading in the opposite direction.
This again made her question her decision to travel north. Maybe it was a better idea to run and hide.
She knew she needed to regroup, and reassess what she was doing. So she continued to drive, opting to try and find a diner in which she could gather her thoughts.
It did not take long, and she veered off the road again. However, this time it was a much more inviting view.
The diner had several cars in the parking lot. The entry and kerbside were clean and inviting.
She exited her car, but not before grabbing her laptop bag and purse from the passenger seat.
Deanna knew it was as good a time as any to check her email and contact a few friends, just to find out how they were doing.
As she entered the diner, she was pleasantly surprised. There were about a dozen booths, about four of them vacant. As she walked down the aisle, she overheard a few conversations. As she expected, they were all talking about the only subject that mattered – the attacks.
Deanna found an empty booth at the end of the aisle. As she took her seat, she looked around the area. There were two waitresses on duty, and both were glued to a small television that was set-up behind the counter.
After a minute or so, one of the waitresses looked up and acknowledged Deanna’s presence. She moved towards Deanna’s booth, her attention still partially on the television.
As she approached, she turned her full attention to Deanna, “What will it be?”
Deanna had barely time to look at the menu. But she was not hungry.
“Just a coffee, thanks.” Deanna asked.
“No problem. Decaf?”
“No thanks, better make it a strong one.” Deanna made her request, knowing she had a long drive ahead.