The Jagged Edge

by AJ Frazer

  “I’m not running,” yelled Sagen over the fading noise of the chopper. “I’m exhausted. Been running for too long; from the authorities and my own self-loathing. And, let’s face it, I’ve just made myself the most wanted man in history.”

  “If Biblical does as you say, you might not need to run so much as walk away. I imagine they’ll find it very difficult to track you now.”

  Sagen flashed a wistful grin. “A lack of technology won’t stop them. I’ll have hordes of bounty hunters, assassins, and law-enforcement agencies on my tail forever. Trust me, it’s no way to live.”

  “Don’t you want to see what happens? See your plans through?”

  Sagen smiled at Dominic. “Eventually, I will end up in the hands of the CIA or some other abbreviated clandestine US government unit. They will take a rather extreme and ruthless view of my interrogation.”

  Dominic paled at the thought. “You really should have gone with the others.”

  “I have to face what’s coming head-on and accept my fate. Did Jesus Christ run from the Romans? Mandela from the Apartheid government?”

  “They probably both wish they had.”

  Sagen just smiled again.

  Dominic stared hard at Sagen. “They’ll never let you go. Not ever.”

  Enlightenment, thought Dominic again. Let go of your demons. And in Sagen’s case, he had to let go of his freedom, his life and give himself to an angry, fearful demon capable of extreme evil.

  Sagen led Dominic casually toward the cattle building. The huge blue sky stretched out forever above them. The flies buzzed incessantly. Dominic flapped his hand furiously at them; Sagen barely noticed them.

  “Strange, it doesn’t seem any different. Why would it I suppose?” remarked Dominic, looking around the expansive landscape. “I should guess the cities are in turmoil right now.”

  Sagen nodded. “You know people have spent decades trying to solve the ‘climate change problem.’ What they didn’t notice was that the solution was right there in front of them the whole time. The clue is in the name—change. Biblical will give people what they need to make their changes possible.”

  Inside the building, Sagen shepherded Dominic behind a large, round supporting beam. “Hold on a moment, would you?” Sagen took a small black metal cylinder from his pocket. He flipped the cover on the end to reveal a red button and, without any fanfare, pressed it. A split second later and the building they had just left burst into flames. It wasn’t an explosion as such, just a fireball and then searing heat pumping off it.

  They both flinched, arms raised to cover their faces from the initial heat-flare, forcing them to move back further into the livestock building.

  “I have faith in humanity. People will adapt and find a new way to thrive, but in a more cohesive and considered way with the environment.”

  Dominic was struck by the polarity of Sagen and the total change in his demeanor. Barely an hour ago he had shot the best friend Dominic had in a wild fit of impatient rage. Now he was calm, reflective, philosophical. Dominic wanted to beat Sagen senseless, but his intrigue was more powerful.

  “How can you be so sure? You have taken away their foundations, their stability, everything they depend upon for normal life.”

  “That’s just it, none of it is—or rather was—normal. The way we live now has no relationship to the way we have evolved. I believe this will be mankind’s finest hour. What we do now will determine our survival and that of our planet. Look at all the climate-related pandemics we’ve endured over the years … and we still can’t get our act together. We’re like smokers who can’t kick the habit, despite knowing that we’re killing ourselves. Personal health isn’t enough to change behavior. Economic and financial suffering are far better motivators. I have done what the politicians could never do. I have created motivation on a global scale.”

  They stopped in the shade outside the building and leaned on a high timber fence rail. Dominic shook his head, his expression settled somewhere between confusion and irritation.

  “I don’t know whether to kill you or crown you, Sagen.”

  That fleeting smile again. “If only it were up to you. Do you know why I chose you, Dominic?”

  Dominic arched his eyebrows. “No. I suppose I’ve not really thought about it. I was too busy trying to get an exclusive—and then trying to stop you from ending the world.”

  Sagen chuckled before going abruptly silent. His blue eyes, which looked even more otherworldly against the tanned skin and swollen cheek, squinted. “You needed awakening, Dominic. You’re a powerful man and a natural leader, but you’ve been focused on the wrong things all your life.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “Succession, Dominic. Succession.”

  “You’ve completely lost it, haven’t you?”

  “Insanity is a matter of context and perspective,” replied Sagen, before breaking his stare. “I’ll be dead very soon. If not dead, locked in the deepest darkest hole, never to be released into daylight again. I need someone to tell the world why I did it, that it was from a place of love. Love for the Earth and humanity. I know most people won’t understand, but I need you to explain it to them and then help them to embrace it, to make the changes we need to save the Earth. You will be the Paul to my Jesus. But I need to explain some of the finer details of Biblical to you. You need to know its real purpose.”

  Dominic’s mouth hung slightly open. The arrogance of the man to compare himself to Jesus! And to think that I would be his successor? But, he was curious to know Sagen’s grand plan. “Let’s hear it then.”

  Sagen went to speak, but stopped himself, cocking his head. Dull, distant thuds of helicopter rotors came and went. Walking out from under the shade of the cattle building, they looked to the northwest horizon. In the distance, they saw four black specks rippling in the heat shimmer. They were low, and they were coming in fast.

  “Last chance to run,” said Dominic, knowing full well that Sagen was going nowhere.

  Sagen squinted at the specks above the horizon.

  “What do we do now?” asked Dominic as the helicopters thundered closer at an alarming speed.

  Sagen spun Dominic by the arm to face him. “We’re out of time, but you need to know that in seven days from now Biblical will show the world what it is truly capable of.”

  The helicopters were nearly upon them. Sagen looked up at the ominous shapes as they broke formation and split up. “Get down on the ground quickly and stay down!”

  Dominic threw himself down and watched as Sagen ran a few meters away from him before he too dropped down on the hard-packed dirt. One of the helicopters roared directly overhead. The whine of the straining turbine morphed into a thumping sound as the aircraft banked steeply and the rotors struggled for purchase. Dust kicked up all around him and he could taste it in his mouth and at the back of his nose.

  The sound of another low chopper hovering above added to the raging noise and dust. Suddenly, Dominic felt strong hands on his shoulders as his arms were pulled back down behind him and cuffed with plastic cable ties. Heaved up by two men dressed entirely in black, wearing goggles and full-face guards, he was dragged roughly to one of the helicopters.

  “My friend’s inside! He’s injured!” Dominic tried to yell above the roaring engine as they dragged him away. Twisting his neck toward one of the men holding him, he gathered his voice to yell again. “My friend! He’s in the house! He’s been shot!”

  If they heard him, they were ignoring him. Running awkwardly to the waiting chopper, which Dominic could now see was an MRH-95 Taipan, the dust stung his eyes as the downdraft obliterated everything around it. A man with an assault rifle stood at the main side door, scanning the area. As Dominic and his two captors came to the aircraft, the man lowered his weapon and got right up to Dominic’s face.

  “Dominic Elliston?” yelled the man waiting at the door.

  Dominic looked up, squinting, and nodded fervently. “Yes!
My friend is still in the house! He’s been shot!”

  The man pulled out a large black knife, which caused Dominic to push back against the soldiers holding him. The man went around behind him and cut his hands free. “OK! Get him in!” he yelled to the others.

  Dominic glanced back and saw him pressing a throat mic and yelling something. He prayed it was an order to check the house. He’d barely sat down when the side door was shut and the helicopter lifted off. The G-force dragged his stomach down to the floor. He fumbled around to find a seat belt. The roar of the twin engines was all consuming.

  A crewman handed him a set of headphones, which he managed to clamp clumsily over his ears. The ringing in his ears was now a high-pitched scream, and he felt like vomiting as adrenaline wreaked havoc with his nervous system. There were four of them in the back of the Taipan and no one spoke; they just looked out the window or at the floor. Dominic couldn’t face asking where they were headed, he just breathed deeply, swallowing down the puke in his throat, and concentrated on breathing.

  “Mr. Elliston,” came a voice through the headphones.

  Hands shaking, Dominic positioned the mic closer to his mouth. “Yes,” he said rather weakly.

  “Sir, we’re en route to HMAS Canberra, which is stationed about three hundred kilometers north of Broome. Flight time just under three hours. Do you need water, sir?”

  Dominic was suddenly aware of the film of dust that filled his mouth. “Yes.”

  He pushed back on the seat and looked down at his shirt and pants, which were now covered in red dirt and sweat. One of the men behind handed him a plastic bottle of water. Dominic tore off the lid and downed the contents in one go. He rested his head back against the wall between them and the engines, the vibrations permeating every part of his body.

  “Did you get Dax? The man in the homestead, he’d been injured.”

  The man beside him who had cut loose his zip ties, twisted to face Dominic. “We got him. He’s going to be fine. He’ll be coming to the Canberra. The medics are prepped and will treat him as soon as he arrives.”

  Dominic exhaled. “Thank you. So, what’s happened out there? How bad is it?”

  “We’re not at liberty to discuss. You’ll be debriefed accordingly on the ship.”

  Dominic nodded. Looking forward he saw the copilot manhandling a large paper map and laying a compass on it. “Are they navigating with a map?” he asked, pointing to the cockpit.

  “That’s affirmative, sir.”

  Dominic mouthed, “Jesus,” as he stared ahead and took it in. Biblical had already taken out military navigation systems.

  “Where’s Sagen?”

  “You don’t need to worry about him, sir. He’s in our custody, heading to the ship.”

  Dominic saw the copilot flipping the paper map again and studying it closely.

  “Who are you with?” Dominic asked the man.

  “We’re TAG West.”

  “TAG?”

  “Tactical Assault Group. Anti-terrorism unit, stationed in Perth. We were on a training exercise with the Canberra when we got a call-up.”

  “But you’re military, not police?”

  “Yeah, we’re all SAS. We just rotated into TAG.”

  “Right. Well I can add that to the resume—rescued by the SAS.”

  “We should get T-shirts printed with that,” joked the soldier.

  Hours later, the Taipan suddenly banked steeply, shedding altitude. Dominic felt his gut lurch into his chest and try to escape through his throat. He reached for a grab handle hanging from the ceiling and gripped it hard. As the chopper turned, he caught sight of the Canberra. It looked like an aircraft carrier with a ski jump on the bow. There were no planes on deck, only helicopters. Lots of them. The hull and island superstructure on the flight deck were dull gray, all utilitarian and functional—quintessential military hardware.

  The pilot brought the Taipan down quickly, braking the descent late and hard, forcing Dominic’s lower back into the seat. The final few meters were subtler, and the bird was brought down gently onto the flight deck.

  A crewman opened the door and Dominic was greeted with a wall of wind and noise. The TAG leader beside him jumped down while Dominic edged his way to the door and eased his way out gracelessly. Once on the flight deck, the TAG leader accompanied him toward the rear of the island and a large open doorway. He hunched his shoulders and focused on landing one foot in front of the other and making it to the island and inside away from the noise and wind of the deck. Once inside the relative calm of the ship, he relaxed his shoulders, running a hand through his windswept hair.

  “Sir, Petty Officer Taylor will take you to your quarters to clean up before your debriefing,” said the TAG leader. He gestured to a petite young woman wearing a gray camouflage uniform.

  “Come with me please, Mr. Elliston.” She beckoned him.

  “Thank you,” he said to the TAG man, before following Petty Officer Taylor.

  “We’ve got you in a stateroom on the officers’ floor. There are spare clothes that should fit you, too. If you give me your clothes, I can have them laundered for you quickly.”

  “Great,” said Dominic. “Where is Dax? Dax Beresford? He’s injured.”

  “Yes. He landed just before you and is being treated in the sickbay.”

  “I’d like to see him now, please.”

  “Sir, I’ll need to confirm approval from my CO,” said Taylor, twisting her head back as she walked.

  “I don’t want to get cleaned up. Not until I’ve seen him.”

  “I understand, sir, but let me show you to your room and I’ll call my CO from there.”

  “Fine.”

  The corridors and stairs on HMAS Canberra made the accommodations on the Eclipse Horizon seem palatial. At the stateroom, Taylor opened the door inwards and held it for Dominic to squeeze past her. “Here you are, sir. Probably not what you’re used to, but it’s about as good as it gets on a navy ship.”

  “This will be fine, thanks. Can you please make arrangements for me to see Dax now?” He dropped onto the edge of the bed built into the cabinetry, which incorporated a small desk and closet at the end. The room was what he’d expected: small, basic, functional.

  Taylor went to the desk phone and called an extension. “Sir, this is Taylor. I have Dominic Elliston with me and he is requesting to see the patient, Dax Beresford, who just arrived.”

  She nodded as she listened to whatever the person at the other end was saying.

  “OK, I’ll let him know, thank you.”

  “Well, can we go now?”

  “I’m afraid your friend is being prepped for surgery, sir. You’ll be able to see him in about three hours when he’s done.”

  “Christ, is it bad?”

  “No. Apparently they’re going to clean out the wound and stitch him up, so it’s nothing major, but he’ll be under general anesthetic, so you can head down once it’s worn off.”

  Dominic sighed. “Right then.”

  “Sir, there is a shower through here. And I’ll have some food brought up for you.”

  “Ah, before you go, can you tell me what’s happening out there?” Dominic lifted his chin indicating beyond the ship.

  “Well, I’m not across it all, sir, but it’s pretty bad. They’ve declared a national state of emergency in Australia and people are panicking everywhere. Most of the internet is down, along with the mobile networks. The lack of communications is making it impossible to inform and placate the public. Far as I know, nothing really bad has happened yet, but there’s chaos in the cities.”

  Dominic nodded. “Thanks. Who can give me a full report on the state of things?”

  “I’m not sure anyone here can, sir. Most of our comms are down. We’re relaying shortwave radio messages at the moment. All satellite and digital comms are down. We have a CIA team scheduled to arrive this evening. Perhaps they’ll have more information.”

  “CIA?”

  “Yes. Coming in o
n an Osprey. Have you seen an Osprey land? They’re amazing.” She grinned like a kid.

  “CIA,” mumbled Dominic. “Thank you, Officer Taylor, that will be all.”

  “Of course. I’ve written down my extension beside the phone. Just call me on that if you need anything and I’ll have the food brought up ASAP.”

  When Dominic woke up in the small dim cabin, he saw that a tray of food had been left for him on the desk. Walking to the tiny porthole all he could see was the infinite darkness of the ocean at night. He scanned the room for a clock and spotted one beside the phone. He’d slept for four hours after lying down for what he’d planned to be quick nap. He wished he could go back to sleep and never wake up. His monumental failure to stop Sagen was consuming him.

  Heaving himself to his feet, he rubbed his face and gave himself a couple of slaps on the cheeks to shake off the sleep. Calling the number Taylor had left, he arranged to see Dax. A few minutes later, she picked him up from his quarters and took him through the ship’s maze, down to the sickbay.

  Dax was the only patient and was lying flat on a bed, which was one of five. The walls were mint green and the familiar nauseating stink of antiseptic hung heavily in the room. Dax had a white blanket over him with his damaged leg uncovered, revealing a large bandage around the wound.

  “All right, mate?” said Dominic, walking up to his bed.

  “Hey,” said Dax, straining his neck to look over at him. “Definitely had better days.”

  “Yeah, well the doc reckons you’ll make a full recovery.”

  “No doubt down to your first aid.”

  “Yeah, I mean, I basically saved your life.”

  Dax grunted a laugh. “Course you did. Finally you’re starting to even up the ledger after all the times I’ve saved your sorry arse.”

  Dominic grinned. “Look, they said I need to leave you to rest, but that you should be right to move around by tomorrow. I’m going to see if we can get off this ship and back to the mainland then. You good with that?”

  “Sure, although the doctor is hot, so don’t feel rushed on my account.”