The Project Eden Thrillers Box Set 1: Books 1 - 3 (Sick, Exit 9, & Pale Horse)

by Brett Battles

  “If we could find them, they certainly could find us.”

  “Sir, fourth contact.” It was yet another helicopter.

  “Is everyone back inside yet?”

  “Jon Hayes is still out there. He went to the barn to check on the horses.”

  “Get him on the radio.”

  Several seconds passed. “I’ve patched him through to the speaker, sir.”

  “Jon, this is Matt. Where are you?”

  “Running up from the barn.”

  “How long will it take you to get here?”

  “Three minutes.”

  Matt glanced at the center screen. The security image from the road had been replaced by a map of the Ranch, with moving dots representing the contacts heading their way. Three minutes would be too late.

  “You’re not going to make it,” he said. “You’ll have to—”

  “Matt, I’m not alone. Brandon Ash came with me.”

  Ash’s son? “Who authorized that?”

  “No one. He was going a little stir-crazy, so I thought maybe if he helped me with the horses, he’d feel better. I…I didn’t think anyone was going to show up like this.”

  No one had thought that, but still, taking the kid out? What was Matt going to tell Ash?

  “You need to hide. Now. When it’s clear, get to one of the emergency supply dumps in the woods, fill up a pack, and hike out. They may keep coming back, so it’s your only chance. After you’re away, operate under emergency contact conditions. Do not, I repeat, do not try to come back here.”

  “What about you?”

  Matt hesitated. He could no longer ignore what was heading their way. “We’re going full cover right now.” He nodded at the man monitoring the security system, confirming the order.

  “I understand. Good luck.”

  “Jon. Don’t let anything happen to the kid.”

  “I won’t.”

  “THEY’RE NOT GOING to let us back in?” Brandon asked, trying not to sound as scared as he felt.

  “There’s no time,” Hayes said. “You hear the helicopters?”

  Brandon nodded. Distant thump-thump-thumps were coming from several directions.

  “We’d never make it back before they got here. It’s okay, though. Don’t worry. We just need to hide out until they’re gone.” Hayes looked around quickly. “This way.” He started for the woods south of the path.

  “What about the horses?” Brandon asked.

  “They’d see us if we were on them.”

  “No, no. I mean, won’t the others see the barn? Couldn’t the horses be in danger?”

  “I’m sure no one will bother them.”

  He took another step toward the trees, but Brandon held his ground. “We can’t leave them there! Mr. Hamilton said they were going to full cover. I know what that is. I’ve been trying to learn everything so I could help if I was needed. If they get rid of all the ways in and out of the Bunker, who’s going to feed the horses? Don’t you see? We have to at least let them go so they can take care of themselves.”

  Hayes stared at him, and sighed. It was only a minute back to the barn. Chances were, the people in the helicopters would head straight for the Lodge, buying Hayes and the kid a little more time.

  Hayes couldn’t help also feeling a little ashamed with himself. Brandon was right. Leaving the horses pent-up would be inhumane. The two of them could probably let the animals out and slip into the woods to the east without anyone ever suspecting they were there.

  He stepped quickly back on the path.

  “If I yell ‘hide,’ you run as fast as you can for the closest trees, you understand?”

  “So we’ll let the horses out?”

  Hayes nodded.

  AS SOON AS the alarm went off, Josie went looking for her brother.

  Surprisingly, he wasn’t in any of the places he usually hung out. Thinking that maybe he’d gone to the communications room to see what was going on, she headed there. A quick scan of those present revealed that Brandon wasn’t one of them.

  She walked quickly up to Rachel. “Miss Hamilton? I can’t find my brother.”

  Rachel looked surprised to see her, then her face turned serious. “I don’t want you to worry. He’ll be okay.”

  The words had the exact opposite effect. “What do you mean?”

  “He’s outside,” Rachel said. She put a hand on Josie’s arm. “But Jon Hayes is with him and will take care of him.”

  Josie pulled back. “Somebody needs to go get them.”

  “We can’t, Josie. We’re being attacked.”

  Josie’s eyes went wide. “A…attacked? But you just said Brandon’s still out there.”

  “He’s going to hide in the woods. They won’t know he’s there.”

  “You’ve got to let him back in! You’ve got to!”

  She ran out of the room, not waiting to hear any more. She headed straight for the exit that would take her up to the basement of the Lodge. But when she got there, a massive door that had never been closed blocked the way to the exit.

  She headed for one of the other two ways out of the building, but it, too, was sealed tight. And, she soon found out, so was the last.

  She stared at the door, not knowing what to do. Her father had wanted her to watch over Brandon, but now she couldn’t even get to him.

  WITHOUT ANOTHER WORD, Brandon and Hayes sprinted down the path, and rushed into the barn just as one of the helicopters came into sight.

  “Don’t move,” Hayes ordered Brandon. The man peeked outside through a crack between two of the boards. “Dammit.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I think they might have seen us. They’re coming this way. I’m an idiot. We should have stayed in the trees until they passed by.”

  Outside, Brandon could hear the beat of the helicopter rotors drawing nearer.

  Hayes suddenly grabbed Brandon by the arm. “Come on.”

  They raced back to the horse stalls, stopping next to one housing a brown mare. Hayes opened the gate. “Get in there and stand right up against Maggie.”

  “Why?”

  “Those people out there might have a thermal scanner. If they do, they’ll be able to see your heat signature and know you’re not a horse, but if you’re next to her, it’s possible they won’t see the difference. Now go!”

  Feeling more than just a little nervous, Brandon entered the stall. Feeding the horses was one thing, but standing next to Maggie was something else entirely. As Brandon pressed against her, he was sure she would pull away, or maybe even bite and kick at him. But while she did turn her head and look at him for a second, she remained where she was.

  Two stalls away, just above the sound of the helicopter, one of the horses huffed several times. Mr. Hayes said some soothing words, and the animal seemed to calm down.

  The barn began to shudder from the wind generated by the aircraft as it slowed to a hover near the front and began circling the building. As it worked its way past the stall Brandon was in, he closed his eyes tight and repeated to himself, “Don’t see me. Don’t see me. Don’t see me.”

  After what felt like forever, the helicopter rose higher into the air, and headed west toward the Lodge.

  Five minutes later, the horses wandered out into the meadow, and Brandon and Mr. Hayes were safely under the cover of the trees.

  Thirty-Nine

  I.D. MINUS 10 MINUTES

  BLUEBIRD TIME 10:50 AM

  THE DIRECTORS WERE gathered in the conference area at the back of the Cradle. The DOP thought it was an excellent location. While those on the other side of the glass wall wouldn’t be able to hear the final vote, they would be able to see the Directors, and could tell their children someday that they’d witnessed the start of the new world.

  The only non-Director in the room was Rosemary Eames. She was the Principal Director’s personal aide, and, as such, was tasked with making sure the recording devices were working correctly and the meeting went smoothly.

&
nbsp; For a brief moment, the DOP imagined future generations listening in awe to the playback of this momentous occasion. Hell, he would probably listen to it himself in the coming years, a reminder of how hard they had worked, how hard he had worked, to reach the future they knew was humanity’s only chance at true survival.

  “The time is now ten fifty a.m., Central Standard Time,” Rosemary said for the record. “All the Directors are present.” She nodded at the Principal Director, who stood up.

  “Today marks a beginning, not an end,” he said, his aged voice gravelly. “Though we have put considerable effort into bringing this moment about, the task ahead will be even more difficult as we shape the new human civilization. So as this day proceeds, let us reflect on where we are and where we are going, and let us not forget our brothers and sisters who will be sacrificed for the betterment of mankind.” He turned to the DOP. “The floor is yours.”

  The DOP rose to his feet. “Thank you, sir.” He looked around at the others. As was decided when Project Eden was established, a final vote by all the Directors had to be taken prior to the Go signal being transmitted. A single No vote would delay implementation until the issues were resolved. “Directors of Project Eden, we have but a single item before us this morning. Implementation Day. Yes or no. Does anyone wish to say anything before the vote is taken?”

  A few of the Directors shook their heads, while the others stared back stoically.

  “Very good. Then we will proceed.”

  He sat, and motioned for Rosemary to begin.

  “Director of Survival,” she said.

  “Yes.”

  “Director of Recovery.”

  “Yes.”

  “Director of Facilities.”

  “Yes.”

  She continued down the list.

  “Yes.”

  “Yes.”

  “Yes.”

  “Yes.”

  “Principal Director,” she said.

  A pause, and then, “Yes.”

  She looked at the DOP. Since this was his operation, he was honored with the final vote. “Director of Preparation.”

  “Yes,” he said.

  Rosemary looked at the tablet of paper in front of her. “On the matter of moving forward with Implementation Day, nine votes yes and zero votes no.”

  Excitement and anticipation burned in the DOP’s chest, but he was careful to keep his demeanor neutral. This was a solemn event, after all. Seven billion people were about to die.

  But for a better world, he thought. A much better world.

  “The vote is to move forward,” he said. “May the new world we create be a lasting tribute to the old.”

  As if on cue, the other Directors began standing. One by one, they made their way to the DOP and shook his hand. As each Director finished, he headed out into the Cradle to be in place when the DOP entered the code that would make what they’d just voted for a reality.

  Finally, it was just the DOP, the Principal Director, and Rosemary.

  “Are you holding up all right?” the Principal asked as he shook the DOP’s hand.

  The question was unexpected. “I’m fine, sir.”

  The Principal looked at him for a moment, then said, “Good. Let’s start our new beginning.”

  As they walked out, it finally hit the DOP what the Principal had probably meant. In minutes, it would be by the DOP’s hand alone that the order to exterminate ninety-nine percent of the human race went out—a genocide unlike any genocide the world had ever seen. He would be the one directly responsible.

  But he’d long ago come to terms with that. It was the greater good that was important.

  For the first time since he’d woken up that morning, he allowed a smile to grace his lips.

  WHILE THE VOTE was going on in the room at the back of the Cradle, security officer Phillips frowned at his monitor. One of the indicators on the screen had just switched from Red to Green, letting him know someone had entered Bluebird through the emergency tunnel. He clicked on it to bring up the details.

  AUTHORIZED ENTRY: ROWAN, BENJAMIN—SECURITY DETAIL RANK 2

  Phillips signaled Ross that he wanted to speak with him.

  “Yes?” Ross said over the intercom, his voice impatient.

  “Rowan’s turned up, sir.”

  “Rowan? Where?”

  “He just entered through the tunnel.”

  “He’s been gone for hours. Where the hell has he been?”

  “I haven’t been able to talk to him yet, sir.”

  Ross paused before responding. “Send someone to check on him, and recall the search team.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Forty

  I.D. MINUS 4 MINUTES

  BLUEBIRD TIME 10:56 AM

  OLIVIA HELD UP a hand, stopping everyone.

  In the distance, they could hear footsteps. She looked around quickly, and pointed at a door fifteen feet back the way they’d come. Without wasting a second, they filed into the room and closed the door behind them.

  They heard the footsteps enter the hallway where they’d been, and walk past their current position. There was only a single set.

  Olivia pointed at two of her men, then opened the door wide enough so they could slip out.

  When they returned forty-five seconds later, they were carrying a man with a sidearm strapped to his belt. Though there were no obvious wounds, it was apparent the man was dead.

  Once the body was on the floor, Olivia said, “Everyone ready? We’re not going to have time to stop again.”

  Nods all around.

  “They’ll all be in the Cradle.”

  “The Cradle?” Ash asked.

  “It’s what they call the command center. There’s bound to be some security there, but not much. The rest will be upstairs covering the ground entrances. Once we have the Cradle secured, I’ll lock them down so they can’t get to us.”

  “We’re going to have to deal with them at some point.”

  She smiled. “Trust me.”

  Ash frowned, uncomfortable, but said nothing.

  “Any other questions?” she asked.

  He shook his head.

  “So we can go?” she asked.

  “Please.”

  As they reentered the hall, Ash couldn’t help but think there was something she wasn’t telling him.

  Forty-One

  I.D. MINUS 2 MINUTES

  BLUEBIRD TIME 10:58 AM

  AS THE DOP entered the Cradle from the conference room, everyone sitting at the monitoring stations stood. There was no applause. Silence seemed to be the appropriate response to the moment.

  Solemnly, he made his way to the empty station that sat by itself, front and center in front of the monitor wall. Once he reached the desk, he turned and faced the personnel of Bluebird. Along with the Directors who were standing in front, and those at the stations, there were two dozen others squeezed in along the walls, nearly everyone at the outpost who wasn’t needed on security detail elsewhere. All eyes were on him.

  He felt a surge of pride. These were some of the most dedicated members of Project Eden, most had been a part of the organization for at least a decade, and many of them for more. What he was about to do was as much for them as it was for everyone else.

  Though it wasn’t part of the plan for the day, he felt he needed to say something, something everyone would remember. He’d been wrestling with what that should be for days. Finally he decided to just go with the first words that came to mind.

  “Our actions here today are meant to accomplish only one thing—the ability for humankind to reach its full potential. With your dedication, heart, and service, we will achieve this.”

  All right. Perhaps it wasn’t One small step for man, but no one in the room seemed to care.

  He looked at the digital clock on the wall. They were eighty-three seconds away, less than a minute and a half until the time finally arrived.

  Forty-Two

  THEY PAUSED AT the junction, each of them
listening closely for anyone who might be in the intersecting hallway.

  For several seconds there was nothing, then a distant voice drifted toward them.

  “…here today…meant…one…for…to reach…potential...”

  Ash glanced at his watch. It was almost eleven a.m. If Olivia was right, they were seconds from being out of time.

  “We need to go now,” he whispered.

  Forty-Three

  I.D. MINUS 55 SECONDS

  BLUEBIRD TIME 10:59 AM

  AS THE DOP sat down at the computer, a hush fell over the room.

  Ross had already brought up the activation screen, so all the DOP had to do was input his personal password and the correct code. He typed the alphanumeric combination he’d memorized long ago into the password box.

  The code itself he didn’t know, not yet, anyway. It was currently in the Principal Director’s possession. Per protocol, the Principal would not hand it over until thirty seconds prior to the time assigned for Implementation Day to begin. Which meant, as the DOP noted, he would have it in twenty-five seconds.

  He clasped his hands and set them in front of him. He heard the door at the back of the room open.

  “Well, I’m glad we made it in time.”

  Forty-Four

  THE DOOR WAS open about an inch. Through the gap, Ash spied several people, all looking away from the door at an angle. The voice they heard earlier had stopped and been replaced by an eerie silence.

  Olivia quickly divided her people into two groups, and made it clear where she wanted them to go. She looked at Ash and Chloe, and indicated they were to follow her.

  She put one hand on the doorknob, and began counting down with the other.

  Three.

  Two.

  One.

  She pushed the door open. The two small groups went in first, then she stepped through with Ash and Chloe behind her.