by Robert Boren
“Alex, what’s up?”
“Dad, how long are you gonna be there?”
Jared sighed. “That’s not the right question. Why aren’t you out here? I told you what the resistance leadership said. We’re targets.”
“I’m too busy,” he said. “Why are you spending so much time on this? The war’s over. I think your buddy Ivan and the others are just trying to milk us.”
“Yeah, the main part of the war is over, but it’s not helping us at the moment. We’ve got undivided attention of the worst sort. They could cruise into Missoula and nab you at any moment. This is much more secure than the plant.”
Alex chuckled. “I wouldn’t want to attack the plant. It’s a good way to get dead. I thought you were coming to Missoula anyway.”
“Yes, I’ll be there in a few days, but I’m going to a secret location, and I’m not sticking around.”
“The robots, huh? You really want those out there? They’re more dangerous than my stuff.”
“We aren’t bringing them to market yet.”
“What if that resistance base gets overrun?”
“The robots will kill everybody who shows up,” Jared said. “Then they’ll self-destruct.”
“I still think you’re wasting too much time on this. Try to come by the plant after you’re done with those guys. I’ve got an idea we need to discuss.”
“You aren’t experimenting with that drive system again, are you?”
Alex chuckled. “Why wouldn’t I? It’s the wave of the future. Chemical rockets won’t get us out of the solar system. You know that.”
“Mankind isn’t ready for that capability, son,” Jared said. “This war is a case in point. If we’d have released any of this new technology we’re sitting on, things would be so much worse. You do know that, right?”
“Yes, I know that. I’m worried about you out there all alone. It’s too remote. If somebody does target you, how will you react?”
“I’ve got robots here, plus I’d see them more than a mile out. I could take the speeder out there and nail them, too.”
“Promise me you won’t do that,” Alex said. “Go in the bunker and call for help. Or better yet, just sink the house. You spent a lot of money on that technology.”
Jared chuckled. “That was for energy conservation and moon base testing, not protection, and I’ve got bugs to work out with that. Last time I tried it, there were several leaks. Plumbing and hydraulic. The water leak could’ve trapped me down there.”
“I thought you fixed that, Dad.”
“I did, but it has to be tested. That’s important. Never forget it.”
Alex chuckled. “Why do you think I keep testing the drive? It needs to be tested in a vehicle now.”
“I’m not letting you take one of the fusion reactors out of the plant,” Jared said. “Like I said, our people aren’t ready. Hell, the technology isn’t ready either. Not really.”
“It works. You just don’t want to release it until the world stabilizes. I actually don’t fault you for that.”
“Alex…”
“Will you at least think about coming? I’d like to see you too, you know. It’s been several months.”
There was silence on the line for a moment.
“You still there, dad?”
“Okay, I’ll make the time to meet you at the plant. Fair enough? See you in a few days. You’re still living there, right?”
“Yes,” Alex said.
“For now, don’t go outside. Please?”
“I promise,” Alex said. “See you soon.”
***
Creighton and Langston crept towards the opening to the tunnel, which was in a work shed near the eastern boundary of the brick yard.
“Listen,” Creighton whispered. “Hammering on metal. I’ll bet somebody is trapped there.”
“Wouldn’t be surprised,” Langston whispered. “Let’s go, but watch yourself.”
“You’re not going to call for backup?”
Langston shot him a grim look. “There isn’t anybody close by. All the local staff plus half a dozen from London were just killed here. How about the Yard?”
“We use local police most of the time,” Creighton said. “Looks like most of them got killed too.”
“Then it’s up to us,” Langston said. “Probably nobody left that’s of value anyway. Might even be some of the citizens trying to get through.”
“Might be,” Creighton whispered as they moved forward, assault rifles pointing ahead as they went.
“Look, there’s a button for the doors,” Langston whispered, rushing inside the shed, Creighton following. “Dammit, it’s got a keypad.”
“The banging stopped,” Creighton said. “They probably gave up.”
“There’s another way, but it’s nearly a kilometer away.”
Creighton shook his head. “Hell, they’ll get away if they can use that.”
“It’s not drivable. You can barely fit the final hundred meters or so. People were a little smaller back when that was built.”
“Whoa, you hear the voices?” Creighton asked. “Sounds like the rabble has gotten to the door now.”
“Yeah, we’re wasting our time here. Let’s go to the other location.”
Creighton nodded and they ran to the vehicle, Creighton getting back behind the wheel. “So who do you think made it out of there?”
“If I had to guess, Maggie and her brother Cedric.”
“You don’t think Maggie would’ve taken the others?”
“We’re not even positive there were any others,” Langston said.
“C’mon, mate, Charles Livingston’s private jet arrived here, and there was that limo that crashed the gate at the airport. Who do you think that was?”
“All right, it looks bad, although one of Livingston’s firms does have a headquarters here, and they did arrest the CFO of the main firm. We might be jumping to conclusions a bit.”
“Nobody can raise Livingston, or any of the others. Doesn’t that bother you?”
Langston laughed. “Bloody hell, everything that’s happened during the last year bothers me. Take the next left turn.” His phone rang. He put it on speaker. “Yeah.”
“Good, you’re still alive,” Russell said. “We’ve got a civil war coming. How many agents did we lose?”
“Everybody from the look of it, but send some medical help anyway. I didn’t go check bodies. Might be some alive. I’m still on the hunt.”
“You won’t get Maggie or Cedric,” Russell said. “We know where they’re going, and we won’t he able to catch them in time.”
“Where?”
“Liverpool, where there’s a submarine waiting.”
“So the Royals are in control of the military?” Creighton asked.
“So it would appear,” Russell quipped. “Don’t worry, not everybody is on their side. We’ve already got several ships heading in that direction. The Royal Navy knows we must stop this. There are standoffs at all the Royal residences. RaSP may have won in Manchester, but they’re a small force. The regular army is on our side, and they’ve got all the residences surrounded.”
“They were using Sea Harriers,” Creighton said.
“Oh yeah, that,” Russell said. “Those are obsolete. They didn’t get them from the RAF. We’re trying to find out where they bought them.”
“They’re still potent,” Creighton said.
“Not so much,” Russell said. “I suspect those Harriers will be heading for the hills as soon as their escort job is done. If I were the pilots I’d eject, or land them in a field someplace and run away.”
“Why would they do that?” Langston asked.
“There are a dozen F-35s on the way,” Russell said.
“Oh,” Langston said. “Yeah, you’re right. They’ll be dead before they make visual contact with an F-35.”
“We’ll win this, gents, but I don’t want to lose more people. Watch out if you get to that tunnel in time. Charles has a v
ery good operative working with him. A guy named Sebastian.”
“Sebastian who?” Creighton asked.
Russell laughed. “Just Sebastian. One of the servants from the estate said he was there helping against the citizen assault.”
“I know who he is,” Langston said. “I’m more than a match for him.”
“Just be careful,” Russell said. “I’ve got to go. Text me if you get anybody of note.”
The call ended. Creighton and Langston looked at each other and laughed.
***
“Slow the hell down,” Jean said, trying to keep up.
“Speed up,” Sebastian said. “Don’t you hear the voices? We’re lucky we left that door behind when we did, or we wouldn’t have made it to this tunnel. I’m surprised none of them came this way.”
“When they get to that metal door and try to get through, they probably will check out this tunnel,” Charles said, breath coming hard and fast. “Glad I spend time at the gym.”
“Don’t rub it in,” Jean said.
Sebastian shook his head. “Remember, there’s a good chance we won’t be able to get out this way.”
“What do we do, then?” Jean asked.
“Strip down to your undershirts and pretend to be commoners,” Sebastian said. “Rub a little dirt on your faces. Most of the citizens won’t recognize you.”
“This is getting smaller,” Jean said, his breath coming faster. “I get a little claustrophobic.”
“So do I,” Charles said. “Grow up. We can make it. That’s all in your head.”
Sebastian turned towards him. “If you’re a problem, I’ll just shoot you and be done with it.”
“I’ll be fine,” Jean said, looking down, his heart hammering in his chest.
Charles snickered. “Lance will end up holding the bag.”
“I don’t care about those people anymore,” Jean said. “Wish I would’ve stayed there, though.”
“We’re gonna end up dead either way,” Charles said. “Only a matter of time.”
“Cut the chatter, it’s on my last nerve,” Sebastian said. “I might not fit through here. Maybe one of you little guys should go first.”
“Not me,” Jean said, the fear growing in him with every inch of space they lost.
Charles sighed. “No problem, I’ll go.” Sebastian let him get past, and he continued on, as the passage got thinner and thinner.
“Crap, this is as far as I can go,” Sebastian said. “Back up, Frenchy, you need to let me out.”
“No problem,” Jean said. “Where will you go?”
“I’ll try to blend in with the rabble,” he said. “Here, take this.” He shoved the gun at Jean, who moved back. “I don’t want it.”
“I’ll take it,” Charles said, reaching back and grabbing it. “Good luck, Sebastian. I know you tried.”
“No problem, boss. Good luck to you. You’re gonna need it.”
Charles and Jean watched as Sebastian walked back towards the main tunnel.
“He’ll make it,” Jean said. “Us? Not so sure.”
“Let’s just try to keep a positive attitude, shall we?”
“Sorry.”
They trudged on as the passageway continued to close in, Charles finally having to turn sideways, but they got to the door. He struggled to get his phone out, and shined it on the door. There was no lock, just the old-fashioned bolt. He pushed on it, and it didn’t give.
“Dammit, it’s stuck and I don’t have much leverage.”
“Get down and push it up with your shoulder,” Jean said, his breath heavy.
“I’ll try,” Charles said, getting down as best he could, not far enough to get his shoulder under the timber. He put is hand under it and pushed with all his might while standing up, and it gave, the door popping open. “Thank God.”
“What’s out there?” Jean asked.
“It’s dark. Maybe a sewer system.” He stepped out, the floor of the larger tunnel wet, water up to his ankle. “Watch your step out here, there’s water.”
“Wonderful,” Jean said. He got into it behind Charles, and they walked through the cylindrical tunnel.
“I see light again, but it’s around a corner,” Charles said, speeding up. “I’m glad to be out of that skinny tunnel. That was getting to me.”
“Tell me about it,” Jean said, struggling to keep up again, every bone in his body aching.
They rounded a bend, and the light hit them full force, the sewer dumping into a wash basin.
“We’re in the middle of nowhere,” Charles said, looking around, then hearing a gun cock. “Dammit.”
“Who’s that?” Jean asked, his eyes full of fear.
“Freeze. Drop weapon,” said a man in a Belgian accent.
Charles set down Sebastian’s pistol, and the man came over, frisking him and Jean. He was large with black hair and a beard.
“Let’s go. Car waiting.”
They walked up a path, which led out of the catch basin. There was a car and a van parked on the edge.
“Here are, boss, just like you expected,” the gruff Belgian said.
Rayan got out of the van, smiling at them.
“Rayan! Thank God,” Jean said.
“How did you know to come here?” Charles asked, eyeing him suspiciously.
“I studied the estate. The locations of these tunnels is common knowledge. That’s how MI6 knew to watch for Maggie’s vehicle.”
“Dammit, MI6 got her?” Charles asked.
Rayan shook his head. “They tried. RaSP stepped in.”
“What’s that?” Charles asked.
Jean chuckled. “That’s the Royal’s secret service, basically.”
Charles looked Rayan in the eyes. “So she got away?”
“So far,” Rayan said, “but the UK government has had enough. They’ve got the Royal residences surrounded as we speak. Maggie’s getaway might be short-lived, not that she’ll care. Rumor has it she’s still in a coma.”
“She is,” Charles said. “What now?”
“We smuggle you back to the states,” Rayan said. “Get in the van, and we’ll be on our way.”
***
Ivan ran into the intel room. Most of the team was in there, some working on PCs, others chatting. “Turn on the TV.”
“Uh oh, what now?” Ted asked.
“UN headquarters just got overrun. NYPD helped. Shot up the UN guards in a hurry. The governor is threatening to call in the National Guard, but the public obviously doesn’t want that.”
The TV was running news chopper video, showing a flood of people entering the UN complex from three sides.
“You know what’s disgusting?” Tex asked.
“I know,” Sparky said. “It’s disgusting that the dump wasn’t overrun until now.”
“You got it, partner,” Tex said, Karen rolling her eyes.
“There will be a lot of arrests,” Malcolm said. “For those who survive, that is.”
“The most important people got out of there before it was overrun,” Sam said.
“Yeah, probably,” Ted said.
“I wonder where Livingston ended up?” Ned asked. “They’ve searched Maggie’s estate from top to bottom. No sign of him or anybody else related.”
“Maggie got away, from the look of it,” Bryan said.
“She’s at death’s door, though,” Morgan said. “They had some of the servants on TV a little while ago. Saw the video on my laptop. She’s been in a coma ever since the attack in Heathrow. Oh, and her brother is missing too. Cedric.”
“Is he a player in this?” Clara asked.
“Not that we know of,” George said.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he is,” Jules said. “English nobility tight.”
“Why would the Royals want globalism?” Brianna asked. “Wouldn’t that hurt them?”
Jules chuckled. “They were globalist before, all the way up to late 19th and early 20th centuries. You know many European country’s royalty were
related, no?”
“I’ve heard that,” Morgan said. “Kaiser Wilhelm, Czar Nicholas, and King George were cousins, as I remember.”
“Yes,” Jules said. “Stinky business if you ask me.”
“Glad America got away from that garbage,” Ivan said. “How’s the matrix of Merc connections coming?”
“We’ve got names, locations, bank account numbers, and other interesting things pulled together on most of them,” Agent Williams said. “This stuff is right up my alley.”
“Excellent,” Ivan said. “Hopefully we can crack into the inner sanctum with that info.”
A special bulletin came on the screen.
“Oh, geez, what now?” Erica asked.
The announcer came on, his backdrop the Parliament in London.
The Royal Family has surrendered to authorities, and are being held under house arrest at Winsor Castle, one of the few Royal residences not overrun by mobs of angry subjects over the last forty-eight hours. They cannot be formally charged, but members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords put out a statement that they are being questioned about the whereabouts of Margaret Hines, one of the co-conspirators who planned and funded the war. No further information is available at this time, and the Prime Minister is asking for calm as the government sorts this mess out.
“It’s falling apart for the enemy,” Shelly said.
“Yes, it is,” Ivan said, “but remember that a wounded animal is the most dangerous. They’ll try to strike us. Sam, it might be a good idea to send a message to our people at Dodge City, telling them to stay on that property and watch. General Hogan, might I suggest you do the same for the remainder of the Kansas team?”
“I’ll do that,” General Hogan said. “I agree.”
“Me too,” Sam said, looking at Erica. “We’re on it.”
“Isn’t all this going to drive the enemy further underground?” Ben whispered to Ivan.
“It will,” he replied quietly. “That’s why we need to hit the Merc angle. It’s our best chance at this point.”