by J C Ryan
After a moment, Roy asked. “Don’t these soldiers have enhanced hearing?”
“Yes, they do,” Robert replied. “Why?”
“I remember reading somewhere about how high-pitched sounds can affect the brain. Maybe these chips would be vulnerable to certain sound frequencies,” Roy said.
They all looked at one another. “It’s… possible,” Raj stated slowly.
Roy laughed.
“What’s so funny?” Raj asked.
“You,” Roy answered. “I can almost see the smoke coming out your ears, your mind is working so fast.”
Looking to Robert, Raj asked, “What do you think? Are these chips likely to be vulnerable to high-pitched sound waves?”
“I’m not sure. I hadn’t considered the possibility. How would you test it?”
Roy and Raj looked at each other. “I think we need to investigate those chips further,” Roy said. “Do you need our help here, Robert?”
“No, I’m nearly done.”
Raj and Roy left to return to Linkola’s lab and review the data again.
In the wee hours of the morning, they emerged, along with Linkola and Rebecca who had joined them. They looked exhausted but were all grinning broadly.
“Let’s get a few hours of sleep before we join the others for breakfast and give them the good news!” Rebecca suggested.
CHAPTER 30
The Rabbit Hole
THE SEVEN MEN, Ben Rossler, John Mendenhall, Luke Clarke, Nigel Harper, Ryan Clarke, Sam Lewis, and Sinclair O’Reilly, known as the Musketeers, sat comfortably in their lair at the Rabbit Hole. Daniel had apprised them of Jack’s report about the Re’an soldiers heading for the twenty-five US cities, and they had been deep in discussion about the matter since dinner.
“I really don’t see how else this can be handled… somewhat quietly,” Luke said.
“I don’t either,” Nigel added. “I think Tectus is our best bet, but I’m concerned about civilians getting hurt or killed in the process.
“If what Robert reported is true, we have a war on our hands, and it will be the civilians who suffer as a result.”
“Agreed,” Ryan said. “But what other option do we have?”
“Why don’t we give our boys at the canyon site a little time to see what they come up with?” Sinclair asked. “I don’t have to remind you how inventive those youngsters can be. They have access to that chip information – I’m sure they’ll find something—they always have in the past.”
“I’m hoping they do,” Luke said. “But in the meantime, we need to be working on a solution, as well.”
Speaking for the first time in a while, Sam added, “I think it’s likely that our tech geniuses will have a solution for us, but they still may need our help. It seems logical to mobilize Tectus and put teams in those cities on alert and have them ready to move at a moment’s notice when the time comes.”
Swirling the last of the liquid in his glass, Sinclair agreed. “Sam, I think you should let Daniel know what we’d like to do and see if he can get Dennis and Eric on board with the idea. Any orders to Tectus will have to come from them.”
“Will do,” Sam agreed and dialed Daniel’s mirror phone. Within minutes, he had Daniel’s undivided attention.
“What we want to do is activate the Tectus groups in each of the twenty-five cities and have them prepared to intercept and possibly take out these soldiers.”
“Wait a minute,” Daniel said. “Let me get Dennis and Eric on this call.”
Sam waited and was soon repeating the Musketeers idea to Dennis and Eric.
“You want to do what?” exclaimed Dennis. “Are you out of your minds? That’s going to take a lot of manpower… and time… I don’t think we have the time to set up an operation like that!”
“We may not. All we want to do is start organizing it.”
“I’m not sending my people out on a half-baked plan.”
“We’re not asking you to. Let me give you the details before you decide,” Sam said.
Dennis and Eric looked at one another for a moment before Eric gave a slight nod and Dennis agreed to let Sam continue.
“We’re hoping that the tech team at the canyon will be able to come up with a plan, but in the meantime, we want to have our own plan in place as a backup.
“After considering the situation, we think that a small team of top operators should be assigned to surveillance on the Re’an – two or three Tectus people per team in each city.
“You all have a supply of Roy’s spyflys; once the Re’an teams are located, the technology could be used to supply the information we need. From that, it may be possible to put together a plan to safely intercept and stop the soldiers.
“We aren’t asking them to go out and battle these super soldiers; just to watch, listen, and report.”
Dennis chewed the corner of his bottom lip deep in thought.
“It could work,” Eric said.
“Mmmh. Yes, it could,” Dennis agreed. “Let me talk this over with the rest of the leadership team and get back to you tomorrow.”
“Sounds good,” Sam replied.
CHAPTER 31
Re'an headquarters Tunguska, Russia
VIKTOR ENTERED THE fissure maintenance chamber, just as Telestra exited Fissure One.
“I didn’t realize it was time for fissure maintenance,” he stated.
“Not maintenance – repair,” she replied smoothly despite her racing heart. Does he suspect? She had been setting the equipment in the fissures in preparation for the up-coming failure she had planned.
“Is there a problem?” he asked with concern.
“Not anymore. One of the valve seals we replaced last month must have been bad. I just put a new one in it; should be fine now. I’ll watch it closely for a few days to make sure there isn’t some other problem though.”
“I see. I’m glad you’re so diligent,” he said looking around the cavern. The place unnerved him; had ever since he first entered it during the earthquakes that nearly destroyed the site.
“What brings you down here?”
“Does a man need a reason to see his wife?”
“Most men don’t. You, on the other hand, always have an ulterior motive. What do you want?”
He sighed slightly and began to walk around the room with a smile. “Oh, I thought you’d be interested in knowing that all the members of the canyon team have arrived safely and will be meeting in Flagstaff tomorrow, before descending into the Grand Canyon. They should reach the canyon facility in the next forty-eight hours.
“And the twenty-five US Team Three members are on their way with Team Four already at the airports and waiting. Then there will just be one more team to deploy, and all will be in place.”
Telestra frowned. “You mean you’ve come here to gloat and rub my nose in the fact that you’ve turned my son into a warrior and sent him into harm’s way?”
“Well, I thought you’d want to know how our son performs on his first major assignment.”
“He is my son, not yours, and you are taking great pleasure in trying to torment me with the knowledge that you have sent him into a dangerous situation. My son can take care of himself and will be fine.”
“I hope for his sake you are right.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Viktor stopped and turned to face her. “It means that the instant he hesitates or fails to do his duty, in this matter, he will be killed.”
In spite of her determination not to be provoked, she felt her muscles tense, her heart rate increase, and a flush spread over her body.
Turning away from him to place her protective suit and equipment back in the locker she replied, “Then I have nothing to worry about; Deszik will follow the orders he’s been given. What reason would he have to do otherwise?”
Viktor stepped next to her, grabbed her by the arm, and spun her around. “I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what?”
> “What Deszik is up to.”
“What I know is that my son has been sent half-way across the globe, to the Grand Canyon of the United States, to take control of the Eighth Cycle facility so that some egotistical maniac can use it to take control of the world.”
Viktor flushed with anger and slapped her, knocking her to the ground. “He is up to something and will not come back alive,” he said as he stormed from the room.
Rising slowly, shaking with rage and fear, Telestra got to her feet, took a deep breath, and reached in her mind for Deszik.
Deszik! Can you hear me?
Yes, mother.
Are you all right?
I am safe.
Be careful. Viktor has sent someone along to kill you if you hesitate or fail to complete your mission.
I know, mother – or at least I suspected. Thank you for confirming that for me. I have already asked Dekka to give me some enhancements to help me keep track of everyone in the group.
Dekka knows and didn’t tell me?
No. He only knows that I suspect I am being followed. I asked him not to tell you because I wasn’t sure, and I didn’t want you to worry.
He still should have told me.
Don’t blame him, mother. It was my doing.
Just be careful, Deszik. I love you.
I will, mother. I love you too.
CHAPTER 32
Washington, DC
DANIEL’S MIND WAS pre-occupied with the new looming danger, when he stepped into the Cabinet room and took his place at the giant table. He would’ve preferred not to have the meeting at all, but there was no way out of it. A few members came in behind him and found their seats.
“Good morning, everyone,” he greeted in a friendly tone trying, as best he could, to hide the nervous tension that’d besieged him the last few days. “I’d like to keep this meeting short, if possible, so please keep your updates as brief as you can.
“Secretary Simms, why don’t you start us off?”
Clearing his throat, Bill Simms began. “The fighting along the European borders has diminished…”
Daniel listened to the Cabinet members one by one, each report bringing proof that the Nation was continuing to recover.
Peter Scott, Secretary of Treasury, brought the most hopeful report. The Nation’s financial system was close to being re-established, as was a plan for a free nation-wide insurance program.
Forty-five minutes later, as the other Cabinet members filed out, Daniel motioned to Salome to join him in the Oval Office.
Once they were seated, he placed a call to Jack and Dennis at the canyon and conferenced in the Musketeers at the Rabbit Hole.
“All right, Dennis, what have you come up with?” Daniel asked without preamble.
“After discussing this among the Tectus leaders in the twenty-five cities where the Re’an are headed, we’ve decided that a surveillance mission is warranted and, with Roy’s gadgets, shouldn’t be too hard to implement.”
“That is good news!” Sam said excitedly.
“Take it easy, Sam,” Dennis warned. “We’re agreeing to surveillance, nothing else at this time. We will watch, listen, and report. That’s all we’re willing and able to do for now.”
“That’s good enough for us,” Sam said.
“What’s your plan, and will it work separately or in conjunction with what is happening at the canyon?” Daniel asked.
“For that, I will have to let Raj and Roy bring you up to speed.”
Roy started. “With the help of Rebecca and the canyon dwellers, Raj and I were able to identify and test the possibility of shutting down the chips using ultra-high frequency sound.
“It works at short range, the closer to the source, the more effective it will be. The problem is that we must be sure the Eighth Cycle canyon dwellers are shielded from it, since they also have chips; we don’t want to harm them.
“We’re going to set up a two-phase process. All the rooms where the soldiers are likely to be will have a device set to emit a high-frequency sound that will knock them unconscious, then we can deal with them. The Eighth Cycle people who are with us, if accidentally exposed, will obviously also be rendered unconscious but won’t be hurt.
“To eliminate the Re’an soldiers, I’ve programmed nanites that will be injected into them while unconscious. These nanites will make their way to the chip and set off a localized ultra-high frequency sound that will destroy it.
“Fantastic!” Daniel exclaimed. “You and Raj never cease to amaze us."
Sam laughed. “Yes, I think the world should be glad those two are on the good side!”
“Agreed,” Daniel said. Seeing the grin on Salome’s face, he added, “Judging from the proud smile on your wife’s face, Roy, she agrees as well!”
Roy blushed but looked pleased as Raj gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder.
After a thoughtful pause, Sam inquired, “I understand how your plan will work in the confines of the canyon site, but how will this work for the teams of Re’an soldiers descending upon our cities?”
Rebecca responded, “There we have a bit more of a challenge, Sam. The first problem is that Roy’s ultra-high frequency sound is only effective up to five or so yards. Unless we can herd those soldiers into small spaces and get close enough to them, it won’t work. The second problem is, if we manage to overcome the distance issue and kill them, we’d have to remove and destroy those chips. I guess I don’t have to spell out the danger we’d find ourselves in if those chips are discovered during autopsies and someone reverse engineered them.”
“Oh,” Sam replied.
The rest of the audience nodded as they grasped the dilemma Rebecca alluded to.
“I’ve been working on a way to interfere with the chips’ signal,” Raj said. “I’m hoping it may be possible to take control of the chips and order the Re’an to go to a specific place, or maybe even return to Tunguska.”
“Keep working on it, Raj,” Daniel encouraged. “I’m sure you can find a way!”
CHAPTER 33
Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
DESZIK HAD ALTERED his plans for investigating the canyon, prior to the arrival of the others. Instead of spending his days along the canyon rim as a tourist, he remained at the Flagstaff hotel until the proximity monitor in his chip announced Petya’s arrival.
Although Petya’s room was in another part of the hotel, it was within the one-hundred-yard radius that allowed Deszik to monitor his movements, in real time, in accordance with Dekka’s promise.
Deszik had made a point of moving about the hotel, nearby restaurants, and shops. Although Deszik never actually saw him, Petya was like a constant shadow remaining at a distance of about sixty or seventy yards, no matter where he went.
After returning to his room early on the evening he arrived in Flagstaff, Deszik contacted Dekka requesting to be advised when Petya was asleep.
He showered and dressed in the black clothing of the soldiers, filled his backpack, and watched TV for an hour before turning out the lights and lying down on the bed.
At 11:30 that night, Dekka let him know that Petya had been asleep for nearly thirty minutes.
Deszik opened his window, removed the screen, and climbed out onto the landing outside his room. He closed the window and carefully replaced the screen, noting the tiny sensor on his door that would no doubt have awakened Petya had he opened it.
Walking away from the hotel and around the block, his chip confirmed that Petya was not moving, so he caught a cab to the airport where he rented another car and headed toward the town of Tusayan. From there, he took one of the fire roads to Rowe Well Road, a dirt-road back entrance to Grand Canyon Village, and followed it to just before the Kennels.
Pulling off the road behind some high desert brush, he hid the car as best he could and set out on foot for the canyon rim, which he reached in less than fifteen minutes. Another hour would see him at the bottom of the canyon and well away from the reservation. With care,
Petya wouldn’t find him until he was ready to be found, and then it would only be a matter of time until no one would ever find Petya.
* * *
Grand Canyon, USA
BY THE TIME the rest of the team arrived, several days later, Deszik was ready and met them at the rendezvous coordinates, at dusk.
He noticed Petya’s frown but ignored it. The man was obviously frustrated at his lack of ability to locate him after he disappeared. This pleased Deszik as it showed his caution had been well worth the trouble.
“We have twelve hours to reach the facility,” he addressed the group. “With our enhanced vision, we shouldn’t have any trouble traveling at speed in the dark, even in here.”
Dividing the group of twenty-four soldiers into their respective teams and instructing them to move in two’s, they spread out slightly and headed for the facility.
As Deszik expected, Petya stayed close to him, and over the next two hours, he carefully worked his way along the river toward an area he’d discovered the day before.
Approaching the banks of the mighty Colorado they came to a division in the path. Ordering Petya to check the fork that went toward the riverbank, Deszik continued on the path they had been following.
Petya paused with a frown, suspicious. “Wait!” he shouted. “Why do you want me to check the riverbank? I think I’d rather check the trail ahead.”
Deszik shrugged. He started down the path to the riverbank.
“Hang on a minute,” Petya said. “What are you up to?”
Looking at Petya with a puzzled expression, Deszik responded, “What’s your problem?”
“Why do you want me to take the path we were on instead of checking the riverbank?”
“Petya, make up your mind. I asked you to check the riverbank, and you said you’d rather check the path ahead. I agreed, and now you’ve got a problem with that. I don’t care which path you check. Both have to be checked. Which one is it?”