"What are you going to do?"
"Buster and I are going to lead them away, give you a chance to escape."
The man on the floor shook his head.
"Unless he wants me to shoot him now," Skulls added.
"I can't let you do that," Bella said. "If they catch you, they'll string you up."
He smiled at her. "They won't catch me. But you must go now. I will meet you if I can. Your father knows where. Now, go!"
Skulls pushed her away and she followed Al out of the door. The old man nodded to Skulls and Luke shook his hand before going. The last to leave was Maddie. Skulls flushed as she kissed him on the cheek.
Bertha started up on the first attempt. There was no time for a pre-flight check; they all piled inside, and Al immediately pulled out of the parking lot and headed east, following the highway but not taking it just yet. Through the rear camera, Bella could see Skulls running across the lot, pushing Buster ahead of him.
She strained to see any sign of their pursuers and prayed Skulls would get away, though she knew he would leave it as late as possible so the TLX soldiers were sure to follow him. He was a brave man and she had no idea why he was prepared to take this risk for them. She felt a lump in her throat and hoped to see him again.
With a lurch, the RV swerved to avoid an abandoned car. Two men appeared from behind it, guns raised, though they didn't shoot.
"Darn it," Al said. "They'll tell their buddies which direction we've gone in. Time to take a detour."
He took the first turning he came to.
"Isn't this going south?"
"Yep—that's the way I want them to think we've gone. We'll get back on our right road as soon as we can. I just hope, by the time they pick up the trail, it'll have gone cold."
Bella looked back at Maddie and Luke, who were huddled in each other’s arms on the bench seat behind them, and prayed that Skulls could lead the enemy away for long enough for them to make a clean escape. How far would the TLX pursue the president's son? They weren't going to give up, that was for sure. But the US was a big place and the further they went, the better the chance they had.
Chapter 4
Solly's arm stung like hell, but he was at least now starting to warm up. He lay on the couch opposite Wally's as Ross finished wrapping the wound.
"There," he said. "It probably needs stitches, but …"
"It's alright. Thanks. But you shouldn't have come after me."
Ross shrugged as he got to his feet. "If I hadn't, you'd be dog food."
"True. Good shooting, by the way," Solly said as he watched the boy walk into the kitchen.
"I'm going to go back to the car and get the rest of our stuff," Ross said. "Can't just leave it all out there waiting to be stolen. And, anyway, I want the stove—we're not going anywhere today, and I want something to warm these cans up on."
Solly hauled himself up on his elbows, wincing. "Are you insane? I've just been attacked by feral dogs …"
"—a couple of them were wolves, I reckon …"
"—and wolves. When we go out again, we do it in a group."
Ross shrugged. "I'm going to wait until noon, and I'll take care. Quit worrying—I've got this."
"Absolutely not. You can't do this on your own. That's final!"
Ross stormed back into the living room. "Get lost! You're always telling me what I can't do! Even though I just saved your butt."
Solly's mouth opened and closed as he found he had no response to this outburst. Ross had never behaved like this before; he'd always seemed to be an even tempered boy. And then Solly cast his mind back to when he'd first met Ross. He'd wondered when the dam would burst. "Look, I don't want you to put yourself in harm's way for the sake of a few bits of camping gear."
"It's our stuff. It's all we've got and I'm not leaving it for someone to steal."
"I'll come with you, then."
Ross shook his head. "No. You've lost a lot of blood."
"Ross, don't go."
The boy got up and headed towards the kitchen. "You don't get to tell me what to do, you're not my dad," he said in a calm voice that cut Solly to the bone. Ross opened the far door and went into the conservatory. It was cold, but it had one big advantage—Solly wasn't there.
Solly watched from an upstairs window as Ross trudged off along the snow-filled lane. It had taken every ounce of his remaining strength to clear the master bedroom of its two former occupants. He'd only managed by repeatedly running back outside to inhale fresh air. He wrapped the bed blankets around the two bodies that, even in the cool Montana climate, were barely recognizable as those of once living beings. Then he rolled them up and, grimacing with disgust, lifted each into the bathroom before shutting the inner door and opening all the windows. The mattress was violated by deep black stains and the room would need a deep clean if it was ever to be habitable again, but for now it was bearable.
Solly lifted the hunting rifle and used the sight to keep an eye on Ross. He had to admire the boy. It had been Ross who'd found the rifles in a cabinet in the back room and Solly knew that without that stroke of luck he'd be dead now. He felt so protective of Ross and wanted desperately to go with him, but he also recognized that this was something Ross needed to do alone. The incapacitation of the two adults had given the boy an opportunity to be a man. Solly only hoped he survived his initiation.
Ross went out of sight just past the point where the dogs had attacked. Even from here, Solly could see the red stain in the snow and the dark marks he knew to be the bodies of the animals. The snow had now stopped falling completely and there was a fresh brightness to the air that would, under normal circumstances, have been delightful. But these weren't normal circumstances, not remotely, and so he stood, rubbing his hands and stamping as he waited for Ross to reappear.
He was within an instant of running out into the snow after Ross when his head finally appeared around the bend. The boy looked unharmed and was carrying one of the packs from the back of the pickup, so he'd obviously found the truck.
There was no sign of the dogs, so Solly put the rifle down and watched Ross make his way towards the house. Then he noticed—Ross wasn't carrying his gun.
A figure appeared around the corner, walking twenty yards or so behind Ross and holding his rifle. Ross stopped without turning around—responding, presumably, to a called command—and waited for the figure to catch up with him.
They walked together now, far too close for Solly to risk a shot even if he'd wanted to. He knew nothing about this person except that he or she had Ross as a hostage.
Solly ran downstairs and woke Wally up. "We've got trouble," he said, before explaining what he'd seen. "Can you move?"
"I reckon."
Solly was going to suggest the old man find somewhere to hide in the hope he could surprise Ross' captor, but he couldn't think of a hiding place that wouldn't mean Wally freezing to death. No, they'd have to play it straight.
He heard Ross calling from outside.
"What's going on?" Solly responded.
"She wants to come in," Ross said in a defeated voice. "She says she wants to talk to us."
"Then get her to drop her weapon," Solly said.
"I don't think so," a female voice called. "Stand back from the door and make no aggressive moves."
The door opened, and Ross stepped inside. His face was pale and drawn, his expression one of mute apology as he stood on the threshold before moving to one side.
A figure in a dark brown coat and fur rimmed hat followed him cautiously inside. "Hands where I can see them," she said, her words seeming to come from within the folds of her coat. She was so deeply wrapped Solly couldn't make out her face, though he instinctively knew she was relatively young and quite obviously trained in firearms.
Solly, Ross and Wally moved to stand beside the hearth as the woman shut the door, keeping them covered constantly, and stood opposite them.
"You have a device that I am interested in. It is shaped like a cyl
inder. Where is it?"
This was the last thing Solly had expected to hear. He'd assumed she was an opportunistic bandit, but now it seemed she was a Lee Corporation operative.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Solly said, wondering how they could possibly have been traced here.
"Don't lie to me. I know it's here, and your boy as much as admitted it."
"I did not!" Ross said, indignantly. "She had a gun to my head and I said she should ask you about it."
The woman pulled back her hood to expose a pretty Latino face framed by deep brown hair. "I knew from your reaction when I mentioned the device—if you didn't have it, you would have been confused by the question. All I saw was surprise and shock. Now, tell me where it is."
"Who wants to know?" Solly asked.
"That is none of your concern. I'm holding the gun, after all. No more pretense. You have the device, bring it out before I lose patience."
"What happens then?"
The woman shrugged. "I start shooting."
Solly shook his head. His instincts had been wrong many times, but this time he was certain. If she was truly from the Lee Corporation, at least one of them would be dead by now. "No, I don't think you will."
"You think because I'm a woman I won't shoot? I've done it before!"
"I believe you've killed before," Solly said, his conviction growing, "but not in cold blood. I don't see it in you. Frankly, your best chance of getting what you want is to be honest with us."
He stepped forward, hand outstretched.
"My name's Solly Masters," he said. "Good grief, is that a sheriff's badge?"
Her coat had swung open a little to reveal a flash of gold.
She sighed, lowered her weapon and said. "My name is Paulina Ramos. I'm sheriff of Arbroath."
For the second time that day, Solly had found himself unable to speak. Arbroath had been their destination; was this woman the person they were expected to hand the device over to? Or was she a fake?
She'd put her gun down, so that, at least, was progress, and they were sitting on the couch as Ross boiled a camping kettle in the kitchen.
Solly could tell that this woman, Paulie, knew much less about the true nature of the device than he did. She claimed that she'd been sent by its owner to reunite it with the key she carried. At this, she pulled out a credit card-sized photo ID and showed him the reverse. "This fits into the device somehow. Makes it fully functional and more able to protect itself. I honestly don't know, Solly. I was told to find you, activate the device, and return with it to Arbroath."
"Seems to me you've been kept in the dark as much as we have," Solly said. "Who is this person you're giving it to?"
Paulie shifted uncomfortably on the couch. "He calls himself Pastor Smith. He came into the town when we were rebuilding, and he's helped us. People follow him."
"What do you mean ‘he calls himself Pastor Smith’? Is he a fake? He wouldn't be the first we've come across."
Again, Paulie seemed reluctant to answer. In the end, she sighed and handed over the photo ID card.
Solly flipped it over to see a handsome, smiling face. "What the … You've got Scott Lee's ID? Where did you get it from?"
"From Scott Lee."
"But he's dead. I saw it on TV. He died just before people started dropping."
Paulie shook her head. "I know. He faked his own death because he knew he was expected to die. His wife had arranged it."
"What? Annabel Lee killed him?"
"Annabel Lee killed everyone," Paulie said. "Scott isn't certain she intended to, but he knows she meant to take him with her."
Ross called from the kitchen where he'd been standing open-mouthed at the news. "Like a pharaoh. Killing their followers to serve them in the afterlife. It's insane."
"Not as crazy as murdering billions of people," Solly said. "I just can't believe she'd intended to do that."
Wally cleared his throat. "I know I'm just a stupid, out of touch old man, but can someone tell me who in the name of Moses is Annie-belle Lee?"
They'd spent long enough talking for Solly to be convinced that Paulie was genuine—at least to the extent that she believed what she'd been told. Whether any of them could trust Scott Lee was another question entirely, but Solly’s entire mission had been to go to Arbroath and it could hardly be a coincidence that this was where Lee had ended up. Khaled and Neil had intended for the device to be given to him, and Solly only had his trust that their plans were for the good of humanity to go on. But then, that had been true from the beginning.
As for Paulie, he might have been acting like a naive fool, but everything about her checked out. Had she been working for the Lee Corporation, she'd have called in a 'copter as soon as she'd established where they were. No, if this woman wasn't genuine, then he'd never trust his instincts again.
Or was it just that he wanted her to take the device off his hands? After all, that was what she was asking for, and if he gave it to her, he'd be able to immediately head back east and south. The farmhouse was calling and so was Texas.
He pulled the cylinder out and laid it on its side.
"Lee told me it would be in a protective shield," Ramos said, looking at him doubtfully.
"It was opened up by a scientist at Lackland Air Force base. He created this thin sheath to block out its radio signal, but somehow she knew you were coming. She warned us."
"She?"
"This cylinder contains an AI called Alison. I, um, accidentally activated it."
"You what? Scott told me it would be sealed. He gave me instructions on how to open it and he said I absolutely shouldn't wake it up. That was for him to do."
Solly shrugged. "Well, I'm afraid it's too late for that now." He touched the activation switch. "Alison, meet Paulie."
The cyan eye swept across the display. I cannot see very well.
"Sorry, I've had to leave the sheath on. We're not underground."
Paulie, who was gaping at the cylinder with its roving blue pixelated eye, leaned forward to look at it more closely. "Good grief, I had no idea."
Hello Paulie.
"H-hello Alison."
Do you have the key?
"Yes, yes I do."
Good. What is it?
"She's like an empty box," Solly said to Paulie. "She has intelligence but very little knowledge. She asks questions every time we wake her up."
Paulie got the ID card out and, as she brought it close to the cylinder, a red and blue pulsing light formed a rectangular shape on its end. "I guess I put it there," she said.
Instantly, the lights began flickering rapidly and Alison's display went dark.
"It looks as though it's transferring data," Solly said.
After a few seconds, the flashing lights slowed to a gentle pulse before going out entirely.
The cyan eye reappeared in the display.
I am ready to go now, Paulie. I must be taken to my creator.
Solly sighed. It almost felt like a graduation ceremony, as if he was watching his child make the transition to adulthood before forging their own path, leaving their family behind. He was also mightily relieved. The die had been cast and he, Ross, and Wally could go their own way again. After a few moments of reflective sadness, he got up and gestured to the others.
"Come on, let's get packing. I'll see Paulie back to her car and bring the truck, so we can set off in the morning."
Paulie lifted the cylinder from the table. "How do you deactivate it?"
"You tell her to go to sleep."
"Alison, go to sleep."
I'm sorry, Paulie, but I can't do that. Only Father can send me to sleep. He reads to me.
"But we're going to see your creator. He'll tell you a story," Paulie said, plainly uncomfortable with having a conversation like this with a machine.
I'm sorry, Paulie. I can't go anywhere without my Father. He must stay with me always.
Chapter 5
Bella opened the door of the RV to let in the c
ool morning air, stepped down onto the asphalt, and drew in a deep breath. Even in January, Huntsville State Park was majestic. Their campsite was surrounded by tall trees bare of leaves and in the distance she could see the lake shimmering as the sun rose behind her. Bella was an urbanite through and through. Solly had tentatively suggested, once or twice, that they should experience nature, but one of the few things they shared in common was a love of the little luxuries of life. She realized, however, as she gazed out on the forest, that she'd missed out on something truly special. And all it had taken was an apocalypse for her to learn this lesson.
But they couldn't stay here for long. Al and Skulls had agreed that this would be their rendezvous point if they got separated, but they were still too close to TLX controlled territory for comfort, so if Skulls didn't turn up today, they'd have to go on without him. Where to, though?
"Morning, Mom," Maddie said, yawning as she stood on the top step. "Beautiful here, isn't it?"
Bella glanced at her daughter. Maddie had a beauty that was somehow enhanced by having bed hair and a “just woken up” look. Bella, on the other hand, felt she was the sort of person who cleaned up nicely but, in between, was the definition of nondescript.
"The air's definitely a bit fresher out here," she said. "Sharing a small RV with two men is not the most fragrant experience."
Maddie came down to stand beside her mother and gaze out on the tree scape. "Pops was snoring all night. It was bad enough for me, but I don't suppose Luke slept a wink." Bella and Maddie had taken the over-cab double bed, while Luke had been consigned to the upper bunk, directly above Al. "Are we going to wait a while longer for Skulls?"
Bella shook her head sadly. "We have to be away from here by mid-afternoon at the latest, so we can find somewhere safe to layover."
"Where are we going to go?"
"That's the 64,000 dollar question. Go and wake up your grandfather and Luke—we need to decide."
Al flipped the last of the bacon between two sides of a bread roll and handed it to Luke. Both meat and bread had been found in one of Skulls' scavenging raids—the bacon, though way beyond its consumption date, had smelled fine and the part-baked bread, warmed through in the RV's little oven, was too good a combination to miss out on.
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