The president came closer and lowered her voice, as if worried she might be overheard. "I want you to tell me everything you know about the country outside DC."
"Why? Don't you have people for that sort of thing? You're the president!"
President Christine Blaise shook her head sadly. "I'm a prisoner here, Luna. Washington DC is controlled by the Lee Corporation."
Chapter 9
"Solly, come quick! It's Ross!" Jaxon yelled, pushing at Solly’s exposed shoulders as if he were handling an unexploded bomb.
Solly snorted in a lungful of air and rolled back as Janice came around beside him.
"Wha…?" he managed. "Ross? What's happened?" Fueled by an adrenaline burst, Solly pushed back the sheets and ran over to where his jeans lay in a pile on the floor, suddenly grateful he'd left his underpants on.
"He's down in the basement! Been hurt real bad. I said not to move him until one of you has seen to him."
By now, Janice was also pulling on her jeans and Solly couldn't help but notice how Jaxon's eyes followed her.
"Well done, Jax," Janice said, tying her hair roughly back and smoothing down the shirt she'd slept in.
Solly followed them down two flights of stairs to the ground floor. "Let us get through," he called out to the crowd of kids gathered around the basement door.
Ross lay at the bottom of the stairs. He was on his front with his head to one side as it sat in an expanding pool of blood. His hands were tied behind his back and he'd been gagged, though the cloth had been removed.
"Ross!" Janice cried out in anguish.
"Khaled," Solly spat as he knelt beside her. "How's the boy?"
Janice glanced up, her pale face illuminated by daylight flooding in through the open door. "He's breathing. We have to move him upstairs so I can take a proper look at him."
"Not yet. Jaxon! Run over and get Becky Epstein," Solly called over his shoulder.
"I sent someone across already," Jaxon shouted down the stairs.
Minutes later, Epstein stamped down the stairs in a cloud of cigarette smoke. She knelt beside the boy and examined his neck. "Poor kid. I don't want to move him, but we'll have to, otherwise he might bleed to death down here."
So they carried the nonresponsive body of Ross carefully up the stairs. When they reached the top, they found Scott, Paulie and a couple of the guards waiting.
"What's happened?" Scott said, his face full of concern.
"Your friend Khaled," Solly spat.
Scott's jaw dropped. "Is Ross going to be alright?" he said as he helped the others carry the gangly youth up the next flight.
"I don't know. You need to go find the scum who did this and bring him back."
"I will," Scott said. He paused for a moment as they turned on the landing and headed up the final flight. "There's no chance that Ross knows where Alison's hidden, is there?"
Solly stopped dead. "Oh my God," he said.
The look on Becky Epstein's face told them that bad news was coming. The medic's normally irascible nature was hidden beneath a fixed expression and a slow shake of the head. "Well, the best I can say is that he's not dead, yet," she said. "I'm no detective, but it looks as though he was pushed down the steps with his hands tied behind his back. At the very least, his skull is cracked, but without access to an X-ray, I can't tell how big and deep the break is."
"Why hasn't he woken up?" Janice asked as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"That's what worries me the most," Epstein said. "I'd be a whole lot more positive if he was conscious. I suspect he's got bleeding onto the brain."
Solly was like a caged animal, pacing backwards and forwards in the little room he'd shared with Janice. He wanted to go after Khaled and rip the lowlife limb from limb, but he couldn't leave Ross. Only now, as the boy lay on his bed, did he truly acknowledge the depth of his love for Ross. He'd gotten into the habit of calling him “son” in recent weeks, but now he knew that he'd meant it all along. He'd feel no worse if it were Jake. "What can you do? Operate?"
Epstein clambered to her feet and gestured for Solly to follow her out onto the landing. She lifted the window, took a cigarette out of her inner pocket and lit it before taking a deep drag. "I can't do anything for the kid, Solly. I'm sorry. I'm a paramedic, not a surgeon."
"You're the closest thing we've got to one," Solly said.
She shrugged and blew smoke out the window. "Maybe, but that's not saying a lot. All we can do is keep him comfortable and pump him full of diuretics to keep the pressure from building up in his brain. It's going to be a messy few days if…"
"If he lasts that long," Solly croaked.
A hand slid into his and he breathed in Janice's fragrance. "I'll look after him. You go after the monster who did this to him."
Solly turned to her and wiped the hair from her face. "I want to stay. I think of him as my son, Jan."
Her smile broke his heart in two. "He is our son, Sol. In this new reality blood is meaningless. We're a family, and I'll see to him. I need to know that Khaled hasn't gotten away with it. And, in any case, he's got Alison."
Solly shook his head. "You know, when it comes down to it, I don't care anymore. If that boy doesn't make it then none of the struggle is worth it."
"Don't be silly, my love. We have to think of more than just the three of us. There's Jaxon and all the others who live here. We both know there's more danger coming for them. It doesn't help Ross much to survive this only to be killed in a few days, weeks or months. Please, go."
He kissed her, then pulled her close and hugged her so tight he felt as if they'd merged into a single being. All too soon it was over, and, with a nod, he headed down the stairs to find a weapon.
"Wilbur One, this is Bad Hobbit, do you receive?" Solly was sitting in one of the pickup trucks Landon had brought to the farmhouse. He couldn't bring himself to smile at his call sign. It had been Ross's invention.
"Wilbur One, receiving you Bad Hobbit. Over."
"What's your situation? Have you sighted him? Over."
"Negative, Bad Hobbit. We are heading north along Walnut Point Road. Will keep you posted. Over."
"Acknowledged, Wilbur One. Out."
Solly was just reaching over to put the handset into the glove box when there was a sharp rap on the window. Jaxon was there.
"What is it, Jax?"
"Which way you headin', Sol?"
Solly pointed to the right. "Toward the city."
The boy shook his head. "You wanna head south toward Williamsport."
"Why? All the soldiers have gone north."
"Cos Latoya said she saw a man runnin' that way when she was goin' to the bathroom." He pointed in the opposite direction to the one Solly had intended to take.
"When was this?"
"Just after sunrise, she says."
Solly shrugged. "How old is she? Six, seven?"
"About that. But she ain't no fool neither. Came up to me and told me all about it before I'd asked anyone if they'd seen anythin'."
"Get in," Solly said, pushing open the passenger door as Jaxon ran around and jumped in. He put the car into drive and stabbed down on the gas.
Williamsport was a small town on the banks of the Potomac River that marked the border with West Virginia. Khaled's direct route to the Lee Corporation in New York lay in the opposite direction, so it had made complete sense for Corporal DiSanto, Scott and Paulie to concentrate their efforts to the north. But Khaled was nothing if not clever and he'd have known where they'd look, so checking the south road seemed like a good plan, if only to be thorough. Solly couldn't control the knot in his stomach, however, as he grappled with the triple fears of what might happen to Ross while he was away, Khaled eluding their grip entirely, or being caught by the others before Solly could wring his neck.
He sped out of the farmhouse gates and headed south toward Williamsport.
Khaled had been on foot when he'd escaped, though they couldn't discount the possibility he'd found a vehicle an
d was, even now, doubling back on them in the direction of his masters in New York. However, Landon and Jaxon had done a pretty thorough job of draining the gas out of all the vehicles within easy walking distance of the farmhouse, so he'd have to try a lot of cars and walk a long way before he'd find a usable one. On the other hand, he'd had a head start of at least two hours and a panicked man can get a long way in that time. If he'd taken to the countryside, they'd have little chance of finding him.
But they had to try, so Solly sped along Honeyfield Road as he and Jaxon scanned the white wood and brick houses on either side of the road for any sign of movement. He drove straight through a metal barrier that had shut off an abandoned part of the lane and emerged onto a three way junction.
"Which way now?"
Solly shrugged. "Which way would you go if you wanted to get away?"
"Depends where I wanted to end up."
"New York?"
Jaxon grunted. "Well, I wouldna have come to Williamsport in the first place, but I guess he could circle around and head in the right direction. Now, if he was headin' for DC, that's a different thing."
"Why?"
"Well, the river down there, that's the Potomac. It goes right into Washington, though you'd want to get out before the falls."
Solly nodded. "Of course. My geography's a bit sketchy. So, he could get there by boat?"
"Sure, me 'n some pals used to talk about it. It seemed to be a good way out of our dead end town. Ironic, ain't it?"
Solly thought for a moment. "Seems to me he's playing us for fools, Jax. If we're right, he set off south knowing we'd search north, because he thinks we'll expect him to head for New York. What if he isn't? What if he's heading for DC?"
"But Lee Corp's in New York and Seattle. Everyone knows that."
"Look, Jax, they've proven that they can strike just about anywhere. If there's a government reestablishing itself in DC, you can bet they'll find a way to involve themselves." He sighed and gazed at the intersection. Two story wooden houses and small shops lay to left and right. Most of their windows had been smashed, but those that remained were dusty and dark. He felt the weight of his next decision as it seemed that more depended on it than he could see at that moment. All he wanted right now was to catch Khaled, preferably without anyone nearby to restrain him. He didn't want to hear that the man was more valuable alive than dead. Ross was fighting for his life because of that scum and the least Khaled could expect from Solly was to be in the same condition after he'd finished with him.
"If he's circling back, he probably turned north here," Solly said. "If he's heading for DC, then we have to search along the river bank, starting at the bridge. And then again, if he's double bluffing us and heading straight for New York, we need to go back the way we came."
He turned to the young man in the passenger seat. Jaxon was watching him as if to read his intention in his face.
"What do you think, Jax? Ross is your friend—I reckon you want to catch Khaled as much as I do."
Jaxon nodded slowly. "Yeah, I do. He's a piece of work, that's for sure."
"That's it," Solly said. "You're right. Look, the chances are we've lost him, so we might as well go with our instincts. Maybe he's just a little too clever for his own good. I think he's going for—"
"DC," Jaxon said.
"DC."
They parked the car fifty yards from the river and then crept the rest of the way. Solly's plan was to use the bridge as a vantage point to survey both banks to the north and south, in the hope that he'd see some evidence of Khaled and maybe, if his speculation was correct, even a boat.
Solly had almost set foot on the road bridge when a sharp cry forced him to stop in an instant.
"No further!"
Khaled emerged from somewhere beneath the bridge, flanked by two young men in rags—the first living souls Solly had seen in Williamsport. Khaled held a weapon in shaking hands as his associates shuffled toward Solly and Jaxon. One carried something that looked like a machete and the other had a hunting knife. Solly could tell that madness had claimed them long ago and all hope left him.
He jumped to the left to avoid the blow and a shot rang out. The thug nearest Solly flinched for a moment and then made a grab for his arm just as Jaxon retreated from the knife wielding maniac attacking him. Solly twisted and brought his knee up, knocking the wind out of his assailant and then rushing forward to press home his advantage with a shoulder charge that sent him to the ground.
Solly spun around and leaped onto the back of the other man, grabbing his wrist as it swung the knife in a wide arc toward Jaxon's throat. Roaring, Solly Masters kneed the man in the back and fell on top of him as he collapsed. They scrambled on the ground, dust billowing up into the sky, each growling at the other as they fought for control of the knife.
A foot swung through the air and Jaxon's boot knocked it flying, the weak winter's sun flashing off the blade. Then, just as he thought he could draw breath, Solly fell beneath the weight of the other attacker. He jerked sideways and the machete bounced off the asphalt, the shock causing the man to lose his grip so Solly could grab it and roll away.
Now Jaxon and Solly were armed and their assailants weren't. The two young men, only a little older than Jaxon, retreated. One held his side and the other supported him. Then, quite suddenly, they ran.
Solly spun to see what Khaled was doing, just in time to see him disappear around the bend of the river, using the current to sweep him along before starting up the outboard motor. Even from this distance he looked to have barely the strength to steer the boat and he leaned back as if taking a relaxing river cruise. But by his side sat a familiar pack and Solly could just see the outline of a metal cylinder inside. He had lost Alison.
Chapter 10
Solly pulled the collar of his jacket around his ears and forced himself as far under the canopy as possible. It was a mercy to be out of the wind, but still he sat in a pool of cold water as he watched the near bank of the Potomac sliding by.
Bobby stood at the wheel, guiding the old fishing boat along the river as Paulie strained to see any sign of their quarry. It was a fool's errand, as Scott had told them when he, Paulie and Bobby had caught up with them as they'd waited on the river bank.
Khaled had a head start and was using a boat long prepared for the journey whereas they'd been forced to choose the first one they found tethered to a jetty a half mile downriver from the bridge, and the only fuel they had on them was the ten gallon gas can in the back of Paulie's truck. They had nothing more than a torn out sheet from the atlas, and Jaxon's estimate that it was about 150 miles by river from Williamsport to DC.
Solly guessed that the boat would do no more than fifteen miles to the gallon, and less than that if they pushed the motor, so they were forced to choose between marshaling their fuel so they'd make it to DC and going as fast as possible to give themselves a chance of catching up with Khaled. They'd opted for a compromise that, Solly reflected sullenly, would probably result in them achieving neither.
Bobby had insisted on coming along once it became obvious that Scott had slipped into despair. The loss of Alison was the final blow to any hopes they had for defeating the Lee Corporation, though Scott would still not explain what he intended for her. It was as if he thought Solly might object. Sure, they could destroy the Reapers being built by the Lees, but that would only delay them. Ultimately, the only way to defeat the second apocalypse was to bring the Lee Corporation to its knees, and that meant facing and destroying the glue that bound all its disparate parts together, the sinews that connected the bones. Annabel Lee, in life or death, was the key. And Alison, Scott insisted, could pick that particular lock.
So Scott had gone to ground, and Solly neither knew nor cared whether he was now at the farmhouse gibbering in the basement or back on the open road. Solly wanted Alison but, above all, he wanted Khaled. While they'd waited by the river bank, Janice had passed on word that Ross was still unconscious, which meant they'd been unabl
e to get any diuretics into his system, so they were doing their best to keep his head cool by wrapping it in towels soaked in cold water. He could tell that she had little hope for him and so Solly focused on his pursuit and ignored the truth that at least part of the reason he was here and not at Ross’ bedside was because he simply couldn't bear to face his helplessness.
Paulie had come along for similar reasons. She'd become like a caged tiger, especially since Khaled's disappearance. She wanted desperately to find her daughter, but had no idea where to begin looking, except that she was almost certainly far to the west. Paulie had spent long hours brooding over what she should do and where she could go. The only crumb of comfort was that she trusted Marvin Tucker as much as she trusted anyone. Chances were, he'd taken Luna to his old house in Spokane and that was where Paulie would go as soon as she felt she'd done all she could here. Because, for all that she wanted to find Luna, she knew that it would be in vain if the Lees weren't faced down. She couldn't bear the prospect of finding her daughter if she hadn't had the strength to do what she could to give her some sort of future.
And there was the matter of justice. She was a cop on the trail of a cowardly thief who'd pushed a boy down a flight of stairs and left him for dead. And he'd taken what she knew to be the most important weapon they had in the fight against the Lee Corporation. She didn't know how it worked, but she'd seen it go up against the Annabel personality in Seattle and win, and that was the only scrap of comfort she could find in this seemingly hopeless battle.
They pulled into the bank as darkness began to fall. Bobby had wanted to carry on through the night to give them a better chance of closing the gap between them and their prey, but Paulie thought the risk of missing Khaled in the dark was too great and Solly agreed with her. Frankly, he was glad to scramble out of the boat onto the wooded banks beside Shepherdstown Bridge. He stood looking out on the river as he waited for his balance to return and then helped the others tie up and unload the boat.
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