Alex sighed deeply. “Yes, it was.” He looked down at the top of her head lying on his shoulder. “It is delicious.” He kissed her hair and looked back up at the stars, filled with a glowing contentment.
Emily turned her gaze so she could see his face, bracing her chin on his chest. “So, how does it feel to be a hero, having saved the lives of over ninety percent of the human race?”
“So far, the rewards are great!” he said with a broad grin. Then he sobered. “But actually, I didn’t do very much. Doug, Richard and even Buddy, are the real heroes.”
“Don’t underestimate what you did.”
“Well, even so, I can’t help but think we didn’t accomplish as much as we would have liked.”
“What do you mean? Even if we get caught and they execute us, we stopped them cold.”
Alex stirred a little and held Emily a little harder, wrapping his right leg between hers. “No, I don’t think so. What we did is stop one group of people from exercising one plan. There are still a lot of people out there more than willing to do something similar if it suits their purpose. Remember, half the people asked said they would kill the baby. I’m not even sure they couldn’t regenerate the virus. Given enough time and resources, I’m sure they could. Hell, maybe they even have the building blocks ready in India, in Srivastava’s lab.”
Emily squirmed uncomfortably. “Now there’s a pleasant thought.”
Alex took a deep breath. “No, this is only the beginning. A first step at resisting those who have no compunction to use whatever means they have to achieve an end they find desirable. Those people still exist. And they have a lot of power and resources behind them to accomplish their aims. Even if we block their ability to use a virus in the future, something I doubt we can do, there are other ways they could achieve their goals.” He took a deep breath. “I’m afraid our work has only just begun.”
Emily rolled over onto her back and also stared up at the stars. “I don’t like to say it, but I think you’re right.”
“And that doesn’t even address the larger problem - that of global climate change. If we don’t fix that somehow, we’re all dead.”
They lay beside each other for a few moments, each lost in thought. “So, what are you going to do now?” she asked. “I mean, if we get out of this okay. Are you going back to your ER job and flying your aerobatic airplane?”
“Hell, I don’t know,” answered Alex. “How about you? Are you going to keep working for the police? The FBI?”
Emily looked at him, but said nothing.
Alex sighed. “There seem to be bigger, more immediate problems out there needing timely solutions, you know? I guess I’m going to have to take one thing at a time. Feel my way along blindly, try to find a way that will help us all live sustainable lives.”
Emily rolled over and gave Alex a long, luscious, arousing kiss. His loins were stirring again when she rolled off him and reached for her clothes. “You’re a good man,” she said. “We’d better get dressed before the others wake. It’ll be dawn soon.”
Alex reached up and grabbed her wrist. Pulling her back to him, he said, “Not just yet…”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Two days passed. The time for Armando’s rendezvous came and went - no Armando. They waited on the shore until just before dawn, then went to their campsite to consider their options. There weren’t many. But then, Richard mused, it seemed there never were. They talked for awhile, then each sat, looking at nothing in silence.
“How are you doing, Richard?” asked Emily, breaking the reverie. She looked at him like she was trying to peer into his soul.
Richard knew what she was asking. He was numb, not dumb. No, numb is not the right word. He was disengaged from his feelings. They were not essential to what needed to be done now. “I’m… okay.”
“Maybe you don’t think this is the right time,” she asked, “but I gotta ask. What made you pull the trigger?”
“Emily,” said Alex. “Leave him alone.”
“I’m just trying to help him process it,” said Emily. “Richard, it’ll help you to talk about it. The last thing you should do is let it fester.”
Richard looked up at the stars, then at Emily. “I don’t know. I’ve been trying not to think about it.”
“It will help,” said Emily.
Everyone was silent.
“I --” said Richard. “I stood there with the gun in my hand. I knew it wouldn’t, but I hoped threatening him would stop him.” He took a deep breath. “I was looking in his eyes. I saw he wasn’t going to stop. I knew the only way I could stop him was to shoot him. That was the last thing I wanted to do, you know?” For a moment, his throat closed up and he couldn’t speak. Embarrassed, he cleared his throat.
“It’s okay, Richard,” said Alex.
“No, no, it’s not.” Richard looked back up at the sky and swallowed. “It’s just… It’s just that I was standing there and… and I felt that to do nothing, to not shoot, was… was making the same mistake Todd was making. To put what I thought was right, to put my moral scruples on a pedestal. To make my beliefs more important than the suffering of billions of people.” He looked at his feet. “And they’re not.” He turned and looked at each of them. “And they’re not, you know?”
“Yeah,” said Alex and looked away.
Richard stood and moved toward his tent, trying to get away from the questions. He had killed – again. He would pay. The law of karma, cause and effect. This life, the next, later, all of the above. But he would pay. And, he was sure, the price would be high.
. . .
Two more days passed. Each morning at one AM, they went to the beach in hopes of seeing Armando. The all-night vigils that followed were in vain. They had plenty of water, but food could be an issue if Armando didn’t come in the next couple of days. All the perishables were gone, but there was still some canned and packaged food. They agreed to ration what they had left. Buddy’s food was gone, so they shared what they had with him. He didn’t seem to mind.
During the day, they stayed under cover, sleeping as they could. After sunset, in the half hour or so of twilight, Emily and Alex disappeared, exploring the island. Left behind, Buddy stayed with Richard. Something clicked between him and Buddy. They were inseparable. Buddy seemed to tolerate Alex - there was no more snarling and bared teeth, but he clearly loved Richard’s attentions. Who could understand dogs?
Oscar kept to himself and rested. He reported less pain with each successive day. Richard wondered if he was working silently on some technical problem or other. Probably, he decided.
Richard found a way of folding his sleeping bag so he could sit and meditate on it more or less comfortably. He spent many hours reaching for that place beneath thought and feeling where he could rest comfortably without processing what happened.
It was dawn on their fifth day on the island. The first golden light was just breaking through the green umbrella of their clearing as they returned from the beach. Shadows lay long on the camp as they entered the middle of the clearing. Richard could smell the ripe odor of unwashed bodies as they gathered.
“We’re out of food,” said Oscar. “We need to do something soon.”
“I’m afraid something bad has happened to Armando,” said Emily. “At least he hasn’t sold us out. We are still here.”
“But,” said Alex, “if Armando’s been detained, shouldn’t that be something to worry about? I mean, what other reason would they have for grabbing him other than because he’s been helping us?”
“I think we need to assume the worst,” said Emily.
“We’re still out of food,” said Oscar.
They stood silent for a moment.
“Anyone unable to swim?” asked Richard.
More silence.
“I guess it comes down to that,” said Alex. He took a deep breath. “After dark, let’s swim over to the mainland and try to get as far from here as we can.”
“Whoa,” said Emily. �
��Not so fast. I gave Shannon these coordinates. If we go somewhere else, they won’t know where we are. We’ll be on our own.”
“Maybe that’s not so bad,” said Alex. “We’ve done alright so far. Just where are those guys who’re supposed to get us out of here?”
“Damn good question,” said Emily. “Things aren’t looking so good.”
“I’m not so sure we should go with them anyway,” said Alex. “They’re FBI and what I’ve seen of them lately hasn’t been too friendly.”
“If Shannon does show,” said Emily, “he’ll be our best chance.”
“We still don’t have anything to eat,” said Oscar.
They each looked at Oscar who stood, without support, with a blank look on his face.
“How are you feeling, Oscar?” asked Richard. “Are you able to swim?”
“The pain is bearable now,” he said. “As long as I don’t have to run.”
“I sure hope we won’t,” said Alex. “If we do have to run, there’ll probably be people shooting at us and I’ve had more than enough of that.”
Emily sighed. “Bunk down and get as much rest as you can. We may be up all night again. Wet or dry.”
. . .
Richard woke to the sound of rhythmic thunder. It only took him a second to recognize what he heard. He’d seen enough movies about the war in Vietnam to know it was low flying helicopters. Sticking his head out the door of his tent, he looked up at the blanket of green leaves that hid them. He guessed it was late afternoon, though he couldn’t see the sun through all the greenery. The choppers passed and could be heard retreating out over the reservoir. He couldn’t see them, he could only hear them.
Richard rose and went out into the clearing. The others joined him. They looked at each other.
“What do you think, Emily?” asked Alex. “Friend or foe?”
Emily looked in the direction the choppers had flown. “Don’t know. Could be either. We’re out of food and can’t stay here any longer. Whatever is going to happen, it’s happening now.” They gathered the four pistols from the lab, the few rounds of ammunition carried in each, and passed them around. Richard refused to take one - Emily put the extra gun in her belt. “Gather up what you can easily carry,” said Emily, “and can get wet. We don’t know how this is going to go down.”
They regrouped and were trying to decide which direction to go when they heard a loud speaker. “Emily Clark,” a male voice called. “This is Brent Shannon. We’re here to extract you.”
Emily bent down and cautiously moved through the bushes in the direction of the voice. Richard and the others were close behind. Pistols were drawn.
Near the shore, the four of them sat down, hidden in the shrubbery, staring out at the reservoir. Buddy laid quietly next to Richard, ears held back along his skull. Richard put an arm around Buddy's shoulders, to calm him, as four outboard powered rubber rafts approached them a few yards away. In each were three men wearing black jackets with “FBI” emblazoned on front and back.
Emily stood up and put her pistol in her belt. She turned to the others. “It’s okay. That’s Shannon in the front of the first boat.” The nearest raft turned toward her. Though armed, the men in the raft made no effort to bring their weapons to bear. Richard and the others stood next to Emily. Buddy barked, but didn't growl or show his teeth.
“Quickly,” said one man in the lead raft as it landed. “We have to get to the choppers as fast as we can.” He reached out and took Emily’s hand, pulling her into the raft. Alex was right behind her.
A second raft reached the shore and Richard and Oscar were waved toward it. Buddy followed Richard into the boat. Oscar was now able to move around without much difficulty and crawled aboard the raft without help. One of the agents gave Richard a leash to put on Buddy, being careful to keep his distance from the dog - as best he could on the small boat. Richard wondered how they knew to bring the leash. The other two rafts stayed offshore, eyes toward their rear. Soon, they made their way across the short distance of water.
The only words exchanged were terse orders between the men that came with the rafts. It all happened so fast, Richard was stunned to silence. Before he had time to react, they were all climbing aboard helicopters, three of which waited in a parking lot up by the lab, rotors idling. Buddy was reluctant, but with some gentle persuasion from Richard, he finally climbed aboard and laid down, whining softly. Then they were airborne.
Richard, Oscar and Buddy were in one chopper and Emily and Alex in another. Richard was reassured that no one asked them to give up their firearms, but he wasn’t yet ready to relax in the lap of apparent security. “Where are we going?” he shouted over the roar of the chopper at one of the FBI men.
“You’ll see,” came the reply.
“What --”
“Please,” interrupted the man. “I can’t give you any answers. Just wait, all will be explained.”
Richard looked over at Oscar. Oscar shrugged. He didn’t seem to be alarmed. The FBI agents and helicopter crew sat secured to their seats, weapons holstered or stowed. They seemed uninterested in Oscar and Richard, sitting calmly in the throbbing din, staring off into space, absorbed in their own thoughts. Not at all threatening, not even vigilant. Still, why wouldn’t they answer?
The rest of the trip was made in silence. Oscar laid back and took a nap. Richard sat and rested and waited as best as he could.
. . .
Richard, Oscar and Buddy stood outside a wooden door with a smoked glass window. They were rushed up to the third story of an on old brick building after landing in an abandoned parking lot in the rear. Marching up creaking stairs, they heard, but could not see, the other helicopters land. The building was empty - they appeared to be the only ones around. They now stood on a well-worn linoleum floor in a musty hall, waiting. All but one of the crew that shepherded them left, telling them only to be patient - they would be told what to do in a short while.
Emily and Alex joined them in a few minutes. “You guys learn anything?” asked Emily.
“Nope,” said Oscar. “We couldn’t get anything out of them. One hundred percent mum.”
“We didn’t learn anything either,” said Alex.
Everyone looked over at Emily. “Well,” she said, “I still think Shannon can be trusted.”
“It just occurred to me,” said Alex. “If you had the ability to call for help and get us extracted, why didn’t you do it before we damn near got killed? Did we really have to go through all we did?”
“Yeah, we did,” said Emily. “Until we got captured and I didn’t have access to a cell phone, we really didn’t know what was going on. We had a job to do.” She paused for a moment. “I also don’t know how much Shannon would have been able to do then. He was still under the thumb of Todd’s associates. Now, something is different. I don’t know what, but something has happened, something we don’t yet know about.”
Oscar chuckled. “I could guess…”
All eyes turned to Oscar.
“I, uh…” Oscar paused, apparently looking for the right words. “I was able to download some stuff from the server at the lab. It was a matter of distributing it to a number of other servers so the data couldn’t be blocked, then I sent an alert out to friends of mine…”
The remaining crewman put his hand to his ear, reached for the doorknob, opened the door and asked them to enter the room. He followed behind, but remained at the door.
Beyond the door was a long room with a window covering most of the far wall. The window was covered by a translucent curtain obscuring the view beyond, but not blocking the bright afternoon sun. Shannon sat behind a large desk about five feet in front of the window. He was staring at open folders spread out next to a laptop computer on the desktop. The bright light from the window made Richard’s eyes hurt when he looked at the man.
After a minute, the man raised his gaze and spoke. “Please, do sit down.”
Oscar started to move around to seat himself, the others
not quite moving.
“The hell with this,” said Alex and he walked around behind the desk and stood in front of the window, arms folded across his chest, facing Shannon. There was a moment of uncertainty, then Oscar stood up and joined him, followed by Emily, Buddy and Richard. Buddy sat next to Richard, ears up, growling softly.
Shannon turned and looked at the five of them with a confused expression.
“I’ve seen this kind of set-up before,” said Alex. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence.
“What are you talking about, Alex?” asked Emily.
Alex took a deep breath and let it out. “When people want to establish a position of authority,” he said, “they use certain… psychological ploys. They make you wait for them. They put themselves in a position where they have to be approached from a distance. They sit behind a desk in a chair that’s slightly higher than other chairs in the room so they look down on you when you sit. Behind them is a bright light that hurts, because your eyes are dilated by the surrounding dark room. It makes it very uncomfortable to look them in the eye.”
Alex paused. Shannon now swung entirely around to face them full on and opened his mouth. Before he could say anything, Alex continued. “I’ve been shot at. I’ve been chased. I’ve come close to being blown up, and all I ever wanted was to do my job, help heal a few people, have a house, fly an airplane once in awhile, and live a good, quiet, happy life. But what happens? Some authority figure decides it’s in his best interest to let loose a deadly virus to murder billions of people. The authorities get behind this asshole… and the rest is history.” Alex bent forward and looked Shannon straight in the eye. “I will no longer leave my fate and the fate of the rest of the world to authorities. And I do not appreciate being the butt of obvious power plays from some authority wannabe.”
Buddy barked, the hair on his back erect.
“Whoa, Alex,” said Oscar, “you the man! I’ve been saying this kind of stuff for years!”
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