We can see the cogs spin in Dr. Ford’s mind as he begins his now famous ramblings. “Not a pole—or even two. It’d be too uncomfortable.” Neither of us interrupts Dr. Ford’s conversation with himself. We know it’s better to let him talk it out. “It has to complete the circuit…there has to be some way.”
Lucas toys with the friendship bracelet Brie gave me years ago when an idea hits him, “Doc, what about a bracelet?”
Dr. Ford stops mid mumble. “That just may work.”
Dr. Ford rushes us down the hall to Captain Jennings’ office. He’s full of excitement from the possibilities of our conversation. Captain Jennings is equal in his astonishment when Dr. Ford slows down enough to make sense. Captain Jennings quickly gives Dr. Ford the go ahead. Dr. Ford rushes back off to his lab. Lucas, the captain and I stare at the door behind him.
“Nice work you two.” Captain Jennings tells us. “This just might be the edge we need.”
“Any word on Carch?” Lucas asks.
“No, although I’m not convinced that’s good news. All reports indicate that she’s pulling back, and we know that’s very uncharacteristic of her. I’m thinking about sending out some scouts to do some intel.”
“It probably wouldn’t hurt. I doubt she’s doing anything she appears to be.” Lucas points out. He’s going into soldier boy mode and it’s almost unnervingly hot this time.
“Um, Kat?”
Whoops! “I’m sorry, did you say something?” My cheeks warm. Apparently I’m going to have to work on my focus.
“Captain Jennings asked if we want to go check on what Carch is up to.” Lucas has a look of amusement while he repeats Captain Jennings question.
The anger kicks in and my deep-rooted hatred for Carch and all she stands for makes me agree without thinking it through. Not that I’m paying attention as much as I should be. Focus, Kat!
“…we’ll send you as far as we dare into the northwest quadrant, where she’s believed to be.” Captain Jennings is saying. “Remember, we just want to know what she’s up to—not engage her. She still has far too many hostages to take her out now.”
“Yes, sir.” Lucas answers and glances at me for confirmation.
“I get it. I promise to try really, really hard to not zap her.” It’s the best I can offer.
“I suppose that’s all I can ask for.” Captain Jennings agrees. He’s seen the scars (the visible ones at least) and he knows my feelings for that woman very well.
“Alright, we’ll plan for the day after tomorrow. You two take it easy until then.” Captain Jennings walks us to the door.
B whines on the way back to my place. We take a pit stop outside so he can do his business. It’s still fairly early in the afternoon and my stomach is all grumbly. In fact it’s so loud that Lucas notices.
“Got any more frozen pizzas?” He asks.
“You cooking?” I throw back.
“For you I’ll bake a frozen pizza anytime.” Lucas answers.
“Then I’m sure we can scare one up.”
He raises our joined hands to his lips and gently kisses my knuckles. “Good.”
I call B and see that Mason stares at us a few feet away. There’s no doubt in his expression that he understands the body language between Lucas and me. It’s nothing I’m hiding and certainly nothing that I’m ashamed of. It’s the pain in Mason’s eyes that drops my shoulders.
B scampers back to my side and Lucas tenses when he spots Mason too. They have some guy stare down until I have enough and tug on Lucas to follow me.
We almost make it to the door when Mason appears behind us.
“You lied.” He thrusts his finger at my shoulder angrily.
Lucas moves to step between us but I won’t have it. This fight is mine. “I did not!”
“You said that there wasn’t anything going on between you two!” He’s screaming now.
Lucas makes another move to get in front of me until I say softly, “Take B inside, I can handle this.” He doesn’t look happy about it, but he does what I ask. When we’re alone I move my attention back to Mason and try to keep my blood from boiling. “Nothing happened between us until yesterday.” He opens his mouth and I cut him off. “Not that it’s any of your business, Mason. I told you the truth before. I don’t want to hurt you. I’ll always care about you in my own way, but we’ve been over for a while now.”
Mason’s eyes fill with tears and it’s only a confirmation of my words. “Kat, please.”
“Mason, I’m sorry. It’s how I feel. Can’t you be happy for me instead?”
Mason’s jaw work, “If he ever does anything Kat, just know, I’ll be there.”
I walk away and pretend to forget that his idea of being there is very different from my own.
Chance
Lucas is incredibly non pushy. It’s one of his best attributes—second only to his abs…and smile…and the feeling inside when he wraps his arms around me. What I’m trying to say is that he’s very easy going. I find him and B by the door waiting for me.
“I was going to start the pizza, but it was locked.” He says, “Everything okay?”
That two-word question holds so many possibilities. In his eyes there’s something I don’t expect to see. Complete trust. Any remnants of the wall I carefully craft around my heart turns to dust. Like it or not Lucas has found his way in. So soon after our first kiss or was it before then? Does Mason see a change in me I never knew is there when we return? Do I care if he did?
No, I don’t. His choice is made well before I return. It’s possible that maybe mine is too. Whatever it is, I’m here now and take an exorbitant amount of time to answer his question. It’s hard to find words to fit these emotions. It hits me and I fumble with the key chain.
“Here,” I hand him a key. “So you don’t have to wait in the hall anymore.” I open the door before answering his question. “And yeah, everything’s good.”
Brie manages to pull out every detail that she’s looking for at lunch. This includes the ones I just admit to myself. It doesn’t matter because it’s Brie and she supports my decision. Just like always. Plus she knows I have my smile back.
She’s not happy when she hears that we have to go out again. Brie understands why but she just doesn’t like it. I console her with news of the possible bracelets. She makes me promise to request a small one for Xavier—as if Dr. Ford will forget. That baby has a long list of admirers here.
“Just make it back here in one piece, alright?” Brie pleads.
“I promise.” I answer and Xavier decides our quiet lunch is over.
Brie laughs and scoops him out of his cradle. “He can already sense when I’ve refueled.”
“Smart boy,” The second Xavier is in Brie’s arms he stops crying. It still amazes me that she can make this perfect little person.
Jared walks in and confirms our hour is up. Like father like son. I give each of them a quick kiss goodbye and promise to check in with Brie when we get back from the next mission.
The next morning we suit up again. At least this mission is short: only a few days in comparison to the few weeks of the last one. We’ll be in the northwest (which is slightly less dangerous than the northeast) and try to get a handle on Carch and her plans. We’re to stay out of sight and this will prove an interesting test of my willpower.
There’s a bigger picture to consider despite my knee-jerk desire to destroy her. I’m fairly certain that consideration will win.
My aversion to flying isn’t so bad because it’s becoming a necessary evil. It’s faster—no doubt about it. The grumble of the engine has become familiar. It’s not so bad this time although my Vulcan death grip on Lucas’ hand may be helping.
He’s never let me down. Since we reevaluate our relationship it’s so much more. Some connection we forge during our fight for survival mixes with an honest friendship and attraction. In many ways his patience saves me: not only from others but from myself.
My stomach drops along with
the ground below us. Lucas keeps me aground with his warm chocolate eyes. We stay in the air for a time and the decent begins. It wreaks havoc on the cabin pressure and my ears. My breath of relief is audible when the wheels hit the dirt and we begin to skid to a halt.
Captain Jennings wants a small team so it’s only Lucas, Lou, Mike, Jay and me. We’re comfortable with each other. It’s nothing new to work together under stressful circumstances and to rely on each other. It’s more important than you may think at times like this.
They drop us at the closest point they feel safe and give us a Humvee before they leave. The plane is in and out as quickly as possible. The pilots try to draw the least amount of attention a plane that size can. We follow suit beneath them and pile in to the Humvee. We race to the edge of the woods to plot our course away from prying eyes.
Doc suggests that it’ll be best not to use my energy unless absolutely necessary. Since it’s like a freaking homing beacon nobody argues. It completely goes against the whole incognito thing.
We only pause for a few minutes and rely on physical maps for direction in lieu of any digital models. We’re going for zero traceability and we’re going hard.
Lou estimates around four hours before we get close enough to really worry about being seen. I decide to use the time to figure out ways to not kill Carch.
Time moves swiftly. Dusk helps keep us undercover the final miles to our target location. There’s plenty of time to convince myself to see the bigger picture. I decide I won’t zap Carch—just this once.
Mike pulls the Humvee to an obscure spot along the side of the road and kills the lights. We have to travel the rest of the way on foot. It’s far too conspicuous to continue to drive, even in the dark. Captain Jennings ensures that we all know exactly where we’re going. We quickly head northwest and don’t utter a word. Lucas stays behind me. Mike and Lou follow. I definitely don’t miss my lack of incoordination at the moment.
There’s a feeling when we get close. Energy reverberates from our destination. She’s here all right. I know Carch is nearby and it causes my blood to boil. It’s an instinctual reaction. I approach the edge of the trees and stop.
Lucas takes out some high tech goggles and scans the area. He fiddles with the buttons on the sides. This is it: why we’re here. Bigger picture or not it can be easy to end it now.
No, bad Kat! If only I can convince my stomach that it’s the wrong thing to do. Death follows that woman like a bad perfume.
I don’t blast the crap out of Carch’s compound. Instead I settle my butt into the ground to wait out the remainder of our (completely un-awesome) recon.
We sit for hours. We do nothing but sit—we don’t talk and barely move at all. I adapt to it from all the nights I pretend to sleep on our last mission. The guys must do this before because they’re all pretty good at it.
I play a mental game of ‘guess that foliage’ when the ground shakes. Smoke plumes from one of the buildings and people rush out. A few head towards us and we duck further down in our burrow. Something bad is going on.
The first two people run past us without notice. The last does not. He falls directly into our hole between all of us. His white lab coat stains brown in the dirt as Lou clamps a hand over his mouth. The man flails about for a moment but stops when his eyes land on me. Sheesh, it’s not like I’m that recognizable!
I stare back at him in hope that it will keep him quiet. Eventually the commotion calms and the people here go back about their business. The lab coat guy makes no move to run away.
Lucas stands and motions for the rest of us to follow. Mike and Lou simultaneously grab an arm of the intruder and guide him with us. I check behind us quickly and notice the nametag askew on the lab coat pocket. Dr. Harris!
I keep my mouth shut for now because it’s not yet safe to speak. Dr. Harris’ compliance speaks volumes. He doesn’t want to be here either and he no longer struggles against Mike and Lou.
We cross the imaginary line into the “safe” zone. Lucas stops and looks at Dr. Harris. Before he can say anything I pull him aside.
“Do you know who that is?” I whisper.
“No, do you?”
“His nametag says Dr. Harris,” Lucas understands immediately. “I think he’s more of a refugee than a prisoner.”
“I agree. Good catch.” We go back to the others. Lucas motions for Mike and Lou to let Dr. Harris go.
I take a step towards him. “Hi, Dr. Harris. We’ve been sent by Captain Jennings. You’re safe now.”
He looks around in confusion. “How do you know who I am?” I point to his nametag. “Oh. Did they send you here for me?”
“No sir.” Lucas tells him. “Things just seem to work out that way.”
“What’s happening in there?” I ask.
Dr. Harris looks behind him and back to us. “I’ll tell you, but only when we’re far away from here.”
“Deal.” Lucas says. We start back towards the Humvee.
We return to camp with much more than we expect. Dr. Harris is weak from his time with Carch but eager to meet with Dr. Ford and Captain Jennings. Mike and Lou leave us in search of food. Lucas and I escort Dr. Harris down to Captain Jennings’ office.
Dr. Ford waits with Captain Jennings. The five of us pile into the captain’s office and shut the door. Dr. Ford greets Dr. Harris warmly and it reminds me that they’re colleagues—friends.
We make introductions with the captain before we sit. Lucas explains how Dr. Harris falls into our laps. We all turn to Dr. Harris expectantly.
“I don’t know where to begin.” He tells us.
“Just start at the beginning.” Dr. Ford coaxes.
Dr. Harris rubs his face and continues. “It begins when I evacuate my family. As with Dr. Ford they force us to leave immediately. There are only so many of us with the knowledge to stop this.
“Dr. Ford and I work together closely in Columbus the same as we do at BioNano once he arrives from the west coast. We’re so hopeful once you come along Kat. We finally have something to stop the nanobots. Until Carch decides she wants you for herself. At the time she leads us to believe that it’s to stop the infection. Shortly after you leave it becomes apparent that she wants to keep you from stopping her. Dr. Ford is there when things begin to get really bad. Carch takes my family as leverage to make her weapons. I have no choice.” Dr. Harris’ voice breaks.
“We know it’s not your fault.” Captain Jennings assures him.
“What’s been going on since I left Columbus?” Dr. Ford asks.
“Things have gotten much, much worse.” Dr. Harris answers. “Carch began power hungry and slightly unstable. She quickly progresses to insane. Dr. Ford has seen some of it and I’m sure by now you’ve seen the after effects. I’ve never seen these camps they talk of but I hear about them. They say the conditions are atrocious. My family is at one of them…”
“I’m sorry.” I say. The thought hurts of anyone that must endure one of those places.
Dr. Harris continues. “Carch is much eviler now than anyone realizes. That’s why I set the explosion in the lab. She’s far worse than crazy now. She’s psychotic and she’s become infected.”
Wow
“I’m sorry—did you just say that Carch is infected?” Captain Jennings sputters.
Dr. Harris nods but doesn’t have a chance to respond before Dr. Ford asks, “How is it that she has not succumb to the infection?”
“I’m not sure at first,” Dr. Harris tells us. “I run some tests on her and come to the conclusion that her body somehow mutates it. She changes but in comparison to the others exposure she’s different.”
“It must be similar to how Kat mutates her energy.” Dr. Ford says and sees my grimace. “Sorry!” He adds.
I look meaningfully at Captain Jennings and Lucas. “I should’ve zapped her when I had the chance.”
“There’s more.” Dr. Harris tells us.
“More?” Lucas exclaims. “What more can there be?”
/>
“Carch is no longer susceptible to the infection but everyone else is. Her recent activity leaves her with only a few men left. I have known that people are leaving. It’s yesterday I discover where.”
A really bad feeling settles in my stomach.
“She makes a new type of army hidden away.” Dr. Harris says.
“Another underground hive?” I guess. Please say no!
Dr. Harris nods then looks at us in confusion. “What do you mean by ‘another’?”
Dr. Harris finds the idea of the hive we find incredible. “I’ve been referring to it as an underground army internally, but hive is much more of an accurate description.”
“Kat came up with it.” Dr. Ford says proudly.
“How did you come up with that?” Dr. Harris says.
“It was easy when we were down there.” I explain. “It looks like one so I figure it’s the best way to describe it.”
“You say that the hive from the original infection heads west?” Dr. Harris asks.
“Yes.” Captain Jennings confirms.
“Why?” Lucas asks.
Dr. Harris looks fearful. “I’m fairly certain that Carch pushes east.”
“What happens when they meet?” Lucas asks.
“I’m sure it won’t be good.” Dr. Ford answers.
“Definitely not.” Dr. Harris confirms.
“So let me get this straight.” I say. “We have two underground metalhead hives: the original infection in the east pushing west and Carch’s infection in the west pushing east?”
“So it seems.” Captain Jennings looks upset.
“How do we stop them? What do we do?” Lucas asks.
“First we secure the camp. We need to get everyone—and I mean everyone outside these walls here yesterday. Now that we know what Carch is up to we can hit all of her camp locations for survivors. Dr. Ford, how long will it be until the underground barriers are ready and what kind of perimeter size are we looking at?”
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