Trackers Omnibus [Books 1-4]

by Smith, Nicholas Sansbury

  “Thank you, General,” she said, shaking his hand.

  “This way,” Thor said, gesturing for her to proceed into the hallway beyond the blast doors. Banks of lights guided them toward elevator doors at the end of the short passage.

  “I certainly hope this facility was better designed than the PEOC,” Albert said.

  Thor looked over his shoulder and smiled. “It’s the safest place in the world, in my opinion. I’m a bit biased, though, because I helped oversee the construction. You’ll see why I’m so confident shortly.”

  Charlize was too tired and in too much pain to care much about the engineering that went into this place. She stepped into the elevator and rested her back against the wall. The bandages on her burned hand felt tight, pain pulsating down her forearm. She needed to have them changed soon.

  The elevator chirped and began to descend. Beads of sweat dripped down her forehead. She used the sleeve of her sweatshirt to dab away the sweat, and with it the residue of the burn gel. The one painkiller she’d taken today had worn off completely. Her nerves prickled, and her breathing had become shallower.

  “Are you feeling okay, ma’am?” Albert asked.

  Charlize tried to arrange her face into an expressionless mask. “I’m fine.” The truth was that she felt like she might start screaming if she had to be stuck in this tiny metal box a moment longer. She’d never been claustrophobic, but being trapped in the nightmarish remains of the destroyed bunker beneath the White House had apparently done more than just physical damage.

  “We have a very good medical facility here, Madame Secretary,” Thor said. “I’ve already spoken with our doctors, and they are prepared to continue your treatment.”

  “I want to get to the command room first. I assume President Diego is already there.”

  Thor offered a brusque nod. “He asked me to escort you to Command personally.”

  The elevator jolted slightly when they reached the bottom and the doors whisked open, revealing another hallway and a second pair of doors ahead. Two rigid Marines holding M4 carbines stood guard.

  They both snapped to attention as she approached. The one on the right moved aside to allow Thor access to the control panel. This time the doors opened to reveal a short metal platform leading to even more doors. The seams of those doors parted, and Charlize saw what looked like a fancy subway car. A dozen white leather seats furnished the windowless space.

  “What’s this?” she asked, hesitating on the threshold. She wiped more sweat from her forehead.

  “Our ride to Constellation.”

  “I thought this was Constellation,” Albert said.

  “Not yet,” Thor said. “We’re still two miles away. This train will take us underneath the ocean floor to the main facility.”

  Charlize followed him across the platform into the train car. She took a seat next to Albert, wincing at the pain that raced up her back. The panel of lights above flashed green after the door sealed behind them. She immediately felt as though the air was being sucked from the small, enclosed space. General Thor sat across from them and clasped his hands together, fiddling with a gold Air Force ring.

  A soft vibration reverberated through the train. There was a jolt as they separated from the docking station, and then a series of smooth clicks. The train quickly picked up speed, and all sense of motion vanished.

  Charlize took in short breaths, trying to manage the growing pain and anxiety. She was going to have to take another pill if she wanted to function today. There was no way around it now. She blinked several times and eyed the Marine sitting to Thor’s right, who was cupping an earpiece. The younger man leaned over and said something to the general.

  Thor looked up at Charlize and proudly announced, “Constellation is officially now the home of U.S. Northern Command and our recovery efforts. President Diego just gave the order.”

  Charlize sank into her seat. The news meant she was going to be here for a while.

  “Do you have a family?” she asked him.

  Thor lifted a brow. “Pardon me?”

  “Do you have a wife and kids?” she asked. There was a reason for her question. She wanted to know right away if he was going to help her get Ty back.

  “No, Madame Secretary. Live free and die free. That’s the way I’ve lived my life.”

  Charlize couldn’t help but nod. “Easier to focus on a war when you don’t have to worry about kids. I get that.”

  “Indeed, ma’am.”

  He looked at his watch. “We should be under the ocean now and will reach Constellation in about ten minutes.”

  Charlize closed her eyes for several moments. When she opened them again, her vision blurred and her stomach churned.

  “Ma’am, I think we should go straight to the medical facility,” Albert said quietly.

  “No,” she said, stiffening in the leather seat. “Take me to the command center first.”

  He hesitated this time. “You said if I ever needed to talk to you, I could speak freely.”

  She glanced over and met his sad eyes.

  “I can’t protect you if you don’t let me help you,” Albert said. “You need to see a doctor.”

  “I know, and I will, right after the command center, I promise.”

  Albert moved his lips to the side and then nodded. “Fine, but right after that. Even if I have to carry you there.”

  “I promise.” She managed a smile and considered talking to him about his wife, Jane, and daughters, Kylie and Abigail. Charlize was all too aware that he’d chosen to protect her instead of going to them during the attack on Washington. If he regretted his choice or resented her, he didn’t show it. Then again, Albert rarely ever let any emotion show on his face. Sometime soon, they’d have to talk about what had happened.

  But this was not the time or the place for that conversation. Instead, she closed her eyes to transport herself to a place where there was no pain or worry. She imagined the cockpit of her F-15 Strike Eagle, tearing over the ocean. Too soon, a hand on her arm brought her back to reality.

  “We’re here,” Albert said.

  He helped her stand with deliberate care. As soon as she was on both feet, the world began to spin. The green light seemed to flash in and out, and the white walls blurred. She blinked away the dizziness, swallowed, and drew in a shaky breath.

  Albert helped her through the doors. Outside, Thor was talking to a Marine next to a sign that read Level A. He gestured for her to follow them down a windowless passage.

  Boots pounded the tile floor behind them, the three Marines following. Charlize leaned on Albert. He was enough of a gentleman not to mention it, but his forehead wrinkled in concern. Movement flashed ahead in the first junction. A woman and man in white lab coats walked by with tablets in their hands. They glanced in her direction before disappearing around the corner.

  The next hallway was filled with more people dressed in the white lab coats. Some of them chatted quietly, but others hurried to and fro with urgency. People flowed through the open double doors ahead.

  “That’s the cafeteria,” Thor said. “There’s also a large study, library, and entertainment center on this level. Barracks and restroom facilities are on Level B. Labs and the medical facility are on Level C.”

  “Labs?” Charlize asked. “I thought this was a bunker.”

  Thor smiled like he was happy she asked the question. “This is a research facility, ma’am. We built Constellation to house over three hundred people, mostly scientists. Over the past five days, we’ve brought in the brightest minds our country has to offer.”

  A flashback to the budget briefing years ago emerged in her mind. There had been a line item in that funding request for a top-secret facility. Was this it?

  “President Diego wanted me to wait to give you the full tour,” Thor said. “Come on, we’re almost to Command.”

  He continued walking, but Charlize had more questions.

  “What is the purpose of this facility?” she aske
d.

  Thor looked over his shoulder. “Constellation was designed to help lead recovery efforts in case of a major disaster like an asteroid strike. Needless to say, it’s also helped us hit the ground running with the response to the EMP attack.”

  Thor stopped outside a pair of wide black doors, where a pair of Marines came to attention. They pushed the doors open to reveal a two-level circular room with a domed ceiling. Monitors lined every wall, and a holographic map of the United States was projected in the air over a long table at the bottom.

  President Diego stood in front of that table, his arm in a sling. Staff, scientists, and military personnel bustled around the room, the worker drones in the hive of the command center. Diego looked up when the doors opened and nodded to Charlize.

  Charlize tried to focus on Diego’s face, but it seemed to split into three overlapping images. She blinked several times until her vision returned to normal.

  The president was smiling. “Welcome, Secretary Montgomery. Now that you’re back on your feet, I’m hoping you can start to lead the war effort.”

  “Yes, sir, I’m ready.” Charlize staggered slightly, and Albert reached out. She hardly felt the pressure on her arm from his grip. She pulled away, determined to stand on her own.

  “Wonderful,” Diego said.

  “I’m anxious to get started, sir. We need to find those North Korean submarines before they can inflict more damage on our country,” Charlize heard herself saying, but she felt strangely disconnected from the present moment. “I ordered HSM squadrons deployed before leaving—”

  The migraine that had settled behind her eyes pounded, driving a spike of pain into her brain. A powerful wave of nausea and light-headedness followed, but she remained upright. Diego reached the top of the stairs. Once again, he blurred into triplets.

  “Are you ready to help me take back our country?” Diego asked.

  The room began to spin, and her knees wobbled.

  “Madame Secretary,” Diego said. He turned to Albert. “Is she okay?”

  “No, she’s not, sir,” Albert said.

  Charlize tried to protest, but the world suddenly changed orientation and she found herself staring at the domed ceiling. The white lights brightened into a blanket overhead, searing her eyes and igniting her migraine.

  Albert’s kind face moved into view above like an eclipse, and she felt her body rising into the air as he hoisted her up in his arms.

  “Guess I’m carrying you to that medical ward after all, ma’am,” Albert said.

  — 10 —

  It sounded like someone was being tortured in another room. Ty Montgomery wrapped his arms across his chest, shivering. He was trapped in a cell smaller than his cabin at camp. There were two beds, but three kids were locked inside. Micah tried the handle again and then sat down next to Emma on the other bed. Their hair was still wet from being hosed down.

  “Why did they lock us in here?” Micah asked.

  “We’re hostages,” Ty said. “They don’t want us to escape.”

  His mom’s bodyguard had gone over all kind of drills with him in case something bad happened, but Ty had forgotten Albert’s rules when it mattered. He never should have told General Fenix his name. But if he hadn’t, they might have hurt him like they were hurting someone right now.

  The screaming stopped abruptly, but Ty continued shaking. Dr. Rollins had told him he was going to be fine, but now he was starting to wonder. The sweatpants and sweatshirt the men had given him were hardly enough to keep out the cold, and his stomach felt sour again.

  Ty pulled the quilt up over his legs. Since he couldn’t feel anything below his pelvis, it was vital to keep his legs and feet warm.

  Emma started sobbing into her brother’s shoulder when another scream reverberated down the hallway outside their room.

  “It’s okay,” Ty said. “My mom is going to come get us out of here.”

  The light bulb dangling from a cord illuminated Emma’s frightened, rash-covered face. She sat with her small legs hanging over the side of the bunk. Both her and her brother were younger than Ty by a few years, and he decided it was his responsibility to look after them.

  “I want my mama,” Emma cried.

  “Mama and Papa are gone,” Micah said. It sounded to Ty like it wasn’t the first time he’d explained this to his little sister.

  “I’m sorry for your loss,” Ty said solemnly, just like his mother had taught him to say when someone was grieving.

  Micah wiped the tears from his sister’s face. She stopped crying after a few minutes, and her sobs were replaced by the plop of water from the ceiling into a bucket near the metal door. Water careened down the side of the rocky walls and collected in a puddle at the foot of Ty’s bed. He wasn’t sure where they were, but he guessed they were inside a mountain. Too bad there were a lot of those in Colorado.

  “They called this place the Castle, right?” Ty asked.

  Emma’s eyes widened. “Like the kind with a prince and princess?”

  “No. Not a real castle,” Micah said, shaking his head at his sister.

  “Why did they bring us here?” Emma looked at Ty for an answer.

  Ty wasn’t exactly sure, and he didn’t want to scare the kids with his ideas. He still didn’t understand what Dr. Rollins had told him about helping the General create an army. How was Ty going to help him with that? All he knew for sure was that most of these men were bad and they couldn’t be trusted.

  “Don’t worry,” Ty said again. “It’s going to be—”

  A long, pained screech split the air like someone was being burned with a hot iron. Micah and Emma’s eyes both widened.

  “Why are they hurting that man?” Micah asked, his lips trembling.

  Ty tilted his head, trying to listen, but the screaming faded away, replaced with the plop, plop of water in the bucket and approaching footsteps.

  “They got Joshua and Bernie,” said a smooth, deep voice that had to be General Fenix. “How the hell did you fuck this up so bad, Carson? I thought you said it was the perfect ambush.”

  “They had a helicopter, sir.”

  “I know they had a helicopter,” Fenix snapped. “I was in the pickup truck, but I should have been on those bluffs. Maybe then Joshua and Bernie would still be alive. You’re a lousy shot, Carson.”

  The footsteps were growing louder. Micah and Emma moved away from the side of the bed, pressing their backs against the wall and huddling together.

  “I-I’m sorry, sir,” Carson stuttered.

  Another scream rang out.

  “I’m starting to think we’d have been better off with a vet or butcher, or even that lady from the highway you shot,” the General said. “Are we sure that Rollins is a real doctor?”

  Ty understood then. The man crying out wasn’t being tortured after all. He was being operated on by Dr. Rollins.

  “He really needs pain meds, or we’re going to have to hear that for a while,” Carson said.

  “If he’s not going to make it, then why would I do that?” Fenix said. “If he makes it, he makes it. But we need to save those meds for someone who has a better chance.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “How about Tommy?” Fenix asked.

  Ty’s teeth were chattering from the cold. He locked his jaw so he could hear the next response. Aside from Doctor Rollins, Tommy was the only one of the men who had actually treated Ty decently since the men took them from the Easterseals camp.

  The footsteps stopped outside the door.

  “He took a bullet to the shoulder, but he should be okay,” Carson said.

  “Good, I need his help with something later,” Fenix replied. “In the meantime, I’m going to pay a visit to our celebrity guest.”

  Ty pulled the quilt up around his chest as the metal door shrieked open. General Fenix stood in the entry with a toothy grin. He stroked the bottom of his beard several times as he looked at the kids with blue eyes colder than a glacier. Carson hovered behind Fenix
, his beady eyes hidden by the bill of his black baseball cap. Tattoos—some faded, some bright black, lined his exposed hands, arms, and neck.

  “So, you’re really Charlize Montgomery’s son?” Fenix asked. “I heard she just got a major promotion.”

  Ty decided he wasn’t going to talk to the General this time. He sat on the bed, eyes downcast.

  Fenix kicked the bucket of water near the door. It hit the wall with a crack, and water blossomed across the floor. Emma sobbed into Micah’s shoulder.

  “Stop crying, kid,” Fenix said. He turned back to Ty. “You don’t want to talk to me? I get it. I wouldn’t want to talk to me either, but you’re going to have to eventually. Because if you don’t talk, Little Mr. Montgomery, then I might have to hurt someone.”

  Fenix looked back at Emma and Micah with a crazed grin.

  ***

  The jagged mountains had swallowed the setting sun, but the magnificent glow from the forest fires in the next valley brightened the view atop the hill. Nathan watched the fires licking the terrain like the devil’s tongue, spreading out to consume everything in their path. Pillars of smoke rising off the inferno clouded the dark horizon, blocking out the stars.

  He had thought they would need the night vision goggles, but the fires provided plenty of light to see that the road was blocked below. He cursed and pounded the dashboard with his gloved hand. There was no way through. They had spent over an hour on a dirt road to get back to the highway, but now they were stuck again, close to the area where Lieutenant Dupree and his men had been ambushed. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that his nephew was somewhere on the other side of the blaze.

  “Reminds me of the burning oil fields in Iraq,” Raven said quietly, as if he was lost in a memory.

  “We have to make a run for it,” Nathan said.

  “You nuts, Major?” Raven shot him a sideward glance, his dark brows arcing behind his visor. “We’ll get cooked like jerky down there. It’s already been hell just getting here.”