by R. D. Brady
“Good. The chutes are in the cabinet by the door.”
“I’ll get them.” Drake blurred to the back. He was standing next to Laney in seconds, handing her a chute.
“That really never gets old.” David grinned. “Okay, well, I was hoping to carefully take you through an explanation of what you need to do, but we no longer have time for that. They will already be sending a second missile.”
Laney shrugged the pack onto her back and snapped the locks across her chest. “I’ve skydived before.”
“Me too,” Drake said.
“Good. Well, you are going to need to freefall for, well, a while. Pull the red cord when you reach about three thousand feet. That blue cord is what you pull if the red cord doesn’t work. Got it?”
“Okay,” Laney said.
“On the cuff of your suit is a console. Turn it on.”
Laney did. The small screen popped to life. A countdown was on it, the numbers increasing.
“That’s your altitude. We’re at about 87,000 right now, so you’ll need to freefall a good long ways. Those suits were designed for that, and they should keep out most of the cold. Don’t forget the gloves.”
“Okay.” Laney pulled on the gloves in her pocket. “What about you?”
“Well, I’m going to make sure the next missile has something to chase.”
“What?”
“No auto-pilot, or at least, not this high up, and we do still need to get you guys out. I’ll lead them away, drop altitude, and then bail. When they check out the wreckage, it will be states away from you.”
“I don’t like that.”
David shrugged. “It’s the best plan.”
The alarm sounded again. All three of their heads whipped toward the radar screen. “Go. Now!” David yelled.
Drake grabbed Laney’s arm and pulled her to the door. He punched it open. The wind tried to rip her out, but Laney met David’s gaze one more time. He nodded at her.
She lowered the shield on her helmet and dove out the door.
CHAPTER 69
Baltimore, Maryland
This is not a good idea.
Yoni drove slowly by the back of the Chandler Estate. He had taken Sascha, Dov, and Max out to Arizona to stay with Sascha’s parents, and they had planned on staying there until at least a few weeks after Sascha gave birth.
But then he’d seen those images on the screen. Sascha had been unable to stop crying for hours. Yoni had struggled to hold it together himself. He still could not imagine that his government, the government he had sworn to defend as a Navy SEAL and readily did so for years, would treat a family like that. They’d offered no threat. Not even Molly with all her abilities.
He had wanted to come back. He had wanted to help immediately, but he couldn’t leave Sascha. She was the one who pushed him to go. She promised not to give birth until he got back.
But it was Max who cinched it for him. Max had looked him in the eye, the old soul speaking, not the young boy. “You need to go, Yoni. There’s someone waiting for you. They need your help.”
Yoni had no idea who it was. The entire estate had been emptied, at least to his knowledge. The only person he could think of was Dom. Dom never left the estate. Not in the nearly two decades he had lived there. Yoni figured he might be the one who could need his help. Yoni tried to call him, but all the estate’s communications were down, so he needed to go check personally.
The problem, though, was going to be getting to the bomb shelter. The government had pulled out most of its forces, but it had left a group to guard the estate. No one was being allowed in. He’d seen Brett get turned away at the front gate as he’d attempted to enter with a dozen members of Henry’s staff. Ahead, the road was barricaded. Yoni made a left and drove a mile away to the empty field that had once been used as an exit for runaway slaves. Laney had used it when she’d disappeared. A Hummer sat with the motor running at the edge of the field. Yoni felt eyes on him as he drove past. He wasn’t getting in that way.
Damn it. As far as he could tell, they had all the entrances blocked and at least two patrols inside on foot. He made the next left, bringing him back toward the estate. He took another side road that dead-ended and pulled his car along the side of the road. He grabbed his black backpack from the back seat, pulling a black knit cap from the front pocket and slipping it over his bald head. Bald might be beautiful, but it also shone like a spotlight if hit just right. He disabled the interior light before he slipped out the door.
Hitching the pack over his shoulders, he began to jog back toward the estate. He was just going to have to go over the side. Physically, he wasn’t worried about the climb. He just really hoped the alarms on the fence had been disabled. And that he’d figured out the timing of the patrols correctly. Otherwise he was not sure how he was going to explain his all-black ensemble. He didn’t think with his age and tanned complexion, they’d believe he was Goth.
He waited across the road from the estate, crouching low behind a series of tall, dense yews. After thirty minutes, his knees began to ache a little. He shifted, trying to get more comfortable, when he noticed the flashlight of one of the patrols appear. He tensed, lowering himself and keeping still. Two-man patrol. Their flashlights drifted back and forth as they walked, but they didn’t stop. Yoni watched as they disappeared around the bend in the fence. He counted to two hundred and then rose from his hiding place.
Checking to make sure the road was clear as well as the grounds behind the fence, he hurried over. He looked up with a sigh. Up and over. He reached up to grab the metal when someone grabbed him by the back of the shirt and yanked him to the ground.
CHAPTER 70
Somewhere above Pennsylvania
Air whipped past Laney, rustling her suit. She was pointed down at a seventy-degree angle, trying to put as much distance between her and the plane as possible. She knew she was traveling incredibly fast, and yet it didn’t feel like that because there was nothing to judge herself against. Just empty sky.
Drake appeared in her peripheral vision. A light appeared on her other side. The missile was high above them. She turned her head to watch the plane as it sped away, the missile catching up fast.
Come on, David. Go. The plane pulled into a dive. The missile compensated.
But then it was out of view, too far away to see what was happening in the dark sky.
Laney glanced at her sleeve. Another forty thousand feet and they could safely deploy the chutes. A mushroom cloud of fire erupted from the direction of the plane.
Her head snapped to the left as she gasped. No. That was too soon. David couldn’t have escaped that quickly. Guilt dogged her for suspecting him.
Oh, David, I’m so sorry. Yet another person dying while trying to help. There was too much death.
She opened her eyes, resolve replacing her anger. He would not have died in vain. He’d sacrificed himself to protect the people being victimized in the United States. People like Molly. Laney was going to make sure that never happened again. She deepened her dive. She needed to go faster. Too much was happening. Too many people were getting hurt, and she was not going to let that happen.
Not anymore.
CHAPTER 71
Baltimore, Maryland
Yoni’s fist was already moving as he hit the ground, but it stopped mere inches before the face looming over him. “Cleo?”
She licked his face in response.
Yoni chuckled as she buried her head in his chest. “Yeah, I missed you too, girl. I’m glad to see you got out.”
A second head appeared on Yoni’s another side.
“Moxy?” Danny’s black chow shepherd mix licked the other side of his face, her tail wagging like mad. A third shadow loomed behind the other two. Tiger stood quietly back, Rolly’s dachshund, Princess, perched on his back.
“Hey, guys.” Yoni pushed Moxy and Cleo back as he sat up. Moxy was a bundle of nervous energy next to him, bouncing around. “Well, it’s good to see you guys, but I
need to get inside. Wait here. I’ll be back.”
He went to grab the metal again. Cleo batted his arm away, standing between him and the fence. Yoni frowned. “What’s going on, Cleo?”
She looked at the fence, then Yoni, and shook her head.
“Cleo, I appreciate the concern. But I need to check—” She head-butted him in the chest as she walked by.
Yoni grunted, rubbing the spot where she’d made contact.
She looked over her shoulder at him pointedly, then started to walk again. Tiger fell in step with her, Princess still sitting on his back like a little furry cowboy. Moxy sat on the ground next to him, looking up at him with her tail wagging.
“I guess that means they want me to follow them, huh?”
Moxy tilted her head, her eyes wide.
Yoni rolled his eyes. “Great. Not only am I taking orders from giant house cats, I am now looking for confirmation from an average canine.”
Moxy gave a small whimper.
Yoni reached down and rubbed her head. “Sorry, buddy. You’re not average. All right, let’s follow your friends.”
CHAPTER 72
Matamoras, Ohio
Laney and Drake landed in an empty field. She’d hit the ground at a run and then rolled as her head tipped forward, a large rock digging into her ribs as she rolled over it. Drake, however, stayed on his feet, landing like a professional only a hundred feet away. Rolling up her chute, she stashed it in a shed at the edge of the field.
Drake dropped his in next to hers before tugging on her arm. “Come on. We need to be away from here.”
They ran for a full ten minutes before they stopped. Laney scanned the sky and the ground, but no one seemed to have noticed them.
“I think we’re good,” Drake said.
She glanced back where she’d seen the fireball. “Do you think—”
Drake’s voice was quiet. “He couldn’t have made it, Laney.”
Laney took a trembling breath. “I can’t stand this. Why do people have to keep dying? What are we doing that is so wrong? We help people. But that’s not why any of the governments of the world want these abilities. They want to keep people in line. They want to dominate others.”
“It’s human nature. You may use your powers to help others, but not all do. Like Samyaza, they seem to want to get as much as they can from them.”
She knew he was right, and she hated it. She also knew that if any government uncovered the formula for the Omni, it wouldn’t be long until it made it into the private world and the criminal one. Like guns, the Omni would attract those most interested in doing harm. And her job, fighting back that tide, would get that much harder.
“Don’t go there, Laney.”
“How do you know what I am thinking?”
“Because I know you. And I know every expression on your face. Don’t go off the deep end worrying about things in the future. There is plenty for you to worry about in the here and now. So let’s focus on that. Let’s go find our friends. Then together, we’ll figure out the next steps.”
Laney smiled. “I’m still trying to figure out when you became the level-headed one in this relationship.”
“Hey, even ten-thousand-year-old archangels can learn.”
Laney balked. “Ten thousand years? You’re ten thousand years old?”
“Actually, I’m a little older than that. But that seemed a less sensational number.”
Laney just stared at him.
He shifted his feet, looking uncomfortable. “What?”
“I just, I don’t know. I just suddenly feel very, very young.”
“Perhaps, but your soul is very, very old.”
Laney raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
He winced. “Yeah, that sounded a lot better in my head.”
She laughed. “Well, come on, Casanova, before you bowl me over with more romantic words about my elderly personality.”
He kissed her forehead. “Old, young, the world keeps turning, and we keep finding each other. That is all that truly matters.”
Laney smiled. “See? Now that was much better.” She leaned up to kiss him, then pulled away with a sigh.
“You’re thinking about the future again, aren’t you?”
She nodded. “Yup.”
Drake sighed heavily. “Apparently we’ve reached the point in our relationship where my kisses cannot distract you from the world outside. Perhaps we should try a romantic weekend getaway.”
“Been reading couples magazines?”
“Just the headlines.”
“Well, as soon as the world calms down, you, me, some tiny little hut on an abandoned island.”
“Now that is a plan I can get behind.”
CHAPTER 73
Baltimore, Maryland
Yoni jogged behind Cleo and Tiger for three miles. If he didn’t know better, he’d think they were just trying to make sure he got some exercise. But each time a car approached, they disappeared into the trees before Yoni even heard the engine. As soon as the car had passed, they’d slip right back onto the road and continue forward.
Soon, they left the few houses around the estate behind and entered another field. Cleo and Tiger jogged across the field, lengthening their stride and putting more distance between Yoni and them. Moxy kept pace with him.
The two cats headed right for a group of bushes off to the side of the field. Yoni frowned. What were they up to?
Cleo reached the series of bushes first. Her teeth clamped around the base of one, and with two giant tugs, she yanked it from the ground. Tiger did the same to the one next to it. Then they dropped the bushes a few feet away before repeating the process with another two bushes.
Yoni jogged to a stop. “Uh, you guys dragged me out here to do some midnight landscaping?”
Mouth full of spruce, Cleo could only give him what he interpreted as an annoyed look. He put up his hands. “Sorry.”
Cleo began to dig at the dirt. Tiger and Moxy joined in to help. Yoni shifted from foot to foot, wondering what the hell he was doing here. He should have ignored the cats. He knew they were smart, but they couldn’t possibly know what he was planning. He should head back and see—
Cleo’s nails scraped metal. Yoni’s head snapped up. He hurried forward, helping push the remaining dirt out of the way. “Holy crap. It’s another entrance.”
He felt a little angry that no one had mentioned it to him but gave them a pass being everyone’s lives had been tossed up in the air in the last few days. Pulling his flashlight from his pack first, he yanked open one of the doors, stumbling as it came off its hinges and slammed to the ground. He winced, glancing around.
Damn, that was loud. But it didn’t seem to have attracted any attention. He flashed his light inside. A tunnel had been burrowed from the dirt. “Okay, I’ll—”
Cleo slipped inside, followed by Tiger with Princess, then Moxy.
“I’ll apparently bring up the rear,” he grumbled, following them in. He picked up the door and secured it in place behind him before hurrying to keep up with the rest of his pack.
The tunnel made a straight line back to the estate. Yoni guessed it was maybe a mile long, cutting under a bunch of other properties that Henry didn’t own. Yoni was pretty sure those owners would not be thrilled to know what was happening under their backyards.
Ahead, a single metal door led to what Yoni hoped was Dom’s and that Cleo hadn’t led them to an opening that would have them stepping out of the fountain in front of the main house and no doubt a couple dozen soldiers.
Cleo sat down to the side of the door. Yoni frowned, trying to figure out why. He smiled, whispering, “Oh, big genius cat can’t manage a door that slides open.”
He started to move past her. Cleo shot out a paw. Yoni tripped over it, barely managing to not faceplant into the door. She gave a huff that sounded suspiciously like a laugh.
Yoni grunted as he unlatched the lock. He waited a few seconds, but he couldn’t hear anything on the other sid
e of the door. He slid it open a few inches. It led into the back of the guest room at Dom’s, where Patrick had stayed for a short time while he was recuperating.
He leaned out and listened, but he couldn’t hear anything. He glanced down at Cleo, who nodded before sliding the door open farther and trotting inside.
Well, I guess that means the coast is clear. Yoni was tempted to pull his weapon, but he didn’t want to shoot anyone unless it was life and death. And he also didn’t want to be shot, so he figured unarmed was the best call.
Yoni slipped out after Cleo with Tiger, Princess, and Moxy following him. As they reached the doorway, the cats split off, heading toward the main area while Yoni checked Dom’s bedroom. The room had been tossed. Clothes, books, and papers were scattered. Dom was a bit of a slob at times, but this was way beyond his normal level. The government had been looking for something.
He quickly checked the other rooms in this part of the shelter. All the rooms had received the same treatment. He stopped in the storage room and grabbed one of the radios and burner phones. He also went to the back wall and, pushing on the third wall tile from the bottom, reached into the hidden compartment there. He pulled out the code that would let him know what safe house they were using. To anyone else it looked like a random assortment of pictures, numbers, and Greek letters. Dom had designed the code in case they all got separated. Everyone was taught the code, and the numbers were changed weekly.
He frowned as he stepped into the main room. But where was Dom? With all the cameras he had in the place, he must know Yoni was here. A quick scan of the main room revealed no Dom, but the cats had opened the fridge and were helping themselves and the dogs to whatever they could find. Cleo turned on the faucet and took a long drink. Tiger grabbed Princess by the scruff and lifted her to the counter so she could reach the water as well. They were quite a little team.