by Ron Bender
I’m not going to get any sleep with her missing. And now with this fight, it doesn’t matter how inviting the bed looks. “Maggie likes you. And you are important to both of us. But you can’t throw Baylen under Basillio’s tank treads because I was pissed off at him and vented to you.”
He huffs and angrily asks, “Have you wondered why they asked us to stay here instead of letting us go home tonight?”
“You heard his secretary.” I wipe my eyes. I must look like shit. It’s the only possible explanation I can reach as to why so many people were staring at me while we ate dinner. I’m too exhausted and can’t find fault with Jen’s logic. I parrot it back to him. “If anything happens, they want to reach us instantly, and if whoever took Maggie tries to get to me through her, my being at home would leave me more vulnerable than being here.”
David snorts.
I’m suddenly angry with him again like I’m on a funfair rollercoaster. I struggle to gain some perspective and end up falling back to what has always worked before. I imagine that I can feel cold creep across my skin as I distance myself from him.
“Stop and think, Nessa. What sensitive data? What Earth shattering information do you have that they would want to blackmail you?” He shakes his head. “They haven’t called for a ransom. I don’t think they’ll ever call.”
“What are you saying?”
“That AlphaTek isn’t interested in Maggie. Sure, they’ll try to rescue her, but Baylen is an asset. He has worth to them. If you want Maggie safe, being here isn’t going to do it.”
I open my mouth and say, “I think—”
“No, Nessa.” He cuts me off. “Whoever has her, they took her to keep Baylen in line. They were probably after Baylen from the start.” His voice drops in volume as he comes to his own conclusion. “And when they have what they want from him….”
I fall silent, fighting clenched fists. I spin away, engulfed by anger that I won’t share with him. “I’m going for a walk.”
He may have asked when I was coming back but the door clicking closed seems like a good enough answer for me in the moment.
I head down the hallway, my mind churning. Baylen had been deployed on operations so secret that years later, when I met him, he still felt guilty just mentioning it. Three years of discussions about his role and how he felt, never once did he offer up anything really concrete about what he was involved in.
Maybe David is right. Maybe they took Maggie as a way to manipulate Baylen.
It would work. He’d lay waste to whole cities to keep our little girl safe. But would he reveal secret information? The pride I feel at his instincts suddenly twists into something ugly.
I recall how my late university enthusiasm became a crush, how it flopped itself inside-out and became a profound infatuation, then active fantasies, and finally my desire to chain him to me.
Ultimately, I twisted my fascination with him into what I thought I wanted. I goaded him into having sex with me the first time. I convinced myself that our love would be enough for any future that might come.
Our relationship lasted almost four years.
After I landed my first contract, I understood what it meant to be married to a non-citizen. Doors closed before I ever saw them, and it got worse from there….
Love wasn’t enough. Not for this world. Maybe it never is….
“Fucking hell,” I whisper. The sound of my voice is eaten by the silence of the immaculately clean hallway. I wander around, trying to retrace the path our steward took until I find myself standing in a maglift foyer. I push the up button because I need to push a button. I have no idea if the operations rooms are above me or below me in the tower.
The maglift door opens and closes behind me. Now I’m faced with even more choices. “Oh hell, I don’t know,” I mutter, my indecisive fingers hover over the holographic panel.
“Doctor?” I recognize Jen’s voice coming from the overhead speaker.
“Um, hi, yes. Yes, it’s me.” I look around for a camera but don’t see any obvious ones. “Is this Jen?”
“Yes, Doctor, it is.” She sounds distracted, tired. “It’s quite late.”
“Yes. Yes, I was, uh …” my worry at being caught wandering around a super secure building is replaced by enthusiastic relief.
“I don’t mean to pry Doctor Hildebrandt, but how are things between you and Mr. Hall?”
“Why do you ask?” I have no idea if Jen is a CitOne or a CitTwo. After a second, I realize that right now I just need someone other than David to talk to. I strip my typical demeanor from my words.
“Because if things were completely all right, I think you’d be together, not walking the hallways in AlphaPlaza.” Her reply is quick and her tone cuts, cuts like a CitOne would cut.
I sigh. “I’m sorry. You’re right of course. Things could be better between us. Our conversation got heated, and I needed a bit of room to cool down.”
“I guess walking the hallways might work.” She hesitates. “I don’t have children. I can’t imagine the stresses caused by this. I’m sorry for what has happened, but I do know that Basillio and the rest of the team are working on finding the best solution.”
“Do you know what’s taking so long, Jen?” I wipe a single welling tear.
“There are a lot of variables in play.” She sounds like she’s weighing her reply. “Most of which I can’t discuss.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
“Some of each, I’m afraid.”
I need someone on my side, or someone who’s at least sympathetic. “Please, call me Vanessa.”
“Thank you, Vanessa.” She pauses. “All I can say is that Basillio wants to be extremely thorough because it is a hostage situation across an established, militarized border. He doesn’t want Maggie getting hurt, and he wants the best possible outcome for Baylen Lee as well.”
“Of course.” I sag against one of the handrails in the maglift cabin. What if David was right? What if Baylen is simply an asset and Maggie is just a nuisance, collateral whose recovery is barely on a priority list for their operation?
“This is my favorite place to relax and watch the city.” Jen’s tone softens. “Whenever I have the time, I like to come here … it’s a good place to decompress.”
The maglift door opens into a huge space dominated by a dizzying view. I brace myself with one hand on the doorframe and step into the enormous room made of polished black stone slabs.
Walls of glass stretch away from a single corner and embrace a wide section of the building. I walk forward and catch my breath. Through the glass, the night sky is a dark purple glow. Brilliant lights play across neighboring towers and spire tops.
“What floor is this?” Pulses of neon hues and brilliant whites blink and flare. Tiny vehicles ebb and flow on the roads far below, blending together into streams of color.
A thin line of glowing clouds drift. “How high are we?”
“We’re one story below the rooftop communications center.” Her voice resonates. “From sea level to here, it is six hundred and forty stories and about ten thousand six hundred and sixty-eight feet.”
The night skyline reflects off sections of the black stone ceiling. Coffered portions are inset with muted glows of their own. The reflection is picked up and echoed endlessly by the floor which is made of the same polish black material.
Looking around, I realize this room has no purpose. It’s a single enormous chamber. A cluster of overstuffed chairs are nestled together in the sloped and curving corner of glass, and even the maglift has disappeared into the floor behind me, leaving only a dark sliver in the black.
“Who uses this room?”
“Only a few people have access to this place.” Her tone is conspiratorial. “It’s after hours, so I think it’ll be okay.”
As I walk toward the chairs, it’s obvious this is someone’s favorite view. Thick blankets are draped over the chair backs. Leather ottomans and a single low side table complete the furniture set.
>
But the view … New White Sands City spreads out in front of me like a banquet. My eyes hungrily devour everything until I remember the chairs and settle into one.
It could be that I’m so overtired that I’m overwhelmed by the view, but it’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.
“Vanessa. I have to go. If you need anything just ask. I’ll set up a mic to monitor for you.”
“Thanks, Jen, and thank you for this.”
“You’re welcome.”
I sit in silence and enjoy a view that only money like Basillio’s can afford. Curling up under a throw, I let my eyes wander across the scene below me. Only a handful of towers are close to the same height. They’re a mix of esthetics and lit architecture. Clouds drift and cling….
3.08
Power and Control
“Basillio,” Jen announces herself. “I have an update for you.”
I stare at the omelet on my plate. Even though it doesn’t feel like it, my cafeteria meal with Picasso was a long time ago. I know I should be eating something. AlphaTek never sleeps. Eventually I’ll become a weak link. I weigh the needs of the next few hours against the crash that would come from juicing a combat stim.
“Go ahead.” I sigh as the lights overhead slowly brighten to a deep blue. Someone else is joining me for my late-night snack.
“Vanessa and Mr. Hall had a strained conversation over dinner last night, and after the steward escorted them to their room, she left. I tracked her, routing traffic away from her vicinity, until she entered a maglift.”
Morochevsky comes into the executive common room and sets his plate down across from me on the wide pine colored table before straddling the padded bench. We nod our greeting, and he politely listens while he eats.
I get back to Jen. “Tell me you’ve been keeping her locked up in the maglift all night.” The idea wasn’t a great one, but it would keep everyone safe if she were a threat….
Jen’s tone doesn’t waiver. I don’t know if she picked up on my humor. “No, but next time if you—”
“I was joking.” It’s going to be one of those nights. “What did you do with her?”
“Would you prefer to hear a playback?”
“No.” I set my fork down and slam half of my coffee. “Just fill in the gaps.”
“She admitted that things were difficult between them, and she was looking to decompress. I sympathized with her situation and assured her you were working to get both Maggie and Baylen home safely.”
Alex nods his approval even as I reply. “Good.”
“I found one other area in the Plaza, which met our security needs, where there would be no interruptions.” She pauses. “I took her to your office. She fell asleep and is still there.”
Yep, it’s one of those nights.
“Prudent.” Alex nods. “Excellent security, and the doctor is there of her own volition.” He hides his smirk behind his tea cup.
I sigh. “So if she’s still in my office, where is Mr. Hall?”
“Mr. Hall is currently in the suite.”
“Is he awake?” We have to act before sunrise. I still need time to finalize some details.
“No. He has fallen asleep fully clothed, waiting for Vanessa to return.”
“I need you to make sure he stays asleep.” The rest of my coffee goes down. I set the cup aside and study the plate of food. I give the plate a quarter turn. I know I should eat. I pick at a sliver of onion and another sliver of ham.
Jen pauses once more. “With the air system to the room closed, I can safely distribute a low dosage of K-two. He will—”
“No.” I know there’s a programmer running a back-up on this anomalous behavior even as I speak but hearing her plan to gas a sleeping man is disconcerting nonetheless. “I don’t need you to gas him. I just need to be sure he’ll stay where he is.”
Morochevsky suppresses a grin and carefully cuts into his eggs.
I frown at him. “I blame you for the propensity for extreme measures she’s developed.”
“I will accept that.” He wipes the corner of his mouth. “I believe she just wants to be thorough.”
Jen interrupts. “I can adjust mattress and air temperatures, and change the oxygen ratio slightly.”
“Do it.” I push my fork into hash browns. Nope.
“May I ask why that is important?” Alex looks at me over his tea cup.
“I want to meet with Vanessa in private.”
“That is not prudent.” His mouth twists into a frown. “We are still unsure if she is programmed to react to triggers. What if she were to attack you? Imagine. How long would you survive against an attack such as one Raven can unleash?”
“I’m not that out of shape, Alex.” I’m pretty sure I feel offended. “I could probably last, unarmed, forty, forty-five seconds. Long enough for a team to get to me.”
“It is a risk.”
I nod. “But one that needs to happen. We need for her to show her true colors, and we need that to happen on our terms in a controlled environment. If she tries anything, then we’ll know. And failing that, I need to get her into the field.”
“In the field?” His head snaps up.
“Yes.” I slide my plate away. “We need to push her. I need her to break. I need to know if she reverts to a base program. Sending her into the field will also provide us with an opportunity to get her into medical.”
Understanding lights his eyes. “Karina will be in charge, and so we will gain a covert diagnostic of any kind of modifications, genetics, or concealed implants.”
“Jen,” I say. “Have Ops muster a heavy strike team to wait outside my office as a standby.”
“Yes, sir.”
I turn to Alex. “Where are you at with the extraction plans?” A targeted extraction took time. It’s the one thing I think we’re running out of. Modern brain hacking programs would eventually find a way into Baylen’s head and then a lot of the mission would become redundant. “Will we have enough intel to move in the next few hours?”
“The true question is whether or not you have found your political angle to get our people into the area without raising suspicion.”
“I got confirmation an hour ago that the rebels we’re pressuring in Mexico are moving across state borders into Nuevo Leon. I’m expecting a call from their minister at any moment. If he signs the contract, we can request a flight path over Texas.”
“Good.” He nods briskly. “Then Lexi and I have two plans to work from. I can send them to you for your approval.”
“Jen, send out a recall notice to the White Mice. Picasso is in command on this action. Angel as pilot. We’ll have a mission briefing at oh two-hundred hours.” My coffee cup is halfway to my lips when I remember it’s empty.
Alex looks at my plate. “You should eat.”
“Too much to do.” I find an excuse. “Besides, if I eat now, it’ll slow me down if I do have to fight.”
“That is a very convenient excuse.” He shakes his head. “It is unhealthy what you are doing. You know this, da?”
“Now you sound like Vlasta….” I stand up.
He scoffs.
Jen chimes in. “I’ll arrange for a fresh breakfast at your desk after Vanessa leaves.”
“There. Happy?” I just want to get this plan underway.
“No. But it is better.” He stands and clears both our plates onto a tray. “You sign for my paycheck. You must stay healthy.”
“You’re more American every day.” We move into the hallway.
He chuckles. “I am not even insulted by that.”
We part ways. As soon as the doors to the lift close, I say, “Jen.”
“Yes, Basillio?”
“Cancel the extra breakfast.” I frown. “Don’t tell Alex.”
˜˜˜
“Put it through please.” I wake to Basillio’s voice behind me. I’m still in the oversized chair. Clouds have moved in to blanket the city, and the night sky is blazing with stars. I have
n’t seen starlight since I was with Baylen….
Basillio’s voice echoes. “Are you sure?”
It’s possible he doesn’t know I’m here.
I look up. The ceiling has changed. Panels near the center of the room have pulled back to reveal a multitude of backlit stained-glass windows. I read someplace that AlphaTek rescued these windows from churches across Europe when the riots started. Part of me is repulsed by the excess, and then by what the locale, taken as a whole, says about the man who owns this place.
I peek one eye around the side of the chair back, suddenly apprehensive.
He sits at a desk of unpolished granite that must have risen from the floor. Three empty chairs are placed in a curved row along the desk front.
I’m in his office … uninvited and hiding like a child. I can’t just stay here like this. I have to accept what will come. I lift the blanket that in the dark had just been soft and warm.
It’s an animal skin. From a real animal….
I can’t help the sound that strangles out of me at the discovery.
Basillio turns and sees me. He looks like someone who hasn’t slept. He stares at me. I have no idea what he’s thinking in that moment.
He continues his conversation. “Minister, I was very clear with you and your ruling party when I visited last month. AlphaTek can’t help with the situation in Nuevo Leon because your party refused to sign the contract, remember that? I specifically told you that as I left; no signature, no coverage. I’m very sorry the rebels have crossed into your state. However, I would advise against crossing the border in pursuit of them.”
“Why?” He snorts into his dv. “Because the government in Coahuila accepted our terms and signed with us. ….Yes, they’re my client. If you’d signed with us, it would mean that the rebels, extremists in their own state, would be left with their backs to a wall instead of drifting back and forth over your shared border.”
He motions me closer. I stand and walk over.