Saving 1641

by Robert Jay Dilger

  “Nice to meet you,” Anne answered, still grinning.

  “Is anyone following us?” Michael asked, checking the hovercraft’s instrument panel.

  “Looks like we are in the clear,” Anne answered.

  “I overheard you saying that we were going to your Aunt’s house,” Conor stated from the back bench, scanning the horizon, looking for any sign of pursuit. “Is it far? I’m asking because it is very uncomfortable back here. A short trip would be greatly appreciated.”

  “It’s real close,” Anne replied. “She lives in the Felcarr sector.”

  “Isn’t that where Brandix is trapped?” Conor asked.

  “Yes,” Anne answered. “Convenient, isn’t it?”

  Chapter 26

  AUNT EMMA’S HOUSE

  Aunt Emma met them at her front door.

  “Is everyone here?” Anne asked, giving her a warm, loving hug.

  “Everyone except Carter and Mason,” she answered, leading them down a narrow hallway to her living room. “They are still hiring temporaries. Last I heard, they had about 50 signed up.”

  “Good,” Anne stated. “Let’s get down to business.”

  Conor counted 22 people in the living room. They were chatting amicably, as if they knew each other very well.

  “Looks like a family reunion,” Michael stated.

  “It is,” Anne answered. “At least in part. Everyone here is related to me in one way or another. Most are cousins. There are also a few aunts and uncles and several nephews and nieces. It has been my experience that relatives are far more trustworthy and reliable than non-relatives, especially when things don’t go well. It’s a blood thing.”

  Anne made her way across the floor, greeting everyone with a warm embrace. She walked over to a large, granite fireplace and waited for silence. Several large logs were ablaze. White sparks shot out against a dark, metal screen that wrapped itself around the fireplace. The room quickly fell silent. Just as she was about to speak, one of the logs in the fireplace emitted a very loud crackling noise, causing just about everyone in the room to jump. A giant blue flame shot straight up the chimney flu.

  “Now that’s the way to start a meeting,” Anne announced, as everyone in the room shifted nervously in their seats, wondering why they had been summoned on such short notice. Selder said that it was a Code Yellow meeting. That meant that attendance was mandatory, and lives were at stake.

  “I believe that you all recognize our honored guest,” she started, pointing over to Michael.

  All eyes turned to the far end of the living room where Michael and Conor had seated themselves.

  “As you can see, Mr. LaRocque is alive and well,” Anne continued. “The reports of his death are, shall we say, a bit premature.”

  A light chuckle echoed across the room.

  “Mr. LaRocque has offered to retain our services,” Anne announced. “The offer is quite generous. Ten million credits.”

  An older woman sitting directly in front of her let out a soft gasp.

  “Yes, that is a lot of credits,” Anne stated with a smile. “After expenses for temporaries and weapons, the family should clear at least four million credits. Plus, to sweeten the offer, Mr. LaRocque is offering some government appointments, and we can all imagine the value of the eternal gratitude of a sitting Justice on the Interstellar Court. One never knows when one needs a friend in high places, and he will be sitting in the highest place of them all.”

  The room erupted in a buzz of whispers as the enormity of the offer sunk in.

  “But,” Anne continued. “We are going to have to earn each and every one of those credits. Here’s the situation. The reports of Justice Brandix’s demise are also premature. In fact, he is just around the corner from here, bottled up in an abandoned manufacturing plant. Our job is to rescue him. I asked Selder to send a reconnaissance team to investigate the situation. Selder, what did you find out?”

  A tall, thin man with shoulder-length hair and dark brown eyes stood up.

  “We counted a total of 122 armed security guards, stationed in groups of two to six guards, at every perimeter street corner within a 14 block radius of the factory,” Selder announced in a surprisingly soft, hard-to-hear voice. “We didn’t see any heavy weaponry. But the entire area has been roped off. There is no way to know what may be hidden within the perimeter that they have established. We saw some foot traffic between the buildings, so it’s a good bet that there are more guards inside the buildings. We also saw some ground assault commandos sitting on a terrace over a restaurant, having drinks. It’s a good bet that they are not alone. I asked a security guard at a checkpoint what was going on. He said that the area had been roped off for a training exercise. He also said that all hovercraft and robocameras, except for those being used as part of the training exercise, are being rerouted to other sectors. I asked him if he knew how long the training exercise would last. He shrugged his shoulders and said that it wasn’t his call. But he also said that before he was deployed his supervisor told him that he would probably be home by midnight tonight. That suggests that they plan to attack fairly soon. From what I could see, Brandix must be heavily fortified in that factory, or they think that he is heavily fortified. It’s the only logical explanation for why they have not attacked yet. Either that, or they are waiting for heavy weapons to arrive to minimize their losses. Either way, they clearly have the upper hand.”

  “What about communications?” Anne asked. “Is there any way to contact Brandix to coordinate our actions and to find out his situation?”

  “Not that I could see,” Selder continued, his voice trailing off once again to a near whisper. “All of the hardwire connections have been shut down in that sector, and they are jamming the transponder and commercial airwaves too.”

  “Then the only way to communicate with them is to deliver the message in person,” a familiar voice announced from the back of the room.

  All eyes turned to the back of the room as Alex, Kristi, Kathryn, and Dee walked in.

  “Kathryn!” Conor exclaimed, racing over and giving her a big hug. “Are you okay?”

  “Good to see you too,” Alex stated sarcastically as Conor raced past him as if he didn’t exist.

  Anne made her way across the room and opened up her arms.

  “Good to see you too,” Alex repeated with a big smile. “It’s been a long time.”

  “Too long,” she answered, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders and giving him a warm, friendly hug. “Way too long.”

  “I know,” Alex stated with a shrug as she let him go. “You know how it is. I’ve been busy.”

  “Me too,” she replied, taking a step back to get a good look at him. “We really need to make the time. It’s been way too long. But we can catch up later. Come in, let me introduce you.”

  Turning toward the others, Anne announced, “Many of you already know Alex from the old days, but for those of you who have not met him, he is a very dear, close friend. We used to be business partners. I’ve lost count of the number of times that he has saved my life. I consider him family. I trust him with my life. You can as well.”

  “As I was saying,” Alex continued, touched by Anne’s heartfelt introduction. “Given that the transponder and commercial airways are being jammed, the only way to communicate with Brandix is to deliver the message directly to him, in person.”

  “But as I just said,” Selder interrupted. “That sector is closed and surrounded by security guards.”

  “That is true,” Alex continued. “There is no way to get through them to reach Brandix. That is why I am proposing to go under them.”

  “Under them?” Selder asked. “How?”

  “The wastewater treatment system,” Alex answered. “We can crawl through the wastewater pipes all the way to the factory without being detected. I have already checked the maps. It can be done. I found a place where we can get in. It will take less than an hour to get there.”

  “The wastewater tr
eatment system?” Selder asked, wrinkling up his nose in disgust. “Are you sure? Think of the smell!”

  “I suppose that you intend to be the one to deliver the message,” Michael interrupted, directing his words at Alex.

  “Of course,” Alex answered.

  “Are you up to it?” Michael asked, taking a close look at the multiple laser burn marks on Alex’s arms.

  “I’m fine,” Alex answered. “Doc Gordon took good care of them. They look much worse than they really are. I’m 100 percent. And, back to Selder’s point, the smell isn’t a problem. I will wear a stench mask. Back in the days before maintenance robots the wastewater treatment workers used to wear them all of the time.”

  “They don’t make stench masks anymore,” Selder stated.

  “That is true,” Alex continued. “But I just happen to have two of them in my possession. They weren’t cheap, but I was in a hurry. The seller knew that and took advantage. Not that I blame her. That’s what the free market system is all about.”

  “Alright,” Anne interrupted. “If Alex says that there is a way to get to the factory without being detected, there is a way to do it. If he says that he wants to go, then he gets to go. End of conversation. So, while Alex decides who to take with him we have to figure out exactly what we want to tell Brandix.”

  Several people began talking at once. Two young men, obviously twins, argued passionately for a direct, all-out assault on the guards surrounding the factory.

  “If we hit them hard, with everything we got, we can catch them in a crossfire,” one of the twins stated loudly, purposively raising his voice in an attempt to be heard over everyone else. “They won’t know what hit them.”

  Aunt Emma cleared her throat, reached across the table in front of her, and pointed her right index finger straight at the young man’s nose.

  “You and Jager are always arguing attack, attack, attack,” she scolded him, her voice rising as she spoke. “The last time we followed your advice I nearly got killed.”

  “That wasn’t my fault,” the young man responded. “You just can’t move as fast as you once could. Face it, you are getting up there in years.”

  “Show some respect for your elders,” an older man with a very deep voice interrupted. “She is right. The two of you are always too aggressive. These are not common street thugs or gang members that we are dealing with here. They are Interstellar Court security guards and ground assault commandos. This isn’t like most of our jobs. We will be fighting people who have spent years either training for or actually engaged in combat. And we don’t know Brandix’s situation. What happens if he has just a dozen or so personal security guards with him and they are armed with nothing but laser pistols? That is not exactly the kind of crossfire that makes me feel safe and secure. We will be outnumbered two, maybe even three-to-one. If these were common street thugs, those odds wouldn’t bother me. But these guys are good, very good. Ten million credits won’t do us any good if we’re all dead. I say we pass on this one.”

  “The twins are too aggressive,” Selder joined in, seemingly about to agree with the man. “Always have been, and, I suspect, always will be. But in this case, I think that they are half-right. I say that we attack and hit them hard, but then retreat into the neighborhoods and hope that they are dumb enough to give chase. We know this sector, they don’t. We know these neighborhoods, they don’t. We should be able to create enough confusion to allow Brandix to break out of the factory and get out of the roped-off area. Once the fight extends beyond the roped-off area there is no way Casseday and Kourdar can keep up the pretense that this is just a training exercise. Once the fight reaches the neighborhoods the robocameras will broadcast it live to every videopaper in the Consortium. If the people see that LaRocque and Brandix are alive and fighting for their lives, they will demand an end to the battle and an investigation. Then, Casseday and Kourdar cave in and surrender or it is all-out civil war. Either way, we get paid. Am I right, Mr. LaRocque?”

  All heads turned toward Michael.

  “That is correct,” Michael stated. “You get paid as soon as Brandix and I are safe. But you have to make up your minds real soon on what you are going to do. We are running out of time.”

  Anne looked around the room. Most of the people nodded yes, indicating that they agreed with Selder’s plan. A few nodded no.

  “Okay,” Anne announced. “We’re in. We will break into two groups. I will lead one and Aunt Emma will lead the other. Everyone head home and get ready. You will be contacted to let you know which group you are in and where you are supposed to go. Time is of the essence, so you had better hurry. If anyone has any questions, now is the time to speak up.”

  Hearing nothing, she took a long look at the man with the deep voice and asked, “Is everyone on board?”

  Everyone, including the man with the deep voice, nodded yes.

  “Alright then,” she continued. “Selder, contact Carter and Mason. I want to know exactly how many temporaries will be joining us. And see if they can find any mobile missile launchers on the black market. That would even up the odds in a hurry.”

  Selder headed for the kitchen and its computer. All of Anne’s other relatives got up at once and, with the exception of Aunt Emma, cleared out of the house. As they left, Anne turned her attention to Alex and his companions.

  “Tell Brandix that we will attack at precisely 5 o’clock,” she stated. “That’s two hours from now. We will continue the fight for as long as we can before retreating into the surrounding neighborhoods. That should give him enough time to break out of the factory.”

  Anne left for the kitchen to check on Carter and Mason’s progress while Alex and the others headed for the dining room. Alex placed a rectangular box-shaped device on the dining room table and tapped it three times. A three-dimensional hologram of the Felcarr sector’s wastewater grid appeared just above the table. Using his right index finger, he shifted the hologram around until it showed the wastewater treatment pipes under the streets near the factory.

  “We are here,” Alex stated, pointing at the hologram. “Here is the factory, at the corner of 34th Street and Emory Boulevard. We access the wastewater grid at the corner of 52nd Street and Scrafford Avenue, which runs parallel to Emory Boulevard. We follow this pipe all the way down to 34th Street, turn left, and end up directly under the factory. There is a maintenance access point right here. There is only one turn. Hard to get lost. We climb up the access ladder and into the factory. Couldn’t be easier.”

  “Are you sure that those pipes are big enough for you to get through?” Dee asked.

  “There will be plenty of room,” he answered. “According to the blueprint, the pipes are at least shoulder-high and wide all the way. Conor and I should have no problem getting through.”

  “Me?” Conor asked. “You want me to go?”

  “It’s either you or Kristi,” Alex answered. “This blueprint is more than 200 years old. The pipe has probably been modified over the years. I need an insurance policy in case something goes wrong. One of you will be my insurance policy. Your powers may come in handy. Any volunteers?”

  “Not me,” Kristi stated, wrinkling up her nose, making it crystal clear that she preferred to stay topside.

  “Okay,” Conor stated, reluctantly. “I guess that means that I am going.”

  “Welcome aboard,” Alex stated, patting him on the back. “Don’t worry. The stench masks will protect us from the odor. I also purchased two pairs of wading boots. I don’t know if the pipes are still in use or not. If they are, we may have to wade through some pretty disgusting stuff.”

  “Good news,” Anne announced as she entered the room. “Carter and Mason report that they have signed up 81 recruits. Not bad given the time constraint. Some of them are retired ground assault commandos who have fallen on hard times and need credits. Unfortunately, there are a couple of street gangs too. I try to stay clear of street gangs because they are likely to turn tail if things go badly. But the
y have no love for the government. They should do fine given our hit-and-retreat strategy. Counting family, that gives us just over 100. Not bad at all. In fact, it’s better than I expected. Plus, Carter purchased a mobile missile launcher and three missiles on the black market. It looks like we’re in business.”

  Chapter 27

  THE SEWER

  Anne glided her hovercraft to street level and parked next to a large, light brown repair tent marked “Capital City Department of Maintenance – Official Use Only.” The rectangular tent covered the entire sidewalk and part of the street. Orange cones, with tiny flashing lights, blocked off the sidewalk. Signs directed pedestrians to cross over to the other side of the street.

  “This is it,” Anne stated, turning the hovercraft’s engine off. “My Uncle Joe bought this repair tent a few years ago at a yard sale. Some guy retired from the city’s maintenance department and took it home with him. Can you imagine that? Who in their right mind would take a repair tent home with them? It’s not like you can camp out with it at one of the nature preserves. Anyway, Uncle Joe gave it to his son, Joey, Jr., and told him to hang onto it in case we ever needed it. I’m glad that we finally found a use for it. Its security shield is fully functional. Once you are inside and activate the shield no one can enter the tent without you letting them in. So, you should be good to go.”

  “Thanks,” Alex replied, placing his hand on the hovercraft’s exit pad. The hovercraft’s viewer dome disappeared and the passenger door receded. As he started to climb out, Anne reached over and touched his arm.

  “Be careful down there,” Anne stated with genuine concern. “I want you back in one piece. We have a lot of catching up to do.”

  “Conor and I will be fine,” Alex replied. “There’s nothing to worry about. There’s probably nothing down there but sewer rats.”

  Alex climbed out of the hovercraft and headed for the repair tent. Conor followed close behind, taking a moment to glance back at the hovercraft as it rose rapidly into the sky and sped off into the distance.