by JB Penrose
Secretly, Gail hoped it never ended. Her confidence was matched only by her stubbornness to see the whole thing through. After all, Rachel sent her to help.
It was just before dawn when Andrew drove them to the outskirts of a Washington cemetery. A luminous blanket of fresh snow covered every grave. There were no lights around them, no sounds but their own breathing, and the occasional gust of wind. The DayStar’s shine coupled with the moonlight threw their shadows from stone to stone as they crept through the silent community. Their boots hardly left a trace in the snow.
Andrew unlocked the mausoleum gate with a code. Inside the courtyard he knelt at the base of a Blessed Mother statue and made a series of pressure-pushes to reveal a small doorway in the wall of the building.
“There’s a handrail on the left,” Andrew said. “Follow me.”
She had to stoop to enter, but the landing inside allowed her to stand. The only direction to move was down the stairwell, but the steps were lit from beneath and easy to follow. Their vinyl boots, however, squeaked with every step, and she gripped the railing to move more quietly.
“Don’t worry, you won’t wake anyone!” John laughed, but Gail didn’t relax until the door closed behind them.
The stairs emptied into a closet sized room. Andrew activated an invisible palm scanner that triggered an opening on another wall. When she passed through the doorway Gail slid her hand across the stone, but could detect no presence of the scanner.
For the next half-hour she followed them through a series of tunnels and turns until at last the hall opened into the largest and most unusual computer storage bank Gail had ever seen.
Floors, walls, and ceiling were all constructed of the same milky block of modules and they formed a maze through the room. The low hum of equipment was deceiving to the amount of power she guessed they held. Inside each module, circuits twinkled with activity. The room seemed to float among stars, but her eyes adjusted easily.
“What kind of set-up is this?”
“Something you’ve only dreamed of,” Andrew told her.
An alcove in the corner housed the main computer console. Andrew accessed one of the screens on the desktop with his palmprint and began a sequence of commands. The symbols were unfamiliar, but she recognized a pattern.
“You’re running a virus guardian?” she asked.
“You can see that?” Andrew sounded impressed, and continued to enter a program on the keyboard. “I’m hiding some Aurora files while I’m here, in case Morrow gets into PROBE-Tech again. Just some of our history; the technology files are still encrypted.”
“Didn’t you say there is a file with our names in Morrow’s computer?” John asked her.
“Yes, I gave the copy I made to Peter and Rachel.”
“Oh, I don’t want a copy, I want the original. Andrew, do we have time?”
Andrew waved him on without looking up. “We’ll make the time if it means we can put a glitch into Frank Morrow’s day. I’ll need a few minutes here, anyway.”
John rubbed his hands together. “Let’s get busy. Gail? If I get you into Frank’s computer could you find the file again?”
“Sure. I don’t think I logged off my computer before I left. Was that yesterday? Whatever, as long as he hasn’t deleted the file I can do it.”
“We’ll use the computer in the outer office.”
“Go ahead,” Andrew told them. “Would you get those papers from the safe? Since we’re here,” he added.
John pushed on a wall in the alcove then steered Gail through the opening. On the other side, she saw it was a bookcase in an executive office that hid the secret passage.
She gasped; the size was larger than her apartment! The conference table seated at least a dozen and the mini-kitchen looked like a bar and grill. There were hundreds of pictures with John Reider and every famous or important person she could think of. His office had the look of someone who’d left for the weekend, not someone who was about to launch for a lifetime.
John shifted one of the pictures on the wall to expose a safe. "I'll just be a moment here."
“Couldn’t you find a better place to hide that?”
“It doesn’t open for everyone.” He pressed his palm to the scanner. After an infrared flash the door opened, and John retrieved a large envelope. “Now that Peter is staying behind, he might not want these passwords falling into the wrong hands.”
“You mean Frank’s hands.”
John nodded. “That man could turn gold into straw.”
An alcove extended one wall of John’s office like a command center over the expansive view below them. PROBE-Tech seemed transformed into a magical city of lights and motion. Gail had to pinch her arm to convince herself it was real.
John’s program at the computer started a sequence of quickly changing screens. Suddenly, the Bureau of Global Affairs logo appeared in front of her and he surrendered the chair.
“You piggy-backed a data line!” She relaxed and slid into the seat.
“You said your job was gathering information from sources around the world,” John reminded her. “It was stupid for Morrow to tie his system to an unsecured computer just to monitor your activity. His distrust is his Achilles heel.”
She typed in her passwords and logged on quickly. "It doesn’t look like Frank has logged on at all in the last few days.” She let the screens process through the standard sequence. “Wait! What’s he doing with a bank account in South America?” Gail opened the file and scanned quickly for information. “Look! There’s a deposit dated right before the bombing. I told you about the conversation between Frank and the linguist from the OneWorld Conference? Jude Iscar.”
“I guarantee he’s no linguist no matter how many languages he speaks,” John swore. “What else can you find?”
A few moments later she opened the file on Frank’s computer called Ruby. “Do you want me to delete the PROBE-Tech folder?” she asked.
“No, what I want is to keep him from deleting it.” John’s strong arms reached around and without touching, his closeness created electricity between them. “Let’s protect it with a Guardion Code. I hope Peter checks this file soon.”
“You could always think it to him. Isn’t he listening, somehow?”
“You’re so right!” He typed in a long sequence from memory. “What’s your favorite password? Something he or Rachel could guess.”
Gail thought for a moment. “Honey!”
He smiled as he typed the password; the file disappeared when he pressed enter.
“I hope he doesn’t get the wrong idea when he hears me call him “honey”!” John kissed her cheek in appreciation and she pulled back, embarrassed at his action.
A slight sound alerted them to the door opening and they froze. The hall lighting revealed enough to see the intruder had a gun.
“We’re not armed. Don’t shoot.” John’s voice was cool, but he moved protectively between Gail and the doorway.
“How’d you get in here?” the shadow demanded to know. "This is a restricted area. What are you doing at that computer?”
Before Gail could answer, a section of the bookcase moved away from the wall.
“What the hell?”
Andrew stepped through the opening. “Chief? Donnally? Friend! Am I glad it’s you!”
“Andrew?” Donnally stepped into the light. “I thought you were on the Aurora.”
“We’ve had some problems. Please, put your gun away. What if I asked you to turn around and forget you ever saw us?”
“I couldn’t do that in good conscious, Andrew.” He holstered the weapon. “Not without first seeing if there wasn’t a way to help you. Is that you, John? I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you.”
“That’s alright, Chief.” John returned to Gail’s side. “This is Gail Richards. She’s with us.”
“I couldn’t ask for your help, Donnally. I know you mean well, but you don’t need to be involved in this trouble.” Andrew clapped the crew chief on
the back.
“You know better than that, Andrew. You’re my family; we share trouble.” Donnally leaned against the desk Gail sat at and winked at her. “So, why are you here?”
“The Aurora needs some repairs. A stinger missile hit the ship when we crossed the Immortal Valley. No one was hurt,” he assured him quickly. “I remotely pre-ordered everything we needed and the warehouse should have it crated for ground shipment already. So you see, Chief? Everything has been taken care of.”
“And just how did you expect to get it out of here? Someone is bound to notice a delivery van driving out after midnight."
“We can’t drag you into this, my friend. They –“
“And you mean Morrow?” Donnally joked.
“He’ll make your life miserable for helping us,” Andrew said.
“My life is already miserable and you’ve only been gone a few days. You need me and I want to help. Now, tell me your plan.”
“Rachel says you should accept help from where it’s offered.” Gail shot a side glance to note Donnally’s approval and exhaled smugly. She was really referring to herself, but Donnally was her added insurance.
“See?” Donnally smiled broadly.
“You don’t even know about Rachel,” John laughed. “She’s the Spokesmon!”
“Ms. Bolton? The Spokesmon?” Donnally was almost speechless. “Lost after all these years and Peter found her?”
“Quite the accident, I assure you.” Andrew shrugged.
“Or destiny,” John laughed. “Alright, we’ll accept your help to get us through the security gate. After that, we’ll let you out and you can say we stole the van from you.”
“That’ll be your chance to get out, too,” Andrew told Gail.
“You won’t get rid of me like that,” Donnally protested. “I’ve spent a lifetime building that ship. If it’s damaged, you’ll need my help with the repairs. So I’m coming all the way. I won’t be happy until I’m waving goodbye, again!”
“I’m coming along too. All the way,” Gail added. “But I won’t be as happy waving goodbye.” Only Donnally heard her, and bolstered her confidence with another wink.
Returning through the computer storage room they accessed more hidden hallways. Donnally admitted his surprise at the underground routes, but before he’d traversed the last hall he had his bearings.
“We must be near the north warehouse.” Donnally whistled. “All these years I’ve worked for you and John, you never ceased to surprise me.”
“Oh, we’ve still got a few surprises,” John told him. “Right now, I’m surprised you want to help, especially when I can promise nothing but trouble will come of it.”
Andrew opened another secret doorway via a hidden palmscan and finally, PROBE-Tech’s warehouse lay out before them. It was completely automated; robot arms and tram-shelves lined dozens of aisles. Shipments were pulled and stacked at assigned freight doors during the night, waiting for drivers to arrive in the morning. Andrew located the materials he’d ordered and it only took a few minutes to load the cartons into a van parked directly outside.
“I’ll sign-out the vehicle to keep the guards from reporting it stolen in the morning,” Donnally said. “I suppose you have a secret exit as well?”
“Of course,” Andrew said. “There’s a hidden tunnel just past the western runway. If you ever need it, we have a hoverjet parked there, too.”
Donnally whistled in appreciation and clapped Andrew on the back. “You never cease to amaze me, Andrew. But there are dozens of BGA agents patrolling the airfield as well as the gates; I’ll have to drive this for you,” he told them.
“Because you have the magic password?” Andrew teased.
“No, because this time you don’t,” he laughed. “I’ll drive in case we get stopped between here and the secret tunnel,” he defended. “Since they can’t come into the buildings, the BGA has made being on the grounds as painful as possible.” He pointed to some large packing drums nearby. “Why don’t you hide inside these until we get off PROBE-Tech grounds? They’re already vented for fresh air.” He rolled three empty drums into the van with the other supplies. “Trust me.”
“I trust you,” Andrew squatted inside the container. “Great idea.”
“When you get to the snaky-curve on the road of the west runway,” John told him, “drive straight into the sign. It’s holographic, so trust me.”
“I trust you,” Donnally told him. He smiled at Gail as lifted the lid for her to climb into her own container. Helping someone wasn’t always a glamorous job, she thought as the lid was being sealed. The DayStar was the last light she saw as Donnally sealed the lid, and it gave her some comfort shining brightly overhead.
There was a rhythm to the snow and ice crushing beneath the tires. It was slow traveling and Gail’s foot fell asleep from lack of circulation. The confinement made it warm enough, especially with her breath filling the container, and she wondered if mist was escaping from the vent holes. Finally, Donnally slowed the van to a stop and there was a cold draft from an open window.
Her heart pounded. From the number of footsteps she heard Gail suspected BGA guards approached them as well. Donnally only acknowledged the PROBE-Tech employee. “Hello, Charlie. How are you tonight?”
“Chief Tompkins? I didn’t recognize. It’s pretty late. Is everything all right?”
“I had a flat on my car and didn’t feel like changing it in this weather, so I’m borrowing the van tonight.
“Sure, Chief. If you want, I’ll call someone to tow your car to the garage and have the flat changed.”
“No, thanks. I’ll pick up a new tire before I come in and take care of it tomorrow.”
There were footsteps at the rear door of the van; someone tried the handle. Thankfully Donnally had thought to lock it and the footsteps continued to circle. Gail breathed a prayer of relief when they started to move again.
Donnally drove a good distance and the suddenly let out a yelp. “Whoo hoo!” he bellowed with a laugh. He was still laughing when he finally stopped to let his cargo stretch their legs. “I drove right through that wall! I’ve passed this spot a thousand times and never knew this tunnel was here. This is amazing!”
The tunnel they were in looked like a black hole as far as she could see, but it offered her a feeling of security she couldn’t explain. They moved around by the light of the vehicle, and Gail tried to stay hidden as much as possible.
“Thanks, Chief. You did that real well,” Andrew told him.
“I think I just proved how much you need me.”
“Let’s get moving, then. I won’t argue anymore.” Andrew nodded to him. “The GPS is programmed with the route. We should reach the Canyon before sunset tomorrow. We’ll take turns with the driving. Everyone stay sharp. I’m sure it won’t be this easy all the way.”
Donnally drove the rural highways heading west; Gail wasn’t sure where they were going, just somewhere in the Grand Canyon. From the moment she gained his trust, Donnally stayed close by her side. Now, as she sat in the front seat and the van pushed its way across another state, her mind reviewed every detail of the last 24 hours. Working for the BGA seemed another lifetime ago and home felt like something she would never see again. Great friends. That’s what Rachel said, and Gail clung to it.
Andrew and John huddled in the back of the van over a makeshift desk of packing cartons and planned how to best proceed with the Aurora’s repairs. She couldn’t understand what they were discussing, but what she overheard she didn’t understand either. Donnally turned up the radio when the newscast came on.
“President Wilson would not comment today on the alleged connection between PROBE-Tech’s founder, John Reider, and the bombing that killed President-elect Nathan Young. The Vice President-elect now President-elect Cauthron called the circulating rumors ludicrous, but the disappearance of the Aurora and its crew has fueled many suspicions. Gwen Hart has a report on the worldwide hunt for the Aurora and its crew.”
&nb
sp; “I can’t listen to this story knowing what I do about Frank.” Gail fought to keep her voice down. “They shouldn’t be looking for the Aurora; they should be looking for Frank Morrow.” It was something like a movie; every country in the world was hunting the Aurora and she was headed straight to it.
“If what you say is true, Peter and Ms. Bolton will take care of Morrow. I’ve known these people a long time, and trust me, no detail goes unattended.” Donnally’s eyes shifted momentarily from the road to the rearview mirror watching John and Andrew.
“I know something very strange is going on here. And I get the feeling there is something special about Rachel Bolton. What was all of that biblical stuff I found in Frank’s file of the PROBE-Tech logs? She told me Mary Magdalene was her mother.”
“She did? What else did they tell you?”
“Not that much, but only because there was no time. You know she trusts me. John and Andrew do too, or I wouldn’t be here. If it’s as dangerous as you say, I deserve to know the truth.”
Donnally laughed softly, but he still wouldn’t look at her. “You probably wouldn’t believe the truth.”
“What does that mean? I deserve to know what’s going on.”
His eyes shifted again to the rearview mirror and he held his breath, as if awaiting an answer. When she turned around she caught Andrew’s eye. He answered her with the slightest of shrugs and a barely perceptible nod to Donnally, who released a sigh tinged with excitement. Gail leaned closer; sure not to miss a word of the truth she wanted so badly to hear.
Donnally took his time in deciding what to tell her. His grip on the steering wheel alternately tightened and loosened. Just before he spoke, he took a deep breath.