by Terry Schott
The soldier smiled. “If you would follow me, you can visually inspect the cargo. I can assure you that there is nothing dangerous aboard.”
Matt surveyed the camp as he considered the situation. Refugees stood in line at the food tent and the medical area. Volunteers moved about, some glancing at the helicopter. “Hang on a second.” Matt re-entered his tent, retrieved his walkie-talkie, and pressed the button on its side. “Beth, you there?”
There was a hissing followed by a woman’s voice. “Morning, Matt. What’s up?”
“Delivery of cargo from some group called Halo Corps. Ever heard of ‘em?”
“No, but if they are giving us stuff for free then I like them. We can use all the help we can get.”
“That’s the truth.” Matt reached for a light cotton shirt and put it on. “Any sign of trouble on the horizon?”
“All the towers report no dust on the horizon. I think we’re clear.”
“Okay. I’m gonna check on this new cargo and get some help off-loading it. Want to join me?”
“Be there in a few minutes.”
Matt clipped the walkie-talkie to his shorts. He emerged from the tent and nodded at the lead soldier. “Okay, second lieutenant. Let’s see what you brought us.”
***
“Wow.”
Matt stood at the bottom of the ramp and shook his head.
Beth whistled and clapped her hands together. “That’s more supplies than we’ve seen in all our three years here.”
Matt nodded, taking in the crates stacked and skids piled with bags of grain and other supplies. “Is all of it for us?”
“It is,” the second lieutenant said.
“It’s gonna take us a while to off-load it.”
The soldier shrugged. “We have two lifts. Tell us where you want it and we will get the cargo dropped quick enough.”
“Put it all in there.” Matt pointed to the square building in the centre of the settlement.
“We will get started.” The second lieutenant turned and began barking commands to the other marines. Matt and Beth continued scanning their new loot.
“Who did you say sent this?” Beth asked.
“Halo Corps.”
“Are they military?”
Matt frowned and then called out. “Second Lieutenant?”
The man turned to face him.
“Who pays your salary?”
“The US government, sir.” He turned and began to walk away.
“Who commands your loyalty?” Beth asked.
The officer froze mid-step. Then he turned and re-joined the two civilians. “What did you say?”
Beth frowned. “I asked who you were loyal to.”
“What kind of a question is that? I’m an American citizen who signed up to serve my country. I am a marine. There is no question where my loyalty lies.”
“Of course,” Beth stammered. “Forgive me. I meant who is your commanding officer?”
The soldier straightened. “Our commander is the Lord—” He stopped and shook his head. “General Atticus Specter is our commanding officer.” He stood with his arms behind his back, watching Matt.
“What did you mean by ‘the Lord’? Are you religious?” Matt felt a nudge against his ribs and he looked at Beth. She shook her head. Matt frowned and his gaze returned to the soldier. “Sorry.”
“Not necessary.” The second lieutenant turned. “We will get the supplies off-loaded and be on our way.”
Beth pulled out her smartphone and began tapping on the screen.
“Why did you hit me when I asked him about the Lord?”
“He wasn’t speaking about God, you goofball.”
“Who was he talking about?”
Beth showed him her phone. “This guy.”
Matt read the headline of the article. “General Atticus Specter?”
She nodded. “I had a soldier boyfriend a few years ago who told me about him. This General has developed a strange following over his career.”
“In what way?”
Beth laughed. “Many ways. When you have some free time, look him up. Anyone who serves under him becomes extremely loyal. Even when they are moved out of his command, they remain connected to him.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah. That’s who the lieutenant was referring to when he said ‘the Lord’. That’s what they all call him.”
Matt laughed but stopped when Beth’s expression remained serious. “He makes them do that?”
She laughed. “Not at all. It’s an honorific that people who know him love to use. Apparently the guy is some kind of saint.”
“Strange.” Matt watched as the forklifts began moving crates from the helicopter. “You think he’s behind Halo Corps?”
“Nope.” Beth swiped her screen with a finger and held it toward Matt again. “According to one or two rumours on the web, Halo Corps is run by the Harbinger.”
25
Heya, Gavin!
Enough’s enough. We’ve been trying to meet for years but the timing was never right. I am contacting you way ahead of my trip this time. I’m in New York City from the third to the seventh. I can arrive early or stay late to meet up with you.
Shout me back a day and we can set it in stone.
Chris.
***
Hi Chris,
You’re right. A visit and meeting is extremely overdue! Let’s say the evening of the sixth or seventh. You choose and let me know. I’ll be there.
Gavin
January 11, 2017
The elevator door opened and Ariel stepped off, followed by Curtis. They walked to the front door of the building and she leaned in to kiss him.
“Have a good trip.”
She extended the handle on her suitcase and smiled. “As good as examining destroyed cars can ever be.”
“You gotta find a better way to describe your roadwork.”
“Why?”
“Doesn’t exactly sound like the jet-setting glamour lifestyle.” She raised one eyebrow and he laughed. “Do you at least get a good expense account to eat steaks and drink bottles of wine?”
“Yeah, but the fun of that wore off years ago.”
He reached out and stroked a lock of her hair. “One year left and then you can stop.”
“That’s what they tell me.”
“Maybe sooner.” He grinned.
“I should have never mentioned that.”
“A man can hope.”
She frowned and opened her mouth, then smiled and nodded. “Of course you can.” He turned away and she smacked him on the behind. “Write lots while I’m gone, lover boy.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Send me the chapters as you write them?”
“That doesn’t bother you?”
“Not at all. I love to get advance knowledge of the stories you write. Makes me feel special.”
“Okay, I will. Have fun in New York City.”
She walked out the front door while Curtis headed to the parking garage.
***
January 13, 2017 8:50 p.m.
Gavin looked up as the door of the cafe opened and a woman entered. She examined the room and her eyes came to rest on him, a smile appearing on her face. He frowned and then smiled as she made her way toward him.
“Hello.”
“Hiya.” Her smile made her eyes seem bright. “Gavin?”
“Yeah.”
She tapped her chest. “I’m Chris.”
“But I thought—”
“That Chris was a guy.” She nodded and pulled the chair out across from him. “I’ve heard that before. Maybe it’s the way I write e-mails.”
“Maybe.”
“Or the topic of them.” She hung her purse on the back of the empty chair beside her. “Not a lot of girls blog about conspiracies.”
“Well it’s a pleasant surprise. If I’d known you were a beautiful woman, I would have met you sooner.” He winced. “Sorry. I meant that as a compliment.”
/>
“I believe you.”
Gavin pushed a menu toward her. “Hungry?”
“Starved. I’ve been stuck in meetings all day and had no chance to eat.” She turned her wrist to glance at her watch. “Wow. Where did the day go? Nine p.m. already.” She picked up the menu. “What do you recommend?”
“All of their burgers are good, but I like the brisket melt best.”
Her eyes widened and she set the menu on the table. “It’s like you can read minds. Brisket melt and an iced tea.”
Gavin nodded and looked up at the server as he approached the table.
***
January 14, 2017 10:50 a.m.
Aldous looked up at the sound of his office door swishing open. Jade stood in the doorway, eyes wide. He frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“A constable Jenkryn on line one asking for you.”
He picked up the receiver. “This is Aldous Freign.” He paused. “Yes.” He frowned and looked at Jade. Then he closed his eyes and rested his head against his hand. “Are you certain?”
Moments passed in silence.
“All right. Thank you. Yes. Contact me when you know more.” He hung up the phone, took a deep breath, and exhaled.
Jade stepped into the room and closed the door. “What is it?”
“Firemen were called to an emergency early this morning. A car was burning with someone inside of it.”
“Oh god.” Jade raised a hand to her mouth.
He felt light-headed. “The occupant was burnt badly. They can’t identify it until they compare dental records. Still, they are almost certain.”
Jade waited.
“It was Gavin’s car.”
26
January 13, 2017 - World Aid refugee camp, Mozambique, Africa. 1:22 p.m.
“Come over take a look at this.”
Matt stood and arched his back, stretching to loosen a cramp from bending over the supply crate. The sharp pain in his back faded, but did not disappear. “What ya got, Pete?”
“If I knew then I wouldn’t be calling you over to take a look.”
Matt chuckled. “You’re sounding grumpy. Time to get you a chocolate bar, buddy.”
Pete’s scowl deepened for a second before he grinned. “That time came and went months ago. At this point, I would give half my kingdom for a single chocolate chip. Even if it were half-melted and stuck to the leg of my jeans.”
“Sounds delicious.” Matt stopped beside Pete. “Of course, you would still owe change on that transaction. I don’t think you have much of a kingdom.” He reached into the crate and pulled out a thin sheet of canvas. “Hmm, this is strange-looking.” One end was open. Matt held it up and peered through the opening. “There’s some kind of shiny film coating the inside.”
“It’s a balloon.” Beth stood by the door, her hat off and sweaty hair pushed back away from her face.
“You sure?” Matt bent over the crate and rummaged around. “The entire crate is filled with them.”
“Last camp I was in we had something similar.” She joined them, whistling as she looked at the contents of the crate. “We only had one. We filled it with helium, sent it up a few hundred feet into the air, and hovered over our camp for a month before it started to drift down and needed a refill.”
“Cool.” Peter reached into the crate and withdrew a paper booklet.
“Instruction manual?” Matt asked.
Pete handed it to Beth.
Beth shook her head and opened the first page. “Whoa. This says it’s an internet network.”
“For us?”
She nodded. “We fill the balloons up with helium—” She looked at Matt and frowned. “We don’t have any helium.”
“Over in the corner.” Matt pointed. “It came with the shipment.”
“There ya go then.” She flipped through the thin pamphlet and handed it to Matt. “Looks pretty straightforward.” She smiled. “They must have known the odds were good that men would be putting it together.”
“Finally.” Peter nodded. “Someone who designs a product with the end user in mind.”
Matt ran a hand through his blond hair. “This, along with the new generators and laptops they sent, will make us a very different camp. We will be able to prepare for bad weather, request supplies, and have enough advance warning when military units are approaching.”
“Plus we can play online games.” Peter winked at Beth and she nudged him with her shoulder.
Matt chuckled. “Once everything’s up and running smoothly, why not.”
“I’m excited.” Beth went to the half-empty crate she had been working on and Pete sauntered over to another.
“Let’s find all the equipment and set the balloons loose tomorrow.” Matt said.
The other two nodded.
***
Two days later, Matt and his teammates launched seventy-five high altitude Internet-projecting balloons into the air. Instead of a few hundred feet, they rose to an altitude of sixty thousand feet above the ground. At that point, they began to hover and broadcast signals to a satellite high above them. The satellite processed the data and then sent commands back to the small balloons.
Motorized fans activated and the balloons began spreading out across the mesosphere to maximize their distance from each other. When they were as far apart as they could be while still able to communicate and relay signals, they stopped
The governments of the continent below them were unaware of their presence.
27
The Harbinger released a statement earlier today, claiming responsibility for the recent assassination of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Clinton Wallinski. The letter has been turned over to the Secret Service and they are following up on the lead.
The President of the United States will issue a response later today. We expect that it will call for citizens to stop supporting the Harbinger and work with their country to bring this terrorist to justice.
Tris Blanchette, Financial News Daily
Curtis closed the lid of his laptop and picked up the business card from the table. He ran his fingers over the raised lettering of Ariel’s name, then looked at his cell phone and sighed.
He’d never called her office before, although she’d never disappeared like this. She was supposed to have returned from Denver four days ago. At first, Curtis was not worried. She was often late, but she never failed to call or send him a text, and that began to concern him. He had checked the flights to see if any had been delayed.
They hadn’t.
He shook his head and reached for his phone, dialling the number to her main office. After three rings, a woman answered.
“Ross Insurance. To whom may I direct your call?”
“Ariel Pendleton please.”
“I’m sorry, Miss Pendleton is out of the office. Would you like to leave her a voice message?”
“No. My name is Curtis Tremaine and I was wond—”
“The author?”
“What? Yes.”
“Wow. Mr. Tremaine, I am a huge fan of your writing. I’ve just finished your last book and can’t wait for the next instal—”
“Thanks, that’s very kind of you. Sorry to interrupt but I’m worried about Ariel and was hoping you could help me track her down.”
The receptionist laughed. “Why are you worried about Ariel?”
“I’m her boyfriend and—”
“What? Really? How come she didn’t tell me that?” The receptionist’s voice got quieter, as if she had pushed the receiver away from her face. “Hey, Jake. Did you know Ariel is dating a best-selling author?” There was a pause. “Yeah, Curtis Tremaine. He’s a big deal. I know right? Yes, I’m serious. He’s on the phone right now.”
There was quiet for a second and the volume of her voice returned. “Sorry, Mr. Tremaine. I got a little bit starstruck for a moment.”
“That’s okay. Like I was saying, Ariel was supposed to have been back from her trip four days ago.”
; “That’s right.”
“Well, I haven’t heard from her. Have you?”
“No, but that’s normal. Weeks can go by without me speaking to the reps. Let me ask around and see if anyone has heard from her.”
Curtis nodded. “I would really appreciate it.”
“Listen. I hate to say this, but…”
“What?”
“Is it possible that she broke up with you and hasn’t bothered to tell you yet?”
“Oh. I hadn’t thought of that.”
“I hate to think bad things, but it could be possible, right?”
“I guess.”
The receptionist laughed. “Listen to me. I don’t know why they pay me to answer the phones when half the time I say things that get me into trouble. Forget what I said. I’m sure things are fine between the two of you.”
“They were when she left.”
“Of course they were. Give me your phone number and I will ask around here to see if anyone has heard from her. As soon as I get information, I will call you. How does that sound?”
“That’s what I was hoping for.”
“Good.”
Curtis gave the receptionist his number and she repeated it back to him. “And I’m sorry, but I didn’t get your name.”
“Rita.”
“Thanks, Rita. I’m sorry to bug you, but Ariel and I speak daily and I waited as long as I could.”
“It’s my pleasure, Curtis. We will find her, don’t you worry. And maybe you can come in and bring us a signed copy of your newest book.”
“Of course.”
Rita hung up the phone, logged the call into her notebook, and walked to Victor’s office. She knocked on the open door and smiled as he looked at her.
“What’s up?”
“Ariel’s boyfriend called in saying he hasn’t seen her in four days.”
“How’s he handling that?”
“I think I calmed him down.”
“Keep an eye on his cell phone log. If he reports her missing to the local authorities, let me know who he contacts so we can intercept a search.”
Rita nodded and turned.
“She hasn’t called in yet?” Victor asked.
“No.”
He picked up the phone. “Connect me to the New York office.”