by Terry Schott
28
Luke leaned against the hood of his car, arms crossed as he watched the two bikers pull to a stop beside him. He looked both left and right to make sure the bare dirt road was empty in each direction. The bikers, tattoo-covered arms exposed through the sleeves of their leather club vests, cut the engines to their motorcycles. The sudden silence contrasted with the loud rumbling, making the sound of the insects hidden in the dirt and dead grass along the backroad sound crisp and clear.
“Luke.” The man with the longest beard nodded as he got off his bike and peeled off his black leather gloves.
“Sherman.” Luke nodded, then acknowledged the second biker. “Scalder.”
“‘Sup, bro?” Scalder jumped off his bike and slapped his pants, sending a puff of dust into the air. “You picked a nice spot to meet up. Looks familiar.”
Sherman reached into his pocket, withdrew a pack of smokes, and tapped one out of the box. “This is where we did that big drop a couple years back.”
“That’s right.” Scalder smiled. “Two trucks full of guns. Didn’t we buy them from you, Luke?”
Luke smiled. “I don’t recall.”
Sherman laughed and held the pack of smokes toward Luke, who raised one hand and shook his head. “You’ve got a good memory for the crime business, Luke.”
“Meaning I forget the proper details which is likely one of the reasons why you keep me as a supplier.”
“It’s more than that, man.” Sherman produced a metal lighter and flipped up the lid. “After all this time, you’re one of us. No one doubts that.” He lit the cigarette and closed the lighter against his leg, the lid making a clinking sound. “What can we do for you today, brother?”
Luke surveyed the area again before he spoke. “I need to buy some things. Thought you boys could help me.”
Sherman took a drag, held it in, and exhaled, squinting as the smoke curled up and over his head. “What are you in the market for?”
Luke removed a square of paper from his pocket and handed it to Sherman. The biker put the cigarette in his mouth and unfolded the paper. He scanned it, then looked up at Luke, one eyebrow raised. “This is some serious stuff, my man.”
Luke nodded.
Sherman gave the piece of paper another few seconds of attention, then handed it to Scalder, remaining silent while his gang-mate read it.
Scalder whistled and ran one hand through his greasy blond hair. “Damn, bruh. What you gonna do with all this?”
“Protect ourselves.”
“You and the rest of your group of nerds?” Scalder laughed. “You can do a lot more than protect yourself with this crap, man. You could start a friggin’ war.”
“I’m gonna need a lot more than this before long.”
Sherman took another drag from his smoke, scratched his cheek, then removed the cigarette before exhaling. “You know something we don’t, Luke?”
“Nothing new.” Luke shrugged. “I’ve been telling you things are gonna go bad. My club has to prepare. We’ve been recommending yours does the same.”
“We are.”
“Can you spare what I’m asking for?”
“Normally, no.” Sherman picked a piece of tobacco from his tongue and flicked it away.
“But?”
“You know the deal, Luke. Our clubs are linked tight. Without each other, what are we?”
“Nothing.”
“Exactly.” Sherman folded the paper, put it in his pocket, waved the smoke away, and held out his arms. Luke stepped forward and the two men embraced.
Sherman patted Luke on the back and stepped away. “You’ll have everything on the list day after tomorrow. Send some of your kids to pick it up. Warehouse that we hold the charity blood drive at.”
“Thanks, man.” Luke nodded at Scalder.
“How much time you figure we got ‘til that happens?”
“Couple years.”
“The Harbinger?”
Luke nodded.
“Any idea who it is?”
“No clue, but we know he’s got a decent group of hackers working for him.”
“Really?”
Luke smiled. “Someone sent a few e-mails on his behalf from one of my computers a few months ago. The files planted on our computer made it look as if the Harbinger was one of our people. It’s a lucky thing that we do constant data dumps and check our computers. If it had stayed on our units, I think the feds would have come visiting.”
Sherman sighed and shook his head. “Only word I understood there was ‘feds’, but that’s good enough for me, bro. We don’t use computers at all. No patience for the damned things.”
Luke laughed. “We take care of that for you, don’t worry.”
“I’ll only be worried if feds show up at our doors.”
“They won’t. We fixed the issue and no one tied to us has been bothered since.”
“Good.” Sherman walked back to his bike and straddled it. “Anything else, man?”
Luke shook his head.
Scalder got onto his bike and propped it up, flicking up the kickstand with one heel. “Good to see you, bro. Be safe.”
Luke nodded and the motorcycles came to life with loud roars. He waited until they pulled away, then got into his car and headed for home.
29
Linda parked the car on the street, shut off the engine, and sighed. She looked at the small house. The curtains were closed. She checked her watch. Nine-thirty a.m. “Too early for decent people to be awake.”
The teenager in the passenger seat laughed. “I agree, G-ma. If you feel that way, then why are we up so early?”
Linda sniffed and removed her seatbelt. “Cause this old body can’t seem to sleep in anymore, Scout.” Linda smiled as her grandson’s chest puffed up. He loves the new nickname. I’m glad.
“You might be wide awake, but I’m tired. I should be sleeping ‘til at least one o’clock.”
Linda snickered. “I didn’t say I was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. I’m tired too, but I can’t sleep. Stupid aches and pains wake me up every time I roll over.”
“Getting old doesn’t sound like any fun.”
“It’s even worse than that. I would advise you to stay young forever.”
Scout laughed. “You have a way for me to do that?”
She removed the key from the ignition and opened the door. “Learn to code, then buy some blank nanobots off the web. Program ‘em so they can fix your cells as they break down. You’re all set.”
“That’s not a bad idea, G-ma.”
As she turned and swung her legs out of the vehicle, a jolt of pain raced up her foot and into her thigh. She winced and forced herself to smile. “Thanks. Now why don’t you get on it right away so that whatever you come up with can help your old G-ma out too.”
Scout laughed and opened his door, closing it and running around to the back door on Linda’s side before she managed to stand. “I’ll get your bag.”
“Thanks, Scout, you’re a good boy.”
At the front door of the single-storey house, Linda rang the doorbell. Seconds later, the door opened, and a woman with short grey hair and a wry grin stood in front of them. “Took you long enough to get out of the car and up the walkway. If I had made tea when I saw you arrive it would be cold by now.”
“Oh please, Fay.” Linda shook her head. “I bet you did start tea when you saw us pull up and it’s still not ready.”
Fay’s eyebrows raised and her mouth formed an ‘O’. Then she shrugged. “You’re right. I guess I’ll give you that one.” She smiled at Scout. “There he is, our handsome young hacker. How you doing, Scout?”
“I’m great, Fay. Thanks for letting me come over with G-ma.”
“You’re always welcome.” Fay leaned forward and whispered. “Even when the old bat isn’t with you.”
Linda made a huffing sound and smiled. “Go set my laptop up beside Fay’s, will you, dear? And set yours up at the table behind it.”
“Sure thi
ng, Gran.”
Scout went into the next room. “A clever lad,” Fay said. “I’ve been following his blog and website. Lots to be proud of there, Linda.”
“Thank you. It’s nice to see him take after my side of the family.”
“Hope he doesn’t follow exactly in your footsteps.” Fay winked. “Waking up hung over and not sure what country we are in as we run from the law is not something to wish on our grandchildren.”
“That was a long time ago, and it was mostly your fault.”
Fay laughed. “It’s so strange. I stand in line at the grocery store, barely able to hold a bag of fruit, and wonder what the younger me would have thought at such a sight.”
“She would have been disgusted.”
Fay nodded. “Surprised is more like. I never expected to live to be so old.”
“So useless.”
“Stop that, now.” Fay frowned. “We are far from useless. I would argue that this is the best cover we’ve ever had. No one suspects two elderly ladies who get together for tea once a week.”
“They didn’t suspect two pretty young women travelling the world, either. I can tell you with one hundred percent certainty which of the two stages of life I prefer.”
“Wishing won’t bring our youth back.”
“I know.” Linda pursed her lips. “I’ve given that task to Scout.”
“How?”
Linda mimed wiggling her fingers over a keyboard. “He’s gonna program some nanos to fix us.”
Fay chuckled. “Sounds good to me. Until he succeeds, let’s have some tea and get on with the day’s business, shall we?”
“We have work to do?”
Fay nodded.
“Excellent.”
***
Fay emerged from the kitchen with a beautiful red teapot, sugar bowl, milk pitcher, spoons, and three cups resting on a tray. She set it down and filled all three cups.
“What have we got?” Linda asked from her chair, her laptop in front of her on the desk.
“The H-man has set up a satellite system over Mozambique.”
Scout’s head shot up. “The Harbin—”
“Sssh!” Linda’s grandson stopped and looked at her. She shook her head. “What have I told you about saying that name out loud? Be smart.”
“I thought you said that Fay has this place securely shielded. No one can hear a thing in here.”
Fay chuckled as she handed Scout his tea. “I have it shielded, but you bring your own traitor with you.”
His brows furrowed as he accepted the cup. “What do you mean?”
“Attention, Fireware,” Fay said.
The command caused Scout’s phone to chirp and then speak. “How may I help?”
“Voice-activated software in your smartphones.” Fay shook her head.
“It only turns on if the specific command is spoken.”
Linda made a tsking sound. “If it’s able to turn on without you pressing a power button, then it was on all the time.”
“Oh crap. Of course, you’re right.”
“And you can bet everything you will ever own that updates have been sent to all smartphones, programs meant to listen specifically for the word you almost spoke. They want to catch that fly in the worst way.”
“I’m sorry.” Scout flushed. “It’s so obvious. I should have considered that.”
“Don’t worry, dear.” Fay patted his hand. “We’ve had a lot more practice at being paranoid than you.”
“But we won’t always be here.” Linda accepted her tea from Fay and blew on it. “So you learn from us as quick as you can. That’s the main reason you come to tea with us.”
Scout nodded.
Linda winked at him and turned to her old friend. “What’s the exercise today?”
Fay grinned. “Ever play a money board game?”
“Of course.”
“You know how there always seems to be one person who gets mad because they are losing and they stand up, tossing the board and scrambling the play cash all over to wreck the game?”
Linda nodded.
“We are gonna do that. To the country I mentioned earlier.”
30
Jade knocked on the door.
When there was no answer, she knocked again, frowned, then opened it.
Aldous sat behind his desk, staring at his monitor. His eyes were red and glassy.
“Boss?”
“Yeah.” He did not look away from his computer screen.
“You okay?”
He blinked and shook his head. Jade closed the door and sat down in a chair. “Gavin’s memorial was lovely.”
Aldous did not speak.
Jade paused. “Maybe we should close the office for a few days?”
There was another long pause.
“Aldous?”
“Did you read it?” His hand touched the copy of Sticks and Stones on the corner of the desk.
“Of course.”
“It’s happening.” He wiped his nose with the back of his hand. “The things written in it are starting to come true.”
Jade frowned. “That’s not possible.”
Aldous laughed. “See what’s happening in Mozambique today?” He swivelled the monitor so that it faced her. A live feed showed people rioting in the streets while the news ticker scrolled a message on the bottom of the screen. Stock market crashes in Mozambique. Millions riot as all currency disappears.
“Oh my god.” Jade raised a hand to her mouth and shook her head.
“A small third world country is how it will start.” Aldous’s tone was flat. “They will test their system in a harmless place before they unleash it on the rest of the world. That’s what the book said.”
“All those people. What do we do?”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to decide.” He turned the monitor so that it faced him once more.
“And?”
“We are shutting down. Cashing out before things get worse.” He finally looked at her. Don’t worry. There is enough money for all of us. I’ve been withdrawing cash for the past few weeks.” He nodded toward the corner. Eight large bags lay along the wall. They were full and round. “One bag for each of us.” He sniffed. “Well, there’s an extra. It was for Gavin.”
“Where do we go?”
“There’s still time. We spend it on supplies, then head for the hills. Get as far away from all towns and cities as we can. From other people.”
Jade looked at the bags. She blinked and wiped a tear from her eye. “Do we go together?”
“No.” Aldous’s response was quick. Maybe too quick. He considered her. “You have friends and family to take, right, Jade?”
“Yes.”
“Each bag holds one-point-three million dollars. Bring everyone in here and I will tell them what I’ve told you. We have to spend this money wisely on things that will help us survive the coming years. And we have to spend it before money loses all of its value here like it just did in Africa.”
“How long before that happens?”
“I think it will take a couple years.” He turned the monitor off and stood. “Before the world as we know it is gone.”
***
Curtis closed the lid of his laptop and stood to look out the window. The moon sat high in the sky, full and bright white. Grey clouds rolled across it. He sighed and looked at the clock on his desk. 11:33 p.m. He looked at his phone. No texts. No messages. Where is she? He turned the light off and closed the curtains, then went to the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water.
Three sharp knocks on his door made him freeze with the glass to his lips.
Again. Three knocks. Curtis put the glass on the counter, careful not to make a sound. He went as quietly as he could to one side of the door, conscious not to cross the line of light along the bottom. He waited for a breath, then put his eye over the peephole. A teenage girl dressed in dirty clothes with messy brown hair stood in the hallway. Her hands were empty. She raised her hand to knock a
gain.
He opened the door and stared down at her. “Can I help you?”
The girl stepped back, her feet pointed toward the exit at the end of the hall. “Your name Curtis?”
“It is.”
“You have to leave your apartment. Now.”
He frowned. “I don’t know you. You shouldn’t be in this building. Get out of here before I call the pol—”
“They know it was you, Curtis.”
His breath caught in his throat. Heat flushed his cheeks and the back of his neck. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“The book. They know you wrote it.”
A tingling sensation flowed into his neck and down his arms. “Who knows?”
The girl began to jog away. “That’s all I know, Curtis. They will be here in less than two minutes. You should run.”
He opened the door and looked into his apartment, jerking his head as he tried to think of what to take with him.
Leave it! A voice cried in his head. Come back for it if you can, but get out of here now.
He grabbed his phone, wallet, and keys from the top of the fridge, then bent down, scrambling to slip his shoes on. I’m so lucky I have my clothes on still. He exited his apartment, locked the door, and took a step toward the elevator.
He froze for a second, then turned on his heel and sprinted for the stairwell. As he reached the door, the elevator dinged. He pushed through the door and began to run down the stairs.
Two levels down, the voice inside his head spoke up. Walk this hallway. Get out of the stairs for a minute. He pushed the door open and began walking toward the elevator. He glanced up as he walked past, noticing that the elevators were both on his floor. He ran to the far end of the hall and took the stairs again, running down as quietly as he could while listening for doors opening above or below him. He heard none.
When he reached the ground, he peered into the hallway. There was no one there. He crossed the lobby and opened the side door to the alley, looking both ways to make sure it was clear.
She was leaning against the wall to his right, partially hidden in the darkness, her arms crossed.
“Ariel?” Curtis began moving toward her, beginning to jog. When he reached her, he stopped. Is she angry or scared? Something’s not right. He ignored the thought and hugged her. “Oh my god. Where have you been, babe? I was so worried about you.”