Migration: Beginnings (Migration Series Book 1)

by Walter Hopgood

  The screen is shaky at first, then quickly focuses on Donna. She gives the camera a little wave, and says, “Hi boys! I hope you’re doing okay, and they’re feeding you down there! I keep missing you whenever I call, so I guess they’ve got you working all sorts of crazy hours. But I couldn’t wait—I have news about Dad!”

  “I hope he’s okay,” Jason says, and Rhys leans over, dropping a kiss on Jason’s hair, knowing it can only be good news.

  “Okay, so the bad news first,” she starts, and Jason lets out a little groan, so Rhys squeezes him close. “Well, your dad had a little accident, Jason. There was apparently some sort of explosion in Rome, sometime after the evacuations started, and he was knocked unconscious. As he lay there, some damn fool stole his wallet, so by the time help arrived, he was unconscious and officially declared a John Doe. He had relatively minor injuries, but a serious concussion, and got lost in the system, what with everything going on over there.

  “The good news is, he’s resting comfortably in a hospital in Beijing; he had a fever from an untreated infection from a nasty cut on his leg, but they managed to get him stable. He should be home in the next few days!”

  “Oh, thank God,” Jason says, and Rhys can’t help but smile as he squeezes Jason again, enjoying the comforting warmth coming off of his husband. The video continues though Donna’s smile never fades. “I miss you!”

  “Aww,” Jason says. “Is it wrong that I want to be there when Dad gets home?”

  Shaking his head, Rhys replies, “Not at all, sweetheart,” and pulls Jason down into another kiss. “I’m glad they found him,” he says as the two lay there, Jason resting his head on Rhys’ bare chest.

  “Me, too,” Jason replies, his voice melancholy.

  The men stay there, holding the intimate position for a few minutes more until Jason’s stomach growls.

  “How can you be hungry—we just ate!” Rhys jokes. After another grumble, he asks, “You wanna go get something else?”

  Jason sighs. “Yeah, but I don’t wanna get dressed.” As he snuggles closer to Rhys, he adds, “I’m comfy.”

  Rhys sighs, knowing Jason should eat. He slowly gets up, then reaches out and pulls Jason to him, resting his forehead against Jason’s. “Come on then. Let’s go get something from the mess.”

  As soon as they enter, Rhys swears that he’s experiencing déjà vu all over again; it’s just like when they walked up to the restaurant at the resort on Maui, with everyone congregated into one space, and all eyes on the small television in the corner.

  They quickly make their way to the group and watch as the television newscaster starts to fill them in with the latest horror the world is about to endure.

  Chapter 19

  When Gareth doesn’t hear from Bartlett after the previously agreed upon time, he has to assume the worst. He’s not sure if the woman, a cousin who had been strategically placed in the United States military years before, has been found out or not. His silent phone, however, indicates something must be wrong, so he has no choice but to figure as much.

  Based on the texts she sent previously, he knows that the second beam was to be recovered from somewhere deep in Nepal and would be shipped back to Sacramento. If Bartlett had discovered the whereabouts of the third beam before they left Nepal, she was supposed to dispatch those she could not trust, and accompany the beam back to the United States. But after not hearing from her, he figures he has to go to a backup plan.

  The contingency plan was to try and keep the beam in Asia, and out of the hands of the United States military, if at all possible, so that one of his teams could locate and retrieve it themselves. After making sure everything is in place, Gareth texts his coordinator in Bangkok and tells him to start Operation Asian Confusion.

  Thirty quiet, unsatisfying minutes pass until he gets the response that his plan is now underway. It was the single word, “Acknowledged.” Once the text is dismissed, he turns on the television and begins pacing the length of the small apartment he’d acquired upon landing in California. Now, all he has to do is wait, which is something he is loath to do.

  It takes an additional twenty minutes for the first news flash to appear on the screen, and it’s then that Gareth knows his plan had officially been set in motion. He walks to the television, crossing his arms and staring at it with the barest hint of a smirk on his face.

  When the screen is filled with the images of explosions, he says, “Good,” as his smirk changes to an evil grin. While his plan may not fully stop the beam from leaving Asia, at least he might be able to slow it down enough so one of his underlings can get their hands on it.

  Chapter 20

  “Oh, my God, not again,” is all Jason can manage, as they watch the carnage unfold in high definition in front of them. Rhys pulls him close, and he tries to hide away the memories of Jason’s look of horror from the first attack, still fresh in his memory.

  The screen splits in two, with the butchery displaying in a loop on one half, and the newscaster appearing on the other.

  Clearing his throat, the newscaster says, “If you’re just joining us, what you’re seeing is videotape of events that just happened in Tokyo and Manila, while similar events have also been reported at airports across Asia.

  “Suicide bombers have started taking out airport control towers across Asia in what can only be described as deliberate, coordinated attacks. At approximately 1:00 a.m. local time in Japan—4:00 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time, airports throughout Asia began to experience a barrage of artillery fire and suicide bombs. It is unclear at this time if this is from the same group responsible for the bombing of Europe months back.

  “So far, we know that control towers in Tokyo, Haneda, Beijing, Mumbai, Hanoi, Seoul, and Manila have all been attacked in one way or another, with reports flooding in from other countries—at this time, all in Asia. Most have been by explosive-laden vehicles that have illicitly gained access to airport property in order to ram the control towers, though there are a few unconfirmed reports of planes—both military and civilian—being used as proverbial battering rams to take them out.”

  As the newscaster continues, Rhys puts his arm around Jason and says, “We need to check with Landingham to make sure the beam is safe.”

  “And find out where my dad is,” Jason adds.

  He instantly feels guilty for wondering about the fate of the beam before remembering Jason’s father was currently somewhere between Beijing and Portland.

  Looking around, there’s no one in the mess that Rhys recognizes, so he figures that they should seek out Franks. They exit the mess and head for the small building next to their own, where they already see the lights on. They knock and wait, but thirty seconds later there’s still no answer. Jason takes the lead and opens the door and peeks in, but all they find is an empty room.

  “Maybe we should go back to our room and wait for them?” Rhys offers.

  Jason considers it, and eventually nods his head, so they head back to their own room next door. Immediately upon entering, they spot someone sitting in a chair just inside the door.

  “Doctor Tambor, Mister Frost-Tambor,” Airman Vu acknowledges as Jason and Rhys stand in the doorway. “General Landingham wants to update you on recent developments. Can you come with me, please?” Airman Vu appears professional, but there’s something just under the surface of her demeanor that worries Rhys.

  Rhys and Jason follow Vu back out into the crisp night air. They pick up the pace as they trail her to a larger building on the other side of the airfield. As they enter, Rhys can’t help but think of the gargantuan room as some sort of command center, what with the walls being covered by computer monitors and televisions. Some are broadcasting cable news while others display video feeds from crowded rooms similar to the one they are standing in.

  “Gentlemen,” Landingham says as he finishes up some notes he’s writing on a legal pad. He motions to a couple of chairs, adding, “Please, sit.”

  “General Landingham?” a voice
calls, and Landingham turns as another soldier, this one with the rank of lieutenant colonel, leans over and whispers something to him.

  Landingham nods, and turns his attention back to Rhys and Jason. “I’ll get Lieutenant Franks to update you, but I wanted to tell you myself; first of all, your father,” he says, turning his attention to Jason, “is still in a hospital in Beijing. He’s scheduled to fly out within thirty-six hours on a medical transport. We’re keeping an eye on him, so you don’t have to worry about all this,” he adds, gesturing to the scenes of utter chaos and destruction that fill up the television monitors.

  “About that…” Rhys asks, but Landingham cuts him off.

  “Franks will fill you in on what we know so far; she’s being briefed right now. To answer your second question, the beam is still on its way to Japan, where the plane will refuel, and then take off again to deliver the beam back to a lab in Sacramento.”

  “But what about this situation?” Rhys asks as he looks around at the television screens filled with destruction. “How can we make sure air travel is safe? I mean, what with all the airports being targeted.”

  Landingham gives Rhys an all-knowing smile. “The bastards can do what they can to the civilian airports, but military airports are virtually totally off limits—they couldn’t even get close if they tried. Plus, every nation is beefing up security at every military airport around the globe, so they couldn’t even get within a few feet inside of a base without being blown sky high.” The lieutenant colonel puts a hand on Landingham’s shoulder, so he looks up, acknowledging her. “Excuse me,” he says, and then walks away as he’s briefed on some other new development.

  Jason and Rhys become transfixed on the televisions, and the unimaginable horrors that seem to be playing out across Asia, as they wait for further word. Franks shows up twenty minutes later with news about Jason’s father; he’s scheduled to fly out on a medical charter in just a few hours. Since medical charters can easily be directed to fly through military airports, Mike will be perfectly safe as he flies from a military base in Beijing to Anchorage. He’ll spend some time there, where he will be processed with other evacuees, then flown down to Portland.

  “And, as for the beam,” Franks says, “I’m sure General Landingham already told you that it’s safe and secure. They’ll land at one of the United States military bases in Japan—but in the name of safety, the exact location won’t be known until they begin their descent. Then once they refuel, and the crew has had a chance to rest, they’ll take off again for Sacramento, where the two beams will be kept until we find the third.”

  “Any news on that?” Rhys asks.

  Nodding, Franks says, “von Schoor said that one of the linguists found some old references to Songwe Gorge, which is part of Victoria Falls. This particular area is known by the natives as ‘the misting bird’—and since its history with the locals, as well as the connection to both birds and mist from the original story—she started to redirect the satellite scanning to that area.

  “Good news is she’s already had a couple of pings, even with the limited coverage. Once the satellite is focused on the area, we should be able to confirm that Songwe Gorge is the location. Once that’s done…” She trails off, though both Rhys and Jason understand the weight of the words left unspoken.

  “Why don’t we just head out now?” Jason says even as he’s stifling a yawn.

  “Well, that, for one,” Franks says as she acknowledges the chaos playing out in high definition on a dozen screens opposite them. “I need you boys fresh, and I know people generally don’t get the best sleep on an airplane. That, plus the fact that it’s over 8,200 kilometers between here and the closest airport to Songwe Gorge, which means it will take about nine hours flight time to get there.

  “We should have confirmation from von Schoor sometime in the next couple of hours, and then we’ll prep for the trip. If we can leave here tomorrow afternoon, with travel time and crossing a few time zones, we should manage to get there Wednesday morning.”

  “Wait, what’s today?” Rhys asks, shaking his head when he remembers that they’ve crossed the International Date Line, adding, “Never mind…”

  Standing, Jason says, “I should get this one to bed,” and puts a hand on Rhys’ shoulder. “Anything else you need from us?”

  Shaking her head, Franks points to the television that is rolling new video of additional carnage, now from Hanoi, at least according to the news ticker crawling across the bottom of the screen. “Don’t worry about any of this, okay?” she tells them. “We’ll figure it out. You two just focus on getting some rest.”

  Rhys nods and Jason puts his arm around him, starting to aim him for the door, but Rhys stops momentarily. “Lieutenant?” he calls, Franks standing up when she hears the request. “Would it be possible to get one of the SIM cards for my phone? I think it’s a good idea to call Jason’s mom, at least to check in.”

  “Sure thing,” Franks responds. She gets up, and then walks ahead of the couple. “They’re in my bag back in the barracks. I’ll walk you back and we can pick one up along the way.”

  “Cool,” Rhys manages, though now he’s yawning.

  The trio walks back out into the night air, Jason pulling Rhys to him so that they share what little warmth they have. When they picked up clothes in Sacramento, their only thoughts were of comfort, which at the time had meant clothes designed for the heat of summer. But now, shivering in the rapidly cooling evening air, Rhys would give his eyeteeth for a hoodie, or at least a sweatshirt.

  Entering the warmth of Franks’ barracks, they quickly shut the door behind them as Franks pulls open her briefcase. She flips through the entries, stopping on a page marked, ‘India/Nepal/Bhutan (Global)’, then pulls out two different SIM cards and hands them over. As she does, she cautions, “Just remember—no disclosing our locations. Okay? As far as your family is concerned, we’re still in Sacramento.”

  “Promise,” Rhys says, handing one of the SIM cards over to Jason. They say goodnight, and head back to their own private quarters, walking briskly in the chilly night air.

  Once inside, Rhys focuses on his phone, popping out the SIM card and sliding in the new one. Once the phone is reassembled and boots up, Rhys leans back on the bed, tucking a pillow behind his lower back as his phone synchronizes with the network. There are no additional voicemails, but there are quite a few emails to read, so he leans back and starts skimming subject lines as Jason settles in next to him.

  He’s two paragraphs into a field report from his Wyoming team when he feels Jason lean over, a heavy weight against his shoulder. He looks to the side to see Jason asleep, his mouth agape and his breathing steady.

  “Jason,” Rhys asks, his voice quiet. When there’s no response, Rhys bucks his shoulder gently, saying “Jase!” a bit louder.

  “Huh? What?” Jason replies, suddenly awake. He’s instantly in another yawn as he looks around. “Crap,” he says as he realizes he’d fallen asleep fully clothed.

  “Why don’t you get out of those clothes, go brush your teeth, and get back to bed,” Rhys suggests.

  Jason gives Rhys an impish smile, shaking his head as he does so. “You just want to ravage me. Again,” he says as he stands, making quick work of his shoes, then socks, and finally his pants.

  “That’s the plan,” Rhys says with a smirk as he goes back to his email, watching as Jason disappears behind the bathroom door to get ready to turn in for the night. After Jason’s done, he pads back to the bed, muttering something under his breath about the “damn cold floors,” and pulls back the covers, sliding into the warm flannel sheets.

  “Okay, I’m ready,” Jason says with a yawn, once again garnering Rhys’ attention. “But I’m pretty tired, so I’m just gonna lay here. Sorry boo, but you’re gonna have to do all the work, okay?”

  Rhys can’t help but laugh at that. He leans down and grabs a quick kiss, then goes back to reading the report, comforted by Jason’s warm hand as he reaches it out, com
ing to rest on Rhys’ jean-clad leg. Within seconds, Jason is again out like a light.

  He finally puts down his phone and heads for the bathroom himself, getting ready for bed when his stomach grumbles; in all the commotion about the air traffic control towers across Asia being annihilated, they’d forgotten to eat dinner. He shrugs; if they get hungry during the night, there are snacks in their backpacks. He quickly undresses and gets ready for bed, then climbs into bed next to his husband and snuggles against him. Within minutes, he follows Jason into sleep.

  Rhys wakes up to the sound of knocking and looks around, not recognizing his surroundings. He grabs for his glasses, and glances around the room as the memories from the past few days come slowly dripping back into his consciousness like cooled molasses. Though he’s practically halfway out of bed, Jason, who is still asleep beside him, is reaching for him, pulling him back to the warmth and comfort of the blankets. If it weren’t for the second knock, Rhys probably would have gotten back under the covers with him.

  Walking to the door, he quietly mutters to himself about the cold floorboards. Rhys is already planning on climbing back under the covers as soon as possible, or at least put on a pair of those woolen socks he’d kept from their trek up Lhotse.

  Opening the door and squinting into the bright morning sunlight, he sees Lieutenant Franks, so he says, “Come in, come in,” and quickly makes his retreat back into the room.

  “Yeah, it can be a little chilly here overnight,” Franks says as Rhys crawls back into the bed, Jason automatically reaching for him in his sleep.

  “Is there news?” Rhys asks as he sits up against the headboard and pulls the covers over his legs.

  Bobbing her head, Franks replies, “Yep. Songwe Valley, just like von Schoor hypothesized.”

  Rhys can’t help but smile; the final piece of this ancient tale has been found, making it a reality. He reaches over and gently touches Jason’s shoulder, pushing against it while saying, “Jase…Jason! Wake up.”