Thursday Midnight

by Zachry Wheeler

  Jonas climbed to the surface level with as little noise as possible. He closed the hatch with a muted thump, leaving him to the warmth of a sun-drenched living room. Beams of natural light punched through slatted blinds, forcing him to squint for relief. It took upwards of half an hour to adjust to the light, which he passed with a few glasses of water and a concentrated protein bar. An occasional shiver gripped his body as the mint adjusted his external temperature.

  Jonas dressed in the foyer for a brief excursion, slipping into a set of modest winter gear. The daylight hours allowed for a more casual ensemble, just enough to maintain comfort while breaking the bite of chilled winds. He plucked a wool hat from a closet cubby and paused to survey the interior. Anna’s robust collection dominated the space, a calculated necessity for her survival. He raked a hand over the garb, sensing her love and devotion beneath his fingertips.

  A small whiteboard hung beside the front door, used for casual notes like shopping items. It also provided a layer of disguise should anyone pay them a visit. Just a simple abode with simple needs, nothing to see here. The strategy served them well, but with a massive upheaval en route, Jonas saw little need to uphold it.

  Gone for that walk, he wrote. Just in case.

  He slipped out the door and into a bath of daylight. The sun clung to the sky behind the house, painting a shadow across the lawn. Patches of green grass peeked through the snow, compliments of a midday warm. Jonas gazed up to a blue sky streaked with clouds, a rare yet welcome sight. A gentle breeze teased his nostrils and filled his lungs with the fresh air he had grown to cherish. He savored it for a while, imprinting the memory as best he could.

  His gaze lowered to the ground as he moseyed beneath an awning and into a nearby thicket. Despite an unsullied departure in the years prior, the threat of discovery always lingered overhead. The eyes of satellite surveillance combed the planet day and night, so he restricted his outings to the safety of the forest canopy.

  The woods greeted him as he wandered a familiar path. Leaves rustled and branches swayed, drawing his gaze from one to another. Sunlight dropped from the canopy every so often, like lasers scorching the earth. He evaded them as a mental game, hopping from rock to rock in a playful dance. A band of deer caught his attention as they ambled through the brush. He halted at a large aspen tree, his favorite of the jaunt, and pulled his fingers over the flaking bark. His gaze climbed the mighty trunk, tracing the groves between knots and nubs. A warm smile and gentle pat concluded the visit.

  The journey ended at a craggy outcrop that overlooked a mountain lake, facing west to the sunset. Jonas swiped the snow from a small boulder and settled down for the show. The lake was a few miles across and rested under a perfect stillness, reflecting the sunlit sky back to itself. A pair of hills rose to either side, creating an earthy chalice. Eagles glided over the water and snagged the occasional fish. Jonas closed his eyes to absorb the sounds and smells of a pristine land. His mind descended into a brief meditation, a much-needed reboot for the days ahead.

  When his eyes reopened, the sun had dropped between the hillsides, plunging towards the horizon at a visible pace. He recorded every second as the bright orange disc touched the earth and fell away. A final beam of light popped out of existence, leaving a coral afterglow. The night began its cold embrace, drawing a heavy sigh as he returned to his feet. He glanced down the path by which he came, paying mind to the creeping shadows. A ripple of hesitation pulled his gaze back to the sunset, but the moment was fleeting. He flipped the hood of his jacket and began the long trek back to the cottage.

  CHAPTER 13

  A pair of Raven ships rested in wait atop the Zenit Tower. Their twin turbine engines were in vertical position, spilling blue flames from black casings. A band of red light marked the edge of a landing pad, situated high above the adjacent towers. The exhaust turned mist into steam, creating a cloud of red vapor that swirled around the vessels. Their jet-black hulls and tinted viewports blended into the night. As both carriers and fighters, they had bulky yet streamlined frames, similar in profile to their avian namesakes.

  Agent Korovin bounded up a final set of stairs and onto the platform. He leapt into a light jog as his jacket fluttered in the gusts. A member of the AG4 unit stood guard outside the nearest craft. His black suit and glossy helmet matched the hull, as if sprouted from the ship itself. Korovin offered a salute as he vaulted into the vessel. The soldier followed him inside and secured the bay door. Korovin strapped himself down and gestured to the cockpit. The pilot nodded and the ships rose from the platform.

  After a brief hover, the engines rolled forward and the vessels shot north over the city. Korovin glanced out a side window where pops of color shone from the streets below. Towering walls of gray glass climbed into the night. The tips of blinking spires reflected off an array of solar panels, like fireflies in the black. He marveled at a vision long forgotten. The last time, he recalled, was for a mission to the Olympic Mountains. Or more aptly, a slaughter.

  The push of acceleration pressed Korovin into his seat. He glanced around the bay while avoiding eye contact with the troops. After a heavy sigh, he dropped his head against the wall and focused on a mystery blemish. His mind filled in the gaps as the ships tore through the night.

  * * *

  Anna was waiting on the living room couch when Jonas arrived back at the cottage. The creaking front door yanked her from a stupor. As he started to disrobe, Jonas noticed a heart drawn around his whiteboard message. A smile crept across his face, gifting him a mental boost. He returned his coat to the closet, then closed the door to find Anna staring at him from the archway. Her eyes welled with tears, but not from sadness or regret. She wore an expression of immense pride.

  “Big day,” she said.

  “An understatement for the ages.”

  She sauntered over and pulled him into a tight embrace. They squeezed each other, sensing the warmth and security of their remaining anonymity.

  “I’m so proud of you,” she said with a soft voice.

  Jonas sighed. “It still feels like a shot in the dark.”

  She pulled away and shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. All of your hard work is finally paying off. You have shifted the narrative. The entire world has recognized your plight. This day could be the start of a new era, and it’s all because of you.”

  He smiled. “All of our hard work, you mean.”

  She returned the smile and stole a kiss. “Just mention me on the talk shows when you’re a worldwide hero.”

  Jonas scoffed. “Do you think you’ve earned that?”

  Anna gasped and poked him in the ribs, drawing some playful chuckles.

  They spent the next half hour discussing a new realm of possibilities while giving the homestead one last scan. Anna offered bits of wisdom and support as Jonas collected items for an overnight stay. He stuffed a backpack with clothing and toiletries, as if heading off to a seminar retreat. The tin of breath mints completed the kit.

  Soon after, the walls began to rumble.

  Jonas and Anna glanced around the room in confusion, then met gazes with a mirrored realization. They rushed up to the surface level and closed the living room hatch as the Ravens made their approach. Lamps and pictures rattled as pillars of blue flame came into view through a bay window. The ships hovered down to the open lawn and pressed their landing gear to the frozen dirt. A sheet of snow vanished in an instant.

  As the engines spun down, Jonas placed himself inside the foyer to await contact. He motioned to Anna to remain around the corner and out of sight. She nodded and pressed her back to the wall as Jonas stiffened his stance and glared at the front door. Moments later, a knock punched through the tension, drawing a tight flinch. His lungs fluttered as he stepped forward and gripped the doorknob. He took a deep breath, clenched his lips, then opened the door. Much to his surprise, an unexpected face appeared.

  “We’re here for your women,” Doren said.

  Anna gasped and darted in
to the foyer.

  “Ah, there she is.” Doren sauntered around Jonas and caught Anna as she leapt into his arms. Cackles of joy filled the air as they spun around the foyer.

  Jonas could not help but roll his eyes at the most Doren thing Doren had ever done. He turned to the pair while still holding the door. “You are such a dick.”

  “Never pretended to be otherwise,” he said after a final hug spin. “But it’s nice to know that you didn’t forget.”

  There he was, still wearing his tidy work ensemble, as if to meet them at their favorite booth for a round of drinks. He could hear the roar of Iron Works, the clanks of bottles and the barks of laughter. Jonas knew the play. Doren was there as a dampener, as a glass of water for a bitter pill, but he didn’t care. The joy of seeing his best friend outweighed the heaviest of apprehensions.

  It was a keen awareness that Doren shared. They traded smirks, then stepped into a hearty embrace.

  “It’s great to see you, brother,” Doren said.

  “Likewise,” Jonas said before pulling away. “But if I had known you were coming, I would have made it a point to, y’know ... move.”

  Doren snorted. “Always a punk, this guy.”

  “I learned from the best.”

  A clearing throat hooked their attention.

  The mood wilted as Jonas turned to find Agent Korovin standing at the doorway, locked behind the sill by his own decorum. Jonas gulped as a torrent of deception entered his mind. That same stare at the train station, the same posture as he handed him the small white canister. The plague had returned, albeit in a different capsule. Jonas stammered a bit as he regained some hosting etiquette.

  “Please come in,” Jonas said, gesturing into the foyer.

  The agent nodded and proceeded inside. He gave Jonas a once over before offering his hand. “Mister Jonas.”

  “Agent Korovin.”

  “It’s a pleasure to see you again, despite the unfortunate circumstances.”

  Jonas held his tongue, then forced the response from his throat. “You as well.”

  They parted hands.

  Jonas glanced outside to a group of soldiers in uniform. They stood guard around a pair of transport ships shrouded by clouds of steam. An unsettling portrait, especially when trapped inside a Yukon forest.

  His chest tightened.

  Korovin noticed and promptly addressed it. “Is there a more comfortable place we can talk?”

  * * *

  The dining room housed more visitors than it ever had, at least while under the care of Jonas and Anna. They sat to one side of the table with Doren and Korovin on the other, like teams of lawyers primed to negotiate. Jonas locked his gaze to the agent as images of home popped into his head. Despite the troubling context, a peculiar sense of belonging wandered the room. A husband and wife, a quirky brother, a pragmatic father figure, a family in crisis. It was an image forever stamped into the minds of everyone present.

  Jonas studied the personas like a seasoned poker player, a compulsive burden that he carried as a former transient. Anna was braced and attentive with hands folded on her lap, but wore her emotions for all to see. Not a concern, as her candid nature was a useful barometer. Doren fidgeted with obvious discomfort, perhaps boredom. Well within his character, but Jonas could sense that he just wanted out of the equation. Then there was Korovin, the hardest to read, and for good reason. The man was a rock, a feared NExUS agent with centuries of experience. He revealed only what he wanted to, so his hands stayed folded on the table while maintaining a veil of apathy. The only suitable read was to recognize a misread.

  “Before we begin,” Korovin said to Jonas, “I should note that any sensitive details regarding the investigation will be revealed after we arrive at the station.”

  Jonas nodded, allowing the agent to proceed.

  “Our primary concern is the safety of your household. I trust that each of you can appreciate the delicate nature of this situation. Apart from Jonas, your current understanding will remain limited to what we discuss here. Nothing leaves this circle. Understand?”

  “Zipped,” Doren said, adding a mouth swipe.

  Anna nodded.

  “An AG unit is stationed outside. They will—”

  “Fuck me sideways,” Doren said with notable surprise. “That’s an Alpha Group? You didn’t tell me that.”

  “Doren,” Anna said like an irked sibling.

  “Just saying. This is a cabin in the woods, not a fortified palace.” He pointed at Jonas. “And your floors are filthy, by the way.”

  Anna scoffed and glanced at the floor. “They’re perfectly fine, Miss Prissy Pants.”

  “Seriously, you guys should hire a cleaning service.”

  “We’re in the goddamn Yukon,” Anna said.

  Korovin cleared his throat, killing the banter.

  Jonas smirked, then gestured an apology.

  “As I was saying, the AG unit will remain on site while Jonas is assisting us. One of the Ravens will also remain as a means of extract.”

  “In case of what?” Anna said.

  “It’s just a precaution,” the agent said with a softer tone. “Jonas is a high-value target and we have yet to determine the full extent of the network. Thus, we must conclude that any associate is also at risk. Jonas has made it clear that his intentions are for you to stay here, so we are honoring that request and providing the necessary support.”

  “Thank you, sir,” Anna said. “But I have to say, military jets over an area like this will raise some eyebrows.”

  “We examined that issue, hence our approach from the west. The majority of our path was over the Pacific and park reserves. It’s also why we utilized Ravens, which employ the most sophisticated stealth tech on the planet.”

  Anna and Doren traded assured glances.

  “On the matter of associates,” the agent said, then turned a steeled gaze to Jonas. “Is there anyone else that we should be made aware of?”

  Jonas held his breath as his mind raced through the list. His father, his mother, brothers and sisters, the remnants of humanity around the world. “Like who?” he said, adding a brow scrunch.

  A mental standoff commenced.

  Jonas retained an ignorant facade, hoping to reveal some hidden intent. Korovin allowed the question to linger like a taut snare. Neither conceded, forcing the agent to diffuse the exchange with a harmless shrug.

  “Neighbors and the like,” Korovin said. “Do you know of anyone who might pay you an unprompted visit? As the lady rightly pointed out, a Raven on your front lawn would raise an eyebrow.”

  “No,” Jonas said. “We’re not the socializing types.”

  Korovin swallowed his retort, opting to move on. “You may have guessed why Doren has accompanied me.”

  To leverage for cooperation, Jonas thought. He eyed Doren and feigned some jest. “To goad me into leaving?”

  Doren reached into his pocket and withdrew a middle finger.

  Anna snorted.

  “Doren will remain here as a token of good faith. We all share a turbulent past, but your affinities for one another are as resilient now as they were back then. It did not seem right to burden Anna with unfamiliar faces.”

  “I appreciate that,” Jonas said.

  Korovin turned to Anna. “I would assume this house has a sub-level?”

  “Yes.”

  “Enough to accommodate half a dozen?”

  She glanced at Jonas in confusion. “Um, yes. Cramped, but feasible.”

  “Good. And again, this is just a precaution. Doren will remain inside the house at all times. The unit will guard the exterior during the evening hours and confine themselves to the vessel during the day. It is lightproof and stocked with the necessary provisions. You need not provide any lodging or support. However, I must insist that at least one soldier guard the sub-level during the daylight hours. You are free to determine who, but you must be accompanied.”

  “Why not me?” Doren said.

 
“I assumed that you would be present.”

  “Are you saying that I can’t protect us?”

  “Yes.”

  The cold assertion ruffled Doren. He opened his mouth to respond, but pouted instead.

  “That’s fine,” Anna said. “It’ll be like having one of those old British guards who never blinks.” She reached across the table and patted Doren’s hand, ever the optimist.

  “This is only temporary,” Korovin said. “Assuming that everything transpires within expectations, Jonas will return home by this time tomorrow.”

  A hush ensnared the room.

  Doren leaned on an elbow and cracked his knuckles.

  Anna bowed her head and grasped Jonas’s forearm.

  “One more question,” Jonas said with a wary tone.

  Korovin met his gaze, then nodded to proceed.

  Jonas maintained a frigid stare. “When we departed the city, it was under an agreement. We were not to be tracked, detained, or pursued for any reason. And yet, we have been compelled out of the haven we built.”

  Korovin narrowed his gaze slightly.

  Jonas stared him down like a predator over prey. “And now that you sit at my dining room table, I would hope that our sacrifice has become apparent. As of now, this place is no longer our home. So when the time comes to rebuild that haven, will you honor that agreement?”

  They studied each other like gunslingers ready to draw. NExUS would track their every move from this day forward, a fact that both of them keenly understood. But that wasn’t the point. Jonas just wanted to see Korovin lie.

  “We will discuss the details after the investigation,” the agent said after a laden pause.

  Jonas matched the pause. “Okay.”

  * * *

  Agent Korovin stepped through the front door and into the crisp Yukon air. The roar of rousing engines rumbled the ground beneath his feet. Leaves snapped from tree branches and swirled inside plumes of exhaust. A soldier saluted his approach and opened the bay door. The agent returned the salute, then halted to await his precious cargo.