by LC Champlin
Gunfire cracked; it didn’t matter at whom.
A Toyota Tacoma followed in the Genesis’s wake. The truck swerved in the opposite direction as the car, then barreled toward Nathan.
Agony constricting his chest, shutting off his breath, he pounded toward the generators. Safe!
Tires screeched as the Tacoma skidded to a halt. “Get in the back!” rang from the truck. Marvin?
“I have to shut down the power. Go!” Nathan dodged around to the far side of the cargo box. The Goats wouldn’t risk shooting through it for fear of hitting the generators.
A twisted tail of electric cables, as big around as Nathan’s arm, snaked from a hole in the door and into a window in the rear of the main station building.
He paused to hook the zip ties around a corner of the truck’s bumper. Twist and snap. “Yes!” Next, the cargo door.
“Back away from there, fucker!” Crouching at the angle of the building, Buck pinned him with her AR.
“You might hit the generators.”
“Not if I shoot low.”
The Genesis sideswiped the mercenaries as they regrouped, but it couldn’t risk getting close enough to the wall to hit Buck. Two bodies belonging to the Goats lay sprawled on the asphalt.
“Buck, you can’t let them broadcast. They’ll control the cannibals.”
“Somebody needs to.”
Across the yard, Sarge and Red broke apart as the Tacoma blasted toward them. Spotting Nathan, Esau charged toward him. The truck pulled a half donut and slid between pursuer and pursued.
A glint in the weeds—Aha! Nathan snagged two glass bottles. He whipped one toward Buck. As it smashed on the concrete wall, he was already running for the station’s back door.
He grabbed the handle. Locked. Around the back to the next door. Unlocked! Darkness greeted him. Heart drilling a tattoo in his ears, he felt his way down the hall. Tech room, dead ahead.
Red would burst in at any moment.
Go big or go to Hell! Nathan shoved the door open and marched inside. In front of the computers slouched Ski Mask Leader, monitoring the satellite uplink. The screen on his left showed a grid layout of CCTV footage from inside and outside the complex. However, the screen with the uplink’s status occupied his attention. Beside him lay Nathan’s—formerly Hoodie’s—sat phone.
Ski Mask swiveled in his chair. “What the—”
“What did Red tell you?” Nathan barked. Any nonsense question would do to throw the man’s mind off track.
Nathan darted forward. Spinning the hostage’s back to him, he clamped a hand over the hostage’s mouth and shoved the mouth of the bottle against his neck. It would feel like a firearm’s muzzle. “Move and I’ll blow your head off. Shut down the uplink.”
Nod, tremble.
“Boss, what’s going on? Fuck!” The ReMOT’s two guards had come around the shelves.
Nathan whipped about, swinging Ski Mask between himself and the rifles.
“Mmph!” Ski Mask grunted.
His cronies shifted their weight but kept their weapons up.
Slam! The back door. “Is that fucker in here?” Red barged in.
“No!” the hostage blurted as Nathan dropped his hand to grip the bastard’s jaw.
“Hold it,” one of the guards barked as his rifle shifted to cover Red.
Snarling, Esau looked from the guards to Ski Mask to Nathan. Then he relaxed, chin rising in superiority. “The gears are still a-grinding?”
The captive must have nodded with his eyes, because Esau smiled. “Damn, Serebus, I thought you was smart, but maybe you’re just book smart. This is what, the third try at using hostages? Take it from a pro: you need to revisit the basics. The satellite and ReMOT are still rollin’, so you’re just being stupid.”
On the screen to Nathan’s left, angled out of Red’s sight, Jeremy kept near the station’s wall across from the generators’ truck.
On the satellite uplink’s screen, a dialog box read: Uplink complete. Signal strength good. Below that, a timer ticked off the remaining minutes to the millisecond. Sixty seconds remaining. Any time now . . .
“My guys are gonna take out your morons, Hotshit. It was a nice move with the cars, I gotta say.”
“Déjà vu?” Nathan glared from behind Ski Mask. “No exploding goats, though.”
“I fucked Sarge over, just so’s you know. I don’t need somebody who don’t see the big picture.” Red heaved an exaggerated sigh as he pulled the tomahawk from its sheath. “He wouldn’t compromise.”
The CCTV footage showed Jeremy wiggling through the open window in the rear of the station. The power cables snaked through the same opening.
With a laugh, Red added, “I give yer bitches credit for a creative distraction. Not bad for rookies.”
The camera feed played in Nathan’s peripheral vision as on the laptop screen the counter dropped to fifteen seconds. “You’re wrong.”
“Huh?”
“They weren’t the distraction.”
“What do you—”
“I was.”
Chapter 101
Power Button
Here for a Reason - Ashes Remain
Jeremy found the power plugs. Then darkness fell.
The timer flashed 00:00. Above it, the message, Uplink not connected.
“At least you get paid, Red,” Nathan noted. “These chumps don’t.”
“What?” the guard covering Esau snapped.
“No transmission, no paycheck.”
“Boss,” Ski Mask’s radio spat, “we got more vehicles heading our way. Cops.”
Nathan grinned, all fangs. “Get out, Red.”
“Not before I kill you!” Instead of lunging at Nathan, Esau charged the gunmen. The tomahawk flashed in the laptop’s illumination.
Thunk-squelch.
“Aaahg!”
Nathan took a step back as he slammed the bottle into the back of the captive’s skull, stunning Ski Mask. Nathan yanked the man’s radio and pistol free. The AR took some maneuvering, but he jerked it clear, then slung it over his shoulder. A kick sent the slumped man and his chair into the fray. Nathan snatched the sat phone from the desk as he dashed toward the exit.
According to the cameras, the power cables should be . . . through a door on the right. Bingo. The broken window spilled daylight in the room, over the python-thick cables.
Channel set on the radio to—“Marvin, are you all right?”
“Nathan! Yes. I’ll swing by the back and pick you up.”
“How close is the cavalry?”
“I can see the dust cloud.”
Let the government take charge here, or seize control of the opportunity for lasting security? No contest.
Grabbing the cables, he united plugs and sockets. The halogen lights overhead buzzed to life.
Back in the hall, he returned to the tech room. One, two, three, four. Opening the door a crack revealed all clear. Red must’ve run when he heard the authorities approaching.
Nathan slunk in, heading for the ReMOT. He edged around the corner. No guards this time, other than two corpses.
Handgun ready, heart rattling his molars, he moved to the black box. One, two, three—The screen showed a variety of status bars and the message, Push when ready, with an arrow pointing to a green power button below the screen.
A button titled Control dominated the right side of the view. Could this be the Holy Grail? Mouth dry, he selected it. Another screen opened, displaying gray, inactive buttons under the words Subject Activity: increase, decrease, target.
“Hey, Nathan, the cops are rolling in.”
Not now! “Hold on.” The power button pulsed green.
“Are we staying to chat? Amanda says Carolyn wants to evacuate the neighborhood and let the authorities take over since the cannibals are getting worse.”
She wanted to surrender after all this struggle? How dare she threaten his chance at a headquarters? B
aring his teeth, he gripped the HT as if it held the last vestiges of his sanity. “Wait for me at the rear.”
“Hurry up.”
Nathan’s thumb caressed the polished surface of the ReMOT’s power button. Should he hand the ReMOT over to the authorities? They had fought him every inch of the way. They promised safety in exchange for freedom, but in the end the citizen received neither.
“I will protect my people.” He leaned in. The power button clicked, then glowed red. Adrenaline washed through him, making a sweat break and his stomach churn.
The screen read, Broadcast initiated. Frequency modulation in progress. Time to completion: 00:00:25. 1%. Seconds began to tick down.
“Hey, if we’re serious about going, we should probably, I don’t know, go!”
“Are the cannibals acting differently?”
“Uh, no. Should they be? You shut down the broadcast, right?”
“It was shut down, yes.” The truth, if you squinted.
“I was just wondering, because I saw a light on in there.”
Shit.
Time to completion: 00:00:10. 60%.
“Red reactivated it. The satellite’s not connected, though.”
“W-what does that mean?”
“We’ll see.”
Time to completion: 00:00:01. 99%.
Broadcast complete. 100%.
“The cavalry is almost here. Come on!”
Chapter 102
Town Hall
One-X - Three Days Grace
“Coming,” Nathan grunted. Hands shaking, heart kicking his rib fractures, he paged to the Control tab. The options that offered the last, best hope for humanity remained gray. Repeated taps failed to activate them. One, two three, four. Maybe they would come online later, after the frequency had a chance to affect the affected. The satellite connection icon remained lit, and the machine’s designers did call it a remote, so long-distance control must be possible.
After disconnecting the box’s wires, he held it against his chest and made for the exit.
Outside, he slid into the waiting Tacoma. A sigh of relief escaped him as he buckled up. “Marvin, thank God you showed up.” He gave the economist a weary smile while stowing the AR behind the seat. “That was brilliant.”
“Always happy to save the day.” Marvin grinned as he sped down the dirt road.
“Where’s Jeremy?”
“With Amanda.”
“Excuse me?” Nathan sat up.
“That’s who was driving your—her—car. She came in this.” He patted the wheel.
“Ah. There was no dissuading her, I suppose.”
“Nope. I was worried Jeremy wouldn’t make it home to his kid, but—”
“Red has Zander.” Keeping the tone level required intense willpower.
“Huh?” Marvin wore a look of consternation. “Amanda said Jeremy was taken but that Albin was keeping an eye on Zander and the neighborhood.”
Nathan stared. “Bluffing.” He barked a laugh as relief like that of waking from a nightmare flooded him. “I should have known.”
Outside, a pair of cannibals ambled beside the slough. They didn’t seem any different after the broadcast. Did the frequency pattern require more time to affect them, or did the ReMOT need to synchronize with other signals, hence the need for a timed broadcast?
“Marvin, how’s the neighborhood? Did law enforcement arrive?”
“The Redwooders are trying to stay close to their homes. The authorities are setting up a perimeter around the neighborhood.”
Nathan produced his HT. “Albin, do you copy?”
“I copy, sir. I take it the endeavor had at least semi-favorable results?”
Albin, safe. Another sigh of relief. “You could say that. Marvin says Carolyn is planning to hand over control to law enforcement and push for an evacuation of the area.”
“Yes, sir. I support this course. Redwood Shores will be better managed by the authorities.”
What the—Speechless for a moment, Nathan blinked. “You do?”
“We do not have the resources for this enterprise. My time here has shown me that. While it pains me to admit, these people stand a better chance with the government. They will be targets if they remain at Redwood Shores.”
Hand over control to the government? The same government that had harried them so often during this disaster? Had Albin lost his mind?
“I see.” They needed time to discuss this. With a proper explanation, Albin would return to his senses. Hati and Skoll always acted in synchronization. Whatever happened in the neighborhood during Nathan’s absence must have shaken the attorney. Well, a lapse of judgment after trauma was expected. But until they could carve out that heart-to-heart time, a little maneuvering would have to suffice to prevent Albin from growing obstinate.
“I believe the Goats are going to escape along the north side of the neighborhood, on the other side of Belmont Channel. They’re also at the water treatment plant. Law enforcement needs to focus their attention at those points.” Well, the mercenaries might follow that course. “Remind the residents to stay clear of anyone they don’t recognize, including anyone in uniform. You’re well aware of the Goat’s fondness for disguises.”
“Understood, sir. I am pleased you agree with our course.”
Our course. So Albin had become Carolyn’s adviser? Or had she become his? Nathan let out a hissing breath.
“I want to talk to Carolyn, Amanda, and the more influential residents when I arrive. Invite Wong as well. Eduardo’s gone; she’s not a threat anymore. We’re all on the same team.”
“I sincerely hope your assessment is correct.”
“As do I.”
Shaking his head, Nathan switched the HT’s channel. “Sarge, are you still alive? This is Nathan.”
“Of course. One of my guys gave me a lift during that clusterfuck with Seir.”
So Esau had lied about savaging Sarge. Good. “Take the south side. No one should bother you, but be alert.”
“Roger. Out.”
Channel back to Albin’s band.
“Hold on.” Marvin ignored the road to gawk at his passenger. “Sarge?”
“Watch the road.” Nathan put a hand on the economist’s shoulder “Marvin, this is only temporary.”
“Hey, temporary I could understand when you were hanging over a pit, but why now?”
Because I need an ally with firepower. “He won’t get away with anything he’s done. But for now, just trust me. All right?” Half pleading, half encouraging smile.
Nostrils flaring, Marvin looked back to the road—and swerved to miss a parked car. “Is this like when—” His teeth snapped shut on the rest.
“Yes?”
“Never mind. It’s fine. It’s just temporary, right.”
“Of course. Desperate times call for desperate compromises.”
Over the past four days, the economist had survived more life-threatening experiences than most people endured in forty years. Jumpiness came with the blood-splattered territory.
The rest of the trip passed in silence as scenarios played in Nathan’s mind. If he said X, Carolyn would argue Y. Would they understand Machiavelli’s wisdom of evil well used? And the ultimate question: to tell or not to tell of the frequency broadcast?
When they pulled up in front of Amanda’s house, Nathan threw his door open before the truck stopped rolling. ReMOT under his hoodie, he strode toward the picket fence.
Amanda parked her vehicle in front of the Tacoma. The second the doors unlocked, Jeremy leapt out and sprinted for her house.
The Musters’ front door burst open to release a three-foot-tall streak. Zander. Jeremy dropped to one knee to catch the boy in an embrace. Tears ran from the eyes of father and son. A shame the wife and mother in the family couldn’t enjoy the reunion. This wiped the smile from Nathan’s lips.
Amanda joined him, carrying his satchel and beaming in relief. “Nathan!
I’m so glad you’re safe. When I saw Red Chief go in after you, I thought—”
“O ye of little faith.” He put an arm around her mid back, as high as he could reach due to rib pain. “I’m alive thanks to you and Marvin. But the fight’s not over. Carolyn wants to evacuate everyone to the government refugee camps.” His face went stony at the mental images of internment camps from the ’40s and the United Nations’ camps from the early 2000s. “We can take care of ourselves. What’s more, we have the resources here to help turn the tide.”
“Tide?”
“I’ll explain in a moment. Trust me.” He smiled down at her, earning a similar smile in return.
As she handed him his satchel, the front door opened, with Denver manning the entry. “You’re back!” She ran out to tackle-hug her mom.
Behind her waited Albin, who nodded in greeting. “Sir, I am pleased to see you have returned. I did as you requested.”
“Excellent. Thank you.” Nathan tousled Denver’s neon hair as he stepped into the house with the Musters.
In the living room waited the Redwood Shores residents who’d taken leadership roles in the community.
“Where’s Wong?”
“She is at the other gathering, which is being held at Carolyn’s residence.” Albin gestured to two radios on the table, one of which had the PTT taped down for a low-tech conference call. “The leading residents from the northern end of Marlin Drive are in attendance there.” They likely didn’t want to face Nathan after the catastrophe at Heron Court.
Carolyn ceased speaking with a group of her neighbors to greet the returning conquerors. “I’m so glad you’re all back safely. So much has happened while you were gone. The authorities are finally here.” Hope lit her face. “They’ll protect us if we evacuate. It’s only temporary,” she added, looking over her shoulder at the assembled.
Nathan forced a pleasant expression into place. “This isn’t the only place with changes. That’s why I asked Albin to call you all here.” He settled onto the coffee table and leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “I learned that Red Chief was meeting another group to conduct an exchange of some sort. I wanted to know what was so valuable.” He shoved a hand through his hair as he let out a shaking breath. It came too easily. Around him, the audience grew quiet. “The group he met was partly responsible for the cannibal outbreak.”