by Peter Hoole
“Okay then,” Zach said. “See you in the next life.”
He jogged back to the plane, up the stairs and into the main cabin.
The stairs of Zach’s plane lifted. As the door was closed, James contemplated how far they’d come, and how close they were to the next part of the journey. The journey which had started so long ago.
As he stood and pondered their achievements, a young female technician approached him. “Sorry sir, you’re going to need to step into the control room. It’s about to get very hot in here,” she said.
Following her instructions, James walked with her towards a room on the side of the hangar. She opened the door for him, and he walked through. The technician followed closely behind, her shoulder-length, brunette hair tied back in a ponytail and protruding through the hole at the back of her cap. When she sat down, she looked towards James. “Take a seat, sir.” she said as she motioned for James to sit in the chair beside her.
“No thank you, I’d prefer to stand,” he replied
James studied the touch-screen panels and monitors. While he had been the mastermind of the plan, and inspiration to all who followed him, of late James had little to do with the day-to-day workings of the facility. One of his greatest traits was the ability to harness the skills of those around him.
“You’ve done well to create such efficiency.” James complimented the technician, “Talk me through what you’ve been able to do.”
“As you’ve always told us, sir, efficiency is the key.” Replied the technician, flattered that James would show such a keen interest, “I designed most of it, and the pilots had input into the jets and the runway. They’ve been able to modify the jets to avoid radar – stealth additions, no transponders, et cetera. Also, we held a number of discussions with the London and Berlin colonies, as well as some of the others. They’re all doing the same thing at their ends.”
“Well done,” James commented, genuinely impressed with the work, “It’s certainly much better than the farm we’ve been using.”
Up until a few weeks earlier, the planes were required to land at a farm located about five miles from where they were. While they had never had any issues in the past – their government infiltrations had seen to that – all ground operations were now underground, assisting with their clandestine operation.
“Yes sir, thank you, sir,” said the woman. “I must admit, it wasn’t easy. Took a while to get it all sorted out to function correctly. It’s not easy to launch a plane from underground. All the necessary modifications have been made.”
“And the workers, what has happened to them?”
“After they completed the work on the runway, and the hangar, they were sent back to their holding areas.”
“Oh,” James said, “I thought how they were to be dealt with was made clear?”
“Oh, you mean…” The technician replied. “Of course. They will be. I didn’t want to complete the task until I knew we definitely didn’t need them anymore.”
“And when will you know?”
“The next day or so. Once these planes take off, we’ll have finally confirmed the system, the hangar and the runway are all sound.”
“Wait,” James began, a little concerned about the planes carrying his friends. “Is there still some doubt?”
She shook her head, lifting her chin confidently. “No Sir, I’m sure it will all work according to our computed outcomes. And all the other runs have been successful.”
“Good,” he said,
“I’d bet my life on it working to your satisfaction, Sir”
James admired her confidence. He’d instructed his people to ensure the brightest and the best were recruited. He was glad to discover it was apparently the case. “Let’s get this show on the road, then,” he said.
“Yes, sir.” The woman pressed a series of buttons, and the hangar grew dark, with only the lights delineating the two runways creating any visibility.
“Opening the hatch,” she announced into the headset, communicating with the pilots.
She pressed a further series of buttons. When she’d finished the sequence, a large metal door slowly began to open at the far end of the hangar. From his viewpoint, James watched with great interest…
“Ladies… start your engines,” the technician said with enthusiasm chuckle.
As James turned his attention back to the two planes, he saw them preparing to take off. “Tilting the floor,” the technician said into the headset, typing feverishly at the touchscreen in front of her.
The large floor began to move, one end slowly rising higher with every passing second, reaching towards the large opening created by the receding hatch.
Once the ramp was in place, the controller stopped typing and turned her attention to him momentarily. “Just one more thing sir…”
“Yes?”
She smiled at him as she spoke into the headset. “Pilots – See you in the next life,” she announced.
James returned her smile.
Over the speaker, the two pilots, almost in unison, repeated the same phrase. “Roger, Control. See you in the next life.”
“Ready, sir?” the technician asked.
James nodded.
The controller pushed one final button, and the planes both exploded into motion, flung forward by the slingshot attached to the under-nose of each of the planes. They were hurtled down the runway, and up the ramp.
Within a second, both planes had left the hangar and flown off into the distance. Within thirty seconds, they were no more than tiny dots in the sky.
“Well done,” James said, as her turned and shook her hand.
“Thank you, sir?” she replied, “Is there anything else you need?”
“One more thing….” James contemplated his next move. “Get those workers back here, and get them to do a final check of the systems. The mechanics of the ramp. Everything. Once that’s done, pick two of them. Those will stay with us to look after the ongoing maintenance and upkeep. They can also train anyone else to do the work.”
“And the rest sir?”
“Well…” James paused as though to add drama to his words. “We can’t take them all with us…”
The woman understood.
“Just don’t make a mess” said James.
“Yes sir.”
James left the control room, and walked out of the hangar. His friends were on their way, and soon their colonies would have the serum.
Phase Two was well and truly underway.
Chapter Fifteen
It had been a long flight, and Leon was glad when it ended. He’d experienced very little trouble getting through customs.. While he was happy with the ease of his entry, there was part of him that was bewildered.
He was there to kill a person, having just killed another just twenty-four hours ago.
Leaving customs behind Leon walked straight towards the long-term storage lockers in the terminal –where the email had revealed the equipment would be located.
It had been placed in the locker more than twelve months ago, a proven tactic to avoid detection. If police or federal investigators had shown any interest in watching the locker, they’d be in for a long wait, as it was protocol that no ‘drop’ location was accessed for at least six months.
Leon took the package from the locker. It had been wrapped in a white, non-descript cardboard box. Without examining the contents, he slipped the package into his bag, and walked out of the terminal. No one in the vicinity was any the wiser.
Following his training and instructions, Leon caught a cab, and requested it take him to a location approximately half a mile from the target destination. After a short walk, Leon found a quiet café. He found an empty seat, and opened his laptop, reassessing his mission.
He studied the apartment he was targeting, and closely examined the photo again.
Before proceeding, Leon sat back in his seat, and examined his surroundings. The thought of being back in the U.S., after being away in Austra
lia for so long was an almost surreal experience. He had always wanted to come home, and the sights and smells and people were somewhat familiar to him. At the same time, they were also strange.
His time with William had changed him. No longer was he a struggling orderly. Now, he was part of something greater, and as he looked at the people around him, he knew his life had changed irrevocably. He knew he was important, and that his meaningless life was far behind him.
He considered his situation briefly, and then reminded himself of exactly why he was there.
Needing some privacy to open the package, Leon walked casually through the café to the restrooms. The small, dingy room held only two cubicles. Choosing the one furthest from the entry, Leon entered the cubicle, and shut the door, twisting the lock. Satisfied that he would not be disturbed, Leon settled on the closed toilet lid and opened the package he’d collected at the airport. The shoebox contents were not unexpected – it held a CZ 75 9mm pistol, the weapon of choice among the colony members and its agents. The weapon was first designed in the Czech Republic in the mid-seventies. From there, different variations have been made, but overall more than one million CZ 75’s had been produced. The serial number of this particular handset had been filed off. Given this, and the gun would be virtually untraceable.
The exact reason the colony chose to use it.
Leon assessed the weapon. The chamber was clear, and the clip full. Due to the fact that the weapon had been in storage for potentially twelve months or more, Leon ensured he carefully cleaned the gun. Once satisfied, Leon put the pieces back in place, loaded the clip, and loaded a round into the chamber.
Ready to proceed, he left the restroom, exited the café, and strolled down the street towards the apartment block.
As he got closer, Leon remembered to make sure he wasn’t seen for the last one hundred yards or so.
From what William had told him, his target was a reporter, but he knew little about her. He kept a wary eye on the apartment block, watching for people leaving or entering.
Seeing no one around, he was confident enough to proceed.
Leon strode towards the side of the apartment block and swiftly turned down the side of the building, searching for the entry point he’d noted from the plans – a downpipe, located next to the bathroom window of the apartment.
Leon had received training in maintaining strength and upper body mobility, so he had no trouble climbing the downpipe, up to the bathroom window. Gripping the pipe with one hand, he leaned to the side in order to push the window open. It had been a long shot, and he wasn’t surprised to discover the window was locked. He glanced down, ensuring the alleyway he was in remained empty. The fact that it was out of view of the street, gave him the advantage of privacy.
Using the butt of the gun, he tapped on the bottom left corner of the window. The impact made an initial crack in the glass, just enough to weaken the surface. He tucked the gun back into his jeans, and using the heel of his gloved hand, repeatedly punched at the window. After about a few hits, the bottom corner of the window gave way, and an opening the size of a volleyball appeared. Fortunately, the window latch was on the left side of the window, and Leon was able to easily open it.
After some careful manoeuvring, Leon swung his legs to the sill, and hoisted himself through. He did a quick sweep of the apartment, and found nobody was home. The bed hadn’t been made, and there were cupboards still standing ajar as though the target had left in a hurry.
Doing a second sweep, Leon confirmed he was in the right apartment, as numerous photographs displayed throughout the apartment showed the target with a man.
The other man was large, almost as large as Leon, but he doubted the guy would be a threat.. Leon had undertaken a lot of training to get him to the point he was at currently – he was confident he could handle the targets male friend.
Leon made an assessment of the apartment, and found the perfect spot to wait for the target’s return. There were two couches in the main living area, separated by a small gap. The gap was large enough for Leon to hide. He crouched down, lay flat on his stomach and faced the door. They never look down, he thought.
Now, all he had to do was wait. He was a patient man; he was prepared to wait for as long as it took. Shortly after he’d positioned himself, his phone rang and a glance at the screen confirmed it was William.
“Yes?” said Leon
“Leon,” William’s voice was vibrant. “How are things?”
Leon adjusted his position incrementally. “Okay.”
“Good. Are you in position?”
“Yeah, just arrived. I’m in the apartment.”
“Excellent. I’m sure you’re wondering where your target is?”
“Indeed, sir.”
“No need to fret. They’ll be arriving in a few hours. They’re on their way back from Arizona.”
“Okay,” replied Leon, glad to have a timeline.
“You’ve done well, Leon. You have followed your training well. Otherwise, you would have been picked up breaking and entering by now.”
“Of course, sir. I remembered what you taught me.”
“Good, now just—”
“Sir, if I may,” Leon interrupted.
“Yes, Leon?” William replied, and he sounded annoyed by the interruption.
“Can I speak to Josie?” Leon asked quietly, expecting his request to be rejected.
“Of course,” William said. “I’ll put you on speaker. Go ahead.”
“Josie?”
“We’re here, honey” Josie replied, unable to contain the joy in her voice. “We miss you.”
“Yeah, we miss you, Daddy,” said Leon’s daughter, Lilly.
“Yeah guys. I miss you all. I love you all very much.”
“We love you too, honey. When will you be back?” Josie said.
“Soon, baby, soon. There’s just one thing I gotta take care of first.”
“Hurry up, won’t you? I’m just about to be processed.” Josie paused. “Baby, I’ll see you in the next life.”
William smiled at her and the kids.
“See you in the next life, baby,” Leon said, holding back tears.
William came back on the line. “Now Leon, I will contact you when the target is near…”
“Okay sir. I’ll hold my position here.”
“Good… and well done.” William disconnected the call.
Leon was chuffed. He hadn’t spoken to his family in several weeks, as he had been on assignment for William, but the conversation he’d just had with his family renewed his desire to succeed in his mission.
He put the phone back in his pocket, settled back onto his stomach and focused on the door, just in case.
William turned to Josie, Lilly and Aaron once he’d disconnected the call. With a smile, he motioned to a man, who had been waiting just outside his office, to enter the room.
“Now Josie,” William began. “I want you to go with this man. It’s time for you to receive the serum.”
“Thank you, sir…. Thank you for everything.”
“Don’t thank me… thank your husband when he returns.”
“I… I… will” Josie said.
She turned to the kids, and they walked to the door. As they left the room, the man accompanying them paused, and turned back to William.
William looked the man in the eye, and inclined his head.
The man held up his index finger, signalling ‘one’.
William shook his head, and signalled with his thumb, index and middle finger – three.
The guard knew what this meant. He turned back to follow the family, and closed the door behind him.
The next thing William heard would have sent shivers up anyone else’s spine.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
William smiled.
Three less things to worry about, he thought.
Chapter Sixteen
The drive was drawing to a close.
It had been conducted in several h
ours of virtual silence. Darcy had opted to sleep in the back. Caleb and Dunleavy were sitting in the front seats, both used to going for long periods without sleep.
They were now less than two miles from the apartment and the laptop, and Caleb could feel his adrenaline flowing through his bloodstream, as he prepared himself for what they faced. Caleb still couldn’t understand why Chuck needed the device, as he’d thought the program operated in exactly the same manner, regardless of the machine used to access it.
He bit his bottom lip thoughtfully, his tension level increasing, the closer they got to the apartment. Darcy trusted Chuck, and Caleb trusted Darcy, so he thought he had no option other than to play along with this plan, even though his gut instincts suggested it was a mistake to return to Los Angeles.
It would be on his terms, however. Based on his past experiences, Caleb knew he could still control the situation. He was determined to protect Darcy no matter what potential obstacles faced them.
Caleb turned to Dunleavy, and motioned for him to wake up their other passenger.
At Caleb’s behest, Dunleavy turned, reached into the back seat and gently shook Darcy’s knee.
Darcy slowly woke up from her nap and sat up, stretching.
“You okay, babe?” Caleb asked over his shoulder.
“Hmm… yeah…” Darcy mumbled.
“We’re nearly there.”
Darcy sounded surprised when she responded. “Really? That was fast.”
“Not really, you’ve been out of it for a while.” Caleb responded with a smirk.
Darcy’s eyes widened. “Oh, okay. Wow, I must have been really tired.”
Caleb drove into a parking lot, about a half-mile from Darcy’s apartment, stopping the car and turning off the engine. “Okay, here’s where we part ways,” he announced.
“Wait… what?” asked Darcy, her eyes widening.
“Babe, there are people tracking the laptop. I’m not going to let you get anywhere near it, not until I know it’s safe. I’ll go and get it, and take it to Chuck myself.”
“Caleb… if you think there is any way I’m not going with you…”
“Darcy,” Caleb said, his voice steady and firm. “I am not putting your life in danger.”