Nightfall

by Peter Hoole

  Robert stormed over to the terminal. “What do you mean?” he began as he approached, “What do you mean they’ve disappeared?”

  “I… I… Um…” The nervous technician stuttered.

  Robert, annoyed at the worker’s fretful disposition, pulled the chair out. With nothing between him and the screen, Robert stared intently.

  The technician was correct. The plane that had just left Seattle was nowhere to be seen.

  Many thoughts were going through Robert’s head, but the critical one needed to be answered. He spun around violently and faced the technician. “How did this happen?” he asked, his attempted calm demeanour betrayed by the anger in his eyes.

  “Um…” The technician’s nerves got the better of him again.

  “I swear, if you say ‘um’ again, it will be the last stupid thing you say!” Robert said, no longer trying to hide his rage.

  “U…” The technician quickly stopped himself. “There’s only a couple of ways, sir.”

  “And they are?” Robert’s little remaining patience was swiftly disappearing.

  “They might have disabled the tracker.”

  “And the other way?”

  “A malfunction.”

  Robert knew which answer was correct. After all that had happened in the past few days, he had personally ensured that every bit of equipment was tested, and retested before deployment.

  He considered the Seattle mission to be the most important. He had sent his best team to clean it up, and he had ensured they used the flawless machine. It simply had to work. Now, it was just getting worse.

  It was apparent that the people who were with Dunleavy were more of a threat than they’d anticipated. Trying to regain his composure, he turned to the screen. “Do we know where they are now?”

  “No sir. They were coming here though.”

  Robert considered the situation. He knew there was only one course of action. “Get me Zone One,” he ordered.

  Without further instruction, a different technician pressed some buttons. “Anyone in particular sir?” she asked.

  Robert merely looked at the woman. It was clear from his expression who the technician would be required to call. After some initial typing, she typed in the code ‘Z-1-1’.

  “On the main screen,” Robert ordered, and the technician complied.

  On a large screen at the end of the room, the image came to life. The display read that it was in the process of connecting to Z-1-1. It normally took around five seconds to connect, and Robert used the brief interlude to brace himself. He knew that James was not going to be happy. Robert had been given a seemingly simple task, one which he may have failed.

  The major issue, as Robert saw it, was that he didn’t really know if he had failed. As far as he knew, Dunleavy and his people were on the way to Minot as they spoke.

  However, he feared the worst, and after all these years, he still remembered one of the mantra’s that James had instilled in them all.

  Preparing for the best will only make you complacent. Preparing for the worst will make you a survivor.

  It was with these words in mind that he knew what he had to do.

  James appeared on the screen. While still looking young, the stress of the recent events was starting to take its toll. The serum was effective in that it made a person appear ageless, but it couldn’t hide emotion. “What is it Robert?” asked James. “Are they still on course?”

  Robert paused, his emotions clearly visible as well.

  James frowned. “What is it Robert? What’s happened?”

  Robert looked at the monitor, “Sir. I wish it was good news, but we really don’t know where they are.”

  “What do you mean?” James asked, his stress increasing.

  “Sir. They disappeared from our screens about two minutes ago. They were tracking well. Less than half an hour out. And then, before we knew what was happening, they vanished.”

  “Vanished?” James pondered the predicament. “We must assume they got to the tracker,” James said, arriving at the same conclusion as the technicians had.

  Robert had a horrifying thought. “Our thoughts exactly sir. Which obviously means…” Robert paused, the thought he’d just had was inconceivable. He had never even thought of the possibility before.

  “Go on Robert.” James asked.

  “It means that we have a traitor in the ranks.”

  “What makes you say that, Robert?”

  “The more I think on it, sir… The only way they could have turned off the tracker is if they were given instructions. It’s well hidden in the bowels of the plane.”

  “They managed to do it on the ‘Bat though… without help.”

  “Indeed sir. But the ‘Bat is, well, less sophisticated. It’s easier to control and manipulate, as more people would need to use it. We also made the tracker more accessible as a safety measure. If we were infiltrated, it would be easier to escape in the ‘Bats.” Robert paused at the thought. Maybe they would need to do just that.

  “The planes,” he continued, “on the other hand… Let’s just say only a few select people knew about where the trackers were, and even fewer people could have got the information to Dunleavy.”

  James paced the room as Robert spoke. The thought of what he was saying had not crossed his mind for such a long time.

  Such was the loyalty of those around him, the thought that someone would betray everything they had worked so hard for made him bubble with rage. “Who? Who did this?” he asked, no longer bothering to hide what he was feeling.

  “I’m not sure sir. It was no one from here, sir. I can guarantee you that.”

  James, calmed slightly, but his rage was still somewhat apparent. “Are you absolutely sure, Robert? How can you guarantee it?”

  Robert pondered the question. In reality, the only assurance he had that no one in Zone Three has crossed them was the inherent belief that they wouldn’t. Now it was apparent that someone had, he couldn’t be so sure. “I’ll start an immediate investigation, sir.”

  “Good. Before you do, contact the other colony leaders. They need to be made aware of the situation. Make sure they begin investigations. This is the number one priority.”

  “Yes sir. Just one thing, though. What of Dunleavy and his people? They’re still out there.”

  “All we can do is prepare, Robert. Keep your troops in place, and on high alert. Ensure they remain that way until this is over.”

  “Yes, sir. May I just ask one more question? Why do we care so much about these people? The attack earlier in Seattle… I assume it wasn’t to be the only one. Once the others happen, won’t the word of these people cease to matter?”

  James stared hard at Robert in the monitor. “Robert. If these people find the whole truth, and they can prove it to the world, then we’ll have fire reigning down on us from everywhere. No amount of serum, nor distraction, will be able to save us.”

  “Yes sir. I understand,” Robert replied.

  “Good. Now get to work.”

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Casey appeared at the entrance of the cockpit, stopping just before the threshold. “You don’t write. You don’t call. How’s a man supposed to know what’s going on in your lives?” he asked.

  Caleb glanced up at the Sergeant, turning his attention away from Dunleavy.

  He was annoyed by the distraction, because he’d been about to hear more about the missions he’d been performing, and, more importantly, who was pulling the strings.

  As a consummate professional though, Caleb returned to the mission at hand. “How are our guests, Sergeant?” he asked.

  “They’re okay, for now, sir,” Casey replied. “When you turned the plane around, they both got a bit agitated.”

  “Both of them?” asked Caleb.

  “Yes sir. The amigo looked really pissed off. Kinda why I came up. Wanted to find out for myself.”

  A short scream emanated from in the cargo hold.

  Casey turned
his attention to the bottom of the stairs. “What the fuck?” Casey shouted as he turned and moved swiftly down the stairs.

  Caleb followed him.

  As Casey neared the bottom of the stairs he raised his weapon, pointing it at Jacob. The man who had joined them in Seattle was standing over the limp body of the prisoner. Her body was still sitting upright, against the emergency door, her eyes wide open. Her head hung down and to the right, having been disconnected from the rest of her body.

  Casey moved off the bottom of the stairs, his focus on the scene.

  “What happened?” Caleb demanded.

  Jacob, his hands raised, merely shrugged.

  Casey moved closer to Jacob. “Answer the question.” he said, less than a foot away from the man.

  Again, Jacob remained silent.

  Caleb went over and checked the woman’s pulse, hoping she wasn’t dead. Despite the fact that she’d been sent to kill him and his crew, Caleb knew there was no real point in killing her. She’d been no threat, bound to the exit handle.

  Again, he asked Jacob the question. “What happened?”

  Jacob rolled his eyes. “I did what I knew you wouldn’t,” he replied, condescension apparent in his tone.

  Caleb straightened up, and took a threatening step towards him. “You killed an unarmed and bound prisoner. You killed someone who was no threat to you.”

  Jacob smiled. It was clear he felt little or no empathy with the others in the group, let alone the woman slumped against the wall. “You military guys. So full of fucking honour. I did what was necessary. The only reason I didn’t do it sooner, was that she was a bargaining chip.”

  “A bargaining chip?” asked Casey.

  “We could have used her to either get into where we were going, or to stop the people from shooting at us. As we’ve now pretty much turned around in the opposite direction, there was no further use for her. She would have slowed us down, and she would have become a threat.”

  Caleb listened to Jacob.

  He was right, and Caleb knew it. It was true that Natalie was the enemy, and that she was waiting for an opportunity to attack.

  Just like Matthew.

  But that’s what separated Caleb from Jacob. Caleb valued each person’s life, and would only take it when absolutely necessary.

  Jacob, on the other hand, seemed to look for opportunities to kill.

  Caleb had met Jacob’s type before. He’d seen it in the eyes of some of the recruits he trained with, and some of the commanding officers whose orders he’d followed. They were the people who joined the Marines for only one reason – to kill other people.

  Caleb stared at Jacob. He realised that rather than being a person who couldn’t be trusted, Jacob was actually a clear threat to the group. He also knew that if Jacob felt directly threatened, he would act.

  For now, Caleb would need to play along. “Fair enough,” Caleb said. “Lower your gun, Sergeant.”

  Casey turned to Caleb. “Sir?”

  Caleb nodded back. “Our amigo is right. She would have killed us if she had the chance.”

  Casey lowered his gun.

  “Glad you see it my way,” said Jacob as he lowered his hands.

  “Just… don’t kill anyone again, without my say-so,” Caleb told Jacob.

  Jacob shrugged again. “No promises.” He replied nonchalantly.

  Caleb flicked his head over his shoulder, motioning for Casey to head back to the cockpit. Casey, looked at the Captain, confusion in his eyes.

  “Casey,” Caleb said as he put his hand on the Sergeant’s shoulder. “We have work to do.”

  Casey inclined his head, and made his way up the stairs. Jacob followed, and Caleb waited for him to pass, and together they headed up the stairs, and back to the cockpit.

  Thoughts of how to handle Jacob were flowing through Caleb’s mind. His main concern was the safety of Darcy. In Caleb’s mind, Darcy was invaluable. She had been his rock throughout the day, and had handled herself better in the situation than he’d ever thought. He was proud of her, and happy she was there, despite the circumstances.

  However, one of Jacob’s reasons for killing Natalie was that she would ‘slow them down’. While Caleb knew that Darcy wouldn’t impede them, he wondered how Jacob would view her presence.

  “What happened?” Darcy asked, swivelling on her chair as Caleb entered the cockpit.

  Casey was about to respond, but Caleb interrupted him. “Natalie is no longer with us,” he said.

  “What do you mean?” Darcy asked, her eyes widening.

  “I took care of her,” Jacob said, happy to brag about his work.

  Caleb gave Jacob time to justify his actions, but after several seconds, Jacob didn’t elaborate on his statement.

  Caleb offered up the justification. “Jacob felt the need to take things into his own hands. Natalie is dead.”

  Darcy looked shocked.

  “Now what was the point of that?” Murphy asked, confused by Jacob’s thought pattern.

  “She tried to kill us before, so Jacob thought it beneficial that we eliminate her as a threat,” Caleb said

  Darcy looked at Caleb, disgusted that he seemed to allow it so casually.

  “I don’t agree with what he did,” Caleb continued, “But, well, we’re all stuck in a pretty shitty situation.”

  Caleb then turned his attention to Jacob, and asserted his authority. “If I think you’re going to betray us, or hurt any of us,” he said, “I will not hesitate to take you out.”

  Caleb’s steely eyes convinced Jacob. It was then Jacob remembered what William had said. The people he was with took out a squad of the very same skilled soldiers who took him down in Bogota.

  They were to be feared.

  Jacob’s confident and brash demeanour disappeared, and was replaced with trepidation. Never had anyone spoken to him like that before and lived to tell the tale. But Caleb was different. Somehow, Jacob knew he couldn’t beat him.

  Darcy watched Caleb. While watching her partner, she felt almost guilty about her previous feelings. She realised Caleb had no choice but to tolerate what Jacob had done. After all, there were only six people in the world who she knew were working against the Colonials. And Darcy now knew that they had to let Jacob help.

  Before Jacob could muster a retort, the screen in front of Darcy came to life. Again, it read that there was an incoming message. Again it was from Berlin.

  As though asking her opinion, Caleb looked at Darcy.

  She nodded back. It was time for a little faith. She remained in her seat, and Caleb stepped up beside her.

  As he got into place, he nodded to her. With the nod, she pressed the ‘Accept’ button, and Isaac appeared on the screen again.

  As both parties saw the other, Isaac smiled. “Good. You are alive, Ms. Chamberlain,” Isaac began. Darcy was not surprised he knew her name. “I was beginning to worry for a moment.”

  At this statement, Darcy was taken aback. “Why worry?” she asked.

  “We knew you were with him, but we were also unsure if you had survived,” Isaac explained. “Besides, if it was only Mr. Dunleavy left…” his voice tapered off.

  Caleb stared at the screen intently. “Why do you say that?” he asked, curious as to Isaac’s doubts about Dunleavy.

  Isaac peered around the screen, as if he was trying to ascertain if Dunleavy was still able to hear. “No reason… but let’s just say you are much easier to trust, Ms. Chamberlain.”

  Caleb didn’t want to push the issue, as he feared they may not be able to talk long. “Anyway, you called us, Isaac,” he said, waiting for Isaac to give away the information.

  “I’m sorry,” Isaac began, “but who are you?”

  Caleb was surprised. He thought they would have worked it out by now.

  “Don’t get me wrong…” Isaac continued, “We know your face. We’ve seen you and Ms. Chamberlain on various cameras throughout the day. And to be honest, it’s got some of our people confused. They have
found numerous video images of you, but cannot work out who you are.”

  Caleb didn’t want to reveal who he was. Not out of fear, but he figured the less they knew, the better it would be for the group. “Who I am is not important,” he said.

  “Fair enough. But you need to understand that, as far as I can tell… you’re the only people who can save them.”

  Caleb exchanged a look with Darcy. “Save who, exactly?” he asked Isaac.

  Isaac paused, as though for some dramatic effect.

  Eventually he replied.

  “Everyone.”

  Chapter Forty-Four

  The tension in the cockpit was palpable. None of them had expected that answer. For varying reasons, none of them were sure what Isaac was about to say.

  Finally, Darcy asked the question on everyone’s mind. “What do you mean, everyone?”

  Isaac’s demeanour changed. “The bad news is that…” he paused. “There are rumours floating around that Phase Three is coming. And—”

  Caleb cut him off. “What do you mean Phase Three?” he asked.

  “Yeah… can you start at the beginning?” asked Darcy.

  Isaac shifted his gaze to Darcy. “Unfortunately, I fear I don’t have much time. As soon as the tracker was disabled in your plane, they knew they had been betrayed.”

  “They?”

  “The Governor and his deputies. It won’t be long until they track this communication and find me, so I’m afraid I must be brief.”

  Darcy and Caleb held back, realising their questions would have to wait.

  “I’ll tell you as much as I can,” Isaac began.

  Robert was pacing the room of the main observation chamber. He was still concerned, as he still had no idea where the leak was coming from.

  “Sir, we have detected an unauthorised signal.”

  Robert spun around from the main screen, and faced the female technician. As per James’s instructions, Robert had enacted the lockdown protocols. During the lockdown, only the most senior people at each colony would be able to communicate outside their colony. Further, the protocol dictated that the person who instituted the lockdown had to be made aware of any and all communications.