Nightfall

by Peter Hoole

  Jacob came to a realization. The man sitting opposite him was, in fact, the only real hope he had of achieving his goal –immortality. Considering his options, Jacob decided to tell him everything. “It all started in Bogota,” he replied.

  “Colombia?” Caleb asked.

  “No, Bogota, Canada – of course Colombia.”

  Jacob told the story of how he and Dunleavy had met. How he’d met William, and how Dunleavy had figured out that he could be used to gather more information on the Colonials. He told Caleb about the various missions he carried out for Dunleavy. Mostly, they were along the same lines as the missions Caleb and his team – information gathering. But, every once in a while, Dunleavy had given him other, more specialised missions. These missions had involved the killing of certain people.

  “Did Dunleavy ever mention why?” Caleb asked. “Why were those people taken out and not others?”

  “He never said. And frankly, I didn’t ask,” Jacob replied. “As long as the cash was paid, I did what I was asked to do. Now, knowing what we do, it’s a fair assumption to believe that they were Colonial operatives.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “They were all mid to high level intelligence officers. While Dunleavy never gave me too much information, he did find it necessary to share that much. And, from what he and Isaac have said…” Jacob’s voice tapered off.

  Caleb thought about what Jacob was inferring. Indeed, he had to admit, the guy seemed to have drawn the correct conclusion. “What happened after Dunleavy resigned as Chief-of-staff?”

  “Nothing. I just stopped getting the phone calls.”

  Caleb was satisfied Jacob was telling the truth, but he still had some information he needed, though. “Okay, going back to Bogota,” he began, “you said you met with one of the Colonials?”

  “Yeah. William,” Jacob replied.

  “This… William? Have you had much contact with him? What did he ask you to do?”

  “I had even less contact with him than I did with Dunleavy. William didn’t ask me to go on missions. He just asked me to keep him up to date with how much Dunleavy knew.”

  “And did you?”

  Jacob smirked, crossing his arms. “Of course I did. The guy was offering something more than anyone else ever had. You see, Captain, money I could get easily enough. But to live forever – that was an opportunity I couldn’t let go.”

  Caleb found himself disturbed by Jacob’s answer. “So you were playing both sides then?” he asked, annoyance in his voice.

  Jacob scoffed. “You still don’t get it, do you?”

  “Apparently not.”

  “I’m not on your side. I’m not on Dunleavy’s side. I’m not on the Colonials side. There’s only one person whose side I’m on.”

  “And that’s you, I’m guessing.”

  “Damn straight. I’ve been fucked over too many times. I won’t let it happen again.”

  Caleb glanced over at Darcy. She’d turned to face the men, their conversation having caught her attention.

  “So how do you expect us to trust you?” Caleb asked.

  Jacob smiled, and a small chuckle escaped. “I don’t need you to trust me,” he replied. “We don’t need to trust each other. All you need to understand is that, at the moment, we have a mutually beneficial relationship. You help me, and I’ll help you.”

  “What makes you think we need you?” Darcy asked.

  “Well, Ms. Chamberlain. What your partner has undoubtedly figured out by now is that once we get to wherever it is we’re going… the people there are not going to be happy to see us. In fact, they might even be waiting for us. Your boyfriend here, he knows that having me with you increases your odds of surviving. Especially considering what I know.”

  Darcy looked at Caleb. Judging by his expression, he agreed with what Jacob had said.

  “But you know what?” Jacob said. “Your partner and I are a lot alike. We think alike. You see, Caleb here is a killer. He could kill me now if he thought it was a good idea, and take his chances without my help.”

  Caleb shot his gaze back onto Jacob. His eyes were brimming with anger. “Don’t you dare think for one second that we’re anything alike,” Caleb said, his voice menacingly quiet. “I wouldn’t kill anyone like you did to the prisoner. She wasn’t an immediate threat. And how you got the car you drove to Seattle. Let me guess, you picked a weak target, followed them to their car, snuck up and killed them from behind.”

  Jacob’s face dropped, confirming Caleb’s assumption.

  “Yeah, I thought so. You’re an efficient killer, I’ll give you that. But there’s something you should never forget – so am I. But there’s one main difference between you and me. Do you know what that is?”

  “What’s that the difference?” Jacob asked, and Caleb detected a tinge of anger colouring his voice.

  Caleb leaned closer to him, keeping his voice low and cold. “If I was going to stab you, it would be done from the front.”

  Jacob seethed at the snide remark. He’d thought they were finally beginning to relate to one another. It had been so long since he had found anyone he could consider a kindred spirit. He was angry and disappointed to discover Caleb was not that person.

  Caleb sat for a moment, letting his last words sink in. “You want to earn my trust? You want to be part of this team?” he asked.

  Jacob scoffed again. “Not really,” he replied bluntly.

  “Do you want our help?” Caleb asked.

  Jacob didn’t offer a response. He didn’t want Caleb’s help – he needed it.

  “In that case,” Caleb said, fully aware of what Jacob would be thinking, “You’ll have to help us.”

  “How?”

  “I need to know what we’re up against. There must be some schematics of the colony. There has to be some record of what the design of each place is like.”

  Jacob looked confused. “I wouldn’t have a clue. What about the weapons systems of the plane? I can help there,” he replied

  “No. You’ve seen these guys up close, you probably know more about them than anyone else on this plane. I want you to take a look and find whatever you can.” Caleb continued to push this aspect of the plan to Jacob, though he had to admit it was difficult to justify. He knew that Jacob would have been more than proficient working with the weapons on the plane, but to expose him to them might prove too risky.

  Jacob decided to do as he was told. If, by chance, he happened to stumble upon any information he could use to his advantage, he would decide then whether he would share it or not. “Okay. I guess you want a full report, Captain?”

  “I would appreciate one. After all, we’re probably going to base an attack plan on the information you provide, so…”

  Jacob was surprised. Caleb really was placing some responsibility on his shoulders.

  “Consider this your opportunity to show us what you can bring to the table. If we like what we see, then I’ll feel a lot better about bringing you along.”

  “Okay then,” Jacob agreed. Jacob turned his attention to the screen. He began tentatively pushing buttons, trying to find any information about the Colonials that would meet Caleb’s requirements.

  Leaving Jacob to work, Caleb got up and went over to sit beside Darcy.

  She leaned over, and whispered to him. “Are you sure we can trust him?”

  Caleb looked across at Jacob, then back at Darcy. “We don’t really have a choice right now.”

  Darcy had seen enough that day to make her believe Caleb knew what he was doing. Caleb could protect them. “While you two were having your little chat, something flashed up on the screen,” Darcy said, her eyes filling with sadness.

  “What was it, babe?” Caleb was concerned by the unhappiness he saw in her eyes.

  She indicated the screen, and Caleb turned his attention to what was written on the monitor.

  The reason for Darcy’s sadness became apparent.

  On the screen, the message contin
ued to flash. “The attack in Zone Five has been completed.”

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Caleb stared at the screen in disbelief. Not long ago, they’d been witness to the attack on the plane in Seattle. Now, there were reports coming through the Colonials system that a second attack had been carried out.

  “It came up when I was looking for information about Seattle,” Darcy explained.

  Caleb was unsure where to start, so many questions were filling his mind. The obvious one came to mind. “Where is Zone Five?” he asked, not really expecting Darcy to know the answer.

  She turned off the flashing message, and once again opened the search program, typing in ‘Zone 5’.

  Within seconds, a map had sprung up on the screen. It featured a picture of the south of Europe. The map began at Italy, and covered countries across the southern part of Europe – Croatia, Albania, Serbia, and Bulgaria. It stretched to the western border of Turkey.

  “Where exactly did the attack occur?” Caleb asked.

  Darcy pulled up another screen. The title mentioned news stories from Italy. Darcy clicked on the title, and a summary came up. “Reads like an internet search, but it’s much more advanced. It looks as if they can get all the information from various websites and news outlets, and cut them down to only the pertinent details.” Darcy scanned the page, and found what they were looking for. “Holy shit.”

  Caleb had been paying close attention to the screen and read the information for himself. “Multiple explosions have occurred in an area of central Rome. As many as eight separate explosions have been reported. The eighth and largest of the explosions will be heard around the world. As far as we can ascertain, while not nuclear, the blasts held such force they were felt from many miles away.”

  There was another link in the bottom of the entry, which Darcy clicked on. It opened up a video.

  They saw a reporter, standing in what looked like a warzone.

  “Just five hundred yards from me is where the Vatican used to stand. The eighth and final blast was detonated there. No longer are the large buildings, nor the wall that separates the Sovereign nation from the rest of the city. Preliminary reports suggest that there were in excess of five thousand people in the vicinity of the last bomb. At this stage, it is too early to tell, but word from the Ministero della Difesa, the Italian Defence Ministry, suggests that more than one hundred thousand people may have been killed or injured in the attacks. We will bring you more information as it comes to hand.”

  The video ended and Caleb and Darcy continued to stare at the screen in shock.

  Darcy clicked back to the previous screen. There was a new video link, which she opened. The same anchor-woman they’d seen earlier in the Seattle motel appeared on the screen.

  “News is coming in confirming that after the attack earlier today in Seattle, there has been a further suspected terror attack in Italy. Once again, the reports are coming through…”

  The anchor stopped, put a hand to her ear, and listened to an off-screen producer.

  “Word has come through that the terrorist group, New Light, led by former Chief-of-Staff Michael Dunleavy, is claiming responsibility for this attack. In several communications to the Italian Media, the terrorist group has claimed responsibility for both the Seattle and Rome attacks. At this stage, there is no further confirmed information. Stay with us, and we will keep you updated on this… horrific attack.”

  Caleb switched off the video, disgusted by what he’d seen.

  “So many people,” Darcy said, a tear flowing down her cheek.

  Caleb was equally saddened. Never in his career had he heard of such numbers being killed. Those kind of numbers only really happened during a long-term military engagement. They weren’t supposed to happen in a Seattle airport, or the Italian capital. “We need to keep moving, Darc,” he said, drawing in a deep breath to centre himself on the task at hand.

  “I know,” she replied in a little voice.

  “Let’s turn that off. If we look at the timeline… it may be sometime before the next attack.”

  “We have to stop it, Caleb. All those people died! We have to stop them.” Darcy was visibly trying to fight back her anger.

  “There’s nothing we can do,” he admitted.

  “Bullshit. We have to get word out. We have to tell people that ‘New Light’ is not behind this. We have to tell someone.”

  “Tell them what, babe?” Caleb asked. “Tell them that we’re with the most sought after terror suspect in modern history, and we’re on our way to stop a group of immortal people from destroying the world?”

  Darcy just stared at him. “We have to do… something,” she said forlornly, and Caleb’s heart ached for her.

  “Babe, we are doing it,” Caleb replied, trying to sound reassuring. “We’re the only ones who know the truth. We’ll stay the course, and hopefully stop them in Australia.”

  Darcy remained quiet, but she seemed somehow reassured by what Caleb was saying.

  “We need to focus on the task. We need to find out as much as we can.”

  Darcy straightened up in her chair and turned her attention back to the screen.

  “Okay. What do you want me to look for?”

  Caleb thought on the question. “Try starting at the top,” he said. “Type in ‘Zone One’ and let’s see what we can figure out.”

  William waited patiently by the door thinking about his latest instructions. For many years, William had worked hard to get into the position he was now in. He’d followed his orders with diligence, and performed the tasks in the best way he could.

  He was determined that with his latest orders, he wouldn’t let his leader down. It was too important, and he would be assuring his permanent place not only in the future, but as possibly the right-hand-man to the leader of the future.

  After hearing what James had wanted, William had worked diligently to gather the information he required. He was eager to present the information and impress.

  “William, come in,” James called from his office.

  William entered the room, and found James sitting at his desk, staring intently at the communications monitor. Noticing William’s arrival, James waved him over, beckoning him to sit opposite him.

  He was pleased to notice James’ mood had improved since their last encounter. During their last discussion, James had told William of their problem, and the fact they’d been unable to maintain contact with the plane. As it was an imminent threat, William had shared James’ concerns.

  While William patiently waited, James completed his conversation with someone on the monitor. “Joseph, that’s great news,” he said. “You have excelled yourself, once again. Zone Five should be proud of what you have achieved.”

  “Indeed, my friend,” a youthful Russian accent boomed from the screen. “We are very proud. If only we could tell the entire colony, then we could celebrate together. It’s a shame about the people we lost, though. They would have made good colonists.”

  “Ah,” said James, “it is a burden we must keep to ourselves, I’m afraid.”

  “I understand,” Joseph said.

  William got the impression however, that Joseph was not completely convinced by his own words.

  “On a different matter. How are things progressing with the serum? How close are you?”

  “Progress is on course. We’re about half-way through.”

  “Good. Keep it up.”

  “Will do, sir.”

  James pushed a button on the monitor, and the screen went blank.

  “All went well then, I take it?” asked William, inclining his head towards the monitor.

  “Indeed,” replied James, not wanting to give away too much information. Not out of desire to hide things from his potential protégé, but rather to ensure that he was not lumbered with distractions.

  The pause lasted for longer than either man was comfortable with.

  To break the silence, William spoke up.

  “I’ve
done some thinking about what you asked,” William announced.

  James raised his eyebrows, silently urging William to continue.

  “There must be more than a couple of people on the plane. At the very least, we have Dunleavy and Ms. Chamberlain. The fact that they haven’t arrived at the Zone Three colony makes me think anyone we have on board is either dead, or incapacitated.”

  “Go on,” James responded.

  “We can assume that neither Ms. Chamberlain, nor Dunleavy are capable of taking out one of our Alpha teams. Thus, we have to believe they have help.”

  “And who do you think that would be?” James asked, hoping to receive the right answer.

  “I don’t know, sir,” William admitted, shifting uncomfortably on his chair.

  “You don’t know?” James asked, allowing his annoyance to show. “I must say I’m disappointed, William.”

  William searched for the words which would save his reputation. “That is to say, I don’t know exactly who they are. What I do know, is that they’ve appeared in a variety of different locations under our control.” William stood, and walked around the desk, leaning over to reactivate James’ screen. He pressed a few buttons, and opened up a file entitled ‘Infiltrators’.

  “Talk me through it, William,” said James.

  “You’ve probably heard about the break-in’s we’ve been experiencing for the past few years or so?” William began. “This is all the information we have collected on the perpetrators. There are some pictures, and some video footage. Now, the pictures we have are only fleeting glimpses, as they usually wore face masks to disguise their identities. However, we have managed to capture a few images of faces.”

  William pulled up several shots. They had obviously been taken from a distance, and the faces weren’t discernible. “As you can see, they aren’t a lot of help, really, and we can only get a basic idea from each.”