When they were seated, the President asked, “Lets get straight to the point. Miss Lane, what do you know about all this?”
“Mister President.” She paused for a few seconds to stare at her clasped hands. Raising her eyes to meet the President’s, she continued. “There’s this man, Jarmain Euclaid, and I was his private secretary. I’m certain he’s the one behind all of this. I’ve worked for him about six years.”
The President started to speak but saw she was going to continue with her story.
“In all that time, I was involved in many of his business dealings and knew what a shark he was when it came to buying companies in less than a legal manner. You know, paying off a board of directors with promises of huge salaries and bonuses if they convinced the stockholders to sell to him. The world has no idea about the insider trading that goes on, because people in high places are paid off.”
“If he couldn’t buy a person he would either have them snuffed out like in a car wreck so it would look accidental or ruin their miserable lives one way or another. He had literally hundreds of investigators working for him and knew all the dirty laundry on thousands of people and wasn’t afraid to use it to his advantage. He looked for dirt on the wives and then blackmailed them into ‘strongly suggesting’ to their husbands to do Jarmain’s bidding.”
Again, she shook her head and smiled. “You don’t know how many people that bastard owns in your own government; everyone from stock regulators to Generals to Congressmen to Ambassadors and even Labor leaders. Did you happen to notice or hear how many of the important people on different congressional committees disappeared before all this asteroid stuff started? Why do you suppose they did? They knew what was coming. Jarmain Euclaid is a powerful man because he has so much money and owns so many people. And there’s more. He teamed up with other big money people to pull this whole thing off. Mr. Euclaid will use them up and kill them one by one. I know he will because that’s how he works.”
“Are you saying one man is responsible for the asteroid hoax, all the panic and crime? Why? Why in hell would Jarmain Euclaid want to do this?”
“Power, Mister President. He wants to be the supreme ruler of the whole damned world. Do you know he killed everyone that knew him in the Denver and Dallas offices? He invited all of them to his Rocky Mountain mansion and poisoned them. I saw it happen with my own eyes. He didn’t want to leave any loose ends.”
“What about you? Why are you still alive?”
“Oh, he never intended for me to live. He chased me with a rifle but I ran like hell down the mountain. Then thanks to the group in the other room I am still breathing. They showed up out of the blue, and saved my life. Jarmain’s helicopter pilot was to get rid of me I think. He called in a bunch of military men to wipe us all out. We killed all of Jarmain’s hired thugs at the mansion and we then made our escape in Jarmain’s helicopter.”
“The pilots and the Army Major have some interesting stories if you’d like to talk to them. They were flying a passenger plane over the Atlantic when Jarmain’s goons shut down all the navigational aids. They had to find a landing strip and crash land that large plane full of passengers. None of their passengers were killed but I wonder how many people lost their lives on other planes.”
For a moment, he glanced from her to the men and women on the other side of the glass partition. “I will talk to them all. I need to know what kind of terror that bastard has pulled so far. This is so devastating I can’t get my head around it. Did you know of or have access to any of Jarmain’s plans?”
“Sir, I wish I did. Knowing that madman the way I do, God only knows what they are. He is crazy . . . crazy for total power.”
A porter knocked and entered with a huge tray of drinks. President Lawson kept glancing at her rather . . . strangely.
Finally, she asked, “What is it? Why do you keep looking at me that way?”
His face flushed, and he cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. I, uh . . . The truth is I keep wondering . . . what I’m trying to say is, you’re an absolutely beautiful woman. I can’t figure why you would be with someone that would kill all his own employees and do these horrible things. He sounds like a monster.”
“Look, I don’t mean to be disrespectful, Sir, but I know exactly what you’re thinking–that I must be some kind of whore. I suppose one could say every woman’s a whore in one way or another . . . same with every man. You have to understand some things. Yes, I knew a lot of Jarmain’s business deals were a whole lot less than on the up and up. But you have to believe me; he always treated me very well. I think he even loved me in his own way. But I never discovered his truly evil side until all those people died at the mansion. Mr. Euclaid meant for me to die right along with everyone else, but I ran for my life. I’m not sure what all his plans are, but I know the end result is to take over the whole world. I lived with him all that time and never realized he was totally insane.”
“Uh . . . Miss Lane, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say anything hurtful. Sorry. Do you know where he is?”
“Mister President, he has many houses and apartments all over the world; he could be at any one of them. I could give you cities, but addresses, I have no idea. I wasn’t allowed to travel outside the States with him. Sir . . . for him to cause so much chaos, he’d have to be hidden very well.”
“Miss Lane, would you sit down with my aide, Mark Townsend, and give him every bit of information you can remember? You may know some tid-bit which will help us catch Jarmain.”
“Only on one condition, Mister President.”
“What would that be?”
“Please stop calling me, Miss Lane. That makes me sound old and feel very uncomfortable. My name is Marcia.”
He smiled broadly and answered, “Marcia, it is.”
Marcia smiled back at him.
The President motioned for the rest of the group to enter the room. “I hear you people can tell me some interesting stories. Pull up some chairs and let’s get acquainted.”
~ 14 ~
At the Holden compound in Colorado:
As Alice and Susan finished washing the dishes, they watched the news reports coming in from all around the world on a small TV sitting on the counter. It seemed the entire world had gone crazy. People were being killed right and left for a few dollars or a morsel of food. Bodies lay where they fell, because there was no authority on the streets. Most people were afraid the asteroid was going to kill them in a few days anyway, so no one bothered to remove the dead.
The Churches, Temples, and Mosques of all faiths were packed and overflowing with people who decided to end their final days in prayer and worship. Rome was a large sea of humanity, with everyone trying to get as close to the Pope as possible.
“Do you feel guilty about us having this place of safety with plenty of food and water for all of us?” Susan asked, drying her hands on a brightly-colored, striped dish towel. At thirty-five years old, Susan had long brown hair pulled into a ponytail, hazel eyes, and the same sexy figure she’d had at eighteen. She worked as a surgeon in one of the finest hospitals in the country, The Johns Hopkins Hospital.
For a moment, Alice looked thoughtful before answering, “No. I don’t think I do. It would be nice if we could help a lot of other people, but our families have to come first. I’m sure it would be the same with most people. Why do you ask? Do you feel guilty?” Alice was slim and trim--black short hair and soft, cocoa-colored eyes--the same age as Susan.
“No. I guess I was feeling a bit guilty until I saw on television what those people out there are doing to one another.” She stared at Alice a moment, a far away look in her eyes before continuing, “The only family I have is right here. I lost my parents when I was quite young and I was an only child. We now have to do what’s right for our own families.”
Alice sighed. “I have so many questions bothering me. Will we be safe here on the mountain from the thugs, thieves and killers? How many years will we be stuck down in the cave hiding from
whom ever is causing this uproar? Will we be hunted down and shot on the spot? I know I shouldn’t think about all that but I do think those things because of the kids.”
“It’s only natural to think of those things but I think we have to live one day at a time and do what we have to do when something presents itself. I don’t think we can second guess anything happening. Alice, we may never see a lick of trouble here on the mountain.”
~~~
Stephan and Cord had taken the kids into the underground complex for the first time right after breakfast. Their reactions were as varied as the children themselves.
“Oh boy, this is neat,” Simon shouted as he and Phillip ran from room to room.
“Yeah, it’s going to be a lot of fun living down here,” Phillip yelled to Simon.
“Will the ceilings fall in on us?” Linda asked, eyeing the solid rock above them.
“Stephan, can we have our own rooms?” Brittany yelled from one of the bedroom doors.
“I don’t like it down here, Daddy.” Laurie had tears running down her cheeks.
“Can I help in the control room?” Mike asked Cord as he looked at all the monitors and radio equipment.
Simon and Phillip ran back to find the men to complain. “There’s a school room. Why do we have to go to school down here?”
The two men laughed and tried to answer a million questions before having the children sit down and listen to their orders. Stephan stood before the youngsters. “I want to say this one time, and I expect you all to remember and obey these simple rules. It’s really important you pay attention. You’ll never go outside once you’re told to stay in here. If we take you outside that’s different. You will not play in the tunnels. You’ll stay out of the control room and all of the storage rooms unless we ask you to enter them.”
“Any questions about what I just said? No? Then kids here are a few more rules you must follow.”
“Alice is a teacher and you are expected to attend at least three hours of school every day. There’s a gym you may use freely when you have completed your chores. It is going to be close with all of us living together twenty-four hours a day, every day of the week, but I expect each one of you to keep your attitudes under control. We can’t have bickering or fighting. If you get upset, separate immediately and go straight to your room and calm down. When an adult tells you to do something, do it, and no back talk. You have to follow our orders, because orders can save your life. Do you have any questions?”
When all six kids shook their heads he said, “Okay, back to the house now. We’ll have our fill of this place soon enough.”
The men wore side arms and had an M4 close by. As rough as it was getting in the cities, people might start coming into the country, and they knew some of those people could turn mean real fast.
“Here, strap these on,” Stephan ordered as he handed Mike and Linda each side arms. “You must wear them constantly from the moment you dress each morning until you go to bed at night. Then, have it within easy reach while you sleep. We’re playing for keeps. Unfortunately it’s us against them. Your mothers will also wear them.”
“Uncle Martin, I want a gun, too.” Simon stood nearby, hands on his hips, and pouting.
“Son, you and Laurie, will be given one in a few days. I promise. Right now, the six of us packing will be plenty.”
~~~
Assault rifles sat next to all the doors and windows. A 50-caliber machine gun faced the road, as well as a grenade launcher and a two inch mortar. Everyone in the Holden compound was issued a radio and shown how to use it if they spotted someone coming through the woods or up the road.
Motion and infrared sensors were already installed around the property. Stephan and Cord activated them for the first time late in the afternoon and made sure they worked properly. Temporary monitors were switched on in the house, and the permanent set in the underground complex.
“Well, we’re about as secure as we can be,” Cord told Susan and Alice when the monitors flipped on.
While the adults did the heavy work, the kids became lookouts. The children had binoculars and took positions in the upstairs bedrooms and attic, making a game of how many birds, deer, or squirrels each had seen in a given time. Nothing got past their view.
~~~
Alice and Susan gathered the boxed jars of food from the basement shelves and transported them into the underground, using a couple of children’s wagons. They decided to leave several jars on the movable shelves, which concealed the cave opening. They placed stacks of useless books and old newspapers on the now empty shelving, along with old bird’s nests, gallons of half used house paint, and other odds and ends. The place looked natural when they’d finished, right down to the dust. No hint of a secret entrance.
“Shit I’m tired and need a smoke.” Susan leaned against the dusty shelves. “After all that lifting, we’re going to pay big time tomorrow with plenty of sore muscles.”
“We’d better not, because tomorrow you and I are going to start canning the frozen beef and pork I have in the freezers. I can’t see letting perfectly good meat stay here for anyone to take. We’ll can it and use it ourselves.” Alice walked over to one of the freezers and raised the lid. “See all of that? There’s venison, chicken, turkey, beef, pork, and fish. Blake made sure these two freezers stayed full.”
“Gee whiz, Alice. I’ve never canned a thing in my life, but I’m all for the idea. We’ll need plenty of protein. I’m sure the men have stocked factory-canned meat in the cave, but having this is so much better. We can jazz it up with spices. You know, make chili, or stew. I was able to get a peek at some of the supplies in the cave and was glad to see lots of vitamins. We’re going to need them to stay healthy when we lack certain foods. I saw bullion cubes and plenty of dried fruits and dehydrated vegetables. There was also a lot of salt, flour, sugar, corn meal, rice, beans, powdered milk, and eggs and all kinds of spices. Granola bars, fruit bars; and snacks galore. I also took a look at the infirmary. It’s well stocked with antibiotics, bandages, and surgery tools. Those men certainly knew what they were doing. There are books down there on everything from how to live off the land, and making soap, to planting gardens. And, there’re bags of seeds of all kinds.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I haven’t had a chance to look around that much and was worrying about enough right foodstuffs and supplies. I’ve been worried about the kids being penned up for ages. You know they’ll get bored real quick. I thought maybe we’d have them take the music CD’s, the DVD’s, the players, and a couple of the televisions to the cave this afternoon. There are all the books, of course if we can get them to read. I have two or three dozen we can move to the cave. Many of them are educational books I’ve purchased, as well as all my college books. We can’t forget the board games and decks of cards, either. I know the men have brought in many items, but I also want my stuff there. Oh, yes, and look here. We still have all these puzzles sitting on the shelves. We went through a puzzle faze last winter. I’m sure they’ll come in handy.”
Susan stretched and yawned. “Sounds like a plan. Let’s go up and get the kids to work moving some of the stuff. We have a lot to get done, and we’re short on time.”
~~~
The children spent the best part of the evening hauling the DVD’s, books, and you name it to the “cave” as they preferred to call it. As was so often the case with any chore they were assigned, they made a game of it . . . boys against girls on how much stuff was delivered by bedtime. Once more they didn’t have to be told to go to bed. They were totally exhausted and immediately crashed.
~~~
The adults sat at the table drinking coffee and relaxing before bed and touched base on what had been accomplished and what the next day’s plans were going to be.
“Well, as you can see from the television, the world is even in worse shape today than yesterday. Buildings burning, mass murders, governments overturned. I don’t see how many will be left alive to be killed by the
so-called asteroid. We need to think about moving underground pretty damned soon.” Stephan stretched out his legs and crossed his arms. He was 40 years old, blonde and, of course, in excellent physical condition, being in Special Forces.
“Susan and I are going to start canning all the meat in the freezers bright and early in the morning. Do you think we have maybe three more days here in the house? It might take that long as much meat as we have. You should see the pile of bundles we have thawing to start on tomorrow.”
“Alice, I don’t know, to tell you the truth. All I can say is put up as much as you possibly can. Tomorrow we’ll play it by ear. Have the kids take most of their clothes below, also, keep the dirty clothes done up if you have the time.”
“Gee thanks, Stephan, great idea about the laundry. I have an idea how we can get more meat canned faster. Like the pioneer women did. We can build a couple fires in the yard and put the meat on to boil in the large wash tubs we have stored in the shed. They’re brand new. Just need the dust washed out and we should be able to cook a lot of meat that way instead of using the pressure cooker.”
“Sorry, but no fires allowed.” Stephan explained. “Smoke can be seen and smelled for miles. We don’t want to draw attention. I’m afraid you’re left with the kitchen stove and pressure cooker.”
“What I’d like to know is why in the world did President Lawson make that horrid announcement . . . we’ve seen the results . . . all the killings and riots. Why didn’t he keep his mouth shut and let it hit us?” Alice asked.
“The President doesn’t know it, but he’s being handled big time by the enemy. He fell for this story hook, line, and sinker. Someone made the case to him that he had to go on the air and announce it. They got the results they were after, as you can see on television. Now, if there really is a rock that big coming and he’d kept his mouth shut, some astronomer would have spotted it, or maybe a science class, and the news would have been released anyway . . . maybe not fourteen days before impact.”
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