by SY Thompson
A cabstand was right outside the entrance to the Lincoln Hotel and Ronan quickly jumped into a taxi. She couldn’t suppress the feeling that she was exposed to anyone who happened to look her way.
“Brooklyn Park,” she said to the cab driver.
She would have him drop her off a mile from the hangar and walk the rest of the way. Experience had taught her never to drive right up on the scene of one’s destination. It was better to approach silently and have time to scope out what was going on. That theory proved sound about an hour later. The hangar was somewhat isolated since the landing strip was away from any residential housing. At eleven at night, it was somewhat unusual to see a light on in the hangar. Ronan knew that Sidney employed other maintenance personnel and they would have been around even in her absence, but they would not have left the lights on after the end of their shift.
Crouching down, she used the cover of night to run up to the outside edge of the building. Deep shadows concealed her as she moved down the side of the hangar to a low window. The sound of muffled voices told her she had guessed right. Someone was inside keeping watch. She just had no way to know if there had been a guard posted every night since they disappeared or if their adversaries already knew they were in town.
Three men sat around a plastic card table on folding chairs. They were playing poker and from the bored expressions on their faces, Ronan guessed that this had become a nightly ritual. One of the men chewed on an unlit cigar.
Good, she thought. If they’ve been doing this every night for weeks, they’ll be complacent.
That was her initial impression, but she was afraid she might be seeing only what she wanted to see. Carefully, she looked around and saw other things to support her hypothesis. A large black truck sat parked in place of the missing aircraft. The tailgate was down and a large cooler rested on it.
“Want one?” a man offered as he stood up and stretched. He had a huge black mustache that curled out to cover half of his face and obscured his mouth completely. His head was completely bald but from the dark stubble, Ronan guessed that he shaved.
Another man started to shuffle the cards while the third responded to the query. “Sure. Angstrom would kill us if he knew we were drinking on the job but it’s not like anything is going to happen. How much longer are we going to have to put up with this shit anyway?”
The first man grinned and walked over to the cooler. He pulled out three cans of beer before walking back over to his friends. “Deal the cards already, will ya?”
Ronan crouched down and weighed her options. She didn’t want to kill these men if she didn’t have to. These guys were just hired to do a job and probably had no idea what was at stake. Unfortunately, her laser pistol, tucked into the rear waistband of her jeans, didn’t have a stun setting.
The pickup was too close to the men to disable it without someone seeing her. Finally, she had a plan, although it was a risky one. She just hoped Sidney didn’t find out. She’d never let Ronan live it down.
Staying in the shadows, Ronan walked down to the far end of the hangar away from the three strangers. The motorcycle was closest to the end where she was but with no plane in the hangar, she would be clearly visible when she made her move. She squatted near the entry and pulled the analyzer out of her coat pocket. From this angle, it would be difficult to inspect the bike but she would have to try. A few quick scans didn’t reveal any homing signals attached to the machine. It would have to be good enough for now, she decided. Once she had the bike and was safely away, she would have to find somewhere to pull over and take a more detailed look.
The sound of a car approaching caused her to leap away from the hangar and back into the shadows. She watched as a long, black sedan pulled up to the front of the hangar and two men got out. Ronan lay down flat, pressing herself against the side of the building. She held her breath and hoped they wouldn’t see her. A light flared briefly as one of them lit a cigarette and then the two paused to exchange a few words.
“Do the men know what’s going on?” the one with the cigarette asked.
“No way, Angstrom won’t chance it. By design, there are only a few of us that know everything. If someone goes shooting their mouth off, they’ll be next in line to be replaced.”
“Hah, like Gentry?”
“Idiot. I can’t believe he actually made a disc about all of this. No wonder Angstrom had him replaced.”
The taller man took a deep drag off his smoke.”So the replacement has already arrived from the Delegator?”
“I think so. Once the person’s body goes back through to the Fatherland, it only takes a few days to transmit the replacement. The Guard took Gentry out as soon as Angstrom found out about the disc. That was at least three weeks ago.”
The smoking man finished his cigarette and flicked it into the grass. It landed a few feet away from Ronan and she could smell the smoke floating from the still-burning butt. Her nose tickled from the odor and she quickly cupped her hand over her face while she fought the urge to sneeze.
“Well, go check on the men. I’ll wait in the car.”
Ronan wondered why he’d bothered to walk toward the hangar with his companion if he wasn’t going in and then decided he hadn’t wanted the driver to overhear their conversation. The men walked in different directions, the shorter of the two entering the hangar to check on the poker players. Ronan was close enough to hear the conversation.
“Hey, guys. Anything exciting happening?” he asked as he walked up next to them.
“Nah,” mustache man said. “It’s quiet, just like it’s been every night.”
The shorter man in the suit and tie nodded his head and didn’t comment on the beer cans. Instead, he looked at the poker hand of the man he stood behind and said, “Wow, nice hand, Smitty.”
Instantly, a round of “I fold,” and “I’m out,” sounded from the other two.
Smitty asked, “Hey, Barnes, why’d you do that? There was a hundred bucks in that pot.” Frustrated, the large bear of a man smoothed his hand across his bald pate.
Barnes chuckled. “Make sure you keep your eyes open. Word has it that those two are back in the neighborhood.”
“Will do, boss,” one of the other men acknowledged.
Smitty threw his cards down on the table. “Is it true that Sullivan was found on top of a fire ant mound down in Florida?”
“Yeah, it’s true. I don’t think Barnhart was too happy with him anyway.”
“Barnhart? You mean Chief Justice Barnhart? What’s he got to do with this?” Smitty asked. “Is he the man in charge?”
Doubtful, Ronan thought. It had to go significantly higher than an imposter filling a Supreme Court Judge’s shoes.
“You ask too many questions, Smitty,” Barnes growled. “Just keep your eyes open.”
Angered, the smaller man left the hangar and got back into the black sedan. He was so furious that Ronan doubted he would have seen her if she had jumped up in front of him. Obviously, the three poker players weren’t concerned about keeping their eyes open either. As soon as the sedan was gone, they delved back into their game.
Ronan waited fifteen minutes to set her plan in motion, just to make sure the men had enough time to become complacent again. Then she pulled her pistol from her pocket and tensed in preparation. Her chance came a moment later when there was a loud shout from the other end of the room. One of the men had won the hand and leaned over the table to scoop up his winnings. The other two complained and accused him of cheating. It was a small diversion, but gave Ronan a chance to sneak inside the hangar. She stayed low and close to the wall, trying to use the motorcycle as a shield. Once she reached the large bike, she knew things would happen quickly.
She held the laser pistol tight in her sweaty palm. Her mouth was dry in fear and all Ronan could see in her mind was Sidney. She tried to hang on to that image to bolster her courage and soon squatted next to the motorcycle. Ronan flipped on the switch for the power cell. The advanced machine bo
asted a nuclear powered engine. She’d opted for that choice so she’d never have to worry about running out of fuel at a critical moment. Ronan realized she was procrastinating and she had to make a move or be a sitting duck. She wouldn’t have time to put on her helmet because once she stood up they would spot her instantly. At least the windshield would protect her enough until she could get somewhere to pull over for a scan. She would put the helmet on then.
Jumping up, Ronan straddled the huge bike. Simultaneously someone shouted. “Look out!”
She looked over her shoulder and fired the laser pistol. A couple of tires on the pickup blew out. Two of the men ran toward her while Smitty climbed into the truck and started the engine. Snarling and shaking, he tried to follow his companions before he realized he had two flats.
They were gaining on her fast when Ronan started the motorcycle. She didn’t have time to put the pistol away because the men were only a few feet from her when she shifted the motorcycle into gear and tore out of the hangar. Ronan’s heart thumped painfully and hair flew into her eyes, obscuring her vision. To drive the bike with a pistol in one hand was difficult enough, but the hair in her eyes and the darkness added poor visibility to the equation.
She slowed just enough to glance over her shoulder and could see that the men had followed her quite a distance from the hangar. They were on their way back inside now and she had no doubt they would be on the phone immediately. She stopped long enough to tuck the weapon into her waistband and jam on a helmet. Twenty minutes from the hangar, Ronan pulled off the busy highway into a downtown industrial park. She figured that someone was watching the main roadways and she needed to find an alternate route. First, she needed to make sure the bike was safe. If someone planted a homing device on the motorcycle, there would be no need to try to intercept her. The killers would simply wait until she led them back to Sidney. If the bike was clean, they would try to catch her on the roadway.
Ronan drove behind a large warehouse and down into a loading bay. If security were to drive by, it was unlikely they would spot the woman dressed all in black. She climbed off the motorcycle and removed the helmet before she finally let out a sigh of relief. This high-tension night was far from over, but the human body could only maintain an adrenaline high for so long.
She fished the analyzer out of her deep coat pocket, squatted down and took a more thorough scan, slowly and carefully. A beep sounded as she reached the back of the engine. She peered closely in the darkness and spotted a small, round, metallic device magnetically attached to the engine compartment. Thankfully, it wasn’t an explosive, but it also meant that someone was tracking her.
Ronan pulled the tracker off and crushed it under her heel. She glanced around quickly before she put the helmet back on, convinced her enemies already surrounded her. Fear had become her constant companion over the last few hours and her bladder protested loudly. She’d learned long ago that one of her body’s fear responses was the sudden urge to urinate, but now was not the time. She ignored the urge, climbed back onto the motorcycle and gunned the engine.
“Computer, display alternate routes of travel to the downtown Washington, D. C. area.”
Instantly holographic lines appeared on the windshield and Ronan weighed her options as she drove out of the industrial park. “Display other active vehicles along those routes.”
Quite a few automobiles popped up on the display. Ronan chose the least-occupied routes of travel and began to work her way back to Sidney. The route was long and circuitous, taking far longer than she wanted. Ronan thought it was the safest course of action as she kept Sidney’s image fixed firmly in her mind.
Finally, she parked the motorcycle in the underground garage and took the elevator up to the seventh floor of the hotel. She slid the key card into the lock and opened the door at two thirty in the morning. She hadn’t even closed the door properly when she suddenly had her arms full of an angry, frightened, and worried woman.
“Where the hell have you been?” Sidney asked and choked back tears as she held onto Ronan. “I’ve been worried sick. You said you wouldn’t be gone long. Do you know what time it is?”
Ronan clung to her warmth and closed her eyes to bask in her scent. Sidney hadn’t even finished ranting off her questions when Ronan felt small hands exploring her body. It took a moment for her to understand that she was looking for injuries.
“I’m all right,” she said in a shaky voice. “But it was a lot scarier than I thought it would be.”
Sidney pulled back and looked into her eyes. Ronan thought she probably looked like she had a mild case of shock. She certainly felt shaky and unsteady on her feet. Sidney grasped her leather-covered hands and urged Ronan to follow her across the room. She made her sit down in a chair and squatted at her feet. A bottle of her favorite beverage, Remy Martin, sat on the table. Sidney reached for it and poured a healthy measure into a glass before she held it up to Ronan’s full lips.
“Drink this. All of it.”
Ronan almost took the glass from her, but decided that she needed contact. She reached out a trembling hand, rested it over Sidney’s, and allowed her to hold the glass while she drank from it. Only after it was gone and some color had come back to her pale cheeks did Sidney prompt her for information.
“Tell me what happened.”
Sidney pulled the gloves off Ronan’s hands. While she listened, she massaged Ronan’s hands, trying to rub some warmth back into them. She stayed quiet as Ronan described what happened. The description of her activities came out in stuttered, sometimes almost painful words but she left nothing out. Sidney looked shattered when Ronan spoke about Gentry’s replacement, yet knew Sidney had to be relieved that she hadn’t been so wrong about the man. She had enough class to not say “I told you so” and just listened as Ronan described her harrowing getaway.
“I don’t think I was followed but I did find a homing device on the motorcycle. I destroyed it and then took a very long route back here. I think we’re safe. At least we know you were right. Roger was being used and was not a willing party to world domination.” Ronan offered her an apologetic grin.
“Yes,” Sidney agreed softly. “At least there’s that.”
Ronan had no doubt that they were safe and she wouldn’t ever take chances with her safety. Still, Angstrom and his cronies knew now for certain they were in the area.
“I guess this means we’ll have to stay indoors until this thing is over. There may be some things I have to do to set our plan in motion. I have to leave you alone while I do that.”
“What kinds of things? And why can’t I come with you?”
“I need to scout the area of the inauguration and make sure we can safely carry out your crazy plan,” Ronan reminded her. “And you can’t come with me because it will be easier for me to get around by myself.”
“Ronan...”
She held up a hand to stop Sidney from arguing with her and played her trump card, not above using her emotions to keep the woman safe. “Please, Sidney. If you’re with me, I’ll have my attention divided. I’m simply too afraid that it would put us both in danger.”
Sidney frowned, and looked at Ronan for long moments before responding.
“All right, but if you get hurt, I am going to be very angry.”
Chapter Twenty-One
THE DAY OF the inauguration dawned bright and clear, although there was a decided bite to the January cool air. Sidney’s stomach felt queasy as she got ready to attend the ceremony, and for a time she thought she might actually get sick. She’d never been one to get stage fright, but today’s performance was conceivably out of her league. Since this whole plan of attack had been her idea, she didn’t feel she could share her nervousness with Ronan. She glanced across the hotel room where she dressed and had to admit there were other reasons she didn’t want to confess her fears.
Since they’d arrived in Washington, Ronan seemed preoccupied and reticent. Sidney could understand the distraction, but she felt ther
e was something else that she had missed. That and the fact that she felt jealous because Ronan could come and go as she pleased while Sidney was virtually a prisoner of their room, elegant though it was, for fear that she would be recognized or put them in danger. It left her with the feeling that this wasn’t quite real; like a dream where she didn’t know who the players were or if the players she did know about were what they seemed.
Even now, Ronan seemed focused on the weather report for the Washington, D.C. area. Sidney didn’t see what was so fascinating. It was just another brisk day but at least the forecast called for clear weather. Deciding on a tasteful wrap to compliment her outfit, she closed her eyes to steel herself for the task of the day.
Warm hands came down on her shoulders and caused her to jump in surprise. She looked up quickly into the mirror to see her lover watching her with a slight grin.
“What are you thinking about?”
“I guess I’m just a little nervous.”
Ronan bent down and placed a kiss on top of her head. “Me too. Only natural I guess since we are trying to save the world.”
Sidney smiled and some of the tension eased in her chest. She felt as if she’d just reconnected with Ronan and it went a long way toward steeling her determination and helping her refocus on their objectives.
She turned and slipped her arms around Ronan’s waist. “Thank you. I needed to hear you say that.”
Ronan kissed her gently. Sidney welcomed the intimate caress and let it soothe her fears and lend her the courage and conviction that what they were doing was not only right, but also the only possible choice.
Ronan finally pulled away and suggested they finish dressing since David Abrams would call for them shortly. “You might want to retouch your lipstick since I just smeared it so nicely for you.”
“If anyone is allowed to smear it, it’s you.”