I felt like we were starting to get under the hood of Genesis Alliance and didn’t want to waste the opportunity. We also had some temporary cover from the rain. The woman glanced at Jack, then me.
“Let me call Brett; he’ll talk to you. He can neutralize you—he’s a good guy.”
“Good guy.” I laughed. “You can’t be serious?”
“He’s a techy geek, like me, not a murderer. Do you think we knew what was going to happen?”
“Yeah, I do. How couldn’t you know?” Jack said.
The only danger nerds had posed to me in the past was the threat of being bored to death. We wouldn’t have a problem getting information and escaping from this scenario.
She bowed her head and closed her eyes. “We were just following orders, working on our own little parts of the design.”
“Whatever,” Jack said. “They said the same at the Nuremburg trials. Was this your version of the final solution?”
“You don’t know what you’re dealing with, trust me. Brett is your best chance to avoid processing; he’ll let you go.”
“Why would he do that?” I asked.
“He’s one of the only ones who suspected what was happening early enough to try and get out. They threatened to kill his wife and kids. He’s only here now to keep them alive. I’ve seen him help others to escape from this.”
Jack snorted. “Sounds like bullshit.”
“Look, just go and I won’t say anything.”
“What happens if we do and the second activation happens?” I said.
“You’ll be processed, and trust me, you two guys don’t want to be processed in Monroe. Brett told me the local guys had some medieval plans for you.”
Jack leaned close to her face. “Like what?”
She wiped more tears from her face with a trembling hand. “None of this is me. I don’t even know how to use a rifle. You can hold me at gunpoint if you want. He won’t do anything.”
Who would offer herself as hostage, unless she was confident of the result? Maybe Brett or another one of the Technology team had the ability of a crack sniper, maybe she thought we would fold against numbers, or maybe she was telling the truth. The chance to find out more and possibly avoid the effects of any future activation proved a tempting offer, but signaling more of their team would be a gamble. I decided to test her confidence in whatever scenario she had in mind.
“What do you reckon, Jack?”
“Sounds like we can drive right out of here, like now.”
“We could always let her get in touch with Brett and tell him to come on his own. Then we take the radio and hide. If she moves, you give her a shower with that AR-15. If Brett brings others, it’s the same treatment. If he comes on his own, unarmed, and can neutralize us—whatever that is—we can talk.”
“You do realize that he’ll be shitting in his own mess tin if he comes on his own and tries anything?” Jack said.
The woman gave Jack a confused look. “He’ll do what?”
“Pissing on his own bonfire, raining on his own parade, cutting off—”
“I get it. Jeez, it’ll be cool.”
“I wouldn’t call it ‘cool,’ ” I said. “But I think you get the picture about what’ll happen if things go south?”
“Yeah, I do. I don’t wanna die.”
She reached for the radio, and I grabbed her arm. “Not so fast. What are you going to say? Is it an open network with the rest of GA?”
“It’s on our own net. Relax.”
“Don’t describe us,” I said. “Just in case.”
“Do you two think you’re important? In the grand scheme of things, you’re even more irrelevant than me.”
“We killed Ron,” Jack said. “I’m sure there’s one or two who are slightly irritated.”
“Not from the tech team. Like I said, the shit’s going to hit the fan because of the slip in schedule. We want to be on the right side.”
“The shit’s already hit the fan and splattered over everyone,” I said. “Tell him we want information and food.”
She nodded and picked up the radio. “Echo-zero-Charlie, this is Tango-two, over.”
“Echo-zero-Charlie, is everything okay?” a male voice crackled.
“Tango-two, can you come over on your own with the device and food?”
“Echo-zero-Charlie, no worries. Have you found a stray?”
“Tango-two, I’ve got two here. Come unarmed.”
She received no instant reply and transmitted again. “It’s fine, Brett, trust me.”
“Okay, I’ll be right over. But I’m not coming unarmed; it’s too risky.”
They didn’t use the call signs for the last part of the conversation. I wondered if it was because they had no military experience, were simply paying the procedures lip service, or if it was a sign that all was not well. From what we had seen so far, I doubted the latter. We still had the upper hand in this situation and could easily flee into the dark if they tried an ambush.
“I’ll take that,” Jack said and grabbed the radio.
The rain eased to spits. Jack beckoned the woman out of the car and kept his rifle trained on her. I searched the vehicle for any communications devices or weapon but found nothing. With the car clean, I waved her back into the driver’s seat before twisting the keys out of the ignition to stop any attempts to flee.
“How long till he gets here?” Jack asked.
“Probably five minutes if he drives; the farm’s just off Laplaisance Road.”
“We’ll be behind the fence over here,” I said, pointing at a waist-high brick wall in front of a white bungalow with a hipped roof. “You know the drill?”
She nodded and I backed away from the car. We crouched behind the wall, keeping a good view along the road, close to a potential escape route back around the houses. It would be difficult to approach our location on foot without making a noise, because the rain had stopped.
After a couple of minutes, the rumble of an engine rose in the distance. A pair of dazzling headlights rounded a bend in the road and approached. I looked across to the woman, who sat facing away from the oncoming vehicle. She hesitantly raised her arms in the air.
“Rifle’s got a full mag,” Jack said. “First sign of trouble, and I’ll fill them with lead.”
“She won’t give us up. She was shitting herself,” I said. “If they’re a bunch of techy geeks, the last thing they’ll want to do is have a firefight in the dark.”
Jack gazed down the rifle sights at the headlights. “I hope for her sake they don’t.”
The vehicle slowed as it neared her car. It abruptly halted twenty yards from it, engine still rumbling and headlights illuminating the road. I kept one eye closed to try to maintain my night vision.
A man got out of the car and held a rifle above his head. He walked five yards forward, placed the weapon by his feet, and held up his arms. “I’ve come on my own.”
“Kill the lights and stay by the car,” Jack yelled.
He quickly returned to the vehicle, put his hand through the open window, and switched the lights off.
“Are you sure there’s nobody else?” I called.
“It’s just me, Brett. I’ve got a device in the back and some sandwiches,” he said with a heavy New Zealand twang.
I put my arm on Jack’s shoulder, listening for any sounds around us. Without hearing anything suspicious, I nudged him in the back.
Jack moved forward with the rifle on his shoulder. “Put your hands behind the back of your head, and keep still.”
He kept his rifle trained on the new arrival. I approached through the gloom and patted Brett down. He had the look of a slightly over-the-hill surfer, with straggled short blonde hair and a healthy tanned face.
I picked up his rifle and took a step back. “Brett, is it? I’m Ha
rry and that’s Jack.”
“Look, I know who you are, but you need to get away from here. Anthony’s named Jerry as his number two. He’s taken control of operations and focused the entire organization here on finding you—”
“Hold on,” Jack interrupted. “We’re severely pissed off with you and Genesis Alliance, so don’t bloody tell us what we have and haven’t got to do. If I had it my way, you would be on your knees, about to kiss your life good-bye.”
He jabbed his muzzle in the direction of Brett’s head. I understood Jack’s fury. We had only been out of the pit a short time, and I’d already experienced several vomit-inducing flashbacks.
“Like he says, Brett,” I said while glancing at his black clothing, “wearing that uniform means you don’t get to call the shots.”
Brett looked toward Monroe. “We need to get away from here. There’re patrols all over looking for you. Jerry thinks you’re hiding in Monroe. They’re searching houses and burning the whole bloody town to the ground.”
Through the trees, I noticed a red glow hanging over areas of Monroe. I didn’t care if Jerry wasted his time burning down the whole place. It wasn’t our problem and would give us time to get clear.
“So if you aren’t with Jerry, who are you?” Jack said.
“I was seconded to Monroe by Genesis Alliance to work on the technical side of the operation. None of us knew exactly what was going to happen, but we didn’t expect this.”
“Your girlfriend told us the same. Are we supposed to feel sorry for you?” Jack asked.
“Look, mate, they have my wife and kids locked up somewhere—what was I supposed to do? I’m here to neutralize you and help you get out of here.”
“Why should we trust you?” I said.
He narrowed his eyes. “Do you think I’d lie about my wife and kids?”
Brett was either a convincing actor, or he was telling the truth. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. The woman walked to his side and gripped his arm. He turned to her. “Are you all right, Kate?”
She shuffled closer to him. “I’m fine. A little shaken but . . .”
“Where’s the rest of your team?” I asked.
“We’re holed up at a farm a couple of miles away,” Brett said. “If we go there now, we’ll have some safety for the rest of the night. Jerry’s boys won’t get near without us knowing.”
I considered our options. Spending time in the pit and thinking about the state of the world, I’d realized I needed to know more about GA, the enemy we needed to confront. Brett seemed to be different from others we had come across. On the flip side, he could be leading us into a trap set by Jerry or Anthony. The need for information proved to be a stronger pull, and we both had rifles.
“Okay, Brett, I’m going to trust you this far. We go in your car. I’ll drive with you in the passenger seat, and Jack will be in the rear. You can imagine what Jack will do should there be any monkey business. Once back at your place, you talk.”
Brett lowered his arms. “I’ve nothing to hide. Kate, you wait here and get ready to bug out if you see anyone coming this way.”
She nodded and returned to her a car. I heard an electronic lighter click three times.
Brett headed back to the driver’s side of his car.
“The passenger seat, Chief,” I said.
He raised a hand and walked around to the other side, ducked in, and slammed the door. Jack closely tracked him with the rifle. He looked over the roof at me. “Are you sure about this?”
“Let’s play out our hand. He seems genuine. We need some food, water, and clean clothes,” I said.
“We’re going into the enemy’s camp. If I suspect a single thing . . . I’ll take him out.”
“Jack, no more shooting unless we face a confrontation. We got away from Ron’s, God knows how. Don’t put us in that position again unless it’s absolutely necessary.”
He shrugged. “I’m just saying it’s an option.”
Jack climbed into the rear directly behind Brett. I familiarized myself with the controls, flicked on the lights, and turned the car around.
“Which way, Brett?” I asked.
“Straight on. I’ll tell you when to turn.”
Nobody spoke as we traveled the short distance to a deserted farmhouse. Brett used his radio to confirm his arrival and directed me to park at the side of the property.
“It’s a walk from here,” he said.
We headed away from the farmhouse and across a sodden field. I could see the logic: park the cars at one place, then continue on foot to the real location. Brett carefully slogged through the mud. It wasn’t a concern for Jack and me; our filthy clothes and boots couldn’t get any dirtier.
After scrambling through a hedge, I could see a dim outline of a building in the distance, flanked on both sides by trees. Brett stopped and clicked his radio. “About to arrive with our two guests.”
A red laser appeared on my chest. I looked across at Jack, who also noticed, and we both instinctively dived for cover.
“Don’t worry, guys—it’s a laser pointer. On nights like this, it’s a handy way of avoiding the swamp to our left. Come on—we need to get inside.”
Brett continued forward. I followed a few yards behind, trying to position Brett between the thin red line and myself. If a sniper had us in his sights, the game was up anyway. When we got within a few yards of the two-story house, its front door creaked open. Brett wiped his boots on the mat outside and entered without saying a word. Jack and I followed into the gloom. All rooms appeared to be in total darkness.
Two figures moved out of the shadows. I tensed and curled my finger around the rifle’s trigger.
“This way,” a male voice said.
We thumped over creaking wooden floorboards, along a narrow hallway, to an internal trapdoor at the end of it. Steps led down into further darkness. I held my hand against the rough brick wall for guidance as I descended. Flecks of old paint cracked and flicked off it as I swept my hand down.
A light flared into life, causing me to squint and peer half-lidded into a musty-smelling room. The basement wasn’t decorated like a hidden emergency bunker. Rusting bicycle frames and farm implements were stacked against the right side, next to old boxes and tools. A table with six chairs and three silver suitcases sat in the middle. At the back, four mattresses with sheets scruffily pulled over them lined the wall.
“This is our crash location,” Brett said. “There’s a small kitchen and store through that door on the right.”
“How many of you are here?” I said.
“There’s six out on guard and four in the house, including me.”
I swept back my greasy hair and received a sharp reminder from my wounded arm. “Don’t suppose you’ve got a first-aid kit?”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
He disappeared into the storeroom and returned with a roll of crisp white cloth, bottled water, and prepackaged burritos, and sat at the table. Jack and I joined him, and he pushed the items across.
“Get cleaned up and have a bite to eat, guys,” he said. “It’s the best I can do.”
I poured water over my arm and wrapped the cloth around it. A crimson pool immediately formed on the cloth, so I wound another three layers around the cut.
We probably smelled revolting, but I didn’t feel a shred of guilt about that. Jack and I hungrily demolished the snacks and drained the bottles of water. Brett watched and forced a smile. Now that I had the chance of getting more information on GA and the next activation, I wasn’t going to let it slip. I decided to try the soft approach.
“What’s your story?” I asked. “You seem like a decent guy. How did you end up getting involved?”
“I worked on a network planning project in the UK. It was coming to an end so I made my CV available on the CommServe website.”
“It’s a specialist website for IT developers. A bloke called Steve from Fairfax Industries e-mailed me the next day and asked if I was interested in meeting him in London. I googled them and found they had a huge renewable energy division that stretched all over the world.”
“Renewable energy?” I said. “I don’t get the link.”
“Who would? They were big, interested, and offered a decent daily rate on an extended contract for a position on their technology team. I popped a few champagne corks at simply having an opportunity to speak with them and looked forward to the meeting.”
Jack frowned. “What’s this got to do with anything?”
Brett’s face dropped, and he glowered at Jack. “Everything. Steve e-mailed again with directions to their London office on Euston Road. I turned up in my best suit, feeling confident after doing plenty of research on Fairfax Industries. He guided me very politely into a small office with a single chair and a plasma screen on the wall. I thought it must be some kind of orientation.”
In a dark corner of the basement, a man bitterly laughed. “You had it easy compared to me.”
Brett rolled his eyes and continued. “A video started playing, showing my wife and kids on a street, being bundled into the back of a black Range Rover. It cut to a close-up of my wife’s crying face. She said, ‘Brett, if you do as they say, they’ve promised to let us go. They’re watching you all the time, and if you speak about this to anyone, we’ll be executed.’ ”
Jack sat back in his chair. “Fuck me, are you serious?”
“You couldn’t make this shit up,” Brett said. “The screen went black, and I looked around the room in complete shock. I jumped out of the chair and tried to leave, but the door was locked. They left me there for an hour. Steve eventually opened the door; he was flanked by two large men and simply said, ‘You can go now, be ready to start work in a week.’ ”
“Christ, what happened after that?” I asked.
“Before I left, they showed me photos of a dead man with a woman and child, riddled with bullets in a shallow grave. The man apparently told the authorities about GA. They didn’t believe him. You can guess the rest. I felt scared and drained. What could I do? I left the building and went straight home. The organization seemed to be so big and slick that it would be like an ant trying to fight a shoe.”
Second Activation (The Activation Series Book 2) Page 4