by Jill Cooper
She ran after him, windows all around her shattered as they were broken by the boots of the New Haven Initiative team sent there to take them in. She kept her head down and as bedroom doors opened and people started running out, Jenna’s stomach tightened with fear. “Run!” She screamed. “Head to the bunker!”
But she couldn’t stop. She had to pray that Dirk would get her mom out. She had to pray that once she did what she had to, she could escape and meet up with them later. Baby Travis’ face flashed into her vision as she kicked the stairwell door open, but she pushed it from her mind. She couldn’t focus on him. Had to forget her heart. Needed to get the job done.
Now to find out who had broken into the compound and how they found her. Jenna glanced up the stairs and down. Then she heard a metal clank coming from up above.
Jenna leaped up the stairs, taking two at a time. When her ear crackled she was confused for a moment, then remembered she was still wearing her comm. How could she had forgotten that? “Dirk?” She couldn’t keep the anxiety from her voice.
His deep voice crackled through and she ached for him to be okay. “We’ve made it into the bunker. Jane’s with us.”
Jenna closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t say anything as she came to access to the roof. Beside the door was a support column that went clear down through the main level and to the underground hospital area.
It was wired with charges.
Just one support column being wired wasn’t enough to take down the building, but they would know that. They would have prepared. That meant lower in the building, probably the basement, were other charges all set to go and crush them in tons of rubble and steel.
Jenna swore under her breath and looked for a timer. She found out. The digital display flashed ten minutes. Ten stinking minutes.
“Get everyone out, Dirk.” Jenna gritted her teeth. “Building is set to blow.”
“I’m coming after you.”
“No.” Jenna cut him off and took a deep sigh. She didn’t need to hear it in his voice to know he was frantic. “You get Travis and my mom to safety. It’s the best thing you can do for me right now.”
There was silence and then a rush of air. “Her life’s work is in that building.”
Jenna knew what he was saying. “Knock her out if you have to. Just get her out of here.” She swallowed but for someone who was vomiting just minutes earlier, her mouth was surprisingly dry. “I’ll meet you up at the rendezvous point.”
She reached into her ear and turned off her comm. The time for distractions was over. Who was she kidding? Her life was nothing but distractions now. A husband, a child and another on the way? Jenna never should have fallen into the trap. She should have stayed centered, keeping her secret and her job at the forefront of her life. But she didn’t.
And now the most important things to her were her family. Maybe Jenna didn’t need to apologize, but she felt the need to. Desperately.
Time was short. Jenna needed to identify the assassins, take them out, and hope somehow this would all be over when she did so. But did she believe it? What choice did she have, but to cling to hope. What choice did she have?
Jenna cursed herself. She opened the door to the roof and the NHI officer fired on her. She backed up against the wall beside the door and returned fire. While the shooter sought cover, so did Jenna.
She rolled out onto the roof and scooted over behind a ventilation system and ducked behind it as it wafted smoke. Jenna peered through the fog and saw all the vents on the roof were doing the same thing. It wouldn’t be long before she couldn’t see anything. She was going to need to move fast.
Jenna pulled the neckline of her shirt over her mouth and nose to buy her time. The smoke had an odor to it she didn’t like. A regular human probably wouldn’t have been able to detect it, but she could smell something like eggs and rotting flesh. She didn’t know what it was, but would bet her life on it that it was poison and it was there for her.
She walked right into a trap.
Her eyes teared from the smoke and Jenna resisted the urge to cough. She heard the sound of footsteps coming toward her. Glancing up, she saw a dark figure. The time to strike was now. Jenna screamed, charged him by the waist and they both went down onto the roof with a crunch.
She sat up, straddling him between the legs and belted him across the jaw. His head rocked back and smacked the cement. Jenna raised an eyebrow, well, he certainly knocked out easily. Generally people like that were tougher.
Up in the night sky, the air began to whoosh. A bright light shined down and the BA-BA-BAP of a helicopter swirled above.
Extraction.
Jenna put her hands around the shooters throat and squeezed. She pulled the black ski-mask off his face and her heart stopped and skipped a beat all at the same time. There was no mistaking that nose. It was her old pal. “Jameson?” She cracked out.
It was a trap. Jenna stood and put a finger to her ear to turn on her comm. She glanced around, hearing her breath echoing in her ears. There were boots crunching all around her and black figures stepped through the fog, circling her.
The charges, evacuating the building had been the distraction. Jenna wasn’t buying her family time. She had been buying time for Jameson and the New Haven Initiative to get her. She was their mission. Not Jane or even baby Travis.
“It’s a…” Jenna didn’t get the rest of the words out. A tazer attached itelf to the back of her neck while something pinched her neck.
She collapsed like a flopping fish and pulled at the small dart lodged through the front of her throat. It made it so she couldn’t swallow. So she could barely keep her eyes open. The lids were weighted like there were stones on them.
“Jenna?” Dirk’s voice came through on the comm. “Did you make it out? Where are you?”
“Dirk?” Jenna whispered. Her lips moved, but she couldn’t say anything else.
Jameson stood up, touching his jaw and rolling it around like it hurt him. He bent down and blew her a kiss. “Look at us, like old times.” He whispered and reached in her ear to grab her comm.
Jenna was aware of someone picking her up, throwing her over their shoulder. She saw her arms hanging limply beside her body and then nothing.
Not darkness. Not dreaming. Just nothing.
Chapter Twenty-One Victor
Monroe Farm
Rural Saskatchewan Territory of the Canadian State
So far his plans were working.
Victor checked the news frequently and what he saw made him happy. Already small cities in the states were panicking only a day after the glistening fires destroyed the crops and glistenings seized control of the wheat and food storages in Canada.
The Mexican army’s moved north and seized the food rations and storage units kept in the northwest. It had been a bloody battle, losses on both sides, but now the food was controlled by Mexico and they were seeing their citizens were taken care of while the Americans were cut off.
Victor guessed that the American forces were already moving with reinforcements to win back the food. In a few days he hoped to see riots and revolts in the major US cities. Soon the government would have no choice but to send the police to secure the cities and protect its citizens. The police and National Guard would be scattered and it would prove easy pickings for him and his glistenings to seize control. One town, one city at a time.
When food was scarce, you would do anything for a ration. Victor had seen it firsthand. He had felt that same panic inside New Haven 56 when his own family’s rations had been depleted. But then it had only been a few days’ time before their stores were replenished. But the US wasn’t going to be so lucky. Unless they did exactly what was asked and expected of them.
His friends, the Mexicans, would make sure the food rations in western American, would be well guarded. Protected like their freedom depended on it.
Time had come for glistenings to rule. Time had come for humans to feel what it was like to be
repressed and live their lives breath to breath, ration to ration, with no hope in sight for an end to their suffering. The world hadn’t cared about glistenings and now it was time for glistenings to not care about the world.
A knock from his door caught his attention away from the television. On the screen was a news report from New York, where people were protesting in the streets. The marque on the bottom read, ‘Where’s the food?’ while a protestor held a sign ‘Where is our government? Kill the glistenings!”
Victor turned the television off. “Enter, enter.”
The door opened and when he saw the meek Jeff Monroe come in, he stood up. Jeff’s hair was unkempt and his cheeks were darkened pink. “Ahh, Jeff. You’ve calmed down enough to be allowed to leave the basement I see.” Victor held his hand out in a friendly handshake. “I’m sorry this action was necessary. You know I feel nothing but loyalty to you and your son.”
Jeff stared at his hand before he shook it, but he was meek. Weak, just like his son. “Victor, can we talk? As family men.”
Victor gestured to a seat. “Please. You just need refreshments. Someone from the kitchen can bring you anything you want.”
“No, please. After. I want to say my piece.”
Smugly and satisfied, Victor folded his hands. “All right.”
“They told me what happened in the field. What you did.” Jeff licked his lips. “It was a bold move, and not one that I think Jake could have made. On the news…humans are falling apart.”
Victor nodded. “I did what needed to be done. I tried talking to Jake. More than once. You know that.”
“He’ll be coming back here, when he can. And you’re going to need someone to talk to him. Talk him down. After what happened with Marie…” Jeff’s eyes filled with tears and he crossed his legs, a far off look on his eye.
“It is tragic, I know. I loved Marie. Her sacrifice, like that of your wife, isn’t in vain. Marie knew we needed to force their hands, just like I knew the time for me to strike was when Jake was out of the picture.” Victor stroked his chin. “I hope he can forgive me, as you have?”
Victor waited and studied Jeff’s face. The despair, the grief took over his face and he wasn’t sure what he would say. “Forgiveness isn’t something I feel.” Jeff sighed. “Marie made her own choices and while I’ll never understand…while I wish you told me so I could try to convince her otherwise, I know it’s not your fault.”
Jeff’s eyes dropped to the floor and his shoulders hunched like the burden of his words crushed him.
“But what’s done, is done. To survive, I know we need to come together. If we’re going to be free, we need one leader. Not two.”
Victor wasn’t sure he understood the complete weight of Jeff’s words. “And you’re saying, that’s me? And not your son?”
Jeff nodded. “Don’t make me say it out loud. For everything that Jake lost, I love that boy, but I don’t think he’s strong enough to do what’s necessary. Only you are, Victor.”
“Well,” Victor sat up straighter in his armchair. “These words certainly are unexpected. Welcome, but unexpected. I promise your faith in me will not be misguided.” He stood up and Jeff followed suit.
“I could use your help. With Jake, when he returns. Can I have your promise, you will do what you can?”
Jeff gave a quick nod before he opened the door. “I will do anything in my power to make sure he understands and all will not be lost as we strive toward freedom.”
Victor wished he could believe him. He wished Jeff’s words rang true, but it sounded like a speech to him. It was too bad. Victor really did like Jeff, and if it wasn’t for him and his plan, he’d still be doped up on government organ juice with no clarity about what he really was—or who he was.
But he shook his hand. “Then for now, until your son returns, you will be my right hand man. For now, go to the kitchen. We are working on a meal for a special person. You’ll receive your instructions there. Help me with this person and,” Victor grinned, “I will be forever grateful.”
Victor nodded his head at Thomas Jane at the door so he would escort Jeff down to the kitchen. When he left, Victor pulled a cigar from his pocket and rolled it between his fingers.
If he could use Jeff for now, Victor would bide his time. Figure out what papa Monroe was up to, but if Jeff tried to cross him, Victor wouldn’t hesitate to stop him. Make an example of him.
****
The room Liz was given was light and airy. There was a large queen bed and it was surrounded by unmade cots for the glistenings that crammed in at night, but while she was in there, they gave her space.
They saw the fear in her eyes and they left her alone, to bring her comfort and Liz suspected for their own. They didn’t like to be regarded as monsters, Liz saw that in their eyes when she screamed and coiled away.
Now it was morning and the wound in her belly was being dressed by a glistening. Liz hadn’t caught her name when it was told to her because she was so scared. But she did as she was told, laying there with her shirt up while a female glistening washed her wound and then applied fresh gauze and tape.
She looked sweet in a simple dress and a swept back hairstyle. Liz thought she was one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen. The beauty of glistenings was legendary, but Liz always thought it was an untrue story, a myth. But as she looked at this woman’s perfect complexion, the flawlessly smooth skin and rosy cheeks, Liz knew it was true.
The woman smiled. “There you go, honey. I hope you start to feel better today.” She packed up her first aid supplies into a small plastic container.
Liz swallowed the spit that collected in her mouth. She pulled her shirt down. “What’s your name?”
“Meghan.”
Meghan. “I’m sorry. We’ve met. I guess I…forgot.”
“Scared out of your mind, you mean?” Meghan patted her hand. Liz wanted to recoil and pull it back, but she resisted the urge. “You’re Jake’s friend. And I am sorry. I know how confusing and horrible this must be for you. To know you’ve been chumming around with a bunch of mon—glistenings.” Grief danced across her lips and against her eyes.
Liz grimaced as she sat up and touched her side. “Is he here?”
Meghan shook her head. “I hope he returns soon. We need him. But it’s not yours to worry about. Soon, soon I hope you can go home. Best to rest up though.”
“Why can’t I go home?” Liz asked with growing fright. Were her parents all right?
“Someone will bring you some food soon. Take care.” Meghan picked up her supplies and hurried from the room. When she left, Liz saw two men standing outside her door. Like they were guarding something.
Or making sure she couldn’t leave.
****
She was healing along nicely so that two days later, Liz sat up by the window in the rocking chair. Nursing a cup of tea long gone cold, she couldn’t keep her eyes off of the terrain. Saskachwan was a prairie and generally you could view farms and old towns for miles. Sometimes it seemed like you could see the other side of the world.
But not anymore.
The once blue skies were now grey and while it appeared that off in the distance it was snowing, Liz knew that wasn’t true. It was ash. And where there was ash, there was fire. She could make out the sparkles of flame off in the distance through the smoke like smog. It was so thick, it hung in the air. Even with the window closed, Liz could smell it.
This was her home. That was their livelihood. Their crops, vegetables, and animals were all gone. And for what? So the glistenings could enact war on the Americans. Liz might have been one, but in name only. She had always been a proud Canadian. A prairie girl at heart and she liked it that way.
Now her way of life was snuffed out by a bunch of fire breathing dragons. But at least they haven’t eaten her yet. It was a small comfort, but an important one. It meant one day Liz might be able to break free, stand with the people against the glistenings. But that would mean more death and Meg
han had seemed nice.
Liz sipped her tea, forgetting it was cold and cringed. The farmhouse might have seemed familiar, but there were no comforts of home here. There was nothing familiar at all. She ached to see her family. All she wanted was to go home, if there was even a house to go home to. She didn’t know, but she prayed…
Someone knocked on the door and when she turned, it was opened by one of her guards and someone was allowed in. He was carrying a tray of food on it.
“You can set it on the bed, I guess.” She kept her eye on him. It looked like a sandwich. until they fell to the tray. Liz didn’t realize how hungry she was until she saw the sandwich and glass of milk. Her stomach growled with anticipation.
Slowly she got out of the chair and walked over to it. The man watched her with his hands clasped behind his back. “I don’t bite. Well, I guess I could, but I won’t.”
Her mouth fell open in horror and he chuckled. “Sorry, I guess I shouldn’t try my hand at humor. My name is Jeff.”
He extended his hand, but Liz turned from it. “I know you’re trying to be nice, but what you and your kind has done…”
“Not all of us agree with what is done.” Jeff leaned in and whispered. “Some of us are just biding our time and waiting for my son to get back.”
His son? “Nick? I mean, Jake, is your son?”
Jeff nodded. “And you’re the girl from Nuefeld farm. I’ve heard so much about you. Jake’s really fond of you and if he was here now…well, he’d hate all of this, Liz. All of it. But he’s coming back. He won’t let anything stand in his way.”
So he really did care about her? Liz hoped it hadn’t just been an act, but with everyone always telling her how evil glistenings were… “You really think he’s coming back?”
“I’d bet my life on it. You just have to hold on and keep your strength up. When it comes to my son, he never backs down from a fight. He’s stubborn, just like his mom.” When Jeff made reference to his wife, his eyes sparkled.