"And I look around this place of yours," Gordon cast his eyes around the room. "Nothing pretentious. You could have had a big house filled with all sorts of luxuries. Instead, a small, old townhome. I see a simple desk, your diplomas and accreditations hanging on the wall in boring frames; nothing fancy. You never married, you drive a boring sedan, and you don't seem to go on many vacations. So you didn't do it for personal gain, did you?"
"I did not do anything!"
Gordon's eyes narrowed to daggers. His hands reached out and grabbed Maple's collar. His words became a growl but not merely from anger; Nina heard a shade of disappointment or disgust there, too.
"I know why, Doctor. Evan Godfrey black mailed you. He found out something I found out years ago. He found out that you were going to lose your medical license, that you were facing charges of inappropriate contact with a patient. I believe she was seventeen years old when you put her under anesthesia."
Maple struggled in Gordon's grasp and defended, "No, that's not true!"
"Do you want to know how I know that, Doctor? I know it because it was my job to know these things. Years ago, after I started working for Trevor, I found your legal records. I found that you had been a few weeks away from losing your license before Armageddon came."
"I didn't do it!"
"I told Trevor about it. Do you know what he said? Do you?" Gordon pushed Maple against the desk. "He said the slate is clean. That's what Trevor said. He said whatever you did in the old world didn't matter. The same thing he told me when I let him know that his Chief of Security, Ray Roos, served time for theft and assault or his Director of Industry Brett Stanton had been an alcoholic."
Nina saw something in Gordon's eyes. Anger, yes, but also sadness. He might rip Maple's head off, or he might start crying. She did not know which.
"That's what I hate about people like you and Evan! You can't get it through your heads that our lives are on the line here, can you? He had faith in your better nature and you sold out Trevor Stone to a snake like Godfrey because you were worried about your reputation. The old world is gone, Doctor. And with it your sins got washed away. But that wasn't good enough. You still put your vanity above the good of us all! You helped kill the man who gave you a second chance. The only man who really understood how different this world is!"
"No! No! I didn't do anything! I just…I just, um, tried to save…"
Gordon's voice grew a notch softer but he still held the doctor in his grasp.
"You just did what they told you to do, didn't you? It seemed so simple. Why, you weren't doing anything wrong at all. You weren't a part of their plan, just someone stuck in the middle. You made it look like an energy rifle blast—"
"It was an energy rifle blast," the man insisted. "I saw it! I had a hell of a time stitching him up to look good for the viewings."
Gordon's eyes grew a hair wider.
"But they did not want an autopsy, did they? Maybe you would have found a bullet under that blast, or some other cause of death. The real cause of death. No, they wanted you to confirm that Trevor had died, and to say it could be nothing other than the official story they painted. Then you patched him up so he could be put on display for all The Empire to see."
Nina, who had watched the interrogation silently, asked, "Why was that so important?"
Knox said, "Because we had to see him dead. Last time, when Trevor disappeared, there was uncertainty. Not this time." He then commanded, "You're going to help us, Doctor. You're going to atone, or I'll kill you right here."
Maple stammered, "I, um, I didn't do anything. I didn't think—"
"You're going to come with us and do what you should have done in the first place. Evan went to a lot of trouble and risk to make the doctor here cooperate. He did it so that Trevor's body could be on display, but he didn't want the body getting a good look-over. That tells us there are answers with the body."
Maple stuttered, "W-what do you want me to do?"
"You're going to do that autopsy you never did. It's time for the dead to speak."
---
A trio of children ranging from six to twelve waded into the water with their hands locked together. Behind them, on a beach blanket, mom and dad encouraged the kids as gentle breakers rolled to shore. The youngest one—a little boy—tried to retreat as his bare feet met water that, no matter how warm, would feel cold on a ninety degree day. The oldest sister, however, would not let him give up and coaxed her brother further out.
Nina watched the family drama from the shade of a park bench on the far side of the concrete walkway running along Highland Beach on its way toward the Southern Command building. She wore a white halter top in deference to the heat but refused to exchange her green BDU pants for cooler apparel.
As much as she perspired, General Shepherd had it worse in his black dress uniform.
"We kidnapped Dr. Maple," Nina told him. No sense lying or even trying to sugar coat it. Not to Shep.
"Well I'll be. Quite a bold little step."
"Knox figures that Evan is just as likely to figure Maple flew the coop on his own as he is to figure out we got him."
Shep scratched his head and asked, "Tell me again, what did Knox have on Maple that made him give up the ghost?"
Nina smiled; a little.
"Nothing. Nothing at all. Just the lack of an autopsy and circumstantial evidence about him being in the right place at the right time to cover things up. But, look, the guy pretty much gave himself up. I asked Gordon about that afterwards. I told him he hadn't had anything on Maple; nothing concrete, just guesses. But I got to give it to Knox. You know what he said? He said Maple knew he was guilty, and his own conscience did him in. The Doc's mind, Knox said, filled in the blanks. It was all psychological warfare, I suppose. Kind of scary how Knox has a feel for all this. Makes me wonder what he used to do in his old job."
Shep chuckled.
"Listen, there is something going on," Nina had already told the story of the data tapes and air space violations and Ray Roos' attempt to kill them. "There are a bunch of things being covered up, starting with the tripping of the Tambourine Line and also the body. That's next. But look, we're starting to have trouble moving around. More I.S. showing up at train stations and hotels. I saw a couple hanging around my building so I didn’t go to see Denise today, I came here and I saw a suspicious car by the HQ."
Shepherd said, "They might not have been here for you. A few weeks ago the buildings down here were almost empty. Now I've been recalled and so have a bunch of others. We got meetings and meetings. Nina, they're smothering us. Lots of busy work, but you can tell it's all about keeping us close to home. Hell, I told Dante that I've got people in the field trying to track down those Red Hands, but he still said he wanted me back here. It's like they're keeping a real close eye on us and showin' us who's boss. They're making us tap dance for them."
"Maple said something about a military conspiracy to take over the government."
The General spat, "Now I reckon that to be the biggest bit of bunk to come out of Washington in ten years. Yeah, it's been in the newspapers and we keep getting speeches about teamwork and whatever. But these new guys, they're the ones that don't know about teamwork. They're so busy trying to be in charge of the whole shootin' match that they're stepping on a lot of toes. Makin' noise about the idea of a coup d'état is real insulting to the military."
"Gordon figures our new President is looking for an excuse to purge all his enemies. Shep, you're out on a limb here."
"Oh, now don't you worry 'bout that. You just get done what Ashley asked you to do. If Evan did set this up, then something is gunna have to give. As much as I can't stand the little weasel, I sure hope he ain't behind this. That could tear everything apart."
"Well, yeah. But like I was saying, I.S. is crawling all over looking for us. Getting around is becoming an issue. Is there any way you can help?"
Shep thought and then nodded. "I think I can. Got someone new on the team and I
'm pretty sure you can trust him. Is that it, Captain? You just stopped by lookin' to find a ride?"
She returned his kind smile and answered, "I also picked up some help. Oliver and Carl are going to go with us to Pennsylvania."
He asked her about the other member of the Dark Wolves: "And Vince?"
Nina shook her head. "I didn't ask him. He wasn't around, anyhow."
"Hey, whoa, you can trust Vince Caesar. He'd pretty much jump off a bridge for you."
"I know. I didn't want to put him in a bad spot. I'm just saying, Vince is really by the book. What we're doing, it's not exactly authorized."
Shepherd pointed out, "You were always Miss By-the-book yourself. Now look at you."
A burst of giggles from the beach goers drifted to their bench on a cool wind carrying the smell of salt water. The six year old raced across the sand chasing a seagull.
"I suppose so, yeah," she admitted. "This is…I dunno…"
"Personal?"
She cocked her head and considered.
"You know, it is. She asked me to do it. Me. I didn't think she knew I existed. Still, it's like I feel a personal debt to Trevor. Strange, huh? But anyway, I didn't ask Vince to come along because I didn't want to put him in a bad spot. He'd come but he wouldn't feel right about it."
Shep said, "Lots of folks feeling that way these days."
"Oh? What do you mean?"
"I mean other officers and such. They don't like our new President and they sure think this whole peace deal is a fool's bargain. But they also know that if the military does anything it will tear all of this apart. I think most of us are just biding our time, hoping either our 'President' comes to his senses or we make it long enough to vote in someone new. If anyone is hoping the army is going to throw Evan out on his butt, they're wrong. Unless, of course, you find something to motivate us. Otherwise everyone is feelin' it's really important to play by the new rules, even if we think those rules are for shit."
"What about General Brewer? I haven't seen anything about him in the newspapers."
"Brewer…" Shepherd's mouth bent as if he bit into sour candy. "Brewer is back at the old estate doing paper work. Truth is, Jon is pretty much out of the game for now. I think losing Trev was hardest on him. Then he goes and hands over the keys to the kingdom real fast and I'm guessin' he's come to realize how big a whoops that was. I think he's kind of locked himself away and Evan is doing everything he can to keep that door closed. No, for the time being Jon Brewer is dead in the water. Although I'm sure his wife is givin' him an earful."
"That's too bad. I always sort of liked him."
"Yeah," Shep's voice drifted off. "Me too, I guess. But look, you got to finish up what you're doing. Sounds as if you've got your teeth into it now. I'll help you best I can, but that ain't much. Like I said, they're watching us real close."
"You can do one thing for me, can't you, Shep?"
He raised a suspicious eyebrow.
She asked, "Give Denise a hug. Tell her I love her."
"And tell her you'll be home soon?"
Nina shook her head. "No, don't tell her that. No reason to lie."
---
OUR BELOVED ANN SOMMERS, January 15th, 1922- August 9, 1964
IN MEMORY OF JOSEPH STEINHARDT, November 1875- February 4, 1950
HERE LIES A LOVING FATHER AND A GENTLE MAN, ARTHUR TURTLEDOVE, LAID TO REST ON OCTOBER 21, 1975.
The markers stood in lines on the two square miles of green hills comprising St. Mary's cemetery on the southern outskirts of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Most were humble stones baring fading names, a few more grand with stone crosses and weeping angels.
A group of thieves stalked the grounds under the cover of night, stepping lightly between markers and moving from the open hillside into a stretch of trees. Nina led them with Odin the Norwegian Elkhound at her side. Gordon came next, prodding along Dr. Maple who stumbled every few steps. Oliver Maddock and Carl Bly—members of Nina's Dark Wolves unit—flanked the group to either side.
They approached a tumulus mausoleum built into the side of a shaded ridge. Rows of pillars gave the crypt classic, Greek architecture but the small tomb was nearly hidden by drooping tree branches, making it a surprisingly quiet and sedate resting place for an Emperor . Etched above the door was the family name STONE surrounded by carved arrows.
Nina approached the entrance while the others waited. The sword strapped to her leg and the rifle slung on her back jingled. A wind shuffled leaves and the sound of a night bird whizzed overhead, the lone witness to their trespass.
She stopped and produced a spray can. Gordon held a heavy but small tank in one hand and a flashlight in the other. He pointed that flashlight toward Nina and the tomb's entrance.
The spray can Nina used released a fine mist that, in turn, revealed the red beam of a security sensor spanning the door about chest-high. While the sentries at the guard station near the main entrance had already been incapacitated, the alarm might broadcast a wider alert.
She motioned Knox forward. He, in turn, gave Maple a polite shove. The doctor's glasses nearly fell off but he did as instructed.
As they approached, Nina sprayed the beam again. Gordon bent under the electronic trip wire, rested his parcels on the ground, and produced a tiny packet from a pocket in the black assault vest he wore. He ruptured that package and spread its contents against the mausoleum door locks. A pasty acid burned into the bolts. A moment later, a gentle push swung the portal open. Cool, musty air drifted out from the crypt.
Gordon gathered his items and entered. Nina used the spray can to highlight the security beam once more, then pushed Dr. Maple's head lower, so he and his medical bag slipped underneath without tripping the alarm.
The Captain turned to the remainder of the party. Maddock gave a thumb up and crouched alongside a tombstone. Bly did the same with his eyes focused in another direction. Odin hovered between the two, his canine nose searching the air for threats.
She slipped inside the crypt avoiding the man-made alarm beam keeping watch over the final resting place of Trevor Stone. But just inside the door, high up in a black corner, a patch of what could be mistaken for moss glowed a soft light of alert.
As the trio of intruders approached the metal sarcophagus at the rear of the room, a wakeup call transmitted to the tomb's other guardians…
…In the thin forest along the perimeter of St. Mary's cemetery, on a branch of a birch tree, drooped two large green bulbs easily mistaken for discolored bees nests or the rotting remains of Gypsy Moth cocoons. The bulbs shimmied and curled open with a soft crackle. Vile liquid dripped in long, stringy strands as two greenish spheres birthed from the sickly wombs…
…Flashlights found the Emperor's coffin. Its shiny reflection in the artificial light contrasted starkly with the dreary, aged stone of the small room.
A sophisticated electronic lock affixed to a bar controlled a series of seals along the frame. Cracking the lock's code would take time, which was why Gordon Knox brought along a more direct method of penetrating the final ring of security protecting the Emperor's last vessel.
He slipped on a pair of welder's goggles and ignited a blowtorch. The furious fountain of sparks from burning acetylene lit the chamber like a holiday fireworks display. The metal glowed as it melted and broke under the assault.
Captain Forest and Dr. Maple stood off with their hands protecting their eyes. The heat from Gordon's work chased away the coolness of the room.
Nina felt uneasy inside the burial site. She felt even more uneasy as she spied Dr. Maple examining her as if she might be a bug under a microscope.
"What? Is there a problem?"
He pushed his spectacles higher on his nose and answered, "You really don't remember, um, a thing. Do you?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Gordon finished cutting through one section of the locking mechanism, slid the torch tank to the other end of the coffin, and continued his work.
"Well, um, I w
as there, you know," the Doctor explained. "Me and Reverend Johnny, you see, found the, um, memory implant in your head. We had to, well, break the news—so to speak—to Trevor."
Nina's eye narrowed. She felt a shiver in her spine.
"And what? What do you know about all that?"
Maple smiled. He tried to appear confident and in control with that smile, but it came across as weak and unsure. Nonetheless he tried, shaking his head and saying, "It would be treason, um, you see. Trevor said it would be treason to tell you anything about the times you, um, can't recall."
She ignored the irony in Maple speaking of treason and wrapped a fist around his collar.
"Listen, you had better—"
"Get me out of this! Get me out of this in one piece…protect me and I'll tell you."
"Right now, you need protection from me. I want you to tell me—"
A heavy clang interrupted the interrogation as the locking mechanism fell away.
Knox, unaware of the conversation, turned off the torch and raised his goggles.
"That should do the trick," he said.
Nina stared at Maple for a long two seconds, and then released his collar as she turned her eyes to the coffin.
As the moment arrived, Nina found she did not want to gaze upon the rotting corpse of her beloved leader. It had been bad enough to view his perfectly preserved body as it lay in state more than a month ago. But to see the man she had admired rotting away…to see him as nothing more than an empty shell…that made her stomach ache.
Yet she could not avoid this duty. Based on Maple's confessions, she agreed with Knox that clues waited inside the Emperor's body.
She grabbed one end, Gordon the other. Together they lifted the heavy lid and dropped it to the floor.
Beyond Armageddon IV: Schism Page 31