“Our records aren’t complete,” Rowan said. “That’s because of the war, of course, and because by the time I was voted into power the country was divided in two. There is no real record of what you call the Great Ones in the first decade of this century,” Rowan said. “Little bits of information here and there popped up shortly before Weber ran for president, and there continued to be more sightings as the years went on. By the time the war broke out, these powerful warriors were supposedly appearing in skirmishes, devastating whole battalions with ruthless precision with weapons and tremendous physical strength and speed.”
“Yeah, that sounds about right,” Goldman said.
“Nowhere along the way did I ever hear anyone suggest that Weber was one of them. He always seemed so frail. Yet when President Handelman met with him, she described him as having an ‘aura of power’ about him that didn’t translate on television. Some of us began to think he might be faking his health. I even heard some suggest he might be faking his advanced age. Yet this is a whole different level.”
“The man we faced in the future was actually showing signs of age,” Lilli said. “But he looked like a healthy guy maybe in his sixties. Not like the poorly aged guy in his seventies we see on TV.”
“I see,” Rowan said. “At any rate, the superpowered people seemed to disappear once Weber consolidated his power. If they went into hiding, I don’t know anything about it, outside of the odd rumor.”
“And that odd rumor says what?” Goldman asked.
“Well, that they blended back into the rest of society. But that there might be a bunch of them hiding somewhere. We’ve heard Bermuda, we’ve heard the Florida Everglades…all sorts of things. The crazies think Area 51. But of course, we’re all in crazy territory now, aren’t we?”
“Did you track any of them down in those areas?” Lilli asked.
“We were very limited,” Sims said defensively. “Following up on rumors of superheroes is like following up on rumors of aliens. Except the aliens don’t look like everybody else.”
“Sure they do,” Goldman said. “You need to watch more movies. And you’re assuming that the Great Ones aren’t aliens.”
Sims rolled his eyes. “They aren’t. I’ve supposedly got one of them in a hospital bed right now. His anatomy is exactly like ours. My point, if I may finish, is that with our limited resources, it would be very hard to track down perfectly normal people who didn’t want to be found. And we had to direct those limited resources to many other areas.”
“That’s understandable,” Lilli said. “But that leaves us with a lot of ground to cover. Literally and figuratively.”
“That doesn’t leave us with anything,” Sims said. “With all due respect, miss, you were never recruited for this job. We would like to get you home as soon as possible.”
“That would be nice,” she said, and sighed. “Yeah. That would be awesome. But I’m in this now whether any of us likes it or not.”
“We can discuss all of that later,” President Rowan said. “Right now, the young lady raises a very good point. We need to know where we can track down the largest number of these Great Ones, to see if they exist and can help us.”
“I’ll have my team pull together whatever intel we have, and we can brief you in two hours,” Sims said.
“That’s fine,” Rowan replied. “I’ll see all of you then. It’s been a pleasure.” With that, Rowan’s end of the feed cut out.
22
Before it was time for the briefing, Goldman asked for a chance to see Nathaniel.
“I suppose that can be arranged,” Sims said.
“Do you want to come with?” Goldman asked Lilli.
“Sure. But just to see him for a second. You can have your time with him.”
One of the agents led them through the hallways. Goldman felt like his life had become a pattern of hallways in secret spaces. It was all getting to be too much, but he had a suspicion that one way or another the wild journey was nearing its end.
They entered a tarped-off wing of the facility. “You guys get a lot of sick people in here?” Lilli asked.
“More than you’d think,” the agent said. “Though it’s more injured than sick. We have quite a few operatives in the field running missions, and even surveillance can result in major problems. It’s the nature of what we’re up against.”
The agent pointed at a door a few feet away. “He’s in there. Sleeping still, so don’t expect to chat with him. But he seems stable, last I heard.” He turned and walked back the way they had come.
“Love the bedside manner,” Goldman said. “Let’s go see what’s up.”
They walked in to what looked like any hospital room Goldman had ever seen, except it had no window. The usual array of monitoring equipment beeped. In the bed, with wires poking out everywhere, was Nathaniel. His head was back at a proper angle, and there were bandages all over his neck, which was in a collar.
“He doesn’t look great,” Lilli said. “Are we doing the right thing?”
“What do you mean?”
“This time period. Or the portal, maybe. It’s sapping his powers. Making it harder for him to heal. With the surgery and all, I bet he’d be back on his feet in a day back home. Here…I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
“Lil, you know what we escaped from. If we sent him through that portal it’s possible Weber would still be there waiting. Even if some time passes, he could have taken the book back to whatever pit he crawled out of. Or he could have people watching for us to emerge. And Weber is the one who made him like this. We did the only thing we could to save him.”
“Yeah. I know. It’s just so hard to see him like this.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “All right. I’m out. You hang in as long as you need and I’ll be waiting in the hallway.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, of course I’m sure.” She gave him a kiss and walked out the door.
Goldman turned to Nathaniel. Seeing his friend in that condition was harder than he’d expected, and he had to choke back tears. “Nate, how’s it going, man? Um…so the doctors told me you’re doing okay. Weber messed you up but they fixed it. And now you just gotta heal. And I have absolutely no doubt that you will. Healing is what you do, and winning is what you do. You’re the hero and you’re gonna help us win this thing. Your breathing sounds good, so that’s something. I don’t like hearing that kinda rattly shit that goes on when someone’s really in a bad way. So I know things are working inside you. That superpowered mojo is going to fix you up in no time. But for now, you need to rest. We’re with the government now. The true government, from my real country. And they are going to fight alongside us to take Weber down. You hear me in there, Nate? We are gonna take that fucker down. And whatever happens to you, to me, to the universe…well, what happens, happens. Can’t worry about that now. And you don’t need to worry about anything. Just get better fast. We need you on our team.”
He paused, getting ready to go, then turned back, and again had to brush away tears as he looked at Nathaniel. “I’m not willing to let you go, man. Not after everything you’ve done for me. Not after everything you’ve been through. This is not how your story ends. Get better.”
He sniffled, then took a centering breath and walked out the door without looking back.
“You okay?” Lilli asked when she saw him.
“I don’t know,” Goldman said. “He’s our best chance of convincing the Great Ones to rise up. He’s one of them, and he can give a lot more details than we can about the fate that awaits them if Weber has his way. If we don’t convince them to fight, we are cooked.”
“Do you think they even really understand what they are?” Lilli asked.
“They’ve been here for a long time now,” Goldman said.
“What do you know?” she asked.
Goldman thought about the vision when he had spoken to the entity in the book. “Maybe some things I should tell everyone.”
; Back in the conference room, President Henry Rowan once again appeared on the screen. “Agent Sims says you have some more…interesting things to share with the room.”
“Yes, sir,” Goldman said. “And it’s about as far out there as everything else. I don’t think the Great Ones, or Weber for that matter, are from our world.”
“I thought we already discussed that they aren’t aliens,” Sims said, sounding exhausted.
“We did,” Goldman said. “They aren’t from another planet. They’re from another version of Earth. I think.”
“You think,” Sims repeated. “Should we be taking comfort in that, Mr. Goldman? Can you give us any more details of this theory?”
“I think they all came here a few years ago, and I don’t think they know exactly how or why. And I don’t think they originally had their abilities.”
“How do you know all this?” Rowan asked.
“It’s hard to explain. But if we’re going to track them down, it’s helpful to know that while Weber was trying to shape the world in his image, the rest of them probably just wanted to go home.”
“Noted,” Rowan said. “I’ve given some more thought to the question of both of you going with the agents. I think that’s okay, as long as you don’t interfere with anything. You will be an asset when it comes to convincing these reclusive heroes to come out and fight.”
“Whatever it takes, sir,” Goldman said.
“Okay,” the president said. “Task Force Alpha can bring the two of you with. There’s rumored to be a mountain contingent, and I think that would be the most obvious place to go. It’s not too far and the Loyalty Guard won’t have a strong presence in the mountains. Very loyal to the Confederacy up there.”
Sims and Rowan exchanged a few more words, then the president’s video disappeared again, and Sims ushered everyone in the room down yet another hallway.
“Our Mid-Atlantic base has one chopper we can use to evade detection. It’s going to be cramped in there, so brace yourselves.”
“Yeah. Fine,” Goldman said. “Whatever we need to do. Let’s just get moving.”
Sims put a hand on his chest, holding him in place. “You just remember who’s in charge here, Goldman. If everything you say is true, you lasted days on surveillance before getting yourself nabbed by the Loyalty Guard. I don’t need you trying to convince me or my men what needs to happen, and I don’t want you or your girlfriend going into business for yourselves. Clear?”
Goldman nodded. “Yeah.”
He got seated on the massive back helicopter, sliding in next to Lilli. He held her hand as they watched the agents load up equipment. Several soldiers in fatigues joined them, holding rifles.
“You don’t think they’ll give us back our weapons, do you?” Lilli asked.
“No. But we won’t need them. We’re flying into friendly territory. Or at least I think we are.”
“That’s comforting,” she laughed. “Will Sims let you talk to the Great Ones?”
“Well first we have to find them. I think Rowan has plenty of confidence that there really is a camp out in the mountains somewhere, but these people don’t want to be found.”
The helicopter lifted off and flew silently through the night. Goldman was convinced they would be shot out of the sky, and he could feel his body permanently tensed through the flight, as if flexing his muscles could protect him against a deadly impact. Lilli rested her head against his shoulder, and he kissed her gently. He had never felt less certain about his path forward than he did right at that moment.
Four hours after the helicopter left, Nathaniel opened his eyes. He was on his back, staring up at a white ceiling dotted with bright, imposing lights. He could not remember how he had wound up in such a place. The last thing he could recall was fighting the Prophet. Weber had anticipated his attacks, and was faster and stronger.
Nathaniel had been overpowered before, and he had cursed his fading abilities more than once when facing the mutants. But this was something very different. Weber was masterful in combat, and had overwhelmed him. Had broken his neck. Nathaniel had felt the strength leave his limbs as he had plunged into unconsciousness.
He lifted his hands slowly, and found they were responsive. He pawed at the brace around his neck. He was bandaged, and still felt some soreness around that area, but he could tell that wherever he was, someone had done something to save him. He tried to sit up and nothing happened. He heard strange noises nearby, and the noises picked up frequency the more frustrated he became.
Finally, he heard a voice. “Oh wow, you’re awake!”
A young man appeared in Nathaniel’s view. He had short blonde hair and was very clean shaven. He studied Nathaniel carefully, then smiled broadly.
“Where am I?” Nathaniel asked.
“A private installation of the resistance,” the man said. “One of the few places left in the world that can be called the United States of America.”
“Where are my friends?” Nathaniel asked. “Lilli. And Goldman. Do you know them?”
“Sure. They are off on a mission. Word is, they are trying to find more of your people.”
Nathaniel groaned. “I have no people. The Great Ones are gone.”
“Okay. Well, I don’t know about all that, but I want to see how you’re doing. I see your arms are up and at ‘em. That’s really good.”
“Is it?”
“Yeah, it is. How about your toes? Can you wiggle them for me?” The young man pulled the blanket away. “Can you try?”
“I am trying,” Nathaniel said.
“Mmhmm. I see. Okay.”
“What is it?”
“Well, you suffered a significant injury to your spine. You shouldn’t have use of anything. Shouldn’t really even be alive and breathing on your own. But you are healing somehow. Whatever is in you that everybody is all excited about is really rising to the occasion. But it looks like you’re still experiencing some paralysis. Meaning you can’t move your lower limbs.”
“How long will that take to heal?” Nathaniel asked.
“Sir, I have to be honest with you. I’m not certain it will heal. What you’ve accomplished so far is a miracle. And maybe you’ve got more miracles up your sleeve, but you’re running a high fever that has little to do with your injuries. Something is taxing your body.”
“Aye. I do not fare well on this side of the portal. It leaves me sapped of my strength.”
The young man looked confused. “Listen, I don’t know about all that. But you need to get more rest.”
“I need to be with my friends! They need my protection!” He willed his body to move, to sit up and get out of the bed. There was nothing. The machines chirped their sound over and over.
“You need to rest, sir. It’s the only way.” The man pushed a button on the machine, and suddenly Nathaniel felt woozy. The man had drugged him, and his exhausted powers could not fight off the invader. He closed his eyes, and succumbed to sleep.
The helicopter touched down in the Pocono Mountains, landing in a clearing somewhere in the forest. At first, as he looked out the windows, Goldman had a sense of deja vu, a reminder of other forests and other clearings, then he felt an urgent sense that something wasn’t right.
“Sims,” he said, “listen to me. You need to be careful out there.”
“We’re always careful, Goldman. That’s how we’ve survived when the country at large fell.”
Goldman shook his head. “But you don’t survive. Not in the long run. I’ve seen the end result of everything, thousands and thousands of years after the war. Weber destroys everything.”
“I don’t know what it is you’ve seen or think you’ve seen,” Sims said. “And in more ways than one I can honestly say I’m sorry I ever brought you into this. But you have not been to the future, Ben. That’s not possible. And this fantasy land you think you’ve seen is not real. I’m here on this ridiculous mountain expedition because I serve at the pleasure of the true president, and you’ve convi
nced him this is the right move. But I warned you not to tell me how to operate on this mission. You need to stay in your seat and let us do our jobs. If and when there is a time for you to chat with whatever the hell kind of cult is living up here, I will let you know. Until then, zip it.”
“Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Sims scowled at him and turned to direct the troops as they exited the chopper. Lilli stirred next to Goldman and looked at him questioningly.
“It’s okay,” Goldman said. “We’re here.”
“Why don’t you look okay?” she said. “What are you worried about?”
“Absolutely everything when it comes to Weber and the Loyalty Guard,” he said. Suddenly, gunfire erupted. “And there it is. Exactly what I was afraid of. Get down!”
He wrapped his arms around Lilli as they dropped to the floor. He was doing exactly what Sims wanted, but he saw no way out of the disaster. He and Lilli were trapped in the helicopter, unarmed sitting ducks just waiting as an ambush raged around them.
“We need to get out of here!” Lilli cried.
“We can’t. It’s a dead end.” He looked out the window and saw flashes of gunfire and energy blasts. “We’ll get torn apart by the crossfire if we go out there.”
A few stray bullets hit the chopper, and he cringed, expecting to be shot or for the whole thing to explode. Nothing so dire happened. He heard screaming, and more bursts of weaponry.
“They’re going to kill us if we sit here!” Lilli said.
“Just wait! Something’s happening out there.”
More chaos. More noise. Then there was silence.
“What’s happening?” Lilli asked.
“I don’t know. Stay here.” Goldman got up and walked to the door. Before he could do anything, the door opened up. Standing in front of him was a tall man with shockingly blue eyes.
“You’re safe now,” the man said.
“I don’t know about that,” Goldman said.
Sims appeared behind the man. He was injured, clutching a bleeding arm. “He’s telling the truth, Ben,” Sims said. He sounded exhausted. “We were ambushed, and these people saved us.”
The Lost Enclave Page 19