Chapter 28
He woke in his safe room to find Steven pacing impatiently between their beds.
“Dude, that had to be the longest night I have ever spent,” Steven said by way of greeting. “What was that all about? Who did you have to meet?”
Paul quickly filled Steven in on what Dr. Abrams had told him and how he’d requested for them to stay neutral, not tell anyone else about the threat on his life, and leave if the opportunity presented itself.
“We’re not going to do that, are we?” Steven asked. “I mean, we can’t just abandon the guy when he is obviously in trouble. And as far as telling everyone else, we have to do that, too. They’ve been here longer than us by a long shot. It’s safe to assume they care as much about Astralis and Dr. Abrams as we do. If you think you’d be angry if they kept something like this from you, imagine how they will feel?”
“We’re going to tell them,” Paul agreed. “We have to. Let’s get upstairs and do that.”
But no one was in the commons room when they got there.
“What the hell?” Steven asked, looking around.
“I don’t know. No one said anything to me about anything going on today.”
“Think they’re down in the training area?” Steven guessed.
“I don’t know,” Paul repeated. “I guess that’s pretty much the only other place they could be.”
“Mr. Bennett,” came Dittrich’s voice from behind, startling them both. “I was hoping that I would find you here!”
Sharing a quick glance, they both turned. Dittrich was smiling with an air of perfect ease and comfort. He did not look at all like a man who was about to stage an uprising and possibly a murder.
“Steven, I believe you’re supposed to be down in training this morning, aren’t you?” asked Dittrich.
“I… wasn’t really sure if I was,” Steven replied truthfully and just a bit sarcastically. “You know, with the way things have been a little tense around here and all…”
Paul looked wide-eyed at Steven, trying to will his friend to not be so plainly antagonistic.
“I understand,” Dittrich said smoothly, still smiling. “We’ve all certainly been on edge these last few days. I was just down there and I know that there are a group of Sentinels waiting on you as we speak.”
Steven took a half-step forward and then looked over at Paul. Paul gave him an almost imperceptible nod and Steven left, not looking at Dittrich as he did.
When Steven was out of earshot, Dittrich said jovially, “If I didn’t know any better, I would think your friend doesn’t like me.”
Paul looked at Dittrich through veiled eyes. “You just need to get to know him, I suppose.”
“I’m sure you’re right. Come, let’s take a walk.”
Reluctantly, Paul followed. “Isn’t there training that I should be working on today?”
“There is and you are,” replied Dittrich over his shoulder. “I am your assigned trainer and I have some very specific discussions planned. I think today will be an enlightening day for everyone.”
They left the commons room and took the stairs down to the main level. Dittrich walked as if he didn’t have a care in the world, practically strolling as he moved through the halls. Entering into the training area, Paul could see most of the other Walkers.
“So how come no one came to breakfast in the commons room this morning?” Paul asked.
Turning to face Paul and stopping, Dittrich put a hand on Paul’s arm and smiled. “They were all given some very specific assignments to complete. Those assignments required completion by ten this morning. They all opted to have their breakfast late in order to get their projects done.”
Paul began moving again so that Dittrich would be forced to remove his hand from his arm. “What were the projects?”
“Oh, that’s not important,” Dittrich said dismissively. “Just busy-work, really.”
What was this all about? Why was Dittrich wandering the halls with no apparent destination? “So… they were given busy-work projects that had to be done by a specific time?”
“By ten this morning,” Dittrich affirmed again without elaboration.
Paul tried another tack. “Where are we headed?”
“I thought I would show you where Steven has been training all this time. Normally we don’t allow Walkers into the area while Sentinel training is in progress—such a distraction, you know—but you’ll be with me, so it will be fine.”
Paul had to admit that this was a part of Astralis that he’d been intrigued to get a look at since the day Steven told him about it. But why would Dittrich show this to him today? Why would it even matter if Dittrich knew Paul wasn’t going to be a part of his plan?
They looped through the training area, past other Walkers that were hard at work. Each was in his or her own training room. Every time they passed a room, the Walker would stop working and pause to look at the two of them as they passed. Paul nodded to each of them, but the best he got were uneasy smiles in return. From Hodge’s group he got stone-faced looks and, unfortunately, the same kind of look from Kenneth.
If he could have stopped right then to explain to Kenneth what he’d been doing last night, he would have, but being stuck with Dittrich made it impossible.
Having made a full circuit of the training area, they reached the main hall again, but instead of going back toward the front of the building they turned and headed the other way. Steven had said he was pretty sure the training area was set into the mountain, and from the direction they were heading it appeared he was right. So why the long detour when they could simply have taken the main hall straight through?
There was only one more turn and then the hall ended against a stone face with a wide metal door much like the one leading into the Sanctum. Turning the cog wheel, Dittrich hefted it open and, with a flourish of his arm, bid Paul to enter.
“We call it,” Dittrich said grandly, “the Cavern.”
Paul was astounded at the vastness of the room beyond, a room that truly could not be more accurately described. It appeared to be natural, the walls not following straight lines, but still smooth. It was roughly circular, with lights hanging at least thirty feet above their heads. The ceiling itself continued much further up, its true height masked by the glow of the lights.
An asphalt track encircled the perimeter, or at least Paul assumed it did. Due to the enormity of the room, much of the track was not visible from where they stood. On the far side was a large pool, appearing to also be a natural formation of the Cavern. To the right of the pool was a tile wall separating it from what Paul assumed to be lockers and showers. A section of the floor to their left looked a great deal like a sand trap at a golf course, but much larger. Distributed throughout the rest of the cavern were pieces of training equipment, foam and rubber mats, and a sparring ring as the center piece.
“This is amazing,” Paul commented to Dittrich, momentarily forgetting that he despised the man.
“It is quite the spectacle.”
Across the room, Paul saw Steven training on one of the mats. He was surrounded by the same Sentinels who normally joined them at their table for lunch, taking what appeared to be hand-to-hand instruction from them.
Nate, the Sentinel whose job it was to protect Parker, noticed them first, and the rest of the group stopped what they were doing to turn and watch them. Dittrich turned to Paul, gave him a huge smile, and laughed loudly. He threw his arm around Paul’s shoulders, guiding him toward the Sentinels. “I believe we caught these Sentinels off guard! Looks like they expect a grand entrance!”
While Paul tried to extricate himself from Dittrich’s fatherly arm without looking like a fool, Dittrich led him to a small stand of viewing bleachers. “I need a quick word with them, privately. I will only be a moment. Feel free to let your gaze wander around the room. Take it all in.” He waved his arm around the Cavern dramatically. “Once you and Steven have completed your training, you’ll both be allowed to come in anytime you like for
exercise and training. But for now, this may be your only chance until then.”
To Paul’s irritation, Dittrich patted him twice on the knee before walking over to the now silent group of Sentinels. Reaching them, Dittrich leaned in close and begin speaking in low tones. Dittrich kept his back to Paul as he spoke, keeping the Sentinels in a semi-circle around him, almost like a huddle. They frequently glanced over as Dittrich spoke. Steven, in particular, never looked at Dittrich once, but kept his eye firmly fixed on Paul, expressionless.
Eventually, Dittrich finished whatever it was he had to say and came back, gesturing with a flick of his head for Paul to follow him.
“What was that all about?” Paul asked.
“I’ll explain later,” Dittrich said. “For now, I need to attend to some other matters. So until after lunch, I would like you to spend your time in the orange room. You will find a small library of books there. The top two shelves of the right-most book case contain a number of teachings on philosophy, isolation, and the innate responsibilities of every American. Start with any volume you like and continue to read until I arrive.”
Without waiting for a reply, as soon as they’d left the Cavern and closed the door, Dittrich walked briskly away, leaving Paul alone outside the Cavern.
Paul just stood there, trying to understand what the purpose of the morning had been. Was that somehow supposed to have been training? If it was, Paul couldn’t figure out what it meant. All they’d done was walk around the facility. And at this point, why would Dittrich have any interest in training him? If Paul had no interest in being part of Dittrich’s grand scheme, and Dittrich knew that, why would he spend any time with him at all? And why had he been so nice to Paul, putting his arm around his shoulder and such?
Maybe that was the point. Maybe since Paul hadn’t committed to Dittrich’s cause but still remained in the facility, Dittrich was purposely attempting to keep him off guard.
Instead of going straight to the orange room, Paul went upstairs to the balcony to try reaching Stephanie. He and Steven had agreed that she should be called, but she’d been unreachable for an entire day now. It wasn’t like her to not have her phone with her and it was even more unlike her to fail to answer when she knew he and Steven may need her.
He was pulling out his phone when the door to the balcony opened behind him and Kenneth came out. He stepped up to Paul without speaking, just holding his gaze. Waiting.
“I owe you an explanation…” Paul began, but Kenneth interrupted.
“Yeah I think you could say that,” Kenneth replied angrily. “What’s going on?”
Surprised by Kenneth’s tone, Paul took half a step backward. “I… don’t know. I do have some things to tell you, and everyone else, but as far as I know nothing has happened yet.”
“Well that’s not what everyone is saying. I saw you. Liz saw you. Our Sentinels saw you—everyone saw you. Walking around with Dittrich like you two were best pals; laughing, joking, his arm around you.”
Stunned, Paul fell back against the balcony rail. It all made sense now. Dittrich was sowing discord, purposely making it appear like he’d won Paul over. And Paul had been stupid enough to allow it to happen, not recognizing what he had been doing. Dittrich must have decided that if Paul wouldn’t join him, he’d make it so the other side wouldn’t want him either.
“Kenneth…” Paul began.
“And then you disappear last night, jumping ship right in front of me without any explanation. You need to tell me what side you’re on and you need to tell me right now!”
Hearing a thump from the door to the commons room, they both jumped and turned to see Hodge grinning at them through the glass with veiled eyes. Pushing open the door, he stepped onto the balcony, almost daintily, taking his time. Casually he sauntered over to the rail.
“Don’t mind me,” he said placidly, looking out over the parking lot. “By all means, I’d like to hear the rest of this little tiff.”
Their conversation would have to wait. “Kenneth,” Paul gave Kenneth a pleadingly wide-eyed look. “I need you to trust me.” Looking pointedly at Hodge, who raised his eyebrows pleasantly without saying a word, Paul continued, “Now is obviously not the time to continue this talk. But please believe me when I say that we will all get together tonight and I will explain it to you. To everyone.”
Kenneth looked almost as if he were willing to challenge Paul and demand the answers anyway. He looked at Hodge, clearly weighing his options and whether he should trust Paul. “Alright. Tonight.” Looking pointedly at Hodge, Kenneth said to Paul, “You’ve never given me any reason not to take you at your word before.”
Without looking back, he made to move past Hodge, who didn’t move but instead stood in his way, silently grinning.
“You want to get your side-burned, eighties-reject-looking ass out of my way before this gets ugly?” Kenneth asked.
Hodge’s grin slid from his face and he moved in very close to Kenneth, eye-to-eye. Kenneth didn’t flinch, finally shoving Hodge’s shoulder, forcing him to let him pass as he jerked open the door to the commons room and went inside.
With a glint of fury in his eyes, Hodge watched Kenneth go and asked Paul, “What was that all about?”
Not bothering to answer, Paul walked back into the building as well, leaving Hodge alone on the balcony. He was so angry at having been used by Dittrich and so frustrated with the situation that he reached the orange room before realizing he’d forgotten his original reason for being on the balcony at all. He fished out his phone again, but there was no signal in this section of the facility. Wonderful. It made sense. He was about as far back in the training area as he could get. One of the walls to the orange room was rock; the side of the mountain. The bookshelf Dittrich had mentioned was chiseled into that rock with wood planking lining the back and bottoms of each shelf.
He grabbed a thin book at random from the right side of the top book shelf and began to read.
Watchers of the Night Page 60