by T. C. Edge
“That’s right, Councillor Mitchell,” he said with a calm authority and inner confidence. “I have worked on this plan for some time now, and know all of its moving parts. I am confident that I’ll be able to bring Chloe in, have the CID extract the data, and then destroy it before anyone can access it. I know the systems intimately, and was part of the team that built the process.”
A little cough bounded from the opposite end of the table. It came from Colonel Slattery, who was shaking his head in disbelief.
“Agent Hunt, I’m not quite sure I’m hearing this correctly? Your plan, yours and Martha’s, is to hand Miss Phantom over to the NDSA government, to their secret intelligence service, to the very people who forced Professor Phantom to develop this science in the first place? The people, I might add, who are currently the main threat to the WSA in the war, and who will no doubt rise immediately to dominate this continent should they get this data? Am I right so far?”
“Correct, sir,” said Ragan.
Slattery let out a loud huff.
“Well, excuse me, but that does sound rather ridiculous. It is an absurd risk, and one we simply cannot take. If something goes wrong, and the data isn’t destroyed and ends up in the hands of the NDSA, then we will have done more than fail. We will have aided and abetted in the downfall of humankind. I understand you have some sympathy for Miss Phantom, but this proposal is beyond ludicrous.”
“I have to agree with the Colonel,” added Archie Westham, waving the suggestion off with a flick of his hand. “It’s far too risky to even consider.”
“Respectfully, Councillor, I disagree,” said Ragan firmly. “I will destroy the data, I promise you that. Then, it’s about extracting Chloe.” He smiled at her. “And I’ll do my damnedest to make sure that happens.”
“And lose your cover as a result?” questioned Colonel Slattery. “Don’t forget, Agent Hunt, that there are always more threats to face. Our work will never be done here at Project Dawn, and you are one of our most valuable assets. You simply cannot lose your cover with the CID. This plan will never get my consent.”
“And if I resign my post here, Colonel?” said Ragan. “If you kill Chloe, that’s just what I’ll do. I will not work for an organisation that condones the murder of innocents…”
“You forget yourself, Agent Hunt,” bristled Slattery. “Your caring for this girl has turned you narrow-minded. Do not lose perspective here, soldier.”
“I haven’t, sir,” retorted Ragan. “But I won’t stand by and let Chloe be killed when there are other viable alternatives. If I succeed, the data will be destroyed, and Chloe will be free. I consider our chances of success to be worth the risk, sir.”
“I’m sure you do,” said Colonel Slattery, shaking his head in exasperation. “Yet I can see from the shaking heads around the table that others consider the plan equally risky. If President Rashmore gets his hands on the data, we may all be doomed. He may just be the most ruthless man on the continent, and will pose a threat to more than just these lands. Is one girl’s life worth risking all of that?”
“Yes,” said Ragan immediately. “And she isn’t just one girl, sir. President Rashmore ran her father into the ground, and led her into this life. What greater justice can there be than for her to return home, only to deny him his great prize?”
“Very poetic, I’ll grant you,” said Slattery. “But nothing you say will sway my thinking. I see that Benedict and Archibald think the same. Professor Horton, how about you?”
Stephanie Horton shuffled again, her head not quite knowing whether to shake or nod.
“I…I don’t know, Colonel,” is all she managed. “It might…work.”
Slattery leaned back. It clearly wasn’t the response he was hoping for.
“You see, Jeremiah, there is merit in this plan,” said Martha, winking at Chloe. She took over, looking to the three as-yet-silent councillors. One by one, she posed the question, and the room heard their responses.
“I need more time to think,” said one, Gloria Beecham, an elderly lady with narrow features and a pensive, thoughtful demeanour. “You know me, it takes me time to decide on anything these days.” She ended with a light chuckle, as Martha turned to the next.
“And you, Wilhelm?”
Wilhelm Gutenberg was a man of impeccable dress and few words. Yet, he remained a little more positive in his assessment. He looked at Chloe studiously, and then at Ragan.
“I believe it could work,” he said sharply. “I would take the chance.”
Chloe’s heart swelled at the endorsement. She had another ally.
Finally, Edith Winterbottom was called to speak. Rounder than the rest, and shorter too, she appeared more kindly of face than the others, more like Martha. Her voice was squeaky. It was perhaps the reason why she hadn’t spoken as yet.
“Yes, OK, I agree,” she said. She appeared to have been won over by Wilhelm’s validation. “If Ragan is so positive, who am I to disagree? I know nothing of such matters. And, look at Chloe…she’s so young. I want the girl to live.”
Gradually, Chloe’s thoughts about the council were improving. The start had been dominated by hard-nosed men who appeared unwilling to compromise. Now, Martha had turned the tables, bringing in the rest. It seemed as if the council was split somewhere down the middle, with three in support of the plan, three against, and a couple who weren’t quite sure.
Certainly, it was more than Chloe could have hoped for. She didn’t know how things worked around here, but imagined that a majority vote would rule in a situation like this. But with two undecideds, it didn’t look like that was forthcoming.
Colonel Slattery appeared displeased with the state of play, his anger primarily directed at Martha and her skilled manipulations. He raised his hands, clenched his jaw, and stood, addressing the room.
“It seems we’ve come to something of a deadlock,” he said through gritted teeth. “We’ve had some heated words and strong debate, and all have plenty to think about. I suggest we call a close to this meeting and adjourn. We can reconvene tomorrow.”
He waited for the consent of the room. Everyone appeared happy enough with the decision. On that, at least, they could all agree.
One by one, the councillors stood and filed out, leaving Chloe standing there in the centre of the room, not quite sure of what had just happened. Ragan came around the side, opened the little hinged door, and ushered her through.
“I can’t tell if that went well or not,” she said. “I felt like I was on trial.”
“And a travesty,” said Martha, pouring towards her. “My dear girl, what an ordeal that must have been. I’m so sorry.” She took her into a hug, her eyes so kindly and warm. “It’s so good to actually touch you,” she beamed. “I’ve always wanted to meet you. These circumstances are hardly ideal.”
“Not ideal at all,” said Ragan. “But yes, that went well enough. Probably better than expected.”
“Oh, certainly,” said Martha. “There are a few hawkish types among us who were never going to relent. It was good to get a few of the others on our side, though.” She glanced around the room, at the soldiers who were now filing out. After a moment, the room was empty. Martha leaned forwards in a conspiratorial manner. “But you know, I don’t think that matters anyway,” she whispered.
“How do you mean?” asked Chloe.
Martha looked towards Ragan, then back at Chloe. She had the expression of someone quickly forming a plan without the consent of others.
“Time is short, Chloe, if Ragan is to escort you to New York to rid you of this…evil. The CID will soon grow suspicious, and that will ruin everything. Colonel Slattery knows this, and will happily adjourn and delay if it will take that particular option off the table. However, I have a habit of breaking protocol, and in this case I will be happy to do so.”
“I…don’t get it,” said Chloe. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying, dear girl, that we cannot wait for the council to deliberate. We must
take the bull by the horns, and hope to cling on. Try to get some rest. Tonight, you and Ragan will be on your way.”
Chloe looked to Ragan, eyes widening.
“Was this…always the plan?” she asked.
He smiled.
“A contingency,” he answered. “If things went ill at this meeting, Martha and I had it in mind to get you out. Didn’t I tell you, Chloe…I wasn’t going to let anyone harm you.”
They smiled at each other, a stolen look. And beside them, Martha did the same.
“You two, what a beautiful pair,” she said with a whisper. “Now get some sleep, if you can. I shall do the rest.”
27
It didn’t take much to exfiltrate the base, not with Ragan and Martha working in tandem.
The former came a little past midnight, by which point the councillors were asleep and the base’s security at its minimum. There were few guards on patrol, and few watching over the vehicle lockup, where Ragan’s CID issued jet-car was stored. By the time Ragan appeared at Chloe’s room, unlocking the door and letting her out, it seemed all the ground work had been done to make their escape seamless.
His arrival was preceded by a couple of thumps, which Chloe’s instincts told her were the sound of two falling bodies. When the door opened, her suspicion was confirmed. In the corridor outside, two soldiers were slumped, knocked out and sleeping peacefully with little darts lodged in their necks.
“Come on, let’s go,” whispered Ragan harshly. “There’s no time to waste.”
She followed him out of the room and down the corridor. With the use of his scanning lens, and knowledge of the facility and security patterns, they were able to swiftly move up through the levels to the ground floor, where they slipped out of a rear door and into an alley at the back of the compound.
There, awaiting them, was Ragan’s jet-car.
“Jump in,” he said, opening the passenger door.
She did, finding her backpack sitting on the chair. She quickly snatched it up and checked the interior contents.
“Don’t worry, everything’s there,” said Ragan quietly, slipping into the driver’s seat - or pilot’s seat given the vehicle’s current configuration - beside her.
Still, she did a quick look through anyway, making sure that her few personal belongings were still there, along with the new tech that Dax had given her. The multifunction lens were a personal favourite.
Confirming that no tampering had gone on, she dropped the bag into the footwell. Then her eyes swept to the side of the base, which was blocked off by a large wall, with what appeared to be a forest beyond. The chill in the air suggested altitude too. As yet, Chloe wasn’t entirely sure where they were.
“So, you said we’re in the neutral zones, right?” she asked. “Whereabouts?”
“Central Colorado, just on the edge of WSA territory. Not many people head into these mountains anymore. High ground is always good for hiding.”
“Yeah, I’ve been this way before,” said Chloe. “So we’ve got a way to go to get to New York, then?”
She quivered slightly at the thought. She hadn’t been close to home since leaving it three years ago. What was once a place of comfort had become one of fear, of secrets and lies, of death. And now she was willingly returning in a bid to set herself free.
There was some irony in that. Some, as Colonel Slattery had said, poetry.
“A fair way,” Ragan told her. “This thing doesn’t have the fastest top speed, but we’ll get there by first light. If the CID follow protocol, you’ll be taken straight to the labs for data extraction. They won’t want to delay.”
“And, they know you’re coming? Have you spoken with your commander?”
“Not yet. I wanted to confirm that we were off base first. I’ll contact him en route.”
“And…they’re not going to come after us, are they? I mean, the soldiers here? They’ll surely track our departure…”
“Don’t worry about that. Martha’s going to sort it. She’s got her tricks, and you’ve seen how persuasive she can be. We’ll be fine.”
“And her? What will they do?”
“Nothing they can do,” said Ragan, “except vote her out of the council. But, she’s got her friends in there, as you saw, so that probably won’t happen. As soon as they find out what’s happened, they’ll all just be crossing their fingers and hoping it works. Some will even be happy that she took a difficult decision away from them.”
“I don’t think I can thank her enough. If this works, and…” Chloe could barely even say it. Barely consider the word ‘freedom’. It wouldn’t be a total freedom, of course. She’d done too much now, been the perpetrator of too many crimes, to ever be left alone.
But, the hunt would end. That was freedom enough for her.
She looked at Ragan as he began starting the jet, its propulsion spouts humming gently with a blue flame. “And you,” she said.
“Me…what?” he asked, glancing over.
“I won’t know how to thank you, Ragan. You’re putting your life on the line for me. And they’re right, you know, those councillors. I am just one girl…”
“Not to me,” Ragan retorted, before feeling foolish for the words and turning away.
To cover his rising embarrassment, he pulled back on the wheel and the jet immediately began lifting, floating off above the wall and tall trees beyond. Chloe watched him for a moment longer, before her attention was taken by the view. For the first time, she got a good look at the base, so well concealed and tightly hidden within the woods.
Then, as they went higher, they appeared to pass through a thin film, as if escaping a giant bubble. Immediately, the sight of the base disappeared from her eyes, replaced only by a further grouping of trees as the forest filled in.
“What the hell…” she gasped.
“Cloaking field,” said Ragan, smirking. “The entire base is covered by it. Makes it invisible to sight and scanning.”
“Wow. No wonder no one’s found it before.”
“Well, you don’t find what you’re not looking for,” said Ragan, the jet now lifting higher into the misty clouds, the woods fading into the fog below. “Project Dawn is a secret organisation. No one is hunting us. The cloaking field, and all the security, is merely precautionary.”
“And all this…this data inside me. It’s the main purpose of Project Dawn, right? It all hangs on this?”
“It’s the priority, that’s for certain. But there are always other scientists, other research, that needs to be monitored. We have people all over the place, in all sorts of fields and positions of influence, keeping watch. It’s been going on for a long time, Chloe. Long before what happened with you, and your father.”
“And…you? You were sent to infiltrate the CID? To keep a watch on my father and what he was working on?”
“Exactly. My security clearance was limited, but I knew enough. Mostly, your dad worked alone on this discovery. It was meant to be kept secret, but with everything that happened, with the fire and his death, things began to slip out.”
“And so the hunt began,” breathed Chloe, exhausted just thinking about it, about all she’d been through. “And…what you said earlier? About President Rashmore running my dad into the ground. It was him who sanctioned my father’s work, who used me as collateral?”
Ragan nodded sombrely, and a grimace of anger rose up on Chloe’s face.
“Then he’s the one to blame for everything,” she growled. “Now I know who I have to kill.”
“Not advisable, Chloe,” countered Ragan quickly. “He’s the President of the NDSA. After President Arnold in the Western States, Rashmore is the most powerful man on this continent. I’d put aside thoughts of assassination, if I were you.”
Chloe grumbled and turned away, casting her eyes to the cloudy night. Maybe she was being overly dramatic. Maybe she was being unreasonable. But whatever the case, Rashmore had just jumped right to the top of her hit list.
They journey
ed on for a while, a silence falling as they both retreated into their own thoughts. With everything that had gone on recently, Chloe had barely had a chance to catch up.
Only a few days ago, she was contentedly tucked away in Sub-Tower 12 in LA, hiding in plain sight and starting to feel something resembling normal. Now, she’d been captured by a secret, anti-technology organisation she didn’t know existed, had her life presided over by a bunch of strangers from all over the continent, and was now flying directly to where everything started, escorted by a double agent who, apparently, had a bit of a thing for her.
And through all of that, she’d learnt just what everyone wanted from her, just what had happened to her father, and just how she might, just might, be able to escape this Godforsaken mess once and for all. If, and it remained a big ‘if’, Ragan’s plan succeeded, then she might just be free of this evil inside her for good, this evil that she only just learned existed, and that everyone seemed to want so much.
It was, all in all, a staggering amount for her to get her head around. And even if everything went well, she knew she could hardly just wander back into New York, move into her old apartment, and carry on as normal.
No, her life had changed beyond all recognition now, and so had she.
She knew, and always had, that there was no going back.
As the jet drifted silently through the night sky, and Chloe sat staring out of the window in a state of deep contemplation, Ragan reached into his jacket pocket, drew out his comms device, and clipped it into his ear.
Chloe noted the motion and glanced over.
“I’m going to call it in,” Ragan said. “This will make it official, Chloe. There’s no going back after this.” He fixed her with a serious stare. “Are you certain you want to do this? I could always…”
“Drop me off somewhere?” Chloe finished. “No, you can’t. This has to end, Ragan. I’ve only just realised now, but I can’t do this running and hiding thing anymore. I’m just…exhausted. Whatever happens, I’ll be happy for it.”