Another bang sounded. A sharp pain hit Charlie’s hip. He yelled as his legs buckled. She shot me!
Mattson broke from the group. “Uncle Chuck!” He ran in Charlie’s direction.
Another bullet whizzed by.
Mattson winced. “Let’s get out of here.” Grabbing Charlie’s arm, he heaved the man up, and they stumbled behind the dumpster.
The officers ran after Mendez and the others.
****
Javier squeezed Sam’s hand as they ran, following Robert down the street. With gunshots sounding from behind them, Robert took a sharp right onto a sidewalk that lined a busy street. and led the group into a thrift store.
“Where is he going? That drone will see us!” Javier looked back. The cops hadn’t caught up yet.
They darted between racks of clothes, reaching the back of the store, where Robert pressed himself into the wall and squeezed behind a bookshelf.
What the hell?
One by one, the others followed. Was this the plan? Hide behind a bookshelf?
Javier and Sam were the last to reach the shelf. Behind it, a door-sized panel was open and everyone was gone. Sam squeezed herself behind the shelf and slipped through the open space. Javier followed close behind, entering a dark office.
Panting, Robert locked the door and flipped on the light. He unrolled the map on the desk. “My friend owns this store. We set up this room as a hideout. We can stay here for a while. The walls resist heat-detection instruments.” He coughed.
“The cops will be looking for a while.” Javier eyed the door. “If they show up here, why wouldn’t employees tell them where we are?”
“They won’t. This is a designated hideout. Some of the people here are already on LifeFarm’s radar for various reasons, so they won’t want to draw authorities. Now,” Robert pointed to the red star on the map, “as Trent was saying, this location in St. Louis is a facility that, frankly, we know little about. But we know it’s important to LifeFarm to keep it hidden. The next part of the plan is to stake it out—”
“What about Liz and Mattson? We just left them back there,” Javier said.
Robert settled into the creaky chair behind the desk. “That is regrettable. Your friends will likely be arrested. We cannot risk breaking them out without being captured ourselves. The plan needs as many as possible.”
Javier crossed his arms. “Mattson is Charlie’s nephew. He won’t be arrested. And I can’t leave Liz behind. She saved my life—more than once.”
“Javier . . .” Sam stroked his arm. “We need you with us.”
“Why? I haven’t agreed to anything.” He scowled. “You weren’t planning on me being part of this before.”
Sam’s face fell.
“He’s right.” Trent sat on the edge of the desk. “He deserves to know the whole deal before he comes along, even if only to understand the risk involved. Whether he joins us is up to him.”
“So tell me. In any case, I’m going back for Liz.”
Damien rose from where he’d been crouching against the wall. “All of the Seeds have been activated. That means anyone who knows about Deinix is mobilizing now, to St. Louis.”
“Even the people in Hayes?” Javier asked.
Trent nodded. “I started the process before we left. By the time we get to the point of contact, the few hundred in and around Hayes will be joined by thousands from the other Seeds.”
“So our force to take down . . . LifeFarm, or whoever, is composed of thousands of young-looking senior citizens?” Javier raised his eyebrows.
Robert laughed. “Most aren’t so old, but chronological age matters little. They don’t just look young—they are young. Trent has the strength and vitality of someone half his age. Deinix slows aging to about a tenth of normal, so while he’s aged twenty years, his body ‘thinks’ it’s aged two in that time.”
“And not everyone in the Seeds takes the drug,” Damien said. “It halts fertility, so only those who don’t want children or prefer a natural lifespan take it. There will be more in the resistance than those taking Deinix.”
Javier waved his hand. “Okay, I can buy that for a minute. What I’m still fuzzy about is why . . . what are you resisting?”
“You are too young to remember.” Robert leaned back in the chair. “Before LifeFarm took control, people had freedoms to develop new ideas in science and industry. We weren’t held at the mercy of the government if something they did made us sick. The government answered to the people, those who elected them. Now, they look out only for their own interests.”
“You’re using ‘LifeFarm’ and ‘the government’ interchangeably.”
Robert nodded. “You figured it out back at the lab. LifeFarm uses Deinix to buy off government officials. They also control the pharmaceutical industry.”
“So . . .” Javier rubbed his neck. “Basically, LifeFarm is the government and Big Pharma.”
“Precisely. We aren’t fighting separate entities. They’re all connected.”
“That’s why they haven’t released the vaccine.” Sam took off her backpack and set it on the floor. “They’ll wait until the outbreak reaches a panic level, then they’ll charge ridiculous amounts for the cure. People will pay anything to protect their loved ones.”
“And that’s why they killed Brenda.” An image of Brenda’s body, and her pooled blood, flashed in Javier’s mind.
Aside from Jonah clearing his throat, the office was silent.
“How can we possibly take down something as huge as LifeFarm?” Javier asked.
“It starts with computers.” Jonah moved over to the desk. “With dark networks. We’ll access their systems—security, mainly, and break them down from the inside.”
“Then what?” Javier asked.
“Then . . .” The corners of Jonah’s mouth curled up. “The real fun begins.”
“Yeah, a few communities against the whole government sounds like lots of fun.” Javier huffed. “I have to get Liz. Anyone want to help?”
Sam crossed her arms. “If you fail, you’ll end up in prison.”
“I know that. But I’m not leaving her there.”
Chapter Fourteen
Liz peeked through the window of the small jail cell. The sun was setting, and the guards had offered little information about what would happen to her. Or to Charlie, who slept restlessly on the cell’s only bed. Nice of them to cram all three of them into one cell. After the display of force back at the lab, she didn’t buy their explanation that staffing problems meant fewer cells could be used and the setup was only temporary. They just wanted to be assholes.
“Those bastards better do something.” Through the bullet-created hole in Charlie’s pants, Mattson examined the bandage the paramedics had taped over the wound. “I think he’s still bleeding.”
“They don’t care.” Liz sat on the floor under the window. “As long as we’re a perceived threat to law enforcement, they can hold us no matter what condition we’re in.”
“But he is law enforcement.” Sitting at the foot of the bed, Mattson put his head in his hands.
“He got in the way when they were trying to arrest the others. That makes him the enemy.”
“He got in the way to get me.” Mattson looked over his dozing uncle.
“Yeah.”
“They could have shot him in the back or the head if they wanted to take him out.”
Liz shrugged. “They probably would have if he wasn’t a federal agent.” She closed her eyes, allowing her exhaustion to get the better of her.
As sleep pulled her away, Mattson brought her back. “Do you think Javier and the others will break us out?”
“They might have been captured.” She opened her eyes. “Or worse.” They weren’t in these cells, so if the cops reached them, they obviously hadn’t been arrested. Shaking her head, Liz forced her imagination to stop forming scenarios of what might have happened. She couldn’t stomach the idea that Javier had been killed, especially after all t
hey’d been through.
Charlie stirred and groaned, lifting himself onto his elbows. “Man, what did they give me?” He fell back onto the mattress with his hand on his forehead.
Probably a horse-sized painkiller. Liz glared at him. “How did the cops find us?” The question had been burning in her mind since the smoke bomb went off. She’d been sure no one followed them while they were driving to the lab.
Charlie held up his hand. “Tracker.”
“Huh?”
He pointed to the back of his hand. “All law enforcement personnel have one.”
Liz jumped to her feet. “That’s why you came along so easily.”
With a long sigh, Charlie closed his eyes and folded his hands on his belly.
Mattson stood and backed away. “You asshole.”
“Hey.” Charlie’s eyes popped open. “I had a job to do.”
“And they shot you for your trouble.”
Charlie sat up on his elbows again. “I did that so they wouldn’t shoot you!” He winced. “You should have gone home when I told you.”
“No way.” Mattson glanced through the plastic wall separating the cell from the corridor, then focused on Charlie. “I was right the whole time. I can’t go home and pretend nothing happened. Your buddies killed that woman.”
“And if he’d gone home when you found him,” Liz added, “you would have shot Javier. And maybe me.” The reality that she was trapped with someone who had probably wanted her dead two days ago struck her. “We shouldn’t have brought you along. Either of you.”
Dozing again, Charlie exhaled deeply. “I didn’t know they would kill that woman.”
Mattson stared into the corridor. “Yeah, right.”
****
The side of Charlie’s hip was a giant knot. The drugs the paramedics had injected into him had sent him into a stupor, but staying in a fog became more difficult as the hours passed.
After the sun set, Mattson took off his shirt and bunched it up under his head, using it as a pillow as he stretched out on the floor. Liz slept sitting up under the window—or maybe she had just closed her eyes.
The pain worsened with every minute. Charlie considered yelling for more drugs, but unless the guards at this jail were friendlier than the ones in his hometown, it would have no effect. As part of an authoritarian government, law enforcement ruled without question and any dissenters were locked up indefinitely with little cause. Sometimes, being a “perceived” threat was enough. It didn’t matter what condition the prisoners were in. Enough died in custody for the public to notice, but the media only reported on the cases that demonstrated what would happen if someone dared to resist.
After getting in the way of an arrest or “threat neutralization,” as the official manual called it, Charlie was now on the other side of the law. Cops and federal agents weren’t allowed any more leeway—they were simply made into examples. That kept everyone in check and following orders.
They wouldn’t care that he was in pain. All yelling would do was wake up Mattson and Liz.
He sat up on the bed. Moving it seemed to help. He suspected the bullet was lodged in the muscle or perhaps rested against the bone. The risk of a blood infection from a gunshot was slight—the greatest risk was blood loss, and he’d already lasted long enough for that not to be an issue. All that was left was dealing with the pain, which without treatment, would probably last for the rest of his life.
“Hey,” Liz muttered.
Charlie connected with her eyes.
“How’s the hip?” Her words were laced with animosity.
He looked away. “About how you’d expect.”
“Nice way for them to show their appreciation for turning us in.”
“It didn’t exactly go as planned.” Standing, he tried putting weight on his leg.
“No shit. If it had gone as planned, everyone would be locked up, not just me. Or maybe you wanted the cops to shoot us all while you and your nephew went home to celebrate. Is that it?”
Charlie swallowed. What could he say?
“So, what happens now?” she asked.
He’d been debating that for hours, and every conclusion he reached was a bad one. “Well . . . usually, when a law enforcement officer breaks protocol, they face a court martial-like hearing and indefinite imprisonment.”
“Seems harsh for protecting a family member.”
“Doesn’t matter. They see Mattson as an enemy. And now so am I, for trying to save him.” His words hit him in the stomach—law enforcement was his whole life. He’d sacrificed having a family so he could work the long hours promotion required. He never asked questions when suspicious directives came down the line, because he wanted to be someone the people looked up to. Someone his sister, nephew, and at one time, his wife, would respect.
And now it was gone. Even if he was excused from the charge and avoided prison, he would never work in law enforcement again.
The thought weighed heavy on his chest.
He sat back down on the bed, eyeing Mattson. His punishment would be worse. They’d get into his computer and find what he’d been reading and doing online. At best, any prospects of gainful employment would be ruined. At worst, he’d get a conviction of treason along with a life sentence, complete with full media coverage. Another dangerous criminal neutralized by the department Charlie once served.
The emotional weight grew heavier.
Annie’s face flashed in his mind. Her son’s life was ruined, all because he wanted to save the world. Charlie tried to bury the regret boiling beneath the surface. He should have made the kid go home and saved him from this fate.
****
In the cover of night’s darkness, Javier and Jonah sat in Damien’s car, watching the small police station from the lot of the drug store across the street. Robert had said Liz would have been brought here until authorities brought her to trial and imprisoned her. They would likely transfer her tomorrow, so Javier only had one chance to break her out.
Patrol cars came and went periodically, but the place looked quiet. No other suspects were brought in.
“Can you see an AC unit?” Javier narrowed his eyes as he peered through the windshield.
Jonah scanned the building with binoculars. “I think so. It looks promising. As long as it’s running, it should pull in enough smoke.” He handed over his phone. “Go ahead and call in the order. I’ll get set up.”
“Wait . . . what if the guards don’t take prisoners with them?”
Jonah opened the door. “We’ll just have to hope they do.”
As Javier found the number, Jonah retrieved the metal trash can full of dead leaves and newspapers from the trunk.
After three rings, someone answered. “Thank you for calling Joey’s Pizza. Is this for pickup or delivery?”
“Pickup. I need a large pepperoni.”
Fifteen minutes later, with the hot pizza in hand, Javier headed to the station. He could only hope Jonah was ready to execute their plan.
Taking a breath to settle his nerves, he reached for the door handle and pulled—it was locked.
Crap. Javier looked around the door and through its small window. If he couldn’t get into the building, he’d have to count on the guards escaping with the prisoners without his help.
“Can I help you?” The male voice crackled from . . . somewhere.
Javier looked for the source of the voice, finding a speaker next to the buzzer he was apparently supposed to push. “Uh, yeah. I work at Joey’s pizza across the street. I just got off my shift, and they told me to take this extra pie with me. I won’t eat it, so I thought you guys might want it.”
“I think we’re good here. Thanks, though.”
Crap. Javier pushed the button again. “Are you sure? It’s a twenty-dollar pizza. I’ll just throw it away otherwise.” He silently begged for the cop to buy the story.
A few seconds later, as sigh came from the speaker. “All right. You convinced me.” A buzzer sounded followed by
a click from the door lock. Javier swung it open and strode inside, heading straight for the reception desk.
A uniformed young man sat behind it. Behind him was a row of monitors showing different parts of the building. On the edge of one screen, Javier could see Jonah using the lid of the garbage can to fan smoke.
Javier’s pulse ramped up. It was only by some miracle Jonah hadn’t been discovered yet. The guard must have become used to nothing happening at midnight on a Wednesday.
“So,” Javier set the pizza on the desk. “Lucky for you guys the last caller messed up her order. Wanted pepperoncini, not pepperoni. Who does that?” He offered an exaggerated laugh—anything to keep the guard’s attention on him and away from the monitors. He opened the pizza box while glancing at the interior door to the left—the glass was too dark to see through. The cells had to be on the other side of it.
The guard stood, peering at the greasy treat. “Oh, awesome. This is way better than my Cup ‘O Noodles. Let me give you a couple bucks for bringing it by, at least.” He started to twist around, towards the monitors, reaching for his jacket pocket.
“That’s okay!”
The yell startled the guard, who faced Javier again.
Whew. “Sorry. I had too much Mountain Dew.” With another exaggerated laugh, Javier put out his hand. “No tip necessary. You guys take care of us over there.” He hoped that was true enough for the guard to believe it.
“Right.” He nodded. “Armed robbery last weekend. How’s the girl?”
“Oh, good.” Please don’t let this be a test. As Javier debated how much to elaborate, the unmistakable odor of burning papers reached him. “Hey, what’s that smell?” He noisily inhaled through his nose, then wandered towards the interior door, sneaking a quick peek through the tinted glass. He couldn’t see the cells, but another guard sat at a desk on the other side, startling Javier. Pretending not to be shocked by the other guard’s presence, Javier grimaced. “Do you smell that?”
The desk guard hurried to the door. “Yeah, I do now.” He pressed an intercom button. “Hey, check that out, Brian.”
Brian pushed a button on the other side. “You see anything on the monitors?”
The Seventh Seed Page 12
