Maddy's progress westward had slowed down after she had reached Fargo. The area she had to cross was immediately north of a huge desert. Several years ago, Melissa and William had passed over that desert and had seen no signs of civilization. Towns did exist west of Fargo, but they were few and far between. Weight Watcher guides were even rarer. When you work on the edges of an inhospitable land, you tend to struggle to find enough food to live on, let alone to munch on constantly. From Fargo, Maddy had reached Bismarck and, from there, Dickinson. She had been there five days now. She'd be there even longer if Louise couldn't find somebody who could copter her west.
Louise had read all of Maddy's bot: how she had been traumatized in some fashion; how her parents were waiting for her at Ranch #4 if only Louise could get her there. She was looking at Maddy's picture right now as she added a comment to the bot.
"My name is Louise Wilson and I live in Dickinson, North Dakota. Maddy has been staying with me for a couple of days now. I have three small children. I can't believe how those little monsters have taken to her. My life is normal thanks to Maddy. I wish I could keep her, but I will send her westward as soon as I can."
Louise could try one small community to the west. Glendive was a cluster of homes on the Yellowstone River. Louise herself had not heard of Safe Haven Ranches. But Glendive was 100 miles further west; perhaps somebody there could help.
Louise's biggest problem was that she knew nobody at all in Glendive. Her second problem was that she herself could not fly to Glendive to search for people who could help. The Dickinson community had only two functioning copters and both were heavily booked in advance. But there was a little bit of commercial copter traffic between Dickinson and points west. Dickinson was the biggest community in the area and served as a source of food and supplies. One commercial copter pilot was in town now. Louise didn't know the man who was in the food store right now, but he had said that he'd be heading west.
Louise described the favour that she wanted from the commercial pilot. She gave him a copy of Maddy's bot so that people in Glendive could learn the full story. She also handed the man a handwritten letter.
"Can somebody in Glendive help this poor little girl? She has had such a difficult life. She needs somebody to take her the rest of the way to Safe Haven Ranch #4. Her parents are at the ranch. They probably think that she's dead."
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Chapter 34
Jock would have talked to Winnie that Wednesday morning at breakfast, but she wasn't there. She had left the ship angrily that morning to feed the wolves and look in on the judge. This was her job and she'd do it, even if any other Wilizy could have dropped some venison into the clearing next to where the judge was stashed. She fumed with the wolves for a while, but they weren't too supportive. Guarding a stupid smelly man was not much fun either. They hadn't been able to hunt, or fly, or do anything. So Winnie gave Scapula and Patella the morning off to do whatever they wanted. She spent the morning invisibly guarding the judge and sulking.
The wolves returned with blood-flecked fur and if the judge had been thinking of strolling off into the forest, that certainly changed his mind. Winnie had time to think too. She knew that she'd have an important role to play soon enough, so perhaps not being able to dress all in black and wear a motorcycle helmet wasn't so bad after all.
# # # # # # # #
"I have something that might interest you, Corporal Winnie," the general said when Winnie showed up in the Battle Command Center in response to his mind message. Winnie eyed the black helmets in the hold. There probably wasn't one small enough for her anyways.
"I received this flyer some time ago from my military counterpart in Washington State. He said that the flyer was old, but he'd be interested if I had heard anything. I haven't had time to respond. I thought you might want to look into it. A blonde and blue-eyed girl has gone missing. The Raging Gardeners were looking for these cases."
Winnie held out her hand and the general handed her a well-worn poster with two large words at the top. Missing Child. Below was a faded picture of the little girl. The bottom half of the poster read: "Last seen at the Eagle Harbor Drive playground on Bainbridge Island, March 4, 2085. Her name is Madison Smythe, but she goes by the name Maddy. Contact the Chief of Police, Seattle Washington, if you can help us find her." The bottom lines had the girl's data: age, weight, height, hair colour, and eye colour. Blonde and blue-eyes, for sure.
"That poster is very old. She's been gone over a year. If I did find her, what could we do? We wouldn't be able to undo the kidnapping if that's what happened to her."
"That's what I thought too. I'll tell them that we weren't able to help. Thanks for popping down, Corporal."
"Wait, let me think."
...
"It might give us a lead on another kidnapper. But I wouldn't want the parents to be told that we were looking into it."
"Fair enough. Do you need anything from me?"
"I need a partner. Standard rule for time-travelling."
"Pick somebody. Keep in mind though that we're running an operation tonight and most people will have duties."
"That won't be a problem."
# # # # # # # #
William was busy testing the new weapon that would be used tonight. He had only a few hours left to tweak it, so he wasn't interested in chatting with Winnie when she came into his makeshift workshop.
"S'up, Winnie," he said without looking up. "Hi Marie," he added.
"The general gave me an assignment to investigate a missing girl." Winnie flashed the poster but William had his head down and was concentrating on a computer screen. "Marie is on the assignment with me because we need two Gardeners, but she needs to have her sling switched over to TiTr capabilities."
"OK. Marie, would you untether it?"
Thirty seconds later. "You're good to go. You'll give Marie the necessary instructions on using the sling, right Winnie?"
"Sure."
"Does your mom know?"
"I assume so. The general would never have given me the assignment otherwise. Thanks, William."
Thirty seconds later, William replied, "You're welcome," but Winnie and Marie were no longer there.
# # # # # # # #
"That was easy," Marie said.
"Told you."
"Your mom doesn't know, does she?"
"Well...no. I'm kinda bending the rules on TiTr'ng without telling her. But I'm only obeying the general's instructions. Besides, I'm not disobeying her. She didn't say that I couldn't TiTr with you."
"She doesn't like me?"
"It's not that. Nobody in the family dislikes you. They're just worried that you might decide to go back in time and do something at Ranch #2 that would change the future."
"Why would I do that? I know what's going to happen at Ranch #2. It's been foretold. I will kill Big Momma and Big Daddy. They will scream in fear; they will die a long terrible death. Why would I want to change that?"
"We hafta get out of here before somebody catches us. Let's TiTr in one sling and keep the other as backup. You can watch me and learn that way."
"You don't mind being in a sling with me?"
"No. Why would I?"
"I don't know, but people that come in a sling with me develop a funny smell and want to get out as quickly as they can."
"Weird."
# # # # # # # #
Winnie and Marie were each slinging invisibly above the Eagle Harbor Drive playground early in the morning. They had TiTr'd to early morning on March 4, 2085 and were now waiting for Maddy to appear. Winnie had suggested that they use separate slings now for real time spying so that they could follow two kidnappers if that's who showed. "Our communications work when we're not TiTr'ng, Marie. If we're separated, just mind-message me when you want to join up again." Winnie could have skip-TiTr'd them in small steps through the day to the very second when Maddy was kidnapped, but she had something else in mind to pass the time.
&
nbsp; "So in your vision Marie, how will you kill them?"
"Who?"
"Big Daddy and Big Momma. Are you going to chew them into little bits?"
"I don't see details like that in my visions. All I know from the vision is that Theogun and Shango are in the sky above the house and it's dark. A lightning bolt comes out of the ship and hits the house. After that, I light myself on fire and I go through the house scaring the teenagers into the yard. I find Big Momma and Big Daddy on the top floor. They see me coming. They scream. They try to run. The flames from the house stop them. I know I do some chewing on them. Then I die."
"Are you sure that you die?"
"I had set myself on fire, remember? My body can't survive that."
"But you were in your alligator body, right?"
"Yeah, but that can only protect me for so long. I don't feel any pain in my vision, but I die."
"Buy why do you have to die?"
"It's been foretold. It can't be changed."
"But I don't want you to die."
"I'm old. I was sent to the island because I was no longer useful. It's my time to die."
"But you can't die."
"Why not?"
"Cause I like you."
# # # # # # # #
The kidnapper came at 11 a.m. and they followed him in real time. He chloroformed Maddy with a pad and then laid her carefully on the floor of the copter. He didn't have far to go. That's the personnel officer, Winnie messaged Marie. All the kidnappers give their victims to him and then disappear so that he can put them in a bunker somewhere.
Who do we follow?
The kidnapper, Winnie decided. I don't recognize him. If we can find his home base, we can track him from there any time we want to. The Maddy girl is gone. All the Safe Haven bunkers were deserted when we searched for them. We had no luck finding their escape hatches.
Marie and Winnie spent the rest of the day following the kidnapper. Eventually he entered an apartment in Seattle. Winnie made a note of the location. She'd give Granny a report on him when she finished the research. For now, they had to get back to Toronto to see the Wilizy thugs set off on their operation.
# # # # # # # #
The first phase of Melissa's Operation Evaporate was designed to put pressure on Betsy's liquor operation. All available (adult) Wilizy were already dressed in black with black motorcycle helmets in their hands when Winnie and Marie arrived. They'd be operating visibly but some insomniac might see them. If so, the connection back to Momaka would be made. If not, there was always phase 2 of Operation Evaporate for that connection to be made.
Melissa reminded them of the operation's main points. "William's new weapon cannot operate through a sling. The Warrior holding the weapon has to be visible and close enough to a pub for you to place the front of the weapon against any wooden surface. Hold the button for ten seconds and by then everything made of glass inside the pub will have shattered. There's no risk of you leaving footprints or anything identifiable behind if you never have to enter the building. Do not do that. We have no idea what kind of explosive devices they may have protecting their pubs. Plus the floors of the pub will become covered in liquor. Liquor is flammable. Our goal is to destroy all of the glass objects in Toronto's pubs by 4:00 a.m."
"You'll be in pairs, of course. The Warrior with the weapon will be at risk for less than twenty seconds, but the noise of the glass breaking could attract attention. The Warrior on sling duty is there to protect and warn. Form whatever pairs you want. Pick up your street assignments from Jock. He has tried to restrict the amount of flying you'll have to do. Do a fly-over each site first to see who's out on the streets and where any other threats may be. That's all, folks. Stay safe."
The natural pairs formed first, picked up their assignment sheets, and left quickly. These were Granny and Doc, Hank and Yolanda, Stu and Momaka, and William and Melissa. Wanda started to approach Dreamer but saw where her eyes were looking and offered to work with TG instead. She was leaving the hold when Wizard approached Dreamer and she saw her nod. Wanda had to run to catch up with TG. Nary was tugging Theo up the stairs behind her – "I'm the one to break the glass, OK?" That left Lucas and the general in the hold. "You should handle the weaponry, Lucas. You're more agile than I am."
"Sounds like a plan, General."
Everybody was excited to finally get into action.
"Marie and I will watch the ship," Winnie said to an almost empty hold. "Marie, about that vision..."
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Chapter 35
On the morning of Thursday, April 25, the day after every liquor bottle in the pubs and bars of Toronto had exploded, the judge reacted. He sent texts to all four sisters. The messages all started like this: I don't want to get involved, but I've always thought that you were my smartest sister. You should be the one to run everything after I'm gone.
On Annie's text, he added: The sister who destroyed your prostitution business will be attacking your mansion in full force tonight. Leave a bomb in your kitchen – you know the kind. Your sister's most precious remaining asset will be at the old Toronto City Airport and will be unguarded. Capture it and you can start another business. Come in from the north.
On Betsy's text, he added: The sister who destroyed all your pubs and bars will be attacking your liquor storage units at the Toronto City Airport. You have the manpower to defend these. Bring your forces in from the west and hide them well. In case one of your sisters attacks your mansion, leave a bomb in your kitchen – you know the kind.
On Christy's text, he added. The sister who hired those crooks to cheat you out of your casino will be attacking your mansion in full force tonight. Leave a bomb in your kitchen – you know the kind. Her most precious remaining assets will be at the old Toronto City Airport and will be unguarded. Capture them and you can start another business. Come in from the south.
On Doreen's text, he added: Your sisters can never destroy your insurance business because it's too big. All three of them will be attacking your mansion in full force tonight. Leave a bomb in your kitchen – you know the kind. Their most precious remaining assets will be at the old Toronto City Airport and will be unguarded. Capture them and you'll have all of the crime business to yourself. Come in from the east.
The old Toronto City Airport was on the northwestern corner of Toronto Island – swimming distance from Toronto's wharfs. As Lake Ontario receded, there were places where it was swamp walking distance. The airport's tarmac had been crumbled asphalt for many years before Betsy saw the benefit of using the old fuel storage tanks for her liquor. She told her sisters about the deserted nature of that part of the island. Christy was storing her surplus gambling tables in a hanger. That hanger was in close proximity to the liquor storage tanks. Thanks to the judge, it would be an interesting and crowded evening on that island.
# # # # # # # #
Neither Winnie nor Marie had any role to play in tonight's operation, so they had TiTr'd back in time to Washington State. They planned to trail the new kidnapper from his apartment forward into his future. They quickly learned that the kidnapper had been caught in the act of kidnapping his next assignment and was serving as food for the fish in Gig Harbor. Winnie and Marie went back to the time when the kidnapper had handed Maddy over to the personnel officer. They watched as he deposited her into one of the bunkers and left.
"That's a dead end," Winnie concluded. "We can't even approach that place without setting off some explosive. We know the people living there are long gone, but not where. An escape tunnel is in that ground somewhere, but neither William nor TG could find it."
"They're the smartest the Wilizy has?"
"In terms of science and technology, for sure."
"Hmpph. I thought you were the smartest. You found the way to rescue Shango, didn't you?"
"I'll need science to find the escape tunnel. Attacking a problem from a different direction isn't going to be the answer. That's all I do when people can't so
lve a problem. Look for a different approach. It's easy."
"Back to the ship now?"
"Yeah. We can watch the fireworks."
"What are fireworks?"
"You'll see."
# # # # # # # #
Those bombs that the judge recommended his sisters use? TG had no idea what those bombs would be, so he couldn't be too explicit in the text messages that he sent from the judge's phone. But with a bomb expert working for the judge, the families would know how to make some kind of bomb to kill people. And the black-clad Wilizy now knew where that bomb would be. It would be in the kitchen of a deserted house. Kitchens are always in the back of houses.
At 2:45 a.m. Friday morning, four liquor storage tanks at the old Toronto airport exploded and threw flammable liquor into the air. The liquor in the air exploded as well with a gigantic whoosh that could be heard across the city. A giant fireball took over the night sky and brought people out of their houses. The burning liquor evaporated into the air. So did everything else in the area that was flammable. Subsequent investigations revealed that residents in the condos across the harbour from the old airport had heard numerous shots being exchanged just before the explosions. Whoever those shooters were, they had evaporated too. Shooting guns in an area where flammable fluids were stored in tanks? Not a particularly smart idea.
The people living in the wealthiest area of town had the best view of the flaming harbour and plenty of them were on their porches. There were ample witnesses to see black clad figures in black motorcycle helmets racing away from the area seconds after four mansions in the area exploded almost simultaneously. A mid-level city bureaucrat made a call to the only functioning part of the Ontario government still remaining after the troubles – the Ontario Supreme Court. The mid-level bureaucrat was in charge of Toronto's metro. With fireballs rising in the city, it was later determined that he was justified in believing that his metro was under attack. The chief justice of the Supreme Court, sitting as he was on his front stoop and watching black clad ninjas fleeing the area of the explosions, was justified in agreeing that the city was under attack. He called the only military man that he knew.
"This is Brigadier-General Jock MacLatchie of the Saskatchewan armed forces."
Maddy's a Baddy Page 19
