“My personal theory is that Alkott’s thugs cut out his LifeTracker chip and took a vial of blood while they were at it,” Bennie said, rubbing his arms rigorously. “Then they probably used a molecular blender to bond the blood with the ashes, blew it around the cockpit, left his clothes behind, set the molecular separator at maximum, then split with Aidan. Voila. A fake suicide.”
“You keep insisting Alkott’s men did this. Why?” Nathan asked.
Bennie opened his door and stepped out. “Because I believe Preston told us the truth when he said Alkott’s men were involved, that’s why.”
Nathan wasn’t so sure.
As Big Bird rocked in the tide, Nathan sat alone and wondered if he’d ever ride between its wings again. The feeling was bitter, like petting an old family dog one last time before putting it down. Would Nathan ever come back? He didn’t know.
He joined Bennie on the dock. Right now, all he wanted was for Giff to hurry up and arrive.
Bennie pulled out his SyncSheet and scrolled through some photos, then passed it to Nathan. “My granddaughter, Crystal, is a spitting image of my daughter, Dana, who I haven’t seen for eight years. I think she might be in a Sanctuary on the East Coast, but I have no way of knowing.” He drew his hood tighter around his face and studied the rising sun, barely peaking through the thick trees surrounding the bay. “I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to Crystal. She’s the only family I have left.”
Nathan examined the photo. “Is your granddaughter in some sort of trouble?”
“Crystal turned twenty-seven last week,” Bennie said, “and it’s a marvel she’s alive. The little sweetheart had an astrocytic tumor removed from her brain stem when she was eight years old. She has a module hard-wired to her cerebral cortex and it requires monthly recalibration in one of Leland Kronemeyer’s hospitals. I cover the cost with my retirement fund, and it’s worth every penny. If the calibration is just a fraction out of sync, she’ll stop breathing.”
Bennie’s eyes watered. “I don’t know what I’d do without her, Nathan.”
A distant hum came from the western horizon. Giff’s maroon seaplane appeared and skidded across their inlet ten minutes later.
16
Chairman Alkott looked out a corner window of a high-rise conference room in the Chicago Barrier. He clenched his teeth, envying the passengers on the dozens of yachts drifting along the river thirty-six stories below. If only he had the time to kick back and enjoy a martini.
He closed his eyes and rolled his shoulders.
The Ellis Three Crisis demanded his constant attention, but it would all be over soon. He’d give the command to launch the missile and destroy Black Ghost, and sever the reins of the World Defense Committee. He’d finally move on to more worthwhile endeavors, such as the approaching primaries for the newly created World Advisor position. The Barriers had effectively preserved the planet’s brightest minds, and siphoned out those who contributed little, but the world needed someone to unify it and put it back on track in winning the war with the sun. It needed a politician who actually cared about the future of the human race, and he was that person. If all went as planned, history would report that he, Ronan Alkott, rallied the world’s greatest scientists into finding the means to stop the flares.
But as his staff reminded him day in and day out, his handling of the Ellis Three Crisis and the ensuing press conferences were vital to the success of his upcoming campaign. “One must first be the world’s savior before one can be its ruler,” his publicist often touted. According to the polls, a majority of Barrier citizens worshiped his shadow. He’d better keep it that way.
The intercom beeped.
He spun around. “Yes?”
“Leland Kronemeyer is here to see you.”
“Send him in.”
Leland hobbled into the conference room and slammed the door, his cane rapping wildly against the rare oak floor. The chairman’s first encounter with the old trillionaire had been six months ago at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, three days after Black Ghost departed Ellis Three. Alkott was the hired speaker for a lobbyist seeking a medical research grant at one of Leland Kronemeyer’s hospitals. He recalled little about the fabricated speech, except that he had received a standing ovation, with Leland’s applause the most noticeable. An hour later, he was drinking pre-flare Bourbon with the world’s wealthiest CEO on his private jet, where their deal had been struck. It marked the beginning of Alkott’s life as Chairman, and the end of smalltime speeches.
Chairman Alkott walked toward the liquor cabinet. “Scotch on the rocks as usual?”
“Cut the crap, Ronan. I’m not staying long.” Leland sank into a chair and tossed his cane onto the long table. “You’re becoming a problem, Chairman.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You haven’t located Aidan Gallagher or the people he’s working with.”
“It’s not an easy task without LifeTracker chips. Aidan and his team are completely off the grid.”
“That spacecraft poses a threat to our entire way of life, Chairman, and you and the World Defense Committee don’t seem to be in a hurry to take it out. More than ever, I’m convinced that Jillian Catterton is singlehandedly piloting Black Ghost, and she’s bringing back proprietary technology from Ellis Three that will enable Aidan and his team members to take down the entire Barrier system.”
“The Committee’s taken you at your word thus far, Leland. Perhaps it’s time you shared those bugged conversations you’ve mentioned.”
Leland dug a thumb drive from his pocket and tossed it at Chairman Alkott. “There it is. All of Zathcore’s inflight conversations from the moment their co-pilot, Collin Harris, bugged the crew members in stasis sleep.”
Chairman Alkott took the thumb drive and smiled, then tilted a bottle of Scotch over a shot glass and filled it to the rim. He downed it and walked back to the corner window. “I didn’t sign up to be your private investigator, Leland. I agreed to rally the world and head up a missile launch committee. And that’s precisely what I’m doing…and doing it marvelously.”
“You and the World Defense Committee should have been more careful about who you contracted to build the missile. Your mistake is your responsibility to correct. Am I clear, Chairman?”
“We hired the best engineers we could find and took the necessary precautions to maintain confidentiality.”
"Your precautions weren't good enough, obviously.”
Chairman Alkott spun around. “We’ve been following Nathan Gallagher for the last week. I’m certain he’ll lead us to Aidan.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Based on my contact’s reports, we’re expecting Aidan to come out of hiding anytime. We’ll bag him then.”
Leland picked up his cane and smacked it hard against the conference table, teeth clenched. “Why not grab Aidan’s son and hold him for ransom like I suggested? I’m willing to bet Aidan would show his face if his son was strapped to a chair with a gun to his head. Why this drawn-out charade?”
Chairman Alkott stayed calm, as he did during press conferences. Best to not further aggravate the cantankerous old rhino. He walked behind Leland and placed a hand on the back of his chair. “Kidnapping Nathan Gallagher is a foolish move, Leland. You know that. Suspicion would be created if he turned up missing a month after Aidan’s disappearance. The last thing we need right now is a missing persons investigation.”
Leland swatted the chairman away. “Is Black Ghost still attempting to contact Space Traffic Control?”
“Every thirty minutes.”
“And your contacts at Global Communications are still scrambling its transmissions?”
“Of course.”
“Why not launch the missile now and be done with it?”
“We’ve been through this, Leland,” Chairman Alkott said, walking back toward the corner window. “The World Defense Committee is in custody of the planet’s only missile, and we need to use it wisely. We can’t risk launc
hing it until we’ve located Aidan and his team. Our best technicians still can’t pinpoint what’s been compromised in the missile’s flight programming, or what Aidan’s team can do remotely after a launch.”
Leland laughed. “You’re performing for the cameras for as long as you possibly can, aren’t you, Chairman? The media’s devouring your poignant speeches, just as Rankcon Corporation knew they would.”
“You’re welcome,” Alkott replied, resuming his study of the yachts on the river.
Leland joined him at the window. “You might be the world’s hero at the moment, Chairman, but I can see straight through your bloated sense of self-importance. Need I remind you Rankcon Corporation put you where you are?”
Chairman Alkott turned. “And I’m grateful for Rankcon’s contributions.”
Leland left his side and paced a few laps around the conference room. He stopped on the opposite side of the table and aimed his cane at Chairman Alkott, as if to shoot him dead. “You owe me more than gratitude, Ronan. Don’t forget that. You and the World Defense Committee wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for Rankcon’s masterminding. We manufactured this crisis and presented the opportunity. We funded your campaign to lobby the planet and inform Barrier citizens of their impending doom. They bought it and put you in charge of stopping the crisis. You’re full of charisma, Chairman, just don’t forget who’s paying for your platform. You stand no chance of becoming World Advisor if the planet finds out this whole crisis is a sham.”
Chairman Alkott refilled his shot glass with Scotch and savored the burn as it trickled down his throat. He walked to the west-facing window—his favorite view of the afternoon sun’s reflection on the turquoise water. “I assure you, Leland, matters are under control, and you will have Aidan Gallagher alive.”
17
Nathan exited the hover-rail at the downtown Kansas City dog park and spotted Bennie waiving his ball cap from a bench. He took a seat beside him. They sat in silence as a young woman walked by with a Dalmatian.
“Any luck getting Sanctuary Admin to pull some strings for your son?” Bennie asked as she passed.
“No, Bennie. The clock’s still ticking.”
“How long’s he got?”
“Five days,” Nathan said, kicking a stone. “Sarah and I don’t even get to say goodbye to our son. I wouldn’t wish this agony on my worst enemy.”
A yapping Yorkie ran toward them. Nathan reached to pet the dog, but it snarled and retreated.
“Nice pooch, huh?” Bennie said.
“Lovely.”
“So that gives us a few more days to find Aidan. We’d better get a move on.”
Nathan remained silent.
“I heard back from my contact at the Department of Federal Aviation,” Bennie said, whispering.
“And?”
“My contact says the goon who’s been stalking us has done classified government work in the past.”
“So you still think this man was hired by Chairman Alkott?”
“That’s my hunch,” Bennie said, tipping his hat at a woman with a Black Lab. “Now that we have his identification, we’ll trace his LifeTracker chip and nab him. Then we’ll get him to talk and see if he has information on Aidan’s whereabouts.”
Nathan folded his arms. “And how do we do that?”
“I’ll send some muscle after him. I’ve got someone in mind.”
“But if this guy works for Alkott, he might be following us because he’s also looking for dad.”
Bennie shook his head. “Chairman Alkott suspects we’re onto him and he hired this thug to keep an eye on us…that’s my take.”
“Not mine,” Nathan said. “I think dad faked his suicide and he doesn’t want to be found. It also means he doesn’t have Ian’s device completed, because if he did, he would have found a way to get it to me…assuming he’s not being held captive.”
Bennie squeezed at the bill of his ball cap, frowning. “So what does this mean, Nathan? You wanna call off the search?”
“I’m better off spending the next five days hunting down someone from Sanctuary Admin who has the authority to release Ian from the hospital. Sarah and I are willing to sell our home if that’s what it takes to come up with a lucrative bribe.”
“But what if you’re wrong? What if Aidan’s tied up in a bunker somewhere?”
Nathan stood. “I want to find dad, but my first obligation is my son.”
Bennie shook his head.
“I’m sorry, Bennie. Maybe you should head back to California and spend some time with your granddaughter.”
_____
The next morning, Nathan opened his front door and found a small unmarked box sitting on the steps. He picked it up and glanced around suspiciously. Against his better judgment, he brought it inside and carefully opened it. To his relief, there was only a folded sheet of yellow paper and a silver wrist-watch. His heart leaped in his chest as he unfolded the paper and immediately recognized the handwriting.
18
Previously
Encounter Five passed through the Fold without a hitch, then cut thrusters. Collin suited up and exited from the starboard bay. Jillian watched him on the main viewer as he drifted to the aft port steering thruster.
“Everything okay out there?” she asked.
“The glass on this face shield needs cleaning, but thanks for asking.”
“I mean, do you see anything suspicious?”
“Give me a minute, boss.”
Collin started whistling as he tinkered on a panel, like a hot rod mechanic from yesteryear under the hood of a car.
“Really, Collin, is the whistling necessary?”
“It’s how I work. Got a problem with that?”
“Could you take this seriously?”
“Like I said, I’ve seen these steering thruster sensors give bogus readings before. I’m sure this case is no different. Probably electromagnetic interference generated by solar wind.”
The whistling continued for another ten minutes…then stopped.
“What’s wrong?” Jillian asked.
No response.
“Talk to me, Collin. What do you see?”
Static.
“Collin?”
“This isn’t good, Jillian.” His breath was short.
“What is it?”
“I’m coming back in. Open the bay door.”
Collin entered and threw off his helmet as the bay door closed. Jillian and the other five crew members gathered around him.
“What’s going on with my steering thruster, Collin?” Jake Martinez asked. He was Zathcore’s senior propulsion engineer and proud of it. His thick arms were folded, and the veins in his neck bulged.
“I…I didn’t mean for any of this to happen,” Collin stuttered, avoiding eye contact.
Jillian ordered Collin and Jake to stay put, then she ordered the other four crew members to leave the bay and return to their stations. No sense in creating panic until all the facts were known. They left reluctantly, and she and Jake moved in closer to Collin. “What are you saying?” she asked.
“There’s a device hard-wired onto the thruster,” Collin mumbled, looking down.
Jake grimaced. “What kind of device?”
“I’m pretty sure it’s a timed detonator.”
“What? Are you sure?” Jillian asked.
“Pretty sure,” Collin said. “I worked for a defense contractor before Zathcore. I know a detonator when I see one.”
“Pretty sure?” Jake added.
“Very sure…okay?” Collin said. “They’ve been popular with the military for forty years.”
“I thought the Global Disarmament Treaty banned this kind of stuff?” Jake snapped.
“That’s a common misconception,” Collin said. “The treaty only banned missiles and weapons of mass destruction but allowed nations to maintain small standing armies, along with arsenals of automatic guns and handheld explosive devices.”
“And how do you think it got ther
e?” Jillian asked.
Collin’s face paled. “Like I said, I didn’t mean for this to happen. I was promised none of the crew would be harmed.”
“Spit it out, Collin. Who put it there?” Jake demanded.
Collin shrugged.
“From the beginning, Collin,” Jillian ordered. “Tell us what we’re up against.”
Collin took a deep breath. “Detonators can’t do much large-scale damage, as they’re only intended to take out a body or two during hand-to-hand combat. But then again, the dynamics of space are much different.”
“No kidding, ace,” Jake said. “So how did it get there?”
Collin’s shoulders tightened. “Long before I signed up for this mission, I was approached by a man named Kendall Rouhoff. He knew I was employed by Zathcore and that I’d co-piloted half a dozen Ellis Three missions. He said his client wanted to know where Elliot Gareth was on Ellis Three and wondered if I might have any information. I told him I didn’t know, but he kept pressing. He told me his client could call in some favors if I had any information on Elliot Gareth.”
“What kind of favors?” Jillian asked.
“He said his client could bring my father back. He was excommunicated from the Los Angeles Barrier after his law firm went under for attempting to sue one of Rankcon’s subsidiaries. I haven’t seen him in thirteen years. Kendall said he knew what Sanctuary he was in.”
“Who’s the client?” Jillian asked.
Collin bit his lip, remaining silent.
“Probably Leland Kronemeyer,” Jake said. “Who else would have that sort of authority?”
“What information did you divulge?” Jillian asked.
Collin ran his fingers over his scalp. “I told him to contact Vance Tremont with Space Traffic Control. I told him Zathcore had worked with Vance in the past, and he had inside information on transmissions leaving Ellis Three.”
Jake pinned Collin against the bay door.
Jillian tried to pull them apart. “Get off of him, Jake. Now!”
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