by John Carrick
Ashley backed out a level and opened the object named Networks; a box headed with Available Networks opened, listing several. Ashley clicked on the top, a ten-digit number.
The phone in her pocket rang. She fished it out and answered it. An ear splitting feedback loop erupted over the phone and Ashley's voice box. She screamed, threw the phone along with the device, and collapsed.
Geoff had realized what was happening when the phone rang, a moment too late. He jumped up and rushed over to his sister.
Ash was out cold.
"Oh, my God! Ashley! Are you okay?" Geoff listened to her heart, she was still breathing, and despite her being unconscious, she seemed okay.
"Holy shit," Geoff said to no one.
He retrieved the amplifier and phone, setting them on the table.
Monday Night, July 27, 2308
Croswell, Ross and King hung in the air over Angel City.
“So, what’s the story on the ID package,” Ross asked Croswell.
“It’s almost done. I checked on it just before coming out today.”
“What could possibly be the hold up?” Ross asked.
“I needed to get photos of the kids,” Croswell answered.
“Faster, Mr. Secretary,” Ross teased.
“That’s what she said,” King and Croswell said together, laughing.
“Is she coming,” King asked. “By the bye.”
“She is coming,” Ross replied. “She’ll be here.”
“We can catch her up easy enough,” Croswell said. “Here’s the deal. Stanwood finally melted down and went to Miller, who also proceeded to meltdown. They considered hanging Miller out as bait for us, but settled on reactivating the Wolf Pack.”
“Did I hear that right?” Captain Snow asked, approaching from the west. “Be careful what you wish for, huh?”
“Understatement of the year,” King said, raising his hand in acknowledgement.
“How are the kids/” Ana asked Ross.
“They’re fine, fifth wall intact,” Ross answered. “I made them pancakes. Reid’s on overwatch.”
“So,” King said, “the real question is, did Miller leave his office stained and dirty on purpose, or is he actually that stupid?”
“Oh, he is that stupid,” Croswell answered. “That guy is a goddamn idiot, no contest.”
“Wolf Pack, huh? They are serious,” Snow said.
“Are you ready for the good part?” Croswell asked. “You know why we haven’t been able to find them, all this time?”
“Spill it,” King said.
“They’re hiding on an orphanage.”
“What?” Ross said.
“No…” Snow was shocked.
“Eight years, near as we can figure, ever since San Diego. Not all of them, but a few, at least. And Dunkirk, he’d worked with Bergstrom before Wolf Pack, we suspected him, but we didn’t have anything solid.”
“Whatever,” Ana said.
“I can’t believe he got the drop on you like that,” King said.
“He didn’t get the drop on Me,” Ana said.
“What do you call it?” King smiled.
“You want to know what I call it? What I call all of this?” Ana waved her hand in a circle through the air between them. “Do you honestly think I’m this stupid? Fox put up a firewall didn’t he? I’ve been noticing little things. She knew things I didn’t. Sometimes little bits and pieces slipped through.
“But now, you tell me Fox’s arch-enemy happens to be hiding out on an orphanage, three days after he makes his kids orphans. What kind of asshole do you take me for?” Snow asked.
“What are you suggesting?” Croswell asked.
“I’m suggesting that we’re going to fly over there and realize that Bergstrom has dug himself in so well, that we’d have to blow up the entire goddamn district just get him to stick his head out.
“Or we can wait and let the Wolf Pack come to us, while all our Centaurs are in fucking orbit! You all know we’re never going to get them here in time and we sure as hell can’t hide them.”
“It’s worse than that,” Croswell said. “When Fox met with Conway he arranged to put the Centaurs to work, mining the hammered bracelet.”
“Oh, fuck you very much.
We’ve got a real bad guy on an orphanage, exploiting children; lets send in Astral. Why don’t we just nuke it?
“I’ve got news for you, you’re not doing it. She’s Twelve for Christ’s Sake! You can’t send her into an urban orphanage; she’s a goddamn ballerina! She has like three weeks of some lame ass kung fu camp for experience! Fuck you all! If I ever find out that you had any part in this, I swear, I will never forgive you.”
Croswell held up his hands. “Ana, none of us knew. I don’t think even Fox knew. He never would have sent the tanks into deep space otherwise, I’m sure of that much at least.”
“You’re not sure of anything, James! You can’t send a Centaur Cyber Tank onto an orphanage! That’s why he’s there in the first place,” she said.
“I will not tolerate Ashley and Geoff going to an orphanage. That is not happening. It’s not even on the table. Do you understand me?” Snow looked back and forth from the eyes of the men before her.
Croswell nodded, “You have my word.”
“Okay, let’s hear your plan…” Snow said.
“I want to put you three on a rotating post on this orphanage, to see if Stanwood or Von Kalt show up.”
No one objected.
“And we have confirmed that Von Kalt has the amplifier he took off Fox when he arrested him. So even though we managed to clean out all the labs and send them on a wild goose chase, they’ve had it the whole time.
“Then what does Ashley have,” Ross asked.
“Ashley has the original. Von Kalt got what remained of Epsilon. Apparently it was left at ground zero. I confirmed with Carlson up on Kojima Station; the Doctor retrieved it.”
“This gets better by the minute,” Ana said.
“Our only saving grace is that Von Kalt is at least semi-retarded, or he would have figured out how to use it by now.” Croswell nodded to King.
King explained, “This ass-clown hasn’t activated a single filter or effect. He’s satisfied with digital augmentation and basic intrusion. He walked one of the wired mercs off a balcony, but mostly he’s reserved himself to the net. Kid in a candy store, with no concept that daddy’s account will buy toys, power tools and guns, if he wanted.”
Croswell nodded. “I was going to put the three of you on it, but I think instead… Ana, I’d like you to take a permanent position over Saint Vincent’s. Take a trailer and anchor it close enough, but not too close. You guys go out to this orphanage, D13, and do the same thing. I’m going to go visit Stanwood and see if I can get him to reconsider all this nonsense.”
“Ready… Break!” King said, laughing.
Chapter 52 – Contingencies
Ashley’s Journal Monday Afternoon, July 27, 2308
That was pretty weird. I realized what I’d done, even as I was doing it. It looked like Geoff did too. It felt like I was plugging a fork into an electrical socket only the phone was the fork and my brain was the socket.
I’m not too thrilled with this little toy.
When I woke up, I was alone. I found Geoff upstairs in the kitchen, finishing the rest of the pancakes. At least he’s eating.
I can’t believe our parents are gone.
We don’t talk about it.
He seems okay.
I told him I was not happy about getting my brain fried and he actually laughed. The rest of the afternoon went pretty fast. It’s already dark. Geoff spent the day in Micronix-land while I did a complete second session; I stretched again and did my full practice.
We watched a movie and napped. It was lame, some secret agent chasing some super weapon. Shit, I’m living that movie. No wonder my dreams are all messed up. There was some kind of cable with knots that hurt to look at. The cables were made of light, a
nd everything else was complete darkness. That’s what I get for sleeping in the middle of the day, as mom would say.
It’s after nine and Ross still hasn’t returned.
I cooked frozen pizza.
I haven’t touched the Micronix or the phone since this morning. They are sitting right where Geoff left them. He seems to have no difficulty accessing it without holding it.
I have zero interest in exploring the cyber-verse as represented by that black tool-of-vengeance. To me, it’s a knife; maybe a bit more fancy, but still and primarily, a knife, for cutting.
Midnight, Late Monday, Early Tuesday July 28, 2308
Inside the surveillance trailer, Ross ad King sat before panels of spectrometers and scanners.
King tapped on Ross’s arm as a cruiser approached the district. Ross magnified the image of the cruiser’s cockpit. Sure enough, it was Stanwood and Von Kalt.
“I’m going,” King said.
“Go,” Ross replied. “I’m going to call the secretary.”
“Patch me in,” King said and triggered the hatch. “I’m guessing he never got that meeting.” King activated his phase cam and vanished before he stepped out of the trailer. The hatch closed and Ross was alone.
“Mister Secretary,” he said, as the communications terminal came alive.
Croswell had given up his battle armor for the more conventional Washington uniform of three-piece, double-breasted terillium weave.
“What have you got Major?”
“The First Sergeant is inbound on our tangos, let me patch him in.” Ross looped in King’s codec; he accepted the link. A third window appeared on Ross’s terminal as King patched in his helmet camera.
“First Sergeant?” Croswell asked.
“Yes, Sir,” King answered, without actually speaking.
King had entered the expansive parking structure. He slowly approached the government vehicle from just a couple of feet above walking height.
On the screen, Stanwood and Von Kalt had just docked and were exiting the vehicle.
King stayed with them, and by proxy, so did Ross and Croswell.
Both Ross and Croswell were amazed. The massive First Sergeant moved himself into tiny spaces and stayed with his prey flawlessly. He never made a sound, never obstructed an elbow, a knee or a heel. It was like Magic.
In less than three minutes, King had followed Stanwood and Croswell as they were greeted by Bergstrom’s staff and led to his not-so impenetrable lair.
While waiting in the antechamber, King inquired as to his firing parameters and Croswell replied, “Under no circumstances. This is reconnaissance only.”
“Understooooood,” King replied, sounding every bit like a sullen teenager who’s just been told he cannot throw a party while the parents are out for the evening.
Finally Stanwood, Von Kalt and the unseen specter hanging over their shoulders, were ushered into a massive hall.
The room looked as though it hadn’t been used in a considerable length of time. Cedric entered from behind and hit the light switches.
Stanwood and Von Kat turned on their heels while King quickly went inverted. In his trailer, Ross activated the image compensator and rotated the signal back to something not so nausea inducing.
“Intelligence Director Stanwood, I presume?” A rather small man, Dr. Bergstrom walked toward them and extended his hand to Stanwood, completely ignoring Von Kalt, but only for a moment.
Even before he reached Stanwood, his attention turned to Von Kalt and he came to a dead stop.
“Who are you?” Bergstrom asked.
Before Von Kalt could answer, Bergstrom screamed, “NO!
“I don’t want to know, don’t tell me!” Bergstrom turned to Stanwood. “Please ask him to wait outside.”
“What?” Stanwood asked.
“Ask him to wait outside, please!”
Stanwood nodded to Von Kalt, who pursed his lips, but turned and left the hall without a word.
“Go back to the goddamn car, please!” Bergstrom yelled after him.
King righted himself, hanging behind the intelligence director, just a few inches above the floor.
“So…” Stanwood said
Ross had returned his monitor to the natural setting, once King had tired of his handstand. Now he and Croswell watched as King practiced his silent draw. The first sergeant smoothly, but silently drew his side arm and took a bead on the back of Stanwood’s skull, over and over again.
Finally Croswell spoke up, “Knock it off, Steve.”
King laughed over their comm. link, but remained silent as Bergstrom and Stanwood had their little stare down.
“It’s clear that Fox’s technology has made it’s way to you, So you should understand my commitment to this sentiment when I tell you, You have to Give to Get. Now, don’t waste my time.”
“What’s your price?” Stanwood asked.
“Your partner is carrying one of Fox’s amplifiers.”
“It’s his funeral,” Stanwood said.
“I’m glad we understand each other.” Dr. Bergstrom looked into Stanwood’s eyes. “You’ve never been exposed.”
“Do you think I’d be here now if I had been?”
“No, I wasn’t asking. I mean it as a statement. I can tell, just looking at you. You know what else I can tell? You’ve never pulled a trigger.”
“What?” Stanwood asked.
“Even during your practical, you didn’t, did you?”
“It wasn’t like that,” Stanwood said.
“Like what,” Cedric asked. “Explain to me how it is that the Director of National Intelligence has never pulled the trigger. I tell you what. You convince me how you got out of the practical and I’ll hear you out about the rest of this nonsense.”
“I’ve never told anyone this. But, it was… I knew her. This girl I went to school with, she’d been out drinking and got into an accident. The other driver died, she was just a young mom. It wouldn’t have been a capital case, except the car had been reported stolen. Jessica didn’t know, it belonged to the boyfriend of one of the other girls and she’d taken it without saying anything. He’d called the cops before he realized that the girls were just out on a liquor run.
“They arrested her for a homicide committed in the commission of a felony. It was an open and shut case. The jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict and she was remanded to the Hall of Justice.
“I didn’t know she was going to be there. I swore my oaths of allegiance, served on my first jury and marched over to the handgun-training course.
“I went in there totally committed to executing a convict. I’d already been accepted into the officer’s program for at Williamsburg and so going into the practical, I had my mind made up. I was going to collect my executioner’s fee and spend it getting drunk as hell.
“Instead I walked in and saw Jessica.
“She recognized me and started crying. I already had the light nine in my hand, I hadn’t charged it, but I was fucking holding it. I moved to walk past her and she called me by name.
“I didn’t think she even knew my name. I don’t think she’d ever said it before.
“She screamed, “Joseph, No!” I looked over to her and I couldn’t leave. As I walked over to her, she was sobbing, “Please, please, please.”
I think I had been in love with this girl, for like forever. But nothing ever came of it. She liked this other guy in my class.”
Stanwood laughed.
“Anyhow, as I walked up to her, I realized I was holding the gun. I holstered it, slid my newly minted ID through the slot and hit that big green clemency button.
“She thanked me about a thousand times, but I never said a word. She got carted off for a life of hard labor on the farms, but it beats a bullet in the head. I couldn’t let that happen to her.
“You could see all the closed tubes, that opaque frosted panel, with the darkness splashed across it, or just dark inside.
“I remember, as we left, it was my
Dad who sponsored me… As we left, he was crying. He was really impressed. We were always really close after that. I didn’t see that coming either.
“Anyhow, last week I put a bullet through the head of the guy Jessie always liked more than me. A guy I have known all my life. Don’t tell me you know anything about me, about me pulling a trigger. Because right now, if you don’t help me find this man’s children, you are going to be the next person I put a bullet into.”
“Who might this guy be?” Bergstrom asked. “Miller mentioned something about enemies of enemies and new friends.”
“His name is Andrew Fox.”
“Mm, hmm. And then his children… A daughter, named Astral?”
“Ashley.”
“That’s pretty goddamn close.”
“I know you know about Fox. I know you’ve had dealings with him before.”
“You don’t know shit, son.”
“I know that I killed him. And I know that I can kill you.”
“But why come to me? She’s a twelve-year-old girl. Why can’t you handle her? Are you an idiot? What’s your problem?”
“Dr. Bergstrom, when Senator Miller approved your Wolf Pack program, I was his associate. I wrote all his correspondence. His fingers never even touched a keyboard while I worked for him. I am now the Director of National Intelligence. I know everything there is to know about you. You are going to help me, or I will dismantle your life, one locked door at a time.”
“You know everything, huh? Tell me something, shit-for-brains, did you watch the 3AM Trials? Did you see what She did to those soldiers? She wasn’t much older than twelve when she did that.”
“What do you know about it?” Stanwood asked.
“Enough to know better than to even try and help you. I mean that was a cute story, and now I heard you out, even with your silly little threat there at the end, but you’d better have something of equal or greater value if you want access to these guys.”
Dr. Bergstrom had approached a second set of switches and now illuminated the rest of the massive hall. Almost a dozen massive cyber suits stood in various stages of completion.
