“Nelson,” Mike answered.
Mike knew that Nelson was pulled into the maintenance unit, so if anyone had an idea of the layout of different buildings within the city it’d be him. He just needed to find him fast.
“They’re on the floor below us,” Anne said. “I’ll go grab him.”
“I’ll go with you,” Kalen said.
The girls left the room, leaving Mike and Freddy alone.
Freddy wrapped his arms around his father’s legs and buried his face in his knee. Mike lifted him up and gave his son a kiss on the forehead. Freddy reached into his pocket and pulled out the watch Mike gave him.
“I cleaned it yesterday,” Freddy said.
“Wow. It looks great, buddy.”
Mike held the end of the watch’s chain and let it twirl. The light in the room caught the silver and made it shine.
“Thanks for taking good care of it,” Mike said. “Grandpa would be proud.”
“I miss him.”
“Me too.”
Kalen came back into the room. She was alone.
“Dad,” she said.
She motioned for him to come in the hallway. Kalen shut the door behind her and kept her voice low.
“Nelson’s dead,” Kalen said.
“What?”
“Two soldiers came and told Katie that there was an accident at one of the buildings Nelson was working at. A piece of machinery malfunctioned and collapsed on top of him. They said there wasn’t anything left of the body.”
“How?”
“That’s all they told her, and we didn’t press her for anything else. She’s still pretty upset.”
“Where did it happen?” Mike asked.
“They didn’t say.”
Katie’s eyes were red. Her cheeks were still wet with tears. Nelson’s son, Sean, was in the corner, silent. He was the same age as Freddy, and now he was fatherless.
Anne was on the bed next to Katie, holding her hands.
“They didn’t tell me what he was working on,” Katie answered.
“What about who he was working with?” Mike asked.
“There were a couple of guys that did the same job as him, but Nelson said they would always go to the job sites alone. There was never any need for two of them to be in the same place.”
“Where was he stationed?”
For a building that housed the maintenance team it was pretty run-down. The workers were just leaving for the day when Mike showed up.
“I need to speak to you guys for a second,” Mike said.
“Any repair requests need to go through your building supervisor.”
“It’s about Nelson Miller.”
The old man paused for a moment, then looked around to see if anyone was watching. He grabbed Mike’s arm and pulled him inside the building. The old man locked the door behind him.
“Who are you?” the old man asked.
“I was a friend of Nelson’s. Do you know what happened to him?” Mike asked.
The old man gave a snort and ran his liver-spotted hands through what white hair he still had left.
“Maintenance accident,” he said.
“You see a lot of those accidents around here?” Mike asked.
“More than I care to notice.”
“What’s your name?”
“Fred.”
Fred and Mike sat down at a small table in what Mike assumed was their break room. It wasn’t much to look at. A yellow fridge hummed in the corner, while a toaster covered with bread crumbs sat alone on the counter.
“How long have you been here?” Mike asked.
“Since this whole thing started.”
“You’re from Cincinnati?”
“Lived here all my life.”
Mike wanted to choose his words carefully. He felt as though Fred knew what was happening, but he couldn’t risk exposing what he already knew.
“What do you know about the man that’s running this place?” Mike asked.
“I know that he came in with his men, killed a lot of people, established order, and turned the power back on.”
“And everyone was okay with what he did?”
“Once the power came back on people were okay with pretty much anything.”
“I need to know where they sent Nelson to work today.”
“It’s on the report.”
“I need to know where he really went today.”
“Whenever the military show up here we know that whoever goes with them isn’t coming back. We don’t know where they take them, but I have a feeling it’s up in the northwest part of the city. That’s where the factory district is, and that’s where we hardly ever get called to,” Fred said.
“What are they doing up there?”
“I don’t know. But whatever it is they don’t want anyone seeing it.”
14
Six Months After the Blackout
“Agent Sullivan, I don’t give a shit what this guy’s telling you. We have a signed confession. The prosecution is moving forward and if the bastard doesn’t want to defend himself, then we’re not going to give a reason to delay the trial,” Mack said.
Ben could feel the spit flying out of his supervisor’s mouth. Mack Field wasn’t one for trying to push the boundaries. He knew what his superiors wanted and he made sure that he delivered.
“I understand that, sir, but with Dr. Wyatt willing to testify—”
“Do you have his testimony in writing?”
“He hasn’t given me a confirmation in wri—”
“Then the hearing is going to happen tomorrow.”
“But, sir—”
“You’re dismissed, Agent Sullivan.”
Mitch was slumped in a chair with his hands on his belly, waiting for Ben to come out. Ben didn’t make eye contact with him when he passed. Mitch pushed himself up out of the chair and followed Ben back to their office.
“I told you he wouldn’t go for it,” Mitch said.
“I had to try.”
“And how much longer are you going to ‘try’?”
Ben spun around and pinned Mitch up against the wall. Mitch’s cheeks flushed red and the fat under his chin squished up into his face.
“As long as it fucking takes!” Ben said.
The entire hall was quiet. Everyone was looking at him. Ben let Mitch go and walked back to the office alone.
The walls shook when Ben slammed the door shut behind him. A pile of papers sat on the edge of his desk and he sent them flying into the air with one sweep of his arm. He pulled the filing cabinet off the wall and shoved it to the ground.
It didn’t matter if he went to his boss’s boss’s boss. Nobody was going to get in the way of this. Everyone was looking for somewhere to place blame about what happened and Mike was giving himself up on a silver platter. He couldn’t help the man if he didn’t want to help himself.
There was a knock on the door, but Ben didn’t answer. After a few more minutes the door opened. Ben expected it to be Mitch, but when he saw the face of Dr. Wyatt his half smile turned into disgust.
“What do you want?” Ben asked.
Dr. Wyatt came in, stepping over the pieces of paper scattered across the carpet. He knelt down slowly and joined Ben on the ground.
“You know I wasn’t sure what I expected to happen when I saw Mike yesterday. When I saw the way he was looking at me I just lost my nerve,” Dr. Wyatt said.
“The trial’s tomorrow and Mike will be dead before the week’s over.”
“Maybe not.”
Dr. Wyatt slid his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small object wrapped in a white cloth. He dropped it in Ben’s lap.
“What is it?” Ben asked.
“Something that might be able to buy a good man a little more time,” Dr. Wyatt said.
Ben was escorted by a correction officer down the hallway where the dangerous inmates were housed. These were the people who committed violent crimes. Mike Grant was in a cell on this row. He was sandwi
ched right between a serial rapist and a triple homicide.
Mike was lying on his cot when Ben stepped inside.
“You get two minutes,” the guard said.
The officer kept the door open and Ben leaned up against the wall. The space was cramped with just one person, let alone two.
“Come to say your last words?” Mike asked.
“Wyatt came to see me today.”
“I told you I’m not speaking to him again.”
“I know. He gave me something. He wanted me to give it to you.”
Ben pulled the white handkerchief out of his pocket and set it on the foot of Mike’s cot.
“I don’t want anything from him,” Mike said.
“Then don’t open it,” Ben said, leaving the cell.
Mike just sat there looking at the cloth bundled by his foot at the end of the cot. Whatever was inside was something Wyatt believed could change his mind.
Mike paced the confined space, staring the cloth down. He reached out his hand a few times to grab it, but then abruptly pulled it back.
“Stop it,” he said.
He turned his back to the cot and pressed his hands up against the wall. He tried to bury his hands in the concrete. The flesh around his fingers and knuckles turned white from the pressure.
When his hands finally felt as if they were going to break off he stopped. He turned around and slammed his back into the wall.
Mike reached for the cloth and when he felt the outline of the object he knew what it was. He backed up quickly, running into the wall again. His entire body was shaking.
The silent sobs that came were followed by low cries. His head hung heavy between his shoulders and the tears hit the concrete floor.
“You son of a bitch,” Mike said.
Wyatt must’ve known there weren’t enough words he could say to make him change his mind. He had to bring something that was personal, something from home.
15
Day 28 (Cincinnati)
Once Mike knew where the factory was he pressed the button on the transmitter, and when he took his family to the pickup point Dr. Wyatt’s men were right where they said they’d be. He brought Katie, Sean, Mary, Nancy, Erin, and Sam along with him, but the soldiers were giving him trouble for the extra weight.
“We were told there would be three. This is nine,” the lieutenant said.
“I know what was supposed to happen, but things changed. You’re taking these people with you,” Mike replied.
He wasn’t going to let Katie and Sean stay here, not after what happened with Nelson. And he couldn’t leave Mary and her sisters to fate. He trusted Sam to keep everyone safe.
“I can’t guarantee Dr. Wyatt will take them in,” the lieutenant said.
“He’ll take them.”
Anne was holding Freddy’s hand. Mike gave his wife a kiss and knelt down to his son.
“I need you to take care of mom for me. Okay, buddy?”
“Okay.”
Kalen was off to the side, standing by the rubble of what was left of a store. She had her arms folded across her stomach and was looking out over the river.
“Hey,” Mike said.
“I should be going with you.”
“Kalen, we’re not starting this again.”
“I can help, Dad. I’m a better shot than any soldier that came across the river, and you know it.”
“I do know it. That’s why you’re staying with your mom and brother.”
Kalen uncrossed her arms and hugged him. He could feel her face buried in his chest and he held the back of her head gently.
“I love you,” Kalen said.
“I love you, too.”
The lieutenant signaled to Mike that it was time to go.
“Once I take them to the factory they’ll radio to send you guys across the river,” Mike said.
“Be careful,” Anne said.
“I will.”
On the way to the factory the lieutenant wanted to stay south to allow the rest of the units coming across the river to catch up, but Mike insisted on keeping north.
“There will be more of a chance of Bram’s men seeing us if we stay south,” Mike said.
“It’s a good thing they don’t know we’re coming then,” the lieutenant said.
“How long have you been in the military?”
“Since I turned eighteen.”
“So that was last year then?”
“You don’t think I know how to do my job, do you?”
“I think you’re cocky. And that doesn’t work in the world now,” Mike answered.
“You know how many men I’ve lost in my unit since this whole thing started?”
“How many?”
“None.”
“Well, I hope it stays that way.”
Beth was given a post at the factory along with the unit of men that came with it. When Cain introduced her there were no questions asked. Everyone accepted her as their officer in charge.
When Beth walked around the factory the soldiers would salute her, then go about their duties. They respected her simply because Cain told them to.
Her mind kept going back to Cain in the moments she was alone. She wondered what he was doing, what he was planning. His eyes concealed a mind that was constantly active, preparing for what was next.
Beth hadn’t seen her son since they arrived. She wasn’t sure where he was, and felt no sense of urgency to try and find him. She didn’t feel like a mother anymore. The only person she had to look out for now was herself.
The only other distraction in her mind was trying to find Mike. She knew he had taken his family here, but she hadn’t seen him yet.
It was a slow burn inside her, constantly pushing her forward. The steady anger never seemed to grow or fade. It was an anger that was at peace, perfectly balanced and designed to accomplish whatever she wanted to do. And she wanted Mike and his family dead.
Blueprints were piled over Bram’s desk. They were stacked on top of each other and Bram was shuffling through them.
“If we can’t override the silos, then we can’t launch, and if we can’t launch then we lose the one strategic advantage we have,” Bram said.
“Sir, we’ll find a way to do it. Our men are working on it as we speak,” Cadogan said.
“Well, tell them to work faster!” Bram said, knocking the blueprints off his desk.
He’d come too far for this to happen. All of the preparation, the planning, the blood that was spilled to get to this point couldn’t have been for nothing.
“I’ll take care of it personally, sir,” Cadogan said.
Bram let out a sigh.
“I’m sorry, Andreas. I know you’ll make sure it’s done. You can tell Sergeant Blake to come and collect the blueprints,” Bram said.
“Yes, sir.”
“Andreas.”
The colonel turned around and Bram walked over to him. He rested his hand on Cadogan’s shoulder.
“You’ve done well,” Bram said.
Cadogan bowed his head. Bram didn’t toss out compliments on a regular basis, so he knew what it meant to the colonel.
“Thank you, sir,” Cadogan replied.
As Cadogan left Cain walked in.
“Bram, we have a problem,” Cain said.
“What is it now?”
“I need to see the files of everyone that’s arrived in the city over the past week that wasn’t brought in by a recruiter.”
“All of those records are in the administration building. What’s going on?”
“The woman and boy I brought with me from my recruitment trip told me of a man and his family that were on their way to Cincinnati.”
“So?
“I need access to those files.”
“Why?”
“Because they’re a threat to our cause.”
Paul pulled open the filing cabinet and thumbed through the folders inside. He pulled out one labeled “Mike Grant” and handed it to Cain.
&nbs
p; “You cleared him yourself?” Bram asked.
“I did,” Paul answered.
“This profile is shit,” Cain said, thumbing through the pages of Mike’s file.
“I followed protocol in every are—”
“Where is his family?” Cain asked.
“The hotel on Seventh,” Paul answered.
Cain left without another word. Bram followed him out of the office, jogging to catch up with him.
“Tell your men to hold his family,” Cain said.
“I was told that Mike Grant was killed at the bridge. Holding his family won’t accomplish anything, Cain.”
“Not according to his profile.”
Sergeant Blake busted down the door to Mike and Anne’s room.
“They’re not here,” Blake said, through his radio.
“And the children’s room?” Bram asked.
“Empty.”
Bram slammed the radio on the ground. He knew that if the family was gone, then Mike was still alive, and if Mike was still alive, then Wyatt had got to him.
“Son of a bitch,” Bram said.
“We need to gather whatever resources we have and comb the city. According to the reports his wife was at her job yesterday, so the earliest they could have left was last night. Unless they managed to steal one of the vehicles, they can’t be far,” Cain said.
Bram gritted his teeth and shoved his finger into Cain’s chest.
“Find them. Now.”
Sergeant Blake exited the hotel and met Bram on the street.
“I want this city turned upside down. If they’re still here, then I want them found, understood?” Bram asked.
“Yes, sir.”
“And double the men at the factory. I don’t know how much Mike knew, but if he found out about the factory, that’s something Wyatt would have pried out of him.”
Blake ran off and Bram hopped back into his Jeep.
“Take me the factory,” Bram said.
Freddy’s legs were swinging off the edge of the seawall. His heels smacked the concrete. Kalen was sitting next to him. All of a sudden he gasped, making Kalen jump.
“Jesus. What was that?” Kalen asked.
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