Finding North

by Christian, Claudia Hall

  Alex gave him a soft smile.

  “Troy’s son, Hector James, told me, ‘It only takes one person to stop a freight train, but only when they have help.’” Alex nodded. “It’s kind of the same thing.”

  “The little people and their miniscule actions are the help?” the Admiral asked.

  “Yes, sir.” Alex nodded.

  The Admiral gave her a thoughtful look.

  “The boy’s going to be a General?” the Admiral asked.

  “A baker,” Alex said. “Or a pirate. Depending on the day.”

  The Admiral smiled. He glanced at Alex.

  “Your father . . .” the Admiral said. “He really is a great man.”

  “Right now, he’s a pain in my ass.”

  “The half-birthday party was his idea?” the Admiral asked.

  “Of course, it was!”

  The Admiral laughed at her indignation, and she smiled.

  “I saw your report about John and the Afghan,” the Admiral said. “That was well done.”

  Alex nodded.

  “His children — two boys and three girls — are coming in a couple weeks,” Alex said. “They will go camping, learn to fish, stuff like that. They plan to work at the bakery to learn how that type of commerce works. They want to see UFOs, so we’ll probably head out to the San Luis Valley and watch the drone base.”

  The Admiral laughed.

  “Cian is hoping to learn how to cook roht, Afghan sweet bread, and bolani, their unleavened bread. You remember bolani?”

  “Those pumpkin and potato turnover quesadilla things you used to bring me?” the Admiral asked. “Fabulous.”

  “Cian wants to add them to the bakery,” Alex said. “Colin’s hoping to learn how to make the bread while they’re here.”

  “How long are the children staying?” the Admiral asked.

  “Couple weeks,” Alex said. “Honestly, I think the Afghan is hoping Joseph’s Alex will fall for one of his girls. Certainly, he’s pretty enamored with Alex.”

  The Admiral smiled and then scowled.

  “What’s next?” he asked.

  “Besides surviving a ridiculously large half-birthday party?” Alex asked.

  “Yes,” the Admiral said.

  Alex scowled. She looked up at Raz, and he nodded to her.

  “I need to talk to the Boy Scout,” Alex said.

  “What?” The Admiral jumped out of his seat. “Why?”

  “You know why,” Alex said.

  The Admiral began pacing in front of her. She waited for him to do a few rounds before she encouraged him to sit down again.

  “Why?” the Admiral asked.

  “Because he’s a part of this,” Alex said. “He’s a thread.”

  “No,” the Admiral said. “Go home. Have a birthday party. Work on . . . whatever . . . but . . .”

  “Why are you upset?” Alex asked.

  “Just a feeling,” the Admiral said. “The bookstore owner was poisoned, as was Philippe Doucet and this Dex Zeno. Hank Zutterberg was murdered on a US Air Force base inside a secure building. Marcos Ruiz blew himself up inside a maximum security Navy prison on an island, for God’s sake.”

  “Everyone who gets too close gets dead,” Alex said.

  “Send someone else,” the Admiral said.

  “It needs to be me,” Alex said. “I won’t say there’s no risk. I will only say that we’ve worked to even the odds a bit.”

  “Do I want to know?” the Admiral asked.

  “Probably not,” Alex said.

  “But you’ll keep me apprised?”

  “I’ll do my best, sir,” Alex said. “Thank you for meeting me today.”

  He smiled at Alex.

  “Steve gets his team back . . .”

  “July,” Alex said.

  “And Max?” the Admiral asked.

  “Max who?”

  “Good,” the Admiral smiled and stood up. He signaled to his personal bodyguard and started walking down the aisle he’d come from.

  “Sir.” The bodyguard held out an envelope to Alex.

  “Thanks, Waltry,” Alex said.

  The bodyguard put his heels together and gave her a quick bow. Without saying another word, he took off in a fast clip to catch up with the Admiral. Alex gave the envelope to Raz, who put it with the envelope from Ji.

  Alex waited until Matthew, Troy, Joseph, and Leena came to her. Together, they went down the aisle Alex had come from. Matthew and Troy left first, followed by Raz. Leena slipped out the door, leaving Joseph with Alex.

  “Did you ever think . . .?” Alex started.

  “No,” Joseph said. “Never. You?”

  “No.” Alex gave him a soft smile.

  She slipped through the door and into the warehouse club store. Raz stacked five loaves of bread in her arms and grabbed the rest of the bread Cian had requested. They went into the store to look for John, Samantha, Wyatt, and Max. They found them arguing in the ice-cream aisle.

  Alex smiled. She tossed the bread in the basket and picked up Joey. She rubbed his cheek with hers in hello. He laughed and patted her face. She was going to set him down to pick up Máire when she saw that Raz was holding her on his hip. She smiled.

  For all the worry and danger, there were moments in which her life was truly wonderful. John leaned over to give her a kiss. When they started walking again, his hand rested on her rear.

  This moment was pretty great.

  F

  Chapter Thirty-six

  Four days later

  Wednesday morning

  June 15 — 10:13 a.m. MDT

  Denver, Colorado

  “That’s what I know,” Alex said.

  She was standing in front of the Fey Team and everyone connected to the rooming house. They had assembled in the basement of the rooming house. Vince and Royce were in wheelchairs near the back of the open area. Neev and Jack were sitting next to Cian and Margaret. Trece and White Boy had hobbled in on crutches. Troy was sitting next to Matthew and Erin, and Samantha was tucked into the end of the long couch against the wall. Fionn and Helene were sitting near the laundry room. MJ was standing with Zack, Bestat, and Cliff near the hallway to the bedrooms. Colin was sitting on the stairs with John near Alex’s office. Joseph was standing to her left, and Leena was sitting cross-legged near Vince’s wheelchair. Max was standing just behind her on her left.

  “Would you like to add anything?” She looked at Raz, who was standing on her right next to Sergeant Dusty.

  “Just to say that this isn’t a joke,” Raz said. “It doesn’t seem real. In fact, it seems cartoonish and far-fetched to me. I’ve personally checked and rechecked everything we’ve gathered. As far as we can tell, the world has a natural cycle, and these individuals use the downturn cycle to decimate cultures for their own gain. It’s likely that our culture will be next.”

  “Why are you telling us?” Helene asked. “We are not soldiers. Neev and Jackie, either. Why are we here?”

  “Because if you stay here at the house, your life is at risk,” Alex said. “They have proven that they care nothing for human life. We are expendable chattel. If you stay here or are around me, even for lunch at a restaurant, your life is in danger.”

  Alex looked at her Goddaughter and gave her a sad smile.

  “You aren’t a soldier or a spy,” Alex said. “Fionn’s a medical student. There’s no reason for you to risk everything.”

  “I will not live in fear,” Helene said.

  Helene gave Fionn a fierce look, and he looked confused.

  “For those of you on the Fey Team, you have families and careers,” Alex said. She gave a stack of envelopes to Sergeant Dusty, who began passing them out. “These envelopes contain glowing recommendations for each of you. If you choose not to stay on the team, I will understand. The recommendation will get you onto any team in any service. The Admiral has guaranteed placement. There is no downside to not being on this team.”

  “Except that you’re not on the Fey Tea
m,” Margaret said.

  “And you might live!” Alex said. “You and Cian are getting married in August. You could get a much safer assignment and live very happily. You will always be in our family and in our hearts.”

  “But I wouldn’t be on the Fey Team,” Margaret said.

  “That’s correct,” Alex said.

  Alex looked from face to face, friend to friend. Her eyes stopped with Joseph. He winked at her.

  “This is not a time for bravado,” Alex said. “This is a time to think. You saw Ruiz blow himself up. You know that we were attacked in New York City. For God’s sake, I was attacked in my office in a secure building on one of the most secure military bases in the world.

  “If you live in this house, you put yourself and your family in grave physical danger. If you stay on this team, you put yourself and your family in even graver physical danger.”

  She nodded.

  “This is the line in the sand,” Alex said. “There is no going back from this point. If you choose to be on this team, we are moving into uncharted territory that could very easily take your life and the lives of those you love. If you choose to leave, you may take your recommendation to the Admiral, and he will personally place you on a new team without prejudice. You will also take my love and deepest respect. There is nothing lost by leaving the team. Not one thing.”

  “Except you’re no longer on the team,” Margaret said.

  “That’s correct,” Alex said.

  “If you live in this house, we will do everything within our power to protect you,” Alex said. “But at the end of the day, you are in grave physical danger by staying here. Your children, as well. These Black Skeletons, or whatever they are, will not discriminate between a child and an adult. Human life is simply not something they care about.

  “The smart thing would be to move out. We’ll help you find affordable housing. This includes you, Erin and Samantha. Whatever happens here will easily spread to your homes. Do you really want to risk your life on my stupid puzzle?”

  “For how long?” Erin asked.

  “How long would we have to move out?” Samantha asked.

  “A couple of years,” Alex shrugged. “Maybe less.”

  Erin shook her head and whispered to Samantha.

  “This is it,” Alex said. “Now is the time for you to decide.”

  Alex put on her bravest smile.

  “Max and I are going upstairs,” Alex said. “Feel free to speak to each other.”

  “What if we need more time?” Leena asked. “My mom . . .”

  “I don’t have any more time to give you,” Alex said. “I’m sorry.”

  Leena gave Alex a curt nod.

  “I . . .” Alex’s eyes welled with tears. She cleared her throat. “It’s been my greatest pleasure to serve with you.”

  Alex nodded and started up the stairs. Max followed close behind. John gave her a “well-done” nod, and Colin touched her leg as she went up. They were on the landing when Joseph began speaking.

  “You have in your possession a piece of paper and a pen,” Joseph said. “Please write down your decision and your name. While I think we’d all prefer if things were anonymous, we need written documentation for the file. For those of you who live here and are not on the team, you can just tell me.”

  Alex and Max got to the top of the stairwell.

  “You have an hour,” Joseph said.

  Max closed the basement door. Alex held her arms out, and they hugged.

  “I’m sorry,” Alex whispered.

  “For what?” Max asked.

  “Wyatt wasn’t here,” Alex said.

  “Oh,” Max chuckled. “He told me to fuck off this morning.”

  “He’s already moved out?” Alex asked.

  “No,” Max said. “He was offended that I asked the question. He said that he’d have to be a complete moron not to know his life was in danger when he moved in. Last year just sealed the deal.”

  “He does have a point,” Alex said.

  Max smiled. He held out his hand, and Alex took it. The twins went out into the backyard. They walked to the back of the lot where they kept their honeybees. They sat down in plastic Adirondack chairs in the shade to watch the bees fly in and out of the hives. An oddly meditative practice, time passed while the bees worked. When Alex looked up, John was standing next to her.

  “Are you moving out?” Alex asked.

  “Are you?” John laughed.

  Alex scowled.

  “Whither thou goest, I will go. Whither thou lodgest, I will lodge. Thy people shall always be my people,” John said in a low tone.

  He put his hand on her shoulder, and she reached for his hand. They held hands and watched the bees fly in and out of the hives. Worker bees, full of flower nectar, landed on the lip of the hive and gave their nectar to house bees waiting for them. The house bees retreated into the hive, and the worker bees took off for another round. Bees weighted down with heavy pollen in their leg pouches were relieved of their precious protein source by house bees. The early summer day was filled with the sound of bees, the fertile smell of the hives, and the warmth of the season.

  “It’s time!” Joseph called from the doorway to the backyard.

  Alex, Max, and John looked at each other. For a moment, they stood still. No one wanted to make the first move.

  “Shall we?” John asked.

  They walked back to the house. They stopped at the door. Max and Alex hugged, and, together, they hugged John.

  “Shall we?” John repeated and opened the door.

  Joseph was waiting for them in the kitchen.

  “How many?” Alex asked.

  “All of them,” Joseph gave a curt nod.

  “We’ve lost them all?” John asked.

  “They’re all staying,” Joseph said.

  Alex’s right hand swiped away her sudden flood of tears. John put his arm around her, and Max grinned.

  “We’re the Fey Team after all,” Joseph said.

  She bit her lip to keep from crying.

  “Your team awaits.” Joseph stepped back and nodded toward the basement.

  “Let’s do this thing,” she said under her breath, and went down the stairs.

  FFF

  Two days later

  Friday, early morning

  June 17 — 1:24 a.m. AFT

  (June 16 — 1:54 p.m. MDT)

  Near Kabul, Afghanistan

  “Fey Team!” Joseph yelled as Zack landed the helicopter.

  Although the CIA black site was only ten minutes by car from Kabul, they took a helicopter in case they needed to make a quick exit.

  “Sir!” the Fey Team called.

  “We leave this vehicle ready for anything!” Matthew yelled.

  “Sir, yes, sir!” the Fey Team called.

  Raz raised his eyebrows at Alex, and she shrugged. He smiled.

  “Listen,” Raz held out two unopened envelopes. “With the party and everything, I haven’t worn my body armor until today. We were asleep until Kabul, and . . .”

  “I completely forgot about these,” Alex said, and took the envelopes.

  Zack landed the helicopter, and Joseph yelled something to the team. The team responded. Alex opened the envelope from Waltry, the Admiral’s personal bodyguard. She nodded and opened the note from Ji. She took both notes and tucked them into her duffle behind her seat. Raz nudged her. The Fey Team was waiting for them on the tarmac. They’d worn their straight-black jumpsuits with their balaclavas around their necks. Raz took out his weapon, and she put on her Ray Ban sunglasses.

  Raz got out and helped her from the helicopter. Surrounded by the team, they went into the CIA black site. This black site served as a secret CIA prison where the agency could perform acts that were not legal inside the continental United States. Over the course of the last few months, the prison had slowly been cleared of detainees. A month ago, the CIA building team had remodeled a series of cells deep below the ground to look exactly like a high-
security prison in the United Kingdom. Unbeknownst to the Boy Scout, MI-6 had moved him to these new cells two weeks ago.

  “So what did they say?” Raz asked as they reached the building.

  “In,” Alex said. “That’s what the Admiral and Waltry said.”

  “And Ji?”

  “Yin and Yang symbol on the front,” Alex said. “You know, something he got at the gift store.”

  “But?”

  “Ji circled the black dot in the middle of the white,” Alex said. “He circled the black dot on the white side.”

  “I saw he wrote something on the front in hanzi,” Raz said.

  “Expect,” Alex said.

  Raz nodded.

  “And we think that means?” Raz asked as he opened the door.

  “It means that Ji thinks that we will be betrayed,” Alex said. “He may know who, or he’s giving us a general warning — you know, you can’t have light without dark, that kind of thing — or he may just be talking about what happened to him.”

  Alex shrugged.

  “Keep your eyes and ears open,” Joseph yelled.

  “Yes, sir,” the Fey Team yelled.

  “We won’t know until we see him,” Alex said.

  Leena and Colin stopped and did an about-face at the security station. They stood guard while Alex talked to the security team.

  “We are ready for you, sir,” the young man at the counter said. “You should find everything you requested ready and waiting for you. If not, feel free to ring this bell, and we’ll bring you what you need.”

  “Thank you, Sergeant,” Alex said.

  “Sir,” the young man said. “Your coffee.”

  Alex smiled and took the cup from him. He nodded and pressed a button. A buzzer went off on the door to their left. Troy opened the door for Margaret. They went through the door to check the security. They waited until Troy gave the signal. In the meantime, Zack and Cliff joined them from the helicopter.

  “Ear buds,” the desk Sergeant said.

  MJ took the ear buds from the young man at the counter and gave a set to Colin. Normal military or civilian communication devices did not function in CIA black sites. They would be able to communicate only within the facility. Outbound communication was managed through the office. Of course, this meant that everything they did was recorded, but that would have been true anyway. MJ and Colin nodded in unison and passed them out to the team.