He got within a few feet of João and tripped on the edge of the carpet, his equilibrium obviously off kilter. He did an awkward twisting slow-motion thing that seemed to be over exaggerated until he hit the ground hard. Once he was down he never got up. He just made more gurgling sounds and was twitching there like a poisoned insect. “What the Fuck?!” João screamed and listened as the phone continued to ring. No one picked up. That’s impossible!
Sergio finally stopped gurgling, but the twitching was still happening and João had seen enough, “Fuck this,” he said out loud and headed for the glass doors and the tunnel. He got in a cart and was headed toward the first perimeter door as fast as it would go. What happened? Was Sergio poisoned? If so, are they all dead? Then he realized that that joint might have saved his life! Who says pot is bad for you? Damn it. His buzz was completely gone now. The door opened and he hit the releases one at a time, breaching the final steel door, and not resealing any as he passed through.
Once in the massive warehouse, he shed the cart and grabbed one of the big ATVs. He then headed toward the dog tunnels. He knew the tunnels well, and two of them came up beyond the perimeter. These hombres are going to have to find me back home, he thought. This place is no longer “Ant” friendly. Then he thought about the correlation and mused maybe that’s why Sergio was poisoned, he was an insect after all.
He got off the quad and opened the hatch door to the outside world. João rode out and was heading off toward the road when he was greeted by one of the dogs in what appeared to be a bulletproof vest. He recognized the dog as Storm, the gringo’s favorite dog. Well, not anymore. He beckoned the dog with a snap and it immediately followed the order by jumping in the utility basket at the rear. The dog easily outweighed him and he felt the weight on the machine when it jumped up, good thing it’s trained to like me.
He opened up the throttle and headed up the trail toward the road. Now that’s better, I’m sick of taking orders, now it’s time to give some! João decided that it was time to go back home and restart his life of tangible violence, and not some video screen. He was sick of this place anyway, and he opened the throttle speeding off toward the road. He had no idea how far this machine would take him, but it couldn’t move fast enough . . .
* * *
Matt was no longer composed, he was shouting, “Vera, move now! You have no business between us.”
She was crazed, “No, Matt, it’s you that has no business here!” She continued to block the path to Pablo, who was slightly off to her right, the button slightly to her left. His hand not reaching for the buttons though, apparently he knew Matt well enough to know the finger threat was not empty.
“It’s not too late, we can get away, do this another way. Pablo’s smart, he can figure out another way. Then both of you can live and still get this done, just not this way.” Matt’s voice was now pleading.
Ignoring the ringing phone, Vera said, “No Matt, this is the way God has chosen for us.” They all turned as the lobby screen had activity over all others, it was João and a flailing person who looked like Sergio who was rapidly approaching him. Then the awkward person tripped and was on the ground twitching. Vera accused, “How can you live with yourself, Matt?” Vera was looking through him when she spoke next, but the realization in her face told the story of how she felt at the moment. “All of this was a lie. All our love was a lie!”
Matt had seen this before, and he no longer feared Pablo. Vera was at the point where she was not hearing or seeing anyone around her. It looked like she was there, but she wasn’t, she was over the edge, Matt pleadingly implored, “No, it wasn’t a lie, Vera. How can a person fake love? But that doesn’t mean I’m dead inside, either. My country is about to be burned to the ground.”
Pablo had slyly reached for the buttons while they were talking, thinking Matt had lost his overall concentration. Matt immediately put a round right though a monitor that housed a now dead Ant in his lair. Aside from the obvious bullet meets glass sound, everybody felt the full impact of the concussion as it reverberated through a room that was definitely not gun-friendly.
His ears were screaming. Vera had figuratively jumped out of her skin with the report of the handgun. Then Matt yelled, “Both of you move away from the monitors. Now!” Suddenly it was that moment, that moment that had to come in this situation.
Matt understood that even a three way chess game came down to the final pieces doing everything they can to not get checkmated. Feeling checkmate imminent, Pablo made a real move for the buttons with his left hand. So many times over the course of the last two years Matt had had to make one hard decision after another in order to survive.
Matt’s decision to pull the trigger wasn’t actually based on his immediate survival, but with the stakes as high as they were, his reactions were the same as if he were personally in mortal danger. In that small frame of time he was able to run through his options while at the same time taking the shot without hesitation.
Vera jumped just like before, but this time it wasn’t a monitor that Matt shot and she wasn’t jumping from the sound of the gun’s report. Matt’s only path to kill Pablo was through her, although his threat was to shoot the hand, with stakes as high as this, one does not shoot to wound.
Pablo immediately fell back and then slid straight down to the floor . . . dead.
The nine-millimeter steel jacketed round easily went right through her to get to him, her wound was a through and through just below the collarbone. Matt was hopeful as he rushed to her, the hole was in the right place and it wasn’t gushing, a good sign.
Unbeknownst to him though, the bullet hit bone at the last second and the splintering of bone resulted in a deadly fragment being driven by the kinetic energy of the bullet, inwardly piercing the main artery under her shoulder. She looked to see Pablo dead on the floor and asked Matt, “Why?”
“I told you why. I couldn’t let him do it. He would have killed millions, Vera. Millions.”
It’s like that information was just striking her for the first time, like somehow she’d been able to block out her own reality until now. Maybe seeing Pablo dead on the floor had brought her back to actually being able to see right from wrong, as if a hypnotic trance was lifted off her.
He could see she had a conscience as a tear fell down her cheek, “Vera, he’s still going to succeed unless that satellite is stopped. What’s the password?”
“I’m cold, Matt.”
“Oh, Baby, why did you stand in front of him? Why did you choose him?”
She looked at him in a way that saw right through him again, this time to his soul, “Did you really love me?”
“Yes, of course, I really love you.”
Her eyes looked so drained as she spoke, “I did it because he saved me. He treated me kindly when there was only horror.” She was turning very pale and was getting sleepy.
“Vera. Vera. What’s the code? Make your last act saving a bunch of people, Baby.”
She touched his face as a tear fell and her eyes said it all, but she mustered the words. “I love you, Matt, above all else.”
“If that’s true, make your last act one I can always remember as good.”
She whispered, “Eva” and then she was gone, just like that, the end to this coming so quickly it was incomprehensible.
Just a matter of seconds ago the three of them were arguing, and he still thought there might be a chance for them. Now he was alone with three dead people he just killed, and it didn’t seem real.
Matt sat for a long time in disbelief, holding her and not believing what he had done. He actually agreed with most of what they said, why did I do this? He laid her next to him and pulled his pants leg up. He got the radio off his leg, turned it on and spoke unsteadily, “Hello, is anyone there?” Silence. He spoke more urgently, “Hello, is anyone there?”
“This is Dulles, come in.” Matt was floored beyond all words, but somehow he got them out.
“Dulles, situation here is neutral
ized. Copy?”
“Confirmed, but need further explanation, Agent Hurst?”
“Situation is neutralized, stand down possible military action. I’ve got control of the satellite’s computer as of now, but I don’t know how to get the thing to cease its operation. There is a bunker a half-click up the mountain from the quarry, the control room is accessed by elevator from inside the compound, but there’s an emergency hatch and I will leave it wide open. Get an IT person here now!”
Apparently it’s a new world, because he really expected a guy to be on the other end of that call. Hearing a woman was really off-putting for some reason. It shouldn’t have surprised him, though, as he knew things rarely work out the way one thought they would. He looked over at the two dead bodies next to him and thought, I’m living proof of that notion.
He looked at his Vera, dead on the ground, dead from his hands, dead with his unborn baby still inside of her. He looked at the button control panel they had. Matt thought about just walking over and pushing their buttons, allowing their virus to spread on the world and just saying, “Fuck it!”
The people Pablo and Vera were ultimately going after were evil, power hungry oppressors. No doubt about it. This was the first time he’d ever heard of someone having the ability to act on the powers that be effectively, and he killed it, literally.
Of course, Matt knew why—and it was because the end does not always justify the means. There just had to be another way. Something that would garner massive change and achieve the vision, but without the ultimate destruction of what these two would have wrought.
For one minute, Matt was the most powerful man in the world, but changing the world like that was not on his list of things he would do. Plus it would be too megalomaniac-like and he was not the personality type to impose his beliefs on anyone. He never rooted for the bad guy in any movie he’d ever watched, so the threat of him actually pushing those buttons was really non-existent.
Although he agreed with Pablo in general philosophy, there was no way he’d destroy anyone else to promote his ideals. He walked over and unplugged the USB, just in case some “savior” accidentally ended the world trying to save it.
He went back to the satellite control screen and it looked like the cockpit of an airplane. He couldn’t make sense of how Pablo was controlling the thing.
* * *
Skip Andrada had been through all the drills and he mentally worked out what he would do in this situation a thousand times. When the time comes, I will carry out my orders. That’s what commanders do. Instinctively he knew this was it, as he’d learned through his first Intel message that his Russian counterpart was doing the same thing. Apparently this was a joint venture.
The EAM (Emergency Action Message) came through with a jolt. Even though he was expecting it, he’d never really believed the NMCC (National Military Command Center) would “green light” him. But according to the paper in his hand, that’s exactly what he’s to do. They were to fire!
The klaxon went out for General Quarters and this was going to happen. The coordinates were loaded and Skip’s crew was ready to fire.
* * *
Sandy adjusted the volume on his TV. Things had really caught fire now—two hundred thousand in Otavalo, three hundred thousand in Paris, a quarter of a million and growing in Central Park! People were pouring out in the thousands to support Pablo, the once unknown force that had driven the world to the brink.
All the world markets were spiraling on the admission that the U.S. used a nuclear device to protect the Aircraft Carrier USS Bush. Prices everywhere shot up overnight. Gas was now over five dollars a gallon and climbing, despite the President’s warning, people were gouging and doing everything they could do to grab all they could. Sandy was sure thankful for his food and provisions that he’d stockpiled.
The TV was showing a mob now. He watched a grocery outlet get completely gutted in L.A. by a group of at least two hundred. It was truly as James told him it would be. He’d never thought in a million years that he would see nuclear weapon play in his lifetime. He doubted that neither James nor Pablo could have seen that coming, could they have?
Sandy wondered if this was his friend’s real plan all along, to rise the meek against the strong. Well, in every major city in the world it was happening. Soon, someone was going to restart what Moscow tried before and then look out! Once that happens, it was going to spread like wildfire. The numbers just kept climbing, especially after President Herrera shut down the Ecuadorian Government and began walking to Otavalo to join the masses.
Every news organization on the planet was eating that move up and this Herrera had created quite a following of his own. A large group of people covered his every step, and when he passed, they dropped what they were doing and joined him on his journey, much like the Pied Piper.
The latest news helicopter showed that at least ten thousand were following him. As the sound bite reported, President Herrera ordered the military to put “flowers in the end of their guns and get to helping the people.” Sandy was impressed by the unity as their whole country seemed to be on board with this and it was catching fast.
Sandy had seen enough for the day. As he was reaching for the remote to turn off the set he pondered the realities the world was facing. Although this is working out in a free country like Ecuador, I wonder what the Russians and Chinese have going on?
* * *
Once again, the most important phone in the world rang. Miro picked it up, “Yes, Lawrence.”
“Miroslav, we have some important news to relay. We had a deep cover man inside and we just got word that he’s neutralized the situation. He’s also in control of the Satellite Control Computer and we’re fifteen minutes from getting our people in there to stop it before it bursts again. So stop that sub from firing at its appointed time, Miroslav!”
He heard orders barked in Russian to an unknown subordinate and then he was back on the line, “We will try to stop the missile, but you will please explain how you had a man on the inside of this the whole time and failed to mention it?” The confusion and near anger was surfacing in his voice.
President Caulfield said earnestly, “I understand your confusion, but as we are limited on time, I will give you the condensed version.”
* * *
Literally, the second before the button was going to be pushed, the EAM sprang to life again on the USS Phoenix. Captain Skip Andrada read the telex. The new message was “Stand Down.” A sigh of relief went about the boat. Each and every man here understood that once those things were loosed, the world changed in a big way and there was a round of cheers that lasted for about a second. That’s when the Radar Station announced, “We have a missile launch two hundred miles east of our location.”
* * *
They stayed on the phone for the duration, Miroslav and his Generals listening to a tale worthy of a movie. Men like that were hard to come by, he thought. Miro excused himself momentarily and suddenly there was a lot of stern Russian being spoken in the background (there were no hold buttons being used).
When he came back to the conversation a few seconds later, he’d announced, “It’s too late, Lawrence. Our sub commanders are trained to not be easily deterred once they get the launch orders, we know you guys have many tricks, like sending false rescind orders that will make them hesitate. So we have strict protocol on rescind orders. We weren’t in time, the sub is ignoring all communications.” At the same moment, Lawrence had just received word that the Phoenix was standing down as it was caught in time.
“I see,” was Lawrence Caulfield’s stoic response. “Miroslav, we’re about to become some footnote leaders in history. We’ve faced a huge foe together and we’ll get through this. What is the blast field of your warhead?”
“We figure it will destroy one hundred and seventy-six satellites in your Hemisphere.”
Lawrence took a deep breath. “Maybe not, Sir,” was his reply and he nodded to General Hatten.
* *
*
Matt sat on the floor. He was holding Vera and watching the news. He had the volume up and he was hearing for the first time about the bomb in Peru and the Jesuit Sheep broadcasts. Jesus, all this was going on and I had no clue, but it does explain the multi-media room I found on the first basement floor. Part of Matt’s plan early on was to avoid information about the world, as it would just add to his mounting stress.
Later, when he met Mauricio, he’d only got what he’d needed, but several times he could tell Mauricio was dying to tell him things. Matt insisted that if he found stuff out, it would only add to his pressure, so Mauricio relented.
What he needed, though, was news on Jon Jon and Jan’s overall wellbeing, but never details. He’d had to trust someone and the day he’d saved Mauricio’s daughter from being kidnapped, Mauricio became indebted in a way that could never be paid back.
That faithful day, Matt and his detail went to Mauricio’s house, and the two of them drank Matt’s whole security detail, Mauricio’s lovely daughter, and her fiancée right under the table. Laughing to themselves about what lightweights the others were, he and Mauricio bonded for a long time.
Matt even tried to explain American Football to him, which ended with Mauricio deciding to stick with soccer. That’s when Matt confessed. It was a partial drunken confession, but the gist was, he was not on board with his cohorts and he was going to have to take them down, even though he didn’t actually work for anybody and he was considered a huge traitor in the U.S.
Mauricio hugged him and said, “You saved my daughter’s life. I will do anything for you, Matt. It will bring me much honor to help you.”
Lying with Vera now on the floor, Matt stroked her hair and burst into tears. He had allowed himself to love two people and it was all coming home to him now—everything the last two years had been, and all the emotion he’d had to bury. Then he thought about the one thing he had buried deeper than all others . . . Dad.
His dad, as was the case with his country, thought he was a traitor. Maybe I am? The tears poured out of him as months and years of pressure and guilt came out. Sure, I stopped these two, but in the eleventh hour. Who knew how many died in the Navy attack or the destruction of the Ecuadorian Army because of my lack of action?
And the Meek Shall Inherit (Harbinger of Change Book 2) Page 17
