Escape The Grid: Volume 1

by Patrick F. Kelly

  74

  TITO HAD BEEN waiting for hours and counting every second. He was working on two hours sleep, but his adrenaline was keeping him going full throttle.

  Why had Vanessa not called? He had messaged her at least five times in the last hour, just to make sure she was still awake. The last time, she had written back a nasty message telling him to calm down. The stress was clearly getting to her too, and she didn’t know the worst of it.

  Tito had kept Vanessa in the dark about most of the details with Joey and everything that had to do with his terrible decision. She knew nothing about his message to Joey with the red X on the map. He would have to live with that guilt alone. He only hoped that it would be enough to save Julia.

  Leslie had promised to go to the peach farm in the morning if the coast was clear. Tito had argued passionately with her, but he understood her position. She couldn’t risk her life and her UR site being destroyed the way Jasper had been. She was doing them a huge favor as it was, and he was afraid to push too hard.

  Suddenly, he saw a message from Vanessa and his heart lit up. “On the phone with Julia. Someone is on the farm but she is safe for now. She heard a gun shot, thinks it may only be one cop, thinks they have Thomas.”

  He felt a guilty pleasure that they had captured Thomas because it meant that they would likely leave the peach farm and look for Julia near the exploded car. That was his plan, in any case, and it seemed to be working. “Call me as soon as you are off with her,” he said out loud, and the message was transcribed and sent to Vanessa as text.

  He was alone with his thoughts. Whoever took Thomas would likely torture and kill him for information. Not only did Tito feel the guilt of turning in Thomas’ location, but he now worried about how safe their crew would be in Havana. How long could Thomas hold out? He didn’t know much, but he knew that they were going to Cuba. Julia might have told him more. He knew about the carbon nano-tube tunnel and Key West and fishing boats. Jesus, he knew way too much. The CNT details alone could point to Jean Daniel and his companies. Without the element of surprise, the whole escape plan for Julia would be compromised.

  “Call Leslie,” he said and put on his goggles. He established one screen as a pipe to Vanessa whenever she called and another for his call with Leslie. “Please wake up,” he said.

  “Lawd, you’re killing me with these calls in the middle of the night,” she said with a thick Georgia accent.

  “I’m sorry, but there is news. The man Thomas may have been captured. Julia is still OK on the farm. I know you didn’t want to call your sister until the morning, but we are in dire straits now.”

  “That farm is more than 30 miles away in another county. Sam may know the police there, but she won’t have any authority with their crew.”

  Samantha was Leslie’s sister. She had been in the force since high school, more than 30 years ago. Tito had spent the last hour researching various details like these while he waited for Julia to call Vanessa.

  “Surely she can help in some way.”

  “I ain’t sayin’ she cain’t, just sayin’ that you shouldn’t get yer hopes up.”

  “Please, will you try? And will you go to the peach farm and get Julia?”

  “Listen, my heart goes out to you. It really does. But I have a whole nest ‘a people here that I need to protect. Tell ya what I’ll do. I’ll drive out to that peach farm and look around. You tell me where to find Julia and I’ll drive near by. If the coast is clear, I’ll put her in the car. If not, I’m driving right on by.”

  “Thank you so much. And Samantha?”

  “Lawd, I’ll call Sam once I git on the road. D’you know what time it is in Georgia?”

  “We’re in the same time zone, Leslie. You’re a life saver. I owe you.”

  “The good lawd blessed me with a few things and I try to share with those in need. Just like it better during the day time. I’m gettin’ up and at ‘em. Tell Julia that I’ll be there in a half hour.”

  “Thank you.”

  Just after he disconnected and breathed a sigh of relief, Vanessa called. He answered, jumping into a 3D view, where his avatar and hers were in a virtual version of her kitchen. Vanessa liked to put her headset into transparent mode, so she could see her real apartment with the avatar of whoever she was calling superimposed. Her goggles tracked her movements through the house and filled in a virtual world with whomever she was on the call. Tito saw a virtual version of her house which was spotless and a fully clothed avatar, even if Vanessa was really wearing a night robe and the house was filled with trash. She was making coffee, in both real life and in the virtual world. “I’d offer you some, but the technology isn’t that good,” she said.

  “What happened?” he asked.

  “Julia’s fine. But Thomas may not be. She heard a gun shot and left her hiding spot.”

  “She left her location?”

  “Calm down. She went to higher ground to see if she could spot anything. She saw a woman on a hill looking at Thomas through a scope. The woman waited for a few minutes and then went to him. Julia used the scope on her gun and saw her talking to him for a while but then the woman walked away.”

  “Scope on her gun? What gun?”

  “It doesn’t matter. She has a gun, which is a good thing. We have to focus on how to help Thomas.”

  “Julia needs to go back to her location. Leslie is going to get her.”

  “I thought you said Leslie was waiting until morning.”

  “I convinced her to go. She’s not going to take any risks though. If she sees any police or if Julia isn’t there immediately, she’s leaving.”

  “OK. I’ll tell her. Julia’s location is pretty close to the road. Does Leslie know where?”

  “Yes. She’ll be there in thirty minutes or less. Tell her to go back to her location. Who knows what kind of video surveillance they have looking down on that farm.”

  “What kind of car is it? What should Julia look for?”

  “It will be the only car going on that side road at this time of night. If it’s not a police car, and it comes thirty minutes from now, it’s her.”

  “I’ll tell her, but she won’t leave Thomas. What are we going to do to help him?”

  “Leslie can help him far better than we can. Or Julia.”

  “She says this police woman is working alone. She thinks she can take her out.”

  “Julia can’t take out anybody. Don’t let her risk everything.”

  “She did take out those drones, Tito.”

  “What kind of weapon does she have? I told her not to buy any weapons.”

  “Well, be glad she did. They survived by shooting down those drones. She has some kind of weapon that can take out a cop car. I don’t know much more.”

  “She’s going to get herself killed. Please talk her into meeting Leslie.”

  “I’ll try, Tito. I will,” Vanessa waved her arms and the call was disconnected. Tito was back on his black platform. He was about to take the goggles off when he saw an audio call from Mark. He answered.

  “Mark, it’s not like you to call so early. Is everything OK?”

  “I don’t know how to say it, Tito, so I’m going to be blunt. I just turned in my letter of resignation. I’m not supposed to be calling you, but I had to tell you. The Vatican knows that the money we sent was used to fund Maria Garcia and they are terrified with the news reports. There won’t be any more funding, and they are asking me to work with the US government.”

  Tito’s stomach turned. How could so much go wrong so quickly?

  “Mark, I’m sorry this happened to you. You don’t deserve this.”

  “None of us deserve it. Listen, don’t worry, I won’t tell the US fascist, femi-nazis anything. I’m getting on a plane and flying to Havana. I don’t have money to help you any more, but I still have contacts and passion and drive.”

  Tito was touched. “I can’t believe it. We can always use more help, but I don’t want to cause you any more problems.
”

  “This is what God called me to do. Every person is put on Earth for a reason. We are supposed to help those in need. I want to help your group. We have to stop this terror.”

  “We would welcome you,” Tito replied.

  “Do you know who is responsible for this?”

  “Not yet. But someone in the US government knows. Someone there is responsible.”

  “As Christians, we have to fight evil and tyranny. If I can’t do it in Vatican City, can I do it with you in Cuba?”

  “Of course. Send me your flight information. I’ll pick you up at the airport.”

  “Thank you, Tito. I’ve got to go. I need to say goodbye to a few friends here.”

  “Adios, Mark.”

  “Adios, Tito.”

  Once they hung up, Tito realized that he had one more call to make. He had been waiting until it was a more reasonable hour, but he decided that it was time. Jean Daniel was an early riser, and the time was right at 6:30 AM in Haiti. Tito spoke the words and waited for the answer.

  “Pretty early, my friend,” Jean Daniel said when he answered.

  “The plan has changed, sir. Drastically. The site where Julia was staying was raided and a hundred innocent people were killed.”

  “Oh no.”

  “Julia and Thomas somehow escaped but they are being hunted and it is all over the national news. We need to get the tunnel in place. I know it is way too early, but…”

  “Tito, it’s not even 45 miles long yet. How soon do you want it in place?”

  “When is the next barge delivery scheduled?”

  “I’ll have to check. Maybe a week from now.”

  “Can we try it then?”

  “I need to think about it. Look at a map. See if the fishing boats could be placed where they wouldn’t attract attention. They would need special permits to be that far out in the ocean. The one in Key West for sure.”

  “We could buy off politicians, get the permits in place. We are out of time.”

  “I’ll make some phone calls. I’m so sorry that this has happened.”

  “If the police catch them, they’ll be coming for us next. The whole revolution will be over before it even began.”

  “I’ll make the calls. I understand the stakes.”

  PART SEVEN

  ESCAPE THE GRID

  75

  JULIA WAS ON the phone with Vanessa using earbuds while she looked through the scope of the APW (Anti-Policecar Weapon). The mystery woman stood in the crosshairs.

  “I can see her and I have a clear shot.”

  “I don’t think you should shoot this woman,” Vanessa replied. “We don’t know who she is.”

  “She’s by herself, she’s a threat, and I can take her.”

  “Do you know for sure what the weapon will do?”

  “It works like a missile launcher. It will take out the car and the woman.”

  “You know that for sure?”

  “I read it in the manual. Same thing I did for the other weapon and that worked fine.”

  “Why is this woman working alone?”

  “That’s what I’m wondering,” Julia said.

  “Please just wait for our friend and see what she has to say.”

  Julia looked up from the scope and rolled over. She was lying on top of a hill and could see both the road where the strange woman was and the road where Leslie would be driving. The location they gave Leslie was just down the hill.

  “No sign of her. How much longer?” Julia asked.

  “We estimated it would take her thirty minutes. That was twenty-five minutes ago. You should start going toward the road.”

  “I can’t do it. I can’t leave this situation.”

  “At least go and talk to our friend. Tell her the situation.”

  Julia looked back through the scope.

  “I have a clear shot. It may never be this easy again.”

  “You aren’t this kind of person. Don’t do it.”

  Julia saw the woman through the scope. She saw her talking on the phone next to the car. A rifle was by her side, another gun in a holster on her shoulder. Julia had no chance to safely approach her.

  She put her finger on the trigger and realized she was trembling. The weapons manual had said that the gun could be used for shooting people or cars, and that if a car was shot, it was best to aim low and center. Julia locked the red crosshairs in the sweet spot and took a deep breath. Then she heard it.

  What’s that noise?

  A car approaching?

  She rolled away from the gun and looked out at the road. If this wasn’t Leslie, it was a hell of an amazing coincidence.

  “I think our friend is driving up,” she said.

  “Thank God,” Vanessa replied.

  Julia killed the call, grabbed the weapon and ran down the hill as quietly as she could. She had charted out the path in her mind over the last half-hour. She was easily on the road when Leslie pulled up and rolled down the window.

  “Leslie?” Julia asked.

  “Get in if you want a ride,” came the reply.

  Julia hesitated. “There’s a single agent here. No uniform and her car is a rental. She has a sniper rifle and has captured Thomas. She’ll torture him if I leave.”

  “I can drive you away or leave you here, but I can’t get involved in a gun fight.”

  “What about your sister? This agent is trespassing on the farm. She’s not local police. Can your sister come by on patrol?”

  “Get in and we’ll call her together.”

  “I can’t leave him, but please call her for me. Can you come back in an hour? Or wait for me here?”

  “You and Tito definitely aren’t afraid to make big requests, huh gal? I may come back in an hour or two. Maybe not. Good luck.”

  The window rolled up as Leslie drove off.

  “Wait, I have the car’s ID,” Julia said more loudly than intended, but the car kept driving. She ran back up the hill and laid down again with the scope. She talked into her earbuds.

  “Call Vanessa.”

  “Please tell me you are riding to safety,” Vanessa said when she answered.

  “I’m looking through the scope again. The woman is still there. Obviously she didn’t hear me, which is good.”

  “No, no, no. You should be in the car.”

  “Our friend may come back with more friends.”

  “May or will?”

  “May.”

  “Why are you taking so many risks?”

  “Call me when you can help. I’ll call you if anything changes.”

  Julia disconnected and began measuring distances. It appeared to be a mile from her to the woman, a little less from her to Thomas. The three of them formed a triangle.

  Julia could kill this woman right now and get Thomas with fewer risks. But she wanted to know who this woman worked for and why she was here. Why is she traveling alone?

  How did she find Thomas so quickly?

  The woman was still talking on the phone. If Julia ran directly to Thomas, she could get there first and help him escape. She should leave her weapon and backpack here to run faster. She and Thomas could meet Leslie when she returned. If she returned.

  No. Think positive. Leslie is coming back and she’s bringing her sister.

  The sister can question the woman. She’ll have the proper weapons, training and authority.

  Julia looked through the scope. The woman was still talking. It was now or never.

  Now. GO!

  She started running, leaving everything behind on the hill. She ran down the same path from earlier, passing the trees where she and Thomas had tried to sleep. Julia had never run so hard in her life. Her breathing became erratic. After three or four minutes of sprinting, she had to slow down and walk with her hands behind her head, wheezing on each step. She pulled up the map on her phone to remember exactly where Thomas was hiding. Her lungs and chest throbbed from the running, but she had no choice. She had to get to him first.


  She put the phone in her pocket and put her head down to keep running to him. It wasn’t going to end this way. They would escape from here.

  We’re gonna make it back to Cuba.

  After a few more minutes, she got near his location and heard him scream.

  “Why are you doing this?” he yelled.

  “Thomas, it’s me. Julia. Keep your voice down,” she struggled to get the words out.

  She was completely winded from the run. He looked at her in the light from the early sunrise.

  “Julia?”

  She ran to him, panting. Her hands grabbed at the netting.

  “What is this?” she managed to sputter.

  “I don’t know, but I can’t break it. Do you have a knife?”

  “Shit,” she said. “I left my backpack. I don’t have a knife.”

  “She took my backpack.”

  “Shit, shit, shit!”

  “Did you kill her?” he asked.

  “I couldn’t. I had the shot, but I couldn’t do it. Who is she?”

  “I don’t know. Listen, if she’s alive, then she’s on her way. You have to get out of here. She knows everything about me and probably you too.”

  “I can untie you from this rope and the tree.”

  “Julia, if she’s on her way here, get out of here. Go and hide. Save yourself. If you untie me, she’ll suspect something.”

  Julia couldn’t believe her poor planning. All they needed was a knife and she had forgotten to bring one.

  Breathe. Think, Julia. There’s still time.

  “Where was she standing before?”

  “Right where you are,” he said.

  Julia looked around. There were multiple trees, but none would be easy to hide behind. What would she do anyway?

  I can’t run out and fight her with my bare hands.

  “Julia, get out of here. You can’t help me if you get captured too,” he said.

  She stammered. Thomas was right. The panic of the moment overtook her.

  “I’m sorry,” she muttered and ran off.

  She imagined the path the woman would walk and sprinted in the opposite direction. Soon, Julia found herself behind a thick group of trees and two large robotic platforms. She knew from conversations with Thomas that the platforms had numerous cameras, but they were only used during farming hours. She tried to position herself to be neither seen by the robots’ cameras nor by the strange woman. She crouched on all fours, a hundred meters from Thomas, too far away to hear anything. A thought occurred to her.