by Ravenna Tate
Addison couldn’t think of one more thing to do, so he sprinted up the stairs to his room to begin packing. When his phone rang again, he hoped it wasn’t Nadine saying she’d changed her mind. It wasn’t Nadine. It was Grayson. “What’s up? I’m packing.”
“Remember that recent incident involving Rob Marin?”
Addison rolled his eyes. “It would be difficult to forget.” Rob Marin had drifted on and off their radar since before Ace had fired him for trying to frame Harper, who was now his wife, for hacking into Ace’s personal accounts.
His original user name was the first one discovered, accidentally, by Harper. Rob had used it to post on both the PR boards at ACE Communications, and on several hacker sites and boards frequented by weather geeks and conspiracy theorists. He had also, unfortunately, worked on Ace’s team hacking into such boards to try to find any clues to the people responsible for the Tommy Twister virus.
Two new user names they knew Rob was posting under had showed up again when hackers tried to use one of the old weather satellites as relay stations to hide their online activity, and ended up encrypting conversation onto the data accidentally.
The satellite was shut down again, but not before Barclay Hampton, who owned Hampton Data Recovery Services, and his friends at Homeland Cyber Security, recovered the conversation and eighteen names.
Recently, Santino Chavez, Damien’s lead IT tech, discovered that Rob had been in contact with a foreman on one of Damien’s projects. This foreman had been fired after he was discovered to be involved in a scheme that targeted Damien’s company and others. Rob had told this man, who used the name JackHammer, that he knew the hackers responsible for the Tommy Twister virus.
That alone wouldn’t have been enough to force the Weathermen to do anything because Rob was known for bragging about things he had no knowledge of, and he was known for lying to people, but Rob had also told JackHammer details that only the original hackers would know.
Details like how The Madeline Project was supposed to work, who was supposed to have access to it, when and where the real time tests had been scheduled to occur, and what fail-safes were in place in case something went wrong.
None of the information that Rob told JackHammer would have been found by hacking into the NSSL servers because that data was never on them. All the Weathermen knew that, but the public didn’t. The information the public believed the hackers had, and that had allowed them to access The Madeline Project in the first place, was said to be on the servers at NSSL, but that wasn’t true. It was what the public was told, but it was a lie. A decision was made never to reveal the real source of the information the hackers used, because no one wanted copycats.
When this information came to light, the Weathermen had decided they’d had enough of Rob’s shit and they needed to know for certain whether he was involved in the original hacking, or had merely found the hackers and was now in with them. Either way, he had become a key player.
They had considered simply hacking into his personal laptop, but he’d know they had tried to do it, and if he moved the information or disappeared again, they might not find him again.
Viggo Ingram, who owned Ingram Properties and lived in CentralWest, knew people who specialized in covert operations. Rob and his wife were going to a wedding in SouthCentral, and the plan was to make it look like a burglary at their home in NorthCentral while they were away. They didn’t want anyone hurt, but they needed Rob’s laptop.
“The plan will take place one week from today, next Saturday.”
“I wish I could wait for the results,” said Addison, “but I can’t.”
“I know. I’ll email you. Let’s hope they’re successful and we get the info we’re looking for.”
Addison hoped so, too. They’d been underground now for seven years and had a list of possible names. That was it. It would be wonderful to finally have one name, or as they all hoped they’d find on Rob’s laptop, all the names, plus the code they’d used to send The Madeline Project on a rogue course. One could hope.
****
Nadine’s head swam with so many rules and particulars to remember, that she began to seriously doubt her sanity in calling Addison and telling him she was coming along on this mission. Gina was a patient and thorough instructor, but clearly she was comfortable with being in danger all the time. A true adrenaline junkie, she lived to go up there. Nadine had never done anything risky in her life, but this was her father. She had to help them find him. She’d lose her mind if all she could do was sit here and wait.
Sunday morning, she woke up sore from all the fitness testing that Gina had put her through the evening before. Nadine had thought she was in great shape from the workouts she did at home. She’d been wrong. Gina told her she’d be fine, but Nadine now realized this was far more than guts and glory. It was physically demanding, as well as work that required complete and total focus.
She was up to the challenge. She had to do this, as much for herself as for her father. She had already called Brenda Washington, the principal at NorthWest high school, and explained what had happened. When she told Brenda she wanted to go with the team, Brenda had told her to take as much time off as she needed. Now, there was nothing left to do except pack.
Gina had advised her to pack mostly clothes and travel size personal items, but also told her the likelihood of being able to shower or even wash her hair regularly would be slim. She told her not to bother with a laptop because even inside the shelters there was limited space to charge them, and having to run to escape a storm with one in a backpack usually resulted in damage to the computer, as well as slowing down the runner.
Nadine planned to pack her phone and charger, but made sure they were well-insulated. She emailed the management company for her apartment complex and asked them to keep an eye on her apartment and hold her mail at the office.
She hadn’t heard back from her mother, but then she hadn’t expected to. Still, she sent an email letting her know she was joining a team on the surface to look for her father. If anything would elicit a response that would.
Nadine had trouble sleeping Sunday night. She vacillated between excitement at this incredible adventure and fear that they’d find her father dead. Addison had called her before she went to bed to let her know they were first heading for a bunker that Merrill and other Storm Troopers had built during the past three years. It was located under what used to be downtown Seattle, so it wouldn’t take them too long to reach it once they were on the surface.
He’d explained they were going to wait there for George Markus to arrive, who was traveling from what used to be Tennessee. When Nadine asked why he was coming from that far away to join their team, Addison told her that her father had a lot of friends across the country who wanted him found.
Now, lying in bed trying to sleep, she wiped away tears as she recalled that conversation. There were so many people who loved him and were looking for him. Each time she drifted off to sleep, her dreams were vivid and frightening. By the time she decided to get out of bed and take a shower, she was beyond tired. It didn’t matter. Trying to sleep anymore tonight was pointless. It was time to get ready.
Nadine checked her backpack three times before Addison buzzed downstairs. She took one quick look around her apartment and left. The office already had a key, and someone had emailed her back saying they would keep her mail and check the apartment periodically. She turned off her phone and packed it away. The next time she’d be able to use it would be inside the bunker. She had nothing left to take care of.
Addison was dressed in gear that looked fit for a ski slope, as she’d expected. It was March by the calendar, but the temperatures in the underground cities were kept at a constant seventy-two degrees during the day and fifty-eight degrees at night. She had no idea what the surface would be like.
Gina had told her to dress for cold weather, so she wore a ski parka and ski pants, but hadn’t put on her gloves yet. He smiled at her, his gaze traveling laz
ily over her clothing and then her face. She didn’t miss the admiration in his eyes, and wished she could do something about that, but this wasn’t the time to allow memories to surface again or to decide to fight them. She had a job to do.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“All right. Let’s go then. The nearest air lock is about ten minutes north of here. Gina, Suzanne, and Lee are already there.”
Gina had explained that the surface could be reached by a series of viaducts, protected by air locks, at various checkpoints around the city. Addison had procured clearance for her in record time, but the others already had papers and were allowed travel back and forth. She didn’t expect any problems since she was with Addison.
She met Lee and Suzanne for the first time once she and Addison reached the viaduct. Both, plus Gina, talked excitedly, like they were embarking on a vacation instead of a rescue mission. They lived for this, and while that was a foreign concept to Nadine, right now she was grateful for their enthusiasm because it meant they wouldn’t stop until her father was found.
They presented their papers to the guards, and then walked single file through a series of air locks. Addison was in front of her, and the others were behind. After she climbed endless stairs and swallowed multiple times as the air pressure changed in each lock, she finally caught a glimpse of sunlight—real sunlight for the first time in seven years. She emerged into fresh air and stood next to Addison, glancing around, as the others came up behind them.
The constant howling wind noise she’d been warned about was more sinister than she’d been imagining. She moved closer to Addison out of instinct, and he gave her a sympathetic look.
“It’s horrible, isn’t?” he asked quietly.
She nodded. Seattle was nothing more than scattered piles of rubble that she imagined used to be buildings which hadn’t yet been swept away by water or wind. Most of the trees were gone, and as a consequence it took her a few moments to breathe normally. The air here was thin. That was the best way she could describe it in her mind.
It smelled the same as she remembered, and it was cool and crisp, as it would have normally been this time of year. She glanced up at the sky. A thin layer of clouds covered the sun, and they moved and shifted with lightning speed as she watched.
“There’s no way to predict them any longer,” said Gina, pulling a laptop out of her backpack. “Yes, I know I told you not to carry one, but I’m used to it.” She clicked a few times, then smiled. “Satellites are accessible today. We’re in luck. They’re hit and miss, and sometimes we lose the radar images completely. Then we simply go on instinct and use our common sense.”
Nadine couldn’t wrap her head around this yet, so instead she turned in a slow circle to survey the landscape around her. Nothing was familiar, and yet it was. The mountain ranges that used to ring the city were still there, but the glacier cap on Mt. Rainier was gone, and the entire ranges on both sides had a flattened look to them, as if someone had come along and simply sliced the tops off the mountains.
“There are thousands of caves in the mountains now,” said Addison. “They were found after the massive flooding in this area about five years ago finally receded. We’ve all talked about this at length, and our guess is that Dixon is holed up in one of them. It’s unlikely the storm carried him away from this general area.”
She swallowed hard at the image of that. “How do you know that?”
“It wasn’t a very large tornado.”
Nadine nodded. “So the other Storm Trooper team is searching for him in the same area?”
Addison pointed toward the east. “They’re searching what’s left of the North Cascades.” Addison turned around and swept his hand toward the west. “We’re braving the new coastline for the Pacific Ocean and searching the Olympic Mountains.”
She swallowed hard again. “How close is the coast now?”
“Right on the edge of them.” He scanned the group. “Let’s get to the bunker.” Addison fixed her with a serious gaze. “Remember rule number one. If we tell you to run, you run. Don’t hesitate, don’t ask questions, and keep your eyes on us at all times. Okay?”
What the fuck am I doing here? “Okay.”
Chapter Four
They had been walking about forty-five minutes when the clouds built once more time. It had happened so often during their short time up here that Nadine paid no attention until Gina stopped and swore under her breath as she glanced at her laptop. “This one’s for real, gang.” She had her backpack off and was shoving her computer inside it before Nadine could process what she’d just said.
Nadine watched the others scan the horizon, and then Alesia pointed toward an outcropping of rocks. “There’s a cave in there!” she shouted. “It’s our best chance!”
Addison grabbed her hand. “Run.”
She clung to his hand, her own growing so damp she was afraid she’d lose her grip as her lungs burned and her legs turned to jelly. The sky grew so dark it looked like twilight instead of morning. She didn’t dare glance up. She knew if she did she’d never be able to keep going.
Addison squeezed her hand tighter, and she fought to hang on. She could hear the wind, louder now, and tried not to whimper out loud but was certain she had. Was this what her father had been doing when he’d been caught up in the storm? Why had the others made it inside a shelter that day but not him? What had really happened? Would she ever find out?
The rocks were directly in front of them, but Nadine had trouble processing that because she was too busy swallowing as the air pressure dropped. She felt the pull from the updraft behind them, and knew a funnel was on the ground and close. She didn’t need Gina’s radar to tell her that.
Suzanne slipped inside an opening in the rocks that at first Nadine didn’t even see. Lee and moved behind her and Addison. “Do you see it?” he shouted. She could barely hear Lee’s voice over the wind.
“Got it!” answered Addison.
She didn’t say anything. She merely followed Addison. Lee was right behind them as they slipped into near-darkness, and Nadine almost fell as Addison pulled her to the ground and scooted against a wall of rock with her. “You’re okay.”
Suzanne lit a lantern, and only then did Nadine dare to glance around. They were sitting in a circle, in a cave with a low ceiling and a dirt-covered floor. No one moved or spoke. They listened to the wind howling outside, and she desperately wanted to cover her ears and close her eyes, but she didn’t want to look foolish or afraid.
None of them looked that way. They were calm and cool, waiting for the storm to subside. Then they’d go back outside again and continue their journey. They did this all the time. How? How did they do it? What if this cave hadn’t been so close? What if there was no shelter around? This was insanity. Why did they do this?
She glanced up at Addison as the wind began to fade outside. “How much further to the bunker?”
He put his arm around her, and instead of filling her head with memories of four years ago, the gesture was comforting and … dare she think it? Arousing. Yes, it was arousing. She wanted to give herself permission to feel that way and not have the emotion bring along bad memories.
“About an hour.”
She stared at his profile, dim in the light but no less gorgeous. “What about these caves? Shouldn’t we explore them?”
“This is the only one here,” said Suzanne. “The rest of this is solid rock.”
“We know this area well,” said Lee, sweeping his hand in an arc. “You’re looking at the extent of this cave.”
She suddenly realized what their words meant. “So, we were lucky then. I mean, I didn’t see any shelters the entire time we were walking.”
“There are none,” said Addison. “You’re right. We got lucky.” He gazed into her eyes with the most amazing expression of protectiveness she’d ever seen. She was safe with him. She was safe with all of them. All she had to do was let go and trust them to do what the
y did all the time.
“What do you all do if there is no shelter?”
“We get as low as possible and hang on to anything we can find,” said Lee. “Including each other.”
Nadine stared at him but said nothing.
“Stop trying to scare her.” Gina’s tone was angry, and that surprised Nadine. “The wind has stopped.” Gina rose. “Let’s get moving.”
The others rose and filed out, but Nadine stayed where she was. The lantern was still on the floor. She started to move, but Addison’s voice, soft and tender, stopped her. “It’s all right, Nadine. Just trust us.”
Was he a mind reader? “I do trust you.”
He gazed into her eyes for long moments, and she was certain he was about to kiss her, but Merrill poked his head back into the cave and the spell was broken. “We need to get moving, Addison.”
They rose, Addison picked up the lantern, turned it off, and then they joined the others.
****
Addison was grateful he’d worn heavy clothing, not because it was chilly up here, but because his dick was rock hard now and it would be difficult to hide it in jeans and a t-shirt. Nadine hadn’t let go of his hand since they’d emerged from the cave, and that didn’t help matters any, but he also didn’t mind too much. He didn’t mind at all, actually. And he also didn’t give a shit that the others were giving him curious glances.
Addison didn’t discuss his personal life with his procurement team members. He didn’t have to. They usually read about it online, but they had never read about him and Dixon’s daughter. This was exactly what he’d told himself he would not do, especially now. But then she’d looked at him that way. So vulnerable and afraid. What was a man supposed to do? He was only human.
Still, they were on a mission to find her father who in all likelihood was dead. Even if Dixon had found a cave to hide in, why hadn’t he emerged and contacted one of them by now? No one had heard a thing from him since Thursday. If his laptop battery had worn down, he’d have made his way to shelter by now and recharged it.
