Fighting for War: The Collin War Chronicles Book Three

by W. C. Hoffman

  Julie pulled it out and shoved Susan back into the locker. The metal bed rolled into the cooling unit and clanked to a halt. The sound made her flinch. Feeling self-conscious, she looked around. Thankfully, no one was there. Tingles of fear raced along her spine. It hadn’t been the first time she’d killed someone but this time the circumstances, and consequences, were different. She took a deep breath and thought about her next move.

  She’d need to look the part if she wanted to continue eluding security. Julie went to the small admin office attached to the morgue and found several spare lab coats. She grabbed a clipboard from the desk. It had some random paperwork on it, perfect for her camouflage.

  Julie left the morgue. She paused in the hallway thinking if she should take the tunnel back upstairs or walk through the hallway. The directions to reach the morgue via the labyrinth of hallways were a challenge and since she couldn’t afford to get lost, she decided to take the tunnel.

  Once she was ready to leave the office, Julie cracked the door open and peered into the hallway. The coast was clear, just as it had been earlier, so she stepped out and strode down the hallway, wishing her shoes were quieter. In the barren corridor, they seemed to make an excessive amount of noise. She turned left at the next intersection. Two guards materialized from around a corner at the other end of the hall.

  Julie nearly turned to run away, but she gritted her teeth. Her heartbeat thumped in her ears. It was now or never. Play the part. You can do this.

  She took a deep breath and looked down at her paperwork as she walked with purpose, hoping the hitch in her step didn’t catch their attention.

  She looked like a doctor. Better yet, she was a doctor. Julie frowned at the papers and flipped to the next page as the guards closed in. The inventory paperwork was suddenly the most important and fascinating thing in her life. They muttered softly about something, but quieted as the distance closed.

  “Good evening, ma’am,” one said.

  “It’s doctor,” she replied instantly. She bit the inside of her cheek. Why’d I have to antagonize them?

  It had become long running joke with Koby; each time he called her something dismissive she would snap back at him with her title.

  The guard slowed his pace and looked at her. Their eyes met. She channeled her willpower to overcome her fear and fake a level of annoyance that would have made the snobbiest of her former colleagues proud. Out of the corner of her eye, she realized Susan’s ID badge was hanging from her pocket.

  Please don’t notice.

  “My apologies, Doctor,” the guard said. His head and shoulders drooped just enough that it made him look like a dog scolded for tipping over the kitchen garbage can. If he had a tail, it would have been between his legs.

  Julie nodded and returned her attention to her paperwork, striding down the hall like a busy, self-important doctor should.

  The men continued and began muttering again. Julie turned into the elevator lobby and leaned against the wall. Breath exploded from her lungs and she gulped fresh air down. For a moment, she felt dizzy and fanned herself with the clipboard.

  Julie unclipped the stolen ID, swiped it on the elevator panel, and pressed the call button. Taking the stairwell was appealing but would be suspicious for someone in her position. An eternity passed as the elevator lowered to the first floor. The ding as the doors opened made her shiver. I need to get a grip, she thought, glancing around to make sure the guards didn’t return.

  Her breath caught as the doors slid open but thankfully, no one emerged. Julie stepped inside, swiped the ID again, and pressed number two. The doors glided closed with a dull thud.

  She cocked an eyebrow at the background music. “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” played softly, almost mocking her with its positivity. As a Bob Marley fan, Koby would probably love it. Part of her missed his smartass comments. He always knew how to lighten the mood. He’d been a great friend to her and Collin. She hoped the music was a harbinger of things to come.

  The elevator jerked to a halt, and the doors opened to an empty lobby. She let out a sigh and heeded Bob Marley’s advice. Having been taken to the refill room every day herself, she had an idea of where it was. However, drones were always brought up the stairwell, so starting from the elevator was disorienting. Thankfully, a small sign on the wall pointed the way.

  “It is going to be alright,” she whispered to herself.

  Her route was clear the rest of the way. A quick swipe of Susan’s badge, and she was in the office. She left the door ajar to let in light while she searched for the light switch. A panel featured five switches that Julie scowled at. She flicked each one on and off until she found one that turned on only a few lights. No need to announce her presence by turning them all on.

  Every time she had entered this room as a patient, she had carefully observed everything. There was a computer she’d have to use to change the dose because it was a mechanized process. The nurses connected an input device on the back of each patient’s head to refill the medication. Not much different from refilling a vehicle at a gas station back in the day. Put the pump in, flip the lever, and fill up.

  The tiny, rolling stool squeaked as she sat down. She turned on the PC and the computer monitor and waited for it to boot up. It felt strange; Julie was somewhat excited. This little mission was her first time on a computer in nearly twenty years. Before the fever, she never would have thought of going more than a few days away from a computer.

  When Windows finished starting up, a calendar alert reminded her to check the medication levels in the machine. She clicked the reminder and a screen popped up showing a graphic that looked like a thermometer. An arrow showed the levels of the tank. Could it really be this simple? It was, and she was thankful for it.

  Julie clicked the file tab and selected System Maintenance. A dialog box prompted her to confirm. She clicked yes. She moused over the purge option and clicked accept. Another prompt asked her to confirm. She clicked yes again.

  While the system purged the medication for “maintenance,” Julie slipped out of the room and went to a medical supply closet in the adjacent room. She’d seen nurses get into it before. There were dozens of IV pouches of saline solution. She began to carry them over to the machine. Once the actual medication was cleansed from the tank, she’d manually fill it with the saline solution.

  When HAGS tried to control the populace, their efforts would fall flat. She couldn’t wait to see their confusion when the medication wore off and people began to think for themselves. If only there was a way to disable to device entirely. Julie fretted over the possibility of HAGS activating the chemical kill switch the devices had. That was beyond her technical capabilities, though. She just had to hope for the best.

  It took Julie another hour to complete her mission. Her nervousness compelled her to check everything twice and triple check that she left everything as it was. Other than the missing saline solution, there shouldn’t be any indication she’d been there.

  Julie stood nervously in the elevator. The song this time was “Girl From Impenema,” which made her smile. Another song Koby would probably love. She shook her head.

  When the doors opened, she made a beeline for the office with the secret tunnel where she ditched the lab coat, clipboard, and ID badge. Without the camouflage, she felt virtually naked on her way back to the dorm. She was petrified the guards would stroll past.

  Yet just as she hoped, nothing happened. She climbed into bed and pulled the blanket up to her chin like when she was little. Julie fell asleep with Marley’s lyrics playing through her mind.

  Every little thing gonna be all right.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Collin looked over at Julie and then glanced back at Charlie. Hunter stood in a line for children. They all waited for their turn to step up and refill their implants.

  Just like cattle on a ranch. Collin sighed, thinking of the summer work he did as a boy.

  The process went smooth. No one seemed
to be aware of what Julie had done the night before. What effect would switching the medication have? Collin figured there would be some kind of withdrawal. As long as people didn’t die from it, he would be happy. Either way, it was a necessary risk and one both Julie and Charlie supported.

  Collin again wished Koby were there with him. He’d have a heyday with all the resources available. Koby and Charlie would conjure up cool tricks. Collin smiled to himself. Was Brady safe? Were the missions to Delta and Echo successful? How would they reconnect?

  Collin sighed as he stepped forward. Ahead of him, a woman dipped her head forward while a nurse lowered a hose to the implant on the back of her head and attached it with a firm twist. Five seconds later, they stepped forward again and another person was attached to the hose.

  Hunter looked up at him. He gave Collin a determined look.

  A part of him wanted to tell Hunter what was about to go down. Collin knew better, though. He didn’t want to make Hunter more of a target than he already was just by being related to him.

  “I’m so glad we don’t have to worry about the fever,” a woman muttered behind Collin. Another person in line agreed with her.

  He suppressed an eye-roll and bit his tongue. Did these people forget the implant could also kill them? His head shook. Once Julie got back in a lab, she’d be cranking out the serum and everyone would be cured. There’d be no need for constant treatment.

  Someday soon, Collin thought.

  Hunter stepped up for his dose. Heat rose in Collin’s chest at having to submit his grandson to this kind of treatment. The only thing that soothed his fury was the knowledge that Julie switched the treatment, and HAGS was about to meet its end. It was time to cut the head off the snake.

  Collin was too tall for the nurse, so he took a knee. He played his role as the obedient drone.

  For now.

  Each of them filed out into the hallway and stood in neat, orderly lines against the wall. A security guard was at either end of the hall. Collin ended up by the door. The line would continue behind him on the other side of the door.

  When Julie emerged, she poked him in the back and took her place against the far wall. The “grateful” woman came out behind Julie and stood on the other side of the door. Collin watched Julie, who glanced back and gave him an okay sign with her hand.

  At breakfast, Julie had suggested the lack of actual medication might take four to six hours to clear out of their bloodstream and have any noticeable effect on the drones. Residual medication possibly stored in their fat cells would be eliminated after a week or so. Julie had made it clear it wouldn’t be enough to keep the person compliant. That would give them plenty of time to set up their next moves. Collin began an imaginary countdown in his head, eager to get the battle underway.

  The hallway filled with drones, and the guards led them downstairs to the big meeting room. Hunter and the other children were about to go to the youth wing, a section of the building complex where they attended something resembling school. Before Hunter left, Collin gave the boy a quick hug and ruffled his hair. He loved the way it made his grandson look up at him and smile. As much as Collin enjoyed life and the thought of saving America, Hunter’s smile was all it took to fuel his fire for justice.

  They had to suffer through another propaganda video telling them how important their work was, how it’d help future generations, and other bullshit promises. Collin took the opportunity to chat with Julie and Charlie.

  “Where did you put Susan’s ID badge?” Charlie whispered.

  “In the tunnel.” Julie glanced around nervously. “There’s a lab coat, too.”

  Oddly no one had said anything about Susan being gone. The lack of response unnerved Julie.

  “We’re close,” Collin said as he patted her arm. He hated to see her so stressed out.

  The lights clicked on, and they were ordered to get to work.

  “See you at lunch.” Collin smiled at Julie. He turned and left with Charlie; they would be using their time to set things up. Charlie had spread the word among his compatriots to prepare.

  The time passed slowly. Collin carried weapons and helped Charlie distribute them to designated locations. Once the signal went out, all hell would break loose. They had to hit fast and hard.

  “How will we get to the higher levels of the building?” Collin asked. He didn’t want the big wigs like General Hopper hiding behind locked doors.

  “Susan’s ID will get us up there if it hasn’t been deactivated yet. Otherwise, we climb the elevator shaft.” Charlie winked at Collin who rolled his eyes this time.

  “Fingers crossed the ID works then.”

  Charlie tied up a bag of garbage while Collin put a new bag in the trash can on their cart. Collin was not going to miss this kind of work. He had a lot more respect for people who did this job back in the day. Like most, he had never given them much thought.

  “Where are we off to now?” Collin tossed his rubber gloves in the trash and pulled out a fresh pair that he stuffed in his pocket.

  “Time to head upstairs, grab supplies, and start cleaning the offices,” Charlie said with a hint of excitement.

  They went upstairs, passing a pair of guards. Neither paid attention to Collin and Charlie. It would have been easy to overpower them. The time wasn’t right, though.

  A little longer, Collin reminded himself.

  Once they reached the War Room, Charlie’s hidden outpost, Collin brought out the building plans and looked them over again. They would be launching an assault on all three towers nearly simultaneously. Charlie had people everywhere. From the kitchens to the offices, the motor pool to the landscaping crew.

  “Final briefing. So far, we’re looking good.” Charlie went over the plan again. Nothing had changed in the security posture of HAGS. Their revolt remained under the radar.

  In all, they had almost fifty people. Collin had only met a handful of them, including Rico, Charlie’s best fighter. Other than Rico and a few others, Charlie insisted on keeping them secret. Doing so provided deniability and reduced exposing them to the watchful eyes of HAGS.

  One team of Charlie’s men would take control of the motor pool, disabling vehicles and bringing heavy weapons to bear outside to prevent the arrival of reinforcements. The landscaping crew would take out the guards at the train depot and use homemade bombs to destroy the tracks before finally reinforcing the motor pool crew at the main gate.

  Julie would lead a ten person strike team to secure the east tower. They would secure and protect Hunter and the other children, taking them into the surrounding forest, so they couldn’t be used as leverage. Rico would lead a team to secure the west tower. Meanwhile, Collin and Charlie would lead the remainder to take the main central tower.

  Of course, they banked on the idea that many of the newly freed drones would join in the fight. Whatever weapons they gained from the guards would be critical. HAGS had strict control of the firearms, and Charlie hadn’t been able to procure any. He did know the location of the weapons locker, but had never managed to recruit an insider since HAGS personnel controlled it.

  “Okay, where are we rigging the explosives?” Collin asked.

  Charlie came over and pointed to several locations in each tower. “I told my guys to start this morning; they should be done before lunch. We will be able to remote detonate them. I’ll be carrying the switch for it.”

  “Do we need to worry about the buildings collapsing?”

  “No, they’re critical architectural points. We’re knocking out electricity and communications,” Charlie said, pointing to two points. Then he moved to different spots on the blueprints. “Here we’ll disable the executive elevator so the fuckers can’t escape. This one here will take out security’s main office.”

  Collin nodded. “Are we going to the vault first or upstairs?”

  “We’ll get weapons on the way upstairs.” Charlie grinned. “Any other questions, Mr. President?”

  Tapping his chin, Collin
took a few long moments to run over things. He shook his head. “I’m ready to roll.”

  “Great. Grab some of those weapons. I’ll get the rest, and we can start stashing them.” Charlie pointed to the newly bundled piles of machetes, long knives, and the like.

  They hefted the blades and began moving along the service shafts and tunnels that Charlie built. Before the day was over, the weapons in Collin’s arms would taste blood. He welcomed the excited nervousness he always felt before a big mission.

  Collin grinned as they planted the weapons at critical points around the building.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  Mashed potatoes splatted onto Collin’s tray like wet cement. A tiny bit landed on his thumb, and he slowly looked up at the lady behind the glass. Her brown hair was held up by a hairnet, and her fat fingers flexed insider clear plastic gloves that crinkled with every movement. When he failed to move, she looked at the tray for a moment as if willing it to leave her sight. With a heavy sigh, she glanced up at him. Her eyes widened just a bit before narrowing. The woman’s mouth turned down.

  “That’s all you get. Move along,” she snapped, her jowls jiggling with each word. The lunch lady gestured with the metal spoon in case he didn’t understand, flicking mashed potatoes on the window. The level of service and respect made him wish Doris ran the kitchen. His friend had always treated people with respect if not a warm, grandmotherly smile.

  Collin scowled but moved. The cafeteria was abuzz with activity. People seemed chattier than usual. He felt good about it. The place was alive, somehow brighter and, other than the lunch lady, less depressing.

  Julie was just sitting down by Charlie when Collin approached. They looked up at him and smiled.

  “Greetings fellow rebels,” he whispered.