"There's a man, woman, and child. The man says he's a Congressman. Says he's got information for the Senator. Their story is all messed up. I had them held in here for trespassing."
Paul slowly shut the door and looked around for signs of any other guards. The family stood, holding each other for a moment.
"I love you, mom," Julie said. "I'm so glad we found you."
"I love you too, baby," Samantha said, rubbing Julie's back.
"We should run now. Just follow me," Paul said. He began to lightly jog as Samantha and Julie followed. They were soon upon the gate and over it.
Chapter Nine
The Mastermind Plot
"You want to send someone else up here to meet them or not? If not, I want them off the premises," Wells said into the phone, annoyed. He turned to the waiting area and noticed them missing. He looked around to all the different areas of the room; they were nowhere to be seen. "Hold on," he continued. "Wait, wait. They're not here anymore. They fucking left. I'll get back with you."
Wells slammed down the phone and ran from behind the counter. He glanced back to the security monitors. There was no movement on any of the screens. "Son of a bitch," he said. It was as though they had been ghosts. He grabbed his flashlight and scurried out the door in a mad dash.
In the underground bunker, a stocky security guard named Tyson held the phone. A dial tone sounded, prompting him to hang up. He exited the office and walked out into the familiar narrow hall of the bunker. Guests, security, and people who made up the "help" passed by him in quick movement, searching each and every room. A massive hunt had been ignited throughout the bunker to find Samantha and recover the laptop she had stolen. Tyson made his way to Senator Bryant's room. Ten or so people were gathered around, rapidly talking over each other as Bryant sat upright on his bed, nursing his head wound.
Tyson cleared his throat and spoke. "Excuse me, gentlemen, I know we're still searching for the woman, but I received a call from the front desk about a family being taken in. The man in question said that he was a Congressman here to see Senator Bryant. Said his wife was named Samantha too. Kind of strange that they have the same name."
Senator Bryant perked up. "Where are they now?" he asked.
"Last I heard from Wells, they left. He's going to track 'em down."
"What do you mean, they left?" Bryant asked.
"I mean he was on the phone then he said they left."
The room went quiet as Bryant and the others thought to themselves. Suddenly, Bryant reached over on the nightstand, grabbed his wallet, and opened it. After fishing through the wallet, he tossed it back on the stand.
"She escaped the bunker," he said.
Everyone looked at Bryant, confused.
"We're not going to find her anywhere around here. She's got my laptop and we don't have much time."
"What happened here anyway, Senator?" an elderly man in a silk bathrobe asked.
"She attacked me, that's what happened," Bryant quipped.
"You brought her down here, Jeff. She was your responsibility and now it would seem that she got the best of you, and all of us as well," a snide-looking man said as he took a gulp of brandy.
"She should have never been down here in the first place! What in the hell were you thinking?" another man with static gray hair belted out. Murmurs of approval followed.
"If she gets away with whatever information you let her steal, I don't think I have to remind you of the repercussions you're going to face. You've compromised the entire plan and should take complete responsibility," the elderly man added.
"I don't need any of you to tell me what's at stake here," Bryant said, angered. "She couldn't have gotten far. I admit, my personal judgment was a bit...questionable, but I have the situation under control."
Bryant got up from his bed, disrobed, and put on a pair of slacks and a business shirt. "We're going up, and all of you are going to help me. Remember, we're each a part of this. I won't be the only one facing repercussions in the end. I shouldn't have to remind you of that either."
Deep concern grew on the faces of every man in the room. The security guard, Tyson, stood patiently waiting for the group to make up their mind. "Let's go," Bryant said.
Paul, Samantha, and Julie made it back to the Malibu undetected. Samantha hadn't asked them any questions yet but spoke once they got in with Paul at the wheel.
"How on earth did you manage to find me?" she asked.
Paul started the engine and put the car in reverse. "I'm still trying to figure that out myself," he answered.
From the back seat, Julie placed her hands on Samantha's shoulder. "It's so good to see you, Mom. We had faith in finding you. I mean so much has happened, it seemed like it was impossible. But we did it, Paul and me."
Paul looked at Julie in the rearview mirror and smiled. He put the car in drive and coasted carefully through the parking garage with the headlights off. "We have to be careful, there're police everywhere," he said.
"Where are we going?" Samantha asked.
"Denver is a bust," Paul said. "I'm talking martial law, can't go out after dark kind of thing. It's too dangerous."
"Is it all true?" Samantha asked, staring blankly ahead.
"What, the attacks?" Paul asked, pausing. "Yes, from what we've heard and what we've seen, it looks like millions of people, maybe more, have been killed."
"Your father? My parents? Our friends?" Samantha began.
"I don't know yet, honey. We've been trying to get to you for weeks now."
Samantha placed her face in her hands and began to cry. Paul reached for her hand and held it as Julie rubbed her shoulders.
"There, there, Mom. We're going to be okay."
Samantha lifted her face from her hands, sobbing. "You guys really are amazing, you know that?" she said.
"We need to go somewhere where we can lay low and rest for a little bit," Paul said. "Some place away from the city."
"We could always hide in the mountains," Julie suggested.
"That's not a bad idea," Paul replied. "What do you think, Sam?"
Samantha wiped tears from her eyes. "Anywhere away from here is good."
Once they were on the highway, the Rocky Mountains were in view. It seemed an ideal location, if not already blocked off somehow. They had to make it there without being stopped as the barren highway made them an easy target. Farther down the road, a sign was in view: Rocky Mountain National Park Three Miles.
Senator Bryant and a small entourage of security men and bunker occupants burst into the guard shack above ground on the runway. They found Wells leaning against the counter while holding his bulging side through his light-blue security uniform.
"Where did they go?" Tyson asked immediately.
Wells raised his head up while trying to catch his breath.
"They ran off while I was on the phone calling it in. I chased 'em outside, but they were already gone. Vanished into thin air."
One of Bryant's group, the man with static hair, stepped forward, wearing a deep frown.
"So, the Senator lets her in, she gets out, and we can't find her. Then you come across a man, woman, and child just strolling along and they manage to escape because your BACK WAS TURNED? Excuse me if I don't have the most faith in the security measures implemented around here."
Bryant held his tongue. He knew that no matter what he said, they were going to pin the situation on him. Maybe they were right. Though he wasn't planning on going down alone.
"You're mistaken, Sir," Wells said. "First I came across a woman, an attractive one carrying a laptop. I brought her in here for questioning. She told me she had 'wandered' onto the runway."
Bryant's full attention was on Wells' every word. He cut in. "This woman you saw carrying the laptop, what did she look like?"
"Asian-looking female in her late twenties. Shoulder-length black hair. She had a cute red dress on, but it was kind of torn up. She was wearing a dark blue blazer over it. She spoke some gibberi
sh about being lost. Didn't make any sense."
"So what happened after you brought her in here? Where did she go?" Bryant insisted.
The entire group circled around Wells, awaiting a response.
"Well, she was sitting in that chair," Wells answered, pointing ahead. "Then I saw the man and his child on the security monitors. He said he was a congressman here to see you. I brought them in, got on the horn, and then they started hugging and stuff. He said the woman was his wife."
"His wife?" Bryant shouted.
"I don't know, Senator. Their story was very hazy. I couldn't make much sense of it myself. All I know is that they were trespassing.
Bryant wanted to kill him. He wanted to take Wells and bash his thick head into the counter until it split apart in two. He moved close into Wells' face and spoke slightly above a whisper.
"You shouldn't have let them get away. Now, they couldn't have gotten far. I want you to get in contact with every security officer wandering around this fucking airport and start searching."
Wells nodded nervously.
"You better hope they didn't get far," Bryant injected as he backed off.
"How did the husband and kid get in?" a man in the group asked.
"I don't know. They might have hopped the fence," Wells said.
"That's exactly why I suggested towers with armed guards," the man with the brandy said. He took a swig and continued. "You all thought I was crazy, but look at us now, clueless as children in a warzone."
"Pipe down, Fischer. Why don't you go back to bed and sober up?" one of the other men said.
"Enough, we all need to work together," Bryant said as he walked over to the security monitors and examined them. He signaled Wells over with the wave of his hand. As Wells approached, Bryant wrapped his arm around his shoulder and leaned Wells towards the screen.
"Do these monitors have a playback option?" he asked.
"Yes, sir. Yes, they do," Wells responded.
"Why don't you back up the footage so we can get a look at this woman and her mysterious prince?"
"Don't forget about the kid," Fischer said with a hiccup.
"Yes, Fischer, I know that, thank you," Bryant said in an annoyed tone.
Wells moved to a small control panel on the desk below the monitors. He fidgeted with the knobs displaying recorded footage from different locations on the security screens. Several displays showed Samantha walking past the camera on the runway, and then being led into the office.
"Pause that one!" Bryant ordered.
Wells paused the image as Samantha just took a seat on the chair.
Other screens showed Paul and Julie approaching the building from outside. Once they got inside, Bryant again told Wells to pause it. The final image showed Paul, Samantha, and Julie embracing in the room. Bryant had Wells pause the image as well. It suddenly occurred to Bryant how many times Samantha pleaded with him to let her go. She always brought up a husband and daughter. A husband and a daughter. Was it possible? Had they managed to track Samantha somehow? Had they been coordinating with her? Bryant grew paranoid. Samantha had used him. She had been sent in to get his laptop. She had seduced him. He was as a fool to have fallen for it. Nonetheless, she had to be found.
Bryant took a step back from the monitors and then turned to his entourage.
"I want these images distributed to every law enforcement and military entity in the state. We're dealing with terrorist espionage here, gentlemen. Now, even if they had a vehicle, they couldn't have gotten far. And it won't be long until they get stopped at a checkpoint, especially after curfew. We have to stop them immediately. The woman, Samantha, has a laptop with top-secret information on it. We must retrieve that information and stop these agents before it's too late. Too many lives have been lost enough as it is."
The implication was clear; Bryant was dictating a statewide manhunt on the fleeing family, with no other authority than his words.
Paul drove to the Rocky Mountain National Park, repeatedly glancing at the fuel gauge as it teetered below the quarter mark. Once the Malibu ran out of gas, he wasn't sure what they would do. With so little gas left, they wouldn't be able to travel much farther. It was the Rocky Mountains or nothing. The Malibu, the lone car on the road, coasted up a side road into the park. Its headlights brightened the path of winding gravel traveling upward to a place where they could remain concealed within the lush wilderness of their tranquil escape. The jagged mountains towered in the distance, their tips white with the frost. Even among such open surroundings, safety wasn’t guaranteed. There was no plan beyond just getting to the National Park. They would hide. They would be together.
Samantha leaned her head onto Paul's shoulder as he placed his arm around her. Julie had climbed up in the front and cuddled next to her mother. She hadn't told Samantha everything, for which Paul was relieved. He attempted many times to commandeer their discussion. It was too much to put on Samantha at the moment. Paul hadn't asked her yet how she ended up with Senator Bryant or why she was trying to escape. She had her own story to tell, but not before grilling Paul about where they had been and how they had managed to find her.
"We drove with a man we met, Jordan," Paul said. "We got as far as Missouri when we ran into some trouble, but were given help by some people who lived in their own sort of protected neighborhood."
"You're not telling her the whole story, Paul," Julie interrupted.
"There's no need to get into all that right now, Julie," Paul said back. "It's fair to say that we've all been through a very rough couple of weeks."
The truth was that there was much he didn't want Samantha to know. They were all in a very fragile state. If she had just a slight indication of what Julie had seen and done, he honestly didn't know how she would respond or how things could ever go back to how they were. Perhaps those days were long gone.
"I knew I would find you both soon, but I would have never, in a million years, expected to see you at the airport. I thought I was going to have to go all the way back to Pennsylvania."
"There was a massive evacuation and we had to leave. Colorado was our only option. It was our best chance of finding you."
"And it worked," Julie said, smiling.
"So Pennsylvania got hit? Are you sure? What did you see?" Samantha asked.
Paul cleared his throat, trying to choose his words carefully.
"I saw a mushroom cloud. It was huge, but pretty far away. They said the air had been contaminated."
Samantha covered her face, sobbing. "I just can't believe it. All those people. All those lives. For what? We have to get back. We have to get back to our home."
"It's not safe right now," Paul said. "We need to lie low, especially during this curfew. I'll find a place to park. We’ll rest then do our best to find some fuel."
"Out here?" Samantha asked.
"Somewhere. We have to, or else we'll be walking."
"What are they saying on the news?" Samantha asked.
"That it looks like nuclear war," Paul said, causing Samantha to gasp.
"But the worst is over. We need to put it out of our minds for now. Concentrate on each other and about getting somewhere safe," he added.
"We could go back to New Haven," Julie said.
"What's New Haven?" Samantha asked.
"The place where Julie and I stayed. The protected neighborhood," Paul answered.
They continued up the winding road and reached a lookout spot to the side where tourists parked to stretch their legs or get pictures. The Malibu pulled to the side and stopped. Its headlights went off with the engine.
"This looks like as good a spot as any," Paul said.
Julie opened her door to observe the radiant night sky. "It's beautiful," she said while walking to the guardrail overlooking the black forest below.
"Julie, get back here," Paul said.
"It's okay," Samantha said with a kiss to Paul's cheek. "She's never seen anything like this before."
Tiny bulbs of star
s flickered along an endless ridge of mountains visible in dark shades of deep purple. The air was thick, cool, and refreshing. Julie took a moment to savor the silence as Paul and Samantha approached her.
"Hopefully they don't send the cavalry after us," Paul said. "I'm surprised we don't see any helicopters yet."
"Let's not worry about any of that right now," Samantha said. She placed her hands on Julie's shoulders. In return, Julie moved her hand to touch her mother's. Paul put his arm around Samantha and squeezed her gently as they watched the still beauty of an untouched place where such peace was still possible.
After stargazing, the family headed back to the car where Paul said they would sleep for the night. Julie lay in the back and quickly fell asleep. It had been an exhausting day for her, more so than usual. Up front, Paul held Samantha in his arms as she told her story.
"I went to my hotel room after they evacuated the convention center. I met Senator Bryant sometime before. He gave me his card."
"That's the one we found in your hotel room. That's why we went to the airport," Paul said.
"I remember I had this panic attack, I called him for help, I didn't know what else to do. I didn't even think he would remember me, but he did. Next thing I knew, I woke in a place that had no windows or doors. It was like being in the inside of a vault. A place underground with all these strange people. He wouldn't let me leave."
"Did he ever hurt you?" Paul asked with a sickness growing in his stomach.
Samantha moved her head up from his chest to look up at his face. "No. He never hurt me, or touched me, or anything you might be thinking. The last night I was there, he was being very pushy. I..."
Samantha paused. "I hit him over the head with a bottle of champagne and knocked him unconscious."
Paul was speechless.
"I had to escape. I couldn't spend another day down there. Not with you and Julie out here looking for me. On his desk, he had a laptop. I want you to take a look at it. A lot of the files appear encrypted, but there's serious evidence of Bryant's involvement with the bombs," Samantha continued.
End Days Super Boxset Page 155
