The Skywalkers: A Thriller (A Rossler Foundation Mystery Book 5)

by JC Ryan

  As Luke became more alarmed, Salome finally spoke. “I’ve got it, Luke. That was the last piece of the puzzle. Our target group has been buying pathology labs so they can build up a genetic profile of every person on the planet!”

  “Why would they want that?” Luke asked, still not seeing it.

  “Because the beast operates on some sort of principle related to a person’s genetic profile. Their blood, Luke! Remember the letter. The beast knows my blood, he said. The death from the sky is programmed specifically to a genetic profile. It’s probably a highly targeted poison or designer illness, delivered by something too small to see.”

  “You’re thinking of Roy’s nano-bots.”

  “Of course I am. And remember, the Sword of Cyrus wiped out a couple of villages with targeted diseases. Whoever controls the beast has the power to wipe out entire populations or target just one person. Luke, Brideaux made that connection long ago. It’s why he’s at the site. He’s there to take control of the beast, and once he has it, he and his group could take over the world.

  “Salome, calm down. That’s a pretty big leap on circumstantial evidence.” “Oh my God Luke, we’re in trouble! We’re too late, and our husbands will be killed there in the Canyon. Brideaux has everything he needs literally to take over the world.”

  “Maybe not. They haven’t finished translating the manual, have they?”

  “This is what they have. I took notes when I talked to Roy this morning, and Daniel told Sarah the same thing last night. They were going to have Joseph start the first thing this morning with the section on shutting down the beast, but the rest of the manual tells how to build one.”

  Salome handed him her notes, where he read the bullet points one by one, becoming paler with each point.

  Luke looked up. “You’re right, they’re in extreme danger and we have no time to waste. One of us should get to Sarah immediately, and the other should round up Rebecca and Sinclair.”

  “I’ll go to Sarah. Get Rebecca first and send her straight there. I don’t know how Sarah will take this, she may need medical attention.”

  Luke snapped his fingers. “Wait, I saw Rebecca in Sarah’s office just a few minutes ago. Hurry there, and page me if she isn’t there still.”

  Salome literally flew to the other end of the hall, where Sarah had taken over Daniel’s office while he was gone. Later, she wouldn’t remember her feet hitting the floor, and it seemed she’d arrived before she left. Out of breath, she saw with relief that Rebecca was still there.

  Her appearance in the doorway startled the other two women, who looked up with alarm as she slid in on one foot and then bent over, breathing heavily. Sarah stood with a cry and Rebecca went to Salome to discover what was wrong. Salome held her hand up.

  “I’m…all…right. Give me…a minute…to catch…my breath.”

  Just then her pager went off with Luke’s report that he was on his way with Sinclair. Only a little recovered, Salome turned the device so Rebecca could read it.

  “Come sit down,” Rebecca ordered. “Sarah, there’s evidently some urgent news, but Luke and Sinclair are on their way. Let Salome catch her breath until they get here.”

  Sarah nodded, her eyes still wide. Whatever this was, it couldn’t be good. Once Luke arrived and Salome had explained her conclusion and its basis, apologizing that she’d frightened them with an unexpected panic attack; the group shook off their shock and began to brainstorm a plan.

  ***

  On the surface, it was simple. They needed to work out what they could do before the next time one or more of the expedition members called. Of course, they needed to warn them, that is, if they we’re still alive and in a position to call. If everything was still okay, that should be this afternoon, about three hours from now, when they come out to swap batteries. Before the Headquarters group could determine what to say, they needed to brainstorm to figure out Brideaux’s plan. The facts as they knew them were these. He could make his move now if he has not done so already or he could be waiting to get the translation or maybe even until the beast is disabled. With no information to the contrary, they concluded there was really no reason for him to wait any longer. He undoubtedly had what he needed and therefore he and his henchmen could take it from there.

  But, what purpose would it serve to kill them? Unless he had a specific reason, there was a chance – a very slim chance - that he may just take all he needed and leave them there. None of them has done him any harm at all, ever, and he has no reason to kill anyone. But they know, and that may be enough reason. Salome’s opinion was that he was as evil as Hitler or Stalin, anyone who’d ever been responsible in the past for the deaths of millions, and maybe all of them rolled into one. But Sarah held out hope. Brideaux and Daniel had always been cordial. Maybe he would spare the Foundation men because of it. After all, even Hitler had had friends for a while.

  They had to believe that their men were alive, that Brideaux had made no move as yet. And with that belief came the necessity of doing something to keep them that way. Should they try to send a rescue team? If so, who could they send? Also how could they get there quickly?

  Sinclair volunteered that if they had a private jet, they could get to Flagstaff in under an hour. From Flagstaff by helicopter it would take maybe a couple of hours. The real delay would be gathering a rescue unit and equipment.

  In spite of the long odds, they had to try. While Rebecca went to search JR’s office for contact information, the others took a break and Sinclair and Luke went to the canteen to get everyone some coffee. It could be a long night, and Salome was already running on sheer adrenaline, not having slept the night before. Sinclair took a detour for his bottle of Jameson’s, in case anyone needed fortification as the meeting wore on.

  While they were gone, Rebecca reminded Sarah that the owner of the security company responsible for the building was a friend of JR’s, an ex-Marine.

  “That’s right – Daniel likes him, too. They all get together for coffee every now and then when he comes to check up on his crew.”

  “They’ve been known to have a drink or two, as well,” Rebecca remarked, just as Sinclair came in with his Jameson’s. He perked up.

  “A drink? Who are we talking about?”

  Sarah rolled her eyes at him. “His name is Mark Bryant. A friend of JR’s and now Daniel’s. We’ve just remembered he’s an ex-Marine, and I think some of his crew are, too.”

  By now the others were filtering back into the room. Sarah and Rebecca filled them in on what they’d remembered about Mark, that he was an officer, a captain Rebecca thought, in the Marines. JR had persuaded Daniel to give his fledgling company a shot at the Rossler security contract when he started it up in Boulder.

  They will contact him and see if he can mount a rescue attempt. That is all they can think of now. The cops and the FBI and the CIA - all of them - are out.

  ***

  Salome was convinced. “Luke, could you contact him to organize it? Excuse me,” she said to the others. “I’ll be right back.”

  As soon as they’d cleared the door, she said to Luke, “I haven’t brought this up yet, and I don’t want to spook the girls until we can discuss it, but it’s clear to me we’re going to have to activate Enigma. I’m thinking we offer him, his employees and their families’ sanctuary at the Rabbit Hole when this is done, one way or another.”

  “Good idea, but I’m going to bring him back here. You can tell him yourself.”

  “All right. Do you agree, about Enigma?”

  “Yes, on both counts. Activate. And, we haven’t had a chance to organize security, which we’ll need anyway. I’d say it’s a win-win.”

  “Okay then, I’ll raise the subject and we’ll have a plan by the time you get back. Thanks Luke, you’re the best.”

  “No, Salome, you’re the best. This wasn’t even on my radar, and you nailed it. Okay, gotta go. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  ***

  “Where are we? So, ass
uming Mark agrees, rescue will be on the way, let’s say in four hours. The guys are going to be calling in less than three. What do we do?” Sarah was asking for input but Salome needed to think it through.

  The guys were indoors most of the time. They wouldn’t know anyone would be there to help them, and they’d be back inside the facility before the rescuers got there. If it came to a firefight, they wouldn’t know what was happening. They had to be warned.

  “We have to tell them to be careful of Brideaux,” Sinclair said. That was obvious, but how? Would he be close enough to anyone who was calling to hear the warning? Would it put the guys in immediate danger?

  “Oh, my God,” Salome said. “The phone they’re calling on… Brideaux supplied it. They could have been listening in all along. We have to assume there’s no way to warn them without alerting Brideaux’s people.”

  “We can’t talk on it anymore, then,” Rebecca said. The thought of never speaking to her husband again if things went wrong overwhelmed her before she could finish her thought.

  “No, that’s wrong,” Salome replied. “If we don’t answer, the bad guys will definitely know something’s wrong. We have to think of a way to warn them without listeners catching on that we know anything’s up.”

  “What if we just blurt it out, tell them we’ve discovered John Brideaux is a monster and they should take him captive and wait for JR’s buddies to get there?” Rebecca said, taking hope again, knowing that she could hear JR’s voice one more time.”

  “It’s worth discussion. Sinclair? What do you think?”

  “I think we should ask Luke, frankly. Unless any of you have any kind of secret code you’ve used before? Sarah?”

  “Oh, gosh, Sinclair, it’s been years,” she said, causing Rebecca and Salome to look at her with interest. “Daniel and I used to have a code worked out so we could talk with the Orion Society listening in and sound like the conversation was about nothing at all, when really we were conveying secrets. But, I don’t remember much of it, and even if I did, I don’t know if he’d remember. Plus, I’d have to alert him to it being code.”

  “Do you remember any of it?” Salome asked.

  Sarah blushed. “Well, just one exchange, for when we wanted to, er.” She looked at Sinclair, who gave a broad grin.

  “Made love over the phone,” he supplied.

  Rebecca was startled into a laugh. “You did what?” she asked Sarah.

  “Oh, it was just a silly game. He’d text ‘RUR’ for Are you ready? And I’d answer RWA. Then we’d tease a little more. I remember one time we Skyped and I had him believing I was going to be wearing a sexy negligee. You should have seen his face when he saw my flannel nightgown, buttoned up to my chin, long sleeves and all.”

  The whole group had needed something like that, and the tension relief when they all howled at the story.

  Then Salome asked, “And what did RWA stand for?”

  “Ready, willing and able,” said Sarah, now laughing at the story herself. That set them off again.

  When she’d caught her breath, Salome asked. “If you said that to him, would he be alerted that there was a second meaning to anything that came after?”

  Sarah thought for a moment. “You know, he may.”

  “Then it’s worth a shot. Sarah, you have to remember anything you can about your old code. And then you have to let me do the talking. I’ll tell you why in a minute.”

  With Sarah’s brow wrinkled in confusion, Salome had to look at the others as she explained some other things she’d considered. The first was that there was a very good chance Brideaux had already deployed people to come to their building and take over the libraries. His reasoning would be that he could never be safe, even in control of the beast, as long as someone else was in possession of them. Because there may be knowledge in them that could neutralize his weapon. If it hadn’t been put in place yet, it was only because Brideaux felt safe in the knowledge that no one knew of him and his plans. It was safer to believe they were in imminent danger of attack, and plan a response to that

  If their worst fears were true and Brideaux had already killed their husbands or was about to, he would not hesitate to kill them and everyone at the Rossler Foundation to get what he wants.

  Before they’d come to the crux of the matter, Luke was back with Mark.

  As quickly as possible, Salome filled him in, sharing the details of the discovery and what they feared.

  “So, you don’t even know at this time whether they are alive?” he asked, his face grim.

  “We don’t have any reason to believe otherwise.”

  “Then you don’t need to say any more. Once a Marine, always a Marine, and Marines don’t leave anyone behind. How many are there, and exactly where are they?”

  Mark made notes on a little spiral notepad he pulled from his pocket as Salome gave him the coordinates of the slot canyon. Luke disappeared for a moment and came back with a data stick with the layout of the facility, a map of the area with the lift entrance marked, and directions for opening the doors and operating the lift.

  “Anything else I need to know?” he asked.

  “Yes,” said Sarah. “You may be walking into a very dangerous situation. We have to warn our guys when they call, and that may be before you get there. It could be a mess after that.”

  Mark grinned. “Cleaning up messes is what we do best, ma’am. Your husband gave me a chance, and now it’s time to return the favor.”

  “One more thing,” she answered. “We’ve prepared a contingency plan. We call it Enigma. Without wasting time on detail, it’s a hiding place for our people, to ride out what we think is a disaster that’s coming as soon as this John Brideaux and his colleagues get hold of the beast. We’re going to activate Enigma, so we won’t be here by the time you get back. Your family and those of anyone you take with you to rescue our guys are welcome to come with us. And we’ll need you to bring our men there.”

  Luke interrupted. “The coordinates for there are also on that thumb drive.”

  “I don’t want to delay getting to your men. Can someone brief our families and help them get ready?”

  “We’ll take care of it.”

  “Then I’ll take care of your men.” He hesitated. “I don’t want to borrow trouble, but… if we’re too late?”

  Fighting tears, Sarah looked at Rebecca and Salome, who nodded. “Then bring them to us anyway. They belong with us, dead or alive.”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’d better get going. I’ll let you know when we’re ready to leave, probably within three hours.”

  The few people remaining in the room had a responsibility to get their families, employees and friends – and now the families of the rescue group - out of harm’s way and to the Rabbit Hole. For that, they’d need help, because the plans were incomplete. Woefully short of younger men to help with the heavy lifting and organizing, the women did what they did best – they organized and improvised.

  Chapter 42 - Exodus

  Sarah called her dad to come and help after briefing Luke what they’d been up to. Daniel’s parents and Aaron were still at Bess’s, helping her deal with all of the details that seemed to crop up after the death of a spouse and waiting anxiously for the return of their other two sons. She called and asked Ben to come to Daniel’s office for some very important information.

  When he got there, she took longer than she wanted to explain exactly what was going on and that she needed him and Nancy to get Bess, Martha and Sinclair to safety. Aaron she needed to stay and help. Ben proved to be as smart and resourceful as his sons when he took it all in stride and told her to leave all that to him. What else could he take that they may need?

  Sarah was closer to Daniel’s grandparents than his parents, but his calm acceptance made Ben look like a knight in shining armor to her. She threw her arms around him for a hug, and asked him to take little Nick to her mother, who would take him and Aunt Sally to the Rabbit Hole. That would leave her mind free to do what nee
ded to be done here.

  Salome had informed her the ones who remained here would have to pack Raj’s servers for him as well as Roy’s lab. Luckily Raj had showed her how he had marked the most important servers. In addition, his assistant Stuart Harding has been briefed and was on their list of people to go to the Rabbit Hole with them. She paged him next to ask what kind of help he needed, then sent her dad to give it as soon as he arrived.

  Stuart, who had no girlfriend or family to worry about, knew what to do and had it organized by the time Ryan arrived to help him load it all into an unmarked van. Stuart showed Ryan where he’d put a little red paint dot on the back of each of them. While Ryan began the task of loading, Stuart retrieved all of Raj’s backups from the company vaults.

  Meanwhile, Salome had found Roy’s lab perfectly organized and already packed neatly in toolboxes and the shelves before he went on expedition. They will just clear it out completely. She was carrying one box at a time to the garage and packing it into another of the unmarked vans when Ryan and Stuart finished their task. They returned with her to the lab to help get that out before Stuart headed out in his vehicle for the Rabbit Hole.

  If Sarah hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she’d never have believed that they could empty the building of anything of use to the enemy and cleared it of people in a matter of two hours. But now, it was time to concentrate on the message of warning to the man who was her whole world. If she lost Daniel, how would she go on?

  ***

  Meanwhile, Mark Bryant contacted two of his employees, ex-Marines, as he’d promised Sarah. In a closed-door meeting in his office, he briefed them on a “need to know” basis. Both agreed to go, for all the reasons he had agreed to take on the mission. The Rossler Foundation was indirectly responsible for their good jobs; they owed the head of the Foundation a favor, and his ex-Marine brother their loyalty.

  “Okay, get out of here. Tell your families to stay home and wait for the Rossler people to come and tell them what’s going on. You can tell them to be ready to pack for an extended trip. The Rossler people will tell them what they can take.”