by R. D. Brady
And the creatures had only been out in the open for two months. That suggested very short gestations, which meant the creatures were burrowing in somewhere. The planet could be overrun quickly if that plague wasn’t stopped.
A timid knock on his door interrupted his thoughts. The only one who ever knocked was Hamish. Everyone else was too terrified to approach him directly. “Come in, Hamish.”
Hamish stepped inside, his hair standing straight up. He tended to run his hands through his hair when he was stressed.
Martin raised an eyebrow. “Well?”
“I-I’ve tracked down the hacker. They go by the name Guardian.”
Martin scoffed. God, these hackers were tedious with their names. Hamish had been calling himself WorldGod2000 when Martin had found him. “Okay, and what do we know about this Guardian?”
“I know that they’ve been able to hack into our satellites and a few other countries. They also have been able to wipe out street cameras. They’re good. They’re covering tracks. And for multiple people. I’d be really surprised if Guardian was one person and not a team.”
“Okay, and have you figured out where this little prick is hiding?”
“Um, sort of. I don’t have a name, but I managed to track their signal for just a few seconds.”
“And?”
“And the signal originated in Aurora, Colorado.”
Martin frowned. “Aurora, but that’s where—” His mouth dropped open.
There was only one area of interest in Aurora, Colorado—Buckley Air Force Base. But it wasn’t just the base that confirmed that’s where Guardian was—it was the agency that had moved its National Resources Division to Buckley in the aftermath of 9/11.
Hamish nodded back at him. “Guardian works for the NSA.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
UNDISCLOSED LOCATION
The red light blinked in the corner of the screen. As soon as it began to flash, Guardian was already making plans. All the pieces were moving into place. Now Guardian needed to move into place.
Guardian checked the maps with everyone’s location. Tidwell was too far away. But the rest, yes, they would make it. Quickly, Guardian sent the message, including the address.
Guardian initiated the series of codes that would do only one thing: completely wipe the computers. Then Guardian pushed back from the desk and headed to the door. Guardian did not look back at the computer console to make sure the code worked. There was no need. Guardian had written the code. It would work. Besides, Guardian needed to hurry. That flashing red light only meant one thing.
They’ve found me.
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
JENSEN, UTAH
The road Norah found ran into the highway an hour later. She’d debated whether or not to head to Denver. Bob would never guess she was heading there. But he undeniably would have called this in and Sanders at the very least would put two and two together. So she headed south.
Iggy peered out at her from the duffel. “Ig?”
“Hey, buddy. I think it would be better if you stayed in there, just until I’m sure we’re in the clear.”
“Ig,” he said softly.
“I know. Hopefully we’ve seen the last of Bob.”
Three hours later, her back and arms were beginning to ache. She twisted, stretching her back as well as she could while driving and then clenched and unclenched each fist. She’d been gripping the steering wheel so tightly they were stiff and sore.
The tension of the last few hours was wearing on her. Up ahead, she saw a rest stop. She hesitated for a moment, but she needed a bathroom and a coffee.
Two minutes, she promised herself as she put on her indicator. She zipped Iggy up in the duffel and took him with her. It took five minutes, but the first sip of coffee assured her that she’d made the right call.
Back in the car, she merged back onto the highway, feeling more energized. It had been five hours. She’d chosen her direction randomly. They were okay for now. She just needed to think of a place they could go that was not tied to her.
She thought of and discarded dozens of possibilities as she drove along with Iggy still curled in the duffel with his teddy. Maybe I could find an old campground, some place off-season. She absentmindedly checked the rearview mirror before turning back to the road. I wonder if …
Her gaze shot back to the mirror. Her mind distracted by her planning, she hadn’t immediately recognized the black Tahoe coming up fast behind her.
She pressed down on the accelerator, cutting off a minivan as she swerved into the exit lane.
Bob didn’t have enough time to make the turn and shot past her. Score one for the good guys. But her luck didn’t hold. Her eyes on the ramp behind her, she blew through a stop sign.
A truck slammed into the end of her car, sending her off the road and down an embankment. Norah pumped the brakes, but they didn’t respond. The car took down a couple of small trees before rolling to a stop at the bottom.
Norah sat still for a moment, amazed the air bags hadn’t gone off. A small cry from the passenger seat set her moving. “Iggy!” She unzipped the bag and Iggy’s head popped out. She let out a relieved sigh as he climbed out, no worse for wear.
The squeal of tires from up on the ridge snatched that feeling away.
“Come on.” She shoved at her door. With a squeal of metal, it inched open. It had been damaged on the ride over the embankment. She shoved harder. “Come on, come on.” Finally she had it open enough that she could climb out. Iggy was right behind her. A bullet slammed into the tree next to her.
“Let’s go!” She sprinted further into the trees with Iggy right on her heels.
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
GRAND JUNCTION, UTAH
They had changed cars about thirty minutes ago and now were in an old Bronco. Adam had carefully carried the triplets from the Jeep over to their new ride while Greg steered Maeve over.
Maeve felt numb. She kept replaying the image of that man picking up Alvie over and over again in her mind. Greg sat next to her, Snap and Pop curled up in his lap. Crackle was curled up in Maeve’s. She absentmindedly rubbed his back, numb to even the tremors running through him.
I lost Alvie. I let them take him.
She imagined scenario after scenario where she managed to get to him, but with each one, she knew how unrealistic they were. Alvie chose to save them. He chose to sacrifice himself.
A weight settled on her shoulders and she looked up into Greg’s eyes as he tucked a jacket around her from the seat next to her. “Maeve, I know this is difficult, but I need you to stay with me. I’m worried you’re going into shock.”
In Maeve’s mind there was a delay between hearing Greg’s words and understanding them. She nodded. Shock. Yes, she was going into shock. How could she not? Protecting Alvie, looking out for him, was her life. Ever since she’d met him that had been the overriding goal of her life. He was a part of her. Him being gone—it was like someone had taken her arm. She could not wrap her mind around it. In fact, her mind, which she took such pride in, seemed to be shutting down.
“Maeve, honey, I need you to say something.”
She looked into Greg’s concerned face. What did he just say? She couldn’t seem to grasp the words. Vaguely she heard a phone ring, but she just continued to rub Crackle’s back.
“Maeve.”
She looked up slowly. Everything felt slow, like she was pushing through water. Greg held a cell phone toward her. Maeve just looked at it, not knowing what he wanted her to do with it.
Greg took her hand, placing the phone in it and then pushing it up to her ear. “Guardian gave Chris Tilda’s cell phone number. It’s Chris.”
“Maeve? Maeve, are you there?” the deep male voice cut through the fog in her mind.
I know that voice. “Chris?”
“Oh, baby, thank God. I’ve been so worried.”
Maeve’s chest tightened and she grasped the phone.
“Is everybody okay? Where are
you guys?”
The dam inside Maeve burst open. “Alvie. They took Alvie.”
Tears began to stream down Maeve’s cheeks. Greg took the phone from Maeve as she sobbed. The triplets crushed into her, all of them joined in their terror for Alvie. She could hear Greg speaking with Chris and filling him in.
But Maeve just clutched the triplets to her, delving into a deep, dark place. She stayed rocking with them until Greg hung up. He spoke to her and she made some sort of response that seemed to satisfy him. But she had no idea what she said or what he’d asked.
Eventually the triplets slipped into an exhausted sleep and Maeve closed her eyes, too, praying the oblivion of sleep would take this pain away.
Sometime later, Maeve woke. She blinked open her eyes, glancing outside the Jeep in time to see an exit for Denver fly by. She jolted fully awake, grabbing Greg’s arm and waking him. “Denver? What are we doing back in Denver?”
Greg winced, prying Maeve’s hand from his jacket. “Um, we’re not. We’re heading past Denver to Aurora.”
Maeve frowned. Aurora, Colorado was dominated by one landmark—Buckley Air Force Base. “We’re going to Buckley? We can’t bring the triplets to—”
“Maeve, calm down. We’re not turning anyone in.”
Adam turned on the indicator and took an exit. He drove down a long road lined with fields on either side. Ten minutes passed before a small town came into sight. Adam pulled into the parking lot of an old abandoned diner. It looked like it had been out of business for years.
Now Adam leaned over and gently put a hand on the back of Snap and Pop, who were curled up with Hope on the floor. Hope lifted her head and licked Adam’s hand. Shutting down the car, he turned to Tilda in the passenger seat, who looked to be just waking up herself.
Maeve looked around, not seeing any other cars. Without a word, Adam stepped out of the car and disappeared around the side of the diner. Maeve watched him go, still not sure what to make of Tilda’s grandson, but she could feel his concern for the triplets.
Tilda turned to face her. “He’s just making sure no one’s around.”
“What are we doing here?” Maeve asked.
Greg pointed toward the windshield. “Waiting for him.”
A white Camry pulled into the lot. She frowned, leaning forward. Snap’s head popped up from the floor and she scrambled into the driver’s seat, leaning against the steering wheel to peer out of the windshield with a happy cry.
Maeve looked at Greg, who nodded at her with a smile. Then Maeve was out of the car and sprinting across the empty lot.
She threw herself at Chris as he met her halfway across the lot, crushing herself to him. Maeve felt her knees weaken and Chris’s arms tightened in response. She breathed him in, filling in one of the missing pieces in her heart.
“I’ve got you, Maeve,” Chris whispered, “and we’ll get him back.”
Maeve nodded into his shoulder. But couldn’t say anything past the sobs in her throat.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
PAGE, ARIZONA
Norah sprinted through the trees, her heart pounding. Bob had found her again, which meant either someone had tracked her by satellite or Bob was just really good.
And Bob was not that good.
Iggy kept pace with Norah, sometimes even moving ahead. Norah was amazed at how quickly he moved. She couldn’t say he was running, because it was more like he leapt six feet at a time. He used his large hands occasionally to lock onto a tree and propel himself forward. If she weren’t so terrified, she would be fascinated.
But fascination was not the dominant emotion right now. Bob chased after them like a bull, and every few seconds he took a shot. His aim was crap when he and his target were moving, but he wasn’t shooting to take her down, although she knew he’d be pretty happy with a lucky shot. No, his goal was to terrify her and keep her off balance.
And it was working.
A bullet crashed into the tree near her, splinters of wood digging into her arm, and she cursed once again that she hadn’t checked for her weapon as they’d escaped the car. All she had was an empty holster.
But despite her fear, she’d been counting. Bob had one bullet left, and then he’d have to change out the magazine. That was her chance.
A rock outcropping stood ahead. Or maybe not, she thought, an idea forming. “Keep going, Iggy,” she said as she ducked around the rocks and then climbed it silently.
Bob came tearing through the woods. She had always warned him that he needed to be more aware of his surroundings. He always bulldozed right into situations anyway. And right now, she was very glad he was a stubborn S.O.B. who never accepted criticism, constructive or otherwise, from anyone.
She stayed low, keeping her eyes and ears peeled as she silently pulled her belt free. She wound the ends around her fists as she waited. Soon she was rewarded with Bob’s big frame coming into view, his eyes locked ahead of him. She waited, calming her breathing.
When he passed, she didn’t let herself hesitate. Leaping from her perch, she looped the belt around his thick neck and yanked him to the side. He slammed to the ground with a yell, his head slapping the ground hard, his gun flying into some nearby bushes.
Norah rolled to her feet as Bob scrambled to his feet, his face red with anger, his stance wobbly. “You traitor. You found that thing. What the hell did you think you were doing?”
“It’s not like the others. It’s not violent. It doesn’t deserve to die.”
“You don’t get to make that decision.”
“I won’t let you take him.”
Bob smiled. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
He sprang at her. But Norah was ready for him. She slammed the ball of her foot into his chest and felt a rib snap as Bob stopped, his eyes growing large as he dropped to his knees. Norah grabbed the back of his head and slammed her knee into his face. He pitched forward, unconscious. She shook her head. He always thought his strength made him a better fighter. Idiot.
She checked his neck, but he was breathing, which was more than he planned on leaving her doing. She started to follow Iggy’s trail when a man in all black stepped out from behind a tree in front of her. She put up her hands. “Whoa, hey. What’s going on?”
Two more men stepped out behind and beside her. Norah’s gaze shifted from one to the next. The man in front of her spoke into the mic on his collar. “We’ve got Tidwell. No sign of the subject. Instructions?”
The reply came back quickly. “Terminate.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
“Terminate.” Norah’s heart pounded at the word.
The man in front of her waved his weapon toward her. “Get on your knees and turn around.”
Like hell. If they were going to kill her, she was damn well going to make them look in her face. She glared at him. “Why are you doing this?”
“Orders. Now turn around.”
“No.”
The man shrugged. “Fine.”
Norah tensed, but then the man behind her screamed. She whirled around as he grabbed his neck, blood pooling through his fingers as the second man went flying back.
The man in front of her yelled, his aim shifting to his own men. Norah lunged for him, pushing aside his gun hand as she buried her shin in his thigh. His knees buckled. She elbowed him twice in the face, then wrenched his weapon free from his hands and slammed the butt of it into the side of his head. His eyes rolled up into his head and he dropped.
She turned, the weapon trained on the path behind her as two other men in black barreled down it toward her. She let off a burst of fire, catching one in the shoulder. The other dove behind the rock outcropping. A shadow shifted along the top of the rocks. Norah watched in disbelief as Iggy leapt from the rock, landing on the other man with a growl, a set of talons that extended from his hands digging into the man’s neck. He rode the man to the ground.
Norah’s mouth fell open and she stared at Iggy, her whole body shaking. “Iggy?”
; The snarl on his lips disappeared and his eyes went wide. He stumbled back from the man and looked down at his hands as the talons retracted. He’s a tiny Wolverine. He stepped toward her and she backed up, raising her weapon.
His little mouth made an ‘O,’ and his shoulders drooped. One of the radios of the dead men sprang to life. “Alpha team, report. Alpha team.”
Norah swallowed hard, trying to digest what she had just seen. Iggy, cute little Iggy, had killed those men. Iggy stepped toward her and Norah backed up again, maintaining the distance between them. “Iggy, we need to go.”
He just looked at her, his eyes incredibly large and his small mouth turned downward. Once again the loneliness she’d felt when she’d first met him washed over her. Norah looked at the men behind him. Her gaze stopping as she looked at her partner, and she knew without a doubt he had planned on killing her. Iggy had been in the clear. If he had kept going, they wouldn’t have caught him. He had come back for her. He had come back to protect her. She knelt down.
“It’s okay, Iggy. It’s okay.” Iggy hesitated for only a moment before running for her and throwing himself into her arms. Norah held him close as he trembled. “It’s okay,” she said again as she stood, Iggy still clinging to her. “Let’s go.”
Those men were going to kill her. No conversation, no questions, just death. And Iggy had saved her. She stepped past the downed men, not looking at them, knowing she had crossed a line. She had declared her loyalty.
And she did not regret it.
