by SY Thompson
Sidney noticed how Ronan hesitated over the painful words of the professor’s demise, but she was still too upset to comment on it again. Instead, she decided that the proper thing to do was concentrate on the matter at hand.
“Then I suggest we get to it.”
“At least there aren’t any riots.”
She looked sharply at Ronan and noticed the glimmer in her eyes. “Was that a joke?”
Ronan seldom joked and Sidney had gotten used to the somber young woman’s manner. The joke now, delivered at just the right time, somehow managed to dissipate her anger where a more solemn attitude would have just made it worse. With the anger gone, she started to feel a little more positive about their odds of success. Ronan was right. The Regime and their Black Guards weren’t omnipotent, just advanced. If they had to start from scratch, what were the odds that they would know exactly when to go back to?
“Right, well, what should we do first? I have a feeling that whatever it is things will be over quickly once we make the first move.”
“I think that’s probably true,” Ronan said as she sat down on the sofa. “We have to be very careful this time, plan well, and hope we get it right.”
Sidney sat down close to her until their knees nearly touched. “This is the last chance we have, isn’t it?”
“Yes. It’s like you said. We’ve given ourselves away and they’ll be looking for a way to eliminate us. Besides, I don’t know about you, but I’m getting a little tired of all this time travel.”
“Ready to settle down?” Sidney asked, feeling somewhat amused that Ronan had apparently just decided she’d had enough.
“Definitely,” Ronan answered as she picked up the glint of humor in Sidney’s eyes.
“Ready for the white picket fence, the house in the suburbs and two point three children?”
“Exactly.”
Suddenly the room felt ten degrees hotter than it had only moments before. Sidney wondered how they had gone from frightened and angry to being aroused beyond belief. She shifted closer to Ronan until her breast lightly touched her arm. Sidney looked deeply into blue eyes and said, “I’m a little old for child bearing. Would you settle for two point three dogs?”
“I would never consider anything as settling where you’re concerned. But about the child bearing?
“Yes?”
“There’s no reason we can’t practice.”
Sidney’s breath left her body in a sudden flash of desire just before Ronan’s lips crushed against her own. Her fingers entwined in the long, golden strands of hair as she pulled Ronan tighter and practically climbed onto her lap. Straddled over Ronan’s legs, Sidney pushed her against the armrest and luxuriated in the feel of the silken tongue. After a few delicious minutes, Sidney pulled away to gaze down into the eyes of her lover. Everything came rushing back and she buried her face against Ronan’s neck.
“What are we doing? We need to try and save the world and here we are making out like two hormone-filled teenagers.”
“There is always time for love, Sidney.”
Ronan’s tender words and strong embrace gave her the excuse she needed to seek solace in her warmth for a few minutes. Sidney absorbed everything her senses could tell her in that time and she fervently hoped it wouldn’t be the last. The scent of Ronan’s skin, her breath against Sidney’s neck, the warmth and strength of her arms were what would see her through the next little while, and she knew there were only two possible outcomes for what they were about to do. Either they would succeed and destroy the mother ship or they would die.
“Tell me we’ll still be around when all of this is over,” she whispered against Ronan’s neck.
At first, there was no response but finally Ronan answered. “We will succeed.”
That wasn’t the same thing at all and served only to confirm Sidney’s worst fears. She clutched Ronan harder against her and felt the long arms tighten. Grateful, she accepted the support until she could finally pull her emotions back together. Eventually she climbed off Ronan’s lap and sat beside her again. She tried to ignore the concerned look and scrubbed at the stiff tracks left from her dried tears with the palms of her hands.
“Yes, well, I guess we should get back to it.” Sidney took a steadying breath. “I’ve been thinking that the first thing we need to do is concentrate on getting to the mother ship. All of the other details, the stalker, the imposters on earth, those things will work themselves out.”
“I agree, and with the information we were able to get from our informant it should be easy enough to find a transport matrix with one of the Guards living in this time.”
Sidney knew very well that nothing about this was going to be easy, but confidence in their abilities was paramount to keep them focused at this point. “So the question is who do you think will be the easiest target?”
“Not President-elect Angstrom,” Ronan replied immediately. “He’s too well protected. Gentry is also out of the question since he hasn’t yet been replaced.”
The mention of Roger brought Sidney up short. So much had happened that she’d forgotten about his murder and the imposter in the previous time line. At least one good thing had come from this. Roger was alive again and if it were up to her, she would make sure no more innocent lives were lost.
“That leaves Chief Justice Barnhart.”
If Ronan noticed the huskiness of her voice, she didn’t comment on it. “Any idea how we get past all that security?”
“Hey, I was just an ordinary actress until I hooked up with you. You’re the one who’s Lara Croft with a D cup. You tell me.”
Ronan smiled but let the remark go. “If I were Barnhart, I’d probably keep the matrix with me wherever I went. From Sloan’s description it’s small enough to be carried in a pocket.”
“So what’s the least defensible location, his house or his office?”
Either decision was a serious risk. If they broke into his office there would be security everywhere. The Justice Building was a thirty-story high rise filled with cameras and hundreds of people. Unquestionably, his home would also have security but at night there would be fewer guards and the cover of darkness.
“His house,” Sidney said.
“His office,” Ronan responded at the same time.
“What? You can’t be serious.”
“Think about it, Sidney. At his house, other Guard members will surround him. Not to mention the fact that he probably knows every inch of his property. If we were to trip a security alarm, he’d know the most likely place to find us hiding. If we do get caught, I’d rather it be by the police than some futuristic megalomaniacs bent on world conquest.”
“But the security in the Justice Building,” Sidney argued. “You have to go through a metal detector just to get in the front doors and there are people everywhere.”
“You’ve been there?” Ronan asked with an odd look.
“Yes, David gave me a tour of it once.” Sidney realized almost at once that her mention of the vice president-elect had just lost her this argument.
“Good. Tell me everything you remember.”
Sidney told Ronan everything she could think of. When she finished Ronan asked her for a pen and paper and jotted down copious notes while she went through it all again. Still not satisfied, she had Sidney boot up her computer where Ronan hacked into restricted government schematics for the Justice Building’s layout.
“Isn’t that illegal?” Sidney asked, amazed that her lover possessed such skills at all.
“It is if you get caught.”
Sidney blinked in shock and blurted, “But you’re supposed to be an officer of the law.”
Ronan ignored her and began to print off what she’d found. For hours, they went over the blueprints until Sidney finally decided it was time for a lunch break. With all of the skipping around in time they’d been doing, her body couldn’t decide whether it was day or night. The clock told her it was barely midday, but her eyes burned with exhaustion.
“I’m sorry, Ronan. I just feel like I’m in a fog.”
“You’re tired. Why don’t we try to get a few hours of sleep? I think we’ve gone over things as much as we can for now anyway.”
“Do we have the time?”
Sidney ignored the unintentional pun while she awaited Ronan’s answer. Not only was she worried about wasting any head start they had, but also that some death squad might break into the apartment while they slept. Ronan seemed to understand her concerns and gently reached out to touch her cheek.
“We need to rest, darling. We can’t afford to go in there with our minds cloudy.”
Sidney relented and they retired to her bedroom. As soon as they crossed the threshold, it occurred to her that Ronan had never been in her bedroom before. They’d only become lovers after they had gone on the run from her stalker and Barnhart’s men. As she looked around with fresh eyes, she realized the room could easily be thought of as decadent. Especially in comparison to the more conservative style her grandparents had used to decorate the Rock Hall estate.
She turned to Ronan and saw her standing in the doorway with a stunned look on her face. One eyebrow slowly rose in amusement when she saw the custom-made bed that took up half the room. A fireplace filled much of one wall while a minibar occupied the corner. A huge synthetic fur rug in front of the fireplace and a low serving table beside it completed the look.
“Nice.”
The single word spoke volumes and Sidney walked quietly toward the bed. With her back to Ronan, maybe she wouldn’t see the crimson blush that covered her face. No one spoke again as they took off their shoes and climbed fully clothed beneath the over-sized sheets and comforter. Finally, they lay wrapped together with Sidney tucked snuggly under Ronan’s chin.
“So, what made you decide on this décor or were you unintentionally going for the love den approach? Somehow, it doesn’t seem like you.”
Sidney sighed dramatically, but finally decided to answer honestly. “Sometimes it very much is me. I got this place just after Roger and I split up. Life was always so conservative with him that for once I wanted to do something crazy. I knew the rest of the apartment would have to be maintained for appearances sake but in here, in this room, I wanted it to be just for me.”
“You’ve never had anyone else in here?”
“No, you’re the first.”
“Seems a shame to let the opportunity to break it in go to waste,” Ronan suggested quietly.
Sidney’s libido responded to the suggestive tone, but only sluggishly. It did seem a shame but her eyes had already started to close.
“Too bad we’re so tired,” Ronan finished before yawning impressively.
It only took a few more seconds before both of them were sound asleep.
Chapter Thirty-Three
AFTER A FEW hours, Ronan felt rejuvenated and if not exactly eager to get things moving, at least better mentally prepared. As they dressed, Sidney continued to question Ronan’s approach to entering the Justice Building.
“Are you sure this is your best idea? I don’t mean to be critical, but it doesn’t exactly seem covert.”
Since Sidney had said the same thing about twelve times in the last two hours, Ronan wondered if she was being sarcastic. She took a long-suffering breath and tried to explain...again. This time she didn’t quite manage to keep the ire out of her voice. “If we go in there wearing ski masks and black clothing they are bound to think we’re up to something.”
“All right,” Sidney said and threw her hands up in surrender. “But do you really think waltzing in like we own the place is very smart? Shouldn’t we at least try to keep from being seen?”
“No, we should walk right in the front door in normal business attire like we have nothing to hide. That way no one will give us a second look.”
With all of her advanced equipment on the Florida Keys, Ronan could have forged IDs that would have allowed them to carry a bazooka inside but there was no time. Under the circumstances, hiding in plain sight would have to do.
Sidney subsided into silence but Ronan didn’t think she was convinced the plan would work. The only thing that the police would find on them if they got caught were the inducers they wore around their upper arms. That would look suspicious. At least they could conceal them beneath their jackets and remove the inducers to meld back into their counterparts in this century if they were successful. So far, they’d been lucky and not run into their doubles and now that they were taking different paths, it was unlikely to happen.
Thirty minutes later, she drove Sidney’s Jaguar into the parking structure under the Justice Building. She calmly took a parking stub from the meter and waited for the plastic guard-arm to lift so she could drive in. It was significantly darker in the parking structure and with dusk starting to approach, Ronan had to remove her sunglasses to see properly. The lot had begun to empty but a great many cars remained. The FBI and Drug Enforcement Agency both had offices inside the building and they undoubtedly maintained a twenty-four hour shift rotation. Ronan was happy about that since it not only meant a skeleton crew inside, but also that the parking gates wouldn’t lock at a certain time. At least they didn’t have to worry about being barricaded inside if they needed to make a quick getaway.
She parked on the top level of the concrete garage in order to be closer to their target. Barnhart’s office was on the twenty-sixth floor, but they needed supplies before visiting his private sanctum. Before she could unlock her safety belt, she felt Sidney’s strong grip on her forearm.
“Are you sure?”
The look on Ronan’s face was apparently response enough and Sidney released her.
“Okay, you’re sure. But we don’t have any weapons, or even any of the frequency jammers we used before. What happens if we run into Barnhart or one of his cronies?”
Sidney’s sudden attack of nerves confused Ronan. She thought they’d discussed all of this. Only persons with authorized access could get to the floor where the FBI and DEA had their offices.
From their research, Ronan and Sidney knew there was an armory on that floor with enough weapons to take over a small country. They didn’t intend to shoot anyone, but they would need a few explosives to destroy the spacecraft. Then it hit her. She had forgotten to tell Sidney how they would get past the electronic door to the armory. It was a measure of Sidney’s trust that she had come this far without that bit of knowledge.
“I’m sorry, darling. Here, you remember this?”
Ronan pulled a small plastic box out of her blazer pocket. Red and green lights flashed on it and there was a small metallic toggle switch on one end, not large enough to set off a metal detector. She flipped a lid and showed Sidney the wires housed inside.
“The wires are inserted into the locking mechanism on the door. When the switch is flipped it emits a minute electronic pulse that will disable the door lock.”
“Won’t that set off some kind of alarm?”
“No, the system will think someone used a key.”
“Oh.” Sidney looked relieved, then joked, “I guess that’s why you didn’t bring the battering ram.”
“Sometimes it’s just easier to turn off the power.”
Getting to the right floor proved no trouble. They passed few people and the ones they did seemed too busy to look at them twice. They left the elevator and Ronan glanced around quickly to make sure they were alone before they ducked onto the stairwell. She didn’t mind anyone seeing them on the lower floors, but from this point on it was better if they weren’t spotted.
Finally, they stood on the landing in front of the heavy door with the electronic lock. The hair on the back of Ronan’s neck prickled just as she started to think thing
s were going a little too easy, but she kept going. A quick insertion of the wires and a flip of the switch disengaged the lock and she met Sidney’s eyes briefly. A small furrow rested between her eyes and she wondered if she had that same prickly feeling. Mentally, Ronan shrugged and pocketed the device before she walked past the door. Again, no one was in sight and she led the way toward the end of the hall and the armory.
“Hey.”
Ronan’s heart thudded against her ribs at the sound of the voice behind them. She and Sidney froze before they turned to confront the man. No doubt they were about to be hauled away and questioned as to how they’d gained access into a restricted government area.
The man they saw in the hall had neatly trimmed brown hair and wore a black suit and tie. He must have stepped out of the office and spotted them walking down the hallway. As he approached, his expression remained curiously open and friendly.
“Agent John Rhodes,” he introduced himself and held out his hand. “You must be the new agent everyone’s been talking about. Let me be the first to welcome you.”
The Twin Towers had been destroyed and this man obviously hadn’t learned a thing. “Ronan Lee,” she responded quickly and grasped his hand. “I’m just giving my friend, Doctor Weaver, a tour.”
“Oh, you must be one of the squints from the lab,” Rhodes commented with a glance at Sidney before he turned back to Ronan. “I guess you are new if you don’t know the policy about visitors. No one but agents up here without the Assistant Director’s express approval.”
“I see.” Ronan tried to look appreciative. “I’ll remember that and thank you for letting me know.”
“No problem. Well, I guess I’d better get back to work. See you around.”
Ronan held her breath until the office door closed behind him, then turned her head to meet Sidney’s incredulous stare. “What’s a ‘squint’?”
