by David Archer
Sam’s eyes went wide. “Joel, I swear to you,” he said, “I don’t know anything about this. Maybe it was an accident, you said they were working on the lines or something, right? I promise you, I don’t know anything about it. Please, come on, Joel, don’t do anything stupid.”
Joel’s eyes went wide, his face contorted in a rage. “Stupid? Don’t do anything stupid? The only stupid going on around here, Sam, is you and your puny little friends thinking you can do anything to stop me. Haven’t you realized what’s really going on, here? I’m not just the most powerful man in the world, Sam, I’m also the smartest. All that crap I gave you about how I didn’t really know all the stuff I downloaded? Pure hyperbole. That was just to keep you thinking you had a chance to recover the chip, because I needed you to keep trying. I needed proof of where it went, because those idiots at Fa Ling thought they could doublecross me and get away with it. I used Chang to hang out with Angie Davidson, because I figured I could get her to slip up and tell me where it was hidden, but she wouldn’t. Until you guys found it for me, I almost thought this whole plan was going to fall apart. So now, with the chip in my head, I can download anything in a matter of nanoseconds and all that information is right there in my head.”
“Okay,” Sam yelled, spreading his hands. “Okay, you’re not stupid, I take it back. I just meant that I don’t want you to blow anybody up, okay?”
“Well, the timing of that explosion is just too perfect for me to believe it was any kind of accident. Maybe you didn’t know about it, but somebody certainly did.” He huffed and closed his eyes again. “Still, it didn’t do them any good. I guess I can be lenient, this time.”
Sam stared at him, his mouth hanging partly open as he fought down the rising panic that had tried to overtake him. In desperation, he glanced at Daphne, and saw that she was sitting in her seat with her own eyes closed.
She seemed to sense him staring at her, because her eyes slowly opened directly at him. Her eyes held his for a second, then flicked up at the camera that was mounted on the ceiling. It was still watching Sam, and he noticed Joel’s lips twitched in a grin when he looked up at it.
He looked back at Daphne, and this time she flicked her eyes down and to her left. He saw that her left hand was tucked into a pocket on the smock she wore, and he looked back up at her face quickly. He held his eyes on hers, then concentrated on his peripheral vision as she drew her hand out of her pocket.
Peripheral vision isn’t easy to concentrate on, but Sam gave it everything he had. What he saw was distorted, but after a moment he realized that she was holding a hypodermic syringe.
They kept their eyes locked on each other as she carefully slipped the cap off the needle. Her eyes flicked once to the little robot with the gun, but came right back to Sam. He tried to watch the robot with his peripheral vision, as well, but it was too far out of his line of sight.
He realized what she was going to do, and silently thought a prayer for her. She transferred the syringe to her right hand, then blinked once.
“Joel,” Sam said, “Joel, you’ve got to stop this. You can’t let this go on any longer.”
The camera zoomed in on Sam’s face, and Joel’s face turned slightly in his direction. Daphne lunged suddenly, bringing her hand up and driving the needle directly into Joel’s throat. Her thumb depressed the plunger instantly and it looked to Sam as if his throat swelled up almost double, as the gun on the little robot swung around toward her, waving just a bit as it tried to aim.
Sam leapt off his seat and managed to knock the robot down, wrapping his hands around the gun as it fired five times. The walls of the truck were certainly solid, and the bullets ricocheted like bouncing popcorn. One of them struck him in his left thigh, and another hit the young orderly in the center of his chest. That was all Sam saw before the gun suddenly quit firing.
The truck lurched to the right, and a moment later it tilted as it went off the road and plowed into a stand of trees. Sam slid across the floor toward the cab, and barely managed to ward off the robot that slid along with him. It struck the wall between the compartment and the cab, and simply lay where it landed.
Seeing that it was out of commission, Sam tried to struggle to his feet. He looked up at Daphne, and saw the spreading red stain just above her right hip joint. She was looking down at it, but once again she seemed to sense him looking her way and turned her eyes to face him.
There were tears streaming down her face, but Sam didn’t think it was from pain. He looked at Joel and saw the young man’s eyes wide open, his mouth open in a silent scream, and a sense of sheer horror sent a shiver down Sam’s spine. He managed to get up and stumble up the slanting floor toward Daphne, stopping at the bed to lay a finger on Joel’s carotid.
There was the faintest pulse, but it was fading quickly. The monitors connected to him sounded an alarm, and a second later they turned into a steady tone as Joel’s heart stopped.
Sam turned to Daphne and lifted her smock to look at her wound. One of the bullets had passed through her lower abdomen, leaving a jagged hole at both ends of its journey. It was bleeding, but not as profusely as it would be if the bullet had struck an artery or major blood vessel.
“Is he dead?” Daphne asked.
Sam nodded. “Yes,” he said. “You…”
“I violated my oath,” Daphne said. “I have done harm, and I have taken a life.”
“No,” Sam said. “You honored your oath. You are a doctor, and you swore to do everything possible to preserve life, right? And in doing so, you often have to cut away diseased tissue, right?”
Daphne looked at him, and despite the pain she was in and the tears streaming down her face, the left corner of her mouth tried to turn upward. “You are saying that I have removed a cancer from the world?”
“Yes. Joel was a cancer, and you performed the necessary surgery to save the life of your true patient, which is everyone else in the world.” He looked again at Joel’s face, contorted in a rictus of agony. “What did you use? What was in the syringe?”
“Hydrogen peroxide,” Daphne said. “Thirty-five percent pure. It’s used for sterilization sometimes, and there was a bottle in the pharmacy of his mobile operating room machine. I—I put it in the syringe, I was going to use it before he awoke, but I just could not do it. The thought of those children, dying because I took his life… I just could not. When it contacted the iron in his blood, it released massive amounts of oxygen that created an embolism that went straight to his brain. The pressure would have ruptured every blood vessel in it, turning his brain into jelly.” She suddenly sobbed. “I did not want to do it. I prayed, I prayed over and over that you would find a way to stop him, that I would not have to do such a thing, but in the end, there was no other hope. I knew what it would do, but there was no other way.” Tears were still and steadily pouring down her cheeks.
“Well, it was effective,” Sam said. “Now, let’s get you some help.” He took out his phone and looked at it, but it had no signal. He remembered what Joel had said about the truck being a Faraday cage, and realized that he would have to step out to call Merrick. “Wait here,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”
He went into the cab and saw that they had crashed into several medium-sized trees, mowing them down. He grabbed the door handle and managed to push the passenger door open just enough to slide out, then looked at his phone again.
Three bars, more than enough signal. He started to dial, but then a siren whooped, and he struggled through the brush to see the SWAT van come to a stop on the edge of the road, just where the truck had left it.
Everyone came piling out, guns ready, and Summer gave a squeal when she saw Sam. “Man,” she said, “it’s a damn good thing you’re alive!”
“I’m alive,” he said, “but we need ambulance and paramedics. I’m wounded, and so is Doctor Hu. Hers is a little worse than mine, she needs help pretty fast.”
“What about Joel?” she asked, as Merrick rushed past both of them to
climb inside the truck.
“He’s dead,” Sam said. “The doctor did what had to be done.”
Officer Brubaker stepped beside Sam and took hold of his arm. “Ambulances are on the way,” he said. “Why don’t we get you off that leg?”
“That,” Sam said, “sounds like the best idea I’ve heard in days.”
Denny took his other arm, and the two men helped him out of the brush and got him seated at the back of the SWAT van. A pair of ambulances arrived only a minute or so later, and Brubaker directed one of them to send help into the truck for Daphne while the other paramedics got Sam onto a gurney and cut up his pants to see his wound. The bullet had passed through the meatiest portion of his thigh, and they predicted that it wouldn’t cause any lasting damage.
They brought Daphne out a few minutes later, struggling through the brush as they carried her on a stretcher. They got her onto another gurney and into an ambulance, and then Sam was loaded up as well. Summer and Denny climbed in with Sam, and the ambulances both took off toward a hospital back in San Jose.
Sam took out his phone and dialed his wife’s number. She answered before the first ring had really begun.
“Sam? Are you okay?”
“I’ll be fine,” he said. “But I have to tell Kenzie she gets to yell at me. Stray bullet got me in the thigh, but the paramedics tell me it’s not very serious.”
“Oh, my God, Sam,” she said. “God, I’ve been so worried. What about—what about Joel?”
“It’s over,” Sam said. “He’s dead.”
“The EMP,” Indie said. “Did it work? Summer called and said they arranged to blow a transformer as you went under it.”
“No, he had expected something like that and planned for it. No, it was something he could never have predicted that brought him to an end. The surgeon, Doctor Hu? She came to the conclusion that she couldn’t allow him to live, and did the hardest thing she’s ever had to do.”
“The doctor killed him?”
“Yes,” Sam said. “She feels like she violated her Hippocratic oath, but I tried to tell her she lived up to it completely. She saw a disease, one that was going to affect the whole world, and she did what it took to eradicate it.”
*
Two hours later, after doctors had made sure the bullet had passed through cleanly without damaging major blood vessels, Sam had a few more stitches and plenty of gauze as he carefully got out of the wheelchair into the hospital bed he was assigned to. He was sharing a room with Pat Morgan, who was being held because the bullet that punctured his arm had severed an artery. Surgery had repaired it, but his doctor insisted on keeping him overnight to be sure the sutures held.
“Hey, stranger,” Pat said. “I heard you got him?”
“Not me,” Sam said. “It was Dr. Hu. She jabbed him in the throat with a hypodermic filled with peroxide. From the way it looked, it must’ve been an agonizing way to go.”
“Damn,” Pat said. “Gutsy little thing, isn’t she?”
“You can say that again. He had one of his little gun robots in there with us, and I’m pretty sure she thought she was going to die, but she did it anyway. She was wounded herself, she’s down the hall in another room.”
“Who’s down the hall?” Sam and Pat both looked up as Becky McGill came into the room and hurried to Pat’s side. “Pat? All they told me was you were wounded, what happened?”
“Oh, nothing major,” Pat said. “I just forgot to duck.” He held up his bandaged arm for her to see. “Bullet went through and nicked a blood vessel, so they say I gotta stay overnight.”
Becky stared into his eyes. “I’m just glad you’re okay,” she said. She looked over at Sam. “I heard it’s over?”
Sam nodded. “Yeah, it’s over. Joel is dead. How long have you been here?”
“About half an hour,” she said. “They wouldn’t let me in to see Pat until just now. Your security guard, the one you left to,” she made finger quotes, “babysit me, he brought me as soon as we heard that Pat and Darren and Jade had been wounded.”
“Have you heard anything about them? How they’re doing?”
“Oh, yeah,” Becky said. “Darren is going to be staying a few days, because one of the bullets broke a bone in his leg. Jade was already released, I saw her down in the ER waiting room. She was asking about you, so she’ll probably be up here soon.”
Sam leaned back against the pillow and tried to relax. “Hey, as long as everybody is alive.”
“That’s what counts,” Pat said. “The good guys are living and the bad guys are down. Just a pity so many other people got hurt.”
Sam glanced over and saw Becky kissing Pat’s fingers, and he smiled. “Looks like some good came out of all this.”
“I ain’t complaining,” Pat said. “This little gal can sure make an old man feel pretty young and spry.”
“Yeah?” Becky asked. “Well, you make me feel pretty good, too.” She turned to Sam. “Well, Sam, do you think I’m in any trouble? Over what I did, I mean, trying to steal that money?”
Sam grinned. “What money was that?” he asked. “As far as I know, nothing about that made it into any of the reports that went to the authorities, and I plan to keep it that way. The only thing we need to clear out is the allegation that you attacked Jonathan Landry, but Summer can testify that he told her the truth about what happened. I don’t think you got anything to worry about from that, either. As far as I know, you should be in the clear.”
She smiled at Sam, then leaned down and stage-whispered into Pat’s ear. “Can I be your girlfriend?”
Pat’s eyes went wide and he pulled back a bit to stare at her. “Are you serious?”
“I am, if you want me to be,” Becky said. “I’m sure I can find something to do around Grand Junction, don’t you think? Maybe they can use another waitress where Rhonda works. I can wait tables.”
“Well—I mean, I—now, I…” Pat closed his mouth and stared at her for a moment, then tried again. “What I’m trying to say is that I love the idea, but I don’t want to push you into anything.”
“You didn’t,” Becky said. “Pat, I’ve never had a normal relationship, so I just thought maybe we could give it a try. You know, dating and all that?”
“Becky,” Pat said, “I don’t think there’s anything in the world I would like more than that.”
Epilogue
It took almost a week to get the entire case wrapped up, and Sam and the team had to stay in California until the police were all finished. There were several arrests made, including several executives from Fa Ling Bioengineering and a few other companies, as well as a roundup of Cho Weh Wo triad members. Many of them actually turned themselves in, once they learned that Yue Fei was no longer a threat. The prosecutors promised leniency to those who were blackmailed into cooperation, but their crimes could not go completely unpunished.
Pat and Becky were allowed to leave only a couple of days later, but not before Edward Barrows, Jonathan Landry’s former associate, managed to track Becky down. It was up to him to finalize all of Landry’s cases, and he discovered Stephen McGill’s will among them. Pat went with Becky to Barrows’ office and learned that Stephen had put nearly 500,000 dollars into a trust for her. The way it was set up, she would receive interest payments that should average close to fifty thousand dollars a year.
Pete was brought back from Camp Pendleton to give his own statements regarding Yue Fei and the triad, and suddenly found himself a hero in Chinatown. Somehow, rumors about how he had rescued some of the investigators who brought the dragonhead down had grown into the stuff of urban legends. He was suddenly inundated with invitations to functions that had once shunned him, and after appearing on CNN and a few other national news programs, he was suddenly being asked, and well-paid, for endorsements. His face appeared on billboards within days, promoting a restaurant and a nightclub in Chinatown, for every tourist to see.
Sam’s report on the case was forwarded to the NSA and DHS by Ron Thomas,
and got Sam a not-unexpected phone call very early on the day they were wrapping up the case.
“Sam, boy,” Harry’s southern drawl boomed through the phone. “I understand you saved us all once again. My congratulations, along with your country’s thanks.”
“Hello, Harry,” Sam said. “I had a feeling you’d be calling one of these days. Are you about ready to come meet my baby boy?”
“Son, Kathy and I arrived at your house early this morning,” Harry said. “She’s bouncing little Bo on her knee at this very moment. I’m just waiting for you to get your ass home, so we can smoke cigars and reminisce.”
“Yeah, well, you can have my cigar. Personally, I don’t know how you can stand the things.”
Harry chuckled. “Which is why I’m sitting on your back deck as I smoke one right now. Listen, Sam, as much as I love ya, and you know I do, this ain’t a social call. I was informed last night that Congress is going to hold hearings on BCI technology, and they are expecting you to testify on Monday.”
“Monday? Harry, that’s only three days away. I’d like to have a little time at home before I have to take another trip.”
“Relax, Sam,” Harry said. “I already fixed it so you won’t be there long. Ron will have a jet waiting Monday morning, you’ll testify right after lunch and be home in time for dinner.”
Sam let out a sigh. “Well, I guess that’s doable. You’re going with me, right?”
“You know it. I’m not letting them get their hands on you without me standing there to cover your back. They can either take it or leave it, and I made that pretty clear.”
They chatted for a few more minutes, and then Sam ended that call and called his wife.
“They tell me we’re all finished here this morning,” he said, “so we’ll be flying out in about an hour. With any luck, I’ll be there in time for lunch. Don’t let Harry eat it all, I’ll be hungry.”
