Donovan thought it was pointless but did it anyway—despite the aches in his body from fighting Tobias’s clones—just so he could feel like he was doing something. Colonel McGregor had suffered a pretty hard hit on the head—he was still out cold. Jonathan and Captain Umar were having their shattered limbs repaired piece by piece.
Donovan and Tracee conducted the search. They returned to Tobias’s house. They looked everywhere. To Donovan’s surprise, they found a hidden safe under a single tile in the floor of the secret room.
Inside it was a single vial, about the length of a drinking straw. Donovan was sure he knew exactly what was inside. Tobias had put it there on purpose. They were supposed to find it. What Tobias wanted them to do with it, Donovan didn’t know. More than likely, it was a trap.
When they showed it to General Umar, he had it sent to Captain Umar’s team for testing.
“Rest while you can,” he said. “I’ll be summoning you again as soon as the results are in. It shouldn’t take too long.”
Donovan retreated to his room. Too exhausted to shower, he fell on top of the sheets and fell asleep immediately.
The summons came a few hours later. Donovan stretched the weariness from his limbs and reported to General Umar’s office. Tracee and Captain Umar were there. Captain Umar’s arm was in a sling. He still looked a little pale but, on the whole, much improved.
“We have the results,” he said. “The vial contains the strengthening formula that Tobias told us about. We estimate that it’s enough for a dozen people. The question is—what do we do with it?”
“Are you sure that’s all that’s in there? There’s nothing hidden in it?”
“I looked at it myself,” Captain Umar said. “As far as I can tell, it’s just formula. I could be wrong of course, but…”
General Umar waved a hand. “Oh, stop being modest. You’re the brightest mind in biology. If you say that’s all there is, then that’s all there is.”
Captain Umar blushed and looked down. “Thank you, Father.”
It was the first time Donovan had heard Captain Umar acknowledge that General Umar was his father.
The General nodded.
“So,” Donovan said. “The question is what do we do next?”
“Well, isn’t it obvious?” General Umar said. “We must prepare ourselves for battle.”
“Battle?” Donovan said, alarmed. “We can’t go into battle with Tobias! Those clones would crush us.”
“As long as we have the proper weapons, we’ll be fine.”
“You weren’t there. You didn’t have to fight them off. They heal just as quickly as you can shoot them down. They’re strong. If they get their hands on you, you’re dead. They can jump higher, move faster, see farther… it’s too dangerous. It should be a last resort.”
“This is the last resort, Donovan. What would you have us do? Conduct more searches? There is nowhere left to search. Judging by the last two attempts, I don’t think that’s a good idea anyway.”
“I’m just saying that we shouldn’t rush into it,” Donovan argued. “Give me some time to think. I’ll come up with something.”
“We don’t have time,” General Umar said. “Tobias could strike at any moment. We must catch him off guard.”
“And the formula?” Donovan asked. “You don’t plan to use it, do you?”
“Of course not.” Something about the way the General’s eyes shifted made Donovan suspicious.
“Then what will you do with it?”
“I’m going to let the T.M.A.C.P.U. deal with it. I’m going to call a meeting and get everyone’s input. It’s not for me to decide what to do with such a thing. I can’t decide who lives and dies. I can’t decide who to give that power to.”
Donovan accepted his answer tentatively.
“But wait,” Tracee interrupted.
Donovan had almost forgotten she was there.
“Shouldn’t we be using this to our advantage? Shouldn’t we use the formula on our best soldiers and give ourselves a fighting chance?”
General Umar looked at her speculatively.
“No—I don’t trust it,” Donovan said. “We can’t trust anything having to do with Tobias.”
“He’s right,” General Umar said. “We can’t use it. We must hand it over to the T.M.A.C.P.U.”
“Thank you, General,” Donovan said. “But please reconsider giving me more time to think. I know Tobias is up to something. What if—what if this whole thing is only a distraction? What if the cure is closer to us than we think? Hidden in plain sight?”
Both Umars looked skeptical.
“Just think about it,” Donovan said, beginning to pace with his frenzied thoughts. “Tobias is a master of deception—we know this. The facilities on Lohiri look like a fortress, look like a place where something important would be hidden and defended. But what if that was all a façade? I mean, we got in there easily enough. What if he just wants to draw our attention to Lohiri so that we don’t look at other places?”
“I’m sorry, Donovan,” General Umar said. “That’s a good hypothesis, but there’s no real evidence to support that. What we do know for sure is that Tobias has an army on Lohiri—and we cannot allow that army to exist. It is a threat that must be eliminated.”
“You’re sentencing your men to death.”
“They will have everything they need to have a fair shot.”
Donovan shook his head stubbornly. “They’ll all die.”
“I’m sorry that you think that way. We will attack in 48 hours. You will lead the soldiers against Tobias’s clones.”
A stone fell onto Donovan’s chest. He couldn’t do it. He wouldn’t.
“Yes, sir.”
Donovan left the room in a flurry of action. He made an effort not to slam the door behind him. He returned to his room, sickened by the discussion. His whole team would be sent into battle. Tracee, Jonathan, Captain Umar, Colonel McGregor—they would all die.
This was their duty, wasn’t it? This is what they’d signed up for. They were prepared to risk their lives.
Not like this!
We can’t die like this.
He had to think of something.
Someone knocked on the door. It was Tracee.
She rushed inside and stood in the middle of the room, breathing hard.
“Tracee,” Donovan said, seeing the look on her face. “What is it?”
She crossed the room in one stride and threw herself onto him. Her mouth met his with the force of a passionate attack. For a moment, caught up in the hopeless emotion of knowing that he would die soon, he kissed her back.
The warmth of her felt good against him. He pulled her body closer, crushing her. She moaned.
Then, he found his senses. He couldn’t do this. Hands trembling, he gently disentangled himself from her embrace.
“I can’t do this,” Donovan said. “I’m married. I can’t”
Tracee held his face in one hand. She looked at him endearingly. “It’s 2176,” she said. “You’re not married yet. Technically…”
“It doesn’t matter,” Donovan said. “I still remember it. I still love my wife. I can’t do this to her.”
Tracee looked hurt. She pulled away from him, face contorted with it.
“Fine.” She slowed her breathing. “I’ll just… go.”
Donovan sat on the bed and nodded. He couldn’t look at her. He heard the door close.
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He couldn’t believe he’d let that happen. He’d flirted with her too much. Led her to believe that something between them was possible.
He would apologize later. Right then, he had to think. He had to find a way out of this. He began to pace the floor.
Nothing of any brilliance came to him. As he made his away across the room for what seemed the hundredth time, a clicking noise came from his computer.
Donovan looked at it. The machine had turned on of its own accord.
Donovan stared,
frowning, as the screen lit up. An image came into focus.
It was a live feed.
The video showed a large room. In it were General Umar, Captain Umar, Colonel McGregor—when had he woken up and why wasn’t Donovan told?—Jonathan, and Tracee. What the hell was going on? Why were they meeting without him?
Donovan walked over to the screen. He sat in the desk chair without moving his eyes. He recognized that room—it was the high security vault of floor fifty-eight. Why were they gathered there of all places? And, more importantly, where was this feed coming from? Why was he seeing this?
It couldn’t be some coincidental wiring mishap. Someone wanted him to see this, but who?
Before Donovan could think too deeply on it, the voice of General Umar came through the speaker, loud and clear. Donovan jumped in his seat, startled.
“We will attack the day after tomorrow,” General McGregor said. “It is doubtful that Brigadier General Knight will cooperate. If that is the case, Tracee will lead you. You will take the formula to Lohiri. Brigadier General Knight is to know nothing of this. His judgement is too clouded. He will only cause trouble if he finds out.
“Captain Umar, you are to administer the formula to Tracee upon your arrival. The rest of you will do your utmost to protect her. She will be our best shot at killing Tobias. You’re sure that your device will work, Captain Umar? Colonel McGregor?”
“Yes, sir,” Colonel McGregor said. “I took it with me to Lohiri, just to test a theory I had. All of the clones have slightly different brain waves. Despite being genetic replicas of Tobias, they have minds of their own. I couldn’t use it then because we were overwhelmed, but with more soldiers and Tracee’s additional strength, I think we should have a shot at finding him. The original was definitely there.”
“Good.” General Umar addressed them all. “Your mission is to kill Tobias at all costs. We need to make sure that he’s dead. Then we can search for a cure unencumbered. If we can’t find it, we will rely on Captain Umar’s team to create one. It may take time, but the gene won’t activate for many years. Our most immediate threat right now is Tobias and his army. Is this understood?”
“I don’t think we should do this father,” Captain Umar said. “We shouldn’t use this formula. I agree with Donovan—we can’t trust it. We should give Donovan a little time—just a day or two—to think of a better plan.”
Jonathan looked at General Umar hopefully. “I agree with Captain Umar,” he said.
General Umar’s face froze. “This mission has already been decided. You will either obey or suffer the consequences of insubordination.”
He left the room leaving Donovan’s team to stew in silence.
The sound of the feed cut off leaving only the silent images of Jonathan talking to Captain Umar. Then, the picture shifted. Another image appeared.
It was Tobias. He was being filmed from the waist up.
“What did I tell you, m’boy?” he said with a sympathetic smile. “Full of lies and deception, your precious world. They have betrayed you. I was right about humans—they’re lost. Nothing can bring them back to the light.
“I offer you one last chance, Donovan. Join me. If you agree, come to Lohiri before General Umar attacks. I will handle the problem here and send you back to your own time.”
He leaned forward as if to turn off the camera then stopped.
“Oh, before I go—if you chose to come—steal the formula and use it. I left it there for you.”
The screen went black.
Donovan’s mind was reeling. This was all happening too quickly. He forced his mind to slow down.
Think, Knight. Think hard.
He had to stop them from attacking. Tobias was confident that he would defeat them—and with reason. His army was strong. The Army and Space Force wouldn’t be able to win with the amount of soldiers they had at Fort Belvoir now—about a thousand—even if Tracee did take the formula.
They would need ten times as many fighters—that would mean going public with the mission, recruiting soldiers for war. Even if that were possible, Tobias could easily strike before they got organized.
The only reason that General Umar believed he could win was because he had the formula. Donovan was sure that General Umar never meant to attack without it. Maybe Donovan could force him to come up with something else…
That was it!
Donovan knew what he had to do.
He went to Captain Umar’s room as quickly as he could without attracting attention. He wanted to run but forced himself not to.
He knocked on the Captain’s door, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead from nervous anticipation.
Captain Umar had hardly cracked the door when Donovan pushed his way inside.
“What’s going on Knight?” He rubbed his eyes.
“Sorry to wake you, I need to speak with you, it’s urgent.” The words all tumbled out of his mouth without pauses in between.
“What is it?” He looked a little more alert now.
“This formula that we found,” Donovan said. “Are you absolutely sure that there’s nothing more to it than strengthening?”
Captain Umar nodded slowly. “Yes… I’m sure. Wh…?”
“It wouldn’t have any fatal or harmful side effects?”
“I’m pretty sure there’s nothing wrong with it. Donovan why are you…?”
“Thanks, Captain,” Donovan said. “Gotta go.”
Donovan rushed from the room, careful to keep his pace to only a brisk walk.
Next he went to Colonel McGregor’s room. He knocked, but no one answered.
Where could he be?
Donovan decided to check the cafeteria first. He got lucky. Colonel McGregor was in line. “Colonel McGregor, could I have a word please?”
Surprised, McGregor stepped out of line.
“What is it?”
“I want to get away from the base for a little while. Care to join me for a bite?”
“Well, I was just about to…”
“Aren’t you tired of eating the same things all the time? Let’s go out and get something to eat.” Donovan looked at him pointedly.
Colonel McGregor raised his eyebrows, understanding lighting up his eyes. “Why, yes, of course. Let’s go.”
He may not have known what Donovan wanted but he was curious enough to want to find out.
They left the base in a standard army skycar. Once they were outside the base General McGregor started talking, but Donovan just shook his head.
Not yet.
They landed at the edge of a small city about five miles away. They left the sky car and Donovan led Colonel McGregor to a burger stand.
“BG Knight, what’s going on?”
“Nothing at all. I’m fine. Order something.”
They both ordered food. They waited for it in silence. When they finished eating, Donovan led Colonel McGregor away from the skycar, into the forest.
“Do you have a watch with you?” Donovan asked.
“Yes,” McGregor said.
“Let me see it.”
McGregor unstrapped his watch and handed it over. Donovan broke it in half and threw it with all his strength. Donovan had left his own watch at the fort.
“What the hell?!” McGregor stuttered. “What on earth is wrong with you?”
Donovan grabbed his arm and led McGregor deeper into the trees. “Shhh.”
Colonel McGregor let himself be dragged into a dense part of the forest. When Donovan let go, he shouted, “What the hell is going on here?”
“We’ve been bugged,” Donovan said. “I can’t explain how I know right now—I have to hurry, but Tobias has the whole base bugged. He’s been aware of our every move this whole time.”
McGregor’s mouth fell open then snapped shut again. “But how…?”
“It doesn’t matter. Listen, would it be possible for you to make a tiny microphone that can record what I’m saying without being detected by Tobias’s security system on Lohiri?”
“Yes, I think so—but why? You have to tell me something. I’m sure General Umar isn’t aware of this little meeting. If you want me to disobey him, you’d better give me a damn good reason.”
“I don’t have time!” Donovan dragged his hands over his head. He breathed deeply. “Okay. The base is bugged. I can’t tell anyone I know without alerting Tobias. I can’t bring everyone off the base without arousing suspicion. General Umar would never agree anyway.
“Tobias offered me one last deal. He still wants me to join him. This is my chance to get close to him. I have a better chance at killing him that an army ever would. I need to steal the strengthening formula and meet him.
“But first, I want to try and get the location of the cure from him. That’s why I need the recorder. I need it to send what it records directly back to you—just in case he kills me before I can kill him. You’re the only person who can make it for me. I can’t tell anyone else for fear of letting Tobias know that I’m not going to be joining him. If I stay silent, he’ll assume that I’m still thinking it over.”
Colonel McGregor finally acquiesced.
“Can you make it in the next twenty-four hours and meet me again for lunch to give it to me?”
“Yes. It’s a simple enough device.”
Donovan leaned into his face. “Can I trust you with this?”
Colonel McGregor backed away. “Of course you can. I happen to agree that you have a better shot. None of us agrees with General Umar’s plan—well, except Tracee.”
Donovan flinched at the sound of her name.
“Okay,” Donovan said. “Let’s go back. Act like nothing important has happened at all. Go to the cafeteria tomorrow at 1600 hours. I’ll come in about ten minutes later. Don’t order. Act like you’re still deciding what to get. I’ll invite you to the same burger place.”
“Okay. Got it.”
“And remember. No watches.”
Donovan felt relief sink in on the flight back. He had a plan. It would work. He just needed to have a little patience.
Chapter 12
“I recognize in thieves, traitors and murderers, in the ruthless and the cunning, a deep beauty—a sunken beauty.”
The Legend of Things Past (Beyond Pluto SciFi Futuristic Aventures Book 1) Page 14
