by Hoag, S. A.
“No,” Shan told her. “Not this time. I know you don't like carrying, but I think this is serious. Take a sidearm, Mom, please.”
Deirdre nodded. “For your peace of mind I will.” She knew how to use it; she'd been forced to in the past and hoped she never would again. “Whatever it is, be careful.”
“I am, and Wade wouldn't let me get away with anything else.”
She hugged her. “I mean it.”
“I'll see you in the morning,” Shan said, hearing a car. “That's Wade. If he tells me it's practice, I'll let you know.” She didn't think it was likely, but he'd fooled her before.
The moment she dropped into the passenger seat, she knew it was real. “Can you tell me now?” She'd dressed in winter camos with body armor, both Sigs and a boot gun, clips in all her pockets, plus an array of knives. Her pack held spare ammo, food rations and various bits of survival equipment. The usual for Security.
He glanced sideways at her, heading towards Station Two with a purpose. “We lost a Scout at Wisdom about an hour ago.”
“Lost?” she repeated, not expecting it.
“DOA. They've called your mother in, too. This is strictly Security, don't be exchanging information with her Shannon, not on this, not now. We don't know what's going on out there yet. I'm going to concur on a Code Nineteen as soon as we get someone else from Command at the Station.”
Code Nineteen was a Blackout. It had been nearly six years since the last one. “Where's Mac?” she wanted to know before anything else.
“He should be at the station by the time we get there. He wasn't out, relax.” Wade could feel her tension without any effort.
“Which Scout?” She knew a lot of them.
“I don't know,” he told her bluntly. “How many more questions are you going to ask me today? We're getting close to twenty.”
She nodded, aware he wasn't angry at her. A Blackout was one step away from evacuating people. It put him on edge; it put all of Security on edge. Shan understood why. She'd seen the detonation on Missouri Breaks that caused the last Blackout.
Station Two had no place open to park. Wade left the car in the middle of the street, with enough room for everyone to move. “Keep quiet, follow my lead, don't do things you know will piss someone off,” he instructed.
“Got it.”
Once inside, they went directly to the com-room. It was already crowded.
“Capt. Wade is here,” Cmdr. Duncan spoke to someone on the radio. “Go ahead.”
“This is Cmdr. Perro, retired,” he introduced himself. “Security Command.”
“You're aware of the circumstances of the Code Thirteen less than an hour ago,” Wade said. “Because we don't know which direction the intruders have moved and the fact it's just seventy-five miles from The Vista, I'm issuing a Code Nineteen.”
There was a moment of silence. “I agree,” Perro said. “Go to Blackout. I'll inform the other members of Command.”
“Officer Allen,” Duncan said. “I'll need a hand with dispatch. Someone that's qualified. Take a seat.” He went on the air. “All stations, all teams, Central Dispatch, Cmdr. Duncan. Code Nineteen, repeat Code Nineteen. Stations and depots go to Blackout conditions immediately, Alert Two. Secondary teams return to your stations.” To Wade he directed, “Get your partner and get to Dillon. We need someone watching the southern corridor.”
Shan spotted Mac in the main room; he knew that look when he saw it and nodded at her. They wouldn't get a chance at private words, not with a Blackout going in to effect. He'd call in their status later and she'd hear him on the air at least.
“Both of you,” she told Wade. “Watch your backs.”
“We're going to play hide and seek out there in the dark,” Duncan explained. “Lead them away from here, away from Station One.” Station Three was remote enough, it wasn't a worry. “You know your assignments. If you don't, step up and I'll give you one.” The floor cleared as Security moved in to high gear.
Aware of protocol and having practiced over the summer, Shan got on the radio. If Duncan didn't approve, he'd tell her. “Central Dispatch, Station One, primary Team to the I-15, I-90 interchange.” She paused for a moment. “Central Dispatch, Station Two, primary Team to the I-90 and 12 interchange. Central Dispatch, Station Three, you are out of the target zone, Alert One.”
“Station Two, Car Seventeen responding.”
Duncan stepped out to direct officers looking for something to do. “Car Eighty-Eight responding from here,” he called to her after a few moments. Their high-tech office equipment included clipboards to keep track of who was where.
She didn't look to see who had been south earlier, figuring she'd know soon enough.
After the first pass of Teams running routes, Duncan had everyone positioned where they needed to be. He took a seat. “You weren't scheduled to be on until third shift.”
“No, sir,” Shan agreed. “When I get a call to be ready, which shift I'm working isn't my first concern. Scout runs are three days long, not a few hours.”
He chuckled. “You're going to fit in with Team Three just fine. I'll see how things have settled down at 2am. There are a couple people in the building that can work Dispatch. If you get too tired, and I mean too tired to be answering calls during a Blackout, say so.”
“I will,” she told him.
“Can I talk to you frankly, Officer Allen?”
“Yes,” she nodded, well aware Duncan wouldn't sugar-coat things for her. “Please.”
“There were women in Vista Security before you, back in the beginning when we didn't have planned training or a defense for ourselves. You're the first woman in Security since we've developed those. It's been ten years.”
“I understand not everyone is comfortable with me being in Security, and that my position as a Scout makes it more controversial. Some people would say it isn't safe.” Shan thought of the many lectures her mother had given her. “Other don't think I'm qualified and I'm sure there are those that think even less of how I got to be in Security.”
“I know you wouldn't be sitting here talking to me now if you weren't qualified as a Scout. I've interviewed the officers you work with, and those are the opinions that count.”
“Is this my training exit consult?”
“Part of it,” he confessed, mildly surprised she'd picked that up already. “I'm supposed to observe you while you work, preferably during a code call. Seeing that this is a Blackout, it's a little unusual. No, it's a lot unusual, but that's acceptable. Command has high expectations for you.”
“I won't disappoint,” she said, reasonably certain she could hold up to their scrutiny. The rest of their conversation was cut short by an incoming call.
“Code Eight, Team Twelve,” a Guardian came on the air, hurried. “We're under fire, two miles south of Divide on the access road.” They both stood to go to work, access to the consoles easier.
“I've got this,” Duncan said calmly. “You handle the Stations.”
Shan nodded.
“Central Dispatch, Team Twelve. Team Three is just south of you, try to regroup with them,” Duncan told them. “You got that, Team Three?”
“Central Dispatch, Station One, Station Two. Secondary teams stand-by, reserves stand-by,” Shan announced.
“Team Three, Central Dispatch. We're five miles south, en route.” It was Mac; it didn't reassure her.
“I know you want to be out there,” Duncan told her. “Just take a breath and do your job here. Soon enough, Officer Allen, soon enough.”
“Blackouts don't happen every week, or every year,” she noted. “I'm damned glad for that, but yes, I want to be out there right now.”
“This Blackout isn't going to be over anytime soon, not from the way things are going tonight. Stay sharp.”
The mood of the room changed completely a few moments later. “Code Thirteen,” the call came in from Team Twelve. “We are disabled and under fire. There are at least six intruders.”
“Get the secondar
y teams out,” Duncan told her, going back on the air. “Central Dispatch, all primary teams respond to Divide.”
“Central Dispatch, all secondary teams cover primary. Repeat, secondary teams go to primary, Blackout protocol.” She had to consciously make an effort to not fidget at the work desk. “Reservists get orders from your Stations.”
He switched over to the station's com system. “This is Duncan, I need qualified Dispatchers on the floor now.”
“Sir, I'm fine . . .” Shannon began.
“You're not being relieved; you're considered a secondary team. I want you patrolling the boundary of The Vista a minute after your replacement is here. You're not cleared to leave the city, Officer Allen. Tonight, a whole class of rookies is going to make sure no one sneaks into The Vista. In this case, it is absolutely not better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission - do you understand me?”
“Yes, sir.” She knew the consequences of screwing up during a Blackout.
“Be very fucking careful out there.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
At daybreak, she found the rest of her team taking a break in the kitchen of Station Two. There wasn't anyone else there, but she wouldn't have cared if there was. Shan threw her arms around Mac's neck, holding on.
“I'm fine,” he assured her.
Wade let them be for a few. Pretty much everyone in Security knew who they'd lost. Capt. Terry, to those that knew him, had been a self-defense trainer for the teams. He was well-liked, had four kids, two that were adopted, and worked out of Station One. Team Twelve had gotten out with minor injuries, considering all.
When she disengaged from Mac, Wade got the same treatment. “I was worried about both of you. Radio silence is bullshit.”
“And absolutely necessary. You know it,” Wade said.
She nodded.
“Tonight,” Wade went right to the duty roster. “We're going to drive shifts out of the station, around The Vista. No one will be out on the roads. Both outer stations are locked down.”
“Wait-and-see,” Mac nodded.
“For now. It might be an isolated incident. This time of year, lots of people are moving.”
“What about today?” Shan asked.
“Home, and I mean our parents' places so we actually get some sleep; get a decent meal and a shower. None of us are at liberty to discuss any aspect of what's going on right now. I have a short meeting with Command. Unless something happens on the inner perimeter, we're all buttoned down until Command says otherwise.”
“What's the catch?” Mac wondered. There was always a catch.
“In twenty-four hours, a group of us are going to head south, go to Divide and have a look around. A very specific group of us.”
They both understood the double-meaning without any prompt from Wade.
“Do you think that will help?” Mac had to ask, knowing he'd not be on the same page, at least for the Gen En things they planned on attempting. They'd wander around the site of the Code Thirteens and see if they could sense any residuals – 'ghosts' they called it, glimpses of events that had happened. It wasn't one of the abilities he took to easily. He'd learned to suppress ghosts, to ignore and push them aside.
“It can't hurt,” Shan reasoned, not liking that he felt disconnected.
“When you two are finished, home,” Wade said, making his way out. “Check with Dispatch.”
“Were you bored out there last night?” Mac wondered.
“Not even a little, but we're not done talking about what's going on tomorrow morning. Even if you didn't contribute anything that goes on between Wade and I,” Shan tapped her temple, “here, in our heads, I'd want you there for the support, because we never know what the fuck could happen.” She was on the verge of anger. “That's not the case. When you're close, it's easier for me to sense things. Maybe you're a catalyst, maybe it's just because I trust you and Wade without questioning why.” Taking a breath, she added, “If you think you're not important to the team, you're just wrong. Deal with it.”
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. It wasn't easy to cuddle in tactical gear, but Mac made the effort. “I didn't mean to piss you off.”
“Just because you react different to the Gen En doesn't mean it's a bad thing. Someday we'll figure it all out.” She couldn't stay mad at him for very long. “Then you can make up all those dates we've missed.”
“Someday soon, we'll have that time alone.”
“The time we've been trying to find for over a year now?” she asked.
“You were too young. Even if you didn't think so then and still don't believe it now. I know you trust me on things Security, trust me about this too, Shannon.”
She nodded again with a sigh. “It just seems like it's never going to happen. It's so damned frustrating.”
“I know,” he said, amused. “Believe me, I know.”
“I don't . . .” Shan turned enough to get closer. She grimaced, rolling her eyes.
“What?” he encouraged. “You're not going to offend me.”
“Let's not pretend you don't go out and get laid regularly. I don't care about that; I know how you feel about us.” She kissed him, slow, memorizing every detail of the few moments. “Sometimes, you need to say it anyway,” she told him.
“I . . . want you . . . to . . .” he whispered huskily. “Finish my shift so I can go get something to eat.” He jumped back but got a slap on the shoulder anyway.
“You, bad,” she glared, suppressing a grin.
Before she could unleash a barrage of words at him, Mac grabbed her and kissed her hard. “I love you, crazy woman. We'll get rotated back to our regular winter schedule in a few days, this will be finished, and we'll make a night of the time Security owes us. Or a day, or a couple days. Stop being impatient.”
“I'm not impatient. You make me crazy, but it's not a permanent affliction.”
“Ah, but it is. You get infected with me and it's for a lifetime.” He smirked, daring her to challenge him.
Shan just rolled her eyes.
Chapter 3
Sept 22, Divide, noon
Wade paced the asphalt, trying to sense what happened a day earlier. He was aware exactly what had taken place; seeing it for himself would help him to pick it apart and analyze it as he could. Even with the entire team there, he was drawing a blank. Ghosts more often happened at random and only rarely they'd been able to sense events deliberately.
Taylor shadowed him. It was his job – not regular Security, but the one he'd taken up with being Wade's right-hand-man. He provided back up and occasionally an alibi to cover covert things that others might stumble upon. Gen En things and civilians didn't mix.
“Anything?” Wade directed towards Shan.
“Nada,” she offered. Green and Jasso were sticking close and she suspected it was on Wade's orders. Theoretically, all three of them could sense ghosts. After that, there was no knowing. What they did know was that half the time one of them sensed something, they lost track of what was happening in real-time. They could ignore the sensation when it began, which came in pretty damned handy if they happened to be in questionable company or were driving.
“This could drag on for awhile,” Taylor said.
“No more than an hour,” Mac reminded them.
Taylor shrugged, “Sure.”
“We're fifty miles from The Vista,” Wade talked to himself. “And forty miles to Sheridan, but only twenty miles from Butte. Twenty miles from Butte.”
“And Station Three is a hundred and thirty miles out in the sticks,” Taylor said.
Shannon crossed her arms and frowned at Taylor. He walked away, knowing better than to pick a fight with her. Technically, they were both rookies, both in training to be Scouts. The Taylors, Wades, MacKenzies and Allens had shared a house back in the beginning and their children had grown up together. Mac and Taylor had an occasional clash of attitudes. Sometimes, they all did. Standing out in the cold and the wind, not knowing where the enemy was and having
no idea what to do next, tempers were short. Still, Team Three – all of them – were in charge out here, beyond the boundaries of The Vista and the eyes of the Council.
“It helps his concentration to talk it out. Sometimes,” she offered. They were three of the five people that had seen the team work as Gen En rather than Security. Or they would be, if anything happened.
“What about you?” Green questioned.
She shrugged. “I've never found a pattern, or a trigger to what I see.”
“Neither have I,” Wade pointed out. “Mac is lucky enough to not be plagued by the condition, not yet. We think it'll happen.”
“Do you feel lucky?” Jasso asked him.
“On this, yeah, I do. Having a nightmare when you're asleep is bad enough. Having one when you're walking around, minding your own business . . .” Mac would pass on that particular ability, if he had the choice.
“That's not really what it's like, not once you realize what's happening,” Shan said.
“I've seen those few seconds before you realize what it is,” Mac reminded her.
“It's pretty fascinating, actually,” she insisted. “Seeing a piece of the past like you were right there in the middle of it.”
“Unless it was a nuclear bomb,” Green nodded towards the north. A warhead sitting in its silo had accidentally been detonated by Nomads. Luckily for The Vista, it was a couple hundred miles away and on the other side of the continental divide.
“When it's something terrifying, you can . . . push it away. Or at least Wade and I can.”
“There are others like you,” Green had always suspected.
She didn't answer. The decision to take up that conversation wasn't entirely hers.
“Are there more Gen Ens, in The Vista?” Green went ahead and asked. “Why would they be hidden from us when it's our job to keep them out of trouble?”
They all looked at Wade. He considered the implications of it and where it was about to go. “Since you're sworn to silence on all things Gen En, I guess knowing isn't any more of a burden than other things we've shown you.”
“That doesn't sound good,” Jasso added.
