by Siegel, Alex
When they started to explode, Haley realized they were grenades.
Explosions on all sides rocked the sedan. Shrapnel pelted the windows like steel sleet. The armor withstood the attack, but Haley was still scared out of his mind. Other cars on the off-ramp were being shredded and burned. His "more than adequate protection" was dying in bunches.
Haley remembered his gray phone had an emergency beacon. He grabbed the phone and pressed the middle button until it chirped.
* * *
Aaron heard a series of distant explosions in rapid succession. It sounded like a major battle, but he didn't know who was fighting. There were no members of the Society in that direction.
His phone buzzed. He looked around and realized every member of the team was being called simultaneously.
Aaron put his phone against his ear. "What's wrong?"
"The President lit up his emergency beacon," Neal said. "He's about four hundred yards south-east of your position."
Ethel ran off at an impossible speed. She disappeared into the shadows between the trees.
"I can hear the fighting," Aaron said. "Did you order him to leave?"
"He's a stubborn man."
Aaron gritted his teeth. "We're on our way. Have Tawni and Atalanta meet us there." He hung up.
He led Boreas and the four Washington legionnaires in the direction Ethel had gone. They ran as fast as they could.
* * *
The bombardment finally stopped. All the cars on the ramp were wrecked, and corpses littered the ground. As far as Haley could tell, none of the police or federal agents had survived the ferocious assault. Even the Marines at the barricade were dead. It was a total massacre.
His sedan was still in one piece though. The hail of shrapnel had cracked and pitted the thick windows in hundreds of places, but nothing had penetrated. The Society knew how to build armored cars.
Nine men in green fatigues and body armor stepped out of the forest. One had two golden stars on each epaulet. General Wordsworth, Haley thought. The rest looked like ordinary Marines, but the chipped windows made it hard to see.
He locked the doors.
Wordsworth and his goons spread out with M16's in hand. They began to check the wreckage. They clearly intended to finish off any survivors.
Haley squished his body down into the foot well in an attempt to hide. His old joints complained at the rough treatment, but he ignored the discomfort. A moment later, a knock on the window startled him. He had already been discovered.
He looked up. A soldier wearing the insignia of a corporal tried to open the door. When that didn't work, he fired his gun at the window. The bullet ricocheted and nicked his leg. Haley had to smile despite the circumstances.
General Wordsworth came over. He was a tall, thin man with deeply tanned skin. A scar on his cheek disfigured his weathered face.
"President Haley," he yelled through the window, "I'm glad to see you're still alive. It means I can watch you die."
"This is treason!" Haley said.
"Once you're dead, there will be no witnesses left besides my A team, and they'll never talk. I'll blame terrorists for this horrible tragedy. Now get out of the car, or I'll blow the door off."
A woman ran out of the forest. She was old, black, and moving at a startling speed. She carried polished machetes at her sides like wings. Sticky shadows clung to her skin. The Angel of Death had arrived.
I love you, Haley thought.
Facing nine well-armed soldiers didn't seem to bother Ethel. She was on them before they even realized she was there. Her whirling blades flashed and blood sprayed. In seconds, four were dead. At that moment, Haley understood what it meant to be a Spear. We are truly the Lord's warriors.
The other soldiers shot at Ethel with their rifles. It didn't look like she was hit, but she was forced to cower behind a wrecked car. She was so fast, she seemed to flicker from location to location.
Eight more people emerged from the tree line. Haley recognized them as the other members of the Society even though some were dressed as soldiers. They raised their guns and slaughtered the rest of Wordsworth's gang with a storm of bullets. Only the general was left alive.
Instead of returning fire, he grabbed a grenade from his belt and pressed it against the window of the armored sedan. He held the pin with his free hand.
"Nobody move, or I'll kill the President!" he yelled.
"You'll die, too!" Aaron answered. It was hard to hear his voice through the thick windows.
"Better than the dishonor of standing trial."
A soft knocking startled Haley. He turned and saw Ethel crouched on the opposite side.
"Get out," she mouthed silently.
He slid over and unlocked the door.
"Aw, hell," Wordsworth said. "Why am I even having this conversation?"
He pulled the pin on the grenade.
Ethel opened the door and yanked Haley out of the car with all the strength in her slim body. She forced him down to the ground. He banged his nose on the hard pavement.
The grenade rocked the sedan. The body of the car deflected the blast around Haley, and he only felt a hot wind. He rolled onto his back.
Ethel kissed him on the lips.
"Thank you for saving my life," he said, "again. Is this the third or fourth time?"
"When we tell you to leave, do it." Her dark eyes flashed with anger. "I'm your boss now. Follow my orders!"
"Yes, ma'am," he said quickly. He silently swore he would obey her from now on.
He heard helicopters in the distance. He sat up and looked to the south. He recognized the aircraft as HMX-1 or Marine Helicopter Squadron One. The green-brown paint and white piping were distinctive. The elite squadron was stationed at Quantico and had probably come from there.
"My ride is here," he said. "Neal must've summoned them."
Haley looked around and discovered Ethel had vanished. He stood up. All the Spears were gone.
The aftermath of the battle remained though. The carnage was sickening. Perhaps as many as a hundred dead bodies were strewn along the off-ramp including civilians. The grenades had dismembered some of the victims. Cars were still on fire. Haley had never witnessed anything like it. How am I going to explain this? he wondered. I can't tell people the truth.
He spotted George Seferis lying on the ground and ran over. The Director was riddled with shrapnel wounds. Haley crouched down and closed the dead man's eyes. Sadness and guilt overwhelmed Haley. He should've run away instead of stubbornly standing his ground, or not come at all. He should've followed orders. None of this had been necessary.
Tears splashed on the asphalt.
* * *
Aaron and Tawni were standing on the sidewalk outside the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Arched, white roofs provided shade, but the cool weather made Aaron want sunlight instead. Traffic rumbled steadily along the road, and travelers flowed in and out of the terminal. This airport wasn't as big or as architecturally interesting as O'Hare Airport, but it was still an impressive operation.
Neal, Wesley, and his protection team had come to say goodbye to Aaron and Tawni. Ethel and Boreas were staying with the President for another week to make sure he was safe.
"It was good working with you," Neal said, "even for just one day. You certainly deserve your reputation as a great commander."
"Thanks." Aaron smiled. "I hope I didn't step on your toes. This is your territory, and I don't think I respected that enough."
"The mission was successful, and my people are safe. I can live with a bruised ego."
"I just wish we had captured one of the Corners for interrogation."
"All four Corners are dead," Neal said, "and that's what matters. But I'll keep my eyes open for trouble, just in case."
Atalanta stepped forward and spoke to Tawni, "Working with you was fun. You have a lot of talent." Atalanta wore a loose, gray sweat suit which left plenty of room for concealed weapons.
Tawni grinned.
"Thanks, and you were an inspiration to me. I'll train twice as hard now. I have something to shoot for."
"I'll go to battle with you anytime."
"You'll get that chance soon," Wesley said.
The boy wore a red baseball cap and a red T-shirt with the white Washington Nationals logo on it.
Tawni furrowed her brow. "When?"
"Soon! We're coming to Chicago."
"Who is?"
"All of us!" Wesley grinned. "It will be so exciting!"
Aaron had a cold feeling, and it wasn't just the weather. "Wesley, let's talk privately."
He and the boy walked down the sidewalk together.
"Who exactly is coming to Chicago?" Aaron murmured.
"Everybody," Wesley said cheerfully. "The twins will need all the protection they can get."
"You're telling me I'm going to have a huge battle?"
Wesley nodded eagerly. His eerie, blue eyes sparkled. "The path to the future is a river of blood."
"Is there any way to stop it?" Aaron said.
"Don't be afraid. You'll be with Marina again, and both of you are in for a huge surprise. God has more faith in you than you can imagine."
"Isn't that supposed to be the other way around?"
Wesley laughed. "You need to go. You might miss your flight."
Aaron felt numb as he walked back to Tawni. He brushed past her and continued into the airport.
She caught up to him. "What was that about?"
"You're going to train three times as hard from now on." He paused. "We all are."
* * *
President Haley stood in front of bright lights and television cameras. The rows of chairs in the White House Press Room were packed with reporters, and more lined the walls. Everybody was watching him with anxious expressions.
"Thirty-five dead Marines," Haley thundered. "Four high-ranking generals, lost. Twenty-two federal agents, including my good friend George Seferis. Eighteen valiant police officers. Many civilians here and in Chicago. This is a dark day in America."
He paused to steady himself. Ethel and Boreas were standing in the back of the room, and they were wearing Secret Service costumes again. Sunglasses hid their eyes. The legatus legionis looked like a harmless, old woman, totally unsuited for the rigors of her job. The people around her probably assumed she was a beneficiary of some equal opportunity program. Monsters hiding in plain sight, Haley thought. And I'm one of them now.
He continued his speech, "Foreign terrorists are to blame. They tried to kill me twice in Chicago with bombs. They tried again here. The great men and women of the Secret Service and the FBI saved my life. I thank them now. We will hunt the evil thugs responsible to the ends of the Earth. I will appoint a special commission to coordinate the effort."
Haley already had some names in mind for that commission. There was plenty of dead wood lying around Washington. He could easily find dozens of people with impressive credentials who would eagerly accept this assignment. They would accomplish nothing, but the task would keep them out of trouble. If he wanted to be sneaky, he could appoint some of his political adversaries. He didn't mind wasting their time on wild goose chases.
"Details will be disclosed as they become available," Haley said. "On a much happier note, I'm pleased to announce the new budget is now the law of the land. Signing that bill was my first task when I returned to the Oval Office. That budget travelled a long and tortuous road to reach my desk. Many powerful people tried to kill it." He leaned forward. "They failed. The will of the people has triumphed, now and in the future."
He looked at Ethel. She smiled and nodded.
* * *
Aaron and Tawni stepped out of the elevator into the white entry chamber of headquarters. It felt good to be home. Unfortunately, he had an unpleasant task to perform. It couldn't be put off any longer.
The computer known as Jack was behind the security glass. A tall rack held many components with tiny lights on the front panels. An impressive mass of blue cables hung behind the rack. A cowboy hat was perched on top.
"Hello, commander," Jack said. "Hello, Tawni. You look tired."
Aaron raised his eyebrows. "You're a computer. Do you really care?"
"No, but making a comment about unusual physical appearance is socially appropriate. Tawni, I need to ask you a security question to confirm your identity."
Tawni tensed. "Go ahead," she said uncertainly.
"When you were in the National Guard, you were sentenced to three months in the stockade for striking an officer. Give me the name and a short description of your cell-mate."
"Janet. Black hair, brown eyes, tattoos on her arms, warts on her feet."
"Thank you," Jack said. "You may enter."
The side door buzzed. Aaron walked over and held the door for Tawni.
"Jack," Aaron said, "tell Smythe and Kamal to meet me on the roof."
"Yes, sir."
Aaron went straight through headquarters and climbed up a staircase to the roof. A setting sun lit dense clouds with red light. A chilly wind was blowing, and the temperature was falling rapidly. An early winter storm is coming, he thought. He watched airplanes take off and land at O'Hare Airport.
Smythe came up first. He wore a gray sweat shirt with fresh sweat under the armpits. His face was flushed.
"Welcome home, sir," he said. "How was Washington?"
"Good. Productive."
"There were reports of a massacre. I'd like to hear the story."
"I'll tell it to everybody over dinner," Aaron said.
Smythe looked around. "What are we doing up here?"
"Dealing with Kamal."
"Oh." Smythe's face fell.
Kamal arrived on the roof. He wore a white shirt and black pants which were perfectly clean and pressed. A traditional black bowtie gave him the air of an old-fashioned professor. His brown skin seemed darker than usual in the red light.
"Get in the helicopter," Aaron said. "Smythe, sit in back with Kamal."
"Yes, sir," Smythe said.
Everybody found a seat in the big, blue helicopter parked on the roof. Aaron put on his headset and started the engine. He listened to the turbine come up to speed.
He glanced back at Kamal. The scientist looked scared as hell. He knew what this trip was about.
After the engine warmed up, Aaron gently took off. He flew straight up to an altitude of 1000 feet. Then he turned and headed east towards Lake Michigan.
The Chicago area passed below him. He flew over the big, gorgeous homes in the suburbs first. When he entered the city proper, the quality of the housing dropped abruptly. The divide was a straight, sharp line. The homes in western Chicago were small and in poor condition.
He continued east. As he approached downtown, the neighborhoods became gentrified. Three-story apartment buildings replaced the single homes. Aaron started seeing office buildings and strip malls.
The skyscrapers of downtown were on his right. Even at this altitude, a few buildings stood above him. The black, boxy Willis Tower in particular was like a giant among children. The helicopter passed close to the top of the John Hancock Center with its unusual angular architecture. The top was covered with dishes and antennae.
Aaron finally reached Lake Michigan. The setting sun made the shimmering waters look dark blue. The lake stretched out to the horizon.
"Kamal," Aaron said, "this is your opportunity to defend yourself. You had some time to think about it. I'm expecting a convincing statement."
"Yes, sir," Kamal responded nervously. His voice came through the headset. "Since man first walked the Earth, we've been on a quest for truth. We've always sought to understand the world around us and the stars above. The thirst for knowledge is fundamental to the human spirit."
"So?"
"Sharing important discoveries is the duty of all scientists. We don't perform research just to satisfy our own, selfish curiosity. We do it to make the world a better place. As our collective understanding improves, so does t
he human condition. New technology is the engine of advancement. It's why we don't live in grass huts anymore."
Aaron sighed. He already didn't like this argument.
Kamal went on, "The twins made a hugely important discovery. Imagine a future where energy is limitless and clean. Imagine what humanity could accomplish. We would remake the planet and conquer the stars. It was my obligation to give the world a nudge in that direction. Perhaps I could've handled it better, but my objectives were noble."
"I disagree. You're not just a scientist. You're a Spear and must abide by certain rules. The most important is to keep forbidden knowledge out of the hands of ordinary people."
"But sir..."
Aaron talked over him, "The offense in this case was particularly egregious. God Himself ordered me to protect the twins at all costs. No project is more sensitive. No knowledge is more dangerous. Under other circumstances, I might've excused your lapse in judgment, but in this case, I can't take any chances. The people around the twins must be absolutely trustworthy. The smallest failure is intolerable. I've lost confidence in you. Get out."
"Huh?"
"Get out of the helicopter."
Kamal looked out the window. "But we're high in the sky."
"Smythe, help the man exit the aircraft."
"Yes, sir," Smythe said in a sad tone.
He punched Kamal across the jaw, knocking him out. Smythe opened the side door, unbuckled Kamal, and pushed him. The helicopter hopped upwards as the load was lightened. Smythe closed the door. Aaron looked through a window below his feet and saw the body drop. A few seconds later, there was a splash of white spray. The helicopter was miles from shore. Even if Kamal had survived the impact, which was very unlikely, swimming back to Chicago would be impossible.
Aaron turned the helicopter and flew home.
Nobody spoke during the flight. There was nothing to say. Aaron felt bad about making Smythe kill Kamal, but being second in command wasn't always a fun job. Being a commander was even less fun.
A few minutes later, Aaron landed the helicopter on the roof of headquarters. He was surprised to see Bethany and Leanna standing there. They wore their usual white shirts and red, pleated skirts despite the cool weather. Their legs and feet were bare. Aaron wondered if they would dress that way for the rest of their lives.
