Greywolf

by Brian Cain

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Greywolf sat beside Rose as she rested in bed, he held her hand she had been crying. "You can get up tomorrow just like the doctor told you."

  "He advised I do that John, god I called you John."

  "Advised, you sound like a politician, you will stay in bed as instructed, you carry our child not just yours."

  Rose slapped her hands down on the bed and looked away. "Dam it John it's bloody boring here, can't I go and let Louise cook or something."

  "Yes tomorrow."

  "You're always gallivanting off somewhere, your worse than your father."

  Wolf chuckled under his breath. "Patience is not one of your better assets Rose."

  "Your mother is taking our relationship well, unlike her."

  "No, she knows more than you so understands more."

  "I end up pregnant to a man less than half my age."

  "Ever noticed you age as much as my father and mother, even thought you are at times under great stress, there is a good reason for that."

  She looked at him with divine interest. "You're going to tell me something I need to know."

  He smiled and raised his eyebrows, she took his hand. "Dad, mum, you, I, we are all part of a grand experiment. Some of dad's friends, the boffins, worked on cryogenics, molecular structure, quantum physics and much more as part of atomic research since the end of the Second World War. It was mistakes that led to our youth not success, some experiments yielded far reaching results, far beyond their intended goals. You as many of us have been given youth far beyond our expected years without knowing, I don't really understand it but it works. The long term outcomes we don't know for we are the first to be given this chance at prolonged youth, physically I am no older than you and you no older than I. The technology was destined for commercial purposes, dad didn't approve, so here we are blazing a trail into the unknown."

  Rose was wide eyed. "I feel the same as when I was twenty five."

  "But you're wisdom is of your real years."

  "Bell, Louise, Jodi your father's wife."

  "Yes, all of them."

  "Are we weirdo's?"

  "We are as you see us, for all people are different."

  She looked at him, rather blank but yearning. "The storms, the terrible storms, lighting, thunder, wind, whenever I was in need, tell me."

  "Some things you don't need to know."

  She looked into space with avid concentration. "There is something there, I thought so, it watched over me I could feel it." She paused holding his hand with both of hers. "People think you're mad, you do it on purpose, just like your father."

  He looked away then quickly back to her eyes. "There is a reason my father kept my eyes from you, for I have lost part of my purpose and understand some of my fathers ways now. I lost my faculties and gained my purpose, being a father is something everybody should do."

  "Will you come to me tonight?"

  "This room is now my room." There was a loud knock on the door, Wolf looked toward it. "Enter."

  A young man stuck his head around the door. "Wolf, you need look at something, an American carrier group leaving the Persian Gulf."

  "There's carrier groups moving around all over the place, most going home, what makes this one so different."

  "You need come to operations immediately."

  Wolf stood up. "I'll be right there."

  The door closed, Rose lost grip of his hands but smiled up at him. "That lad, how old is he."

  "Same age as you."

  "Who is he?"

  "That you need not know."

  "Are you coming back shortly?"

  "If I have to leave I'll let you know."

  "I'll miss you terribly."

  "I have been burdened with the same, things wont change, something we have to manage. Remember, you carry the next generation."

  "I understand." He kissed her on the cheek and left through the wall panel.

  Wolf entered the communications room beneath the manor and studied a screen over the shoulder of a young man. "What do you have that's so important?"

  "Everyone is going as planned, except for one incident." The young man swivelled his chair around and looked up at Wolf.

  "That is?"

  "The John F Kennedy, American aircraft carrier group in the Persian Gulf. The three joint chiefs of staff held a meeting on the carrier, with attendees from willing nations."

  "We know that, attendance was poor, Russia, China, France the UK abstained as expected."

  "Quinn Packard attended the meeting."

  Wolf folded his arms. "Go on."

  "After the meeting Packard left the carrier, the carrier engaged a squadron of its own aircraft with surface to air."

  There was silence for a few seconds as Wolf thought deeply, it reflected in his eyes. "That's ridiculous, have they completely lost it."

  "ADAM took out the missiles."

  "What was the logic of its programming?"

  "That's not all, the entire fleet then launched a vertical missile at the same time, no target, ADAM took them out as well."

  "I haven't finished yet, nuclear sub in the fleet the San Juan locked a torpedo onto guided missile frigate the Winston S Churchill, ADAM responded with Seadragon to neutralise the threat. As soon as Seadragon dropped its cloak, the San Juan disengaged."

  Wolf gazed into space with squinting eyes and a half smile. "Who is head of the three joint chiefs?"

  "Ward Pugsley, US army five star general, directives were given by Buck West fleet admiral."

  "Someone on board that vessel is a very smart cookie, is the fleet still in the gulf."

  "Orders were given by the joint chiefs to up anchor and head for Norfolk naval installation in the state of Virginia, they just got underway."

  "Why did ADAM do that?"

  "We are analysing the strategy applied, will have some answers in a few minutes."

  "What route would have to be the Suez?"

  "Mediterranean, Gibraltar then into the north Atlantic."

  "I want on board that carrier when it passes through the Strait of Gibraltar."

  "They should pass there in three days thereabouts, depends on how they go through the Suez."

  "Let me know when she's twenty four hours away." Wolf began to walk off.

  "What do you plan to do Wolf," asked the young man.

  "Find the perpetrator and give him a job."

  "What if he doesn't want one?"

  "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."