Future Imperfect

by Simon Rose

  Veronica and the others could no longer be seen on the monitor that was focused on the parking area.

  “Stephanie!” Alex exclaimed. “They’re on their way!”

  “Wait!” she said. “I’ve found something.”

  She opened a file and quickly scanned the contents.

  “There are some financial records and stock market details on here.”

  “So what?” said Alex, in frustration. “Help me with my dad.”

  He’d managed to get his dad to stand, but Andrew was still very unsteady on his feet. Alex leaned him up against one of the nearby consoles and held onto Andrew’s arms to stop him from falling.

  “Alex, these documents might be very incriminating,” said Stephanie. “These are all the accounting records of Veronica’s dealings with the other companies we learned about. I guess she never considered these records to be important enough to keep them hidden.”

  “But what use are they to us right now?”

  “I’ve no idea if this material’s anything illegal, but it’s certainly a smoking gun. She’d have a hard time explaining some of this stuff, for sure.”

  “Okay, fine. Let’s take the laptop with us.”

  “It’s hooked up to everything. It might set off some alarms or even wipe all the data.”

  On one of the monitors, Alex saw Veronica and the others walking along a corridor. Stephanie saw them too.

  “Oh, my God,” she gasped.

  “So what do we do?” said Alex.

  “We have to leave the laptop. Let’s get your dad out of here. They could be here at the lab at any minute.”

  “Wait,” said Alex. “I still have Marino’s card.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Alex pulled his wallet from his pocket and handed Marino’s card to Stephanie.

  “It’s got her email address on it. Can you send her those documents by email?”

  Stephanie grinned.

  “Brilliant idea, Alex.”

  She accessed the email on the laptop. On the monitor, Alex saw that Veronica and the others were now walking along a different corridor, which had bare rock walls. He had no idea how close they were to the lab.

  “Hurry up. They’re probably almost here.”

  Stephanie typed in Marino’s address.

  “Do I add a message and say it’s from us?”

  “Just send it,” said Alex. “We’ll work all that out later, if we get out of here in one piece.”

  She quickly attached the document containing the financial records to the email and hit send.

  “Did it go?” asked Alex.

  “Yes, let’s get going. Can your dad walk okay?”

  “I think so, but we’ll both need to help him.”

  They each placed one of Andrew’s arms across their shoulders and headed for the exit. Andrew stumbled a couple of times but did his best to help. Struggling to support Andrew between them, Alex and Stephanie reached the laboratory door. They then moved as fast as they could along the passageway that led to the exit back into the woods.

  “Do you think there’s an access code from this side?” asked Stephanie, as they approached the firmly closed steel doors.

  “Let’s hope not, we don’t have time to hack anything.”

  When they reached the doors, they were relieved to find a simple activation button on the wall. Stephanie pressed it and the doors opened.

  “Come on, before it closes again,” she said.

  They both adjusted their hold on Andrew before they all stumbled out into the early evening sunlight.

  Chapter Eighteen

  No Escape

  ALEX AND STEPHANIE followed the dirt track since it was easier than trying to move through the tangled woods while supporting Andrew. They all had to rest once they’d travelled a safe distance from the mine entrance. They moved just off the road and into the cover of the nearby bushes. Alex sat his dad down beside a tree, and Andrew began to fully regain consciousness.

  “Alex?” he mumbled. “Is that really you? And Stephanie?”

  “Yes, Dad it’s us. Are you okay?”

  Andrew frowned as he rubbed his forehead.

  “I have a terrific headache. What did they do to me?”

  “Something called a mind probe,” said Alex. “They were using it to get information out of you after all those drugs and the beatings failed.”

  Andrew winced at the memory.

  “So what happened after the car crash?” Stephanie asked.

  “When I woke up, I was at the lab deep under the Castlewood headquarters. I’d worked down there a few times but it was a very restricted area. Veronica was planning all sorts of things with my latest breakthroughs and she’d learned that I planned to leave for Hartfield. They’d got most of my research but there was some data that I’d decided to hang onto.”

  “What for?” Alex asked.

  Andrew paused for a second and rubbed his forehead again.

  “I didn’t like the direction in which Veronica seemed to be heading. I was really worried that she’d been using my work for something sinister. They had my laptop so they secured some of my secret data, but when I wouldn’t tell them anything they tried to persuade me. That Palmer guy injected me with all sorts of things.”

  “Well, at least you’re safe now,” said Stephanie, smiling.

  Andrew looked all around him with a puzzled expression on his face.

  “And where are we anyway?” he asked.

  “In the woods outside of town,” replied Alex. “Castlewood has a secret facility in an abandoned gold mine.”

  “Really? I never knew anything about that.”

  “No, they kept it secret from just about everyone,” Alex explained. “Robert set it up a while ago but Veronica’s been able to use the place for her own plans.”

  “Is Robert involved? I can’t believe he’d do something like this?”

  Stephanie looked over at Alex before she replied.

  “I’m afraid Robert’s dead. He officially collapsed on a golf course and died in hospital, but we know that Veronica poisoned him.”

  “What?” said Andrew, in astonishment. “I don’t understand. What do you mean Robert’s dead?”

  “I’m sorry, Dad,” Alex replied. “I know he . . .”

  They were interrupted by the sound of a faint humming in the distance.

  “Wait,” said Stephanie. “Get down. Those drones are back.”

  “Drones?” said Andrew.

  “Get down, Dad.”

  They all took cover beneath under the nearby shrubs and undergrowth as the two small robot aircraft skimmed the treetops as they approached. Alex, Stephanie, and Andrew all held their breath as the drones hovered directly above where they were concealed. Stephanie almost gasped as the drones suddenly descended and hovered only a few feet above the road. They were much closer than they’d been last time when Alex and Stephanie had first spotted them in the woods. The drones weren’t equipped with the pale blue beam that the futuristic models had deployed, but appeared to be scanning the area with multiple miniature cameras. They were also armed with some kind of gun, which was attached underneath the drone’s bodywork and had the ability to swivel in all directions. The drones abruptly stopped their scanning and ascended to the treetops then flew away, heading in the direction of the main road.

  Alex and Stephanie quickly got to their feet then helped Andrew to stand.

  “Those looked like some of the prototype drones we’ve been working on,” said Andrew, as he leaned against the tree. “I had no idea any of them were operational. Those looked like they were armed too. We never planned for anything like that.”

  “Veronica has big plans for those in the future,” said Stephanie.

  “What do you mean?” Andrew asked.

  Alex glanced over at Stephanie and shook his head. He was determined that his dad wouldn’t learn anything about their encounters with Alexander from the future.

  “How did you find out what was
happening anyway?” asked Andrew. “And how did you manage to find this place in the woods?”

  “We’d better get moving,” said Alex, quickly changing the subject. “If those drones are flying, Veronica must be looking for us. We need to get to the road and flag down a passing car.”

  “Do you know the way?” asked Andrew.

  “Yeah, the coordinates we used to get here are still in my phone. We’ll just backtrack.”

  “Can you walk?” Stephanie asked.

  “Yes, I think so,” replied Andrew.

  “You can lean on me if you need to, Dad,” said Alex, with a smile.

  THEY ALL STEPPED out of the bushes and onto the dirt road.

  “Shouldn’t we be staying more out of sight in the woods?” asked Stephanie.

  “Maybe,” Alex replied, “but we’ll probably reach the main road quicker if we go this way. The van drove down here so we know that the road can’t be too far. It’ll be easier for you too, Dad. Hopefully we won’t run into those drones again.”

  They all began moving down the road, with Alex and Stephanie holding Andrew’s arms. He was now able to walk a little easier but still needed their support. Yet, they hadn’t travelled that far before they all heard an ominous humming in the air above them. One of the drones was back. It quickly dropped to their level and hovered in the air a few feet ahead of them, blocking their path. Coloured lights on the drone’s bodywork flickered, and the gun underneath it turned until it was pointed directly at them.

  “What do we do?” said Stephanie.

  “Split up,” Alex replied. “It can’t shoot all of us at once.”

  Alex pulled Andrew into the shrubs at the edge of the road while Stephanie darted to the opposite side. Andrew stumbled and fell into the undergrowth. The drone headed directly for Alex, its weapon prepared to fire.

  “Alex!” Stephanie yelled.

  She picked up a large rock from the side of the road and threw it at the drone. The rock smashed one of the drone’s rear cameras before ricocheting against a tree. The drone immediately spun around and turned its weapon to face Stephanie. She dove into the bushes as the drone fired an energy beam, which blasted a gaping hole in the tree beside her. Stephanie scrambled to her feet as the drone flew toward her and fired again, narrowly missing her head as Stephanie fell to the ground. The drone swiftly advanced and was only a few feet away from where she lay, preparing to fire, when Alex appeared behind it and hit the drone hard with the rock. The drone fell to the ground, and Alex smashed it several more times until the drone’s lights were all extinguished.

  “You okay?” he asked, catching his breath.

  “Yeah,” said Stephanie, with a sigh of relief. “Thanks, that was close.”

  Alex reached out his hand and helped her up. They were both startled when an energy beam hit the tree beside them, causing two branches to fall.

  “It’s the other one!” Alex yelled. “Split up!

  They ran in opposite directions, confusing the drone. For a second, it didn’t seem able to decide which way to go, but then turned to pursue Alex. Alex weaved and dodged as he ran through the forest. The drone kept firing at him as it zipped between the trees, steadily gaining on him. However, when Alex abruptly changed direction, the drone couldn’t adjust its trajectory in time, crashing into a tree at high speed and dropping to the ground. Alex cautiously crept over to where the drone lay. The machine was silent and most of its lights were no longer lit. The drone’s gun also appeared to have been severely damaged in the collision with the tree.

  “Is it broken?” asked Stephanie when she joined him.

  “Let’s hope so.”

  “Where’s your dad?”

  “Just over there.”

  They hurried back to the road to where Andrew was emerging from the undergrowth.

  “Are you two hurt?”

  “We’re fine, Dad. Let’s get moving.”

  “How did you beat them? Those drones looked deadly. And what were those guns firing? Lasers or something?”

  “Well, they’re supposed to be pretty sophisticated machines,” Alex replied. “I guess they just aren’t designed to fly around where there are lots of trees.”

  “Maybe what just happened means someone will make improvements in the future?” said Stephanie.

  She winked at Alex.

  “Are there any more of those things around here?” asked Andrew.

  “We’ve only seen two so far here in the woods,” Alex replied. “I guess these might not have been the same ones that we saw earlier though.”

  “Either way, let’s just focus on getting to the main road, in case there are any more drones on patrol,” said Stephanie.

  THEY WERE ABOUT to resume their journey when Veronica’s Mercedes roared into view on the dirt track. The car screeched to a halt directly in front of them. Veronica immediately got out, brandishing a handgun.

  “Did you really think you’d get away?” she snarled, waving the gun as she walked toward them.

  “Veronica,” said Andrew, still struggling to stand. “Put the gun away.”

  “Shut up, Andrew. I don’t want to shoot you, but I will if I need to. You can be sure of that.”

  Veronica turned to face Alex and Stephanie.

  “Did you really think that I wouldn’t come after you? We have cameras all over the woods, as well as on the road. We have those camera-equipped armed drones in the air as well. How did you expect to get away?”

  “The police will arrest you,” said Stephanie.

  Veronica simply smiled.

  “Oh, I know what you sent to that police officer. Unfortunately Marino’s not on my payroll, but it won’t make any difference anyway. Those are just financial records, nothing more. And as I’m sure you know by now, Henderson’s working for me. There’s no guarantee that Marino will ever see that email you sent her.”

  “But those records still show everyone what you’ve been up to.”

  “Up to? Don’t be a fool, girl. They just indicate some of the many companies that I’ve been dealing with over the last few years. I’ve done nothing wrong.”

  “They’ll be able to see your plans for the future,” said Alex, not wanting to let on what he and Stephanie knew.

  “Even if they do, it won’t matter. There’s nothing in those records to incriminate me. They won’t even arrest me for killing you three.”

  “What do you mean?” said Alex.

  “The police suspect that your dad’s already dead anyway,” Veronica explained. “When we kill him now no one will ever know what happened. We’ll do something different with you two. Lewis and Palmer are on their way. I just wanted to arrive here first to make sure that you didn’t get away. It’s so easy to dispose of bodies, when you have all the right connections.”

  “You can’t do this!”

  “Oh, but I can, Alex,” said Veronica. “You’re so naive, just like your dad. Once you’re all dead, I’ll be leaving the country on a private plane. My lawyers and other friends will deal with everything while I stay out of harm’s way. I’ll even be able to run things at Castlewood Dynamics from an offshore location. I’m sure you know that my family has many friends in high places, including in the justice system.”

  Veronica took out her phone to call Lewis and Palmer. She was still pointing the gun but was momentarily distracted as she keyed in the phone number. Alex seized his chance and lunged at her.

  “Alex, no!” yelled Andrew.

  Alex grabbed Veronica’s arm, and Stephanie immediately joined his assault. Veronica dropped her phone before the call was completed. She and the children violently struggled with each other as they all staggered closer to the edge of the woods at the side of the road.

  “Alex!” Andrew exclaimed.

  He attempted to intervene but his legs were still too weak, and he tripped and fell to the ground.

  “Let go!” screeched Veronica. “I’ll kill you all!”

  As she attempted to fight off Alex and Stephanie,
there was a single gunshot. Alex and Stephanie let go of Veronica, who stumbled backward. She fell into the undergrowth and hit her head on a small boulder, dropping the gun. There was a trickle of blood running down Veronica’s left temple, and she wasn’t moving.

  “Alex!” said Andrew, finally managing to struggle to his feet. “Stephanie! Are you okay?”

  “Yeah,” said Alex, still breathing heavily.

  “Thank God you’re both okay,” said Andrew, as they all embraced. “What about her?”

  Stephanie reached down and gently placed her fingers on Veronica’s neck.

  “She’s alive, although I don’t know how badly hurt she is.”

  “We have to get out here,” said Alex. “She said those guys were on their way to meet her.”

  “What about the gun?” asked Stephanie, pointing to where the weapon had fallen at the edge of the bushes. “In case she wakes up sooner rather than later?”

  Alex thought for a moment then grabbed a short branch from the side of the road.

  “What’s that for?” asked Stephanie.

  “I don’t want to leave any fingerprints, just in case.”

  He slid the branch through the trigger of the gun to pick it up. He then flung the gun as far as he could into the forest.

  “There,” he said. “Even if she does wake up while we’re still here in the woods, she won’t be as dangerous.”

  THEY MOVED BACK into the trees to stay hidden in case Lewis and Palmer arrived in the van. Alex and Stephanie helped Andrew to walk as they travelled as quickly as possible through the woods until they reached the main road. A couple of cars sped by just before they emerged from the woods.

  “We only just missed them,” said Stephanie, as they all stepped out onto the gravel at the side of the road.

  “There’ll be others soon, don’t worry,” said Alex.

  “I hope you’re right,” Stephanie replied. “This road’s usually pretty quiet most of the time. I just hope another car comes by before Lewis and Palmer have a chance to find us.”

  They crossed over to the pull-in area where Alex and Stephanie had been dropped off by the cab earlier that day. Andrew sat down to rest on one of the larger boulders.