Reckoning of Delta Prime (Cyber Teen Project Book 3)

by D. B. Goodin

  “Businesses are not the only targets of this cyberattack. At least two people died after a piece of hospital equipment failed,” Kurtzen said as he checked his phone.

  Nigel’s phone vibrated incessantly. He glanced at the hundreds of alerts he was getting. One headline was particularly disturbing: “Humble man’s secret exposed by the massive data breach. Kills family of eight before taking his own life.”

  “Travel is also affected. Air traffic control systems are down across the eastern seaboard. Planes are being diverted. Some have dangerously low fuel levels,” Freeman said.

  “I just got three multi-million-dollar contracts to clean up nuclear waste in the Ohio Valley. Yesterday that business was bankrupt, and today it is saved,” Mr. Chen said. “And after showing the Ohio Valley cyborg takedown video to my Chinese and Russian contacts, I got thousands of orders for cyber hunters. Do you think you can fill those orders, Dr. Ash?”

  “I’ll need a proper lab, but yes, I can do that,” Dr. Ash replied.

  “Splendid,” Chen said. “I’ll start construction on a new cyborg factory on the island at once.”

  “So money was your motive? You’ve killed thousands of innocents for profit? You people make me sick,” Nigel said.

  Blanka gave Nigel a look of regret. Even Freeman seemed appeared to be in a melancholic mood.

  “Before you throw stones at others, I think you need to look at your own actions. You demonstrated you would do anything to save the people you love. So in a way, you also profited from the misery of others,” the Sultan said.

  “Money wasn’t our prime motivation,” Chen said. “It may not look like that to you, but we formed the Cabal on the foundation of the Quintessence Society—a group formed to protect humanity from itself. We had the opportunity to expose people who have committed unspeakable acts, and they are paying for it.”

  “At what cost? Innocents are suffering directly from these actions. Some are paying the ultimate price,” Nigel said.

  “And that is regrettable. But think about the countless others who will be spared,” Mr. Tage said.

  “It all makes sense—people will put an end to the worst offenders themselves. I don’t think the world will cry over a few dead pedophiles or murderers. I can’t think of a better way to reset,” Freeman said.

  “You all make me sick!” Nigel yelled. “I did my part. I want to go to Jet—now.”

  “I’ll take you,” Dahlia said. “I need my girls to come with us,”

  “Wait a second. You don’t all need to go with him,” Gratzano said.

  “I’m out of the Cabal Nico. I can no longer be part of this,” Dahlia said.

  “Are you serious?” Gratzano asked.

  “You people applauded when hospitals got attacked by the virus you unleashed. It is causing all sorts of damage. Doctors cannot treat patients, pharmaceutical companies cannot create life-saving vaccines, public transit is offline, even shipping companies are affected. You have done it, Chen. You have stopped the world and are now king of the scrap heap. There is no honor in that,” Dahlia said.

  “D is right. Copycats have launched their own attacks with ransom demands,” the Sultan said. “The victims pay, and the crooks take their money and laugh when they don’t provide a solution. It’s like you have a franchise on this crazy behavior.”

  “That’s not the half of it, some countries have been hit so hard they are disconnecting themselves from the internet,” Freeman interjected.

  “Is that possible?” the Sultan asked in disbelief.

  “Which countries?” Mr. Tage asked.

  “Ukraine did it after several of its power plants went dark. A cyberattack against another nuclear plant has also begun. I guess the country has had enough of these attacks,” Nigel said.

  “Russia is also in the process of disconnecting. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Kurtzen said.

  “Countries like Russia have performed isolation tests, and siloed their people from the rest of the world’s infrastructure. I fear this is only the beginning. Service providers will charge more for their services, and the internet will never be the same. You have put the internet bridge trolls back in business. This single event has effectively wiped out net neutrality,” Nigel said.

  Nigel headed for the door. Ezekiel pushed Nigel, throwing him back into the conference table.

  “You go nowhere without the boss’s approval,” Ezekiel said.

  Nigel was no match for the six-foot five-inch Samoan. He put his good hand up, hoping to not antagonize the giant any more than he had to.

  “You say I’m not a prisoner, but you sure as hell are not treating me like a guest. I did what you asked, and is this my payment?” Nigel said in a contemptuous tone of voice.

  Nigel made another attempt for the door. This time he anticipated the Samoan’s moves. Ezekiel was bigger, but Nigel was faster. Nigel opened the door and was on his way out when he heard something that terrified him: the distinctive sound of a pistol being cocked. Nigel froze, then slowly turned to find a large gun pointed at him. Nigel did not know what kind of gun it was, but it had a long barrel, and that was good enough for him to stand down.

  “Are you serious, Chen? I demand your man stand down at once!” Mr. Tage said.

  “Nigel, I’m afraid you are not going anywhere. I invite you to enjoy my hospitality here,” Mr. Chen said.

  “How long will that be, exactly?” Nigel asked.

  “Until I deem you will no longer be a threat. I like you and would rather not have to shoot, but everyone in this room really does have a vested interest in staying here and watching the start of the end of the world with me. It will be fun! Now, what do you say?” Mr. Chen said.

  Maybe it’s the lack of sleep or the throbbing pain in my shoulder, but has he gone crazy?

  All eyes were on Nigel and Mr. Chen. No one spoke. Besides the blaring of the news broadcasts, you could have heard a feather drop in the room. Ezekiel emphasized the point by jamming the barrel of the gun against Nigel’s neck.

  “Whoa, alright, I’m staying. Aren’t we all friends here?” Nigel said.

  The next moments were a blur. First Blanka threw something at Ezekiel; Nigel couldn’t tell what it was. Ezekiel started making gurgling sounds. Then Vedrana unsheathed her short-bladed katana and chopped off Ezekiel’s gun hand at the wrist before he could pull the trigger. The giant made a bloodcurdling shrieking sound; Nigel cringed. Eva plunged two knives into Ezekiel’s back for good measure. Dahlia had a knife pressed to Chen’s throat. He was bleeding.

  “It’s your move, Chen. How do you feel about Nigel leaving now?” Dahlia said in a low, menacing tone.

  “I think the lady has a point, Chen. I suggest we listen to her,” Gratzano said as he slowly put his weapon on the table.

  The Sultan surrendered his weapon as well.

  Chen raised his hands. “Nigel can go, but I’m keeping Freeman.”

  “He should let all of us go,” Nigel demanded.

  Dahlia removed her blade. “I can live with that.”

  Freeman grabbed Vedrana by the wrist. “I thought you liked me, and yet you protect this cur?” he snarled.

  “Get your hands off me,” Vedrana demanded.

  Freeman ignored her and, in a bold move, pulled her close. To Nigel’s astonishment, she didn’t resist. Emboldened, he tested the waters and ran a hand through her hair.

  “You are so beautiful. We should be together,” Freeman said in a low voice.

  “Never!” Vedrana said as she spun around and hit Freeman’s chest.

  Moments later he was rolling on the floor, crying.

  “I think we are done here,” Dahlia said.

  Eva, Vedrana, and Blanka hurried Nigel out of the room. Dahlia backed out of the room with a gun in one hand and a knife in the other.

  “Vedrana,” Freeman said.

  She didn’t even look in Freeman’s direction as she helped rush Nigel out of the room.

  Chapter 27

  Nig
el was mostly silent on the drive to visit Jet. It had been at least an hour since they’d left the Bromwick in Newport. Nigel tried turning on the radio, but all he heard was news about the hack he’d helped bring into reality. He sat in the back seat with Blanka and Vedrana. Both were resting their heads on Nigel's shoulders. Rick’s phone chirped in Nigel’s pocket.

  Leave it to Dad to screw up a pleasant moment! Has he found Nozomi? Nigel wondered.

  Nigel fished out the phone and unlocked the screen. It was a video message. Nigel played it. Rick, his father, was tied up in a chair. He was bound and gagged; a female hand removed the gag.

  “Son,” Rick gasped, “I hope you receive this soon. I’m being held against my will by some crazy surgeon. He has ripped Nozomi apart looking for who knows what. He’s going to experiment on me soon. Send help, but don’t endanger yourself. I love you, son,” Rick said as tears rolled down his face.

  Nigel was speechless. Dahlia pulled the car over and faced Nigel.

  “What just happened?” Dahlia demanded.

  “My father is being held captive by some crazy doctor,” he answered. “That’s all I know.”

  Nigel’s mouth went dry. He thought he hated his father, but all the feelings he’d ever had for the man—good and bad—bubbled up to the surface.

  “Do you know where he is being held?”

  “He’s in New York, near Sakura Park. Before he left, I used webcams to triangulate a potential entry point. He found a manhole in the area I directed him to. I think he’s somewhere in the underground.”

  “Let me see the video,” Dahlia said.

  Nigel handed the phone to her. She was silent as she watched the video.

  “We will help you, but you have a decision to make. From our position we are about an hour’s drive from Jet, and about a four-hour drive to New York in the opposite direction. We can’t fly because of the hacks, and traveling to the city will be utter chaos. We will support your decision no matter what.”

  Nigel considered this for a long moment. He wanted to see the woman he loved more than anything, but Rick was blood, and as much as he hated the man, he didn’t want to leave Ralphie without a father. But he didn’t think he could live without Jet. Nigel couldn’t believe Dahlia had helped him escape, let alone prepare to go into battle on his behalf.

  “Let’s head to the city,” Nigel said.

  Blanka gave him a pained look.

  “All of you have helped me so much,” he continued. “I don’t know how I can repay you.”

  “One day I will ask for your help, but today we are at your side,” Dahlia said. She put a comforting hand over his. Vedrana and Eva did the same. He looked into their eyes, smiled, and took comfort in their steely resolve to help him.

  Chapter 28

  Two Months Later

  Josephine Smith awoke in a sparsely furnished bedroom with a view of the mountains. Fresh snow fell. It was so quiet.

  Where am I? This is not Milford, or anything like it!

  An IV was feeding medicine into her left arm. Numbness and pain were all she had known since waking. Everything was a blur—getting stabbed, waking in an animal hospital while an unskilled surgeon closed her wounds.

  I can see all of their deaths! The look on that doctor’s face will haunt me for the rest of my life. I tried to stop her from killing them but couldn’t. Is this a dream?

  An older man with white curly hair and round glasses entered the room.

  “You’re awake—good. You will need your strength for the trials to come,” the old man said in a thick European accent.

  “Wait, where am I? And who are you?”

  “I’m Dr. Gruber, and you’re my patient.”

  The old man looked sad and tired. It was like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.

  “What do you mean, doctor? What trials?” Jet said in a confused tone.

  Dr. Gruber looked at Jet and said nothing for a long moment.

  “The world as you knew it has changed,” he said. “It’s been twenty-three days since you were brought to my estate. You are safe here. My men have secured the perimeter, and we have enough food for at least a year—more if we relocate to the bunker below the house. I think we have food that will sustain five people for ten years, perhaps more if we ration.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “She doesn’t know, dear,” an older woman said as she entered. “You get so wrapped up in the moment that you can’t see what is in front of you.”

  The old woman had long white hair pulled back and tied up. She looked like an old woman from a fairy-tale.

  “Who are you people?” Jet demanded.

  “Shhh, you will wake the little one,” the old woman admonished.

  Jet followed the older woman’s gaze. April was resting on a bed across the room.

  “Hans didn’t know how to operate on the machine girl, so we left her. I’m Gretta, and this is my husband, Hans. He saved your life.”

  “How did I get here?”

  “An ally of Nigel Watson,” Gretta said.

  “Nigel? Where is he? Here?”

  “No, dear, he is with the Black Heart. They went into the city to rescue his father—”

  “That’s when it happened,” Dr. Gruber said.

  “What happened?” Jet asked. She gave the older couple an impatient glance.

  “It started with a massive cyberattack that crippled most of world’s critical infrastructure,” Dr. Gruber began. “As soon as new computers were brought online, they would get infected. According to the news channels, the best defenders and hackers couldn’t stop the multiple waves of attacks. An expert said something about an unprecedented amount of zero-days were unleashed on the world, which infected hospital equipment, crashed financial systems, and virtually stopped all commerce.”

  “How did this happen?”

  “First, a secret government building was attacked. Commandos and hackers invaded and infected the facility. Every machine burned. The virus was launched there. Days later, a nuclear facility in the Ohio Valley melted down to its core. By the time cleanup crews were dispatched, it was too late. An area of at least thirty miles will be uninhabitable for hundreds of years. Teams are still trying to clean up the mess.”

  “Didn’t anyone try to stop this madness?”

  “Teams of people are still trying, but a war broke out on American soil, if you can believe it. Large cities have turned into battlegrounds. The national guard has been deployed, and the riots have slowed. It got scary for a long time. You’re lucky you missed most of that.”

  Jet tried sitting upright; she ached everywhere, but her lower back hurt the most. It was like someone had taken a club to her back and pounded.

  “I . . . can’t feel my legs,” Jet said.

  The older woman gave her a pained look and placed a hand on her shoulder.

  “I’m sorry—I did the best I could,” Dr. Gruber said as he rubbed his eyes.

  Jet flung the covers off of her. She was thrashing about, trying to make her legs obey her commands. Her eyes filled with tears.

  “Tell me this is temporary?” she cried.

  “I don’t have the equipment to confirm, but I believe you have permanent spinal damage resulting from a knife wound,” Dr. Gruber explained sadly. The blade was serrated, which causes additional tissue damage. I wish I could take you to the hospital, but it is not safe.”

  “Why isn’t it safe? What are you not telling me?”

  “I used to work at the local hospital—I have friends there. When my many calls for an ambulance failed, I called one of them. The computer virus infected all the local hospital’s computers. Machines like the MRI scanners—which are needed to properly diagnose your condition—work, but the computers required to operate them have been infected.”

  The light in the room went out, and her IV machine started beeping.

  “That dammed generator,” Doctor Gruber said as he walked toward the door.

  �
�Don’t go out there. Have one of the men check the gasoline levels,” Gretta said.

  Hans waved a hand over his head as he walked out of the room.

  “I’m good with computers. I bet I could fix that hospital’s computer,” Jet said.

  “I bet you could, dear, but you are in no condition to do that.”

  “Can you contact Nigel for me?”

  “Cell phone communications have been spotty these past few days. The emergency instructions on the radio said we shouldn’t use it. The phone company has set up portable cell towers for families to reach loved ones. We can only use them once a day, but now is not the time.”

  “Jet?” April asked in a sleepy voice.

  “April, come here!” Jet yelled.

  The young cyborg ran past the old woman and gave Jet a hug.

  “What have you been doing since I’ve been resting here?” Jet said.

  “I’ve been so tired since I woke up. I don’t remember much,” April said.

  Suddenly, gunshots rang throughout the estate.

  “Nooo! They are trying again,” Gretta said.

  “Trying what?” Jet asked with panic.

  “Get down, and don’t move.”

  April froze. “No—she’s coming, Jet, I’m scared.”

  “There’s no reason to be—”

  Before Jet could finish her sentence, a robot crouched its head as it ducked under the archway leading into the bedroom. The bedroom had high ceilings, and the robot barely fit. Light from the fading light of the late afternoon reflected off its shiny metal frame.

  “Hello, Jet,” the robot said.

  The old woman was crouched on the floor with her hands over her head. Jet noticed April did the same.

  “Gretta, how many times have I told you? I mean you no harm. Especially since you have looked after my friends these past weeks,” the robot said.

  This is too creepy—why does the robot think it knows me? But there’s something about this robot that is familiar.

  “Who are you—err, who programmed you?” Jet said.

  I feel dumb questioning a robot.

  Jet couldn’t tell for sure, since it didn’t have a human face, but the robot seemed to be gloating.