by Doug Felton
“What do you think they’re like?” Holloway asked.
“A lot like us,” Elliot said. “Normal people with long lives.”
That was the closest Elliot had come to lying about her condition. Raisa hadn’t confronted her after what she’d seen, and Elliot hadn’t volunteered anything. But she was not just like them, and it was dishonest to suggest she was.
“But maybe a lot of them are special, like Zeke and Hudson Phoenix,” Holloway said. “Maybe we’re the minority.”
Elliot shrugged and looked out the window as if she were uninterested in continuing the conversation.
“There are at least nineteen others like him,” Raisa said. She had let them in on Zeke’s secret shortly after they had taken off, deciding that she would disclose as much as she could.
“What makes them different?” Ekua asked. “Did they get some mutant form of the virus or what?”
“I don’t know,” Raisa said. “But if I had to guess, I’d say it’s drug-induced. His father is the CEO of Wellington Pharmaceuticals.”
Something like surprise passed quickly over Elliot’s face and then vanished. Her eyes met Raisa’s, and Raisa held her gaze. “What do you think, Lieutenant?”
Elliot shrugged and looked out the window again. Why are you keeping your secret from me? Raisa thought.
The plane got quiet, and Raisa’s thoughts turned to her conversation with Father Aasir. She’d wanted an answer from him, but in typical fashion, he raised more questions than he answered.
“Who are you without the crown?” he asked.
Raisa was still grappling with the thought that someone might want to dethrone her. “I’m nobody,” she said.
“Are you?”
“You’re the one who convinced me to become queen. Were you wrong?”
Father Aasir’s kind face glowed with warmth as he spoke. “I encouraged you to take the steps laid out before you. I never suggested where they might lead. God rarely gives us the destination when He shows us a path.”
Raisa had never considered that she wouldn’t live out her life as a queen. Aasir’s suggestion that she might not disturbed her; she’d given up so much.
“Who are you without the crown?” He asked again.
Raisa thought this time before answering. Who was she? When she lost everything else, there was only one constant in her life. “Alexander.”
The old priest smiled. “Yes. You and Alexander have become one, so whatever else you might do, you are always one half of a whole.”
“It doesn’t feel like we are one, lately.”
“Hmm. Oneness is about unity, not always agreement. And just so you know, feelings aren’t always the best measure of reality.”
Raisa sighed. “You still haven’t told me what I should do.”
“No. But hopefully, I’ve told you something more important.”
Raisa didn’t doubt that, but she didn’t know how to bridge the gulf that had opened up between her and Alexander, especially with so many decisions taking her time and energy. If it was just a policy dispute, they’d have it out in fiery debate and be done with it. Raisa enjoyed having one of those from time to time; it kept her sharp. And when it was only her and Alexander dueling, the passion sometimes found expression in other ways.
But this was different. This was personal. A disquieting undercurrent of something more felt than said flowed between them. The thought that their marriage might be in trouble brought a sting of moisture to Raisa’s eyes. She was glad that at least Alexander had insisted on being a part of her security detail for the trip. No one knew what might happen when she got to Raven Rock, but whatever it was, it wouldn’t feel right without him. Maybe they’d get a chance to have a real talk before long. One half of the whole to the other.
The plane began to descend toward a small airfield close to the facility. From there, Jimbo had arranged for ground transportation. The airships with other members of Raisa’s entourage would land at the site. Alexander was with a team that would set down away from the mountain complex and create a hidden perimeter in the woods that surrounded it. He chose the men and women who’d join him. Nothing but the best.
On the ground, Raisa’s fellow passengers expressed relief at getting out of the cramped cabin of the plane until they saw the transport waiting for them. It wasn’t the usual New World vehicle in which they’d grown accustomed to traveling. This one had a rusted body and faded paint.
Raisa didn’t notice the vehicle as much as the driver, who was leaning against the car with his arms crossed.
He tilted his head in a half-bow as he spoke. “Good to see you again, Your Serene Highness. I guess your boyfriend’s not joining us today.”
Raisa never knew the man’s name, but she couldn’t forget his face. He had driven her and Alexander to Father Aasir’s church when Creighton Ashwill had been searching for her. Raisa hugged him. “You saved my life,” she said. “I never had a chance to thank you.”
“No thanks necessary. Jimbo compensated me handsomely.”
Raisa smiled, remembering the man’s initial reluctance. “I told you he would.”
Seeing the man again had a nostalgic effect on her. It reminded her of days, not too long ago, when she and Alexander were on the run together, falling in love. They made decisions in the heat of the moment as they faced each new threat; there was no staff or counsel to consult. They hid in cabins and churches, trying to stay alive and figure out what was next. Raisa had even killed a man protecting Alexander. They were difficult days, but they were real. More real than ruling a nation from an ivory palace.
“Are the windows bulletproof?” she asked, pointing at the car.
“No,” the man said.
“Good. Let’s ride with them down.”
A large red and white communication tower was the first visible structure Raisa could see as they neared the Raven Rock complex. It was set atop the mountain that concealed the bunker and was visible for miles. As they got closer, Raisa could see a second tower that seemed to be an antenna from the looks of it. The first visible security came at a perimeter gate still two miles from the complex.
A New World soldier stepped up to the car as it slowed. He bent over and peered in at them. “This site is off-limits,” he said.
Raisa was sitting in the middle row of seats, next to the window. She put her arm over the edge and leaned out. “Excuse me, Lieutenant. I think you’re expecting me.”
He considered her with a dumbfounded look on his face. Raisa hadn’t taken into account what the wind must have done to her hair. That, combined with the rust bucket of a vehicle they were in, didn’t exactly scream royalty.
“Is this a joke . . . or a test?” he stammered.
Jimbo leaned across the driver to speak. “No joke, dude. You were expecting the queen, weren’t you? Well, here she is.”
“Yes, but . . .”
Before the guard could finish his thought, a military transport sped up to the gate and stopped abruptly. The passenger door swung open, and Alexander stepped out, approaching the guard. He was wearing his battle uniform and looked much more official than Jimbo’s motley crew. “Soldier, do you know who I am?”
“Yes, sir,” he said, rising to attention.
“This is my wife, Queen Raisa. You need to let her in.”
“Yes, sir. I just wasn’t expecting her to arrive like this.”
“That’s the point,” Alexander said.
“Do you have the code word, sir?” the soldier asked. As a matter of protocol, they issued a code word during emergencies for high-level guests to make sure they were not entering under duress.
Alexander gave the word, looked at Jimbo, and said, “Thank you,” and then got back into the transport, and left.
It disappointed Raisa that Alexander didn’t acknowledge her, but it comforted her to know he was watching from somewhere in the woods, waiting for her to arrive. Nothing would approach Raven Rock that Alexander and his team wouldn’t know about and d
eal with. It was the threat from within that she worried about most, but Raisa knew she wouldn’t be there long.
The road past the first gate took them on a winding path up the slope of the mountain. Raisa felt more as if she were going to a national park than a secure bunker. The trees lining the side of the mountain provided a picturesque scene, but she knew that just beneath those trees was a small city populated by ten thousand people she longed to meet. Her body tingled with nervous energy. At long last, she’d come face to face with the rest of her kind.
The comm in her ear came to life; it was Captain Deeson. “We are not being granted access to the facility,” he said. “I repeat. We do not have clearance to land at Raven Rock.”
Alexander’s voice came next. “Explain.”
“On approach, they informed us we weren’t authorized to land. The comm officer said it was instructions from Tom Cruise. He said there’d be consequences if we do.”
Alexander cursed and said, “Why don’t we just give this guy a crown and call him king!” Raisa could hear him bringing his anger under control in his next sentence. “We need to abort.”
“Agreed,” Song’s voice came next.
“I agree,” said the Secretary of Internal Affairs, who was monitoring the situation from the Pentagon. “We can’t allow this to turn into a fiasco, or something worse.”
“You heard it, Jimbo,” Alexander said. “You need to get her back to the Palace.”
“No,” Raisa said. “If he wanted me dead, he had the chance in Pittsburgh. I’m going to Raven Rock.”
Raisa’s neural comm link alerted her to a video message. She activated it, and the smiling face of Tom Cruise came into her view.
“Good choice, Your Majesty,” the smiling actor said. “I think we can work together, after all.”
Raisa sent the video to the group with her neural link and said, “How does he have access to our comms?”
“All the more reason to abort,” Alexander said.
“No,” Raisa insisted, aware that everything she said was being heard by her adversary, whoever he was. “We let this play out, for now, the way Hadassah would.” Raisa was sure no one but Alexander would understand the obscure reference to the ancient queen who risked her life to save her people.
“For now,” Alexander said.
The road up the mountain took them past a fire station for the site and an administrative building before coming to a large tunnel cut into the side of the mountain. It was big enough for two-way traffic. A man with a military-style rifle stood at the entrance and indicated that their destination was still further. He was young and, despite possessing a rifle, wore no uniform. Jimbo looked at the driver, and the two exchanged worried expressions. Five hundred feet farther and they came to a second tunnel, this one smaller. Zeke stood outside at the tunnel’s entrance. Two more men, also with rifles and without uniforms, stood on either side of him. There was not a New World soldier in sight.
Chapter Thirteen
No one got out of the car. Jimbo lifted the edge of his shirt and removed the gun he had tucked into his waistband. Zeke, absent his charming smile, stood motionless.
“What’s going on?” Ekua asked.
Jimbo didn’t take his eyes off of the men standing in front of the car as he spoke. “That’s what I’d like to know. I expected a more official greeting, not that this isn’t a boatload of fun.”
“Reminds me of El Salvador,” the driver said. Both men laughed.
“Yeah, that was a mess,” Jimbo said. “I’m sure this will work out a whole lot better.”
“He can’t see me,” Raisa said. “That’s why he’s not approaching.”
“Where are the soldiers?” Ekua asked.
“I don’t know, but we can’t sit here all day.” Raisa opened her door and eased herself out of the car, even as Jimbo objected.
When Zeke saw her, his expression softened, although it still wasn’t his usual easy-going countenance. “I’m glad to see you,” he said. “Looks like your chariot turned into a pumpkin, and it’s not even midnight.” Zeke closed the distance between them.
“Where are the guards?” Raisa asked, still standing behind the open door.
“They’re inside. Safe.”
“Don’t give me short answers, Zeke, this is not a game. I need to know what’s going on here.”
Zeke nodded apologetically. “The guards are in lockup, but only because Tom Cruise told us to do it. He threatened our families if we didn’t. Same if we try to leave.”
“He’s contacted you?”
“Yes. Prerecorded video, like before.”
“Why would he do that? I mean, what’s the point.”
Zeke shrugged. “Without knowing what he’s after, I can only guess. But the way I see it, he’s just eliminated a bunch of soldiers who were taking orders from you. It might help him sleep better at night, knowing they are out of the picture.”
“So you what, just asked them for their guns?” Raisa asked.
“Not exactly,” Zeke said. He looked at Jimbo through the windshield and then back at the two men standing behind him.
One of the men handed off his rifle and then, without warning, leaped into the air and landed on the roof of the vehicle. Before anyone could react, he reached through the open window and snatched Jimbo’s gun from his hand, tossing it to Zeke.
“We didn’t need to ask them,” Zeke said, handing the gun to Raisa.
“What just happened?” Jimbo asked.
Raisa ignored him. “So, you took their guns and locked them up.”
“I did what I was told, just like you.”
Raisa waved the others out of the car.
Zeke motioned toward the tunnel and said, “If you want them to trust you, you’re going to need to trust me.”
Raisa took in a deep breath. “What’s it like in there?”
“Crowded. Tense. But calm at the moment. I’ve spent the last couple of days telling them you’re not the problem. It’s a hard sell. Most of them are angry about how this has gone down, and they blame you.”
“Any tips?” Raisa asked, looking into the foreboding tunnel.
“I’d stay close,” Zeke said, flashing his signature smile. “They like me.”
Even though the tunnel was big enough to drive a truck through, claustrophobia danced around the edges of her mind, threatening to take over. Or maybe it wasn’t the space making her feel that way. Maybe it was walking into the unknown. After giving Jimbo his gun back, Raisa and her team followed Zeke out of the sunshine and into the artificially lit world of Raven Rock. And even though she was sure it wasn’t true, it seemed the deeper they went, the narrower the tunnel grew. Raisa didn’t see another soul for a long time as the underground roadway stretched out in front of them. A sign marked another, darker tunnel on her right. It said, “Industrial Reservoir.” The smell of water touched the air as they passed.
Raisa had been briefed on the layout of the Raven Rock before coming. She knew that just past the industrial reservoir, she should see the west power plant and then the main part of the facility, where the Ten Thousand were housed. Raisa’s heart began to race. The moment she had been waiting for was here, but it was nothing like she’d hoped or imagined. If Alexander had been with her, she would have taken his hand, letting the touch of his skin send a soothing warmth through her body, but that wasn’t an option. She was on her own. How much more would she be on her own, even if she and Alexander patched up their marriage? The best Raisa could hope for was a good marriage that lasted sixty or seventy years if they were lucky, and then he’d die, and she would live for centuries without him. So maybe it was for the best that she learned to love him without growing to need him in her life as queen. Was that even possible? That was a question for another day.
On Raisa’s left, another tunnel stretched off into the darkness. She expected it to be there from the schematics she’d studied but seeing it was a relief. Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be seeing you soon, she thoug
ht. The body language of her team told Raisa they were relieved to see it too.
On her right, the entrance to the main facility looked like the front of a convention center, a long line of glass double doors. What she could see behind the doors reminded her of the Pentagon with a series of connecting hallways leading to different wings. They were actually five interconnected buildings, each with three floors.
Zeke opened a door for Raisa and followed her through. An enormous lobby stretched out to her left. The five main buildings of the facility intersected with the lobby at even intervals. But what stopped Raisa in her stride were the people, maybe two thousand of them, crowding in, watching her. Their faces were still a mixture of curiosity, concern, and resentment.
The site of them was overwhelming. Tears puddled in Raisa’s eyes. Thousands of two-dimensional profiles she’d been looking at for months now stood in front of her as living, breathing human beings. She wanted to reach out and touch them, to tell them how sorry she was for everything they’d been through. But the words stayed locked in her heart.
Zeke said, “I’ve had the presidential suite reserved for you.”
Raisa didn’t want the presidential suite. She wanted to be with the Ten Thousand, getting to know them, letting them get to know her. Not locked away in an underground version of an ivory tower. But, outside of the presidential suite, Raven Rock offered no private quarters. It was more of a massive office complex with thousands of government-issued air mattresses for temporary residents to use. Raisa wanted to be with the people, but she had to follow the plan, so she took Zeke up on his offer.
She let her eyes drift back to the faces surrounding her. As she did, her gaze fixed on one woman who was smiling, a bright light in a sea of cautious expressions. Raisa took a step toward her and said, “What’s your name?”
“Jolene,” she said, still smiling.
“What do you do, Jolene, I mean, when you’re not locked in a bunker?”
