by Jeff Olah
At the rear door, Shannon and Frank sat in chairs they’d pulled from the lobby. They reclined with the use of a single footstool and smiled as Ethan and Griffin made their way back across the rear lawn.
Before reaching for the door handle, Ethan narrowed his eyes at Shannon. She held her hands out at her side and shrugged her shoulders. Playful was never a word he’d used to describe her before eight days ago, but since the world went to hell, she’d changed. They all had, but her new attitude seemed more in line with how she really was. He didn’t have one idea about who she was while they worked together, and now he was thinking that was a good thing.
Turning to Griffin, Ethan said, “Whatta ya wanna bet she unlocks it and when I try for the handle she relocks it?”
“You guys gonna make it official?”
“Make it official?”
“Hey man, you know better than anyone that time has no meaning anymore. You like her, she’s obviously into you. Why not make it, you know… official?”
Shaking his head, Ethan turned back to the door and looked through the glass, first at Frank and then at Shannon. He smiled and motioned toward the lock.
She curled her nose, reached for the deadbolt, and unlocked it, but stayed leaning forward.
Glaring up at Griffin, Ethan wrapped his hand around the stainless steel handle and pulled back. To his surprise, the door opened and his unexpected momentum pushed him back onto his heels.
“Really?” Shannon asked. “Didn’t you know I could read lips?”
Moving back and allowing Griffin in first, Ethan took one last look out over the courtyard and then stepped inside. He leaned over the chair that Shannon again reclined in, and resting his hands on her shoulders, kissed her on the head.
“Oh yeah, then you must have known I was going to do that.”
Shannon’s face turned a dark shade of pink, and as Ethan and Griffin strode away, she turned to Frank and smiled. Frank returned the gesture and in responding to their previous conversation said, “Yeah, I think that boy may just feel the same way about you.”
Into the lobby, the group once again sat around the stone fireplace. Ethan had moved his chair so that he had a vantage of the front and rear doors, while still facing the others. Ben sat with Carly and as she re-dressed his injury, he forced a grin, attempting to show the others that he was immune to the pain.
Griffin reclined on the larger sofa alongside Frank, although the pair had yet to utter a single word to one another. Frank had been with the group for less than three days; however, he’d quickly picked up on the group’s dynamic, as well as the special bond Cora and Griffin shared. There was a part of him that felt responsible for what happened out on that street the night before. He just didn’t know how to say the words the others needed to hear.
Helen and Shannon sat together opposite Ethan, both fighting to remain awake. Helen leaned into Shannon, yawned, and pulled her jacket snug around her torso. The temperature had ticked up a few degrees since they’d left Colorado, but not enough to make a noticeable difference.
As the others settled in, Ethan sat back in his chair eating a small bag of peanuts he’d found upon inspecting the kitchen’s pantry. He fished out a few, tossed them into his mouth, and finally turned his attention to his friends.
“So, part of the reason I pulled off the road when I saw this small town was that I figured that I needed to get some rest. And at this point, I think it would do us all a bit of good to slow down and figure out how to move forward.”
The others nodded, but no one spoke.
“We’ve all been through too much over the last week and although there’s no way that we’ll ever get back all that we’ve lost, we don’t have any choice but to keep going, to keep moving forward and supporting one another.
“I agree,” Frank said. “But there’s something you aren’t telling us. Something about this place just isn’t right. Where on earth is everyone? They didn’t just disappear.”
“You’re right, but we just don’t know. Driving in, Ben and I searched most every street and there wasn’t a single sign that anyone was here. It doesn’t make any sense, but I guess it’s better than the alternative.”
“Which is?”
Ethan didn’t answer and Frank immediately felt guilty even asking the insensitive question. “Ethan… man I’m sorry, that was—”
“Frank, don’t give it a second thought. We’re all a bit punchy, and like I said, I know we all need a break, including you. I don’t have any answers at this point, but as long as we keep our eyes open and don’t take any chances, we’ll be okay.”
Griffin sat up in his seat. “We’ll take turns sleeping tonight. It should be dark soon so we may want to decide how we’re going to do this. Maybe bring some mattresses out here and lay them on the floor. Should be good enough. I’ll take the first shift watching the doors.”
Carly turned away from Ben, only really catching the last few seconds of what Griffin had said. “I don’t think so. You need sleep, probably more than any of us.”
“I’m good for now, I slept better in that SUV than I have in a long time.”
“Griff’s right,” Ethan said. “We should all stay together in one room. Let’s get the mattresses out here before it gets too dark to see anything. Tomorrow we can figure out what comes next.”
As the sun escaped the day, they ate what they could find in the pantry. Potato chips, peanut butter, chocolate chip cookies, a bag of English muffins that were two days from expiring, and three green apples. It wasn’t much, but it was more than they’d had in days. After devouring the late evening snack, the group traded stories from before the world went to hell, laughed a bit, and then one by one, drifted off.
While dragging the surprisingly comfortable queen and king sized mattresses out into the lobby and pushing aside the sofas and chairs, the debate for who needed the least amount of sleep continued.
With a convincing argument that included a detailed description about how his age factored into the equation, Frank came out on top. He now sat in the same position that Ethan had earlier in the day, swinging his gaze between the front and rear doors.
Having retrieved the Glock from the black duffel, as well as a small handheld LED flashlight, Frank sat alone in the dark. Through the overwhelming silence, he kept his mind busy replaying everything that had taken place since they’d arrived in Green Valley. He’d sensed the change in Ethan and Griffin even before they’d taken the extended trip along East Main, and now he only regretted not asking what it was.
After what seemed like an eternity, and with his lids growing heavier by the minute, Frank decided to take a quick trip around the building. He quietly moved around the reception desk and stood at the entrance to what appeared to be the manager’s office. Only using the flashlight when absolutely necessary, he pushed the door open and swept the beam of illumination from left to right.
“Janet Hycomb.” He said the name under his breath as he stopped to wonder what had happened to the woman who at best guess occupied this room less than two weeks before. The name plate sitting on her desk didn’t give him any indication as to who she was; it only brought up more questions. The thought that she may no longer be a part of this world saddened him. He didn’t know her and had no reason to feel the way he did, but something inside told him he should.
Backing away, he moved through the café, into the kitchen, and stood in the spotless food prep area. He counted the stainless pots hanging overhead, ran his hand over the wooden cutting boards and for kicks, flipped the light switch on and off.
Exactly what had happened the first half dozen times he tried… and in every single room he entered. Not an ounce of power flowed anywhere within the building. It didn’t bother him and although the sounds of the night gave him the feeling that he wasn’t the only one awake, he knew better.
Back out into the hall, Frank nearly tripped as he stepped from the tile to the carpeting. Something had snagged his right shoe. Pausing, he look
ed down and could see that his shoe had become untied. Slowly kneeling, he braced himself on the chair Shannon had left at the rear door, and laid the Glock and the flashlight on the seat.
Quickly retying his shoe, Frank pushed off the arms of the chair and stood. As he reached for the Glock, a flash of light ricocheted off the wall opposite him. He tucked the weapon into his waistband and reached for the flashlight to turn it off… only it wasn’t on.
Following the focused beam of light back to its source, his eyes rested on a figure standing out on the patio six feet away, only a thin pane of glass separating the two. A bearded man holding a flashlight and carrying a rifle over his shoulder stared back at Frank and narrowed his eyes. Frank assumed that this was somehow related to the change in his friends, although at the moment, he had only one thought.
Stepping back, Frank reached into his waistband, pulled out the Glock, and leveled it at the stranger. But the bearded man didn’t react. He didn’t run and he didn’t reach for his rifle. He instead continued to study Frank for a brief moment, and then slowly switched off his flashlight and backed into the darkness.
120
The cabin was virtually the same; however, the feeling of despair that clouded the interior had suppressed all communication. The only dialogue that remained was Goodwin’s brief questioning of Nicholas as they were on final approach into Los Angeles. His brutal sacrifice of Walter would not soon be forgotten, not by anyone aboard the G280. And Dalton now realized that Goodwin wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
Seated again at the window, this time with his back to Goodwin’s chair, Dalton avoided eye contact with not only Goodwin, but with everyone else. The time to recount what exactly had taken place and how they had gotten to this point would have to wait for another day, or not at all. He would now do what he needed to do to survive, but the first opportunity that presented itself, he would leave. He didn’t know how and he didn’t know to where, but at the moment, that was the least of his worries.
As Goodwin reappeared from the cockpit, he strode back to his seat with the same self-assured confidence that he possessed even before murdering one of his own in cold blood. He’d attempt to justify the action to himself and to the other men as something that was inevitable. Something without which every other man aboard would also have perished. He would then try to convince Dalton of the same; however, this was one time when Dalton wasn’t going to break.
Moving back to his chair, Goodwin slid down into the buttery leather, and reached for a small tablet-sized device sitting atop the ledge near his right arm. He fumbled with turning it on and then tossed it into Dalton’s lap. He stared at Dalton for a brief second, shook his head, and then without hesitation, turned to the two men seated across from him.
“Anton, once we arrive back at headquarters, you and Travis will take the Range Rover, gather up what you need, and head to the foothills behind Blackmore. This shouldn’t take more than a few days. Most everything we’ll need is at or near our building.”
Without turning, Goodwin motioned toward Dalton. “Once he gets us access to the main building, we’ll send a team to extract Richard Daniels. You are not to touch the man, only hold him until I arrive.”
For the first time in the last hour, someone other than Goodwin spoke. “Just so I’m clear,” Anton said, "why is it that you need Daniels? Why not just move in and eliminate anyone who’s unwilling to vacate? I’m sure we won’t have any trouble getting them—”
“I have a long history with Daniels. I’ll just say that we were partners and leave it at that. And he’s got information that I need. Information that is going to be crucial to how we move forward as—”
Dalton had heard enough. “Mr. Goodwin, we don’t need Daniels. He doesn’t know anything. We’ve had him under surveillance for months. Not once has he given us any indication that he knows where the doctor is.”
Goodwin grinned. “Oh, you’re awake. Good, I need you to make sure we have access to Blackmore. I don’t want to show up to the party in a few days with our pants down. And yes, Daniels does know something.”
Anton looked from Goodwin to Dalton and then back to Goodwin. “Uh… what?”
“Dr. Eugene Lockwood.” Goodwin took a drink of water and cleared his throat. “He’s the chemist that created what we now call Project Ares, back before it even had a name. He left after a small disagreement and never returned. There were reports of his death and also reports that he just went into hiding.”
“And?”
“And,” Goodwin said, “we have information that says he may still be alive. If that’s even a remote possibility, we have to take it seriously. We have to follow this to where it ends. Lockwood is the key to turning this thing around. We find him, and we own the entire world.”
“How?”
“He’ll put together a vaccine. He did it once, in the early stages of Ares, and he’ll do it again. We get that vaccine and we’ll own all of humanity.”
“And you’re sure this guy’s actually still around?”
“Not specifically; however, I am willing to do whatever it takes to find out.”
This was a discussion he’d had more times than he cared to think about. Dalton had spent countless hours sitting across from Goodwin, listening to one theory after another. One week, there was definitive proof that Dr. Eugene Lockwood was still alive and all that was missing was an exact location. A few days later, Dalton would be summoned to the main conference room where Goodwin would once again deny his own hypothesis.
With the amount of time Goodwin wasted debating himself on the whereabouts of Dr. Lockwood, he could have had his current team build a new and more stable version of the injectable. Although Dalton knew this was less about what was in the best interest of Project Ares, and more about Goodwin’s insatiable desire to have complete control over things that were simply out of his reach.
As Anton continued to question Goodwin, Dalton had grown bored of the conversation. He turned back to the window and watched as Los Angeles came into view. They’d be back on the ground within minutes and he just prayed that things here would be much smoother than either Colorado or Vegas.
Sliding toward the small square table to his left, Dalton attempted to put the former day’s events out of his mind. However, glancing down at his bare, bloodied feet, the images came rushing back. From the fruitless trip to Colorado, the failed landing in Vegas, and finally Goodwin’s act of indescribable violence against one of his own.
Reaching for the tablet Goodwin had tossed to him, similar to the one he’d left on the destroyed G280, Dalton powered it on and waited as the home screen came to life. Hovering over the icon for the home office of BXF Technologies, he rolled his neck from one side to the other and said under his breath, “I almost hope this doesn’t work.”
Pausing his conversation with Anton, Goodwin held up his hand, and motioned toward Dalton. “Yes?”
“It’s nothing. I just—”
“Mr. Dalton, was there something you needed to share with the rest of us?”
Dalton shook his head and feigned interest in the device he stared at. “Just running through the afterhours protocols for the building. It looks like the others have arrived. They’ve already secured the lobby and the street outside the parking garage.”
“Good, are you also able to get back the video feed from Burbank?”
“Yes, it looks like the airport is still mostly clear; no worse than it was two days ago anyway. We should have a pretty uneventful trip back to the office.”
“Okay, with regards to Blackmore, what have you been able to find out?”
“Nothing as of yet. Attempting to back into the system may set off a few warning signals, that is, if they know what to look for. And, I would assume now that everyone in that facility is on high alert, we may need to wait until we’re on top of them to root into the system.”
“What’s our exposure if we wait?”
“Not a single thing. I can have the doors open and
take control of every building at that facility within ten seconds.” And turning to face Anton, he said, “If you guys get to the doors before I have them open, then you can have my job.”
Anton laughed. “Don’t want your job, it’s just not—”
The intercom above sent a short burst of static before Nicholas’s voice came through. The lone pilot sounded defeated and spoke without a single hint of confidence. “Three minutes to touch down. No traffic on the runway and it looks like we have a straight shot to the hangar. I’ll have the door open and the stairs down.”
As the overhead speaker went silent, Goodwin leaned forward in his chair and looked around the cabin. “We should reach the offices sometime after midnight. So get cleaned up and get some rest. The next four or five days aren’t going to be fun… or easy.”
121
Frank had moved back into the café and stayed hidden under the cover of darkness for the last several minutes. He stood in the entrance to the kitchen and continued to focus on the glass double doors at the rear of the building. Gripped tight to the weapon in his right hand, he debated going back to the lobby and waking Ethan. He’d be leaving the rear unattended, although at this point the bearded man could be anywhere.
With his left shoulder against the café wall, Frank made his way past the kitchen and strode quickly into the opposite hall. Continuing to focus on the doors, he walked slowly backward toward the lobby. As his view of the patio faded and without a single sign that the mystery man had returned, he jogged back to the last mattress on the right.
“Ethan… hey, I need you to wake up.”
Ethan moved onto his right side and pulled the down comforter up around his neck.
Frank increased the volume in his voice and placed his mouth only a few inches from his friend’s face. “Ethan, wake up.”
Breathing out hard, Ethan snorted.
