Forever Until Tomorrow (War Eternal Book 5) Page 6

  As for getting to New York? If he couldn't steal money, he would have to be a little more creative. Maybe people weren't being robbed out on the street, but if the money were digital, the crime would be too.

  He slid over to the left side of the car, preparing to jump out and take them by surprise. He would only have a few seconds.

  The officers neared.

  "Sir?" the female officer said. "Can you please step out of the car?"

  Reggie didn't come out. He sat with his eyes forward. Let them think he was confused.

  "Sir?"

  He could hear her moving a little closer. He could see her in the reflection of the glass. Just a few more steps.

  "Sir. Are you feeling okay?"

  He didn't respond.

  "Sir?" this voice came from the right side. A head leaned down into the car. He hadn't been able to watch both sides at once. He had expected they would come at the same time, not staggered.

  A hand landed on his wrist. The female officer attached something to it before he could react. He yanked his arm away, then regathered himself to fight his way out of the car.

  The car started to move, accelerating quickly. The motion pushed Reggie back in the seat and caught the officers in-between. The one on the right was hit hard in the back as the motion slammed the door on him, and then he fell away. The female officer on the left scampered back before it could hit her.

  "What the hell?" Reggie said out loud. The automated car swung hard around a corner, throwing him against the now closed door. It continued to speed away.

  "Not very impressive, Reggie," the car's voice said. "You made it what, all of two blocks before getting into trouble you couldn't get out of?"

  Reggie managed to sit up. He watched the car maneuver around the other traffic.

  "Who are you?" he said.

  "I think the more important question here is who are you?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "I'm looking for someone. Someone who's been hiding for a long time. A very long time. Is it you?"

  "I still don't know what you mean."

  The voice sighed. "I've been watching since I realized what happened. It was smart. Very smart. Except I'm smarter. They should have known that. I've been monitoring everything, searching. Waiting for someone who fit the profile. Someone to do something out of the ordinary. Something unexpected and out of place. I will admit, I didn't expect you to assault someone in broad daylight. I thought you were smarter than that, Mitchell. It was so far outside the parameters; I almost missed it."

  The name Mitchell resonated within him. It meant something, just like Katherine Asher did. What?

  "I still don't know what you're talking about. I don't know who you are, or how you're controlling this car."

  "Interesting. You aren't lying. What is your name?"

  "Reggie."

  "Your full name."

  "I don't know."

  "How old are you, Reggie?"

  "I don't know. The doctors said I'm around fifty, give or take."

  "Doctors? Based on where this vehicle picked you up, I'm guessing you were staying at St. Mary's? Ah. Here it is. Reggie. John Doe. Picked up twenty years ago, the night the XENO-1 crashed in Antarctica. Coincidence? Suffered heavy burns on the arms. Complete memory loss. An agreeable patient, very calm. Often claims to be waiting."

  The voice started to laugh. Slowly at first, and then more steadily.

  "Is something funny?" Reggie said.

  "You really have no idea, do you?" the voice said.

  "No. Should I?"

  "Does the name Watson mean anything to you?"

  Reggie felt his throat tighten, his muscles clench. Death. Destruction. Pain. He could feel it more acutely than he could see it.

  "I wish this car had eyes so that I could see the look on your face. I'm certain that it's priceless."

  Reggie didn't speak. Couldn't speak. Whoever was talking to him, they knew more than he did.

  "I can't believe after all of this time, a true eternity, that it was this easy."

  Reggie closed his eyes. He had to force himself to calm down. He didn't need to know everything right now. What he needed was to get out of the car.

  Slow.

  Steady.

  He took a few long breaths, opening his eyes and looking out the window. They were still making their way around the traffic, but the car was becoming more reckless, weaving around the other vehicles while it accelerated.

  Get out of the car. That was his only mission. He leaned over and tried the door. It was locked.

  "Going somewhere?" the voice said. "We don't think so. The only place you're going is the bottom of the river. She thought we wouldn't find you."

  Who? He didn't ask. He leaned back on the rear seat, bringing his legs up and kicking at the window. It didn't break, but it did look like it shifted a little.

  "First you, and then her."

  Reggie bunched his legs and kicked again. This time, the frame bent, and a crack appeared between the window and the metal. He spared a glance out the forward window. The car had turned down a less-crowded street and was accelerating in a hurry. He could see dilapidated buildings on either side of them, and the water approaching ahead.

  He was running out of time.

  He kicked at the window again, and again, and again. The frame was bending, but slowly, too damn slowly. He cursed under his breath, continuing to kick.

  The voice had fallen silent, content in its assumption that he was going to die. He wasn't sure it was wrong. The road had vanished, replaced with grass leading to the bank of the river. He kicked again. It wasn't enough.

  The car started to shake, the changes in terrain overcoming internal stabilizers. Reggie glanced over again, just in time to see the solid ground vanish before the car launched off the edge of it.

  He slammed into the ceiling as the car shut down, the repulsors dying. It splashed hard into the water, sending up a spray around it as it started to sink without pause.

  Water began to stream in through the cracks Reggie had made, and he growled as he shifted on the seat again. If he continued kicking the window, it might allow the water in faster without dislodging enough for him to get out. If he did nothing, he was likely to drown.

  He looked at the floor, where the water was already an inch deep. He looked to the window. The car was already submerged. Then he looked at his wrist. The officer had hooked a stainless steel bracelet to it, and a flashing light was visible beneath the surface material.

  He glanced at the bent frame again. He had to make a decision.

  He sat back, closing his eyes. Mitchell. Watson. Someone else the voice had called 'she' and 'her.' He didn't understand what was going on, not yet, but he was sure of one thing.

  He definitely wasn't crazy.

  The water rose from his feet to his ankles, from his ankles to his knees. A minute passed. He didn't move, focusing on breathing lightly, to conserve the oxygen that was trapped in the car with him. It had touched down at the bottom, twenty feet below the surface, leaving him a murky view into nothing, like a reflection of his mind.

  Another minute passed. The water reached his chest. It was cold, and he started to shiver. Was he going to drown down here after all? Or would he freeze to death first? Had he misjudged the purpose of the bracelet? Overestimated the competence of the police?

  He didn't see them arrive. He didn't know they were there until something smacked into the rear window, jamming into it and quickly sending a web of cracks across the surface. Then two pairs of hands took hold of either side of the glass and tore it away. Water poured into the car, and Reggie held his breath while the divers grabbed his arms and pulled him up and out.

  13

  Katherine checked herself in the mirror, making sure her uniform was as crisp and perfect as she could get it. It wasn't every day that she was called to report to General Petrov himself.

  In fact, it wasn't any day. She had never met the head of the new UEA military b
efore, though he was certainly well known. He had commanded the Ukrainian forces in the Xeno War against a much larger Soviet contingent, managing to not only survive but to win. In fact, he had defeated them so soundly that when the Soviets decided to join the UEA instead of opposing it, they supported his nomination to the coveted position.

  Of course, she had a bad feeling about why she and Yousefi had been ordered to meet with him. Three days had passed since the attack on the hospital, and while the patches had done wonders to heal her wounds in record time, the whole ordeal had left UEA command shaken. If the AIT had managed to get inside military cordons to attack personnel, how could they be sure they weren't also able to sabotage the Dove?

  It had been one of the questions posed during the hours she had spent being interrogated by the MCI. She had told them everything she knew, including what Doctor Villanueva had said to her, all the while knowing that she was putting her place on the Dove in jeopardy once again. It wasn't as if she had a choice. Just seeing Michael's face after the second attack had been more than enough.

  He had been sent home, and she was thankful for that. Hopefully, he would be able to return to some kind of normal now that he had some distance from her.

  Someone knocked on the door to her temporary quarters.

  "Come in," she said, checking herself one last time.

  A pair of MPs entered ahead of General Petrov's aid. Security was tighter than ever.

  "Major Asher," he said, starting to salute before switching to a bow. "A car it waiting for you outside."

  "I'm ready to go," Katherine said, returning the bow. It was still awkward to her. "Thank you, Corporal."

  He led her out to the waiting car. She had grown up with wheels, so it still surprised her when she saw a vehicle mounted on repulsors instead. He opened the door for her, and she climbed in.

  "Major," Yousefi said, already in the back seat.

  "Admiral," she replied. "Should I be worried?"

  He shook his head. "I wish I could say no. They didn't tell me anything either."

  "Do you know what the meeting is about?"

  "Something to do with the AIT and the Dove," he replied. "But you probably already knew that."

  "Yes, sir."

  The door closed behind her. The aide climbed into the front of the vehicle while the MPs got into another car at the rear. It was a lot of protection considering they were only going across the base.

  "How is your side?" Yousefi asked.

  "It still stings a little when I move a certain way, but I would call these new patches a success."

  "I've always found it interesting that the scientists were able to pull organic advancement from a massive chunk of metal and wires."

  "You don't believe in the Frelmund Theory?" Katherine replied.

  "That the XENO-1 was sent by God?" He laughed. "No."

  "That's a common misconception about his ideas. He never said God sent the starship to us. His theory is that whoever made it, they were human. Or at least, close to human. Like we were both born of the same space stuff."

  "Is that a technical term? Space stuff?"

  "Are you making fun of me, sir?"

  "No, Major. Mmm. Maybe a little. For his theory to hold true, we would have to postulate that the planet they evolved on is also nearly identical to our own. I think there are two ways of looking at that."

  "Which are?"

  "One, Paul Frelmund is as batshit crazy as most of the more learned scholars think he is. Two, he's right, and that means we're going to find something out there. Personally, I think number two is much more exciting."

  "Me too," Katherine agreed. "Assuming we can ever get the Dove off the ground."

  "Yes. Unfortunately, a large assumption at the moment."

  "Have you heard anything?"

  "Nothing definitive. Some of the UEA delegates want to delay the launch until they can be sure the AIT is under control. Others want to push it up so that they don't have time to adjust whatever they might be planning."

  "Either way, we'd be giving them what they want."

  "Temporarily. It isn't our decision to make."

  "No, sir."

  They rode in silence for a few minutes before reaching the main administrative building on the base. Soldiers in chunky powered armor stood at attention in front of it, ready to shoot at anything that moved.

  Petrov's aid opened the door for them, and they exited the car and headed inside. Katherine had been in the building plenty of times before. The General probably hadn't.

  "Do you have any good advice, sir?" she asked.

  "For you? Be gracious, regardless of what he says."

  "Aren't I always gracious?"

  Yousefi laughed. "You wouldn't be piloting the Dove if you were."

  They reached an office at the corner of the building. Katherine knew it usually belonged to Admiral Johnson, but the three-star Admiral had been displaced by the five-star General.

  They entered the waiting area of the office, adorned with cherry wainscoting and navy blue paint. A lightly faded rug with the U.S. Navy's symbol in the center covered the floor, and photos of seafaring ships lined the walls. The base had been turned over for UEA use almost a year ago. It was budget restrictions that kept the prior interior in place. All of the UEA's money that didn't go to personnel was being funneled into equipment, and that included the Dove.

  Petrov's aid moved past them, heading to the heavy door leading into the main office. He raised his hand to knock at the same time it swung open, and General Petrov stepped out.

  If there was anyone in history who looked the part of a war hero, it was Petrov. Over six feet tall, with a strong frame and muscular build that belied his seventy years of age. A good head of white hair, a solid jaw with a round of stubble strewn across it. His uniform was snug on him, the lines of hardware impressively drowning the cloth on his left side.

  "Corporal, you're dismissed," he said, his accent smooth and handsome.

  "General Petrov," Yousefi said, bowing.

  "General," Katherine said, doing the same.

  "Admiral Yousefi and Major Asher. At ease, please." He waved his hand. "There's enough formality out there to drown a horse. In here, we can be comrades, eh?"

  "Of course, General," Yousefi said, relaxing his posture. Katherine continued to follow his lead.

  "Come, come. Let us sit. Admiral Johnson, he has a nice table. I heard it dates from before U.S. Civil War. Impressive, eh?"

  He retreated into the office. Yousefi and Katherine followed him. She had seen the table before. It was a beautiful piece. The chairs, on the other hand, were impossible to get comfortable in, but then again, that was the idea.

  Petrov lowered himself into one of the chairs. Yousefi sat on his left, with Katherine beside him.

  "Let's not beat any bushes, eh, comrades?" Petrov said. "The Anti-Interstellar militants are a problem for the UEA. A big problem. Their brand of terrorism has already claimed the lives of a number of high-ranking officials, and has whole countries on edge, wondering what their operational ceiling might be. I've wondered that myself, and what concerns me is that I don't know. They should never have been able to reach the party, and they should never have been able to run loose inside a hospital on this base. And yet they have. They seem to have intel that rivals our own, as well as the organizational leadership to run advanced operations with an unfortunately high rate of success."

  Katherine glanced at Yousefi. Petrov's words sure sounded like beating around the bush to her.

  "You didn't bring us here to tell us things we already know, sir," she said, already forgetting about being gracious.

  "No, of course not, Major. I tell you this to lay the groundwork. To give you background. The UEA, along with the governments of the world, have dedicated trillions of dollars to the design and construction of the Dove. Her flight into space is one of the most important things humankind has ever done. The costs in both finances and morale should she fail to make her scheduled
voyage is nearly beyond measure. The AIT knows this, and so they seek to disrupt her any way they can. Or so I believed."

  He leaned over, reaching under the chair. It was clear he had prepared for the meeting, and he dropped a green file onto the table in front of them.

  "What is this, sir?" Yousefi said.

  "This was delivered to an intelligence operative in Jakarta. It was received approximately one hour after the hospital was attacked. It is a letter from the head of the AIT."

  "Has it been verified?"

  "Of course, Admiral. Would I give it my attention if it weren't?"

  "My apologies, sir."

  "Go ahead, read it if you wish." He waved his hand over it. "I'll give you the summary." He looked Katherine directly in the eye. "The AIT wants Major Katherine Asher grounded permanently. In exchange, they have agreed to cease all other activity which may further hinder the launch of the Dove."

  14

  "What?"

  It was the only word that escaped her. The only thing she could think to say. Her mind became a sudden slush of emotion and logic, trying to make sense of the General's words.

  "I don't understand, sir," Yousefi said for her. "You're telling me these attacks have all been to keep Major Asher grounded? That's a lot of effort to go through to get rid of one person."

  "And a lot of collateral damage," Petrov said. "They killed a lot of dignitaries, a lot of people, and yet now all they ask for is to have one pilot taken off the launch, after failing to kill her on two separate occasions. I agree, it is strange."

  Katherine shook her head, recovering from her initial surprise. "You can't seriously be considering giving them what they want? They're terrorists."

  "I understand, Major. And no, it isn't our desire to give them anything they want. I do not believe that this is only about you, or they wouldn't have gone to the party and created such chaos. These were trained soldiers, and they could have killed you any time they wanted before that."

  "Comforting to know," Katherine said.

  "Da," Petrov said. "So the answer is that both attacks, as well as this communique, are part of larger strategy. The question is, what is that strategy? And why? We know the AIT does not want Earthlings to leave Earth, and yet allowing the launch minus one Major will not help them achieve this goal."