2041 Sanctuary (Let There Be Light) (58 page)

Joiner stood up. ‘I did what I thought was best. Colonel Samson is trained in all things subterranean. S.I.L.V.E.R., while more than capable, are not.’

‘S.I.L.V.E.R. are trained to operate in all terrains. Your attempt at maintaining control was poorly executed and has put the whole mission in jeopardy.’

‘Samson will get results, I have—’

‘We are aware of your methods of motivation, Director. Needless to say word has been sent for Ophion Nexus to resume control.’

Joiner went to say something, but Selene held up a hand to silence him. ‘The matter is closed. The Committee has spoken.’

Joiner fought down the urge to respond as Selene picked up a piece of paper and perused its contents. ‘As to your earlier comments,’ she said, ‘it seems the information you sent us was premature. Another failure – and upon such precedents difficult decisions are made.’

‘Premature?’

‘It seems the man arrested, the man you thought to be the international terrorist B.I.C., is nothing of the sort.’

Joiner’s mouth ran dry. ‘I assure you, we confirmed his identity. The digital fingerprint matched his previous incarnations. His signal was verified and identity revealed. We have finally put a face to the name.’ Joiner struggled with his keyboard, his fingers feeling heavy and disjointed. A picture of the terrorist appeared on-screen, a dark-haired, middle-aged man.

‘That is not the cyber terrorist,’ Selene said, looking at the picture he’d sent to her location.

Joiner shook his head. ‘No, that can’t be. I spoke to him and he admitted to his crimes on arrest. That is the cyber terrorist, there can be no doubt.’

‘And yet there is. When you told us of his capture we instructed our Asian chapter to confirm the authenticity of your claims. It appears the man you have identified is merely an unwilling participant in a mind control programme. The terrorist manipulated and then subverted him and the image he allowed you to see was a digital render of that same man, a human avatar. A puppet controlled by the terrorist from afar. We are no closer to finding him than we have ever been. And if this wasn’t enough, it has come to our attention that Professor Steiner may still be alive.’

‘Impossible.’

Another image appeared on-screen of a dark grey aircraft parked next to a large array of radio telescopes. ‘Do you recognise this drone, Director?’

Joiner sat back down, stunned.

Selene arched a brow. ‘I’ll take that as a yes.’

‘I—’ Joiner felt like his world was falling down around his ears. He’d never made such errors before, and for them to happen now was catastrophic. ‘Send me the location and I will make amends.’

‘Your time has passed, Malcolm Joiner. We have taken matters into our own hands. Professor Steiner cannot be allowed to align himself with the terrorist, he has had his nine lives, it’s time for him to die. As to your performance, consider yourself under evaluation.’

The image of Selene disappeared to be replaced by two words:

Transmission Terminated

Joiner remained stock still, gazing at the second word on-screen, its meaning reflecting the tenuous nature of his position. His chaotic thoughts settled on the man who seemed destined to haunt him forever more. Professor Steiner had evaded him again.
Will you ever stop fighting me
? he thought. He shook himself out of his introspection to see his 3D screen had switched to a real-time view of the surface. He couldn’t tell what location was being broadcast, but darkness reigned as lightning lit up the horizon.

Joiner held down his intercom button to speak to his receptionist.

‘Yes, sir?’

‘Any news from Agent Myers?’

‘Not yet, sir. Sorry, sir.’

Joiner paused.

‘Is there anything else, sir?’

‘Do you ever wonder why things don’t work out the way they should?’

‘I’m sorry, sir, I don’t understand the question.’

‘No, why would you?’ Joiner released the button in distraction and stared out into the massive thunderstorm that engulfed the dying Amazonian landscape. A flash of lightning lit up his face. ‘Why is it,’ he murmured as the light died and thunder rumbled, ‘some people just don’t know when to lie down and die?’

Chapter Seventy Two

A black clad U.S. Navy SEAL flipped over the dead body with his foot to reveal the owner’s slack-jawed face. Bending down, he rifled through the deceased’s pockets. He found a wallet, some money and a packet of cigarettes.

‘Anything?’ his superior said.

The soldier stood up and threw what he’d found onto the bloody chest of the dead police officer. ‘Nothing, sir, just another local.’

The commanding officer pressed a button on his tactical radio. ‘All units, spread out and search the area for signs of a vehicle. The building’s a bust.’ He turned to his subordinate. ‘They can’t have gone far. Call in air support and get some drones in the air.’

‘Do we have authorisation for such a large scale mission, sir? This is sovereign territory.’

‘I’ve been told the Peruvian military are on board. When they found out these people had killed three of their own, they were only too happy to lend a hand.’

‘Do we know who they are yet?’

The officer shook his head as he led the way back outside. ‘It’s a need to know.’

‘It’s nice to know we’re trusted.’

‘Get used to it; it’s what we do.’ He looked round as more helicopters landed and U.S. troops spilled out onto the ground to spread out in all directions. ‘Whoever they are they’ve got the entire Pacific Fleet on their ass. When you mess with the United States you better be prepared for a fight.’

‘Or be a fast runner.’

The leader chuckled. ‘A real fast runner.’

‘I wouldn’t like to be in their shoes when they’re caught. I heard the CIA want them for interrogation.’

‘I heard a lot of things, none of it good. Whatever the case, they won’t get far. And if they resist—’

‘They’re dead.’

The leader scanned the horizon. ‘Terrorists – born cowards, all of ’em.’

‘They’ll get what’s coming to them,’ the other said, holding up his water canister, ‘and God willing we’ll be there when it happens.’

The leader took a swig from the offered container and wiped the excess water from his mouth. ‘Amen to that,’ he said, ‘fucking amen to that.’

Chapter Seventy Three

The four-by-four police car rocked and rolled as it bounced over the uneven foothills of the Andes mountain range. In the driving seat the young German, Eric, span the wheel left and right as he fought to keep them heading along the dirt track road.

Professor Steiner sat in the passenger seat, while Jessica Klein accompanied Brett in the back.

The FBI agent stared out of the window as the dark terrain drifted by. She couldn’t believe what she’d been told. Jessica Klein had said the world’s resources were being taken and that everyone would starve in a fight for life, and now she’d learnt six more asteroids were heading for Earth. To try and compute such information was too much for one person to bear.

I don’t believe it
, Brett said to herself,
I refuse to believe it. They must be wrong. They ARE wrong! But what about father? He said I was in danger; this must have been what he meant, he was trying to protect me out of some kind of warped sense of love. And the old man had said hundreds of thousands of people would die and Malcolm Joiner confirmed the destruction of one of these underground bases. NO!
she thought, her inner voice screaming its dissent.
No, there’s no way they could have hidden six more asteroids, astronomers would have seen them – millions of amateurs, the thousands of professionals. No one could hide that kind of information … could they? The GMRC might be able to,
said the traitor within
, you know full well the capabilities of government agencies – the NSA, CIA and the FBI’s National Security Branch. And these agencies pale into insignificance against the might of the GMRC’s Intelligence Division. Plus
, she reasoned,
it’s common knowledge only a handful of telescopes can see into deep space
,
it would be easy to limit access to them.

Brett squeezed the bridge of her nose.
But what about Da Muss Ich, B.I.C., the terrorist renowned for manipulation and misinformation? There is no way he can be trusted and I sense something about him, something not quite right. He’s hiding something and whatever it is I need to stay close until I figure it out. The same goes for these fugitives
, she thought, assessing the three people with her.
They’ve already made me kill once; they’ll pay for making me make that choice
.
Whatever the truth, I can’t allow them free rein. I’ll bide my time. I’ll watch and wait, and then I’ll make my move.

Time reveals all, her mentor used to say, and if what they said was true she wouldn’t have long to wait until that time came. She stared at the form of Bic on the touchscreen device resting on the dashboard.
Make your move, hacker
, she thought,
I’m watching you. I’m watching you all!

♦

Jessica Klein tried to focus on what the professor and Bic were saying, but all she could think about was her family, Evan and the girls.
How can I protect them?
she wondered, her heart full of woe.
How can I save them? Don’t worry,
she told herself,
nothing has changed
,
the world was dying before you knew about the next wave of asteroids, this has just made the situation more urgent, that’s all. Stay calm and concentrate
.

Jessica took a breath. ‘I’m not helping,’ she said. ‘I’m not helping to stop the asteroids.’

The conversation in the front ceased. Eric slowed the car to a stop and glanced back, his expression one of concern, while Bic stared out from his screen, unmoved.

‘That man, Malcolm Joiner, threatened the lives of my family,’ she said. ‘We help them first.’

Steiner gave a nod while Eric turned round to place a compassionate hand on her knee. Jessica stiffened at the contact, but relaxed a little at the understanding she saw in the young German’s eyes.

‘Do not worry, Jessica Klein,’ Bic said, ‘I’ve already been working on that issue. I have arranged for their relocation to a secure site. They can wait there for further instructions when we have figured out a way to take them to a permanent shelter from what is to come.’

‘How have you managed to secure their relocation when you’ve been busy here?’ Brett said, her tone sceptical.

‘While I am loath to keep blowing my own trumpet, Brett Taylor, I am a man of many talents and multi-tasking is one of them.’

The corner of Brett’s mouth twitched at the rebuttal, her expression remaining stiff and aloof.

‘And that will be a subterranean base, yes?’ Jessica said, glad that she’d decided to stick with the cyber terrorist despite his initial duplicitous nature.

‘It can only be so, Jessica Klein. Anything else will be tantamount to a death sentence.’

‘Unless we’re successful.’

‘Yes, but even then their lives would be in peril; the world has become a dangerous place.’

‘How will we get them inside?’ she said. ‘Will we use your man in Germany again, Franz Veber?’

‘Maybe; although perhaps Professor Steiner can be of assistance in this regard?’

Jessica looked to the bearded face of the ex-Director General as he swivelled round in his seat, his intelligent eyes holding hers from behind the glass of his spectacles.

‘I can’t promise anything,’ Steiner said, adjusting his eyewear, ‘but where there’s a will there’s always a way.’

Jessica let out a gasp of relief. ‘Thank you.’ She leant forward to bestow a hug and Steiner gave a small yelp of pain as she touched his bruises. Apologising, she withdrew.

‘I wouldn’t put my faith in any of them,’ Brett said, ‘if it was my family on the line.’

Jessica ignored her.

‘Perhaps you should have more faith, Brett Taylor,’ Bic said.

‘I do, in myself. You have no way of knowing if you can help her, none of you do.’

‘Have you forgotten so soon, Brett Taylor?’ Bic said. ‘Seek and you shall find. Ask and it shall be given you. Knock and it shall be opened unto you.’

Brett’s expression grew darker. ‘I’m an atheist; the Bible – like you – is full of lies.’

‘And yet those words led you here, did they not? And belief does not matter when the words are true. There are many mysterious things, Brett Taylor; to deny them is to deny yourself.’

Brett muttered something derogatory, but Bic’s caveat sparked a vision in Jessica’s mind of the three dead bodies that they’d left behind at the telescope array, which they’d vacated hours before. Since that time she’d been trying hard to forget they’d ever existed, but the unwanted memory reminded her of the immediacy of their plight. ‘We should keep moving,’ she said, her fear returning.

‘Jessica Klein, is right,’ Bic said, ‘time is not on our side.’

Eric restarted the gasoline engine and they moved off once more into the never-ending night.

♦

As they continued their journey through the bumpy Peruvian landscape, Professor Steiner glanced back to see Jessica had fallen asleep while Brett stared out into the night, her face set in dour contemplation.

‘Can we talk, Professor Steiner?’ Bic said.

Steiner picked up the touchscreen device and stared into the face of the cyber terrorist.

The dark-haired man returned his gaze, unblinking.

‘About?’ Steiner said.

‘Need you ask?’

‘You really think we can restart the Space Programme?’

‘I would not be talking to you otherwise, Professor Steiner, I would have already disseminated the knowledge I have around the world for others to decide.’

‘Even when I tell you all previous missions have failed,’ Steiner said, ‘and that even if we succeeded in reviving the intercept missions, they may still fall short?’

‘And you would risk the life of every living thing on an assumption?’ Bic said. ‘Not to try would be the sin, would it not?’