A Covenant with Death: The Peacock Trilogy - Book 3 (8 page)

Cher bent down and picked up three teeth. “I’ll bag these. We’ll test them.”

“They held my mother here.”

“Let’s wait for the tests.”

“I know. I’m her daughter. She was here, and she’s still alive. No one is tougher.”

A call from across the alleyway in the other facility alerted Connor. She and Cher cautiously backed out of Peacock’s holding cell, exited their building, and met Bruegman in an open doorway. The fifty-three year old, still as fit as when he joined the Global Realm, held a manila folder in his hand.

“Your mother was here. They held her until instructions came from Ammad. His name is specifically mentioned. According to these documents, they left here no more than twelve hours ago.”

Ming ran in through a doorway leading outside to the back of the grounds. “Confirmed. Their transportation to and from here were electric Snow Cats.”

“These evil bastards were planning this for quite a while,” Cher muttered.

“They hold up to five people each.” Bruegman opened the folder and revealed a photo. “These tank-tread cars can travel up to fifty miles an hour on snow and maneuver on terrain like nothing you’ve ever seen.”

“They took your mother out via air.” Ming motioned to the right. “They built a runway for a lite aircraft to land.”

“No point in staying here.” Connor headed back outside. “We’re too late.”

The howling of the wolves grew closer, as the icy wind whipped pellets of stinging sleet against Connor’s face. “Let’s head back to our craft and report our findings. My guess is whatever plans Ammad has for my mother won’t be found out until we capture him, or he executes them.”

The team moved back up the rocky slope from which they came. Within ten minutes, they were aboard the hover-jet. The pilot point to the west as the jet gained attitude. “I’d say a dozen gray wolves are disappointed we left.”

“No match for our stun guns.” Connor stretched her legs. “Good to know they’re thriving out here. God knows little else can.” She took in a deep breath. “This area is almost a thousand miles from the attack point on the Supersonic. How did they manage to bring her so far without us seeing them on satellite?”

“A more important question,” Cher answered. “Where are they taking her?”

Chapter 11

George Pendleton arrived back at the Global Realm Command Space Station in earth orbit after leaving earth from the Beijing Complex. He briefly greeted the commander and headed to the Space Observation and Exploration Room.

“Put a 360 degree scan up for me, Charlie,” he said as he entered.

The tech complied. The lights dimmed and the room reflected one degree of orbital space, starting at the Prime Meridian and moving west one degree each minute. For six hours, he charted the number of satellites intact, those damaged, and those destroyed. The carnage evidenced a horrifying toll on human life. Nearly 50,000 human beings had died when the rocket destroyed the Muslim Space Complexes. Yet few, if any, casualties on the earth occurred, only damage to structures and people’s sense of security.

Ammad’s attack destroyed seven communication satellites that connected to Edison’s brain network, blocking key transmissions of transportation data, such as the whereabouts of cargo in transit globally. The real damage from his attack was the Global Realms misuse of valuable missiles that could have been deployed in a future conflict.

Sadly, George resigned himself to authorizing cleanup efforts. “Deploy the sweepers,” he ordered. Debris field magnets and tightly woven nets orbited the globe for such a purpose. Large pieces of shrapnel posed a real threat to lives on undamaged space complexes.

If his father didn’t have a follow-up strategy, he’d better put one together soon, as world conditions deteriorated fast.

#

The setting sun shone brilliant and full over the Persian Gulf. From his quarters atop the executive floors of the Dubai Complex, Ammad al-Sistani took in the splendor of the view. Rising to power took much patience, subterfuge, and tactics. An avid reader, he absorbed most of the major works of the military arts and studied the greatest tactician of all—Arthur Pendleton. Several years after joining the Global Realm, he received the promotion to Chairman of the Pacification of the Non-Citizen World Committee, a position whose reach extended primarily throughout the Muslim World.

Milton Rogers had objected to his elevation a few months before he died. Pendleton, however, viewed him as the best man for the job by test results and performance. The next five years, Ammad worked to develop the trust of all the major players in the Global Realm. He wooed the Jewish Complexes by planting the seed of cooperation. The Sons of Abraham could be reunited and live in peace.

Pendleton had destroyed both key Hebrew and Islamic holy sites during the holocaust that brought him to power. So Ammad used the ploy that, working together in peace, the two religions might be able to co-exist and rebuild The Holy Lands. Privately, he advocated that the Christians were the real enemy. While helping Christian leadership on minor issues, he plotted their downfall long-term.

He even tossed out the idea of rebuilding the Jewish Temple, using the common western wall as the dividing point between a new Jewish Temple and the grounds of the Dome of the Rock. Yes, strictest Jews objected wanting even more concessions, but the moderates leaped at the idea.

For the last fifteen years, Ammad secretly built space-based weaponry. He brought the greatest Muslim scientists within his sphere of influence and planned for the eventual demise of Arthur Pendleton’s reign. The Global Realm had proved to be the perfect world within which to unify all mankind to Allah. Peace reigned. Science created possibilities beyond the wildest dreams of humankind. The evil of self-indulgence outwardly all but disappeared. Inwardly, people wished to be elevated and recognized. He would capitalize on their longings soon. Yes, there were the entertainment centers, but within the predominantly Muslim complexes, the men enjoyed these pleasures as being entitled to them.

People’s view of a Christian heaven paled to Ammad’s concept of
Jannah
. The Chosen was to bring
Jannah
to earth for a time until Allah made all things new. In Jannah, whatever one desires one may have. A man, a woman, will be rewarded for their sacrifice here on earth. He would change the name of the entertainment centers to
Jannah’s
Gate Parlors.

There was one worldly woman he knew would never see
Jannah
. His greatest prize had been brought to him. The redheaded she-devil lay imprisoned just outside the Dubai Complex. He and she needed to have a little talk. He instructed his valet. “Bring my escort team. I wish to go to Al Aweer prison.”

Only ten minutes away outside the Complex’s fortification, Ammad arrived and entered without another word to anyone. He ran his affairs on a need-to-know basis, and he reasoned he’d been successful in concealing his plans to overthrow Pendleton by doing so. Once inside Al Aweer, he motioned to the officer-in-charge. “Take me to Cell Block 42.”

The officer paled. “Yes sir. Do you wish to wear a mask?”

“No.” The gruff response given, the officer grabbed a set of rusty keys. Ammad followed him through the maze of dimmed halls and locked iron gates until he stopped at Cell Block 42.

“Which compartment?” the officer asked.

“Nine lower level.”

“She’s quite mad, you know.”

“Good.”

Without another word, the two headed into Cell Block 42. An immediate stench of human waste and mold filled the air. On the upper level, the women were chained to an eight-foot leg shackle, which allowed them the freedom of lying on cots and sitting to eat meals. The meals consisted of dates, rice pudding, and occasionally tuna.

Ammad chuckled. “Less comfortable living conditions than in Pendleton’s prison colonies.”

“Worse than Abu Grebe.” The official headed down the stairs guided by a 25-watt bulb. At the bottom of the stairs, the walkways divided into pitch black tunnels. The official turned on a flashlight and slowly guided his feet long the narrow concrete floor.

“Here—she’s in here.”

#

Peacock pulled herself up off the cold floor. She rested her back against a stone wall in the far corner of her compartment. Nothing else was inside with her, except the urine drain and a water bucket for feces. Ammad’s people came close to killing her before they locked her away. She overheard the men torturing her say she must be insane. Well, no surprise to her, she had been most of her life. But that beating had been different. She felt nothing when punched or whipped. Her body bled and bruised, and her bones cracked. But no pain came with the beating.

Her angel sang and spoke words of comfort to her. Most amazing to her was her memory. She couldn’t remember her own name a few days ago, but now her mind leaped with remembrances when she needed them.

A creaking at the door caught her attention.

“How has room service been?”

Peacock knew that voice. She did not respond.

Ammad placed his flashlight on the floor to illuminate the room. He let out a shriek.

“Do I look that bad?”

“He sees you as you were the day you slew his father.” Her angel stood against the far wall and smiled.

Ammad stepped back. “This can’t be.”

He took a whip from his belt and went to strike her, but the whip fell from his hand.

Peacock heard her angel whistling a joyful tune. She responded. “The Lord is my shield.”

Ammad quoted from the Quran. He named each verse as he spoke
Al Faqua
113.1, 113.2 and so on. Then he said. “Your black magic has no effect on me.”

His face told a different story.

Peacock had no strength to stand upon save what God provided. She knew without her angel, death would be swift.
Allow him to see me as I am.

Ammad’s eyes widened. He sneered, picked up his whip, and swung. Again, the whip flew out of his hand, and he grabbed his shoulder. A cry of pain escaped his lips.

“Keep trying to hurt me and you’ll never become First Citizen.” Peacock smirked. “You want me alive for some purpose?”

“I live for the death of your husband and the end of your reign, you redheaded bitch.”

“Not much of my hair is left.” She sighed. “Don’t attempt to hurt me again. My protector will not allow you the pleasure.”

“You mumble nonsense, crazy woman. The Global Realm will go on, but without you or your husband leading it.” Ammad walked up to her and bent to meet her gaze. “When the time comes, I will kill you myself.”

Fat chance.

Her angel had a sense of humor.

“Why do you want to ally with the Israelis?”

A sinister chuckle filled her compartment. “You know more than you let on. You may be insane, but you’re cunning.”

“Why do you want to find Edison?”

He pursed his lips.

“Why are you in league with
Iblis
? True Muslims abhor your concepts and teachings. But you will bewitch them.”

“You bitch.” He flung himself at her and wound up smashing into a stone wall across the room from where she sat.

He turned and fled, taking his flashlight with him. Peacock heard him tell the guard. “No one is to enter here. Slide her food and water in under the door.”

#

“I must be suffering from low sugar.” Ammad ordered a snack be brought him and ordered a speedy return to the Dubai Complex. As he reentered his suite, his aide raced in from the adjoining room. “Our missiles created the desired damage on the selected targets and complexes. The Global Realm only possesses fifty or less space-based rockets.”

“I want a unified world when we’re done.” He lowered an eyebrow. “Unified under
me
. Any indication Pendleton knows where I am?”

“No, Your Eminence. The Dubai Complex, according to our computer Sayyid, would not rank near the top of places he’d look.”

“Let us hope Edison calculates things the same way.”

“Sir,” his aide said, “Governor Chui rejects any partnership with you. He clearly supports the First Citizen. But he will not come to the aid of either side militarily, saying the issue is one for the people to decide by combining testing profiles and a Global Realm vote with Edison doing the math.”

“That plays into my hands if my adversary is as weak as I think him to be.”

“Agreed, Eminence.”

“Put me through to Pendleton.”

The aide pressed the Summit Button on the communications system and waited. Ammad possessed one of only twelve direct lines to the First Citizen.

“Van Meer speaking.”

“Chairman Ammad wishes to speak directly to First Citizen Pendleton.”

Silence followed. “I’ll convey a message.”

Ammad spoke up. “Either your boss agrees to a competency challenge and Global Realm citizens’ vote, or he faces all-out war. All-out war serves no purpose. If he wishes his wife back unharmed, he’ll agree. He wins the challenge. She comes back safely.”

“Hold on.”

Nothing but static and background bumps echoed over Ammad’s system. Ammad glanced at the time. Van Meer had been gone over ten minutes. Finally, he returned. “In fourteen days, per the operating rules of the Global Realm. All executive level leaders are eligible for consideration. If you lose, you will be arrested for treason and imprisoned for life.”

“Not unless he wants war and the death of his wife to settle the conflict.”

“He wants to see his wife to be sure she is in good health.”

“The day before the citizens’ vote,
but
after the competency challenge, I’ll allow her to talk to the First Citizen.” The connection cut to silence. Ammad shouted. “Program Sayyid to run five variations of the test Edison will prepare. A Muslim-built computer will trump a pagan one any day of the week.”

“Well,” his aide chuckled, “his rules state ‘No applicant can run a computer test study.’ But then, he doesn’t know Sayyid exists. Does he?”

“Have Akbari come in.” Ammad couldn’t wait any longer to confide in his friend about the she-devil.

A few moments and Akbari strode in as thought the world’s weight had fallen on him. “Don’t speak,” he said. “What you know I know. What you’ve seen I’ve seen. I suspect vast witchcraft at work. Allow me to study the books. Give me time to align my spirit with
Jannah
and its holiness. Then we will speak.”

“But . . .”

Akbari stomped his foot. “Cease your protest. Only on these issues am I in charge. Understood?”

Ammad lowered his head. “Understood.”