Different (35 page)

"I'm coming with you!” Sara said. “This could be the story of the year! Doug?"

"Count me in. I reckon a man's gotta stand up for what he believes in."

"I'll come along too if you don't mind?” Rebecca said. “It's my fight too!"

Scott nodded, “What we're going to do is build an army ... a new army to defend the democracy of our country. We'll build it town by town, state by state until we have so many people that we can demand a return to democracy and declare war on Matheson and his men!"

Rebecca felt a hand on her arm, it was Doug and he cleared his throat nervously, before speaking.

"I'm really pleased that you decided to come along!” he said. “Perhaps we could have a coffee later?” He blushed and let his hand fall away as he turned away from her.

Rebecca caught his wrist, stopping him. “Thanks Doug, I'd really like that.” she said.

He looked at her in surprise and then smiled at her in pleasure. “You would, really? Oh that's great, I mean, well, ok then! That's a date.” He hurried off to help load the van still wearing a big grin on his face, and Rebecca found herself smiling too.

Janine lowered her rifle and lighting another cigarette, she rolled onto her back and stared up at the almost cloudless sky. Below her she could see the men, tiny now that she wasn't looking at them through the rifle's telescopic sights. They had been trailing her for almost thirty hours now ever since she'd left the motel where she'd killed Blake. She was exhausted and knew that the chase was almost over, because once they realised where she was they would summon a helicopter and drop some men above and behind her.

But they hadn't found the jeep yet and until they did, they couldn't be certain that she'd abandoned it to climb up into the hills. Inhaling a lung full of smoke, she blew it out through her nose savouring the smell and the taste of it. Something moved beside her and she almost screamed but the man raised a finger to his lips and shook his head.

"If you wait here long enough they're sure as hell going to find you.” He spoke quietly and she thought she saw amusement in his eyes that were shaded by the Stetson that he wore.

He was a Native American and appeared to be in his seventies, silver grey hair hung past his shoulders and the neck of his beaded waistcoat. His smile was broad beneath his beak of a nose; he squatted down by her and peered over the rocks at the men down below them.

"I moved your jeep and brushed over the tracks,” he said. “They'll have trouble finding it, but if I were them, I'd get some men up here look to around anyway."

"Well, if you know a way out of here perhaps you ought to show me, instead of telling me something that I'd already worked out for myself. Who are you anyway, Sitting Bull?"

He threw back his head at that and laughed a deep melodious sound. Then he rose back up onto to his feet. “The name's Silver Fox, or Daniel McQuentin to a paleface squaw like you, but Dan will do just fine. I suggest you follow me and don't leave that cigarette end around for them to find.” He waited until she'd stood and picked up her rifle before turning and heading towards some trees a few hundred yards higher up. She was surprised at how fast he moved with apparently little or no effort, and by the time they'd reached the pines, she was breathing heavily.

"Not much further and then it's all downhill,” he said, and led the way through the trees that were growing so close together that at times they had to detour slightly in order to continue their progress.

"Why are you helping me?” Janine asked the question that had been worrying her. How did he know who and where she was? Could she trust him or was he leading her into a trap?

"Adam sent me,” he replied, bending to avoid a branch. “He asked me to help you and that poor girl Mary, but I arrived too late to help her, and you were already taking off in the jeep."

"Hold it!” Janine aimed her rifle at the old man's head. “I don't know any Adam!"

The old man shrugged, “He knows about you and Mary, and he told me to tell you that he and Jay and the others were together now, I'm supposed to take you to Jay's cousin, Scott."

"You've met Jay?” Janine lowered her rifle.

"No, and I haven't exactly what you'd call met Adam either. I had a vision, well us Shaman have them all the time, and Jay, it was who just popped into my head, just as clear to me as you are. She showed me things, wonderful things, and introduced me to Adam. He's the most powerful Shaman I've ever heard of."

Janine nodded, this was no crazier than anything else that had been happening around her lately, and she herself had changed. She had millions, all the money she'd ever need and it meant nothing. For almost thirty years, she'd done anything she had to in order to make money, and at the end of it she had nothing that mattered now that Stephanie had been returned to her real mother. Russell, her lover, the man she'd loved with every fibre of her being had tried to have her killed. All she had left was a burning desire for revenge, and a desire to end it all.

Dan reached out and laid his hand gently on her arm and it was as though she'd received a minor electric shock, she could feel a tingling sensation all over her body as she stared into his dark brown eyes.

At last he released her and nodded sadly. “Perhaps your trail is littered with so much evil that you believe your spirit can only be set free in death, yet death is not the only way to make atonement. You seek a revenge that most surely will destroy you. Yet beyond the darkness within you burns a light, a flickering flame that would lead you to freedom.” He sighed and looked suddenly frail and she thought she heard a tremor in his voice. “We'd best get moving, they'll be coming for you soon."

He led her further into the trees until he stopped at the lip of a shallow gully about three feet wide and two feet deep, half filled with pine needles.

"This is our way out of here!” he said stepping into it and then lay down on his stomach, his head pointing uphill.

"I thought you said we were going downhill?” Janine said lying down behind him.

"We are but we go backwards, feet first and kick your feet every few seconds!"

"Why?"

"It'll give the snakes time to get out of our way and it'll be better if one strikes your boot than your face.” Dan chuckled slightly. “Go on now, move out, we want to get as far down as we can before it rains."

"Rains? There aren't even any clouds.” She looked up and to her surprise the previously clear blue sky was full of dark angry clouds. “Where did they come from?"

"Beats me, but we're in for a storm ... and a big one ... so let's move it. Don't forget to drum your feet!"

"You're sure that you don't want to lead the way? Dan?"

"Hey, it's always been women and children first. Don't you know anything about us Indians? Now move your ass and let's get out of here!” His chuckle made her smile and drumming her feet a few times, Janine wriggled feet first down the narrow channel, but her rifle which was slung over her shoulder kept slipping and after a few minute's she stopped.

"I'm going to have to ditch my rifle,” she hissed.

"No, pass it up to me, I'll carry it!” he said. She slid it up into his waiting hand and when he'd taken it, she drummed her feet again and continued, travelling. Every few feet, she stopped to beat the toes of her boots against the ground before starting down again. It smelled of pine and rich earth and once or twice she cursed silently as a spider tickled its way across her neck or face. She hated spiders!

They'd been wriggling along for about twenty minutes when she felt the ground beneath her feet and behind her fall away sharply. Carefully she inched backwards feeling with her feet, found the ground and realised that she was on the lip of a steep incline.

"Hold it!” Dan hissed urgently and she was about to tell him that it was all right when she heard the unmistakable sound of a helicopter above her. She peered up but could see nothing through the canopy of branches above her, but the machine seemed to be hovering overhead.
They've found us
, she thought!

"Ok, they're going away.” Dan said, and she realised that the noise was slowly moving to her left. Drumming her feet, she eased herself over the lip and into the incline and saw Dan following her. The going was much easier now the slope had deepened and then something wet hit the back of her head. Looking up, she saw not an angry looking sky but rain so dense that it blocked out the sky. Rain that lashed her with such force that it hurt and she quickly lowered her face and covered her head with her arms. She heard a faint rumble in the ground. What was ...?

"On your back! Now!” Dan yelled and a loud crack of lightening almost drowning out his words. She rolled onto her back, crossing her arms over her face and was instantly deluged by the awesome power of the storm. Janine was about to ask whether they ought to abandon the ditch, when a wall of water hit her.

It was like being sandbagged with an ice bag except that she was completely enveloped by the raging torrent that swept her down the channel, buffeting and bruising her body against its sides. She was coughing and spluttering as she fought to expel the water that tasted of iron from her mouth while at the same time trying to draw a breath.

Then she shot out of the gully and was plunging down towards the river that was about forty-feet below her. Something solid jarred her feet but gave way and her momentum carried her down to the very bottom of the lake. She clawed and kicked. Her lungs were about to explode. She had to breathe! Then her head broke the surface. Janine sucked in air before being dragged beneath the surface again. Down, down and now her legs and arms seemed to be as heavy as lead, and she was just too tired to fight anymore.

There was a strained silence in the command centre and Henry wondered for about the thousandth time whether he'd overplayed his hand. The grim faced military, FBI and CIA heads were aware of the huge risk that they had taken. If project, Eden, was successful and they captured either Adam, the girl, or the weapon, they would be untouchable. They could claim their action was taken for the sake of National Security. But if they failed ... No, they couldn't afford to fail. Failure was unthinkable!

"This is Golden Eagle to Command, we are approaching Eden. Will be laying eggs in three minutes. Over!” The voice over the radio jerked everyone out of their reverie and Russell nodded to him before switching on his microphone.

"Command to Golden Eagle, the storm should give you cover, good hunting and good luck. Out!” Russell flicked off the switch and turned to him and Henry sensed the man's energy as he pointed to the wall-mounted clock.

"It's 1410 hours, so all the men should be in position by 1445 and ready to move. The whole operation should be over by 1630 hours. If we don't receive confirmation that the operation has been a success by 1700 hours, then we launch Sunburst!"

"But some of the men..."

"They knew the risk when they volunteered, General!” Henry lied sharply. “We can't afford to risk the weapon falling into the wrong hands, or the man, Adam, running amok and destroying everything within range. You've seen what the weapon can do!”

Everyone in the room nodded and Henry relaxed a little, all he needed now was a little of his usual luck and within a few hours he would have in his possession the most powerful weapon on earth. Within days, he would have duplicates and larger ones with a much greater range, no country on Earth would be able to stand against him. Missiles and aircraft could be made to disintegrate in mid air, radar stations could be destroyed ... the possibilities were endless. President of the U.S.A? Forget it; that was small beer now. He would become the President of the World!

"They're coming!” Adam said.

"Is it finished?"

He nodded. “Yes it was finished hours ago, I've been adding a few modifications, how's the computer?"

Jay shrugged. “It should work but I haven't been able to try it out yet.” She was still suspicious of her new know how, still didn't trust it completely, unlike Adam who seemed to have every faith in his abilities.

As though reading her thoughts, he took her in his arms and she could see the love in his eyes and felt the desire to make love to him again building inside her. She ran a hand over his flat stomach, and then moved it lower, he gasped as she closed her fingers around him. She rubbed him urgently through the material of his trousers.

The storm finally broke and rain lashed their naked bodies as they writhed on the grass, their bodies demanding the release that only their mating could bring. She felt the approach of her orgasm and sank her teeth into his shoulder and his back arched. Jay felt him shooting inside her as the waves of her own orgasm burst upon her like a flood.

"I love you Jay,” he whispered as they clung to each other. “I love you and I'll never let you go!"

"Love you too Adam,” she said, relishing the feel of his heart beating against hers. “How long have we got?"

"They'll want to surround us first and block off the lake before moving in. I think we've got about a half an hour. We'll put our clothes into the bags, there's no point in getting dressed."

Jay nodded and rose to her feet and looked at him. “Will we ever be able to stop running Adam?"

"If we fight and show the world what we can do, fear will turn people against us!"

"But we can't run forever, Adam! If we hadn't found that transmitter..."

"Why do you think that Matherson arrested the members of Congress and sealed himself in the war room of the Pentagon?"

"To try and get the weapon, that's what this latest operation is all about?”

"Supposing you had all the weapons at his disposal and you wanted to make sure that whatever happened you could still get your hands on the oxygenating gun. How would you do it?"

Jay paled; Adam had to be wrong no one could be that ruthless. “But, but there are innocent people living around here! He wouldn't do that, not use a nuclear bomb! My God, Adam! You think that's what he's planning, don't you!"