arbitrate (daynight) (35 page)

Henry’s feed shuts down, and the newscasters all weigh in on his speech and the attack. All the “experts” have differing opinions on motives and suspects, but they can agree on one thing. Henry King has earned his stripes and the American citizens’ devout loyalty. He “took one for the team,” and we must all pay him back by giving him our unwavering support. They expect the largest crowd in the history of the United States to congregate in Washington DC for Henry’s inauguration. The question on everyone’s mind is how to keep the President and his supporters safe.

“We need to concentrate. Can you ditch the TV coverage?” I ask Jax.

Brad disagrees. “Keep it on, but turn down the volume. I need to know if anyone has caught wind of Violet and Victor’s disappearance.”

We all, except Jax, dig into the files. He busies himself by going to ask the CSC chef to make some food. I’m surprised that he left Kira behind.

I move over to sit beside her. “You know, just because I’m trying to find Alexa and Joshua doesn’t mean that my feelings on
us
have changed. I care about her, and I want her back safe…but I don’t love her.”
I love you.
I don’t say that thought out loud. I couldn’t bear to have her not return the sentiment right now. And why would she after everything that happened?

She tucks her hair behind her ears and stares at me. “Do you think Victor and Violet really did it? Planted a bomb and put acid in the sprinkler system? And then hurt and kidnapped Joshua and Alexa? I don’t get it. Why would they do it? They’ve been all SCI every-day, all the way—killing people off to up the Theran population. If it’s a power play, it’s not even a
good
power play. Who in the SCI would support their rise to power after killing off their own? And why the acid? Why not just the bomb?”
Great. She didn’t answer. Instead she changed the subject.

Kira’s words catch Brad’s attention. “Go on, Kira. I’m right there with you that it doesn’t make sense. What are you thinking? Why does the acid bug you?”

She twirls a lock of her strawberry-blonde hair around her finger. “I don’t know. It just does. If the purpose was to kill people, why not plant a bigger bomb? The bomb itself was pretty small. And how’d they get the bomb in there anyway? Wasn’t that place swept by the Secret Service ahead of time?”

“Definitely. Every attendee was vetted and the place was clear. The staff was all dismissed after the food was prepared and set out, given the exclusivity of the guest list. Guests were all searched and signed in before they could enter. But obviously someone got something in.”

Kira continues to twist her hair. “Could one of the Secret Service have been involved? I saw one heading back towards what I thought to be the kitchen right before the blast.”

“How could you have seen it? You weren’t even there. You left.” Brad looks at her like she’s suddenly back on the suspect list.
 

She bites down on the side of her lip. “Jax had a bad feeling. He didn’t have any specific knowledge or anything. Just a feeling. We tried to get Ethan to leave with us, but he refused. So we took off—back to Military City. I asked him to show me what was happening. I was worried for Ethan.”

My eyes flit to hers. She was worried about me.
She still cares.
 

“What did you see? Tell me everything,” Brad insists.

“Henry was doing his toast. Everyone was involved…participating…with a few exceptions. I saw a member of the Secret Service walking quickly towards the kitchen. I saw Victor and Violet headed in that same direction. And Blake was talking to a Secret Service member at the restaurant entry. Then the bomb went off about twenty feet in front of the stage. I saw Henry’s family go down.”

I put my hand atop hers and give it a gentle squeeze. “Did you see Alexa?”

She shakes her head. “No, sorry…not after she walked away from us.”

Brad rubs his jaw. “I guess it is possible Victor had one of the Secret Service guys in his pocket. Let’s keep digging and figure out what he’s hiding. James has his guys looking at Victor’s bank account to see if there is a suspicious money trail.”

Jax returns with sandwiches and chocolate chip cookies—Alexa’s favorite. I can’t bring myself to eat one. I dig back into the stack of files, looking for any clues.

The first thing I find is the paperwork for a private jet hired for the night of the attacks. The manifest claims the plane was headed to Guam. That’s a little bit too much of a coincidence for any of us.

There is also a long paper trail of dummy corporations that own twelve separate properties worldwide. This isn’t too unusual in and of itself since Victor has arranged for the purchase of all the CSC properties. What is unusual is that all the properties are resorts and have private jetway access nearby.
 

James and his team figure out that twenty million dollars have been skimmed off the CSC account and “laundered” through a network of offshore accounts.

The evidence is more than damning. Now, we can only hope that it will lead us to Alexa and Joshua.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Blake

My new, not-so-best buddy Dale drops me in Art City Thursnight at 2100 hours after having kept me blindfolded for the last hour of our excursion.
He apparently didn’t want me to see our route in as if I didn’t already know it. We took the boat from LA to the portal and into Garden City. He made me go dark the rest the way—into Headquarters, through the mega-portal to Art City. Given I was pretty queasy from the Earth to Thera portal, I was not happy about our arrangement. Thankfully, he left shortly after our arrival. He didn’t need to stay. Brad has plenty of eyes on me here.

I want to delay seeing Bailey as long as possible, so I decide to stop by the hospital. It has been a couple weeks since I last saw Madison. I have no idea whether she survived her injuries, and if she did, whether she is still at the hospital or has been released. The image of her tiny, broken body has haunted me ever since I left.
 

I jog through the dimly lit walkways, over several rope bridges and to the hospital. The temperature at this late evening hour is almost pleasant, albeit a whole lot hotter than LA had been.

Doc’s doing evening rounds when I arrive. He looks exhausted. There are dark circles under his eyes, his hair lies limp against his head, and he’s yawning.

“Blake, did you miss me or is there a pretty lady that brought you back?”
 

I give him a close-lipped smile. “I’m here on business, but I figured I’d stop by and see if the girl made it. Did she?”

“Which girl? I’ve had so many patients through here.” He grins as he pretends to scan through a patient list.

I’m in no mood to play games. “Did. She. Make. It?”

“Yeah.” He sighs. “She was released yesternight with strict orders to rest.”

“Know where she landed?”

He grimaces and looks at the floor. “The choices were limited. Everything was full. I had Bailey find a family to take her in. Figured Madison’s situation required a girl’s touch.”

“Question for you, Doc. Did you happen to mention to Bailey that I’d been spending time with Madison before I left?”

Doc gets a little flustered and starts shuffling some paperwork. “Sure. Bailey knew, but she didn’t seem to mind. Said that she’d make sure Madison was well taken care of. The family Madison got placed with has kids and everything.”

“Did Bailey know Madison’s story? How she got shot? And did you meet the family? ”

Doc nods. “Of course, I told Bailey everything, so she’d understand how delicate the situation was. And yes, I met the family. The wife and her sons came to pick up, Madison.”

“Sons? How old?”

His eyes go wide, and he looks around nervously. “Early twenties maybe. I wouldn’t worry. They all seemed very interested in helping out Madison. Looked like they’d be real protective.” Bailey could be playing it one of two ways. She’s either trying to get Madison interested in someone other than me, or she has put her in a potentially dangerous situation, ripe for another assault. I get a sick feeling in my stomach. Bailey’s not one to take chances. I’d bet on the latter.

“Well, that is just brilliant judgment at work there, Doc. Send the girl who has recently been assaulted off with a couple of guys.” I shake my head forcefully. “Where can I find this outstanding residence you sent Madison to?” Doc steps back as if he thinks I’m going to hurt him. I realize I have my fists balled tight and am clenching my teeth.

He directs me towards a commune on the southeastern edge of the city. As I’m leaving, I look back. “You should have given her your own bed to keep her safe. I expect better from you.”

The city’s too busy to flat out run, so I set out at a jog, dodging people right and left. My backpack’s weighing me down, slowing my progress. I was only allowed to bring the food and supplies I could carry on my back, so I stuffed my pack full. When I see a familiar blonde head, it’s too late to change course. I’m on one of the rope bridges with several people behind me.

Bailey is with Adam, who puts a protective arm around her waist and pulls her to him.
 

“Blake,” he says in a most unwelcoming tone. “What brings you back? I’d hoped that we had seen the last of you.”

I glare at Adam. Isn’t this the same guy who fell for the SCI’s ruse on Earth, and ended up dead and here on Thera as a Second Chancer? He seems to think he has more luck than he actually does. “Sorry to disappoint you. Brad Darcton sent me here.”

“For how long?” Bailey blasts me with an icy-blue stare. She’s shifting uncomfortably under Adam’s tight grip.

“Indefinitely,” I respond. “Anyway, I’ve got to run. I’ll see you two lovebirds later.” Every minute I spend here playing games with Bailey is another minute that Madison could be subjected to more abuse.
 

Bailey flips her hair out of her face. Her nasty look has been replaced by a dead serious one. “The board needs to speak with you. We have many ideas on how to improve things that we’d like to run by you. Nothing that we haven’t discussed a million times before, but your input into our plan would be valuable.”

This can’t be good. The one plan we’ve beat to death has been an invasion of Garden City. She knows about the mega-portal and my theory that the easiest entry is by another city. Now that they’re in another city, I’m sure that the board thinks it would be easy to storm and either invade the city or destroy the portal.

What they don’t know is that Brad expects them to try this and has forces waiting. Plus, I told Doc that Brad has Art City rigged with explosives. If any unauthorized Exilers come barreling through the portal, I just know that someone would blow up the city, and its residents would end up dead or as gator bait.

I heave my backpack up higher on my back. “Yes, Brad is quite interested in what the Exilers have planned. I’ll stop by later to see what improvements you recommend for the city.”

She cocks her head to the side. “We’re meeting at 2300 hours. Be there.”

Adam nuzzles into her neck and then nibbles on her ear. He whispers something to her and then winks at me and says, “See you Blake.”

“Like I care, Adam.” I roll my eyes and then resume my trek towards Madison, passing a group of school age children and some ladies hanging their laundry to dry on the platform rail. When I reach the commune door, I knock. A silver-haired lady, who hasn’t aged well, opens the door.

“Can I help you?” she asks.

“Yeah. I’m here to see Madison.” She looks nervous and tries to close the door on me, but I stick my foot in and stop her. “Do not mess with me, ma’am, or I will bring the wrath of the Exiler board
and
the SCI down upon you, understand?”

I don’t wait for her to answer and force my way in. She follows, spewing excuses. “I didn’t mean nothing by it. The girl doesn’t need any suitors. She needs her rest.”

When I catch sight of Madison, I want to kill the woman, her family, Bailey, and Doc. Madison’s on her hands and knees, in nothing but a sheer slip, scrubbing the kitchen floor. Two guys are leering at Madison like she’s being served up for dinner. They’re both offensive line material with necks the size of tree trunks. Madison wouldn’t stand a chance against them.

I turn and grab the woman by the throat. “Get her some clothes now. And be quick about it, or I’ll be dragging you in front of the board in five minutes time.”
 

This catches the attention of Madison’s predators, who turn and growl at me. “Who the hell are you?”
 

“I’m chief of the SAP,” I tell the idiots as I fish my hand inside my pack for a much needed item. Brad’s goon, Dale, had searched my bag, but I’d managed to pinch something off of him during the transport. When my hand feels my target, I quickly grasp it and pull it out, shielding it behind my pack.

The small-brained one on the left speaks up. “What’s the SAP? Never heard of it.”

“The Sexual Assault Police.”
 

Dumb doesn’t like my answer and launches himself at me.

Thanks, you idiot.

I bring my arm around and zap him with a rather large jolt of electricity. My Taser looks like a flashlight but is really a stun gun.
 

Dumber doesn’t get the clue when Dumb goes down twitching and tries to take a swing. I use the Taser on him, too, and he crashes into the kitchen cabinets.

With the immediate threats taken care of, I crouch down by Madison. “Are you all right?” She looks up at me with her big, brown eyes and then collapses against my chest. “Did they…hurt you?” I whisper in her ear.

“That woman—the ‘mom’—she has girls here. She lets guys…use…them in exchange for food and other supplies. Those guys said they were going to take me for a test run today.”
 

Not surprisingly, the ‘madame’ hasn’t returned with clothes for Madison. She probably went to get backup. “Madison, are there any other guys here?”

“I…I don’t know. The ‘clients’ use the back door.”

I pull one arm through my shirt, switch my Taser to my free hand, and then pull my other arm through. “Put this on. We’ve got to get out of here. Right now.”