Broken Angel (20 page)

FORTY-TWO

T
he choppers hovered in place above the entrance into the mountain. Although Pierce faced downhill, he was able to turn his head and clearly see soldier after soldier dropping down by rope from the choppers.

He found himself surprised that it was so well organized. Appalachia obviously knew how to successfully pull off military domination. Even if the Clan believed in combating military force with force, they didn’t have a chance.

How long would it take before the soldiers arrived to take Carney and him away? Would they be heading to a factory or something more fatal? Pierce knew that Bar Elohim would provide falsified evidence to his superiors Outside, showing how he disappeared into the Appalachian wilderness. While they considered him a top operative, they wouldn’t be surprised. It had happened before, and investigating his disappearance would risk unnecessary relationship tensions between the two U.S. countries.

Pierce didn’t have to wonder about his fate for too long. He spotted movement farther down the path. A big man pushed his way through the bush.

He’d seen him before, but it took him a second to remember the kid’s name. Big kid. The deputy.

Billy. That’s it. Billy.

The kid got closer, bug-eyed as he saw them strapped to the tree. “Sheriff Carney?”

Carney reacted by frantically pulling against the duct tape. Making noise from behind the tape on his mouth.

Billy took hesitant steps closer like he was scared that somehow Carney had the power to do something to him.

Carney yelled more from behind the tape.

Billy reached for it and tugged slowly. The ripping tape elongated the flesh on Carney’s face, and he scowled.

Billy gave it a good yank, and the tape ripped loose.

“Sheriff Carney?”

Carney panted, nodding. Billy started cutting the tape from his arms.

“I mean, how did you get here? They told me to come up here and help a couple of men. I didn’t know it would be you.”

“Who told you to help us?” Carney began unwrapping his legs.

To get attention, Pierce grunted from behind his own tape. They could talk about this somewhere else. Who knew how long they had before soldiers came looking for them as Mason had threatened.

Billy looked at Carney for permission to help Pierce.

Another nod.

Pierce braced himself for the sharp pull. He was glad he’d shaved. Smooth skin hurt less. He, too, gasped for air after Billy pulled the tape loose.

“Let’s go, kid,” he said. “You two can compare notes later.”

“You going to arrest me?” Billy asked Carney. “You came here looking for me, right?”

“He can’t go back to town either,” Pierce snapped, nodding toward the sheriff. “He’s one of them.”

“One of them what?” Billy looked from Pierce to Carney, then back to Pierce.

“One of the Clan,” Pierce said. “He’s been helping people escape Cumberland Gap for years. Aren’t I right, Sheriff?”

FORTY-THREE

I
’m not drinking it.” Pierce set the glass of water on a table.

He stood in the center of the cabin facing Jordan. An old lady sat with a boy in one corner, the big deputy and Carney in another.

The
thump-thump
of the idling helicopters on the mountainside, hundreds of yards above the cabin, underscored the urgency of the situation.

“We can’t take you through the tunnels any other way,” Jordan said. “The flunitrazepam is safe and—”

“It’s a roofie,” Pierce interjected. “Trust me. I know how to use pharmaceuticals. I’m just not going to drink it.”

“You want escape, and this is the only option.” Jordan’s face was distorted by bruises and obvious pain. Pierce still couldn’t believe that the man was alive and telling
him
what to do. Should have him on the floor, in cuffs by now.

“I want you, Dr. Brown, to think back a couple of decades. Arson. Destruction of hundreds of millions of dollars of government property. There’s no statute of limitations for your crimes.”

“We don’t make it through the caves without him, Pierce,” Carney said. “None of us. This area is too hot with Bar Elohim’s men. The way Mason Lee is acting, I don’t think they are too inclined to leave you alive.”

“You’re thinking we owe him?” Pierce said. “You forget I have a duty to follow.”

“Without him, we’re dead. It’s pretty simple.”

“With him in custody, Bar Elohim gives us a pass Outside. All of us in this cabin. You have any idea how badly my agency wants him? What his knowledge is worth? To get Jordan, my government will do whatever it takes to negotiate our freedom.”

Carney took a step toward Pierce. “My apologies, but this is going to get ugly.”

“You’re going to fight me?”

“Unless you stand down and drink the stuff.”

“I’m not going to pull something cheap here, Carney. All of us escape, but we do it my way.”

“Strangely enough, I believe you really think you can do this. I just don’t like your way.”

Carney threw a punch, low and hard.

Pierce deflected it with his forearm. Then he came under Carney’s next punch, used Carney’s momentum against him, swung the man around and kicked his feet out from under him. Carney fell on his belly, his face rebounded against the floor.

Pierce knelt beside him. “I don’t have any choice, Carney. I found the man, and now I have to take him in.”

Pierce watched Carney closely for the slightest resistance. He didn’t want to hurt the Sheriff, but he wasn’t going to take chances. He was so focused that by the time he felt Billy’s arms wrapped around his chest, it was too late.

Billy lifted him like he was a pillow, and Pierce found himself dangling. The kid’s arms were as powerful as hydraulics, pinning Pierce’s own arms to his chest.

“Mr. Jordan.” Billy spoke without any hint of exertion. “Is all that true? About the stealing and destruction?”

Pierce kicked futilely, but it felt ridiculous and undignified.

“You should put him down,” Jordan said.

“Is it true?” Billy kept his crushing hold on Pierce.

“It’s true.”

“Why did you do it?” Billy asked.

“Bad people were doing bad things,” Jordan answered. “Someone had to stop it.”

“I believe you.” Billy backed away with Pierce. “You all go. Maybe Sheriff Carney can help Mrs. Shelton and Theo. I’ll just hold him like this for a while.”

Jordan stepped up to Billy. “Really, Billy, put him down. If he’s going to make sure all of us get Outside, I won’t fight it.”

Carney was back off the floor by then. “Hold him good, Billy.”

Carney took the glass of water that Pierce had set down. “If I hadn’t seen it and felt it, I would never have believed a man could move as fast as you. But it’s not doing you much good now. More to Billy than meets the eye.”

“Jordan is a criminal,” Pierce said. “You want to set him free?”

“You can drink this nice,” Carney said. “Or I’ll plug your nose and pour it down. Which way do you want it?”

Pierce tried shaking himself loose. He felt like he was squeezed between two mountains.

Carney plugged Pierce’s nose. When Pierce opened his mouth for air, Carney began to pour.

Brij handed Caitlyn a headlamp, like the type she and Papa would take when they went caving. They stood at the entrance to one of six tunnels radiating out from the central headquarters.

“This is for when the power goes off. Please put it on.”

Not
if,
Caitlyn noted, but
when.

Caitlyn didn’t ask about this. She was trying to stay in the moment, but everything was happening so quickly. They’d reached the open area at the end of the entrance tunnel, where two dozen Clan members sat in front of computer screens and monitors. Brij hadn’t stopped to introduce her to any of them or explain the area but escorted her through it to a tunnel on the far side of the room.

“Jordan explained what to expect once you reach the waterfall, right?” Brij asked. “You’ll see the turbine there.”

“And a rope bridge across and a series of ladders down.” Caitlyn felt a stab of pain in her back but ignored it.

Brij pointed at the set of symbols on the tunnel wall.

“From this point on, here’s what to look for to get there.” He touched the
          symbol. “There will only be three intersections. Got it?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Then go, Caitlyn. Godspeed.”

“Soldiers,” Theo croaked. He’d been in and out of his delirium since leaving the cabin. “They’re behind us.”

The group formed a ragged procession, walking a narrow path with a steep wall of rocks on one side and a long drop on the other, skirting the side of the mountain, staying well out of sight of the choppers.

Theo leaned on Gloria as they walked, and Billy held Jordan up. Carney had a firm grip on the rope that they’d used to tie Pierce’s hands behind his back.

Carney half-turned, frowning. “I don’t hear anything.”

“Sheriff Carney,” Billy said, “if Theo says he hears something, believe him.”

Unlike Theo and Gloria, Billy did not drink the water with flunitrazepam. Carney and Jordan had decided it would be better to wait until just before an entrance into the cave system. They wanted Billy’s help with Pierce along the way, in case he shook off the drug and gave them trouble.

“We’ll pick up the pace,” Carney whispered. “How far we got?”

“Too far.” Jordan leaned against the rock face. “If they’re on this path, we won’t get there before they catch us.”

Carney gauged the wall behind Jordan. “I’ll stay back.”

“It’s suicide.” Jordan shook his head.

“Should be able to climb up some, work on that loose scrabble up there. How much time you need anyway?”

“You don’t have a weapon.”

“A bunch of falling rocks will distract them.” Carney shrugged. “If I get high enough where they can’t see me, I can turn this path into an obstacle and shell a few of them when they slow to scale it.”

“But that leaves you—”

“Look,” Carney said, “here’s my secret. All I really expected Outside was six months, maybe eight. Long enough to enjoy some freedom. I’m sick.”

Jordan bowed his head.

“Sick? What?” Billy asked.

“Cancer. Don’t feel sorry for me, Billy. You go ahead. I’m proud of what you’ve done to get us here.”

Billy blinked a few times. “You really were a part of the Clan all along.”

Carney nodded. “I was.”

“But all the things you told me on the town square, about being a shepherd and all that.”

“Official talk. I knew it was being recorded.”

Billy cocked his head, clearly processing, then he finally spoke. “All the prisoners who died while you’ve been in charge—they escaped, didn’t they? Like Mrs. Shelton. And you sent me to arrest her because you knew I’d mess up.”

“Don’t let anyone ever tell you that you’re stupid, Billy. You remember that and take care of these people. They need you.”

The end of the tunnel brightened for Mason. He’d been armed with the
          symbol from the vidpod he’d taken from Jordan. Still, as agreed with Bar Elohim during their roadside meeting, it might not be enough to navigate the warren of tunnels.