Firestorm: Book III of the Wildfire Saga (6 page)

Forty-five minutes late.
 
Rolf where are you?

Reginald pressed the button to establish a secure communication link between his castle and the chalet.
 
He waited for the signal to process the encrypted servers at the chalet and picked up his teacup.
 
The communications link had never taken so long before.
 
Reginald hit the intercom button and replaced the teacup without having taken a sip.

"
Yes, my lord?
" asked Stefan's voice.

"When was the last time we received communication of any kind from the chalet?"

Stefan's answer was instantaneous.
 
“
Forty seven minutes ago, my lord.
 
I have been trying to reach them for the past seventeen minutes to no avail, sir.
"

"Have we lost contact with any of the security outposts?"

"
No, my lord,
" replied Stefan.
 
"
We've received regular transmissions from all the outposts.
 
It's only the chalet that has had difficulties
."

"What difficulties?
 
What was the final transmission?"

"Transmission reads: ‘experiencing radio communication problems with an exterior guard, sending unit three to investigate’.
 
After that we received nothing, sir."

Reginald tapped his chin.
 
On its own, radio transmission problems weren’t unheard of—radios can fail, especially when used daily in such a harsh environment.
 
"Where was the last known location of the guard in question?"

"The north face of the summit, my lord.
"

The north face.
 
Reginald relaxed slightly.
 
N
othing there but a steep incline and a boulder field.
 
No way someone could climb up that side of the mountain without being noticed by the guards at the base.
 
It’s impossible.
 
"There was no sign of any other trouble?"

"No, my lord—in fact, as a precaution I sent two roving patrols from the base of the mountain up to the summit to ascertain the situation."

"When you did you dispatch them?"

"Approximately five minutes after the loss of communication."

Reginald sat in silence for a moment.
 
Good man, Stefan.
 
The ascent up the mountain would take time, even using off-roaders and lifts.
 
They couldn't fly up, that would attract too much attention to the supposedly abandoned chalet.
 
There was a regular schedule—the chalet had been in use by Reginald as a ‘corporate retreat’ for years.
 
No one in the Swiss government thought anything amiss when a wealthy English lord purchased property left abandoned after The Pandemic for pennies on the dollar.
 
Like clockwork, once a month, helicopters arrived to drop off supplies and wealthy executives from around the world.
 
It really was a corporate retreat—and mostly, it was profitable.
 
At least the part visible to the outside world.

Unable to think of anything else, Reginald jabbed the intercom button.
 
"Good.
 
Keep me informed and let me know the moment communication is reestablished.
 
I want to know what happened."

"Very well, my lord."

Reginald stared at the blank screen for a few more minutes, considering his options.
 
Should he flee to his backup safe house outside London?
 
He had no information to indicate anything other than equipment failure caused the loss of communications.

What if…
What if someone out there made a move against him?
 
Would it be the Council or another world power?
 
Would it be the Americans or the Russians?
 
The British?

Sighing, he stood and stretched.
 
He studied a map of Great Britain tacked to the wall.
 
“Can’t be the home guard—they're preoccupied with helping the Continent.”

The intercom chirped, interrupting his thoughts.
 
“
Message for you, sir.”

Of course there’s a message, why else would you bother me?
 
“Patch it through, if you please, Stefan.”
 

He expected to see Rolf’s dour expression so when Jayne’s face filled the screen, Reginald couldn’t help but be pleasantly surprised.
 

C
HAPTER
7

Denver, Colorado.

Emergency National Reserve Operations Center.

C
HAD
LOOKED
UP
FROM
his bed as the hatch to his private quarters opened with a soft hiss.
 
13's head appeared, her golden hair tied back in a long ponytail.
 
She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.
 
She stepped slowly into the room and crossed her arms as she leaned against back against the wall.
 

"So it's true," she said softly.

Chad nodded and went back to packing.
 
Arrayed before him on the bed were all his worldly possessions.
 
Everything had been provided to him since his arrival in Denver except for the clothes he wore and his dad's Stetson.
 
He put a few changes of clothes into a dull green duffel bag and packed a book from Dr. Boatner.

"I aim to get out of here just as fast as I can.
 
Doc says they'll let me out tomorrow."
 
He shoved his new shaving kit into the bag.

She sat on the corner of his bed.
 
"Where will you go?
 
What will you do?
 
Everyone's still looking for you."

Chad paused to consider the question.
 
He turned and looked at her, his heart aching for something he knew he could never have.
 
"I know," he said.
 
He picked up a pair of jeans.
 
"But I figured now that Dr. Boatner has the serum—and it seems to work—they don't need me any more."

13 looked at the floor.
 
"Someone will always need you."

How come you couldn’t say that before?

"What I mean is—" she began again.

"I know what you mean," Chad said.
 
He stuffed a pair of jeans into the duffel bag with a little more force than necessary.
 
Having her sit next to him, be this close—on his own bed no less—was too much.
 
The sooner he got away from her, the better.
 

As much as he wanted to be with her he knew that they would never really be together. She saw him as family and nothing more.
 
If he was honest with himself, Chad knew deep down that was the right way to look at the situation.
 
But that didn't stop the way he felt about her.
 

He stared at the wall.
 
"The best thing for me and for everyone else is to disappear."

"You really think it's that easy?" she asked.

Chad picked up the 9mm pistol General Rykker had slipped him.
 
He pulled back the slide and checked the chamber.
 
Satisfied, he put it back in the holster and dropped it in the duffel bag.
 
"They cut the GPS tracker out of me back in Idaho.
 
The Rangers.
 
Garza…"

"The doctors say he might have a chance."

Chad cleared his throat.
 
"I know, it's just not fair.
 
Those men saved my life.
 
They saved you.
 
And every one of them except Captain Alston and Sgt. Garza are dead."
 
He looked down at his hands.
 
"I never wanted any of this…"

Before he could blink, 13 wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his shoulder.
 
"I know.
 
None of us did…I don't miss my father so much.
 
My sister—"

"It's best for everybody if I go.
 
I can't stay down here any longer anyway.
 
It's killing me."

13 abruptly sat up.

"What?" asked Chad.

She tilted her head just enough for Chad to see the tiny receiver in her ear.
 
"They've started the mission.
 
The SEALs are going after Reginald."

Chad stiffened.
 
She hadn't told him everything, but what she
had
revealed about Reginald had been more than scary enough.
 
"So this is it?
 
The final mission?"

She inclined her head again and regarded Chad under a raised eyebrow.
 
"I don't know.
 
I believe he's too smart to be trapped like this.
 
I think…" she held up a finger for silence.
 
Her eyes stared off into the distance, then her face creased in a frown.
 
"I knew this would happen."

"What?
 
What is it?"

"They didn't listen."
 
13's eyes fixed on Chad's.
 
"Something happened with the drone.
 
It was supposed to block off communications from Reginald's fortress, but it got shot down.
 
This is not good…"

Chad frowned and returned to absently packing his bag.
 
He shook his head.
 
"I need to get away from all this.
 
I'm not in the military."

13 nodded and placed a hand on his shoulder.
 
"When this is over, I'll come find you and we can look for our family together."

Chad smiled for her sake.
 
It seemed to be the right thing to do.

"Where will you go?" she asked.

Chad rolled a shoulder.
 
"Dunno.
 
I want to go back to the GNP–"

"The what?"

"Glacier National Park.
 
General Rykker thinks the park's been compromised though.
 
The North Koreans found me once so he's concerned they'll find me again."

Chad fingered the holster and let his hands trace the outline of the pistol it held.
 
"I may have them take me to Alaska.
 
I'm sure there's some kind of military base up there where I can go if I get into trouble."

"It's a sound choice," she said, with a nod but she wouldn't meet his eyes.
 
"They won't look for you that far north.
 
In fact, they probably won't look for you at all–they think you're still locked away here."

"Hopefully," said Chad, stuffing another shirt in the duffel.

She watched him for a moment.
 
"How many people know about your plan?"

"You, Gen. Rykker, and me.
 
And anyone he told, I suppose.
 
Plus Dr. Boatner."

13 pursed her lips and stared at the pistol.
 
She produced a long knife from behind her back.
 
The leather sheath was as long as Chad's forearm.
 
"Here—take this."

Chad gripped the knife and slid it from the sheath.
 
The blade gleamed, reflecting onto the the ceiling.
 
It was beautiful.
 
He saw the long blade appeared razor sharp save for a few nicks and scratches.
 

13's lips compressed into a tight line as her eyes met his.
 
"That knife holds a lot of sentimental value."
 
Her accent came out stronger now.
 
"I don't hold onto many things in this world but this is one of them."

Chad shook his head and tried to hand it back.
 
"I can't take it then."

She reached out and placed her hand over his, curling his fingers around the smooth leather sheath.
 
"You can, and you will.
 
Hold it for me—it will be of no use where I'm going."

"Where are
you
going?" he asked.

"Nowhere I can tell you."
 
She flashed a grin.
 
"I want that back," she said with a wink.
 
"So this means I have to find you.
 
It belonged to my father," she said looking down at the handle.
 
"It's the last thing I have left of my biological family."

Unable to control himself any longer, Chad swung his arms around her shoulders and enveloped her in a warm hug.
 
At first, she was motionless with her arms at her sides, but ultimately gave in and hugged him back.
 
Her head rested on his shoulder and he caught a whiff of her lavender shampoo.