Sons of Abraham: Pawns of Terror (15 page)

“It’s a good plan,” she offered. “I’m not sure about working straight hours again, but it beats starving to death or living in homeless shelters.”

“Maybe I’ll make friends with some doctors,” Jenna continued. “Find a nice, young, cute guy with a Ph.D. I’ll tell him all about my older sister and insist he take you out to dinner.”

Sandra’s eyes opened wide as her mind failed to recall the last time she went out on a date. There was a guy that used to sell stolen data pads, but that was little more than a hookup. She’d spent the last few years fending off Quaid. Other than that, she hadn’t a man in her entire life. The thought filled her with dread.

“Maybe start with a janitor,” she replied. “Then let me work up to the doctors.”

The sisters shared a laugh as Jenna handed over what remained of her berry bar. Sandra took the offering, realizing that her slumber had left her famished. She downed the bar in three bites, getting that she hadn’t a clue where to throw her trash.

“We need to look into this place,” she started. “We’ve been here for hours and we’ve barely looked around.”

“Maybe YOU haven’t,” Jenna replied, putting the datapad down on the table in front of the couch. “I, however, have been through the entire place. I put your stuff upstairs. All the rooms are the same, so no fights about who gets what room. I gave you one of the corner rooms so you could have a better view, though.”

“Thanks,” she replied, realizing that her belongings were missing from the table. “What else is there?”

“There’s only one bathroom,” Jenna started. “But I think we can manage to share. There’s a kitchen and some other rooms too, but some of them need a passcode. I suggest you get a shower before you do anything else.”

Sandra thought back, unable to recall the last time she’d bathed. The thought made her nose wrinkle as she tried not to smell herself. The Hopper had a shower, but the water was barely heated to an acceptable level.

“They have any shower supplies?” she asked.

“Yeah, they left some stuff for us,” Jenna replied. “Just little single service stuff. It’s one of those all-in-one showers. The air dry kinda freaked me out, so be ready when you shut the water off, it’s a pretty big blast of air.”

Sandra nodded as she forced herself back to her feet and went up the stairs. The design of the stairs was simple, just wood steps with a metal rail. She liked the fact that it was a spiral shape, having never used one before. The angle was steep, forcing her to lift her feet higher than she felt comfortable with, but she managed. The hallway at the top of the stairs was plain. The floor was the same wood as the steps, with plain white trim and light gray walls. There was a window at the end, sunlight pouring through the vacant space. There were six doors, three per side. She went to the far corner until she saw her bags resting on the bed. She pulled out some clothes and returned to the hall, finding the shower nearest to the staircase.

She avoided the mirror, choosing to look herself over AFTER she’d cleaned up. The plain white sink was wide, with two faucets and drains sharing the same basin. It hadn’t occurred to her that the Cybers was likely programmed to share facilities, not caring for their own privacy. She couldn’t imagine living life without humility as she peeled her clothes off and dumped them on a pile in the middle of the floor.

The shower came to life as soon as she opened the door, with three squares spraying water in an arching mist. She backed up, realizing that there was a digital control panel on the outside wall. She raised the temperature, then pressed the various blocks on the white screen to see what settings were available. The shower poured a heavy stream, with all three blocks converging into one flow. The next cycle was a spray, then two different pulsating bursts, and finally back to the mist. She went back to the spray setting and stepped into the shower, sliding the white panel closed behind her.

The hot water felt refreshing as she opened a bar of soap from the shelf opposite the door. She scrubbed her face, noting the dark water that was coming off in her hands. She followed with washing her hair as streams of soapy water slid down her naked body. She thought back to what Jenna had said about dating as she looked down, wondering if men would find her body appealing. Quaid hadn’t counted as the man had little options other than her. Her pale skin was lined with lean muscles, gained from scaling walls and lugging whatever they salvaged from wrecks and buildings. Her diet left her fat percentage low, showing all of her ribs and joints. The only conclusion she could make was that she could stand to put on a few pounds.

She finished rinsing the soap from her body, taking a few minutes to simply enjoy the luxury she’d once taken for granted. The water remained hot, causing the air to steam and fog the room. There was another control panel inside the shower, resting to the left of the third sprayer block. Satisfied that she was clean, she brought the screen to life and pressed the ‘off’ button. The water died as a new sound filled the small shower. For the first time, she noted that there were dozens of holes in the walls of the shower. She closed her eyes and braced herself as she was blasted with warm air. Her hair circled over her head as the water was blown from her body. She felt the skin of her triceps and butt flap a bit in the cyclone, making her feel a little self-conscious about sitting so much. Mercifully, the blasting wind stopped, leaving her hair dry and pressed against her face and neck.

“Didn’t even buy me dinner,” she muttered.

************

“Showing Jones the plans for the new haven was reckless,” the screen declared. “There is nothing to gain by sharing the information with him. I will require you to explain your actions.”

Lache straightened his tie and sat up straight in his seat. The transition from the high humidity outside to the climate control of the Divinity Corporation headquarters left him feeling flush. In his youth, the transition wouldn’t have bothered him. Old age, however, often left him with new pains and health issues, seemingly increasing with each passing day.

“Jones possesses a keen intellect,” Lache started, his voice high and raspy. “However, there is a peculiarity to the man which I seldom see these days. He is a living contradiction of insightfulness, ruthlessness, and a dozen other ‘nesses’ to which I shall not waste your time explaining. I was merely testing our asset. He’s worked for us for a number of years now, yet we know so little about the man. Where was he born, how old is he, and where did he obtain his skills? I’ve had him followed and researched by the greatest sleuths in the business, yet all of them come up empty when I ask these questions. The man barely flinched when I showed him the layout of the new city, nor when he realized that we were the ones who stole the last terraship. He even had the nerve to call me out on the lies I offered him. There is much more to this man than his ability to access the Cybers. I dare say he may be of further use to us when we reach our next target.”

“I see,” the voice on the other end of the screen told him. “You have shown a keen ability to sniff out talent wherever it may lie. I will ignore your inability to keep secret files secret, for now. Tell me, what of the efforts on the Parasus moon? Have all the assets been recovered?”

“Yes, they have,” Lache replied. “There are a few soldiers remaining behind to ensure no witnesses have been left. I’m expecting their call any moment.”

“Good. Can Dr. Green reproduce her findings in a new surrounding? I suspect the materials we’ve recovered will not be enough to carry out my plans.”

The materials. Lache picture the large cylinders that were being taken by harriers to their new location. The sheer destruction contained within each cylinder was an abomination to mankind. Their very existence broke every interplanetary law as well as the Geneva Convention doctrine. He shuddered to think that his superiors required more of the destructive devices.

“She claims she can,” Lache finally replied. “It’ll take some work to obtain the necessary elements, but moving the facility closer to the source should aid in speeding up the process. She hopes to have an update within the next week.”

“The next week?” the voice asked. “I don’t recall setting the deadline out so far. By my recollection, she should have the task completed within the next three days. The move was performed on schedule, so I am baffled by her delays.”

“I understand,” Lache started. “I will remind her that the deadline was already been established. She will require more ships for transport, of course, but I have already planned on this request. I will see to the matter personally.”

“Of course, you will. Now tell me what the President is planning to counter our efforts.”

“He’s attempting to revive an old institution, formerly known as the Department of Homeland Security, or the DHS as they commonly refer to it. It was a criminal justice program back when the United States was still an active nation. DHS was charged with protecting the country internally, more or less.”

“That could be troublesome. Who is Garber suggesting LEAD this Homeland Security?”

“Colonel Andrew Gates,” Lache muttered against his will.

“Gates!” the voice snapped. “Tell me our insider is blocking Garber’s attempt.”

“She has tried,” Lache continued. “So far, she has managed to persuade the President into calling a meeting between the Council and members of Earth’s government. She fears it will only delay his efforts.”

“With Gates heading up this protection agency, we will certainly be discovered,” the voice started. “This agency CANNOT be allowed to see daylight. We are in no position to go to war with the Earth’s military. I believe it’s time to start plan B.”

Lache swallowed hard, uncertain if he’d heard correctly. His mind told him that the man had said ‘plan b,’ but he was unwilling to accept that they had reached this juncture. Still, he was in no position to question his superior.

“It will be done,” Lache replied, forcing confidence. “It’s a rather tedious plan that will require much time to set up. I’ll expedite the process, of course, but I will require more manpower than I currently possess.”

“Consider it done,” the voice proclaimed. “Task Jaeger with the work on Earth. I want you to oversee our off-world affairs. Make no mistake, Lache, if we miss this opportunity, we shall ALL burn for it.”

“I understand,” he muttered.

His last words were pointless as the transmission had already been terminated. His hands trembled as his mind worked through the details. He reached for the silver watch wrapped around his narrow wrist and pressed the small button on the upper right side. A moment later, the door to his office opened as Hannah Beam and Jaeger entered.

“You called Mr. Lache?” Hannah asked, her plump lips forming a fake smile.

“Yes, I did,” he started. “Please close the door.”

Jaeger faced forward, using his foot to kick the door shut. Hannah frowned, knowing that the kick would leave a scuff mark on the wood, one that SHE would have to clean up.

“We are going to plan B,” he muttered. “Jaeger will handle everything here on Earth, you and I need to take a ship to Parasus.”

“Plan B?” Hannah cried. “That’s a little drastic, isn’t it? Surely there is some other way?”

“It is not our place to question,” Jaeger snapped, the muscles under his tanned skin flexing in anger. “If Mr. Lache says we move to plan B, then we move to plan B.”

Hanna opted not to turn around, knowing that the Cyber was boring a hole through her back with his scanning eyes. She often wondered how deep those cybernetic eyes could see, making her ponder covering herself the next time he looked at her. She never thought Jaeger to be perverted, but there was something unsettling about the tall man.

“One more thing,” Lache started. “I should have heard from the moon station of Parasus. Has either of you received a message? They’re an hour late already. I just lied to my superiors, telling them that the final sweep was underway. Make certain that I don’t have to lie once more.”

Jaeger nodded and left the room, leaving Hannah alone with her boss. The man closed his eyes, allowing the exhaustion of space travel to settle into his muscles and bones. Hannah frowned, knowing that the man had little strength left in his body.

“Can I get you anything?” she asked.

“A new body,” Lache snapped. “This one seems to be on its last wheel.”

“I understand Sir,” she replied, downloaded the local news onto his tablet. Dinner was coming up and Mr. Lache always liked READING the news versus watching it. Sometimes, she wondered if his generation would be the last to read such things as newspapers, now that the industry was down to its last few sources. Most forms of media didn’t bother with print anymore, streaming live feed reporters twenty-four seven.

“I highly doubt that,” he muttered, opening his eyes. “What are you, twenty-five? You couldn’t possibly imagine the fear of having your body fail you. It happens so slow at first, a gray hair here, a wrinkle there. Before you know it, you can barely control your own bladder. You would think, with all this technology that surrounds us, science would be able to make life after one hundred a little more dignifying. It’s absurd really, almost perverse like someone enjoys watching us return to our helpless stages of infancy.”

Hannah finished the download, then opened the menu to Lache’s favorite restaurant. She placed the order with the usual stipulations for low sodium, low fat, low everything. The order was confirmed before she left the tablet on the table for her boss, then stood straight and smoothed the wrinkles out of her red blouse.