The Traveler (21 page)

His boot kicked at a small bush that had entwined itself around an object that was solid. He reached down and cleared away the undergrowth and then his eyes widened in surprise. He lifted the heavy piece and examined it with a smile, knowing that the theory about the Iranian experiments were accurate. In his hands was that proof. The large golden eagle was ornate and tinged with mold but was otherwise intact. The shaft that once attached the eagle had long since vanished but the object was as familiar to Everett as his own flag. The Roman numeral for nine, IX, marked the eagle as the standard for the famous and very much ancient Ninth Legion of the Roman Empire. The very same legion that had mysteriously vanished during the occupation of Britain.

Carl allowed the eagle to slide from his hands as he felt the shudder of the earth beneath his feat. As he looked around at the growing darkness, the ashfall began in earnest.

The rumble of Mount Erebus proclaimed that if the animal life in Antarctica didn't get him, the volcano would.

Carl Everett knew that he and the last continent on earth that wasn't frozen over were now living on borrowed time.

Antarctica was beginning its death throes.

EVENT GROUP COMPLEX, NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, NEVADA

Jason Ryan tugged at the loose-fitting desert BDUs he was issued. Colonel Collins had issued orders that any field teams would go in the guise of Army Corps of Engineers as their cover, thus the desert BDUs with their computer-designed camouflage. He saw his reflection in the white plastic wall of the curving hallway as he made his way to the cafeteria. As well as the blue and red tattoo that seemed to make people, women especially, step a wide path around him, the new military clothing line did not meet with his approval.

He was about to step into the large eating area when he saw something that made him stop at the entrance and watch. The three women moved as if they were in the midst of a prison break. He shook his head as he watched Alice Hamilton, Sarah McIntire, and Anya Korvesky turn a corner heading for the bank of air-cushioned elevators. He started to walk in for his lunch and then decided what he had seen didn't quite look right. He turned away and followed. At the corner he saw them enter the elevator and he watched from the rounded corner as the doors closed. He watched the elevator's annunciator as it traveled down only two levels to nine. He went to the second lift and followed.

*   *   *

The knock on the clean room door brought Xavier Morales's head up. He closed the electronic pad he was using and then looked at Charlie. He shrugged.

“If they don't have clearance they will go away,” Ellenshaw said as he turned back to his own electronic pad and perused an old geology report on back-scanner results from the Antarctic.

Suddenly the door buzzed and it slid open.

“I guess whoever it is has the clearance,” Morales said as he watched the doorway.

Alice Hamilton smiled as she, Anya, and Sarah walked into the clean room. They had the required antistatic clothing and hairnets, which made them look like nurses. Xavier had reinstituted clean room policy until he got the kinks worked out on the nervous breakdown, as he called it, of Europa.

“Mrs. Hamilton, ladies, what may I help you with?” Xavier asked politely, not liking the smile on the older woman's face.

“Uh, Niles would be hard-pressed to know why you're here,” Charlie said timidly.

Alice only smiled and looked at Ellenshaw until he swallowed and turned away. Then Alice placed a hand on Charlie's shoulder and leaned in.

“How many field assignments did I okay with your name on them when you weren't cleared to go?”

Charlie looked at Xavier and half smiled.

“A few,” Ellenshaw said.

Alice squeezed a little on his shoulder. “Charlie, how many?”

“Six … uh,” he said as she squeezed again, the way Garrison taught her a million years before, “Ah, ah, okay, nine, nine.”

Alice looked at the two women with her. “Charlie's adventures, I call them.” She turned and looked at Xavier. “Hello,” she said as she rolled a chair over and sat next to Morales's own wheelchair.

“Mrs. Hamilton, I can guess why you ladies are here. And I have caught up on not only these members and their personnel files, but yours also. ‘Perused' may be a better word. But on the advice of Director Compton I spent an inordinate amount of time on
your
particular personnel file, Mrs. Hamilton.”

Alice kept the smile on her face but inside she cursed Niles for his vision.

“What you have done for this agency and her charter is nothing short of amazing. You and former Director Lee, you could field volumes of adventure novels, but what you came for today cannot happen. I can guess, from listening to other Group members, and from your file that you are here to represent these ladies and argue that they should be listed on any field team action. That, I dare say, is out of my control.”

“We have a large stake in this mission,” Anya said, but then stopped when she saw Alice look her way and then imperceptibly shake her head. Anya got the hint. Sarah knew enough in her years at Group to let Alice handle the subversion tactics.

“You want Europa to insert your names into the mission profile if anything is found, right?” Charlie asked, and then looked away when Alice raised her beautiful eyebrow at him. He decided to allow Xavier to try to stop the unstoppable force of the Event Group.

“I believe both Anya and Sarah will complement any field team if and when they are a go,” Alice said as she eyed the young Morales. “There was one reason I was onboard when your name came up as a replacement for Pete, and Niles and Jack both agreed.”

“Because I'm handsome and the best computer man in the world?” Xavier asked with a wink and a smile.

“No, because you have a soul. You think outside of the box, as they say, as recently demonstrated by your unadvised foray into the world of worldwide drug cartels. You do what you think is right, no matter what the personal danger is to yourself.”

Xavier felt the trap as it slowly closed.

“And these ladies have the same right as yourself. They want to be on this mission, but Jack won't allow it because, to tell you the truth, it's just far too hazardous. We feel you can work your way around that stipulation somewhat.”

Xavier produced a list from his shirt pocket and then wheeled his chair around and handed the list to Anya. She looked it over and Alice and Sarah both saw the smile start to form on the young Gypsy's mouth.

“What is it?” Sarah asked.

“It's the mission roster that Europa recommended to Niles over an hour ago.”

Alice again raised her brows and then accepted the list from Anya. She looked down at the bottom.

“Dr. Morales, Europa has a certain protocol in her system that is basically a countersign to warn someone if the order actually originated with the Cray system.” She held out the list and pointed to the lower right-hand corner. “If the recommendation originated with Europa, there would be a series of numbers and code right here.” She tapped the lower right-hand corner with an elegant red nail. She looked at Xavier and returned his wry wink.

“It seems I've been caught,” Xavier said as he turned toward the glass and the visage of Europa beyond. “You could have said something about the code, Europa,” he said, shaking his head.

Europa didn't respond. It sat silent with its billions of bubbles slowly rising and falling in their elongated acrylic tanks.

“What does that mean?” Anya asked as Charlie grimaced.

“It means that our new friend here manually entered the mission roster,” Charlie said, knowing what Xavier had done. “If you're caught, Niles will forego the welcoming party for you and turn it into a necktie soiree. He will hang you, Doctor.”

For once Alice agreed that Charlie had the right call. Her plan was to seduce the young whiz and then if caught do what she always had, pull rank and then take the responsibility. She handed the mission roster back to Xavier and smiled.

“I'll correct this immediately,” was all he said.

“As of this minute, if asked, you will say you were coerced into issuing the roster by me … understand, young man?”

Xavier looked at Alice and then just nodded. Anya for her part was more of a romantic and leaned over and pecked the computer genius on the cheek. He smiled in embarrassment.

“Yeah, you'll fit in just fine with us Group of pirates,” Sarah said as she, Anya, and Alice left the clean room.

“You may have gained the respect of Alice, Anya, and Sarah, but if Niles finds out you falsified a Europa recommendation, even for Alice, oh, mama!” Charlie hissed.

“In my short years of life on this messed-up planet I have come to one resolute conclusion: never, ever allow rules to get in the way of discovery and investigation. They deserve to go.”

Charlie looked at Xavier and had to admit that he might be the answer to the absence of Pete Golding, after all. Pete would have done it without having to be asked by Alice, just as the kid had just done.

“Uh, you didn't falsify my spot on the mission roster, did you?” Ellenshaw asked.

“No, of course not. Dr. Compton specifically called for you to go.”

Charlie smiled, feeling his worth.

“He may just be wanting to get rid of you.” Ellenshaw lost the smile and then looked toward Europa, unnerved by the comment.

Morales smiled at his small joke.

*   *   *

The three women had stopped just outside of the clean room when they came face-to-face with the tattooed Ryan. He saw the guilty look on Sarah's and Anya's faces but only a wry smile from Alice.

“All right, what's going on?”

“Absolutely nothing, Mr. Ryan,” Alice said as she stepped to the side and tried to pass, but Jason stepped to his right and blocked the escape, forcing Anya and Sarah to bump into her backside.

“You're kidding me, right?” he asked as he took a step back so he could see all three faces. “After all of these years you're going to claim that, to me?”

“Mr. Ryan, I assure you that—”

“Save it. Now, what are you doing? Does this have something to do with you three being left off the duty roster?”

“I can most assuredly say not,” Alice said as she stared Ryan down.

“Liar, liar, culottes on fire.”

“Okay, Mr. Ryan, I want these ladies to have a spot on that roster. They need to be there. Anya in case Carl is not found, Sarah because she knows it's in all probability that Jack won't be coming back. They can handle the danger.”

“Alice,” Jason said holding his ground. “I was recruited into the Group by men who I respect above all others. If they say to keep something to a minimum, like personnel on a mission, I do it. I found out the hard way that going against the colonel's recommended manpower structure tends to get my ass chewed on, so this is self-preservation.”

“Jason—” Sarah started but then stopped when Ryan became angry.

“Listen, the mission will be hazardous enough, and no matter what coercion you just used on the new kid in there, it won't change anything. Dr. Compton will see right through it, and if for some far-out reason he doesn't, Jack will. The answer is no.”

“Damn,” Alice said as she turned to the two disappointed women.

“He's turned into a snitch for the director,” Sarah said, aghast that Ryan, a usual conspirator in crime with the rest of them, had turned his back on the two women.

“It's not Jason, it's Jack.” Alice looked at them and then waved them onward. “Come on, ladies, we'll be expected in the director's office at anytime for our royal ass chewing.”

“Great,” was all Sarah said, knowing Jack would be informed of her crimes against his orders.

BROOKLYN NAVY YARD

The three bodyguards had waited inside the outer office area. The visitors to the doorway had not taken the time to examine the equipment in the PIT, even though the gruff little man with the cigar had thrown a fit when his boss told him to wait on someone named Virginia. The large man, Julien, waited by the doors of the elevator as his cell phone chimed.

“Yes, ma'am,” he said as his eyes watched the annunciator above the large elevator rise. “They what? Ma'am, I warned you, the world will find out if we allow this. I will try, Madam.” He closed the cell phone and then looked at his two companions and with just a flick of his eyes they knew they had problems. “Madam is about to be taken into custody by federal authorities.”

The two men immediately spread out just before the elevator doors opened. The large Julien pulled a nine-millimeter Smith & Wesson from his shoulder holster and waited in front of the doors. They opened just as he cocked the weapon.

It was empty.

He felt the brush of cooler air from behind as the pistol cocked. He felt the pressure of the weapon against the back of his head.

“Now what were you planning to do with this?” the voice said as a hand reached around and removed the nine millimeter from his beefy hand. Will Mendenhall tossed the weapon back to Collins as Henri Farbeaux finished disarming the other two bodyguards.

“We didn't have orders to harm you,” Julien said as he was quickly frisked by Will and then pushed over with his two companions.

Jack looked at the weapon Will had tossed to him and ejected the ammunition clip from its handle, but remained silent.

“Madam does not deserve this,” Julien said as he lowered his hands when he realized they weren't going to kill him. “She is one of the greatest women of all time, and you have her arrested?”

Jack and the others could see the passion these men had for their matriarch and he respected that. He still remained silent as he studied the three men. After all, this Julien fellow seemed very talkative.

“We were going to ensure the doorway did not fall into government hands. We cannot allow that.”