CHAPTER 20

“I thought you were someone else,” I say by way of explanation. “I’m on my way out to work,” I add as I move to shut the door behind me.

“We’re conducting routine house inspections in this area Mr. Anders, we won’t take up too much of your time,” the taller Ranger says as he extends his arm and stops the front door from closing.

“Raina! I have a problem,” I call out silently.

“I’ll tell Agent Dale, do what you can to stall them.”

“Step aside,” the smaller Ranger says.

“Can’t this wait till later? My supervisor in Ceut won’t be happy if I’m late.”

“Step aside,” he replies again, but this time in a stricter tone; it reminds me of the way our teacher, Mr. Weaver, used to speak to us kids in school. I reluctantly comply.

“A little help Raina?” I silently plead.

The taller Ranger moves down the corridor and into the living room. The smaller Ranger starts to mount the stairs. If he spots all my computer equipment he’ll immediately report it and the house will be deluged in minutes. I have to stop him! I move stealthily up the stairs after him. He’s just about to open the door into my bedroom when I grab hold of his shirt and pull him back towards me. I use the elbow maneuver Agent Leena showed us; I slam my elbow up at a forty-five degree angle, under his chin and forcefully into his adam’s apple. He instantly collapses onto the ground, struggling to breathe. Though temporarily incapacitated, I know it won’t be for long.

“Hey, what’s going on up there?” the other Ranger shouts out as he hears the commotion. I appear at the top of the stairs as he reaches into his shirt pocket for his communicator. Suddenly he is yanked back at speed as I spot a pair of arms that grab him from behind, he’s immediately rendered unconscious.

“Forward,” the soldier calls out, and five men in Clementia-issue military fatigues jump over the slumped body on the ground, and run up the stairs. I move sideways to let them pass as I descend. “Mr. Anders, you have two minutes to pack your belongings and come with us. It won’t take long to notice he’s missing,” the commanding soldier says as he prods the unconscious Ranger with his foot.

“There’s another one upstairs.”

“My men will handle it, just get your stuff and let’s get out of here.” I understand the urgency so I mount the stairs two at a time. The Ranger is still flat out on the floor, moaning softly, although he’s trying to sit up. One of the soldiers punches him in the face and he slumps to the ground.

I have to pin my back to the wall as the other soldiers carry the equipment out of my room. Once the room has freed up I dash in and snatch my rucksack from under the bed and start throwing in clothes and other possessions. “Evac now!” comes the order from downstairs. I throw a last quick look around my room, clutch the framed photo from my desk and sprint down the stairs after them. The soldier shoves me quickly through the basement door and pulls it shut behind him. I hear footsteps running in the tunnel ahead of me and I follow suit. I’m a fast runner, but I can still feel the soldier behind me nipping at my heels. Finally, we reach the entry point and I realize that, in my hurry, I’ve forgotten my new Clementia ID watch.

“Damn it, I forgot my ID watch,” I turn and tell the soldier at my back.

“I’ll vouch for you,” he says as he scans his watch, places his fingerprint on the digital pad and then enters a password. The gate opens and we both enter.

“What if the Rangers find it?”

“Don’t concern yourself with it,” he says as I hear a huge rumbling noise echoing in the near distance.

“What was that?”

“Nothing for you to worry about,” comes the unnerving reply.

The soldier deposits me in Central Control and tells me to wait there for Agent Dale; he arrives a few minutes later. “That was too close,” he says.

“Tell me about it.”

“We got everything out so that’s a good result,” he says.

“I left my ID watch behind,” I tell him as I watch his reaction carefully. Agent Dale doesn’t flinch and I know something’s up. “What was the sound I heard?”

“We blew up your house,” he replies calmly.

“What!?” I ask incredulously.

“Won’t that draw huge suspicion?”

“It may, but what other choice did we have? Remember the tunnel network linked directly to your house, we couldn’t risk it.”

“What about the Rangers?” I ask.

“Necessary casualties of war,” he says plainly.

“They didn’t actually see anything,” I tell him as a sense of apprehension envelops me. “True, but we couldn’t take any chances,” he says unemotively.

“So what now?”

“You go underground,” he tells me.

“Into hiding?”

“Yes. You can join the others in the barracks, at least now you have the capacity to work fulltime for us,” he says.

“Do the authorities think I died too?” I ask as the plan becomes clearer.

“Yes, they’ll find three bodies.” I daren’t ask how they acquired a replacement for me.

“My family will think I’m dead,” I say unhappily.

“Once we’ve wrested control from the authorities, you’ll have your freedom back and you can be reunited with them again.” None of this is sitting easily with me, but I’ve made my bed, I tell myself.

Agent Dale formally introduces me to the soldier who orchestrated my extraction. Soldier Boyd is instructed to escort me to my new living quarters as the barracks are a fair distance from the operational side of the tunnel network. We come out of the tunnel infrastructure momentarily to pass through a huge field, the grass is long and thick and we are easily concealed as we make our way across the space. “What’s this place?” I ask.

“Old baseball field,” he says succinctly. We come out of the grass immediately into a dense wooded area and Soldier Boyd opens up a hidden grid in the side of a tree that is the entry point for the tunnelled living quarters. We climb down the steel ladder and come out into a long narrow corridor. Rounding the corner to the left we come into a huge communal area divided into distinct living sections. There’s a massive kitchen with various cooking points, right beside it is obviously the dining area; I count fifteen large tables with adjoining benches. To my left are several bathrooms and to my right is a huge living room. At the far end of the living area is a room with a pool table, table tennis, some gym equipment, piano and some guitars. There’s a large bookcase positioned against the back wall stocked high with paperback books, CDs and DVDs, Ari would be in her element here. Recreation doesn’t seem high on the list of priorities for Clementia so I wonder when anyone gets a chance to use these facilities.

Soldier Boyd then brings me back out the way we came to the top of the corridor and this time we take a right turn towards the separate living compartments. I pass by door after door until finally we come to a stop. “This apartment is yours,” he says as he hands me a key card; I insert the card and the door opens. I turn to thank him, but he’s already departed. Bit of an odd sort, yet I’m grateful for all he’s done for me today.

I shut the door behind me as I drop my rucksack on the ground. “Damn it!” I say out loud as I realize that I must have left my framed photo back in Central Control, at least I hope that’s where it is. I won’t forgive myself if I’ve lost it somewhere along the way. The apartment is compact but sufficient. I have a small separate bathroom, bedroom, living area and kitchenette. The tiny kitchen contains a microwave, toaster, kettle and small refrigerator. There is a two-ring hob beside two cupboards, enough to scramble together some snacks but not a proper cooking facility. Clearly all meals must be eaten in the communal area, I wish I’d thought to ask Soldier Boyd about the arrangements.

I unpack my belongings pretty quickly. I place the photo of my mother and Elijah, and the one of me with Ari’s family, on the locker beside my bed. “Zane, are you settled yet?” I hear Raina silently ask me.

“Just about, where are you?” I ask in silent reply.

“In the communal kitchen, come join me.”

“On my way,” I tell her as I take the keycard and leave my apartment.

There are a few people in the kitchen when I arrive. I notice Raina at the far end and walk over to join her. “How do you like your coffee?” she asks me.

“Black, no sugar.”

“Would you like something to eat?” she asks. I realize that I haven’t eaten since last night and I’m hungry.

“Food would be good.”

“Chicken sandwich, OK?” she asks, as she takes a plastic container out of the refrigerator.

“Perfect.” We take our sandwiches and coffee into the dining area and take a seat at one of the empty tables.

“How does the communal arrangement work?” I ask her.

“Chefs come in every day to serve up breakfast and dinner. They leave sandwiches and salad in the refrigerator for lunch options, outside of that you can use the cooking facilities yourself. The refrigerators and pantry are re-stocked every other day, just take whatever you need.”

“How many live here?” I ask curiously.

“If I had to guess I’d say almost two hundred.”

“And everyone works fulltime for Clementia now?”

“Yes, anyone that’s here is in hiding for a reason. I’ll introduce you to some of them tonight, if you make it back for dinner,” she says with a knowing smile.

“They’ll work me to the bone, huh?” I say.

“Something like that,” she says with a smile.

“Zane Anders to IT please,” the voice announces to the room. I look around for the source and spot several speakers embedded in the ceiling.

“It’s their usual method of communicating,” Raina says. “You also have a phone in your room which connects to many of the operational facilities, they probably tried you on it first but you weren’t there to pick up.”

“I better make tracks and see what they want, can we try hook up later?” I ask.

“Sure thing.”

Rui is waiting for me when I arrive. All my equipment has been delivered and I check all the cables and connections to ensure that everything is in working order; it is. Rui shows me to my workspace and I’m pleased that all my screens and files appear intact. I’m delighted to see my framed photo taking center stage, I have to hand it to Solider Boyd, he runs a tight ship.

I make a major breakthrough and work until midnight. Raina stops by at nine with a plate of food and gently reprimands me; I arrange to meet with her tomorrow morning first thing. I report my findings to Agent Dale and he’s thrilled with the news, “I’ll schedule a briefing with the others.”

I make my way back to my living quarters in the dead of night. The field is spookily quiet, the only sound is the slight whistling of the grass as it blows in the light night breeze. I sprint the whole way across and I’m glad when I reach the tree that brings me down to my new tunnelled home. I glance quickly into the communal area, but it’s in complete darkness.

My new bed is very comfortable and it doesn’t take me long to nod off.

Ari tells Cal that I tried to communicate with her.

She heard me! I sit bolt upright in the bed. I look at the clock, it’s only 4.30 a.m.; too early to message Raina but I’m pumped, if I got through to her once I can do it again! I lie back down and try to quiet my busy brain, it’s no good though and I can’t find the peace to fall back asleep. My mind wanders to thoughts of Isla, I think she’s at real risk of imminent discovery and she needs to be evacuated. I resolve to ask Agent Dale tomorrow.

Raina is pleased with the news when I tell her at breakfast. “That’s excellent Zane. I have to be honest, I didn’t think it had any chance of success, with such a huge distance to bridge. The two of you must have shared a very strong connection indeed.”

“We did ... we do.”

“Tell me about her,” she says and I do. I tell her how we met, became friends, fell in love; how distraught I was when we were torn apart, my anguish as she grows closer to Cal, Malcolm’s warning about him. She remains silent throughout although she nods her head or smiles sympathetically from time to time.

When I’ve finished speaking she says, “You clearly love her a great deal. Did she feel the same?”

“Definitely.”

“You know the saying, the course of true love never runs smooth? Well, if you two are meant to be together then it will happen,” she says sagely.

***

Rui and I are comparing notes when Agent Leena appears in the room. “Zane, I have your new ID watch,” she says as she passes it to me. “Also, you’re both required to attend the update meeting at 2 p.m.,” she tells us.

The session kicks off promptly. It’s the same group as last time with the addition of Dr. Hann. This time Agent Dale is fully in command, Micha Kloon doesn’t even attempt to usurp his authority, I wonder who has had a word in her ear. “The new magnetic chip prototype that Zane created with Dr. Hann is in test phase with our sympathizers in Region 9, so far it’s working beautifully,” Agent Dale says before adding,“however, it’s only a temporary fix so Dr. Hann is continuing to search for a permanent solution. Once the authorities become aware of its existence it will cease to serve a purpose. In the short term, it will enable our rescue team to get up to – and move around – Novo incognito. It’s also protecting our sympathizers from detection and incarceration so it’s a positive step forward,” he says.

“Does it override the kill switch?” Chancellor Corr asks.

“We don’t know, it’s naturally not something we can test,” Dr. Hann replies.

“What’s the progress on finding a permanent solution?” he asks.

“It’s difficult to progress without more knowledge of the exact composition and functionality of the Vita. We had enough information to create the chip but without more data finding a permanent fix is extremely challenging,” Dr. Hann says.

“What’s the IT update?” Chancellor Corr asks.

“I’ve managed to hack into their mainframe system undetected,” I say. I see a few excited looks around the table. “I need to record and copy all log-ins and passwords, firewall protections and the internal system code. Once I’ve done that I can disable or override anything you want me to,” I tell them.

“That’s excellent news Zane, well done,” Chancellor Corr says, “we have an idea we’re brainstorming presently, you keep working away and we’ll update you in due course.”

“Of course sir,” I reply.

“There’s one thing that would be useful to obtain now if possible,” Agent Dale says.

“What do you need?” I ask.

“Can you see if it’s possible to retrieve the recorded data the authorities have on file for a list of our most important sympathizers? I’ll provide the names.”

“I’ll see what I can find,” I tell him.

“Good. Rui, if Zane is able to extract this data, do you think you could manipulate it to suit our purpose?” Agent Dale asks.

“That shouldn’t be a problem,” Rui replies.

A few other agenda items are discussed before Agent Dale brings the meeting to a close. Everyone else has left the room when I approach him with my request for Isla’s evacuation, he promises to check it out and revert back to me later on.

***

I am engrossed in my work so I don’t hear her creep up on me. “Surprise!” she shouts in my ear and I swear I jump ten feet off the ground.

“Jeez Isla, you half scared me to death!” I say but I’m genuinely pleased to see her. “Is it safe for you to be here?” I ask, suddenly worried about her.

“Oh, you don’t know then,” she says.

“Know what?”

“I live here now,” she says as she grins widely.

“Agent Dale is a fast worker. I only asked him this morning.”

“You asked for me to be brought here?” she enquires.

“Yeah, am I in trouble?”

“Are you kidding?” she screams out, as she flings her arms around me. “This is the best thing ever. The fact that you put in the request is the icing on the cake,” she says. Then she looks at me with a frown and pulls her arms back to her sides. “Why did you do it Zane?” she asks quietly.

“I was worried about you, after what happened in my house. Besides, who else can stop you from mouthing off?” I say half serious, half in jest. I’m rewarded with a mock punch to the head.

“Funny guy,” she says but I can tell she’s pleased. “You’re one of the good guys, you know that?” she says in a moment of unusual sincerity.

Later that night, as we sneak our way back into the forbidden hangar, I’m questioning the wisdom of bringing her to live here at all. “Isla! Don’t make me regret my decision,” I hiss at her as we crawl on all fours around the metal floor. We have to maneuver carefully around the storage boxes that are lining the inner back wall. There’s a huge volume of boxes occupying the space, I’m sure they weren’t there the last time. Of course, Little Miss Inquisitive can’t help herself, she has opened one of the boxes before I can stop her.

“What the hell is all this stuff?” she asks as she starts to lift items up to inspect them.

“Wait, give me that,” I say urgently; she hands me the large chunk of metal she’s holding in her two hands. It’s jagged on one side as if it’s been torn from a larger piece. I see the serial number imprinted on the bottom right-hand corner. Rui was the one who informed me of how all components in a government issued stealth-craft are labelled with the same serial number. He explained it was to identify each unique craft and to easily replicate the piece if a replacement was needed. I would recognize that number anywhere, I spent hours on the Clementia systems trying to find any trace of it. My heart is pulsating rapidly and I can feel the sweat as it rolls down my back. There is no denying the evidence, I feel it solidly in my hand.

This broken piece came from Commander Skyee’s stealth-craft.