They drove in near silence for two hours, smashing through debris, wrecked and abandoned cars, and overrun military blockades. Every so often, they would hear the ping of a bullet ricochet off the outside of Furio, but had no idea who was taking potshots. They used the reinforced bumper to smash through roaming packs of Skells. There was not much left in the way of boots on the ground containment anymore, as military and first responders had either pulled back or fallen completely, and it was only dusk. By evening, the state of New Jersey would fall completely.
Patrick turned around to address Ivan in his best ‘let’s put the past behind us and make amends tone. “Ivan, you know, after I lost my parents, your dad really helped me out, and I don’t know if I ever expressed to you how much I appreciated that. If he had not covered my tuition costs, I never would have been able to attend college. And when things were really tough on the campaign trail, his support helped us get back our footing.”
Ivan did not meet his gaze. “Well before you get too teary-eyed, Congressman, understand that he had identified you early on, even before your family was torn apart. He realized long ago that you didn’t need to buy politicians when you could simply grow your own.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Pat said defensively. “I was a punk in high school. No way would anyone have even thought I would have even gone to college, not to mention law school and politics. I was a thug.”
Ivan looked over at Patrick. “And yet, look at you now.”
Pat had no reply. Dan did though. “You’re a paranoid schizoid, Gold.”
Ivan turned his attention to Dan. “Oh yeah, how about those Sullivan brothers? You’re war criminals. Shit, there was discussion about where the military would even incarcerate the mutant Sullivan brothers after court martial. Some wanted to put you two in Gitmo. I would have loved to see your two pale Irish asses in with all those camel jockeys. Yet you two come away with a slap on the wrists and walk right into cushy jobs with Dad’s company. How’d that happen? And what about Virgil? What was it like, three years we were out of high school before his father took a dirt nap and V takes over the family business before he’s 21? How many twenty year olds do you know who can run a crime family without ending up dead or in jail? Either of you ever notice any sign of leadership ability in V when we were in school? And what about the esteemed Dr. Woody? Remember that extreme diet and cellular detox drug therapy that he was hawking a couple of years ago? Remember the deaths it caused?”
“I didn’t hear about anyone dying,” Pat declared.
Ivan went on as if Patrick had never spoken. “And the next generation of chosen ones is sitting in your midst.” Ivan turned to Eric. “Kid, if you only knew what was ahead of you...” Ivan looked out the window, but what he was really seeing was not out there on the side of the road. “Your lives have been orchestrated. You were identified by my father long ago, positioned, manipulated, and toyed with. You didn’t know it. Your families didn’t know it. Well most of them didn’t. You played your parts perfectly and you never questioned anything. Don’t feel bad, marionettes rarely look up to see who’s pulling the strings.”
Silence hung in the interior of the car.
“Furio needs fuel,” Ivan said after a long moment.
It took some time before they could find a diesel pump that was not overrun by Skells or destroyed entirely, but eventually they found a service station that was off the beaten path. While Eric pumped the gas, Dan looked over to see Ivan and Marifi huddled together in the distance, having am intense conversation. Dan nudged Pat with his shoulder. “What do you think the Addams family over there is talking about?”
“I don’t know, perhaps discussing if it’s too late to have children?”
Dan moved Pat away from the truck to ensure they were out of all earshot. “Pat, we got a problem here. The sub only fits three, and that number ain’t negotiable. Three’s the limit.”
“I don’t think Ivan and Marifi expect to come along,” Pat said.
“Really? Then why do you suppose they’re here? Look, I ain’t the conspiracy type, but let’s do some figuring here. How do we know how the others in his friggen compound really died? Who’s to say he and that kung-fu wife of his didn’t realize that the sub is a better option than hiding underground like a bunch of gophers? Who’s to say that bunker, as he called it, was real at all? How do we know that it wasn’t some sort of prop, like a movie set built to con people into investing their money into his schemes? They think they’re buying their way out of judgment day, and he’s laughing all the way to bank.
“What if when he figured out our plans for the sub, he sent us off on the rescue mission of the kid as a diversion? Then Ivan and his wife kill off the rest of the freaks in the bunker, and he makes it look like there was some sort of outbreak. ‘Cause maybe he knows that his compound is all smoke and mirrors and now that something bad is really going down, he had to bail, and he realizes our sub is his way out. Who’s to say he ain’t planning on doing it again, killing all of us, and he and that wife of his heading off in our sub into the sunset?”
Pat contemplated that ridiculous scenario, but his legal training had taught him to analyze circumstances from all angles. At the current time and in the current circumstances, all possibilities had to be considered, and perhaps this could not be ruled out as implausible.
“Well I don’t know if we’re all freaked out here, but I got another conspiracy theory for you in that same line of thinking,” Pat said. “Your brother James seems to be fitting in nice and comfortable in an executive role at PCRC. You guys have never been the suit and tie types, but it looks like he is taking to the civilian life pretty well. I have to be honest with you; Jim and I had a discussion the other day about how difficult it is for me to continue my public relationship with him due to you and Jerry. He wants to put the past in the past.”
“Yeah, so, my brother Jim’s gone soft. Who needs him?” Dan said dismissively.
“But does he need you, Dan? You and Jerry are the ties to his past, the anchors you could say are holding him back. How do we know he really wants all us out of here safe and sound? A lot of history is wiped clean with you and Jerry out of the picture. Where is Jerry anyway?”
“Not quite sure. I know Jim said he had something he needed Jerry to do, but we don’t always share a lot of info with each other. Goes with the territory. Sometimes it’s best not to know.”
“Okay, look,” Pat said in a now reassuring tone, “I think we’re both getting a little nuts here. Let’s assume everything is as it seems, and that there is no grand conspiracy, and let’s get down to Cape May.”
“Alright,” Dan agreed, “but just in case, let’s keep an eye out for anyone looking to make a change to the plan.”
They got back into the car to find Marifi sitting alone in the back. Eric finished filling the tank and hopped in.
“Where the hell is Ivan, taking a piss break or something?” Dan asked with a hint of concern in his voice.
“He is not coming,” Marifi responded. “We should go now.”
“What do you mean he’s not coming?” Pat asked with concern. “Where is he?”
“He has left already, I will meet him later,” answered Marifi. “Now let’s go.”
“But Mr. Gold is the reason—” Eric began, but Marifi cut him off.
“You should be going now!” Marifi pointed towards the road behind them.
Skells were starting to emerge in the street, stumbling out of houses. Whatever this was, it was spreading fast and moving south. Pat and Dan exchanged concerned looks about Ivan’s sudden disappearance, but there was nothing they could do. They were not going to abandon the girl and the kid to the encroaching Skells. They drove onward towards their destination. Cape May, Exit 0 off of the Garden State Parkway.