A Hole in the Sky (26 page)

The delegation included an old man and a middle-aged woman, both of whom were sharing a large umbrella. Two bodyguards brought up the rear. One was bare-headed in spite of the rain and armed with a V7 Splicer. The other wore a knit cap pulled down over his ears and was carrying what Hunter recognized as an
HVAP Wraith minigun. And judging from the way he held it, the man with the cap knew what he was doing.

Both weapons had clearly been chosen because of the horrific damage they could inflict on the tightly massed regulators. Suddenly, Hunter wondered if the show of force had been a good idea. But it was too late to redeploy his men, so all he could do was put a good face on things. “Good morning,” Hunter said, raising a hand to touch the brim of his hat. “Like I said earlier, my name is Tom Hunter.”

“I’m Terri Locke,” the woman replied, as she looked up at the man who loomed over her. “The man on my right is Mr. Potter. I’m the mayor and he’s a member of the city council.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Hunter said. “I don’t like having guns aimed at me. Please tell your bodyguards to point those weapons somewhere else.”

“And we don’t like uninvited guests,” Terri replied grimly. “Order your men to pull out—and I’ll tell my men to lower their weapons.”

Hunter wasn’t used to push-back and didn’t like it. But his orders were clear: Bring people into the empire peacefully if possible. He forced a smile. “Have it your way. Who knows? Maybe we’ll be on the same side soon. Judge Ramsey is trying to unite all of the local communities under a single government. He calls it the New American Empire.”

“Why?” Terri inquired suspiciously. “So he can run everything?”

“No,” Hunter replied patiently. “So we can fight the stinks more effectively and take our country back.”

“That’s what the federal government is for.”

“Really?” Hunter said sarcastically. “What has the federal government done for you lately? More than that, where the hell
are
they?

“Whereas we’re right here. And we can offer you and your citizens more protection than you can provide for yourselves, health care from a
real
doctor, and vaccinations against the Chimeran virus.”

Hunter saw the look on Terri’s face and nodded. “You heard correctly. I’ve been vaccinated and so have my men. So if a Spinner bites one of us we won’t turn. Nor will our families. And that’s a powerful incentive to join up. What do you say?”

“That’s a wonderful development if true,” Terri replied. “But a decision to place Haven under Judge Ramsey’s leadership and control is no small thing. Especially in light of the fact that one of our residents used to live in Tunnel-Through—and he paints a rather bleak picture of life there. In any case, I will have to discuss this matter with my constituents.”

“Who have you got?” Hunter demanded confrontationally. “Mathers? Shaw? Both of them are liars. But if you want more information, then send someone to talk the situation over with the judge. But don’t take too long. Other communities are joining up—and you wouldn’t want to be left out.”

With that, Hunter jerked his mount’s head around and sent the beast galloping out of town. The rest of the regulators followed suit. Half a dozen piles of steaming manure marked where they had been gathered.

Once the last rider had disappeared from sight, Kosmo turned to Capelli. “Well, doggie! That was fun, wasn’t it? By the way, it’s a good thing we didn’t have to open up on the bastards, because the HVAP doesn’t work.”

Capelli looked down at the Wraith and back up again. “You’re joking.”

“Nope,” Kosmo said matter-of-factly. “Wraith parts are real hard to come by.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I figured it might have a negative impact on your morale.”

“You’re a rotten sonofabitch … You know that?”

Kosmo grinned agreeably. “That’s what they tell me. Let’s go. I’m getting wet.”

Construction of the Blakely Dam in the Ouachita National Forest had begun in 1948 and ended when the Chimera invaded North America and it became necessary to divert raw materials like steel and concrete into the war effort. But a significant amount of work had already been accomplished. The wedge-shaped dam was 231 feet high and more than a thousand feet wide. Two turbines had been installed but never brought online. Still, since it had a small auxiliary generator, the facility had enough power to meet its own needs. Something the humans who lived deep inside the dam were careful to conceal. The thickness of the steel-reinforced concrete all around him made President Thomas Voss feel that he and his staff were reasonably safe from detection as he clattered down a flight of metal stairs and arrived on the level below.

Pools of light led him between desks towards the glassed-in area that had originally been designed to function as the dam’s control room, but was now generally referred to as “the think tank.” Meaning the enclosure in which most of the presidential decisions were made.

A great deal had been accomplished since the harrowing journey south from Freedom Base One. Not only had the government reestablished itself deep within the
dam, the vaccine production program had been restored and improved. Pack trains loaded with vaccine, and accompanied by federal marshals, were making their way out to communities throughout the southeast. That meant Voss was not only building political support but a healthy virus-resistant population from which an army could be recruited.

Of course, Voss still had the never-ending threat of the Chimera to contend with, as well as human predators like Judge Ramsey, the man responsible for the destruction of Freedom Base One and the deaths of thirty-six federal employees. Voss was determined to punish that outrage both as a way to prevent future attacks and as an example to others.

Which was why Cassie Aklin, Marvin Kawecki, and a civilian scout named Calvin Rawlings had been summoned to the think tank for an early-morning conference. A pot of coffee was sitting on a warmer and a buffet-style breakfast consisting of Spam, pancakes, and fresh berries was available. Voss rarely took time off to eat, so such meals were common.

There were greetings all around as the President loaded a plate with food and Aklin poured him a cup of coffee. After taking his place at the long, narrow table, Voss opened the meeting.

“Okay, you know the score. Monica Shaw was forced to work for this Ramsey character—and that’s how his people knew when and where to attack.

“And, based on what Shaw told me before she was killed, Ramsey is a lot more than a bandit. It’s his intention to destroy the federal government so that he can replace it with one of his own. So now that we’re up and running again it’s time for some payback. We know roughly where Ramsey is, so I’m sending Kawecki up to resolve the situation. Rawlings, you know the area between
here and there; I’m counting on you to get our people through.”

Rawlings had shoulder-length hair, a high forehead, and a hooked nose. He nodded solemnly.

Kawecki frowned and put his fork down. “No offense, Mr. President, but you must be joking. We estimate that Ramsey has hundreds of armed regulators. How am I supposed to take them on with a dozen men?”

Voss finished chewing and swallowed. “You’re a captain in the United States Army! That means you can accomplish the impossible.”

Kawecki produced a snort of derision. “Thanks. We’ll be lucky if we get there—never mind the rest of it.”

Voss grinned. “Don’t be such a pessimist. Let’s plan for success rather than failure. And that brings us to the following problem: If—no
when
—you kill Ramsey, it will result in a power vacuum. So, unless we want to run the risk that someone even worse will be sucked in to replace him, it will be necessary to establish an entity that’s loyal to the
real
government. Which is to say us.”

“Oh, great,” Kawecki responded sarcastically. “Is there anything else, Mr. President? Should I make all the Chimera disappear while I’m at it?”

Voss blew steam off the surface of his coffee. “Yes,” he replied evenly. “That would be nice.”

Kawecki, Rawlings, and a force of twelve men left that night. They were on foot. But with the aid of sturdy mules, they weren’t required to carry anything other than their weapons, ammo, and some emergency gear. That allowed them to move quickly.

Of course the animals had their drawbacks, too. The mules were hard to conceal, had to be fed, and could be obstinate at times. But Kawecki figured the tradeoff
would be worth it if he could keep his men fresh, carry a larger payload, and reach his destination quickly.

They traveled at night, with Rawlings scouting a mile or so ahead. Doing so was colder, but safer, and safety had priority. The civilian had a radio, which he used to guide the soldiers around obstacles. The route was a zigzag affair that followed secondary roads in a generally northwesterly direction. They passed through dozens of devastated hamlets, circled two Chimeran bases, and were forced to cope with Leapers, Grims, and a pack of feral dogs along the way. The dogs had been brazen enough to attack one of the mules in broad daylight before being wiped out. But it wasn’t until day four, when they were almost halfway to their destination, that the team ran into what Rawlings described as “a major freak show.”

It was about two in the morning when Kawecki ordered the men to hobble the mules and set them free to graze in an overgrown field while he and Sergeant Pasco went forward to meet Rawlings. As they closed in on the rendezvous, a glow appeared up ahead. The dark bulk of a hill prevented them from seeing the source of the light as the scout materialized out of the gloom. “Follow me,” the civilian said. “You won’t believe this.”

As Kawecki and Pasco followed Rawlings up a winding dirt road the glow grew brighter. Then, having arrived near the top of the hill, they dropped flat and crawled the last few yards. And what Kawecki saw at that point was unlike anything he’d ever seen before.

Stretched out in front of him was what looked like a football-field-sized sheet of glass. Except having been exposed to a lot of Chimeran tech, he suspected that the object was made of something akin to plastic.

Even so, the roof clearly weighed hundreds of tons and was held up off the ground by six iridescent pillars. Based on previous experience, Kawecki knew the supports
were beams of coherent energy similar to those the stinks used for a wide variety of purposes. Some of the light was coming from the columns. Pole-mounted spots were responsible for the rest. Taken together, they illuminated the conical structures visible under the see-through lid.

They were pods.
Thousands
of pods. All planted in neat rows like a crop of vegetables and protected from the weather by the roof that floated above them. Could the plastic be darkened during the day? To shield the cocoons from the sun in the summer? Kawecki thought such a thing was possible.

“Look!” Pasco said from a position near the officer’s right elbow. “Titans!”

Kawecki saw that the noncom was correct. Two of the giants were patrolling the perimeter of the pod farm with cannons at the ready. That was interesting, but the real question was
why?
Did the hive-mind need more stinks to do its bidding? And if so, what did it plan to do with them? There was no way to know.

“Now that you’ve seen the freak show, let’s get out of here,” Rawlings said from his position off to the left. “I think it would be a good idea to swing west before heading north again.”

Kawecki shook his head. “Nope. There’s no way we can leave this place operational. Besides … those are people down there. Or they were. Every single one of us has been forced to bypass pods at one time or another. But not thousands of them. No, we’re going to put those folks out of their misery, and keep the total number of stinks down at the same time. The only question is
how?
”

Rawlings looked at Kawecki askance. “You must be joking. I didn’t sign up for anything like this.”

“I’m not joking,” Kawecki replied calmly, “and you’ll do whatever I say. Isn’t that right, Sergeant Pasco?”

Pasco grinned wickedly. He had brown skin and his
teeth were very white. “That’s right, sir. Mr. Rawlings will do whatever you say.”

“I thought so,” Kawecki said evenly. “Come on! Let’s get out of here. We have some planning to do.”

Nearly twenty-four hours had passed by the time the attack on the pod farm began. The mules were hidden in a barn located about a mile and a half away, along with two soldiers to protect both the animals and the group’s supplies. Kawecki had divided the rest of his men into three teams, each having its own objective.

The Alpha and Bravo teams consisted of two-man LAARK teams. The first person’s job was to fire rockets at the black boxes located at the base of each energy beam. The other soldier was carrying reloads for the LAARK, plus an M5A2 carbine, which could be used to provide security.

Meanwhile, Charlie team, led by Sergeant Pasco, was going to attack the Titans. Kawecki knew the enormous stinks could absorb a lot of projectiles. So by targeting one of the monsters with the group’s single Wraith, plus a half-dozen lighter weapons, he hoped to neutralize the giants early on. Success would depend on surprise, timing, and teamwork.

After a short pep talk, all of the soldiers were sent out to take up the positions assigned to them. That put Alpha and Bravo teams along the south side of the rectangular farm, with everyone else up on the hill. They continued to dig in as Kawecki scanned the scene below.

“Damn it.”

Rawlings, who was still opposed to the attack, turned to look at the officer. “Why? What’s wrong?”

“Hybrids,” Kawecki answered, as he released the binoculars
in order to blow on his cold fingers. “Maybe half a dozen of them. They’re walking around in among the cocoons.”

“Maybe we should break it off,” Rawlings suggested hopefully.

“Or maybe we should kill them,” Kawecki said clinically. “Our snipers can handle it. But the result will be less fire on the Titans. Find Cole and Okada. Tell them to kill the ’brids before they target the Titans.”