Blackout (23 page)

FIFTY-TWO

THEY DROVE THROUGH THE DAY,
and when it got dark Jack took over—Aubrey’s eyesight just wasn’t good enough at night.

Not much was open anymore, but they found a McDonald’s outside of Vacaville. There was an armed security guard—not a cop, but a scary-looking mammoth of a man who had a Taser on one hip and a gun on the other. After everything she’d seen, Aubrey thought it was laughable that anyone thought this guy could stop a terrorist Lambda. But, at least the McDonald’s was open—the three of them were starving.

Aubrey ordered the food while the other two—both still injured and looking terrible—sat in a booth toward the back. Aubrey had noticed that there was a spot of blood showing though Laura’s shirt, but Laura refused to acknowledge it. It was like she was a machine—single-minded in whatever it was that she was trying to do. Aubrey just didn’t know what that was.

Aubrey didn’t have any great ideas for what they ought to be doing, but she didn’t know why Laura’s plan was any better than anything else. Why were they looking for Laura’s friends instead of Aubrey and Jack’s? They could track down Matt Ganza. He had to be somewhere. Or Nicole. She was with the State Department now, and if anyone could get them out of this mess, Nicole seemed like a good choice.

Aubrey wished that she had thought of that when she was going through the army’s computer.

While Aubrey stood at the counter, she watched the fry cook. The guy was skinny and pale, and Aubrey wondered what this kid thought about everything going on around him. He was still coming in to work, which had to mean something: the kid had hope. Or desperation, maybe. At the very least, it meant that someone was still giving him a paycheck. The world hadn’t completely collapsed if a McDonald’s in Vacaville was open at midnight.

He was skinny and pale. . . . It reminded her of that picture—Alec Moore, Laura’s friend. Something about him had been nagging at Aubrey since she’d seen it. Had he been on TV? Where had she seen him before?

The food came, and she thanked the skinny fry cook.

Alec Moore. Who was he?

She took the tray of hamburgers back to the table, arriving just as Laura was gingerly standing and heading to the bathroom. She was holding her side.

“Do you know who Alec Moore is?” Aubrey asked, as soon as Laura was out of earshot.

Jack unwrapped his burger. “Laura’s friend? No.”

“I’ve seen him before—they had a picture on the computer—and it seems like I remember meeting someone named Alec. It’s weird. It’s like it’s been on the tip of my tongue since Laura first mentioned him, but I can’t place him at all.”

“Maybe you’re thinking of Alec Baldwin,” Jack said, with a smile. He took a bite of fries.

“I’m not thinking of Alec Bal—wait. Do you remember going to school with someone named Alec? Way back in like the third or fourth grade?”

“I don’t think so.”

It was coming back to Aubrey. Alec Moore. The guy she’d met in the quarantine zone, who had made a connection with her, to the other girls’ dismay.

“There was a guy,” Aubrey explained. “Back at Dugway. He said he lived in Mount Pleasant for a couple years when he was a kid. His name was Alec, and I’m pretty sure it was Alec Moore.”

Jack continued eating, but Aubrey had stopped.

“That’s a big coincidence, don’t you think?”

He ate another fry. “I’m pretty sure I don’t remember anyone named Alec in elementary school.”

“Neither do I,” she said. “But—I don’t know. Maybe I do. Back there, it seemed like I knew him.”

“Either way,” Jack said, “I don’t think it changes anything. If he grew up in Mount Pleasant, then that’s good, right? Kinda makes me trust him a little more.”

Aubrey shrugged. “I guess. But remember—we’re not going after him right now. We’re looking for this Dan guy.”

“I wish we were looking for our friends, not hers.”

“Exactly,” Aubrey said.

She glanced over at the bathrooms. Laura was still gone. Aubrey lowered her voice. “I don’t know if I totally trust what we’re doing. Are we actually getting help? Or is Laura just going AWOL and wants our help to find her friends? You and I are the recon team—she couldn’t contact Dan without us.”

Jack chewed thoughtfully for several seconds, watching the bathroom door. He finally swallowed. “I’m open to other ideas. I just don’t know what to do. This seems dumb, but we’re on the run from the friggin’ US Army. What’s dumber than that?”

The bathroom door opened.

“I don’t know,” Aubrey said.

Maybe Dan could help them hide out. Maybe they really did have storage hidden somewhere—some kind of bomb-shelter hideouts where they could be safe.

Jack took another bite of hamburger and stood up. “I’m going to go check out this cut,” he said as Laura came back.

“The bathrooms aren’t very clean,” Laura said. “Take some of the antibiotics with you.”

He nodded and Aubrey dug through her purse for another packet of medicine. They were running low.

Jack took it and headed off.

“So,” Aubrey said. “Any idea how we’re going to find Dan once we get to the city?”

“There’s a military base,” Laura said, pulling out the smartphone. “I looked it up. Camp Parks. It’s training for the army reserve, but I bet that’s where they’re running things.”

“I don’t know if I can do a real army base,” Aubrey said. “Remember—anything with a long line of sight is dangerous. Plus, I can be invisible, but what about Dan? How will he get out of there?”

“What if we can arrange a meet-up somewhere?” Laura said. “Find out where their next mission is, and help break him out.”

Laura was digging into her food like it was the first thing she’d eaten in days. Maybe superstrength gave her a high metabolism. Or it was recovery.

“I’ve got a question,” Aubrey said, nerves sending a chill down her spine. “You said that Alec is from Denver.”

“Yep.”

“How long have you known him?”

“Forever, I guess,” she said. “It seems like we’ve always been friends. Kinda like you and Jack.”

Aubrey ate a french fry, slowly, wondering if she should continue. Laura made her nervous.

“I think I met him,” Aubrey finally said. “In the quarantine zone. He said he remembered me from school—and I kind of remembered him. He said he grew up in Mount Pleasant.”

Laura looked startled. “Well—well, maybe you’re thinking about someone else.”

“He looked just like the picture on the army computer.”

“I don’t know what to tell you.” Laura took a huge bite of her Quarter Pounder, and looked down at the paper advertisement on the food tray.

“And another thing,” Aubrey said, her voice soft and careful. “You said that he was a Lambda, like you and Dan. But he was in the quarantine zone, and they let him go.”

Laura seemed to chew for a lot longer than was needed. Aubrey wished Jack was back. Not that he could help, but she didn’t like being alone with Laura.

“You were in the quarantine zone,” Laura finally said. “You wouldn’t have been caught if you hadn’t tried to escape.”

“I wasn’t—” Aubrey stopped herself. She didn’t want to argue. “What is Alec’s power?”

“He can talk to you with his mind,” Laura said, still staring down at the paper. “What’s that called? Telepathy? Even if he was tested, the army probably wouldn’t have any purpose for him, I don’t think. They probably would have labeled him a Lambda 1 or 2, and he’d have to sit out the war in those Dugway dorms.”

Aubrey glanced at the bathrooms, wishing Jack was back.

“Laura,” Aubrey said, her hand gripping the edge of the table. “Do you really think this will help? Getting Dan and Alec, I mean? Or is this just . . .”

“Just what?” Laura said, finally looking up.

“Just—I don’t know. Are you . . . are you just going AWOL?”

“Excuse me?” Laura said, her eyes suddenly furious. “Didn’t you see that bastard shoot me? Try to kill me?”

“Yeah, I—”

“And didn’t you see me save you and your boyfriend?”

She pointed to the bathroom, where Jack was coming out of the door. He looked concerned. He’d been listening.

“I know you did,” Aubrey said. “I just—I don’t know if this is—”

Laura grabbed Aubrey’s wrist and began to squeeze. It felt like the bones were grinding together, and Aubrey let out a yelp.

“Stop it,” Jack said.

“What the hell do you people want from me?” Laura said, still crushing Aubrey. “I’m trying to help you. Haven’t I always tried to help you?”

It was hard for Aubrey to talk through the pain. “Are you trying to help us?” she wheezed. “Or are you using me because you can’t get in there yourself?”

Laura’s eyes widened, and she released the grip. Aubrey immediately disappeared, slipping away from the table.

“Maybe you can talk some sense into her,” Laura said to Jack, glaring at the empty space where Aubrey used to be.

“Let’s all calm down,” he said, looking only at Laura. “Aubrey’s sticking her neck out for you. I think it’s only fair that she ask some questions.”

“There’s a difference between asking questions and making accusations,” Laura snapped. She grabbed her hamburger and took another huge bite.

Aubrey sat down at the table across the aisle and reappeared. Laura glared at her.

“Listen,” Jack said. “We can work together, or we can split up right here. It’s your choice, Laura. But if we’re going to work together—if we’re going to be a team—then we all have to be on the same playing field.”

“So what do you want to know?” Laura snapped. “Am I lying? After everything I did for you guys, you want to know if this is a big con?”

“For starters,” Jack said, “you can swear on whatever you love most that you won’t touch Aubrey again.”

Laura laughed darkly. “Or what?”

“Or we’re gone, and you can do this all on your own.”

“Fine,” Laura said. “And in exchange I’d like a little bit of trust. I think I’ve more than proved myself to you. I don’t deserve this crap.”

Jack looked at Aubrey and she stared back at him. Jack didn’t look certain—didn’t seem like he knew what to do.

“Fine,” Aubrey said. “We’ll help you, and we’ll work together. But that doesn’t mean I trust you—not after what you did.”

Laura took the final bite of hamburger and chewed slowly as she eyed Aubrey.

“Fine.”

FIFTY-THREE

THERE WAS A PROTEST OUTSIDE
Camp Parks. Jack could see tents in the distance—the camp was another quarantine/training facility, and the angry mob at the fence were parents and family.

Well, they didn’t seem angry anymore. The protest was weak and tired, with families sitting in camp chairs and talking among themselves, only getting angry and yelling when a Humvee or armored vehicle went in or out of the gate. A few people held signs—“Give us back our children!” and “Rest in Peace: US Constitution”—but the wind seemed to be taken out of their sails. And, Jack guessed, anyone in those vehicles wasn’t very important. There was a steady stream of helicopter traffic—those were probably all the special forces teams, all the VIPs.

Jack stood back from the fence, wearing a woolen winter cap to hide the bandage around his head. It wasn’t that cold in California, but he didn’t look entirely out of place or suspicious.

And he listened. He listened to the patrols, the radio chatter as they monitored the fence. There was no mention of him, which was good. He didn’t know if there were wanted posters out for the three of them, but he hoped the hat would help with that, too.

Farther inside the base it was a mess of noise—talking from the quarantine zone, radio blasts from somewhere inside the buildings. Phone calls, arguments, orders given and orders received. A lot of “yes, sir” and “no, sir.”

He stood outside that fence for hours, shifting his focus from one building to the next, room to room, listening for any mention of ODA 9128, Dan’s team. Somewhere in the suburbs behind him, Aubrey and Laura sat in the car, not speaking to each other and waiting for him to give them news.

In a way, he was relieved. If they couldn’t find Dan, then that would still keep the odds in Jack and Aubrey’s favor. He still wasn’t sure if that mattered, but it felt like it did. After the way Laura had acted at the McDonald’s the night before, Jack was nervous around her. She wasn’t who he wanted to be on the run with.

He just didn’t know where else to go. At least she seemed to have a plan, which was more than what he and Aubrey had.

Mexico was looking more enticing. They could go there and live completely off the grid—live like kings. They’d be criminals—they’d have to live on whatever Aubrey could steal until they could get on their feet, but that’s no worse than what they were doing now—stealing cars and wallets and breaking into abandoned homes.

But he had his family to worry about. The US could fall into ruin and he might find safety in Mexico, but what would happen to his mom and dad? They ran the thrift store, after all; they hardly had any income as it was—they’d be hurting really bad now that people moved into a survivalist mode: no one would be giving them donations, and no one would be spending money.

Going back to them wouldn’t solve anything. It would just be one more mouth to feed. If it was true that Laura, Dan, and Alec had stockpiled supplies, then he could take care of himself and Aubrey at least, and if things went well then he could help his family, too.

“—the 9128 is on their way out there right now.”

Jack’s focus narrowed instantly on a blocky, two-story building, an upstairs room.

“They’re not going to be there in time,” a woman’s voice said.

“It’s the best we can do. Besides, the place was evacuated weeks ago.” It was a man. He sounded tired.

“It’s San Francisco City Hall. It’s a national landmark!”

Jack started walking away, back to the car.

“Do you think that matters now? They’re hitting landmarks because all the important targets are either hit or guarded too tightly.”

“So we should just give up on it?”

“I told you,” the man said, “9128 is on their way out there right now.”

Jack broke into a jog.

“Isn’t the 9128 the one that accidentally destroyed the Dumbarton Bridge? With Lambdas like these, who needs terrorists?”

“I don’t need to remind you,” he said, “at this point, our goal is not to save monuments and buildings. Our goal is to find and destroy these terrorist cells. If city hall comes down, so be it. Besides, how big of a deal can it be? I’ve never heard of it.”

Jack broke into a run. He’d only ever seen San Francisco on maps, but he knew they were on the wrong side of the bay. Hopefully the roads were as empty as the city seemed to be.