Digital Winter (43 page)

Jeremy leaned closer. Amid the symbols and programming language were two words: Eli Shade. Jeremy muttered the words. Donny shuddered.

“What's an Eli Shade?” Stanley asked.

“It's a name.” Jeremy leaned back in the chair. “Hackers and people who write viruses and digital worms are often arrogant. They like to include a signature in the code. It's always a pseudonym.”

“Why would they do that, sir?” Irwin moved closer to look over Jeremy's shoulder.

“It's digital graffiti, a way of bragging without signing your identity.” He studied the name. “I don't recognize it. Eli Shade. Odd name. Shade…shadow…I wonder if this is what Donny means by
shadow
.” He tapped his chin with a finger. “Why Eli? Eli is a variation of a Hebrew name: El—one of the names of God.” Jeremy wondered if Israel had been behind this as many assumed they were Stuxnet. Of course, that had never been proved.

Jeremy began to think aloud. “Eli Shade. Eli Shadow. El is often translated
ascended
. Name of God. God's Shadow? Who would call himself God's Shadow?” He didn't expect an answer. He didn't have one. He did, however, have a feeling.

A very, very bad feeling.

Jeremy studied the file. It was as elegant as it was ingenious. “I need to compare this to other captured infections. Most were wiped out when the EM pulse hit. I assume that was the idea.” Jeremy was thinking aloud.

“Sir, are you saying someone in this family is responsible for everything that's gone on? For the outages? The end of technology? The starvation and riots and—”

“Stow that, sailor. Am I clear?”

“Crystal, sir.”

“Good.” Jeremy turned to Royce. “Ma'am, does your son travel?”

Eli Shade knew how to make an entrance. Liam had to give him credit for that. The thing liked to appear behind Liam and clear his throat. Liam always jumped. Shade always laughed. This time, however, he dropped the theatrics and merely manifested in the middle of Liam's office, a few feet from where Pierce sat. Pierce squealed, jumped up, and backpedaled.

“One of these days you're going to give me a heart attack.” Pierce patted his chest.

“It won't be your heart that kills you, Mr. Pierce.” Shade's voice seemed deeper, darker, more ominous.

Pierce opened his mouth as if ready to ask what the comment meant but then decided against it. A moment later, another shadow figure appeared at Shade's side. Shade looked mostly human, but this creature didn't. Empty eyes, gaping mouth. Pierce took two more steps back.

Liam took the lead. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“I have something to share with you, Mr. Burr. We need to talk.” Shade smiled.

Liam stood. “Very well.” He rounded his desk where he had been sitting. “Will the seating area be adequate?”

“No. I'll meet you on the roof.”

“The roof?” Liam said.

Shade and his sidekick disappeared.

“This is new,” Pierce said. “Why the roof?”

“I'll let you ask him that.” Liam donned his suit coat and started for the office door.

A gentle wind blew from the west, sending invisible fingers through Liam's hair. At least he hoped it was the wind. He had seen too many invisible things over the past eight months. The thought chilled him.

Shade and his friend were waiting for the two. Shade's face was difficult to read—it wasn't quite human enough. Liam and Pierce crossed the concrete roof to the parapet. The hum of the ventilation system provided the evening's night music.

“The roof, Signore Shade? I'm puzzled.” Liam sounded calmer than he felt.

“We're taking a little trip. This is easier than dragging you through a pane of glass.” Shade's grin was sardonic.

“I appreciate that. Where are we—”

Shade was on him in a moment. Before Liam could draw a breath he was airborne, held in the clutches of the ghoul. He wanted to scream but held his voice. Pierce didn't.

The streets of Brussels scrolled beneath him. The hour was late, but the city was still busy. Citizens continued to enjoy the return of food and power. He had no idea of their speed. Wind whipped around his head, but Liam had learned he could not trust his senses when Shade was around. He was helpless and decided passivity as his best course of action. When a man can't do what he wants, it is sometimes wise to do nothing.

The city gave way to dark rolling hills, countryside Liam didn't recognize. He turned his gaze and saw a small mountain in the near distance. He guessed that was their destination.

He was right.

Shade set him down gently on the apex of the mountain. Liam felt grass beneath his feet. The mountain couldn't be very tall if grass could grow on its peak—assuming the mountain existed at all.

“Better than our last flight, Signore Burr?” Shade asked.

“Much better. Thank you.”

“I have a different point to make this time.”

Liam could hardly wait.

Pierce and his escort settled next to Liam.

Shade placed his hands behind his back. “I appreciate your willingness to meet with me on such short notice.”

You must be kidding
.

Shade glanced over his shoulder at Liam as if he had heard the thought. “We are making fine progress, thanks to you two. You have done admirable work and have saved countless lives, but more work remains. Many are still dying from lack of food and safe water. Chaos covers most of the planet. For the world to heal, things must change.”

“Much has already changed,” Liam said. “I take it you have some specific…suggestions.”

“I do.” Shade turned to Liam. “I offer you the world.” He made a gesture, and the lights of a thousand cities pushed away the darkness of the valleys below. Lights twinkled like diamonds in a jewelry case—yellow, white, gold. The valleys looked encrusted with gems.

“The world?” Liam had to work to get the words out. The vision before him was stunning.

“The world needs a new leader. A single leader.” Shade moved closer to Liam. “There are more than 190 countries in the world, Liam, each with its own leader, each with its own idea of how people should live. Some cooperate with others, but most don't. Fear, jealousy, border disputes, food distribution, water, and one hundred thirteen other factors lead to wars and rumors of wars.”

“One hundred and thirteen—”

“Do you doubt me, Signore Burr?”

“No. Of course not. The number is new to me, that's all.”

“I know the facts, Liam. Better than you. I have made a study of humanity for…well, a very long time.” Shade again turned his attention to the horizon of jewels. “You humans work from the wrong motives. You emphasize the individual instead of the entire fabric of human existence. The French dislike the British; the British hate the French. African nations war with each other. Criminals form alliances to attack the very society that makes their existence possible. In good years, 30,000 people, mostly children, die of starvation. More die from bad water or lack of simple medicine, and the world is fine with that. No one cares. Your race acts like cattle in a herd, fish in a school, birds in a flock, caring only for what happens that day. The future is a mere philosophical construct at best, an afterthought at worst. Do you agree?”

Liam thought it best to do so. “Yes.”

“What your world needs is a leader. A single leader. You have seen what happens when a global crisis occurs. Countries immediately blame others. Cooperation ceases. Each turns to its leaders, believing they will provide the answer when in reality they are children playing with dynamite. Children. Yes, a good metaphor.”

Shade stepped to Liam's side and put his arm around his shoulders. It felt cold. “Children cannot survive on their own. They need the strength and wisdom of their parents. That is what this world needs—a parent. You, my human friend, are that parent, that father.”

“Parent to the world? NUTO is difficult enough to manage.”

“And it is that kind of tiny thinking that keeps the world on the eve of destruction. Have I not given you food when you were hungry?”

“Yes. You've been very kind.”

“Have I not given you riches far beyond what anyone can imagine?”

That was true. Liam had no need for more wealth, but he had been willing to take it.

“Yes.”

“Have I not given you great power?”

“Indeed you have.”

“And why have I done these things? Because, my friend, you have done everything I ask. You have followed me, and I have given you food and power. Now I offer all the cities of the world.” He squeezed Liam's shoulder hard enough to make the joint hurt. “You follow me, and the world will follow you. You can be the savior of this planet.”

“There will be resistance,” Liam said.

“Of course. There always is. I will help you deal with that. I will show you what you need to do. I will deal with your enemies. I will make you messiah to the world.”

“May I ask what you get out of all this?” Liam asked.

“Satisfaction, my dear Liam, satisfaction.” He gazed skyward. “There's someone I want to hurt.”

Liam couldn't raise the courage to ask who that might be.

“Liam Burr, I have brought you to this high mountain to show you the world I offer. All you must do is follow me. Will you do so?”

Liam looked around him. The sight was beautiful and the offer compelling. The world could benefit from a single leader, one who could put an end to the troubles. One willing to bring every country into line. If not him, then Shade would cast him off like a sandwich wrapper and choose someone else. The loss would be too great.

He raised his head. “Yes, Mr. Shade. I accept.”

Shade smiled. It was frightening. “Mr. Pierce will be by your side. He will be the Aaron to your Moses.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Don't underestimate him, Mr. Burr. Every messiah needs a prophet.”

Jeremy made arrangements for an aircraft that could accommodate the Elton family, Rosa, and all of Donny's computers. Because Rosa was Donny's nurse, Jeremy thought it best to bring her. He promised to do his best to locate her husband. Rosa said she hadn't heard from him in eight months and feared the worse. He had been transporting canned goods to Atlanta when the lights went out.