Chapter 46 – Nostalgia
Saturday, Noon, July 25, 2308
The transport settled into a landing trajectory over the small parking garage for the T-shaped motel. It consisted of seven units, four singles and three suites, tucked away in a run down industrial district. They parked in an automated garage, and waited for the door to fully close, before exiting the vehicle.
"We'll wait here while I arrange new documents for us. We're going to set up your room downstairs. You can eat what you like, just don't go outside. There's nothing to see, and there is no such thing as fresh air around here anyhow.”
Ashley and Geoff followed Ross from the garage to the central corridor. They could access all seven of the units from the central maintenance passage, as well as the garage and main office. It was obvious the facility had been used as a safe house for several dangerous cases, not all of them successful.
"How long are we going to be here?" Ashley asked.
"A few days. We've got our work cut out for us tonight. Come on, grab those groceries.”
Ash and Geoff realized the back of the transport was packed with lots of stuff besides groceries. As they carried bags into the kitchen, the children were hard pressed to find counter space. Ross gestured to the floor as the table and counters were covered with bags of other supplies.
Ross coughed a few times, his hand coming away wet with blood. "There's something I've got to take care of. I'll be back in half an hour. Don't break anything."
Ash and Geoff made several trips from the transport back to the kitchen. Ross had purchased every kind of pot known to man. Some of the bags threatened to rip; they were so full of metal cups, pots and pans. Deeper in the car there were several bags of industrial materials.
It took the children almost twenty minutes to unload the cruiser.
Forty minutes later, they still hadn’t seen Ross and decided to eat. Ashley made sandwiches and Geoff poured juice.
Two hours later, after an uncomfortable nap on lobby couches, Geoff shook his sister awake.
“He’s still not back yet?” Ashley asked.
Geoff shook his head. “Ash, I hear voices.”
Ashley shot bolt upright.
Sure enough, from one of the units down the hallway, Ashley could hear them too. There were voices, plural, as in more than two.
Ashley was off the couch and pulling Geoff toward the kitchen. They didn’t go through the door, but Ashley fished the Micronix from her back pocket waited for a few moments in the doorway.
“What are we doing?” Geoff asked.
Ashley raised her finger to her lips. She looked at the door they were crouched beside. She could back through it, into the kitchen and out of the central lobby. Opening it would make noise. There was no way around that. Across the lobby, and up three stairs, the hallway ran toward the intersection at the end
She looked down at the Micronix in her hand. She pressed downward on the stiff button. It sunk a bit, but the blade didn’t pop.
Ashley coughed and jammed down on the trigger. The blade snapped out. It was not quiet, but Ashley’s ruse appeared to have covered it. The conversation in the back room continued, unbroken.
The wicked knife in hand, Ashley lowered her brow and set out toward the hallway entrance, Geoff trailing along behind.
They made their way down the hallway, toward the three-way intersection at the top of the T. At the corner they waited. The doorway to unit six, in the center of the hall, was open. There were at least three people inside, maybe four.
“I can’t believe you sent me to Jerusalem,” the woman said.
“I can’t believe you came back empty handed,” a deep-voiced male replied.
“I did leave in something of a hurry,” she answered.
“Regardless,” Ross interrupted the bickering. “What we need to do now, is work up a believable cover and get them out of here?’
“What did you have in mind?” the man asked.
“Vancouver,” Ross answered.
“That can’t actually be your plan? Canada?” the woman asked.
“What’s wrong with Canada?” Ross responded.
“What about killing this son of a bitch?” the woman replied.
“What about it?” Ross sounded tired.
“Well?” The woman directed this to another part of the room.
“Well what? You heard him, he asked us not to shoot him.”
“I think the President may have shined him on a little bit,” a fourth voice suggested.
“That’s exactly what I think,” she replied, sounding familiar somehow.
“What’s he after, then?” one of the men asked.
“Ha! Everything?” she replied.
“Fox told him about MacPhail and the Midway.” Ross said.
Everyone laughed.
“Oh, you’re kidding?” someone said.
“I’m not. Our friend had him arrested, and MacPhail asked for his lawyer, so now Woody is on his way to Glasgow for some Manx kippers and the keys to the midway.”
The adults laughed loudly.
Ashley hit the button, retracting the blade; they didn’t hear it. She slipped it back into her pocket.
“I didn’t think anyone was dumb enough to fall for it,” the woman said. “Oh my god that’s priceless.”
“It gets better. After their scheduled visit to the fabled vessel, our intrepid director is scheduled to visit the Anserini-Chen Lodge, and ask for the managing director, Mr. Porter about participating in the Annual Snipe Hunt.”
“He can’t be that stupid!” someone said, between great belly laughs.
“Has he got anyone assigned to us at all?” Ross asked.
“The Agency, the Bureau and the Marshall’s office formed a joint task force. You guys got your very own Federal Posse on your ass.” The third male said.
“They didn’t invite Ice and the Marlboro Man?”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” The third replied.
“It’s been twenty-four hours,” she objected. “Why haven’t we killed this ass hat yet?”
“Are we back to this?” the deep-voiced one objected. “Why don’t we just jump to the end, blow into the oval office and shoot Potus?”
“who’s potus?” Geoff whispered to his sister.
“i don’t know. shhh,” Ashley replied
“This is what Fox was afraid of happening,” one of the men said,
“Well at least we have Cause now. No one can say it’s pre-emptive,” the woman answered.
Ashley couldn’t help thinking she sounded a lot like her mom.
Geoff suddenly pushed past his sister and walked into the unit. “Mom?” he said, in a loud shocked voice.
Ashley followed him, pushing open the cracked double doors.
The woman was facing them, leaning against a credenza. Behind here were windows onto the unit’s patio. The sky cast her in sharp silhouette, but Ashley could still make out the heavy battle armor she wore.
She looked directly at them. She looked a lot like their mom, but it wasn’t her. Her hair was longer; she was a little taller and much, much stronger. She looked a like her, but Ashley could tell, this was not her mom. Still, they could have been sisters.
Geoff had frozen in place, as had Ash, for a moment.
They looked around the room. Ross was sitting in a deep chair, his shirt off, his chest and arms bandaged up.
The other two men were also wearing some kind of battlefield armor. The glass balcony doors were open. There were three rifles leaning against the patio railing and short-range weapons on the table, with exotic looking helmets.
Ross sat up. “Ashley, Geoff. These folks here are friends of your parents. This is Jim Croswell, Master Sergeant Steve King and Captain Analynn Snow.”
“How come you don’t have a rank?” Geoff asked Croswell.
“I’m retired,” Croswell answered.
“What does Maj. Gen. stand for then?” he asked, pointing the roughed and fading de
signation on the shoulder and chest plates.
“Major General,” Croswell answered, pointing at the three stars above the letters.
“You were a General?” Geoff asked, astonished.
“Yes, that’s right,” Croswell answered.
“And you knew my dad?”
“He was one of my best friends,” Croswell answered. “I’ve known him since we were your age.”
“How come I never met you before?” Geoff asked.
“Cause I was working a lot, and so was your dad,” Croswell answered.
“Are you working now?”
“You could say that.”
“I did say that,” Geoff answered.
Croswell smiled and tousled Geoff’s hair. “A complete smart-ass. Just like your old man.”
Geoff smiled.
“So, they’re dead, our parents?” Ashley asked.
“Yes,” Croswell answered. “And the people who hurt them could still come back.” Croswell glanced to Captain Snow.
“Aren’t you going to kill them?” Geoff asked.
“If they come near you, you bet we are,” Captain Snow answered.
Ash wondered if she were still lying on the couch and dreaming. The conversation was surreal. This was clearly her mom. In some ways, she was more her mom than her real mom was.
“We just need to be careful.” Croswell said, looking at Captain Snow. He looked back to Ashley and Geoff. “You two, however, are going to be perfectly fine, don’t you worry.”
Ross coughed and sat up. “Yes, and we still have some work to do here.”
“Guess that’s our cue,” Master Sergeant King said, slamming his drink, rising from the couch and stepping toward the balcony.
Ana took a step to the side, giving King room to exit behind her.
King nodded to Ashley and Geoff. “Sorry guys. Your dad was the best.” He stepped out onto the patio and picked up his helmet and rifle.
Croswell finished his drink and stood as well. He addressed Ashley and Geoff. “You’re parents were good people. I’m sorry they were hurt. Stick close to Ross here. He’ll take good care of you.” He stepped out onto the empty balcony.
Ash and Geoff both did a double take, realizing that Master Sergeant King had vanished while Croswell was speaking them.
Croswell put his helmet on, picked up his rifle, adjusted something at his waist and disappeared, right before their eyes.
Geoff blinked several times.
Captain Snow knelt before the children.
There were tears in her eyes.
She pulled them close and hugged them both. Her armor felt cold and bulky, alien. She kissed them on the forehead. “Smile, be polite, try and help people as much as you can. Ashley, take care of your brother.”
Captain Snow stood, stepped out onto the balcony, slung her rifle and picked up the remaining helmet. She put it on, took a step upward, up into the air, and then vanished from the visible spectrum.
Ash and Geoff stared at the empty afternoon sky as Ross poured himself another dram from the almost empty bottle.