“Not too bad,” said Borger, “you were gone before most of them showed up.” He moved the phone to his other ear and reached for his mouse. “The darkness helped and so did the big welcoming party on the other side of the base. Caesare did pop up high enough a few times to show up on radar and they are coming after you. Fortunately, I was able to change the radar’s algorithm, so it reported you moving in the wrong direction. They are currently pursuing you to the North, so that should give you some time.”
“Okay, they coming in choppers?” Clay asked.
“Actually no, they are primarily on wheels.”
“What? No aircraft?”
“No.” Borger answered. “We got a little help on that front.”
Clay did not know what that meant, and frankly didn’t care. Whatever luck he had going for them he was not going to question. “Okay we’ve got to head out, anything else?”
“Yeah.” Borger said switching windows on his computer screen. He typed a couple of commands and looked again at the response. “It looks like our twelve Trident subs are approaching Bimini.”
“Already? That was fast.”
“Well maybe not.” Borger said. “Clay…the orders were issued three days ago.”
Clay thought for a moment. “But that would be before the President ordered them out.”
“Exactly,” Borger replied, “so either we were being played by everyone in that room, or-”
“Or someone else had already given the order.” Clay finished.
“Or both.”
Clay looked at Caesare who was examining the tail of the small helicopter. Some of the film was peeling off from hitting the trees, revealing the chopper’s real call letters. “Anything else?” Clay asked Borger.
“Not for the moment. We should get off the line.”
“See ya later.” Clay nodded and closed the phone.
“What’s up?” Caesare asked, pressing the torn film back into place.
“I’ll explain on the way.”
Hank Stevas watched the large group of United Nations delegates and scientists flood the reception area from behind a glass wall. He shook his head. This was turning into a circus.
Bill Mason, stood behind him on his cell phone. After a few minutes, he hung up. “That alarm was from our building on the west side. Palin is gone.”
Stevas’ eyes narrowed and his face grew red. “Clay!”
“Why would Clay take him?”
“Because he’s a goddamn boy scout!” Stevas spat. “And now he knows everything.” He shook his head angrily. “I told Langford not to tell him! I told him I would take care of it, but he wouldn’t listen.”
“So what do we do?” Mason asked.
Stevas looked back at the people continuing to pour into the larger room, smiling and shaking hands. “Clay knows exactly what we have planned, and even if he didn’t these people are going to turn this into a political nightmare. After a week of talking, they’ll form a scientific commission.” The disgust almost dripped from his lips. “Democracy is such a poison.”
“When Clay gets Palin home, we’re sunk.” Mason said.
Stevas looked at him. “If we’re going to do something, we have to do it now. We’re losing control.” Stevas pulled out his phone and dialed a number. He spoke slowly. “This is Stevas. Do it.”
There was a pause while someone on the other end spoke. “That’s right. I am speaking with the full authority of the President.”
He hung up. “If he won’t do anything, we will.”
“So where is Clay headed?” Mason said out loud.
Stevas thought it over. “He’s headed South.”
36
Alison suddenly awoke to someone pounding on her front door. Trying to get her bearings, she sat up and grabbed her robe off the back of the door. She shuffled quickly down the dark hallway and flipped on the kitchen light before reaching the door and looking through the peep hole. In one motion she unlocked the deadbolt and stepped back, swinging the door open. Chris Ramirez was on the other side covered in sweat and out of breath.
“Chris what are you-”
“It’s gone!” he broke in. “It’s all gone Alison!”
She looked confused. “What are you talking about?”
“Everything! Everything is gone! The servers, IMIS, and the dolphins Alison! Dirk and Sally are gone too!”
Alison was in shock. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. She tried to form words, but could only shake her head in disbelief.
The lab was empty. Cleared out. Alison could not believe it. Wiring and parts of the computers were strewn all over the floor. One of the desks was overturned and dozens of books scattered around it. The racks of servers and all of their data, the heart of IMIS, were gone. The entire wall where they had stood looked eerily blank. And the worst part was the tank; filled with nothing but water. Dirk and Sally were gone.
Alison felt nauseous and grabbed the corner of a table for support. She felt like she was going to be sick. Across the room, Lee Kenwood picked through what was left on the floor, kicking over books or pieces of metal left from the server racks. Chris stood next to Alison silently.
Alison simply could not speak. She could not find any words. Her chest felt tight as if on the verge of a heart attack. Her face was flush, and she was doing all she could to keep from bursting into tears.
Behind her Frank Dubois burst into the room. “What in the hell-” He said shaking his head. “What…what happened?” he asked to no one in particular.
Alison’s nausea suddenly turned to anger. It welled up inside her uncontrollably. She turned and almost screamed at him.
“Are you happy Frank?! Are you happy now?! Everything we worked for, everything is gone!” She looked at him with disdain. “You just had to do it didn’t you?! You just took their money! You just sold out to anyone who would give it to you! You make me sick!”
Dubois was stunned. He looked around confused. “What are you talking about? What…what happened? Who did this?”
“Who did this?” she screamed. “Who the hell do you think?! The government! I told you they wanted this from the beginning. Did you think they were just going to let us tinker the whole time?!”
“Government?” he said shaking his head. “The government as in who?”
“The Navy!” she replied disgustingly. “They knew what we were doing from the very beginning!”
“The Navy?” Dubois said.
“Yes the Navy!” she said. “And I’ll tell you exactly who…John Clay!” She could not believe she ever liked that bastard. She felt so angry and hurt at the same time. “He’s such a liar!” she growled. Everybody stood looking at her.
“Well then, I say we hang him!” someone said behind her.
She whirled around to see Clay standing behind them along with Caesare and Palin. They all looked exhausted, and Clay looked like he had been in a bar room brawl and lost.
Alison’s eyes opened wide with rage. She ran at him and slapped at his face. “You did this!”
Clay caught her hand a few inches from his cheek. “Easy Alison.”
“Don’t call me Alison!” she barked. “You-”
“I didn’t do this.” he said calmly.
Alison was taken back. She just stared at him, frozen. She suddenly was not sure what to say. She shook her head disbelievingly.
Clay looked at her calmly. “If I had done this, why would I be here now?” He turned and looked at Caesare and Palin. “Why would we be here?”
Alison stumbled for words. Why indeed. “If it wasn’t you, then who was it?”