Whether Snowe would prove to be a long-term friend or a short-term ally of convenience would depend on the Director's attitude.
The car sped away. Trevor took a moment to crane his neck up at the tall, green structure stretching toward gray clouds where a few streaks of dying, orange sun flickered.
Home.
"Trevor."
The voice came from a slender figure in technician’s coveralls. She wore a cap and a light windbreaker. Even from a distance, Trevor understood he should recognize her.
"It’s okay," he warded off his bodyguards with a wave.
Hmm…is that Jolene? It’d be nice to see her again.
"Yes, I’m Trevor. Do I know you?"
The woman removed her cap revealing dark hair.
He moved closer to see her more clearly. A sharp jolt of fear shot along his spine. His legs wobbled, his heart pounded, and he stumbled back a step.
Ashley.
In that first split second of recognition, his mind screamed she came across dimensions to find me! And I’m not going back!
In the next moment, he regained control, realizing that this Ashley wore shorter hair and a scar. These markings meant she came from this world, not the one he had left behind.
"You know me," she said. "Maybe not here. Do you remember who I am?"
"You…you’re Ashley Trump. I once knew someone…someone like you."
He noticed her trembling yet noticed something else, too: determination. Obviously this confrontation scared her a great deal, too, but she found the strength to see it through.
She held a small package to him. He retreated again.
"Reverend Johnny told me about your life at home, and they killed him."
"This…this is my home," the guards stepped to either flank of their charge as they realized Trevor wanted no more of this woman’s company.
"No. Your home, Trevor. Where you have a wife and a son. Do you remember them?"
"Stop it. Shut up."
The guards grabbed for the woman. She avoided them long enough to shove her package in Trevor’s stomach, he had not choice but to clutch it.
"For your son, Trevor! For your son!"
He alternated his eyes from the package to the woman his guards pushed away.
Get her out of here! Get her away!
Then he hurried into the hostel. A moment later-after they had successful warded off the specter that had come to haunt the Emperor-the guards joined him inside. Trevor moved through the lobby then to the elevator then to his penthouse in an emotionless, zombie-like gait.
Both guards followed him inside and then he slammed the door shut behind, bolting it.
Get a hold of yourself, Emperor.
While the bodyguards made themselves comfortable in the living room with a deck of cards and a pitcher of beer (or what passed for beer in Thebes), Trevor went into the bedroom and sat on the mattress, staring at the small wrapped box Ashley's doppelganger had shoved into his hands. He eyed it warily, as if it might be a bomb.
Afraid, Emperor? A tiny little box scares you?
As if to prove his courage, Trevor tore into the paper wrapping and opened the cardboard box inside. He found a key card and a slip of paper with a message.
One dash one, industrial sector.
See what your friend saw. Go alone.
Do it for your son.
A memory burst into his head so hard and so clear that he raised a hand to his temple.
"Father, could you promise me that while you’re gone you’ll think of me every day."
"Oh, Jorgie, I think of you every day anyway. You know that. But yes, I promise."
When was the last time he thought about his son?
You broke your promise.
"Stop it!" Trevor shouted.
One of the guards hurried to the bedroom.
"Sir? You okay?"
Trevor stood, pushed aside the guard, and hurried into the living room.
"Sir? You okay?" This time the question came from both men.
"I’m fine," he said even though he trembled. "You men stay here."
"Um, sir, our orders are to stick with you everywhere."
"Oh?" His head cocked. "Whose orders?"
"Director Snowe's…um, sir."
"And who gives Snowe his orders? Who?"
The other guard spoke fast, apparently worried the wrong answer might mean getting thrown out the penthouse window.
"That would be you, sir."
"Good. Don’t forget that. It’s important you don’t forget that, understand?"
He grabbed a jacket, slipped it over his battle suit, and headed for the elevator. His hands fidgeted as he moved. Part of him screamed that he should burn the note and throw away the key card and forget he had ever seen the phantom of Ashley Trump in this universe.
Once he reached the lobby he told the guard there, "I need ground transportation."
"Yes, sir. To where?"
Trevor snarled, "None of your damn business!"
The sentry gulped and meekly pointed out, "Sir, I, um, need to have a general idea so I can hand the job off to the appropriate transportation hub."
Stone huffed, "Okay. I need a ride to the…to the industrial sector," Stone studied the man’s reaction. As far as the guard was concerned, Trevor might as well have said Third Legion HQ or the Ops Center. It seemed to make no difference.
Five minutes later a car arrived. Trevor gave the driver the exact directions.
"Do you know where one-dash-one in the industrial sector is?"
Again, the driver showed no concern. Apparently the Ashley of this world was the only one who thought any of this was a big deal.
Trevor relaxed. Why so anxious? This was his world now. It belonged to him.
I own it.
– Minutes after Trevor Stone departed, Major Forest parked at the curb in front of the skyscraper hotel. She slipped out of the sleek coupe and entered the tall building, rode the elevator to the penthouse, and entered the suite she shared with the Emperor, walking in on the two body guards in the midst of a conversation.
"Should we call someone?"
"Yeah, well, Snowe might be pissed if we don’t."
"Director Snowe might be pissed if you don’t do what?" She surprised them.
They did not have to speak, their wide-eyes and pale complexions told the story.
She nearly screamed, "Where is he? Where did he go?"
"I don’t know. Some girl started bothering him outside and gave him something. Really freaked him out. Next thing we know he’s telling us to stay put and heading out the door."
"What? What lady?"
"Don’t know. We just told her to get off, figured she was a crazed fan or something. Never saw her before. She was wearing techies, dark hair. She acted like she knew him but I've never seen her around him before."
Nina’s eyes worked side to side as her mind calculated. As she found one potential, terrifying answer, she raced out of the room and down the elevator to the sentry in the lobby.
"Trevor. Did he come down here a few minutes ago? Did he leave again?"
"Yes, he asked for ground transportation."
She leaned in close to his face.
"To where?"
"Industrial Sector. That’s all he said."
That was enough. Nina put the puzzle pieces together. Panic sprouted in the center of her stomach and spread through her entire body. If she hurried, if she were fast, maybe she could keep everything from tumbling down.
Nina bolted out the front door knowing that the race was on.
–
Twilight turned into darkness. With nightfall came a sharp chill, part of a moist wind that suggested a rainstorm approached.
Trevor’s taxi pulled away, leaving him on a street to the south of the wide, long building that resembled an industrial cathedral made from metal.
A dusty taste of soot and a sour smell of combustible fuels filled the air. He heard a steady drone; the drone of machinery at work, machinery producing the supplies keeping Thebes alive and fighting.
He avoided the front of the building where he noticed activity on what appeared to be loading docks. Besides, markings on the key card he possessed pointed to the south side entrance. At the same time, he could not shake the feeling that he should avoid drawing attention.