“Busy day?” asked Elizabeth.
“Very.”
“How’s your leg?”
“Same.”
Elizabeth leaned forward and put her hand on her husband’s. “What’s wrong?”
Max’s smile was perfunctory, betrayed by the exhaustion in his eyes. “Nothing, sorry. Didn’t sleep very well last night.”
“Don’t know what you’re complaining about, silly. I’m the one that got up with your son three times.”
“I know you did, Momma. I’m just feeling cooped up living underground. I’d like to get some fresh air and see the sun for a change.”
“You’re the one in charge of security; no one can stop you if you choose to break your own rules.”
“Gotta set the example, but it’s still hard. We can’t have people coming and going as they please; we gotta keep the location of this place a secret.”
“I know. So what’s the plan for today?”
“I have a few reports to follow up on. I got an anonymous tip that Janet Smith is being beaten by her husband. She has a black eye and made up some story at the infirmary about tripping over some misplaced furniture.”
“Anonymous? How is that possible with Hal watching our every move?”
“It’s not. The first thing I did was have Hal play back the security footage in the hallway in front of my office. Turns out Janet’s neighbor slid a note under my door.”
“What are you gonna do?”
“It’s no different from when we were cops in Texas. Can’t do much if Janet doesn’t press charges. She’ll more than likely side with her husband out of fear and continue with the lie.”
“I know you better than that, Maxwell. You’re not going to just drop this.”
“I’ll tell Mr. Scumbag that his landlord will boot his ass up to the surface if he doesn’t get his act together. That’ll get his heart right real quick.”
“You can also tell him that if I so much as see one scratch on Janet, he’ll have to deal with me.”
“Well, my dear, you are the muscle in our gang.” Max shot her a mischievous grin.
“I don’t know about that. You can whoop some serious ass with that cane. Maybe we can get one with a sword inside of it.”
“Cute. What’re your plans for the day?”
“Debbie is going to hang out here today. When little man here goes down for his nap, Howard wants me to review the security protocols for an emergency evacuation.”
“Really? Why? Is he concerned about something and not telling us?”
“I don’t think so. You know how Howard is. He wants a contingency plan for everything.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.”
“Richard’s due back today. That should make for some excitement.”
Max smiled. “Totally forgot about that.”
Max stood, grimacing as he reached for his cane. The injury to his hip and knee had left him in chronic pain for years. Three or four times a year the pain was so intense that he relied on a cane just to shuffle about. This particular spell had lasted the better part of a month, which was unusual. He leaned down and kissed his son’s head, then his wife’s cheek.
“I love you,” Elizabeth said.
“Love you, too, baby. I’ll see you at lunch.”
Max limped his way to the elevator and made his way to his office. Peering through the large window, he scanned the lobby of the security department to find his dedicated constables already hard at work. He knocked on the glass and waved Dennis Twigg to his office.
“Sir?”
“Sit down, Dennis.”
Dennis Twigg was a valued member of his security team. He’d served six years as a military policeman and twelve years in the Border Patrol. He was the first constable Max recruited to help him maintain law and order in Beck Castle.
“How’s the baby, sir?”
“He’s great. Elizabeth’s already talking about having another one. I told her we should get this one potty trained before we take that step.”
“I’m glad my kids are grown. I definitely don’t miss that stuff. So, what’s up?”
“I want your input on something. Nothing is definite, but I think the time is fast approaching when President Beck will no longer allow refugees from the UAE inside the Castle.”
“And you want to know what I think?”
“Yes.”
“Speaking from the security side of things, it’s a good idea. With the Castle being stuck in the middle of the neutral zone between the UAE and the PSA, I’d be glad to close up shop. We also have close to three thousand people living down here. Sooner or later one of these people is bound to make us regret our open door policy. On a personal level, I think it’s a mistake. We both know the sort of things going on in the UAE, and for us to deny sanctuary to anyone living in that hell…” Dennis trailed off, clearly trying to block the unpleasant memories fighting their way to the surface.
“I agree with you completely. People are risking their lives to get here; most don’t even make it before the UAE slaughters them. On the other hand, I’m responsible for the security around here. If we’re infiltrated or something tragic happens, the buck stops with me. I can’t let anything happen to this place. The stakes are just too high.”
“Sir, with your permission, I’m ready to release the latest refugees from quarantine.”
“Let me review the final report and I’ll get back to you before lunch.”
Every refugee from the UAE found wandering around the valley above Beck Castle had to remain in quarantine for seven days before they were allowed into the main facility. They had to be screened for infectious diseases and undergo extensive psychological testing. Anyone failing to meet the requirements was sedated, taken to a random location, and left to their own devices to live a happy life far away from the empire.
“When’s the surgery, boss?”
“Two weeks. I’m gonna count on you to handle things while I recover.”
“You know I will.” Dennis winked at Max as he left the room.
Max had elected to undergo a radical new surgery that would completely replace the bones and muscles in his left leg. The procedure involved replacing the bones in his useless leg with synthetic ones and implanting small tissue samples in place of the discarded muscles. This tissue would be infused with tiny nanobots capable of rapidly stimulating growth. If it all went as planned, Max would eventually have a brand new leg and years of chronic pain would be gone.
“Good morning, Director Harris.”
“What is it, Hal?” Max was not in the mood for small talk.
“The president and General Dupree would like a word.”
Max swore under his breath. “I’m on my way, Hal.”
“Yes, sir.”
Max hobbled down to the end of the corridor and entered the command center to find the two men waiting for him.
“Richard, it’s good to see you, my friend.”
Richard shook Max’s hand and smiled. “Max, we have a lot to talk about, please sit down.”
CHAPTER TWO
President Simon Sterling, the self-appointed leader of the Unified American Empire, was in a foul mood. Things were not going well in the UAE. Reconstruction efforts in The Pulse Zone were not progressing as quickly as he had envisioned. Eighteen months after The Pulse, progress had been made in terms of rebuilding the infrastructure of his broken country, but not to his satisfaction. The power grid had been restored in roughly forty percent of the affected area, thanks in large part to the cannibalization of the former states of California and Nevada. Every spare electrical component in Governor Jimenez’s territory was shipped to the other side of the country to help bring the power grid back online. Roberto Jimenez pleaded with President Sterling to leave him with a small percentage of spare parts should his territory need them to make repairs. To make matters worse for Jimenez, fleets of every type of automobile—from small cars to eighteen wheelers—were also sent to The Pulse Zone, leaving his people to do without.