Earth(5)

Clay watched them walk away, swatting at the gnats that apparently found his beard irresistible. Despite the dry heat, and the undesirable human company, Clay liked it here. He felt at home with the bitter smell of salt in the air, so thick you could almost taste it. Clay had been one of a few chosen to infiltrate One Less during the battle at Mammoth Cave. It was easy enough in the aftermath of the blast, but he had had no chance to let Kaitlyn or Susan know he survived.

Then he'd been chosen for the Easter Island mission. It took them a year and a half to deliver the bodies and make their way home, much of it done over water. After losing his sister during the battle, he didn't much care what happened to him. But several months on the water was pure torture; claustrophobic, even – at least for an Earth.

Clay walked closer to the adobe buildings at Fielding Garr Ranch. It at least had a freshwater spring. But being in camp less than a day, Clay had already heard rumors it was close to drying up. The Waters were all worked up about it. Clay walked past the water storage area, flipping open drains on the large barrels.

There was no way The Seven was going to make it past Shawn's fortified seven mile narrow causeway leading onto the island. Clay would just have to force One Less to migrate off the island, and animals always followed fresh water.





Chapter 5





Good Cover





"Micah isn't here – he's gone ahead, to clear the path for you."

"Clear the path to where?" I asked, ducking automatically as another boom sounded off in the distance.

"To Shawn."

The President's words rang through my head, merging with the percussion of the blast, still bouncing around in my brain. My head felt like it was about to explode.

"Sir – I must insist we get moving." The Secret Service agent's words barely registered. I couldn't snap out of my shock until I saw the President's back, and my only link to Micah, disappearing into the smoke and flames. I ran after him.

The three Secret Service agents that surrounded him glanced back, but ultimately ignored me. Apparently I wasn't the biggest threat out here. Now that was a scary notion.

Another blast, closer this time, shook the ground.

"What is it?" I asked.

All four men were already breathing hard. Over a year underground would do that to you.

"Had a security breach," said the President. "It was an insider – he has bombs rigged to go off all over the place."

I shivered, thinking of how close we had come to entering the facility. We might have set one off ourselves. I thought of Bee and Susan, slowing down, debating if I should change my route and head for the hotel. Alex would've gone for them. That was our hard and fast rule whenever the three of us were separated. The closest to Bee go for her while the other eliminates the threat. The President wasn't the threat, but he could lead me to Micah. One thing at a time.

"Shawn is in Utah – Antelope Island, according to our reports. We have no reason to think he will leave anytime soon," the President spoke to me, stopping his forward momentum.

"Sir, please." One of the secret service agents pulled on his arm.

The President ignored him. "Take the rivers. Ohio, Mississippi, Missouri, Platte. Micah is drawing One Less away from the path as he goes."

"Sorry – we cannot wait any longer," stated the agent. He hooked his arm under the President's armpit. Another copied on the other side. The President's toes barely touched the ground.

"Oh, for Pete's sake – put me down!"

The President's orders were ignored. He looked at me over his shoulder. "Ohio, Mississippi, Missouri, Platte!"

"Upper or lower Platte?" I yelled back.

A series of bullets, aimed at the ground just in front of me, was my only answer. The agent's message was clear, our conversation was over.

I threw up my hands. No argument there – I had better things to get to…like Bee.

"Ohio, Mississippi, Missouri, Platte," I told myself as I shifted directions and ran for the hotel. Sink holes were everywhere, many of them spewing flames and smoke. "Ohio." I leaped over a fallen tree. "Mississippi." I darted around a wall of fire, using water and air to battle it back. "Missouri." I fell to the ground, flattening my body as debris from another blast flew just over my head. The taste of burnt grass and wet earth filled my mouth. I spit. "Platte."

Eliminate the threat – that was my job. But there were no people; just a lot of explosions and fire. What was I going to do, take away oxygen? I paused before picking myself off the ground. I'd battled wildfires before, and used energy to fix oxygen levels. I just might be able to contain the entire area – and stop the blasts. But to what end? Who was the security breach? Briefly, I wondered if it was me. Maybe the perimeter alarms weren't all turned off, like Alex said. I shrugged.