Anamnesis ©
Chapter Nineteen
By Fiction Writer #13
(nosex, sci-fi , paranormal)

Jon squatted by the lip of the crater, lazily tossing stones one by one into the water below.  It was as if a gigantic ice cream scooper had simply taken away the house, earth and all.  The lake had rushed in to fill the void, forming a small satellite pond, a nearly perfect circle of water.  Other than the long gravel driveway, there was no sign that a house had ever stood within this patch of forest.  No trace of the Davis family whatsoever.

Rousseau stepped up to his side. "Sir, the sweep is complete."

Jon tossed another stone into the hole. "Graviton bomb?"

"Affirmative."

"Mother fucker," Jon shook his head, "Couldn't even leave their bodies behind for a burial service."

He stood up, watching as the loose ground shifted and slid down the side of the crater to join the water below.

"And the cameras?"

"Hacked, like you thought.   Very professional job; I nearly missed the relay transmitters, but they were there."

"Do we have anything?  Anything to go on?"

"Aside from the missing car?"

"Yeah."

Rousseau shook his head. "Not yet, but we're still looking."

'Where did you go?' Jon thought to himself as he turned and made his way over to a tree stump which had been cleanly cut by the graviton bubble. 'I know you're safe, but where did you go?'

Jon lobbed another rock in a high arch into the large hole and waited for the plunk. "Well, at least we have one thing going for us."

"What's that?"

"The Council is meeting in Highland, which will be easier for us.  No need to go globe trotting to find them all." Jon closed his eyes and concentrated. "Hmm... that's a first.  Looks like they're heading for the lion's den; the ADS building."

Rousseau cocked his head as Jon opened his eyes. "How do you know that?"

Jon tapped his skull. "I asked that Shaman in Africa to work his mojo on me."

Rousseau laughed. "The same suite he cast on his tribe's goat herders?"

"The very same." Jon smiled. "They used it to keep track of their livestock; I use it to keep track of the Council.  Saves a ton of time when one of them needs me."

"I'll bet." Rousseau shook his head and chuckled.

Just then Burke marched out of the woods, gazing in awe across the lake. "It's beautiful here."

"Private nature preserve.  It's been a Phoenix asset since the sixties.  It was meant to be a recreation area for the scientist, but mostly it went unused." Jon reached into his pocket and found the one stone he wanted to chuck into the water but knew he couldn't.  Instead he ran his thumb over its smooth black surface. "How's my ship?"

"The cloaking system is still cooling off, should be another twenty minutes before it can be re-engaged." Burke dropped to one knee, still gazing out at the sparkling water and the distant mountain. "The system's still acting buggy."

"Buggy, huh?" Jon grinned. "Felt like the damn thing was trying to fly itself here."

"I think it's still re-booting.  There are a number of systems running like there's no tomorrow, and others that have stopped completely." Burke pulled a stack of papers from his backpack. "These were printing out when I went to check on Guzman.  I thought you might want to take a look."

"Mission briefings?" Jon took the offered pages and began scanning through them. "I'd requested these, but they didn't arrive at the base camp.  I just assumed they'd cut me off completely."

"I think they did." Burke leaned over and pointed at the coded header on the first page. "There's a stop transmission order followed by some other code.  Someone hacked these out of the system for you."

"Hmm..." Jon squinted at the strange line of code filled with characters he'd never seen before. "Looks like we still have a friend on the inside, but who?"

"Probably the same one who gave you Aurora Five."

"I don't think so.  Whoever it was who changed my request made it look like I had done it, right down to my ID.  The one who did this... well... this is just different."

"Qian would be able to figure it out."

"Qian." Jon lowered the papers so he could look at Burke. "I'll get around to her, just... not yet."

"Hmm.   Right." Burke wiped some sweat from his brow. "Anything of interest in the reports?"

"Yeah.   Something’s going down.  Something big." Jon leafed through the pages. "It looks coordinated."

"Anything to do with that computer virus?"

Jon didn't answer.

"Jon?"

"Everything." Jon balled up the papers and stuffed them into an empty pocket. "It's shutting down communications between satellites and Earth.  NASA's in a panic, they're bringing the Shuttle home early and moving the ISS to an orbit opposite the sun."

"Why?"

"Because there won't be any warning if the sun spits out a solar flare.  Any electronics caught in the path will get fried, and any astronauts up there will get a hefty dose of radiation."

"So, they've got things under control then?"

"Not quite.  With no way to send a message to the satellites, there's no way to tell them to move to a safer orbit.  They'll all be fried, and that means no more planet wide communications.  Not to mention all of the spy satellites, weather satellites, and weapons platforms that don't officially exist.  And that's just the start of the problems.  Any unshielded electronics on the planet will fry, global navigation will be topsy-turvy, batteries will give out, entire power grids could fail.  If you think a blackout is bad, just wait until the flow of commodities comes to a halt.  No more food and water on demand, no more gas for your car.  If steps aren't taken to protect the system right now, the world is going to be a whole lot scarier."

"Anything we can do?" Burke looked visibly shaken.

"Already tried." Jon looked up to the blue sky above. "The MABUS virus is actively blocking any communication that even vaguely sounds like a warning.  It's a tricky son of a bitch, and it's getting trickier the closer we get to midnight.  NASA's damn lucky they decided to pull up stakes when they did, or else..."

"JON!" Rico ran out of the woods panting. "Damn it, I've been trying to reach you.  Where's your radio?"

"I switched it off." Jon casually turned the dial of his walkie back to the on position.  He'd wanted just one moment's peace to mourn the Davis family.  Turning his radio off wasn't something he would have done under normal circumstances, but thinking of the Doc, who was notorious for doing just that, had put the idea in his head. "What's up?"

Rico struggled for breath. "The motion sensors... they've been triggered... on the... on the main road."

Jon turned to Burke. "Are they?"

"Yep, ready and waiting." Burke pulled his own walkie and spoke into it. "Head's up boys and girls, we've got company on the way."

The radio squelched before Pritchard's voice came through. "Ten-four.   We're in position."

Rob and Kayleigh stepped into the elevator and found that they were not alone.  Two young girls, one about Robbie's age, the other a few years younger, huddled together anxiously in a corner.  They both wore black t-shirts altered to show off more belly than they should, and skin tight denim jeans with holes cut in all the right places to tease.  The pair had obviously gone to great lengths to appear older than they were, but should have gone a bit easier with the blue eye shadow.

Kayleigh grinned when she saw them but said nothing.  Rob noticed that none of the elevator's buttons had been pushed when he entered, and wondered what the girls were up to.  An excited gasp left their lips when Kayleigh pulled her key card out of her purse and slipped it into the slot above the buttons.  When Kay pressed the button for the forty-second floor, they nearly squealed with excitement.  Rob was totally lost, but Kay knew what was going on.

"Sorry girls, but they aren't staying here."

The older of the two regained her composure first, and did her best to sound grown up. "What ever do you mean?"

Kay chuckled. "Terminal Distrust.  They aren't staying in this hotel."

The younger one looked heartbroken. "But... but the whole top floor..."

"I know." Kay put a hand on her shoulder. "They've booked the best rooms in every hotel in Highland."

"Why would they do that?" the older one challenged.

"To throw girls like you off the trail." Kay offered a warm smile. "Look, I'm not telling you this to be mean, or to try and stop you, but... if you had gone up there, and they were there, do you know what you'd been in for?"

The two of them looked to each other before smiling and nodding.

"I'm not so sure of that.  They're Rock Stars; they won't fall in love with you if that's what you're expecting."

"Oh, we know." The younger one glanced at her friend and giggled. "We don't care."

"Sure you don't," Kay smirked. "Just be careful, okay?  They party hard, and won't think twice about you the next day.  Don't go in expecting to be best friends with them, or to have them all to yourselves, it doesn't work that way.  And don't do anything you'll regret."

The older one looked confused. "But if they're not up there, why are you telling us this?"

"The Highland Regency, by the airport, sixth floor, room twenty-two.  Tell the big man waiting at the front door that the Flame said you were cool, but to play nice."

Their eyes grew as big as saucers and they began jumping up and down while holding hands. "Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!  This is so cool!  Thank you!"

Kay pushed the button for the thirty-ninth floor, and when the elevator came to a stop she ushered them out. "Remember what I said, be careful."

"Oh, we will!" The two of them broke off into excited squeals as the elevator's doors closed once again.

Rob grinned at Kay. "Why'd you tell them where they were staying if you were worried about them?"

"You think anything I would have said would stop them?"

"No, but I'm sure they'd have eventually gotten tired of riding the elevator up and down all night."

"Maybe." Kay smiled at Rob. "But then they wouldn't have a story to tell their children about how wild and crazy they were when they were kids.  You have to seize the day, Robbie Davis.  Live each day as if it were your last, 'cause you never know, it just might be."

The elevator continued its journey upwards, perhaps to the answers Rob hoped to find.

The driver of the car kept one eye on the dirt road and the other on the tiny red needle that was slowly creeping higher and higher indicating that the engine might overheat.

"This is a really bad idea."

"It's not too much further." The passenger fanned herself with the car's owner manual which she'd pulled from the glove box.  The air-conditioner hadn't worked that well since they left, but now it was nothing more than a hissing sound in the background.

"That's not the point, Steph." Greg shook his head. "This car is about to crap out, and I'm not so sure that coming back here is the smartest thing to do.  They could be waiting for you."

"Look, Greg, I'm not running off to New York with you unless I know my parents are okay.  So drop it." Steph winced as she banged her sunburned arm against the door. "Besides, it's not like I want to go in or anything.  I just want to see them, peek into a window or something, then we can go."

"Okay." Greg knew better than to push it. "But I still have a bad feeling about this."

"It's this next driveway, up here on the left."

"Not much of a driveway.  I'd never have known this was here if you hadn't pointed it out."

The car slowed to make the turn, and as it did, the engine went dead.

"Great, just fucking great." Greg slammed his fist against the steering wheel. "You happy now?"

Steph didn't answer; her eyes were wide open and full of fear. "Greg?"

"What?"

A hard tap on the window by his head scared the shit out of him.  He turned and found himself staring down the barrel of a rifle.  The man holding the rifle was dressed in black from head to toe.  He wore a strange helmet that completely covered his face, the design of which caused Greg to flinch as it seemed more alien than human.

"Please step out of the vehicle!" the gunman's digitally distorted and amplified voice ordered. "NOW!"

"Told you this was a bad idea," Greg mumbled under his breath as he complied.

The man pointing the weapon at Greg was not alone.  Others dressed in black military jump suits and matching helmets emerged from the surrounding woods like disembodied shadows.

Steph skirted around the front of the car and joined Greg by his side. "Who are you?  What have you done to my parents?"

One of the soldiers held a small device in front of them and a flash went off.  He repeated the procedure with the car's license plate before speaking in that same digitized voice as the one pointing the gun at them. "Sending you visuals now.  Male and female, approximately eighteen years old, green Plymouth Horizon, New York plates.  We've detected several enchantments on the vehicle, mostly protective wards and distraction suites.  The female inquired about her parents."

After a brief pause the soldier spoke again. "Understood, standing down."

Steph shot Greg a confused look as the soldiers lowered their weapons.  One of them stepped up and removed his helmet, revealing rugged good looks, deep brown eyes and a wild shock of sun bleached blond hair.  He spoke with an Australian accent and a genuine smile. "No worries, mates.  The boss will be down in a bit."

Seeing the soldiers relax made Greg feel brave enough to speak. "What's going on?  Who are you?"

The tall Aussie held up a hand and made a calming gesture. "Just hold on, I'm sure he'll fill you in."

"Who will?" Steph asked.

The armed man pointed up the driveway at a man who was running towards them at top speed. "My boss."

The man traveled the distance in a very short time, and didn't even seem out of breath when he arrived.

"Holy shit, I don't believe this!"

"Believe what?" Steph took a step back from the new stranger. "Who are you?"

"Jonathan Reynolds." He held out a hand which neither teen accepted. "I was a close friend of your Grandfather, Malcolm."

Steph looked dubious. "My Grandfather's been dead for a long time."

"No, not really." The man's smile waned slightly before he turned to Greg. "How in the Hell did you two get together again?"

"Do you know me?" Greg eyed him warily.

"Damn straight I do, Mr. Bellman.  Though, you probably don't remember me."

Greg stared hard at the man.  Something about him did seem familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"I was the one who cleared you of all charges when they were trying to string you up for arson and murder."

"Holy shit!   That was you?" Recognition finally erupted within Greg's memories. "It was you!  I didn't recognize you without the suit.  I never got a chance to say thanks!"

Jon shrugged. "Well, considering it was me that blew up that house, I didn't think it was right for you to take the rap.  There are enough patsies in the world, no need for another one."

Steph nudged her stupidly grinning boyfriend in the stomach. "It's great that you know the man who blew up my house, but what the fuck is going on?  Where are my parents?"

The grin on Jon's face eroded away, telling Steph everything she didn't want to hear. "I'm sorry, Steph.  We were too late."

"Too late?" Her lower lip quivered. "Too late for wha..."

Her face blanched white. "No."

She started shaking. "No.  They can't be."

Before anyone could restrain her she bolted down the driveway.

"STEPH!   WAIT!" Jon called out to her but she wasn't listening anymore.

"No!  No!  NO!"

The world around her was a blur as she ran down the gravel driveway.  The tiny stones rolled under her feet, one slipped into her left sandal where it poked into the soft skin of her foot, but she didn't feel it... she didn't feel anything.

'No... no... no... It can't be true.'

Her parents had done terrible things to her, horrible things, but they were still her parents... and she loved them.

'Please... please let them be safe.'

She rounded the curve that should have revealed the home, but instead found nothing but the lake.  It was gone, all gone.

"NO!"

Her scream echoed through the forest.  She vaguely registered that she startled a large redheaded man who was sitting on a tree stump that should have been a tall oak, one she'd sat under as a child playing with her dolls, but that too was gone.

"God, NO!"

She ran blindly to the spot where her home should have been standing.  The ground under her feet vanished and she fell.  The sensation of falling barely registered before the cold water she plunged into shocked her senses back.

The murky water engulfed her, held her under its surface as if it wanted to keep her forever.  Her legs kicked wildly as she desperately swam towards the glittering light far above.  After what seemed like an eternity, her face broke the surface and she gulped air even as her lungs tried to expel the water she'd swallowed.  She coughed and sputtered as the sun brought warmth to her face, but the water continued to chill the rest of her.

A strong arm appeared out of nowhere and grasped her around the chest. "I've got you.  Calm down."

She caught a flash of red hair as the man dragged her to the edge of the water.  She stared blankly up at the sky above, confused as to where she was and what was happening.

'The house should be here,' she wondered. 'Where is my home?'

The man's feet found solid ground and he hauled her out of the water, then laid her gently on the beach of the lake.  Her head lolled to the side and she got her first good look at the place where her home should have been.

"Where did it go?" she sobbed. "Where did they go?"

"JON!  Over here!" her rescuer bellowed, and waved a hand over his head.

Within moments the man who claimed to have been a friend of her grandfather was there, concern clearly etched on his face.

"I tried to warn you," he said gently to her. "I'm sorry."

"What... what happened?" She coughed up the last of the water. "Why is this happening?"

"Come on, let's get you back on your feet and dried off." Jon extended his hand. "We have a lot to talk about."

She eyed his hand warily, opting not to take it into her own.  She helped herself to her feet and followed Jon back up to the forest, carefully avoiding the edge of the mysterious crater, avoiding the place where all she had known had been taken away.

The elevator doors opened on the forty-second floor revealing a narrow corridor with white walls and ugly carpet.  Every other light in the drop ceiling was off except for the three just outside of the elevator.  On the wall in front of them, held up with scotch tape, was a computer printed paper with an arrow pointing towards their right.  The arrow wasn't really needed though, the long line of people waiting to be checked in made it obvious which direction they should head.

"Well, this is different." Kay spoke softly as they joined the line which was actually moving quite quickly. "Seems like a lot more than usual."

Rob nodded even though he had no idea anything was out of the ordinary.  He couldn't help but feel excited as they got closer and closer to the front of the line, and could hear the murmur of those already packed into the room beyond.  The elevator behind them opened and a dozen more people joined the end of the line.  As far as Rob could tell there was nothing to flag these people as being odd or different in any way.  All ages: from toddlers up to the elderly; all backgrounds: blue collar, white collar, rich, poor and in between.  Not even the color of their skin seemed odd or disproportionately skewed one way or the other.  They all could have just as easily been people waiting in line at a grocery store, your average everyday cross-section of the general public, but instead they were here, hoping to find answers... just like himself.

Kay peered past the few people still ahead of them and waved to the frazzled looking elderly woman sitting behind a large table. "Hiya Gwen!"

The older woman took a moment from handing out name tags to look up and return Kay's greeting. "Oh!  Hey Kay!  Glad you could make it!"

"Wouldn't miss this for the world." Kay smiled as the distance between them steadily dwindled. "Slightly bigger than the usual gatherings?"

Gwen rolled her eyes as she handed over two more name tags. "Biggest one yet by far; much more than what she said when she booked this space.  It's a wonder we haven't been shut down yet for breaking fire codes.  She even has Tom and Larry shuttling groups up the elevator so the hotel doesn't catch on."

"What's the occasion?" Kay asked as they stepped up to the table which was littered with the wax paper backings of dozens of name tags already distributed.

"She's gone and found some new fangled thing she's convinced will work this time." Gwen handed over a hastily scribbled tag with Kay's name on it before turning to Rob. "And you are?"

Her question took Rob aback for a moment. "Uh... Robert, Rob Davis."

Gwen immediately began to flip through a notebook filled with names, but Kay stopped her.

"Oh, you won't find him in there.  I brought him."

Gwen looked from Kay to Rob then back again. "She won't like that."

Rob's heart sank.  All this way and he was going to be turned away at the door.

"I know, but..." Kay leaned in close enough to whisper over the murmuring. "I think he may be more of a help than whatever knick-knack Sheila's found."

"I don't know, Kay." Gwen leaned in and spoke in a conspiratorial tone. "I'm worried about her.  She's... she's... I don't know.  I think she may have gone off the deep end.  For real this time."

"Why?  What's happened?"

Gwen motioned for Kay and Rob to join her on the other side of the table so that she could continue checking people in while talking. "Well, the girl's been getting more and more into that mysticism hocus pocus, as I'm sure you already know."

"Yeah." Kay chuckled. "Last month she had us all holding hands around a crystal skull; the month before it was supposed Hopi Indian artifacts."

Gwen smirked. "Now it's a pyramid, but don't say anything, she had me swear to secrecy."

"My lips are sealed." Kay mockingly crossed her heart. "But what's so bad about that?"

"Nothing," Gwen handed out six more name tags, "Unless you believe the story of how and where she got it; magical beings, secret rituals, monsters and demons.  It's worse than when, well, you know."

"Oh come on, it can't be that bad."

"It's much worse than I can say out loud.  She's totally lost it this time, and paranoid to boot."

"She's always been paranoid."

"Not like this." Gwen spun around to face Kay. "She's convinced she's going to die tonight.  That using this, whatever it is, to get everyone's memories back, it's going to cost her her life.  Something about a price that needs to be paid, a debt she owes."

"No way," Kay gasped.

Gwen nodded. "I just wanted you to know what kind of mood she's in before I let you take your young friend inside.  It might be best if he sticks to the back, out of her sight."

Rob's heart leapt.  She was going to let him in!

"Thank you Gwen, I owe you one." Kay grabbed Rob's hand and practically pulled his arm off getting him through the door.

The man with the kind eyes hidden behind unfortunately thick glasses was named Ellis.  After everything Stephanie just heard, that was the one thing she was sure she could believe.  Ellis had come out of the woods with a medical kit and a towel.  There was one tense moment when he stumbled upon the bruises and welts that covered her back, chest and thighs, but he kept his questions to himself until after he asked Greg and Jon to give them a moment alone.  Steph chose to remain mute on the subject, and Ellis didn't push, but he did give her something for the pain, and even offered to speed up her healing with one of the many strange devices inside his kit.  He'd dried her off, checked her over, and smiled warmly after giving her the all clear.

He then remained by her side as Jon wove a fantastic tale that couldn't have been true.  When the headache and nausea began to cause her to wretch, Ellis leaned over and pressed something to her neck.  There was a pop and a hiss, then moments later she felt better again.  Her teary eyes shone with gratitude for the man with brown curly hair.  He took away her pain, and that was something few could ever claim.

"Is there anyway you can give her her memories back?" Greg asked.

Steph could hear the hope in his voice, but she herself wasn't so sure she wanted to be the old Stephanie again.  Everything she knew may have been a lie, but it was her lie, it was her life.  What if the old Stephanie wasn't anything like the current one?  She liked who she was.  She liked her memories of living by this lake.  She didn't want to lose who she was for what she had been.

"I'm sorry, no," Jon answered. "We don't have access to the MERI anymore.  Even if we did, I don't think it would be a good idea to mess around with her memories again.  The damage might be irreversible."

Greg looked dismayed. "But she gets sick every time someone even talks about her past.  Can't you do anything about that?"

"Actually, yes, I can." Ellis pulled a small pill out of his kit and placed it in the palm of Steph's hand. "This will counteract the memory block response.  It won't give those memories back to you, but it will stop the sickness."

Greg stared at the tiny pill. "What is it, like a super aspirin?"

Ellis chuckled. "No.  It's full of nanites.  Microscopic machines programmed to repair the changes that were made when the memory block was put into place.  Once they do what they were programmed to do they'll turn off and pass out of your body through normal excretion processes."

Steph looked into the doctors kind eyes. "Will it hurt?"

"No, you won't feel a thing." Ellis pulled a bottle of water from his kit and handed it to Steph. "I promise."

Steph smiled before popping the pill into her mouth followed by a big swig of water.

"Okay, now that that's all settled." Jon's face turned serious. "I need to know where your brother is.  It's very important that I find him and keep him safe."

Steph lowered her eyes.  Her wet sun dress clung to her body in a way that she would have thought sexy on any other day, and she would have teased her brother or father with her curves if they were there, but they weren't.  Her brother was far away, her father... even further.

"Steph, I need to know.  There are people out there right now trying to find him, bad people."

There it was again.  That phrase.  That damn phrase that she'd heard too many times already today.  'Bad people'.  But who were these bad people anyway?  Wasn't Jon one of these bad people?  By his own admission he was the one who kidnapped her family, he was the one who blew up their home, and he was the one who brought them all here after her crazy grandfather played with their brains.  She wanted to trust him, she needed to trust someone, but of all the wild things he'd told her one detail was mysteriously missing, and it was an important one.  Sarah.  He never mentioned Sarah.

"Please, Steph.  If they find him before I do..."

Steph's lips shook as she spoke, still not sure if she were doing the right thing, but if her brother was in trouble, she had to help. "He's in Highland."

"Highland?" The shock in Jon's voice couldn't be hidden. "Highland, New York?"

Steph nodded.

"Why the fuck is he in Highland?"

Stephanie raised her head to stare hard into Jon's eyes. "He went there to fix what you people did to him, to us.  He went there to take back what you took from him.  He went there to find our little sister, Sarah."

Jon nearly fell off the stump he was sitting on. "How?  How does he know about Sarah?  How do you know about Sarah?"

"Apparently your little brainwashing machine didn't work so well on my brother." Steph grinned as she finally gained the upper hand. "He's been dreaming about her for months, but you didn't know that... did you?"

"Stephanie, listen to me.  He's in deep shit right now.  Highland is the last place he should be."

"Why's that?" Steph asked haughtily.

His features turned dead serious. "Because that's where they want him to be.  Now, where in Highland is he?"

The sudden change in his tone wiped all the bravado out of Steph. "He's at some convention, a UFO thing."

"The Highland Plaza South," Greg chimed in.

Jon pulled his walkie out and spoke rapidly. "Richardson, come in."

"Here boss."

"Prep the bird; we're getting out of here."

"Understood."

Jon clipped his walkie back onto his belt and stood. "Burke, wrap up here then get everyone back to the bird asap."

The redheaded man nodded curtly then took off running down the gravel driveway.

"Ellis, is she good to go?"

Ellis looked to Steph before smiling. "Perfect health."

"Good, you can head back."

"Got it boss." Ellis nodded politely to Greg and Steph before disappearing into the woods the same way he'd come.

Jon returned his attention back to Steph and Greg. "Where were you two heading?"

"Uh, my Uncle set us up in a place in Brooklyn."

"Your Uncle?  Joey Turner?" Jon waited for Greg to nod. "Well, that explains the magic we found in your car."

Greg looked confused. "You know my Uncle?"

"You could say that." Jon grinned. "I had some dealings with him and a PI friend of his a few years back.  Seemed like a nice guy.  Never had to warn him about abusing the Art, which was a nice change of pace.  Guess I should thank Nick for that since he was practically his mentor." 

Jon pulled his walkie out again. "Rousseau, come in."

"Rousseau here."

"How's the car?"

"Tip top.  The enchantments are some of the best I've seen.  I think Pritchard would get a kick out of the license plate.  It changes slightly every time you look at it.  He'd never get pulled over again for all of those unpaid speeding tickets."

"I meant, is it road worthy?"

"Doubt it." Greg chuckled. "That piece of crap died on us back there."

"That was our fault, we killed your battery," Jon smirked.

Rousseau's mild French accent cut off any questions from Greg. "She's fully charged and ready to roll."

"Good.  Get your ass back to Aurora, we're leaving."

"Ten-four."

"Alright you two, time for you to get back on the road." Jon extended his hand to Greg. "Take good care of her and do whatever your Uncle told you to do once you get to New York.  He knows a thing or two about staying hidden.  Be quick about it too.  Some bad shit is about to go down at midnight tonight, and you won't want to be out wandering around after that."

Steph stood and pulled her damp dress away from her skin wherever it stuck. "What about my brother?"

"Don't worry; I'm not going to let anything happen to him." Jon extended his hand to Steph. "You have my word."

Stephanie hesitated, but only for a moment.  She took his hand into her own and gave it a shake, but more passed between them than a simple gesture of goodbye.  Their eyes locked, each searching for something to hold onto, some little bit of the other that they could take with them.  For Jon it was the smile that came to Steph's lips, a simple expression that said 'I trust you'.  For Steph, it was the tear that slipped from Jon's eye, a symbol of the loss he too felt at her parent's passing.  The moment passed in silence, and lasted only a few seconds, but it made both of them feel better about the choices they had made.

"Before I forget," Jon riffled through his pack and pulled out a cell phone, "Take this."

"A cell phone?" Steph took the small black phone. "Can't they trace these?"

"Not this one." Jon grinned. "And it has some features that other phones don't.  It'll never need charging, and you'll never have trouble finding a signal.  When I find your brother, I'll call.  If you get into a jam, just dial star thirteen, and I'll be there.  Now get to Brooklyn ASAP, no stopping to admire the scenery, and hunker down for as long as you can.  I have no idea what we are in store for after midnight.  It could be a day or two of trouble, or it could be longer... much longer."

Jon turned and headed off into the woods but Greg and Stephanie stayed a little longer.  They sat by the shore of the lake and watched as two inflatable Zodiac boats zipped across the water.  The two boats ferried Jon and his men to a strange object protruding from the surface of the lake in waters Stephanie knew to be very deep.  Once there, they watched as the men disembarked from the boats and disappeared one by one into the thing, followed by the boats.  To Greg and Steph's surprise, the object then sunk below the surface, leaving no sign of it ever being there in the first place.

"What is it, a submarine?  I didn't think this lake connected to any rivers."

"It doesn't." Steph stood up as an immense dark shape appeared just below the surface of the water.

"What the hell is that?"

Greg stood and took her shaking hand into his own. "Jesus!"

The surface of the lake suddenly heaved up into the air as if a massive bubble had been released.  Water rained down in sheets over the glistening black surface of Aurora Five as it slowly lifted out of the water.

"It's fucking huge!" Greg squeezed Steph's hand, making sure that he really was seeing what he was seeing.

Once Aurora reached an altitude above the trees, it moved toward them, gliding silently over their heads before vanishing before their eyes.

"What the hell was that?" Greg stared at the sky where the wedge shaped aircraft had disappeared.

"I don't know." Steph pulled Greg's hand as she began to move up the slope. "But I think we need to go, now."

"Why?" Greg turned back to the lake and got his answer as a huge ripple raced over the otherwise calm surface. "Oh, shit."

The pair of them made it up to the tree line just as the wave reached the shore.  It swept up over the beach and continued up hill for about twenty feet before retreating.  If they hadn't moved from their original spot, it would have pulled them both into the lake.

"That was a close one," Greg laughed. "Come on, we better get going."

"You go on ahead, I'll be right there."

Greg nodded before heading back to the car alone as Steph made her way back to the hole where her home used to be.  The wave had knocked away more of the soil, and what was left behind looked more natural than the mysterious bowl it had been.  Steph knelt near its edge and closed her eyes as tears began to flow.

"Goodbye Mom and Dad.  I forgive you, and I'll miss you."

"What's our ETA?" Jon spoke into the ship's communications system as he felt the flutter begin to build in his gut, a sure sign the ship had achieved a suborbital altitude.

Richardson 's voice came through crystal clear. "Thirty seconds till we hit the drop window."

Jon checked the simple silver Timex watch he wore. "Okay, hold us over the target till I give the word."

"You're not going to switch places with me, are you?" His words dripped with disappointment.

"Sorry, not this time."

Jon clicked off the system and made his way down into the bowels of the ship.  Down here the thrum of the Anti-Gravity Drive was louder, sounding more like an amplified ultrasound than an engine.  He made his way across a short catwalk until he reached the brig with Stewart still standing guard outside the heavy door.

"Any problems?"

"No Sir, she's been quiet as a mouse."

"Good, good.  Let me in."

"Yes Sir." Stewart spun and faced the control panel.  A beam of red light illuminated his left eye before a much wider green light washed over his face.  He spoke calmly and clearly. "Authorization code XXYY3811, William Stewart."

The door hissed open without delay.

"Here," Jon un-holstered his sidearm and handed it over to Stewart. "Take this, so I don't do anything stupid."

"Yes Sir."

Jon stepped into the warm air that filled the brig and the first thing he noticed was the sound of a television program playing.  Qian was sitting on her bunk, still wrapped in nothing but a towel.  She barely acknowledge Jon when he entered, her attention transfixed on a tiny video screen outside of her cell that should not have been on.

Jon leaned out of the door and pulled Stewart in by his shirt, pointing angrily at the monitor. "Did you do this?"

"No Sir!" He looked just as confused and irritated as Jon did. "I've... I've been watching her on the security feed.  She hasn't moved from that spot!"

"He's telling the truth, Jon." Qian shifted her gaze from the monitor to the two men standing in the doorway. "It came on all by itself."

"Yeah, right." Jon nodded to Stewart, a signal that it was okay for him to leave. "It came on by itself."

"It did." Qian stretched out one of her legs on the bed. "And it's been very informative.  Did you do this?"

She pointed to the monitor which was displaying an American cable news channel.  Jon watched as the coverage of North Korea's sudden change of heart continued to unfold.  He nodded.

"Did you do this, for me?"

Jon stepped up to the controls for her cell door and typed in his code. "Not entirely.  There were other factors."

A sly smile crept over her lips. "But, you did think of me, right?"

When the cell door opened Jon entered the cramped eight by eight room and leaned against the wall opposite Qian's bunk. "Yes, but I guess I made a mistake."

"How so?"

"What do you mean, how so?  That's not your homeland, that's for damn sure.  I know where you were born, 10."

Qian's eyes fell to her lap. "Please don't call me that."

"But it's who you are."

"I'm no more 10 than you are 13."

"Would you prefer I called you by your assigned name?  What was it again?"

"Jung.  And no, I wouldn't.  That name died there," Qian nodded at the monitor, "Along with any ties to Donovan, the Super Soldier Program, and the Council.  I was reborn there, so in a way, North Korea is my homeland."

Jon chuckled to himself. "I should have figured it out; Qian isn't even a Korean name."

"I didn't take my new name until I crossed the border into China."

"And that story about your parents?  How they died trying to get you across the mine field?"

"True, except that they weren't my parents, of course." Qian once again looked to her lap. "They were farmers.  They took me in when they found me beaten up and bleeding, half dead outside of their village.  They were the closest thing to parents I've ever had."

"So, I'm just guessing, but the Council went ahead with their plan to place us in foreign nations to conduct espionage?"

Qian nodded, "Placed where our ethnicity and age wouldn't raise suspicions.  I was eleven, Jon.  They dropped me into the middle of a fucking jungle with orders to get into Pyongyang's palace any way that I could."

Qian shivered. "The training we received did nothing to prepare me for what was required.  I made it in though, after a year of trying.  I was a toy, a plaything for the officials visiting the palace, but it was where I was supposed to be, and I did my duty.  I was a good little soldier."

Jon left the doorway and took a seat beside her on the bed. "So, how did you end up in that village?"

"New orders came in.  Kim Jong-Il was doing too much saber rattling for the Council's liking. I was to quiet him down, poison his bourbon.  I was scared and I got sloppy.  I shouldn't have been scared.  They were supposed to have taken that out of all of us, right?  But I was, and it nearly got me killed.  I was caught, tortured for two years, raped... all because I wouldn't tell them that I was an American assassin.  Of course the Council wiped their hands of me.  No hope for a rescue mission, a breakout, nothing.  Then one day my captors made a mistake, and I took advantage.  I was free of the prison, but not safe.  Nowhere is safe in North Korea for an American spy, especially not one who attempted to kill their Great Leader.  I had given up hope of ever escaping when those two villagers took me in.  The rest of the story you already know."

"Yeah, except for the deception.  Why'd you do it, Qian?  Why did you seek me out?  Why did you lie?"

"First off, I didn't seek you out.  You came to me, remember?  I was happy where I was, I didn't plan on ever seeing anyone involved with Phoenix ever again.  When you showed up, I nearly shit my pants.  After all those years, there you were; big smile, friendly demeanor, and inviting me to join your team.  I suppose I could have said no, but... I thought it might have been a way for me to atone for my part in what happened to..."

"14."

Qian nodded. "That was the beginning of my break with Donovan.  It wasn't supposed to happen like that.  He said he just wanted to bring you back, no one would be harmed, he just wanted you back to face disciplinary measures.  I was a fool to trust him."

"So why didn't you tell me?"

"What?  Oh, hey Jon, by the way, remember when you were a super secret product of genetic manipulation and advanced training techniques and everyone turned on you and killed your girlfriend?  Remember how they told you that we were all dead?  Well, have I got a surprise for you!  Not only are they all still alive, but one of them is right here under your nose!"

Jon grinned. "Well, you didn't have to put it like that."

"Believe me, Jon, I spent most of my downtime torturing myself trying to figure out the right way to bring it up, but nothing ever sounded right."

"Well, anything would have been better than nothing." Jon shook his head. "It would have been helpful to know that the others were still out there, especially Donovan."

"I know.  I'm sorry." Qian pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them. "If it makes any difference, I've been tracking them, just in case.  They've pretty much stuck to their own designated corners of the world, except for Donovan.  As far as I can tell, he's been working for the Council, with Broddick mostly, and doing nothing too devious.  He's been kept on a short leash, which is probably a good thing considering."

"That's good, but still... you could have given me something, anything..."

"I... I didn't want..." Qian took a deep breath and turned away from Jon. "I didn't want to risk losing you."

Jon felt a warm flush crawl over his skin.  His hand moved over hers and he squeezed gently. "You aren't."

When she turned back tears were in the corners of her eyes. "Thank you."

They sat in silence for a moment before Jon suddenly stood up. "Okay, enough of this touchy feely crap.  We have a kid to pick up before we meet with the Council..."

Jon's sentence trailed off and his eyes went distant.

"Jon?  You okay?"

"They're..." Jon's face went white and he nearly stumbled back onto the bunk. "They're all gone."

Qian stood and helped to steady him. "Who?"

"The Council," His eyes were filled with shock, "The Council is dead; all of them.  All except..."

Jon's eyes narrowed to slits as his teeth gnashed together. "All of them except Hollister Broddick.  That son of a bitch killed them all."

"Why?"

"I don't know, but this just became a war." Jon slammed his fist into the communication system. "All hands, now hear this.  Hollister Broddick has initiated a coup.  Project Phoenix is now under his control alone, and I for one am not going to let that stand.  Gear up, we're going to extract the boy before Donovan can get his grubby hands on him, and then we're going to remove Hollister from power."

Jon released the button then looked Qian up and down. "That includes you too, beautiful."

Qian's face broke into a huge smile as she wrapped her arms around Jon in a tight bear hug.  She kissed his cheek before releasing him and hauling ass out of the brig, calling behind her, "You still owe me dinner!"