Prologue
The year is 2015. The world as we know it no longer exists.
In 2003, Ezekial Rage launched nuclear bombs from China at Cairo, London, Moscow, and Tokyo. The targeted cities retaliated before asking questions. By 2005, the world economy had collapsed, and the United States government fell apart. The former superpower has split into two warring halves, Dulab and Zinja.
The new America is one of hardships and struggles. Warfare has decimated most of the population between the ages of 35 and 65 and has drained the continent of its natural resources. The young and hardy have quickly risen through the ranks to become the new leaders. They are strong, smart, and willing to do anything they have to if it means the end of the war.
Dulab, consisting of the former states of Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, South Dakota, and Montana, is dedicated to upholding life as they knew it before the war. They are led by Commander Bennett and Roger "Race" Bannon, men well acquainted with military expeditions. Zinja, made of the states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and Kansas, has fallen under the rule of a madman named Dr. Zin. Zin's ultimate goal is global domination, starting with the fall of Dulab.
The Dulabian's fight back courageously. They have organized Task Forces composed of their best young freedom fighters. As Quinque, the most elite Task Force, Jonathan Quest, Jessica Bannon, Alexander Anderson, Ashley Ray, and Dion Jennings fight to defend and expand the Dulab territory against Zin. Quinque is passionately determined to resurrect the world they once knew.
Jonny Quest's blue eyes scanned the dark woods. It was his watch and the other four members of his team were already asleep, despite the fact that they had only stopped to make camp half an hour ago. A rustle in the bushes to his right made him stiffen and drop to the ground on one knee. His face broke out into a small smile when a squirrel ran out from the bushes and up into the comforting branches of a nearby tree. He rubbed a hand over his eyes, unable to believe how weary he felt. And not just physical fatigue, but emotional as well. Times had changed, and not necessarily for the better.
He could still remember the day his father, renowned scientist Dr. Benton Quest, had told him that Rage had destroyed some of the biggest cities in the Eastern half of the world. From that point on the world had seemed to crumble and they had been unable to stop it. Then not even two years later, Zin had claimed a portion of that which had been the United States. Even then that fact had not surprised him -- he figured that Zin would have made some sort of move for power. One of the first things Zin had done after proclaiming himself ruler of Zinja was launch missiles at the Quest Compounds in Maine and Florida.
Jonny sighed, running a hand through his blonde hair at the memory. He could not remember much about that day -- mainly dirt, fires, and pain. Yet, as normal, his uncanny luck had kicked in and allowed him to escape from the demolished Maine mansion without too much injury. With a slight grimace, he traced the scar that ran from his right temple, across his cheek, and down below his chin. The scar was the physical reminder of Zin's hatred for his family. His father, on the other hand, had not been as lucky. They had never found Benton Quest's body. The rest of the Quest team, Hadji Singh, Race Bannon, and Jessie Bannon, had been out of town on that fateful day.
In the distance, a coyote howled at the full moon and the sound pulled Jonny out of his thoughts. His eyes snapped to the sleeping group as Jessie shifted in her sleep. At twenty-four, Jessie had grown up to follow in her father's footsteps. Race Bannon had been an I-1 agent until being assigned to protect the Quest family after Jonny's mother's death. He had taught Jonny, Hadji, and Jessie all that he knew throughout the years. Now Jessie was not only a fighting machine, but also a brilliant chemist and inventor. Next to her lay Ashley Ray, the newest and youngest member of Quinque. Ashley took the place of Josh Alana, who had been shot and killed in their last mission into Zinja. Twenty-one years old, Ashley had been chosen to join the group because of her skill with electronics. On Ashley's other side slept Xander Anderson, who, at age twenty-three, was already a skilled negotiator and smooth diplomat. Not that Xander refused to kick butt when violence was called for, but he always preferred to try to solve things peacefully first. To Jessie's right side was Dion Jennings, the most athletically inclined of them all. If he had been born in better times, Jonny would probably be watching the twenty-five year old Dion play in the national football league or some other major league sports market. Dion was also a black belt in karate.
And Jonny was their leader. At twenty-three he had already seen enough blood and death to have filled two lifetimes before the fall of Rage's bombs, or BF as it was more commonly called. He was the jack-of-all-trades and the members of Quinque looked at him to get them out of any situation. Since Quinque had first been formed five years ago, members had come and gone. Most had left to join Task Forces that were not placed into danger as often as Quinque was. Some had risen through the ranks of Intelligence Command, like Hadji, Jonny's adopted brother. So far, Josh was the only member of Quinque who had died under Jonny's command, and he hoped to keep it that way.
He jumped as a hand landed on his shoulder and he silently reproached himself for delving so deep into his own thoughts as he whirled to face his attacker. Dion took a step backwards, his hands raised, and laughter in his dark eyes.
Jonny took a few deep breaths to get his heart beat back to normal. "You scared me, Dion."
"You should have been paying attention," Dion signed in return.
"You're right. I was just thinking . . . " He trailed off.
Sympathy crossed Dion's face. He knew what it was like to have the whole world seeming to rest on one pair of shoulders. "I'll take over the watch from you. You need some rest and I'm not tired."
For a moment, Jonny paused and then he nodded in agreement. "Thank you."
"No, thank you," Dion signed. "You're the one who's pulled our butts out of the fire more often than I can count on my fingers and toes."
Jonny laughed quietly. "Yeah, but usually your butt is in the fire because I put it there in the first place."
"Every once in a while." Dion grinned. "Go get some rest, fearless leader."
Jonny gave Dion a small smile in thanks and then settled down next to Jessie. Yet even as tired as he was, he could not fall asleep immediately. His eyes fixated upon Dion, whose black skin reflected the moon's rays. Dion was mute. Seven years ago members of the Zinja Guard had smashed Dion's vocal cords when Dion had dared to stand up to them. When he had been recruited to join Quinque the entire group had learned sign language, not only to communicate with Dion, but also as a way to silently speak with each other when needed. Still, Dion was a valuable asset to Quinque.
Next to him Jessie rolled closer, comforted by his presence even while sleeping. They had both lost so many things that sometimes it seemed like they only had each other. He did not mean to close himself off from the rest of Quinque, but Jessie and he had known each other BF, and that tie pulled them closer than he could ever be to Dion, Xander, or Ashley. Closing his eyes, he only meant to think for a little while, but sleep soon pulled him under.
Once Jonny's piercing blue eyes had closed, Dion studied their leader while still trying to pay attention to the night around him. Without Jonny, Quinque would fall apart. He knew that as well as the rest of the group. They all respected Jonny for who he was and who he had been -- the only son of an esteemed scientist. The war in America had only made him stronger. Who was he trying to kid -- it had made them all stronger. There were so many times when Jonny tried to stand on his own without the support Quinque could give him. And so many times Jonny had come to find that Quinque's support was not always a handicap. He knew that Jonny hated seeing the team in trouble and would sacrifice himself if it meant the rest of the team could escape. And they always had -- until Josh.
Dion sighed and peered into the blackness that surrounded him. They liked to think that Jonny was strong, that he was above the wants and needs of mortal man. But they had all, except Ashley, as she had not joined the group yet, seen Jonny cry when Josh had died in his arms.
He closed his eyes and again reminded himself to pay attention on his watch. All this remembering would do him no good if one of Zin's men attacked them. And so the night passed quietly.
* * *
Exactly at ten o'clock the next morning, Jonny phoned Hadji. Most of the telephone poles, radio dishes, and other modes of communication still worked within the established territories of Dulab and Zinja. Race had made sure that even if one of his Task Force groups was at the edge of the territory that they would be able to reach their coordinator in Columbus, Ohio.
Columbus was the headquarters of the Dulab territory. Once the dust from all of the falls had settled, most of Columbus had still stood and so Bennett and Race had made it theirs. All intelligence passed through the city and the coordinators, like Hadji, lived there. Coordinators were the people the Task Forces reported to and from whom the Task Forces got their missions. Without the coordinators life would have been a lot more difficult between Intelligence Command and Task Forces.
"This is Sultan." Hadji's voice was full of static, but Jonny could hear him.
Immediately, Jonny put their coordinator on the speakerphone so that the whole group could hear him.
"Sultan, this is Apollo," Jonny said.
"Good to hear from you, Apollo. How did your mission go?"
"Negative, Sultan. We didn't see a thing."
Jonny could almost hear Hadji frown. Quinque had been sent out on a report of Zinja Guard activity near the border of Montana and Utah.
"All right then, Apollo. I'll meet you at the normal spot to debrief."
"Affirmative, Sultan."
"How did you like your first mission, Sandman?" Hadji asked.
Ashley laughed. "Pretty quiet, Sultan."
"For once," Jessie said with a grin.
"Caroline," Hadji greeted. "Your father wanted me to say 'Hello' for him."
Jessie's smile slithered off her face. "How's he doing?"
"Just fine. He's worried about you."
"What else is new?" Jessie questioned with a sigh.
There was a long pause.
"Stick, did you enjoy this little mission?"
"As Sandman said, Sultan, it was pretty quiet," Xander answered.
"And Pudge, did you get a chance to stretch your legs?"
Dion shook his head and signed a few words.
"He says, 'No. The only things we saw to run from were our own shadows,'" Jessie translated.
"I'm glad everyone is doing well. I'll see you in five hours. Do not be late, something big is happening."
"We'll be there, Sultan. Apollo out." Jonny hung up the phone. "Let's get moving, team."
Dion slid behind the wheel of their jeep with Jonny sitting shotgun and everyone else in back. There were very few cars since gasoline was so low, but Hadji had given them one for this mission, as they would remain within Dulab. Jonny had to admit that driving was a lot nicer than walking. What might have been a two-day walk was only a four and a half hour drive. Hadji always met them in the same spot for debriefing after a mission -- that way if the group got split up everyone would know where to meet.
Jonny scanned the countryside as it whizzed by, his mind on something else. Apollo. Hadji had given him the call sign before Quinque had even been established. Once Jonny had decided to fight Zin, Race knew that Zin could not be allowed to learn that Jonny was still alive. As far as Zin knew, Jonny had died in the Quest compound with his father nearly ten years ago. But if Zin ever learned that Jonny lived, he would not rest until Jonny truly was dead. So Jonny had become Apollo to everyone but Quinque, Hadji, and Race. And even Race, more often than not, called him Apollo. Sometimes he wondered if Bennett even remembered his real name. He shook his head. It had all been decided so long ago that it felt like another life. They could not afford to let Zin know that a Quest remained alive.
"What do you think is going down?" Xander yelled to Jonny over the wind.
Jonny shrugged and ran a hand through his wind blown hair, not that it did much good. "I have no idea. All we can do is wait and see."
So Quinque settled back, waiting and watching.
* * *
"Hadji." Jonny's face broke into a smile at the sight of his brother and friend. "It's good to see you again."
"It's only been two weeks, my friend," Hadji laughed.
"Two weeks too long," Jessie said, giving Hadji a hug. "We truly do miss you out there. Sure you don't want to think about rejoining Quinque?"
Hadji shook his head. "I had more than my fair share of adventure with Jonny throwing himself in the fire at every chance he could. No, give me my job any day." He instantly sobered. "But that is not what I wanted to talk to you about."
"What's going on?" Xander asked.
Hadji sighed. "There's no really good way of putting this, my friends."
"If it's about that base in New Mexico that we blew up, tell Race that I . . . "
"No, Jonny," Hadji interrupted. "It's not about the base. You know that your last trip into Zinja did not turn out too well."
"That's the understatement of the year," Xander muttered.
"They were expecting you," Hadji flatly stated. "Zin knew all along you were coming."
"What?" Jessie said, staring at their friend. "But that would imply we have a leak somewhere."
"Yes." Hadji nodded. "And some of the people in Intelligence Command think that leak is Quinque."
"What?" Jonny yelped. "But how? I mean, Josh was killed . . . "
Dion's face turned pale. "That's stupid, Hadji," he told their coordinator.
"We're not traitors." Xander spat out the word.
"I know that, you know that, but everyone else isn't convinced of it, my friends. Some of them see this last mission as a way of meeting with Zin. All they have is your word that you did not see anyone out there in the plains. For all they know, you could have met with the Zinja Guard and even now be planning a strike into Dulab." Ashley opened her mouth but Hadji plowed right through any objections she might hold. "Quinque has gone into Zinja more often than any other Task Force. Every time an assignment into Zinja is talked about, Quinque accepts it. And from the looks on your faces, I can see that you know where I'm going with that."
"That's crazy, Hadj," Jonny replied, trying to keep his temper in check. "We're sent into Zinja because we're the best at what we do, not because we're traitors."
"What does Dad think?" Jessie quietly asked.
Hadji turned toward her. "Who do you think warned me?"
Jonny sighed, unable to believe what Hadji had told them. "So what do we do now?"
"Well, I suppose if we were working for Zin, we would go running back to him, right?" Ashley grimly voiced.
"Something like that," Hadji agreed. "But, since you're not, you have forty-eight hours to prove your innocence before Race sends anyone he can get after you."
"This isn't right," Xander complained.
"No one ever said life was going to be easy," Jonny said, turning toward Jessie. "Any thoughts, Jess?"
"A few," she admitted. "Who started this rumor?"
Hadji frowned. "I am not exactly sure. It all started about three months ago, right after Josh's death."
"Are you going to stay and help us? Or do you have to leave?" Jonny asked Hadji.
"Officially, I am not even here. Which means I've got to get back to Columbus before anyone notices I am gone."
"Plane?" Jonny raised an eyebrow as Hadji nodded. "I don't suppose we could catch a ride, could we?"
"What? Are you mad, Jonny?" Xander interrupted. "I never thought you were one for riding into the lion's mouth."
"That's just it," Jonny explained. "This all started in Columbus. All of the answers are there, not out here in the middle of Montana. If we're going to figure out what's happening, we're going to have to go to Columbus."
* * *
By the time the plane landed in Columbus, it was dark. As Hadji taxied up to the airport, Quinque got ready to jump off the plane the moment it stopped. It would do them no good if whoever was trying to frame them knew they were back in town.
"Jonny," Hadji called to his friend from the cockpit. "This is not good."
"What is it, Hadj?" Jonny made his way to the front of the plane. Then he saw the tall figure whose white hair reflected the plane's lights. "You're right, this isn't good."
"What is it?" Jessie called to the friends.
"Time for Plan B," Jonny replied as he returned to the group. "Race is here."
"Isn't he on our side?" Ashley asked.
"Yes, but we can't put him in any kind of position regarding Quinque. No one can know we're back in Columbus until we have a chance to prove ourselves innocent." Jonny looked at each of them. "I know it's going to be hard for some of you. Ashley, I know your parents are going to be worried, especially if they hear these rumors, but there's no helping it. We must clear our names." He turned toward Dion. "And Dion, I know your sister is probably going to hit me for getting you into all this trouble, but . . . "
"We trust you," Dion signed.
Jonny stopped, blinking in surprise.
"Jonny, you better put any plan you have into action soon." Hadji interrupted the moment.
Jonny dropped to the ground and unlocked the access panel in the floor of the plane. He lifted it up and motioned for the group to go first. Just as he jumped through and closed the panel, he heard Race's powerful voice talking to Hadji.
Luckily the moon was hidden behind clouds as they made their way from shadow to shadow. A few minutes later they were outside airport property and on their own.
"What are we going to do first?" Ashley wondered as they headed into the city.
"First we're going to crash at Jessie's place and get some sleep," Jonny replied.
"How far is it to your house, Jess?" Xander asked.
"It's going to take us an hour or so to walk there," Jessie replied.
Dion sighed and grimaced when everyone turned to look at him. "What?" he signed petulantly. "My feet hurt."
And a little over an hour later, they all entered into Jessie's house. It was located on the outskirts of what had once been a suburb called Gahanna but was now mainly piles of destroyed homes. The house Jessie owned had been damaged, though not badly, during all of the wars. She was not around enough though to patch up the holes in the walls or the leaky rook over the garage. The lights flickered on and off erratically and the water came out brown more often than clear. All of it was just a sign of the times, not of Jessie's house.
"I've heard that the closer you get to the city the better things are," Xander commented.
"It's true," Ashley said. "They have a solar energy plant going right in the middle of what used to be downtown. Unfortunately, it's not powerful enough to reach all the way out here."
"I thought plans were underway to build a hydro-plant of some sort," Dion signed.
"There are, but it's going to take a while." Ashley opened the refrigerator. "Jess, do you have anything to eat in here?"
"Check the pantry. I usually don't keep anything that expires within ten years or so."
"I take it you don't come home a lot," Xander said as he looked around the living room.
"Not really. We're usually so busy that the little time we have between missions I spend closer to the city with my father or Hadji."
With a silent laugh, Dion picked up an old photograph from the end table. Smiling, he turned toward Jessie and held it out to her. "Is this who I think it is?"
"Yes." Jessie returned his smile. "That's Jonny, Hadji, Dr. Quest, Dad, and I not long before the fall."
Xander and Ashley both gathered around the picture Dion still held.
"You were so pretty back then, Jessie," Ashley said and then covered her mouth with a hand as she realized how that sounded. "Not to imply that you aren't now or anything, but . . . " She trailed off, not knowing what to say.
"And Jonny, you looked so happy." Xander looked at their leader who was sitting in a nearby chair.
"I was." He stood and stretched. "I'm calling first shots on the shower."
"Second," Ashley said, running a hand through curly brown hair that fell past her shoulder blades. "It will be nice to actually be clean for a little while."
"Third," Dion signed.
Xander met Jessie's green eyes. "Want to flip for it?"
"No, it's okay. You can go fourth. I usually like to get my shower in the morning anyway. And by that time all the hot water will have been replaced."
They all watched as Jonny walked into one of the bedrooms and closed the door. Before too long they heard the sound of running water.
"What was he like back then?" Ashley asked, looking again at the picture.
"Happier," Jessie admitted. "When Zin bombed Dr. Quest's house, he lost something, and I'm not just talking about his father."
"Innocence." Xander sat down as the rest of the group looked at him. "When we're young we all have this innate knowing that no matter what, the world is good and perfect. I think it comes with the same thought that we're immortal and nothing can ever kill us. But the truth is for the most part, people search for the good in other people. At least until you're old enough to know that everyone isn't good.
"And once you start looking at the world as it truly is, with its black and white and every color in between, you lose a part of your innocence."
* * *
"Hadji said these rumors started three months ago." Jonny took a sip of water. "And that's where we need to start looking. Now most of us were gone at that point in time so we have no idea of what was happening in Intelligence Command." He turned to meet Ashley's brown eyes. "You're the least known of us. I want you to go to the library and see if you can learn what we've missed. Make sure to pay double attention to any articles that directly name Intelligence Command. By the time you come back, I want to know everything that's happened in the past three months: rules, regulations, you name it."
Ashley nodded. "What time do you want me back?"
"Three o'clock. We can all meet and debrief then. And if we still don't know what's going on, we'll go out again. While we're out, Jessie will be our point man. If you learn anything, call her immediately. We all have cell phones, don't be afraid to use them."
"What about the rest of us?" Xander asked.
"We'll be mixing with the locals." Jonny grinned and stuck his noticeable blonde hair under a black Dallas Stars baseball cap. "Dion, of course, you won't be asking questions, but keep your ears open. If any of you get into trouble, run, don't stick around and fight. We only have until tomorrow afternoon to figure this all out and we'll need all of that time." He paused. "Any questions?" Silence. "Good. Let's get going."
* * *
Ashley made her way into the library, stopping to pet the lions outside for good luck. It was something she had picked up from her older sister, Laurie. For a moment she paused, depression filling her body. Laurie had disappeared two years ago and none of her family had heard from her since. Come on, Ash
She entered the library, trying to get a feel of it just from one quick glance. As expected, books lined the walls and there, a sign pointing the way to newspapers and magazines. Once she found the newspapers, she looked through the stacks and finally found the newest Columbus Dispatch from three days ago. She leafed through the newspapers some more but only came up with five papers from the last two weeks. Well
She pulled out the pad of paper she had brought along and settled into a reading chair. As she made her way through the paper, she jotted down key words and ideas about every article that was even remotely tied to Intelligence Command.
* * *
Jonny was down by the old Ohio State University campus. It was no longer a university but people, especially the poorer people, still lived in the dorms and other living places. Intelligence Command made sure the rent was kept affordable. They knew all too well what the wars had done to the economy. Jessie was one of the lucky ones in having her own house.
But if the traitor, whoever it was, wanted cheap labor, this would be his first stop. He stuck his hands into his pockets, hunched his back, and tried to not draw anyone's eye. His job here was to listen and perhaps ask questions if there was a need, not spark suspicion.
Jonny wandered around the streets, sneaking in and out of shadows to listen to whispered conversations. It wasn't until nearly one o'clock that he heard a name that made him stop still.
" . . . Apollo." The man's voice was rough.
"What about him? He's as good as dead once Bannon gets his hands on him."
"I've heard Bannon doesn't know where he is."
Jonny slipped into the shadows, trying to get close enough to see the men's faces.
"Oh, Bannon knows all right. The boss says Bannon told their coordinator they had forty-eight hours to figure things out." The man harshly laughed. "There's no way they're going to meet that deadline. Quinque is going down and Apollo is going to sink with the ship."
Jonny's eyes narrowed. Whoever the leak was, he was placed high in Intelligence Command to know that sort of information. Frantically he tried to think of some of the names of people that he knew who were in high positions. Of course there was Bennett and Race, but neither of them could be the mole.
"Eddie, who is Apollo?" The first man asked.
"Not even the boss knows that one."
"Why is his identity such a secret? I mean, everyone knows who the rest of the team is, what's so special about Apollo? There aren't even any pictures of him in the newspapers. He could even be you for all I know."
"Don't be stupid, Brock. Apollo is out in Montana on that wild goose chase our boss set up."
Jonny grinned. It was nice to know that much of their plan had worked. But he did not like what he heard about a wild goose chase. Who was their boss that he had so much command in the government? He glanced around the pile of crates he was hidden behind, but could only see brown hair and wide backs. They would be facing the other way
* * *
Brock and Eddie looked up as the young man in a baseball cap approached. They were struggling with a particularly heavy crate that Brock had already dropped twice.
"Could you use a hand?" the stranger called out.
Brock and Eddie exchanged glances and then shrugged.
"Sure," Eddie said, motioning for the stranger to join them. "Thanks."
"Hey, no problem." The stranger grabbed a hold of the crate next to Eddie.
Working together they managed to hoist the crate up into place. After they finished, the stranger wiped his forehead with a sleeve.
"What's in these things? Bricks?"
Eddie shrugged. "We're just moving them like the boss said."
"Job, huh?" The stranger paused. "Your boss looking to hire some more help?"
Eddie turned to study the stranger. "How'd you get the scar?"
Self-consciously, the stranger touched his face. "Got into a fight when I was a kid. And the other kid looked even worse than I did."
Brock laughed. "Gave as good as you got, huh?"
"Better," the stranger replied, grinning.
"I don't know if the boss needs any more help," Eddie said, rubbing his chin. "But one of his men is supposed to be dropping by any minute now to check up on these crates, if you'd like to wait for him."
The stranger shrugged. "Don't have much else to do." He looked around. "Is there a bathroom around here?"
"Third door on the right." Brock pointed out the way.
"I see it, thanks. If you'll excuse me, I'll be right back."
Eddie and Brock nodded and returned back to moving crates.
Once inside the bathroom, Jonny made sure no one was around and pulled out his cell phone.
"Caroline," Jessie answered.
"This is Apollo."
"What's happening?"
"I ran across some thugs who are working for the guy we're looking for. But I don't know who the boss is yet."
"Be careful, Apollo."
"I will. Apollo out." Jonny stuck the cell phone back into his pocket and opened the door. As he stepped out he saw Brock and Eddie talking to a tall man with thinning gray hair, who he assumed to be the contact they had mentioned earlier.
Brock saw him and motioned for him to join them. " . . . another hand?" Those words drifted across the warehouse to Jonny.
The man turned to look at him and Jonny stopped, surprise evident on his face. With a smile, the man crossed his arms over his chest.
"Hello, Apollo. I didn't know you were back in town."
* * *
Ashley rubbed her eyes, making them focus on the microfiche viewer in front of her. She had been looking through papers for almost five hours now and was ready for a break. Leaning back in her chair, she tried to decide what to do next. This was getting her nowhere. She had no idea of what to look for and thirty pages of worthless junk was not going to help them very much.
Settling her chair back down on the ground, she pulled out microfiche of newspapers from ten years ago. As the newest member of Quinque she knew the least about her teammates, a fact that had often grated her. The picture from Jessie's had gotten her interested in Jonny's background. Everyone knew how Zin had bombed his father's house but there had to more to the man than just a bomb. She did not know the exact day the bomb had been dropped, so she started at the beginning of the year, determined to learn more.
January 3, 2005
The Quests have saved the world again. Literally. This past week found Dr. Jeremiah Surd threatening to drop a deadly virus into the water supply of fifteen major United States cities. But the president called on his old friend, Dr. Benton Quest, to stop the madman's plans.
"It was a great deal of good luck," Dr. Quest summed up to reporters after Surd was taken into custody. "And the good luck that Surd is fairly predictable in his attacks."
Dr. Quest's son, Jonathan, stood with Race Bannon, his bodyguard. Jonny, who had been kidnapped by Surd during the course of events, was checked out by emergency crews and immediately released as he had sustained no injuries . . .
January 28, 2005
. . . Jonathan Quest is in the hospital this morning after escaping from his kidnappers. The Quest team had just freed him when the kidnappers shot him in the leg . . .
February 21, 2005
The Quest team has once again made the world safe for democracy. Or so they would have said before the fall . . .
Ashley's eyes grew wide at all the articles concerning Jonny and his family. She had no idea that the Quest's had been so prolific. And then:
May 14, 2005
Zin's bid for power increased exponentially today when he ordered the Quest Compounds in Maine and Florida destroyed. Dr. Benton Quest and his son, Jonathan, had long been a thorn in Zin's side as he struggled to control his power over the territory named Zinja.
At this time, rescue workers have not found the bodies of either Dr. Quest or his son. Roger "Race" Bannon, Dr. Quest's bodyguard, Jessica Bannon, Race's daughter, and Hadji Singh, Dr. Quest's adopted son, were all away from the compound when the missiles hit. The three other members of the Quest Team are working furiously by the side of rescue workers.
Dr. Quest is a well-known and respected scientist who has earned the trust of many governments. He has remained a strong factor in the world even after the fall. Jonathan, son of Dr. Quest and Rachel Wildey Quest, usually accompanied his father on his trips around the world.
This is not the first time disaster has struck the Quest family. An unknown marksman killed Rachel Wildey Quest seven years ago . . .
Ashley scanned through the rest of the article. Also on the front page was a picture of Dr. Zin, proclaiming his innocence in the destruction of the Quest houses. She checked through the newspapers for the next month, but did not find any more mention of Jonny. It was as if he had just disappeared after the missile struck. Of course
She flipped back to the paper showing the simultaneous pictures of a smiling Dr. Quest and Jonny and calm, unsmiling Dr. Zin.
"Dr. Zin and his daughters had no knowledge of this incident," stated Peter Harrison, Zin's lawyer. "They are as bereaved as the rest of the populace. The world lost two very exemplary people in this senseless attack."
Ashley paused, blinking. Peter Harrison? For some reason that name sounded very familiar to her. She flipped through the pages of notes she had taken through the course of the day and stopped, her eyes widening when she again saw the name. Oh no.
Quickly she gathered all her belongings. Once she was outside the library, she pulled out her cell phone and started running back to Jessie's house.
* * * As Hadji would say, this is not good
"You Dulabian's just don't run a thorough background check, Apollo," Andrew smiled. "If you did, you would have learned that my boss used to work for Dr. Zin. Old ties like that are hard to pass up when the world collapses in on itself during a war or two." He waved his hand as if he was tiring of talking to Jonny. "But my boss will be more than happy to see you."
Jonny grinned. "Only if you can catch me." Then he bolted behind some nearby crates.
"Guards!" Andrew yelled and immediately twenty men entered the warehouse, each carrying a gun. "Bring Apollo to me. Alive."
Jonny glanced around the warehouse and instantly knew his hopes for escaping were low. He pulled out his cell phone, hit redial, and then set the phone on the floor. Hopefully Jess would answer the call and realize he was in trouble.
He ducked as shots flew through the crate above his head.
"Come, Apollo, you are quite outnumbered," Andrew called out. "You might as well make this easy on yourself."
* * *
Jessie's cell phone rang and she pushed the 'receive' button. She almost started to say her call sign before some deep instinct warned her to remain quiet. Her eyebrows furrowed when she heard shots, a few grunts, and then a body hitting the ground.
"Come, Apollo, you are quite outnumbered." It was a familiar voice that she could not quite place.
It was Jonny who was in trouble then. A very slight grin turned the corners of her mouth. What else is new? She pulled her laptop closer and started tracking Jonny's cell phone. Down near the old Ohio State campus. It would take her at least forty-five minutes to make her way down there. Jonny needed help from someone closer.
She hung up the cell phone and called Xander.
"Stick."
"This is Caroline. Apollo's in trouble. Can you use your watch to track him?"
There was a slight pause as Xander turned on the tracker in his watch. "I've got him."
"Good. I'm going to call Pudge and send him after you."
"I'm on it." And then Xander had hung up.
Jessie redialed the phone. She heard it ring and then silence.
"This is Caroline. Apollo is under attack. Use your watch to track him. Stick is already on his way to Apollo's position. Back him up."
Dial tone. No matter how many times she did it, talking to a mute over the phone made her shudder.
Just as she hung up the phone, it rang again, startling her.
"Caroline."
"This is Sandman. I've got a match."
* * *
"Welcome, Apollo. I must say that it is good to finally meet you." Peter Harrison was a tall man with brown hair, though there were streaks of gray around his temples.
Jonny had been led through secret passageways under the Intelligence Command headquarters to reach Harrison's office. Two of Harrison's men pushed him into a chair and tied his ankles to its thick wooden legs.
"I wish the feeling was mutual, Captain Harrison." Jonny struggled against his bonds, but the rope tying his wrists behind his back would stump even Hadji.
"Not Captain any longer, Apollo. Commodore. I was promoted three months ago. The only people above me now are Bannon and Bennett."
"How nice. Congratulations."
Harrison grabbed Jonny's face, forcing the younger man to meet his eyes. "Nice scar. How'd you get it?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Anger filled Jonny's blue eyes.
"Now, Apollo," Harrison began and then paused. "What kind of name is that anyway? It certainly isn't the name you were born with. Who are you really, Apollo?"
"Like I would tell you?" Jonny finally managed to pull his head out of Peter's grasp.
"Not me perhaps, no," Harrison admitted. "But this is by no means the end of your journey. Zin wants to personally meet with you."
"If I had a nickel for every time I heard that."
Harrison laughed. "It still wouldn't do you any good in today's economy. Tell me, Apollo, did you know Bannon before the US fell?"
"I'm not telling you anything."
"Oh?" Harrison raised an eyebrow. "My secretary, Andrew, said one of his men got you in the ribs with a nice heavy piece of metal. Let me see . . . right about here?" He pushed on Jonny's rib cage, expertly finding the rib that had been broken in the earlier fight. Black specks floated before Jonny's eyes at the sudden pain but he did not cry out. "I see I was right, but you're much stronger than I imagined. All I'm looking for is a 'yes' or 'no', Apollo. Did you know Bannon before the fall?"
"I'm not telling you." Jonny was on the edge of passing out.
"Oh no, you are not about to get out of this that easily." Harrison punched Jonny in the stomach.
As Jonny gasped for breath, his thoughts turned to the rest of his teammates. When are they going to get here?
* * *
"You think Harrison is the mole?" Race looked at his daughter as if she had grown another head.
"I don't think so, Dad, I know so." Jessie's green eyes flashed.
"Why?"
She motioned for Ashley to step forward. "Do you remember Ashley Ray?"
Race nodded. "Sandman."
"Yes, sir," Ashley acknowledged her call sign. "Peter Harrison used to be a lawyer for Dr. Zin. I was looking through some really old newspapers earlier today. When the Quest Compound was bombed, he was the one who made the statement for Dr. Zin. And he was promoted three months ago -- the same time all these rumors started about Quinque being a leak."
"Also, his man, Andrew, was threatening Apollo this afternoon." Jessie had recognized the voice once Ashley had mentioned Harrison.
"What? When was this?" He actually looked concerned over Jonny's welfare.
Jessie quickly told her father what she had overheard on the phone. "It was Andrew Wartenbach."
Race sighed. "All right, let me call Harrison and see if he's in his office. We'll get this settled." He picked up his phone and dialed a number. "Harrison, this is Bannon . . . I'm fine, thank you. Look, I need to ask you a few questions. Is now a good time to drop by and talk with you?" He paused as Harrison said something. "Great, thanks. I'll be down in five minutes." Sighing, he hung up the phone. "I hope you're right, ponchita."
"I am Dad, trust me."
Race sent her a soft smile. "I do." He stood and leaned against his desk. "Do you know where Apollo is now?"
Jessie activated the tracker on her watch and frowned. "According to my watch he's right below us." She reached into her pocket and retrieved her cell phone. "Ash, see if you can get a hold of Stick. I want to know where they are."
"I'm on it." Ashley punched Stick's cell number and pressed send.
"Stick."
"Sandman. What's your position?"
"We're outside IC headquarters."
"Have you seen Apollo?"
"Negative."
Ashley glanced over at Jessie with a raised eyebrow. In response, Jessie signed an order.
"Caroline says to come in. The time for secrecy is over. Meet us outside Commodore Harrison's office, but do not attempt to enter without us."
"We'll meet you there. Stick out."
Ashley handed Jessie her phone. "They're on their way up."
"Let's move," Race said, already out the door.
* * *
"Saved by the Bannon," Harrison evilly grinned at Jonny as he hung up his phone. "Get him out of here," he told the two guards in the room. "But don't take him too far. We still have a conversation to finish."
The guards cut the rope tying Jonny to the chair and got him to his feet. For a moment, Jonny sagged in the guard's arm as the movement made a fiery pain course through his chest.
"Ah, Apollo." Harrison sadly shook his head. "I hate to see you in such a condition. If you would even just think about hearing me out about Zin . . . "
Jonny spat on Harrison's shoes. "Traitor." He got the word out from between bleeding lips.
Harrison's face tightened and he turned toward the guards. "Go. And make sure he stays quiet. It won't do us any good if he alerts Bannon."
As one of the guards pushed Jonny forward, Jonny kicked backwards, hitting the guard in the stomach. The other guard rushed towards Jonny. Jonny ducked out of the way of the guard's wild punch and kicked the man in the side of the head.
"Stop!" Harrison commanded.
Jonny turned to see Harrison pointing a gun at him. The guard he had first kicked regained his balance and punched Jonny in the side of the head. Stumbling, Jonny fell against a chair, knocking it over onto its side.
"We don't have time for this. Get him out of here," Harrison commanded.
Just then a loud knock echoed throughout the office. "Harrison?" It was Race.
Jonny opened his mouth to call out his friend's name, but Harrison was instantly at his side, the gun at Jonny's head.
"Not a word," Harrison hissed. "Just a moment, Bannon," he called out.
"This is important, Harrison," Race replied from the other side of the door.
"Just a moment," Harrison repeated.
Suddenly the door was kicked open and Jessie rushed into the office followed by Race and the rest of Quinque. Her eyes widened slightly at Jonny's battered body.
"Miss Bannon," Harrison greeted though his gun remained pressed against Jonny. "Bannon, I hear you've been looking for Apollo here."
"What do you think you're doing, Harrison?" Race asked.
"Just capturing our leak, sir."
Race's eyes narrowed. "And has he admitted to being this leak?"
Harrison's eyes warned Jonny to remain quiet. "Yes, sir."
"Why don't you let Apollo speak for himself?" Race asked.
"You can't trust anything he says, sir. He's been working for Zin this whole time."
"How do you know that, Harrison?"
"As I said, sir, he told me. Don't you believe me?"
"Harrison, I only trust three people in this country and you're not one of them. When, supposedly, did Apollo start working for Zin?"
"Before the fall," Harrison sneered.
Race grimly smiled. "Wrong answer." He started toward Harrison.
"Stop right there, Bannon," Harrison cried, shoving the gun against Jonny's head. "One more step and he doesn't make it out of this room alive."
Race glanced at Jonny, seeing the young boy he had once known in the chiseled face before him. Since his father had died he had seen too much at too young an age. And sometimes the only person Race could blame it on was himself. He hated admitting it, but as much as he tried to distance himself from Jessie and Jonny, he still cared about both of them.
Jessie looked back and forth from her father and Harrison, trying to decide who was going to make the first move. But it was the look in Jonny's eyes that warned her of what was going to happen next.
Jonny steeled himself against the coming pain and rammed his shoulder into Harrison's chest. The gun went off and the bullet harmlessly embedded itself into the far wall. Jessie tackled Harrison as he tried to regain his balance, knocking him to the floor. Running over to help, Dion stomped on Harrison's hand, making him release the gun. Dion scooped up the gun and trained it on the two guards who worked for Harrison. But Race was already taking care of them.
Xander was kneeling over Jonny, untying their leader and helping him to his feet.
It did not take long until Harrison and his men were escorted out of the office and to the jail.
"How are you doing, kid?" Race asked Jonny, who sat in a chair.
"I've been better." He winced at the ache in his ribs.
"I'll get a doctor to come look at you." Race was almost out the door when he stopped and turned to look back at Quinque. "Good job. All of you."
"Mr. Bannon, sir?" Ashley hesitantly called out and Race turned once more. "I was just wondering about something you said."
"What's that, Sandman?"
"You said you only trusted three people: yourself, Jessie, and who's the third?"
Race laughed. "IC sure picked a sharp one, didn't they? But I suppose it's only fair I answer your question as Quinque just found the leak." His brown eyes met Jonny's. "Apollo." He looked around to see if anyone else was within earshot. "Jonny, I'm sorry that I couldn't have been there for you more often. And you too, Jessie. It's just hard being a father and watching my children throw themselves into danger at every chance they get."
"I know, Dad." Jessie grabbed her father's hand. "But you also know why we do it."
"I know, ponchita." He hugged her, burying his face into her red hair. "I know." Slowly he disentangled himself from his daughter's arms. "Now I've got to go get a doctor for Apollo."
* * *
Three days later Quinque was gathered in Jessie's living room.
"How you doing, Jonny?" Xander asked the moment he was through the door. "Your ribs holding up?"
"Yeah." Jonny gave him a lopsided grin. "They'll be just fine. Thanks for asking."
Ashley looked over at their leader. Jonny? Grinning? Had she ever seen that combination before? Ever since Race had talked to them that day in Harrison's office it was if some darkness had left both Jonny and Jessie. They seemed much happier now.
"So," Dion signed. "When's our next mission?"