Part 4: Conspiracies and Epiphanies
"Brightest and best of the sons of the morning, Dawn on our darkness, and lend us thine aid."
-Reginald Heber
"He hearkens after prophecies and dreams."
-Shak
"It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong."
-Voltaire
The desert night was moonless. The void broken only by millions of stars against an ebony sky, glittering like diamonds against black velvet. Despite the heavy leather jacket and gloves he wore, the air held a chill. His hair whipped back from his tear streaked face as the wind screamed around him. The vibration of the Harley he rode and the rumble of the engine lulled him into an almost hypnotic trance. His headlight illuminated the dark ribbon of highway that stretched on forever as it threaded itself through the mountains.
Tom was absorbed in his thoughts, still trying to process everything he'd learned in the last few days. He wasn't certain which came as a bigger shock, the state of the world or the knowledge of the origin of his people.
It was hard to imagine everything that had transpired in just four short months. The world as they knew it was gone... replaced with the result of two self-righteous societies battling each other for the prize. Each escalating on the other till it had gotten out of control. In the end, both sides had ultimately lost. Cities were destroyed and modern technology was all but gone. Irreplaceable treasures stood in heaps of brick and mortar. Thousands had been imprisoned and thousands more had died. And for what? To keep a dark secret, fifty years old, hidden ... and revenge. Tom was certain now that the humans' government had initiated the war with his kind in an effort to conceal the truth of their existence. He was equally certain that his species had retaliated out of revenge and hatred that was bred from betrayal so long ago.
The big secret, the story of how his kind had come to be. It was an astonishing tale, but one he had only part of. He still couldn't fathom how they managed to do it, or why. What were they suppose to be able to survive? He figured the first children of those forty scientists would be as old as fifty today. That meant some could still be alive. Would they have answers? Lewis had obviously known something, but whatever it was, he took it to his grave.
"Sloan would love to get her hands on this one." Tom mused to himself.
The dull ache in the center of his chest was back with the simple thought of her, making it hard to breath. Was she still alive? He'd read in those old newspapers about dominants and human sympathizers being imprisoned in internment camps. He desperately hoped that's not where she ended up. He'd experienced first hand what the humans' government would do to prisoners. He couldn't stand the thought of her going through that hell. Sloan was a free spirit much like a bird in the wild. She was meant to fly ... not locked up in a cage. One thing he was positive about, if she was in one of those camps he would do everything in his power to get her out. Even if it meant giving his life.
x.x.x
Everyone had settled in for the night. David came downstairs after checking and finding Sloan was not in her room. Mari told him she'd said something about going for a walk. This was just the opportunity he needed, now he just had to find Lou. He searched the lower floor finally finding him in the kitchen.
"Lou can I talk to you for a second?" David asked approaching the other man. "I need a favor."
"Sure." Lou answered motioning to another chair at the table. "Have a seat. What do you need?"
"You said you're a teacher." David replied sitting down at the table. "You wouldn't by chance have any extra notebooks laying around would you?"
"Note books?" Lou smiled leaning back in his chair. "Yeah, I have a couple stashed somewhere. You need one?"
"It's for Sloan." David answered leaning forward. "She had been keeping a journal and accidentally left it behind in Sonora Junction. I want to surprise her with a new one if possible. She has taken a lot of what's happened very hard, it's more personal for her than for the rest of us. The journal seemed to help her when she had it. Now she is closing herself off and I don't want to see that happen."
"I see. Wait here," Lou responded rising from his chair and walking out of the room. "I'll be right back."
David leaned his forearms against the table and looked around the kitchen. It was a simple room, the wooden table sat next to the window. Pans hung from hooks over the stove and coffee mugs stood on a tree next to the pot on the counter. He was getting anxious. He wanted to get this up to Sloan's room before she came back. She needed this more now than ever. The three month anniversary of Walter's death was coming up soon.
"Sorry it took me so long but I found it." Lou announced walking back into the room holding up a book. He sat down at the table and handed it to David. "Here, give this to her. Much better than just a plain notebook."
David took the journal from Lou and looked at it. It was a smallish book bound in leather. The cover was tooled with a dreamcatcher and an intricate border. The crisp pages it contained were stark white and waiting for words. He smiled has he ran his hand across the cover.
"I bought that a couple years ago thinking I'd start a journal." Lou leaned back in his chair with a broad smile. "I never did ... don't have the dedication it takes I guess.
"Sloan will love this." David commented smiling.
"From what she told me and by what you've added, she would make much better use of it." Lou continued. "The symbol on the cover is believed to sift your dreams and visions. In essence, to keep the good dreams and cast away the bad."
David nodded his head at the explanation. "It's perfect. Thank you."
"Your welcome." Lou said. "If you want to add something in the front, you'll find a pen in one of the drawers in the desk in the living room."
"I think I will." David replied rising from the table. "I want to get this upstairs before she gets back."
Lou laughed, "She's been back. She's sitting out in the backyard looking at the stars."
x.x.x
David rummaged through the drawers finally finding a pen that worked. He sat down on the sofa and considered what he wanted to say. Thinking of what Lou had told him about the symbol he wrote ...
"To a good friend who never fails to share a sunrise. Hopefully this will help you keep all your best dreams close to you."
David
Satisfied with his inscription, he rose from the sofa and went upstairs to put it in her room. After knocking softly on the door, Mari answered. Looking at the sheepish grin on his face she asked, "What on earth are you up to?"
"I wanted to replace Sloan's journal." he explained stepping into the room. "When I asked Lou if he had a notebook, he gave me this instead. I wanted to surprise her."
Mari looked at the book in his hand and smiled. "You are such a sweetie! That's a really nice thing to do. That's her bed over there. Why don't you lay it where she'll find it first thing."
David grinned as he walked over to Sloan's bed and carefully laid the book on her pillow. Turning back toward the door he said to Mari. "It's a surprise so don't say anything till she finds it."
"Mum's the word." Mari replied shooing him out the door and closing it. She turned and looked at the bed, the journal prominently displayed in the center of the pillow. "David you are such a soft touch." she said to herself smirking.
x.x.x
The screen door creaked as Lou opened it and stepped out into the backyard. He squinted in the dark to see exactly where Sloan was sitting. Finding her in the glider that sat under a large tree, he walked over to join her.
"Aren't you getting cold?" he asked sitting down next to her.
"No. This is actually pretty warm." Sloan wrapped Tom's jacket tighter around her to illustrate.
Lou eyeballed the black coat for a moment before speaking. "Is that Tom's?"
"Yes." she replied softly with a slight nod of her head. "It probably seems silly but it makes me feel closer to him by wearing it."
"You don't have to explain it to me." Lou stated. "I wore my dad's coat for a year after he died. Everyone has their own way of dealing with grief and letting go."
Sloan looked at him hard, "Tom's not dead! I refuse to believe that!"
"I hope you're right Sloan." Lou said gently. "But if he is or if the two of you never find each other, I hope you know you have good friends here that you can turn to."
Sloan said nothing to his last statement. She leaned her head back and pointed her face towards the night sky, squeezing her eyes tightly shut to hold back the tears. Lou knew all too well the pain she felt. He silently patted her on the arm and walked back into the house.
x.x.x
Tom looked at his odometer and calculated their mileage. They'd been on the road a little over two hours and were about twenty miles out from Barstow. They would need to stop to get gas. "It's time for a break anyway." he thought to himself. It had been a long ride and he was ready to stretch his legs.
Coming around a curve, he saw the first exit sign and motioned for the others to pull off. One by one, each downshifted and steered toward the off ramp. When they reached the intersection where the ramp met the street, they stopped momentarily to get their bearings. Not sensing the presence of anyone else, they turned left in the direction of town. Upon nearing the city limits they spotted a small station on the right. They pulled into the lot and killed their engines at the pumps.
Tom was the first to dismount, walking around the back of the station. These pumps were old and he hoped he could find a way to use them with out having the siphon the gas from the underground tanks. His search proved fruitless for either a key or a way into the building without breaking a window. Just as he started to head back toward the front of the station, he sensed them ... two humans. Two soldiers to be more precise.
He drew his pistol from behind his back and slowly crept along the wall toward the front of the station. Seeing an opening to head into some bushes along the side of the property, he took it. Tom crawled silently through the brush, edging his way toward the voices as he listened to the conversation.
"You still haven't answered me." the first soldier said in a stern voice. "Why are you out after curfew? You should all know the consequences of breaking rules put in place during Martial Law."
Tom could sense the fear and desperation his friends felt. He knew he had to act fast before they reacted badly to the situation they were in.
"By order of the President of the United States, we are placing you all under arrest for detainment and further questioning." the second soldier added, raising his gun higher as he pointed it at the group.
Tom reached a point where he could see what was going on. The soldiers had their weapons pointed at his friends. He watched as the first soldier roughly shoved Randy towards the Humvee parked next to the pumps. Knowing exactly what he needed to do, he didn't waste a second. Taking careful aim, he raised his weapon and rapidly fired off four shots. Both soldiers dropped as his bullets hit them dead center in the back. The flood of relief he felt from the other three dominants equaled the look on their faces as they all looked toward the bushes to watch him emerge.
"My God I'm glad to see you!" Scott was the first to speak, still visibly shaken by his encounter.
"I think we need to get our fuel and get out of here quickly." Tom said as he searched the soldiers and confiscated their weapons. "We don't know how many more of them there are in this area and I'd prefer we didn't need to find out."
"There are a whole lot more where those came from." a strange voice broke into their conversation. "They patrol the streets real regular so I suggest you be quick about your business."
All four whirled around at the sound of the voice to see an older man standing just a few yards away.
"Is this your station?" Tom asked. "We'd gladly pay you for the gas we need. We don't want any trouble. We just want to fill up and be on our way."
"Yeah, this is my place and you can have the gas." the man said walking towards the group. "But you best get out of sight till morning. This area is crawling with these idiots and you'll surely get caught if you try traveling at night."
"Well we are really just passing through." Tom stated. "We aren't from this area and we don't have anywhere to stay."
"My name is Nick by the way." the older man continued pulling a key to the pumps from his pocket. "The gas is free just for taking out those two."
"I'll be willing to give you a place to stay tonight if you want, I live just over there." Nick nodded in the direction of a house set back from the station. "I got plenty of room."
"We appreciate the offer and the gas, but we really don't want to put you to any trouble." Tom said.
"Ain't no trouble." Nick replied as he put the key in the pump and cranked the handle on the side. He turned and gave Tom a steady look. "You all have no idea what's going on do you?"
Without giving them a chance to answer, Nick turned and walked back toward the station. Talking over his shoulder he added. "Go ahead and fill up. I got some gas cans in here I'll give you so you can carry extra." He opened the door and disappeared inside the building.
"What do you think?" Scott asked removing the gas cap from his bike. "Think we should take him up on his offer?"
"I think we should at least see what he has to say." Tom replied already pumping the fuel into his bike. "I sense he has something he wants to tell us. I'd like to find out what it is."
Nick reappeared at the door, walking towards Tom and the others carrying four large plastic gas cans. He handed them off to Bill and Randy. "Go ahead and fill those up. You can strap them to the back of your bikes. They hold two gallons each."
"So, what do you say?" he asked looking at Tom again. "It'll be a lot safer for you to wait out the rest of the night."
"We accept." Tom said as he looked at the man. "But only if you let us to do something for you to return the favor."
"I was hoping you all would say that." Nick grinned. "I need a favor and I got a feeling you four are just the ones that might be able to pull it off."
Nick looked at Scott then who'd finished filling his bike. "Why don't you go start up that thing they were driving. We'll hide it here in the garage. I'll go open it up."
Nick disappeared again inside the building and soon the door to the garage started to rise. Scott took the keys to the Humvee from Tom and got in, starting the engine. He drove it into the garage and Nick quickly lowered the door. Shortly both men emerged from the building. Nick turned and locked the door on his way out.
"You all about ready?" Nick asked returning to the group. "You can walk your bikes up that drive there and store them around in back of the house."
Tom and the others raised their kickstands and began pushing the bikes following Nick towards his house.
"What do you suppose he wants?" Scott asked in a low voice.
"I don't know." Tom replied. "But we are about to find out."
x.x.x
The dominants sat in a modest living room waiting for Nick who was in the kitchen. Nick emerged carrying five cans of beer and offered one to each of them. He sat down in an old recliner and sighed, looking at Tom.
"Well I suppose you are wondering what I'm up to." Nick said popping the top of the can and taking a long drink. "Like I said, I need a favor."
"Ok. Why don't you start from the beginning." Tom leaned back in his chair. "I don't know if we can help, but we'll try."
Nick nodded his head. "You all know about the detention camps the government opened after all this crap started? Well there's one not too far from here at Fort Irwin. They rounded up everyone they thought was the enemy including humans they thought were helping them out."
"We'd read about that." Tom stated. "We didn't know we were that close to one."
"I figured as much." Nick said looking at Tom. "You four don't seem to know about a lot of things going on right now. So the way I figure it, you must have been locked up somewhere while this was all coming down."
Tom opened his mouth to protest but Nick stopped him raising his hand. "Now don't get worried there. I don't give a damn if you were or why. But if you four were able to get out, you might be able to get my daughter out."
"Your daughter?" Tom asked surprised. "I don't understand. You're human, why would your daughter be locked up."
"Well that answers that question." Nick chuckled. "You knew that without me telling you. You're just like my daughter's friend Jim. He always knew things without someone telling him. That's why my daughter Kelly is locked up right now. Jim was one of them dominants and she got locked up right along with him."
Tom sensed Nick could be trusted and decided the best thing he could do was tell him the truth. "You are right on both counts. We are dominants and we were imprisoned for four months until about a week ago when we escaped."
"Yup, thought so." Nick said nodding his head. "I knew it from the minute I watched you sneaking around the building into those bushes."
"These bastards rolled in here back in June like a bunch of stormtroopers." Nick continued gesturing in agitation as he went. "They took over everything. Barking orders and locking up anyone that didn't go along like a bunch of Nazis. Next thing I know, Kelly and Jim are rounded up and thrown on this truck. Was told by this sergeant they were taking them to Fort Irwin and that if I didn't want to be next I'd best not say a damn word."
"How long ago was this?" Tom asked leaning forward in his chair and resting his forearms on his legs as he massaged his left hand with his right.
"About a month ago." Nick replied. "Thing is I got know idea why they came after them. Jim wasn't a bother to anybody. He was a nice kid, kinda on the quiet side. He worked for me at the station pumping gas. I always thought it was a little odd how he knew about things beforehand, but it came in really handy. He kept me from being robbed once."
"You say this camp is close to here. How close?" Tom asked, his brow creased in concentration. "Do you know anything about the camp itself or the numbers we could expect guarding it?"
"Fort Irwin itself is about thirty-five miles from here." Nick stated. "The base was closed several years ago. I heard stories about that camp long before it ever got put to use. From what I heard it sits just inside the base perimeter."
"I don't know much about the numbers." Nick continued. "But from what I saw around town, there'd be about twenty guards out there at least, maybe more."
Tom leaned back in his chair again sighing. They would be greatly out numbered. He was the only Chameleon in his group. The odds didn't look good.
"I know what you're thinking." Nick leaned forward. "You're thinking there's only four of you and twenty or more of them. Well how would you feel about having a little human help?"
Tom looked at Nick as he continued. "I may not be as young as I used to be but I did time in the Army. I spent two tours in Vietnam. I got about ten friends here in town that are all ex-Army. Ain't none of them real happy about all this shit and they definitely ain't happy about Kelly and Jim getting locked up."
"You think they'd be willing to help?" Tom asked. "We'd need weapons."
"Yeah, I know they'd help." Nick replied. "And weapons ain't a problem, you leave that to me. One thing Vietnam vets all did was hang onto a lot of firepower."
Tom nodded his head, "I think it would be best for us to go check it out first and see what we are looking at. We can get in there and get out without being detected."
"I think that's a good idea." Nick stated rising from his chair. "Before I even approach these guys with the idea, I want to know if you think it can be done."
"Agreed." Tom also rose. "Let's all get some sleep and we'll head over there tomorrow."
"I want you to know..." Nick said shaking Tom's hand. "Even if it can't be done, I appreciate that you all are willing to try."
x.x.x
Tom and Randy crept silently through the dense woods on the south perimeter of the camp. They'd left Scott and Bill about two miles back near a dirt road with the bikes to watch for trouble. When they neared the edge where the trees gave way to open field, they stopped. Tom took the binoculars from his pack and began to survey the area. He could see the chain link fence surrounding the camp topped with razor wire pointing inward. The area between the woods and the fence was covered in tall grass and weeds. On the far side was a watch tower with a guard near a gate. There were hundreds of tents and shacks within the confines of the camp set in row upon row where many people were milling about. He counted ten guards within the perimeter, each carrying an M16.
Tom continued to patiently watch, waiting to see if there were more guards or if they had a pattern to their movement. He saw a prisoner, a man, stand from a bench and look in his direction. The man walked towards a large group about ten feet away and spoke to them, then turned and headed for the outdoor toilets near the fence off to Tom's left. The group walked out toward the open area and soon started a fight. Tom figured it was a diversion setup to draw the guards to the center of the camp. As if on cue, the guards rushed to the group to break it up.
Tom took advantage of the excitement and crawled the short distance through the grass to the fence near the toilets. The man called to him from inside one of the units.
"Fifteen on duty at all times. All are heavily armed. They work in rotating twelve hour shifts. Change of guard is at noon and midnight. Come at night, they are less alert and will be careless. Lights out for the camp is at 9pm. Signal us and we will do what we can from the inside."
"How many of you are there?" Tom whispered as he wearily eyed the watch tower.
"About five hundred of us are left." the man replied. "Go now before you get caught."
Tom quickly crawled back to the line of trees, making it back just as the fight was breaking up. He passed the information on to Randy and the two headed back the way they'd come, meeting up with the others and heading back to Barstow.
Within an hour they were sitting once again in Nick's living room going over what they'd learned. Tom relayed the information they'd gathered and told Nick to contact his friends.
x.x.x
Sloan awoke early. She laid in her bed for a few minutes to shake off the remnants of sleep before getting up. Looking over at the small table next to the bed, she spied the book David had left on her pillow the night before. Reaching out and grabbing it, she ran her hand across the cover and smiled to herself. David had become a dear friend to her in the last few months. She didn't know what she'd have done without him. He was always a source of support and comfort when she needed it. She immediately felt a pang of guilt about Ed. Ed had always been her best friend ... and still was. But he just didn't understand the mixed feelings she had about everything that had happened to them. David, Dennis ... even Mark seemed to understand what she was going through and helped her when she needed it. Ed just seemed to stare at her as though she were some stranger he didn't know.
Deciding she'd done enough wool gathering, she got up and dressed quickly. Grabbing her new journal, she headed downstairs for some much needed coffee. Today they would be meeting Lou's grandfather who apparently had something important to tell them.
Sloan walked into the kitchen and found there was already coffee made. She poured herself a cup and joined David and Dennis who were sitting at the table.
"Good morning." she said as she sat down, curling one leg under her in the chair. Sloan held her coffee mug in both hands and took a sip smiling at the two guys that were now looking at her.
"Good morning Sloan." Dennis responded. "Did you sleep well?"
"For what little I got, yes," she answered as David gave her a concerned look. Looking at him pointedly she added, "I was up late, not to worry."
David was about to respond when he noticed she had the book he'd given her. Deciding to leave well enough alone, he just grinned at her and took another sip of his coffee.
"So, has anyone seen Lou yet this morning?" Sloan asked no one in particular. "I'm very curious about why his grandfather wants to talk to us."
"He was already gone when I got up." Dennis replied. "I'm sure we'll find out as soon as he gets back."
"Well how about some breakfast while we wait then?" Sloan asked as she got out of her chair and headed for the fridge. Opening the door and peering inside, "Eggs and bacon sound good to you guys?"
"Well, he's back and yes it does ... thank you," Lou answered walking into the kitchen.
Sloan jumped in surprise and turned to him quickly, "You shouldn't sneak up on someone like that, you'll give them a heart attack."
Lou laughed as he grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down at the table, "What can I say, old habits die hard." He looked at her still smiling with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.
Both David and Dennis chuckled at his response and looked at Sloan to see what she might have to say as a come back. Sloan looked at each of the three men in turn and just shook her head as she turned and took the eggs out of the fridge.
Sobering a bit, Lou said, "I just got back from Grandfather's house. He's anxious to meet you. Once we've had breakfast, I'll take the three of you and Mark to meet him."
"You don't want the others to go?" Dennis asked him.
"No, it's not that at all," Lou responded shaking his head trying to put them at ease. "His house is small so he wouldn't have room for everyone in one trip. He does want to meet all the people in your group, but right now, he just wants to meet the four of you as he feels you are the most important members, the leaders."
"Leaders?" Sloan turned back to look at him in surprise. "I'm no leader!."
Lou leveled her with a serious gaze, "Sloan. While you may not think of yourself as a leader or as an important part of your group, you are. You just don't realize it yet."
Sloan just stared at him with a shocked look on her face wondering to herself what that meant.
David rose from the table and walked toward the living room, "I'll go wake up Mark so he can eat with us and be ready to go."
x.x.x
It was a small wood frame house complete with a front porch and a rocker. Bundles of sweetgrass and sage hung from the eves to dry along with chimes and other amulets Sloan didn't recognize. The five of them had walked the short distance from Lou's to this place, his Grandfather's house.
Lou told them to wait out front while he went in and told his Grandfather they were there. Sloan wasn't sure why but she was nervous. David sensed this and reached out to give her arm a reassuring squeeze. Within minutes, Lou reappeared at the door opening it and beckoning them to come inside. Sloan swallowed the lump in her throat and entered the small dwelling.
The room was brightly lit with the usual furnishings you'd find anywhere. There were a few Indian rugs scattered here and there amongst the typical pictures and books. She visibly relaxed and heard Lou chuckling beside her.
"You feel better now knowing you didn't just walk into a scene of a bad Indian horror movie?" Lou asked her with a huge smile.
Sloan turned to look at him and saw he was barely containing outright laughter. She looked at David and Dennis and saw they were also smiling broadly. Mark of course was straight faced as usual.
"You three are impossible." she protested with a smile of her own. "Did you all get together this morning and decide you were going to gang up on me?"
"I know my grandson. If there was any mischief making going on, he was definitely in the middle of it." It was Lou's Grandfather who spoke as he came out of another room. He was tall and stocky with long gray hair caught back in a pony tail. He wore jeans and a plaid long sleeve shirt.
He walked up to Sloan and extended his hand to her. "I'm Charlie, this one's grandfather." He said softly, cutting his eyes in Lou's direction. Looking back to her he asked, "You are Sloan?"
"Yes." Sloan responded with a smile, shaking his hand. "I'm pleased to meet you."
Charlie met her smile with one of his own and turned to the three dominants, shaking each of their hands in introduction as well.
"Please, have a seat everyone." Charlie stated gesturing to the couch and chairs. He walked over to well used rocker and sat down. Lou dropped to a spot off to the side on the floor.
"Don't get too comfortable down there." Charlie said to Lou looking him in the eye. "I put some coffee on and it will be ready soon."
"I suppose that's a hint that you want me to go get it?" Lou asked with a grin standing back up.
"You're learning." Charlie responded to him with a chuckle, shaking his head slightly.
Sloan took in the gentle bantering between the two and wondered why she had been so nervous. It was obvious they were close and loved to tease each other.
"As soon as Junior gets back in here, I'll tell you why you are here." Charlie said in an intentionally loud voice over his shoulder toward what was obviously the kitchen.
As if on cue, Lou walked out carrying a tray with six coffee cups. He sat the tray on the table in front of the couch. Grabbing two cups, he handed one to his Grandfather and took the other for himself. Once he was settled back on the floor, his Grandfather cleared his throat. Everyone focused their attention on the old man.
"Lou came to me this morning and told me about finding you all and bringing you here last night." Charlie started.
"He also told me the entire story that you told him Sloan." he added nodding in her direction. "He was right to bring you here. You were not safe in the hills, you would have been found."
"Now he says he did not tell you why you were coming to see me, is that true?" he asked looking at the group. After they all nodded indicating it was, he said with a grin in Lou's direction "Will wonders never cease."
Looking back to the group of four, he suddenly became serious and sat his coffee cup down. He looked at each of them with a fierce intensity as he spoke.
"There is a legend among my people that talks of the coming of a new world following great destruction. According to this legend, there will be a battle against other people in these lands ... the descendents of 'those that possessed the first light of wisdom'. They will be known by their powers of knowledge. They will possess the senses of the wolf and the cunning of the mountain lion. The white man will fear them and try to destroy them, but they will hide in the hills with others who are pure of heart. Those who stay and live in the places of my people will be safe."
Charlie stopped to let that sink in as he reached for his coffee and took a sip. Sloan absorbed this information and sat wide eyed looking between Lou and Charlie. A thousand questions were running through her head but she couldn't decide on where to start.
Mark saved her the trouble when he started asking questions of his own. He leaned forward, resting his arms on his thighs and looked Charlie directly in the eye as he spoke. "So as soon as the news reports started months ago, you felt that my species were the descendents spoke of in your legend? And Lou knew who we were as soon as he heard Sloan's story?"
Charlie nodded his head and sat his cup back down. "Yes. I suspected as much when I heard the news of your people's abilities. It wasn't until much later that I became convinced. After the reports of the bombings by both sides and the news that your people were hiding in the mountains, that is when I knew you were the descendents the legend spoke of."
"But there is more I need to tell you." Charlie continued.
"According to the legend, once the war is over, a great warrior will return. The descendents will be his helpers. 'He will plant the seeds of his wisdom in their hearts. He and his helpers will show the people a new life plan'. There will be much to rebuild. Those who are saved will share everything equally and speak one tongue and live as brothers. There will be no more separation of race."
Sloan final decided the questions she wanted to ask and began to rapid fire them while she had a chance, "Who are the people that 'possessed the first light of wisdom'? Where did they come from? Who is this great warrior? Is he one of us? Is everything that's happened what you called 'the great destruction'?"
Charlie held his hand up to stop her but he replied to her with a gentle smile, "That is all I can tell you at this time." He rose out of his chair, silently indicating he'd said all he was going to say. "You are welcome here with us and you will be safe. Please do not feel that you have to leave."
The group rose and thanked him for his time before heading out the door. Sloan was trailing at the end of the line. Once the dominants were outside, Charlie reached out and gently took her hand in both of his. She turned to look at him and he smiled.
Patting her hand gently he said, "You have a heavy heart right now. You are strong and you have a curious nature. You still have a lot of life left in you, don't give up the fight just yet."
Sloan fought the tears threatening to spring to her eyes and just nodded. When Charlie released her hand, she turned and walked outside.
Lou came up to stand beside his Grandfather as they watched the group milling around out front.
"Why didn't you tell them the rest?" he asked.
"It's not time." Charlie responded looking at Lou. "And don't you tell them either. She will try and get you to talk, to tell her more, don't be fooled."
Lou chuckled to himself imagining what Sloan was going to be like the next few days as her curiosity started really getting the best of her. "I'll find something to get her interested in. That will take her mind off of it."
Charlie's face grew serious again. "That's a good idea. Her heart is breaking with grief for the one she lost and the one she hasn't found. Finding something she can lose herself in will help."
Lou started for the door and turned back to address Charlie again. "Grandfather, would you address the other elders about planning a gathering at the end of this month? David told me that is the anniversary of the death of their friend. I'd like to plan something that will occupy them as well as give them the chance to bid farewell."
Charlie nodded his head at his grandson telling him he would arrange it. He watched as Lou left the house and joined the others for the walk back home. There was so much they needed to do to get ready.
x.x.x
Tom sat in the now cramped living room watching as the others talked amongst themselves. Fourteen men were crammed into this room with one common goal ... to set the people at the internment camp free and rescue Nick's daughter Kelly. They were discussing their possible options and bringing others up to speed on what the dominants had found. One of Nick's friends, Sonny, had a map of the former Fort Irwin complex that they were now pouring over.
"From what you are saying, the camp sits in this area here." Sonny said glancing at Scott and pointing to the map.
"Yeah, that looks about right." Scott replied. "Tom, what do you think?"
Tom rose from his chair and walked over to the table where they had spread out the map. "That's right. The camp is here on the east perimeter." Tom grabbed a pencil and marked the map.
"The guard tower and gate are here," he continued as he drew more lines. "There is one access road into the camp. We can sneak in the same way we did today but, we'll have to evacuate five hundred people through two miles of woods in the dark."
"Yeah, that's not gonna work too good." Sonny shook his head. "We need trucks, several of them, to get those people out of there."
"Well there's plenty of them there on the base." Jake, another of Nick's friends, pointed out. "We just got to get to them."
"That is provided they will run." Tom replied. "That also leaves the question of how we get to them."
"Well, most military field vehicles are hardened against EMP." Jake said. "Getting them out of the base shouldn't be too hard. We just go in and kill the guards and take them."
Jake saw Tom's skeptical look and continued. "I was Special Ops in Nam. So was Sonny here and a few of the rest of us. If we can walk into an enemy VC camp undetected and take them all out, I think we can walk onto a base and kill a few guards.
"Tom, didn't you say you took the uniforms of those two guards you killed at Nick's station?" Sonny asked. "We can dress up a couple of the guys in those and drive right onto the base in that Humvee. They'll never notice us till it's too late."
"Ok. Let's say I buy that and it works." Tom said. "How are you going to get that many trucks with just two of you?"
"We'll have the rest of us waiting out a ways from the base with a radio." Jake said. "I have a military hand radio set that is shielded from EMP so they will still work. Once we take out the guards, we radio the rest of you to come on in and grab the trucks."
"I think you need more than just two people to kill everyone on that base." Tom stated. "I think a couple of us should ride in with you. We could then break into two teams. One of us can sense were the other guards are, it would be faster to locate them."
"I like that idea." Sonny nodded his head. "We can throw you in the back of the Humvee and say we caught you breaking curfew. Gives us a good reason to get through the gate if we're questioned."
"Once we get the trucks, we head straight for the camp." Tom said. "We could all be in uniforms by that time and say we have orders to move the prisoners."
"We need someone to get up that guard tower right away and take out the guy up there." Jake stated.
"That will be me." Tom said. "I'm going to need a sniper rifle with a silencer so I can take out as many guards on the ground as possible while I'm up there."
"No problem." Jake grinned. "I just happen to have M40-A with a scope and silencer that will work just fine. This baby saved my ass on more than one occasion in Nam."
"Now it's just a question of where to go once we get everyone out." Tom said running his hand through his hair. "That's a lot of people. We can't bring them back here."
"I heard about people hiding up in the San Gabriel Mountains." Nick added. "I bet some of your folks in that camp will know where to go."
"That would probably be best for these people." Tom agreed. "They'll need food and clothes which we could pack up in the trucks before we head to the camp. I want to load up our bikes so we can head on to LA once we have everyone safe."
"So let's say we hit the base at 2000 hours then." Sonny stated. "That will give us four hours to take out all the guards, steal enough uniforms for everyone, get the trucks and load up supplies before we head for the camp. Then we arrive at the camp at midnight for shift change, just like normal. Sound like a plan?"
"That sounds good." Tom said. "How are all of you planning on getting back once we get the prisoners to safety?"
"We ain't." Nick stated. "We're going with them and staying with them. They need protection and to tell you the truth, there ain't nothing here any of us need to come back to."
"Ok." Tom nodded. "We have a plan. I say we go tomorrow night. That will give us enough time to get supplies together and let everyone pack up what they want to take along."
Everyone agreed with that idea. The men milled about talking about old Vietnam War stories and making plans. They were all charged up, Tom could feel it like static electricity in the air. These men had come through tough times together and seen things most people would never want to see in their lifetimes. Tom felt good about this, it was going to work. Once everyone was safe, then he could head to LA to look for clues about Sloan.
Tom felt the heaviness in his chest again and rose to walk outside for air before anyone noticed. Opening the door, he stepped out into the night and drew a deep breath before settling on the front step. He rested his arms on his thighs and scrubbed his face was his hands before looking up at the night sky. Sighing deeply, he brought his memories of Sloan to mind. He could still see her copper brown hair shining in the sunlight as it fell in ringlets to her shoulders; the way her hazel eyes would sparkle when she had a new quest she'd latched onto. She was always so full of life, her excitement was contagious. Resting his forehead on his hands, he closed his eyes taking another deep breath. He would find her, he was determined. He made a silent vow that when he did, he was never letting her out of his sight again.
x.x.x
Everything was ready. The men were gathered at Nick's house while a large black panel van stood out front loaded with their belongings and supplies. One of the men had somehow managed to get it running. It was decided that Sonny and Jake would pose as the prisoners while Tom and Bill dressed in the soldiers uniforms. Scott and Randy would ride their bikes while two others would drive those belonging to Tom and Bill. Nick had already retrieved the Humvee from the garage at his station and it sat parked in the back. Once they'd gone over the plan one more time, they quickly loaded up and pulled out for the thirty-five mile drive to Fort Irwin.
When they got within two miles from the front gate of the base, the van pulled off and parked in a warehouse parking lot. They tested the radios again for good measure. Satisfied that communications would be possible, Tom pulled the Humvee back out onto the road and drove the final distance to the base.
They made it through the front gate without incident. Tom got out of the Humvee and followed the lone soldier into the guard shack under the pretense of filling out some paperwork for the 'prisoners'. When the soldier turned his back, Tom silently broke his neck. He quickly stripped him of his clothes and his weapon. Handing them back to Sonny, he got back into the vehicle and drove onto the base.
They made short work of finding the remaining soldiers on the base and killing them. They found the motor pool and radioed the others to join them while they started the process of hot wiring the trucks. Tom and the other three had fourteen of the large canvas covered troop carriers running by the time the van and bikes arrived. The men loaded the bikes on the trucks and changed into the uniforms of the dead soldiers. Once the supplies were loaded, they were ready. Each jumped into the vehicles and headed for the camp.
Tom trailed at the end of the convoy, his M40-A laying ready in the seat beside him. When they arrived at the compound, he placed the truck in park and grabbed the rifle. Silently, he got out and crept toward the watch tower, keeping to the shadows to avoid detection. While the guards at the gate were kept busy with the drivers of the lead vehicles, Tom snuck up the ladder. Peering over the top, he saw the lone soldier keeping watch over the camp, his back toward the ladder. Crawling into the enclosure, he cautiously advanced on the guard. Rising directly behind him, Tom quickly grabbed his head and snapped his neck.
As the dead body fell to the wooden floor with a soft thud, Tom took his position at the rail. Bringing the rifle to his shoulder, he pressed the cold metal to his cheek and peered through the scope. Adjusting the focus, he lined up the crosshairs on a lone guard at the back of the camp and calmly pulled the trigger with the steadiest of hands.
"phtudt"
The guard dropped to the ground unnoticed. Tom felt a familiar sense of satisfaction. This was what he had been trained all his life to do... he was a killer. Just because he had switched sides, it didn't mean his long buried instincts were gone.
He could see the prisoners being rounded up and herded toward the waiting trucks at the gate. Spying another guard entering a tent, he lined up the man's head in the crosshairs and fired.
"phtudt"
He watched the body fall into the tent out of sight.
Tom silently kept count as he scanned the grounds of the camp and continued to take out the soldiers one by one. His actions so far going unnoticed by all but the dominants who were well aware of his presence. Each truck was being loaded by the driver as the four remaining guards kept order from within the compound. As the last of the procession of prisoners were filing through the gate, all hell broke loose when one of the soldiers turned around and saw the ground littered with his comrades.
His shouts were cut short by the bullet Tom put through his heart but it was too late. Tom watched the scene unfold as if in slow motion. The remaining guards brought their weapons up and started firing as the prisoners scattered. Screams and shouting could barely be heard over the gun fire. Bill went down first as a rain of bullets cut through him where he stood at the gate. Randy was hit in the chest, his body flew into the air as a spray of blood exited his back. Sonny jumped from of his truck with his M60 ready and opened fire on the soldiers as they ran for cover. Two went down as Tom took out the last one from the tower. It was over, but the aftermath was bloody.
The sudden silence was deafening. The smell of gunpowder strong in the air as Tom descended from the tower. He locked eyes with Sonny and approached him, trying to ignore the soft sobbing of women still alive crying over the dead bodies of their loved ones.
"Jesus!" Sonny swore, running his hand through his hair. "That was too God damn close!"
"How many did we lose?" Tom solemnly asked as he now looked around at the bodies littering the ground.
"About twenty." Jake stated quietly as he joined the other two men. "We got about twenty more that are wounded. There's a doc in the group that's looking at them now."
"Let's transfer the bikes and supplies to one of the trucks." Tom sighed, scrubbing his face with his hand. "We'll put the dead in that vehicle as well."
"Good idea." Sonny nodded his head. "We can put the doc together with the injured in another. It might be a little cozy for everyone but I don't want to leave anyone behind."
"So... Does anyone have any idea exactly where this camp in the San Gabriel Mountains is?" Jake asked no one in particular.
"I do." a new voice announced as a man approached the group. Sticking out his hand he added, "Allow me to introduce myself, I'm James Nolan."
"You're the one I talked to through the fence yesterday." Tom stated, shaking his hand.
"Yes." James replied with a slight smile. "Several of us know where the camp is and we can lead you right to it."
"Good." Sonny exclaimed. "How about you and the others in the know ride shotgun in the cabs and navigate?"
"That sounds good to me." James said. "I'll go gather up the others and tell them of the plans."
"OK." Jake sighed. "Let's get these trucks reloaded so we can get the hell out of here."
Tom turned to Sonny as Jake walked away and anxiously asked. "Where's Nick? Did he find his daughter? Is she alright?"
Sonny smiled and pointed his head in the direction of three people huddled close together, "Yup. He's right over there."
"I'm going to go have a word with him, then I'll come back and help with the bodies." Tom said as he started to walk away.
"Take your time." Sonny yelled. "It's going to take us awhile to unload everything."
Tom slowly walked toward the small group. As he neared the three, he could see Nick had his daughter in a bear hug.
"You must be Jim, I'm Tom." he said turning to the young man that hovered near Nick's daughter.
"Thank you ... for getting us out of that hell." Jim nodded in affirmation.
Nick caught sight of Tom and stretched out his hand. "I can't thank you enough for getting Jim and my Kelly out of there. I owe you a lifetime of favors."
Tom shook Nick's hand, noticing the moist shine in his eyes. "You don't owe me anything. I'm glad I could help. I consider your assistance and friendship payment enough."
"Well you sure got both of those for life!" Nick exclaimed. "Now then, let me introduce you all. You already met Jim there. This here is Kelly." he added, squeezing her shoulder for emphasis.
"It's good to meet you Kelly." Tom nodded toward the girl. Looking again at Nick, he said, "We're reloading the trucks to make more room for the injured. We lost Bill and Randy, we'll need two drivers."
"I can drive one of them." Jim offered.
"No son, I'd rather you stayed with us in the truck I'm driving." Nick announced. "We got plenty of men here that can drive these brutes." Giving Tom a steady look he solemnly added, "I'm really sorry about your friends."
Tom silently nodded, not knowing what to say. What do you say when someone dies senselessly fighting a battle in a war that no one wants or understands? With a sigh, he turned back toward the trucks and walked away.
x.x.x
Tom was tired ... bone tired ... and they still had a long drive ahead of them. It had taken them hours to repack the trucks and load up the dead. Tom took the lead, James riding with him in the cab. He wanted to talk to the man and was glad he'd agreed to the arrangement. The San Gabriel camp was at least a hundred fifty miles away. The trip made more treacherous by the fact they were taking two lane mountain roads in the dark to avoid detection.
Tom was gathering his thoughts as they made their way along the narrow road. James broke the silence first, "You're a Chameleon aren't you?"
"Yes." Tom answered quietly.
"But you are helping humans?" James asked. "I don't understand."
"Yes... yes I am." Tom nodded his head. "I came to realize that this war of ours... this desire to wipe out the humans... it was unnecessary. I believe we can coexist."
"I'm intrigued." James stated with slight surprise. "What made you change your mind? To go against programming is unheard of for a Chameleon."
The corners of Tom's mouth twitched as he answered, "It's a long story if you care to hear it."
"I'm all ears."
Tom proceeded to tell James the story of how he'd gotten to where he was today. He told how he'd met Sloan and started helping her, the things they'd discovered about not only the dominant's hidden agenda but the humans' as well. He told him of his capture and imprisonment ... and his escape later, carefully leaving out the part about what they'd discovered of their origins. He finished his tale with how they'd met up with Nick and aided him with the rescue of his daughter as well as the rest of the interment camp's prisoners.
"That's quite a story." James said finally. "This Sloan must be a very special woman."
"Yes ... she is." Tom agreed with a tiny smile.
"Do you mind if I ask you a question?" Tom added glancing at James.
"No, not at all." James replied.
"How old are you?" Tom asked without giving away his thoughts.
"I'm 48." James answered. "Why do you ask?"
"You're one of the originals." Tom stated glancing at him again. "I thought you might be."
James looked at Tom in shock, "You don't seem surprised. What do you know about the project?"
"I know we didn't evolve, we were engineered." Tom said. "We're descended from forty scientists that volunteered to have their DNA altered as part of a genetic experiment in 1947."
"Yes." James stated. "Project Starchild it was called. How do you know about all this?"
"Before we left the facility where we were imprisoned, we found some files on it." Tom answered. "The project was moved to Oaxaca, Mexico where the breeding was started. We were designed to be smarter, faster and stronger so mankind could survive."
"The project was terminated in 1964 by the government." Tom continued. "That area in Oaxaca was completely destroyed when I was there. No living creature could have survived."
"You were in Oaxaca?" James exclaimed raising his eyebrows. "That was very dangerous. That area is still monitored by the US government, as well as by our own people."
"We discovered that when we were there." Tom said. "We set off sensors after discovering the pillar and security teams were dispatched."
"You found the pillar!" James' eyebrows disappeared into his hairline.
"Yes." Tom replied. "Walter had it dug up and transported to California where we studied it. We discovered that the markings were a celestial map."
"You dug it up and moved it?" James cried out. "Oh my God! It's a wonder you and your friends are still alive. That pillar is very important. It contains data the government has been trying to discover for years."
"Well, the pillar was destroyed when we were found by other dominants." Tom stated. "We barely escaped with our lives before blowing up the building."
"It makes sense that our people would have come after it." James said. "We have guarded that above all else. We would never have wanted it to fall into the government's hands."
"We were able to decipher one bit of information from it before we were attacked." Tom added. "A date... October 18, 1998. The next time Kewley's Comet is suppose to appear."
"How did you figure that out?" James asked thinking there was no end to the surprises he was going to get from this man. "You would have needed a key."
Tom thought carefully before answering, uncertain if he should reveal the information about the tattoo. He looked hard at James and decided he was worth trusting. "I have a tattoo on my shoulder. When we scanned it into the computer, the date was revealed to us."
James was startled with that information. "You are Chosen."
"I was told that by my mother." Tom shuddered remembering the experience. "But I don't know what that means."
"I also don't understand the significance of Kewley's Comet." Tom added. "Or why the project in Oaxaca was terminated in 1964. Or why that pillar was so important. Or why we were even created in the first place... what were we suppose to be able to survive?"
James ran his hand through his hair before turning and giving Tom a very pointed look. "There is a lot you don't know. I can answer some of your questions but, even I don't know all the answers."
"James, I'd accept anything you can tell me at this point." Tom said. "I know nothing about our people. My memories were erased when I went into Chameleon training. I was always taught that we were a superior species, meant to wipe out the humans. Needless to say, when I found out about Project Starchild I was stunned."
"Yes... Erasing Chameleon's memories was considered standard procedure." James nodded. "Their work was too sensitive to risk them being captured and exposing us. I am curious though, what led you to go through those files at that facility in the first place? I would think escape would have been your primary concern."
"My mentor, Lewis, was also imprisoned with me. He was severely tortured." Tom related. "Right before he died, he said the answers and the questions were all there ... at the facility where we were being held. While we were waiting for it to get dark, I did a little snooping."
"So Lewis is dead." James acknowledged. "It's hard to believe. After everything that man went through, everything he did, I was beginning to think he was immortal."
"What do you mean by 'everything he went through'?" Tom asked.
"When the government decided to shut down the project in Oaxaca, Lewis's family still lived there." James informed Tom. "As I understand it, the government wanted us all dead ... they didn't want any of us left alive to tell what they had done. They leveled the place, completely wiped out every living thing in the area."
"Lewis's entire family was killed." James continued. "His parents, siblings, nieces, nephews ... all of them. That's why he hated humans so much. He blamed all humans for his loss, not just the government. He's the one that started the Chameleon program. While most of us were content to hide our identities and try to blend in, he was not. There were a few that felt the same way he did, that we needed to fight back - to be prepared to wage a war. After what happened in Mexico, it didn't take much to convince the assembly of that."
"Hmmm ... that explains a lot about Lewis." Tom acknowledged. "I always got the impression that to him it was all personal."
"Yes ... it was very personal for him." James agreed. "In the end though it seems he wanted you to know the truth. So in that regard, what would you like to know first?"
"It's hard to decide where to start I have so many questions." Tom admitted. "How about 'The Chosen'? What does that mean? And why was a key to data on the pillar tattooed on my back?"
"The Chosen were just that ... chosen. You tested to be among the best of our people." James answered. "Those that were determined to be the strongest ... the best, were 'chosen' to carry the keys to the pillar, hence the name."
"But a tattoo? Tom asked. "That seems to be an odd way to carry information or even keys to information."
"As I said before, that pillar contained data our people did not want the government to get its hands on." James replied. "What better way to hide it than to encrypt the keys to unlock it and put it on a person's body? If you were captured, no one would have suspected what it was and no matter how much you were tortured, you could never reveal it."
"So there are others that have these tattoos like me?" Tom queried. "And what data was in this pillar that was so sensitive?"
"Not exactly like yours but yes, there are others that have tattoos that are keys." James said. "As for what was on the pillar, even I don't know that. That was by design. None of us know. It would only have been revealed when and if the time came that we needed to know."
"Who was to decide what that time was?" Tom asked.
"The assembly of course." James stated.
"So why did the government decide to create us in the first place?" Tom inquired further. "Just to turn around and decide to destroy us?"
"We were created to survive as you already know." James said. "From what my parents told me, scientists in the 30's and 40's were just beginning to track astrological bodies and attempting to predict their trajectory. Kewley's Comet passed close to the Earth in 1940. Scientists plotted the comet's course and calculated that the next time it passed Earth would be in 1964. They predicted that the comet would pass much too close to the Earth's atmosphere and would cause destruction of significant global proportions. Our people were meant to be able to survive that, so that the human race would not become extinct.
"After the comet passed in 1964 and the end of the world did not occur," James continued. "The government decided they didn't need us anymore. They had technology by that time that would give them advance warnings. We had bred as intended and there were too many of us. They no longer felt comfortable about being able to control us. So they ordered us exterminated. What they didn't realize is that most of us had already scattered after their action was anticipated. Our people had hid information in that pillar as well and buried it so the government wouldn't find it."
"What I don't understand is how scientists in the 40's were able to achieve the type of DNA altering that they did?" Tom ventured. "We didn't have the technology for that during that era."
"I can't answer you on that one." James stated. "But I'm sure that information was stored in the pillar as well."
x.x.x