Chapter 22: Front Row Seats to the End of the World

1:15 p.m.

Somewhere outside Carbondale, PA

Keeping his eyes on his work, Duncan tried very hard to ignore the unconscious woman lying on the floor a few feet away from where he stood. She had been unceremoniously dumped to the ground by the Commander's two lackeys. The Commander, in no uncertain terms, had told Duncan to mind his own business, which was what he was trying to do. He was finding it difficult. It was like if someone told you to not think of a pink elephant. Sure enough, the first thing to pop into your head would be a pink elephant. Now that pink elephant was in the room and he couldn't ignore it.

He would ignore it though. He had no choice. Turning to his maps, Duncan continued his task of shading the mine tunnels to avoid and outlining forgotten entrances. He paused, chewing on the end of his pencil. Telling him to mind his own business was insulting. It was because he hadn't minded his own business for the past 46 years that his head held an encyclopedic memory of every last hole and tunnel scarring Carbondale's mountainsides. If he had minded his own business, the Commander would be sunk right now. Duncan spit out a bit of the chewed up wood. If he didn't mind his own business it was probably just as easy for that bald doctor to take his head off and find another way to retrieve its information. Then Nora wouldn't benefit. He tried to focus on that, Nora and the kids. He tried to focus on her working a little less and Geoff having a little more. He really tried to focus on little Una and all that she could have. He glanced over his shoulder at the pink elephant. Who was this girl? What were they going to do? The way the two—dreadnoks was it?—leered at her, the one with dark hair pulling at his pants, Duncan surmised that it wouldn't be good. Once the Commander was done with her, he'd probably pass her off to them for who knows what. Still, that might be better than what happened to some of the soldiers who volunteered to test the bald doctor's serum. Duncan could never remember that man's name. It was something unusual. They didn't look so good when they were carted out of the Commander's command center.

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He just needed to mind his own business and get his work done. That was his only concern. He snuck another peek over his shoulder. The girl was starting to stir and the dark-haired man was almost dancing around her in anticipation. Leave it be. He turned his attention back to the map and shading in an area. But what if it was Nora? Or Una? What then? Would he want someone to just put their head down and do their job? He pressed down on the pencil, letting his anger and helplessness flow through his hand and into the lead. The pencil snapped with a loud crack. The Commander turned his head toward the sound and Duncan flung the broken pencil across the room. Duncan wagged an angry finger in the Commander's direction. "Now you've done it." He spat out the next words. "Women bring bad luck! They're never allowed in the mines. Get her out of here."

The Commander threw his head back, laughing heartily. "Mr. McDougall, I hired you to get my mine operational, not to counsel me in gender relations." The Commander dismissed Duncan's presence with a simple wave. "Leave these matters to me." Duncan walked away, muttering under his breath. He knew better than to take it any further. Fine, he had said his piece.

Buzzer and Ripper braced themselves for the expected onslaught from the Commander. If they had dared question the Commander's authority in such a brazen manner, they would expect only one thing. Surprisingly, the old miner walked away, his life intact. Ripper knew better then to venture that the Commander was going soft. No, he still needed that wacked codger for something. Once the Commander got what he needed? Bye-bye old man.

Cobra Commander approached Lady Jaye's unconscious figure and observed as she slowly came to. His eyes glistened a dark black against the blue hood shrouding his face—the only part of him not hidden from the world. He took a step back out of her line of sight. He wasn't ready to reveal himself yet.

Lady Jaye shook her head, opening and closing her eyes several times, trying to focus on the here and now. She couldn't recall where she was or how she got there. All she could see was white, the blinding white tiles on which her cheek rested and the smooth white metal consuming the wall in front of her. With more effort than she cared, she pushed herself up to sitting, reaching to the back of her head, gingerly touching the nasty bump that had formed. It felt like there was a vise gripping her head, squeezing tighter and tighter until everything would pop. To say every muscle in her body hurt would be an understatement. Her stomach grumbled, adding insult to injury. How on earth could she be hungry at a time like this? She blinked a few times trying to clear out the fog.

The Commander motioned Ripper and Buzzer, who stepped forward, grabbing her under the shoulders and hoisting her to her feet. She instinctively fought against them, still dazed. Ripper winked at Buzzer and they let go. Jaye's legs gave way beneath her and she crumbled to the floor. She looked up, the familiar face jogging her memory. "You were Ray?"

"In the flesh my little Sheila."

She glanced to her other side. "You?" Buzzer sneered. She felt her body sink. Dreadnoks, great. Ever since the Staten Island Expressway incident, she hated Dreadnoks. There were just so many of them yet they were all alike, brutes, every last one. And where there were Dreadnoks, Zartan couldn't be too far behind. That name was enough to throw her guard back up. She looked around the room cautiously, expecting Zartan to suddenly emerge from the shadows. Cobra certainly hadn't done things cheap. The Dreadnoks had brought her to what she surmised was Cobra's command center. Although it was buried deep underground, Cobra wasted no time in erecting pristine white walls and a tile floor. One wall contained several video screens and their accompanying computer equipment. Two screens were blank. A third screen displayed a dark and grainy image with what looked like a person running back and forth. No doubt about it, this was the place. She rubbed at her forehead, bringing her hand down her shirt, brushing against the buttons of her shirt. Unnoticed to all but her, a small fleck tumbled to the ground. She smashed her hand on it, setting her rescue in motion.

Lady Jaye took her eyes away from the image and settled her sight on the Commander as he stepped into her periphery. She drew in a sharp intake of breath. The Commander laughed and clapped his hands together. "Yes my dear. Let's just cut to the chase shall we?" He clapped his hands twice more and she felt the crushing grips of Ripper and Buzzer around her arms, dragging her forward toward the one screen. Jaye struggled against them, but she was operating on less than full capacity. At a certain point one could only take so much. She had about reached that point. It was best to conserve her energy and strength for when she would really need it. She gave in, halting her resistance.

The Commander stepped up to the console and typed something on a keyboard. The two blank monitors snapped on displaying a sharp picture. Her eyes widened. It was the image from the third, what she thought was a person running back and forth. It wasn't. Not how she thought anyway. It was a person, a man, that much she could comprehend. What happened to the man, she didn't want to know. His face was so bloated and bruised, his eyes narrowed down to slits slashed into the flesh. Something was oozing out of his nose and mouth. His limbs were blown-up to twice their size, like sausages about to burst on the grill. He was in a cave of some sort, running back and forth, crashing himself into the walls. She had to look away; she knew what he was trying to do.

"Don't feel sorry for him Lady Jaye. He volunteered. We couldn't just send Mindbender's work out into the world without testing. Mindbender didn't quite have it this time." The Commander turned the screen off. "But we've since solved that little problem and I imagine that's what brings you here to us today." Cobra Commander walked up to her, cupped her chin in a gloved hand and squeezed as he lifted her face closer to his. "So now, I will ask you, how did you find us?" He closed his grip tighter.

Struggling against the pressure, she could feel the sharp pain well up in her head. Lady Jaye wanted to cry out but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of her weakness. Remain strong, remain strong. She needed to buy Flint and the team time. They would be here soon and then the whole thing would blow open. Until then the name of the game was survival. Usually she kept her mind occupied by conjugating verbs in German. It wasn't a pleasant task, German never was. What was it that Twain said? German was slipshod and systemless, slippery and elusive. In a word, it was awful. When you were trying to ignore the world around you, the awful German language was just the thing.

This time, she decided to take a different approach. Why add more pain to the mix when there were better things with which she could occupy her mind. She thought back to last night. That was more like it. A slap to her face took her back into the moment.

"I asked you a question. How did you find us?"

She fixed her gaze on the Commander. "Some people in the area noticed something fishy going on, or should I say slimy?"

"Insolence!" The Commander lashed out, slapping her face again.

She didn't back down. "Seems that these mines have been closed for some time and if you start dragging in heavy equipment and flashing your bright lights, you're going to get some attention. Get enough attention, and they just might call in the cavalry."

"Seems to me my dear that you can hardly be called the cavalry. Who else is with you?"

"You don't think I'm going to answer that now do you?" Lady Jaye was ready for the ensuing hit. "Come on Commander, isn't this getting a little old, hitting a defenseless woman?"

The Commander began to pace in front of her. "I'd hardly call you defenseless. Yes, I do believe you will answer my question." He stopped in front of her, roughly grabbing her chin and yanking it forward, "Now tell me agent Burnett, who is with you?"

Lady Jaye felt herself recoil at the sound of her last name. She tried to hide her shock, but he already saw the surprise in her eyes.

"Yes, agent Burnett, I know who you are. Don't be so surprised. I'll ask again, where are the others?"

Lady Jaye would never give up the position of her teammates. "It's just me."

The Commander's eyes narrowed. "You forgot that man you left all alone. He's not a Joe. Too bad he doesn't know about Zartan." She could feel the shaking as Buzzer and Ripper snickered behind her. "Yes, too bad for him indeed. I told Zartan to save the body." He gave a slight shrug of his shoulders. "I don't think he listened."

Lady Jaye couldn't help herself and she pulled against her captors. "You're mad!"

The Commander let out a chuckle. "Why is it that all the great ones are always called mad?" He resumed his pacing, voice rising in intensity. "Why do you people always resort to the word mad? Is it mad to want to liberate the people and form a new world order? I offer an alternative to the governments that hold their people back. "

"Yeah some alternative you have there. Pain and death. Sign me up."

The Commander lashed out, striking a blow across her face. Lady Jaye winced, forcing her body to not recoil from him as he grew close. Steady Alison, hold your ground.

"Please agent Burnett, you already have. You think the government you will die to serve and protect has clean hands? If history has taught us anything it's that those you serve would just as soon dispose of you like a bug should it best serve their needs. Join me and you will always be protected."

"Like the people you tried to kill on the Metro? Is that how you protect your own?"

"Sometimes a few must die to serve the greater good. You should know that. Aren't you willing to die to protect your teammates?" The Commander held up his hand. "That was a rhetorical question. I didn't try to kill anyone. The misfortune met by my soldiers was to ensure that no one would suffer any more than necessary. This world needs a kick to start it on the right path. What I gave those people was a wake-up call. If their precious government couldn't protect them during something as innocuous as their morning commute, perhaps they will open their eyes and realize all the ways in which their government will fail them. Then, and only then, will they realize all that we offer. That agent Burnett is not mad. That is . . ."

"Ambitious? I'll give you that. What about Michelle Parke? You just wanted to give her a wake-up call?"

"Ah, yes, Ms. Parke. No, Ms. Parke was another matter entirely."

"So you're trying to kill her? Are you using this place to try and kill others for unrelated matters?"

"So many questions you have. Join me and you'll have all the answers."

"No."

"Be that as it may. You will answer me. How did you find us and where are the others?"

The light emanating from Mainframe's wrist cast ghoulish shadows on the wall. It didn't bother Agent Miller. He felt strangely comforted by the darkness and seclusion of the mine tunnels. They were home and it felt good to be home. He didn't have anything to prove around here. He had what some would consider the misfortune of a very normal childhood with two supportive parents, one adoring little sister, and enough relatives to make any Sunday a party. Around here he was son, brother, uncle, cousin, friend. Back in DC life was a bit more complicated. There he always had something to prove. If not to Patterson, then to himself. For whatever reason, DC was the one place that put a chip on his shoulder. Here in the tunnels, there was no room for a chip. He liked that.

Miller's foot caught on a divot as the ground beneath took a sudden dip. He squinted up ahead, checking to make sure the two men in front were all right. They were. The two darkened masses ahead moved at a snail's pace over the suddenly rocky terrain. Shipwreck tripped into Miller, muttering an apology. Miller waved it off, instead concentrating on placing one foot in front of the other. He longed for longer legs. This was probably a lot easier for Flint than it was for him. Miller occasionally dreamed he was 8 feet tall and able to see over the world. Just once he wanted to know what it was like to have to duck. Now, it was the opposite. As Flint stepped over the obstacles, Miller was practically climbing them.

It was getting harder to navigate the rocky terrain. He paused a moment, letting Shipwreck catch up with him. Miller felt a little light-headed. He wasn't used to being in the field like the Joes were. He was more of a desk jockey, analyzing the data brought to him by others in the field. He shook it off, moving forward. For some reason his coordination was off. He tripped on another rock. Now this was starting to get embarrassing. If Shipwreck hadn't been having just as tough of a go of it as Miller, he'd seriously question his place on the strike team. And then it hit him. "Masks on, now!"

Miller snapped on his self rescuer just as he felt his pulse start to race and the blinding headache hit. He dropped to the ground, fumbling for the switch to start the airflow. Fighting against the dizziness, Miller held his breath as he waited for the oxygen. He crawled over to Shipwreck, positioning the sailor's mask over his sweaty face, trying to create a seal. Miller flicked the switch on Shipwreck's backpack and leaned against the wall, catching his breath.

Damn!The sloping ground should have warned him. The team had hit a patch of bad air or black damp. Every miner knew that coal absorbs oxygen and gives off carbon dioxide and water vapor. As the oxygen is absorbed out of the air and carbon dioxide is given off, it mixes with the nitrogen already in the air and forms black damp. Black damp is heavier than normal air and builds up in unventilated sections of a mine, like the section they were now occupying. It's strongest on the mine floor but could build up in a tunnel over time. Black damp can rapidly overcome the body, causing initial symptoms of oxygen deprivation easily mistaken for simple fatigue. Statistically, you had about six seconds to get yourself some good air once the fatigue became more than simple. If the warning signs were missed, your trip into the mine was a one-way ticket. Double damn! Flint and Mainframe! Miller popped up to his feet. The darkened shapes were gone. He darted ahead, Shipwreck at his heels.

Lady Jaye remained silent, filing away all that the Commander had professed. The team might need the information later on. Recalling the Commander's desires, she couldn't help cracking a smile at the memory of Shipwreck singing "Everybody Wants to Rule the World." This was met with another backhand from the Commander. She rolled her eyes. It was time for Cobra to take a class on interrogation techniques. She didn't even have to escape into her thoughts of her night with Flint to last through this one.

"I see that I am boring you. Never fear, we shall try to make things more engaging for you." The Commander turned away from her. "Buzzer, take her back. We'll deal with her later. I'm sure her friend up top will tell us what we need to know. Regardless, have the others prepare for evac. Time to move factories."

Ripper and Buzzer started to haul her away, but not before the Commander shouted, "No, wait, bring her back." Squinting, the Commander tilted his head to the side as if inspecting produce at the grocery store. "Hmm, I don't know why I didn't think of it before. It's too perfect." He disappeared out of Lady Jaye's sight and returned, holding a thick pen in his hands.

Lady Jaye kept her gaze on the object in the Commander's hand. He approached her, holding the object like a knife. She bucked against her captors. She stomped on Ripper's foot while trying to drop to her knees and roll, anything to keep away. Ripper maintained his hold while Buzzer twisted her arm up behind her back. She cried out in pain, temporarily immobilized, her arm within the Commander's reach. She couldn't see it but she could hear the air displace as the Commander jabbed the pen into her arm. A loud shot echoed in the room and a jolt of piercing heat cut through her skin. She tried to reach up to rub the spot, but the Dreadnoks' grips on her were tighter.

"Oh god!" She felt the warmth spread up and down her arm, a heaviness settling down into her chest. Her heart began to beat faster and she suddenly felt sick to her stomach. She dropped her head down, pushing against the hands that held her. No doubt about it, it moved fast. A tingling sensation spread throughout her body and her lips felt numb. She glanced up into the cold, observant eyes of the Commander. He was starting to shimmer. Blinking fast, she struggled to clear the image. Everything was covered in a glossy sheen and blurry on the edges. The Commander's eyes smiled; she knew that look. "You bastard."

"Oh yes Lady Jaye, I am a bastard. And you my dear," he leaned in close, "are dead." His maniacal laughter filled her head as Buzzer and Ripper dragged her off. Her only hope was that Flint and the team would find her in time.