Dannon looked up from the PC. “Have we seen any real evidence that they’re at the main hub in Morningside Heights?”

  Penko eyed him. “No, the cameras appear to be compromised, like the cameras around New City Hall. Static images. We just assumed that was done to hide what they’re doing.”

  Dannon chuckled. “Sneaky little bastards.”

  “Wait, so you’re thinking they’ll try to set a trap at the backup hub?” Penko asked.

  “No, I think they need to use that space, and would rather send us to the main hub. If there’s an ambush coming, we’ll see it there, but I’m not convinced. We do agree on one thing.”

  “What’s that?” Albena asked.

  “We must get some drone coverage, in both locations if possible.”

  “There aren’t any Islamists in either place that I can see,” Dempsey said, looking at the RFID app on his phone.

  “Don’t count on that, the apps aren’t great if the RFID chips are underground,” Dannon said. “Remember?”

  “Yeah, I remember, but we’d see some coming and going if there were a lot of them there,” Dempsey said.

  Cary came into the room. “We’ve got forty Falcon drones ready to go, twenty for each location, all carrying Roach pods.”

  “That’s more than we’ll need,” Dempsey said. “How close to we have to get to the target locations?”

  “A couple blocks,” Cary said. “Closer would be better, since we can’t set up charging stands for the Falcons.”

  Dannon looked up from his PC. “What if we can get across the street, on rooftops? Lots of likely places in both locations.”

  “It’ll be more dangerous,” Cary said, “and it’ll spread your team pretty thin.”

  “We should break this up anyway,” Dempsey said. “Maybe we take one location and Jace’s team takes the other.”

  “Want me to call him?” Albena asked.

  “Yeah, do that, but we’ll have to clear this with Mayor Fine,” Dannon said. “We could use NYPD too. I’d get Chief Harvey over here so we can talk it out.”

  Dempsey snickered. “The NYPD could have a reason to be down there. Too much civilian activity at the hot zone boundaries now. They’d be protecting and serving.”

  “We don’t want them to be seen,” Dannon said. “We need to sneak those Falcon drones nearby and fly them at night. This is a Roach drone operation.”

  Jace came in. “What’s up?”

  “We might have a commando mission for you,” Dannon said. “Falcon drone placement.”

  Chief Harvey showed up, taking a seat. “You’re working out a plan about those hub locations?”

  “Dan doesn’t think they’re planning on blowing them up,” Albena said. “We need drones placed in both locations.”

  “Falcons?” Chief Harvey asked.

  “Yeah, to deliver Roach drones,” Dannon said.

  “Why don’t you think they plan to blow the infrastructure?” Chief Harvey asked.

  “They’re bringing more and more people to the backup hub,” Dannon said. “They wouldn’t if their objective was to blow up some equipment.”

  “What about the main hub location?” Chief Harvey asked. “Shit, never mind. We don’t know if they’re really there, all we know is that the MVS cameras might be compromised. You’re right, they’re up to something else.”

  “Now that I’m looking closer, I don’t believe there are enemy forces at the main hub,” Penko said. “We’d see some traces of RFID hits, even if they’re underground most of the time, and we’d see them arriving. I just looked at the RFID history for the last several weeks in that area. Very small population of hits.”

  “Why wouldn’t it just be UN Peacekeepers?” Cary asked.

  “For a minor operation, it might be only UN Peacekeepers,” Dempsey said. “For a major operation, they’d bring in their allies. We’ve seen it every time.”

  “Still seems like taking out important infrastructure would be worthwhile to them,” Penko said.

  “They know those hubs aren’t important now,” Dannon said. “Lance would know for sure. He’s working with them. I’ll bet he’d love revenge for what we did to his house on Long Island.”

  “Yeah, definitely something fishy here,” Chief Harvey said. “I agree, we must have some Roach drones placed into both locations, but we’d better be damn careful how we do it. I wouldn’t put them across the street from either location.”

  “Yeah, I’m beginning to agree with that,” Dannon said. “Could we drop drones out of NYPD choppers?”

  “We could certainly fly by,” Chief Harvey said. “Cary would have to answer that question, though.”

  “I need to call Art,” Cary said. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He left the intel room.

  “Won’t they be wondering why choppers are flying around above the hubs?” Dempsey asked.

  “We’ve been flying all over the city every night,” Chief Harvey said. “If we could rig something up on the skids and not slow down when we launch them, we’ll be fine.”

  “It’d be a lot safer than sending in our teams,” Hector said, “assuming this is a trap. We could use the Roaches to designate targets, if we can get the missile launchers close enough.”

  “They’re good for several blocks,” Dempsey said. “That’s how far we were from the ammonium nitrate dump.”

  Cary rushed back in. “Art said there’s a mode we can use with the Falcons. Hector and I will have to create some launch platforms for the chopper skids, but Art has CAD drawings that’ll work in our 3D printers. We’ll get on that right away.”

  “How long are we talking?” Dannon asked. “Days or hours?”

  “Hours, unless we run into an unexpected snag. Chief Harvey, could you send me info on the chopper skids?”

  “Yeah,” Chief Harvey said. “You’ll want two choppers, right?”

  “That would be optimum,” Cary said.

  “We can get those drones to fly from a fall?” Penko asked.

  “Yeah, via the gyros,” Cary said. “There’s a training simulation for using that feature. Art sent it to me. I’ll get Vasil, Laleh, Eve, and Tad on that right away. Talk to you soon.” Cary rushed out of the room.

  “We’re sure the chopper crews and support people are clean, right?” Dannon asked.

  “Yeah, they’re clean,” Chief Harvey said. “I’d better go get that data for Cary.” He left the room.

  “What do we do now?” Dempsey asked.

  “We’ll scope out roofs a few blocks away for missile placement,” Dannon said. “Penko, is that PC available?” He pointed to one across the table from where he was.

  “Yeah,” Penko said, jotting down the username and password, sliding the paper to Dempsey. “Have at it, man.”

  “Guess I’ll go back downstairs,” Jace said. “Let me know if you need me.” He left.

  Dempsey got to work, the room getting quiet except for the clicking of keyboards.

  { 13 }

  Bad Dreams

  M ayor Fine woke, dis-oriented at first, feeling a soft warm body pressed against him.

  “You’re awake,” Tracy said. “Sorry, this twin bed is a little tight for two.”

  He spooned against her tighter. “It’s nice, but I need to use your bathroom.”

  Tracy got out of bed, and Carroll got up, taking in her nakedness.

  “Hurry back,” Tracy said, watching him go past her, hearing the manly sounds in the bathroom, a peaceful, happy feeling washing over her.

  “Do you need to get up yet?” Carroll asked her as he returned.

  “Why? Do you?” she asked.

  Carroll took her into his arms. “No. I’d like more.”

  She smiled, looking into his eyes. “I was hoping you’d say that. Get back in bed.”

  He laid down, Tracy sliding in next to him, kissing him deeply. They caressed each other, working themselves into a fever pitch, making love, ending like they woke, spooned against each other.

  “Happy?” Tracy asked.

  “Yes, this was exactly what I needed,” Carroll said. “You?”

  “Oh, Mr. Mayor, you know I’ve been after you for a while. It was lovely. I’m hoping we can keep this going, but no pressure.”

  “I’d like that,” Carroll said. “It definitely relieved my stress.”

  “Good. You hungry?”

  “Yes, I’ve worked up an appetite. You?”

  Tracy nodded, getting out of bed. “I guess we can resurface again. How discrete do you want to be?”

  Carroll sat on the bed, watching her. “I’m not that concerned if you aren’t. We don’t have to advertise it right away.”

  “I’m good with that. We’ll play it by ear.” She looked into his eyes, which were fixed on her naked body, and spun for him. “Like me?”

  “You’re beautiful. Those business suits hide your charms rather well.”

  “I’m a little heavy right now,” Tracy said. “Wish we had a gym down here. Mind if I get dressed now?”

  Carroll smiled. “You don’t have to get my permission.”

  “I want you to look as much as you want,” she said. “It’s good for me, and good for you too.”

  Carroll got up, taking her into his arms for a long kiss, breaking it. “Okay, you can get dressed now.”

  She laughed. “My my. I’m going to like this arrangement.”

  They got dressed and went out into the empty hallway.

  “Wonder what happened with the hubs?” Mayor Fine asked.

  “We can swing by the intel room, although it’s pretty early still.”

  “No, let’s get something to eat first,” Mayor Fine said. They went into the snack room, each grabbing a meal, going to microwaves. “This survival food is getting old.”

  “I’d kill for a nice steak or a big slab of salmon.”

  “Stop that, it’s hard enough as it is,” Mayor Fine quipped.

  “Sorry.” Her meal finished cooking, so she took it out of the microwave and sat at a table, Mayor Fine joining her after a moment. They ate silently.

  “Well, that one wasn’t so bad,” Tracy said.

  “Mystery meatloaf?”

  She burst out laughing. “Or something like that. How was the Asian?”

  “Cardboard slivers with sweet and sour sauce and chewy rice… but I’ve had worse.”

  They tossed the food containers in the trash and went to the intel room. Penko was there alone.

  “How’s it going?” Mayor Fine asked.

  Penko shrugged. “It’s going.” He filled them in on what happened since they left the night before.

  “Wonder what they’re doing?” Tracy asked. “This makes me nervous.”

  “I like the idea of having choppers drop off the Falcon drones,” Mayor Fine said. “The Roach drones will show us what’s happening.”

  Albena came in with a coffee, sitting down at her PC, nodding to the others. “Anything else break loose?”

  “Nothing new since last night,” Penko said.

  Cary rushed in. “We’ve got the Falcon drone brackets off the 3D printers. Has Chief Harvey been up here yet?”

  Penko shook his head. “Nope.”

  “Call him, he won’t mind,” Mayor Fine said.

  Cary nodded, pulling out his thin phone.

  “I think I’ll go check my emails,” Tracy said.

  “I should check mine too,” Mayor Fine said. They left the intel room.

  “I feel like we’re being set up,” Tracy whispered as they walked towards the office area.

  “You and me both,” Mayor Fine replied. “See you in a little while.” He went into his office, Tracy going further down the hall.

  ***

  Lance watched the straight black hair, hanging between white shoulder blades, sides flaring to buttocks, rhythmic movement, Lance too tense to enjoy it.

  “Aren’t you glad you picked me up?” a girl voice said, sounding out of breath.

  “I should take you back.”

  The black hair moved as the head turned, Lance breaking into a cold sweat.

  “Why, daddy?”

  Lance made eye contact with his daughter Sadie, her mouth forming a demonic grin, a hand coming up, holding a straight razor.

  “No!” he cried, trying to push her off.

  Lance woke, covered in sweat, the image of his dead daughter fading slowly, his heart hammering in his chest. “It was just a dream, get ahold of yourself.” He got out of bed, going to the window, pushing curtains aside, the dawn sun breaking through the trees behind his house. The phone rang, buzzing on the bedside table, Lance whirling around, half expecting to see the black hair against alabaster skin, relieved when it wasn’t there. He picked up the phone and answered it. “Yeah, Daan.”

  “Are you okay? You sound a little shaky.”

  “Bad dream, isolation,” Lance said. “Any word on Sturm yet?”

  “He’s recovering slowly,” Daan said. “We won’t be able to use him for a while. That’s not why I called.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “We need you to mess with Mayor Fine’s IT person again.”

  Lance was quiet a moment. “Why?”

  “There’s an operation being planned on Manhattan, and we want her too busy to pay attention to certain things.”

  “Who’s running the operation?” Lance asked.

  “Mateo, Sanchez, and Saladin.”

  “The three stooges. We should wait for Sturm to get better. What are they planning?”

  “I’m not discussing that. You don’t have a need to know,” Daan said.

  “You just asked me to help with the operation, didn’t you?”

  “You don’t need to know about the operation in order to help us. It’s better for you if you don’t know. Will you do as I ask?”

  Lance sighed. “Yeah, I’ve got nothing better to do, but it puts me at risk.”

  “Physically? You’re out of the area, are you not?”

  “I’m not in Manhattan,” Lance said, “but I’m a car trip away. Don’t worry, I’ll get missy spun up again. I’ll have to be careful, so I won’t have her attention at the level of intensity I did before.”

  “I’m sure you’ll figure out the right balance. Thank you, Lance. We’ll talk soon.”

  The call ended, Lance’s head throbbing with a migraine. He went to his overnight case, pulling out a bottle of pills, taking two without water, then going into the bathroom for a shower. His mind lingered on the dream, sadness flowing over him, the regrets, the shame of it. “Nobody knows, you idiot.” When he turned off the shower, the dead silence closed around him like a dark curtain. Why did I come here?

  Lance got dressed quickly, going into the kitchen, finding some waffles in the freezer, putting them into the toaster and going into the pantry for syrup, checking the date on the bottle. “Only six months out of date? That ought to be okay.” He opened it and sniffed, the familiar maple syrup smell filling his nostrils. “No butter. Oh well.”

  The toaster popped up the waffles, Lance pulling them out, dropping them on a plate, the smell of burning dust almost as strong as the smell of the waffles. He sat on an island stool, the plate in front of him, wolfing them down, adding more syrup as he went. Coffee. He went to the counter, opening a lower cupboard door, pulling out an ancient drip coffee machine, going to the freezer for a bag of coffee beans, grabbing the grinder on the way back, grateful for the noise he was making, pouring the ground coffee into the filter-clad basket, using tap water to fill the carafe, pouring it into the water tank. The machine sputtered to life, and he walked back to his bedroom, grabbing the laptop, bringing it into the living room, clicking the TV remote, surfing to a local station, the morning news still running. He was hoping for stories about the local area, but the banter was all about preparations the authorities were making for attacks up and down the coast. Most of the information they were passing Lance knew to be incorrect. The coffee machine sputtered louder and longer as the last bit of water surged through, so he got up, getting a coffee cup out of the cupboard, grabbing the carafe and pouring a cup as a few more drips fell, sizzling on the hotplate, crackling when he put the carafe on top of it. The coffee was stale but drinkable. He took the coffee to the living room couch, looking at the laptop, which was waiting for him on the side table. He picked it up, setting it on his lap, logging in, then going directly to his toolkit. “Guess I’m going back to Bulgaria.” He slipped onto the Mayor’s network, and within seconds was stuck on the Bulgarian travel site again, chuckling to himself. He opened a window for his tool kit, adjusting the size so he could see his virtual prison and his tools, and got to work.

  ***

  Jaak, Henry, and Ross sat in the conference room, all of them staring at their laptop screens.

  Art came in. “The C-17 landed a few minutes ago. They’re loading the speeders onto trucks… should be here in about two hours.”

  Jaak looked over at him. “Do you think this is gonna work?”

  Art sat down at the table. “Depends on ocean conditions. On smooth water they’ll go about two hundred and twenty miles per hour, but it’s risky.”

  “Why’s it risky?” Henry asked.

  “Going that fast over water is unpredictable,” Art said. “Even at the height they can travel over water. If some large wake is out there, you might not see it in time to slow down. I wish there was another way.”

  Ross eyed him. “Are we training some of our people?”

  Art shook his head. “There are members of the Lenox team who have used the training simulator. They’ll pilot the speeders. They all have experience which will help them somewhat.”

  “Experience?” Ross asked.

  “Speedboat racing,” Art said. “Makes a lot of sense. These men know how to read wave activity.”

  Ross shook his head. “No speedboat goes anywhere near two hundred miles per hour.”

  Art nodded. “That’s why I added the somewhat.”

  Jaak chuckled. “It’s not as bad as all that, I did some research on the design. There are sensors that look ahead. Provided they work correctly, the pilot will get warning.”

  “If they slow down in sight of these MKS-180s, won’t that put them in danger of being hit?” Henry asked.

 

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