Chapter Twenty-Seven

Roger Thompson, feeling pale and shaken after Matheson’s broadcast, walked into the Cabinet Office, and was acutely aware that everyone in the room was staring at him. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he looked around the room before speaking.

“In order to avoid a National Panic caused by Vice-President Matheson’s speech, I have just returned from a meeting with Her Majesty, the Queen, and offered her my resignation. She has accepted it.

“It is my intention, therefore, to fly to America immediately and face these wild accusations and prove my innocence. I have already informed President Matheson of my intentions and he has rescinded his declaration of war. I will be making a broadcast to the Nation in five minutes time. I’d like to thank all of you who’ve offered me your support, but I have to leave now.”

“Prime Minister!”

Roger turned and saw the concerned look on the leader of the opposition’s face.

“Leonard?”

“Everyone in this room knows that the allegations against you are a blatant fabrication and, while you were at the Palace, we had a meeting of our own. It has been decided that we will not accept your resignation and have informed Her Majesty of our decision. However, publicly we will pretend that we have accepted it and allow your deputy to take over. Teams of engineers are already on their way to The Devil’s Footprint. They will drain the quicksand, section by section, seeking evidence of Matheson’s involvement in the experimentation programme. We have also arranged for you to fly to America in an escorted Royal Air Force jet.” He stood and walked to Roger and held out his hand.

Roger, deeply moved, shook it warmly as the room erupted in cheers.

* * * *

The sergeant was already reaching for the door handle on the driver’s door when Russell saw the thin wire.

“No!” he cried and flung himself down onto the ground.

Other soldiers also threw themselves down and covered their ears against the blast of the explosion. But it never came. Russell looked up and saw the sergeant grinning in relief at the little white flag made out of a handkerchief that had been rigged to spring up when the car door was opened. The word BANG! had been written on it with a black marker pen. Feeling foolish, Russell climbed to his feet and then whirled to face the direction of the HQ from where the clatter of rotor blades came. As the noise from the chopper faded into the distance, he knew then that he’d been out-manoeuvred by the freak. They’d lured him and his men away from the only transport capable of carrying them to freedom. But he’d find them, no matter where or how long it took. He would find them.

It took three hours to rig up a new radio transmitter. Mobile telephones were useless up here in the mountains. Russell’s mobile HQ had been almost obliterated by the new weapon. Another seventeen vehicles had been destroyed along with weapons, ammunition, and communication equipment. The entire ferrous metal content at the base had been reduced to dust. The summons back to Washington came as he was heading East back along the Highway towards New Hudson and he listened to reports of Henry’s broadcast declaring war on Britain in shocked disbelief. He’d flipped. Henry had lost it! Even though the Declaration of war had been nullified and Roger Thompson had arrived in Washington, how did Henry hope to stop things from blowing apart? The President’s plane crash, was Henry behind that too? If so, then who had he used?

Had Henry finally decided to get rid of him, too? Was he walking into a trap?

Leaning forward, he spoke to the driver. “Drop me at the airport. I’ll take a plane to Washington from there.” He’d take a plane alright but it wouldn’t be to Washington. He was in the airport bar drinking a beer when he became aware of a murmur running through the bar and everyone staring at the TV screen. His beer remained half an inch from his lips as Russell froze, staring in shock at Adam, whose face filled the TV screen.

“My name is Adam,” the freak said, his eyes seeming to bore into Russell’s own. “I am the next generation. Not an alien, just a man altered through illegal genetic experimentation performed on me from the moment I was born. The project was funded by Matheson Chemicals, and Henry Matheson, your Vice President was the instigator of these experiments…”

“That’s enough of that bullshit!” the barman said and used the remote to switch to another channel.

“When Matheson became aware that the…” Adam continued as the barman flicked from one channel to another, but Adam remained constant. “He sent his assistant, Russell Downey, to England to close the project down…”

“That’s it!” the barman said and switched off the power. Russell, who was half-expecting Adam’s face to still remain on screen, sighed with relief as the screen went dark.

“Hey, Mac, I was watching that!” one of the customers said angrily.

“Well, go and watch it somewhere else,” the barman growled, and then his mouth dropped open as everyone in the bar, except Russell, started to walk towards the door.

“Hey, what’s the matter? Can’t you take a joke or something?” The barman hastily turned the power back on. “Here, watch it. Be my guest!”

“…I will run no longer and call upon the American Congress to let us live in peace and freedom as guaranteed under the constitution. Henry Matheson accuses us of murder, but offers no proof. Eyewitnesses have confirmed that the FBI launched a phosphorous grenade through the window of a cabin at Deer Lodge, killing an innocent young woman, Mary Slymond. It was a woman who had rescued young Mary from Russell Downey’s hunting lodge in Montana who killed the agents. Ask him why she was there. Why had he strapped her to the table to be raped before she was murdered and then fed to dogs?

“Leave me and mine alone or I’ll retaliate and bring you and your corrupt assistant to your knees, Matheson. You’re not worthy of the title of President!”

The transmission ended and normal programmes appeared on the screen, but the people in the bar were talking animatedly amongst themselves, asking each other if the broadcast was a hoax. Russell knew better, though. He’d go back to Washington after all. It was time to take extreme measures against the freaks.

* * * *

Adam switched off the camera, ending the transmission and smiling at the open-mouthed television engineer. “Thanks for the loan of the equipment. I’ll remove my modifications now so you can carry on as normal.”

The engineer and the rest of the mobile TV crew nodded and Adam sensed that the attractive female presenter was trying to gather up enough courage to say something. They had spotted the mobile broadcasting units van travelling towards New Hudson and Adam had simply blocked the road with the helicopter and taken over the van.

“What?” he asked, smiling at the woman.

She moistened her lips and then her professionalism took over. “I need to do an interview with you – with all of you,” she said. “If what you’re saying’s true, then you need to record your side of the story so that the whole country, the world even, hears what you all have to say.”

“We haven’t time,” Jay said. “They’ll be trying to pinpoint the transmission, but I promise you that everything Adam said was the truth.”

“I’m not coming with you,” Rebecca said. “I have to get to Washington to testify on Roger Thompson’s behalf.”

“It’s too risky. They’ll kill you,” Scott said. “Murder you, like they did Mary.”

“Not if you surrender yourself live, on national television,” the presenter said. “They wouldn’t dare let anything happen to you then, especially if your attorney was present.”

“Why are you offering to help me?” Rebecca asked.

“Well, besides having the story of the year, I could interview you on the way. What do you say?

At least my way you’re guaranteed to get to give yourself up alive!”

“Right then, that’s what we’ll do. I’m Rebecca, that’s Scott, Adam and Jay.”

“I’m Sara, that’s Doug my cameraman and driver.” They all shook hands and Rebecca and Jay embraced. Scott turned and shook Adam’s hand.

“I’m going with Rebecca,” he said. “You two have more of a chance on your own.”

Adam nodded. Scott was right, and at least he’d be safe with Sara and Doug. “You take care, Scott. I’ll be seeing you and that’s a promise.” He walked away while Scott and Jay said their goodbyes, climbing instead into the pilot’s seat.

There were tears in Jay’s eyes as she returned and climbed into the seat beside him. He started the rotors and with a final wave towards the van, they took off, flying towards the setting sun.