Chapter Thirty

Rebecca ran her hand through the fine hairs on Doug’s chest and he smiled down at her from where he lay next to her, propping his head up with his hand.

“This is crazy,” she said, looking into his eyes. “I mean, aren’t we getting a little old for this love at first sight thing?”

“Yes, I reckon we are, but it happened and I’m not going to start complaining. Not when I’m lying next to the most beautiful and sexy woman I’ve ever met.”

“Well, at least your eyesight isn’t failing,” she laughed and he grinned, pulling her closer. Scott came in. “Sorry,” he said, discreetly averting his eyes as Rebecca covered herself up. “But we’ve got a couple of visitors and the man says that Adam sent them.”

Outside, she saw some of the other’s talking to a tall, ancient looking Native American. He had shoulder length silver hair and seemed to smile a lot. Beside him was a woman who looked familiar, and she had a dazed, lost look in her eyes.

As the man turned towards Rebecca and Doug she saw the serenity in his eyes.

“Rebecca, Doug, this is Dan McQuentin and Laura Green,” Scott said. That’s the woman who saved Mary and Jay! Rebecca smiled and moved towards her, holding out her hand. But Laura looked blankly at her and took a step back, as though afraid. Dan put one arm around her protectively.

“It’s okay, Laura,” he said gently. Turning his head, he smiled apologetically at Rebecca.

“Laura’s got amnesia. We got swept into the river and she was underwater for about three or four minutes before I managed to find her and get some air into her lungs. She seems alright apart from that.”

Brain damage, Rebecca thought. Her brain was starved of oxygen for too long.

“Adam asked Dan to help Laura and bring her here,” Scott said. “Apparently Dan here’s a Shaman.”

“Are Adam and Jay alright?” Rebecca asked, still trying to remember where she’d seen Laura Green before.

“I don’t rightly know for certain, but with his powers, I would think so. Ah yes, he asked me to tell you that it was almost over and that he’s going to—”

“What the hell is that?” Someone cried out in alarm and, turning, Rebecca saw something hovering about a hundred feet above them. Some of the men were pointing their shotguns and rifles at it and then they saw the lights and the message.

Put the coffee on down there, Rebecca. We’re thirsty!

“Hold your fire,” she yelled. “Scott! It’s Adam and Jay!”

As the men lowered their rifles, the object that seemed to have wings actually flapping, sank gently down and she could see Jay and Adam inside the cylindrical body. Part of the cylinder swung open and Jay stepped out first. She ran over to Rebecca and Scott, who was standing with an idiot grin on his face. Adam waved and was obscured from view as Jay threw herself into first her arms and then into Scott’s, who hoisted her off her feet and swung her around.

“I’ve missed you, Jay!” Scott laughed, lowering her down to the ground. “You’ll never know how much I’ve missed you!”

Jay hugged him. “I’ve missed you, too, you big hunk. Hey, isn’t that Sara over there?”

Sara walked over to them and Rebecca thought she was acting a little strange until Scott’s arm encircled Sara’s waist and then she understood. Scott and Sara were apparently an item now, but she’d been too wrapped up in Doug to notice.

“Did you know?” Rebecca asked Doug, who was looking at Sara with a half smile on his face.

“I know she had a thing for Scott when they were in college, but she was a freshman and he never paid her any mind. Looks as though he’s making up for it now though.” He grinned.

“Rebecca.” Adam took her hands in his and kissed her lightly on the cheek. He’s a man! she realised. He’s aged by at least fifteen years.

“Adam.” She smiled and half-turned to Doug. “You remember Doug, Adam?”

“Yes,” he said and shook Doug’s hand. “You’ll make her very happy, Doug.”

Doug gave a how the hell did he know about us? look. She shrugged and grinned at the same time.

Adam walked over to the old man and they embraced. Dan said something that only Adam was meant to hear, and he nodded. Jay was holding Laura’s hands and talking to her gently and then, removing her hands, she replaced them on either side of the woman’s head. Rebecca saw Laura start as a blue pulsating light flowed out of Jay’s fingers. The light covered Laura’s head like a living helmet before fading away. Laura looked around her and then started to sob, and Jay pulled her into her arms. Eventually, Laura’s sobs stopped and Jay kissed her on the forehead, in what seemed to Rebecca to be an act of absolution.

Laura walked over to Scott. “I think I ought to tell you what happened to Mary at the Deer Lodge Motel.” She told the story quietly and after she’d finished, she told them who she really was and everything that had happened at The Devil’s Footprint in Britain. Rebecca wondered why Adam didn’t revile Janine for being the evil murderous bitch she was. All of the others except for Jay and the old man were staring at the woman in revulsion.

“Janine, why have you told us this?” Adam’s voice cut through the air like a lash.

“I don’t really know,” Janine sounded tired. “Perhaps it’s because I can’t bear to live with myself. Somehow, my conscience has finally caught up with me. I’ve been running away from it for a long, long time.” She shrugged. “You’ll just have to do whatever it is you want to do with me. I just don’t care anymore.”

“We should string the bitch up, or shoot her,” one of the men said, and there were angry murmurs of agreement.

“She risked her life to save me and Mary.” Jay stepped forward and Rebecca’s breath caught in her throat as she saw the girl’s ethereal beauty for the first time. “Just as you were prepared to give your life for Mary who I loved like a sister, so will I give my life for you. Let those of you who would kill Laura—yes this woman is Laura, because Janine died in the very instant that Laura fought to save a girl she didn’t even know. Let those of you who would kill her, first kill me.”

“And me!” Adam said, stepping forward.

“Me too!” Dan McQuentin joined them, smiling benevolently.

Rebecca looked at them and felt profoundly moved as she saw the love in his proud old eyes when they met hers.

One by one, the men lowered their weapons and Scott walked forward, hugging Laura to him.

“Thanks for what you tried to do for my friend,” he said.

It was as though someone had waved a magic wand, Rebecca thought. All thoughts of punishing the woman were gone. Now everyone wanted to party and have a look at Adam and Jay’s flying machine.

It was about an hour later when Adam called everyone together. “I must leave now. Scott, you look after Jay for me, and yes I know that you want to come with…” He broke off and looked around him. Then he was running—running towards the flying machine that was rising swiftly off the ground and out of reach.

“No!” he cried No!”

Rebecca looked at the message that Jay was flashing to them.

I’m sorry, my love, but now it’s my turn!

The lights went off and the machine swept out of sight. Rebecca knew that now any of them could do was wait.

* * * *

“Very well done indeed, Major. No, I think under the circumstances a field promotion’s called for. Don’t you agree, gentlemen?” Henry beamed expansively at everyone in the room and, one by one, the Generals and security Chiefs nodded. “Yes, I think that perhaps Colonel would be more appropriate.”

Russell was unable to bring himself to look away from the weapon now gripped in Henry’s hand. They’d won! No one would be able to stand in their way now. He stood and summoned one of the Generals over to him.

“It’s time,” he said. “Start the executions now.”

The General nodded, for Russell had already briefed him. Once they had the weapon, the prisoners, including the acting Vice President and together with the Congressmen, were to be executed, live on television. The cameras were already in place on the roof of the building where the captives were now being held. Henry would personally supervise their deaths and then Russell would demonstrate to the World the awesome power of the new weapon.

Convoys of tanks and trucks had been lined up, surrounding the building, and after they had been destroyed then so, too, would an air force jet. It would be destroyed in mid-air. The angry roar from the crowds below them surprised Russell when they emerged from the bunker, and he realised the mob was on the brink of starting a riot. The Vice President, congressmen and the British Prime Minister had been lined up against the wall and two machine guns had been set up to mow them down.

Then Henry yelled out in surprise and pointed up to a woman who was standing astride a cylinder, lazily circling above them on billowing white, silken wings. In one hand, she held a tube that was pointing down towards them. Immediately, the machine guns and all the other metal the tube swept over disintegrated.

Russell knew then. It was the freak and she’d built another weapon. “Shoot her down, Henry!”

he yelled urgently. “Use the weapon and shoot her down!”

Henry pointed the weapon at the flying machine and pulled the trigger. For a brief microsecond he seemed to glow with a white light that was so bright Russell could actually see Henry’s skeleton. Then the weapon clattered to the ground and Henry was gone.

The freaks had booby-trapped the weapon and left it to be found, Russell realized. They’d tricked him.

Down below in the streets, hand-to-hand fighting between the crowds and the troops had broken out. Russell bared his teeth in rage, drew his laminated plastic knife and leapt towards the helpless prisoners. A shadow passed over him and then the woman was standing between him and the Vice President. He feinted with the knife and lashed out at her stomach with his boot. The boot connected and she doubled over. With a cry of triumph, he slashed the blade across her exposed throat. Clamping her hands to the gaping wound, she sank to her knees, blood pumping from between her fingers. Standing over her, Russell raised the knife but his wrist was seized in a vice like grip.

“You fucking bastard!” Roger Thompson, the British Prime Minister, snarled and Russell saw the frayed nylon rope still around the man’s wrist. A ham-sized fist grazed the side of Russell’s head, and he’d just managed to jerk away from it in time. Russell’s other hand found the big man’s neck and he dug his thumb into the artery. The grip on his knife hand faltered and Russell wrenched it free, plunging the knife into the man’s heart. He collapsed at once.

Russell calmly pulled the knife free and walked up to the Vice President. “Are you ready to die?”

Defiantly, the Vice President stared back at him. Chuckling, Russell pulled the man’s head back, exposing his throat.

“Russell!” a woman’s voice came from behind him and he released the Vice President, turning to face Janine. Janine, wearing a blood saturated dress with an angry red mark across her throat. The face changed to Henry’s and then to the freak’s and she walked towards him, her eyes glowing with an inner light.

He charged towards her and she extended her arms, fingers up and palms towards him. Although she was still several feet away, he was hurled backwards to crash against the wall. He screamed as he felt his rib-cage snap. He fell to the ground, crippled. Screaming in terror this time, he saw her coming towards him again.

His scrabbling hand closed around something smooth and he saw the booby-trapped weapon in his hand. His finger closed around the trigger and with a final yell of defiance he squeezed.