Dark as Daylight Ch. 07

The backseat guy had a 50 caliber machine gun, with about 2500 rounds of ammunition on an automatic feeder. That guy was loaded for bear. They had the 50 set up on a platform to help stabilize it. It was a pretty nice set up, and it's still there. Problem was, the shooter caught an armor piercing round in his nose. It blew off the back of his head. His brains are scattered all over the left window. The 50's shooter only got 700 rounds off before he caught it. Whoever did it, made a really fantastic shot."

"Tony, why do you get such pleasure, while making me want to vomit. You talk about these crime scenes with such delight. Sometimes I worry about you."

"You don't have to worry about me sarge. I take such delight in reporting these gruesome events, because these dead bastards are criminals, and they are off the streets permanently. We don't have to go through the court system, which takes years and hundreds of thousands of our citizens' money. Then there's the appeals that caused millions of dollars. Then they get a life sentence, and we have to feed them, give them medical care for the rest of their lives, house them, give them sports equipment, reading facilities, and let them file their own appeals. I look at these guys and I say, "I'm so happy you're dead. You're not going to cost us a penny, ever again."

"I'll let Reese tell me about the other car. He tries not to ruin my day."

"Tom, I'd like to introduce you to your next Chief of Police."

"It's not going to happen, he's too honest, and honest people never win."

"Sarge the people in the cars and trucks up front are really edgy. They look at these guys in military dress, and their guns pointing at them, and they're having bowel problems. Can they at least point their guns towards the ground, and have our guys come over to calm them down?"

"I have no problem with that. I'll move my people within 20 feet of the Primary, and you can take control of the rest of the area."

"X-ray, Tango, and Alpha, 20 horse."

"Roger that..., ..."

****************************

"How do you guys feel?"

Richard asked, "In our training, are they going to teach us how to shoot guns?"

"Honestly Richard, I never asked. I will do that on the airplane, and I will let you know. That was a very good question, thank you for asking it."

"What are you worrying about Rich? We know the formula for Freolyte. If anyone pisses us off enough, we will make a few hundred ping-pong balls, put them on top of dead battery cells, attach it to a few timers, and send it to him by Federal Express overnight delivery. When he opens it in the morning, not only he, but his home and his entire estate will be missing."

"What the hell is Freolyte?"

"I'm sorry William we can tell you. It's above top secret. Even my dad didn't know we knew about it."

"Remember, you two, there is one thing I can always hold over your head to make you tell me something important. Don't make me do it all the time. Don't make me send you to Costa Rica for something that is important. What is Freolyte?"

"Freolyte is a chemical agent when exposed to a combination of negative ions and positive ions in the correct proportions is 10,000 times more powerful than nitroglycerin."

"You're out of your mind."

"Our dad worked on it for four years for the US government and it never worked. Many other laboratories in the United States did also, with the same result. Our sister, Delicious, worked on it in my father's basement laboratory for five hours, without using the computer, and she came up with the answer. My father didn't believe her.

He put it into Sequoia, which was the fastest computer at the time. Delicious program worked. He tried it again because he didn't believe it. It worked again.

The government impounded my sisters work, after giving her a very substantial amount of money. My father never told her about it, because she was still grieving over the loss of her entire family."

"How did you come upon the formula if the government impounded it?"

"Our dad is very sneaky. He showed the government agents he deleted the primary program, the secondary, and tertiary programs. Finally, he showed them that he was deleting the backdoor program. What they didn't know was that while the backdoor program was being deleted, it was uploading the program into the primary position. As I said, my dad was very sneaky, and that's where I found it."

"Your father was quite a man."

"So is yours. Without your father, Good Luck 1 would never have gotten off the ground."

"Your father told me that many times. He loved my dad like a brother. He even told Gwen and I that we were going to have twins, while we were at your home in Idaho Springs."

"Dad told everyone something different at the same time. He must be very happy to be with his sister. He longed for that day for many years."

"I wonder if we can get out of the car to stretch our legs?"

Hernando gave them the answer very quickly.

"Mister Zabo have I gotten out of this vehicle?"

"No Hernando, you haven't."

"Is this vehicle's engine running and the air conditioner keeping us cool?"

"Yes it is."

"Mister Zabo, with due respect, you and the children are going nowhere, unless Tom gives us the go-ahead. You can call and ask him, but in this situation, the answer will be no."

************

"Hi Tom, can we get out of the car and stretch our legs?"

"Are you out of your fucking mind. We have roof tops right and left. It wouldn't take anyone with any marksmanship medal to take you out. We will be leaving in about an hour. Have a drink, or go to sleep; I'm taking care of things out here."

"You are wrong Hernando; we are getting out of the car; 'when we get to the airport."

"I hate to tell you I told you so."

"I better call my father before sees us on television."

***************

"Hello dad it's me again."

"You took your damn time about calling. You are all over the news. I've seen close-ups of everyone thanks to the news cameras, and the only thing I don't have is the name of the principles in the car they were protecting. Damn, our boys are good."

"They reacted perfectly dad. It was over in seconds. The boys; I couldn't be prouder of them. They didn't panic, they did what they were supposed to do, and it went off like clockwork.

I'll have to wait until Tom debriefs me to find out what went on outside, but Hernando took out one of the OpForce's cars, before he could do any damage to us. The other vehicle was shot to pieces from the front and rear, by our convoy. Those poor bastards didn't stand a chance."

"I like it that way William. I've already put out some calls to get you out of there quickly. I also have some calls out to find out who might have set this up. I'll know in a week or so if there are any clues to be had."

"Protect the rear entry to our home dad. Add more protection from the two houses I own. I don't want anyone sneaking up on you because no one lives there yet. I believe this is the beginning. I don't believe they were after Patrick or me. I believe they were after Holden and Richard. It would have been the end of the Good Luck 2, because the plans are not completed. Those two are the future of our program, and space tourism. Together, we can make space tourism affordable for over a quarter of the people on this planet. Our competitors are so far behind the curve; they don't want that to happen. Today they've shown the lengths they will go to prevent it."

"Okay William, I want everyone back in their proper place as soon as possible. I want the boys in Charleston and you here with your entire support team. As soon as the attack on your convoy was reported, all field agencies went on full alert."

"Okay, as soon as we get out of this traffic mess, were on our way to the airport. I'll call you when we're in the air."

"Don't bother, I'll know as soon as your wheels leave the ground."

"Okay dad, as soon as the boys are in the Colonel's hands, the plane will head back to New York. I won't call you, because you'll know when the wheels leave the ground."

"You're getting smarter as you get older William."

"Goodbye dad."

**************

When they reached the airport, the primary car stopped at the foot of the stairway. The other cars stopped and disgorged all the armed agents except their drivers.

The agents formed a circle around the primary vehicle and the Boeing 737, while the cars were driven to a C-130 Hercules, parked a short distance away. They were directed up the ramp and into the belly of the beast. They parked, side by side. As the drivers got out, the cars were tied down by the aircraft's maintenance crew.

As soon as the fifth car departed, William and the boys were hustled in to the 737, which started the right engine. The primaries car was rushed to the Hercules, and squeezed into place next to the fifth. As soon as the driver jumped off the ramp, it started to close. The Hercules began taxiing towards the runway, took off, and headed for Charleston, S.C.

From the right side of the 737, the security agents started moving towards the stairwell and into the aircraft. The ramp agents were there, with a tow truck attached to the temporary stairs, ready to take it away, as soon as the last man entered the aircraft. The last man was Tom.

He signaled the truck to move using his automatic weapon. The ramp agents did not hesitate. Before the front door was fully closed the aircraft was on the move.

Dycke Schneider's peacetime commercial fleet was now a fully engaged Air Force.

*****************

"I don't want you to lie to me. How are the three of you doing. This is not something any normal child goes through. This is not something any adult normally goes through. Tell me what you're thinking about, and don't be afraid of what you're feeling."

Patrick went first.

"This is the reason dad sent me to China to be with you. He wanted to keep me safe. He knew if we were together in a country that controlled nearly everything, no one would dare try to harm us. Now we're back on our own country, for less than two years, and people are shooting at us with intent to kill. What the hell are they so afraid of? Competition is what made this country great. You invent something, I invent something better. You go back to the drawing board and invent something better than I invented. It's worked that way since the Industrial Revolution began.

Are Richard and Holden so far advanced in their work that no one will ever outdo them? As far as I'm concerned, they can go straight to hell. I'm not stopping what I'm going to do at NASA. I'm going to tear that place a new asshole, and bring them up to date. Yes, I'm afraid of being shot and killed, but there will be a public outcry against these people. I guarantee you that if they don't kill you, dad, and everyone invested in our program, they will be found out, and brought to trial. They will be sent to jail for the rest of their lives, and if they don't kill the Colonel, mom, or Gwen, their lives will be very short."

"Pat don't ever say that out loud again; okay?"

"Okay."

"How are you doing Richard?"

"I'm not really sure Mister Zabo. When I heard the sound of gunfire, and the bullets hitting our car, I did the most stupid thing ever. I raised my head to see what was happening. Then you yelled, "Boys get down," and I did. Initially I did not put one and one together and come up with two, which meant I was in danger. It wasn't until I was on the floor that I realized what was happening. Then I felt Patrick on top of me, then Holden, and then you trying to protect all of us. It was very kind of you by the way. My stomach is a little upset at this moment, but on the whole I feel fine. I don't know what I'll be like tomorrow after I hash all this stuff out overnight. However, you have to remember, we didn't see anything. Our agents made sure of that. We didn't see dead bodies, or pieces of them strewn all over the highway. So all we actually were involved in was a car crash. It was a dress rehearsal of what we are supposed to do in case we get attacked, and I failed."

"I wouldn't fail you Richard, not by a longshot. I think you did extremely well."

"Tell me about the sum of all your fears Holden."

"You don't have to quote a book title to me Mister Zabo."

"The book was written 20 years before your birth. I didn't realize you would know I plagiarized those words."

"Our dad had a library, and apparently Mister Clancy was one of the writers he fancied."

"You may continue."

"I'm never leaving the building site again. I'm not going home, I'm not going to church, I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying at the building site. I will abide by your wishes not to work past 5 p.m., but today put the fear of God into me. I don't want to join my dad. It is too soon, and I am not ready to die. I want to finish my work. It is the most important thing in my life. I don't care about baseball or anything else. I care about the Good Luck 2. If I can finish her, the people who come after me can follow her design and make her bigger, better, and faster. She is the first one in her class.

My dad's, Good Luck 1, was the experimental model, and it worked. He allowed Richard and me to stay here, because he knew we would be able to build the next model. We already had the engineering section completed before he left, thanks to Gordon and Newton's help with the interior walls. Everything else is Richard's genius, and my work. Until we complete her, and get her into the air, these people will constantly try to kill us. We have seven years of building remaining. I would like to cut that down to five, if at all possible, without jeopardizing quality. From this point on, there is a hiring freeze. We can't trust anyone coming in from the outside any longer."

"You can't have it both ways Holden. You can't ask the men and women we have working now to increase output and get the spacecraft done in five years. We have the quality controls in place to make sure everything is done properly. We can add another layer of security to make sure no one brings anything onto the building site. We can issue color coded garments, with no pockets, so they can't hide anything in them. It also shows what areas they belong in. The supervisors constantly check the work that is being done. The area boss goes over everything that was completed at the end of the week."

"Didn't my dad have the same set up?"

"Yes, everything but the colored garments."

"How did my brother get turkeys on board?"

"How do you know he did?"

"We helped him. No one searched us when we went on board. We carried the eggs."

"You no good... Monty probably laid an egg when those turkeys hatched."

"Yes, but all in good fun."

*****************

"Please buckle your seat belts and prepare for landing."

**************

"50 minutes goes fast when you're having fun."

"We talked about a lot of things in 50 minutes. I think we got a lot done. You boys are very strong, and I'm proud of each one of you. Holden, I will talk with Colonel Canyon about your request to stay at the building site. You are his responsibility, and he is responsible to my father. If he does not believe it safe for you to remain there 24 hours a day, your request will be denied. If he believes it can be accommodated, then you become his property, and you will do exactly what he, or what his representative tells you to do instantly."

"I understand Mister Zabo."

******************

Following protocol, half the agents went out first to set up a perimeter, which in this case was not necessary, because Colonel Lucius C. Canyon and his entire staff had already set it up.

When William finally exited the aircraft, he smiled and walked into the Colonel's arms.

"Hello Lucius, when are you going to start aging?"

"Hopefully, the day after I die William. Marriage certainly does agree with you. You put on weight, and you have smile lines around your eyes."

"Those are not smile lines. Those are worry lines. I haven't put on weight, it's my bulletproof vest. You know what happened this afternoon in Jacksonville. Now we are preparing for visitors in New York. I've got to get back to my dad, and head up the visitor's committee. As I said things are heating up."

"We watched your little escapade in Jacksonville on television. Your people are damn good. They handle that situation with precision. We timed it. It was over in 17 seconds. From the time we calculated the first bullets were fired at your Primary vehicle, until the time your men exited their vehicles 17 seconds had elapsed. That is miraculous time."

"Tom, you've met Colonel Canyon before, haven't you?"

"No Colonel, I haven't had the pleasure."

"I was just telling William that we timed your action, from start to finish. It took your team 17 seconds to terminate the opposition. Your people did one hell of a job. Congratulations."

"That's what we train for every day Colonel. Protecting the Primary vehicle is our mission. When we get back to base, we have to find out where we made our mistake. How did they know our Primary was in that particular car? Where were we spotted? Why didn't we pick it up? There are going to be dozens of questions, and we have to find those answers. We don't want that to happen again."

"Can I and a few of my men sit in on your debrief?"

"Certainly sir, it would be my honor."

"Lucius, I have two questions for you from the boys. While you are training them, Richard wants to know if you are going to teach them to shoot."

"Yes, lightweight 32 caliber pistols."

"Due to today's events, Holden does not wish to leave the building site. He doesn't want to go home, or anywhere else. He wishes to stay here permanently under your guidance. He has agreed to work only until 5 p.m. and follow the rest of the protocol as I dictated it to him. The decision is up to you."

"Wonderful, I accept, and I have the perfect body man for him."

"Sergeant...

"Right behind you, sir."

"Zachary, I've let you live too long."

"Possibly, but I have made your life more interesting."

"I have a present for you."

"Yes sir I know. A 10-year-old genius who is building our spacecraft. I get to be with him 24 hours a day. Are you trying to tell me something Colonel?"

"No Zachary, I'm not trying to tell you something. I am telling you something."

"We will report to you on our progress every day sir."

"That will not be necessary, once a year will be fine."

"That would be neglectful of my duties sir. You must remember that the President has declared Holden and Richard Luck 'National Treasures.' Therefore, it is my duty to keep you apprised of his progress."

William asked, "When did the President declare them National Treasures?"

"It was in the paper about 5 days ago, when he announced that Patrick was his choice to lead NASA. It was probably buried under the Congressional laughter of a 16-year-old boy taking over NASA, while it is building the largest rocket in history."

"Does Rod Laver know this?"

"I don't know the man, sir."

"Please give me one moment, I have to make a phone call."

*************

"Rod, William Zabo, did you know the boys have been declared National Treasures?"

"Identify."

"Fuck off and answer the question."

"No I did not know. When did it happen?"

"Less than a week ago, according to one of the Colonel's men. Does that help us out?"

"Does an angel sent by God, help put Satan back into hell? It sure does help us. How are the boys? I've watched that incident on television 7 times already. It looked gruesome."