فصل 2

Chapter 2: The Ranch

“Michael, wake up. You’re dreaming.” I opened my eyes to see my girlfriend, Taylor, leaning over me. “It’s okay, you’re just dreaming.” I rubbed my eyes, then slowly sat up. “Where are we?” “Still in the van.”

I took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. The right side of my mouth was ticking like crazy. “I had another nightmare.” “I know. I saw it.”

“You saw my nightmare?”

Taylor nodded. “It was terrifying. This time I was in it.” Ever since we blew up the Ampere I’d been having recurring nightmares of the explosion and the boat sinking. I could see people trapped inside the boat, screaming as they tried to get out before they drowned. But lately they had been people I knew, like my mother or Ostin. This time it was Taylor.

“It was awful,” I said.

Taylor wrapped her arms around me. “I wish I knew how to take them away. I tried.” “Maybe that’s why you were in it,” I said.

We had left Peru before sunrise and flown for about six hours, finally landing on a dirt runway in the middle of nowhere. As we got off the plane we were met by two men wearing suits and dark sunglasses who said little other than to tell us to board their van. Now we had been traveling on the same dirt road for more than an hour, an unending landscape of meadow grass, cacti, and cypress and Joshua trees occasionally broken up by barbwire fences. I squinted against the late-afternoon sun as I looked out the window. “Any idea where we are?” “No. Just more of the same,” Taylor said. “I feel like we’re in one of those cartoons where the same background keeps going by.” “Look, cows,” Abigail said, pointing ahead of us. “Hundreds of them.” Everyone looked out to see a large herd scattered across the landscape.

“Actually they’re Brangus cattle,” Ostin said. “They’re a cross between the Indian Brahman and the Scottish Angus breeds originating from hybrid research conducted in Jeanerette, Louisiana, in 1932.” “What did he say they were?” Jack asked.

“Cows,” Abigail said.

“When are we going to get there?” McKenna asked.

“Where is there?” Tessa said. “Why do they have to be so secretive about everything? It’s not like we’re Elgen.” “Please don’t say that,” the man in the front passenger seat of the van said. It was the first time he’d spoken since we’d started driving.

“Say what . . . Elgen?” Tessa said, deliberately using the word.

“You never know who is listening,” the man said.

Tessa groaned. “If someone was listening to us they would have already died of boredom.” “It’s better we don’t know where we are,” I said, “in case we’re captured and they torture us for information.” “You’ve got a way with words, Vey,” Tessa said. “I feel so much better now.” She asked the driver, “Are we there yet?” “Yes, ma’am,” the driver said without turning back. “This is the Timepiece Ranch.” “We’re going to a ranch?” Taylor asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” the driver said.

“A ranch makes sense,” I said. “They’d have privacy. Room to do things. You could detonate a bomb out here and no one would know.” “Right,” Tessa said. “They can’t hear a bomb, but they can hear me whisper ‘Elgen’?” “She’s got a point,” Ostin said.

“Maybe they’ll have horses we can ride,” Taylor said to me. “Do you like horses?” “I’ve never ridden one,” I said.

She smiled. “It’s fun. I’ll teach you.”

“Why are we going to a ranch?” Tessa asked. “Why aren’t we flying to China to rescue the girl?” “We’re not going to China,” Ostin said. “We’re going to Taiwan.” “Same thing,” Tessa said.

“Yeah, right,” Ostin said, shaking his head. “That’s like saying Cuba and the United States are the same country. Taiwan is a multiparty democratic state. China is a communist state. The Chinese government claims Taiwan as its twenty-third province, while the Taiwanese constitutionally claim sovereignty over all of China.” “Thanks for the geography lesson,” Tessa said.

“Did you know the entire country of Taiwan could fit in the land mass of Massachusetts, yet, at one time, had more than twenty-five different languages?” “How do you know so much?” McKenna asked.

“I’m a fact sponge,” Ostin said.

Tessa slid down in her seat. “Someone just kill me.” * * *

Fifteen minutes later Tessa said to the driver, “I thought you said we were already there.” “We are,” the driver said. “It’s a fifty-thousand-acre ranch.” “Holy cow,” Ostin said.

“He means holy Brangus,” Abigail said.

Jack laughed. It was good to hear him laugh. Ever since Wade’s death he rarely laughed anymore.

Five minutes later the van slowed to a halt at a steel-and-barbwire gate next to a wooden shed. There was a tall, muscular man standing in front of the gate. He wore a cowboy hat, boots, and a leather vest.

“A cowboy,” Abigail said. “I love cowboys. They’re hot.” She turned to Jack. “You should get one of those hats. You’d look cute in it.” “I’m not going for cute,” Jack said.

“Michael,” Ian said, leaning over the back of my seat. “See that guy? The guard.” “Yeah.”

“He looks like a cowboy, but he’s all teched-up with a radio and remotes and he’s wearing a bulletproof vest. That wooden shed behind him is actually a steel-reinforced concrete bunker with a fifty-millimeter machine gun and an antitank gun. And there are landmines all along the road and fence line. I’m guessing they’re remote controlled. He’s got everyone fooled.” “Except you,” Taylor said.

Ian smiled. “Except me.”

“I’m glad you’re on our side,” I said.

Our driver got out of the van. He spoke to the guard for a moment, and then he got back in and the gate opened. The dirt road we had been riding on changed to asphalt as we drove forward about another hundred yards past a large communications tower where the road split. We took the right fork and our path wound down into a long, narrow valley before ending at a large compound.

There were three large buildings built around a central structure, which was several stories high. The roofs of the structures were covered with solar panels and wind turbines. There were similar turbines on the ridge of the opposite hill.

Behind the main building were several aluminum-sided garages, a helipad with a helicopter, and three corrugated-steel grain silos, all of which were taller than the one I had practiced climbing on in Peru. There was also a long rectangular structure that looked like one of the commercial chicken coops near Meridian.

“What’s in the chicken-coop-looking building?” I asked. “Weapons?” “Chickens,” Ian said.

“It’s really a chicken coop?”

“They’ve got to eat, right? And there’s really wheat in those silos.” “What’s in the garages?” Taylor asked. “Potatoes?” “No, those are weapons. There’s a tank in one, and an attack helicopter in the other.” “Looks like they’re preparing for war,” I said.

“Looks like they’re prepared for war,” Ian said. “There’s a huge underground bunker behind the main house, and the buildings don’t look like anything I’ve seen before. The outer walls are all lined with some kind of metal mesh. It looks like chicken wire.” “Maybe they used to be chicken coops too,” Taylor said.

“Faraday cages,” Ostin said.

“What?” I said.

“Faraday cages,” Ostin repeated. “They block external static and electric fields by evenly channeling electricity through the cage and diffusing—” “Explain in English,” Taylor said.

“Sorry,” Ostin said. “The metal mesh protects the building’s wiring from electromagnetic pulses.” “Why would there be an electromagnetic pulse out here?” Taylor asked.

“It’s what the Elgen are working on,” I said. “EMP weaponry. Once they perfect it they’ll be able to shut down the power of entire cities.” “Not here,” Ostin said. “If there’s a major EMP blast, this place will still function. Of course, they must have their own fuel tanks and electric generators.” “The fuel tanks are underground next to the silos,” Ian said. “The third garage has two large generators.” He turned to Ostin. “How did you know that?” “It wouldn’t do any good to wrap the house in mesh to protect the home’s wiring if the source of their electricity is destroyed. Common sense.” “We should all be so common,” Ian mumbled.

The man in the passenger seat lifted a handset and said, “Egret four descending.” “Egret four clear,” a voice returned.

After another quarter mile, the slope leveled off and the van pulled up to the front of the central structure, a tall ranch-style building with a long, wood-planked porch. The driveway was lined with rusted, antique farm equipment and pale yellow and purple wildflowers. There were a couple dozen chickens pecking around the yard.

“This is the real deal,” McKenna said. “Wish I had some cowboy boots.” “Pink ones,” Abigail said.

After we had come to a stop our driver said, “Please, stay in your seats for just a moment.” The building’s front door opened and a tall, muscularly built, sandy-haired man walked out, flanked by two other men and a woman. Something about the tall man and the woman seemed familiar.

“Who’s that dude?” Zeus asked.

“Maybe he’s the voice,” Taylor answered.

“Maybe,” I said.

The man in the passenger seat got out and opened the van’s sliding door. “Everyone out, please.” “Let’s go,” I said.

As soon as we were all out of the van the man slid the door shut again and the driver pulled away without him.

The sandy-haired man looked us over. “Welcome to Timepiece Ranch. We’re happy to see you in one piece.” “You mean alive?” Zeus said.

The man’s mouth rose in a half smile. “Yes. We’re especially glad to see you alive.” “Not all of us,” Jack said.

The man’s smile fell. For a moment he just looked at Jack; then he started walking toward him. I noticed the muscles in Jack’s neck tense. “You must be Jack,” the man said.

Jack stared defiantly into his eyes. “You got it, Tex.” The man put his hand on Jack’s shoulder. “I’m sorry for your loss. You’ve sacrificed more than anyone here. I promise you, I will do everything in my power to see that Wade’s life was not lost in vain. Wade is a hero. And so are you. We are all in your debt.” Jack’s muscles relaxed and he blinked with sudden emotion. “Thank you, sir.” “No, thank you. We’re not just in your debt; the whole world is in your debt. Whether they know it or not.” He turned to the rest of us. “If it wasn’t for you, the people of Tuvalu would be living a nightmare right now. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of innocent people would have died. I’m sure you’re all very tired and hungry, and there are some people here who are very excited to see you. So let’s get you checked into your rooms.” “I have a question,” I said.

“Michael,” he said. “What can I do for you?” “Are you the voice?”

“No.”

“Will we meet the voice?”

He hesitated, then said, “Maybe. That’s all I can tell you.” “Who are you?” Jack asked.

“My name is Joel,” he said. “I forgot to tell you, before you enter the compound there is one inconvenience. My men need to check you for RFIDs. Then we’ll show you to your quarters. You have a few hours before the reception.” “Reception?” Taylor said.

“We’ve put together a reception in your honor. You’ll have time to rest a little, then shower and change before then.” “Change into what?” Tessa said. “We don’t have any other clothes.” “Sydney Lynn will take care of that,” he said. He turned and walked back toward the building.

The woman who had walked out with Joel stepped forward carrying a clipboard at her side. “I’m Sydney Lynn. After you are checked and cleared, I’ll take you to your rooms, where you can rest, then clean up and change. I’ll come get you when it’s time for the reception. In the meantime, if you need anything, please let me know. I’m here to take care of you.” “Like I just said,” Tessa said, “change into what? We don’t have any clothes.” “We have clothes for you,” Sydney Lynn replied. “They should fit.” She looked at Ostin and me. “Michael, you’ve grown taller.” “I think so,” I said, wondering how she knew.

“That which doesn’t kill you only makes you taller,” Tessa said.

“And Ostin, yours might be a bit loose. It looks like you’ve lost weight.” Ostin smiled. “Yes, ma’am.”

“It’s the Peruvian prisoner diet,” Taylor whispered to me.

I suddenly realized why Sydney Lynn looked familiar. She was the woman who had handed me the cell phone at Jack’s sister’s tanning salon. “You helped us in Meridian.” She smiled. “Bronze Idaho,” she replied. “It’s good to see you again, Michael.” Just then a shrill Southern voice pierced the air. “Ostin!” We looked over to see Ostin’s mother running toward us from the side doorway, her arms flailing like she was going to sack a quarterback. A much more subdued Mr. Liss was a few yards behind her.

“Mom!” Ostin shouted.

As we watched their reunion I heard someone say, “Michael.” I turned back. My mother was walking toward me from the front door.

“Mom!”

Her eyes were full of tears. We didn’t say much, just hugged. When she could speak she asked, “Are you okay?” “Yeah,” I said.

She looked at me as if she couldn’t believe we were really together, then she brushed the hair back from my forehead. “I heard about Wade. I’m so sorry.” “It was awful,” I said. “Still is awful.” She hugged me tightly again. As we parted Taylor said, “Hi, Mrs. Vey.” “Taylor,” my mother said. She hugged her.

Everyone gathered around my mother like she was a magnet, which, in a way, was true. Everyone except for Jack, who stood a few yards off, quietly watching.

My mother walked over to him. Without speaking, she hugged him, then gazed into his face. “I’m so sorry about Wade. I know what it’s like to lose someone you love. If I can do anything for you, or you just need to talk, I’m here.” “Thank you, Mrs. Vey,” Jack said.

“Call me Sharon,” she said.

It was a little strange seeing my mother so familiar with everyone. The last time I’d seen her was just before everyone fled through the pipe at the Peruvian Starxource plant and I’d been captured. Since that time my mother had been through a lot with the rest of the Electroclan.

“Zeus, who is your friend?” my mother said, looking at Tessa.

Tessa stepped forward. “I’m Tessa.”

“Tessa,” she repeated. “Is that short for Contessa?” Tessa shrugged. “I was pretty young when the Elgen took me. I don’t know where my name came from.” “It’s nice to meet you, Tessa. I’m Sharon. I’m Michael’s mother.” “I met Tessa in the jungle,” I said. “She was living with the Amacarra tribe when they saved me.” “It sounds like we have a lot to catch up on,” my mother said, smiling at me. “I know you must be exhausted. They want us to let you get checked in, then get some rest before tonight’s reception, which I’m in charge of, so I’d better get back to work. I’ll see you in a few hours.” She looked back into my eyes. “I love you.” “I love you too, Mom.”

Just then Ostin walked up, flanked by his parents. “Hi, Mrs. V.” “Hello, Ostin,” my mother said. “It’s good to see you back with your parents. They’ve been a little worried.” “A little?” Mrs. Liss said.

“I know,” Ostin said. “But all’s well that ends well.” “Yes, it is.” My mother turned back to me. “We’ll have fun at the reception tonight. Get some rest.” We hugged again, then she hurried back to the ranch house.

Ostin watched her go. “She’s so hot.”

“Ostin!” his mother said.

I shook my head. “Dude, she’s my mom.”