Einstein Must Die! (Fate of Nations Book 1) (39 page)

“How did you find me here, in this particular pub?” he asked.

“Wasn’t hard. I just asked someone where the officers went to drink. Figured this would be more your style than the dive bars that usually show up around a military base.”

“Good,” he said. “That’s good.”

“Is inventing your first love, Nikola?”

“I do not think there is any thrill that can go through the human heart like that felt by the inventor as he sees some creation of the brain unfolding to success,” he said, his blue eyes lighting up. “Such emotions make a man forget food, sleep, friends, love–everything.”

She smiled. “I’ll consider that a yes.”

Tesla’s face softened. While he’d never had the time for a relationship, it did feel wonderful having someone interested in knowing him.

“Yes,” he confirmed.

“So what will you do now?” she asked. “I’m not sure how much I can offer you anymore, but with your prize money, you’ll be fine. Just don’t let people walk over you anymore, OK?”

“I’ve been considering my next move all night,” he said. “Whiskey is a fine tonic for rolling over a problem.”

“And you’ve come to a decision?”

He nodded. “It took a few hours, but yes. Your tongue-lashing earlier was accurate. This time I will fight. But not alone.”

“Nikola, you know I’m with you, but I don’t think—”

“I know,” he said. “But you’re not the ally I’ve been sitting here waiting for.” His eyes flicked over her shoulder, settling on a beautiful brunette approaching them.

“She is,” Tesla said.

Savannah turned, and her eyebrows rose when she recognized the woman.

“Finally!” said Sophia, standing by their table. “I’ve looked through six bars already.”

***

General Houston returned to his command tent. His letter to his son was waiting for him. He picked it up, running his finger over the envelope’s creased edge. A lot had happened since he’d written it that morning.

The day had gone badly. They’d inflicted serious casualties on the British, but that meant little once Thomas’s force captured the port.

Within thirty minutes the first ship docked at Boston. The HMS
Victory
was a ship of the line, and she carried 1,800 Royal Marines, all eager to get back on dry land. Twenty-two fresh cannons came off next, followed by tons of food, ammunition, and medical supplies. The reinforcements were instantly pressed into defending the port and did a fine job.

By sunset the
Victory
had completed her off load, and three more ships were in the process of putting their men and supplies ashore.

General Houston faced the fact that he’d failed in his mission. The enemy had taken the port, and more were flooding in every hour.

With the fast reinforcements, the British had managed to expand their position, forcing the Americans to fall back, block by block.

The damned zeppelin did its bit too
, he thought bitterly. Like an angel of death, the thing would descend from above the clouds and bomb the Americans until they were scattering like rats, desperate for cover from the barrage.

For the hundredth time, he wondered bitterly what had happened to Beowulf. If he’d ever needed an ace in the hole, it had been today. But fickle luck had decided to withhold her graces.

***

The second of the three British ships was the HMS
Glasgow
, limping into port after suffering raking fire from the Americans weeks ago and being too badly damaged to return home. Captain Douglas had chosen to stay with the fleet, hoping to put into Boston for the repairs his ship so badly required.

As the mooring lines were set, the captain breathed a long, deep sigh of relief. They’d been limping along for so long, and the strain was showing, both on himself and his ship. But making the ocean crossing back to England would have been suicide, so he’d waited. He fully intended to get very drunk tonight.

He saw a familiar, if not friendly, face on the docks.
Major Thomas. No, strike that. Colonel now
. Not especially happy to see the bloodthirsty man, he smiled anyway and waved. With a moment of stunned recognition, Colonel Thomas returned the wave, and his smile seemed genuine.

Captain Douglas walked down the gangplank, saluting as he stepped ashore. “Colonel Thomas,” he said.

“Captain! Excellent to see you safe. You’ve been biding your time until now?”

The captain nodded wearily. “That we have.”

“Incredible. Really. That’s truly something,” the colonel said, clapping the captain on the shoulder as if they were brothers.

Victory seems to agree with him,
the captain thought. “Thank you, we’re very pleased to be here. So you’ve done it. Opened the way for the fleet. Well done, Colonel.”

“We paid for it, have no doubt. But we’re here, and that’s what matters.” He led the captain down the dock. “Things are still rough, but we’re settling in. Tonight, please do me the honor of joining me for dinner?”

A true dinner of something more than hardtack and jerky sounded like heaven, despite the company.

“It would be my pleasure,” said the captain.

FINALE

UNAUTHORIZED ENTRY

“Sophia!” said Savannah, pushing her chair back and jumping to her feet. “I’m not sure if I should hug you or slap you.”

Sophia smiled. “Well, I’m damned happy to see you, regardless.” She grabbed Savannah in a quick bear hug.

“Oh!” yelled Savannah. “Well, OK then,” she said, returning the embrace. Then she grabbed Sophia by the shoulders and held her at arm’s length.

“Now what’s the story? Does Edison know you’re here?”

Sophia shook her head. “No way. I made sure he was asleep before I left. Look, I’m sorry to be such a bitch before. I saw what was coming down the pike, and I figured we’d need someone on the inside. So, I played turncoat.”

“You…that was quick thinking, Sophia,” said Savannah.

She turned to Tesla. “And you knew?”

“I suspected. Once I thought about it, it seemed likely. Sophia has a head for duplicitousness.”

“Hey now!” she cried.

“In the best possible way, of course,” he continued. “I just hoped she’d be able to find us.”

“I knew if I were you, I’d be drowning my sorrows, so I’ve been checking every bar around the base.”

Savannah grabbed a nearby chair and pulled it over.

“Here, sit!” she said, taking her own seat. The three leaned together conspiratorially.

“How’s Madelaine?” asked Savannah. “Is she OK?”

Sophia thought for a moment. “She’s OK. But she’s been put into warm shutdown.”

“That son of a bitch,” she muttered. “Did Maddy know what was happening? Was she scared?”

“No, not at all,” she replied shaking her head. “Edison was real smooth on that point. I think he was afraid of what she could do if she felt spooked.”

“Yeah, I bet,” said Savannah.

“She is still in the hangar, I assume?” asked Tesla.

“Right.”

He didn’t hesitate. “Then we need to get in there. We need to wake her up. Tonight.”

Savannah nodded. “I agree. There’s no advantage in waiting, and we don’t know what Edison has planned for her. The sooner, the better.”

She looked at Sophia pointedly. “Can you get us back in there?”

“I didn’t drive to every gin joint in town to get a Manhattan. Damn right I can. My car’s outside. You two hide in the trunk, and we’re in.”

She looked around. “Where’s George?”

Tesla shrugged his shoulders.

Savannah rested her hand on Sophia’s arm. “He was pretty thrown by you staying behind. After we got thrown off the base, he walked with me for a few minutes, but then wanted to be alone.“

“I knew he would be,” said Sophia. “I had to be convincing, though.” She bit her lip. “Ugh, poor George. I’ll need to find him once I get you two back to Madelaine. He’s got family not too far away in Providence. He may be working his way there.”

“Of course,” said Savannah. “Just get us back to the hangar. Nikola and I can take things from there.”

“You ready now?” asked Sophia.

Savannah looked to Tesla. He already had his wallet out and was leaving cash for the bill. He nodded once.

Sophia noticed Savannah’s glass was still half-full.

“For courage,” she said, then grabbed it and downed the last of the whiskey.

***

Ten minutes later Sophia was driving down the access road leading to the Hanscom base. She kept her speed moderate and scanned the road for other cars. With a touch of paranoia, her eyes flicked to the rearview mirror, but no one else was behind them.

Wedged in the trunk, Tesla and Savannah lay on their sides, facing each other. Tesla’s dislike of personal contact made the trip feel longer than the five minutes it actually was, but the evening’s drinks served to blunt the worst of his anxiety.

They hit a pothole, and Savannah’s head connected hard with the trunk floor.

“Damn,” she said, rubbing her head above the ear.

“Sorry!” called Sophia from the front.

Tesla found a beach towel and gave it to Savannah for a pillow. She refused until they hit their second pothole.

“Thanks,” she said, accepting the towel and stuffing it under her head.

Small gaps around the rear brake lights let in just enough light for her to see his face. He wore a bemused grin that reflected her own feelings.

“Didn’t plan on this when you took the job, did you?” she asked.

“A fair bet,” he agreed. “I feel like a prohibition rum runner.”

In the dim light, she smiled as they jostled around. “All part of the fun of serving your country.”

“OK,” called Sophia. “Here we go.”

They felt the car slow as they approached the gate. Sophia eased forward smoothly and stopped as the MP raised his hand. As he approached the driver’s side of the car, Sophia saw two other guards in the small gatehouse. A wide metal bar blocked the road forward.

“Good evening,” the MP said. “Identification?”

Sophia smiled sweetly and pulled her purse into her lap. “Of course,” she said, digging for it. She pulled out her checkbook and a novel and set them aside.

The MP scratched his chin, watching her search.

“Ah!” she said. “Here you go.” She handed the laminated card over.

The MP took it and eyed her face carefully, comparing it to the ID. Then he checked the name against a list.

Inside, Sophia was ready to scream, but she gave no appearance of it. Her eyes kept glancing sideways to the MP’s holstered handgun.
Don’t be silly, they probably wouldn’t shoot me. I’d just lose my security clearance and spend a few years in the stockade, that’s all
. She busied herself with restuffing her purse and checking her makeup in the rearview mirror.

“Out late tonight,” the MP said.

She turned and smiled. “Not late enough. But I have an eight o’clock meeting, so I’m being a good girl.”

He nodded, appreciating the view of cleavage.

She smiled warmly, holding her breath.

“OK, you have a good night,” he said, waving another MP to raise the gate for her.

“Thanks!” she said as the bar went up. “You too!”

Heart racing, she drove through the gate, then watched as the bar lowered behind her.

She kept going, staying right at the posted speed limit. After she’d turned a corner, she called back.

“We’re through. We made it.”

In the trunk Savannah grinned. “Maybe we should get into bootlegging.”

“One venture at a time, if you please,” said Tesla.

Sophia cruised through the base, working her way back to the hangar. As they neared the airfield, she scanned about for a dark, remote spot to park.

A few buildings away from their hangar, she pulled into a dim alley behind the base barbershop. She killed the engine and turned off her lights. Sitting in the dark alley, she waited a few moments, listening through the open window.

The night was quiet. Far away a dog barked twice, then was silent. The low croak of frogs came from an overflow culvert. Otherwise, she heard no manmade sounds.

She opened the car door, then shut it quickly to kill the overhead light that came on. Looking around, she crossed to the car’s rear and popped the trunk.

Looking down at Tesla and Savannah scrunched in there like sardines, she suppressed a giggle.