Invasive Procedures (45 page)

Frank rolled his eyes. “Must you always be so melodramatic, Carter? There are two vans. Two. I wouldn’t allow them to call for backup. I made the excuse that it would have alarmed you. If you want proof, send Stone over there—quietly, I’d advise—and apprehend them. We need Byron anyway. The rest of us will wait here. If I’m lying and they’re not back in a few minutes, you can shoot me.”

Carter considered this.

“Do it,” said Dolores.

“But I’d recommend you take their weapons and bind their hands,” said Frank, “not tranquilize them.”

“Why not?” said Carter.

“Because we’ll need to cover our tracks once we’ve dispersed, and unless we make them subservient, they’ll alert the authorities to our intentions. If that happens, we’ll have federal agents boarding our planes in London or Tokyo or wherever the moment we land.” He pointed to the crowd of people still standing inside their individual little circles. “These will prove to be effective companions. Why not add to their numbers? The more the merrier. And look at Carter. He’s proven to be a most effective tool. These BHA agents could prove equally helpful.”

Carter and Dolores exchanged glances.

“Or if you think that a bad idea,” said Frank, “or are still convinced that I’m trying to hoodwink you somehow, then by all means sedate them. But
you’ll
have to deal with the bodies, not me. I’m not in the mood. But under no circumstances should you sedate Byron. We’ll need him the moment he’s reborn. I’m not waiting for a sedative to wear off. We all have planes to catch.”

Dolores snapped her fingers at Stone. “No tranqs,” she said. “Bind them if you must, but leave them awake.”

“I would go out the back if I were you,” said Frank, “and go in a wide circle and approach them from the rear. They’re watching the front. If
they see you coming, they’ll call for backup. Total surprise is the only assurance we have that they won’t alert others.”

“And how do we know you haven’t already alerted others?” said Carter.

Frank sighed. “You
are
a worrier, aren’t you? Ask yourself, Carter, if I had alerted the authorities and was planning a massive siege on this compound, would I bother to come in here now? No, I’d come with the siege. Well, actually, I’d probably wait until after the siege and come when the smoke cleared.” He smiled. “I did pretend to alert the airlines, though. That was fun. I acted as if I was calling the FAA, but of course I was actually calling information and checking the weather. Expect sunshine, by the way.” He laughed. Lichen joined in.

Ten minutes later the Healers returned with the vans. Lichen opened the hangar door wide enough for them to drive in. The van doors opened, and then Stone pushed the agents out. There were six agents total, including Hernandez, and Byron, all with their hands tied behind their backs.

“See?” said Frank. “Delivered as promised.”

“You lied to us!” said Hernandez. She charged, but a Healer stopped her.

“Don’t be angry with me, Agent Hernandez,” said Frank. “It was you who was naïve enough to believe me.” He looked at Carter. “And if you’re still not convinced that I am who I say I am, remove Byron’s helmet. You’ll find an EMP charge around his neck intended
to
disrupt the chip, should it initiate.”

“Take off his helmet,” said Dolores.

The Healer unsnapped Byron’s helmet and removed the collar.

“You crooked little bastard,” said Byron.

Frank frowned. “Such language, Byron. I hope that when you are me, you’ll show a little more decorum.” He went to Hernandez, spun her around, and checked the cords that bound her hands. “Did you secure these tightly? I don’t want them wiggling their hands free.”

“Yes, sir,” said the Healer.

“Good. Put them in the corner there and watch them closely.” He turned to Carter. “There you have it, Mr. Paranoid. Are we going to waste any more time questioning my allegiance or shall we proceed with the dispersion?”

Carter bowed his head. “My apologies.”

Frank clapped his hands and rubbed them together. “All right, let’s do inventory. What have I missed? Do we have the boarding passes?”

“Yes, sir,” said Stone, getting the box of them.

“Wonderful. What about the virus and countervirus? I want to see both of those duffel bags with my own beady eyes.”

“Here, sir,” Lichen said, bringing the duffel bags over. Frank unzipped them and saw that they were full of vials of V16 and the Healer-manufactured countervirus. “Excellent. Please be careful with these. Now, show me the trunk.”

Lichen unlatched the trunk’s fasteners and lifted the lid. The green vials of countervirus Frank had created were lined neatly in rows inside the black foam.

“All safe and snug,” said Lichen.

“Marvelous. Thank you.”

“You’re a dirty coward!” said Hernandez. “You know that? A dirty stinking coward!”

Frank slammed down the lid to the countervirus trunk, stormed over to Hernandez, put a hand on her back and another on her helmet, and jerked her head back. “And you, good woman, forget that I have the power to take your life, should I choose.” He released her, and she kept quiet.

He stood erect and straightened his hair. “Now, where were we?”

“Inventory,” said Lichen.

“Ah yes, inventory.” He looked at Dolores. “Unless a member of the Council dissents, let us distribute the boarding passes.”

“Agreed,” said Dolores.

“Very well,” said Frank. “Stone.”

Stone took the boarding passes and went up and down the aisle giving them to the appropriate individuals. Frank went to inspect the buses. “Are we sure these will hold all the recruits?”

“Yes, sir,” said Lichen. “We counted the seats. We’ll pull into the terminal, leave them at their gates, then pull away.”

“Easy as cheesy,” said Frank.

Lichen smiled, recognizing the phrase. It was the prophet, no question. “Yes, sir. Easy as cheesy.”

Byron heard Hernandez’s voice in his ear. “Don’t move,” she said. “This is going to sting.”

She was right. Byron felt the needle stick him in the neck and then the cold fluid as it entered his bloodstream. As asked, he didn’t flinch, nor did he take his eyes off the Healer ten paces away, his back to them.

Hernandez removed the needle.

“What was that?” he whispered.

“Put your helmet on. Quietly.” He did. Now her voice was clear through his comlink. “Congratulations,” she said. “You’ve just been given a healthy dose of countervirus.”

He looked at her. “How?”

“Keep your eyes to the front.”

He turned back.

“Frank gave it to me,” she said.

“How?”

“This is the plan, Byron. Sorry you weren’t privy to it, but we didn’t know how good an actor you were.”

He felt the cords around his hands cut loose. “Keep your hands behind you,” she said.

“Frank’s acting?”

“We had to get a sample for you and we knew we weren’t going to get it in a fight.”

“He slipped it to you?”

“I called him a coward, which was enough of a distraction for him to grab a vial. Then he jerked my head back and dropped it into my hand. We practiced the move before we picked you up.”

“How did you get your hands free?”

“He slipped me the knife when he checked my cords. Not a bad plan, really. I’m just amazed it worked.”

“You almost gave yourself away with that ‘dirty stinking coward’ line.”

“Too much?”

“I thought I was in a bad western. And the EMP charge?”

“An excuse to get your helmet off so I could give you the shot. The charge is actually a scrap computer part.”

“Cute. Now what?”

“When I say ‘move,’ you get on that first bus there and hold tight. Now take your helmet back off before anyone notices.”

Frank remained as casual as possible as he inspected the two buses. He surreptitiously glanced in Hernandez’s direction, and she nodded discreetly, giving him the signal. It was done. She’d given Byron the countervirus. Frank felt his shoulders relax.

“They meet your approval?” said Lichen.

“The finest buses in Los Angeles,” said Frank. “My only question: what will we do if someone is waiting at the bus stop?” Then he laughed so Lichen would know it was a joke, and Lichen laughed with him.

Stone approached. “The boarding passes are distributed, sir.”

“Good. And the trunks?”

“On the buses and ready for transport.”

“Excellent. Let’s put the people on the buses, too. Byron’s taking his time, and I don’t want them standing forever. That is, if the good member of the Council agrees?”

“If I agree with what?” said Dolores, joining them.

“I suggest we put everyone on the bus. Why keep them standing? We’ll move the moment Byron transitions.”

“Very well.” She turned to Lichen. “Load them onto the buses.”

Lichen directed the crowd onto the buses.

When everyone was on board, Frank put an arm around Dolores. “Why don’t you tell them to relax? They’ve got a long journey ahead of them, and some of them look a little nervous.”

She agreed. She went on each bus and told them to relax. Many of the passengers fell asleep immediately.

When she was done, Frank praised her for her generosity.

“You’re only complimenting yourself,” she said with a smile.

He laughed. “So I am.” He scratched his chin. “Now, we should discuss temporary alternates to take Hal’s and Nick’s places on the Council. Assuming all goes well with Byron, we’ll have three. That leaves two vacancies. Let’s gather the Healers and discuss it.”

She agreed.

Frank made a megaphone with his hands. “Can I have everyone’s attention please? Can we all gather over here please? Healers only, please.”
He led them to the other side of the hangar, as far from the buses as possible without it being obvious that this was his intent.

The only Healer who didn’t come was the one guarding the agents. Frank positioned himself so that the Healers’ backs were to the buses and their attention on him. “As you all know, we don’t have a full Council.” He put his hand to his forehead. It was the signal; he only hoped Hernandez had seen it. She apparently had. He saw her unsnap the aerosol sedative from her hip. Frank said, “I propose that we elect among ourselves two who can take the places of Nick and Hal on the Council.”

Hernandez stealthily approached the Healer guarding them and sprayed him in the face. Four agents were there to catch him silently and drag him out of sight.

“This will be a temporary assignment, of course,” said Frank, holding the Healers’ attention. “We will make two more copies of George Galen as soon as possible. But we need a leader for each of the five groups until then.”

The agents split up and silently got on the two buses. Hernandez got behind the wheel of one, and Byron positioned himself in the seat behind her. She looked out the window at the second bus. An agent was at the wheel, giving her a thumbs up.

Frank saw that the agents were ready, and addressed the Healers. “I’d like to nominate Stone and Lichen as possible replacements. They’ve served me faithfully for a long time. Does anyone object to these nominations?”

The Healers seemed content with this suggestion, and no one more so than Lichen.

Frank held out his hand. “Stone, relinquish your weapon. As a Council member, weapons are below you.”

Stone, the largest and strongest of all those gathered, slung the tranquilizer gun off his shoulder and handed it to Frank. Frank checked the cartridge and saw that it was full of darts, then shot five darts into Stone’s gut.

Stunned and confused, the Healers gasped, recoiled. Stone stiffened, then the tranquilizers took him, and he fell unconscious to the floor. It was the final signal, and Hernandez must have seen it, because a second later, both buses roared to life. The Healers stumbled backward as Frank continued firing, taking down three more before the others realized the buses were escaping.

Byron was thrown forward as his bus slammed into the hangar door and ripped it off its track. Bus windows shattered. People screamed. The hangar door fell atop the buses, then slid off their roofs as the buses surged forward.

“Hold onto something,” said Hernandez.

Byron steadied himself and grabbed the pole behind the driver’s seat. He looked out the window just as a Healer jumped onto the side of the bus, smashing his hands through the windows to get a hold. Another Healer joined him, and the bus leaned to the side from their weight. Hernandez swerved with the wheel to compensate.