The Aegis Solution (29 page)

Without waiting for an answer, he started walking down the raceway that led to the sector with
ZooCity.

"Oh, all right."

When they arrived at the access ladder into the ZooCity area, Elias went down first, followed
quickly by Tillie. Duplicating her actions at the previous entrance to the public area, he cracked the door
open slightly and listened first, then peeked out before exiting.

The silence was disconcerting as they entered the formerly occupied enclave.

He paused and said, "Wait here," wanting to spare her the ghastly scene which would begin around
the next corner.

"Nope," she answered in a matter-of-fact tone.

Elias saw no point in arguing and continued forward. As he threaded his way through the first of
the bodies, there was only one soft gasp from behind. After that, no sound or comments came from
his companion.

He proceeded methodically, room by room, checking every closet and every cabinet which might
be large enough to contain a person. Most of the way through the enclave, Elias was beginning to admit
to himself that Tillie might have been right. Not only had they encountered no survivors, he had seen
nothing which could be considered helpful in his search.

They came to the end of a long hallway and Tillie, who had passed him as he checked the previous
room, reached for the doorknob – when Elias heard a distinctive click-clack from the other side of the
door. In an instant, he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her forcefully to the side. They slammed
into the side wall of the hallway at the same moment that a large chunk of the door Tillie had been
about to open exploded outward.

Handing the rifle to her, Elias pulled the 9mm from his pocket and shouted, "Who's in there?"

He heard the person inside pump the shotgun, loading another round in the chamber.

"We're not here to hurt you. We're here to help."

A nervous voice shouted through the hole in the door, "Go 'way. I don't need no help."

Tillie spoke up. "Look, we saw what happened to your friends. We're checking for survivors. Are
you hurt?"

"No!" The voice from beyond the door sounded young and terrified.

Trying to make his voice sound gentle, Elias reassured the stranger, "We're not with the ones who
did this. They're gone."

"You sure?"

"We just checked the whole area," Tillie answered. "This room is the last one. They're not here."

"They might be. You can't even see them."

"If they were here, we would be dead, not talking to you."

There was a minute of silence from the stranger as he tried to figure out his next move. To help
him decide, Elias said, "Look. We're going to lay down our guns and step in front of the door. You can
see both of us."

"Are you crazy?" Tillie whispered.

Elias, instead of replying, tucked the 9mm into his waistband behind his back, making certain it was
covered by his windbreaker, and stepped back from the door, walking to the center of the hallway so
the stranger could partially see him through the hole in the door.

"You are crazy," she muttered and carefully leaned the AK-47 against the side wall, moving to
follow Elias.

Both of them stood about twenty feet from the splintered opening, both making their hands visible
to the man behind the door.

Elias spoke slowly. "Okay, see, we're unarmed and there is no one else out here."

The barrel of the shotgun slowly protruded unsteadily from the hole, centered on the area between
the two of them. Elias could feel his muscles tighten while he waited for the second blast from the
shotgun. Moments later, the stranger's face appeared next to the side of the gun, his eyes darting around
as he checked the hallway for anyone who might be hidden.

"I told you, we're alone."

The barrel withdrew and the door opened. A young male, no more than seventeen or eighteen,
stepped out into the hallway, still clutching the shotgun and keeping it aimed in their general direction,
as he quickly glanced from side to side to make sure no one was crouched on either side of the doorway.
Seeing that the hallway was empty except for Elias and Tillie, the teenager lowered his weapon.

Elias heard Tillie release a large exhale. She had obviously been holding her breath. Talking a
cautious step forward, he asked, "Is anyone else in there?"

The boy shook his head. "No. Only me."

"Are you sure you're all right?" Tillie asked, following Elias' lead and slowly moving forward. The
boy no longer cared whether they kept their distance, and did not react. Elias covered the remaining
distance and gingerly took the shotgun, now held limply, from the young man, leaning it against the wall
next to the AK-47.

As soon as he was relieved of the weapon, the teen seemed to crumble, as if every muscle in his
body had simply given up. Elias and Tillie both grabbed him by the arms and supported him.

"They're all gone, all dead," the teen said in a voice which was closer to a whimper.

The two of them walked him to the side wall and slowly lowered him to the floor. Tillie sat down
next to him and held his hand.

"What's your name?" she asked softly.

The teen, who was staring down blankly, as if he were examining his sprawled legs, murmured,
"Zack."

"Zack, I'm Tillie. This is Elias. Tell us what happened."

The young man seemed to be slipping deeper into a daze. Elias leaned over and snapped his fingers
in front of Zack's face. "Zack! We need you to tell us what happened. We will get you someplace safe
in a minute, but we need to know what happened and why."

He rallied slightly. "I don't know what happened. I was back here. I heard the sounds, the yells. I
peeked out my door and saw one of those things grab BQ. One minute he was runnin' and the next he
was just dead. Dude, I hid! I didn't help. I didn't do nothing."

"There wasn't a thing you could have done, Zack." Tillie's voice was gentle.

"Why did they do this?" Elias asked.

The young man's eyes drifted up to look at him. "It's because of Frank D. We had made a deal with
the Man. It was a pretty good deal, considering. Frank D broke the deal."

"What deal?"

"I know it wasn't right, but we didn't have no choice. The Man told us to deliver all the newbies
to him, untouched, or he would kill us. All of us."

Elias said nothing, waiting.

"Frank D took one of the newbies 'cause he liked her. After he and his partner were done with her,
he delivered her to the Man. I guess she told."

They decided it was past time to move on. Since Tillie's knowledge of the available routes was the
most detailed, she assumed the lead. The other two followed. She and Elias had agreed in a whispered
conversation that Zack should not be taken to either her living quarters or Elias' base. Wilson's atrium
seemed the only logical option. Kreitzmann undoubtedly had men out looking for Elias, and Zack was
certainly a target as well, so they took a circuitous route through mechanical chases, raceways and, when
necessary, public corridors.

Finally entering the man-made jungle of Wilson's domain, Tillie shouted, "Wilson! It's me."

The foliage parted to their left, and Wilson stepped out into the open, carrying his shotgun. He
eyed Zack but said nothing as he led them to the shack. Within minutes the teen was asleep on the bed
inside, and the three of them were assembled on the porch.

Tillie did most of the talking as she brought her friend up to speed on all of the latest
developments, including her rescue of Elias and the death of all of the residents of ZooCity. She had
saved one fact for last.

"I hate to admit it, Wilson, but you were right."

The older man squinted at her. "About what, dear?"

Tillie glanced at Elias and explained, "He didn't come because of my message."

Wilson's mouth pursed in an expression of concern. "No?"

"No. They sent someone in here two or three months ago. When he disappeared, they sent Elias."

"Oh." Wilson looked at Elias, a hint of sadness showing on his face.

"As much fun as both of you are having, talking about me as if I weren't present, would you mind
telling me what it is that Wilson was supposedly right about?"

Wilson's eyes shifted from Elias to Tillie, who gave a subtle shrug to indicate her answer to his
unspoken question. Turning back, Wilson said, "Tillie, although having passed the ripe age of thirty-two
a brief while ago, is still quite naive. Although she prefers to act as if she is jaded and cynical, she
continues to believe that there is a Santa Claus, an Easter Bunny, a Tooth Fairy, and a government in
Washington with noble motives. In my mind the jury is still out on the Tooth Fairy, but I am certain
about the latter not being the case."

"I'm with you on that."

"I am sure that you are, Mr. Death."

"Please…."

"He calls you that for a reason," Tillie broke in.

Elias looked at both of them and said, "Okay. I would appreciate it if you could dispense with the
oblique and tell me what you think."

"Tillie believed if she sent a message that we needed help, the conscientious guardians of the public
would mobilize a team of Navy Seals to charge into Aegis, guns blazing, to save us all. I, on the other
hand, have become convinced that our leaders have a quite different fate in mind for all of us."

Elias leaned forward impatiently. "And that is?"

A lopsided smile of chagrin on his seasoned face, Wilson replied, "I believe that you have been sent
to clean up a mess."

"Of course I…."

Holding up his hand to stop Elias, Wilson continued, "I believe that you have been sent to shut
Aegis down and eliminate all of its residents."

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Wilson was inside the shack, preparing lunch. Tillie had departed to search for Eric Stone, utilizing
her knowledge of the hidden passageways. Zack was still sleeping, and Elias sat alone on the porch,
watching and listening vigilantly for any indication that the Zippers had arrived.

Moments after he heard a soft clatter of dishes and silverware, Elias saw Wilson emerge from inside
with two plates of food.

"I hope that you like ham and cheese omelets."

"Sounds great."

Elias moved to the small table and joined Wilson. He had not realized how hungry he was until the
aroma of the meal reached his nose. Wasting no time, Elias began to eat. After several bites, he asked,
"If you really think I'm here to kill you, why are you feeding me?"

With a chuckle, Wilson answered, "Why not? Perhaps you will find my omelets so tasty that you'll
reconsider."

Elias gently placed his fork on the table next to his plate. "That's not why I'm here, Wilson."

The mathematician did not bother to look up, tucking another bite into his mouth before
responding. "Either you are here to do precisely that or you are not, and in each case, that is exactly
what you would say. I do not endorse the skill of mind reading, as it is being cultivated by Rudy – too
much can go wrong, as you noticed – so I am left with my own ability to deduce and decide."

"And your decision?"

"Insufficient data at this time."

Staring at Wilson for a moment, Elias sighed and picked up his fork to resume eating, when Wilson
spoke. "For the purpose of conviviality, let's assume for the moment that you are not our executioner."

"Fair enough."

"What is your explanation for your boss not knowing that Kreitzmann has been coming and going
from Aegis for years?"

Elias shrugged. "I don't have one. But I'll tell you that I used to sit in his chair and, from what you
and Tillie have told me, Kreitzmann has had open access to Aegis for long enough that part of the time
was on my watch. And I didn't know about it."

"Since you've broached the subject, may I ask why you left the job?"

Suddenly, the omelet tasted sour in his mouth. Elias lowered his fork and sat back in the chair.

Seeing Elias' reaction, Wilson hurriedly added, "I'm sorry. My question is clearly painful to you, and
I have no right to ask."

"No, you have every right, considering the situation we're all in together."

Looking away from his meal companion, Elias stared at the dense greenery surrounding them and
allowed his eyes to go unfocused.

"My wife and I were field agents together in the CIA. That's how we met."

"You did not mention you were married."

Elias did not respond directly to Wilson's comment. "It was in the days before 9/11, the days
before Homeland Security existed. After 9/11, there was a massive push to coordinate the intelligence
gathered by the various agencies. Too many things were falling through the cracks because the different
agencies each knew a part of the puzzle but they never talked, never compared notes. Homeland
Security came into being, and the OCI was established. I was the first director. My wife…Leah was her
name…stayed in the field."