The Chardon Chronicles: Season One -- The Harvest Festival (46 page)

“Stop the admiration.” Ralph said.

Saul countered, “You’re a fine one to
talk.”

Ralph cleared his throat, “Point taken. We
need to get back on top of this.”

“She works for us.” Yuri said matter of
factly. “She’s not doing her job. Why should it be any different
for her than any of us?”

There was a long silence. Ralph finally said,
“She takes up millions of dollars. Inefficient.”

Saul said, “Plus she’s a bitch.”

“You changed your tune.” Ralph said.

“I haven’t experienced them directly before.”
Saul said. “All lies.”

“Take her out?” Yuri asked.

“Yeah, and the boy and the maid. We’ll roll
it all up, then just B&E for the books.” Ralph concluded.

“My apologies for this scheme,” Yuri said.
“It was a big mistake.”

“Hey, we all make mistakes. You’re a go. I’m
off. Contact me when it’s over.”

Flashback

Each day Matt hypnotized Tracy then sang to
her, encoding the contents of the library in song. It was
exhausting for him and Tracy remained asleep for hours after. When
she woke up, she was groggy like she had the flu. Telia sat with
her and stroked her hair.

They really weren’t sure what was going to
happen on the day Seth called. Telia put the phone on speaker.
“Well?” was all Seth said. She nodded. Matt said, “yes, we’re
in.”

Seth said, “Good. Hold for instructions.”
Strains of Holst’s
The Planets
played.

Matt shook his head. “Geez. I bet they
commissioned that, too.”

Francis’ cheerful voice came on, “Hello?”

“Yeah, hi Francis.” Matt said.

“Drive your car to the first rest area east
of state route 306 on I90. You’ll see two tractor trailers parked
there. The cabs are black and the trailers are black. Can’t miss
‘em. Park behind those and we’ll take it from there.”

“Should we bring anything?” Telia asked.

“Oh no. Just like you were running an errand.
We’ll take care of you, don’t worry.”

“OK.”

“See you soon.” Francis said.

“Well?” Matt sighed heavily. “Should we go
save the world?”

Telia wept and sobbed. “My god, it’s
impossible.”

Matt said, “Yes, it is. Let’s say by to
Tracy. She’s still a little out of it.”

Tracy was asleep. Telia kissed her forehead
and she mumbled. Matt did too and said, “Goodbye kiddo. We’ll see
you soon. We’ll always be with you.”

Telia slipped a short love note under the
Sparrow Hawk figurine. Then they left the room. Telia was almost
numb with grief as they drove to the rest stop. He parked behind
the semis. A man with close cropped hair was waiting between them.
He gestured, and said, “Quick. Follow me. In there.”

A man in a lab coat swabbed their mouths with
test tubes and walked into a room at the back of the trailer. Some
90’s grunge music was playing.

“With the lights out… It’s less dangerous…”
he sang.

Another man led Telia to a chair. “Hold
still.” A bar of lights spun around her. Then he donned a lead
robe. “Don’t worry, it’s actually really low dose.” There was a
buzz as another bar swung around.

They repeated the procedure with Matt.

“All done.” he announced.

“What was that?” Telia asked.

“Shhh….” he said, you hear that. They heard
whizzing and clicking from the room. “Come on.” he smiled.

He pointed at a large table. Two bodies were
being 3D printed.

“No way!” Matt said. He was impressed.

“It helps to have an unlimited budget.” the
man smiled. “Anyway, you guys can go across to the other trailer,
and I think that’s about it. We’re done here. Have a good…. Well, a
good new life.” he shook their hands.

The other trailer was a rolling living
quarters. They felt the truck start to move. Through a dark tinted
window he saw a couple of men working on their car. He waved
goodbye to his former life. Telia put her head on his lap and
curled up on the couch.

The phone rang. Telia put it on speaker
again.

Francis said, “You’re on your way. I’ll be
meeting you at a cabin in the Adirondaks. Everything you need is in
that trailer, and it’s going to go there non stop. If it does
happen to break down, just stay in the back. If you absolutely had
to evacuate wear the hoodies up over your head--they’re in the
dresser.”

Telia said, “Thanks Francis.” and hung
up.

Matt poured a couple of drinks and they just
sat quietly and watched the scenery.

Demetria was in the center of the dance floor
and she kept moving through the crowd, dancing with anyone and
everyone. The girls and the boys, the hotel staff, the DJ, and the
entire homecoming court. Tracy and Chloe began to adore her, but
she kept returning to Morgan.

Yuri was looking for a good place in the
hotel to get her alone and kill her. He wore a maintenance worker’s
jump suit. He decided he’d slit her throat, and he skulked around
the perimeter of the room and waited for an opportunity.

The DJ stopped the music, then invited the
homecoming court to the stage. Richard stood in for Berto. Chloe
waved at the crowd, but she felt a great sense of unease. She
caught Yuri out of the corner of her eye, but didn’t get a good
glimpse.

“What the….” she said and shielded her
eyes.

The crowd thought she was kidding around,
looking for Berto.

Yuri whispered, “I might be made… Get in here
Saul. Chuck, Watch the gate.”

He heard Chuck. “Roger.” He pulled his
sheriff’s car up to the exit and shut the lights off.

Chloe stepped off the stage and walked
through the crowd. Yuri slipped around the group making his way
toward Demetria. Chloe started trotting. The rest of the crowd was
watching her wondering what she was doing. Richard hopped off the
stage and went to cut Yuri off. Tracy watched them.

Saul slipped into the room through the back
door. He was wearing a black turtleneck and black cargo pants. The
other students were all preoccupied with Chloe’s motion, so he
moved toward Demetria who was glowing like a star in the center of
the room. A spotlight shone on her golden dress.

Chloe caught up with Yuri. “Hey, who the fuck
are you? I know you.”

“No you don’t I’ve never met you before.” he
shrugged and looked at her. Richard stood behind him.

“You’re one of
them.
” she snarled.
Richard did a double take.

Yuri let the knife slip into his hand, and
folded his arms. He imagined if he cut her, the chaos that would
ensue would let Saul finish the job, and he’d be able to make a
clean get away.

“I get that all the time,” he said. “I look
like everyone. Maybe you need a closer look.” he moved toward her.
Chloe read his body language and saw his right arm tensing up she
wheeled around to his left side as he slashed the air.

A girl screamed and backed away from the
scene.

Chloe collapsed Yuri’s knee with a powerful
kick. He went down awkwardly backward, still holding the knife. She
stomped on the knife hand and drove the blade into his upper chest.
“GRaaahrg.” he gurgled and pawed at the air as the knife punctured
his right lung.

She looked around the room. Saul was moving
toward Demetria. “Stop him!” she shouted. Morgan saw the man and
clumsily jumped in front of him and caught a bullet through his
right arm. It fractured his humerus and the fragments of the bullet
tore into his bicep. He groaned and collapsed to the floor.
Demetria screamed.

Richard Golden grabbed Saul’s gun arm and
they spun around together in a crazy dance as the crowd parted like
scared horses. A couple rounds discharged into the parquet floor
and they both become wildly desparate. Richard was much stronger
than Saul, but lacked his training and couldn’t get the gun away.
Saul kept trying to break his hand free or point the gun at
Richard’s body.

As Saul wheeled around, Chloe stepped in, and
stabbed Saul in the side of the head. Blood sprayed all over her
face and arm. He went limp and crumpled to the floor in a spasming
mass. She pulled the knife out and stabbed him again.

Richard said, “the dude’s got an earpiece.”
He picked it out of his pocket and put it in his ear. He held up a
finger for quiet.

He heard Ralph, “Is it done? Chuck? Yuri,
Saul?”

He tried an imitation of Yuri’s voice. “This
is Yuri.”

“Is it done?!” Ralph said.

“Of course.” Richard said.

Chuck spoke up, “is it clean?”

“Yes. Clean.”

“I’m at the front gate now, I’ll pull up at
the chalet for extraction.”

“Over.” Richard said.

He looked for a mute button. He clicked it
with a shaking hand. “Holy fuck!” he said. He climbed up on the
stage and took the mic. “We were just attacked. There’s more of
them. Umm.. Everyone stay calm keep an eye on the exits. Scream if
you see anyone that shouldn’t be here.”

Some of the girls were screaming and crying.
Several of the boys actually formed up quickly and stood watch at
the doors.

Demetria was holding onto Morgan. Chloe knelt
down by him, “Oh god, Morgan!” Tracy ran to their side.

“Direct pressure. Elevate it.” she grabbed a
tablecloth and tried to tear it. Chloe shredded it for her. She
took Morgan’s jacket off him and made a pillow.

“Owww…” Morgan said as Chloe moved his arm
and felt his side.

“I think it’s his arm.” Tracy said. “Hold
this on.” she put the bundle on the wound and put Demetrias hands
on it.

Chloe said, “Richard, what did you hear?”

“They’re waiting at the Chalet.”

“Where’s that?” she took Saul’s gun.

“Follow me.” He said. They trotted down the
road.

“They keep saying ‘Chuck’ this and ‘Ralph’
that.” he said. “The Ralph guy’s nervous.”

“It’s the Sheriff and the judge.” She
sneered.

“Holy shit. Dirty dirty.”

“It’s a long story.”

They stopped before the Chalet driveway. She
said, “look, this is some nasty shit. If you don’t want to get
involved, I won’t blame you.”

He thought a moment, “Thanks, brah. I’m good.
Let’s do it.”

Chloe asked, “Got any ideas?”

“How about I walk right up to the car, you
follow right behind, like hidden. Then pop pop.”

“That’s crazy… What if there’s more in the
car?”

“We could just wait…” He said.

“What if more come?” she said.

“I say element of surprise. We’ve got the
initiative, now.”

“OK. let’s go.”

Richard loped toward the car. Chloe followed
him across the expanse. The lot was completely dark and the
Sheriff’s car was a black lump on the far side. Richard knocked on
the window. It buzzed down.

“Get in.” Chuck hadn’t really been able to
see them and assumed it was Saul and Yuri.

Chloe shoved the gun in his face. “Hey
asshole. You breathe wrong you’re dead.”

Chuck sighed. “This was a gen-u-ine
clusterfuck.”

“Who are you people?” Chloe demanded.

“It’s just a job.” Chuck shrugged. “Just a
really fucked up job. Nothing personal.” He shifted the car into
drive and tried to step on the gas but she unloaded the rest of the
clip into his head. The car accelerated over the ski hill and
roared down the grass, crashed through the dock fence and dropped
into the lake. They watched the car’s interior lights bob in the
water.

“Whoa!” Richard said.

“You have a phone?”

He pulled it out of his pocket and offered it
to her. She shook her head, “Ick. Can you dial? Unless you want it
smeared in blood?”

He put it on speaker. Her father
answered.

“Dad, something horrible happened. Get to
Punderson immediately.”

“I’m coming! Be there in five minutes.”

They started jogging back toward the
lodge.

Richard said, “You know what happened here,
right? Those two dead guys, they shot the sheriff and then came
after us. I wrestled the gun away while you kicked ass.”

“Then we ran outside to get help.” Chloe
said.

“Then your dad picked us up here, and we
noticed the car in the lake.”

She nodded. Keith roared down the road and
Chloe waved him down. He slammed on the brakes and stopped. He
jumped out of the car.

“Holy cow!”

“Hey Mr. Marte!” Richard waved. Chloe and
Richard were pretty relaxed considering what happened, so Keith
chilled out. They heard an ambulance wailing in the distance.

Chloe said, “Let’s get down to the
lodge.”