Autumn in the Dark Meadows (The Autumn Series) (24 page)

“If you were such a cautious man, you never would have let Sam into Hoover!” I said, my anger rising at his calculated explanation.

“I wasn’t the only one to make the mistake of trusting her.”  Josh eyed Ben, then me.

“How many other members of The Front have you let into Hoover?”  I glared at him.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Autumn. If anyone is a Front collaborator, it’s Grey. He did let Sam go, after all,” he answered in a calm voice, glancing at Grey.

I turned to Daniel.  “We have to get a message to them, now.  They have to be ready.”  I tried to take the radio back from Franklin, but he pulled it out of my reach.

“Now, wait just a minute.  I’m not about to go get everyone riled up over what might be nothing,” Franklin said.  “This isn’t exactly damning evidence, Miss Winters.  We still have no proof Hoover is in imminent danger.”

I tried to protest, but Franklin raised his voice over mine.  “Mean time, I’ll have our man give them a call and tell them to keep an eye out, but I’m not about to send the town into complete lockdown on the word of a murdering traitor.”

“They are coming in full force!  Hoover needs to know the jeopardy they’re in!  They’re going to be attacked
tonight
!”

Franklin raised his voice and yelled into my face, “And if I hear another word about it, you’ll get a seat at the tribunal next to your boyfriend!  Got it?”

I gritted my teeth to avoid saying something I’d regret and becoming another problem for Daniel to work out.  I was more useful if I was free, so I silently fumed.  Karl was coming for Hoover, and no one was doing a damned thing about it.

Daniel motioned for me to follow him.  I glanced at Grey.  He watched me, his calm face composed as always.  I nodded to show him I wouldn’t give up, and he nodded ever so slightly back.  I walked with Daniel outside to the street.  Neither of us said a word until we were in the middle of the large intersection.  I could see the Egyptian, still smoldering.  The late afternoon sun lit up the Flamenco, and the Big Apple was shrouded in shadow across the street.  I shivered, the new knowledge of what lay inside flashing through my mind.  I glanced at the sun beyond the hotel’s Statue of Liberty.  It was almost halfway from its zenith to the horizon.  That meant we had only a handful of hours left.

“We have to convince them,” I said. “Hoover won’t stand a chance if the attack is bigger than last time, especially if there are Frontmen hiding inside.” Panic bloomed inside me as I spoke the words. I took a shaky breath to calm myself.

“I know,” Daniel said quietly.  “That’s why I’m going back to the airport.”

“What?”

“I’ve almost dug out enough of the runway to get the plane in the air. I’ll head back to Hoover to warn them, maybe take a few of our other guys with me if I can.”

“At least they won’t be caught completely off guard,” I said.  “What about Grey?  What should I do?”  I felt even more helpless now that Daniel was leaving.

“Keep looking for evidence.  Tell Franklin you want to search Josh’s room again.  That way, his men can attest you didn’t plant anything you found.  Find Shad.  He’ll help you.”  His voice changed.  “I’d stay and help him if I could, Autumn.  I promise I would.  But so many others could die...”  His voice trailed off.

“I know.  Go.  I’ll find a way to save him.”

Daniel and I parted, and I was on my own.  It was up to me to save Grey, and to prove Josh’s guilt.

I went back to Josh’s room with Franklin’s men, where I proceeded to tear the place apart, looking for the tiniest shred of extra evidence, but it just wasn’t there.  After leafing through every page of the Las Vegas Magazine and the room service menu, I leaned against the mattress sagging against the wall.  It was hopeless.  The radio was enough to prove Josh wasn’t a team player, but it wasn’t enough to link him directly to The Front.

My head drooped, and I breathed in deeply, trying to force myself away from the looming feeling of defeat.  My body ached for rest, but I didn’t have time to grant its wish.  Grey needed me.  I glanced outside.  The shadows were lengthening across the street toward the Palmetto.  How much time had passed?

I stood up straight suddenly and lifted my chin.  I would save him.  There had to be something else to prove Josh was a member of The Front.  I just wasn’t seeing it.  I thought back to what Sam said, and through all the sabotage we suffered in the last week, and then to Karl himself when I saw him in LA.  I heard Karl ask someone if there’d been any word from the Cardinal in Vegas.  I’d been confused at the time and later assumed he’d been talking about Sam, but she said she kept her distance from Josh.  She wouldn’t have had access to his radio and couldn’t have had one of her own because she came to Hoover with next to nothing and wasn’t a part of the group who packed for the Vegas trip.  I was willing to bet she wouldn’t have been able to hide a radio like Josh could.  If someone codenamed Cardinal was sending reports to Karl, they’d
have
to have a radio to do it.

My head snapped up.  Josh had to be the Cardinal.

I ran downstairs, praying Franklin hadn’t jumped the gun on Grey’s “trial.”  I needed to get my hands on that radio.  When I exited the stairwell, I saw the crowd had tripled in size.  Word had obviously gotten out about the tribunal.  People huddled in small groups, whispering behind their hands.  I pushed through the crowd until I found Franklin.  Josh and Grey were seated nearby, guarded by armed men.

Before I could act, Franklin stood and cleared his voice loudly.

“Attention, please.  Attention,” he said, his voice booming with authority.  The noise from the crowd ceased, and Franklin continued.  “In case some of you have yet to hear the latest news, the doctor from our sister city of Hoover has confessed to betraying us by releasing the saboteur who destroyed our gasoline stores and caused the stampede, killing many in our community.”

He paused to let his words sink in.  Grey watched him with a sad expression.  I wondered if he knew I was still here.  His shoulders were hunched, and his fists clenched behind him, straining against the nylon rope binding his wrists together.

“This is a highly grievous offense and shall be punished to the full extent of my authority.  Unless anyone has anything to say on his behalf, I have sentenced him to death.”  Gasps rang out from a small number of people, while others cheered approvingly.

Time to act.  I pushed through the crowd, my path leading me straight to Franklin and Grey.  “The Front is coming!” I yelled as loud as I could above the noise.  The people closest to me quieted and turned toward me, so I shouted again.

“Grey let Sam go in exchange for information!  Franklin was going to kill Sam without even questioning her!  Sam ratted Josh out and said The Front is going to attack Hoover!  Tonight!  Karl is bringing an army, and Hoover will fall this time if we don’t help them.  When that happens, Las Vegas won’t last long after that!”

“Listen to me, young lady—” Franklin shouted.

“What’s wrong with you?!” I yelled.  “You have the radio we found in Josh’s room!  You know that proves he’s a member of The Front!”

Eyes around the room darted to Josh Hamilton.  He glared at me, but his face was losing color.

“That radio proves nothing!” Josh scoffed.  “It’s a backup.”

“Sam told Grey Karl was in contact with someone codenamed Cardinal in Vegas,” I said, staring at him. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to substitute the information Grey and I learned in Los Angeles for what Sam told us. I hoped it was enough.

Josh stared at me, his gaze icy.  I grabbed the radio from the table and powered it on.  I hoped it was left on the channel Josh last used.  I held the microphone to Josh’s mouth, my finger hovering over the transmit button.

“Say ‘this is the Cardinal’,” I commanded.  “If Sam was lying, nothing will happen, and you have nothing to fear.”

“What are you talking about?” Josh said with complete sincerity.  He was so sincere, I almost faltered.  Was I mistaken?  I couldn’t be.  My hand holding the microphone began to shake, and I took a steadying breath.

“If you won’t say it, we’ll all know you’re a traitor.”  I looked at Franklin, hoping he followed my logic for once.  “Make him say it, to prove once and for all that he’s innocent, and Sam was lying about him,” I said, in as firm a voice as I could manage.

“Do it,” Franklin said gravely.

“This...” Josh paused, then chuckled and continued, “This is ridiculous.  Completely ridiculous.  Do you really think The Front is using silly code names to communicate with their saboteurs?”  Josh smiled handsomely at the crowd around us.  “Has the Eagle landed, Autumn?  Has Elvis left the building?”

He laughed, and the people in the crowd closest to us tittered with laughter, too.  I looked at Grey, whose head barely nodded.  I looked at Franklin, half-expecting him to try to put a stop to this, but he was staring peculiarly at Josh.

“Do what the girl says,” growled Franklin, “And let’s be done with all this.”

Josh laughed once more, leaned into the microphone and quickly said, “This is the Cardinal.”

I pressed the transmit button before he was done, and was sure I got the last half of his statement.  Hopefully, it would be enough for Karl to respond.  I let go of the transmit button and listened.  The entire crowd pressed in to listen.  Nothing happened.

I looked up at Franklin, who stared at me.  I couldn’t read his expression.  He shook his head.

“Just wait.  Please, give it just a minute.”  I held my breath as the radio silence stretched on.

His head sagged, and he said, “I’m done waiting.  I want justice, and so does my community.”   He motioned to some of his men and then to me.  “Lock her in a room until we’re done with him, and then I’ll decide what—”

A loud burst of static emanated from the radio, followed by a voice that would be instantly recognizable to anyone who’d heard Karl’s propaganda messages.

“Copy, Cardinal. We’re en route. Maintain radio silence until it’s all over.”

The stunned silence that followed reverberated around the room, and all eyes fell onto Josh.  He didn’t waste time.  He leapt to his feet to run, but forgot his hands were tied to the chair and fell to the ground.  Two of the guards picked him up as Franklin advanced on him.

“You son of a bitch,” said Franklin.  “You backstabbing piece of crap.  Do you know what we’re going to do to you?”

“You’re an idiot, Franklin,” Josh said derisively. “You all are. Do you know how easy it was to fool you all?” Franklin hauled back and punched him squarely in the jaw, sending Josh and the chair he was tied to the floor.

A small bead of crimson dripped to the floor as Josh began to laugh mockingly.  He didn’t bother looking at Franklin when he spoke next.  “Karl is coming, but you’ll never get to Hoover in time to do anything about it.  And she’s right,” Josh nodded toward me.  “He won’t stop at Hoover.  Vegas
is
next.  People like you... all of you, will be exterminated.”

A gun exploded next to me, making Josh’s body jolt back a few inches.  The crowd jumped and fell back, a few people yelling in alarm.  Clutching my chest to calm my heart, I turned to see a woman next to me, holding a smoking gun in her hand.  Her face was resolute and unapologetic.

I looked back at Josh, still tied to the chair and lying on the floor.  His eyes slowly came up and found mine just before the life seeped from them.  And I knew he was gone.

Franklin took a step toward the woman holding the gun.  He slowly took it from her, but she didn’t react.  “Kristin?” he said softly.

She shook her head, then spoke.  “My son is dead because of men like him.  So many of our friends.  Vonna.”  She touched her forehead and blinked like she might faint.  Franklin nodded, putting a steadying hand on her arm.

“Someone take Mrs. Walters up to her room to lie down.  And someone untie him!” Franklin said, pointing at Grey.  “We need all the fighting men we can get if we’re going to help Hoover.”

Two men led Mrs. Walters away, and I wondered what would become of her, and if she would be punished for doing what so many others wanted to.

Franklin looked down to me.  “I’ll warn Mayor Westland.”  He looked at the people massed on the casino floor around us and yelled, “I want everyone capable saddling horses.  We’re riding for Hoover!”

“We’ll need to find more munitions if we’re going to make a real difference,” Grey said as we hurried from the room, following Franklin as he shouted orders.  “I suggest sending a team to Nellis Air Force Base.  Daniel’s nearly through clearing a runway at McCarron Airport.  He could fly us there, let us gather up what we can, and then get us to Hoover before The Front arrives.  We could be at the dam with whatever weapons we scavenged well before your riders get there.”

Franklin shook his head.  “Nellis was stripped clean more than a year ago.  They’ve got nothing left.  We’ll have to make do with what we have.”

Grey’s brow pinched, and then, as Franklin left, he called out, “What about Area 51?”

That got everyone’s attention.  I’d heard of the base from movies but didn’t think it really existed.  Grey was perfectly serious.

“They’ve got multiple electrified perimeter fences surrounding the base for miles out.  It’s doubtful they lost power during The Plague, being so close to Hoover.  It’s in the middle of the desert, surrounded by mountains and extremely hard to get to.  Looters might not have been able to get in yet, or just plain forgot about it or didn’t believe it was really there.  It’s not far off.  And there’s an airfield there.  Daniel can fly us in.”

Franklin stared at Grey for a moment before breaking into a sideways smile, “Sounds plausible.  You prepared to head that team?”

“Absolutely.”

“Let me know if you find any aliens,” Franklin said, laughing.

“You know I’m coming with you, right?”  I told Grey.

“That would be my preference as well.”  He squeezed my hand.

“Are you sure they’d keep weapons at a place like that?” I said.  “I thought the whole base was just a myth.”

“Not a myth, and yes, I have no doubts we’ll find weapons inside a secret military base,” Grey replied.

“Good to see you with your head still attached.”  Shad appeared next to us with Ben and slapped Grey on the back.  “How many are you taking to Area 51?” he asked.

“We’re coming with you,” Ben said.

“What he said,” Shad added.

“We can’t take any more than three.  The plane isn’t large, and with Daniel, Autumn and me, we’ll need the rest of the space for any scavenged munitions we can find.”

Ben didn’t look happy with the prospect of being left behind.  Neither did Shad.

“It’ll be important to have people we trust riding with Vegas,” I said, lowering my voice.  “And we still don’t know who else Karl has in Hoover.  He might even have people in Vegas.  There’s no way to tell.”

“I’d like you both to coordinate with Franklin and the rest of the riders,” Grey said.  “I think Josh was wrong.  If you leave now and ride hard, you can make it by sundown, just before The Front gets there.  Karl doesn’t know you’re coming.  I’d like you all to hang back on the town side of the dam shortcut pass.  We’ll figure out a way to signal you to start your charge.”

“Franklin and I used Josh’s radio to warn Mayor Westland,” Ben said. “We had to use the emergency code phrases in case The Front was monitoring our channels.”

“Thank you, Ben,” Grey said. “Westland will know how to prepare.”

“What about Rissi and Connie?  Are we going to leave them here?” Shad asked.  I’d thought about that myself.  I certainly wasn’t going to drag either of them into the middle of a battle, but it didn’t sit well with me to leave them behind either.

“We shouldn’t move Connie,” Grey said.  “Rissi will be safe at the clinic, or with the other kids at the Palmetto.  People will stay behind to care for the patients and children we have here.”

“If we can’t stop Karl, he’s coming here next,” Shad worried.  “Isn’t there some other place we can hide them?”

“There’s no time.  We’ll just have to stay ahead of Karl,” Grey said.

That made me nervous.  Our plan was shaky at best.  A million things could go wrong.  But I agreed with Grey.  We had to move now, while we had a chance to arrive in Hoover ahead of Karl and maintain our element of surprise.

As he turned to leave, Ben stopped mid-stride and looked back at me.  “Uh, Autumn... all that stuff from before—”

“It doesn’t matter,” I said, cutting him off.  I put my arms around him.  “You know I love you no matter what, right?”

Ben’s arms tightened around me in a firm hug, and I thought I heard his voice waver as he said, “Yeah, I know.”

Another pair of arms came around me from behind.  It was Shad.

“I love you guys, too!” he said mock-seriously, but I knew there was something behind it. I couldn’t stifle a laugh.

“You too, Shad,” I said, releasing one arm from Ben to include Shad in our hug.

“So, we’re totally doing a group hug here, Grey.  You want in?” Shad joked.

Grey smiled and stepped forward, embracing us all.  It was a moment I wanted to last forever, that couldn’t.

I released my hold on my best friends and told Ben and Shad, “I’ll see you both soon, okay?  Take care of each other.”

“You, too,” Ben said with one last smile before he and Shad turned and left.

As the two of them walked away, Shad thumped Ben on the back, and I heard him say, “You know Greased Thunder is going to beat that little pony you ride back to Hoover.”

I stared after them, telling myself not to wonder if it would be the last time I saw them.  Grey and I jogged to McCarron Airport.  It was just south of the Palmetto, but it had been a long day, and I worked to keep up with him.  When we got there, we found Daniel on the runway with a broad shovel, moving the last section of muddy sand off the crucial part of the runway.

“So you haven’t been sent to the gallows?” he called out as he jogged to meet us.  “Thank God for that.”  He hugged Grey, slapping him on the back as well.  “I knew Autumn would save you.”

We filled him in on the plan, and Daniel ran a hand through his sweaty red hair and nodded.  “It’s a solid idea.  Hell, it’s so far out there, I bet no one even thought to wander that deep into the desert to loot it.”

“So you can fly us there?” Grey asked.

“Yeah, sure.  It’s got a huge runway.  Seen it in satellite photos before.  Sounds like fun.  I’m almost done here.  I was hoping to see Connie before I left, just in case.”  He grimaced as he said the last three words, and I knew what he meant.  There was a strong chance any of us could be hurt, or even killed.  I wanted to see her and Rissi one more time, too, just in case.

“You’ll need to hurry.  Take Autumn with you.  I can finish up here,” Grey said, taking the shovel from Daniel.

I squeezed Grey’s hand.  He knew exactly what I was thinking, again.  “Thank you,” I said.

“Make it fast.  We’ll need to take off as soon as possible.”  Grey started digging at a furious pace.  He was right; at the rate he was going, it wouldn’t take him long to clear the last section of runway.  Daniel and I ran.

I followed behind him, taking two steps for his every one.  By the time we got to the clinic, my side was splitting.  The run was even harder when we got into the thick of people near the corral at Camelot.  The whole city was frantic with energy.  People mounted horses, stowing makeshift spears in belts and on saddles.  Others had handguns, shotguns, baseball bats and knives. With the backdrop of the castle and turrets of Camelot, they looked like futuristic knights ready for jousting.

Daniel was first into Connie’s room.  She was awake and smiled when she saw us.  Rissi woke as soon as Daniel pushed through the door.  Before Daniel even said hello to either of them, he walked straight to Connie, leaned down and kissed her passionately.  I blushed, feeling like I should turn away.  Rissi’s eyes went wide, and she cringed, burying her face in a pillow and making gagging noises.

Daniel broke their kiss and ran one hand over Connie’s face and the other one over her blonde hair.  She smiled at him, her cheeks flushed.

“I’ve gotta take Grey and Autumn to get some weapons, and then we’re going to Hoover.  Has anyone told you what’s going on?”  She nodded.  “I know you’re hurt, but keep Rissi in the room with you.  We don’t have time to organize something better.”

“I know,” she said, sweetly, then clasped his hands in hers.  “Please be careful.  Take care of Autumn and Grey.”

“I will.  I promise.”  He kissed her again, and once more, I blushed.  It was like watching my parents kiss in public.  Kinda sweet, but mostly awkward.

“I love you,” he whispered, their foreheads touching.

“I love you, too,” she said.

“I’ll come back for you.”

Connie leaned forward as best as she could and wrapped her arms around his neck.  I knew they had something quietly going on, but I had no idea they were in love.  After everything The Plague took from her, her husband and her three young sons, she deserved to have happiness in her life again.

Daniel stepped back, and I took his place.  I hugged Connie gently.  “We won’t be long,” I promised.

“I know.  Please, take care of each other.  I wish I could come with you.”

I nodded.  I wished she could, too.  But a part of me was also glad at least some of the people I loved wouldn’t be in the thick of the fighting.

“Come give Autumn a hug goodbye, Rissi,” Connie said, with one hand still on my arm.

Rissi’s head popped up from under the pillow, and she looked confused.  “Goodbye?”

“Just for a little while.  I’ll be back,” I said.

“I’m coming with you!”

“You have to stay with me today,” Connie said, straightening Rissi’s messy ponytail.  “Maybe you can build a new tent to show Autumn when she gets back?”

Rissi swatted Connie’s hands away and said, “I’m too old for tents.  I want to help.  Can I go with you?  Please, Autumn?  I won’t be in the way, I promise.”

Daniel cut in before I could answer.  “No,” he said seriously, sounding like my father when he meant business.  Rissi didn’t dare ask again, but it was obvious she wasn’t happy with the answer she got.

After a moment of silence, Daniel sighed.  “It’s time.”

“I know.”  I smoothed Rissi’s hair, only annoying her more.  She was adorable when she was aggravated, and I couldn’t help but smile at her.  We said our goodbyes, and Daniel and I left.

When we got back to the airport, Grey was almost done clearing the runway, and Daniel deemed it was clear enough for us to take off safely.  We hurried back to the hanger where the Cessna sat.

We all climbed into the small aircraft.  Daniel cranked the engine, and the duel propellers sputtered to life.  The roaring of the motor gave me instant butterflies.  Daniel donned a headset, spun a few dials on the dashboard GPS, flipped a few switches and began to taxi the plane to the newly cleared runway.

“I wanna do a test run up, just to make sure we’re good,” yelled Daniel over the engine noise.  Then, with the plane positioned at the head of the runway, Daniel opened up the engines to full throttle, and I felt the plane burgeoning with life, wanting to be let loose to fly.  He ran the engines back down and gave us the thumbs up.

“Here we go!” he shouted.  The little plane jumped forward, gaining speed with every second, and I was suddenly worried we hadn’t dug out enough of the runway.  The wall of muck where we stopped digging sped closer and closer.  Just before we reached the end of our runway, I felt a pulling sensation in my stomach and chest.  The plane tipped back, and we were airborne.

The flight to Area 51 took less than an hour.  The base was about one hundred miles away, and there was absolutely nothing but desert and mountain between it and Las Vegas.  Daniel pointed to the sprawling layout of buildings surrounding a large runway in the distance.

“We got lucky!” he yelled.  “Looks like the mountains protected the runway from the brunt of the sandstorms!”  Daniel pointed, and I saw painted lines on the asphalt.  I hadn’t thought about that before we left.  If Area 51 were buried like Vegas, we had no backup plan.  Next to the runway was a massive white blot in the desert that nearly doubled the size of the base.  I pointed to it.

“What’s that?”  I yelled over the turbine engines.

“Salt flat.  Used to be a lake,” yelled Daniel, banking the plane into a thirty-degree angle.

“They used it to test planes and rockets.  All kinds of things, and all highly secret,” Grey yelled in my ear.  “With all the surrounding mountains, no one could see what they were up to.”

“I thought there were aliens here!” I shouted and suddenly grabbed Grey’s arm as Daniel began his descent to the runway.

“Probably just a ruse to protect all the secret aircraft being tested in the area,” Grey yelled back.

Daniel landed with a light thump that reverberated through the plane, making my body gently rock up and down for a few seconds after touchdown.

“Thank you for flying Apocalyptic Airlines, ladies and gentlemen.  Welcome to Area 51.  Please stay seated until the pilot has turned off the fasten seatbelt sign,” Daniel said in a soothing voice as he pulled the plane to a stop near a large building and cut the engine.

I stared at the base in wonder.  It was so plain, so bland.  Nothing about it held up to my expectations of a secret government base.  It looked more like a massive public school, so much so that I expected students to pour out of it at any moment.

“Not what you were hoping for?” Grey asked.

“Not at all.  I thought there’d be like, spacey buildings, and... I don’t know.  UFOs.”

Grey chuckled quietly as Daniel popped open the door and slid out.

“I’d bet good money,” Grey said in a low voice, “that
I
am the first alien who’s ever set foot on this base.”  He grinned and turned to exit the aircraft.  I couldn’t help smiling at the irony.

“So, where do you think they keep the big guns?” asked Daniel when we joined him.  “I don’t exactly know my way around these kinds of places.  General airports, yeah, but secret military installations?  Not so much.”  Daniel rooted through his flight bag and pocketed a few supplies while Grey and I scanned the area around us.

“Well, I doubt they’d keep anything in such a conspicuous building,” Grey said, nodding toward the large, sterile building in front of us.  “Let’s look for something a little more off the radar.”