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“You’re joking! What’s being done about it? Do we know the source? Is it a terrorist organization?”
“We’re not sure yet. However, according to what I heard, the last two months, the President had received a private message about the threat of the attack. He wasn’t given a particular date. But, get this: he keeps this to himself and his intelligence team to sort it out. All this time, the military isn’t aware of anything going on or maybe the superiors knew and kept it to themselves. Whatever the case is, they seem to act in utmost secrecy about it. Just a couple of minutes after the explosion in Washington, we get information from the President, who, luckily for him, is currently in New York, to move every citizen to New York where measures have been put in place for their safety. Only minutes later, two more nuclear bombs go off over Colorado, Nebraska, and Kansas, wiping out all life in those areas too and taking out all power in the rest of the country,” Bucky said.
Stephen was beginning to connect the dots. “The timing. It’s all too perfect. Too synchronized.”
“Exactly. Now it all makes sense what you said back then while you were still on staff. Something smells fishy. From what I heard, the planes that brought in the bombs were Russian merchant planes. That's how they gained entrance without stress. Remember when the agreement was signed between the U.S. and Russia?"
Stephen remembered all too well. However, more than the memory, a realization dawned on him. That’s why people were trying to kill him.
The agreement that had allowed free cross-migration between the U.S. and Russia had been signed towards the end of February that year. Stephen had heard the news while on lunch break with his Major and the other captains on his team. The moment Joseph, another Captain, had mentioned it, he'd become angry and began to rant about how he perceived foul play and wasn't sure what side the President was on. He'd accused the President of willingly exposing the nation to attack from outside.
The Major had ordered him to be quiet, chiding him for criticizing constituted authority. The next week, he had received the stupid test and, the week after that, he had been served the dismissal letter. Then the attacks on him had started. He’d been unto something and some of the people who had been a part of it had heard him. They had tried to kill him.
But it still didn’t make sense. What would one insignificant soldier do to thwart a plan that had been put in place by superiors? Stephen looked at Bucky.
“What do you think will happen when these people get to New York?” he asked.
“I don’t know. But our soldiers will be there, so we anticipate safety. Look, we’re not sure of anything yet, so don’t go jumping into conclusions. Things seem fishy, true. However, if the need arises, we’ll stand to defend our nation.”
Stephen smiled. “I wish I’d be part of such a war. But no, I’m going to have to go to New York as a bloody civilian,” he said, and Bucky laughed. “Hey, by the way, you guys might want to keep a lookout for kidnappers and criminals as you go on. They seem to be making the most of the situation,” he continued.
Bucky frowned.
“Why do you say that?”
“I found three kids being carried away by two men. The kids were taken in the evening yesterday. I’m guessing those guys weren’t the only ones with that idea,” Stephen said.
“Okay. I’ll tell the commander,” Bucky said. “So, you are going on to New York? Logan and I will be leading these people there. You could join us.”
Stephen thought about it. Going to New York would grant him escape from those who wanted to take his life. He could disappear completely and never be found again. However, there was the probability that the ones that sought to take his life were on their way to New York too. And then there was the uncertainty of the journey there. What happened when they got there? What game was being played?
“I guess so.” Since he’d be in the company of his fellow military, he decided that he’d be safe. Traveling alone wasn’t safe anymore. He missed his old company. He trusted Bucky. He could go with him. He put down his bag and turned in time to see the kids he had saved come running to him with their parents.
He smiled. The company felt great.
19th November, 2021
12:40pm
Danville, Vermont. USA
As she rode on her motorbike out of Vermont, she had only one name on her mind: Stephen Wallace. She had to find him. It was obvious he wasn’t dead yet. The organization’s supercomputer hadn’t shown so yet.
She wondered why she hadn’t thought about him before. All the time, she had been looking for that one prize that would give her an advantage and he’d been under her nose. It was the previous morning when two alerts came to her device that made her happy. She had found Daan’s device. It was somewhere in Chicago, Illinois. Though his death made her sad, she knew a couple of things that she could do with his device. However, she had also intercepted an update from the Headquarters to some other agents. Stephen Wallace had been found in Cincinnati. She wasn’t surprised they had finally found him. The man seemed to have a loudmouth and be lousy whenever he was around friends. If only he knew. She had less than twenty-four hours to find him, or else she'd probably find him dead already.
She brought her bike to a halt. She could hear a brawl. Then she heard a girl’s voice. It sounded familiar. She had to investigate it.
Chapter Three
He heard footsteps...
20th November, 2021
2:53 pm
Cincinnati, Ohio. USA
The group of migrants came to rest. Their trek had begun early that morning. They stopped all too frequently and so the journey was slow. They hadn’t even left Cincinnati. People moved to start fires. The weather was so cold; stopping was unbearable without something to keep them warm.
