Revenge in Advance - The New Way

"We're still trying to identify him," Harold said. "We've taken fingerprints and DNA but so far nothing has come up. He doesn't seem to remember anything about himself. He barely knows how to function as a person. It's like his brain has been wiped of almost everything. All he does is whine and beg for his 'mistress,' which I assume is Hornsby. He responds and acts more like a trained dog than a human being. I've never seen anything like it."

"We have," Oscar said. "What is the hospital doing with him?"

"They're running him through a battery of tests right now," Harold said. "We'll have results later tonight."

"Good," Bill said. "Stay on top of that and keep us briefed. Take a picture of him and shoot it over to Ron Wiseman. Tell him it's priority and have him cc the results to Oscar and I."

"I will," Harold said. "What time you want me to pick you up tomorrow?"

"Be here at 7:00 am, sharp," Bill said. "That should give us time to meet Air Force One."

"See you then," Harold said, leaving. Bill and Oscar ordered room service and went over their notes as they ate. While they were eating, Oscar's phone rang. Seeing it was Jim, he answered.

"Yeah, Jim," Oscar said. "What have you got for me?"

"Good news," Jim said. "Our initial tests show the compound Ron and I came up with worked. We're running a few more tests to validate the initial results, but I think we can start putting an antidote together. Also, our tests on the local groundwater indicate the remediation is starting to work."

"That is good news," Oscar said. "When can you start production?"

"Let us complete these tests first, but I think we can start gearing up for production. Give us just a few more hours," Jim said. They ended the call and Oscar turned to Bill.

"Good news on the antidote," Oscar said. "And local groundwater testing show our efforts there are paying off."

"How much longer before we can start mass production of the antidote?" Bill asked.

"Jim said he should have an answer in a few hours," Oscar said.

"That's cutting it awful close," Bill said.

"It is what it is," Oscar said. "We don't want to put something out that's worse than the original drug."

"I understand that," Oscar said, nodding his head.

...

Dale looked at himself in the mirror as he cleaned himself from the day's work. The last few days had taken their toll on everyone. Now, no one could take a shower, and even though he had heated up the water on the stove, Donna couldn't bring herself to wash up in the sink. She tried her best, but it just wasn't the same. The water coming out of the tap was still brown, but not as thick and dark as it was earlier. Hopefully, they would have decent water in a day or two.

Dale dealt with it the way he did in the service, and quietly sucked it up. He managed to clean up well enough for work and even shaved. Strangely enough, he felt a tiny bit more like his old self. The urge to cry over everything had waned somewhat and he found himself actually getting a bit irritated at Donna's constant bitching and moaning.

He dressed, made some coffee using a couple bottles of water, then headed out the door. He stopped when he heard Donna screeching at him.

"Aren't you even going to give me a kiss?" she asked. He turned, looked at her, shook his head and walked out, leaving her shocked. He had never left for work without giving her a kiss. Stopping at the corner gas station, he saw his old friend from school, Troy Hanson.

"Hey, Troy," he said. "How's it hanging?"

"These day's it ain't," Troy said.

"I know what you mean," Dale said.

"How're things at home?" Troy asked. Dale shook his head.

"Not good, buddy," Dale said. "Not good at all."

"Donna?" Troy asked. Dale nodded his head.

"Yeah," he said.

"I know what you mean," Troy said. "She's been busting our balls at the mill these last few days."

"How're things at your place?" Dale asked.

"Rough," Troy said. "I went to see lawyer Smith yesterday."

"Oh?" Dale asked.

"Yeah," Troy said. "He told me about half the men in town have come in, all of 'em looking to get a divorce."

"You going to file for divorce?" Dale asked.

"Maybe," Troy said. "Smith suggested we wait a few days and see what shakes."

"What do you think is going on?" Dale asked.

"Beats the hell outta me, man," Troy said. "It's like everyone went nuts overnight. I don't think I can take much more of it."

"I know what you mean," Dale said. "You get a visit from the county yesterday?"

"Yeah," Troy said. "What's up with that shit?"

"I don't know, buddy," Dale said. "I'm wondering if something got in the water."

"I was thinking the same thing myself," Troy said. "Whatever it is, I hope they get it fixed soon. I'm at the end of my rope with all this shit."

"I hear ya," Dale said. "Well, I'd better get on over to the shop. See ya."

"See ya," Troy said.

...

Oscar and Bill were awake at 5:30 and had just finished their breakfast when Oscar's tablet buzzed. He noticed it was an online call from Ron Wiseman, so he got Bill's attention and fired up the device.

"Damn, Ron," Oscar said. "Don't you ever get any sleep?"

"Sleep is so over-rated these days," Ron said, smiling.

"What do you have for us?" Bill asked.

"Got some info on the mystery man Harold picked up yesterday," Ron said. "Took a bit of doing, but I found out his real name is Ian Hodges. He was a graduate student, working toward his doctorate. He was also a research assistant to Geoff Hornsby. My guess is he came in the great exodus with Allison."

"Interesting," Oscar said. "Hodges, huh? Any relation to Derek?"

"You mean the Commander-in-Chief of the Free British Expeditionary Force?" Ron asked. "Yes. As a matter of fact, he's Derek's son."

"Derek's son," Oscar said. "Are you sure of that?"

"Absolutely," Ron said. "I also managed to get a look at Ian's initial test results. It doesn't look good. You know the medical folks took blood from people living in the initial target areas."

"Yes, we know," Bill said.

"Well, all of them show positive for the compound Jim found in the groundwater," Ron said. "So did Derek. With one major difference. The level in Derek's system was through the roof. There was also something else found in his blood work, but the hospital couldn't identify it. I've sent the results to Jim for further analysis. According to the hospital records, Ian's higher brain functions have been basically short-circuited. For all intents and purposes, his mental capacity is somewhere between a puppy and a human toddler. I'm not a chemist nor a doctor, so I can't explain it."

"In other words, Ian wasn't just a research assistant. He was a goddamn guinea pig," Bill said.

"That's about the size of it," Ron said.

"Anything on Allison's whereabouts?" Oscar asked.

"Nothing yet," Ron said. "However, I would suspect that she won't be too far from President Lopez. That's just a guess on my part."

"Understand," Oscar said. "Thanks, Ron." After ending the call, Oscar reached out to Jim, who answered right away.

"Any word?" Oscar asked.

"Yes," Jim said, excited. "We got the initial tests from Ron on that Hodges fellow along with results from the testing done in the targeted areas. Ron and I agree that the stuff used earlier this week was just the first phase. We believe the second phase would have to be administered about 10 days after the first to be fully effective."

"In other words, if Allison is successful, we all eventually end up just like Hodges," Oscar said.

"Pretty much," Jim said.

"Will your solution work?" Oscar asked. "Will it counteract the drugs? Even with the second phase?"

"Yes, we believe it will," Ron said.

"Alright," Bill said. "Keep at it. I'll talk to the president and see if we can't get him to authorize mass production through the Defense Production Act. I'll also see about getting Hodges transferred to the medical facility there at Fort Apache. Maybe your solution can help him."

"Got it," Jim said. They ended the call and went downstairs to meet Harold. He showed up right on time and drove them to the airport. When they got there, Bill gave Harold his marching orders.

"I want you to go to the hospital, get Hodges -- the man you picked up yesterday -- transferred into our care so we can transport him to the medical facility at Fort Apache," Bill said. "If they give you any crap, any at all, you call me."

"Got it, boss," Harold said, nodding his head. "I'll cite them with obstruction on the spot if need be."

"Good," Bill said. "Call me if you need anything." They exited the vehicle and joined the gaggle of federal officers waiting for the president's arrival.

...

Allison sat in her small hotel room scouring the news. There had been no reports of an explosion, which concerned her. She had packed enough explosives on Ian's chest to take out most of the apartment complex. The fact that there was no explosion meant that Oscar's men had succeeded in foiling her yet again.

It also meant that Ian was probably still alive. Part of her felt bad for leaving him that way, alone, scared, not understanding what was about to happen. Thanks to the drugs she and Geoff had concocted, he was little more than a trained dog with human DNA at this point, the way many men in England and the States would be if their plan came to fruition.

She recalled the way he whimpered like a lost puppy as she left her apartment and a tear threatened to creep down her cheek. She angrily wiped it away.

"NO!" she said to the empty room. "I will not cry! I will not feel regret."

If the explosive device had worked as planned, he would have been remembered as a martyr to the cause, the way Geoff would be. But now, who knows. If the authorities had him, he would be under heavy guard and there would be no way she could get to him.

Based on the dwindling reports she received from her online sources, her timetable had already been disrupted. Despite early successes, phase one had failed. Victoria wasn't happy, but then again, neither was she. There was only one course of action left for to take -- kill Oscar Warren. And if need be, take out President Lopez at the same time. She considered the pistol in her purse and hoped it would be sufficient for the job.

She knew authorities would be searching for her, so she purchased a blonde wig to hide her red hair and bought a fake pair of glasses to obfuscate her appearance. It wouldn't be enough to throw off facial recognition software, but it might be enough to fool eyes on the ground. And it might give her the few seconds she would need to do her job.

She considered bringing in some assistance, but Victoria had made it clear. This was her mess and it was up to her to fix it. She really could use some help, she thought to herself, but this situation was hers to handle -- alone. She understood the message. Failure on her part meant certain death. She steeled her resolve and walked out of the room.

...

Bill and Oscar stood, watching the giant blue and white airplane as it parked near the hangar. They joined the throng of agents who walked to the end of the red carpet, where President Lopez would board his armor-plated limousine and waited. After the giant aircraft stopped, a ramp lowered and the vehicle exited, slowly making its way to the carpet.

Eventually, the door of the airplane opened, and President Lopez, along with his lovely wife, Carmella, stood at the top of the ramp, waving to the cheering crowd as a band played, "Hail to the Chief." They walked down the ramp, greeting the dignitaries at the bottom and followed the red carpet to the limo. Ricardo nodded and smiled at the two rows of police officers in dress uniform who stood at attention along the carpet.

When he reached the end of the carpet, he waved at the crowd one last time, then made his way to the limo, where an agent stood next to an open door. He ushered his wife inside first, then motioned for Oscar and Bill to enter before getting in the car himself. Once the doors were closed, he introduced them both to the First Lady then turned his attention to Bill, who briefed him on the situation.

He listened intently, nodding he head in understanding as Bill spoke. His brow furrowed as Bill explained what happened to Ian.

"So you need a DPA authorization to get this underway?" he asked Bill.

"Yes, Mr. President, we do," Bill said.

"Very well," he said, pulling out his phone. He gave instructions to someone at the White House then ended the call. "Consider it done," he told Bill. They arrived at the venue where Ricardo and his staff would meet with the Governor of California and his people about a crime measure, and exited the car when the doors were opened.

Oscar looked around at the crowd and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. The Secret Service agents with them did the same. They stepped toward the building when suddenly, a blonde-haired woman stood apart from the crowd, a large pistol in her hand. Oscar and several agents drew their weapons and fired at the woman, who managed to get a shot off.

Oscar felt the sting in his upper left arm and knew he had been hit. He didn't know how bad it was, but gritted his teeth in pain and squeezed a couple more rounds off, watching as the woman's head flew back and blood spurted from her chest. Her wig flew off and he could see her red hair.

The gathered massed screamed and ran for cover as the short exchange of fire took place. When it was over, Oscar holstered his firearm and fell to his knees, gripping his arm with his good hand. He looked around and saw that Ricardo had already been rushed inside. Good, he thought. The president was safe.

Bill and a Secret Service Agent looked at Oscar's arm. The bullet had grazed his arm and left a deep gash, but didn't break any bones. The Secret Service agent cut the sleeve of his jacket off and put a large bandage on the wound, holding it in place with his hand.

"Are you okay, son?" Bill asked. "Can you walk?" Oscar nodded his head.

"Yeah," Oscar said through clenched teeth. "Is she dead?"

"Yeah, we got her," the Secret Service agent said. "We've called an ambulance, so hang in there, okay?"

"Okay, thanks," Oscar said.

"You know who that woman was?" the agent asked. "It looked to me like you were her target." Oscar nodded his head.

"Allison Hornsby," Bill said. "She was on our most wanted list."

"Well, not anymore," the agent said.

"Reckon not," Bill said. By then, an ambulance pulled up and Oscar was placed inside. Bill jumped inside and they rushed to the hospital. Once there, Oscar was wheeled into an exam room and the wound was examined. After they cleaned it up and verified there were no broken bones or bullet fragments in his arm, they stitched the wide gash.

After they finished, they gave him some pain killers and left the room. Bill sat next to Oscar and looked at him before speaking.

"Son," he said quietly. "I know I don't say this very often, but I want you to know I'm damn proud of you." Oscar smiled and started to respond, but Bill cut him off. "I also want you to know that I think of you as the son I never had. And, well, it's hard for me to say, but the truth is, dammit, I love you. Even though your coffee tastes like shit." Oscar looked at him, surprised. "I just wanted you to know that." Oscar smiled at the older man. "And if you ever tell anyone I said that, so help me I'll kick your balls into the middle of next week," he added with a smile. Oscar chuckled before he spoke.

"Your secret is safe with me... Dad," he said. The two men smiled and Bill gave his son-in-law a hug before standing up.

"You get some rest now," Bill said. "I have some calls to make. I'll get Harold to take us to the airport when they release you." Oscar nodded his head and closed his eyes. A few hours later, Oscar was given a prescription for pain, and released, his left arm in a sling. Bill walked next to him as he was wheeled to the exit, where Harold waited with the car.

They made their way to the airport and jumped in the company plane. Ian had already been transported and was secured to his seat, where he sat sleeping. Working with the Secret Service, Bill had managed to get their outbound flight cleared, so they took off and headed for Fort Apache.

"I called Rita and spoke with her," Bill said. "She's okay, just worried about you. Get some rest now, and take a couple days off. I've got it from here." Oscar was too groggy to argue, so he nodded his head, closed his eyes and slept for the rest of the flight.

When they arrived at Fort Apache, Ian was taken to the medical facility where Jim and Ron Black waited with his treatment. Rita met them at the plane and helped Oscar in their car. She sat in the back, holding Oscar's head as Bill drove them home.

"Is he going to be okay, Dad?" she asked Bill after they got Oscar in bed.

"Yeah," he said. "It's just a flesh wound and he's a tough fellow. He's just tired from all the meds they gave him."

"Are we gonna be okay, Dad?" she asked. Bill nodded his head.

"Yeah, princess, we're gonna be just fine," he told her, giving her a hug. "I gotta get back and feed the fish, so you take care of him."

"I will, Dad," she said. "Thanks for bringing him back safe." He smiled and gave her a hug.

"You're welcome, princess," he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

The next morning, a small plane landed at Fort Apache. Dressed in a civilian suit, Derek Hodges stepped off and was greeted by Bill, who drove him to the medical center. They entered the facility and made their way to Ian's room. Derek looked at his son, who was asleep in bed, his body connected to tubes and wires.

"My God, man," Derek said. "What happened to him?"

"He was the New Way's guinea pig," Bill said. "This is what they had planned for all of us." Derek shook his head as tears threatened to fall down his cheek. Just then, Ron and Jim came up to them. After introductions, Jim briefed them on Ian's condition.

"Our therapy seems to be working," he said. "There's been a slight improvement overnight, and we're monitoring him closely."

"Will he ever get back to normal?" Derek asked.

"Hard to say," Jim said. "Even if we're able to get his body chemistry back to normal, he'll probably face years of psychological counseling and retraining. As of right now, his higher brain functions are all but gone. He doesn't even know who he is anymore."

"I'll make them pay for this," Derek said, his face grim. "So help me God, they'll pay. Every last bloody one of them." He looked at Jim. "Can I go see him? Talk to him?"

"Sure," Jim said. "He may or may not recognize you, though." Derek nodded his head.

"I understand," he said. "If there's anything I can do to help, let me know," he added looking at Bill.

"Let your son know you're there for him and that you love him," Bill said. "Then take those bitches down."

"I will," he said. "By God, I promise you I will." They watched as Derek entered the room and walked to Ian's bed. The older man sat down next to his son and took one hand in his. He bent over Ian and whispered something in his ear. As they watched, he bowed his head for a moment, then wiped his eyes. He bent down and kissed his son on the forehead, adjusted his covers and walked out of the room.

"Feel free to come visit any time you wish, Derek," Bill said. "Your son's in good hands here."

"I will. Thank you," Derek said. "For everything. By the way, how is your Agent Warren?"

"A little worse for wear," Bill said. "He'll be okay once the pain medications wear off."

"I'm glad he'll be okay," Derek said. He entered his aircraft and Bill watched as it took off, heading for Canada.

...

Two days later, the residents of Silver Pine, Montana watched as a new chemtrail made its appearance in the morning sky. As they looked, they could see the white streak dissipate as the chemical droplets made their way to the ground below. The no-water usage order was still in affect and people exercised a form of social distancing, brought about not by a virus, but by something more well-known -- body odor. Later that day, the mayor called a town council meeting and invited any who wanted to attend.