Insequor (14 page)

A pale white light, with a hint of blue, lit up Daniel’s face. He was stretched out sideways on the bed, a sheet draped over his hips. A breeze came in through the open window making Veronica turn beside him; he cast a look back over his shoulder but she didn’t wake. His gaze glumly drifted back to the phone in his hands.

It was morning, but still dark and outside cars started to come to life and drag their owners to work. Daniel could feel a pull too. Looking at the display he realised the phone would be ringing any second;
it
had just arrived at the outreaches of the Eastern Seaboard.

Pre-empting the depressing conversation, he turned the phone off and once more the room entered semi-darkness. He swivelled around and sat up, ran his fingers through his hair, scratched his head, stretched, yawned and reached down for his shoes.

His shirt was still on the floor and he retrieved it along with his pants. A smattering of light came through a gap at the side of the blinds; not enough to wake her, but enough to allow him to get dressed and straighten himself out in the mirror on her table. The face that looked back looked like it had gotten older.

“Are you leaving?”

He cast his eyes across as he did up his tie. “I have to go.”

“Now?” She rolled over to look at him, the white sheet clinging against her breasts.

“I’m afraid so.” He folded down his collar and sat down beside her. He ran a finger along her temple, pushing back the strands of hair.

“You could come with me? I’m going to Spain.”

“For how long?”

He stared at her face. The skin was so golden and smooth to touch.

“Fifty-three days,” he said.

He didn’t look into her eyes, couldn’t. For a moment she said nothing, then, “I can’t, Daniel.”

He nodded and pulled back another tuft of her hair and stroked her face again. “I know.”

She sat up, folded her arms around her knees and smiled at him. “Perhaps, after some time?”

“Yes, some time.”

He bent down and kissed her, their lips sticking together for the briefest moment as they pulled away. Her face longed for him and it made him smile.

He got up and walked to the door, opened it but didn’t move. “I want you to know I’ll be back.”

“I’ll be waiting for you.”

He breathed deep and then walked outside to where the birds were singing. For a few moments he stood on her doorstep eyes closed against the morning sun but feeling it touch his face. Opening them he saw that a team had already assembled at the end of the driveway. The lead security officer had his finger in his ear, listening to a distant control agent. He spent a last few peaceful moments on the doorstep, before heading to the car. Inside, surprisingly, Mr Davis was waiting, sat upright and stiff; which was almost impossible in the back of this limo.

“Good morning,” he said, producing a tablet. “I’ve got the itinerary here if you’d care to look at it.”

Daniel reached forward and found his coffee waiting in a paper cup. “Just email it over, please. I’ll look at it on the way to the coast. How long have you guys been here?”

As they set off he was thrown back into his seat, nearly sending coffee all over himself; Davis rocked slightly but remained upright.

“Just a few moments. As agreed we gave you plenty of space and I had the team stay at a little motel just out of town.”

He looked across at Davis. His awkward poise and rigid shoulders, the eyes darting across the landscape outside. Toby’s assistant was quite the opposite to the calm and controlled government agent; the man who could rustle up a helicopter with a text message or have an infantry division arrive within the hour with just one phone call.

“So what are we hoping to get out of this, Mr Davis?” said Daniel.

“By ‘this’ I assume you’re referring to our operation in Florida?”

“Of course.”

“I can’t really convey all the objectives, Toby will be filling you in, but I can say that we’re expecting to pin down some pretty important measurements.”

“Measurements?”

“Yes,” said Davis, a small smile appearing.

“We’re not going to, I don’t know, stop it? Or maybe blow one of its legs off?”

Davis scratched his head. “No, but I think I understand what you’re saying.” He sat back, rubbed his neck and finally loosened up. He reached over for a coffee, “May I?”

“Be my guest,” said Daniel.

“I understand your frustration, Daniel, I do. But you know this thing is huge. It’s new territory for all of us. Even Toby.”

“But it’s been over three years. It’s like you guys gave up and now I’m flying across to Connecticut to put myself in danger, again, for what? Measurements!”

Davis looked across. His suit was bright blue and he had a smart pocket square and tie. “You’re not the only person to have these frustrations.” The agent looked down at his jacket, spotted a speck of something and flicked it off. “I probably shouldn’t even be telling you this but there are others, in the agency, who feel Toby’s plans should be a little bit more aggressive. But please don’t say I told you that.”

“What’s going to happen?”

“There’s talk of a change of staff unless we start to see something more offensive. But you know Toby; he’s so darned diagnostic. Before he strikes he wants to know exactly what he’s up against.”

Daniel took a swig from the coffee; it tasted like crap but gave him the kick he needed. As he looked out of the window at Mountplace and said goodbye he started to wonder if maybe this was the start of the end; and what better time to have found Veronica?

They drove for an hour or so to a local airfield. It was small and usually unmanned but today there was a host of police cars, fire trucks and even a state news truck. Dammit, couldn’t he have any privacy? Surely they could let him have just one night. Only a few people knew he’d been visiting Veronica so he made a mental note to make sure Jones found the leak.

They pulled up as close to the jet as they could but the state news reporter just hustled her way through.

“Daniel, who have you been visiting? Any truth in the rumour it’s an old flame?”

He waved her away, stomping up the metal steps of the jet. A hostess handed him a drink by the door and he made his way through to the conference room. Jones was sat at the table with coffee and a croissant. Davis gave him a friendly smile before making his way to an office at the back

“We’ve got a couple of problems in Spain,” said Jones, leafing through paperwork. His eyes looked up over his glasses. “It’s the Spanish coastguard. They’re saying the expenses are mounting up with all the tourists taking ships out to sea trying to catch a glimpse of it. They think we should cover half the costs.”

Daniel took a gulp of coffee and buckled himself in; the plane was already taxiing.

“Put the lawyers onto them. See how much more their tourist industry is making. Tell them I’ll sell my villas and move to France.”

Jones smirked as he wrote. “How was the trip down memory lane?”

“What?”

They both got sucked back into their seats as the jet leapt upwards at pace. They were behind schedule again.

“Did you catch up with any old friends?”

“Kind of.” Daniel stroked his chin, the stubble crackling under his palm. They were pretty soon up above the clouds and the sun was suddenly brighter and hotter. He pulled the shade down and turned to Jones.

“How did that news crew find out I was in town? I want a full investigation.”

“Already done. It looks like a waitress at a waffle house spotted you.”

Daniel grunted. “This proposal from Toby. Are we good to go?”

“It’s all set. Seems fairly straightforward; I’ve got the itinerary.”

“I’ll look later, thanks.”

“Did he mention what we’re doing afterwards?”

Jones shook his head. “Just that they’d want to crunch the data and then organise another meeting.”

“And how did he seem? Calm?”

“Toby? He was just…Toby. Everything alright?”

“I’m good. I’m just interested to see where all this is headed.”

“Aren’t we all?” said Jones.

The shrill screams of gulls echoed amid the roar of waves crashing into the beach. Overhead, purple clouds seemed to be coming in with the tide as Daniel stepped out of the jeep and onto the edge of the sand. Even at this distance, the spray from the sea was being hurled at him by the wind. He flattened his jacket lapels and turned to greet the two approaching soldiers.

He left instructions with his own team to wait and followed the men back up the beach through a barrier, past some trucks and a tent. As he walked through the makeshift camp at the sea’s edge he noticed the contingent was largely made up of scientists. The soldiers must have been guarding the perimeter and were mostly out of site but occasionally he caught site of one of them in the dunes.

They looked edgy and were all holding weapons. One nearby returned a nod; a friendly but serious acknowledgment of the situation. He followed his escort to a portacabin, much closer to the sea, beside which stood a small crane on a truck. What the hell did they have planned this time?

Toby was next to the cabin giving instructions to the driver and as Daniel approached he looked up and waved. The same icy smile was there, as always, but today it took a little longer to crawl across his face. He was wearing a white lab jacket and grey drainpipe trousers underneath accented his height. He bounded across the sand outstretching a hand.

“Daniel, welcome to Maine. How are you?”

He shook the hand; it was cold. “Good, thank you. Everything ok?”

“Yes, our teams are in place and we have a plane at Hancock County-Bar Harbour Airport. Just in case,” he said.

“How long have we got?” Daniel sucked in the sea air and stared out towards where the sky dropped behind the ocean.

“Fifteen minutes.”

He looked back at the crane. Inside the cabin a rough looking man sat in overalls and a hard hat. He was smoking a cigarette and looking out to sea. “So what’s the plan?”

Toby suddenly seemed to slip up a gear. He spoke excitedly and with rapid hand movements. A few of the other scientists paused their scribblings to watch.

“Our friend will be arriving from the ocean just over here,” said Toby, bouncing over the sand and gesturing to a coned-off section of beach. Cones? Jesus.

“You’ll be safe up on the platform suspended by the crane,” he said, before adding, “No more than twenty feet.”

As they walked toward the truck Daniel noticed half a dozen soldiers wheeling over a large metal box on wheels. It was over ten feet tall and about the double that on each of its sides. It was balanced on a trailer and leaning slightly forward as they pushed it, the rubber tyres churning up sand. As they got closer he could see there was no lid. They stopped just in front of the crane, it slipped off its mount with a thud. A truck was parked nearby, a giant gas container on its back.

“So, we dangle you just above the enclosure compartment.” Toby checked to see Daniel was still following him, he was. “Now we know it can’t fly and we have yet to see it jump, so let’s assume it’s just going to try and get as close to you as it can.”

“So why am I on a crane?”

“Remember that time in the helicopter?” Toby gave another, less convincing, smile.

“Yes,” said Daniel, “it just stood there underneath; reaching for me.”

They arrived at the box, Daniel gave it a kick and an echo rang. He inspected the tank and noticed the label. “Liquid nitrogen?”

Toby wheeled around and pointed into the air, staring intently. “That’s the clever bit; we’re going to freeze it.” Toby’s whole body was pulsing with what he must have hoped was shared anticipation. For a few moments he waited, one of his feet squirming on the floor.

Daniel looked up at the crane. Its rusty yellow struts seemed stable enough, the long chain was moving ever so slowly in the wind. At the bottom, a metal platform with handrails and a footstep. Then he looked back at the tank. Sheet metal, welded together in four corners.

“How long have I got?” he said.

Toby pulled back his sleeve and checked his watch. “Fifteen minutes.”

“Fine,” said Daniel. He stepped onto the platform and almost immediately, the diesel engine started and it began to move. “He’s keen,” he said, nodding at the crane driver.

Up he went, to about thirty feet and then stopped. The jarring motion almost knocked him off his feet and the winch let out a squeal. From his vantage point he could now see much further out to the ocean. The salty air hit his lips and he licked them. Underneath, the soldiers had started to move the metal box into place directly underneath the platform. He crouched down, holding on tight to the handrail.

At the edge of the beach a group of soldiers were staring out to sea, each one of them keenly watching every break of every wave for a sign of the robot. Toby and his team moved into the cabin next to the crane and Daniel could just make them out; staring at laptops and speaking into radios.

Then, everybody waited.

Nothing happened. After ten minutes he was starting to get cold and his suit offered little protection. He signalled to Toby who came trotting out of the cabin.

“Can I get a coat or something?”

Toby nodded, “There’s a rope on the floor next to you, send it down and we’ll attach a jacket.”

“And some coffee wouldn’t hurt either!” Even at only thirty feet it was pretty windy and noisy.

“No problem,” Toby said. He found the rope and lowered it down to a soldier who appeared underneath. Toby came back a few moments later with a rucksack. He fed the rope through the shoulder straps and signalled Daniel to pull. Within the rucksack he found a fleece jacket, which he immediately put on, and a flask of coffee. He poured himself a cup before settling down to watch the sea.

It occurred to him he must have looked a strange sight, dangled up there staring at the waves and sipping his coffee. It reminded him of when he used to visit the lake as a boy and he’d see old couples sat on deckchairs sharing hot drinks. They would always sit in silence, presumably just enjoying the pleasure of each other’s company, just watching the sun set or rise. Smiling and occasionally sharing a glance; a look that told of a lifetime of devotion and trust beyond words.

He breathed out, quickly pressing down any feelings of what might have been. He’d come back to them, he usually did, but today was about the robot.

Gnut
, some of Toby’s assistants had started calling it; apparently it was from some old science fiction movie. Over the last months Daniel had given the robot less and less thought. It must have seemed crazy to some people but he just couldn’t deal with trying to understand why it was after him anymore. Of course he’d considered it, but too often he’d had sleepless nights, crying alone in his room or screaming at the sky. Why him? Where did it come from? What did it want? He’d asked these questions so many times that eventually they became meaningless.

Calls from the beach made him look up from the sand;
Gnut
had arrived. Soldiers were falling back now, making a corridor from the ocean. Daniel scanned the waves and quickly saw a black shadow, just below the surface of the water, like some predator emerging to prey.

He looked down at Toby to check everything was setup but he was busy with a colleague. Were they ready? Did they know what they were doing? He suddenly realised how isolated he was.

He turned back to the beach and already the robot was almost out of the water and heading straight for him. Covered in seaweed and encrusted with barnacles it had been submerged now for the best part of three years. The green, slimy hulking mass trudged forward, leaving a trail of gloop behind it.

“Okay, everybody ready!” It was Toby’s voice coming from underneath. The soldiers walked steadily behind the robot, using their rifles to help shepherd it into the box; or so they thought. But Daniel knew it was his ‘pull’ rather than their ‘push’ sending it towards him. The closer it got the tighter he felt his grip get on the metal bars on the platform until finally it was underneath him. The seaweed had mostly been lost across the sand but its barnacle encrusted face stared up from beneath. Eventually, it came to a halt directly below its arms outstretched, but perfectly still.

This was the closest he had been in all this time and his heart thudded like a pneumatic drill. Waves crashed again and again on the sand; maybe a minute passed. Daniel just stared down over the edge at it, his jaw drooping. The salt water was trickling down its body into small pools, each little shiny rivulet finding its friends amongst the green and black detritus.

Even from thirty feet above he could smell the stench; salty, festering sea life. There must have been a few dead things in amongst the seaweed. He stood back and raised his wrist to his nose, the sickly pong hitting the back of his throat.

“Fantastic everybody. Well done,” said Toby. “Daniel, are you ok?”

He nodded before stepping gingerly back towards the edge. Now he could see that the robot was within the confines of the metal box, the fourth side being moved into place by men as he watched.

Toby’s assistants descended on the container with their tools and began beavering away underneath. Noticing his interest Toby cupped his hands and shouted, “We’re just running some tests whilst we’re here. A couple of minutes, tops.”

He watched as below the team crawled all over the robot like termites on a mound. None of them seemed to fear it as they fascinated over the metal hulk; several looked like they were actively trying to scratch off samples but with little success. One man held an ultra violet lamp in his hand, cautiously scanning the metal like a crime scene; another was looking at readings from electrodes he had attached.

As he sat and dangled his legs over the side of the cage to make himself more comfortable, he noticed the robot’s arms sway just a fraction toward him. Only one of the scientists seemed to notice and his gaze followed the outstretched limbs up towards Daniel in awe. He barely noticed. Instead, his eyes kept surveying his follower underneath.

‘What do you want from me?’ he thought, looking down. The once brightly glowing eyes were now dim; buried under seaweed, but you could still make out the light. Looking for answers in those amber holes he found nothing. There was no purpose; no rhyme no reason.

Eventually the fever of the scientists seemed to die down and most of them withdrew. One stayed behind to have a word with Toby who checked over something on a laptop, before finally he was ushered away. Toby came to the spot right underneath the platform before calling up to Daniel.

“How’s it going?” he said.

“I’m fine. I just want to get this over with.”

Toby nodded. “We got some fascinating information just now, very useful.”

Daniel nodded over the edge. “Did I see you getting samples?”

Toby shook his head. “We couldn’t even scratch it, but we did get a lot of readings. You need anything?”

“I left my phone in the car, could someone pass it up I have to make a few calls?”

“Sure,” Toby immediately turned and shouted at nobody in particular, “Can we get his phone to the man in the crane?”

There was a flash of activity and bodies scattered. Within minutes the rope had been dropped again and this time Daniel received his phone and a sandwich; he’d already missed three calls from the office. He seemed to recall one of the companies using his image rights had been playing up again and wondered if that was why they were disturbing him.

Toby was back below again. “Anything else?”

Daniel was browsing his email now, “No, thanks. How long will we be?” His eyes didn’t leave the screen. Jesus what did the British Foreign Secretary want
now
?

“Not long,” said Toby, through cupped hands. “We’re just changing the battery on the tracker and adding a few more gizmos; a temperature and pressure sensor, two sonars and a Geiger counter. Then we’re going to go for it.”

Daniel’s eyes dropped from his phone to below. “Go for it?”

Toby, held up a finger, looked around and then sent instructions to the nearest assistant. Moments later a walkie-talkie was being hauled up by Daniel. “Go on,” he said, into the handset.

“We’re going to start to fill the tank with liquid nitrogen,” said Toby, his voice coming out of the speaker fizzy and hollow. “Once everything settles and we can take a look at it we’ll make the call on whether to bring you down slowly or quickly.”

“Quickly?”

“Try to remain calm, Daniel. Remember, if it doesn’t work head straight for the jeep over there and you’ll be on the plane and airborne within fifteen minutes.”

The click of the radio made Daniel raise an eyebrow. “What if it follows?”

“
If
he can move,” said Toby, “he won’t reach the airfield for another twenty-five minutes. That gives you ten minutes of leeway. As per usual, there’s another back-up car and aircraft at another airfield a mere hour away if required.”

The box in his hand hissed and then crackled. His eyes traced the edges down to the bigger box below; the one that the scientists were now attaching large pipes to. Further away, he noticed the truck with the gas tank had been moved into position and the pipes were being connected up, vapour rising from the seals. Finally, a gigantic lid was placed on top with a clang which echoed off the shore and out to sea. Three scientists around it gave a ‘thumbs up’ and, before Daniel could really understand what was going on, a whistle was blown and everyone scattered.