Outview (41 page)

“I’ll be there.” I hung up.

“We’re going to meet that cobra?”

“Not a chance. I’m just trying to buy time.
Drive south, we’ll try to make it to Calyndra.”

“He’ll just put out an APB or whatever on
us, and we’ll be picked up in minutes.”

“I don’t know what else to do except run.”

For the next ten minutes we debated all
possible options, including Amber just dropping me off somewhere and heading to
the airport for her flight to Portland. I thought it was the best idea, but not
surprisingly, Amber didn’t agree. We made a wrong turn and found ourselves
heading onto the Golden Gate Bridge.

“Come with me to Portland. I’ll get you
another ticket.”

“They’ll be waiting for me when I get off
the plane.”

“Someone has to be able to help us . . . ”

“You have to let me get out somewhere.”

“No.”

The phone rang again.

“Don’t.”

“I have to. He’s probably wondering why
we’re not there yet. I’ll stall some more.”

I answered.

“Nathan, you disappoint me. You’re never
where you’re supposed to be,” Fitts said.

“What? We’re on our way. I’ll be there in
two minutes.”

“Not unless you head in the other direction.”

“Oh my God, I think they’re behind us,”
Amber screamed.

“Yes, we are. Why don’t you be a good boy
and tell that little girl to pull over as soon as we get off the bridge.”

I turned and saw a black SUV following
close. I threw my phone at it.

“What are we going to do?”

“Don’t panic. Get me to trees. It’s the
only chance. My powers are strongest in nature. Gibi said the trees will always
protect me.”

“Spencer said people will always help you,
and I don’t see anyone.”

“It’s not over yet.”

“What if they start shooting?”

“On the middle of the Golden Gate Bridge?
Firing shots at the daughter of Ivy Mayes? No, they have us now. We’re not
going to out run them in a 1969 Bug. They’ll just follow us until we run out of
gas.”

“Where am I supposed to find trees?”

“Just keep driving. They aren’t going to
force us off the road.”

“Tell that to
your
mom
.”

“You could pull over and let me out. They
won’t follow you.”

“And just let them have you?”

“No, I’ll jump off the bridge. I read once
that a few people have lived. I might even be able to Skyclimb a little.”

“No, that’s crazy.”

“I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Likewise.”

Soon we were off the bridge, and it was less
claustrophobic. The land opened to hills and trees on either side. Amber
swerved the car at the last minute onto an exit and followed it into the Golden
Gate National Recreation Area; they made it, too. We worked to get enough of a
lead to pull into the trees. After a minute, there was a dead end barrier ahead
at the beach.

“Now what?” Amber shouted.

“We’re gonna have to run?”

“I’ll try a U-turn.”

We were going too fast, the turn radius
wasn’t there and we crashed into a brick buttress, with the engine in the rear,
the whole front of the car caved in.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I think.” We were both unharmed.

They screeched to a halt behind us.

“Run!” I yelled.

“Nate!” Amber screamed.

“Run!” I repeated. We were forced in
opposite directions.

62

“You get her. He’s mine!” Fitts yelled, as
he took off chasing me. “Call Tipton and Michaels with our location.”

He fired two shots as he ran, both missed.

Several park visitors screamed and hit the
ground, while others dove into the trees. I did the same.

“I believe the fourth bullet found you last
time,” he shouted, firing two more. Both hit a boulder, fragments of rock stung
me. The ground continued to climb and my younger legs were able to put more
distance between us. His next shot also missed.

“Where’s my help?” I yelled to the trees.
“Guides, Mystics, Dad?”

I came out of the woods suddenly on top of
a high cliff overlooking the bay. I hesitated, not sure where to go. It cost precious
seconds. He was right behind me. I turned and started to Skyclimb up a tree. He
fired again, my leg seemed cut in half with a glowing fireplace poker. I
crashed down to the ground landing with a thud.

Fitts was on me and expertly secured my
hands behind my back with zip-tie cuffs. He rolled me over and the shock gutted
and choked me.

It was Sam!

“Hello, Nate. You see, I was hoping to
avoid this whole scene,” he said.

“Sam what are you doing?” I screamed.

He caught his breath. It was painful as he
straddled me.

“I think it’ll be easier in these final
moments if you address me as Agent Fitts.”

“I don’t believe it!” I realized I’d never
gotten a good look at Fitts’ face before. But this was incredible! “Why are you
Fitts?”

He fumbled with a mini-syringe.

“Look, I don’t want a long thing here. I
really liked you, Nate, and I’m truly sorry it turned out to be you.”

I was unable to speak.

“Once we discovered Lee Duncan had gotten
evidence to someone named Montgomery Ryder, we completely eliminated that
threat, but then there were the families. They needed to be watched and
monitored. We thought it might take months; instead four years choked by before
you made the mistake that told us your father was the right Montgomery Ryder.
I’ve kept tabs on five families all these miserable years.”

His words were unbelievable. But the pain
of my leg and my bound arms under me kept me focused. “Why didn’t you kill me
that first day?”

“We wanted you to lead us to the evidence
and to anyone else. After we gave up on that, I made up the stuff about helping
you with a lawyer so we could trap you.” He laughed. “I don’t even have a damn
sister! But enough reminiscing.”

He caught me looking at the syringe.

“This is the same substance I used on your
father. Don’t worry, it’s just going to be a quick pinprick, and then your
heart will stop in about six to eight minutes.”

“You think anyone is going to believe a
healthy sixteen-year-old kid died of a heart attack?” I could barely breathe
but needed to keep us both talking.

“Once the autopsy shows you had a
pre-existing
hereditary
condition, and all the exertion of running from federal
agents, you know, it was just too much for you.” He had the syringe ready. “And
most people will think that another terrorist got what he deserved. They’ll
come up with a nice nickname for you, ‘Bridge Bomber’ or some such thing, and
then they won’t think about it much at all.”

“Not everyone believes everything the
government tells them.”

“You’d be surprised.” He positioned the
syringe in his fingers.

“No. There are people out there who know
what’s really going on.”

“Sure, there are some on the fringe, and
they’d end up turning you into some kind of cult leader. Make a religion around
you or something. What a freak show! I’m actually doing you a favor by killing
you.”

He was about to stick me with it when Amber
shrieked my name. He turned to look, and it gave me just enough of an opening
to use his turning momentum into a push so I could spin out from under him. I
stepped on his back to half leap, half Skyclimb toward the rocks where I landed
hard, my leg refusing to walk. I saw Amber with her arms behind her back being
held by the other agent about eighty feet away. He started advancing, but as
Fitts got to his feet the agent paused. I could hear the waves crashing below.
The cliff was behind me and a steep rock was to my left. Sam/Fitts in front not
more than five feet away; I couldn’t back up another inch. The agent with Amber
was to the right. I was pinned in. Then I saw Fitts pull the syringe out of his
stomach.

He saw me looking and shook his head. “Even
if I could get to the hospital in two minutes, they couldn’t save me. The
chemists at the agency have perfected this foolproof little cocktail,” he
shouted over the gusts. The other agent didn’t know Fitts was dying, and Fitts
knew it didn’t matter.

I didn’t say anything.

“Your father never saw it coming. Your
aunt, on the other hand, knew what I was about to do. She seemed to almost
welcome death, saying something about lots of old friends to see on the other
side. Never imagined I’d check out the same way. I guess it’s kind of ironic.”

“Kind of karmic, if you ask me.”

“I didn’t ask you,” he gritted angrily.

“Where’s Rose’s body, Sam?” Blood was running
out of the wound on my leg. My hands still cuffed behind me, I scanned for some
chance to get away.

“No one will ever find that body. Maybe
your pal Spencer Copeland--or whatever he’s calling himself these days--could
locate her.” He looked up at the sky. “We’ve been after that troublemaker for
years. But you can tell him that you’ve helped us get much closer. They’ll have
him soon.”

Amber and the agent were both just staring
at us but hadn’t moved. Fitts would be dead in a few minutes. I needed to stall
for time. “I have proof about what’s going on at Lightyear and about all the
murders.”

“I doubt you have proof of
all
the
murders, but if you’ve got Duncan’s stuff, then you have more trouble than you
can handle.”

Sirens filled the air. Shots fired in a
national park--lots of police were on their way. I wasn’t sure if it was good
or bad for me, but right now I was leaning toward good.

“Sam, I want you to know before you cross over
that I forgive you for everything you’ve done to me and my family.”

“Oh, thank you very much,
Jesus
. How
dare you pass judgment on me, Nate.”

“I’m serious. I forgive you.” And I meant
it.

He squeezed his left arm and winced.

“Do you know you killed me in a past life?”

“Do you forgive me for that, too?” he asked
sarcastically, his voice straining.

“Yes.”

“Well then, I guess I’ll have to kill you
again.” His words hadn’t even registered when I realized he was lunging toward
me. His body hit mine with incredible force and I went sailing backward over
the cliff.

The last thing I heard was an awful,
agonized scream; it was Amber. Then everything went black.

63

Saturday, October 4

I regained some form of consciousness and,
after remembering my name was Nate Ryder, opened my eyes or at least tried.
There was nothing but blackness. It made me nervous. I tried to recall what had
happened, but my mind shut down.

There is no way to know how much time
passed before I regained consciousness. Now, I realized my arms couldn’t move.
Could I move anything? With great effort my heavy head could do a full range of
motions. It seemed like I was lying down, but the lack of light left me so
disorientated it was impossible to know. My feet could both do whatever they
were told except walk. What was keeping me from getting up and walking around?
Where was I? What happened?

I must have passed out again because there
was a long pause in my thoughts. I was still floating in blackness. Panic took
over. I must be dead. Why didn’t I realize it before? Then I remembered Fitts
shooting me. Why didn’t my leg hurt? He had shoved me off a cliff. I couldn’t
have lived.

“Amber!” I yelled out. What happened to
her? She was in custody. I remembered her scream. Would they kill her like
Rose? Would she be treated as a terrorist and thrown in prison?

“Welcome, Nate.”

“Who said that?”

“I did. My name is Trevor.”

“Welcome where?”

“You’re on a boat somewhere drifting in the
sun.”

“Is that a metaphor for heaven or
something?”

“No.” He laughed.

“If we’re drifting in the sun, why can’t I
see?” I braced myself.

“Your blindness should only be temporary.”

“Am I dead?”

“No.” He laughed again. “I’m sorry. You’re
bound to be fuzzy after everything. Let me tell you what’s happened, at least what
I understand.”

“First tell me, is Amber okay?”

“I was told you would ask, and I’m to tell
you she’s fine.”

“Is she free? Because you sound a little
scripted. Am I a prisoner?”

“Nate, take a deep breath. You’re safe.
Sometime on Thursday, Crowd brought you here. You’re on the
Ninth Wave
,
my boat.”