The Alliance (23 page)

 

UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE

HarperCollins
Publishers

....................................

Chapter
61

I have agreed to a match. I can longer stand the solitude and fear my desire to have a family outweighs my moral issues with what has taken place.

—­The diary of Megan Jean

The group sat in a circle on the kitchen floor, eating the meal Alex had put together.

“I can't take the silence,” Alex said. “We have to talk about what you're planning.”

“I already told you,” Mia said. “I am planning on stopping the Registry and mandatory ser­vice.”

“I'm more thinking how,” Alex said.

Mia shrugged.

“Let's make a list,” Alex said. “That will at least give me a better idea.”

“I don't see how it will help,” Mia said. She didn't want to talk about this in front of her mother or sister. They were already scared and Mia did not want to push their limits. Alex ignored her protests and came back with a pen and paper. In big letters he scribbled “Stop the Government” at the top of the page.

“We have thirteen days until Grant's deadline to save Rod,” Mia said. “That's when I'm planning on regrouping with Andrew, Carter, and Zack.”

“What if you don't hear from them by then?”

“We need to have a backup plan for Rod's rescue,” Mia said. “I won't leave him to die.”

“Okay,” Alex said. “Let's stick with one mission at a time. Pretend that Andrew and company don't exist. What is your plan?”

Mia paused for a moment. She knew she should reconnect with Affinity. They had the best resources, but she also knew their virtual attack was scheduled for the night of Grant's wedding.

“We have to take out the master server,” Mia said. “When is Grant's wedding?”

“Two weeks.”

“That's the night,” Mia said. “We need to sneak into the capital and destroy the server.”

“Then what?”

Mia let out a sigh. “We have to find someone to get me out in the public eye,” Mia said. “Prove who I am, what Grant has done, what the system has done, and let them know the Registry has been destroyed.”

“Do you have a media connection who can pull that off?” Corinna asked.

Mia shook her head.

“What about that group you were working with?” Mia's mother asked. “Can you contact them? Maybe they can send in another team.”

“Zack was the one who had a direct way of contacting them,” Mia said.

“They haven't tried to contact you?” Frank asked.

Mia pulled out her phone and set it in the center of their circle. “Not at all,” she said. “But my phone was special. It's harder to trace. I don't know who had access to this number except for the ­people I was traveling with.”

“Can you figure out a way to track them down?” Frank asked. “Maybe over the Internet?”

“That would take too much time,” Mia said. “Even if I do, they'll take control of whatever we're trying to accomplish, and for all I know they would tell me to step down and abort our quest.”

“Okay,” Alex said. “But closer to the date?”

“If we don't come up with another solution by then,” Mia said.

“And how are we planning on breaking into the capitol building and destroying the master server?” Frank asked.

“Affinity was working on obtaining the passcode to the room,” Mia said.

“But you don't want to contact them?” Frank asked.

“Then we'll blow up the capitol building; fire has done a decent job so far,” Mia said.

She heard her mother gasp. Mia turned and gave her an apologetic face.

“This is a pretty vague strategy,” Frank said.

“Is the van all packed up?” Mia asked, eager to change the topic.

“We can leave at dawn,” Frank said.

“What did you do with my car?” Mia asked.

“Drove it into the cornfields,” Frank said.

“We should get some sleep,” Mia said.

“This isn't much of a list,” Alex said.

“We won't need your list,” Mia said. “I'll hear from Andrew soon and our initial strategy will be back on.”

Mia's frustration had reached a breaking point. She stood up from the floor and turned for the front door. She didn't stop and bolted out into the cold night air. Andrew still wasn't traceable and Riley hadn't returned her call. Mia felt the world resting on her shoulders and wasn't sure she could handle the pressure. There was a hand on Mia's shoulder and she jumped from the touch.

“Are you all right?” Corinna asked.

“You scared me,” Mia said.

“Sorry,” Corinna said.

“I know this is a bad idea,” Mia said. “It isn't an idea at all. I'm depending too much on other ­people.”

“You'll think of something,” Corinna said. “We have some time. Alex shouldn't have pressured you.”

“No,” Mia said. “He has a right to know what I'm asking of him.”

“I wish I was as strong as you,” Corinna said.

“You are,” Mia said. “I'm sorry I didn't come for you when I first left.”

“I'm glad you didn't,” Corinna said. “You thought I was dead and it's dangerous out here.”

Mia didn't have a response.

“Don't be so hard on yourself, you—­” Corinna was cut off by a loud noise.

Mia and her sister turned their heads upward and saw a small plane fly by. It looked like it was making a landing on the road.

“That was strange,” Corinna said.

A knot formed in Mia's gut.

“Do planes fly this late at night?”

“Go back inside,” Mia said. “Get everyone out here. We need to leave now.”

Mia didn't wait for Corinna to respond. She ran out toward the street and stuck her head out to see the small plane had come to a stop about a few hundred feet from the house. A weapon, Mia needed a weapon. She ran back and saw her party huddled on the front steps.

“Mia, what's going on?” her mother asked.

“Frank, where is your shotgun?” Mia asked.

“In the van,” Frank said.

“Get to the van now,” Mia yelled.

She turned and ran for the van. She pulled open the back doors and climbed inside, moving her hands over all the packed items searching for the barrel of the gun. She found the weapon and grabbed it before jumping back outside.

The group was heading to the van. Mia helped her sister and mother into the back while Frank and Alex were going to the front doors. Mia heard the footsteps approaching and knew it was too late. She slammed the back doors and jumped into the grass, lying on her stomach as she watched the man approach. The van had roared to life and Mia hoped they would take off without her.

The pink stripes from Grant Marsden's shirt glowed in the moonlight as he came into view.
Please reverse and run him down,
Mia tried to mentally plead with Frank. Grant signaled to the man following him to point his gun at the back of the van. Grant walked out of Mia's sight and up to the driver's-­side window.

“Mr. Piozzi,” Grant said. “Are you going somewhere?”

Mia watched as the reverse lights came on and the man with Grant fired his gun through the back of the van. Mia had to hold a hand over her mouth in order to stop herself from joining her mother and Corinna in screaming.

“I wouldn't do that if I were you,” Grant said. “Why don't you turn off the engine and we can all have a nice chat?”

The sound of his voice made Mia shudder. Mia held the shotgun up as best she could without giving away her position. She closed one eye and tried her hardest to aim at Grant's henchman. If she could take him out then Frank and Alex could overpower Grant. Mia didn't hesitate and pulled the trigger; nothing happened but a loud click. The man turned to look at the grass.

“Open the back doors,” Grant said. “Let's meet the Piozzis' guests.”

“I think I heard something,” he said.

“And I think I cannot wait to see my loving wife,” Grant said.

He pulled open the back door to the van. Mia left the empty gun in the grass and tried her best to slink farther into the field. She watched her mother and sister step down.

“Mrs. Morrissey,” Grant said. “I never expected to see you here. And who is this lovely charm?”

Grant did not close the back of the van as he walked them toward the far side. His worker went around and pulled Alex out of the passenger side. Mia heard Frank slam the door as he exited. The van was still running.

“Where is she?” Grant asked.

“Not here,” Frank said. “Probably on the other side of the world.”

“Frank, we've been through this before; don't treat me like I'm stupid,” Grant said.

Grant raised his voice.

“Mia, I know you're out there,” he said. “Come and say hello or I will start executing your friends.”

Mia was shielded by the van. It was her only salvation. Then a thought clicked in her head and Mia had an idea.

“I think I will start with the young girl,” Grant said. “After all, she's the only one I've never met before.”

Mia moved while Grant spoke, using his voice to conceal the sound of her steps. She made it to the back of the van and climbed in the open door, then slid along the floor. Her sister started to scream and it only made Mia move faster. She wiggled forward and entered the front seat.

“I am losing my patience,” Grant said.

Mia slid up the driver's seat enough to look out the window. Grant was standing with Corinna to his left. Frank, Alex, and her mother were holding each other while Grant's man pointed a gun at them. There was enough space between the two groups for Mia to take out the henchman. Grant, who was standing with Corinna, might be a problem.

“Don't,” Mia's mother yelled.

She broke free of the group and ran toward Corinna. Mia knew this was her chance. She gripped the steering wheel and jerked the van to the left. She pushed her foot down on the accelerator as hard as possible and tried to shield her head as the bullets started flying through the windshield.

“No!” Grant yelled. “I want to kill her.”

It didn't matter though. Mia had overtaken Grant's man and she felt the van bump up and down as she ran him over. Mia swung the car around and heard Frank and Alex climb into the back. Her mother and Corinna were holding each other on the grass. Mia wished they would run for her car instead of sitting there.

Grant was close to them, but his attention was on Mia. He was trying to look at her through the glass. A smile crossed his face and he started to turn his attention back to the women on the ground, but Mia hit the accelerator again, this time charging at Grant. He dove out of the way, and Mia had separated him from her family.

“Get in here,” Frank yelled.

Mia looked around; she didn't see Grant.

“Drive,” Frank yelled. “We're all here.”

A bullet came through the driver's-­side window and glass exploded everywhere. Mia slammed her foot down again and the van screeched off the front lawn and onto the road. Mia ignored the screams and the sound of shots being fired as she sped away.

“Can he follow us?” Corinna asked.

Mia was approaching the small airplane. Instead of avoiding it she made sure to ram into part of the wing, destroying Grant's method of travel. She looked in her mirror and saw the machine, along with the silhouette of Grant standing behind her.

“Is everyone all right?” Mia asked.

Her mother and sister were crying.

“We're okay,” Frank said. “We're all okay.”

“I don't know where I'm going,” Mia said.

“Just drive,” Frank said.

Mia didn't care how fast she was going, it wasn't quick enough. The cold wind from the shattered window filled the car and Mia was aware of the cuts on her face.

“Hey, Mia,” Alex said.

She glanced at him in the mirror.

“I will never question one of your decisions again.”

 

UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE

HarperCollins
Publishers

....................................

Chapter
62

My wife is lovely and quiet. There is no sense of love between us, only duty. I hope that if we are blessed with a child this will change.

—­The journal of Isaac Ryland

All of the cameras were on Ian. Grant stood behind him with a solemn look on his face.

“America offers its deepest sympathies to the ­people of France and hopes both nations can move forward from this tragic accident. Thank you.”

With the final words the cameras were shut off, and Ian walked away from the microphone. Grant went for his crimson tie and started loosening the knot.

“Are you enjoying your last weeks of bachelorhood?” Ian asked.

“I've been making some changes with my staff,” Grant said. “Doing a little traveling.”

“For the record,” Ian said, “nothing changes for you after marriage. You can continue on with life as you see fit. It is my daughter who should be the nervous one.”

Grant didn't want to justify his cover again. He had spent the last three days trying to figure out where Frank and Amelia could have gone and was coming up with nothing. By the time he had secured transportation from that middle-­of-­nowhere farm the group was hours ahead of him. He felt his fingernails dig into his palms, he was clenching his fists so hard.

“Eleven days until the wedding,” Grant said. “How are the rest of the foreign travelers doing?”

“I sent them home,” Ian said. “They understood after the accident with the French woman.”

Grant smirked.

“I know you're thinking I should have listened to you in the first place,” Ian said.

“I did not say that, Ian,” Grant said.

“But you were thinking it,” Ian said. “There is still so much for you to learn about this position. I wish you would continue shadowing me.”

“We have years ahead of us,” Grant said. “I can't learn everything at once.”

“I suppose,” Ian said. “But you are going on
The Greg Finnegan Show
at least once before the wedding. He did not like your building-­anticipation idea.”

“If you still want to use the wedding as a grand display of political power I need to devote my time to making sure it is lavish and perfect.”

“The wedding is the husband's day,” Ian said.

“Then I should be on my way,” Grant said. “Staffing for the event, of course.”

Grant bowed and left the pressroom. He didn't want to hear any more of the old fool's ideas or suggestions. As soon as Grain obtained the code to the Registry Ian would be dead.

When Grant arrived at home he went straight to Hansen's place. He did not knock when he entered the room. His man was sitting on the new couch going through his computer.

“Did you find anything yet?” Grant asked.

“Nothing,” he said. “We should have killed them all that night.”

“I thought you were dead,” Grant said.

Mia had hit Hansen with the van but failed to run him over with the wheels. Grant was a little grateful for that; he didn't want to search for a second all over again.

“Roderick Rowe is still our best bet,” Grant said.

“I thought you said she wouldn't come for him,” Hansen said.

“The clock is ticking on Carter's deadline,” Grant said. “If she went to save her mother and sister that means Rod is on her radar.”

“There's been no sighting of the men,” Hansen said. “They could be dead.”

“That would please me,” Grant said.

“Why not alert someone?” Hansen asked. “The RAG agents could be a huge help.”

“They failed me last time,” Grant said. “And I need the utmost discretion here. If the grand commander finds out she is alive and back in the country he will most likely have me killed to avoid any unpleasantness she may cause.”

“If I were him, I would have killed you months ago,” Hansen said.

“Me too,” Grant said.

“She can still ruin everything,” Hansen said.

“She needs proof she is who she says she is to cause any real damage,” Grant said. “As far as the idea that she came to destroy the Registry, I don't think it plausible. She came back for her family and friends, then she'll flee again.”

“There is no activity from Frank or Alex Piozzi in the last several months,” Hansen said.

“You haven't been able to find a bank account?” Grant asked.

“They closed them out over the summer,” Hansen said.

“Keep at it,” Grant said.

He started to walk out of the house.

“Where are you going?” Hansen asked.

“If we can't find her first I need to prepare for her arrival,” Grant said.

Grant kept moving until he was outside. Amelia would come for Roderick and Grant would make sure that her presence would not go unnoticed.