The Shift: Book II of the Wildfire Saga (51 page)

Zuka glanced at Chad and said, “We will, ma’am, as soon as Cap gets us a car.
 
Until then—”

“We have one, already.”
 
She produced the cop’s car keys.

“Well alrighty-then.”
 
He keyed his mic.
 
“Actual, we have secured transport.”

C
HAPTER
25

R
EGINALD
FORCED
A
SMILE
for the camera.
 
He cautioned himself to tread lightly—the King looked vexed.

"I must say Dunkeith,” Lord Stirling said imperiously, “we are most displeased with your apparent lack of progress.
 
I thought it had been made abundantly clear the last time we spoke exactly what our expectations were.
 
Apparently, that was not the case.
 
Am I mistaken?"

Reginald forced himself to ignore the other faces of the Council.
 
He knew they didn't quite trust him—the youngest son of an Earl—in the position he occupied: Chief of Field Operations for North America.
 
He knew his power derived from the King, but only so long as he remained in the monarch’s good graces.
 

“Did you not comprehend the question?" asked Lady Howard.

Reginald offered a polite smile to the old woman.
 
"I understood the question perfectly, Madam.
 
I merely—"

“You're stalling—that's what you're doing," said Monseigneur Legrand.
 
He sneered.
 
"Honestly, Majesty, must we continue to put up with this?
 
Allow me the honor of taking over this operation and I shall—"

“We are still well within the timeline," interjected Reginald.
 
“I shall have the cure in less than 48 hours after the Source is delivered.”
 

His audacity produced a look of shock on their faces that encouraged Reginald to continue.
 
Perhaps it’s time to show a little more backbone.
 
The only legitimacy they recognize is power.
 

"I must say, my lord, your confidence is remarkable,” declared Lady Howard.

“Remarkable, my lady?”
 
Reginald spread his hands.
 
"The situation we find ourselves in is most remarkable.
 
We've been working toward this goal for generations and now the power to control the entire planet is finally within our grasp.
 
Now is precisely the time we should be patient and move forward with a firm will to succeed, no matter the odds.
 
This is what our
 
ancestors would demand of us.
 
I will
not
allow this operation to be destroyed by impatience.”

"We wish to see—" began Lady Howard.
 

"Madam, I was tasked with one thing and one thing only: to successfully implement the Cleansing.
 
To that end—”

 
"Now, now Dunkeith,” said the King, “I'm sure no one on the Council means to imply that you are not up to the task.
 
Good heavens, man, you have been a miracle worker for us these past few years.
 
As far as I am concerned, your capabilities are beyond reproach.”

Reginald inclined his head graciously.
 
"Thank you, Majesty."
 

"I think the crux of the matter—the underlying agitation all of us feel,” the King said with a grand sweeping gesture, "is the sudden appearance and dramatic rate of transmission of the virus in Europe."

"We were prepared, were we not, Sire?" asked Reginald.
 
For a drift, not a shift.

“Of course," said Lord Stirling.
 
His facial expression continued the sentence:
you twit.
 
"But that does not negate the fact that through your inaction and-or negligence, we were caught unawares—"

“With all due respect, Lord Stirling, I was placed in charge of not only this operation but the safety of the agents in my care—"

"Don't be too proud of yourself, Dunkeith," said Lord Stirling.
 
"I know for a fact that not all of your people were as prepared as you claim.
 
The population density under our control is far greater than any backwater outpost that you—"

“Enough!" said the King.
 
"This bickering will accomplish nothing.”
 
The King waited for silence.
 
“Meanwhile,” he continued, throwing a gesture over his shoulder, "our loyal subjects are falling ill.
 
It is only a matter of time before they start to die.”

Reginald knew when to be quiet.
 
He bowed his head.

“We have not yet seen the first case on our shores," said Xian Liu.
 
The Council’s attention shifted to the middle-aged, portly man from China, “but I can confirm the data that suggests an antigen shift is taking place.
 
When this virus strikes the shores of Asia, catastrophe will be sure to follow.”

"My lord, the information transmitted to your people last night had clear instructions on how best to prevent the eastward spread of the virus.
 
I am more than confident your abilities to prepare China will be up to the task—"

“You are not mistaken in your confidence, Earl Dunkeith.
 
We have the best laboratories available," said Liu, with obvious pride.
 
“That is not the issue.”
 
The man leaned into the camera and glared at Reginald.
 
"The issue is you have not done enough to end the offensive campaign the American government—what’s left of it—has been trying to implement.”

Ah, at last—here it comes.
 
Out loud, Reginald said with all sincerity, “I am doing everything humanly possible—"

"I think not," snapped the Chinese nobleman.
 
"Your obfuscation will get you nowhere with me.
 
As part of the continued support for this operation, the People's Republic must remain politically and militarily insulated from the conflict on American soil with North Korea.”

"Then, may I humbly suggest the next time you decide to arm North Korea and unleash them upon the Americans, you make sure they don't talk about where they got their weaponry."

Liu recoiled as if a venomous snake had been dropped in his lap.
 
“We have done nothing wrong.
 
We have planned and implemented everything flawlessly."

Reginald sighed.
 
"My lord, I am but one man.
 
I cannot be responsible for the speed at which the virus mutated and—"

“Can’t you?" growled Liu.
 
"You knew how unstable this strain is and you convinced us to approve the invasion anyway.
 
We have provided the beach head from which—”

“Us?
 
Don’t you mean North Korea?” asked Reginald.

“You know what I mean.”

Before the Chinese magnate could further express his indignation, Reginald pressed forward.
 
“What you have done is taken a strip of land along the western coast of the United States—
by proxy
—and pushed inland for a few hundred miles.
 
And, by the way, you’ve royally narked half the surviving military forces of the United States.
 
It is only through the Herculean efforts of
my
operatives that a full-scale nuclear war has not been directed against you and your arrogant country."

Liu’s face paled.
 
"What are you talking about?
 
I received nothing—"

“That is because the Privy Council deemed it unnecessary to have your input in the situation," Reginald replied in an even tone, as if he were reading the weather forecast in the morning paper.
 

Liu’s screen went black.

“That could have been handled better,” warned the King in a deep voice.

Reginald nodded acquiescence.
 
"As you say, Majesty.
 
I believe we are past the time for pleasantries—”

"I am forced to agree with Earl Dunkeith, Sire,” added Lord Stirling.
 
He looked as surprised to have spoken as Reginald felt.
 
The two had never been allies—on anything.
 
Stirling made no secret of his dislike of Reginald.
 
He almost believed the rumors that Stirling had a part in in the death of his father.

“The virus spreads faster than anticipated in Europe,” Stirling said, “Germany is setting a dangerous precedent with its retreat from Boston.
 
France and Spain are beginning to panic—they are preparing to pull their troops out of New York and Baltimore,” he warned.
 

“Majesty, that is a grave mistake,” Reginald said when Stirling paused to take a breath.
 
“That would only fan the flames of infection.
 
We've not yet developed a cure—"

“Yes, we've noticed," said Legrand.
 
"Our people are falling ill and some have already died.
 
Where is this cure you promised us?
 
Where is Subject 14?
 
You said we would have his blood by now."

“I do not have the infinite power needed to snap my fingers and deliver Subject 14 to my laboratories this very instant.
 
My agents are working on it—this is a most delicate operation and it will take time.
 
We’ve pooled all of our resources in order to infiltrate the command structure of not one, but two governments of the United States.”

Reginald took their silence as acquiescence and continued, “My agents in Denver have received word that a detachment of Rangers has successfully recaptured Subject 14.”

"Isn’t that unfortunate?" asked Lady Anna-Maria Brun.
 
Reginald smiled at her image.
 
She was stunning.
 
"I thought your man was going to handle this?"

I should very much like to handle you…
“Yes, my Lady,” said Reginald.
 
"There were some…difficulties in extracting Subject 14 from the clutches of the Americans.
 
They don’t seem to be aware of which side they should be fighting for."

"Then I suggest you make them aware," grumbled the King.
 
“Time is of the essence, Dunkeith—these excuses you offer try my patience."

Reginald nodded again.
 
"Yes, your Majesty.
 
I have taken steps to acquire Subject 14—failing that, his blood—within the next 24 hours.
 
I have assets in place to acquire Dr. Boatner's research—all the pieces are coming together and very soon we shall have the serum we require to begin Phase 3.
 
I estimate within 72 hours.”

"Very good," said the King.
 
"Our Russian friends are anxious to join the fray.
 
They wish to unleash their reserve canisters of the bio-weapon on certain elements of Eastern Europe.
 
I understand it is an almost pure strain—far more lethal than what the North Koreans have developed…"

"I would advise restraint in the strongest terms, Majesty,” Reginald said quickly, a sliver of fear rippling down his spine like a thousand tiny spiders.
 
“If an ultra-purified strain of this virus is released before we have the cure—"

“The Cleansing will go ahead as planned,” said Lady Howard, “regardless of what our friends in Moscow want to do to their neighbors.”
 
Her wrinkled face dared someone to contradict her, but no one rose to the challenge.

Good Lord, you and the Russians will kill us all.
 
I just need another two days…

Reginald squared his shoulders.
 
“I don't know about you, Madam, but I do not intend to be one of the fallen.
 
If the Russians release their reserves ahead of schedule, they run the risk of killing every single human on the planet.
 
Except
Subject 14.”
 
Reginald shook his head in exasperation.
 
Bloody Russians.

“I see I must remind you all," he said in his most commanding tone, "of the extreme pathology of this virus.
 
We are playing God with this organism—one which has proven to be the most destructive biological threat mankind has ever faced.
 
Now that the North Koreans have completely butchered the viral RNA, one false step on our part could release something that will make the Black Death look no worse than the common cold."

"I assure you, the Council shall wait for your signal, Earl Dunkeith," said the King.
 
Reginald could not be sure, but he thought he detected a hint of worry on the face of the exiled monarch.