Left Behind Series - The Remnant Part 12

Chang had skipped lunch, so when his day was over he went back to his quarters by way of the central mess and filled a bag with food. There was so much he wanted to listen to, but top priority was tracking his sister. He didn't know if his parents were on the move or already in hiding, but they would be vulnerable regardless, without the mark of loyalty.

He had sent them contact information on an underground church in their province, but he had never heard back whether they had or would try to make a connection.

How would Ming find them if he didn't even know where they were?

And how long would it take her to get to China, heading east out of the United North American States?

The mood was somber in the palace complex. Everyone seemed in a hurry to get to their quarters. It had been a strange day. Who had not seen the attack on the rebels, and was anyone snowed by the so-called technical difficulties that suddenly swept the coverage from the air, just when the pilot clearly said he thought he saw people alive below?

Chang casually glanced up and down the corridor, quickly entered his quarters, and locked the door. He ran his computer through a quick program that checked his room for bugs. It showed his systems, installed by David Ha.s.sid and left for his use and safekeeping, still secure and running normally.

Chang wolfed down fruit and crackers, then checked his e-mail.

There was his confirmation, addressed to the bogus name he used as an operative of the Global Community aviation administration.

"Pa.s.senger, GC Peacekeeper Chang Chow from sector , riding with

pilot Lionel Whalum, Long Grove, IL. Flight plan

nonstop to Pawleys Island, South Carolina. Round trip for Whalum.

Mr. Chow's papers in order, destination San Diego, California.

Note: Whalum did not bear the mark of loyalty, but Mr. Chow a.s.serted that he would see to it when they arrived in South Carolina."

Chang fired off a thanks, then searched the database for flights from Pawleys Island to San Diego. A flier scheduled for that route the next day rang a bell in Chang's mind. It was a Co-op pilot. So Ming was using Co-op people to get herself to China.

Was whalum Co-op too? He ran a search against Chloe's records.

Nothing. If he was Co-op, he hadn't been used yet, or at least she hadn't logged him. Maybe he used another name, or maybe Chloe was behind in entering her records.

Chang checked the international GC database, and while the search engine looked for Whalum, he finished eating. He came back to the computer to find a photo of and an entire page on Lionel Whalum of Long Grove, Illinois. The man was black, of African descent.

He and his wife and three kids had moved from Chicago to the suburbs when his business became successful. He had won many civic and business awards. His loyalty to the Global Community was listed as "unknown, but not suspicious."

Chang switched to another database and copied information for a loyalty oath administration center at Statesville in Illinois.

Switching back to Whalum's records, he changed the loyalty designation to "confirmed," doc.u.mented by the GC squadron in Statesville on the date Whalum had received his mark. If he was Co-op, that would take the heat off. And it ought to tip off Ming that Chang was watching out for her.

A tone sounded on Chang's computer and scrolling type informed him, and all other GC personnel, of "the unfortunate loss of both pilots involved in the attack on rebel forces today. Due to pilot error, their payloads missed the target by more than a mile, and the insurgents fired missiles that destroyed both planes. The Global Community expresses its sympathy to the families of these heroes and martyrs to the cause of world peace."

Chang quickly flipped to the hangar manifests and found that both multimillion-Nick aircraft were back and accounted for. The morgue listed both pilots as "deceased remains delivered from crash sites in the Negev." Their personnel records had already been flagged in red with the date of their deaths.

He called up the recording from Akbar's office around the time the first flier would have returned. There was clear conversation with Akbar's secretary and the pilot being escorted to the conference room. A few minutes later came the pleasantries, the invite to sit again. Then Suhail. "Good effort out there today, man."

"Thank you, sir," came the answer with a British accent. "Perfect execution. Felt good."

"I'm sorry. You're unaware then that your mission failed?"

"Sir?"

"That the outcome was negative?"

"I don't follow, Director. Both incendiaries were bull's-eyes, and the entire area was consumed, as ordered. When I turned for home, the missile had been launched, and according to what I heard-"

"You seriously don't know that you missed your target. "

"Sir, if the coordinates were correct, we did not miss.

"There were no casualties, young man."

"Impossible. I saw people there before we launched, and I saw nothing but fire for several minutes before I left."

"The effort was there, as I said. Unfortunately, human error resulted in utter failure."

"I don't . . . I'm not . . . I'm . . . at a loss, sir."

"You will be demoted, and the party line is that you don't know how such a significant oversight could have occurred. "

"Begging your pardon, sir, but I am not convinced it occurred!"

"I'm telling you it occurred, and that is what you will tell anyone who wants to know."

"I will not! Either you prove to me we missed our target or I will maintain to everyone I know that this mission went off without a hitch."

"You will see in due tune reconnaissance photos that show no loss of life in Petra."

"You've seen these?"

"Of course I have."

"And you have no doubt as to their veracity?"

"None, son."

There was a long pause. The young man's voice sounded pitiful. "If there is one survivor on that mountain, it's a miracle. You know what we dropped there. You ordered it yourself! It can't be explained away, and I won't take the heat for it."

"You already have. You and your compatriot will be rea.s.signed, and you know how to respond to "

"I will not testify to something I don't believe, sir."

"Come, come, mister. I see the on your hand and the image of our leader. You're a loyal citizen. You contribute to the cause, you ".

"Would the potentate want me to say I made a mistake when I didn't?"

"But you did."

"I did not."

"His Excellency is most disappointed in you, son."

"I'm not doing it, Director Akbar."

"Excuse me?"

"I won't play along. I take great pride in my work. I didn't question the order. I believed these people were dangerous and a threat to the global Community. I did what I was instructed to do, and I did it right. No one can tell me we missed the primary target or that our s didn't waste that whole area and all those people. If you have evidence that proves concretely that they survived, then I'm going to call it what it is. I'll accept no demotion and I won't parrot a party line. If those people are still alive, they're superior to us. If they are still alive, they win. We can't compete with that."

"You realize you leave me no choice." "We cannot have personnel s.h.i.+rk responsibility for their own errors."

"You will not be able to silence me."