Outcome of Chapter 12 Plot Hinge: Both Don Quixote and Macbeth were available for checkout at the Guelph Public Library main branch. As a result, Isaiah’s breakout plan has been successful! Will was able to reach the control booth to keep the gate open and they have stolen Kruschack’s journal from the Windigos.
The giant cloud of dust below his position came from the fifteen SUVs racing south along the mountain roads. Each of those vehicles was loaded with agents, most of whom Agent Isaiah had personally trained. They had virtually emptied the Canmore facility, leaving behind a skeleton crew and a few agents Bellakov thought might be a bit too loyal to Isaiah for their own good. The rest had been dispatched after the escapees.
A much smaller cloud of dust could be seen less than a kilometer ahead; coming from the lumbering prison transport Isaiah had jacked from the courtyard.
Davidson looked further down the road. The local police busied themselves with the final touches on the roadblock Ms. Bellakov had demanded, blocking off access to the highway. Having the chief of police in their pocket had its perks.
“I’ve got a lock on the target, sir,” the pilot said through the headset.
“Nope,” Agent Davidson replied, popping a stick of gum in his mouth. “Bellakov wants the kid alive.” A shame, really. He was dying to test out the new weapons systems on this thing.
Anyways, tt wouldn’t be necessary. Davidson watched as the large cloud of dust swallowed up the little one; his agents surrounding their prey. A minute later the cloud had settled as the prison transport was forced to a halt. An army of Windigos ringed the vehicle, weapons drawn.
“Wooo!” Davidson yelled, slapping the pilot on the back. “Looks like we’ll be home for dinner after all.” Bagging Isaiah was going to look good come review time. “Davidson to Klemm,” he said, connecting with his lead agent on the ground. “Are the prisoners secure?”
No response. “Agent Klemm. Report.”
“Uh, yeah, the driver has been secured,” Agent Klemm said finally, his voice crackling over the headset. “But we’ve got a problem sir.”
Agent Davidson suddenly felt uneasy.
“It’s Isaiah and the Dalton kid,” Klemm continued. “They’re not here, sir!”
The uneasiness turned to queasiness.
They had virtually emptied the Canmore facility, leaving behind a skeleton crew. A skeleton crew. “Oh, God,” Davidson said. “Everybody! Back to HQ – now!”
Meanwhile, back at HQ…
“Explain to me again why we’re not halfway to Calgary by now?” Will asked as he and the Man in Charge snaked their way through the deserted corridors of the Windigo Facility. Well, near deserted. Agent Isaiah had been leaving a trail of unconscious guards behind him like a trail of breadcrumbs.
“Because, Mr. Dalton,” Isaiah answered matter-of-factly as he shot out another camera. “The third Ma’chavu key is here, not Calgary.”
The Ma’chavu keys. Will still wasn’t sure what it all meant. Or why he had one of those keys tattooed on his shoulder. The journal Gable had given him before speeding off in the prison transport was apparently another one.
“Well, as much as I’m enjoying being part of your key collection,” Will said, “I’m not so thrilled at being inside one of these facilities again.”
“Relax, Mr. Dalton. I got you out of Buenos Aires, I’ll get you out of here.”
A bit of plaster exploded off the wall next to Will’s face as the sound of gunfire suddenly filled the hallway. Relax. Right. Agent Isaiah grabbed Will and pushed him through a doorway. Isaiah followed in after and slammed the door closed behind him. Will did a quick scan of the room. It looked like a cafeteria. It also looked like there was only one way in or out of it.
Isaiah pulled a few items from the pack he had taken from one of the fallen agents and quickly affixed something to the door. A red light blinked on the small device. “Get back,” he said, flipping one of the tables over and ducking behind it.
The sound of pounding footsteps could be heard in the hallway, approaching the doorway. “Come on in, boys,” Agent Isaiah muttered.
The door didn’t open. Will peeked over the table just as a battering ram came crashing through the cafeteria wall several feet away from the door. Five agents poured in through the hole. Isaiah jumped to his feet and pointed his gun at the agents. They pointed theirs right back.
Theirs were bigger.
After a few tense seconds, the standoff ended and Agent Isaiah dropped his weapon, kicking it toward the Windigos.
One of the agents removed his helmet and jerked a thumb toward the door. “Rigged it to blow, didn’t you?” he said with a thick Australian accent.
“Worked in Panama,” Isaiah replied.
The Aussie chuckled. “Yeah. I remember. Why’d you think I came through the wall?”
Agent Isaiah smiled. The first real smile Will had ever seen on him. The other four agents, two men, two women, removed their helmets and holstered their weapons. The Aussie, however, kept his drawn and pointed at the Man in Charge.
“Are you insane, Donovan?” one of the women said. “Do you have any idea the kind of trouble you’re in? You remember what the Chinese did to you in ’08? That’s nothing compared to what Bellakov’s going to do.”
“Yeah, boss,” one of the other agents said. “This is loco.”
“I know, Diez,” Isaiah said. “But right now I need you to trust me. And I need you to get me and the kid to the 12th floor.” He turned his attention back to the Aussie. “I need my Panama Crew.”
Plot Hinge: May Day, May 1st, 2012
May 1st is International Workers’ Day, a celebration of the international labour movement, which usually involves marches by working people in countries all over the world. We’ll use this date to decide who the Panama Crew really works for: Irene Bellakov or Agent Isaiah.
- If at 12 noon (EST) on May 1st, the homepage of the National Post has a story about May Day/International Workers’ Day, then Agent Isaiah’s Panama Crew will remain loyal to him and will help him get to the 12th floor.
- If there is no story about May Day, then the Panama Crew will remain loyal to Bellakov and lock up Agent Isaiah and Will.
Chapter 14 goes live on May 3rd! How do you like the story so far? Feel free to leave comments below or email me your thoughts, questions and ideas. And if you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe in the top right of the screen to receive email notifications whenever a new chapter is posted.
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