Fallingwater was submerged in heavy snow. Like a lantern in a lonely house on the beach, the flickering orange to yellow light that seemed to flow with the updraft in the wind, gave this solid sanctuary the look of a jack o’lantern. Tonight it was a temporary home to six people, all with different life stories and reasons for being there. In an odd way, it was an accidental retreat for them to be here, but when they left Fallingwater, their lives would be different because of this early winter night in this historic mountain retreat. Fallingwater was for one night a sanctuary that would affect their lives, forever.
The night at Fallingwater had gone as Martin had anticipated. He stayed up throughout the night after relieving Warlock at midnight. The four prisoners had fallen asleep, the Africano ladies lying across the floor in front of the fire on mattresses, and the Anglos lying next to each other until daybreak. Dawn came suddenly for Martin in the form of brilliant light poking poked through the snow laden limbs of the myriad of trees that surrounded the mountain home. He looked at Warlock who was face down on a mattress with several heavy, brown military blankets pulled over his prostrate body. He snored loudly even as the morning arrived.
At night Martin had walked through the house with his flashlight. He could make out little in the darkness, but tried to assimilate what was so unique about this supposed classic structure. He looked for any loose stones or crevices where Sloan may have hidden a disc. He found absolutely nothing. The structure was small,
uncomfortable, and obviously designed for a small family, either in size of numbers. He realized how tired he was and his body ached from the days of uncomfortable positions in the Skimmer and the various places he tried to sleep. Strangely, as he watched light overtake the darkness outside, he felt extreme physical tiredness as well as emotional exhilaration in what he had accomplished. He also realized that not finding the data was actually a good thing because it would get Security actively involved with Sloan. His mind wandered as he looked around the scene in front of him. He had come a long way since his days playing soccer amongst the burnt out cars on the field beside the empty Catholic Church. None of those here had any clue as to what he had gone through to get where he was this morning. After this day, his future would be secured.
Throughout the night he hadn’t slept for more than an hour. The fire had dwindled down to a gentle crackling.
The weather had broken and it looked like it would be a clear morning. ‘We can get out of here”, he thought.
Martin turned back to the group and froze. Isabelle, the tall lady from South Carolina was on her feet, pointing a large pistol at him. He straightened up, scared by the angry look in her broad black face. Her white eyes glowered at him. Beside her the Elena stood with a weapon pointed at Warlock, who was still asleep. What really tightened Martin’s stomach and actually brought a slight gasp, was looking at Sloan and Morgan get up and walk towards him.
Martin noticed they were fully dressed in outdoor gear. No one spoke as the four came up to him. Finally, Isabelle said, “Mr. McDonald, we are taking control of this situation. You and Major Warlock will be treated with respect, but you are now prisoners of the UNIS. We have an international warrant for the apprehension of Mr. Kurt Sloan and Miss Elizabeth Morgan of the State of Alleghenia of the Republic of Atlantica.”
McDonald was, for the first time, speechless. He could not believe what was happening. He looked over at Warlock who still had not moved.
“Our mission is to escort Mr. Sloan and Miss Morgan from here. We will not harm either of you, but we will stun you into unconsciousness if you attempt to either escape or stop Lt. Carver and me. Do you understand?”
Martin looked at her, recovered from the shock and said, “I don’t understand anything. You are in Atlantica.
You are interfering with an internal legal apprehension of a traitor. When my government understands what you are attempting to do, it will bring their full wrath on you personally and who you represent,” Martin said, getting more strength as he talked.
“That’s quite understandable, Mr. McDonald. Well said, actually, but that has nothing to do with our mission which will end in two hours. From that time on, when you’re able, you and Major Warlock will be able to leave freely. We wish you no harm.”
At that moment Warlock rolled over and looked up to see Elena holding a weapon pointed at him. He jumped up, but she pushed him back against the wall with great strength and agility which completely surprised the large man. “What the fuck are you doing?” he screamed.
“We are taking over this operation, Major,” Elena countered.
“Taking what over? This is a Security operation of Atlantica. Who the hell are you and what are you doing pointing that thing at me?” he said as he looked over at Elena. “You don’t know what you are doing ladies. This will get you killed. Our country seeks passive solutions, but not when it comes to holding two of their own at gunpoint.”
Isabelle said, “Makes sense. That is our code also, Major. We just work for different powers with different agendas. Ours is based in Paris and we are to bring these two back to our headquarters, today,” she firmly said.
“You are with the UN?” Warlock asked.
“We are, UNIS, to be specific. You two will be allowed to fly out of here in three hours for wherever you want to go, Pittsburgh I presume. We will be leaving in two hours. In the meantime, we’ll pack our belongings and place yours in the guest quarters. We’ll also clean up Fallingwater for the next visitors. Right now, I want you to go over by the fireplace where you can use your own wrist cuffs plus our locking device. Go now, please,”
Isabelle said. Neither man moved. Isabelle kicked Martin in his rear and yelled, “Now, Mr. McDonald, move, I can be a very impatient person.” Martin looked at her and then slowly walked over to the fireplace and slid down against the wall. Warlock looked with angry eyes at the gun pointed at him by Elena. She waved the weapon at him without saying a word and he slowly got up, walked over to Martin, and moved down the stone ledge. They both had expressions of disbelief on their faces.
“Martin and Warlock put the cuffs on and snapped the clips shut. Elena went over and checked both wrist locks.
“There, good,” she said, stepping back.
“Now loop that wire connection over both your wrists and push in the timer,” Isabelle instructed. Both men hooked the wire through their wrist cuffs. The wire had a small black box attached with a red light blinking.
Elena checked the wire and the box.
“Good,” she said, stepping back again.
“Okay, relax men. You have a wait ahead.”
“Elena, get all the items they collected from Sloan and Elizabeth, tellcom’s and anything else you find. We don’t want any of it left for them to take,” she said. She looked at Kurt and continued, “Mr. Sloan. I would like you and Elena to go outside and see if you can get up the walkway. I need you to get to their Skimmer in the parking area. We’ll use that for the location for our pick-up. Check it out and come right back. I have to call our contact whose waiting for my signal to land. Once the contact is made, it will take twenty minutes to reach us., but with all that snow we don’t know the condition of the lot. Elizabeth, you pack our bags and put everything in the kitchen area. I’ll stay here with them. You two better get going. The sooner you get back, the sooner I can call our people.”
Kurt and Elena grabbed their outer jackets and left. Elizabeth began to collect the loose items around the living room, putting them into piles for each person. Martin and Warlock watched from their places against the wall.
When Elizabeth went into the hallway, Isabelle remained.
Martin looked up at Isabelle and said to her, “How can an Africano be doing this to me and our country. You are a traitor just like Sloan. No different, except you’re a traitor to your parents and to your African heritage.”
Isabelle didn’t respond right away but looked at Martin. She walked over to him and said, “McDonald you have no clue what I’m all about. You don’t know what I’ve gone through in my life. Here’s what I do know,
McDonald. I know that I am working to bring peace to this world for all people and in this case, life through its basic source, water. Listen to what I say, McDonald. All people, black, white, yellow, tan, and combinations thereof, need water to survive. My job with UNIS is to secure solutions when there are people or countries trying to control others and create conditions that might bring countries to the brink of war. If our information is correct, this is a perfect example of why we are here to help alleviate a problem that’s about to break loose. It’s that simple, McDonald.”
“Sounds good, but I’m trying to help this new country of Latino and Africano people be in control of their future. This Aquifer is our water system. I am sure our government will work out some allocation program, but in the meantime, let Warlock and I take this Anglo traitor to Pittsburgh. Maybe by getting the data he stole, our government will take that as an overture from the UN. That you are acting in good faith.”
“I’m not here to debate with you or anyone, McDonald. These are not my orders. Warlock will understand what that means. The UN is the only legitimate arbiter. This information will put everyone at the same level. So, just sit back. You will be allowed to leave in less than three hours and you can explain all this to your superiors in Alleghenia. This is bigger than you, me, or Major Warlock. You two will go to Pittsburgh shortly, but without Sloan or Elizabeth.”
“You’re Africano. You have forgotten your roots,” Martin said angrily.
Isabelle responded slowly, “McDonald, I was born in Ghana and educated in France by a UN service
organization. My childhood was spent living five feet off the ground in a shack, until my father could build a hut. We lived on what we grew or what we got from UN food deliveries. That’s why I work them.” Then she cocked her head towards McDonald and smiled, saying, “Ghana is my home, there is where my heart is and it has tremendous water problems. I know the importance of fresh, clean water. This mission I am on is important to the UN and to me.
Warlock, who had been listening, spoke, “A couple of questions.”
“Sure go ahead,” Isabelle quickly answered.
“How did you get to Ohiopyle and where did you get those weapons? As a Security person myself, I need to know.”
“We were dropped by chutes outside Ohiopyle because of the landing field near our destination, Fallingwater.
We had to get here by noon yesterday and we had to leave by noon tomorrow. It was a three day window.
Ironically, you just got us here sooner than expected. When we saw your Security Skimmer, we were surprised because your presence had not been monitored. We were prepared to neutralize anyone who tried to interfere with our mission. But you interrupted our plan. That caused us to rethink our plan,” she said.
“Okay, but we disarmed you.”
“You did, but not completely. On our person we had these weapons. Note how thin they are. We had them inside our thighs, which we hoped you wouldn’t inspect and you didn’t. Last night we disengaged and put them together. Does that answer your questions, Major?”
“Unfortunately, it does. It’s my fault for not doing a thorough body searc. Clever, I must say,” he replied.
“But we had you captured. What were you going to do if we hadn’t stopped here,” McDonald asked.
“The fallback was Elena’s slide gun. Show them,” Isabelle said.
Elena reached down and extracted a slim, blue laser gun from her hiking boot.
“Our plan was to immobilize McDonald and force you to take the Skimmer down, but fortunately, that was unnecessary,” she said.
“My God, we really screwed up,” Warlock said.
At that moment Elizabeth came back into the living area.
“All of their things are set aside for Kurt to take to the guest quarters,” she said. “I need to finish packing our stuff.”
Kurt and Elena returned from the Skimmer. His face was flushed. He looked at Martin and Warlock, then over at Isabelle, “The pathway is deep with snow, but it’s melting fast. The sun is already working on the drifts. We cleared a space about the size of the Skimmer. Is that enough?”
“That’s good,” Isabelle answered. “Elizabeth, give everyone some food packs. Kurt would you take their gear to the guest quarters while Elizabeth and Elena finish packing.”
In the next hour the gear was packed ready for their departure. Fallingwater was thoroughly cleaned of debris from their stay. Isabelle went outside and made her contact call. The temperature inside had risen as the sun beamed in through the windows.
“Okay, your backpacks and personal items are in the guest quarters. Once we have entered a safety zone we will release the locks and you can retrieve your items. I want to say to you, as a representative of the UN, I understand what you were trying to do. Actually Mr. McDonald, I admire you for your determination to protect your country and Major, I certainly admire your dedication to your profession. Having said gentlement, we leave you in peace and in safety. Please convey how you were treated to your superiors. We are leaving.”
Kurt was standing in the living area, backpack tightly fixed over his shoulders. He walked over and looked down at Martin. “McDonald, I must tell you, you were right all along. I did take data at first for my father’s legacy, but then I realized I needed something to convince the authorities at Columbia to give me passage. The Aquifer data provided me with both. When I learned of Atlantica’s plan to blackmail other countries for water, I was incensed. Fortunately, through contact with the UN, I will be able to supply them information that will help them mediate this problem. Everything miraculously fell into place. McDonald, only trouble can result when water is used as a weapon. You still have your country. What the UN will accomplish will be used to benefit all people,” he ended. He looked at McDonald and added, “I guess you’ll come out of this okay. For me, I’m leaving the land I love. I hope that somehow you and your country can get over your insecurities. If I had one piece of advice, it would be to accept Anglos who want to come back and be part of this county. Welcome them back and value their expertise. If you do, you will achieve a truly democratic society. Good luck, McDonald. I hope you find what you want.”
Martin replied, “To the end, a philosopher. Go Sloan to your land. Maybe we’ll bump into each other again. I’ll be in Paris in a few months. Come on over and maybe we can have a beer some night, like the good old days,”
he said smugly. “Our country is better off with you leaving. At least I know that much. If I had anything to do with that, I’m happy. But you know, Sloan, you’re still a traitor, no matter what you may think you’ve done.
That’s who you are,” he said.
‘The man didn’t learn a thing,’ Kurt thought.
Martin asked, “Who helped you Sloan? That Puerto Rican friend? The good Dr. Alexander? Who gave you the UN connection?”
Kurt was surprised by the question, forgetting it was a loose end. He didn’t answer right away, but then said,
“Martin, you know their both my friends. As a matter of fact, Dr. Alexander encouraged me to stay because he felt I could record the history of Atlantica. Raoul didn’t want me to leave. I left them both as good friends. As far as the UN contact, I’ll let that question go unanswered. I’m just glad it was made and frankly you should be to.”
Isabelle interjected herself in the debate that was going nowhere and said. “Okay, enough of that, we have to get moving,”
“You two, your locks are on timers which will be released by Elena over the Atlantic. So, adieu,” she said and the four of them went out the front door.
It was like a death knell in the mountain home with the stream noise cutting through the silence. McDonald looked over at Warlock who whose face was tight.
“Well, I was right, but this is not the way it was supposed to end,” Martin said quietly, looking straight ahead to the empty living area.
“No, this is not the way any mission of mine has ever ended. I am Security. It was my fault for not frisking the ladies when we first found them. I got their obvious weapons and they conned me, plain and simple.”
“They conned us, Warlock. I hadn’t a clue that this whole thing was such an international affair. My God, what they said about Nuevo York. Do you think they really would use the Aquifer for gaining trading concessions?”
“Of course they would. I knew about that when I took the assignment. My superior is in Nuevo York, not Pittsburgh. He told me six months ago that the Natural Resources Administration will be operating the Aquifer and that it would become the key to Atlantica’s power. What we didn’t know is that your search had become an international affair. No one had a clue. It’s amazing what you turned up, McDonald. The result is that their going to screw up our government’s leverage. At least we can warn them of what we know. That may help a bit,“I don’t know what I’m going to tell the Administration when we explain what happened. What do you think?”
“The truth, goddamnit, the fucking truth. They will understand when we tell them that UNIS agents, posing as refugees, surprised us and took our prisoners. As I said, it will alert them as to what the UN will be doing in the coming months. Don’t forget the Administration was blindsided on this one. We have no choice, McDonald.
We’ll just have to wait because there’s no way we can get out of this fucking lock mechanism. I really screwed up,” Warlock exclaimed. “Before you know it, you’ll be going to Paris. But for what you did, you’ll still get points. So buck up, I’ll have you home by noon.”
“Home, my home is in Jamaica, man. My life is in Alleghenia, then Paris and hopefully Nuevo York. Some day I’ll get back to my home. Some day I’ll be sitting on my favorite beach, sipping a cervaza. But not yet, I have a lot to accomplish. I have big plans, Major, and who knows, maybe I’ll see that guy Sloan again, somewhere, sometime.”