The codes Kade had taken from Shiva’s mind had unlocked this plane, had allowed them to steal it. They’d found it fueled, provisioned, clearly ready for a fast getaway. Kade had pleaded that they take Shiva’s scientists with them as well, rather than leave them to whatever treatment the Burmese might have in mind. But Sam’s face had gone murderous at that suggestion. And in the end, there was simply no room. They’d left them all there – all of Shiva’s staff, scientists and servants and security alike, waking up from the forced unconsciousness Kade had imposed on them – to fend for themselves.

The back wheels of the Falcon came up and they were airborne. Feng looked over at Sam. Her face was cold, hard, harder than he’d ever seen it. She looked older than just a day ago, lines of anger and loss etched into her visage. The Nexus was gone from her brain. Where previously he’d felt her mind there, could touch it if she’d let him, now there was nothing. She gripped the controls like a drowning woman, clinging tightly to her last chance of rescue.

“Course laid in,” Feng told her. “Flight time to Indian Andaman Islands… eighty-eight minutes.”

Sam nodded silently and flew them up and into the night sky, as Feng sat back and fretted about his friends.

Chapter 89: Two Scandals

89

TWO SCANDALS

Saturday November 3rd

Transcript: American News Network – Breaking News

Announcer: Two scandals rocked the election today. Fresh on the heels of this morning’s bombing in Houston, a bombing which killed Senator Daniel Chandler, the front runner in the race for Texas governor, documents and videos have surfaced that may change the presidential race dramatically. For more, we’re going to Brad MItchell in Washington. Brad?

Reporter: Diane, the Beltway is in chaos tonight with these new allegations. Around noon today, ANN and other networks received graphic video showing children being apparently tortured by Department of Homeland Security personnel – specifically part of the controversial Emerging Risks Directorate – as part of a crackdown on the street drug Nexus. Along with the video came documents that purportedly – if they’re real – showed plans to build long-term “residence centers” for children using Nexus that can only be compared to concentration camps.

Announcer: But that wasn’t all, was it, Brad?

Reporter: No, it wasn’t, Diane. Just an hour ago, the same anonymous group that sent us the first set of data sent another, even more inflammatory data package. This one contained documents purporting to show – and again, we’re not sure if these are real – purporting to show that the PLF, the Posthuman Liberation Front, the terrorist group that took credit for the bombing in Houston this morning, for the bombing in Chicago two weeks ago, and for the attempted assassination attempt on President Stockton – was actually created by the US Government.