Revolution No.9

“He doesn’t seem to mind with Motherlode.”

Gle

The casual callousness hit Monks with a pain so deep, it went beyond sorrow. It came to him that there was no point in worrying anymore about who was to blame for all that had gone wrong between them. They were like different, hostile species.

And yet, this was still the son that he had raised. That bond that went all the way down to the DNA in their cells-deeper than the rational mind could ever hope to penetrate-would never be erased.

It was impossible to break through to Gle

Monks walked over to him and gripped him tightly by the upper arm. Gle

“I need you to call for help,” Monks said. “That kid’s going to die if we don’t get him out of here.”

Gle

“If you don’t, his blood’s going to be on your hands. Let that sink in through your tough-guy shell, Gle

Gle

“Come on, you’re the computer ace. There has to be some way.”

“There’s satellite e-mail, but Freeboot changes the password every day. He only gives it to me when he wants something.”

“Is there a vehicle we could steal?”

“They keep all the cars at the security station up the road,” Gle

Monks remembered with icy clarity the group of scalp-hunting maquis that he had seen last night-trained, violent, and well armed.

“Do you have a gun?” he said.

“Dad, you’re fucking crazy-”

Monks shook him hard.

“No,” Gle

So-this failure was absolute. Monks had not really expected Gle

“You’re strung out, at risk, maybe dangerously ill,” Monks said. “And mentally impaired. You’ve bought into whatever fanaticism Freeboot and Shrinkwrap are preaching, but all they’re going to do is take you down.”

He stared hard into his son’s eyes for another ten seconds, then released him. Gle

“I can’t leave here,” Gle

“Of course you can.”

“You don’t understand, man.”

Monks exhaled. “I’m going as soon as it’s dark. Say, twenty minutes. Come over to the lodge if you change your mind.”

“Why the fuck did you bring this on me?” Gle

“You don’t have to tell anybody.”

“I can’t lie to Freeboot.”

Monks shook his head helplessly. There was no answer to that. He clasped Gle

“I love you, Gle

He stepped out into the downpour, leaving Gle

Through the deepening gloom, Monks could just make out the thin figure of Sidewinder. He threw a salute in that direction and walked on to the lodge, clamping off his surging emotions like severed blood vessels-no time to deal with that now.

The lodge was still empty. He quickly checked Mandrake over, and coaxed as much water down him as he would take. His brief improvement had slowed and maybe reversed. Monks had anguished over whether to take him along, or race for freedom in the hopes of sending back help. Trying to carry him would impede Monks severely, and might doom them both.

But while leaving Gle

He was under no illusions about his chances-carrying the boy on foot, without a weapon or even decent gear, they amounted to not much better than nil. The only hope he could see was to beat his pursuers to the thick, brushy timber ahead, where their night goggles would not be of much use. If he made it to the next day’s light, he would try to reach a paved road.

He broke a porcelain cup into shards and used one of them to worry slits in a wool blanket, fashioning it into a serape for himself. It was far from adequate, but wool would at least keep you warm when it was wet. He fashioned another blanket into a sling that he could loop around his shoulders to carry Mandrake. He collected the remaining insulin and syringes into a pillowcase, along with some bread and cheese that he had taken from the kitchen, and stuffed that inside his shirt.

Mandrake seemed only vaguely aware of what was happening when Monks wrapped him in the blanket, pulling his legs through the slits so they would hang free like a baby’s in a carrier.

“Come on, buddy,” Monks whispered. “Let’s go find some mermaids.”

16

Monks quickly pulled up the plywood panels under the kitchen sink, then lowered Mandrake into the crawl space. He followed head first, squeezing his way painfully through the narrow cut-out. There was only about a foot of room between the cold earth and the floor joists. He managed to reach back up and pull the cabinet doors closed. Then he rolled onto his belly and wormed his way forward, pushing Mandrake ahead of him as gently as he could.

The opening in the rock foundation was barely visible now. He pushed Mandrake out and worked his way through, one arm and shoulder at a time. The sharp rock edges scraped his skin through his clothes, and the sluicing rain was already soaking his arms and legs. Finally free, he spent a few seconds on hands and knees, getting his breath. Then he scooped up the little boy and stood, arranging the sling over his shoulders.

“I was just starting to trust you,” Freeboot said, behind him. “You motherfucker.”

Before Monks could turn around, he heard a distinct metallic click-like a gun’s safety being released. A figure stepped into view ahead of him, from around the corner of the building. It was Sidewinder, holding his assault rifle leveled.

Monks sagged.

“Put the kid down,” Freeboot said. He sounded more disgusted than angry, like a teacher whose patience with an unruly student had finally run out. It was more chilling than his rage.

Monks unslung Mandrake and set him on the ground.

“Take off your blanket.”

Monks pulled his homemade serape over his head and tossed it aside.

“Callus,” Freeboot called commandingly.

A third figure came striding toward them from the forest. Monks recalled seeing him at the scalp hunt. Like the other maquis, he was clean-shaven and neat-haired, with an insurance salesman’s look that contrasted jarringly with his backwoods clothes. He was one of the older men, in his thirties, and he had an air of efficiency that was almost prim-but there was a ruthlessness about it, too.

Callus also was carrying a leveled rifle, Monks thought at first. Then he realized that it was a tree branch, four or five feet long and twice as thick as a broomstick.

Something slipped around Monks’s neck, yanking tight. He clutched at it, fighting to free himself from the choking pressure. But it was futile. His fingers felt leather, slippery with rain-Sidewinder’s rifle sling.

Monks drove his right elbow back into Sidewinder’s gut with everything he had. He got the grim satisfaction of feeling Sidewinder double up with an explosive grunt. The sling’s grip loosened. Monks stomped down hard on Sidewinder’s instep with his bootheel, and fought to twist around.