The Kinetic Shield
The ATVs hummed, their specialized tires gripping the jagged limestone of the northern ridge. Amber held tightly to Dan's waist, the wind whipping her hair beneath her helmet. They had left the main road miles ago, navigating through dense ferns and mahogany trees where no paved path existed.
If Amber had not been the tiniest bit terrified it would've been exhilarating. The feel of the terrain beneath them. Dan's muscles rippling as he maintained a hold on the ATV, and the evening sun lighting their way and beginning to cool as they raced along.
There were six other ATV's arrayed around them. The group moved with an odd Synchronized grace, even with trees and shrubbery separating them.
Finally, the team slowed as they approached a sheer rock face covered in hanging vines and moss. To any casual observer, or even a low-altitude drone, it was just another cliffside.
Three of the security split off to set up a perimeter as the final three and Dan came to a full stop before the cliff side.
Dan hopped off his vehicle and helped Amber down. He didn't head for a door. Instead, he walked toward a large, unremarkable boulder embedded in the ferns. He didn't use a key; he placed his hand on a specific patch of moss.
A low, hydraulic hiss echoed through the clearing.
A vertical slit in the mountain, no wider than a person, began to slide inward. It wasn't a cave; the interior was lined with brushed titanium and soft, recessed LED lighting.
"This is the 'Acquisition'?" Amber whispered, her voice echoing in the sterile transition tunnel.
Dan shook his head, leading her inside. "After speaking with Albert and Samuel there was a slight change in plans" The stone door sealed behind the eight of them with a thud that felt final. "It's a Faraday cage on a tectonic scale. Six hundred feet of solid rock above us, and three feet of lead-lined steel in the walls." He have her a deep look. "It was my first purchase out of high school. When I got my first taste of real estate." He shrugged as he looked a bit sheepish. "My parents thought I was crazy for even looking at it so they don't even know I actually bought it." He smiled at her. "But now I am glad I did."
Amber returned his smile. "I am glad you did too." She took his hand even as her thoughts went to the old key in her pocket. Maybe they wouldn't need the ridge after all.
As they walked deeper, the narrow slit opened into a massive, open-concept living space that looked like a high-end loft in Manhattan—if Manhattan were buried under a mountain. One wall was a massive high-definition screen projecting a live, 360-degree view of the mountain peak above them, making it feel like they were standing in the open air.
"How is there power?" Amber asked, looking at the glowing consoles. "How do we talk to the world?"
Dan pointed to a rotating digital map on the wall. "Geothermal loops for power. And for communication, we're using Kinetic Frequency Hopping. Every sixty seconds, our uplink 'bounces' to a different Trace satellite." He shrugged. "There are advantages to being a communication mogul's son. By the time a hacker—or a drone—finds the signal, the handshake has already expired. We're a ghost in the machine, Amber. For the first time in weeks, no one knows where you are."
The security men went to a room off to the right and they continued forward as Dan gave a full tour of the living quarters.
Amber reached into her pocket and felt the cold, rusted iron of the skeleton key Jessica had given her. It felt heavy, a primitive weight in this world of bouncing satellites and titanium. Her worries dissolving for now. Maybe Jessica was right about the way to fight this – Amber didn't know – but she chose to trust her husband. She chose to believe that tech could beat tech. She looked to him with a genuine smile. He took her into his arms and kissed her gently.
She pressed against him. "Is anywhere truly safe, Dan?" she asked softly, looking at the digital sky on the ceiling of their bedroom.
Dan pulled her into his arms, his heart beating steady against hers. "Here, we are. I promise."
As Amber and Dan settled into their latest change Sebastian was following a signal. His eyes were trained on the screen as his hands deftly steered the stealth drone. The monitors seemed to tremble within his vision as he concentrated more and more on the screens.
He had seen the vehicle change and went off searching for Dan. When he accepted Dan was gone he followed a signal he had placed into Amber's handbag long ago, when she was at the bakery. It led him back to the convoy and the vehicle that had entered it.
He was so intent on finding her that he was not thinking this was a decoy. His signal was true. No one could have found the tracker in her purse. He followed the convoy to a Trace-Progressive building. He smiled. He had lost Dan but Dan was not who he wanted.
He narrowed his eyes. He would have to deal with him. Dan was beginning to think Amber was truly his.
Sebastian breathing stopped when he saw all the security get out of the vehicles – one of them carrying Amber's purse – and there was no Amber in sight. His world went black as his brain froze and he slumped over in an extreme panic attack.
He had failed. He had lost her. His mother would not be pleased.