Cutter started explaining to Garrett how, sopping wet, he had eluded the mass of police who had converged on the water park the day before and stole a car that he drove to Tuscon. There, under an assumed name and using falsified documents, he boarded a plane that took him back to Seattle. As they walked back from the Orcas compound’s helipad, Garrett held up his hand to say that was enough. The details of Cutter’s escape were unimportant to him. The fact that he had the suitcase was all that mattered.
Although the test aboard Hayden’s plane had potentially compromised the whole operation when it turned back to the mainland unexpectedly, he had to consider it a success. It proved that the Arkon-B could be administered in a non-laboratory environment. Now he was assured that the delivery method for Arkon-C for the Genesis Dawn would be equally effective.
He had considered going ahead with the plan for the cruise ship without testing it first, but that course of action would have been risky. If it hadn’t worked, and the device was discovered prematurely, it would have been difficult to mount a second attempt. Possible, because of his backup facility in Switzerland. The bunker under his castle near Bern was functional, but not nearly as comfortable as Oasis. Once Garrett had realized it would be more efficient to have all of his scientists and followers in one location, he had consolidated everything at Orcas Island and put the Swiss laboratory into hibernation. He could revive it at a later time, but only if necessary.
“Of course,” Garrett said to Cutter, “this means you can’t accompany me to the Genesis Dawn to activate the device.”
“I could wear a disguise…” Cutter protested. Garrett understood. Cutter was as eager to be a part of the final operation as Garrett was. But Garrett couldn’t allow anything to jeopardize their plans now.
“No, you’ll stay. Take care of the preparations here. When I return, we should be ready to button up. Everyone is due to arrive in the next two days. It’s just a matter of double-checking our stores and procedures.”
“Yes, sir. But what about Locke? Our contact said that he went to Coleman’s office.”
“That avenue was thoroughly sealed off, both from Coleman’s death, and the subsequent scrubbing of his files. No, without the device, he won’t be able to make a connection to us. I thought Watson might have implicated me directly, which is why I wanted Tyler killed. Now it’s obviously not necessary. Believe me, I know Tyler. If he knew anything remotely close to the truth, he would have come after me by now. He might have a few clues, but nothing that he’ll put together before it’s too late.”
“And you completely trust our contact?”
Garrett nodded. “Absolutely. In fact, after I heard about your misadventures in Phoenix, I told him to meet me in Miami. He’ll ensure that the device is activated after I leave.”
When he had first heard about the Genesis Dawn’s inaugural sailing, Garrett knew it was the perfect way to launch the New World. The official maiden voyage of the world’s largest and most luxurious cruise ship had been booked solid for years, but Garrett used the considerable clout that his billions gave him to rent the biggest suite on the ship. As part of the deal, he had promised to attend the inaugural gala. Going to the party was an annoyance, but the cabin was perfect for his needs, so he had readily agreed.
The ship would cruise to New York and then on to the major seaports of Europe, where thousands of dignitaries and passengers from around the globe would board to tour the immense vessel or even travel for a few days before disembarking, carrying their tales of the ship back to their home countries.
The entire itinerary was 40 days exactly. The same 40 days as Noah’s Flood. When Garrett had seen the itinerary, he knew it was a sign. How apt.
When the passengers left the ship, they would travel through the busiest airports in the world. It was a perfect way to transmit the Arkon-C worldwide in a matter of weeks. By the time anyone realized the true source of the disease, it would be too late. It would have been unwittingly communicated around the world.
Garrett had been disappointed when he and his scientists had developed Arkon-B, the type he had used for the test on Hayden’s plane. Although it produced the effect he wanted, it worked much too fast. The infected would be quarantined. A few thousand might have been killed. But that wasn’t his plan. He needed a variant that would work more slowly.
It had taken another year to develop Arkon-C, but it finally allowed him to put his plan for the New World in motion. There was, of course, no cure, so once the Arkon-C was communicated worldwide, nothing would stop it. A few isolated groups might live through the outbreak, but it would be by sheer luck. Garrett’s computer models estimated less than a million survivors worldwide. All he and his followers would have to do was wait it out and emerge as the leaders of the New World.
Which was why he had put so much of his fortune into building Oasis. His own underground ark. It would forever be known as Garrett’s Ark.
How ironic, he thought, that finding Noah’s Ark had made his own vision possible. For a brief moment, he had considered releasing news of his discovery to the world, his lifelong dream realized. But the discovery had enabled a new dream, one grander and even more profound. God had seen fit to make him the conduit for rebuilding the earth in his vision.
He would be the Noah of a new generation. The father of all that would come in the New World. It was a heavy burden, but he knew that God saw something in him that generations would come to venerate.
The birth of the New World would be painful, as birth often is. Yet he was confident he would be seen as the hero he was, as God’s representative who would usher in a golden era of mankind.
His companion for the New World, his beloved Svetlana, walked over to him followed by a servant carrying her luggage. She would be there at the gala to toast the beginning of the New World with him.
“You look happy,” she said. “Are you ready?”
“Do you realize,” he said, “that we’re about to embark on the greatest journey in history? One even greater than Noah’s.”
“I do,” she replied. “I’m so excited. But this is the last time I’ll be able to wear an Armani original, so let’s hope it doesn’t rain.”
THIRTY-TWO
Locke returned to the TEC Wednesday afternoon. Aiden hadn’t found the identity of the hijackers in the FBI or military databases yet, so Locke had been running the video of the car going through the TEC’s front gate, trying to find some clue about their identities. Grant Westfield, having finished dismantling the Liebherr, joined him in the screening room, and a disturbing look crossed his face as soon as he saw the video.
“Son of a bitch,” Grant said.
“What’s wrong?”
“I know him.”
“Which one?”
“The driver. The one that got away. His name is Dan Cutter.”
“How do you know him?”
“I served with him in Iraq.”
“Rangers?”
Grant sat heavily, the chair creaking under the load. “For about four months. Just long enough to get to know how dirty he played it.”
This was the first Locke had heard any details about Grant’s troubles in the Army’s special forces detachment. Locke had served in the Army before 9/11 and had returned to his unit as a reservist. In Afghanistan and then Iraq where Locke was a company commander, he had developed a close friendship and rapport with Grant, his first sergeant. Over Locke’s strenuous objections, Grant had been transferred to the Ranger Orientation Program because of his reputation as an electronics whiz, which they desperately needed for special forces. Combined with his combat skills, he was a formidable team member.
For all Locke knew, everything in Grant’s detachment was going well until two years later, near the time when Grant reached his in-service date. Locke was already out at that point. He thought Grant was going to re- enlist, but something happened that made Grant ask him about getting a job in the real world, so Locke gladly made him a partner at Gordian. Grant had never talked about his Ranger service except for vague references to an
