Veilleur was nodding. 'That's the grave. I visit it every so often, trying to decipher its purpose, what it means.'
'And…?'
'I remain baffled. But I have a feeling a few of my questions may be answered tonight.'
'How do these 'feelings' work?'
He shrugged. 'I'm not sure. After millennia of being connected to the Ally and fighting the One, I suppose I became sensitized. No doubt I lost some of that sensitivity along with my immortality, but enough remains to sense singularities and incongruities, and sometimes a coalescing and intersecting of forces. That's what I sense happening at Saint Ann's.'
'You think the One's got a plan going?'
'I'm certain he has a number of plans running congruently. That's been the pattern of our struggle down the millennia: We both adhered to the practice of having a backup plan already in motion in case the current strategy fails. But I have a feeling-and I can't say why-that this has nothing to do with opening the way for the Otherness. I sense this is somehow personal.'
Jack remembered something Mack had said.
'Guy I talked to yesterday says the One's been involved in something 'down south,' but didn't know much beyond that.' He glanced at Veilleur. 'What's your plan B?'
'I don't even have plan A. I'm out of this, Jack. I'm old and I'm tired. I can no longer lead. I can serve only in an advisory capacity.'
Swell. But Jack had known that.
'And what do you advise?'
'Stay away from that baby. Other than that…' He shrugged.
Jack pounded his fist on the steering wheel. 'What? How do we fight back without going after the One or the Order? It's like punching smoke.'
Especially frustrating since Rasalom was no longer smoke. The realization that he had been living for the last ten months-at least-right across Central Park from Rasalom had gnawed at Jack since he'd seen that name on the tenants list. He'd been right there. And if he could be located, he could be followed. And if he could be followed, a routine could be established. And if a routine could be established, a trap could be set. And if a trap could be set, one with a big enough payload…
The One becomes the None.
And then it's: Okay, Otherness… now what?
They drove the rest of the way in silence.
Eventually Jack stopped before the cemetery's locked gates. He expected to wait with Veilleur but the old guy surprised him by opening his door and getting out.
'Wait. Where are you going?'
'They should be along soon.'
'Who?'
'That's what I'm here to find out. May I have the gasoline?'
A cold breeze sliced at Jack as he got out and retrieved the can from behind his seat.
'You're gonna freeze your butt off.'
Veilleur took the can. 'I'll be fine. I've endured much colder.'
Jack noted his heavy topcoat, scarf, homburg, and leather gloves. Yeah, he'd come prepared.
'You're sure you don't want me to wait?'
'Positive. I think this will work better if I am alone. Can I call you if I need a ride back?'
'Sure.'
Veilleur waved with his cane and walked off, following the sidewalk that ran along the cemetery's high wall. Jack watched him for a moment, then slid back into the car and headed back to the city.
He turned on the radio and the Stones' 'Miss You' was playing. Loved this song. Usually when it came on he'd empty his head and just follow the bass line. But tonight it made him think of Gia. He wished he was heading to her place instead of his.
2
What are the chances? Kewan wondered as he spliced the wires from the garage door opener receiver to the wires from the two blasting caps. Had to be one in a zillion, but still a chance.
He'd spent the past two days hooking up receivers to the Semtex and C4 he'd positioned earlier in the week. Kewan would have preferred using cell phones, but the high-ups were expecting transmissions to be iffy when kablooie time came, so these were better. Better for the high-ups maybe. Kewan didn't want to be anywhere near this stuff when it went off. Not that the explosions would cause much damage above ground-maybe a little flying pavement, maybe the world's worst potholes-but someone might see him and connect him. The cell would be so much easier and safer. He could sit in a bar on the other side of the world and trigger these things.
At least it was only moderately cold down here. Not like topside where the wind screamed across the fields and scoured the pavement.
Okay. The wires were all twisted up inside their splice caps. Now the weird part-powering up the receiver.
Yeah-yeah-yeah. He knew it was crazy, but what if someone driving nearby just happened to press his garage door opener transmitter at the very moment Kewan installed the batteries, and that transmitter just happened to send the same signal programmed into this receiver?
Kablooie.
But he'd done a shitload of these and it hadn't happened yet. So he took a breath and powered it up. Still holding that breath, he duct-taped the receiver to the fiber optic cable, then headed for the manhole.
Only a couple more left, then he'd go on standby, waiting for the signal to start activating these receivers.
He stuck his little periscope through one of the holes in the manhole cover. All clear, so he pushed up and crawled out.
As he trotted for the shadows where the car hid, his heart rate kicked up. Not from exertion but excitement. Not long now before everything started falling apart. And he'd be partly responsible for the breakdown.
As he drove away he fought the temptation to shove some batteries into the transmitter and press the button. That would guarantee him the honor of firing the first shot. But it also guaranteed him a shitload of trouble if it tipped off the cops and ATF and all the powers that be that trouble was coming.
No, he'd be patient.
3
The phone woke Jack.
As he thumbed the TALK button he realized with a start that it was morning and he hadn't heard from Veilleur about a ride back from the cemetery. Had he caught a cab? Not an easy task in Bayside in the wee hours of the morning. He hoped the old guy hadn't frozen out there. Maybe this was him.
'Yeah?'
'Jack, this is Munir.'
Uh-oh.
'Trouble?'
'Yes. But not personal. I think I know what the Jihad virus intends to do.'
'What?'
'I will need to show you. Can you come over?'
