The Asshole App

15. UNDERGROUND ENCLAVE

There are many fates worse than death, the primary one being living without honor. -Tarl Warwick

"You created a failsafe system to override the military's surveillance capacity?" Evie held her chin, contemplating her former boss.

Ray tried to interpret the astonishment on her face. I hope she's more impressed than dismayed.

"What else can you do with that damned device?" Vince stared at the necromancer app, intrigued by the software's Armageddon potential.

"The software's not just for surveillance. With my Industrial Computer Application Retrieval Utility System, I can stop-gap the military's entire defense system. Like Daedalus, trying to reign in his son." Proudly, he exhibited ICARUS's winged icon, flapping on his phone.

"My God," Evie covered her mouth with her hand. "that phone has the potential to kill us or save us at the push of a button. Did it ever occur to you that you might be Icarus, flying too close to the sun, Raymond?"

"I know these people, Evelyn. They're power-hungry psychopaths." He put his phone away. "My company helped create this monster. If it can't be fixed, it needs to be destroyed." He saw the concern in her eyes. "Don't worry, I don't have a God complex." Not an insurmountable one.

"That's great, but now we're gonna glow more than the CIA," Vince said. "We're the ones who're gonna get irradiated once they go full scorched earth on us."

"They can't trace ICARUS. It's virtually undetectable." Ray argued.

"Virtually?" Vince rolled his eyes.

"Why didn't you disable all of their satellites when they were attacking us?" Evie asked.

Ray shook his head and said, "If I didn't leave some defense and communications systems in place, then the country would be completely vulnerable to attack. There's just as many power-hungry maniacs across the world as there are here."

Vince nodded in agreement. "Kid's right. It's a damned Gordian knot."

"I wish I didn't know about all this potential Judgement Day destruction," Evie said.

Ray gently touched her shoulder. "I'm sorry you and your friends were dragged into this mess, Evelyn. I'm going to figure this out. I promise." Looking into her cocoa-colored eyes, he felt his heart stir.

Vince looked in the rearview mirror. "What'd I say about touching." He swiveled around and glared at Raymond, resting his arm on the headrest.

The CEO met his eyes. "Relax, Vince. I'll guard Evie with my life if I have to. I won't let anything happen to her." Vince frowned unhappily, but didn't say anything.

As twilight waned into night, the sky turned a deep purple, then midnight blue. Deedee pulled into a twenty-four hour truck stop, lit up like a brothel with colorful neon lights. Navigating with her headlights off, she parked the Tesla between two big rigs. Digging into her bodice, she pulled out Agent Mercer's cell phone, still warm after being nestled between her corpulent breasts. "I'll be right back," she said.

Walking between the lines of tractor-trailers, she carefully scanned their licenses. "This rig's goin' cross country," she murmured, choosing a semi with New Jersey plates. "Let the Glowies have fun chasing down Bigfoot's phone for a while." Seeing nobody was around, she opened the eighteen wheeler's door and slid agent Mercer's phone under the floor mat. The inactivated phone made a barely perceptible lump under the rubber matting. Walking back to the Tesla, she jumped back into the driver's seat and smiled. "All set," she announced.

~~~~~~~~~~

After two hours of non stop driving, they arrived in San Diego. The SUV turned off the highway and headed north following Interstate 5, traveling parallel to the Pacific. They heard the ocean long before they reached San Onofre's State Beach.

Evie read the signs with growing concern. "San Onofre Power plant? Why are we headed there?" As she spoke, the eerie, decommissioned nuclear generating station came into view. Posted along the road were orange and black radiation hazard signs.

"What are those?" Alarmed, Evie pointed to the warning notices.

"I still have contacts in the military. Don't worry, this mothballed power plant has been offline for about five years now. It's off the grid," Vince said. "Ray can hang out with some freelance hackers and enjoy a safe haven for the moment."

Driving into a loading dock, they found a concrete incline leading to the base of the facility. They parked the Tesla under an overhanging concrete arch. "Are you sure they can't trace this beast?" Vince asked.

Ray shook his head. "I designed the computer chips myself. They're clean."

"This place is a hideous blight on the landscape," Evie announced, noting all the concrete. As she exited the SUV, she expected to see cigarette butts, beer cans and COVID related paraphernalia strewn about the abandoned exterior, but the entrance landing was clear with a few fluorescent lights leading to a propped open metal door.