The Departure Protocol

Chapter 18

"You're kidding," Wared said and shook his head as he stepped down the steps onto the garage floor and gestured towards the vehicle in the middle of the room. It was partly covered with a blue tarp but what was visible showed the skeleton of a vehicle. Body panels were stacked against a side wall covered with dust.

"I know what it looks like," Randee said, "but it's not as bad as it looks. I've been working on this rig on and off for the last year. Functionally, there's nothing wrong with it. The engine runs, there are enough seats for the three of us and—"

"But it doesn't have any doors. Or windows," Wared said and made a sweeping gesture towards the vehicle.

"You can stay behind, if you like," Randee said as he stepped forward and grabbed a corner of the tarp and pulled it off in one fluid motion, revealing the rest of the vehicle. Wared shook his head and rubbed his eyes. The rest of the vehicle looked exactly the way he had feared it would. It had four wheels, two rows of seats, a front window and an engine but not much else.

"Randee—" Shea started, a hand on her hip.

Randee held up both of his hands. "Listen, I know it doesn't look like much but like I said, we can stand here and bicker about how this thing looks, or we can get in and get out of here."

Shea sighed and grabbed Wared's arm. "He's right. We've got to go. We can't stay here. It's only a matter of time before they find us."

Wared nodded. He knew she was right. As unsafe as Randee's contraption looked, it was their only option. Staying behind to face whomever was chasing them was not an option. Tarun had stayed behind to give them a chance to make a difference. He couldn't throw that away because he didn't like the looks of their transportation.

"You're right, of course," he said and took a step forward with a sigh. "Where do I sit?"

A brief smile flashed across Randee's face. "Shea, grabbed the bug out bags in the closet," he said and pointed towards a set of doors. "Wared, hop in the back seat. I'll drive."

Shea ran around the vehicle to the storage closet while Wared hopped into the back seat. Randee stepped over to a workbench next to the vehicle and rooted through a pile of debris, emerging with a triumphant smile on his face and a set of keys in his hands.

"There they are," he said as he climbed into the driver's seat. Shea tossed two large backpacks into the back seat next to Wared.

"No offense, but we weren't expected visitors so we only have two of these," Randee said over his shoulder while Shea ran over to the garage door controls. "Don't worry though, there's enough for all of us in there."

The garage doors opened with a loud rattle as Randee handed Wared a bulky set of goggles. "You'll need these, to protect against the dust. Plus," he said with a grin, "they're night vision so we're not driving blind."

With the garage door open, Randee turned the key and an instrument panel came alive. As he released the brake and pressed the accelerator, as the vehicle lurched forward and exited the garage. Shea jabbed the button to close the garage door and hopped into the passenger seat.

"You two better strap in," Randee said as put on his goggles. "I don't want either of you falling out."

Moments later, the facility disappeared behind them in the dark. It took a few minutes for Wared to get used to the goggles. They were heavier than anything he had ever worn on his face before and more bulky but within a few minutes, it was as if they weren't even there.

"Where are we going?" Wared said as he leaned forward between the front seats.

"We're following the tube," Shea said and pointed towards a raised ridge that cut through the otherwise flat landscape.