The Genesis Illusion

Chapter 33

"Paul, this is VK. I have an URGENT message. Are you there? Your room is bugged so watch what you say."

"Ok, go ahead," Paul answered the phone call using his wireless headset. Both Ann and Sam stopped talking hearing his confusing response since it didn't fit into their conversation. Paul held up his hands motioning them to continue talking. He didn't want whoever was listening to know about him being tipped off.

Paul took the lead by saying, "There's just no way to get the antidote to everyone who needs it by tomorrow. The only thing we can do is to get it to the government forces when they assemble to retake their territory."

"But that will still result in a lot of casualties," Ann went along following Paul's lead. She scooted her chair closer to Paul so she wouldn't miss any signals from him about their mini-play.

"The Arcadia mercenaries wouldn't be able to defend against a counterattack as they had planned, using the obedience persuasion substance to subdue the attackers," Paul groped for meaningful dialog to keep the conversation going.

"Listen carefully," VK pronounced every word with deliberate distinction into Paul's earpiece. "I am monitoring communication between a Colonel Chow and Bright Sun. Chow is listening to your conversations and reporting to Bright Sun. I also intercepted a call between the same Colonel and Major Gou who is commanding the Arcadia headquarters defenses for Bright Sun. Gou launched a guided missile two minutes ago. Its target is YOU, Sam, and Ann at the Bangkok Arcadia warehouse. The travel time is fifteen minutes. You all need to get out of there NOW!"

Sam volunteered something to stoke the discussion, "So the government counteroffensive would eventually succeed but there would be many casualties."

"I can't think of any other way," Paul multi-tasked carrying on the fake discussion for the benefit of Colonel Chow, who he deduced must be in the computer room, while evaluating his options to escape the incoming missile attack, "Time is just too short."

A sharp knock on the door interrupted their discussion. An urgent voice outside the door said, "You about done? Someth'ns going on out here."

Sam went to the door unlocking it from the inside, "What's happening?"

The guard replied nervously while holding his gun at his side, "A lot of people came in the front door. I overheard them say there had been an explosion nearby. Some of them thought the government might've gotten word of the Arcadia plan and made a strike."

Overhearing the conversation Paul worried about VK. He parked the mobile laboratory nearby and Paul wasn't sure he moved. Talking to him now was too risky with the Colonel listening to every word. Only twelve minutes. The Colonel must know the missile is on its way. He must get away too.

Paul hastily joined Sam at the open meeting room door. From there they could see several people congregated at the front of the hall near the reception desk, and the flooding rain pelting down outside the open loading dock door.

One of the reception clerks scurried up to the guard explaining, "There was a large explosion only about a block from here to the southwest. No one knows what it was but they could see a plume of smoke and several people heard the blast." The nervous guard didn't appear calmed by the information.

Overhearing the report Paul was even more worried about his friend but whispered in Sam's ear, "This is your chance to get away."

Sam glared at Paul confused by his suggestion. Paul realized that Sam didn't know they would all die if they couldn't get clear of the blast-zone in the next ten minutes.