Andreas looked to Leekasha and their minds connected. She told him to search for the regent's mind. Easily, Andreas found it. Leekasha acknowledged she had found it too, but couldn't pinpoint the location. She told him not to do anything to the regent. Andreas reluctantly agreed.

Leekasha spoke to the black box. "Regent. We need to find a better way for everyone to live together. Imprisoning zombies with the Pacize drug is cruel and inhumane."

"Are you suggesting that zombies deserve to be treated as humans?"

"I'm suggesting there is more to some of us than you may realize. Andreas and I are examples of that. Can you see that we are not currently physically restrained or under Pacize? Still, we make no attempt to harm the colonel."

"Surely you jest. Both of you have murdered over a dozen people since your release from the drug."

"We were afraid and confused, Regent. Our minds had been in great pain for the last six years. The drug did this to us. Now we are free of the drug we don't need to harm anyone. We can help you if we work together."

"You claim to know of a foreign influence with KonG.o.d. What drew you to this conclusion?"

Andreas spoke up. "I found the links. They're obvious when you pay attention. You have to follow the evolution of KonG.o.d. The network began its life as a shared program. During the war, citizens around the world used it as a way to track the pulse of the Americas. Before the war ended, it was abandoned. It never reached the potential its creators had hoped for. They moved on to other projects. Others found the network though and saw another potential for it. Not as a voyeuristic tool, but a tool for guidance. A tool that could help a company or even a country rebuild and grow. Your predecessors accepted it as a gift from the foreigners. It seemed a good way to guide them. They became reliant on it, and it grew. What they didn't know was that the foreigners never relinquished control of KonG.o.d. It appeared they had, but there were still hooks to it."

"How would you know any of this? Why should I believe you?"

"Because I'm free. I'm free of the drug that imprisoned me, and I'm now capable of many things. Things you and KonG.o.d can't even begin to imagine. I learned everything your simple KonG.o.d knew in a few hours. Once I had your basic history in my mind, I could connect all the pieces. I could see what none of you could. I know about Christa. I know about her mutation. I can see Patient Zero and what you've done to her. We are not the monsters here, Regent. You humans are, and we won't allow this cycle to continue. I am the next mutation, and I am the first mutation to be aware of what they are. None of the others knew. Christa didn't know until you told her. All she knew how to do was hide. I'm not hiding, Regent."

Andreas stopped talking; instead he focused his stare in the corner of the room. Chaz looked to Leekasha, who was focused only on Andreas.

"Andreas," she said. Andreas didn't respond. "Andreas!" She tried again. "Andreas, this is not what we agreed to. Stay out of her head. We were going to talk this through. We need to reach an agreement for all of us, Andreas. This is not the answer ... Andreas."

Chaz spoke up. "Leekasha, what's he doing?"

"He's searching for her. She's in this room somewhere. We just can't see her."

"Regent," Chaz called out. "You need to leave. You're no longer safe here. You need to get out of this place."

It was too late. Andreas had found the regent from inside her head. She was in the room, behind an optical illusion unit that hid her from sight. Andreas told the regent to power off the unit and she became visible. Behind her were two soldiers that Andreas mentally ordered to shoot one another. They did.

Leekasha cried out. "Andreas, you can't do this. This isn't the answer."

Andreas ignored her. Instead he planted an idea in the head of the regent: an idea that the only way to save herself from the freaks was to take the soldier's gun and shoot herself. She did.

"Andreas," Leekasha said. "Why would you? It doesn't have to be this way. They'll just appoint another regent. I thought you understood that."

"It doesn't matter if they do or they don't. I'm going to free everyone. I know how to stop the drug; I know how they spread it through the air."

"You'll just start another war, you idiot," Chaz added. "We've done this before, and your kind lost. You'll lose again. For all your smarts, you don't understand who you're fighting against. We'll never give up."

"It's different this time, Colonel. We're all changing again because of me. My mutation will spread to the lucky ones. The zombies that don't have it will become the animals you all fear. The ones that will rip your throats out and live in your nightmares. They won't hurt us though. The fear us because they know we control them. They don't fear your kind though, and they'll exterminate you all for us. My kind will be the only ones left. It's our turn to rule, and there's nothing your KonG.o.d or your next regent or the rest of the world can do about it."

Troubled Trio Chaz found it hard to breathe. Leekasha and Andreas noticed it as well, but it didn't seem to affect them as much.

"The air is being sucked out of the room," Chaz gasped. "It must be some sort of failsafe response to an attack." He looked at Andreas. "Way ta go, wonder kid. I don't suppose you foresaw this with that great new mind of yours."

Andreas scanned the room. "There has to be a way out. The regent wouldn't have locked herself into a death trap without a way out."

Chaz was already moving towards the bodies of the regent and her soldiers. Moving slowly to conserve air, he searched for a door or a panel to get out. The unit used to conceal the regent had no controls on it. Andreas and Leekasha searched along all the walls, looking for a way out. They tried opening the door they had entered. Chaz fell to his knees, unable to stand from the lack of oxygen. The bodies of the soldiers and the regent lay on the ground before him. He searched the regent's body and pockets. Then, he noticed the wrist band on the regent's right arm. He removed it and slid his fingers across the glossy surface of it. The optical illusion unit became active again, and he became invisible to Leekasha and Andreas, who continued to search for a way out.

Chaz felt a light rush of air blow over the back of his neck. He turned a saw a small opening through the wall behind him. Strange. That wasn't there before. It must only open when the illusion unit is active. The unit hides the person holding the controls and the door. Andreas and Leekasha paid no attention to him in their search for a way out. Now is my chance, while they're still looking. I'll be sealing them in without a way to open the door. That's two less freaks in the world to worry about.

Chaz slipped through the small door, taking the control unit with him. The door closed silently behind him. I wonder how long it will take the super brain in there to figure out that I've left him to die. Probably not long. I better get my a.s.s as far from their mind-control c.r.a.p as possible.

Chaz made his way through the building to a back door that led to an alley. From there it was simple enough to make it to the front of the building and the SUV. How hard can it be to hotwire a high-tech government vehicle? I suppose I'm about to find out.

As Chaz was about to open the door, he noticed another strangely familiar-looking SUV heading down the street towards him. Strangely familiar because it looked exactly like the one he was getting into. It stopped beside him, and as the driver's window rolled down he recognized Alex in the driver's seat. "Hey, Colonel, need a lift?"

"Well, now that you mention it, I do. We probably shouldn't just leave the other car here though."

"Not to worry, Colonel, I'm sure someone will come by to claim it. Jump in the back, we need to talk."

Chaz jumped in the back and noticed then who was sitting in the pa.s.senger seat next to Alex.

"Hey, ya grumpy old b.a.s.t.a.r.d. Long time no see."

It took every bit of energy Chaz had left to restrain himself from lunging for Christa. Instead he said, "Where the h.e.l.l is my family, you crazy b.i.t.c.h?"

Uncomfortable

Alex was the first to respond. "Now c'mon, Colonel, you don't know the whole story. Let's get out of here first, and then we'll give her a chance to explain.

Chaz turned his attention to Alex. "You know what, boy, I don't need you telling me how to behave. For that matter where the h.e.l.l have you been? I spent a good few hours that I'll never get back being mind-f.u.c.ked by a couple of highfalutin freaks. I had to sit and listen to that b.a.s.t.a.r.d go on and on about how freakin' clever he was and how a stupid human like myself had no place in his vision of the world. Do you have any idea how degrading that is to me? I fought for this country, and by extension the whole d.a.m.n world, to save it from freaks like him. Now he talks like some d.a.m.n foreign power is ready to swoop in here or something and take all our slaves. Slaves! Ha! They're d.a.m.n freaks is what they are. Not fit to sleep with farm animals."

"Colonel," Alex said. "I'm sorry. I did the only thing I could do. I went back to Fort Knox. I talked with Dr. Montgomery. She said she gave you some information. Did you read it?"

"h.e.l.l yes, I read it days ago. What's that got to do with any of this? This whole d.a.m.n mess has gone down a s.h.i.thole. The regent is dead by the way."

Christa turned and said, "The regent is dead? Since when? How did that happen?"

Chaz scowled at Christa. "I am not answering any of your questions, little girl, till I find out what the h.e.l.l happened to my family. If you had anything to do with that, you better start talking now."

Alex pulled away down the street as Christa explained. "I did it, Chaz. I got them out." Chaz clenched his fists. "I was trying to help. I got Abby and Shax, but couldn't get Caius. I tried, really I did, but he wouldn't come. He's still with the Freeze, and he's in pretty tight with them. I was trying to keep them on my side."

Chaz shook his head. "Why the h.e.l.l would a zombie freak a.s.sociate with the religious zealots?"

Alex jumped to Christa's defense. "Don't call her that, Colonel. You know she's not like the rest of them. After everything we've been through, that's out of line. Knock it off."

"It's alright, Alex." Christa put a hand on Alex's arm. "I can stick up for myself."

"If anything good comes out of this mess, at least you got some b.a.l.l.s back, boy," Chaz said. "Guess you won't go back to pushing a broom after all this. That's a.s.suming there's anything left to go back to. That fancy computer they've got will just pick another regent. That's the way it works, right?"

"They really killed the regent?" Christa asked. "Was it Andreas?"

"Yeah, it was him. The girl tried to talk him out of it, but he's gone all king of the world crazy, like he's the next big thing, and the planet has no chance without him."

Alex and Christa looked at each other like they knew something Chaz didn't. Chaz caught them and said, "Alright you two, what the h.e.l.l is it? You both look like you're keeping family secrets."

Christa spoke first. "Chaz, we were both back at Fort Knox and saw Dr. Montgomery. We know about the research she gave you. I know you don't want to believe it, but if Montgomery believes it, then we have to at least check it out."

Chaz turned his head, looking out the side window. "Montgomery's a crackpot. She doesn't know what she's talking about."

"Chaz," Christa said. "I know you've spent your whole adult life fighting this and you don't want it to be true, but there's a very good chance we can live with zombies. Zombies without drugs in them. Montgomery believes they are an evolutionary step. She believes that every mutation along the way was a step in the direction of zombies like Andreas and Leekasha."

"That son of a b.i.t.c.h is no evolutionary leap. He's a cold-hearted, psychotic b.a.s.t.a.r.d. He'd kill his own mother for a dollar."

Alex looked up in the rearview mirror. "Where are they now, Chaz? It's important we get to them first."

"With any luck they're dying and choking on their own puke back in that building. We were all locked in a room with the regent before that freak convinced her to off herself. Leekasha tried to stop him, but she couldn't. She may have been worth saving. I don't know."

Alex had them headed up the highway now, moving north.

"So, where exactly do you two think you're taking me?"

"We're headed back to Fort Knox, Colonel," Alex answered. "Your family's there, and they're pretty anxious to see you. I've radioed ahead with everything you told us. They'll be sending a team back for the regent and the others."

Christa added, "I'm really sorry about what happened with Abby, Chaz. I didn't want to do that, but I needed to get you off the mission, and I didn't know how else to do it. It was a bad idea from the start."

"You're d.a.m.n right it was. She didn't deserve that. She's had a hard enough life because of me; she didn't need to totally lose her grip on reality."

"She didn't lose anything, Chaz. It was just temporary. Just a few suggestions I planted in her head. They're gone now. I removed them as soon as I got her back from the Freeze. She's completely recovered."

Chaz sat back in his chair and relaxed for a moment. "Sure," he said. "That's good. Really good. Now she just has to deal with the fact that she's a wanted fugitive on the run. I suppose that's a sight better than being a crazy person."

"Let's get back to the fort," Alex said. "I think we all need to have a sit-down with Dr. Montgomery."

Broken Silence General Chambers was there to greet Chaz, Alex, and Christa in the Fort Knox lobby.

"I can't believe I'm willingly coming back into this place again," Christa said.

"You think it was bad? You should have tried hanging around here for a few more years in my shoes," Alex said. "It didn't get any easier on me. I never did get around to thanking you for that opportunity, did I, Christa?"

"I'm so sorry about that, Alex. I was just trying to protect the both of you. I just seemed to attract trouble everywhere I went, and I didn't want you two to have to suffer through any more of it.

General Chambers spoke. "I hate to interrupt your little family reunion here, kids, but I'm afraid I've got a bit of bad news." All three of them looked to the general. "It would seem Andreas, Leekasha, and the other ones are no longer at the facility where you left them, Colonel Sheperd."

Chaz spoke first. "That's not really my problem right now, General. I understand you have my family here. I need to see them right away."

"You need to hear me out, Colonel. There's more."

Chaz took a step towards the general. "I don't give a rat's a.s.s about what you're going to tell me. I need to see my family. Take me there now."

The general looked directly at Chaz. "The primary Pacize distribution facility in New Orleans is offline. Actually, it's more than offline. It was completely destroyed in an explosion. Secondary facilities close by are picking up the slack, but if one of them goes, there will be thousands of freaks turned loose on the general public."

Chaz persisted. "General. Where the h.e.l.l is my family? I'll find them myself if you don't want to tell me."

"Jesus, Colonel. Andreas and Leekasha were spotted on video security less than a mile from the distribution facility shortly after the explosion. I don't even want to think about what will happen if they destroy another facility. We are a hair's breadth away from war and you're worried about your family?"

"General, the world is just going to have to wait for me for five minutes this time. I demand you take me to see my family ... now!"

"Fine, five minutes." The general changed his focus to Alex and Christa. "You two need to get down to Montgomery's lab. She's waiting there for you. She has some information I think you'll both find interesting." Looking back to Chaz he continued, "Follow me, Colonel Sheperd. I'll take you to your family.

Chaz raised his hand to knock on the door, then put it back to his side. He paused for a moment, then took a deep breath and raised his hand once more and knocked three times. He looked down at his feet for a moment to collect his thoughts and looked up again as the door opened.

"Chaz," Abby said. "Thank G.o.d you're OK." She threw both her arms around his neck and squeezed tightly. Chaz reached around and pulled her in closer to him. They stood in the doorway like that for minutes. Abby released her hug first, but Chaz took a few seconds longer to let go.

"Well," Abby said. "What's gotten into you?"