Caroline allowed herself to be led by the prison guards. She felt better than she had in months, ever since she had started to fight their oppression. She had always feared this moment, but surrendering herself to save the hope which Rembrandt and his friends had provided had proved a worthwhile cause. To the guards' frustration, she followed them proudly, as if to be arrested was a badge of office or a medal of honour. She knew that Adam no longer had any power over her.
"Damn," swore Adam, as he kicked a nearby bin over. "I thought she'd fold, I really did."
"Sir?" asked his assistant cautiously.
"Caroline. She knows where some subversive is, he may be involved with Max. We have to find him."
"Yes, sir."
"I want you to organise the largest and most thorough search you've ever seen. I want you to scour the streets. That man must be found!"
"Sir?"
"Yes?"
"Err, how will we know if we find him?"
Adam looked smug and produced a photograph of Rembrandt, obviously taken at the party three years ago. "This man, here."
As his assistant raced out to begin the search, Adam chuckled quietly to himself. Caroline hadn't beaten him yet, and he was determined to find that man...
Remmy sat in his cell, fingering the key Maggie had given him. He knew that it was for emergencies only, and that his chances of escaping alone were slim, even with the key, but he still found it reassuring. It was one thing to agree to be locked up for a good cause, but quite another to go through with it. He wondered how Wade and Quinn were getting on over in Britain. It was strange to be separated from them for so long after so much time together. And then there was Max. He hadn't been seen since they had arrived, weeks ago. Remmy decided that now would be a good time to start praying for him. He knelt down beside his bunk and closed his eyes.
Maggie spun round at a noise to see her double standing behind her in her room.
"How did you find me? I was wondering how we were ever going to co-ordinate this. These guys are so undisciplined!"
Maggie's double shrugged, "well, I always stay here when I'm working with Wilkins, while I'm supposedly in England, for one, so sneaking in was easy. But how much discipline do you expect? These people aren't soldiers."
"OK, OK forget I said anything. When do we move?" asked Maggie, trying to get back to the point.
"Not quite yet. I'll let you know when. I've been working my way through the ranks, scopeing people out. It could take a while, but there's a load that're more than ready to sign up. We'll stand a good chance. It'll give you time to give this lot a little discipline too," smiled Maggie's double.
"Thanks," said Maggie, "just what I needed."
"I'll be getting back then," replied her double, already clambering halfway out of the window. "By the way," she called.
"What?"
"I'm reckoning on about half the senior staff."
Maggie nodded silently wondering whether "about half" was good or bad.
Wade watched from a distance as Anne led the third demonstration against the development of nuclear weapons. Up until now she had been happy to join in, but today a television crew had come as there was a very real possibility that some of the scientists working on the bomb would actually be available to speak. A throng of reporters hovered nearby, waiting for the outcome. Anne had already given several moving interviews. She was a very good public speaker.
It had been on Anne's advice that Wade had stayed out of this demonstration. Initially Wade had been cross that Anne could consider her a liability, simply because of her relationship to Quinn, but now it made more sense. Anne wanted the fight to be clean, based solidly on what people believed, not on any petty arguments Wade and Quinn might have.
As Wade watched, one of the Professors working on the project finally emerged from the building and gave an interview.
"The scene here in Baswich has been one of a peaceful demonstration. The attendees have raised awareness of issues surrounding this current nuclear crisis, without yet resorting to violence. They argue that any nuclear bomb, deterrent or otherwise, is a threat to civilisation. They also argue that any nuclear industry is a serious hazard to the environment and should be avoided at all costs. Here with me I have Professor Patrick Moore, an eminent physicist currently working on the project. Professor, how would you explain the need for this project? Do the demonstrators, in your opinion, have a valid point?"
"Their concerns are valid, but I would consider this project fascinating, and necessary for the advancement of science as a whole."
"But what about environmental concerns? Should they be ignored in order to further develop technology?"
"No, of course not, but at this time we stand threatened by a power more than willing to obliterate this entire nation. We need to develop this bomb as a deterrent. As for general environmental concerns this should be put into perspective by the prospect of energy considerably cleaner than fossil fuels and supplied from a renewable resource."
"Professor Patrick Moore, thank you. This is David Westfield from Baswich, Staffordshire."
Maggie's double's army was growing rapidly. It seemed that a huge proportion of the military was concerned by the current state of affairs. Very few acted individually out of fear of repercussions, but given the opportunity to act as a whole, they were more than willing to join the fight.
It was the last of a series of necessary excursions to major military bases for Maggie's double. She was exhausted, but triumphant. The progress she had made in securing such a large number of soldiers, particularly officers, had been well worthwhile. After a year of quiet work behind the scenes, establishing who was completely in Bennish's pocket, and who could be convinced to act, she felt that her efforts had paid off.
Maggie's double met with her oldest contact quietly and discreetly, as planned. He then showed he to a meeting which had been arranged with prominent and sympathetic personnel. Relieved to be doing this for the last time, Maggie's double entered the conference room. The were expecting her to discuss new piloting technique, based on the latest technology. She swallowed, as nervous as ever despite her numerous rehearsals. Then she began.
"For over a year now, we have been watching while some among our number were forced to commit atrocious acts against citizens of the United States. I know that none of you here today have actually committed such acts personally, any of you have gone to great lengths to avoid it, but our time for action has come. We must make our stand." Maggie's double thumped her hand on the table, then carefully watched their faces as they digested her words. As before, she could see that all of them agreed with her. She expected a few of them to decline to help out of a fear that they would be going beyond the role of the military. She had heard all the excuses before.
"I'll leave you to discuss it amongst yourselves," said Maggie's double, nodding respectfully to those nearest to her. As she opened the door to leave, a young red haired officer entered, carrying a knife. In front of the entire room, he stuck the blade between her ribs and into her heart, cleanly assassinating her. Instead of running, he stood beside the fallen Maggie to address the room, as she had moments before.
"You think we don't know what's happening? We know, and will defend the country against you. The worst kind of enemy is a traitor" he spat.
As he finished speaking, one of the officers recovered from his shock and got up to see Maggie's double.
"Wait!" called another, drawing his gun. "Let's deal with this vermin first."
As the shot, which instantly killed the assassin, rang out, more than a hundred troops began to enter the room from the doors at the front and the rear of the room. A fierce battle began. No one from this base chose to back out of acting, but the forces had lost their leader. Maggie's double was dead.
As the word spread between the bases, fighting began to break out throughout the country. The fighting was bloody and fierce, and many were killed. With so many deaths already on her hands, Maggie herself tried to organise the troops on their side. She convinced the underground to fight alongside the military, and she attempted to ensure that there were no more unnecessary casualties. It was essential that this fight remained clean.
Quickly the general population heard rumours that Captain Maggie Beckett had risen from the dead in order to lead the army against President Bennish and his tyranny. Maggie soon discovered that she had become an idol to a huge portion of the population. The numbers of the underground grew rapidly under her leadership.
As the world became aware of the sudden, but widespread, fighting in the US, the British Government with their newly developed atom bomb saw their opportunity to act. Within 24 hours of Maggie's double's death, the British issued an ultimatum to President Bennish, supporting the revolutionaries and ordering Bennish to stand down.
President Bennish studied the British message. "Whoa dudes. The British are finally gonna threaten me? After all this time? I'll show them."
"Sir?" asked his assistant.
"Launch, now. Target Britain. They're attempting to claim their old
colony. I will not stand for it."
On to part 7