head earlier, but... yeah. Everyone dies and it could come at any time. The only difference is that I have a rough time schedule. OK, lesson learned, schooled by the fourteen-year-old girl, don't get all caught up in my own bullshit."
Lancaster just grunted and passed him a copy of guns and ammo, suggesting he read it until they landed. The rest of the flight went by almost silently. Brian didn't even worry about dying again. He realized he didn't have time for that any more.
2
They landed at about four o'clock local time, somewhere in Montana they told him. It wasn't a secret location or anything, but the names just didn't mean anything to him in this area, so his brain filled in that they were in the middle of the state and left the idea alone. It didn't really make a difference anyway. Brian would go where the problem was, when it happened. The rest of the time he'd be here. Good enough.
The place had an almost deserted feeling, desolate and lonely. Most of it flat, with rolling hills toward what he thought of as the back, away from what looked like the main gate. A fence ran all the way around the perimeter, looking foreboding. For a second Brian wondered if they were just putting him in prison after all, but Bridget ran over and took his arm before he could dwell on the idea.
"Don't worry, the fence is just to keep out reporters and protesters, not that we've ever had protesters out here. Too far away from anything to make it worthwhile. Reporters come out about once a month, trying to get something cool on camera, Prime flying around or trying to get shots of one of the others, the uglies, so they can talk about how evil we all are. The top there looks all dangerous, but it's just concertina wire, not razor ribbon. You can just climb it if you want. The guards will hassle you if you take too long though and make you climb back and forth until you can do it right. They get bored I think." She dragged him along, since neither of them had luggage. Brian wondered if they should help the others with theirs, but no one asked or got more than a single small bag from the closet up front.
The girl pulled him by the arm toward a small building, a dark brown one that looked a bit like something the national park service might use to house rangers. It has a sloped roof that stuck out past the edge of the building by several feet and a cement walkway all the way around it. The feeling was primitive, not five star hotel at all. Brian looked at Lancaster as he walked up and shrugged at the man, not really being concerned, just wondering what the situation would turn out to be. Maybe this was the welcoming center or something.
Lancaster walked through the door, followed by Bridget and the other agent, with him and Doctor Tull in the rear. Both of the men kept a covert eye on the tiny girl rather than him, as if they expected her to do something - like run for the fence. Inside it was a little like a hotel lobby, with light brown carpet, short pile with lighter flecks in it. There were also elevators all over, the doors a golden brown that looked halfway friendly at least. The space inside looked bigger than the outside, a lot bigger. Brian noticed that part of it sunk into the ground, a ramp rather than stairs, and extended back, making the whole space about eight times larger than it looked like outside.
Bridget ran forward and pushed the nearest elevator button which only had a down arrow.
"The whole thing's really underground. You're good with that right? Not claustrophobic or anything? Well, that doesn't matter, cause you'll get used to it anyway. There are fifteen levels. Well twenty really, but were not supposed to know about the secret basement labs..." She grinned at the agents. The one that Brian hadn't met yet shook his head and muttered about urban legends.
The elevator opened and everyone piled in, Brian pushed into a corner by the girl who leaned against him in a way that would have been really cool if
Lancaster just grunted and passed him a copy of guns and ammo, suggesting he read it until they landed. The rest of the flight went by almost silently. Brian didn't even worry about dying again. He realized he didn't have time for that any more.
2
They landed at about four o'clock local time, somewhere in Montana they told him. It wasn't a secret location or anything, but the names just didn't mean anything to him in this area, so his brain filled in that they were in the middle of the state and left the idea alone. It didn't really make a difference anyway. Brian would go where the problem was, when it happened. The rest of the time he'd be here. Good enough.
The place had an almost deserted feeling, desolate and lonely. Most of it flat, with rolling hills toward what he thought of as the back, away from what looked like the main gate. A fence ran all the way around the perimeter, looking foreboding. For a second Brian wondered if they were just putting him in prison after all, but Bridget ran over and took his arm before he could dwell on the idea.
"Don't worry, the fence is just to keep out reporters and protesters, not that we've ever had protesters out here. Too far away from anything to make it worthwhile. Reporters come out about once a month, trying to get something cool on camera, Prime flying around or trying to get shots of one of the others, the uglies, so they can talk about how evil we all are. The top there looks all dangerous, but it's just concertina wire, not razor ribbon. You can just climb it if you want. The guards will hassle you if you take too long though and make you climb back and forth until you can do it right. They get bored I think." She dragged him along, since neither of them had luggage. Brian wondered if they should help the others with theirs, but no one asked or got more than a single small bag from the closet up front.
The girl pulled him by the arm toward a small building, a dark brown one that looked a bit like something the national park service might use to house rangers. It has a sloped roof that stuck out past the edge of the building by several feet and a cement walkway all the way around it. The feeling was primitive, not five star hotel at all. Brian looked at Lancaster as he walked up and shrugged at the man, not really being concerned, just wondering what the situation would turn out to be. Maybe this was the welcoming center or something.
Lancaster walked through the door, followed by Bridget and the other agent, with him and Doctor Tull in the rear. Both of the men kept a covert eye on the tiny girl rather than him, as if they expected her to do something - like run for the fence. Inside it was a little like a hotel lobby, with light brown carpet, short pile with lighter flecks in it. There were also elevators all over, the doors a golden brown that looked halfway friendly at least. The space inside looked bigger than the outside, a lot bigger. Brian noticed that part of it sunk into the ground, a ramp rather than stairs, and extended back, making the whole space about eight times larger than it looked like outside.
Bridget ran forward and pushed the nearest elevator button which only had a down arrow.
"The whole thing's really underground. You're good with that right? Not claustrophobic or anything? Well, that doesn't matter, cause you'll get used to it anyway. There are fifteen levels. Well twenty really, but were not supposed to know about the secret basement labs..." She grinned at the agents. The one that Brian hadn't met yet shook his head and muttered about urban legends.
The elevator opened and everyone piled in, Brian pushed into a corner by the girl who leaned against him in a way that would have been really cool if
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