Battle of the Ampere

  “How did you learn this?” I asked.

  “The voice contacted our associate in Bolivia,” Jaime said. “He drove through the night to tell us.”

  I looked around at my friends. “So we’re really alone,” I said.

  “We always were,” Taylor said.

  “At least the day is perfect,” Jack said.

  “Why do you say that?” Taylor asked.

  “Thursday is Wade’s birthday.”

  Dodds looked around at us all. “We’ll leave here at one forty-five a.m. Jaime and I will have everything prepared. I want you to stay up as late as you can tonight. Study the boat plans, party, just try to stay up until dawn. That way you’ll sleep all day and be fresh and ready to go at night.”

  “That shouldn’t be too hard,” Ostin said. “Staying up all night.”

  “Why is that?” I asked.

  “It might be our last night to live.”

  Taylor and I lay on the front room couch talking until she fell asleep around nine in the morning. About a half hour after that I heard the garage door open. Jack walked into the front room. He was wet with sweat.

  “Michael,” he whispered.

  I got up without waking Taylor.

  “What’s up?”

  He motioned for me to follow him out to the garage. After he’d shut the door behind me, he said, “The plan doesn’t make sense.”

  “You’re telling me now?” I said.

  “Better now than never.”

  “What part doesn’t make sense?”

  “It doesn’t take five people to plant an explosive. Just one. If I could get on the boat, I’d do it myself. But I need your help to get on board.” He looked me in the eyes. “We don’t need everyone else.”

  I wasn’t sure how to answer. “But we’re a team.”

  “That’s no reason to risk their lives,” Jack said. “Think about it. What do we need Ostin for? We don’t need his brains, the plan is already set. He’ll just slow us down. Do you think he can even climb the rope?”

  I didn’t answer. We both knew he was right.

  “Or McKenna? Taylor might be helpful, but is it really worth risking her life? Are you okay with that?”

  I frowned. “No.”

  “I didn’t think so. So here’s the new plan. We turn off everyone’s alarms, meet Jaime outside, and tell him it’s just the two of us. You get me on the boat, help me score a key, then once I’m inside you get clear.”

  “What if you’re stopped on the way to the engine room?”

  “I blow it.”

  I just looked at him.

  “You heard the man, if the bomb’s inside, it’s going to take the ship down.”

  “I can’t send you in there alone.”

  “You’re not. I’m sending myself in there alone. What’s the difference? I’m going in there anyway.”

  I shook my head. “I can’t let you do this.”

  “Look, remember in the Starxource plant when you stayed inside and locked the pipe so none of us could go back for you? What was that, huh? It was a calculated risk. You did what you felt was right under the circumstance. And because of it, you saved your mother and the rest of us. And you even got out yourself.

  “And what about when Zeus blew the water pipe, knowing it would kill him? This is no different. All I’m asking is that you let me do the same thing.”

  I shook my head. “Jack, I know you think that Wade’s death was your fault. . . .”

  “This has nothing to do with Wade’s death,” he said. “It has to do with your life and everyone else’s. I’m expendable, dude.”

  “No, you’re not. Not to me.”

  “I know. Because you’re my friend. And you’re a good friend. So let me do this, Michael. Let me do this one good thing. You made that choice in the Starxource plant. Let me make that choice too.”

  I looked down a moment then said, “I don’t like it.”

  “But you know I’m right,” he said.

  I breathed out slowly. Finally I said, “Okay. We’ll do it your way.”

  “Thank you, Michael. It’s the right thing.”

  “I hope so,” I said.

  “It is,” Jack said. “Semper Fi.”

  I just looked at him sadly. What he didn’t know was that I had no intention of leaving him alone on the boat. “Semper Fi,” I said. “Semper Fi.”

  A few minutes later I crept into Ostin’s room. He and McKenna were asleep next to each other. I turned off their alarm. Then I went back out to the couch and lay down next to Taylor. I couldn’t sleep. For nearly an hour I just looked at her.

  My heart ached. I didn’t regret agreeing to Jack’s plan—I would never regret saving Taylor’s life. I just knew how slim the chances were that I would see her again. My world had changed in the last year in no small part due to Taylor. Having someone care about me and believe in me like she did was as much a power as my electricity was. I thought of writing her a note, but I really didn’t know where to begin. Instead, I just cuddled up next to her. It was probably close to noon when I fell asleep.

  *

  Jack woke me. It was dark again. I looked up and he put his finger over his mouth. I lifted Taylor’s arm from me, then slowly rolled off the couch to my knees. I paused to look at her one last time. I wondered if I would ever see that beautiful face again. I pushed the thought from my mind. At least I can guarantee that she will see her home again, I told myself.

  The villa was dark and quiet as I walked out the front door and shut it behind me. Jack was leaning against the porch wall. It was overcast, as Dodds had said it might be, and there were no stars or moon visible.

  “What time is it?” I asked.

  “One thirty. They’ll be here any minute.” He looked at me. “You ready?”

  “As ready as I’ll ever be. You?”

  “I’m ready.”

  A few minutes later the lights of the van appeared at the end of the driveway. “Let’s stop them before they get close enough to wake anybody,” Jack said, walking toward the light. We met the van partway down the lane. Jaime was driving and he stopped the van next to us. Jack slid open the door and we both got in.

  “Where’s everyone else?” Dodds asked.

  “It’s just us,” Jack said.

  “That’s not the plan,” Dodds said.

  “This is a better plan,” I said. “Two can do it. The others will just get in the way.”

  “Everyone agreed to this?” Dodds asked.

  “We don’t have time to argue,” Jack said. “Let’s go.”

  Dodds looked upset but relented. “All right, it’s your plan. Let’s go.”

  Jaime started to put the van into gear then stopped.

  Dodds looked back at us. “Where’s everyone else?”

  “We just told you,” Jack said.

  He squinted. “What are you talking about?”

  “It’s just the two of us,” I said. “Come on, let’s go.”

  Again, Jaime started to pull the van forward, then stopped.

  Dodds turned back. “Where’s everyone else?”

  Jack scowled. “What the . . .”

  “It’s Taylor,” I said.

  I looked out the window to see Taylor storming down the driveway. When she got to the van she threw open the door. “Really? After all we talked about, you still tried to go without me?”

  “I just . . .”

  “Lied? Conspired?”

  “He was just trying to protect you,” Jack said.

  “You zip it,” Taylor said. “I already know this was your idea.”

  She spun back at me. “Really? This is trust?”

  “I’m sorry I tried to leave you out. But I’m not sorry.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “It means he loves you,” Jack said.

  “I said zip it,” Taylor said.

  “It means I love you,” I said.

  “And that’s why we stay together. We’re not just a couple, Michael, w
e’re the Electroclan—at least what’s left of it—and that means we stick together through good and bad times. We’ve gotten this far because we’ve stuck together. I know you were trying to protect me, but I didn’t ask to be protected. I asked to be with you.”

  “I thought it was the right thing,” I said.

  “I know, and part of me loves that you did this. But the right thing is us working together. All of us.” She turned to Jack. “And that means you, too. You don’t have to prove you’re a hero. You’ve proven that so many times I’ve lost count. We all admire and love you, just like Wade did. Don’t take that away from us. Please.”

  Jack looked stunned. Then his eyes welled up with tears.

  “All right,” I said. “Let’s go wake Ostin and McKenna.”

  None of us told Ostin and McKenna that we’d tried to leave them behind, and Ostin spent half the drive trying to figure out why his alarm clock hadn’t gone off. After just twenty minutes the van pulled off the coastal highway and headed down a long sloped road toward the wide dark bay. As we neared the water, the ships seemed to grow in their immensity, rising before us like great floating mountains. There were lights on the Elgen boats and loading dock, assuring us that they weren’t asleep.

  As Jaime drove, Dodds turned around to face us. He held up a square, plastic object with a keypad and a digital screen. “This is the explosive’s timer. It connects to the detonator in the pack. Once you punch in the code the explosive is activated and cannot be turned off.”

  “What’s the code?” I asked.

  “Seventeen, seventeen.”

  “Just like the radio frequency,” I said.

  “Remember, once you punch in the code, it cannot be turned off. So do not activate it until you are ready to commit. To set the timer you can either punch in the number of minutes on the keypad or simply push this black button. Each time you push it, it will advance the timer one minute, up to two hours. Like the activation button, once it is set it cannot be changed. So be sure to give yourself plenty of time to get off the boat. But remember, the more time you allow, the more time they have to find the bomb and dispose of it.”

  He handed me a small black tube similar to the one Jaime used to set off his gun sentry. “As you leave the boat, push this button. It will alert us that you are on your way. The raft you will be using has a motor, but do not use it until you are leaving, otherwise they’ll hear you. After you’re off the ship, head straight out to the open sea. We will be watching for you with night-vision binoculars and will pick you up in a speedboat. Any questions so far?”

  Ostin asked, “Can the detonators be set off by impact or heat?”

  “It would have to be intense heat,” he said. “Like in an open fire. Why?”

  “Just in case the timer malfunctions,” Ostin said.

  “That won’t be a problem,” Dodds said. He glanced out the side window. “Okay, we are just about there. When we reach the fishing boat, you’ll change into your Elgen uniforms, then cover them with the cloaks and stocking caps. You’ll be completely concealed. I brought gloves for the three of you who glow. I don’t know if you’ll be able to use them as you climb, Michael, you’ll just have to test them.

  “When the boat passes behind the Ampere, we’ll throw the raft out and stop the boat. Jack will climb in first so he can help the others on. You’ll have just a few seconds to get into the raft. Then the boat will move on, leaving you behind. We’ll come in as close to the Ampere’s stern as we can, but you’ll still probably have to paddle about thirty yards.

  “As I said, the raft has a motor and will do about ten knots, but do not use it until after you’ve set the bomb and gotten off the ship. Once you reach the Ampere, there are magnets to anchor the raft to the hull. They’re very strong magnets, so when it’s time to leave, don’t try to pull them off, just release or cut the line.”

  Jack patted his knife. “Got it.”

  “Remember, stay quiet, low, and covered. In this darkness you’ll be almost invisible. You know the rest of the plan. Don’t forget to capture a key. I doubt they’ll leave any doors unlocked. Any questions?”

  None of us had any.

  “Then good luck and Godspeed,” he said. “Let’s hope we catch Hatch sleeping.”

  Five minutes later Jaime stopped the van in front of a small, lantern-lit shack with a hand-painted sign: JORGE’S CHARTER FISHING TOURS.

  In spite of the hour, an older man walked out of the building to greet us. He and Jaime spoke a bit in Spanish, then Jaime turned to us.

  “Everything is ready. Follow me.”

  All of us except Dodds walked past the shack and down a wood-planked dock to where an old fishing boat was moored. The boat was beige and turquoise. It had an upper platform enclosed in canvas and its fishing lines were still in place. There was a black raft tied to the port side of the boat.

  “Isn’t that the wrong side for the raft?” Ostin asked Jaime. “The Ampere is south of us.”

  “Yes, but we will first go far out to sea, then turn back and come in from the other direction as if we are just returning from fishing, so we will pass the boat on the starboard side.”

  “Clever,” Ostin said.

  We climbed on board and walked through the cabin to the open back of the boat. It smelled of saltwater and fish. On the floor were canvas bags with our initials marked in pen.

  “Your uniforms,” Jaime said. “Get dressed.”

  We all put on the sailor uniforms, which fit perfectly.

  “They did a good job,” Taylor said. “We look like Elgen sailors.” Then she added, “Actually, I’ve never seen one.”

  Jaime said, “Put on the cloaks.”

  I pulled the cloak from the bottom of the bag and slid my arms through it. The fabric was black and lightweight, like vinyl, though softer and more opaque. I looked up at everyone else. We looked like we were wearing Halloween witch costumes.

  “Michael, check this out,” Ostin said, leaning over the back of the boat. I walked back to see what he was looking at. Painted on the boat’s stern was the name: Fishin’ Impossible.

  “Doesn’t exactly inspire confidence,” I said.

  Dodds walked up to the side of the boat carrying a large black vinyl backpack. “Jack,” he said.

  “Yes, sir,” Jack said.

  “Your explosives,” Dodds said, handing the pack over the side of the boat.

  “How sensitive are they?” Jack asked.

  “These are pretty stable,” he said. “But don’t push your luck.”

  Jack slid the pack over his shoulders just to get a sense of its weight. “About fifty pounds,” he said. “No problem.” He set the pack on the ground and unzipped the top flap, exposing the detonator. The digital screen glowed light green.

  “What’s the code?” Dodds quizzed.

  “Seventeen, seventeen,” Jack replied. He looked up. “That’s how old Wade would be today.”

  The boat’s engine started, and the air smelled of gasoline and exhaust as the propeller churned and gurgled beneath us.

  “It is time to go,” Jaime said. He began untying the rope holding us to the dock.

  “Aren’t you coming?” I asked Dodds, who was still on the dock.

  “No. We can’t put all our eggs in one basket, and I believe I am close to reestablishing radio contact with the resistance.” He pushed the boat away from the dock with his foot. “But I will see you all shortly.”

  For just a moment his words hung in the air like a promise. The fishing boat sputtered in its own veil of exhaust as it slowly pulled away from the dock. Then it rotated until we were facing the sea. The old man pushed down on the throttle and we lurched forward, headed out into the cold darkness.

  It started raining as the old boat chugged out to sea. Taylor slid up next to me and took my hand in hers. “I’m cold,” she said.

  I put my arm around her.

  “You know, when we attacked the Starxource plant we weren’t together,” she said. “This time
we’re together.”

  I looked at her. “Our first date,” I said.

  She grinned.

  “Are you scared?” I asked.

  “Terrified.”

  “Me too.”

  “Do you think we’ll make it back?”

  “Of course we will.”

  “Really?”

  “I can’t afford to doubt,” I said. “My mom used to say that faith and fear can’t exist simultaneously in the mind any more than light and dark can exist simultaneously in the same room.”

  “Your mom is smart.”

  “I know. I wished I could have spoken to her once more. . . .” I stopped myself.

  Taylor squeezed my hand. “You’ll get the chance,” she said.

  A moment later Taylor looked over at Jack. “How are you feeling?”

  “Wet,” he said.

  *

  Suddenly the whining of the engine stopped and the boat slowed and pitched forward until the surging of the waves almost rocked us out of our seats. Jaime came out of the cab with a large coil of black rope over his shoulder. “We are turning back now. It is time to put on your masks and gloves.” As we donned our coverings, Jaime walked over and inspected the ropes on the raft, then turned back to us. “Remember you must go fast. Jack first, then Taylor, Michael, Ostin, and McKenna. When you are all in I will hand down the pack and rope. If we get near the boat and are discovered, we will about.”

  “About?” Taylor said.

  “I think he means abort,” I said.

  Jaime went back to the cabin. The boat turned around and headed back toward the lights of the shore. I stood and walked up to the front of the boat.

  “Jaime.”

  “Sí, Mr. Michael.”

  “I need to ask you a favor.”

  He looked at me seriously. “Anything.”

  “If we don’t make it, I want you to tell my mother what we were trying to do.”

  “Sí. Of course.”

  “Also Ostin’s and Taylor’s families. Taylor’s family doesn’t even know she’s electric.”

  “You will come back, Mr. Michael. But if something happens, I promise that they will know the truth.”