SAR ASCENDANT / Book 1: Incursion of the INDEN

Chapters 45 to 47

Chapter 45

Allgo uses some casings from shotgun shells to fashion small packets that he attaches to the legs of the birds. Inside: crystals and tech. He says, "There. Now all we have to do is encourage the pigeons to fly near the drones. If what Willow has said is true, that will not be easy. Those pilots will be able to react quickly if they sense a whiff of danger."

Rather than steer us away from our mission, Willow's confession steels our resolve. After my experience with Anny—with my mother—I know there's much more to it and deep down I don't believe Hazel would kill Willow. It's more likely she was saving him from retribution by Arrend. I don't think he has everything right.

Jona is still keeping an eye on Willow. Jax is becoming friends with the birds. I get close to Allgo for a private conversation. "How are we going to do this? I mean, get the pigeons near enough to the drones?"

"Magnetics," he says. "Pigeons use the earth's field to find their way home. They tend to nest in one place for life. I can close the CodeCrack so they wouldn't be able to get back to the boat shed, but I have to shift the magnetic coordinates to the drones."

"You can do that?" I wonder.

"With a greater than fifty percent probability, but there are drawbacks." He hesitates.

I wait for a few seconds. "Allgo? What are they?"

"I need to access the CompArray. I can do that from here, but I would need to interrupt the island's shield for a few seconds. That would leave Hazel vulnerable. And she would know we are here. Also, she would know I have not kept my promise to deliver all of you to safety."

I put my hand on his arm. "She called you her son."

He flashes a Bot smile. "Yes."

"I have known, almost from the beginning that you and Hazel share a special bond."

"I know you have."

"You aren't like the Bots I fixed in the BotMart. You are almost...human."

"We share something special, Hazel and I. We share her DNA."

"I suspected it was something like that. And I have no doubt she could make it happen."

"I am happy we came back, Sar. I always knew you would believe in yourself. You are the only one who could make this decision."

"This is for Hazel," I say. Actually, this is for the truth.

"For Hazel." Allgo's eyes linger on mine. Clearly, he hears an undertone.

***

"This is crazy," says Willow.

He listens closely to the plan. Allgo will close the CodeCrack and Jax will release the pigeons. When they are high enough in the air, Allgo will collapse the shield and connect with the CompArray. His program will mimic the nesting magnetic co-ordinates at the drones' location. We wait for the pigeons to approach the drones, Allgo triggers the disrupters, and immediately re-engages the shield. If all goes to plan, the drones will be rendered harmless. No PlasDrive, no weapons systems.

"Too much can go wrong," moans Willow.

Jax reassures him. "Allgo knows what he's doing."

Willow refrains from furthering his lament. The look on his face, part frustration, part fear and his glance at Jona's shotgun, tells me he knows the consequences of doing so. He slides down to a sitting position in the bottom of the boat. You can't trust what he does. Hazel's words. Suddenly, I get it. Willow has this need for acceptance. He'll tell you anything. Even if it isn't true, he still believes it. He'll always act against his better nature. It's how he survives. A scavenger.