Page One

September 19, 2003

Something was wrong. Brian Fallon’s years in the Special Forces had taught him to trust his instincts and right now his instincts were telling him that something was wrong. This was supposed to be a simple mission. Go to the rendezvous point, pick up the message and bring that message back to the council. He had gone on many missions for the council before, but somehow this one felt different. He was convinced someone had been following him as he had made his way from New Georgia.

It was getting dark and he needed to rest. The old city of Atlanta was just ahead and it should provide him with a good place to get some rest and a chance to see if his instincts were right. Was someone following him and if so why? He raced his motorcycle into the dead city and started looking for two things, a good place to hold up for the night and an old gas station. Gas was not particularly hard to find in these old cities as no one drove. The old stations still had gas in their tanks and the price was right – free. He came upon the downtown area and decided that one of the high rises would be best. He would be able to see the surrounding area and besides, the animals didn’t seem to go to the higher floors of the old skyscrapers. He decided to pick a place with plenty of exits and a good view of the city. He didn’t want to get trapped.

He chose a high rise with a parking garage attached as it would enhance his chances of escaping if he was found. He drove his bike into the parking garage. He needed to stash the bike somewhere it would be safe but also easily accessible to him should things go to hell. He found an old electricity closet near and exit on the second level of the garage. This would be a good spot. He busted the latch and ditched the bike in the closet.

He entered the building and began making his way up the stairs. He had to watch out for the scavengers and the wild animals, but he had used Atlanta as a hold up many times and was pretty confident he was alone. Besides, he had enough fire power to handle a few scavengers.

The building was dark as there had not been electricity here in years. He moved up the stairs until he got to the sixth floor and found a room where he could see in every direction. If someone was following him, he would see them from here.

He was sure whoever was behind him was at least a few hours away, so he could grab a two hours of sleep. Another lesson he learned in the Special Forces, sleep was important. You make mistakes when you are tired so rest when you can. He hadn’t used an alarm clock in years. Somehow his body always knew to wake him up at the right time. So he set his mental clock for two hours, found a comfortable spot and lay down hoping not to dream.