Trepidation | Trepidation Trilogy | The Empty World Sequence

Twenty-One

It seemed everything was wonderful, Claudia almost believed it was as it seemed. They were in Regensburg, in lovely presidential hotel suite, with those that had travelled in with them all on the floor. Reporters came to them. There were interviews. Alaric sent a story to his daily with pictures and wished they had been taken by Merideth. There were nice dinners. Chocolates appeared and spring water.

      But it was not wonderful everywhere. Even as Clauida was thinking it was somehow even more pleasant than usual to make love in the large hotel bed or to wake and trace John's tattoo with her fingers with fresh flowers scenting the room, she had friends in trouble. It was Miko that realized it first, found her amid her plans to have an actual bubble bath.

      "Merideth," he gasped, "they can't get here now, had to detour. She asks us to come back."

      Claudia threw off the robe and pulled her clothes back on in front of the boy as she asked what he knew. All he knew was that Merideth and all those with her had detoured off the road on their way there because they had encountered a mixed Russian Protestant Underground army of considerable size. But detouring had only led them into viewing distance of other armies.

      Once Claudia shook Miko out of the blank stare her nakedness had caused, they ran to get the others. It took no real time in convincing any of them. John was dressing and shouting orders to the police officers assigned to him, giving them messages to take to Wald and others they now knew in the city. They had no time to wait, those in the city needed to understand, other Goth were in danger. If any desired to follow it would be dangerous but they knew it would be west to the area between Neuberg and Dillingen.

      Claudia found Alaric and asked him to ride with them. Claudia did not have to explain that Merideth needed help, Miko had already informed Alaric. "I am thankful they did not call to say there was fighting in Ingolstadt," Alaric said as they walked down the stairs to their cars. "Several pipelines go through there, better the VC hold it they seek only to uphold existing law and won't be motivated to disrupt flow to other cities, but if they were attacked while in the city, the fighting could spark explosion. Ingolstadt is so heavily surrounded by the old walls there would have to be missiles and eplosives used to take it."

      Claudia nodded as they came to the hovercar. John was nearby, anxiously checking that everyone had a vehicle to ride with. "Better the VC hold Ingolstadt and we Regensburg then. But, I have to worry about the other cities. Neuberg is VC controlled now, and Dillingen up the river EL controlled and there are bridges in both cities as well as between."

      Alaric shook his head, as he climbed into the front passenger seat. Claudia hopped as ladylike as she could into the back, not wanting to bother with moving both door and seat of the convertible. "You seem to understand military strategy better than I do, Alaric. Do you think this will be bad?"

      "It has become the front line! At least eight different armies, divided into two opposing sides, plus the satellite groups. They are coming from all directions now, to this place. Our train has been caught between the shrinking circle of their approaching forces. We must be a distraction from outside, or negotiate with an army, something to help help them move through the advance without being mistaken for a military target."

      John sat down behind the driving stick frowned slightly. "Sascha says civilians have begun evacuating the towns west of Neuberg. We should find no traffic going west from here."

      "I'll try to think of something," Claudia said, tried to be reassuring. She thought John felt the same thing she did, guilt at leaving the others behind.

      "Well, I better see how fast this car really goes," John said. He threw the stick forward as he hit the jets and they were gliding over the old streets toward the highway.