Chapter 18 #3
Stevie shook her head. “No time. There are people everywhere.” She leaned close to the robot. “Archie, you have an explosive device inside you. I need you to remove it quickly in such a way that does not cause harm to the people nearby. Please do that now.”
“Yes, Stevie.”
Archie paused for a moment, then flexed his steel alloy fingers. He struck his midsection several times with his steel fingertips.
“It’s not giving way,” Kendra said hoarsely.
“It’s reinforced steel,” Stevie said. “Archie, please hurry.”
Archie glanced around, scanning the faces of the ever-growing crowd.
He finally stopped trying to pierce the armor plating at his midsection and peeled away the steel.
He reached inside and pulled out the bomb’s triggering mechanism, still connected by a series of wires.
He looked down at it, frozen for a long moment.
“Goodbye, Stevie.” He spoke quietly.
“What?” Stevie moved toward her creation. “Archie, no!”
Archie turned and ran through the crowd.
“Archie!”
The robot picked up speed as he moved through the busy concourse, taking the route that would lead outdoors in the shortest amount of time.
He hurtled through a tall plate-glass window, barely breaking stride as it shattered, bringing down large chunks of glass.
Alarms sounded in the concourse, and crowd members in the plaza scrambled to move out of Archie’s way as he bolted across the large circular driveway and past a valet parking garage.
Stevie and Kendra ran toward the broken window and watched as Archie leaped over a moving car and continued toward a grassy slope.
Stevie screamed. “No!” She tried to run after the robot, but Kendra held her back.
“He’s doing what you taught him to do,” Kendra said. “He’s solving the problem.”
Tears rolled down Stevie’s cheeks. She nodded as Kendra put her arm around her.
The robot disappeared over the hill beyond, and thirty seconds later a huge explosion rocked the area.
The crowd screamed. Car windows shattered up and down the entranceway, along with windows on the far end of the concourse.
A moment later, a ball of fire rose into the sky, followed by a plume of smoke.
“It’s just a big field over there,” Kendra said. “Archie saved everyone in this part of the stadium.”
Jessie and Brice ran up from behind them. Jessie pointed to the plume. “Was that . . .”
Kendra nodded. “Archie.”
They walked outside the stadium and followed Archie’s path toward the grassy slope and the hill beyond. A few curious onlookers joined them, but most stayed behind as police sirens wailed and security personnel blanketed the area.
Lynch joined them just before they reached the hill, and they climbed up together. The group stood still for a long moment, watching the now burning field.
Jessie turned toward Stevie. “Archie saved a lot of lives here today. You should be proud.”
Stevie nodded.
They watched another few moments. Then, through the smoke, a familiar form moved toward them.
Stevie gasped. She was silent for a moment longer, not daring to believe what she was seeing.
Brice smiled. “Friend of yours?”
Archie stepped from the smoke.
Stevie ran toward him. “Archie!”
Kendra, Lynch, Jessie, and Brice joined her as the robot approached them and stopped in the middle of the smoldering field.
“What happened?” Kendra asked.
Archie gestured down to his midsection, which was now entirely torn open.
“I successfully removed the explosive device. Procedures for disarming it were unclear, so I threw it one hundred and twenty-two meters to the west. Human casualties, zero. Task completed.” Archie spoke as if it had done nothing more than walk the dog.
Everyone else laughed, but Lynch was in command mode. “We’ve got to get Stevie and Archie out of here and somewhere safe.” He turned to Stevie. “Take Archie to Parking Lot D and stay with him until I can get you both some help.”
“Right.” She nodded and motioned for Archie to follow her.
“Do we know how we’re going to get them that help?” Kendra asked as she watched them leave. “Since the police and special forces are all running around here desperately looking for them.”
He was already dialing a number on his phone.
“I’m calling my contact at MI5 to see if they can take the heat down a bit.
Get the counterterrorism unit and Ten Downing Street to start thinking of Stevie and Archie as heroes instead of criminals.
” He was frowning. “But there’s not much time, and we might need more help than they can give us. ”
Kendra was looking at her phone. “We may not need MI5, at least not right now.”
“Why not?” Lynch said.
“We’ve got Fitz. Come on. We’re all going to Parking Lot D.”
Fifteen minutes later, a paramedic unit pulled into Parking Lot D, and Kendra was surprised to see Fitz jump out from behind the wheel.
He fist-bumped Brice and turned to the others.
“Hello, all. No time for pleasantries. I understand I have one human and one robot passenger. Unless more of you would like to pile in.”
Kendra shook her head. “How did you pull this off?”
Fitz shrugged. “There’s always a fleet of these standing by at every major event here. If you know the right people . . .”
“You’re not stealing it, are you?” Kendra said.
“Absolutely not! I’m . . . renting it. It has to be back here in three hours, or else someone is going to be in a lot of trouble. And I’m afraid this is going to cost one of you a pretty penny.”
Brice nodded. “I got this. Get going. Take the lady where she wants to go.”
“And have your men stay with her,” Kendra said.
“Of course!”
“Actually, you’re doing something very patriotic, Fitz.” Kendra was motioning for Stevie and Archie to come out and board the van. “Jessie and I will be going with them as far as the cottage to make certain everything goes as it should. But the main thing is to get them out of here.”
Archie was already in the vehicle inclining his head at Fitz. “I must express my thanks and appreciation.”
“You’re very welcome,” Fitz said a little awkwardly. “It’s very . . . different . . . to meet you.” He turned to Stevie. “But I hope you have a plan to get us out those outside gates and past the crowds.”
“She does.” Brice walked around to the paramedic unit’s passenger seat. He grinned over his shoulder at Jessie. “My friend Jessie decided I should be the gift that keeps on giving and asked me to accompany you out of here.”
“I did not,” Jessie said flatly. “It was your idea, and I told you it stank.”
“Yes, you did,” Brice said. “But I don’t like to do things halfway and it sounded as if you could use me.” He smiled again. “Besides, you’ll feel indebted to me, and that’s always a plus when it comes to you.”
“Yes, I will feel indebted.” She was frowning. “If I don’t get you killed out there. You’re being stupid.”
“That won’t happen. You’ll protect me and we’ll be able to chart another memorable experience to remember.” He turned to Fitz. “Just introduce me to the crowd at the gates and let me entertain them for a bit. Okay?”
“Okay.” Fitz shrugged and looked at Jessie. “It will probably work, you know. This town is celebrity-crazy. But I have guys out there who will back us up if it doesn’t.”
“No,” Jessie said flatly. “If Brice is going to do this, I’ll be the one who guards him.”
“Not necessary,” Brice said. “I’m coming right back. I’m a featured attraction at this shindig, remember?”
Fitz turned on the flashers. “Let’s get these fine people . . .
who . . .” He paused a moment as he suddenly glanced at Archie, who was sitting very straight and looking very curious as to what was going on around him.
Then Fitz smiled and started again. “Let’s get these fine people .
. .” He nodded at the robot. “. . . as well as their illustrious companion, safely to their homes . . .”