Nightfall: The Phoenix Enigma, #8

By Jay Aspen

How do you find courage when facing overwhelming odds?

The airstrike destroys part of the city.

Jac finally discovers her true strength, becoming the essential undercover liaison between the disparate teams in the Resistance. The courage she could always rely on now inspires others in the face of adversity.

Add in a tech genius, a brilliant pilot, and the rangers' ability to fully trust one another––and it could make all the difference.

Nightfall is the eighth book in the Phoenix Enigma series, the dystopian romance epic from Jay Aspen.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sandfire Publishing Ltd
• Release date: Sep 14, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201685065

Jay Aspen

Jay writes from experiences in wilderness travel and extreme sports; snow peaks in the Andes, big walls in Yosemite and Baffin Island, sailing the Irish sea to photograph puffins and dolphins. A science degree and training with Himalayan shamans led to an interest in bio-psychology. She lives in the wild Welsh Borders, sings jazz, rides horses.

Book preview

Map of Future Britain

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The only predictable thing about complex systems is that they are unpredictable.

Resistance Archives 1

The Warren

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The City

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Resistance Archives 8; Classified section

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The strategy adopted by President Cassandra Siries is recorded so that its strengths and weaknesses can be studied by future leaders if they find themselves in the same desperate situation. This information must never fall into Avarit’s possession.

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The attacks carried out by General Berfeld left her with an impossible choice. Watch her city and its people bombed to oblivion by a far greater military force, or surrender. She and Colonel Michael Parry, her head of security, had to protect the city’s ordinary citizens and also her key aides who had already received death threats.

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These are;

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Devi Hilman; lawyer, now First Minister, head of the Justice Department.

Zulia Valentin; university lecturer, now head of Education and Communications

Beaumont Aziz; food bank manager, now head of Food Security.

Jacinta Tobin; trained medic, now minutes secretary and undercover truthseer.

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The best hope for surviving the invasion lies with the remnants of the old Resistance, led by Rainier van Hestian, ‘Raine’ to his associates, and their ability to cooperate with their old enemy, Colonel Parry.

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There are others. It will not be easy to gather them into a powerful force. Unless the truthseer can further develop her skills, even Raine will find the task impossible.

Archives 8

1

Jac could tell how tired Cass was these days. It was not the first time she had noticed a new faint strand of grey in the president’s long honey-brown hair. It gave her friend a distinguished, almost patrician, look but it also revealed the stress she was under. Her usually calm aquiline features were showing lines of strain even under the diffused pearl-glass lighting glowing softly from the walls of her private office.

The airstrike on the city’s food supply had been an unspoken declaration of war and the long hours spent trying to deal with it were taking their toll on Jac as well. At least sitting in the quiet of Cass’ office was a less exhausting and depressing experience than stateroom cabinet meetings with DC and his Avarit supporters.

Jac’s role as minutes secretary and de-facto support and personal secretary for the new president was something she had grown to appreciate, especially as it involved spending time with Cass. However, her spy-role as a sensitive, psych-trained truthseer was a role she longed to leave behind. Sitting through meetings while trying to figure out which of the Avarit threats were genuine and which were bluff had been emotionally exhausting.

Jac glanced at the camera-screens above the door. It had become a habit already, a twitchy reaction to any disturbing reminders of Avarit threats. The ability to see outside the room helped a little with peace of mind, giving her a few moments’ warning if any members of the opposition were approaching down the corridor, ready to burst in with fresh complaints or threats. Or both.

She had just enough time to retreat to her usual inconspicuous seat by the wall before the head of the Avarit faction walked in.

Cass was on her feet instantly, facing him.

DC, Thank you for coming so promptly. Please get General Berfeld on screen.

DC’s disparaging sneer made it clear that in his opinion she no longer held any power.

It doesn’t work like that. The general decides when he’ll speak to you.

Time to make it work the other way. I want to be sure he knows we moved the fuel store. I don’t trust you to have passed that message on to him.

Why is that so important?

You know perfectly well it’s too close to a residential area.

DC shrugged, turned his back, and started to walk out. Cass moved to cut him off.

I won’t ask why your people built it there in the first place. Not until this is over.

DC turned to confront her, the repressed anger starting to show once more. There is always collateral damage. You just discovered for yourselves that you can’t get your planes in the air in time to block an unexpected air attack. You could try exhausting your pilots and fuel on twenty-four/seven standby of course. It will make no difference. Whatever General Berfeld decides to strike next will suffer the same fate as your emergency food store. A blackened hole in the ground.

Stop playing for time. Contact Berfeld now. And I want a direct line set up for future communications. Then you can stop worrying about your career quite so much.

My instructions are that I am to be the only point of contact. And that is how it will be until I’m told otherwise.

Cass walked across to block the door. DC backed away hurriedly, maybe suddenly remembering that Cass was a trained fighter.

All right. No guarantees.

He keyed a contact into his handset and waited.

They want to speak to the general. He listened for the response, then cut the connection and turned to Cass. He’s busy. You can wait and he’ll contact you directly when he’s free. He walked out.

Cass made an effort to control her exasperation.

Jac? Any insight into DC’s plan here?

Power games. Berfeld is guessing we’re coming back to bargain and he thinks he’ll gain more by making us wait. If he believes he destroyed the city’s food supply, he’ll assume that if he keeps us waiting, we’ll get more desperate when it comes to bargaining.

Wants us to get anxious. Cass let out a long breath. Dead right we’re getting anxious. Probably not for the reasons he thinks. What about DC?

Scared. Of everyone. More than last time.

So we wait––

The wall screen lit up as Colonel Parry came back online from the military base on the edge of the forest.

Cass, I’ve just been through the falconers’ spy-cam recordings of that air raid taking off from the carrier and returning. Even with having to piece the sequence together from the intermittent five-second bursts, it seems that all of Berfeld’s planes are catobar series. Meaning they need a runway. And there are no runways left in this country. They’re either overgrown or have been dug up to be re-used in road repairs. Our planes are vertical takeoff and don’t need them.

So that limits Avarit planes to using the carriers?

Let’s hope so. At least we’ll know where they are when they’re not in the air. If we can figure out how to breach that force field we might be able to ground them while they’re still all in one place. I’m sending out every spy drone I have to check on any areas of road they might be able to use as runways. Can you raise volunteers to follow-up on the ground?

Cass reached for her handset. What with all the collapsed bridges and overgrown trees there shouldn’t be many stretches that are long and straight enough. I’ll put out a call to Pendrac. He’ll be able to network it to the Outlanders who are already deployed on road patrol and repairs.

Thanks. And Cass, anywhere that could land one of those planes will need a ten-foot trench dug across it, with a diversion round the side for our road transport to use. He raised an eyebrow. I suspect your people are already expert at this sort of thing. I came across a few of your roadblocks while trying to get my attack force into the Warren.

Cass almost smiled. Then I’m sure you’ll be able to give us first-class feedback on which of our designs was the most effective.

Hm. I’ll do that. Parry keyed out.

Jac scrolled through her tablet notes. It may give us time to investigate something else. We’ve been too preoccupied with watching air raids to give it much attention. And maybe we should. I was looking back at my notes about that bit of gossip Lizzie mentioned, about the ‘package’ DC was trying to get out of the J5 factory. I started thinking, if he suddenly discovered the factory was scheduled for destruction and had to rush his plan through, it might explain why he got careless with message-security. Why Lizzie overheard something she probably wasn’t meant to. Suppose that package was Moris and his cronies who were imprisoned in there awaiting trial for murder?

So... either they were killed in the airstrike, or DC did manage to get them out in time.

I’m guessing Berfeld will want experienced allies to help him take over the country. It would be logical for him to order their escape.

Which means Moris is being lined up to be reinstated as president as soon as they get rid of me.

Jac was already thinking back to the events leading up to the election. From what the colonel discovered in the run-up to the vote, Moris was already being regarded by Avarit as a liability. He was failing to deliver the new directives for drug-based citizen control and there were signs that those shadowy power brokers were thinking to replace him.

Yes... I remember Aldim mentioned something like that just before our first cabinet meeting. So what could have made him worth salvaging now? Assuming that’s the case.

Michael still hasn’t found proof, but there are plenty of indicators that Moris had some kind of link to F2, something powerful enough to persuade several of their cells to invade the Dome after the count confirmed he had lost the election. They made no secret of the fact they were trying to prevent you from becoming president.

So... Cass frowned. If Moris is once more considered useful to Avarit, it’s probably because he still has some way of directing F2 attacks. In which case, our people are going to be caught between terrorist threats from inside the country and a heavily-armed invading military.

That thought brought sudden images into Jac’s mind, images of Raine fighting his way through the crowds in the square outside, trying to protect Evie. Vivid, fearful memories of how she had almost lost him.

If that riot in the square, the one where F2 tried to kill Evie and the TV7 crew... if that was coordinated by this Avarit and F2 syndicate that we’ve so far failed to track down, it means that either Moris is directing them from inside prison...

Or there was someone else on the outside who has taken over that job. Cass was already keying Karim’s contact at the hive asking him to search for more information.

So if there’s a kind of second in command, why would Avarit need to reinstate Moris? Jac decided to ask Bel for help and keyed her contact. This was too complicated a gestalt. Maybe their resident expert could decipher it.

Dammit. She’s gone out of range. Must be already on her way to the east marshes.

Bel’s mission to recruit the marshlanders would probably take a while. The island-dwellers had always felt safe concealed under the tall reeds of the marshes and persuading them to put themselves on the front line for the dive operation underneath Berfeld’s aircraft carriers was not likely to go easy.

2

Bel drove the jeep into the disused grain storage facility, parked, took her pack and walked to the edge of the water. She scanned the horizon until she saw the sailing barge gliding into view around a bank of tall reeds and heading toward her. The sun was sinking behind her, a red fireball reflecting deep orange smudges on the blue-grey sails.

She waved as she spotted Jorg’s freckled face and tangle of sandy hair just visible above the woven reed-mats that served as camouflage for the ship. He brought the barge up against the reed bank and threw a rope net over the side for her to scramble on board. He stepped aside for his wife Elve to take the wheel and walked to the prow with Bel, waving his new handset as the barge headed back out to sea.

So. I got your message a couple of hours ago. Fox relayed it on from his lab in the old debt-slave hostel. What comes now? I hope you’re not going to tell me to extend the range further than that?

Bel laughed. Jorg, I’m impressed that you agreed to at least set up a contact with the lab. I won’t ask how long it took Fox to persuade you. How d’you like communications technology?

Ach, life was simpler without it. But we need it for hawk transponders so it looks like there’s no going back to the old ways. He gave the handset a disparaging twitch. Then he turned to her with the satisfied grin of a kid with a new toy as he waved his new leather gauntlet. Bel could see he was desperate to show her his osprey.

Go on, show me.

The marshlander led her to the shelter he had built beside the cabin. He coaxed the bird onto his gloved wrist and removed the hood.

I call her Saltwing. She’s almost ready to hunt free. Fox is a good teacher.

Bel stroked the bird’s neck feathers, icy shivers running through her at the memory of her own osprey’s last moments. She pushed aside bitter images of the crumpled body lying in the dust. The regimented fields of the nearby agri-zone would always be a painful reminder of what she had lost.

Focus on the mission. Nothing must delay this.

Maybe it would be best to wait until she reached the floating village before starting that conversation. She knew Jorg would readily agree to help with the difficult dive operation, his brother Piet, probably not. Their early encounters had been difficult, not to mention dangerous.

Jorg? How far away is the island this time?

He moved a salt-weathered hand from the rail to point ahead. We’re nearly there already. The other marshlanders agreed to tow it closer to shore while Fox is so busy at the lab. Otherwise I get no hawk-training!

Jorg deftly nudged the barge against the soft marshy bank and jumped down to tether it to a clump of tall reed-stems. Bel followed and walked with him and Elve down the narrow path between the rustling reeds to the clearing at the heart of the floating village.

Jorg’s brother strode across the open space to meet them and shook her hand, looking rather less aggressive than when they had first met.

Bel. Welcome back. Life has become more peaceful these last few weeks. I felt I should thank you.

Generous of you, Piet. But I’m afraid it won’t last.

I had a feeling something was up with these messages suddenly arriving. Tell us the worst.

They reached Jorg’s house. His sister Frey was here on one of her rare family visits to the east side. She had been looking after the couple’s baby while they took the boat to fetch Bel from the grain store.

Frey passed the baby back to Elve and walked over to join them, studying the map and the image of the carrier that Bel was laying out across the table. Jorg traced his finger along the lines Karim had marked as the most efficient placements of explosives around the giant brass propellers.

Yes. I think we could do this. We have about twenty divers here who are strong enough to deal with the extra depth. But none of us have technical experience. The devices would have to be very simple and easy to fix.

Piet was rapidly reverting to his previous xenophobia.

What are the risks of the divers blowing themselves up in the process? No, I can’t ask our people to go on this mission. If the invasion comes, we stay here and stay hidden.

Bel noticed Elve roll her eyes, park the baby and head for the kitchen to prepare food. It seemed almost certain that the usual long-drawn argument was about to explode.

We don’t have time for this! Not with three heavily armed aircraft carriers already moored on the other side of the country, only fifty miles from the city.

Maybe she could ward off the worst of it.

Karim and Lissa are working on a safe design for the explosive devices. It will take you a few days to sail through the canal to the estuary so we have to think ahead––

We could stay hidden as we did before!

The usual fault-lines in the family dispute were reasserting themselves as Jorg tried to calm his brother.

"Those days of hiding were over, even before this invasion, lieve broer. We have to be part of this country now, or we’re finished––"

The sea has always protected us––

Bel sighed and brought out the map of the undersea coalfields. If the invaders take over the country, they’re likely to start extracting coal from under the seabed off the coast here... That will make the whole stretch of coastline inaccessible and you won’t be able to come inshore and collect fresh water.

But she could see that nothing would stop the old arguments going through the usual cycles once again. Maybe all the descendants of those who had fled the inundated low countries made their community decisions this way. More worryingly, she wondered how long they would take to get to the end of the process this time. Piet was glaring at her now, his blue eyes fierce in his sun-weathered face.

How much will they know about us?

Nothing. We cleaned the security records.

But then they all started talking at once.

Jorg stabbed a finger at the map on the table.

You see! We have to help out with this...

Even Jorg’s sister was pitching in now. Bel had hoped that Frey’s role in rescuing their valuable shipwrecked spies would have brought her onside with the war effort, but then, maybe old habits die hard.

Don’t think I am going to lend you my beautiful boat again! I haven’t finished patching all the bullet holes from that time I had to take you into the city!

We can look after ourselves––

Elve took Bel aside and pushed a lobster and asparagus wrap into her hand.

Bel, just let them get on with it. It usually takes at least six hours before they’re all exhausted. Then they’ll agree to act and get the barge ready to sail.

Bel smiled. You’ve seen it all before?

Elve gazed fondly at the serene face of the baby, still sleeping soundly in her arms in spite of the raised voices only a few feet away.

I think I have felt the... temperature of how they feel about our future.

And you know the good divers? They’ll also agree?

Yes. We have had a small taste of not hiding all the time. No one wants to go back to how it was before. She passed the sleeping baby to Bel. Here. Take care of the little one while I go talk to the other divers. By the time my beloved relatives have finished their arguing, our dive-team will be packed and equipped and ready to sail across the canal to where your invading aircraft carriers are lurking in the estuary.

Elve slipped quietly out through the reed-bound doorway and Bel was left munching on lobster and asparagus as she gazed at the serene face of the sleeping baby. As the helpless little bundle stirred in her arms, she could feel her warrior training start to fade and visions of a more peaceful future drifted into her mind.

It felt good, but it raised too many hopes for a distant future, far beyond the fight awaiting her in the next few days and weeks.

She waited anxiously for Elve to return.

*

Jac had been waiting too long for the call and could feel her hands shaking as she keyed in.

Raine, where are you?

At least he’s still alive...

Laying mines on the section of road just south of the reclaim-tip. It means we can call in with an extension from the analogue link the kids used to contact Razz if they were in trouble. I’ve routed it through the hive so it should be secure. But I can’t get through to the colonel. In spite of the tension he flashed her a mischievous grin in the semi-darkness. At least, that’s my excuse for calling you instead.

Dead right you need to call me, or I’ll be too worried to do any psych-sleuthing!

Hey. You kept your cool just fine when you were with the rangers. What changed?

Everything! War. This place, full of aggressive Avarit people. Unease about some devious plot they’re hatching that I can’t figure out yet. Jac gave an impatient sigh. Sorry. I’m okay really. If I get a bit of time alone with Cass or Lizzie, I can get my focus back. And talking to you helps. Knowing you’re still in one piece.

In that case I can claim that calling you is an essential part of the war effort. But I need information as well. I just got back from the south end of the highway, as near to the carriers as we could approach without getting spotted. The team down there is laying mines on a section that’s still out of their sightline, but we need a diversion if we’re going to extend the sabotage into the key section closer to their night-sights and scanners. And it has to be a seriously big diversion.

You mean when Luc and the other pilots go in to destroy the scanners?

Exactly. Can you give me an estimate of when it’s going to happen? We need to be ready to move in the instant it starts.

It’s almost ready to go. The main holdup is trying to prepare for the likely retaliation. Our planes couldn’t get airborne in time to stop the airstrike on the food store and Michael hasn’t solved that problem yet.

I assume Berfeld knows about that weakness.

Yes. DC was gloating about it.

I know it’s easy to say from over here, but don’t let him get to you.

How you think it’s easy to say when you’re right there in the front line of any new attack, I really can’t imagine! Anyhow, as soon as Michael and Cass figure out a plan that might work with our aircraft outnumbered four to one, I’ll let you know.

Thanks. I’ll be working on this section until then. As soon as he’s dispatched the Outlander teams to sabotage any road-runways, Pendrac plans to bring a team of his rangers over here to defend the bridge if there’s a land invasion. They’ll help our guys meanwhile so we can finish this section quicker.

I thought Pendrac was still based in the forest?

He is. But now this highway is on the front line of a war zone, he won’t send his people in without being here himself.

Sounds just like you then.

Raine just laughed and cut the connection, leaving Jac staring at the blank screen. She wanted so much for it all to be over, yet somehow she knew that worse things had to happen first.

3

Bel dropped from the barge onto the damp, unstable surface of the reed bank and waved goodbye to Jorg. Elve had been right in her time estimate for the family squabble to run its course. Three barges were now being armed and provisioned for the journey through the canal, taking the dive-team to one of Frey’s concealed moorings in the south marshes. Bel