Games of the Powerful

by William E Samela

  ~~~~

  An hour later, they were standing in front of a nondescript rundown warehouse in the south end of the city deep in the warehouse district. The outside of the massive warehouse appeared to anyone that paid close attention to it to be made entirely of aluminum siding including the roof. In many places, it is coming loose and one section across the roof was waving in the wind making a clattering noise as it moved back and forth in place. The front overhang is missing enough of the aluminum that it would not stop the rain from pouring in front of the door and getting anyone unfortunate enough to be there during a downpour soaked while trying to open the door to the warehouse. The aluminum is a facade covers a massive steel building keeping it hidden from prying eyes and those who might wish to harm its occupants.

  The door itself is a wooden door with an ancient padlock and hasp. Taking a key out of his pocket Agent Smith used it unlock the padlock. Hanging the lock on the hasp, he opened the door to reveal another door this one made of steel. For security, the new door has an older touch screen numerical key pad that reminded them of the touch screen phones of the early twenty-first century still available in the local museums for anyone to see. Putting in a code number the electronic lock clicked unlocking the door so the agent could slide it to one side revealing another steel door. Amazed that such a decrepit warehouse had such elaborate security, they watched the agent press a tiny nondescript button on the door. Silently sliding back a hidden panel revealed a hand recognition pad. After placing his hand on the panel, they could hear a small electric motor noise of the lock releasing and the door automatically began sliding to the right. When the door finally opened, it revealed another steel door this one with a retinal scanner he placed his eye in front of to open this door. It opened similarly as the previous door sliding to the left this time revealing yet another door.

  Unknown to them a dark shadow moved behind them and to one side hidden from the streetlights. A barely perceptible movement, but enough to alert them to its presence if only they were paying attention to their surroundings instead of focusing too much on opening doors. The shadow or something in the shadows not only watched them very closely it scanned the surrounding streets and other warehouses for anything suspicious or threatening.

  By this time, the twins were grinning mischievously. The door in front of them is one of the early twentieth-century doors usually found in front of small stores. Made of nearly all glass with a heavy aluminum frame and a long push handle that ran horizontal across the midsection of the door it afforded a dimly lit view of the warehouse.

  “Ok let’s get inside we have wasted enough time. Who wants to go first?” Agent Smith asked nonchalantly. No one moved to touch the door because something was not right with this.

  “What, no one wants to go first,” the other Agent Smith asked mockingly.

  With a grunt of exasperation, Maiko pushed forward shoving on the handle easily swinging the door open walking through it and into the warehouse. Suddenly the inside of the warehouse came alive with motion, lights and sound startling them, the exact response the twins had been looking for all along. Following Maiko in with their mouths hanging open, they could not believe what they were seeing. These agents had access every super spy toy and gadget imaginable.

  Agent Smith pulled the old wooden door to and sealed the remaining doors shut quickly walking up to stand next to them with the same silly grin on his face as his brothers. Steel doors around the warehouse were opening with lights coming on; a sound system is playing loud rock music from the early twenty-first century, and a massive Stellargraphic System illuminating the center of the warehouse floor.

  Moments later outside the warehouse, a cloaked figure detached itself from the shadows walking furtively toward the old wooden door of the warehouse. Ghostly silent, the cloaked figure walked up to the warehouse door reaching for the padlock and hasp quietly locking the door. Moving back into the shadows it receded into the night as if it had never been.

  Back inside the warehouse to the left is the newest armored personnel carrier on wheels with a laser turret in the center of it. To the right a steel door opened revealing an armory with many types of battle rifles from the newest design to some from the twenty-first century. The room right next to it on the left side is a clothing supply room that had every style of clothes imaginable for both men and women. Numerous styles of elegant dresses and expensive suits all the way to battle dress uniforms for most of the world's militaries hung neatly on large hanging racks. Walking forward in wonderment they looked in the next room to their right seeing foodstuff stacked from the floor to the ceiling enough to feed hundreds of people.

  “Judith please turn the music off I believe our guests are suitably impressed with the place,” Agent Smith said.

  “As you wish Gary, may I ask how you both have been since your last visit?” Judith asked in an equally polite tone.

  “We have been doing well Judith and may we ask how you have been?”

  “I am very well as you know. Your father and mother send their best wishes. They are wondering whether they will ever see the two of you again. Does that mean you are about to expire or disappear like so many others that have come here?” Chuckling, they loved the dry sense of humor they programmed into the system.

  “No Judith to both it has been a very busy time lately. I am sure you have been keeping up on all the news from around the world so you can brief us later. We need our specialist to get here in the usual timely manner. Can you arrange that for us Judith?” one of the agents asked politely.

  Why Master Gary you know I will handle it in the usual manner and she will be here shortly,” Judith replied.

  “Thank you Judith we always appreciate the help you provide us,” both replied laughing knowing they were annoying Maiko.

  “You are very welcome Master Gary. Is there anything that I can do for our guests?”

  “Open some staterooms so they can freshen up. Also, please do a local first followed by a nation to worldwide search about the recent mall massacre and see whether the news media reported similar attacks.”

  “As you wish Master Gary the rooms are open and I will be busy researching this information for you but if you need me merely call my name I will respond promptly to you," Judith replied in a pleasant tone programed to be one of her characteristics.

  Standing in the center of the control area, they watched as images of bodies began floating around the circumference of the circle from all over the United States and the world. They were all small incidents nothing like the mall massacre, but the same in one respect. They looked like shriveled mummified people reported to be far younger in age but appearances show them to be well over a hundred. The images kept appearing faster than the eye could follow filling the circle followed by personal data of the victims appearing under the images.

  “Judith, could you provide us chairs so we may sit and I know it is a late hour but could you inform David and April we require food for us and our guests, oh and please apologize for us for the inconvenience?” Agent Smith asked. Rising out of the floor, comfortable swivel chairs and small round tables designed to swivel beside them appeared in the center of the circle. Taking a seat in the chairs provided, they were astonished at seeing the opulence and sophistication in the systems involved to make this happen so seamlessly.

  “All right guys I am sure we are all suitable impressed. You have the newest interactive system with intelligence, and all the fun toys that anyone who wants to kill things could ask for not to mention what you have not shown us I have one question I need an answer to. Who the heck are you, and how did you get the financial backing for all of this?” Maiko questioned using her stern detective voice that works well with criminals.

  “You asked two questions detective, we can answer that with one answer very easily Detective Nakamura we are filthy rich,” both agents answered the questioned simultaneously trying to annoy Maiko.

  “Did I ever tell you I hate it when you guys d
o that?” Maiko laughed.

  “You did now and we will take it under advisement, just kidding,” they responded at the same time spurring a round of laughter.

  “You saw the room with the clothes in it. I suggest you go there, find clothes and shoes that fit that will help change your appearance. I suggest you pick out nice business casual clothes and don't go overboard with the quality. Use the carry bags provided to put your items in and be sure to get at least two complete sets of clothes. Try on as many shoes and boots as you like but make sure to get ones that fit. The room is much larger than it looks and in the back, you will find enough changing rooms if you need to try them on and if you wish you may go to your staterooms to freshen up it's up to you. The food will be ready when you are done.” Both twins stood quickly walking through the images toward another part of the warehouse disappearing among more armored vehicles. Stunned at the abruptness, they looked at each other for a moment before standing to try on some clothes and freshen up some.

  When they came back, they found the twins standing in the center of the control area looking at the images. They were both dressed in business casual slacks with dress shoes. They looked identical except in colors one is wearing a navy-blue button down the middle short-sleeved shirt and matching navy blue pants and the other is wearing all black. Around their waists, they wore black leather belts to go with highly polished black shoes. Maiko had to admit they were both very handsome and again, she reluctantly had to remind herself that she is a changed woman. At that moment April and David appeared pushing two carts one with plates of food covered with metal covers and the other with iced nonalcoholic drinks. The food smelled delicious and they were all very hungry.

  “We took the liberty young masters and mistress to see what types of food you seem to like best and on the cart each plate is marked with a card with your name on it. If you do not want to have the fare provided, please let us know and we will prepare what you wish to eat,” David said with all graciousness you would expect from a court butler. He is very tall and skinny with his impeccably combed gray hair kept close to his head and clean-shaven face.

  “Your choice of cold drinks is on this cart and you may choose what you want to drink. Our young masters said no alcoholic beverages, but if they change their minds we keep the best Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Reisling,” April said apologetically. She is short and portly with her gray hair cut close to her head and slightly longer in the back. Bowing quickly, they left returning the way they came. Realizing it is time to eat and their stomachs growling in complaint, they hurriedly took their food and returned to their chairs. Quickly finishing their food, they placed their plates on the cart and returned to their seats to continue studying the images.

  “We have a confession to make,” both twins spoke again trying to irritate Maiko and succeeding very well.

  “We have different middle names so it should be a little easier to communicate from this point on, but it won’t entirely matter because all of us will be getting new identities,” one of the twins confessed.

  “Yes my name is George and his is Allen,” George said pointing toward his brother.

  "Since we are going by first names mine is Tony and my friend and partner's name is Chris,” Agent De Luca said pointing to Agent Markowski.

  “We don’t know much at this point. The agency is compromised, how high it goes we do not know, for all we know it could be all the way to the president. We also know by these images that the creature or should I say creatures like the one that attacked the Payne's is making its presence felt around the world and all too frequently I might add," George said getting right to the heart of the matter.

  "A large contingent of enemy agents must be in the field to have that size of an expendable force to make sure you three did not survive. We know the president wants to see all three of you too so where does that leaves us?” Allen asked expectantly. The agents waited expectantly for their charges to tell them what they know each experienced enough to know that there was more to tell with these three.

  “We have more information that, well frankly we really have not had the time to tell you,” Maiko volunteered defensively.

  “We knew it,” the twins shouted jumping to their feet startling the rest of the group.

  “Garrett show them the parchment and be very careful with it is very old.” While they were passing it around, she related the entire story from the first body found, the mall massacre and finally Bilgrammus’s visit.

  “So Hreidmar is really the dwarf king huh?” the twins asked simultaneously irritating Maiko yet again.

  “Master George may I see the parchment I believe I can translate it for you?” Judith asked politely.

  “Why Judith we know you can we programmed you,” George said holding out the parchment as if to let her read it. A blue light came from somewhere quickly scanning across the page making it appear as an oversized image they could see. Quickly placing layers of continents on top of the imaged map Judith stopped on South America. Images of languages by the thousands flashed across the map finally changing to English keeping a perspective of the modern terrain she marked the cities in both Spanish and English.

  “Great job Judith,” the twins exclaimed.

  “It seems you will need to travel to Venezuela and climb Mt. Roraima to find your lost artifacts,” Judith explained.

  “I remember reading something about Mt. Roraima in school isn’t that where the inspiration for a book called The Lost World came from?”

  “Let me search the data, yes Maiko you are correct,” Judith confirmed. “Actually it is on Venezuela’s border with Brazil and Guiana and you will need to go to place called Santa Elena to start your trek to Mt. Roraima,” she continued.

  “We will need to add some special gear to survive in the jungle. We should go to the clothing room and get bigger backpacks and jungle boots I think we are going to need them, Judith when is our specialist going to get here?” Allen asked.

  “Fifteen minutes master Allen.”

  “Tell her to be here in five.”