One Last Con

by Rael Wissdorf

  “Exhale,” he said loudly, just as the door was forcefully opened.

  Two military officers strode into the room, both impressively dressed in crisp blue uniforms. Both stopped in unison in front of the redhead and snapped to attention.

  “Good day Miss Hawks,” the taller of the two greeted her.

  In an attempt to cover up her growing irritation, Laurina decided to respond with humor.

  “Well, it seems I’ve been promoted!”

  She smiled at her own joke until Kelder shot her a stern glance.

  The more decorated cleared his throat, before forcing himself to smile.

  “It is nice that you seem to be in the mood for jokes, Miss Hawks. You must be feeling quite fit. I am Colonel Walter Keren.”

  He gestured to his companion, “this is my subordinate, Corporal Robert Robinson, but you can call him Bob.” Bob nodded but remained silent. The Colonel chuckled a bit, trying to sound as warm as possible.

  “You’re already well acquainted with our Doctor Kelder. The three of us are the coordinators of this little project.” Both men regarded the young woman eagerly.

  “Project?” Laurina inquired.

  “Well you should know,” the Colonel replied. “You have already experienced the consequences of what could go wrong. Surely you have come to some conclusion regarding your little…adventure.”

  Laurina nodded slowly, recognition dawning on her face.

  “You ‘beamed’ me or something,” Laurina replied sharply. “First, I was in London, then I was in Brooklyn, and now I am here. I thought pish-posh like this only happened in science fiction movies.” The men seemed taken aback by her quick assessment.

  “Science fiction?” the Colonel asked in a mocking tone. Then he relaxed and smiled. “Well I suppose an outsider would think of our process as sci-fi or even magic. Even so, rest assured young lady, we really do ‘have the technology.’”

  Laurina was quickly losing her patience, in spite of trying to use restraint as Kelder had instructed her to do.

  “Listen mister, I don’t give a flying fig how you did it. I just want to know where we are and what I am doing here.”

  “Our location is classified. As to why you are here…” A smug look appeared on the Colonel’s face. “You are here because you fell off the roof of a building and required medical attention.”

  “Don’t patronize me!” Laurina shouted. “Those words seem awfully ironic coming from the ones who trussed me up in that mechanical bag and caused me to miss the mark in the first place.”

  The colonel’s smiling facade slipped just a little.

  “That was a regrettable mistake by an overzealous subordinate. Rest assured Miss Hawks, he has been severely punished for causing you harm.”

  “Oh? Well uh, okay. At least you blokes did a right fine job of mending me up”.

  “Indeed. And in return for saving your life, we ask only for your cooperation in a small matter.” Keren said, as he began pacing the room.

  “And that would be…”

  “An easy job actually. We would just like you to deliver a special disc for us. Nothing more.”

  Kelder eyed the young woman worriedly, while the man introduced as Bob stood as motionless as a robot. Laurina noticed that something about this request seemed to sit uneasily with the doctor.

  “If it is so easy, why don’t you deliver it yourself?” Laurina asked.

  “Unfortunately we cannot,” the Colonel sighed, turning serious. “You must understand Miss Hawks, we’ve learned rather tragically that not everyone can be teleported. If you’ll come with us, we will explain further.”

  Colonel Keren started forward, then turned toward the redhead, swept his arm toward the door with a flourish, smiled and waited.

  “Fine,” Laurina relented. “But if I don’t like what you have to say, I’m out.” She pushed herself off the bed and immediately fell back against it, as the blood rushed to her limbs, causing an almost painful “pins and needles” sensation in her legs. Kelder began to rush toward her side, but froze after getting a piercing look from his superior.

  “Perhaps Ms Hawks would be more comfortable if we were to get her a wheelchair,” the doctor offered attentively. “After all, she has been bedridden for quite awhile.”

  Colonel Keren was about to protest when Laurina waved them away.

  “I’m fine, thanks. I just need to get my legs up under me, that’s all.”

  If this pompous colonel wagers that I’m some frilly weakling, he’s got another thing coming. I refuse to give him that satisfaction!

  Taking a deep breath and pushing herself to her feet, Laurina moved her steadying hands off the bed. She attempted several deep knee bends, while the three men waited patiently, each one becoming easier to do. The spasms finally subsided, and she took a few tentative steps. Her knees were still a bit shaky, but with a little concentration the young Brit found she was able to walk with more confidence.

  “Alright, let’s be off then,” she nodded to the Colonel.

  “Very well. Please, follow us.” Keren said, exiting the room.

  Dr. Kelder fell in step behind the tall Colonel and Laurina trailed behind him. Corporal Robinson closed the door and brought up the rear.

  The long corridor was dimly lit with blinking fluorescent lights. Cables and cording ran like oversized snakes along the ceiling, while heavy piping and air ducts jutted out from the grey walls with no apparent rhyme or reason. It was a marked contrast to the cheery blue patient room. Laurina also noted the absence of people in the halls. No other doctors, nurses, patients or even visitors roamed the somber corridor. The silence was eerie.

  This is the strangest damn hospital I’ve ever seen.

  The concrete floor that they walked on felt cold to Laurina’s bare feet, and she instantly missed the warmth of her bed. Walking gingerly across the icy feeling surface, she grumbled to herself.

  They could have at least given me a crummy pair of paper booties to wear.

  Nevertheless, not wanting to appear weak in front of these men, she kept her complaints to herself and continued walking. The group finally turned down a corner, and a single door stood at the end of a short hallway. Keren stopped in front of it and entered a code sequence into an electronic keypad. After several beeps, there was a smooth mechanical sound, and suddenly four banks of .50 caliber guns emerged from the walls on both sides, and with a whine of servos, pointed their barrels directly at the group.

  “Bugger me!” Laurina exclaimed while jumping backwards.

  An angry robotic voice challenged the party from unseen speakers.

  “You have initiated the Voice Recognition sequence. You have one attempt. State your name and code phrase or face termination! You have ten seconds”.

  A digital number “10” in red appeared above the keypad and began its countdown.

  9

  8

  7…

  Laurina shot a glance at Colonel Keren, who stood smiling at the door but saying nothing. Afraid to speak in fear of disrupting the process, she grabbed a hold of Doctor Kelder’s arm, peering anxiously into his eyes.

  6

  5…

  The small man sighed. He had seen this game before.

  Kelder discretely cleared his throat.

  “This is Colonel Walter Keren…Hammerfall,” his superior declared smugly.

  Immediately the weapons retracted into their niches, and the keypad flashed a deep green.

  “Please enter Colonel Keren,” the voice invited in a more humble tone.

  A sharp metal sound of bolts disengaging split the air, and the door slowly yawned open of its own accord. Keren strode quickly inside as if he were a father arriving home to his family, followed at a slower pace by the others. Grey shadows seemed to envelope them, and the murky darkness masked what lay inside

  As Laurina’s eyes adjusted, she saw that the room was filled with an array of various technologies, some of which she had never seen before, packed along
every inch of the walls. While the space itself was large, the room seemed unduly cramped and claustrophobic. Multi-colored lights, and indicators played along their surfaces as the machinery was busy processing information and making calculations. In the center of the room sat an oversized padded armchair with a control console facing it. Dual monitors flared to life as Keren walked over to the workspace and tapped the keyboard twice. A low hum could be heard escaping from the devices, giving a signal that all was in readiness. Satisfied, he turned back to address their ‘guest’.

  “Teleportation, as I mentioned earlier, is not something just any person can do. After much testing and experimentation, we have discovered that in order to transport a human being from one location to another, it all comes down to the person’s basic genetic structure and its code within the genome. I won’t bore you with the technical aspects of our discovery, other than to say that those who are candidates contain a certain “x-factor.” It is a rare gift, and only a very small few possess this capability. You, young lady, are one of those few.

  “Tell me, Miss Hawks, do you have any understanding of quantum physics?” Keren asked, walking slowly over to her and the rest of the group.

  “Not one bit.” she said.

  Mildly disappointed, Keren sighed.

  “Well, unfortunately we have neither the time nor the resources with which to properly educate you.” The Colonel turned and paced back to the desk. “So you are just going to have to take this on faith.”

  A predatory smile emerged from his lips at the last two words. His smile disturbed Laurina. She knew immediately that it wasn’t an expression of his good humor, but rather derived itself from some sadistic pleasure that only he could see.

  “Well my lack of knowledge aside, you have already teleported me once. There is no reason to think that you can’t do so again.” Laurina replied guardedly.

  “Good. Then we’ll begin with the briefing.” The tall man nodded once and Corporal Robinson, who had been silent the whole time, immediately stepped forward and began to speak. This surprised Laurina, who was beginning to think that Keren’s subordinate was little more than window dressing.

  “Miss Hawks,” he intoned in an oddly flat voice. “You will be sent to the last known location of two of our operatives, in a classified city in New Mexico. Once established, you will seek out a Major Sinza Flanagan…”

  He passed a translucent tablet to Laurina which held a picture of an athletic looking black haired woman on the monitor. Robinson tapped the device in her hands, and the image changed to that of a familiar face.

  “…and her aide Galicia Hawks. Both are part of this institution and have disappeared during a recent mission. It seems they found themselves in an unpleasant situation and had to go into hiding.”

  Laurina’s blood grew cold as she looked intently at the picture of her own sister.

  Ahhh, there’s the kicker. This confirms that the message was from Gal after all. And she is in some kind of trouble.

  “And just what do you mean by ‘an unpleasant situation’?” Laurina asked warily. She reminded herself silently to heed Doctor Kelder’s warning and play the situation cool, rather than give these military men the satisfaction of knowing how distressed she was about her sister’s welfare. She placed her hands on her hips and waited for a response, all the while feeling like she was about to burst. Corporal Robinson glanced at the Colonel for permission to answer. Keren nodded for him to continue.

  “The teleportation system that we use is housed at the classified location within an energy shield. There is a gateway there as well. Both operatives failed to return through it during the allotted mission period, and due to a lack of genetically suited personnel, no one else has attempted to go through to meet them. It is imperative to the project, and for the safety of our operatives that we get certain information to them ASAP.”

  Keren’s subordinate produced something small and dark from his pocket, and held it at eye level.

  “The classified information is encoded within this disk. It also contains a special sensor that will temporarily disable the energy field and enable you to enter the facility. Your mission will be to search for the missing operatives. When you make contact with them, give them the disk. Once they decode their instructions, they will quickly carry out their orders, and then return home with you.”

  Robinson allowed Laurina to examine the object- a non-descript plastic rectangle that resembled a flash drive, but with one difference. This 'disk' contained two shiny prongs on one end.

  “Sure doesn’t look like any disk I’ve ever seen before,” she commented dryly.

  After allowing her to examine it a few seconds, he deftly plucked the object from her hands and placed it back in his jacket.

  Laurina paused a moment to soak everything in.

  There’s more to this than they are telling. That is certain.

  Colonel Keren turned to the redhead expectantly. His expression was all business.

  “Will you cooperate with us Miss Hawks?” he asked.

  She understood immediately that his request was really a demand.

  “Do I have a choice?” she replied.

  Keren chuckled grimly.

  “Honestly, no. If you were to decline, we couldn’t let you leave this facility with the knowledge of this operation and the teleportation device. You’d probably find yourself with selective amnesia and struggling to choose a new bed at Scotland Yard to suit your taste. We would also be forced to connect you and your orphanage to the stolen money. Of course, the Yard would probably have to shut it down.”

  “You bastard!” Laurina spat through clenched teeth.

  “There is also the fate of the two operatives to be considered. After all, who knows what may happen to Major Flanagan and…your sister?” Keren let the comment dangle in the air while the redhead seethed. Motioning to his subordinate, he waited as man pulled an item out of the drawer of a nearby cabinet and handed it to him. It was her briefcase!

  “But if you cooperate, the 250,000 pounds that you uh, acquired will be given back to you, with interest of course, and the authorities can remain in the dark about it and any of your other associations.”

  Snapping open the case, the officer displayed the contents to the young woman, to allay any doubts. No mistake. It was the money she purloined from Rickenbacher. In one fluid motion, he snapped the case closed and tossed it back to Robertson, who promptly returned it to the cabinet. Once again, Keren’s predatory smile reappeared.

  Laurina gave the colonel a look that would have melted iron.

  “Before I do anything, I need to make a call to London…”she began.

  The Colonel held up a hand to cut her off.

  “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid that your brother or anyone else will have to remain in the dark for a little while, due to the sensitive nature of this situation. However, once this assignment is completed, I will make it up to your entire family by providing you all with a 30 day vacation to the destination of your choice, first class, all expenses paid; compliments of the United States government.”

  Once again he presented the redhead with a large smile.

  “Can you ask for a better family reunion?”

  It’s like being face to face with a Bull shark who promises not to eat you. I don’t trust this bloke any further than I can throw him. I’d love to tell him to piss off, but there is Galicia to consider. If I say no, we are both screwed. And if I say yes…

  The blighter’s got me by the short hairs!

  “Very well.” she relented. “I’ll deliver your bloody disk.”

  “Outstanding!” Keren beamed. “Bob?”

  The Colonel’s assistant produced a brown bundle and handed it to the reluctant woman.

  “Here, put this on,” he intoned stiffly.

  Touching a stud in the wall, a bank of machinery slid outward and to the left, revealing a hidden inner chamber. It was well lit, illuminated be some type of recessed lighting. With just a hint
of hesitation, Laurina walked into it alone. Once she crossed the threshold, the bank of machinery slid shut behind her.

  The space resembled a very utilitarian locker room, without the lockers. The walls were made almost entirely of gray cinder block and cement, and its only furnishings were a tall department store mirror on one wall, and a metal bench bolted to the floor on the other end. Looking behind, she saw a stud on the wall similar to the one the corporal used. Nearby was a small circular dot. Her training told her exactly what it was…A surveillance camera.

  “Lovely,” Laurina muttered.

  After only a moment’s hesitation, she set the brown bundle down and slipped out of the clothes Kamla had dressed her in, laying them carefully on the bench beside her. Conscious of the camera and her nakedness, she quickly unwrapped the strange brown bundle which turned out to be some sort of military incursion outfit. It was a stretchy one piece garment that was worn like a union suit. Sitting on the bench Laurina pulled the material over one leg and raised an eyebrow. The dark fabric felt like leather to the touch, but was cool and breathable. After getting her second leg in, she reached behind and grabbed the upper portion and squeezed into it. The military suit zipped up from the waist to just under her chin and fit her snugly, hugging the curves of her body like a second skin. Several black zippered pockets were conveniently placed at the waist and hips, along with a number of loops which seemed to be designed for a utility belt of some kind. There were no shoes included with the outfit, but she noticed that it did have padded soles. It certainly felt like she was wearing shoes but without the bulk and weight to her feet. She jumped up and down a few times and stretched from side to side to test its flexibility. The suit was not only light but gave the impression of being very durable.

  She turned to where she had entered, touched the stud and the wall opened once more. Laurina emerged from the small room and approached the waiting Colonel.