Welch, D [Shadow People 03] Shadow Twins

by Doug Welch

  Paris coughed and cleared his throat. “That’s because she’s reading your mind-glow.”

  Kitty concentrated a moment and then looked up in amazement. “She’s glowing like a spot light. What did you guys do to her?”

  “We don’t know,” Elizabeth replied. “Almost from the moment she was more than embryo she glowed. I told you about it before.”

  “It’s more than that,” Kitty said. “I can sense a link, something that binds the three of you.” She stared hard at him. “This is bizarre, Paris.”

  He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I know, but it goes deeper than that.”

  “How?” Kitty asked.

  Paris stared at Dorri. “Somehow, there’s a young woman in her mind –or maybe it’s in mine. I think it’s her self image. In a dream she managed to warn me when the mercenaries tried to kidnap her.”

  Kitty looked skeptical. “I’d say it’s impossible but we’ve experienced a lot of impossible shit lately. One good thing about it. At least I won’t have to conjure up a lot of stupid baby talk.” Kitty laughed. “And when she’s a toddler I won’t have to smack her hands when she tries to pick up my weapon, I’ll just whack her in the mind-glow.”

  “God, don’t mention the terrible twos,” Elizabeth said. “I can just imagine what a two-year old Shadow Adept could get into.”

  “You know for a newborn, she’s really cute,” Kitty said.

  “If she turns out like the woman in my dream,” Paris said, “I’ll have to hire armed guards to keep the men at bay.”

  Paris watched in silence as Kitty counted all of Dorri’s toes and fingers, kissed her cheek and nuzzled her, and finally handed her back to Elizabeth.

  “Okay, older brother. I know you didn’t drag me down here just to play with Dorri. Although I’ll admit the experience was worth it. It’s time to get to the point. What do you want?”

  Paris spread his hands. “I’m planning to destroy the Borgias and I need your help. I couldn’t trust this conversation to a phone or your apartment so I came here to meet face to face.”

  Kitty laughed. “Dream on. You’re talking about taking down a millennia-old Shadow House with nothing but our resources? You’re joking. First, the Council would never allow it, and second, the Borgias would crush us before we ever got started.”

  “Apparently you never read the story about David and Goliath,” Paris said.

  “At least David had a sling-shot. We haven’t even got a pea-shooter,” Kitty replied.

  “That’s not entirely true,” Paris said.

  Kitty’s amused look changed to one of suspicion. “Just how illegal is this gonna be.”

  “It’s the Borgias. Do you care?” Paris asked.

  Kitty shrugged. “Not really. But the Bureau is understandably opposed to its Agents getting involved in criminal activities. Not that it bothers me, but there’s no government form for it and changing every mind in the whole FBI field office would raise a lot of eyebrows.”

  “Right now, I need you for intelligence on their security,” Paris said, “but when the time comes I’ll need your training and your Adept skills. The illegal stuff’s being handled by another department.”

  “So how are we going to arrange this?” Kitty asked. “I can’t just leave at a moment’s notice and if you plan on going to Italy, it’ll be a bitch. The Bureau will want a good excuse and advance notice, way in advance. Not only that, I’ll have to register with the Italian Government even if it’s a vacation.”

  “Is there any way you can go on official FBI business?” Paris asked.

  “It’s unlikely,” Kitty replied, “unless there’s hard intelligence of illegal activities in the U.S. or a terrorist threat. Also, I’d have to have evidence that some entity in Italy posed a threat to U.S. citizens in or near the field office. Otherwise it gets kicked up to Washington and out of my jurisdiction.”

  Paris sighed. “I guess the vacation idea is a better one. Can you do it?”

  Kitty shrugged. “Maybe. It depends on the reason. I might be able to ram it through as a Family vacation in Italy.”

  “Actually, Corsica, it’s a French territory,” Paris said. “Specifically, the city of Solenzara. It has a major airport. Corsica has pristine beaches and crystal clear waters. It’s a logical place for a vacation and it’s only ninety kilometers from Italy.”

  “What’s that in miles?” Kitty asked.

  “About fifty-five,” Paris replied. “It’s easy to reach Italy from Corsica.”

  “So let me get this straight,” Kitty said. “You plan to infiltrate the Italian mainland by boat. Do some unspecified damage to the Borgias when you get there, and exfiltrate the same way? Have I got it right?”

  Paris smiled and spread his hands. “Essentially.”

  Kitty grinned. “Sounds like a stupid plan but I guess I can work on my tan. Detroit gets cloudy in the fall and a Med vacation might just be what I need. How do you plan on keeping us out of an Italian jail if everything goes to shit?”

  Paris’ smile remained. “I’m working on that. I have a good team involved in planning this. We’ll come up with a solution.”

  “You’d better,” Kitty said. “I’d hate to have to talk my way out of an Italian prison and the Bureau would have convulsions.”

  Part Three-The Assault

  Chapter 27

  Corsica

  Watching the boat glide through the water, Dani thought about the sea she sailed on.

  Although most people thought the huge body of water that bordered southern Europe was the Mediterranean, the waters actually consisted of seven seas. They were the Tyrrhenian, Alboran, Balearic, Adriatic, Aegean, Ionian and the Mediterranean Sea. In ancient Greek and Roman times these were called ‘The Seven Seas’. Although connected by common waters, all the individual seas were almost land locked with multiple navigation hazards between them.

  As she stood on the bow waiting for the Karela fishing boat to tie up, the clear waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea gently lapped the piers on the docks of the eastern coast of Corsica. The salt spray filled her lungs with its tang, and the smell of gutted fish was attended by the cries of numerous hungry gulls. Along the dock, Paris waited while Bernardo danced with impatience, but the tall man near Bernardo with his black hair bound up in a pony tail, appeared disinterested in the proceedings.

  That all changed when she stepped onto the pier.

  She heard Paris whisper to the large man. “Close your mouth. You’re drooling.”

  The man stared at her and whispered back. “How do you do it? You must know every hot-body on the planet. Is she married?”

  Paris laughed and shook his head. “No and so far as I know, she doesn’t have a boyfriend.”

  Dani wore low cut athletic shoes, form hugging jeans and a tank top that almost contained what lay beneath it. Spying Bernardo, she stretched her arms out.

  Embracing him she said, “I’ve missed you. How did you do in America?”

  The painfully shy Bernardo blushed and his head dropped. “Very well. I have my memory back thanks to Paris.”

  Eying the tall man with the long black pony tail draped behind his back, Dani switched her attention to Paris. “Who’s your friend?”

  Paris smiled. “This is Tom Bradley our computer wiz. He’s working with Bernardo. Tom, meet Dani Karela. She’s the brains behind our Italian team.”

  Tom stretched his hand out and engulfed Dani’s. “It’s a real pleasure to meet you, Miss Karela.”

  Dani took his hand but held it as she spoke, “Call me Dani, everyone else does. Welcome to Corsica. You’re a really big man. What do you do besides working with computers?”

  Tom appeared nervous. “I –I play in a rock and roll band when I’m not working.”

  Dani’s penetrating eyes appraised him. “Really? You will have to show me some time.” She released his hand.

  Paris struggled to hide a beginning grin. “Are your brothers with you?” he asked.

  “Just Emiliano. He is
helping the others secure the boat,” she replied.

  Paris scanned the fishing boat from bow to stern. “How many people can the boat hold?”

  Dani shrugged. “I do not know. You’ll have to ask Emiliano. He has been learning English and he’s eager to try his new skills.” She laughed. “Do not expect much.”

  “I’ve rented a villa outside of Solenzara,” Paris said “As soon as Emiliano joins us we’ll drive there for lunch.”

  * * *

  The hired driver wound along the coastal road south from Solenzara toward a grouping of villas sited lower near the water. With the exception of the coast, Corsica was hilly and mountainous, with abundance of trees; including chestnut, olive, fig, and mulberry planted by people centuries ago. Although Tom Bradley’s gaze was fixed out the car’s window, drinking in the unfamiliar sights, Dani was bored by the trip.

  Turning to address her, Tom said, “Corsica’s a beautiful place, but it’s definitely not like Kentucky.”

  Breaking her boredom, Dani replied, “I’ve been here many times. I suppose one becomes familiar with it and ignores the beauty but you are correct, it is picturesque.”

  “Do you live here?” Tom asked.

  She smiled, noticing the effect it had on her new acquaintance. Seeing his eyes light with wonder, Dani traced an intriguing curve that had formed in his lips. It aroused her curiosity. She knew the effect she had on most men, men who returned nothing but lust, but when Tom looked at her, his boyish enthusiasm radiated a clean, wholesome honesty. It was refreshing. “No I am Italian. I live in Pozzuoli in Italy. It’s on the coast also. Perhaps you can visit me.”

  Paris, who sat in the front passenger seat, turned to face them. “He will, along with Bernardo. They both need to sail to Italy. I’ll explain when we get to the villa.”

  “You were right about one thing, Paris,” Dani said.

  “Oh?” Paris said. “And what was that?”

  “About the men in Kentucky.” Dani replied.

  Paris grinned.

  Still curious, Dani studied her nearby companion. His attention had returned to the countryside so she only saw the long, shiny-black bundle of hair cascading down his back.

  Accustomed to looking down at most Italian men due to her height, it was reassuring to find a man who topped her, not only reaching higher, but causing her to feel tiny in comparison. This could be a man to know in more ways than one.

  The automobile swung around a curved road, turned into a driveway, and stopped at the front of the secluded main house. The walls were stucco but from experience Dani knew the coating covered dressed stones. The grounds fanned out to either wing of the main house and she spied hints of gardens behind the walls.

  She could hear the surf pound the shoreline not far away. It was an expensive estate and the rent on it had to be huge.

  Following Tom out of the car, she tucked her hand in his elbow. A surprised look formed on his face but he didn’t draw back. He clasped his arm to his ribs hugging her hand tighter. As a group, they climbed the stairs leading to the front entrance and entered the building.

  The common room on the ground floor had large picture windows that allowed panoramic views of the sea. The south wing housed a formal dining room. A hallway extended to the rear of the house leading to more rooms and a stairway which ascended to the second floor.

  Paris led them to the dining room where a large lunch had been laid out.

  The meal was consumed with most of the conversation occurring between Emiliano, Bernardo and Tom. Dani listened to the dual-language dialogue without comment, while Paris observed the interactions between the participants.

  Hearing the conversation die, Dani asked Paris, “We know you’re planning some kind of action against the Borgia House, and we need to know what it is. Will we need more men? Will it be dangerous?”

  Paris wiped his lips with a napkin and settled back in his seat. “At this time you four represent an important distraction and your involvement shouldn’t be dangerous. At least I hope not. Later I’ll need the help of your three other brothers. As soon as the fishing boat is ready to sail, the plan is to return to the Italian mainland and deprive the Borgias of their most critical weapon, their money.”

  “And how do you plan to do that?” Dani asked. “Rob a bank?”

  Paris pointed to the three men grouped at the table. “They’ll do it electronically. We would have tried it back in America through the internet, but Bernardo remembered he’d provided backdoor access to the programs running on the Borgia mainframe computer. He did it so that he could fix problems with the software he created. Unfortunately we couldn’t get to the mainframe firewalls through the internet, but once we’re in Italy Tom thinks it’s possible.”

  “I do not understand,” Dani said. “Backdoor? Mainframe? Firewalls? What are those?”

  Tom joined the conversation. “A ‘backdoor’ in a computer system is a way that a programmer can bypass all the security and gain control of the system,” he said. “A mainframe is a large extremely powerful computer system. It controls everything. All of the other computers are slaves to it.”

  “I see...at least I think I do. What if it is not possible to access this computer?” Dani asked.

  Paris shrugged. “Then we’ll need an insider, someone who can get access to a computer in one of their companies. I have two options in mind, one of which hinges on what you and your brothers have discovered. Have you located anyone who might possibly be subverted?”

  “Perhaps,” Dani replied, “but we haven’t approached them yet. We were waiting for your permission.”

  “I’ll do it,” Paris said. “If it doesn’t work, I can eliminate the fact we contacted them from their mind. Are any of them Shadows?”

  “I don’t think so,” Dani said. “We used the trick you taught us with the cameras. None of them are Shadows, but we did notice that two of them are followed by Shadows.”

  “We’ll start with those two,” Paris said. “If they’re under surveillance it’s likely they pose a security risk, a risk we can exploit.”

  “I don’t think it’ll be necessary, Paris,” Tom said. I’m a little more confident after talking with Emiliano and Bernardo. We may not need an inside man after all.”

  “One thing I learned in the army, Tom, is to have multiple escape routes when everything goes south,” Paris said. “Plans have an annoying tendency to fail when you need them most. I always have a backup. If you and Bernardo succeed we won’t need it but it’ll be there. We can explore other options while you, Bernardo and Emiliano get the new hardware set up.”

  Paris stopped talking when the villa’s cook came in to clear the remains of the luncheon. As soon as she departed, he resumed. “All of you get some rest and enjoy the sights. There’ll be plenty of time to discuss this on the way to Italy. We’ll leave tomorrow morning.”

  Addressing Dani, he said, “Other than us, there’ll be one more passenger and we’ll need a secure place to put him. At this moment he’s locked in his room.”

  Dani noticed a sour look twist Tom’s face, but then focused on Paris’ words.

  “I’d prefer he not be seen by the crew if that’s possible,” he said.

  Dani wondered what Paris had in mind but she didn’t pry. “It is not a long trip to Italy. We’ll put him in the hold. It is smelly but clean. It should not be too uncomfortable. Who is this passenger?”

  Paris looked grim. “My near twin.”

  Chapter 28

  Italy

  Paris sat in an open-air restaurant in Naples Italy nursing a glass of red wine as he waited for his target to show up. Dani had identified the man as a medical doctor, a supervisor at the research section of the Naples biotech facility. Dani’s brother Carlo had indicated the doctor frequented the restaurant, ordering the same meal time after time. The plan was for Dani’s brothers to take out the Shadow that followed him and make it look like an accident. As a final resort Paris could alter his memories, but if the plan worked
he didn’t need to.

  Paris fretted as he waited. What if the man wasn’t hungry and didn’t arrive? What if the Shadow noticed he was being stalked? To complicate matters, if one of the Borgias reported that Paris was in Italy, it might throw the whole plan into chaos. But it was a risk he needed to take, one of the many that he would face before they could succeed.

  About to leave and try another day, he saw the Borgia doctor walk into the grouping of sidewalk tables and head toward the restaurant’s interior. Passing near Paris’ table, he stopped, appearing startled. Turning his head, his eyes focused on Paris.

  Paris could do nothing but sit frozen. Although he’d expected this, the anticipation of the doctor’s reaction caused tension to build.

  The man walked over with a concerned expression on his face and sat down opposite him.

  The doctor leaned toward him and spoke in a furious whisper, “Brian, what the hell are you doing in Naples. You’re supposed to be in Kentucky.”

  Paris mind raced through possible alternatives. Being mistaken for his twin was the intended result, but how could he turn it into an advantage? He searched his mind for the doctor’s name. Dani had briefed him before they left. Sam? Samuel. That was it.

  Assuming a worried expression he replied, “They found out I wasn’t Paris, so I had to leave the country. I managed to escape just before the real Paris showed up. I just flew into Naples and I thought I might find you here. I’m terrified what the House will do to me once they discover my failure. Please help me, Doctor Samuel.”

  Samuel’s voice was angry when he replied. “You know I can’t do anything about it so stop whining. Maybe if you just show up and explain...”

  Paris shook his head. “I can’t do this alone, Doctor Samuel. Maybe if we see them together it won’t be as hard.”

  Samuel’s laugh sounded like an explosion. “Hah. That’s unlikely. You think they’d treat me any better than you? I’m pretty sure they have someone following me wherever I go.” He looked around the street. “That means you’ve been spotted. You may as well give yourself up now.”