Infiltrator

by Bob Blink

  "That's all we've got?" Mark asked.

  "We'll continue to watch the two FBI agents. Someone has to be keeping an eye on them, but thus far we've had no luck spotting whoever it might be. Of course, we've been watching for humans, if it really is these aliens you postulate, who knows how they operate."

  "They must have limitations," Mark said. "It's unlikely they look human, and there has to be a reason they needed to use us."

  '"I really hope you are wrong about the aliens," Janet said. "It makes me uncomfortable wondering how many clones, if that's what you are, could be out there and undetected."

  "We'll keep an open mind, but in the meantime we have to think of a way to make you visible to those we seek, while keeping a low profile against any law enforcement types who are also on the watch for the lot of you," Ed said. "We need a plan for what we do if the good guys do spot you."

  Chapter 28

  The safe house was a large, stone, two level structure, three levels if one counted the basement. It was located a forty minute drive outside of the city in an area none of them would have guessed any residences would be found. They could see the highway just under three quarters of a mile away, but it would have been impossible for those driving past to see the house nestled in the thick copse of trees. There was no road connecting the property to the highway, and a circuitous route had been followed to bring them into the place that none were sure they could retrace on their own. An eight-foot stone wall encircled the house, with an open area of almost fifty yards separated the house from the wall, and another twenty-five yards between the wall and the thick trees beyond. Mark noted that the roof was flat, and what appeared to be slits that might be firing positions set along the roofline. With the thick stone walls, the place would be somewhat invulnerable to small arms fire.

  "There are sensors to detect motion, heat, and sound that can be activated from within the house," Ed explained as they walked from the vehicles. "Television cameras are located at strategic positions around the facility, further making an unwanted approach difficult. Your tax dollars at work," Ed added as he led them up the front stairs into the facility. "It's not something that belongs to our organization, but another of the many government covert agencies. Don't worry, no one even knows we are using it."

  "Land mines scattered random around the open areas, I assume," Steph said sarcastically.

  Ed nodded. "Both electrified fences and several types of antipersonnel explosives are spread around that can also be activated from inside as well."

  Mark looked at him sharply.

  "Just kidding," Ed admitted. Apparently it was considered at one point, but was not judged to be politically correct. Far too many good ideas get shelved for that stupid reason."

  Once inside, Jessie noted that the men carrying rifles were not the ones they'd met at the doctor's office. She mentioned the change to Ed.

  "Jan, Joe and I took a few days personal leave," he explained. "The others are still working, so they are shifting this unofficial work. I have fourteen men from teams I have run and know I can trust. They'd all do anything for me. The ones that supported our meet in town have gone back to work. They're on the night shift at Homeland."

  "So this team will be here tonight?' Mark asked.

  "Some will leave around midnight and be replaced by some others. At all times we will have six or more men watching our backs," Ed explained.

  Mark was impressed by the loyalty Jessie commanded. While some of these men saw their involvement as loyalty to Ed, none would be here if they didn't think she deserved their support.

  "Joe and Jan will show you your rooms," Ed said. "I'd like to speak to Jessie alone for a few minutes."

  Mark looked at Jessie, who nodded it was okay, so the three other members of the group headed off while Jessie followed Ed into a small, marginally furnished office. A number of monitors were activated and showed the grounds surrounding the safe house. Jessie took a seat opposite the older man. She examined him critically, noting the added wrinkled around the eyes, and the thinner hair.

  "The mileage is starting to show, isn't it?" Ed asked. noting her scrutiny.

  "The years do stack up," she agreed. Then, changing the subject, she said, "I appreciate you decided to help us, and that you believe our screwy tale."

  "That's what I wanted to speak with you about," Ed replied. "I do believe you, but only so far, and our support comes with certain restrictions"

  "What do you mean?" Jessie asked frowning.

  "You answered all the questions we presented to you, showing you know things that only Jessie could, yet you have clearly been compromised in some way, and even you admit you don't know when or where. There remains the very real possibility that you might still be a resource that could be activated for whoever is behind all this."

  ""We ditched the phones that we believe were being used to trigger certain actions," Jessie protested.

  "That doesn't mean that's the only way you might be controlled," Ed argued, repeating what had been said earlier. "Even though you've been operating freely for some time, you are now back in D.C., and that opens the risk that you might be once again vulnerable to this group."

  "What's your point?" Jessie asked tersely.

  "You need to accept that we are watching you as much as we are looking for who is behind this. If any of you start acting abnormally, we will be forced to respond accordingly."

  "I see," Jessie replied. "Then why are you helping us at all?"

  "Because something sinister is clearly going on, and I intend to get to the bottom of it."

  "Why don't you simply take your concerns to management?"

  "The FBI has already put their stamp on this situation, and while our organization doesn't always follow in lock-step with them, the TV coverage tends to support their claims. I don't see a means of gaining support without some evidence of what you claim being true. I'm hoping together we can find that evidence together."

  "That's why you have such a large support team," Jessie said.

  "In part," Ed agreed, with no sense of guilt. "We need to be able to watch for these people, but also be strong enough to deal with your group should you suddenly become a threat."

  "Gives me warm fuzzies," Jessie said. "That's why you mentioned not arming us like the others?"

  "In part, but we also don't want those seeking you to see that someone has supplied you. That could give away our trap. If you want our help, you have to go into this understanding the situation."

  Jessie sat back and sighed.

  "I can't see that we have much choice. How is this going to work?"

  "There aren't many places we can work with, and some are likely being monitored by law enforcement hoping you might make an appearance. Some, like the building where you held meetings, have almost certainly been abandoned. To start, we'll use the dead Medical Examiner's residence and office as targets, hoping that we can lure out the bad guys. Officially the auto accident isn't suspicious, and neither the FBI nor the cops have shown an interest in the man, at least as related to this case. If that doesn't work, we'll have to try one of the other targets, recognizing the increased chances you might be spotted by someone in the law enforcement community."

  "How are you going to know we've been spotted, by either group?

  "We have people inside the FBI who will alert us if the Feds catch onto us, but we'll have to rely on instinct and training for the others. We don't know what we are looking for. How do you watch for an alien? Most likely they will be using more clones, that will appear human, so their actions will have to give them away."

  "You and your team will be out of sight?"

  "Yeah. We don't want anyone to understand that you have any support."

  "Communications?"

  "We have full tactical gear. We'll equip everyone before we go out. It won't be noticeable to an observer, not detectable to anyone without the mission password. The conversations are sliced and mixed, then reassembled based on the code word. Any
one using the same gear without the code will only hear white noise."

  "And what is the mission goal?" Jessie asked.

  "We want to take as many alive as possible. We need answers to a lot of questions, and someone who can point toward the leaders in this thing. We'll kill those we have to, even the bodies will provide some leads, or at least we hope they will."

  "And if whoever you capture is someone who is programmed as we appear to be?"

  "I don't know?" Ed admitted. "We'll make those decisions if they arise."

  "And we do this without contacting the FBI or anyone else?" Jessie asked. "I feel like I should be alerting Burrows somehow."

  "He's an outsider and currently directed to a specific task by the Director and his new partner. I don't see it being productive to let him know you are back in town. That would create a conflict for him, as his primary task is to locate you four and bring you all in."

  "I know," Jessie agreed, "but he's someone you should speak with. He's seen some of what I told you, and he personally interviewed Bud Johnson."

  "Maybe later," Ed replied.

  "Okay," Jessie said, knowing there was no point pushing the matter. "Is there a staff here, or do we make our own food. We haven't eaten much all day."

  "We fend for ourselves," Ed said. "We have the very finest in military combat fare."

  "Not MREs?" Jessie asked.

  Ed nodded.

  "They are simple, and easy under the circumstances."

  "Tell me this place has a pantry," Jessie said.

  "I believe so," Ed replied, "but I don't know what is in it."

  Morning had the foursome making their way down the nearly deserted block toward the office of the M.E. who'd been killed in the suspicious accident. Their Jeep was parked two blocks away, and supposedly Ed and his team was in place to monitor their progress and any interest shown in them. Jessie was reassured by her inability to spot any of the group. They clearly knew their business. No one was talking on the net since a brief "good-to-go" exchange as they left the Jeep.

  "I'd rather we were searching for them, than hoping they are coming after us," Glen said nervously, forcing himself to resist the urge to look around.

  "What would you look for?" Steph asked, also nervous, and not at all reassured by the presence of Mark's pistol in the pocket of the heavy coat she wore. She'd never actually fired the weapon, and didn't have any confidence she'd be able to hit what she shot at, nor have the guts to stand and use it.

  "That's the problem," Mark replied. "We don't have a clue who, or what, if anyone, will be looking for us. And it could turn out to be the Feds, despite what Ed Collins hopes."

  "This whole plan seems pretty thin," Steph noted. "We break in, rummage around, supposedly looking for something, hoping someone makes a move. How long can we mill around in this guy's office before it gets suspicious?"

  "We'll look through his records for the original of the autopsy," Jessie replied. "Then will just search everything, with no specific goal, but with an eye for something that might be interesting or relevant. By then, Ed should know if we are being watched. He'll make the call for us to leave."

  "I've got the key," Jessie said as they approached the office, wondering how Ed had gotten a copy. It was early, and relatively quiet, with no one to witness their entry. Soon enough they were all inside.

  The official copy of the autopsy for Pam Chou was easy to find, and disappointingly it looked exactly like the one on file. There was no mention of the lobes that they were very aware were real.

  "Someone switched it," Glen said.

  "Appears so," Jessie agreed.

  They spent the next thirty minutes rummaging aimlessly, without finding anything of use. They'd run out of places to look when Janet's voice came over the net.

  "Return to your vehicle and head back to the decoy," she said.

  Despite wanting to ask a number of questions, the small band did as told. The decoy was a second residence, this one much closer and less impressive, and which they were using only as part of the lure. If something went wrong, they didn't want to lure the bad guys to the safe house unnecessarily. They'd been there just over fifteen minutes wondering what had happened when Ed, Jan and Joe walked into the living room.

  "What happened?" Jessie asked.

  "You were being watched," Ed said.

  "Who?" Mark asked.

  Ed handed over a couple of eight by ten color photographs. "Recognize anyone?" he asked.

  They all spotted Bud Johnson immediately. He looked different, now sporting a beard, but there was no question it was him.

  "Johnson," Glen spat. "I don't know the other two guys."

  "We're running the images through a number of facial recognition databases," Ed informed them, but given the ball caps and the angle I don't have a lot of hopes of getting a useable result. We don't know if this is all of them. His guys are good. We wouldn't have spotted them if it hadn't been for them talking to Johnson."

  "Where are they now?"

  "Good question. We had hopes they would follow you here, and then we could follow them to wherever they hang out, but we lost them on the way here. We're certain they didn't track you the last ten miles, so what happened to them?"

  Ed shrugged.

  "I don't think they spotted us, but maybe. We go back to base, and tomorrow we'll try again, this time at the home of the M.E. Hopefully they make another showing, but clearly they are interested in you and were watching for you to make an appearance."

  Mark had slept soundly that night after returning to the safe house the afternoon before. Now, he found himself sweating and struggling to wake up. For a moment Mark believed he was back in the combat zone. The familiar sounds of warning horns and the muffled report of suppressed automatic weapons fire was all too familiar. Then he remembered where he was and realized the sounds he was hearing meant that the enemy was inside the walls!

  Chapter 29

  Dawn

  Mark quickly slipped on his pants. He wasn't about to engage in a gun battle wearing just his skivvies. He stuffed the spare magazines for the Kimber in the back pockets where they'd be readily accessible, then checked the Kimber in the belt holster. He kept the .45 in Condition One, "cocked and locked", with a round in the chamber and the thumb safety engaged. He only needed to depress the thumb safety and the pistol would be ready to fire.

  Another series of muffled shots from the first floor, this group sounding a bit different than the first, made him anxious and wanting to hurry, but he took a moment to slip on his shoes. They weren't anything like his old combat boots, which were good for kicking and stomping when fighting, but engaging in personal combat barefoot was an unacceptable situation if it could be avoided, and his normal footwear would have to sufficice for now. Ready, he drew the pistol, and carefully checking the hallway before charging into the open, he stepped out of the room and headed toward the front stairwell, moving as silently as possible. He didn't need to alert anyone below to his position. The last thing he wanted was someone waiting for him as he made the dangerous descent down the stairs, or for someone to send a burst of rounds through the flooring in an attempt to take him out. He doubted there was much between the two levels that would stop the bullets from penetrating up to his level.

  He was passing Stephanie's room when the door opened and Jessie stepped out, her service Glock in hand. She nodded his way, and stepped out to join him.

  "Steph?" he asked in a whisper.

  "I warned her to stay put. This is the kind of situation where novices get thinned out quickly. With the enemy apparently already inside the perimeter, there's nothing much she's going to do with a pistol she has never fired and no previous exposure to combat."

  Mark nodded his approval. He'd seen many new recruits get whacked before they'd had the time to develop the proper reflexes and responses to being under fire. He'd seen one recruit standing upright and exposed to the near misses fired from a poorly trained sniper that had chosen him as a target. I
t wasn't until the third or fourth round that the soldier connected the distant 'bang" with the bullets that were passing close to him. He was one of the lucky ones, and had lived through the experience, ultimately returning home from his duty tour in the combat zone.

  They had only gone a few steps toward the stairs when Glen stepped out of his room. He noted the guns Mark and Jessie had in hand. His own was on his hip, in a more prominent position than he usually carried it.

  "How did they find us?' he asked softly. "I thought this place was so well protected we'd know they were coming."

  "That's a question we can deal with if we live through this," Jessie replied, and indicated the stairs with her chin. "The issue at the moment is how many are there and can we hold off this attack. I don't know how many of our people are still alive below."

  "We're going down there, with just handguns?" Glen asked. "Sounds like the bad guys have MP5s."

  "You've heard the sound before?" Mark asked, a bit surprised that a pilot would have had that experience.

  Glen nodded.

  "I flew into some pretty hot spots before. Hoped never to hear that sound again."

  "I'm going," Jessie said, not wanting to waste more time talking. "You can stay until the bad guys take out everyone downstairs and then come looking for you. I feel my chances are better providing reinforcement to our guys down there. Numbers might just make the difference."

  "I'm coming," Glen replied testily. "I never said I wasn't, but this isn't a good situation."

  "Few of them are," Mark muttered under his breath.

  "What about Steph?" Glen asked.

  "I told her to stay locked in her room. She's not going to be of any use in this situation."

  Glen nodded, then followed as Mark and Jessie began walking toward the stairs once again. They went down slowly, staying close to the outer wall which made them less visible to anyone watching from below. They'd come out on the lower level adjacent to the front door, across the hall from the large great room where they'd come in earlier. They reached the lower level without being seen, and heard Ed cursing softly from within the room across the hall from them. Jessie and Mark moved quickly, crossing the open hallway and finding temporary cover just inside the room where they could scan the area before exposing themselves more. They could see the walls had been riddled with bullets from the previous fighting.