by Siegel, Alex
"Why?" She blinked at him. It was obvious her brain wasn't running at full speed.
"Because right now this place is lethal to outsiders."
"I don't understand. It seems safe." She looked left and right.
"It's a Society stronghold," he said, "one of God's dirty secrets. It's unnatural."
She made a face that indicated she wasn't buying his explanation. She opened her mouth to respond, and he braced himself for an obnoxious comment. She was pleasantly silent instead.
After a long pause, she said, "I believe you, sir."
He grinned. "I'm very happy to hear that."
He went to the back of the delivery truck and opened the door. The cargo area contained fifty-five gallon drums, cardboard boxes, and wooden crates.
"What's this stuff?"
"A thousand gallons of fuel oil," he said, "four tons of thermite, and incendiaries." He waited for this information to sink in.
It was her turn to smile. "You guys have the best toys."
"We have the best toys."
It took an hour to unload the truck and place the heavy materials. As they worked, Aaron kept a close eye on Tawni. Last night's experience had probably left her in a highly disturbed state. Wesley had given her a cruel dose of his gift. She didn't complain about the physical labor. In fact, it seemed to wake her up a little.
She just watched as Aaron finally taped and wired the incendiaries.
He set the master timer for ten minutes. They got back in the truck and he drove outside. He parked well down the street but close enough to still see the fireworks.
"How are you feeling?" he said while they waited.
"Like shit, sir. I'm so tired. All night I kept remembering bad things from my childhood. Horrible experiences that made me angry. Stuff I tried to forget. It was like a nightmare, except I was awake."
"When we get back, take a long nap if you can."
"Wesley..." She grimaced.
"I know," he said. "A kid shouldn't have that kind of power."
"I'll never mess with him again. I don't know who is scarier. Him or Carlos."
He noticed her eyes were drooping in the warm sunlight. She might fall asleep right now. It gave him an interesting idea for how to proceed with the investigation into the protests.
"I'm sorry," he said, "but your nap will have to wait. I need to make one stop on the way home."
"Where, sir?"
"A sleep clinic in western Chicago."
"For me?" she said.
"No."
She gave him a funny look.
Smoke started drifting up from the roof of the old headquarters. Aaron hadn't used explosives so he wasn't expecting a spectacular blast. The fire would simply get hotter and hotter until even the steel beams burned. Thermite could reach temperatures of up to 4,500 degrees, and there was a lot of it in there.
"You should thank Wesley," he said.
Tawni glanced at him. "For turning my brain into baby food?"
"For saving your life. I was just seconds away from pulling the trigger."
She was quiet for a long moment. "Would you have felt bad about that, sir?"
"Very. You were forcing me to do something I hated. But the Child of Destiny intervened, and that means something. It means a lot."
He saw a few flames squirting out of the roof in spots. It meant the interior was already a raging inferno. Even if the fire department showed up, the fire would still finish its job.
"It's time to go." He started the truck.
* * *
Aaron and Tawni walked up to the Sleep Wellness Center in western Chicago. It was a small office in a strip mall with a stone façade. A blue awning shaded a door made a dark green glass.
He turned to her. "I'm James Carroll, reporter from Total Access News. Repeat it."
"James Carroll," she said in a dull voice. "Total Access News. Who am I, sir?"
"Another reporter. What was the name Bethany gave you?"
"Cheryl Miller."
He nodded. "Just follow my lead. Let me do the talking."
"Yes, sir." She yawned.
They went inside, and the crowded lobby shocked Aaron. There were so many people waiting that most had to stand or sit on the floor. A woman had actually fallen asleep in the corner.
"What the hell?" Tawni said.
"I expected a crowd, but not like this."
"You did, sir?"
"Sleep disorders are a side effect of psychological disturbance," he said. "The doctors here might have some ideas about what's going on."
She raised her eyebrows and appeared impressed.
He went to the receptionist. She was a chubby, black woman with white beads in her hair.
"Hi!" Aaron gave her his friendliest smile. "We'd like to see one of the doctors. We're reporters from Total Access News."
"Do you have an appointment?"
"No, but I only need a few minutes."
"I'm sorry. We're very busy right now." She nodded towards the crowded lobby. "We can't take walk-ins. If you'd like to make an appointment..."
He took a cash roll out of his pocket and peeled off a hundred dollar bill. "How about an appointment for right now?" He gave her the money.
She held the bill in her hand with a dubious expression. He doubled the amount.
"Maybe I can squeeze you in, sir. Wait here." She walked off.
"That was easy," Tawni whispered.
"Money is the universal lubricant," Aaron said. "The trick is knowing the right amount to pay. Too much arouses suspicion. She looked like two hundred dollars to me."
The receptionist returned after a moment. She led them through a door and down a hallway. They walked into a cramped office in the back of the building.
"This is Dr. Friedman," the receptionist said. "He can help you." She left.
Dr. Friedman was a tall man with light brown skin. Thick glasses made his eyes look big. His very short hair was a mixture of black and gray.
"You're reporters?" he said.
"That's right." Aaron smiled. "James Carroll, Total Access News. We're investigating the epidemic of sleep disorders. Judging by the crowd in your lobby, this must be ground zero."
"Patient information is confidential."
"I don't need specific details."
Dr. Friedman glanced down at his desk. It was crammed with paperwork, mostly insurance forms. "And I'm extremely busy."
"This won't take long. The public needs to know what's going on. We have a medical crisis on our hands!"
The doctor sighed. "Just make it quick, please."
"When was the first time you noticed an increase in cases?" Aaron took out a small notepad and a pencil.
"Business started to pick up three months ago, but it really went nuts about four weeks ago. I'm working fourteen hours a day, and I'm still turning patients away."
Aaron jotted down a few notes. "Can you describe the symptoms without referring to specific cases?"
"Deep anxiety, severe irritability, nightmares, disassociation, even psychosis."
"Do you have a theory about the cause?"
"No." Friedman shook his head. "I wish I did. I've consulted with other doctors and asked specialists to examine my patients. The only treatment is sleeping pills and counseling. It doesn't always help. I've heard about some suicides."
"Do your patients have any ideas?"
"I've heard a hundred crackpot theories. Space aliens are a popular explanation. Some think it's a sign the world is ending."
Aaron took more notes. "Do you mind if I quote you?"
"Go ahead. Just mention the name and location of my business."
"No problem. Is there anything you'd like to add?"
"Just that this situation has me worried," the doctor said. "It's getting worse in a hurry. I hope the authorities are paying attention."
"I'm sure they are. You've been very helpful. Thank you for your time." Aaron shook the doctor's hand and left.
He and Tawni walked out of th
e office and into morning sunlight.
"Why didn't you bribe him like the receptionist, sir?" she said.
"He would've taken it as an insult." Aaron shook his head. "Doctors have integrity, or at least they think they do."
"Where did you learn all this stuff?"
"I understand people very well. It's a skill I've always had. Let's go home. You need to take a nap before you fall over. When we get back to the hotel, you can go straight to your room."
* * *
Aaron walked into the computer room in headquarters. He needed the twins to do some research for him. He found Bethany and Leanna huddled together in a back corner. They were holding each other tightly with their eyes closed like terrified children. Norbert was standing nearby with an expression of deep anxiety on his round face. Wesley, Smythe, and Odelia were watching from a little further back.
"What's wrong with them?" Aaron said.
"I don't know, sir," Norbert said. "They were like this when I walked in a few minutes ago. They won't talk to me."
"Wesley?"
"It's strange," the boy said. "I don't understand, either."
"I checked them," Odelia said. "No injuries. They're healthy, at least physically."
Aaron knelt in front of Bethany. "Hello? Can you hear me?"
He caressed her face, and she responded by turning her head a little. He could see her eyes moving under her eyelids. She was certainly awake.
Aaron looked around the room for clues and saw nothing out of place. The lights on hundreds of computers blinked in the racks. The fan noise was loud enough to be annoying.
He stood in front of the twins and crossed his arms. "This is your commander!" he bellowed. "Bethany and Leanna, respond immediately!"
The twins opened their big, brown eyes and looked up. He didn't see fear, but they seemed confused, as if they didn't quite recognize him.
"We reached the next level, sir," Bethany whispered.
"Oh," Wesley said. "I think I get it."
"What?" Aaron turned to the boy.
"The Lord is teaching them the math that controls the universe, the equations of existence."
"Are you talking about physics?"
"Sort of," Wesley said. "The math has layers, and each layer has meaning. It's stuff nobody has ever learned before. As they go along, it's rewiring their brains. They're becoming more like Him and less like us. It's changing how they see the world. It's a difficult process."
Aaron faced the twins and frowned. This project had started as something they puttered with in the background when they weren't busy with a real assignment. Now it was getting in the way of a mission and compromising the effectiveness of the team. Unfortunately, there wasn't a lot Aaron could do about it. This was just one more aggravation he had to live with. These days he was feeling less like a commander and more like a summer camp counselor.
"Bethany and Leanna," he said, "stop thinking about the deep, dark secrets of the universe for a few minutes. I have a quick assignment for you, and it's important. Lives are at stake. Focus on my needs. Can you do that, please?"
The twins still appeared confused, but they stood and went to their workstations. Norbert relaxed and exhaled.
"Good," Aaron said. "I was just at the Sleep Wellness Center in Chicago. The place is packed. I want a list of all the patients who visited in the last three months."
Bethany immediately started typing. "That's easy, sir. I'll just check the billing records, insurance claims, and bank statements."
Easy for you, he thought.
It took only a few minutes for her to create a list with hundreds of names. Everybody else gathered around to watch.
"Now find the home addresses of all those people," Aaron said. "Plot them on a map of the city."
This step was even faster. A map of western Chicago appeared on Bethany's monitor, and tiny red dots decorated it to create a poorly defined blob.
He nodded with satisfaction. "We're looking for a hot spot. Find one place where the phenomenon is at its worst."
Her fingers danced on her exotic keyboard. It had a layout that he found baffling, but she obviously preferred it.
"An apartment building on Central Avenue," she said. "Thirty patients live there. I'll show you."
An image of the building appeared on her monitor. It was four stories tall and had a brick exterior. Concrete trim surrounded the doors and windows. The floor plan was shaped like a giant "U" with a protected grassy area in the middle.
"Perfect. Thank you." Aaron faced his legionnaires. "We'll focus all of our attention on that apartment building. Whatever is happening, it's definitely happening there. We collected food and water samples yesterday, so now I want other kinds of samples. Air, radiation, whatever. We're going to inspect every square inch with all the scientific equipment we can haul. We'll use the entire team, including Nancy and Kamal. Even the twins are coming. The more eyeballs we have on site, the better odds we'll find something."
"Sounds like an excellent idea, sir," Smythe said, "but what about the people living there?"
"We have to clear them out. I have a plan."
* * *
Aaron looked out the passenger window of the van as it approached the apartment building on Central Avenue. A big crowd of people filled the sidewalk and spilled into the street. A half-dozen police cars with flashing lights were parked in front. The officers were holding back the civilians and creating a loose perimeter. A fifty-foot wide space around the building had been cleared.
Smythe was driving, and he parked as close to the action as he could get. He was wearing a blue uniform and a blue hard hat. The costume was labeled with the name "Citizens Gas and Power."
Aaron was the first person out of the van. He hurried over to the police officer who appeared to be in charge.
She was a Hispanic woman with short, brown hair. Her uniform fit her husky body well. Her name tag read "Lt. Neruda."
"You finally got here!" she said.
"We came as fast as we could," Aaron said. "What's the situation?"
"We cleared the building. How long will it take you to find the gas leak?"
He glanced at the brick apartment building. "Hard to say. Of course, after we find it, we have to seal it off. If the broken pipe is behind a wall or under a floor, that could take hours. And we have to air out the place. You don't fool around with natural gas."
She winced. "This crowd is already getting rowdy."
He examined the residents of the building. They were dressed in all kinds of clothes including just bathrobes in a few cases. They had evacuated in a hurry. Many had dark circles under their eyes and exhausted expressions. He picked out a few with a wild, irrationally angry look which promised trouble. Many of the protesters the other day had exhibited the same symptom.
"We'll work as quickly as we can," Aaron said.
Neruda pointed past his shoulder. "Is that a kid?"
He turned around. Except for Jack, the entire Chicago cell had assembled outside the van. They were all dressed as gas workers. Wesley stood among them in the same costume.
"Yeah," Aaron said. "It's a crazy new company policy. Just keep everybody away while we do our job."
He jogged back to his team. In addition to the van, they had brought a truck for hauling scientific equipment.
He spoke in a low voice. "We'll split into three squads. Squad one is Smythe, Odelia, and Kamal. Squad two is Norbert, the twins, and Nancy. That leaves Tawni and Wesley with me. Don't get separated. I'm not expecting trouble, but we could easily run into some."
Nancy raised her hand. "Sir, what are we looking for?"
"Hopefully, we'll know it when we see it. Get your equipment together and move quickly. Our time is limited."
"Yes, sir," everybody responded.
Aaron went to the truck to retrieve the item he would use tonight. It looked like a hand-held vacuum cleaner, except the controls were futuristic. It was actually an air sampler designed to sniff out bombs. It would detect tr
ace amounts of many kinds of dangerous chemicals. Tawni grabbed a portable radiation detector which was the size and shape of a deck of cards. She had received a ten minute lecture on how to use it, but the controls weren't complicated. Wesley would just employ his very perceptive eyeballs.
The three of them entered the building through a door on the north-east corner. Aaron took the lead. They walked into a narrow hallway with brown carpeting. There were odd stains on the floor and on the yellow walls. Cheap overhead fixtures provided uneven lighting. He smelled cat poop.
Tawni kept glancing at Wesley.
Aaron stopped and faced them. "Let's do this right now. If you two have anything to say, say it, so we can focus on the assignment. Tawni, go first."
She had slept a few hours and looked better than she had in the morning. At least, there was less danger of her passing out.
"Thank you for saving my life and fixing my mind," she muttered, "but did you have to be so nasty about it?"
Wesley looked down. "I was cruel. I'm sorry. Normally, I would use three or four sessions for somebody like you, but you made me mad. I pushed you through the whole process all at once."
"You actually feel bad about it?"
He nodded. "My gift isn't for punishing people. I made a mistake last night. I won't do it again."
"Don't worry about it." She put a hand on his shoulder. "You're just a kid, and kids make mistakes."
"Everybody expects me to lead the human race when I grow up. I'm not allowed to make mistakes."
"Lead it where?"
"I don't know yet." He shrugged. "You called me a punk last night, and maybe I am, but that's not a surprise. I never had a friend my own age. No brother or sister. My parents are dead. I'm always surrounded by creepy super-killers. No wonder I have issues."
"I didn't realize. How did your parents die?"
"Norbert killed them. Not directly, but he led the attack."
She stared at him in shock. "Really? You're not mad at him?"
"It's not his fault. Destiny can be a real bastard sometimes." He sighed.
She contemplated the boy for a long moment. Finally, she knelt down and gave him a hug. "I'll be your friend. I'm not your age, but I'll do my best. I promise I won't become a creepy super-killer."