Apocalypse Cult (Gray Spear Society)

by Alex Siegel

  "Hurry up," Ethel said. "Nobody will hear. We're completely alone."

  He realized that more was at stake than the girl's life. If he refused the order, Ethel would probably kill him on the spot, and then Brittany would still die. He couldn't fool himself into thinking he had a chance against Ethel in a fight. Shooting Brittany was the only rational choice.

  However, Aaron had never performed a cold-blooded execution, and the victim in this case hardly deserved such a poor death. She was just a very confused teenager who had been seduced by a very bad man.

  This is my initiation rite, he realized. My chance to prove I have the strength and discipline to be a real Spear. Here is where I make my bones.

  Or I fail and die.

  "Tick, tock," Ethel said. "Tick, tock."

  Ethel is the commander of this team. I have to trust her judgment, even if I don't understand it. She has the most experience. She knows what's best.

  Aaron aimed at Brittany's head and started pulling the trigger. An instant before the gun fired, it was taken from his hand. The move was impossibly fast. He looked over and saw Ethel holding the weapon.

  "Why?" he said.

  She smiled. "We're not complete monsters. You pass the test. Jack, are you out there?"

  Their head of security walked into the freezer. He wore blue jeans, cowboy boots, and a leather jacket. "Right here."

  "Clean up in here and take the girl to a hospital. She won't give you any trouble. She'll be delirious for several hours."

  "What if the police question her, ma'am?"

  "Not a problem." Ethel waved her hand. "The drugs cause amnesia. The whole day will be a complete blank for her. Aaron, Marina, come with me."

  She walked quickly out of the freezer and back onto the main floor of the meat packing plant. Aaron and Marina jogged to keep up with her.

  "That was cruel," Aaron said.

  Ethel shrugged. "You're a rookie. It's my responsibility to test you."

  "If I had refused the order, would you have killed me?"

  "Let's not dwell on the negative."

  "Will there be more tests?" he asked.

  "For us, every day is a test," she said. "Now, hurry up. Both of you have to get over to the Spire after dropping me off at headquarters."

  "You're not coming with us, ma'am?"

  "You two can handle the next part without me."

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Aaron looked up, way up, at the world famous Chicago Spire. At 150 stories tall, it was the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. Clad in glass and polished steel, it curved and twisted along its entire length, reminding some people of a gigantic "drill bit." The architect, Santiago Calatrava, had been inspired by the organic form of a sea shell. The structure was as much art as architecture, a complete break from the generic boxes and rectangles of other skyscrapers.

  "Nice place," Aaron said.

  "Yes," Marina said. "I guess Simon didn't spend all the money on his terrorist plan. He kept a little for his own pleasure."

  They had changed into outfits appropriate for evidence collection. Once again, she was Gretchen Stableford, FBI agent, and she wore a conservative blue business suit. Aaron had assumed the identity of an evidence technician named Joseph Biondo. It was a cover that Victor had used, but he didn't need it anymore, and Edward had been too busy to create another for Aaron. Wearing the Biondo identity felt a little like wearing the clothes of a dead man.

  They went inside and walked to the security desk. Marina presented her FBI badge to the security guards along with appropriate search warrants, photos, and other forged papers. It had taken almost an hour for Edward to prepare the documentation back at headquarters, time that the team could ill-afford to spend, but there was no alternative. At least it had given Aaron and Marina an opportunity to eat, change clothes, and rehearse their cover stories.

  The search warrant was convincing enough that the guards only skimmed it. The on-duty head of security, a big African-American man named Rogers, took Marina and Aaron up to the fifty-third floor of the building. The elevator ride was so swift Aaron felt the pressure change in his ears.

  Roger used his master key to let Marina and Aaron into suite 5333, and the three of them went in together. Aaron quickly walked through the small condo to learn the layout. The kitchen, bedroom, and living area were combined into a single large room with a glass window wall. The floor plan was in the shape of a pie slice with a truncated point.

  He went to the glass and looked out at a spectacular, unobstructed view of glittering Lake Michigan. Thousands of boats were moving across the water under the hot sun. He had never seen so many at once.

  "Very nice," he muttered.

  Then he continued his quick survey. Aside from some large closets, the only other room was a bathroom. He had stayed in hotels with bigger suites than this one.

  The place was barely furnished, and there was no art on the walls. The kitchen had a refrigerator but no oven or dishwasher. Clearly, Simon hadn't spent a lot of time here.

  "How long will this take?" Rogers asked.

  "You can leave if you want," Marina said. "No reason for you to hang around."

  "No, I'll stay."

  Aaron carried an evidence collection kit as part of his disguise. He opened it and took out latex gloves, which both he and Marina put on.

  The obvious place to start searching was a desk in the main room. It was made of solid oak planks covered with clear lacquer, and the ends of the planks were rough cut. Dowels and glue held the desk together instead of nails, but the joints were still tight and solid. Clearly, the desk had been built by a skilled craftsman.

  Aaron started going through the drawers. He found just a few papers, which included the warranty for the refrigerator and the purchase agreement for the condominium. None of it seemed interesting. There was a pair of high-power binoculars in the bottom drawer, which puzzled Aaron. Perhaps Simon had used them to look out at the lake. Marina helped with the search but found nothing else.

  "You check the bed," she said. "I'll work on the closets."

  There was a nightstand beside the bed. Aaron opened the drawers and discovered a variety of sex toys including dildos, vibrators, and a set of fuzzy handcuffs. He dutifully examined the collection to make sure he missed nothing, even though it was repugnant.

  Then he attacked the bed itself. All the sheets and blankets came off. He looked between and under the mattresses without finding anything.

  The search continued, and with each tick of the clock, Aaron's frustration increased. He could feel the weight of time pressing down on him like a ton of bricks.

  Finally, he and Marina conferred in the main room.

  "A dead end?" he said.

  "It better not be." She frowned. "I'm sure Brittany didn't lie. The secret papers must be here somewhere."

  Rogers approached and said, "Are you done, yet? Can we leave now?"

  She jabbed him in the neck with her black fingernails. His eyes opened wide, he stumbled backwards, and then he slumped to the floor. He was still breathing.

  "That's better," she said. "I was tired of him watching us."

  Aaron walked over to the glass wall for another look outside. The spectacular view included all of Navy Pier, less than half a mile away. Over the years the Pier had grown into the top tourist destination in the entire Midwest. The 50-acre complex was a Chicago landmark, which included shops, restaurants, a small amusement park, gardens, a children's museum, an IMAX theater, several stages, and even a convention center. Large ships lined the side of the Pier, ready to take tourists on pleasure cruises. The giant Ferris wheel, big enough for 40 gondolas, turned slowly in the center of the amusement park. Even from this distance, Aaron could see thick crowds everywhere, slow moving rivers of human bodies. The middle of summer was the busiest time of the year for the Pier.

  "That's it," Aaron announced.

  "What?" Marina said.

  "The target is definitely Navy Pier. I suspected befo
re, but now I'm absolutely sure. Simon bought this condo so he could have a bird's eye view of the action. This was going to be his command post, not just a love nest."

  She came over to the window. After a moment, she took out the binoculars from the desk drawer and used them to study the Pier.

  "You could be right," she said. "I can see everything from here."

  "What should we do?"

  "We still have to find the damn secret papers."

  Aaron began to knock on the walls, searching for hidden compartments. He would check every inch of the condo if necessary.

  "I have an unrelated question," he said as he worked.

  "What?" Marina had pulled out a knife with a black blade, and she was slicing open the mattresses on the bed.

  "Ethel was only a few seconds from killing me earlier. Let's say she wanted to kill you. What would you do?"

  "Beg her to do it quickly and painlessly."

  "Come on," he said.

  "I suppose it depends on the situation. If she had two broken legs, I might have a chance to run away, but that would just postpone the inevitable. She could always order somebody else to kill me. Worse comes to worse, she could call her boss, the legate. He has people who could find me anywhere, and I wouldn't last a second against them. If the Gray Spear Society decides you're a problem, you don't stay a problem for long."

  "Would you get a hearing? Is there an appeals process?"

  She snorted. "No. If you did something bad, Ethel would be your judge, jury, and executioner. No appeal. She has the last word on anything that happens in the Chicago territory."

  Aaron grunted.

  He went back to the desk, the only interesting piece of furniture in the entire condo. It occurred to him the thing was built like a giant Chinese puzzle box. The unusually heavy construction allowed plenty of space for secret compartments. He started tapping on the sides and listening for a hollow sound.

  Marina watched his fruitless efforts for a couple of minutes. She left the apartment and came back a moment later carrying a two-handed axe.

  "Where did you get that?"

  "The fire hose cabinet." She handed the axe to Aaron.

  "Very resourceful."

  "I always try to know where the nearest deadly weapons are. Start chopping."

  He whacked at the desk with enthusiasm. It felt good to engage in violent physical action after days of inactivity and tension. Soon there were chunks of wood on the floor and sweat in his eyes. The heavy planks resisted his attack, but he was relentless and motivated.

  He struck a metal object inside the desk, which turned out to be a small, hidden safe. He used the axe to destroy the wood around the safe and pulled it free.

  Panting and dripping with sweat, he said, "Do you think you can open it?"

  Marina leaned down and examined the lock. "I can't pick a high-security combination like this one, and there could be booby-traps. We have equipment back at headquarters that can cut this thing open safely. Can you carry it?"

  He grunted as he lifted the safe which probably weighed a hundred pounds. The sharp, metal edges dug into his skin. "Let's go!"

  She held the door as he staggered out of the condo. The elevator ride was mercifully swift. A minute later they were at street level, and he carried the safe out into the steamy summer air. He set it down on the sidewalk and massaged his sore hands.

  "I'll call headquarters and have them send a car," Marina said.

  She made the call, and she included a situation report for good measure. They were close enough to headquarters that it took only a few minutes for a brown sedan to arrive. Edward was driving, and surprisingly, Ethel had come with him. She stepped out of the car.

  Aaron loaded the safe into the trunk. Meanwhile, Ethel took out a large gray shoulder bag and a gray backpack. She gave the shoulder bag to Marina and the backpack to Aaron.

  He hefted it. "What's in here, ma'am? Feels like it's full of rocks."

  "Look inside," Ethel said.

  He peeked under the flap. The backpack contained guns, grenades, knives, and boxes of bullets. There was enough firepower for a prolonged, all-out battle. He guessed Marina's bag held similar contents.

  "Unfortunately, I couldn't bring you body armor," Ethel said quietly. "Maybe we'll find some later."

  She wore a long, gray shawl that wrapped completely around her body. Now he understood the reason for her strange attire on this miserably hot day. She was wearing her weapons underneath.

  Edward drove off, leaving Ethel behind with Aaron and Marina.

  "Where is he going?" Aaron said.

  "Headquarters," Ethel said. "The team will open the safe and tell us what's inside."

  "And where are we going?"

  "Navy Pier, of course. It was your theory." She started jogging.

  He sprinted to keep pace with her. "What if I'm wrong? It was just a hunch."

  "Or divine inspiration."

  "The real target could be miles away. This could be a huge mistake. We don't have any solid evidence I'm right!"

  "That is a risk," she said, "but we don't have time to be methodical."

  The three of them hurried all the way to Navy Pier, which didn't take long. They spent more time waiting at traffic lights than actually jogging. Still, they managed to work up a sweat in the oppressive heat. A slight breeze blew towards the lake, providing little relief.

  When they arrived, Aaron discovered the pier was even more crowded than he had thought. The walkways were so packed with sweaty, brightly colored, irritable tourists that he had to squeeze between them. He tried to keep the guns in his backpack from clanking together.

  "Let's look around," Ethel said. "Stay alert."

  They made slow progress along the main walkway on the south side of the Pier. Venders selling food and drinks created localized traffic jams, which made the journey even slower. Aaron wanted to yell with frustration. If only they could evacuate the area.

  "This is insane, ma'am," he muttered to Ethel. "These people are in danger. Let's tell the authorities about the threat."

  "The cult would just wait to strike another day. The three of us by ourselves will wipe out the enemy. That's how we work, and if we do it properly, we'll succeed. The Lord wants this done. Can you feel it?"

  Aaron actually did feel something strange. There was a tingling heat in his veins which energized him. God's breath, he thought.

  "What about all the innocent lives at risk?"

  "Simon put them at risk, not us," Ethel said. "We'll do what we can to protect civilians, but our first priority is completing the mission. That will save the most lives in the end."

  It took a quarter of an hour just to reach the far end of Navy Pier, which was even bigger than Aaron had remembered. He saw countless boats, large and small, but none were the one he wanted. There were so many that all the marinas in Chicago must have emptied out. Everybody wanted to enjoy a relaxing afternoon on the water, capped off with a spectacular fireworks show.

  The Coast Guard also had a very visible presence. He saw one big cutter and at least a dozen patrol boats on the lake. They seemed very busy with the job of keeping the pleasure boats from crashing into each other or into the big commercial ships. Too many people packed into too small an area, Aaron thought. It's a disaster waiting to happen.

  Already tired and thirsty, he purchased four frozen lemonades, one for each of the women and two for himself. Ethel seemed about to complain, but she just ate her lemonade instead. Marina didn't hesitate to eat hers. When Aaron took a bite, the refreshing iciness and sharp flavor made him moan with pleasure.

  Coin-operated telescopes dotted the end of the Pier. He dropped a quarter into one and looked out at the lake, still searching for that elusive cult ship. Marina and Ethel followed his lead.

  After a minute Marina pointed and said, "There! I see it! The Scimitar of Allah!"

  Aaron swung his telescope around to point in the same direction. The Scimitar floated near the breakwater away from th
e other boats. From its heading and speed, he judged it had just come in from deeper waters. The polished, white hull gleamed in the bright sunlight. Long, horizontal strips of windows were so heavily tinted they looked black. It was a gorgeous yacht, certainly worth millions of dollars when new.

  "I see guys standing guard on the deck," Aaron said, "and there could be a lot more inside. That ship is much bigger than I realized. We have our work cut out for us."

  The guards stood in strict military postures. They wore civilian outfits, but all the clothing was various shades of green. No weapons were visible.

  "I expect the enemy will wait until dark," Ethel said. "Then they'll cruise over here, crash into the pier, and detonate the bomb directly underneath the tourists. A night attack will produce more casualties due to the extra panic and confusion."

  "What are our orders, ma'am?" Marina said.

  "If we spook them, they'll just launch their attack immediately. We have to be very careful about preserving the advantage of surprise."

  Ethel's phone rang. She listened for a couple of minutes before hanging up.

  "That was the team back at headquarters," she said. "They cracked the safe and found the mother lode of intelligence. Names, phone numbers, addresses, bank accounts. It turns out Simon's organization was even bigger than we suspected. It was an entire criminal empire built on drugs and theft. The cult members were his loyal soldiers, willing to commit any crime on his orders. We have enough information to destroy every last piece of his operation."

  "That's good news for tomorrow," Aaron said, "but we still have a problem right now, ma'am. I don't see how we can get close to that ship without being spotted." He looked around for a source of inspiration. The Coast Guard cutter had a naval gun mounted on its bow, which gave him an idea. "If we blow up the Scimitar while it's still far from shore, civilian casualties will be light."

  "I'm worried that any large explosion will be taken as a terrorist attack by Muslims. Let's save that idea as plan B. If possible, we want to do this quietly."