The Hidden Society

by R. Chauncey

  The slammed door attracted the attention of the plump middle-aged brunette woman sitting behind a desk to the right of the door, and a man with thick black hair dressed in a cheap blue pen stripped suit sitting behind a desk to his left near a window and trying to look important behind a copy of this month’s Sports Illustrated.

  “Something I can do for you, Mister?” the man asked in a heavy western accented voice as he closed the magazine and laid it down on the desk.

  “Yeah,” Dodge grumbled as he walked over to the desk and sat down in the plain wooden chair facing it. “I need a car. My friends turned out to be rats.”

  “I’m John the car man of Groves Point. Got anything special in mind?” the man asked.

  His face was expressionless.

  “I don’t know,” he said. “What have you got?” He knew the man would offer him the most expensive car on the lot.

  “Oh, I’ve got a lotta good cars. Only kind I sell,” John said standing up. “What your name, Mister?”

  “Dave Winthrop,” Dodge told him, standing up. It was the name on the Society credit card he carried. “I want something that’ll get me to L. A. in comfort.”

  “What happened between you and your friends?” John asked, walking to a coat rack and removing a coat and hat. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

  “My so called best friends and I were on a field trip to look over the beauty of the back country in winter, and they tried to hook me up with a repulsive woman I’d told them I wanted nothing to do with. I got into an argument with them because of the woman and got out of the car to cool off. They drove off leaving me stranded on a road about two miles from here. I told them to drop me off here with my bags. But, oh no, not those rats. I had to walk here. “

  “What you got in mind for a car?” John asked, walking toward the door. He had a slight smile on his face because he knew he had a customer desperate for a car.

  “Something that’s in good condition that I can drive for a few years,” he said.

  “Well, I’ve got a lot of those type of cars,” John told him.

  “I saw a nice Chrysler 200 in your lot as I walked through it,” Dodge said. He stood up and followed John to the door.

  “Got a good eye for cars, Mr. Winthrop,” John said, opening the door and stepping back to let Dodge leave first.

  Dodge noticed him nod at the woman sitting at the desk. “How old is it?” he asked as he walked out of the office.

  “It’s only five years old, and in darn good condition. Not a scratch on it. 200 volt engine. Beautiful clothe interior. With only seventy thousand miles on it. Second set of tires on it nearly new, too. Only ten thousand miles on them. That Chrysler is a darn fine car.” He followed Dodge out the office.

  Dodge stopped at the bottom of the stairs and let him lead the way to the Chrysler.

  John reached into his pants pocket and took out a set of keys when he reached the car and pushed the open button on the ignition key opening the driver’s door. He opened the driver’s door of the car and said, “Get in, Mr. Winthrop. Get comfortable.”

  Dodge got into the car and looked around the interior as he ran his hands over the dashboard and steering wheel. “Brakes okay?” he asked.

  “Had them checked in our auto shop behind the office building the day she came in,” he said. “If you like I can have the mechanic come out so you can speak with him.”

  “No, not necessary,” Dodge said, knowing the mechanic would tell whatever lie the salesman wanted him to tell. “How much?”

  John stepped back and looked at the car for a few seconds before he spoke. “Well, now, this is a beautiful car. In darn fine condition. One of the best I’ve got on the lot.”

  “How much?” he repeated in a demanding voice.

  “Twenty two thousand. And that’s a low price for such a beautiful car.”

  Dodge got out of the car, closed the door, and looked John in the face. “I want to leave with it immediately without a lot of paper work.” He reached into his pants pocket and took out his credit card. “All I want is a bill of sale with the title.”

  A broad grin replaced the friendly expression on John’s face as he saw the credit card.

  “Platinum American Express Card. Best in the world,” he said.

  “Twenty-seven thousand,” Dodge said. “And I drive it out of this lot with no questions asked in less than an hour. Understand?”

  John grinned and said, “I’m a businessman, Mr. Winthrop, and I know a good deal when I hear it. Let’s go to the office. You’ll be on your way in ten minutes or less.”

  “Good,” Dodge said.

  Thirty minutes later he was driving out of the lot in the Chrysler 200 with a bill of sale and the car’s title in his pocket knowing it would take the Society less time to know what type of car he’d bought before John got finished with his part of the paper work.

  The Society would have the car’s trip recording chip’s number in a few seconds after it knew the type of car he’d bought with their credit card. But that didn’t worry Dodge. Once he got back to where he’d hidden his electric semi-automatic, he’d remove the chip and toss it into the woods and change one of the numbers on the temporary license plate. It was easy to do with a ballpoint pen. He’d taken one from the cup of pens on the salesmen’s desk when he signed the papers for the Chrysler 200. The Society would know the real plate number, but not the changed one. But it wouldn’t take their computer people very long to figure out the fake number.

  But Dodge didn’t give a damn. If things worked out the way he planned, he’d be free of the Hidden Society. And his family and he would be safe.

  ***

  Chapter 44

  January 11, 1:30 p.m.

  Karl was convinced Betty and Dodge had to be dead. But he decided to do some checking first.

  He was sitting on his sleeping bag holding his com-cell in his right hand accessing the Society’s computer system for any information on them. There was nothing in the Society’s computers about them. But there wouldn’t be since they had no orders to report to the Society’s headquarters, but he didn’t think it would hurt to be thorough. They were under his command. If they had anything to report they’d report it to him, but they hadn’t reported in in over two days. If they were dead, the Society may not know for weeks. But he could track them since he had their implants’ codes. He wouldn’t know their physical condition or what they were doing but he’d know where they were and if they were alive or dead.

  He could also locate the exact position of the Land Rover they were driving because like all Society vehicles it had a tracking chip as well as a trip chip in it that only the Society could access, and he could locate that using the Society’s control over satellites.

  He calmly punched in on his com-cell’s keypad the Society’s code number for the satellites, which he wasn’t supposed to know – it was one of those pieces of information he’d acquired years ago and kept to himself, and waited a few seconds for the Society’s computers to ask him what he wanted to know.

  ‘Information required?’ appeared on his com-cell’s screen.

  He typed location of a Society Land Rover taken from Ames Ranch on the eighth?

  ‘Which one?’

  The one used by Dodge and Betty, he typed. Headquarters would have the Rover’s license and sticker number and the ID numbers of who it had been assigned to.

  ‘It is parked five miles southwest of the town of Groves Point.’

  “What the fuck is it doing there!” he exclaimed as he read the information.

  “What?” Willow asked. He was inside his sleeping bag with his eyes closed dreaming of
naked women. Karl’s yell had awoken him.

  “The Land Rover Dodge and Betty were using has been abandoned,” Karl said.

  “Why?” Willow mumbled then yawned.

  “I don’t know,” he yelled at Willow.

  “They wouldn’t do that unless they got into an accident and had to abandon it?” Willow said, sitting up in his sleeping bag.

  “No, they wouldn’t!”

  “I wonder if they’re all right,” Willow asked him.

  “If I knew that I wouldn’t be trying to find out where they were,” Karl angrily snapped at him.

  “You don’t think they’re dead, do you?” Willow asked. He had never heard of a soldier being killed on an assignment. He’d heard of a few of them being wounded, but never one killed.

  “I don’t know, Willow,” he said, realizing being angry at Willow didn’t help. “I haven’t heard from them in over two days and I don’t know where they are.”

  “If they’re dead who could have killed? Not that Done woman and her accomplice.”

  “If I knew I wouldn’t be concerned,” Karl snapped at him. He was angry and trying to bring his anger under control.

  “Something’s wrong, Karl,” Willow said, getting out his sleeping bag and going over to

  Karl.

  “This whole fucking operation is wrong,” he grumbled as he turned off his com-cell. “I’ll be back in half an hour.”

  *

  Dorothy heard everything Karl said, and was disturbed by it. The last thing she wanted was for Derrick to suddenly change his plans. He was already pissed off at having to live in a camper, no matter how luxurious and comfortable it was, informed that two of the soldiers were dead just might convince him to call off this trap Karl had convinced him was necessary and go back to the computers to find Marlene Done and her mysterious helper.

  She thought of going to Derrick and convincing him the trap they’d set was the only way to capture and kill Marlene Done and her accomplice. But she dismissed that thought as soon as it popped into her head. Derrick was a greedy, spoiled man who loved the pleasures life afforded him as Leader, but he wasn’t stupid. Any soldier, no matter how loyal, making a suggestion to a

  Leader was unthinkable. And considering Derrick had murdered the Council of Twenty and the other two leaders, the last thing he would tolerate was a soldier making a suggestion.

  After a few seconds of thinking, Dorothy decided the best thing she could do was to wait and listen.

  *

  Karl had walked a few yards down the hill before he found a spot where he could us his com-cell to check the implants in Betty and Dodge without being seen by Willow. He sat down on the ground and typed in the implant codes and waited the few seconds it took his com-cell using satellites to access the implants.

  The implant in Betty didn’t register, but the one in Dodge flashed green on the map of the com-cell screen.

  “Dodge is alive and outside of a town called Groves Point,” he grumbled angrily. “If Betty’s implant isn’t registering it means she’s dead. Why hasn’t Dodge reported in? And why is he outside this town?”

  Karl looked at the flashing green implant and thought in silence. If Betty’s dead, it means Marlene and her accomplice got pass that ambush they set up. Dodge could be wounded and seeking medical help. Why not use the medical kit in the Rover? He let his mind go blank for a few seconds before he continued. The medical kit is not enough. Dodge is hit bad and needs professional help real bad. I’ve got to inform that asshole of this.

  He punched up Derrick’s com-cell number.

  “What do you want now?” Derrick snapped angrily at him. He was watching a boring satellite program on the TV screen mounted on the living room wall of his camper. Some damn love story that didn’t make sense to him, but caused him to realize it was time he got married and produced an heir.

  “One of my soldiers is dead, and I think the other one is badly wounded, and I don’t know why?” Karl answered.

  “Why should I be concerned?” Derrick made no attempt to hide his lack of interest in Karl’s problem.

  “Betty and Dodge are two of the three soldiers I selected to help me find who Julian gave those drives to,” Karl explained. “If one is dead and the other seriously wounded, it says Marlene Done and whoever she’s working with are good.”

  “So what are you suggesting?” Derrick asked, with a slight sound of concern in his voice.

  “We may have to join forces.”

  “All I’ve got with me are the two men who take care of the computers in our underground center,” he lied.

  “Then we call in more soldiers,” Karl suggested.

  “No. The Council of Twenty would not approve. They want this operation kept to a minimum. No more of soldiers. The last thing the Council would want is thirty or forty soldiers riding around in this desert with loaded weapons. There’d be no way we could hide them from the local police. I’ll have Lester and Charlie help you.”

  “The two guys who take care of this underground information center?” Karl asked in an angry voice.

  “Yes. They should do well,” Derrick told him.

  “They’re caretakers! Not soldiers!” Karl exploded.

  “Don’t argue with me, Karl,” Derrick said. His voice was serious. He hung up.

  *

  Dorothy returned her com-cell to sleep mode and leaned back laughing quietly to herself. So the rabbits they are waiting for aren’t such rabbits after all, she thought.

  *

  As much as he hated doing it, Karl called Derrick’s com-cell again.

  “You’ve had my last word on this matter, Karl,” Derrick angrily told him.

  “I want satellite scan of the entire northern part of Nevada. I need to know where my wounded soldier is and how far Marlene and her accomplice are from where we’re at,” he told Derrick. He could have done that himself, but he would have revealed to Derrick and the other leaders he had the ability to access satellites which he wasn’t supposed to have.

  “No!” Derrick replied. “Satellite scanning can only be done on the approval of the leaders and the Council. And they won’t give such approval for an operation as small as this.”

  “Then this operation is going to fail, Leader,” Karl said, making his voice sound as final as he could.

  Derrick didn’t reply. He was thinking.

  “Do you want this operation to succeed or fail, Leader?” Karl asked him.

  “Listen to me carefully, Karl,” Derrick said in a soft voice. “We can’t involve anyone else in this mess. We have to handle it ourselves. We can’t call in any more soldiers or access satellites. It would impose too great a risk of exposing the Society if you could use satellites to scan northern Nevada. How long do you think it would be before the military and the National Weather Service found out their satellites were being accessed? They’d know in less than an hour, Karl. We’re not the only ones with advanced computers, you know.”

  “So we just have to sit and wait for this Done woman and her accomplice to show up?” Karl asked him.

  “That’s it,” Derrick said. “Now how long do you think we’re going to have to wait for this woman and her accomplice to show up?”

  “Since they got pass Dodge and Betty, they must be close, Leader. No more than a hundred miles away at the most, probably much less by now,” Karl said. “Where they are I don’t know.”

  “I expect this mess to be solved in the next twenty-four hours,” Derrick told him.

  “To be on the safe side, Leader, putting us on time a limit won’t help solve this mess, as you call it, any sooner. L
ike it or not, we’ve got to wait for Marlene Done and her accomplice to show up. Since I can’t a get more soldiers to search for them. And if they’re smart, and they apparently are, they know the longer they keep us waiting the more anxious we become. And that can work against us.”

  Derrick hated admitting Karl was right. “Alright!” he snapped at Karl. “I’ll wait!”

  Karl heard silence from the other end indicating Derrick had hung up.

  Karl realized there was nothing he could do but wait. That didn’t bother him. Waiting to kill someone was part of a soldier’s job. What did bother him was Marlene and her accomplice had managed to get pass two experienced soldiers. Killing one and probably seriously wounding the other. That meant they were either dealing with people who had some military experience, or they were damn lucky.

  Maybe Dodge will report in and I’ll have a better picture of what I’m dealing with, he thought.

  Karl turned his com-cell to sleep mode and put it in his pocket as he walked back to his position on the hill.

  As Karl walked back to his position, he thought, whoever this person with Done is they’ll be expecting us to have an ambush set for them. The trick will be setting the ambush where they won’t expect it. And if they got pass Betty’s and Dodge’s ambush, tricking them won’t be easy.

  When he reached his position Karl settled down next to the heat detector and decided to do a complete check on Dodge. Karl was sure of only one thing. Dodge had no idea he had a tracking chip implanted in his body. So while he didn’t know what Dodge was up, he at least knew Dodge’s location.

  What Karl didn’t know was that Dorothy also knew Dodge’s location, and that Betty was dead.

  ***