The Secret (The Scinegue Series Book 1)

by S. R. Booth

  He stood on the sidewalk in front of the brightly lit store for just a second and peered through the windows. What if this was a trick to get Sarah alone? he worried suddenly. What if it was a trick to get him alone? What if he was the one missing at work tomorrow? The one instantly replaced and never thought about again.

  Resolved, he walked into the store, grabbed a hand-held basket as an afterthought, and headed indirectly for the bread aisle where the mystery note writer said he would be.

  He began pulling packages of bread off the shelves, pretending to read the ingredients but covertly glancing at everyone who passed by. The store was busy for nine o’clock. His heart thumped in his ears. He tried to act calm, but he still jumped when a woman reached past him for a loaf of bread to add to her already loaded cart.

  Two minutes passed, then five. Roaming from one end of the bread aisle to the other, Billy’s mind was on anything but bread. Maybe this was some kind of weird joke. Just a big initiation into the world of collecting trash and minding your own business. A test maybe, and soon the boss—possibly Ben—was going to walk in and fire him on the spot for reading that note.

  He pulled another loaf of bread off the shelf then froze. Maybe it really was just a trick to get Sarah alone. His pulse quickened, and he started to head for the door.

  He came to an abrupt stop at the end of the aisle, the now slightly squashed loaf of bread still in hand. Sarah was alone all day, every day while he was at work. If someone wanted her alone, they wouldn’t have to resort to a huge setup like this.

  A glance at his cell phone revealed the time to be fifteen minutes after nine. He wondered if he should text Sarah, wondered if texts could be hacked into, and decided not to chance it. He would wait until nine thirty, after that he was leaving.

  9:16 p.m. “William, I’m glad you came.”

  So wrapped up in plans of what to do if no one showed up, he completely missed the tall man with dark hair wearing casual attire who stopped beside him and was now innocently studying the writing on a package of bread.

  Billy darted a glance in his direction then did a double-take. “I know you! You were standing in your window both those...”

  “Quiet!” the man cautioned, glancing around. Dressed in jeans with holes in the knees and a simple white button down, he hardly looked like a Scinegue resident.

  “Yes, that was me. We don’t have much time. I’m pleased to see you got my message and were able to interpret it. Did you have a chance to read anything from my trash that day the papers spilled? I couldn’t be sure if you took anything with you or not.”

  “Spilled?” Billy asked incredulously. “There’s no way that bag tore on its own. You must have cut it.”

  “Yes, yes, of course it was cut. We have been trying to find a way to approach you since the day you were hired. It was a risk that had to be taken.” Putting the loaf of bread advertised as organic and made with unbromated flour into his basket, he turned to the selection of jams and jellies on the other side of the aisle.

  “William, any of the papers in the bag would have given you some information.” He shot a glance towards Billy. “Did you read anything from my trash? Do you have any idea what is taking place?”

  Billy hesitated only a moment. This could still be a trap to see if he was too nosy to work in these ‘special’ subdivisions. He decided he had to take the risk. If this was real, the man was right. There probably wasn’t much time.

  “My wife and I did read one of the papers. It talked about eugenics. It talked about it as though a plan had been decided upon and would soon be put into action.” He studied the man who was studying jars of jams and jellies as if they were the most important things in the world. “Is there any truth to that?”

  “So your wife knows,” he said more to himself than to Billy before answering. “Any truth? That is completely true, and there is so much more. I regret becoming involved in this.” His brows furrowed, and he closed his eyes briefly as a flicker of pain crossed his features.

  “It just makes so much sense to hear them talk,” he confided, “to study the statistics and see the direction this world is moving in, but it doesn’t make sense. Not at all.”

  He turned to Billy and earnestly questioned, “Why would a planet that has been able to support and control human life for so many years suddenly not be able to do so anymore? Why would it need our help to survive? More accurately, why would any of us be so vain as to think we know more than God?”

  “You’re a Christian?” Billy asked in surprise.

  The man glanced up at him. “Don’t look so surprised. Most of us are Christians. We were just misled. Maybe willing to be misled. Things started out differently, but now?” his voice trailed off.

  “As I’m sure you can guess, the money and benefits are amazing at Scinegue, the philosophy very convincing. We were told we were doing a good thing. The only humane thing that could be done. But they are wrong, we were wrong, and now we—there are several of us—can see the fallacies in the plan, but we also know how easy it is for people to be eliminated in that company. Anyone. Whole families without a blink of an eye. Or any questions from authority. The Tops have too much power,” he ended darkly.

  “So, it’s these ‘Tops’ who want this? They’re the ones pulling the strings?” Billy asked, trying to make sense of everything.

  “Of course,” he answered firmly, then added a bit more uncertainly, “It must be. Who else would have that kind of power?”

  Billy shook his head. He had trouble imagining anyone with that kind of influence and power.

  A container of organic jam with a picture of vivid red berries on the front went into the shopping basket. “Walk with me, William.” The man glanced around the store. “We don’t want to draw attention by staying too long in one place.”

  Billy followed at a discreet distance before the man stopped again to study a display of fresh fruit. “Why did you contact me? What do I have to do with any of this?” he finally asked.

  Turning from the fruit to Billy, the man appeared to be trying to read him. Trying to decide if this was really the person who could be trusted to help them. “We found an interesting connection linking you to the company in ways we are just beginning to understand. The implications of what we have found will place you at the pinnacle of a crisis that is nearing fruition. If you believe as we do, you will soon have the opportunity to stop the direction the company is going.” He picked up a firm apple, then set it back down and gave Billy his full attention.

  “As to why we are involving you instead of just dealing with this ourselves is quite simple: We are closely watched. Everyone on the inside who could possibly access anything of use is monitored every minute of every day.”

  Billy just stared at him until he shrugged. “You get used to it. Nothing is private. It was a sacrifice we were all willing to make at the time because we believed in what we were doing.”

  “If that’s true, how are you here now?”

  “I have some connections. I, um, know a few loop holes.” He glanced at his watch. “But I do need to get going.”

  “Okay, whatever. I guess we are back to ‘what do I have to do with this?’. I don’t know where you’re getting your information. I don’t have any type of connection to Scinegue other than I’ve worked as a trash collector there for a few months. I had never even been inside the main building before yesterday.”

  “Your connection will be revealed in time. This is happening now. You are our best hope.”

  “Why don’t you do whatever needs to be done? You said there are others who share your beliefs about this. Why don’t you all just rise up and stop it?”

  “It’s not that easy. There are relatively few of us, and as I said, we’re being watched.” Giving up all pretense of shopping he looked at Billy. “You’re going to be approached. Soon. We aren’t the only ones watching you. You are very important to the company for reasons I won’t get into right now, and the Tops are going to try to dra
w you in. You have to let them. Don’t make it easy, just let them know you will consider it. You have to make them believe you are convinced without becoming convinced.”

  Billy’s eyes narrowed. “You just said the Tops are the ones doing all of this. Why would I want to get involved with them?”

  “We need proof, to start with. Although we believe the Tops must have changed the company’s goals and organized this, we have nothing to link them to it. They started out with the highest ideals, and to see the changes that are taking place is heartrending. No one wants to believe they are behind this, but for it to have infiltrated the company as fast and as far as it has, we think it has to be them.” He shook his head as if he still didn’t want to believe it was possible.

  “You will have access to the information we need to stop all of this, but you will be closely watched. Being new, however, you will not be monitored as we are.” He swiftly unbuttoned the top two buttons on his shirt and glanced around before pulling it to the side to expose his shoulder. In the same spot where some people still had scars from the small pox vaccine, he bore a slightly raised square scar.

  “This monitors everything about us. Location, heart rate, temperature, overall health. The readings are sent to a monitoring facility and recorded. They won’t approach you with the implant right away so you will be able to go under their radar, so to speak, whereas none of us can.”

  Billy stared in fascination at the raised patch on the man’s arm before it was covered and the shirt quickly re-buttoned. “If you’re so closely monitored, how is it that you’re here?” he asked again, with a hint of disbelief in his voice.

  The man seemed agitated. “I already told you, I have connections within security and know a few tricks.”

  “Then why don’t you just use those ‘tricks’ to expose this whole thing, if there really is anything to expose? Again, why do you need me?” Billy questioned, his own agitation apparent.

  “I don’t have time to explain, I’ve been here too long already.” He hesitated as if trying to decide whether to say more or not.

  “I can duck under the radar outside of Scinegue, but inside,” he touched his shoulder where the implant was located, “this is picked up within any of the buildings, and within two to three hundred feet outside the facilities. I can’t do what needs to be done without getting caught. Lower level employees within the company don’t have the monitors, but they also don’t have access to the secure areas where the information we need should be. You will. You should have a window of opportunity after you’ve been given security clearance but before you’re approached about getting a monitor.”

  Then he added with a sigh, “I hope. I have to go,” he continued, “but will be in touch.” He started walking toward the front of the store, setting his basket down beside some shelves as he went.

  “Wait!” Billy hurried to catch up with him and grabbed his arm spinning him around. “I don’t know what you want me to do. I don’t even know who you are.”

  The man stopped and looked Billy in the eye. “Who I am is irrelevant. The most important part of you knowing who I am is being sure you act like you don’t know who I am if you ever see me again. Both of our lives will depend on it. You can call me Bob for ease of reference, and what I want is for you to save the world.” Bob gave him a brief, pained grin.

  “That’s not asking for much, is it?” he tried to joke. His smile vanished. “From what we’ve discovered, if all continues to go in the direction it’s headed, you will soon be in a position to do just that. Save the world. Or destroy it. It will come down to you. I can only pray your eyes will be opened to the truth before it’s too late.” Bob searched Billy’s face hoping he hadn’t made a mistake telling him what he had, wondering if Billy could really be the one who would save them all.

  “I hoped to tell you so much more by now.” He shrugged his arm from Billy’s grasp and shook his head in regret as he backed toward the front of the store. “There are others on the outside. They know and are preparing and will help you. Go to the Farmer’s Market on Maple, Saturday morning at eight. Someone will find you.”

  He turned to leave, pausing once more to call quietly over his shoulder, “And get Sarah off of her fertility treatments, but don’t let anyone know.” He rounded the aisle and disappeared.

  By the time Billy got over his shock and went after him, he was gone.

  Chapter 7

  Billy didn’t actually see his mysterious contact exit the store, so he walked through the small grocery store a couple of times, checking each aisle before deciding the man was really gone. He took a minute to decide if he should buy something while he was there so it wouldn’t look weird if anyone saw him leaving empty-handed, but finally took his cue from ‘Bob’ and left without a purchase.

  He walked home briskly with his hands tucked in his pockets. Staying in the shadows, he glanced around from time to time to see if he was being followed. His mind kept replaying the brief conversation over and over, and he tried to make sense of it combined with what he and Sarah had already uncovered.

  Could this be real? He had no reason to believe anything this guy had said. But something strange was going on.

  Jumping the last fence and arriving in his own backyard, he saw the lights were still on in the living room. Checking the time he realized the movie would still be playing. He decided to do a bit of detective work before going in, and as quietly as he could he brought a tall ladder out of the garage and leaned it against the house. He climbed to the roof and staying low, moved toward the front of the house until he could see the street.

  Sure enough, a strange car was parked on the opposite side of the street and one house down from them. He could see two people in the front. They were close enough that he could see one had binoculars aimed toward his house.

  He sidled around to the back of the house where he couldn’t be seen and sank down to the roof for a minute to catch his breath. This was real. Something was going on, and he and Sarah were right in the middle of it. Now the only question was, what could they...no, what would they do about it?

  He snuck back into the house, staying close to the floor below the windows. Sarah jumped in surprise when she saw him, then she leaned into her ‘pillow’ husband as if kissing him and lowered him to the couch.

  She pushed the pillow onto the floor and motioned Billy to take the pillow’s place, sticking the cap the pillow had been wearing on his head. When the two shadows rose before the window again, one might have been a little more animated than before, but no other difference could be detected by anyone watching from a distance through the partially closed blinds.

  Sarah’s eyes were full of questions that she knew Billy couldn’t answer yet. He squeezed her hand letting her know he understood and would fill her in soon, and they both stared blankly at the television until the movie ended.

  Sarah had been making plans the whole time Billy was gone. When it was over she got up, turned the movie off, then stretched and yawned, saying loudly, “Well, that was really good, as always. I got a little stiff sitting still for so long. Want to go for a walk and stretch our legs?”

  Billy caught on right away but thought of the people sitting in the car out front. He didn’t know if they had listening devices or not, but he really didn’t want to be out in full view of them.

  “Why don’t we go out back for a while? The mosquitos haven’t been bad since it started to cool off. We can enjoy the night air on the swing. Okay?” He nodded deeply with raised eyebrows, hoping she would go along with him.

  “Sounds good.” She took the half empty popcorn bowl to the kitchen before following Billy out the back door to the patio.

  He looked around the yard, thinking of a better place they could talk before grabbing her hand and saying loudly, “Oh, yeah. I wanted to show you how well our little fig tree is doing. Come on.” He tugged her along, grabbing a small flashlight from the patio table with his free hand.

  He took her to the far side of
the small storage shed at the back of their yard. After another quick look around, he pulled her behind it and lifted the hidden door to a small underground shelter they had put in themselves the previous year.

  He clicked on the flashlight, and Sarah hurried down the steps while Billy lowered the door behind them. Sarah lit a small lamp on the shelf at the bottom of the steps and looked around the tiny room with its nearly empty storage shelves. The peaches she had canned and some bottled water comprised the majority of their supplies.

  “We really should finish this place,” she commented before Billy wrapped her in a crushing embrace and held her for a full minute, pressing his cheek against the top of her head and drawing a deep breath.

  She always smelled so good, he thought. Fresh and sweet. It was comforting and grounding just to stand with her in his arms. Whatever else was going on, she was real.

  She was the first to pull away. It had been so hard just sitting at home not knowing what was happening, or if Billy was coming back. “What happened?” she whispered.

  “There’s a car out front with at least two guys in it. They’re watching our house with binoculars, so it’s a good thing we went through the trouble of making it look like I was still here.” Sarah’s eyes widened, and he continued, “‘Bob’ showed up. He was the guy I saw in the window at the house where I found the note. It was strange. It seemed like we talked for a long time, but really he didn’t tell me much at all.”

  “What did he tell you?” Sarah asked.

  “He wants me to save the world.” Sarah gave him a funny look. “No really, that’s what he said, and I don’t think he was exaggerating. Basically what we read is real, and it’s being implemented now. At least according to him.”

  As the impact of his words hit, Sarah let out a slow breath and fixed her eyes on the floor. It was one thing to be brave in theory, but the reality that someone thought she didn’t deserve to live twisted inside her painfully.