by S. R. Booth
“And I suppose it would be possible for someone on the inside to reprogram the system in a way that enables the tracking. The system was built very securely, and we have always been very careful about who works in that department. It would be extremely dangerous if someone was able to track the location of all twelve of the Tops. If more than a few of us were killed at the same time, this company and everything we believe in could crumble. It is why we live so far apart, scattered around the world, and very rarely all meet together in one place at the same time anymore.”
“How is it that no one seems to know much about Scinegue? The company’s not in the papers. You and the other Tops are apparently very wealthy, yet you aren’t on any Who’s Who lists that I know of. I don’t understand how such a large organization can stay so invisible.”
“I think you can guess the answer to that. Money and connections. That’s really all it takes.”
“That’s another thing. How can Scinegue afford to pay me so much? I’m guessing people who have been there longer than me are probably making much more than I am. And you and the other Tops? I can’t even begin to imagine what you must earn.”
With a patient smile Uncle Bill answered, “We have a cap on salaried positions. I don’t earn any more than you do.”
“Well, I know that’s a lot of money, but I’ve seen where you live. You have to be worth much more than me!”
Uncle Bill chuckled softly at Billy’s wide-eyed expression. “You already know Scinegue hires the most brilliant minds we can find. Our goal to improve the world is also pursued through technological advancements. Some we keep secret, believing the world might not yet be ready for them, but many we sell. To governments, top manufacturers, wherever there is a useful market.
“As to my personal finances, I’ve started a few companies and bought the rights to produce some of the products developed by Scinegue, and I—like the other Tops—have invested very wisely over the years.”
Sarah joined the conversation and completely changed the subject. “Does God talk to you or any of the other Tops?”
Billy looked at her in surprise, but Uncle Bill just answered calmly, “All the time.”
“Like, you sit down and have a cup of tea and visit with Him kind of talks?” she persisted.
He laughed. “Well, I’ve had those kinds of talks with Him. They were pretty one-sided with me doing all the talking, but I have to presume that He was listening.”
“So, He doesn’t actually speak to you in a human voice?”
“He has, I believe. I’ve heard a voice give me answers or comfort on a very few occasions when no one else was around.” He gave them a questioning look. “Why do you ask?”
“Billy and I both heard a voice when there wasn’t anyone there. We are trying to figure out what it means or if it means anything.”
“What did the voice say?” He leaned forward and peered at her intently.
Sarah let Billy go first. “I heard mine when I was flying here to meet with you. I was feeling overwhelmed with everything we had been learning about the company, and I heard a voice say, ‘Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
“That’s from John 14:27. Did you follow that advice?”
“I guess I did, but not intentionally. I fell asleep on the flight, and when I woke up I felt better. Not worried or stressed like I was.”
“What about you, my dear? What did you hear?”
“I was praying a little while ago and remembered that Mr. Radcliffe asked us to pray about whether to trust him, so I did. Then I heard a voice tell me to trust him.” She shrugged. “With all the other strange stuff going on, I thought maybe he was trying to brainwash me into trusting him. Does your company use mind control like that?”
“No, it’s something we’ve experimented with, hoping to find a way to persuade people to just do what is good and right, but we’ve found that education has the best long-term effects. And what we tried is more like what you said your partner went to.” He looked at Billy. “A type of ‘reprogramming’ where ideas are constantly presented as being good or bad until the person is convinced that what he is told is true. We’ve never had any type of mind control like what you might be imagining.” He chuckled softly and started to cough.
“What’s so funny?” Billy asked as his uncle alternately coughed and laughed.
“I was thinking that although we don’t have mind control, we have progressed a bit beyond simple codes. I’m still curious why you were sent coded messages. There are so many ways you could have been contacted.”
“We always wondered why the codes were so easy to figure out. Not that they were super easy, but with a computer it didn’t take long at all to decipher the messages. I thought that if someone was trying to hide information they could’ve done a better job of encoding it.”
“I think that’s a question for ‘Bob’. I can’t presume to know why he reached out to you in the way he did. I am curious how he figured out your connection, though. And how he knew the Tops were interested in you.”
“I think I’ve at least partially figured that one out,” Billy answered. “At the Scinegue job fair, along with all of the other strange testing they also did a blood test. I’m sure it wasn’t hard for someone to match my results with yours.”
“Hmm. Yes, that is very likely. I wonder if they were looking for a connection, or if they just stumbled upon it.” Uncle Bill scooted his pillow back down. “If you will let me rest for a little while I think I will be up to trying to contact Oliver to see what he has found out.”
“So you really believe in Oliver?” Billy asked, knowing he must sound like a broken record but still needing the reassurance.
“I won’t get into our history now, but he is trustworthy. I trust him completely. If he does something that calls his character into question, he has a good reason for it.”
Billy and Sarah left Uncle Bill to rest and wandered around the apartment. “Did you find out anything about the accident?”
“No, I tried to find out if he knew about it without coming right out and asking him. I didn’t want to upset him if he hadn’t heard. You know, the accident could have been another Top having a ‘heart attack’ last night only he or she wasn’t as fortunate as Uncle Bill. Whatever happened left Mr. Radcliffe in shock.”
“It really did. I don’t understand why anyone would think all they have to do to become a Top is to have a Top killed. Do you?”
“Uncle Bill said the attacks are usually orchestrated by a person who works directly with a Top and assumes they would be a likely replacement if that Top dies.”
“Okay,” Sarah leaned against the back of the couch and crossed her arms, “so say that all works out for them and they do become a Top. They’re not going to be able to go in and convince the other Tops to change the way they do everything overnight. I really don’t see how being a Top benefits their purpose.”
“Most of the people who attempt to go about changing the company’s goals in that way have unlimited patience.” Billy shrugged. “Uncle Bill told me that some of the people who have been caught trying to eliminate a Top and take his or her place have already been with the company for years to get to the position they’re in. What’s a few more years as they slowly try to warp the opinions of the other Tops?”
“I just don’t understand why anyone would spend so much time and effort attempting to change the Tops opinions—which I doubt would be easy to change. Couldn’t they just go work for a company that does share their goals?”
“Uncle Bill only alluded to it, but it sounds like the reason they try to take control of Scinegue is because Scinegue has power and resources that no other company has.”
Sarah tried to envision what those powers and resources might entail. She rubbed a hand over her face and looked up at Billy. “What do you think we should do now?”
“There’s another bedroom over here. I think we should get a couple of hours of rest and see if Uncle Bill has heard a
nything from Radcliffe by then.”
“I’m worried about Ritchie,” Sarah sighed as she walked to the guest room. “I know he’s technically an adult, but I picture him as a tall little boy. He shouldn’t be seeing people getting killed and hiding out in fear for his life.”
Billy sat on the edge of the guest bed and tugged off his shoes before lying back on top of the comforter. “I know. There must be a way to help him. If Mr. Radcliffe is really on our side he’ll help somehow. He seems to have all kinds of connections.”
“And if he isn’t on our side?” Sarah asked wearily, lying on the bed next to Billy.
He reached over to hold her hand and murmured, “Uncle Bill is very confident in him. Hopefully he’s right.” And they both drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 26
Farmer Dan held a dainty white flower and patiently ran the fine bristles of a tiny brush over it. As she watched, a glistening drop of red splashed against the pristine petals staining them crimson. The first drop was followed by a second and the second by a third. The flower became a vibrant red and Sarah turned her questioning gaze to Farmer Dan.
Farmer Dan slowly shifted his attention from the flower in his hand to meet her eyes. His expression was calm but sad. Blood flowed from a single hole in the center of his forehead.
Sarah jerked awake with a scream trying to tear from her throat. She fought back a choked sob as tears streamed from the corners of her eyes. Farmer Dan had seemed so real—so alive—and she ached anew for all the senseless deaths surrounding her.
Sunlight peeked between the curtains and filled the room with a warm, golden glow and Sarah bolted upright. “Billy, wake up!” She swiped at the tears on her cheeks then struggled to pull her cell phone out of her jeans pocket to check the time.
“Billy!” She grabbed his arm and gave him a shake before jumping out of bed and rushing to the window to push the curtains aside. The sun was shining on a meticulously maintained yard. “It’s morning! We slept the whole night!”
Billy rolled out of bed, rubbing his eyes and then his head as a headache threatened. “We should’ve set an alarm,” he replied groggily. “I’m going to find out if Uncle Bill has talked to Radcliffe yet.”
Billy slipped on his shoes and jogged to his uncle’s room while Sarah checked her phone for new messages. Not having any, she could only pray that Ritchie was safe. She struggled to push away the remnants of her terrible dream and heard Billy call her from across the apartment.
She rushed to join him and found him staring at an empty bed.
“He’s gone. The bed is made and there’s no sign of him or the nurse.”
“Not him too!” She gave Billy a desperate look. “Do you think he’s with Radcliffe?” Sarah glanced around the room and a flash from the bedside table caught her eye. “What’s this?” she asked, walking over to pick up a man’s ring with a red stone in the center. “Look! There’s another one.” She picked up a smaller lady’s sized ring with a matching stone.
Billy took the larger ring and turned it around, trying to find an inscription or any type of clue about the owner’s identity.
“Was your uncle wearing a ring?” Sarah asked as she scrutinized the smaller ring.
Billy tried to picture his uncle’s hands as he lay in the bed. “No.” He shook his head with his eyes tightly closed trying to remember. “I’m positive he wasn’t wearing a ring. And certainly not two. I don’t think that one would even fit him.” He took the smaller ring from Sarah and tried to put it on his own finger and shook his head again. “No way was he wearing this.”
He handed the ring back to Sarah and she slipped it on her own finger. It went on easily, as if it was made just for her. Her head jerked up and she met Billy’s eyes. “Do you hear that?” she asked excitedly.
Billy strained to hear anything. “No. What do you hear?”
“It’s your uncle. He’s asking if I’m here. I’m here Uncle Bill! Where are you?” She spun around expecting to see him behind her, he sounded so close.
She looked at Billy and then at her ring. “He wants you to put on your ring.” She watched Billy wide-eyed as he turned the ring over on his palm, inspecting it closely. “He says to hurry, please.”
Billy pushed the ring on his ring finger surprised at the perfect fit. Instantly he could hear his uncle. “Do you have it on yet?”
This time Billy spun around looking for the source of the voice. “Where are you?” he repeated Sarah’s question. “It sounds like you’re standing right next to me.”
“No time for that now. I’m going to add Oliver. He has some news that should please you.”
Billy watched as Sarah raced around the room checking in closets and under the bed, finally looking at him and shaking her head with a shrug of her shoulders. The room was empty. No people, no speakers, nothing that would allow Uncle Bill to talk to them as if he was there. She slipped her ring off.
“Sarah, put it back on. You need to hear this,” Billy told her.
Sarah slipped the ring on in time to hear Mr. Radcliffe’s voice. “He is with us now. We were able to locate him when he attempted to call his sister.”
“Ritchie?” Sarah cried. “You’re with Ritchie? Is he all right?”
“Sarah, yes, your brother is perfectly fine. He is helping us access the companies he hacked. We were too late on the first one I am afraid. They already used the altered formula to produce many batches of their product. We are doing what we can to contain the product. So far, none of the other companies appear to have used the altered formulas. We will know more once we have been able to access them all.”
“Ritchie already tried to get back into those companies online and couldn’t. He said they put up better security or something,” Sarah stated in confusion.
“He has found ways around that. Your brother is very good with computers. If he is interested, I believe he would make a wonderful addition to the company. He is very bright.”
“Is Ritchie there? Can I talk to him?” Sarah asked.
“He says to tell you he is fine but too busy to talk right now. He said to tell you not to worry about him.”
Sarah sighed her relief even as she wondered why he couldn’t spare half a minute to speak to her.
“Uncle Bill? Are you still there?” Billy asked, feeling odd to be talking to an empty bedroom.
“Yes, I’m here.”
“Are you okay? Where did you go? I know you were starting to feel better last night, but are you sure you should be out of bed?”
Uncle Bill laughed. “I feel wonderful. A healthy body that is properly nourished is an amazing thing. We were made to heal, and in most cases, to heal quickly. The monitor I showed you is able to help us fine-tune our exact needs, which means our bodies always have the tools they need to work properly.”
“I’m glad you’re better. What should Sarah and I be doing now?” He remembered Sarah’s words from the night before. “We would really like to go back home.”
“Going home is a good idea. I’ll make the arrangements for you. Keep your rings on at all times for now. It may be critical for us to contact you.”
“Can we contact you with the rings? Do you dial a number somehow like a phone?” Billy asked, studying the ring.
Uncle Bill laughed but not unkindly. “No numbers, just think of who you would like to contact to reach us.”
“That’s amazing. How does that work? Can you listen in on what we say without us knowing?”
“Oh, Billy,” Uncle Bill sighed. “I hope we will be able to sit down at leisure soon. Scinegue has made some wonderful advancements over the years, and I would enjoy sharing them with you. For now the short answer is no. It is hard to explain. You will know if someone is trying to contact you. No one can listen to what you say without your knowledge.”
He returned to the more pressing subject, “Right now it is crucial that we focus on stopping whoever is trying to redefine Scinegue. We’ve been in contact with the other Tops and have found th
is uprising to be worldwide, but have not been able to pinpoint any involvement from any Tops. Although many groups have the same beliefs and desires as the group that has infiltrated us, they don’t have the ability to carry them out. With Scinegue’s resources at their disposal, however, their wicked desires could easily become reality.”
Uncle Bill paused for a moment. “Billy, I really think you can help us find out who is involved in this plot against us. We’ll contact you when we know more.”
Everything was suddenly silent. Billy and Sarah looked at each other. “Do you think they can still hear us?” Sarah asked quietly, looking down at the ring on her finger.
“I’m not sure. I guess it must have a microphone and speaker in it.”
“Should we take the rings off and put them in something soundproof so we can be sure no one’s listening?”
“I think we should leave them on for now, in case they try to contact us again. Uncle Bill said no one could listen without us knowing. We’re going to have to trust him.”
“They could just call on the phone like normal humans.”
“You know how easy a phone call can be tapped. I’m sure they’ve made communications through these rings secure somehow. They certainly didn’t seem worried about what they said.”
Sarah twisted the ring on her finger. “All right. We just have to remember we have them on and to not say anything we don’t want heard.”
Billy agreed, “Okay, but I’m starving. Want to see if there is anything to eat in the kitchen before we have to leave?”
Her stomach was tight with nerves, and images from her dream of Farmer Dan kept hitting her unexpectedly. What she wanted to do was go back to bed and curl into a ball under the covers until the world was normal again. Instead she nodded firmly and hooked her arm through Billy’s as he walked to the kitchen.
“I feel better,” Sarah announced, refreshed from her shower and wrapped in a plush navy bathrobe.