The Tenth Cycle: A Thriller (A Rossler Foundation Mystery Book 1)

by JC Ryan

  After breakfast, they took both cars to the police station to give their statements as instructed the night before. When they got there, though, they were told that the suspects had been moved. Daniel was puzzled.

  “Moved? When? Why?” he asked.

  “All I know is the Chief got a call in the middle of the night, woke him up and pissed him off. Some bigwig in the state capitol told him to cooperate with a guy that was on his way. About five a.m., in comes this guy dressed like one of those dudes in Men in Black and takes custody of them, leaves without even filling out paperwork. Darnedest thing I ever saw,” the sergeant said. It was more excitement than he’d seen in the last five years or more, so he was very talkative about it.

  “Let me guess,” Daniel said. “Called himself James Jones.”

  “Yeah, that’s the guy!” the sergeant exclaimed. “So, you know him?”

  “We’ve met,” said Daniel grimly. “Listen, I’ve got to get back to New York, can I go ahead and give my statement?”

  “Well, that’s the thing,” said the sergeant, with wonder. “That James Jones fellow said there’d be no need. But if you’ll all just leave your names and contact information, if we change our minds, we’ll be able to get hold of you.”

  The five filed out of the station after giving the requested information, and stood outside in the parking lot discussing this turn of events.

  “What the Sam Hill was that all about?” Nicholas demanded.

  “I’m not sure, but I’ve run into that James Jones before. Everyone I’ve talked to about him seems to think he’s some sort of government spook. What he has to do with this business I can’t imagine. But as soon as I get to Providence, I’m going to see if David has any ideas.”

  They went their separate ways, then, Daniel hugging his grandparents close and whispering to them that he loved them. Then, standing up tall, he said to the Marines, “Keep ‘em safe.” Both men spontaneously gave the standard response: Oorah!

  Chapter 29 – Just Following Protocol

  Ignorant of the events in Little Egg Harbor, Impes once again considered whether he should throw in with Barry, or curry favor by turning him in. The more he thought about it, the more he thought that the value of the information in the pyramid code was far greater than what he was being paid by the Orion Society. He rather suspected that the same would be true of Sidus, who occasionally relayed orders from the bosses. Impes reasoned that if both he and Sidus stood up to them, the bosses would respect them more and would reward them with more money. But there was no need to let Barry in on it. They didn’t need him, they could hire a linguist for less than a third of the profit.

  His final decision was to contact Sidus and see if he could play him, get him to agree to hold out for more money. Impes made the call.

  “Sidus, I’ve got information for you. You probably don’t know about this operation, because I’ve been working directly with the big guys on it, but something big is going down. I’ve got a proposition for you.”

  Sidus wondered what Impes had done this time, but he was afraid he already knew. He was seriously going to have to kill the man if he kept meddling. “Go on.”

  “There’s a guy at the Joukowsky Institute that’s turned us on to a research project that the big guys are interested in. Something about a code. Allan Barry is the professor’s name.”

  With a sinking feeling, Sidus asked, “What’s the proposition?”

  “I’ve arranged to take the primary researcher’s grandparents hostage. He agreed to report his findings to us before anyone else, to ensure their safety. I figure we can get the information, and sell it to the highest bidder. Of course, that’ll probably be Orion, but you never know. And I need your help to take the proposition to Septentrio. That guy scares me, you know?”

  As Impes spoke, Sidus’s eyes narrowed until they were little more than slits through which he angrily studied his surroundings. “Sounds intriguing. Let’s meet in person to hammer out the details.”

  “Okay, I’ll come to you. Shall I meet you there in Langely?” Impes asked importantly.

  “No, we shouldn’t be seen together. Let’s meet outside the Beltway. How about Riverbend Park? Can you be there by nine p.m.?” Sidus answered.

  “I think so. I’ll text you if I’m going to be late.”

  “Don’t be late, Impes.”

  At nine p.m., Sidus waited in the empty visitor’s parking lot. The park had closed at eight, and there were periodic patrols of the area by local law enforcement. Sidus figured he could wait no more than ten minutes before he’d have to leave and arrange another meeting. This whole thing was very inconvenient, so his temper was high already. At five minutes after, another car approached, but it didn’t appear to be law. Impes was here.

  “Hey, buddy,” Sidus called, when the other man got out of his car. “Jump in, let’s go grab a drink.”

  Leaving his car in the lot, Impes gladly got into the passenger seat and twisted to lock his seat belt in place. He was startled to see an angry scowl on Sidus’s face just before his hand came up with a hypodermic that he stabbed into Impes’s arm before he could react.

  When Impes regained consciousness, he was restrained on a cloth-covered table with a bright light shining into his eyes. He closed them to get away from the light, only to let them fly open as he felt a stabbing pain in his arm.

  “I thought you were awake,” Sidus’s disembodied voice said. Impes tried to peer around him, but the surrounding darkness was impenetrable because of the blinding light. “I’m afraid you’ve screwed the pooch, buddy,” the voice went on. “Didn’t Septentrio tell you to stand down until further orders?”

  Now Impes began to be truly terrified. He’d made a terrible mistake in trying to involve Sidus. The only way to get out of what he knew was coming with a minimum of pain was to give up Barry. “It was Barry’s idea,” he whined.

  “If someone told you to jump off a cliff, would you do it,” mocked Sidus in a high voice meant to sound like every scolding mother in the world. “Let’s hear the whole story.”

  Impes began to babble, trying to tell it all at once, until the stabbing pain in his arm stopped him. Sidus spoke once again. “Start from the beginning, and tell it in sequence, or by the time you die you’ll have no skin left.” To Impes’s horror, a hand emerged from the gloom, holding a strip of skin an inch long and half that wide, with a few drops of blood on it. Was that what was hurting him? A little more of his belief that he would survive this died, and he whimpered.

  Pain! And then Sidus’s voice again. “Go on, start talking.”

  “Barry contacted me that he had a researcher on staff that was getting somewhere on something he thought Orion would be interested in. I wanted to find out what before I bothered you or them, and besides Barry was hinting that he’d like me to help him gouge them for more money for it.” Pain! Oh, shit, why is he still doing that? Impes thought wildly. He talked faster.

  “I tried to get more information from a math professor that was helping them, but my team messed up and killed the guy. I’ve already taken care of their punishment for that.”

  “Was that after Septentrio told you to back off?” Sidus asked.

  “Yes, but he wanted me to kill them, I’m sure,” Impes said eagerly. Pain! Shit! Was there any skin left?

  “So, after he told you to back off, you still thought it was a good idea to interfere?” Sidus’s tone was implacable.

  “I’m sorry. I got carried away. Barry told me they were holding back on him. I thought if I could make them cooperate, it would go better.”

  “You mean, you could get the information faster and double-cross Orion, don’t you?” Sidus stated.

  “No! That was Barry’s idea! I wanted to trap him,” Impes said, forgetting that he had already laid the plan out for Sidus. His arm was on fire, and he wanted to end this so he could get medical attention. Now he jerked with anguish as the pain moved to his other arm.

  “So, you didn’t mean what y
ou said when you offered me the same deal without Barry. Or were you trying to trap me, too?” Sidus asked, anger creeping into his voice.

  “No! I mean yes! I mean, ahhhhhhhhhh!” he screamed, as a deeper pain registered, all the more frightening since he couldn’t see. But his hand throbbed. Another scream punctuated the air as it happened again. Then he understood. Sidus was clipping his fingers off, one by one. He knew what this meant, and his bladder let go as he faced his death.

  “Sidus, for the love of God, kill me first,” he begged. But Sidus was angry, and there was no one nearby to hear the screams. Therefore, the process of removing anything that could identify Impes before his body was slipped into the Potomac would happen before he died. It didn’t pay to anger Sidus, much less his powerful employer.

  Chapter 30 – Full Steam Ahead

  Daniel’s thoughts circled restlessly on the drive back to New York. The incident with his grandparents had shaken him, and in spite of the fact that he was acting normally, his stomach roiled at the thought of Sarah alone, and the mysterious James Jones character on the scene again. He had lost confidence in the CIA because of David’s failure to be there for him when needed.

  Arriving at Sinclair’s address, he knocked on the door. Sinclair opened the door and his face lit up when he saw Daniel. “Don’t tell me the data is all ready already,” he deadpanned.

  “Not quite, sir. We need to talk. And Grandpa says hi, by the way.”

  “Come in, then, come in! How is your grandpa these days?”

  Daniel began to tell him. When he was done, he held his breath. The last thing he’d said was, “So, if you want to bow out, I’ll understand. It’s gotten even more dangerous.”

  Sinclair looked mutinous, and he asked, “Did you tell Nick that you were going to give me an out if I wanted it?”

  “Yes, sir, I did.”

  “And what did he say?”

  “That you love a challenge, sir,” Daniel answered, not quite suppressing the grin that was starting.

  Sinclair’s laugh boomed out. “That’s an understatement, son. Nothing I love more than laying about with a shillalagh, if the occasion arises. But, it seems to me that the best thing would be for me to get started on whatever you have now, and not wait for it to be complete.”

  “Thank you, sir. But Raj has gone to ground. I have to wait to hear from him before I can put you in touch with him,” Daniel said gratefully.

  “Very sensible. I’ll be ready when I hear from you,” Sinclair said.

  “Um, ready for what, sir?”

  “Ready to join him at his safe house, of course. And stop calling me sir. It’s Sinclair.”

  “Yes, sir. I mean, Sinclair. That sounds excellent. I’ll be in touch.”

  Daniel took only long enough to stop by his apartment for a change of clothes before heading for Providence and Sarah’s arms. Sarah wasn’t surprised to see Daniel on a Thursday, as he’d said he was coming straight to her when he’d finished wrapping up at Grandpa and Grandma Rosslers’. She was so glad to see him in one piece that she flew into his arms.

  “Oh, Daniel! I was so worried. Are your grandparents okay?” Sarah peppered Daniel with questions and apologies for yelling at him when he called earlier.

  “Sarah, my love,” Daniel said after he had caught her to him and kissed her hello. “It’s okay, and I’m sorry I didn’t let you in on it sooner. Will you forgive me?”

  “Oh, you silly man, I already have. I just needed to see you for myself, that you weren’t hurt. Since when do you go all Rambo like that?” she babbled.

  “Since the assholes got personal,” he said. “I’d have done it for you, too, you know.”

  “Promise me you’ll let the professionals handle it if anything like that ever happens again,” Sarah scolded.

  “Well, I didn’t have that choice. David didn’t answer his phone and I couldn’t leave them in the hands of the people that might have been the ones to kill Mark,” he explained. “Besides, no one could be more professional than those two Marine buddies of mine.”

  Sarah shivered. “I’m so glad your buddies were able to help you.”

  “Me, too,” he said. “I’ve got them guarding my grandparents now, and I know they’ll be here in a heartbeat if we need them. I’ve got something else to tell you, but I’m starved, haven’t eaten since breakfast. Can we go get something?”

  A little while later, over their favorite pulled-pork sandwiches at Fat Belly’s, Daniel told Sarah about the strange circumstance of James Jones showing up at Little Egg Harbor to take the hostage-takers into custody, and telling the police that statements from the victims wouldn’t be needed. They puzzled over it for a while; who the guy might be, what his interest in these events could mean, before determining that they didn’t have enough information to speculate.

  As they walked back to Sarah’s house with Daniel’s arm wrapped tightly around her, both were thinking that they could hardly bear to be apart any more. Hours later, the two held each other close in an intimate embrace. Words didn’t have to be spoken for their love and devotion to be conveyed to the other. It was in the tenderness of his caress and in her soft sighs of pleasure.

  Chapter 31 – Get That Information Now

  Sidus had a lot to think about before reporting to Septentrio. Whether to tell him that Impes was dead by Sidus’s hand; whether to confirm Barry’s duplicity and most of all, whether to tell him that Impes had offered Sidus a piece of the pie they intended to steal from Orion. He shuddered. If Septentrio suspected he harbored any such thoughts, his fate wouldn’t be much different from Impes’s. On the other hand, how else would he have discovered the plot? Sidus put off the decision as long as he could, and then decided to come clean if necessary. Maybe Septentrio wouldn’t ask him the last question.

  “Speak.” Septentrio’s voice hinted at something stressful, and Sidus swallowed uncomfortably. Bad timing, the Big Guy was already in a foul mood. But, he’d made the call and there was nothing to do but plow forward.

  “It’s Sidus,” he said.

  “Yes, yes, I have caller ID, you idiot. What do you want?”

  Suddenly, he knew how to handle it. “Orders,” he replied crisply. “I have discovered a plot to steal the pyramid information and sell it to the highest bidder. I’ve dealt with one traitor, but the other is more high-profile. I want your orders before dealing with him.”

  “Who?” Was the terse answer.

  “Impes, and Allan Barry. According to Impes, it was Barry’s idea,” Sidus explained.

  “So, it was Impes you’ve dealt with already? Protocol followed?” Septentrio said, in a deceptively mild voice.

  “Yes, of course. I extracted all the information he could give me, which wasn’t much, and then processed the body according to protocol.” Sidus didn’t believe it was necessary to inform Septentrio that the ‘processing’ occurred before the death. He wouldn’t have cared.

  “Well, it’s unfortunate about Barry. The man has been in a position to bring us information about many research projects in the past. But we can’t have him suborning our operators. He’ll have to go. Be sure you get what information he has now before you kill him.”

  “Yes, sir. Thank you. I’ll get right on it,” Sidus said. In fact, he’d already assembled a team. This time there would be no blunders like that of the unfortunate late Impes. Carefully, he went over his plan.

  The safe house where they’d take Barry was ready; stocked with food and an isolation room. Four men would guard the house, two at a time, and his best interrogator, a woman, would extract the information, painfully if necessary. It never ceased to amaze him what the gentler half of the species was willing to do, with the proper incentive. Not that his interrogator needed incentive. She was just naturally sadistic. His smile would have been chilling, had anyone been there to see it.

  Now to put his plan into action. He made the call. “Take him from home if possible, but take him in any case. If you miss him at home, you’ll have to be
careful getting him out of the building. You have the plans of the campus showing you where the security cameras are deployed. I needn’t tell you that if your faces show up on security footage, you’re of no use to us any more, nor what that means. Reigna, you are in charge. I’ll leave it to you to make the final plans, but get it done this week.”

  Satisfied that his best team was on the job, Sidus relaxed with a cigar and an old brandy. The perks of being at the top were many and very satisfying. Later, he’d send for a woman.

  ~~~

  On Monday morning, Sarah found a note from her proctor that Prof. Barry wanted to see her. Knowing his duplicity, the prospect of meeting him face to face was daunting. Could she face him without revealing that she knew the truth? On the other hand, the meeting could very well be about her tenure hearing, due at the beginning of next week. She couldn’t afford to ignore his summons. Sarah sent a quick email to Barry’s university account, asking if Wednesday after her late afternoon lab would be a good time, to which she received the terse answer, “Yes.”

  On the same morning, Barry had been gone from his house for less than half an hour when five figures dressed in camouflage that blended in with the pre-dawn gloom made their way silently through his back yard from the alleyway behind. They were so proficient at this exercise that even the skittish Jack Russell terrier next door failed to detect their passing. The first one to the back door tried it, and then swiftly picked the lock, allowing all five to pass within. They expected to find the good professor still in bed, but instead, upon searching the house, discovered him gone.

  “Bloody hell,” said the woman. “Why didn’t we know he was away?” This useless question, addressed in general to the men, met with shrugs. “

  “Why don’t we check the office? Maybe he’s an early bird,” remarked the bravest of them. With the woman’s reputation, none of them wanted to incur her wrath.