The Phoenix Agenda: A Thriller (A Rossler Foundation Mystery Book 6)

by JC Ryan

  Bill went through the end of shift routine, and as more workers who were either starting or ending shifts arrived, the change room filled with people. He flushed everything down the drain as instructed and started relaxing. He was getting more confident that he was going to get out.

  As he walked past the front desk, towards the revolving door, the alarm went off. A voice over the public-address system ordered everyone to stop in their tracks and to remain where they were until further notice. No one was allowed to move from their current positions.

  The sound of the alarm was battering his head, his ears were ringing, and his knees were shaking. He felt dizzy. He couldn’t breathe - he had to get outside! The door was less than five paces away. He started running. He fell to the ground when he smashed his face into the reinforced glass that wouldn’t move.

  ***

  “Sam, we have a bucket load of trouble.” Michelle started the conversation the moment Sam answered the phone.

  “What happened?” Sam could hear the anguish in her voice.

  “The NaBoTech operation went south. Our inside man was arrested.”

  “Shit, that isn’t good news! Okay, get hold of Dennis and Eric while I gather the ops team. Let’s go on video conference in five minutes.”

  Sam got the team, and five minutes later, they were ready to hear the full story.

  “Okay, Michelle, give us the details,” Sam requested.

  “Everything went well until the lab assistant discovered two missing canisters. Bill forgot to tell us or didn’t know that the lab staff has to check the canisters in and out at the beginning and end of their shifts. The lab assistant called security to report the missing canisters. At that stage, we decided to abandon the mission and instructed Bill to pack up his stuff, take a shower, and flush all equipment including the canisters down the drain. We followed him with one of the spyflies already on the inside and can confirm that was done.

  “When he was about to leave the building, the alarm went off and he must have lost his nerve. He tried to run out of the building and slammed into the door, which was locked. Needless to say, the guards picked him up, cuffed him, and called the police.”

  “That is a bit more than messy, to say the least,” Sam responded. The calm statement belied his inner consternation.

  “Without a doubt. The issue is that the police might get it into their heads to activate the torture bots in his chip to make him talk and find out it’s not working. I don’t have to tell you what the implications of that could be.”

  “No, I think I can comprehend that well enough.”

  “Do you know where he’s being held?” Salome asked.

  “Yes, he’s at the North Substation on Lamplight Village Ave. We have spyflies deployed and monitoring everything. They haven’t started questioning him as yet.”

  “I get the idea he won’t need a lot of encouragement to start talking,” Luke commented.

  “Yes. Unfortunately, that’s the case. Of course, we all know that making a person talk is just a matter of time. In the end everyone talks.”

  “Is he a member of Tectus?” Daniel enquired.

  “No. We enlisted him for this job because he worked there. Therefore, he has only seen the person who recruited him, and we’ve already moved him and his family into hiding.”

  “That’s a bit of a relief to know that they won’t be able to unstitch the whole organization.” Salome pointed out. “Nevertheless, I’d hate to think we would just abandon him.”

  “Definitely not, the man worked for us, he took a risk for us. Therefore, we will not leave him behind. We are going to get him out,” Sam stated while looking at Dennis and Eric. “You agree?”

  “Unconditionally,” they both replied as everyone else joined in agreement.

  “Okay, in that case, let’s have it. Put it on the table,” Sam invited.

  Discussions followed, and two hours later Jack concluded. “I see no other viable options. I’ll go down to Austin to see what can be done.”

  “What do you need?" Sam wanted to know.

  “Roy and Raj have all the gadgets I need. I’ll go and see them. I need Peter to fly me down there.”

  “Peter. You ready for that?” Sam enquired.

  “Yes, I’ll start preparing for the flight and arranging for stops and fuel along the way.”

  “Eric, given your special ops background I’d like you to make your way there as well,” Sam ordered.

  “I was just getting worried you were planning to cut me out of the action.” Eric laughed.

  Jack looked at his watch. “I’ll be ready to leave here in two hours.”

  ***

  It was late in the afternoon when Brad Johnston’s desk phone rang - it was his secretary telling him that the chief of police in Austin, Texas was on the line for him.

  He was not in any mood to hear yet another moping police chief, but it was part of his job to talk to him. “Put him through.”

  “Mr. Johnston I am acting on that top-secret directive of yours, which I received a little while ago.”

  “Michaelson, I send many of those things out. Be specific.”

  “I am referring to the one about chips not functioning as expected. The instruction said that if we find anything like that we were to call you immediately.”

  Brad felt a rush of excitement going through his body. “So say it, man, what do you have?”

  “There was a security breach at the NaBoTech plant early this morning. Some of the canisters with nanobots went missing. One of the employees tried to run away when the alarm went off and was apprehended by the security guards. They called our North Substation, and we picked the suspect up. He refused to answer any questions. The investigating officer tried to activate his chip to help him speed up the process, but nothing happened. The chip was scanned, and it seems to be functioning correctly, except the pain inducing utility is not working. The investigating officer reported the matter to me.”

  “Where is the suspect now?”

  “Still in custody at the North Substation. We’re keeping him in solitary.”

  “Good job. Ok, keep him there. I’m coming down to Austin, and I want to talk to him in person. Keep him in solitary, and make sure everyone keeps quiet about this. Understood?”

  “Yes, sir. When can we expect you?”

  “I’ll let you know, but it'll be sometime tomorrow.”

  When he put the phone down, Brad was wondering if he should call Martinez and Weinstein immediately, or if he should wait until he had the full story. Remembering what happened last time he withheld information from them made him reach for the mini phone in his pocket.

  “Councilor Martinez, I got a call from the police chief in Austin, Texas. They have a person in custody who apparently has a chip that’s been altered.”

  “What are you doing about it?”

  “I’m on my way to Austin, sir. I will personally investigate and keep you posted.”

  “Good. Make sure no one else knows about this until you have all the information and have spoken to me first. Is that clear?”

  “Yes, sir, one hundred percent.”

  ***

  Michaelson and the investigating officer met Brad Johnston at the Austin airport shortly after midday and took him directly to the North Substation. On the way, they briefed him on everything they knew and showed him the chip analysis report.

  “Have you recovered the canisters?”

  “No trace of them. Nothing on the suspect either. We have gone back and checked his movements through the chip monitor, but he was nowhere near the lab assistant’s desk at all. The only reason we’re holding him is that he tried to run. Other than that, we have nothing on him.”

  “Had he been away from his desk during his shift?”

  “Yes, he went to the breakroom from 3 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. and to the restroom from 4:06 am to 4:09 a.m. If he’d entered any of the unauthorized areas, security would have known about it immediately, and it would have shown on th
at report.”

  Brad knew how that could have been accomplished but was certain he was not going to educate them about it.

  “And he is still refusing to talk?”

  “Yes sir. I haven’t put any pressure on him. I've been waiting for you to give me further instructions.”

  “No one else knows about this?”

  “No, sir. It’s only the three of us.”

  “Okay, I want him released into my custody, so I can take him to a place where I can have a private word with him. I think I might just be able to get him to talk to me. Any problems with that?”

  Michaelson looked at the investigator with raised eyebrows. They both knew that wasn’t a question - it was an order.

  “No problem. I’ll call ahead,” Michaelson replied as he got his phone out and dialed the police station to make the arrangements.

  When they arrived at the station, Brad made a few phone calls while waiting for the paperwork to be completed and his vehicle to be delivered.

  ***

  “Jack and Eric have a look at this!” Peter called them over to the screen he was monitoring. “Looks like our boy has attracted high-level attention.” He pointed to the man walking next to Bill Hockey down the corridor of the police station.

  “Brad Johnston, the Director of American Security,” Jack observed. “You’re right about high-level attention.”

  Peter had spyflies following them, and as soon as they got outside, he landed one in Bills dreadlocks and moved it out of sight. The tracking team, who were on standby outside the police station about a mile away, followed the vehicle to a ranch about twenty miles away from the city. They gave Peter the location and left.

  “Guys, I'm perplexed. Brad Johnston is one of the highest-ranking officials in this country. He arrives here without any security detail - he checks a suspect out into his personal custody and takes him to a farm where there is no security either,” Peter commented. “Something’s not stacking up.”

  “It is puzzling isn’t it?” Jack responded. “Unless, of course, he doesn’t want anyone to know what he’s doing.”

  “Well, I guess we’ll soon know what he’s up to,” Eric responded while he got the feed from the spyfly up on the tablet screen.

  The three men took up position on a small hill, among some dense trees about three hundred yards away from the shed where Johnston and Bill were. They launched two more spyflies and steered them into the building.

  ***

  “Son, do you know who I am?” Brad Johnston smiled as best he could when he started questioning the bewildered Bill Hockey, who was tied to a chair in the middle of the half-empty barn.

  Bill shook his head.

  “I am Brad Johnston the Director of Security in America. Now, I want you to relax, I don’t intend to harm you. I want to ask you a few questions, and if you answer me honestly, you’ll be free to go. I will personally drive you home afterwards. However, you will have to cooperate with me. Do you understand?”

  Bill nodded his understanding. This was the best treatment he’d had in the past thirty hours. But he was still hesitant to talk to anyone. On the other hand, he also knew that at some stage, someone’s patience was going to wear out, and he was going to be the one in pain.

  “I brought you to this place so we can be alone. There is no one else here. No one can hear or see us. You can speak freely. So let’s start with your name.”

  “Bill Hockey.”

  “Where do you live?”

  “The southeast side of Austin.”

  “How long have you been working for NaBoTech?”

  “About eight months.”

  “You see Bill that was not so difficult. Now, why did you take the canisters?”

  “I didn’t!”

  “Come on, son, you promised to be honest with me. Try again.”

  “I didn’t do it - I swear I didn’t have anything to do with it.”

  “Son, I have a video here in my briefcase that shows you in the lab. Want me to show it to you?” Brad lied.

  “I am not permitted to go into the lab area. If I did, security would know about it immediately.” Bill tried to bluff his way out of it.

  “Everyone’s movements are tracked through their chips, but your chip has been modified. That’s the reason the movement records show you have not been in the lab. But the video camera, which you didn’t know about, saw you there. Right Bill?”

  He didn’t know about the video camera. In fact, no one knew about video cameras in the lab or the area where he worked. Where had they been hiding them? Bill knew he was in trouble.

  Brad could see he’d hit the nail on the head. “Son, as you can see, I know all about it. I’m just trying to get you to work with me and be honest. You haven’t been doing very well so far. Remember I can only let you go if you are honest with me.”

  “I don’t want to talk anymore. I want a lawyer.”

  Brad laughed aloud. “Son, you have been watching too many old movies! I am your lawyer, your judge, your jury, and if necessary, your executioner. I am your only way out of this mess. Let’s stop the games and get to the point.”

  Bill stared at him and realized what he just heard was precisely how it was going to be. He was out of options.

  “We have now established that you took the canisters. Right?”

  Bill nodded his head.

  “What did you do with them?”

  “Flushed them down the drain while I took a shower,” he whispered.

  “Why did you do that? Didn’t you steal them for someone on the outside?”

  Bill didn’t answer. He just looked at Brad.

  “Honesty son, honesty. Why did you do it?”

  “I saw that Jason discovered the missing canisters and alerted security. I got scared and abandoned my plans to smuggle it out.”

  “There you go son! You see it’s so much easier when you’re honest. You keep on going like that, and you will walk out of here a free man.”

  Bill nodded.

  “Tell me everything about your contacts on the outside. How did you meet, the names, how much were you going to be paid? Don’t leave anything out. Remember I already know everything.”

  “It was just one person - he said his name was Red Butler. I don’t think that was his real name. He asked me to help him get two of the canisters. He said he was going to sell them and share the proceeds with me. He said he would get payment in gold coins.”

  “Bill I told you to be honest with me! Let's get your story straight. I know you’re lying, because I spoke to your friend before we came out here. Yes, don’t look so surprised. He was arrested last night. He told me a very different story, and he was honest with me, so I have set him free. You are right - his name is not Red Butler, but that was about the only thing you were honest about. ”

  Bill looked at Brad. He was almost sure that wasn’t true, but doubt got the better of him.

  Eric had seen enough and sat up. “Let’s go kick this Brad Johnston’s ass, and move our boy out, before someone else turns up here and makes it difficult for us.”

  Jack pushed him down. “Hang on buddy. You’ll get your chance. No one else is coming. I want to hear more from our friend the director, here.”

  Jack got Sam on the mirror phone to give him a sit-rep. “Sam you won’t believe what’s happening over here. We have Brad Johnston questioning our boy in a shed on a farm outside Austin. He’s alone, no one else but him and Bill. We’ve been watching all of it for about an hour now.”

  “What? Brad Johnston, the Director of Security? What the hell is he doing there?”

  “We’ve been asking the same question, Sam. We don’t have an answer yet. He’s still questioning our boy, but has done him no harm yet. I’ll make sure it doesn’t come to that. We’re going to hang on for a while longer before we move in. We’d like to see if we can find out more about his motive for this weird behavior.”

  “You’re on the spot there Jack, I trust your judgment. Keep us posted.”<
br />
  “Tell you what, son. Let’s come back to that a bit later. I would like to know about your chip that’s been modified. Tell me who did it? When and how was it done?”

  “Red did it two days ago. He had a little device with him when we met, and he held it to my shoulder. After a little while, a green light went on, and he told me that the chip was now harmless. I don’t know anything else.”

  “Keep on going like that and everything is going to be okay for you.”

  Bill nodded.

  “How did you get into the lab without the chip monitor detecting it?”

  “I don’t know how it works. I had a little earphone and microphone on me - Red was talking to me from the outside. When Jason went to the bathroom, I told Red and he said I was cleared to enter the lab. I went in, got the canisters, and returned to my desk.”

  “Okay, I think we’re getting …” Was as far as he got, before Bill saw Brad grab his neck and drop to the floor. He started screaming when he saw three men, with balaclavas over their faces walking into the barn.

  “Stop it Bill! We’ve come to rescue you. This man will go with you to the road on the other side of the hill. There's a car waiting to take you away to safety.”

  Jack removed the handcuffs and pushed Bill in the direction of the door. “Go. You’ll be taken care of. Don’t worry about anything.”

  Eric quickly escorted Bill away and was back less than thirty minutes later, just when Brad was coming back to consciousness.

  Brad moaned when he found he could not move his arms and legs because they were tied to the chair he was sitting on.

  “Who? What the hell? Untie me you fuckin' dimwit. Do you know who I am or have any idea of what you’re doing?” he demanded.

  “Mr. Johnston your language.” Jack smiled under the balaclava. “Yes, we know who you are, we know exactly what we’re doing and you are about to find out what we want.”

  Jack held his mirror phone up to Brad so that he could see it. “You know what this is, Mr. Johnston?”

  Brad shook his head.

  “Let me explain. This little device is in control of the chip you have in your right shoulder. Now unlike Bill’s chip, your chip is fully functional. I didn’t have much training on using this thing, but what I have been told is that one of the buttons on here will activate the pain bots and another one will activate the killer bots. I’m not entirely sure which button is which, but don’t worry we’ll soon find out.”