by Sharon Sala
* * *
Charlie and the agents spent the remainder of the afternoon at the cabin, going over the details of the compound with Jud. Even the men on recon had been called in to listen. Everybody had to be on the same page tomorrow morning for the raid to happen without incident.
Wyrick heard everything Jud had to say, and then went upstairs, spending the rest of the evening online.
She’d been working for about two hours when she finally located the name of the company and the contractor who’d built Fourth Dimension. After searching back records, she also located the blueprints. The contractor’s name popped up several times in her search, in connection to previous projects he and his team had worked on. But it was the newest article on him that bothered her most. Less than a month after Fourth Dimension took possession of their new compound, the contractor and his work crew were dead. They’d perished in a private plane crash on their way to a new jobsite. For Wyrick, this was far too convenient to be an accident. It felt more like getting rid of witnesses.
After finding the blueprints, she began searching deeper into the files on the Fourth Dimension project and stumbled onto a schematic of the entire electrical and security system at the compound. Within seconds, alarms were going off in her head.
“What the hell?” she muttered.
She turned her chair to her PC and began searching through personal files of her own that she’d kept from when she’d still worked for Universal Theorem. When she found the file she was looking for, she sent it to the laptop, then pulled it up onto a split screen and began comparing the schematics of the security she’d designed for one of UT’s off-site buildings to the security schematics of Fourth Dimension. The more she read and the more deeply she searched, the more convinced she became that they were the same. The implications of that were horrifying, and at the same time, made horrible sense.
She immediately sent Charlie a text.
You need to see this. In my room. Now.
* * *
Charlie was outside lounging around the firepit, swapping war stories with the two men who’d been on recon as the woodsmoke rose in thin shreds above the canopy of the forest.
The agents had previously served in Afghanistan in the early days of the war, and after learning Charlie was a former army ranger, their opinion of him as “just a PI” had shifted to one of camaraderie.
The sun was going down behind the treetops, and the air was finally beginning to cool from the heat of the day. Birds were going to roost, and the animals of the night were coming out of their dens, readying to hunt the mountain.
Hank was on the back deck grilling burgers for supper. The aroma of charring meat was enticing, and there was an ongoing argument between Willis and Barry about opposing football teams.
Charlie happened to glance up just as an owl flew across his line of vision. He leaned back to watch, sending a silent message as it flew out of sight. Happy hunting, dude.
“Burgers will be ready soon,” Hank called out. “Is everyone here who’s going to eat?”
“I’ll go get Wyrick,” Charlie said, and before he could get up, his phone signaled a text from her. He read it, then got up and went inside.
Jud Bien was in a chair in the living room, handcuffed and dozing, with a guard nearby. Charlie glanced at him as he passed, and then kept moving. He didn’t know what had happened, but Wyrick wasn’t one to flip out over nothing.
He took the stairs up two at a time, then hurried down the hall, knocking once before going inside.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“There’s something you need to know about the Fourth Dimension security system.”
“What’s that?” Charlie asked.
“I designed it.”
He stared down at her in disbelief. “What? What the hell do you mean, you designed it?”
“The entire layout of the security system, as well as the safeguards and the intricate backups, are a replica of a system I designed for Universal Theorem years ago. The implication that Cyrus Parks is involved with Fourth Dimension is obvious. What if he’s that guy Aaron Walters reports to? The one who calls for updates? If he is, and UT is funding this cult, I guess they’re still trying to grow baby geniuses.”
“Can you prove it?” Charlie asked.
“Maybe,” she said.
“Holy shit,” Charlie said. “Does this endanger the takedown in any way? I mean...is this something the Feds need to know?”
She shrugged. “Me knowing this makes it a cinch for me to take down the power, but telling them this will call attention to the fact that I once worked there, which might open up a whole new can of worms if the government gets on my ass and wants to confiscate me and my brain, too. What I can do when this is all over is find a money trail between UT and the compound and send it in anonymously to the right people. After that, it will be on them to prove and prosecute. Not you. Not me.”
“Then we know nothing, and it’s time to eat,” Charlie said. “Burgers are on the grill outside. It’s going to get a little cooler as the sun goes down. You might want to get a jacket.”
As she began logging out, Charlie remembered something he was going to ask.
“Hey, I saw the box with your plane in my closet. What’s up with that?”
“Agent Raines tried to confiscate it after I brought it back. We had words. I took it to my room, guessing they might try something.”
“So you hid it in my room, instead?” he said.
“No,” Wyrick said, and then told him what had happened, right down to catching him in the act. “The plane is in your room now. I didn’t think they’d have the guts to try it twice.”
“Son of a bitch,” Charlie said. “So that’s why he came down so fast. I’ll be having a word with him.”
“No need,” Wyrick said as she dug a hoodie from her bag and pulled it over her head. “He’s already embarrassed that I set them up to fail and they fell for it.”
Charlie frowned. “Well, I have a need. What was Hank’s reasoning for wanting it in the first place?”
“Military weaponry. Let’s go eat. I’m starved.”
They came down together without talking, and as they walked through the kitchen to the back deck, they passed Jud, who was now sitting at the counter, under guard, already eating his meal.
Jud didn’t look at them, and they didn’t speak to him.
The storm door squeaked as they walked out.
“Needs oil,” Wyrick said.
“When I was a kid, the hinges on the screen doors at our house always squeaked. Mom wouldn’t let Dad oil them because that’s how she knew we were coming and going.”
Wyrick’s eyes widened, and then she smiled. “I love that.”
Charlie knew better than to acknowledge the friendly moment and destroy the rare moment of camaraderie, so he didn’t respond.
The scent of woodsmoke was stronger now, and the soft undertones of laughter from around the firepit were inviting, but Charlie had a bone to pick with Hank, and he wasn’t breaking bread with anyone until he’d had his say.
Hank turned around as they walked out.
“Hey, Charlie, how do you like your burger cooked?”
“Medium,” he said.
“What about you, Wyrick?”
“Kinda like I leave my enemies. Crispy on the outside. Bloody on the inside,” she said.
Hank sighed. “Look. I know you’re pissed, and rightly so. But—”
“There are no buts in outright theft,” Charlie said. “Drop the subject. We have a job to do, and when it’s over, we’re gone. With all of our belongings and none of yours. It would be a smart move if you returned the favor. I don’t know what the laws are about punching federal agents in the face, but I’m willing to chance it if I have to.”
The sudden silence among the men was telling. No one as
ked what was going on, which meant they’d all known it was going to happen, and for Wyrick, it meant they wouldn’t quit until they got what they wanted.
She didn’t like being watched, and she didn’t like being vulnerable, so the solution for her was to remove the temptation.
“I’ll be right back,” she said and went back inside, then up to Charlie’s room, and opened the box.
The controls were nothing out of the ordinary, something anyone could build. They wanted the plane and the formula to make it disappear in full sunlight without flashing refractions.
She took the plane, leaving all the rest behind, and came down the stairs at a jog, with it dangling from one hand. She was out of the cabin and halfway to the firepit before any of them realized what she was holding.
Charlie knew the set of her shoulders and the length of her stride meant trouble, and then she tossed it in the fire.
“Shit!” Hank said.
Willis jumped to his feet to grab it, but it was already too late. The gray woodsmoke turned black as the plane began to melt. There was a sudden whoosh as it became a fireball, and then it was gone.
Wyrick came back up the steps, grabbed a cold drink from an open ice chest and a handful of chips. She took them to an empty chair beside the deck rail and proceeded to eat.
Hank couldn’t bring himself to look away. He couldn’t believe that just happened.
“You’re burning her burger,” Charlie said. “I wouldn’t want to piss her off again today, if I were you.”
Hank jumped, then scooped her burger from the grill onto a paper plate, took a bun from the warmer and added it to the plate, and handed it to Charlie.
“If you don’t mind, please pass this to your assistant.”
“Sure,” Charlie said and took it to the table where all the fixings were set up. “Your burger’s ready.”
Wyrick set her pop on the deck rail and met him at the table without comment. She was adding condiments and sides when Charlie’s phone rang. Wyrick glanced at his phone and thought, Tara Bien is in Kentucky now, and then added a piece of cheese to the hot meat patty before putting on the other half of the bun.
Charlie glanced down. “It’s Tara Bien,” he said.
Wyrick already knew that and took her first bite. Even as she was chewing, she was thinking about her awakening facet of precognition. It was weird and unexplainable, like all the rest of what she knew how to do.
Charlie answered. “Hello? Tara?”
“I’ve just landed. I’m in Lexington. Talk to me. Did you find my baby?”
“Yes. We’ll bring her out tomorrow.”
“Oh my God! Thank you, Charlie. I need to be there. Tell me how to get there,” Tara said.
“No, ma’am, you do not need to be here. I can’t be worrying about your safety and hers, too. Understand?”
Tara’s voice was shaking. “I need to hold her, Charlie. I need to see her face and know she’s alive and well.”
Charlie wasn’t about to tell Tara what had happened to her daughter’s face. She’d find that out soon enough.
“I understand. And as soon as she’s with me, she can call you. That way you’ll know she’s safe. Okay?”
“Oh God, Charlie. I can’t stand this. I don’t know what’s been happening to her. This has forever changed the woman she was meant to be, but broken or not, I want my baby back.”
“Get a hotel. Eat some dinner. Try to rest. I’ll call you tomorrow. In the meantime, tell no one where you are or what you’re doing. Understand?”
“Yes, yes, I understand. No one knows where I am except you.”
“Okay, then. I’ll be in touch.”
He disconnected, dropped the phone back in his pocket and began fixing his burger.
“So the mother is in Kentucky?” Hank asked.
“Lexington,” Charlie said. “We’ll deliver Jordan to her there.”
Hank glanced down the length of the deck to where Wyrick was sitting.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“Don’t tell me. Tell her. She’s the one you betrayed. She got the evidence you wanted to get search warrants, and the first thing you did was try to steal the way she did it. Doesn’t speak too highly of the Feds, if you ask me,” Charlie said.
Hank laid down the spatula and started walking toward her. He didn’t expect her to look up, but she did, and then she just kept chewing and watching him, like a big cat watching its prey. He’d never been this intimidated in his life—not even when he’d met his wife’s father for the first time.
“Wyrick, I owe you an apology. I’m sorry. My behavior was unconscionable. I got carried away by the marvel of what you’d created and kept envisioning all of the ways that it could be applied for the greater good and—”
Wyrick held up her hand.
“Just stop right there. Claiming something—anything—and telling people it’s for the greater good is how people die and wars begin. You did it. You got caught. Now you want me to absolve you of all guilt. Kiss my ass, Special Agent Raines. You overcooked my burger, but I’m too hungry to care.”
Then she took another bite and looked at him, then past him, as if he’d suddenly become invisible, like that plane.
He turned and left her there.
* * *
Long after the meal was over and everything had been cleaned up, Hank was still thinking about what Wyrick had said. Today had changed him in some way, and probably for the better.
The team met one last time before they called it a night, to go over all the details of tomorrow’s raid.
They had search warrants and they had arrest warrants. They would have an FBI SWAT team standing by to scale the walls just before daylight, and more agents to enter from the front. They were ready to take down Fourth Dimension and get some missing children home.
Eighteen
Tara Bien was emotionally spent by the time she collected her luggage and checked in at the Embassy Suites by Hilton on Newtown Pike. As soon as the bellhop left and the door was locked between her and the world, she sat down on the side of the bed and started weeping. But not the deep, gut-wrenching sobs from all the days of not knowing where her baby was, or if she was still alive. These were tears of relief. Charlie Dodge had found Jordan, and God willing, tomorrow they’d be reunited.
When she finally got herself together, she ordered room service and ate as much as she could of the food when it was delivered. Then, later, as she was getting ready for bed, she pulled a worn brown teddy bear from her luggage and hugged it to her like she used to hug her baby girl, remembering all the nights she’d tucked Jordan into bed with the little bear as she was growing up.
Brownie Bear Bien had been waiting for Jordan when they brought her home from the hospital as a baby. It seemed only fitting for Brownie Bear to help bring Jordan home again.
* * *
Charlie was in his room getting ready for bed. He’d felt a need all evening to check on Annie, and finally found a moment alone to call Morning Light. After a brief conversation with the nurse on duty, the call ended. The report was as good as it could be, which was a relief, but the emotional distance between him and Annie was vast, and he was the collateral damage left behind.
He stared at the floor for a few moments and then reminded himself why he was there. He couldn’t save his girl, but they could damn sure save some others, and 4:00 a.m. came early.
He showered, shaved, then set the alarm on his phone and crawled into bed. The moment he closed his eyes, he flashed on Wyrick throwing that plane into the fire. She’d destroyed one thing to keep people from turning it into something else, and that was what they were going to do tomorrow with Fourth Dimension. Regardless of the humanitarian implications of Fourth Dimension’s initial project, it had turned into something vile, and it was time to take it down.
* * *
Jud w
as stretched out on the living room sofa and staring up at the ceiling. The agent they’d left on guard with him was sitting in a chair on the other side of the room, reading by lamplight. Every so often he would glance up from his book, look at Jud, check his phone for messages, then go back to reading. There were guards outside, but they had nothing to do with Jud’s presence. Jud had now been placed under guard for two reasons. The first was that they didn’t trust him, since he was, or had been, a member of the cult they were about to take down. And the second being, by his coming forward, he had become their chief witness against Fourth Dimension.
The lingering scent of the woodsmoke and grilled meat was still heavy in the air. For Jud, everything seemed so ordinary but for the handcuffs on his wrists. Tomorrow would mark the end of life as he knew it, and after that his days were numbered. They would know he was the one who’d given them up, but it was okay. A life for a life. It was in the Bible.
Then, all of a sudden, a sad, hopeless feeling swept through him that wasn’t his, and he knew it was Jordan. He sensed her sleeplessness and felt her fear, and even though there was a risk in sending it, he had to let her know she wasn’t alone.
* * *
Jordan showered with the other girls, then hand-washed the clothes she’d worn that day, hung them up to dry and, as was her habit, changed into her other set of clean clothes. She had yet to take pajamas out of her bag, and even went to bed in her shoes, in case she got a chance to run away. She slept on top of the bedclothes, with the extra blanket as her only cover.
She still held on to the mental image of Wonder Woman’s strength, sword and shield for courage. Jordan’s defiance was her sword, and staying clothed was her strength and shield. She didn’t have Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth, but she had the truth of her mother’s love.
Tired from the impromptu game of hockey, the girls had long since fallen asleep, while Jordan still stood at the window nearest her bed, looking up at the stars. They were so beautiful, but so far, far away.