by Mikayla Lane
Teresa’s eyes widened dramatically. “Do you know what that will cost us?”
“It’ll be cheaper than what we’ve already spent the last eleven years on that unworthy bitch!” Lilly snapped and downed another glass of vodka.
“If we can’t find Lanie, then how will they?” John asked, looking at his folded hands in his lap.
“Through the damn chip, I had Lanie injected with the last time we had to pay her hospital bills. Remember? It was after Jason showed her more of his love.” Lilly couldn’t be happier that she’d done that so many years ago.
Teresa’s eyes blazed with anger as she faced her drunken sister. “You could have found that bitch all this time?”
Lilly staggered slightly to the bar and filled her glass with vodka again. “Don’t be silly. I didn’t put one of our chips in that - thing. I put in one of theirs, and we don’t have access to the location trackers on those.”
“Why would you do such a thing?” Teresa was a little horrified at her sister’s sinister actions but not surprised. Lilly had always been ruthless and mean-spirited.
“Because I wasn’t going to allow our family line to be tainted with Lanie’s foul blood, and you shouldn’t have let this bullshit go on for so fucking long!” Lilly spat hatefully. “I should have done this years ago, but I hoped that just once, one of you would make a damn effort to help earn our place among the ruling class!”
“Do it,” Teresa ground out between gritted teeth as she faced her drunk sister. “Just get it the fuck over with already and find my son. I’ll make sure he does what’s necessary for the family.”
Lilly struggled to quirk a brow, but her latest facelift only made her look like a drunken joker. She pulled out her phone and called the one man she knew could get rid of Lanie Fulbright for good.
“Senator Rougney,” Lilly began. “Milt. I need to call in that favor you owe me. I’ll text you the chip identification so you can enable tracking and retrieval. Log the cargo for experimentation.”
Lilly nodded and smiled smugly when her friend and fraud scheme collaborator assured her that he would place the order for pick up immediately. She hung up the phone and turned to her family with a broad smile.
“It’s done. I’ve heard it only takes twenty-four hours or less depending on where the nearest transport is located at the time the request is made.” Lilly raised her glass then downed it.
She stumbled to the bar, but John jumped up and refilled it for her. Lilly drunkenly nodded her thanks, took a sip, and faced her family.
“Now, we get Jason out of this shithole town and get back to work!” Lilly shouted, slurring her words. “There’s a shitload of money to consolidate before the ruling class enslaves everyone, and we don’t want to be among those poor bastards!”
Teresa sat back down and sobbed quietly to herself while John stayed beside her and tried to comfort his wife. Everyone else on the plane pulled out their devices and found something work-related to do until the Senator finally passed out.
The routine was all too familiar to those who worked closely with the Senator, and everyone knew that when Lilly got this drunk, it was better to appease the deranged woman than take her verbal abuse and threats.
Unfortunately, the Senator had only been out for an hour before the plane landed at the closest airport to Laurel Springs. Lilly hadn’t gotten nearly enough sleep to rid herself of her drunken state.
Chapter Twelve
Cin was sipping his coffee, watching the stars and alien ships that flew past Earth all the time when his nanites notified him that the Senator’s private plane had just landed in the small airport outside of town.
Checking in with Lanie's nanites, Cin verified she was asleep before he walked into the living room and turned on the TV screen. Though he could see it in his mind, Cin still enjoyed using his eyes to observe the information he could see in his head.
Pulling up the airport’s security cameras, Cin smiled as the Senator stumbled her way from the tarmac to the SUV they’d rented before landing. Cin also knew where the Senator and her family would be staying until Jason’s remains were found and already hacked the rental cabin’s security systems.
After Lanie had finally gone to sleep a few hours ago, Cin had opened a portal to where he’d left Jason’s SUV. He drove it to the trailhead leading to the trapper’s cabin so the sheriff would find it, which would lead to Jason’s remains.
The nanites covering Cin’s hands as he drove would ensure no one would know anyone else, but Jason had been in the vehicle. Also, the breaks Cin strategically made would appear as if they occurred during a tragic fall while Jason was hiking.
All of these would lead law enforcement and anyone looking into it to believe Jason’s death would be nothing more than a terrible accident. Not unlike hundreds of casualties in national parks across the country every year.
Cin held out his hands and allowed several dozen nanites to pop out and hover above his palms. He gave them their orders and smiled when they flew out the open door of the deck. As confident as Cin was, he didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks with Lanie’s safety.
Cindrac refilled his coffee and stood in front of the TV screen. Within seconds he was able to see what each of the nanites viewed on the way to their tasks. A thread of foreboding ran through Cin, and he narrowed his eyes as he ran through the information in his mind.
Everything appeared to be perfect, but the senses Cin had developed over decades of being a soldier wouldn’t let go of the feeling that something wasn’t right. Cin held out his hands and brought forth more nanites, gave them orders, and released them as well.
Cin was actively watching the new information come in when he saw that one of Robbie’s deputies had found Jason’s SUV, and the search party was gathering at the trailhead. Cin knew it wouldn’t be long before they found Jason’s remains in the trapper's cabin.
Verifying the Senator’s plane was still on stand-by, Cin watched Lilly and her entourage leave the airport parking lot. He knew the moment they received notification that Jason’s vehicle was found and saw them change direction towards the trailhead.
Cin was still carefully following what was going on when Lanie woke up and shuffled into the kitchen in a pair of fuzzy pajama bottoms covered in cartoon characters and a T-shirt. Cin smiled and tried not to stare as she filled a cup with coffee and sighed at her first sip.
“You look like you need more sleep,” Cin noted with a chuckle. “Why are you up so early?”
Lanie shot him an incredulous look. “Seriously? My ex was mauled to death last night by a mountain lion, his evil family is going to be crawling all over the place, and I’m literally in the den of the Soldier of Vengeance. I wonder why it was hard to get some sleep?”
Lanie gulped down more coffee while Cin chuckled.
“It’s going to be all right. Everything is going perfectly.” Cin saw no need to give Lanie details when she was already so nervous and worried.
Turning off the TV and the information and camera views he had up, Cin went into the kitchen and refreshed his coffee.
Lanie was still standing near the sink, cradling the cup in her hands, and staring at the now blank screen. “What was all that?”
“I hijacked some security systems and the sheriff’s radio,” Cin admitted. “I was spying on what was going on.”
“Why did you stop?” Lanie had seen flight information and other detailed things that would be hard for ordinary people to get. Cin’s knowledge and skill fascinated and impressed her.
For a decade, Lanie had learned everything she could about the internet, how to do minor hacking, and how to hide from this new world of technology. Lanie had developed basic skills out of sheer necessity, but the things Cin could do were only myths among most of the hacker and privacy forums where she’d learned her abilities.
A thought suddenly shook Lanie. “How many other forums do you run?”
“Ah, about a hundred,” Cin admitted.
It
was twice that, but some were regularly taken down by DDOS attacks by the elite run deep state and their paid lackeys. Cin didn’t think Lanie needed to know that when she was already stressed out by everything happening.
Lanie suddenly named half a dozen forums, leaving Cin surprised that she knew so many.
“Yeah, all those are mine.” Cin was calculating the odds of her being a part of so many of his online communities.
“Oh, my God!” Lanie ran a trembling hand down her face. “You really are the reason I’m alive. If it weren’t for those forums, I would have never been able to stay on the run for so long. Jason would have killed me a long time ago.”
“How did you find so many of my sites?” Cin was surprised that the odds of Lanie finding seven of them were incredibly slim.
Lanie shrugged and thought about it. “I don’t know. There’s so much garbage out there on the web, and it took years to find those websites. I always seemed to know which ones to keep going back to for information and advice. Mostly because it always worked.”
Cin pondered that while he moved to the french doors and watched the sun come up. He smiled when Lanie walked over and joined him. It was strange to Cin that he felt so comfortable being here with Lanie after living his entire life friendless and alone.
Even having Loquan here had kept Cin on edge, but Lanie made the cabin feel more like what he always thought a home would be. The realization shook him, and Cin immediately had his nanites look into what would be causing these strange new feelings in him.
“Will you tell me how you learned your skills and all the information you post? Can you teach me how to do it too?” Lanie asked, then snorted. “I’m kind of at a loss what I’ll do with my life if I don’t have to run anymore. The idea of trying college and going back to that old life is ridiculous, considering what I know.”
“I see that happen a lot with the members of the forums. It’s painful and disheartening when you find out the truth of what’s really going on in the world.” Cin nodded in compassion. He’d felt the same when he discovered the truth of the elites and Earth’s history. “The forum members talk about pill colors for those awake and those still buying the propaganda and indoctrination. It helps them deal with the loneliness they feel knowing those closest to them don’t see the truth around us.”
“I’ve read those posts. Some more than once,” Lanie admitted. “Even with everything I know about the widespread corruption from the local governments and courts to the highest office in the country, I still think there’s more I don’t know. I think it’s just the surface, and it goes much deeper.”
When Cin remained silent, Lanie turned and faced him. “Am I right?”
“The breadth and scope of what they have done to society for centuries are almost beyond comprehension.” Cin wouldn’t lie to Lanie, but he also knew she wasn’t ready to process the full truth either.
As if knowing she wasn’t emotionally prepared to hear anything else right now, Lanie turned back to face the sun rising over the mountain.
They stood in companionable silence for several long minutes until Cin realized the time. He went back into the kitchen, prepared Bob’s food and water, and set it down on the floor for his friend.
Cin petted the cat for a few seconds before asking Bob to keep an eye on Lanie for him while he was gone. He was more than a little surprised when Bob readily agreed then dug into his breakfast.
There was something odd about Lanie even the ordinarily grumpy Bob was attracted to, and it gave Cin pause for a moment while he pondered what it could be that drew the two of them to her.
Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Cin went back to stand beside Lanie for a moment. “I need to take care of something while Jason’s family is with the sheriff and deputies. Will you be OK here by yourself for an hour or so?”
“I’ll have breakfast ready when you get back,” Lanie offered with a small smile.
“That sounds perfect.” Cin wasn’t sure why her words made him so happy and felt an urgent need to leave. “I’ll see you in a little while.”
Cin smiled at Lanie before going to the front door. He set the command for the electronic locks before he even cleared the threshold and waited to hear them engage before going to his car.
Moments later, Cin was pulling onto the main road and heading towards the rental cabins booked by the Senator, her family, and personal staff. With Laurel Springs so close to a major mountain tourist area, the townspeople had cashed in with dozens of cabins available to rent throughout the year.
The Senator and her family would be staying in a luxurious four-bedroom home with her staff in a moderate one a quarter of a mile away. Cin pulled onto the private road to the houses and got out.
Cin had barely shut the door before he had his nanites camouflage the car. He didn’t expect anyone to see his vehicle there, but Cin didn’t want to take the chance of making a careless mistake either.
Cin pulled up the cabin plans and city schematics earlier and walked over to a utility manhole cover barely visible through the vegetation. He quickly pulled up the lid and dropped a few nanites inside before closing it again.
Cin could have sent the nanites out to do this independently, but he wanted to ensure that the valve he needed was indeed the one installed in the pipeline, or his plan wouldn’t work. Confident that the second phase was now operational, Cin went back to his car.
Leaving the camouflage active on the vehicle, Cin also had the nanites make him disappear until he was on the main road to town. He reached the only stoplight just as the Senator and her entourage blew through the red light on their way to the trapper's cabin.
Cin calmly went to the grocery store and the local bakery before heading back to the cabin. He was nearly home when the call went out through the sheriff’s radio that Jason McMaster’s remains were found.
From what Cin could gather from the frantic radio calls, the hungry mountain lion hadn’t left much of Jason’s body for verification. He already knew from the information that he was hearing that the Senator’s staff verified it was Jason by the chip embedded in the head.
Cin pulled into his driveway as the Sheriff directed the Senator and her family to follow him to the station while the medical examiner and his team collected the remains. Cin changed the code in a commonly downloaded app and opened the microphone on the Senator’s phone.
Uncontrollable sobbing made it nearly impossible to hear what was said in the car, but the sound of drunken cursing and threats was easy to make out. Cin smiled as he took the packages to the front door.
Cin had barely cracked it open before thick gray smoke billowed out. Running inside, Cin stopped short when he saw Lanie standing at the doors to the deck, using a sheet pan to wave the smoke out of the house.
“What happened?” Cin quickly assessed the situation and figured it out. He tried desperately not to smile when Lanie blushed.
“I may have slightly overstated my ability to cook.” Lanie continued trying to wave the smoke outside and glanced at the blackened pans on the stove.
Cin looked for Bob and found the cat hiding under his blanket in the couch's corner to avoid breathing in the smoke.
“Go open up the windows on your side of the house, and I’ll do mine,” Cin suggested. “It’s beautiful outside anyway, and the place could use a good airing out.”
Cin smiled at Lanie as she passed him before moving to his side of the house to open it up to the fresh air. By the time he got back into the kitchen, the thick fog of smoke was reduced to a slight haze.
Reaching over the sink, Cin opened the kitchen window when Lanie came out of her room and started on the ones in the living room. While she finished with the windows, Cin cleaned up the burned mess on the stove. Lanie came over to help.
Cin grabbed the bags he’d dropped earlier and put the contents on the counter. “How about we work on breakfast together?”
“OK,” Lanie agreed with a grateful sigh.
*****
&nbs
p; “I’m telling you, that bitch had something to do with what happened to Jason,” Senator Patrosi spat out hatefully.
“I hate the woman as much as you do, but how the hell did Lanie orchestrate a fucking mauling by a mountain lion?” John snapped and glared at his sister-in-law. “You’re not helping.”
“Watch your mouth with me,” Lilly growled back. “And don’t you dare tell me how to help my sister!”
“Enough!” Jared glared at his sister and brother-in-law, John. “Lanie will be taken care of soon enough. We need to concentrate on Teresa right now and get back to work.”
Lilly spitefully raised a brow at John, daring him to say something else. “We’ll collect Jason’s body from the coroner and take him home, where he belongs.”
Absently patting her sister’s hand for a moment, Lilly pulled out her phone and threw it back in her purse in frustration. None of them had been able to get a reliable cell phone signal since the second they’d landed in the backwoods place, and Lilly was looking forward to leaving.
“How long will it take to get this over with?” Lilly rolled her eyes at the shocked look on her brother and brother-in-law’s faces. “We need to notify the pilots!”
Neither man believed Lilly’s lie, and her sister only sobbed harder, making Lilly reach for the flask of vodka she kept in her purse. By the time they arrived at the sheriff’s department, the Senator had to be held up by her brother to get inside.
Seated around a large conference room table, the Senator’s family didn’t have to wait long for the Sheriff to enter the room with another deputy in tow.
“I’m Sheriff Robbie Groenig, and I’m sorry for your loss,” Robbie stated, still sick to his stomach from viewing the trapper’s cabin.
“What the fuck happened?” Lilly spat out the slurred words.
Robbie raised a brow at the sloppy drunk woman. “Senator, the preliminary investigation shows that your nephew stopped his SUV at the trailhead and hiked to the trapper's cabin. Tracks outside and inside the cabin show that a mountain lion took Jason by surprise. He wouldn’t have stood a chance against such a powerful predator.”