Legacy of the Watchers Series Boxed Set: Books 1-3

by Nancy Madore

  This inspired another stunned silence.

  “What are the chances that your plan will stop this beam?” asked the president.

  “I would say they’re better than fifty percent,” replied Finbury optimistically. “Maybe…sixty.”

  “Jesus H. Christ!” exclaimed McCrea.

  The president was thoughtful. His composure was remarkable, Nadia thought.

  “How will you bring about this explosion in the ionosphere…dare I ask?” ventured the president.

  “It will mean sending an even larger amount of energy there,” replied Finbury.

  The president nodded, as if he expected as much. “Okay,” he said. “Do it.” He looked at T.D.M.R.’s commanding officer. “I want fifteen minute updates, around the clock, until this crisis is over, Benderman. I’ll also need a press release from your facility within the hour. I’m going to declare a state of emergency and recommend evacuations for all of the areas at risk.”

  “But Mr. President…” objected Ritter.

  “I want all the proper authorities notified so that help will be available if necessary,” insisted the president, cutting him off. “We are not going to compound this thing by withholding assistance until the last minute.”

  “Mr. President—” The head of the Department of Defense, Max Wessler, who had been quietly listening from one of the symmetrically arranged chairs in the Oval Office, suddenly spoke up. “With all due respect, I think it would be a mistake to open up this branch of the military to exposure and possible scrutiny at this time. The research they’re conducting is invaluable to our nation’s security.”

  “I’m unaware of any advancements this facility has brought to our nation’s security,” replied the president. “But I do know that it has placed American citizens in a great deal of danger today.”

  “The danger did not occur because of any action authorized by this facility,” objected Ritter.

  “Then perhaps it is the nature of your research at this facility that presents the risk,” replied the president. “But this is neither the time nor the place to debate the matter. We have to prepare for the crisis ahead.”

  “I agree completely,” replied Wessler smoothly. “But surely we can react to this crisis without jeopardizing years of research. If we expose this project, we’ll be putting U.S. citizens in even more danger than they’re facing now.”

  The president was beginning to show the first signs of strain. “A situation which threatens our nation’s security has arisen from one of your facilities, Max. Regardless of that facility’s clearance level, it must be held accountable, just like any other facility would be.”

  “Of course!” agreed Wessler. “And I can assure you that an accounting will be made. But it has to be done within the Department.”

  The president was thoughtful. “I understand the necessity for secrecy within certain military activities,” he conceded. “But I cannot condone activities which put the American people at risk.”

  “The Department feels exactly the same way,” replied Wessler. “But a press release at this time…”

  “I believe that we can take the necessary action to protect the citizens of Alaska and still protect the security level of your facility,” said the president. “I will trust you, Max, to work together with Benderman to find a way to make that happen. I’ll expect the press release on my desk within the hour.”

  “Yes, Mr. President,” agreed Wessler, satisfied.

  “Where do we stand on the security breach at this facility?” asked the president.

  “We’re still investigating that, Mr. President,” replied Benderman. He gestured toward Will. “We’re working with a separate branch of the Department to get to the bottom of this.”

  “Good!” said the president. “That’s what I want! An investigation from the outside.” He looked at Will. “Who are you with?”

  “We’re contracted with division six of the D.O.D. in the special projects unit,” said Will, adding his clearance information and badge number. “We’re with U.T.S.,” he explained. “Uncategorized Terrorist Sources.”

  “Uncategorized Terrorist Sources,” repeated the president thoughtfully. “Why does that sound familiar?”

  “Isn’t that the same division that stopped the attack on the World Bank Meetings last week?” asked one of the men sitting in the Oval Office.

  All eyes were now on Will. “Is this connected to that incident?” Wessler asked with what appeared to be genuine alarm.

  “We don’t know that yet,” replied Will.

  “I thought the instigator of that attack was killed,” said Wessler.

  “That’s correct,” said Will. “But he had ties to other extremist groups, one of which led us here.”

  “So you do know who’s behind this,” said Wessler.

  “We believe that the missing officer, Thomas Gerard, and the woman who claimed to have killed him last night might be involved,” said Will. “But we won’t know for sure until we speak to her…and, Gerard, if he’s still alive.” He paused here to glance at Clive, who nodded at him. “I think this would be a good time to request clearance to question Amanda Fioretti and Thomas Gerard, and anyone else in this facility who may be able to provide information relating to this incident.”

  “Mr. President, I plan to conduct a full investigation into this matter,” interjected Max Wessler. “Due to the top secret nature of this…”

  “Clearance is granted,” said the president, cutting the head of the Department of Defense off in mid-sentence. “Lieutenant-General Benderman, you are hereby ordered to cooperate fully with U.T.S. in their investigation into this matter.” He turned to Wessler. “Since they operate under the same security level as T.D.M.R., I’d say the risk of a leak is a non-issue. Frankly it’s starting to sound like the breach is coming from within T.D.M.R. I think these folks can help resolve it. They did a remarkable job containing that infection last week, and from what I can gather, they’re the ones who realized your system was breached to begin with.”

  Benderman was examining Will with new interest. Nadia had the impression that he was glad that they were there.

  “Last night’s breach is all that concerns us, Mr. Wessler,” Will assured him respectfully. Nadia couldn’t help being impressed with his confident manner, along with his way of always saying and doing exactly the right thing. She could see that everyone present was looking at Will, Clive and Gordon with interest and admiration. She felt a strong surge of pride in her ‘boys,’ as she had come to think of them.

  “Okay, let’s get to work,” said the president. He met Will’s eyes with a curt nod. “And good luck.”

  Chapter 46

  Delta Junction, Alaska

  Amanda Fioretti lay perfectly motionless in her hospital bed at the Medical Center in Delta Junction. The top portion of her bed had been elevated so that she could watch the television that was situated directly in front of her. It was set to a re-run of CSI, but Amanda’s eyes were fixed on the ceiling just above it, or, more likely, on something just beyond the ceiling—and possibly even beyond this world.

  Clive closed the door to her room and turned off the television.

  “Amanda?” Gordon queried in a concerned voice. He picked up her hand and held it by the wrist, the way nurses do when they check a patient’s pulse. “Can you hear me?”

  Clive walked over to the other side of the bed and snapped his fingers several times in front of her face. “You in there?” he asked, sticking his head between her face and whatever she was looking at on the ceiling in an attempt to interrupt her gaze. She made an unintelligible sound as her eyes suddenly met his. They instantly began to fill.

  “That’s good,” said Clive, almost to himself. In a louder voice, he said—“It’s gone now, Amanda. Do you hear me? It’s gone for good. Everything’s going to be okay.”

  “Gone…” she repeated mechanically. The tears spilled from her eyes and began running down her cheeks. Something like recognition flas
hed in her eyes. “Tommy…”

  “It’s okay,” said Gordon, gently stroking her hand. “We’re going to help you.”

  “Where is Tommy, Amanda?” asked Clive.

  Amanda started to weep now. “Tommy!” she wailed. “Oh my God! Oh my God!”

  “It wasn’t you who did it,” Clive told her, raising his voice to be heard over her cries. “You know that. It was something else. Something that got inside you.”

  Amanda stopped crying. “Something got inside me,” she repeated, searching Clive’s face with her large, watery eyes. “There’s another one!” she whispered fiercely. “They might be everywhere!” She grasped Clive’s shirt, her voice rising. “Keep them away from me!” she screamed. “Keep them away from me!”

  A nurse burst into the room. “What in the world is going on in here?” she demanded.

  “How’d you get past the guard?” asked Clive.

  “I beg your pardon!” exclaimed the nurse.

  “We’re here on a matter of national security,” Will told her. “You’ll have to leave the room until we finish questioning this witness.”

  “But this is a hospital!” said the outraged nurse. “This patient…”

  “The patient is not in any danger,” said Will reassuringly. “She’s been through a trauma, but it looks like she’s going to survive.”

  “We really need the information she has,” added Gordon. “We’ll make it as quick as possible.”

  “But…I have to follow hospital proto…”

  “Get the hell out of here!” yelled Clive.

  The nurse gasped and sputtered, but she turned and left the room.

  “Amanda!” continued Clive once the nurse was gone, “you said you saw another one?” But Amanda was crying hysterically now, begging, in between sobs, that they ‘keep them away’ from her. “Amanda!” Clive said again, shaking her. “They’re not coming back! Do you hear me? They’re not coming back!”

  “Not coming back,” she repeated with reverence, almost as if it were a prayer.

  “They are never, ever coming back,” Gordon added fervently.

  “Amanda, did you see another one?” asked Clive more emphatically this time.

  Amanda nodded, staring at him through bleary eyes.

  “Someone else had one of them inside him?” Clive continued.

  She nodded again. Her eyes were locked on Clive’s face, as if she were hypnotized.

  “Who was it, who had one of them inside him?” he asked.

  Amanda just stared at him.

  “Can you tell us what the man looked like?” he persisted.

  Amanda’s eyes grew wide.

  “It’s okay,” urged Clive.

  “He…it was…a monster,” she whispered. “With horns!” She shuddered violently and seemed perilously near another hysterical outburst. “It knew…mine.”

  “She’s describing the djinn!” exclaimed Gordon. “She must have somehow seen him through Lilith’s eyes!”

  “Amanda, can you describe the body it was in?” asked Clive again.

  “No!” she cried.

  “Okay, Amanda!” continued Clive. “You said the other one knew the one inside you?”

  She nodded. “They…spoke to each other.”

  “What did they say?” asked Clive.

  “I…don’t know,” she whined. “I don’t know what they were saying.”

  “Okay, Amanda, look; I know this has been difficult, but you have to think really hard about who had that other monster inside them,” said Clive. “You want us to keep it away, don’t you?”

  Her eyes grew really wide and more tears spilled over. “Keep it away from me!” she screamed.

  “No no no,” said Clive. “We’ll keep it away! Amanda!” He threw back his head. “Shit!” He yelled at the ceiling and then turned to Will. “Can I slap her?”

  “Let me try,” said Gordon. Clive stepped away and Gordon grabbed a tissue from a nearby table and gently wiped the tears from the distraught girl’s face.

  “Amanda,” Gordon began, speaking slowly and kindly, “please don’t be scared. We’re here to help you.”

  Amanda just stared at him, like she had Clive, but at least she stopped crying.

  “We’re here to help,” Gordon told her in that overly nice tone adults use when they’re talking to difficult children.

  “Keep…it…away,” she whimpered pitifully.

  “We’ll keep it away from you,” he promised. “And we’ll keep it away from Tommy too.”

  “Tommeeeeee…” she wailed, and the tears started up again. “Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God…”

  “It’s okay!” Gordon kept insisting, stroking her arm soothingly. “They can’t hurt you or Tommy anymore.”

  She was weeping uncontrollably now. “I couldn’t…stop it!” she told him in between sobs. “It did…horrible things!”

  Gordon allowed her to cry for a minute before continuing. “What horrible things did it do?” he asked when the worst of her outburst had subsided.

  A look of genuine horror came across her features. “It wasn’t me,” she whispered.

  “I know,” said Gordon. “Tell us what it did.”

  “It…killed him,” she said.

  “Where is his body?” asked Gordon.

  There was a long silence as they watched the young woman struggle with her emotions. Nadia couldn’t imagine what she must be feeling. It had been bad enough being accused of harboring a djinn. What if they had been right and her body really had been taken over by Lilith? What horrors might she have been forced to watch herself perform? Nadia shuddered violently at the thought. “It’s…in the lab,” Amanda finally whispered. “In the freez…zer.”

  Gordon glanced at Will, who immediately pulled out his phone and moved to a far corner of the room so that Amanda wouldn’t hear what he was saying.

  Amanda hardly even noticed the interruption. She was looking at Gordon but seeing something else. “It…cut out his eye,” she continued, and Nadia could see another wave of hysteria rising up in her. Amazingly, Amanda was struggling to keep it down. “He…his pants were still down.”

  Gordon nodded as if this was the most normal thing in the world. “What happened after that?” he asked.

  “His eye,” Amanda murmured, looking down at her hand. “His beautiful eye…!” She paled visibly, as if she might be sick, and began frantically wiping her hand on the blanket. “Get it off!” she cried.

  Gordon grabbed a nearby towel and began vigorously wiping her hand. “There!” he said. “It’s off. It’s all off now.”

  But Amanda continued to stare at her hand in horror.

  “What did it do with Tommy’s eye?” persisted Gordon.

  “I don’t know!” she whined, giving in to the hysteria again. “I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know…”

  “Amanda!” said Gordon. “Amanda! Look at me. Look at me. I need your help. Where did it take you after that?”

  Amanda made another visible effort to pull herself together.

  “Where did it take you after that?” Gordon asked her again. His tone said he would keep asking her all night if he had to.

  Amanda let out a shaky sigh. “I don’t know,” she replied distractedly. “I’m not normally allowed in that area.”

  “What was in there?” asked Gordon.

  “Computers,” she replied.

  “What did it do to the computers?” asked Gordon.

  “Something…with wires,” Amanda said, becoming frustrated. “I don’t know!”

  Gordon and Clive exchanged glances.

  Will had returned. “They found the body,” he said. “It had Lilith written all over it…first she incapacitated him with a knife to the kidneys and then…get this: she cut out one of his eyes.”

  “We know,” said Clive. “Did they happen to mention what kind of identification their security system uses?”

  “Iris recognition,” said Will.

  “Okay, so now we know how
she got in,” said Clive. “But why didn’t she come up on the video cameras?”

  “She had to have help on the inside,” said Will. “Most likely the horned character Amanda described seeing. I think I know where we might find him.”

  “Where?” asked both Clive and Gordon at the same time.

  “Well, it has to be someone with access to the security cameras,” said Will. “Someone pulling night duty.”

  “The night security officer,” said Clive. “What was his name…something Timmons?”

  “Wayne Timmons,” said Gordon, referring to his notes.

  “Or someone on his shift,” agreed Will.

  “Okay…so she gets in and one of the security guards covers it up,” said Clive. “But she still has to hack into their computer and change the code without leaving a record that anything happened on that log,” said Clive.

  “It can be done,” said Gordon. “Amanda said Lilith did something with wires. Patricia Molten told us that T.D.M.R.’s formula was scheduled to be sent to the main computer that night. The formula would’ve had to travel from the processing computer to the main computer on the network. If someone hijacked the wire in between the two computers, the formula could have been intercepted and changed before reaching its destination.” Gordon paused here, thoughtful. “Of course, whatever they used to hijack it would have had to be preprogrammed to look like both the sending and the receiving computers, in order to convince the network that the message was really sent and received by the right people.”

  “You think Lilith could have managed something like that?” asked Clive. “She’s been out there…what? A week?”

  “The djinn are smart, but no, I think we’re looking at a professional hacker here,” said Gordon.

  “But wouldn’t there be a record of the formula being changed?” asked Will.

  “Not if it was done right,” said Gordon. “As far as the network that runs those HAARP towers is concerned, it received a message directly from the processing computer at T.D.M.R., and as far as the processing computer is concerned its message was received by the network at HAARP. The intercepting device must have mimicked both computers.”