A Dubious Device: The Nanobot Terror (A Colton Banyon Mystery Book 10)

by Gerald Kubicki

  “My god,” Banyon exclaimed. “Is there no end to their ruthlessness?”

  “No,” Wolf replied. This caused Banyon to shudder. “Schultz is using the original batch of nanobots to go after the Congressmen as we speak. Those nanobots will kill indiscriminately. Anyone the nanobots come in contact with will die tonight. He doesn’t care who else dies.”

  “But why use race specific nanobots? I’m sure the first killings will create enough chaos and might even topple the government.”

  “They are the Effort, remember. Schultz wants to make it look like a plague is spreading across America. Hispanics will be falling over like flies in Chicago. You know what happens during a plague don’t you?”

  Banyon gasped loudly. “Yeah I do. People arm themselves as protection against the plague. If someone appears infected, they won’t hesitate to shoot them. All Hispanics will become a target. Can the government survive and stop Schultz?”

  “Whatever is left of the government will be unable to function. The military will step in. The Effort wants their own man in the military in power before they stop the killings. He will then use martial law and the Patriot Act to suppress any dissention.”

  “We already figured that out, but the scale of this is incredible. Are there more targets in the government?” Banyon already had figured out the Effort would make an attempt to take over the government and put their own man in power. His conversation with the President had convinced him of that probability. The question now was; how much damage would the Effort cause before he could stop them.

  “I would expect that every major government leader is a target. Several are dying as we speak.”

  “We have got to find a way to prevent the mass killings from starting,” Banyon muttered to himself. “It’s the only way to stop these bastards.” He then addressed Wolf. “How are they getting the credit cards into the Hispanic households?”

  “They will be delivered starting tomorrow morning to their mail boxes,” Wolf replied without hesitation.

  “Are you telling me they are sending the credit cards through the regular postal system?” Banyon suddenly asked the spirit.

  “The letters were delivered to the main Chicagoland post office earlier today. They are headed to local branches and then to the individual mail boxes tomorrow morning.” Wolf told him.

  “My God!” Banyon exclaimed. “Maybe we can intercept the letters before they go out,” Banyon said hopefully. “I’d better get Marlene on this immediately. Have you got anything else?”

  “There is more,” Wolf mysteriously replied. “But I need to warn you first.”

  “Warn me about what?”

  “Colt, you need to protect yourself.”

  “From what?”

  “This has turned into a national crisis. Many people are working on this disaster. Some are watching you very closely. You can’t just announce that you have solved this crisis. You have to solve the mysteries by uncovering the facts. That way no one will suspect you talk to me. Do you understand?”

  “Yes,” Banyon replied. “I’m also worried about Bart, my partner. I’m sure he is trying to figure out how I get my information so he can cut me out and make more profits for his business. Can you keep an eye on him for me?”

  “Your assessment about your partner is valid. He wants all the money for himself,” Wolf replied knowingly. “If he runs across your secret, he will surely blackmail you.”

  “I’ll watch what I say around him for now, but first we need to stop this murderous plot,” Banyon said to the spirit. “So you can give me the information to crack the case and I’ll figure out how tie it to the facts?”

  “Of course.”

  Chapter Forty-Three

  B

  ernard looked at Brenda. “Stop fidgeting dammit, you’re distracting me,” he said to the firmly secured Brenda. “We haven’t much time. Let me tell you about my last secret.”

  “This one had better be about my money,” she rasped in a hard voice.

  “Or what?” he questioned indignantly.

  “Or when I get out of this chair, I’ll scratch your sorry eyes out, you old bastard.” She spat out the words as she struggled against her plastic bonds — much to the delight of the old man. They had played out bondage scenes before, but this time it was for real.

  “It excites me when you are so helpless,” Bernard responded as he watched her naked breasts jiggle.

  “You’re the one who will be helpless with no eyes,” she countered with rage.

  “The last secret is all for you, my dear. I promise,” he told her as he reached over and patted her naked breast.

  “Goddamnit, tell me already,” she screamed in a hoarse voice as she tried vainly to avoid his touch. “I’m tired of sitting in this chair.”

  “The secret was actually told to me by my brother,” Bernard started.

  That got her attention. “I didn’t know you had a brother,” she quickly replied as she stopped struggling for the moment.

  “He died before you were born,” Bernard told her.

  “How did he die?”

  “Someone poisoned him,” Bernard callously answered. He once again showed his evil grin.

  “When did this happen?” Brenda asked.

  “It was just after the war. He was very depressed and was having regrets about being a Nazi. He wanted to turn himself in to the authorities. I had little choice in the matter. He never knew who did it.”

  “I’m guessing you killed your own brother because you would have become exposed when he was interrogated, right?”

  “Yes, you’re quite right. It was a very sad day for me,” Bernard admitted as he shook his head slowly.

  “But he surprised you with a secret you didn’t know, didn’t he?” Brenda was beginning to feel a glimmer of hope. Secrets meant money to her.

  “He passed me a very big secret on his deathbed in 1946. I was surprised when he confided in me,” Bernard explained.

  “So, was he a spy too?”

  “He was one of the first spies sent to America by the German Nazis. He was sent here in the year 1935.”

  “So that is how you became so successful so quickly,” she responded. “You rode his coattails and took over his network in Chicago.”

  “Yes,” Bernard hissed. “But you must hear his story, just as I was required to hear it, or you won’t get the money.”

  “I have no place else to go at the moment,” Brenda said sarcastically.

  “I need your full attention,” the old man pleaded.

  “I’m kind of in a bondage situation here. I can’t even cross my legs, so get on with it.” Brenda screamed at him.

  ***

  The old man began telling the story. “Brenda, my brother Karl came over to America in 1935 as I told you. He was not much more than a teenaged boy when he entered the United States and he didn’t come alone. There were three of them — all fanatical young Nazis on a special mission for the government. They were chosen because they could speak passable English.

  “They off-loaded from a freighter in the spy ridden central part of Mexico and were given a truck loaded with cargo. The cargo was valuable artifacts and jewels. It was to be used as seed money to set up a large spy network in America. They were given a map with a route plotted which would get them over the border, undetected, and into the United States. They soon found the map was accurate for Mexico, but not for the United States. Once they crossed the border line, they found themselves in a very inhospitable, barren, lightly-populated desert and completely lost.

  “They decided to head straight North following the only road which went that way. They were cocky and sure they would reach a more temperate climate soon. But it wasn’t the case. In addition to becoming hopelessly disoriented in the heat and bright sun of the large desert, they were soon low on fuel and water. It looked like their adventure would end without accomplishing anything. To them, the United States was empty of everything but sand.

  “With only a f
ew drops of gas left, they crested a high mountain pass and could see a river in the deep valley below. There was a small town in the distance. It hugged the river and bustled with activity. They thought it was Chicago.

  “They rumbled into the town and went directly to a gas station to fill up with gas. Karl left the truck and bought some food and water in the food store next door. As soon as they left the station and reentered the street in front of the gas station they saw they were being followed by a police car with a siren blasting and lights flashing. The driver turned up a side street and stopped the truck.”

  ***

  “Bernard, can you move this along, I’ve got to pee,” Brenda said in continued sarcasm. She had no interest in all the details. She just wanted to know where the money was and how much was coming her way.

  ***

  Bernard ignored her demand. “The police officer approached the truck with his hand on his gun. My brother and his friends didn’t know what they had done wrong, but Karl slipped out the side door and circled around the back of the truck. He was out of the police officer’s line of sight. He felt that if needed be he could neutralize the officer. He could hear the cop asking questions to his co-conspirators.

  ‘“What’s in the truck?’ Karl heard the officer ask in a calm voice.

  ‘“We’re kind of lost,’ the driver said with a grin. “We just wanted to get some fuel and food; now we’ll be on our way out of your town, sir.’

  ‘“What’s in the back of the truck I said?’ Karl heard the officer repeat with slightly more strain in his voice. His eyes were hidden by dark sunglasses so the driver couldn’t actually see where he was looking.

  ‘“What have we done wrong?’ the driver pleaded.

  ‘“We have to check all you foreigners who come through town, especially any driving a truck,’ the officer replied in a friendly manner. ‘So let’s get to it.’

  ‘“Why?’ The driver could see the cop was just doing his job. He really didn’t suspect them of anything.

  ‘“This here is a government town on account of building the Hoover Dam. It’s upriver a few miles,’ he pointed into the distance. ‘They’ve been at it since 1931. It won’t be finished until 1936. Gonna supply electricity for a good part of the West Coast,’ he said proudly. ‘We got to check all the trucks with foreigners.’

  ‘“So why did you stop us?’ The driver asked totally confused.

  ‘“The government don’t like no one snooping around, especially in a truck. You all could have explosives in the back there and be saboteurs,’ he said with a nod of his head towards the back of the truck. He hiked up his holster over his ample belly.

  ‘“Officer, I assure you, we are not saboteurs. We’re just deliverymen,’ the driver replied.

  ‘“Then you got nothing to hide from me or the people of this here town then,’ the cop responded.

  ‘“What’s the name of this town anyway?’ the driver asked as a diversion.

  ‘“Why, you all landed in the great paradise of Laughlin, Nevada. And if you don’t want to visit our fine jail, you’ll show me what’s in the damn truck,’ he demanded sternly. His hand was suddenly on his gun.

  ‘“Okay,’ the driver said as he opened the door to the cab and stepped down. ‘But we are lost. How far is it to the next town?’

  ‘“The cop barked out a laugh. ‘The next place you could call a town is Las Vegas, Nevada. It’s about four hours by truck, that-a-way,’ he pointed North. ‘But, you’ll find that things aren’t any different there either. The building of the Hoover Dam is so immense that no one works at anything else for fifty miles in any direction from around the dam. Now keep your hands where I can see them, okay.’

  “As they came around to the back of the truck, Karl slid around the side. The policeman had his gun out now and ordered the driver to open the back. As soon as he did, the policeman leaned in to look. That’s when Karl hit him with the butt of his gun. He didn’t mean to kill him, but he was dead anyway.

  “They piled him into the back of the truck and took off, back up the mountains that they had just passed over. Karl followed in the now stolen police car. It gave him time to think. Karl figured they had a few hours before the police officer would be missed. It occurred to him that they had been seen in town and when the policeman came after them, they probably would have a description of the truck and of them. The police had faster cars and even airplanes. They also knew the area. Karl and his co-conspirators did not. They had no choice but to find shelter and find it fast.”

  ***

  “Yeah, yeah, I get it,” Brenda bitched. “It was his first kill. What happened to the treasure? How much money are we talking about anyway?”

  ***

  “I’m coming to that,” Bernard replied in an annoyed tone.

  “The truck driver eventually took a dirt road which headed right up into some pretty steep mountains. An old sign said, ‘Dangerous mine, keep out’. Karl flashed the lights and the truck stopped. He told the driver to head that way.

  “They came to a mine shaft which was big enough for the truck to drive right into and the driver didn’t hesitate. He drove directly into the old mine. Karl pulled up in the cop car and parked just outside the entrance. Karl, who had decided on the best plan for himself, ran into the mine with his gun out and shot both of his companions in the head while they were still inside the truck.”

  ***

  “Why?” Brenda asked as she wondered if the treasure still existed.

  “The three of them had been seen together. One person had a better chance of survival. Besides, he wanted the treasure for himself,” Bernard evilly grinned.

  “So, where is it?”

  ***

  Once again he ignored her and continued his story.

  “Karl opened a crate full of diamonds in the back of the truck and stuffed his pockets. He figured he could use the police car to get far away from the scene. He would then abandon it somewhere. Karl really didn’t want to leave the valuables but he had no other choice.

  “As he ran to the police car, he suddenly remembered there was a shotgun next to the driver’s seat in the patrol car. He turned back and looked at the rotting rafters which supported the mine shaft. It was worth a shot, he thought. Seven well placed shots later, the entrance to the mine collapsed.”

  ***

  “Are you telling me that my money is hidden in a collapsed mine shaft in Nevada!” Brenda exclaimed incredulously.

  “Well, the truck is anyway,” he taunted her and she reacted.

  She was wildly jerking in the chair now. Her face was flushed; her eyes had a feral look about them. “Son-of-a-bitch, are you ever going to get to the money, you asshole” she screamed at him. It was just what Bernard wanted. He was lost in another fantasy. Ah the memories, he thought fondly.

  When Bernard returned to the real world, he finally answered her. “Karl made it all the way to Las Vegas and ditched the police car. He then took a bus to Chicago, his original destination. Once he set up shop, the first thing he did was buy all the land around the mine in Nevada.”

  “It’s still there? Why leave it there?” Brenda wondered.

  “He saw it as his rainy day stash. Remember, he had to report to his handlers back in Germany. This was before the war even started. They were suspicious Nazis. He informed them the cop had actually arrested all three of them for suspected terrorism, but he managed to escape. He denied any knowledge of where the treasure was. He said the Federal government took it. It was his secret. He kept it until his deathbed confession to me.”

  “And now you’ve told me the whole story,” Brenda said happily.

  “And now you know the whole story,” Bernard repeated.

  “But once the authorities realize you are involved in this plot, won’t they go after all your assets? Won’t they find the mine in Nevada?” She paused for one heartbeat. “I’ll never get my money,” Brenda suddenly screeched.

  “The mine is no longer in the name of my bro
ther or my name either.”

  “Okay, but what if someone stumbled onto the mine and found the treasure?” Brenda quickly asked. “After all your brother stumbled onto the mine.”

  “Someone did. Me,” he replied as he pointed to his chest.

  “And you moved it to a bank I hope,” she added happily as he was finally getting to the point where he told her how much and where it was stashed.

  “Not quite.”

  “But you did move it, right? Where is it now?” Worry lines now formed on Brenda’s forehead.

  “Yes, I did move the treasure,” Bernard admitted with a grin. “In 1947, I went to the mine with five Mexicans I hired off the street. We cleared the rubble and found the truck in good shape. We unloaded the treasures and took inventory. We then reburied it in the desert near the mine entrance.”

  “It’s buried in the desert?” Brenda said with much disappointment and trepidation. She didn’t want to get her hands dirty by digging in some stupid sand. She just wanted a piece of paper with numbers on it.

  “We built an underground cellar out of aluminum sheets we brought with us and attached a metal door. You could call it a bunker of sorts. We then covered the top with two feet of sand. I have the exact directions to give to you.” Bernard reached into his shirt pocket and produced a folded sheet of paper. She attempted to grab for it, but was still restrained. He reached over and placed it in her hand. She clutched like it was the most important thing in the world.

  “But what about the Mexicans, they saw the treasure?”

  “Oh, they had a very unfortunate accident that day,” he replied remorsefully. “I told them I also wanted the truck and sent them inside the mine shaft to clear out a path. Once they were inside, I tossed a grenade. I had liberated it from the Efforts stash. The mine shaft once again collapsed. They are still buried there.”

  Brenda now understood the depth of his ruthlessness. She knew she had the key to the treasure, but also knew he could change his mind at any time. She decided to be nicer to him — at least — until she could get her hands on the treasure.