Confabulation (The Department)

by Ronald Thomas

  He stepped out and laughed at the glowing red of his chest. After drying off, and slowly putting on the dirty clothes, he turned his attention back to the phone.

  He sat back on the bed and tapped at the cover. He picked it up, and placed back on the bed several times. "Who are you?" He picked up the phone and pressed the power button again. He stared at the screen for a couple of moments, and then called.

  "Hello, Henry."

  Henry hesitated at the sound of the voice on the other end.

  "Are you there, Henry?"

  "Yes, I’m here. Who are you?"

  "I just want to help."

  "How can you help?"

  "I can help you stop the people who were torturing you. They need to be stopped, and together we can do it."

  Thoughts of revenge swept through Henry’s mind, but quickly dissipated under the pressure of what really concerned him. "How did you find me?"

  "Sadly, it wasn’t that difficult. The people who put those thoughts in your head will find you as well. I don’t know when, but they will."

  Henry’s heart jumped.

  The desire to run came storming back.

  His heart pumped faster and harder.

  His hands began to sweat and he could taste the pending adrenaline rush.

  "Henry, are you still there?"

  Henry snapped back to attention, but he still wanted to run. He pressed the desire down, but he could feel his body aching to flee. "Yes, I’m still here."

  "Henry, I can help you."

  "Not yet. I need to think about it."

  He ended the call and ran out the door to his car. He hopped in, started the car, and squealed out of the parking lot. As he pulled onto the highway, he thought that he should have checked the tires before driving. He knew that the man on the phone could easily find him, but he wasn’t ready to trust someone yet. He headed down the highway, and exited at the familiar spot. "I have to know that you’re okay, Kelly. Safety be damned, I have to know."

  CHAPTER 33

  Simon rubbed the back of his head and closed his eyes. He could feel the dull pain in the back of his neck and head, but it was nothing compared to the anger that flowed through his mind. In his left hand, he held a picture. A picture of a man that was responsible for the blindness Simon had experienced.

  "You’re sure this is the guy."

  "I followed him for days." Jackson pulled another picture from his notebook. "Here’s one of him holding a gun on another subject. Near as I could tell, the training wasn’t working with her, so he was ready to kill her."

  "What happened?"

  "Fortunately she wasn’t alone and the man fled the scene. I had some people try to tail him, but he got away. I don’t know where he is now, but I’m sure he’ll be returning to the general area."

  "How can you be sure?" Simon’s eyes didn’t leave the picture.

  "All of the activity I’ve been able to trace has been in the same general area. All of it in densely populated areas. He’ll be back, to clean up the mess."

  "The mess?"

  "He knows that things are unraveling. He’ll be removing all the evidence he can." He retrieved several more photographs. "Here are some more pictures." He pulled one from the stack. "This one is of a woman who must be working with him. She was in the area during the gun play, and was fishing for something in this bag."

  He pulled another picture out. "She was neutralized, knocked out not killed, and these items were found. We’re not sure what they are exactly, but we’re checking into them."

  Simon stared at the wands in the picture. He thought of that woman using those devices, whatever they were, to control and manipulate him, and that woman, and who knew how many others. "What do we do now?"

  "Now, Simon is when I need you most."

  "What do you need?"

  "It’ll be dangerous, but I need to use you as bait."

  "You want to draw them out now that they’re trying to get rid of the evidence. You figure that if I make a public appearance, they’ll be along shortly to get rid of me."

  "Exactly. They’ll probably flood your mind with garbage when they find you, but if we can make them come to us, we should be able to take them out."

  "I don’t want to be unarmed bait, Jackson. If he comes up to me, like he is with this woman, I need to be able to defend myself."

  "Like I said, Simon, they could be doing all sorts of things to your sense at that point. I’m not sure you having a weapon is a good idea."

  "Look. I don’t want to kill anybody, or put anyone in danger, but I won’t go out there, unarmed, against someone who cares so little about killing people. He’s ready to kill in this picture. That won’t be me catching a bullet. I’m armed, or I’m out."

  "Very well. We have a lot of work to do."

  CHAPTER 34

  Jackson started at Peter. Glared.

  “What happened?”

  “Compliance happened, Jackson.”

  Jackson Gray paced in the small room. He’d found Henry the night before, and was having him followed, but the plan was unraveling. “I thought you were taking care of him personally, Peter. I thought you had it under control.”

  “And I thought you were taking care of company matters, Jackson.”

  Jackson pulled his pistol, knowing any mental attacks would be useless against Peter. “Listen, they were under control until your henchmen started screwing everything up.”

  Peter ignored the weapon. “Doesn’t matter.” He picked up a glass of water from the card table and sipped. “The test is over. It didn’t work.”

  “Didn’t work? He was about to kill that man before it went to crap.”

  “Yes, but he didn’t.”

  “You know nothing, Peter. We have to make this work.”

  “Why?”

  Jackson sighed. Put the pistol away and took a seat. “This isn’t just me. Or you. There’s more. And we have to be successful.”

  “Explain, Jackson.”

  He glanced away and looked at the small lamp that stood in the corner. “I needed resources. I reached out to some likeminded people who were willing to help out. They want to take the company down too, so they played along.”

  “Who?”

  Jackson wiped his forehead. “I told them the plan would work. That we’d be able to get these misclassified people to go mad. Start killing people. If we could do that, it’d bring the whole system into question.”

  “Who?”

  Jackson closed his eyes before standing and walking to the door. “But, they made it clear that if we failed, they were going with their plan. And that I’d need to support it, or else they’d sell me out.”

  Peter walked over to him. “Who, Jackson?”

  Jackson swallowed. “Karl Danton.”

  “Danton? That fucking power hungry grub. Are you serious?”

  “Yeah. I’m serious. We fail, and it’s his show.”

  Peter walked away. Raised his arms to the sky before letting them fall back down. “And what’s his genius plan to make this all work?”

  “Sending the runners on a killing spree. All of them.”

  “There are hundred in this city alone.”

  “Yep. And he plans to make them all his little agents of chaos.”

  “Shit.”

  “Right. You’ve seen them. Undisciplined. He could make them do anything.”

  “Jesus. So why did he go with your plan?”

  “Can’t be tracked. Not if it was done right. It’s a coup, not a war. Danton wants war. Wants his revenge.”

  “You should have told me, Jackson.”

  “Maybe, but it’s too late now, Peter.” Jackson opened the door. “I need to clean this up so we can try again. No trace.”

  CHAPTER 35

  Carolyn sat in the small diner, reading the paper and sipping on a cup of coffee. Ordinary, but not bad. She’d run for a day after the experience at Douglas’ house. Woke up in the woods and headed for the nearest road. She worried that Susan
or the other man would be waiting, but she got lucky. After hoofing it for a few miles, she caught a ride into town.

  Rented a car and headed out. She stopped a bank and took out enough cash for a few days before leaving. She felt the anxiety fade soon after leaving the city. Still, she knew they were somewhere. Looking for her. She figured her best bet was to get far away. Just pick a direction and go. Increase the search area. She stopped in a small town about eighty miles outside the loop.

  She found a hotel. Paid for a small room with cash. Wasn’t much to do there. She’d seen all three of the movies and had been eating at the same small diner twice day for the past three. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to stay here forever. Both her money and her luck would run out soon enough. She knew that the strength she could store during her stay would be needed when she went back to the city.

  She finished her coffee, stood, and left a couple of dollars on the table. She walked across the street to her hotel and walked up the single flight of stairs. Waved to another guest of the hotel, she thought his name was Danny, and pulled the key from her pocket. Pushed the door open and tossed the key on the table inside the door. She walked over to the window and pulled the curtains apart.

  The sight of the town was comforting to Carolyn. She enjoyed the facades of the small shops and the amount of pedestrian traffic. After a quiet laugh, she turned back to go to the restroom. Along the way she stopped.

  Stared at the floor.

  In front of the door was an envelope. Her name written on the front in large block letters.

  She stared at the white package and reached out. Didn’t bend over. She remained frozen in her position, unable to pick it up and unable to leave it behind. Slowly she leaned over to lift to her. She hoped it would vanish in her hands. Be nothing but a waking nightmare. A vivid creation of her imagination.

  It was all too real.

  Carolyn sat on the couch with the envelope in her hands. She flipped it over and back several times, wondering what could be inside. Was it a message from Susan? Perhaps from the man she saw at Douglas’ house? What had happened to Douglas? Was he okay? How could she find out?

  She shook her head trying to clear out the cluttered thoughts. Still couldn’t decide what to do with the package. What would be inside? A letter bomb? Something that reasserted its control over her? A note? What would it say? Would she believe it? Would she have a choice? How could she control her emotions?

  She shook her head again, and threw the envelope to the ground. Her peaceful respite had been destroyed, and the weapon that caused the damage lay at her feet. Part of her wanted to toss the package in the trash and continue with the life she had discovered, but the ramifications began to pop into her brain.

  She knew that she couldn’t remain away forever. Her life, all the things she had worked so hard for, was waiting for her. And the people she cared for, Douglas. She hadn’t given any thought to him during her blissful time away, but now there was no way for her to get thoughts of Douglas out of her mind.

  She had to know what had happened to him, and what was happening to her. What if the envelope indicated who was responsible? Would she be able to believe it even if it did tell her?

  She lifted the envelope again and stared at the seal. She fingered the length of the flap, and tugged at the edge. She needed to know what was inside, but she couldn’t pull the package open. She felt certain the contents of the package being able to drive her to madness.

  But it might contain the truth.

  She tossed the package down again, and headed out of her room to get something to eat. She greeted Betty at the diner, and took what had quickly become her usual table. She played with and nibbled on a hamburger and fries, but her mind was still in her room. After her meal, she headed to the lobby of the hotel, and sat in front of the community television.

  She was alone in front of the screen, and scanned through the channels without taking time to determine if she liked what was on the station. During her fourth pass through, the male clerk behind the counter made the not terribly keen observation that she watched television like a man. She ignored the question about her other desires being masculine, and continued her travels through the dial.

  The hour of that activity proved incapable of distracting her, so she headed back to her room, determined to open the letter. She reached the door, and held her hand on the knob.

  Her mind conjured images of Susan and the man waiting in the room for her. They had found her, so they could be there. She dismissed that. If they wanted to abduct her, they would have. No, they wanted her to open the package. Again she questioned what could be inside. Would it immobilize her somehow? She shook her head and turned the knob.

  With her eyes closed, she opened the door and stepped into the room. After several moments, having not been grabbed, she opened her eyes and gazed at the package again. She shut the door behind her, picked up the package again, and sat on the chair. She held her hand on the envelope, and struggled again to open it.

  Sick of her hesitation, she closed her eyes and ripped open the package. With whatever evil residing in the package released, she opened her eyes and pulled the contents from within. She found a cordless phone inside, along with singe sheet of white paper inside. Carolyn turned the page over and read the letter.

  Carolyn,

  I didn’t want you to feel that you were being attacked, but at the same time you needed to know that you were not safe. The people who manipulated you will find you. I did, and they’ve been studying you longer than I have.

  Fortunately, they are preoccupied with another subject, and have placed his activities as a higher priority, but I assure you they will come for you. I have included a phone that can be used to contact me.

  I apologize for the previous encounter. I thought the location was safe, but that location had been prepared by our enemies before or arrival.

  I assure you, I’ll take greater precaution next time, and you will be safe with me. Please call me when you’re ready. Don’t take too long, you’re still in danger.

  Susan

  Carolyn ripped the letter to shreds. Held the phone in her hand. She knew that it might contain some sort of homing device, enough popular books and movies had highlighted that possibility enough times that only a moron wouldn’t have considered it. But Carolyn knew that she had already been found, so she had nothing to worry about.

  She flicked the phone on and saw that a number flashed on the screen before her. "Susan. Who are you? Who was that man?" She set the phone next to her on the chair. Tilted her head back and thought about the letter. It was true that she would be found, that much she knew. She couldn’t stay.

  She phoned the clerk, and asked to have her bill prepared. She began packing the few items she had bought while in town, and stuffed them into her oversized purse. Along with the mints, shirts, and cotton balls, she tossed the phone into the bag.

  She needed help. She had an offer of help in her hand. Could she trust the offer? She activated the phone and stared at the number. Did she have a choice? The pressing of the call button answered the question.

  "Hello, Carolyn. I’m glad you called."

  Carolyn felt lost in the static filled pause that followed. She wanted to hang up and run. She wanted to beg to help. She wanted to be strong. She needed to talk.

  "I guess you know where I am."

  "Yes, I do. Do you want me to come by?"

  "I think that would be best."

  "I’ll be there in ten minutes."

  "I’ll be waiting."

  She must be near, Carolyn thought. She knew that there was nothing ten minutes away. She knew that Susan was just waiting for the call, and that just increased the tension. How long would she have waited? Would she have made her move eventually? Would she have followed her back to the city? Carolyn lowered her head. It no longer mattered. She had called and knew she couldn’t escape. She needed help, and she hoped that Susan was the right person to call.

 
CHAPTER 36

  "Jackson, what in the hell is going on with the operation?"

  Jackson ignored the strong smell of onions that emerged from the portly man behind the desk. He hated having meetings in any other person’s office, as it put him in an inferior position. He especially didn’t appreciate being summoned by a man who had no authority over him.

  Sure, Jackson had come to him to acquire resources, but it was those resources that were causing the problem. If he wasn’t trying to keep the fat bastard from ordering a killing spree, he’d have told the round man where he could place he request. "The operation has hit a snag. Largely because it wasn’t run as I suggested from the beginning."

  "What is that supposed to mean?"

  Jackson started at Danton. Took in his demeanor. Let his mind wander around the space, brushing past the other man’s mind. Powerful, but undisciplined. Just what Jackson would have guessed based on the men he recommended for the job. He’d have to tread carefully, but he knew, with time, he could get the advantage.

  "Gray. I asked you a question."

  "I think you know the answer to that question, Danton. I made it perfectly clear that under no circumstances were the people in the field to do anything but suggest emotions. Let the subjects create their own reality. A paranoid reality that would lead to irrational, violent behavior. It would take time, but it would work. But no, the men you gave me. The men you said we could trust. Well, they were impatient. No surprising.”

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean.”

  Jackson rolled his eyes. “Look, Danton. They screwed up. We both know what would happen if compliance tied this back to me. To us." He paused to let his threat sink in. "As a result, the subjects were lost. We have reacquired only one of them at this point."

  "And why haven’t the tests resumed on him?"

  "With all due respect, the tests are useless at this point. We had to make direct contact and take him in to avoid discovery. We need to stop the bleeding before we start testing again. We need to clean up this mess and start over."