Confabulation (The Department)

by Ronald Thomas

  "Hap, I don’t understand all this."

  "Look, man, I don’t get it all either. I learn some of this stuff as best I can, but if I could understand it all, I’d have made something to stop it. I’m just telling you what I know."

  "Sorry, it’s just a lot."

  "You ain’t heard nothing yet. Anyways, yeah, unltrasound. You see, eventually they found that they could get microwaves to talk to people with no receiver, but it changed depending on who the person was. They’d pick a subject and keep testing until that one person could hear. Well, in the meantime they started with this other plan. They used these high frequency waves to talk to people, but they found that the people knew what they were saying even though they couldn’t hear anything."

  The rambling of Hap now captivated Henry. The information, though fanciful, seemed to flow out of him. Henry gave his full attention, and focused on understanding what he was hearing. "What do you mean?"

  "It was like the brain heard it directly. Like they just knew what was wanted. The army didn’t think this was that helpful, mainly because they were never really convinced that it would work as well as voice. What happened then was, the army dropped ultrasound, but CIA’s MKULTRA, their mind control guys, latched onto it. They though they could use it for their operatives. If they could transmit the location of something and have the agent just know it, they would be set."

  "Hap, I could hear the voice. It wasn’t like that."

  "Hold on man, you’ll see where I’m going. See, the CIA wanted to use it on their own agents, but they found out something else. Since the brain heard the words, but the ears didn’t, they could use the technology for some great hypnosis. Just as good as voice, but they didn’t have to have the attention of the subject. That’s when it became a weapon. They got all kinds of excited then. They thought they were about to do some major damage to some terrorist groups by making them all start thinking a new way."

  Henry’s mind was racing as the story started to come together. The agitation he felt could have been put there. His reactions to simple things Kelly started doing could have been triggers. Kelly’s reaction to him could have been triggered. "Oh, God. Kelly."

  "What was that man?"

  "I wonder if they used the hypnosis thing on my wife."

  "Why would you think that?"

  "I think they were trying to drive me crazy by wrecking my life. Looking back on it, I think Kelly may have been programmed to respond with more anger than natural."

  "That makes sense, man. Listen to this. When they started talking about terrorist, the FBI started thinking about our turf. You know, Oklahoma City, Waco stuff. They started thinking about what they could do to some internal groups with this new tech. That’s about when the reports start appearing."

  "Reports?"

  "Yeah. That’s about when I started hearing about people like you. Regular people who started hearing voices, seeing shadows, going blind off and on. It all started up when the timeline says they started thinking about using this stuff on us. Not on some terrorist out there, but on us. Wanting to keep us in line."

  "Shit. How can they get away with this?"

  "I don’t think there’s that many of them. I think a small group travels around and does it to test if it works on normal people. If they can make a regular guy like you turn into a gun wielding idiot, then they know it works."

  Henry held his head in his hands. There was just too much information. He needed time, but how much time did he have. Someone else had found him, and would be able to find him again. He wanted his life back, but how could trust anything he felt anymore. "Hap, what can I do?"

  "Man, if I knew how to stop these guys, I’d have done it. Me and some others just tell people about it when we can. We’ve even been on TV but no one listens. They think we’re all just a bunch of alien spotters or nutcases. All I can tell you is you got to get away from here. They’ll find you, dude they already did."

  "I can’t run forever, Hap. I want my life back."

  "Man, they have your life. You can’t have it back. You either need to get a new life, or lose your life. That’s the only choices I see."

  Henry shook his head and thanked Hap for his time. He twitched and nodded. Went back out the small door, and vanished into the stacks of books. Henry left the office and walked ot the front door. He wasn’t sure what his next step should be. Quitting wasn’t an option, but how did he fight something like that? Did he even believe what Hap told him? It sounded absurd, but in his gut, he knew it was true.

  He passed a tall, stern man on the way out. They exchanged a terse nod, a requirement of having met eyes rather than a friendly gesture. Henry felt cold as they crossed. Tried to shake off the feeling, dismissed it as nerves.

  As he exited the store, he looked back, but the man was gone. He left the door shut behind him. Hopped into his car where his cell phone stared at his from the passenger seat. It had been turned on, and a number had been dialed. It sat, waiting for a call.

  Henry looked around. Saw no one. He looked back at the door and thought of the man. Shook his head. His heart pounded. He looked back and forth, hoping to catch a glimpse of someone looking at him. He wanted to be away. Away from it all.

  No. Running wasn’t an option. He had decided that when he came back to town. He had no idea what he was dealing with, but he knew that he had to reclaim his life, and his life was here.

  Despite Hap’s warning, Henry knew what had to be done.

  He picked up his phone, and punched in the number.

  Stared at the screen. Fear and confusion from the first call came rushing back.

  His heart was beating faster and his palms were moist with fear. He took a deep breath and sent the call. It was difficult to breathe and he couldn’t really understand what he was doing, but he had to take that step. He tried to steady his breathing while the phone rang.

  "Hello, Henry."

  Henry hated the various tactics people used to establish superiority in a conversation. The salutation used by the man was the verbal equivalent of men who tried to place their hand on top during a handshake. He decided to take control of the conversation. "We need to meet."

  "Really, that’s wonderful. I’ll contact you shortly regarding a safe location."

  Nice try, Henry thought. "No. I’ll call you soon. Get the details ready, and I call and let you know when I can meet."

  "Henry, I really think we should meet as soon as I can arrange a safe place."

  "I understand that, but I have to take certain precautions of my own. Whether you agree with this or not, we’ll meet when I’m ready, or not at all." The assertions pleased Henry even though he assumed the man at the other end could apprehend him if he needed. Henry assumed the man needed Henry’s trust, and he intended to use that to his advantage.

  "Very well, call me tomorrow and I’ll pass on what information I have."

  "I’ll see how things are, but it may not be tomorrow. I’ll get back as soon as I can."

  "Please hurry, Henry. I don’t have to tell you how important this is."

  "No, you don’t. I’ll call you soon." Henry ended the call and laughed to himself. The little control he exercised in that call made him feel that he was inching closer to the life he used to have, slowly but surely.

  He started the car, and drove away from the bookstore.

  Amid the fear and gamesmanship that accompanied the call, Henry had yet to process what he had been told by Hap. He wasn’t sure how much he believed, though the story did the fit the facts of his experience. He wanted to believe the story, just to know what was happening, but could he?

  Could he accept the idea that his own government was experimenting on him to further their ability to control the thoughts and actions of its citizens?

  Could he accept that unseen people could plant words and even thoughts into his mind?

  He drove for hours, and found that he could neither accept nor reject the ideas. He decided that it didn’t matter. He had no choic
e but to assume that the implications of the discussion were true, and to be wary of anything he thought, heard or saw. He also knew that he needed to progress with his plan to confront the person who offered help. He was certain about one thing—the person offering help was involved with whatever was happening. He couldn’t believe that the people who destroyed his life would be unable to find him, while some other person could.

  He no longer feared abduction, having been found already. That comfort, and the lack of comfort his back felt at the moment, made it clear he needed a bed. He decided to treat himself, partly out of a morbid feeling that these might be his last days, and he drove to a cleaner and more comfortable hotel than he had seen in a while. As soon as he was in his room, he collapsed onto the bed and enjoyed a wonderful period of sleep.

  CHAPTER 41

  Susan stepped into the bedroom of the small apartment. Carolyn was resting on the couch in the living room. They’d only arrived at the apartment the prior night. It was a location she had scouted as a possible clean house for interrogation. It had been swept and secured, but wasn’t on the approved list yet. She hoped whoever was on the inside didn’t have the address.

  She closed the door behind her, and flicked her phone to accept the call. “Hello?”

  “Susan Harrison?”

  She grimaced. Her line wasn’t well known. Only her direct chain of command, and a few high level people in the company had access to it. They’d know who they were calling. And, they’d get right to business. “Speaking.”

  “My name is Jackson Gray.”

  “Hello, Mr. Gray.” She recognized the name. Chief of evaluations for the region. Pretty high up. High enough to be in the inside agent. “What can I do for you?”

  “I think we have a problem. A leak. But I don’t want to say anymore.”

  She understood the comment. Lines could be secured. Code. Scrambled. But if the words were uttered, there were people, like her, who could find them. He wanted to implant the information. That would mean opening her mind to this man.

  Not an option.

  “Very well. We’ll meet in a secured location.”

  “Ah. I see. Is there a place that would be safe enough.”

  “There are. Compliance has locations. I’ll send you an address.”

  “I’ll be looking forward to it, Ms. Harrison.”

  Susan ended the call. She’d have to pick a place. It was hard enough making sure the apartment was safe. But, she wasn’t looking for a hiding place. She was hoping for a confrontation.

  On her terms.

  She opened the door. Saw Carolyn resting. She’d need Carolyn there. Serve as the distraction Susan needed to make sure she gained the upper hand. Besides, she couldn’t leave here there. Sniffers would find her eventually.

  She stepped over to her. Tapped her shoulder to wake her.

  “Carolyn, I need you to wake up.”

  “What is it?”

  “I have a plan.”

  Carolyn sat up. Rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “Yeah? What is it? What do we do now?” She took the glass of room temp water she’d poured a few hours ago and took a drink.

  “We’re going to meet the person who did this.”

  “We?”

  “Yeah. I need you to go. I need you to be a distraction.”

  She set the glass down. Stood up. “You mean bait.”

  “Carolyn. It’s the only way.”

  "You’ve got to be kidding. At least I hope you’re kidding, because if you’re not then I might as well just kill myself now."

  "Carolyn, be reasonable. I wouldn’t take you into a trap. I haven’t gone through the trouble of finding safe places just so I could foolishly drag you and myself into a trap. Now, will you please listen to me?"

  "No, I will not. The first place you took me was hardly safe, and now you want me to follow you into what could be a trap. I’m not stupid, Susan."

  "I know you’re not stupid, and neither am I. This is the best move for us."

  Carolyn turned away and walked to the kitchen. "Are you telling me that the two of us walking into a meeting planned by the agent in charge of the experiments on me is the best plan? You don’t think that he’ll have multiple agents there waiting for us? Ready to kill you, and me to get rid of the messy evidence."

  "Carolyn. First, I can take care of these people. I didn’t get the job of policing our own because I was weaker than they are. Second, I have a plan. Trust me. I know what I’m doing."

  "Sorry, I don’t trust you. For all I know, you’re part of this and are just trying to get me to a convenient place to be rid of me."

  "Carolyn, be sensible. I could’ve killed you any number of times. I could kill you right now and walk out of here. I could render you unconscious and deliver you to the others, if I were working for them."

  "There may be holes in that theory, but no more than in your plan. Why don’t you tell me what this secret plan is? How are you going to keep us safe?"

  "I can’t tell you."

  "Then I can’t possibly trust you."

  "Carolyn, part of the plan requires that you not know what I plan. I need you to be surprised when it happens. That much is key."

  "Susan, if you want me to go along with you, you’ll need to have a plan that I can agree with. I’m sorry, but I don’t want to gamble my life on a plan I have no knowledge of. If you can’t come up with a plan I like, I’ll leave now."

  "You can’t leave."

  "Why not? What are you going to do, kill me now instead of later?"

  "Carolyn!" Susan grabbed Susan by the shoulder. "I have no intention of killing you, but if you leave I won’t be able to stop someone else from doing it. The fact that I have you is the only thing keeping you alive."

  "What are you talking about?" Carolyn pushed past Susan and sat on the couch. She hung her head until Susan sat next to her.

  “They have people, Carolyn. People who will find you. If you run, they’ll find the trail. Unless you can stop thinking, they’ll find where you’ve been. Track you down like hounds. There’s no way to stop them.”

  “Then why try.”

  “Sorry, I can stop them. I can clean the trail. But you can’t. Not without training.”

  “Then train me.”

  Susan smiled. “It would take years.”

  Carolyn put her head in her hand. “Okay. But I need to know something. I just have to know how much danger I’ll be in.”

  "Fine, I’ll tell you some of what I’m planning, but not all. I do really need you to be surprised when we meet him."

  "Tell me, I’ll let you know if it’s enough for me to trust you."

  “It’s like you said. You’ll be bait.”

  ”Great.”

  “Listen. When he sees you, he’ll be distracted. It’s all I need to get the upper hand. He’ll be ready. Ready to defend himself. A distraction will give me an opening.”

  “What if it doesn’t?”

  “If he keeps his attention on me, then we’ll back out. Get to a safe place again and start over. He won’t be able to defend himself from me, and do anything to you.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Yes. I’m sure. It’s dangerous for me, Carolyn. I’m betting my life on being able to pull this off. So, yes. I’m sure.”

  Carolyn nodded.

  Susan patted her shoulder. Walked away.

  She knew they both needed time to get themselves ready.

  CHAPTER 42

  The scene played through Simon’s head repeatedly. Each time there were subtle changes, but the key results were always the same. No matter how many people were there, or how well the discussions went, the end was always the same.

  "Simon."

  He woke from his trance. Took a moment to focus on Jackson. "Yeah."

  "Were you listening to me?"

  "Sorry. I guess I just never really thought I would have a chance to end this nightmare." He smiled and rubbed his hands.

  Jackson nodded and grinned. "W
ell, you will. But we have to plan. This is going to be dangerous. They’re not going to want to let you go you know."

  "I know, but if this is what we need to do, I’m ready." Simon felt a little guilty about deceiving Jackson, making him believe that he would go along with the plan. He had no intention of waiting for the negotiations to conclude, but he needed Jackson to get where he needed to be.

  "Glad to hear it."

  Jackson continued to describe what they would be doing. Simon had heard the plan enough times to be able to recite it, but Jackson seemed to be comforted by repeating it. He knew they would arrive at the arranged location and meet the perpetrators of the torture. He knew Jackson would explain that they were prepared to go to the press with the proof they had if Simon and the others were not left alone. He knew, but he didn’t care.

  Simon didn’t believe the plan would work. He was certain that they would be ambushed soon after arriving, and that they would both be either dead or subjected to tests that were even more invasive. He was as certain of that result as he was of his own hatred for those who had destroyed his life. He was ready for failure, and ready to jump into the arena.

  "Simon, I hope you understand that this is the only way."

  "Of course, Jackson. I don’t think you’d do this unless you thought it gave us the best chance of winning. I know you have your reasons for wanting this to stop, and I trust you."

  Another lie, but a useful one. Simon never understood why Jackson helped him, but it didn’t matter now. He was on his way to executing his own plan, and he needed Jackson to accomplish his goal.

  "Thanks, Simon. I have some matters to take care of in order to make this work. I’ll be back later."

  "Of course." Simon started playing the events of the upcoming meeting in his head again. He didn’t notice when Jackson left. He only saw the people who could be waiting for them when they finally arrived wherever they had to go. He played out scenarios of various locations, various people, and various events, but the result was the same. In the end, he always drew the blood of his tormentors, and he always smiled.