The Art of Madness

by A. J. Mayall

  “Is that the book you were reading?”

  “Indeed, you’ve heard of it?”

  “Suzette.”

  “She has good taste. Very much about how enough chaos, when directed correctly can cause period of great order. It’s kind of funny, how everything that’s gone on here really fits those confines.”

  “No more art for you, madman,” Phoenix hissed, still angry.

  “Not anytime soon. I have a general coming by; he wants to see the results from the prototype.”

  Phoenix stiffened. “You’re going to still make those things?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then I’ll have to sue you.”

  Gemini’s stern gaze broke and he chuckled, “All right, I have to ask, on what grounds?”

  “Well, I read that email. Those three things you did, you never patented them.”

  Gemini went pale and took a step back as Phoenix took a step forward and continued, “So…I did. It’s amazing what you can do when you can mentally interface with any computer system. I’m just that good. Six months of waiting in a digital queue over in about two minutes.” McGee licked his lips. “By the way, later today, I’m releasing the patents publicly online. So everyone will be able to use those great inventions of yours to benefit mankind.” That cocky trademark grin came to Phoenix’s face, dripping with Schadenfreude. “That’s the endgame after all, isn’t it? If people know about this stuff, too, then while you could use my patents to build your Room of Light, the government won’t need you to do it for them. Also, if it’s public knowledge, it’ll be known to every other government, and we have laws to protect citizens against that kind of thing.”

  Gemini stared at the detective. A multi-billion dollar contract down the drain; the GearWitch had actually gotten one over on him, after all was said and done.

  “You can’t interface with every system…” he muttered, under his breath with hints of shock and worry over what the general would say.

  “I’ve been meaning to ask about that too, how did that damn cube fight me?”

  “We’re just that good too, Mr. McGee. I think you need to go.”

  “I think so too. I’ll see you around, Mr. Gemini. Remember, one chance.”

  Reginald Gemini stood in silence as he watched Phoenix McGee leave his office, unsure if he was a troubled ally or a mortal enemy. In the final analysis, they were basically the same thing.

  Phoenix stopped before stepping out the door. “Who was John Doe, the third body?”

  Gemini’s voice quivered, “You don’t know what you’ve just cost me, but it’s a lot. The price of that victory is that you don’t get to know that answer.”

  Phoenix looked at the man, shaking and shivering. He imagined it’s how he must have looked, after Jim and Sarah died. He nodded solemnly and walked out the door, looking to the military officials in the waiting room.

  “He’s all yours.”

  CHAPTER 25

  It had been a rough week at McGee Investigations. After the public reveal of Ahkriman-Gemini’s projects, for which AGI received no credit, Phoenix was seen as a hidden genius doing a great service to mankind. The revenue from the viral video offset what he wasn’t earning while on various newsfeeds. His bank account, after all was said and done, was barely in the black. Suzette had not let this fact pass her over when payday came. However, bills still needed paying, as did his debt to Francesca.

  Phoenix walked downstairs; his morality battled with his budget and came up short in the debate. He fished out the check from Gemini and handed it to Suzette.

  “Can you do one of your quick deposits? I need to run a few errands.”

  Suzette had healed up pretty quickly, although she made a point of dressing more conservatively than usual to cover some of the larger bruises. She snapped up the check and shouted at Phoenix.

  “You’ve had money lying in wait?! We’ve been eating crap around here because your funds are so low and…” She looked at the check. “That is a lot of zeros.” After a second, she continued, “And…and you had this?! Why didn’t you cash this?!”

  “Check who it’s from…” he muttered and looked out the door.

  “Oh.”

  “So, can you?” he asked, as he looked at the words “McGee Investigations” on the glass door. “I’m thinking of changing the logo. What do you think, Suze?”

  “Hey, it’s your business. As long as I get paid. On that note…”

  “Yes, you’re still getting that raise.”

  “Awesome…” She smiled brightly and shimmied in her chair, “Okay, I’ll be back in a little bit. Want me to pick up some lunch?”

  “Yeah, thinking tacos from Pac’s.”

  She nodded. “See you in a few, boss.”

  “See you too, Suzette.”

  Once she had left, he grabbed his phone and dialed Gemini.

  “Hello? Mr. McGee? I was not expecting to hear from you so soon, if ever.”

  “Listen, I’d love to be the hero who rips your check up and throws it in your face on principle. But I live in the real world, and I have debts, bills to pay, and people who rely on me.”

  “Are you accepting the offer to be on our retainer?”

  “No. Not yet. Listen, I give everyone a chance to prove themselves if they want to make amends. I am cashing the check, as much as I think it’s blood money. I just thought you should know.”

  “Well, I hope we can work together, Mr. McGee. Things were going so well, and your assistant and mine still seem to be friendly.”

  “Just do me a solid. Don’t contract Pyramidion, it’ll do wonders in earning my respect.”

  “Consider it done. I’m sorry things had to end this way between us.”

  Phoenix sighed, “Me too. Goodbye, Mr. Gemini.”

  “Goodbye, Mr. McGee.”

  Phoenix thought about Francesca, and Suzette. How lucky he was to have met the former, if only because of making such a strong friendship with the latter. He saw her between the blades of the blinds, at the nearby ATM, depositing the check.

  “I don’t deserve someone like you on my side, Suz,” he said to the empty room.

  He straightened her books, walked outside to look at her, then took to the sky.

  On the other side of Rouge Mal, Officer Dorian Franklin sat in the office of Deputy Chief Joe Linville. It had been a long week, after talking to his superiors in Internal Affairs, and asking for a reassignment. If a civilian could see through his cover, eventually an officer would. Anyway, there was work to be done. The Pack was no more, leaving the RMPD without an effective Missing Persons division.

  “I’m glad you’ll take me on, Joe.” Dorian smiled, glad to finally shed the aggressive act.

  “I’m glad you agreed to help form a new Pack. Can’t believe this whole time, everything you did was deep cover.”

  “It was my job. ‘Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?’ as they say.”

  “Who will guard the guardsman? Who watches the watchmen?” Linville said, repeating the various translations of the famed Latin quote.

  “Who polices the police?” Dorian said and gave out a heavy breath. “I’ll be honest, Jack slipped right by me. I really thought he was like me, kid with a rough past trying to turn his life around.”

  “Why’d you choose IA?” Linville inquired, reaching under his desk and pulling out a pair of cans containing fruit juice, Dorian gladly taking one.

  “I wanted to be a cop after my stint in juvie. A few rough cops didn’t take too well to Stygus in their neighborhoods. I thought the best path was to bust ass at the academy, and try to make positive change from inside.”

  Linville tipped his head with a smile. “The bully act is over?”

  “Yes. Gladly over.”

  “Good. Welcome. Now, first thing, I want you to head over to the Academy, find yourself some rookies. Other departments will offer help here and there until they’re all up to snuff. You answer to me, Dorian.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “So
, I gotta ask, how did Phoenix’s friend realize it?”

  “Believe it or not, it was the act. Just like how Jack wasn’t loyal enough. I honestly kept myself too close to Sam. A real Beta does their own thing and doesn’t micromanage the orders of an Alpha.”

  “No one noticed this around here?” Linville laughed and sipped on his juice.

  “Would you have questioned me? If you don’t mind, I’m going to head off early, stop off at Zigratsky, visit them.”

  “You helped put them there.”

  “It’s a werewolf thing; it takes a while to break the bond. I need to visit them as much as they need me to visit…”

  “Very well. As you were, Dorian.”

  Jack sat in his cell, eyes wide. He’d been left behind by Gemini. He’d been found out and left to rot. He whined, barely leaving his cell. He had been brought in to The Pack as an Omega, and now that he was in with hardened criminals, the pack dynamics were in serious flux. He was bunkmates with his new Alpha, and the man was insane.

  He poked his head out and looked down at the common area. There were Omnus, Stygus and non-powered inmates known for being excessively violent enough to be deemed worthy of the Zig’s security protocol.

  Lee and Cortez kept to themselves as well. Their status in the new hierarchy was secure, but a few established lycanthrope inmates were happy to beat former cops into a lower position.

  “I thought I told you to stay in the room, Omega,” came a gravelly voice that sounded like sausages being fried to a crisp in old cooking oil.

  Jack whined, “Sorry, sir,” and climbed up on the top bunk.

  The footsteps, the heavy footsteps. There was not a proper rhythm to them. He had a shambling step. His left step normal, but his right leg bent inwards at nearly a ninety degree angle at the knee.

  Frenzy MacKenzie. Genius. Sadist. Alpha of the Ziggurat Pack. His lower face hadn’t healed correctly, the skin tight on the muscle; his jaw formed slightly wrong, having regenerated a bit too strong and thick. His lower lip hadn’t fully grown back, giving him a half-skull appearance. On his first day, he had attacked the then-current Alpha, clawing out the bones of his right arm and beating him with them.

  “You stay up there, Omega, unless I need something. That’s your place, or do I need to carve it backwards on you so when you look in the mirror you can read it?”

  “No, sir.”

  “Good. I’ve been told we have a guest coming. I want you on your best behavior, Spring-Heel.”

  “Yes, sir,” Jack said, the bonding already strong.

  “Good, now keep quiet.” MacKenzie said as he reached to the shelf, grabbing his blue puzzle cube, activating it and working on solving it.

  Jack curled up, shivering. MacKenzie smelled his fear and would grin if he had the flesh to do it.

  “I think I’m going to like it here…” Frenzy said, solving the cube and resetting it. “Peace, quiet,” he paused and looked at Jack, “and obedience.”

  Emma St. John held Caroline O’Halloran’s hand as they walked through the front doors of Prescott Electronics. They smiled to the various employees, Caroline and Emma having run to get lunch for the executives. Caroline handed a bag from Hogan’s Gyros to the receptionist who thanked her.

  “Dad?” Caroline said as she poked her head in, smiling to her father. Douglas looked harried but as his daughter smiled and ran to him, she passed over another bag of Hogan’s finest.

  “You remember the garlic fries?”

  Caroline smiled and buried her face in his chest, his hands gripping her tightly. Every time she hugged him, he squeezed her tight enough to let her know he’d never let anything happen to her again.

  Emma answered as she entered. “Triple garlic, fresh, just how you like, Mr. O’Halloran.”

  “Did Caroline give you trouble?”

  “As always, but I can handle her.” She smiled, ruffling Caroline’s brassy locks. “I’m going to go talk to Don, but we need to have a meeting, the three of us about the finances and investment opportunities. Say, two hours?”

  “Two hours,” Douglas said, looking down into his daughter’s eyes. “Thank you for keeping her safe.”

  “Thank you for letting her out.”

  “The fresh air and sun will do her good.”

  Emma nodded and walked down the hall, knocking on the last door three times before letting herself in. Donatello chuckled as she entered, clapping his hands twice and opening them as she threw the bag.

  “You throw like a girl,” he chuckled.

  “Don’t go there with me, Donnie,” she responded, sitting across from him as he pulled out a few sandwiches, tossing Emma’s order to her.

  “Share the fries?”

  “As always. When are we gonna break the news to them?”

  “Give it a couple of days. Douglas is happy to have Caroline back; we don’t need him worrying about taking care of the company solo when we go on our honeymoon God knows when.” Bellacino said, a twinkle in his eye.

  “We should really tell the support group, too. I want to invite them.” Emma said.

  “Yeah, let’s tell them first.”

  “But let’s hold off for a while. I’d like Joel there. When he gets better.”

  “He attacked you, why would you want to see him?”

  “He wasn’t himself. I’ve forgiven him, so would you please do the same?”

  “I’ll think about it, but first come here and gimme a kiss.”

  She scooted around and leaned on Donatello. “Always wanted to be a bride in a big wedding. Never thought it would be possible.”

  “Emma, with us together, nothing is impossible.”

  Phillip Duncan, Senior VP of Panacea Technologies walked into the office of Reginald Gemini, the short, mousey man.

  “Mr. Duncan, I hear you’ve wanted to see me.”

  “Yes, sir. It’s an honor to meet you face to face, finally. I rarely get to meet with the higher executives with Mr. Ahkriman’s health as it is.”

  Gemini nodded. “Yes, having the company nearly evenly split is something that I’m trying to address, hence this meeting.”

  “Very good, sir. Our work in cellular regeneration has been amazing, all tests exceeded. It’s my opinion we can move these projects…”

  “You’re fired,” Gemini said, cutting Duncan off.

  “…to the next level. I mean Panacea’s abilities….to reproduce tissue from small samples,” Duncan continued, staggering his speech as a look of confusion came over his face. “Excuse me, what did you say?”

  “I said you’re fired. Your job has been made redundant. Panacea is being shifted to my end of the company, due to restructuring caused by the recent loss of a military contract. I will give you until the end of day to pack your things.”

  “I’ve given years to this place,” he said, jowls wobbling as he went pale. “I’ve been working here since before you came in here!”

  “I know,” Gemini said with a smile on his face, “and you’re still fired. We’ve had complaints about your management style. I think I have a better fit.”

  Gemini smiled and looked back down at his paperwork. Duncan stood there in shock. It took ten seconds before Reginald looked back up at the man.

  “You’re excused.”

  Papers fell from his hand as he turned to the door leading back into the waiting area. He stopped, looking back over his shoulder at the fussy, timid-looking man before he pushed it forward. He found the Ice Queen behind her desk swiping and tapping away, utterly ignoring him. He stopped to say a hello and she simply snapped her fingers and pointed toward the elevator without looking away from the screen. He walked the ten meters before turning to face the office one last time, hitting the button leading to his former office. He sobbed softly.

  “Bitch,” Ms. Levicia said, staring him down as the doors closed.

  She touched a button on her desktop panel. “Sir, he’s gone. Are you ready for your next meeting?”

  “Yes, I’ll need a refre
sher though; what is Mr. Grimace’s actual name?” came Gemini’s voice out of the speaker.

  “Kramer, head of Cerberus Security.”

  “You and he get along well,” Gemini said, a hint of worry in his voice.

  “We have an understanding. I mean, we are effectively doing the same job, save he does it for Mr. Ahkriman. He handles the security outside this building, I handle the security inside.”

  “I know, I know. You do a fantastic job. I’ll be out shortly.”

  Guess closed down her desk computer, swiping files over to her fliptop, setting them up for remote print at their destination. She readied her battle armor and saw Reginald emerge from his office.

  “Are you ready, sir?” she asked, tipping her head.

  “Indeed; ready for escort, Ms. Levicia,” he responded.

  Guess’ response to her duty shifting from executive assistant and security officer to bodyguard was as it has always been. She pulled a butterfly knife from her pocket, flicking it over and spinning it until the blade gleamed in the light. She palmed it up her right sleeve and offered her left arm to the smaller man, who took it gladly.

  “You know you don’t need to do that. I feel nervous around weapons.”

  “It doesn’t matter. You get protection,” she said, staring forward. “Security inside, my calls.”

  “Yes, Ms. Levicia,” Gemini said. He slid in a black card into a slot above the normal elevator buttons, integrated into the art deco design of the elevator to the point of being nearly hidden.

  “Going down, Mr. Gemini,” she said as the elevator descended.

  Reginald released his grip on Guess’ arm, looking up at her with a twinkle in his eye.

  “Why do you bring out that knife when all it is is an elevator ride?”

  “I’m a creature of habit,” she responded, grabbing his arm once more.

  “Into the mouth of Hell, we go,” he chuckled. Where Gemini held the penthouse, the shining figure atop the pyramid, Ahkriman resided at the bottom, the foundation, the hidden buried secret.