“I don’t have the order to do that yet, besides that we want him awake,” Tom replies.
“When do you think we’re going to get our orders?” The cell phone on the table rings. Tom looks at it. “Are you expecting a call?” Tom asks Harry. “No,” Harry says.
“Then it must be for me,” Tom says and answers. “Juan, we need you in the office right now?” Trip says.
Tom just puts the receiver down. “It was for Juan. Trip wants him the office now.”
Juan reaches into his pocket ever so slowly for the small black box on the end of his key chain and holds it in his hand with his finger on the button.
Tom comes over to Juan and stands over him. He watches him very carefully for a few moments. Juan remains very still. Tom then moves away into the kitchen as Juan slowly slips the device out of his pocket.
Tom noticed the slight movement from Juan and moves quickly towards him as he calls out, “He’s awake.”
Harry’s head snaps to attention and both of them move with lightning speed to stop him, but they were too late. Juan pushes the button on the black box and both Tom and Harry drop to the floor and appear lifeless. Their eyes are wide open. They are trying to move, but can't.
"Handy little device. I'm sure you were communicating with whomever or whatever is controlling you," says Juan as he moves down very close to Tom's face, and says, "The FBI now knows all about you. Not only you Tom, but you… you way back in there watching and controlling: I'm going to get all of you. I'm going to put you all down like sick dogs!" Juan says, then straightens up, goes into the bathroom and splashes water on his face. He looks in the mirror and then the phone rings again. He slowly moves into the other room and picks up the phone. “Juan, why did you hang up on me?” Trip asks. “I didn’t, Tom and Harry, are both Guards, they were going to kill me and your call gave me just the instant I needed to take them down,” Juan says with a trace of satisfaction in his voice.
“Where are they now?” Trip asks.
“Out cold,” Juan says.
"How did you do that?" Trip asks.
"Nifty trick," Juan replies.
“Get out of there, we need you here immediately, you were right about New York City; in fact you were right about everything," Trip admits grudgingly. “OK, see you soon.” Juan hangs up the phone. He looks down at the two Guards and wonders how long they will be out, but he still needed to call his wife and get her and the children out of Brooklyn, so he took the chance and picked up the phone and dialed the number. The phone rang and finally answered with a message.
Juan put the phone down, looked at the two motionless Guards and then left. But walking down the hall towards the elevator he decides to try again, He dials Esperanza and she answers.
"Honey," he says out of breath.
"You OK, you get shot again?" she opens.
"No, I'm OK," he returns.
"Fine, you sound terrible. Maria is having complications. I have to take her and the kids to the hospital this afternoon," she says.
"What's wrong with her?" he asks.
"The printer made her a new spine but they say her body is having adjustment problems. I think it'll be OK! It's probably just a snag. When are you coming home?"
"Soon but listen, don't go home, stay at the hospital until I get there!" he says.
"Juan, what's going on?" she asks.
"I can't tell you, just do as I say for once, please!" he begs.
"Juan, what's happening," she pleads.
"Just do what I say, I have to go!" he hangs up the phone and runs into the street.
Chapter 52 Juan entered FBI headquarters and walked down the long hall to Trip’s office. He sees him through the glass speaking in a very animated manner with a young woman sitting in his office. Juan goes in reluctantly.
“Oh! It’s you, take your gun and badge back,” Trip opens.
Juan just looks at him with amazement and says, “I’m glad you finally see the light but I’m confused, is all forgiven?
Trip replies tartly, “Yes let’s move on, I’ll explain everything later.”
“OK, now who’s she?” Juan asks.
“Oh, this is Agent Knowing,” Trips says.
Ruth stands and puts out her hand and says, “Ruth Knowing, I’ve heard about you, I’ve been an admirer for a long time.”
“Really,” Juan says cynically.
She is petite, a genetic combination of Asian and American genes; very pretty with not an ounce of fat on her body. Juan could tell by the way she took his hand that she was even an expert in martial arts. Juan takes the black box out of his pocket and pushes the button.
“What the hell is that? “ Trip asks.
“Think of it as a Guard monitor," Juan says.
Trip asks “What the hell you pointing that thing at us for, oh you think we might be Guards?”
“That’s right you never know, now watch this” Juan says as he opens Trip’s office door, points the black box into the center pool of the room and pushes the button. Two agents and a clerk fall to the ground. “Pretty cool,” Juan turns to Trip, continuing, “this isn’t some Star Trek episode, this is real, and these things are everywhere, even the government and maybe industry too; who knows how far this goes? How close are you with Charles Dean?” Juan asks. “I don’t like your tone. Sit down, and I’ll ask the questions,” replies Trip.
“Sorry boss but I was sure glad to see that you’re human,” Juan says and sits down.
"Where did you get that device?" Trip asks
"I took it from a Guard, I guess it takes one to know one," Juan returns.
Trip gets up and walks out to see which agents had fallen to the floor.
“What just happened?” asked one of the agents who had rushed over to help.
He looks down on the fallen agents saying, “Well, you just never know.” Trip looks at the other agents standing around. “Haven’t you ever seen a fallen agent, these three are fine, just passed out, I’ll explain the whole thing later,” he says nonchalantly as he walks back into his office.
“What’s she doing here?” Juan asks, pointing to Ruth. “Her name is Ruth and she found this,” Trip reaches into his drawer and pulls out a plastic evidence bag containing a Guard implant. "Ruth was sent over by the CIA to help us analyze it. We all think the FBI lab could do a better job of analyzing it but we believe it’s a complete Guard implant! You know how I got it? Kathryn Bennett, yep, a US senator, called me from the side of the road. Charles had directed a Guard chauffeuring their limousine to drive them over a cliff but she and Robert suspected something or as Katherine put it, had a premonition and jumped out just in time. She's a mess, but came completely clean about EOJ. She told me everything; thatt the President is a Guard, the directive to reduce world population using New York City as a test is pending, the whole thing. She spilled her guts!”
“Man, so that’s what they have inside,” Juan stands up and looks at it more closely. “Does it work?” “Don’t know, Charles has probably disabled it, or it could be transmitting video of us right now. I’m going to send it to the lab, and see what they can tell us about it, I’ve also formally asked the President for a full investigation of EOJ, good chance of that happening,” Trip says sarcastically.
Juan hesitates and says, "Interesting, the President? Good luck with that, he's a machine! Listen Trip, they’re really planning to kill whole zip codes of people in Brooklyn and the Bronx. Chase told me that. It’s one of the directives of EOJ. I don’t know how they’re going to do it or who is involved.” Trip cuts Juan off and says, “OK I get it. Ruth has told me through their own CIA counterintelligence the same information was obtained mysteriously from the EOJ computers. Someone sent it to our computer just before we came into the office this morning; pages and pages of information on EOJ."
"Probably from Chase, Ally or Sam," Juan volunteers. "I want you to work with Ruth and anyone you need from the New York office to stop whatever danger there might be there. Meanwhile, I’m go
ing to pay Congressman Dean a little visit. You know Chase and Ally came out of the Leesburg Armory. I wonder what’s in there,” Trip says thoughtfully.
“I don’t know, but we’re finally asking the right questions? It's going to be a problem finding out who is a Guard and who isn't, but you can ask everyone to have a CT scan and that should solve the problem, at least inhouse,” Juan says.
"Or you could give me that little device of yours and we go floor to floor and see who's real and who's not," Trip replies.
“What will those Guards do when they wake up from that stun?” Trip asks.
“I don’t even know if they do wake up, for all I know they’re dead, but we should be prepared if they do wake up. Maybe we should handcuff them,” Juan says.
“Why did Chase and Ally leave if they had information about this attack on New York?” Trip asks.
“Everyone was trying to kill them, including us, even me! They’re different, I’m not sure how or why they’re different from the other Guards, but for some reason they seem able to resist directives from EOJ. Chase told me a great deal about the organization and how it all works, but for now what we need to know are the details of the directive from EOJ to reduce world population. For all we know there may be plots being carried out all over the country or even the world,” Juan says.
“That must have comes from Charles’s wife. She was always talking about the need to reduce world population, but she lectured on the need for worldwide birth control, and family planning, never about killing people. She said that world population could be reduced very quickly simply through proper planning. But this idea sounds like some much distorted vision of Charles’, not Doris’. The Doris I knew could never do this,” Trip says as he looks around, saying, “We really don’t know where the rabbit hole is or where it leads. We have no idea how many people are involved in this, it could be thousands we have to be prepared for anything. Guards could have infiltrated the CIA, the military, even the legislature. Give me that black doohickey.” “Sure, but we don’t know how long it will be effective, I'm sure EOJ is working on disabling it as we speak,” Juan says, continuing, “Chase told me that he and Ally were trying to find Beneizen to get his help. Who knows, really, maybe he summoned them. Actually we could really use them on our side,” Juan said.
"Yeah, I don't get it. I'm confused fifty percent of the time myself but I don't go off on some self-help adventure in the middle of a world crisis," says Trip. "But you're not them. Imagine waking up and finding out you're not even human. At least you know you’re human, how do you deal with that?" Juan says. "Therapy, a lot of it, who says being human is so great anyway?" Trip returns.
"OK, maybe Beneizen is their ‘therapist,’ too, he calls them his children, who the hell knows that that means," Juan retorts.
"Fair enough,” Trip says as a call comes in on his monitor. He says, “It’s Charles; this ought to be choice.” He pushes the icon and as Charles appears on the wall screen Trip says, “Hello Charles, nice weather we’re having.”
“Hello Trip, not enough sleet, rain or snow. I like weather! I believe you have something of mine, and I want it back,” Charles snarls.
“What’s that Charles?” Trip asks innocently. “Don’t play stupid, we’re way past that, and I suggest that you don’t get in my way, or I will terminate you and your entire office, now - right now!” Charles says.
“Is that a threat?” Trip says.
“It’s not a threat Trip, it’s a promise, and you have no idea what you’re dealing with here. I know you have others listening to this, but it isn’t going to matter. Are you going to give it back?” Charles asks. “I don’t think so, it's an excellent paper weight,” Trip says.
“Then I need to get your attention,” Charles says. There is a slight pause and suddenly without warning the Guards that had been out cold wake up, arise and take out two small balls from their vests. They throw the two balls into the air. The room turns completely white and when the flash is over everyone except the Guards are lying on the floor dead. “Do I have your attention?” Charles says.
“You have, how come we’re not dead?” Trip asks. “Because it’s a particle bomb and the particles are too large to pass through walls, that’s why! Cool? I have technology that you cannot even image. I could rule the world if I wish, but I want to share that responsibility. I’m looking for good help, and, as they say, good help is hard to find these days,” Charles laughs.
“I’m a player,” Trip says to amuse Charles.
“No, you’re not, you’re an honest American, one of the good guys, I’m sorry but I can’t trust you, and I’m not going to; bye, bye for now. I want it on my desk today and I'll have it with or without you.” Charles hangs up.
The two agent Guards start to move towards Trip’s office. One of the Guards shoots out the window of the office where Juan, Trip and Ruth are and the other takes out another of the small sphere’s and is just about to throw it into the room when Ruth pulls out her gun and while falling to the floor is able to make a perfect shot into his forehead. The Guard falls to the ground, and the lethal ball rolls across the floor and stops next to the wall without exploding. The remaining Guard takes out another ball and again from the floor Ruth places a hole perfectly into the middle of his forehead as well.
“That was some kind of shooting, what kind of gun is that?” Juan says.
"It’s a particle beam, something like a laser but different," Ruth replies.
"Outstanding," Juan says admiring the gun.
“You are a case Ruth; did the CIA teach you how to shoot like that?” Trip asks.
“No, I did!” Ruth says.
“Let’s get those two balls, what the hell are they?” “They appear to be some kind of particle bomb, a type of nuclear fission, except for the neutrons being very large, it produces a massive dose of radiation but all the particles are absorbed or go dead. I'm not really sure, but it works and it kills people really efficiently without the risk of lingering fallout,” Ruth says.
“How did you know that? It's not ours? Who are you really?” Trip asks.
“I’m really Ruth Knowing, but I work for the CIA, and we have been on to Charles and EOJ for a long time."
Trip notices that there is a small hole in her arm and it isn't bleeding. "You have something further you want to tell us?" he says.
"I’m the CIA’s version of a Guard. Several years ago the CIA got their hands on a Guard implant and developed me. Pretty little Ruth, young, willing and deadly,” she replies.
"What a world we live in, every government agency is watching, copying, stealing from, lying to and distrusting every other agency," Juan complains. "How many of these drones, robots, and androids are there; will there be any humans left?" Trip asks sarcastically.
Ruth exits into the adjoining room, picks up the two balls and then comes back into the office. She looks at both Juan and Trip who are shaking their heads and says, “Oh get a grip, a little inter-agency competition is good for the country! So what’s the plan?” “Doesn’t the CIA have a plan?” Trip responds. “Yep, and you were right; we can get into EOJ through the Armory. This is going to be a joint operation. I’m here to get you guys up to speed and I’m in charge,” Ruth answers.
Trip and Juan look at each other. "Not in my office you're not," Trip says.
“What, you have a problem with that? Prejudice against female robots, I might have known,” as Ruth smiles her cutest smile.
"She is cute," Trip says.
"Adorable." Juan replies.
"I wouldn't let Esperanza see this one!" Trip says with a grin.
"Finished with your political correctness? Let's get to work," she demands.
Ed started to show signs of the virus about an hour after licking the envelope. Hank noticed that he was sweating and was starting to squint looking through the enormous window of his Mack truck. The street before him was becoming foggy.
“Ed is you alright?” Hank asks.
“
No man, I’m feelin’ like crap, I think I'm coming down with the flu,” Ed says with a slight cough. “You want me to drive for a while?” Hank asks. “Yeah, right, you can't even reach the pedals,” Ed says, making fun of Hank’s size. “I’m having trouble breathing man, there’s a hospital up about two blocks,” Ed says as he begins to pour sweat. “Stop the truck, Ed, do it now,” Hank orders. Ed pulls the truck over to the curb and starts breathing very hard. He is becoming shorter and shorter of breath.
“Can you move over Ed, and I’ll drive?” Hank asks. Ed has stopped speaking, he’s breathing very hard and his eyes are beginning to glaze over. Then suddenly Ed just stops breathing. He is so fat that his head does not even drop forward. He’s just staring ahead, and then his head just falls forward a few inches, eyes wide open. Ed was dead.
“Ed are you alright, Ed! Ed! Shit man, oh Christ, don’t die on me,” Hank screams. Hank jumps out of the truck cab and starts screaming frantically for help. He takes out his cell phone and dials 911.
Hank walks hurriedly into the 29th precinct with the box of envelopes, sets them on the desk of the duty sergeant, and says, “These little suckers killed my partner.”
The duty sergeant, a middle aged Irishman, still clinging to a slight lilt of the old country looked up from processing paperwork. He had seen everything in his long and colorful career. “And who might you be laddie?” asked the sergeant.
“I’m Hank, and these envelopes killed my partner,” Hanks says.
“They did, did they; death by envelope?” asked the sergeant.
“That’s right, smell it,” Hank takes out one of the envelopes and tries to get the sergeant to smell it saying, “Smells like fried chicken, right”?
“Smells like fried chicken,” the sergeant says. “And they taste like fried chicken, but they’re poison, they killed big Ed,” Hank says.
“Whoa, slowdown, who are they and who’s Big Ed?” asked the sergeant.
“I don’t who they are, but somehow the envelopes killed my partner Ed, there must be poison in the glue,” Hank insists.
Sentinels of the Cosmos Trilogy Page 20