Politics of Blood (Gray Spear Society Book 8)

by Siegel, Alex

  "You can't commit major felonies like they don't matter," Haley said. "Do you obey any laws at all?"

  "Yes," Ethel said, "very strict laws, and my Boss makes sure of it, so you can stuff that attitude and be grateful I'm on your side."

  "I might be more appreciative if I knew who your boss was or if I knew anything about you!"

  "You know too much already. You're really starting to aggravate me."

  "I'm sorry," Haley said, "but I've heard the stories. I've seen how you act. You solve every problem by inflicting pain and death. There is no line you won't cross. That's just not the world I live in."

  "Good bye. I'll be in touch."

  There was a click followed by a dial tone, then silence.

  Templeton's eyes were wide. "Who the hell was that?"

  "You really don't want to know." Haley shook his head.

  "Sir," Seferis said, "when are we going to do something about her?"

  "What do you suggest?"

  "Arrest her?"

  "Be my guest," Haley said, "but don't forget she's not alone. If you manage to capture her, which is highly unlikely, her organization will come after you. They'll give you the same treatment as Olaf. When I'm at your funeral, I'll tell everybody how brave you were right up until the end."

  Seferis frowned and looked down.

  "It seems we must deal with Miss Pickenpaugh on her terms." Haley sagged. "Now we just have to figure out what those terms are."

  Chapter Thirteen

  Aaron and the rest of his team were sitting around the oak table in the conference room. Everybody was there including all the assistants, Ethel, and Boreas. There were exactly enough chairs to go around.

  Seeing all the members of the Chicago cell in one place was strange because it meant nobody was in the security booth. The computer system known as "Jack" was effectively the security chief now. Aaron wasn't comfortable with the idea. It felt wrong and sinful to give so much responsibility to a machine. On the other hand, the new Jack would never get tired or need to be relieved of duty. It had no human weaknesses.

  Unlike Kamal.

  Aaron looked at his team and said, "Before we talk about the mission, we have some very unpleasant business to discuss. As several of you already know, Kamal committed a major security breech. He e-mailed forbidden knowledge to some French scientists, and they died as a result."

  Kamal's eyes widened. With an expression of terror, he said, "Sir, I was just... I never meant to..."

  "Quiet!" Aaron held up his hand. "You'll get a chance to state your case at another time. I want you to be prepared. Have your arguments in order. You'll only get one shot at convincing me."

  "Yes, sir." Kamal was shivering.

  He was wearing a spotless, white shirt and a black bowtie. He always prided himself on having the neatest attire of anybody on the team. Aaron now saw a darker side to that habit. Perhaps, Kamal thought he was morally superior in some way.

  "In the meantime, you're on probation. No more outside communication of any form. Everybody will keep an eye on you. If there is another slip-up, your retirement will be immediate."

  "Yes, sir." Kamal looked like he might throw up.

  Ethel leaned forward and said, "This lapse in judgment is extremely disappointing. I've known you a long time. I recruited you. I expected better choices."

  She wore her formal gray robes of office. Her black, silk hood blended with the darkness clinging to her brown skin. Her pupils were enlarged and infinitely deep. She seemed to be made of shadows instead of flesh. Only her white hair appeared solid.

  "I'm very sorry, ma'am," Kamal said.

  "And it couldn't have happened at a worse time."

  Aaron looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean, ma'am?"

  Ethel got out of her chair and began to walk around the room. Her footsteps were unnaturally swift. It looked like she was running, but to her it was just a gentle stroll.

  "This is sensitive information," she said. "The Society has been extremely active lately. We've had more missions in the last four months than the previous four years. I started the summer with a total of 99 legionnaires and commanders. I'm down to 91. God has been giving out gifts at a record pace, four in just the last month, and they were powerful. In the entire history of the Gray Spear Society, there has never been a time like this."

  "The whole division?" Aaron said.

  "The whole world. All the legates are reporting the same thing. God's enemies are attacking at a frantic, reckless pace. Missions are stacking up, one after another. I think I know why." Ethel looked at Bethany and Leanna. "It's because of you two."

  The twins showed no reaction. Their crystalline eyes were as enigmatic as ever. Light gleamed from the metal skin on their hairless heads.

  "Your analysis is probably correct, ma'am," Bethany responded in her synthetic voice. "Our enemies are attempting to stop our project by destroying the world."

  "Is it really that big a deal?" Ethel said.

  "Yes. If we're successful, we will permanently change the balance of power between God and His enemies. The universe will be safer for all life until the end of time."

  Ethel nodded. "And that is why Kamal's transgression is so harmful. The twins must be protected at all costs. Their work must remain the greatest of all secrets. Only the people in this room are permitted to know about it. I certainly won't tell anybody else, not even the other legates."

  Aaron stared at Kamal. The scientist was trying to slide his body halfway under the table.

  "When will it end?" Ethel asked Bethany. "How much longer do you need?"

  "Two or three months, hopefully. The power cells in our brains have a limited capacity. If the project takes much more time than that, Leanna and I will expire."

  Norbert stared at his hands despondently. Even after all the changes, he still loved the girls, and they still loved him.

  "If there is anything you need," Ethel said, "let me know. No request will be denied."

  "Yes, ma'am. Aaron has done an adequate job of supporting us so far."

  Aaron wasn't sure how to take that comment. He decided to let it go.

  "Smythe," Ethel said, "I can't allow Odelia to come here again. This situation is too sensitive. I won't forbid you from seeing each other, but you have to go to Los Angeles from now on. And when you talk to her again, remind her that the twins' project is nobody else's business."

  Smythe nodded. "Yes, ma'am. That won't be a problem."

  "And Aaron, the same rule applies to Marina. She already knows too much. She doesn't need to know any more. On the same topic, I want you to start upgrading the security around here."

  "Ma'am?" Aaron said. "The security in this building is already borderline ridiculous. We could hold off a small army."

  "Then I want it to be completely ridiculous! Where the safety of the twins is concerned, there is no such thing as too much. Spend what it takes to counter every possible threat. Your budget is infinite."

  He nodded. "Yes, ma'am. Some arms dealer is going to be very happy he met me."

  Nobody spoke for a moment.

  "On to other business," Aaron said. "Where the hell is the President hiding? I checked the news this morning. His location is officially secret."

  "I'll find him," Bethany said. She stared straight ahead without moving.

  "Are you doing it now?"

  "Yes, sir. We're scanning the electronic correspondence of the Secret Service."

  He remembered she had wireless access in her brain. She could use her computers from anywhere in headquarters.

  After a pause, she said, "President Haley and Vice President Darrow are staying at the private residence of Bernard Templeton."

  "I've heard that name," Aaron said.

  "He's a billionaire. The location is eastern Illinois."

  Bethany faced a computer monitor attached to the wall. The screen turned on and showed a satellite image. An irregular section of land was outlined in red. It contained two lakes and some t
hickly forested sections.

  "It's big."

  "One thousand five hundred acres," she said. "The home is in the north-east corner."

  The satellite image zoomed to show a huge, three-story, white house surrounded by smaller buildings.

  "What kind of security do they have?" he asked.

  "The Secret Service is patrolling the grounds. Otherwise, I don't know, sir."

  "I'll go," Ethel said, "and I'm taking Boreas and Tawni with me. We'll hide in the woods and watch for trouble."

  "Yes, ma'am," Aaron said. "Do you want me to give you a ride in the helicopter?"

  "It's too risky to fly in daylight. We'll drive."

  He nodded. "Now, let's talk about the mysterious Jed Parker."

  "I did some research this morning, sir," Perry said. "It's a fake name."

  He was wearing a gray, pullover shirt with a coffee stain on the collar. He had cut himself shaving this morning. His oversized glasses with their thick rims looked like a theatrical prop.

  "Not a surprise, but there might still be clues out there. Check the records of the burned farm. Dig into the finances of Pure America. Follow the trail of electronic breadcrumbs."

  "Yes, sir."

  Aaron grimaced with annoyance. "We're running out of leads, and we still have no idea who the enemy is. If we can find the President so easily, I bet they can, too."

  Jack's voice came through overhead speakers. "Commander, there is a security breech in the basement of the hotel."

  Hearing the dead man's voice again spooked Aaron.

  "What kind of breech?" he said.

  The image on the computer monitor changed to a surveillance feed. It showed a man in a blue worker's uniform walking through a narrow hallway. He had long, black hair and a ring in one eyebrow. Exposed pipes hung on the walls.

  "Lowest level, center section," Jack said.

  "I've seen that guy," Nancy said. "He's part of the maintenance staff."

  She wore loose, gray coveralls over a plaid shirt. There was a smear of black grease above her right eye. Another glob of grease was in her frizzy hair.

  "He works for the hotel?" Aaron said.

  She nodded. "I think he's one of our electricians."

  "Then he knows he shouldn't be in that section. We need to get down there before he stumbles into a trap. The meeting is temporarily adjourned. Nancy, you'll go down with me."

  "Yes, sir."

  Aaron jogged to his private suite. He took off his formal robes and tossed them onto the bed. He put on a white dress shirt and blue slacks.

  Nancy was waiting for him outside his door. They took the elevator down to the basement.

  After searching for several minutes, they found the errant electrician. He was staring at some conduit and taking notes on a clipboard.

  "Hey!" Aaron yelled. "What the hell are you doing down here?"

  The electrician turned with a startled expression. "Who are you?"

  "I'm Mr. Berrycloth, the owner."

  The electrician's eyes widened. He straightened up and said, "I'm sorry, sir. I didn't recognize you."

  "I asked you a question."

  "I'm just trying to figure out where all the wires go, sir. I'm an electrician. It's my job."

  "Not exactly," Aaron said. "When you were hired, you were explicitly told some sections of the hotel are off limits. You were given maps with those areas outlined in red. You're standing in the middle of one now. You know very well you shouldn't be here. Don't tell me it was an accident."

  The electrician swallowed. "I just wanted to know what the big secret was. I wasn't causing any trouble, sir."

  "Who says there is a big secret?"

  "Everybody knows."

  "What do they know exactly?" Aaron glared at him.

  "That this hotel is a cover for some kind of top secret government agency." The electrician glanced at Nancy nervously.

  "Regardless of whether that's the truth or not, does it give you the right to violate the terms of your employment? I should be able to tell my employees how to behave in my hotel, especially when they're being paid such generous salaries."

  The electrician lowered his eyes. "Yes, sir. It's just..."

  "What?" Aaron said.

  "I was wondering if something else is going on. Maybe it isn't a government agency."

  "So you came down here to get some answers. You thought we wouldn't notice?"

  "I'll leave." The electrician started walking.

  "Wait." Aaron jumped forward and grabbed his arm. "Don't rush off. You were right to be suspicious."

  "I was?"

  "I mistreated you. I withheld information. I apologize for being unfair. Go ahead and explore."

  The electrician stared at Aaron in confusion. "You're not mad?"

  "Not in the slightest."

  "You won't fire me?"

  "Furthest thing from my mind." Aaron waved his hand dismissively. "I'll even give you a tour. We have some amazing equipment down here. Do you want to see? Or would you rather go back to doing your cushy, undemanding job?"

  The electrician furrowed his brow.

  Aaron pointed at a green door at the end of the hall. "What's in there?"

  "The emergency power system," Nancy said. "Four turbo-diesel generators."

  "I'd love to see that. Wouldn't you?" he asked the electrician. "Take a look."

  The electrician glanced at the door. "You're sure?"

  "I'm giving you a free choice. You can go back upstairs and obey my rules from now on. Or you can look behind that door. I won't intervene either way."

  The electrician walked down to the door and tried the handle, but it didn't open. A keypad was attached to the wall.

  "Try 2-3-2-3," Aaron called.

  Nancy squeezed her eyes shut and turned away.

  The electrician punched in the combination. He successfully opened the door this time and entered the room.

  "Cool," he said.

  There was a meaty thwack. A thin stream of blood trickled out of the doorway.

  Aaron turned to Nancy and sighed. "I made a terrible mistake."

  "What, sir?" She peeked at him.

  "Moving my team here. It's just not possible to have adequate security. We're too exposed. I thought I was making a bold and innovative choice. I wanted my people to work in the sky, not under the ground. My inexperience as a commander betrayed me."

  "We'll figure it out."

  "No." He shook his head. "We have to leave. How long will it be until the Chinatown building is ready for us?"

  She grimaced. "Several months, sir. We'll be lucky if it's this year."

  "Let's try to push the schedule. I suppose we can't move until the twins are done with their project, anyway. I don't want to disrupt them. We'll have to make do with this place until then."

  "Yes, sir." She paused. "What about the security upgrades that the legate wants? Are we going to spend a gazillion dollars on brand new weapons and then leave them behind?"

  "Exactly." He looked at the spreading pool of blood by the green door. "Let's clean up this mess and get out of here. We still have a mission to complete."

  * * *

  General Arnold Joseph turned on the television in his office. He took the rubber stress ball from his desk drawer and settled back into a comfortable position. There was a cooking show on the television, but it didn't matter. It just needed to be on.

  "1: LET'S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS," he transmitted using the concealed keypad in the ball. The button combinations used a code for added security. If it fell into the wrong hands, they wouldn't know how to use it. "FOUR, DID YOU TAKE CARE OF PURE AMERICA?"

  The Fourth Corner of Freedom responded quickly, "ALL EXCEPT OLAF." The shimmering, holographic words were laser red on the television.

  "1: WHAT HAPPENED?"

  "4: RELEASED FROM PRISON FIVE MINUTES BEFORE MY MEN GOT THERE. DONE BY FAKE FBI AGENTS. TWO MALES. VERY MUSCULAR. FORGED PAPERWORK. HACKED COMPUTER FILES. NOT AMATEURS."

  The new
s hit Joseph hard. A fake FBI agent had also detonated the bomb last night.

  "1: MUST FIND OUT WHO FAKE AGENTS REALLY ARE!"

  "4: WORKING ON IT."

  The good news was that Olaf didn't know much. The Corners of Freedom had chosen Pure America because of their enthusiastic embrace of ignorance and stupidity. Olaf in particular seemed to have no intellectual curiosity at all. The opposition would get very little information of value from him. The idiot could barely spell his own name.

  "1: WHERE IS PRESIDENT?" Joseph sent.

  "3: SECRET SERVICE CONTACT SAYS HALEY AND DARROW WITH BERNARD TEMPLETON."

  "1: BILLIONAIRE?"

  "3: AFFIRMATIVE. OWNS VERY LARGE CHUNK OF LAND IN RURAL ILLINOIS. FARM COUNTRY. HERE ARE COORDINATES." A latitude and longitude followed the text.

  Joseph copied the numbers to a piece of paper.

  "2: CAN'T LET HALEY OR DARROW GET BACK TO WASHINGTON. NEW BUDGET READY TO SIGN!"

  "1: I KNOW. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO."

  "2: DROP BOMB FROM AIR?"

  "4: TOO HARD TO COVER UP. BOMBERS NEED CREW AND AIR FIELD."

  "3: CHECKING SATELLITE PHOTO NOW. FIVE KILOS C-4 WILL DESTROY HOUSE AND KILL EVERYBODY. BOMB CAN BE SMALL. HAND DELIVER?"

  "1: SECRET SERVICE LOOKING FOR BOMBS."

  "4: DELIVER WITH SMALL UAV?"

  Joseph's eyes widened. "1: YES! USE NEW MOTH-MAN UAV. SINGLE OPERATOR CAN LAUNCH FROM BACK OF TRUCK. VERY STEALTHY."

  "2: GOOD IDEA."

  "3: DON'T LIKE USING REAL MILITARY HARDWARE. MIGHT BE TRACED BACK TO US."

  "1: BLAST WILL DESTROY PLANE AND ALL EVIDENCE. CAN OPERATE AT NIGHT. RANGE 100 KM. NOBODY WILL SEE IT COMING. JUST NEED ONE MAN FOR REMOTE CONTROL."

  "4: I HAVE MAN THAT WILL DO JOB. HIGHLY TRUSTED. ALWAYS FOLLOWS ORDERS."

  "1: I WILL PROVIDE UAV. SHIP TO ILLINOIS TODAY. ATTACK AT 2100 HOURS TONIGHT. WILL USE SPY SATELLITE FOR RECON."

  "4: MAKE SURE ORDERS CAN'T BE TRACED TO YOU."

  "1: I'LL USE SPECIAL SECURITY."

  "3: BLAST WILL KILL MY CONTACT."

  "1: REGRETTABLE BUT NECESSARY. NEED TO ELIMINATE THAT LOOSE END ANYWAY. NEXT TIME WE TALK, WILL BE GOOD NEWS. FREEDOM WILL WIN!"

  * * *

  Aaron and Nancy stepped out of the elevator and walked into the white entry chamber of headquarters. Seeing nobody behind the security glass disturbed Aaron. There was just a tall stack of computers in a rack. Somebody had thoughtfully placed a cowboy hat on top. The real Jack had liked cowboy hats.