“Hey, I lined us up some real business,” Connor said, changing the subject.
“Good,” Nate replied. “The faster the crew sees real money coming in, the faster they will know this ain’t Fantasy Island.”
“You may be right about that Nate,” Connor agreed. “All this stuff probably has a few of them wondering what they got themselves in to.”
“If we have time this morning I think we should go over the details of security,” Nate reminded him. “Maybe we can make a small start in reversing this trend of making the Nation’s secrets into an open book.”
“I agree,” Connor said. “We will go over the power and status of Attila, and get them used to using the proper procedures for accessing the room. I will still be expecting a call from Derek sometime this morning after he has a chance to go over the data I sent him.”
“You know I have been meaning to discuss our account with you Thomas. How do you want me to account for any withdrawals I make? We have to lead by example for the crew.”
“You mean we can’t tell them to do as we say and not as we do?” Connor laughed.
“I know it sounds funny,” Nate continued, “and you probably think we’re too old to bother with this little crap, because of the amount of money you have managed to attain.”
“No Nate, I think we will keep it all on the up and up. Attila already has our business accounting program, so we will just start a separate account for each of us. You know how to start your own company in it, so I will do mine, and you do yours. We will compare notes each month when the statement comes out, okay?”
“That will work,” Nate replied. “I just hate answering the inevitable question from these guys…”
“Yea, like do we keep track of everything we spend like we ask them to do?”
“Exactly,” Nate affirmed. “Nothing more irritating than to get those looks, and rolling eyes, from teenagers thinking we are just a couple more old hypocrites.”
Connor laughed. “This will be good practice for you in handling Nate Jr., and anymore little Johnsons in the future.”
“I think I am too old for another child,” Nate said.
“Man, when you are rich,” Connor reminded him. “You are never too old when you have money.”
“You and Claire sound alike,” Nate grimaced. “She has wanted another baby since little Nate turned two.”
“I vote with Claire,” Connor said.
“Figures,” Nate said, pushing him in the head, “but thankfully, no mutant vote counts at our house.”
They heard voices in the outer office, and Barf s greeting bark. When Nate and Connor reached the shop, the crew was already sweeping up. Nate walked over to Sammy and Luke, who looked like young Wall Street businessmen. They both wore dark, tailored suits and ties. Their shoes were mirror bright.
“You gentlemen look very professional,” Nate said admiringly. “Thomas has the gig laid out on the office computer, so why don’t we go on in and go over the details.” Nate led them into the front desk area.
Connor stayed out with the rest of the crew. He picked out the limousine for Sammy and Luke to use. Henry went over, called up the maintenance checklist off of the shop computer, and printed it out. He handed the list to Connor.
“I want all four of you to take this limo through its paces together. We want everything from the shine to the smell inside to be first class.” Connor handed Henry the list back, and watched the crew go over the limo from front to rear, using the checklist guide. When they were through Connor walked over again.
“When you have checked out a vehicle, I want two signatures, or initials, with the time and date at the bottom where you see the blanks. Whatever team signs off on a particular vehicle will be responsible for it. Learn to be fast, but thorough. All of you will do your turn at driving, so I want you to only have to concentrate on your driving when you get behind the wheel. I also want a check of the surveillance cameras and intercom before it leaves.” Connor paused.
“I don’t want to sound too stiff today with you,” he said smiling. “It’s just I’m probably more nervous about this than Luke and Sammy.”
They laughed in appreciation. Nate came back out with his drivers in tow. Connor directed them into the limo the crew had just checked out. Sammy put on the headset and started the vehicle, while Luke engaged the on board GPS tracking system, and keyed in their first pickup. Everyone else followed Nate and Connor into the back; where they made sure the cameras were functioning, and Sammy could hear them. They then adjourned to the recreation room and put the tape in. When their video and sound checked out, Connor had Sammy and Luke run through the customer relations part once more.
Connor and Nate went through the process and problems of keeping information secure. They stressed the importance of making sure every detail of every piece of information accessed in the super station remained secure. Connor had guidelines posted in the room itself, detailing information handling, and checklists. Connor explained the print ID check being installed later in the day, along with the ID cards they would be issued.
Later, after the two young men had left to pick up their charges, Nate and Connor left the other four to do the check out on the onboard systems and video with Attila. They were to come and get them if they noticed anything out of the ordinary. The two men went back out to the bar and poured coffee for themselves. Nate laughed as he watched Connor fidgeting around out of character.
“Calm down Mutie. Those boys will do just fine. You are really wired over this.”
“Hell Nate, this stuff is exciting.”
“I have one word for you Thomas: decaf.”
Connor laughed and took another sip. “I know they will be fine, and we will have completed our first surveillance mission without a hitch. I can’t believe we are actually in business.”
“By the end of the day I am going to get away from you. Being close would be like waiting for the Sun to go nova. I guess the Batman will be out cruising for action tonight.”
“I will be drained by then,” Connor sighed. “Besides, I will need to meet with Derek, after I make sure our security system gets put in today. We still need to set up appointments for tomorrow if our trial run ends successfully.”
“I will handle the bookings Thomas. Anything else on the agenda for today?” Nate asked.
“We’ll just keep up on our teaching in between times,” Connor replied. “You work the accounting end in the office, and I will stay with the maintenance end out in the shop. We’ll leave Henry with Attila.”
“Okay Captain, let’s get back to work,” Nate said, grabbing Connor’s shirt front and pulling him up.
The day went by without incident. Both customers were dropped off and served uneventfully. The surveillance tapes were checked out and erased. Nate took the time to show nuances in customer’s speech, and body motions, to show the crew how to detect anything interesting. After the ID station outside Attila was installed, Connor passed out the ID cards. They practiced entry and paper trail logging.
Nate made four more appointments for the following day, as he and Connor had decided Sammy and Luke were ready to go it alone. They assigned the watch crew, who would also send out feedback cards to customers, and work on the customer invoice database. Henry and Jeremiah were assigned shop duty. The crew of young men was almost as enthusiastic as Connor had been all day. They took turns taking calls during the day, as Nate allowed them to handle the details of scheduling under his supervision. Before long, they were booked up a week in advance, even with Nate telling Connor he could get Joseph and Henry on the road too.
Connor’s secured phone in the super station rang, which automatically signaled him out in the shop. He made his way back by Nate, who turned to watch him in time to see the secured entrance to the room open by itself as Connor walked quickly in. The door closed behind him. Jeffrey and Joseph, who Nate was teaching basic accounting principals to, had also noticed. They looked now at Nate, who was smiling and shaking his
head.
“I guess for security purposes,” Jeffrey said, “we better hope there are no more guys out there like Mr. Connor.”
“Son,” Nate said without hesitation, “you will not have to worry about that. I only know of one mutant in the world and he just entered the secured room without a key.”
The two boys laughed with Nate joining them. “You really think he’s a mutant Mr. Johnson?” Joseph asked.
“Well his ass didn’t drop in from Krypton,” Nate joked to the boy’s appreciative laughter. “Let’s get back to work.”
Connor picked up the headset, and began an automatic trace on the call. He watched as the screen in front of him began to bounce around with the signal.
“Connor here.”
“Thomas,” Derek’s voice said shakily. “Karen gave me your message and I have been working on the information. Do you think both you and Nate could meet me at this address?” Quenton gave Connor an address on the outskirts of the city. “We need to meet as soon as you two can come.”
“We will lock up here, and get there in about an hour,” Connor confirmed. “Will that be okay?”
“Sure Thomas,” Quenton replied. “That would be fine, see you then.”
The line went dead, as Attila still chased the signal without luck. Connor ended it from his end. He knew he could find Derek. He rushed out of the super station, causing Nate to jump up and meet him.
“We have got to go Nate,” Connor said hurriedly. “We’ll leave the boys on their own until they want to go. Quenton’s in trouble. I don’t know what kind, but I know he is.”
“Do you know where he is?” Nate asked, following Connor.
“He gave me an address to go to, and we will head there, but I will be scouting ahead.”
Nate nodded his understanding. “We’ll take my Lincoln in case I need some tools.”
The two men grabbed their coats, and told the crew to finish up, and to hang around as long as they wanted. Barf tried to follow, but Connor motioned him back inside. With Nate behind the wheel of the Lincoln, and the address dialed into the on board GPS system, Connor leaned back and closed his eyes.
He swept up out of body, pausing until he could feel Quenton. Streaking with the speed of thought, Connor wound up in a house. Quenton sat with his head in his hands. Two men were drinking at the small bar on the other side of the house. Connor recognized the man seated in front of the bar as being one of the Senators in the information he had given Quenton.
“Derek, do not look up and give me away,” Connor projected to him as Quenton tensed, and then held still.
“I have not been able to tell you about this stuff yet,” Connor projected. “I have only had a chance to tell Karen, and that was only last night. I know we are in trouble. I want you to think the answer, as if you were silently going over a speech you wanted to memorize.”
“Thomas,” Quenton thought as he began to cry, which provoked laughter from the men at the bar. They looked at him with disgust.
“Easy buddy,” Connor soothed. “I’m here, and I will make things right. Go ahead, just like I told you.”
Quenton took a deep breath, and kept his head in his hands as he concentrated. “They have my baby Thomas. They have her wired up with explosives, and there are three dead man switches in three different locations. They think I control you and Nate, and you will both do what I order done. If I cannot get you to do what they want from now on, my daughter will be killed.”
“Okay,” Connor acknowledged, “how do you know they have your daughter?”
“I met with these two,” Quenton explained, “and the Senator gave me an envelope with a large…lock of my daughter’s hair, and a letter saying she was okay.”
“The pricks didn’t even allow you to talk to her?”
“No…Thomas, what can I do?”
“Take the envelope with her hair in it out,” Connor directed, “and take the lock of hair into your hand, and just hold it.”
Quenton straightened up, and took the envelope out. Connor saw his hand shakily grasp the lock of hair, and grip it in his fist. Connor gripped it with him. In seconds, he knew she was alive, and where they were holding her.
“She’s fine Derek,” Connor projected to him. “I will free her, and have her picked up. Nate and I will be here right on time.”
“Please Thomas, Please.”
“She will be fine my friend,” Connor guaranteed, “but no one else will. Hang on now.”
Quenton nodded as he continued to grip the lock of his daughter’s hair.
Connor straightened next to Nate. “They have his daughter Nate, wired up with explosives, and three dead man’s switches in three different locations.”
“What do you want done,” Nate asked grimly.
“Get Sammy on the phone and give him this address.” Connor wrote down the address on his notepad, and tore it off to hand over to Nate. “Tell him to go up to the door of the house and knock three times. Take the girl who comes to the door to our place, and then lock down and wait for us.”
“You going there now?”
Connor smiled grimly. “Yea, I’m goin’ there and set things right. Then you and I will keep our date. Don’t get too near until I get back. Stay a couple of blocks away.”
Nate punched the quick dial number on his council to phone Sammy, while Connor leaned back once again. He was inside an empty dark cellar, with a chair in the middle of it. Derek’s daughter sat bound and gagged to it, with C-4 explosives tied all around her. She trembled in fear, as tears streamed down her face. Connor drifted outside of the structure. The building was guarded on the outside by only three men. Connor literally tore their necks out, and then streaked back inside. He disarmed the mechanisms from within.
“Kim,” Connor projected.
Her whole body shook. “Take it easy honey. I am a friend of your father’s, who has some special powers, your Dad can explain to you later. I am going to release you, and then I want you to go up out of this cellar, and wait until you hear someone knock on the door three times. Go with him in the limousine, and your Father and I will be there shortly. If you understand just nod.”
Kim nodded, and Connor made the restraints fall away. She stood up shakily, and took off her gag. “Why can’t.”
“Don’t talk Kim. Go upstairs now and wait,” Connor directed. “I will wait with you until you hear the knock.”
She nodded as she stared fearfully around the room, looking for the source of the voice in her head. She made it to the stairs, and walked upwards, carefully gripping the rail. She went through the door to the basement, and covered her eyes against the light. Kim sat down near the entrance of the abandoned house on the floor as Connor had directed her.
“Are…are you still here,” she asked.
“I will be here until I get you picked up Kim,” Connor projected. “Just relax, and your ride out of here will arrive shortly.”
Connor heard the limousine pull up outside, and then an involuntary gasp as Sammy saw the dead men. Three knocks sounded on the door. Kim jumped up, and ran to throw open the door, causing Sammy to jump back a little. Kim threw her arms around his neck, and began crying. Sammy recovered his poise a little, and held her. He pulled her out of the house, and over to the limousine. Connor saw Luke at the wheel. The rear door opened and Sammy helped Kim into the backseat. When they were on their way, Connor rejoined Nate.
“Let’s go pay them a visit my friend,” Connor said smiling. “Sammy and Luke have Kim with them, and are on their way to our place.”
“Outstanding,” Nate said. He looked over at Connor. “What do you have in mind? You aren’t going to hog all the fun, are you?”
“I am going to let Derek call the shots,” Connor replied. “We have three United States Senators in on this. The stakes are big on this play. If it were up to me, well…you know…I don’t have to spell it out.”
“Likewise,” Nate agreed. “It will be interesting to see what Derek does.”
&nb
sp; “Yea, I guess it will. He was really shook Nate, and I know the feeling.”
“Well, here we are,” Nate said.
They pulled up in front of a two-story house, with a van parked in the double sized driveway. Two men in dark suits and sunglasses stood outside.
“You think these guys are government Thomas?”
“Hell, I don’t know. Want to just play until we get inside, and see what Derek wants to do?”
“Yea,” Nate answered. “I think that would be better.”
Connor led the way over to the men and showed them his NSA badge with Nate right behind him. The man on the left nodded, and waved them in. Connor walked into the entranceway, and saw Quenton sitting on the couch in a living room off to the right of him. Connor led the way over, with Nate checking for other people on the balcony above. Quenton jumped to his feet as Connor and Nate entered the room. Nate walked over to the bar, smiling at the Senator, and the man next to him. The man next to the Senator put his hand into his coat on what Nate could see was the handle of a handgun. Connor walked over to Quenton, and bent around to his ear.
“I have Kim on her way, safe and sound, to our place Derek.”
Quenton looked at him in disbelief at first, and then his fists clenched. He turned and charged the Senator. Nate saw what was coming just in time. Nate put one hand quickly over the man’s gun hand in front of him, and dropped him with a right to his temple. The Senator put up his hands, as Quenton slammed into him, carrying him first into the edge of the bar, and then down to the carpeted floor.
An unintelligible whine issued from Quenton’s mouth, between his clenched teeth. He pummeled the now screaming Senator slowly with one fist, and then the other, as Connor and Nate headed quickly to the house entrance. The front door swung open, and Nate smashed the first one through it to the floor. Connor disarmed the second one, and chopped him to the back of his neck, just short of breaking it. Nate picked up the guns, as Connor hurried back to the living room. Blood was everywhere from the Senator’s face, as he weakly tried to ward off Quenton’s blows. Connor picked up Quenton easily, with him still swinging.
American Mutant Page 25