Extreme Liquidation: Caitlin Diggs Series #2

by Gary Starta

  “There’s only one thing for sure, Tara.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Celeste is one helluva crime fighter.”

  ***

  “Are we failing?”

  The Master did his best to hide his irritation.

  “Is death your only measure?” The Master was clad in purple. He stared icily at his Apprentice, waiting for the man in black to concede his mistake.

  “You see, my young friend. The seed of discontent now takes a firm hold upon the populace even as we speak. The misdeeds of the senator and Greg Salinger will not be forgotten. The eyes of America and that of the world are now in judgment. I can tell you dissent is in the air, and dissent is sometimes more effective than murder.”

  “I should have known, Master.”

  “You can earn your forgiveness at tonight’s mass. I will prepare you for phase three of our plan. You will find the end is nearer than you think. Soon you will forget all about hate and malice, because you will bask in the golden light of the gods.”

  The Master held his gaze. He needed the Apprentice to believe him. In reality, he had serious doubts the Apprentice would ever be deemed worthy enough to walk among the gods, let alone be one. But Agent Diggs was another matter entirely. She was the key to the ascension. For now, the Master bided his time, choosing to string along his black-hearted companion.

  “Soon the world will become a very volatile place to live in, my friend. Mistrust of American officials will assure this. The end is near. But we can have some fun while we’re waiting.”

  The Apprentice’s eyes lit up. The sudden change in mood reminded the Master of a juvenile delinquent in a candy store. His next suggestions only further compacted the Apprentice’s loyalty.

  “We’re going to try out some new psychotropic drugs.”

  “And our targets, Master?” The Apprentice was nearly salivating.

  “Why some good friends of Agent Diggs, of course.”

  Chapter 17

  Her inquisition had undoubtedly been asked by thousands of other women. All victims of unrequited love yearned to understand why their objects of affection had treated them with no more regard than an empty beer can.

  These women had all become willing victims to indifferent men, yet many still longed for a reason. The hard truth was many would never find solace in words even if their cowardly counterparts dared give them one. This did not daunt the brown-haired woman with the dazzling sapphire blue eyes. She was different—extremely different. And her supercharged, supernaturally enhanced emotions weren’t going to settle for a lame excuse. Not tonight. She finally had him where she wanted him, vulnerable and seated in a public place where she could easily make a spectacle of him.

  “Why did you blow me off?”

  He drank deeply from his goblet of wine, hoping he could summon the right words. In truth, he was hopelessly outmatched. He was a bachelor, quite unaccustomed to the power of a verbal assault or evil-eyed stare often perfected by those mired in long term commitments. Diggs required no such experience to perfect her tactics. Her enhanced emotional capacity made things quite clear, she had Ross Fisher on the ropes. Her icy stare was an encounter of the worst kind.

  The reporter knew the risks going in. He had pushed the warning voice to the back of his mind. It told him she would never forget that he had failed to follow up on his promise of three months earlier. At that time, he had asked Caitlin Diggs for forgiveness. The sentiment hinted he and Diggs shared mutual feelings for one another. But he never called her. Agent Diggs had a legitimate beef. He had blown her off. Now a tidal wave surged up from Caitlin’s emotional well, threatening to break the levy he had haphazardly constructed through negligence. As more and more time passed without a call, the tide had remained still, but grew in capacity. This unbridled force now churned behind the confines of Caitlin’s icy blue stare. It sat there, leering at Fisher, mocking him for being painfully unaware of the power it could unleash.

  TV journalist Ross Fisher had simply asked Caitlin Diggs out to dinner to discuss their future. He had not been prepared to enter into a paranormal romance.

  “I wouldn’t phrase what happened as blowing you off.”

  “Oh, let me see. Would it sound better to you if I referred to it as social outsourcing?”

  Diggs sipped her pink Chablis. She didn’t blink. Her eyes remained fixated on Fisher.

  “Truth is, I don’t know if you would believe my explanation, Caitlin. I let myself get caught up in something all for the sake of breaking a story. A man, I believe he was military, duped me with the promise of creating a better world. He maintained the crystal you were chasing was his key. So I agreed to follow you and Agent Rivers, to alert one of his henchmen when you got close to confiscating the rock. These men... I don’t know who they were... were then supposed to secure the crystal, to take it from you and begin changing the American mindset. He said he could make war a thing of the past. I gave into temptation.”

  Diggs searched her mind, identifying with Fisher’s plight. She too had been recently tempted. But she was not going to let Ross off the hook so easily. She tried to read his emotions but failed. She vowed not to leave the restaurant until she could ascertain if the reporter really cared for her, or was simply using her for his next big story.

  “Can you describe the man who made this proposal to you?”

  Fisher recalled the man’s intimidating stare, his close-cropped red hair and his steely eyes.

  “Oh my God. That’s Colonel Tom Wolvington.”

  “You know him?”

  “I know of him. He’s dead, committed suicide shortly after we wrapped up the case.”

  It was Fisher’s turn to stare. He didn’t have to say a word. She knew his next question.

  “I know this because this man was connected to Alyssa Morgan.”

  “The dead hooker Greg Salinger murdered?”

  “Yes. He had been making regular deposits into Morgan’s account up until his death. It may have given Morgan a reason to take a foolish chance.”

  “A foolish chance?”

  Diggs swallowed hard. She had made a mistake with her implication. Right now, Fisher and the public knew nothing about the psychotropic drug connection to either the Salinger case or the attack made upon Jeremy Jacobsen. It hit her like an epiphany. She wondered what else she would be forced to hide from Ross.

  But no matter what she tried to hide, Ross Fisher seemed to have a knack for uncovering secrets. She recalled the time she had set herself up as a decoy for the Arrowhead Killer in Rhode Island. She had pretended to be someone else, baiting the killer, Lukas Schenker, using herself as a lure so Schenker would break into the house and attempt to kill her. Caitlin planned to apprehend the killer and secure the crystal, but Schenker and the rose quartz rock escaped. At that time, she didn’t know Fisher had been leading one of Wolvington’s soldiers to her for the purpose of claiming the coveted stone. Deceit was running rampant. Diggs had injected some of homeowner’s blood into her, effectively fooling Schenker and the crystal necklace he wore—for an instant. Because the crystal could track victims via their DNA, it eventually recognized that Diggs was not its intended victim and caused Schenker to vanish into thin air. Shortly after, she found Fisher standing outside the residence as if he had been spying on her. At the time, she wondered how Fisher knew the killer had been there.

  The memory angered her. She baited him.

  “Do you think leading me into danger is a great way to bolster your stories?”

  “Of course not. I would never...”

  She cut him off. “But you did. And you’ve never even explained why.”

  “Oh, I’ve always meant to apologize. I was getting to it.” Fisher eyed his goblet nervously. He had nearly drained all the liquid courage from it. “Words can’t convey how sorry I am. I led a dangerous man toward you. I thank God and the Heavens he didn’t kill you.”

  “You suspected the man would kill me, yet you willingly led him to me?�
��

  “It wasn’t quite like that. Wolvington hypnotized me. At first, he must have manipulated my eagerness. Later, when I realized he probably wasn’t going to take the crystal away from you without a fight, it was too late. He had used a little black device to influence my mind. It caused me agony. Every time I tried to resist it, it sent a spike of pain through my skull. You’ve got to believe me, Caitlin, I thought I was going to die.”

  “You didn’t, though. So what changed your mind?”

  “You did. I kept thinking about you and I realized I had to stop the plan, even if it meant my death. As you know, I failed. That’s why I was injured when you saw me at the hospital.”

  Fisher’s confession made Diggs wonder why a man like Col. Tom Wolvington would take such a risk in the first place. Diggs had experienced the evil the crystal had inflicted upon Schenker firsthand. How could Wolvington ever hope to harness its powers? Caitlin knew she had done the right thing. She had cast the rock into the ocean.

  “So you never found the crystal ?”

  She lied. “No, and I’m glad I didn’t. I think the crystal was another instrument of control.”

  “Any guesses as to what became of it?”

  Diggs broke her stare and rapped her fingers upon her goblet.

  “Schenker must have lost it in his travels. I guess we’ll never know the whole story, Ross .”

  “Is it okay if I film an expose about Wolvington? I know much of it will be supposition, but it might make a great piece of film for a documentary. I can envision it in my head. Colonel Tom Wolvington, the man who wanted to control a nation...”

  “It seems you use a lot of supposition in your work. How about the piece you wrote about how Schenker seemingly vanished into thin air. You claimed the FBI possessed a weapon to make people invisible?”

  “It’s a ratings game . Please don’t take it personal.”

  Fisher’s rationality troubled her. How could he ask her not to take it personally? Their dinner together definitely symbolized a date in her opinion. And if they were to continue as a romantic couple, how much more of their relationship would be compromised by dishonesty?

  “Okay . You can go ahead with the story. But don’t quote me as a source.”

  “Thanks . And I really am sorry. You know I felt there was a connection between us the moment we met.”

  Caitlin agreed, but dared not offer a verbal acknowledgement. She would proceed cautiously with Fisher. Diggs ended the evening with another white lie, claiming she had an early morning planned. Fisher could not hide his disappointment. She saw it in his eyes when he dropped her off. She entered her apartment and dropped off to sleep immediately, feeling she had now taken control of their romantic chess game. Although Caitlin had been unable to use her psychic abilities to read Fisher’s emotions, she was sure of one thing—the TV journalist did care for her. Gut instinct told her so.

  ***

  “Deondra, you are right. We are never going to have the luxury of time to develop a drug that can act like a virus or mask itself as alcohol.”

  Pathologist Ed Hoyt had spent the better part of the night devising a game plan. His colleague and romantic partner wore an inquisitive grin.

  “What are you proposing?”

  “I think we can devise a trust spray. If I understood Dudek correctly, I believe that is what he actually requested.”

  “Ed, people can buy a trust spray off the internet. We don’t have to develop one, it is called oxytocin, remember?”

  “What I’m proposing is that we create a super-charged spray, one that could affect a target a lot longer than oxytocin. I believe we can develop this spray utilizing a melanocyte-stimulating hormone.”

  “MSH? I’ve heard it’s been used in trials to correct male sexual dysfunction.”

  “It does more than cure the romantically challenged . MSH is a pituitary hormone that can be absorbed into the system. Oxytocin in spray form lingers in the subject’s nasal passages. Its effects last no longer than a few minutes. But MSH interacts with dopamine, thus creating a longer lasting psychotropic effect. The sexual enhancements it may provide are a direct result of a huge oxytocin release in the system. And with this natural release comes trust.”

  “Then what are we waiting for?”

  Hoyt and Rivers spent the next hours exchanging notes. Ed nearly cried “Eureka” when Deondra suggested they amp up their concoction with calcium ions.

  “See, Deondra, your degree in biochemistry is really paying off.”

  Rivers did not join Hoyt in his elation. She realized this spray very well might violate more than a few civil rights. She had joined law enforcement to uphold these rights, not to destroy them with the manufacture of synthetic potions. She even entertained the thought of using the spray on Diggs and Dudek, to uncover their real agenda.

  Hours passed quickly. By noon, Hoyt and Rivers were ready to test the sample. Deondra readied a needle. The MSH could be administered either by spray or injection.

  “Since this is my suggestion, Deondra, I will volunteer for our very private and illegal drug trial.” He failed in his attempt to grab the needle away from Rivers.

  “I can’t let you, Ed.”

  “Look, this might have some nasty side effects. You’ve already been affected by whatever destroyed Greg Salinger. I’m not going to let that happen to you again.”

  Before he could say another word, Rivers plunged the needle into her forearm.

  ***

  Caitlin’s frustration grew the next day. Background checks on former Genesis Biopharmaceuticals owner Drake Sutter turned up nothing. He hadn’t even been convicted of a driving violation. Ditto for the new owner, Corey Spears. Desperation began to set in. She felt a sudden urge to warn the military. The available data told her the psychotropic drug attacks would continue until the perpetrator’s messages were made clear. They wanted an end to the war. She should have known. Salinger’s home had been filled with paintings giving great significance to America’s war history. Senator Ralston’s attack upon Jacobsen solidified the theory. The senator had even written a book giving credence to a continued war effort in Iraq.

  Somebody was now turning the military’s own weapon against them. Instead of converting soldiers into unrelenting fighting machines, the drug was now being used to discredit or kill the most vociferous supporters of the war. Without an appointment, Diggs found herself at the Pentagon’s threshold. But impulse would not overcome Washington red tape. Diggs would not be given clearance. Instead, Diggs was handed a note. In essence it told her the military was well equipped to handle its own battles, thank you very much.

  As Diggs made her way to her car, a man with snow white hair watched from a distance with the aid of binoculars. He continued watching until she had pulled away and her vehicle was no larger than a speck of dust. He cleared his throat in disgust. He felt he was far too old to right the wrongs of society. Still, he could not ignore an inner voice. It begged him to take action.

  Diggs returned home to find Celeste wrapped happily in Tara’s arms. She couldn’t place the difference, but when she did, her cry was nearly hysterical. Celeste retreated to safer confines, perching herself along the back of Tara’s neck.

  “Sis, you’ve got to watch those emotions. A hair color change is not a life altering event.”

  Caitlin disagreed, taking in Tara’s new look. It reminded Caitlin of herself.

  Was Tara subconsciously fashioning a lifestyle after her? Tara had always marched to a different beat in direct defiance of conformity. The fact she was holding down a regular job continued to both shock and intrigue Caitlin at the same time. Caitlin’s mind flashed back, recalling the visions that seemed to blame her for attempting to shape her sibling’s life. They were painful. They predicted her influence would eventually transform Tara into a bitter old woman. She had no reason to doubt these visions.

  Tara broke her trance with a proclamation.

  “I’ve got great news.”

  Diggs
braced herself. Had Tara pulled a one hundred and eighty degree turnaround? Maybe she would announce her engagement.

  As Diggs absorbed her sister’s next few sentences, she came to realize that maybe her younger sister had only changed in appearance.

  “Is this another one of your schemes?”

  “It’s not a scheme. It’s about Celeste fulfilling her destiny. You wouldn’t want to get in the way of her destiny would you?”

  “You equate a cat show with destiny?”

  “Ms. Petersen thinks it’s very important for Celeste to regain her status as grand champion. Besides, it only involves a few days in New Jersey. I will share a room with her. It won’t cost you that much.”

  “And what about the entrance fee, Tara?”

  “It’s only a few hundred dollars. Best thing is I can register online. I’ll need your credit card.”

  ***

  In Ed Hoyt’s lab, things were getting quite noisy. Deondra’s reaction to the MSH had literally swept her off her feet. She moaned and purred and begged for Ed to demonstrate his love for her. She had always managed to keep one step back in romantic commitments, never allowing emotion to completely overtake her. Even though she loved Ed with all her heart, she knew he was still a man, and men had flaws. Could she really believe Ed would be her partner for life? The MSH dissipated all doubt. Yes, Ed was her man. And she would take his love right now, in the very confines of this room, no matter the consequence.

  As Ed and Deondra became entangled as one, they both became lost in the moment. A near public display of affection was a great aphrodisiac for Hoyt as well. As their bodies continued to churn and grind against one another, neither noticed they were being watched. Agent Sanchez had walked in on them. He now stood there helpless, as if he were a fly caught in a spider’s web. His mouth fell open. The pathologist and agent were stripped to their undergarments. He began to stammer something about checking up on a hair sample as he backpedaled out of the room via its swinging doors. Not all of Rivers had succumbed to the drug’s effects. A small part of her reveled at being caught in the act even if it meant she would forever be the subject of water cooler gossip.