The Carbon Trap (The Carbon Series Book 1)

by Randy Dutton

  Knowing her future sister-in-law enjoyed ancient and unconventional ideas, Mac suggested the inclusion of a Greek custom. A fire caldron representing the bride’s hearth was set up on the deck and was kept burning for the evening. Mac explained that the ancient tradition followed that the torch, lit from the bride’s hearth on her wedding night, was used to light the one in her new home. A single unlit torch lay in wait for the proper moment. Additional Tiki torches flickered around the patio deck perimeter to reference love and the Greek god of marriage Hymenaios.

  Herb, a Methodist minister, had brought his iPod with the Wedding March and an ensemble of other oft used songs.

  Anna sat down with him as if he were a favorite uncle. With selections from her own iPod, she coordinated the songs she favored, which gravitated to the classical. One she particularly loved was Johann Sebastian Bach’s ‘Air on the G String.’ Deftly, she included favorites from each of her soon-to-be relatives, including Pachelbel's ‘Canon’ for Irma, and Rascal Flatts’ ‘Bless the Broken Road,’ for Pete. In remembrance of her parent’s wedding, ‘Le Vie en Rose’ was to be the first slow dance.

  Expecting to wear a simple dress she had picked up at a local shop, Anna was overwhelmed when Paula offered her own exquisite white satin and lace wedding dress. Because Paula had been about Anna’s size before children, Irma needed to make only a few alterations while the women doted on her.

  Mac, ever-experienced in dressing up for ice shows, put Anna’s wavy hair in a fashionable side-swept style with a ringlet softening the effect. It was a hairstyle Anna favored, and one she knew Pete particularly adored.

  Paula’s husband, George, was completely in the dark. Not having been privy to the previous days’ conversations, he knew only what Paula would tell him – Anna’s first name, and that she’s a cool chick and worthy of Pete. Beyond that, she told him, don’t ask any questions, and don’t tell anyone else – he was drafted as the music coordinator.

  Mac’s fiancé, Henry, became the wedding photographer and was under the same gag rule as George.

  To top off the wedding contributions, Irma’s deceased mother’s elegant wedding ring became Anna’s – a point of honor for the bride-to-be. It showed inclusiveness into the family that her future mother-in-law would insist upon such a symbol.

  As the hour of the ceremony approached, the evening temperatures dropped to a comfortable 75 degrees with a slight northerly breeze. The sky filled with puffy clouds – simulating a child’s stuffed animals, and the setting sun tinged them with warm colors.

  For Pete and Anna, the wedding was the perfect small family gathering.

  Irma, skeptical as she was with the strange girl who had precipitated this sudden event, gripped Tom’s hand tighter as she saw her eldest son, at the altar, happier than she’d ever seen him.

  The music started.

  Leading the procession were Patrick as the best man and MacKenzie as the bridesmaid. Next to stroll down the aisle were Paula’s son as ring bearer – ring bear he called it—and her rose petal sprinkling daughter.

  Lastly, Jim Hancock played the traditional role in escorting Anna to the altar, an honor he relished.

  Pete in his black tux, and Anna in the flowing white gown, took their vows on a gorgeous evening in a turbulent world.

  Anna welled up with emotion. She had a family at last, and the loneliness each had felt in their souls evaporated.

  Together, they were complete, bound together by an irresistible force.

  Through the evening they danced and ate. Anna had just one glass of Champagne, announcing that henceforth she was a teetotaler – at least until after the baby was born.

  They told family stories until midnight.

  At the witching hour, a decorated 1908 Concord buggy pulled by two of Paula’s white Arabians, arrived next to the patio.

  Anna turned to Pete with an astonished expression.

  He swept her up, bridal train and all, stepped onto a conveniently located platform, and placed her onto the red leather bench seat. With practiced flair, he jumped aboard and slowly drove the black vehicle down the wooded path.

  Anna clung to his arm and her head rested on his shoulder while they rolled through a Tiki torch lit wooded corridor.

  Her eyes misted with appreciation as she was carried over the threshold into the original Heyward homestead cabin. It was lit with a hundred candles and a fire in the fireplace.

  With the release from a long kiss, she noticed a Tiki torch lying just inside the natural stone fireplace as testimony that the flame had been transferred. Smiling at the symbolism, her eyes rose to the bed just past it. Her smile widened.

  A surprise waited for Pete as well. Patrick had set up a stereo in the cabin with a playlist Anna had provided. It was triggered to start the moment the newlyweds crossed the threshold. As they romanced, Scaramucce serenaded the new couple.

  Chapter 71

  August 4, 0700 hours

  Heyward Ranch, Denton, TX

  Morning came and a small bell tinkled outside the cabin.

  Pete rolled onto the edge of the bed, careful not to wake his bride. Moving gingerly, he reached for his prosthetic near the foot of the bed and inserted its titanium support into his leg’s receiver. He tightened the bracket and stood, testing the connection. He slipped on a pair of warm-ups, and went to the door.

  Outside was a tray of fruit, juice, hot coffee, and nobody in sight. He smiled at how supportive and courteous his family was being to the stranger he had introduced into their fold just days earlier.

  This is a beautiful ending to the best 24 hours of my life. I’ve never had so much fun or felt so content. And the music last night held the mood. And I’m going to be a father! I still feel giddy.

  He brought the tray in and poured two cups, then looked over at her stretched out naked body, her lower half still covered by a sheet. Disheveled hair partly covered her face, which was facing the back wall.

  He felt an exhilaration he never knew could exist. I’ve got such pleasure in loving her. I wonder if she’s as physically exhausted as me?

  He looked around his one-room honeymoon suite – the historic log cabin first built by his homesteading great grandfather. Next to an antique full-length mirror, an antelope antler coat hook held the wedding dress on one side, his tux on another. Both were neatly draped on wood hangers. Past that, in a corner, he noticed for the first time, her suitcase and large cosmetic case.

  What a planner. She even arranged a change of clothes.

  For Anna, the aroma of coffee was the first indication of a new day. She moaned softly as she rolled over to look at Pete standing near the wooden table in the one-room cabin. “Hello, husband,” she softly announced, gently brushing hair off her face.

  Pete knelt and kissed her. “Hello, wife.”

  Her nose wrinkled. “Okay, that just sounds weird. Dear, darling, honey works, but nothing so stilted.”

  “Okay, Babe,” he said.

  They both laughed.

  He placed a steaming mug into her outstretched hand.

  The sheet slid off when she sat up to savor the drink.

  He picked her iPod out of the stereo and turned it on. “The music last night was perfect,”

  “I’m glad you approved.”

  He scrolled to ‘wedding’ playlist then sat down next to her. “Mac wants to use some of the songs for her own wedding. That okay?”

  “Sure. I’m flattered.”

  “Hers will be much more country western—”

  “I have no doubt.” She chuckled.

  “But she wants to include some of your European and classical flair...thinks it adds class. Last night’s rendition of ‘Le Vie en Rose’ was hauntingly beautiful, but here”—he angled the screen to her—“you only have Marie listed.... What’s the artist’s full name?”

  “Scroll to the cover art.” Anna pursed her lips.

  “Wow, she looks very much like...” His mouth hung open as his eyes shifted to her then back to the
screen. “Your mother was named Marie.”

  She nodded slowly. “I took the last name off to protect my new identity.”

  “It’s nice to have had your mother sing at our wedding.”

  “Yes, it was,” she said softly. Her eyes drifted to the suitcase and then him.

  He stroked her hair. “It must be hard leaving a life behind so abruptly.”

  Quietly, she sipped the coffee. “Pete? I was thinking.…”

  “What about?”

  She bit her lip and deeply inhaled. Her eyes looked at him through the steam and she slowly exhaled. “I need to go back to France and close up shop.”

  Pete’s vision narrowed at her words. His back stiffened and there was trepidation in his voice. “No! I don’t want you going back! You’re safe here, and in danger there.”

  She cocked her head, her voice stayed reassuring. “I have to, Darling. I haven’t entirely left that life behind. I have things there that can track them back here.”

  “What could they possibly find?” He stood, half expecting an intruder to rush in.

  Softness had failed. Her voice hardened. “Your file for one! Before we met, I had a lot of research done on your whole family. It’s in the computer and there are hard copies. It’s all accessible.”

  “You hide things well. Maybe they won’t find it,” he said hesitantly.

  She became more urgent. “Don’t you see? I panicked in Vegas. I never meant to come here so soon. Swanson will get suspicious.”

  “Why?”

  “I’m behind schedule checking in. He gets anxious when schedules aren’t met.”

  Standing, she took the orange juice and downed it, then walked naked to the luggage and carried both cases to the bed. She started removing items from the titanium cosmetic case.

  “I’ll go! Let me do it.” He paced the small cabin, knocked off kilter by what she was doing.

  From a thin box, she pulled off a stick-on tattoo and pressed it to her shoulder. Next she used a cosmetic pencil to apply freckles and some moles to her face, arms, and upper chest.

  Pete stared at the transformation. His patience was wearing thin. “Well?”

  Calmly, she placed the pencil back in the case, then started applying a bronzing crème from a tube to her body, rapidly making it darker toned. She broke her silence. “No. There are biosensors that only I can access.”

  “When would you go?” he asked with trepidation.

  “Today...this morning.” She opened up a secret compartment from the case and lifted out one of several envelopes.

  “But—” His eyes revealed the shock he felt.

  She interrupted him. “Darling, the earlier I go, the safer we are. If I wait, it may be too late.”

  “Why are you changing your appearance?”

  “Because I’m traveling on a different passport.” She dumped the contents of the envelope onto the table.

  He stared at the pile that included a passport and matching set of identification. He opened the document cover and compared the photo with her current appearance. “Syrian? Where did you get this?”

  “Gadget got me quite a few sets of ID over the years, but since he’s done business with Swanson, I can’t trust those. I have a second cobber in Houston he doesn’t know about.”

  “Cobber?”

  “Document forger.”

  “Oh, of course,” came his sarcastic response.

  Wrinkling her nose, she looked down at her body. “I would have preferred to shower first but that would mean going to the house.” She gave Pete an annoyed look. “I don’t want your mom asking questions.”

  “She would, too.”

  She handed him a second tube of bronzer. “You can help me...or just watch.”

  “I’ll go with you.” He resigned to her going, while admittedly enjoying touching her back with the cool lotion. “I’ve come too far to risk losing you now.”

  “No!” Her voice was determined. “If you go, someone could link us. Then, even without them having the files, we’re in danger. Don’t you see? I have to go alone to break the links.”

  “Can you send anyone else to do it?” Pete pled for an alternative. “How about your servant?”

  “No. I’ve kept it all separate. Maulana’s a nice but simple guy. He’s incapable of handling this. And if Swanson sends Jared, then he has the means and skills to break into my security.”

  Pete’s mind raced as his life pivoted from ecstasy to catastrophic. He frowned and tried to wrap his arms around his bride.

  She held up her darkened hand. “Uh huh...it’s not dry yet,”

  “I hate this…but I understand. Before you go, you need to tell me exactly what you plan to do.”

  “Yes, Darling.” She stood naked in front of the mirror, turning in different angles, evaluating her artistry. She nodded satisfaction, then reached to the breakfast tray and popped a strawberry in her mouth. Chewing, she started dressing, ending with a flowery Mediterranean-style dress.

  Patrick drove Pete’s SUV several vehicles behind the newlyweds in Anna’s rental car. He yawned from having been woken with an urgent call an hour earlier. He turned on the 9AM news as he drove.

  “This is Jill Brent of Global Heartbeat Network. Today is August 4, and here is the news: The Department of Homeland Security announced that a swarm of computer attacks erupted yesterday against several industries, including global oil, gas, coal companies and their suppliers, and most of the major financial companies. Computer security experts say they’ve never seen such intense and specifically targeted attacks. One expert said the variety of attacks was unprecedented, adding that they were coming from almost every hacker group in the world. This expert said the hackers extracted nearly all internal correspondence, confidential financial records, and intellectual property. Damage to industrial systems in these companies is wide-spread as internal control systems go haywire. Hackers also had installed malware designed to disrupt operations for weeks. Soon after the attacks started, major parts of the Internet collapsed. DHS experts did not say when they believed Internet functionality would resume.

  “Coincidentally, several US oil, gas, and coal companies were spared the attacks when insiders claimed to have received a tip that allowed them to disconnect from the Internet just before the attacks began. Our sources were unable to confirm the origin of the tip.”

  Patrick slapped the dashboard. “Whoa boy, bet Dad’s glad he listened to Anna!”

  Anna continued her transformation in the rental car while Pete drove. She had just finished applying covering makeup to a slightly convex nose augmentation she had added in the cabin.

  “So you’re just going to sneak in and destroy the records and get out?” Pete asked again.

  She was studying the makeup case mirror and applying heavy eye shadow. “It’s actually very simple. I’ll use the tunnel.”

  “What about Swanson? Won’t he have it guarded?”

  “You’re the only one who knows about it, or my armory.”

  “But he bought the villa. He might have the work permits or construction blueprints—”

  “Those don’t exist. I personally supervised and paid the off-the-book foreign workers to do the work.” She was now thickening her lashes.

  “And you’ll be back tomorrow evening?”

  “I should be, but I’ll call you from a prepaid phone to confirm.” She used a lip stamp to apply a heavy red lipstick, making her lips even fuller than they already were.

  His face scrunched. “That doesn’t match—”

  She pulled a skull net and copper-colored wig out of her bag. “You were saying?” She grinned while clipping it in place.

  “Never mind.”

  She smiled briefly at him while rearranging the push-up bra that made her look one size larger. “Pete, you really didn’t need to come with me to the airport.” Anna laid her hand on his thigh as he drove.

  “Are you kidding? I’ve been married less than a day and my pregnant wife, who doesn’t look muc
h like her anymore, is going on what well could be a suicide mission, while leaving a trained Marine to wait at home!”

  “Well, I do see the irony.” She inserted a dental overlay that made her teeth look uneven and nicotine-stained. “Listen, I’ll be alright. I’ll have a story fabricated just in case, that’ll keep Swanson at bay. I’m good at stories.” She looked sweetly at him through long bangs.

  “Anna, just remember this story is supposed to end with…’and they lived happily ever after.’”

  “We will, Darling. We will.”

  Glancing out the window at the airport terminal, she privately worried this personal mission would fall apart. “Pete, as we discussed, I’ll use prepaid cell phones to contact you periodically via your laptop. I’ll destroy each one and throw the carcass away after I’ve used it. I’ll use your code ‘Albuquerque’ if everything’s okay, and ‘Las Vegas’ if I’m in trouble. I’ve got one of the Krugerrands in my purse. I’ll turn it on when I get near the villa but no sooner.”

  “You’ll use the advanced setting, right?” He was adamant. “A ping every hour is too long.”

  “Yes, Dear. You’ll be able to watch my pings by the minute. You can track it with your laptop interfaced to the GPS tracking site on the satellite uplink.”

  “Does Swanson or Jared know how to use them?”

  “No. They’d never suspect I’d reverse the use, nor about the advanced setting.”

  “Didn’t you say the ping rate was affected by how warm it was?”

  “Only in standard mode. If I smash it with a hammer, or shield it with a metal case, the signal will stop. And just remember, my armory’s shielded, so the coin will go dark for awhile. I’ve got to destroy the files and computers at the villa first, and then at another site I set up. I have self-destruct plans for each; I just have to activate them. I’ll tell you what....”

  He looked at her with curiosity.

  “As a distraction, why don’t you find a place on the Olympic Peninsula where we can live to a ripe old age with our family?”

  Pete swallowed hard at Anna’s confidence in their future. “I will.”