by J. Thorn
Both were as close to me as their cuffs allowed. They didn’t seem to notice each other. Just me. Lucky me.
I took a good look at my brother, then started up the stairs.
“Don’t leave!” Joe croaked.
“Joe...”
“Please, Jack. I’ll be good, I swear.” He sounded like a scolded child. Still, I hesitated for a moment. Then he lunged again—and shook loose a little dust from the beams and ceiling.
I almost wept for my lost brother. I couldn’t believe I had to chain up my flesh and blood in my cellar. I moved again to the stairs toward the morning light in the kitchen. I tried to block their sounds and clumsy movements from my mind. It was one of the hardest things I’d ever done. So far.
Chapter Ten
It was fortunate that Anna was a good liar. It came easily to her and, although she tried her best not to, she could look someone straight in the eye and make almost anything up.
Her ability to lie so well was something, she knew, that her Daddy wasn’t exactly proud of.
So, when the Agents arrived at the zoo the next day, she was studying with Jared at a picnic table away from the main road. Anna and Jared had seldom spent a day apart from each other for the last month or so. Some people might call it puppy love, but she knew differently—and so did he. They were completely at ease together. Anna could talk to him about anything, and he never thought she was crazy.
So, when the strange men approached, Anna immediately put her guard up. Jared immediately sensed something was wrong, too.
“Who are they?” he asked as the two men in black suits approached their picnic table.
Anna smiled at Jared. “No one.”
“Right,” he said sarcastically.
Agent Number One, as Anna had already named him in her head, looked down at the two teens and smiled. “Are you Anna Carter?”
She frowned innocently. “Yes?”
Agent Number Two spoke. “Is your father Jack Carter?”
“Is there something wrong with him?” Anna perfectly feigned concern. She stood up and Jared stood with her.
“No, no,” Number One answered mildly. Anna took Jared’s hand as the two Agents sat down. “Your dad’s fine. We just want to talk to you for a minute, if that’s all right.”
Anna maintained her frown as she and Jared sat again. “What about?”
“You have an uncle, don’t you?” Number Two asked.
“Yeah. My Uncle Joe. He’s in the Navy. Is he okay? Who are you?”
Both flipped open official badges and closed them quickly, but not before Anna read the acronym: CREW.
Number Two was the friendlier of the two. “We’re trying to locate him. Have you seen him?”
She shook her head. “He’s on leave. I think he’s on vacation somewhere.” She was about to add that her Uncle Joe always sent her postcards, but remembered to say as little as possible.
“Well, we’re in the military, too,” Number One said. “And we’re trying to find your uncle. We have an important assignment for him.”
“Very important,” Number Two chimed in, still smiling. “Something’s come up and the Navy feels your uncle would be the best man for the job. It would really help his career if we could talk to him.”
“Really? Like top-secret stuff?” Anna didn’t let a hint of anxiety show. She was on stage, after all.
The Agents locked eyes behind their shades, communicating something Anna didn’t understand. Did they believe her? Jared sat quietly next to her. Only he knew how Anna’s hand was beginning to sweat.
“Something like that,” Number One answered. “The problem is, we don’t know where he went. We thought you or your father might know.”
“Wow. I’d hate for him to miss something big,” Anna said, excited. “You should ask my dad. Want me to call him?” She reached for her cell.
Number One stayed her hand. She was pretty good, he thought. She might be telling the truth. Anna, of course, had no way of knowing that her father was being questioned right now, too. The CREW had timed their visits so father and daughter wouldn’t have a chance to talk beforehand.
“You don’t need to call him,” Number One added. “We’ve already put a call into him.” Number One gazed at the zoo animals and visitors for a moment.
Anna didn’t dare look at Jared. She knew he was totally confused. And she couldn’t risk any conversation with him. Not until these two CREW agents left. Even then, she wasn’t sure what she would tell her friend. She didn’t like keeping secrets from Jared. But this was really important. She also didn’t want anyone to take her Uncle Joe. Especially now that she saw these two Agents. They were being untruthful to her. She could feel it. She didn’t feel bad about deceiving them. Not one bit.
“Gosh,” she said.
“Yes, it’s a shame we can’t reach him,” Number Two declared. Number One nodded in agreement. “If only we knew where he was, I’m sure he would jump at this opportunity.”
“Chance of a lifetime,” Number One sighed. “Maybe there’s a place he likes to go to get away? An old cabin, or maybe he likes to fish?”
“Hmm,” Anna tried to think of the least helpful information for these guys. “I know he used to go to Mexico, but not anymore. He would take me to SeaWorld sometimes.”
Neither Agent commented on this. Instead, Number Two changed the subject. “You’re home-schooled, Miss Carter?”
“Y-yes,” Anna wasn’t expecting this. How did they know?
“And you live here? With your dad, right? Do you live here all the time, or do you stay somewhere else?”
Jared could feel the electricity pulsing from her hand to his. He’d waited patiently until now, but he could feel she was becoming upset. “Hey, she already answered your questions. Why do you want to know where she lives? Don’t you need some kind of permission? I mean, we’re minors and all that.”
Number One’s smile fell away for an instant as he scrutinized the boy. It was only a second, but both Anna and Jared caught the deadly gaze.
“Well, aren’t you the clever one?” Number Two asked rhetorically. He suddenly didn’t sound very nice. The two Agents in Black stood.
“My apologies,” said Number One. “I’m sorry we bothered you. We didn’t mean to impose or make you uncomfortable.”
Anna gave Jared a dirty look as Number One reached into his coat and pulled out a card. Anna took it. “Have your father contact us, by all means. We’re just trying to help your uncle.” He smiled easily.
“Sure,” Anna said.
“If you do talk to your uncle, would you ask him to call us?”
“Sure,” she said again.
“Thank you for your time. And have a great day.”
* * *
“What do you think?” asked agent Number One.
Agent Number Two regarded a couple of giraffes in their limited domain. The smiles were gone now.
“Either she’s a very good liar, or she doesn’t know anything.”
“I agree on both counts.”
“Either way, we have nothing new. That won’t please the Boss.”
“I know.”
They walked in silence, heading toward the exit. They’d checked out the Carter’s small bungalow prior to talking with Miss Carter. Nothing there, either. Carter and his daughter lived in a very spartan way. Almost no belongings. Maybe their other place at the observatory was more homey. But he was informed that they spent more time sleeping at the zoo bungalow than at the observatory. It was a strange way to live, indeed.
“Well, we can always hope,” Agent Number One surmised.
“Hope for what?”
“That her father can’t lie as well.”
* * *
The Agents in Black strolled away as casually as they’d come. Anna and Jared watched them go.
Jared whistled. “What was that all about?”
Anna just shook her head.
“You should call your dad,” said Jared.
Should
she? Anna knew her father was trying to help Uncle Joe and his friend. She didn’t want to interrupt that. And she felt she’d done a pretty good job with these men.
“Anna.” Jared brought her back from her thoughts. “What’s going on?”
She closed her eyes. She’d seen her father do this when he had a decision to make, and she’d picked up on his technique through intuition. She held her eyes closed and focused within. She weighed which felt better inside: Telling Jared or not telling Jared.
After a moment, she looked into Jared’s eyes and started talking.
Chapter Eleven
It was noon when I arrived at the observatory.
I wasn’t officially on duty, but I wanted to see Carla, who was sometimes assigned to the observatory. The thing about Carla was that we connected on a different level than the other cops I came in contact with. That, and she was damn cute. Mostly, I thought to myself, I trusted her. Considered her a friend, in fact. Perhaps even more than a friend, but that might just have been my imagination.
She was also fun to be with, and she respected me as a single father. I tried to keep our conversations light, but lately, I’d confided in her about Anna growing up. Carla knew Anna, too. Anna came with me on my routes several times a week, and spent a lot of time at the observatory. She liked Anna.
I hadn’t really been involved with anyone since the divorce, mostly because my trust in women in general had deteriorated since parting ways with my ex-wife.
But Carla…Carla was different. I hoped.
I spotted her patrol car near the main parking lot. I had to admit, my heart skipped a beat. I also looked at myself in the rearview mirror. Yeah, I looked like shit. No surprise there. Not after the night I’d had. Anyway, there was nothing I could do now but try to hastily flatten my wayward hair.
That was what I was doing when I saw her patrol car door open. Oops, she’d been inside the whole time, undoubtedly watching me make a fool of myself. She stepped out as I got out of my vehicle. We instinctively headed for a quiet spot in the parking lot overlooking the northwestern hills, where I could see the HOLLYWOOD sign in the not-too-far distance.
As we leaned on the wooden rail, she looked over at me and said, “You look like crap.”
“Can’t say the same for you.”
“Why, Mr. Ranger, if I didn’t know better, I would think you just gave me a compliment.”
“It’s been known to happen,” I said. “Once or twice.”
She was about to laugh, but didn’t. Instead, she looked at me sideways, squinting. Cops—good cops, anyway—often know when something is wrong. They’ve learned to pick up on just about anything that might save their lives, honing their sixth senses to a fine edge. Like I said, the good cops. And Carla was a damn fine cop. Then again, I might have been a little biased.
After a moment, she said, “Something’s wrong, but it’s not Anna.”
I blinked. She was good, but I didn’t know she was that good. “How do you know?”
“You’ve never had a problem talking to me about her.”
I nodded. She waited. Like I said, she was good. A couple wandered by, holding not-very-discreet brown paper bags. We ignored them for now, although I made a mental note to find them later and flush them out of the park.
At the moment, I was trying to decide whether I knew Carla well enough to tell her what I’d done. That is: I was holding my deranged brother and his friend prisoner. Mostly, I wanted to know if Carla had any special access to what little my brother had told me about finding some extraterrestrial rock (the size of a basketball, not a football) and their subsequent illness.
I turned to face her. Her expression was serious; she knew it was something bad. Her eyes belied trust. Yeah, I could confide in her.
And so, I told her everything. Or as much as I knew. That my younger brother and his friend were sick, that they were losing their minds fast. That both were AWOL and presently chained to the beams in my basement.
When I mentioned the basement part, her mouth dropped open. Admittedly, hearing it come out of my mouth made it seem pretty bad. When I was done, it was my turn to wait. Not surprisingly, I was sweating.
Finally, she said, “Why hasn’t the military come to your house? I mean, surely they’re trying to find your brother.”
“Well, the house isn’t in my name. Actually, few people know I have that house.”
“What about Anna? Is she safe?”
“She’s at the zoo studying. She’s not to leave there without Brice or myself.”
“Call to make sure.”
“I will...but Carla, what do you think of all this?”
Again, she hesitated. “It’s, well, pretty weird, Carter.”
“I know.”
“It’s almost unbelievable.”
“You don’t believe me?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You implied. Anyway, it’s all true, and I don’t know what the hell to do about it.” I looked to her for some kind of acknowledgment, approval, anything—but she was looking over my shoulder, frowning.
“I’m beginning to believe you,” she said.
“What do you mean?”
“We’ve got company.”
I turned and saw them. Two men, both dressed in black suits and wearing shades. They’d spotted us somehow, and were headed our way. I said to Carla, “What are the chances they’re here to see the observatory?”
“About as good as your chances of not landing in jail. They look like trouble.”
“They look like clowns,” I said.
“Which can be the worst kind of trouble.”
They ambled over to us, looking around casually. We were alone in the parking lot. Lucky us. Both were wearing shoulder harnesses. I knew this by the way they held their left arms away from their bodies. The pistols were under their left arms. They needed only to reach inside their jackets with their right hands and withdraw.
“Both are packing,” I said to Carla.
She nodded slightly. “No shit.”
They appeared identical except for their hair. One blond, one dark. As they approached, the blond one nodded and said, “Good afternoon.”
“They’re both wearing black suits,” I said to Carla.
“I think it’s supposed to intimidate us,” said Carla.
“Do you feel intimidated?” I asked her.
“I might have just wet myself,” she said.
I grinned. The two men in black didn’t grin. The dark-haired one shifted slightly, opening his jacket a little so that I could see his weapon.
“We all have guns here,” I said. “You can close your jacket, cowboy.”
The tension was probably a little higher than the two guys had intended. The first guy, the blond guy, turned his head slightly to his friend and shook it once. The second guy relaxed a little, settling in next to him.
Blondie said, “You Jack Carter?”
“A helluva guess,” I said.
“Perhaps we could speak in private, Mr. Carter.”
“How about some ID, boys?” I said.
They both flashed their badges. Office of Naval Intelligence. I studied the badge closest to me, and said, “What can I do for you, Agent Johnson?”
“We’re trying to locate your brother, Lieutenant Commander Joseph Carter. Have you seen him?”
“No,” I lied. “Is there a problem?”
“He’s on leave, and we thought you might know his whereabouts.”
“If he’s on leave, he could be anywhere. Sometimes he visits me, but not all the time. You don’t know his location? I mean, aren’t you supposed to keep tabs on that sort of thing?”
They hesitated. Then Johnson said, “Normally, we do. But your brother’s gone…missing, and we think he might be in trouble. He’s ill. He may not be thinking straight.”
Understatement of the year, I thought.
“Mr. Carter,” Johnson said from behind his cool black shades, “we understand you’re very c
lose to your brother. He may have come in contact with a very rare virus. It tends to...alter the imagination. He may be delusional. Others have been infected, and have been cured.”
Lies mixed with truth, I thought to myself. He was sick, but did they really have a cure?
The second agent said, “We’re certain you’d like your brother to be healthy? It’s very serious. Without treatment, he could die.”
I was about to respond when Carla spoke up. “He’s already told you he doesn’t know where his brother is.”
They ignored her. Agent Johnson said, “Jack, we understand your need to protect your brother. Family and all that. We get it. But your brother is Navy property. We would hate to see him dishonorably discharged. You wouldn’t want that either, would you?”
“We’re only here to help,” the second agent chimed in.
I was about to do it. Maybe they were right. It certainly made more sense for my brother and his friend to have contracted some rare infection than their story about the damn space rock. If my gut wasn’t screaming otherwise, I just might have.
Except…I always listen to my gut.
“I wish I could help you, boys.” In a sense, this was true. But I couldn’t. Yes, Joe was my brother. And, no, I wasn’t going to sell him out, even if he was sick.
They’re not going to help, I suddenly thought. And it wasn’t so much a thought as a knowing. No, they’re going to make them disappear.
“Well, that’s a shame, Mr. Carter,” Agent Johnson concluded. “If we don’t find your brother and his buddy, this will develop into a criminal investigation.” For the first time, he took off his sunglasses. He polished them and took in the magnificent view. “We’d hate to waste valuable government time and money watching your every move.”
“I can’t stop you from that,” I said.
Johnson faced me. “That includes your family, including your daughter, Anna. She seems like a fine young lady.”
“That’s harassment,” said Carla, stepping forward. “I’d like your badge numbers, please.”
Johnson chuckled. He took out a card and pushed it into my hand. “If you do see your brother, or hear from him, it would be much easier for everyone involved if you called.”