SHIAM Conspiracy- Book 1

by Joseph Heck

  “Thank you, Dr. Raghnall,” Megan said. She disconnected the comm and looked over at Zak. “Do you think the police will find out we have already been there?”

  “They probably already know. Harry Mathers would almost certainly have told them. He’s bound by contract to reveal anything he finds during an investigation.” Zak leaned forward in the car seat and shrugged out of his jacket, then removed the shoulder holster he was wearing. After finding the bodies the previous night, he had decided to revise his approach to this job. Carrying a weapon was one of the adjustments. He had even supplied Megan with his spare laser pistol after she assured him that she was capable of using it. “Better leave the weapons in the car. The cops tend to get annoyed with civilians who carry guns.”

  As they started back towards the warehouse something occurred to Zak. “Dr. Raghnall said Star Comm received a complaint about interference in the communications grid for the area. Other than static from the lightning, did you notice how clear our comm connection was?”

  “What does that mean?” Megan asked him.

  “Now that’s another very good question,” Zak said.

  19

  Moments later they were pulling into the crowded parking lot of the warehouse. As they got out of Megan’s car they were immediately intercepted by a rain soaked uniformed policeman.

  “I’m sorry, this is a crime scene,” the officer said. “Please get back in your vehicle and vacate the premises.”

  Before either Zak or Megan could respond, a shout came from behind the uniformed officer. “Don’t let them leave, they are under arrest!”

  The mood of the officer changed instantly and he placed his hand on his holstered weapon. “Please, remain where you are. Keep your hands where I can see them.”

  “Oh, this is just great!” Zak said as the plainclothes detective approached them. He pulled his corduroy jacket close in a futile attempt to protect himself from the cold rain. “Couldn’t we do this somewhere out of the rain?”

  “Remain where you are,” the officer repeated in an even less friendly voice.

  Detective Ramesh Sarkof and Zak had very little affection for one another. The hostility between them began shortly after Zak had opened his network security business. Detective Sarkof had been assigned as lead investigator on a case concerning a hacker breaking into the city’s main computer network. Zak had the misfortune of being called in as a consultant. Sarkof developed an attitude towards him right from the start. Each time Zak offered any input into the case, Sarkof would dismiss it. While Sarkof was busy following leads that led nowhere, Zak managed to not only discover how the hacker circumvented the city security and access the network; he also identified the person responsible. Sarkof went ballistic over the fact that Zak had upstaged him.

  Unfortunately, the hacker was dead when the police arrived to arrest him. Sarkof, of course, did everything he could to pin the murder on Zak. Shortly after the charges were dropped due to lack of evidence, Zak was also instrumental in catching the real killer, which aggravated Sarkof even more.

  Zak, for his part, never made any real effort to cooperate with Sarkof. He thought the detective was a simpleton with delusions of grandeur and had informed Sarkof of his opinion of the man upon several occasions. They clashed every time they came within close proximity of one another.

  “You’re under arrest, Harris.” Sarkof’s shrill voice cracked with excitement.

  He was, as Zak described him, a rodent type guy. His nose and chin were equally pointy, his face sallow, with small grey eyes that appeared much too far apart. If that didn’t make him look sufficiently unusual, he was also well on his way to premature baldness, with a crown of carrot colored hair framing his burnished dome.

  “Good morning, Sarkof, nice to see you too.” Zak said. He smiled as he watched the steady trickle of water run off the pointed tips of the detective’s nose and chin. “What’s the matter, the department can’t afford weather protection spells for you guys?”

  “Cut the crap, Harris,” Sarkof said, brushing his hand over his balding scalp. “I know for a fact that you were here within the past twenty-four hours. Officer, cuff this man and his accomplice and put them in the squad car.”

  “Check that, Detective!” The order came from the same direction Sarkof had come from. Zak immediately recognized the gruff authoritative voice. Apparently, the uniformed officer recognized it as well. He visibly cringed as he turned toward the owner of the voice, then immediately backed off several steps in order to maintain a discreet distance between him and the approaching man.

  “Ah, Captain Mashkkha,” Zak said, turning toward the heavyset man. “Just in the nick of time. Could we do this somewhere where it’s dry?”

  “Can it, Harris,” Mashkkha growled. His demeanor left little doubt as to who the ranking officer was at this crime scene. Although his features showed the weather worn look of age, his short brown hair revealed no sign of grey. He was a big man. Although obviously overweight, he was solid and muscular just the same. He moved with a natural ease that validated his self-confident mannerism.

  “Sir,” Sarkof whined. “This man is involved in a multiple homicide. He was at the scene and failed to report the crime, which makes him the prime suspect in this investigation...”

  Captain Mashkkha held up his hand to quiet the Detective. “When are you ever going to give it up, Sarkof. He reported it to me. Early this morning, just before the call came in from Star Comm. I haven’t had time to write the report yet.”

  “But Sir, you never mentioned...”

  “Are you questioning me, Detective?”

  “I, um...no Sir.” Sarkof stood with his mouth open, his anger turning his complexion a deep shade of red. He rubbed his hand across his bald crown once again, sweeping the rain water there into the nest of hair at the back of his head. He glared over at Zak, but clamped his mouth shut, unable to say anything further.

  “Good. Now, don’t you have something more constructive to do?”

  “Yes, Sir. Of course.”

  Captain Mashkkha watched the angry detective stomp off, splashing water as he made his way toward the door of the warehouse. When Sarkof was out of hearing range, he turned toward Zak and said, “What the frag is going on here?”

  “Tieget, look...”

  “Captain Mashkkha to you,” he interrupted. “What the hell you doing, leaving the scene of a multiple homicide without reporting it!”

  “I’m sorry, Tie...Captain. I just couldn’t get the police involved. This goes way beyond a simple homicide case. There are things going on here that...”

  “Dragon shit, Harris!” Mashkkha interrupted. “Whenever you’re involved there’s always things going on. This is a multiple homicide, not some corporate computer virus! You aren’t the law. You can’t go around making decisions whether to include the police or not in something like this!”

  “Zak is correct in his evaluation, Captain,” Megan broke in. “There is a lot more to it. Have you not noticed the energy buildup inside the building?”

  As she spoke, Zak glanced over at her and then did a double-take. She remained perfectly dry, obviously through the use of magic. “Hey, you could have included me in on that weather protection spell.”

  “Sorry, I thought you did not approve of sorcery,” she said sarcastically.

  Captain Mashkkha was also watching her. An appreciation of what he saw had interrupted the scowl on his face for an instant, but then it was back. “I suppose you’re the sorcery expert Dr. Raghnall sent?”

  “That would be affirmative, Sir,” Megan answered. She glanced over at Zak, and then added, “We were both sent.”

  Mashkkha looked back to Zak. “This is a murder investigation, not a computer glitch. Since when do you work for the Institute?”

  “It’s a long story,” Zak said.

  “And you,” he said turning to Megan again. “You look more like a homeless degenerate than a sorceress. In any case, I am not impressed with all that magic hoc
us-pocus, so save the dramatics for someone who cares. I have six dead bodies and no suspects.” He pointed a warning finger back toward Zak. “And don’t tempt me or I’ll let Sarkof put you back on the suspect list. That means I want to know everything you do, everything you find. I even want to know everything you think concerning this case!”

  “Sure, Captain, no worries,” Zak answered cheerfully. “You know I always keep you in the loop.”

  “Dragon shit!” Mashkkha growled again. He called over to the uniformed officer, who was attempting to look busy guarding the parking lot, “Give these two clearance IDs to access the crime scene. They’re the experts we’ve been waiting on.” He then turned and walked away.

  “You hang with those guys a lot, do you?” Megan stared after the large man.

  “Ah, Mashkkha’s all right,” Zak said wiping the rain from his face. “Sarkof, on the other hand, is an absolute dick. Come on, we better go find what’s his name.”

  “Harry Mathers,” Megan said.

  Inside the warehouse the pressing darkness of the night before was now replaced by the dull grey light of day. Without the sun, the lighting inside the building was dim and filled with dark shadows. The overhead lights had been removed long ago; the bare wires left behind were dangling loosely from open conduit. The building was swarming with activity as investigators poured over the crime scene. Each team carried bright mobile lighting units that pushed away the shadows, ensuring that nothing would be overlooked.

  Zak struggled with the same Elvish dread he’d dealt with the night before over the deaths that had occurred inside the warehouse. He knew that Megan was dealing with the same emotions as her movements stiffened and the stress turned her expression grim. When they arrived at the place where they had discovered the bodies they found that the dead Ork had already been removed, but the Elves still remained. A group of forensic investigators were hovering over the bodies, carefully examining each one as they made notes on small electronic tablets. Megan did her best to avoid looking as they passed by the bodies.

  Harry Mathers was standing a discreet distance from the small prefab office that contained the mysterious portal. He was a tall man with a lean build, looked to be in his mid-fifties. Being completely Human the years had worn heavier on him than they had on Zak. Though casually dressed, he was very neat. The tan slacks he wore were precisely creased, the blue short-sleeved shirt wrinkle free. He wore his greying brown hair cut short.

  Even though he seemed oblivious to their approach, his gaze fixated upon the shimmering stream of energy that pulsated up from the small office and into the rafters of the warehouse, he was the first to speak. “Dr. Raghnall filled me in on how you’re involved in all this. Of course, I knew you had been here. You never bothered to wipe your residual auras.”

  “We had a close encounter with the office over there,” Zak said. “After that, Megan wasn’t in any shape to do much of anything.”

  “Yes, the being in there seems to be quite formidable. It is, of course, trapped at the moment, which seems to be limiting its abilities considerably for now. Unfortunately, I am not at all certain how much longer it will remain trapped there. The containment is weakening.”

  “Can we do something to reinforce it?”

  “I have strengthened the binding spells,” Harry said. “That should hold it for a while, though I am afraid it is only a temporary solution. The creature is quite powerful and is struggling to break free. And the portal itself is exerting a great deal of force against the containment as well. If the sorcerers who created it hadn’t been highly skilled, the sorcery would have already failed.”

  “What would happen if the containment broke down?”

  Harry looked over at Zak and shrugged. “Who knows? The creature would most assuredly be free to enter into our world. The portal would likely remain open. What would follow is difficult to say at this point. We need to know more about what it is we’re dealing with.”

  He turned toward Megan. “You say you had a close encounter with the office. Are you saying that you actually came in contact with the structure?”

  Megan nodded without speaking. Zak could see a flicker of emotion in her expression...pain...or maybe fear.

  “Can you show me what you experienced?”

  Megan offered her bandaged hand and the wizard took it, his eyes glossing over as he reached within himself to make contact with Megan’s mind. After a few moments he broke contact with her.

  “You are lucky to be unharmed,” he said to her. “This shadow creature is even darker than I first thought. So, you think this is the evil referred to in the foretelling?”

  “It makes sense.” Megan looked at the door to the office thoughtfully. “But at this point I am not certain about anything.”

  Zak had become preoccupied with watching Megan as she conferred with Harry Mathers. He was concerned about the affect this mysterious force was having upon her. She looked ill. He felt the need to protect her again...and something more. When he recognized his desire, he forced it away.

  “Wait a minute!” he said. “How come you were able to scan the office without any ill effects?”

  “Firstly, because I was not so foolish as to make direct contact,” Harry answered. “And because that is what I do.”

  “Harry is a trained paranormal investigator and demonologist,” Megan explained.

  “I am much more capable of handling the situation,” Harry added. “I am specially trained to investigate unknown paranormal occurrences. And this is not something that the untrained should be tinkering with.”

  “Okay then,” Zak said clapping his hands together. This guy irritated him already and they’d just met. “What do you say we use a remote viewing technique that I happen to be an expert with? Let’s find a computer terminal and see if the network is up and running.”

  “Whatever for?” Harry asked in a puzzled tone.

  “Because that is what I do,” Zak answered with a toothy grin. Without another word he turned and started walking toward a group of nearby investigators to see if any of them could tell him where the nearest computer terminal was located.

  He didn’t get far when he heard Harry say to Megan, “Your friend seems not to like me.”

  “No, Harry, he is just mentally challenged,” Megan said, falling in behind Zak. She changed the subject by explaining to Harry the reason why Zak wanted to check out the virtual network.

  “In that case, there’s a computer terminal in an upper office over there,” Harry said, pointing toward the back of the warehouse. “I had a bit of a look around while I waited for you to show up.”

  In the dim light they could barely make out a stairway leading up to a small landing in the corner of the warehouse. They skirted around the area where the bodies were, dodging teams of police and forensic personnel. The stairs were metal, wobbling and creaking as they climbed them. The upper level supported a short walkway that led to a long narrow office. This was obviously a security station. There were no windows to the outside of the building, but the entire length of the inner wall was glassed for observation of the floor below. Zak watched the uniformed police and white smocked crime scene investigators scurrying around like an over-sized ant colony, streaming in and out among the tall shelving.

  The office was maybe three meters wide by five long. What little natural light that filtered into the room created an even gloomier affect than down below. Megan tried the light switch on the wall next to the door, but nothing happened.

  “There is power to the building,” Harry said. “The lights in the main offices still work.”

  A custom built bench containing a series of computer workstations ran the length of the observation window. They found a small lamp sitting on the far corner of the room that worked, but the light from the dim bulb did little to improve things.

  Zak went directly to one of the computer terminals. A small green indicator light showed that the system had power and was running. “There seems to be a program al
ready running.”

  “That means someone has accessed the network recently,” Megan said.

  “Maybe,” Zak said.

  “But why?” Harry asked.

  “Computer, access system,” Zak said into a microphone located at the terminal, ignoring Harry’s question. There was no response to his verbal request for accessing the computer. After trying again, he gave up and used the keyboard. He was surprised when he was able to access the system without receiving a request for a password. The terminal screen showed all network functions operating normally. When he checked the security status, he discovered that the firewall and security sentinels had been disabled. He worked the keyboard again. “The network seems to be working, but security is down. It could be kids hacking the terminal in order to get free access to Comm Net. I can’t access any of the offices. The energy from the portal might be interfering. Do you see any VR cables?”

  “Why VR cables?” Captain Mashkkha asked from the door.

  “You know, for a guy who could stand to lose a few kilos, you sure have an effective stealth mode.” Zak began making his way down the front of the long workbench, opening drawers and digging through them as he went, looking for cables. “The network seems to still be up and running. If we can get into it, we may be able to learn something about what is going on here.”

  “It’s pretty common for these old buildings to remain on line,” Mashkkha said. “If something’s running, it’s probably from kids hacking in to play video games.”

  “Probably,” Zak said as he checked the last drawer. “But it doesn’t hurt to take a look-see. Damn, no cables!”

  “Nothing here, either,” Megan said, as she and Harry finished checking the row of cabinets on the opposite wall.

  “I’ll get some from our tech,” said Mashkkha. With that he was off to find one of the police technicians who were on the scene.

  “Shouldn’t be a problem getting in,” Zak said, back at one of the terminals, working the keyboard. “Everything looks good to go.”

  Several minutes later Mashkkha returned with a short, skinny fellow in tow. Handing the cable sets to Zak, he said, “This is Officer Kailin Aakil, one of our techs. He can monitor us while we’re in.”