Deadly Weakness (Gray Spear Society) (33 page)

"That's tough." Hanley looked down. He felt real sympathy for Norbert.

"The same thing almost happened to you Saturday night. I watched your attack through the surveillance cameras. If you had sent your entire Unit into the camp, all your men would be dead now. I'm sure it seemed like a minor decision at the time, but it was the most important one you made that night. Anybody who went down that road was doomed to die."

"Except for me."

"You just had a different kind of death," Norbert said.

Hanley nodded. "Where is Wesley now?"

"He's travelling incognito. He has a very special team of personal bodyguards, some of the toughest, nastiest Spears in the world. Those guys make all the people you met Saturday night look like wimps."

"Wesley must be an important kid."

"Extremely. Oh, this is yours." Norbert fished a gray cardboard box out of his coat pocket.

Hanley took the box, opened it, and found a large gray phone inside. "The legate had one of these." He hefted the heavy phone.

"It's a standard Society phone. You're required to carry it at all times and in all conditions. It's waterproof and shockproof, so you can take it anywhere, and you will."

Hanley opened the cover. There was a large display and a standard keypad. Aside from the size and weight, it didn't seem unusual.

"What can it do?"

"Save your life," Norbert said. "It has three kinds of position tracking and a navigation system. There's an emergency beacon. It works with every cellular network in the world. A full week of battery life. A high resolution camera. If you call another member of the Society on that phone, your connection will be absolutely secure. And if somebody tries to open the case, they'll be very sorry. Read the manual, then burn it."

Hanley took a paper manual out of the box. "I assume I don't have to pay the phone bill."

"No. Aaron's, Marina's, and my number are already programmed into your phone. Call any of us if you need something."

Hanley put the phone on his desk.

Norbert gave him a white envelope. "And here is some money."

Hanley found a short stack of hundred dollar bills in the envelope. There were also two credit cards and a check book.

He held up the credit cards. "These have the wrong name."

"Your first cover identity. Those cards will never be denied, and those checks will never bounce. Spend what you need to spend and no more. We always keep a low profile."

"Do I have to fill out expense reports?"

"Aaron will see the bills," Norbert said. "If he doesn't like a purchase, he'll let you know, but don't worry about it. The expense would have to be completely ridiculous before he'd care. Our next topic is Xavier. Did you see the most wanted list this morning?"

Hanley went to his computer again. The FBI website had a list of the ten most wanted criminals. Xavier was at the top of the list. The name underneath the picture was wrong, but the mustache was as identifiable as a fingerprint. According to the description, he had raped two sisters and then killed the entire family.

"He escaped?" Hanley said.

"Yes," Norbert said. "It's a little embarrassing. The Society is getting the word out to our contacts in every police department on the continent. If Xavier gets pulled over for a broken tail light, we'll hear about it. Of course, we also have our own people searching for him."

"I'm glad I'm not him."

"Aaron thinks he'll call you."

"Why would he do that?" Hanley raised his eyebrows. "He knows I can't help him now."

Norbert shrugged. "If Aaron thinks it will happen, it probably will. Your job is to just play dumb. Pretend to buy whatever story Xavier tells you." Norbert checked his watch and stood up. "We need to get going."

"To where?"

"We're taking a private jet to the Fremont County Airport in Colorado. Then we'll drive to the ADX Florence prison. The legate gave me a message to deliver in person to the survivors from San Francisco, and she wants you to be there."

"I can't!" Hanley said. "I have a whole day of meetings planned. It will take me hours just to crawl through my e-mail. That's why I got here so early. Besides, I don't want to face those guys after what I did to them."

Norbert drew back. "Did you hear me? The
legate
wants you to be there."

Hanley opened his mouth.

"Wait," Norbert said. "Before you speak, consider this. If you ignore her order, I'll be obligated to kill you right now."

"You'd shoot me in FBI headquarters?"

"Sure." Norbert nodded. "But I'd feel bad about it. You seem like a nice guy."

Hanley blinked at him. "Then I guess I'm going. I hope it's a nice jet."

"It will be."

Chapter Eighteen

Aaron ate his breakfast in the dining hall. Only a scattering of people still remained at the convention. Marina and all her squads had taken off last night to search for Xavier. Many of the commanders had asked to be taken to the airport a little later. Only a dozen remained, and they would be boarding a shuttle in half an hour. They were squeezing in a last meal and another conversation with their new friends before heading home.

Aaron sat alone at his table. He was enjoying the feeling of satisfaction after a successful weekend. Except for Xavier's escape, everything had gone according to plan. The only death was Sampson's. Aaron had even discovered a promising new recruit. On balance, the good far outweighed the bad.

He was also enjoying his food. It was just eggs, bacon, and toast, but it tasted good and he was hungry.

"Mind if I join you?"

Aaron looked up at Yule. As always, the man's giant cat eyes startled Aaron. There was something truly monstrous about them.

"Please," Aaron said. "Actually, I was going to look for you in a few minutes."

Smythe and Odelia were eating at another table. They kept glancing at Aaron and Yule, and then looking away quickly.

Yule sat down. "I assume we want to talk about the same thing." He nodded towards Smythe and Odelia.

"Indeed."

"Let me speak first," Yule said. "Being dead was an enlightening experience."

"I bet," Aaron said.

"For a moment, God allowed me to see the universe in the proper perspective."

"What does that mean?"

"I saw what is significant instead of just what
is
," Yule said. "The normal stars disappeared. When I looked at the sky, I saw points of light where life exists on other planets. It's out there, and there's quite a bit of it. When I looked at the Earth, I was almost blinded by the glare. There is so much intelligent life here. This planet is a beacon that can be seen across the universe. It may be a dust speck in astronomical terms, but it's one of the most important objects in all existence."

"Interesting."

Yule leaned forward. "And it's not just the people that glowed. The relationships between them were even brighter. Love, friendship, loyalty, faith. It looked like a net binding humanity together and stretching up to God. It was beautiful..."

He closed his eyes and squeezed out a few tears. His shoulders shook but he remained quiet. Aaron waited patiently for Yule to settle down.

Finally, he continued, "God's message was clear. Human relationships are the most precious thing. That's what He cares about. Love is particularly important." He took a breath. "It's essential that you maintain your relationship with Marina. Doing so may be very difficult. You're both commanders now, so you won't have much time for each other. Find a way to make it work, even if it means taking some risks."

"I'll take that advice seriously," Aaron said.

"It's not my advice. I'm delivering a message. The love between Smythe and Odelia is even more special. It transcends the boundaries of creation. It was strong enough to reach through the veil of death and pull me back."

"Hey, I helped, too. People keep forgetting that."

Yule smiled. "I didn't forget. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Smythe and Odelia meeting each other could be the most important event of this weekend. One day those two could change the world. In the meantime, it's our responsibility to protect their relationship. We have to find ways to let them be together."

Aaron nodded. "I'm not going to argue. I was planning to make the same proposal to you. But there's a small issue named the legate. She won't approve. She wants the cells to stay isolated from each other."

"Too much of God's wrath has flowed through her veins," Yule said. "Her soul is burned to a cinder. She has lost the ability to sympathize with human needs, and that's her weakness. Her speech last night was misguided."

"That's a bold statement." Aaron raised his eyebrows. "When she discovers what we're up to, you might have to say that to her face."

Yule looked down. "I know, and I'll try to explain our intentions when that day comes. If she still doesn't understand, somebody will die. It may be her. The Lord doesn't have much use for a legate who won't permit love. We have to try to protect her from herself. Regardless, this is what must be."

"Well, I know two people who won't be disappointed. Mind if I lay down the rules for this insanity?"

"Please do."

Aaron waved his arm. Smythe and Odelia immediately jumped up and hurried over. They held each other nervously and remained standing. Aaron stared at them sternly for a moment. The feeling of anticipation was too sweet.

"It's good news," he said finally.

Odelia squeaked like a little girl and threw her arms around Smythe. They kissed passionately.

"Calm down," Aaron said. "You're adults. Sit."

Smythe took a chair and Odelia sat on his lap. He put his arms around her waist.

"This is how it's going to work," Aaron said in a firm tone. "You'll get two days a month to visit each other. Alternating cities. Visits may be delayed or cancelled if they interfere with a mission. Your duties always come first."

They nodded.

"The legate won't approve," Aaron said. "Don't be surprised if there is hell to pay down the road."

"Yes, sir," they responded.

"Another thing. Odelia, you're going to see my headquarters. You're going to meet my people. Smythe will see yours. That's a huge security issue. The locations of the headquarters are the most closely guarded secrets in the Society. Xavier is a perfect example of what happens when we get sloppy. This arrangement isn't just risky for the people at this table. It endangers our teams. Yule and I are putting a huge amount of trust in both of you."

"Thank you, sir," Smythe said.

"Yes," Odelia said. "Thank you. I won't disappoint you, sir. I'll protect your team's secrets with my life."

"And when you're in Chicago, you work for me. If I need your help, I'll expect you to obey my orders as if they had come directly from Yule. Smythe, when you're in Los Angeles, Yule is your commander. Just because you're visiting your girlfriend doesn't mean you're on vacation. Spears don't get vacations. If he gives you an assignment, I'll expect you to perform at a level that makes me proud."

"Yes, sir," they said.

"Now get out of here. Odelia, finish packing. You're going home in half an hour. Smythe, put on your heavy work clothes. We have a lot of things to do after the guests are gone."

"What about the twins?" Smythe said. "With Norbert babysitting Hanley, they're alone."

Aaron furrowed his brow. Sometimes, he grew annoyed at having two team members who needed so much care and supervision.

"Change of plan. Ride down to Chicago on the shuttle with Odelia. You'll look after the twins until the rest of us are finished up here. Damn, I wish Marina were still here. I'm running out of available
legionnaires
."

"Where are the twins, sir? You never told us."

"The new headquarters," Aaron said.

"Really?" Smythe raised his eyebrows. "All this time?"

"Yes. Go!" Aaron shooed him away.

Smythe and Odelia rushed off, still holding hands.

Aaron turned to Yule and smiled. "That felt really good."

"The best moment of the entire weekend." Yule patted his arm. "Thank you, for everything. You and I are going to become good friends."

* * *

Xavier walked into a restaurant. There was a bar on one side and booths with red vinyl seats on the other. Three televisions hung from the ceiling, and they were showing a hockey game. The restaurant had just opened, so there were no other patrons. Nobody would bother him. A waitress stood near the door, and a bartender was behind the bar. The lighting was poor, which was just what he wanted.

"Sit anywhere, honey," the waitress said.

Her pudgy body was packed into a tight polyester shirt and blue jeans. She looked like a sausage wearing clothes.

Xavier nodded and took a booth in the back corner, where he could see anybody coming. He automatically noted the other exits. A swinging door led to a kitchen in the back. There was a restroom which probably had a window. The front of the restaurant had two large windows that he could jump through if necessary, but he would use the door if possible.