Involuntary Control (Gray Spear Society) (28 page)

"I don't see any ropes or shackles," Smythe said. "It looks like these people just stood in place while the fire cooked them. You can tell by how the bones are oriented."

Aaron turned away. He had seen some very bad things in his life, but this image would stick with him. "It seems the mind control device really works."

"You think these poor suckers were ordered to burn themselves?" Smythe said.

Aaron nodded. "Of course."

"Why?"

"Our activities must've spooked the bad guys," Aaron said. "They obviously decided to pull up stakes and hit the road. The experimental subjects were loose ends, and conveniently, they could be told to deal with the problem themselves. Let's get out of here." He started walking briskly away.

The team followed.

"Where are we going?" Marina said.

"The secret hospital," Aaron said. "I'm sure it's destroyed by now, but maybe we can find some clues in the rubble."

* * *

Another column of smoke helped guide them to the hospital. When Aaron stepped out of the car, he saw many heaps of bricks. They had been shattered and thrown in all directions.

"Looks like the enemy used demolition charges," Smythe said.

Just the base of the wall remained to show where it had stood. Aaron could walk over what was left. The central building had been reduced from three stories tall to three feet. Some burned out cars were mixed with the other debris.

"And they didn't skimp on the explosives," Aaron observed.

He looked around. There was a chance the enemy had left a spy behind. Aaron would've done that in their shoes. He didn't see anybody though, but he would keep his eyes open.

The team walked through the field of rubble. The smell of burnt meat was back, and he expected he would discover bodies if he dug down.

"I found a dead guard." Marina pushed some debris off a man in a blue uniform.

Aaron came over to look.

"Why did the enemy kill one of their own?" Norbert said.

Aaron shrugged. "Housekeeping, I suppose."

"What do you mean?"

"This was an opportunity to trim some fat from the organization."

"That's awful," Norbert said.

Aaron grabbed a brick and threw it as far as he could. He was furious at himself. The population of Lemonseed had needed protection, and the Gray Spear Society had let them down. As the territorial commander, most of the blame fell on Aaron. Maybe if he had been a little quicker or smarter, a lot of lives could've been saved. Instead, he was surrounded by failure and death.

He sighed. "Does anybody have a suggestion? I'm completely out of ideas."

Nobody spoke.

"Then we might as well go home," Aaron said.

Chapter Seventeen

Aaron stepped out of the car and stretched his arms. The long drives back and forth between Lemonseed and Chicago were becoming very tiresome. Hopefully, he had just finished the last one. It was certainly a place he never wanted to see again.

The team was back at headquarters. The rusty steel beams and concrete floor were actually comforting. Cool air washed over his exhausted body.
Feels like Nancy got the new air-conditioning to work,
he thought.

Smythe and Norbert stepped out of other cars. They had needed three drivers to bring three cars home. Marina had ridden with Aaron.

"It will feel good to sleep in my own bed," she said. "I'm dead tired."

"You could've slept in the car while I drove."

"No, I needed to make sure you stayed awake."

"I was fine," he said.

"I saw your eyes close a few times."

"I did pretty well considering I just drove across two hundred miles of flat farmland, twice in one day, after staying up all night."

"That's why I was worried," she said.

The twins came running down the corridor. They ignored everybody else and went straight to Norbert. He gave both girls a hug at the same time. The romantic tenderness made Aaron wonder about their feelings for each other.

Jack walked up to Aaron. "Sir, the legate is in your office."

"She is?" Aaron stared at his security chief in shock.

"She wants to see you and Marina at once."

Aaron looked at Marina. Both of them tried to straighten their sweaty, wrinkled clothes. They hurried upstairs to his office. It was unwise to keep the
legatus legionis
waiting.

Ethel was sitting in his chair. She was a middle-aged black woman in a gray business suit. Her tightly curled hair had turned mostly white, but sprinkles of black remained. She had a slender build but she wasn't weak.

"Ma'am," Aaron said, "it's good to see you again."

Ethel had commanded the Chicago cell until three months ago. At that time she had received a promotion, and he had taken her place. Now she was responsible for all of North America. In the opinion of many, she was the most powerful person on the continent. There wasn't a place she couldn't go, or a person she couldn't order killed.

"I'm happy to see you, too," she said. "And Marina, of course. You're as lovely as ever. It's only been three months? I've been travelling so much it seems like I spend more time in the air than on the ground. My life is fighting one fire after another."

Aaron suddenly noticed another man standing in the corner. He was very tall and had no hair. His skin was so pale the veins were clearly visible. He wore a brown jogging suit. Polished steel gauntlets protected his hands, and short blades protruded from his knuckles.

"My bodyguard, Guthrum," Ethel explained. "An old woman like me needs a tall man around for protection."

Aaron smiled. She was far from vulnerable. In fact she was deadlier than Aaron and Marina combined. The other Society commanders had started to refer to Ethel in their correspondence as "Death's Shadow," and she was widely regarded as even more fearsome than her predecessor.

Aaron wondered about Guthrum's capabilities. There were only seven legates in the Gray Spear Society, and each had one personal bodyguard. It was a job given only to the most dangerous and trustworthy fighters on Earth. Guthrum had to be something special.

"He's certainly tall," Aaron said. "Ma'am, is there a specific reason for this surprise visit?"

"I read the report you wrote last night," Ethel said. "It seems you have a very serious investigation on your hands. I wanted to see how you were handling it."

"You came to check on me, ma'am?"

"Don't worry," she said. "I won't make a habit of looking over your shoulder, but this is your first command. Your first real test of leadership. A personal visit seemed appropriate."

"How long are you planning to stay?"

"Just a short time. I have an appointment in Miami this afternoon. My private jet is already waiting for me at the airport. So, bring me up to date."

Aaron quickly summarized recent events. Her dark eyes stared at him while he spoke, and he felt intimidated. Her large pupils were like windows into the far corners of the universe. They looked through skin and saw the naked soul underneath.

"Interesting," she said when he was done.

"Do you have a recommendation, ma'am?" he said. "I'm not sure what to do next. The enemy isn't making this easy."

"I won't give you a specific recommendation. The Chicago territory is your responsibility, and I won't undermine your authority by meddling in your investigation. I will say you're doing a good job here. I have no reason to think you'll fail."

"Thank you, ma'am." He smiled a little.

"Seriously," she said, "you've done well. You turned this rusty shack into a proper headquarters in a short time. I talked to Jack and Nancy before you arrived. They praised you without reservation, and they were being completely honest."

His face grew warm. "Thank you, again."

"I also spoke to Bethany and Leanna. They were a little rude to me."

"I'm sure they didn't mean it," Aaron said hastily. "Their social skills are extremely poor."

"Indeed," Ethel said. "They make a fascinating pair. It's clear why you recruited them. I could tell they were special when I walked into the room. They'll either be phenomenal assets or total disasters."

"They've been good so far, ma'am. I'm optimistic."

She turned to Marina. "And how are things between you two?"

"What do you mean, ma'am?" Marina asked.

"I expected some conflict, given the personalities involved."

She and Aaron looked at each other.

"We've had some tense moments," he admitted, "but we still love each other."

"Marina isn't causing any trouble? She never argues with you?"

He lowered his eyes.

Ethel stood up and walked around the desk. "I know both of you very well, so it's easy for me to see how this situation might deteriorate. Marina, you have to swallow your pride and let Aaron be in charge. I know it's hard for you to defer to a man, but do it anyway."

"Yes, ma'am." Marina nodded.

"And Aaron, give her some space. Try to work out a system where she feels reasonably empowered and independent."

Aaron nodded. "I'll try."

"I have one more thing to say on this topic," Ethel said. "It's my job to make sure all the cells in North America are running smoothly. The relationship between the commander and his second is particularly crucial. Bickering at that level is unacceptable. If that happens in Chicago, I'll come back and make sure it
never
happens again."

Aaron heard the message very clearly. Either he or Marina would die if they couldn't work out their differences.

Ethel headed towards the door. "I have to go. I'll let myself out. Next time I come, I'll stay a little longer and make it a social occasion. I really miss you two." She stopped at the threshold and turned. "I do have one piece of advice though. If you're stuck, talk to the twins."

"Why?" Aaron said.

"God's light shines brightly on them. Can't you see it?"

She left, and her bodyguard followed her out.

There was silence for a moment.

"Classic Ethel," Marina said. "Terrifying, compassionate, and cryptic, all at the same time."

Aaron nodded. "Sleep?"

"Yes, sir, but first we have to change the sheets."

* * *

Bethany checked the clock on her computer, and she wondered when Norbert would appear. He had gone home to take a nap, but he had promised he would be back before dinner. It was dinnertime now.

Bethany looked over at Leanna.

"He's not here," Leanna said.

"I know."

They frowned at each other.

"We could call him," Bethany said.

"I don't want to wake him up," Leanna said. "He was very tired. Did you see how red his eyes were?"

Bethany was hungry. Jack had cooked eggs for breakfast, but he had mixed in bits of onion, and he hadn't separated the whites from the yolks. The twins had eaten very little as a result. Nobody had reminded them to eat lunch. Bethany had expected Norbert would make them dinner, but that plan was failing.

"Let's go to the kitchen."

"There aren't any frozen dinners," Leanna said.

"We can eat fruit and cheese."

"White cheese."

"OK," Bethany said.

They got out of their ergonomic chairs and walked through headquarters. The first time she had seen the place, it had seemed strange and dirty. Now she was starting to enjoy her new life. Serious people did serious work here, and everything was functional. Best of all, it was safe, and she really liked feeling safe all the time.

The twins arrived in the kitchen and found Marina. She wore a gray bathrobe, and her red hair was damp. She was staring into an open refrigerator with a thoughtful expression.

"Hi, girls." She didn't look at them.

"Could you make dinner for us?" Bethany said hopefully.

Marina faced them. "You want me to cook for you?"

"Yes, please."

"I'm not your mother. Make your own dinner."

"We can't cook," Leanna said.

"You can build a supercomputer from spare parts," Marina said, "but you can't make food?"

The twins nodded.

"When we lived in the palace," Bethany said, "servants prepared our meals. We never even saw the kitchen. After we ran away, Haykal took care of us."

"What about after he died?"

"We ate frozen dinners."

"All the time?" Marina said.

"Yes," Leanna said. "The microwave instructions are on the box."

Marina sighed. "I'll teach you. That's a fair compromise. Let's start with something extremely easy: grilled cheese sandwiches."

"With the bread touching the cheese?"