Involuntary Control (Gray Spear Society) (6 page)

"He's improving at least," Marina said. "He's extremely dedicated to his training."

"Maybe, but he's still not qualified to go on a mission."

"He's a
legionnaire
. He has to participate, same as you or me. The Society doesn't hold back rookies. We certainly didn't get any grace period when we joined."

"You're telling me how to do my job again," Aaron said.

"Sorry."

"And what if he gets killed?"

She shrugged. "That's his fault for being incompetent."

They laid down on the bed, side by side, and held hands. The air was so warm and still it felt like a blanket to Aaron. Drops of sweat already dotted his forehead.
I should've drank a glass of water,
he thought. It was good to be with Marina again. Her presence made him feel better about himself and his future.

"I'm his boss," he said. "I want to protect him from himself."

Marina rolled over and kissed him. "That's what I love about you. Underneath those rock hard muscles and frosty killer attitude, you're a nice guy."

"Don't tell anybody." He pulled her close.

"It will be our secret."

* * *

"That's him." Norbert nodded towards a corner of the restaurant. "He's even wearing the same clothes. He claims he's a writer working on a novel."

Marina casually glanced in that direction. She would've noticed the man even without a hint. He was dressed like a farmer, but his pristine coveralls had never touched a dirt field. He had the pale skin of an office worker. The titanium frames of his glasses probably cost hundreds of dollars.

"Let's steal his notepad," Smythe said. "I'd love to see all the notes he's taking."

The three of them were eating lunch at the Friendly Diner in Lemonseed. They had ordered hamburgers to blend with the crowd even though it wasn't Marina's favorite food. She didn't like the heavy feeling in her stomach she got from eating red meat.

"Don't get ahead of ourselves," she said. "Aaron wants us to find the hacker first. We'll deal with the writer later."

She took a bite of her hamburger. It was perfectly cooked with just a little pink in the middle. The lettuce and tomatoes tasted garden fresh. She understood why the dish was a local favorite.

After they had finished eating, Marina took a stack of papers and maps from her shoulder bag. The sheets were lists of addresses provided by Wendy. Norbert and Smythe each received one list and a map.

"The rules of engagement are there will be no engagements." Marina gave Norbert a hard look. "At least not alone. If you find anything, call the rest of us. We'll check it out as a team. We don't know what's going on here, and that makes this situation dangerous, especially to rookies. OK?"

Norbert and Smythe nodded.

She placed sixty dollars on the table, probably way too much, but it didn't matter. "Let's go."

She lifted her heavy shoulder bag. It held the weapons that were too big to hide under her clothes. The extra weight on one side made it hard to walk naturally, but she managed to pull it off.

The three of them went outside and split up.

She checked her appearance using a window as a mirror. For today's assignment she had chosen a yellow T-shirt, jeans, and white sneakers. She looked like an ordinary housewife. A little dark makeup in the right spots made her appear worn down by life.
Perfect,
she thought.

She headed north. The weather had cooled a little since yesterday, making it a nice day for an afternoon stroll. She would check a few addresses on foot before backtracking to her car.

After walking two blocks, a strange sight made her stop. A man in a business suit was painting a house bright red. The color was shocking. He was rolling over everything, including windows, doors, and exterior lights. He didn't seem to care about the paint splattered all over his expensive suit.

Two female neighbors stood a short distance away. They were whispering to each other and pointing.

Marina was overcome with curiosity. She had more important things to do, but she walked over to the man anyway.

"Hi there!" she said in a pleasant tone.

"Hi." He whistled softly to himself as he painted.

"That's an interesting color."

"Thanks." He nodded. "It makes the house look cheerful."

"It sure does. I noticed you're covering the windows too. Don't most people paint around the glass?"

He furrowed his brow. "I have a lot of paint. There's no reason to skimp."

"How much did you buy?"

"Five hundred gallons. I had it shipped from Ohio, special order."

She paused to contemplate that statement.

He faced her. "Do you need anything? I hate to be rude, but I have a lot of painting to do, and I can't waste time with chit chat."

"Are you feeling all right?"

"I'm fine," he said. "Never better. It's a beautiful day."

"Very true. I'll let you get back to work."

She walked away.
That guy is totally insane,
she thought.

She headed towards the two women nearby. One hurried off, but the other stayed to talk.

"Hi!" Marina said.

"Hello," the neighbor nodded. Her eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"What's the deal with that guy?"

She shrugged. "I wish I knew."

"Has he done stuff like this before?" Marina said.

"No, he's the president of the bank. He's the most boring guy in town... until today. Have we met before? I don't remember seeing you around."

"I'm Sandra." Marina shook the neighbor's hand.

"Jane."

"So, this is the first time, eh? Was there any warning he would flip out?"

"Not that I saw," Jane said, "but it's happened to other people. Are you new in town? You haven't heard the stories?"

"I just drove in this morning to visit my mother."

Jane leaned forward. "Yesterday, Mrs. Wilkins on Chestnut Road stuck her hand in her garbage disposal."

"Is she OK?" Marina said with wide eyes.

"No. She lost her whole hand and part of her arm. She would've kept going if her husband hadn't stopped her."

"That's awful!"

Jane nodded. "I think it's this fancy new fertilizer the farmers are using this year. I knew it smelled funny. Too much science isn't good for people."

"You're probably right," Marina said seriously. "Why isn't the government doing something?"

"I don't know."

"Well, I'd better get going. My mom's waiting. Nice talking to you." Marina walked off.
What the hell is wrong with this town?

Chapter Four

Marina parked her car in front of a small house at the northern edge of Lemonseed near the highway. It had been a tedious and frustrating day. She was finally coming to the end of her list of addresses, several hours after she had started. The sun was setting, and she was getting hungry for dinner.

She stepped out of her air conditioned car and into sticky, warm air. The house was painted dark blue, and it was too small to have more than a couple of bedrooms. A pair of oak trees with crowns bigger than the house provided plenty of shade. There weren't any cars in the driveway.

She cautiously walked through the side yard. She couldn't see inside because all the curtains were tightly closed. There were burglar alarm sensors, too, which struck her as odd. It was the first sign of real security she had seen in Lemonseed. A humming noise drew her attention to an electricity meter. She wasn't sure how to read it, but it was clear a lot of power was being consumed even though all the lights were off.
Interesting,
she thought.

She continued to the back yard. There was no patio furniture or flowers, but the grass had been mowed recently.

A neighboring property in back had a two-story, commercial building on it. She wandered over and saw a sign that read "Clear Path Cable and Internet." An impressive array of satellite dishes adorned the roof. Thick conduits emerged from the back wall and went into the ground. High voltage power lines connected directly to the building.

She looked back at the blue house. Whoever lived there probably had the best internet service in the area.
Very interesting.

She went back and continued to examine the house. The back door had an expensive, high security deadbolt. She was a master at picking locks, and she recognized this brand as the most difficult. The door frame was made of metal instead of wood.

She walked around the house and found similar security measures on the front door. Even the smallest window panes had burglar alarm foil. She put her ear against the door and heard nothing but the drone of insects.

She headed back to her car. Along the way she checked the mailbox and found it empty.

Once she was sitting in the cool interior of her car, she took out her phone. It was time to call for backup.

* * *

Norbert and Smythe arrived a short time later, each in his own car. They parked across the street. Marina stepped out to meet them.

"This could be it," she said.

Smythe stared at the blue house. "Is anybody home?"

"I didn't knock. I was waiting until you got here."

"The curtains are closed."

"Yes," she said, "and the security is no joke. Breaking in without setting off an alarm will be difficult."

"Then let's hope somebody opens the door for us."

Smythe was wearing a windbreaker that looked out of place on such a warm day, but it helped hide his weapons. He unzipped it and checked the pistol he carried in a holster underneath.

Marina was carrying her guns in her shoulder bag. She reached in and put her hand on the grip of a Glock 23 loaded with Teflon tipped bullets. They would slice through light body armor.

She looked over at Norbert. "Are you ready?"

He wore loose fitting cargo shorts that went down to his knees. Guns were strapped to both his thighs in upside-down holsters hidden underneath the shorts. He could draw his weapons by reaching up his pants. It was a creative wardrobe choice, and Marina approved for that reason, but the shorts also exposed his pasty white legs.

"Yes, ma'am," he said.

She grimaced. "You'd better stay behind me."

He nodded.

The three of them walked to the front door of the blue house. Marina knocked loudly. When there was no response, she pounded the door with her fist.

After waiting a minute, she said, "I guess we're going with plan B. Breaking in."

They began to walk slowly around the house in search of a good entry point.

"I heard some very disturbing stories from the locals," Smythe said.

"Me, too," Norbert said. "A great evil is at work in Lemonseed."

Marina glanced at him. "Don't get carried away. There are plenty of explanations that don't involve 'great evil.'"

"Such as?"

"A rare but natural chemical in the water. A contagious brain disease. One woman suggested there was a problem with the new fertilizer. People go crazy for lots of reasons."

"A whole town at once?" Norbert said. "I heard a story about a guy who ate two cats and a dog, raw. They were his pets."

"I agree we have to figure out what's going on, but right now we're looking for a way into this damn house."

Marina examined every window, and it appeared all of them had sensors. She searched for a way into the attic, but there wasn't even a gable vent.

Smythe pointed at a panel near the ground on the side of the house. "That might lead into a crawlspace."

She winced. "Bugs and spiders."

"Huh?" He smiled. "You'll happily fight psychotic killers to the death, but bugs are an issue. Who knew? We can break into the house from below with a little bit of explosive. The neighbors won't hear it. Our entry will be completely covert."

She couldn't deny it was a good plan, even if the idea of crawling through darkness and spider webs made her shiver.

"OK," she said.

"I'll get the demolition kit." He jogged off.

Norbert looked left and right. He shifted his stance and patted his thighs where his guns were hidden under his pants.

"You look anxious," Marina said.

He nodded. "I have a feeling of dread, but I'm really excited, too. I'm not sure whether to be happy or afraid."

She smiled as she remembered her first mission ten years ago. She had experienced a similar mix of strong emotions.

"But for you this must seem pretty ordinary," he added.

"No." She shook her head. "At least I hope not. The day you start thinking this job is easy is the day it kills you. God's enemies are always coming up with new tricks."