The Storm Maker (21 page)

       “Is
there anybody in the room with you?” Sayett asked.

       “None”

       “Alright,
now here is the suspicious business,” Sayett said. “Only my team knew about
this raid. I had left a personal note for you alone, but I told no one else in
advance except the chief detective of our Southstar office. The pilots and the
guards were told about the destination after I got on the plane and anyhow the
guards are dead. There was one junior detective who delivered the car at the
airport, but he was told that very morning. Not enough time for the Ranxians to
ambush us just an hour out on the road.”

       “You
suspect someone on your team?” Yucker asked.

       “I
handpicked my team, it would be hard for them—whoever they are—to get their spy
on it,” Sayett said. “But here is another clue. These gunmen who ambushed us
were not from an underworld syndicate. I had an opportunity from my friendship
with Colonel Sthykar to get some of my detectives army training on close
distance, small team firefights. I observed our Elite Army soldiers do the
drills, these gunmen weren’t at that level, but they weren’t much worse either.
I believe they are Ranx Rangers.”

       “Do
you suspect Ranxian State’s involvement?” Yucker asked.

       “Don’t
know, but if they can get Ranx Rangers, they can get Eye of Ranx spies too.”

       “Mr.
Lenax Tanx?” Yucker asked.

       “That
is who I suspect,” Sayett said. “He is the only outsider on my team and he was
there in the room when I told of my plans about the raid. He is the most likely
suspect.”

       “We
will have to move carefully, here,” Yucker said, “He is here on a state
invitation. The Capital Courts will not allow us to hold a state guest even a
minute without solid evidence.”

       “Right,
then he will fly back.” Sayett said, “That is why don’t move on him just yet. I
am not completely sure of his guilt, either. Bypass my team altogether and
assign someone from the Counter-Spying Division to smoke out the spy from my
team.”

       “How
about the head of our Counter-Spying Division,” Yucker said. “With Constellar
Slyntya’s kidnapping, this has become our top priority case now.”

       “Great,”
Sayett said. “And about those guards, don’t tell anyone of it. You are the only
one with authority to order secret movements of guards.”

       “And
I will use just that authority,” Yucker replied. “I will get the guards from
different offices in southeast and they will know their destination only when
they reach it.”

       “Alright,
chief,” Sayett said.

       “You
take care,” Yucker said, “and get those bastards. Alright then.”

       Sayett
put the phone back on the small table. The young man was staring out the window
with his rifle aimed at the woods, but he turned around when Sayett was done
talking.

       “By
the way I am Forvyt,” he said to Sayett.

       “I
am Sayett, a chief detective in SPASI,” Sayett said with a smile. “If you ever
want a job in SPASI, I will get you hired.”

       “Appreciate,”
Forvyt said, “but I enjoy my time in the Warrior Class and we got this large
hog ranch that I have to run.”

       Sayett
was feeling very tired now. He had woken up early for the flight and this
pitched battle had left him completely drained. He sat back in the bed, took
out his pistol from his inner suit pocket and kept it besides the phone, and
then leaned back and put his head on the pillow.

       “My
grandmother’s bed,” Forvyt said, “she died a few years back but we didn’t move
the bed.”

       Sayett’s
eyelids were heavy and soon the sleep came to him.

Sthykar
and the scientist were slowly making their way through the maze. Sthykar
remembered the way back. He just had to reverse his trick with the maze and
retrace his steps. He kept the scientist in front of him, in case the scientist
was lying, and clutched his pistol, alert to his surroundings. This maze was
confusing as it was intended to be and there was no telling when someone would
spring out of an opening.

       Sthykar’s
radio buzzed at a very low volume. He stopped the scientist’s with a hand on
the man’s shoulder, then he took out his radio. He put the pistol back into his
belt as he tuned the radio receiver scanning for frequencies. There was buzz
here and there.

       “Who
is that?” the scientist asked.

       “First,
keep your voice to a whisper,” Sthykar whispered. “I think it is your friends.
My friends are tuned into my frequency.”

       “They
are not my friends,” the scientist said. “They are murderers and much worse.”

       “Wait
now...I am trying to get their frequency.”

       Sthykar
slowly scanned till the voice became clear. The volume was still low, but the
voices were audible, yet not intelligible to him.

       “They
are babbling Ranxian gibberish,” Sthykar scoffed. “Do you understand it?”

       “I
picked up some in my captivity,” the scientist said. “Hand me the radio, I will
translate what I can.”

       Sthykar
handed the radio to the scientist and took out his pistol. He still wasn’t sure
he could trust the scientist and if he would try to contact them. His pistol
made it evident that such an action would bring severe, negative consequences.
The scientist looked at the pistol and then put the radio to his ear. He
listened for a few seconds.

       “Corporal
Montex is addressing men, but not in regards to me; they are talking about a
bigger problem,” the scientist translated, and then added. “Didn’t say what the
bigger problem is. By the way, Montex is the Corporal of these soldiers and
third-in-command overall.”

       “Corporal?”
Sthykar wondered. “Didn’t know the syndicates assigned ranks.”

       “They
are not a syndicate,” the scientist said. “Those are Ranx soldiers.”

       “Ranx
soldiers!” Sthykar said. “Is the Ranx State involved?”

       “Hold
on, they are talking again,” the scientist said. “Corporal Montex is addressing
the gate guards. He is telling them to put four guards each on all the four
exits out of this maze facing the outer wall. He is now saying that it will be
a while before they begin the search from inside. Some soldiers are leaving to
bolster Capitan Suka Manx who has gone somewhere. After they leave Montex will
get some men and work their way out through the maze to the wall.”

       “How
long before the search begins?” Sthykar asked.

       “Didn’t
say,” the scientist said. “No wait, a guard just asked that very question.
Montex said around an hour. They don’t think I can find my way out let alone
climb the wall. He told them to hold their position at the openings and not go
inside. That’s it.”

       Sthykar
took the radio and attached it back to his belt. “We have some time. Let’s wait
for these soldiers to leave. But how are they going to leave if not through the
maze?”

       “There
is a road through the middle from the gate to the tower. But it is heavily
guarded. Armed men patrol the whole length of it.” the scientist said.

       “So
you were telling me who these men were?” Sthykar said.

       “I
know they are all Ranxian soldiers,” the scientist said. “Their boss is also
Ranxian, but he is not a soldier—some rich businessman. They kept their secrets
from us; I picked up bits here and there. Ranx Rangers is the name of their
unit. Supposedly better than the regular troops.”

       “Ranx
Rangers!” Sthykar said “Those are some skilled and tough soldiers; however,
they are no match for our elite army.”

       “But
how are we going to deal with them?”

       “I
told you I was a hunter, but I am also a Colonel in the Starfirian Elite Army;
Mountain Cavalry to be specific. I have thrashed Narducat Empire’s Imperial
Special Army, the second best soldiers in the world after our Elite Army. These
Ranx Rangers are good, but nowhere near the best.”

       “Don’t
tell me you are one of those colonels who came to Karaln Nation to fight for us
against the Narducat Empire few years ago?”

       Sthykar
nodded and then said, “I was there. I delivered a barrel of hard beating to
those imperial boys.”

       “So
you were in the army of legendary Colonel Sthykar?”

       Sthykar
laughed a bit . “I am Colonel Sthykar,” he whispered.

       “I
will be damned.” The scientist had a big grin on his face. “Before I was
kidnapped, my work route went through the square that was dedicated by our
government to you brave Starfirians who came to fight for us. One of those
statues is of you.”

       “So
I have heard,” Sthykar said. “Enough about me. Tell me about you and how you
are mixed up in this? And what are these Ranxians up to, anyhow?”

       “I
am Jalant Tol and I am a meteorologist by training and profession,” the
scientist said. “But I have also picked up practical knowledge of mechanics and
machine making in my work. That’s what made me a valuable target for these people.
Now Colonel, are you familiar with the secret storm-weapons research that
Narducat and Starfirian arms workshops were carrying out to make weapons that
could create artificial storms?”

       “I
heard some about it. That was insane. I remember that all further research was
banned in a treaty with the Narducats.”

       “It
was, but the existing research itself is kept locked up in the government
archives.”

       “So
how do these storm weapons work?”

       “I
cannot give you a complete or even a sufficient answer to that,” Jalant said.
“I was one amongst many other scientists, each doing our small part, none
knowing the workings of the whole, except on a broad, general level.”

       “Tell
me that,” Sthykar said. “I wouldn’t understand deep, technical details anyhow.
But I am a trained mechanical engineer, so I understand the basic principles of
science and mechanics.”

       “Well,
hurricanes and massive storms are created due to large temperature and pressure
differences,” Jalant began. “The winds sweep in from the high to the low pressure
area, swirls around, the hot air rises up, the cold air is sucked in, clouds
form above when the hot air cools and it rains hard. Normally it happens over
the oceans in warm water areas and the hurricanes lose steam when they hit the
land. But these storm-machines allow for hurricanes and storms to be formed
over the land, provided that it is near the ocean so to allow for sufficient
water vapors, moisture, in the air. I believe we are close to the ocean from
here.”

       “Ocean
is not next door to this town, but you could say that the coast is not far.”

       “That
is sufficient,” Jalant said. “These machines use electromagnetic waves to
direct heat over some part of the atmosphere rapidly and intensely. This
creates the pressure differential and the winds start moving around furiously
to even out the pressure. If there is enough moisture present, it will rain
torrentially as well and you have a man-made, machine-made hurricane on your
hands.”

       “I
suppose that is correct. I learned some about atmospheric phenomenon as it
relates to the operations of the airplanes, but my knowledge there is limited.”

       “Mine,
too. This is too complicated; although creating an artificial storm might be
possible, controlling or directing it is probably beyond anyone’s knowledge.”

       “Big
question is, how did these people get their hands on this knowledge?”

       “These
Ranxians got some of that research through espionage,” Jalant said, “But even
if they had acquired all of it, it would have done them no good. Neither your
country’s nor Imperial research was anywhere near completion. That is where we
came in: weather scientists from different countries. They kidnapped us. They
lured me and a few of my Karaln fellow scientists by giving us free plane
tickets and hotel rooms to a conference in the Ranx Nation where they just
grabbed us and shoved us into cars. They got rest of the scientists with
similar methods. Then they made us work in captivity till we had finally
delivered.”

       “Delivered
the storm weapon?” Sthykar asked.

       “It
is ready,” the scientist nodded grimly.

* * *

       A
tall, lanky man knocked on the doors of the office of the SPASI Chief Yucker
located on the topmost floor of the building. Chief Detective Avyk Wyt was the
head of the Spying and Counter-Spying Department of SPASI. He was in his late
forty’s, still had a head full of hair with one strand coming over his
forehead, chiseled cheek bones and a long face.

       “Come
on in,” Yucker said from inside the office. “I kept the door open.”

       “You
wanted to see me, Chief Yucker,” Avyk said, pushing in the door and walking to
the desk where Yucker was seated. Yucker got up when Avyk approached him.
Yucker was a man in his fifties, a broad, stocky man with a large chest as well
as a big stomach, Yucker kept his hair all combed back, his face was broad and
his chins on sides had started to sag, but just slightly; however the most
noticeable feature about him were his large, round piercing eyes.

       “What
are you working on in your division right now?” Yucker asked.

       “Nothing
in particular, usual investigations and research.”

       “Great!
Because I am giving you a case that has become our top priority now.”

       “Number
one priority?” Avyk asked startled. “What has happened?”

       “A
Constellar was kidnapped, and Sayett’s team was hit with an armed attack,”
Yucker replied.

       “Sayett?”
Avyk’s alarm was evident.

       “He
is alright,” Yucker said. “Sadly, his guards died. He believes there is a spy
in his team.”

       Yucker
then informed him about the bank robberies and the case Sayett was assigned,
and handed over a file. He also told him what Sayett had said on the phone.

       “How
certain is Sayett of this Eye of Ranx man being the spy?” Avyk asked.

       “That’s
his prime suspect, but we need to smoke out the spy whoever he is and fast,”
Yucker said. “That is why I am giving this to you.”

       “That’s
our specialty,” Avyk said.

       “I
want you to personally supervise this operation. Grab your best detectives and
put them on it. But I need discretion here. You will be secretly investigating
Sayett’s team; I don’t want to create bad feelings inside the SPASI between the
detectives of the different divisions.”

       “Just
for this reason, we have created methods to identify spies and infiltrators in
our ranks without rubbing anyone the wrong way,” Avyk said., “But to keep my
investigation absolutely secret and discreet I need your orders to prevent
anyone else in the SPASI from intruding on my team.”

       “You
have it. If you have problem with anyone, call me and I will give them direct
orders on the phone.”

       “Wonderful,”
Avyk said. “I am going to go grab my boys right away.”

       Yucker
sat back satisfied as Avyk walked out the door and down to the floor of his
division to get his team ready.

* * *

       Sthykar
and Jalant heard the roar of the car engines at some distance while they leaned
against a bristly wall of the maze. The cars drove on the road in the middle of
the maze connecting the tower to the gate.

       “There
they go,” Sthykar said. “But I saw no road on the outside of this compound.”

       “I
don’t know about that,” Jalant said. “But when they brought me here, they drove
on the open grass just outside the walls.”

       “That
would connect to the road just east of this property,” Sthykar said. “I think I
hear distinct sounds...multiple cars.”

       “I
can’t tell that,” Jalant said surprised.

       “Now
they are stopping,” Sthykar said. They heard a faint noise of the huge, steel
gate opening and the cars accelerating out of there followed once again by the
closing of the gate with a louder thud.

       “Now
is our time,” Sthykar said. “Walk behind me closely and silently.”

       “Will
do,” Jalant replied.

       “And
don’t speak unless spoken to,” Sthykar said. “Tug my shirt if you see somebody
or something.”

       Sthykar
then put his pistol back into his belt and took his ATR rifle from his
shoulder. There were going to be four guards on the openings, presumably with
the Ranx rifles, thus he needed more firepower now. He also flicked off his
radio to avoid an inadvertent noise alerting someone in the vicinity.