The Belial Search

by R. D. Brady

  Danny nodded at it. “So who’s driving?”

  “That is so me.” Rolly opened the driver door and turned the engine on. He popped back out a moment later. “This thing is totally loaded.”

  “How long a drive is it?” Lou asked.

  “Two hours,” Danny said, climbing into the back seat. “This is the closest airport.” He paused. “We’re sure this is the right thing to do? We could just head home.”

  Lou couldn’t miss the hopeful tone in his voice. He’d agreed to come along, but Lou was pretty sure the long plane ride had given him too much time to think of all that could go wrong. And with Danny’s brain, that was probably a really long list.

  Rolly turned around in the driver’s seat. “We’re already here—we might as well take a look.”

  Lou climbed in the back next to Danny. “Yeah. We’re just going to see what we can find out. No gunplay. No violence. What can possibly go wrong?”

  Rolly put the car in gear and started to pull away. A black shape dashed from the tall grass and leaped in front of the car. Cleo stood there, staring at Rolly, her tail swishing back and forth. Lou gaped, then quickly got out of the car and opened the back.

  Cleo walked over, stopped in front of Lou, and stared at her.

  Lou ducked her head. “Sorry, Cleo.”

  Cleo huffed before jumping into the back and curling up.

  Lou closed the rear door, then once again climbed into the back seat.

  Danny crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her. “So nothing’s going to go wrong, huh?”

  Lou slumped down in her seat. “Oh, shut up, Danny.”

  CHAPTER 74

  Baltimore, Maryland

  Laney was just coming down the stairs of her cottage with a bag in her hand when Henry stormed in. “Where are they?”

  Jen had driven to downtown Baltimore to get him—he’d been in meetings all day—and had probably broken every speed limit on her way back. Meanwhile, Laney had sprinted to the cottage to pack a quick bag.

  “We’re not sure,” Laney said.

  Jake stepped out of the kitchen, his phone in his hand. “Sandra tracked one of Danny’s credit cards. He rented a plane.”

  Laney shook her head. Normal teenagers run away on foot. Our teenagers run away by private jet.

  “To where?” Henry asked.

  “Arizona.”

  “Where in Arizona?” Jen asked.

  “The eastern edge. A place called Show Low.”

  “Show Low?” Jen asked. “What on earth is in Show Low?”

  Jake shrugged “I don’t know, but I have more bad news. There’s been a report of the Katzes in Utah. They were caught on a street cam.”

  “The kids are heading to Arizona and the Katzes are one state away. I don’t like that coincidence,” Jen said.

  “Why are they going to Arizona?” Henry demanded.

  Laney and Jake exchanged a glance before Laney spoke. Jake had been going through the files on Cleo. “I had one of the analysts looking into Cleo’s background earlier,” Laney said. “He tracked them to a doctor named Ruggio, who runs a lab called GenDynamics in New Mexico, right on the border of Arizona. It’s possible that’s the lab where Cleo was created.”

  “I gave them permission to do research,” Henry said. “I should have—”

  “No,” Jen said. “You are not to blame for this. Giving them permission to do a Google search is not the same as giving them permission to traipse across the country. They knew what you were giving them permission for, and it wasn’t this.”

  “We need to get out there,” Laney said.

  “Agreed,” Jen said.

  “Do we know if the Katzes even know about the lab?” Jake asked.

  “Officially, no. But if Aaliyah is right, we have to assume they do,” Laney said. Her stomach tightened at the idea of Cleo being caught.

  Jen gestured to the door. “Well, let’s go round everybody up. I’ll feel better once we have the kids and felines in cages.”

  “You mean custody,” Henry said.

  Jen shook her head. “No, I had it right the first time.”

  Jake snorted. “Okay. I’ve got a plane being prepped as we speak. And I called up a security detail.”

  Laney looked over at him in surprise.

  “Oh, please,” he said. “Like you running to the rescue is something even a little surprising. As soon as you’re ready, we’ll head to the airport.”

  “Jen?” Laney asked.

  “I’ve got my bag in the car.”

  “I’ll stay here,” Henry said.

  Laney looked up. “Really?”

  “If we’re wrong and the Katzes aren’t out west, someone needs to be on this side of the country to run point. Just bring the kids back.”

  Laney hugged him. “We will. And it will be all right. I mean, they’re all smart kids. They wouldn’t do anything really stupid.”

  Jen, Jake, and Henry just stared at her.

  Laney groaned. “They’re doing something really stupid, aren’t they?”

  CHAPTER 75

  Virden, New Mexico

  GenDynamics Laboratories was located outside Virden, New Mexico, population 143. It was set back on five acres and surrounded by fields with little grass and lots of dry earth. The two-story building itself was rectangular, gray, and unimaginative. Even the sign, which they had to strain to find, was boring: simple black and white with “GenDynamics Laboratories” written in block lettering.

  Rolly drove around its outside perimeter, which was marked by a fence. “Wow—ritzy,” he drawled.

  “Don’t let the facade fool you. They made over five million last year,” Danny said.

  “And they obviously didn’t put it into landscaping,” Rolly replied.

  Lou shook her head. “Not everybody cares about outward appearances.”

  “Oh, come on, this place makes a prison look like the Taj Mahal.”

  Lou ignored the comment, knowing any response would only lead to a protracted discussion of what Rolly would do with the place if given a chance. I really need to stop him from watching any more HGTV. “Okay, so according to the blueprints Danny conveniently downloaded from the town clerk, the first floor is offices, and the second is laboratories.”

  “But I think the basement has probably been renovated for other projects,” Danny said.

  “Why’s that?” Rolly asked.

  “Well, if this is where Cleo was created, they’d need a large holding area for the animals. Not to mention somewhere away from the prying eyes of the public.”

  “So the top two floors are the public face of the company and the sublevels are where all the Frankenstein stuff goes down?” Rolly asked.

  “Exactly,” Danny said.

  “Danny can you get into their security system? Get us a look inside?” Lou asked.

  Danny shook his head. “Not from here. The signal doesn’t extend beyond the building.”

  Lou hadn’t planned on that. She’d been counting on Danny’s abilities to pave the way.

  Rolly raised an eyebrow. “You can reroute satellites but you can’t hack into some lab’s security system? What kind of genius are you?”

  Danny blushed.

  “Just kidding, Danny. You’re still the coolest genius I’ve ever met.” Rolly paused. “Although Dom does have his moments.”

  Danny turned to Lou. “Okay, so how do we do this?”

  “Well, I was thinking we just walk inside and ask for a tour,” Lou said.

  “You’re kidding,” Danny said.

  “Not exactly. If we get inside, how long do you think it will take you to hack their system?”

  “Two minutes. And if I can place a signal booster somewhere inside, we’d then be able to access the system even after we leave.”

  “That’s just what I was thinking,” Lou said. “So all we need is a way to keep them entertained while Danny does his thing. Thoughts?”

  Rolly grinned. “I have an idea.”

&nb
sp; CHAPTER 76

  Lou pushed through the door into the main lobby of GenDynamics. “I told you this is ridiculous.”

  Rolly stomped in behind her. “It is not. We’re doing this.”

  Danny followed behind them and took a seat in the lobby area.

  The receptionist, a brunette in a blue sweater vest looked up. “Can I help you?” she asked, though it was obvious she was hoping the answer was no.

  Rolly strode over to her. “You guys do genetic testing here, right?”

  “Yes,” she said slowly.

  Rolly turned to Lou, who glared back at him. “Told you.”

  “Whatever,” Lou said, looking away. She took in the cameras in the corners of the large open atrium.

  Rolly leaned against the counter. “Well, we need a genetic test done. Today.”

  The receptionist paused. “Uh, we don’t take samples here. Samples are sent here from all over the country. You’ll have to contact your doctor or another lab.”

  Rolly threw up his hands. “You guys must have someone who can take a sample!”

  Lou glanced over at Danny. He shook his head.

  The receptionist looked ready to call security. Her hand inched toward the phone. “I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to—”

  “I told you I never slept with your brother!” Lou yelled.

  The woman’s hand paused.

  “Yeah? Well then why does Joe Junior have brown eyes like him, huh? Mine are obviously green. Aren’t they?” He turned to the receptionist, who nodded.

  “I have brown eyes,” Lou said. “He takes after me.”

  Rolly’s look was incredulous. “Why on earth would he do that when I’m so much prettier?”

  Lou rolled her eyes. “Really?”

  Rolly turned back to the receptionist. “My eyes are prettier, aren’t they?”

  “Um, you two really need to leave.”

  Across the room, Danny stood.

  Lou tugged on Rolly’s jacket. “Come on. I don’t want little Joey staying too long with your mother.”

  Rolly followed her across the room. “What’s wrong with my mother?” he demanded.

  “Oh, shut up,” Lou said, pushing through the doors.

  As soon as they were out of sight, Rolly grinned. “That was fun.”

  Lou shoved him. “What do you mean you have prettier eyes than me?”

  Rolly wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Yours are pretty. Mine just happen to be prettier.”

  They climbed into the Suburban and pulled away with Rolly behind the wheel. As soon as they were off the lab’s property, Cleo popped her head up from the back.

  “So? What’s the verdict?” Lou asked.

  Danny looked up from his laptop with a grin. “We’re in.”

  While Danny explored the security systems, Rolly picked up some fast food and found a small park. They sat in the parking lot to eat, but as there didn’t seem to be anyone around, they took their food and Danny’s laptop over to a picnic table and let Cleo disappear into the park.

  “She’ll be okay, right?” Rolly asked.

  “She knows to stay away from anyone,” Danny replied. “She just needs to stretch her legs.”

  Lou watched Cleo disappear into the brush. “All right. Show us what you have.”

  Danny turned the laptop so the three of them could see it at the same time. “Okay, so I’ve been through most of their system. They have pretty decent security.”

  “But nothing you couldn’t get past,” Rolly said.

  “Of course,” replied Danny. Lou smiled. Danny might be introverted, but he didn’t lack for confidence when it came to his abilities.

  “We were right about the labs being in the basement. There are a lot of animals down there.”

  “Can we see?” Lou asked.

  Danny pressed a few keys. Lou and Rolly leaned forward. The image was hard to make out. Lou could tell there were cages, and animals moving inside them, but she couldn’t see exactly what type of animals they were.

  “Are those dogs?” Rolly asked.

  “I think so,” Danny said.

  “Anything bigger than that?” Lou asked.

  Danny flipped to another screen.

  “Cows?” Lou said. “Huh. What about leopards?”

  “I didn’t see any,” Danny said. “But if they’re young, then it would be hard to see them. I can’t see into all the cages.”

  “What about their files? They must tell you something,” Rolly said.

  Danny shook his head. “Their files aren’t linked to the system. I’m guessing that was deliberate, to keep anyone from doing exactly what we’re trying to do.”

  “So the only way to know what’s really going in there is to go take a look?” Rolly asked.

  “Yeah.”

  Lou took a bite from a fry. “Then I guess we’re going in.”

  CHAPTER 77

  Laney stared out the plane window. Jen was sleeping in the back, as were Jake and most of the team, but Laney couldn’t. She had tried all of the cell phone numbers Zach had given them, but the kids must have had them turned off because her calls went right to voicemail. Or they’re avoiding me, she thought with a growl. She still couldn’t believe they’d done this. What were they thinking?

  They were going to land in about forty-five minutes, and then it was another two-hour drive to the lab. But Jake had contacted the local police to let them know a contingency of feds would soon be driving through the area at well over the posted speed limit, so Laney was hoping they’d be able to make it there in just over an hour once they hit the ground.

  Her thoughts drifted to Honu Keiki. She wasn’t sure what to make of the group. They had warned them about potential victims, but Laney was also pretty sure they had set up that whole incident in the coffee shop. She couldn’t figure out their angle. Jake had suggested it was a test to see what she could do. But why? And Laney had gotten the impression that Aaliyah hadn’t been behind that test. So who had? And what did any of that have to do with the companion murders?

  Laney’s thoughts were going around in circles. Her phone rang, and she snatched it up with a glance at the ID. “Aaliyah?”

  Aaliyah’s voice came out rushed. “Laney, I’m glad I reached you.”

  Laney frowned. “What’s wrong?”

  Aaliyah responded with a question of her own. “Do you have a location?”

  “We think so. There’s a lab in New Mexico that specializes in animal research. We think some of our teenagers are headed there. It’s possible that Maura and Derek Katz may be headed there as well.”

  “Yes. She had the vision again, but it was different.” Aaliyah paused. “These teenagers, they’re important to you.”

  Laney wondered at the conversation change. “I don’t know if you’ve heard of the Chandler School. The children there, they all come from tough backgrounds. Most of them are alone in the world. We hope to provide them with not just a school but a home.”

  “And you care about them.”

  Laney thought of Lou, Rolly, and Danny. “Very much—especially these three. They…” She paused. “They’ve had such a hard life. They’ve had these horrible circumstances handed to them, and they still do the right thing. They still see the good in the world. How can you not care about people like that? I just need to know they’re safe. I mean, I’m probably worried for nothing. Maura and Derek could be anywhere.”

  Aaliyah was silent.

  Laney’s heart clutched. “Aaliyah, you haven’t said what changed in the vision.”

  “As you know, the sacrifices don’t occur until sunset tomorrow. There’s still time.”

  Laney said nothing, but a cold ball of fear began to develop in her stomach.

  “Previously, the seer only saw cats.”

  The ball of fear grew. “That’s changed?”

  “Maybe not changed, so much as the picture became bigger.”

  “It’s not just cats, is it?”

  “No. Now there’s a human on
one of the altars as well.”

  CHAPTER 78

  Lou, Rolly, and Danny waited until eleven o’clock that night to head back to GenDynamics. They had driven around for a while, but downtown Virden hadn’t had much to offer. Danny had finally rented a motel room online. They’d snuck Cleo in and all of them had taken a nap. None of them had slept well the previous night.

  Now Lou and Rolly crouched next to the fence of GenDynamics. There was only a skeleton crew on at night. They had been watching the facility for thirty minutes, but had seen no activity. It was time to move.

  “We’re ready,” Lou said into her mike as she pulled her ski mask over her face. Danny had brought a bag full of spy gear. Lou really did feel like she was in a movie.

  Danny spoke quietly into her earpiece. “The southwest door will be unguarded in three, two, one.”

  Lou and Rolly leapt over the fence and sprinted for the door. It unlocked for them as they were almost on it. Lou pulled it open.

  “Down the stairs on the right,” Danny said.

  Lou sprinted toward them and descended as quietly as she could.

  “Guard coming. Door on the right,” Danny ordered.

  Lou slipped through the door, with Rolly right behind her.

  Ten seconds later, Danny spoke again. “All clear.”

  Lou opened the door and hurried down the hall. It ended in a crossing corridor that went a long distance both left and right. Her nervousness spiked. They’d decided to split up. Lou would check out the animals’ pens and Rolly would head to the office and download all the files he could.

  Rolly grinned at Lou. “Good luck, partner.”

  “You too.” She turned and headed to the right.

  CHAPTER 79

  Rolly made his way to an office in the back. “Danny, I’m here.” He sat at one of the terminals. “What do I do?”

  “Insert the flash drive I gave you.”

  Rolly did. “Done.”

  “Okay. Open the program on there. It will download everything for you.”