Carter had to put some thought into that one. There was no connection that he could discern between the Yavapai and General Persaud. “I guess it could have been an isolated incident, yet another unrelated crime.”
Steve stood up and began pacing the floor in front of the glass doors to the balcony. “I don’t think so. Look, this is going to sound crazy, but what if that guy was under Persaud’s control at the time? We know from Gina that he was one of the men that went missing, but we don’t know where he was kept, or what was done to him. If Persaud really is the maestro from the healers’ visions, then having a Yavapai take shots at you would certainly further his goal of pitting your tribes against each other.”
“You’re talking about mind control,” Carter said.
“Yeah, I am. It’s definitely possible, and it would go a long way to explaining how Persaud convinced his men to turn on us. Soldiers follow orders, but they don’t follow those kinds of orders.”
Han’s sat phone rang and he quickly answered it. They all listened to his side of the conversation.
“It’s fine, Kell. What’s up?” There was a long pause and then he said, “Hold on for a second.” Removing the phone from his ear, he spoke to Myrine. “Kell just got a call from the Ranger’s office. There’s been another group of tourists to turn up with no memories. They’d been missing since last night.”
“What the hell is going on here? Ask her to head over there and find out everything she can.”
Carter added, “Can you also ask her to keep Gina with her? I don’t want her left alone.”
Han nodded and repeated their requests over the phone. “Thanks, Kell. Keep me posted, and be safe.” He returned the phone to his pocket. “So, what now?”
Carter pulled out his phone, along with a slightly crumpled business card, dialed, and waited. “General Persaud, it’s Carter Mockta. We’re pretty much done here, and I was wondering if I could take you up on that offer of a tour of your facility.” There was a short pause and then, “Perfect, thanks. We’ll be waiting.” He pressed the end button and spoke to the room. “Get ready, everyone. We’ve just been invited into the lion’s den.”
Chapter 28
Although this visit with General Persaud was only to be a fact-finding mission, Carter could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stir as they took the long ride down the elevator to the secret research facility. If the general was indeed responsible for the attacks on his team as well as the local tribes—and that was still uncertain—there would be politics to consider when deciding upon their response. If there was one thing Carter hated, it was bureaucracy. It would be difficult enough to take down the general on his home turf with possibly innocent super soldiers defending him. If their hands became tied by politicians, well, it certainly wouldn’t get easier.
Their escort, another one of the general’s men, stood aside when the elevator doors opened, allowing them to exit first. Perhaps yesterday Carter would have thought him being polite. Today, though, it felt more like he wanted to keep them all where he could see them.
The cavernous room was exactly as Carter remembered it, with rows of golf carts of varying sizes lining the rock walls. They were guided toward the two front carts and began the long ride through the tunnel. Once again, Carter’s wolf strained against his control in the confined space.
“Do I need to remind you all of the consequences of breaking your non-disclosure agreement?” their driver asked.
No one felt the need to answer as the agreement itself made it clear enough. Besides, they weren’t there to uncover the government’s secrets, just the general’s.
When they finally arrived at the end of the tunnel, they were greeted by a smiling General Persaud. “I’m glad you decided to come. After the day you guys had today, I was surprised you called.”
“We almost didn’t, General,” Myrine said with a much-improved poker face. “But after signing all of those forms, it seemed like a waste to not at least take a peek at what you’ve got going on down here. Thanks for giving us the opportunity.”
A middle-aged man wearing a crisp white lab coat shuffled over to the general’s side with clipboard in hand. His glasses were perched on his beak-like nose, and his eyes darted between each member of the group. Carter thought he looked more like a caricature of a scientist than an actual one.
“This is Dr. Powell. He’s the lead scientist for our MDS research. If it’s all right with you, we’ll begin our tour there.” The general, not waiting for their response, headed down one of the many corridors that ran off the main room with Dr. Powell close at his heels.
Myrine and Steve fell in step behind them, followed by the rest of team. As was decided earlier, Mirissa and Han took up the rear. The plan was to use Mirissa’s expanded hearing to eavesdrop into any areas they weren’t given a tour of. If anything interesting was heard, Han would quietly place a small wireless microphone inside the wall. Since their equipment came from local mom-and-pop stores, their only option to keep it concealed was Han’s unique ability to pass through solid surfaces.
If they’d had some time to prepare, the plan would have been more impressive and the equipment top-of-the-line. But that would have required coming up with a realistic reason for them to be staying around the canyon after they’d supposedly already caught the bad guy. The risk of tipping the general off to their suspicions was too great, so they made do.
“As you all know, having a metabolically dominant soldier tips the odds of winning any battle steeply in our favor.” General Persaud sounded more like a tour bus guide than a rogue megalomaniac. “But finding the right balance of abilities, healing, rejuvenation, and intelligence is the real key to success. Currently, we have twenty-six soldiers in the testing stage of one or more of our advancements.”
“How do you choose your test subjects, General?” Steve asked.
Dr. Powell answered before Persaud had the chance. “Excellent question. As you’ve obviously deduced already, not everyone is suitable for our program. Not only must they be in the best possible physical condition, but their minds must also be open to accepting the changes that will occur. When we first started out, we only focused on the physical. Now we know better. It’s like walking a tightrope, really. If their mindset is too rigid, they’ll reject the physical advancements. They need to be malleable.”
“How do you test for malleability?” Steve seemed genuinely interested.
“Simple. We hypnotize them. If they can’t be put under hypnosis, they’re sent on their way. Of course, the addition of the computer chip helps in the borderline cases. That was a lesson I wish we’d learned sooner.” The doctor cackled and snorted as though he’d just made some sort of joke. The general didn’t appear to find the same humor.
“It’s a very simple testing process,” Persaud said, giving a look to the doctor that warned him to watch himself. “No different than that of an entertainer choosing his subjects for a hypnosis show. The health and safety of our men is our first priority. If their minds can’t handle the changes, we don’t accept them as candidates. Ah, here we are. This is our initial testing lab for the recently enhanced soldiers. I think you’ll be quite impressed.”
As they filed through the door, Myrine sent a quick look to Mirissa, who just shook her head. Apparently, she’d yet to hear anything unusual. That seemed to change when they entered the lab.
The walls, floor, and ceiling were gleaming white. Treadmills and stationary bikes lined two of the walls, while a third held weight machines. All of the equipment was draped in wires and looked as though it had been modified for extreme use. At the moment, there were only three soldiers occupying the room. One on a leg press that held more weight than Carter had ever seen on a single machine, one on a treadmill, and one on a bike. None of the men had broken a sweat.
“These are three of our newer subjects. Each has had one enhancement so far.” He pointed to each man in turn. “Strength, speed, and stamina. As you can see, they are progressing quite we
ll.”
Carter watched as Mirissa made her way around the room, ostensibly checking out the men and machines. What she was really doing was listening. She paused beside the runner and glanced at Han, who slowly wandered over. That was everyone’s cue to attract attention away from him while he planted the microphone.
“Dr. Powell, what you were saying about hypnosis earlier was really interesting,” Myrine said as she walked over to the occupied weight machine opposite the stationary bike. As expected, the touchy subject matter caused the general to follow closely. “Can you tell me what kind of hypnosis you use? Do you make them cluck like a chicken or hop on one foot?” She laughed good-naturedly.
Looking a little uncomfortable to be talking about it again, the doctor said, “No, of course not. We just need to make sure they’re susceptible to suggestion.” He looked at Persaud as though waiting for his approval.
Instead, Persaud finished the conversation for him. “I’m afraid the doctor has made this part of our selection process sound more extensive than it really is. It’s a simple matter of ensuring the subjects accept their new abilities. Nothing more.”
“Still, it might be fun for the boys to see each other clucking.” Han laughed as he crossed the room. The three soldiers joined in the laughter, causing the doctor, and even Persaud, to chuckle as well.
“This is fascinating. What else have you got to show us?” Myrine asked.
For several hours, they were given an extensive tour of the facility. There were more labs for testing the soldiers’ acquired abilities, as well as the procedure rooms where the subjects were treated. But it was the tech lab that Carter found most interesting. The devices they were engineering were the stuff of sci-fi movies. Persaud had told them about the liquid body armor on their first trip, but to see it in action was incredible. The same was true for the Spring Walker Boots. The other gadgets were equally impressive.
All in all, Han placed four more listening devices along the way, where Mirissa heard things she deemed interesting. Their primary goal, however, was to get a microphone in General Persaud’s office. The chances of him adding his private space to their tour were slim at best, so they went for a simple, classic ruse. It probably wouldn’t work, but it was worth a try.
“Um, sir? Would it be too much to ask for a telephone? Our satellite phones don’t work down here,” Han asked innocently.
“Of course. We have phones in the main hall. Feel free to use one,” the general replied.
Han leaned in conspiratorially. “Do you have somewhere private? I’ve been here a lot longer than I expected to be and Ranger Christner will not be pleased with me.”
Persaud smiled and winked. “Now, that I understand. I’m sorry to report, though, that it never gets better. I’ve been married for almost thirty years and I still get put in the doghouse when I’m late and don’t call. Let me take you to one of our private offices.”
As a group, they moved to a hallway that looked like it belonged in any office building in the world, not a super-secret underground research facility. Persaud opened an office door that was labeled “Lt. Jason Fairbanks” but stopped before entering and spoke to Han. “I’m sorry. He’s on a call right now.” They tried two more offices with the same results. “Why don’t you just use my office? At least I know that one isn’t currently in use.”
Carter let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. They’d just gotten very lucky. Persaud led them to the end of the hall and opened a set of large double doors.
“The phone’s on the desk. Dial nine to get an outside line.” Once Han was inside the room, the general closed the door behind him and smiled at Carter. “Did you have a chance to spend any time with your family while you were here?”
“Yes, sir, I did. Thanks very much for asking. It’s been a bit crazy but I was able to fit in a few personal moments.”
“Crazy is an understatement. I understand this Bill Soyala was a friend of yours? You have my sympathies. It’s always difficult when you’re betrayed by someone you know.”
Carter maintained eye contact as though he was being tested. “Yes, it is. I owe you and this facility my thanks. Had Captain Hancock not acted when he did, I’d be dead. He’s quite the soldier. Has he been with the program long?”
“Almost three years. He’s the most advanced subject here. There’s not much that we haven’t been able to enhance in him. He’s sort of our poster boy.”
Han opened the door and looked at the general. “Thank you very much. I think I may have just dodged a bullet there.”
“Excellent. I’m glad to help. Speaking of doghouses, though, I’m going to have to end our tour here. As much as I’ve enjoyed having you as visitors, my wife will have dinner waiting on me.” He pressed a button on what looked like a walkie-talkie and spoke. “Sergeant, please come to my office and escort our guests back to the helicopter.”
Myrine smiled. “Thank you for your time, General. This was truly enlightening.”
As they all shook the General’s hand and said their goodbyes, the same young soldier that had met Carter, Han, and Jackie at the airport on their first day joined them. “Good to see you again. If you’ll follow me.”
Carter wanted nothing more than to be out of there and back at the hotel. They’d set up the receivers for the microphones in Myrine’s suite before they left, and Carter was looking forward to hearing what was going on behind closed doors.
********
General Persaud watched the Omega Group until they’d rounded the corner. When they were all out of sight, he locked his office and used a biometric scanner to open the unmarked door directly across the hall.
The small room was furnished with only a long desk and one chair. A bank of computer monitors glowed with screens running various data streams. Two monitors with split screens showed several low resolution, wobbly images. We really need to improve the quality of these things.
He sat at the keyboard on the desk and typed a series of commands. The images flashed as the recordings made by tiny robotic insects rewound. Only one interested him at present.
He watched Han Li enter his office, pick up the phone, and push some numbers. His lips were moving, but the micro drone’s lack of audio capabilities limited the information Persaud could glean. For a moment, it seemed that his suspicions were unfounded. Perhaps they had just come for a tour. Then it happened.
Han, holding the phone to his ear, took a step backward and leaned on the wall behind his desk. A moment later he replaced the phone and left the room. It looked innocent enough, but the general had a niggling feeling he couldn’t shake, so he rewound the recording again and, this time, played it at half-speed.
He almost missed it, even in slow motion, but it was there. Han’s hand wasn’t leaning on the wall; it was passing through it. He rewound and played those few seconds over and over until he was absolutely sure.
The image quality was too poor to make out what it was, but something was in Han’s hand before it went through the wall, although not after.
General Persaud felt his spirits rising at this new piece of information. He’d started the tour thinking he’d have to deal with some nosey government agents. Now, he had something far more interesting in mind.
Chapter 29
The short flight back to the hotel was filled with innocuous conversation about the wonders they’d just seen. Captain Hancock, once again their pilot, happily answered their banal questions about his experiences over the last few years. The more he spoke, the more convinced Carter became of his innocence. There was no way a man like that would willingly be involved in a rogue general’s illegal plan.
As soon as they were alone in Myrine and Steve’s suite, the real discussion began.
“Hypnotism and computer chips? That definitely points to Steve’s earlier assumption of mind control,” Myrine said. “But it doesn’t prove any wrongdoing on Persaud’s part.”
“You didn’t hear what I heard.” Mirissa came forward. �
��Rewind the recordings back to the start. I think we may have found the missing tribe members.”
Carter’s phone rang while Ken worked at the computer. “Hey, Gina. What’s up? Are you guys all right?”
“We’re fine. But I just got a call from our chief. Lou’s gone. He never came home last night. It might be nothing, but considering everything that’s happening, I thought you should know.”
Carter felt his anger rise as he remembered his time with the kid at Mooney Falls. Why couldn’t they have taken his brother, instead? “Don’t worry, we’ll find him and bring him home. Any news on the tourists?”
“Kell said it’s the same story as the others. They don’t remember anything. She had blood samples taken this time and sent them off to a lab in Flagstaff. If they were given something, we’ll know soon enough.”
“Are you guys about ready to head back?”
“In a little bit, yeah. Kell’s busy getting a strip torn off her by her boss. He’s none too happy about her involvement in this case. I’m a little worried about her coming out of this with her job intact.”
“She can hold her own. Besides, she’ll be the hero when we finish this. She’ll probably end up with a promotion.”
“I hope you’re right. And, Carter? Find Lou for me. He’s a good kid.”
“I know he is. We met on my first day here. We’ll find him.”
When he ended the call, Ken was just beginning the playback. The sound quality was sorely lacking as, not only were the devices substandard, but they were listening through walls. Of the six microphones Han placed, only two of them had recorded any discernable content so far.
Myrine turned to her daughter. “You’re going to have to walk us through what we’re listening to, Mirissa. Your auditory capabilities are a lot better than those microphones.”
“It was a lot clearer for me,” Mirissa said. “In three of the locations, I heard animal sounds. Growling, snarling, and even howling in one of them. The other two spots were different. One of them sounded like an episode of Grey’s Anatomy. Lots of stuff like ‘Scalpel, please’ and ‘Hang two units of O neg.’ That one could be totally legitimate because a place like that would have an infirmary, but since our tour had already included what they said were their procedure rooms, I thought it might be worth a listen. The other one was less clear. It sounded like a meeting between scientists. They were in the middle of an argument about Captain Hancock. Something about his chip malfunctioning.”
Rogue (Book 2) (The Omega Group) Page 13
