by Shawn Keys
“I take that as a ‘no’. Too bad. I’m beginning to think that it’s only the agents that have some sort of ulterior motive. That’s going to make a friend of mine really happy. She’s a believer. Actually, so am I. I want to think the FDPC isn’t trying to kill me. That gives me at least a small chance there’s an end to this. If it was the whole damned organization, I’d be running for the rest of my life.”
Claire insisted, “I’m sorry for what you’ve been through. I really am! But I’m the FDPC! And I’m not trying to kill anyone.”
Kyle nodded. “Do you want to find out for sure?”
“What do you mean?”
“We’re not going to let this go, Claire. I’m not going to kidnap you or anything, and I can’t trust you to take you with us. Our next stop is to figure out what that language this is and find a way to read what’s going on. Maybe it’s nothing. But then again, maybe it’s something. Do you want to know? I’m sure Agent Sayers would love to know if two of her agents are killing people for their own reasons.”
Claire clenched her teeth. “You’re crazy. That can’t be what’s happening.”
“And if it is?” Kyle dropped the gun, deciding they had what they needed. The time for the threat was past. “Give me your number. Not your office one. Your private cell.”
“Why?”
“I’m not going to do anything with it. But when we find out the answer, I’ll contact you. If you want to know what is really going on in this office, I’ll tell you. What you do with that is up to you.” Kyle chuckled. “Not the most romantic reason for asking for a woman’s number, but that’s where we’re at.”
Claire didn’t laugh. Instead, she reached for her purse.
Kyle tilted his head. “Am I going to be wrong for trusting you?”
Claire scowled. “I don’t even carry a gun.” She pulled out a card. Not one of the FDPC mandated ones, but rather her own she had made up for herself. She handed it over. “I’m not promising I’ll believe you.”
“Not asking you to.” Then, he considered her statement. “Before you go talking to the agents about us being here, I’d reconsider the idea of not carrying a gun. If they are innocent, then nothing’s nothing. But if they aren’t, this is the sort of knowledge that can get you killed. Think twice before you say anything to them.” He glanced at Dazz. “Done?”
“Done.”
“Let’s go. Laura, Danielle, we’re out of here!”
Danielle called back, “Clear front.”
Laura added, “Clear in the back. Whole street is dark.”
Kyle tipped a finger to his forehead in a mock salute. “Pleasure doing business with you, Ms. Erinson. Try not to end up dead.”
Claire glared back. “You’re all insane. Think about what you’re doing! Remember, we’re trying to help. I don’t know what’s happening, but you need to end this before someone else gets hurt.”
Kyle nodded. “We’re trying. But we’re not the ones doing the hurting.”
With that, they pulled back and ran into the night.
* * *
Amanda Hutchings pulled the strap of her overnight bag over her shoulder and asked again, “Where are we going?”
Jill explained, “A safe house. It’s on the edge of town, not far from here.”
Kyle’s Mom sounded unsure, though she kept walking toward the black FDPC SUV. She didn’t look like she thought she had a choice, anyway. “So, we’re not being arrested?”
Jack said, “No, Ma’am. This is for your protection. We have serious reason to believe that certain elements are using intimate knowledge from households to conduct violent robberies. We explained that the deaths of the Simmons couple was a direct result of their daughter letting in unsavory people. The parents were dead shortly after.”
Steve Wallace hmpfed. “We are quite aware of Kyle’s friends. None of them are into that sort of trouble, nor involved in any criminal activity.”
Jill argued back, “We are concerned that Debra Simmons is being influenced. To protect her, Kyle might be forced to do something he might not otherwise do. We have taken similar precautions with a Mr. Erling, a Mr. Marks and their families.”
Amanda looked surprised. “You brought Riley and Nathan to this place already?”
Steve grimaced. “Which means Susan and Chris will be there.” It was clear that the Nathan’s parents were not his favorite people. They had tried to unite with them as friends, giving how close the kids were, but that effort had died quickly.
Jack shook his head. “Not yet. We intend to bring them, but Mrs. Erling is working and Mr. Erling is apparently driving logging trucks in Arizona. However, a Ms. Chloe Erling was at the house and is now in our care.”
Amanda smiled. “Oh, I didn’t know Chloe was back from college. I haven’t seen her in forever.” She shook her head. “What about Riley’s parents?”
“He informed us they were both on assignment elsewhere.”
Amanda sighed as if that was pretty typical. “Lonely kid. I’m glad he found Nathan. Otherwise I think he’d be even more lost.”
Jill kept a stone face as the Hutchings’ woman praised the two for their love. There were few things that were more immediately disqualifying for the baseline than same-sex preferences. The reasons weren’t even religious. If same-sex tendencies were accepted as a genetic trait for a certain percentage of the population, that trait’s very nature limited their ability to reproduce. It ceased to be a morality question and became a practical one for Jill’s superiors. As an FDPC agent, the only thing that should matter was that Nathan and Riley were both Persterim positive, so it really didn’t matter to the agency what lifestyle they embraced. As for her other loyalty… culling undesirables from the population was not yet mandated. She kept a blandly pleasant smile, not caring about any other factors. “Indeed. Well, I am sure they will be a comfort to each other while this situation resolves itself.”
Jack jumped in, “Once we have you together, we’ll be asking you to brain-storm all the places Kyle and Debra might have decided to go. They might not have a choice, but if they had some influence, they might have picked familiar ground in hopes they could summon help.”
Jill’s phone buzzed, and she checked the caller. Claire? Jill could count the number of times the scientist had called her after-hours on one hand. She said to Jack, “Call from the office. Listen on your ear-piece in case there’s something important.”
Jack gave a nod, then helped seal Kyle’s parents inside the doors of their government SUV. The bullet holes from the old one were gone. The new one had been delivered that afternoon.
Taking a few steps away, Jill answered, “Agent Niles.”
“Oh, thank goodness! I was worried you wouldn’t pick up.” The voice was certainly Claire’s, though she sounded keyed up, as if she had just stared death in the face and survived.
“Has something gone wrong… Claire?” Jill disliked the informality, but this seemed like the right moment to play that game.
“Yes! Kyle Hutchings was here.”
“Where?”
“The FDPC office! He came in with… umm, oh, yes, there were three other young women.”
Jill froze. “Hutchings was at the office? I’m glad you are safe, Claire. That must have been frightening, knowing what he is mixed up in. Did he say what he wanted?”
“Yes, though it still doesn’t make any sense. They wanted to get into the computers.”
Very, very carefully, Jill asked, “And?” She was already planning routes in her head to intercept Claire if she was still at the office. I don’t need another loose end right now. We’re already on thin ice as it is!
Claire paused, sounding uncertain.
Jill’s intent was hardening. Jack can get the parents to the safe house. I’ll have to deal with Claire myself…
When suddenly, the answer came, “I told him the same thing I’m telling you. There’s nothing to find. Kyle Hutchings was the last negative I’ve processed. He’s the biggest secre
t on these systems. Was he trying to find others like him? I have no idea. They poked around, then told me I didn’t understand what was going on, and left.”
Jill exhaled in relief. Her hand had drifted to her pistol’s hilt without even realizing it. Relaxing, she pried her fingers away. “I know you don’t proscribe to strange theories, but I admit recent events are making me wonder if the studies on the mental instability of Persterim negatives should be taken more seriously. There is no accounting for that sort of erratic behavior.” Deciding to push her narrative a little more, Jill asked, “Was Hutchings under pressure from the Debra Simmons woman? I take it she was there? She’s something of a computer savant.”
“Yes. I recognized her from the television. Short girl? Pink and purple hair?”
“That’s her. We had hoped she was merely a victim of this gang activity. But it is possible she is fully involved. Our last hope for her sake is that these criminals are blackmailing her, threatening to betray her after her involvement in the death of her parents.”
“I don’t know anything about all that. But she wasn’t very happy. She seemed the sort to take revenge.” There was a strange warning in her tone, like Claire wanted to say something to Jill but decided not to at the last second.
Jill guessed at what it was. “I know. She’s dangerous. If she’s convinced Kyle to follow her schemes, she might be getting more dangerous by the hour. Thanks, Claire. We’ll be careful. Anything else?”
“No. I’m going home. I need a drink and a bath after that. Should I call the police?”
“Did they steal anything?”
“No. Not even my purse.”
“Alright. Leave it alone, then. No sense confusing jurisdictions any more than necessary. The local police already are already too involved in Hutchings for my taste. We are taking his parents into protective custody at the safe house, along with a couple of his friends. No-one else is going to be dying tonight.”
“Good luck.” She hung up the other line.
Jill took a long moment to gather her calm. She looked at Jack through the SUV window.
Realizing he was being summoned, Jack stepped out into the evening air. “Looks like Hutchings isn’t content with merely surviving.”
Jill nodded. “This may work in our favor. He’s looking for clues, but he won’t find any on that system. Not without the right passwords. Which means everything will look like normal FDPC business. Even if he thinks he’s the victim of a government conspiracy, that’ll keep him from going to any of the authorities.”
Jack grunted. “Let’s get these people to the safehouse. I wish there was a way we could force him to contact us. The sooner he knows he has to make the trade, his life for theirs, the sooner this can be done.”
Kyle hated to admit it, but there was something strangely exciting about crouching in the bushes, intent on doing something that was in no-way legal. He soothed his conscience by remembering this was for a good cause. That didn’t change the fact they were up to no good, and it was a rush.
There was also something nice about going on the offensive for a change. He was sick of being hounded like an old-time fox.
The door to the local FDPC office opened, and a moderately tall man exited. He called behind him, “You coming, Claire?”
A voice answered, though Kyle couldn’t make it out.
Whatever the other person (presumably Claire Erinson) had said, it seemed to satisfy the guy leaving. “Alright, I’ll let you lock up. Don’t forget the alarm system.” He let the door close without any further concern and walked over to his car. A minute later, he pulled out and was gone.
Kyle darted to his new phone. He hadn’t used it more than a couple times. Despite what Dazz had told them about how hard it was to hack into phones, none of them really trusted that the electronics would stay safe. He texted:
Kyle || She is alone in there. Let’s go.
He didn’t wait for an answer. Parting from the bushes, he strode purposefully for the front door.
Coming in the opposite direction was Danielle. Next to him, she was the best at doing any sort of hand-to-hand fighting from the tricks her father had shown her. Whichever way Claire turned if she came out the door, one of them should be able to cut her off.
Fortunately, she never appeared. Acting like he was merely being polite, Kyle cracked open the door and let Danielle go inside ahead of him. He entered the foyer, then tapped a quick text:
Kyle || Inside. No fuss.
Dazz || On our way.
Walking into the entryway, the two took a quick look around the empty office. It wasn’t large, about the same size as an independent accounting office or a travel agent’s place. There were a few waiting chairs next to the reception desk, but they were bare and without any magazines or such things to help a person wait. It was clear this office wasn’t used to getting visitors.
From out of the back, a single woman walked out toward the door. She was dressed in a fetching white dress that went nearly to her knees, professional enough for work yet hemmed to accent her hourglass curves. Her brown hair flowed past her shoulders, styled to keep clear of her face yet show off how well she cared for it. While her education and bearing suggested a woman in her mid-thirties, she was a woman of means who seemed to care enough for moisturizers and sunblock to have kept her skin a few years fresher.
She was fiddling around in her purse, fishing out her keys. Her eyes came up to see Kyle and Danielle standing inside the foyer. Startled a little, she summoned a confused if friendly smile. “Oh, um, hello.”
Kyle knew they weren’t looking very hospitable. They weren’t dressed in full black or face-masks or anything so dramatic, but all of them were in loose fitting dark-blue jeans, black long-sleeved, turtle-neck shirts and wearing thin leather gloves. Dark sneakers completed the outfit, making sure they could run on demand. Laura had bought it all in a bulk buy, and while the sizes varied, it almost looked like a uniform they were wearing. The effect screamed the fact that they were not there on a social visit.
Claire did her best to be hospitable, holding out hope that her vague fears weren’t justified. “I’m afraid our office hours are ended, you two. I was just on my way out.” She took a few brusque steps toward them, as if intending to usher them out.
Before she got within a half-dozen steps of him, Kyle showed her what she was dealing with. He pulled out the 9mm Crawson-Vines pistol from his pocket and raised it. Filched from Danielle’s father’s weapon’s locker, they hadn’t needed any sort of cooling off period to get access to it. “I’m sorry, Ms. Erinson. We’re not finished talking, and we really can’t wait for tomorrow. Please don’t scream. We don’t want this to be any uglier than it has to be.” Strong words. Kyle did his best to put a little grit behind them. He reminded himself she could be helping those agents. She could be the one who ordered Dazz’s parents shot, for all he knew. That helped put some steel in his spine.
Claire saw the look on his face. She believed it enough that her hands darted into the air. Aghast, she blurted out, “What are you doing? This is the FDPC office! There… there’s nothing here worth stealing! And…” She waved around her. “There are security cameras everywhere! You aren’t even wearing masks! You’re…” She grasped for the right words. “You’re crazy!”
Kyle chuckled, and he had to admit they weren’t looking like the best of criminals right about then. For once, their notoriety was working in their favor. “I’m disappointed you don’t recognize me, Ms. Erinson. If you did, you’d understand that it really doesn’t matter. The FDPC already wants me dead. Who cares if I rob them too?”
Claire’s eyes went flinty hard, sparks of anger coming off her. “The FDPC doesn’t want anyone dead! Whatever activist group you are from, how dare hurt what we are trying…” Somewhere in her rant, she ended up recognizing him. “…Kyle Hutchings?”
Kyle smirked. “There it is. Going to change your tune now? For not wanting anyone dead, the FDPC has been doing a damn good job of try
ing for the last 24 hours. I’m not with any activist group. I’m here to get some answers. And you’re going to help.”
“I’ll do no such thing!” Her momentary surprise faded back into professional anger. “What are you doing, young man? You were declared negative just over a day ago! Your whole world is huge with possibilities! Now you’re going to end up in jail!”
Kyle sighed. “Probably. That would be better than a grave.”
He paused as the door opened behind them. Dazz and Laura entered, locking the deadbolt behind them. Laura had her own weapon drawn, escorting Dazz as if she was the other girl’s bodyguard. Doing a last check of the parking lot, they pulled the shades and came into the central area to stand with the others.
Claire recognized Dazz instantly from the news. “You! Oh my goodness, you…”
Dazz flashed her a fierce glare. “Yeah. Me. The one whose parents were murdered by your agent-friends. You should be scared.”
Claire’s face was a frantic mix of emotion. She still wanted to object that the FDPC couldn’t possibly be involved. That was blended with real fear at being near a dangerous fugitive. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
All of them were staring at the woman, doing their best to read her body-language. This had been part of the plan. They needed to know how far this conspiracy went. So far, Kyle was unhappily worried that they were about to hit a dead-end. This woman doesn’t feel like any sort of criminal mastermind.
He projected his gun again, hoping to get her attention. “What do you do around here?”
Claire wasn’t immune to the threat of having a gun pointed at her. She stammered, “I…I r-run the tests! I’m the one who looks for the markers. I found out you were negative! I remember your face from the file. That’s all!”
Frowning, he asked, “Though you were some sort of computer expert.”
“W-what? N-no! I… I know a little more than most. We’re a small outfit. Not enough males turn 20 in this area to need anything more. We all have a few secondary jobs. I’m the sys-admin for everyone, but… but I only know enough to check a few things. Then I call central tech support!”
