Death Prophets

by Steve Armstrong

  “We aren’t killing everyone there, are we?” Josh asked. He didn’t know the exact figures, but Stevenson Industries’ population must have numbered in the hundreds, if not thousands.

  “No. Just everyone who knows about us. Which would be Jack Walton, his entire staff, Robert Stevenson and all their goons. We take those guys out and no one else from Stevenson Industries will be coming after us.”

  “But what about the police? They know who I am. I won’t be able to just disappear after this.”

  Parker turned the ignition and grinned. “Don’t worry. I have an escape plan. But it involves leaving the country.”

  “What about Jessie? Can she come, too?” That was assuming she still wanted anything to do with Josh after this latest incident.

  “Sure. Whatever.” Parker shrugged. “She can come, too. Now be quiet for a minute, I need to do something.” He closed his eyes like he was meditating.

  “What are you doing?” Josh asked.

  “Shh. I need to concentrate.” Parker remained silent for a moment. Then he began counting, slowly, pausing between each number. “One. Two. Three.” He pressed his fingers against his temples. “Four. Five. Six. And…seven.” He opened his eyes and smiled. “All done.”

  Parker pulled the truck onto the street.

  “What was that all about?” Josh asked.

  “Oh, just a little something I had cooked up for the police. Something to keep them busy while we’re visiting Stevenson Industries. I’ll tell you about it later.”

  A terrible feeling gripped Josh’s stomach as they stopped at a red light close to Stevenson Industries. Losing the prospect of a normal life again might have been the least of his worries. This was the first time he was entering a combat situation where the other party knew about his abilities. And they might even be waiting. Plus they had someone he cared about—loved, even—to use against him.

  55

  John had two phone calls to make as he and Matt sped across town toward Stevenson Industries, siren blaring. The first was to the chief. Thus far, John had made the intentional—and possibly misguided decision—to keep him out of the loop regarding Josh Williams. He wasn’t trying to protect the chief per se or even Josh Williams. John simply didn’t know how to explain what he had witnessed and feared the chief wouldn’t understand or believe him anyway. But now Josh Williams appeared to be a wrecking ball headed straight toward Stevenson Industries; John couldn’t justify keeping his boss in the dark any longer.

  “John, where have you been? I’ve been trying to get hold of you,” the chief said as soon as he answered.

  “I was, uh, just dealing with a little situation, here. In fact, it’s kind of a big deal-”

  “Well, put that hold on for now. We’ve got bodies all over town.”

  “What?”

  “We’ve had a half dozen calls. Six guys have been found dead in various places in Woodside.”

  “When?”

  “In the last hour. I need you back here.”

  John frowned as he navigated around vehicles that had pulled over to the side of the road at an intersection so he could pass. There was no way Williams and his unknown friend could have made it back to Woodside, which was at least a twenty-minute drive from Warwick, and gone on a murderous rampage.

  “Were they murdered?” John asked.

  “It’s too soon to tell. Most of the deaths seem to be caused by some kind of blunt force trauma. But they all seem suspicious, especially given the fact all of them seemed to happen in the last hour.”

  The timeline definitely didn’t fit Williams. Maybe his friend had dropped the bodies?

  “Is there anything the victims have in common?”

  “Yeah, they’re all in their late twenties or thirties. So far, a few of them have Stevenson Industries ID badges. But I’m not sure about all of them.”

  The pieces were falling into place, though John couldn’t see the entire puzzle, yet. He gunned his car as he climbed the entrance ramp to Route 17.

  “I think I know who killed those guys, and I’m following him right now,” John said.

  “But how do you know one person did all of that?” the chief asked, sounding doubtful.

  “It’s a long story. But I’m coming from a motel in Warwick, chasing two suspects, one of whom dropped a car on a detective from another town.”

  “What do you mean he dropped a car on a detective? John, what the hell is going on?”

  John inhaled deeply. “Chief, this is going to sound like some crazy stuff, but there are two people out there who can move things with their minds—and one of them can apparently move pretty big objects. I’ve seen them with my own eyes. And right now, I believe they’re on their way to Stevenson Industries.”

  John shot a quick look at Matt, sitting quietly beside him. Matt was staring out the window, tapping his foot against the car floor. His brother didn’t need to say anything for John to know what he was thinking.

  “How is that even possible? And why Stevenson Industries? John, are you sure you’re alright?”

  “I know this sounds crazy. But you have to believe me. One of them—Josh Williams—thinks that his girlfriend is being held at Stevenson Industries.”

  The chief became silent on the other end. A normally thoughtful individual who was slow to speak, the chief was either processing this new and disorienting information or was wondering how he should handle his mentally unstable detective.

  “I’ll send you a photo of Williams. He’s going there with another man that I don’t know who was wearing a red hoodie. He’s about the same build as Williams. They’re both super dangerous. You need to send everyone we have to Stevenson Industries right now.”

  “John, all of this is beyond weird. Are you sure about this?”

  “Positive. I’m en route now. I’ll be at Stevenson Industries in ten minutes.”

  The chief sighed. “Okay. If this is what you think I should do, I’ll do it. Just send me that photo of Josh Williams so I can make sure everyone on the force has it.”

  “Thanks. And Chief, I can’t stress enough how dangerous these guys are. If we don’t stop them, I think they might leave a trail of bodies at Stevenson Industries like they did in town. We need to take them down.”

  John felt bad about lumping Josh Williams in with the other suspect when he wasn’t sure Williams had anything to do with what had happened earlier in Woodside. But he’d seen Williams kill before. And he couldn’t shake the feeling that sending a bunch of cops in who didn’t really grasp the situation was potentially deadly. He just didn’t see any alternatives at the moment.

  “Alright John, I’ll see you there.”

  After the call ended, John looked at his brother again. “You alright?”

  Matt nodded without looking at his brother. Then he faced John.

  “I’m sorry,” he said.

  “For what?”

  “The last three years. For treating you the way I did. For taking out my anger on you. It wasn’t right; it wasn’t your fault.”

  John shook his head slightly. “Don’t worry about it. It’s okay.”

  “No, it’s not.” Matt stared out the window before returning his gaze to John. “You want to know the real reason I was mad at you?”

  “It was because I stopped you from shooting Brad, right?” John asked.

  “No, that wasn’t it. At least, not the main reason. It’s because Sarah called you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The night she ODed, she called you.” Matt bit his lip. “I knew that shouldn’t bother me, but it was like in the moment that mattered most, she called you, even though I was closer. I always wondered why. You know, for all Sarah and I joked about being screw-up buddies and that you were the golden child, maybe she didn’t think she could depend on me. Maybe she didn’t think I could come through for her.”

  Matt turned toward the window again.

  John watched him for a moment before saying anything. “I never knew w
hy Sarah chose me to call, either. You guys always seemed so close. Sometimes, I got a little jealous, because you had this relationship and I was on the outside looking in. But I don’t think Sarah thought she couldn’t depend on you. Maybe she just couldn’t bear to disappoint you and that’s why she called me,” John said softly. Keeping one hand on the wheel, he patted Matt on the shoulder with the other.

  “Yeah, maybe,” Matt said. “I just miss her. Like every day. It hasn’t really changed much in three years.”

  John exhaled. “Yeah, I know. I feel that way, too.” John retracted his hand from Matt’s shoulder and placed it back on the wheel. “Sometimes I think about the night you went after Brad. I’m not always sure I’d stop you if I had to do it all over again. Sometimes, I think about doing it myself, too. The fact that he gets to live and she doesn’t ...” he trailed off.

  Matt stared at John. “I never knew you felt that way. I thought you were beyond revenge.”

  John chuckled. “Oh, I do want revenge. More often than you’d think. I just can’t do what I want, you know?”

  “How come you never told me how you felt? For the last few years, I thought something was wrong with me.”

  “I don’t know,” John said, rubbing his temple with one hand while keeping the other on the wheel. “I guess I just didn’t want to admit it.”

  The two lapsed into a silence, the kind that often came after men bared their souls to one another. But the heaviness of the coming events also pressed down on them.

  “I should call Felicia now,” John said.

  “Already texted her while you were talking to the chief,” Matt replied. “She called her uncle, but he didn’t answer. Said she left a message.”

  “Did she make sure he knows this is an emergency?” John asked, skeptical that text messages could convey the severity of the situation.

  “Yeah, I’m sure. She’s on her way there, too.”

  “Did you tell her not to go?”

  “I tried. Didn’t work. Anyway, she’s coming from Poughkeepsie. We’ll get there before her.”

  John shook his head. Too many people were on their way to Stevenson Industries that night. He hoped Julia had taken his advice and evacuated the area because he feared the explosion that the coming collision would cause.

  56

  Parker pulled the truck to a stop in front of the security gate at Stevenson Industries. Twilight had fallen across the pharmaceutical conglomerate and the ornate glass building reflected the taillights from cars and nearby streetlights. Josh sat impassively in the passenger seat as the guard at the gate waved them on without giving them a second glance. The gate lifted and the small box truck chugged through. There would be no going back now. But it had to be this way, for Jessie’s sake. If only the denizens of Research Division B had left her alone. None of this would be happening now.

  “Do you know how ironic this is?” Parker asked, smiling. “These people have been searching for me for years, and yet I can stroll right on in through the entrance. You know why? The right-hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing. Most people who work in this place have no idea who I am.”

  Josh remained silent as Parker steered the truck around to the back of the building. “You know, I used to drive a truck like this a long time ago. Delivered bread to grocery stores. It kind of feels good to be driving one of these again,” he said, slowing down for a speed bump.

  The delivery dock was now in sight. Parker pulled the truck up to the raised metal platform that ran along the edge of the building, terminating at another checkpoint booth. A large, round man sat inside the booth, scrutinizing the truck as it came to a stop next to him.

  “Evening,” Parker said after rolling down the window. He leaned against the open window casing and gave the guard a large grin. “How you doing this evening?”

  “Weren’t you guys already here this week?” the guard asked, his gaze somewhat suspicious.

  “Yup. But someone here must have ordered something else.”

  The guard shook his head. “I wasn’t told we were expecting another delivery from you. Do you know who the delivery is for?”

  Parker picked a clipboard up from the floor next to him. “Hmm. Looks like someone named Cathy.”

  The guard appeared unconvinced. “Hold on a minute. Let me get someone on the phone.” The guard stepped over to a wall phone in the booth, but his head crashed violently into the wall. His limp body slumped into the chair behind him.

  Parker turned to Josh. “Kind of looks like he’s sleeping, doesn’t it?” He peered inside the booth again.

  “Is there really a Cathy who works here or were you just making that up?” Josh asked.

  “There’s always a Cathy everywhere.” Parker scanned the inside of the booth. “Now where is the switch….ah, there it is.” He triggered a button in the booth and the large door to the delivery dock in front of them began to open. “Probably could’ve lifted the door myself, but hitting the button was easier. And more natural.”

  Parker drove the truck through the door into the Stevenson Industries’ delivery bay. “Alright, it’s showtime!”

  Parker threw open the door and jumped down. Taking a deep breath, Josh did the same. He met his companion behind the truck, where Parker had opened the back door.

  “Here, take this box,” he said, handing a closed box to Josh before grabbing a box of his own.

  “What’s inside?” Josh asked, clutching the heavy box.

  “Just some firearms.” Parker grinned. “Just because we have special powers doesn’t mean we can’t use some more traditional weapons. Plus, the boxes make us look more like delivery men.”

  Besides the empty boxes, Josh noticed a number of large, plastic trash barrels packed into the back.

  “What are those?” he asked, furrowing his brow.

  “Some fireworks for later.” Parker winked at him.

  Josh continued to stare at the barrels. “Are these explosives?”

  “Why yes, they are,” Parker said, smiling as if Josh had issued him some sort of compliment.

  “I thought you said we were only going to take out the people who knew about us and that most people here don’t know about us.”

  Parker slammed the door of the truck shut. “All of that is true. However, we might need a little bit of a diversion later.” He began walking into the expansive maintenance and materials area of Stevenson Industries. “Besides, my goal is to leave Research Division B in shambles, and it just so happens that Research Division B is directly beneath where we’re standing right now. Unfortunately, it will be a bit harder to get rid of the research data on us than it would have been in say, 1989, with cloud storage and whatnot. But this should at least set them back for awhile.”

  Josh followed him across the dark gray concrete path that led between rows of supply shelves. Every so often, Josh cast nervous backward glances at the truck. They passed several Stevenson employees, dressed in dark blue uniforms, as they progressed toward the far end of the delivery bay. Parker smiled and nodded at whoever walked by; barely anyone gave them a second look. In another few minutes, they reached the door and passed through into a bright corridor, facing a quartet of elevators. Parker hit the up button.

  “This is easier than I thought it would be,” he said, grinning. “The longer we go without arousing any suspicions, the more likely we’ll get out of here in one piece.”

  “If this was going to be so easy, then why did you need me to go with you?” Josh asked.

  “Like I said, I didn’t know. But once they know we’re here, things will go south real quick.” He looked at Josh as the elevator bell dinged and the doors opened to an empty lift. For the first time, Josh noticed the lit arrow above the elevator pointing up.

  “Where are we going? I thought Jessie was being held downstairs? You said we were going downstairs first.”

  Parker gave him a look. “Change of plans. We have to take out Stevenson first. He’ll jump ship if he knows something’
s going on.”

  “No. We have to get to Jessie first. I won’t risk it.” Josh stood locked in place in front of the elevator as Parker held the door open.

  Parker rolled his eyes. “Fine. We’ll get the girl, first. But if we miss Stevenson, all of this is for nothing.” He released the elevator and its doors closed.

  Josh pressed the down arrow. After another moment of waiting, the next elevator came. Both Josh and Parker stepped in, then turned their backs to the wall.

  “Once we’re spotted, you get behind me and face the other way. We need to see in every direction,” Parker said. His box opened and a handgun levitated into the air. He glanced at Josh as the barrel of the gun moved in a semicircle. “Remember, this is for Jessie.”

  Parker hit the button for the basement. They began their descent. Every muscle in Josh’s body tightened.

  “Don’t be so tense,” Parker said. “Enjoy this! It’s not often we get to let loose like this.”

  Josh closed his eyes, mentally preparing for battle. He kept his eyes shut until the elevator came to a stop. It was time.

  57

  Julia did not heed John’s advice. While Josh and Parker were passing through the delivery bay of Stevenson Industries, the psychiatrist headed through its revolving front doors into the atrium-like lobby. The cascading waterfall surrounded by palms caught her attention first until an older guard dressed in a suit and tie sitting behind a desk called out to her.

  “Can I help you, Ma’am?”

  Two younger, more imposing suited figures stood behind him, looking poised to strike at anyone who gave the older guard an incorrect answer.

  “Yes, I’m here to see Jack Walton,” she said, after mentally assuring herself that was the man from Grace’s dreams and the one who ran the alternative research facility at Stevenson Industries. John had spoken of him intermittently, though she doubted her fiancé had told her everything there was to know about Jack Walton.

  “Do you have an appointment?” the older man asked, his visage stern.

  Julia leaned against the desk while formulating a strategy to gain admittance into Walton’s facility. “No, I don’t.” She tried to think of what John would do, but he’d just wave his badge around and that would be enough. So, instead, she imagined how Felicia Monroe might finagle her way into the building. “But he had asked me to give a consult on one of his patients. Perhaps you could let him know I’m here—my name is Dr. Julia Driscoll. His patient’s name is Grace Murphy.”