by Andria Stone
“I hear you. First, we have to catch Coulter. That’s our goal. So you need to focus on what you can do to make it happen. But not just her—we need to take down all the facets of her organization, as well. We can’t have her cyborgs running all over the planet causing chaos. Wouldn’t you like to get your hands on one—to see what’s under the hood?”
A glimmer of interest began to replace the desperation on Mark’s face. “Yes. Yes, I would.”
“Maybe things have calmed down for the evening. Why don’t we go to the hospital? Check on Kamryn. Talk to the major.”
***
Both tablets pinged as they headed back to the house. “Aw, shit.” Axel checked the message, then broke into a run.
Mark was right behind him. “What’s wrong?”
“The dog walker’s dead.”
“Coulter’s getting ready to cut and run.”
They burst into the house, running straight to the living room.
Nazarova stood in front of Torance’s image on the vid screen.
“When he was picked up, all our tablets started pinging like the bells of St. Mary’s. The hospital’s trauma shuttle had him here within minutes. He was DOA. Apparent heart failure. The TMD has officially taken possession of the body—enemy of the state—and I’m on my way down to assist with the autopsy when you contacted me.”
Axel stepped forward. “Major, do you have information on the second man, an Otto Vickers? He left about an hour ago.”
“Yes, we’ve received all his data from Nazarova.”
Again, tablets pinged, simultaneously.
Torance read the message aloud. “Another DOA in transit to this hospital. Patient identified as…Otto Vickers—damn that was fast—they’re dropping like locusts.”
“Did he have the chip on him?” Axel asked. “Where was he found?”
“Downtown. He fell to the pavement on a street corner in clear view of numerous people. Personal effects were ID, credit card, a set of keys—no chip.” Torance turned sideways. “Ohashi, contact Portland’s spaceport. Check faceprints of all passengers who boarded in the last hour. Then monitor all flights out of every spaceport in a 500 mile radius. We can’t afford to lose her now. We need to know where she’s going. And send an update to HQ.”
“She’s burning all her bridges,” Axel surmised. “By now she may suspect we’ve captured the cyborg from last night, plus his accomplice. She’s not going to let that happen again. Send the shuttle, please, Major. We need a ride to the hospital.”
“Will do. Torance out.”
Axel rushed into the kitchen, seized the cake and went outside to wait for the shuttle.
“What are you doing with the cake?
“Torance has a sweet tooth. Besides, Petra gets grouchy when she’s sleep-deprived. She and Ohashi will be up all night searching through faceprints, hunting for Coulter. We need to keep those women happy.”
The shuttle whisked them to the hospital in no time where they were welcomed with hugs by two chocolate-starved Cyber specialists. Between bites, Petra told Axel that Torance was in the bowels of the hospital, assisting with the impromptu autopsy of the dog walker, Carson Adelle. The second unplanned procedure would be the autopsy of Otto Vickers.
Ohashi also said Torance instructed everyone touching the bodies to wear HazMat suits, as a precaution, given Coulter’s penchant for chemicals. Afterward, both bodies would be sealed in cryopods and shipped to HQ for an in-depth forensic analysis.
“Thanks, ladies. Make sure you leave some cake for Torance. Now I need to check on Kamryn.” Axel peeked around the corner of her door and was surprised to see her propped up in bed. “Well, look at you. Those nanites must be working double-time. You’ll be ready for that marathon by the end of the week.” Axel lightly caught her arm in a warrior’s greeting.
Kamryn produced a crooked smile. “That whole side of my body is numb from the pain meds. It’s a good thing they’re not feeding me soup. I’d be lying in a puddle.” She chuckled and winked at him. “Sitrep, please.”
Axel stroked her hand while he gave her a play-by-play of the events since yesterday.
“Blue eyes is turning into a real badass.” Her eyes sparkled. “Did he really get in the spook’s face?”
“Yes, he did. I drug him outside and called him on it. There was a little shoving back and forth—it almost came to blows. But he simmered down. He’s strong-willed. He’s been pushed. Everybody’s got a bottom line, Kam. I think he’s on the edge.”
“Send him in. I’ll give him a pep talk.”
Puzzled, Axel knitted his brows. “You sure?”
“Yup.” Kamryn finger combed her short hair and smoothed the sheets over her chest.
Axel sent Mark in with a sliver of chocolate cake.
Eighteen minutes later Mark walked out of her room with a solemn face.
“What happened? Is she okay?”
When Mark walked down the hall without replying, Axel rushed into her room.
Kamryn was licking frosting off her fingers. She smiled at him. “Mark understands now. He’ll keep his eye on the prize.”
“What did you say to him?”
“I just told him a story. Then said…if he screwed up, you get to kick his ass again.”
“Excellent—that works for me.”
***
Torance exited the elevator, tired, sleepy, hungry, yet still in need of living human companionship. He rounded a corner, went straight to the coffee machine for a cup of caffeine, then headed for his favorite patient’s room. Kamryn was asleep. He spotted a plate with…chocolate crumbs on it. He left to search for more of the same and heard giggling coming from the waiting room.
Petra waved at him. “Major, we have a surprise. Look.” She pointed to a small end table where a platter held half a chocolate cake.
“Bless you, my children.” He was suddenly filled with the spirit of the sugar gods. He wasted no time helping himself to a hunk of the cake, while he shared some of the less gruesome information from the two autopsies.
“I don’t want any of you to come within miles of this monster—if you can help it. She’s a Genghis Khan on steroids. She didn’t have to be anywhere near these people to kill them. Coulter could have done it from Mars. Her latest victims had neural implants which seemed to have short-circuited. I’m not a neuroscientist, theoretically, it would send mixed messages to the heart to speed up then slow down, causing arrhythmia and death. Like being repeatedly hit with a stun baton. Something I believe you’re familiar with.”
“Yes, but I didn’t die, Major.”
“No, but you didn’t have a mega dose of RX-45 coursing through your veins, either. I don’t know how, or where she got her hands on that pathogen. I’ve sent an emergency update to HQ. It’s been added to the list of viruses being audited at the Special Pathogens Laboratory. The TMD is conducting an official investigation of every person who ever stepped foot into that wing. First it was the undocumented neural implants in military personnel. Now it’s deadly military grade pathogens that have been stolen from one of our most prestigious facilities. What’s next?”
“Major?”
“Thoughts, Captain?”
“Sir, is the TMD the only Laboratory capable of creating these biological agents? Might they come from another source? Could Petra and Ohashi compile a list of scientists with the necessary degrees needed to create such viruses? Then cross reference that data with corporations or nations where they reside or work? Cast a broad net, so to speak. See what turns up. Maybe it was stolen from the TMD—maybe not. If there’s another source, we’ve got bigger problems.”
“Intriguing. All right, ladies, break time is over. Off you go. Check with HQ to see if there’s been any movement on the new faceprint protocol.”
After the women had scurried out of the waiting room, Torance indulged in another slice of cake. “Okay, you two, Nazarova commed me about the captain’s issues with…not being able to contact his family.”
Ma
rk hung his head, like a puppy who’d been scolded for peeing on the carpet.
“Well,” Axel said, “there might have been a difference of opinion. We got beyond it.”
“They’re fine.”
Mark perked up. “Who’s fine?”
“Major Simone Le Berre was the doctor who came to pick up your father and the man who shot Kamryn. I met the major in Paris years ago. We both spent a rotation there. We had a…personal relationship. I trust her. Besides,” he said grinning. “I scanned Simone for a neural implant when she wasn’t looking. Anyway, I’ve received a message your family is together, being well treated, and your dad is progressing nicely.”
“Thank you, Major. When can I speak with them?”
“Unknown. Now, at least, we have a lifeline. And in my book, something is always better than nothing.”
***
Before he forgot about it, Mark contacted The Chocolate Moose and spoke with Iris Lambert. “If you still make the cake called “Death by Chocolate” please have one delivered to Maj. Torance at the hospital tomorrow. You could bring something different every day after that as long as he’s still here. Send me the bill.”
“No worries, Mark. I gotcha covered. Uh…we’ve been thinking about your dad. And want you to know we’re so sorry we didn’t do more.”
“No, no, no, Miss Lambert, on the contrary. If it weren’t for both of you, my dad might be dead. You two have my family’s everlasting gratitude. You ladies are angels—dipped in chocolate.”
Mark went back into Kamryn’s room. Axel sat at her bedside with half-closed eyes, his head nodding slowly forward. In the dimmed corner, an armored sentry stood guard, his protection unwavering. This was family. These were comrades. Born and bred on the battlefield—however it was defined. These were his people now. He felt it. Especially after listening to Kamryn’s harrowing story of defeat and triumph. He would never again look at a soldier, male or female, with anything but the greatest respect.
Petra stuck her head in the room. She motioned for Mark to follow her. “Ohashi says she’s found a suspicious irregularity. Maybe you should take a look.” Petra led him to a small exam room where Ohashi sat in front of two vid screens, set up side by side. Unending rows of streaming data on one screen were being correlated by her algorithms on the other.
“Captain, at first I tried a correlation of chemistry engineering degrees within countries. I compared that list to corporations employing these degreed individuals. Then I narrowed the search parameters for any of those companies with a history of buying or selling biomaterials.”
“You’re a bona fide wizard, Ohashi.”
“Wait!” She was breathless and barely able to control her enthusiasm. “I haven’t finished yet.”
“Mea culpa. Please proceed.” Mark suspected her excitement was in direct response to the sugar content of her latest snack.
The two cybers exchanged knowing looks, grinning at each other, as Ohashi uttered one word, “Houston.”
Mark felt like he’d been hit with a two-by-four. “Holy shit.”
The gleam in the eyes of both women told him they knew the evidence was solid.
“What’s the name of the company? Have you traced it? Of course, you have—what did you find?”
“BioKlon LLC is a German multinational engineering and electronics company headquartered in Gerlingen, near Stuttgart, Germany. Their one subsidiary in America happens to be in Houston.”
“Who owns it?”
They both looked perturbed. “We don’t know. This is the suspicious irregularity. Some government records seem to be missing.”
“My money’s on Beth Coulter. You’re both promoted. And you can have chocolate cake every day for the rest of your lives.” Mark wrapped an arm around each cyber and hugged so tight Petra squeaked.
“Sorry, sorry” He kissed her forehead. “Where’s Torance? He needs to send this to HQ.”
“He’s taking a cat nap.”
“Well, wake him up.”
Both women shook their heads.
“I’ll do it. Where is he?”
“Downstairs. He’s lying on a gurney next to the dead bodies.”
“Oh.” Now Mark understood. He took Petra’s arm, guiding her out of the small room. “Let’s get Axel. You can brief him on the way. We’ll wake him up. You don’t have to stay.”
They snuck into Kamryn’s room. Mark tapped a dozing Axel on the shoulder, signaling for him to join them. Axel shook himself awake, got up and followed them out. Petra rattled off an update as she led them through the vanilla colored halls, down the elevator, around corners, then came to a stop. She pointed to a door.
Axel issued rapid-fire orders. “Check all flights bound for Houston since her first agent died. Include all connecting flights landing there. We can’t rely strictly on faceprints anymore. Find every military facility in a 100 mile radius of Houston. I don’t care what it is. Anything with a main frame that can read the data chip we gave her. We’ll bring Torance up in a minute. Have the data ready for him to send to HQ.”
Petra darted off, leaving them alone in front of the door.
Axel rubbed his stubble for a moment. “Okay, let’s do this.” He pulled the door handle. It opened with a sharp, high-pitched screech.
The major sat upright and damn near fell off the gurney. He glared at Mark and Axel. “Who’d dead now?”
“How about we get some coffee, Major. I’ll give you a sitrep.”
Torance yawned, rolled off the gurney. He trailed after them while listening to Axel. They stopped at the coffee machine, where the major got two cups, then continued to Ohashi’s improvised office.
Ohashi and Petra presented Torance with the verified data. He approved it. Ohashi encrypted the update. Petra sent it to HQ. Finally, they all began to relax.
“I have a thought.” Mark leaned against the door frame. “I guarantee nobody’s going to like it.”
“Something else you want me to search for?”
“No, Ohashi, and you’re a glutton for punishment.” He paused. “It’s just the more we know—the more I realize how much we don’t know about Beth Coulter. The man who shot Kamryn said she had two more agents in Portland, which proved to be true—so far. What if there are more he didn’t know about. We can’t assume the immediate threat has been eliminated.”
Chapter 18
Dimitrios sat stone-faced behind his desk on the vid screen, while Torance explained the results of their investigation of the BioKlon Laboratory in Houston. “According to its contracts, the North American plant designs, develops and sells neural implants only to the TMD plus three hospitals: Seattle, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC. There’s no mention of pathogens, despite dozens of degreed experts we traced to that facility. The viruses she’s employed may not have been stolen from us, but developed in-house by this group of specialists. According to my cybers, the preliminary investigations reveal all their records are encrypted by a security system that rivals our own.
“Sir, one more thing. The company’s name is BioKlon. In German, it translates to Bio Clone, as in cloning. From the beginning, there’s been a global ban on cloning humans among most nations, that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been done, somewhere, by someone. We would be wrong to assume Coulter hasn’t broken this mandate as well, considering what we know she’s been guilty of in the past.
“When we were on Luna, Warren told me he remembered hearing Coulter speaking German on her comm in the lab at CAMRI. She could have been conversing with Houston or Germany. If she’s from Germany, maybe that’s where she met the real Beth Coulter. I’d like my cybers to begin an in-depth background search. I’m told we’ll need a special clearance. Or, you could initiate it from HQ.”
Dimitrios’s complexion was an unhealthy pink and rising. “It’s a damn good thing the TMD isn’t currently involved in any military conflicts. This Pandora’s Box Operation is beginning to drain our resources. All we’re doing is fixing one huge sink hole after another. The prob
lems this bitch Coulter has caused are Machiavellian. Some of the most insidious situations I’ve had to deal with in my career.”
“General, think of it as fighting a ground war—on someone else’s terms. We are making headway. All unsanctioned TMD neural implants have been removed. The Malaysian plant was shut down—the Indian one will never open. Now she has the bogus data chip. Maybe a decision is made to expunge BioKlon at some point. She must be taken down on Terra soon—before she escapes again and turns this into a space war. We have proof she can wreak havoc in that realm too.
“You’re right, Major.” Dimitrios wiped his face with meaty fingers and unbuttoned the top of his uniform jacket. “We’ll position a geosat over the facility, with drones to monitor the physical activity. I’ll see to it our cybers make a push into every crevice of BioKlon. We’ll go back fifty years using facial age regression software for anything digital still in the records for Coulter, or whoever the hell she is. Maybe there’s more than one company in Germany—this could be her base of operations.
“By the way, how’s our Warren holding up?”
“I’ve been watching him—closely. He’s strong. If he wasn’t, the attempted murder of his father might have derailed him. There have been a few minor issues with anger. He’s working through them. Regular contact with his family would go a long way in mitigating these challenges.”
“Thanks. I’ll pass this along. Dimitrios out.”
Torance looked to his left. “Did you get all that, ladies?”
“Yes, sir,” they answered in unison.
“I’ve heard you two talking about piggybacking, haven’t I?
“Oh.” Petra exchanged a sheepish grin with Ohashi. “We didn’t know you were listening.”
“I’m old—not deaf.”
Petra frowned. “You’re mature, Major—not old. I personally think mature men are more attractive than young, dumb, and hung.”
Torance chuckled in spite of himself. “Good to know. Thank you for sharing. Now let’s get back to the issue at hand. Can you and Ohashi piggyback off HQ while they’re performing their searches into BioKlon? I want to know everything—in real time.”
