by Siegel, Alex
Nancy grabbed a battery-powered tool with a circular blade that was two inches across. The cutting edge sparkled, and Aaron guessed it was coated with diamond dust. When she turned it on, it made a noise like a dentist's drill.
She sliced into the glass. Tiny chips flew, and he moved back to protect his eyes. She was already wearing goggles.
There was a loud hiss. She dropped the saw and began to cough violently. Poison gas, he thought. I should've known. He held his breath, grabbed her arm, and yanked her out of the shop. He slammed the door to hopefully contain the gas.
"Get her into the medical lab!" Smythe yelled.
The medical lab was adjacent to the kitchen. Aaron carried Nancy in his arms and placed her on an operating table in the center of the room under a cluster of bright lights.
She was still coughing but not as badly as before. Smythe quickly checked her vital signs. He tore open her shirt and pushed his hands into her chest.
"Her lungs feel normal," he said. "Heartbeat is regular. No obvious injury."
She tried to sit up.
He pushed her down. "Stay put!" He slipped a plastic mask over her face and turned on the oxygen supply.
Aaron watched Nancy anxiously. He had screwed up, and she was lucky to be alive. The embarrassment and guilt were painful.
"I'll keep an eye on her, sir," Smythe said.
Aaron nodded. "Good. Everybody else, clear the room."
Norbert, Tawni, Sheryl, and Marina followed him back to the exercise area.
Sheryl exhaled. "That was intense."
"Too intense," Aaron said. "I'm sorry. That was my fault. An air-tight glass case was the clue that something nasty might be inside." He slapped himself on the head. "Damn!"
Marina gave him a hug, but it didn't help much.
He walked swiftly to the weapons locker. He grabbed a gas mask from a hook on the wall near the body armor. He put on the mask and pulled the straps until they were uncomfortably tight. His skin was already sweating under the thick rubber.
He went back to the machine shop. The monkey machine had black soot covering the inside surface of the case. He grabbed a hammer and angrily smashed the glass. The components of the game had burned or melted completely. It had self-destructed.
Marina entered the room wearing a gas mask.
She looked at the mess. "The oxygen in the air must've triggered the reaction. Whoever built this game really didn't want anybody messing with it."
Aaron found the controls for the ventilation system and set them on full power. The suction teased his hair.
He and Marina left the room and pulled off their gas masks. He didn't understand how soldiers could wear those rubber bags on their heads all day, especially in desert heat. He would rather risk getting poisoned.
Sheryl finished opening the other two metal boxes. Everybody else stood around and watched silently. Nobody offered any suggestions for what to do with the two remaining machines.
Aaron's phone rang. He checked the caller ID and didn't recognize the number.
He answered cautiously, "Hello?"
"This is Andrei," a man declared in a thick Russian accent. "I have information for you."
"Great! Hold on." Aaron hurried to his office and sat behind his desk. He took out a notepad and a pen. "I'm ready."
"We found some of your Super Double Monkey machines. The containers are difficult and dangerous to open."
"I hope none of your people were hurt."
"Small scratches and burns. Nothing serious."
"I'm glad. Did you discover who makes them?" Aaron said excitedly.
"No. The boxes are relabeled in Vladivostok so they appear to come from Russia. My city is not the origin."
"Then where is it?"
"A place called Muncie, Indiana," Andrei said.
"Are you telling me these things are built in Indiana, shipped to Russia, relabeled, and shipped all the way back here?"
"Correct. I also have a name for you."
Aaron readied his pen. "What?"
"The Ultrastar Pinball Company. That is all I know."
Aaron wrote the name down. "You've been extremely helpful. Thank you. I'll pursue this lead immediately."
"I am happy to support a brother warrior," Andrei said. "Good bye."
Aaron put away his phone.
Marina knocked on the open office door. "Can I come in?"
"Yes, of course."
She sat on a chair across the desk from him. "Who was that?"
"Our Russian friend, Andrei," he said. "He told me Vladivostok is just a front. The monkey machines come from Muncie, Indiana. Our investigation must go there next."
She raised her eyebrows. "That's in the Detroit territory."
"Which means I need to make a couple of phone calls, starting with Ethel."
"I'll be very quiet."
Aaron nodded. Ethel would react badly if she found out Marina was visiting Chicago. He dialed his boss's number.
Ethel answered after two rings. "Hello?"
"This is Aaron, ma'am. I need your permission to work with the commander of Detroit. My investigation is crossing into her territory."
"You have my permission. I will text you the number."
"Thank you, ma'am," he said.
"In your last report, you mentioned you're pursuing a new recruit. A magician. How is that going?"
"Very well. I brought her in this morning, and her training has already begun. She has a lot of promise."
"That's great news," she said. "Just last winter, you were whining about how weak your team had become. You almost cried."
"Marina's promotion was a tough blow."
"Yet now you have a full staff with not one but two female legionnaires. All it took was a little time, faith, and a sharp eye for talent."
"Yes, ma'am," he said. "You won't hear me whine again."
"I'll let you get back to work now." The call ended.
Aaron looked across the desk at Marina.
"One good thing about conversations with Ethel," she said. "They are short and to the point."
He nodded.
A moment later, he received a phone number in a text message. The Gray Spear Society had no phone book. Direct contact between cells was intentionally difficult.
Aaron called the number.
A woman with a throaty voice answered, "Hello?"
"Winnie? This is Aaron from Chicago."
"Ah! The great slayer of Xavier. I'm honored. How may I help you?"
"An investigation is taking me to Muncie," he said.
"What sort of investigation?"
"Preliminary, but very serious."
"I see." She paused. "I would love to help you, but my whole team is tied up with a mission. I can't spare anybody."
"Then will you give me permission to send my own people?"
There was a longer pause. "The idea of your legionnaires running around unsupervised in my territory makes me uncomfortable. I'm sure they're well trained and will follow the rules, but..."
"I understand," he said, "but my investigation is urgent. I give you my personal guarantee they'll be on their best behavior, and they won't overstay their welcome."
She sighed. "I suppose I don't have a choice. If you say it's urgent, I trust you. You have my permission."
"Thank you. Bye." Aaron put away his phone.
He and Marina left the office. Norbert, Tawni, and Sheryl were standing around the monkey machines and having a quiet discussion. Jack watched from a short distance away with a curious expression. His shift in the security booth had just ended.
Aaron went into the computer room. He was glad to see the twins still at their computers.
"Bethany!" He grabbed Bethany's shoulder and gave her a gentle shake. "Hello! I need your help again."
She slipped off her headset and looked up at him. Her expression was as blank as an empty sheet of paper.
"Sir," she said softly, "we're trying to work on the project."
"I
just need a couple of minutes. Tell me about the Ultrastar Pinball Company. Specifically, see if they have anything in Muncie, Indiana."
She began to type. Pages of information popped up on her bank of displays.
"It's a small corporation," she said. "Thirty-two employees. 1.8 million dollars in revenue last year. They make pinball machines in a factory east of Muncie."
A satellite image appeared on the display. The factory was a small building near a highway. A line of brush and trees isolated the drab brown structure from surrounding farms. The land was flat and covered with weeds.
"Print out all the information," Aaron said, "including that image. Then you can go back to your project."
He waited by the printer while it spewed out sheets of paper. When it was done, he gathered up the stack.
He returned to the medical lab. Smythe was still examining Nancy, but she didn't look hurt. Her eyes were open and alert, and her color was good.
"Well?" Aaron said.
"We got a good scare," Smythe said, "but I don't think it was more than that. We were lucky."
"It smelled like rocket fuel, sir," Nancy said through her oxygen mask.
Aaron nodded. "That makes sense. The machine caught on fire and destroyed itself."
"I feel fine now. Can I go back to work?"
Aaron looked at Smythe.
"Sure," the doctor said. "Just take it easy. If you feel tired or dizzy, lie down and call for help."
"Yes, sir." Nancy removed the oxygen mask, slid off the operating table, and left.
Aaron and Smythe rejoined the rest of the team in the exercise area.
"Smythe, Tawni, and Norbert," Aaron said, "you're going to Muncie to check out a pinball factory. There is a good chance the monkey machines come from there. Here is the information." Aaron handed the stack of papers to Smythe.
Smythe furrowed his brow. "Indiana isn't our territory."
"I already spoke to the commander of Detroit, and she gave permission. It's a delicate situation, so tread lightly. Don't embarrass me."
"I understand. I certainly wouldn't want other legionnaires messing around in my territory."
"Pack your bags and hit the road," Aaron said. "Be prepared for trouble because you'll probably run into some. I already have a bad feeling about this trip."
The three legionnaires hurried off. Aaron was left with Sheryl, Marina, and Jack.
"When are they getting back, sir?" Sheryl said.
Aaron shrugged. "Depends on what they find. No earlier than tomorrow. It's a long drive both ways."
"Oh."
She had bags under her eyes and a droopy expression. Her shoulders were slumped over.
"You look beat," he said.
"Is that a surprise, sir? I didn't sleep much last night, and it's been a tiring day."
"Don't forget we're going to Wisconsin tonight, and we may not get back until late. You have one final show to perform. Go take a nap. See if you can get two solid hours of sleep."
"Yes, sir." She shuffled her feet as she walked away.
Aaron turned to Jack. The security chief was sitting on the floor in front of one of the machines. He was fiddling with the many knobs and levers on the base.
"What are you doing?" Aaron said.
"Trying to figure this thing out, sir," Jack said.
"It's dangerous."
"How?"
"It's extremely addictive," Aaron said, "and we don't know why. That makes it even more dangerous."
"I've played casino games in my day, sir. I won't have a problem with this crazy gadget. Maybe I can help with the investigation by learning how it works."
Aaron shook his head. "Not a good idea."
"Please," Jack said, "I just want to contribute. My job is pretty boring most of the time. I sit in a dark room and watch other people lead interesting lives. This is an opportunity for me to fight on the front lines for once."
Aaron frowned.
"I won't get addicted. I've beaten the gambling demons before."
"Fifteen minutes," Aaron said in a serious tone. "That's all I can allow. Then you have to walk away and never touch that thing again."
"Yes, sir. Thank you." Jack eagerly focused his full attention on the machine.
Marina grabbed Aaron's head and kissed him warmly on the lips. "You and I have plenty of free time," she said seductively. "You know what they say. When the mice are away, the cats will play."
"I think you have that backwards."
"Do I?" She winked. She took his hand and pulled him towards his bedroom.
Chapter Seven
Sheryl woke up. She was groggy, and it took a moment for her to orient herself.
She was in an unfamiliar bedroom. The queen-sized bed had a frame made of thick, wooden beams stained black. There was a dresser, a nightstand, and a wardrobe, also stained black. Metallic tiles with a pebbled surface covered the ceiling.
She remembered she was in the guest quarters of a secret headquarters of a secret society. Somehow, she had become a soldier in a war fought by supernatural monsters.
And she was becoming one of those monsters.
The strangest part was that it didn't feel strange. She had spent her whole life rehearsing for this day. Now that it was here, she was ready. She didn't believe in fate or destiny, but she didn't have another explanation.
She got out of bed and put on her clothes. Yawning, she left the room.
She walked out into the exercise area. Blue mats covered most of the floor, but there was also plenty of equipment. A section was devoted to free weights and strength training machines. Various types of stair climbers and treadmills were arranged in a line. The odor of sweat lingered in the air.
Jack was playing with one of the stolen Super Double Monkey machines. His fingers were frantically working the controls as if it were a matter of life and death. The dopey expression on his face made him look stoned. The game emitted cheerful jingling noises like an old-fashioned pinball machine.
Sheryl walked over. "What are you doing?"
He didn't respond. She tapped his head to get his attention.
He finally looked up at her. "What?"
"I asked you a question. What are you doing?"
"I'm trying to figure out the secrets of this game, ma'am. It's my way of helping with the investigation."
She furrowed her brow. "Did Aaron tell you to do this?"
"He gave me permission."
This situation didn't smell right to her, but she didn't feel qualified to intervene. Today was her first day, after all. Jack had years of experience and probably knew what he was doing.
His attention drifted back to the game. She shrugged and walked off.
Headquarters was very peaceful with all the other legionnaires gone. She didn't know where Aaron and Marina were, but the door of his private suite was closed.
Sheryl looked around for something to do. The sound of fan noise drew her attention to the computer room. It seemed like an interesting place to visit, so she went there.
Bethany and Leanna were nestled in the chairs of their futuristic workstations. Stretchy gray webbing held their slim bodies in a reclined position.
Sheryl thought the girls were cute but weird. Their pleated red skirts were something a little child might wear. Calluses covered the soles of their bare feet. At least their long, black hair was beautiful, and they had lovely skin.
Sheryl went to the twin wearing the diamond necklace.
"Hi!" Sheryl said. "You're Bethany, right?"
Bethany didn't respond. Her big, brown eyes were staring up at a bank of computer monitors. A headset covered her ears, so maybe she hadn't heard.
"Bethany!" Sheryl said in a firm tone.
She remembered seeing Aaron shake Bethany's shoulder to get her attention. Sheryl did the same.
Finally, Bethany slipped off her headset. "What's wrong, ma'am?"
"Nothing. I'm just being friendly. Is that a real diamond? It's huge!"
"It's the
royal Eye of Satinia. We were the princesses of Satinia before the revolution."
Sheryl stared at her. "You're serious?"
"Yes, ma'am." Bethany's face revealed no emotion.
Sheryl licked her lips. It seemed every time she asked a question around here, she got an unbelievable answer.
She looked up at the computer monitors. They were filled with foreign symbols arranged in loops and chains. She didn't see any English words at all.
"What is that?"
"Mathematics," Bethany said.
Sheryl shook her head. "I've never seen math like that. What does it mean?"
Bethany pointed to a group of symbols. "That expression shows how free will and time are symmetric aspects of the same underlying principle." She moved her finger. "And that is the formula for love. Isn't it elegant? Most people think love is a mystery, but it's simple once you understand how the universe really works."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Sheryl crossed her arms.
"My sister and I are extremely busy, ma'am. It doesn't sound like you have an urgent task for us. Please, come back when you do."
Bethany covered her ears with her headset.
"Hey!" Sheryl said. "That was rude."
A window appeared on one of the displays. It showed the words, "zero: hello sheryl."
Sheryl drew back.
Another line of words appeared below. "zero: talk. I will hear."
"Huh?" Sheryl narrowed her eyes. "What's going on? How can you hear me?" She looked over her shoulder.
"zero: I see and hear everything."
"What does that mean?"
"zero: when you were six years-old, a magician performed at your birthday party. it was the formative experience of your life. it made you realize your suburban existence was dull, predictable, and unfulfilling."
"So?" Sheryl said softly.
"zero: you were particularly fascinated by the linking rings trick. that night, you stole two silver bracelets from your mother's jewelry case. you banged them together for days until they were hopelessly bent. you couldn't figure out how to make them link. you cried in frustration."
Sheryl shivered. She had never told anybody about those bracelets.
"zero: instead of confessing to your mother, you buried the bracelets in the flower garden. you swore you would keep the guilty secret forever. put your hand in your right pocket."
