The Perfect Clone

by M. L. Stephens

  “Why were you out?”

  “I was tired of being cooped up. Crazy me that I am, thought I’d run over and get something to eat and be back in no time.

  “I see.” Without hesitating, Luke picked up the receiver, “Three bacon cheeseburger baskets and three waters. Thanks.”

  “Three? The hero in you must be hungry.”

  “We’re expecting company shortly.” His voice was sincere. “You’ll need to be looked at by a physician to make sure there aren’t internal injuries or breaks.”

  After a few moments of silence Sarah added, “My brother Josh would have liked you.”

  “Would have?” He wanted to learn more about this woman sitting across from him. She had piqued his interest ever since she’d talked to him at the airport that first day. That’s the reason he hadn’t driven her to her meeting this morning or been there to drive her back afterwards. He’d requested to be transferred to personal guard duty rather than being the girl’s driver. Trusting that her men knew their capacity for what they were or were not comfortable doing, Cara had agreed to the request without asking questions.

  Luke was too interested in this woman and didn’t appreciate the way his body reacted in her presence. Knowing that she had been here to interview for the virgin project, he hadn’t wanted to allow himself to get close. But to hell with it all, after the alien emotions he’d just experienced, he wasn’t willing to walk away without finding out more.

  Bobbing her head yes she continued to fiddle with the handkerchief. “Yes. He would have. Josh died over a year ago, but I think the two of you would have gotten along. You remind me of him.”

  “I take it that’s a good thing?” The tone in his voice had returned to normal.

  Sarah’s face lit up when she thought about her brother. “Absolutely,” she declared. Lifting the handkerchief, she dabbed away the last few remaining tears. “Josh was the best.”

  Luke suddenly envied her. He’d never had much of family outside of the community. “You must miss him a lot.”

  “…more than anything.”

  Shortly after room service was delivered, the physician arrived. Sarah recognized him as the same doctor who had administered her physical exam.

  “Hello Sarah. I hear you’ve had quite a night.” His bedside manner was impeccable.

  “I’ll step outside and leave you two alone.” Excusing himself from the room, Luke exited and walked to the black sedan in the parking lot. It was one of theirs.

  Cara stepped out of the driver’s seat and leaned up against the car, crossing one ankle over the other. “Are you alright?”

  Luke took a spot next to his supervisor, crossing his arms over his chest. “Yes. Why?”

  Not turning to look at him, Cara cast her sights on a stray cat as it dashed through the otherwise motionless lot.

  “It’s just not like you to stick around after a fight.”

  “She’s my responsibility. I couldn’t leave until I knew she had the proper medical care.”

  “She wasn’t raped or stabbed and she didn’t sustain any life threatening injuries. You could have resumed your position on stake out until the doc arrived. So, let’s try this again, Luke. Why do you feel the need to cater to her?”

  “I wasn’t catering. I was making sure the woman made it back into the room and was secured.”

  Cara turned her head to look at him. “Need I remind you that it’s our job to protect? Period. We provide our special skills when required and move on. You’re too good at what you do to allow something so trivial to have caused a lapse in judgment. I was told that you made quite a mess of one of the attackers. Emotions will get you killed.”

  He knew she was right. “It won’t happen again.” Luke stalked off into the night.

  Cara watched Luke blend into the environment, resuming his role as this girl’s personal watch dog. When he’d asked for the position switch, she had known that the girl had gotten under his skin. She just didn’t know how deep, until now.

  Luke was one of her best men. One of the best she’d ever come across for that matter. Kicking the heel of her boot against the ground, Cara grimaced. Luke really liked this girl. It was written all over his face, and it was evidenced by his miscalculated judgment.

  Hell, when this was over, she hoped the kid could settle down with someone. She’d thought about doing that herself once, but she’d had to kill the poor bastard when he became a mark. That seemed a life time ago. That was before her days of working for the community.

  Political and governmental assassinations were a tricky and lonely business. Now that she’d found job stability, maybe it was something she’d give more thought to. Until then, things were fine just the way they were.

  Luke resumed his stake out position. Cara was right. He’d made a damn mess of that last man, served the bastard right for hitting Sarah. He’d never regretting killing a target, but he did regret the way he’d gone about killing that last man. He had a reputation for swift clean kills. That’s the way he liked it—no muss, no fuss—easy kill equals easy clean up.

  From his position, Luke watched the doctor exit the hotel room and crawl into the black sedan with Cara. He couldn’t help but wonder how Sarah was doing.

  Checking the time on his phone, he noticed a new text message. It was from Cara.

  “Girl shaken but fine. Still intact. Resting.”

  He read the message several times before erasing it. No need to reply.

  A girl like Sarah deserved a normal man. Someone with a ‘nine to five’ that didn’t get his hands dirty, not someone like him who wore eternal blood stains. He would stay away, for her sake.

  The vibration on his phone alerted him to another message. Checking it, he saw that it too, was from Cara.

  “Received word from Avery, your girl is moving to Phase 3.”

  Luke replied, “Great news.”

  Cara replied. “Project lasts twelve months tops. After that she’s yours.”

  The message caused a huge smile to spread across his face even though he grimaced on the inside. He replied, “Good girls deserve better.”

  The vibrating phone indicated a call so he accepted.

  Cara’s voice responded on the other end. “You are better. You’re also back on drive duty. I’m sending someone to relieve your position so you can get some rest. Stay put until then. Mr. Avery wants her fully recovered before pushing forward. I want you to report to me when you feel the girl is ready to be brought in. As her driver you’ll be responsible for taking her wherever she needs to go, which means that on a daily basis from eight A.M. until seven P.M., you’ll be at her disposal until relived by night duty; any questions? No? Good. Get some rest tonight, Luke.” Cara ended the call

  Luke wasn’t sure what had caused Cara to change the plans or what was with her easy tone, but he wasn’t about to question the boss lady.

  Chapter 17

  Few were invited into the Order’s secret society and once you joined, membership was for life. The only way to change that was by death—natural or otherwise.

  The Order consisted mostly of politicians and military commanders, both retired and active. A few high profile actors, actresses, musicians, writers, directors, and wealthy elite also held membership. Many of the world’s governing rulers throughout history had achieved their offices with help from this group. Some of those same leaders had fallen into enemy hands when the organization had turned their backs on blacklisted members.

  A few members within the last few decades had tried to leave the Order. Their highly publicized ‘accidental’ overdoses and untimely deaths always caught the world population by surprise. Leaving shocked nations in grief while they mourned and then commercialized on those deaths.

  The Order dated back to the death of Christ. It was originally created to serve a single purpose, to prepare mankind for the second coming. Modern technology and the latest scientific advances were making their cause attainable. The proper people were in the proper places, an
onymously easing the civilian population into a place where they could be easily controlled.

  Naturally, for every secret society that existed to fulfill a goal, others existed to extinguish it. It was imperative that information did not leak out.

  The Order had a duty. That duty was to secure information and to position itself politically and financially on a global level. It was their way to prepare mankind to accept the second coming and to ensure that the sister group had the resources they needed to make the resurrection possible.

  The possibility that thousands of years of work could be compromised had created the need for a select second group that functioned separately and hidden away. The sister group was responsible for gathering data and doing the leg work necessary to obtain the common goal. It was the group who knew the intimate details of the second coming and how to go about achieving it. This group was known as the Community.

  Legend told of a group called the Illuminati, created to protect the Holy Grail. The Order was essentially what conspiracy theorists had deemed Illuminati, but the division of the Order into two separate societies protected the group as a whole. As long as the Community remained hidden and protected underground, the secrets of the Illuminati were safe. No one above ground knew the complexities of their facilities or the Community’s work. They only knew that they were getting closer to completing their mission.

  Richard strolled into his office at NWL, followed by Matt Kincade who was his attorney, friend, and fellow communitarian. Walking past the wet bar, the two men stopped at the coat closet. Richard stepped inside and pressed against the raised wall panel at the front of the closet. The panel opened to reveal a security keypad. Richard entered a code, then turned his back to the closet entrance and slid the hanging clothes to one side. The two men ducked inside the hidden chamber that opened up to them. After entering, Matt slid the clothing back into place and closed the secret passage, sealing the two men inside.

  Richard produced a pen light to illuminate their path. They walked until they reached a platform lift. Elevator doors weren’t necessary here, just a simple platform with metal railing on the back and sides. Stepping onto the lift, Matt lowered a floor lever and they descended, concealed in a shaft that did not exist on blueprint. Only two people knew about this lift and they were both riding on it.

  If something happened during the descent or rising, it was still possible to get free. A ladder ran vertically along the shaft, offering a necessary means of escape if the lift got stuck due to mechanical malfunctions or power outages. Another original piece of engineering given birth to by his father, who had always believed that a person could never be too prepared.

  Personal safety was not something Richard’s father had ever left to chance. Having easy access to his locations was an added bonus of those features.

  Pulling the lever up, Matt stopped the lift. Both occupants stepped off and preceded to another door much like the one they’d entered through. After punching the necessary codes, they walked into Mr. Avery’s underground office, leaving the hidden shaft behind. Both men obviously knew about the lift, but only Richard knew the codes and knew that the entrance could be gained manually if necessary.

  His grandfather, who was an avid fan of poker, had often preached that sometimes it was best to fold with a good hand, just to see if the other player was confident enough to win with a bad. Only then, could you safely judge the character of your opponent. It hadn’t made sense to him as a young boy, but through the years, Richard had grown to appreciate the older man’s wise words. There were many secrets that would only be shared by birth right. If he didn’t have a child of his own to pass it to, then he’d pass it to his brother’s sons.

  A knock at the door indicated that a third party had arrived to join them. Richard opened the door to his office and stood aside to allow Cara to come in. Claiming a seat at the cherry wood table, he motioned for his comrades to do the same.

  Before seating herself, Cara removed the pearl handled 1911 Colt .45 from her back holster. She removed the magazine, unloaded the chamber and placed it on the table. The pistol had been a gift from Richard when she’d taken the job as head of his security. The scorpions engraved onto both sides of the grips, the laser optics and the silencer had been a personal touch she’d added herself. Much preferring the intimacy of killing by hand, or poison, she’d found little need to use it, except during raids. Still she carried it as her contingency plan. One could never be overly equipped.

  Richard smiled as he eyed the weapon. “Nice modifications. I hardly recognized it.”

  “Get a load of the rounds.” Standing the shell that she’d discarded from the chamber onto the table, Cara’s face lit up. It was handmade, some of her finest work. Guns and ammo were her first love. Her second, well she was still deciding on that.

  Cara winked at her boss. “I thought you’d appreciate it. She’s been tuned to perfection.”

  “Not only am I’m pleased with the level and quality of the security you provide, but I’m encouraged that you’ve found time to enjoy yourself. I couldn’t have found a better person for the job.”

  Not one to take compliments well, Cara leaned back in her chair and grumbled, “Thanks.”

  Matt snickered at the guard’s reaction. “Don’t be fooled Mr. Avery, Cara takes her job as guard dog very seriously. I swear her canine teeth have grown an inch since yesterday.”

  Cara rolled her eyes. “Shut up Matt, unless you want these canines to take a bite out of your ass. If I wanted to hear anything out of you, I’d throw peanuts your direction and wait for the show.”

  Richard laughed. “I see the two of you are still dancing around to the love/hate song, but I’ve called you both here for a reason.”

  “In one month, which will put us into late November, we have a conference call scheduled with the Order. They’ll need pertinent information regarding our progress.” Cara and Matt both sighed and hung their heads in a show of their unenthusiastic response.

  “I realize that communicating with the outside team is not always pleasant, but it is necessary for the success of the overall mission. Everything must be finely orchestrated, above and below ground, if we are to fulfill our required duties. Both legs of a body must work together in order to reach a desired destination. Agreed?”

  They nodded in refrained agreement. He continued, “Good. I want to discuss a few things and we’ll meet again before the conference to update one another. Cara, what’s Ms. Mariam’s status?”

  Sitting upright in her chair, Cara was back to business as usual. She leaned forward, placing her clasped hands on the table. “Her recovery is on pace. It’s been almost a week since the attack. The bruising left behind is minimal. Julia’s been meeting with her a few hours daily, at the hotel, to assess her mental state, which has been reported as favorable. Luke’s been keeping constant tabs on her and acting as her personal driver, in order to avoid any future problems. Given both of those latest reports, she’s ready to continue.”

  “Excellent. Please schedule that with Dr. Hamstein. I still want the work done topside at NWL. If her eggs are proven fertile, I want her transferred below and processed with minimal security clearance. Visits above ground will be nonexistent at that point. We don’t want her to feel imprisoned, so it’s imperative that her importance to this project is stressed. I want her pampered and well watched. Is she responding well to Luke?”

  “Yes. They’ve taken a kinship to one another.”

  “If you can afford to lose a man, I’d like him to continue acting as her personal muse after the transfer. We don’t want Ms. Mariam going stir crazy again.”

  Cara’s smile was internal. Good for Luke. “That shouldn’t be a problem.”

  “I reviewed the security tapes from Dr. Hamstein’s initial tour of the surgical room Cara. I agree with you that his behavior was odd, but when I compared them to the reports I have from his external dealings, it’s his typical preparation before entering any surgical room. It wa
s labeled as a ritual of sorts. I don’t foresee a problem with his mental state. It’s standard protocol for the man. Naturally I consulted with Julia, who confirmed my initial assessment of his behavior. Thanks for being alert to the potential threat. Matt, how’s Dr. Hamstein doing otherwise?”

  “He’s hired an assistant and has already scheduled to see a few clients. He’s spot on when it comes to running a tight ship. He’s even handed over an inventory list.” The other two occupants at the table found that refreshing. None of the other workers that’d been brought in had found reason to do inventory, since it was community inventory to begin with.

  Matt straightened his back. “He wasn’t pleased to learn that he’d be working alongside a scientist. The doctor asked me to intervene on his behalf. He said that he preferred to be allowed to mentally prepare for his work. He’s also stated his concern about being able to do so without knowing exactly what it is he’ll be asked to do.”

  Cara slightly bowed her head, biting the inside of her mouth to control the smile that wanted to break free. She respected the doctor’s point of view on that. She’d never allow herself or her men to walk into a situation that they weren’t fully prepared for.

  Taking a few seconds to consider what was said, Richard agreed. “I believe he’s justified in his concerns. Please advise the doctor that I want Ms. Mariam’s treatments scheduled to begin in the morning. Ms. Greggario and I, along with the two of you, will meet with Dr. Hamstein tomorrow evening. Matt, please make the arrangements. I want him to be fully aware that the three of us stand on a united front.”

  Richard continued, “It will benefit Ms. Greggario to witness the same. If the doctor becomes unwilling to fully participate in the process, then certain measures will need to be taken. We’ve spent too much time and effort to find this girl. I don’t want her condition compromised by a doctor that is unwilling to be a progressive practitioner. It’s unfortunate that I’m unable to fully prepare the new recruits before bringing them into the fold, but all things considered, that’s a situation that cannot be altered. I never leave things to chance, but we might need to cross our fingers on this one folks. He’s the best the world has to offer in that field, let’s hope he remains so.”