by David Sloma
“I need to call my wife,” the prof said.
“Where is she?”
“She should be on her way home from work anytime now. I don’t want her to walk in here and…”
“Yes, I agree. Call her and have her wait someplace we can pick her up; somewhere in public where there are a lot of people around. It’s not safe for her to come here. We don’t know if there are others watching the house yet, but I’m assuming so.”
The prof nodded and turned back into the lab to use the phone. The call he had been dreading to make for years was now upon him. He dialed.
“Hello?” his wife Wendy said on the line.
“Honey. Something has happened at the house. Don’t come here right now. It’s not safe.”
“My God, are you alright?”
“I’m fine.” The prof sat down, tears welling up in his eyes. “It’s time for us to leave, now. Don’t come home. Find somewhere in public and wait. We’ll come pick you up, soon. I’ll bring our bugout bags. I’m so sorry…”
“Oh, honey! It’s not your fault. We knew it might come to this, right? And, we’re both alright with it? Right? I know I am. Your work is that important.”
“Yes,” he said, a tear running down his cheek. “Our home…”
“We’ll make another home.”
“Yeah.” He nodded slowly.
She told him where she was going to be waiting, and he hung up. “All arranged,” he managed to say.
“Good,” Chang said. He dabbed some liquid from a bottle onto a towel, then wiped the blood off the floor with it. The prof and Charles watched this with amazement,
“You guys come prepared,” Charles said.
“We do,” Chang said. “You can head on up and get your things together. We’ll leave shortly. Take all your extra ammo and any other guns with you.” He went back to cleaning up the blood.
“We'd better grab the slides and the other stuff,” Charles said. The prof nodded and they went back into the lab.
“Just take the samples and the computers. Leave the rest of the gear, we can replace it,” the prof said.
They gathered up their research materials into a steel suitcase, then took the extra ammo out of the cabinet, and a couple of handguns with holsters that were in there. Minutes later, they came out with the suitcase, a duffel bag full of the guns, and a couple of laptops.
They walked up the stairs, looking at the trail of blood, but there were no bodies. They both wondered where the bodies were, expecting to see one at any moment. But it was not until they got up to the main floor that they could see what had become of them.
There were four body bags on the floor with bodies in them. There was a pile of guns, equipment, and personal effects next to them. Blood smears were on the floor that three men under Chang's direction were cleaning up, also wearing blue moving company coveralls.
“Why did this happen all of the sudden?” the prof asked.
“It seems someone got news of your discoveries, recently. We’re not sure who, but you can’t stay here any longer, of course. Our Guild has many enemies, and it seems one of them is on to us now. There was an attempt on Lang’s life early this morning as well, but thankfully that was repelled, too,” Chang said.
“Geez, he didn't mention it. I didn’t think this was going to get so dangerous, so…life-threatening,” Charles said.
“We are in dangerous times. There’s no telling what’s going to happen. We’ve got a couple of leads on who these men worked for. We’ll track it all down,” Chang said, looking at the body bags. “In the meantime, we’ll get you someplace safe.” He looked at Charles and the professor.
“Where we’ll be under lock and key, I suppose?” Charles said.
Chang smiled and stepped off a few paces. He spoke into the walkie-talkie that was on his shoulder. Once the message was relayed he took the radio off his shoulder and put it into an inner pocket of his jacket, so it would not be seen.
Charles noticed the other men were doing the same thing, and also putting their guns into bags.
“Keeping a low profile?” the prof said.
“Yes,” Chang answered. “Don’t want to alarm the neighbours anymore than they might already be alarmed.”
“I’m surprised they haven’t called the police already,” the prof said.
“We kept it quiet. Silencers.”
A couple of the men brought large trunks into the house. Charles and the prof watched as Chang and his men folded the bodies up, one to each truck, sometimes having to push them in really hard, breaking bones.
“Oh, geez,” Charles flinched.
“Terrible, terrible,” the prof said and shook his head.
Chang helped one of the men carry a trunk out. He smiled to the prof and Charles.
“It doesn’t seem to bother him a bit,” the prof said.
“I guess he’s been through it so many times, he’s desensitized,” Charles said. He watched out the window as they carried the trunk to a waiting truck that was marked as a moving company. “Good cover.”
The rescue team made several more trips out to the truck with the trunks until all the bodies were loaded up.
The professor gathered what things he wanted to take with him from the house, handing some bags to Charles to carry, too.
“All set?” Chang asked the prof.
“I guess so. I hate to leave here, but…” The prof took a wistful look around his house, knowing he might never see it again. “What will become of the house? The lab?”
“We’ll have it under constant watch, with guards posted inside and out, until we can dismantle the lab and sell the house,” Chang said. “We’ll remove any traces of what happened here today, of course.”
The prof nodded, as this had all been arranged with Lang beforehand, down to the legal paperwork having been signed and put in place for all this to be handled by the Guild. “Yes, that’s the plan.” He made a tight smile and walked out of his front door for the last time.
Chang put the prof and Charles in the back of the truck with one of his men, saying, “It's safer for you in here; no windows.” There were a couple of large bench seats with seat belts installed in the cargo area. And the trunks with the dead bodies.
Chang left two of his men in the house, then got into the driver’s seat of the truck. He drove until they reached a restaurant where Wendy was waiting for them. The prof and Charles tried not to look at the trunks.
Chang pulled into the back lot of the restaurant, looking around carefully. He parked near the entrance and left the truck running. “I’ll be right back,” he said to the others through the slot in the wall.
He got out and quickly strode to the door, glancing all around. It was getting near dusk, and he wanted to get this done and get back on the road as soon as possible. The others waited nervously in the back of the truck. Chang’s man kept his jacket open so he could easily reach the gun under his arm, if needed.
Inside the restaurant Chang found Wendy sitting at the bar having a drink.
“Time to go,” he said, sliding up to her. He put his back to the bar, facing outwards.
“Oh!” she said, jumping a little in surprise. “Chang, right?”
He nodded and bent towards her to whisper, “We really need to go. And please, don’t repeat my name in here.”
“Oh, OK. Sure. Right, I get it.” She nodded and started to dig in her purse for some money.
The bartender came up near Chang, “Something for you, sir?”
“No, thanks. I’m just picking her up.” Chang smiled.
“Very good, sir.”
Wendy put some money down on the bar. “Thank you.”
“Thank you, enjoy your evening,” the bartender said.
Chang took her gently by the elbow and guided her out the back door.
“Is it serious?” she whispered to him. He nodded. “Oh dear, I was afraid of that!” she said.
They exited the restaurant, and he opened up the back of the truck and
helped her inside. Then he closed the door and quickly came around to the driver’s door and got in. He drove off in a hurry.
Wendy and the prof embraced. “Hi, honey,” he said, kissing her.
“Hi,” she said, looking sheepish.
“You remember Charles?” he said to her.
“Yes, of course! How are you? Good to see you again. I wish this was under better circumstances.” She shook his hand.
“Thanks. Me, too.”
“What happened? Do I even want to know?” she asked.
“Not really,” Stan said. “The bottom line is we can’t go home again. I’ve got your bugout bag and some extra things.” He pointed to the bags on the floor. He didn't mention about the bodies in the trunks to her, and Charles didn't either.
“Good…and I’m really sad to hear that.” She sighed. “What about your work?”
“It’s safe,” he said and patted the suitcase near him. “But our house is not a safe place to be right now. Some men broke in, but Chang and his men...took care of things.” He nodded to Chang's man.
“You’d better not say any more, professor. For her safety,” the man said.
“Right,” the prof said. He took her hand. “I’m sorry I got you into this…dark business.” He looked like he was about to cry.
“Nonsense, honey! I know your work is important and important work comes with risks at times. I’m proud of you for sticking to your course and doing what you know is right.”
“Thank you,” he said and smiled weakly. Then, he just held her hand as the truck kept driving.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“I’m not sure, honey,” the prof said.
“To our safe house,” Chang shouted through the slot in the wall. “Out in the country. Better I don’t say exactly where. We don’t know who might be listening.”
He kept driving as darkness fell.
CHAPTER 29
It took over two hours to get to the safe house out in the woods. It was located off the main highway a few kilometers, then down a side road. The driveway of the house was long and snaked from a hill the house was perched on. A large iron gate rolled aside to let the moving truck in, then rolled back into place.
The slowing of movement woke up Wendy and the professor who had been napping. Charles was wide awake, reading some scientific papers. He peeked through the opening to the driver's area, getting a look at the trees in the headlights.
“I can see why this is a good safe house, all these woods,” Charles said.
“Yes, not bad. It adds to the protection being out here and so isolated,” Chang called back. He pressed a button on a remote control.
The garage door opened up, and the truck went inside, fitting easily. It was a large garage, big enough for at least ten cars, but it was empty. The door closed behind them.
Chang drove on. The garage had another door at the far side, and it now lifted up.
“We’re going further in?” Charles asked, looking through the peephole.
“Yes, and down!” Chang said and smiled. “Hold on.”
The second garage door retracted into the ceiling, allowing the truck to pass. Chang drove down a long ramp and into the second, even larger garage.
“Wow!” Charles said. “This place is wild!” He gawked out the hole as they passed several sports cars and armoured SUVs. “And look at the cars! There must be a million dollars in this garage.”
“At least,” Chang said and smiled bigger. He pulled to a stop near a human-sized door. Cameras watched from above.
Chang and his man helped the passengers out from the back. Charles, the professor and his wife got out and stood there, glancing at the expensive cars around them.
“This way,” Chang said, leading them to the doorway. He produced a key card. The door sprang open when he passed the card over a reader. He started walking through the door. The others followed behind him, his man bringing up the rear. They were in a hallway, and it ended at an elevator.
“This place has everything,” Charles said. Chang smiled slightly, not letting on about any more. They entered the elevator, and Chang used his card to unlock the keypad and then selected a floor below them.
“A basement?” Charles asked.
“Yes. We’re going down to the more secure levels for a while,” Chang answered.
“How many levels are there to this place?” Charles asked.
“I think it’s best if I don’t divulge that,” Chang said, watching the numbers as the floors fell away. “For your protection and ours.”
The elevator stopped, and they were led down another hallway by Chang. They came to a set of doors, and once more Chang used his card. The doors opened into a living room, leading onto a kitchen, washrooms and bedrooms; a whole living suite for several people. “You’ll be staying here for the time being. Once things cool down, we can think about moving you, maybe topside. For now, Mr. Lang thinks this is the best place for you, and I agree,” Chang said.
“So, we’re stuck here?” Charles said.
“Only momentarily. It's a necessity to protect you. Just ring up on the phone if you need anything; the numbers are listed beside it. There is food in the kitchen, a selection of clothing in various sizes, toiletries—all you might need. I will be back later with Mr. Lang and we’ll brief you on the plans for continuing your work and keeping you safe,” Chang said.
“Thank you,” the prof said.
“Yes.” Wendy nodded.
“Sounds good.” Charles smiled, reluctantly.
With a smile and a small salute, Chang and his man turned and left. The door closed over and locked, sealing them in.
“Well,” Charles said, walking around and rubbing his hands, “I’m sure glad I don’t suffer from claustrophobia much, otherwise this place might get a little tight!” He looked around the windowless room.
“Yes, it is a bit strange with no windows,” Wendy noticed, peering around.
“We’ll be fine. Just like working in the basement lab, back home,” the prof said, and touched his wife’s shoulders. She put her hand on his and leaned into him. “I know this is hard. But it should only be for a little while,” he told her.
“I know. Don't worry,” she said. “I'm going to unpack.” She took their bags and went into one of the bedrooms.
“Might as well check out this cage they've got us in,” Charles said. He wandered off to look around. The prof followed him.
They opened up cupboards in the kitchen. In the fridge they found beer, so they took a couple of bottles out. There was a TV in the living room and they sat down, flipping through the channels and drinking beer.
“They've got pretty good cable here. Lots of channels,” Charles said, working the remote control.
“Anything on us? On my house being the scene of an attack?” the prof asked.
“You think someone heard something? Or saw something and reported it? One of your neighbors?”
The prof shrugged. “Could be. Who knows? They might have seen those guys sneaking in. I doubt they would have heard any of the gunfire; my house is well insulated in the basement, due to the lab. And, they used silencers.” He took a swig of beer.
“Yeah. I'll keep an eye on the news.” Charles looked for some news channels.
In another section of the mansion, Chang approached the door of a study. The room was richly paneled in dark wood, with bookcases lining the walls, old swords, artifacts, and fine carpets on the floor. A fire flickered in the large fireplace, and comfortable furniture invited one to sit and stay; a truly cozy place. There was the scent of old leather and brandy in the air.
Behind a large desk sat Mr. Lang. Here he watched over the interests of the Guild of the Watchers on a row of computer screens. The symbol of the Guild was in a frame on the wall behind him.
Chang knocked on the thick, wooden doorframe.
Lang looked up. “Come in.”
Chang bowed slightly and stepped up to the desk. “Sorry to bother you, s
ir. They're here and settled, now.”
“Please, have a seat,” Lang gestured to the empty chairs in front of the desk. Chang sat.
“What are your plans?” Lang asked.
“We still have to debrief the professor and Charles, then get them setup in one of our labs so they'll continue their work.”
“Good. We should be fully equipped for them, if not, just tell them to let me know.”
“Will do.”
“How did it go at the house?”
Chang shook his head. He looked weary. “Not good. Four dead but just theirs. None of ours were hurt. There might have been more but that's who we found. I have the bodies in the truck.”
“Witnesses?” Lang sat back and studied Chang's tired face, thankful that he was not the one who had to go and retrieve their guests.
“Not that we could tell. The assassins were quite careful in slipping in unnoticed, we believe. There were no signs of forced entry and little in the way of clues.”
“So, they had keys?”
Chang nodded. “Yes. Whoever tried the hit had been planning it for some time.”
“Hmm, interesting. We'll have to comb back through the lives of our guests even farther and see what pops up. Can you get started on that?”
“Will do.”
“Are you putting in place any extra security around here?”
“Yes. I've added more patrols, and also have lookouts on the roads nearby, in addition to our regular precautions here. I'd say we're in good shape.”
“Great. Very well. You can carry on. I'll join you and our guests for dinner, and we can all catch up then.”
Chang stood, bowed slightly, then left the room.
Lang went back to his paperwork and computers, going over the investments the Guild had made. The group owned a portfolio that paid large dividends, but the money had to be carefully managed, due to the volatile marketplace. It was possible to make a fortune overnight, but just as easy to lose one, too, he knew.
Chang and his men moved the trunks with the bodies out of the moving truck and took them deep into the complex. The bodies were removed and placed in the large furnace, then the wooden trunks were broken down and burned also. Soon, nothing would remain but ashes.
