by Reilly, Jim
Will asked, “What you’re saying is that he was a lone wolf? And this was not a conspiracy?”
“There were no findings indicating a conspiracy, except…” the warden thought for a second. “In the report there was mention of some communication using some old early 21st century internet protocol, obsolete, and much too slow by today’s standard. When it was investigated, nothing was found. Much of the communications had been deleted and couldn’t be recovered. To tell you the truth, since he confessed, the local authorities, too heavily bogged down with work, just closed the case once a conviction was achieved.”
“It says here he used a vintage AK-47 rifle,” Cameron said reading off the virtual screen Visor that only he could see. “Warden, did he use, or was he known to use, more advanced weaponry?”
“Not that we know of.”
With that said, the warden brought Cameron and Will into the interrogation room so they could speak with Jose Alvarado. There, the two investigators interviewed the prisoner. Through hours of questioning, they found no apparent link between Mohammed Ishtar and Jose Alvarado other than the disdain of enhancement and the use of the old internet protocol.
Cameron could relate to the disdain of enhancement. Back when he was a child his parents were one of the first people to make the change due to their belief that it was the best way to help defend humanity from the Ancient Visitors’ return. However, young Cameron witnessed a great change in his parents, a change not only physically but also intellectually. To the young boy who couldn’t be enhanced, his whole world changed and he didn’t like it at all.
This created a rift between his family and him, so much so that he avoided family functions and joined support groups with people of similar beliefs. He then changed his name and worked his way up the chain of command without his parents’ influence— as far as an un-enhanced could achieve, that is.
When Will’s inquiries delved into the old internet protocol, Jose Alvarado refused to answer any more questions.
“Jose, you’re already serving a life sentence. You have nothing to lose by answering our questions,” Cameron pleaded with the prisoner. “As a matter of fact, it could help you if your information helps us with our investigation of Ishtar’s death, if we can secure special privileges from the warden.”
“Okay, I’ll answer your questions but I don’t want to look at your partner and hear his fast paced speech,” Jose replied referring to Cameron’s recently enhanced partner.
“Fine,” Will said as he pushed back his chair and got up from the metal table. He left the room to continue to watch the interview from the monitor in the next room.
“Are you more comfortable now, Jose?” Cameron asked when his partner exited the windowless room.
“How can you work with the unnatural?” Jose asked visibly disgusted.
“Your contempt for the Enhanced is noted, but can you answer my question please?”
“Fine. It’s a way for people like me to talk to others who believe, like I do, without the authorities listening in. We get to speak freely without limitations and without anyone knowing who we are.”
Cameron continued the interview, and when he was finished, he and Will made their way to the transport. On the way back to their base of operation in the United Nations building in New York City, Will said, “I see the connection in both situations where the old internet protocol was used, but I am not sure why they would use such an ancient form of communication. Other more advanced and more secure forms of communication are used today.”
“Back during the Vietnam War prisoners in the facility known as the Hanoi Hilton used old Morse code to communicate and keep military integrity in the face of a horrific adversary. There are times you could use simple forms of communication right under the nose of the people you are hiding from.”
“As far as I can see, there’s no organized conspiracy,” Will assumed. “As per Jose, he said he didn’t know any of the others he was conversing with. Unless he was holding back information, he was the lone perpetrator.”
Cameron looked at his subordinate, an enhanced Super Homo sapiens who someday would most likely be his superior owing to his advanced intellect, and suggested, “I think someone is recruiting individuals or lone wolves. It seems this investigation is leading us toward someone linked to anti-enhanced sentiments and placing a fire under their already hot emotions.”
“But why a lone wolf? It doesn’t make sense to me.”
“If you want to do a lot of damage, an army can do that,” Cameron explained. “An example would be the army the Followers of Divinity mobilized. They conquered vast territories to acquire land and people. But, there are disadvantages. An army doesn’t move undetected and must be recruited, organized, trained, and fed. When we’re talking about a lone wolf, you just need to find someone who feels there was an injustice done to them. Their desire to achieve revenge is their motivation. It gives them strength to risk their lives or, worse, believe that their lives are less important than their cause. Unfortunately, many of them can blend into the population, undetected. In some cases, a lone terrorist can be more dangerous than a whole army.”
As Will was about to ask Cameron an additional question about the case, he used a voice command on his computer Visor to secure the transport they were on. When it indicated Secure, Will continued. “How does this get us closer to finding out the source of the weapon used on Mohammed Ishtar? Maybe your source sent us on a wild goose chase. I don’t know if this is the direction we should lead this investigation. It’s important that we get to the bottom of this mystery because it goes up the chain of command to its highest level. We are speaking about the first time since the Followers of Divinity War that alien weaponry was used. It’s been thirty years. That technology was banned worldwide due to the awful damage it created. I think we should be investigating who might have the money and technological capacity to build such a weapon, not a city of nomads or a poor unintelligent prisoner.”
“You left out one more possibility. This could indicate that another Ancient Visitor is walking around or, at the very least, a follower still devoted to Bishop Terapion with an alien arsenal.”
Will countered, “First off, I don’t believe Follower of Divinity disciples would have waited thirty years before making a move. Where were they the past thirty years? That movement died out with Bishop Terapion. No, I don’t believe they had anything to do with this. As for another Ancient Visitor, that remains to be seen. In my mind, I see them coming back with an army sometime in the distant future. My guess is that someone with an ax to grind had an old Ancient Visitor weapon left over from the war. Or the most reasonable possibility is that person bought one off the black market from an arms dealer with stolen knowledge of Ancient Visitor weaponry.”
“Well, since we have different theories, maybe we should split up and you look at the arms dealer angle while I maneuver my way through the bottom feeders. It could be that we meet in the middle. Let’s talk by the end of the week to see if we have made any progress.”
Will, wanting to show his superiors that he was capable, jumped at the opportunity and agreed to the arrangement. He was especially motivated to get away from Cameron’s methods of investigating because he thought they were beneath his intellectual level, and Cameron knew it. Cameron understood that it wasn’t that Will didn’t respect Cameron. It was that Cameron believed Will thought it was about time he moved past this non-enhanced person and take his place in the hierarchy with the rest of the enhanced personnel in the Security Group. It was well known that Cameron slowed a partner’s progress, intentionally or not.
After a couple of days, Cameron finally made it back to his suburban Chicago home after reporting his findings in New York. As he walked up to the front door, the sensor above the door recognized him, “Welcome home Cameron Richards.” The door then opened and the light turned on as he entered the foyer of his spacious ranch. The home then told him, “We are low or in need of the following: milk, sliced turkey,
syrup, and laundry soap. Would you like me to place an order?”
“Sure,” answered Cameron.
“Would you like me to tell you today’s news?”
“Not now, it’s too late. I’ll do it in the morning.
“Do you want to review your messages?”
“Same answer.”
“One is flagged as urgent.”
“Fine, let’s hear that one, but file the rest for morning.”
The message had the same voice scrambler as his captor. “Inspector, we’ve been watching you but we are not the only ones. I hope this got to you in time. Please take care and watch whom you trust.”
Cameron inquired, “Am I the only individual in this house?”
The reply from the home’s computer stated, “Yes.”
“Are there any other individuals within the property line?”
“Yes, three male individuals, two human and one enhanced, are approaching the southwest entrance.”
Cameron grabbed his weapon from his shoulder holder and ordered, “Play our conversation from the moment I arrived in this room only and slowly dim the lights in the rest of the house. At the same time notify local authorities of the intruders.”
The recording of his interaction with his home’s computer system was heard. “Welcome home Cameron Richards.” He was making his way through the hallway heading to the southwest door that led out to his backyard patio. Before he reached the door, he heard an electronic pulse device the police used to open doors in raids, let out a charge that neutralized the locking mechanism. The intruders proceeded after hearing Cameron speaking to the house in another part of the dwelling. Instantly the door opened and the three individuals rushed in from the dark outdoors.
Expecting the break-in, Cameron ordered, “Lights on high,” to catch them as their eyes were adjusting to the light. Fortunately, he was able to hit the first two people center mass with his standard issue stun gun. Immediately the first man, whose face was shrouded by an electronic mask featuring no more than his eyes, collapsed to the floor of Cameron’s kitchen. The second, wearing a similar mask featuring a faceless look, barreled in toward Cameron and his lifeless body fell on him as the Inspector tripped backwards.
“Damn it!” he yelled because he didn’t get the third shot off. He kicked off the incapacitated man from his legs. Knowing the first two were human annoyed Cameron because he had hoped one of them was the enhanced individual. He knew the one who went through the enhanced change to SHS was going to be tougher to put down. The Enhanced are stronger, smarter, and much quicker than his human counterpart, which at this moment was Cameron.
The enhanced individual swiftly entered the house with cat-like reflexes. Cameron finally pushed the second human off his legs and quickly shot at the moving target as he slid for cover under his kitchen table. Under the table, he was able to kick out some of the chairs that acted as barriers which allowed Cameron to slink out of the kitchen while returning shots. He figured that his own knowledge of his home would give him an advantage or in this case, even the playing field.
Back peddling through the hallway receiving and returning shots, Cameron went into his living room and took cover behind his large oak coffee table. The masked enhanced individual moved through the house as if he’d been there before or at least memorized the floor plan. With each shot of the enhanced individual getting closer to hitting Cameron, he noticed in the dimly lit room that the wall mirror with fine wood framing reflected a partial view of the intruder’s arm. Immediately, he fired off a shot from his stun gun at the reflection. The electronic pulse ricocheted off the mirror and struck the enhanced individual who instantly let off a cry. Without hesitation the enhanced individual rushed to get out of the house.
Seeing the intruder retreat, Cameron followed cautiously out the southwest door onto his deck patio in the backyard. He saw the intruder jump over his fencing onto the street adjacent to the corner house on the block. Cameron ran for his shed. “Open shed!” he yelled. “Start bike.”
Realizing he couldn’t possibly keep up with the enhanced individual, he hopped on his air floating motorcycle. Normally he didn’t like having any technology that was developed using alien technology, but due to his fascination with motorcycles and manufacturers not making combustible engines these days, he let himself purchase the latest design, a Mitsubishi Air Rider. Sleek in every detail, it floated six inches off the ground, and could hit speeds of 300MPH. He just bought it because he thought it was cool.
Out of the shed the bike flew toward the gate entrance. “Gate open.”
Once out on the road, he headed in the direction he last saw the intruder heading, but he was startled by the barking of a dog in the opposite direction. Figuring misdirection by the intelligent being, Cameron quickly turned his bike around toward the barking dog.
Seeing the silhouette of an individual in the darkness hopping over fences through the neighborhood, Cameron turned on the speed and raced to the next block over ahead of the intruder to cut off his escape. When he reached that point, he stopped the bike and used it as cover in the middle of the road. He was expecting any second the remaining intruder to hop the last fence with his tremendously strong legs right in front of him for a perfect shot to incapacitate the enhanced individual.
At that moment, a transport painted black with no markings came in from above and started to fire on his position. He quickly took cover and returned fire after his bike was destroyed into small pieces. The enhanced individual came over right where Cameron expected. Unfortunately, Cameron was not in the right position to make a good shot, and the enhanced individual made it to the street where he jumped the thirty feet to the transport’s open hatch. Still taking fire, Cameron was lucky enough to make some direct hits. While his weapon was not strong enough to do any significant damage, he was able to at least make a few marks on its hull. Within seconds, the craft was gone and heading into the darkness.
With his motorcycle in pieces, scattered in the middle of this suburban street, and the threat flying off into the distance, Cameron walked back to his home. As he got closer he could see the flashing lights of the local police and fire department parked outside. When he reached the house, he approached the first officer. “I’m Inspector Cameron Richards of United Nations Security, and this is my home.”
“Inspector,” the officer acknowledged.
“One got away in an unmarked transport, Raptor Class,’ he told the officer. “He’s enhanced, six foot four, lanky, and about two hundred pounds. I didn’t get a look at his face, he was wearing a mask.”
“We’ll check with Air Command to see what flights were in the area,” the officer offered.
“The other two were human and are unconscious in my kitchen.”
“Inspector, we found no other intruders, only a home that looked like a struggle had happened. We did find DNA of yourself and two of the three different individuals in the kitchen; unfortunately they don’t come up on our database. Which I find strange since the Divinity War requires all people to supply DNA as per UN order 9001.”
“Yes, that is odd,” Cameron thought as he surveyed the damage to his home.
The next morning Cameron commuted from Chicago to New York by supersonic shuttle in his usual twenty minutes followed by a five minute subway ride. Waiting at the entrance was Agent Will Davis, his enhanced subordinate.
“Don’t you have work to do?” Cameron asked. “What’s so important that you had to come down twenty floors to meet me?”
“After Afghanistan and your home invasion last night, the Inspector General has personally called us in for an update along with our whole staff.”
Once Cameron and Will got to the assigned conference room that would have the capacity to accommodate his people, they were met by the rest of the staff. Team member, Agent John Ryan approached him, “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know, Johnny; this is the first I’ve heard about the meeting,”
About a second later, In
spector General Edgardo Sanchez entered the room in a rush with two aides at his side. When the people were about to stand to attention, he quickly waved them off and without pleasantries asked Cameron, “Inspector Richards, are you all right?”
“I’m fine, but I appreciate the concern.”
“Well if you’re all right, then maybe you can tell me what is going on with your classified investigation. Quite frankly, I thought this was a simple weapons investigation where we’d find some fool selling imitation alien weaponry using what little information that’s out in public about what was found in Ethiopia. Now it seems we got murder, kidnappings, and home invasions. What’s next for this investigation? Remember, we don’t need the public knowing. They need not be any wiser to our alien weaponry issue; it might cause hysteria.”
“First off, I’m not sure if my abductors were hostile,” Cameron explained to his enhanced supervisor. “Also, we’re not sure who they are, but they did supply us with a lead we are following up on.”
“As for the home invasion, is it connected to this investigation?”
Holding back information that he got a heads up from his Afghanistan captors remembering what the message said about trust, he replied, “At the moment there doesn’t seem to be a link.”
“If that’s what you think, then fine, but I’d like Mr. Davis to check into your mysterious captors to see what else we can find out about them.”
Will Davis nodded his head as to accept the detail.
The Inspector General continued, “I want the updated report of this investigation on my desk before the end of the day.”
Then as abruptly as he entered the room, the Inspector General left with Will in tow.
After a momentary silence Johnny chimed in, “I agree with Sanchez, this simple case has mushroomed into a mess. And Cam, you can’t tell me the investigation and your home invasion were not connected.”
