by Reilly, Jim
They got in the car and gave the destination of Taylor’s car to Cameron’s car. Being alone gave Cameron the chance to ask her why she started to doubt what she saw. “Can I ask you why you changed what you first thought you initially witnessed?”
“I don’t know, maybe I was confused after the explosion. After I thought about it, maybe I didn’t see what I thought I saw.”
As the car pulled up to the parking lot, Cameron spoke to all the devices in the car, “Car shut down. Visor shut down. All devices turn off.”
Feeling as if she were caught in a trap, Taylor asked, “What are you doing?”
“Giving you the opportunity to speak freely. Now please tell me what made you look agitated earlier?”
Pausing for about a minute, she blurted out, “Your colleague Will Davis is the enhanced man I saw with the bomber. I’m sure of it.”
Caught off guard, the visually surprised Cameron reasoned, “Maybe you’re right and the bomb disorientated you because Will can’t be that man. He’s a decorated United Nations Security servant whom I have worked closely with for about ten years. He’s always had my back. Please think again.”
“Inspector, I have total recall or a photographic memory. I’ve had it all my life. As a matter of point, it’s the only reason I was able to get through this PhD program. With little time to study due to having to work long hours to pay for school, I’ve had to rely on that memory to get me through my studies. So believe me when I say what I saw. I can close my eyes and see it as if it was just happening.”
After taking a deep breath he used to regain his focus, Cameron asked, “Can you do me a favor and let me look into this. I’m sure there’s been a mistake. Give me a few days to check? Please?”
The dark brown haired girl with brown eyes and a kind appearance, replied, “Who am I going to tell? I’m just going to mourn for my friends and say nothing.”
“The media will interview you. Please omit the enhanced man, at least for the time being. And if you need me for anything, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I’ll send you my info. Otherwise, I’ll let you know what I find out.”
With that said, she exited the car. Her car immediately sensed her presence and turned on fully to take her home.
Back at the scene of the bombing, Cameron stood outside of the crater the blast had created and thought. What came to mind was how ridiculous the idea that Will could be involved. Not only was Will a trusted and loyal subordinate, he was also being mentored by Sanchez.
It was then that he saw Will at the other side of the crater speaking to local police along with Johnny. Maybe what he noticed would have gone undetected by him before, but Will, as he spoke with the police, was massaging his right arm with his left hand while he opened and closed his right hand. That, in and of itself, was not something that would intrigue him, but after speaking to Taylor, he was now interested. Especially after he hit an enhanced with his stun gun the other night at his home. A stun gun is not in any way lethal, but it leaves a sore bruise for days that even modern medicine can’t help to alleviate.
The more he thought about it, the more Cameron became angry and he started to breathe heavily as the anger consumed him. Before he could yell to let off steam, Will and Johnny approached, and Will asked, “You look out of breath, what’d the car break down and you had to run back?”
Johnny added, “Maybe the pretty witness got the blood flowing, if you know what I mean.”
Moving his head to crack his neck just so slightly to help him focus, he said, “No, just getting a little emotional about the carnage before us. What have you found out from the local police?”
Johnny reported, “Just like in Peru, at this early stage the local police suspect a lone bomber. Their initial analysis of his communications tell the same story of an individual communicating with others using old internet protocol with people with the same strong leanings toward anti-enhancement.”
“Well, let’s continue the anti-enhanced angle in this investigation. After seeing my initial report, the Inspector General suggests we go see anti-enhancement activist Edward Tanner. He’ll be at the East St. Louis Library tonight for a meeting. The Inspector General thought that questioning Tanner about his anti-enhancement movement could provide us with some leads.”
When Johnny went back to the local police to finish his fact-finding discussion with them, Cameron asked Will, “Why don’t you join us when we see Tanner?”
“Sure,” he answered.
“By the way, how is your side of the investigation going?”
“I haven’t found any evidence of any arms dealer with Ancient Visitor weaponry looking to sell on the black market. There’s no chatter about that anywhere. So far that’s a dead end.”
“What about my captors, what have you found out?”
“Some of our contacts in the old Followers of Divinity territories have reported that remnants of the old Religious Security Ministry or secret police have been active. I suppose they’re the ones that didn’t go to prison for their crimes. They were the ones to round up people who weren’t as religiously fanatical as they were. Many of their prisoners were never seen again.”
“I remember the stories when I was a kid,” Cameron professed to Will. “They did horrible things in order to keep their citizens in line. When the conflict was over and the world found out what they’d done, many went to prison or opted for a memory wipe. Many of them put the blame on Bishop Terapion and said they were following orders. That of course didn’t fly.”
“Our contacts in the Middle East gave us two names long known to have been associated with them. Supposedly, they offer protection for some of the believers still living a secluded life in the old Followers of Divinity territories. Until now the United Nations didn’t deem them a threat. Their names are Leonardo and his sister Angelis.”
Sitting in a three-hundred-year-old church south of Naples, Italy was an old man kneeling toward the altar whispering words to himself when a slight man with black wavy hair combed back, and dark brown eyes heightened by his bushy eyebrows, sat in the pew next to him. When the old man finished his prayer, he asked the now patient man next to him, “Leo, have we made progress?”
Leonardo answered, “We got the ball rolling. The setback concerning poor Mohammed Ishtar might work to our advantage.”
“God rest his soul,” added the old man.
“I have a contact within United Nations Security I am communicating with. He’s a high ranking inspector with a secret.”
“We all have secrets Leo.”
“His is big, and he’s going to need us.”
“Where’s your sister?”
“She just got to Moscow.”
“Good,” the old man said, and he went back to whispering his prayers.
At a diner around the corner from the East St. Louis Library, Cameron and Johnny finished ordering their meal from the computer-generated waitress when Johnny asked a usually quiet Cameron, “What’s up your ass today? You don’t seem like yourself.”
“This investigation is taking a toll on me,” he replied before he let out a groan. “Johnny, I’ve got something to tell you, and I want to keep this between us.”
“Of course,” Johnny replied. “We’ve been working together for fifteen years now, and I’d fall on a grenade for you just as you would for me. What’s on your mind?”
“Earlier today the survivor, Taylor, identified the enhanced man with the bomber as Will.”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” his shocked partner replied. “He’s one of us. Sure, he became a pompous jerk after he got enhanced, but I can’t believe he would do anything like that. She must be mistaken. Even I…”
“What?”
“Nothing, well I don’t know. I suppose I had a passing thought the sketch had looked like him, but only for a moment.”
“I’ve checked his whereabouts the last couple of days, and he’s been in both Chicago and St. Louis during the invasion of my home and the attack at the
regeneration center. What’s worse, I think he was the Enhanced I shot at my home that night.”
“What makes you think that?”
“He keeps rubbing his arm as if it’s sore. The same arm as the one I hit with the stun gun on the Enhanced that night.”
“Cam, you’re a cop, and you should know all we are talking about is circumstantial evidence. That’s not enough to even have a conversation with him, much less accuse a friend and colleague.”
“I know Johnny. I know. But maybe you can do me a favor and very discreetly check Will’s right arm for soreness.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Walking around the library, Cameron couldn’t help but notice the good-sized crowd forming outside the large meeting room. It was even larger than the crowd he sat with at Edward Tanner’s presentation in Chicago. Everyone there was non-enhanced. Even though he was anti-enhancement, after this investigation, he was starting to wonder if any of these people are or will be terrorists, a thought, which made him sick to his stomach.
After getting the librarian to allow them to enter the meeting room a few minutes early, Cameron and Johnny were surprised to see Will, already speaking with Tanner leaning on the podium. The stuffy college professor looked as if he was feeling ill.
Will immediately stopped questioning Tanner to greet his colleagues, “Judging by the temperature of the crowd, I thought it was wise as an enhanced to get in here early and be done before the meeting starts.”
Before saying a word, Johnny greeted Will with a firm forearm grab instead of a handshake, “Good to see you again.”
As Will grimaced in pain, Johnny then slapped Cameron on the shoulder and winked his left eye as Cameron sarcastically mumbled under his breath, “Smooth.”
With his arm still stinging, Will told Cameron and Johnny, “Mr. Tanner here informed me that he doesn’t believe anyone of his attendees would ever attempt violence. Isn’t that so, Mr. Tanner?”
After using the sleeve of his button down shirt to wipe the sweat off his forehead, he proclaimed, “As I told this enhanced, we have nothing against him or his choice to make the change. What we are against is forced enhancement if the government mandates it. We don’t know what enhancement will do in the long term. It may be hazardous to our species and that harm may have been the Ancient Visitors purpose all along.”
Cameron inquired, “We need to know, could any of your attendees here or in the other cities be violent? Do you know of any persons recruiting the more hardcore anti-enhancement for secretive deeds?”
“As I told your colleague, “We are peaceful. That’s all I’m going to say. Now please excuse me. The meeting is about to start.”
Will was then directed by a librarian through an exit out of the library to avoid the anti-enhancement meeting. Cameron and Johnny stayed behind to get a read on the crowd.
Edward Tanner, with a blue plaid shirt and tan khakis, stood at the podium in a sort of catatonic state looking way from the rows of seats as the meeting room filled with admirers and supporters. Once all were seated Tanner still sweating turned toward the packed room, and said, “People, today there was an attack on a regeneration center here in St. Louis that resulted in a destroyed regeneration center and a loss of life for thirty-one people. My take: They deserve it and it’s a long time coming! We should do that to all of them across the globe!”
Cameron was shocked at what he heard. He remembered just a couple of days ago he heard a presentation given by Tanner in Chicago where he spoke about anti-enhancement but stressed anti-violent actions. He talked about organizing peaceful marches and writing letters to government officials. Moreover, the soft spoken Tanner looked as if his personality was not capable of getting a rise out of himself, let alone inciting other people.
Tanner continued, “We should go down there to the regeneration center right now and pick up as many small pieces of rubble and take it to the UN field office. We need to pummel the place to let the so-called authorities know that we don’t accept enhancement!”
Cameron couldn’t believe what he was hearing as he and Johnny slowly rose out of their chairs. Maybe only a third of the people in the room stood up as the majority weren’t there to be violent. However, the twenty or so people Tanner incited were enough to alarm Cameron and Johnny. While Tanner ran toward the exit followed by his agitated followers, Cameron commanded Johnny, “Alert the local police.” He then ran to the exit to block Tanner from leaving.
Before Tanner could lead them out, Cameron obstructed his exit. Nevertheless, Tanner kept coming as if to run right over him. With his United Nations Security badge in one hand and his arm extended like a football player’s stiff-arm, Cameron grabbed the man before they left the room with Johnny backing him up.
Cameron yelled, “United Nations Security, do not make another move!”
Johnny added with his hand firmly gripped on his stunner, “Now everybody take two steps back and keep your hands at your side.”
Not wanting to do this and knowing there would be consequences, he said, “Edward Tanner, you’re being arrested for sedition.” Cameron then read him his rights while local police arrived to handle the crowd.
Later on at the police station Tanner went back into a catatonic state as Cameron and Johnny tried to talk to him in the interrogation room. Question after question went unanswered. When they were finally too frustrated to continue, they let the local police get a try as they went into the observation room.
Watching the police have as little success as they did, Johnny turned to Cameron, “He’s not saying much, but this arrest will be saying plenty all over the news, especially the ones that lean toward anti-enhancement.”
Knowing the answer, but asking anyway, Cameron said, “Do you think it’ll get around? I’m sure my image will be there right with Tanner’s.”
“Cam, you must be kidding,” Johnny quickly responded. “Tanner may not be a big name in anti-enhancement, but he’s big enough to get the blood boiling for the movement. This is something the movement will wrap its arms around and rally around. To answer your question, yes. This will be carried by all news outlets and social media. Hell, bet there’s even carrier pigeons flying around with the news strapped to their legs.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Cameron said as news reports could be seen of the arrest on his Visor. However, the news was not what he was worried about and the call came in to his screen he dreaded to answer.
After his screen repeated over and over ‘Cherie Burns’, he reluctantly answered, “Cherie, please let me explain.”
However, the pretty blond, blue eyed girl whom Cameron felt lucky to have didn’t let him get a word in, “You used me! All this time I thought you were genuinely interested in my beliefs, and now I find out it was all a lie. All you wanted was for me to get you in close so you can make some arrests of people I admire. This was a total breach of my trust. Cameron Richards, we are done!”
After hearing Cameron’s brief conversation, Johnny stated, “Kidnapped, home invaded, and now your girlfriend dumps you. What a week. Well, it gets worse; I just heard Inspector General Sanchez has ordered us in for a meeting first thing tomorrow morning. I guess they’re bringing us to the carpet for this mess. Hopefully, there’re plenty of plastic sheets behind us.”
Before Cameron could respond, another call came in from an unknown source, and it was the same masked voice as before, “Inspector Richards, is this a bad time?”
Pulling himself together and walking away from earshot of Johnny, he replied, “Nope, this is perfect timing, Leonardo. Or, do you like to be called Leo?”
With just a brief pause to turn off the masking device, the man spoke English with a hint of an Italian accent, “Very good, you did your homework. Can I call you Cameron Cho?”
Knowing very few people knew his real identity, a now stunned Cameron tried to keep his voice steady when he answered, “Cameron would be fine. How can I help you?”
“On the contrary, I’d like to
help you and I’m going to start by telling you that you should go to Moscow to a café across the street from The Cathedral of Christ the Savior at 9:00 am Moscow time. Secondly, you should look at Babylon Corporation. You’ll be surprised at what you’ll find.”
As the last word was uttered by Leonardo, the Italian man ceased the communication.
While Cameron stood in the back of the observation room not paying attention to the police trying to interrogate Tanner, Johnny approached him, “What’s going on?”
“I’m going to Moscow. Give Sanchez my apologies. Also, Tanner looks terrible. I want a full medical analysis plus blood work done. Send it to our lab at the UN, as well as, Jennifer La Mont-Cho.”
“You must be joking! Jennifer La Mont-Cho? She’s the top scientist on the planet with ties to the UN General Secretary.”
“Just put my name on it and don’t let anyone know.”
The next morning, Cameron sat at the café he was told to go to but 9:00 am came and passed. It was now coming up to 10:30 am and still, no contact. Around him at this outdoor café were people sitting at small round tables sipping their espressos and cappuccinos while viewing the morning news on their Visors.
It gave him time to wonder why Leonardo mentioned Babylon, the leading privately owned company with regeneration centers across the world. Their research and development department led the industry in patents. Not only did it have leading edge products, but the company’s CEO was well connected with the hierarchy of the United Nations. As far as he knew, the company was above reproach, but because it was mentioned by Leonardo, he was going to now look into it.
Nothing this morning was out of the ordinary as he sat waiting for contact, until a man sitting directly behind him got up and left a woman he was sitting with. Cameron was back to back with the woman, when she spoke, “Inspector Richards please don’t turn around. As you know, we are always being watched.”
