by J. K. Scott
Rustler anxiously looked around and eyed his wrist computer during the short drive to a local diner. I backed into a parking space, ready to leave in a hurry, and turned off the engine. I looked over at my passenger and asked, “Rustler, who do you work for?”
“What do you mean?”
“Come on, Rustler; don’t waste my time. I haven’t had my morning coffee. You slept in a chair last night. You yelled at me for leaving the motel.”
“I was waiting for you.”
“That’s great. We’re together now,” I said, opening my door.
Rustler gave me a questioning glance before lifting his muscular body out of the jeep. I locked the jeep and headed for the diner, inhaling bacon and eggs drifting in the air.
A pleasant woman greeted us. We both ordered without looking at the menu. Waiting for our coffee, I told Rustler, “Okay, let’s talk about why we’re having breakfast together.”
Our coffee quickly arrived, and Rustler emptied two packets of sugar into his coffee and stirred. He looked me with his dark brown eyes in a round tan face with bushy black hair. “I got a call last night to cover room sixteen at the Lands Inn Motel. I was asked to keep an eye on you, but I didn’t see you until this morning.”
I poured cream into my coffee, took a sip, and then said, “I was out late. Who hired you?”
“Well, that’s confidential.”
“I don’t want to spar with you. I’m meeting a tall bearded man at noon. So tell me if we are talking about the same person.”
Rustler stammered at first and then admitted, “Peter hired me to protect you. Then, after midnight, he called and asked if you had arrived. I told him no.” Rustler took a sip of coffee and then looked at me. “He said to tell you that your life’s in danger.”
I put my cup down with a thud. “You waited this long to tell me?”
“Hey, man, I’ve been with you for twelve minutes. What do you expect?”
“So who’s after me?”
“Peter didn’t say, but someone followed him last night, and he believes that you might be followed too. Also, he said he couldn’t see you today at noon. I’ve been assigned to guard you.”
I took another swallow of coffee and formed my thoughts. “Tell Peter I need to see him. And I don’t want a bodyguard.”
Rustler’s eyes widened. “Are you refusing my services?”
“Let me think about it,” I said as our breakfast arrived. I ate the bacon and eggs as if I hadn’t eaten in days. I noticed Rustler followed suit.
After finishing the last bite of pan-fried potatoes, I asked Rustler, “Are you Peter’s official security or doing him a favor?”
“I’m not at liberty to say,” Rustler said.
“Tell Peter I need to be informed,” I said sarcastically, grabbing the bill. “Let’s go.”
Rustler didn’t offer to pay, so I assumed Peter didn’t have him on an expense account.
We climbed into the jeep a little heavier than when we’d arrived. Still frustrated, I said, “Rustler, tell Peter I know who is after me and why.”
Rustler said, “Fair enough.”
I turned the corner to the motel and spotted police vehicles in the parking lot. I took a deep breath. “We have trouble.” I sensed they weren’t the local police; they appeared similar to the officers in my garage only days ago.
Rustler said, “It could be a domestic dispute. There was a crazy guy hanging around the parking lot last night.”
I didn’t respond to his comment. I drove past the motel and asked him, “Where’s your vehicle parked?”
“It’s a black Raptor truck around the corner.”
I pulled next to the truck. “Tell Peter I’ll call you if anything changes, but don’t follow me. I’ll call you.”
Rustler didn’t argue and gave me his number. I asked for Peter’s too.
“Peter said I’m your contact.”
“Tell Peter the police at the motel are not local. And, Rustler, those police don’t care about a domestic dispute.”
Rustler gave me a questioning look.
I asked, “Are we good?”
Hesitating, he said, “Sorry, man, but I agreed to this job.”
“You’d better reconsider. Peter either told someone about me, or your phone call was intercepted. Tell Peter to meet me at the same diner at ten o’clock tomorrow morning.”
“I got it,” Rustler said as he leaped out of the jeep.
After Rustler turned the corner, I drove off, contemplating how I would retrieve my stuff before checkout. At least I had cleared room sixteen before leaving for the lecture. Disturbed that Peter had skipped our meeting, I questioned his motivation to send Rustler to the motel. Seeing the police this morning added to my suspicions. Peter’s warning message only confused me without any clarification.
Unable to contact Ronzo, my only option was to ask Harmony to help me. I hoped she could introduce me to Kisha to answer a few questions I had.
13
DRIVING IN SEDONA’S slow, driverless traffic concerned me. The city had clear facial-recognition and jeep identification. I stopped at a convenience store to change from my guru outfit into biking clothes to meet with Harmony.
Several customers were browsing in the gift shop while Harmony conversed with four girls. Harmony wore yellow ribbons braided in her hair; they matched her flowing multicolored dress. She dangled a crystal pendant in front of the girls. Alerted by her sixth sense, she caught me staring at her. She smiled. “I’ll be with you in a moment.” I wondered if she ever had moody moments.
I browsed the book rack and eyed a title by Brian Greene on the multiverse, with the latest research in the scientific community. I took the book to the counter and patiently waited for Harmony.
She politely excused herself from the other counter to wait on me, saying, “I didn’t realize you were in a hurry.”
“I have a problem and need your assistance,” I said, passing her the cash for the book. “I’ll wait outside.”
She nodded. “This feels serious.”
“Serious for me, and I don’t have much time,” I said.
She smiled to the waiting girls examining the crystals. “What’s this about?”
“I left a bag and two small boxes in a motel room, and I can’t be seen there,” I said, embarrassed to impose upon her.
“Are you in trouble?” she asked softly.
I said, “Well, not criminally, but after the lecture, I was followed to the motel where I stayed.”
Harmony looked perplexed. She was probably wondering why I’d left the campsite. She politely asked, “Why would someone follow you?”
“It’s complicated. I work for a private company, and I shouldn’t have attended last night’s lecture,” I replied, uneasy discussing the matter with others nearby.
“What kind of work do you do?” Harmony innocently asked.
“I’m a graphic artist” Frustrated with her time-consuming questions, I said, “Harmony, I’m being followed. I need your help to retrieve my stuff from a nearby motel and have little time left.”
“Wow, Kisha suspected she was being followed and had to stay with me.”
“We may have similar concerns. I’d like to talk to Kisha.”
“I’m sorry, but Kisha left this morning with her security guards.”
Disappointed, I said, “I had hoped I to talk to her but ran into Peter.”
“Peter was at the lecture?” she asked.
“Well, he was in the parking lot.”
Releasing a sigh, Harmony asked, “Why isn’t Peter helping you?”
“Peter’s unavailable. Harmony, I don’t have much time before being locked out. I paid cash for the night.”
“You want me to go to the hotel right now?” Harmony asked, nodding to the girls to indicate that she hadn’t f
orgotten them.
“Yes. It will take twenty minutes tops.”
Harmony looked around the shop; only the girls were waiting for her attention. She said, “Give me a few minutes to close the shop. And I’m anxious to hear about Peter.”
I paced, waiting for the customers to leave, ready to intervene if more arrived. Fortunately, just minutes later, the girls left, and Harmony hung an out-to-lunch sign.
Before giving Harmony the code, location, and room number, I had to ask, “Do you have a monitor? I wouldn’t want you to be followed.”
Harmony scowled at me as I waited for her to respond. She said, “No, Dak, I’m opposed to having an implant, and my whereabouts aren’t a concern to others.”
“I regret that I had to ask you, but I was followed, and I share your feelings about implants. But I wouldn’t forgive myself if I put you in harm’s way,” I said with concern.
“Appreciate your concern. I’ll go to the motel,” Harmony said with conviction.
Relieved by her response, I gave her the room code and directions. I sighed as I watched her take off in her white convertible, thankful for her generous attitude, acutely aware that dropping Peter’s name helped.
I hurriedly drove to the campsite to pack and return to the center before Harmony returned.
Tanner greeted me at the gate. “Hey, welcome back. Your business left a message to call them.”
I was relieved to know I could call them. I wished I’d known earlier, because I could have avoided involving Harmony. I informed Tanner I’d be leaving that day. Uncertain about my plans, I couldn’t be seen in Sedona much longer. After checking for sensors, I quickly loaded the jeep and left, pushing the speed limit.
With minutes to spare, Harmony arrived, smiling as she opened the trunk. I thanked her. I considered hugging her, but instead, I lifted the two small boxes, as Harmony grabbed the small bag and closed the truck.
I asked, “Did you see anything unusual?”
“Mostly families were packing their vehicles. Two older men were arguing a few doors away. They weren’t paying attention and probably didn’t notice me.”
I doubted Harmony could go unnoticed. I opened the door to the jeep’s jam-packed trunk, filled with the tent and other supplies.
Harmony looked perturbed. She asked, “Dak, are you leaving town?”
“Not until after my meeting tomorrow morning,” I said, glancing at two vehicles arriving.
Harmony glanced over at the vehicles too. “They are here for the yoga class. Are you meeting with Peter?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Well, if you need a place to stay, I have a guest room.”
“Thank you for the offer. You’ve done enough.”
“Kisha stayed over due to security concerns. It’s up to you.”
I considered her offer. I’d be able to know more about Kisha, and I’d be leaving early to meet Peter. Finding another campsite or secure place might not be that easy. I mulled it over for only a minute and then accepted her generous offer. We arranged to meet far from the center after she closed the shop.
I drove around the center and discreetly parked to observe the place. I wanted to be sure that Harmony didn’t have any unwanted visitors. Afterward, I left for a drive-through diner and ordered vegetarian lunches. I returned to the shop as she was talking to customers, so I waved and left a lunch bag on the counter for her. I wished I could have bought her more than a sandwich. Melanie would have required a week in Hawaii for the next few years for that favor. Harmony definitely wasn’t a Melanie.
Pressing my luck by driving around town, I headed for Red Rock State Park to make a call and read before meeting Harmony. I still couldn’t believe she could be so trusting while others had become guarded within a security state.
I felt safe driving in the state park among ponderosa pines. The central west was home to the largest growth in the world. Sedona had more than three hundred days of sunshine, and today was no exception. The red-rock hills hovered in the distance. I found a secluded spot to park the jeep and make my call to Ronzo.
Ashley’s reassuring voice explained the phone lines were finally secured. She transferred me to Anthony, and we exchanged updates. I told him about my stay with Harmony. He told me Ronzo’s network had been hacked from an island in Asia. He told me to only use the mil-spec computer to access their computer network. The good news was that the files sent to Ronzo had been erased, which hopefully meant they weren’t in cyberspace. I listened for any ping on the burner, thankful I hadn’t been tracked.
Anthony told me that John Wheeler had worked for the state’s justice department before joining Cascade. Mary had left a message that her family had left town.
I thought about Wheeler’s legal background and assumed he knew about the legal issues regarding the project. The good news was Wheeler was with family, which might mean that Mary had negotiated with Cascade, passing on the enhanced images, or they’d released Wheeler for unknown reasons. Or Cascade could be appeasing BBB for my return. But then why would my life be in danger?
Always forthright, Anthony cautioned me about Peter. My justification was that I had to depend on Peter to negotiate my Cascade contract so that I could continue to work on the project within BBB. I added, “If I went AWOL, I couldn’t finish the project.”
Anthony understood my dilemma, but we would continue our talk after tomorrow’s meeting. I closed the burner and listened for any pings, unable to dismiss the possibility that some could have received approval to find me under the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act with a warrant. They might not know who owned the burner phone but could identify my location.
Without a ping, I grabbed my backpack and hiked among the trees, hills, and hike deeper into the national park. It would have been effortless to camp for weeks, but I’d have been avoiding what I needed to resolve. I located a perfect scenic spot to eat my sandwich and read about the multiverse and parallel worlds. Maybe I’d learn insights about my doppelganger, the ghostly self that had appeared in my reality to warn me and said, “I am you.”
After a couple of hours, I dragged myself from the multiverse book to meet Harmony at the hiking trail on Dry Creek Road. Reading about parallel worlds only raised more questions and incited my urgency to talk to Kisha.
Harmony met me among the rosemary bushes and cypress trees on a scenic trail. The walk gave me the opportunity to ask her to call Kisha for me. I didn’t want the call to be traced from her place.
Waiting patiently to ask her to call Kisha, I answered Harmony’s questions about my afternoon and about the lecture, saying, “After listening to Kisha’s lecture, I’ve concluded that there could be a covert plan for futuristic groups to be the conduit to warn others. The warnings are more convincing if they come from trusted sources. It’s becoming more difficult to decipher what’s true and what is disinformation. The issue of earthquakes, famine, pestilence, or asteroids has become diluted. The list goes on. Nobody is listening anymore, or they take every word as truth and panic in fear.” I concluded with explaining, “I really need to talk to Kisha to understand her message.”
Harmony gave me a questioning look. “Are you asking me to call her while we are on the trail?”
“Yes, I don’t want to risk calling from your place and it’s later in Florida.”
“Are you worried about security?” Harmony asked.
Not wanting to be defensive, I said, “I thought if you made the contact, Kisha would be more apt to talk to me.”
“What do you want me to say to her?”
“Tell her I’ve reviewed questionable images.”
Harmony gave me a quizzical look. I didn’t blame her. I was asking her to trust me once again. She let out a sigh and took out her phone to call Kisha. She voiced her number and then ended with the word blue, saying, “Kisha gave me precise instructions if I ever h
ad to contact her.”
Kisha returned the call promptly. I listened to Harmony explain that I had attended her lecture and worked for a private company. I needed to talk to her about questionable images.
Harmony said, “Kisha wants to know where you worked.”
“Cascade,” I said, thinking Kisha could work for them.
Harmony asked, “What’s your opinion of Dr. Matthew?”
Confused by the question, I said, “I don’t trust him.”
Harmony wore a questioning expression. “She wants to know why.”
“He injected me with particle sensors.”
Kisha heard me, because Harmony passed the phone to me.
I took the phone, asking, “Kisha, is this a secure line? I’m not sure who to trust.”
“It’s secure, but be careful what you say. What was your work about?”
“Images found on a courier four days ago. The Phoenix Journal published an article about bones found in the Tonto National Forest and later an obituary on a hiker, Trevor Sampson. Read the links to the stories. Afterward, call me back.”
Harmony and I continued along the Boynton Canyon Trail while we waited for Kisha’s call. I knew Harmony had many questions, but I assured her I’d explain later. Kisha called within fifteen minutes. Her tone had changed. She asked, “How soon can you meet me in Florida?”
I looked at Harmony, stunned by Kisha’s abruptness. “I’m not sure, and I have a meeting at ten o’clock in the morning.”
Kisha said, “Who are you meeting?”
“A friend who has informed me that my life is in danger,” I said, taken aback by her aggression.
“Call me after your meeting,” Kisha said.
Hesitant, I agreed to call her back, aware that I might have to leave Sedona.
With a surprised expression, Harmony said, “Peter told you that your life was in danger?”
“Yes, that’s one of the reasons I need to see Kisha. What do you know about her?”
“She was recommended by a friend. I talked to her numerous times while planning the Sedona lecture. She said that her life was in danger too because she lectured on a controversial subject and required security.”
