The cabinet did not like the sound of that.
“Take on the appearance of others? You mean like a shape shifter?” Bruce asked.
Mr. Connors turned around to acknowledge Bruce, “That’s correct.” It wasn't lost on Mr. Connors that the servicemen still had their weapons drawn on him and Bianca.
“Mr. Stanton here can also mimic the voice of anyone he comes into contact with. These abilities make him the perfect spy. He could be anyone at anytime and it would be almost impossible to tell the difference.”
Vice President Martin had a concerned look on his face. He suggested making Kyle Stanton one of G.U.A.R.D’s top priorities. The President insisted on letting Mr. Connors finish his report.
“Kyle has been linked to an ancient group of assassins whose services are highly requested by shady individuals and organizations. He could have easily been contracted by one of your many enemies sir. This group of assassins have no allegiance.”
The President had a feeling where Mr. Connors was going with this report. Mr. Connors was certain that Kyle used his shape shifting and mimicking abilities to infiltrate the prison.
Even with all the information Mr. Connors provided, the Vice President was still apprehensive. “How can you be certain of this?” he asked.
“I cannot be certain, but my associate distinctly pointed out that she felt his presence right before the prisoners escaped. What reason would he, someone who hadn't been captured be doing at that prison? I suspect that he was already there, breaking down the facility one piece at a time.”
The President nodded his head in understanding.
“I assume you are speaking of Stephanie Morgan?” the President asked. “She’s the one that helps you put the files on Post Humans together, correct?”
“That is correct Sir,” Mr. Connors replied.
Stephanie Morgan was twenty three years of age. She was a Post Human from Oklahoma and had been a member of the League of Protectors from the very beginning.
The cute, innocent looking woman with strawberry blonde hair had no offensive abilities. She couldn’t lift cars, run fast, or project energy blasts, but she was still very vital to the team. Stephanie’s abilities allowed her to sense whenever a Post Human activated their abilities. With plenty of concentration, Stephanie could focus in and locate the exact location the surge of power came from.
She could also sense just how powerful anyone’s abilities were. Her understanding of each Post Human’s abilities helped Mr. Connors create a ranking system. Mr. Connors kept track of the Post Humans whose abilities posed a greater threat than the others. Her ability was one of the main ways Mr. Connor’s team was able to track Post Humans that abused their abilities. It was because of Stephanie that the majority of the databases on Post Humans even existed.
As soon as these individuals activated their abilities she was able to sense their presence and pinpoint it on the map for The League. Without Stephanie the files the League had on Post Humans would have been much thinner.
“Mr. Connors what you’re saying makes no sense. This facility has been operational for a while now. If this Kyle Stanton was there, we’d know about it,” the Vice President said sternly.
Bianca shook her head. She was visibly annoyed with the Vice President. It didn’t matter what Mr. Connors said, the Vice President was determined to contradict him.
“With all due respect Mr. Vice President, no you wouldn’t. Kyle Stanton is an assassin and a spy. This was a well thought out plan used to learn about G.U.A.R.D and how they operate. Kyle’s job was to gain intel on G.U.A.R.D's operations and Erik’s job was to free the prisoners when the time came. It was a calculated and organized plan.”
“Impossible, we have the best agencies in the world. If this spy you speak of existed we would have been on to him,” the Vice President said confidently.
“In most cases Mr. Vice President I would agree with you about the United States having the best agencies around. However in regards to this, I am afraid I must disagree. There is still so much we have to learn about Post Humans. People as dedicated and trained as Kyle Stanton can do an awful lot of damage.”
Mr. Connors understood all too well how spies thought. They were patient if the situation called for it. Sometimes it would be years before an operative made his or her move. It was all a matter of accomplishing the big goal. In this case intel was the main goal.
There was no telling how long Kyle had infiltrated G.U.A.R.D's operations, but Mr. Connors was sure that Kyle got a better understanding of how they worked.
The President sat in his chair quietly. Hours earlier, Agent Hardine sent in a report on Erik Master’s capture. He expressed concern over the relative ease they had in capturing him.
During the middle of the day this guy comes out and starts burning his neighborhood. There didn’t seem to be any motive behind his actions. Agent Hardine mentioned how Erik had a sinister smile on his face when his agents approached. It was as if he wanted to get caught.
The President thought about it some more. Kyle, a shape shifter, infiltrates G.U.A.R.D and deletes key information from the system. He learns what he needs to and then reports back to his boss. Given the green light, Erik is sent in to free the prisoners. He purposely gets himself captured by G.U.A.R.D agents so that he’s in position to shut down the facility with his abilities. With the true files on Erik deleted, no one would be aware that he could easily shut down the power.
Then Seth Maddox, who Jason suspected was the one capable of massive teleportation teleports into the facility just at the right time to get everyone out.
It made sense. It was an organized plan which once all the pieces were put together made perfect sense. The President was inclined to believe what Mr. Connors was saying.
The room was silent. No one said a word. Everyone seemed to be waiting for the President to make a move.
Things were bad and he was certain in the days to come things were going to get worse. The President couldn't help but worry about the ramifications of this elaborate plan. How vulnerable was their security he wondered. With someone like Kyle Stanton targeting the government's number one defense against Post Humans, the President worried nothing was secure.
Then there was the public. The public would certainly begin to panic when news broke of the escape. They would demand swift action, action in which the President wasn't ready to take. The President was fairly sure a civil war of sorts was about to begin. He rubbed his face and sighed heavily.
“Mr. President?” one of the cabinet members said.
The President kept his face in his hands contemplating his course of action. Finally he stood up. He looked around the room. Everyone seemed to have the same concerned look on their face.
Vice President Martin eagerly awaited the President’s words. He assumed the President would have no choice but to declare war on Post Humans. He yearned for that decision.
“Mr. Connors, get the rest of your team here now.” the President said.
The President walked to the door and left without giving any further details or orders to the cabinet. Mr. Connors looked around the room unsure of what the President's intentions were. Slowly he pulled out his cell and contacted his team. With tensions as high as they were and politics playing a major role in anything the president did, Mr. Connors just didn't know what to expect next.
16
Level of Cooperation
“Mr. President, the League of Protectors are here to see you sir.”
“Thanks Cindy, go ahead and send them in.”
The President hung up the phone in his oval office and waited for his visitors to come in. He sat up straight in his big red swivel chair. On his desk were several manilla folders marked confidential. He grabbed three of the folders and looked over them carefully. There was a polite rap at his door. The person on the other side waited for permission to enter.
“Come in,” the President said in tranquil voice.
Jason Shaw, Jackson Prescott,
Shayne Tucker, Garrett Blake and Bianca Ramirez all entered the room.
There was definitely a bit of confusion and concern written on their faces. It wasn’t everyday someone gets summoned by the President of the United States. Numerous thoughts floated around inside their heads as they nervously entered the room. The President stood up and watched as members of the League walked in.
“Thank you for arriving in such a timely fashion. I’m sure as you can imagine, time is of the essence.”
The President walked over and grabbed a seat; he motioned for The League of Protectors to sit as well.
“Where are Ms. Prescott, Ms. Morgan and Mr. Winters?”
The President knew that there were eight members in the League as opposed to the five that were in the room.
“Ms. Prescott is currently helping with the hurricane recovery effort, Ms. Morgan is at base monitoring Post Human activity and Mr. Winters' whereabouts are currently unknown,” Jason replied speaking on behalf of the group.
“I see,” the President replied.
The President didn't read too much into Noah's absence. It was well documented Noah wasn't much of a team player. It was also pretty well known that some only considered him a part time member anyway. He showed up when he was needed and then left once the situation was resolved. Nothing more, nothing less. As far as he was concerned once the battle was over, so too was his involvement. Not even an invitation from the President could persuade Noah to make an appearance.
“Well, the next time you see Mr. Winters please inform him that when the President of the United States requests an audience, it's in his best interest to show up.”
The President's remarks were said with a chuckle, but Jason understood that underneath the calm reply, the President took offense to Noah not showing up. Furthermore, Jason knew that Noah's decision not to show up looked bad on the League. It looked as if they did not know how to properly “handle” their members.
In some ways, they didn't. No one knew how to “handle” Noah Winters, nor did anyone want to make the sort of effort required to “handle” him.
The President looked at each League member that was in attendance. He was always taught that if you really want to know a person, you needed to look that person in the eye. Although it wasn’t a very scientific lesson or anything, it was a message that the President took to heart.
“First off let me say that you all have represented your kind very well.”
Shayne bit his lip. He didn’t like the phrase “your kind” to him; the word put too much emphasis on being different. He was fairly certain the President didn’t mean it in a bad way, but still, it rubbed him wrong.
The President threw his hands up signaling that he himself didn't like the way he worded things. “Let me start again. You have represented this nation quite well. Every time your name has been called, you answered. You risk your lives and are willing and able to do whatever is needed. I appreciate that and your country appreciates that. Even though it seems that you have a whole nation against you, that isn't true. I believe in you.”
Shayne nodded. That sounded much better.
“The League of Protectors has done nothing but positive things and yet you are scrutinized by the public every day. You guys are in a position that I happen to understand a little bit about.”
Jackson’s eyes got big. It made sense to him now. He now understood why the President was a supporter of the League. He understood why the President had so much business sent to Shaw Enterprises. He now understood why the President called them in today. Jackson was certain that the President of the United States was a Post Human as well!
“Unbelievable, this has got to be the coolest news ever!” Jackson blurted out. All attention was directed Jackson’s way. Everyone in the room had a perplexed look on their faces.
“Be quiet,” Shayne hissed softly.
Jason and Bianca had a disapproving look on their faces while Garrett raised his eyebrow anticipating Jackson's typical off the wall remarks.
“I beg your pardon?” the President asked. He didn’t know if he should feel confused or disrespected by Jackson’s sudden outburst.
“I get it now! At first, I had a hard time trying to figure out why you seemed to support us as much as you have. Even the majority of your cabinet is against us. It makes so much sense now!” The President and the rest of the League members looked at Jackson curiously.
“You’re one of us, you're a Post Human!” Jackson stood up and walked over towards the President to shake his hand. The President sat still, completely baffled and slightly amused by Jackson’s behavior.
“Jackson, have a seat… Now!” Jason demanded in a tone Jackson didn't hear too often from him.
Jackson looked around and saw the upset faces of his fellow teammates. Embarrassed by his actions and their reactions, Jackson sat back down.
“I assure you, I am not a Post Human,” The President replied adamantly. “If I was, I’d figure out a way to get better numbers in the polls. That’s for sure.”
The League members laughed uncomfortably. They were still a bit taken by Jackson’s actions.
“You just said you understood the position we’re in,” Jackson said, trying to explain the reasons for his assumption.
The President laughed.
“Yes, I understand the position you guys are in because I fight a battle every day.” The League waited to see where the President was going with this.
“No matter what I do, no matter what decision I make, there are always people out there criticizing me. There are always people out there who question my judgment. There are always people who think I have an ulterior motive. Every day that I support you guys there are people concocting conspiracy theories. So yes, I understand what you all are going through.”
“Mr. President, if we are such a risk to your political career, then why do you support us?” Bianca asked meekly.
The President smiled warmly.
“I do it, because I truly believe it’s the right thing to do, and so far, you guys haven’t let me down. It is idiotic to think that all of you have intentions on causing us harm. It's idiotic to think that there is a big global conspiracy your race is developing. With the bad there is always good and with the good there is always bad. That's life.” The President's words resonated with the group. He did understand them, he did believe in them and that brought some comfort to the team.
“Mr. President I just wanted to let you know, I had absolutely nothing to do with the breakout earlier,” Garrett stated. He had been exonerated of all potential charges but he wanted to let the President know himself. It wasn't everyday one got to speak to the President. Garrett seemed ready to defend himself more but the President stopped him.
“I do not believe you had anything to do with the prison escape.” He then turned his attention to the rest of the group. “Or any of you for that matter.”
He got up, walked back over to his desk and grabbed the three manilla folders. He handed two of the folders to Jason and the other one to Garrett.
Garrett looked surprised to receive one of the folders. He understood why Jason was handed the folders, but himself? He was unsure of.
“Well this is a bit awkward,” Jackson said. Jackson had a way of saying whatever came to his mind. He certainly had a filter; he just neglected to ever use it. Jackson was the type of guy that said the things others wouldn’t say. He was the guy that said things that others couldn’t say.
“Well Mr. Prescott, I only had three folders to give out. The folders pertain to all of you though.”
Jackson looked over in Garrett's direction.
“You know he’s not second in command right?”
“Neither are you.” Shayne said doing his best to shut his best friend up. Shayne was often frustrated with Jackson’s unwillingness to not say whatever came to his mind. This was a perfect example.
“My apologies Mr. Prescott if I offended you.” The President looked out to the rest of the group
. “Or any of you for that matter, that was not my attention.”Jason threw up his hands to get the President’s attention.
“Mr. President there is no need to apologize. Jackson here sometimes just doesn’t know when to be quiet.”
Jason gave Jackson a hard stare. If one was to interpret the stare, it was likely that Jason was warning Jackson not to say another word. Jackson got the point. He sat back on the couch and waited for the file to pass his way. Inside the folder were files on Kyle Stanton, Erik Masters and Seth Maddox. Jason was quick to spot the mistakes on the files.
“Mr. President, these files are incorrect.”
The President nodded and confirmed Jason’s observation. “I am very intrigued on how so many files could've been deleted without any trace. Mr. Connors has concocted a theory in how all three of these individuals worked together to free the prisoners. A theory in which makes sense. What I am interested in is how the system breach was able to go completely undetected.”
The President looked directly at Garrett, “I want you to figure this out. I want you to do whatever you have to do to get me the person responsible for this crime. If this Kyle Stanton is the one responsible for this breach, I want you to find him. I want you to figure out exactly what he did and I want you to make sure this NEVER happens again!”
Garrett looked over to Jason who nodded back to him. “Yes Mr. President I will do my best.”
The President nodded in appreciation. “Just make sure your best is better than his best.”
“Or hers!” Bianca added. Everyone looked over towards the small Latina.
“You know something we don't know?” Jackson asked teasingly.
“I’m just saying; don’t rule out the possibility that whoever did this was a woman. Who's to say that whoever was doing the shape shifting didn't shape shift as Kyle Stanton to throw anyone off their real identity.” The room was quiet as they tried to process what Bianca had just said.
New Age of Heroes 1: The League of Protectors - Dawn of a New Age Page 12
