Gabriel swallowed twice, his head spinning as the thought of Sophie being dead came unbidden. He looked away from Jonas and closed his eyes, forcing himself to breathe as he pushed the thought down to a small, dark spot in his heart.
“One hour,” Gabriel choked out. He coughed as he struggled to regain some composure. “I’ll give you one hour.”
Jonas nodded. “Follow me.” The recruiter walked out the door of his office, Gabriel hot on his heels.
The trip to the medical center was mercifully short, and after a quick check up from a nurse Gabriel found himself in a small, cramped room with a variety of terrifyingly-looking equipment scattered throughout. His mind flashed back to his failed gene test and sweat began to break out across his body. He looked at Jonas, slightly panicky. The recruiter patted his shoulder, attempting to reassure the potential Wraith.
“This device monitors your brainwaves while we run you through a series of visual stimulations,” a short, wiry technician said as Gabriel leaned back onto the narrow hospital bed, his heart rate back under control. He handed Gabriel a pair of dark glasses, which were connected to a small handheld device placed on a table next to the bed. “This is the virtual reality conduit; please don’t break it.”
“Okay, so now what?” Gabriel asked as he put on the glasses and looked at the technician standing near his bed. A second technician was quietly working behind a glass pane in another room, his scarred features set deep in concentration. Gabriel shifted his gaze away from the obvious Imperfect and back to the recruiter. “What’s this thing going to do?”
“You’ve heard of your somatosensory system, right?” the technician asked as he placed small electrodes across Gabriel’s arms. Jonas crossed his arms against his chest and watched the process silently.
“Uh, no,” Gabriel replied. The technician shrugged helplessly and looked at the electrodes.
“Hmm, okay, you know how you feel pain and your brain says ‘Hey, that hurts’?” the technician tried a different route.
“Oh, yeah,” Gabriel nodded sheepishly.
“Well, this is going to tickle that while replaying events from your subconscious memory,” the technician explained as the machine against the wall began to hum loudly.
“Wait,” Gabriel protested as he tried to sit up. Jonas pushed him back down into the chair with one hand. Gabriel struggled briefly before he looked back at the technician. “You mean this is going to hurt?”
“Hurt like hell,” the technician promised as he started the process.
“But–” Gabriel began but was cut off as his brain and body both were jerked out of wakefulness and into a sound, restful sleep.
“Thankfully, you’re going to be asleep while it happens,” the tech whispered as Gabriel’s body slumped into the bed, his body in a fully relaxed state.
Body forced to sleep and then assaulted, the only thing Gabriel could do was dream of her.
#
“This is insane,” the tech said as soon as Gabriel walked out of the room precisely one hour later, enlistment confirmed and orders prepared. The technician looked at Jonas and pointed to the monitor where Gabriel’s brainwaves were still displayed, the bright lines waving to and fro on the screen. To the untrained eye they were nothing more than various squiggles on a black screen; to the technician, however, they represented something much more powerful and promising in their waves and correlating positions. Something promising, but not quite what either of the two men had hoped for, or expected.
“Look at how his Theta waves overlay his Beta,” the tech continued, tracing the pattern with a fingertip. “He’s not psychotic, but he is depressed, unstable and anxious. He’s a violent powder keg waiting to blow up, and yet he would have too much remorse to deal with himself afterwards if he did just that. He lacks the disconnect we want. He does have the dedication and loyalty, though. I mean, holy shit Jonas, look at this overlay here. This boy was designed to lead millions, not a squad of half-insane soldiers in a no-win situation. There’s no way he will fit in with the Wraiths. Even his Alpha waves, while slightly abnormal, say he’s sane. Someone triggers him and he’ll take apart a world, then he’ll fall apart psychologically. If they hit the proper trigger, he’d burn the entire galaxy. Then rebuild it. Plus, if he doesn’t have that linear Delta wave then there’s no way–”
“Wil, I got three slots to fill for Wraith Tech by the end of the month,” Jonas interrupted tiredly and jabbed a figure towards the direction Gabriel had departed. “We’re balanced on a knife edge right now in this brewing war and if the Caliph gets any sense we’re in a weakened state, his merry little band of psychos and their ships will come and all of our hard work will come crashing down. We need soldiers but, more importantly, the Dominion needs Wraiths. And he’s close, damn it. Very close. Close enough to pass initial screenings. You know they won’t do another detailed scan before they implant him. And after...it’ll be too late.”
“You think one Wraith can make a difference?” Wil asked, his tone doubtful as he began tapping on the screen, bringing the Delta wave to the front of the display. He toyed with the data for a second before it shifted slightly, matching more with their expectations than the actual results.
“No,” Jonas said as he turned and walked away. “But it sure wouldn’t hurt to have another anchor to protect our ship against the oncoming storm. Change the data and send him to Corus. I’ll give the Commandant the heads-up.”
“His family’s connected, Jonas,” the technician warned as Jonas reached the door. “The Espinoza’s are big fish on this little planet. Hell, your new Wraith’s brother is tapped for the Lower House of Parliament on Trono del Terra. The Commandant will be pissed if this blows up in your face. The last thing the Commandant needs now is–”
“Doesn’t matter,” Jonas growled and stopped before he exited the room. “The boy’s an Imperfect, and now a Wraith. No amount of family power can change that fact. I’m willing to bet our new recruit wouldn’t want anyone to change that. And if it hits the fan enough the Commandant is pissed at me, then there’re bigger things going on than one little old recruiter.”
Wil waited until Jonas had left the room before turning his attention fully back to the brainwave scan of the newly-minted Wraith. He began to change the data and felt a small surge of pity well up inside his being. Whether or not it was for the recruit or for himself was a matter left to his priest.
“Welcome to hell, Wraith,” Wil whispered as he created a new wave scan for Gabriel. “Save a place for me.”
Chapter Five
“As you know, we lost quite a bit of our technology during the dark days of the Reclamation,” Rogar Levitt, senior aide to Laird Beau McCarroll, said as he led Darius through the parlor and into a small, cluttered office. He closed the door behind them and motioned for Darius to take the only seat not overfilled with stacks of books. Darius, after a brief moment of hesitation, sat down. The aide leaned against the desk, a small smile on his face. “But I’ve gotten my hands on a few old texts the caliphate missed during their purge.”
Egotistical, likes to be in charge, Darius thought as he discreetly looked over his interviewer. Rogar was a thin man, sporting a full head of hair that he combed back with a styled flourish. He was trying to grow a beard and failing, Darius recognized. Rogar’s dark skin contrasted sharply with his bright green eyes. He’s a small man who dreams big. I know just how to play this.
“I’m so glad I got to meet you personally, and not get shuffled off to some flunky,” Darius said, nodding his head excitedly. “I always think of meetings like these as a good sign of things to come.”
Rogar smiled as he casually ran a finger along the spine of an ancient book. “Well, your résumé was very impressive, and your time with the McCrickard family was definitely eye-opening, to say the least. Plus, we do like to keep our old ties with the Hastings family strong.”
“Well, my time as an au pair with the McCrickard children gave me some amazing insights into the f
amily,” Darius acknowledged with a wry chuckle. “I was most impressed with their ability to juggle work and life.”
“We’re looking for someone who can juggle multiple tasks at one time,” Rogar said. He pulled out his datapad and brought up Darius’ information on his screen. He flipped through it briefly before settling on the section he was looking for. “I see you have spent a lot of time in and near the capital. One of the requirements of being an aide to the Laird is that one knows their way around Trono del Terra.”
“Yes, I’m very familiar with the area,” Darius agreed. “I got to exploring the old al-Amana Mosque ruins and ended up spending more time in the capital than I intended. I never did get to go out into the countryside; I really wanted to see the Royal Library at Jawahir.”
“Excellent,” Rogar said. “I just need to do a quick check on your background references – that shouldn’t be a problem, correct? – and then I’ll start processing the paperwork for the hiring.”
“Great! I can’t wait to start,” Darius nodded enthusiastically.
“It’s not that glamorous, being a junior aide to the Laird,” Rogar cautioned, trying to temper Darius’ excitement. “You fetch a lot of drinks and screen even more calls. Cleaning some, lots of filing, even babysitting, though the Laird’s two children are both of age. Thankfully. Those were some difficult years, when both boys were teens...all in all, Beau is a recluse these days and is very easy to be an aide to.”
“I’m just happy to be working with such an august individual,” Darius stated. “He’s a role model, and all nobility should strive to live up to his standards.”
“I feel the same way,” Rogar admitted. He gave Darius a sly look. “You know the old McCarroll family crypts are here, right?”
“Yes...I hear they’re amazing!”
“How’d you like to see them? You have time, right?”
“Yes! Definitely have the time!”
“Come with me,” Rogar said and walked towards the door. Darius bounded to his feet to follow, his posture exuding excitement.
Holy hell, he thought as he followed the senior aide out of the office and down the hall. Infiltrating this place is going to be a breeze. He then had a second thought. I wonder if the vid recorders hidden in the room are catching my excitement? Should I try to be more excited?
#
“How easy was it again?” Chief Gan asked, his face full of shock and surprise. Darius chuckled as he looked through the viewscreen.
“I could’ve walked through just by saying I was with Rogar,” Darius shook his head in wonder. “He’s been the senior aide to the McCarroll’s for years. Nobody questions him. At all. They’re very lax with their external security. Internal, I don’t know. I didn’t see Laird McCarroll at all, though, which was disappointing. But at least Rogar is the senior aide; I really didn’t want to get tossed off onto some flunky.”
Darius’ new apartment was chilly despite the summer heat outside. Trono del Terra circled a blue dwarf star, which meant the temperature of the planet was hotter than the majority of the Dominion worlds. It made the summers blistering and winters freezing. It also gave for some spectacular sunsets, which led to the world to be declared one of the premier vacation spots – so long as tourists came during the warm seasons. Hospitable planets are hard to come by, and luxury is taken advantage of when it appears.
“Excellent. How long until you’re in a position where you are ready to replace him?”
“I’d say six months, barring something unforeseen,” Darius answered after a moment. “Beau is a reclusive old hermit, so I have no idea if he is the source of our problem yet or not. I need to get in close with him before they replace Rogar, so I can make sure I’m the one who gets the promotion. Which means a lot of hard work and being visible without seeming to be. After that, it’s just a waiting game.”
“You have an idea about how to replace Rogar?”
“I have an idea, yeah. Not quite sure how it’ll play out just yet. It may involve some money transferring hands...well, anyway, Rogar is mildly arrogant and full of himself, but he’s a good guy overall,” Darius said. Gan nodded.
“We don’t want to ruin him, but this is for the good of the Dominion,” Gan said. He rubbed his chin and frowned. “Perhaps, down the road, we can help him out as well.”
Darius grunted. “He’ll land on his feet. Guys like him always do.”
Gan leaned back in his chair. “How’s your cover?”
“Solid. Andrew Espinoza doesn’t really exist in my head until I talk to you,” Darius admitted. “It’s hard to shrug off the personae of Darius; Darius thinks differently than Andrew does.”
“Good. I always like to hear that.” Gan glanced off-screen for a moment before nodding. “Now, before you go back in, there are a few things I need you to look out for...”
#
Darius exited the small apartment building and looked around the street. The glare from the sun hurt his eyes, and he wished again he could wear some sort of protective eye cover. Unfortunately, that would mean breaking his cover, since someone born on the planet would naturally be used to the harsh tones of the planet’s blue dwarf star. He turned and walked down the street.
He spotted his tail almost immediately and tried to hide his smile. He had been wondering when someone would check him out more thoroughly, and the wait was driving him to distraction. The man was trying to blend in, but standing in an alley in the middle of the day simply screamed “suspicious.” Darius ignored him and decided he needed to explore the park nearby.
“After all,” he muttered as he slowed his pace so he could enjoy the day. “I’m new here. Might as well go exploring. Find a new favorite watering hole. Maybe meet some neighbor girl who has a jonesing for a minor noble’s bastard son.”
That, and he wanted to give the people who were probably about to break into his apartment enough time to properly plant their bugs. He didn’t want to rush them or anything.
As soon as Darius rounded the corner, and was out of sight, the man was joined in the dark alley by three others. They looked up and down the street for any sign of their target’s return before they crossed to the apartment building. One broke off and began to idly walk in the direction that Darius had disappeared, keeping tabs while his companions did their dirty work.
The lead man pushed open the door, walked down the narrow hallway and found the apartment he was looking for. Behind him, the rest of his team stopped and listened for a moment before they began to work.
Jimmying the door was easy enough. The leader snapped pictures of the apartment, noting where every single item was before he allowed the others to enter. He stepped aside and let his men in before he followed, closing and locking the door behind him.
The men worked quickly, rifling through every drawer and container in the small room. They were looking for something, anything, that might show the Laird’s newest aide was more than he said he was. There was nothing to indicate Darius Hastings would be any trouble to the house, however, so the men began to initiate the second part of their assignment. They thoroughly swept the room for any signs of bugs before planting their own, hiding the snap-mics and vid recorders in hard-to-reach places. Bugs were also placed in the kitchen and bathroom, as well as two in the bedroom. They had caught more than one individual spilling family secrets while in the throes of passion.
Satisfied, they organized the small apartment exactly the way it had been before they entered. One final inspection and the group leader was pleased with the results. It had taken less than ten minutes for them to do their job. Nobody would ever know what they had done.
The men left. The apartment was silent. Deep in an apparently abandoned building near the center of the Dominion’s capital, a small notification blipped on Chief Gan’s datapad. The intelligence officer glanced at the note and smiled before erasing the message.
That’s the nice thing about dealing with the nobility sometimes, Gan thought as he placed a call to one of his
technicians. They always think they’re so damned smart and unpredictable.
#
Passing the background check had been ridiculously easy for Darius. When you know the individual who wrote the coding most nobility used for such things, a favor owed is worth more than a mountain of gold. He had quietly found the bugs and vid recorders left behind by his uninvited visitors and let them be, deciding instead to move his shielded comm to his tiny hallway closet, where he had found no trace of a listening device.
Setting up a hidden communication line was risky but necessary. Once he was fully in, he would not be able to talk to Gan in person again until it was time to either withdraw or make his move. If his watchers became too suspicious, he would have to use a Moriarty Drop to communicate with Chief Gan in person. And those were a pain the ass to use, Darius thought with a frown as he rubbed the back of his head.
He also reasoned since he was a deep cover operative, he wouldn’t be required to check in very often.
His first few weeks were dull, with Darius primarily learning his role as a low-level functionary – he took to calling himself “Coffee Flunky Number Four” – as he settled in to his new job. He quickly began to realize just how little work he actually was required to do and saw how the rest of the lower-level aides simply showed up to be paid. He did his work faster than the others and offered to help them with theirs, which they were thankful for.
Within the month, Darius was Rogar’s favorite assistant. He began to handle more complicated assignments and tagged along behind Rogar as the senior aide met with various members of the McCarroll clan, as well as the Laird himself, Beau McCarroll.
Wraithkin (The Kin Wars Saga Book 1) Page 8
