by Alex Siegel
Katie had chosen a white shirt, a yellow jacket, and blue jeans. Her black running shoes were practical but still a little stylish. She was wearing glasses with thick rims as her minimal disguise.
"Ready?" Ipo rumbled in his deep voice.
Hanley and Katie nodded.
"Then let's go."
The team jogged across the parking lot. The open gate had no security, and workers were coming and going freely. The desalinization plant was far from any population centers, so there wasn't much danger of trouble. The nearest town, Moss Landing, was hardly more than a dot on a map. The road leading to the plant wasn't on the map at all.
After the legionnaires went through the gate, they stopped and looked around. It wasn't obvious which way to go because there was construction activity in all directions. Hanley noticed all the workers had badges clipped to their shirts.
"We need hardhats and badges," he said.
Katie pointed. "There."
A nearby booth had a sign that read, "Visitor Check-In." They went inside and found a man wearing the uniform of a security guard. He had gray hair and a bushy mustache.
He looked up from a newspaper. "Can I help you?"
"We're here to see Jose Roberts," Hanley said. "He's one of your safety engineers."
"Just fill these out."
All three members of the team had to sign waivers and non-disclosure agreements. They used the names of their cover identities, and the security guard confirmed the names by checking driver's licenses. The business was handled in a very relaxed manner. Finally, they were given cheap, plastic hardhats and visitor badges.
The security guard looked up Roberts on an employee list. "Trailer 31," the guard said. "North-east corner."
"Thanks." Hanley smiled warmly.
The legionnaires went back outside.
"That was easy," Katie said.
"This isn't a military installation," Hanley said.
All the construction trailers had numbers printed on signs, but there were lots of them, so finding number 31 took several minutes. It turned out to be a generic, white model with red trim. A short, metal staircase led up to the door. An air-conditioning unit was stuck on the side.
Ipo led the team inside, and he had to duck a little to get through the door. Hanley looked around the interior of the trailer. It contained plenty of computers, drafting boards, notepads, and pens. Shelves held books with titles like "Excavation Operations Safety" and "Risk Assessment Templates."
A man was working at one of the desks. He was wearing a red plastic jacket with reflective yellow stripes. He had short, brown hair, and he needed to shave.
He looked up. "Can I help you?"
"Yes," Katie said with a winning smile. "We're here to see Jose Roberts."
"Oh." The man furrowed his brow. "He's gone."
"Will he be back today?"
"No, he's really gone. He disappeared a week ago."
She cocked her head. "What do you mean?"
"He had a meeting with our supervisor, but he never showed up. Nobody ever saw him again."
"That's very strange."
Hanley looked around. "Which desk is his?"
"Why?" the man in the red jacket said.
"He was supposed to give us an important report. Maybe he left it behind."
The man pointed at a desk in the corner. "That's his, but you won't find anything."
Hanley walked over to the desk. The surface was bare, and when he checked the drawers, he discovered they were empty. There wasn't even a paperclip.
"It was cleaned out," he said.
The man nodded. "Security took everything a day after Roberts disappeared. Who are you guys?"
"We're with the Federal Safety Compliance Agency," Katie said.
"Never heard of it." He frowned.
"I'm surprised. We can't walk away empty-handed. Our agency is expecting a report, and if we don't get it, we may have to suspend the entire construction project."
"Talk to our supervisor, Ms. Norris. She should know about it. She has an office in trailer 22."
"Thanks." Katie smiled.
The legionnaires left the construction trailer.
As soon as they could speak freely, Hanley said, "The bad guys cleaned up the evidence."
"Yes." Ipo nodded. "It will be tough to find out what Roberts mailed to Dr. Midler."
"Dr. Midler was an environmental activist," Katie said, "and Roberts was an environmental safety engineer. That's not a coincidence. I bet it had something to do with this plant."
"I agree," Hanley said. "Let's talk to Ms. Norris."
They walked among the trailers, searching for number 22. The weather was pleasantly warm and breezy, and that wasn't unusual. The coastal areas of California had perfect weather so often it was actually boring. Hanley glanced at a sun which was low in the sky. It was getting late in the day for construction, but the workers weren't showing any signs of quitting.
They found trailer 22, and it was one of the nicer ones in the collection. Blue awnings hung over the doors and windows. It had twin air-conditioning units, one at each end. A sporty purple stripe ran around the base.
The legionnaires went up the metal staircase and entered the trailer. There was a tiny reception area, but nobody was manning the desk. A large office occupied each end.
"Ms. Norris?" Katie said in a cheerful voice.
"Here!" a woman replied.
The team followed the voice to one end of the trailer. Ms. Norris had dark, brown hair and a tanned face. She was wearing a nice, yellow suit which clearly indicated she was part of management instead of labor. Her hardhat hung on the wall.
Her office had a desk made of real wood, and the chairs were covered in brown suede. All the furniture was bolted to the floor. A laptop computer on her desk had a protective, rubber case. Venetian blinds covered the windows.
"Can I help you?" Norris said.
"Yes," Katie said in a pleasant tone. "We came to see Jose Roberts, but we were informed he's gone."
"That's right. Who are you?"
"We're from the Federal Safety Compliance Agency. He was writing a report for us."
Norris shook her head. "I've never heard of your agency, and I'm not aware of any report."
"We communicated with him directly. You have no idea where he went?"
"None. The police interviewed everybody and couldn't find him."
"That's a little scary," Katie said.
Norris shrugged. "I don't like to speculate."
"But he worked for you."
"What kind of report were you expecting, exactly?"
Norris was trying to hide her anxiety, but Hanley recognized clear signs. Her face was a little flushed, and her pupils were dilated. She kept glancing away.
Katie smiled. "Just a detailed explanation of how your project is complying with the latest federal safety regulations."
"Enough screwing around," Ipo said angrily. "We're cops." He took out his wallet and flashed a police badge.
"What?!" Norris drew back. "What are you doing here?"
"It's obvious you know something about Roberts' disappearance. Come clean!"
Norris clamped her mouth shut. Hanley had been afraid she would react this way. Getting the truth out of her now would require violence or at least the threat of violence.
"I'm going to search this office," Ipo said. "Get her out of here."
Hanley was confused by this tactic. It was unlikely Ipo would find any useful clues. Norris probably wasn't stupid enough to keep incriminating evidence in her office, but Hanley didn't express his doubts. He just walked around the desk, grabbed her firmly by the arm, and pulled her to her feet.
"You can't do this!" she said. "This is private property. You need a search warrant!"
He yanked her out of the office and into the small reception area. Ipo closed the door with Katie still inside the office. What are they doing in there? Hanley wondered. He checked the office at the other end, and fortunately, it was em
pty.
He maintained a painfully firm grip on Norris' arm.
"You're hurting me," she said.
He sneered. "I don't care."
"All of you will get into a lot of trouble for this."
"We'll see. What were Roberts' job responsibilities, exactly?"
"That's no secret," Norris said. "He performed environmental impact analysis and designed mitigation features. He made sure the plant wasn't going to harm the environment, both during the construction and afterwards."
"I see."
"To be honest, he wasn't well respected. He was an alarmist."
He probably discovered something bad about the plant, Hanley thought. He sent the report to Dr. Midler because he couldn't trust anybody else with the information.
"I only care about where he is now," Hanley said.
Norris flinched slightly. She definitely knew something.
"We already told the police everything we know," she said. "They were here all day."
"And I'm sure you were completely cooperative."
"Of course. Are you accusing me of something?"
The office door opened, and Ipo came out. "We couldn't find anything. Let's get out of here."
"That was quick," Hanley said.
"Come on. Let her go."
Hanley was confused as he followed Ipo and Katie out of the trailer. They returned to the fresh, ocean air. The desalinization plant was right on the shore.
"What's going on?" Hanley whispered. "You didn't have time to do a proper search."
"I bugged her telephone," Ipo said. "I expect she's making a call right now."
He took a radio receiver from his pocket.
"You brought a bug?" Hanley said.
"Of course." Ipo stared at him. "Didn't you?"
The legionnaires crowded around the radio. After checking for witnesses, Ipo turned up the volume.
"Some cops were just in my office," Norris said. Her voice sounded tinny through the radio. "They were asking about Roberts."
"I thought we were done with that," an unknown man responded.
"Apparently, not."
"You didn't tell them anything, right?"
"Of course," Norris said. "They gave my office a quick search, but there was nothing here for them to find."
"Did they have a search warrant?"
"They didn't show me one."
The man made a nervous noise. "I'll put you through to Mr. Fuchs. You need to talk to him directly."
"Who is he?"
"He's new. Corporate sent him to handle exactly these kinds of issues. He's some kind of spook. Hang on."
Hanley heard some tones.
"Yes?" a different man said. His voice had an annoying squeak.
"This is Laura Norris, Director of Engineering. I just had an unpleasant encounter with some cops. They were asking about Roberts."
"Tell me exactly what happened."
Norris described the episode in crisp detail. She sounded like a professional engineer, and Hanley was impressed with her presentation.
"It's a good thing you called," Fuchs said. "I'll make these cops go away. Actually, I'll talk to my management first, and then I'll deal with the cops. Where did they go?"
"I'm not sure. They left my office just a few minutes ago. One of them is a huge man with dark skin. He looked like a sumo wrestler but not a fat one. He had a brown suit. You can't miss him. There was also a woman and another man."
"I'll find them using the surveillance cameras. Just go back to your regular job."
Hanley looked around. He didn't see any cameras, but that didn't mean they weren't there. The things could be hidden almost anywhere these days. A device as small as a quarter could take high-resolution video worthy of a full-size camera.
"Great," Norris said in a tone of relief. "Thanks."
Hanley heard a click.
Ipo put the radio in his pocket and said, "We'll have company soon. I want to question this Mr. Fuchs. He probably knows what's really going on."
"Yes, but this isn't the best location for an interrogation." Hanley glanced at the construction trailers around them.
"We'll lead him out to the van, abduct him in the parking lot, and drive off."
"OK." Hanley nodded.
"What if he brings friends?" Katie said.
Ipo gave her a stern look. "Then we'll deal with them, too."
Chapter Twenty-two
Bill Burch was riding home in his limousine. It had been a long, tiring day of managing his far-flung business empire. Knowing the Gray Spear Society was stalking him had added a lot of unwelcome stress.
The limousine was helping him relax. The ride was so smooth, it was like gliding through the air. Green leather covered the soft, luxurious seats. Jazzy music played in the background, and a small television was showing the news, but the sound was off.
Through tinted windows, he saw the coastal landscape. Grass, tiny flowers, and bushes covered the undulating hills. There were a few trees, but the salt spray had left them stunted. A setting sun made low cloud cover glow orange. He couldn't quite see the ocean.
The phone in the limousine rang.
Frowning at the disturbance, he answered it, "Hello?"
"This is Mr. Fuchs, sir. There is trouble at the desalinization plant. Three cops are here asking about Jose Roberts, but they're not dressed like cops, and they performed an illegal search. I'm using the surveillance cameras to look at them now."
Burch furrowed his brow. "Describe them."
"Two men and a woman. One of the men is a huge Asian. I've never seen a guy with bigger arms."
"The other two are also in good shape?"
"Great shape, sir," Fuchs said. "The other man has short, dark, curly hair. The woman has brown hair, and she's a real looker."
Burch sighed anxiously. It appeared the Gray Spear Society was moving even faster than he had anticipated.
"I don't think they're real cops," he said. "Grab them and question them."
"Yes, sir."
"And listen closely. This is extremely important. I'm going to tell you a secret that you absolutely can't share with anybody else."
"You can trust me," Fuchs said.
"Some of my people are going to attack the California Aqueduct tomorrow morning. They'll drive a truck full of poison off a bridge over the canal near the San Luis Reservoir."
"What? Why?!"
"You don't need to know the reasons," Burch said. "When you talk to these fake cops, find out whether they know anything about it. I have to make sure nobody will interfere with the plan."
"But..."
"You have your orders. I have to make another call. Bye."
Burch ended the call and dialed Alpert's number.
"Yes?" Alpert said.
"You'll definitely be attacked tomorrow. The enemy will know about the plan shortly. How many men will you have?"
"About thirty, and we'll be well armed. Can you be more specific about what to expect?"
"No," Burch said, "but it will be a hell of a fight. Blast them with everything you got. You have to kill at least two."
"Yes, sir," Alpert replied in a dispirited tone.
"You don't sound excited."
"I'm not really a soldier. I'm more of an assassin and a spy, but I'll accomplish the mission, sir."
"I have confidence you will," Burch said. "Bye." He hung up the phone.
* * *
"Again!" Marina yelled. "Be more creative. You're too predictable. This isn't a ritual dance."
Liam was facing her from the other end of the blue exercise mats. His white karate uniform was heavy with sweat, and he was breathing hard, but he was maintaining a solid stance. She had never had a problem with his technique.
"Yes, ma'am," he said. "I'll try."
He attacked with a fluid combination of spinning kicks and punches. The techniques blended together to form a beautiful whole. It was enough to make a martial arts master glow with pride.
Marina waited unt
il exactly the right instant, and she launched a lightning-fast kick of her own. She caught him square in the midsection, and he crumpled to the floor.
"That was almost the same sequence as last time," she said. "You just did it faster."
Liam was gasping in a fetal position. He tried to answer her, but he was having trouble breathing.
Marina threw up her hands in frustration and disgust. She walked over to Aaron who was observing from a distance.
He shook his head sadly and murmured, "He doesn't get it."
"I know," she growled.
"Did you test him before you recruited him?"
"Sure. At least, I thought I did. Liam has a lot to offer. He's humble and polite. He's a hard worker. He always follows orders to the best of his ability. He's blessed with an enormous amount of physical talent."
"But he's not very bright," Aaron said softly, "and he's certainly not very brave."
Marina glanced at Liam to make sure he wasn't listening. "Yes."
"You'll have to test him again, and this time, do it right. He needs to prove he can be a legionnaire... or die trying."
She winced. "He's the first legionnaire I ever recruited."
"And clearly, you were impatient. You didn't wait for the right guy. Jumping the gun has always been your biggest issue."
She wanted to argue with Aaron, but the facts were undeniable. She had tried her best to help Liam overcome his limitations, but she wouldn't always be there for him. He had to prove he could stand on his own when it mattered.
Marina clenched her fists. She was angry at herself for failing as a commander. It was her job to make sure only qualified people were invited into the Society. Now Liam might pay the ultimate price for her mistake.
"Ma'am!" Jia yelled from across headquarters. "I have something to show you!"
Marina hurried over.
The hacker was at her computer workstation. She was wearing a short dress with red polka dots. Pink slippers with furry kitten ears on the ends adorned her feet. A white ribbon held back her long, black hair.
"What?" Marina said.
"I've been looking at the Moss Landing Desalinization Plant Project," Jia said. "It's a big mess."
