Apex Predator

by J. A. Faura

  As he was quickly making his way through the reporters and the security staff in front of the building, he ran straight into a woman who had her arms loaded with packages and was also trying to make her way through the crowd as she walked down the sidewalk. They bumped into each other with some force. Steven moved people aside to help her pick up her packages. The woman was also trying to pick up her things, but the commotion and the pushing and shoving from the reporters made it difficult. Once she had her packages back in hand, she thanked Steven and went on her way. Steven jumped into the waiting car and got on his way.

  As soon as he settled in the car, he noticed that it was not the same driver that had been driving him, “Where’s Manny today?”

  The driver looked in the rearview mirror and responded, “Took a sick day. Must be coming down with something.”

  As he listened to the man, Steven felt strange, as if he were hearing what the driver had said through a thick glass partition. He looked out the window and blinked several times, trying to get his eyes to focus on something, anything, but he just couldn’t do it. As he leaned back in the seat, he realized he was fading and fast. With his last remaining bit of consciousness, he tried to grab the door handle to open it, but he just didn’t have the strength. His last waking thought was of the woman with the packages…

  When he finally opened his eyes, he was sitting in the middle of a drab, nondescript room with a bed, a small desk and a television. It looked like any one of thousands of rooms in small motels all over the country. He hands and ankles were cuffed to the chair he was sitting in and he had a piece of duct tape over his mouth. At first he thought he was alone in the room, but then he heard the faucet run in the bathroom. He couldn’t turn his head far enough to see who was behind him, but he knew whoever it was was standing at the threshold of the bathroom because the light was projecting their shadow on the floor. Steven looked around the room to try to get as much detail as he possibly could about where he was. There was nothing in the room that could tell him where he was. He could hear the rumble of big 18-wheelers roaring nearby, which meant this was exactly what it looked like, a little motel on the side of the interstate, somewhere where tired drivers could put their heads down for a few hours or where weary families could stop and rest on their way to grandma’s house.

  Loomis tested the cuffs on his wrist and on his ankles, there was absolutely no play in either, they were firmly on. Finally, a voice came from behind Loomis. He recognized it immediately.

  Barlow walked from the bathroom and sat on the bed directly in front of Steven, “I’m sorry for the extreme measures, Mr. Loomis, but I’m sure you can understand that I simply could not have you free while I talk to you. I hope you can appreciate the risks that I took in order to make this little meeting possible. Switching cars was easy enough, but to administer the sleeping agent and to do it in the middle of a crowd of reporters, now that took some finesse.

  “After our last meeting, I was quite interested in you, far more than I would have believed. My initial interest had to do with young Mr. Riche’s exploits, but after talking to you, after observing you, my interests have grown much further than they had been originally. Even so, I was prepared to simply observe you from afar, to do research on you through my usual sources. But then you were also clearly interested in me, so interested that you sent people to look into my background, to go in my office and into the home I keep here in New York.” Steven didn’t move or react in any way, but his eyes moved when he heard Barlow talk about being tailed.

  “Oh, yes, Mr. Loomis, I know all about your interest in me. Your people are good, very good actually, but then again, so am I. I have to be, you see. My work requires supreme vigilance, redundancy on redundancy, isn’t that what they teach you in the military? Your friends almost went undetected, but in all fairness, I am certain they never expected to run into some of my countermeasures. They got nothing of value, I assure you. I don’t keep my work anywhere near where I live.

  “Now that we both know just how interested we are in each other, what do you say if we get down to where the rubber meets the road, as you Americans are fond of saying. I have done work, important work, for more than two decades now. It has not been easy, I have had to hide my true work by engaging in activities that fit within what society finds acceptable. It is a hard and tedious labor, Mr. Loomis, but a necessary one. Each of my subjects has contributed immeasurably to the understanding of the human brain, its capacity to adapt, to rewire itself, to evolve.

  “Nothing that could be done in a laboratory or in some other artificial setting can compare to how the brain reacts to true horror, to the almost certain realization that death is imminent. It is truly fascinating. It is also fascinating to understand the flaws in the human psyche, the weaknesses that are caused by early trauma or perhaps by a natural genetic deficiency, and how those flaws and weaknesses can be manipulated, can be exploited to any purpose.

  “You are quite right, Mr. Loomis, quite right. There are beings out there that are not human, beings that were born to be perfect predators, that were born with an innate desire to hunt and with the intelligence and ability to do exactly that – hunt. You didn’t think Donald Riche was the only one, did you, Mr. Loomis? Surely you must have realized that he was but one of thousands, maybe millions, of others out there.”

  As he was listening to Barlow, Steven continued to look around the room for anything that he could identify, for anything that would tell him where he was. For his part, Barlow appeared to be enjoying this immensely. It was as though the man had finally found a kindred spirit, someone in whom he could confide.

  “I have been interested in them for more than two decades. I followed Tyrone Leonard’s early work, his and others’ doing research on the possible existence of these individuals. Once I learned about Riche, I came immediately. His promised to be a most interesting case. There was so much I was looking forward to learning from him, but alas, I was never able to learn very much. You see, some of my most interesting work arises from studying those who undertake their projects with no sense of who or what they are. As I am sure you know, most serial killers are in fact psychopaths, humans whose minds are flawed and who are triggered by some form of psychological or physical trauma. My interests lie beyond that.

  “Young Mr. Riche had not suffered any sort of trauma nor had he shown any sort of mental deficiency in his early years, so it was likely that he was the type of subject in which I am interested. Instead, you came up, and I must say it has proven to be a very handsome trade-off. I learned nothing from Riche, but now I have you to learn from, to observe and to follow.

  “Did you think I would come to see you without first researching who you are? When you took ownership for Mr. Riche, I immediately obtained access to your records, Mr. Loomis, all of you records, going back to your time in the Navy. As you know, I do quite a bit of work for the FBI and I am able to obtain any record I choose. I do have to admit that some of your records were more difficult to obtain than I had anticipated. You were involved in some interesting operations.

  “Believe it or not, Mr. Loomis, my interest in you is purely scientific, nothing personal. Leonard and the others research this as a science, as a laboratory experiment, but they have no idea what it is like to be in the presence of them while they are free to hunt, to explore their minds while they are in the middle of tracking their next prey. To guide them as they develop into what they truly are. The world does not have the stomach for the kind of research that is required. But things will change now; you’ve made them change.

  “As much as they’d like to, they won’t be able to ignore the fact that they are no longer at the top of the food chain. They are afraid because it is something they have no control over. Have you heard the talk shows, the newscasts? They are terrified, and they should be; they have no idea what these individuals are capable of, how good they are at what they do. They don’t know, but you do, Mr. Loomis, you do and that makes you fr
ightening to them as well. I know you don’t see it now, but you will. Whether you win or lose, Mr. Loomis, what you’ve done has changed things, and I for one am extremely curious to see where it will all lead.

  “You have no idea what you have managed to involve yourself in, the enormity of it, and how far and high it reaches. You don’t yet, but I suspect you will, Mr. Loomis, I suspect you will. Some things you simply cannot unknow. Do you have any concept, any idea of where some of these individuals are, where they hunt, the influence they wield? Not all predators hunt the same prey, Mr. Loomis, or the same ground, and they most definitely do not use the same methods. Politicians, captains of industry, media moguls, energy giants. Can you imagine, Mr. Loomis, what these individuals are able to do? The many ways in which they can manipulate the world around them to satisfy their predatory instincts? It is astounding, Steven, absolutely astounding. Believe it or not, most of them go their entire lives not knowing what they really are. They are born, grow up and make a life for themselves, believing there is something wrong with them, believing they are flawed humans instead of what they really are, something far beyond human.

  “I know it’s hard to understand, truly I do. I’ll try to illustrate it for you. Imagine that you take a young wolf, a cub, and you place it into a litter of young Huskies or Malamutes. They look similar, almost identical, to each other. You raise them equally and allow them to grow surrounded by the same environment. Now imagine that young wolf grows into a large, healthy male. Remember, they would all look very similar to each other and would likewise behave similarly. Now imagine that you stop feeding them one day. What do you suppose would happen? It is simple, natural, right? Brutal, but natural. The wolf would kill and eat the dogs it grew up with. To anyone witnessing the scenario, it would seem tragic, cruel, a littermate, a member of the pack eating his peers, but nature, Mr. Loomis, has no moral boundaries. He would eat them because he was born a predator, because he was stronger and faster, and like every other living thing, he needs to eat to survive. That, Mr. Loomis, is a gross over-simplification of course, but it is a quite poignant example of what you’ve run into. Creatures that look like those around them, grow like those around them, but sense they are different, sense they are stronger, smarter, more powerful than those around them. Context is everything, Mr. Loomis, I can assure you of that.

  Steven’s eyes had narrowed at the mention of wolves. It was the same example Leonard had used. Barlow caught it and smiled.

  “What do you suppose it is like for the CEO of a mass communications company to discover that his…urges, his needs are because he is a part of a different species from humans and not because he is a flawed human? It is liberating! It is as though he is born again! I have watched it happen in these beings, Mr. Loomis, right in front of my eyes, they transform from defeated men into a powerful force. They understand how they can wield the vast power they hold in their hands. It is the same with politicians or those in the military.” Steven’s eyes widened at the mention of the military.

  Barlow chuckled, “Oh, I see I hit a sensitive area for you. Of course, some of them are part of the military, why would they not be? Now you understand? Now you see the depth and the immensity of what you have brought to the world’s attention? No matter. Trust me, Mr. Loomis, once your trial is over and done with, the world will once again forget. At your office, you told me it wouldn’t matter, that the world would know and would be better prepared. It is a noble idea, but a farfetched one, I assure you. People, Mr. Loomis, like their safety, they like their security and knowing that the sun will rise every morning and they will simply adapt to a new reality, a reality where they are the prey and something else is the hunter. And they’ll forget.”

  Barlow had started to pace, “But I digress, I brought you here so we could have this little chat and we could come to an understanding. I am quite aware that you know who I am and I am fairly certain that you also know some of what I’ve done, about my work. You sent your people in for a reason. So now you know who I am and some of the things I’ve done, and I know who you are and the things you’ve done. I will leave tonight to carry on my work elsewhere and I would strongly suggest that you concentrate on what is in front of you, your trial, your family, all the things you hold dear, and that you forget me and my work. We will part company never to engage in a conversation again. If you can do that, I can promise you that I will in no way bother you or your family.

  “Should you decide to pursue me any further, to try to get more information about me and my work, then all bets will be off, as you Americans are also fond of saying, and I will make it my purpose to make sure you feel loss like you have not known, not even the loss of your daughter will compare. I took these drastic measures, Mr. Loomis, because I wanted you to understand that like you, I am a resourceful man with a lot of means, means I am more than willing to use to accomplish what I have set out to accomplish. But we mustn’t assume there will be unpleasantness, that would be uncivilized and roguish, and I for one despise wanton violence.”

  Barlow walked into the bathroom where Loomis could hear him running the water and washing his hands. He came back out and stood in front of Loomis. Loomis was calculating how far it was to the man and whether he might be able to make it if he used his weight to propel the chair.

  Barlow saw him and smiled, “I can see what you are thinking, Mr. Loomis, and let me assure you that it would be a most unwise decision on your part. Even if you were able to knock me down, your wrists are cuffed and so are your feet. I may be old, but I am certainly young enough to overpower a man in shackles, even as formidable a man as you.

  “I suppose there is always the possibility that you will tell the authorities about this little impromptu meeting, but then again, how would that sound on the eve of your trial. How will it look if you accuse a known profiler, someone of stature who works with law enforcement to help catch criminals, of kidnapping you and holding you against your will while he talked to you and then let you go? I suppose they might investigate it, but I also suppose that they might think you are seeing monsters under the bed and that perhaps your sanity is compromised, and I am most certain that is not what you want the world to think, especially when your trial is about to get underway. Especially with the media all over, covering your every word.

  “No, Mr. Loomis, I am very confident, very confident indeed, that you will not mention our little meeting to the authorities. So, let’s agree that you will stay out of my business and I will return the favor and stay clear of yours, and let’s agree that you will not mention our little meeting and nobody will ever know about it. You have much more on your plate at the moment and much more to lose. Whatever your interest in me might be, I am certain you will be much more interested in making sure that the state of New York does not put you away for the rest of your life.

  “Like you, Mr. Loomis, I am very good at what I do, and I am very careful in every aspect of my work. You are in the security business, so I don’t need to tell you about the technology and resources available to someone with means who wants to keep their work secure. I suspect you have infinite confidence in the gentlemen you sent in to dig into my business and thus can appreciate the level of care in my precautions given the fact that they were detected. I believe I have made my point, and I believe we understand each other, nod if that is the case.” Loomis nodded; there was simply nothing else he could do.

  Barlow smiled and went to the door, “Excellent! I knew you would understand my position and that you’d understand my reasons for doing this. Now, I will leave, and in 15 minutes a young man will come into the room and release you from the handcuffs. This young man will be paid handsomely to do exactly that, release you and walk away. He will be told in no uncertain terms that he is not to mention anything he sees to anyone. The consequences of any transgression on his part will be also be made perfectly clear. I must be on my way. I hope we do not see each other again. Godspeed, Mr. Loomis, and I wish you success in your upcomin
g trial. I shall be following it closely.”

  With that, Barlow turned and left the room. Loomis sat in the chair and looked around the room to see if there was anything he could use to break the chair apart, but there was nothing. He was certain that someone would in fact show up in 15 minutes to free him, but 15 minutes shackled to the chair seemed like an eternity. He had vastly underestimated Barlow. The man was much, much more than Loomis had ever imagined. He had obviously been involved in the disappearances he was helping to investigate, a perfect cover for what he was doing. Once he was called in to help with a case that involved the type of individual he was interested in, he basically had carte blanche to hunt at his leisure or to direct others to do it. He had also mentioned being able to look into the minds of these monsters, which meant that he had run into more than one and had either treated them, or more likely guided them, in their own twisted plots.

  The enormity of all of it hit Loomis square in the face and he realized that what he had really done was to open Pandora’s box. He had brought this to the world’s attention, but now that he had, he understood the full scope of what he had stumbled into. Riche really was nothing, just the tip of the iceberg. He had believed that simply bringing attention to these beings would be enough; that once he had done that, he would be done, his final purpose accomplished. Now he understood just how wrong he had been. He realized that he had been simply coasting into his trial, that since he had accomplished bringing attention to the science, the outcome of the trial was really secondary, regardless of what he had told Beth or his defense team. Now he knew with every fiber of his being that he had to win the trial. He had to figure out a way to get past his legal issues without going to prison for God knew how many years. Barlow was right, the world would eventually forget and go back to living their lives oblivious to the new danger. They like their safety, Barlow had been right about that too. He thought of Beth and the kids and realized that, even though they would be taken care of, they would never be safe, not without him there to make sure they were. Barlow had also made sure he understood that, regardless of what he had said.