“She’s spending most of her time at the Genetics Center. I’m not sure what she’s working on.”
“She’s probably trying to avoid the Chairman. This is not going to go over well with him. We’ve lost fifteen children, and the MP battalion is toast. And we were holding Midway and lost him, too. The Chairman’ll be apoplectic.”
“What will we do?”
“Now that’s a challenging question. For the moment, I’ve no idea. Try and contact Dr. White, will you? She should be in a conference call with us, later, when we meet with the Chairman. I’ll phone him now to give him an update; this is going to be an interesting phone call.”
Jones used his office phone and hit the speed dial key for the Chairman. His call was answered almost immediately. “Sir,” he said. “I have some bad news on a number of fronts. Yes, it’s very serious. I suggest we meet here, in the downtown office, after lunch. That will give me some more time to get details together. You’ll probably need to free up your afternoon. I’ll have Davis here, and will try to get Dr. White on a conference call, as well. One o’clock? Good. See you then.” He hung up and turned to Davis.
“Any luck with Dr. White?”
“Yes—well, almost. She’ll talk with us, but she won’t call into our meeting with the Chairman. She says she has some critical issues with the batches coming due, and needs to resolve them. She described that as her priority.”
“Pity. I trust she really does have issues to resolve?”
“As far as I could determine.”
“I’ll call her, and see if she can add anything. I suggest you try your contacts, including your internal security team, and see if you can discover hard facts for our meeting with the Chairman. There are some FBI implants you can reach out to, as well. This is an emergency.”
~~~
The Chairman had not bothered to change out of his informal weekend wear. He prepared a brew of coffee and sat himself down at the top of the conference table. Jones and Davis sat at either side. Jones was nursing a Starbucks and Davis had poured himself a large whiskey. The Chairman raised his eyebrows when he saw the drink, but said nothing. He waited.
“Sir,” said Jones. “The list is long. We’ve lost the children from the Pebble Creek premises. They were—ah—rescued by the FBI sometime through the night or early this morning. Midway was being held there and he, too, is missing. Ten security guards, consisting of both the night and Sunday day shifts, have been taken into custody.” He paused to take a breath. He was finding his task to be more stressful than he had anticipated.
“You said the list was long?” said the Chairman, sipping his coffee.
“Yes sir. We believe Schmidt—by the way, he’s been recalled and now has the rank of general, one star—went to Afghanistan, and arranged the—er—capture of our 145th MP Battalion. Buchanan was shot. He’s dead. Apparently he tried to kill Schmidt. General Jamieson is on his way to Quantico; he was arrested by the FBI and is due back this week. The 145th’s also returning, under guard.”
“What the hell was Jamieson up to?”
“We understand, and this is mainly conjecture, he was recovering a crate of US currency that he had—er—deposited with a bank in Kabul. There are various estimates of its value, from $10 million to much more. We don’t know the actual amount.”
~~~
Caterers had arrived at Camp Brewer before 7 a.m. and prepared breakfast for everyone. FBI Agent Luis Moreton organized his team of agents to take statements from the children and he spent an hour with Mark, recording his details of the prior weeks. The process was more or less mechanical; Mark did not have many details to provide, although he could confirm the presence of a number of guards at the Cerberus building, in addition to the four they had handed over to the FBI. He assumed the day shift was, by now, also under arrest.
“I think the children will have a lot more material for you,” he said to Luis.
“Yes, I agree. They’ve demonstrated remarkable memories and an exceptional ability to describe their experiences. We’re overloaded with evidence. The main gaps are locations of the Cerberus laboratories and identification of senior Cerberus people. We need those.”
“I think that need has been driving Schmidt and Special Agent Freewell, too.”
The children were relaxed. A party atmosphere had replaced the disciplined silence they had displayed while imprisoned by Cerberus. However, their playtime was quiet and organized, almost formal, very different to what Mark expected based on his admittedly limited experience of children. He was occasionally surprised by an outburst of laughter; indeed, so were the children. The laughter often was followed by an embarrassed hush until the children relaxed and again indulged in their feelings of freedom.
Schmidt and MayAnn arrived at Camp Brewer just as everyone was finishing lunch. The dining room was surprisingly noisy as excited children completed their meals and prepared to greet the newcomers. A hush fell as the children stood and lined up in formal ranks, the oldest and tallest at the rear, with the youngest children in the front row. Schmidt and MayAnn stopped at the entrance to the dining room; Schmidt stood and regarded the gathering with concern, while MayAnn appeared to be in a state of shock. Some of the children were very young and clutched their comfort toys: teddy bears and peter rabbits. Mark stood to one side and watched. Martin and Anna approached the two newcomers.
“Sir, Special Agent,” said Martin. “Please accept our thanks. We’re all so relieved to be free from Cerberus. If there’s anything we can do, just ask. But sir, only after we’ve rescued the others.”
“Son,” said Schmidt. “For once, I’m almost lost for words. We will look after you and the other children, you have my full commitment. Now tell everyone to relax, for goodness sake.”
“Yes,” said MayAnn. “I agree with everything General Schmidt said. We will help you and the other children. For now, we’re here to speak with Mark, and to hear your experiences.”
“Thank you,” said Anna. Her signal to the children was subtle, although effective. They broke ranks, the younger ones accompanied by the older girls running to MayAnn, vying for her attention. The older boys grouped around Schmidt.
Mark thought he should rescue the two newcomers. “Everyone,” he said, his voice raised. “Please don’t swamp our visitors. I hope they’ll be here for the remainder of the day. I expect they’ll visit often, to see how you’re progressing.”
“No, Mark, they’re entirely welcome. Relax, everyone relax,” said MayAnn. Schmidt nodded his agreement.
~~~
It was almost an hours later before some degree of order was regained. Mark commandeered a long table, and he, the older children, with MayAnn and Schmidt, sat down for an informal meeting. Agent Moreton was supervising and coordinating his agents as they continued to take statements from the children. Two of the very youngest girls and a boy sat on the floor close to MayAnn; they had found their heroine.
“General Schmidt, congratulations,” said Mark.
“Hmm. I think you should be offering sympathies,” replied Schmidt.
MayAnn said, “At least to the rest of the Army.”
The older Cerberus children were slightly taken aback at the informality of the exchange. Mark explained. “When Cerberus kidnapped me from Boston, a month ago, Schmidt was a colonel, retired. Now he’s a general and obviously not retired.”
“We need to make sure his promotion doesn’t go to his head,” added MayAnn, addressing the children. “Of course, if soldiers were here, we’d all be very formal; however, it’s important for you to understand you’re among friends.”
“Indeed,” confirmed Schmidt. “I admit it’s a shock to realize you, fifteen of you, have been prisoners of Cerberus. It’s even more shocking when we hear there are more children held by this organization.”
Nelson said, “Sir, it will get worse. Cerberus is breeding more. We informed Mark; he hasn’t had time to discuss it with you. They are birthing, they call them batches, hundreds more bab
ies in the next six months, with even more towards the end of next year.”
“Their breeding program’s gathering pace. I think they were planning to use some of us, the older girls, as well, in their breeding activities,” Anna said.
“Do you have details of more mature Cerberus people? For example Alpha Company is made up of about one hundred and fifty Cerberus-bred soldiers, and they seemed to be in their early to mid-twenties.”
Erikk answered, “General Schmidt, I can provide you with details of an additional twelve hundred soldiers, currently serving in various units. About six hundred are in three dedicated companies, including another MP company, and the rest are spread around all the services.”
“There are two hundred Cerberus nurses and laboratory scientists in various hospitals,” added Anna
“And about four hundred Cerberus people are in law enforcement roles,” said Nelson.
“There are others. We know all their names. Locations and other details. Most of us have eidetic memories. We only need to see or hear something once and we can recall it when we need,” Erikk explained. “Whenever we could, we accessed computers, paper files, anything with details, and shared the information within our group to make sure it wouldn’t get lost.”
A little voice piped up; it was one of the girls sitting beside MayAnn, nursing a teddy bear. “I can recite details of all the Cerberus nurses, male and female.”
Another tiny voice said, “I know all the Cerberus law enforcement names and details.”
Schmidt shook his head. “Astounding. Astounding. MayAnn, I think we need more FBI resources.”
Nelson whispered in MayAnn’s ear.
Startled, she said, “Are you sure?”
“Yes, Special Agent,” confirmed Nelson.
The tiny girl standing at MayAnn’s knee said, very softly, “Yes, MayAnn, Nelson’s correct. Two of your agents here are Cerberus. I don’t know which side they’re on, though.” She huddled closer to MayAnn and whispered, just loud enough for Mark and Schmidt to hear as well. “Also, according to a Cerberus file we’ve seen, one of your agents is a Russian shadow.”
***
Chapter 24
MayAnn was waiting for more agents to arrive. She did not want to move against the Russian or the Cerberus people in her FBI team until she had reinforcements. She had phoned Oliver Stewart from outside the barracks building and he had reacted with extreme concern, matching hers. Oliver was now on his way to the Army facility and would arrive at about the same time as the additional agents.
“So you think we can use the knowledge of Cerberus that these children have?” Oliver had asked.
MayAnn said, “Yes, they have an encyclopedic collection of memories; they’ve amassed a surprising amount of data on Cerberus.”
“Are they reliable? They’re very young, from what you said?”
“The younger ones will surprise you,” said MayAnn. “You’ll see when you get here. They’re all very bright, extremely intelligent. They have eidetic memories. Oliver, some of these are almost babies. They’re just little girls and boys. It’s almost overwhelming.”
“Do we need to get Family Services involved?”
“Their presence would ignite a media feeding frenzy. I discussed that option with Schmidt; we agreed, we need to keep Cerberus and these children away from the public eye. Once we rescue the other children, we’ll have thirty of them. Next year there will be more, from what the children tell me. I’m not sure I want to go on television with details. What do you think?”
“No, you’re right. This has to be handled very carefully. As you know, these children will be indispensable to—to us. I’ll be guided by you, of course.
~~~
Mark borrowed Schmidt’s cell phone and contacted Sam in Boston. He wanted to let her know he was safe, and to arrange for her to send some of his clothes to Camp Brewer.
“Hi, Sam,” he said.
“Mark! Where are you?”
“I’m in D.C., with Schmidt and MayAnn. I’ll tell you more when I get back to Boston.”
“What? Are you all right? You must tell me what happened!”
“Oh, it’s a very long story. I’m okay, no harm done. I hope your brother hasn’t rented out my apartment?”
“No, of course not. When are you coming back to Boston? Is there anything I can do?”
“I’m helping Schmidt and MayAnn here. We rescued some children; they were prisoners, too. Again, I can’t give details over the phone. We’re now at an Army base. If you don’t mind, there is a something you can do to help me. I need clothes and wondered if you could pack a suitcase, and send it to me by courier?”
“Yes, of course I will. Tell me what you need. How long do you think you’ll be in D.C.?”
“I need to help here, with these children. It could be two or three weeks more.” Mark gave Sam a list of clothing he needed and the address for Camp Brewer.
“Paula’s been missing you. She and Julian have been very worried about you.”
“Oh?” Mark was intrigued.
“Yes. Mark, I’ve been seeing Julian. He’s very nice. So is Paula, now that I’ve got to know her.”
“That’s very good. I’m pleased for you.”
“Truly?”
“Yes, truly. Say ‘Hi’ to everyone for me. Please tell Paula and Julian I’m helping Schmidt. Julian will understand; he and Schmidt are old friends. I’ll call you when I’ve a better idea of when I’ll be able to come back to Boston.”
“Call me mid-week, Mark. I’ll let everyone know you’re well. I’ll go to your apartment this afternoon, and send everything you need.”
They ended the call and Mark returned the cell phone to Schmidt.
“Thanks. Sam said she didn’t mind helping. I’ll have some of my clothes and personal items here in a couple of days.” He paused and then looked intently at Schmidt. “You know, I’ve always wanted to lead just a normal life. I—I’m not sure I can just walk away from these children. What do you want me to do?”
“It’s obvious,” said Schmidt, “that they look up to you. Although I think MayAnn made a hit with the young ones. I would like you to stay and help, until we determine a strategy for taking over Cerberus. As for Camp Brewer—this is a minor military installation and the premises are managed and secured by private contractors; it was basically empty because of the 145th’s posting. It will be our focal point for gathering and holding Cerberus people, both children and adults. Once we process these Cerberus soldiers—and you can assist me with that task—I’ll be arranging for other Cerberus military personnel to be brought here. This is a nightmare, believe me. Tomorrow morning we’ll go find the children Martin is worried about. Check with him and Anna about whether there is any urgency, in case we should act immediately? I want you to find out everything you can about these additional children: where they’re located, their names, their ages, any other details you can discover. Form a working party with two or three of the older children, consider rescue alternatives, everything. Both MayAnn and I would like details as soon as you can.”
“All right. Can I make a suggestion?”
Schmidt said, “Certainly.”
“You know the training material you arranged for me to test? Can you make all that available for these children? Can you free up any of your LEO trainers? I know Martin, Anna and the others are looking for a challenge. Once they’re settled in, and that’ll take only a couple of days, they’ll get bored if they have nothing to do. They need a regimen, a structure, a challenge, to keep them focused. It will be the same for the soldiers and any other Cerberus people you bring here.”
“Agreed. You can organize it. Contact Julian Kelly to get our trainers and training material, even the stuff that’s still in development. I expect Major Mike Symmonds will be arriving shortly. He and his team need something to do, so I’ll give them the task of supporting you. Plan your requirements, such as training material, computers, general supplies, anything you need. He’ll be responsi
ble for sourcing it from the Army. The major can help organize more formal training programs once we settle everyone down.”
“How much does Major Symmonds know about me, about Cerberus?”
“What? About Cerberus, not much. About the children here, nothing. About you, nothing, nothing at all,” Schmidt smiled. “I suggest you don’t mention too much about your - ah - past deeds. Just let the rumors circulate, that’ll be enough.”
~~~
MayAnn, Luis Moreton, and Oliver approached the agent who the Cerberus children had identified as a Russian shadow. Luis stood behind the man, his weapon held ready. Two other agents were nearby, briefed to assist if necessary.
Oliver said, “Agent Vernon, please hand your weapon to Special Agent Freewell.”
“What? Why?” The agent was middle aged, and had a very light eastern European accent. “Is there a problem?”
“Please do as the AD asks,’ instructed Luis, standing behind the man.
Agent Vernon drew his weapon, reversed it and carefully handed it to MayAnn.
“Agent Vernon, I have information that leads me to conclude you have committed a number of serious criminal offenses. You served in the Russian Federal Security Service and failed to declare this information in your visa application. You used the identity of one Andrei Korolev whereas we have reliable information that your true identity is Dmitry Sokhiev.”
“Sir, that’s not true.” The agent was shaking, whether with fear or nerves, MayAnn was unsure.
“You will have an opportunity to defend yourself. However, given the seriousness of the allegations, I am relieving you from duty, canceling your FBI authority and placing you under arrest. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.” The agent was subdued, his shoulders slumped.
“Special Agent Luis Moreton will be in charge of your case. He will formally arrest you and then you’ll be taken to Quantico for further questioning. Moreton, he’s all yours.”
“Thank you, sir.” Luis led the man away in handcuffs, after reading him his rights.
“That aggravates the hell out of me,” said Oliver. “We trust people and they are just turncoats. Sometimes I think I should head off to a tropical island somewhere.”
Mark Midway Box Set: Mark One, Mark Two, Mark Three, and Mark Four Page 38
