Mendez Genesis

by Edward Hancock II

“I wanna tell you a story.”

  “You’re gonna tell me a story are ya? Hmmm, well I should warn you I know a lot of stories. Think you can tell me one I don’t know?”

  “I fixed Daddy,” Christina declared.

  “I didn’t know he was broken,” Alyson said.

  “When he was in the sleeping place with all the doctors,” Christina continued.

  “You mean the hospital?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Honey, I’m pretty sure your Daddy loved waking up to you, his little princess, but I’m thinking the doctors probably fixed him.” Setting Christina down at the kitchen table, Alyson added, “But I guess you never know.”

  “No really, Aly,” Christina said, “The lady told me how to fix him and I did it.”

  “What lady?” Alyson asked, suddenly alarmed.

  “In here,” Christina whispered, pointing to her head. Alyson laughed.

  “Yeah, that’s some lady all right. Well I’m glad you fixed your daddy.”

  “I think the bad man tried to hurt Daddy.”

  Turning from the stove, Alyson’s face filled with concern. “Honey, how much do you know about what happened to your Dad?”

  “I know everything,” she said, with a boldness that seemed out of place for a four year old.

  “Like what? What’d Mommy tell you?”

  Alyson didn’t want to give up any information by asking if Christina knew this or if she knew that, so she was doing the best she could to lead the child wherever she was trying to go. Alyson had a feeling that Christina was just playing her four-year-old game but obviously something was on her mind. It wouldn’t hurt to listen.

  “Uncle Mike said—”

  Suddenly, Christina stopped talking. She looked as if she was struggling to find the words. One of the hardships of being so young, with so much to say, Alyson thought. Your language skills haven’t caught up with your imagination. Alyson wasn’t sure what to think about Christina and Mike having heart to hearts about private matters. She wondered if Lisa knew.

  “What?” Alyson encouraged Christina. “What’d Mike say to you, Honey?”

  “Aly?”

  “Hmmm?”

  “I don’t really like your hair.”

  Alyson laughed. “Well if it makes you feel any better, neither do I.”

  “How come you did it that way?” Christina asked.

  “I don’t know,” Alyson admitted. “Something different.”

  “I don’t like it when the lady comes,” Christina said. “She makes my hair like yours. Funny colors. I don’t like it.”

  “What lady?” Alyson asked.

  “The lady,” Christina replied. “She helped me fix Daddy.”

  “Tell me about the lady,” Alyson said, trying not to sound too alarmed, “Where did you meet her? What’s she look like? Was she a nurse at the hospital?”

  Kids have such active imaginations. It wasn’t unhealthy to have imaginary friends. Alyson had known her share when she was younger.

  Oftentimes, she even caught herself missing Mrs. Peeples. That funny old coot in the lavender skirt, the flowered top and the wicker gardening hat, with her pudgy gut, bulbous rump, sweet blue eyes and Mary Poppins smile had been quite an odd friend to Alyson in her own childhood. In her mind’s eye, she could see Mrs. Peeples sitting at a chair next to Christina at the kitchen table, sipping tea like the English Society Dame she’d always pretended to be.

  “You don’t believe me,” Christina pouted. “Uncle Mike believes me. He says the lady is an angel!”

  With the word angel, Christina’s pout suddenly became an excited smile. There was a sparkle in her eye that Alyson recognized from her own childhood.

  “Puddin’ Pop. Did I ever introduce you to Mrs. Peeples?”

  Chapter 20 ~

  Lisa was uneasy staring into the eyes of Scott Bryan. While nothing about him appeared threatening, there was something amiss in his aura and whatever it was fell with a huge weight upon Lisa. He was a loner. That much she could tell. She tried to watch him, without appearing too conspicuous, which wasn’t too difficult, considering he closed his eyes every time he got on a machine. When her cell phone rang, Lisa checked the caller I.D. It was Danny. She knew better than to take the call in the open so she waited and let her voicemail answer.

  “Who was that?” Alex asked.

  “Danny,” she answered, matter-of-factly.

  “Why didn’t you answer it?” he asked. “It might have been something important.”

  “Oh I’m sure he’ll leave a voicemail if it’s important. Heck you know Danny. If it’s too urgent, he’ll keep trying until he gets me.”

  No sooner had she said that, her phone rang again. Danny again.

  “I think I’ll step outside and take this call,” Lisa said. “I don’t want to disturb the exercisers.”

  Alex didn’t question. He knew, she hoped, that she’d explain herself later. Stepping out the front door, Lisa clicked the button to answer Danny’s call.

  “Lisa Mendez,” she answered.

  “It’s Danny. We’ve got a problem.”

  “You’re telling me!” she whispered. “Guess who’s here at the passive exercise place.”

  “I hate guessing games, Lisa. Scott Bryan’s not at school. I did the interview this morning and he was supposed to be headed back to school. Apparently, he’s had a change in travel plans. We’ve got to find him before—”

  “He’s here.”

  “What?” Danny shouted. “There? As in there at Gilmer Passive Exercises, there?

  “Yep,” she confirmed, looking back toward the window. “Looks like he’s on the machine right next to Alex as we speak.”

  * * *

  Scott Bryan was not in a social mood, so when the Spanish guy intruded on his relaxation time, it kind of bothered him. Still, it was a chance to get to know the competition, he told himself, even though he wasn’t really in the running for the guy’s wife.

  “Mind if I ask why you’re in the wheelchair?” the Spanish guy asked.

  “I’m just really lazy,” Scott joked, smirking slightly. “No, seriously, I have Spina Bifida. It’s a birth defect.”

  “I’ve heard of it. A cousin of mine married a guy with that. But you seem to get around much better than he does. Hopping on and off these machines like a rodeo cowboy.”

  “Well, there are different degrees of Spina Bifida,” Scott told him, trying not to sound like a doctor or something. “Some cases are worse than others.”

  “By the way,” the Spanish guy said, “I’m Alex. Alex Mendez. This is Mike,” he said, pointing to a big guy on the other side of the machine Alex was using. “And that lady you keep checking out is my wife, Lisa.”

  Scott instantly blushed. He didn’t know what to say. He wanted to deny checking Alex’s wife out, but he’d been caught. What was he supposed to say?

  “I’m Scott,” he offered. Alex stuck out his hand.

  “Nice to meet you, Scott. Got a last name?”

  Sure was a nosey sucker.

  “Scott Bryan.”

  * * *

  “Stall him, Lisa,” Danny said, sounding more like a superior officer barking orders than a friend in urgent need of help.

  “And how do you propose I stall him? He’s got a right to leave when he’s done.”

  “I don’t know. Sing him a song. Tell him a story. Steal his wheelchair. Deflate his wheelchair tires. I don’t really care how you stall him. Just keep him there for 30 minutes. If I can’t be there by then, we deserve to let this idiot walk!”

  A gust of wind tickled the back of Lisa’s neck. She shivered, as much from a twinge of uneasiness as from the tickling breeze.

  “Want me to show him a card trick?” Lisa joked.

  “Whatever it takes, do not let him leave, Lisa.”

  She had no time to say anything else before the line went dead. Danny had briefed her, sort of, on the new evidence he’d found. Scott had called Dave Collins on the day he was kill
ed. Collins. That name rang a bell but Lisa could not place it.

  “Collins, Collins, Collins,” she whispered to herself. “Where do I know that name from?”

  It didn’t hit her immediately but it did hit her. His face flashed into her mind as clear as the day they’d met. The first and last time she’d ever be introduced to Gene Collins.

  Feverishly, she dialed Danny back on his cell phone. He answered on the second ring.

  “Danny,” she asked, “Did Dave Collins have any family? Any survivors?” None that they could trace of course. No surviving next of kin had been confirmed for David Collins. She knew that much. She just wanted to confirm it. “Did he ever have a brother?” she asked. “A brother named Gene?”

  * * *

  Danny was exiting the police station by the time Lisa’s call came through. Did Dave Collins have a brother? He thought so. Wasn’t there some newspaper clippings or something among Dave Collins’ stuff?

  “I gotta do some fact checking, Lisa,” Danny said. “I’ll get back with you.”

  He wasn’t sure about calling Chuck Gaines’ cell phone. The guy would have to go all the way back to Evidence to search through the items seized from Dave Collins’ house. Then he’d have to find the box that belonged to David Collins. Then he’d have to search it and, with any luck, find what Danny was looking for. Why was Lisa asking about Dave Collins’ brothers? He wanted to ask but the urgency of the situation compelled him to delay satisfying his own curiosity. Perhaps when he found the answer to Lisa’s question, he’d understand why she’d asked it. Danny’s call to Chuck Gaines went to voicemail after the fourth ring. Growling, Danny pressed Redial, hoping that Chuck had his cell phone on him. On the third ring, Chuck answered the phone.

  “Gaines.”

  “Chuck? It’s Danny Peterson. I need you to run down to Evidence and find some information for me.”

  “I’m there as we speak, Boss,” he said, “Whatta ya need?”

  “What?” Danny asked. “Why are you in Evidence? Nevermind. I need you to find Dave Collins’ things. And when you do, find out if there’s any newspaper clippings. Anything that might tell us about his family. Not just survivors, Chuck. I need to know did he ever have a brother. A sister. Anyone that he considered a sibling or very close friend that might be like a brother to him. We’re probably looking for obituaries. Clippings from newspapers. Someone probably dead. I might be wrong, but just a hunch.”

  “Will do,” he said.

  “Call me immediately on my cell phone when you find something okay?”

  “Got it.”

  Hanging up, Danny immediately dialed Lisa’s cell phone again. She answered on the first ring.

  “Okay, Lisa, I’m twenty minutes away, which means you’ve got twenty minutes to fill me in on why I just asked Chuck Gaines to do Dave Collins’ genealogy.”

  * * *

  Lisa recounted the story of Tina Miles as succinctly as she could. Since he was on the phone, Lisa couldn’t tell if Danny believed her or not, but his silence did not reassure her. She’d told him everything, as she could remember it, even the location of the unmarked grave – oddly enough, Rock Springs Cemetery. No body had ever been found, so what they buried was nothing more than a box of memorabilia – trinkets among the rubble of the destroyed college building – trinkets that they couldn’t even be sure had once belonged to Tina Miles. Lisa had taken to the young girl in just a matter of days. She’d come across like a troubled teen running from something. It wasn’t until it was too late that Lisa understood the powerful forces from which the young girl had been trying to run. Several times a year, they paid a visit to Rock Springs’ unknown inhabitant. As she’d been borne out of tragedy, Lisa and Alex had taken to including Christina in their outings.

  “What does this have to do with Scott Bryan?” Danny finally asked.

  “I’m not sure, Danny,” Lisa said, hesitantly, “But the autopsy reports just— ” She trailed off, unable to find the words.

  “What about them?” he asked, impatiently. He cursed, quickly drowned out by the sound of a blaring horn. Obviously, Danny was not driving defensively.

  “Danny, I can’t expect you to understand, but if Scott Bryan is responsible for these murders, and if these people did die in the same way as the people from Star Club a few years back, I don’t think we’re going to have to worry about this case going to trial.”

  “Fine with me,” Danny said, “a bullet can end the case quicker than a trial.”

  “Danny, Listen,” she said, suddenly filled with an unexpected moment of epiphany. “If this guy is who I think he is, then there’s going to be a counter source.”

  “A what?” Danny asked.

  “A person, or whatever. A something that is meant to counter his powers.”

  “Powers? Counterperson? What? Like a terrorist? Who?” Danny asked.

  “I don’t know, but unless I miss my guess. Scott Bryan knows, and we probably won’t have to wait too long to find out. I could be wrong. I think these two need each other. They feed off one another somehow. It’s almost like they exist to fight. I dunno, maybe it’s best if we all just stand back and let them handle things their own way. Get out of the line of fire. Maybe we’ll get lucky and whoever the counter source is will kick Scott Bryan’s hindquarters.”

  “What if you’re wrong, Lisa?”

  “If I’m wrong, then we’re all dead and nothing I’ve told you is going to matter.”

  “Lisa, I swear if you are pulling my leg on this, I will have your hide when I get there.”

  “Danny, I’m serious.” Looking back inside, Lisa noticed Scott and Alex had switched machines. Between them, almost like a bouncer in a bar, Mike stood, his arms crossed, staring at Scott Bryan. Lisa thought, almost accusingly.

  A nervous pitch built in Lisa’s stomach. “Hey Danny?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Is it just me or do you find Mike a little too helpful for his own good?”

  * * *

  Danny heard Lisa loud and clear. He hadn’t really trusted Mike from the beginning and suddenly he wasn’t sure what to think. Lisa’s question implied that maybe Mike was this “counter source” to whatever Scott Bryan was. But Danny couldn’t help wondering if maybe he was a partner in crime. An insider sent by Scott Bryan to get to Lisa and Alex. But why? To exact revenge for killing his buddy four years ago? Speeding way too fast, Danny cursed again as the car in front of him stopped suddenly. Dropping the cell phone into the passenger seat, Danny slammed on his brakes. Behind him, a navy blue sedan squealed to a stop, missing his bumper by inches. Instinctively, he checked the rearview mirror. He was surprised to see the familiar faces of Agents Beene and Kim, trying desperately not to be noticed, though looking entirely too Federal for their own good.

  “Well, Well,” Danny said, angrily. “If it isn’t Witch Cassidy and the Suntanned Kid. What are you guys up to?”

  Enraged, he thought about driving off, in the hopes of losing them. Instead, he hopped out of his car, stalking with a purpose back toward the navy blue sedan. Agent Beene exited the driver’s side, feigning composure, dutifully inquiring as to Danny’s personal welfare.

  “Don’t give me that,” Danny growled. “Why are you following me? We haven’t been put out to pasture yet, so you need to get off my turf before I put you off it!”

  “We are proceeding with a planned jurisdictional transfer of this investigation,” Agent Kim said. Unnoticed, she’d exited the vehicle and was standing in the open passenger side doorway.

  “You’re not dealing with some rookie cop, Missy,” Danny said. “You can’t just come in here thinking you’re going to take this investigation without a reason that might put it in your jurisdiction.”

  “There are multiple murders,” Agent Beene stated, “In multiple counties in the state of Texas. We have reason to believe similar killings in other states may be connected to this crime. As such, the jurisdiction of this case falls under federal mandate. We told you we’d back
off as a courtesy, Detective Peterson. Our team is on the ground and ready to proceed with transfer of jurisdiction a day ahead of schedule. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re going to be taking Scott Bryan in for questioning.”

  “You don’t even know where he is, you idiot!” Danny screamed “And I’m sure as fire not gonna tell you!”

  Agent Beene smirked, producing a small device from his pocket, very much resembling a cell phone.

  “Gilmer Passive Exercises,” Agent Kim said, glaring at Danny with that serpentine grin he’d come to detest. “Amazing what you can find out, given the right tools, and all the money of the U.S. Government isn’t it? Now back off Barney. Go see if Sheriff Andy will let you clean the jail or something.”

  Danny couldn’t do anything but imagine a mental game of chess between himself and Agent Beene. If there was a way out of this attempted checkmate, Danny needed to find it. He knew that everything would be overheard but he didn’t care. He ran back to his car, grabbed his cell phone and redialed Lisa’s number.

  “Lisa, change in plans. If Scott Bryan wants to go, we have no evidence that could really warrant delaying him. The young man should probably be in school so please feel free to let him come and go as you see fit. The Longview P.D. does not wish to be a party to truancy. Unless he makes an aggressive move, he’s free to go, understand?” She said she did, though he knew she would be confused. “Oh and Lisa? When Agents Beene and Kim arrive, give them my best, will you?”

  He drove off, hurriedly, desperate to beat the federal agents to Gilmer Passive Exercises. Turning down a back-road, a route that would cut about eight minutes off his trip, Danny couldn’t help but smile.

  “Never be a jerk to a hick in his own home town,” he joked. “We know all the shortcuts.”

  Chapter 21 ~

  By the time Danny arrived, Scott Bryan was being helped into the sedan by Agent Kim while Agent Beene wrestled with the wheelchair Scott Bryan had been sitting in. The walkway was crowded with onlookers; one lady held a cordless phone and was speaking with obvious urgency. To her left, Lisa stood with her own cell phone pressed to her ear. As Danny stopped the car, Lisa turned toward him, pulled the cell phone from her ear and broke into a full sprint.