by Sara Gauldin
“Do you work here as well?” I asked, nodding toward his keys.
“Let’s just say that I'm involved,” Kain said. I detected a flicker of a twinkle in his eyes that was quickly extinguished.
“Would you mind filling me in now?” I asked.
“I'll try my best," he said. "I suppose we should begin back where all of this started. This story begins in ancient times.”
I raised my eyebrows. “You’re not going to tell me about ghosts or monsters are you?”
To my surprise, Kain allowed a dry chuckle to escape.
“No, not at all,” he said. “This story begins before the rise of the Christian belief system that this humble church represents. It begins as a collection of Pagan beliefs and practices along with influences from Ancient Babylon, Egypt, and Celtic Druids. The belief systems were combined together to form a practice known as Enlightenment by some, and as Luciferian by others.”
“Luciferian, as in Lucifer, the devil? Are you telling me the bankers were abducted by devil worshipers?” I asked. Kain had to be off his rocker.
“In a way, yes. The element of evil is the same, but not in the same way you're thinking,” Kain said. “These belief systems date to early times. Some parts of each were compiled and are being used in the modern day by a network of people that are dispersed all over the world. These are powerful and terrible people who are hidden behind the guise of seemingly upstanding and noteworthy members of society. Often these people are respected by some, maybe even revered by others. There's more to their power than meets the eye, though. These individuals do not seek to use their power for the betterment of others. They use power as a tool, and they're forever hungry for more. They want to cause a collapse of the world’s economies by orchestrating a cascading bank failure that will lead to complete economic collapse.”
“So that's the tie to the bankers?”
“So it would seem. In any event, the bank collapse is only the beginning. You see, this organization is truly an evil entity. After the economic collapse, they plan to use military force to take over. Marshal Law and devastating poverty would give the ruling class absolute power to perpetuate their own warped ideals.”
I swallowed hard to regain my composure. "That sounds like medieval times."
Kain smiled. "Exactly," he said.
"So you really believe these people are trying to take over the world by kidnapping a couple of bankers?” I asked.
“I believe the bankers are small pieces to a larger puzzle." Ryan Kain was strangely confident for a man who was speaking about such absurd concepts. He walked over to the book shelf and selected several manuscripts, all of them old, oversized, and dusty.
“Let’s see," he said. "Our real trouble began around 1776, after ancient times, in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, with a small group of individuals who called themselves 'freethinkers,' an offshoot of the Freemasons.” He gestured to an illustration in one of the manuscripts of the various ceremonies related to the sect. They looked dark and questionable.
“You mean the Freemasons, as in the organization who built the nice museum and memorial to George Washington, downtown?” I asked.
“If you mean the assassin training compound, then yes,” he said.
“So you think people are being trained to kill in that tourist trap?”
“Children, yes, but they aren't on display to the public.” Kain kept a straight face.
I considered leaving--this was getting a bit too far-fetched.
“It's much bigger than you or I, hon," Kain said. “They have already infiltrated our society on so many levels. The advent of technology has considerably sped along the progress they are making. They have people strategically placed in national and local government. Their members are skilled in law and economics. They've placed members among the media to influence viewers. They tweak social media. They're infiltrating our game programing to desensitize children to violence, to hide their activities, and to subliminally change the very thought processes of the common person worldwide."
''Well, I have heard people say that television and videogames affect the way children think," I said.
"That's only part of the plan," Kain said. "Even celebrities and music have become tools to help spread their ideals. They seek to globalize the world’s infrastructure in order to have complete power. NATO is the unifying force.”
I tried not to look at Kain like he was crazy, but I failed. “I’m sorry, really? I think that would make a great story, but unfortunately, this tale is pure fiction," I said, speaking before I was able to stop myself.
“I understand why you would think so," he said. "A lot of money and effort has been invested in order to hide the truth from us all.”
I thought it strange he didn't seem at all surprised or alarmed at my outburst. “Okay, assume all of this is true,” I said. "Why not tell the public? Tell the police force. Make a press statement. Why's no one blowing the whistle?” I could not understand why he was wasting his time with this brand of crazy. He was a handsome guy. He seemed intelligent enough.
Kain leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs. “First, let’s assume that powerful and evil people do not want to be ousted. Secondly, they have enough money to buy silence, or violence, to ensure silence that cannot be achieved through a bribe. Furthermore, they have members in the ranks of law enforcement. That is, of course, why I can't trust you. Although you do seem pretty clueless, and Calbert did send you and he can’t be bought.”
My mind shifted to the conversation I'd had with Calbert earlier. Didn’t he mention something about officers who could be a detriment and something about sorting them out? Could he have meant corrupt cops? A new thought occurred to me: “What do you mean when you say Calbert can’t be bought?”
“I mean that he doesn't accept bribes, and believe me, I've tried,” he said. I detected a subtle change in Kain’s tone. There was something cool and menacing in the statement I didn't like.
“You? You tried to bribe Calbert? Why would you do that?”
“Have you ever heard the phrase, 'Life's a journey'? My journey in this life didn't start out as cute and cuddly. My parents were a part of this organization, and the need for power overcame them. When I was very young, they submitted me for training, which was akin to torture. My parents made the excuse that they'd sent me out of love, so I could be one of the strong, one of the chosen, but I didn't feel love when I was electrocuted, or made to fight, or do violent, indescribable things. I felt fear, and I felt anger, but love didn't come up much.”
“So you were a part of this system that you claim is edging for power?” I asked. Either Kain needed to be institutionalized, or the world as I knew it was very different than the picture that was being painted. Either way, I was being hunted and as far as I could tell, I was no closer to finding the bankers.
Chapter 4
Kain sat up in his chair and leaned toward me wearing a severe expression on his face. The ancient desk chair he was sitting on let out a metallic clank that made me jump.
“I left that world behind me quite some time ago,” he said. "The thing about people who are ruthless and power hungry is that they are as dangerous to one another as they are to everybody else. That was the downfall of my family. They were so busy with their own ambition that they did not see the ambition of their colleagues turning them from allies into enemies. We had money, power, and prestige, but all of that came crashing down in one night.” Kain looked down at his hands, and I thought I saw the hint of a tear in his eye.
“What happened?” I asked.
Kain looked me in the eye. Any hint of emotion I'd seen before was gone. I wondered if I shouldn't have asked.
“My parents and my sister were killed in a house fire when I was about fifteen. I escaped, barely,” he said. Kain pulled up his sleeves to reveal the soft, puckered skin of old scars that laced around his hands and up his wrists.
“You were burned!” I said.
“I was burned trying to ge
t to my sister,” he said. “One day I'll find out who is responsible for her death. My parents chose to play the game, but Victoria was like me, she never had a choice.” His scarred hands clenched into tight fists, erasing any illusion of vulnerability he might have had before.
“You don’t think it was an accident?” My own voice sounded strange to me when I spoke. I had not realized that I had been holding my breath.
Kain shook his head. “No, and I never went back to find out. That was the night I left that world behind me. I was presumed dead. I had been trained to survive at all costs, and I ran for my life. I found ways to integrate myself into the regular world, living under many guises in many situations. I knew I could never let down my guard, so I studied the patterns of corruption. Now I watch from the shadows and try to atone for the evil I've witnessed, and that I've caused.”
“You can’t blame yourself for that,” I said.
Kain’s eyes betrayed a look of regret. “I've said too much.” He glanced toward the door. “It's been a long while since I’ve said anything at all.”
“I understand,” I said. I was becoming a terrible liar. This whole situation was dire, according to Kain, but it felt too farfetched to really have any weight. One thing was for certain: crazy or sane, Kain believed his story to be the truth, and his emotions were real. A big part of me sincerely hoped he was just off his rocker, so I could go home and forget all of this.
“What now?” I asked. “We can’t stay here forever. How can I find the bankers? If you tell me where I can look then I can leave you out of this, and you don’t have to be involved.”
Kain shook his head and crossed his legs in the other direction. “It’s too late--you have already involved me. The real question is: are you ready for what you'll find?”
I gripped the arms of my chair. “I’ve been at plenty of crime scenes. Don’t worry, I have a cast iron constitution,” I said. All of this and this guy was intent on insulting me? Of course I could do my job.
“You misunderstand me, hon," Kain said. "Are you ready to see this network of evil for what it really is? What if what I'm telling you turns out to be true? You'll never see the world in the same light again.” Kain looked at me, as though he was trying to size up my state of mind. It was odd because I had been trying to figure out his since I first laid eyes on him.
“I’m certain I can handle whatever is going on,” I said. I sure hoped that turned out to be true. “So whom do we need to talk to first?”
“You’re getting ahead of yourself," Kain said. "First, we need to read the pattern. These things are evident to the trained eye.” Kain seemed to smirk as he moved across the room with a smooth stride. He returned as quickly as he'd left, carrying a large basket of newspapers. He took the first few editions off the top of the stack and began to arrange them on the table. He brought the map back from his pocket and began marking both the paper and the map with a pencil.
I raised my eyebrows. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but kidnappers don’t usually publish full accounts of their crimes,” I said.
“You're only partly correct,” he said. “There isn't a full account, but there are definite bread crumbs if you know where to look.”
“In the news?” I asked. "Silly me, I usually start with a crime scene or a witness.”
“In this case you have neither,” Kain said.
He was right. I had nothing to go on.
I stood up and watched over Kain's shoulder as he sorted the newspapers. He seemed to be picking out words from specific articles and ads and rearranging them, satisfied with his finds as he flipped through the pages.
Soon I realized that the words he'd chosen on the pages formed the same shape as the symbols he had drawn on the map. I had a vague memory of a concept I had studied in a college psychology class. After tossing words around in my mind for a little while the one I was looking for finally made its appearance--Apophenia: the finding of patterns and connections in meaningless data. Oh, man, this guy really was too far gone. Now what? I was under orders to work with Kain and find the bankers.
“Are you finding what you're looking for?” I asked. I tried to hide my skepticism. There was no need to upset the crazy guy who was supposed to be helping me.
“Actually, yes.” Kain held up the scrap of paper he had been scribbling on and showed me an address. “I think we have our next stop.”
The paper read 498 Arlington Ridge. He gestured at the map, indicating a place near the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. “I think we'll find some information here, if we're not too late.” He scooped up the papers and the map into a metal trash can in one motion. Before I realized his intention, he had pulled out a lighter and set fire to the papers.
“What are you doing?” I rushed toward the flames. “You’re going to set off the alarm if you don’t burn the place down first!”
Kain laughed. It was an abrupt sound that seemed to fill the room. “Don’t worry; this church is long overdue for some updates.” He gestured towards the ceiling. “See? No alarm.” As he spoke, the fire extinguished itself as the last bit of paper was completely consumed. "We had better be on our way before my car's spotted.”
“Do you think it's safe to go back and pick up my car?” I had just been issued it! “I really think it's better not to leave it behind.”
“Are you saying that this case is now ‘official’?” Kain asked.
Calbert’s red and worried face flashed into my memory. “No, Calbert wanted this matter looked into in an unofficial inquiry."
“Then you will not be needing your official police car,” Kain said.
“Do you really think we'll find anything at that address?” I asked.
Kain showed no flicker of doubt. “I am certain we'll find something there. Whether it has anything to do with your missing bankers remains to be seen.”
“Okay, let’s go,” I said. I stood up and stretched.
“We need to hurry. Your bankers may be running out of time!”
“Agreed,” I said. I still thought rushing off to a random address that Kain had assembled from newspaper clippings seemed like a waste of time, but what other leads did I have? One thing I knew for sure: the gun on the belt of the man who had followed me was real. I'd confirmed that much with my own eyes.
Chapter 5
We made our way back to the car that had become a solar oven in the summer heat. I noticed that Kain had changed the tint on the car’s windows at some point, to something much darker than the legal limit. As we merged into the lunch rush traffic on 395, Kain kept a tight grip on the steering wheel. I noticed his eyes were continually searching the surrounding cars, looking for signs of trouble. We drove smoothly through the traffic.
I took my phone out of my pocket. It was time to call Calbert. I needed to know how far he wanted me to go when it came to entertaining Kain’s neurosis.
“I wish you would've let me know you were being tracked,” Kain said. Before I realized it had happened, he had snatched my phone and deposited it with zero qualms onto the highway.
“Hey, I was just issued that phone! Are you crazy?” My words hung in the air. It was out there now, the idea that had been nagging at me from the beginning. I waited for Kain to seem upset. Instead, he smirked and cast a sidelong glance in my direction. To my astonishment, his eyes seemed to twinkle as if he was amused. “Well," I said, "are you?”
“Believe it or not, you're not the first person to ask,” Kain said.
I didn't have any idea how to read this guy. I called him crazy, and he thought it was the most natural thing in the world.
“And no, I don’t think I am," he said. "Either way, we'll find out soon."
We pulled into a parking lot, and I read the address over the door: 498 Arlington Ridge Road. The building was non-descript to the point where I would not have noticed it if I had not been looking for it. It was overpowered by the regal-looking community. There was a civic center nearby, and a theater. We could have sne
ezed and landed in DC, which was out of my jurisdiction.
“So this is it?” I asked. I looked around for some sign of what sort of business might be inside, but the only label on the building I could locate was the address.
“It looks that way,” Kain said. He was all business again. “Listen, when we go in, let me do the talking. You just try not to look like a police officer and let me take the lead.”
“How am I supposed to do that? I am a police officer.” Why not ask the sky not to look blue, I thought.
Kain reached toward me. In one quick motion he had unpinned the single bobby-pin holding my hair in place, and when he did, his hand brushed against my cheek. I felt a strange thrill run through me, as if I'd experienced a small shock. I jerked away from him reflexively.
“Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you,” Kain said. His voice had an odd undertone that had not been there before. “Lose the blazer, too.” He averted his eyes as I wriggled out of the restrictive blazer and shifted my gun to a holster hidden near my ankle. I shook out my hair.
"Better?" I asked.
“Yes, you're much less police-like. Try not to speak like an officer, and we might just have a chance.”
Kain seemed to have a plan. I supposed that was good, because I still felt as if I might be having an out-of-body experience.
We entered the small glass front door of the stuffy brick building. Part of me was glad to be rid of the blazer that had been stifling me for hours. The other part felt exposed in only my shirt sleeves and my gun out of reach. I looked around the cramped lobby of what appeared to be a second-rate office building. The waiting room chairs were out of date. Muzak played softly over a crackly speaker.
I followed Kain to the receptionist’s desk. She was a plump older woman with glasses poised crookedly on her nose. She blushed slightly when she glanced up and saw Kain smiling down at her with that elusive twinkle prominent in his eye. He picked a business card up off the corner of her desk, holding her attention with his eyes all the while. I glanced around him and read the name Douglas White, CPA across the top of the card. The card had a tiny symbol near the top, and I realized with a jolt that the intersecting triangles made the same diamond shape Kain had drawn on the map.
