by Siegel, Alex
"She's a pathological liar and a thief. Even I wouldn't trust her."
"I know," Virgil said, "but that might be what we need in an emergency. Let's move."
* * *
Virgil walked into Mei's workshop. She was still at her computer, but she was sagging in her chair and obviously tired. A plate on a nearby table was half-full of Chinese food. Six open soda cans formed a neat row on the floor.
"Any luck?" Virgil said.
"No," Mei said. "I'm throwing pebbles at stone walls and trying not to get caught."
"Maybe this will help."
He gave her the wallet taken from Mr. Charlie along with a scrap of paper showing a license plate number.
Sara, Lisa, and Alfred followed Virgil into the workshop. Sara handed the IMSI-catcher to Mei, and that generated much more interest than Virgil's offerings. Mei plugged the boxy device into her computer using a cable.
"Let's see what we got," she said eagerly.
She typed on her computer. Virgil tried to appear engaged, but the windows full of codes meant nothing to him. He could see from her reaction though that she didn't like what she was seeing.
"What's wrong?" he said.
"AES-256 encryption. Variable identifiers. Man-in-the-middle detection. Those phones were beyond military-grade security."
"We think the guys were Special Forces."
"Yes," Mei said. "I'm starting to think messing with them is a very bad idea."
Virgil furrowed his brow. "Can you still identify them from their phones?"
"Not a chance. I'd need access to top secret military databases." She sighed. "Let me see that wallet again."
She picked up the brown leather wallet and examined the contents.
"Fake ID?" Lisa said.
"Hard to tell," Mei said. "The cards are better than the ones I make." She nodded towards a special printer which made identification cards.
She went back to her computer and entered information from the wallet. Her keystrokes lacked enthusiasm, and after a couple of minutes, she took her hands off the keyboard.
"What's wrong now?" Virgil said.
"I'm scared. I've done everything I can to hide my trail, but if I keep poking this hornet's nest, I'm going to get stung. All it will take is one tiny mistake, and they'll figure out where I live."
"We'll protect you."
Mei raised her eyebrows. "From U.S. Special Forces?"
He had to admit she was making a good point. He, Alfred, Lisa, and Sara were inhumanly strong and tough, but they were no match for the military. A large enough number of bullets would shred their bodies and effectively destroy them.
"But without your help," Virgil said, "we're stuck. We have no other leads."
She winced. "I'm sorry."
"No, don't be. You're right. It's not your job to take those kinds of risks." He looked at the rest of the team. "Anybody have any ideas?"
Nobody spoke.
"Let's go back to headquarters and talk about it," Alfred said. "We can't just give up."
* * *
Colonel Jack Knox was sitting in his make-shift office behind his desk.
"Are we sure they're really aliens, sir?" Major Weber said.
"No," Knox said, "but Dr. Harlow thinks they are, and I lean towards taking his word for it. He's been right about everything else."
Major Weber was chief of security for the Crusader Special Unit. He was a big guy, and his particularly large shoulders made his head seem small. Sand-colored hair was cut close to the scalp. Orange-tinted safety goggles protected his eyes, and he almost never took them off. He held a M4 rifle with casual ease.
"But what if they have some kind of crazy technology? How are we supposed to deal with that? We already suspect they have mind-control. I spoke with Captain Kyle, and he seemed certain. He's not a man who likes to make up stories."
"These are valid concerns," Knox said. "We'll approach the aliens cautiously of course. We'll try to study them before we make any aggressive moves. We'll remain covert until the last second."
"Are we authorized to kill?"
Knox paused. Threats to the Unit had to be dealt with by any means necessary, but killing aliens was a big step. He didn't want to start an interstellar war.
"Let me think about that. I'm very much hoping for a clean, bloodless capture followed by a successful interrogation. Their technology might allow the United States to jump ahead hundreds of years."
"Yes, sir, " Weber said.
"And if they're not aliens, we still want to talk to them."
Knox heard loud footsteps on the staircase of the house. A moment later, Corporal Ramirez ran into the office with a piece of paper in her hands.
"Sirs!" she said excitedly. "We have a general idea of where the hacker is."
She placed the paper on Knox's desk, and he saw it was a map of Chicago. A red outline marked off several blocks on the south side. The neighborhood was labelled "Chinatown."
"You're sure?" he said.
Ramirez nodded. "Yes, sir. We performed a latency analysis and triangulated the packet streams."
"Fine work, I guess, but that's still a pretty big section. Thousands of people must live there."
"It's the best we could do, sir." She ducked her head apologetically.
Major Weber leaned over the map and examined it closely. "I think it will be good enough. We have pictures of the targets. We just have to perform surveillance until we spot them. A couple dozen operatives should be enough to cover the entire area nicely. We can spare that many men."
"Having guys stand on street corners might look suspicious," Knox said. "The last thing we want is for the aliens to know we're onto them."
Ramirez's eyes widened. "Aliens, sir? On Earth?"
"Forget you heard that. Dismissed. Go back to your station."
"Yes, sir." She quickly walked away.
"What do you suggest instead?" Major Weber said.
Knox thought for a moment. "Electronic surveillance. Hidden cameras. We can run the video through facial recognition software in real time."
"We're talking about a bunch of cameras, sir, and we'll have to mount them where they have good views of the street. I don't know how we'll hide all the wires."
"We'll need a cover story, a good reason for hanging things on lampposts and walls. Let's take a trip to Chinatown and do some recon."
"But, sir," Weber said, "what about the experiment tonight?"
"It will be a quick trip." Knox stood up.
* * *
The four primary members of the First Circle Club were staring at each other. They were sitting on couches and chairs in the basement of Red Palace Antiques. Nobody was talking, and the silence allowed Virgil to hear customers walking on the floor above. Mrs. Deng made of profitable business of selling counterfeit antiques to tourists.
"I think we'll have to use some kind of bait," Lisa said. "Maybe we can bring the feds to us."
"What bait?" Sara said. "I suggest we call that phone number again and ask for another meeting.
"They must know we're not really state troopers by now," Virgil said. "They'll come prepared to arrest us if they come at all."
"At least they'll come."
"I'd prefer a plan less likely to end in a bloody gun battle."
"Like what?" Lisa said. "We have no idea where they are. We think they're military, but we're not sure what kind. It's obviously a top secret project."
Virgil settled back in his chair and crossed his arms. "And they managed to sneak a soul into Heaven."
"That is the greatest mystery of all," Alfred said. "We should talk to Barachiel again. I have some nagging questions about the architecture of the universe."
He grabbed a silver tray off a shelf. He went to a utility sink and washed the tray thoroughly with dish soap. Then he filled it with water and placed it on a coffee table where everybody could see.
"Barachiel," Alfred said. "Barachiel. Can you hear me?"
The angel appeared, and it
was wearing a white gown this time. Tiny crystals glittered in the lacy fabric. In the background, souls were strolling through a garden full of blooming flowers.
"What can I do for you?" Barachiel said in a musical voice.
"We're running into difficulties with the investigation. It appears a military conspiracy is behind the trouble, but that's all we know. I want to attack the problem from a metaphysical angle. What are the ways a soul can get into Heaven?"
"When a human dies, his or her soul goes straight to Final Judgement."
"There was a waiting room," Lisa interjected.
"Yes," Barachiel said. "Sometimes the judge is busy, and souls must wait. They rise to Heaven or descend to Hell depending on how the judge rules."
"Was that judge God?"
"No. The Lord is too busy for such a time-consuming task."
"We didn't leave Heaven that way," Alfred said. "We rode a golden boat down a waterfall."
"And we used a cursed iron hatch in a filthy basement," Virgil said.
"Angels and demons have their own ways to visit the Earth," Barachiel said. "These secret passages or back doors are forbidden to mortals. You're an exception, of course."
"What if a human discovers one?"
"That is unlikely. All the passages are well hidden, and most are also locked or guarded."
"Locked how?" Virgil asked.
"It takes a special prayer or dance to activate them," Barachiel said. "A few require a unique artifact as a key. We take security seriously."
"But what if somebody guesses the right prayer or finds a passage without a lock? The iron hatch wasn't locked. The only security was the basement maze."
"If a passage is compromised, an archangel closes it and creates a new one elsewhere."
"And you watch all of them?" Virgil said.
"Constantly."
"Corporal Hartmann never went through Final Judgement. I'm guessing he found a way to sneak through a passage to Heaven."
Barachiel frowned. "That's a troubling inference, but your logic is sound."
"Is Heaven in space?" Lisa said.
"No. The truth is that Heaven and Hell are not part of the conventional universe at all. They exist in a parallel dimension, if I must use a physics analogy."
"Why?"
"When God conceived the Celestial Contract six thousand years ago," Barachiel said, "Heaven and Hell were created, and humans acquired souls. At that time, the universe was already 13.8 billion years old. Jamming Heaven and Hell into existing space would've disrupted the natural order. The Lord chose to place them outside as their own separate realms. It is impossible to reach them with conventional travel. One must use a secret passage."
"How many passages are there?" Virgil said.
"Hundreds scattered about the Earth. They are placed where most needed and moved occasionally."
"Let's say a human did use a secret passage and nobody noticed. What would happen when he entered Heaven?"
"Heaven isn't meant for the living," Barachiel said. "It is reserved for angels and eternal souls. I don't expect a human would survive long. There is little breathable air for one thing."
Virgil nodded. He knew from personal experience that Hell was burning hot and full of noxious gasses. A living person wouldn't last ten seconds down there.
"What about radiation?" Sara said. "Corporal Hartmann was cooked."
"God's glory is intensely bright," Barachiel said. "I suppose it might cook unprotected flesh. Angels are immune, of course."
"Then we have a theory," Virgil said. "Hartmann snuck into Heaven using a secret passage. His body died but his soul remained there. You said it yourself. Once a soul enters Heaven, it has a right to stay for all eternity."
The angel shook its head. "That seems extremely unlikely. No mortal has ever discovered a passage on his own, and no angel would give him that information, but I don't have a better suggestion."
"Then instead of chasing down a dangerous government conspiracy, we should be checking out local passages to Heaven. Maybe we can figure out which one was used."
"Those passages are closely guarded secrets."
"We already know where one passage to Heaven is," Alfred said. "Sara and I used it to get to Earth."
"That was unavoidable," Barachiel said. "I must discuss this proposal with other angels before I can reveal the secrets."
Virgil nodded. "In the meantime, we'll check out the passage Alfred used."
"Very well." The angel faded away.
Virgil smiled and looked at Alfred. "That was a smart line of questioning."
"Thank you," Alfred said.
"Now where is the passage?"
"Lake Michigan, sort of. Put on clothes you don't mind getting wet."
* * *
Colonel Knox hoped he looked like a real tourist. He was very conscious of his civilian clothes. He was wearing blue jeans, a Chicago Bears hoodie, and a knit ski cap. The latter made his scalp itch.
He and Major Weber were strolling through Chinatown. It was a chilly evening, but the weather was clear. The cold certainly wasn't keeping the tourists away. They crowded the sidewalks, stopping occasionally to take a picture.
Knox had never been to Chinatown in Chicago before, and he was mildly impressed. Many of the signs were in Chinese. Most of the businesses were restaurants, and he wondered how there was enough demand for Chinese food to keep all of them open. Gift shops and tea houses were also common. A huge, two-story shopping mall was the focal point of the neighborhood.
"We could put cameras on the roofs," Knox said.
Weber looked up at the sides of the brick buildings. "What if we disguised them as decorations?"
He was wearing a red sweatshirt and black pants. His big shoulders and chest stretched the fabric of his shirt.
"Yes, celebrating some obscure Chinese holiday," Knox said. "Our men will wear worker costumes and do the installation. We'll write up some paperwork to show people if they ask about it."
"But crafting a lot of decorations with hidden cameras inside will take days, sir."
"I disagree. The Army Research Laboratory has plenty of technicians and workshops. I bet we'll have the decorations done and shipped here by tomorrow night. This project has priority over everything else."
"I hope you're right, sir." Weber glanced left and right. "Knowing aliens are hiding on Earth makes me antsy."
"Let's head back to the house and try to get some sleep before the experiment." Knox rubbed his arms. "I hope it doesn't get much colder tonight."
Chapter Six
Virgil, Lisa, Alfred, and Sara were standing on Montrose Beach on the north side of Chicago. The gentle waters of Lake Michigan lapped against the sand. It was the middle of the night, and the lake was an endless expanse of black water which stretched to the eastern horizon. The air was very cool and damp. The only other person on the beach was a homeless man sleeping on the yellow sand.
"I don't see any kind of door," Lisa said.
"Of course not," Alfred said. "The passage to Heaven is hidden."
"Under the lake?"
"Not quite, but we still might get wet. Follow me and do exactly as I do."
Everybody was just wearing bathing suits and flip-flops. Virgil was glad the cold didn't affect him or he would be freezing.
Alfred walked towards the southern end of the beach where it jutted out into the water. Everybody else followed silently. The still air carried sounds of cars from the city.
They came to a thick cement wall which acted as a breakwater and protected the beach from erosion. The team climbed onto the wall and walked east, away from dry land. They stopped when they had gone as far as possible without jumping into the lake.
"Now what?" Lisa said.
Alfred smiled. "A leap of faith. Your heart must be full of confidence and serenity, and you have to walk backwards."
He looked towards the beach. Virgil also checked that no witnesses were in the area.
Alfred faced the shore and
took a step backwards. Instead of falling straight into the water, his foot landed on an invisible surface. As he continued to walk, he faded away like a ghost.
Sara performed the same trick. She smiled as she walked backwards across the invisible bridge until she finally disappeared.
"My turn!" Lisa said excitedly.
She ran to the same spot her friends had used, faced away from the lake, and took a step. She dropped into the lake with a loud splash. Virgil felt a cool spray on his skin.
She bobbed to the surface. "Hey! What happened?"
"Faith and serenity," Sara said from somewhere out of sight. "This may be difficult for you."
Virgil reached down and helped Lisa get back onto the wall. Dripping wet and scowling, she prepared to try again.
"Relax," Virgil said. "Do you have any pleasant memories that might calm you down?"
She considered for a moment. "The day I made sergeant was the best day of my life."
"Tell me about it."
"Nothing ever came easy for me. My dad left us when I was little. My mother never had enough money, and some nights we went hungry. School was a nightmare of drugs and violence. Half my friends ended up dead or in prison. But I fought through it all and graduated from high school. I joined the police force so I could clean up my own neighborhood. After twelve years of fighting in the trenches, I was promoted to sergeant. For the first time ever, I felt like I was a success. People looked up to me. I was in charge."
He nodded. "That determination is why Mammon chose you for this job. The demon had billions of souls to pick from, and it picked you and me. If you have faith in nothing else, have faith in yourself. You earned it."
Lisa smiled. She took a step, and this time, she stayed out of the water. She walked backwards on thin air and faded away.
It was Virgil's turn. He took the position on the edge of the wall and faced the shore. He never lacked confidence, but he wanted some extra serenity to be safe.
He thought about Mei. He had many reasons to want to stay on Earth, but she was the biggest. She was so beautiful and smart. He had finally met the woman of his dreams, but he had needed to come back from the dead to do it. He wished she had felt as strongly about him, but at least she was friendly, and at times, more than friendly. He had the serenity to accept what he could not change.
