Paradise Hacked (First Circle Club Book 2)

by Siegel, Alex

  "I don't know, but we can't let her kill the project."

  "She may have a point. We're running out of ideas, and I'm tired of sending men to their deaths."

  Harlow didn't want to hear that kind of talk. If the experiments didn't continue, the mysterious face would abandon him, and his immortal soul would be doomed to an eternity of hellfire.

  "We can't quit just because we're running into headwinds," he said. "Success here could benefit all of mankind, and failure could be catastrophic."

  "I agree," Knox said, "but we need a way forward, and I'm not sure what it is. Something out there wadded up steel armor like tissue paper and threw the bloody mess back at us."

  Harlow rubbed his temples. An idea suddenly occurred to him. "The aliens in Chinatown."

  "What about them?"

  "They know the secrets of the portal. They can tell us how to use it safely."

  "Maybe," Knox said, "but they could have technology which can kick our asses. We need to observe them from a safe distance for a while. We have to go slow. By the way, they called again and left a hostile message. They want another meeting."

  Harlow straightened up. His stomach had settled, and his nausea had faded.

  "Then meet them. What are you afraid of? You have whole squads of Special Forces operatives at your disposal."

  "What if they use mind-control again?" Knox said. "I'm not opposed to a meeting, but it will require preparation and planning."

  "You're right." Harlow sighed. "Let's get some sleep and figure it out in the morning, but that's clearly what we should focus on instead of more experiments. Those aliens have the answers we need."

  "If they really are aliens. That is yet to be determined. And Ms. Penn is going to be a big political problem for us. I'm not sure what to do about her."

  He noticed Penn standing by herself. If Knox wouldn't deal with her, then Harlow would have to.

  He had an idea. He assumed she would take an executive jet back to Washington. High-ranking government officials rarely bothered with commercial flights. If her airplane had an unfortunate accident in the air, his problem would be neatly solved.

  That can be arranged, Harlow thought.

  "Should we tell her about Chinatown?" Knox said.

  "No. That would make things even worse. I'll handle her, sir. Ms. Penn!" he called. "Please, come back."

  Penn walked over. "Ready to concede?"

  "Not quite. Before you go to Washington tomorrow, please give me one more chance to plead my case."

  "It won't make a difference."

  "I think it might," Harlow added. "We can talk in the car during your ride to the airport. I'll see you to your plane."

  Penn shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"

  * * *

  "Hey!" Barachiel said. "I need to talk to you!" The angel's voice was full of beautiful, musical harmonies even though the tone was anxious.

  Virgil, Alfred, Sara, and Lisa stood up from their couches and chairs. They gathered around a silver tray on the table in the basement. A thin layer of water remained at the bottom of the tray, but it was enough to show a ghostly image of Barachiel's exquisite face.

  "What's wrong?" Sara said.

  "The soul of Charles Hill just showed up in Heaven. He never went through Final Judgement, and he doesn't belong here."

  "Did you talk to him?"

  "I tried," Barachiel said, "but he made a sacred, binding oath to not reveal the secret. He was very uncooperative."

  "Just like the other one," Virgil said. "This is becoming a trend."

  "An extremely upsetting trend. Such oaths are meant to aid Heaven, not block us. Somebody is mucking with the system, and it has to stop. How is your investigation going?"

  "Temporarily stalled. We're waiting for the opposition to call us back. All we know is they are a secret military operation."

  "What if they don't call?" Barachiel said.

  "Then we're back to square one." Virgil sighed. "I thought angels had a great view of everything that happens on Earth. No sins can be hidden from Heaven, right? Why can't you see who is behind this mess?"

  "That's a very good question." The angel had a thoughtful expression. "It appears my vision is... clouded."

  "Then it sounds like the problem is as much up there as down here. Have you investigated? Some angel must be responsible."

  "You don't understand. A conspiracy in Heaven is simply impossible. I wouldn't know where to start looking."

  A cracked and filthy mirror was propped up next to the tray. The reflection suddenly darkened and became a view into Hell. Virgil saw damned souls crammed into tiny iron cages. Clouds of biting, stinging insects constantly attacked the souls who barely had room to squirm. The souls would be stuck in those cages forever. He grimaced.

  Mammon's grotesquely obese face appeared in the frame. Rotten food dripped from the corners of the demon's mouth. Blue jets of flame shooting from its eyes told Virgil it was furious.

  "It happened again!" Mammon roared.

  "I was meaning to talk to you about that," Barachiel said calmly.

  "This is beyond unacceptable! You're cheating us out of damned souls!"

  "That's not true. I'm as shocked and upset as you."

  "You don't seem particularly upset," Mammon said with a snarl.

  "I'm an angel. I don't throw temper tantrums."

  "I demand you send the soul of Charles Hill down to me where it belongs."

  "We don't know where it belongs," Barachiel said. "It never went through Final Judgement."

  "Then send it to Final Judgement!"

  "Nothing would make me happier, but the Celestial Contract is clear on this matter. The Karnak passage states, 'whomever doth reach Heaven may enjoy his eternal reward.' We can go as far back as the Hypogeum assertion. 'Only angels have the power to descend from the Divine Kingdom.' Of course, that rule has several exceptions, but none of those are relevant in this case."

  "Don't quote the Contract to me," Mammon said. "This matter goes beyond the letter of the law to its intent. The Contract was written to regulate the war between good and evil. Victory will be decided by which side has the most souls at the End of Days. That outcome becomes meaningless when one side steals souls from the other!"

  "You're being ridiculous. You're blaming us for something which clearly isn't our fault. I have Sara and Alfred investigating, don't I? What more do you expect from me?"

  "I demand some form of compensation."

  "What do you have in mind?" Barachiel said. "You want money? That would be very unusual, but I suppose something could be arranged...."

  "No. I want a good soul sent to Hell to balance the sinful soul you just stole."

  "That's impossible. I just explained Heaven can't release souls."

  "Then I'll take one," Mammon growled.

  The demon vanished, and the mirror returned to its normal appearance.

  The basement was silent for a moment.

  Barachiel finally said, "Oh my."

  "Can it really steal a soul?" Sara said.

  "I wouldn't think so. Demons aren't allowed in Heaven. I must consult with the other archangels."

  Barachiel faded away.

  Virgil looked at his teammates. "This situation is getting worse, and we're just sitting here, waiting for a phone call!"

  "We're doing the best we can," Alfred said. "Relax. Frustration and anger won't help our cause. Do you want me to teach you a calming breathing exercise?"

  "No, I do not. I'd rather just stew for a while and contemplate my pathetic failures as a leader."

  Virgil picked a random chair and sat down. He landed hard enough to make the wood creak.

  A few minutes later, his phone rang, startling him. He checked the caller ID and saw Mei's number. What is she doing awake at this hour? he wondered.

  Virgil answered the call, "What's wrong?"

  "My father stopped breathing!" Mei blubbered.

  "Did you call 9-1-1?"

  "Yes, but the ambulance is
n't here yet. Bring Sara! Maybe she can heal him!"

  "We'll be there in one minute." He stood up and stuffed his phone into his pocket. "Mr. Li is in trouble!"

  The entire team ran out of the basement.

  * * *

  Colonel Knox heard his phone ring. He was in the bathroom of his hotel room, drying off after a shower. He liked to wash up before going to bed.

  He ran out of the bathroom with a towel still in hand. His phone was lying on a desk. He scooped it up and accepted the call.

  "Colonel Knox here," he said.

  "Sir, this is Captain Kyle in Chinatown. All four subjects just ran out of the basement. I have men in pursuit."

  "Make sure our people aren't spotted."

  "I told them to be very cautious, sir," Kyle said. "The drones are also following, and we're tracking the phone signals. We won't lose them. There is something very odd, sir. The drones are equipped with regular and infrared cameras."

  "I know," Knox said.

  "But the subjects aren't visible in the infrared. They don't seem to have any body heat. The cameras are picking up cars and other people just fine, so it's not an equipment problem."

  Knox furrowed his brow. For the first time, he had clear evidence that the subjects weren't human. The news was exciting but disconcerting at the same time.

  Kyle continued, "I believe the basement is unoccupied now. What should we do?"

  Knox dried his hair with his free hand while he considered the question. He shivered a little. The hotel room was too cold for him to be walking around naked and damp.

  "Send a team into the basement," he said, "but just to look around. Don't touch anything. Leave no sign you were there. Take pictures and get out."

  "Yes, sir," Kyle said.

  "I'm going to bed, but feel free to call if something urgent comes up. Otherwise, I'll hear the report in the morning."

  "Yes, sir."

  Knox put down his phone and looked at his bed eagerly. It had been a very long day, and he was tired.

  * * *

  Virgil glanced over his shoulder. His sharp ears had picked up the sound of footsteps behind him.

  He stopped running and looked back. He was standing on a narrow road in Chinatown. A red sign advertised a Chinese food court and a radio station. A parking lot and an elevated train platform were across the street. Clouds blocked the stars, and street lamps provided all the light. He heard the buzz of an electrical transformer.

  Sara and Alfred kept going. Only Lisa stopped to see what was wrong.

  "I thought I heard something," Virgil said.

  Lisa stared down the road. "You want me to check it out?"

  "Yeah. Be careful."

  She walked over to the wall of a two-story brick building. She leapt straight up and grabbed the sill of an upper-story window. Using arm strength alone, she jerked herself upwards again and grasped the edge of the roof. She flipped her body onto the roof and vanished from sight.

  Virgil resumed running and reached Li and Li's Electronics Boutique a moment later. The lights were on, and the security gate was open. He presumed Sara and Alfred had already gone inside.

  Virgil jogged through the shop to the storeroom in back. He bounded up the wooden staircase to reach the Li's apartment. He went inside without bothering to knock.

  Nice furniture made of wood and wicker decorated the apartment. A wall panel had the outlines of lotus flowers engraved in the surface. Yellow, stone tiles covered the floor.

  Voices drew Virgil to Mr. Li's bedroom. The old man was lying on his narrow bed with his eyes closed. Sara was checking his pulse. Alfred held Mei in his arms, and she was sobbing hysterically.

  "Can you heal him?" she cried.

  Sara shook her head sadly. "He already passed away. I can't raise the dead. I'm very sorry."

  "What happened?" Virgil said.

  Mei ran to him and threw her arms around his chest. He gave her a tender hug.

  "He yelled my name," she said. "He sounded scared. I jumped out of bed and ran in here, but he was already... like this."

  Sara sniffed the air and narrowed her eyes angrily.

  Virgil quickly reached a horrifying conclusion. All the members of the team had noses that were blind to ordinary scents, but they could detect supernatural odors. Alfred and Sara could smell demons, and Virgil and Lisa could sniff out angels.

  Mammon killed Mr. Li and took his soul, Virgil thought.

  He was furious. The demon could've chosen any good soul on Earth, but it had obviously wanted to make a point. When the First Circle Club failed, the consequences would be painful and personal. Nobody was safe from Mammon's wrath.

  The worst part was Virgil couldn't do anything about it. Mammon had acted with the malicious cruelty befitting a prince of Hell. The demon's job was to be a huge asshole, and it took pride in a job well done. Virgil had no chance of getting even the smallest apology. Mammon reported to Satan, so going up the chain of command was a ludicrous idea. Virgil would just have to swallow his anger for now.

  He decided Mei didn't need to know the truth. It was better for her to believe her father had suffered a simple heart attack.

  Virgil heard footsteps outside the room. Two paramedics in white uniforms rushed in with medical equipment in hand. They went straight to the body, and everybody else backed away.

  * * *

  Lisa was walking along the edge of a roof in perfect silence. Nothing moved on the street below. Street lamps created pools of yellow light, but the shadows were larger.

  A metallic clatter made her turn her head. She jumped off the roof, and her legs absorbed the energy of the two-story fall. She ran down the street and squatted behind a parked car. She cautiously peeked over the car at some steel garbage cans. A gray cat was searching for a meal. Damn it, she thought.

  Lisa stood up straight with her hands on her hips. Virgil wouldn't have sent her on a wild goose chase. If he had heard something, then she believed it.

  Oily fluid leaked from the garbage cans and created a puddle which reflected the night sky. She noticed something odd in the reflection. A black object was hovering high in the air. It was nearly invisible, but her outstanding eyesight and a trick of the light allowed her to see the round shape of the fuselage. The object was about two feet across and looked like a helicopter with four rotors.

  The drone remained motionless for several seconds. Then it abruptly shot away, and she lost sight of it in the darkness.

  Lisa suddenly had a very bad feeling. She had read about the rising popularity of aerial drones. Police departments had started to use them, but the military had pioneered the technology.

  She started walking, unsure about what to do. She needed to confirm she was being watched. She had binoculars back at headquarters, so she headed there.

  She picked up her pace and was soon running. A minute later, she reached the staircase leading down to the basement of Red Palace Antiques. The lights were on in headquarters, and the door was slightly ajar, but that didn't surprise her. Everybody had left in a hurry.

  Lisa jogged down the stairs and entered. A few bare bulbs provided all the light, and shadows filled much of the basement. It would've been a spooky place to most people, but she had spent time in much worse.

  She heard a slight creaking noise. Somebody was walking on the wooden floor above. The antique store was closed this late.

  She needed a weapon. She padded over to the footlocker containing the handguns. The second footlocker held rifles which weren't ideal for a confrontation in close quarters. The third and final footlocker was full of body armor and grenades.

  Lisa spun the dial on the combination lock while she listened for more noises. She heard another creak, but she forced herself to remain calm and focused. She finally opened the footlocker.

  She grabbed the first gun she saw, a Glock 17. She verified that the magazine was full of 9 mm ammunition, and then she loaded a round into the chamber.

  She silently ran through the spacious ba
sement. She climbed a set of wooden stairs, but she walked on the sides to avoid making any noise. She emerged into a dark antique store and looked around.

  A little light leaked in through the front windows and enabled Lisa to see. Wooden cabinets, chairs, and tables were the main items on display. The store also offered big vases, Buddha statues, elegantly framed mirrors, plates, jade figurines, and even a few swords. She didn't see any intruders though.

  Movement caught Lisa's eye. A brass bell attached to the front door was swinging back and forth. She ran over and checked the door. It was unlocked. She knew for a fact that the owner locked the door every night.

  Lisa peeked outside. South Archer Avenue was in front of the store, and the busy street always had some traffic even late at night. She noticed a black van speeding away. It blew through a stop light and kept going into the night.

  "Damn it!" she said.

  She had to tell Virgil. She took out her phone but then had second thoughts. The military certainly had the capability to tap phone calls. She decided delivering the news in person would be better.

  Lisa locked the front door and went back down to the basement. She grabbed a pair of binoculars off a shelf, the original reason she had come.

  Then she decided she wanted a lot more. She opened up all three footlockers containing weapons. She grabbed a duffle bag and stuffed it with hardware until she could barely close the zipper. The bag weighed a good fifty pounds, but she could handle the weight. She finally relocked the footlockers.

  She ran out of the basement using the back steps. She wasn't worried about leading the military back to her teammates because their location was probably already known. Virgil had heard that noise earlier.

  Lisa peeked over her shoulder as she jogged through Chinatown. She didn't see anything suspicious lurking in the shadows, but that didn't mean the enemy wasn't there. Special Forces guys knew how to stay hidden.

  She quickly reached Li and Li's Electronics Boutique which was just a couple of blocks away. The door was open and the lights were on. She jogged through the store and the back storeroom. She thumped up the wooden steps leading to the Li's apartment.

  Virgil was in the main room with Mei in his arms. She was weeping softly with her face against his chest. Alfred and Sara were standing by with sad expressions.