Paradise Hacked (First Circle Club Book 2)

by Siegel, Alex

  He made an effort to enjoy the incredible experience. He expected very few people had ever harvested milk from Saturn's rings in the Seventh Heaven. He wished he had grandchildren so he could tell them the story.

  The sack expanded as it filled, and he eventually had enough white stuff to fill a fifty-gallon drum. It looked like Lisa had gathered the same amount. Barachiel pulled away from the rings and stopped flying. The angel gave pieces of white rope to Virgil and Lisa, and they tied the tops of the sacks tightly.

  Barachiel snapped its wings.

  Virgil found himself back on the silver platform with the old lady. The sudden return of gravity made him stumble, and he almost dropped the sack over the edge. He grabbed Lisa to steady her.

  "Your journey through Heaven is complete," Barachiel said.

  Lisa pursed her lips and clearly wanted to make a comment, but she kept quiet.

  "Thanks," Virgil said. "I hope we didn't embarrass you."

  "You did a little, but I forgive you. Now step off the platform and fall back to Earth. Hold the sacks tightly so you don't lose them."

  He looked over the edge and saw only blue sky below. He realized this was a critical moment. He was in Heaven now and could stay if he wanted. If he jumped, he might have to return to Hell someday.

  Virgil looked at Lisa and could tell she was having the same thought.

  "Alfred is relying on us," he said.

  "We have two sacks. One is probably enough."

  "You told me I could trust you."

  She winced. "I did." Her shoulders sagged. "Heaven is boring anyway. Earth is where the action is."

  Lisa wrapped both arms around her sack and jumped off.

  Virgil looked at Barachiel and said, "I'm off. Thanks for the tour. Good bye." He leapt.

  * * *

  The sound of a giant spring startled Captain Kyle.

  "Virgil and Lisa are back," Alfred mumbled, "just in time."

  Kyle got out of the car and walked over to the fence surrounding the amusement park. Virgil and Lisa arrived on the other side of the fence, and they were carrying huge white sacks over their shoulders. The sacks sloshed around and obviously contained a liquid.

  Virgil set down his sack. He grabbed the bottom of the wire fence and lifted, pulling it out of the ground. Kyle lent his strength to the effort until there was a big gap at the bottom. Lisa pushed the sacks under the fence, and then she crawled through.

  Virgil let go and climbed over the fence despite rusty barbed wire on top. His inhuman speed and agility astonished Kyle again.

  "What's in the sacks?" Kyle said.

  "Let's just call it space milk and leave it at that," Virgil said. "You two open a sack, and I'll dump Alfred in."

  The sacks were tied tightly with white rope, and it took a moment to untie one. Kyle and Lisa held the top so the white, gluey liquid inside wouldn't slosh out. He sniffed. The strange material smelled like fresh baked cookies. It was as light as cotton balls.

  "Is it safe?" he said.

  "I wouldn't eat it if I were you," Virgil said.

  He gently extracted Alfred from the minivan. Alfred was too weak to do anything but lie in Virgil's arms. Virgil deposited Alfred into the open sack, and the flexible fabric stretched a little more.

  "Oh!" Alfred said. "That feels wonderful!"

  He sank below the surface with just a few bubbles left behind.

  Kyle raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

  "Better tie it up again so we don't lose any milk," Virgil said.

  "Won't Alfred drown?" Kyle said.

  "No. He's fine."

  They tied the sack as tight as possible. They placed both sacks on the back seat of the minivan, filling the space.

  "Will he be alright?" Mei said.

  "Sure," Virgil said. "We'll check on him in the morning. He should be healed by then."

  He sat in the driver's seat and settled in. Lisa, Kyle, and Mei also got into the car.

  Virgil exhaled. "OK. Crisis averted. Now we can come up with a new plan."

  "Saving Sara comes first," Lisa said. "Those military jarheads could be torturing her."

  "Hey," Kyle said. "Those jarheads are my friends... but you're probably right. A captive alien is a huge prize. They'll assume she knows all about advanced technology and weapons. They'll do whatever is necessary to get that information out of her."

  Lisa snorted. "Sara can barely handle a cell phone."

  "Which reminds me, when we searched your base in Chinatown, we didn't find much technology. Just regular office supplies. What were you doing there?"

  "We're investigators," Virgil said. "We use the same kind of stuff that ordinary detectives use. Is there anybody you can ask about Sara's location?"

  Kyle shook his head. "I'm sure everybody in the Crusader Special Unit thinks I'm a traitor. They'll assume I helped you assault our headquarters. They won't talk to me."

  "Let's be clear. Killing wasn't our original intention. They opened fire first. They planted the claymore at the front door."

  Kyle grunted. "Things happen in war. I understand, and I partly blame myself. I should've been there to help manage the situation." He paused. "There is a chance my name is still good outside the unit, and I have a few friends in the Pentagon. Maybe I could talk to one of them."

  "I don't know," Virgil said. "Sounds risky for you and your friends. Besides, I doubt any outsiders would know anything useful. The project is top secret. Only a handful of people will know Sara's location."

  "True."

  "It doesn't help that the military knows all our faces. If a picture of us pops up anywhere, we're in trouble. We're also driving a stolen car. We don't have phones or a lot of money. This is a tough situation. We need a secret weapon to improve our odds."

  "Are you going to do another impossible trick?" Kyle said.

  "No." Virgil turned to Lisa. "What about the Cat Lady?"

  Lisa made a sour face. "I don't trust her."

  "But she has all the skills of a master spy, and the authorities don't know about her."

  "Who is this Cat Lady?" Kyle said.

  "A professional acquaintance," Virgil said.

  "Is she human?"

  "Yes. Damn! The notebook with her phone number is back in Chinatown."

  "I know how to disable all the surveillance cameras," Kyle said. "I can get you in and out safely. Hopefully, nobody will die this time."

  "Good. Thanks."

  "And I need some stuff from my workshop," Mei said. "It will help with the mission."

  "We won't stay for long," Virgil said.

  "Five minutes should be enough."

  He worked his jaw. "OK, but not a second more. Captain, tell us what we need to do."

  * * *

  Virgil parked the car in the shadow of a large brick building. Kyle quietly got out and looked around. He had picked the location because it was a blind spot in the Chinatown surveillance system. Night had fallen, and the darkness helped. A heavy crowbar in his hands was also comforting.

  He looked up the side of the building. The windows were boarded up, and a "FOR SALE" sign was posted on the outside. Soldiers were hidden inside.

  Lisa got out. "How are we doing this?"

  She had armed herself with just two pistols. Kyle was packing a gun he had borrowed from Virgil. Kyle didn't think it was enough, but weapons were in short supply at the moment.

  "The operatives are on the third floor, west side," he said. "Let's avoid casualties this time. I'll lead."

  "You go your way, and I'll go mine."

  "What do you mean?"

  Lisa jumped onto the side of the building. She climbed straight up using the edges of bricks as handholds. She clung to the wall like a big spider. She needed just twenty seconds to reach the roof.

  Kyle shook his head in disbelief.

  Virgil rolled down his windows. "She is a show-off, isn't she? Get moving. You have five minutes."

  Kyle nodded. He didn't mind time pressure.


  He had helped install the surveillance equipment, so he knew the best way to go. He went around to the side of the building and climbed a fire escape. He stopped at the second floor and pried open a window with his crowbar. The interior was dark.

  Unfortunately, night vision goggles hadn't been available. He had to settle for a much inferior pen light. He took the light out of his pocket and shone it at the floor in front of him.

  He moved swiftly through the building. It had been a furniture factory, and some broken manufacturing equipment remained. Rusting steel hulks loomed in the darkness. The open floor plan made it easy for him to get around.

  Kyle climbed a back staircase and reached the third floor. Two operatives were sitting on folding chairs under temporary work lights. They were staring at a stack of video displays and communications equipment. Bundles of cables snaked across the floor. All the surveillance in Chinatown converged at this nerve center.

  Where is Lisa? Kyle wondered. He decided to proceed without her.

  He stepped into the light with his Heckler & Koch Mark 23 in hand. "Gentlemen. No sudden moves, please."

  The two operatives looked at him with startled expressions. Assault rifles were lying on a table just out of reach.

  "Captain Kyle," one man said, "what an unpleasant surprise. Traitor."

  The word stung, but Kyle didn't let it show. "This situation has nuances you are unaware of."

  "Good men died today. That's not a nuance."

  Kyle didn't have time to argue. A microphone on a stand was wired to the communications equipment. He knew it would broadcast to the radios of all the operatives in the area. He grabbed the microphone and squeezed the send button.

  "All units," he said gruffly to disguise his voice, "proceed immediately to the river. The targets have been located near the river. Go there now."

  He put down the microphone and reached for the master power switch.

  "Don't!" the operative said. "Throw that switch, and we'll kill you."

  "I have the gun."

  "There are two of us. At least one of us will get you."

  Kyle assessed the situation. The operatives had side-arms in holsters in addition to their assault rifles. Body armor left only their faces exposed. He expected they had very quick reactions. He might have trouble killing both of them before they shot him.

  Lisa appeared out of the shadows. He hadn't even known she was in the room. She slipped the operatives' guns out of their holsters from behind and tossed them aside.

  One man jumped out of his chair to attack her. She picked him up and threw him down onto the concrete floor. He lay there stunned.

  The other tried to help his comrade. Lisa sent him staggering backwards with a straight punch to the jaw. The impact made an audible thump. Then she folded him in half with a brutal kick to the midsection.

  "Hit the switch," she said.

  Kyle flipped the power switch. All the equipment went dead. The Crusader Special Unit was now blind in Chinatown.

  "I want their weapons and armor," Lisa said. "I want all of it. Help me strip these guys."

  * * *

  Virgil checked his watch. That's five minutes, he thought.

  He started the minivan and drove through Chinatown. Traffic made the journey slower than he liked, but having other cars around made his less obvious.

  His first stop was Li and Li's Electronics Boutique. He parked as near the front door as he could get.

  "Pack just what you need," Virgil said. "Don't waste any time."

  Mei nodded, got out of the car, and ran to the store.

  He immediately drove onwards. He circled the block and entered the alley behind Red Palace Antiques. He parked above the stairwell and left the engine running.

  Virgil checked carefully in both directions before exposing himself. Coming here was a significant risk. He had to move fast.

  He got out and jumped down the stairs. The door was locked, but he still had the key in his pocket. He unlocked the door and went inside.

  The notepad he needed was sitting on the table, and he scooped it up. He looked around to see what else he wanted. He spotted a leather bag containing gold coins and cash. Mammon had given Virgil the gold just before his arrival on Earth, and most had been spent, but plenty still remained. He snatched the bag off a shelf.

  He decided he also wanted a few more weapons. He opened the second footlocker which contained rifles and shotguns. He hastily grabbed three random assault rifles and a bunch of loaded magazines.

  Virgil ran back to the minivan. He dumped the rifles into the back, sat in the driver's seat, and started the engine. He drove straight to the boutique. Mei hadn't come out yet, and he clucked his tongue nervously while he waited.

  Finally, she ran out the front door. She had a steel briefcase in one hand and a laptop in the other. She opened the side door and climbed in. As soon as she was settled, he drove off.

  "Any problems?" Virgil said.

  "Nope," Mei said. "I'm ready to wreck those Army guys."

  * * *

  Kyle heard a car horn.

  "Our ride is here," Lisa said. "Time to go."

  He checked the men on the floor one last time. Kyle and Lisa had stripped them down to their underwear. They were tied up with power cables taken from the surveillance equipment.

  Kyle led Lisa out the way he had come in. It wasn't the quickest route, but he knew it was safe. Both of them were carrying a full load of equipment taken from the soldiers.

  The minivan was parked in the shadows of the building with the engine idling. Virgil was driving.

  He rolled down the window and said, "You brought toys. Good. Put them in the back."

  Kyle opened the back of the minivan and discovered an M16, an AK-47, and a FAMAS. The weapons were old but could still kill. Kyle and Lisa added to the pile.

  They found seats. As soon as the doors were closed, Virgil drove off.

  "Where did you get the guns?" Kyle said.

  "Headquarters," Virgil said.

  "Who supplied them to you?"

  "Black market. We paid cash."

  "You would think aliens, or whatever you are, wouldn't have to buy weapons off the street," Kyle said.

  "That would be my assumption, too," Virgil replied bitterly, "but our upper management doesn't always provide the enthusiastic support I would expect. Sometimes it's more like benign neglect. I have Cat Lady's number. We need to call her."

  "I have new phones in my briefcase," Mei said.

  "Are they secure?"

  "I can make them secure. I just need a place to work with good lighting and internet access."

  "I'll find a motel," Virgil said.

  * * *

  The phone on Colonel Knox's desk rang.

  He grabbed it, "Yes?"

  "Sir!" a man said. "You need to come to the security room!"

  Knox put down the phone and ran through the church. The security and communications center was on the bottom floor of a bell tower. Cool air greeted him when he opened the door. The men and women working at the consoles wore jackets.

  "What is it?" Knox said.

  "We lost Chinatown, sir," an older lieutenant said. "The surveillance feeds are dark. No response on the tactical radios."

  "Power outage?"

  "Unknown. We're trying to get through using regular cell phones."

  "Got one, sir!" a woman said.

  She handed a headset to Knox, and he slipped it over his head.

  "Report!" he said.

  "Yes, sir," a man replied over the headset. "We received an order to go to the river. A moment later, we lost contact with the base station. Only short-range communication is working."

  "Is anybody hurt?"

  "Not as far as I know, but I can't speak for the two men at the base station."

  Knox clenched his jaw in anger. The aliens had obviously returned to Chinatown on some errand. Captain Kyle had told them exactly where and how to strike. There was no other possible explanation.
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br />   "Return to your posts cautiously," Knox ordered. "The enemy is probably in the area. Send a squad over to the base station to assess the situation. Weapons hot. Don't hesitate to shoot."

  "Yes, sir."

  He returned the headset and left the bell tower. He walked slowly back to his office, thinking deeply.

  The aliens were a serious threat to his operation, and Captain Kyle's treachery made the situation much worse. His head was full of classified information. He knew exactly how the Crusader Special Unit operated.

  Knox was bringing in more resources from Washington to deal with the situation, but he had to be careful. If he raised the alarm too much, some Army general would swoop in and steal his command. He was lucky it hadn't happened already. He had to maintain the illusion everything was completely under control.

  Knox stopped walking. He was in the middle of Harlow's laboratory. The doctor and his assistants were crowded around a table with sketchpads in hand. They were designing the suit which would keep Harlow alive during his journey through the portal.

  Knox wished them luck. The project was teetering on the edge of disaster and desperately needed some good luck. The colonel wouldn't pull the plug though, no matter how bad things got. He never surrendered.

  * * *

  Virgil tapped his foot impatiently.

  The team had rented two adjoining rooms in a roadside motel. A connecting door made them effectively one suite. Cheap furniture had scuff marks and dings, and the style looked antiquated even to Virgil's eyes. Lisa and Kyle were watching the news on a television in the other room.

  Virgil was with Mei. She was performing delicate surgery on a cell phone. Every portable lamp available was placed to give her as much light as possible.

  Virgil glanced over his shoulder. The sack containing Alfred was leaning against the corner of the room. Leaving it in the car hadn't seemed right even though Alfred wouldn't know the difference. The sack was motionless.

  Virgil recalled his own similar experience months ago. He had needed a long soak in Hell mud to recover from profound injuries. During those eight hours, he had experienced a kind of peace he hadn't known in a very long time. He envied Alfred a little.

  "I think I got it," Mei said. "You can make your call now, but don't yank out the wires."