by Siegel, Alex
The group found a table in the corner and squeezed around it. A waitress came by and handed out menus. Virgil and Lisa ignored theirs.
"What's the plan?" Virgil said.
"Simple," Cat said. "We just need three disguises and a car."
"Three?"
"For you, Lisa, and Kyle. I'm not going in. My long hair would never pass for military, and neither would Mei's. And I'm not getting a haircut just for this."
"OK," Virgil said. "So where are we getting disguises and a car?"
"And badges," Kyle added.
Cat glanced at him. "You only need one badge to get past the checkpoint. I can get the badge and the car, and you'll help me. Mei, I need you to buy some art supplies. Fine pencils, pens, and an X-Acto knife. We may have to touch up the badge to make it look right."
Mei nodded. "And I also want to buy some electronic components and tools."
"Good thing I brought the bag of cash," Virgil said. He didn't remember ceding control of the team to Cat, but she had a confidence that made him play along. "What about Lisa and me?"
"You two can get the costumes," Cat said.
"Where?"
"Do I have to explain everything?" She rolled her eyes. "The dry cleaners, of course. With the military base here, I'm sure lots of uniforms will be on the racks."
"Uniforms owned by other people," Virgil said.
She made a dismissive gesture. "An unimportant detail. We'll need a place to meet afterwards. A motel room would be perfect."
"I saw one at the edge of town on the way in."
"Then we're all set. Let's order our food and eat! It's going to be a busy day."
* * *
Cat walked into a pharmacy and looked around. The store was small but well-stocked.
Kyle was with her. "What are you looking for?" he said.
"Sleeping pills. Strong ones."
"You're having trouble sleeping?"
She gave him an exasperated look. "I thought you were trained to be a covert operative."
"I was," he said.
"Then why are you so ignorant of the basic techniques?"
A sign led Cat to the right aisle. She found a bottle marked "maximum strength, fast acting." That will do, she thought.
She headed towards the counter to pay for the drug. Along the way, she grabbed a bag of black licorice. It was one of her guilty pleasures. She also picked up a pill crusher and a pair of scissors she could use to cut hair. Kyle followed along dutifully.
She was enjoying his companionship. She had had many bad experiences with men, but she trusted him... a little. He hadn't made a single inappropriate remark so far. Nor had he touched her in an ungentlemanly way even though he clearly desired her.
Cat paid for the items with cash. She left the pharmacy.
"What's next?" Kyle said.
"The cheapest, nastiest bar in town."
"I assume you don't intend to get drunk while on a mission."
"Not me," she said, "but somebody will get wasted."
* * *
Virgil and Lisa stopped in front of Zelda's Laundry Service. It was a lonely little building with a neon sign in the window. Virgil peeked through the glass. An old woman was sitting behind the counter, painting polish on her nails. As Cat had predicted, many Air Force uniforms in clear plastic bags hung from a conveyor behind her.
"I'm not going to beat up an old lady just to steal some clothes," he said.
"I'll keep her busy while you collect the booty," Lisa said.
"This feels so dirty."
"You're cute when you try to act nice. Come on."
She entered the shop first. She had barely stepped through the door when she started yelling about ripped and stained clothing. She walked around the counter and between the racks of clothes. She headed towards the back, still shouting like an enraged lunatic. The old woman protested feebly as she followed but was powerless to stop Lisa.
Virgil slipped into the shop. He grabbed a half-dozen uniforms in a variety of sizes and styles. With clothing heaped over his arms, he left.
He headed towards the motel at a quick walk.
He was half-way across the small town when the sound of footsteps made him look back. Lisa was catching up.
"Looks like you got a full load," she said. "That was easy."
"Too easy," Virgil said. "That old woman will probably have to pay for the stolen clothes."
"Let's find a way to slip her some cash."
"Sure. We'll mail it to her when the mission is done."
Chapter Twenty
Cat and Kyle were sitting on a park bench in a tiny park. It was an oasis of green in a land of browns and yellows. The park even had a couple of oak trees, although they weren't very healthy.
Zelda's Saloon was across the street. The parking lot was empty, but Cat was willing to wait for the right customer to show up for a drink, however long that took. Patience was a key trait of a good con-artist.
"What do you think about Virgil and Lisa?" Kyle said.
"Scary," Cat said. "Have you seen them fight?"
"Yes. Intimidating."
"What a messed up, crazy situation." She paused. "When I first met Virgil, I could tell right away he was different, but I didn't know how different. I came back to him because some instinct told me he could get me off the dark path. He is uniquely qualified to confront evil."
"I expect he is an expert on the subject."
"By the way." She nudged Kyle's arm. "I should apologize for stealing your friend's wallet in the coffee shop."
"That was you!?" He stared at her.
"Kleptomania is just one more addiction I need to break."
He put his hand over hers on the park bench. "You want my help? I can teach you better habits."
Cat almost argued she didn't need his help. She was a strong, independent woman who could find her own way. All her life, men had done nothing but hinder her progress.
She looked into his brown eyes and knew he was being honest. He wasn't playing games or trying to manipulate her. He didn't just want to get into her pants. He really cared, and that was unfamiliar territory for her.
"OK," she said, "but don't patronize me. I can't stand that. There are some things I need to change, but I do a lot of stuff right."
"I promise to treat you like an equal partner," Kyle said.
A Humvee parked in front of the saloon. A young male soldier stepped out, and he was alone.
Cat smiled. "That's my mark. Wait here, and be patient. This might take a while."
She opened the bottle of pills and poured a pile into the pill crusher. She didn't skimp on the pills because the over-the-counter stuff wasn't as strong as the label suggested. She gave the bottle and the other items she had purchased from the pharmacy to Kyle. Then she used the crusher to smash the pills into powder. She held the powder in the palm of her hand.
Cat hurried across the street and entered the saloon. The soldier was already seated at the bar. He had a puffy, tanned face and a crewcut. Lieutenant's bars were pinned to his collar. A bartender was pouring a beer for him.
Cat sat next to the soldier. "You're cute!" she said in a girlish voice. "Want to buy me a drink?"
His gaze travelled up and down her fine body. "Sure," he said. "Bartender, make that two beers!"
She had made this play a thousand times before. She praised his handsome face and thick muscles. She giggled and squeaked like a teenager. She encouraged him to drink heavily while she only sipped. He tried a variety of liquors to impress her. When he was getting tipsy, she made a distracting move and slipped the sleeping powder into his beer. She stroked his leg with her fingertips so he wouldn't notice the funny taste. A few minutes later, he fell off the barstool and collapsed to the floor. He would be unconscious for several hours at least.
"Oh!" Cat yelled. "Oh! What's wrong with him? Call 9-1-1! I think he stopped breathing!"
The bartender went to the phone. While he was calling, she swiped the mark's wallet, nameplat
e, rank insignia, ribbons, car keys, and cash. She only left him his wedding ring, but she considered stealing that too.
"An ambulance is on the way!" the bartender said.
"I'll wait outside and tell the paramedics where to go," Cat said.
She ran out with her hands full of loot. She waved at Kyle, and he sprinted over.
"What happened?" he said. "Did you drug that guy and steal his stuff?"
"You make it sound so crude." Cat gave him the keys to the Humvee. "Let's get to the motel."
* * *
Virgil was standing and looking over Mei's shoulder. Her laptop was open on a desk in the motel room. It showed a detailed map of Burr Air Force Base, and the distances were measured in tens of kilometers. Huge open spaces were designated for testing missiles and aircraft. The base included two separate airports with gigantic hangars. Directed energy weapons had their own area, but he wasn't sure what the term meant. All the administrative and utility buildings were clustered together at the south end near the main gate.
According to the internet, two thousand people worked and lived there. The good news was that their jobs revolved around aircraft and missiles. Virgil wouldn't have to fight hordes of infantry. No tanks or artillery were stationed on the base. He expected to face plenty of military police though.
"What do you think?" he asked Lisa.
She grimaced. "I hate to admit it, but it's a little intimidating. It's just us against a whole base."
"Hopefully, we'll sneak in and out."
"It won't be that easy."
Somebody knocked on the motel room door. "It's me!" Cat said.
Virgil walked over and opened the door. Cat and Kyle came inside. Virgil spotted a Humvee parked in front of the motel.
"Is the Hummer ours now?" he said.
Cat nodded. "But we can't keep it for too long. When the owner wakes up, he'll report it stolen."
Virgil raised his eyebrows.
She placed a pile of small items on the bed.
"Damn," Virgil said. "You took some sucker for all he was worth. You even stole his ribbons."
"An essential part of any disguise. You have the uniforms?"
"Yes. Kyle, look at this."
Virgil pointed to Mei's laptop. Kyle came over to look.
He frowned at the map. "That's a big base. Where are they keeping Sara and Alfred?"
"We'll find out when we get there," Virgil said. "Ready to go?"
"Not yet," Cat said. "First you and Lisa need haircuts. That long hair isn't military standard. Virgil, you're first. Take a seat."
Virgil sat in a chair, but he wasn't happy about it. He liked his thick, wavy hair.
She produced a pair of scissors from a shopping bag and went to work. She snipped rapidly like a professional barber. He wondered how many times she had done this before.
"Oh, that's creepy," Cat said.
"What?"
"It's already growing back. I can see it. This isn't going to work."
Virgil smirked. "We'll tuck our hair under our collar." He stood up. "Let's get ready to go."
He, Lisa, and Kyle sorted through the stolen uniforms. They got lucky and all found ones that fit reasonably well. Kyle would drive the Humvee, so he wore the ribbons and rank insignia. Lisa and Virgil would stay in the background.
Cat had stolen a clip-on badge, but the face on the badge didn't match Kyle's. She used art supplies Mei had purchased to alter the photograph.
Mei leaned over and watched. "I used to do it that way a long time ago. Now I use computers."
"You make fake ID?" Cat said.
"Half of Chinatown is carrying my cards."
"Hmm. What other useful skills do you have?"
"I'm a wizard with phones," Mei said. "I can trace calls, reroute connections, and track locations. I can even steal numbers."
"You're a handy girl to have around. When the others are gone, we'll talk."
Cat finished working on the badge. Virgil inspected her work, and considering the crude tools she had used, the result was amazing. The photograph was a little blurry and dark, but it could easily pass for Kyle.
"Well done," Virgil said. "Now let's go."
* * *
Virgil saw the main entrance of Burr Air Force Base ahead. Various official shields and symbols decorated a steel archway. A guard post was off to the side. He didn't see a gate, but a barrier could rise up from the roadway if needed. A chain-link fence extended into the distance on both sides of the gate.
Kyle confidently drove up to the guard post, stopped, and showed his badge. A guard wearing blue-gray camouflage waved Kyle through after just glancing at the badge. He drove on.
"Weak security," he muttered.
The buildings on the base were primarily made of concrete slabs. The paint had peeled and faded in many spots. Brick and glass were used for the nicer buildings. Kyle drove past the headquarters which was three stories tall and had a futuristic style.
"Which way?" Kyle said.
Virgil pointed deeper into the base. "There. I can see Alfred a mile or so out."
"You can actually see him from here?"
"Never mind the details. Just keep driving."
They left the cluster of buildings and continued down a narrow road. Virgil saw a sign for the "A.D.I.C.S. Facility" ahead.
The car went over a slight hill, and he looked down onto a square parcel of land protected by a tall fence. The sides of the square were a few hundred yards long. A wooden guard tower stood in one corner. Other small buildings were inside the fence, but a dark tunnel in the center interested Virgil the most. The road went into the ground.
"Alfred is underground," he said.
"Yes," Lisa said. "About two hundred feet down."
"That's inconvenient," Kyle said.
Military police officers in a battered Jeep were already on their way to intercept the intruders. Kyle pulled over and rolled down the window. The Jeep parked next to the Hummer.
"Where do you think you're going?" an MP said in an accusatory tone.
"I think we're a little lost," Kyle said. "Sorry. Where is the directed energy range?"
"Go back and take a left." The MP pointed up the road.
"Thanks."
Kyle backed up, turned around, and drove off.
"Might as well go back to the motel," he said.
"Not quite yet," Virgil said. "Let's drive around a bit. I want to get a feel for the place."
"Risky. We're in a stolen vehicle. The only person carrying identification is me, and it's been scribbled on."
"Just carry on."
Kyle shrugged.
They drove down several of the long roads but turned around whenever a checkpoint blocked their way. Virgil saw some fighter jets and missile launchers, but in general, the base wasn't very impressive. It was mostly vast stretches of dirt with a few fences.
"We can sneak in and out by running across the open spaces at night," Virgil said.
"That's miles and miles of running," Kyle said.
"Not a problem for Lisa or me. We could carry you."
"No, thanks."
"Let's head back to the hotel now," Virgil said. "We've seen enough."
On the way out, they passed a big red fire station in the middle of the base. He furrowed his brow. That gives me an idea.
* * *
"I still can't believe you're dating Virgil," Cat said. "Doesn't he scare you?"
"A little," Mei said, "especially when he gets that funny look in his eyes, but I know he would never hurt me."
Cat studied the Chinese girl and tried to reconcile the contradictions. Her slim figure and pretty face made her an object of desire. She was the perfect age for dating, too. She could probably have her pick of men. Yet she spent all her time in front of a computer screen, and her laptop was practically another limb. She was wasting her best years. Youth and beauty were fleeting. There would be plenty of time to mess with computers when she was old and fat.
"But he's not
really alive, right?" Cat said. "Does his, uh, plumbing work?"
"His performance in bed is more than satisfactory, not that it's any of your business." Mei sniffed.
"He never told me his story. I assume he died and went to Hell. How did he come back?"
"Also none of your business."
"But he was alive once," Cat said.
"The less you know about him, the safer you are," Mei said.
"Does this stuff still freak you out?"
"Sure, but they're nice people... mostly."
"But wait, if Virgil and Lisa went to Hell, how can they be nice?"
Mei paused. "They told me the rules are complicated. Everybody has a mix of good and evil in them. Are consequences more important than intentions? Virgil admitted he made mistakes in life, bad ones. He meant well, but that wasn't enough to get him into Heaven."
Cat looked down at the floor. Countless footsteps had worn down the brown carpet until the backing showed through.
She wondered about her own misdeeds. Was it too late to fix things? Did a certain number of sins guarantee a sentence to Hell regardless? Which sins counted the most, and which good deeds? Was some kind of complex calculation used during final judgement? Not knowing the answers to such critical questions frustrated her immensely.
"You're worried about going to Hell?" Mei said cautiously.
"Yes. That's why I volunteered for this insanity. Do you think it will work?"
"One heroic act won't fix a lifetime of ripping people off."
"I like to think of it as redistributing wealth," Cat said. "I take from the stupid and give to the clever. I just happened to be one of the clever ones."
Mei just stared at her.
"Or maybe not," Cat added lamely.
Somebody knocked on the motel door. "We're back!" Virgil announced.
Cat opened the door. Virgil, Lisa, and Kyle entered, still in their military costumes. Cat gave Kyle a second long look. She loved a man in uniform.
"Mei," Virgil said. "See what you can find out about something called the A.D.I.C.S. Facility. I think Alfred is being held there."
Mei turned to her computer and began typing.
In a surprisingly short time, she reported, "The Alien Decontamination, Isolation, Confinement, and Scholarship Facility. It was built in 1955 as part of a program for defending against possible alien invasion."
