Probe

by Douglas E Roff

  “What’s the objective?”

  “Detain, drug, collect biological specimens and body temp data, then release the subject ASAP. If we do this correctly, the subject won’t remember a thing and won’t suspect that anything is out of the ordinary.”

  “What are we collecting?”

  “Blood, skin, hair and saliva samples. And multiple core body temperature readings. Quickly and quietly.”

  “Without them knowing? Or remembering? How do we do that?”

  “Mother’s Little Helper. A special cocktail that Pops designed for use by … government customers. Very fast acting but extremely short in duration. We must get in and out in under two minutes and collect all our samples, including blood. And the blood needs to be withdrawn from specific locations on the body that will likely not be detected later, even if someone is looking. And we need to do so in parking lots, potentially under CCTV camera surveillance.”

  “Do we need to neutralize the eyes on the scene?”

  “Yes, if we can disable then enable, that would be best. Tech will help with that, but your team needs to identify the subjects, the target locations and assess the risk of CCTV discovery. Then we go. Hopefully once we’re ready, we complete our tasks in 48 hours or less, then scatter to the wind. After that you will get your first assignment when we gather next. That will be in somewhere in the world within two to four months after this task is complete. That’s when we get our first real field assignment.”

  “You’re the boss. I can have my full team here this afternoon.”

  “Let’s go then.”

  ***

  Octavio Moreno was one of the newer additions to the Eight Families, his parents brought up from Oaxaca in the second wave of arranged immigration from the original Eight Families. His parents were related to Carlos’s family by blood and their decision to immigrate north taken against the strong recommendation to the contrary by Misti’s mother. Octavio had been born in Oaxaca but only knew Seattle, Washington and his extended family growing up. After two years of community college, Octavio enlisted in the Marine Corps to serve his new country.

  He spent the next four years, and one additional enlistment he never agreed to, to fulfill that service. When he finally mustered out, he was happy to return to the Seattle area and start a new life and a maybe, if he was so fortunate, a family. Edward had secured a job for him as an analyst at a think tank in Seattle not realizing just how little Octavio desired being a desk jockey. Although Octavio was immensely proud of his past military service, he had no desire to make it his career. Still, he was, at his core, an adrenalin junky who loved being out in the field. He loved his weapons but not necessarily using them on the living.

  Octavio grew up on stories of the crazy folk in the Eight Families and their exploits. Adam, Rod, Edward, Cindy, Misti and Carlos all had stories floating around about them and of their individual and collective adventures. Some were fact, some were speculation. But he believed all the stories and Octavio wanted his share of those adventures too. When Edward called, he was “in” before the words could exit Edward’s mouth.

  “You haven’t heard the offer. The job or the money.”

  “Don’t know, don’t care. When do I start?”

  “Right now. Go home and pack for a trip to New Jersey for about a month. Travel light; anything else you need will be provided. I would like you to assemble a team of at least ten more recruits. Can you find that many on short notice?”

  “Easy. I can have a list for you by the end of the day. Need to make a few calls to determine availability and interest but I could’ve a team of up to fifty if you need them.”

  “I will. Do you know which of your cousins have served in the military, police and security services?”

  “Most. Some you have told me about. A few others from my mom and dad. Why?”

  “They’ll all be working with you. Under you. I’ll send you their names and skills. You’ll engage them using my name, quietly and quickly. I’ll give them a head’s up you’ll be calling. This is your command, and everyone involved serves under your command structure. Pick your personal team of ten while the rest should be distributed among your cousins. I’ll provide guidance on what each cousin is to do. Understood?”

  “Yes sir.”

  “Don’t use ‘sir’ with me, Octavio. Uncle only. You’re in command and this is important. I have great faith in you, and your leadership skills. So too did the Marine Corp. Now your family needs you. For now, you’re attached to Team Suarez, cousins Rod and Cindy. You know them, right?”

  “Yes. Personally, and by reputation.”

  “Rod’s the nice one. Cindy will fuck anyone up who isn’t doing the job. We clear on her?”

  “We are. She did Qatar?”

  “She did. And she’s done far worse and to far more. Don’t you or anyone on your team get caught up in gender. Nobody’s going to want a visit from cousin Cindy or cousin Misti. But if they do need a lesson, please introduce them to cousin Cindy. At least she won’t likely kill or maim them permanently. Not exactly sure what cousin Misti would do.”

  “Roger that. I’ll be ready when you need me. I’m leaving this place as we speak. You’ll give my employers my apologies?”

  “Already have. Good luck.”

  Chapter 24

  Field Teams Suarez assembled the next day for their initial briefing on the mission and the training. All ten of Octavio’s recruits were there, all of whom would receive the same basic training, then, through field exercise, would determine the top four or five individuals that were best suited to the required nimbleness and delicacy of the mission.

  The plan was simple and relied on stealth and intricate coordination of activity.

  There would be three operational teams deployed on each of two days. Each team would be comprised of one of the three Team Suarez leaders, plus two more recruits for each team. The remaining recruits would be function as lookouts and run interference or create distractions as necessary.

  Each team would have a special air rifle would shoot a small bead of a fast-acting neurotoxin created by Agustin. He nicknamed it “Mother’s Little Helper.” The plan was to shoot the target in the neck, after which there would be but mere seconds before the target would experience muscle failure and loss of consciousness. Within one hundred twenty seconds, the target would regain full composure, so the effective time allowed for securing all samples was slightly less than ninety seconds.

  The shooter would be in position from a parking spot near to where the target was parked. When the target came out from shopping and approached their car, the shot would be taken from within a rented van, which would then move in quickly, blocking any views from the lot. The two other team members would close in on the target, keeping the target from falling and shielding their field work from sight. Hair, saliva and cell scraping from the inside of the mouth would be taken rapidly while the target was placed in position in the driver’s seat, groceries put away. The second team member would find a site from which to draw a small vial of blood. Neither the pellet shot, nor the needle used to extract blood were large enough to bruise and would heal over quickly. Within a matter of hours, the entrance “wounds” would be completely healed over.

  The other team members would distract any member of the nearby public that might witness the event. Simultaneously, the tech team would disable the CCTV cameras for a period of one hundred twenty seconds from “count”, then enable the CCTV feed when time expired.

  Done properly, the entire episode should take substantially less than sixty seconds.

  The teams drilled for two weeks in a remote location during the day while other teams followed BioGen employees’ home after work. At the conclusion of training, the three teams were ready for action and the targets had all been identified. There were five women and five men to be followed home after work over two days. Most days each stopped on the way home to shop at local grocery stores.

  Fi
ve would be targeted each day of which a minimum of three would be needed for study. Any shortfall in acquiring a minimum of three targets each day might result in adding a third and riskier day to the collection process.

  ***

  Cindy and Rod arrived at the training site early the next day, well ahead of the start time, to meet and chat with Octavio. They were interested in the makeup of the rest of his team captained by the cousins chosen by Edward and to be commanded by Octavio. They had a vague awareness of who might’ve been chosen but then Edward could be mercurial and his thinking not always what you would call ‘linear’.

  Rod said, “So what were the final decisions you and my Dad made about which of our cousins is coming on board? Wondering how the family will react to Edward’s call of duty if anyone gets hurt?”

  “I’m sure you will agree that won’t be much of a problem once you know who the suspects are.”

  “Go on.”

  “Well numero uno is the structure of the teams. There are four teams, three of which are field teams and one of which is field support. The field teams are three members, each led by a cousin. Once chosen they train with that team in terms of specific objectives. Some are more oriented in one direction or another and the support personnel, who’re all ex-military, have to adapt to mission and style.”

  “Which cousins are supposed to do what?”

  “You know Frankie Romero? The youngest and craziest of the three Romero brothers. You know, two accountants and a psycho? Well he went into the military like me, then got diverted somewhere to Special Ops, then to the CIA, then out into the world working somewhere in Texas. Edward got him back in line but he’s here in New Jersey with his own band of four brothers. He’s interviewing my backup squad as we speak.”

  “Who else?”

  “Well, door number two is Joaquin Morris, Juanita and Jim’s son. Real straight laced; he went to law school, then right into the FBI. Stayed there ten years or so, then decided it was time to do something else. By then he had blown his legal education but caught on in private security working for some big multinational. He was going nowhere like me, so he signed up faster than Edward could ask him to come aboard.”

  “And?”

  “And then finally is David Borges, who went into the State Department after Stanford initially, then did a lateral over to the CIA doing field work in South America. He was brought home and given an office in Langley but saw the handwriting on the wall and decided the CIA political track wasn’t his cup o’ tea. So, he bolted and ended up working for Edward somewhere in Europe. Wasn’t doing field work but he will be now.”

  “What’s the plan with each?”

  “Well, Romero is basically hardcore action, muscle when that’s what’s needed. Me too when you think about it. But Morris is basically Team FBI and Borges is basically Team CIA. Morris will do more North America based urban “skilled” missions with plenty of help from the Tech Support Team.

  Meanwhile Borges will do more foreign rural ops in conjunction with the Ops Support Team, which will be nominally supported by Bethy McQueen but will be field directed by Soledad “Don’t call me Solly” Garcia. She had some low-level job at State for a while but her political views seemed to get in the way of her day job. Not so for Edward, however; Soledad has a massive chip on her shoulder which Edward thought he could channel. But, in the end, she’ll mostly be arranging the logistical and political cover in object foreign countries with Bethy. Those two are already like mother and daughter. A really angry daughter, but a daughter.”

  “Who’s in Tech Support?”

  “Well, this is kinda interesting. You remember cousin Felipe?”

  “Yeah. Bit of a fuck up and got mixed up in something even Edward couldn’t fix for him. What’s his connection to Tech?”

  “Well, originally, the tech support was supposed to come from Elena Gomez. You remember, Uncle Jaime’s oldest girl.”

  “Thought she was doing time in Cali? Or Texas. Something to do with rigging ATMs.”

  “She was. At a federal prison somewhere, down state but Edward got her out on loan. Made her promise not to bolt but she did anyway. Edward wasn’t happy and sent us out to collect her and return her undamaged to her cell. Pretty ugly scene at Inez and Jaime’s when we came to collect her. And so, Edward went for door #2, which was Felipe Altamirano. He was in Texas in a fed facility serving a dime for trafficking and money laundering. Edward went down to Texas for a chat and told Felipe he could get out but only if he did what he was told when he was told and didn’t fuck up. Otherwise, he informed Felipe that if he did to Edward what Elena did to Edward, he would personally put a pea in his brain. If Felipe didn’t like those terms, he should stay in jail and rot. Felipe agreed on the spot and has been a model jailbird on release. Turning out to be a pretty good team player and effective getting things done.”

  “Where did the tech background come from?”

  “Ran away from home, got hooked up with some immigrant nerds and paid attention. Then he graduated to some petty cybercrimes, then to some industrial strength cybercrimes where a cartel picked up an option on his sorry ass and got him into the logistics of transport and product distribution. After that he graduated to money laundering in Panama. It was all good until it turned out his boss was a DEA informant. Then, not so good.”

  “And why is he on the team? There must be some nerd in Portland or Seattle that would be a safer and better fit.”

  “Safer yes, but a better fit, probably not. Felipe has all the shady connections and back alley entrances we need. Adam would be better, of course, but he’s needed elsewhere. Part of the package was that Felipe would be allowed to work with Adam, and therefore to be Adam’s new silent apprentice. But that’s the carrot. We’ll see how he performs with a stick up his ass. That’s me.”

  “Unconvinced?”

  “I don’t trust that little shit and if I catch him fucking up, which I will, he’ll be toast. Edward is betting he can be channeled but I know better. He isn’t family. Not really. He gets no information other than what he needs to do his job.”

  “Does he have a team assignment yet?”

  “Nope. Not yet. And all digital world stuff goes through Barrows Bay on Adam’s new secure server. So, in theory he won’t have a chance to screw us. But he will. Or will try, just wait. The dude’s got no attachments; no ties. He isn’t a good fit.”

  “Any others?”

  “Yeah, I have two other teams in development, one family and one military family. They’re for later though and not all are on board quite yet.”

  ***

  The Princeton teams trained separately and together for the next two weeks and when the final composition of the ops teams was determined, and field tested, they were ready for the first and final test.

  The teams got their eight targets fully tested; the remaining two targets had skipped shopping and gone home directly both days.

  The biological samples were immediately sent out as directed by Edward for analysis to various Labs around the US with specific tests to be performed including a workup of the subjects’ genome.

  The data was sent to Edward, but the most important immediate data point was the confirmation of the core body temperatures of the six target subjects. All eight fell into a tight range from 101.6 to 101.8 core body temperature. This confirmed information was then forwarded to Edmund, Maria and Agustin to complete their projects.

  When the initial DNA analysis came back weeks later, and specific genetic markers identified, these results were forwarded to Edmund, Maria, Agustin and Adam. They were working on a new toy – a weapon – that would be effective only against Gens, transformed or natural state.

  The other toys in development by Edmund and Maria would soon be ready too, but only as prototypes developed in Maria’s shop. They would later be produced in larger quantities and with far more precise specifications under licence to a specialty tech manufacturer in Seattle, coinciden
tally owned by the St. James/Suarez Family Trust and populated with engineers and technicians from the Eight Families. They mostly did government work under contract, but they also took care of speciality family work.

  Chapter 25

  Vera said, “So Adam, can we ask you a few questions about our experience? Hannah says that it was different and way crazier intense than before. Did something change?”

  Vera wanted to know urgently what had changed. Was this more than just orgasms as Hannah had originally described. Or something deeper, more probing.

  Adam said, “Hannah, you tell me what you thought was different and I’ll explain what I was trying to do. And what I experienced too, when we joined.”

  “Well the sex for starters was similar, but not the same. Before it was just an orgasm, maybe a two. Like something we had done before and nice. Sweet. But last night it was like rolling thunder, one after another, intense. I couldn’t think, I couldn’t breathe. I wasn’t in my body, I was somewhere else entirely.”

  Hannah continued, “But it was more than that. It was also serene and calm, like nothing I have ever felt. I sensed something all around me, enveloping me, but I didn’t know what. It was safe and beautiful, and it seemed to hold me. And it wouldn’t let go, it just held me. Held me like you used to when I would cry and felt weak. But then later I felt strong and safe. I felt you, Adam. You. I was with you again and we were somewhere, but nowhere I have ever been. And it didn’t matter where. I don’t know what it was; all I know is that I wanted to feel that you and me again. Feel it with you, feeling safe and strong, and never alone. It was peace and well-being and happiness. Is that what you felt too?”