CHAPTER 43
Jackson sat behind the desk, waiting for Danton to arrive. He’d chosen a safe location, one that had been retired, but was still shielded. He didn’t want ears picking up on the conversation. Danton had wanted to meet at a spot of his choosing, but Jackson didn’t even do things Danton’s way.
He wondered at times if that was wise, but it was his way.
Despite the nature of the impending conversation, Jackson reclined an old, but nice leather chair, and waited for the borderline psychopath to arrive.
There was a knock at the door.
Jackson checked the camera on the screen in front of him. Saw the sweaty, scowling man standing outside the office. He looked around, tapping his feet as he waited.
Jackson clicked to release the lock.
Danton stepped into the office.
Jackson motioned to a plastic chair on the other side of the desk. "Please, have a seat."
Danton ignored the request and slammed his fists down onto Jackson’s desk. "What are you planning to do about this?"
Jackson remained reclined and crossed his arms across his chest. "I assume you’re referring to your missing agents."
"You know damned well what I’m talking about, Gray. People under your watch, people that I personally trained and brought into this, are gone. And for what? The subjects are gone, too. You’re sniffers? Where are they?”
“Missing.”
“Great. Everyone’s missing and you just sit there like nothing’s happening.”
"I most certainly am not acting as if nothing happened. In fact, I would judge these circumstances to be catastrophic to the program. I’m doing everything I can to locate those involved." Jackson sat forward. "And, Danton, I don’t think I have to remind you that things started going bad when your people screwed up."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"The plan, the program, was working. Progressing on schedule. Some people didn’t want to wait. Acted on their own. I wonder where they got the idea for that."
"You little shit. We’re not just facing the loss of time and people. I heard we also have compliance running up our asses on this."
Jackson focused again on his desk. Shuffled some papers that had nothing important on them. He looked up again when agent Danton crumpled the top few pages in his fists.
Jackson sighed. "As I said, I’m aware of both the details and urgency of the situation. However, I have personally taken charge of the situation and will tie up all loose ends. I don’t like unresolved problem. There won’t be any.”
Jackson stood. “There also will not be any interference. Your men did not help. They caused this problem. I will clean it. Then, we will start again. I will pick the people.”
Danton stepped back from the desk. "I don’t like you, Gray. I didn’t want you in charge of this, and I think your lax manner of running this program led to this. I’ll be watching how this goes. I’ve got friends, you know. You came to me for resources, so you don’t have any. We’ll do this whole thing my way if you screw up.”
Jackson didn’t like the image of a runner apocalypse. Rogue talents running around the world, stirring chaos and death. He knew Danton well enough to know he wasn’t bluffing. But, Jackson also knew Danton didn’t want all his resources killed.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence."
Danton shook his head and stepped toward the door. As he grabbed the knob, he turned his head back to Jackson. "My men will turn up, Gray. When they do, I’ll get more answers."
"Oh, I’m sure of that. Dead or alive, they’ll be found."
CHAPTER 44
"This is great. It’s good to see some stuff coming from you again. And it’s good to see that you haven’t lost the touch."
"Thanks for giving me the chance. I just needed to feel like I was doing something again." Henry had called Dennis the day before asking if there was anything he could help with. Dennis forwarded a presentation to him, which Henry polished and finalized, clearing up the message. When he was done, he felt as normal as he had in a month, and took one more step toward reclaiming his life. The last step would come later, when he was sure it was safe.
"Have you spoken to Kelly recently?"
"No, Dennis. Things are still a little strange. It’s just not the right time."
"Okay, well, it was good to work with you again."
"Thanks." Henry ended the call and exhaled. He still wasn’t sure what he would do to reconnect with his wife. But his confidence was growing.
He checked his hair in the mirror and stepped outside his hotel room. Across the hall, down the stairs, and out the main doors he walked to his rental car. He’d rented a convertible. He thought car might have a trace on it. And, he’d always wanted a convertible.
It wasn’t all he’d hoped, and he felt like an idiot after a few hours, but it was nice to feel the sun and still have air conditioning. He eyed his phone in the dash.
He’d done some research on his own about the information he got from Hap. It all seemed crazy. Conspiracy theory stuff. Sure, it matched what he thought happened, but he wasn’t sure. He’d been pretty confident when Hap told him, but Henry thought maybe that was just because that crazy guy was so sure.
It was time for the next step. He turned on is phone and dialed the contact
"Hello, Henry."
"Hi. First, I need a name for you. This has grown awkward."
"Very well, you can call me Jackson."
"Okay, Jackson, I should be ready to meet soon."
"Henry, we really need to move this forward."
"I’m aware of that Jackson. However, I’m not ready yet. I’m still gathering some information, but I should be ready to accept a meeting in a day or two."
"Henry, I..."
"Sorry, Jackson, those are my conditions. If you need me for the meeting, you’ll have to wait." Henry ended the call.
Henry stepped out of the convertible and took long strides toward the payphone in front of the convenience store. A few minutes earlier he had been unsure of the intended call, but no doubts remained. It had been too long, and he needed to call. He slipped the coin in the slot and dialed the number.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Kelly." Henry had been expecting a long pause or possibly the sound of the phone being placed back on the carriage. He hadn’t expected the screams that came forth, and couldn’t remove the handset from his ear before bearing the brunt of the verbal assault. "Kelly, calm down."
"Calm down? Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve heard from you? Where are you? Are you okay? How dare you put me through this? I’ve been worried sick. Are you okay?"
"I’m okay, Kelly. I’m sorry that I’ve been away, but you have to believe me when I say that there have been reasons."
"What reasons could you have for scaring me to death? The last time I saw you, you were crazy. Then you just disappeared. Henry, I thought you were dead."
"I’m sorry, Kelly. I’ll be able to explain soon."
"Henry, come home."
"I can’t, yet. I still have a couple of things to take care of. Once I do that, I’ll be able to come back and explain what’s been happening."
"Henry, what have you gotten into?"
He could hear the tears that had completely overcome the anger that was mixed with them in the beginning. He longed to be home to hold her, but he knew his safety and hers depended on continuing the game for now. "I know you’re scared, honey. I have to do this, for both of us. I’ll be back soon, and then we can remake the life we had."
"I heard from Dennis that you did some work for them."
"Yeah. Like I said, I’ll get our lives back. I just need to do this one more thing."
"Henry, please come home."
"I know you think that I need help, but it’s not like that. You’ll see. I just need to take care of this."
"Henry, I love you. Come home."
"Soon, Kelly, soon. Now I have to go."
"Henry, wait."
"I can’t. I’m sorry. I love you." He hung up the phone before the sound of her voice forced him from the path he knew he needed to follow. He hadn’t expected to make her understand, he just needed to hear her voice to remind him of what awaited him if he was successful.
Once back in his car, he reached for his cell phone, not caring if this call were recorded or traced. He punched in Jackson’s number and waited for the false concern of the man’s voice to emanate.
"Hello, Henry."
"Hi Jackson. I hope this isn’t a bad time."
"Of course not, Henry. I’m always ready to help you."
Nice answer, Henry thought, considering that he could be answering from anywhere and could be loading his rifle to kill him at that very moment. "I’m ready to meet."
"Excellent. I’ll set everything up. We can meet in a couple of days."
"Good, I’m ready to get this horrible chapter of my life over with."
"I can understand. Trust me, after we meet, you won’t be bothered by the voices or the threats of them again."
"I hope you’re right."
"I know I am."
"I’ll hear from you soon, then."
"Okay, Henry. Bye for now. I’ll call soon."
"Bye." Henry ended the call.
Henry hated giving up the control over the situation, but he needed to let Jackson plan the call. He knew Jackson was involved somehow, and that this meeting wouldn’t just be about helping Henry.
The urgency in Jackson’s voice concerning the meeting and his methods of contact suggested that he was involved in whatever had happened. Henry wasn’t sure whether Jackson was an agent who could no longer go along with the plan, or if this was another step in the process.
He had to find out. He had to bring this episode to a close, whatever the cost.
CHAPTER 45
Karl Danton stood at the entrance to his downtown loft that he called home. He loved the emptiness of it. Even after living there for five years, it had a table, two chairs and a bed. Polished concrete floors stretched throughout the space and uncovered but tinted windows surrounded him.
From there he could see most of what was happening below and in the office buildings nearby. He loved to watch people. Pick one of interest. Crawl inside their brain for a peek at what made them tick. He strolled into the room, allowed the door to shut softly behind him, and eased into one of the leather chairs that flanked the table that usually served as a desk. He ate most of his meals in the car.
Most people he took for a ride were motivated by three things. Fear, lust and jealousy. During his brief time at the company, they always told him he saw things that way because that’s what he focused on. Told him that people had complex motives, but his own mind grabbed onto the simple things that made most sense to him.
He told them it was all bullshit, and left soon after a third reprimand. He’d been a barely functioning scanner. Posted in a location and feeling about for someone who might have enough talent to worry about. It was a shit job and usually just meant he found more fuel for the company masters.
On his own, he kept scanning. Found people with talent. A drive. The drive to learn how to stay hidden. The drive to take down the company masters.
He had plans. Mainly, he wanted to train the runners, the free talent, to have just enough ability to be dangerous. Then, on their own, they’d get a little lost. Too many thoughts in the head could get confusing. Create a psychotic break of sorts. The talent would become unaware of what was real. He’d seen it when he worked at the company. Some didn’t take to the training. Became wards. He’d go for a grander scale.
He had seen both outcomes. Some would retreat into the fake world. Gone forever. Some lashed out. Their minds knowing it wasn’t real. Wanting to eliminate anything that made a problem. Anything that could think. They became powerful, and motivated, killers. He imagined an army of them.
But, that would all take time. And lots of coordination. He’d need to be able to get lots of people trained just enough to be dangerous. All the while, scanners, sniffers and compliance would be doing the company’s business. Trying to stop him.
Then Jackson called. Told him about confabulation. False memories. A subtle plan, not to Danton’s taste, but he could see the project held the potential to solve a great number of problems in a quick and efficient manner. It could do enough damage to keep the company occupied. Keep them off his back.
He called in favors. Others with influence among runners. He needed not just scanners, but skilled, trained people. People with enough power to plant a thought, but enough restraint to do what Jackson wanted. Gray was a pompous ass, but his plan was a good one. Just tough to pull off.
His next step was obvious, to place one of his own men on the team of operatives. Since he was providing the people, those in company who could do the work would be hard to corrupt, it was a simple argument to win. With a man in place, he began receiving reports in addition to the official updates Jackson gave him.
He knew who was under surveillance. How they were changed. How they reacted. He knew it all. When he thought it was far enough with Henry, he ordered the deviation from the plan. Two reasons. He wanted Jackson to feel uncomfortable. He also wanted to see how the subjects would react.
Danton still played the game with Jackson Gray. He still asked for updates. Complained at the delays. He liked having Gray see him as a pest that had to be dealt with, rather than as an adversary. When the targets disappeared, Danton wasn’t overly concerned. He’d already seen the program able to succeed. He was sure he could execute it later if he needed.
He just saw it as Jackson taking out some loose ends. Still, he continued to complain and threaten. Kept acting like he was a potential problem, not the source of the primary one. But, with all the operatives gone, he had to take matters into his own hands. To make sure the experiment ended the right way she he could be in charge the next time.
He called in a sniffer he could trust and told them to find the missing test subjects. The trail was cold. Cold enough that he knew someone chilled it. His resource was able to find Henry Adamson. Danton began following him on his own.
With it seeming to be reaching some end game, Danton decided he had to act. After a few days of watching events, listening to conversations, and following different targets, Danton knew what he needed to do. He picked up the information on Henry’s known location and headed down to his car.
He hopped in the black sedan, a car he chose because it looked like some surveillance car from the movies. He thought it was funny. No one else seemed to when he told them. The recent sightings and information made acquiring Henry a simple task, and after a long day of what he considered meandering through the city, he had found something worthy of his efforts at last. He watched the man exit his open vehicle and begin a phone conversation.
Danton reached out. Found the feat that kept Henry aware of his surroundings. And crushed it. He gave Henry a sense of confidence. A feeling that everything would work out right. Overcame the natural suspicions that his mind put in place to defend him. Henry had become careless and an easy target.
Danton stayed in Henry’s mind and listened to the call. Hoped to hear something that might tell him Jackson Gray’s plans. Explain why his planted agent was worried about the direction of things, even before his disappearance. Danton listened as Henry spoke to his wife about his situation and the promise that he would soon be home and free.
"That’s what you think, buddy."
The conversation dragged on, and Danton discerned quickly that he was unlikely to glean any significant information from this conversation. As Henry continued, Danton reached for the seat next to him, and grabbed a chopped barbeque sandwich. He unwrapped the object of his desire and sunk his teeth into the sauce soaked bread and extra onions. After a couple of bites, he made sure that he had his favorite desert, antacid, nearby.
He finished the sandwich in three more bites, and offered a healthy belch before popping the chalky t
abs into his mouth. After he wiped the sauce from the edges of his mouth, he refocused his mind to determine how Henry’s conversation was progressing. He grinned about his timing as Henry hung up the phone and returned to his car.
Danton continued following Henry, and shook his head when he placed a call with his mobile phone. Danton reached out and was soon listening to the conversation. After a short delay, Danton was rewarded. Though he had been looking for clues, incriminating evidence was dropped into his lap.
"Jackson! I knew that little prick was up to something. You think you’re so smart, getting rid of everyone. And my agent. Well, somehow I think you’ll be getting your due soon enough."
The conversation ended. The meeting place hadn’t yet been set, but Danton could feel his victory around the corner. Soon, the program as it stood would be in shambles, with both its leader and key agents gone. Danton would step in, take control, or eliminate the three targets, and offer to take over the program. He was eager to see the faces of the others when he brought his plan to their attention. Not just the small plan, but the grand idea.
The apocalypse.
He knew Jackson hated him. The disdain was obvious in every action and word. Hell, he hated Jackson also. He viewed him as a roadblock to a wonderful discovery. To a glorious future. He wasn’t pleased that he knew Jackson, and some of the others among the runners, saw Danton as a power hungry glutton who cared little for the people he was supposed to protect.
For Danton, that was a ridiculous point. His duty was to stop the company, not make people happy. Now, he was close to having a perfect tool for preventing crime.
"Jackson, old man, your every step moves you one step closer to what you’re trying to prevent. You tried to stop me, you bastard, but soon I’ll have you by the short ones." He continued following the artificially arrogant Henry Adamson, waiting for the final piece in the puzzle to fall into place.
Confabulation (The Department) Page 14
