The Network

by L. C. Shaw

  * * *

  Jack arrived in Washington at six in the morning and headed straight to the meeting place, but he waited until eight to send the text. He got a response almost immediately—a simple on my way. He’d chosen a bench facing the water. The breeze blowing off the Potomac was cold, and he pulled his collar up against the frosty bite. His hand rested on the inside of his jacket, curled around his SIG. He wasn’t taking any chances. He saw Parks approach and was surprised when he walked right past him. He guessed the beard and bald head had thrown him off.

  “Mr. Parks,” Jack called.

  “Jack? Is that you?” Parks walked over and his eyes bulged. “Where’s Taylor?”

  “She’s safe,” Jack replied evenly.

  “That’s not what I asked.”

  “Sit down,” Jack commanded.

  “Don’t tell me what to do. What have you done with Taylor?” His voice rose and people around them started taking notice of the two men.

  “If you want to know, sit; otherwise I’m out of here.”

  Parks grunted and took a seat on the edge of the bench.

  “I’m sitting. Where is she?”

  “With a friend.”

  Parks looked like he wanted to kill him. “What friend? Damn it, Jack, you break her heart, then come back all these years later and I’m supposed to trust you?”

  “There’s no time to rehash the past. I wouldn’t be here right now if her dead husband hadn’t dragged me into this. He’s the one you should wonder about.”

  “What did Malcolm get himself involved in?”

  “I can’t go into all of it now, but Malcolm worked for a man named Damon Crosse. Malcolm turned on him and Crosse had him killed. Now, Taylor and her baby are in danger.”

  “What are you talking about? Murder? You’re crazy! Malcolm died of an allergy attack. I think you’re delusional and you’ve caught my daughter up in your fantasy world. Do you know there’s a national manhunt for you? They say you killed a man.”

  He was getting nowhere. “I killed him in self-defense. Taylor will tell you herself when she comes out of hiding.”

  “I want to see her now.”

  “It’s not safe. I’m trying to explain. The recent bill on the vaccine expansion was created for something more insidious. Malcolm sponsored that bill until he discovered that Brody Hamilton was sneaking in a clause in the rider to mandate vaccinations for everyone. When he voted against the bill, they had him killed.”

  “Who had him killed?”

  “A secret organization run by Crosse—he’s got politicians, judges, all sorts of people all in his pocket.”

  “Jack, you sound terribly paranoid. Do you have any proof to back up your outrageous claims?”

  Jack handed him the drive. “Take this. It’ll explain everything. It’s got the names of everyone on Crosse’s payroll and all their illegal activities. We’re counting on you to investigate the people on that file. See if you can tie them to Crosse’s organization. Check their bank accounts, look at their phones. There has to be a trail leading back to him.”

  Parks looked skeptical, but he took the drive from Jack.

  “Don’t show it to anyone. And guard it with your life.”

  “What?”

  Jack explained about the file properties. “The drive can’t be replicated or it will self-destruct. You can’t print it out either. You have to bring it up on your computer and take screenshots with your phone. Bring a witness you trust. Make sure your computer is completely disconnected from Wi-Fi when you do. It’s the only way that Taylor will be safe. Once we can get some dirt on Crosse and expose him, he won’t be able to get to Taylor.” Jack gave him a card. “Here’s the passcode to open it.”

  Parks nodded. “All right. I’ll check it out. Where are you going to go in the meantime?”

  “I don’t know,” Jack said.

  Parks gave him a hard look. “I’d like to believe you. I’ve known you since you were this high.” He held his hand to his hip. “But after what you did to her . . . I’ve hated you for a long time.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out his key ring. “But you have kept her safe, and if what you say is true, that was no easy feat. I’ve got somewhere you can stay until I can verify this information. Our cottage on the Eastern Shore. Stay there until I contact you.” He took a key off the ring, then scribbled something on a business card and gave both to Jack. “That’s the address.”

  “Thanks, Mr. Parks.”

  Jack stood up. “You can reach me on the same number I texted you from. It’s a secure phone. I’ll wait to hear from you.” He walked away then stopped and turned back.

  “Mr. Parks?”

  “Yes?”

  “I’m sorry for everything.”

  Parks simply nodded.

  Chapter Fifty-Eight

  WE’VE GOT TO GO!” JEREMY WAS POUNDING ON TAYLOR’S bedroom door. She hurried to open it.

  His face was white. “They’ve found us. We have to leave now.”

  “They’re here?”

  “Yes. They came in a helicopter. We shot it down, but they must have radioed him. More of his men will be coming.”

  He grabbed her hand and she followed, running, down the long corridor.

  “Where are we going?” Taylor panted.

  “Maryland.”

  “Why? Isn’t that the least safe area for us right now?”

  He just shook his head and pulled her into the elevator, then grabbed her hand when it opened as they ran down another corridor, then through a large garage and into an open field. There was a small prop plane waiting for them.

  “Come on. Get in.”

  Taylor got in first, and within minutes they were both strapped in their seats, doors locked, the plane beginning its taxi down the runway. Once they were in the air, Jeremy let out a big breath and turned to Taylor.

  “I’ve texted Jack and he’s arranged for your father to meet us when we land. Damon won’t suspect that we’d go back to where you live, and your father can help us get somewhere safe. I can’t risk contacting anyone outside of my facility, I don’t know who’s been compromised. Your father is the only one we can trust.”

  “Jeremy, something I don’t understand. Why would Damon orchestrate your mother’s kidnapping and impregnating my mother, all for some coins? It just seems too unbelievable to me.”

  “They give whoever has them the power to accomplish their greatest desire—if the person is on the side of evil, that is. I’ve told you. He wants to pervert society. To eradicate morality—to win souls for Satan.”

  “I understand that he was brought up to believe in all this occult nonsense, but he’s a grown man now. He still thinks it’s real?”

  Jeremy looked Taylor in the eyes. “It is real.”

  “Come on. The devil made him do it? A little clichéd, don’t you think?”

  Jeremy shook his head, and a sadness filled his eyes. “Taylor, do you believe in God?”

  She nodded. “Yes.”

  “Then how can you discount the existence of the devil? The Bible is not fantasy. Adam, Eve—they were real. The fall was real. And ever since, there has been a battle for souls. Ephesians 6:12 says, ‘For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.’ Some believe the thirty pieces of silver contain the power to call forth more of these demons to earth. Damon has ten. Whoever possesses all of them will command the power. Look how far he has gotten. If he ever gets all thirty, there will be no stopping him.”

  “Why not destroy the coins back then?” Taylor asked.

  “I don’t think they can be destroyed, only neutralized, but that’s not easy and we have to take them back to Greece to do it. Just as the hands that channeled evil gave them a dark power, hands that have turned away from evil and toward God, hands of someone who has been redeemed, may be able to deactivate them.”

  “Do you
mean someone like you?”

  He nodded. “Once we bring Damon down, I’ll explain it all. For now, if we find them, we’ll have to focus first on hiding them again. If we can find a holy place to do it, the destructive power is said to be made inactive while there. That’s why they were hidden in Saint John’s cave, and in the Virgin Mary’s house in Ephesus.”

  “Did you say a holy place?” All of a sudden, Taylor had a flash of memory.

  He nodded.

  “I think I might know where they are.”

  Chapter Fifty-Nine

  JACK ARRIVED AT THE SMALL WHITE COTTAGE AND WAS relieved to see that it was surrounded by woods and no other houses were in sight. He walked around the back to the wooden deck and took in the two rusty chairs and rickety plastic table. Cobwebs covered everything, and the top of the table had clumps of dirt on it. He could imagine how relaxing it would be to sit on the deck in the morning with a cup of coffee. But right then, it looked run-down and desolate, and it was clear that no one had been to stay there in months. Once inside, he had to try two lamps before he found a working bulb. His text tone sounded, and he swiped his phone to see a text from Taylor’s father checking to see if he had arrived. He sent a quick text back.

  Too full of nervous energy to sit still, he went back into the house, stripped down to his boxers, and began doing push-ups. It felt good to exert himself, and before long, perspiration covered his back and chest. He got in the shower and closed his eyes while the water beat on his head. He stepped out, pulled a musty towel from the rack, and dried himself. Grabbing some clean clothes from his duffel, he got dressed, then opened the refrigerator to see if there was anything to eat. An open box of baking soda sat on a bare shelf. There was a bottle of white wine lying on its side and some shriveled lemons. He grabbed the wine and looked through the drawers until he found a corkscrew. Foraging through the cabinets, he was able to find some crackers and a jar of peanut butter. He took the plate with his meager dinner and sat down on the worn chenille sofa. The wine was pretty awful, but he drank it anyway. He wanted something to slow his racing mind. He drained another glass and put his legs up on the sofa and was just dozing off when the glare of bright lights and the sound of sirens roused him.

  The door burst open and a swarm of green-armored and helmeted FBI agents poured in. Before he could get a word out, he was slammed to the floor, a knee on his back. As he cursed, he heard the click of the handcuffs and felt their bite on his wrists.

  “Push on through. Once the house is clear and safe, I want the entire place searched from top to bottom.” The agent turned back to Jack. “Sir, you are under arrest for the kidnapping of Taylor—”

  “I didn’t . . .” He stopped, coming to his senses. He would call Arnie, his lawyer. They would sort it all out.

  Chapter Sixty

  WHEN TAYLOR AND JEREMY LANDED AT POTOMAC AIRFIELD, a black suburban was waiting for them. The driver’s-side door opened and Taylor’s father’s deep voice rang out as he got out of the SUV.

  “Taylor?”

  “Dad!” She ran to him and his arms encircled her in a tight embrace. Jeremy said nothing and stood back until she pulled away.

  “I’ve been worried sick about you,” her father said. “Whose plane is that?”

  She turned to Jeremy and he walked over. “Dad, this is Jeremy Crosse. It’s his plane.” Her father appraised him with a long look then shook his hand. Taylor went on. “The men who killed Malcolm showed up at Jeremy’s facility looking for me. We had to leave. There’s so much I have to tell you. I assume Jack filled you in on what’s going on?”

  “Yes. I’ve got him stashed at the cottage. He’ll be safe there.”

  Taylor got into the front and Jeremy into the back of the SUV. Parks started it and turned to look at her.

  “You look pale. Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Listen, we have to go straight to Agape House.” When Jeremy had mentioned a holy place, that’s when it had come to her. The shelter had been founded by her grandmother and was run by nuns. Her mother took over its support after Taylor’s grandmother had died and had even left an endowment in her will so that it would always have money to operate.

  “Why do you need to go there?”

  “I think Mom’s mother may have hidden something very important there.”

  He turned to look at her. “What?”

  Taylor hesitated, and Jeremy answered for her.

  “It’s something my father is looking for. Silver coins.”

  “Okay. Tell me then,” her father said.

  After Jeremy repeated the story for him, Warwick rolled his eyes. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. And, Taylor, your mother never mentioned a word about any coins or silver pieces.”

  “Dad, trust us. Please?”

  He sighed. “Fine.”

  “Did you have any problems with the file?” Jeremy asked.

  Warwick cleared his throat. “No, it opened fine. We’re following all your precautions. Two of my top investigators are working on it.”

  “Dad, there’s so much to tell you. Jeremy’s mother and Mom were sisters! She had a sister. Did you know that?”

  The color rose in his cheeks. “Yes, Taylor. It was something she didn’t like to talk about. Her sister ran off with someone she met at a medical fellowship, never bothered to get in touch with your mother again. Eva searched for her for years and years. It was only when you were born that she finally let it go. She never spoke of her again. It was too painful.”

  “Her sister didn’t run off, Dad. She was held hostage by Damon Crosse, the man Jack told you about. She gave birth to Jeremy and then Crosse let her bleed to death. Jeremy found this out when his father showed him a journal that he’d been holding on to all these years,” Taylor said.

  “Held hostage? How do you know?”

  “It’s a long story. We’ll explain it later,” Jeremy answered.

  “Dad, you missed the turn.”

  “Damn.” He made an abrupt left and drove around the block. A minute later, they were in front of the shelter, a worn, brick two-story building. “Now what?” He looked at Taylor.

  “Let’s go inside.”

  Jeremy and her father followed her into the building.

  * * *

  “Dad, Jeremy, this is Sister Carlisle. She was a friend of Mom’s.”

  The slight woman held out her hand in greeting, then looked at Taylor. “Your mother was a good friend to me and to Agape House. If she hadn’t continued her support, we wouldn’t be here right now.”

  Taylor clasped Sister Carlisle’s hands in both of hers. “Thank you. I’m afraid I have a strange request. My mother had something belonging to our family that she left here.”

  Sister Carlisle raised her eyebrows. “Oh?”

  “When she had the bathrooms redone, she inserted some special tiles into the women’s shower. I need to remove them.” Before the woman could respond, Taylor continued, “Of course, I’ll have workers come by and repair it.”

  “Whatever you need, dear. Go ahead.”

  “Do you happen to have a tool kit?” Taylor asked.

  The nun nodded and picked up a phone. “Can you bring your tools to the women’s lavatory? Eva Parks’s daughter, Taylor, will meet you there.”

  Jeremy and Warwick followed Taylor into the dark locker room. The entire wall in the shower enclosure was tiled and in each tile was a pattern of five coins. The maintenance worker came in a few minutes later and put the toolbox down. Taylor pulled out the hammer.

  Jeremy looked at Taylor, disappointed. “There are hundreds of coins here; they’re just decorative.”

  “Did your mother tell you that she’d put them here?” Warwick asked.

  “No, but I think I know where they are.” She walked to the farthest end of the long wall, sat on the floor, and ran her hand over the tile. “When I was little, I used to come here and pretend I was locked away in a castle. I remember these tiles, that the coins felt diff
erent from the others. They’re so low, no one ever looks at them.”

  Jeremy crouched down and looked where Taylor was touching. “You’re right. These are different.” He pointed to the head on the coin. “See he’s facing right. The heads on the other coins are looking to the left.”

  “My grandmother must have had the other tiles custom made to look similar, so no one would notice the real ones, but different enough so they could be found by my mother or someone in the family,” she hypothesized. “Should we leave them here? They’ve been safe all this time and only we know about them.”

  Jeremy shook his head. “We need to take them. Now that the three of us know they’re here, it could be used against us if the wrong people tried to interrogate us. Besides, I have a plan for them.”

  “All right.”

  Taylor used the claw end of the hammer to try to dislodge the first tile. The mortar began to crumble, and the ceramic material started to crack. She kept at it, until the first one was dislodged. The space left next to the second tile made it easier to pull it away from the wall in one piece. Taylor ran her hand over the silver coins and looked at Jeremy. “This is them, right?”

  He took the broken tile from her and peered at one of the coins closely.

  “Yes. They’re identical to the other ones I’ve seen.” He opened his satchel and they placed both tiles in it.

  They returned to the car. Warwick looked at Jeremy and asked, “Now what?”

  “I need to think. Ultimately we have to get them back to Greece.”

  “What?” Taylor’s father asked.

  Jeremy sighed. “I didn’t want to get into it now, but we need to take them back to Patmos, to the monastery, where the priest can perform a ceremony to neutralize the evil of the coins. My hands are needed because of my redemption from evil to good, and Taylor and I together are from the same bloodline that has protected them over the centuries.”

  “How do you know this?” Taylor asked.