by J. M. Madden
“No,” Wulfe said carefully, “but you are in a position to create a task force to support us. Or at the very least hear our issues regarding enlisted personnel matters. And you’re close enough to the president that we’re hoping we can discover what side he’s on. If he knew about the men being forcibly tested upon, well, it won’t be good for his presidency. If there was a chance I could see him I might be able to erase all these issues with just a few questions.”
Theodore Kelvin had run on a platform to support the Armed services and especially veterans that had returned from war. He was a former Navy man himself.
“So, when you say super soldiers,” the general said, “what exactly are we talking about?”
Wulfe knew this would come up. Even after Fontana explained about curtailing his security, the general wanted more details.
Focusing on the general, Wulfe broadcast, ‘Fontana, Willingham, and I speak mind to mind easier than with words, now.’
Holtman’s mouth fell open and he stared. “You, just…”
He glanced at his wife. “I heard it too,” she admitted.
“Communications are enhanced, as well as healing.” He turned his head toward them to show them where the general’s bullet had parted his hair. It had stopped bleeding and he could tell by their faces that the wound was pretty much gone. “We can manipulate people, to a certain extent. If you talk to your security team they’ll remember having to go around to the front of the house, though not having an exact reason why. That was from our urging. We needed a clear path to the patio,” he grinned.
The Holtmans shared a look.
The general sat back in his chair, a resigned smile hooking his lips. “After telling you about our involvement I may not be the best man for the job.”
Wulfe shared a look with Fontana. “We disagree. There’s no way we can allow this stuff to be produced and sold. Can you imagine the ramifications if someone gets a patent on this? Assuming that the NIH or FDA would even let it go public. I have a feeling they would want to keep the serum under wraps, for use in the military. It’s a fact that there is a vial of the drug somewhere in the world, but we don’t know who has it. If it’s a country we share animosity with, it will be used against us. One of Elizabeth’s primary jobs right now is looking for a reversal to the drug, but even that won’t be any kind of guarantee. It may help the men that are recovering now, but it’s probably not something that can be weaponized.”
“Imagine a SEAL Team, or even a Russian Alpha unit, attacking Washington with enhanced soldiers,” Fontana told them. “Secret Service, Washington Police, CIA, FBI, none of them would be able to fight off the attackers. SEALs or one of the other special forces groups might be able to hold them off, but if they can heal like we can,” he motioned between Wulfe and himself, “then there’s probably no holding out against them. Even more importantly, though, are the mental capabilities.”
Wulfe shared a look with his buddy. No turning back now, I suppose, huh?
“The physical abilities pale next to the mental,” he told the couple. “Ayahuasca, the main ingredient in the serum, was used by indigenous shamans to open their minds. Shu figured out a way to do more than that, though, as a complete side effect. He never knew what mental capabilities we had— he died before any of us manifested in a lab setting— but it was how we escaped the camp to begin with.”
“What kind of mental abilities?” Moira asked. “Do you know what I’m thinking?”
“Not exactly,” Wulfe said, giving her a tight smile. “Impressions, mostly. Telepathy and telekinesis are probably the strongest things we do. We don’t levitate or anything, but we can manipulate physical things. And we can press a suggestion to you. We call it finessing.”
“Right now, I’m interrupting the flow of energy to your cameras,” Fontana told them. He made a flourish in the air, paused, then made a fist again. “When you look back through your footage, you’ll find this spot, where I released the energy to the cameras, then stopped it again.”
The general glanced at his watch, noting the time.
“What you call finessing seems to be the more dangerous of your abilities, from a security standpoint. Why interrupt the power if you can merely get a guard to turn it off?”
Wulfe gave a single nod of his head, glad that the general was beginning to understand the danger. “Or finesse a commander to shift his platoon, or a general to shift an entire army.”
“Oh, my god,” Moira breathed. “Or influence a president to veto a bill or declare war on another country.”
They nodded. Moira now understood the gravity of the situation, and Holtman was right behind her. He stared at them in horror. “The uses could be endless.”
“Yes.”
Holtman looked down at his hands, running his thumbs over one another. “You said you were after Cameron Hall. Who else?”
“There’s a congressman we need to take care of as well as several low-level interns. The CIA has eyes on them now. The problem is, our information is at least two years old. Dr. Shu listed the names in his personal information. It’s been a bit of a process to follow leads and figure out who is still involved. There was a direct link between Damon Wilkes and Senator Hall. We knew they were working together. The CIA has had him under investigation for several years for other violations. We almost blew the case when we got involved.”
“Noted. I’ll leave that aspect to the CIA. So, what exactly do you need from me? Lay it out so there’s no confusion.”
Wulfe was glad they’d all talked about this before they approached the general.
“If there’s some way we can create a joint task force or group with the CIA and NSA, I think that would be ideal. Then we can be covered both foreign and domestic. We need blanket coverage for everything we need to do to secure the serum. And Whistleblower protection from senate oversight. At some point we’ll also need a place for the men we have rescued to go when they’re recovered, with an option to continue to be part of the military if they so choose.”
Holtman barked out a laugh. “Not asking for much, are you? Fuck… why the hell did you bring this to me?”
For some reason, Wulfe thought more of the man for cussing. The gravity of the situation had hit him hard. “We brought it to you because you have a conscience.”
Scowling, he stared at them, hard. “I need to investigate a few things before I commit to this. I’ll be putting my career on the line depending upon who I approach and who I don’t.”
Wulfe nodded. “Yes. We are aware. We just couldn’t think of any other way to do this.”
Holtman’s mouth quirked. “Yeah, I supposed you’re right. I’ll have to talk to my boss about it at the very least, but I’m almost positive he has no idea you people even exist. Who are you working with at the CIA?”
“Kevin Rose. And Deputy Director Alfred Dumont. And I suppose me, technically. Though I’m assigned to the Elton Building as a liaison.”
“I’m going to need documentation for as much of this as possible.”
“Our third, Aiden Willingham, is working up a package for you,” Fontana told him. “It’ll be at your office in the morning.”
Holtman looked at his wife and she gave him a slight, understanding smile, and a subtle nod. “Okay,” he said brusquely. “I’m in as long as everything you’ve told me checks out. You didn’t finesse me, did you?”
“No, sir,” they both answered.
“We don’t do that unless it’s a totally dire situation and all other options are exhausted.”
Holtman seemed relieved at that and nodded, then reached out to shake their hands. “We got some planning to do, gentlemen.”
Wulfe knew going in that the general would probably understand their position and be willing to go to bat for them, but actually hearing him throw in to their cause tightened his throat with emotion. The men that had been treated so horribly now had a chance at something better. And they had a chance to clean up some corruption. Fontana was just as satisfi
ed.
“I think the first order of business is to figure out how to get my man back from Senator Hall.”
Chapter 8
“I’m going to go for a walk,” Noah said, pushing to his feet. All this sitting on his ass was killing him. If they didn’t get some kind of intel soon, he would go stir crazy.
“Can I come with you?” Raine said immediately.
Noah had thought he’d get a breather away from her as well, but as he looked at the hopeful look on her face, he couldn’t tell her she couldn’t come. “Get your coat on.”
Her face lit with a radiant smile and she bounced out of the seat. Within just a few seconds she was dragging her coat on and slinging the purse/backpack over her shoulder. “I’m ready.”
Yeah, she was. “Let’s go,” he said with a tight grin.
The idea had been to get out of the apartment for a few hours. They’d all been trapped here for the better part of a day, Poole rattling on his computer almost constantly, and Officer Rose and his sidekicks in and out throughout the day. Noah knew they were building a case against the senator, and compiling evidence, but at some point they were going to have to move against the man. Noah thought that they’d been about to take him down months ago, when Blake had been kidnapped.
If they could get General Holtman’s support and backing it would be a huge amount of protection, but he wasn’t going to hold his breath on that one. Wulfe was a hell of a negotiator, though. If he and the other Dogs could get in to talk to the general, prove to him what they risked losing, their stance might be that much stronger.
As it was, any of the men that had been enhanced by the drug and were walking free right now were at risk. At any time, they could be drawn back into the military, or the CIA, and be forced to work for them. Noah didn’t like either option. He hoped there would be a third, soon.
It had been twelve hours since Haven had been taken, and they hadn’t seen or heard anything from him. Poole had been scanning the traffic cams and security feeds of hundreds of businesses, looking for some hint of any kind of movement. The senator hadn’t been seen at all, let alone anyone connected to him. Victoria, his soon-to-be ex-wife, hadn’t been seen for a while, fueling rumors that the senator had disposed of her. And other than the instance at the shooting, Secret Service agent McCullough hadn’t been seen either. Another point where they needed help on an executive level. Was McCullough even supposed to be in New York?
The President could add Secret Service protection to anyone he deemed worthy, and Hall had had agents at his beck and call for a long time. The first time Noah had escorted the Wilkes family to Florida to visit the senator at his vacation home Secret Service had been there, unobtrusive but definitely a presence. Was Hall granted protection just because of his personal relationship with the president? They had gone to law school together years ago and were fast friends. Noah had a feeling it was something more important than that, though. Maybe Hall had promised the president access to the serum. Or access to the enhanced soldiers.
Noah stopped in the hallway, a thought occurring to him. He looked at Raine. “What if the Secret Service is enhanced?”
She stopped as well, considering the question. “The service itself? Or just those on Hall?”
He considered the question. “In general.”
Raine frowned. “I don’t know. Senator Hall seems like an egomaniac. Do you think he would share with the president? We know they’re friends, but…”
“I just don’t know.”
They continued on to the elevator. Noah reset his earbuds and bumped up the volume on his music. It was on a pop channel, irritating as hell, but it kept his brain from concentrating too much on the crowd they were about to walk into. He glanced at Raine. She had watched him ready himself and now she gave him a gentle smile.
“Don’t worry,” he murmured, “I can still hear you.”
“I know.”
They walked out into the chilly morning. It was a weekday, so foot traffic was pretty steady. Noah turned right, shoving his hands in his pockets as he walked. He didn’t really have a destination in mind; he’d just wanted to get out. They walked for blocks, only stopping once to get a couple of cups of coffee to warm their hands. Then they were striding down the concrete toward Central Park. It hadn’t really been his destination, but it would be good enough. If they got any kind of notification in the area they would be close.
Eventually they crossed the final crosswalk into the park. The crowds dissipated a little, but not as much as he’d hoped. Joggers filled the sidewalks, fighting for space with women pushing strollers. The occasional dad pushed a stroller as well, but they were fewer and farther between. Dogs of every shape and size dragged owners through the park, happy to stretch their legs. Raine laughed lightly as they passed a couple of puppies on leashes tangling themselves around their owners’ legs.
Noah glanced down at her, loving the sound of her amusement. Selfishly, he’d worried that she would slow him down or something, or chatter, but she’d kept up with his long strides like a champ, and she hadn’t said a word, though he knew she had to be curious about the city. She’d never been here before. He’d heard her exhalations of wonder several times on the walk here, but he hadn’t paused. He was feeling guilty about that, now. He could take a few minutes to let her enjoy some of the landmarks of the city.
With that thought in mind he angled toward the right. When they got close to their destination, her breathing picked up with excitement. “They have a zoo?” she breathed.
His lips pulled into a grin. How had he known she would love it here? Because she was that kind of woman.
“Can we go in?” She asked, grinning up at him.
“That’s why I headed in this direction,” he said with a laugh. “Let’s go.”
The Central Park Zoo was only about six acres, but it was big enough to give children a taste of diversity. There were seals in a glass tank, a bear, a snow leopard hiding on a rock outcropping, and a few other animals. It was one of four zoos managed by Parks and Rec, and definitely the smallest, but it was a nice distraction.
Raine loved it, as he’d expected she would. They wandered the zoo side by side, and he found himself enjoying the experience as much as she seemed to. It had been at least a year since he’d visited a zoo with Blake.
So much had changed in that year.
“It’s been an embarrassingly long time since I’ve been to a zoo,” she murmured. “I think, maybe junior high?”
“Well, you were due, then.”
Noah watched her peer over the people in front of her, trying to get the first glimpse. The woman was stunning, with the diffused sunlight coming through the bare branches of the trees around them. Her startling blue eyes shown like the crystal waters around Oahu, with a few darker specks around the pupil. When had he ever memorized the color of a woman’s eyes? And why did he feel like he would do damn near anything for her to look at him in that hazy way she had after he’d kissed her at Christmas.
In spite of himself, he found himself thinking she would love the Bronx Zoo even more. It was huge and had so many more animals than this one. Maybe he could take her there after all this mess was over.
Noah glanced at Raine out of the corner of his eyes. The smile on her face was incredible, and she smiled at everyone they passed. More than once it seemed to catch the New Yorkers off guard. A few returned her smile, but not everyone. The kids, on the other hand, smiled at her the most. There was an openness to her heart that could not help but shine through. There were also carefully woven threads of strength coming to light more and more.
There was a shrill scream of sound behind him and Noah flinched, his entire body clenching, then turned to look at the source of the sound. There was a woman standing just a few feet behind them and she had a silver athletic whistle between her lips, presumably to control the twelve little people crowding around her.
Raine slipped her hand through his arm. “Come on. I’ve seen enough here.”
She tugged him down the sidewalk and didn’t appear to be heading in a particular direction, just away from the crowds of children and people. The music filling his ears was just loud enough to make his brain focus on it, and away from the surrounding cacophony. Eventually, Raine slowed and headed for a bench. Noah looked around, surprised at how secluded it was. He had no idea where they were exactly.
Raine sank to the wood bench, setting her backpack down between them, and waited for him to join her.
“That had to be so loud,” she murmured softly.
He gave her a humorless laugh, planting an arm along the back of the bench. “You have no idea. Those sounds like that, sudden and sharp, make my head ring, like I’ve turned into a tuning fork, or something. My entire body hums with the sound. And I have to wait for it to fade away. I love New York but I hate the city, if you know what I mean.”
She nodded, resting her hand on his, on the back of the bench. “We can go back to the safehouse if you want.”
He shook his head, running his other hand over his tight cut. He made sure not to dislodge her touch with the other hand. “If I had to listen to Poole clatter on that damn keyboard another minute I was going to blow. I feel like I’m in a cage, there. The CIA are to be taken with a grain of salt, so the less time I’m there the better.”
Her crystalline eyes twinkled with humor. “Are you telling me you don’t trust them?”
Shaking his head, he couldn’t help but respond to her humor. “Only about as much as I can throw them.”
She made a face, leaning back to look him up and down. Noah felt the track of her gaze. “I think you could pop Poole’s head off. Rose might be a challenge. He has that lean, rangy look like he could fight for hours. I think of all of them the woman would give you the biggest fight. The other guy likes his food too much and it’s starting to slow him down.”
“Forbes. And the woman’s name is Taylor or something. You’re probably right,” he said, giving her an assessing look. “Rose would be the most difficult, then Taylor.”
