The Quixotic Faction: (Above Top Secret Edition) Read online

  “That would be under the direction of Director Rodgers. A good man.”

  “What is really going on here? From the beginning.”

  The director continues to rub his head and neck as he struggles to find the words. “We were observing an anomaly that was affecting Earth’s gravitational field. I believe it is the same anomaly that the good Dr. Stevens was tracking, Agent Abergathy mentioned it to me. Anyways, she convinced me to allow her to come here and search for what was causing it. To make a long story short…” affording himself a chuckle, “…ever notice when somebody says that it is already too late?”

  The admiral relaxes, “I take it this partner of Agent Abergathy, the one that was killed. She had important ties to important people?”

  “Oh, that is an understatement.” He lets out a low whistle. “She was the daughter of one of our directors and she was her only child.”

  “Boris and Natasha must be working under this director. Kristen pulled a dash camera from one of the police cars that had our interaction with them. That must be how they got our names.”

  “Yes, you would be correct. She sent them to find who killed her daughter.” Looking over at the admiral, “Your deduction reasoning is extremely impressive, a very good trait for a leader.”

  Taking another sip of water, the admiral leans his head back on the couch, stretching his neck. The room becomes quiet as the voices outside can be heard. It would seem they have come to an understanding. A thought hits him as he remembers a conversation with Dorothy DuFerot. “So those two agents are under the impression that we killed her daughter and why St. Clair first thought we did. That still does not explain Dorothy DuFerot or who supplied her with that technology?”

  “That I do not know? Director Rodgers had me looking into a bank robbery under suspicious circumstances with Agent St. Clair and Nomi. Everything went South from there.”

  “That does not explain how she knew who we were, just like Agent St. Clair knew who we were. It felt like we walked into a trap and we had our collective asses handed to us.”

  “I am wondering one thing. Why did you decide to team up with Agent St. Clair and Nomi to go after this, Ms. DuFerot?”

  Laying back down on the couch, the admiral puts his good arm over his eyes. “Everything seemed like a good idea at the time. Truth be told, the only two civilian names I had were Lincoln and Harvey’s. Which is why, when Lincoln wanted to traipse across the country looking for a source to something, I figured why not. Then we went and fell into this hornets’ nest…”

  “I understand, more than you might realize. I too perhaps got caught up with the ideals of having a renewed purpose.”

  “Speaking of purpose. It would seem she too has a new purpose and that is to kill us.”

  “Now hold on a minute there, admiral. That sounds a bit extreme.”

  “She flat out told Agent St. Clair that she was going to kill me. She knew all three of our names. The only way she would know that would be if…” Despite the pain, he sat back up to face the director.

  The director’s expression pans as he takes in a slow breath as flashes of his meeting with Victoria flood his mind. “I’m not sure. Making speculations is not a good trait for a leader.”

  Knowing the director was hiding something, the admiral leans his head back pinching the bridge of his nose. “Look, I know you have your secrets, but make no mistake; her goal was to kill us. We walked right into a trap and had our asses handed to us. I want to know who was pulling her strings.” His shoulder twinges shooting bolts of pain. “Right now, we need to rest. This will have to be your fight.”

  * * *

  Back outside, an engine roars in the distant as a cloud forms at the end of the dirt road. “Harv, you need to get inside.”

  Harvey looks back at him confused, “Are you expecting some more people?”

  “Harv, go now!”

  “You don’t have to tell me three times.” Making a dash to the farmhouse, he pauses to look at the technician, “Well, are you coming?”

  * * *

  Director Harris is looking out one of the holes in the wall when he hears the engine and sees the cloud of dirt, “Admiral, you need to make yourself scarce. I’m not sure who this is arriving.”

  “Arghh.” Fighting back the pain, the admiral fights to stand up. “I remember just the other day, this was easier to do. What’s going on? Who is coming?”

  Just then the front door bursts, as Harvey and the technician enter the house. “Admiral, you need a hand, we have to relocate.”

  “I was just telling him that.” The director adds as he continues to watch Agent St. Clair watching the dirt rumble towards them, as a sense of unknown and uncertainty puts a knot in his stomach. The sound of a car plowing through cornstalks catches his attention. A grey Lexus bursts out of the cornfield as it makes its way around the SUV’s. It comes to an abrupt stop, kicking up a massive cloud of dirt into the mid-day air. St. Clair phases out to avoid the dirt and rocks.

  Unable to see who is getting out of the car, the director hears the car door slam shut. Everything comes to a stop, no noise, no breeze, even the dirt stops mid-air. A murder of crows flies out of the cornfields, sending everything in fast forward. The unmistakable scream of Agent Selenia causes him to smile; however, his shoulders refuse to relax. Stepping outside to meet the arriving agents he notices Agent St. Clair phase back in.

  “Chatter, welcome to the farm.” St. Clair makes his way cutting them off from the house.

  “Little John, fancy meeting you here. I mean after you left us at the bed and breakfast.”

  “Yeah well you sorta came on strong back there. I see you have your contacts in.” Off the side he notices Agent Grunt finally making his way in front of the car, still waving the dirt away from his face. “Grunt, looking good.”

  “Little John, let’s put all that in the past. Bygones be bygones and all that. I am wondering why the party here and we were not invited?” She saunters towards the large agent.

  “Agent Selenia, Agent Grunt, glad you can join us?”

  They both stop and look up at the porch to see Director Harris. Taking a few more steps, “Director, have you talked to Director Carol recently? It would seem you are incognito. She would be intrigued to learn that you are here consorting with the people that killed her daughter.”

  “Agent Selenia, I assure you that it is none of the sort. Agent St. Clair and I are regrouping to find a way to stop a woman from using a dangerous technology. A lot of innocent people have died in recent events.”

  St. Clair crosses his arms across his chest as he defiantly shows no fear as Selenia makes her way in front of him. She turns to him, “Yes, and Admiral Julian Kay being one of them. Of course, was he really innocent?”

  Unseen, she jabs a taser into St. Clair’s abdomen causing his eyes to open in shock, as his body flickers. Director Harris yells, “Eleadora, what are you doing!”

  “We’re here to find answers and bring some justice. That’s all.” She looks down at St. Clair passed out and then examines the taser. She then tosses it on the ground, looks back up at the Director, “I am tired of this humidity, tired of this heat, I really would like to go back home. That means we have to take a more direct approach. Kinda speed things along. Since Admiral Kay has been killed, I was hoping to find the other two and be able to question the third, the one that Agent Abergathy called, Professor.”

  From nowhere, a voice is coming from everywhere, “I’ve told you, get off my land!”

  Selenia and Grunt turn in every direction to see where it is coming from. They see a man floating towards them from around the corner of the house. Recognizing the voice, they take an aggressive stance. “After our last meeting I was not sure you would show.” Selenia goads him.

  “There is an old Georgian proverb, “dzaghli hk’itkha: rat’om kerki? - sheshineba mglebi. - rat’om k’etrovan tkveni k’udi? - rogor pikrobt, me ar meshinia mglebis?” He pauses to watch their dead pan expressions. �
�That means, the dog was asked Why do you bark? – To scare away the wolves – Why do you wag your tail? What do you think am I not afraid of wolves?”

  Scratching her head, she looks over at her partner who looks just as confused. Turning her confusion back to the man, “So, professor, does this mean you are going to bark for us?”

  Immediate sounds of bending metal answers her. They step back, away from the Lexus just as the glass shatters. Shielding themselves, they watch the car being crushed as easy as they would crush a shoe box.

  Concrete Bunker,

  Dry Creek, LA

  July 30, 0930 hours

  Watching the monitors, Harvey and three of the technicians are seeing the events in front of the house unfold. Harvey pushes back his chair. Running to the hidden door in the corner, he glances back to the technicians all still watching the monitors. Making his way into the other room the vastness that he remembers is gone as the ship is taking up a majority of the space. He looks over to see Kristen still sitting by Lincoln’s side.

  Tring to keep his voice down, he hoarsely whispers, “Kristen, the professor needs your help…”

  She looks over to him when the ship cuts him off, “You do not have to whisper, Dr. Garrett. They cannot hear in the other room.”

  “Ahhh, thank you? Kristen…” He notices her eyes are tired, all the spark and energy she had was gone.”

  “Kristen, the professor really needs your help.”

  “What am I supposed to do?”

  Trying to find the words, he paces and massages his forehead. You understand Lincoln’s equipment…”

  “You’re kidding right?” She cuts him off. “His body is barely cold and you already want to just give away his life’s work?”

  “Stop with the melodrama! He was my friend! I would like to live through this and see him laid to rest in his family plot.” Taking a deep breath, “Look, I’m sorry, I…”

  Walking over to his friend, he reaches out, touching his shoulder. “We may have only known each other for a brief time; but, we could have easily become life-long friends. It was my comic book ideals that I thought would save us. Even though, as often as he would get on to me about it, I think he liked the idea of it.” Pausing to try and hold back the water forming in his eyes, “He would want you to have his project. Nobody else understands it, and his work will be lost if you do not pick up the mantle”

  A monitor turns on showing the front of the house, Clarisse interrupts him again, “Dr. Garrett, I am detecting a small energy signature moving this way at a high rate of speed.”

  “Ummm, energy signature? Thank you?” Seeing the screens light up, he rushes over to one of them to see what is happening.

  Deserted Farm,

  Dry Creek, LA

  July 30, 0940 hours

  Agent Grunt gives Selenia a pissed off look then looks back at the car as it comes to a stop, crushed to a height of his knees. Turning his attention to the levitating man, he throws his arm out towards him.

  The professor shakes his head as if he is trying rid the cobwebs, with his left arm he swings it out. An intense gravitational wave sweeps across the open area, knocking Selenia end over end into the cornfields. Director Harris is hit with the wave and is sent crashing through one of the holes of the house, breaking off a piece of the wood in his lower back.

  Grunt is able to withstand the wave. Bending his knees, he leans in the direction of the professor as the wave pulsates around him. Struggling, he looks up at the professor and tilts his head. The professor’s shoulders drop, he grabs his head as he begins to lower down to the ground.

  Agent Selenia manages to recover and comes running out of the cornfield, scratched up and bleeding from the dried leaves. She gets to her partners’ side to see the professor fight off something in his mind. She notices his legs looking tired and struggling to hold him upright. With a surprise burst of energy, the professor drops to a knee and drops a fist to the dirt. All the air begins to rush towards him as if a seal has been broken. Selenia and Grunt drop to a knee and flatten their hands on the ground to try and hold their ground.

  A split second later, the area is filled with the deafening sound of a sonic boom. It sends Agent Selenia flying unconscious, landing on Agent St. Clair. Grunt grabs his ears and lets out a garbled scream.

  Concrete Bunker,

  Dry Creek, LA

  July 30, 0950 hours

  Using one of the controls, Harvey pans the camera. The only person he can see is the short agent. Maneuvering the camera, he watches him struggle taking steps. The bodies of Little John and what looks like the short agent’s partner come into view, both look dead. The short agents posture drops as if defeat washed over him as he continues to rub his ears looking down at his partner.

  “Holy cow…that was like…damn.” Panning the camera to the right he sees the crushed car and lets out a low whistle. “That is one turkey’d car.” Continuing to pan to the right, he sees no signs of the professor. “Where did the professor go?”

  “Eprem is not within radio distance.”

  Harvey cautiously turns, already knowing where the voice is coming from, he still looks for someone else in the room. “Ah, thanks.”

  “Dr. Garrett, from the sound displacement that occurred moments ago, Eprem could be, I do not know.”

  For the first time, Harvey looks at the ship, “What do you mean?”

  Kristen gets up and walks over to him. “Clarisse, has the ability to manipulate gravitational fields. That’s what got her and the professor my attention. I would imagine since they both have the same chemical and mineral make-up, that the Professor finally needed to be someplace.”

  “Jesus, that kind of pressure, to be able to bend gravity towards you and the just step through it and be someplace else, his molecular density has to be immense.”

  “Dr. Garrett, the energy signature that was moving in a high rate of speed as slowed down.”

  “Clarisse, What energy signal?”

  Tapping his chin, Harvey ignores Kristen’s question while studying the monitor. “One minute everything is happening and now nothing. Where did that short guy go?” Still panning the camera, “I have a bad feeling here. Where is the Director? Something’s wrong, we need to get up there.”

  “Harvey, you can’t just go up there.”

  “Sure I can, I just put on one the minion’s jackets and head up there, easy day.”

  Deserted Farm,

  Dry Creek, LA

  July 30, 1003 hours

  Agent Grunt turns, dropping his hands, he looks around for the floating man, the one they called professor. Scratching his head, there is no movement anywhere, even the wind feels missing. Hearing a moan coming from the house, he sidesteps, waiting to see who is coming out. Through the break in the wall, Director Harris is painfully moving, trying to get outside. Just as the director steps on the porch, he collapses to his knee, his back leg still hanging on the wall. Grunt rushes up to him. Before he can grab him, he notices a piece of plywood sticking out of lower back, blood has stained his pants and jacket.

  Director Harris falls to his side, looking up at Grunt, “I always thought it would be my blood pressure or sugar levels that would have gotten me.” He forces a smile then winces in pain.

  Grunt fights the sadness welling up as he smiles, looking at the director.

  Director Harris smiles again, the tension releases from his facial muscles as his entire

  body relaxes. A sense of pleasure and bliss washes over him. Closing his eyes, he fades to sleep.

  Before Grunt can fully set him down, he hears a commotion of feet scuffling in the house. With an uneasy shift in his weight, he sees four technicians hurrying towards him. Three of the technicians look like they could be clones; however, the fourth has something about him, the way he is carrying himself, has Grunt’s attention. The technician that stands out, is making the calls. “He is alight?”

  Agent Grunt eyes him cautiously and shrugs his shoulder. As the technicians
’ step in to pick up the director. Turning to head back to his partner, he steps off of the porch and shakes his head. The technicians are starting the bicker on who should step where and who should hold what.

  “Watch where your stepping.”

  “Hey! that’s my hand. Watch what you’re grabbing.”

  “You’re both idiots, let’s get him to the admiral.”

  Harvey pauses, his eyes pop open as he notices the short agent come to an abrupt stop.

  The technicians almost fall, nearly dropping the director, as Harvey stopped moving. One of the them give him an attempted shove. “If you had just let us fix your suit, the director may not have gotten hurt.”

  “What the hell, man!”

  “What’s wrong now?!”

  Still frozen, Harvey watches the agent turn towards them. Hearing the technicians’ bicker, he sets his part of the director down and backs away out of frustration. “Jesus! What else can go wrong!”

  “What’s your problem?”

  The three technicians lay the director down, in doing so one of the technicians get his hand incidentally stepped on. “Arhhh, asshole!” He shoves one of his friends into the other.

  Harvey ignores the fight in front of him, never taking his eyes off of the agent. He watches him smile at him, as the pit of his stomach drops. All of his nerves feel agitated.

  Grunt twitches his head and smiles. He goes to take a step, his head twitches again and he grabs his head as his mind clouds up. Scrunching his eyes shut, they snap open. Every blood vessel in his eyes feels like they are pulsating. A sing song voice cuts into the cloud.

  “What do we have here?”

  Both men watch a shapely figure step out from behind one of the SUV’s. She looks over at the Lexus, “Ahhh that is a shame.”

  One of the technicians throws a punch at Harvey, hitting him in the jaw. Harvey falls back a step and the technician grabs his hand whelping in pain. Harvey’s anger boils over and he grabs the technician, swings him around and throws him knocking his counterparts into a wall. Determined to stop everything, he steps over the director and heads outside.