The Other Mitchell, Part 4

Isenberger left, flanked by two others and slammed the door. I pulled back the sheet I was hiding behind and watched as Charlie sank to the floor quietly sobbing.

"We'll fix this. I promise you," I told him. He went quiet for a moment, and then lashed out at an empty canister. I put a hand on his shoulder, "We'll get him back."

"Haven't you figured it out yet?" he muttered pushing me away. He reached around burying his fingers in the back of his neck. Charlie's face contorted, his thick black hair fell covering his features. His skin bunched up, and the mask dropped to his chest. Red puffy eyes looked at me through the holes of a balaclava. He grasped at the dark fabric and pulled it off, "It's Charlie that's missing--not me."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"He said he'd kill Charlie if I told anyone."

I squatted down next to him, "Who? Who said that?"

"The boss."

I nodded at the balaclava. "There was a guy wearing one of those at Isenberger's, was that him?"

"Yeah, if you don't wear one you're fucked. Whoever's inside will go to sleep, and the suit comes to life."

"So it's someone wearing a suit of Isenberger?"

Danny nodded. "Don't know who he is tho', he always wears a balaclava."

I got to my feet trying to take it all in, and my mobile rings. "Hello?"

The voice was clear, with an air of authority--it was Isenberger. He spoke the same words I'd heard at the meeting; *Servum meum*. I looked at Danny, "Yeah boss," I replied passively. Isenberger gave some orders and hung up.

"He wants me meet with Logan and pick up the stuff."

Danny swallowed looking at the machine. "Those other tubs aren't ready yet. He's going be really pissed with only four. What are we going to do?"

"Does he always have any backup when he comes around?" I asked after thinking for a moment.

"Yeah, he's never by himself."

"And you've no idea where they're keeping your brother?"

"No, he just went missing. Then he turns up with this suit. Told me I had to do what I was told otherwise--

He kicked at the container, it shot across the room bouncing off the door. "Fucker."

"And what's with this shit," I asked pulling back the sheet revealing the churning machine.

It's large and makes a low thumping noise as its mechanical arms rotate, much like a taffy machine. With its sweeping appendages, it's stretching and blending a dark viscous substance. "I have to mix the stuff and then run it through the machine for a couple of days. After that, I pack it in these tubs for him to pick up."

"Why did he choose you to work for him?"

"They needed someone to run the machine, and a place to keep it. It's just me and Charlie that live here."

I remembered that the brothers lost their mom, some eighteen months ago. "So where's your dad?"

"Working, he's a long distance driver."

For a moment, I was mesmerised my the machine and the rhythmic sounds it made. "Show me how this works."

He pulled a lid from one of the tubs, "This is what it makes. Stick your hand in it."

I frowned, "Is it safe?"

"Perfectly."

I stuck my hand in, halfway up my forearm. I felt the coolness of the gloop, which slowly warmed.

"Ok, pull your hand out slowly." I do as I'm told.

The gloop created a skin-tight covering. "Give it a couple of moments," Danny said.

As the gloop dried, it faded--matching my skin exactly. I studied it carefully, I could see all the pores, fingerprints--even the hairs.

"Now peel it off," he told me.

Picking at where gloop had ended I found an edge, and then teased it away. The covering stretched, and I pulled it off like a glove. It snapped back into shape as I freed the last of my fingers. It was a perfect copy of my hand.

"They cover the person in the stuff, a couple of minutes later they make a slit in the back and pull it off."

"So this shit copies memories as well?" I asked.

"No, remember that circle tattoo you saw inside the mask? Well, that sort of absorbs the person's memories. He draws it on the person's forehead before they paint the gloop on, when they pull it off it sticks to the inside of the mask."

"This is dangerous shit, there's no telling how far he's taken this. I've only seen a handful of people at the meeting, there could be a lot more.

I sighed, this was so wrong. We had to isolate Isenberger and question him. "There might be a way, but it's dangerous--

Danny looked nervous, but I still told him my idea. "He still thinks I'm one of his slaves. He said he wants me to pick up the gloop with Logan. If we take it to him, then maybe we can get him alone. We can then force him to tell us where to find Charlie."

There's quiet, I can see Danny working it out. "I take over for the guy wearing Logan's suit?"

"Yeah, what do you think?" He pulled a face and then nodded.

I made a call to Logan. "Yeah, the boss called me. We need to pick up the gloop from Russo's house." "I know, I'm already here. Where are you?" "OK, see you in ten."

Danny looked at the four tubs, "He's expecting six tubs."

"We'll give him four, that's all there is right? How long until that stuff on the machine's ready?"

He glanced at the machine, "Two hours maybe."

"We'll just tell him that. Right, get out of that suit," I told him, "Logan won't worry whether it's you or Charlie when he gets here." It only took him a couple of minutes, and we stood and waited for Logan to arrive.

Danny jumped at a bang on the door, I went and answered it. "Hey Logan, ready to move this shit?"

"Is it ready?" I nodded and showed him into the den where Danny is waiting.

As he passed me, I grabbed him by the neck and pulled him backwards. I had the upper hand and the skills of a medal winning wrestler. We crumpled to the floor, and I'm kicking backwards to get purchase. Tightening my grip, I felt his struggling diminish and finally stop.

We both pulled the clothes from Logan, and Danny picked at the nub of skin at the back of his neck. As a gap appeared, he pushed his fingers inside and pulled the mask free.

I recognised the face--Seth Windfeldt--I'd thought at one point he was running the whole operation. But in truth I'd hoped that I'd find my missing friend Gordon Black behind the mask.

"Should we leave him?" Danny asked as he pulled Windfeldt from the Logan-suit.

"No, not yet," I replied. "Help me get him inside Charlie's suit. Once we find out where everyone is, we'll release them all at the same time."

We had to work fast to get him into the suit before he woke, but Danny seemed like an expert which makes it easy. Charlie was still unconscious as we dressed him, and I took the opportunity to drop him on the couch in the living room.

As I reached the door I heard a voice from behind me. "Who the fuck are you?"

I turned to see Charlie standing up. "Sean--Sean Mitchell, I'm a friend of Danny's," I told him.

"I haven't seen--Danny for ages, schedules I guess." He looked at his watch, "Shit! I'm going to be late for work. Look Sean? Lock up when you leave, I've got to go," he told me as he rushed out the door.

Logan poked his head around the corner of the den, "He's gone?"

I nodded, "Gone to work. Thought you'd finished his shift at the coffee shop."

"He works at the BBQ Pit in the evening."

"Ok, well at least we'll know where he is. Let's get those tubs moved."

I helped Logan with the four tubs, hoisting them into the back of pickup. After a couple of minutes, the new Logan is able to recall the drop off point and we went into town.

~~~~~~

We arrived at a small warehouse unit, Logan knocked on the steel shutters and they rattled open. Garret Reineke looked out, I recognised him from the earlier meeting at he big house. "You got the stuff?" Logan nodded as I grabbed one of the tubs, and walked into the warehouse past Luke Mathewson, one of the huge line-backers from the football team.

Isenberger leaned against a table, watching intently. "You got the six tubs right?"

Logan followed me, dumping a second tub on the floor. The remaining two tubs were brought in by Reineke and Mathewson. "There was only four. He says the others will be ready later," I lied.

Isenberger stormed over, "WHAT! I need SIX for tonight! That little shit. You, and you," he pointed at the two jocks, "take the pickup and go back to the house. Lean on him--hard, get him to speed up. I need that stuff." Logan held out the pickup's keys and Reineke snatched them and they both left.

I looked over at Logan as he kicked at the floor nervously. "You! Mitchell. You're Russo friend, get undressed--I'm going over there as you. He'll work quicker if his friends are at risk as well."

Glancing over at Logan, I could see he was panicking as I pulled at my shirt. Isenberger had pulled his shirt over his head already, and was clawing at the back of his neck. His handsome face distorted as he pulled the suits mask from his face. Deep blue eyes stared at me through the holes of the balaclava he's wearing.

I stepped closer, and he frowned. "Get undressed, you shit!" I shook my head and made a grab for him. He dodged me, and his eyes went wide. "Stop him!" Logan lunged at Isenberger grabbing him, holding him in a bear hug.

As I walked over, I asked him where he was hiding Charlie, and my friend Gordon Black. Isenberger struggled, trying to free himself from Logan's grip. As he thrashed, he hit Logan square in the face with his head. Logan reeled back holding his nose. His eyes flicked between us, and he turned sprinting for the shutters.

"STOP!" I yelled and chased after him. He'd got a good start, ducking around the corner. I was just feet behind him when he reached the street; with Logan close on my heels. There was a blare of air horns, and the screech of tires and a truck hit Isenberger square on. He was flipped into the air and hit the road with a sickening thud. The truck swerved and accelerated away.

Slowly I walked up to the motionless body, and looked for Logan. He was standing on the sidewalk, the colour draining from his face. I knelt next to Isenberger, and pushed my fingers to his neck--there was no sign of a pulse. "Is he dead?" Logan whispered, now standing next to me.

"Yes."

"How--

Logan choked on his words. "How are we going to find Charlie now?"

"It's not just Charlie what about the others?" I sighed.

I pulled back the balaclava he was still wearing.

"Oh man--"