Chapter 19

Chapter 18  (13+) Annie gets her gun. Szokoly thinks...multiverse. Rudolfo moves into position. #2038420 by Hyperiongate

Chapter 19

Rudolfo had barely moved a muscle for the last four hours. He’d managed to find a place overlooking the newly constructed camp, not more than a mile away. That had been relatively easy, and with more luck than he’d imagined at the time for when the sun came up, so did his view of the motion detectors.

They were everywhere. Spaced about a hundred yards apart, they created an impenetrable boundary around the camp. He could have approached the camp with ease, but would have been noticed immediately. It was only through blind luck that he’d stopped a dozen yards before he was within their range.

They must really have something down there, he thought. This type of security wasn’t handed out to just any military project. They had a secret and were going to great lengths to make sure it stayed that way. He pondered the irony of their extreme efforts at secrecy. If they’d simply acted as if they had nothing to hide, Rudolfo would have been much less likely to want a closer look.

Every now and then, he would set aside his scope and then, very slowly, jot down a few notes. Thus far, he had the basic layout of the camp and was beginning to get a feel for the number of soldiers present. He’d started out trying to track the patrol routes but came to the conclusion that these were intentionally random; just in case someone like Rudolfo was watching. Not for the first time he wondered, “Do they know I’m here?”

There was one structure of particular interest. From his vantage point, Rudolfo was looking at something that appeared to be a large circular building, similar to the large oil containers at a refinery. It was flat on top; about two stories high and a hundred yards across. It was located in the center of the camp, indicating its importance. It was also the only structure that wasn’t some sort of tent or prefabricated building. This thing looked like it was made out of cement. Still, with the camo-painting, it would have been hard to see by anyone that might be accidentally passing overhead.

That was where the secret was; of this there could be no doubt. Whatever had been discovered out here in the desert was important enough to build a bunker around and then surround that bunker with dozens of Special Forces types.

He continued to patiently scan the site with his high-powered scope. A group was emerging from a tent. One was apparently an officer. Rudolfo could tell by the way others around him behaved as well as the way the man carried himself. In fact, there was something very familiar with the way the man stood out from the group around him.

Lanier! Just as he suspected.

Rudolfo knew he’d hit the mother lode. The infamous Colonel Lanier of Deep Blue Operations was only present when something extraordinary was going on; typically something inexplicable and often alien in nature. In other words, things involving the Angel of Darkness. The Brotherhood’s suspicions were now confirmed.

As the variety of implications raced through his mind, Rudolfo continued to watch as the Colonel strode across the base. Lanier stopped short, and then to Rodolfo’s complete surprise, turned and looked directly at the assassin. There was no way he could see Rudolfo from that distance, even if he knew exactly where to look. But still, Rudolfo could see the man staring right at him. It was as if he knew. Typical Lanier weirdness.

Quickly, but with a minimum of movement, Rudolfo packed up and began to slither back away from the camp and its outlying motion detectors. He didn’t know how, but he’d been busted. The colonel somehow knew he was there. It would be just a matter of time before this area was crawling with troops. By then, Rudolfo needed to be long gone.


A couple of minutes earlier, Lanier had left his office with a couple of his people in tow when he stopped short.

He was being watched!

The colonel let his mind go blank. Something below his conscious level of thought had just given him a nudge. He needed to get out of the way and let more information come to the surface.

It came to him as something more than a hunch but less than a certainty. Rudolfo was watching him. Not only that, he was watching him from that ridge right over there. He didn’t know how he knew. His subconscious mind had picked up some tell-tale sign, may a glint of light off some metal or a bird flying in a curious manner. It wasn’t obvious to his conscious mind but something deep down was telling him, “He’s right over there.”

Lanier looked at the spot and couldn’t see a thing; not that he expected to. Rudolfo would be camouflaged. Still, he looked, not trying to hide his stare. He wanted Rudolfo to know that he knew. He wanted the assassin on the run. It would be easier to find him.

He turned to an aide and said, “Sergeant, I want twenty men over on that ridge in the next ten minutes. Take the dogs and be ready for anything.”

Then, as if nothing had just happened, he turned to his group and gestured that they continue with their walk to the car.

Three sets of patrols closed in on the area where their colonel had indicated. There was no sign that anyone had been there. The dogs showed up a few minutes later and were able to pinpoint an exact location. Someone had definitely been there recently. Strangely, the dogs were unable to agree on a direction to pursue and soon the scent was lost.

Two hours later, Rudolfo crouched next to Highway 50. He could see for miles in either direction and the road was empty. That didn’t mean it wasn’t being watch. He couldn’t wait there all day so he’d have to make a break for it. When it was a clear as it was going to get, he stood and casually walked across the road. The recreational area was only a mile away and he wanted to appear as just another outdoor enthusiast out of a walk.

A short time later, he strode into the camp where he’d left a camper hours earlier. It had been replaced by an SUV. Rudolfo tried to never give the same appearance for more than a few hours at a time. That included the car that he drove. As usual, his support network was top notch. The keys were hidden in the right place. A quick inspection showed the trunk to be filled with whatever armament he might need.

Rudolfo opened a folder that was under the passenger seat and read about his next stop for the day. The tab on the folder read “Sheriff Sam Tucker.”

*****

Unaware that he was on anyone’s “checklist,” Sam looked up at the clock and then down at the stack of half-finished paperwork sitting on his desk in front of him. Time flies when you’re having fun, he thought. Whatever happened to the good old days when being a sheriff meant getting out and actually doing something?

Half a block away, Rudolfo sat patiently in his SUV. Locating the Sheriff had been a piece-of-cake. Men like him were easy to “connect” with. Like many widowed older men, his only activities in life had been reduced to work and sleep. The Sheriff left his home at 6:00 am every morning and returned by 7:00 pm every night. You could almost set your watch by it.

No, the Sheriff was not going to be a problem. The goon in the van parked in the lot across from the Sheriff’s office was going to be something else altogether. Rudolfo smiled as he thought about how helpful it was to know that Colonel Lanier was in on the game. The Colonel never left anything to chance. Rudolfo knew that there would be a tail on the sheriff. It fit the colonel’s profile to a tee.

The tail was a professional. The vehicle, a late model sedan, matched the other cars on the street. There was no visible exterior antenna. No one was visible inside, although the back windows were tinted.

The trick would be to pick a time and place to scoop up the Sheriff. This could be done in one of two ways. He could take the Sheriff without the tail knowing about it, or he could take out the tail and then grab the Sheriff. Either way, the clock would start as soon as he made his move. Lanier would have absolute confirmation that someone was onto his latest project. Once the Colonel knew the Sheriff had been taken, he would bring his considerable resources to bear on the lawman’s recovery.

Rudolfo had complete confidence in his ability to carry out the Brotherhood’s assignments. Still, part of that confidence came from not underestimating one’s opponent. Colonel Wes Lanier was a man that never made mistakes. He always seemed to be a step ahead of whatever forces were lined up to block his path forward. In short, Rudolfo had no illusions about being able to easily evade the colonel should the man come after him. He would have to assume that once he took the sheriff, time would begin to run out quickly. He’d have to have all of his actions carefully mapped out in advance.

Rudolfo would make his decision soon as the Brotherhood already looking for updates on his progress. Those not familiar with field work would never understand that sometimes the fastest way to get something done was to wait for an opportunity rather than to try and create one.

Not five minutes later, a slight departure from the sheriff’s routine made Rudolfo smile. Maybe an opportunity was presenting itself at that very moment. There seemed to be a new player in the game.

Assassin eyes watched as Sam came out to greet Jack in front of the station. Although they had only spent a short time together, it was plain to anyone watching that they were good friends. Rudolfo took note that this new element, a friend of the solitary sheriff, may turn out to be a person of interest. So far, Jack had been completely off the assassin’s radar.

“Jack, it’s good to see you again. Seen any more UFO’s lately?”

“No such luck Sam. I’ve been thinking a lot about you and thought it was about time to check in to see how life is treating you. So, how have you been?”

“Same old stuff. One hour of sheriffing followed by seven hours of paperwork. You would think that technology would do more to get me out from behind that desk; not the other way around.”

Jack nodded knowingly. “Tell you what Sam, I’m starved. Let’s find a place to eat. We can catch up over a steak.”

Rudolfo watched as the two men climbed into the Sheriff’s truck and drove away. Before they had reached the end of the block, a van across the street pulled out and began its slowed, metered pursuit. This caught Rudolfo by surprise. He’d been watching the stakeout car when all of the sudden, a van joins the game. This could only mean one thing – The man that came to see the sheriff was a player; one whose role was as yet undetermined. The van was tailing the newcomer.

The original stakeout car swung around to follow the van that was following the sheriff and Jack. Rudolfo joined the procession shortly thereafter.

Over dinner, Jack was surprised to find that Sam had talked with Colonel Lanier only the day before. The Colonel had called to see how Sam was doing and, by the way, “Have you come up with any missing persons that may help identify JD11?” Sam had told him JD11 looked to remain a John Doe until he could answer any questions about his identity himself.

Beyond that one call, Sam’s life had been uneventful.

Jack’s, on the other hand, was much more fluid. He started out telling Sam about JD11’s miraculous recovery. “You should see him now, Sam. Nearly all of his skin has regrown. He has coverage over one hundred percent of his body. All of those bones and organs I saw when I first found him are now covered up. Lise said he may be ready to be taken out of the tank by the end of April.”

Sam smiled. “By Lise, I take it you mean Dr. Marshall. Do I detect a bit of familiarity there?”

“I think you may. Yes, I have been seeing her regularly for the last week or so. I have to tell you Sam, she is really something.”

“That’s just great. I knew right off the bat you two would hook up. A man needs a good woman. Look at me. My wife up and dies and what’s left, nothing but an old man with a holster and a desk. I hope it works out for you two.”

“Thanks. It has been going great so far. I go by every day for lunch. I guess you could say we’re an item. She takes me in to see JD11, filling me in on his progress and such. She is on call tonight so it seemed like a good time to catch up with you. Sam, there are some things you need to know about.”

Jack proceeded to tell Sam everything he knew. He told him about Annie’s relationship with JD11 and how she believed that there was trouble coming their way. He talked about the assassin that Colonel Lanier believed to be in the area. Some sort of religious organization was supposedly funding him. There seemed to be a lot more to JD11 than anyone anticipated. His healing went way beyond anything science could explain.

Sam took it all in like the calm, experienced professional that he was. He may have been getting on in years but that only meant he had been a Sheriff for a long time.

“Does the colonel know what you just told me?”

“Yes. As a matter of fact, he encouraged me to tell you everything I know. He wants you to be ready for anything. Sam, this could get hairy. Lanier thinks they may have your name as the person that found the Artifact.”

Sam only nodded understanding. Jack had to admire the man. He’d just been told that an international assassin might be after him and all he did was ask for Jack to pass the salt. Maybe it was his being a seasoned law enforcement professional. Maybe it was his life’s lack of meaning since his wife passed. Jack guessed it was a bit of both.

An hour later, Sam dropped off Jack at his car. As Jack prepared away from the curb, his intuition kicked in. he had the distinct feeling that he was being watched. Climbing out of his car, he took a look around. There were a few cars parked along the road but none seemed to be occupied. With a shrug, he got back in his car and headed home.

Rudolfo let out a breath. What just happened? How had he been detected? There had been no way for that man to know he was being followed. Rudolfo had made no mistakes, and yet, somehow the man had known. His interest in Jack took an exponential jump. First Lanier and now this “nobody” seemed to act as if they know they were being watched; in spite of the fact that Rudolfo was confident he hadn’t tipped his hand in any way. Something strange was going on. Rudolfo suspected that Dark Forces were at work to stop him from achieving his goal. He made a note to report the heighten awareness of those he was following to the Brotherhood.

The assassin followed a good mile behind Jack, aided by the transponder Rudolfo had placed on the car while Jack was at dinner. This was no ordinary man he was following. The way he carried himself spoke volumes. Rudolfo had seen how the man had climbed out of his car, ready for action; light on his feet with a slight crouch to his posture. No, that was not your run-of-the-mill friend of a sheriff.

Rudolfo knew he was onto something important. He too had intuition and it was telling him that he was getting into very dangerous territory and thus was on the right track.

It was time to contact the Brotherhood.

Chapter 20  (13+) Rudolfo knows a lot and Lanier knows about Rudolfo #2038671 by Hyperiongate