Carnival Of Mayhem Part 16

"I don't get it. The government recruits the best scientists available, sets up a dedicated research laboratory, and accomplishes nothing. Meanwhile, you talk to 'fringe lunatics.'"

"It was Ethel's idea. She has fantastic intuition."

Marina opened the evidence kit and snapped on a pair of rubber gloves. Aaron used his hands to create a step so she could reach the knife.

"Don't touch the hilt," he said. "Try to grab a spot where you won't smudge fingerprints."

She gave him a look. "I know what I'm doing, darling."

She stepped onto his hands, reached up, and grabbed the knife by the guard. Carefully, she worked the blade out of the wood. His arms were getting tired from holding her when she finally freed the knife. The black envelope fell, and she s.n.a.t.c.hed it with her other hand.

She hopped down, still holding both items. He found a couple of plastic bags in the evidence kit, and she deposited the evidence in them.

"Are we going to look inside the envelope?" Smythe said.

"Hold on," Aaron said.

The kit contained a scalpel. He kept the envelope inside the bag as he gently sliced it open, taking care not to touch the evidence with his fingers. Then he took a pair of tweezers from the kit and extracted the contents of the envelope. It was a folded piece of black paper. With her hands still protected by rubber gloves, Marina took the paper by the corners and unfolded it.

"It's blank." She held it up. "I can't see any writing."

Smythe moved in and looked closely. "s.h.i.t!" He backed away hastily. "It's poisoned. Close your mouth! Put the paper back in the bag without shaking it. Aaron, don't touch it!"

Marina slipped the paper back into the bag. His heart beating fast, Aaron put everything into the evidence kit.

"Hold up your hands," Smythe said to Marina. "Don't move."

She held up her gloved hands. He peeled off the gloves, starting from the bottom, so that they turned inside-out. He was very careful not to touch the outer surface. He threw the gloves into the evidence kit and kicked it closed with his foot.

"How did you know?" Aaron said.

"I saw a very fine powder." Smythe ran over to the river and rinsed his hands. "These Eternals are more dangerous than I thought. Marina, do you feel OK?"

She nodded. "Fine."

"Wash your hands and face. If you have any symptoms, let me know."

She washed herself in the river. "Thanks. You may have just saved my life."

"Yeah." He furrowed his brow. "I guess you owe me."

"What's our next step?" Aaron said. "We can't give up. Maybe we should call the number again and find out where the Eternals are having their next meeting."

"I bet there won't be another meeting," Marina said. "At least not for a while. They know their recruiting has been compromised."

"What number?" Smythe said.

Aaron took out the Eternals' black business card and handed it to him. "It connects to an answering machine."

Smythe studied the card. "That machine must be somewhere."

"That's a very good point." Marina took the card. "Edward can use this phone number to determine the location. I need to report our status to Ethel, anyway." She took out her phone and stepped away.

"Who is Edward?" Smythe asked quietly.

"Our resident technology geek," Aaron said.

"How big is your team?"

"Marina and I are field operatives, also known as legionnaires. Our a.s.sistants are called caculas. We have five in Chicago, each with a technical specialty. They usually stay in headquarters."

Smythe raised his eyebrows. "So, including Ethel, that's eight."

"Nine. You're a legionnaire now."

Smythe clenched his jaw.

Marina finished her conversation a moment later and closed her phone.

"Good news," she said. "Edward got an address. It's in Rockford, Illinois. My orders are to go there alone and investigate."

"What about us?" Aaron said.

"Ethel wants to give Smythe the introduction speech. Take him and the evidence back to headquarters."

"Will you be all right on your own?" He touched her arm.

"Yes." She rolled her eyes. "Don't be so overprotective. You know I hate that."

"I'm sorry." He raised his hands in surrender. "But you'll call if you need help."

"Yes, I'll call! You act like I've never done this before. Let's get out of here, but we need a second car."

He nodded. "I'll steal one."

"I have a better idea! The manager of this motel is still asleep in the office. Take his keys and his car."

"You're still mad about being called a tramp? You can be a vindictive b.i.t.c.h sometimes."

"Yes." She smiled. "It's part of my charm."

Chapter Eleven.

Smythe stared at the cars ahead on the Eisenhower expressway, west of Chicago. As usual it was stop and go as far as he could see. He had never seen good traffic on this highway, but at least the weather was pleasantly cool. He hated being stuck in a jam on a hot day.

"How long have you been in the Society?" he asked Aaron.

"A little over a year," Aaron said.

"That's all?"

"Yeah. I was the new guy until you came along."

Smythe hated to admit it, but he was starting to like Aaron. The man had the steady temperament of a veteran. Nothing seemed to upset him, a quality that was very valuable in the heat of battle.

"But I had plenty of training before I joined," Aaron said. "I already told you I was a cop, but that was just part of a colorful life. I was also a private detective and a bouncer. When I was a teenager, I even hung out with a street gang for a while. My specialty was stealing cars."

"What about formal education?"

"I went to Northwestern University for a year, but the college experience didn't work for me. I couldn't sit in stuffy cla.s.srooms and listen to dull lectures all day."

"But now you're happy?"

Aaron nodded.

"What about Marina?" Smythe said. "What's her background?"

"She was an international spy."

"Oh?"

"Don't jump to conclusions." Aaron glanced at him. "She worked for the CIA. She's a loyal American, same as you. She investigated the black market in arms in Eastern Europe. Her parents are Russian immigrants, so she speaks the language."

"Why did she quit?"

"She had to do things she hated for people who didn't appreciate her. Eventually, she got tired of the whole deal."

"I've been there." Smythe nodded.

He had mixed feelings about Marina. She had a body that most women would kill for, and her natural grace made her even more s.e.xually attractive. It was clear why Aaron was fond of her. However, Smythe could tell underneath her beautiful exterior, she was twisted and angry. Her eyes told an ugly story.

"I'll be honest," Aaron said. "She has issues."

"I noticed."

"She's trying to control her temper, but sometimes it gets away from her. My advice is to treat her with respect. If you push her b.u.t.tons, she'll punch yours, hard."

"You're speaking from experience?" Smythe said.

"I have a few scars. Those black fingernails are razor sharp."

"Then why are you dating her?"

Aaron shrugged. "I'm happy to take the bad with the good. She's incredibly talented. I've never met another woman like her, not even close."

Smythe decided to drop the subject. It wasn't smart to argue with a man about the woman he loved.

The car was finally moving at a more reasonable pace. Aaron drove smoothly in the heavy traffic, seemingly unperturbed by the other cars weaving in front of him.

"Where is headquarters?"

"Downtown," Aaron said. "We'll be there in ten minutes."

"Is there anything I should know before we go in?"

"When Ethel talks, listen. It's always important. Also, the others work for you now. They have to follow your orders, but don't treat them like servants. They are highly skilled professionals who will save your a.s.s someday, if they don't hate you."

Smythe understood. He had heard of soldiers "fragging" their superior officer to settle personal disputes. More commonly, soldiers would simply allow an officer to walk into a lethal situation unawares. On the battlefield it didn't take much effort to make people die.

"That's about it," Aaron said. "Ethel will tell you the rest."

He drove into downtown. Huge buildings shaded the streets and made the day seem darker and colder. He turned onto Lower Wacker Drive.

Smythe had never used this street before. It was like driving in a poorly lit, dirty tunnel that went under the city. Huge concrete pillars ran along both sides. Wacker intersected with other roads, some leading to even lower levels. I'm in the bowels of Chicago, he thought. Garage doors provided access to the bas.e.m.e.nts of buildings.

He quickly lost track of which direction they were going. He caught glimpses of a river off to his left, but that didn't tell him much. There were several rivers in Chicago.

Aaron turned into an awkward little parking area behind a rusty fence. A handwritten sign read, "NO PARKING. VIOLATORS WILL BE VIOLATED." The noise from a ventilation fan was irritating, even inside the car. Aaron walked over to a grimy garage door, twisted the handle back and forth in an odd way, and lifted the door. The small room beyond had oil stains on the concrete floor, cob webs, and little else. He got back into the car and drove into the room.

"What are we doing?" Smythe asked.

"We're here," Aaron said. He had to get out a second time to close the garage door.

"Where?"

The floor began to descend, startling Smythe. He realized they were on a lift platform. They dropped into a secret garage, where a number of vehicles were parked. He got out of the car.

"These are ours." Aaron gestured towards the cars and trucks. "Take one if you need it. The keys are in the ignition."

"No requisition forms? I can just drive off?"

"We trust you."

Smythe followed Aaron through a door and into a white room. A middle-aged man with a bald head and blue eyes sat behind a thick sheet of security gla.s.s.

"This is Jack," Aaron said. "He's head of security and our resident gunsmith. If you need a special weapon, he's your man. He also keeps the spare cash under his desk."

Jack nodded. "Glad to meet you, sir." He pressed a b.u.t.ton on his control console and a side door buzzed. "Ethel is waiting for you in the lab."

Aaron quickly pushed the door open and went through. Smythe followed him into a hallway with a white tiled floor. The walls were dull gray and the ceiling was unpainted concrete. Exposed conduit and water pipes ran overhead. The air smelled a little damp and musty.