S i b lings, p.17
S.I.B.lings, page 17
“There are no eyes or listening devices in Ms. Armstrong's room,” Mac stated when he returned to the room. “The barriers are in effect. We are ready whenever you are, Mr. Tyson.”
“Do I just talk?”
“You will be able to see her and yes you talk as if you were sitting right next to her. Keep this in mind, the hologram’s effect will reduce after thirty minutes. Get the pertinent information you need before the transmission ends. Understood.”
“I understand,” Monty nodded. “I’m ready.”
Chapter 29
“Nancy, can you hear me?” Monty watched as she jumped at the sound of his voice. “It's okay. I'm right here sitting by the window.”
She gasped when she saw him. “Oh my god. How did you get in here? You can't be here. Someone will hear you or worse see you.”
“No one can see me but you. It’s a hologram,” Monty smiled. “This is all new to me and it is not going to last long, so we have to talk fast. Barriers are in place so no one can hear us or read our thoughts. You are completely free to speak.”
“I've heard of the technology but had no idea anyone had perfected it,” Nancy stated.
“Someone has and it is safe and secure, but it does have its limitations”. Monty explained. “Let's start with the simple things first. How are you? What are you doing here in Virginia?”
“I am a lot better than most of the Society members. But it is good to see that you are alive and well. I have thought of you often and wondered what happened to you. More recently with the things that I know now, I feared that you were dead.”
“As you can see life has been treating me well. My concern is with you. When we spoke earlier you indicated you were in danger. Who are you in danger from?”
“We are all in danger, Montrell. The fact that I am talking to you is more dangerous for you than it is for me. You see I am paramount in his plans. You, on the other hand, are expendable, as you were before.”
“Doing away with me is going to be harder than anyone thinks. I want you to put that out of your mind. Tell me what is going on with you.”
“I've been having these feelings; these thoughts and I dare not speak or even think them around others. But I feel safe with you.”
“Your thoughts and feelings are safe with me. But I have to ask, why are you here? Did Chambers set you free?"
"As I stated before, Dr. Chambers has plans for me. I don't know all of them, but I do know that he wants me in a major role in the political arena. The things that he has tasked me to do have me concerned.”
“What is it that he has you doing in the political arena?”
“What I have been trained to do, exceed above all. Once I have acquired the position he wants me in, I will be performing whatever task he wants.”
“What position does he want you in?”
“I believe the first plan is to make me governor of Virginia, but I know it does not end there. He just has not said more than that.”
“Is this something that you want to do?”
“I like helping people. I like making other people's lives a little easier. I could never say that or even think it because, as you know, having feelings or concerns for other human beings is against what this Society is all about. However, this position that he wants me to aspire to demands me to be caring as well as intelligent. It is the only way to be accepted by the multitude of people and that is important to him.”
“Again, I ask, is it important to you?” Monty asked. “You know you have the free will to determine what your life is going to be like.”
“I've had thoughts about free will. Being in the world has made me have thoughts of freedom from the Society. However, until now I haven’t been able to speak on it. Right now, I'm being used as a pawn and I'm afraid of the things I will be tasked to do.”
Monty smiled. "You are halfway to taking control of your life. You have feelings. It's not a bad thing.” He hesitated. “How have you been able to break away from his total control?”
“He has let me into his innermost secrets. I've recently learned that the vitamins that we have been taking are actually mind control tablets. I stopped taking them a few months ago. The result is my decision making is no longer of his wishes, but my own.”
“Why haven't you stepped away, left the Society?”
“To what? Until I saw you, I did not think that there was another way to live. Even out here amongst all of the people that I deal with day in and day out, it never dawned on me that my life could be like that. Now seeing you after years I'm wondering if it's possible for me to break free too.”
“It is possible Nancy.”
“I would have no idea how to go about doing that.” She replied. “We are deemed some of the most highly intelligent people in the world. However, the most basic thing in life is free will, making your own choices. We've never learned that. Even with the highest IQ's I have come to learn that we are very behind in our way of thinking and living.”
"All of the members of the Society have been shortchanged on life. However, our time is running short. You're just here for this function, where's home for you?”
“Martinsville, it’s a little town in southwest Virginia. But it's his house. It's connected to all of his facilities and his home in North Carolina.”
“Give me your address and I will find you.”
“There are some things happening, Montrell and they're not good.” She hesitated then continued. “You have no idea how dangerous he can be. He has a warehouse of drugs that can kill thousands of people without detection.”
“I know more than what you think I do. If you truly want to leave the life of this Society, I'm here to help you. I'm not the only one from this Society that's living as I do. I have four brothers, three of them are from the Society just like you and me. We rescued quite a few women and children from when Chambers blew up the facility leaving them behind to die. We're going to help them too. If you want to be helped all you have to do is say the word and I will help you break free.”
“He would never let me go. I am too important to his mission. I'm afraid I know too much about his operations. That warehouse I mentioned was set up by me. I know the steps he has taken to keep others from being able to produce the drug. I believe he and I are the only ones who know the process from beginning to end. It is dangerous for one person to have access to something so dangerous. And he has the ability to produce more. I also know for a fact that he would kill me just as he attempted to kill those women and children only you will not be around to save me, as you did before.”
“Do you know how to access this warehouse?”
“Yes,” she nodded.
“If you want to be free, we can make that happen,” Monty said. “You should know Chambers is having me and my brothers followed. So, to be safe, the next time you talk with him, tell him you saw me at the event. You can say you don't know my name; you just know I was someone from the Society you don't have to tell him anything more than that.”
“I would never tell him that, Montrell. He would kill you.”
“You have to. For your own protection you have to tell him that you saw me. Now, I'm not going to force you, but the next time you see me you will have to make a decision. I'm going to leave you now. Do what you have to do to stay safe. But you will see me again soon. We will have a plan to get you out. But it will be up to you to leave. This is an opportunity for you to use that free will you spoke of.”
“Montrell before you go, I need to emphasize this point. The supply of drugs he has on hand right now is enough to kill thousands, maybe millions of people. He has buyers who he is supplying with this drug. I do not know who, but there are at least two buyers. He is anticipating the supply he has on hand will be gone soon. Whatever you are going to do, it needs to happen right away, or the drugs will be in circulation. And please remember, if he wants you dead, he has the means and the people to do it. So, while you are telling me to be careful, you be careful and if you have any means or resources that can take him down you need to do it now, before his power base gets stronger.”
“We will talk about that again. For now, be smart Nancy and be safe.”
With that, the hologram stopped.
Monty sat back. “Was it me or did you hear the desperation in her voice. I don't know what she knows but it is scaring her.”
“She indicated that he had the means to kill thousands maybe millions. I believe the drug she is talking about is the deadly serum.” Sapphire stated. “We have to get his location and where his production is taking place.”
“What we have to do is come up with a plan to get her out of there.” Monty said firmly.
“We have to not only find his supply, but we also have to destroy it.” Wade insisted.
“I agree with you.” She pointed at Monty. “And I agree with you.” She looked at Wade. “And that drives me crazy.”
“Why not do both?” Mac suggested.
Chapter 30
Knowing others could have been watching or may even have been listening to her thoughts, Nancy did exactly what Montrell instructed her to do. She didn't wait. She placed a call to Bradford.
“Dr. Chambers, my apologies for the late call but I did not think that this could wait. Something happened at the function tonight I think you should be aware of.”
“Something that could not wait until a reasonable hour to call?” Bradford hissed.
In the Society, consideration for such a thing would be frowned upon. Nancy responded in the way she believed he would expect.
“Information of this nature is not something that should ever be placed on hold or put into a report. A determination of how to proceed should be immediate.”
“Of course, you are correct, Nancy. What took place at the function?”
“A man, from my class was at the function. I do not know what name he goes by now, but I did recognize him, and I believe he recognized me.”
“He was in your class, here at the Society?” Bradford asked. "Which specimen was he?”
“Specimen M,” she replied.
The hesitation on the other end of the line was unnerving. “Dr. Chambers, are you there?”
“Yes, yes, of course I’m here,” he replied. “Did you speak with him?”
What she was about to do was something totally new to her. While, she had withheld information from Dr. Chambers before, she had never straight out lied to him. She was going to do her best not to do that now. “Yes, we did speak."
“What did he say?”
The alertness to his voice was now clear. He was paying attention to every word she said. She had to be careful. “He asked if we had met before?”
“What was your response?”
“I am a politician. I meet people all the time so it was possible that we may have met before.”
“Was there anything more?”
“No,” Nancy replied. "I shook his hand then returned to the table.”
“I want you to stay away from him.”
The demand in his statement was clear. “I will be returning tomorrow morning. It is doubtful I will see him again.”
“No,” he replied. “Advise your security team that you want to return now…tonight.”
“As you wish, Dr. Chambers.” Nancy replied.
Once she disconnected the call, Nancy contacted her security as instructed. She advised them she wanted to leave within the hour. For a moment Nancy allowed herself to think, what if? If what Montrell said was possible. Could she have a life where she could make her own decisions? Of course, there was. Hadn’t she been doing that for the last few months. Since she stopped taking the vitamins, she had found herself making decisions without consulting Chambers. Nothing in regard to the legislation because he would have access to that. However, in her day-to-day life, she had been exerting her free will. What if she could do that all the time? Then she cleared her mind of those thoughts for fear someone would hear them, then began packing.
Upon her return, Nancy was not surprised to be taken to Dr. Chambers' residence rather than her own. She anticipated the action and kept her mind only on thoughts of the function and the reception of the speech. She knew others in the vehicle were attempting to read her thoughts, that's why she concentrated on nothing but the speech, meeting the lieutenant governor, and talking with the governor himself. Those would be the only thoughts they would be able to get from her. It took them five hours to make the long road trip back to Apple Grove. By the time she reached his home it was close to six in the morning. It was still dark out, but she knew the sun would be rising soon.
Nancy was escorted directly to the library by his trusted assistant, Brady. Chambers was sitting behind his desk with a drink in his hand. That was odd. She had never seen a drink in his hand before six in the evening.
“Nancy, I was anxious to speak with you about the function last night. Please come in, have a seat. I know you must be tired.”
That statement alone let her know one of the members of the team had been in contact with Brady or Dr. Chambers directly. No, she did not sleep on the ride home for fear that her thoughts would become clear to one of them.
“The excitement from the evening would not allow sleep,” she replied as she took a seat in front of him.
“Tell me about this excitement.”
“The function went rather well. I had an opportunity to speak with the governor one on one. He appeared to be interested in my future plans. As did the lieutenant governor and several other legislators in the Richmond area. I believe I left a positive impression.”
“Very well. Now tell me of this other incident.”
“Other incident?” She questioned.
“You called me about the other member of the Society you ran into.”
“Yes. I'm used to running into one or two of us but usually they are someone I know of. It was strange to run into someone who was not in my inner circle.”
“How did you detect him?”
“As you instructed, when I am first introduced to someone, I ascertain their thoughts on me. Then I proceed accordingly. I did the same with him. However, I detected an attempt from him to do the same to me. He was not successful. My instinct indicated I should make you aware of it.”
There was one thing that Nancy knew about Dr. Chambers that many others may not have realized. All of the members of the Society could read thoughts. However, Dr. Chambers could not. He had learned to master hiding his thoughts so that they could not be detected. That was how Nancy had learned to do the same. He had no idea she had accomplished that particular skillset, and she had no plans to advise him of that. She did not have to attempt to hide her thoughts from him, however, his trusted aide Brady was in the room. He was the person she had to protect her thoughts from. While answering the questions of Dr. Chambers, she could feel Brady attempting to penetrate her thoughts. But he could not.
“Do you anticipate seeing him again?”
“Your instructions forbade me to do so.”
That statement eased his mind, however Nancy kept her defenses up against Brady.
“You have done well, Nancy.” Dr. Chambers smiled. “What is your next step with the legislators.”
“I am to place a call to the attorney general this morning. He was quite taken with the speech.”
“As I anticipated,” he smiled. “It is early in the morning. You’ve had a long night. Get some rest before you make that call.”
“Is there a particular topic you would like for me to bring up with the attorney general?” She asked as she stood.
“I will have a little research done and forward it to you. You want to make sure to touch on his key interests.”
“Of course. I will look forward to your submission.”
“Thank you, Nancy.”
When Nancy left the room, he placed the glass on the desk then glanced up at Brady. “What did you detect?”
“I did not detect deceit. But I cannot say if she was completely open. Her mind was on conversations that she had with several people. All dealing with politics.”
“Very well. Do we have a report on the people from Richmond following the Tysons?”
“I expect a report by 9:00 a.m. I will be sure to check the accounts of the evening as reported by Nancy against the report from our Richmond team. If anything is not matching, I will report it to you."
“Very well. That's all for now Brady.”
Bradford had thought of nothing else other than the phone call that he received from Nancy during the time it took her to get from Richmond to him. In the beginning, he was concerned that she was not telling him everything. But now that Brady had confirmed her truthfulness, he was seeing her meeting with Tyson as an opportunity. He may not have been able to get to the Tysons, especially Wade, any other way. But now, Nancy may have afforded him an opening. He was going back to sleep for an hour or so concentrating on how he could use this newfound connection between Nancy and Specimen M.
By morning his plan was in place. Bradford was almost giddy with thoughts of how he could use Specimen M to get to Wade Tyson. Before he could begin putting the pieces together, his morning was interrupted by Brady.
“Dr. Chambers, Senator Rolfeman is on the line for you.”
“What could Rolfeman want this time of morning? It is barely 9:00 a.m.” Bradford hissed as he picked up the phone. “Good morning, Senator. What can I do for you.”
“She is perfect. Your secret weapon is exactly what we need. Her delivery, her presence, the way she had the audience—mixed audience, I may add, eating out of her hands was simply perfection. You have done wonders with her. I can see her going far and yes even to the White House.”
Bradford sat back pleased with the excitement he was hearing in the senator’s voice. Between his plans for Tyson and this superb review of his candidate, the day could not get any better.
