Apocalypse Cult (Gray Spear Society) (2 page)

"I'm Galina Vaganova," the woman said, "and my partner is Joseph Biondo. We're special agents in the United States Secret Service."

"Oh?"

"We suspect the Church of One Soul is printing counterfeit currency."

Aaron scratched the stubble on his chin. "Really?"

"We're working undercover," Galina said.

"And that's the story you're going to stick with?"

"You don't believe me?"

He shook his head. "Not even a little. Feds don't wear that kind of camouflage or carry those kinds of weapons."

"Then who are we?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out. You're not cops. You could be special forces, but why would the military check out a cult? I don't know why crooks would either. But I'm sure those aren't your real names."

She smiled and holstered her gun. "Those names will do for now. Let's just say we're special forces, very special, and leave it at that. Who is this girl you're looking for?"

"Brittany Waters," he said. "Age 15, Caucasian. Have you seen her?"

"There are plenty of white teenage girls living in that compound. I think Simon has a
particular
fondness for them." She curled her lips with disgust.

"The leader of the cult?"

"Yes, a man famous for his oversized ego and libido. Listen, I think we can work together. It sounds like we have compatible objectives."

He raised his eyebrows. "How is that?"

"We're also investigating the Church of One Soul," Galina said. "Having another man on the team would be useful. We'll share crucial information, the necessary intelligence you won't get on your own. We'll even let you borrow some of our equipment. Everybody wins."

"But I don't trust you."

"We're not criminals."

"I don't know that." Aaron crossed his arms. "I don't know anything about you, except you're obviously dangerous. Do you have permits for those guns?"

She leaned towards him slightly. "You do know one thing. You won't be able to rescue that girl by yourself. There is too much security. You need our assistance, and we're offering it to you. All we ask is you help us, too."

"What sort of help?"

"Nothing illegal. We just want you to check out a few other things for us while you're in the compound looking for the girl."

The offer tempted Aaron. He had to admit this case was too tough for him to tackle on his own. The security around the compound was crazy. Locating, abducting, and extracting Brittany seemed like a nearly impossible job. However, he had made a promise to the parents and intended to keep it.

Galina's attractive face didn't make the decision easier. She was a strong, brave woman, attributes he greatly admired. She certainly didn't look like a criminal despite all the weapons she carried. In fact, he had a very good feeling about her, although he couldn't explain why. She had done nothing to put him at ease.

He couldn't make a rational choice, so he decided to err on the side of aggression instead of cowardice. "Sure. Let's do this together."
I can always bail out if the situation gets bad.

"Wise decision," Joseph said. "According to the background check I just did, you were a Chicago police officer for several years. Gang Enforcement Unit at first, then the SWAT team, then a detective. Not bad. You left the police force a year ago. Why?"

Aaron stared at him. "For reasons that are none of your damn business. How did you get that information so fast?"

"We're good at getting information. Do you know how to fight?"

"I'm a Tae Kwon Do instructor, and I can handle a gun like a pro. I'm comfortable with most weapons."

"I was also told you don't have a wife or kids," Joseph said.

"Does that matter?" Aaron cocked his head.

"It might. A family man is less willing to risk his life in battle. He has children to live for."

"You're expecting a battle?"

"This cult is extremely paranoid and aggressive," Joseph said. "There could be violence. Is that a problem? Are you afraid?"

"No. Are we done prying into my personal life? Let me see some of the intelligence you promised."

Joseph wore a large backpack. He shrugged it off, took out a sheaf of papers, and handed them to Aaron. He flipped through the stack and saw they were aerial photographs of the cult compound with enough resolution to show fine details. There were about forty buildings of various sizes grouped into distinct clusters. The largest stood in the exact center, separated from all the others.

"What is this place?" Aaron pointed at the central building.

Galina leaned over to look. "The temple where the cult performs its ceremonies, but we're more interested in this building." She touched a square structure.

"You want me to check it out?"

"Exactly. Get inside and look around. Take some pictures. That's all we need from you."

"What about Brittany Waters?"

"The women's dormitory section is over here." She circled a cluster of buildings with her finger.

"How do I find her?" Aaron said.

"I'm trying to explain. We have some very small cameras with radio transmitters. If you hide them near the dormitories, we can observe from the safety of our surveillance van. Within a day we'll know if your girl is there."

"Are you coming in with me?"

"No." Joseph shook his head. "We'll create a distraction on the other side of the compound so the guards will be elsewhere."

"I see. In other words, I'm taking all the risks."

"It's less of a risk than going in without a distraction. We're doing you a favor. You want to rescue the girl, don't you?"

Aaron took a deep breath. The argument was sound even if he didn't like the conclusions. "I assume this operation will happen at night."

"That's right." Joseph nodded. "We'll loan you some top grade night vision gear. Meet us at this spot at 11 PM sharp. Take the aerial photos with you. Memorize the location of every building, so you can move in the darkness without getting lost. We'll see you tonight."

He and Galina turned and walked off into the thick woods. Aaron was left to wonder how soon he would regret his decision to ally with them. He wasn't even sure why he had agreed to do it at all. The only obvious answer was a woman with fiery red hair who fascinated him.

Chapter Two

The night was perfect for covert operations. A blanket of clouds covered the moon. The air was warm and humid, but a steady breeze cooled Aaron's sweaty skin. Despite the darkness, he could see clearly with the night vision goggles Joseph had given him. The cult compound appeared bright green to Aaron's eyes, every detail in crisp focus.

In fact, the goggles produced such a brilliant image that Aaron was suspicious. Only elite military forces were entitled to such sophisticated gear. Joseph had handed over the goggles with seeming indifference to the fact they probably had cost thousands of dollars, if one could purchase them at all.

Aaron crept forward to the fence and snipped it with a pair of wire cutters. He made a hole just big enough to crawl through. He dashed to the nearest building and hid behind a dumpster. The stench of rotting garbage made him wince. Several guards waving around flashlights patrolled the grounds, and the beams looked like green lasers to Aaron. None were close to his hiding spot.

He took a walkie-talkie from his pocket and whispered, "I'm inside."

Galina's voice answered, "We're ready to set off the fireworks."

"Not yet. Hold for my signal."

He waited for a gap in the patrols, then jogged across open ground to a group of three long buildings arranged side-by-side. Supposedly, this section was the women's dormitory, but all of the windows were frosted and dark, so he had no way to confirm that fact. The walls of the buildings were made of heavy wooden planks nailed together and slathered with green paint. He imagined that the interiors were drafty and freezing in the winter.

His heart was beating fast, but from excitement instead of fear. Since leaving the police force a year ago, his life had been a perpetual slog from one dull job to the next. This operation was the first intense action he had seen in several months. The thrill made him feel alive.

Now came the first real challenge. Galina had provided six tiny surveillance cameras that could transmit video over half a mile. The problem was that they needed a power source, such as an electrical wire or socket. Batteries wouldn't last long enough.

There was nothing suitable at ground level that Aaron could find. Overhead wires ran from rooftop to rooftop, but climbing might make noise and wake the sleeping occupants of the buildings. He had to be very careful.

He used a windowsill to get half-way to the roof and pulled himself the rest of the way with just his arms. Wood creaked under his weight. He hoped the sound would be mistaken for the wind if anybody had heard it.

The wires on the roof were exactly what he needed. He slid forward on his belly to distribute his weight as evenly as possible until he reached the nearest one. He took a small kit of electrical tools from his pocket, put on rubber gloves, and carefully spliced into the live wire.

His walkie-talkie made a soft clicking noise.

He whispered into it, "I'm working. No fireworks yet."

"Standing by," Galina replied in a puzzled tone.

It took a while, but Aaron planted all six surveillance cameras on the roof and wired them properly. He covered every direction and would get good pictures of anybody coming or going. Best of all, he had performed the job in almost perfect silence, which made him smile with pride. Even though he was a little out of practice, he still had a talent for this kind of work.

After dropping off the roof with a soft thud, he whispered into the walkie-talkie, "The cameras are in place."

"All of them?" Galina said.

"Powered and transmitting."

"Good job." She sounded surprised.

"Thanks. There are too many patrols between here and that building you want me to investigate. I'll need that distraction now. Let's see those fireworks."

After a few seconds he saw bright flashes of light and heard many small explosions, as if a war were taking place just outside the fence. The racket was almost continuous. All of the guards immediately converged in that direction. Their robes were cut short and belted snuggly to allow complete freedom of movement. Extra girth around the chest suggested they wore a vest underneath.

Aaron waited patiently until the path to his next objective was clear. He began to jog in that direction.
This job is going great
, he thought.
I just have to take some pictures, and then I'm out of here.

A surprising source of light in the forest caught his attention. A glowing ball hovered above the tree tops with no obvious means of support. It rippled like moonlight reflected from a lake even though the moon was hidden. Bursts in the center of the ball looked like miniature lightning strikes. The effect faded away to nothing.

Strange.

Aaron's night vision goggles flashed intense green, forcing him to squeeze his eyes shut. He took off the goggles and discovered huge floodlights were turning on across the entire compound. People were screaming orders in all directions. The darkness that had protected him was gone. He was standing in the open, completely exposed.

He immediately began looking for any kind of cover. About thirty yards away there was a rusty, dented pickup truck, which had dark shadows underneath. He sprinted towards it. He hadn't even gone half-way before somebody yelled at him. He glanced back and saw guards pointing in his direction, which meant hiding was no longer possible. Fortunately, the pickup truck offered another option.

The door was unlocked, a lucky break. He leapt into the cab, locked himself inside, and stuck his head under the dashboard.
Now I just have to hotwire this thing fast.
The truck had very simple wiring—another lucky break—and he still had his electrical toolkit. Even so, he needed thirty long, sweaty seconds to short-circuit the ignition. The guards were pounding on the windows by the time he started the engine. He stomped on the pedal, spun the tires, and shot off, leaving a cloud of dust behind.

Aaron needed an escape route. The front gate at the northern end of the compound was built from thick bars of steel, welded together, so busting through it wasn't an option. If he tried ramming the perimeter fence, he might get stuck or crash into a tree. His best chance was a small gate at the southern end, which he had noticed while memorizing the aerial photos of the compound. Beyond that gate was a narrow dirt road. He hoped it would take him back to civilization.

He turned hard and drove south at full speed, confident in his plan. The bright floodlights helped him navigate.

There was some kind of violent commotion in the center of the compound. He glanced in that direction.

A huge man dressed in black and gray was battling several guards at once. Three opponents were on the ground, but at least a dozen more surrounded him and reinforcements were on the way. The guy had no chance of escape. He was like a lone moose caught by a pack of hungry wolves.

That's Joseph!
Aaron realized.
What the hell? He's supposed to be with Galina!

Aaron aimed the pickup truck straight at the fight and stomped the accelerator to the floor. He leaned on the horn to make sure his intentions were absolutely clear. Cult members scattered out of the way, their bare calves moving quickly under the lights.

Aaron waved his arm, and Joseph nodded in acknowledgement, obviously recognizing him. Joseph bravely stood his ground as Aaron approached at full speed. Aaron hit the brakes at the last second, causing the truck to spin on the loose dirt. Joseph vaulted into the bed of the truck even before the wheels stopped turning. Aaron drove off.

He visualized the layout of the compound as he weaved between buildings. He couldn't afford a single wrong turn. People were rushing back and forth, sometimes right in his path.

At last, he reached the southern gate. Two guards tried to bar his way, but when it became clear he wouldn't stop, their courage broke and they jumped aside. The pickup truck barreled through the gate with a satisfying crash.