The Perfect Clone (19 page)

The Order consisted mostly of politicians and military commanders, both retired and active. A few high profile actors, actresses, musicians, writers, directors, and wealthy elite also held membership. Many of the world’s governing rulers throughout history had achieved their offices with help from this group. Some of those same leaders had fallen into enemy hands when the organization had turned their backs on blacklisted members.

A few members within the last few decades had tried to leave the Order. Their highly publicized ‘accidental’ overdoses and untimely deaths always caught the world population by surprise. Leaving shocked nations in grief while they mourned and then commercialized on those deaths.

The Order dated back to the death of Christ. It was originally created to serve a single purpose, to prepare mankind for the second coming. Modern technology and the latest scientific advances were making their cause attainable. The proper people were in the proper places, anonymously easing the civilian population into a place where they could be easily controlled.

Naturally, for every secret society that existed to fulfill a goal, others existed to extinguish it. It was imperative that information did not leak out.

The Order had a duty. That duty was to secure information and to position itself politically and financially on a global level. It was their way to prepare mankind to accept the second coming and to ensure that the sister group had the resources they needed to make the resurrection possible.

The possibility that thousands of years of work could be compromised had created the need for a select second group that functioned separately and hidden away. The sister group was responsible for gathering data and doing the leg work necessary to obtain the common goal. It was the group who knew the intimate details of the second coming and how to go about achieving it. This group was known as the Community.

Legend told of a group called the Illuminati, created to protect the Holy Grail. The Order was essentially what conspiracy theorists had deemed Illuminati, but the division of the Order into two separate societies protected the group as a whole. As long as the Community remained hidden and protected underground, the secrets of the Illuminati were safe. No one above ground knew the complexities of their facilities or the Community’s work. They only knew that they were getting closer to completing their mission.

Richard strolled into his office at NWL, followed by Matt Kincade who was his attorney, friend, and fellow communitarian. Walking past the wet bar, the two men stopped at the coat closet. Richard stepped inside and pressed against the raised wall panel at the front of the closet. The panel opened to reveal a security keypad. Richard entered a code, then turned his back to the closet entrance and slid the hanging clothes to one side. The two men ducked inside the hidden chamber that opened up to them. After entering, Matt slid the clothing back into place and closed the secret passage, sealing the two men inside.

Richard produced a pen light to illuminate their path. They walked until they reached a platform lift. Elevator doors weren’t necessary here, just a simple platform with metal railing on the back and sides. Stepping onto the lift, Matt lowered a floor lever and they descended, concealed in a shaft that did not exist on blueprint. Only two people knew about this lift and they were both riding on it.

If something happened during the descent or rising, it was still possible to get free. A ladder ran vertically along the shaft, offering a necessary means of escape if the lift got stuck due to mechanical malfunctions or power outages. Another original piece of engineering given birth to by his father, who had always believed that a person could never be too prepared.

Personal safety was not something Richard’s father had ever left to chance. Having easy access to his locations was an added bonus of those features.

Pulling the lever up, Matt stopped the lift. Both occupants stepped off and preceded to another door much like the one they’d entered through. After punching the necessary codes, they walked into Mr. Avery’s underground office, leaving the hidden shaft behind. Both men obviously knew about the lift, but only Richard knew the codes and knew that the entrance could be gained manually if necessary.

His grandfather, who was an avid fan of poker, had often preached that sometimes it was best to fold with a good hand, just to see if the other player was confident enough to win with a bad. Only then, could you safely judge the character of your opponent. It hadn’t made sense to him as a young boy, but through the years, Richard had grown to appreciate the older man’s wise words. There were many secrets that would only be shared by birth right. If he didn’t have a child of his own to pass it to, then he’d pass it to his brother’s sons.

A knock at the door indicated that a third party had arrived to join them. Richard opened the door to his office and stood aside to allow Cara to come in. Claiming a seat at the cherry wood table, he motioned for his comrades to do the same.

Before seating herself, Cara removed the pearl handled 1911 Colt .45 from her back holster. She removed the magazine, unloaded the chamber and placed it on the table. The pistol had been a gift from Richard when she’d taken the job as head of his security. The scorpions engraved onto both sides of the grips, the laser optics and the silencer had been a personal touch she’d added herself. Much preferring the intimacy of killing by hand, or poison, she’d found little need to use it, except during raids. Still she carried it as her contingency plan. One could never be overly equipped.

Richard smiled as he eyed the weapon. “Nice modifications. I hardly recognized it.”

“Get a load of the rounds.” Standing the shell that she’d discarded from the chamber onto the table, Cara’s face lit up. It was handmade, some of her finest work. Guns and ammo were her first love. Her second, well she was still deciding on that.

Cara winked at her boss. “I thought you’d appreciate it. She’s been tuned to perfection.”

“Not only am I’m pleased with the level and quality of the security you provide, but I’m encouraged that you’ve found time to enjoy yourself. I couldn’t have found a better person for the job.”

Not one to take compliments well, Cara leaned back in her chair and grumbled, “Thanks.”

Matt snickered at the guard’s reaction. “Don’t be fooled Mr. Avery, Cara takes her job as guard dog very seriously. I swear her canine teeth have grown an inch since yesterday.”

Cara rolled her eyes. “Shut up Matt, unless you want these canines to take a bite out of your ass. If I wanted to hear anything out of you, I’d throw peanuts your direction and wait for the show.”

Richard laughed. “I see the two of you are still dancing around to the love/hate song, but I’ve called you both here for a reason.”

“In one month, which will put us into late November, we have a conference call scheduled with the Order. They’ll need pertinent information regarding our progress.” Cara and Matt both sighed and hung their heads in a show of their unenthusiastic response.

“I realize that communicating with the outside team is not always pleasant, but it is necessary for the success of the overall mission. Everything must be finely orchestrated, above and below ground, if we are to fulfill our required duties. Both legs of a body must work together in order to reach a desired destination. Agreed?”

They nodded in refrained agreement. He continued, “Good. I want to discuss a few things and we’ll meet again before the conference to update one another. Cara, what’s Ms. Mariam’s status?”

Sitting upright in her chair, Cara was back to business as usual. She leaned forward, placing her clasped hands on the table. “Her recovery is on pace. It’s been almost a week since the attack. The bruising left behind is minimal. Julia’s been meeting with her a few hours daily, at the hotel, to assess her mental state, which has been reported as favorable. Luke’s been keeping constant tabs on her and acting as her personal driver, in order to avoid any future problems. Given both of those latest reports, she’s ready to continue.”

“Excellent. Please schedule that with Dr. Hamstein. I still want the work done topside at NWL. If her eggs are proven fertile, I want her transferred below and processed with minimal security clearance. Visits above ground will be nonexistent at that point. We don’t want her to feel imprisoned, so it’s imperative that her importance to this project is stressed. I want her pampered and well watched. Is she responding well to Luke?”

“Yes. They’ve taken a kinship to one another.”

“If you can afford to lose a man, I’d like him to continue acting as her personal muse after the transfer. We don’t want Ms. Mariam going stir crazy again.”

Cara’s smile was internal. Good for Luke. “That shouldn’t be a problem.”

“I reviewed the security tapes from Dr. Hamstein’s initial tour of the surgical room Cara. I agree with you that his behavior was odd, but when I compared them to the reports I have from his external dealings, it’s his typical preparation before entering any surgical room. It was labeled as a ritual of sorts. I don’t foresee a problem with his mental state. It’s standard protocol for the man. Naturally I consulted with Julia, who confirmed my initial assessment of his behavior. Thanks for being alert to the potential threat. Matt, how’s Dr. Hamstein doing otherwise?”

“He’s hired an assistant and has already scheduled to see a few clients. He’s spot on when it comes to running a tight ship. He’s even handed over an inventory list.” The other two occupants at the table found that refreshing. None of the other workers that’d been brought in had found reason to do inventory, since it was community inventory to begin with.

Matt straightened his back. “He wasn’t pleased to learn that he’d be working alongside a scientist. The doctor asked me to intervene on his behalf. He said that he preferred to be allowed to mentally prepare for his work. He’s also stated his concern about being able to do so without knowing exactly what it is he’ll be asked to do.”

Cara slightly bowed her head, biting the inside of her mouth to control the smile that wanted to break free. She respected the doctor’s point of view on that. She’d never allow herself or her men to walk into a situation that they weren’t fully prepared for.

Taking a few seconds to consider what was said, Richard agreed. “I believe he’s justified in his concerns. Please advise the doctor that I want Ms. Mariam’s treatments scheduled to begin in the morning. Ms. Greggario and I, along with the two of you, will meet with Dr. Hamstein tomorrow evening. Matt, please make the arrangements. I want him to be fully aware that the three of us stand on a united front.”

Richard continued, “It will benefit Ms. Greggario to witness the same. If the doctor becomes unwilling to fully participate in the process, then certain measures will need to be taken. We’ve spent too much time and effort to find this girl. I don’t want her condition compromised by a doctor that is unwilling to be a progressive practitioner. It’s unfortunate that I’m unable to fully prepare the new recruits before bringing them into the fold, but all things considered, that’s a situation that cannot be altered. I never leave things to chance, but we might need to cross our fingers on this one folks. He’s the best the world has to offer in that field, let’s hope he remains so.”

“You mentioned Ms. Greggario. Do I need to have living quarters prepared, or will she be residing upside?” Matt had personally made an appearance during the cleaning of her lab. He’d filled out the necessary paperwork concerning her termination and signed off on the inventory taken, minus one sample of course. Matt was with Richard on this one. No need to make waves with the stock holders if word of Laura’s indiscretion leaked out.

“For the time being, she’ll officially reside upside, but yes, she’ll need living quarters. I want them located next to mine. Move around whoever or whatever you have to, in order to make that happen. I’ve put myself in charge of her security and I’ll personally escort her to and from the facility until she takes on permanent residency.”

Security always at the forefront of any motive, Cara added, “It’s known among her co-workers that she no longer works with NWL. What happens if someone recognizes her coming and going with you? It’s not a wise move, Mr. Avery. If she’s going to work underground, she can’t be seen coming and going from the building every day, especially after she’s been fired.”

“For the first few days it won’t be a problem explaining if it becomes necessary. Mr. Kincade and I are simply tying up the loose ends of her work contract. Once Ms. Greggario sees the underground facility, along with her new lab, I can’t imagine she’ll find the need to continue the commute. So leave that detail to me.”

Reaching into his inside jacket pocket, Richard pulled out a small zip lock bag which contained a clear plastic film and handed it to Cara. “I took the liberty of bringing Ms. Greggario’s cell phone screen protector which will have her fingerprints. Her iris scan was done via my cell phone and sent to your data base. Please see that the appropriate Delta clearances are activated. You reported that her work space is ready?”

Matt was quick with the response. “Yes, according to the layout and specifications that you requested.”

“Good work, both of you. The Order’s council members will want to know the status of the project when we meet with them. I want a full update at the end of each day until that occurs.”

“We are on the cusp of the greatest scientific creation known to man. As we know, there are organizations that will do anything within their means to stop us from continuing this project.”

“Cara, you’re with us because your ancestors vowed to shed their last drop of blood protecting the grail. It’s because of their unrelenting service and vision that the Shroud of Turin resides in its current location, for the entire world to see and to refuse to accept for what it is. The Royal Chapel Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is protected by the Catholic Church. Civilians turn their heads to the truth, because they fear it most. That fear has proven to be a great asset.”