The Unseen Trilogy (43 page)

In the morning, Owen and I were startled awake by an announcement. “All personnel, please come to the conference room at once.” It was David’s voice, and he sounded…displeased.

“What did we do now?” I asked.

“I don’t know, but I’m disconnecting the PA system when the meeting is over. David is abusing it,” Owen said groggily. He put the wrong leg into his shorts, and then almost stumbled in his effort to fix his mistake.

When we emerged from our room, it soon became clear we weren’t the only ones who’d been awakened by the all call. We looked like a horde of zombies.

“What time is it?” I asked.

“Seven thirty,” Owen said through gritted teeth.

We trudged down the hall to the conference room with the rest of the Unseen. David waited for us to take our seats, and we all sort of flounced down, letting our tired bodies sink into our chairs.

“I see most of you weren’t too anxious to get to work today,” David said, more than a little judgment in his tone.

“David, it’s Saturday. Cut us some slack,” I whined.

“Agusto has announced a press conference, to air at eight this morning.”

“What is he going to talk about?” I asked, trying desperately to wake up enough to process this information.

“He hasn’t said.”

“When was the attack on the hospital supposed to be?” I asked, trying to link the two even though I knew it might be reaching.

“Within twenty-four to forty-eight hours of when we got the message. Basically, any time. But we haven’t received any updates from the team in San Francisco.”

“If the two
are
connected, it’ll give us all the more reason to be suspicious of Agusto,” I said. The guy gave me a bad feeling I couldn’t shake. He was hiding something, and the more public appearances he made, the more certain I was that he couldn’t be trusted.

“Let’s say it’s about Zero or the hospital attack? What can we do?” Rebecca asked.

“It’s not overly constructive to speculate. What we can do will depend on what he says. It’s unclear whether or not he’ll admit to being involved. Maybe he has something totally different to announce. Maybe he’s running for president, and this press conference is unrelated to Zero.”

Running for president.
The sentence struck a chord with me. But before I could puzzle it out, David turned the TV on. A few minutes remained before the scheduled start time, but reporters were already covering the conference.

CNN’s reporter was a man in his mid-thirties, wearing a black suit and a bold red tie, probably to stand out from all the others when it came time to ask questions. His face was clean-shaven, and his hair was neatly combed to one side, giving him a polished look. “Agusto Masterson, president and CEO of Visco Oil and Agusto Masterson Health Care, has publicly announced a pledge to eliminate the threat of the highly toxic chemical Zero. An unknown terrorist group has used Zero to attack various locations across the globe, putting the entire world on edge as to who will be next.

“Masterson is expected to discuss how he will go about eliminating the threat of Zero. There are many who hope he will even identify who’s behind the attacks.”

“Does he have that information?” I asked no one in particular.

“I have no idea. If he did, he probably wouldn’t release it to the public,” David said, not taking his eyes off the screen. “He’d have to explain how he came by it, and if he couldn’t, people would probably assume he was involved in some way. He’s working hard to gain the trust of the average American. Of the whole world. If he does what he says he will do, we will all be in his debt. It’s a scary thought.”

Dread settled deep in my stomach, and I reached for Owen’s hand as we glued our attention on the screen. In place of the reporter, an empty podium with the occasional bulb flash of a camera appeared on the screen. A low murmur of reporters talking dominated the background noise as I scanned the screen for information.

Owen squeezed my hand, and I loosened my grip, realizing I’d been holding on too tight. The sound of camera’s clicking replaced the murmuring as reporters settled into their seats.

Agusto walked out onto the stage, looking much like he did at the last conference. His black suit matched his slicked-back black hair, making him look slimier than ever. He flashed a used-car-salesman smile at the crowd after taking his place at the podium. I held my breath, instinctually feeling whatever he had to say would change our course of action, making our lives—and our work—that much more difficult.

“Good morning, members of the press, distinguished guests, and my fellow Americans,” he began. “I’ve come here to report some good news. But first, let me give you some background information about myself.”

“Oh, come on. Just get to it,” I breathed, and Owen chuckled.

“My team has been working around the clock to unmask the criminals behind Zero.”

“What have we been doing?” I asked, already annoyed with Agusto. He was nothing more than a peacock, if you asked me, one with more money and power than sense.

“It hasn’t been easy, and we’ve sacrificed a lot, but we saved thousands of lives by stopping the enemy’s latest plot.” Cameras flashed as Agusto displayed a proud smile.

“What do you know about that?” I whispered to David across the table, but he shook his head. Apparently, it was news to him too.

“My researchers were able to uncover a major plot against a San Francisco hospital. A plot that would’ve resulted in countless lives lost. The terrorists planned to release Zero through the ventilation system. As it rained down on patients and workers alike, it would’ve ravaged the thousands of people inside the building.”

Agusto went on. “A specialized team of government workers were able to use my information to go in and remove the threat before Zero could be released. What’s better, we now have samples of Zero to deconstruct, samples that will hopefully tell us more about its makers.”

I sat back in my chair, slack-jawed. If he’d gotten a sample of Zero, the plot had to be real after all. But how had he gotten there before our people did? Or maybe the government workers he’d spoke of were the San Francisco division of the Unseen? If that were the case, wouldn’t we have been the first to know they’d found a sample? Or that they’d stopped an attack?

David was already dialing a number into the phone in the center of the conference room desk as Agusto continued his monologue. “Thanks to my brilliant team of workers, we’ve had a major breakthrough that not only saved lives today, but also gave us the tools to possibly save who knows how many lives in the future. We’re well on our way to eliminating the threat of Zero, my friends. Thank you.”

He paused before speaking again, a small smile on his face. “Make no mistake, we’re not out of the woods yet. The attackers are probably not too pleased with me right now. I stopped their plans, saved lives they hoped to destroy.” He looked into the camera. “To them, I say: Come at me. We’re ready for you.” His expression was menacing and unsettling to say the least.

Questions started to pour in. I couldn’t tell how he picked a reporter from the bustling crowd, but he pointed at someone, and everyone else quieted down. “Is there anything the average person can do to help?” the reporter asked.

“Of course!” His eyes lit up. It didn’t take a mind reader to pick up on the obvious fact that the reporter had been coached. “The most important thing for all of us to do is to be on the lookout for suspicious behavior, and to report anything of that nature to the nearest authority as soon as possible. It was a Good Samaritan’s report that brought us to the hospital. She thought she saw someone who didn’t belong. She had no proof, no evidence, nothing to back her claim, but we looked into it anyway, and
bam
. Turns out she saved a ton of people. Trust your instincts, folks.

“I’ve even set up a number you can call with any information you might have regarding Zero or the people behind it. We have people available twenty-four seven to take your calls.” A number flashed on the screen, declaring it the ELIMINATE ZERO HOTLINE.

“I’ve also started a donation fund, called the Eliminate Zero Fund. Although I’m quite wealthy, most of my money is tied up in my companies and private ventures. Anything you can give will help fund our efforts to save you and your loved ones.” A website flashed on screen, telling people where to go, and that PayPal was accepted.

Frowning in disgust, I turned my attention back to David. He was speaking quietly on the phone, and had moved to the corner of the room so we could continue to listen to the press conference.

“But if we weren’t involved, who was the specialized team Masterson referenced?” he asked. He frowned as he listened to the response. “I understand. Keep me informed. Mmhmm. I’ll do the same. Thank you.” He hung up the phone, and muted the TV, cutting off any additional questions for Agusto.

“The Unseen were not involved in removing the threat of Zero from the UCSF Medical Center,” David declared to the room.

“What? Who was?” I asked.

“We don’t know. Apparently, it was Agusto’s people.”

“What did our people find when they got there?” Owen asked.

“Nothing. No trace of anything. They even checked the ventilation system. Evidently, they posed as maintenance workers so they would have access to all the nooks and crannies in the hospital.”

“Smart,” I said. Then I remembered what Owen had told us about Coda. “You guys didn’t find anything at Coda either, did you?”

“Well, no. But to be fair, we were in more of a survive-and-save-lives mode than a search-and-destroy mode,” Owen said.

David’s frown accentuated how grim the situation was. “The San Francisco team, whose sole purpose it was to find Zero, found nothing. No canisters, no deployment systems, no trace that Zero had ever been there. They were starting to look at some of the other hospitals and surrounding buildings, just in case the threat had been a diversion, when Agusto announced the press conference.”

“When did they go? Maybe Agusto’s people had already removed it,” I proposed.

Owen walked to the computer in the room that controlled the presentation technology and downloaded a transcript of the conference. He scanned it for any information we might have missed. With his back to the rest of us as he faced the computer screen, he said, “When a reporter asked him when all this went down, he said his people finished cleaning up yesterday.”

“But the Unseen were in and out of there all day yesterday. Did they see anyone else?” I asked

“No.” David’s answer was short, but heavy with meaning.

“Something doesn’t add up. If Agusto is lying about dissolving the plot, how did he get samples of Zero to analyze? And why didn’t our people see anything?” I asked.

“Maybe it’s just a money scheme, you know?” Camden said. “Could be that he’s in over his head, and this is how he’s getting the public to dig him out. Maybe it has absolutely nothing to do with the Potestas. He’s just a money-grubbing slime ball, capitalizing on the public’s fear.”

We were all silent for a few moments as we considered that option. We spent so much time thinking about the Potestas that it was almost inconceivable they weren’t involved, but Camden had probably raised the simplest explanation.

After a time, Mitchell spoke up from the other side of the room. “One lie often leads to another,” he said quietly. “Even if he’s not just an opportunist, who’s to say he really does have samples of Zero? Or, if he does, that he didn’t get them directly from the Potestas?
If
he is in bed with them, he’d have access to all the Zero he wanted, wouldn’t he?”

A hush fell over the room as we all absorbed the ramifications of what Mitchell was implying.

“I have no answers,” David said. Fear flickered across his face before a stony expression took its place.

“We need information, David,” I said.

“I agree. We leave tonight for headquarters in DC. Mackenzie, you’re going undercover.”

Most of our division stayed behind. David didn’t want to abandon our quest for information or our responsibilities to the larger unit, so only six of us—Owen, Rebecca, Mitchell, Camden, David, and I—flew to Washington DC to visit headquarters.

The reason David decided to make the trip with us himself was because he felt like the mission was too important for him to rely on secondhand information. At least, that was how he put it. He seemed to be staying awfully close to me throughout the journey though, which made me feel like I had a little more to do with his decision to accompany us than the importance of the mission.

We landed in DC at about 12:30 AM local time. We were all exhausted, but we weren’t done with our day yet. David rented a SUV big enough for all of us, and we drove directly to The Department of Homeland Security. The guard at the gate let us in without any problems after David showed him an ID, making me wonder how many people knew about the Unseen—I mean how many
really
knew. David’s badge was just a general ID that apparently gave him permission to be there. It didn’t say anything about his security clearance or department.

The brick, rectangular headquarters looked brooding if ever a building could. Windows lined the three bottom floors, with mysterious coverings on the top windows. Honestly, its boxy uniformity reminded me a little of a jail. I wasn’t overly comfortable with going inside.

But David didn’t hesitate. He parked the car in the virtually empty lot and got out. Whoever we were supposed to be meeting must’ve parked somewhere else.

We scrambled to file out of the back of the SUV and follow David, but by the time we were out of the vehicle and in the parking lot, he was already at the door, scanning his badge. The door clunked, and he pulled it open as we all rushed forward to join him.

David walked quickly through the lobby, not bothering to turn on any lights, so we didn’t get much of a chance to look around. We followed a long hallway, lighted minimally by an occasional florescent bulb in the ceiling. The effect was eerie. All it needed was that creepy hum artificial lighting gave off, and it would feel like we were in some kind of slasher movie.

I rubbed my arms, trying to shake off the willies I’d caught. “This place is creeping me out. Why couldn’t we come here during the day?”

“Because they’re waiting for us. And our quarters are in here,” David responded quietly as he stopped in front of a wall.

We stood around him awkwardly as he stared ahead, seemingly at nothing. I was about to say something when a light flashed in front of him. Apparently, he’d been waiting for the retina scan device to activate. Once that was complete, a panel popped out of the wall to scan his fingerprint. A sharp point jutted out of the scanner to prick his finger.

He jerked back. “Gets me every time.”

“What
is
that? Some kind of torture device?” The needle still protruded from the scanner, and the sight of his blood on the tip took the creepiness level up a few notches.

“No, it’s a DNA scanner. They prick your finger on the spot, so you can’t fake the blood,” David said.

Then the wall swung inward, revealing a pleasantly well-lit (much to my relief), stark white corridor. The door closed silently behind us, and we followed David in and continued to trail behind him as he led us through a few turns. Finally, we ended up in a conference room, not dissimilar from our own.

“Seems like we traveled an awfully long way to end up basically right where we started,” Camden said, eying the place.

David gestured toward the seats surrounding the white, oval table, and we all sank gratefully into them. After a few minutes, a tall, thin man with tiny, steel-rimmed glasses perched neatly on the end of his nose walked into the room.

“Welcome to headquarters, everyone. I’m Jeffery. I will show you to your quarters.”

Somehow, we found the will to stand from our seats, although I was sure a lot of us could’ve slept right there at the conference table. We followed Jeffery down a few more winding hallways until we reached the rooms that had been reserved for us.

Owen and I shared a nice room that was inviting despite the sterile feeling imparted by the all-white furniture. The bed was very plush and comfortable. Of course, by the time we finally crawled into it, it could’ve been made of cement and we would’ve been happy.

I slipped easily into a dreamless sleep, knowing I would need plenty of rest to prepare for the days to come.

We were awakened earlier than we would have liked, but at least it wasn’t an all call. Rebecca knocked on the door. “Hey guys, you awake?” she asked in a quiet voice. “David wants a meeting in five.”

We groaned, and she must’ve taken that as a yes, because we didn’t hear from her again. We both lay still for a few moments, not wanting to admit it was time to get up. Finally, Owen relented.

“What time is it?”

“Too early.” I groaned and rolled back over, covering my head with the plush white comforter.

He met me in my cocoon and kissed my nose. “Time to get up, sleepyhead. Anyway, you don’t want to suffocate, do you?”

“If the alternative is getting out of this bed, then yes. I do.”

“Your alternative is getting tickled until you fall out of bed.” Pinning me beneath him, he brought his hand up near his face and wiggled his fingers. “Make your decision,” he said in a dramatic voice.

I sighed heavily, finding it harder to take another breath with Owen on top of me. But I wasn’t about to give up so easily. I pushed my hips up into him. “You sure you’re so motivated to get out of this bed?”

He eyed me, raising his eyebrows. “That’s low,” he growled right before lowering his mouth to mine in a savage kiss. I threw my arms around his neck and drew him closer to me, but he only let me enjoy it for a moment or two. “You are a wily minx.”

He poked me right in the soft part of my side, right under my ribs, and I squealed. “Fine. I’m up!”

We dressed in record time, but we got lost on the way back to the conference room. I was beginning to despair that we’d be lost in the tunnel-like corridors forever when we stumbled on someone who directed us where to go.

The last to enter, we tried to be quiet and unobtrusive, but as soon as we came in, David drew everyone’s attention to me. “Ah, and here she is now.”

“Sorry. We got lost.” I hung my head as I tried to find a seat. The room was more crowded than it had been the night before. Every seat around the table was full, mostly with unfamiliar faces
, so we stood along the back wall with a few others who must’ve been latecomers
. I spotted Jeffery, but he only frowned at me, probably disapproving of my tardiness.

An older man with salt-and-pepper hair, broad shoulders, and a stern expression sat at the head of the table. He didn’t look like someone I wanted to cross.

“I hear you’re willing to go undercover,” he said, his voice low with an edge of gravel to it, like he’d spent too much time yelling at people, or maybe he’d smoked a little.

“Yes.”

“There are others who would like to go as well. Today’s meeting will cover everything we know about Agusto, and then you six will be given a full tour of the headquarters and our facility here while we decide on the best candidate for the job.”

I’d never imagined there would be competition for the job. Maybe there
was
someone better suited. The more time we spent at the headquarters, the more I realized that the Unseen was so much larger than I originally thought. I was having trouble processing it. But there was always a bigger fish in the sea, right?

Perhaps it would be best if someone else were chosen. Owen and David would certainly be happy. But I wasn’t sure how I felt about being off the hook. My ego didn’t like the idea that someone else would get the chance to stop the Potestas; I had entertained the notion that I was the only one who could stop them for too long to let it go easily.

Before I could bristle too much, the stern man continued talking. “My name is Davis. I’m a former colonel in the military, so I will not waste time sugarcoating this situation for you. Whoever takes this job will be diving headfirst into enemy trenches.

“Agusto is suspected to be a high-ranking member of the Potestas. His financial status, the guards that travel with him at all times, and the fact that there’s very little personal information on him available all point to that fact. We’re just not sure how high.”

It felt like I’d been punched in the gut. I thought about how Amanda’s history had been erased after she joined the Potestas, and suddenly our lack of information on Agusto made sense.

“Because of his suspected status, I want you all to understand how dangerous this mission will be. The man you’re going to follow could be third or even second in command. You will be deep into enemy territory, and you will be alone. The risk is high; the probability of success is low. It’s important for you understand that before you proceed.

“Although we have nothing specific on Agusto, men of his caliber are known to swiftly eliminate those who get in their way. In fact, he’s been seen associating with several known contract killers. So, tread lightly.

“It will be your job to gain his trust, find out what we need to know, and not get killed. Get in, learn as much as you can, and get out. Nothing more, nothing less.

“Now, knowing the risks involved, I want those who are still willing to volunteer to raise your hands. You will not be judged if you decide to stay behind. You will be put to work here. There is much to do to both prepare for this mission and see it through to success. Each of you must play your role to the absolute best of your abilities, or we are sure to fail. The agent who goes undercover is just a small part of this.” He paused, taking a moment to look at each of the faces in the room. I wondered what assessment he was making about me as he stared me down with cold, blue-gray eyes. I shifted in my seat nervously before he moved on to the next person.

“Do I have any volunteers?” Six hands went up in the end. Two from our ranks—Owen, me, and four others I didn’t recognize. Disapproval clouded my gaze as I looked at Owen’s outstretched arm. He shrugged, and I shook my head no at him.

“If you think I’m going to let you head right into the snake pit again without a fight, you can think again,” he whispered.

“If you think I’m going to let
you
throw yourself into that same pit before you’re ready, you’re dumber than you look.” He nudged me with his elbow, but I didn’t smile. This was serious business.

“Okay. Thank you for your willingness to be on the front line of this fight,” Davis said. “The chosen candidate will be announced tonight. Meet back here at five o’clock for our decision.” He looked straight at me, and I gave him a terse nod before flying out of my seat, suddenly eager to escape the room. I couldn’t put my finger on why he made me so nervous; I just knew he wasn’t someone I wanted to disappoint.

David met us out in the hall. We would take a tour of the headquarters while the leaders deliberated on which one of the volunteers to send undercover. “I’m staying here to help. Besides, I’ve seen this place before. You guys go, have fun.” He put a hand on my shoulder, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about his involvement in the vote. I was sure he’d vote against me, and the realization made me angry.

“David, don’t you think you’re a bit too biased to be on the selection committee for this particular mission?” I didn’t want him to choose Owen over me, and I really didn’t want the slap in the face of him choosing a stranger over his own daughter.

He looked at the rest of our tour group, which included Jeffery, who would apparently be our guide. “Why don’t you guys go ahead? She’ll catch up in a second.”

Owen hesitated, but I nodded for him to continue onward. I didn’t want him to try to argue his case with David. I could tell he didn’t want to listen, so I was grateful when he fell into step with Mitchell and Rebecca.

It was all the prompting Jeffrey needed to start the tour. The cadence to his voice reminded me a lot of C3PO. That, combined with his gawky stature, really made him resemble the likably annoying robot. I made a note to share my observation with Owen later—it was sure to give him a laugh given his obsession with Star Wars. Of course, Owen wasn’t my favorite person at the moment, so maybe I’d save that little tidbit for later.

“Listen, it’s no secret that I don’t want you to go on this mission. But I also know you’re the most well-equipped member of the Unseen for the job. You’re right; it will be a difficult choice, and I won’t make it lightly.”

I had only been with the Unseen for a few months. Doubt started to creep into my thoughts again. How could I possibly be the best person for the job? “What do you know about the other volunteers?” I asked, not sure I wanted to know the answer.

“Well, I know Owen sure isn’t ready for this yet.” His comment made me laugh, but it was more of a stress release than anything else.

“And I know the others are very skilled,” he finally said. “Two are some of the highest-ranking trainers among the Unseen. More skilled even than Tracy.”

What could we learn from them?
I wondered.

“It will be a tough choice,” he repeated.