Demonic Designs (To Absolve the Fallen) (42 page)

***

Matt had not said a word to Alex before they were preparing to leave.
 
Then, he only asked Alex if he were ready.
 
Alex nodded, compliantly, and the two of them proceeded to the car.
 
Alex got into the driver’s side of his shiny, new Logos.
 
He looked over at Matt, and, as the two of them fastened their seat belts, Matt gave him a half smile.

“Let’s go,” he stated.

Alex started the car and listened to the engine hum for a moment.
 
“I’m never going to get used to this,” he told Matt.

“What?
 
The car?”

“The car, the house, the fancy equipment...everything.”

Matt snapped his fingers.
 
“Oh, yeah.
 
I nearly forgot.”
 
He motioned to the backpack he held in his lap.
 
“In here you have a laptop that has had specific modifications.
 
We’ll have to get Liz to give us the rundown on it, but I do know that it’s got the fastest processor that she could rig up.
 
It’s got more storage than you will ever be able to use, and it’s always directly linked to the mansion.
 
You can always get a message to Liz that way.”
 
He pulled out a cell phone.
 
“This has all of the important numbers programmed into it, including mine, Liz’s, Abbie’s, and Jeremiah’s.
 
Don’t call Jeremiah unless it’s an emergency—it makes him cranky.”

“Right,” Alex agreed.

“It should almost always have signal.
 
I don’t know exactly what she did to it, but our phones have a boosted signal output, and the receiver has been modified to pick up even the faintest signal.
 
You’d have to be a very long way underground for this not to work.
 
It also has an internet connection that is directly connected to the mansion.”
 
He reached into the bag and retrieved a palm pilot.
 
“This handy little gizmo should keep all of your affairs in order.
 
Like the computer, it has amazing storage capacity; it’s linked to the mansion, and all three of these can be voice activated and controlled.
 
They each have a panic code.
 
If you get into trouble, and no one is around, hold down star and nine on your cell phone, control escape on your laptop, or break the palm pilot—whichever is the most convenient.
 
Within moments, we should be able to ascertain your location and have a rescue team in the area.”

“What if I can’t use my hands?”

“Like I said, they all have voice command.
 
The code phrase is ‘pineapple sundae.’
 
I don’t think you’ll ever use that in everyday conversation.”

“Ugh.
 
I hope not,” Alex seconded.
 
“I hate pineapple.”

“Yeah, I know.
 
If you need to use a code phrase, the bad guys are probably going to know what you just did, but, in that instance, I don’t really guess it matters.”
 
Matt pulled out a red pen from the bag.
 
“This is one of my personal favorites.
 
Have you ever used a taser?”

“No,” Alex said, looking at the pen in dismay.

“All right.
 
This has enough electrical charge to kill a man—if needed.
 
You twist the top and click this button.”
 
Matt indicated a button that was exposed when the top was twisted.
 
“You just shove it into someone and press the button.
 
One or two seconds should be enough to knock someone out.
 
Five seconds close to the heart or in the neck will kill them.
 
It only has enough charge to work once, so use it wisely.”

Alex laughed.
 
“Does it write, too?”

“Yes,” Matt affirmed, seriously.
 
“But again, you want to be very careful.
 
You don’t want to pull it out to give some girl your phone number then electrocute yourself.
 
And, because we needed room for the battery, there isn’t much ink.
 
It’s only for show; use another pen if you need one.”

Alex’s smile disappeared.
 
“Right.”

Matt clicked the taser pen back into a safer position.
 
He then pulled out a necklace.
 
It was fashionable, and it looked to be composed of sterling silver.
 
“The pendant on this necklace has been tuned to your car and our apartment.”
 
He twisted the necklace, and the car doors locked.
 
“It will do the opposite of whatever is currently in effect.
 
If the car is unlocked, turning this bottom portion will lock the doors.
 
If it’s locked, it will unlock.
 
That’s the same with the doors to the apartment.
 
The car does not have to be running for this to work.”
 
Matt pulled on the bottom half, and he revealed a straight, slender metal piece.
 
“This will function as a key.
 
Put it in the ignition, and the car will start.
 
You don’t need to turn it; just sticking it in will suffice.”

“Wow,” Alex exclaimed, “I feel like a secret agent.”

“We’re not done, yet,” Matt told him with a smile.
 
He pulled out a curious-looking plastic cylinder.
 
He unlatched the top and flicked it.
 
It extended about six inches to produce a wicked looking point.
 
“We didn’t color this one up any.
 
It’s basically a retractable prison shank.
 
It’s plastic, so it shouldn’t set off any metal detectors.
 
I wouldn’t pull it out to show your friends, but it will be handy to keep on you, just in case you get into trouble and close combat.
 
If you need to use it, stick it somewhere soft.
 
It’ll survive an impact with bone, but just the same...”

“But you’ll be around, right?”

Matt nodded.
 
“I should be, but if I’m not, you’ll need to have some protection.
 
And, unfortunately, I can’t have you walking around with a gun.
 
I don’t even get one while we’re at school.
 
Most of these things have tracking devices, as do many articles of your clothing.
 
We do the best we can with what we have, Alex.”

“Which is almost everything,” Alex added.

“Okay,” Matt said, stowing all of the goodies back in the bag.
 
“Let’s go to school.”

***

Sara Card examined the crime scene in dismay.
 
“What the hell happened here?” she asked the lieutenant who had arrived minutes before she had.

“We’re getting some pretty conflicting stories, but apparently two men walked in with rifles,” he pointed, indicating two assault rifles on the ground next to two piles of ash.
 
“They opened fire in here, and then something really interesting happened.”

“As if that isn’t interesting enough,” Sara noted.
 
“What then?”

“Some guy,” the lieutenant moved a few feet backwards, “about here, caught on fire.”

“Caught on fire?”

“Don’t ask me,” the lieutenant said with a shrug of his shoulders.
 
“Those are the only two things they all agree on.”

“So some guy burst into flames, and I guess that explains the pile of ash.”

“Actually, no.
 
The popular story is that (and here’s where it gets weird) the guy on fire battled the two men with guns.
 
They were eventually consumed; he was extinguished, and then he just walked out.”

“Who extinguished him?”

“No one.
 
The flames just died down as the two men were writhing in agony on the ground.”

“Has anyone checked to see if there are drugs in the coffee?”

The lieutenant raised his eyebrows.
 
“Not yet.”

“Are there any security cameras?” she asked, looking around for her answer.

“Well,” the lieutenant pointed, “there
was
.”

Up in one corner there was a scorch mark and melted plastic, dried to the wall.
 
Sara walked over and examined the corner.
 
There was a melted wire running into the wall.

She pointed to the wire.
 
“Where does this lead?”

The least hysterical of the waitresses stepped forward.
 
“It feeds into a VCR in the office.”

“Well,” Sara noted with a sigh, “we may not be able to watch the incident, but we could see what happened prior to.”
 
She looked to the lieutenant.
 
“Try to find out if any of the cars in the parking lot belong to our gunmen.
 
I guess that would be a good place to start.
 
Then, see if there have been any sightings of a man with a flamethrower walking around Baltimore.
 
We’ll also need to dust for fingerprints and get these guns to the lab.
 
I’m going to find out what we have on video.
 
Get everyone out of here.”

She thought back to the boy nailed to the studs in his apartment.
 
She couldn’t shake the feeling that the two scenes were connected.

***

Alex put the car in park and looked at Matt.
 
“I guess we’re here.”

“Yes, we are,” Matt affirmed.
 
“Do you remember where your classes are?”

“Uh, I remember what my classes are but not where.”

“This first day will probably be a little disorienting, but it’s okay.
 
I’ll walk you to each of your classes.
 
Hopefully, tomorrow, I won’t have to.
 
It draws too much suspicion.”

Alex nodded.
 
“My first class is English, right?”

“Yeah,” Matt said.
 
“Your professor is Dr. Verias.
 
Make sure to address her as doctor; they really hate it when high school kids come in calling them ‘Mrs.’.”

“Okay.”

Matt handed Alex a backpack.
 
“Remember that everything you need for today is in here, including the toys I showed you earlier and what you will need for your classes.
 
It may be best to avoid talking to anyone today.
 
I mean, don’t be rude, but don’t start up any conversations you don’t have to, either.
 
What’s your name?”

“What?” Alex asked, perplexed.

“What is your name,” Matt repeated.

“Alex--”

A scowl appeared on Matt’s face.
 
“Wrong,” Matt hissed.
 
“And a mistake like that could get you killed.
 
Your name is Thomas Kinsfield.
 
You are the only son of Robert Kinsfield.
 
Say it.”

“My name is Thomas Kinsfield.”

“And?”

“I’m the son of Robert Kinsfield.”

“The
only
son,” Matt corrected.
 
“And?”

Alex looked away.
 
“And a mistake like that could get me killed.”

“Right,” Matt agreed.
 
He wanted to be kind to Alex.
 
He wanted to tell Alex that it would all be all right; he was in no danger.
 
But that simply wasn’t true.
 
“Give me your wallet.”