The Harvester (9 page)

B
ack at my apartment, I open the door. I look like some sort of zombie. I lock the numerous locks on my door, drop all my gear on the table, and plop onto the couch. My wall of screens is now fixed on several places within the Agency, especially on Vega. I’m so exhausted I didn’t even view any of them. You would think that being already dead, you wouldn’t get tired, but you do. If I did, I would’ve seen something very important live, but I don’t view the footage until the next morning.

I sit in front of my wall of screens, and the first footage I view is that of two Harvester Guards in a surveillance room. One is about to nod off, and the other is busy doing a crossword puzzle.

“How’s our favorite Underworlder doing?” he asks and the sleepy Harvester Guard jolts awake.

“Huh? Oh. Uh . . .” He views Vega’s cell monitor while letting out a loud, long yawn. “He’s still sleeping.”

“Damn, he sleeps a lot.”

“Well, I guess being the leader of the Underworld must be tiring at times.”

They laugh.

“Must be.”

One of my monitors is fixed on Mr. Herald’s office.

The reason: I have learned a lot in my many years, and one thing I learned is to keep tabs on everyone. Mr. Herald quietly enters, looks behind him to see if anyone is following him, and then shuts the door. He heads over to his computer, inserts a flash drive, and waits for a few seconds. It beeps once, and he grabs it and quietly exits the office. This makes me suspicious.

He walks down a hallway and appears semilost.

A representative passes him. “Good evening, Mr. Herald.”

“Huh? Oh, yes, good evening. Listen, it has been a long week. Which is the quickest way to get out of here again?”

The rep scowls with suspicion, and so do I once again. He points down the second hallway. “Uh, that way.”

“Thanks, buddy.” Mr. Herald disappears down the second hallway.

The rep waves over a Harvester heading toward him, and he tells him what just transpired. The Harvester calls it in on his headset CB radio.

Back at Vega’s cell, the four Harvesters there hear the report. They nod at each other and quickly draw their guns.

One unlocks his cell and two enter and two stand guard. The first one shakes Vega to wake him up, but he does not. He shakes him harder, and Vega’s fake head rolls off the bed and lands on the tile floor. I spring to my feet in shock.

The second Harvester Guard calls it in as the third one outside the cell hits the alarm on the wall beside him.

On the main exit monitor to the Agency, I view Mr. Herald heading toward the exit. Two Harvesters sprint his direction, but he is too fast for them. He grabs one by the head and snaps his neck with ease, killing him instantly.

He karate kicks the second one in the stomach so hard, he flies backward through the air and slams into the wall and drops to the tile unconscious. A third Harvester catches up to him and puts Mr. Herald into a tight chokehold. He thrashes around to get free and in the midst of the commotion the Harvester inadvertently slices a portion of Mr. Herald’s face off, revealing Vega’s face underneath it. The Harvester is absolutely dumbfounded.

More Harvesters quickly approach as the five-foot-thick security door is activated and lowers. Vega flips free of the Harvester’s grip and rockets toward the exit.

Only a foot or so from shutting and trapping Vega inside, he perfectly slides on the smooth tile and under the security door. It shuts a second later.

E
arly in the morning, I take a hot shower. I hear a slight noise, so I slice through the shower curtain with my sword to reveal Naes standing there with a terrified expression on his face. Maybe because my sword edge is an inch away from his eyeball.

“Shit.”

“You just almost died, again. Haven’t heard of knocking?”

“I knocked, but I guess you didn’t hear me.”

“Oh, I heard you. Was just enjoying my shower. How’d you get in anyway?”

“I picked the window lock.”

“Should’ve known. What’s wrong, Naes? You look like you’ve seen a Section 520 creature.”

“We got big problems.”

I grab my towel and dry off. “I know. I watched the footage.”

“Do you normally shower with your sword?”

“Don’t you?” I nonchalantly ask.

I’m absolutely livid as I pace in Mr. Herald’s office an hour later. He sits at his desk and drums his fingers on it. Naes stands guard by the closed door.

“How could this happen? The Agencies have the most secured facilities and holding cells in the world! Magneto himself couldn’t escape from this facility, so how did Vega?”

“We’re still trying to figure that out. But what we do know is Vega has gained the powers to mimic other people’s forms,” he informs me.

“We boosted security on him and had a special laser barrier, so he couldn’t time-shift or use his Master Hole. So how could this happen, Gerald? Shit!”

“Somebody on the inside must’ve aided him,” Naes chimes in.

I point at Naes. “Exactly. Just like I had said before, remember?”

Mr. Herald sighs and nods in agreement.

I continue with, “Which means the perp would be on a short list of people who could’ve helped him because only a small handful of people have access to take control of the cameras.”

Naes gets fired up. I can see it. “Exactly!”

“Get on that, Naes.”

“You got it, partner!” Naes bolts out of the office like a soldier storming the beach of Normandy.

“I love that kid’s drive,” I comment.

“Close the door for me, Harv.

I turn around and shut the door. I look at him with a scowl of curiosity. “It gets worse, doesn’t it?”

“I didn’t want to say anything in front of the kid.”

“Yup. It gets worse. What did he download on that zip drive?” I ask, not knowing if I really want to hear the bad news.

“Well, we found out the hard way that Vega did want to be caught but not to find out our locale. Although that most likely was a bonus for him. Ever since the creation of the Agency, there has always been a list that all the Heads vowed to always keep secret from the Underworld and even the Agency’s members for safety reasons. Obviously, one of the Heads must be the turncoat because only the six of us know of its existence. And now, Vega has it due to hacking my computer.”

“List? What exactly is on this list, Gerald?”

“Everything. The list contains complete and thorough information on every Harvester from day one, their families, addresses, strengths, weaknesses, etcetera.”

Now I grow even more upset and enraged. “You got to be kidding me! So what you’re telling me is that Vega has his very own personal hit list? And not only that, he knows the location of the Agency? Is that what you’re telling me?”

“Lower your voice. But yes. I’m afraid so, Harv. Hence, the reason why we’re already in the process of relocating the Agency as we speak.”

“Until we find the traitor, that would be pointless.”

“Good point.”

I slam my clenched fist on his desk. “I knew he was up to something.”

“He definitely was and is because the first thirty-six Harvesters on the list have been eliminated by Vega and his bounty hunters.”

“I’ve got work to do. My brothers and sisters are being slaughtered.”

“Because of our drastic shortage of Harvesters, I can only allow two of them to join you and Naes.”

I rise out of my seat. “I understand. Thanks.”

“Keep in mind, we’re on full code alert, Harv.”

“That goes without saying.” I walk to the door.

“Be careful. I have a bad feeling.”

“I’ve had a bad feeling,” I say as I leave his office.

My first stop is in the surveillance room where Naes and the same two Harvester Guards are reviewing footage. I tap Naes on his shoulder. “Anything?”

“Nothing yet,” Naes replies.

“Because of the newfound info I have, I can speak in front of you three. Everyone keep this to themselves, or your heads will roll. Understood?”

All three of them nod in agreement.

“One of the six Heads aided Vega with his actions and escape. I want to know who aided Vega, who the traitor is, why Vega chose Mr. Herald to mimic, and also tell the six Heads that they need to report to the new, disclosed Agency relocation before the traitor escapes and or finds out the location. All six are possible suspects. Do all this within the hour.”

Naes nods at me. “No problem.”

“Not you, Naes. You’re coming with me.”

With excitement to do it for me, the first Harvester Guard jumps to his feet. “We’ll take care of it, sir.”

“You better. We’re running out of time. It’s imperative you accomplish this.”

I exit the room with Naes in tow. I look back at the Harvester Guards with a stern look.

“Don’t mess this up, guys.”

M
y next stop, in my ’Cuda with Naes parked curbside across the street from a bar. I view the area with a specially enhanced set of binoculars. Naes looks over at me.

“You going to tell me why we’re here, Harv?”

I’m into my observation zone and don’t answer.

“I’ll take that as a no.”

“Listen. It’s simple, Naes. Vega doesn’t know that I know that bar across the street is a number one Underworld safe house for Vega.”

“So we’re waiting for Vega to show?”

“Him or any of his Underworld cronies.”

Right after I say that, a limousine pulls up and parks in front of the bar. This might be what I’ve been waiting for.

Four big, muscular men, and one tall female exit the limousine, scan the area as if someone might be following them, and disappear inside the bar.

Naes bends his neck and looks at me. “Now what?”

“We kill ’em all, Naes.” I look at Naes with an evil smirk, and it makes him smile. “You see, Naes, we as Harvesters need to send a message to Vega.”

“And what’s that message?”

“Play time is over. No more Harvesting them and taking them to be tried. Now it’s execution time, period.”

Naes and I step out of my muscle car. I head to my trunk and pop it open. Naes joins me seconds after. He’s eager to the point of worrying me a bit. Too much eagerness can get you killed, again. I pay it no mind for the time. I lift up the floor panel to my trunk to reveal a secret compartment housing a plethora of weapons.

“Take what you want. Leave what you don’t,” I tell Naes.

“What do you suggest?” he asks me with urgency.

“Close quarter battles with unknown types of Underworlders at hand require swordplay and guns with vests and neck gear.”

We both grab our swords, spiked collars, guns, and ammo. I slam the trunk shut.

“It’s just going to be the two of us on this job, Naes. We can’t risk losing the other two Harvesters due to our lack of numbers.”

“We can handle this one, Harvey.”

“I like your optimism, kid. Let’s stick to the plan.” We walk abreast towards the bar’s entrance. I pause at the door and look at Naes. “We don’t know how many of ’em are truly in there. You ready for this, kid?”

He nods at me. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

I nod back at him and slowly open the door, and we strategically maneuver in just like how we are trained in the Academy. We are surprised to see the place is empty. We check everywhere, and still nobody is found.

Naes backs up and finds his back against mine. “I don’t like this, Harvey. Do you think they’re onto us and hightailed it?”

“Oh, they’re still here, Naes.”

Suddenly, there’s a slight creak noise above us. We look up and see the five Underworlders hanging upside down from the rafters by their feet like vampires. They simultaneously drop down toward us. Naes pushes me out of harm’s way, but one of them cuts into his leg with its sharp, long claws. Naes stumbles backward and bounces off the jukebox, triggering it to play a Motown love song.

The Underworlders stand side by side. They have fanged teeth, long, sharp claws, catlike eyes, and appear very strong. I’m shocked to see these Unknown creatures. The Agency has different names for different Underworlders. And when we discover some sort of new creature we name them Unknowns.

Naes gathers himself and steps beside me. We both have our swords in hand.

“Unknowns, huh?” I ask them.

“That’s right. We’re Vega’s newest breed,” the first one says to me.

“He has a message for you, Harvey,” the second Unknown says with sarcasm.

“I’m sure he does.”

“He says, ‘Sine die.’”

That’s an inside message between Vega and myself that goes way back. It means without any future date being designated as for the meeting’s adjourned. The third Unknown steps forward a bit.

“Listen, we have a long list of Harvesters to whack, so let’s get this over with. Shall we?”

Naes lightly elbows me. “These freaks are rather cocky, aren’t they?”

“Stay sharp,” I tell Naes.

Naes pulls out a gun and aims it at the Unknowns. They laugh at him.

“Your silly little guns won’t hurt us, you fool.”

Naes still unleashes a flurry of bullets at them, and they don’t even move. They’re hit by numerous bullets but don’t bleed, and their bodies absorb the bullets.

“Oh, shit,” Naes remarks with surprise. “They weren’t lying, Harvey.” He shrugs his shoulders at me. “But you never know until you try, right?”

I nod at his comment. “Looks like we’re going old school.”

We raise our swords and take combative stances. The jukebox now plays heavy metal music. Everyone sizes each other up and then Naes and I let out furious war cries.

This triggers the Unknowns to charge us. I don’t move, and this makes Naes nervous. I can see it in his eyes.

“Wait. Wait. Wait.” I stay still until they are about a foot away from us. “Now!”

I pull out a new, circular device created by the Agency’s gadget guru, Djinn. I aim it at them, press a button on it, and a severely blinding white light shoots out of it and engulfs them. Nothing can be seen in the area, but we can hear them screaming in pain and anguish. I turn the weapon device off to reveal the Unknowns writhing and squirming on the floor. Their eyes have been burnt out of their skulls and black blood oozes from their ocular cavities.

I wink at Naes. “And you thought this device wouldn’t work.”

“I love Djinn. I’m glad you brought it, partner. I was worried since it had never been tested in the field.”

“We just tested it.”

I stroll over to the Unknowns’ obvious leader and ram my sword through its stomach and into the floor. He bellows in pain. I glance over at Naes. “Just in case he tries to move. Take care of the others. All we need is the leader.”

“Gotcha.”

Naes limps over to the other Unknowns who are now trying to scurry away to safety.

“Nothing personal, guys,” he tells them and then promptly lops of their heads one by one with ease. I focus my attention on the leader.

“You might as well kill me, Harvester, because I’ll never talk.”

“Oh, I think you will,” I say with confidence.

I pull out a Halo of Truth, a device that can read most people’s minds. It’s circular and has a slight green glow, and it has a low humming sound.

“This little contraption will talk for you. Oh, wait. I forgot. You can’t see.”

Naes erupts with laughter. I place the Halo of Truth on the leader’s head as if it was a crown of some sort.

“Now this may hurt . . . a lot.”

I power up the Halo of Truth and the Unknown leader immediately screams in pain. His ocular cavities profusely bleed. I enjoy what I witness.