The Island Project: A Thriller (6 page)

CHAPTER 14

HILO CAFE

15 OCTOBER, 9:45 A.M.

Bennett and Kelly sat in the back of a brightly colored cafe entertaining a couple of near-empty cappuccinos.  A shared box of Malasadas,
Portuguese sweet rolls
, lay empty on the table. They had spent the past two hours catching up and searching the Internet for clues of a wildcat in Hawaii. Their searches hadn’t turned up much.

Kelly came across an old folklore story about a “Hawaiian Mystery Big Cat” roaming the hills of the Big Island. However, as they dug deeper into the story it was revealed that it had been over eighty years since the last sighting. Not likely the cat Bennett and Kelly were looking for.

“Let’s go!” Kelly said enthusiastically. “I figure the only way we’re going to actually know if this thing exists or not, is if we go find it ourselves. Do you still have access to the reserve?” Kelly asked.

“Until Tuesday,” replied Bennett.

“Well, then what are we waiting for?” she said.

Bennett left some cash on the table and they drove away in the truck, west toward the reserve.

CHAPTER 15

OAHU CONVENTION CENTER

15 OCTOBER, 10:15 A.M.

Dr. Rupert Perry loosened his bowtie and scanned the floor for a waiter. All he could see were tuxedos and evening gowns. In order to get through another hour at this event, Perry knew he was going to need a scotch. Maybe two. The problem would be finding a tray of liquor being served at this hour.

Dr. Perry was attending a brunch benefit on the island of Oahu held by the Advanced Orthotics and Prosthetics Association. The brilliant minds of Orthotic and Prosthetic development were being acknowledged today with a black tie brunch. Dr. Perry initially scoffed at the invite.
Who would schedule a formal event at such a ludicrous time of day?

His involvement with robotic prosthetics had earned him a spot as a guest speaker at the event. He had accepted the invitation mainly out of obligation. More than anything, though, he had agreed due to the proximity of the affair. Since it was a national event taking place on a neighboring island, it would appear strange had he not accepted.

To the public, Dr. Perry’s accomplishments in robotic prosthetics were more widely recognized in contrast to his endeavors for the DOD. Dr. Perry was one of the top names (if not the very most) in robotic prosthetic development. He had written the book on modern prosthetic and orthotic development by neural communication. In fact, that was the name of it.

It was a poor day to be stuck in an engagement, though—
especially with a juggernaut missing from his facility
.

Perry was hoping that the robot would have somehow succumbed to the elements by now. The juggernauts were not yet field-approved. There were a few crucial components in their programming that were needed before they were ready to test out on their own. However, the possibility that Lorry had been neutralized was wishful thinking at best.

Perry knew what they were capable of.

At least thirty hours had passed since Lorry escaped. Based on her life unit, she should be starting to fade, too—which would most likely bring her back to the facility.

The juggernauts were programmed to return to a power source if their energy falls below a certain level. Their life units held roughly 48 hours of charge. Even with the abundance of solar power, Lorry still needed a direct source to provide a complete charge. At least Dr. Perry was fairly certain anyway.

Lorry is not responding to direct commands. Call immediately.

That was the message chief engineer Kenneth Braden had sent Dr. Perry earlier that day.
Perry found himself trying to rationalize a solution to the madness. The whole matter was putting him on edge. The current group of eight juggernauts was more dangerous than anybody knew and Perry was extremely uneasy about one being out in the open.

This was Braden’s fault really,
Perry thought to himself. He knew he had let Braden go too far in allowing the problem-solving, logistical functionality into the juggernaut’s programs. It proved correct by the fact that Lorry had jumped on her own will.
She had jumped out of her containment. She had escaped the building.
Perry still couldn’t believe it. He had to balance his concern with his excitement. If they were in fact acting independently, then he knew he had just made scientific history. Due to the AI restrictions on his research, he knew he couldn’t actually unveil this finding though. His research would be terminated and they would cease all of his operations. If Lorry was discovered by anyone, it was the end. He knew it.

Rick Danner had better find her.

As Dr. Perry thought about his dilemma he began to heat up. His brow began to perspire. He needed that scotch. Finally he spotted a waiter walking by. “Excuse me, what is this?” Perry pointed to the cocktail glasses balanced on the tray the man was holding.

“Martini, sir…Gin.”

Perry reacted with a disapproving expression that he didn’t attempt to hide. “I don’t much care, really.” He grabbed two glasses, downing one instantaneously. Perry felt his cell phone vibrating in his coat pocket. He placed the empty cocktail glass back on the waiter’s tray and grabbed his phone out of his pocket. It was a message from Rick Danner. He read the letters displayed on the screen:

Kilo down. Found in the Beta Sector by the fence. It was open.

The message took a second to sink in.

Kilo down.

A man was dead.

Perry felt himself turn red as fury boiled up inside of him. He unleashed a string of curses in his mind, finding it tremendously hard to maintain his composure. He needed to leave. This was turning into an utter disaster. He now had a human casualty to deal with.  Perry’s mind went instantly into survival mode. It would take some precise and quick planning to hide this. They would have to make up a story—stage it somehow.

It had to stop here. He knew he had to get back to the facility.

“Dr. Perry?”

A voice from behind made Perry turn around abruptly, nearly sending his martini showering the surrounding guests. Perry stared wild-eyed in the direction of the questioner.

“I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t mean to startle you.” A short man wearing a tuxedo, spectacles and a moustache was directing his hand toward the stage. “We’re ready for you,” the man said.

The crowd was slowly seating themselves and Perry could see the Board of Directors up front beginning to look his direction. Perry set down his drink. He straightened his tie and consciously donned a business manner. He eyed the podium and began making his way over, walking with a confident stride. The man on stage was already introducing him. Perry could hear his name called out over the PA, supplemented by a string of pretentious compliments that were intended to hail his accomplishments. He felt the eyes of the crowd fix on him as they clapped. Perry walked up the few stairs and reached the podium. He placed his hands on the sides of the wooden frame below the microphone and felt the glow of the spotlight warming his face. He smiled at the audience…and began.

“Ladies and gentlemen. We are ascending the Everest of prosthetic advancements. And we are climbing it with the help of robotic technology.”

The crowd roared with applause.

CHAPTER 16

OKOLE VALLEY FARM

15 OCTOBER, 10:30 A.M.

Detective Lee was back at the pineapple farm, the scene of the crime. After receiving the news of the Pentothal present in the victim’s body, he had come back to see if he could find any evidence. This time Chief Terry Sullivan had come along with him. Sullivan was pacing around the crime scene, studying the prints. A gentle rain from the night before had softened the tracks somewhat. However, they were still clearly visible in the sunlight. A man’s boot prints followed by deep oval tracks spaced evenly apart.

“Did we get any leads on the surrounding areas?” Chief Sullivan asked.

Lee nodded as he took a few pictures with his cell phone. “Yes. Well, sort of. The neighbors down the road claim they saw a dark figure along the hillcrest over there.” Lee pointed out toward the hillside backing the house. “They said it was dark out and hard to determine, but that they could see reflections of light in its eyes.” Lee hand signaled with rabbit ears the word “reflections”.

Sullivan rubbed his hand over his white chin whiskers, pensively. “Could be anything though. Especially out here.”

“Right. Outside of these three houses, there isn’t another home in site for a good ten miles. The hills here separate the city to the east and the forest reserve over there covers pretty much everything else. And who
knows
what’s living in there?”

“So your animal attack theory survives for now, Jimmy. But we still need to get some traction on the Sodium Pentothal.”

“I called my guy at the University to get more background on Pentothal. It turns out that Sodium Pentothal is used in lethal injections. It’s part of a three part cocktail of barbiturates that are delivered consecutively,” Lee said and glanced at his phone, wherein he always left his notes. “The three parts include sodium pentothal, pavulon and potassium chloride. The Pentothal alone is extremely fatal in large doses. In small doses, however, it can be used as truth serum. The CIA uses the stuff, or at least they used to, to extract info from their detainees.”

“Truth serum? You think
this guy
was being pumped for information?” Sullivan asked skeptically.

“No. This guy didn’t know anything. I talked to his family, he’s been a farmer his whole life. The guy was clean.”

“So why the Pentothal?”

“Who knows? It was probably convenient for a quick kill. The stuff is fairly easy to come by. Anyone in the medical field could get access to it. It’s also available on the black market for anyone resourceful enough to know where to look.”

“I’m impressed Jimmy. Maybe I should use that stuff on you to tell me how you keep beating me in the football pool.”

“Right! There’s no way a serum would get me to give away my secrets,” Lee said smiling.

Sullivan erupted in a wheezy laugh, which ended in a coughing fit. His body was still haunted by years of chain smoking. Even with the therapeutic island air in which to rehabilitate, Sullivan’s body had taken years of alcohol and smoking abuse as he climbed ranks in the Los Angeles Police Department Central Division, also known as “The CD”.

“So what about the tracks? Has anyone followed these out to see where they came from?” Sullivan asked.

“Yeah. Forensics covered the place. They searched a good two miles out in either direction. But there’s no sign of which direction the animal came from. The prints come directly out from the pineapple field, which as you can see is bordered by the forest there.” Lee pointed out over the reserve.

“And we’ve checked all through there?” Sullivan asked.

“It’s protected land. We already went in pretty deep. It would take days to search the whole thing. Let alone the paperwork to tread through protected land like that. And, Terry, I’m not even sure an animal had anything to do with this.”

“So we’ve got a killer hopping around on stilts, wielding a syringe full of Pentothal,” said Sullivan dryly.

Lee shook his head at Sullivan’s remark. “Don’t worry. I’ve got this. I just need a little more time.”

“Well, you have very little. I haven’t given the press anything to use yet. As far as they know, a man died of a heart attack face down in the mud in his back yard. We only have a few days before the details start surfacing. You know how these things go. You’re lucky the press hasn’t caught onto anything yet. And, Jimmy, we absolutely can
not
allow that to happen.”

“Thanks…I know.”

“One more day. That’s what I’m giving you,” said Sullivan.

Lee stared out into the thick forest as he pondered the scene. Nothing was matching up. He kept finding new evidence that contradicted the path he was headed. He caught himself zoning out. He could hear Sullivan speaking but he wasn’t paying attention. He looked the opposite direction, across the island, and noticed heavy cloud formations way off in the distance. A thick, black veil dipping down into the sea, hundreds of miles off shore—slowly creeping it’s way over.

“You see that? Those thunderheads. Still far off—but they’ll be here tonight,” said Lee.

Sullivan turned and looked in the same direction. “You got that right. I hope you got what you needed here. ‘Cause it’ll all be washed away in a few hours,” Sullivan said as he shielded his eyes. “It’ll all be gone.”

CHAPTER 17

HAKALAU FOREST NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

15 OCTOBER, 10:45 A.M.

Bennett and Kelly pulled into the north parking lot of the forest reserve at 10:45 a.m. Two other cars were parked there already. Bennett pulled in next to a Jeep Cherokee.
Most likely the rangers,
Bennett thought to himself. He got out of the truck and walked around to the bed to grab their packs. He hoisted Kelly’s pack out and handed it to her. Lifting it, he noticed her bag had some considerable weight to it.

“What do you have in here? An
anvil
?”

Kelly laughed out loud. “I know. It’s heavy, huh? I brought my field equipment along just in case I need it.”

“Got it. Good thinking. And if we’re in trouble, at least we’ll have something insanely heavy to throw at it.” Kelly laughed again.

“Ok, here’s the trailhead. The trail winds back about two miles and then tees into another trail at the bamboo forest. About a mile east of that is a waterfall that looks over the valley. I spotted the cat from on top of the falls. I figure we venture in toward the falls and at least take a look. At least we know the cat has been there.”

“Sounds great. You lead,” said Kelly.

Bennett led Kelly through the jungle the way he had come out the day before. They walked at a steady pace, making good time as they hiked along the path, venturing off here and there only to avoid going through some overgrown brush. Bennett was impressed with Kelly’s ability to keep up. About two miles in, they reached the bamboo tunnels.

“Here’s the bamboo forest. That means we’re more than halfway there.”

Bennett ducked slightly below the clearing and entered. The bamboo tunnel ran for about a half mile. The path twisted and turned through thickly woven bamboo chutes reaching high into the sky. Tunnels like these were common to the islands. The locals cleared narrow paths to create access routes through the forests. This specific one looked to be used as more of a game path now.

“These tunnels are amazing!” Kelly exclaimed.

The tunnels really were quite fantastic to walk through. Kelly reached out and ran her fingers along the thick chutes as she walked. The bamboo was impressively large. Some of the chutes looked to measure about eight inches across. The lush surroundings were captivating and hearkened back to the prehistoric ages in terms of the size of the vegetation. Besides the tunnels, the forest looked pristine and untouched by man…the surrounding flora and fauna had a timeless quality that was mesmerizing.

“This way,” Bennett said taking a right turn through one of the tunnel outlets. It wasn’t the way he had gone the day before, but it appeared to curve in toward where the falls would be. He wasn’t getting a GPS reading in the brush, so he made a guess at a shortcut. “This path should lead us to the falls quicker,” he said.

They followed it for about a half-mile, weaving in and out. The bamboo was so dense in some places that it blocked the sunlight almost completely. Eventually, they reached the end of the bamboo trees. The tunnel opened up into a lush, green forest of palms and flowers. The flowers were waist high and some even reached up past Kelly’s head. A roughly cut trail continued out from the bamboo tunnels and appeared to continue through the forest, fading out far into the vegetation.

Bennett paused and looked around.

“Hang on, Kelly. This doesn’t look right. We should be close to the falls now, and I don’t hear the water at all.

Kelly was still walking along, pressing down the trail. “I’m sure it’s right behind the hill here.” She pointed to a large mossy wall that spanned a large distance. “We’re already this far in, let’s just check out around this hill.”

They continued along the path, pressing deeper into the forest until the foliage began to thin out. They were approaching a clearing.

“Look at that!” Kelly pointed to a large fence in the distance, roughly ten to fifteen feet tall, stretching far into the forest in both directions. The fence was industrial looking, large, sturdy galvanized posts spread far apart with a wire meshing spread between them. Horizontal white cables spanned the length and continued up the wall every six inches or so. The top of the fence angled inward sharply toward the premises. A small blue light sat atop the fence and was spaced every ten feet or so.

“Must be a ranger supply station in there,” Bennett said. They approached the fence, stopping only a few feet from it.

“This isn’t the border of the reserve is it?” Asked Kelly.

“No. Based on our GPS, the reserve continues for a good five miles to the north. This fence isn’t noted anywhere on the map, so my guess is this is a ranger station.”

Kelly peered through the fence at the land on the other side. The forest was cleared inside the fence line and looked to stay fairly maintained. The terrain also looked easier to hike through. Bennett came closer to the fence and inspected it. The white cables ran up the face of the fence evenly and appeared rather sturdy. The fence was probably fairly easy to climb. He reached his hand out and brought it close to the cabling, cautiously. He felt a faint current vibrating from the cabling.

Electricity.

“Kelly, this fence is electric. Don’t get too close to it.”

Kelly didn’t answer.

“Kelly?”

Bennett turned around to find Kelly climbing a tree. It was an old Koa tree with a thick trunk and gnarled branches—low and easy to grasp. She was already pulling herself onto a branch that reached out over the fence a good six feet.

“Kelly. What are you doing?” 

“This fence is in our way, and I don’t see any other way around it. If we can cut across, it’ll save us time.” She looked down, focusing on her footing. “Come on.”

Bennett thought about it. She was right. If they could cut straight across, they should have a straight path to the falls. “Alright, but Kelly be careful. I don’t see the voltage posted anywhere. I can feel the current though. It’s definitely on.” 

“Ok, I will.”

Bennett fastened his bag tight around his body and clambered up the tree. Kelly was already walking along a strong branch hovering just above the fence. She walked slowly, balancing her weight carefully. She moved along the branch until she stood directly over the fence. The branch bowed slightly as it adjusted to her weight. It still cleared the fence by a foot or more. She shimmied across the threshold then swung down and hung from her hands. She hung there for a moment, suspended about seven or so feet from the ground. Once she steadied herself, she let go—landing on the soft earth with a gentle thump. 

“Impressive,” Bennett said with a smile as he pulled himself on to the large branch.

“Come on, you’ve got it,” Kelly said as if Bennett needed some encouragement.

Bennett focused his balance and stepped forward—one foot in front of the other, until he was only a few feet away the fence. He took another step. The branch began to bow downward considerably as it succumbed to his weight. Bennett steadied himself and adjusted his weight balance. He was now directly above the fence. The branch continued drooping down until it finally stopped three inches above the fence.

“Tom…”

“I know.”

Bennett held still. He reached his hand up slowly and unclasped his field bag from his body. Once the strap was freed, he slid it off slowly and held it out to the other side of the fence. The branch dipped up and down slightly with each movement. It was hovering dangerously close to the white cable atop the fence.

“Tom. Drop it. I’ve got it,” Kelly said.

Just as Kelly spoke, the branch let out a loud popping sound and lurched downward.

The limb was breaking.

“Tom!”

Bennett let go of the bag. The bag dropped down just inside the fence, inches away from the cabling. Kelly scooped it up and jumped back away from the fence. The branch instantly responded, raising another three inches above the fence. Bennett gathered his balance and froze. The limb was still. Bennett looked down at the fence. There was now about a half-foot clearance. The limb let out a few crackling groans again. It was breaking. He needed to get off now.

“Watch out!” Bennett shouted to Kelly.

He jumped.

The branch dipped down deep, coming within inches of the shock cable. Bennett fell through the air and hit the ground feet first. He quickly tumbled forward into a somersault.

“Tom! Are you ok?” Kelly asked and walked over to him.

Bennett picked himself up off the ground. “Yeah…never better. Thanks for that.”

Kelly looked concerned. “Sorry, I…”

Bennett burst out laughing. He laughed hard and loud, grabbing his chest dramatically. Kelly couldn’t help but join in on the laughter. They were both a bit shocked from what had just occurred.

“Well, that was exciting!” Kelly handed Bennett his bag.

“Yes, it was,” he said still chuckling.

Bennett took his pack from Kelly and looked out into the forest. This side of the fence was much easier terrain to walk through. He pulled out his water bottle and took a few sips. Kelly did the same.

After a quick break, they started into the forest again. They continued for a while until they eventually linked up with a trail. It headed north between some large trees and made for easy hiking. After a time, they approached a metal sign posted on the side of the path with a message marked in red letters.

ALPHA SECTION

QUADRANT 8