Athena Lee Chronicles 8: Infiltration (6 page)

“What happened?”

“Margaret’s aircar was pulled off course by a malfunctioning GPS system. The Cabal arranged it to happen of course. She ended up in a mountainous region of Mars. Unable to contact anyone she was beginning to panic when the Cabal hit team arrived. She thought they were there to save her. She was wrong. I had been brought along to observe the whole thing and report back. It was also my test. I was given another choice. Either I push her off the cliff or I would join her at the bottom of the ravine. I made my choice and was officially inducted into the Cabal. My parents… My parents were proud of me! I later discovered that every member had done something similar as their test. After that it was child’s play to put me in the right place at the right time to meet and marry Arthur.”

“Did they keep in touch with you, give you orders to influence him?”

“Of course they did. I gave him regular drugs in his food or drinks that altered his memory. Agents sent by the Cabal used hypnosis on him and set certain trigger words in his brain. It was one of those that I used to help him kill himself. I have done so many horrible things in my life. I promise I will try to make amends before they kill me.”

“What do you mean by that?” I wanted to know too.

“There is no escape they always kill traitors or those that disappoint them. Rule one is…”

“Rule one? There are defined rules?”

“Oh yeah. There are three basic ones. Never tell anyone about the Cabal. Do not involve friend's and family in the Cabal, if the Cabal wishes a family member to know they will tell them. Assume that the Cabal knows everything. Breaking rules one and two are very bad for everyone.”

“How bad?”

“When the rule is broken they know. They always know. There is a group of assassins that protect and control the members of the Cabal. They are called the Wardens of the Gate. Most just call them the Wardens. The will kill the rule breaker and his whole family including any close friends and supporters. If possible, that person will just vanish from all records and accounts. Gone!” She pursed her lips as if in thought. “A good example would be Senator Colman. He was part of the Imperial Senate. Rumor has it he screwed up really badly. If you check, you will find that his whole family is gone. Any close friends have either moved or died.”

Amalie turned to her right and yelled at someone to check that out. Most likely Gaston since he was her go-to-guy. “We will check into it.”

“Your planet should look into Governor Norton. If he’s not dead yet he will be. The Wardens are very scary.”

“I witnessed a possible attempt when my brother tried to kill our father. He said something about gaining access to Norton’s prison.”

She nodded her head. “They are very good at worming their way into your life and then making you work for them.”

Amalie stared at her through the vid screen. “What about you? Aren’t you worried about your parents or close friends?”

Isabella began to laugh. “Close friends? What are those? No, Ma’am. I don’t care a bit what happens to my family. They are the ones that killed my friends all those years ago. My father owns an aircar repair service. I’m pretty sure he’s the one who made their car crash and explode. It doesn’t matter any more. The signal has been sent. They are coming for us.”

“Signal? What signal?”

“The main purpose of the Cabal is to infiltrate and subvert the galactic governments to prepare the way.” She looked at me. “You didn’t know?” She began laughing.

“What is it we are missing, child? Who are they preparing the way for?”

“It’s too bad I am no longer associated with them, they would love this conversation. They think that Norton told you already. The reason you were locked up Commander was they were afraid of whatever the friend of yours, Sam, may have mentioned to you.”

“Sam? Why do they care about Sam?” Now I was puzzled. What did Sam have to do with the Cabal?

Isabella just shook her head. She looked up at the main screen and pointed at Amalie. “You old woman should have guessed the answer already. Earth is coming to claim the Galaxy for their own. The Cabal is just the stepping stone for that.”

Chapter 9

Minerva was just staring at the robotic cat on the table. It looked like a cat; it acted like a cat, but it was not really a cat. Wilson, that insane little AI created something here. She was not sure what but; it was not just a robotic cat! This thing was built at the new RAM factory maybe they could tell her what it really was.

“Good morning, Robots-Are-Us ask about our new RAM unit. How can I help you today?” Min just stared at her console. It was seven in the morning and this woman was way too perky.

“This is Major Minerva Lee of Freedom Station I need to be put in touch with someone about a specialty robot your company put together for someone.”

“Hello Major Lee, let me put you through to Mr. Stevens he is charge of that section.”

After a moment the screen opened to a skinny man in a paneled office. “Stevens here, what can I do for you?”

“Mr. Stevens, my name in Major Minerva Lee from Freedom Station. I have a few questions for you about a specialty robot that you put together for a Mr. Theai.”

“I’m sorry Major Lee, but we keep the confidentiality of our clients very secure. You will need to get a warrant to get that information.”

“How about I just crack this thing open right here then?” She held up the robotic cat to the camera. “It should come apart quite easily I think.”

The now startled man held up his hands in protest. “Wait! Please, don’t destroy it! It’s the prototype for a new line we are working on with Mr. Theai.”

“Speak now or the cat gets it!”

“Since you have the CATT in your possession I can assume that Mr. Theai is a friend of yours?”

“He went to Mars with my sister. You might say I am Cat sitting. This thing ate something this morning and I need to find out why?”

The man looked surprised. “It ate something? Interesting.”

“Why is it interesting? It’s just a robot. Is it supposed to eat?”

“It is not just a robot. That is the prototype of a new breed of robot.” He started laughing. “Sorry, Major. I crack myself up.”

Minerva just rolled her eyes. Why is it she had to always speak to the nerds? “Please explain.”

“What you have there is a Counterspy Anti-Terror Termination unit or CATT. Mr. Theai dreamed it up and brought it to our attention. We’re his partners in its development. When he first suggested it, we thought it was some kind of toy for rich people. But then he mentioned using it for counter-intelligence we became interested. A new Navy contract would be nice. You would have to speak to his programmers to get all the details we really only do hardware. However from what he told the board of directors it is supposed to track down spy units, bugging equipment, secret cameras, and intrusion devices. If it ate something you may be bugged. Do you want our tech team to sent you an operating manual for the CATT unit?”

“Thank you Mr. Stevens. If I need further help, I will be in touch.” Minerva looked at Merlin, the robot was purring and pretending to clean itself. “You can cut the act, I know you’re smarter than a real cat.”

The copper colored robotic cat continued to pretend to clean itself. Very slowly it raised its head and winked at her. Damn that Wilson!

Minerva watched the cat all morning. During breakfast it hung out with the other farm cats and patrolled the kitchen looking for scraps, now and then the CATT would stop and study a kitchen appliance or electrical outlet. Just as Minerva finished her food and was about to set the plate aside, the robot lightly jumped up on the table. It walked over to her and nudged the salt and pepper shakers. She just stared at it. The cat looked over at her and shook its head. Taking the pepper shaker in its mouth it bit down on it. This got a reaction from Min.

“Hey! Put that down. It belonged to my mother!” Min stood to grab the shaker from the cat just as it dropped into two pieces on the table. Inside was a small electronic listening device.

The cat sat staring at her as if to say ‘I found it for you.’ Min picked up the device and dropped it into her glass of water.

“Good kitty.” She stroked the robot who reacted like a real cat would. It arched its back and began purring. She scooped the cat up off the table and carried it up to her home office.

Switching on the light Minerva set the cat down and looked at it. “Fetch.” The cat just stared at her. “Seek.” More stares. “Go.” Now the cat was pretending to sleep.

Min swore to herself. She was beginning to see why her sister got a little crazy sometimes. Imagine having this all the time in your head? OK, time to try again. “Here kitty kitty. I have treats!” She held up a small bag of nuts and bolts.

The Cat looked up from its nap at the bag of metal. It shrugged and began to patrol the room, sniffing everything. The cat began pawing at her bookcase. It knocked a shelf of very rare and expensive Old Earth paper-bound books onto the floor. Using its claws it began tearing at one of them. Cursing, Min ran to save her treasure from the cat.

“Shoo! Cat get away from those. They cost me more than you did!” Minerva picked up the now tattered remains of the book and noticed that it was not one she was familiar with. Since when has she ever owned ‘War of the World's?’

She was about to yell at the cat when she noticed the faint wisps of smoke coming from the spine. Merlin’s claws had shorted the listening device out. Minerva looked around the room and the cat, Merlin, was sitting on the console licking its paws.

Shaking her head Minerva sat in her chair and looked at Merlin. “I’m sorry I yelled at you. I’m guessing that Wilson designed you to seek out bugs and destroy them.”

Merlin the CATT glanced in her direction and meowed at her, then went back to cleaning its paws.

“If I give you free rein to go wherever, will you get rid of any threats on the property? I will assign a disposal tech to you. He can set up in one of the unused bedrooms. Bring anything you find to him or get him for hard to reach items. Is that OK?” Robot or not she was talking to a cat!

Merlin looked at her again and meowed. It got up and nudged her hand. She absentmindedly petted it like a real cat. “After we get the house clean, we can start on the station.”

Sitting in her room one of the house maids was cursing her computer module. Three of the most advanced surveillance devices in existence just stopped working. Bugging this house had been unbelievable easy. Using standard operating procedure she had replaced one of the house maids after she had died in a house fire. The employment agency the Lee family used was old and easily infiltrated. This was before the so-called revolution. The idiot that interviewed her could only look at her personal assets not her resume. She would miss Hannibal Lee, he was pretty dumb but a good kisser. It was too bad that he was killed.

That damn revolution woke this family up and they took action ruining all of her plans. Her orders now were to learn as much as she could about future deployments and hidden units. The mention of the Cabal last week had shaken her, and she doubled up her spy units. Now they were disappearing! She would rely on her training and stay undercover for now.

Chapter 10

Minerva was impressed and worried. Merlin the CATT found over a dozen listening devices inside the house. They were hidden in locations that would provide the best intel. Her father Alexander, was livid! How dare they do this to him? Min was more realistic that it was about the family and not just him. What worried her the most was the spy device lying on her desk. She looked at the metallic cat next to her and asked it and the disposal tech standing at attention the same question. “This thing was in the kitchen?”

The cat nodded its head. Over the past couple of weeks she and the cat came to an arrangement. She would try to treat it as a real cat and it would stop pretending to be one. The logic of that statement was so diametrically opposite that it made her laugh. She smiled to herself though, this was really serious. “Sergeant Kristoff, correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t we clear the kitchen last week? Please stand at ease. This is not the inquisition.”

The sergeant was one of Command Sergeant Major Yannos’ men. He was an older man with gray eyebrows that clashed with his bald head. Initially, the idea of working with a cat offended him. But he was coming around to the idea. “Ma’am, you are correct. We cleared the kitchen on Tuesday.”

“That is what I thought. Where did this come from then?” She really needed to know the answer to that question.