Damned
. Was this trip all for nothing?
She went to the last casket. She realized in her current state of mid that she'd overlooked the obvious. The fresh flowers on the third casket should have been a tip-off and she'd just wasted several precious minutes, examining the other coffins. She shined the light on the bronze plate:
ALLY TEAKS.
Bingo.
She struggled with the lid for a few moments, trying to lift it using just her arms. It required considerable strength to disengage the vacuum seal, and Marty leaned hard against it. Suddenly the lid gave way and opened with a
whish ...
She pointed the light inside the satin lined box and leaned in closed.
"Oh my God,"
she cried out.
* * *
Vince Brezina stared at the bloated corpse of Kelly Frock, trying hard not to gag at the putrid smell that filled the room. The ME came through he door and handed Brezina a surgical mask and offered him the obligatory dab of VapoRub from the jar he held out. Brezina declined and held the mask over his nose and mouth and then made a quick pass around the body. He motioned to the ME.
"Let me know as soon as you establish a time of death. I don't see anything to indicate a struggle. Looks like someone just dumped her here. Weird."
Brezina went outside where Josh Logan was giving a report to a uniformed officer. The young officer moved aside and wrote a few notes on his clipboard and then nodded to Brezina.
"Isquo;ll get with you in a minute, " he said and the officer got the message and retreated back to the cruiser.
"So, Dr. Logan, Ms. Frock was supposed to meet you last night and failed to show up, so you came looking for her tonight?'
Josh was silent a moment, then looked up. "Yes."
"You know, Dr. Logan, this is the second time I've heard your name mentioned in the past twenty-four hours."
Josh exhaled silently. "How's that?'
"You know Marty Branigan, right?"
"Yes, we have an unusual relationship to say the least."
Brezina raised his brow. "Yes, I'm sure you do. Marty can be way out there, sometimes. She told me about this theory of her regarding Aurora Life Extension. Says you have some questions yourself."
"I do indeed, Detective Brezina. This death just makes it that much more clear."
"Let me give you some advice," Brezina said, "let the police do their work. If there's something going on there, we'll find out. Frankly, though, I've been out there a couple times. I have to admit it's kinda creepy, but I don't think they're breaking the law. But if you think they had something to do with Kelly Frock's death, I'll be more than happy to listen."
"I can't prove anything, yet, but there's some things going on that I don't think you or anyone else in the police department can comprehend. No offense."
Brezina let the remark pass. "Go home Dr. Logan. I'll call you if I have any more questions."
Chapter 41
The last person Josh Logan
expected to hear from that night was Arthur Hench. So when he heard his voice on the other end of the phone, he was apprehensive at best.
"Dr. Logan. I need to talk with you."
"So talk," Josh said, his voice dripping with disdain.
"I'm afraid I've made a terrible mistake. It seems you were right about Aurora."
"Hench, you've made a lot of mistakes. The first one was killing Kelly Frock."
An awkward silence.
"Oh, no. She's dead?"
"That's right, I just left her house. The police are there now and I'm sure they have some questions for you. You were the last one at Ford to see her alive."
"Dr. Logan, I'd never do anything to harm Kelly Frock. In fact, when I met with her, she had me convinced something else had killed Cynthia Harwell. That's why I'm calling. I just returned from a medical conference. A patient I left in the care of the on-call physician has died. When I inquired, I found out she'd been cryopreserved and sent to Aurora after she'd been pronounced. Dr. Logan, I'm the only one authorized at Ford to carry out that kind of transfer. It requires a great deal of planning and paperwork. When I left her, she was a healthy as a horse. She only came in for evaluation of some seizure disorder she had. She had a very mild form of epilepsy. Certainly nothing that could kill her."
Josh was stunned. "So what do you want from me?"
"I'll just need your cooperation."
"I'm going to the police. This lady was from a well to do family and they're going to want answers."
"Have you talked to Dr. Bowman?"
"I haven't been able to reach him. He was at the medical conference, too. He's not returned yet."
"Okay," Josh said. "I'll do whatever is necessary, but you'd better be careful. Ever since I arrived here, people have been dropping dead like flies."
"Believe me, Dr. Logan, I know, but it has nothing to do with you. Anyway, I have to meet with the director of Aurora this afternoon. Someone has got some explaining to do."
Chapter 42
Terrified, Marty bolted from the
Teaks' mausoleum, heading for her car. She cut between cemetery plots, dodging some headstones, jumping others. All the while horrible visions were swimming in her head. She could just see the silhouette of her car ahead, and a modicum of relief passed over her.
Then, disaster.
The tree was a thick pine and when she slammed into its trunk, it stopped her dead in her tracks. With a grunt, she dropped to her knees as sharp pain raced through her chest, then streaked through her whole body. For a moment, she was too stunned to move; she only felt pain. The world was spinning. Gradually, she came around. The stars swimming before her eyes slowly faded. When the world finally began to take shape again, Marty stood up and took stock of herself. Satisfied nothing was broken, she started back toward her car. Half-running, half-walking, still in pain.
Then, to her horror, she saw a car approaching from the entrance. They shined a spotlight around the grounds. Marty ducked behind the first gravestone she could find and pressed her body close, watching. When the car disappeared around the corner, she was up and running, despite the riot of pain that still racked her chest and head.
She clambered into the car and jammed it into gear as the glare of high-beam headlights fell on her face, blinding her. Without a thought, she stomped the accelerator to the floor and jumped the curve, her tires screaming as she hit the exit drive. Ignoring the stop sign, she rocketed onto Route 240. The headlights returned in her rearview mirror and she pushed the accelerator to the floor.
Where are the police when you need them?
Marty realized her discovery might have spooked her and this car could possibly be just the security company that guards Holliston Memorial Park, but she wasn't taking any chances.
Josh's warning played in her head like a tape loop.
"You might be in danger, Marty."
Chapter 43
The sun burned bright over
the small private airfield to the north of Aurora Life Extension. The tarmac was empty except for the Bell-130 helicopter Aurora kept there for business trips. The Director shot the cuff of his Gucci jacket and looked at his Rolex.
They'll be here any minute. All the senior members of the GPO.
He was mentally running through his speech when he was distracted by the whine of jet engines overhead. The sound grew louder, then a Boeing 737 dropped over the end of the runway and touched down as soft as a sparrow's landing. There was the discreet squeal of brakes, the blast of reverse thrusters, and then the freshly painted jet rolled to a stop twenty feet from the hanger.
Men in yellow jumpsuits sprinted from the maintenance shed and wheeled a staircase up to the cabin door. The Director felt his heart rate pick-up.
He watched intently as each passenger stepped from the aircraft.
They were all there.
All leaders of industry, government, and entertainment--power brokers from around the world.
The special ones.
The Director watched the men and women coming toward him. He was struck by the sheer dedication these chosen people possessed. They all had one common goal.
And today, it would finally be realized!
Chapter 44
Marty Branigan was just about
out her door when her answering machine clicked on. She hesitated, then turned sharply when she heard the voice.
"Marty, I got your message from last night. I can't talk right now. I'm on my way to Aurora. I'll be in touch. Sit tight."
Marty bolted back inside and called VinceBrezina's cell phone. After five rings, his message service came on the line and told her to leave a message.
Goddammit!
Probably shacked up with his latest quest.
Chapter 45
A strange sense of calm
had descended on Josh Logan, despite the news Marty had delivered via his answering machine. His focus was on the task at hand and the only way to block out the hideous message. He was ill prepared to make entry onto Aurora's grounds, but he had purchased a taser and he wouldn't hesitate to use it. It might at least subdue any security and get him within close proximity to the building where he'd have more cover. He had one objective only. To gain entry inside and find out, once and for all, just what Aurora did with their so-called "cryo-preserved clients." He parked his car behind a stand of scrub pine, then went to his trunk and grabbed a green jacket.
A little camouflage is better than none.
Josh was turning toward the front of the building when a glimmer from the paved driveway at the front gate caught his eye. He squinted in the sunlight to get a better look. A moment later, the sound of approaching car engines was followed by a procession of limousines that paused briefly at the gate then came roaring through ten strong. Josh ducked out of sight behind a huge cactus and followed the cars with his eyes. They disappeared from sight somewhere behind Aurora's bastion of steel and block.
What was going on?
When silence once again ensued, Josh made his way over to the security gate. With a sudden sense of urgency, he called to the security guard seated in the small cubicle of glass next to it.
"Any chance I could use your phone? My car seems to have stalled."
"Sorry, our phone is only for on-premises use."
"Well, do you have a cell I could maybe use?"
Josh took a step forward and was now a few feet from the man who, Josh now saw, carried a very substantial sidearm.
The guy frowned. "Sorry. I can't let you up here at the gate. There's a service station a couple miles down the road, I'm sure they can ...
hey ... aahh ... eey ..."
Josh held the taser on the man until he dropped to the floor of the guard shack. He watched the guy sprawl out, unable to move and quickly removed the taser's barbs. Ducking under the gate bar, Josh sprinted toward the building. He glanced back toward the entrance and the guard building. Nothing. No activity. No sign of the guard. His approach brought him in line with the back of the building.
He walked down a broad concrete ramp, large enough for a truck to drive down. At the bottom stood a pair of heavy steel doors and, next to those, a large electrical transformer. Josh noted a half-dozen security cameras mounted in different locations flanking the ramp. The cameras turned in Josh's direction as he skulked toward the doors. At the bottom of the ramp, Josh ducked behind the transformer and waited.
Chapter 46
Arthur Hench stood transfixed by
what he saw. After threatening the director of Aurora with a police investigation, he'd been invited to see first hand the inner workings of the organization. He felt particularly special after the director told Hench his new plans for their affiliation with Ford and that any reservations he had with Aurora had now vanished. After a couple of early-morning cocktails, Hench convinced himself that he had panicked when he'd returned from the medical conference and found his patient transferred to Aurora without his notice. He was further pacified when they produced a signed authorization from Lawrence Bowman himself, faxed to them from Bowman's own medical conference.
Now, Hench marveled at the technology that they'd presented to him.
uo;I'm sorry the director couldn't be here," an assistant said. "He has some pressing business."
"Yes, of course. It's fine."
"Can I see the cryo-preservation room now? "
"Yes. I have someone coming down to take you there now."
A moment later, a short, thick Mexican appeared and stood next to the assistant. Hench thought he recognized the man, but the alcohol had made him a little fuzzy and he wasn't sure. The assistant said something in Spanish and the Mexican pointed the way for Hench. They walked through two glass doors and entered a service elevator. The man didn't speak until they arrived on the lower-level.
"Right this way," he said, in a thick Mexican accent.
He led Hench to a large room where he flipped on a light switch.
Hench stood in awe.
Clear glass tanks were lined up side by side, each filled with a clear solution ...
and inside . . .
His eyes were definitely not playing tricks on him. He was only a few yards from the tanks. He could see everything perfectly.
This is incredible!
Hench took a few tentative steps closer. As the liquid moved in the containers, Hench stared in disbelief.
Then, without warning, Arthur Hench felt an excruciating pain in his head for a fraction of a second as his skull was caved in.
Diego Salvez threw Hench over his shoulder and carried him from the room.
Chapter 47
Josh stood fixed between the
wall and the transformer, pressing his body ever closer to the building to stay out of the camera's view. The sound of voices caused his heart to race and he felt as if it was going to come out of his chest. After some easygoing banter between two men who had come down the ramp, he heard the metallic click of the doors opening. Like most automatic doors requiring card entry, Josh knew he had only a couple of seconds to grab the door and get inside, before the security system locked them back up. With a desperate lunge, he grabbed the handle of the door nearest him and slipped inside. He could only hope the two men who'd gone in seconds before were already out of sight.