Special Talents (5 page)

"Yes, doctor," said Napolitano. "Once we've identified people with special talents a list will be created with those people who meet our criteria. From that list you will chose the people to make up the team. Myself, General Porter, and Assistant Secretary Scarborough have final say over who goes on that list. You will have final say over who on that list will make up the team. We feel in this way we'll get the best people for the job. We can insure that those on the list are loyal Americans with no ties to terrorist organizations. And you'll be able to choose those with the best special talents to compliment the team."

"Okay," said Jeremy. "I do have one name to add to the list. Janet Liu. She's a biologist for a research company here in D.C. Without telling her much I did approach her about joining the team and she's agreeable."

"You weren't supposed to tell anyone about this," said Porter. Jeremy didn't need is electromagnetic vision to see that Porter was upset.

"Janet is a very good friend of mine," said Jeremy. "And I only told her that I had been approached by some people to help locate those with special talents. Nothing specific. She said she might be agreeable to joining us once she knows more."

"I'll start the background check on her," said Scarborough. "I'll need some information on her."

Jeremy handed him a piece of paper.

"Name, address, social security number, place of employment, all the information you'll need. The company she works for has several government contracts so I would assume she's all ready been 'checked out'. And I think she'll be a good addition to the team."

"What is her special talent?" Scarborough asked.

Jeremy just smiled. "You know, Richard, I think I'd rather let her demonstrate it for you rather than tell you. It's quite impressive."

"Okay," said Scarborough. "Well, it seems we have the beginning of our team. I have some arrangements to make so if you'll excuse me, Madam Secretary."

"Certainly Richard," replied Napolitano. "Doctor Sloan, there probably won't be a whole lot of reason for us to meet very often. You'll work directly with Assistant Secretary Scarborough. Anything you need you let him know."

"And there will be some paperwork for you to sign," said General Porter. "Normal stuff that all employees of Homeland Security are required to sign."

"I figured as much," said Jeremy. "Richard, are you free for lunch? I figure we can meet with Janet and see if she'll make the list. I know a nice little restaurant in Georgetown that will provide us with enough privacy for you to make your decision."

"I think I can get free. Say about 1:00? I'll go down and see about getting the background check on her started. I can meet you there."

"Great," said Jeremy. "Kamalene, why don't you join us? If you'll be working with Janet the two of you should get to know each other."

"Well," said Kamalene nervously, looking at the Secretary.

"I'll have my secretary call your supervisor and tell him you're doing something for me," said Napolitano. "And General Porter will start on the paperwork transferring you to the new department."

"Thank you, Madam Secretary," said Kamalene.

"Well, Madam Secretary," said Jeremy, "it was a pleasure to meet you and I look forward to working with you."

"As do I, doctor."

Jeremy left the office and pulled out his cell phone to call Janet to arrange for the lunch.

At lunch Jeremy made the introductions of the people to each other. The restaurant was a posh, quiet little place that obviously catered to what might be called the "upper crust" of Washington, D.C. society. Kamalene was dressed in a nice suit although it was obvious she was unaccustomed to a place that was so fancy.

"You think she's all ready been checked out, huh?" said Scarborough, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Dr. Liu is one of the top biologists in the field. The company she works for, Biodrome Enterprises, does some of the most classified work for the federal government. I didn't have to do much of a background check on her. It's all ready been done."

"Background check?" Janet questioned.

Jeremy looked at Scarborough who simply nodded once. Jeremy then filled Janet in on what he had been told at Secretary Napolitano's office. She just sat listening without any indication what she was thinking or feeling.

"The federal government?" she asked when he finished. "That's the 'group of concerned people' you told me about? No wonder you said I wouldn't have to worry about them being able to afford any equipment I might need. And you want me to join this group to hunt out terrorists?"

"Not exactly hunt out," said Scarborough. "Your job will be to help identify terrorist who have special talents and deal with their threat. As Jeremy explained, our normal methods of dealing with these types of terrorists are inadequate."

"Special talents?" questioned Janet. "That's what you're calling people with unusual abilities?"

"We felt it was more accurate than calling them powers," said Scarborough. "There are indications that some of these talents aren't exactly powers. Just skills that people may have been able to adapt more effectively than other people."

"I see," said Janet. "Well, Jeremy, no wonder you were so secretive about it when we talked yesterday. I imagine this is something that Homeland Security isn't exactly anxious to broadcast."

"Secrecy is one of our greatest weapons," said Scarborough. "Right now the terrorists are under the impression there isn't anything we can do to combat this rising rash of 'special' operatives as they've been designated. And they aren't far from being right. We'd like to keep this special team a secret as long as possible. So you understand you won't be able to say anything to anyone about what you're really doing."

"So what's our cover?" Janet asked. "What am I supposed to tell my friends and family that I'm doing?"

"You'll be working for Homeland Security investigating reports of suspicious activities," said Scarborough. "Not really so far from the truth. Just, as they say, not the whole truth."

"What about my research?" Janet asked. "Jeremy said I would be able to continue with it and even have access to the other team members for it."

"That shouldn't be a problem," replied Scarborough. "Of course, whether or not the other team members cooperate and assist you will be up to them. We really can't require them to do that."

"What kind of assistance?" Kamalene asked. "I'm not exactly a scientist."

"Oh, nothing like that," said Janet. "Some tissue samples, maybe answering questions about your talent, that sort of thing. I'll be doing all the scientific work. Which brings up the question. Just what is your 'special talent'?"

"Kamalene can control mechanical devices by simply touching them," said Jeremy.

"Oh, I'll bet that's handy," said Janet. "I wouldn't mind having that one myself. Sometimes my equipment doesn't work the way it's supposed to. It would really be nice if I could 'coax' it a little bit from time to time."

"It doesn't work that way," said Kamalene. "I can only do whatever the device was designed to do. But if there's a problem with it I might be able to help."

"I'll keep that in mind," said Janet.

"That brings up the matter of your special talent," said Scarborough. "Jeremy said he'd rather you showed me than him telling me. So, Dr. Liu. Just what is it you're supposed to be able to do?"

"Janet," said Jeremy, a slight smile on his face, "why don't you give Richard a small demonstration?"

Janet just smiled and then reached down and took hold of one of the legs of the chair Scarborough was sitting in. With less effort than it took to describe it she suddenly lifted the chair and Scarborough up off the floor and held it as high as she could. She held the chair aloft for a few moments and from all indications had little trouble doing so. Then she set the chair back down on the floor.

"Holy cow," said Scarborough. "You're what? About 5 feet tall and about 110 pounds?"

"About that," said Janet.

"I know men three times your size that can't do that," said Scarborough. "And you didn't seem to have any trouble doing it at all. Just how strong are you?"

"Apparently as strong as I need to be," said Janet. "It's not automatic. But so far I've been able to use whatever strength I need for something. And my body compensates for the added strength. Just being strong enough to lift something doesn't guarantee your muscles and bones will tolerate the added strain to them. My body sort of hardens, so to speak, to accommodate the additional strength."

"It does have its' drawbacks," said Jeremy. "She can get pretty sore if she uses too much strength. And it seems to have a draining effect on her. The more strength she uses, the more she has to rest up to recuperate from it. But as you can see, she can do things most other people can't even dream of.

"When she first came to me as a patient many years ago she told me she felt like a freak. When she was in school boys would avoid her because she was stronger than they were. I told her about my talent to show her that she wasn't alone. That there were other people with unique abilities just like her."

"Ever since then I've been doing research to find out why some of us are different," continued Janet. "That's what my work is all about. With access to others with these special abilities I might just find some of the answer I'm looking for."

"I'll bet it comes in handy with some overzealous admirers, too," commented Kamalene.

"Oh, it has its' advantages," said Janet, smiling wryly. "When they find out you can bench press a Cadillac they have a tendency to lose interest."

"No doubt," said Scarborough. "Well, Dr. Liu, what do you say? Are you interested in joining our little group?"

"Well," said Janet thoughtfully, "as long as it's understood that I get to continue my research."

"Jeremy made that abundantly clear," said Scarborough. "Now, Secretary Napolitano has instructed me that we will be officially forming the team on Monday. That should give you plenty of time to take care of whatever you need to. We'll get all of the paperwork out of the way then. Then you can begin investigating potential new members for the team."

"You said you all ready had some in mind," said Jeremy.

"That's right," said Scarborough, pulling a file out of his briefcase. "In fact, I have your first assignment right here." He handed the file to Jeremy.

"Simon Rowe," Jeremy read from the file. "Thirty-three years old, born in Boise, Idaho. Unmarried. What's this? A criminal history sheet?"

"Yeah," said Scarborough. "Mr. Rowe is something of a petty criminal. He's never been violent but he's been implicated in quite a number of burglary-type crimes in a dozen or more cities. As you can see he has a tendency to move around a lot."

"So, what makes you think he might have a special talent?"

"Mr. Rowe has never been prosecuted for a crime. He has been charged in quite a few but the charges have always been dismissed for lack of evidence."

"So?" questioned Jeremy. "I know lots of people that description could fit. Just because the prosecution doesn't have the evidence to prosecute doesn't mean he has a special ability."

"Well, it's the reason for the lack of evidence that interests us," said Scarborough. "It seems that whenever he's arrested, the evidence against him just seems to vanish into thin air. Right out of a police property office. One day it's there, the next it's gone. With no indication what happened to it.

"In addition, on several occasion he has simply disappeared from police custody. Usually after having been charged previously with several crimes. After that he pops up again later in a different state and different city.

"Another interesting note is that he can't seem to be fingerprinted. The arresting officers can't find anything unusual about his hands or fingers but each time he is fingerprinted the cards come out blank. Almost like he has the ability to prevent fingerprinting.

"He barely graduated high school, has never attended any trade school we can find, and as far as we can tell has never held a regular job. But he never seems to be at a loss for money. Some of the evidence that has disappeared from the police evidence rooms has resurfaced some time later in a different city. Coincidentally Mr. Rowe has also been reported in those same cities. He usually doesn't stay long and quickly moves on to another city."

"So you think he has some type of ability that allows him to remove evidence from a police evidence room and then fences the items in another city?" Jeremy asked.

"Where it would make it extremely difficult to trace," added Scarborough. "What interests us most is that the evidence simply seems to disappear from the evidence rooms and that on some occasions Mr. Rowe himself seems to disappear from police custody."

"Well, that could indicate he has some kind of 'special talent'," said Janet. "But he's a criminal. What makes you think he'd be interested in helping us?"