Read Tricks and Traps (Gray Spear Society Book 7) Online
Authors: Alex Siegel
"What kind of help, Sir?"
"You'll see," God said. "For now, just hide Bethany and Leanna from the world for as long as possible. Nothing is more important. I'm depending on you."
The call ended. Aaron returned the phone to Bethany.
He stared into space for a long moment. He thought about his life before joining the Gray Spear Society. He had been a private detective. His biggest headache had been paying the bills every month. Only his parents had cared whether he lived or died. Now all the responsibility in the world was firmly on his shoulders. It was enough to drive a man crazy.
I should visit my parents again. I promised them I would.
"Did you hear my conversation with God?" Aaron said.
"Yes, sir," Bethany said. "A half-hour a day. It's a fair compromise."
"Today's half-hour starts now. I need another hacker on the team. He'll work for me when you're not available. We'll think of him as your apprentice."
Bethany smiled slightly. For her, it was an astonishing show of emotion.
"I've never had an apprentice," she said. "It could be interesting. I'll find the perfect candidate for you."
* * *
Perry Owens was resting on the hard bed in his lonely prison cell. He wasn't tired, but there wasn't much else to do. His alternative was pacing back and forth like a caged animal. The guards allowed him to have one new book a week, and he had read this week's book twice.
He heard a knock on the steel door of his cell. "Owens! You're being transferred!"
Perry sat up. "To where?"
"I don't know or care."
Four guards entered. They put thick shackles on his wrists and ankles. A chain went around his waist and between his legs. It was a ridiculous amount of restraint for a man who had never committed a violent act in his life.
At least he was getting out of his cell. He didn't care where they took him as long as it was different.
The guards marched Perry through the long concrete corridors of the prison. He had to move slowly with his ankles tied together, but they didn't push him. Nobody was in a rush.
Perry eventually reached the parking lot. He stopped for a moment to enjoy the feel of the sun and fresh air on his face. The guards gave him a shove to get him moving again. They helped him into the back of a prisoner transport truck and slammed the door.
A female guard was in the truck with him. Her smooth skin was the color of dark chocolate. Gorgeous hair flowed over her shoulders. Her green police uniform fit loosely, but he could tell an athletic body was underneath.
She smiled at him. For some reason, he found the expression frightening. It was like a cat smiling at a juicy, helpless mouse.
"Where am I going?" Perry said.
"Home," she replied.
He drew back in surprise.
The truck pulled away. He settled down for a potentially long trip. At least he had a pretty face to look at.
After just a few minutes, the truck stopped.
Probably getting gas,
he thought.
A moment later, the rear doors opened. A large, extremely muscular man was standing there in a police uniform. His straight, brown hair was cut short. Thick eyebrows cast deep shadows across his eyes.
He spat at the shackles. A glob of yellow slime struck the metal and caused an immediate chemical reaction. Perry watched in astonishment as hardened steel dissolved in a cloud of greasy smoke. The stranger spat a few more times, freeing Perry completely.
"Put these on." The man tossed civilian clothes at him.
The female guard stepped out to give Perry some privacy.
He didn't know what was happening, but he wasn't about to complain. He quickly shrugged off his orange prison jumpsuit and dressed in the new clothes. They fit him well.
He realized his pockets had things in them. The left contained several hundred dollars in cash, all used bills. The right pocket held a wallet. He flipped it open and found a driver's license, credit cards, an insurance card, and other identification. The cards had his picture but a different name.
Perry got out of the truck. It was parked in front of a diner by the highway.
"I'm Aaron," the big man said. "My lovely companion is Tawni. Hungry? Let's eat."
A hassle-free escape from prison, a new identity, and a free meal,
Perry thought.
I like his style. What's the catch?
He looked around for signs of police but saw none.
Aaron headed towards the diner, carrying a gray laptop computer under one arm. Tawni accompanied him with a quick and elegant stride.
Perry hesitated. He considered running away but curiosity got the better of him. He wanted to hear what his saviors had to say. Besides, a man who could spit acid was a man worth talking to.
Perry followed Aaron.
The interior of the diner had a black and white tiled floor. A counter with round stools ran along the left side. Perry's mouth watered at the sight of fresh cakes and pies. He had been eating greasy, tasteless prison food for far too long.
Aaron went straight to a booth in the back right corner. He slid his bulky body into the tight space.
Tawni joined him. Perry got the sense they were friends but not lovers.
He sat across from Aaron.
"I give up," Perry said. "What's going on? Who are you?"
"Let's talk about you first," Aaron said. "According to the news reports, you're a spectacularly talented software developer. A math genius. A child prodigy who went to college at the age of fourteen."
"That's what they say."
"You apparently embezzled 2.6 billion dollars from the Bank of Brooklyn using a very clever scheme involving expiring treasury coupons. The bank collapsed as a result."
"They also say that," Perry said.
"But I know the truth. The guilty parties are your former supervisor and his perky blonde assistant."
Perry sat up straighter. "That's what I told the police, but they didn't believe me."
"I can prove you're innocent," Aaron said, "but I won't."
"Why not?"
"No need. By the way, the guilty couple absconded to Monoco and got married. While you've been rotting in prison, they've been quietly living the life of the super-rich."
Perry gritted his teeth.
"Until this morning," Aaron added. He smiled, and the expression was even more alarming on his face than on Tawni's. These people were flat-out creepy.
"What happened to him?" Perry said.
"His bank accounts were emptied. His credit cards were cancelled. All sources of cash and income were cut off without warning. This is inconvenient because he owes a lot of money to some unpleasant people. Gambling is a terrible vice, isn't it? Maybe the loan sharks will take his wife in lieu of payment. Pretty blondes fetch a high price on the white slavery market. Still, it won't be enough to cover such an onerous debt. The remainder of his life will be short and painful."
"You did that?"
Aaron nodded.
Perry took a deep breath. He was becoming afraid.
"What happened to the billions of dollars?"
"Deleted," Aaron said.
"You can't just delete money."
"I would think a man of your intelligence and experience knows it's all numbers in computers these days. You just turn the ones into zeros."
"Yes," Perry said, "but the important computers are extremely secure."
Aaron placed the laptop on the table, opened it up, and turned it around. Perry watched the computer boot with interest. It had been a while since he had been allowed to touch a computer. This one seemed very fast.
The desktop was covered with documents. One was labeled "Federal Reserve," and out of curiosity, he opened it. A long list of passwords and access procedures appeared before him. His heart started to race.
"These passwords aren't real," he said. "They can't be."
Aaron smiled again. "It's all real."
Perry opened another document and found the passwords for the United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command. He could start World War III with this information.
He noticed Tawni stirring her glass of water with her finger. She was leaving a trail of darkness in the liquid. It seemed to bleed off her skin. The blackness bubbled up, turned into smoke, and vanished.
Perry was terrified now.
A video popped up on the computer screen, showing the head of a robot. The beautifully sculpted piece of technology had metallic skin and black spheres in place of eyeballs. It was shaped like a woman's head. The skin was colored to look like swirling smoke.
"Mr. Perry Owens," the robot stated. Its voice was obviously synthetic but soft and pleasant. "Greetings."
It waited. Perry realized he was expected to respond.
"Hello?" he said.
"You are being offered membership in a secret organization. I selected you for your exceptional talent, experience, and history of altruistic behavior. Many candidates were considered, and you were chosen as the best. I will be your mentor. Aaron will be your commander."
He smirked. "A robot picked me?"
"I'm not a robot. I'm a real woman."
He shook his head and looked up at Aaron. "What is this?"
"She works for me," Aaron said. "You'll work for her."
"What's your answer?" the robot said.
Perry furrowed his brow. "You're serious? I don't know anything about you. Why would I join?"
"You've seen enough. Take your time. This is an important decision."
Perry opened other documents on the laptop. If even a tenth of the information he found was real, it was a laptop worth killing over.
"How did you get me out of prison?" Perry asked.
"Forging paperwork is the smallest part of what we do," Aaron said.
"Are you criminals?"
"No. We're the good guys."
"What if I refuse to join?" Perry said.
"I'll let you walk away as a free man. Your criminal record has already been erased. But you'll spend the rest of your life wondering what you missed. That so-called robot can teach you secrets you'll never learn anywhere else. The stuff on that computer is just a taste."
Aaron spoke with such profound conviction that Perry had to believe him.
"Trusting the wrong people is what got me thrown in prison," Perry said.
"And it was a good lesson," Aaron said. "Be very careful with your trust."
"Then why should I trust you?"
"You've spent your whole life feeling lost and alone. You wanted to be part of something, but you didn't know what. It was like you were waiting for a special invitation. Am I right?"
Perry swallowed. "Yes."
"This is that invitation."
The answer popped out of Perry's mouth. "I'm in. I'll join."
"Congratulations. Welcome to the Gray Spear Society. You picked a very interesting time to become a member." Aaron looked around. "Where is that waitress? I'm starving."
"When do I meet the robot?"
"Very soon, and don't call her a robot. Her name is Bethany. Be nice to her. She and her twin sister are going to change the universe."
THE END
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