“How many times are you assholes going to haul me in here?” Kirby asked.
Unlike his previous debriefings from the Coalition interrogators, this time his voice wavered with fear.
The abrupt punch to the back of his head that followed felt like a lightning strike, the shock hitting first, then the pain.
He saw stars for several seconds and fought hard to stay conscious. Then he fought to keep from throwing up.
He looked at his right wrist, which was chained to the steel table he sat behind. Kirby realized for the first time that he was in serious trouble.
Glen Turner kept his eyes locked on Kirby for a reaction, while the two-hundred-and fifty-pound Coalition Assurance enforcer who struck Kirby silently made his way back to Turner’s side.
“What was that for?” Kirby asked, his ears still ringing.
“To adjust your attitude. And remind you how severe your situation is,” Turner replied.
“I told you on the phone that Luthecker and I had been speaking. But he said absolutely nothing remarkable to me, I swear,” Kirby said, his eyes going back and forth between the two men.
“I freed his friends for you, and this is how you repay me?”
“I had him on the hook and was leading him in, but you got impatient. You fuckers blew it.”
Turner nodded to the Coalition officer who had hit Kirby, a military cutout in a black suit, and the Assurance officer quietly exited the small room that now only held Kirby, Turner, and the steel table between them.
“I thought we had a deal. Why the hell did you jump me?”
“The situation has changed. I honestly didn’t concern myself with what you found before, but now that’s over. What exactly did you and Alex Luthecker talk about?” Turner continued.
“You have him now, why don’t you just ask him?”
“I’m asking you.”
“I took him to see his second mother, like I told you I would. I thought there would be a connection between the two of them, and I could use that connection to confirm my theory, but it didn’t go anything at all like I expected. But I did witness what he could do. And it was nothing short of amazing.”
“What exactly did he do?”
Kirby took a moment to gather his thoughts. He hadn’t really thought about the details regarding Luthecker’s exchange with Miriam.
Kirby still hadn’t processed how the pattern reader had changed this woman’s life, telling her about her reactive upbringing, the abuse she suffered, the patterns of choice and behavior that led to the exact moment of their meeting, followed by the acceptance, and finally the letting go.
It had all happened in an instant and right before Kirby’s eyes, only minutes before the Coalition took them into custody.
For a man like Kirby, what Luthecker had done made no logical sense. There was no question that Luthecker’s ability to read the most intimate details of Miriam’s life, dating all the way back to her early years, was a cognitive skill that was beyond extraordinary.
But it was still a mathematically reproducible skill under the right control conditions. You could essentially program a computer to do it. What didn’t make sense to Kirby was Miriam’s reaction to the information. She was visibly unburdened, and it was nearly instantaneous.
It was like an absolution and understanding of all her life choices, and with it, the freedom to make new choices and set a new course. And with that freedom was a newfound awareness of outside forces that tried to influence her choices from an early age, some even before she was born.
Granted, Luthecker was charming, and one could never underestimate the human-to-human factor, but Miriam seemed genuinely changed by her conversation with Luthecker. And for the life of him, Kirby didn’t understand why.
To Kirby, it was just information, some of it actionable and some of it not.
“I can’t explain it,” Kirby started to say to Turner. “All I can say is nothing went as I expected. And at the end of the day, he just…told her it was okay to change, and she believed him.”
“There are entire industries peddling the kind of nonsense you are describing, and it doesn’t work.”
“I know.”
“Why does it work for him?”
“I don’t know.”
“Humor me with a guess.”
Kirby thought about the question for several moments. “Everyone thinks he can predict the future and game the system for people, but that’s completely missing the point. I think his photographic memory, combined with a certain intuitive ability to see collective patterns in behavior, allows him to find the keys that unlock an individual’s deeply entrenched perception of themselves. He sees where your choices will lead, both collectively and individually. And with that insight, comes the opportunity to course-correct your life. That’s what he does.”
“Is that how he expressed it?”
“No. That’s how I did. You weren’t listening. That’s another thing he does well that you don’t.” Kirby hoped the last statement wouldn’t result in another strike to the back of the head.
“Well then how did he explain it? Both his abilities and the allure behind them?”
“He started babbling about Polynesian navigators from hundreds of years ago. All of that’s scientifically explainable, but there was something more to it than that.”
“Did he read your fate?”
“No.”
“Why not? Didn’t you ask him to?”
“Of course I did. If only to correct any potential errors in my own decision-making processes.”
“And he refused? I thought he played his game with everyone he came across.”
“It’s not a game.”
“Did he tell you why he wouldn’t do to you what he’s done to everyone else?”
“No. And he didn’t say, never. He said, in due time. ”
“What does that mean?”
“I don’t know,” Kirby replied. Then something dawned on him.
Turner saw it in Kirby’s face. “What?”
“I think I know why. I think I know why he didn’t tell me my fate.”
“Why?”
“I’m already trying to find patterns in the data. I’m trying to find mechanical explanations for what he can do.”
“If you don’t start telling me straight answers, I’m going to bring my friend back in here.”
“He didn’t read the data points that would create my fate because that’s what I do all day. He wants something else from me.”
“What?”
“He wants me to believe.”
“Believe what?”
“That we’re all connected.” Kirby sat back in his chair, as far as the chain on his wrist would allow.
He was dumbfounded by his new revelation. Had Luthecker played him? Had the pattern reader already predicted the next move only to set up the one after?
“Did you see Nicole Ellis at all during your time with Luthecker?” Turner asked, interrupting Kirby’s self-revelation.
“No,” Kirby lied. For reasons he couldn’t explain, Kirby felt it unwise to bring up that aspect of his conversations with Luthecker.
“Did he mention her at all? Where she might be?”
“No. She never came up.”
“Did he express any concern that Ms. Ellis’s program PHOEBE was acting out on the public?”
“I wasn’t aware that PHOEBE was acting out on the public. Is that why you brought us in? That’s interesting if true. But no, Luthecker and I didn’t discuss Nicole Ellis, PHOEBE, or their whereabouts, at all. We only discussed his abilities and the world coming to an end. You have Luthecker in custody, why don’t you just ask him?”
“It’s not that easy.”
Kirby grinned. “You don’t want to be in the room with him, do you?”
“I’ll send someone in to get the answer I want.”
“Why do you need Nicole Ellis so badly? She’s a hacker. It’s not like there isn’t a bunch of those running around these halls.”
“Her program PHOEBE is wreaking havoc. It stopped a robbery in progress. It gifted a woman three million dollars. I’ve just gotten word that one of our refineries has been shut down. Our hackers say it’s only going to get worse, and they can’t crack it. If we can’t get in front of these problems soon, the extinction you predict is going to happen a lot sooner than you think.”
“Let me talk to him,” Kirby responded. “He trusts me. I’ll find out what it is you need to know.”
“You’re not afraid he’ll see right through you?”
“No. He’ll do whatever it is he’s going to do, and I’m not afraid of who I am. But the question is, are you afraid of what he’ll do to me? That he’ll somehow turn me against the Coalition?”
“If that were to happen, Doctor, I simply wouldn’t let you leave.”
“How reassuring. So it’s a go then?”
“Yes. I’ll allow it. But only to find out anything you can about PHOEBE and Nicole Ellis, including where she is.”
“Fine. But under one condition.”
“How about I let you live?”
“Not good enough.”
Turner took a deep breath. “What do you want?”
“If I get you Ellis and PHOEBE, you give me Luthecker.”
Turner thought about Kirby’s offer for several moments before speaking. He thought Kirby hopelessly naïve about whether or not he would keep his word. Turner had no intention of surrendering Alex Luthecker. Or of letting Kirby leave, for that matter.
“You have a deal, doctor.”
“What is this betrayal?” the Barbarian roared, rising from the plush leather couch to his feet.
The accommodations inside the Coalition Properties containment apartment were comfortable, if not small. The couch, the bathroom, the refrigerator stocked with food, the small bar stocked with drink, even the bedroom with the king-sized bed and silk sheets would make an unwary guest feel at home, and not like he was in a prison cell.
The fact that the door was steel and the lock only worked from the outside was the giveaway.
“Have a drink, Ivan,” Turner said. “And who was betraying whom? Did you think I wasn’t watching you? What was your reason for tracking down Luthecker other than to pit him against me?”
“You have no proof of that.”
“I have all the proof that I need, old friend.” Turner moved to the overstuffed chair next to the couch, and sat down. “Relax, Ivan. This is what we do to one another. We are adversaries, but we are not enemies. At least not yet. So let’s not let it come to that. Understand that if I’d wanted you dead, I’d have had my men shoot you on sight in the street. Now sit down.”
Ivan eyed Turner, leery. He had been foolish to underestimate the younger Coalition leader. Now he was trapped. The Barbarian would have to be nimble with his thoughts and words if he was going to survive.
The big Russian moved to the small bar, poured himself a double shot of Vodka, and drank it down. He gathered his thoughts before he moved to the couch.
No matter what happened in the next twenty-four hours, the Barbarian knew he had at least one card left to play. He had set it up before coming to Los Angeles, in the event of something like this. It would end with him dead, but he would exit this world with a bang, and the dreaded Coalition would go down with him.
He sat down and painted on his charming Russian grin. “What you saw was not what you think you saw, my friend,” the Barbarian said.
“What am I thinking, Ivan?”
“You are thinking that the pattern reader does not matter. I believe differently. That is solely where our conflict lies. Not on our goals. Those remain the same.”
“And how do you think he matters?”
“He has become an icon to the people.”
“So? Icons come and go. If they interfere, they are disposed of.”
“It is better to leverage them then to martyr them.”
“Is that what you were going to do? Leverage Luthecker against me?”
“You are getting paranoid, my friend. How would I profit from your downfall? Without the Coalition, the structure behind my profits would cease to exist.”
“You’re a shitty liar, Ivan.”
“So are you.”
“So what do you want?”
“A better deal. As you say—adversaries, not enemies.”
“And what would that consist of? More money?”
“Money is not difficult for men like us. Nor is power.”
“What then?”
“Give me the pattern reader.”
“Why on earth would I give him to you?”
The Barbarian got to his feet and moved back to the bar. He poured himself another shot of vodka.
“You think you can turn him into an asset, Ivan?” Turner continued. “Your partner thought that, and look where he ended up. So did my predecessors.”
“My needs are different than theirs. And I have something to offer him.”
“Such as?”
“I am an old man,” the Russian began. “Wealthy and powerful, yes, but with an uncertain future. I prefer certainty. I believe the young man can provide such for me. I’ve seen what the young man can do, what he did to my former partner, and I’d prefer to not have him as an enemy.”
Turner burst out laughing. “You think he’s going to save you from your past? Forgive your sins? I think you need to go to church for that, my friend.”
“I simply seek a truce.”
“You’re a monster, Ivan. That’s pretty damn clear to anyone who’s watching. What makes you think he wouldn’t destroy you?”
“I’ll give him what he wants. I’ll free many slaves. Not enough to disrupt our profits, but enough to give him a victory. Surely, he will negotiate. He will understand it would be better than the alternative.”
“Which would be?”
“His death.”
“And you certainly wouldn’t use him against me, now would you?”
“Again, I profit from your structure. And my actions could prove beneficial to you.”
“How so?’
“He is your sworn enemy. I can keep him from destroying you.”
“From destroying me?”
“As he did your predecessors.”
“You’re so full of shit, Ivan. I know you, and you don’t give a fuck about saving me, or Alex Luthecker. I don’t either, but my board is filled with fearful old men, and so I have to pretend like I do. You’re just trying to save your own ass. Granted you’re on the spot, but that’s the best you can come up with?”
“I am sincere.”
“Fuck off. Nice try, but you’re not getting him.”
“You will kill him then. Such a waste.”
“Yes, I’m going to kill him. And with good riddance, I want to go back to a sense of fucking normalcy around here. But I can’t do it yet. I need his goddamn girlfriend first because she’s the one creating havoc right now. But after I have her and she cooperates, yes, I plan to kill him. He’s caused this organization far too many problems, and it’s time to bring that to an end.”
“And myself?”
“Well, that’s where the fun starts.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m not done with you yet, Ivan.”
“Whatever you may be planning, understand that without me, you lack access to the underground economy.”
Turner got to his feet and made his way to the bar. He poured himself a shot of vodka, lifted the tumbler, and swallowed the vodka in one gulp. Turner grimaced from the burn.
“I don’t know how you drink this shit every day.” Turner turned to Ivan. “I don’t need you to access the underground economy, Ivan. I own it now. What I’m going to do is throw you into the lion’s den, Ivan. For fun.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve heard all the rumors. I’ve read all the reports, but I’ve never actually seen it. I want to watch him take you apart. I’m going to put you in the cage with the beast and witness it myself. I want you to talk to Alex Luthecker.”