INFERNO (New Perdition's Gate Omnibus Edition), Page 3

  Jason often wondered if Alfred really felt the pride he exhibited.

  The plain stone marker simply read: Jerome Brown, Died 2094. It seemed so empty. He stared at the tombstone—nothing about his friendship, his bravery in countless highly dangerous secret missions. Nothing had been left to the world of Jerome Brown as a man. After all of his courage and loyalty, countless hours of hard work had only earned him a cold piece of granite and a hole in the ground.

  To the public, Jerome Brown had been the owner of a bakery in London. He had been on vacation in New Rome when a common street thief gunned him down—his epitaph—all the world was allowed to know. Jason held the vellum in his hand that showed the news article pulled from a local newspaper’s World Mind portal. He wondered what the news would report when he died. Local New Rome coffee shop owner dies, perhaps?

  Alfred remained by his side as always. “Sir, we should be going. You don’t want to keep Ms. Cross waiting.” Alfred knew what no person, other than Jerome, had known. He knew about Sarah Cross.

  “You’re right, Alfred. Time to go.”

  They turned and left the H8 robots to their work filling in the grave. As they passed other markers on the way out, Jason caught the phrase Rest in Peace on more than a few. To him it seemed more of a question. After all, did anyone know if they really rested? Did they have peace? These were questions he didn’t have the answers to. He had no idea where they might be found. Seeing Sarah again would lift his spirits.

  August 13, 2094

  Sarah Cross sat in her Zurich hotel room preparing to load to the World Mind. She had an important business meeting to attend at a virtual café. Sarah Cross was a late-twenties, investment banker residing in New Rome, near the coast.

  She had been on holiday for the weekend in Zurig, Switzerland amid snow covered mountains. Zurig remained one of the few places in the world that had been spared the recent storms and widespread fires.

  Her boyfriend and hopeful fiancée, if all continued going well for them, was supposed to meet her in about three hours. Sarah’s best days were spent on these increasingly frequent weekend excursions with Jason. He had been the best thing to happen to her in a long time. She was thoroughly smitten.

  Jason had come to her rescue one day about a year ago, changing a flat tire for her on a countryside road. They had chatted and were instantly attracted to one another. They had dinner that evening. The rest was history.

  Jason happened to be a well-to-do businessman and traveled extensively. She had once wondered if Jason might have a girl in every town, since he traveled so much. Sarah might have asked him, but put away the thought—her own secret was worse than any skeleton Jason could have in his closet.

  She couldn’t shake the sense of impending doom. The thought that one day she would have to reveal to him that she was a secret agent working for Babylon scared her to death. How would he react to such news? Would he understand, or never speak to her again?

  Sarah’s work no longer mattered to her. Handling secret field agents paled with her hope for normalcy. In fact, the more she considered the possibility of her and Jason marrying, the more she realized her plan to leave Babylon was a necessity.

  Whether or not she would be allowed to leave remained a problem—she knew too much. If Babylon considered her a liability, she might find herself lying in a pool of her own blood. She had sent agents out too many times to assassinate other individuals to think it couldn’t happen to her.

  Sarah’s load came up. She tapped her earpiece transmitter-receiver. On the contact lenses she wore, a virtual world appeared before her.

  Sarah walked into the virtual café, her normal debriefing site on the Mind, and sat down in her usual corner booth. She did not appear at all like her normal physical appearance when she was loading. Sarah wore the cyberguise of a brutish female Russian athlete.

  Agents and their handlers always kept their identities a closely guarded secret—most people on the Mind did. She had seen some pretty funny disguises over her seven years as a handler. The agent she had to debrief today, Nightstalker, had actually shown up disguised as Batman, one time. It had taken her a few minutes to compose herself that day. Sarah looked over her own disguise. She looked just as ridiculous.

  There were other patrons in the virtual café, quite a few, but the noise level was very low. Most people had their conversations muted from the others, so that they appeared to be speaking behind soundproof glass. Almost anything was possible on the Mind. Sarah took a moment to mute her booth as well.

  Someone else came into the virtual café. Sarah recognized Agent Nightstalker in his elderly man persona, used many times before. Nightstalker played the part so well, walking with a cane and hobbling about, that she wondered if he ever used that disguise out in the field.

  As expected, the little old man came to the same table where Sarah was sitting. He sat down with a smile on his face.

  “Codename and number please.”

  The little old man replied. “Nightstalker. 0727.”

  “Welcome back, Nightstalker.”

  The old man nodded.

  “Report, please.” The agent report merely confirmed what Babylon already knew about the mission results. They wanted to be sure that the agents didn’t try to keep something back. Sometimes the important details only came through the personal accounts from the men in the middle of the action. Nightstalker had been the team leader in this case, and they were debriefed last.

  The little old man gave Sarah the facts of the mission. “And what about Soulman? Why do you suppose he failed to take down the other target? This has been very embarrassing for our organization. We’ve had to do a lot of cover up work to bury this mistake.”

  Nightstalker reacted. “It wasn’t a mistake.”

  “What was it then?”

  The little old man leaned forward. “A setup.”

  Sarah instantly felt the need to take up that discussion, even to reveal what she knew, but she couldn’t trust anyone connected with Babylon. For all she knew, Nightstalker could have been planted to bait her into revealing her own concerns.

  “Why do you think it was a setup?”

  Nightstalker sat back again. “Soulman said they knew he was coming.”

  Sarah hesitated. “Maybe Soulman just screwed up.”

  Nightstalker gave her a careful look. She noticed the comment had cut him. She knew the two men had been friends. He tried to check his anger with her. She wondered why.

  Finally he replied. “I’ve been on countless ops with Soulman. He never made mistakes.”

  Sarah let the issue die right there. Her job was to debrief the agents, not harass them. She knew he was right. Sarah wanted to tell someone what she knew about Babylon, but she had no idea whom she could trust. “Well, I guess that’s all I need, Agent Nightstalker.”

  “Are you sure you can’t stay awhile? I would enjoy the company.”

  This surprised her. Nightstalker had never hit on her before. “No thank you, I already have company of my own.”

  Nightstalker gave her a slight grin and nod as she got up to leave. Sarah dematerialized from the virtual café and removed her earpiece, slipping the device into her overnight bag on the bed next to her. She had already dressed—ready to get to the restaurant where Jason was supposed meet her in about a half hour.

  Sarah ran to the full length mirror on the bathroom door and gave another quick primp to her hair. She wore a little black dress, every beautiful woman’s secret weapon. Her blonde locks hung loosely just down to her shoulders. Excitement sent a chill through her.

  She slipped into her knee length fur coat, all the rage this year. It was practical, considering the cold climate this time of year in Zurich. Sarah had already made arrangements for a cab to wait for her in front of the hotel. She grabbed her purse letting the door lock behind her.

  Jason watched Sarah hurry out of the hotel lobby to meet the cab she had waiting to transport her to the restaurant where she would meet her boyfr
iend. He slid his earpiece transmitter off of his ear, placing it in the glove box of his Viper. She looks as beautiful as ever. Sarah closed the door of the cab, then the vehicle began its trek through the city to the restaurant. He needed to hurry if he was going to be on time.

  It was funny for Jason to be sitting in the virtual café with Sarah disguised as that great, hulking brute of a woman she often appeared as when she was debriefing him. She didn’t have a clue it was her lover she was being so cold with.

  Jason had almost lost his temper when she attacked Jerome’s credibility. Maybe it was just her job, but that didn’t change the insult as far as he was concerned. Soulman had been the most capable man one could ask for on a mission.

  Jason did like the fact that she had rejected his advance. She’s making it clear that she’s off the market. He turned the key of his classic American made 2041 Viper, letting the throaty rumble of its 500 horses wash over his senses. Many people had gone to hybrid, or electric cars decades ago. Only the wealthy people still enjoyed these vintage classics in their restored condition.

  One thing about being an agent with Babylon: they made it financially worth one’s while to risk your life for them. He was already set for life, not to mention the fortune Jerome had willed to him.

  Jason pumped the gas pedal, sliding the eight-speed into gear. The car launched away from the parking lot where he had been conducting his virtual café debriefing with Sarah. He headed down the street toward his rendezvous with the love of his life.

  OLIVER THEED

  Secretary General of the New Eden Alliance, Oliver Theed, sat at his large mahogany desk with his chair turned so that he faced the city of New Rome. His neatly groomed appearance complimented his high position. Thick wavy hair, once jet black, now mingled salt among the pepper. Oliver wore a tailored dark gray suit.

  The city remained nearly as beautiful at night as it was during the day—the jewel of the New Eden Alliance. From his lofty perch he could see all the way to the great security wall encompassing the metropolitan portion of the city. In New Rome almost anything could be had for a price. Those things that couldn’t be had legally were almost certainly available on the extensive black market that operated beneath the civic radar.

  Council for World Unity and Faith chairman, Jacob Stein, sat on the other side of the desk looking impatient. He wiped a smudge from his wire rimmed glasses. Jacob, a Jewish man, bore fairer skinned than most. Wavy, sand colored locks fell over his ears, and hung just above his collar. His wiry thin frame testified of too many long nights in his lab.

  “Oliver, this needs to be dealt with, now. We don’t need that kind of information getting into the wrong hands.”

  “If you’re referring to the Christian underground, they aren’t any threat to us.”

  “That is exactly who I am referring to. I’m afraid I don’t share you optimism. You have not won this election yet. You must become the High Representative. If this information were made public, it might interfere with the appointment. We can’t afford to allow other potential candidates to call for new elections based upon a scandal, which that disc could foster.”

  Oliver turned his chair around to face his compatriot. He smirked. “Jacob, you worry too much. Where is your faith, my friend? The scripture plainly says that I will come to power.”

  Jacob fumed at Oliver’s levity. “Yes…and the scripture plainly says many things beyond that. Might I remind you—?”

  “No! You may not.” Oliver pounded a fist onto the desktop. He stood up and walked around the desk. “That portion of it will not come to pass. What we know, we can avoid.”

  Jacob folded his arms, frustrated. “Then we need to be sure that nothing interferes with this appointment to High Representative of the Alliance.”

  Oliver leaned against the edge of the desk. “I don’t intend to let anything interfere, Jacob. But this mole can be useful to us before we eliminate her. She’s in Turicum again, on leave. We’re keeping a close eye on her. She has a lover there, but no one connected to Gauge. I want to use the disc as bait then take out two little birds with my stone.”

  Jacob smiled curiously. “Do you think Gauge will take the bait?”

  Oliver leaned toward him. “Wouldn’t you?”

  “True.”

  Oliver smiled. “What else do they have? They want to warn the world, to clear themselves. They don’t have any other choice but to try and get the only evidence available to them.”

  “If the world didn’t hate the Christians for the terrorist attacks, they would still hate them because of those infernal witnesses plaguing the nations from the Temple Mount.” Jacob sighed.

  “All in due time, my friend. They will also be our tools to greater power. When I go to Jerusalem and kill them, it will be the perfect opportunity to proclaim myself a god.”

  “The power of the Holy One will be nullified in the eyes of the people in favor of you.”

  “And when I tell them they can all be as gods, if they pledge themselves to me, then they will fall down and worship, begging me to show them the way.” Oliver laughed, relishing the thought.

  “But can you get Gauge? He’s been quite elusive, so far.”

  Oliver walked back around his desk and tapped the intercom. “Send him in.”

  The office door opened. In walked a formidable looking, Caucasian man in a black suit. His slick, jet black hair bobbed behind his head in a short pony tail. He stood taller than Oliver, or Jacob. Wraith’s piercing blue eyes seemed to look right through them.

  “Agent Wraith, I want you to meet the chairman of the CWUF, Jacob Stein.”

  Wraith nodded to the chairman, but did not offer to shake his hand.

  “When I kill my two birds, Jacob, Wraith will be my stone.”

  Jason handed the keys to his Viper to the parking attendant, giving him a stern look. “My friend, you do not want to put a scratch on this vehicle.”

  The young man cleared his throat, nodded, then carefully got into the Viper to drive it into the underground parking garage. Jason walked on into the restaurant. The Maitre d’ spotted him. Knowing the couple from a number of previous dinners, with gracious gratuities, he hastened to guide him to Sarah and their table.

  “Ah, Mr. Williams, the young lady is already waiting, but only for a moment, of course. I took the liberty of holding your favorite table, sir.”

  “Thank you, Stephen. I’ll take it from here.” Jason handed the man a 200 Euro note.

  The Maitre d’ slipped it smoothly into his jacket pocket, leaving Jason to walk the last ten feet toward the table alone. Stephen had taken the liberty of having a bottle sent to their table—arriving just after Mr. Williams did.

  Mr. Williams was an identity that Jason had set up years ago to allow him to operate independently of Babylon when he wanted to. As far as he knew, they had no knowledge that he was Mr. Jason Williams, or vice versa.

  Sarah sat dressed in a black dress that accentuated her physical appearance in all the right ways. Her blonde hair had just enough curl in it to give a little bounce as she moved her head. Sarah watched him approach, her smile widening. There was an unmistakable gleam in her eye that said, I love you, without the need for words.

  “I hope I haven’t kept you waiting for too long, Sarah.”

  “You’re usually worth the wait.” she cupped his hands in hers, leading him into his seat across from her own.

  “I’ve missed you.”

  “You better have.” Sarah’s eyes sparkled.

  Stephen appeared at the table. “James will be your server this evening, Mr. Williams. Will you have the usual tonight?”

  The young couple gave each other a confirming nod and grin.

  “Very good. I will have James come out to pour the wine. If you need anything further, Mr. Williams, please don’t hesitate to let me know.” The sizable Euro note itched to have a companion inside his pocket.

  “Thank you again, Stephen.” Jason kept his gaze on Sarah’s angelic face. She�
��s so beautiful. Tonight has got to be the night. I may lose her, but I’ve got to know.

  A very expensive chunk of diamond, attached to a platinum band was burning a hole in Jason’s pocket. He had purchased it three months earlier, but was unsure whether or not he could actually propose to her.

  It would mean spilling his secret. He still wasn’t sure how Sarah would take the news that she was actually in love with one of her own secret agents. He knew this wasn’t the time or place for unveiling that piece of news. He would make the proposal then discuss the rest in private. I’ll wait for her answer, then tell her. If she says no to me, then I won’t tell her the rest. It seemed like a good plan to him.

  Jason looked into her eyes again as the waiter appeared to pour wine into their glasses. From all he could see, there wasn’t a no anywhere in her expression. When the waiter left them again, he said, “Sarah, there’s something I want to ask you.”

  Sarah watched Jason fishing into his pocket. He was going to ask her to marry him, she just knew it. She suddenly felt very hot and nervous. Cold chills ran up and down her spine. This was the moment she had both hoped for and been dreading for months now. If she agreed to marry him, which she desperately wanted to do, her secret would have to come out.

  Jason appeared nervous. His fumbling soon produced a ring case as Sarah had expected. This is it. What am I going to do?

  Jason opened the case to reveal a stunning diamond engagement ring seated upon a velvet pedestal. “Sarah, I love you. It would make me the happiest man alive, if you would be my wife. Will you marry me?”

  Images of herself in a wedding gown walking down a large cathedral aisle, flashed in her mind. This was the moment a girl dreamed of her whole life—to have a young, handsome, successful man propose in a five star restaurant, presenting a gorgeous stone to seal the engagement promise.