PART TWO

Copyright 2002 Mike Suchcicki

Part 1 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

The command center of ADEF -- the Aberration Deterrent and Eradication Forces -- had, at some point, become nicknamed "The Silo." It was a massive round room, with two concentric circles of consoles and monitoring stations surrounding three 15-foot-high viewscreens mounted in a triangle, so that each part of the room could see at least one of the screens. Above the main screens was a halo of smaller monitors. The main screen featured a map of the United States with seven circular "zoom" maps highlighting particular cities. The map was labeled "HIGHEST M.I.* REGIONS." Their city was one of those regions. The smaller monitors featured maps and statistics for other regions around the world.

*M.I.: Malectoplasmic Infestation

David Lake flashed his ID card at the Ghoo Ghun-toting guard team at the main door and entered The Silo. It was midday, and even though it was a Saturday, almost all of the consoles were manned and the room was at its noisiest.

Lake strode to a raised platform at one side of the rear circle, where Gen. James Harold Zone sat at his own console/desk, tapping out a policy note on a PDA.

"What I want to know, General," said Lake, climbing the short flight of stairs to the platform, "is, where do you guys buy these big TV screens for your military command centers? Do you have some sort of command center store? Do I have buying privileges there?"

"Why aren't you working?" said Zone, not looking up from his note.

"I'm taking a break." He pointed to the main screen. "Is 'Days of Our Lives' on yet?"

"Something tells me you have a point, please get to it."

"I'm worried about Gray. She got a mysterious call and fled the scene quite rapidly. I'm guessing she didn't take an escort."

Zone pressed a button in front of him. "Did Dr. Gray check out of the complex?"

"Yes, sir," replied the duty officer.

"Alone?"

"Yes, sir. She said it was a personal matter and specified a street in Safe Zone Delta on her log-out. She's due for check-in in 50 minutes."

Zone clicked off the com. "See?"

"That doesn't mean anything, General," Lake said. "I'm always checking out with phony Safe Zone addresses. It's a piece of ca ... " He suddenly stopped talking.

" 'Always'?" asked the general.

"What I meant to say is, I used to, sometimes, not often, check out of here that way. But that was back in my younger, wilder days, and I've gotten so much more responsible now and it never happens these days. At all. Never."

Zone stood up. "You would like to occasionally be able to see the light of day, wouldn't you? You wouldn't want to be placed on permanent house arrest, would you?"

"Well, enough about me, general. I'm really concerned about Gray."

Zone stared at Lake for long, agonizing seconds. He then turned and barked over to one station. "Telemetry, does Dr. Gray have a tracer?"

"No sir, it's not active."

"You see, General? That's not like her," Lake said.

Irritated, Zone said, "How do we know it's not just some sort of romantic rendezvous?"

"Romance? Her? She's in love with chemicals. Besides, it wasn't that kind of call." He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. "Look, I know where she's gone. We should send someone to follow her, make sure she's OK. She's heading to 18th Avenue in the Baker Sector."

As if on cue, an alarm blared. On the main screen, the zoom map of The City zoomed even larger, filling the screen.

Zone pushed a button and his voice filled The Silo. "What do we have?"

The Targeting officer's voice boomed back. "Scale Four M.I., sir," she said. "Baker Sector."

Zone glanced at Lake. "Silence the alarm. What visuals can you get me?"

"Mostly roadways, sir," said the Surveillance officer. "Ghoul Riders destroyed most of the cams in Baker."

Lake winced. Ghoul Riders were criminals -- drug and arms dealers mostly -- who braved heavily infested areas in order to carry out their business with Ghouls as their "bodyguards" against law enforcement and meddling civilians.

Zone bellowed, "What units do we have available to send?"

"You have me," said a low voice from behind them.

Lake and Zone turned. Up the stairs walked Cornealius, the Ghoul Hunter. Even in the relative darkness of The Silo, he wore his sunglasses.

Lake smiled. "Cornealius! My man!" He held out his palm to be slapped.

Cornealius glanced at Lake's outstretched hand. "I don't do that." Lake sheepishly shoved both hands in his pockets.

Even though he towered over the hunter, Zone regarded Cornealius with great respect. Nonetheless, he only begrudgingly accepted the freelancer's help. "We need more than just your lone wolf skills on this one," Zone said. "Looks like we're going to need a skirmish team."

"That's a good way to lose your scientist," Cornealius replied. "Give me the chance to go in to pull her out. That way we don't wake up too many Ghouls."

Lake asked, "How did you know Gray was missing?"

Cornealius just glared at him from behind his shades.

"Cornealius, you know I don't like you monitoring Silo chatter," said Zone.

"By monitoring it, I've just saved five valuable minutes not having to be briefed. But now we're wasting time talking about it. Are you going to give me clearance or not?"

Zone nodded. "OK, you've got two hours. Then I'm sending in a skirmish squad."

Without a word, Cornealius turned to leave. Lake followed. "I'm coming with you," he said.

"No, you're not," said Cornealius. "I can't save her and keep an eye on you, too. Well, I could, but I don't want to."

Even with his longer legs, Lake had to struggle to keep up with the diminutive hunter as they rushed out of The Silo and down the corridors.

"You don't have to," said Lake. " I've been out in the field for years. I know my way around malectoplasm. Besides, I never miss a chance to go into a Scale Four sector."

"So, are you more interested in saving the scientist or your own science?"

"Saving her, of course. But I'm also not going to miss a great opportunity. So, I'm coming with you. That is, unless you're worried that my science might put you out of business."

Cornealius chuckled. "That ain't gonna happen."

Lake took a turn toward his lab. "I just need to get my satchel. I'll catch up."

"If you're not in the garage in 30 seconds, you won't have a ride."

Twenty-two seconds later, Lake panted as he flew through the doors into the parking garage. Seeing Cornealius' car, he skidded to a halt.

"You drive a Honda?"

Cornealius was double-checking the Ghoo Ghuns in the open trunk. "Do you have a point to make?"

"A Honda?"

"I'm leaving now." Cornealius slammed the trunk shut.

Lake said, "I kinda figured you'd have some sort of massive, souped-up, bullet-proof Cornealius-mobile. But ... a Honda? I've seen pizza delivery guys with more firepower than this."

Cornealius opened the car door. "One, Ghouls don't fire bullets. Two, good gas mileage. Get in."

Passing around the back of the car, Lake said, "The least you could do is paint a big C on the side or something. Aww, man, you don't even have a vanity license plate. How 'bout 'GHOUL MAN,' or 'HUNTER 1' or even, "MR. GHOUL'?"

Cornealius said, "You're shutting up now, right?"

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