The Paladin Book 1 Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Thursday

December 23rd

To say the files I found on the computer were disturbing would be putting it mildly. While about ninety-nine percent of them were of no particular interest, business documents, projected figures, and the like. The rest was enough to make my skin crawl. On top of the blueprints, I found videos of tests. Tests that were being performed on human subjects. From what I could see most of them were shot at Weiss Storage, though the location of the videos didn’t matter. The content was always the same. In the videos, there were a slew of human test subjects, young and old, male and female alike. Some simply sat down, some of them dragged, in front of one of the new SyncWare products. Some sat in front of laptops, some smartphones, a few tablets. Some of them wore headphones, some did not. The video would start off slow, then a strobing light would start to flash, and it would increase in frequency so fast that it just looked like a solid stream of light. Soon after the test subjects would inevitably begin to show signs of stroke; facial muscle numbness, hand-eye coordination loss, eventually seizing up, losing complete control of their body. The video would end, Doctors in white lab coats would check on their subject and then if it was confirmed they were alive they were dragged off to the left by security and if they weren’t they were dragged off to the right for disposal.

I didn’t know how to process the information. I now knew who was buying off of Byron. But why would Alex want to turn his technology into sonic weapons? It just didn’t make any sense. Why do people do anything? Money? Power? He was flush with both. Standing to launch himself into billionaire status with the success of SyncWare three. What did he stand to gain? Maybe he had finally lost his mind? Maybe he was just cracking up? I didn’t know, it all seemed so irrational, even by his standards. I needed to find out what the hell was going on. So that day I made a plan, Alex was out doing promotional work for the ICE 2, leading up to the big release, and insisted everyone to leave early and enjoy their night. This meant the office was going to be empty until morning. If ever there was a time to dig up some evidence, that would be the time. My Uber pulled up to the front steps of the Tech-Sync tower as Suzy was walking out the front door.

“Hey Booker, didn’t you hear? Alex said everyone’s got the night off? Most of us are going to the club down in the West end. I know you’re kinda young, but I know the guy who runs it and you’re still one of us right? So as long as you promise to stick to water you can come,” she offered. I sighed, having second thoughts about what I was going to do. Look what you’re going to ruin. Look at the lives you’re going to destroy. There’s no way this company is coming back from this scandal.

“Really? Thanks, that’s really nice of you guys. You know before I go I think I left my laptop upstairs in Mr. Romero’s office. You think you can swipe me in so I can grab it? My keycard doesn’t let me in after six,” I asked. She gave me a skeptical look at first, dismissed the warning in the back of her mind and nodded.

“Sure thing, just be quick, the night security comes at ten and they do not mess around and will hassle you if you don’t have a keycard,” she warned, swiping me in the front door.

“Thanks, Suzy. I’ll be fast,” I promised. I slipped in the lobby, giving Maurice the daytime security guard a nod and hailed the elevator. I got in, hitting the penthouse button, then tapping the door close button anxiously. The elevator shot up, revealing the beautiful backdrop of Tar City, with a light drift of snowflakes falling down from the clouds. The elevator dinged and I stepped out into the dark, quickly navigating my way to his office that adjoined the family suite. The door was locked but that was only a minor inconvenience. A couple of moments with a bobby pin later and I was in. Like before the room was nearly immaculate, with his laptop charging dead smack in the center of his desk. I signed into the computer and noticed that Alex had left a couple of console windows and a program file list open for coding. I started scrolling through the windows, trying to find out what Alex was doing, when I stopped dead in my tracks. Pink-baby exe. What are you doing here? Double click. Would you like to run Pink-Baby exe? Yes or No. Click. The same flashing light I had seen on the video strobed in front of my eyes, getting faster and brighter. I wanted to look away but my eyes were locked on it. My head started pounding, my vision blurred, and dizziness started to set in. Suddenly the right side of my body went numb and I collapsed to the ground. Crawling using my arm that had maintained feeling I yanked the laptop down from the desk using the power cord. Thud! I crawled on top and snapped the screen from the base, instantly cutting the power to the computer. I laid on the ground, my heart pumping, the right side of my body starting to gain sensation again after a couple of seconds.

“What the hell?” I groaned, pulling myself to my feet. Suddenly the door burst open and there stood Alicia with a look of horror written all over her face. She had her phone in hand, security on the other line. “Pink-baby exe. It’s you, isn’t it? All this time, I spent thinking it was your dad, but it was you?” I realized. She gulped, panic behind her eyes as she tried to come up with a response.

“Booker, please, let me explain,” she insisted. My instincts kicked in and I ran out the door, blowing straight past her. I needed to survive, I could figure out all the rest later. Within moments I was in the elevator, shooting down the side of the building towards the ground floor while I tried to catch my breath. How did I not see this coming? How could I have been so stupid? Ding! The elevator doors opened and I jumped out, fully expecting resistance, but getting none. I strode towards the exit quickly, leaning against the door as soon as I got out, taking a deep breath of air.

“Couldn’t find your laptop, huh?” Suzy asked. I nearly jumped out of my skin, completely forgetting her after the Alicia bomb had been dropped square on my head.

“Oh Jesus Christ…! No, no I didn’t,” I exclaimed, calming down as I realized it was her.

“Jumpy much?” she prodded.

“Sorry, just a little on edge. I could really use this party,” I fretted, nervously looking over my shoulder.

“Great, I’ll give you a ride,” she offered.

The whole party I stood in the corner, trying to process what had just happened. I couldn’t believe it, but how could I believe anything else? There was no other explanation. I just didn’t get it. For better or for worse, answers were on their way as Alicia came walking in the door. I recognized her bodyguards as the remaining members of SEAL team zero and whatever shred of hope I had for her went out the window. She locked eyes on me instantly, ignoring the rest of the employees as she made her way across the club, flanked by her three Navy SEAL guards who each had a hand on a concealed pistol. She looked sad, not like any supervillain you’d see in a movie. Like she had more regret than malice.

“Dance with me,” she asked, holding out her hand.

“Or what? You gonna have them shoot up this place like Brick and Mortar?” I provoked. She looked at her guards and nodded them off, holding her hand out to me once more.

“Please Booker, just give me a few minutes. I think I’ve earned that,” she insisted. I reluctantly took her hand and we approached the center of the dance floor. The music was loud enough to drown out our conversation for any potential eavesdropper, but also forced us to lean close, talking in each other's ears as we slowly danced together. “I need to explain Booker-”

“Explain? How can you explain this Alicia, I know what you’ve been up to. The human trafficking, the hit squad, everything. So please, try and explain this to me, because I just don’t get it,” I cut off.

“My father is a bad man, and he needs to pay for what he’s done, my mother-.”

“Your mother?” I asked. She knew about her mother.

“He killed her, Booker, murdered her in cold blood. But you already knew that, didn’t you? Your father being the lead detective and all. He probably figured it out before anyone else.”

“Who told you all of this?”

“He confessed on tape to his therapist. Normally something not easy to get your hands on. But the people I’m working with have a lot of influence and a lot of resources. Of course, it's completely inadmissible in court.”

“So what’s your master plan Alicia? You’re gonna destroy his company by having his tech kill and maim innocent people. Discredit him and make him pay for what he did to your mom. Send him to prison for the rest of his life on crimes he didn’t commit. At what cost Alicia? What about the people caught in the middle? Those test subjects that were abducted for your little experiments had lives Alicia, they were people! And the men, women, and children who are buying these products, they’re people as well! But they don’t matter, huh? Just little pawns in you and your dad’s game!”

“I had nothing to do with those tests, you have to believe me, those were my employers.”

“I don’t have to believe a God damn word you say! You lied to me!” I retorted sharply.

“And so did you! Yet here I am, trying to explain myself. Doesn’t that count for something?” she argued. I wanted nothing more than to tear her a new one. To yell and scream. But all that would’ve done was just make a scene.

“Fine. Talk.”

“They said the project had to be done faster. That the hack had to be done by the release of three-point o’ or else it would’ve all been pointless. I told them that it was unrealistic. That if they just gave me some more time that I could get all the data I needed, without any collateral damage. But they said it wasn’t good enough, and they decided to speed up the process, putting the research into a less merciful person’s hands. And yes, you’re right, the plan was to hurt people. That’s what they told me to do. Sew chaos by destroying my father’s company, cause as much damage as possible. And I was so angry that I would’ve done it too. But having watched you work I see potential in this tech, I see its possibilities. It’s not just meant to ruin lives, we can do good with this tech.”

“We?”

“You showed me another way Booker. Think about it. Our new SyncWare three line is projected to be in every man, woman, and child’s hand within the next two months. In that time I can complete my algorithm, which will help us track down criminals using a profiling AI. Then we can incapacitate criminals with the click of a button, no more hurling yourself out of nightclub windows, no more car surfing on the hood of a Mustang. You and I will be able to make a difference on a global scale, not just thugs in the back streets of Tar City. Everyone from corporations and corrupt governments to civilians who just want to dabble in crime, we could get to anyone in the push of a button. You and I can do that, together,” she offered.

“So you knew about me being the Paladin. You knew about it the whole time.”

“Yes, but I didn’t care. I want Booker Kelly, not the Paladin. After I take down my father, I’ll need someone at my side, someone to protect me-”

“Don’t you have people to protect you?” I interjected, nodding to the SEALs.

“Not guns for hire, someone I can truly trust. And you’re that person, Booker. So please, come with me and we can start something new. Something amazing. You have so much more potential than being the Paladin, you just need someone to show you what you’re capable of.”

“I know your dad hurt you, but this isn’t the way to make him pay. And whoever you’re working for, they’re using you to take him down. You’re just a pawn in their game,” I insisted.

“Don’t talk to me like I’m an idiot! I know what I’m doing! I am not a pawn! For once I’m in control! Me!” she snapped.

“Alicia… You know I don’t want to control you. I just want to help you. So please, let’s stop all of this, right now. Take down the bastards who put you up to this. We bring this computer and whatever evidence you have and you turn yourself in. We can talk to my dad, and we can do it the right way. I will be there for you every step, and I will protect you. But if you choose to go down this path I can’t help you with what happens next. So come with me,” I made clear, offering my hand. I could see a tear form in the corner of her eye.

“Don’t… Don’t say that,” she demanded, her voice breaking.

“It's the only thing I can say,” I sighed. She took a deep breath as she reaffirmed to herself what she must do.

“This will be your only warning Booker. Go home, enjoy Christmas with your family. Decorate your tree, go caroling with the neighbors, drink some eggnog. And whatever you do, don’t you dare put on that damn suit. If you don’t listen to me I will tear your life apart, and I really, really don’t want to do that,” she warned, a tear welling up in her eye as she placed her hand on my cheek. I grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand from my face angrily.

“You do what you have to, and I’ll do the same,” I assured, letting go of her wrist and turning my back on her.

“Booker!” she cried. I turned around, just to humor what she had to say, a glimmer of hope that she might give up. “I never meant to hurt you.”

“Well you did a shit job,” I retorted before I started to walk away.