AllFreeNovel
Share Us
43
One week later
Alex shoved her packed bag into the rental car’s trunk, thinking about how eager she was to sleep in her own bed. She also couldn’t wait to see Krypto again. This was the longest she’d been away from him.
She returned to her hotel room to check it one more time. She was worried she might forget something. After going through all the drawers and cabinets and looking under the furniture, she was finally satisfied.
She touched her cracked jaw. It still hurt, but it was mending. Those loose teeth had to be removed, and two brand-new implants took their place. Amazing how quickly the specialist could do that, but they looked great.
Trying to cover the bruising on her face with makeup, she was only partially successful. That was okay too. This ordeal could have turned out much, much worse. Besides, the discoloration was fading.
She turned off the light, closed the door, and took the elevator down to the lobby. Logan and Monty were waiting for her. They’d hung around for the week, but now they were all ready to go home.
When the three of them reached the CP, she noticed only a few cars were in the parking lot. Inside, they found most of the equipment gone too. About a dozen people were busy taking down the rest. Harrison was sitting at his desk. That would be the last thing to go.
He waved them over. “Find some chairs and have a seat,” he said.
Logan grabbed two folding chairs pushed against the wall, and Monty found a chair behind an abandoned desk. He scooted it over and offered it to Alex.
“I’m fine,” she said with a smile. “I don’t think sitting on something padded will help my jaw.”
“Just trying to be a gentleman,” he said with a wink. He sat down and found himself several inches higher than Alex and Logan. He reached under the seat and hit the adjustment pedal. In seconds, he was level with them.
Harrison sat back in his own chair and studied them. “Everyone okay?” he asked.
“We’re fine,” Logan said. “Finding out you’re going to live after you think you’ve been exposed to a deadly pathogen tends to put things in perspective.”
Harrison smiled. “I understand. I wish we’d known the virus Walker had was inert sooner. It would have saved us all some worry.”
“So Martin Kirabo didn’t send a deadly virus to Walker after all,” Alex said. “Why? Conscience?”
“No. Somehow the Circle found out about the plan and ordered Kirabo to send an inactive sample to Walker but still convince him it was a virulent superbug. I can only guess that they wanted him to fail as a way of punishing him for operating without their oversight.”
“But why did Kirabo kill himself?” Monty asked.
“Because he believed Walker was the Destroyer and he’d failed him and ruined the prophecy?” Alex said, directing her question to Harrison.
“Bingo. As we were assembling the SWAT team for our run out to the lake, I got a call. A second letter from Kirabo had turned up, and it went into more detail. He spelled out everything and asked his wife to contact the FBI for help. He was afraid his family might be in danger. Afraid the Circle would decide to exact revenge on a member who’d been willing to carry out such an act without their blessing.”
Harrison sighed. “We actually have the Circle to thank for possibly saving thousands or millions of people around the world in case Walker had been successful. That just feels ... wrong.”
“So his wife found the second letter?” Logan asked.
“Yes. Kirabo put it in his filing cabinet at home with a folder that held his insurance policy. He knew she would look for it after his death. Sure enough, she found it and contacted us. She had no idea he was involved in the Circle. She didn’t even know what it was.”
“What happens to her and to their children?” Alex asked.
“We’re bringing them here. They’ll go into witness protection. New identities. New lives.”
“Good. What worries me is that the Circle still has a prophecy to see fulfilled,” Monty said. “What will they do in the future to make it come to pass?”
Harrison leaned back in his chair. “We’re learning more and more about this cult. The Circle believes they’re destined to take over the world. Though most call themselves angels, not demons, we believe that in its deepest recesses, the Circle is still dangerous. After all, it doesn’t seem like they did anything to stop Walker or Monroe from killing people. For one thing, that tells us they weren’t happy with Willow LeGrand and Nettie Travers either. The Bureau is setting up a task force to track down members, but they’re so secretive it will take a long time to really put a chink in their armor. Your friend Jimmy Gedrose has been very helpful. He may be able to assist us in ending the Circle for good. We’ve hurt them, but we haven’t destroyed them.”
Alex wasn’t sure what information Jimmy was giving the FBI, but she was pleased he’d turned out to be an important resource.
Harrison smiled. “You should know we’ve asked the WPD to take another look at that drug money charge against Jimmy. It doesn’t pass the smell test. It was a long time ago, but if we can clear his name ...”
He leaned forward. “Changing the subject, sorry about sending those guys downstairs in hazmat suits, but we had to be sure. Couldn’t take a chance that Kirabo was lying about that sample.”
