CONTROL
CHAPTER 12- TOO MANY TRAITORS
Frank moved slowly through the woods behind Haven Falls. The moon was nearly full, lending an eerie half-light to the landscape of gloom and shadows. Frank's gun was in his hand. He was ready.
He saw a shape in front of him and froze. It came closer, then registered his presence and bounded away. A deer. He gritted his teeth in annoyance. He felt no fear, no nervousness. Only fury. He was out for blood. He wanted to lay his hands on one of the pieces of scum who'd messed with his brother. He moved on.
….
Frank struck gold. He had reached the back of the old timber yard. There, huddled in a group at the back of the fence, were four figures. They appeared to be deep in conversation. One was pointing, directing, in control. Planning their attack.
Frank checked his watch. 2330.
Two figures split off from the others, moving swiftly towards the centre of town. One was heading towards Frank. He ducked behind a thick tree, hoping the trunk would conceal him. He heard the figure approach. He didn't move, biding his time. The footsteps came closer. Frank held his breath.
As the figure drew level with the tree, Frank jumped out and struck down hard on the person's head with the butt of his gun. He crumpled to the ground.
Frank secured the figure's wrists behind his back with flexicuffs, then felt for a seam on the neck of the costume, intent on unmasking the phantom. He found it. The material was sheer, like some weird superhero costume, but there was a separate hood, padded around the face to obscure the person's features. He ripped it off. The mask incorporated what looked like a compact set of night-vision goggles concealed by a thin layer of black nylon. And it concealed the face of Deputy Fox!
Frank stared for a moment, completely shocked. Deputy Fox was supposed to be dead, shot by Isobel Walker or one of the men who had 'helped' her! He didn't have time to absorb the significance. Footsteps were approaching again. These ones were lighter, more hesitant.
Frank ducked back behind the tree. The footsteps came closer, then stopped. He heard a voice. 'Fox?' It sounded frail, old. Surely not Tyler himself? The man in charge… Frank felt a surge of adrenaline.
Frank moved around the trunk of the tree, coming out behind the new figure. He moved up behind the person silently, then launched himself, grabbing them around the neck, pulling his arm tight until they choked for breath! He tore off the hood. Wild gray hair stood up on end. Frank stuck his gun in the man's back, his fury threatening to boil over.
'Doctor Tyler, I presume.' Frank growled.
'Who….who are you? Please don't hurt me!' the old man sounded terrified. An evil genius, Frank reminded himself, not just an old man. He heard movement nearby in the trees and pulled Tyler roughly behind the big tree. He pushed him to the ground and held his gun under his chin. 'Sssshhhh.' He said softly.
Frank held his breath. The movement came closer, then slowly retreated. Frank turned his attention back to the scientist.
'Tell me what you did to my brother?' he hissed in Tyler's ear.
'Y…your brother? Joe Hardy? Then you're the target. I'm sorry, if you're looking for a way out. There is none. It can't be fixed. Once he's had the treatment he has to obey.'
Frank smiled grimly. 'He's safe. You've lost. Tell me how long it will be before the drug's out of his system.'
The old man laughed. 'I don't know. Maybe another 6 hours. Maybe longer. We'll never know, he'll be dead by then.'
Frank shook his head. 'Didn't you hear me? He's safe.'
The man laughed again. 'Safe? No one's safe here. None of us. What they want to happen will happen.'
'They? Who are they? Who are you working with?'
'Not with. For. Same as you. The Network.'
Frank's breath caught in his throat. 'What? No. No, that's not right. They stopped your project years ago.'
Tyler shook his head sadly. 'Is that what White told you? That's not what happened. Zion never stopped. They had me locked up for years, moving around the country, working on it. The project is sick. I got away from them eventually. Played the Alzheimer's card. But they found me again, three weeks ago. Realised there was nothing wrong with me. Dragged me out of retirement and 'persuaded' me to start again, to help out their new man. They get what they want, Mr Hardy. You'll soon learn that.
They've got a fine set-up here this time- much better than we had the first time round. There's a purpose-built base on Haven Peak, in the trees just the other side of the summit from the cabin. It's stock full of jamming equipment just to make sure anyone here is cut off from the outside world. They've got their own radio system so only they can communicate. That bastard White is in charge. He picks subjects for the experiments.'
Frank's mouth opened and shut for a second. He was reeling, couldn't believe what he was hearing! 'What? That makes no sense. What about Buick? Why would they kill their own man? Anyway, White brought us in to help with the investigation! Why would he do that?'
Tyler laughed a hollow laugh. 'Buick disapproved. He had to go. And the investigation? There is no investigation! You were brought here because he wanted more challenging test subjects. No offence to the folk round here, but their sisters are their aunts. They aren't all they could be upstairs if you know what I mean. The tests were going well. They were ready to try someone strong, physically and mentally, someone with a close bond with their target. You two were on the radar for some reason- you got the short straw. That's why your brother was allowed to survive after the Walker woman completed her task.
'But why wasn't he just taken then? Why wait?'
'Ah, it was part of the test- they wanted to next subject to be fully informed- to know exactly what to expect- to see if it would have an effect on his ability to resist. What better demonstration of the programme's success then using the system to make one of the Hardy brothers take out the other, even though they knew what to expect and were told when it would happen!'
Frank shook his head. 'No, it can't be true. I don't believe you.'
'That's up to you. If I were you I'd be getting as far away from him as possible. He will kill you if you stay around here. Just a bit of friendly advice. I'm here because I have to be. I've no appetite for killing. I'm a man of science. I did try to warn you- I left you that note when White said you'd be visiting the cabin.'
'Well, Joe can't kill me.' Hissed Frank. 'He's in a cell.'
'He won't be for long. They'll let him out.'
Frank blinked in confusion. 'What? Who? White? He's not the only person with him. The Sheriff is too.'
The old man looked up at Frank with an almost pitying expression. 'Mr Hardy, I don't think you understand. The Network owns this village. Police, doctors, everyone. They will let him out. Then they'll watch him hunt you down.'
Frank still refused to accept it. 'But why you and your goons lurking in the shadows here in your stupid costumes, if someone's going to let him out anyway?! I thought you were here to try to free Joe.'
'I'm just doing my job so I stay alive a bit longer. I'm simply here to watch, Mr Hardy. To observe and record. The black costumes have always served to preserve our anonymity, keep the townsfolk at a distance by scaring them. I think White takes a perverse pleasure in that side of it.'
Frank stared at him. Facts started to fall into place. The endless fruitless searches. The questionable policing practices. The fact the brothers had never really been given a chance to do what they did so well- to pursue the evidence and investigate. The cellphone reception they had found cutting out when White had flown over them. And Deputy Fox- the murdered officer, miraculously still alive a few feet from him. He finally began recognise the truth. And realise how much danger he and Joe were really in! 'B..but how can I stop this? How do I save my brother?'
Tyler raised an eyebrow. 'Interesting question. In theory, if he was restrained until the drug was out of his system he could survive. But…'
'But what?'
'But he won't be restrained. There's a good chance he's already free! And he can't resist himself. Fighting the drug and the conditioning could be fatal. Aside from the pain the conditioning would create, it would cause a dangerous heightening in blood pressure. He'd have a stroke or a heart attack eventually.'
'So I have to restrain him and tell him not to fight it, right? What about if he's knocked out?'
'Being unconscious or sedated is irrelevant. The subject will complete their task like a sleepwalker. Physical restraint is the only way. But even if you managed to see him through it, White would still be after him. Any subjects that survive are culled for autopsy. Dissected.' Frank's eyes widened in utter horror.
Tyler put a hand on Frank's arm. 'Now, go while you can. Run! Don't hang about here-your brother is as good as dead. I'm sorry. You should be proud though. He was the toughest subject I've worked with. We really had to hurt him to break down his barriers and remove the resistance. Very impressive! I have to admit I quite enjoyed the challenge.'
Entirely overwhelmed by the old man words, hate flooded through Frank. Astonished at his own self-control, he managed to stop himself punching Tyler. After all, if the old man was telling the truth, he was far from being the criminal mastermind he had been painted as. He was a victim of The Network's dastardly scheme too. Frank settled instead for binding his wrists and ankles tightly, then gagging him using his own hood.
Frank looked at his watch. 2345.
….
Joe was hunched over, perched on his bound knees in his cell. He could feel his control slipping. It felt like someone else was in his head, trying to shut him away in an inaccessible corner of his mind. He squeezed his eyes shut, drawing fast, ragged breaths, trying to fight it.
Then the pain started. Agonising pulses, shooting up and down his body. He sobbed. 'No!' His voice sounded strained, distant. He tried to push against the presence in his mind again. The pain worsened and he screamed, collapsing down onto his side. He drew his knees up, curling into a ball on the floor, panting, sobbing.
He knew then that he was going to lose the fight. This wasn't an enemy he could punch, kick or reason with. He didn't know how to strike back at this attack on his mind. He was going to lose control. He looked up at the door, the only thing that was going to keep Frank safe from him.
Then it opened.