Chapter Seven
WOOHP Headquarters – 7:30 am
None of the girls could sleep. Every time they closed their eyes, they found themselves standing in another puddle of blood, or staring into the lifeless eyes of another guard. Even though they'd seen more carnage in an R-rated movie, it was a different story seeing it for real. There were no actors, no special effects, and no props. Those were real people they saw. Real, dead people. They tried but failed to force the images out of their minds, and tossed and turned all night long.
Alex wondered how it was possible for Jacob to kill so many people and show no remorse afterward. She even witnessed him kill three men almost in as many seconds. How could anyone wield such a terrible skill and still be human?
Clover was no longer sure if their decision to stay with the mission was the right one. It was one thing to catch a psycho bent on some grand scheme. Wading down a trail of death to do so was entirely different. That sort of carnage was totally unnecessary, wasn't it? Are these people so bad that one has to choose between life and death when fighting them?
Sam was still shocked at Jacob's transformation. Within just a few minutes, he'd gone from a nice, determined, brave young man into a complete monster. Looking back, she knew she should have seen it during his fight with Stephen. She remembered that as soon as they saw each other, Jacob's voice became hard and cruel. She couldn't see his face very well over the camera, but she did notice his face become intensely focused. She assumed then that he was just preparing for a fight. But now she knew that he was really preparing to kill without conscience or hesitation. What kind of people are we working with? Killers. Every one.
Sam gave up trying to lure sleep to her eyes and sat up. She still felt insecure even in the safety of the WOOHP headquarters, so she pulled the covers close around her. Alex heard her moving and propped herself up on one elbow.
"Can't sleep, Sammie?" Alex was always the one to watch out for her friends and cheer them up. She wasn't sure if that was possible after what they'd witnessed.
"No," was all Sam said.
Clover sat up. "I can't sleep, either." She sat on the edge of the bed and put her face in her hands. "Ugh, what a night."
"No kidding," replied Sam. "What happened back there?"
Clover responded without looking up. "We got caught and then Jacob, whom I was just starting to like, turned into a total psycho. That's what happened."
Alex's bed was closest to the window. She got up and opened the blinds, but it did little to brighten the room. The sky was still overcast, and the clouds were thicker and slowly crossing over the city. It'll rain in a day or two, thought Sam.
Alex stood at the window for a few minutes, and then flopped back onto her bed with a sigh. We've got to stop thinking about last night, she thought. Well, if the past is too bad, then focus on the future!
"What do we do now, Sam?"
"I'm not sure. I guess they'll call us when they need us."
Clover stood up and headed for the bathroom. "Well, I hope they take their time, because I'm taking a nice, hot shower!" She closed the bathroom door. Soon enough they heard the water running, and soon after that Clover started singing off-key. When she got to the second verse, Sam and Alex couldn't repress their laughter anymore.
"Hey, what's so funny?" Clover called from the shower.
Sam stifled her laughter. "Nothing, nothing!" and then started laughing again.
"Well, "nothing" must be really funny! I hope I'm not missing anything!" Clover resumed her song where she left off.
Alex took control of her laughter and finally stopped with much effort. "What time is it?"
Sam picked up her watch from the table. "Seven forty. Why?"
"I'm hungry. Is the cafeteria open yet?"
"I think so. Should we wait for Aretha Franklin?" Clover's swan song continued.
"Yeah, I suppose it's only fair. We're in this together, right?"
"Right!" Then an idea hit Sam. "Alex, the only way we're going to get through this is if we stick together."
Alex considered what she said. "That's right, Sam! We may be weak against this guy separately, but together we can beat him!"
The bathroom door opened and a column of steam followed Clover out.
"Geez, Clover. I hope you didn't use all the hot water."
"So what if I did? Do you honestly expect someone with a complexion like mine to take a cold shower?"
"No, I guess not." No one with an attitude like yours, anyway.
"What were you guys talking about?"
"Sam was just saying the only way we're going to get through this is if we stick together."
"Every time we went up against these guys alone we got beat."
"So we're sticking together from here on. Alone we're weak, but together we can pull through. I know we can!"
Sam and Alex put their hands together and looked expectantly at Clover.
Clover crossed her arms. "So, if we have to walk straight at a row of guys with machineguns, we're going to do it together, am I right?"
Sam looked at her friend confidently. "Right. No matter what happens from here on out, we work through it together."
"Even if it's the machinegun thing you said." Alex looked equally confident.
Clover smiled and placed her hand on theirs. "Sure, why not? I didn't want to die alone anyway!"
"Together!" they said in unison.
"Man, that was really cheesy." Said Clover. They all laughed.
Sam and Alex took their showers. Alex went first, so Sam ran out of hot water half way through hers.
Clover and Alex heard her yell, "Stupid cheap water heaters! What is this place, a log cabin?"
It was almost nine by the time they were ready to go, and by then Alex was starving. They left the room and headed for elevator and the cafeteria beyond. A few stragglers finishing their breakfast and the coffee guy at the shop in the corner occupied the cafeteria. No sunlight penetrated the clouds this morning, so it didn't feel as warm as it did yesterday. They got their breakfasts and found a table near the windows. The girls talked in hushed voices about the mission and the people involved. For some reason they weren't as energetic today, but the conversation still moved at a fast clip. The topics were the same subjects that plagued them from the start of the mission; Jacob's two personalities, the general secrecy surrounding him, WOLFHOUND's history, and Stephen's motivation.
"It's probably revenge." Said Alex. "He did say he lost his wife and daughter and his job. We've fought bad guys who were driven by less."
Clover agreed. "I'll say. I was actually getting tired of fighting people who decide to take over the world because their girlfriend dumped them in high school."
"Really?" said Sam.
"Yeah. I know it sounds strange, but this is a nice change of pace. I was beginning to think all bad guys were pushovers. This one will give us a chance to see what we can really do!"
"At least none of the bad guys we fought ever held a gun to the whole city!"
Alex leaned back in her chair. "Yeah, no kidding. Do you think our missions will get tougher if we get through this one?"
"If?"
"Well, I'm just saying, you know…"
Clover sighed. "That's not very comforting, Alex. And it sounds even worse coming from you."
"Sorry, I guess my mind slipped for a second. You know we'll come out of this one alright, right?"
Nobody wanted to answer that one.
Sam suddenly remembered something. "Oh, I left my Compowder in our room!"
Clover looked at her watch. "Might as well go back up. Let's find out if Jerry has anything to tell us."
Alex got up and threw her garbage away. "What about Jacob?"
Sam and Clover started at that. "Well, I'm…sure he's alright. He can handle himself."
"Yeah, he takes orders from Jerry just like us! There's no need to talk to him if Jerry hasn't given us anything!"
Alex wondered why they responded like that, and then remembered. "Okay, I guess you're right." She started for the door. "C'mon, let's call Jerry! Maybe we'll get today off, too!"
They returned to find the beds made and the room a lot cleaner than it was when they left. Sam picked up her Compowder and lay down on the bed. She was just about to call Jerry when she noticed an envelope sitting on her pillow.
"What's this?"
Alex and Clover looked at her. "Hmm?"
"There's an envelope on my bed."
"Who's it from?" asked Clover.
"It doesn't say. It just says, "To the red-haired spy" on the front."
Alex and Clover sat down next to her. Alex looked at the envelope. "I don't like the looks of this, Sammie."
"Me either." Said Clover. "Open it."
Sam opened the envelope and removed a handwritten letter. She read it once over and gasped.
"What is it?"
"It's from Stephen. He wants to meet with me."
"What!? Sam, you can't go! There's no telling what he's going to do!"
Clover took the letter from Sam's hands.
To the Red-Haired Spy:
I wish to meet with you for a conversation. Meet me at the bench near the lake and the Sweet Olive trees in the park at 1:00. Come alone. Come unarmed. I would like to talk with you. I feel there are some things you need to know.
- Stephen Keireig
They sat in silence for some time.
"Sam, call Jerry," said Clover. "He'll know what to do."
"Right." Sam opened her Compowder and connected to Jerry's line. It rang several times, but Jerry never answered. "That's weird. Jerry's not answering." Eventually an office assistant appeared. "I'm sorry, Jerry is unavailable at the moment. May I take a message?"
"Yeah, tell him we called." Sam closed the Compowder and started thinking.
"Why would Jerry be gone at a time like this?" asked Alex. "It doesn't make sense."
"No, it doesn't. It doesn't make any sense at all."
The girls were silent while they tried to think of a reason why they couldn't contact Jerry. It was obvious he wasn't in his office, but why would he do that during a major crisis? And if he wasn't in his office, why didn't he have his wallet or any other means of reaching him? I just don't get it.
"Maybe you should call Jacob?" Alex suggested.
Sam was reluctant to contact him, but they didn't have much of a choice. She opened her Compowder again and called Jacob's line. His line rang many times, but he never answered. She closed the Compowder and started getting confused.
Clover was equally perplexed. "What's going on? We can't reach Jacob or even Jerry? That's never happened before."
"Not under normal circumstances, at least. But we're right in the WOOHP building. Why can't we reach Jerry?"
Alex scratched her head. "This is just too weird. Where is everybody?"
Sam thought to call MacDonald, but loathed the idea of doing so again. "Well, what do we do now?"
Alex read the letter. "Well, we need to decide whether or not you should go meet him."
"I don't like the idea of you going in alone, Sam," said Clover. "We just agreed to stay together through this thing, and now he wants to meet you all by yourself?"
"I don't like it either, Clover. But…"
"But what?"
"I was just thinking. Stephen knows where the bomb is, right? This might be a good opportunity to find that out!"
Alex saw the reasoning behind Sam's statement. She also saw the danger. "Sam, it could be a trap, just like last time."
"And this time you'll have no one to help you. I don't think you should go."
"I know that, and I don't trust him as far as I can throw him, but he has some things he wants to tell me. What if it's something really important? Something that could help us end this mission?"
Alex and Clover couldn't decide. They didn't want their best friend going to meet this maniac alone, yet they saw the logic in Sam's argument. He was holding all the cards. He knew all the secrets.
Finally, Alex spoke up. "Sam, if you want to go meet Stephen, then I'm with you one hundred percent."
"Me, too," said Clover. "We're not abandoning each other this late in the game. So what's it going to be?"
Sam thought long and hard. A one-time chance to get some information from the terrorist without a gun pointed at me with no innocent bystanders. It could very easily be a trap. If I'm unarmed, I'll be defenseless if he has any goons with him. I'm pretty sure there were a few WOLF soldiers left. There's no way Jacob could have killed them all. I know this line of work is all about taking risks. Some opportunities never appear again if missed. She made up her mind.
"I'm going to go see him."
Alex and Clover looked at her in silence. Sam didn't look at them. "Alright, so I'm going to see him. Now what?"
Clover thought for a minute. "Well, he said you couldn't have any weapons, but he didn't say anything about microphones or anything, did he?"
Sam considered that. "No. No, he didn't!"
"Where are we going to get one?" asked Alex.
"Let's try Jerry's office. He always has something there we can use!"
They made their way down to Jerry's office. The room below was filled with staff, but they paid the girls no attention. The girls found Jerry's office unlocked and unoccupied. After turning the lights on, Clover began searching the closets while Alex started opening and rummaging through the drawers in Jerry's desk. Sam noticed a glowing button near a screen in the desk and reached for it.
Alex saw it, too and grabbed Sam's hand. "Hold it, that might be the one Jerry presses to WOOHP us away!"
"I don't think so."
"Why not?"
"Because that's the button Jerry presses to WOOHP us." She pointed to a large and worn-down button labeled "WOOHP-away."
"Yeah, that's probably it." Alex let go of Sam's hand and stood away from the desk without Sam noticing. She braced for something to suck her into a tunnel or for the floor to vanish or the wall to grab her when Sam pressed the button, but neither happened. Instead, the desktop opened to reveal a small collection of gadgets, which Clover inspected while Sam read the list from the screen.
"Hmm, microphone berets with remote earbuds, sticky sap perfume bottles, tracking device-launching pens, and magnifying sunglasses."
"Ooh, these are pretty stylish!" Clover had tried on a pair of the sunglasses.
Sam picked up the beret and looked it over. "Hey, this'll be perfect for the meeting!" She pressed a small button and a pair of wireless earbuds popped out. She turned it on and stuck one of the buds in and could hear everything clearly. She handed the earbuds to the others and stuck the beret in her hair. They each took a pair of sunglasses and a bottle of perfume. Sam also took one of the pens, hoping for a chance to stick one on Stephen.
"Well, I suppose we should get going," said Sam. She checked her watch. "Hey, maybe we could get some lunch while we're out?"
"Sure!" said Alex. "We've got plenty of time before the meeting, so why not?"
They left Jerry's office and headed for the garage.
Los Angeles Public Park – 12:45 pm
They parked in the lot near the walkway leading into the park. The girls got out and Sam tested the beret. Alex and Clover could hear everything the beret picked up and told her so. Clover tested the sunglasses. They could zoom in to a good distance; enough to keep an eye on Sam and make sure she didn't get into trouble. The bench was a long ways off but still within their line of sight if they climbed atop a nearby hill.
Alex looked Sam up and down. "You ready, Sammie?"
"Ready as I'll ever be." She made sure the beret was fastened securely. A breeze picked up and started scattering the leaves and disturbing the surface of the lake. Sam brushed her hair out of her eyes and took a deep breath. "Okay, let's get this over with." Sam put her hands in the pockets of her jacket and started down the trail towards the meeting place.
The sky was gray. Children ran this way and that with their dogs or with other children. Some of them were throwing frisbees, and others were just playing tag. A few middle-aged and elderly couples passed her on the walkway. Unlike her, they were just there to keep in shape. Sam shuddered with the realization that she was there to make sure they could come back tomorrow and keep doing that.
Sam took her time getting to the bench. The trail followed the curve of the lake around to the other side, where it curved away from the lake and passed through a patch of trees. The bench sat between the lake and the trees, just far enough from the lake so one wouldn't get wet, but far enough from the trees so the bench wouldn't be covered in leaves come the fall.
Before she knew it, Sam had reached the bench. The trees above were in bloom, and their honey-like scent drifted down to her. The breeze rippled the surface of the lake, sending tiny waves washing against the bank. A family of ducks swam carelessly in front of the bench, quietly quacking to one another and occasionally dipping below the water in search of food. This would be a good place to bring a date, Sam thought. Too bad the guy I'm meeting is old enough to be my dad and has a bomb somewhere in the city. She sat down on the bench just as a gust blew her hair in her face. She removed the beret and used it to secure her hair. After doing so, she was aware of someone standing next to the bench.
"I see you accepted the invitation, and I thank you for doing so."
Sam looked up and saw Stephen standing beside her with his coat slung over one arm. Her blood turned to ice water and she started reliving the train incident.
"Do you mind if I sit down?"
"N-no. Go ahead!"
Stephen hung his coat over the back of the bench and sat down. "There's no reason for you to be afraid, child. I, too am unarmed, see?" He was wearing a vest and tie, which would be unable to conceal a gun if he had one. "Speaking of which, what is your name?"
"S-Sam."
"Sam, eh? Is that short for something or did your parents name you that?"
"No, it's short for Samantha."
"Then I shall call you Samantha, is that all right?"
"Yeah, that's fine. Why, is there a problem with it?"
"No, no. My family and myself always disliked calling people and things by nicknames."
"Why is that?"
"Because it's not who or what they really are."
"Oh."
Sam did her best to control her emotions, but she still couldn't completely hide her apprehension sitting just a few inches from a dangerous terrorist. She decided to cut to the chase.
"You said there were some things you wanted to tell me?"
"Yes, there are." He took a breath and savored the scent of the trees. "I'm sure there are some things your superiors are hiding from you, are there not?"
Sam took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "Yeah, but they keep telling us it's not important."
Stephen laughed. "Hah! Not important! Such foolishness! That's why I didn't want to go back into the service!"
"Didn't want to go back? You mean you could have gone back after you were fired?"
"Yes, and easily, too. After all, I knew the layout of a top-secret facility like I know my own home. On top of that I was an accomplished leader. They weren't about to let me off so easily."
"So why didn't you?"
"Because I was tired of playing their games."
"Games?"
"Yes, games. That's what this business is, a game. I was simply tired of the balancing act between disclosure and secrecy. I say you either shut up and don't say anything or become like a glass jar."
"Wait, so if you refused to go back, then that means…you essentially sentenced your family to death?"
Stephen thought about that. "Yes and no. My wife was with me all the way on that decision, and my daughter was only a year old when I left."
"Why did she do that? It doesn't make sense why she would put her own daughter in danger like that, let alone herself."
Sam saw Stephen's face soften and become lined with sadness. "My wife was a strong, intelligent woman. She knew I lived a life of secrets. All through my career, I wanted to be able to come home from work and tell her what happened that day, but I couldn't. It pained me to keep so much from her, and I grew to hate the service because of it."
"You put your family before your job, right?"
"Yes, they were the most important things on earth to me."
"So is this all about revenge for their deaths?"
Stephen leaned back. "You know, it's strange. When my wife died of Tuberculosis, I felt sad, but I wasn't completely devastated because I still had our daughter."
Sam tried to remember what she'd learned in psychology. "Was it because you saw a part of your wife still alive in your daughter?"
"Yes. I suppose that's part of it. I suppose I can also blame fate for this one."
"I don't quite follow."
"I have always strongly believed in fate, Samantha. When I was fired, I accepted it as fate that it would happen. When my wife died, it was the same way, although it did hurt a lot. But when my daughter died, that was something I could not accept."
"Why? Was it your fault or something?"
"Yes. It is one thing to deal with an unavoidable tragedy, but a tragedy that can be prevented is another matter."
"What happened to her?"
"The place we were living in at the time had very unreliable electricity. One night during a storm the power went out, so I used candles to light the house. When I went to sleep that night, I forgot to extinguish a single candle, and it started a fire. By the time I got Angelina out, she had already suffocated from the smoke."
"That's horrible."
"It's worse because it was my fault. It could have been prevented."
"What did you do after that?"
"I started WOLF."
"You started WOLF?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because it was all I could do. By then, the new Russian government had all but forgotten me. I decided that if they did not want me protecting them, then I would do so by my own means."
"So starting a terrorist organization is your idea of protecting your country? Funny, I was just beginning to think you were made of better stuff."
Stephen snickered. "Samantha, do you understand duty?"
Sam thought about it. "It means doing what your commanders tell you to do without question and to the best of your ability."
"I asked if you understood duty, not a definition."
Sam thought for a while. "I don't think I follow."
"I didn't think you would. People who do nothing but blindly follow orders their whole lives never understand duty."
Sam let the insult pass, for now. "So what exactly is duty?"
"It is what drove me to create WOLF, and what drives Jacob to hunt me and anyone else who wishes to harm his homeland."
"With Jacob it's different. You're just a terrorist."
"Are we really so different, Samantha? Even I can't tell you everything Jacob has done in his lifetime, but by no means is he innocent."
"Yeah, I know. But the fact is you're still a terrorist bent on destroying my home, and we're going to stop you no matter the cost."
enemies. I've considered all the options, and I've determined that this is the only way to keep her safe."
"But you're going to murder millions of innocent people! How do you justify that?"
"The damages done to your nation are of no concern to me. All I care about is the well-being of Russia."
"Then, you really don't care what happens to anyone else?"
"No."
Stephen was starting to perplex Sam. He's not driven by revenge. He's not driven by greed. He's driven by "duty?" He's so calm about it, too. It's like he's on a crusade or something. He's fighting for what he believes is right. He's driven by the singular desire to protect his homeland by any means necessary.
"The fact is, you're still a rouge."
Stephen smiled like a teacher whose student has just comprehended a complex idea. "Ah, there's the rub, my dear! That's the real difference between you and I and Jacob. You act with the permission of your government, whereas I am rouge. All of us do illegal things. You just have permission to do so, that's all."
Sam wondered if what he said was true, and then thought of something else. "If you started WOLF to protect Russia, then are you bombing Los Angeles for the same reason?"
"Yes, that's part of it. I know that if I destroy this center of American culture, then it will humiliate the country."
"Won't it just stir up a hornet's nest like in 2001?"
"Yes, it most certainly will. But the hornets will have no targets to sting. I am acting entirely of my own accord. No terrorist networks to hunt down, no nations connected to me, nothing. I will perform my final act and take leave of this world."
Sam was seeing the mad genius of his plan. In 2001, there was an organization to track down and destroy, an enemy still around to attack. If Stephen's plan goes through, then there won't be anyone left to blame. The US will be humiliated on the world stage because we allowed a nuclear threat to slip through. We will appear weak to everyone, and lose all manner of credibility and respect from other nations. And on top of that, one of our crown jewels will be reduced to a crater.
Sam buried her face in her hands. "This is insane!"
"Isn't it, though?"
She looked up at Stephen, still sitting calmly and watching the ducks. "You said all of that was part of the reason, what's the other part?"
"To draw Jacob out into the open."
"What? Why would you do that? Why him?"
"As you probably know, Jacob was instrumental in bringing down WOLF. Even though I could have started over with little trouble, I let WOLF die after they caught by lieutenant and began working on this plan using the money saved from WOLF."
Sam remembered Jacob saying they had some history together. "So, this is an attempt to draw out Jacob so you can fight him again."
"Yes. I was thoroughly impressed with his skill for someone so young. I knew we had to face each other again, man-to-man."
"Why didn't you do it back then?"
Stephen waved a fly away. "Because there were too many people involved. How do you challenge a man to a fight if he's in the middle of a pack of Special Forces all pointing a gun at your heart?"
"I guess that would be pretty tricky, wouldn't it?" Sam smiled and tried to take the edge off the conversation.
"Yes, it is. So I bided my time, waiting for the right moment. When it came, I took the opportunity. I restarted WOLF and used an alias he knew about to get his attention, and it worked."
"And now you're going to fight him to the death before you set the bomb off."
"Yes, I need to see him one last time before I go, either by my hands or his."
"He won't make it easy. I've seen his work firsthand."
"Yes, and I've felt it. He's a talented fighter. But that's not the only reason it will be hard, for I still love him."
Sam almost fell off the bench. That would explain everything, wouldn't it?
"Wh-what did you say?"
"Yes, I love him. I can't help it. He is my nephew."
Sam breathed a sigh of relief and stopped it too late. Stephen gave her a puzzled look. "Did you think he and I were…?"
Sam blushed.
Stephen laughed long and hard. When he finally regained his composure, he grabbed Sam's shoulder and gave her a friendly shake. "Oh, I knew I liked you! From the moment I saw you on the train, I knew there was something to like about you!" He slapped his knee and let out another laugh. He sat back and took a deep breath to calm his laughter.
"What did you like about me?"
"It's your eyes. My daughter had the same eyes. The same shade of green, full of intelligence and potential."
"But you said she was only five when she died."
"There are things a father can see in his children at any age."
They stopped talking. Sam watched another family of ducks swim past. The wind picked up again and shook the tree leaves in a harmony no orchestra could ever match. Stephen rubbed his beard and listened to the wind.
Sam shifted in her seat, "What was your daughter like?"
Stephen recalled his memories of Angelina. "If she were still alive, she'd be your age right now. I think if the two of you ever met, you would have liked each other right away."
"It's kind of strange when I think about it."
"What is?"
"The fact that I could have a good friend, another girl like me, and yet I never got a chance to meet her."
"The path not taken, eh?"
"What?"
"Frost. One of your poets."
"Oh, right." Sam turned the conversation back to Jacob. "So Jacob's your nephew, right?"
"Yes."
"Then why do you want to kill each other?"
"I don't know what Jacob thinks, even though I know a lot about him, but I know that I don't want to kill him."
"Why not? You certainly tried back at the lab."
"Like I said, I still love him as my nephew. Do you ever really want to harm that which you love?"
"No, of course not. Who would?"
"That is exactly my dilemma. We are on opposite sides of a conflict, and thus we must fight one another."
"Doesn't it hurt to have to fight him? My mom drives me nuts sometimes, but I never want to hurt her!"
"Yes, it does hurt at first. But once we face each other, we are no longer family. We are just professionals on opposite sides of a battle."
"Just professionals?"
"Nothing more, nothing less."
"But why does he want to kill you?"
"For one, I am trying to harm the country he has sworn to protect."
"Then that puts us on equal grounds, doesn't it?"
"Almost. You see, our family is not a good family, and he hates us all for it."
"What do you mean?"
"Our family is the head of a major Russian crime syndicate. We've financed terrorists, rebels, criminals, and all manner of society's dregs."
"And Jacob hated you all for that? I don't blame him."
"Not at first, he didn't."
"Then when did he come to despise you?"
"I'll get to that, but first I must tell you something else. Do you remember me mentioning Jacob's "killer instinct" in passing on the train?"
"Yes."
"What do you think that is?"
Sam thought about it. "An instinctual ability to kill?"
"Yes, exactly."
"But don't all humans have some hidden desire to murder? Freud said -"
"Freud was a brilliant psychologist, but some of his views were flawed. My family came to understand that murderous intent is inborn, but the ability to do so is not."
"Wait, so you wanted someone with the inbred ability to kill?"
"Yes. That has been our experiment for the past seventy years, since the end of World War One."
"Then, you've manipulated Jacob's genes somehow?"
"No. That was one guideline we agreed to when the experiment began; no artificial means of influencing the experiment."
"So it's been one giant breeding program."
"Yes. We carefully selected husbands and wives for the traits we desired to pass down. Strength, speed, intelligence, tenacity, and many other traits we wished to become part of the subject."
Sam felt bile rising in her throat. "That's sick."
"I suppose so, but that's in the past, now. We had almost given up on the whole project, and then Jacob was born."
"So the experiment was a success."
"An exceptional success. We needed only one look at the infant to know the project was a success. We had crafted the perfect soldier."
"So what happened? Why didn't Jacob go to work for your syndicate? Why did he turn on you?"
"Even though the ability was bred into him, Jacob was still affected by external stimuli. One day, he met a missionary's older son, who opened his eyes to our criminal behavior. Jacob began to see that we were indeed terrible people, and fled."
"How old was he when that happened?"
"He was only ten. Amazing to think that he could make such a choice at such a young age. We thought he'd come back like most children who want to run away, but he was cleverer than we gave him credit for. He ran to the authorities."
"Wait, if he ran to the police, then how did he end up in the US?"
"We're not sure. I think the CIA's meddling was the cause of it."
"And since then, he's been dedicated to hunting his own family down." And then Sam realized something. "That's why he was so interested in WOLFHOUND."
"Yes. He knew about my plans for WOLF before he left."
"And when he learns there's a whole network assigned to hunt down his uncle's organization, he jumps at the chance. Geez, what kind of family are you?"
"A dysfunctional one."
"That's an understatement if I ever heard one."
"It doesn't matter, he will return to us eventually."
"Why on earth would he want to do that?"
"It's not a question of want. He will have to face us all again someday."
Sam shook her head. "This is just too much!" She exclaimed. "It's just one plot intertwined with another! When does it all end? Jacob's a major cog in the peacekeeping machine and is on a mission to destroy his own family?"
"If he survives this one." Stephen took a deep breath and released it. "Eventually, Jacob will have to make a decision which will either make his life very long or cut it very short. He tries to deny it, but he knows it is inevitable."
"And that choice would be…?"
"I'm afraid that must remain a family matter, Samantha." Stephen looked at his watch. "Well, I've enjoyed this conversation, but I must be going now." He stood up and picked up his coat. The semi-friendly air around him vanished and was replaced with his cold, dominating aura. "It's been nice talking to you, Samantha. I hope you have a better understanding of the situation now."
Sam didn't look up at him. "Yeah, I understand. More than I wanted."
"Heh, that's how the truth works. Sometimes you get much more than you wanted, yet all of it is necessary, and not all of it is pretty." He turned from the bench. "I would say I'd like to meet you again, Samantha, but I'm afraid the next time we meet only one of us is walking away." He turned and walked toward the trees and vanished under their foliage.
Sam waited until his footsteps vanished before she allowed herself to relax. She looked down and noticed that her fists were still clenched so tight her nails were biting into her palms. She also noticed that her heart was racing, and she'd begun to sweat despite the cool breeze. She stood up and found her knees weak and her legs sluggish. All she could do was stand up trying to catch her breath. She felt like the scope of the mission had expanded tenfold in just a few minutes. Not only was the US involved, but also the whole world! She didn't even want to think of Jacob's implications anymore. She needed to sit down again, but felt the bench was cursed now. The best thing would be to just start walking. Right foot first, then left. Just get back to Alex and Clover.
Her feet started shakily at first, but soon they steadied and found their footing again. It took forever to get back to the parking lot. Alex and Clover were waiting at the car, both of them looking just as disturbed as Sam.
"Somebody tell me this is a dream," said Clover.
Sam took her time answering. "It's not a dream. It's a nightmare."
They stood there for a while, listening to the wind blow, lost in their own thoughts.
"I don't know about you guys, but I'm not quitting."
Clover and Sam turned to Alex. Her eyes were focused and her voice full of determination. "I'm not quitting! Yeah, maybe we are dealing with something bigger than we've ever seen, but I'm not giving up yet! The fact remains that this psycho wants to blow up our home, and I'm not about to let that happen!"
Clover was listless and distant. "Then what do we do? Our actions will determine the fate of the free world!"
"Then we'll just have to crank it up! If they're going to challenge us, then we'll have to rise to meet that challenge!"
Alex's courage stirred Sam. She wasn't her usual energetic and joyful self. She was determined and brave. "I agree, Alex. Why should we be scared and back down? We've been scared before and always saw things through to the end. This guy has to be stopped. How about it, Clover?"
Clover saw the courage in her friends' eyes and felt a flame rising in her heart. "Yeah, let's do it. I don't know what's in store for us, but we're going to meet it head-on just like we always did."
Sam held out her hand. "Together?"
Alex and Clover placed their hands on hers. "Together."
The sky was a little less oppressive, and the situation a little less grim. The girls returned to WOOHP full of courage and determined to stop Stephen, no matter the cost.