Chapter 4: Watchers in the Night
A brown Oldsmobile scurried along in the darkness of Watertown, coming to a halt as it made a turn on Rosedale Road and entered a dusty old lot behind nearby buildings. Once parked, Dan emerged and stepped out onto the lot, followed shortly by Spock. He took the scene in, noting the decommissioned vehicles and large panel doors encrusted in the rear face of the building before him – an auto repair shop, he surmised – which delimited the western side of the lot's enclosure. A few lamps were affixed to the other buildings, whose light eclipsed an otherwise starry sky. The night was cool and crisp, and Dan exhaled cloudy jets as Spock rummaged through the trunk of his car in search of their backpacks.
Once found, the two grabbed their respective bags before Spock closed the trunk's lid. They had already prepared themselves at Dan's apartment – much as they had done on their previous outing – donning the same dark, mundane clothing, along with the aluminum foil-lined bean caps which Dan continued to find bothersome. Regardless, he silently tolerated his discomfort as he trailed behind Spock to intercept the individual who came to meet them.
The man was younger than Dan by a few years, and was of lanky build. He too bore the standard Truth-Seeker uniform of dark and concealing clothing, though his beanie was only partially placed upon his head, sticking up on the summit of his long, shaggy brown hair which he periodically swept to the side with a sweep of the hand. There was aloofness to his eyes, which were small and perpetually squinting, as though he had just then awakened from sleep.
Coming near the duo, he cracked a warm smile and made a Vulcan salute with a gloved hand, a gesture Spock immediately reciprocated.
"The great Spock cometh," said the man wryly. "Glad you could make it, man."
"Likewise, good sir," replied Spock with a slight inclination.
The man then eyed the stranger who stood at Spock's side; the grey-bearded man quickly caught on and presented Dan to his acquaintance.
"Watchdog, I'd like you to meet my esteemed colleague, Crow," he said.
"Ah, yes, the fabled Crow," said Watchdog as he shook Dan's hand. "Spock's told me much about you."
"Call me Dan," he responded. "Daniel Thompson."
"Gary Saunders," said Watchdog. "I've seen the footage of the First Wave ambush you guys took. That was something else, man. It's going viral all across the underground. If you keep it up, you'll become a full-on celebrity in no time."
"Um... thanks," replied Dan, unaccustomed to being lauded with such praise. "So, where are we off to tonight?"
"Right," said Gary. "So, there's like this hardware store not too far from here that I have reason to suspect to be a hide-out for the shifters."
"Are you sure they're First Wave?" asked Dan.
"No doubt about it, man," said Gary. "Check it out. Around three weeks ago, I stumbled on a couple of shifter eggs and followed them from afar once they hatched."
"Shapeshifters lay eggs?" asked Dan, incredulous.
"I'm not sure," specified Gary. "They looked more like some sort of weird, fleshy organic incubation pods than actual eggs. Anyway, so I'm hiding out, right, and I watch them ambush these two unsuspecting soccer moms and take on their identities – 'cause they didn't have a human identity yet, you know. After that, I followed them to the store. Since then, I've been keeping tabs on activities in that general area."
Dan tried to imagine what a shapeless Shapeshifter would look like; the only thing that came to mind was vaguely humanoid shadow. He shuddered.
"Sounds like the real deal to me," said Spock, stroking his goatee. "What's the plan?"
"Alright, listen up, guys," said Gary before kneeling down to the ground.
The others followed suit, and watched as Gary traced out the perimeter of the base in the dirt.
"So this is the place, right," he began. "You have the main building here, and this whole area is the back lot. They have a shifter or two guarding the front gates at all times. Also, it's very likely that the main lot probably has security cameras or some other type of surveillance, so we can't risk entering the premises directly."
He drew a wavy line behind his map of the establishment.
"Luckily for us, the Charles River runs behind the place."
"We're not going to have to swim, are we?" asked Dan.
"Don't worry about it, man," assured Gary. "There's like this scenic path or whatever that runs along the riverside. So what I'll do is I'll lead the way around the block past a park just east from here, and we'll enter the trail from there. We'll then walk upriver until we get behind the back lot, and then climb the trees at its perimeter. The trees will give us a good vantage point for surveillance, and the brush also doubles as cover, so the chances of getting spotted are significantly reduced, you know."
"That's a pretty solid plan you have there," said Dan.
Watchdog shrugged in modesty. "So, any objections?"
"None from me," said Spock.
"Alright, then," said Gary. "Follow my lead."
The trio departed, with the Watchdog slightly ahead of the pack. When they came to the edge of the lot, Gary raised his hand, bidding the rest to stop. He then inched onto the sidewalk, and, seeing that the coast was clear, beckoned them forth with a wave. Spock followed with a cautious, almost feline prowl, while Dan remained at the rear, keeping an eye behind them. They opted to stay away from the streets for the most part, instead cutting across parking lots and behind buildings, clinging to the shadows as often as they were able to.
They soon came upon Pleasant Street and quickly crossed to the other side where an access point to the riverside path was found. Once there, they continued along the gentle and undulating curves of river, whose surface shimmered with the light of the stars. It took a solid five minutes before they reached the compound. They crouched along the fence and knelt behind the trees, placing their bags at their feet. Dan moved some brush aside and peered through the fence's mesh to see if there was any activity on the lot, but his periphery was limited by surrounding plants, and he could only make out a small section of the area.
"Okay, guys," hushed Gary. "We'll set ourselves up at equal intervals. Spock, you take the far left. I'll take the right, and Dan will take the middle. That way, we'll have eyes on the entire lot. We'll communicate exclusively with these walkie-talkies; make sure you keep the volume low and set them on channel two. If anyone sees anything, let the rest know."
Spock and Gary sped off in either direction, leaving Dan to the mercy of the night. With an apprehensive sigh, he began climbing the nearest tree. He tried to make as little noise as possible, which made the ascent painstakingly strenuous; he winced at every rustle of leaves he inadvertently made, fearing that a nearby Shapeshifter would hear him and lunge into the tree and drag him to the ground below. And upon reaching an appropriate height, it was even harder to find a comfortable position, as the winding branches weren't exactly tailored to accommodate the human rump. Nevertheless, he eventually found a suitable location, sitting in lotus position while resting his back against the trunk. There was a nearby stub that erupted from the tree just across from him, and he placed his pack upon it, using it as an easily accessible hook. His newfound nest properly furnished, Dan summoned a pair of binoculars to survey the scene.
Though the foliage blocked access to the sky, he held a decent view of the lot below, and make out the entire rear face of the building. The right half of the store's rear section jutted out; a large, white panel door was embedded in the diagonal wall connecting that section to the other half. Near this panel door – which Dan guessed was the loading dock – was singular door, set in the left, receding portion of the store's posterior facade. The rest of the area was nondescript; he didn't spot any security cameras either. Either the Shapeshifters weren't programmed with common sense, or they figured that of all places, a lawn care accessory store would be the last place a human would care to break-in and rob.
"Dan, do you copy?" asked Gary's voice through Dan's transceiver. "Over."
"Loud and clear," replied Dan. "Uh...over."
"How's it looking so far? Over."
"There doesn't seem to be any significant activity. Over."
"Yeah, the right-hand corridor is clean as well. I also checked in with Spock, and he says he can see someone posted out by the front gate, but nothing else is going on. I guess we'll have to sit tight for awhile, then. If you see anything, let me know. Over and out."
Silence fell. Dan remained still, watching the compound and keeping an eye out for any suspicious development. As time when on, Dan had to periodically change positions in order to ward off the numbness and cramping that took hold of his legs and hindquarters.
"Hey, Gary?" asked Dan. "Do you read? Over."
"Go ahead," he replied. "Over."
"What have you gathered about this place up to now? Over."
"Not much, man," admitted Gary. "There's a decent amount of traffic during the day, but it's impossible to tell shifter activity from legitimate business with actual customers, you know? And I've surveyed the place a few times now, but I haven't gotten anything conclusive yet. Over."
Dan acquiesced with a nod. The Shapeshifters probably did have to keep their public fronts operational if they were to maintain the illusion of normalcy, he supposed.
"...There might be something else, though," said Gary after some time. "Over."
"What is it?"
"Well," he began, "at one point, I decided to walk by the front of the compound – to get a good look at the place, you know. As I pretended to tie my shoes, this guy walks up to one of the guards out front, and he says 'Hey, you guys wouldn't happen to have any John Deere lawn mowers here, would ya?' Then the guard says 'As a matter of fact, we do. Just head out back that way and the guys will hook you up.' And then he lets the guy in through the gate. The whole exchange felt pretty 'off' to me, which is probably the only reason I even remember it now. I don't know if it has any greater significance than that, though. Over."
"Do you remember if he asked for a specific model?" inquired Dan. "Over."
"I think it was a 6055R Waterloo Boy," replied Gary. "Over."
"That must be their password," surmised Dan.
"...Password?" asked Gary.
"They seem to base their passwords on non-existent models for things. I guess it's so that the Shapeshifters can easily identify one another. And I'll bet you anything that this "Waterloo Boy" model doesn't even exist. Over."
It was silent for a moment until Spock called in on his radio, clearly munching on some snacks that he had brought along.
"Be advised that... there's a truck coming in... through the gate... Over."
Dan's sight whipped to the left; through his binoculars, he saw a truck appear onto the premises, coming to a park near the perimeter of the lot and causing Dan to tense up due to their proximity. A man came outside of the building just as the driver and his passenger stepped down from the vehicle. The three congregated at the side of the truck and conversed; they were just close enough so that Dan could make out what they were saying.
"Has everything been accounted for?" asked the man from Rickman, apparently in charge of the establishment.
"One crate of M-Shots, a shipment of ammunition, and brand new filters for the Incubation Tanks, just as you guys ordered," said the driver. "By the way, how are those Titans coming along?"
"Gestation is on schedule," said the leader. "They're almost at eight weeks now, so once they're ripe, we'll ship them to the facility in Newark for acclimatization."
"Sounds great," said the moustachioed passenger. "I hear fully matured units are popping up all over the place, now. Switzerland, Fiji, China, Egypt."
"Is that right?" said the leader, pleasantly surprised. "Well, they surely won't be the last. I'll have the others carry the shipment inside."
With that, the leader returned inside the building, leaving the other two to open the truck's rear panel outside of earshot. As they busied themselves, Dan placed a call to Spock.
"Dude! Did you hear what I just heard?"
"Sure did," whispered Spock with the same enthusiasm. "Looks like we hit the motherload! Over."
"Hey, fellas," hushed Gary. "Any ideas on what a Titan is supposed to be? Over."
"We're not quite sure yet," explained Dan, "but from what we can tell –"
"You can tell him all about them later, Crow," interrupted Spock, who was able to butt in when Dan's thumb slid off the transceiver's button. "They're coming back now. Maintain radio silence. Over."
The white panel door of the store's loading dock was opened, and out came a quartet of Shapeshifters, with two of them rolling a large trolley to the truck. Working in tandem with the drivers, they placed a large crate onto the trolley, which they then transported back inside the loading dock, going back and forth for every such crate and carrying the smaller boxes by hand. The head Shapeshifter reappeared, addressing the delivery men as the final few goods were whisked away.
"Might as well take care of the formalities," said the leader. "How much do I owe you?"
"That'll be two hundred and twenty-five dollars," said the driver.
The leader summoned his due amounts and placed them in the delivery man's outstretched hands, who placed the bills in his pockets before returning a receipt of the exchange. The delivery men then entered their truck and the leader bid them farewell before returning inside.
And silence befell the nigh, the compound returning to its once inactive state.
"Alright, gents, I think that'll do for tonight," declared Gary. "Let's regroup below."
Dan complied, grabbing his pack and shimmying down the tree, landing on the ground with a thud. His eyes were well-adjusted to the darkness at that point, and he could see the forms of his partners as they approached his position. Once they had regrouped, Gary led the way back up the path. It was only when they reached the streets again that the trio dared to break the silence.
"Well, I think it's safe to say that the mission was a success," said Dan, walking backwards as he faced the others.
"It may be a little soon for celebration, Crow," warned Spock. "Now we not only have to contend with the Shapeshifters, but now we have Titans to worry about as well. Not to mention the Harvesters, whatever the hell those might be."
"I guess you're right," recanted Dan. "What do you make of all this, Gary?"
"I think they're building an army."
Dan and Spock fell silent at the foreboding possibility.
"Think about it," he continued. "The First Wave is an invasion force sent to blend in with their enemy – which would be us. My guess is that the shifters are paving the way for whatever comes next. I mean, if you're planning an invasion, you want the least resistance possible.
"Maybe," said Dan. "But if they do want to start a war, then maybe we should be the ones to strike first."
The trio turned into the dusty lot where their vehicles were stationed, coming to a stop in the middle of the terrace.
"What are you saying?" asked Gary. "That we form a band of vigilantes and go guerrilla on these guys?"
"Think of it more as a civilian resistance," explained Dan. "It's an idea Spock and I have been discussing recently. The way I figure, we need to gather as many people who are willing to fight for the cause before it's too late. I mean, the entirety of the human race might be at stake, for all we know."
"It could work," mused Gary, stroking his chin as he humoured the idea. "It would start small, of course, but with time, and enough recruits, it could potentially end up becoming an entire movement. I see people talking about uniting their forces all the time, but few ever actually go through with it, and those that do never really achieve much because they lack the numbers to do so. Maybe it's about time that someone did something of value for once."
"So you're in, then?" asked Dan.
"Yeah, man, totally!" agreed Gary. "I'll start spreading the word as soon as possible to my followers."
"And I'll do the same," said Spock. "With our combined resources, we can easily reach a widespread population."
"We'll need a name for our organization, though," said Gary.
"I've been thinking about that, actually," said Dan. "How about we call it The Liberation Front? Might not be the most creative name in the history of names, but it's to the point and memorable, not to mention that it rolls nicely off the tongue."
"Yeah, I like it," approved Gary. "Alright, it's official then. To the Liberation Front!"
The Watchdog stretched his fist forward. Dan and Spock did the same, all three sets of knuckles colliding in an act marking the foundation of their resistance project.
"We'll keep in touch," said Gary, saluting his comrades as he left for his car.
Spock and Dan lingered at the scene while the Watchdog departed in his vehicle, rolling out of sight.
"Alright, Crow," said Spock, patting his partner on the shoulder. "We'd better get going."
Emmanuel then made for the Oldsmobile, jingling his keys in his hand. Dan stood for a moment, staring up at the sky and revelling in the initial breakthrough of his vision. He wasn't confident in the idea at first, but as their aspirations for the resistance gradually concretized, a sense of excitement grew within him. Perhaps now they would have an actual fighting chance against the Waves of the invasion force. Content, he exhaled deeply and turned to rejoin Spock.
But as he did, he caught something in the corner of his eye. He made a double-take, only to see, at the very end of the lot and across the street, a suited man, peering at him through a small pair of binoculars.
The Man in Black.
Dan had almost forgotten about the mysterious figure. He remembered when he saw him the night they escaped from the wrecked outpost, looking back at him – through him – with a gaze that had an almost physical weight to it. Dan wasn't even sure the man was real, that maybe the stress of the mission had caused him to hallucinate.
Realizing that he had been spotted – although Dan wondered if he had already foreseen that he would be – the Man in Black sheathed his specs, standing tall and erect and without motion in the artificial light of the streetlamp above him.
"Spock!" he exclaimed, eyes remaining locked on mysterious man. "Do you see that?"
Spock took his head out of the trunk, scouring the night with wary eyes.
"I don't know," said Spock, head spinning about. "What exactly am I looking for?"
Dan glanced back at his partner, flabbergasted that he couldn't see what was clearly in front of him. But when he looked back at the road, the man was nowhere in sight.
"Damn it!" said Dan.
He bolted to the edge of the lot, stopping in the middle of the road and scanning left and right for any sign of the suited man; but it was too late.
The Man in Black was gone.
Spock caught up with his partner, caught off guard by his impulsive behaviour.
"What was that all about?" he said, panting.
"I saw the Man in Black again," said Dan. "He was right there on the sidewalk, staring right at me!"
"Well, I guess he must have teleported when you weren't looking or something," said Spock. "The Men in Black are a pretty elusive bunch, after all."
"Yeah, but why the hell is he following me around?" asked Dan.
"Maybe you should ask him next time he shows up," suggested Spock. "Anyway, there's no use in standing around here. It's getting kinda late. Come on, I'll give you a lift back to your place."
Dan gazed down the road once last time, and followed Spock in resignation. He had a feeling that this eerie stalker of his knew exactly was going on, and then some. As the pair shuttled down the streets in the brown Oldsmobile, Dan stared out the window, scanning the darkness in the faint hope that he might spot the outline of a figure carrying a briefcase and sporting a neat fedora.
He wouldn't let him get away so easily next time.