Rick yanked on the master cord attached to the digital timer and prayed that he had pulled the proper cord out.
The digital timer continued to tick down. 12 seconds, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Rick held his hands over his ears and cringed. He was pretty sure that he wouldn't be able to survive a second explosion. Even with his enhanced body.
When nothing happened he opened his eyes and sighed in relief. He looked at the bomb. He'd successfully diffused it. He looked at Greg and the goon. His eyes zeroed in on the black square device that had been in Greg's neck. He extended his hand down and picked it up.
He studied it. The dialogue box filled with scrolling text.
MICROCHIP.
NEURAL OVERRIDE.
MANUFACTURED BY: UNKNOWN.
PROGRAM PARAMETERS: UNKNOWN.
PRIMARY FUNCTION: MANIPULATION OF WILL.
Rick hadn't seen it on Greg before coming to the convention center. He wondered if Greg had put it on himself or if perhaps another arsonist had managed to attach it to the cop. Rick really didn't think Greg was capable of doing something as immoral as killing a fellow officer of the law.
He went to check on Greg. The man was alive and fine. Rick decided to see what happened.
"Hey Tanner," Rick shook the man. "Hey, are you ok?"
Greg stirred. "Barnes?" He asked.
"What do you remember?" Rick asked. He hoped that Greg didn't remember Rick giving him a beating.
"I went into the smaller exhibition halls and was ambushed by a suspect. We fought, and I think he cleaned my clock." Greg sat up slowly and rubbed his neck. Rick relaxed. He'd been waiting for Greg to attack him.
"I diffused the bomb. I think the guy that jumped you stuck this in your neck. You were attacking me like crazy."
"I've never seen that in my life. And why would I attack you?" Greg asked. "I may not like you, but we're cops just the same."
"I'm going to see if Alex can analyze this for me. She'll have a better answer than my HUD." Rick said helping Greg up. Greg looked at him funny then shrugged.
As it would happen there were two other bombs in the city. The suspect they'd caught had told them everything. He'd been scared of prison so much that he'd offered to spill everything for a plea bargain.
Alex was so thrilled with the device Rick had brought her she'd dissected it and put it back together in a day.
"It's used to control a person. It overrides the will of whoever is wearing it. From what you've said the wearer is completely unaware he's under the control of someone else." Alex explained.
Rick was worried. Someone could control another man with a tiny device stuck into the skin. It wasn't right. You could make a perfectly innocent man into a murderer and they wouldn't even know it.
Whoever had been controlling Greg had given Rick a lot of info, most likely in the hopes that it would go with Rick to the grave.
A man with enough wealth and power to run on operation from the sidelines and use things like Neural Override Devices was a threat to the entire world. A few sleepless nights were spent searching online for any information. Of course it was a fruitless search.
Penny tried to help using her completed laptop. But even with her fancy programming it still didn't come up with anything.
In a week Rick turned up nothing. Even with Deputy Michaels using his clearance to access certain databases they couldn't find anything.
At about this time Agent Walter Riggs accompanied by his partner Arthur Davidson returned. The two showed up at the Lawrence Estate Friday afternoon.
Jessica answered the door. "Agent Riggs?" She glowered at the men. "What do you want?"
Davidson spoke up. "We're here on official business. The FBI wants to purchase your sister's work for use in the field." Jessica looked doubtful but stuck her head back into the mansion and yelled.
"Hey Alex, the FBI wants to make some contracts for your work!" There was no noise from inside and the two agents shared a look. "Dr. Lawrence will be here momentarily. If you'll follow me?" Jess opened the door to them.
Davidson looked at the mansion as he stepped in. Walter followed adjusting his tie. He made sure it was secure in his buttoned jacket. Melissa had given it to him, and of course on the bottom a dragon was stitched into the silk.
Alex came down the hall wearing her lab gear. She pulled off her gloves making sure to pull them inside out and then removed her safety glasses. "What can I do for you?" She asked. She'd heard back just that morning that the AMA was willing to start trials on her cybernetic organs. There was no way the FBI was going to ruin that high.
Davidson offered her his hand. "We want to formally go into business with you Lawrence. Our earlier scouting proved that you are still a fine scientist and that you have devices we could put to use."
Alex didn't take his hand. "You don't want to shake my hand. I've been working with a lot of chemicals this morning and while my skin is coated in a protective film your flesh would burn. Please let me wash up and we can talk business. My sister will get you something to drink and take you to the office." Alex turned away carrying her gear back to the lab.
Walter looked after Alex in wonder. She certainly didn't seem angry to see FBI agents at her door.
Jess led them to the office, made them comfortable, and provided some coffee and tea. Alex returned in a matter of minutes her hair straightened and a suit jacket replacing the lab coat she'd been wearing.
"Gentlemen, what sort of business are you looking for?" She asked taking her seat at the big mahogany desk.
"We want to purchase devices and their designs from you." Davidson answered. He looked at the coffee and tea disdainfully.
"What kind of devices." Alex pushed.
"We were hoping to purchase your radar designs and some of the long range tactical weapons you've come up with." Davidson was quick to answer. Walter remained quiet. He knew Davidson liked to do the talking.
"Alright. What's the amount and what exactly?" Alex had been given a brilliant idea from her husband. She didn't really need the money, but she'd be willing to lower the purchase amount if information on a certain mysterious character could be put into the deal.
Davidson looked surprised. He'd expected Alex to fight him. "We want the radar designs so we can build them ourselves, but we also want your HUD Glasses, EMP Wave Guns, and the technology to bullet proof our agents' uniforms."
Alex whistled. "Been busy keeping tabs on me?" She asked darkly. She still despised the FBI's underhanded ways. "You haven't asked me my price." Alex observed. She wanted him to ask for her price.
Davidson had been trying to keep from asking the price. By asking her to name her price she could easily hike up the cost or add in stipulations. Walter seemed to tense. Ready to hear the worst.
"My price?" Alex repeated smiling mischievously. "75,000 in cash."
Both agents lost control of their jaws for a brief moment. "That's it?" Walter asked.
"That and any information you have on a man called The Claw. And I give you the designs and trial devices without stipulations. You'll be able to use them all you want."
Both agents shared a look. Davidson frowned. "You know that's not how we work."
"It's either that or I raise the price to 5 mill." Alex returned. "And I do believe we're in a recession, aren't you having problems getting funding?" She could play their games easily.
Walter winced. 5 mill was three times what the FBI was willing to pay her. "Let me make a call." Davidson said and left the room. This left Walter with the two women.
"So Riggs, you have info on the guy?" Alex asked conversationally. Walter tensed.
"You know I can't answer that question."
"You just did. Did you know he was going to blow up this city? That he was planning an attack on thousands of innocent lives? Fifteen people were killed in the only explosion that happened. If not for Barnes the city would have suffered greatly."
Walter remained stoically quiet.
"Listen Riggs, did you know that this phantom terrorist can control people?" Jess added.
Walter's eyes darkened in confusion.
"You didn't." Jess returned. "They have devices that they press into the skin of a person's neck and override their own will. The victims don't even know what they did afterwards."
Alex pulled the Neural Override Device from a desk drawer. "See this. It was used to manually control a police officer and force him to attack his partner." Walter stared at the device and then sighed.
"No we didn't know about those." Walter replied. "Is there any way you could hand that evidence over?"
Alex grinned. "Nope. I'm currently working on a way to neutralize these things. If we don't get something to counter the effects of a Neural Override Device the whole country could be in imminent danger. These things could turn people into nothing more than zombies. Without their own will power they don't feel pain. They could lose limbs and keep on going."
Walter stared at her. His face paled and he looked at the door. "Excuse me." He left the room probably to talk to Davidson.
"That should help loosen their lips." Jess remarked. Alex frowned.
"Yes and no. Unless the FBI wishes to work together on this they won't let us anywhere near whatever is running this. I'm not so sure it's a single person. Sounds more like an organization operating under a singular pseudonym."
Jess grimaced at the idea. "So forget holocausts and brainwashing, we're dealing with something that'll turn the whole world into a horde of obedient zombies?"
"This is a major problem." Alex replied.
Davidson and Walter came back in. Davidson looked rather shook up. "In light of what's recently happened and the discount you're willing to offer, my superiors have deemed it both profitable and necessary to disclose the information about The Claw with you."
Alex nodded. "Let me make a phone call. There's one person who needs to hear this from you." Davidson nodded. "Jess, get Rick and Grant here immediately."
Jess left the room pulling out her cell phone.
"I'll go get the designs and a few of the completed devices. I think it's a safe bet to say we need to get this done quickly."
Davidson gave a half smile. "We actually don't have much time. The attack here in Reno was almost six months ahead of the schedule we managed to get during an interrogation. Our best bet is to team up and get your counter weapon completed. We'll pay for manufacturing once you've got something safe that can be handed out to the military, government, and local law authorities. Every country with nuclear capability needs to be provided for first."
Alex nodded. She knew it would come down to something like this. She left the room and a few minutes later returned with a couple steel briefcases. "Blueprints," She said handing him one, "and actual devices." She proffered the other.
She pulled a tray from a desk drawer. "This is how far I am on the Neural Override Refractor." She showed him a partially constructed device that looked almost like a cell phone. " I thought an inconspicuous design like that of a phone would be wise. The screen will be a display only. No touch screens. When an NOD is within range of this device an electric pulse will go off. This is not an EMP it will simply scatter the control frequency used to activate NODs.
"Each NOR will be synchronous with it's wearer. This will allow the device to secretly scan the owner for evidence of NODs after the scrambler has been emitted. If there is an NOD attached to the person the NOR will release an EMP V5. An EMP V5 is specifically tuned in to the NODs it won't effect any other electronic devices within a fifty foot radius." Alex sounded like she had a plan but there was doubt in her voice.
"When can you begin testing?" Davidson asked. He liked the design, he liked the idea, but he just didn't know if it would work.
"I should have the last part necessary when Grant returns, and then we can finish it in a matter of hours. You're welcome to stay for the test run."
"Are you using that NOD?" Walter asked pointing to the one she'd shown him earlier.
"Yes. I've already taken it apart, put it back together and rerouted it's connection to my laptop. Jess has offered to test run it for us. I'll attach the NOD to her neck just behind the ear, I'll then activat the NOD while the NOR is turned off. Then we'll turn the NOR on and using a scanner I'll make sure it works properly. I'm trying to make these as sturdy as I can, but some of the connections are very fragile. The NOR has a protective covering, but dropping them too much or from higher elevation could render them ineffective."
"We'll stay. Everyone back at HQ will want to know if the NOD can be stopped. We had no clue about it." Davidson replied.