Butterfly Dreams (48)

(A sequel to The Strange Story of Mr. Black and Ms Gray.)

They had died when helping thwart a plan to undermine the government of the United States. Now Ben and Susan have returned from the dead and they must bring that government down. Standing in their way are Michael Black and Michelle Gray, the bodies of whom they now occupy.

-(The Story begins HERE)-

Synaptic Siege

Addams' eyes were wide, staring bewildered at the unfired implement in his hand. It slipped from his grasp, then he collapsed onto his knees.

A retort of two more shots reverberated throughout the confines of the small room. One struck in the forehead and the other in the chest, the President's two secret servicemen were dead before they hit the floor.

Clutching at his abdomen Addams gurgled something incomprehensible before rolling onto his side in a fetal position. His fingers twitched for several moments, a moan escaped his throat and then he lie unmoving.

Standing in the doorway, the barrels of their guns still smoking, Brock O'Day and Agents Landers and Ferrara surveyed the scene before them. They had each taken down one of the fallen men. The faces of the FBI men were without emotion, while unfettered rage showed on that of the police officer.

Horrified by the carnage David cried, "You shot him! You killed the President!"

Her body still paralyzed in the grip of fear for her own life, Faye's words tumbled from her trembling lips, "The son of a bitch was going to shoot me. He was going to shoot me!"

Brock crossed the room and looked down at her, disgust visible on his features. "Cool it, Faye. This is much bigger than you." After tucking his pistol between his belt and body, he pulled the woman to her feet and spun her around to face him. "It's about time that you got your priorities straight."

She looked over shoulder to see Baxter kneeling by the unmoving body of President Addams. It was obvious that her husband's words fell on deaf ears. "He was going to shoot me. Why?"

A sardonic grin formed shaped Brock's mouth, "You know, he just might have done me a favor."

"What?" she screeched backing away from him. "You bastard!" She was quick to regain her composure however, and raised high her chin. "He was going to appoint me to a position ... in the White House."

As I watched in silence the melodrama between the pair, it occurred to me that Faye was struggling within a delusional state of self-importance and reality. Having been married to her in my physical existence as Ben Bering I felt a slight but momentary twinge of pity for her.

As Ben I'd never been able to stand up to her, but as Michael Black I felt a liberated sense of empowerment. Arms folded across my chest I addressed her, "Faye, perhaps the position he was referring to was not the White House, but at a White Castle!"

"How dare you!" she snapped.

"People!" Jeremy Baxter shouted to gain our attention. "Why not let her get the truth from the horse's mouth?" He was holding something pinched between his thumb and forefinger. He approached Brock holding the object he'd removed from the President. Grinning he said, "Nice kill shot, Sergeant O'Day."

"You don't think I wanted to go down in history as the man who assassinated the President, do you? I just put him to sleep for a while." He tried to stifle a chuckle but could not, "Lord knows he's put a lot of people to sleep with some of his speeches."

"You're getting a lot of miles out of those tranquilizer darts, Brock," I noted. Both Landers and Ferrara were glaring at him, obviously remembering that they too had been targets of those same missiles.

O'Day patted my shoulder and said, "Thanks for playing along with our plan, Michael. I'm sure you must understand why we couldn't fill you in on the details."

I nodded and replied, "I do now. You knew that I was susceptible to their remote mind-tapping. They even tried to get at me through Susan." I turned to face Professor Jordan, "You really must explain this Persephone thing to me and this matter of ... drones!"

"Michael," Baxter interrupted, "That will have to wait. We haven't much time."

I glared at him and groaned, "There's something else you've neglected to tell me?"

"By now Wingate's men, the ones who jumped from the plane will have taken control of the main transmitter. Wingate has Susan connected to a neuro-headset on the plane ..."

Muttering Jordan hung his head, "That means Ben is also connected. He and Michelle must have walked in their trap too!"

"A trap? What trap?" I demanded. "It looks to me like we have the upper hand here."

"How's this for priorities?" Faye shouted. From the corner of my eye I caught sight of her foot slamming into Brock's groin. She stooped down by his writhing form and picked up his gun. Before any of us could make a move Landers and Ferrara swung their raised guns in our direction.

"It looks like Addams was one step ahead of us." Baxter said, "He's pulled it off like only a general could have."

Confused beyond belief I said, "But he's out of commission ... how?"

"I should have foreseen this," Jordan said mumbling to himself. "He had a fail safe contingency plan. Once he was cut off ..."

"Of course!" Baxter mused.

"Would someone please tell me what's going on?" I pleaded.

"It's like this, Mr. Black," David said as he walked past me, "once the President was disconnected from the collective mind network, we knew we were to carry out his orders as if he'd given them directly and to proceed with Operation Butterfly Blue."

"You too, David?" I said crestfallen. "You've been working for Michelle and me ... we've shared our secrets with you ..." My voice trailed off the moment the words escaped my lips.

He grinned as if to acknowledge our past relationship and took up position next to Faye and the two agents. It was then that I noticed the eyes of each of them. David's eyes were lucid, while those of Faye and the agents appeared to be glazed over, almost lifeless like those of a doll.

"Baxter, Black, the two of you pick up the President and carry him out to the plane," Landers ordered with a menacing gesture of his pistol.

David shoved Jordan toward the door, "Move it, Professor, out to the plane."

Ferrara pointed to Brock who was sitting up on the floor cupping his groin and addressed Faye, "What about your husband? What do we do with him?"

"I'll take care of him," she answered. "If he gives me any trouble, I'll shoot him." Her hands on her hips she glared down at him. "I do have my priorities ... darling!"

At that moment Wingate stepped into the room. He studied the curious scene before him but showed no visible reaction. Instead, with his chin held high he announced, "We've found her and we've established a link. Rosie Gates is now connected to our neuro-net."

"Wonderful!" David said clapping his hands. "Now all we have to do is to get the headsets on Mr. Black and the professor. Then we can activate the network!"

With my hands clutching Addams' feet and Baxter's arms wrapped around his chest we shuffled past him. I looked him in the eyes and queried, "What happens then, David?"

"To put it simply, Michael, there is going to be one helluva synaptic siege. Today the country ... tomorrow the world!"

( To be continued

Sensory Overload )

№ 2100