Doctor Frankenstein Page 8

  That seemed to be correct. The other man led him to the library and selected books for him to read. None of them was the green leather one by Oaks at all. There were three on bomb making, each a highly technical manual, with the last going into how to make nuclear weapons from scratch. The material for that were rare though and the level of resources it would take to be able to produce that kind of thing meant he wasn’t going to be doing it any time soon. Plus, they were so destructive, in a long-term fashion.

  All he needed was a very large blast, anyway. Something along the power of what it would take to blow up a sky scraper from the outside. Not just remove a wall, or kill the people, so it would have to be massive. It didn’t need to be nuclear however, which made it a lot safer for anyone else that was nearby when it went off.

  There were other books presented as well. One on the history of tyrants, meant to influence his thinking in regards to a takeover plan and another that went over how to make soap. Why that was in the mix he couldn’t tell from context. It didn't seem too hard, really. Even making very fancy soaps was something he could understand without thinking about it for more than a moment or two. He looked for hints that something was there in code, but it wasn’t. The whole thing was merely what it seemed. An instruction on something he didn't know about yet.

  Something useful, since he used that kind of thing on a regular basis.

  Handing the things back about ten minutes later, Liam smiled at the man, who had stood there, watching closely, while the information was learned.

  “Thanks. I have your number. We should… plan to meet, in half a year or so? Even if nothing much is going on then. Right now… There seems to be a plan of the government here to kill off certain of the alternate groups. Vampires, werewolves and possibly some others. That plot has been around for at least a year. I’m not really dealing with that, being everyone else thinks that I’m too young.” Which was probably correct. Then, it also wasn’t his problem, in particular. Others that he knew had to deal with it, which didn’t mean he was forced to put himself in the middle.

  The trouble there was that things kept coming for him anyway. Not constantly but often enough to make his life less fun than it could have been. It really would have been nice to just stay at the beach for a week or so, and experience that. In a different hotel where the staff didn’t sell their patrons out to the vampires, perhaps. There had been other sights that would have been interesting to take in as well, if he was allowed that kind of thing, in the future.

  Next to him, five books in his normal sized fingers, Vincent nodded.

  “I’ve actually been told about that. Lissette bothered to get in touch with the rest of us. She’s more or less the one that does that kind of thing, so you’ll be hearing from her. Even if you don’t want to. On the plus side, she’s good in bed, when you become interested in such things. That will… It varies a bit but that kind of thing tends to hit us at about ten years old. It isn’t due to biology, of course. We’re created as we will be, with the exception of minor processes. You should take time to study chemistry, as well as medicine. You might find it useful. There might be some things that can be done to help you, I’d have to think.” The words were sly. Clearly meant to get him to ask what the other man already knew. That it was more than Liam understood was nearly certain.

  Rather than walk into the trap, he nodded.

  “That’s in my set of plans, if things calm down at all. We should speak on that, when we get the chance. Once I have enough knowledge to be able to follow what you’re telling me.” He walked out then, heading toward the stairs.

  Oddly, the other man didn't follow him. Liam felt observed as he pulled out, leaving down the long gravel road in front of the little log cabin. The place was very quaint, he had to admit. He wouldn’t have figured there to be a complex underneath the thing, if shown a photograph or video of it. Which was the point of it looking as it did. It was camouflage for something that shouldn’t be there at all.

  Once back on the main road, which was icy in places now, even if there was no new snow, Liam simply drove, for hours. Stopping only to get gas, on three occasions. Then, finally, after he was two and a half states away, which put him almost halfway home, he pulled into a rest stop, got his cell out and dialed a number from memory.

  His big index finger made that slightly difficult but he managed it, by being careful. It meant he did things like that more slowly than a competent human would have. Even now that he understood what he was doing with the machine.

  The voice in his ear was very deep. Almost grumbling. Then, his father was vast, compared to him. That part really fit with the image.

  “Yes?” From the sound of his voice he was either upset or annoyed with something.

  “I’d like to collect that fifty million dollars on Liam Frankenstein? I have me right here. Totally kidnapped.” He got ready to go into the data he’d seen, about the escrow company. Perhaps to argue with the man about his guilt in the matter of placing a hit on him.

  There was grunt from the phone, instead.

  “Hello, Liam. So, you worked that out? You just called, instead of trying to kill me first thing as well. I do suppose we could do that, if you want to bring yourself to me for pickup?”

  He nodded, since the other man was very serious sounding.

  “You could also just pull that off the web, so people stop trying to kill me? I think I get the point, you want me to turn against the humans, so I’ll aid you in your plans to take over?” It was complex, since on the surface it wouldn’t look like that at all. Not without the information Vincent had given him.

  After a moment, the deep voice was back.

  “I do want that. We could manage the other groups as well. It isn’t that important of a situation, though. I was merely building some traction with you, for later. After six months or so I would have pulled the contract, allowing you to blame the FBI, naturally. Instead I… well, I’ll take all of it down now. That might not stop everyone who’s already looking for you, until they understand that the offer isn’t on the table any longer. Three days or so? Then… Well, it depends on how angry you are with me.”

  Liam understood that. The thing there was that he wasn’t upset, at all. Maybe about his vacation being a bit odd but only that. It was a thing he simply admitted, since lying wasn’t a good way to build a relationship. He’d heard that online, more than once. Sometimes from cartoons, which had never steered him wrong.

  So it might be true.

  “I’m not angry with you at all, father. Still, please don’t do that again? We can just talk about your plans and that kind of thing, in the future. Right now, I’m not certain that it would be the best thing for us to be in control. Perhaps you can change my mind. With data and words, instead of tricks and games? Is that all right, do you think?”

  After a moment, there was a deep, almost grumbling noise.

  “Hmm. Well, I suppose we could try that. I’ll see you in a few days? I’ll need to get my affairs in order, in case you’re plotting against me. If you already know to lie this well, then I might not win, if we come to conclusions that way.”

  A thing which probably wasn’t true. Not yet. He simply didn't know enough. What he did understand was his own lack of skill that way. He could take fifty years to plan something out, which was probably what the older man meant. At least on some level.

  “About like that. Now, any news on the war front?” He’d heard nothing in almost ten days as far as that went. It could be that nothing had happened, but since killing him wasn’t actually a secret government operation, the idea that the other side might still be doing things seemed to make sense.

  “You know, there have been a few things. A small tribe of faeries was wiped out. That was in Washington State. The body of a dead human was found nearby, since they didn’t go easily. Even at that, there were thirty of them in that group. That means there had to have been fifty or more humans to kill them all. They aren’t weak, just tiny.”


  Liam had looked up some information on that kind of being, mainly in book form. They weren’t little girls with wings in dresses at all, being vaguely human shaped, with four arms, wings, regular seeming feet, and a head. Also an armored exoskeleton, which made them more similar to an insect than a mammal. They used tools though and even if only about six to eight inches tall, they were nearly as intelligent as humans.

  He nodded, practicing for being around people again, soon.

  “That’s not good. There’s no real reason for the human government to fight with them at all. They don’t interact in the same part of the world. Some kind of practice exercise? That or to harvest from them?” It hadn’t been in the book he’d read, but other groups had.

  The idea that Faeries might have something useful about their very being could be correct.

  After a long pause, the deep voiced man answered. It was clear that he was considering something. Probably about what not to say to Liam.

  “That, the idea of them collecting something, makes the most sense. If a certain gland is taken from a Faerie and implanted into the hypothalamus of a standard human, they’ll gain limited magical ability. It isn’t strong, but it’s very possible that someone is attempting to make an army of humans that might bring a more powerful battle to the others. If they are doing that, then some of the other deaths might be related to that as well. I’ll have to look into that. I’ll removed the incentive and the call to action from the web, now. See you in three days, if not sooner.”

  Then, without saying goodbye, the phone clicked.

  Thinking for a moment, looking at the time first, Liam dialed another number. This time it was Agent Brenner. They were about as close as he was with anyone, after all. Sondra might like him better, possibly, and Mary was his mother and creator, so there was a connection there. Brenner was the one that he’d lived with though, for the longest portion of his life, so far. His roommate after a fashion.

  The clinic he ran was in her house, after all. They didn’t always get along perfectly, given that the woman had helped to strip him from his only home, a little over half a year before. Seven months. His own Mother had been in on that at the same time, planning it all, for what ended up being silly reasons. It was nearly as bad as what Oaks had done, trying to manipulate him.

  Thankfully no one had gotten killed because of that.

  After three rings, there was a click, and then a woman’s voice. It was comforting, even if it was just Brenner.

  “Tiffany here.” She didn't add more and rarely did. It was her personal phone, so she answered it casually, even if half the people that called her actually needed Agent Brenner in an official capacity.

  “Hello, it’s Liam. Can you check to make sure the bounty on me and the ads promoting it are taken down today? I figured out who did it and that should be taken care of soon.”

  “What? Who did it? I was half afraid you’d think it was me, given everything.” She sounded excited to know that it wasn’t, at least.

  “Oaks. It seems he wanted me to blame the FBI for setting it up, so, you know, it was almost you. He has this plan to take over the world that he wants my help with. This didn’t really convince me that he’s the best person for the job. Not that the government has been doing great that way lately, either. I heard about those faeries.” He was actually asking if that was real, without using those words for it.

  She seemed to understand the trick he was using, since she took a deep breath and then answered almost instantly.

  “That was… Horrible. There were tiny bodies, each with their heads split open. I have the pictures. We’re going to have to work out who’s behind all of this and fast. Not that you need to worry about that. It will be good to have you back home. I get ten calls per week, people asking if you can come and see about things for them. Mainly dental issues, at the moment. Let me check online. It could be a while, so… I’ll call you back if there’s any movement that way? Also, what’s the plan with Oaks on this?”

  She held her breath then, which made a difference to the tone coming over the phone.

  He was simply honest.

  “He promised not to do it again. I don’t know if that will hold, but not trusting people doesn’t get the job done either. We’ll talk it out. If we can’t… Well, then things will be different. They don’t have to be, which hopefully he’ll understand.”

  There was an exhalation, which was a bit gusty.

  “Okay. I was worried that you were going to just run in with guns blazing. I probably would be, if it was happening to me. Then, you pretty much manage to keep a cool head most of the time. I’ll do that checking on things. Talk soon.”

  After that, there was more driving. That and another run to an ATM, with two more gas station stops and most of a state being passed through before she called back. Hours later, he noticed.

  “Hey, Liam! It does look like the hit is gone from anything I can find online. When do you plan to be back, given that?”

  He nearly said two and a half days, but that wasn’t really how long the trip was going to take.

  “I’m about twelve hours away, if the roads are open. I should probably take more time than that and stay gone for a while. Warren mentioned that it might take time for everyone to notice that the big reward isn’t being offered any longer.”

  “That… It’s probably correct. I just hate to have you driving around aimlessly like that. Better safe and all that though. So, I’ll see you in a few days? We have some things to go over that we can’t do on an open line.” She sounded light about it, as if it might be something simple or at least not dire.

  It wouldn’t be though. She was either just lying, to throw off the NSA, who would no doubt be listening to them, or she was telling the truth and something was going on that was too important to let the other side know about.

  That, or she was attempting to pretend that was the case.

  Hopefully it was the lie. He didn't like being used that way, but it was better than him actually being brought into the mess that the government was making. He really didn’t need to make enemies that way, if at all possible. Then, he also didn’t really want to sit back and watch the genocide of the vampires or even the werewolves.

  What had happened to the faerie tribe kind of showed that whoever was behind the whole effort was willing to do monstrous things. They’d killed the whole population as far as he knew. That would be including the children as well as the adult men and women. Even their old people and those with special needs. No matter how different they were, there was no way to excuse or overlook that kind of insane behavior.

  Chapter six

  Even after finding out that the hit was removed from the deep web, Liam drove in several large circles, over the course of two and a half days. It was the middle of the night when he finally pulled into the driveway at Brenner’s house. A place that, now he considered the idea, was his only real home. The driveway had been repaired from the damage done by an explosion more than half a year before and the gravel was smooth as he got the large vehicle, the yellow SUV into place in front of the home.

  Where the vehicle lived, most of the time.

  He’d lived there too, with Agent Brenner, longer than he’d been anyplace else. Half of his life, as it turned out. Almost a full year, even with two weeks taken off to travel aimlessly around the country. That, the idea that this was where he actually lived felt off to him. He tended to think of Mary’s as being his place. Except that, after the government had gotten out of his life, nearly eleven months before when he’d been given a real identity and Child Protective Services couldn’t bother him, his mother hadn’t really sought to have him returned to her at all.

  She called, and had visited many times, even if it was a very long drive for her. There was no request or demand for him to return to her. That should have hurt and probably would have if he’d been a human being. To him it felt like she was simply a part of his childhood now.

  Weirdly, that meant Tiff
any Brenner, the FBI Agent that had taken him in, as unlikely as that had seemed at the time, was sort of important to his life. She, not Mary or Warren Oaks had been there for him. That seemed almost neglectful after a fashion once he thought about it for a few moments. Brenner was kind enough, most of the time but the woman was far more aligned with her job than taking care of a growing intelligence. She had rules for him to follow but they weren’t the same ones that a human child would have expected.

  After all, she, and everyone else he knew, had sent him away for two weeks. Just aimlessly moving around the country, driving without even having a destination most of the time. That wasn’t what would have happened with a normal one year old. Then, no one thought of him that way. He wasn’t a child, any longer, even if his age indicated that kind of thing.

  As he worked his way to the front door, being careful, in case someone was laying in wait to ambush him, he carried his laptop, clothing and keys, since he’d need all of them, eventually. The front door was locked tight, being the middle of the night. Letting himself in, he moved quietly, not trying to sneak at all. That could cause Brenner to wake up. If he made familiar sounds, she’d be more likely to understand that it was simply him.

  A trick that didn’t really work, since the woman got to the living room at about the same time Liam settled his laptop on the table there. That, the position nearest the door, was his spot. Where he sat and worked most of the time he’d been there, in the past.

  Tiff’s red hair was pressed down on the left side, and there were creases from her pillow on her pale face. For clothing she was wearing her normal night time gear. A pair of gray sweat pants and a light blue t-shirt. One that had a different cut than what he wore that way. It was designed for the female form. That gave more room across the chest, and in this case had a v-neck, which pulled downward due to her shape, far more than the same thing would have on him.

  She had a firearm in her right hand, but still grinned when she saw who it was.