“This Jarrard, you are sure he is not the one?” Murad was pissed and wanted more information. “Have you learned of others? Who are the scientists in this program? Sameer, you have not done your work! We need to strike surgically, and if we must take one captive and make them suffer to give us the information we seek, this we will do!”
They had just closed Castle Pizza for the evening, and Murad was particularly agitated because he kept losing the tip contest between the other delivery drivers which made him even more furious with Sameer.
“Murad, we know of three others who use the device called Sentient or work within the research group. One lives on an island in Hawaii. We think he was fired from Photon, so question why he is still sent packages from its headquarters. While he might have the imaging device, we do not believe he is important.”
Sameer continued, “Then there is a bizarre connection to a man named Shawn Pérez, a surfing photographer. He also lives in Hawaii, but we do not think he can be the key. He works for magazines and clothing companies and uses the Sentient in his work around the world. We put a follower on him for more than a month and his patterns are of little interest to us. He spends most of his time on hot beaches, many we could not go to because they are too remote and we would risk discovery, but when we were able to observe him, after his time taking pictures, he would almost always return to a hotel or to his home and spend hours perfecting the photographs on his computer. He also spends a great deal of time with one surfer who, we can assure you, is far removed. His name is Drake Powers, and he lives a decadent life!”
Murad screamed, “Don’t tell me what I do not need to know, share only which will bring us the satisfaction of crushing these heathens!”
“Yes, yes, I am sorry. Let me tell you, there is one other and we have decided this scientist is the one we are after. We even found she is the one who sent the cameras to the male scientist and the photographer in Hawaii. She works in the same section of the Photon compound as Dr. Jarrard, and when the Sentient devices are tested, she is always present. Last month we discovered a trip she made to a military base in the desert here in California but we could not gain access.”
“What is her name you fool? Tell me all you know of her!” Murad demanded.
Sameer lifted a laptop from the safe they used to lock up the cash at night (they only accepted cash), opened it, and lightened the display until a photo of Sally leaving Photon came into view. “Dr. Sally Evans, formally a cloning research scientist who joined Photon not too many years ago. Dr. Evans was brought in by the scientist in exodus in Hawaii and whenever something important occurs with the Sentient, her name or mention of her work is included. Reaching her is not a problem as she comes and goes with no security, which is why we did not suspect her in the beginning. After all, we could not understand how research this important would be trusted to a woman. They are here to serve us alone.”
Murad was silent, and then spoke. “Forget the others and make plans to abduct her in two days. Bring her at night to the secure room you have built below your house, but to be sure, spend the time until then making sure there are no others we might consider — like this Jarrard. Let us speak of him once more; you told me he may know something.”
“Murad, with his lunches here each day, we knew we could use him to gain access to Photon, which of course we have done by digitally copying his access card. We also thought if they were friends or had a stronger connection, we could torture one of them in front of the other to make them give up their secrets. But we have concluded Dr. Evans does not care for him, nor does anyone else at Photon. He always eats alone and it is clear he is quite a lonely man.”
“It does not matter, women are weak and not to be trusted with knowledge. We will bring her to the edge of death and she will tell us all! Do not fail me; we meet in forty eight hours.”
Murad put his employee magnet at the bottom of the daily tip board once again, pulled the Castle T-shirt up and over his head and threw it into the garbage as he had done every night he worked since arriving. “And why will no one tip me? I am always on time with the tasteless pizzas!” he snarled, as he stormed from the room.