10: Three Blind Mice

Eric exited the hotel with the rest of the NASA team. Photographers awaited them outside. Daniel and Isaac wanted a video of the girls wishing him luck with his testimony.

He walked ahead as Leslie held Becky behind the glass doors. When he turned, Leslie released Becky, who’d been prepped how to respond. She spun the revolving door and rushed Eric, who laughed and knelt, opening his arms. She launched herself at him. He caught her, spinning her around as she giggled, her mother following. She and her brother hugged, a tear-provoking scene. The press team they gave the exclusive to ate it up.

The other NASA members were waiting in the limousine while Daniel and Isaac chatted up the news crew filming him departing. However, as he did, the sliding door on a service van parked beside the limo opened. Three masked men leapt out. Eric was turning while everyone froze, caught by surprise. The hooded men grabbed him, tossing a cloth bag over his head and dragged him back to the van. The news team recorded the start of the action, but couldn’t keep the camera stable enough to capture the kidnapping. As the vehicle sped away, Becky screamed, rushing into the street to catch them. Tears streamed down her face as her mother rushed after her. No one thought to record the license. Someone inside was already erasing the hotel’s security cameras.

“Are you going to cause trouble, or do I need to gag you?” The leader of the trio demanded. The others remained silent.

“Don’t worry. I realize resistance won’t do any good. Can I ask who you represent?”

“No, you can’t.” Eric heard the ruffle of material as the other kidnappers removed their hoods and a police radio reported a kidnapping call. As the nearest police cars responded, the driver turned, heading away from any potential run-ins. Apparently they had a specific escape planned.

“You realize I don’t need to see you. I can read your electrical signals clearly enough to observe you in pitch blackness. Although I don’t know your names, I understand plenty about each of you. Tell me,” he said, motioning to the leader. “What would Linda and the kids say about your kidnapping me? Would they be proud of their father? The one who teaches them about right and wrong, and honor above all else?”

“Who the hell told you about me?”

“No one. I can read all of you like a book. Your concerns, regrets and mistakes are written on your souls like they were etched in stone. I can identify each of you from miles away.”

Growling in frustration, the father of three boys ripped the covering from Eric’s head. Eric took in his kidnappers’ faces, comparing them to what he’d already perceived. They wore short military haircuts, jeans and plain blue shirts, the kind which wouldn’t attract attention. One man was bald with a partially grown goatee; the other possessed a fresh face which belied his actions. Their leader was older with a large nose and big brown eyes.

“No one said anything about you reading minds.”

“Alas, I don’t, and I never admitted all my new abilities in public. Would any of you admit your innermost secrets before a court investigating you? And yet, I can see everything you’ve ever done wrong: from shooting the young lad in Iraq to torturing those prisoners in Afghanistan. Those solitary acts mark your souls for eternity. You knew those decisions were unforgivable, but felt compelled to commit them anyway.”

The men glanced at one another, sweat beginning to form along their brows. Eric didn’t seem affected by the heat, acting as though he didn’t have a care in the world. He smiled, cocking his head.

“I assume you’re from the CIA?”

“You keep asking questions like that and I’ll knock you unconscious and tape your mouth shut. You don’t appear to understand the position you’re in.”

“If you do, it’ll be harder transferring me. With an escape this well-planned, you don’t need the complications, especially since I’m not resisting. Besides, what are the chances I’d escape? A few well-placed phone calls and police calls get rerouted and priorities shifted.”

“You seem to understand the routine,” the bald guy said, glaring at him.

“I’m a vet, a Navy pilot, so I’m familiar with the mindset. I was involved with a few CIA missions where I got to know a couple people. They never said much, but you grasp how they approach things.” He glanced out the front window, set too high to reveal much. “So what am I in for? A secret installation where they perform brain scans, or do we go straight for dissection?”

“You wish. No, they plan to test your abilities while tracking which areas of the body are activated. They’ll identify any DNA changes you’ve experienced. We’re already collecting older DNA samples from your doctors’ offices. When they perform brain scans, they’ll know where to drill.”

Eric drew his head back, closing his eyes and taking everything in as if appreciating the smells drifting by. “We took a right turn off Pennsylvania. So far we’ve stopped at three stop signs, but haven’t reached any traffic lights. I assume we’re heading for the 695 to get out of town before the police can organize, though I doubt you’ll head for Langley. Still, I suspect we’ll drive east into Virginia. It’s less crowded. Possibly you’ll transfer to an ambulance so no one will stop you?”

“You ask a lot of questions for someone in your position.”

Eric shrugged, keeping his cuffed hands between his knees. “Hey, I work with engineers. It’s how we think. When we encounter things we don’t understand, we start detailing what we do. As a pilot, I’ve got good spatial skills. It’s not hard to figure out where we are in a well-known location like Capitol Hill. Ah, another right turn. I was right. I’m guessing we’re nearing 695, heading for Virginia like I suggested. I can hear the traffic.”

“Should I shut him up, Gunny?” the baby-faced kidnapper said.

Gunny pulled a pre-filled needle from a side cabinet. “No, once we inject him, he’ll be too dopey to talk.”

“Sorry, but with what you’re likely giving me, I’ll still blather. Only I won’t make much sense, which will help with the medical cover and account for why I’m stumbling. Still, with as much as I know about you, my mumbling might be dangerous.”

Gunny tapped the needle, clearing air bubbles as he held it to the light, a smile curling his lip. “I can understand why you went into NASA. You’re too full of yourself and fond of hearing yourself talk to last long in the military.”

Eric sighed, bracing himself. “You’re right, I’m a great talker, but since we’re nearing the entrance ramp, I need to spoil your plans.”

The van lurched, the brakes squealing as the vehicle skidded to a stop, burning rubber filling the air before the driver pulled to the side. No one besides Eric was prepared. Those holding him hostage were thrown across the van. Gunny dropped the hypodermic, which slid under the supply rack. The van’s contents clattered around, striking those inside. The cars behind them began honking.

“What the hell are you doing?” Gunny screamed at the driver.