Mind Trace (4 page)

It's time to take a trip to Asheville.

He reached forward and hit the intercom button, paging his
secretary.

"Alert Bravo Team and have them waiting for me at the
front of the campus in thirty minutes," he told her. "And have my
plane prepped. I'm going to need it."

***

As Alice veered her bike to the main highway, her headache
returned.

I guess it wouldn't hurt to get one last cup of coffee
before I go.

It was unreasonable… she knew that. But she had no idea
when she would be able to return to Asheville, and she was really going to miss
that coffee.

A few minutes later, she pulled into a parking spot on the
side of the coffee shop and went inside.

The barista smiled warmly and nodded a greeting to her.

"The usual?"

"Yep!" Alice replied. "Oh, but make it to-go
this time. I have to run today."

He smiled in agreement and expertly prepared her beverage.
The barista handed her the coffee, and she took one last look around the quaint
shop as she paid him. Alice bid him farewell and pushed the door to the café
open. As she turned to walk to her bike, she ran headlong into a man heading in
the opposite direction. By some miracle, she managed
not
to spill her
coffee all over him. She looked up into his face to offer an apology for her
clumsiness, but the words fell short of her lips.

Alice found herself staring into the face of a man her mind
knew very well...
Eric Martin
.

Even though she had never seen this man in real life, her
mind was buzzing with his life history: where he went to school, his entire
career, all of his personal information. She even knew his parents' names and
where they grew up.  While the media never seemed to have accurate pictures of
him, there were enough in the database she "downloaded" for her to
know beyond any doubt that this was the man standing in front of her.

It took every ounce of willpower that she had not to run
screaming in the other direction. She would have applauded her bravery in this
circumstance; however, she was all too keenly aware that the reason she was not
running was that she was far too afraid to move.

 If Eric Martin was standing here, on the streets of
Asheville, there could only be one reason. They had somehow already traced the
connection. Yet, as he looked down at her with his face of surprise and
annoyance, there was not even a hint of recognition. In fact, he would not have
even given her a second glance, had she not physically run into him.  He looked
down at her, distastefully.  She couldn't help but notice that he was almost a
full foot taller than she was.

"Uh, I-I'm sorry. I was not paying attention… Please,
excuse me." She muttered.

Her hands were shaking as she spoke. Looking beyond him,
she saw that he had an entourage as well. There were five men in suits standing
a few feet from him. All of them looked quite capable of defending themselves. 
As she glanced over their faces, her mind instantly began pulling up dossiers
on each of them. She shook her head and tried to think of something else.

Eric seemed to consider something, then he finally spoke. "No
matter. No harm done. I do have a question for you though, if you have a
moment."

Great. Of all the things that I could be doing, here I
am, having a nice chat with the most powerful man in the world, who I am
currently trying to run away from. It doesn't help that he's extremely handsome
and intimidating.

"Uh…sure," she managed to say.

His voice was deep and seemed to resonate through her. "I'm
not from around here, and I was hoping to get some information on one of the
residents. You see, I am trying to find a relative of mine who I lost contact
with, and I think some people here might know where I can find him. Have you
lived here long?"

"My whole life," she said.      

"Wonderful. Then you must know the Marshalls?"

Did she know them? If he only knew the truth!

"I've met them a few times."

 "Oh! Then, by any chance, do you know who is renting
the cottage they have? I spoke with someone who thought he had moved to that
address a few years back."

Alice inwardly smiled, despite her nerves. Of course, Eric
would assume the hacker was male. Some men were so predictable.

Well, let's use this to our advantage, shall we?

"Oh, you must mean Steven? He's lived there for a
while now. He works for a computer shop on the other side of town. Tech Mart, I
think."

Eric gave her a winning smile. "Yes, Steven. Excellent
news!"

Alice did her best to look convincing. She looked down at
her watch and continued, "As a matter of fact, he happens to work on the
weekends. If you head over there within the next hour, you can probably still
catch him before his shift ends."

Eric smiled again. He seemed genuinely pleased at her
assistance.

"You've been so very helpful. Thank you." It was
a dismissal. He turned back to the huddle of men behind him and they began
speaking rapidly to each other, so low she could not make out the words.

Alice's heart seemed as though it would hammer through her
chest.

It was worth it, if it bought me more time. I just hope
it's enough.

She walked as quickly as she could without drawing unwanted
attention, tossed her coffee into the nearest trash, threw herself onto the
bike, and drove away without looking back.

***

What a strange, young girl.

Eric was annoyed at her carelessness. She seemed to be
nervous, but perhaps that was because she had been so clumsy.  Upon arriving in
Asheville, they hoped to get as much information as possible before they made their
move.

Fortune smiles on us...less than fifteen minutes here,
and we just happen to run into someone who knows exactly what we want to
know... Slightly ironic, but most fortunate.

His men had looked up Tech Mart and gotten the address
instantly. Time was of the essence. The sooner they apprehended Steven, the
less chance there was for him to become more of a nuisance than he already was.

Eric motioned to his men. In one fluid movement, they were
seated in the sleek, black SUV, awaiting his command.

"Let's wrap this up."

They drove in a still silence across town to Tech Mart. After
they pulled up to the curb outside the faded building, Eric stepped out onto
the sidewalk.

It's almost disappointing. I expected more from someone
with the ability to hack through our defenses.

He distastefully stood back as his men opened the front
door and went through. It was a typical computer repair shop; computer parts
littered everywhere. He walked briskly to the back counter and rang the small,
brass bell laying upon it.  His men lingered near the entrance, ready for
anything.

A few moments later, a balding, middle-aged man appeared at
the counter. "May I help you?"

"Is Steven working here today?" Eric asked.

"Steven? Steven who? There's no one here by that name."

Eric was completely taken back. "Are you absolutely
sure?"

"Um…Yeah. We only have four employees here. Come to
think of it, no one by that name has ever worked here."

Eric stared ahead, rapidly collecting his thoughts. He
could only think of one motive for someone to mislead a complete stranger. If
that person knew the truth.

Who was that girl?

Acting on a hunch, Eric casually leaned forward and asked, "This
might be a long shot, but do you happen to know a young woman with wavy brown
hair, brown eyes, and glasses, that frequents Joe’s Java Café? She may or may
not have connections to your business."

The man's brows furrowed. "You know, that sounds a lot
like that Alice McArthur. She works for Computer Techs & More. Brilliant
girl. She hasn't worked there long, but she turned that company around. They
are one of the most successful computer companies in town."

Already knowing the answer, Eric asked anyway, "Do you
know where I can find her?"

The man thought for a moment, and then replied, "I
think she lives over there on the Marshall property."

Chapter 4

Alice had reached the lake house by five thirty that
evening. The very sight of it filled her with relief. 

It was an ideal place to seek refuge. While the house was
in her name now, there was no digital record of that information.  There were
not enough houses in the area to necessitate that level of "fancy
organization," as the locals explained.  All of the property records were
kept as paper copies in the county seat. It was probably only a matter of time
before they were forced to convert to an electronic database. For now, Alice
was grateful for the lack of technology.

Nothing to trace me here…

From the outside, the house itself appeared to be nothing
but ordinary. It was a quaint, two-story log cabin on the south side of the
lake. Inside, it was another story. It featured an oversized kitchen, a Jacuzzi,
and an extensive library. Given its remote location, the house was the most
elaborately furnished building within fifty miles. It might have been a
vacation home, but Alice's parents were never ones to do anything
half-heartedly.

She went inside the now musty cabin, carrying the few
things she brought. Aside from a layer of dust on most things, the place was
clean and tidy.

Just like we left it.

Alice's stomach growled, distracting her from her
reflections. The cabinets were, of course, empty.

I bet the Pit Stop is still open. I'll go there and stock
up on a few things.

She wasn't sure if it was the clear fresh air, or just
escaping from the "real world," but Alice felt as if a huge weight
had been lifted from her shoulders. A smile found its way onto her face as she leapt
on her bike, speeding away from the cabin.

The roads near the lake, like all roads in the area, were
extremely curvy and surrounded by dense forest. It gave one a sense of
isolation, which Alice had always loved.

Nothing to distract from the quiet stillness of being
close to nature.

Alice began to relax, the cool air whipping on her face as
she sped down the winding roads.  She had travelled several miles, driving a
little too fast, when she saw it. 

Her tires spun as she made her way around a bend in the
trees. Trees rustled suspiciously near the road in front of her, and she didn't
have time to wonder why as a huge deer darted from the undergrowth. It seemed
as if time itself slowed, and she was looking expertly through some sort of
dream-like lens.

The deer leapt out across the road. Alice knew that she
would hit it if she continued at her current rate and direction. Her mind
instantly calculated the parameters of the situation. The speed and weight of
the deer, the speed of her motorcycle, her current path, the momentum of her
bike, and the time before impact.

Slowing down three miles and shifting thirty degrees to
the right will produce successful impact prevention.

Her reflexes were instantaneous. She gingerly applied the
brakes, and expertly guided her bike in the direction her mind had decided
would be acceptable.

 Then, the spell broke and it seemed that time had again
resumed its normal pace. Alice missed the deer by mere inches.  She slowed down
and pulled over to the side of the road. Her heart was pounding with fear and
excitement. She was of breath and stood, hunched over, with her hands on her
knees.

What. Was. That?

It was as if a computer had taken over her mind during that
small window of time, producing unexplainable and unimaginable results. There
was no possible way a normal person could have reacted that quickly.

As her heart rate began to slow, she looked up into the
sky.

It's getting late. What time is it? I should hurry...

Alice's normal thought pattern was interrupted, once again
hijacked by the new part of her brain.

Given the angle of the sunlight and the length of the
shadows, there are forty-three minutes left until sunset
.

Her inner self wanted to panic, to run to the nearest
hospital for a cat-scan, anything to understand what was happening... but she
knew she couldn't risk it. 

Get a hold of yourself, Alice. Just lay low for a few
days until everything calms down...then you can figure out what's going on.

If I leave now, I'll have just enough time to run by the
store and make it home before dark... I definitely don't need to run into any
more deer.

As she predicted, Alice pulled into the Pit Stop a short
while later.

That title is more accurate than they could have
imagined
.

Aside from being dingy and badly in need of repair, most
people that shopped there only did so because there was no alternative.  It was
one of the only stores in the vicinity, and the only gas station in town.

The employees paid little attention to her. She was just
another person passing through on her way to somewhere else. She entered the
store and picked out enough food to last at least a few days.

She set her items on the counter and waited for the clerk
to ring her up. Glancing over them, she pulled out the exact change from her
wallet long before the old man gave her the total.

Hey, that's  Barney. I can't believe he's still here. He
was working here when I was just a kid.

She pushed her cash forward on the counter as he packed
away the last item.  He wordlessly took the money and mumbled, "Have a
nice day," as she walked out the door
.

Same old Barney.

Alice hopped on her bike and hurried back to the cabin,
arriving just as the sun was setting.