Night Strike

"Time for the truth," Mason said, "Have a seat, Parnell."

  "You can’t do this!" Parnell exclaimed.

  "Watch me," Mason said as he cocked the trigger, his voice like ice, "I don’t want to do this the hard way, but you’ve left us no choice."

  "What are you going to do, shoot me?" Parnell asked as he sat down on the couch, "How are you going to cover that bit of police brutality."

  "I’m not going to shoot you yet," Mason said, "We have some things to talk about first."

  "If you think you can get this confession to stick you’re out of your mind," Parnell said, "My lawyer will get it thrown out in minutes."

  "That’s only if we tried to use it in court," Mason said, "Karen, Jim, go ahead and set up."

  Karen Stone nodded and took the cylindrical tube from Jim Entragian, who was setting up the portable PC that he had been carrying. Karen opened the tube to put up a background for the projector they used for the PC. Parnell looked at them idly, and then back at Mason who sat across from him holding the weapon steadily. Parnell looked for an opening to move, but Mason Stone offered him none.

  "Hook that line up to the back of his computer," Jim told Karen as he passed her an Ethernet crossover cable, "Let’s see just what he has."

  "You can’t do this," Parnell said as he growled, "I’ll have all of you arrested. I’m going to make a mint from the lawsuits alone."

  "You can try," Mason said as Jim and Karen finished their setup, "Somehow I don’t think it’s going to matter by the time we’re done."

  "We’re ready," Karen said as Jim continued tapping into the machine, "Just waiting for windows to finish loading."

  "What is this supposed to prove?" Parnell asked, "That you can fuck me over?"

  "It’s going to prove a bit more than that," Mason said, "Just sit down and enjoy the show."

  "Right," Parnell said and yawned, "What show is that?"

  "The story of your life, Bob," Mason said as Jim brought up a wireless connection to the internet, "The story of a child molester that keeps slipping through the cracks of the law."

  "I don’t have to listen to this," Bob Parnell said as he started to rise, "Fuck you!"

  "I think I’m too old for you, Parnell," Mason said, raising the gun, "Now sit down before I decide to abandon our plan and just shoot you."

  "And get yourself in jail?" Parnell asked him, "I don’t think so."

  "Believe me when I tell you that’s the least of my concern," Mason told him outright, his hard ice blue eyes showing no mercy, "Now sit down before I kill you now."

  Bob Parnell looked at Mason Stone and knew the tall man was not kidding. He sat down, searching for a way, any way, to get out of this situation without Mason shooting him outright. Little did he know that Mason had no intention of hurting him at all, or at least not of hurting him directly.

  Jim Entragian brought up the first electronic page of Bob Parnell’s police record. On it was an old mugshot of the man and several personal facts, not one of which surprised the molester. He actually managed to look bored by this, despite the fact that it’s information that hadn’t been seen in ages.

  "That’s me," Parnell shrugged, "I’ve already served my time for that."

  "For that one, yes," Mason nodded, "But not for these."

  Jim pressed a few buttons and a few more slides went by of victims that two weeks of investigation had been able to tentatively tie to this man over the years. This wasn’t the cream of the crop, investigative wise, but they weren’t trying for a courtroom either. They were merely trying to make a point.

  Jim Parnell watched impassively as his victims were paraded on the screen Karen had set up. He had been at this since his teens, and he did not see it as cruel or anything else. It was what he was and that was the price that had to be paid as far as he was concerned.

  "You can’t prove any of this," Parnell said as he watched the pictures pass, "I was never even accused of most of these."

  "They didn’t have evidence," Mason corrected, "They suspected you."

  "Get to the point," Parnell said.

  "Two weeks ago you took a child," Mason told him as the child’s photo appeared on the screen, "You took this poor little girl to a warehouse, where you brutally raped and sodomized her."

  Jim pressed a button and a second photograph appeared on the screen, this one much harder for them to watch. It was a photograph of the same child in the hospital, a photograph taken in the Intensive care unit, her body beaten, bloody and scarred. A child that would never be the same again. Parnell himself had a hard time looking at what he had done.

  "You have no proof that it was me," Parnell said, though is face was much whiter now, "No way you do."

  "This came off a surveillance tape we were running," Mason said as he cued Jim, "You’re lucky we weren’t manning it live. You wouldn’t have lived this long."

  Jim started the digital image that had been transmitted from the camera. It was a high priced Japanese digital camera system, so the picture was crystal clear. Bob Parnell’s face was very clear in the picture, as was the face of the poor child that he brought into the building. The time stamp on the film put it as a mere four hours before the child was found in the bushes of a park not ten minutes from there.

  "It’s an illegal surveillance, isn’t it?" Parnell said, "That’s why you’re doing this."

  "I’m not a cop anymore, asshole," Mason said with a smile, "I don’t have a warrant and I wasn’t even after you. You were just a nuisance that decided to rape a child where we were looking for a gang of car thieves."

  "That tape will be thrown out," Parnell said, "I own that building. It’s an invasion of privacy and against the law."

  "You keep forgetting," Mason said, "I don’t have any intention of turning you in."

  "Ahhh," Parnell said, "So you’re showing this to me hoping that I’ll change my ways, is that it?"

  "No," Mason said, "I’m not that naive. People like you never change. You will rape children until the day you die."

  "Then what are you going to do," Parnell asked, "Shoot me now?"

  "No," Mason said again, this time a smile forming on his face, "By the time we are through here, you are going to do it yourself."

  "You think I am going to commit suicide?" Parnell asked, "You really are fucked in the head."

  "Karen," Mason said, "Do you have that .45 automatic?"

  "Here," Karen said as she handed Mason an old gray Colt, "Loaded and ready."

  Mason smiled and cocked the pistol, bought anonymously at a gun show ten years earlier under a different identity, and put it down on the table in front of Bob Parnell. Parnell looked at the pistol and sneered at Mason, Karen and Jim.

  "You really are insane," Parnell said, "What makes you think I’d kill myself?"

  "Because if you don’t," Mason said, "We’re going to insure that you have no life to come back to."

  "I think that’s your cue to begin hacking, Jim," Karen said dryly.

  "Start with his computer," Mason instructed Jim, "See if he already has the pictures on it."

  "I know better than that," Parnell said with a smile.

  "Do you?" Jim asked, grinning as he pressed a few keys, "Then what’s with the gigabyte of stuff you downloaded from alt.sex.little.girls?"

  "What are you talking about?" Parnell asked as Jim rapidly dropped the entire contents of that newsgroup on his hard drive, "You can’t do this!"

  "Sure I can," Mason said, "By the time I leave here you will either be dead or proven to be the child molester you are. This is just step one."

  "But it didn’t even come from my internet account!" Parnell exclaimed.

  "No?" Jim said, "According to their electronic records you downloaded it yesterday."

  "Nobody is ever going to believe this," Parnell said breathlessly, "I can remove it all…"

  "Sure you can," Mason said, "But are you going to be able to get away from an FBI file on your activities?

  "I’ve nev
er spoken to an FBI Agent in my life!" Parnell shouted at Mason, "How the hell can they have a file on me?"

  "Easy," Mason smiled, "Jim?"

  Jim tapped a few keys and entered a couple passwords and suddenly the entrance into the main FBI Database appeared on to the screen. It was a place that Jim had been into several times, so it took him mere moments to bring up the rudimentary file that had already been started on Robert Parnell.

  "I’d say that’s you, Parnell," Mason said, "Go ahead and upload the updated record."

  Jim did just that, uploading the entire list of offenses, along with several bogus wants and warrants, putting Robert Parnell’s record into the active file, something that would put him in the running for the next round up and warrant search. Parnell looked on, not believing what he was seeing.

  "You can’t do this," Parnell said, "This is illegal."

  "So are you," Mason said, "Shall I continue?"

  "I’m not going to shoot myself!" Parnell exclaimed.

  "Fine," Mason smiled, "Then you can endure the consequences. Jim, once you finish that upload, please move on to his bank."

  "The bank isn’t as easy to break," Parnell said, shifting around nervously.

  "We’ll see," Mason said, still smiling.

  It was not easy for most people, but Jim was not your average computer hacker. He had apprenticed with the best, years before, a hacker that Mason had known in another life. A hacker that lost his life along with 3000 others in the world trade center explosion, years before. Jim entered the bank’s central computer with ease, bringing up Parnell’s bank account on the screen for all to see.

  "Very talented hands my friend has there," Mason said, "I say we should do some financial redistribution here."

  "With pleasure sir," Jim said as he punched in the codes for a few transactions, "I think I know a few children’s charities that could use the cash."

  "You can’t seriously expect to get away with this!" Parnell exclaimed, shocked that Jim was doing this so easily, "What am I going to have left?"

  "Nothing," Mason promised, "I am going to leave you broke, in debt, defaulting on everything."

  "Have some mercy man!" Parnell exclaimed, managing to piss off Mason some more.

  "I’ll show you just as much mercy as you did that child," Mason said coldly, his ice blue eyes staring down the child molester, "Your life is over, Parnell. One way or another I promise you that."

  "Not before I end yours!" Parnell screamed and picked up the gun, "Didn’t think about that, did you."

  "Go ahead and shoot me," Mason said, "If you think you have the balls."

  Mason looked coldly at the serial child molester and wondered if the man actually had the guts to pull the trigger. Karen and Jim looked directly at Bob Parnell and watched the man’s indecision impassively. Parnell’s hands were shaking and he truly did not know what to do. He knew that things would never be the same again, but could not help but try to think of a way out of it.

  Parnell aimed the weapon at Mason Stone’s chest, something that made Karen and Jim sigh with relief. Mason stared at the little man, looking at the gun and smiling. He felt no fear for his life, knowing that Parnell would not have the guts to shoot another human being. He could rape them and beat them, but only when they were smaller and weaker than he was.

  "Pull the trigger," Mason said quietly, not breaking eye contact with the pedophile, "Either shoot me or yourself, it makes no difference at this point. Either way your life ends here."

  The harsh gaze inflicted on him by Mason Stone wilted Bob Parnell. He was shaking to the point of disbelief when his finger tightened on the trigger. He couldn’t bring himself to shoot the man who was destroying his life, however, and put the gun to his own temple. His hand was shaking as he considered pulling the trigger.

  Mason, Karen and Jim said nothing as they watched the man. Bob Parnell’s inner demons were shaking him to the core as he determined whether to destroy himself. His eyes darted around the room as he knew he had lost everything.

  It wasn’t remorse, actually, as he was nearly incapable of the function. It was a sense of hopelessness that filled his soul as he saw Jim Entragian take his life apart piece by piece. Finally, after several minutes of debate he made the decision and pulled the trigger.

  His surprise became apparent as the hammer clicked on dead air. He pulled it again, but nothing happened. He looked at Mason, who merely smiled. Jim shut down the machine and pulled out the cords. Karen broke down the screen while Mason continued to look at Parnell.

  "You really didn’t think we’d let you off that easily, did you?" Mason asked him, "I’d rather let you rot in prison."

  Jim and Karen were done and filing out of the building in under three minutes, loading the stuff back into the truck. Mason pulled out a clip out of his pocket and put it down on the table as he looked at the broken pedophile. He shook his head silently and walked out the door, peeling off the rubber gloves he had been wearing as he walked towards the truck where Jim and Karen were waiting.

  "You think he’ll do it?" Karen asked Mason.

  "I think so," Mason said, "I liked your fake hacking, Jimbo. He really bought that crap."

  "The only one I did for real was the financial," Jim said, "And I did that an hour ago. You said you wanted a show, I gave you one."

  "It worked," Karen said, "He really pulled the trigger."

  "Why didn’t you leave bullets in there," Jim asked him, "It’s not like he could have hurt us."

  "I didn’t want to explain our presence at his suicide," Mason said, "I don’t think we need to talk to the police tonight."

  Jim nodded and climbed into the back seat of the truck’s king cab. Karen looked at Mason for a second and smiled, climbing in to take the front seat. Mason looked up at the house one more time, wondering how long it would take. He was about to sit down in the truck himself when the question was answered for him.

  A bright light flashed in the window of Bob Parnell’s house as a single shot ended his pathetic life. Mason smiled as he sat down in the truck and started it up. He drove away feeling like he had done a good deed, glad that Robert Parnell would never be able to harm a child again.

 

  The Cocktail Party

  This is a revision of a story I wrote a couple years ago, one that will mostly be unrecognizable to the few people who actually read the first version.

  The idea is by no means original. I know Clive Cussler did it to his Dirk Pitt universe for a special Dirk Pitt treasury and I've heard of it being done at other times, but can't remember specifics.

  I was intrigued by the idea of bringing all my characters together, especially the ones who live in different universes. This also features characters from the Foundation 51 series, which I thank Chris Barnes for allowing me to use. Foundation 51 stories are usually a joint effort between Chris and myself, so I thought they deserved at least a mention here.

  I still find this story amusing, it was certainly worth the laugh. I always liked the interplay and the reference to Anoki, who was a character that took me years to get right. The reference is also seriously outdated since I pulled Miller out of her story, choosing instead to make it a precursor to what is now known as Corporate Immortality. Finally… I make a pathetic god type figure, don't I?

  -Rodney Mountain 7/29/11

  Chapter 1

  "How the hell did we get here?" Mason Stone asked his longtime partner Karen, "Where the hell are we?"

  "Your guess is as good as mine, hon," Karen said, "But it feels like we belong here. This is the address listed on the invitation in our hands."

  "I'd like to know where that came from too," Mason groused, "Last I remember we were in southern Siraq trying to figure out who caused that quake in Mullinix Centre."

  "Quite obviously we're needed somewhere else," Karen shrugged, "Come now, Mase. Let's go and join the party. Maybe we'll see some people we know."

  "That's what I
'm afraid of," Mason sighed, "Let's go on in."

  They entered the manufactured home and found it to be a rather pleasant place. They were met by several cats most of whom greeted them or at least were curious about them.

  "Mason!" Medoferro exclaimed, "I see that you made it here too!"

  "I guess," Mason said, looking around, "Is Trin here as well?"

  "Trinaferro is conferring with some of those odd women in the other room," Medoferro said, "This is a curious world here. I'd like to know more about it."

  "It is ancient history to you," Karen told him, "This is what things were like before the wars that created your world."

  "A strange place then," Medo chuckled, "I like it already."

  "There's Mike Miller," Karen said, "Why don't you go say hello?"

  "This should be interesting," Mason said, "Talk to you in a few."

  Mason walked over and tapped Mike Miller on the shoulder. He looked much as he did when Stone had first met him after his undercover operation, though he knew that Miller had died centuries before.

  "Where the hell are we, Miller?" Mason asked him, "You look no older than I do…"

  "Wherever we are," Miller said, smiling, "Time and death has no hold here. I'd like you to meet Tracy Howard."

  "Nice to meet you, Mason," Tracy nodded, "I don't remember you, but I think I was dead by the time you came into the picture."

  "You know about that?" Mason wondered, "This is strange."

  "I remember everything," Tracy shrugged, "Even some stuff I know I wasn't there for."

  "I remember right up until my fifties," Mike told him, "I still wonder what the hell happened to Stacy Anoki."

  "I'm sure that the man will finish it eventually," Nick Jones said, "How's it going, Mason?"

  "You too, huh?" Mason asked, "Is everyone here?"

  "Chris Gabriel is in the computer room," Nick said, "Talking with a couple of paramilitary types."

  "Has to be Glen Strader," Mason said, "I'm going to go talk to them."

  "Corrie is waiting for me in the back," Nick said, "I think she wanted to flip Elise the bird."

  "She's here too?" Miller asked, surprised, "What the hell?"

  "It's one hell of a party," Nick shrugged, "You'll see the others too, I'm sure."

  "I'm sure she found passable company," Mason said, "Probably back with Jay Creighton."

  "I'm hearing rumors of someone younger," Katarina Pekarininen said as she walked over, "I heard about her and another serial killer."