Chapter 10: Spyder’s Web

“Are you sure you really want to go about it this way?” I asked for the umpteenth time. We sat in the truck across the street from the disheveled single house where her ‘cyber nemeses’ was supposedly at work, making her life Hell. It was well past midnight and the only light outside the neighboring hovels came from a street light half a block away. It was a perfect scenario for a snatch and grab and I was trying very hard to talk her out of her more permanent solution.

I could tell I was getting on her nerves because she was edgier than usual. “Goddamnit Yes!” she barked back at me from the passenger seat. “I don’t want him barbequed and emasculated, you sick fuck! I just want him dead.” She huffed impatiently as she stared at her tablet. “Can I please have a cigarette?” She whined.

I rolled my eyes. “Not unless you are absolutely sure he has no heat signature detection gear around his perimeter,” I replied. Of course, the same logic would affect me sneaking up to his house, but I remained quiet about that.

“I’ll suck your dick...” she begged. Now that was desperation!

“Just have another piece of gum and be patient. He can’t be much longer.” It was more than just nicotine withdrawal that had her on edge. She was actively involved in the ‘wet work’ for the first time and it had her spun up like a tilt-a-whirl. For the first time, she was on the attack, and that came with its own load of emotional baggage.

I had already made a perimeter sweep around the block and the nearby houses. I used my multi-spectrum NVGs to confirm that there was one person within the home. But it was further inside from where she assured me his computer station would be. That was directly across from us, next to a dark window. The plan was to trigger a shaped charge from outside the wall and basically turn him into ragu. Then Sam would dash into the house and collect the ... whatever the fuck it was that she was so hell-bent on obtaining. Then we were getting the fuck out of Dodge. Keep it simple. I was dressed all in black with a ski mask rolled up around my ears. My NVGs were resting atop the black canvas bag that lay on the center console. Any exposed skin was covered with lamp black.

She hissed beside me and I turned to see the office light turn on. I held the NVGs to my face and saw his brighter red signature as it approached the wall and assumed a sitting position. Soon the glow of several computer monitors joined the pale light that emanated from the curtained-off window. I pulled my mask down and strapped the NVGs to my face. I grabbed the bag and waited as she scanned her tablet for whatever signal she was looking for.

“That’s it!” she whispered harshly, “Go!”

I disabled the dome light so the truck cab remained dark as I slipped out and trotted over to the exterior wall of the house. I knelt below the window and peered ‘thru’ the wall at the person seated on the other side. My charge was about the size of a dinner plate but rounded like a mixing bowl. I pressed it against the wall and the soft putty along the rim adhered, holding it in place. I made a simple remote detonator out of a burner phone and several lithium AA batteries that I taped to a blasting cap. Once it was placed, I secured a triple-layered Kevlar blanket over it and secured it to the window sill with push tacks. It took me 45 seconds to place the explosive and back away until I had stepped around the corner of the house. I tapped the cell number on my phone and waited another 3 seconds for it to connect. I felt more than heard the detonation. The entire house shuddered and dirt that had collected on the eaves rained down upon me as I ran back to the window. All the glass had shattered and the interior was dark once more. The Kevlar blanket was shredded and when I jerked it away, I found a smoking hole as big as the window itself. The stench of ammonia, diesel, and nitroglycerin assaulted my nose. I peered into the room and saw a detached leg beneath a twisted-up office chair. There were no other visible human remains. The stench of blood and offal was overpowering. I waved to the truck and Sam came sprinting over. I helped her through the hole and she flicked on a flashlight as she searched the area. The desk was surprisingly intact but the monitors had toppled off from the blast wave.

I remained outside and looked up and down the vacant street for any sign of detection. I could hear her kicking and cursing before she cried out excitedly. Then there was a scraping sound followed by the whir of an electric screwdriver.

Suddenly I was wary and hypervigilant as I sensed something that didn’t feel right. Then I heard the thud of a car door closing from around the corner. A car had approached the front of the house and I heard two voices as the occupants got out and made for the yard. I cursed under my breath and signaled to Sam that we were compromised. Whether she heard or acknowledged it I didn’t know because I began racing forward to intercept them. I rounded the house silent as a ghost and instantly took in and analyzed the scenario before me. There were two guys, one smoking and the other holding a bag. Neither was even remotely concerned about the stench or the sudden blackout within. They were only silhouettes against the lighter night sky.

The advantage was mine and I caught them completely off guard with the savagery of my attack. The closest guy with the bag never even knew what happened as I raced behind him and ripped out his throat with my Ka-bar. He fell to the grass choking and dying as I launched myself into the next opponent. I tackled him like a linebacker and his only words were, “What the...?” before he went to the ground beneath my crushing weight. I stabbed the knife straight into his throat, burying it to the hilt as he struggled to understand what happened. He never figured it out. As I stood and wiped off the blade, I heard Sam running back towards the truck. Her door opened and closed as I made to follow her.

“What took you so long?” she hissed at me as I climbed behind the wheel. I started the engine but kept the lights off as I pulled out and completed a casual U-turn.

“Look in the front yard,” I muttered as I slowly pulled away from the house.

“Oh shit!” She gasped. “Did you just kill them?”

I didn’t answer as I turned the corner and continued putting distance between us.

“Jesus H!” she breathed sitting back. “That just happened!”

I turned on my headlights when I saw the first traffic signal several blocks ahead.

“Can’t you go any faster?” she asked. She sounded like she was near panic.

“Not if we don’t want to attract any attention,” I replied.

We drove on through the town until I reached the Interstate and turned onto it. “You can have that cigarette now,” I said calmly.

“Fuck yeah,” she exclaimed and grabbed her pack and lighter.

“Roll the window down please,”

“This doesn’t mean I’m sucking your dick,” she hedged as she exhaled a lungful of smoke.

“You’re welcome anyway.”

It was a six-hour drive back to CP so I stopped halfway and grabbed us a room and a Ramada Inn. I discarded my dark sweater and hat and cleaned my face and hands with wipes, before entering the lobby to get the room key card. Once inside we took turns showering and changing our clothes. I took everything that we wore at the house and bundled it into a used army surplus bag, for later disposal. Sam looked moderately embarrassed as I stood before her completely nude while she shed everything but her undergarments. I watched her face as she tried to avoid gaping at me before she fled into the bathroom and tossed her bra and panties back out before slamming the door. I chuckled as she turned on the shower and finished stowing away our op gear.

When she finally came back out, wrapped in a towel she looked pink and freshly scrubbed. But her eyes once more betrayed her interest in my manhood as she stepped over to the bed and sorted through her new clothes. “You don’t have to stand there swinging that summer sausage around, you know,” she grumbled as she waited for me to go away.

I grinned taking my new clothes with me into the head and quickly washed all the muck and explosive residue off of my body. When I returned to the main room, I found her sitting cross-legged on the bed smoking and rubbing her bare feet with a troubled expression on her face. I moved to the opposite side of the bed and settled onto it lying on my side facing her. She quietly stabbed out the smoke and then flopped down until she was on her back staring at the ceiling.

“Spill it,” I said, “the longer you hold it in the harder it gets.”

She blinked and opened her mouth. Instead of speaking, she blew out a lung full of air before flopping over once more to face me. Her eyes were big and mysteriously pretty in the dimness of the room. She sighed again. “Carter,” she paused uncomfortably, “Are we gonna be, okay? I mean ... are things gonna be weird between us?”

“You have to be more specific love,” I replied calmly. “But I can’t think of any way in which things will be weird for us.”

“It’s sex, okay?” she blurted. “Trinity has told me all about your ‘harem’ and I know you love to fuck.” She took a breath, seemingly embarrassed and angry by her own words. “I mean ... ah shit. I just don’t want to fuck you. You know what I’m saying?”

I nodded at her and tried to put her at ease with my smile.

“I’m not at all into guys, okay? I’m sorry about that...”

“Don’t!” I interrupted sharply, “Don’t you ever be sorry for that.”

She closed her eyes and swallowed nervously before nodding to me in appreciation. “I just mean that I can’t. God, I’m one fucked up chick and I have serious baggage. If I were into guys,” she sighed heavily once more, “then, yeah, I’d probably jump you like a dead battery. But I just don’t want us to...”

I decided that she had stammered enough trying to make her obvious point so I reached over and touched her lips, silencing her. “Sam,” I breathed softly. She had shut her eyes tightly. “Sam, please look at me.”

She opened her eyes and I found myself once again marveling at their unique beauty.

“We have known each other for some time now, but we’ve only just met.” I reached over and took her hands into mine. “I want you to know one thing above all others and that is that you can always trust me. And I know that is a lot to expect from someone who you just met.”

She swallowed again and blinked at me. “I trust you,” she replied earnestly.

“Then I want you to test yourself and do me a favor, right now.”

She glanced at me expectantly.

“Come here,” I said quietly.

“Excuse me?” she replied confused.

“Scoot over here,” I repeated and she hesitantly did so. I wrapped her protectively in my arms and then kissed her delicately on her forehead. She felt tense against me but gradually she relaxed and let her chin rest on my shoulder. “You are a very special woman to me, and I want to tell you without guile that I love you very much.

“I am pretty fucked up too and have my own baggage, but through it all, you have been there for me and had my back. You are the one who got me out of that fucking prison and gave me the life I have now. You have looked over me and protected me in ways that no one else could. And you never once asked for anything in return.

“There is no way for me to express how much you mean to me because of that. I owe you more than I could ever repay you but I will never stop trying to do so.” I turned and kissed her face once more. “I want you to know that I am devoted to you. I mean 100% committed to taking care of you in any way that I can. I will protect you. I will shelter you. I will help you in any way you need me. And I will love you in every way that you let me. You gave everything up for me and I will do the same for you in a split second if necessary.”

She sniffed and reached her arms around my chest squeezing me back.

“I don’t care how you want things to be between us, sweetheart. I love you and I always will. If you want to think of me as your protector, personal assassin, lover, friend, brother ... Just know that I will always be there for you and I desperately want for you to be a part of my life from now on.” I stopped talking and the silence loomed around us as she breathed heavily against me. Her breaths became more and more ragged until she turned into me and began quietly sobbing. Her tears soaked my shirt but I just held her firmly and let her give in to her emotions.

Eventually, she sniffed and wiped her eyes and nose. “Thank you,” she whispered and leaned over to kiss me softly on the lips before burrowing back into me. “I ... have been so alone, for so long.” Her voice broke again and I squeezed her back.

“Not anymore.”

I hated to wake her several hours later because she appeared so peaceful in her sleep. But we had to check out of the hotel and get back on the road. She mumbled and rolled away from me before sitting up and blinking the sleep out of her eyes.

“What time is it” she mumbled.

“Ten in the morning,” I replied. “You slept about 9 hours.”

“Holy shit!” she exclaimed and rolled back over to try and capture one last snuggle. “I can’t believe how hard I slept.” She ran her hand across my chest and poked me a few times. “God! I swear you and Trinity are like roid monsters ... How much can you bench?” She sat up looking for her cigarettes.

“I dunno, never benched anything before.” Since she had her smokes, I had no problem making the only cup of coffee in the tiny machine next to the microwave. “Let’s roll,” I said after we had taken care of our morning necessities and finished dressing.

“Can we hit a hardware store on the way?”

An hour later we were back on the highway. I stopped and got us real coffees and bagels after she made a quick stop at the Electronics Express. As I drove, she sat cross-legged beside me and began cutting apart USB charging wires and splicing alligator clips to them. She had her tablet nearby and a chunk of electronic hardware that looked like it belonged inside a spaceship on the center console. She used one cable to plug it into my 110v power inverter, and several others she spliced together before plugging it into her tablet.

“Don’t you ever listen to music?” she asked out of the blue, while she tinkered.

“Not often,” I confessed. “Travis likes Country though,” I turned on the radio and selected the satellite station that had Garth crooning about his ‘low friends’. “Oh, hell no!” she griped and began switching stations until she found Ozzy’s Boneyard. ‘Okay then, metal it is.”

The new cable Sam wanted to run up the cliff turned out to be an extra heavy-duty triple-shielded HDMI something or other that was nearly as thick as a quarter and weighed a half pound per foot. By the time I had dragged it most of the way to the rim, I was lifting over 350 lb. With nothing nearby to tie it off to I resorted to driving several stakes into the hard rock and cinching it securely after every pull. The satellite broadcasting array also looked military grade and took some extra time to assemble and secure to the cliff ledge. It took me a full day to get everything set up ‘exactly’ as she demanded. When I hiked back down to the clearing and checked in on her she was already hard at work reconfiguring her systems for the new upgrade.

I watched over her shoulder as she assembled her workstation and ran various tests, chain-smoking as she worked. Heavy metal music blared out of several speakers she had nearby, at ear-splitting decibels. I turned about to leave when the music suddenly muted. I turned back.

“Question,” she said as she kept working.

“Shoot,” I replied.

“Hmm. More like demolish,” she remarked and pulled up the picture and floor plan of the old abandoned house where Christian Albright had hidden his second Mainframe system. “How hard would it be to destroy this house entirely?”

It was a tiny structure all wood. “Are you going to take the computer bank out of it?”

“I was hoping you would,” she answered. “And then reduce it to dust.”

“A simple incendiary charge would do the trick,” I thought about it. “I’d probably use a bunch of acetone or naphtha as an accelerant just in case the Fire Dept was really on their game.”

“How about this one?” She pulled up the multi-story building where his primary Main Frame was located. “I don’t need any of his crap from there.”

“Is the building abandoned?”

“Hell, if I know!”

“Well, I can’t very well destroy a building with innocent people in it,” I scoffed.

“So just blow up the mainframe.”

“That could be tricky, why?”

“Because it poses a threat to my nexus,” she rebuked, “and it pisses me off.”

“Isn’t there a way to fry all of them with a burst of EMP or something?”

I got a look that suggested some unsavory habits of my ancestors. “I’ll look into it,” I corrected and turned to leave.

“One more thing.”

I turned back exasperated. “Yes?”

“Can you buy me a house?”

The house was an abandoned shack that had been condemned, sitting on ½ an acre on the outskirts of Coolidge Park. The lot was overgrown and fenced in with NO TRESPASSING signs posted everywhere. The shack itself was boarded up and inaccessible. Yet there was a functional power meter on the side of the structure.

Kevin was able to land it sight-unseen for $12K and list ownership to an obscure LLC. Under cover of darkness, Sam and I returned to the Capitol and removed the mainframe components from Christian’s secondary bank before I incinerated the building with an incendiary charge, which I made from magnesium shavings and white phosphorus that I extracted from several common household products. The brief fire never even made the police blotter. The next evening, we reinstalled the stolen components inside the shack with a power supply that she spliced into the meter and somehow masked the energy consumption of all the components within. She was giddy as a prom girl to get back to her lair and try things out.

The following afternoon I made the long drive over to Jericho County and located the primary mainframe that Sam wanted erased so badly. I was so impressed with the incendiary charge that I had used before that I built two more and set them in sequence around the massive hub. The fire was quick and hotter than hell. The main structure was spared but the computer bank was thoroughly cooked by the time the Fire Dept arrived and combed through the smoldering ruins.