04: Inplicatus Ad Hominem

II: Opening Pandora’s Box

“You’re a storyteller.
Dream up something wild and improbable,” she pleaded.
“Something beautiful and full of monsters.”
“Beautiful and full of monsters?”
“All the best stories are.”

Laini Taylor

Stepping out after making copies of the next day’s forms, Theo noticed three men marching past. While hardly unusual, Theo ducked behind another group, watching carefully. Though he never enlisted, Theo had enough friends who served overseas to recognize the look. It was the flip side of the infamous thousand-yard stare. All three walked, eyes forward and focused on a single agenda. They didn’t waste time glancing at attractive coeds or the busy students blocking their way.

It was the look of those who’d stared death in the face for so long—often from a distance where their victims assumed an unrealistic impersonal persona. The demeanor of the professional killer, snipers who’d spent years killing people day in and day out, when everyone seems like a target, regardless of the circumstances.

Observing as they passed, he noted they were heading towards Tom’s office in the Biology department. He’d noticed Tom speaking with Alice the other day after they’d talked, and her straight, expressionless lips, narrow eyes and stiff countenance conveyed her response. Assuming the worst, he hurried for his own office.

“Nancy, I’m sorry, but I need a couple days off due to a ... family emergency.” He zipped his jacket up, partially obscuring his face, while balancing the plain cardboard box under his arm. “Could you please postpone my next few clinics for me? I have to head for the airport to catch the next flight.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Theo. Take care, and I’ll tell Dr. Peckins, the department head, that you’re taking emergency leave. Call as soon as you know what’s happening, so I can alert everyone.”

“I will.”

Hurrying away, he headed for the side entry, avoiding the main corridor. He was nearly at the door when he heard a scream—recognizing it as one of Tom’s interns.

Exiting the building, he checked the front entrance, observing campus security idly chatting with two uniformed policemen. Fuming, it terrified Theo, implying the three killers apparently had full autonomy and immunity for any illegal actions.

Heading for his vehicle while continuing to monitor the cops, he pulled away from his parking spot, stopping to watch. He eventually observed the men, whom he assumed assassinated Tom, waving and exchanging a few words with the security people. Once they left, the officers finally entered, any chance of an honest investigation gone, the apparent murderers having abundant time to cleanse the evidence. Theo departed, realizing he’d lost too much time confirming what he already knew.

The time between the men passing and the intern’s scream was more than a fatal shot or strangulation would require. He couldn’t picture them calmly sitting and waiting for him to finish meeting with students. So, Theo assumed they had ample opportunity to torture and extract a fairly detailed confession.

He’d anticipated this. Shaking his head, he couldn’t imagine the congenial Tom putting up much resistance and wondered how much he’d admitted. Despite Theo’s attempt to intervene, Tom wasn’t easily deterred, apparently inadvertently admitting something he had no legitimate way of knowing. Though Theo realized, there was little chance they wouldn’t seek to silence him too.

“Alli?” Theo yelled, entering the house after hurrying home.

“Yeah?” she asked, stepping out of a side room and glancing at her watch. “You’re home early. What’s up?”

He steered her down the hall, speaking softly on his way to pack. “I can’t give you any details without endangering you too, but there was a murder at the school. It won’t take them long before they come looking for me.”

She stepped back, clutching her chest. “What the hell did you do? I can’t imagine—”

“Look, time is essential. I saw something I shouldn’t have, and they’ll soon identify me. It’s guilt by association: inplicatus ad hominem. Since I was working with the person they were after, they’ll feel they need to eliminate me before I can implicate their organization.

“To keep the heat off you and Wendy, I’m going into hiding hoping this will blow over. Though uninvolved, you’re in danger as potential confidants. Pack your things and take Wendy somewhere safe. Only, it can’t be family or anyone you call frequently. Tertiary friends are best, as analysts won’t waste time tracking down anyone you’re not in frequent contact with.”

“You’re scaring me, Theo!”

“For good reason, this is deadly serious. I can identify the men. They won’t hesitate murdering anybody with a clue about what we uncovered. You can’t take any chances.”

“Is this—?”

“About my dream voyages?” Entering his bedroom, he yanked his bag out of the closet, throwing it on the bed. “Absolutely, which is why it’s dangerous staying. They’ll concentrate on me, but if they get their hands on you or Wendy, you know enough they’ll demand answers. Either that, or they’ll ransom your lives for my surrender.”

“My sister’s friend has a place on Lake Willipeck, six hours away. She gave me a key years ago that I’ve barely used. The owners are elderly, so no one visits much. No one will suspect I’m there.”

“Just don’t contact your sister,” he warned, dumping anything vital into the suitcase, not bothering to fold or organize anything. “They’ll undoubtedly ask her when they realize you’re not here. Since the property is in her friend’s name, it should be secure—unless they ask where you may hide—then all bets are off.”

“As I said, we never spent any time there. If I simply show up, it’ll likely be empty. As long as I clean up while I’m there, leaving a short innocuous note, they won’t think much of it.”

“Just keep your head down. They’re unlikely to issue a warrant, asking the police to alert them if they spot us—so using your car can get you killed.”

She pondered it as Theo added clothes to his overnight bag, ignoring their condition and not sorting anything.

“My friend Jane has a spare car. We’ve helped each other over the years, though we rarely call, as we talk during our walks. If she uses her boyfriend’s car, I’m hoping she can store mine out of sight.”

“That sounds ideal, but you’d best start packing.” He fastened his bag and escorted her out the door. “These men are trained assassins. It won’t take them long to come for me. Keep off the main highways and avoid highway cameras or traffic stops. I’d also skip convenience stores, as it’s a favorite tactic of cops in most manhunts.”

She stopped in the hallway, holding his arms and searching his face. “Will you be okay? You’re not ... you won’t sacrifice yourself for us, will you?”

“No, I’ve got a few ideas. They’re incomplete, given the circumstances, but hopefully I can ride this out. But, if they take you and Wendy hostage, I won’t have much choice.”

“Can’t we just ask for witness protection?”

“From what? These are three unidentified men, whose records were probably expunged. Without proof, there’s no way the police can hold them. Plus, we have nothing to trade for our safeguards. The first actual evidence they’ll have will be our dead bodies.”

“I’ve been considering this, as I saw the officers and our school’s security waiting until they were done before entering, despite hearing a clear scream. It implies the killers not only have extensive clearances, but are operating with the full knowledge and cooperation of the police.”

“How can something like that occur?” she demanded, blinking rapidly.

Theo paused, taking time to consider his response. “This kind of thing happens frequently. J. Edgar Hoover repeatedly used the FBI to blackmail politicians, and Congress named their national headquarters after him! Decades later, the Security Act and the NSA eroded everyone’s freedom even more, harming tens of thousands. But aside from shutting them down when exposed, little was done.

“Every time this happens, everyone claims they didn’t know and that it’ll never happen again, yet each time, it only gets worse. Every offense stretches the limits of what’s acceptable, until there’s no longer anything that’s unacceptable!“

“Damn, this is much worse than you suggested. It’s overwhelming, like there’s no way out!”

“Don’t worry,” he reassured her, wrapping her in his arms till she stopped shaking. “Just keep a few things in mind. Stay out of sight. Don’t do what you usually do. Don’t contact anyone you’re familiar with. Keep your head down, and be prepared to run if anything suspicious occurs.” He stepped back, doubt clouding his face.

“I’ve got to ask, given your previous denials, are you really unaware of what happened betw—”

“No. We just weren’t ready to deal with it, hoping to avoid an uncomfortable discussion.”

“Good, then we can keep in contact wherever we go, keeping each other informed. Now go, pack quickly! Your and Wendy’s lives depends on how fast we disappear.” He leaned in, kissing her deeply for a second before pulling back. “I’ve got to run, as I have to lose my car and find another without raising suspicions.” He paused, several steps from the door. “Whatever happens, stay safe and watch Wendy, ensuring she doesn’t give our presence away to friends or some boyfriend you don’t know.” He left without glancing back, realizing the longer he stayed, the longer she’d take to leave.

Walking to his car, Theo drove away, taking secondary roads and watching for anyone paying undue attention. Thinking he’d slipped away unnoticed, he contemplated how to proceed, as his options were limited.

“We need to talk,” a soft voice said from the back seat.

“Sweet Jesus, Wendy! You scared the crap out of me!” he swore, almost running off the road as he twisted to see who it was. “What the hell are you doing? Your mom will go apeshit when she can’t find you!”

“I heard you arguing, and I know what that means.” She crawled between the seats, settling into the passenger seat and glaring at him. “Between my dad, friends and the other kids at school, I understand what happens when a guy storms out the door yelling. You never see them again! I want to talk ... at least once more.”

“Your father didn’t leave you, he died. And this isn’t like that, I ... saw something I shouldn’t have, and now some very dangerous people are after me. They’ll also hurt anyone close to me, hoping to locate or capture me.” He glanced at his dashboard clock. “I can’t take the chance of taking you home. We’ll have to choose another option.”

“He definitely did leave. He may not have planned to, but he never returned.” Wendy paused. “This isn’t about ... is it?”

He turned, considering what she said. “The dreams? Absolutely not. Well ... let me clarify. I’m in danger, but you did nothing wrong. This isn’t about you. I’m trying to protect you. Unfortunately, the longer it takes getting you back, the worse it is for us all. We can’t spare much time.”

“I’m perfectly capable to taking care of myself,” she insisted, crossing her arms and glaring. “I even packed a bag.”

“Will it last you the next several weeks? This isn’t a short overnighter. I can’t show my face until the people chasing me aren’t breathing anymore. Unfortunately, there’s no way to arrange it.”

“What did you discover?”

“Sorry, but you already know enough they won’t hesitate to torture or kill you. Knowing more only threatens more people.”

“And the fact we’re aware you can visit other people’s dreams is why we’re in trouble?”

He turned, grinning. “You’ve always been bright, but for the next few weeks, I suggest you practice playing dumb. For now, you don’t know what anyone’s talking about. But ... I’m sorry about including you, and especially about what you witnessed. I hadn’t yet gotten a handle on it. I never should have exposed you to it.”

“I don’t mind the nudity, after all, I’m a teenager. The idea of sex isn’t new, and frankly, you’re not bad looking. You weren’t aware I was there, so it’s okay. Looking isn’t an issue, but if you ever try something, that would be different. It’s ... it’s a trust thing.”

Theo nodded. “That makes sense, paternal relationships are built on confidence. A father is traditionally who young girls experiment with, finding out what works by teasing someone reliable. Though, if I ever attempt anything inappropriate, please call the cops. Whatever may have prompted it, I’ll have clearly lost my moral compass, which is what defines me. Without that central focus, I wouldn’t be who I am.”

“I’m not sure I’d go that far. You’ve been quite understanding, so any change would signify something serious.”

“No matter the excuse, women deserve to feel safe in their own homes.”

“Okay, you won’t try anything, and I won’t report you. Is that fair?”

“Certainly,” he chuckled.

“And I’m allowed to look?” she pressed. “After all, I didn’t go looking, but ... your dreams—at least those you visit—are pretty hot. So, why are you always nude? Doesn’t it ... get in the way?”

“Yes, it definitely does, but it’s not a conscious choice. It’s an unfortunate side effect of the drug allowing me to view others’ dreams. Honestly, I can’t lose the erection. After taking the substance, I tend to black out and wake up without my clothes. What’s more, the ramifications are so extreme, wearing anything isn’t really an option. Which is why I’m apologizing so strenuously.”