Convergence - The Last Science #2.1 - In Plain Sight

B2: Prologue - Dust

  "Breaking news this morning from the Olympic region. We've just received word that Rallstown—excuse me, Rallsburg—suffered a devastating fire last night. We bring you live footage from News Chopper 8, now approaching the area."

  "Why're we watchin' a local news channel, chief?" asked Jeremy Ashe, glancing up from his newspaper.

  "Something just happened to a tiny logger town. This is an hour ago," said Michael Aderholt. He paused the video. "You're gonna want to see this, Ashe."

  Please go away. "Sir. I've got cases I should be workin'."

  "No you don't. I assigned those cases, and it's Wednesday. You've got time." Michael leaned forward and snatched the paper right out of Jeremy's hands. He sat up, about to protest, but a sharp shake of the head from his partner Lani Makaio stopped him. "Now watch." He unpaused the video.

  "The town appears to have burned down overnight. Very few buildings seem intact."

  "What's that there, Chopper 8? The big church building."

  "Actually, Ted, that's a library. One of the oldest buildings in the town, in fact, nearly a century before the university was established. It looks like the gothic architectural style helped protect it against whatever happened here."

  "I didn't know you were an expert on local history."

  "Hang on, we're seeing something else..."

  "Okay, some town in the middle of nowhere burned down." Jeremy leaned back in his chair and yawned. "What does that got to do with us? Sounds like statie work."

  "We don't have jurisdiction on local affairs," Lani agreed. He looked just as bored as Jeremy, even if he was a bit more of a stick in the mud on most cases. If both of them thought this was a waste of time...

  "What the hell is that?"

  Jeremy looked back up again at the sudden outburst. Ted Winters never swore on camera. He was a consummate professional. When Jeremy saw the picture on the screen, an overhead view of a street in the town, he cursed under his breath too.

  "What is that?" Lani asked, leaning in closer.

  "Bodies," answered Aderholt triumphantly. He zoomed in on the paused frame.

  "Those are arranged," Lani said slowly. "All around one point. They were trying to get to something."

  Jeremy felt a chill down his spine. "Sir, what's going on?"

  "Well, we're about to get every resource we need to find out." Aderholt clapped his hands together eagerly. "We've got a real case, boys, and you two are next up."

  Jeremy grimaced. He was older than both of them. The excitement of a new case had long since been replaced by dread. Still, something about the frozen pile of corpses on screen disturbed him, and not just because it was a pile of dead people nominally under his protection—as tangential as that might be for an FBI National Security Branch agent stationed in the Pacific Northwest, where nothing ever happened. They all knew they were at the weak end of the Bureau, a small remote office of the station where they sent everyone they didn't need but couldn't get rid of. It disturbed him because for once, it might actually mean something. As much as he didn't want to believe it. "What makes you say that?"

  "The entire town was wiped out. Over two hundred dead. The story just broke two hours ago and we've already got groups claiming responsibility." Michael looked back at the screen eagerly. "Our station has the case. I'm about to call D.C. and ask for reinforcements. You two are heading over there right now to head off the locals."