Do No Evil (Aeon Trilogy Book 2)

Chapter 6

"The Aeon is awake again, sir," said Sergeant Hank Green.

General Jaeger nodded and motioned for Hank to stand at ease across the desk in his Spartan office in the underground operations facility known as the ranch. "Good, get the interrogations started again."

"Do you think he knows anything more, sir? I thought he spilled everything already."

Jaeger sighed and rubbed his temples. "He's told us a lot that corroborates what we already suspected about the Aeons' activities. How they achieved monopolies over energy markets, their systematic bribery of politicians and judges, their private satellite and data networks. Even the religious mumbo-jumbo behind the name Aeon."

"I'd like to lock him in a hole and throw away the key, sir."

"I want to know what that bastard thinks about the fact that he's nearly split the country in two."

Hank shrugged. "He probably doesn't care, sir. The Aeons don't even think they're the same species as us, right?"

Jaeger scowled. "I think he does care. The Aeons want to cause a civil war because they think they can profit from it. And they might just get their wish. Reverend Cruz may be a traitor, but there's a reason she has tens of millions of followers. While the Aeons manipulated energy markets and impoverished the country, politicians stood by and let it happen. This is the American way, they said. A bunch of hardworking, talented kids were beating flat-footed incumbents. Free competition, they called it. Creative destruction. But all the while, those politicians were receiving huge campaign contributions from the Aeons. And everyone knows it."

"The Aeons' game worked for a while, sir, but then they overreached," Hank said. "That's why the President finally ordered the raid on Sanctuary."

Jaeger clenched his fists at Hank's words. "I should have sent Michael in to Sanctuary, not Sarah."

Hank's face hardened for moment, but then his expressions softened. "The President was happy with the outcome, sir. And you can't blame yourself for those mistakes. Sarah was the Colonel's pick."

Jaeger's anger only became worse. He had entrusted Colonel Johnson, usually known as Willy, with running the competitive process used to select the two recruits meant to receive the TacWave implants. The selection was primarily based on intelligence and psychological makeup, areas where Willy was supposed to be an expert.

It was not long after that Jaeger had become so dissatisfied with Willy's training methods that he'd taken over as much of their indoctrination as possible.

Jaeger's efforts had been too late, or too little. Or maybe the trainees were simply too poor to benefit from any program.

"I should have dropped Sarah from the program as soon as I figured out she had fallen for Nick Lal," said Jaeger ruefully. "That was proof enough that she isn't cut out for this work."

"We could have strengthened her, sir, given enough time," said Hank. Jaeger knew Hank was furious that Sarah's clumsiness had led to so many deaths and injuries among the Demon commandoes. But Hank, loyal as always, was trying to help Jaeger cope with the disastrous raid. "But then the President ordered the attack on Sanctuary, and you had to go with what you had."

Jaeger slammed his hand on the table. "How the hell did the President know about us? This operation was supposed to be hidden. We would have arrested Laura Mayer months ago if we hadn't been compromised."

"Regardless, sir, you had to act when the President's order came through," said Hank. "And based on Willy's reports, Sarah was better for the tactical role."