The White Room

Chapter 14

MR. PIERCE'S POV
Jarvosky walks into the room. His posture and face tell me he is bearing bad news.
"What."
"Sir, it seems that the boy has escaped."
"That's fine, as long as Agent Wells brings him back."
"That's the other bad news. They both have disappeared without a trace."
"WHAT!!! How could they have just disappeared? Give me details Jarvosky."
"The boy was heading towards a bar, and it seems he was intercepted by two men who sought to fight him. Agent Wells interfered. Just as the police got to the scene, they had both disappeared."
"Then our suspicions are confirmed. There is someone kidnapping boys around the world, something much bigger."
"We have suspicions of the MBK corps sir."
"We've sent people to investigate. There is nowhere to hide in that facility."
"I suspect they are being kept elsewhere sir."
"Yes, that was precisely what I was thinking." He placed his head on his hands thinking. What would he do? "No, it's unlikely. If they wanted to hide something they would hide it in plain sight, not hide it. What do you think, Jarvosky?"
"What I think is that they are possibly hiding in one room."
"You can't keep that many people in one room, Jarovsky."
"You better hear Mr. Gibbs, he has a report."
"He's always had the craziest ideas. Maybe that's what we need right now. Send him in."
Mr. Gibbs walked in, surprised that he was being called. All of his crazy ideas had been dismissed before.
"Mr. Gibbs, tell me what you think of this case."
"Well, I'm sure Jarvosky has filled you in about my suspicions. That MBK corps is responsible."
"Gibbs, I'm ready to believe anything now. Although the evidence doesn't point to it, I'm afraid you might be correct."
"Sir, I believe that they would be able to hide a basement full of equipment."
"For what?"
"Sir, I believe that they are making machines that can show a whole different world. That they are hooking each individual into a machine that shows them a different facility altogether."
"Are you saying they are able to make simulations? We aren't in a fairy tale Mr. Gibbs. This is ridiculous."
"Sir, they ordered parts specifically designed for that very reason. You can't just make a facility that can just disappear. This is the biggest lead we have so far. Just think about it. Please."
This response startled Mr.Pierce. Mr. Gibbs was right. They had surveillance everywhere - in the skies as well as in the cities. A building would have been spotted. He ran his fingers through his hair. If this was true then this would be much harder than he thought. That kind of power was hard to imagine.
"If that's the case Mr. Gibbs this might be the biggest case we've ever had. You're dismissed."
What would he do next? It was impossible to stop a company this big, much less find two people in the midst of it.
"Call Jarovsky in," He told his secretary as he walked by. If the world just got a whole lot worse he would need some coffee. But, more than anything he needed a plan. And he knew that Jarvosky would come up with one.
Jarvosky had always surpassed him in many ways, Mr. Pierce sometimes wondered if Jarvosky should have the job rather than himself. And he was not too prideful to admit that all of Jarvosky's plans had worked out in some way. Yes, he was sure the board would replace him soon.
He walked back to his office with a cup of steaming coffee. Columbian this time.
"Jarvosky, you were right to send Mr. Gibbs. The next thing we need to do is develop a plan. And to tell you the truth I don't have a clue what to do. What would you suggest?"
"Sir, I believe we could check the boy's tracker that we placed more securely while he was out. If it's still operating we can know for sure where they are keeping them."
"What then Jarovsky?"
"We break them out, with a taskforce big enough. Then we close down the business." Seeing Mr. Pierce's face he added, "One way or another."
"Honestly it isn't the dumbest plan I've heard."
"Thank you?"
"Take it as a compliment." He stared down into his coffee cup, "I'm also going to need more coffee if I keep drinking it so much."
"Sir, you drink enough coffee to make a little kid stay up for a full week. Without breaks."
Mr. Pierce laughed at that. This was the easy thing to do. The next thing he would have to do was convince the board. That was going to be not an easy task. He almost didn't believe it himself. The board director Miss Jenny Noland would probably believe him. But who else?
Speaking of the woman, he was surprised when she walked in the room.
"What can I do for you today?"
She looks around the room nervously as if suspecting someone listening in.
"You're being watched."
"What do you mean?"
"Let's just say don't say anything to the board. There are spies of some sort."
"Miss Noland, how do you know this? Also, how do you know what I am researching? And why didn't someone notify me about your coming?"
"I take notice of everyone's studies. Also, don't you know me well enough to trust me if I say someone is a spy?"
"How do you explain your entrance without an intro?"
"Let me keep some of my secrets."
"Then you know about the boy."
"Yes, I do. What was his name again?"
"Axel. Of course that is not his real name but we haven't found any leads on his real identity."
"Do you have a picture?"
"Yes, we took one while he was here."
"How did he escape?"
"Well, as we suspected he had training in fighting and managed to start running. We would have caught him if he didn't disappear along with my agent."
"Yes, I heard about the disappearance. Is what Mr.Gibbs said true?"
"I'm afraid so."
"Well, I have bad news."
"Yes?" What could be worse?
"We have similar reports from Britain, France, and other places. I have warned them to keep quiet as well."
"How could one company grow so big under our noses?"
Miss Noland shrugged.
"Watch your surroundings keep this as confidential as you can."
"What am I to do?"
"Nothing yet, watch and wait. After the board meeting I'll give the go ahead for your plan, if your agent does not escape first."
"How does someone escape from a dream?" He asked quietly to himself.
"She might be stronger than you think. She's linked somewhere into this, I just don't know how."
"What do you mean?"
"Just think about it. Where was she when you found her? Why does she remember nothing about her past? And why did she grow fond of the boy almost instantly?" With a curt nod she turned and walked out of the room.
It was true. But he didn't know how to fit the pieces together. Yet.
"Jarovsky! Bring me the file on Agent Wells."
"Sir?"
"Just do it."