John Locke - Maybe

The ninth book in the Donovan Creed series, 2011

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John Locke

Miles Gundy.

PEOPLE ARE SCREAMING.

Sunday, last week of May, Derby City Fair, Louisville, Kentucky. Food and people everywhere. Rock bands. Tents. Roaring rides, rumbling roller coasters.

People are screaming.

Not from rock bands or rides.

People are screaming!

Womens hands. Babies faces and childrens hands are suddenlymelting.

The Derby City Fair is under attack.

But from whom?

And how can the attack be isolated to babies faces and women and childrens hands?

Within minutes, hundreds of cell phones call 911. Hundreds more record the victims and post the videos on YouTube.

The system designed to work swiftly does so. 911 operators contact police, police call the FBI, the Feds call Homeland Security, and by the time Miles Mayhem Gundy pulls his late model Honda Accord onto 1-65 South, Homeland Security has Lou Kelly on the phone. Homeland patches the president into the call, along with several members of the Pentagon, who have assembled in the War Room at the White House.

Wheres Darwin? the president asks.

We couldnt find him, a man says.

Whos Lou Kelly?

Associate Director, Sensory Resources.

Mr. Kelly, the president says, Whats happened to Darwin?

I have no idea, sir, Lou says. But I stand ready to help.

Good man. Mr. Kelly, youre on the phone with Sherm Phillips, Secretary of Defense. Sherm, tell Mr. Kelly what you told me. We need to know what were up against.

Sherm Phillips does, and Lou tells the president of the United States to hold while he calls Donovan Creed.

Donovan Creed.

My daughter, Kimberly Creed, and I are visiting Callie Carpenter at her Las Vegas penthouse. I just told Callie that Kimberlys on the team.

Callie looks amused.

That seems funny to you?

She looks at Kimberly. Mildly so.

I run a group of assassins for a branch of Homeland Security called Sensory Resources. Darwins my boss. Callies my top operative. We also do freelance hits for the mob.

Callie says, When you called from the airport you said Lou Kelly killed Darwin.

Thats Lous story.

Seems unlikely, Callie says.

I agree. But why would he lie?

Well, he did try to kill you recently.

True, I say.

Kimberlys eyes grow wide. I dont understand. Why would Uncle Lou try to kill you or your boss?

Lou isnt related to us, but Kimberlys term of endearment shows how close hes become to our family. I dont mind her calling him uncle, though like Callie said, he tried to kill me last year. That incident set our relationship back somewhat, but Lous a valuable asset, best in the world at what he does, and hes gotten me out of some tight spots over the years. What Im saying, when hes not trying to kill me, I trust him with my life.

Sounds crazy, right? But thats the type of business Im in.

I give Kimberly the short answer. Last year we conducted a sting operation. Large sums of money were involved, and Lou saw a chance to make billions if he could kill me. He couldnt, but I gave him a second chance. To prove his loyalty, Uncle Lou killed Doc Howard, who he claims was my boss, Darwin. He said Darwin was trying to kill me.

Callie says, What part will Kimberly play on the team?

Believe it or not, shes an accomplished assassin.

Callie looks dubious.

Remember Jimmy T? I say.

The one who guarded Kimberly last year?

I nod. He quit the business and became a professor at Viceroy College. His real name was Jonah Toth. Kimberly put him down in the mens room.

Callie arches an eyebrow. Im impressed.

Most people would ask why Kimberly killed Toth. Not Callie. She could care less why. Thats what makes her the worlds best assassin, aside from me.

Including Toth, shes got nine notches on her belt, I say.

You must be so proud, Callie says, with more than a little sarcasm.

From now on, well call her Maybe. Maybe Taylor.

I like it, Callie says.

Maybe says, And I should call you Creed, like everyone else.

Good point. No sense in broadcasting the fact youre my daughter.

From the kitchen Gwen Peters yells, Youre ignoring me again!

Gwen is Callies current love interest. I dated her first, but Callie stole her from me. Kimberly-I mean, Maybe-has met Callie before, but this is her first exposure to Gwen.

Every time that man enters our house you completely ignore me, Gwen pouts.

Callie smiles and says, That man.

I smile and say, Our house.

Callie says, That man is worse than our house.

I agree.

Hard to imagine how quickly Ive sunk so far, I say. Whats she doing in there, anyway?

Burning cupcakes.

Seriously?

Shes the worlds worst cook.

Maybe I should tell her you said that.

Maybe I should tell her about Rachel.

My phone buzzes in my pocket. I check the screen.

Its Lou, I say.

Callie turns to Maybe and says, Lets go salvage the cupcakes.

As they walk from den to kitchen, I say, Whats up, Lou?

Donovan, Ive got Homeland Security on the phone, several members of the Pentagon, and the president.

Hello, Mr. President, I say.

A voice says, This is Sherm Phillips, Secretary of Defense. The Presidents monitoring the call, so Ill cut to the chase. Weve got word of a bio-terrorist attack at the Derby City Fair in Louisville, Kentucky.

How can I help?

Lou Kelly says you understand terrorists better than anyone in the country.

I wont argue the point.

He says you understand how they think. Were blind on this one, and need to know whats happened.

I get a whiff of burnt cupcakes from the kitchen, put my hand over the phone, and yell, Are you frosting them?

We are, Maybe says. You want one?

Chocolate, if you have it, I say.

Back on the phone I ask Sherm, What do you know for certain about the attack?

No bombs detonated, but peoples hands and faces have been affected.

Affected how?

The flesh is falling off their bones.

Can you be more specific?

Peoples hands, babies faces-appear to be melting.

How many victims?

Somewhere around twenty.

My mind starts racing.

Babies?

Thats right.

Their entire face or just the lips and cheeks?

Theres a pause. Lips and cheeks. Howd you know?

You said peoples hands. Is it mostly women and children?

Yes.

When you say their flesh is falling off the bone. Which side of their hands is worse, the palms or the back of the hands?