“No,” Keiko replied. “Most of the other rooms are not secure. They are all equipped with standard locks. The one the two of you were trying to break into is currently being used to store boxes of computers and important papers. I have the code for that room as well if you’d like to look.”
Carmen indicated they should check while they were there, so Keiko walked down the hall and entered the code. Just as she had said, the room was filled with boxes and records, nothing else.
Once the door was shut and the lock enabled once again, Carmen asked, “So where do you think he is?”
“I honestly do not know,” replied Keiko.
“Don’t you even have a guess?”
Keiko’s head tilted and Carmen could hear more noises, this time like the sound her home computer made when reading the contents of a disk. “The most likely explanation is that they took him with them.”
“We saw them leave earlier,” Carmen said. “Where were they going?”
“They were going to Geneva, and I suspect they are there now.”
“Where in Geneva?”
Keiko looked down at the floor. She was either thinking or unsure of what she should say.
“Where in Geneva?” Carmen asked again, her voice rising a bit. “You said you wanted to help us, and we don’t have much time.”
“I do not know where they are tonight,” Keiko said. “But tomorrow night they will be attending the annual CERN Christmas banquet.”
“Where?”
“Le Bâtiment des Forces Motrices,” Keiko replied, her accent shifting effortlessly to French. “It is a performing arts center that sits on the Rhone—”
“Yes, I’m familiar with it,” Carmen said, cutting her off. “I actually went past it on a boat yesterday.”
Keiko smiled knowingly. “Yes, you did.”
“But why on earth they would take him to an awards banquet?”
“I doubt they are taking him to the banquet. The most likely reason is that they need him for what comes after that, for the Event.”
“We’ve caught wind of that. What is it exactly?”
“Unfortunately, I was never able to find out. I began to learn that something was being planned, but before I was able to obtain all of the details, I was suddenly excluded from all meetings.”
“Why? Aren’t you a part of the organization?”
“I am sure it was the Italian, Mr. Mironov’s partner, who ordered that.”
Carmen’s eyes widened. “You aren’t referring to Vincenzio Marrese, are you?”
“Yes, that is his real name.”
“So it is true.” Carmen looked at Reid. “We should go.” She then turned to Keiko and stared at her for a moment. “Thank you.”
Keiko bowed slightly. “You are most welcome.”
They started to walk back down the hall toward the stairs when Carmen stopped and swiveled back toward Keiko. “Why don’t you come with us? I think you realize that whatever these two are cooking up can’t be good. We’re going to do everything we can to stop them. The information you possess would be invaluable to us.”
Keiko blinked several times, almost as though she wasn’t sure what to say. “I think it is best if I remain here. I believe I can be of more assistance from the inside.” Her head tilted, as though she was considering something else. “Do you have a phone?”
Carmen looked at Reid and nodded. Reid pulled a phone out of one of his pockets and handed it to the robot. She placed it against her midsection. There were four beeps given at one-second intervals. Keiko returned the phone to Reid.
“I have added my number to your contacts. I have an internal communications system, and we can now exchange messages.”
“By text?” Reid asked.
“Yes. Actually, in any way you choose. If I learn anything, I will send it to you and then delete it from my system.”
Carmen was about to thank the humanoid again when footsteps thudded in the hall. Keiko gestured for them to move back around the corner while she watched.
From her position, Carmen heard stumbling. Whoever was coming toward them had consumed too many adult beverages. A few seconds later she heard kissing and heavy breathing. That continued for a minute or two, and then a male voice spoke in Russian. A female laughed, and seconds later a door opened, causing light to spill out into the corridor.
“You must leave now,” said Keiko, after the door was closed. “I have a feeling more couples will be coming down soon. I will follow you to the deck.”
Carmen and Reid were careful not to make any noise as they passed the room the couple had entered. Based on the amorous sounds coming from inside, Carmen doubted anyone was paying attention anyway.
When they arrived at the top of the stairs, Carmen realized that the party had grown even rowdier than before. The music was at deafening levels, and several men shouted.
Keiko held up a hand, and they paused in the stairwell. She then leaned forward and looked down the hall. After making sure all was clear, she opened the exit door and motioned the two operatives through it.
Once outside, Skinner appeared from a hiding spot. When Keiko stepped out behind Carmen and Reid, he lifted his weapon. Carmen held up a hand and told him that she’d explain later.
“Thank you again,” Carmen said after turning back toward Keiko. “I mean that.”
Keiko smiled and said, “You are most welcome. But I do have one more thing that I believe might help you. I have an ability to hear things at a great distance. Normally, Marrese stays quiet when he is around me because he has never trusted me. But one night when he did not know I was listening, he told his disciples that he had received troubling dreams about a man. This man has the ability to disrupt or even prevent the Event.”
“Who was he referring to?” Carmen asked.
“He did not give a name. He only said that he was a spiritual man, someone who was connected to God.”
It was about ten minutes later, as the inflatable boat sped toward Vevey, that it hit her. Carmen realized whom the humanoid was referring to. She also realized that things were about to get very strange.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Amanda was amazed at the technology that projected the high definition image of Dr. Alexander Ross on the wall. He was seated at his desk in Arlington, with the low-lying buildings of the nation’s capital spread out behind him. The whole scene was so vivid that it seemed the Oracle was right there with them.
The assembled group was sitting in Brett Foster’s hotel room in Geneva, which had been converted to something resembling a home theater. The curtains were drawn, shrouding the room in darkness, and the room’s king-sized bed was pushed up against the far wall. Five chairs were arranged in a semi-circle in the space formerly occupied by the bed, with the nightstand serving as a platform for Brett’s laptop and projection device.
Brett was continuing to make adjustments to the feed as Carmen finished up her presentation to Ross. They had given him a brief summary the night before, but Carmen was providing further detail, including a description of the humanoid that had helped them.
When Carmen was done, the Oracle removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes, clearly affected by the strange things he had just heard. “Do you have any photographs of the humanoid?”
“Negative. We were in and out too quick.”
“Is it safe to say that this thing… she… was pretty realistic?”
“Let me preface my remarks by saying that it was pretty dim in the corridor,” Carmen replied. “That said, she looked realistic enough to cause me to fire my weapon. Twice. The only exposed ‘skin’ was on her face, but I’d say it looked pretty realistic, particularly at a distance. The rest of the body was covered in clothing.”