The Inception Trilogy by Easton Livingston (ebook reader for comics .txt) 📕

There was no activity out of the ordinary. He had told Tyler to keep a constant monitor on it. It would be a matter of time before they revealed their hand.

Perplexing questions still plagued his heart like a splinter refusing to reject itself.

Tyler burst into the room, a mix of alarm and excitement on his face.

“They’re on the move.”

Sebastian looked at the red numbers on the digital clock on his desk. 12:47 a.m.

They were spreading their hands wide open.

Part III - Finders Keepers

They parked in the laundromat parking lot. Only a few people populated the establishment at that hour.

Across the street, they saw the vehicle with the tracker on it, parked in a small parking area in the rear of the Antique Barn, set in the darkness. The business had closed for the day. Stepping a foot onto the property would be trespassing, in the least. Sebastian didn’t understand what they would want in an antique shop. Those places were like flea markets with scores of useless junk. Then he realized if they were looking for something older, it would make sense. It may have been mistaken for another piece of junk by some unwary former owner. One man's junk is a witch's treasure. That made him uneasy. He wanted to know what they were looking for specifically, but that wasn’t too important at the moment. Whatever it was, it didn’t need to be in their hands.

“Hey,” Tyler called from the back seat, looking at the screen of the laptop in front of him. “I have some strange energy readings here. It’s coming from inside that place.”

“Do you know what it is?”

“Not sure exactly. It’s modulating. It looks similar to trans-dimensional energy of some kind. I’m speculating here.”

Sebastian looked out the driver’s side window from the passenger’s seat. It didn’t sound good.

“Can you get a lock on it?”

Tyler shook his head. “Not from here. I need to get inside to get a stronger, more specific reading to pinpoint its exact location.”

Sebastian stared out the front window. Amanda looked at him from the driver’s seat.

“What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking we will need to get in there and stop them from taking whatever they’re looking for. If we were to call the police, they may take too long. By that time, it might be too late.” He put on a pair of black leather gloves. “Plus, the police would just leave it there for them to attempt another grab at it. Let’s move.”

They exited the Honda SUV. Tyler took a moment, packing up the equipment he needed. He carried a small case, strapping on a digital device which covered most of his left forearm and wrist. Locking the doors as they walked, they made their way towards the crosswalk. The streets were sparse, and it didn’t make much sense to wait for the light to change. They walked in tandem towards the back of the establishment. As they approached, they saw part of the R and Q on the wooden letters that spelled out the business name hung askew. The old paint clung to the sign in desperation, dark patches signaling its losing battle with past weather. The building annexed a porn movie theater.

Sebastian sighed.

They walked down the short sidewalk towards the back of the building where they saw a car parked. It was an old four-door Oldsmobile. Sebastian peered through the windows. No one was inside. They approached the back door where it was darker. It was a good place to break in. There were no lights there, which they had used that to their advantage. Tyler took out a flashlight and shined it on the door handle. It stood ajar. No signs of forced entry. It appeared as if they had simply walked in.

“That’s not normal. Inside job?”

Sebastian looked behind them to make sure no one had spotted them.

“Maybe. Makes it easier for us.”

Amanda moved a lock of hair from in front of her eyes and took point. Tyler looked down at the small screen attached to his left wrist.

“Those energy readings are still here. I’m getting a more focused read here. The location is near the right side of the store.”

“How many people in there?”

“Not sure. Need to release M.O.N.V.I.D.”

Amanda looked at him.

“Mon what?”

“M.O.N.V.I.D. Mobile Ocular Night Vision and Infrared Drone. Yes, I made that up. It’s a little thing I’ve been wanting to test out. It operates on the same propeller type system that a drone does, but I placed buffers in the propeller units so…”

“Tyler.” Tyler looked at Sebastian. “We don’t need a technology lesson. Is it going to make a bunch of noise?”

“A little, but not as much as a normal one. They might hear it though. I can keep it hovering near the rear of the store so it doesn’t make as much noise. Once I have it in position, I can tell you how many people are in there.”

Sebastian thought for a moment. “Do it.”

Tyler bent down and opened the small case he’d brought. Inside was a drone-like device, no bigger than a saucer. He smiled as he set it on the ground and flipped a switch on its side. This was its first official mission. He had tested it over twenty times and knew it was ready. It was always exciting to try out new gear in the field. Maybe it was because this was his strength where he could help the team the most. It was a joy to do his part.

Tyler placed a finger on an image on his screen. A digital representation of a joystick filled the surface. A tap activated the drone, which rose with a soft whine. He was right. It was quieter than a normal drone.

Tyler pushed the door open, guiding the drone through the threshold to the back of the store where he raised it near the ceiling and let it hover. He tapped the screen again and watched it change colors, now awash with yellows, reds, and blues.

“O.K. I’m getting three…no. Four bodies.”

They were outnumbered,