“I think you have more important things to ponder. Like whether we’re in the middle of a mutiny.”
“Right,” he said. “And Praetorian. What is it?”
“It’s software,” said Taylor. “Hidden software. Maybe like malware. Or a virus.”
“Maybe some coder at DARPA or DEVCOM or Synotec got a very attractive offer from a Nigerian prince, and clicked the wrong link, and now the tin men are going to steal everyone’s personal info and ruin their credit.”
Maggie Taylor, who had learned long ago when to tune out her partner’s stupid comments, said, “Viruses spread.”
Right. Brodie pictured those fifty-nine dormant titanium soldiers strapped into storage bays in their subterranean facility, all plugged into a hardwired data link. Could malicious code spread through something like that? Probably.
Brodie and Taylor headed west through the camp beneath the high midday sun. They passed the barracks, where the Rangers from the parade ground were undoubtedly filling in their buddies on what had happened, including that their highly respected platoon sergeant had been thrown in the brig. How would all those heavily armed and highly trained men take that news? Probably not well. It was easy to see how things could quickly break down at Camp Hayden. In fact, they already had.
Brodie checked his watch. Thirty minutes past noon, and already an MP had been murdered, a brigadier general and a senior NCO had been arrested in a possible mutiny, and a homicidal piece of next-generation military hardware had been barbequed. What was next?
Taylor asked, “What are you thinking, partner?”
“That I’m glad you changed the code on our door, and that we’re both armed.”
She nodded. “I’m eager to get the rest of the bots out of here, but that won’t solve our case, and I’m not sure it will neutralize the danger at Camp Hayden either.”
For some reason, Morgan’s desperate question to Bucky popped back into Brodie’s mind:
Why don’t you resist?
It was for the same reason that Bucky allowed itself to get beaned in the head with a water bottle. No one had ordered it to resist. These things had no instinct for self-preservation… right?
Why don’t you resist?
There was something there, in that question, that was the key to this thing. But he couldn’t quite place it. Not yet.
CHAPTER 26
THEY ENTERED THE RESIDENTIAL CUL-DE-SACand Brodie walked past their house.
Taylor asked, “Where are you going?”
“Not home, where Captain Pickman’s lying in wait with his Beretta trained on the door.”
“I think he’d use an M4 on you. Full auto.”
“Good point. For now, we’re better off not being where we say we’re going to be. And we have some outstanding business to attend to.” He headed toward the late Major Roger Ames’s house, number six, which still had yellow police tape across the front door.
On the way, Brodie looked across the cul-de-sac at Brigadier General Morgan’s house, where an MP vehicle was now parked. He wondered if the general’s wife was happy to get so much quality time with her husband—which would become even more if he was relieved of command, and considerably less if he was sent to prison. It’s not easy being an Army wife.
Brodie approached the door to house number six and ripped away the police tape. Taylor punched in the code that Captain Spencer had given them yesterday and then opened the door.
They entered a house identical to their own. Brodie walked through the living room, looking for personal items or effects that might clue them in to anything about the deceased, but as Captain Spencer had indicated, Mendez and his people had already emptied everything out. Maybe he’d spot something they hadn’t. Wouldn’t be the first time.
They entered one of the bedrooms, which was cleared other thanfurniture and a bedside lamp. There was a safe in the corner that was opened and empty.
They went into the second bedroom, which was identical, and identically barren. Taylor searched the closet, then got on her knees to inspect the floor.
“What is it?” asked Brodie.
“Loose baseboard.” She pried at something, then after a minute came out with a clear plastic bin the size of a small shoebox. The bottom was packed with dark soil and spilling out the top were about two dozen mushrooms.
“I guess you found his stash.”
