The Deception Factor

By Ed Alto

The Deception Factor is a spy thriller as viewed through the eyes of a person that has lost his past. Scott Daniels, doesn't know who he is or who to trust. Will he discover his past in time to save the future? How he deals with this adversity while attempting to discover who he was could be the reason he keeps getting involved in life and death situations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ed Alto
• Release date: Nov 26, 2013
• ISBN: 9781311323590

Ed Alto

Ed, after retiring as a Civil Engineer, has tapped his creative side. He is currently working as an artist, a singer/songwriter/musician and has discovered that he can tell stories not only through his music but also by writing books. “Over the Border” is the result of that discovery and is Ed’s first novel. His passion for history and his talent for writing has been combined to bring this historical western thriller to life.Ed has a reputation as a true Renaissance man with his recently released CD “Every Ordinary Day” and the success of his artwork. His paintings have been accepted into several fine art competitions and Starbucks has his art on permanent display.Ed has said that writing “Over the Border” has opened up an exciting new creative venue for him. As a result he has written a follow up book “Deception Factor” which is in the editing stages and will available in the near future. Watch for its release.Ed is an avid outdoorsman and lives in the Northwest near Seattle. How he finds the time to combine all his passions is a mystery in itself. You can view Ed’s art, listen to his music, and contact him by visiting his website.

Book preview

The Deception Factor

By: Ed Alto

Copyright 2011 Ed Alto

(Revised 2021)

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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Prologue:

There was a poem written by the Roman philosopher, Lucretius, born in the first century B.C. A portion of which, as interpreted, stated what human beings can and should do is to conquer their fears, accept the fact that they themselves and all the things they encounter are transitory, and embrace the beauty and the pleasure of the world. An ancient philosophy that would seem logical to adopt, but for various reasons most people don’t. No matter how hard we try to choose the paths our life will go, sometimes we are misled. Conquer our fears, all things are transitory, embrace the beauty and pleasure of the world. Though we strive within our lives to advance these enlightenments, there are times when the world sends us on a different course and the philosophy we tried embrace all fades to black.

Just south of Washington D.C., an SUV was speeding north on Southern Maryland Boulevard. A patrolman spotted the SUV as it sped by. He called in the incident and requested backup. He was concerned, because the SUV was traveling at an unusually excessive rate of speed. He conjectured that this was more than just the lack of a designated driver. It was late, dark and fortunately the streets were empty. The heavily tinted windows on the SUV made it impossible for the patrolman to see who was driving or how many people were inside.

The driver of the SUV hadn’t wanted to attract attention but that was next to impossible since he was driving in excess of 100 MPH. The reason, cause speed was of the greatest importance. When he glanced into his rearview mirror he spotted the patrol car, lights flashing, pulling out onto the road. To avoid a regrettable incident he would need a deception. Everything would have to occur with pin point precision, but still speed was a necessity. His speaker phone suddenly made its connection.

He instructed, This is a code one incident. I have someone who will need your immediate assistance. It’s of the utmost urgency. It’s an unexplainable head injury. Because of the unusual nature of the injury you’ll need full staff and the best surgical technicians. The patient will be arriving by helicopter shortly so assemble your team immediately. Exercise full discretion as usual. I can’t emphasize enough that success is imperative. I’ll contact you later for your analysis.

As the patrol car slowly started gaining on the SUV, the officer reached down for his radio to coordinate the pursuit. When he looked back at the road the SUV was gone. He lost visual contact. The police officer radioed that the SUV turned east onto Ward Road. It was the only logical explanation because there was construction on the westbound turn lane to Ward Road and was blocked by permanent barricades. It would have been impossible for the SUV to turn in that direction.

The patrolman hadn’t gotten close enough to get the license number so the only description he could give was a black SUV. When he reached the intersection at Ward Road he turned right. The SUV he had been pursuing was nowhere in sight. He checked all the parking lots on both sides of the street but saw no SUV. He proceeded down Ward Road checking all the possible places the vehicle could have turned into. Another patrol car, who was sitting at the entrance to the Southern Memorial Gardens located at the end of Ward Road, a short distance east of Southern Maryland Boulevard, radioed that he had not seen the black SUV. When the patrolman in pursuit reached the only road intersecting Ward Road, Town Center Boulevard, he turned. This was the only place that the SUV could have gone since the officer farther down Ward Road had not spotted the vehicle. He was guessing, traveling at that speed, the driver might have been heading for Calvert Hospital further up Town Center Boulevard, possibly as a result of some emergency.

As he proceeded north on Town Center Boulevard he checked all locations where the SUV could have exited the road. He noticed nothing. Just before he reached the Hospital he noticed a bright light in the sky to his left and saw a helicopter lifting off not far away. He thought this is unusual. The only place in that direction where a helicopter could possibly be lifting off from would be Dunkirk District Park. He directed patrol cars in the area to converge on the park, block the entrance and see if they could spot the SUV. The helicopter was too much of a coincidence for him not to suspect a connection. He would follow up after he checked the hospital.

When he reached the hospital, he pulled into the emergency entrance. There was no sign of the SUV. He entered the hospital and inquired if anyone had been brought into the emergency room in the last few minutes. It had been a quiet night, no emergencies. The patrolman couldn’t help thinking that the helicopter was involved somehow. But how?

* * *

As the SUV had approached the intersection of Southern Maryland Boulevard and Ward Road the driver turned off all the car lights and proceeded straight through the intersection. When the patrol car chasing him reached the intersection at Ward Road he noticed the patrol car turn right. His deception had worked. The driver was relieved but knew this was only a temporary reprieve.

He heard his passenger give out a painful moan. The passenger weakly reached out and grabbed the driver’s left hand. He dropped something into the drivers hand then fell back into unconsciousness. The driver glanced at the object and put it in his pocket. The fact his passenger had shown signs of life was promising.

When he arrived at the entrance to Dunkirk Park he turned in and was relieved to see the helicopter waiting on the ball field just inside the park entrance. He knew he didn’t have much time. The passenger was removed from the vehicle, placed on a stretcher and rushed to the helicopter. He was hooked up to a series of monitors. As soon as the crew felt he was secure and stable they lifted off. The black SUV was already gone.

As the SUV headed back out of the park the driver was devising his escape from the inevitable team of police cars that likely had been called to intercept and apprehend him. He would need to rely on all his expertise to pull this off. He wanted to avoid any encounter with the police. He was heading back to the scene of an earlier incident, the incident that had caused the head injury of his former passenger, his friend. There was some crucial information he was hoping to collect, information that might save a life.

He had two probable roadblocks. The people who caused the injury might still be at the scene. If they were still there, they would surely try to kill him. But he knew he would need to confront them if he wanted to save his friends life. If they had left, could he find the answers he needed?

Then there was the police. If the incident at the warehouse had not yet been reported, and he was sure it hadn’t, he might have a chance to find the information he needed before the authorities got involved, secured the area and started their own investigation. He knew there was evidence there that could implicate him in the incident. That would complicate an already complicated situation. There was a slim possibility of successfully finding what he needed, but he had no choice. It was worth the risk.

* * *

The reports coming in from the officers that converged on Dunkirk Park stated no SUV had been spotted within or around the park. The helicopter, however, had been spotted by other patrolman. They decided to follow up on that lead.

Since the license number of the SUV was not known, it would be difficult to track down the specific vehicle. However, an all points bulletin was sent out to be on the lookout for, stop and search any black SUV in the vicinity. Searching vehicles without cause went against standard protocol but the police were sure that something exceptional had occurred. The reports resulting from the all points bulletin that night came back negative. No SUV’s were spotted. It had simply vanished.

The incident became stranger when the police department followed up on the helicopter the officers reported seeing. They were told by the local air traffic controllers and the FAA that there was no record of any such flight monitored in the area. The police reports for that night would say the contrary.

* * *

The medical team was baffled. They had never seen the specific circumstances surrounding the head injury they were observing and they weren’t sure how to proceed. There appeared to be a strange substance that had been injected into and around the brain through a small hole that had been drilled into the skull of the patient. They did all they could to stabilize the patient’s vital signs and hopefully prevent any further damage. The circumstances surrounding the patient’s condition required measures beyond any of their experience or expertise. They knew there was an urgency but didn’t want to proceed recklessly. They weren’t sure what the substance was in his head or if removing the fluid would trigger some adverse brain condition. They needed to analyze what the substance was and see if they could determine how it was affecting the brain. Although they had been told the importance of success, success couldn’t be guaranteed and a definitive analysis was most likely not going to be available any time soon. If time became the critical path then the possibility of patient recovery could be bleak. The unknown ramifications of acting expeditiously made it difficult to assure patient recovery, but they had been made aware success is imperative.

Chapter 1

I feel a familiarity but not quite comfortable in this place that apparently is my home. I recognize the objects within this place but I don’t know why. Four days ago I was released from the hospital. Why I was in the hospital has not been specifically explained to me. All I know is life for me had taken on a new beginning, and for the moment, that’s been more than enough for me to try to reconcile.

Last night there was a small get together here for my homecoming, a get together with a few people that call me their friend. It felt strange. It was an interaction with people who had shared some part of my life and me not knowing exactly how. They all apparently did. There was a moment during the night, I heard someone use the expression ‘a lifetime of memories’. For some reason, that expression has given me cause for contemplation. This morning while lying in bed staring at the ceiling I started thinking about that comment.

What is a lifetime? Actually time itself seems quite irrelevant to me at the moment. I’ve been told my life has been altered. They said they are hoping it’s a temporary condition. How was my life altered? I’m not sure, but time seems to have a lot to do with it. No one has yet been willing to be specific as to what it was that altered my life. However, they told me that the direct effect of an injury I had sustained has caused a short circuit in my brain, a short circuit in my memory function. I’ve been told that it’s possible that current experiences, like last night, could also be erased from my memory. Gaps of time I may or may not ever retrieve. That in itself is unnerving. All I have to relate to now are my current memories. A past, I know what it means, but I have no recollection of a past. I’ve been told my name is Scott Daniels which is something I didn’t remember initially. Other than my name, I don’t know who I am, what I’ve done or where I’ve been. My life, my past, is currently on a day to day basis. However, even that is not entirely true. There are those gaps that can occur. There are places I see that seem familiar to me but why I know them and of what significance they are is uncertain. There are people I know by sight and some I can remember by name but not by experience. These friends, these familiar people, are very attentive and concerned about me. I feel somewhat unconnected as I’m not sure what relationship we shared.

At times, there are images that pop into my head. I can only assume they are moments from my past, but nothing has been comprehensive enough for me to piece together anything meaningful. Some of these images are disturbing and make me anxious. I don’t like them, I fear them. They are dark and confusing. As I try to make sense of the disturbing images, I usually develop a headache, a severe headache. However, all the images, including the troubling ones, do seem to have some relevance. Maybe if there is a dark side to my past it would be better if I continued to remember nothing. But that’s a scary concept, to be an alien in your own life.

I know my life has changed, I sense it, but I’m not sure when it changed or why it changed. That’s a mystery I’ll need to work through. My friends say they will help me through these times the best they can. They tell me there are experts working to find answers. No one has explained what experts or what answers they hope to find. They seem to be choosing the details of my condition and our relationship carefully. Why, I’m not sure? My friends hope that in time I might find my own cure. I don’t see how this is possible until I can distinguish what is real vs. what is a product of my imagination. I can’t determine if my memories are real or fantasy. This makes it hard for me to believe what I think I know. I’m not sure exactly where I’ll land but I’m determined to discover how and where I fit in. Though the images may be random now, I feel there is something in the back of my mind that knows how all these pieces fit together.

For now all I can do is evaluate each thought and judge its validity and significance and hopefully I’ll remember what its significance is.

I should stop dwelling on this because I don’t know the answers and the confusion can get relentless. I don’t want to develop one of those headaches. I’ve had enough of those, enough for a lifetime.

I got up and went into the living room where last night’s gathering took place. Looking around at the empty glasses and the other remnants of the get together I started reflecting again on the events of the night. I, Scott Daniels, celebrated not just a homecoming but I was told it was also my birthday. It’s the only birthday I can remember having at the moment, though I was told I’ve had 43 others.

During the night I received many thoughtful cards and gifts. Many of the gifts were musical in nature. I guess this is because I like playing guitar. Despite the puzzling circumstances of the last few days I feel entirely relaxed when I play my guitar. Was I a musician? It seems likely. It’s the one thing right now that I relate to best.

There was one gift not musical in nature, a curious looking gift. They called it a possible good luck charm. It was given to me by my friends Matt and Ethan. These friends, Matt and Ethan, have both been with me and helping me since my release from the hospital. I feel I know them. I feel comfortable around them. They said the charm held some significance they were hoping would help with my recovery. As soon as I saw it I felt some connection. I don’t know why, but I sensed I’ve seen a charm like this before. Ethan told me I should keep the charm with me at all times. He said Its very presence may open doors to your past.

I recall last night after everyone had left, I was tired and ready to call it a day. I had turned off all the lights, but never made it to the bedroom. I sat in the darkened living room holding the charm. The charm did seem to have a power that kept me engaged. It was attempting to reveal something so I tried hard to comprehend its message. Unfortunately its power wasn’t as strong as my affliction and I never did comprehend its significance, at least not yet.

I had been sitting in the dark, for some time, with the charm when I started to develop a headache. The thoughts stopped. All too often, before I have the chance to make sense of the images and thoughts that pop into my head, I develop one of those headaches. The thoughts stop and the details become secondary to the pain in my head. The headache last night became severe, so I went for the drugs I’d been given to control the pain. The little pills do their job eliminating the pain and usually everything else I’d been thinking about. I don’t like the headaches and I don’t care for taking the pills but they seem to go hand in hand. The pills put me right out. When I wake up I’m not sure if what I believe I imagined had been based on any reality or if I had just been dreaming. It’s my life of perpetual confusion.

After taking a warm shower, I started to heat some water for coffee. I was thinking about some of last night’s conversations and how out of touch I felt as my friends talked about events they say we’ve shared. They meant nothing to me. I tried my best to comprehend the information they were offering hoping to gain some awareness and discover more about who I am. It’s unnerving when people know more about you than you do. It’s like someone telling you something about a friend and you’re surprised, only they’re talking about you and you’re surprised.

As I finished cleaning up my place I spotted the charm. Oh yeah, the gift, the good luck charm.

I don’t think I have a taste for straight black coffee because it made me cringe when I took a sip. I realized I didn’t have any cream or sugar which I feel might have made the coffee taste better. In fact I didn’t have much of anything in my place because I hadn’t tried shopping yet.

It was a sunny warm day outside so I decided to head to the local coffee shop down the street, get a fresh cup of coffee, get some fresh air and take a walk in the park. I grabbed the charm and placed it in my pocket. Don’t worry Ethan I won’t go anywhere without it.

Chapter 2

It was a beautiful summer Sunday with a slight caressing breeze. It felt comforting. As I approached the park, coffee in hand, I had a strange feeling. I looked out over the freshly cut grass and the wide concrete walkways that led to large pools that stretched endlessly along the length of the park. There was that familiar monolith that towered toward the blue sky located at the center of the park. I know I’ve been here before, but I never took notice of its magnitude and detail. Though the place is familiar, I don’t believe I ever felt its significance as I was feeling now. This place is certainly inspirational. I strolled slowly through the park. Today I would just like to keep things slow and simple.

I took a seat on a park bench and watched as everything around me was moving. But me, I’ve stopped. I watched the seemingly choreographed movements of people as they proceeded in some preconceived direction. They all seemed so definite in where they were headed. I have no direction at the moment. I don’t want a direction right this moment. However, I can’t help wondering, is there a direction for me? I’m sure this feeling of disengagement won’t last. I will need to join the dance again at some point and I will have to figure out how I fit into this picture. But, for now, I have no direction. I’m enjoying the feeling of being untethered from the flow of life, untethered from all the meaningless thought.

I was comfortable just sitting on the bench, enjoying the warm breeze, watching the people, and taking in the scent of freshly cut grass and the aromas wafting from the vendor’s carts. I took a deep breath, inhaled the life around me and let it out slowly. I leaned back and watched the clouds as they silently floated overhead, continuously changing shape. It was reminiscent of my life. At times I feel like I’m balancing on a ridge, a delicate balance between two places in my brain. It’s a ridge between simple complexity and complex simplicity. I’m never sure which side of the ridge I’ll find myself on at any given time. I watched a cloud transform itself into a wisp then disappear. Suddenly, something disturbing started interrupting my peace. Some recollection was attempting to force its way into my head. I couldn’t shake it as it kept trying to disrupt my peaceful contentment. There was something simply disturbing about it. I felt a headache starting to develop. Not now.

I reached into my pocket and realized I had forgotten to bring the pain drugs. Then my hand felt something. The headache was becoming worse as I removed the charm from my pocket and…

I heard some strange haunting tune. I looked in the direction where it seemed to be coming from.

I saw something spinning. It was kind of like a carousel with strange unrecognizable figures on it. It was spinning way too rapidly to make out the images. But the tune seemed to be summoning me to come closer. It was from that spinning carousel that the strange tune was coming from. I felt compelled to see why it seemed to be calling me. I walked toward the carousel. The spinning images started to look familiar but I couldn’t make sense of them because of the rapid spinning. The spinning motion caused the pain in my head to worsen. I needed the spinning to stop so I closed my eyes. Standing in darkness, I felt a strange rush as though something was flowing through my head? Like some cold liquid slowly dripping down through every crevice of my brain. I opened my eyes and