The Watcher Read online

  The Watcher

  Saxon Andrew

  Copyright © 2020 Saxon Andrew

  All rights reserved.

  This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locals, organisations, or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author.

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please go to any online ebook store and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Contents

  Chapter One • Chapter Two • Chapter Three • Chapter Four • Chapter Five • Chapter Six • Chapter Seven • Chapter Eight • Chapter Nine

  Epilogue

  Books by Saxon Andrew

  About Saxon Andrew

  Chapter One

  Nicole Silva sat in front of the Maxcomputer reading the latest results sent in by counterintelligence agents and knew they weren’t coming close to getting a grip on the wave of agents recently sent in by the Opposition. It wasn’t enough for them to try and interfere in public elections, but they were intent on sabotaging the Maxcomputer which was used in uncovering them and their activities. The computer reported ten cyberattacks during the last six days and all of them originated inside the United States. The Maxcomputer was the most advanced ever built and it was pretty much indestructible to all cyber-attacks that originated outside the country. It was also effective at countering attacks from inside the country; even those that came in over secure lines from the Intelligence Agencies. But their constant attempts to takeout the computer was getting annoying. Calling the computer a supercomputer didn’t really do it justice. Its computational ability was beyond anything ever developed and the scope of the data it could use to make decisions was far beyond comprehension. It could put data together from the most unlikely sources and come up with possible scenarios that could happen. It was an incredible tool being used by the Main Intelligence Agency and it was seldom wrong in its evaluations.

  Nicole knew the software was far beyond anything the Opposition was currently able to develop but it was only a matter of time until they caught up. Keeping the system ahead of their efforts was her job and she was good at it. She was considered a ‘Super Geek’ by those that employed her, and truth be told, she liked the description. She had a Doctorate Degree from M.I.T. and she played a large role in developing the new computer. She figured that was why she was hired to run it for the top intelligence agency. She liked working with the new computer more than working with the people around her. It wasn’t they were bad people…they were just so intense and uptight most of the time that she felt uncomfortable around them.

  She was scheduled to report to the Department Head in an hour and she just completed her report on enemy agent activities. Most of the enemy agents were not arrested but were followed instead and spied on by advanced systems. It was better to use those you knew than have new spies you didn’t know sent in to replace them. However, there had been a sudden increase in number of agents infiltrating the United States recently. She wondered what was going on.

  She printed out the report, stood up, and glanced at it before she put it in her briefcase. She scanned through it quickly and saw something in the last statement. Her eyes narrowed as she read, “There is evidence a man has been living in the United States since before the Revolutionary War. He may be a threat.”

  Nicole sat back down and reread the item. She activated the Maxcomputer’s voice module and said, “Computer, clarify item fifty-six that says a man has been alive since before America was founded.”

  The computer replied through its speaker, “The final data on everyone that’s lived or is currently living in the United States recently completed downloading and entered into the database. After processing the data, an individual has been determined to have been alive before the War for Independence and is still showing up in the current data of those living today.”

  “Humans can’t live that long Computer.”

  “I’ve included that in my analysis but there are numerous items that indicate this person is the same one that lived over three hundred years ago.”

  “Such as?”

  “Signatures for packages delivered over a hundred years ago match up with current signatures. Deliveries to this individual have been made for longer than two-hundred years and they all have the same contents.”

  “What are the contents?” Nicole asked.

  “Primarily gold coins.”

  Nicole’s head went back, and she leaned forward, “What about birth and death records?”

  “They appear to be in order.”

  Nicole sat back, “Then why do you support this is the same person?”

  “Foreign banks started using fingerprints to identify the holders of large accounts long ago and a thumbprint from a bank in Switzerland made in 1962 is the same as one made three months ago in Aruba.”

  Nicole’s eyes narrowed and she knew that 1962 was a hundred and ten years ago. “Do you have a recent image of this person?” Several images from ID cards, drivers licenses, passports, and concealed weapon permits appeared on the monitor and Nicole shook her head, “He can’t be older than thirty something, forty at best.”

  “I recognize that and that’s why I stated there is evidence he has been living since the seventeen hundreds. This is not something I can resolve in the data and the evidence conflicts with the legal records.”

  “Why did you suggest he’s a threat?”

  “Based on the number of packages delivered to him over the years, he holds more wealth than anyone on Earth. Great wealth can always be used in inimical ways, especially when the holder of that wealth is unknown.”

  “How much evidence have you collected that led you to consider this proposition?”

  “A hundred pages.”

  Nicole’s eyes flew open and she said, “Put it on a portdrive now.” Nicole put the small drive into a slot in the keyboard and a green light illuminated above it. Ten seconds later, it went out. She took the portdrive out and put it in her briefcase. She looked at the last item on the report and said, “Reprint today’s activity log without the item about this person on it.”

  The printer started and Nicole decided that it wouldn’t be good if the Agency lost confidence in the computer; this item might just make that happen.

  • • •

  That evening, Nicole went home and sat down on the couch. The meeting had been a long tiring session; she kicked off her shoes and fell back on the sofa. She ordered in some Chinese food and got up to take a bath before it arrived. She was combing her long auburn colored hair when the doorbell sounded. She paid the security guard and took the food to the dining room table. She started eating and stopped after a few bites. She shook her head, went to the sofa, opened her briefcase, took out the portdrive and inserted it into her computer. She linked the computer to the huge television, turned it so the screen was facing the dining room table, and started it playing. She took the computer to the dining table and looked at the first page on the large tv screen. She started reading as she ate her supper. An hour later, she knew something was wrong…very wrong about the data she saw. The only thing that linked all the evidence was the shipments of gold coins to a man named Charles Guetteur. She saw those shipments could be traced all the way back to the War of 1812 and they were always signed for by Charles Guetteur. She started putting queries into her computer pulling up death ce
rtificates and birth records and they all seemed to be legal…but…in none of the records did this Charles Guetteur ever have a marriage certificate; that would seem to indicate he had no descendants. The item that caused her inner alarms to go up most was there were no last will and testaments ever recorded by a Charles Guetteur.

  “Track the name Charles Guetteur back as far as possible,” she instructed the computer. A long list appeared on the large screen and she saw at the top of the list that a Charles Guetteur currently lived in a house on Chesapeake Bay in Virginia. She took a breath and looked down the list. There were some notable locations on the list, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, California, Atlanta (just before the Civil War), Washington (he was there during the War of 1812). That’s where the tracking of packages of gold coins stopped. “List every city that had a Charles Guetteur living in it before 1812.”

  There were only two cities listed but the last one caught her attention. There was a Charles Guetteur that arrived on the second colony ship to Plymouth Massachusetts.. She sat back and started shaking her head. This just wasn’t possible! But…damn it! All of this data couldn’t be just a coincidence. Could it? She decided that she would take a closer look in the Maxcomputer the next day.

  • • •

  Nicole arrived in her office the next morning and sat down at the computer. “Pull up the birth records of Charles Guetteur starting with the most recent.” The most recent birth certificate appeared on the monitor and she saw that Charles Guetteur and Alyssa Guetteur were the birth parents. How was that possible when the computer’s initial search did not reveal a marriage license? She began searching for their records and they disappeared quickly in the following search of official records; they didn’t exist! OH SNAP! She started tracking all the other official documents and, though they all appeared to be in order, they weren’t. And if they weren’t real, then the signatures, thumbprints, and all the other inconsistencies pointed toward just one man receiving all those packages throughout history had to be considered true. He had to be real!

  But what should she do about this? She sat back and blew out a breath; she had to bring in the Agency on this. She touched her phone and a man appeared on the small communicator, “Yes Nicole.”

  “Sir, I have an issue I need to discuss with you and the team.”

  “What is it about?”

  “Sir, I’d rather wait until we’re face-to-face.”

  Grant stared at her and said, “I’ll have everyone here in an hour.”

  “Thank you Sir.”

  • • •

  An hour later, the seven team members were sitting around a table; Grant Mandel turned to Nicole, “What’s the problem?”

  “Sir, I know what I’m about to tell you is going to sound unbelievable and as far fetched as anything you’ve ever heard. But I’ve done some research on it and, though it is outside anything I’ve ever seen, I felt I had to bring it to your attention.”

  Grant stared at her and then said, “Go on!?”

  “Yesterday, the main computer informed me that there is evidence of a man who has been living in the United States since before the Revolutionary War.” The room was deathly silent, and everyone stared at her. Some started glancing at each other shaking their heads and Nicole said, “I know this sounds crazy, but let me show you what I’ve been able to come up with last night and this morning.” Nicole started her presentation and she was quickly interrupted by James Schmitz, but Grant raised his hand, “Hold your questions until she’s finished!” He looked at Nicole and nodded for her to continue.

  Nicole continued and after two hours she said, “That’s all the information I’ve found during a quick look at the records. Most, if not all, of the legal documentation on this person is fabricated.”

  James said sarcastically, “This is ridiculous!”

  Grant stared at Nicole in silence and everyone watched him. After a moment, he said, “You know bringing this to us might cause your sanity to be questioned.”

  “Yes Sir.”

  “Then why did you do it?”

  “Because I can’t argue with the facts; facts are what holds everything in my work together. I’m hoping the Team can tell me where I’m wrong.”

  Grant looked around the room and said, “This discussion will not leave this room! Clear!” Everyone nodded. He turned to Nicole and said, “The evidence on this is clear; this person must exist.”

  James immediately replied, “But this is impossible!”

  Grant nodded toward the monitor, “Why don’t you show us where this data is wrong Mr. Schmitz?”

  James stared at the monitor and shook his head, “It’s impossible for a human to live that long!”

  “It’s also impossible for anyone to insert all those fake legal records into hospitals and government agencies as well!” Grant replied. “But there they are and some of them are older than a hundred years. We must find this person and get to the bottom of this.” He turned to Nicole, “You have a current address?”

  “Yes Sir.”

  “I’ll get a search warrant issued immediately and I want you and Captain Kelly to go and implement it.” Nicole nodded. “Make sure the officers are armed,” Grant added.

  Nicole’s eyes narrowed, “Do you suspect he’s dangerous?”

  Grant’s eyebrows came down, “I’m not completely certain he’s human. Get moving. I’ll have the warrants sent to Captain Kelly and he’ll be waiting on your arrival.”

  • • •

  Nicole went into the meeting expecting to be chastised, possibly fired, and told she was insane…but that didn’t happen. She went to the roof of the building and found Captain Kelly and ten police officers already in the hover transport. They weren’t really police officers; they were Special Forces Commandos and that worried Nicole. She had a college major in history along with computer sciences and she started thinking about all the things this person could tell them about what he’d seen, if he really existed. She was excited by the prospect and hoped Captain Kelly didn’t go in shooting.

  • • •

  “A search warrant has just been issued to take a look at you.”

  The man looked up from a book he was reading and sighed, “How long do we have?”

  “About fifteen minutes before they arrive from Washington.”

  “How did they find me?”

  “It appears a rather advanced computer put all the pieces together.”

  The man sighed, “It appears life just got more complicated. I’ll meet you in the basement in ten minutes.”

  The man stood up and looked quickly around the room. He blew out a breath and hoped they didn’t destroy the place; there was so many things here he treasured. He went to a safe, opened it, and took out a large shoulder bag. He glanced inside and saw the neat stacks of hundred-dollar bills. He glanced around the room, unlocked the front door, and ran to the stairs.

  • • •

  The Hovercar came in at high speed and landed inside the circular drive in front of the house. Captain Kelly left the Hovercar sprinting toward the front of the house with the ten Commandos spreading out beside him. Nicole followed them to the front of the house where Captain Kelly pounded on the front door. “THIS IS THE POLICE; OPEN THE DOOR!” There was no response and Kelly turned to two of the officers, “Bring the ram!” Two commandos ran back to the aircar and rushed back toward the front of the house with the battering ram. Nicole blew out a breath, walked over to the front door, turned the doorknob, and opened it. She stepped aside and said, “After you.”

  Captain Kelly looked up and rolled his eyes. He motioned the warriors inside and they went in with weapons raised. Nicole followed them in and looked around. The officers spread out going into rooms and up the stairs to the upper level of the house while scanning the room with their tac-goggles. Nicole walked forward out of the foyer and entered a large room. She looked around and saw the open safe. She looked over her shoulder and shouted, “TRY NOT TO BREAK ANYTHING! HE’S GONE!”
>
  Kelly rushed into the room and Nicole nodded at the open safe. Kelly shook his head and said, “He could be hiding.”

  “If that were the case, this safe would still be shut,” Nicole stated, “Tell your soldiers not to disrupt anything until I can get a forensics team here.” Kelly nodded and left the room. Nicole walked around the house and marveled at the antiques. This house dated back to before the Civil War and there were numerous valuable artifacts around the room she was in. When the forensics team arrived, they began going over the house cataloguing all of its contents.

  Nicole was back standing in the study staring at the wall when a forensic tech came in. She was staring at an ancient musket hanging on the wall over the fireplace and she turned to him, “Can you take that down so I can examine it.”

  “Put on some gloves first.” He handed Nicole a pair of gloves and then reached up and removed the musket. He handed it to her, and she stared at it closely. She turned it over and saw a signature on the stock. She looked carefully and saw it read, ‘Myles Standish’. Her eyes moistened and she knew that this musket was invaluable. It was hung on the wall with the signature hidden against the wall; this was worth hundreds of millions. Grant Mandel walked in and looked at the musket. He read the signature and looked into Nicole’s eyes, “If I had any doubts about this; they’ve now been removed.” Nicole nodded and Grant said, “Keep it with you.”

  “But Sir!!”

  “You can give it back to him when you find him.”

  “What?”

  “I’m assigning you to find him and bring him in. It’s going to take a special analytic mind to track him down and you are the best one to do it. Tell me if you need anything.”

  “I will not allow this important piece of history to be put in danger! It belongs in a museum!”

  “Then I’ll take it to the Museum of American History in Washington. But it will be put there with the express order that you can remove it at the time of your choosing.”