Blackson's Redemption: The Poltergeist Files, #3

By Easton Livingston

They told him it was impossible. Now he has to prove them wrong… or die.

 

Adlai Blackson. Soldier. Assassin. Criminal. Prisoner.

 

As a resident and death row inmate of the Fort Leavenworth Correctional Center in Kansas, he's had time to reflect on many things. On killing the appointed Secretary of Defense, William MacDonald. On murdering MacDonald's wife, Marilyn MacDonald, who wanted him dead. On the type of man he wants to be in his last days.

 

But then a visitor comes to him who could change everything. They just want him to complete one last mission. If he succeeds, he gets his freedom back. There's only one small problem.

 

The mission is in North Korea.

 

Adlai has a choice. Refuse the mission and die in prison, or take the mission and risk becoming a prisoner of a nation whose prisons make the U.S. System look like hotels. He knows he'll need help on this one. Failure is not an option. If he does, it will shift the global balance of power and shake the foundations of the United States, changing the course of history.

 

Pressure mounts as Adlai and his crew race against the clock to stop an insane regime with a grudge against the U.S. Can Adlai and his impromptu team of enemies, friends, and strangers succeed? More importantly, can he do it without becoming the man he once was?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Easton Livingston
• Release date: Apr 9, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393434498

Easton Livingston

Easton Livingston has written articles for national magazine publications, newspapers, online websites, and graphic novels. He began his self-publishing journey in 2013. In 2017, he revamped his brand, re-releasing all of his books. He writes superheroic-type speculative fiction weaving elements of action, the supernatural, and the psychological. He often describes his work as a cross between the cult television show 4400 and Netflix's Stranger Things. His first project is the miniseries titled The Dark Corner, a collection of supernatural, urban fantasy suspense tales. These stories that tie together that make a novel. There are five stories in all (technically six). The first three, The Inception Trilogy, are free for citizens of his R.I.U. (Reality Imagination Universe) and can be downloaded on Amazon. To become an R.I.U. citizen, go to his sign up page at www.eastonlivingston.com. These tales are the precursor to his novel Blackson's Revenge: Book I - The Poltergeist Files, an action drama with a fantasy/sci-fi twist which is out now. Easton's books are family-friendly, focusing on fantastic tales for adults which often addresses mature themes (think PG-13). Easton has just released the second novel in the Poltergeist Files, Blackson's Repentance, on sale now. He's busy at work on the third novel in the trilogy, Blackson's Redemption.

Book preview

Left Unsaid

Today was the half year mark; a little over one hundred and eighty days since they had incarcerated him at Fort Leavenworth. The only time he had seen those walls before was when he took a perp in for processing who he’d arrested from one of his missions. Now he was in their shoes. Irony at its best.

Adlai sat on his bed with his legs stretched out, back propped up against the concrete wall. There weren’t many things to do at Leavenworth. He spent most of his time reading, absorbing words, conjuring and creating images. It was odd because he’d never been much of a reader. That was Mykal’s thing, who used to always nag him about reading. To his surprise, he discovered he enjoyed it. There was no way he’d let Mykal know that.

Though his cell was small, there was the consolation he had a roof over his head, three meals a day, and an hour out in the sunlight. All that as he waited to die.

There was no doubt in his mind when he had given himself up that the death penalty would be on the table. Though he had been in jail for six months, he felt they would not wait much longer to execute that sentence. That was fine. He deserved it. It wasn’t new to him. He’d known it before. He just wasn't willing to admit it.

The interview with the FBI was laughable. They tried to get him to take responsibility for murders he did not commit. Not all of them fell into that category. They had a list and some of them were his handiwork. The only ones he would cop to was Martin MacDonald. He didn't even cop to killing Demetrius Johnson because he was still alive. When he told them as much, they didn’t believe him. To them, Demetrius was dead, and on that point, he couldn’t blame them. They weren’t privy to the same information he was. They didn't walk in the same circles. Though they still pinned Demetrius Johnson's murder on him, his conscience was clear that he had at least told them the truth.

Being incarcerated changed him. It changed him in a few different ways.

The first was that his love and affection for those who came to visit him deepened. There had only been three people. Because of the small number, it made their presence more precious when they visited. His mother, Mykal, and Nicholas Donovan, the FBI agent who he surrendered to. He wasn't sure why Donovan kept coming around, but in the six months he had been there, they had formed a close bond. As close as they could, given the circumstances. He figured if he wasn’t in prison, they would have been rather good friends.

The one thing which disappointed him was that Ramon Lomeli had not visited. He called and wrote but never made the trip. He understood. The man had a family to take care of now. Plus, there were probably other missions to complete. That he still kept in touch with all of that going on was a testament to their brotherhood. He hadn't abandoned Adlai, circumstances being as they were. Disappointing, but he had to take what he could get. It was good enough for Adlai. It had to be.

Part of him envied Ramon. He had accomplished what Adlai had not, a level of normalcy in his life. Wife, children, a place to call home. Not that he didn't want those things. He just didn’t know how to operate in them. Adlai had always been bad at relationships, which contributed to his current situation. His vision was so blurred at finding those responsible for his father and sister's death that he made no time nor room in his mind. There had been a couple women, some even wife material. However, in each instance, he had to choose between them and his mission. His mission always overruled it. It was all-consuming. They didn't even compete. So the relationship always ended, and he was always the one to end them.

That all changed with one scream, the scream of a mother's soul agonizing over her son. The sound of that scream still echoed in his ears every day. It was that scream that knocked him out of his stupor. It was the only thing that had ever pried open the steel-encased enclosure around his mind and heart. And when it did, it burst open, everything coming out in a flood. Adlai had not been the same since.

Being in jail afforded him some time to get acquainted with other things. Like God. This was the oddest turn of events for him. He had blamed God for so much that had happened in his life, which was why his interest in God was somewhere next to little and nil. But when you had nothing but time and books were the only form of freedom, you found fresh things to open yourself up to.

One time when his mother had visited, she gave him a Bible. Adlai expected that, so he didn't refuse it. She continued to pray for him. He thanked her as a matter of respect, though there was no interest. Yet, every time she came, she reminded him she was still praying. He’d return to his cell, the Bible setting on the shelf unused. There were times he’d be in the middle of reading another book and would just stop and look up at it. It felt as if it was calling to him, demanding its presence to be acknowledged. It became so unsettling that he couldn’t read other books without placing it under the bed out of sight. Even then, its presence in the room weighed on his mind. Two weeks later, after lunch, his resolve surrendered. Reaching under the bed, he set it on his lap, exhaled, and opened it.

He started in Genesis, since it was the first chapter. The narratives fascinated him. He had heard them before growing up, but there had been no direct connection until he saw the words. He told his mom the next time she visited that he was reading it, knowing she would be happy. Here he was, in his late thirties, still seeking approval from his mother. Yet he had no shame in it at all. It felt right to him. As expected, she was pleased and suggested he read the gospel of John. So after he finished Genesis, John was next.

The gospel of John grabbed him by the throat. All the years growing up, going to Sunday school, it had never arrested him as it did when he read it with his own eyes. The picture he had of Jesus Christ was so unlike what he had heard other people say about Him. Here was a man who was a man’s man. Not the effeminate flower child people cast Him as. He was raw in his addressing the ills and evils of his time. He would get in his enemies’ face and expose them before everyone. There was a strength and courage in Him he had been oblivious to. He always thought of Him as just a religious figure or the Son of God, though he did not understand the ramifications of what that meant. At that age, he was just a parrot, saying the things he heard to get praise and some candy.

Now, it was different. Jesus jumped off of the page into his face. It was the first time he had seen Him as alive and real. Adlai’s interest plunged him into the pages with a newfound sedulousness, spending hours pouring over certain idioms and words. This was more than a man. This was someone he could follow. At that moment, Adlai realized all the prayers his mother had offered to the Lord for all those years had broken through.

His new home was the epitome of bland. Everything was at right angles and attached to the wall, including his bed. A seat set in front of a protruding platform which acted like a desk, a small shelf, and the place where he could go to the bathroom. Light streamed into his cell from two long narrow windows next to his makeshift desk. The walls were hard concrete painted with a yellow overlay. There wasn't much in his cell except his books.

This was home, soulless and depressing. He had attempted to give it some life with the few things he had to decorate the room; pictures of inspirational sayings he put on the walls. It added what it did not have, a semblance of character, reminding him of the new person he had become.

His fingers ran across the gold lettering on the black leather of his Bible. Though he had read quite a few books in the brief time he had been there, his Bible was the only one that never left his side. It was the book he read every day. There was some new treasure to find within its pages. Small details he had overlooked the first time he had read a passage which added new meaning, opening up an unknown world of understanding about reality. His mom had told him once that it was a living book. Now he understood what that meant. There were other books he kept on the small shelf in front of his bed. They changed as he read them, deciding whether he wanted to keep them. Few were worth reading more than once. Plus, there was a limited amount of shelf space he had in the two foot area. Whatever stayed had to be worth keeping. Out of them all, his Bible was a consistent companion.

Next to his spiritual awakening was the awakening of his ability.

He had tried some experiments with his invisibility. His name sake was the Poltergeist. He wanted to epitomize that in every way possible. His mind would go to different places and one day it went to the place of ‘what if?’ What if he could be like an actual poltergeist? Not only in being invisible, but in walking through walls.

Adlai placed his hand up against the bare, bright yellow wall. Closing his eyes, he concentrated, willing his hand to shimmer out of existence. Focusing on that shimmering more and more, he opened his eyes. His hand was in the wall. He felt nothing and pulled it back out. Looking at the wall again, he placed his hand against it and concentrated, his hand vibrating, going through once again. He reached in further, his arm going through. Snatching it back out, he took a deep breath, heart pounding in his chest. Then he’d repeat it. Every day. It wasn't as easy as turning invisible, but it was getting easier the more he did it.

Adlai knew if he so chose, he could walk right out of Leavenworth. He could walk right out the front door of federal prison and they would neither see nor catch him. That would not have been right, and he didn’t want to spend the rest of his life running. It was the place he needed to be. He had committed heinous sins. It’s why he had given up his freedom. This was his place of atonement. His last stand.

The footfalls announced their presence before the door opened. His hearing had gotten better since being there, which was odd. Maybe they were hypersensitive because of the relative quiet. There weren't too many there in Leavenworth he had contact with. He wanted to keep to himself and stay out of trouble, no matter how long he was there.

Blackson. You have a visitor.

Jangling keys unlocked his door, the metal hinges squeaking as it opened. Normally, his mother would call him if she planned on visiting, so it couldn’t be her. Mykal had stopped by a couple of days ago. His best guess was Donovan, who he hadn't seen in a few weeks. He was glad. It broke the monotony of the day.

The guard escorted him down to the visitor’s area. When he walked through the door, he stopped three steps in. It wasn’t Donovan.

It was Constance MacDonald.

His eyebrows furrowed in surprise as he ambled over to the metal stool where the glass partition was. He picked up the phone receiver, waiting for her to do the same. She did, with a crooked smile.

Hello, Adlai.

Adlai stared.

Constance. You are one of the last people I would have expected to come visit me. I'm trying to wrap my brain around why you are here.

The look on Constance’s face dropped. I know you don’t understand but… despite everything that’s happened, I still care for you.

A part of Adlai didn’t buy it, the part cautious to a fault. Cynicism was an occupational requirement. There was an angle here, but he couldn't see it. There had to be. Why would she—of all the people on the planet—come and visit her mother and father’s killer?

That still doesn’t answer my question. You can care for me from afar, not drive four hours to come and tell that to me in person. So, why are you here, Constance?

Constance sighed.

There are two reasons I came here today, Adlai. The first reason is that I wanted to see how you were doing. I’m not faking that. You know I've always cared for you no matter how bad it got. She looked down for a few moments before raising her head to meet his gaze again. But there is another reason I am here. I came here to ask you a question. I want to know the truth.

Adlai stared at her, unmoving, his face impassive.

Did you kill my mother?

Adlai blinked. She didn’t know? That surprised him. Donovan had told him the official cause of death was poison. Law enforcement ruled it an unsolved murder but had their suspicions. For many it was a foregone conclusion Adlai had committed the crime, though he never admitted it. They had no evidence. It was a speculation.

How was he going to answer the question?

Why are you asking me that question, Constance? Why is that important to you?

Because I want to know if there is any chance of redemption for you. I want to know the feelings I have for you aren’t being wasted on someone who… who just doesn’t have a heart. A lost cause.

Adlai’s eyes narrowed. No. That’s not why you’re asking me. You’re asking me because you want to be free to hate me. For some reason, you still don't hate me and this would be the permission you need to do so.

He stared at her, peering into her dark brown eyes, grasping for that part of her soul crying out. It would not be fair for him to trample on it and give her more pain.

I won’t answer your question. You have to decide if it’s true. You don’t need my permission to hate me, and I will not be the person to give you a license to poison your own soul. I won’t do that because of the same reason you came here. Because I care for you.

Wait… what? Are you telling me you won’t answer a simple question for me? I drove for hours to ask you. You won’t do this favor for me after all these years? After everything that has happened, you can’t do me a simple favor? She shook her head back and forth, looking down, her incredulity rising.

No! You owe me an explanation. You owe me an answer.

Constance. Go home. Live your life. Forget about me. Start a family. Be happy. With all the tragedy that has happened to you, you deserve it. His lips pursed. Thanks for coming to visit me, Constance. I appreciate it.

Rising to his feet, he turned and walked away.

Adlai? Adlai! Don't walk away from me! You owe me an answer. Did you do it? Did you kill my mother?! Don’t walk away from me! Adlai? Come back here!

Adlai stepped through the door, shutting with a soft, metallic click that echoed through the room.

Adlai!

2

Double Cross

Da sat in the coffee shop across the street from the Ming Dynasty restaurant. Her hazelnut latte was cold, the whipped cream now flat for having sat for the past hour. Ever since she had come to South Korea, she had been looking over her shoulder. For good reason; she was a thief and a traitor.

To say it was out of her character would be a correct assessment. It didn’t seem like too long ago that she had graduated from the University of Southern California, where she received her degree in microbiology. That they had chosen her as a candidate to go to college as a foreign student was a blessing. She didn't want to take it for granted and worked extra hard to receive summa cum laude in her graduating class. This put her on Crynodyne Lab’s radar, who flew her out for an interview three weeks before her graduation. She had never heard of Crynodyne Labs and had her eye on one of the more prestigious laboratories for employment. But once she got to the facility, she knew she was on to something special.

As in any industry, some entities are better known than others. Some of that is by design. It was the same with laboratories. Though they didn't have as much of a public face, they were influential in the industry. Crynodyne Labs was in that category. It was a place where government contracts came through at an alarming rate. The work was nonstop and whatever projects she would work on would be part of building one of the most powerful nations on the planet. She would have been a fool to pass on the job.

It would be her ticket to get her family out of North Korea. She had struggled long and hard to get to that place. They were still there, her mother, father, and sister. Getting out of North Korea was difficult and expensive. But now she was being paid in US currency, which went a long way in North Korea. She would have enough money to get them out so they could come and live with her in the United States.

Everything worked out fine until she got a visit from a North Korean man at her apartment. It was strange because she wasn't sure how he had even gotten into the country. The North Koreans were being sanctioned by the United Nations. People from that area were flagged in all the countries. She wasn't sure who he was, but he made it clear what he wanted. He wanted her to be a spy. He wanted her to steal classified documents and feed them to him. She refused. That's when he pulled out the detail that changed everything.

Somehow he had discovered that she had escaped North Korea. With that escape, he also discovered that she had left behind family. It didn't take long to connect the dots. Unpleasant things would happen to her family if she did not do what he said. He gave her twenty-four hours to think about it but what was there to think about? It was her family, and what she did was for their livelihood. She would never forgive herself if she didn't do this for them.

She collected the data in bits and pieces, copying everything onto an encrypted thumb drive. When he would contact her, she would tell him there was more information. He also would give her updates and send videos of her family. The courtesy wasn’t out of altruism but to remind her she should stay the course if she knew what was good for them.

Everything had gone well for months, but then she got sloppy and tripped the security protocols. They detected her data siphon stealing information on Project DT-13. She knew it wouldn’t be long before they discovered she was responsible. When they did, a six-by-nine jail cell would be her new residence, and her family would die. So she left the country, heartbroken she had to betray the trust of the company which had entrusted her with their information, giving her the job that could have saved her family. With the money she had, she went to South Korea and contacted General Hun. But this time, she added a condition. She told him she wanted her family out of the country. The information she had was crucial and could change everything for North Korea. But they would get nowhere near the information until they freed her family. General Hun agreed, and they set up a meet.

Today was the day.

The sun receded on the horizon, and the streets danced with the lights of evening business. Da’s eyes never wavered more than a few moments from the restaurant. She was nervous. It had been six years since she had seen her family. There weren’t too many tourist attractions in North Korea. Plus she left under an illegal defection, so going back there would be bad for her. Her sister would be tall now. She was only three when Da had escaped. Chances were high she wouldn’t remember Da. That was okay. As long as she was out of that place, it was good enough for her.

A long black car pulled up to the front of the restaurant. Da stared, peering through the glass to see who would get out of the car. As soon as she saw General Hun, her heart jumped. Her family was across the street. So near. So far.

She closed and opened her hands several times to control the shaking. Her heart crashed against her chest in syncopated rhythms. Taking deep breaths, she shut her eyes, attempting to calm herself. One more hurdle and afterwards, her dream of being reunited with her family would come true.

She rose from the table and exited the coffee shop, making her way over to the restaurant. Business began picking up. When she entered, the smell of rice and soy sauce assaulted her nostrils. It reminded her she had eaten nothing all day. That didn't matter. Food was the last thing on her mind.

Her eyes scanned the booths and tables. Inside, lambent paper candles brightened the restaurant. It was busy, and it took her a moment to locate the general who sat in a booth near the kitchen. Steeling herself, she walked to the booth and sat down. The general raised his eyebrows, cracking open a fortune cookie.

You are here right on time, he said I assume you have what you promised?

I want to see my family.

The general slid the thin piece of paper from between the cookie. He looked down at it and gave a wry smile.

I don't know of anyone who takes these things seriously, he said, Random pieces of paper saying something innocuous and vague. Yet, sometimes on a rare occasion, they seem to have significant meaning. It's as if the stars align themselves for a moment to declare the truth. He looked at her with a lazy expression. Do you believe that?

Da clenched her teeth but controlled herself. To be honest, I don’t care. All I care about is my family. That is who I want to see. I don’t want to talk about stupid fortune cookies.

Da didn’t mask her disdain for the general. Being around him made her skin crawl. He was a sinister man who masked it under a veneer of calm and impassiveness.

A crash sounded from the kitchen, making Da jump. General Hun broke off a small piece of the fortune cookie and placed it on his tongue, staring at her.

You seem rather nervous. You have nothing to be nervous about. This is a simple business transaction, one which I know you understand is very important.

Da didn’t say a word. Hun’s coldness emanated from him, a matter-of-fact detachment. How he picked up the fortune cookie as if nothing was wrong in all the world. Another odd peculiarity was he never took off his gloves. Any time she had seen him, he had on black gloves. She didn't know what that was about and didn’t care.

I need to see the information before we can complete our arrangement.

Da’s eyebrows furrowed in anger. I'm not giving you the files until I see my family. That was the arrangement.

You seem to be under the impression that…

Do you think I am playing a game here? she said, holding the edge of the table until her knuckles were white. I did not do what I did in order for you to come here and play games with me. The information I have on this secret project will change everything for North Korea. I worked on that project, and for a while I saw the results. What the Americans have going on would wipe out a whole company of North Koreans. There would be no way you could stand with them in battle. I know this because I’ve seen it firsthand. I’ve seen what these soldiers can do. Your days are numbered unless you can come up with something now because they have perfected this project. I have all the files. All the information and science needed to make one of these soldiers of the future.

Your eyes will not see a letter of that information unless I see my family!

The lithe waitress came to the side of the table with a tray full of wonton soup, setting it down in front of Hun. His lazy eyes wandered to her face as the young lady gave a small nod and retreated to the kitchen. Hun grabbed a spoon, stirring the soup, the clink of the metal against the porcelain bowl heard amid the dining revelry. His stoic expression did not change.

If you want to see your family, he said. all you needed to do was ask. He looked at her with an indifferent posture. There is no need for you to get angry. If you will allow me to eat my soup, then we can go see your family. He scooped up a helping of wonton noodles into his mouth without a sound.

But I know you do not have the patience to wait, so I will agree for you to see your family. Allow me to alert my men.

He reached inside his black leather jacket and pulled out a cell phone.

Bring the car around with the family in it.

Da scanned the dining area. She didn't know why, but she felt something was not right. There was something simmering under the surface of the meeting that made her insides scream with an alert. Within a matter of minutes, Hun’s men entered the restaurant. There were three of them, all dressed in black, and one was rather big. She looked back at Hun, his hand steady, eating his soup. Her intuition roared at her. If she went with Hun’s men, she would never see her family again.

Without a word, she slid from the maroon upholstered booth and made a beeline towards the kitchen. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the men give pursuit. Hun sat at the table, grabbing the bowl of soup to finish the last of the delicious liquid at the bottom of the bowl. He took a red napkin off the table, dabbing his mouth before rising to leave. Outside the front door, his black car waited for him. The driver opened the door, and he slipped into the backseat. There waiting for him was a man, Caucasian, with blonde hair.

Our guest has decided she no longer wants me to keep her company. I cannot allow that. The information she has is valuable. If you would retrieve her, there will be a bonus.

The Caucasian man gave a smirk before disappearing from sight in a blink.

At the rear of the restaurant, Da exited the back door, banging it against the outer wall. She was in a darkened alley. She closed the door and tried to find something to put into the handle to block it. There was nothing, so she scurried