Within seconds, two emails popped into the Simone Fell Gmail account. She clicked on the link to verify registration, and was promptly granted access to the 2F online forum. As a member, she was able to perform search queries. She typed in “2F conference” and clicked on the “Search” button. The web page reloaded and displayed the search results in a list format. There were hundreds of search results. It looked like this 2F conference was quite popular. As she scanned through the list of results on the first page, a name caught her eye. Daniel Chen. She froze. Daniel had posted on this forum. As recently as a few weeks ago. She carefully scrolled down the list of search results. There were more posts by Daniel. Several more. She clicked on the link to sort the results by date, oldest first. Then, she took a deep breath and clicked on the first post by Daniel.
She read all of his posts. By the time she was done, she was crying again. She had discovered a side of Daniel that she had never known. He had never spoken with her about this, but it was clear from his posts that he was yearning to find meaning in his life. To connect with something greater than himself. He was searching for a spiritual home. There was a general sense of growing despondency in his posts on the online forum, a feeling of despair even, of being lost. One of his last posts was about the retreat, and about how excited he was to be finally attending it.
By now, Miriam was very suspicious about everything to do with this 2F movement. Something didn’t seem right about it, and she was sure that whatever led to his death was connected to 2F.
Miriam used her pseudonym, SimoneFell212, and clicked on the “New Post” button to make a new post in the “New to 2F” sub-forum.
A new page loaded in the browser, with an empty message box. Miriam typed her introductory message:
Hi, I’m Simone and am new here. I’ve been reading up on 2F and am really impressed with the philosophy and teachings. Would love to learn more. If I had a mentor or guide to show me the way, it would speed things up and answer some of my questions, of which there are many! Thanks in advance, Simone.
She clicked on the button and her post immediately appeared in the forum at the top of the page. No sooner than it had appeared, a reply was posted by “BlueDolphin”: “Welcome seeker! Welcome to 2F, you have taken the first step to free your mind of the shackles that have been placed upon you by the toxic conditioning of society and culture. You have today taken the very important first step on the road to reach enlightenment. We are glad to have you with us on this epic journey!”
More replies followed within minutes, each one welcoming her and offering any help and advice she needed. It felt odd, and strangely disconcerting.
But, she reasoned to herself, she was making some connections with the people of this strange movement. She looked out the window. She was tired, and perhaps it was time for a break. She was about to close the Chrome browser window when she noticed a tiny flashing icon on the screen. There was a message waiting for her in her private Inbox on the forum. She was slightly puzzled as to where this message might have come from, since she had just joined the forum a few minutes ago and had had no personal interaction with anyone yet. She clicked on the link to view the unread messages in the Inbox. There was one message, in bold text, indicating that it was unread. She clicked on it and the message window displayed in the browser with the contents of the message:
Took you long enough to get here, Miriam, but nice to see you finally made it. Look forward to seeing you. — NP
Miriam almost stumbled out of her chair. Someone knew what she was doing. Someone knew her real name! She felt her heart pounding in her chest. This message was completely unexpected and left her feeling unnerved and shaken.
Miriam left the library feeling very unsettled by the events of the day. She decided to take a break from the online research and drove to a nearby sandwich shop for lunch. As she ate her spinach and avocado veggie sandwich, she looked at the transcript of the voicemail from Lisa Chen on her phone.
“Miriam, it’s Lisa. Need to talk about some details about the funeral and the wake. How you holding up? I’m just spending every minute with Mom and Dad. I think Dad took it the hardest, but he’s the one who’s supporting all of us. I haven’t heard from you since the morgue. I hope you’re okay. Please call me.”
Miriam felt relieved that she hadn’t answered Lisa’s call. She didn’t feel like she could handle that conversation right now. She mused on the strange events of the day. She wondered if the man in the coffee shop might be working for 2F, or might have somehow alerted them to her activities. Is that how the mysterious “NP” knew her real name? Or was something else going on?
She reached into her purse and found the business card for FBI Special Agent Felicity Dawn. She held the card in her hand, staring at the phone number. For a moment, she considered calling her. But that moment was fleeting. How could Agent Dawn help her in this situation? No crime had been committed. At least, none that Miriam could prove. And it wouldn’t help her find out what happened to Daniel. Miriam sighed and put the card back in her purse.
After her veggie sandwich and some fresh lemonade, Miriam felt some return of energy. She wasn’t sure what she should do next, but she knew that she couldn’t sit still and do nothing. She was hesitant to go back to the 2F website, but she didn’t know where else to look. While lost in these thoughts, she pushed open the sandwich shop door and stepped outside. It was from the corner of her eye that she caught sight of him. He was hovering behind her, to the right. The same height and muscular build, the same close-cropped brown hair.
It was Coffeeshop Bodyguard.
He had been waiting outside. Now he seemed to be trailing her. Miriam gasped and increased her pace. She didn’t dare to go into the parking lot with him following her. Instead, she stayed on the sidewalk and hurried towards the subway station. Her mind raced and her pulse quickened. She thought of what to do next. Should she confront him? What if he was dangerous? Could she call for help? Maybe she should just focus on getting away from him? Was he part of 2F? Was he the person who had sent her the message signed “NP”?
All these questions and thoughts swirled in her mind, causing a whirlwind of emotion. She felt herself being overwhelmed.
Unsure of her next course of action, her movements seemed to come automatically. She gravitated towards a group of people who were standing on the subway platform waiting for the train. She stood as close to them as possible without appearing to be a crazy woman. When she glanced to her right, she saw Coffeeshop Bodyguard coming down the stairs. He stopped at the foot of the stairs and looked around. Then, he noticed her. Their eyes met, and he held her gaze for a moment. She held her breath.
The sound of the arriving train and the whoosh of air broke her focus. The train doors opened and passengers started pouring out. Coffeeshop Bodyguard started towards her, almost running. Feeling her heart thumping inside her chest, Miriam quickly slipped inside the train and made her way into the middle of the crowded subway car. When she felt sufficiently hidden, surrounded on all sides by other passengers, she peered out the window for any sign of him.
She saw him striding on the platform with urgency, looking in through the windows and doors. A few seconds passed, and then the automated announcement was played on the overhead speakers. The doors are closing. Please stand clear. This is the green line to Laurelhurst. Miriam sighed in relief.
But then he saw her.
Their eyes met again. He turned abruptly and headed towards the doors. They had begun to close. She lost sight of him. The doors closed, and the train began moving slowly. Miriam turned and craned her neck towards the door, trying to see if he had somehow gotten on board. But the crowd of passengers was too thick, and she couldn’t make out who was near the door of the train.
Chapter 4
Miriam got off the subway at the University Place stop. It was an area that she was familiar with and where she felt comfortable. She looked around quickly when she stepped out of the train, and then hurried towards
the University campus. It was a short, seven minute walk. Once she was on campus grounds and sure that she wasn’t being followed, she breathed a sigh of relief.
She headed to the Milne Building, which housed one of the main computer labs. Her old student ID still worked, even though access to most of the online University resources had been revoked. She could still sign in, though, and use the computers to access the Internet.
She sat in the back row of the computer lab, nestled away in one corner. From her vantage point, she could easily see the door and anyone who entered or exited. Once situated, she opened the web browser on the University desktop computer, and logged into the 2F website forum again.
There were 23 unread messages waiting for her. She clicked on each one and read them. Some were from local 2F members, offering to meet her and help her learn more about 2F. Others had given her links to resources like books and videos. All were entirely enthusiastic, almost giddy to share the information with her.
Miriam clicked on the profile for one of the local users who had sent her a message. It was a girl named Leah. She had a photo of herself on her profile page. A slim girl with brown hair and perfect teeth, smiling for the camera. She seemed harmless enough, so Miriam replied to her message:
Sure, I’d be open to meeting tomorrow to discuss and learn more about 2F. How about at Insomnia Coffee in the morning? It’s at University Place stop off the subway.
The light was fading when Miriam left the University campus. The trip back to her apartment was nerve-wracking. She kept looking over her shoulder, expecting to see the same man who had been following her since the coffee shop. Her senses were on heightened alert. She didn’t want to walk from the campus grounds to the subway station, so she waited anxiously at the bus stop. It was only a two minute wait, but in the twilight, with the lengthening shadows and the chill in the evening air, it felt like an eternity. Miriam kept looking around nervously, unable to stand still. When the bus arrived, turning around the corner with the headlights on, it felt like a life-saving beacon. She breathed a sigh of relief.
There were four other people seated on the bus. One was lazily staring out the window, another was engrossed in her phone, the next one was listening to music through his earplugs and the last one was asleep on the last row of seats at the rear of the bus. Miriam paid her fare and then sat down on the edge of the seat on the first row, directly behind the bus driver. The bus bumped along the road towards the subway station in silence. Outside, the shapes of buildings, cars and trees blended together into the shadows as everything was slowly enveloped in darkness.
Miriam found herself wishing she was home already. She felt alone, exposed, and highly vulnerable out here all by herself. She had a very unsettling feeling that she was being watched, spied upon. And she sensed that it was a malicious presence.
The train stop was well-lit, the fluorescent lighting casting bright white light all around the platform and tracks. A few passengers were standing and waiting for the train. When the bus doors opened, Miriam hesitated for a moment. Finally, she took a deep breath and stood up.
“Thank you,” she nodded to the driver, and then stepped out of the bus. She walked quickly to the platform and tried to blend in with the other waiting passengers. She still had her monthly pass for the subway so she didn’t need to worry about purchasing a ticket.
The train arrived and with a low screech, slid to a halt in front of her. The doors opened and all the passengers stepped inside the mostly empty cars. Miriam was too nervous to sit. Instead, she stood near the doors, watching the passing scenery. It all felt surreal and she began to feel disconnected from her body again. As if she was someone else, just watching the events unfold.
The train ride was uneventful, and she didn’t see the man who had been following her. When her stop came, she finally felt the tension in her neck and shoulders begin to ease.
But her reprieve was short lived.
As she approached the front door of her apartment, keys in hand, she began to sense that something was wrong. She stopped and looked behind her, but there was no one in the hallway. Trying to shake off the feeling, she continued walking to her apartment. But the feeling of alarm only intensified. She didn’t understand it. Until she saw the front door.
It was not locked, or even closed. The door was ajar.
Instinctively, she gasped and took a step back. Wide-eyed, she stared at the motionless door. The wood around the frame had splintered where the lock was. Someone must have kicked the door in. Through the narrow opening in the doorway, she could make out the furniture in her apartment. It seemed to have been thrown around.
For several agonizing seconds she stood frozen in place. She wasn’t sure if she should run or go inside. She was unable to move.
Finally, the ding of the elevator caused her to snap out of her paralysis. A few people came out of the elevator together. She heard muffled voices down the hallway. Sounds of a normal life. She felt herself breathing again.
“Good,” she told herself. “Breathe. It’s okay. You’re okay. Breathe.”
The voices were moving farther down the hallway. One of them cracked a joke. Lighthearted laughter. They were friends.
Miriam made a few rapid decisions. She was not going to stay in her apartment tonight. But she was going to look inside, even if she had to run the risk of bumping into the person who had invaded her home.
Before she lost her nerve, she clenched her fist and resolutely stepped forward. Slowly, she pushed the door open and peered inside the apartment.
It was a terrible mess. The furniture was overturned. There were clothes, papers and broken glass strewn across the floor. Her potted plants had been smashed and trampled, the leaves lying wilted and crushed, the soil from the pot spread out across the floor. The kitchen cabinets had been emptied, the cabinet doors still open. Plates, dishes and cups lay broken on the floor.
There didn’t seem to be anyone in the apartment. Miriam wondered why anyone would want to do this. She immediately thought of the man who had been following her. What did he want? Was he responsible for this? Was he trying to send her a message, to intimidate her? Or had he been looking for something? Miriam thought about what she could possibly have in her apartment that someone would go to such lengths for. She didn’t have anything that was valuable.
She felt a sudden chill. She didn’t want to spend any more time here. Her personal space had been invaded. It was no longer safe. She retreated out of the apartment and back into the hallway. She walked at a brisk pace back to the elevators. She was thinking about calling the police. But another part of her just wanted to hide. She didn’t believe that the police would be able to protect her, especially if she were dealing with the same individual or group that was responsible for Daniels death. Who was that man who had been following her?
The safest place that Miriam could think of was a hotel. Making sure that she was not being followed, she took an Uber ride into downtown.
Miriam walked into the elegant and sophisticated lobby of the Hotel Nikko, with its post-modern design, slabs of onyx and dark granite exhibiting style and ambience. Overhead, multiple chandeliers were dimly lit, casting a warm yellow glow over the entire lobby.
“How can I help you?” the uniformed hotel receptionist gave her a smile as she approached the check-in counter. She wore a name tag that prominently displayed her name, Althea.
“Hi,” Miriam tried her best to smile, but was feeling worn down from the events of the day, “I don’t have a reservation, but I need a room for the night. Would you happen to have any?”
Althea turned to the computer and tapped a few keys on the keyboard.
“We do have a room with a queen bed available,” she said, “It’s on the fourth floor, facing west. Would that work okay?”
“Yes, that would be fine,” Miriam said quickly, feeling relieved. “How much is it?”
“Normally it’s one ninety nine a night, b
ut this particular room is available at a discounted rate. Ninety nine for one night.”
“Okay, that’s fine,” Miriam fished around in her purse for her credit card. As she was handing it to Althea, a thought crossed her mind. What if they could somehow track her through her credit-card purchases? She didn’t want to risk taking the chance.
“Do you take cash?” she asked.
Althea nodded smoothly, completely nonplussed. “Of course,” she said with a smile. And then, as if reading Miriam’s mind, “There is an ATM just around the corner.”
Shock Treatment Page 3
