by J E Grace
“I haven’t been much use to you. Sorry, I couldn’t extract the information you wanted,” said McKenzie sipping his drink.
“I never thought I’d be drinking this early in the morning, but I guess there is a first time for everything,” I said taking a healthy shot of the potent liquor.
“How about a Java chaser, I just made a fresh pot.”
“Sounds good. I think I’ll just sit here a minute. I need to let all this sink in.”
“Okay. I’ll be right back,” said McKenzie as he made his way to the kitchen.
~
McKenzie glanced over his shoulder and felt a pang of guilt as he took in the broken man sitting on his sofa. He never meant for it to turn out like this. Maybe it was all for the best. Get Davis out of there before he got himself killed. He was better off, but it still didn’t ease the ache McKenzie felt in his heart. They had been best buddies for too long. It’s funny how the cards fall sometimes. He never thought that he could ever be bought, but Davis was just like a brother, and he couldn’t let anything happen to him.
McKenzie returned about ten minutes later, with not only coffee but also a breakfast of bacon and eggs.
~
I reluctantly accepted the breakfast, and we retreated to the porch outdoors. Somehow even the beauty of the mountain paradise couldn’t ease the ache in my heart. I hated being coerced into anything against my will, but this strange man had the upper hand. I really had no choice, but it ate at me like cancer deep inside my belly.
My life, well, I wasn’t concerned about that, I would make do. It was their unanswered questions about my sudden resignation that bothered me. They would be stunned that I didn’t even say goodbye, especially Jeanette. It would really hurt her.
I placed a piece of bacon in my mouth as I looked out onto the horizon. McKenzie was a great cook, but I had to choke the food down. He sat across from me, his mouth moving, but I was unable to comprehend a word. I had moved on to a different plane within this realm. Somewhere where thoughts just float in the open air, and all forms of common sense evade us.
Chapter Twenty-Six
I waited until just under the wire before I made my call to Reginald. I could tell by the way he answered his phone that he was stressed beyond reasonable limits. I hated to drop this one on him.
“Davis, well, you found time to keep in touch. How’s your downtime coming along?”
“Great. It’s so beautiful up here that I decided to make it my final retreat. I hate to drop it in your lap this way, but I’ll be back tomorrow to clean out my condo and leave Interplay. I’d appreciate it if you could have my termination papers ready.”
There was a short period of silence, and then Reginald cleared his throat. “Isn’t this kind of sudden, Davis?”
“Actually, I’ve been thinking about it for some time now. I’m sure Michael can handle it. He’s done a great job. Jeanette will be there to assist him,” I said trying to make it sound real.
“I hate to be the one to tell you this, Davis, but Jeanette has had a relapse. She had to be taken to the sanitarium yesterday. I’m afraid she never got over the incident in the lab, and her doctor felt it was necessary. She is allowed no visitors or telephone calls for the time being,” said Reginald as he sipped his glass of water to clear his throat.
“Well, at least she is getting the help she needs. Hopefully, she will have a full recovery. I’ll see you tomorrow around three. My flight doesn’t get in until noon, and I have some things to do at the condo.”
“Okay, see you then.”
I hung up the phone feeling pretty sure that Reginald bought my story. His explanation about Jeanette didn’t quite jive with what I knew to be true. Either he was a go-between and entirely unaware of what was going on, or he was a class act liar.
I decided to make my last night at McKenzie’s an enjoyable one. We planned a barbecue and downed a couple of six packs of Coors. I had really started to enjoy the quiet isolation of his ranch and was not looking forward to my move. Leaving Interplay, no problem, but I was concerned about the ones I was leaving behind. I think Michael had every reason to be worried.
My mind was flooded with questions. Where would I go? I didn’t have a house to go back to in Washington, D.C. any longer, Interplay had seen to that. I sure didn’t want to get too far away. I had to be accessible in case Michael or Jeanette needed me.
“You look deep in thought,” said McKenzie as he walked through with a platter of T-bones for the barbecue.
“The deed is done. Tomorrow I fly back to Interplay, sign my paperwork, and then start looking for a place to live. Then it’s moving time again. It’s back to my retired life.”
“You know you could stay on here with me. It’s not like I don’t have the room,” said McKenzie as he went outside.
I followed him out on the porch and watched as he placed the steaks on the grill. He pulled a couple of cold ones out of the cooler and handed me one.
“I appreciate the offer, but I really need to be close to Interplay. I’m backing off, not giving up.”
“I know where you’re coming from, but be careful. These people are dangerous. I don’t want to get a call and find you lying on a slab somewhere.
“I’ll be fine.”
“Yeah, right. How many times have I heard that one?” said McKenzie as he turned over the steak. The grill popped and sizzled as the grease ran down onto the hot coals below. I shot McKenzie a grin and decided it was best if I left that one alone.
~
Michael and Carol sat on the sofa in the living room of their condo wrapped in each other's arms. Upstairs, Samantha was busy doing her homework, or so they thought. Their son, Scott was busy talking on the phone to his friend Mike, discussing the nerd they had to sit by in their last class of the day. They had decided a prank was in order and an in-depth discussion, while Samantha yelled for him to get off the phone.
Michael wouldn’t trade his family for anything in the world. He loved his wife and kids more than life itself. As Michael held Carol, and wondered what he would ever do without her. He never wanted to find out. He squeezed her tightly, and she rewarded him with a kiss.
“Gee, honey, what did I do to deserve all this attention?”
“Can’t a husband show his wife that he loves her?” he said grinning down at her.
“Is everything okay? I get the feeling there’s something you’re not telling me.”
“I don’t know any good way to say this. Armed guards came into the lab today and removed Jeanette. I’m completely in the dark as to why. There was nothing I could even do to help her. I wanted to spare you from all this.”
“Oh, Michael, I’m not some fragile china doll. I couldn’t stand it if you blocked me out of your life. What affects you, affects all of us,” she said reaching up and touching the side of his cheek. “What is going to happen to that poor girl?”
“I called Davis. He’s still at McKenzie’s ranch in Colorado. He’s due back in a couple of days, and he seemed more than a little upset by her abduction. I’ll talk to him when he returns.”
“Be careful, Michael. You’re all we’ve got.”
“You know I would never do anything to jeopardize my family. You mean everything to me. We’ll get through this. Maybe Jeanette’s doctor wanted her for more tests. She has been a little off lately.”
“I hope that’s all it is. Well, enough talk about work. Are you ready for a great dinner?”
“You bet. You don’t have to ask twice. Anything I can do to help?”
“You know you’re all thumbs in the kitchen. Your abilities in mixing things are confined to the lab,” Carol said with a laugh.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
It was after one p.m. when I finally arrived at the front gate at Interplay. I showed my I.D. and was waved on through. I couldn’t believe I was finally going to leave here. My stay was ending as mysteriously as it had begun.
The yard was buzzing with action. The personnel engaged in some
form of activity or another, either walked with an air of urgency or whizzed by me in company vehicles.
I drove along the grounds occasionally stopping to dodge someone who wasn’t looking where they were going. I glanced across the courtyard over to the supply depot and observed as supplies were loaded onto a large truck. It was one in what seemed to be an endless chain of vehicles.
I entered the building from the back entrance trying to avoid being seen. I didn’t want to answer any questions right now.
I put the key in the lock and stopped suddenly. I thought I had detected noise from inside. The outdoors and getting in touch with nature has a way of fine-tuning things, but maybe I just had a case of jet lag and jittery nerves.
After waiting a couple of more minutes, with no inclination of a sound, I opened the door. I needed time to rehash my current predicament and come to some kind of plan of action. No, what I needed right now was a hot shower and a change of clothes.
I put my luggage on the floor, pulled some clean clothes from the closet, and tossed them onto the bed. I stepped into the shower and let the hot spray massage my aching muscles.
After a few minutes, I exited the shower, reached for the towel, wrapped it tightly around my waist and took another to throw over my wet hair. Just as I pulled it from my head, I caught a flash of movement out of the corner of my eye.
“Whoever you are, you better show yourself. I’m in no mood for surprises.”
“That makes two of us. Welcome back,” said Michael as he stepped out into the middle of the room.
“What are you trying to do? Did you ever hear of knocking?”
“Sorry, I didn’t want anyone to see me. I’ve been hiding out here all afternoon waiting for you to return,” said Michael as he paced the room.
“Wait in the kitchen while I get some clothes on and we can talk. I’ll only be a minute.”
Michael nodded in agreement and went into the kitchen. He felt terrible for breaking into his condo, but it was the only way to see him alone. It was obvious no one else was talking. He had to go directly to Davis for answers, hoping that he had some.
I got dressed wondering what was so urgent that Michael felt he had to break in. It was so out of character. There was nothing I could do to help him, except warn him to get as far away from Interplay as he could.
As I entered the kitchen, the smell of hot Java lingered in the air. Michael was pouring two cups.
“Hey, sorry I startled you. I just had to see you. No one is telling me anything. You have got to fill me in before I go crazy.”
“You probably know as much as I do. I can’t seem to find out what happened to Jeanette. I might know more after I see Reginald this afternoon. As a matter of fact, I have to be there in about an hour so we will have to cut our visit short,” I said taking a long sip of the liquid Java.
“The only thing I do know for sure is, you should get as far away from here as you can.”
“Funny you should say that. Reginald told me yesterday that the project has been scrubbed and I was being transferred to a lab in California. Carol and the kids want to relocate and so do I,” said Michael putting his empty cup in the kitchen sink.
“They have already arranged for our plane flight and moving company to relocate our things to the new house. I had to take the transfer, or they threatened to harm my family.”
“Interplay doesn’t make idle threats. It looks like both of us are relocating.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m retiring from Interplay. I’m going back to the life I had before Interplay so rudely interrupted it. I sign my termination papers today.”
“It seems like they aren’t happy until they get rid of all of us. I guess maybe we were a little too smart. Reginald knows about the disc. He doesn’t know where you stashed it though. I just played dumb. I have to get back to Carol,” said Michael as he patted me on the shoulder and walked out the door.
At least now, I knew Reginald knew about the disc, but what did he want with it? Michael didn’t tell him about the details on the disc. I knew him well enough to know that with his family being threatened, he would have folded. That only left one person, McKenzie. I couldn’t believe after all these years that he had sold me out. It was all starting to make sense. They must have somehow got to McKenzie and had some kind of leverage over him. He had to have sold out and joined forces with them. But, why?
I couldn’t help but wonder if Michael’s transfer to California was legit. For his sake, I hope it was.
I pulled myself back to the reality at hand and exited my condo. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of apprehension as I made my way across the courtyard to Interplay headquarters.
Twenty minutes later, I exited Reginald’s office. He showed no desire to delve further into my reasons for resigning. I was glad, the last thing I wanted to do was jeopardize Jeanette’s safety. According to Reginald she still wasn’t allowed any visitors. It looked as though I would have to leave without even being able to say goodbye. My heart ached with the acknowledgment of the hurt I know my leaving would inflict on her.
I entered the condo and pulled my luggage from the closet. I decided to pack for an excursion into Washington, D. C. Reginald had made arrangements to have my belongings packed up and shipped to wherever I had selected to go, compliments of Interplay. The underlying reasons were quite evident to me. It was their way of still keeping track of me.
I opened the trunk of my BMW and tossed in my luggage. I was traveling light with only the necessary essentials for a couple of days on the road. I had to find temporary housing, something on the outskirts of the city in a quiet, upper-class neighborhood. It had to be a place where people were too busy with their own lives to ask too many questions. Due to my situation, anything permanent was out of the question. I had to be mobile.
~
After about an hour of driving, I pulled into a station along the highway to fill up. I topped off the tank and decided to give McKenzie a call. It would be hard carrying on a conversation knowing that he had double-crossed me. I didn’t want to tip him off though; Interplay didn’t need to know I was on to them.
The phone rang twice, then a third time. I was just about ready to hang up when a winded McKenzie answered.
“Hello.”
“I was beginning to think you weren’t there. Did I catch you in the middle of something?”
“You might say that.”
“What’s up? You sound all out of breath.”
“Oh, there’s nothing like having someone else rearrange your place for you. I went to pick up some groceries in town, and when I returned, my whole place had been tossed.”
“Is there anything missing?”
“Someone was definitely looking for something. I’ve searched through the rubble for the last forty-five minutes, and the only thing I can figure that’s gone is the disc you gave me.”
“Interplay strikes again. How did they know it was there?”
“Don’t know. Maybe there is a mole at Interplay that you’re not aware of. That’s the only way this could have happened,” said McKenzie trying to sound convincing. It would do no good for him to know that the whole thing was a setup. Reginald had sent Interplay security by helicopter to his ranch earlier that morning to pick up the disc. McKenzie was sworn to secrecy as to its contents, being reminded of what would happen if he let anything slip to him.
“The only other person who knew about it is Michael. With his family at stake, I can’t imagine him doing anything stupid.”
“Maybe that’s the leverage they used. You’re dealing with some powerful people here. They would go to no end to obtain their objectives. Be careful.”
“Yeah, I know. Talk to you later after I get settled in somewhere.”
The whole story was a cover-up. Michael wasn’t guilty of anything except caring too much. McKenzie, on the other hand, was bought and paid for. My association with him was over. A pang of emotion swept over me as I replayed in my mind
the years of closeness we had enjoyed, now gone by greed or intimidation. I thought he was unreachable. I guess everyone has their price.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
I drove to the outskirts of Washington D. C. The sky had taken on an ominous look and night overtook the city. I pulled into the “Starlight Motel” and got settled in. After a nice hot shower and some Chinese takeout, I decided to relax and watch some television. Twenty minutes later, wholly appalled by all the havoc in the world, I decided I’d seen enough. I reached over and hit the remote and turned the light switch to the off position.
The room grew dark except for the moonlight that filtered in through the window. Outside I could see the slight sway of the trees indicating that the wind had picked up. Clouds had filled the night sky, and somewhere in the distance, I heard a small rumble of thunder erupting. A few minutes later, I listened to the rain as it pelted the window. Storms always seemed to evoke a feeling of restlessness deep inside me. I guess it was fitting though considering the mess I was in.
I fluffed up the pillows and positioned them under my neck and tried to settle down for the night. I found that the sound of the rain actually seemed to create a kind of welcomed waltz that transported me willingly to another time and place. As I listened, I found myself floating off into a deep welcomed sleep.
I entered that unknown plateau known as the dream state. I found myself floating upwards towards a new horizon strange to me. In the midst of the rays of light, appeared a large, shiny, hovering object. It seemed to manipulate and control the space it occupied. When my eyes had become accustomed to focusing on it, another similar craft appeared.
I was transported to another portal, and the view below me was Earth. Spaceships ensued in a battle. One was hostile and wanted to annihilate planet Earth; the other tried desperately to stop them. The struggle continued, and incalculable damage was done. I watched in horror as the planet was enveloped in a cloud of billowing smoke and then vanished into nothingness.
