Chapter Fifty Five
It was mid-afternoon by the time we got back to Mississippi. Using anyone in our family to help us tonight is not an option. G-mom and I will have to divvy up the tasks and pray for assistance.
We decided to move Tucker, Angie and Audrey to the hotel my family stayed at near my campus. This put us back into the right time-zone and closer to SizZle.
“Doc, let’s start with you. Give us an update on their medical conditions and any info you have on the Weaving. Then Krista, you can tell us everything you know about this Sunday twisted shindig. After that, I’ll give everyone the virtually useless information I got from the perverted Polecat chained to his desk waiting. So, hit us with it Doc…” g-mom said.
“Angie and Tucker weren’t exposed long enough to have any lasting damage. But, it turns out a mutated Weaving is contagious through saliva and sweat. The fever itself doesn’t indicate whether it’s in a communicable state. I’ve gotta stop assuming things! Weavings are nothing like diseases or illnesses…” he fussed at himself.
“Don’t beat yourself up, Big Guy. We’re in earth’s realm and Weavings aren’t from anywhere around these parts. It’s like you wouldn’t diagnose a Tarrish born native with a common cold…” g-mom offered.
“You’re right, but my misguided assumptions can readily turn into someone else’s tragedy. You know the type of physician I am, Liz. I can’t let the location I’m in dictate my treatments or affect my diagnoses. The common cold could turn up in Terria Tarrish and what might cause chills and sneezes on earth could be a deadly epidemic to those natives. I have a bigger responsibility…” Doc declared.
“And what was it you were saying again about burning that black book of yours to marry me?” g-mom asked, slyly.
He rolled his eyes and shook his head, refusing to acknowledge the obvious.
“It’s not just your career – it’s your life’s mission. You’re getting a stay on the issue which is a rare thing with me – better enjoy, quick. We’re on a detestable time budget and need your Intel ASAP. Our family members’ have their knots tied into tangles. So, that means we have to have a fully operational strategy that doesn’t include their help…in a few short hours,” g-mom told him.
“I need to accompany Krista, but we have to find a suitable caregiver for them…” Doc said, motioning to Audrey, Tucker and Angie.
“We’ll figure out “the who’s” in a minute. We need the “what” now. Tell us what happened to Angie and Tucker…” g-mom stated.
“According to “Gray Fates” mutated Weavings remain intermittently active for about seven days once a vaccine has been administered. In layman’s terms, Audrey infected Angie and Tucker with a secondary strain of the Weaving she was exposed to when she kissed them. Theirs’ didn’t react to the vaccine like the primary Weaving. So, I need to whip up an inoculation for the secondary type, as well as more for the primary. How many people are we looking at?” Doc asked.
“Let’s go with two dozen to be on the safe-side. Question, how do we estimate the number of affected, warped guests? You know, the sickos that watch and participate in the assaults at the Gray Hook, will they be infected and contagious?” g-mom asked.
“I think we can table that estimate, g-mom. Lyle and his goon squad were standing in the slimy mist-filled lobby waiting for me. I was licking the floor, but they were fine. The same nasty substance was piped into the enclosed room they were holding me in. It didn’t trip me out that time. It never affected Lyle or his jerk friends at all. The only one it consistently affected was Audrey…” I offered.
“This is just educated guesswork on my part, but it seems like the scientist who mutated the Weaving manipulated it to work only on females…” Doc offered.
“Let’s not forget Tucker. Why did it affect him?” g-mom inquired.
“Tucker was a preemie. His lungs were underdeveloped at birth. My examination reveals he struggles with breathing problems. A traditional Weaving is introduced via the lungs. The vaccine appeared to do nothing for him. Tucker didn’t resume normal functioning until he inhaled my treatment. The Weaving didn’t travel to his brain because it got trapped in his lungs.
“I can perform another Refractilizing airway measurement to prove my theory on him, but I don’t actually need to. If Tucker’s lungs had been strong and healthy the Weaving would have travelled to his brain, filtered out and been expelled through his exhalation. He would have been completely unaffected by the exposure.
“Think about it. I have strong lungs and have been exposed to Audrey for hours. I’m feeling nothing and have no symptoms. See, my Refractilizing airway measurement doesn’t even register...” he explained.
He was using some strange rod to get his measurement. It was pressed against his palm.
“What about g-mom? And me? It did work on me, but only when I was out in an open area lobby of the Gray Hook. I was exposed to Audrey for days. I carried her and was frequently exposed to her sweat…” I inquired.
He pressed the instrument against my palm and then, g-mom’s before he answered.
“Your RA measurement and Lizzy’s are both nominal. Two possible explanations are the best I can come up with. Either your extended realm travelling provided you each with immunity to the Weaving effects or your spiritual sealings make it impossible for a Weaving to permanently attach. We need to assume the first guess is closer to accurate than the second. Sealings are emblazoned to your spirit – not your brain…” Doc told us.
“I’m gonna just thank the Maker for whatever kept the Weaving away from my lungs and brain. I can’t even fathom how things would’ve played out if it had gotten to my mind like it got to them…” g-mom stated and we shivered, collectively.
“Let’s stop mulling that over. I’m already inclined to lock my two favorite ladies in an extra-large and cushy cell for the next few thousand years for safety purposes…” Doc declared.
“There’s no cell large or cushy enough to interest me as far as living accommodations. I’ll take my chances catching something…” g-mom stated.
“Well, that ‘something’s’ gotta catch you, first. Pritchard Stewart was the only thing that ever managed to do that, successfully,” he stated, comically.
“You’ve caught me a time or two…” she revealed.
“That’s a mild stretch into gypsy territory…” he remarked. “Speaking of people who might have been inadvertently exposed, what ER did you take her to?”
Even though I revealed that Audrey was kept in isolation, Doc still took a quick trip to the hospital to check on the staff. And, he wanted to retrieve our medical records. It took him several minutes.
“We were getting ready to send out a search party. Time’s a ticking…” g-mom informed him and he smiled at her.
“The hospital workers are fine. And, no one’s reported with any weird psychological problems. Audrey’s rape kit came back as positive for trauma and unknown fluids.
“I don’t think the doctors knew what to make of any of it. It took me a minute extra to track down her record. It was in the hospital administrator’s office in the pending peer review file. Any case that might leave the hospital liable for damages is put in that review stack. They had a note attached that indicated ‘lab malfunction’. Krista’s file was stacked underneath. I scanned them into my system and then, destroyed the hardcopies.
“Oh the hospital put your cash in the file so the bills can be dusted for fingerprints if necessary. Here, I didn’t destroy the cash. I’ve never stolen money before…it felt a tad bit thrilling.
“Don’t give me that look, Liz. I’m not gonna ask you what you’ve permanently borrowed and how you felt about it in the aftermath.
“And, Naked Wiggly, it was responsible of you to pay the bill. But, for future reference, if you’re doing anything covert, under an assumed name, you should avoid leaving any evidence behind…” Doc told me.
I ag
reed with a giggle. Only thirty minutes elapsed as I detailed what Nell told me about SizZle and Sunday nights. It felt like hours had gone by. We wrote down everything possible about the Gray Hook and the girls who are currently being held there.
“Nigel doesn’t manage SizZle or the Gray Hook. His silent partner exclusively screens potential members and decides who gets access. This partner has no name or face that the Polecat was willing to share. But, he did give me the criteria for becoming an initial charter – better than average wealth, fame and/or power. We can work with a couple of those. Silly me, thinking all I needed was an introduction and bank account that gets some attention.
“This partner has other requirements before he wastes his time screening candidates. These are: Nigel has to personally be acquainted with them and vouch that they are the right material. We were in and then, the kicker…candidates are required to be male. Females come in as guests only.
“I thought Nigel was a male, but I’m questioning that assumption. Gypsy talk and finesse, and even an outright demand to see his real male prowess by escorting me into SizZle got me squat. The silent partner must be the male and I’m still guessing about what Gray might be. The Polecat is too frightened to cross him. He wouldn’t tell me his partner’s name and flatly, refused to let me even sneak-a-peek inside.
“Talk about misplaced terror. Just wait ‘til we have those girl babies safely rescued. Never mind, no time for indulgence.
“I got your text and knew our fellows were not an option. But, the way I figured it, I didn’t really need an actual man for the job. All I required was to get the silent partner to show up and think that I’ll have a perfect candidate for their twisted club. Bada-bing, Mr. Twisted Partner rushes over to meet billionaire candidate. Then, he can just personally escort me. That would kill three birds, anyway. He gets me in hassle-free. And, I get an owner’s hide to hang up, along with a name to carve on the headstone for my personal satisfaction.
“So, I tossed out Bradwell’s name. It felt safe enough. Your traveler grandfather considers Nigel a first-rate sucker – gypsy-defined as an unworthy mark and of no interest. Even if the Polecat or his partner tried to verify my story, they’d never make it through the Reigns’ intricate web to talk to him.
“Nigel said he isn’t the right material with a look of horror. He’s scared of Bradwell and our whole family. But, that wasn’t the real issue. Seems the dim-bulb Polecat got the idea that Poppy Bradwell is a proud traveler of “modest means”. He personally told Nigel that the Rhineharts’ are the questionable family, trying to entice his daughter away from home by flashing their millions and status. And, the Polecat believes him!
“Bradwell drives up in a luxury car, wearing a tailored suit, a black diamond pinky ring and shoes that cost more than a used car. Pricilla is wearing a Cartier necklace that matches her five-karat diamond ring and ten-karat tennis bracelet. Scarlett is wearing jewelry worth three times that and Dim Bulb believes they’re a pack of blue-collar workers.
“I might also add that the Polecat knows your Daddy-Jax and Grandfather Ashworth are the actual blue-bloods in our family. He learned that from being on-site and hearing their titles used, repeatedly.
“R-daddy didn’t talk about his wealth, but he didn’t need to. He whipped out cash for the rental for one thing. And, he sounded shrewdly intimidating when he “declined” to provide any legal identification. After seeing your text, I decided not to involve Daddy-Jax and R-daddy in my game.
“I’ve dropped the wrong name before, so I recovered like always. I said, “That’s too bad, Big Man. I’ll have him deliver your personal regrets to Taft Rhinehart and King Ashworth Elingston.” That got the sniveling Polecat’s attention. I had him on his knees begging me to hang up and not call Bradwell. It seems I out-conned myself, though…geez, I hate hollow victories.
“The time was set and I had my things in hand to leave. I was walking out the door when Nigel said, “I’ll have the best champagne on ice when ya’ll get to BlitZed tonight, beautiful Filly.” I’m gonna give him a “beautiful Filly of something…” no matter what. But he’ll get it sooner, if he keeps throwing obstacles at me.
“Long story, short candidates have to talk shop with Nigel a few times at his stupid BlitZed office party before they are worthy of a screening.
“Also, according to a source inside, the Gray Hook has been re-established and fortified with impenetrable security measures. Seems they had a breech. Someone circumvented the security system, disarmed a something or other, destroyed the panel that operates everything and permanently disabled the cameras…that kid didn’t use the word “fry”…what did he say? Ah yes, he said “…nuclearation” but I knew what he meant.
“Gray ordered the Hook security guards to meet at BlitZed. My inside kid claims Sebastian was called in to “ice” them. The strong hint was he slaughtered those negligent guards. Apparently, Mr. Race works exclusively for Gray, but the silent partner ordered him to personally handpick the new armed staff. If Sebastian was indeed the one hiring the new personnel, they will be top-notch.
“According to my source, these new guys are posted outside, on all sides 24/7. Four different compliance officers must scan the users’ keycard in succession once a key holder steps inside.
“The kid giving me the information says, the pay and benefits package is enough that he could retire in a year. The thoughts of retirement at age 23 evidently outweighed the contractual stipulation that he willingly accept the death penalty if the system even has a hiccup while he’s working. Naïve child still tried to sign on for the job. Sebastian ripped up his app without looking at it and snorted.
“Poor kid took off running. I told the young fellow he should start looking for another job, pronto. Even gave him my number and told him to list me as a reference.
“That’s when he volunteered that he had some information that could get him ‘iced’. I had to drive him to a mall, drop him off, wait a minute and then, sit in the food court. He sat at the table behind me and whispered the information while drinking a milkshake. It was cute. I figure he needed a ride to see his girl who works at the ice cream shop. But, he wanted to play spy, too and I’m all for playing games.
“The silent partner films Nigel’s party guests with a secret camera. I already knew about the cam. What I didn’t know is he never screens potential candidate’s videos until he has twelve hours of footage.
“He’s a diabolical and paranoid pervert…I’ve gotta give it to him. I was getting that Intel. That’s why it took me so long to get home to the meeting…” she informed us.
“Guess that means you’re cancelling with Gray tonight, correct?” Doc inquired and I started laughing, hysterically.
“If you wanna get fluent…you better start…by making a list…of words…g-mom never uses. “Cancel” is in…the top three…” I stammered between the hysterics.
“Number one and two, “can’t” and “impossible” are interchangeable. But, even with that list you’ll still never live long enough to learn my language…” she declared with a wink.
“You’ve written the check…now you’ve got your work cut out cashing it. And, I have an idea about how I can get a guest pass for me and one for Doc to SizZle, tonight. I was just hoping I might not have to access it. Warning, you’re not going to like how I have to go about getting it…” I revealed.
Double Fated (Book One) Page 55
