The Little Black Box

by K. J. Gillenwater

  Confident, she trotted down the sidewalk and approached the corner. Hiding behind the lush landscaping, she got a glimpse of Minerva and Will approaching the front door of the big white house. What was Ms. Caldwell holding up against his back? Was it a gun?

  Paula’s heart raced at the thought.

  The door opened.

  She couldn’t see from her angle who answered the door.

  Minerva pushed Will forward, the odd weapon still pressed against him, and the door shut behind them.

  Now what?

  ***

  To Will it seemed so ridiculous that this matronly, fifty-something woman could order him around. He could knock her down with one good punch. But if he didn’t cooperate, who knew what she or Pritchard might do to Paula. Paula had suffered enough and all because she’d tried to do the right thing. He couldn’t let anything else happen to her. Even if it meant he might get hurt.

  The front door opened. Professor Pritchard stood in the doorway. He didn’t look pleased to see them.

  “Minerva, what the hell are you doing? Why did you bring him here?” The professor took a quick glance down the street.

  “He stopped by your office to do some snooping. You told me to keep an eye out for him. I thought he’d be with the girl. So, I let him in to stall him and tried to call you, but you didn’t answer. While I was gone, he found this.” She held up the black box Will had swiped from the cabinet. “And all of Kathleen’s notes. I couldn’t let him just walk out the door.”

  “Get inside.” Pritchard stepped aside to let them in. “Now.”

  Minerva pushed Will forward.

  The inside of Professor Pritchard’s home had a sweeping staircase, which led to the upstairs. Their voices echoed in the vaulted ceiling of the foyer. Beyond he could see a well-appointed living room with a huge stone fireplace. Several folding chairs were set out next to the other seating in the room.

  “I don’t have time for this. You were supposed to take care of this mess.” The professor’s annoyance was clear.

  “I didn’t know he would show up at your office.” She jabbed the taser in Will’s back for emphasis. “And then what was I supposed to do?”

  “Shut up. It’s too late for excuses. I’ve got a meeting with the Group in just a few minutes.” Pritchard looked over at Will. “Put him in the basement.”

  “Then what?”

  “What do you think?” the professor fumed. “Plug in the damn box, lock him down there, and walk away.”

  “What if someone hears him?”

  “No one will hear him. No one heard Kathleen.”

  Will’s blood ran cold. They had killed Kathleen Smith? She didn’t leave to go to another graduate program. They had killed her. Had she also discovered what Pritchard’s plans were for the box?

  Will’s confidence in Paula’s safety slipped. It didn’t matter if Paula got away this morning. They would go after her. First, he would be killed, then Paula. He knew that without a doubt.

  He couldn’t let that happen. “I’m not going down there.”

  “I don’t think you have a choice.” Pritchard grabbed him by the collar, and Minerva latched onto his arm.

  Will bucked against them. Now that it was real. Now that he was confronted with the possibility of being left in the professor’s basement to die, he fought with all his strength.

  He broke free of Minerva’s grip.

  The professor ordered. “Do it!”

  Before Will could figure out what that might mean, he felt a sharp, jolting pain in his side. A metallic taste was on his tongue.

  And then nothing.

  ***

  Minerva pushed the button again on her taser and watched Will fall to the floor. “I’ve always wanted to do that.” She tucked the taser into the pocket of her sweater.

  “Let’s get him downstairs before the Group gets here.” Pritchard grabbed the unconscious Will under his arms. “How could you screw things up when we were so close?”

  “I didn’t screw it up.” Minerva picked up the kid by the knees and lugged him toward the basement door. “He did, by snooping around.”

  “And what about the girl? I thought you told me she was out of the picture?”

  “For now. I gave her a good whack over the head yesterday. She should be out of commission for a while.”

  “She’ll come looking for him.”

  “I’ll take care of it,” Minerva said.

  “You’d better,” warned Pritchard. “I don’t have time to worry about this. Another week and the contract will be signed. The project will be over, and we’ll hand everything over to the Group. We can’t risk anything or anyone jeopardizing that.”

  “Let’s just get him downstairs, okay?” she grunted; the deadweight of Will’s unconscious body almost more than she could bear.

  “So, where’s the other box?” he asked.

  “The other box?” This guy was heavier than he looked.

  “There were two in the cabinet—”

  “I didn’t see two.”

  “Goddamn it, Minerva, we need them both.” He kept moving down the stairs. “You didn’t get them both?”

  “There was only one.”

  “Are you sure it was just him in the office?”

  “Yes.” She struggled to keep her grip.

  “No one else? You checked?”

  “Well, he came by himself. It didn’t look like anyone else was in there.”

  “Did you make sure before you left?” Pritchard looked up at her from the bottom of the stairs. “How long did you leave him alone in my office? What if that Crenshaw girl was in there? What if she has the other box?” They dumped Will on a dirty mattress that lay on the bare cement floor.

  “I don’t know...I didn’t think. There was no one else there...”

  “You have to fix this. Now. Make sure that other box is still in there.” He knotted some rope around Will’s wrists. “If Crenshaw has her hands on that box, she could screw up everything.”

  “What am I supposed to do? I don’t know where she is.”

  Pritchard slapped her. Hard. “Get your shit together and find her.”

  She gaped at him. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. She found her voice. “I can do this, Dr. Pritchard. Trust me.”

  “I’ve already trusted you and look where that got me.” Pritchard gestured at Will’s limp body.

  “I took care of Kathleen, didn’t I?”

  “Just find Crenshaw and get that other box.”

  Minerva scurried up the basement steps, leaving Pritchard to deal with the unconscious Will.

  “So what did you think you were going to do with the boxes? Leak it to the press? Tell the dean?” He laughed and wrapped a length of rope around Will’s ankles. “By the time you wake up, it’ll be too late for you anyway. The changes to your aura will be permanent. Yeah, they’ll be locking you up in the loony bin with Kathleen...unless you off yourself first.”

  The professor went back upstairs and brought the black box down into the dark, musty basement. Near the base of the stairs, well out of Will’s reach, he plugged it in and flipped the switch.

  Chapter Thirty

  Ms. Caldwell left the house alone. No Will.

  Where was he?

  Paula crouched in the bushes watching, unsure what to do. Worry had grown into a lump in her stomach. What if it were already too late?

  Ms. Caldwell sped off down the street. As soon as her car disappeared around the corner, Paula sneaked toward the house. Spying the gate to the backyard, she crept alongside a big SUV parked in the driveway and made her way to the fence.

  God, she hoped no one saw her. They’d call the police or something. It looked as if she were trying to break in.

  Actually, wasn’t that what she was doing? Spying and hoping to break-in and find Will?

  He could be hurt. He could be trapped somewhere. He might need her help.

  A wave of dizziness threw her off balance. The pressure built
behind her eyes.

  Not now.

  She fought the sensation of her ability building inside. She dug deep inside, willing it away.

  The gate swung open without a squeak. A path led to the backyard where she could see a huge swimming pool and a landscaped yard with well-kept rosebushes and shrubs.

  The tingling began in her shoulders. Paula recalled her lessons from last night. She focused her mind on moving, finding Will, getting inside that house. She blocked out the feeling of raw power growing in her mind.

  Low down, next to a coiled-up hose, she noticed a window to the basement. Something drew her to that window. A feeling, an undefined sensation built inside. Creeping closer to the window, she peered in.

  Will had been tied up and lay on a mattress. He didn’t move.

  She prayed she wasn’t too late to save him.

  A red light caught her eye. In the corner of the room, one of the black boxes was plugged in and running.

  She had to break in there. Now.

  She picked up the hose and smacked the window with the heavy metal sprayer. The metal hit the glass with a loud ping.

  The window remained intact.

  Her frustration and anger grew. She needed to get Will out of there. For the first time since her attempt in the basement, she focused her thoughts. The tingling sensation zipped up and down her arms. The pressure behind her eyes was so strong, she had to close them. Sweat beaded across her forehead. A wave of energy expanded inside her mind like an electrical storm.

  The sound of cars driving up outside broke her concentration. The energy collapsed.

  Was Ms. Caldwell back with company?

  The sound of low voices on the other side of the fence made her heart race. What if someone saw her? The fence only stood six feet high.

  She pressed up against the building and hoped the shrubbery along the house would camouflage her.

  The voices receded. The front door opened. A familiar voice greeted the new arrivals.

  Pritchard.

  The minute the front door closed, she turned back to the window. “I’m coming, Will, don’t worry.”

  She clenched her jaw and reached deep inside to draw the power out of her mind. Strong waves of energy filled her. No longer was the sensation limited to her head and her hands, it spread throughout her body in a radiant wave. She felt as if she must be glowing from the energy. The force built and built, as if she were blowing air into an overfilled balloon. She focused on the window glass. The tingling in her limbs grew stronger and stronger, like a series of electric shocks.

  A surge of raw power bolted out of her.

  The glass broke with a thundering smash.

  For a moment, she felt drained, tired. But Will couldn’t wait. Knocking aside the broken bits of glass, she slid through the opening and landed on a washing machine. Will laid quietly on the mattress. She hoped she wasn’t too late.

  She jumped down and unplugged the box. Its red light blinked out. The clicking and whirring stopped a few seconds later.

  Voices filtered down from behind the door at the top of the stairs. Someone was coming.

  She rushed over to Will. “Wake up.” She prodded at him. “Wake up. Are you okay?” She untied the knots binding his wrists.

  His eyelids fluttered.

  She stumbled back a step. Relief swept through her. “You’ve got to wake up, Will. We’ve got to get out of here.”

  He was alive.

  The door creaked open. A dusty white light poured down the stairs.

  Paula darted behind a stack of cardboard boxes. She prayed Will stayed still, stayed quiet.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Paula heard footsteps. The lights came on. She held her breath, tucked her legs closer in around her, and waited for someone to notice her and sound the alarm.

  But nothing happened. The footsteps receded, the light turned off. A murmur of voices continued behind the door and that was all.

  Her heart leapt out of her chest. They had to get out of there. No more hiding. No more waiting.

  She scrambled out from behind the boxes and crouched at Will’s side. “Will, we have to go.” She touched him gently on the arm and then shook him. “You need to wake up.”

  Did they drug him? How was she going to get him out of here all on her own?

  He opened his eyes. “Paula?” He slowly sat up. “Where’s Ms. Caldwell? The professor?”

  “I’ll explain it to you later. We just need to get out of here.” She worked at the knots in the rope.

  “Out of where?”

  She freed his wrists and worked quickly at the other rope around his ankles. Once she untied him, she urged, “Come on!” She tugged him toward the washing machine. “You need to climb through there.” She pointed at the narrow window.

  “What?” He stumbled along behind her, still out of it.

  “Go!” She shoved at him.

  His knee connected with the door of the dryer.

  “Shh!” The noise was loud enough to be heard upstairs. They needed to be careful.

  “Dammit, I’m sorry,” Will said. “I’m moving as fast as I can. If you’d just explain…”

  “Climb!” She left him at the washing machine and ran to the other side of the basement.

  “What are you doing?” Will stood on top of the washing machine.

  “We might need this.” She scooped up the black box and ran to the window. “Now move!”

  Will jumped and thrust himself through the narrow opening, wiggling to get his shoulders through. He strained, his wiry muscles tight with exertion.

  Once he climbed out, she handed the box to him. “Here, take this.” He pulled on her wrists. “Wait!”

  “You need to get out. Now.” His voice had grown hard. The fuzziness from earlier had worn off. “You shouldn’t have come for me.”

  “Just take the damn box, Will.” Her heels slipped on the surface of the washer.

  He took it.

  She grasped the edge of the window with her fingers to regain her balance. A shard of glass nicked her hand.

  He pulled on her wrists again, trying to help her get up and out. “Hurry, Paula!”

  She grasped at the edge of the window frame, pulled herself through, and tumbled out onto the ground.

  “Go!” She pushed him toward the gate.

  They only had moments before someone opened that basement door and discovered an empty mattress, a missing black box, and a broken window. “The car’s around the corner.”

  Will held the box to his chest and opened the gate. “Which corner?”

  “Come on!” She grabbed his free hand and yanked him around the corner to her car.

  “The keys, my keys! Where did I put them?” She searched her pockets with sweaty hands.

  “Someone’s coming.”

  She heard shouting and the sound of feet pounding pavement close by. Just out of sight beyond the shrubbery.

  She dug her fingers deep inside her front pocket, touched the pointed metal, and yanked the keys out with a flourish. She pushed the unlock button.

  Professor Pritchard and a burly man with mirrored sunglasses and a tacky Hawaiian shirt rounded the corner.

  “Get in!” Paula yelled.

  They hopped into the car and locked the doors.

  “Start the car!” Will urged.

  “I know, I know, I’m trying.” She jammed the key into the ignition and turned.

  Pritchard’s face appeared outside her window.

  Paula screamed.

  The car roared to life.

  Pritchard pressed his hands against the glass. He pulled on the door handles.

  The big man with the sunglasses banged on the window right next to Will.

  “Get us out of here.” Will’s voice was unsteady.

  Paula jerked the gearshift into drive, pressed on the gas, and zoomed away from the curb.

  The professor’s hands slipped from the window. The other man clung to the door for a few seconds longer, the
n lost his grip and tumbled to the pavement in a swirl of fallen leaves.

  When they were a block away, Will let out a heavy sigh.

  “Are you okay?” Paula made a turn onto Main Street.

  Will readjusted the black box in his lap and stared at it. “Were they trying to kill me down there?”

  “I don’t know. Who knows what they were thinking?”

  “Ms. Caldwell had this taser...and then I don’t remember anything. Just you trying to get me out of that place.”

  “I followed her from campus.” She drove aimlessly, wanting to put distance between them and Pritchard.

  “Why did you do that? I told you to stay away. Hide.”

  “I couldn’t let you get hurt for something I got you involved in.”

  “I wanted to be involved,” Will explained with a sigh. “You always keep to yourself. Hardly ever talking to me. This was the first time I felt like you needed someone, and I didn’t mind being the one you needed.”

  She glanced at him. With his shaven face, she could finally see the real Will. He wasn’t hidden under a beard or crazy sideburns. It was a nice face. A handsome face. “I have some trust issues—”

  “That’s the understatement of the year.” A wisp of a smile appeared.

  She turned back to the road. He didn’t know much about her, her past, her life. Would he be as supportive if he knew her secret? “So, where should we go? They know where I live, the office is pretty much in danger zone central...know any abandoned cabins in the woods where we can hole up?” She thought about the notebook in her trunk. “There’s something I need to show you.”

  “What?”

  “Let’s find a safe place first, and then we can talk.” A few more blocks down Main Street and she’d get on the onramp for the Interstate.

  ***

  An eighteen-wheeler rumbled by. Paula and Will sat parked in a busy lot at a gas station, sipping hot coffee and eating a box of donuts. The first real food she’d had all day.

  Will brushed crumbs off his chin. “So, what did you need to show me?”

  “The folders you handed me back in the professor’s office, just before Ms. Caldwell came back?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Mixed in with all the folders was a notebook.” Paula put her coffee cup in the cup holder. “It belonged to Kathleen Smith. Her research. I think I know why she disappeared last summer.”