Chimera’s claws had torn into the chimney lining like a tin can and the acid from the squirrel had eaten away sections of it. One section had peeled away and Chimera fought to regain his hold as the lining tore away. He fell a foot before he regained his grip. He struggled for a moment, trying to scamper as fast as he could before his systems were paralyzed, when he realized he was unaffected.
All his functions were normal, and he paused to confirm that he was unharmed. Apparently, Marty had slipped another surprise into his systems: inside access to Halaby, if needed.
He made his way up to the rooftop and realized he couldn’t flee without drawing attention, and he hadn’t confirmed Gretchen’s release. He carefully sneaked around to another chimney and descended, this time all the way down into the bowels of the building. No one would ever come looking for him inside their top security operations. He descended into a room at the bottom of the chimney and hid underneath a bed. Once again, he curled into a ball and went dormant, awaiting his next update from Marty.
CHAPTER 22
T he cool ocean breeze blew onto the patio seating, flapping Leo’s shirt sleeves as he absent-mindedly stroked his goatee in thought. Leo was pondering over the commanding, threatening tone of Mr. Sullivan’s letter, befuddled that he had eyes this far from home. His partially clear vision for his return to America and confident belief he would be rid of the Sullivan’s both faded to doubt.
He read over the letter quickly once more until his concentration was broken by car horn’s honking, brakes screeching, and pedestrians screaming. Leo bounced up out of his seat and leaned over the balcony to a scene of cars jumbled and people running down side streets. The nicely dressed man that had been staring at him in the restaurant ran down the busy street, gun drawn firing towards someone, who from Leo’s vantage point couldn’t be seen.
Leo craned his neck and attempted to get a better view but only got a face full of geraniums from the balcony flower box that lined the ledge. Leo’s focus turned back to the man in the street. He hurdled a car in desperation, landed on its hood, then slid off, smacking down on the hard pavement and rolling into a stance. The man began to square up to his attacker with his weapon but took several bullets to the chest before he could fire a single round.
The man collapsed onto the cobblestone street, while his attacker hopped into a nearby car and sped off, the tires squealing down a narrow alleyway. Blood spread out from under the man in the middle of the intersection, as people exited their cars cautiously to offer help, but the man was already dead. Mr. Sullivan had been true to his letter; he had eliminated Leo’s tail right in front of this eyes, leaving no doubt that he would do what was promised. Leo realized Mr. Sullivan wasn’t to be challenged; the man’s corpse in the street had been an eerie reminder of the ending to Sullivan’s letter. This is the last time I will plead with you, Leonard; actions must be met with actions.
An uneasy feeling came over Leo. The celebration he’d have tonight would be overshadowed by today’s news, events, and demands. Was he making the right choice in going with Evelyn for answers about his father? The man that had been following him could have abducted or killed him at any time as Mr. Sullivan suggested. He stood firm with his choice and pushed it as far as possible from his mind.
Tonight was his and Sara’s. Although he didn’t know the man that was shot, the shock stayed with him until he arrived back at their hotel suite. Leo swiped his key card and entered the room. The air was fresh and had the light scent of perfume.
“Sara…Sara,” he called out without a response. Leo went to the suite door of the adjoining room that was already ajar and pushed it open slowly, calling out to her once more, louder this time. “Sara!” Certainly, she must have heard me by now. She had to be here. The perfume was much stronger in her room. He breathed it in. Sweet Pea. He loved her perfume. Leo recalled when he had first smelled it on her, shortly after visiting Mrs. Sullivan for the first time.
“Saaaaara,” he called out in a playful, mildly curious tone.
Leo walked out of her suite and back into his, turning a corner to a large open room with a small kitchen in one corner and a dining table and couch in front of a large flat screen TV.
Leo didn’t scan the room; his eyes focused on a large white box with a huge fabric bow, sitting on the bar countertop. The large blue-ribbon ends hung down below. What caught his attention was that they flapped and swayed from a stiff breeze. He stood staring at the large box, thinking of what it could be until pieces of paper stole his gaze.
Pages of agreements and contracts that they had been working on all week for the Mimetite property were scattered all over the ground. The documents skidded, fluttered, and curled across the hardwood flooring. Wondering if someone else had been there, his sense of uneasiness grew. He walked over to the gift and took hold of a spinning tag, dangling from the white box. The tag simply stated, Cheers to you, to us.
A gust of wind suddenly filled the room, and he finally turned to see the double doors to the balcony wide open, the curtains blowing into the room and ebbing like the tide as it died down. More pages spilled onto the floor, and he walked slowly to the balcony to investigate. The fading sun had set. The sky lit up deep red and orange. With the dancing curtains resembling fanned flames, it looked like he was walking into an inferno.
He cut through the moving curtains, parting them with his hand, revealing an open balcony and a beautiful sunset he couldn’t help but be captivated by. He was nervous and weary; walking to the edge of the railing he set his sweaty palms down for stability and looked out, when an audible shutter click was heard from behind him, followed by a voice.
“Well, perfect timing, the man of the hour. I was thinking you were never coming back. You’re late!”
Leo’s paranoia from events just hours ago sent him into a small panic until he heard the distinct voice again. “Howdy Leo.”
Turing around, he saw a beautiful transformed Sarafina, dressed in an elaborate, gorgeously beautiful blue gown, fitting her figure perfectly.
Her curly hair bounced and shook in the breeze as she snapped another picture of Leo just before he blurted out. “Damn!” Embarrassed he tried to recover. “Well, what I mean is, Wow, You look dazzling, country girl.”
Leo stood transfixed, unconsciously giving away his surprised delight and feelings for her.
“Well thank you, rich boy. Too bad we’re from two different worlds, huh?” she said with a raised eyebrow and a smile. “Not as handsome as you are about to look though, Mr. GQ. Bring out your gift and open it.”
Leo walked by, staring at her the whole time. “You scared the crap out of me, woman.”
He disappeared behind the curtains, but she continued to speak to him, “Like I told you, if I’m so scary, I can go. Oh, and by the way, you totally stole my sunset shot.”
Leo returned with the large box, the ribbons flapping in the steady breeze. Holding it in one of his large outstretched palms, he carefully opened it with his free hand. He peeled back the tissue paper folded inside and saw a beautiful suit neatly tucked into the large box.
“Oh Wow, super fancy. Thank you so much, Sara!”
He hugged her affectionately and took in a long whiff of the perfume she had sprayed into her hair and on her dress.
“I’m going to go put it on.”
Leo disappeared, and minutes later, he came back out dressed in the suit, hair slicked back, and goatee neatly positioned.
Sarafina let out a whistle. “Look at you. We’re all dressed up and nowhere to go.”
“Not nowhere, try the cliff side Nautika Restaurant. Shall we?”
“Are you serious!”
Leo smiled and nodded, then gestured for her to proceed inside.
Sarafina’s smile beamed. “You really put some thought into this. This is going to be a special night, and, damn, you look good in that suit.”
They walked inside and gathered their things before leaving.
“You know, Sara, I though
t for a minute there that someone had abducted you, or worse, with all the papers strewn about and the mysterious gift box.”
“Who would want to steal me in Croatia, Leo?” she laughed at the thought.
“Well, you haven’t seen or read what I have today. While you were out…. It’s a long story. I’ll tell you over dinner, but it may change, whether you stay or go. Enough of that for now, though. Ma’am, the night awaits.” Leo held out his arm for her to take hold of.
“Absolutely, sir Kruger, just don’t call me Ma’am though. I’m a young cowgirl vixen; it just doesn’t sound right.”
They both laughed and made their way down to the garage, walking arm in arm. After Leo politely opened her door for her, they made their way to the breathtaking cliffside restaurant. Taking their seats, Leo noticed the restaurant didn’t disappoint and the patio seating was dazzling. Their table sat right next to a short rock wall that bordered the area and overlooked the cresting waves far below.
Each table had a candelabra illuminating its diners; everything else was cast in a dim glow, fading to complete darkness, kissed only by the faint moonlight. The two talked of the week that they had had, the peacefulness of the worry-free Mediterranean, the mild temperature, beautiful landscapes, and architecture. Eventually, the conversation led to today and questions about Leo’s statement before leaving for the restaurant.
“I know our suite was a mess with the papers being strewn about, but was I not mistaken, or did you imply you thought my abduction was a possibility? What would make you jump to that conclusion Leo?”
Leo poured them both another glass of Pinot Grigio and took a sizable swig before answering.
“Well, perhaps, when you put it like that, it does sound kind of paranoid. Sara, the truth is that this past week has been amazing. I mean we are in paradise here with little care for anything else. Even though this week hasn’t been all fun, I’d have to admit it was easy to forget why we are even sitting here on a different continent in the first place. Distance and freedom made us both able to feel comfortable and confident that we were a world away from where we came. But today made me realize what a dangerous game I, no we, are in. I didn’t just jump to a conclusion of you disappearing on my own; today’s events, as I stated earlier, may change, whether you stay behind or not.”
Sarafina looked confused. “O-kay. And?”
“Shortly before coming back to the hotel, I was at Café Panorama, relaxing on their balcony when I noticed a man staring in my direction. Normally, I would have dismissed it. After all, we’re on the other side of the world, right? But then I remembered I had a feeling we were being watched when we first arrived and also in the woods. I didn’t say anything; we had just gotten here, and my first thought was that I’m just hypersensitive, due to our previous week of shock. Before I could really get a sense of the man watching me at the café, the waiter brought me a letter, a calligraphed letter. I figured it was somehow from you, that you had tracked me down and were surprising me, but to my shock and surprise, it wasn’t from you. It was from Mr. Sullivan. It was a warning, letting me know that he had found me all the way from New York. Why couldn’t Evelyn? Indicating my tail wasn’t just delusion, he warned that I wouldn’t be allowed to leave without an escort, someone Mrs. Sullivan had waiting here for me, and that your safety was at risk and you wouldn’t be safe and could be harmed at any time. The letter ended with his telling me that he’s on my side, that all I had to do was join him and in exchange he would protect, not only me, but you as well. This wasn’t just a suggestion as it had been before. He was imploring me now; he stated if I joined or helped Mrs. Sullivan, we would be enemies. He stated that it was the last time he would ask, that next time my denial would be met with action.”
As Leo spoke, Sara’s smile and demeanor changed from happy-go-lucky to concerned and nervous.
“Leo… he could have just done some homework, found you here, and made some scary demands. I mean you don’t know if anything he’s saying is true.”
“He made sure I knew he wasn’t bluffing. The letter stated that he’d eliminate my tail as a gesture of good faith, trying to grease the wheels for me to come crawling back to him. The man that was watching me had vanished from the café, and that’s when I heard screams from below on the street. The man in the suit was shot dead in the middle of the street. The tail he had spoken of was eliminated right before my eyes.”
“Sarafina glanced around the balcony nervously and spoke in hushed tones, almost whispering. “Oh my god, Leo! We have to call the police and inform them, explain to them what’s happening.”
“And explain what? That a Mr. Sullivan is threatening me to stop helping his robot wielding wife who has stolen my invention?”
“Ya well that sounds kooky, you’re right, but we can’t just keep doing everything on our own. Perhaps you should talk to that man that was so persistent. Stratus something or other. Maybe he knows information that would help.”
“That may not be a bad idea, but I wouldn’t know where to find him. And if I go that route I may never find the truth about my father, he may still be alive somewhere. Sarafina I’m insisting that you come along. If one of them were to try to harm you I’d never be able to protect you while you’re here. If something were to happen to you, I don’t know what I’d do. I’d feel responsible, worse I’d be missing someone I care about. I’d never forgive myself.”
The moment wasn’t meant to be a declaration of his feelings for Sarafina, but Leo’s emotions came through as he spoke with sincerity, without a reason or goal. His sincerity clearly struck Sara’s heart as he was speaking, and she had grabbed his hand tightly from across the table. They shared a quiet moment with deep intense stares until it was broken by the waiter.
“Another bottle of wine lovebirds?”
Due to their silence, he sensed he was interrupting a special moment and backed away. Leo realized he had inadvertently revealed his feelings and was now holding the soft hands of the beautiful Sarafina. He broke away eye contact briefly, feeling vulnerable.
“Well, it’s official now Leo,” Sara said.
“What is?”
“Us. Didn’t you hear him? We’re love birds now,” she said with a laugh and grin.
The humor cut the seriousness of the moment, but something had been exchanged between them that wouldn’t be forgotten with a laugh. The night couldn’t have lasted long enough. The beautiful setting was something he would never forget, nor was the moment that had just passed.
The wine had calmed and soothed away the events of the day, his fears melted away. Feeling the ocean breeze, he finished his glass of wine and inhaled deeply. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, feeling like a feather floating in the wind. In his short daydream he felt a wet sensation on his forehead, like a raindrop from the sky. He opened his eyes to find Sarafina placing a kiss on his forehead, her curly hair tickling his face.
“Don’t fall asleep on me dreamer. I’ll be back. I’m gonna use the lady’s room, or whatever they call it here.”
Leo enjoyed the innocent kiss on his forehead and watched Sarafina walk away; she turned her head to give him a smile before disappearing inside.
He hoped many nights to come would be this peaceful but had a feeling this may be his last relaxed moment for a while. When she returned, they hailed a cab as Leo wasn’t about to test his motor skills with a bottle of wine in his system. Their flight was early in the morning, so they didn’t stay up and talk. By the time they reached their hotel fatigue had set in, they just went to their separate suites and crashed out for the night.
Leo feel asleep hard and fast. The wine helped with that, but he never seemed to have any trouble with falling asleep on cue, a gift from his grandfather he always thought. In a deep sleep, Leo heard a faint bell ring. It grew louder and louder until finally it was an unnerving hum all around him, then exploded louder jolting him from his sleep.
He let out a small scream in shock as he woke, he reached his hands
to his ears to cover them from the noise, but they were restrained behind his back. He was sitting in a chair in an unknown location with nothing to draw familiarity from, the area covered in a soupy fog. The bell noise finally died out when crunching of gravel behind him heightened his senses. He wondered who it was and if they would cause him harm in his exposed, restrained state.
The sound indicated there was more than one person, then silence, and finally a loud whoosh of something being swung very close in his direction. Leo tensed until a light vibration was felt on his wrists followed by a chink from the metal chain. He was relieved by the sudden freedom to move his hands, someone had sliced through the chain.
The fog cleared slowly, and he saw a sword twirling next to him, cutting through the light fog that remained. It was the Butcher. The Butcher stopped at his side and turned, plunging the tip of the sword into the ground that was materializing and stood watching him. Leo’s focus shifted toward a sculpture in front of him, and two figures standing to either side of it.
The figures were Mrs. And Mr. Sullivan and the sculpture was similar to the scales of justice. Only it wasn’t Lady Justice holding them. It was his father. The pivot point was an oxen harness over Patrick’s neck with his hands fastened to its ends holding the scales, one blue, one green. On his shoulders as well was the world, and he strained to keep it all from falling or shifting. A nod to the Butcher came from both Sullivan’s and before Leo could react, the butcher had grabbed his hand and sliced his palm open with the sword.
“Damn it!” said Leo.
“Choose now,” came eerily from the Sullivan’s in unison.
Their request was for him to fill a cup with his blood, tipping the scale in their favor, the world in the balance. Leo looked over both of their faces. They stared right at him, unfazed by his pain and waited for his choice. Blood gathered in his palm and he clamped his hand into a fist to try and slow the bleeding.
The Second Rising Page 13
