Trifecta

by Pam Richter

  Both men stopped and looked at Hashimoto with undisguised hostility. Alexander was the first to speak, "Why are you here? Dad's too sick to have visits from strangers."

  Hashimoto managed to come up with a plan on short notice. He feigned humiliation and sorrow, telling the brothers that he had done research on their father. He was now convinced that there was truth in the fantastic story they had told him about the computer named Eve.

  "And if you find it's true?" Alexander asked.

  "Of course, if it is, I would be willing to pay the finders fee we already agreed upon."

  Hashimoto saw greed light up the faces of the two big men. He had promised to pay a princely sum for the computer. Now they thought they had a chance to get it.

  Of course, Hashimoto had no intention of making good on his promise. As far as he was concerned he had control of the woman and the computer. He merely wanted all the information he could get before he went back to Japan. He was afraid with her great strength and genius brain the computer could be very hard to handle. He wanted to minimize the risks to himself and his own scientists when she was no longer threatened with the death of her sister. The best hope would be to convince the old scientist to come with him to Japan, to help handle her until they were able to remove the computer.

  "In that case, we would be happy to have you meet with our father," Stephan said smoothly. "I want to go in first and tell him about you."

  "Oh, we've met before," Hashimoto said. "My first day here in California I stopped by. Your father and I had a chat. Then he had that unfortunate stroke. We were discussing a visit to Japan."

  Stephan Steinbrenner had a talk with the nurses. They allowed Hashimoto a quick visit. The bodyguards were not permitted in the hospital room, so they stood in the open doorway.

  The right side of Ferd Steinbrenner's face looked like it was tired because it drooped down, affecting grief, while the other half smiled in recognition of his sons. Hashimoto waited while each dutifully kissed the old man's cheek.

  Then Stephan Steinbrenner brightly said they brought a visitor. Hashimoto came forward to shake the hand that was held out to him. He looked into the old man's eyes and saw only confusion.

  Hashimoto explained that he had come the week before, bringing his expert in computer technology. They had talked about a trip to Japan so Dr. Steinbrenner could help his scientists.

  Dr. Steinbrenner spoke slowly and seemed to have some difficulty finding the proper words, but his voice was easy to understand, although it slurred periodically. He said he had been sick and didn't remember the meeting. He was curious about the kind of computers Mr. Hashimoto's scientists needed help with. He didn't believe the doctors would allow him to go to Japan, but if he could assist them in any way he would be happy to do so. Dr. Steinbrenner seemed grateful that his expertise would be useful.

  "It's about your newest experiment, Dad," Alexander said eagerly, leaning over the old man. "You know. The secret one," he whispered in a hiss.

  "Ah, the secret one," Dr. Steinbrenner said smiling. "Unfortunately, I don't remember a secret computer."

  Alexander whispered so Hashimoto would not hear, "You remember the experiment. We brought you the baby girl."

  "The baby," Ferd said loudly, frowning in concentration. "I do remember the baby. What happened to her?"

  Hashimoto watched in astonishment as the old man's face suddenly crumpled in a sadness so great he was almost moved himself. Large tears ran out of clear blue eyes and down the drawn cheeks. The doctor's face had taken on an aspect of intense grief.

  "I want her back," Dr. Steinbrenner whispered. He sat with tears falling and a look of fierce of longing, until Stephan leaned over and wiped the old face with tissues he plucked from the box by the bed. The tears almost disappeared as quickly as they came in the wrinkled parchment-like skin, but they kept flowing silently from crinkled eyes.

  "It's all right Dad," Stephan whispered. "She's all grown up now. She's very beautiful."

  "You're sure she's all right?" Ferd asked plaintively. "I do remember the baby."

  "I'm sure."

  Dr. Steinbrenner pulled the tissues out of his son's hand, wiped his own face and straightened up with difficulty, and some dignity, using only his left arm.

  "Perhaps I should leave," Hashimoto said quietly to Alexander. He was embarrassed by the old man's strong emotions and felt pity for him, mingled with contempt for his lack of control.

  "No," Dr. Steinbrenner said. "Please don't leave yet. I get strange, almost uncontrollable, emotions sometimes. You see, I can't remember the last ten years or so. I've lost so much. I do remember a tiny baby girl."

  "That's all right, Dad," Stephan said quickly.

  Hashimoto thought any help he could get from the old scientist was totally gone with the stroke that had taken Steinbrenner's memory. Still, he might try. "It's a computer that could work within the human brain."

  "Robotics? Cybernetics? An interesting concept. I would have to do some research to update myself on the state of the art today," Dr. Steinbrenner said, seeming to gain more control. "I have lost almost a whole decade. Still, it is an amazing concept. Why don't you have your people come over and talk to me?"

  "I will be sure to have them do so, Dr. Steinbrenner. We have to leave tonight, so we'll make it another time. I'm sure my scientists will be grateful to speak to you," Hashimoto said, taking his leave courteously, bowing himself out the door.

  As he left, he heard Dr. Steinbrenner insisting to his sons, "I do remember the baby girl. I do."

  "It's all right, Dad."

  CHAPTER 33

  Mark and Ivar sat in tense silence. Finally Eve appeared, shaking her head. "I was sure they would have a bodyguard outside the room. But they didn't. Then I searched every restaurant and public area."

  Eve turned and quickly went to a bank of courtesy lobby phones. Mark and Ivar looked at each other blankly, then followed her.

  Eve called the front desk, saying she was with the L.A. Times Newspaper. She glanced around and saw the woman who had taken her call across the lobby. Eve said she was calling because a reporter was on his way to interview Mr. Hashimoto. He would be arriving late. Could she have his room? Eve got the expected response that Mr. Hashimoto was not answering.

  Mark and Ivar stood on either side of Eve, bent down, listening.

  Eve told the operator that Mr. Hashimoto had reserved several rooms. Would they please check? She had the reporter on his car phone on another line and he was waiting. After a few minutes and the front desk clerk said there was no answer from any of the rooms. Mr. Hashimoto had reserved rooms 509, 510, 511 and 512, as well as the penthouse suite. Eve thanked the operator and told her, no, she did not wish to leave a message.

  "They're not supposed to give room numbers," Ivar commented.

  "Fifth floor," Mark said.

  Eve had already strode to the elevators. Ivar and Mark hurried after her.

  Mark muttered, One track mind, and stuck his arm in the elevator door to keep from being left behind.

  "They've had her almost an hour," Eve said. "Is the camera ready?"

  Mark nodded, as they exited on the fifth floor.

  Eve walked quickly to room 509 and stopped before it. She stood there for a minute, doing absolutely nothing.

  "What's she doing?" Ivar asked, almost to himself.

  "Shh," Mark said. "Listening."

  "These rooms are expensively built, with good soundproofing," Ivar said.

  Eve went to each of Hashimoto's rooms and stood there a while. On the last door, 512, Ivar could see her whole body tense as she leaned into it. Then she turned around.

  "Sabrina's in 510. Someone is telling her, over and over, how happy she will be living in Japan with her sister. They're using some kind of mind control technique. There are at least three people in the room, maybe four. Someone said something about a drug overdose."

  "Oh my God," Mark exclaimed.

  "I'm afraid of what will happen to Sabrina i
f I make a lot of noise getting inside. The suites are probably interconnected. If I broke into one, they could hustle her to another, which would give them too much time to call security."

  Eve glanced at Mark, "If they are using these methods, they might consider Sabrina expendable. Give her an overdose on purpose, if they believe they'll be caught. Big headlines: Famous Model and Owner of Sabrina's Fashions Commits Suicide at Century Plaza Hotel. So we have to go in fast and quiet. Totally surprise them. Which means we have to get a control key card to open the door. Any ideas?"

  Mark shook his head.

  "I'll break into 511," Sabrina decided. "It's next door but further from the elevators. We can call from there for towels. The Japanese are notorious for their baths."

  "As long as you don't make too much noise," Mark said. "And assuming we can con the maid into letting us use the key."

  Ivar wondered how Eve could possibly believe she could break into one of the rooms. A successful attempt would require a hacksaw, but he saw Mark nodding.

  As they made plans for the assault on room 511, a party of four people exited the elevators. Mark made a good imitation of looking for his key card, while Eve and Ivar asked loudly and irritably if he could have left it somewhere. Mark pretended to pat through numerous suit pockets. The charade ended abruptly when the two couples entered their rooms.

  "I'll stand guard," Mark said, positioning himself in front of the elevators. If an elevator opened he would cough loudly to warn Eve, and detain the people leaving the elevator by blindly walking into them.

  Eve and Ivar went to room 511 and stood in front of it. Eve took a deep breath and pushed with all her strength. The door did not budge a millimeter.

  "My legs are stronger," she whispered.

  "No one can kick down a door," Ivar said.

  Eve took off her shoes and tried a high kick right next to the lock. It resulted in a thundering crash that reverberated down the hallway. She dented the door slightly.

  Ivar watched with astonished concern. He thought she must have broken her foot.

  "I might get in, eventually, but it would take too long and it's too noisy." Eve took a bottle of syrup from her purse and took a few swallows. They waited for someone to poke their head out of a room to see what the disturbance had been, but no one checked.

  Ivar started searching his pockets for tools. "The doors are encased with metal, with wood in the center. The lock is metal soldered to metal alloy. We'll have to try to break the lock off." He took out a very sharp knife.

  "Let me try." Eve put it on the seam of the lock where it attached to the door. She pushed so hard her arm started to shake and the knife blade bent in an arc.

  "I'm sorry."

  "That's all right," Ivar said. He had known she was heavier than regular people, and very strong, but he was astonished.

  Eve bent the knife back so that it was almost straight, using both her hands, as Ivar simultaneously told her to be careful. She might cut herself. She did, but the gash on the thick pad of her thumb closed before his eyes. He would have said something about the miraculous healing, but Eve had put the thin blade into the slit where the card key fit and was feeling around inside with the knife.

  There were loud metallic crunching noises and percussive pops. Ivar glanced over at Mark. He was shaking his head with a finger over his mouth.

  The interior of the lock mechanism was more delicate than Ivar thought, or else Eve was phenomenally strong because she was destroying it. He didn't think it would do any good.

  Eve hacked at the lock with the knife and pressed on the bar handle. She was breaking off the lever. It would be totally useless. There was no way she could make the bolt come out of the door jamb.

  Eve turned her head and smiled at Ivar. The door clicked open.

  Mark hurried down the hall and entered the room with them. They had to move quickly now. The door lever was hanging at an odd angle. Anyone walking down the hallway would notice.

  The room looked like more than one person had changed rapidly and without a thought to neatness. Gi's, black belts, shirts and pajamas were strewn across the two beds haphazardly. Eve went to the phone, dialed housekeeping and handed the phone to Ivar. They would be expecting a male to be in the room.

  Eve told him what to say, "Hai. Towels please. Room 510 and 511."

  Mark stood in the doorway, holding onto the door handle to disguise the fact that it was broken. Eve stood beside him, leaning against him, with an arm around his neck. She wanted to look like a wanton prostitute. She stuck out one hip, unbuttoned a few buttons on her blouse and pulled it loose from her jeans as though she had dressed hurriedly. Ivar stood behind the door in case they would need muscle.

  Mark looked at Eve and nodded approvingly. He messed up her hair with his free hand and wished he had some gum she could pop. He had to tell Eve not to lean on him so hard. She almost knocked him over.

  The Century Plaza has very good service, but it seemed a very long time before they saw a woman in the hotel uniform walking down the hallway toward them carrying towels.

  Eve languidly straightened up as the woman came abreast of them. "We need two towels for this room. Give me two more for next door."

  The woman handed Eve the towels.

  "Honey," Eve said, "I want to surprise the guys next door. A little gift. You understand. Just let me open the door?"

  The maid handed Eve the key card while Mark smiled and nodded at her. Eve took the key and slipped it in the lock for room 510. She quietly pulled on the lever so that it clicked, and then handed the key back to the housekeeper.

  Mark smirked at Eve lewdly for the benefit of the housekeeper. He gave Eve a wink, slapped her on the bottom and whispered loudly, "Give em hell, baby."

  The housekeeper was discrete and exited quickly. She looked back only once, saw the guests waiting for her to leave before opening the door, and got into the elevator.

  "Okay, Ivar," Mark said quietly. Ivar came into the hallway and stood behind them.

  "Remember. Use the camera right away, Mark."

  Mark and Ivar stood on either side of Eve and she gave a brief glance at each of them and nodded. She threw the door open. It hit the doorjamb on the opposite wall, broke it, and crashed into the wall.

  Mark was as good as his word and started snapping pictures.

  The bodyguard who had been walking Sabrina across the hotel room was so surprised and blinded by the flashing strobe that he dropped Sabrina. She crumpled to the floor. Mark took pictures of the psychologist following her, reading a script. He took pictures of the doctor trying to put a cloth over the syringes and medications that were used to drug Sabrina. He took pictures of Sabrina, lying in a loose heap on the floor. He turned once to get a picture of the door with the room number on it. He took pictures of Ivar holding up his identification. He took pictures of the physician trying to run out of the room.

  Then Mark dropped the camera and ran to Sabrina.

  Eve picked up the camera and resumed taking pictures. One of Ivar running after the tiny physician and grabbing him by the back of his collar, pulling him back into the room. One of the psychologist cringing and trying to hide the papers he had been holding. Eve grabbed the papers from him and took pictures of every page. She took pictures of the medications. She took pictures of the physician, the psychologist and the bodyguard sitting together on the bed where Ivar made them stay.

  She did not take pictures of Mark, carefully holding Sabrina's head up and repeatedly asking if she was all right. Or of the tears he batted away when he found she was breathing and that she could move a little.

  Mark picked Sabrina up, carried her to a chair and sat her down in his lap, petting her hair, murmuring over and over that she would be fine. He would take her home. He rocked her like she was a small child. She didn't seem to recognize him.

  Eve took pictures of Sabrina's dazed face, the dilated eyes showing terrible fear and confusion. Then Eve left the room, afraid if she stayed any longer she
would murder the three men sitting on the bed.

  A couple of minutes later Ivar called her back inside. He needed her to take pictures of him confiscating the vials of drugs and syringes.

  By this time the physician had regained his professional hauteur. He explained that Sabrina had become ill. They had been tending to her.

  The physician had a skinny neck that looked like a wrinkled arm. His adams apple bobbed as he said that he was a licensed physician. What right did they have to intrude? In Japan, patients regarded it as an honor to be treated by him. That he was being questioned about his expertise was an indignation.

  "Save it," Ivar said harshly. "I want to know how much of each of these drugs you gave to Sabrina Miller."

  Ivar took a pad out of his coat pocket and had the physician shakily writing the amounts of each of the drugs. Then he made the doctor sign the bottom of the paper, threatening that if he did not sign it he could be put in prison. The doctor probably knew Ivar was bluffing. He also knew, surely and instinctively, that Ivar would hurt him very badly if he didn't sign.

  Eve wanted to give Mark and Sabrina time together and let Ivar scare the men a little more, so she went through the room looking for hidden drugs. She ripped out the telephone cord so the men couldn't make any calls. Eve found that this hotel room was connected to the rooms on both sides of it, as she had speculated. She dismembered the phones in both of those rooms violently, growling low in her throat and pretending the phones were the doctor's skinny neck.

  Eve went into the bathroom, got a wet towel and handed it to Mark so he could revive Sabrina. She kept falling asleep moments after he tried to rouse her.

  "Is there an antidote?" Eve whispered to Ivar, who was still questioning the Japanese men.

  "No. They say the drugs will wear off in a few hours."

  "We don't have that much time. We have to get out of here. What scares me is the overdose. What about permanent brain damage?"

  "The doctor says she will be perfectly fine, if we keep her awake."