Stefan’s thoughts turned back to his funding. He was successful in jumping through the hoops to keep it. Anita may have liked to play games in his bedroom, but she was still the head administrator of his department. He didn’t trust her and he didn’t know what it would take for her to pull the plug on his research. Better to be safe and not rock the boat. For now, he’d kiss ass and play by the rules.
What could this guy do to him, anyway? He could tell the man was desperate to get a new body. The doctor smirked. Barry would keep crawling back to him, and he’d be ready when he was darn good and ready. He wanted to be ready with a successful operation and a real sob-story, a person the public could embrace. Barry was a respectable candidate, he had to admit. Thus far, he’d had sub-par specimens. Barry could be his poster boy. These others, well, they were… practice. Even God didn’t create the world in a day, he rationalized.
After the doctor left, the security guards slid their arms under Barry’s armpits. They grunted as they scooted him up and plopped him back into his wheelchair. Dead weight was difficult to maneuver, but they finally got him seated semi-straight. They wheeled him through the warehouse, around crates, machinery and tools. They continued down a long hallway, and down a sloped walkway leading through a bolted door into the alley. One more homeless man sleeping off a binge. No one would know the difference, care, or stop to ask questions.
The doctor’s car sprayed gravel on the way out. His focus was interrupted when he had to swerve around a stumbling man and woman. Damn druggies!
If this surgery in Japan was successful, he could tell the world about Barry and showcase him. His perfect crippled man. He’d get the proper approval and permits, a team and whatnot, so they won’t sanction him. No one would need to know about the one in Japan. All he wanted was one successful head transplant. Then, the world would be his.
Chapter 13
Tears and Smiles - Tokyo
After a grueling six hours of psychological and physical testing, Aiko received a phone call notifying him his daughter had passed with flying colors. He breathed a sigh of relief.
The next morning, Aiko arrived at the fish market to find the guard was waiting for him. He was silent as he led Aiko to a door near the beginning of the tunnel. Kaneko followed a man in a lab coat to her father and then they went back through the tunnel to the fork. Instead of turning left to the room where they had gone into the day before, they continued straight through a hidden door, which was a white traditional doctor’s waiting room, sans patients.
They sat in orange plastic chairs and waited for the man in the lab coat to return, as instructed. Kaneko took a sedative before Aiko had arrived and her eyelids were beginning to droop, her arms limp and sliding off her lap every few seconds. A typical nineteen-year-old girl might have leaned on her father’s arm, but not in the Ikeda family. It was not their way.
“Come, Dr. Farkis is waiting for you.” Miss Betty took Kaneko away, and Aiko left, again without saying goodbye. He was hoping when he saw his daughter next, she would have an entirely new body. They told him after the surgery and the ensuing twelve weeks of drug-induced coma, motivational and hypnotic tapes would play on a continuous loop. Kaneko’s subconscious would believe she was at a fat farm with other patients. She’d also think she attended helpful seminars and group sessions, and would believe her parents were loving and dutiful and had visited her every day.
Aiko marveled at science. To have the brain produce and believe false memories was amazing. They promised the scar around her neck, once healed, would only be visible if someone were standing close to her and Kaneko must participate in six hypnotic sessions after she came out of the coma. This would help her believe she had been in a beautiful, relaxing place, recuperating from a nice experience, instead of alone in a bare, sterile room recovering from a nightmarish thirty-two-hour surgery.
Aiko felt giddy after he left, which was unusual. Soon, he would be a father-in-law, and next a grandfather. He allowed himself a rare smile as he walked up through the busy fish market, and then again when he climbed into one of the taxis queued at the curb. Things were looking up.
On the way home, he still allowed himself a few small smiles, but his mind also played tricks on him. Between the intermittent smiles, he had to wipe away sudden tears. His analytical mind refused to acknowledge these new emotions. The taxi driver’s hooded eyes gazed at him in the rearview mirror, and Aiko felt embarrassed he was caught wiping tears off his cheeks.
When they arrived, he paid the driver and stood on the sidewalk in front of his home a moment to compose himself. Once he walked over the threshold of his home, he was his old self again. He told his wife all was in place, and he hoped she might be quiet for once. He yearned for blessed silence, and he hoped he wouldn’t need to work sixteen-hour days much longer. Maybe he’d be able to get home at a decent hour instead of working long into the evenings. Could it be possible there’d be some peace and quiet now?
He had the feeling the gods will look down on him with favor now. It’s about time, he thought. I’m almost seventy years old. It was time for a break. Time to get out and enjoy life.
And then after all of this exhausting meditation, he demanded his wife cook his favorite meal. He deserved it.
Chapter 14
Jenny Believes - California
“You don’t believe me.”
Joey and his girlfriend snuggled on her couch, her legs draped over his lap. It was Sunday morning, and they were finishing off a tasty breakfast compliments of Joey’s cooking. Now they were lounging, coffees in hand, unwinding from their otherwise busy week.
When Joey had rehashed the unbelievable story of his night with Brett, Jenny had a hard time believing it.
“Are you pulling my leg?” She squeezed a ticklish spot on his thigh.
Joey squirmed under her touch and slid away. “No, I’m not. You don’t believe me? Still?”
“Honey, of course I do, but I don’t understand how this happened. I mean, masked men with guns? An underground delivery spot? Sounds like a spy movie.”
Joey grabbed the television’s remote and began pushing buttons, his fingers aggressive and his face in a pout. “I didn’t make this up, you know.”
“It does seem far-fetched,” Jenny said as she snatched the remote from Joey’s hand to keep him from breaking it.
“I’ll prove it to you.” Joey pushed Jenny’s legs off him and stood up. “Come on.” He walked to the kitchen counter and grabbed his keys.
“Are you serious here? Aren’t we watching TV? Aren’t we relaxing? It’s Sunday!” Jenny protested, pouting a little herself and stomping her foot in frustration.
Joey was oblivious to Jenny’s not-so-subtle attempt at communicating that she wanted to relax. When Joey focused on something, nothing could interfere or break his concentration.
Jenny stood and walked over to where Joey was shifting from foot to foot, anxious to get going. “Hey,” she said, grabbing him around his waist, forcing him to stop his anxious bouncing. “You’re nuts. If what you say is true, you’re going back to where masked men pointed guns at you?”
“The masked men with guns messed up my elbow, too, and let’s just say payback’s a bitch.”
Jenny laughed. “Hon, come on. What can little Joey do to the mean armed masked men? You’re crazy.”
“I may be, but you admit you love me, remember.” Joey kissed her nose and nuzzled her neck with his unshaven face, causing her to giggle. He paused, noticing Jenny’s frown of concern despite her attempt at a carefree attitude. “Come on. I promise we’ll be quick. We can go to Michael David’s after.”
At the mention of her favorite winery, Jenny tentatively agreed. But she was still nervous. “Didn’t you talk to Jim about this? What did Brett say?”
“Brett’s not talking and there’s something up with him and Jim. He told me we’ll get together either tonight or tomorrow.” He hesitated. “We got into an argument when he wouldn’t tell me anything after we got
back to the shop. I was pissed and…”
“Oh, no. Don’t tell me you guys fought again?”
“No, not physical fighting. An argument.” He didn’t want to mention Brett tried to choke him with his borrowed tie on the way to the warehouse. He loved his brothers, but he’d always felt inferior to the two, feeling they had a stronger bond between them. He knew he’d always would be the baby brother. “He wouldn’t tell me anything. Said Jim would have to tell me. ‘Tell me what?’ I asked him. He said—”
“Honey, honey, calm down.” Jenny placed a hand on his cheek.
He took a deep breath. “Jenny… let me finish…”
But Jenny didn’t let him finish. She kissed him instead. She had a calming effect on him Joey knew he needed. Their kiss lingered until Jenny bumped Joey’s elbow.
“Ouch!” he yelped.
“What’s the matter, hon? What’d I do?” Jenny asked, concerned.
Joey pulled up his sleeve and Jenny gasped at the huge bruise.
“Oh, my God hon, what happened?”
“Didn’t I try to tell you something happened last night? Now do you believe me?”
“I’m sure once you talk to Jim and Brett—”
“I told you, they wouldn’t talk to me!”
“Hey, I’m on your side, remember?” Jenny couldn’t help but snap.
Joey searched her eyes and his lips pinched together.
Jenny had been with Joey long enough to realize something was wrong. “What? Spill it.”
“You know,” he replied. “Do I have to spell it out for you, Jenny?”
Jenny let out a frustrated sigh. “How long have we been together?”
This sudden swing of direction caught him a little off guard. He hesitated. He’d heard from talking with his friends about women in general. They all advised if you guessed this famous question wrong, you’d pay for it in the end. He must have hesitated too long though, because Jenny answered for him, impatient as usual.
“Two years, Joey. Two years!”
She let that sink in. Joey stared out of the kitchen window, not wanting to make eye contact.
“Geez, are you still in denial about our relationship, Joey?”
Joey noticed Jenny was blinking her eyes, as if trying to hold back tears. Since they’d known each other, he had only seen her cry once. He felt somewhat humbled he was worth crying over.
“Well, you know how I feel about your ex-boyfriend.”
“Joey, quit now! Calling your brother my ex-boyfriend is weirding me out!”
“Well, he was – is – your ex-boyfriend.”
“Yes, and he was – and is – your brother!” Jenny shook her head and placed her hand on Joey’s arm. “Hon, you’re my boyfriend now. I don’t want to hear this negative talk.”
He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the vivid mental pictures of Brett and his girlfriend together. His imagination ran wild as he clenched his jaw, trying not to think about the past. After all, their relationship was over.
Jenny continued, her voice fast. “I’m trying to say you can trust me.”
Joey knew Jenny was sincere and loved him. Why she loved him, he didn’t know. At times, he was stupid, immature, cocky, and unsure of himself, and not always in that order.
He leaned forward and kissed Jenny, first a tentative kiss, and then a long and passionate one. Jenny nestled into him.
“I love you, silly.”
He gazed down at Jenny’s trusting face, and having her nestled cozily in his arms felt great. He knew he was dragging his feet as far as their relationship went, and it was his fault they were living apart.
Joey tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. He caressed her cheek. “Forgive me?”
“Of course,” Jenny said, her voice soft before he kissed her again.
***
When Joey and Jenny arrived at their destination, Joey tried to remember where Brett had gone last night, but everything looked different during the day.
“Hmm, yeah… right over there,” he said, pointing to a building covered in colorful graffiti. There was no traffic, and the area was deserted. The only vehicles in the vicinity were an abandoned older model white van and a Miata next to an empty warehouse on the next block.
Jenny’s eyes flitted around at the empty buildings surrounding them and rubbed her arms. “This is a creepy place, hon. It’s almost like a warehouse graveyard. Why not ask Brett what happened?”
“Good analogy, and no. I told you, Brett practically pushed me out of the car and took off like a bat out of hell after everything went down last night.”
Joey glanced around for any signs of the homeless men he’d seen last night, but all he saw was litter, cheap wine bottles, and a page from a newspaper blowing along the empty roadway.
“Hey, wait a minute!” Jenny said. “I’ve seen parts of this area in the news. Remember, hon? They showed a segment on the car shows—the one with all the kids?”
“Oh, you mean the side shows? Yeah… but the kids aren’t exactly kids. Kevin’s age.”
“Do you mean the hot little guy you have working for you at the body shop?”
Joey narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean hot little guy?”
“Somebody’s jealous,” Jenny sang out.
Jenny watched Joey as he walked up and down a small section of the road, as if he was searching for something. After pacing for several minutes, he yelled over to Jenny. “I think I found something. Come over here.”
He pointed to a rail embedded in the asphalt, and walked the perimeter of the rail, counting as he followed it.
“. . .twenty-five, thirty, thirty-one … it’s thirty-one feet long and twenty-five feet wide. How long is a hearse?”
“How would I know?” Jenny walked over to Joey and glanced down. “What on earth are you looking at?”
“Don’t you see this rail?” Joey pointed down at the street.
“Couldn’t it be an old railway track or something?” Jenny ventured.
“No, it’s rectangular.” Joey walked around the perimeter of the rail and ended up back where Jenny was standing. “Brett knew this was here. He was searching for it… Of course.” He rubbed his chin in concentration. “There must be a sensor in the roadway somewhere.”
A loud bang sounded. Before he could explain his theory, Joey squeezed Jenny’s arm and tensed.
“Shh!” He peered up at the broken windows. “Keep your eye on the fifth window from the left,” he said, whispering.
She raised her arm to point, and he smacked it down.
“Don’t point!”
Jenny’s pouted, but he didn’t have time to explain. When they glanced up a second time, the late afternoon sun glinted off something in the window. They saw movement.
“What the…?”
Joey heard pinging sounds around them, the gravel exploding. Bits of rock were spraying them in the legs.
“Damn it! This hurts like hell!” Jenny screamed.
“I think we’re getting shot at! Quick, to the truck!”
They both turned and began running. They heard pings all around them, echoing through the empty streets. Joey grabbed Jenny’s arm to pull her faster to the truck.
Without warning, she tripped and fell to the gravel. She cried out in pain. “My shoulder!”
“Jenny!” Joey bent down to help her up and shoved her into his truck. By the time they had slammed the doors shut, they were both shaking. Joey slammed his palm into the steering wheel, breathing hard. “What happened?”
He didn’t have time to vent and figure things out. His girlfriend was crying in pain.
“What is it, Jenny? Babe, shh, shh.”
“Joey, it hurts.”
“We have to get out of here,” grumbled Joey as he fumbled for his keys in his front pocket. His hands shook as he tried to slide the key into the ignition, failing twice. Time stopped, and he swore several minutes had passed when it was only mere seconds.
He stepped on the gas pedal, squ
ealing the tires of his Ford truck. He glanced in the rearview mirror, but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.
Jenny was in shock as she stared out the front window, holding her upper arm with her left palm.
“Babe? Babe! Talk to me!”
“I’m all right.”
Joey squinted over at her. How stupid he had been, bringing her here. What kind of boyfriend was he? His brothers had a lot of explaining to do.
Chapter 15
Detective’s Tattoo - California
The emergency doctor glanced at the notes on the clipboard, his face full of wrinkles and concern. The emergency room nurse had finished wrapping Jenny’s shoulder and had given her a reassuring pat on the thigh as she left the room, leaving hints of antiseptic and jasmine in the air.
“What happened young lady?”
“I was shot—”
“Let’s say we were in the wrong place at the wrong time, doctor,” Joey blurted out, interrupting her.
“Well, I’ll take your word for it. I know your injury must be painful. From the imprint in your skin, your brother was using hollow point hunting pellets. Only experienced small animal hunters use those pellets. I know because I used to hunt. When I was younger of course.” The doctor gave her a kind wink as he finished stitching her up, believing the lie they had told the intake coordinator. “Now you’re free to go, as long as you don’t get into any more trouble. The nurse will come back shortly to give you some pain meds and your prescription.” The doctor jotted down a few notes and placed the clipboard on the bedside table before he left the room.
After watching the doctor leave, Joey pulled the documents from the clipboard, folded them in half length-wise and shoved them into his back pants pocket.
“What are you doing?” Jenny’s eyebrows furrowed. Joey couldn’t tell if she was in pain or if she was irritated at him.
Heads Will Roll Page 5
