1 3 7 – ZOË

by C. De Melo

  “Did you really have to do that?” I demanded.

  “He could have had a weapon,” Drew said.

  “Or a bomb strapped to his body,” Bill added.

  I stopped and looked at each of them in turn. “Are you for real? He was a boy- a harmless child.”

  Bill shrugged. “As I said, we can’t take any chances.”

  I sighed. “I know my husband is a high-profile person, but do you seriously think that kind of notoriety spills onto me? I’m a nobody!”

  Both men stared at me in stony silence. For some absurd reason, I felt the prickle of tears behind my eyelids. I began to walk quickly. I raced up the steps, oblivious to the musicians and the people around me. I couldn’t wait for the privacy of my hotel room. Once inside, I sat on the edge of the bed and gave in to tears. I felt like a freak and longed for the normal life I enjoyed before becoming a scientific experiment.

  ***

  Lance sat quietly in front of the monitor as he watched Zoë cry. He had witnessed the entire scene on the street from afar. His brother had asked him to follow the bodyguards, who followed his sister-in-law because (according to Michael) ‘the more eyes on Zoë the better.’ He had dined at the trattoria across the street from where they had dinner, and left when Bill had alerted him to do so. He had gotten into a taxi after the bodyguards and kept his distance.

  There was a knock on the door. Lance peered through the peephole and saw that it was Bill.

  “I saw what happened,” Lance said after Bill entered the room.

  “It was only a stupid boy acting like he saw a movie star. He was clean, though. She’s really upset with us, but we have to obey your brother’s orders.”

  Lance nodded. “You did the right thing.”

  Bill nodded gratefully and then left the room. Lance sat back down and looked at the monitor. Watching Zoë’s pain caused his own chest to ache. Suddenly, he wanted nothing more than to go upstairs and comfort her in his arms. He thought about calling her, but he couldn’t risk it. What if she recognized the background? It would blow his cover.

  ***

  I met Barbara and Alicia for breakfast the following morning. The bodyguards accompanied me openly upon Michael’s authority. Bill and Drew had told him about the boy last night. I was livid and quite embarrassed by the whole thing. At least they had the decency to remain several paces behind me so I could speak without being overheard. After consuming freshly baked brioches and frothy cappuccinos, we walked to the giant expo center that was hosting the art show.

  Barbara glanced over her shoulder at the two bodyguards following us and smiled at me. “I must admit that I do feel safer having them around.”

  “At least they’re cute,” Alicia pointed out.

  “She does have a point,” Barbara agreed.

  I laughed aloud. “As long as you’re not bothered by them, I feel better.”

  Barbara raised an eyebrow. “Are you kidding? At my age, being followed by two good-looking men is considered a sexual fantasy.”

  We laughed and I was grateful for her sense of humor. The day passed pleasantly. We admired new artwork and sought new talent to represent in our respective galleries. I managed to impress Barbara with my knowledge, artistic taste and professional experience. Nancy would be pleased.

  Later that night, after a delicious dinner in an upscale ristorante, Barbara and Alicia bade me goodbye. Their plane was leaving early the next morning and they would be contacting Nancy as soon as they arrived in Los Angeles.

  As I headed back to the hotel on foot, Michael called. “Hello,” I said to the tiny screen on my wrist.

  “So, how was it?” he asked.

  “Wonderful. Barbara Rosenberg has decided to work with Nancy.”

  “That’s great, princess! I’m so proud of you. When are you coming home?”

  “Soon.” When he frowned, I quickly added, “I was hoping to stay for another day or two to visit the museums and do some shopping.”

  “I wish I could meet you, but I’m afraid I’ve got my hands full over here.”

  I was relieved to hear this. “It will be good for me to be on my own for a bit.”

  “Don’t go anywhere without Bill and Drew,” he warned. In response, I grimaced and looked over my shoulder at my bodyguards. “I’m serious, princess. That episode last night was nothing, but it could have easily been something unpleasant. I know you don’t like being watched and followed, but I insist on this.”

  “And what if I insist otherwise?” I challenged.

  “I will order them to bring you home by force,” he replied flatly. The cold, hard stare in his eyes let me know that he was serious.

  I was alarmed by his words. “Michael, please…”

  “Don’t worry, I won’t do that. My men have their orders if you try to ditch them, however. I have to go in half hour. Be careful and have a goodnight. I love you.”

  “Love you, too. Goodnight, Michael.”

  Bill and Drew accompanied me to the hotel in silence. It was creepy to have these two men follow me everywhere and not say a word. Every once in a while I’d glance at them and they were always scanning the area, alert and ready. My plans involved visiting the Vatican museum and the Galleria Borghese. They would have to come with me, so I thought it best to try and include them on my outings. At least we could be on friendly terms.

  “Do you gentlemen like Bernini?” I asked.

  They turned their heads towards my voice and stared at me with blank expressions upon their faces.

  “Is that some kind of new Italian dish?” Bill asked.

  They were intelligent men, but obviously knew very little about art.

  “Gianlorenzo Bernini was an artist from the seventeenth century. He was a master painter and sculptor who created some of the most magnificent fountains and statues; many of them are right here in Rome. I want to see his sculptures tomorrow and since you’re both forced to come with me...I just thought you could enjoy the visit, too.”

  “We don’t have to like anything you wish to see or do, Mrs. Adams. We’ll follow you wherever you want to go,” Bill said professionally.

  “We have to keep an eye on you, Mrs. Adams. No distractions,” Drew added.

  I felt utterly defeated. “Got it.”

  We arrived at the hotel and I was relieved to finally kick off my shoes when I was alone in my room. It was still relatively early and the evening was lovely. The full moon played hide and seek with sooty clouds. I poured out a glass of wine. The Brunello tasted even better than before now that it had a chance to sit and breathe for a day.

  The hotel boasted a rooftop terrace that was open to hotel guests. Rather than be forced to take the public stairwell, the penthouse suite offered private access. With glass in hand, I went up the short flight of stairs and onto the roof. Several tables and chairs crafted in wrought iron were scattered about the space. The parameter of the terrace was surrounded by many potted trees. A votive candle was set in a glass globe at the center of each table, giving the terrace a romantic mood. With the exception of a young couple sitting in the far corner, I was alone. Judging by the passionate looks they exchanged, however, it would not be long before they sought a more private environment.

  I sat in a chair with my back to the couple, quietly admiring the moon and the historic rooftops of Rome. An ambulance siren broke the silence as it raced down one of the streets below. As the wine loosened my mind, I began to take inventory of my life. The last few months had been difficult, even painful, but I felt happy to be alive (and in Rome, nonetheless!). Okay, so I hated being followed by bodyguards…but how many people get to stay in a luxury hotel in the center of Rome? Michael may be overprotective, but he was generous. My mind conjured up the image of my husband, but it was soon replaced by another man- his brother.

  Why do you find yourself thinking about Lance every chance you get?

  No matter how many praises I bestowed upon Michael or how many times I counted my blessings, I knew deep down insid
e that something wasn’t right. And it was partly because of that mysterious trunk. Why had it been moved? What was Michael hiding?

  I had looked forward to telling Lance about it and finally getting it off my chest, but now I wasn’t so sure if I should. After all, he still hadn’t bothered to call me. I finished the last of the wine and looked over my shoulder. The amorous young couple was no longer there. Glad to have the entire terrace to myself, I stood up, stretched and decided to fetch the bottle of wine from my room. It was a good night to get drunk- or at the very least, tipsy.

  I descended the stairs and opened the door leading into the suite. I picked up the wine bottle, refilled my glass and headed for the door leading to the terrace. And then I froze. Slowly, I turned around. The bathroom light was turned on, yet I had no recollection of turning it on before going up to the terrace. Within seconds of this realization, the main door of the suite came crashing down off its hinges and two armed men dressed entirely in black rushed inside. Bill and Drew followed close behind, weapons drawn. Two more men in black were rushing down the stairs into my room from the upstairs terrace.

  I heard myself scream just before I dropped the glass. It shattered into several fragments upon the marble floor. The armed guards ran straight into the bathroom where they found two scruffy-looking men hiding in the shower stall beside the tub. The intruders were dragged out into the middle of the suite and forced facedown onto the floor. They looked like Romanian gypsies.

  Bill pointed his gun at them. “Hands on your head, now!”

  The frightened men didn’t understand English, but managed to obey the command. They trembled as they were thoroughly searched.

  “They’re clean,” Bill said.

  Everything happened so fast! Then I noticed it: Michael’s insignia imprinted on the sleeve of each black uniform. This was my husband’s security team. I frowned at Bill and Drew and was about to demand an explanation when Lance burst into the room.

  “What the hell?” I said.

  Lance’s face was pale with fright as he ran up to me and gripped my shoulders. “Thank God you’re okay,” he said in relief.

  “What are you doing here?” I was so shocked to see him that my voice shook.

  Bill shot Lance a stern look as the security team began interrogating the two intruders in broken Italian. “It’s best if she leaves the room, Mr. Adams.”

  Lance nodded and turned his attention back to me. “Let’s go up on the terrace. I just need to let Rodolfo know that everything is under control.” He called the hotel manager from his wrist-phone to apprise him of what had happened.

  “I want to know what’s going on, Lance,” I demanded.

  “Come on, Zoë. I’ll explain upstairs,” he said, leading me by the elbow.

  “I’ll accompany you,” Drew said, his gun still drawn.

  We sat down at one of the tables and I began bombarding him with questions. “What’s happening? Why is Michael’s security team downstairs? Why are you here?”

  “Just sit back I’ll tell you everything,” Lance said in a low voice once Drew had withdrawn to the edge of the terrace.

  “I want the truth, Lance.”

  “You got it.”

  Lance explained how Michael had asked him to go to Italy in his place in order to spy on me. He also divulged other details that made me furious.

  “I can’t believe this,” I hissed angrily. “You put a camera in my room?”

  “Actually, no. Michael arranged everything.”

  “So, you two think that it’s okay to spy on me like that?” Lance shook his head, but I ignored him. “Now I know what a goldfish feels like! No privacy!”

  “It’s not like that,” he said soothingly. “We weren’t trying to invade your privacy. Our intention is to keep you safe.”

  “How about keeping me sane? Do you have any idea what it’s like? I’m sure you’re aware of the incident last night. That poor boy almost got his head blown off by my bodyguards!”

  “I’m aware, yes,” he said softly.

  “And now this?!”

  “Listen, Zoë, regardless of whether or not you think Michael and I did the right thing, you’re safe now because of it. Had it not been for the camera or the security team, God knows what could have happened. Must I remind you that two intruders are laying face-down in your room right now?”

  Two men were hiding inside the shower…

  I felt suddenly sick. What would they have done to me if I had gone into the bathroom? My body began to tremble.

  Lance took off his jacket and placed it around my shoulders. “I think you’re experiencing shock,” he said.

  “Why hide this from me? Why didn’t you tell me you were here?”

  “It was at Michael’s insistence and I agreed with him.” When I shot him an accusatory glance, he quickly explained, “We decided to remain hidden so that you could enjoy a sense of freedom, not because we were trying to keep something from you. We wanted you to enjoy your trip to Rome and be safe, that’s all. Michael is very worried because this is your first international trip since your awakening.”

  “Well, this fiasco has certainly put an end to my trip, hasn’t it?”

  He looked at me steadily for a long moment. “You have no idea how famous you are, and do you know what that makes you?” I shook my head and he said, “A target.”

  “A target?”

  “Yes, a prime target.”

  “So this is about what happened in Chicago.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  Lance looked over his shoulder to make sure Drew was not eavesdropping. Lowering his voice to a whisper, he told me about the incident in Denmark. I was horrified. He also told me how the nations were currently repressing the media and preventing them from publicizing cryo-attacks.

  “I’ll give you more details on the matter later on in private. Please swear you won’t tell Michael that I’ve told you any of this,” he said.

  “I swear,” I agreed in a trembling voice.

  “So now you know…some see you as a demon and some see you as an angel.” He paused and added, “There’s also the possibility of abduction.”

  The thought had never crossed my mind. “Why would anyone want to kidnap me?”

  “God, Zoë! You cannot be this naïve. Think of the man you’re married to and the money he’s worth.”

  Realization slapped me in the face. “Ransom?”

  “Bingo! Everyone looks at the two of you as America’s perfect couple; it doesn’t take a genius to figure out he would pay a king’s ransom for your safety.” I felt terribly stupid after Lance pointed out the obvious. He continued, “Now do you understand why Michael is worried?”

  I cursed the tears that stung my eyes as I nodded. “I just want things to be the way they were before…”

  He caught and held my gaze. He said firmly, but gently, “But they can’t. Things will never be the same. The sooner you accept that fact and learn to live with it, the better it will be for everyone.”

  Bill came up to the terrace and cleared his throat to announce his presence.

  “Well?” Lance asked.

  “Two gypsy thieves, Mr. Adams,” Bill replied. “They told us they saw Mrs. Adams on the terrace and knew her room had private access.”

  “That’s odd. When I came up here earlier the only people I saw was a young couple sitting over there,” I said, pointing to the empty table in the corner.

  “Yes, but you left the door unlocked behind you. Were you facing the door when you were on the terrace?”

  “No, I was admiring the moon and the rooftops.”

  Bill frowned in disapproval. “They must have climbed up via public access and managed to slip past unnoticed while your back was turned. These men are good at that sort of thing. They have undergone a thorough interrogation. They claim to have broken into the suite to look for valuables to steal. It seems as if they’ve had their eye on Mrs. Adams since we arrived in the limo, but they don’t know who she is.”
/>   Lance nodded. “Flashy limo, expensive clothing, jewels...thief magnets.” He looked over Bill’s shoulder to the doorway that led to my suite. “There’s no encoder on the outside of that terrace door, is there?”

  “No, sir.”

  “How the hell did that get overlooked?” Lance demanded. “I want one installed immediately.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I thought I was alone after the couple had left,” I repeated.

  “These gypsies often work in teams so that couple may have tipped them off in some way,” Bill explained. “With so many trees and shrubs up here, it would be easy to sneak past undetected. To make matters worse, the hotel security isn’t the greatest. We can’t keep an eye on Mrs. Adams and the entire hotel at the same time.”

  “Where are they now?” I asked.

  “In your room, Mrs. Adams, begging for us not to kill them,” Bill replied. Looking to Lance, he asked, “What would you have us do, Mr. Adams?”

  “Call the police,” Lance said. “Robbery is their business, not ours.”

  Bill gave a curt nod. “Yes, sir.”

  “And I want that encoder installed tonight.”

  “At once, sir.”

  Bill went back downstairs to carry out his orders.

  “How soon do you think it will be before Michael finds out?” I wondered aloud.

  Lance let out a long breath. “I’m sure he’s already been alerted. How about we go out for a drink? I noticed your last one ended up on the floor, and I could surely use one right about now. Besides, it will take a while to install the encoder.”

  “Let’s go.” The moment we moved, so did Drew. I stepped closer to Lance and whispered, “Does he have to come, too?”

  “I’m afraid so.”

  Drew accompanied us to a nearby bar. Several people chatted quietly in the dark room that was mainly lit by tiny white lights. Soft Italian music played in the background as a few couples swayed on the tiny dance floor. We found a table for two while Drew sat up front at the bar and ordered a club soda. He strategically placed himself where he could scan the room and front entrance, inadvertently affording us a modicum of privacy.