Confabulation (The Department)

by Ronald Thomas

  "What the hell?" Their reactions were in unison.

  "Listen," Henry said. "What they did doesn’t matter. We’ve all been through the same shit, and we need to make sure it doesn’t happen again. To any of us. Or anyone else.”He stood up and extended his hand to the man. "My name is Henry."

  He looked at Henry’s hand and then took it. "Simon."

  "Hello, Simon. This is Carolyn." They shook hands and hugged. More tears but few words flowed in the ensuing minutes. They huddle together, sharing their pain, and thinking of their future.

  When the mood settled, Henry stood up and looked them each in the eye. "Now, let’s get our lives back."

  CHAPTER 60

  The smell of the common use of the building struck them all when their emotions ebbed. Being around a dead body, and somewhere near a wounded person with the power to enter their minds quickened their pulses and encouraged them to find somewhere else to discuss what was going on.

  Henry, Carolyn, and Simon navigated the stairs. Their care was half due to caution about possible backup in the stairwells, and half due to the distasteful consequences to stepping carelessly.

  When they reached the doors that opened to the street where Henry parked, they opened the doors cautiously. Henry stepped out, a pistol hidden in his pants beneath his now untucked shirt. He looked up and down the street and couldn’t see anyone or hear any commotion. He signaled to the others when he was sure that they wouldn’t be seen.

  "Nice car, Henry." Simon dipped behind the passenger’s seat into the back.

  "Yeah, well I thought it was a good idea when I rented it."

  Carolyn replaced the passenger seat and eased into the car. "You must have been feeling pretty good when you parked it out here with this flimsy top too."

  "Yeah, well, I’ve had a lot of confidence lately." Henry shrugged his shoulders and sat down into his seat. He reached over his shoulder for his seat belt and thought about his unusual confidence of late. It had been days since he doubted his actions.

  He knew that he had a tendency to plan, and he was often confident at work, but the events of the past few days had been beyond what he could have prepared for. He knew that he should have been worried about a variety of things, not the least of which should have been the disregard he showed for the car. He should have been worried, but he hadn’t been. He had been calm and assured. That wasn’t right.

  "Are you okay, Henry?"

  He looked to his right and saw Carolyn’s hand on his shoulder. "Sorry, just thinking."

  "Okay, well, I’d kind of like to go." She pointed to her right.

  Henry looked over and could see a few local residents gathered around an overweight man who stood outside his car. The man who was the center of the attraction didn’t seem frightened by the gathering, so Henry decided that it wouldn’t be the most advisable action to offer assistance. "I see what you mean." He started the car, pulled away from the building, and drove away from the small gathering.

  "What was that all about back there?" Simon said.

  "I don’t know. Maybe they had some business to take care of." Henry turned the corner and headed toward the highway.

  "No. I mean why did you hesitate for so long."

  "Oh, that. I was just thinking about how I had been feeling for the past few days. I just don’t think that the confidence I’ve had has been completely natural." Henry accelerated and merged onto the highway. The roar of the engine and the surrounding traffic, as well as the air rushing by drowned out the sound of gunfire that emanated from the street outside the building they recently left.

  After a few minutes, Carolyn adjusted her position in her seat to face Henry. "You know, you could be right about that confidence being fake. Seems there’s not much they can’t do. I thought it was just memories, but it’s more.”

  "Great." Henry checked his mirrors and changed lanes.

  "Damned bastards."

  Henry shook his head. "So, what do we do now?”

  “Susan said they all worked for some company. And that we all interviewed for them,” Carolyn said as she gazed at the surroundings.

  Simon leaned forward. “Well, I’ve only taken one interview. So I’m pretty sure I know where it is.”

  Henry nodded. “Yeah. I was supposed to meet Jackson a while ago. Took me by a place that I’d interviewed.”

  “Then let’s go.”

  Simon laughed. “What, just walk in?”

  Carolyn nodded. “Yeah. I mean, Susan was pretty clear that this wasn’t authorized or anything. She was one of them, and she wanted to help.”

  Henry shook his head. “Are you sure she was helping?”

  “Well. If she wanted to take me, she had all the chances. And she didn’t really ask me to do anything.”

  Simon cleared his throat. “Yeah. Well, we don’t have many choices anyway.”

  Henry pulled off the highway and stopped at a convenience store. “I’m hungry. And I need a drink.” He lied. He’d been developing a headache and had trouble concentrating. He just didn’t want to alarm the others.

  When he came out, he tossed the keys to Simon who had moved to the front seat. Carolyn was asleep in the back.

  “I need a break from driving, can you get us there?”

  “Yeah. Been awhile since I drove. Looking forward to it.”

  Henry sat in the car and leaned his head back.

  Simon turned the radio up as he drove to fill the silence. Henry leaned back and closed his eyes, trying to ignore the buzzing and the pain that were growing in his head. His darker thoughts crept in as he started to worry about possible long-term implications of the testing on him. Perhaps he’d have these headaches for the rest of his life. Perhaps he hadn’t noticed them before because his sensations were dulled by the presence of control.

  He tried to stop thinking about being brain damaged, but the worry persisted. What if he had brain cancer? What if it deteriorated? What if it was nothing that could be removed? Maybe his brain just didn’t function properly anymore. Maybe he would slowly go insane. For a moment he thought that all of his work could possibly be for nothing.

  He had fought so hard to prove he wasn’t insane. Now, he could actually be going crazy from the very thing that would prove his sanity. He couldn’t think of what else might be causing the odd sensation. It was nothing he had felt before. He had never felt anything like it. He had no idea what it might be.

  He snapped his eyes open and wept at the realization.

  The beautiful blue sky turned black and the roar of the road turned to laughter in his head. Hope, fear, and anxiety all fled Henry’s thoughts. Only depression and anger remained. He had accomplished nothing. He had risked his life and his future to be free of the terrible curse, but it was back. Somehow, they had found him.

  He looked over at Simon, ignorantly blissful as he drove to the company.

  He needed to know.

  "Simon." Henry slapped Simon’s shoulder.

  "What?" Simon didn’t look away from the road.

  Henry started to talk, but knew that whoever had found him might be able to hear. He was sure, at least confident, that whoever was behind this voice couldn’t hear him think.

  "What is it, Henry?" Simon’s voice carried both frustration and concern.

  Henry stared at him, unwilling to speak. He needed to tell his somehow. Henry tapped his shirt and pant pockets. Is his breast pocket he found a pen. He then reached down and opened the glove box. Inside was a pad of paper. He then scrawled a note to Simon.

  "Don’t look like I’ve said anything important. Their back in my head."

  He placed the note on Simon’s leg.

  Simon looked down for a moment, and then back to the road.

  He glanced at Henry and winked.

  Henry wasn’t sure what would happen next, but he felt that Simon had a plan. He watched Simon check his mirrors, and then change lanes to the center lane of the highway. A few seconds later, he repeated the maneuver, this time to the
right-most lane. Henry caught a glimpse of a smile as Simon exited the highway only to merge back immediately. After a repeat, Henry knew that Simon had spotted the following car.

  If the newest invader was like the previous, he would give up the tail and they could escape. Henry held out little hope that would be the case. The dark opinion was realized.

  "Take the wheel!"

  "What?"

  "I can’t see. Take the wheel."

  Henry reached across and grabbed the steering wheel.

  "Okay, I’ve got it. Just slow it down."

  "No fuckin’ way, Henry. I’m not going to let that monster catch us. You just keep steering this thing."

  Henry started to protest, but focused on the steering as Simon pressed the gas and the car ahead of them approached at an alarming speed. Henry looked around and then jerked the wheel to the right, just missing a truck. Henry ignored the honking, as he cut the wheel to return to the middle lane as cars began to merge.

  "Simon, stop this. You’re going to get us killed."

  "No, I’m not. You’re steering. If we die it’s your fault. Besides, I’m not stopping with that still behind us."

  Henry released a series of words that conveyed his thoughts with perfection, though they formed no sentence. He glanced at the speedometer, and hoped that the car couldn’t actually accelerate to the maximum speed listed. The car threatened to turn on its side as Henry continued to make sharp changed to avoid hitting cars that were standing still in comparison to their speed.

  Carolyn sat up in the back. “What the hell is going on?”

  “Make sure you’re buckled up.”

  He swerved again, and the tires squealed their displeasure. Then, Henry screamed over the roar of the racing engine. Ahead was a sea of red lights, and it was approaching with terminal velocity. Henry could see no way around the trouble.

  "Simon, you’ve got to stop."

  He received no response, and turned the wheel hard to the right. Off the road and through the thick, dry summer grass, they went. The car continued to rev under the heavy foot of Simon, but the car slowed on the uneven terrain. Henry let go of the wheel as they were jarred by a put in the ground, but he was able to regain what little control he had before they leapt up onto the frontage road.

  Henry turned the wheel again to merge with the flow of traffic, but he again saw nothing but red lights. He was about to take them off the road again when Simon’s hands grabbed the wheel.

  "See, I knew you could do it."

  Henry looked over through the sweat that poured from his forehead. He opened his mouth to speak, but the process of drawing air into his adrenaline filled body was difficult enough.

  "Take it easy. We’ll be fine."

  Henry took a deep breath, but gasped again as they left the frontage road. A few hops and slams later, they were turning into a residential area. Henry leaned back in his seat, trying to catch his breath.

  "I think we lost him."

  "I hope so." Henry spit the words out and then returned to breathing.

  "We need to find another way to get there. Any ideas?"

  Simon checked his mirrors and glanced at Henry.

  “What? I don’t know what we should do.” Henry stretched his neck. “Sorry. Maybe we should just wait a bit. You know, give whoever that was time to go off. Then we can head out again.”

  Carolyn shook her head. “You sure that’ll work. I mean, I don’t want to run across whoever that was again.”

  “I assure you, he won’t be bothering you.”

  They all looked up. Stared at the woman who was standing next to their car.

  Carolyn’s mouth fell open. “I thought you were dead.”

  “Yes, well, it seems that’s a bit of an exaggeration.” Susan placed her hands on the car door. “Now, if you’ll come with me, we can get this all straightened out.”

  Simon gripped the wheel.

  “Simon. I know it’s hard to trust anyone. But this is your only chance.”

  Henry placed his hand on Simon’s shoulder. “We were headed to her anyway.”

  CHAPTER 61

  Danton watched the car pull off the highway and head across a field to a frontage road. "Very ballsy, guys. Very ballsy." He pulled to the right and pressed the gas as the car went off-road. Just as he hit the grass with his back tires, a police siren blared through the radio and engine noise.

  Danton had no desire to engage in a police chase, but he needed to keep contact with the targets. He wasn’t sure how long it would take to reacquire them. He needed to begin his work now if he was going to prove that he could regain control after a traumatic event.

  He realized he had continued driving, and the officer in his mirror was already on the radio. More cruisers would be there soon, and he wouldn’t be able to outrun them. Despite the damage to his plan, he pulled over once he reached the frontage road.

  As the officer stepped out of his car, Danton readied his mind to make the office go away. Make him believe Danton was on official business. Chasing two felons.

  Danton knew that he wouldn’t be able to resume his search in time, but he would enjoy yelling at the officer who pulled him over, but not the two targets that had been driving like maniacs for several miles. As the officer took the final steps toward the car, Danton decided against using the police assistance that would surely be offered.

  After he completed his business with officer, and had accepted his sincere apology, but declined assistance, he drove off in the direction that Simon and Henry had taken. As he expected, he could detect no sign of where they had gone.

  He couldn’t pick up their metal trail either. He’d have to bring sniffers in. He would, he decided, return to his loft. Gather together a few men he knew he could trust. He needed to be careful. He turned and saw another car.

  Not a cruiser. The mental powers from the driver pulsed through the air.

  CHAPTER 62

  Henry sat in the leather chair, alone in a small room. He’d been in that room before. Answering weird questions from a prospective employer. Given how that worked out, he wasn’t sure he’d ever take another interview again.

  He knew Simon and Carolyn were in their own rooms. Making their own decisions. He still wasn’t sure which he would pick. It wasn’t the conversation he’d expected to have. More and less than he’d hoped.

  Susan had introduced him to a man named Gates. A recruiter. A man who had worked for Jackson Gray. Not the best recommendation.

  “Mr. Adamson. We have an offer for you.”

  Henry didn’t respond. How could he?

  “It seems you had more ability than we were led to believe. Now, it’s not up to the standards of our typical agents, but given the circumstances, we’d like to offer you a role in compliance. We feel your experience, and unique understanding of what can happen when our assets go rogue, would add to the department.”

  Henry sat. Silent.

  “Of course, this is a hard decision, but we will need an answer immediately. We can’t let you back out, as Danton, the man who found you after the confrontation, is still out there. He’ll employ resources to find you again.”

  “Then what choice do I have?”

  “You can be blocked. We’ll shut off any talent you may have. Any experiments they may try in the future would be useless. Your mind wouldn’t be able to process what they were doing. It’s the best defense we can give you. Unless you join us.”

  Then he left.

  Henry had been in the room for an hour. Wondering what he would say. Gates would be back soon. Expecting an answer.

  A knock at the door.

  Gates entered the room.

  Henry looked into the man’s eyes. Believed he was earnest and wanted to help. Henry knew that they would be able to use his help. That he could help others who might be victimized. He was sure of it.

  “I’ve thought about it. I just want my life back.”

  “Very well.”

  Henry fell asleep before he coul
d say another word.

  CHAPTER 63

  Fingers flew over the financial calculator, and soon Simon was able to come up with a payment and rate combination that the client accepted. It had involved his own particular flair for massaging residuals and tax incentives. He wrote the numbers down for his customer, and ended his meeting with the handshake that he had missed for months.

  He left with a smile on his face and a gait that approached skipping in a socially acceptable way. That meeting had been his third of the day, and his third sale of the day. He knew that soon he would regain his position as the company’s top salesman, and enjoy the obviously affected attitudes of management. He liked the trappings of his job, and the freedom it gave him.

  He hopped into his car and drove away, thinking about his freedom. That had directed so many of his choices in life. He chose to be a salesman so he could set his own hours and determine his own pay. No other job offered that to him. Even though he disliked sales, he always felt that he was trying to convince others to do something they didn’t want, he needed his freedom.

  His need for freedom had also kept him out of many relationships. He just couldn’t see himself being tied to one person. Though he hated ending relationships, and was sure that he had passed on happiness more than once, he couldn’t let go of his freedom. He had always felt that anything that kept him from being in control at all times was the enemy, and that he was better off being unencumbered. He felt he could keep his freedom by making the right choices.

  Now, he knew how fleeting it all could be. His freedom had been taken from him, and he knew how much it meant to him. He also knew that what he thought was freedom was nothing but stupidity. He had taken a job he didn’t like so he could set his own hours. That wasn’t freedom, it was silly. He had left women who he was sure he loved so he could be free to see another if one came along. That wasn’t freedom, it was stupid.