by Magus Tor
Just as the children finished telling Drew what had happened, Max flashed her light and joined Drew at the side of the house. That’s when they noticed the letter “A” scrawled across the roof of the playhouse.
“That’s weird. I never noticed that before.” Max sounded surprised.
“The other night, while being chased by the robot and his clan, I heard someone shout “A”. Could that be the robot?” Drew’s question was just a thought and didn’t realize he has asked it out loud.
“I don’t know, but if it is, we may want to get out of here!” Max made perfect sense. They had to find a new place to meet.
Drew remembered how carefree the children were at the playground. They didn’t seem to be scared at all, as if it were their turf and the players of the game knew it. He decided that they should move there for now. As the group made their way to the park, they were engaged in another fire-fight. This time, however, it was not with the robot or his men, and all of them made it out okay.
When they reached the park they saw one child, alone, swinging on the swing set. This meant that the group was whole again. Max and Drew both let out a sigh of relief. They made their way over to the lone child and took their places on the swings. Not really sure what would happen next, they all waited. From their vantage point, they could see anyone who walked up. The only thing behind them was a grassy area that stopped at a low rock wall. Beyond the wall was the lake.
Drew and Max went to the wall and sat on top, giving them a view of the city and the children. Max was in her element when it came to keeping an eye on the kids. Drew was in his element when it came to keeping an eye out for the bad guy. For a brief moment, it was almost as if they were no longer in the game.
That moment ended all too quickly when a gunshot rang out. Instantly, Drew took stock of the situation. The kids had ducked down into the ruts under the swings and Max instantly threw herself off the wall and headed towards the kids. Drew stood and swung his arm from side to side, brandishing his handgun. It sounded like the shot came from above. Drew scanned the city line, looking at the rooftops and windows.
More shots rang out, but this time Drew was able to see where they were coming from. He pointed his gun up over the swing set. Firing three times, Max looked up and saw a man fall from a tree. She quickly herded the children and led them to the service shed just inside the tree line off to the right. Drew scanned the trees for more players but was unable to make any out. He ran towards the shed but didn’t make it. He was hit in the leg and went down just outside the door.
Drew rolled onto his side and fired three more rounds in the same direction as the last, but this time the player was able to jump down and run in the opposite direction. Drew heard a gunshot, but knew he didn’t fire his weapon. The runner lunged forward, landing on the seat of a picnic table. Drew rolled back over and saw Max standing over him. Without hesitation, Max reached for Drew’s hand and pulled him to his feet. She led him inside the shed and shut the door.
***
Both alarms started buzzing at exactly the same moment. Expecting to find Max’s side of the bed empty like the last few times, Drew rolled over and was surprised. She was next to him and sleeping right through the alarms. Gently he reached over and woke her up.
“Good morning sleepy head.”
“Morning.” Max could barely open her eyes. “What time is it?”
“6:30.”
“Ugh,” She replied, and pulled the covers over her head.
“Nope, time to get up. We have a ton to do today.”
They both turned off their alarms and got out of bed. Drew almost stepped on her laptop, forgetting he put it there last night. Then he looked over the bed at Max and they both blushed. Then they walked around the bed and hugged. Today is going to be a great day, Drew thought to himself as he squeezed her tight.
*****
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
After they showered, Drew and Max had a hard time deciding whether or not to go to The Bean. It would be awkward going in there knowing that they were investigating Adam, but at the same time, if they stopped going in there he might wonder why. Deciding that it was a good idea to go in, they got themselves ready to go and walked over to the coffee shop.
Adam was looking even more exhausted than last time, but Drew didn’t say anything about that. He ordered their usual, but this time he ordered “to go”. They grabbed their coffees and paid, told Adam to have a great day and headed towards the lake.
Taking their usual spot on the bench that faces the water, they sat in silence. It was nice to just sit and not have to talk; each was sure the other was thinking about last night. Drew finished his coffee and tossed the cup. Usually when he did that he missed, but today he made it in the garbage can. Just to be a showoff, Max stood up and turned her back to the trash can. Without looking, she tossed the cup over her shoulder and landed it.
“Showoff.”
“Yeah, well, just ‘cause I’m short, doesn’t mean I can’t make a basket. I rock at basketball!”
“When this is all over I’ll challenge you to a game of hoops. Until then, we have work to do.” Drew took Max’s hand and they walked back to his place. On the way back they stopped at the little market on the corner and picked up a few things.
After they put away the groceries they grabbed their laptops and went straight to the spare room. It wasn’t long before they were back to the task of finding information on all the people who had died. Time passed pretty quickly and about two hours later Drew stopped. He sat, staring at the floor.
“Drew? You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m just thinking.”
“About what?”
“I have an idea. Can you do me a favor?”
“Sure, what do you need?”
“I need you to grab one of the suitcases out of the hall closet. Get the biggest one. Throw a few days of clothes in there for both of us.”
“Where are we going?”
“Ever been to Silicon Valley?”
Max immediately knew what he was thinking. “Nice! But if his dad is involved, won’t us going there mean he could tip Adam off?”
“Not if he doesn’t know why we are there. I have a plan. I’ll explain it to you on the way to the airport.”
While Max packed their suitcase, Drew contacted the office and made the necessary preparations. He then grabbed a smaller duffel bag and packed both alarm clocks, some toiletries, and a number of other items. When Max was done she brought the suitcase out and set it by the front door.
“Pack up the laptops and I will make sure everything is closed and locked up. We have to be at O’Hare in an hour.”
Knowing that didn’t leave much time, Max grabbed everything for the laptops and also packed up the note pads with all of their information.
“Ready?” Drew was at the door, suitcase in hand when she came walking down the hallway.
“I think so. I hope I didn’t forget anything.”
“Anything we need we can buy when we get there. One of the perks of my job is a nice fat expense account. Let’s go.”
Drew hailed a cab and they climbed inside. Drew said to the driver, “Waukegan Regional Airport, the faster the better.”
“I thought we were going to O’hare.” Max was obviously confused.
“I’ll explain when we get there.”
Drew led Max to a private jet that was waiting for them. He could tell by the look on her face that she was not only confused but also a bit excited.
“Drew!”
“While you were packing up the laptops my guy called and let me know that the only immediate flight he could get us was on a private plane.”
“This is amazing!”
“Yeah, and totally private. We will be able to talk freely and not make people wonder or worry.”
They went up the steps and entered the plane. While it wasn’t the most luxurious plane Drew had ever been on, it wasn’t bad for last minute. When they got their bags stowed away, they sat down across from
each other. Drew took out his phone and started typing. When he was done he explained to Max that he just sent his dad an email letting him know that he wouldn’t be contacting him for a little while. He told her that was what he did any time he went on a mission.
“Once we land in San Francisco, we will be met by a car and taken into Silicon Valley. There we will have time to settle into our room and enjoy the evening. We will have a meeting with Mr. Howard tomorrow afternoon.”
“What do we say to him?”
“Well, he will think that we are writing a story about him and his work. Hopefully by talking to him about his life, he will give us information about Adam.”
“Drew, you are one smart cookie.”
“Don’t give me all the credit; you’re the one who linked Adam to the game. Now hopefully we will find out what the game has to do with the deaths.”
Just then the captain came out of the cockpit and informed them that they would be taking off in a minute. He let them know what the expected weather would be on arrival and what time they should be landing. He then introduced them to Sonia who would be their flight attendant.
They settled into their seats and fastened their seatbelts. It was then that Max informed Drew that she had never flown. He assured her that everything would be fine, and as soon as they were in the air he noticed the look on her face as she looked out the window. She was genuinely excited and that gave Drew a sense of relief.
***
After a really nice flight, Drew and Max were taken by limo to the Four Seasons Hotel where they were checked in. They were given the Executive Suite, and after seeing Max’s reaction when they stepped into the room, he thought that the room may have impressed her more than the private jet.
They settled in and Drew explained to Max exactly what would be done tomorrow for the interview. He let her know what they would be asking him and how they could possibly lead him into a discussion about his son. They would also try to get as much information about the nano-technology that he developed and what it could actually do.
“I really hope it works. What if he asks to see our credentials?”
“The agency has created some for us. It will be delivered by messenger tomorrow morning. For now, we are free to do whatever we want.”
They decided that since Max has never been to California, they would go to San Francisco and have dinner and enjoy the ocean view. Surprisingly, the weather was beautiful, but neither was prepared for a night on the town. They went down to the boutique on the main floor of the hotel and both purchased some clothing more appropriate for a night on the town and returned to the suite to get ready.
Drew was ready to go sooner than Max, naturally, so he prepared a list of questions to ask Mr. Howard while he waited. He was looking down at the pad of paper trying to think of anything else he wanted to ask the man when he felt a pair of eyes on him. He looked up and was stunned. There stood Max, wearing a simple but still beautiful strapless dress. Her hair was loosely pulled up and long tendrils of red hair hung down in the sexiest curls. Even with minimal makeup on, she had the face of an angel.
“You look…beautiful.” Drew was almost speechless.
“Thank you, you look great yourself!” Drew was wearing the best fitting khaki pants and a dress shirt that was the blue of his eyes. The tie he was wearing made that blue pop even more. He was the most handsome man she had ever seen.
“Shall we go?” Drew said and offered her his arm.
“Let’s.” Taking Drew’s arm, she grabbed her tiny purse and shawl and they left the room.
Back down at the front of the hotel, they were greeted by the same limo and driver. Once inside, they opened a bottle of champagne and toasted to a perfect evening.
The restaurant sat right on the coast, and they opted to be seated outside where they had the most perfect view of the sunset either had witnessed. They ate fabulous food and had a perfect conversation. Again, it was as if they had always been together and everything seemed to fit just right.
When their meal was over, Drew asked the waitress for another bottle of champagne and the check. After paying the bill, Drew and Max made their way to the beach. They sat on a blanket that had already been placed on the sand, and Drew helped Max with her sweater.
“I had them put a blanket out for us while you were in the ladies room. I hope this is okay.”
“Drew, it’s absolutely perfect.”
The stars danced in the sky as the moon softly lit the waves on the water. They sipped champagne and the world around them slipped away. Soon, though, it grew cool enough outside that they decided it was time to head back to the hotel. They made their way back to the limo and climbed inside.
“Drew, this has been the most perfect night of my life. Thank you so much.”
“It was a pleasure. I really enjoyed spending the evening with you.”
Together they walked to the elevator that brought them right into their room. They both slipped into something more comfortable and enjoyed the rest of the night in the privacy of their suite, both forgetting about the real reason they were there.
*****
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Figuring that one more night not playing the game wouldn’t hurt anything, they decided to not set their alarm clocks. Drew and Max enjoyed a game free night of sleep and woke feeling refreshed and ready for today’s task. Keeping it casual, they dressed for breakfast and went down to the restaurant. Afterwards, they went for a walk around the pool and courtyard and prepared themselves mentally for their upcoming interview.
When it was time for their meeting, they summoned for their car and went to Adam Howard, Sr.’s house. When they got there, they decided that “house” just wasn’t an appropriate word for the sprawling mansion in front of them.
“Ready?” Drew’s question let Max know it was now or never.
They were greeted at the door by Mr. Howard himself. Drew had figured a butler would be letting them in. Unexpectedly, Adam, Sr. looked younger than the picture they had seen and was dressed much more casually than they would have imagined. They were led to the patio and offered a seat between the pool and the garden.
“I must say, I was pretty surprised that someone wanted to do a story about me. Ever since Center-Tech ended our relationship, my life has been pretty quiet.”
“Well, Sir,” Drew began, “Our three part series is actually about the advancement in technology over the past 20 years. Your name kept popping up in our nano-technology research, so we figured it would help us greatly to talk to you.”
“I’m a bit out of the loop as to what advancements have been made, but I can tell you what I know about where the technology was when I left.”
“Do you mind if we record our meeting, Mr. Howard?” Max’s voice cracked a little bit out of nervousness, but she covered well, taking a sip of water and excusing her dry throat.
“Not at all. As a matter of fact, once we are done talking, I can send you off with a few of my books. They may be able to shed a little more light on the subject.”
“That would be fantastic. Thank you, Sir.”
“Please, call me Adam.”
Drew asked questions about the technology Adam, Sr. was developing. As it turns out, Center-Tech had him removed from the company citing that his research and development of a nano-chip able to control people’s dreams was immoral. He explained to Drew and Max that, in reality, it was supposed to be used for people who were suffering with illnesses such as cancer. He was working with the medical field to develop this technology so that patients could experience only positive dreams, helping with their treatment and recovery. It would also be available to anyone who had been subject to traumatic experiences, enabling them to not relive their trauma through nightmares.
Adam, Sr. explained that Center-Tech accused him of trying to play God and control people’s thoughts. Medical professionals had tried to come to his defense, but the owner and CEO wouldn’t hear it. Mr. Howard felt he was lucky that they didn’
t have him locked up in a mental institution; although it wasn’t from their lack of trying. There just simply wasn’t enough evidence to have him committed.
“That was ten years ago. I never worked again. It was really hard on my son, Adam, Jr. He was only 14 at the time, and seeing me dragged through the mud day in and day out was more than any child should have to witness.”
There it is! This is my chance to talk about Adam! That was easier than Drew had figured it would be. “Is your son into science, too?”
“No. He never was interested in what I did. He was all about skateboarding and video games. The only thing we had in common was our love for boating.”
“Did he know what your project was intended for?” Max asked.
“I told him as much as he would listen to. Like I said, if it wasn’t a video game or a half pipe, he wasn’t all that interested. He knew it could change people’s lives; improve their wellbeing, but that was it.”
They talked for a while longer, and after getting through all of the questions that Drew had for Adam, Sr., they thanked him for his time. As promised, Mr. Howard sent them on their way with a stack of books and gave them his direct contact information.
“Please, feel free to call me or email if you have any other questions. It was really great talking to the two of you. Have a safe trip back to…I don’t even know where you are based. Forgive me.”
“My apologies, I thought you were told. We are here from Chicago.”
“What a coincidence! My son is actually living in Chicago. This month, anyway.”
“He moves around a lot?” Max slipped her question in.
“Yeah. One month he’s in Texas, the next month he’s in some village in Africa, and then the next I hear from him he’s back in the states. I never know where his travels will bring him next or how long he’ll be there.”
“Well, thank you for your time Mr. Howard. It was truly a pleasure,” Max said wholeheartedly as she extended her hand.
Back in the limo, the Max and Drew looked at each other. As they rounded the last curve of the long driveway they sighed heavily and sat silently, soaking in the information they’d just obtained.
