by J. M. LeDuc
“It’s nice to see you again, sir. You’re looking well.”
“I have no time for your sarcasm, Miss Smith. Where is the formula?”
“It’s close by,” she said and again scanned the room, this time being obvious, “but something, or shall I say someone, is missing from the room.”
Ferric told James to retrieve Chloe and then he asked again for the formula.
“As soon as I see that the young lady is unharmed.”
Ferric was furious. “Don’t try my patience, Miss Smith! And why all the personal concern for Miss Adler?”
“The concern is not personal, just from one woman to another. I understand the business we are in and I understand that sacrifices may be necessary, but there is no reason for, nor will I tolerate, any violation of her person.”
Maddie turned and looked Thomas straight in the eye. He was so angry by then that he had not only turned a deep purple, Maddie could have sworn his color had turned to black, the color of death.
She turned back to address Ferric. “As I stipulated in our earlier conversation, I will deliver the formula and, in return, you will deliver Miss Adler to me. If it is necessary, when our business is finalized, I will take care of her myself in a humane fashion.”
Returning, James pushed Chloe into the room. Her arms were duct-taped behind her back at the elbow and wrist and her legs were bound just above the knee. She was able to walk, although with great difficulty. Her head was duct-taped so that her eyes and mouth were covered. Maddie could see that her face was swollen and her blouse was ripped open to expose her bra, which had only one intact strap.
“Is this what you call unharmed?” she yelled, losing her cool for the first time.
“This all happened when she tried to jump out of the car on our way here,” Thomas said. “You have my word that she wasn’t touched.”
“And your word is worth what? I’d rather hear it from the girl.”
Chloe was directed to a chair where she was forced to sit down.
“Miss Adler, were you beaten or touched in a sexual manner, in any way, by anyone in this house?”
Chloe shook her head no.
“Now, Miss Smith, the formula! I won’t ask again,” Ferric said.
Maddie reached into her pocket and removed a copy of the paper Joseph had written the formula on. She knew that Ferric would recognize his handwriting and that would add credibility to the paper. She also knew he would not be happy about receiving a copy and she readied herself for the verbal onslaught when she handed him the paper.
“Where is the original, Miss Smith?” Ferric asked, his breathing more labored.
Calmly, Maddie said, “It’s in a safe place. I wanted a little reassurance that I’d make it out of here alive. But the chemical formula in your possession is the one that you’re looking for. That I’m sure of.”
Chloe, still blindfolded, felt confused as she heard Maddie seemingly collaborate with these men. Had Brent made a mistake in trusting her after all?Ferric gurgled a few times then spoke. “How were you able to obtain the formula?”
“After we spoke last night, I drove from the hospital to the library. I figured that once Venturi found out about Mrs. Conklin, he’d head there. Men with no backbone are always easy to figure out.”
“We didn’t see him go into the building. We’ve had someone watching the library for days,” Thomas interrupted.
“That’s because you and your band of idiots had been watching the front of the library from the comfort of the air-conditioned café across the street. If they’d bothered to watch the fire exit in the back alley, they would have seen him and his little friend here arrive at five-oh-five this morning. I followed them inside and when they tried to run for the front door, I put a bullet in the librarian’s leg.
“Once I pointed the gun at his pretty little friend’s head, he told me where he had hidden the books. While I looked in them for the formula, I sent her to the pharmacy for bandages and antibiotics for his wound. I made her leave through the front door, so the keystone cops would spot her.”
Thomas, fuming at the accusations, was about to erupt when Ferric spoke. “How do I know this isn’t a fake? I can see Joseph planting a bogus formula in a spot as blatant as the books.”
“That’s what I thought, sir, so I did some preliminary studies. This chemical formula, once it’s been formulated into a compound and ingested, will cause a genetic alteration that, if I’m not mistaken, will cause a systemic-wide immune shift.”
“English please, Miss Smith.” Donavan Ferric’s breathing became shallower and faster with his heightened excitement.
“It will cause an absence of disease and an inherent vitalization and youthfulness. In other words, it will make the sick, healthy and the old, younger.”
The more she spoke, the more excited Ferric became, causing his left arm and leg to shake. Thomas ran to him and placed a pill under his tongue. With surprising compassion, Thomas said, “Sir, you have to stay calm. If your blood pressure gets any higher, you’ll be in big trouble.”
With that, Ferric closed his eyes and deliberately breathed slower while he waited for the medication to take effect. Within minutes, the trembling was reduced to a mild tremor. Once he’d regained his composure, he asked Maddie how long it would take to formulate the compound.
“I’ll need a day to gather all the necessary chemicals and another six hours to combine them and reduce the mixture to an edible compound.”
“Make a list of everything you’ll need. I’ll send two of my best out to get everything. That should make the process much quicker, don’t you agree?”
“It will help a little. Some of the substances we need can only be found at a research laboratory, which means they’ll have to go to the research center at Gulf Stream University to get them. That’s a five-hour drive from here. If they’re back with everything, I’ll start mixing the elements first thing in the morning.”
“They’ll be here. Have the list prepared in one hour, Miss Smith.” Ferric looked at Thomas and told him to take him to his quarters. Before they left, Ferric turned to James and told him to take Chloe back to her cell.
“She’s to stay with me.”
“I’m finished bargaining with you, Miss Smith.”
“Then kill her now,” Maddie said, “but you’d better kill me first, because if she’s taken anywhere, I won’t formulate your compound.”
Ferric smiled. “You little fool. Now that I have the formula, I can get any two-bit chemist to do the formulation.”
“Good luck. By the third step, they’ll blow this entire estate into the Atlantic Ocean.”
“Clarify yourself, please!”
Maddie sauntered to Ferric’s wheelchair. She leaned over so that her face was inches away from his. “This little fool may have given you the formula, but she did not give you the instructions that came with it. If they’re not followed to the tee,” Maddie said with a distinct forcefulness between words, “the compound will become so volatile that it will blow ten times harder than nitroglycerin.” Donavan breathed rapidly, his extremities shaking harder than before. “Keep it up and you’ll be dead before I even make the list.”
“Why, you little bit…” Thomas yelled.
“That is enough!” Ferric screamed. “She can stay with you.”
“Fine. And since she’s now my responsibility, I have the right to untape her.”
“Do as you please, but if she tries to run or escape, then she belongs to Thomas.”
“Done,” Maddie replied.
“James will escort the two of you to your room. I’ll send someone for the list in one hour.” James pulled Chloe to her feet and forced her to walk out of the room and down the hall. Maddie followed close behind. Walking through the doorway of their “cell” Maddie noted that the room had no windows, no means of escape. James place
d Chloe in a chair and locked the door from the outside. Maddie helped Chloe stand up and sat her gently on the bed. She scanned the room for video and audio equipment as she removed the tape from Chloe’s ankles. She had to continue playing her part. “Miss Adler, I’m going to remove the rest of the tape from your arms and face. When I’m finished, I expect you to be sitting in the same position you’re in now. If you even try anything, including speaking to me until I’m ready for you to speak, I’ll re-tape you in a very uncomfortable, compromising position. Understood?”
Chloe nodded.
Maddie removed the rest of the tape and Chloe sat on the edge of the bed, as instructed, and rubbed her arms to get circulation back into her hands. She squinted due to the light.
“Don’t worry, your vision will clear up in a few minutes. It’s from the pressure of the tape on your eyes.”
Maddie put her hand on Chloe’s cheeks and Chloe visibly flinched as she tried to pull away. “I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to check to make sure that animal didn’t break anything. I know firsthand how hard he hits. Move your jaw up and down and side to side, please.” She did as she was told while Maddie applied pressure in the right spots to help ease the pain in her face. “That’s better. Now I suppose you probably will want to go to the bathroom after all this time.”
Chloe nodded again as Maddie told her it was all right for her to speak.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Stand up and let’s see if you can walk. Don’t call me ma’am. It makes me feel old. You can call me Maddie.”
“Yes, ma’am…I mean, Maddie.”
“Let’s hurry up, so I have enough time to make that list for our host.” Maddie led Chloe into the bathroom and shut the door. Again, she scanned the room for surveillance equipment, but only found audio equipment. Maddie put her finger to her mouth, signaling Chloe to keep quiet. Then Maddie took a piece of toilet paper and an eyebrow pencil and wrote a note to Chloe:
There are cameras and microphones everywhere in the bedroom, only audio in here. Be very careful how you act and what you say. We can’t let on that I’m here to help you.
Brent said to stall Ferric until tomorrow. We have to be ready when he gives the word.
Chloe was so relieved that Maddie was on her side that she wrapped her arms around her and cried uncontrollably. Maddie reached over and ran water in the sink to drown out the sobs.
Chloe composed herself and said, “Could you at least turn the other way? This is hard enough with you in here.” She took the eyebrow pencil from Maddie and wrote a reply. Meanwhile, Maddie kept to her role.
“Believe me, you’re not doing it for me either. If your boyfriend had been smarter and given me those books when I first asked for them, you wouldn’t be here now. Hurry up, please.” Maddie said while she read Chloe’s note. “I’m sorry” was all it said.
Maddie hurriedly scribbled another.
Keep the conversation going, I need a few minutes.
Chloe babbled on about what a fool Brent was and how Maddie didn’t need to shoot him. Meanwhile, Maddie unbuttoned her jeans and pulled them down slightly so as to reach the satellite phone she’d strapped to the inside of her thigh. She knew that even if the butler had frisked her, he wouldn’t have been comfortable going that high on her leg.
As quickly as she could, she text messaged Brent with the security information about the perimeter of the property and the inside of the house that she’d seen. She told him where guards were posted. Then, “Chloe’s fine. We’re together. God speed.” She put the phone back onto her thigh.
“Time’s up, missy. I’ve got work to do.”
Chloe flushed the toilet and they left the bathroom. “Can I watch TV?” Chloe asked.
“If you keep the volume very low. I need to concentrate on this list.”
Chloe turned the television on just in time to see a news report from the hospital about the brutal murder of a female patient whose name was being withheld. Maddie smiled as she wrote the list of supplies.
Forty minutes later, they heard the door unlock. Thomas pushed Donavan into the room, his oxygen mask clamped on. He removed the mask and in a weak voice, asked if the list was complete. Immediately, he replaced the mask. Maddie could tell that Ferric’s health had deteriorated a great deal in the last hour.
“Yes, sir,” she said and handed him the list. Some of the items were bogus, but she knew they would be hard to find and would buy them a little more time. As Thomas backed Ferric out the door, Ferric motioned Thomas to stop. He removed the mask from his face again and said, “It’s three thirty now. Dinner will be served promptly at five. You will find proper attire in the closet. Please don’t be late.”
He put the mask on again and motioned Thomas to continue out the door. Chloe opened the closet door to reveal a deep walk-in closet that contained evening clothes on one side, casual clothing on the other and drawers containing undergarments and jewelry. A shoe rack held every size, style and color imaginable, ranging from slippers to four-inch stiletto heels. Every item was brand new, with tags still attached.
“Well, we certainly have quite a selection to choose from,” she said.
“We’d better shower and get ready,” Maddie said. “We don’t want to be late. You go first. There’s a linen closet inside the bathroom. I’m sure you’ll find towels and anything else you’ll need in it.”
Chloe thanked Maddie before she headed into the bathroom. Everything was where Maddie thought it would be. She thought back to her last shower, the one she had taken with Brent at Benny’s place. Thinking about the possibility of never seeing Brent again, Chloe dropped to her knees and prayed. Dear God, I haven’t been the best Christian I could have or should have been. I know that I have sinned and I ask for your forgiveness and mercy. Heavenly Father, I pray for the chance to see Brent again and to have a future with him that includes marriage, fidelity, children and especially you at the core of it all. If that is not your will, I pray that Brent finds all of those things with the one you choose for him. Thank you for not giving up on me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.Chloe felt a wave of tranquility sweep over her as she knelt. A calmness she hadn’t experienced for a long time swept over her. She got up ready to face whatever came because she knew she was in God’s good graces.
After her shower, Chloe wrapped herself in a thick, fluffy terrycloth robe and matching slippers and went back into the other room.
“It’s about time,” Maddie said. “I was about to go in and check on you.”
“Sorry, it just felt so good I didn’t want to get out.”
“It’s all right, I still have time. I took the liberty to put an outfit together for you. I hope you don’t mind. It’s just that I know our host’s tastes a bit better than you and I thought he would be pleased with my choices.”
Chloe said she didn’t mind and that she liked what Maddie had chosen. “I’ll get dressed while you’re showering,” she said.
“Could you come into the bathroom and help me set the water temperature before you do? I have a hard time with strange showers.”
Maddie turned the water on while Chloe ostensibly fiddled with the temperature. Maddie hastily scribbled another note:
Remember the cameras. If you drop that robe, they’ll see everything!
Chloe read the note and wrote:
I forgot! Thank you, thank you, thank you, xxxooo.
Chloe said, “There, that should be the right temperature. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll get dressed.”
“Thanks for your help,” Maddie said.
Chloe took the clothes off the bed and brought them with her into the walk-in closet. Even in there, she wasn’t taking chances, so she faced the wall and put her undergarments on while she still had the robe on. Then she placed the dress over her head. While it slid onto her body, she slid off the robe.
As she walked out of
the closet, Maddie walked out of the bathroom. “There’s makeup and a hair dryer under the vanity.”
“Thanks, and thanks again for the dress. You’d make a great personal shopper.”
Maddie smiled but said nothing. She grabbed her clothes and went into the closet to dress in the same manner Chloe had. She was very careful not to let her thighs show, the sat phone was still strapped there. They had both finished and were slipping into their shoes when there was a knock at the door.
“Come in,” Maddie said.
The door opened and Donavan’s butler walked in. “The master has asked me to escort you ladies to the dining room.”
“Finally, a gentleman. We would be honored to have your arm.”
“You’re too kind, Miss Smith.”
In the dining room, Donavan Ferric sat at the far end of the table. He wore a tie and dinner jacket. The butler escorted the ladies to their seats at the opposite end of the table. Both greeted Ferric before they sat down.
Chloe was so preoccupied with the artwork that she nearly missed the seat of her chair. She stared at an original Rembrandt, Picasso and Dali. Even an original Da Vinci sketch was in the collection. “The artwork is spectacular,” Chloe remarked.
“Thank you, Miss Adler. I admire great works of art in the same way your boyfriend admires great works of literature.”
“They truly are amazing,” Maddie added.
As the kitchen staff brought out the first course, Ferric stated, “Shall we eat, ladies? I’ll allow you time to admire my collection after dinner.”
Chloe asked to say grace before they ate. Ferric told her to say her prayer silently and then he started eating. Maddie and Chloe held hands underneath the table and silently prayed.
As they ate, Donavan said, “When did you become so religious, Miss Smith?”
