by Anya Palvin
Ciara looks beautiful, tight dark blue bondage dress, black stockings, and a black leather jacket. This time, she’s wearing her make-up perfectly and her purple heroine MAC lipstickand tiny gold earrings. Her hair has soft curls and new auburn highlights. He’s frozen on his feet, still dumbfounded and slowly recovering himself. "Strange speech. You know all he wants is a dollar, right? He uses it to buy hot chocolate across the street." she points to a cafe but he doesn't take his eyes off her.
His mind raced with questions. What are the odds of her coming back to the hotel with him? He's never been this intimidated by a woman besides his mother. This is new territory for him, no wonder why he's frozen right now.
She drops $5 in the man's hat, and like his usual routine, he walks to the cafe across the street.
He watched as her lips curl up to form a smile. "Nice suit" she motions him thumbs-up and he still says nothing. Isn't this ironic? Choker is all choked up right now.2
"Ok, I don't want to appear impolite but you're kind of blocking my car’s door." she says trying to walk around him. "Don't go" the words escape before he could stop them but she doesn't seem offended, or threatened by his outburst, her expression is more of a surprise. "So he speaks" she teased, smiling beautifully again. "I actually have to go, and then I have a 12 hour shift later. Just promise me you won't go around scaring homeless people, that wasn't very nice." She teased again laughing this time, and he can't help but smile. "What's your name?" He asks as if he didn't already know. "Jennifer" she lies and he frowns. Why is she lying about her name? "My mother told me not to talk to strangers, but if you happen to get a paper cut or maybe sprain your wrist from that really, really sharp suit of yours, don’t hesitate to go to the hospital just around the corner and ask for Doctor Carlyle, she really does well with strangers." she gets into her car and drives away, leaving him with a stupid, wide grin on his face.1
He watched as she drove away, and he smiles to himself as another image of her is saved into his memory.
Choker called in his experts from Iraq, The Middle East, and Bombay. This tech whizz team are like the holy trinity of technology. They can create, destroy, hack, dismantle, infect, and redesign any system. Choker has them at his call since he’s favouring their entire family, and without his connections and power, they'd all be in jail or dead by now. A team like this can do a lot of chaos without proper control so Choker makes sure to keep their identity and whereabouts hidden until extremely necessary.
He also has a genius contractor that can intersect blueprints with his own spyware technology. He come up with his own scientific contacts that allows him to see a blueprint layout of any building, any object, everything as if it were a skeleton.
Choker can send this team on a scavenger hunt, each person with their own designated task, and he has no doubt they'll come back with results to make him proud, and then some.
Four men in suits walk into the hotel's restaurant holding their briefcases and duffle bags. Ahbas is the Iraqi with the ability to create and disable bombs with any wire in any building. He also has the passion in mixing deadly chemicals to create any effect he wants done to a human’s body. Choker calls him "Blast". He's almost 300 pounds, brown curly afro, and has a brown musty beard. He don’t speaks English but Chocker can still converse with him since he knows several different languages fluently.
Oran, from The Middle East can sends out any type of virus from his own computer. He has a connection to the Earth's satellite, so he can tap into every security system, every cellular phone, every computer, every automobile, every plane, any device known to man, you name it- he can contaminate it with his virus and ruins it completely. His former military history gives him an advantage as well. He's the tallest of the group, no one has ever seen his real eyes, he wears sunglasses literally everyday, and everywhere. Choker calls him "Virus"1
Azul from Bombay has quite a talent. He can reprogram anything and give it a voice. If cellphone users think Siri is cool, you should see Azul make a refrigerator talk back to you, and have quite a stimulating conversation. He's only 21 years old. Basically, he looks like a skinny nerd. Choker calls him "Voice"
Ladin, the contractor with the X-Ray vision contacts created to see what's beneath the surface of everything. He's in his mid-30, a 5"8 in height, and considered as one of the greatest minds of our generation. Choker names him "Ray".
Ryan’s penthouse is located on the west wing of the Haze building. It's one of the most modernized buildings in New York City with the highest security against any threat. The security system is near to impossible to infiltrate. The elevators’ cameras are discernible as that of the images taken on a 20megapixel camera. There's never been a breach or crime here, the people in this building pay for the security to be like no other, and so it is, and it's been that way for years.
Last month a senator cheated on his wife, and a few days later the woman was shot and killed. The police suspected the wife killed the woman, so the senator moved his wife into the Haze building, and neither the paparazzi or reporters or even the police could get their way in to interview her. It's so secured that you can't even book a room without a thorough background check.
"Hello boys, you have exactly one hour to get this done. Clean and with no harm. Ray, find a way into Ryan's room without getting into the building’s security alarm. Virus, hack into their system and shut it down undetected for exactly 3 hours, no more and no less. Voice, there's a voicemail on this phone with Ryan's voice, use it to create a small microphone inside his penthouse, so I can say whatever I want using his voice. Make sure I can hear him as well." He explains to the three men his orders explicitly. And turns to Blast to say it in something he could understand. They all leave in separate vehicles, dark presidential looking SUV's courtesy of their boss, while Keys and Choker head back to the hospital.
...
It's almost 6:30pm when they get to the hospital, and went straight to JT's room. Choker stopped on the way to have an almost two-hour heated conversation with his dad. JT is now sleeping when he returns, knock-out by the painkiller given to him.
Choker's phone rings and he knows it's time. He looks at the screen, and not only did Voice made his job done nicely having a microphone to switch on and off, Ray also successfully found a safe way for Blast to get in and out as expected and he also made a mini camera so Choker can watch Ryan's every move. There's also a button on the screen to control the locks on the doors in the Penthouse. No one knows what the hell Blast created except Choker, but whatever it is, it’s surely worthy for the book of records. Virus did anexcellent job with the security system, no alarms have gone off, and there's still an hour to spare. Their job is officially done, and they're heading back to the airport at this very minute.
Choker watched as Ryan invited several men into his penthouse, toasting bottles of champagne, and lighting cigars.
He waited for the last guest to arrive and then he turned on the microphone and locks the doors.
Keys closed the door to JT's ICU room for their privacy, and Choker smiles down at his phone before he could begin.
"Ladies and gentlemen" He speaks into the phone and from the look on Ryan's face he’sconfused as to why he’s hearing his own voice. Everyone's spinning around in circles trying to find the source of the interruption. "May I have your attention, please, I apologize for ruining the party but you all need to have a seat and listen." he says smiling but they're still searching for the microphone. "Did you know it's very rude to ignore someone that's trying to tell you something?" Choker enjoys the thrill of playing with them. "Who is this? What do you want?" Ryan yells into the air, not sure where the microphone is or who is doing this. "Boss the doors are locked!" one of hismen reported to him. "The phone lines are busy" another one announced. "My cellphone isn't working, either I can't even turn it on." His right hand man utters starting to panic. "Who are you?" Ryan screams, pulling out his gun. "I am you, don't you know your own voice when you hear it?" Chokers toys with t
hem and Keys laughs from the door. "I can't move my hand" Ryan panics as his entire body freezes and he falls to the floor. Shortly, all the others join him. "I'm sorry, but that's actually your own fault. I was trying to warn you but you didn't listen. The champagne you've been drinking has a heavy supply of Tabun. It's a fruity flavoured chemical that paralyses your nervous system. I'm not sure if there's enough in it to kill you so don't quote me on this. By the looks of things, some of your men don't look so good. I guess it all depends on how much you've had to drink."
Three of his men seem dead already, and the few who remained their eyes are open, can still see and hear everything, but unable to move an inch of their body or even utter a word."It is okay, Ryan, you should still celebrate, because as far as you know, you're still alive. I could've shot you a couple of times instead, but I thought paralysis would suit you better. How will you defend yourself without your mobility and speech? Your enemies will do the rest for me." Choker looks up and sees Ciara trying to open the door. "Well Ryan, the doors are now open, the phone lines are now back, so you may now call for help now." He switches off the microphone and camera, and deletes the app Virus created for this specific reason.
"Let her in" he mouths to Keys, and he unlocks the door.
4.
Ciara walks in, and JT opens his eyes. "Damn...you are pretty." he mumbles before passing out again.
She changes his IV, and a wound care nurse changes his bandages.
Keys leaves after becoming fully aware that Doctor Carlyle is the same woman from the murder incident in Italy, he couldn't sneak out of there fast enough.
"So do I have to be in Taylor's condition to be in your attention, or does the paper cut or sprain wrist phrases still apply?" Choker asks as soon as Keys leaves, and Ciara jumps, obviously alarmed. She completely had no idea that someone else was in the room. She puts her right hand over her heart, and breathed in and out a few times to slow her heart rate. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you." he asks forgiveness as soon as he saw her reaction. "It's ok, I should've looked around." her voice is a soft breathy whisper. "He's my first gunshot patient, I guess I was just eager to check on him." she explains and he makes a face. "So you like him?" He asks unsure of what she meant, and the question leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. "Oh gosh, no, it's nothing like that at all." she looks him in the eye when she says it and he visibly loosen up. "A few days ago I saw a man get shot, and I couldn't save him. I guess I felt compelled to do so..." she paused as if she's reliving the entire night.
He wanted to reach out and pull her imprisoning her in his arms, but fought to keep a respective distance.
Maybe this waswrong, there's no way she would be able to fathom. Besides, there's no room for any unnecessary emotions in his life, and if he isn't cautious enough he might fall deeply into her.
"Uh, I've settled the bill, and I made a donation for the cancer kids on the 2nd floor. The billing manager asked if I wanted to make a donation so I did, and uh, thank you for rescuing my friend’s life." He literally speed walks to the door, but she follows him out. "I hope you're not off to harass anymore homeless people." she pranks at him one more time, and he stops and slowly turns to face her. "No, actually an annoyingly beautiful girl told me not to so I won't." his lips twist wryly and she blushes, her cheeks are now bright red. "You think I'm annoying?" She asks but smiling, almost flirting. "I think you’re beautiful. The annoyingly beautiful girl's name is Jennifer, she actually recommended you incase I get hurt somehow, very interesting woman." he held a straight face, and her disappointment is utterly blinding. "It was a pleasure meeting you Doctor Carlyle, and if you see Jennifer, please tell her it was a pleasure meeting her too." he turns around to leave again, but she calls out to him, right before he gets to the elevator. "Wait" she says in a firm tone. "Don't go" she used his words against him. "My name is Ciara, Ciara Carlyle. I'm not a bipolar I promise, you can ask Jennifer, she'll testify for me." He smiles at her efforts. "I get off at 6 in the morning, will you be around?" She asks with buoyant eyes.
He cancelled so many flights and meetings just to deal with Ryan's crap. But that's taken care of now so it's time to get back to work. Besides, being alone with her in a city full of enemies isn't such a good idea. Or maybe just being with her alone isn't such a good idea.
"Uh, that sounds good but I uh, I should get going. I cancelled a lot of meetings today. I really should start rescheduling and catching up." he gives her a lame excuse, not looking her in the eye, and she gives him an investigative look. "Hey" Ciara calls out as soon as she sees Tom step off the elevator. He shovels her up in a big bear hug, spinning her around and around as if he hasn't seen her in awhile. "What are you doing here?" She giggles uncontrollably when he sets her safely back on her feet.
Choker's fuming, good thing looks couldn’t cut or Tom would be sliced into a billion pieces right now. "My photo shoot finished early so I decided to spend the rest of the night with my favourite girl." he kissed her cheek, and she smiled sweetly. Choker raised her brows and almost broke his teeth from clenching it against each other while he imagined wrapping his favourite cable ties around Tom's neck. "Oh, uh this is..." she paused just realizing she doesn't know Choker's name. Nobody knows his real name except for Keys, and his parents. He's never even thought about addressing himself as anything other than Choker. His mom and dad addresses him Prince because of their last name, but no one really says his first name out loud, and in this moment he’s torn between letting her know his first name, or choking Tom’s neck first.
"I’ll get going. Thanks for taking care of my friend again." he felt like there were sharp nails burying into his skin walking away from her this time.
He used to agonize she might stay away from him if he uncover his dangerous lifestyle to her, but he’s one step behind into the possibility that he could be afraid of her lifestyle too. She's the total opposite of him; if he’s the south, she’s the north; if he’s the ground, she’s the sky; if he’s the ocean, she’s the mountain. She’s totally the pure, selfless, kind,gentle and beautiful woman.
"Maybe mom was always accurate about everything. She said there's a light in her; a strong but vulnerable light and it would do no good for him spending too much time in his darkness. It may change her and to be honest, I don't want her to change a thing right about herself. I like her just the way she is." He continues to ponder as the elevator doors close.
Keys’ impatiently waited downstairs for him and as he eyed him, he immediately drags Choker into a corner, away from the security cameras.
"That's her, that's the same girl from Italy! What are you doing Choke?" His Irish accent is a little shaky when he speaks now, I guess he's worried or something. "Relax, I have everything under control. Are you going back to Ireland tonight? I have to meet mom for breakfast." Choker tries changing the subject, but it doesn't to work. "You think she's a trouble don't you?" Keys panics and the only explanation he can come up with had to be negative, because there's no way Choker has any real enthusiasm in this girl. He's never interested in any girl for crying out loud, so Keys’ reaction is just as understandable.
"No, I don't think she's a threat. She's the one that saved JT. If anything we should be thanking her." he says smiling. "Stop condescending on me,Choke, I know you. Since when do you ever have the heart to thank anybody? You always said the best way to thank someone is to pay them or kill them, because words mean too much." he quotes him and Choker seems not to recall a memory. "I said that?" He questions himself out loud. "Wow, I sounded like an ass." He jokes and unlocks his rental. "So you're just gonna leave me hanging? You're not gonna tell me what your plans are for her?" Keys is clearly puzzled, and maybe a little upset. Choker always ties up loose ends, always. Now all of a sudden he wants to look the other way? It's not possible. "Keys, listen to me very carefully, there are no plans for Ciara, because she’s harmless. Now stop doing that silly interrogation and get in. I told you mom is expecting me for breakfast and the jet is ready to g
o." he asks Keys to drop it but he should've looked up at him when he spoke instead of turning his back, or he would've seen that look in his eyes. That look that Keys gets when he's on to something.1
Keys is enraged right now, so enraged that he starts rambling in his mind.
He's calling her by name, thanking her for doing something that's considered to be obligatory. She already made things complicated for them in Italy, the police are still up for questions, and here he is even trying to let her go. Has he gone totally crazy in the last 48 hours? The life we've built solely survives on the fear we imposed on people, he said it himself earlier today so what's the problem? She's been labelled as an eye witness to the murder, everyone in Italy saw the news and saw her photo. Our enemies might think she's connected with us, or working for someone that wants to challenge our empire. Either way it's never good leaving loose ends untied, so much destruction can be done by one innocent-looking face...everyone’s aware of that. If Choke is that willing to put everything we've created and everything we've worked so hard for at stake, well, I'm not and I won't."
He looks at Choker getting into the truck, and he looks back at the hospital behind him, then back at Choker, his mind is now fixed.
"I left some things at my hotel, and I think I might stay another day to make sure everything went smoothly with Ryan's case, then I'll join you in Italy tomorrow." he lies, and steps away from the vehicle so Choker could reverse. "Ok" he agrees not even bothered of what could be going through his friend's mind right now. He drives off with foggy cold windows and a regretful sigh.
...
Keys walks back inside and a nurse stops him before he could board the elevator. "Hi" a tall, skinny, blonde nurse in light blue scrubs walks over to him with a wide grin. "Oh my gosh, you're Irish right?" She squeals in excitement. He rolls his eyes and pressed the elevator button, completely ignoring her. She was silent away into a corner with her shoulders slump and her head hung low. The elevator doors open and he steps in.
