Volo stepped into the room through a doorway, obviously interrupted from doing something else in another room. “Good evening Alex. What brings us the pleasure of your visit tonight? Or maybe it is pleasure that you are after?” Volo lit up a cigarette and winked at Alex.
Alex ignored the thinly veiled reference to the “treatments” he had been subjected to earlier. “I have something that I think you will find useful.” Alex then sat on the leather couch and set the folder on the coffee table, opening it to pull out the first sheet of paper. “I have some detailed inside information on the National Security Agency that I think you will find valuable.”
Volo sat down in his easy chair on the other side of the table, squashed his cigarette butt in an ashtray and lit up yet another cigarette. A suspicious look came into his eyes. “What do you want in exchange? Is there any way that I can verify this information?” Volo stared hard at Alex, slightly baring his yellowed teeth and watching every subtle move and response.
Alex swallowed hard and tried to control his body language, lest it betray his lies. “I want in on the profits that you get from this information. You will not be able to use this stuff without my direct help. There are elements where you will need my knowledge to help you navigate.”
At that moment Paris strode into the room wearing a black sheer teddy. “Volo, our client is ready for the next round of treatments….” She stopped suddenly when she recognized Alex.
At the site of the seductively dressed Paris, Alex suddenly felt very sick to his stomach as he could feel the programmed responses start to engage in his body. They clearly had already established far more control on him than he had earlier realized.
Volo looked up at Paris with very little reaction. “Ah, Paris. Please stay here and make Alex comfortable.” Volo winked at Alex. “I have to attend to our client for a little while.” Volo left the room.
Paris sat on Alex’s lap and wrapped her arms around him. “You are a real pleasure to be with.” She then started caressing him with her hands working progressively lower on his body, unbuttoning his shirt as she went. Alex was now sure that she had mind control drugs, probably including a powerful aphrodisiac, in her hair as the scent of her hair recalled to him the previous night of his complete surrender to her insatiability.
Standing outside of El Zin, Joe finished chugging the mixture of his special wines, not really sure just exactly how much he had drunk, not having taken the time to measure them. Everyone watched him with curiosity.
Pauline was still on her cell phone. “Oh thank you, we are in the Jack London Square parking lot L. How soon will an officer be here? Great, we will be here.” She closed the phone. The Police are on their way and expect to be here in 10 minutes.
DeMario’s head was spinning. He needed to save Ed. He wasn’t sure if the time was right for the Police to get involved in the coming conflict at the docks, especially if any of the police were on the wrong side. Why was Joe chugging wine at a moment like this?
Joe looked over at Elise. “The effects are starting. I think we will be able to follow, but you will have to drive.” Suddenly an intense wave of reality twisting overcame Joe, causing him to lean on El Zin to steady himself. He felt like his consciousness was being sucked through an immense funnel with a tiny spout. His thoughts were racing as they came out the other side. An immense bright network of probability threads was soon visible in his mind’s eye. Quickly scanning these, he spotted the thread that included Ed. “They are in a car heading north towards the docks.”
Joe stumbled into the shotgun seat of El Zin. Elise hopped into the driver’s seat.
Pauline stammered, “What are you doing, shouldn’t we wait for the Police?”
Without understanding the significance of the wine, DeMario had a sudden inkling that Joe was probably right. Shindo would take Ed to his goons at the dock, and the last place he wanted Ed was at the docks. He gently grabbed Pauline’s arm. “We should tag along. I don’t think there is time to wait for the police.” Pauline gave in and climbed into the back of El Zin with DeMario as Elise turned the ignition. Unbeknownst to them, a black eclipse parked several cars behind them also started its engine.
Shindo drove his beamer down to the Fairchild Group dock. He kept his gun pointed at Ed in the passenger seat next to him. “I don’t have time to properly punish you right now. You will not try to run or yell or I will kill you immediately.”
Ed just sat in fear, his heart racing from all of the adrenaline now coursing through his system. “I don’t know what you are talking about. Why are you doing this?”
Shindo turned his head and spit on Ed. “I have a video of you in Fresno. You are the one who has turned us in to the feds. You are trying to blow our whole operation. I probably should castrate you and make you eat your own testicles before I kill you.”
Shindo the business gate, and quickly waved his pass to the obviously bored attendant, who
barely even glanced up from his watching a small television. The attendant pushed a button and the gate
arm swung up. Shindo continued through and turned towards some offices. He came to a stop near a nondescript
glass door. After opening his door he reached over and pulled Ed out with him on the driver’s side, all the
time keeping the gun pointed at Ed. He then forced Ed over to the doorway.
Continued..