Authors: Bernard Lee DeLeo
Quenton knocked on Connor’s door. The door handle turned and the door swung quietly back against its stops. Quenton had expected to see Thomas at the door, but Connor sat at his small kitchen table, sipping from a coffee cup. Without looking up from the book he was reading, Connor gestured for Quenton to come in.
“Good morning Derek.”
Quenton walked into the room. Karen followed, but as she began to cross the threshold, the feeling of tiny beetle legs on her skin stopped her cold. Connor looked up and smiled.
“Hello Karen, good of you to join us this morning.”
She had stepped back out a step and the terrible feeling left her. Karen looked into Connor’s smiling face and blushed. She quickly looked at her feet and asked, “May I come in Mr. Connor.”
“Why of course Karen, come in and sit down with us.”
This time when she crossed the threshold, the feeling of well-being returned to her. Connor shook hands with Quenton and motioned for him to sit down. He went into his tiny living room and brought a chair for Karen to sit down. He offered her his hand and she shook it reluctantly. Desire swept through her momentarily as he guided her into her seat and then released her hand.
“Would you two like some coffee? I just made a fresh pot.”
“Yes, thank you Thomas,” Quenton replied. Karen nodded affirmatively and Connor placed two cups of steaming coffee in front of them, along with a small milk pitcher and a bowl of sugar. He placed two spoons on napkins by their cups and sat down. Connor folded his hands in front of him and leaned over the table comfortably.
“I read in the paper you were rather busy last night,” Quenton began.
“Yes, I accomplished quite a bit last night. I even met your lovely assistant Karen last night. She came over while I was journeying to check up on the lead I received from the gang.”
“Did you really have to kill them all Thomas?” Quenton asked.
“We do not really need to go over that ground again Derek. They died to make the city safer: a noble, albeit reluctant, sacrifice on their part. I found a French connection to this dirty business. The gang leader Devon kindly gave me the name of his contact. A man named Pierre runs the kidnapping operation from a base in France. From there he directs the victims through
Mexico and South America to their final destinations. They never get into the air until they are in a less conscientious country. Pierre only handles orders and pickup. He directs others after that.”
“You have been busy,” Quenton said as he sipped his coffee. “You make excellent coffee. What can I do to help you in this and will you still be available for interrogations?”
“I need a very, very good computer in here with modem hookup. I do believe in your work here Derek. I will continue to interrogate anyone you bring in.”
“Uh.can I depend on you to try and leave them alive afterwards. I mean. you won’t be executing all the prisoners now, will you? That may make my job here tenuous at best.”
Connor laughed, “As you know, Mr. Hutchison struck a nerve. I will exercise more restraint on your behalf from now on.”
“Excellent Thomas,” Quenton said happily.
“Mr. Connor, what do you plan to do with a computer?” Karen asked.
“I plan on taking every cent Pierre has to his name, and putting it into an account of mine.”
“So, this whole thing is.”
“Careful there Karen,” Connor interrupted. “You intend to jump off the cliff of false conclusions. The victims I manage to find will need a new start on life. I will need a separate source of money for my endeavors, which does not reflect back on you two.”
“I will get it done right away,” Quenton agreed. “What about codes.”
Connor held up his hand, “I’ll get whatever I need before I log on, but I will need to bounce my signals around to prevent any problems.”
“How will you be able to travel around and poke into other countries’ business without drawing attention?” Karen asked. “You will light up like a beacon.”
“I can manage,” Connor replied in perfect French; and then repeated the same sentence in Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian, Italian and Spanish.”
“Simply astonishing,” Quenton laughed. “Just another small trick you do like opening the door without moving?”
“Yes,” Connor replied. “I can speak any language or any dialect of a particular language. I found out Pierre gets money from a Red Chinese connection. I have not found out yet if it has anything to do with the slave trade, drugs, or technology.”
“Technology,” Quenton repeated. “You mean defense secrets or just industrial type stuff?”
“All of the above. I looked over Pierre’s books with him on his computer last night. He subcontracts the drug trade to another bunch in Mexico, but he gets material and funding from the Chinese. Pierre pays money into Swiss Bank accounts for a number of agents he has working within our Commerce, Energy, and Defense departments; all on behalf of the Chinese.”
“My God Thomas,” Quenton exclaimed, “how did they get them into the loop?”
Thomas laughed. “You have not been paying much attention to current events, have you? As soon as you get me hooked up here, I will begin to relieve monsieur Pierre of a large bit of his fortune.”
“Don’t you think it would be better for national security if you give us the names of the people selling our secrets out?” Karen asked. “You should keep the priorities straight about what we do.”
“I guarantee Ms. Blakely if you were one of the young women being taken off the street and sold into slavery, you would have a different attitude. I will confirm who the traitors are when Derek here gets me set up. I will take everything they have, and then I will take care of them.”
“You mean murder them?” She persisted.
“I hear a tone of voice I find offensive Karen. While I do not mind discussion, and I welcome any constructive input you might have, remember whom I represent here. The best interests of slave traders, drug dealers, traitors, and enemy foreign countries do not impress me.”
“Do you wish to create your own credentials or do you wish me to provide you with them?” Quenton asked.
“Now you are talking Derek,” Connor replied. “I would rather have the materials myself, and keep you out of the nuts and bolts stuff. Every request from you on my behalf will bring more unnecessary scrutiny.”
“What if you get caught?” Karen asked, and then shook her head. “Forget I asked that. Can you do all of what you want without leaving any trail at all?”
“I believe I can. If I make a mistake in that vein, whoever discovers it will not be able to trace it back here.”
“It sounds like you have many of the details worked out as to starting this operation Thomas,” Quenton observed. “The FBI wish to drop off a woman they have taken into custody, concerning the disappearance of a ten year old boy. They will be here with her in about twenty minutes. Would you get into your suit and meet them. Secondly, can you let her live no matter what you find out? If this one dies in our custody, there will be repercussions. By the time you are through, I will have your room set up.”
“I will let her live while she remains in our custody. Afterwards, it will depend on what I find out. You already know how I feel about these things so we will leave it at that. I will meet with them.”
“May I stay with you Mr. Connor?” Karen asked. “I would like to be in on this interrogation from the beginning.”
“As long as you do not interfere, I have no objection,” Connor replied.
“I will leave you two to decide this event, while I gather the computer resources you will need. I expect you just want the stuff delivered, rather than installed?”
Connor nodded, “Yes, I will set up the equipment.”
“We have it arranged so the FBI will be met at the entrance desk, where the paperwork will be signed by our personnel for the transfer of custody. You will accept custody of the woman and you may take her to any of the rooms we have used in the past.” Quenton stood up and walked to the door and it opened for him by itself. He turned and smiled at Connor, who waved. Quenton continued out with the door closing behind him.
Connor went to his nearly empty closet and began dressing in the suit Quenton had given him the day before. Karen watched him strip to his underwear. The scars on Connor’s body running from his legs up, appeared to have been caused by all manner of circumstances. He moved easily with a gracefulness, which belied his thick musculature. Turning back to the table fully dressed, Connor gestured smilingly towards the door, which again opened on its own.
“Shall we go Doctor?”
Karen hesitated and then walked up to Connor and put her arms around his neck. She leaned in to him and kissed him on the mouth lingeringly. At first Connor did not return the kiss, but then he returned it with ardor. What she did to try and disconcert him now backfired on her. The desire, as did the feeling of well being from before when she entered his room, swept through her as the game Karen had intended continued out of control.
After twenty seconds, Karen climaxed powerfully. She still shivered in the aftermath of it as Connor released her nearly a minute later. He supported her in his arms as she looked at him dazedly. Connor made clucking noises as he shook his head negatively at her.
“It seems you still believe you can initiate things here without consequence. I do not mind the distraction, but if you keep this up Karen, I will probably need to get a restraining order. What exactly could you have been thinking; to let a petty impulse put you again into my control voluntarily? I am beginning to think you like me.”
Karen blushed crimson as she pulled away. ‘You drive all sanity out of me. I hate how easily you can manipulate me.”
“So why subject yourself to it by initiating it?”
She turned away, “I just wondered if you could deal with a human touch meant for something other than to maim and kill.”
“And what did you discover Doctor?”
“I discovered my panties are again wet, and I smell like a cheap hooker; all to provoke a response I probably did not want to begin with.”
Connor laughed uproariously. His laugh was contagious and Karen joined him in it, thinking what a fool he had made of her. Connor calmed down and wiped the tears from his eyes with a napkin from the table. He walked up to her and kissed her with fervor for a moment and then stepped back.
“Thank you Karen. I have not laughed like that in many years. You have indeed succeeded in surprising me. Although I do not have experience with cheap hookers, you smell wonderful. We had better go now or we will be late for our appointment.”
She nodded in agreement and led the way out to the entrance of the complex. They walked side by side comfortably. The security people all along the way did double takes as they saw Connor. They eyed his security badge closely. Some said good morning to Dr. Blakely; but other than the fervent glances at his badge, Connor attracted no other comment.
As they approached the front entrance, Connor saw three people standing at the receptionist’s desk, just past the security station at the entryway into the complex. The woman in the middle had her hands cuffed behind her back. She wore a blue windbreaker over a plain blouse and jeans. Her brown hair clung limply to her face, and fell just below her shoulders. Connor guessed her age at about thirty-five and her height at about five feet, five inches tall, and her weight at around one hundred thirty pounds.
The two agents reminded Connor of the FBI agents on the X-Files, although the female agent had brunette rather than red hair. The male agent stood a few inches taller than Connor. He had an all-knowing grin on his face as he watched Connor and Blakely approach. The female agent, who stood at about the same height and weight as her prisoner, simply looked up with a bored expression on her face.
Connor walked up to the three, shaking hands with both agents saying, “I am Agent Connor, and my associate is Dr. Blakely. If you have the paperwork completed, we can take the prisoner off of your hands.”
“I’m Agent Stallworth,” the male agent said. “My partner’s name is Genowitz. I wish you luck with this one. The parents are worried sick as you might imagine. Her name is Darlene Lindsey. We believe she and her boyfriend snatched the boy as he walked home from school. A neighbor along the boy’s path home from school remembered seeing her talking to the boy on the sidewalk. I…”
“I don’t know nothing about any boy,” the prisoner interrupted, “and bringing me here ain’t going to change that.”
“We have been unable to locate her boyfriend,” Stallworth continued. “If we can find him, I believe we will find the boy. Time is running out on us, so we will leave you to it.” He handed a card to Connor, “my cell phone number is on the back. If you get anything, call me right away.”
Connor nodded, “I will let you know. Stay close to your phone. We have had good luck with this type of problem. We will get started right.”
“Fuck you mister,” the woman screamed. “We ain’t.”
Connor put his hand on her arm, and horror flooded her face. She shrank back against Stallworth, and turned to him. “He’s the devil. Get me out of here. I’ll take you to the boy right now. Just for Christ’s sake, don’t leave me here.”
“Well,” Connor smiled at the stunned agents. “I guess you will not be needing our services after all.” Connor gripped the woman’s arm gently as she cowered away from him. “Remember Darlene, if you lie to these nice agents, I will know.”
“I won’t lie,” she whispered. “I won’t…I won’t.”
“Very well,” Connor released her. “Good luck to you now, and give us a call and let us know how things turn out.” Connor shook his head sighing deeply, “I will sure be upset if anything has happened to that little boy Darlene.”
The woman clutched Stallworth’s coat as she backed into him even further. She turned suddenly, “Let’s go. We can be there in no time. Please, let’s just go.”
Stallworth held out his hand to the man in front of him, and Connor took it. “Thank you for your help. I can’t say I know what you just did, but nice work.”
Agent Genowitz shook Connor’s hand too. “I will call you personally if this works out Agent Connor. Can you be reached here?”
“Someone will get word to me. Goodbye now.” Connor and Blakely stood watching the three depart back through the security entrance and out of the building.
“What did you do Thomas?”
“I let her see an image of herself after I finished interrogating her. I will keep track of her, and make sure they keep her in prison for a long time.” Connor looked down at Karen grimly. “If any harm has come to the little boy, all bets are off. She only thinks she knows what the devil looks like.”
Karen looked into Connor’s eyes thoughtfully for a moment. For the first time she noticed they did not emit light from reflection. Dark anyway, they seemed to absorb light. “You know Connor, no one will ever describe you as the man with bright, shining eyes. Perhaps the devil does look like you.”
“You probably think of me as the devil too,” Connor replied smiling.
“The thought did cross my mind once or twice since last night,” she admitted. “Would you like to go and get coffee or some breakfast with me? You certainly finished ahead of schedule on that project.”
Connor considered the request as if it might mean more trouble. “Are you sure you want to mess around with me for a while longer? I have found I do not exactly grow on people.”
“Quenton likes you.”
“He fears me, and for good reason. Quenton resembles many in this country. Good men who have, for one reason or another, come to the conclusion they cannot make a difference. He ignores the fact it was his idea to bring me here. That decision set many other things into motion.”
“So, do you want to have breakfast with me or not?”
“I would of course like to have breakfast with you. You are a very attractive woman.” The light seemed to come back into his eyes.
“Do you still feel mundane things like that?”
“I may have crossed into a different plane of consciousness, but I am still a man. Lead on to the commissary Doctor.” Connor gestured for her to walk ahead of him. She took a few steps into the lead and stopped abruptly. She turned and pointed an accusing finger at Connor.
“You are checking out my butt. I can feel it.”
Connor walked up, and put his arm around her shoulders, walking alongside of her towards the commissary. “I just wanted to reassure you I am still alive. You actually felt my stare, huh?”
“I can feel a male, chauvinist pig from a mile away.”
“Well,” he laughed, “it ain’t bragging if you can do it.”
“Can do what?”
“Everything better than a woman.”
“Why you condescending, insufferable, miscreant,” she stammered as Connor laughed at his own joke. “You really are not much different than any other arrogant man.”
Connor leaned around and looked into her eyes as they walked. The desire for him enveloped her, and the heat pulsated into her from where his arm touched her shoulders.
“Connor!”
He laughed and stepped away from her reluctantly. “Sorry Doctor, I just wanted to bring up a counterpoint to your statement.”
“It’s not very nice to use your powers against the defenseless. Superman and Batman would be very ashamed of you.”
“You are far from defenseless my dear. You just took a very cheap shot at my love for comic books. Just for that I will never make you wet in your panties ever again.”
The feeling of loss, which swept over her, brought her to a stop in the hallway again. She looked over pleadingly at him, “I didn’t mean. Connor!” She yelled at him in frustration as he was bent over laughing at her. Karen folded her arms over her chest as people passed them in the passageway with varying degrees of curiosity.
“You have to stop doing that!”
Connor held up his hands. “I apologize Karen. I have not had much in the way of interaction with the opposite sex in a long time. I promise to play nice.”
Karen turned back, and started towards the cafeteria with Connor dutifully walking next to her at a distance. They entered the cafeteria and Karen led him through the line. She paid for their items. Connor had just gotten some coffee, while Karen settled for a bowl of cereal and a muffin with her coffee.
After they were seated, Karen took a bite of her muffin. She watched Connor put sugar and creamer into his coffee. “You don’t drink your coffee black?”
“Does that make me unmanly?”
“No, I just pictured you from the times I have observed you in action as a guy who lives this Spartan existence.”
“You forgot about my comic book and movie fetish.”
Karen nodded her head chuckling. “That drives Quenton crazy when you quote all those lines to him deadpan.”
“I may even get to see a few movies now that I do not have to pretend anymore. Quenton treated me pretty well here anyway. I could have had anything I wanted in my cell.”
“But you were too busy turning into an avenging angel.”
“Maybe.”
“You have to learn not to do things to others like you were doing to me on the way here.”
“Get over yourself Karen,” Connor sighed. “I know you have never known pleasure like that. It did you no harm to experience it.”
Karen stopped in mid bite. “How dare you assume that, you arrogant toad.” The feeling of passion stormed within her again as she gasped.
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry.” She paused and took another spoonful of cereal. “You can’t just keep doing that. My sex life should not be a subject for your perusal.”
“You let your work come between you and everything else.”
“And you don’t?”
Connor opened his mouth to respond and then laughed. “Okay, you got me. I can get a bit fixated.”
“A bit fixated,” Karen choked out. “You make my work obsession look like a five second pause for breath.”
“Don’t get cocky. Maybe I like you because you can become obsessed,” Connor said smiling.
“You like me?”
“I thought that was obvious.”
“With all the feelings you can generate in me, it would be difficult to pick out a real one for certain,” Karen pointed out.
“Frankly, it would be very difficult to generate the intensity I did in you without some mutual attraction.”
Karen blushed, “I never…well…okay I do find you attractive, but.”
“See, now was that so hard?” Connor laughed.
“Where can any of this lead?”
“We can continue to have fun at work,” Connor answered. “You might even be able to provide some balance in my thinking, as long as you keep the control impulse down.”
“I meant as far as a romantic relationship.”
“Why Doctor, I am surprised at you, you naughty girl.”
“I.I’m serious Thomas. Do you feel anything for me?” Karen persisted. “You brought this up. You know more about me than anyone has ever known.”
“May I show you something real?”
“Of course.”
“Let me hold your hands,” Connor directed.
Karen reluctantly put down her spoon, and reached across the table to allow Connor to grasp her hands in his. She felt pain, an aching, forlorn feeling of loss. Through the dark mixture she felt a lightness, and a new hope. The warmth of this new healing brightness had begun to ease the ache. Thomas released her hands. She reached again and took his right hand in both of hers.
“You really do care for me in spite of what I would have done?” Karen asked.
“Throwing away years of indoctrination and dogma can prove to be very difficult,” Connor answered. “I did not expect you to understand instantly, nor did I count on enjoying your company as much as I do. You even manage to take my rather blunt stabs at humor in stride. I remember an old song Louis Armstrong used to sing, written by Johnny Mercer. It was called
Blues In The Night.
One of the lines went, ‘A woman’s a two-face. A worrisome thing who’ll leave ya t’ sing the blues in the night.’ I guess I never expected much more from a woman.”
“Well, I guess that explains your humor,” Karen replied laughing. She released his hand. “It scares me knowing how much I want you.”
“We will have to see if you can hold that thought for a few days,” Connor said, “until you have a chance to put my little humorous suggestions behind you. They do not fade instantly.”
“You said yourself there had to be something of an attraction for them to work so quickly. Are you afraid of me Thomas?”
“Do you want me to be? Control follows fear, remember.”
Karen laughed, “Yea right, I meant are you afraid of involving yourself with me?”
“I am already involved with you. As soon as I relieve Pierre of some of his fortune, I will be going out to get a new wardrobe for my journey to Paris. Would you like to come with me?” Connor asked.
“You mean shopping?”
“Shopping and Paris,” Connor answered. “You can come along with me as long as you realize it will be dangerous for you.”
“You can’t protect me?”
“No one can protect another person completely,” Connor answered, “not even me. I would do everything in my power to keep you safe, but it might not be enough.”
“I would love to go with you. Quenton will be surprised.”
“Speaking of Quenton, we better see how well he did with gathering my equipment,” Connor said. “He will be happy at how the non-interrogation went. I am sure he thought I might be the end of days for old Darlene.”
“You would have been,” Karen said. “I could tell.”
“He doesn’t need to know that,” Connor countered reasonably. “Let the results speak for themselves.”
“I’m finished,” Karen said. “We can go back to your room, and you can see if you have your equipment, while I call Quenton.”
“Will I be safe with you without a chaperone?”
“Very funny, now let’s go,” Karen said, taking his arm.