Jo-el

Chapter 40 CAUGHT

Adrianna went back to the studio. Before we parted I gave her instructions on how to contact me. She would set up the interview and I’d turn up at the appropriate time. I bounced back to San Francisco and fixed a drink, then called up Sally. It was a good minute before she appeared. I didn’t comment.

“You want to wake up Yerchenkov?” I asked.

“Whatever, Jo-el.”

“I thought you liked whacking people?”

“It’s your game.”

“You don’t like her, do you?”

“Who?”

“Adrianna.”

“You only met her for five minutes and you’re in the sack.”

“Why do you care, Sally?”

“They use you, Jo-el. Don’t you see that?”

“Some might say, I’m a lucky guy, she’s a doll.”

“And I’m chopped liver?”

Oh crap! I wasn’t going to win this one. I stood up from the sofa, then knelt at her chair taking her hands in mine, well sort of. “No, Sally, you’re not chopped liver. You’re very beautiful. In fact, you’re my image of the most beautiful woman in the world.” I smiled and looked into her eyes.

“When you were twelve!”

“I love you Sally; you look after me.”

“But.”

“But what?”

“But I can’t do it.”

What was I supposed to say?

Sally continued, “I couldn’t even get you horny in the shower, you love playing with yourself in the shower.”

Oh Jesus! I was going down in flames.

“You kissed me!” I said.

Sally was quiet, I could see the joy that brought to her face. It had meant that much to her. She hated to see me with another woman, she was just a holographic image produced by a computer, but she was developing feelings and she had figured out a way to kiss me and it was incredibly important to her and what had I done, I’d run off to a beach with the next girl I’d met and made love to her in the sand.

“How did you do that?” I asked, but she didn’t answer, I left it alone.

I woke up the Russian Yerchenkov, whose business involved kidnapping young girls and women in poor ex-Russian republics and selling them to pimps and brothels all over Europe. He was none too pleased; it was very early in the morning. We had a similar conversation as I’d had with Espinosa, except he didn’t have a bodyguard with him and he was naked, which didn’t improve his negotiating position. He did tell me to ‘fuck-off’ in a broad Russian accent, but that goes with the territory, so I didn’t. Sally got to whack him in the leg, just like Espinosa, which I’m sure she appreciated. That seemed to knock the sleep out of Yerchenkov, but to be honest, I didn’t think he was likely to take a blind bit of notice of my sincere request that he shut down his business. I was wrapping up my conversation when Sally literally shouted in my ear.

“Oh Fuck! They know who you are!”

“What are you saying, Sally?”

“There’s a Delta team and about thirty military guys heading for your house in San Francisco.”

“How long?” My heart began to race, Yerchenkov recognized the change in me and moved from his position on the bed. I took no notice.

“Two minutes.”

“Bounce me home.”

I was in the family room trying to think. The disc monitors. I grabbed the little container and the one I’d been using. The life pills, I leapt up the stairs two at a time, by the time I was half-way I remembered I could have bounced up to the bathroom. I picked up the box of pills. I was sweating profusely, my breathing was heavy, I needed to get out of there. What else did I need?

“They’re in the street.”

“Bounce me to the park, somewhere.”

Sally picked the public bathrooms, it was dark, no one around. I changed my look to an Asian man, baggy jacket, black, greying hair, fortyish. I wondered outside, breathing deeply, there were a few joggers in the distance, but no walkers. Slowly I calmed down and headed to a café I knew was open on a Sunday night on the outskirt of the park. When I arrived it was almost empty, I sat at the back facing the window to the street, for what reason I don’t know, it just felt right. I ordered coffee and begun to relax.

“Sally, what’s happening?”

“They’ve cordoned off your street and are in your house. The neighbors are all outside asking questions, nobody is telling them anything.”

“How did they find me?”

There was a pause for a minute, I felt alone, “Sally,” I called out in my head.

“It was the coloring book. Fingerprints.”

“The one I bought for Billy?”

“Yes, she took it with her when you bounced them back to her condo.”

“Shit! That bloody woman.”

“I told you she was a bitch.”

“Where did they match the fingerprints? I don’t have a record.”

“TSA, when you come into the country.”

Of course, every non-citizen is finger-printed, I was still on a Green Card. Mary didn’t want to take citizenship, she thought we might go home one day.

“I’ve got some bad news, Jo-el.” I could hear the fear in Sally’s voice, I’d never heard it quite like that.

“What?” I asked, not sure if I wanted to know.

Again, a pause. “They’ve arrested Maggie and Sean.”

I placed my hands over my face and felt tears well up in my eyes. I shook with horror and breathed in and out so hard, I must have looked like I was hyperventilating. A man from behind the counter came over to me and inquired if I was okay. I shooed him away.

“Where are they, Sally?”

“Maggie is at a police station here in San Francisco, it only just happened. They’ve taken her to a two-story basement, deepest place close by. Sean is in a similar situation in Costa Mesa, no basement, they don’t have one.”

My initial instinct was to get them out. But what would I say to them and where would I take them. They didn’t know who their father had become. They couldn’t tell anyone anything about me, they were useless to these assholes. Except for one thing and that was as plain as the eye can see. They were a bargaining chip to get at me.

Sally interrupted my misery, “they’re moving them to the east coast. I’m sorry.” She knew I was hurting. “They are both in FBI cars, Maggie is being taken to Travis Air Force Base, Sean is leaving out of John Wayne. There’s two guys with each of them holding weapons to their heads.”

Oh, my God! They must be frightened to death. “How long before they are airborne?”

“Twenty minutes for Maggie, maybe ten for Sean.”

Perhaps I should get them out, but I struggled with what that would achieve? Right now, they knew nothing about me, which was fine. There was nowhere to take them? Their current lives were over, not a chance of a reconciliation with the authorities in the US, so no way they could continue as they were. And it was my fault. Damn the bloody Americans. I fiddled nervously with my coffee spoon. I should let it play out? Those idiots would soon realize that Maggie and Sean knew nothing. Lie detectors and sodium pentothal wouldn’t help. I cringed at the thought. The clock on the right wall was moving fast, I had five minutes to rescue Sean. I was in two minds. Tears blurred my vision, my stomach wretched, I fought the urge to rush in, I needed time, then suddenly the correct path became clear. My head raised up, a rush of adrenaline invigorated my body and a smirk crossed my lips.

“What do you think I should I do, Sally?”

“Get them out and terminate the bastards,” she replied, instantly.

Sally’s solution, subtle as a brick.

“I didn’t pick up the container, is there time?”

“Sure, if you don’t mind kicking some teeth.”

“Show me!”

My heads-up screen came to life with a view of the outside of my home. A circle of heavily armed men stood in the street. I moved the view inside the house. They were turning it upside down but hadn’t reached the garage. I left a couple of bucks on the table at the café and walked around the corner. I changed back to Jo-el.

“Activate the shield, Sally and bounce me into the garage.”

Immediately I heard the commotion from the kitchen. The container was where I’d left it on the shelf. I grabbed it and was about to leave. A soldier came through the door from the kitchen and saw me, I grinned at him as he raised his weapon.

“Fuck you bastards,” I yelled at him and bounced back to the park.

“That felt good, Sally.”

“Where do you want to go?”

“I need to stash this thing, find me a lock-up that hasn’t had a lot of use lately.”

“Okay, ready?”

“Let’s go!”

A light came on as I came to rest. Boxes were strewn randomly and a layer of dust covered everything. I placed the container along a wall after depositing the pills and small box with the remaining disc monitors inside. “Where am I?”

“Stockton, hasn’t been opened for almost two years.”

“Fine, let’s go find a hotel?”

I changed my likeness back to the Asian man.

“You want to stay in Stockton?”

“No, let’s go downtown San Francisco. A Hyatt.”

Twenty minutes later I was enjoying the view from a suite on the twenty-sixth floor of the Grand Hyatt.

I called Sally to join me. She walked around the room, admiring the décor, pretending to run her hand along the drape curtains. She was elegantly dressed in a white cocktail mini-dress with an outer shear cover. A gold pendant graced her neck. Rings sparkled on both hands.

“You look adorable,” I said, but my voice couldn’t hide my fear.

She smiled and sauntered over to where I was standing, allowing her cheek to touch mine very gently. I was taken aback as I felt the softness of her face on mine.

“I like the new look, tré chic.” I’d upgraded my look, still Asian but younger, expensive dark grey suit, white business shirt with cufflinks, modern tie and highly polished black shoes. “Seems like you have a plan, Jo-el?”

“Jason Lee,” I said, “that’s how I signed in. So first thing, I need some more cash, I only had enough for one night, what with the security deposit.”

“You want to steal it?”

“Yes, preferably from a bad guy, but if the FBI have any cash lying around that would be perfect.”

“I like the new you, Jason.” She smiled and allowed her nails to run down the side of my face. “They have lots of cash all over the place, confiscated mostly. There’s a couple of million in the Los Angeles office safe.”

“Ten thousand will be fine for now, too much to carry.”

“So smart. You want to get it now?”

“Is it guarded?”

“Just a couple of guys outside, but it’s a walk-in safe, lots of other stuff there, guns and drugs.”

“Okay, let’s do it.”

Ten minutes later I was placing twenty thousand in the room safe and three thousand in hundreds in my jacket pocket. Slight change of plan.

“What about the kids?” Sally asked back in the hotel suite.

“They must be on their way to the east coast?”

“Actually, they’re keeping Maggie at Travis and flying Sean there to pick her up.”

“Cheap bastards.” Sally laughed.

“Have they tried to contact me?”

“No, not yet.”

“It’s late on Easter Sunday, I’m sure we’ll hear in the morning. Probably need to ensure their ducks are in a row.”

“Adrianna sent a message about ten minutes ago, you won’t like it.”

“Now what?”

“The US State Department have asked the Australian Government to delay the interview for a couple of days and they agreed.”

“How did they know?”

“Adrianna tweeted that she was interviewing you. That did it.”

“Damn!” I should have told her to keep quiet about it. Next time. “At least I’ll get some sleep tonight.”

Sally looked disappointed. I was fascinated, I went over to her and touched her face, her skin was smooth. I grinned at her. “What have you done?” She drifted away and flopped down onto the sofa, crossing her legs and beaming at me. “Sally, how can you do that?”

“I want to be real for you, Jo-el.” A devilish look pieced the air.

“Are you all real?”

“Not yet, no, but I can touch,” she grinned.

I was at a loss. “Let’s have a drink, downstairs. It’s late but I could use something.”

That night Sally slept in the bed next to me. Well maybe she didn’t sleep but she was there. I heard her purr every so often. She lay on her side gazing at me, her eyes wide open, a smile etched on her face the whole night.