AMNESIAC
Chapter Thirteen — Gambit
She slowed from a jog to a brisk walk, giving her tired legs and sore feet a chance to rest for a bit. She had no idea her far she’d gone or where she was, but it didn’t worry her much. Eventually she would find a major intersection and point herself back in the direction of home. In the meantime, she let herself drift from street to street, admiring the little suburban homes and their neatly manicured lawns.
The neighborhood was largely deserted at this time of day, save for the old man in the cargo shorts, who was blocking the sidewalk in front of her with his car. Buckets and towels lay scattered around him as he gently hosed off the huge old sedan. She moved into the street to pass him. He turned to say hello, but his eyes grew wide and wild as she approached.
“Oh my God, are you okay?” He dropped the hose and walked over to her. “Hey,” he asked, “are you okay?”
What an odd thing to say, she thought to herself. Of course she was okay. The sun was out, the birds were singing. She nodded politely and began to step past him.
He stepped in front of her. “Miss. Miss. Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
It was a ridiculous question. She felt fine. Her legs and feet hurt, but only because she’d been walking for quite some time. She shook her head and pushed against him, hoping that he we would relent and let her get to where she needed to go, but he stood fast and placed his hands on her shoulders.
An elderly woman—his wife, most likely—stood in the front yard, cradling an enormous green ball of tangled Christmas lights. “Sam,” she called out, “the red lights are… oh my God.”
“Go in the house and call 911,” he shouted. “Go!”
The woman turned and sprinted for the front door.
“Miss,” he said, placing his face uncomfortably close to hers. “What’s your name?”
She looked at him. “Kate.”
“Kate, hang on. Here, have a seat. Sit down.” He pushed her over to the car and eased her down into the passenger seat, letting her legs dangle over the edge of the door frame.
He knows how tired I am. How nice of him., but “really, I’m good. I just need to get home.” She struggled to get to her feet, but he held out his arm and pressed her back into the seat.
“It’ll be okay. Help is on the way. Help is… here, let me get your face.” He pulled a white rag from a plastic bucket and wiped her face with it, swirling and poking and dabbing as if she were just another part of the car. Soap ran into her eye, and she flinched.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “You’re sure you’re not hurt?”
“No.” She reconsidered. “My feet hurt a little.” In the distance, she could hear sirens.
He heard them too, and smiled weakly. “See?” They’re coming right to us.” He held her hand.
Her bloody hand.
She looked down at the red-streaked rag on the ground, then the red footprints around her bare, raw feet, leading all the way back to the sidewalk and beyond. Her clothes were splattered with brownish-red drops, as were her arms. For the first time, she noticed the clumps of dried blood in her hair. She stared at her feet, and screamed.
And screamed.
And screamed.
“Kate!”
Her eyes flew open as her body spasmed and shook. She gasped for air as her throat quivered with fear. A pair of heavy arms wrapped around her, and she began thrashing against them, hoping to break free.
“Kate, it’s okay. I’m here! I’m here! It was just a dream, hun. Just a dream. I’m here. Shhh. Shhh. It’s okay.”
She let her body go limp, feeling her ragged breaths begin to smooth out. She looked at the rumpled lavender sheets, and beyond that, the walls of her own bedroom. Her husband curled around her like a protective shield.
“Just a dream,” she muttered. “Just… oh God. Just a dream.”
“It can’t hurt you now, whatever it was.”
“Blood. So much blood. I was covered… it was everywhere.”
“Just relax,” said James, kissing her sweaty, matted hair. “I’ll keep you safe.”
She believed him.
“Come in” said Doctor Mulroney. He leaned back in his chair and willed himself to act as casual as possible. Inside, his nerves continued to gnaw at him.
“Hello?” Doctor Kapoor nervously eased her way into the room, letting the door close softly behind her. “I am sorry to bother you, Doctor. It’s just that… there was something that I needed to ask you, and I can’t remember what it is? It was something we spoke about the other day? I’m sorry. I can come back if you are busy.”
“No, that’s fine, Disha. We were talking about your pretty new watch. Please, have a seat.”
“Yes… watch… please, Doctor, call me Doctor Kapoor.” Her legs felt wobbly and weak, and she staggered over to the nearest chair.
“Of course. You watch is so pretty, isn’t it? It’s silver and shiny. See how it reflects the light? So bright and beautiful. You can stare at it for hours. Look at the watch face. Tick, tock. So fascinating. Staring at it for hours and hours, letting everything else go. Just watching the watch. Watch the watch. Do you remember watching the watch for me?”
“Yes… watch… the watch…”
“Then you remember how sleepy it made you, to watch the pretty watch, sparkle and shine and blink, blink and sparkle, just focusing your sleepy, tired eyes on the watch face, focusing on my words, on the sound of my voice. Just like now. Focus on my voice, and watch the pretty watch.”
“Watch…” She held her arm straight across her body, frozen in place, with her hand hanging limply at the end. Her brown eyes were locked onto the watch, as her head slowly sank forward. “Watch… pretty…”
“Such a pretty watch, Disha. Pretty, relaxed, and sleepy. Hearing only my voice. Going deep into trance for me. So deep. When I snap my fingers, you will drop into a deep hypnotic trance.”
“Snap… ffffing… gersssss…”
“Go into a trance now.” He grinned, and snapped his fingers.
“I still think that we should go to the police,” said James. “Even if it’s just a start. If they pick up Doctor Mulroney, maybe he will rat out this other guy to save his own hide. He seems slimy enough. And the police can keep you safe if anyone tries anything. Mulroney, Trench Coat, anyone.”
“I don’t trust the police, James. I don’t know… we don’t know how many pies Trench Coat has stuck his fingers into. Who he’s paid off, or who… I mean, maybe there’s someone on the force just like me, who gets a special phone call and hears some weird German word, and suddenly you and I are both found shot to death. I don’t trust anyone, except for you.”
“So what do we do? We can’t do this all by ourselves. Maybe we should just pack a suitcase and get out of town. Start a new life down in Mexico, since you know Spanish now.” He kissed her. “I want to keep you safe. I’d rather have you than have justice, if it comes to that.”
She crossed her arms, and stared at the ceiling, lost in thought. “He’s in the shadows. But he’s not, not really. I saw him at Franklin’s, and at the hospital. So he’s close. That means we can draw him out. He seems angry and impatient, so if we can poke him…”
“…the bear comes out of his cave,” James said. “But do we want to face the angry bear? What if he decides to shoot us instead? We don’t even own a gun.”
“He won’t. He would have killed me by now, or made Doctor Mulroney kill me, if he wanted me dead. I think he wants me back to how I was before the accident. Brainwashed, or whatever.”
“That’s why he keeps calling you.”
“Mmm hmm. Doctor Mulroney told me that whenever I hear the words ‘are you tired of the Weltschmerz’ I’m supposed to go into a hypnotic trance and obey the person who says the words. I tried to play along, but I screwed it up somehow. I must have said the wrong things in the wrong order. So now he knows that I’m faking it.”
James thought about it. “Are you tired of the Weltschmerz?”
She reached over and pinched his nose. “You’re not going to hypnotize me, dummy. Nice try, though.”
“Ow, and no, that’s not my point. Are you tired of being sad and weary? Here’s something that will give you a purpose, if you do what we say. Those guys are good. That word reinforces their control even as it hypnotizes you.”
“Look at you! My husband, the closet mind controller. Got any secret words you’d like to whisper into my ear?”
He reached for her and pulled her head to face his, until she was staring into his eyes. “Just look into my eyes, Kate. You’re getting sleepy.”
“Not. Funny.” She gave him her best death stare, and kicked him under the covers. “I’m serious! This is serious! Your wife is fighting off crazy brainwashing hypnotist… oh shit, the phone! My phone is ringing. Is it on your side?”
He felt around with his hand, letting it linger on her ass and down the side of her leg before coming across the phone at the bottom of the bed. “Found it,” he said, holding it up to his face. “It’s Doctor Kapoor. I should get it, tell her you’ll call her back.” He tapped the screen. “James Pendleton speaking, how may I—“
“No, James… ugh. Here, I… gimme!” She stole the phone from his hand, ignoring his protests. “This… stop! This is Kate.”
“Kate, hello. This is Doctor Kapoor. Are you alone today? I really must see you.”
“I’m here with my husband,” she said, nodding to James. “My Monday is free, though, if you’d like I can call your office and set up something for first thing that morning.”
“No, Kate, I am afraid this is much more serious.” The Doctor lowered her voice. “I believe that Doctor Mulroney has been taking advantage of some of his patients, including you. There are some things that one of his patients revealed to me yesterday afternoon… if it is okay with you, I would like you to come in today and speak with me about some things. I am afraid that if we wait, he will find out before we can contact the police.”
“I… oh my God. Doctor Mulroney?” She pointed at James, and then to the phone. “He’s hypnotizing me or something?”
“I don’t know for sure, Kate. Please, can you come see me today?”
“Sure, Doctor Kapoor. How does one o’clock sound?”
“Yes, Kate. I will see you then. Please… this is a secret for now. I don’t have any proof of anything, so for now, please do not tell your husband anything more, or tell anyone else. Just come see me, please.”
“I will, Doctor. I’ll see you at one.” She let the phone drop into the folds of the blankets. “Well, that came quick. Doctor Kapoor wants to see me in her office. I’m sure it’s so they can take another crack at brainwashing me.”
“So either this is the point where we run for the hills, or the point where we poke…”
“…the bear. Yep. Pokey pokey. Listen, I have an idea. A couple of them. I’m going to need you to do some things for me, James. And I need to call Claire. We’re going to… I need to get some things ready. If we can pull this off… we’re going to ruin their parade really quickly.”
He ran his fingers through her hair. “And here I was, all this time, thinking that I was married to a boring accounts manager.”
Kate closed her eyes. “I love you, too.”
She walked through the office with a smile on her face and a song in her head. She swung her hips just enough to give her walk a hot little sashay, drawing plenty of admiring looks from the copy boys and the software engineers. Her skirt was perhaps a bit too short for office attire, her heels just a bit too high, her blouse cut just a bit too low, but no one ever complained. “Hey, Peter,” she called out, giving the handsome project manager a playful wink and an extra wiggle of her ass. He waved and quickly turned away, but not before she could spy the growing bulge in his trousers. Her smile grew into a full-on grin. Scott who, right? I don’t need you, anyway. I’m a California girl in a California world.
The phone was already ringing as she arrived at her desk, and her cheerful mood evaporated. Five minutes into the work week and the East Coast office was already hounding her, probably about the Furman reports again. She deliberately took her time settling into her chair before answering, rolling her eyes as she picked up the receiver. “This is Kate, how may I help you?”
“The trees are tallest in the spring.”
“And shortest in the fall,” she replied.
“Report to the lower office. Obey.”
She rose out of her chair and switched off her monitor, turning the cute little “in/out” sign on her cube wall to “out” as she made her way down the hallway to the elevator. Lexi, the dark-haired beauty from Accounting, was already standing there, but the two women ignored each other. Their coworkers only saw two women waiting impatiently for the notoriously slow elevator to arrive. Had anyone taken the time to look more closely, they would have noticed their blank eyes and their slack, entranced faces, but no one ever did.
The doors opened, and they both stepped inside. Lexi wordlessly tapped her badge on the control panel and selected “LL,” the button that never seemed to work for anyone. It lit up, and the elevator began its descent into the basement. They both stared at the elevator door, letting the soft sounds of the muzak fill their heads.
Doctor Mulroney took the phone from her hand and placed it on the desk. “Were you successful?” He cringed. Goddamn it, Decker, now you’ve got me saying it.
“Yes, Doctor.” The brown-eyed beauty across from him sat motionless in her chair, her hand still curled as if cradling the cell phone he’d taken from her.
“You will go to your office and wait for her. Take her deep and reinforce all of her triggers again. Send her to Meeting Point Alpha and then return here for further instructions. You will obey me without question.”
“Yes, Doctor.”
He kissed her hand and placed it into her lap. “I’m looking forward to this, Disha. We’re going to have a lot of fun together this afternoon. Now, on the count of three…”
Franklin’s was a different place on a weekend morning. The cafe was barely half-full, with families and young couples taking the place of the students and businessmen who made up the lunch scene. Sunlight streamed in through the big, open windows along the street, nearly reaching back to their usual booth in the rear. The smell of eggs and bacon was everywhere.
“How the hell did we not think of this months ago, Kate? This is fantastic!” Claire spread her arms across the booth and patted both ends with her hands. “No rushing to get back to work, no shitty watered-down coffee… let’s do brunch every time from now on, okay?”
“I agree one hundred percent,” said Kate, setting her menu on the table. “This is much better.”
Claire let out a huge yawn. “Sorry, had a late night last night with Steve.”
Kate raised her eyebrow.
“Planning the wedding, you perv! And then… we fucked all night. Cheers!” Claire held up her coffee mug. “Here’s to good coffee and no turkey sandwiches. This is truly a new moment in history.”
“Cheers,” said Kate, raising her mug in return. She scanned the cafe for Jane, but the short brunette was nowhere in sight. Good.
“Speaking of fucking all night, Mrs. Pendleton, you sure look like somebody changed your oil recently. Did James come home? God, you didn’t track down Tim again, did you? A girl’s gotta have some dignity.”
“He came home,” she said. She smiled, letting herself relive the moment. “We had a really long talk.”
“I bet you did.”
“Now who’s the perv?” She paused for good effect. “And then we fucked all night. Cheers!”
Claire’s laugh echoed across the entire cafe, and beyond.
“Jim freakin’ Pendleton! Now that’s a sorry face I haven’t seen or heard from in a while! Come on back, I carved a little half-office out of some cardboard boxes.”
James peeled off his coat as he followed the tall, lanky man through a door and into the bowels of the newspaper office. To his surprise, Roger had a full office of his own, made from real drywall and wood. “Not bad,” he remarked, tapping on the office door. “Climbing the corporate ladder pretty quickly here, I see.”
“”Don’t get your hopes and dreams up, buddy,” said Roger, taking a seat behind a messy desk. “Sports editor quit. I stole her office until… or if… we hire a replacement.” He propped his feet up on the desk, pushing a small pile of papers to the floor. “Never mind those, that’s all her junk. What brings you to my little corner of the First Amendment?”
“This,” said James, placing an envelope and a cassette tape on top of a stack of papers.
Roger stared at the tape. He snorted, and began laughing, sending drops of spittle towards James. “What is this, the 1970s?” He laughed harder. “Let me guess, this is going to blow the whole lid off of everything? Bring down the President and half of Congress? Oh, shit. I gotta say, buddy, I dreamed of this moment when I was a kid, and I first told my mom that I wanted to be a reporter when I grew up. Oh, man. Okay. Okay. I’m good. I’m… I’m sorry, Jim. It’s just… ha ha ha! Okay, what is this?”
James rolled his eyes. “Yeah, it’s cheesy. But the wife made a copy for me and told me to deliver it to the newspaper. You’re the first person I thought of. There’s some text copy in there that my wife write down, and I can definitely back up at least some of it myself. So can our friends, and other people we know. And the tape is what she captured straight from the source. It’s a start for a good reporter like you.”
“Okay, Jim. You’ve got my attention. Shoot.”
“Well, first off, did you ever hear of the Golden Dawn cult?”
“You trust me completely, don’t you?”
“I trust you completely.”
“You’ll obey any command that I give you, won’t you?”
“Of course.”
“You’ll go deep into trance when I tell you to.”
“Yes.”
“Hey! Zombie!”
Kate looked up just in time to see Claire’s hand making its way across the table, ready to begin waving in front of her face or snapping fingers and making a scene. She deftly parried it with her own, and shook her head. “I’m good, I’m good. No zoning out for me today. I’m just thinking about stuff I have to do this weekend.”
“Well, good. I mean, that’s great, right? No zoning out is always a good thing, in my book. How is the brain thing? Have you talked to the doctors about it yet?”
“You know, now they think it’s nothing. I’ve heard two different things. Honestly, I think the one guy is full of shit.” I think the one guy just likes hypnotizing me into being his love slave, Claire. And having me make you into one, too. “The neurologists said that there was nothing to worry about, so I’m going with their opinion for now. I should… shit, I should probably call them about that.”
“Um, YEAH.” Claire made a stink-face. “You think? We’re talking about your brain here. James loves you for more than just your tits and ass, you know. Get that noggin checked out.”
“I promise.”
“Good. And hey, look! No broken bones, no bandages, no bruises, you look a hundred percent better. I’m saying that as your best friend. I feel like you’re turning a corner! You’re starting to get your memories back, you’ve got James back, you’re putting this all behind you. I’m really happy for you, Kate.”
The comforting words hit Kate square in the gut, and she struggled to hold back the truth about what she was doing—and what she was about to do—to her best friend. “I’m happy for you, too,” she began. “You look a lot less tired today.”
“That’s because the coffee is decent this time around, I’m telling you. Now if I could just get that cute boy over here to GET ME SOME CREAMER, I’d be a fairytale princess.” She held her arm up and waved to the server. “He is cute, isn’t he? Usually we get stuck with what’s-her-bucket. The skinny brunette. Julie?”
“Jane,” said Kate. Jane. I’m going to have to hypnotize her again, too. Or un-hypnotize her, whatever. I wonder how many other people I’ve done this to?
“Whatever, she was quicker than this guy, any—oh hey, can I get some creamer and a refill? Thanks. Okay, I take it back, he’s not that bad. And he has a nice bod.”
“He’s like twenty years old.”
“I’m not gonna marry him, Kate! I’m just gonna eyeball him for a while until he… okay, he’s behind the counter. Anyway, long story short, I feel a lot better. Thank you for asking.”
“You used to worry me when you got very sleepy, Claire,” said Kate, letting her voice fall into a careful, calculating cadence. “You used to sit here and get very, very tired. Like you were drifting off to sleep. Like I could just tell you to sleep, and you’d drift off into a deep sleep. Your eyes would close, and you’d sink into a deep, deep sleep. Just let go of your thoughts and drop into a nice, peaceful sleep. Almost as if you were hypnotized, like I was hypnotizing you into a wonderful, relaxing sleep. Relaxed, and hypnotized. Deeply asleep, and hypnotized.”
“Yeah,” said Claire. Her eyes were half-closed, and blinking heavily.
“It’s like in the movies, where someone hypnotizes you, and you go into a deep hypnotic trance, so easily and quickly into a deep hypnotic trance, whenever someone hypnotizes you, they put you into a deep, relaxing trance. A deep, deep hypnotic trance, just like now. You’ll always go deep into a trance for me, because you’re deeply hypnotized. A perfect, hypnotized slavegirl, hearing only my voice, and ready to go deep into trance for me.”
Claire’s eyes were barely open. She sagged in her booth, struggling to follow Kate’s careful words. “Ssssssslave…”
“Claire,” said Kate, taking her friend by the hand. “Deep into trance.”
“Nnnnuhhnnn,” Claire sighed, as her chin fell to her chest.
Wow. For the first time, Kate understood the importance of Franklin’s Cafe, with its isolated back booths and lack of crowds, to the plan of turning Claire into a brainwashed puppet. She suspected that at some point she’d instructed Jane to steer clear of them after the creamer had been delivered, to give her plenty of time to lull Claire into a trance. There was no need for lulling now—Claire had gone so deep so quickly. She wondered how many lunches it had taken to get her friend to this point.
“Claire,” she said. “Can you hear me?”
“Yes.”
“Are you deeply hypnotized?”
“Deeply,” she murmured. “Hypnotized.”
It occurred to Kate that Jane’s replacement wasn’t nearly as likely to steer clear of their booth during Hypno-Time. Late night or not, Claire was hardly in a position to be causally overlooked by anyone passing by. “Claire, open your eyes, and raise your head, but remain deeply hypnotized. Deep in trance. Open your eyes now.”
Like a robot, Claire raised her head and stared at Kate with dull, empty blue eyes.
“Did I hypnotize you, Claire?”
“Yes, Kate. I will let you hypnotize me whenever you want. I will go deep into trance for you.”
The waiter returned with Claire’s cream and a fresh carafe of coffee, ignoring both women as he set the items on the table. A second later he was gone, making his way to a table full of college girls who had just walked in the door. He began flirting with all four of them, and Kate turned her attention back to her hypnotized friend.
“How long have I… never mind, that’s pointless… why did I hypnotize you?”
“Because I’m an excellent slavegirl,” she said. “A brainwashed slavegirl.”
I like hypnotizing pretty girls.
I know you do, now shut up. “Claire, do you… obey Doctor Mulroney? Or anyone else? Do you get any strange phone calls from anyone?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head slightly. “No calls… obey Kate. Always obey you, Kate. Go deep into trance for you.”
Kate shook her head. “I’m so sorry, Claire.”
“Yes, Kate.”
She sighed. “Okay. Listen. Whenever I count backwards from three to one, you will fall into a deep hypnotic trance. You will only go into a deep hypnotic trance for me, when I count backwards from three to one. You will not let anyone else hypnotize you. No one, do you understand?”
“I understand.”
“When I snap my fingers, you’ll wake up, and you won’t remember that you were hypnotized. As far as you know, you’ve never been hypnotized in your life.”
“Yes, Kate.”
Her pretty blue eyes were still locked onto Kate’s, and Kate wondered what, if anything, she actually saw through them. That’s how I looked. How I’ve always looked for them. Dumb and mindless and an empty… an empty shell. No. No no no. No Claire, I won’t let them do this to you.
She held her hand under the table and loudly snapped her fingers.
It wasn’t until Kate pulled into the hospital parking lot that she realized just how risky her plan really was. Anyone could be waiting behind the door of Doctor Kapoor’s office, from the good doctor herself to Mulroney, Trench Coat, or worse. Maybe it was a trap. Maybe they were going to kidnap her, send her overseas to be thoroughly and painfully reprogrammed by some covert government operation. She’d never seen—and couldn’t remember—anyone else but Trench Coat following her around, but her memories were still fairly worthless at this point. If she was wrong, she’d never see James again. Would probably never remember that he even existed.
She pulled out her phone and texted him.
At the hospital. Having second thoughts.
I’m not that far away. Should I come? Delivered the Christmas presents.
She rolled her eyes and snickered. In spite of all of the madness, James was somehow managing to thoroughly enjoy himself with his new role. No, I’m good. Meet me on Johnson Street at 2. Make sure I’m not a zombie.
Love you Kate. Be safe.
She placed the phone in her purse, and stared at herself in the rear-view mirror for a good five minutes before working up the courage to reach for the door handle.
She crept through the hallways, fighting the urge to run back to the Honda and safety. To James, to Mexico, to wherever there were places without hypnotists and brainwashers and whatever the hell else these people were up to. Every step forward was a risk; every step backwards was towards safety, but only a temporary one. She kept going, turning her head over and over in search of anyone who looked even remotely threatening, but there were only doctors and nurses and patients going about their own business.
To her relief, the door to Doctor Kapoor’s office was wide open. Only the doctor was there, seated at her desk, just like always. Kate bit the tip of her tongue and willed herself through the doorway. “Hi, Doctor Kapoor. I’m here for my one o’clock.” She took a seat in the comfy brown chair and folded her hands in her lap, trying to look as passive and helpless as possible.
“Thank you, Kate. Thank you for coming so quickly. Please I… let me close the door.” She stood and walked past Kate with an almost grim determination to close the door, as if she’d been waiting hours to do so.
As if she’d been programmed to do so.
The door closed with a soft click, and Doctor Kapoor returned to her place behind the desk. “I had a season with another patient yesterday afternoon, after you left,” she said quietly as she leaned forward across the desk. The top buttons of her blouse were undone, giving Kate a good view of her cleavage. “She was very distraught, but did not know exactly why. I hypnotized her using the metronome and put her into a very deep trance. Just like you. She told me that Doctor Mulroney has hypnotized her, and taken advantage of her. She went very deep.”
Kate tried to find the right balance between shocked and angry and surprised. “Took advantage, like… oh my God. Oh my God!”
“Yes, it was very disturbing.” She leaned forward again, as if daring Kate to stare at her boobs. “I fear that he has done the same to his other patients. This morning, I hypnotized another young woman, and she told me much of the same story. She was helpless to resist him.”
“And… you’d like to hypnotize me next, to see if I’m the same way?”
“Yes, Kate. With your permission, I would like to hypnotize you, and place you into a trance. We both need to know if he has been doing anything to you. If he has made you obey him without question.”
The little, subtle hints at the end of Doctor Kapoor’s sentences were not lost on Kate, who made a show of throwing up her hands and nodding her head furiously in agreement. “Oh, of course. Yes, Doctor Kapoor! Anything. For me and for everyone. I…it’s just that I don’t know if I can relax right now. Can you use the metronome on me? That helped last time when I was upset.”
“Yes, Kate. That is a very good idea.” The Doctor reached into the depths of her desk and retrieved the machine, setting it on the table and putting the arm into motion. “Now just watch the metronome, and listen to my voice. Relax. Let all of your energy flow away from your body, and relax. Take a deep breath for me. In, in… hold it… and let it out, slowly. Out. Relaxed. Yes. Another breath, in, in… and out, relaxing even more.”
The metronome ticked back and forth. Kate settled into the chair, and let out a long, slow breath.
“You are very good at being hypnotized, Kate. You want to be hypnotized. Let yourself be hypnotized now, as you relax, and watch the metronome.”
“Okay,” she mumbled, trying to sound as sleepy as possible.
“Relax… relax… sleep. Sssllleeep… slll… sss…”
Silence. Kate cracked one eyelid open. Doctor Kapoor was leaning half out of her chair, arms draped lazily at her sides, her head rolled over onto her shoulder. Her eyes were closed, and her chest rose up and down in a slow, gentle rhythm. Whenever you try to hypnotize me, you will guide yourself back into this wonderful, relaxing trance.
“Can you hear me, Disha?” she asked.
“Yes, Kate.”
“Good. Now… first, um, sit up straight in your chair. You don’t want to fall out of it.”
Doctor Kapoor shifted her body, as if she were tossing and turning in her bed, until she was sitting upright and centered in the chair.
“Thank you, Disha. I don’t want you to get hurt. I’m going to need you to do something very, very important for me.” She reached into her purse and closed her hand around the package that she’d brought with her. “I need you to do this one thing for me, and you will do it, because we are friends. Because you trust me. Because we must always obey. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Kate.”
“Good. Now here’s what you need to do.”
“Doctor Mulroney?”
“Yes, Disha? Please, come in.”
“Thank you. Please, call me Doctor Kapoor.” She took a seat and reached for her blouse, slowly unbuttoning it as she spoke. “I wanted to continue our conversation from this morning, about… about… what was it?”
“Perhaps it was about your watch?”
“Oh, yes, that was it.” She shrugged off the blouse and went to work on her green satin bra. “It’s very lovely. I am very happy with it.” She unhooked the bra and let it drop into her lap.
He smiled, admiring her body. “Where did you get it, Doctor?”
“I… I believe it was a gift?” She stood up and unzipped her skirt, letting it and the bra fall to her feet as she kicked off her shoes. She left her panties on, and sat back down. “I don’t… remember? That does seem odd.”
“But you can look at the watch face, and just fall into it, Disha. That’s the best part. It’s so fascinating, you can just lose yourself for hours and hours, just staring at the face. Relax, and think of nothing, and let the time go by. Without thought, without thinking. Watch the watch, and relax.”
“It’s… Doctor… yes…”
“It’s time to obey, Disha.”
“Yes.”
“Stand up, take off your glasses, and let down your hair.”
She did all three, slowly, giving her head a shake as her dark hair fell around her shoulders.
“You’re deeply hypnotized, Disha. You must always obey me. Who do you obey?”
“I must always obey you,” she whispered.
“Sunflowers bloom at night,” he said, standing up.
“And die in the morning,” she responded. They met in the center of the room, and embraced.
He smiled. “You’re hopelessly in love with me, Disha. I’m the only man for you. You will love and obey me, always.”
“Always,” she sighed. Her pretty, empty eyes stared into his, and she leaned in for a passionate kiss. “Mmmm, yesss. Always… obey…” Her tongue pushed into his mouth, and her arms pulled him against her body.
He eagerly peeled off his clothes as she continued to whisper into his ear.
“Whew. You know Disha, for an older woman, you’re a dynamo. You put Amy to shame.” Doctor Mulroney caressed her tits, enjoying the soft moans of pleasure she made as he did so. “The next time you see Kate, you’re going to hypnotize her into having a threesome with you and I.”
“Yesss. I must obey.” A lazy, dreamy smile. “She is very beautiful.”
He chuckled. “Are you attracted to her?”
“Yessss… so beautiful. I want to… her voice… so pretty…”
Behind them came a loud buzzing noise. Doctor Mulroney looked up, annoyed. “Disha, is that your phone?”
“Yesss… phone alarm. Cancelled appointment. So pretty. Pretty.”
He rolled away from her. “We’ve got time for another round before I have to send you home. Get up and shut that thing off.”
“So pretty. Must… obey.”
She climbed to her feet, and was soon digging through her bag for the annoying noisemaker. Behind her, Doctor Mulroney turned his attention to his own phone. There were four texts from Decker, and two voicemails to boot. He cursed under his breath. You annoying shit, Decker, I can’t wait for—
Suddenly he felt two hands at his sides, roughly flipping him onto his back with one arm painfully twisted beneath it. The hypnotized doctor dropped onto his stomach and held down his other arm as he flailed helplessly.
“Disha! What are you doing? Listen and obey! You must always obey.”
“Yes. I must always obey,” she said. “So pretty.”
He looked at her. The placid, entranced Disha was gone, replaced by a strong, determined opponent, who had taken him by surprise. Fuck, was she faking a trance the whole time? Shit. SHIT. He watched as she moved slowly and deliberately as she countered his attempts to break free, her face blank, her eyes still empty. As if she were… as if someone programmed her.
“I must always obey,” she said, holding him down with one hand as she popped the cap on a small vial in her hand. He barely had time to register what was about to happen before the white powder inside cascaded down onto his face, filling his open mouth and nose. He gagged, and attempted to spit it out, but it had already fallen to the back of his throat. He coughed and sputtered. “Dish… Di… what… wha…”
“Yes,” she said, calmly. She held the silver watch above his head. “I must obey. So pretty.”
“Wha… did… Dish… a… huh… uhh…”
“Watch the watch, Doctor.” She began to swing it back and forth. “Watch the watch. Listen to my my voice.”
The watch filled his vision, and he stopped struggling.
“You’re fucking kidding me.”
She read the address again, twice. This was 722 Taft Street, no doubt about it. Home of the Baxter Professional Services Building and, apparently, Meeting Point Alpha. She rolled her eyes. “Either this is the cheapest government conspiracy ever, or these guys are idiots.” The secret meeting place was, according to the building directory, located on the top floor of a four-story brick office building.
On closer inspection, she decided that maybe Trench Coat—Decker was his name, apparently, maybe, probably not—wasn’t quite as broke or as stupid as he looked. “Thatcher and Thackery, LLC” was her target, in unit 16, but all of the surrounding units appeared to be vacant. Either the Baxter was so run-down that nobody did business there, or Decker had bought out the other tenant spaces to give himself some privacy. Either way, it was just quiet and dull enough to avoid attracting any attention, especially when a mesmerized young woman was sent there to be brainwashed. Even at this time of day, the place looked deserted. The only person working seemed to be the landscaper out front, who ignored her as she made her way into the lobby.
She paused at the foot of the stairs. “What am I going to do, just hand this to him? Jesus Kate, do you ever think about these things in advance?” She looked at the manilla envelope in her hand and pondered her options. She could leave it here, in the lobby, maybe with a note, but there was no guarantee that he’d find it right away. She could knock on the door of Unit 16 and make a run for it, like a kid dropping off a bag of flaming dog poo, but Decker seemed like the kind of guy who would shoot someone in the back as they ran away.
“I should have mailed it to him,” she thought, kicking the mailbox with her foot for good measure. “Have it delivered with a pizza, maybe.” She giggled at the thought of Decker opening a box of pizza and finding her note inside. Be sure to tip, Trenchy!. That wasn’t going to work, either.
Still, maybe I could have it delivered to him…
She pulled off her sweater and undid the top buttons of her shirt, giving her boobs a little shove from the bottom to highlight her cleavage. Tossing the sweater over her shoulder, she walked back outside.
“Hola,” she said, waving at the landscaper until he took off his headphones and glanced in her direction. She flashed him a big, goofy, flirty smile. “Puedo hacerte una pregunta? Necesito una pequeña ayuda.” Another smile, bigger this time, flashing her pearly whites and holding up the manilla envelope. “Por favor. Estaría muy agradecido.”
He was in his early twenties, and like most men his age, could hardly resist the charm of a beautiful woman with a nice smile and a friendly wave.
“Claro!” he said, returning her smile. “Qué necesitas?”
“Oh, muchas gracias! Me lastimé el pie, y…”
“Look, all I can tell you is that there’s been some complications on our end. The mission is still a go, but we’re going to have to push it back until I can get my agent into position.” Decker frowned, stubbing his pencil against the edge of the desk until the tip cracked and fell off.
The voice on the other end of the phone was not satisfied. “The contract keeps getting delayed, Decker. I am tired of waiting. You’re not the only fish in this ocean, and I don’t care how good your agents are. Operation Symbionese was a long time ago. Maybe you’re past your prime.”
“Another week. That’s all I’m asking you for, Z. One more week to prep the mission.”
“One more week. For half price. That is what I offer.”
He snapped the pencil in half. “The… goddamn it, the costs alone are practically half the fee! You know I don’t have Operation Symbionese money to work with, Z. I’m not the goddamn government. One week. I only have one agent free right now, with more coming online. One goddamn week!”
“For half price. Yes. I agree. Call me when you are ready.”
“Z, dammit, you… DAMN IT!” He fought the urge to hurl the burner phone against the wall. Where the hell is that fucking girl? He thought about the things he would do to Kate once she arrived in his office, lost in a trance, open to all of his suggestions and whims. Maybe he could whore her out for a few nights, just to humiliate her. Have her fuck a stranger in her own bedroom, timed just perfectly so that her dipshit husband would walk in on them. Gradual resentment, my ass, Kyle. I don’t have time for this gradual shit.
From the door came a series of knocks, quick and urgent. He tossed the broken pencil aside and marched to the door. “It’s about time you showed up, Ka—“ He paused. “Who are you?”
“Señor, Sir. Package for you? Someone left it downstairs.” The landscaper held up the manilla envelope. “Some woman. Uh, I don’t know her name.”
Decker snatched the envelope from his hands. “Oh, that fucking…” He broke into a run, leaving the confused would-be deliveryman by the door as he took the stairs two at a time. The front lobby was empty, as was the front lawn, and the parking lot. No sign of Kate at all.
Dammit Mulroney, you useless piece of shit!
He looked at the manilla envelope in his hand, which had somehow survived the dash down four flights of stairs. With a snarl, he tore it open. Inside was a letter wrapped around a mini-cassette tape. He let the latter fall to the floor as he unfolded the piece of paper.
Hey Trenchy,Seems like your best buddy isn’t really your best buddy after all. I fast-forwarded the tape inside to my favorite part. I bet that you’ll enjoy it even more than I did. And hey! You wouldn’t believe how easy it still is to make copies of these things!
Let’s discuss my terms. Meet me in Chambers Park tomorrow at noon, at the brown bench right across from the police substation. Leave the German dictionary at home. See you soon.
Obeying you without question (yeah right),Kate
He crumpled the letter into a ball, and glared out the front door.
“That’s it, asshole, come on out.”
To anyone passing by on the second floor of the Century Mall parking garage, James was practically invisible. He’d had plenty of time, after checking in with Kate, to track down a good hiding place, and from up here he had a clear view all the way to the glass-fronted entrance lobby of the Baxter Professional Services Building. He peered through his binoculars as his wife arrived in her Honda, flirted with the guy working out front, and handed him the envelope she was carrying. She was long gone by the time Trench Coat threw the front door open and looked around, wild and clearly furious.
He slid a foot over to his left, where his father’s ridiculously overpowered and overpriced camera and zoom lens sat perched on the wall of the garage. “Well dad, I’m finally using this thing, just like you wanted me to. Well, this isn’t exactly the kind of big game you were talking about, but…” From the garage, he watched as Trench Coat reached into the envelope click, scanned the letter inside click, and tossed the whole lot to the ground in a fit of rageclick click
“Poking the bear.”
Finnigan’s was normally busy on fall weekends, but Roger made sure to time his visit between college football games, ensuring at least an open spot at the bar and a passably-attentive server. He was pleasantly surprised to find a half-empty room when he walked through the front door, with plenty of seating choices. More out of habit than anything else, he took his usual seat at the bar and ordered a beer.
“Quiet tonight,” he remarked to the bartender.
“Yeah,” said the bartender, “they cancelled the big afternoon game because of that tropical storm, so everyone bailed. It’ll pick up tonight when the west coast games start up. I don’t follow it much. I miss the tips, though.”
“I’ll tip extra, believe me. I could use some peace and quiet right about now.”
The bartender looked down at the bar. “Is that a cassette tape?”
Roger held it up. “Yeah, a buddy gave me this. I have to go to the thrift store to find a player. Mine’s somewhere in the garage, probably broken.”
The bartender shook his head. “Man, I haven’t seen a cassette tape in forever. Brings back memories. Hey, let me know if you need anything. I gotta go change all of the TV channels to hockey.”
Roger tapped the cassette on the edge of the bar and nursed his beer. He read through Kate’s letter again. Local doctor, taking advantage of his mentally-fragile patients, abusing and even assaulting them. Drugs, hypnosis, the whole nine. He thought about how he would even begin to sell the story to his editor. Scandals sold papers, but not without plenty of evidence to avoid a libel suit, and evidence took time and money to gather. The Gazette wasn’t exactly full of either. Still, if he could get someone at the hospital to talk, there could be a—“
“Oh my God, is that a cassette tape?”
He looked to his left and into the face of a beautiful young woman, who was pointing at the tape on the bar and smiling. She had a perfect smile, and her brown eyes glowed with a happy, contagious energy.
“I haven’t seen one of those in forever,” she said. She looked up at him. “I’m Sarah. And you are?”
He felt his heart, and other things, begin to stir as he held out his hand. “I’m Roger.”
The blonde flashed another award-winning smile. “Very nice to meet you, Roger. Can I join you for a drink? It’s pretty dead in here, and I hate being alone.”