chapter nine

IN THE MEANTIME

 

James, Catherine, and Eve were rushing toward the elevators. They looked to their left as they rounded the corner, and saw Link, Cozmo, and Lizabelle scrambling toward them.

“What is going on?” Link threw his hands up in the air. “Your text said they are missing. Where the hell is Charity? She’s not answering her phone.”

“I have no idea,” Catherine exhaled. The stress radiated through her voice. “Elizabeth called me and asked me to meet her by the north elevators. But Elizabeth wasn’t where she told me she’d be. I’d left Charity up in the room with Summer. They were supposed to come down about ten minutes later. Since Elizabeth was nowhere to be found, I went back to the elevators to wait for Charity, but the girls never showed up.”

“Marcus also got a call from Elizabeth. She asked him to meet her out by the taxi stand. When Marcus didn’t let me know what Elizabeth wanted, as I asked him to, I went looking for him and found Catherine and James. Since that Witch told two people to meet her in different places at the same time, we knew she was up to something,” Eve explained.

Catherine placed her hand on Link’s shoulder. “I just went back up to the room, looking for Charity and Summer, but they weren’t there.”

“Marcus hasn’t come back. He hasn’t projected any messages. I can’t get anyone on their phones... not Marcus, not Charity, not Summer, not Elizabeth. This is so wrong,” Eve put her hands over her face.

“Bloody hell!” Cozmo swore.

“This is not happening,” Link shook his head in disbelief. “This can’t be happening.”

“I just do not want to believe that Elizabeth, whom I consider a friend, would do this,” Catherine said. “Do you think something else could be up? Maybe she has gone missing too.”

“It is a possibility, I guess, but an unlikely one,” Eve responded. “Elizabeth has been blocking her memories from me since we arrived in Las Vegas. I haven’t been able to get more than a few tiny flashes, in all the time we have spent with her. Another thing that has been bothering me is her sudden penchant for long gloves. The more I think about it, the more suspicious it is. Elizabeth knows that when I have skin contact, I get a certain amount of memory transference.”

“You just said that you’ve had a few tiny flashes,” James repeated her words. “So, what have you got?”

“A house, surrounded by a high wall. I saw a fireplace, a red room, and an old leather bound book. That’s not much to go on,” she answered.

“Did you get an address, a city, a general area, anything?” Cozmo asked.

“No. I’m so sorry,” Eve shook her head.

“We also know that she takes limousines wherever she goes,” Link added.

“The cars have license plates. Eve, you’ve been in two of them. So, you know the plate numbers or can extract them from one of our heads. They might be attached to a valid address. It’s worth a try,” Lizabelle said.

“So how are we going to hack into the police systems to find out?” Link asked.

“How about we walk outside and find a patrol car?” Cozmo suggested.

“It’s a start.” Catherine nodded her head in approval.

The six of them exited the hotel and made their way over to the nearest side street. They started to walk, hoping that at any moment a police car would drive by. It was a gamble, but it was their only option at that time. Day and night were starting to merge as the light of day gave way to twilight and then darkness. For Las Vegas, that meant a higher number of patrol cars out on the roads.

After a few minutes of walking, Lizabelle started jumping up and down and waving her arms, “I see one! Over here,” she yelled out. “We need help over here.”

The police car kept a steady pace as it neared. The officer was alone in his car and didn’t appear to be slowing down.

Eve raised her hands up and started to draw energy toward her. The group felt the wind change direction and blow with greater force, as Eve absorbed it all. She threw her hands forward, toward the car. She didn’t release all the energy at once, just enough to slow the car and then bring it to a stop.

The engine strained, as the officer tried to accelerate, but he found himself unable to make the patrol car move forward. He wore a puzzled expression as he gave up, not wanting to fry his engine. He stepped on the brake and put the car in park.

Cozmo took a step forward and spoke to the man through the open vehicle window. “Is there a problem, officer?”

“A bit of engine trouble it...” he started to speak, but his words were cut off, as Cozmo used his power, and put the officer into a frozen state.

“Work quickly,” Cozmo told James. “This will only last a minute or two, but I can repeat as needed.”

James opened the passenger door and slid into the car. He turned the keypad on the portable in-car computer toward him and got to work. When he found the screen he was looking for, he punched in the license plate numbers, as Eve read them off from her memory. A name and an address flashed on the screen.

“Eve, come take a look and plant this in your memory. It’s all we’ve got to go on right now,” James called out.

Eve came over and read from the screen, “Hubert Newton ESQ CPA. Great, a lawyerly accountant,” she smirked.

 

*****

 

I stood in front of the giant door, at the entrance to Elizabeth’s house, and felt completely clueless. I watched as the limousine drove away and wondered what was in store for me. What was Elizabeth’s ulterior motive for kidnapping Marcus and me? It was painfully clear that Summer was simply a casualty of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I knew there was only one way to find answers, so I stepped into the house with foreboding.

Calling Elizabeth’s dwelling a house is a bit of an understatement. I guess it would be classified as more of a mini mansion than a house. The entranceway quickly gave way to a great room. It was one of those lounging by the fire in style kind of rooms. An antique crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. It was not electric, but candle lit. There had to be over fifty little candles glowing on the immense hanging ornament, making the crystals glitter in that amazing way that only candlelight can do.

Actually, there wasn’t an electric outlet to be seen, or anything with a plug, in the room. There were candle sconces on the deep burgundy walls. Lamps adorned three antique, battered, old wood tables that looked like they had once been doors to some ancient building. Light from the roaring fire in the fireplace illuminated the rest of the room.

Elizabeth stood in the center of the large room, near one of the oversized leather couches, as Nikola directed Marcus’s floating form down a nearby hallway.

“The modern world and electric city out there are a fun diversion. However, there is something about light that comes from a flame that I have always loved. It is so soothing. It reminds me of how far I’ve come. That orphaned little lace delivery girl has transformed into this powerful being that I am today. Plus, a woman always looks her best in candlelight. Don’t you agree?” Elizabeth smiled a cold confident smile.

Her nonchalant attitude was disturbing. It dug under my skin, as I supposed she wanted it to. So I asked with a boldness that surprised even me, “Are we ever going to get around to why I am here? I mean, the small talk is nice, but I’d rather know what lies ahead of me.”

“All in due time, Charity,” Elizabeth said, brushing a piece of non-existent fuzz from the arm of her coat.

“I get it. You are oh so casual and in control. Why don’t we stop with this little performance of yours and get down to business?” I tried again.

“Do you remember when you met me for the first time, with Catherine and James here in Las Vegas?” she asked.

“Yes, of course,” I answered. “How could I forget? You love to remind me that I busted up your winning streak.”

“Yes, well, that night I told you a bit about my past. I had been raised by a man who became an uncle to me, as James is for you.”

“Yes, I remember,” I sighed, wondering how long she was going to drag this out.

“Uncle could see into the future. Well, just before he died, he told me that I would find Catherine in America someday and that you would be with her. Then he told me that years later, when we were all together again, I should keep you close,” she explained.

“So what does that have to do with Marcus? And how the hell does ‘keep me close’ get translated into kidnapping in your world?” I asked.

“Oh, I want Marcus for my own reasons. I will let you in on them a little later. As far as my kidnapping you goes, I have a feeling that Uncle was letting me know how you would be of great benefit to me, and not in a way that you would agree to be.”

“Well... if that isn’t cryptic...”

“As I said, Charity, all in due time. Please follow Andrew to The Red Room,” she said, motioning to where Andrew now stood.

“Do I have a choice?”

“It is the only way to see your friend again,” Elizabeth answered.

I turned from her, toward Andrew, without saying a word, and followed him out of the room.

“Good decision,” Elizabeth called after me.

 

*****

 

The drive over to the office of Hubert Newton ESQ CPA took them about twenty minutes. That was after James had decided a rented vehicle was now a necessity. They just couldn’t trust a driver to keep their special talents a secret. It would be a hindrance to try to hide them, yet still use them, while they searched for Charity, Marcus, and Summer. An SUV with a GPS system would eliminate that worry while it helped them navigate the city and its surrounding areas. By the time Cozmo, the self appointed driver, pulled into the parking lot, it was just after seven o’clock in the evening. It was not exactly normal business hours. But if Mr. Newton truly worked for Elizabeth, he more than likely kept irregular hours.

“This way,” Link waved at them. He had hopped out of the SUV first, before Cozmo had come to a full stop, and run over to the directory that was on the outside of the building.

They followed him around to the back of the building, where a single office had an entrance that faced a deserted and darkened parking area.

“This is it,” Link called out, having arrived at the door, as he tried the handle.

The door was locked, so Link pounded on it. “Open up,” he shouted.

“Is someone in there?” Catherine asked, as the rest of the group arrived at the door.

“Shhh! Just listen,” James whispered.

They all held their breath, not a sound came out of any of them. The traffic, buzzing of electricity, a cat’s distant meow, and the chirp of a cricket could be heard... and breathing... heavy breathing from the other side of the door.

“We know you are in there. We can hear you,” Eve stated. “Zap him. Freeze him,” she whispered to Cozmo.

“I’ve got to see the being,” Cozmo sighed and shook his head. “I can’t do it without a line of sight, you know that.”

“Blast the door down,” Link hissed at Eve.

“Wait!” Lizabelle interjected. “Nobody... and I mean NO-BODY... squash the spider!” she commanded.

“What spider?” Eve asked in confusion.

A breeze blew by as the air around them swirled. They each took a step back as Lizabelle’s form started to vibrate and go fuzzy around the edges. She began to shrink down in size and blur to the point that they found themselves unable to focus on her. One blink later, Lizabelle had disappeared, the dress she had been wearing descended down to the concrete sidewalk, and a tiny arachnid scurried under the door.

Within seconds, a shriek was heard from the inside of the office. The shouted words “What in the H-E double hockey sticks is going on here?” followed.

“Move aside,” Lizabelle ordered, “and turn around!”

“Lady, where did you come from?”

The door opened and an arm shot out. “Clothes please,” Lizabelle said.

Cozmo picked up her clothes and shoes then handed them to her outstretched arm, which quickly disappeared back into the office. A minute later the door swung completely open, and Lizabelle took a step back as she slid the shoes back onto her feet.

Hubert Newton was standing behind a giant oak desk with his back to the door, facing the wall. His short, stout frame shivered with fear. He turned his head, to peek over his shoulder, as the rest of them entered his office. The door was closed behind them.

“You can turn around now,” Lizabelle told him.

“One minute I’m alone in here. The next minute there’s a sizzling hot naked lady standing in my office who, by the way, could butter my bread anytime. Are you like a female Houdini?” he asked her.

“Something like that,” Lizabelle laughed.

“What do you guys want from me? If you are some sort of a magic act, I gotta tell you, I’m a lawyer and an accountant not a manager or an agent. You guys got the wrong office. Joe Steed is over in suite two-thirteen-B. He’s your guy,” Hubert wheezed as he walked around the desk and over toward the door.

“We want information about your limousines,” James stated.

“This isn’t a car rental place, people. If you’re looking to paint the town red and in style, I’m not your man,” Hubert mumbled and nervously shifted his bulk from one foot to the other.

“You own limos. That much we know. We need to get in touch with the woman that uses them... Elizabeth. It is very important. But she is not answering her phone and we are getting a little worried about her,” James explained.

“I let all my clients use my limos. Professional courtesy. I’m not recalling any Elizabeth on my client roster, at the moment. Plus, with client confidentiality, I really can’t give you any information about h-h-her anyway,” Hubert stuttered, and wiped the sweat from his brow.

“About ‘her’ you said. So you do know who I am talking about. Don’t you?” James smiled at the man.

“You guys need to leave my office right now,” Hubert projected. He tried to take a bold stance.

“He knows,” Eve said, looking directly in his eyes. “I can see her in there. He deals directly with her.”

“Crap on a cracker,” Hubert exhaled. “You’re some kinda psychic aren’t you? I can’t tell you about her. She said I can’t tell nobody, nothin’. She’d tan my hide. She’s one tough nut.”

Eve placed her hands on Hubert’s shoulders. “You don’t have to tell me anything. Just close your eyes.”

Hubert yanked himself back, away from Eve’s touch. He scrambled toward the phone that sat on the corner of his desk. “Look here, Missy. You guys have to git. You hear me? I’m calling the police.”

“I don’t think so.” Link shook his head at the man and then turned to Cozmo. “Oz, do it now.”

Hubert’s eyes flicked from Link to Cozmo and back again. His worried expression morphed into one of confusion as Oz winked at him with a wide smile. And then, he discovered that he wasn’t able to move a single muscle in his body.

“Do your thing, Eve. I’ll keep zapping him as long as you need me to. Search for every scrap of information that you can pull out of him,” Cozmo told her.

Eve walked over to the side of the desk where Hubert stood in his frozen state. She stretched out her arms and placed one hand on either side of his face, then closed her eyes. Her head fell back, as she started to absorb Hubert’s memories.

“He’s never had any contact with her outside of this office. She calls him at any time of the day or night and he knows he has thirty minutes to make it here, or she will be extremely upset. He doesn’t like it when she is upset. His head throbs for days after she yells at him. She pays him in cash, but he is a signer on one of her bank accounts so he can pay her credit card bills. He keeps three limousines titled in his name that are exclusively hers. Whatever driver she uses gets a case of amnesia whenever she is transported to or from her home. She always comes to his office alone,” Eve streamed out his memories as they were coming to her. “None of this is all that useful,” she worried.

“We’ll find something. Keep searching,” Link urged her on.

“She never stays at the same casino for more than three days at a time. He’s noticed that she never has anything charged to the room. She likes the presidential type suites, the bigger the better. She was staying at Caesar’s this time. She said she likes being away from the buzz of the city when she goes home,” Eve paused. “That’s the beginning of something. Away from the city...” Then she closed her eyes again.

Hubert started to stir. His fingers began to wiggle and a small moan escaped his mouth.

“Zap him again, Oz,” Link said.

After Cozmo flexed his powers and gave Hubert’s muscular system another freeze, Eve continued. “There is something in here. Give me a minute. Elizabeth wasn’t as careful as she thought she was. Oh, here! She told the driver to head north one time when she was leaving Hubert’s office, after she had just told him that she was on her way home. Another time, she called when she was on her way here and said ‘I just got in the car. I’m heading straight there. You’ve got exactly forty-five minutes to get to the office before I get there, and you’d better be there first.’ That is the best I’m going to get guys,” Eve sighed.

“That doesn’t give us a lot to go on. But, it is a start,” Catherine stated. “Cozmo, can you keep him still while we search the place?”

“Not a problem,” Cozmo answered.

The six of them ransacked the office. Cozmo kept a close watch on Hubert, making sure he never fully regained the use of his body until they were ready to leave. It was a fruitless search, attaining them no additional knowledge of Elizabeth or her current whereabouts. Link reached into Hubert’s coat pocket and grabbed the man’s cell phone. He scrolled through the contacts looking for Elizabeth’s name and compared numbers with Catherine, but again... nothing new. They needed to move on. Precious time was being wasted.

“Let’s leave. If we go to Caesar’s maybe we can find her room and search for clues there. I think we’ve obtained all we can hope for out of Hubert here,” Link said.

“I’m going to try something that I’ve felt coming on for a little while now. I think I can capture some memories and remove them from his mind. I want to wipe us clean away from the Hubert Newton memory bank,” Eve explained.

James nodded his head in approval. “That would be extremely helpful in this situation, Eve. Give it a go.”

Eve again placed her hands on Hubert’s face. She moved her fingers, as if massaging his puffy, oversized head. Then, she brought her thumb and index finger together, on each hand, as if pinching the air beside his temples. With each pinch of her fingers, she drew her hand away from his face and then out into the air. She repeated this action over and over again. A few minutes later she stepped back.

“I think I got them all. Everything from before Oz froze him. We should be erased now,” Eve gave a small smile.

Cozmo froze Hubert one last time, after which they all walked out the door and back to the front parking lot where they’d parked the SUV. As the group rounded the corner, a limousine came into their view. Two dark clad figures stood by the driver’s side of the limo.

“Lulach,” Link breathed.