Seconds later, she wiped her tears with a handkerchief she took from her purse and continued descending the stairwell. “Get a grip,” she said to herself. It wasn’t the time for a break down. Wasting time was now a luxury she couldn’t afford. By now she was certain that the steps for each floor’s descent were eighteen. She subconsciously counted them while observing the recurring patterns of the industrial wall on her right. She had often considered the possibility that something she had seen in a movie would occur in real life. Jeff. Her angel… His sweet eyes and beautiful face… Her one and only child!
The price to pay for publicity and success was very high, and now was the time to pay! All previous times were a mere inconvenience compared to the current horrific state she was in. Poor Jeff had done nothing wrong. How could he have? He was only 12. They wouldn’t dare! But then again they had already done enough. She doubted again whether she had delivered what was expected of her in the interview with Caroline Emerson. Yes, there couldn’t be even the slightest misunderstanding. She had stated it very clearly. Everything had happened so quickly and still she managed to pull through. She had changed the entire second half of the interview in just 3 minutes.
The man who delivered her this cell phone during the break was one of them. Had to be... Or maybe he was just a courier. But if he was a courier, why had he disappeared immediately after he got her signature? How had he managed to even approach her office? The show’s security hadn’t protected her one bit! In spite of all her money and power, she was at the mercy of any villain who could easily approach her whenever they wanted. How tragic.
Maybe she would try to ID the man later from the cameras of J.T. She recalled the awful, bass voice of the man on the phone who threatened to kill Jeff if she didn’t follow his instructions. “I’ll do as you ask, please don’t hurt my son!” she had responded with a trembling voice.
Her tears began flowing down her cheeks again. She hadn’t cried since Uncle Ernest’s funeral. She started to feel exhausted. The man on the phone had demanded that she go to the parking area via the stairwell. There must have been a reason for this absurd demand. She assumed that the reason was that they didn’t want her to meet anyone on the way. They didn’t want her to signal anyone. She had finally reached the parking level. Luckily, her parking space was at J.T.’s 1st basement next to those of the management executives of Journal Today. It had taken her nearly 10 agonizing minutes to descend from the 58th floor. She had only stopped to wipe her tears and to take those damn shoes off. She regretted having stopped at all because even the slightest pause seemed like an unnecessary risk for Jeff’s life. She would never forgive herself if something happened to Jeff. She was so scared! Nauseous… Her legs ached and now the blister on her left foot burned horribly because it had appeared as early as the 42nd floor. But she couldn’t care less about the stupid blister. She only cared about Jeff. Nothing else!
She had finally arrived at the parking level. The 1st basement of J.T. felt like a very desirable destination. Never before in her life had she wanted to be there so badly. This basement was one step closer to Jeff. She rushed to the car while searching for the car key inside her purse. To her surprise, the key wasn’t there. It was only after she emptied her stupid belongings from the purse that she realized she had actually gotten the wrong purse from her office. She started banging on the car’s windows in despair! Didn’t know what to do! There was no time… She had that cell phone that the courier had given her. Could she call them back? And say what? That she was stupid enough to climb down 58 floors of stairs without checking if she had the right purse? She kneeled down on the industrial floor and started swearing and crying again when the voice of her personal assistant frightened her.
“Are you all right, Miss West?” asked Eidan.
She turned around sharply and, driven by the force of habit, said:
“Of course, I'm fine.”
“Are you sure? You seem...”
She felt stupid for saying she was fine when it was so obvious that she wasn’t. She still had tears in her eyes, looked exhausted and was barefoot. Pretending she was fine was purely idiotic!
“Of course I seem… Look at me!”
“That’s why I ‘m asking… What happened? Can I help with something?”
“You can… Go back to the office and bring me my other purse, the black one. I got the wrong one in my haste.”
“But I have it in my car. I saw you left it there and took the liberty to bring it to you. And then… I made a stop on the 1st basement to check if your car was still here…”
“Shut up, Eidan! Bring it here fast!” said Mary Ann hysterically.
“Right away, Miss West.”
Eidan hurried back holding the purse his boss had requested.
“Miss West, are you sure you are okay? What happened to you?”
Mary Ann had already stepped inside and hesitated for a second.
“I can’t tell you; it's personal.”
The expression on her face betrayed her though and Eidan saw she would actually love to be able to confide in him.
“Miss West, do you want me to come with you?”
“Keep your voice down! I want you to come with me, but unfortunately you can’t,” she whispered.
“Why? What’s wrong?”
Mary Ann looked around to see if there was someone that could hear them. There was no one. She saw a man pacing at the other end of the parking lot but estimated he was far enough. She hesitated again… The kidnapper on the phone had warned her not to speak to anyone. Not now, not ever!
“I'll tell you what I want you to do,” she whispered again.
“Tell me, Miss West. Anything, I’ll do anything you say,” cried Eidan.
“Ok, listen! You can’t come with me, but I want you to follow me with your car from a distance.”
“Certainly, Miss West, no problem.”
“Be very careful, however; I suspect I’m being watched. Nobody must know that you’re following me. And don’t even think to call my cell, are we clear?”
"Okay Miss West, don’t worry. I’ll do as you ask.”
It was common for Eidan to end his discussions with Mary Ann West with this exact phrase. She was a celebrity journalist and as such she was a particularly demanding woman and boss. He was envied by many for his job as her personal assistant. Since he was a teenager he had watched Mary Ann West’s appearances on TV and internet live-streaming and had often obsessed over articles she had written in newspapers and magazines. This woman had worked her ass off for the past two decades. In the last six years with 10 with Mary Ann she had accomplished the impossible. She was the most recognized journalist globally and constantly held a place in the Forbes top 20 list of “Women with influence and power.” The e-book about her professional profile and secrets of her communication skills platform was a worldwide bestseller. This extremely powerful woman-icon had just knelt before his eyes in deep despair. It was a shocking sight! Anyone who was responsible for bringing her to this state would definitely pay a steep price!
Eidan thought of this as a golden opportunity to demonstrate to his boss that he was worthy of her trust. He was more than willing to help in any way she needed him to. It was extremely rare for Mary Ann to be in need of someone outside of her work environment. In this case, Eidan was fortunate enough to be the only one who could assist her. It was an unexpected coincidence that she had taken the wrong purse from her desk. Luck had smiled upon him! He rubbed his hands with satisfaction as he went to his car.
He waited for a few seconds after Mary Ann West had started and then drove behind her from a distance. Uphill before leaving the parking lot of J.T., he realized that Mary Ann was frequently checking on him through her central mirror and like an experienced detective in a stakeout, he made the signature move by bringing his index and middle finger to his eyes and then pointed back at her.
“I am watching you,” said the personal assistant with excitement about the task he was assig
ned.
“What was I thinking trusting Eidan with this? He is such an idiot!” said Mary Ann after seeing his signal. Then again, even he was better than no one. She felt safer in a way, now that she knew that a pair of eyes was watching her. But what if the eyes that watched were more than one pair? Jeff’s kidnappers could be watching her every move and that would be a problem. She had kept her silence… She hadn’t betrayed their agreement… She would forget everything about this incident. Maybe later when it was safe she would attempt to make inquiries. Only when she would be absolutely sure that Jeff was safe. Only then… She would never do anything to risk Jeff’s life again!
It took her a few seconds to exit the "privileged" first basement of the J.T. building. The data for the route she had to follow was uploaded bit by bit to the car’s monitor and due to the lack of a final destination a question mark had started flashing.
“Please state your destination,” said the nice lady from the traffic assistant.
Gradual uploading of the route’s data meant that the traffic assistant could not assist Mary Ann West, or any other careless driver.
Mary Ann feared she had made a mistake. Not only was she driving without the “pilot program” but also had to keep an eye on stupid Eidan! At the moment she had a crystal clear view of him through the mirrors, but in a few seconds she would take a sudden right turn on 12th Avenue and then both cars would be very easy to track. Lots of street cameras! She hoped Eidan would keep his distance. If the kidnappers were watching… They were watching! They must think I have already told him everything!
“I’m so stupid!” cried Mary Ann.
She further endangered Jeff’s life with her stupidity! She now had to notify Eidan to keep a greater distance or even to cancel the entire stakeout she had asked of him. She couldn’t take any more chances. The route that was gradually uploaded to her data screen was full of turns and 180° changes in direction. A satellite could be recording her every move… It could be zooming on her face right now! She wondered if her fear and despair could be spotted from a satellite.
The cell phone she was given rung and made her freeze. That same awful sound...
“Yes?”
“I thought we had an understanding. I’ll give your son a last chance.”
“I’m sorry, but I haven’t...”
“Do not even think of stopping the car.”
“No, no, why would I stop after all...”
The man hung up and while she was wondering if he even heard her last words, she saw a huge truck crashing Eidan’s car off the road.
“Nooo...” she cried and her foot instinctively stepped on the brake. So that’s what “don’t even think of stopping the car” meant. She followed her basic instinct for Jeff’s survival and gently lifted her foot off the brake and placed it on the accelerator. She couldn’t stop no matter what.
Poor Eidan! She had dragged him down this nightmare. She reached for the spare cell phone in her cabinet and called 911 to report Eidan’s accident location. Perhaps… perhaps there was time… perhaps he would pull through and live.
She continued driving for a few more miles and then suddenly the data monitor turned green. They had finally uploaded the final destination since this car ride was coming to an end. Jeff was only eight miles away. She hoped he was alive and well. She hoped the kidnappers hadn’t hacked the call to 911. Reporting an accident she had witnessed wasn’t a breach of the agreement.
The next turn she would make would be the last… the end of the route. She was in shock! In a few seconds she hoped to have Jeff in her arms and her agonizing feelings would end. She hoped to see his joyful face unharmed by his ruthless kidnappers. His sweet little eyes… She would hold him tight in her arms and apologize. She started to cry thinking that all this was her fault.
She stopped and went out of the car. This neighborhood was full of abandoned warehouses. A couple of neon signs flickered before her frightened eyes. She was mentally exhausted but her body flooded with adrenaline. She was the legendary Mary Ann West! She had to keep it together. She courageously started walking down the dark alley. The view of her luxurious car attracted the attention of a bunch of homeless people nearby. Mary Ann stared back at them with nerve. In any other case, the mere existence of these people so close to her would scare her to death. But in this case finding Jeff was her only priority. There was no time for any other emotion, even fear.
After a few more steps, she finally saw him from a distance. He stood motionless in the shadows between piles of garbage and was surrounded with barbwire. She started to run towards him silently in order not to attract further attention. His blond hair didn’t shine as usual and there was no smile on his face. He just stood there… pale and motionless. Why didn’t he move? Why didn’t he say something?
She kept on running towards him and now was only a few yards away. She heard him whisper, “Maaaary,” and then he collapsed to the ground.
“Jeff? Help! Someone help!” screamed Mary Ann.
It all started to buzz around her. She could no longer hear anything. A homeless woman responded to her call for help and was now next to her. Mary Ann saw the woman’s lips moving but couldn’t understand what she was saying. She couldn’t hear. She held her unconscious son in her arms and now was unable to hold back her tears. Others from the group of homeless people approached bringing along blankets and water. They were allies. They were there to help.
CHAPTER 3
BACK HOME
Washington, DC
Caroline greeted the concierge at the entrance of the building in her usual manner. She met him at least twice every day, sometimes even more when Mr. Parker worked both shifts.
“Good evening, Mr Parker.”
“Oh, Miss Emerson, a very good evening to you too!” said the concierge with irresistible enthusiasm. He went on:
“How I loved you on the 10 with Mary Ann show! Let me help you with those.”
Caroline was surprised to hear that Mr Parker watched 10 with Mary Ann. But then again everyone watched it, so she better get used to it.
“Thank you very much, Mr Parker. You’re very kind,” she modestly replied for offering to carry her suitcase.
From now on she would be recognizable on the streets and she didn’t like that one bit. She would even be greeted by strangers who wanted a word or to meet her in person. Many would have a quick glance at her and they would instantly know who and what she was, while she would continue to walk casually ignorant of their existence. This would be new for her. It was the life of a celebrity, not a doctor.
She had already pressed the elevator button when Mr. Parker struck his forehead with his hand in a funny way and exclaimed:
“What a fool I am! I almost forgot!”
"What’s wrong, Mr. Parker? Did something happen?” responded Caroline.
“Two men came here looking for you, one hour ago.”
“Who were they?”
“They never said. They even knew your flat is 712, but when I asked them to show some proof of ID they declined.”
“They declined? Did they think you would simply let them in?” Proof of ID regulation applies to every building in this area.
“I can’t tell what they thought, Miss Emerson, but I pointed them to the exit telling them that it was unacceptable to visit a flat here without papers!”
“And they left quietly?” asked Caroline eagerly.
"Yes, yes, not to worry. Unfortunately I can’t enlighten you at all about their identities or the purpose of their visit.”
“Do we have them on camera?”
“We do have them as figures, but I’m afraid we don’t have their faces. They seemed to know where to look in order to avoid the camera. It’s all blurry anyway… the monitoring system needs an upgrade!” said the bewildered concierge.
“Mr. Parker, thank you again for not allowing them to enter the premises. The rules are specific. With my appearance on 10 with Mary Ann it is very likely that similar events m
ight occur. Thank you for insisting on your strictly professional behavior. Maybe it's time to strengthen the security measures around here.”
“Don’t you worry about it dear Miss Emerson! I already have some thoughts about increasing security until the fuss from your appearance in the show dies out. I shall apply new measures tomorrow!”
“You’re always so thoughtful, Mr. Parker. Have a good night,” said Caroline offering him a sweet smile.
“You were excellent today, Miss Emerson! Have a good night’s rest.”
A difficult day was coming to an end. Tomorrow would be a new day and certain rearrangements had to be made in her daily routine. Throughout her 38 years of living, Caroline had remained very close to her mother both mentally and physically. Same block of apartments, different floors. Mother had helped with her presence throughout the years of her studies and research. Had always been loving and understanding even though her perspective of things was often very different from Caroline’s. Jane Emerson was a traditional-style, faithful mother. She sometimes obsessed over the past and faced reality with a moral attitude that seemed to fit in past decades. Caroline had tried on several occasions to modernize her mother. She wasn’t sure if it made any sense to try to change someone at that age. Many people considered it immoral to intervene in one’s personal choices and perhaps they were right!
The emotion market tech that Caroline had discovered was about this exact thing – making choices. Changing the volume of one’s emotions in an emotion market was even more valuable and personal than any other choice in life! Civilians would be in charge of their life-altering decisions with their emotional invasive procedure. That’s why this tech was addressed to adults only. The International Council of Emotional Control had ruled out children and adolescents from being able to use Emotion Markets. The votes were 18 to 2! Some hardliners had even managed to enforce parental and guardian consent for those aged 18-23. Maybe that measure was extreme, but then again, maybe not…
EMOTION MARKET: the Tailor of Hearts - A gripping psychological thriller Page 3