by S. R. Rashad
“No, Petrov. I want to wear it.”
“Good, Peter. Fine. Oh here, let me throw in these sunglasses as a ‘thank you’ to your family.”
“Lovely, Petrov.”
Peter puts on his new shades.
“Fantastic! What is the expression… ‘Dressed to kill,’ no?” Says Petrov.
“Yes, Petrov. That is the expression, indeed.”
Peter leaves ready to make an impression.
The dapper and distinguished Dr. Peter VonNetzer enters the lobby of 66 Hudson pl. His thinly built 6'3" frame is adorned in the finest, old world, handcrafted masterpiece of a suit. He walks purposefully across the lobby floor. One would think him a dignitary or statesman. His darkly tinted ray ban aviators hide the frosty chill from eyes which have never been able to reflect any semblance of warmth, let alone a soul. And with the clumsy wig and hat combo since removed, and with the help of a great barber, he is returned to the splendid salt and pepper, shimmering locks, cut short and close, perfectly framing his well chiseled face, complimenting his high cheekbones and the near picturesque brow lines of one entering the prime years, the graceful years, the years where one is more elegant than youthful. He is the perfect Venus fly trap, pleasant to the eyes, seemingly inviting. But just like the outcome for a fly who gets too close to the plant, so too is the outcome for any who are easily tricked by the trappings of evil wrapped in a pleasing silhouette, the odds for survival, not good.
Peter enters the reception area at Jim's office. Betty's eyes open wide as she admires the kind of class and refinement she hasn't seen since she was a young woman, many years ago.
"Hello, I'm here to see Jim Kern."
"I'm sorry. I was staring. It's just always great to see a man in a well tailored suit. It reminds me of men like me father, men of an era of class and manners, when a well tailored suit was the norm, not these casual Fridays which if you ask me, have gotten too casual."
"It's good of you to notice, thanks."
"No, let this old woman thank you." She smiles "Now, do you have an appointment with Jim?"
"No, I most certainly do not."
"Well, he does have a pretty busy schedule, but..."
"I know. I'm just here to give him a check."
"Oh, I see. Let me see if he's available. Just have a seat, mr?"
"Sorry, Dr.VonNetzer."
"Um, did you say Dr.VonNetzer?"
"Yes."
"Ok."
"Hello, boss."
"Boss? Betty, you haven't called me that in years."
"He's here to see you." Betty says with fear in her voice.
"He? He who, Betty?"
"The man everybody's talking about around here." She says in a nervous whisper.
"Betty! Who?"
"Dr.VonNetzer."
"What?" he yells.
"Yea, I know. He has a check for you. I believe he wants to give it to you personally."
"Ok. And Betty. Make sure security is notified. And please, it is very important you do it discreetly.”
"Should I send him in?"
"No, absolutely not. Send him to the conference room."
"Ok."
"Send him there now. And make sure security is around. Will you."
"Yes. Yes I will."
"Dr.VonNetzer. You can go down to the conference room. He'll meet you there shortly."
"The conference room?"
"Yes, take the elevator down one floor and make a right."
"Thanks."
While Dr.VonNetzer heads down to the conference room, Jim calls his buddy on the force.
"Hey, Sgt."
"What's up, Jim. How can i help you?”
"Well, i thought you guys should know that Dr.VonNetzer is here."
"Where?"
"Here, at my office."
"Is that so, Jim."
"Yes, it is"
"Can you try to hold him there."
"Well, how do you suppose i do that?"
"Come on, Jim. You lawyers are great at talking. So, talk."
"I'll see what i can do."
"Do that. great. Thanks for the heads up, Jim."
"No problem."
Sgt. Harris relays the info onto the captain who calls for a quick impromptu meeting of his finest detectives and officers.
"Ok, Ladies and Gentlemen. I'm gonna make this quick. We just got what could be a huge break in the vigilante case. Dr.VonNetzer has been seen at the offices of his defense attorneys. I need a team down there now. Let's go! Discretion! people. I don't want anyone alerted to our presence, no one, the doctor, no one. Please, blend in as much as possible. We believe where the doctor is, the Vigilante will be. But the trouble is, we still really don't know what to go on. So this is gonna be tricky, to say the least. Lastly, Jeffries is running point. So follow his lead.
Peter takes his time getting to the conference room. He surveys the vast array of lawyers, paralegals, and offices worker in the area as he looks to see if he can spot her, but there is no glow, nothing luminescent in this sea of faces.
A few of the burlier guards begin to amass near the conference room. There was definitely little discretion there. Peter watches with keen curiosity. Is all this for him. He wonders. He knows if she is present, all this attention will make it hard for him to have his way. He’s going to have to be more low key, making himself known, coming here was a mistake. Hopefully, he can rectify that. He just needs a name.
Jim steps off the elevator and is happy to see security but doesn’t like the fact that they have brought so much attention on themselves. Now, everyone’s eyes are on them. He hears whispers as people are getting nervous and wondering what the commotion is about. How can he try to hold Peter here now.
Jim enters the conference room in complete nervous jitters.
“Hello, Dr.VonNetzer, I’m sorry I took so long.”
“It’s fine. A curious thing though, what’s with all the security? Is this for me?”
Jim searches for a lie. As he walks across the conference room, finding a seat far from Peter and sits. Peter notices Jim not wanting to sit nearer, smiles and says nothing.
“Oh no, there’s some kind of security training happening. I think. They never tell me anything around here.” For a lawyer, Jim has been known to be a notoriously bad liar.
“Oh, I see.” Peter says, not believing a word out of Jim’s mouth.
“I’m sorry this training thing happens to occur at the same time you arrive. You’re not concerned are you?”
“Training has to happen, right.” Peter say then laughs, causing Jim to laugh nervously as well.
“So, I’m told, you want to give us money. Is that right?”
“Yes, just a little additional thank you, is all.”
“You don’t have to you know. We are expensive enough.” Jim says letting out a controlled and muffled laugh.
“Nonsense, you guys are worth it, and more. How’s Laura?”
“Oh. Thanks for asking. She’s fine, just fine.”
“Good to hear.”
“I owe her a debt, eh?”
“Yes, she is a fine attorney, indeed. We are lucky to have her.”
“But, she didn’t do this on her own. What about that other great attorney who helped…” Peter looks around as though he is searching for a name. “what’s her name?”
“Oh. You mean Jen Bromley?”
“Yes, that’s her. A great team, huh?”
Peter is delighted to have a name to go with his desire now.
“Yes, indeed…So, it seems you're a free man.” Jim says, in an attempt to create some rapport. But this goes sideways for Jim, being that It rubs Peter the wrong way.
“Yes, I am free. As it should be.” Peter says firmly, finally removing his shades, and looking intensely into Jim’s eyes, causing Jim to shudder.
Peter begins to sense Jim’s fear. He smiles slightly, then stands up abruptly, which startles Jim. He walks slowly along the side of the long conference table over to Jim. J
im is beside himself, in a state of immense fear. He looks over to the guards just outside the door to make sure they're still close by. Peter continues to glare at Jim as he walks toward him and reaches into his inside jacket pocket…
“Oh, those guards are still here. I wonder when that training is gonna be over.” Jim says nervously, in hopes of reminding Peter that it would be foolish to do anything with so many people around.
“Here, Jim.” Peter says handing Jim a check. “Do these numbers make for a good bonus?”
Jim reaches for the check with trembling hands.
Peter hides his delight as he is enjoying the old man’s fear.
“You're getting a little shaky in your old age there, Jimbo.” Peter says to let Jim know he knows he is in a virtual state of panic.
“Oh, am I shaking. I didn't notice. It must be the caffeine.” Jim says nervously, as his attempt to mask his fear has no effect on Peter.
“Oh yea, caffeine, eh. It's frightening what that stuff can do to a man, huh?” Peter is enjoying himself, now. Other people's fear brings out something extra demonic in him. As he looks at Jim as a wolf would before it pounces, having the canines make their toothy appearance.
Peter puts his shades back on, and heads toward the door, but not before having a little more fun with Jim.
“Oh, Jim.” Peter says as he has his hand on the doorknob about to exit.
“Yes.”
“Just a little advice for you, you need to watch how you handle your caffeine. That stuff can kill you, I hear. And we don't want that. Do we?”
“No, no no. We don't want that. I’ll watch it from now on, for sure.”
“See you, Jimbo.”
Jim is wondering how the hell Laura was able to deal with that guy. He is the strangest and creepiest man he has ever met.
By the time Peter exits the building, a few under covers have already arrived.
Chapter 25
Richie, the cavalry!
He needs help tracking Peter now. He knows the make, year, color and plate number of Peter’s getaway car. But he needs someone who has access to traffic cams or police radio or helicopters, something. Cause unless Peter makes a mistake, he knows it's near impossible to track him on his own. He's been trying to get his buddy on the phone, but no dice. He has no idea why he's not picking up, or at least calling him back, nothing. He’ll go back to New York, regroup, get reequipped and find help from a friend on the force.
When he gets back to the city, rather than continuing to try to reach his friend in the department, he knows his first stop should be to get over to Richie, the conspiracy theorist. Richie believes the government is behind most ploys, plots and catastrophes in recent history, both minor and major, 9/11, that's a no brainer, the missing Lindbergh baby, yup. Who killed Kennedy, just ask Richie. He's got audio and visual proof. So, in a time when he needs a man on the inside, Richie is the next best thing. The man is virtually a fly on the wall in a half dozen government agencies. With both high tech and low tech equipment, he's able to spy on the spies and he wouldn't have it any other way. Foreign governments would pay a ton to know the stuff he knows but he's no anti American socialist. He simply believes that if the government isn't going to do it's part in the free flow of information, he’ll just aid the process along when need be.
He arrives at ‘the door before the door,’ a shithole of a coffeehouse, in a shithole part of town. This is a place filled with, what one could only describe as modern day pirates, the strangest assortment of cyberhackers, anti big business, anti government folks one could find, and all are loyal to Richie and his cause. When you come inside, you ask for Tetra, the barista. If you order the right drink, she gives you a passcode that logs you onto a conspiracy website that Richie monitors, and if you answer a series of questions correctly, you get to meet the man himself.
After he goes through Richie’s cyberspace maze, he's given the location to one of the many safe houses that Richie can set up and dismantle in a moment’s notice. And to say that Richie is paranoid, is a understatement, and why shouldn't he be. If any government agency finds him, they’ll make him disappear for real, no trial, no trace, just gone. He knows this.
"Hey, Rich, i'm gonna need your help locating a car."
"Sure, man. You got the plate number?”
"Yea."
"Ok, let me have it. Who’s the plate for?"
"Well, rich. you and i work best when we don't ask too many questions, agreed."
"Agreed…cash?”
"Yup, here you go."
"How long before you think you'll have something for me?"
"It could be awhile."
"Yea, why's that?”
"Well, the airwaves are all filled up with this Dr.VonNetzer chatter."
"Really? like what?"
"Like, they're sending an undercover team to survey him over at his lawyer's office."
"Is that so?” He says. If it's true, this is good news for him. Good news indeed.
"Yea, man. it's so."
"How do you know this?"
"Remember, man, things work best when we don't ask each other too many questions."
"Fair enough."
"I'll get that info to you as soon as i have it. It may be awhile, it may not, man. I know there's definitely a cover up here, dude.”
“How's that?”
“First, they let this fuckin’ dude go free. Now, they are surveying him. This shit reeks of police foul play, dude.”
“Ok, Rich.” Richie may not be too far off the mark there. This situation’s gonna bear watching. “But let me know when you have something.”
“Sure, bro.”
“Good. I gotta get outta here.”
Wait, why should Richie have all the fun. He thinks.
“Hey, Rich,”
“Yea, man.”
“How about hooking me up with some of that surveillance equipment.”
“Yea, sure. I got you. You got me... I’m gonna need some heavy cash, bro. And I got you covered, dude. And I'm talking about the best and the latest in ‘catch a motherfucker with his pants down’ kinda shit, dude.”
“Great. Let's do it.”
Richie has no idea that he has already given him all the help that he would ever need. But with the addition of some state-of-the-art surveillance, who needs a friend in the department when there's crazy Richie around. With the police all over the doctor, he's gonna have to be even more cautious.
Peter leaves the law offices confident he’ll find her.
Officer Jeffries scours the nearby roof tops around 66 Hudson pl. He knows snipers love perching themselves about the crowds, like lone predatory eagles. Knowing no one ever looks up, makes any lofty perch a strong vantage point. One often gets a clearer view of the surrounding area. There is a psychological distance between the shooter and the target, not like close up kills. And most important, one feels godlike, perched up high, passing and dispensing justice. At some point, he knows this is where he’ll find his vigilante.
Two plain clothes officers, pretending to be a couple, follow Peter as he heads into a café across from 66 Hudson pl. Peter orders a coffee and a croissant and takes a seat near the window. He has a great view of the comings and goings of the office building from here. The couple sits a few tables away. Sure of their cover, they order drinks and wait as well, all the while looking for anything or anybody out of the ordinary. No one on the team has yet to spot any suspicious characters following or paying close attention to the doctor. Officer Jeffries is sure the ground team will most likely never come across the shooter. This guy likes to keep his distance. The vigilante will be around keeping a watchful eye, but he will never get close, at least not close enough to be noticed. Jeffries is sure up high is the way to go.
He likes the new toys, Richie sold him, especially the little handheld orbiter electronic eavesdropper with Bose headset, just point it in the direction of your target and you can pick up clear audio, ingenious. And the hi-tech bugs and radio eq
uipment is any would-be spy’s dream. There's no way doctor VonNetzer will get away from him this time, for sure.
He doesn't like all the police attention around the doctor. It doesn't deter him, just makes him leery. His best bet now would be to find out why the doc was just at his lawyers’ office. Why would the doc risk everything just to comeback to the city? He cleans up and suits up. As special agent Jenkins, he’ll pay the lawyers of Kern, Davies and Kern a visit. It's been over an hour since Richie gave him the info about the doc. Hopefully, the police presence around the offices, at this time, will be minimal to nonexistent.
He drives over to 66 Hudson pl. Being on alert, he cautiously cruises through the block and immediately, he spots what he knows to be an unmarked police car parked near the offices of 66 Hudson pl. He’s sure the area is still crawling with cops. So, he doesn't stop. He continues past the building, avoiding the would-be police trap. This is not going to stop him from getting the information he needs. Remembering that he grabbed Laura's address when he paid her a visit in the hospital, he decides that going over to her place may prove more beneficial. She was Peter’s attorney after all, she may have answers she may not even know she has.
He gets to her building and is greeted by Juan, the doorman.
“Hi there, buddy. I'm looking for Laura Danger?”
“Yea. She's not here, right now.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yea, man. She took a car to the office a few hours ago.”
“Ok, can I leave may card with you?” He says giving Juan a business card claiming to be Paul Jenkins FBI. “Have her call as soon as possible. She may be in danger.”