The parking lot was relatively empty when he arrived shortly before 0800. He could see Weisman in his office and Darcy in the waiting room, but he didn’t see Dom. He’d give him a few minutes. Even though he was the best of the best, he was still young, and very few young people were up and raring to go by 0800.
He flipped through his iPhone checking the messages that came in overnight. His superiors wanted a status report. He wrote back a simple, “In process,” and hoped that would satisfy them. He pressed send and saw Dom stepping in to flirt with Darcy.
She was attractive, no doubt about that. But Dom would have his pick of more than just the admin at the Academy when he got through with him. The future he offered Dom was beyond anything Dom had ever dreamed. But getting to that point required another test. And he was about to give Dom that test.
As soon as he saw Dom head into Commander’s office, he got out of the car and headed for the office. The plan was on, and Weisman was ready.
He noticed a cloud in the distance, rapidly moving toward him. He pressed the key fob to lock the car door, and the cloud stopped. He looked around.
Most cadets weren’t out and about yet, and only a small group could be seen heading to breakfast in the mess hall. He could smell pancakes and waffles and steak and eggs, tall glasses of whole milk and coffee with heavy whipping cream. Ok, the man in black couldn’t smell the milk, but he imagined it very well. He hadn’t eaten and now with the plan in motion wouldn't have time. He could have risked it and gone to grab a mug of coffee and cream, but he’d already made enough show of himself the last few days. Word spread among the cadets that he was a shadowy figure out to hurt Dom.
The rumor mill ran wild with tales that he was an undercover agent for the Russians and wanted to take Dom back to the Kremlin and put him undercover for them. That seemed a bit far-fetched, but with the way the Russians had infiltrated the spy game the last few years, he didn’t blame them. Others were sure he was part of a black ops CIA contingent and was out to make Dom the newest member.
The man in black bumped into Jessica on the way across the parking lot. He'd had his eye on the cloud in the distance, and his mind raced with thoughts of coffee and cream and pancakes. His hunger got the best of him, and he didn’t get quite where he needed to be as stealthily as he should have.
He let himself slip up.
It happened once on the last op too and now a second time. He’d have to check himself into the lab when he got back and have a few scans done. Maybe they could work out the kinks that were throwing him off the top of his game. It wasn’t helping the cause.
He got too close to Jessica and brushed her arm, creating a spark in the process. She turned to notice him, having been oblivious to him until that moment. He’d fallen out of stealth mode, and the shock of touching someone made it that much worse.
He turned to apologize to her, and with a special wink of his eye along with the memory device implanted in his retina, he was forgotten. She’d never remember seeing him or feeling his presence. It was a close one, but it made him hurry to get into the office.
* * *
Darcy had already seen him the day before, so that was fine. She could easily be swayed and made to forget. They exchanged pleasantries about the morning’s gorgeous sunrise though she was worried about the cloud in the distance. He told her not to worry, that the weathermen were saying it was just part of a high cloud weather system and not a rainmaker.
Commander Weisman tapped the button on the back of his desk, a signal to Darcy that he was ready for a visitor. He didn’t bother to use the intercom since he was trying to keep what was about to happen from Dom. He’d brought them both coffees from the mess hall and placed one on the far side of the desk for Dom. It steamed with a fury and Dom took a quick sip. It was much too hot to drink, but he was dying for some coffee. It was the one drug he was addicted to, and he was okay with that. He’d suffer through a few more minutes of the meeting while the coffee cooled down. There wasn't any more to do to further his success at the Academy except put together the entry kit and commendation he’d send to the officers that Commander Weisman mentioned were asking about him.
“So who’s this man in black?” Dom asked. “People have told me that they saw him around the last few days. I guess he’s pretty big and hard to miss, especially in all black. Not the best choice if you’re going incognito. Maybe dress in a flight suit or something, just not a black suit,” Dom said, following a strange tangent. “I think he’s an alien. A few of the guys and I watched Men in Black again. The suits looked pretty dated, but I guess the ‘90s weren’t the best dressed decade.”
While Dom rambled on about bad fashion choices from a bygone decade, the man in black slowly opened the door. Weisman kept Dom occupied, debating the merits of who wore it better? Did Will Smith really make it look better than Tommy Lee Jones?
Just as Dom was about to answer, he heard the door click. By the time he turned around he didn’t notice anything except a swirling, blurry darkness around him.
“Dom, are you feeling okay?” Weisman asked. He knew the answer, but he had to keep up appearances.
He told Darcy to hold all his calls, and he and the man in black helped Dom up out of his chair. He wasn't quite asleep or completely out of it, but he was also not quite in the know of what was going on.
The man in black helped him to the door and slowly walked him past Darcy. Weisman followed close behind. He explained that Dom wasn’t feeling well and that they’d take him to the infirmary. Darcy offered to call the infirmary to come pick Dom up, but they declined. The man in black said he was hungry and that he’d help Weisman get Dom to the infirmary. Then they could go for breakfast while Dom got checked out.
They made their way out to the parking lot. By that time the lot was filled up. It was amazing how much people could be relied upon to be at their desks promptly by 0800 but not a moment sooner. It gave them cover to get Dom out the door and into his car. Having a big car came in handy at moments like that.
A few cadets walked by, and Jock was around as well. The man in black recognized him from his picture. He winked when Jock saw him, and he kept on walking.
9
Commander Weisman helped load Dom into the back seat of the car. He was still awake but not coherent as the specialized tranquilizer drug shuffled through his system. It was best to have Dom look awake even if he wasn’t registering any info. He’d soon pass out but not before the man in black made it out of the parking lot.
A few cadets wandered by and said good morning to Commander Weisman. He smiled and nodded, and the man in black winked at them. They wouldn’t remember anything later. He was there but not really there, and it was more efficient that way. He was still hungry, though, and he could still smell the sweet aroma of breakfast, even that far into the parking lot.
Since he couldn’t leave Dom passed out in the car, he’d have to skip breakfast. Fasting wasn’t ideal, and Commander Weisman offered to get him a coffee.
“I can fetch a cup from my office real quick if you’d like,” Weisman said. “It won’t take but a minute.”
“Thanks, but I need to get back to the hotel before Dom passes out,” he said. “Is there a drive-thru anywhere nearby?”
“There’s a Cafe Press on the way back to your motel, just off 578,” Weisman said. “Not the best coffee, but it tastes pretty good if you drown it in cream. Good for a quick jolt.”
“Thanks,” he said. “I’ll let you know what happens later today. Do you have the rest of the papers?”
“Oh, I almost forgot, let me run back in and grab those for you,” he said.
The man in black looked at his watch. It was 8:15 and he only had a few minutes before Dom would be out cold. He didn't want to have to deal with him when he was totally dead weight. He was strong, but deadlifting a body was a different sort of thing without resorting to desperate measures. He’d have to hurry to get back to the motel in time.
Weisman rushed back with
a packet of papers. He glanced around to make sure no one saw him. Darcy was in the office but wouldn’t remember a thing. She was good like that. They shook hands and the man in black rolled out.
The cloud followed.
* * *
Jock noticed the man in black sneaking around campus. He wasn’t too difficult to spot as most people didn’t run around town in black suits, much less drive fancy imported cars.
He met Jessica for breakfast around 0830, and she told him she didn’t feel well. Jock thought she just needed some food, so they headed over to the mess hall, though he didn’t usually eat breakfast, preferring to fast until lunch and dinner. Jock ordered a coffee and cream and sat down while she tore into a stack of pancakes, eggs, and bacon, with a few extra sides of bacon, all washed down with a pot of coffee. He could only stare over the rim of his steaming coffee mug. It was quite a sight, and he’d never seen her eat that way. She was eating like a man. It was like she was becoming Jock and it turned him on like nothing else. Too bad he wasn’t sure she’d be up for any morning fun after being seen with Dom the last few days.
Dom. Ever since he beat him in one-on-one on the basketball court, that’s all he’d heard about. Jock was sure he could have beaten him, if only due to his physical presence. But he didn’t have good enough ball handling skills or much range outside of the post. A good perimeter shooter would always take down a big man.
And now he wondered what had gotten into Jessica. The rest of the mess hall was watching in awe as well. She was like a woman possessed, eating and eating and eating some more. She even went back for a few cinnamon rolls, the cream cheese frosting dripping down her chin as she tore into bite after bite. She was turning into an animal.
“Anything happen this morning?” he asked. “You don’t seem to be yourself.”
She was too busy devouring another bite of pancakes and egg yolk to answer. She finally came up for air after a swig of coffee. She wasn’t in the sipping mood that morning. She was crazed about food.
“Are you pregnant,” he asked?
That got her attention. “No, I’m not pregnant,” she replied. “Whatever gave you that idea?”
“Well, I’ve known you for a while, and you’ve never eaten like this, at least not in public. Are you sure nothing happened this morning?”
She took another swig of coffee as she thought back to her morning.
“I got up at 6:30, took a shower, checked my emails, wasted time on Snapchat, and then walked over to Commander Weisman’s office around 8:15. Then I met you and here we are. Pretty normal stuff.”
That was a pretty typical morning for any of them. Jock wondered if anything was going on with Commander Weisman. He’d been kind of weird lately himself, muttering about commendations and promotions. Not that he was ever the calmest person, but he didn’t seem himself.
“Did you see Commander Weisman this morning?” Jock asked. “I went to his office, and Darcy said he’d just left.”
“No, I never got there,” she said. “I remembered I’d forgotten my iPad in my room once I got to his office. I turned around and went back for it and then met up with you afterward.”
“That’s weird,” he said. “How do you forget your iPad? It’s like it’s surgically attached to your hand.”
She didn’t answer, too busy taking another giant bite of a cinnamon roll.
10
The line at the drive-thru window of Cafe Press stretched nine cars back. The man in black glanced at his watch and then over at his semi-comatose companion in the passenger seat. Dom’s head flopped around as drool spilled down his chin. The drug worked quickly, and he didn’t have much time left before Dom was out cold.
“Does everyone on this edge of town need coffee right now?” he snapped to himself.
He finally made it to the order window. “Two extra-large drips with heavy cream.”
“Do you want triple pump espresso or caramel shots or vanilla soy whip with either of those?” The clerk asked, tugging the brown cardboard visor perched over her bushy caterpillar eyebrows. “They’re only a quarter more each.”
“No,” the man in black answered abruptly. “Heavy cream will be just fine, thank you.” He longed for the days when coffee was coffee.
The clerk handed him his order, though the cups looked more like tankards of ale than coffees, and he suddenly had no idea where to put them. The cup holders in the car weren’t nearly big enough, one drawback to German automotive design. He could almost see the motel in the distance, so he made do by putting them between Dom’s legs.
* * *
The man in black pulled into the motel parking lot, the damp leaves spinning behind him as he slowed to a stop outside the door. He rechecked his watch, only a few minutes left to get Dom inside.
He opened the passenger door and reached in to grab the coffees. Once again he had nowhere to put them so he put them on the roof, hoping the scalding liquid wouldn’t ruin the finish. Dom was fading fast, so he leaned back in to pull him out. He slung Dom’s arm over his shoulder as he stumbled across the lot, wet leaves slopping up his shoes. Dom’s shiny boots dragged along the damp pavement.
He fumbled with the key, trying to remember which pocket it was in. Of course, he led Dom with his right arm, and the key was in his right pocket. He quickly let go of Dom, hoping he’d remain upright for a few seconds. Dom wobbled and smiled a creepy dead smile, his brilliantly white teeth dazzling in the fading sun. The clouds were moving closer, blotting out the light.
He shoved the key in the lock and opened the door, grabbing Dom before he toppled over to the ground. He quickly shut the door and grabbed a chair, sitting Dom down before he could tie things up. He grabbed a foot-long zip tie from his coat pocket and wrapped it around Dom’s wrists. He pulled a black cloth bag from his other pocket and slid it over Dom’s head.
He stepped back and looked at Dom’s lifeless body in the chair. Judging from his size, he figured he’d be out cold for about eight hours. That was the one problem with knocking him out so early. He’d waste a perfectly good day sitting around waiting for Dom to wake back up. Doing it at night wasn’t an option since there’d be too many people around at that point. Oh well, he thought, he’d make do with it.
With Dom secured, he slowly opened the door, making sure no one was watching. He’d left the coffee on the roof of the car and needed to get it while it was still hot. He stepped outside and grabbed the two cups, carefully wiping the roof with the sleeve of his jacket.
He took a sip of one as a craggly old woman appeared out of nowhere.
“Oh, there you are!” Mrs. Maxwell said, toying with her silver-streaked dirty blonde hair. “I saw you a few days ago when you pulled in, nice car.” She smiled a toothy grin stained by years of too much coffee, clearly flirting with him.
He didn’t want to deal with her, fearing she'd soon start talking about the weather. He smiled and winked at her. Away she went thinking of the next things she’d need to do in her day, forgetting all about the man in black.
He set the coffees back on the roof and rubbed his tongue along the front of his teeth, wondering if they'd end up like hers someday. He shrugged and made a mental note to drink more water every day. He tucked Weisman's papers under his arm and grabbed the coffees, again wiping down the roof with his sleeve.
With his hands full, he gingerly tapped the door with his right foot and went back inside. He closed the door behind him, flipped the lights on and sat down to read.
* * *
He spent the rest of the day flipping through notes on Dom. It wasn’t the most exciting thing to do because he already knew most of it. He had the same files from his superiors. He was merely cross-referencing his records with the information that Commander Weisman gave him.
It was a huge challenge for his superiors to find every little bit they could, but they relied on surveillance footage from the beginning of time. Everything was cataloged, no matter how insignificant.
There was one extra ti
dbit he discovered through Weisman’s offerings. Dom had once given up taking the winning shot in a basketball game to another player who was in a better position. Somehow something small and inconsequential from years before slipped through the cracks for his investigators.
That was a turning point for Dom and the last few years hinged on this selfless act. The kid he gave the ball to never ended up playing again, and Dom went on to many more glories than even he could remember. The other kid, though, never forgot that day the rest of his life, or at least that’s what the records showed. He looked up to Dom and gave him credit and defended him whenever anyone called him a showoff or worse.
It was the best thing Dom had done to that point. One unselfish moment had huge implications down the line. Or it would; they didn’t know how all that would play out in the grand scheme of things.
He set the papers aside and flipped on the TV. As he scanned through the channels on the TV, he couldn’t believe how much junk was on during the day. Even with 500 channels he still couldn’t find anything interesting.
He settled on a cooking show. A mountain of a man stood in a smoky haze with giant slabs of ribs and brisket, slowly smoking them to death and slathering vats of red sauce over the top of them. The coffee with cream hadn’t done much for him, and now he was even hungrier after watching the pork parade. He flipped over to the Weather Channel and tried to ignore the rumbling in his stomach.
11
Dom’s head wobbled back and forth like a rag doll. He tried to rub his eyes, but his hands were tied behind his back. He had no idea where he was. The last thing he remembered was sitting in Commander Weisman’s office. They were going through some paperwork he needed for a commendation he was prepping for Dom. He heard the door click behind him and then things went black.
Domination of the SPOOKS Page 3