“That’s the power of love honey. It’s a chemical that gets deep inside and lets you see things that aren’t there.” She smiled a confirmation into the mirror. “So we moved into an apartment you couldn’t spread your arms in and I was ready for the rest of my fairytale life. Only, the man I picked had a mean temper on him. Never could tell when it was gonna erupt, but you sure knew about it when it did. Anyway, one night he wasn’t too happy with the fact I came home a little late. My best friend had just got a job she’d been hoping for and we celebrated with a few drinks, like you do, and boy oh boy he didn’t like it. Well one thing leads to another and... let’s just say a slamming door ain’t no fun. Broke every bone there is and destroyed most of the nerves. Being left handed I had a hellava time learning to use the other one.” The traffic began to move, lights swirling across the interior. “So there you have it, that’s the story of my hand. What about you? I figure you must have a story seeing you’re in my car in a city you don’t know with a cat on your lap.”
For a moment John wasn’t sure what to say. Hell, he was the one who asked, but he hadn’t quite anticipated the brutally honest response. Although it invited even more questions, he’d leave them be.
“I’m here for a bit of a working holiday I guess,” he said. “Take care of an errand and enjoy the beautiful sights that Miami has to offer.”
“And the cat?”
“Bobbie here, well he’s my wingman. He doesn’t see too well and he’s one hell of a snob when it comes to food, but he helps me out a whole heap, not that he’ll admit it.”
Vanessa once again looked up into the mirror with a squint, studying John with obvious curiosity.
“Are you a cop? You look like a cop.”
John felt a slight flush across his cheeks. It was the sort of question that usually came with a heavy sense of danger or mistrust, but he was a long way from home and she had graced him with the story of damaged love. Besides, his answer was hardly going to change anything.
“What makes you ask that?”
“You’d be surprised the kind of people that sit where you are right now. After a while you start to pick up little things.”
“I was a cop,” John sighed, “but not anymore. How could you tell?”
“Oh I don’t know, the way you hold yourself, the look in your eyes.” Vanessa tapped the side of her head. “I can only talk from my experience, but usually a cop has eyes that seem to be recording more than seeing. The way you been looking out that window anyone would think you’re getting ready to write a report. If you’re not a cop anymore though, what do you do now?”
“Right now, anything that pays the bills.”
“Ha! I don’t know about your country, but over here the bills never stop coming let me tell you. The way I see it, as long as your heart’s beating there’ll be a reason to hand over the green.”
From the cradle in the centre console Vanessa’s phone started to ring. When the conversation began to crackle from the dashboard speakers John made a point not to listen, choosing instead to peer at the endless stream of buildings that disappeared high up into the darkness. By the time the conversation came to an end the car pulled into a circular driveway that led to the entrance of his hotel, and it was nothing like the motels that he had found himself in time and time again while working various jobs. No, this structure was strikingly tall and white with a front entrance that was decorated with walls of blue glass with flowing water cascading to an unseen reservoir. As far as first impressions went it was a lot more than he’d expected.
“Here we are,” Vanessa exclaimed, “your new home. Well, home away from home anyway. You look after Bobbie there and I’ll get your case.”
John hadn’t even managed to slide both legs out of the car before a porter came rushing over. He couldn’t have been more than twenty, and what there was of him appeared even less thanks to an oversized uniform that was in serious need of an iron. He introduced himself and hurriedly grabbed the suitcase from Vanessa. With Bobbie back in his cage by his feet, John reached into his pocket for money.
“I don’t know who arranges your itinerary,” Vanessa said with a shake of her head, “but this ride’s already been covered.”
John pushed the money closer. “Then consider this the tip.”
Vanessa cautiously accepted the notes and brushed a couple of curls from her eyes. “I sure hope you and Bobbie enjoy your stay here in Miami. And keep an eye out for trouble, cause in this city you can sure as hell bet it’s looking out for you.”
John nodded his head with a silent thank you and began to follow the porter to the foyer. Having only taken a few steps, he suddenly stopped and turned around.
“You know,” he said with a growing confidence, “I was just thinking. I’ve got no real idea of where I’m going, or how I’m going to get there. Things would be a hell of a lot simpler if I had someone who knew this city, so I’d like to hire you as my driver. Full time. Name your price and let’s lock in a deal.”
By now the porter had stopped mid journey, obviously interested in what the answer would be. Vanessa tilted her head and thought for a moment.
“Take this,” she said, handing John a silver card from her shirt pocket. “My phone’s always on. I’ve got a pick up early in the morning, but after that I’m all yours.”
“That’ll work,” John replied. “I guess I’ll be seeing you tomorrow.”
“Indeed you will. As for the price, I’ll leave you guessing for now.”
He watched as she lifted herself back into the car and slowly rolled into the night. His body was exhausted and yet his mind was racing. Making sure the porter’s back was to him he quickly retrieved the white plastic canister from his front pocket and swallowed three pills. The demons, he was sure, didn’t care about geography.
By the time he’d checked in and was shown to his room his eyelids were too heavy to explore the new surroundings. For the moment the only thing of any importance was the remote control for the air conditioning. He dropped the temperature down a couple of notches, scooped up Bobbie from the carry cage and then collapsed upon the bed. The fact that he was now in another country still didn’t seem quite real, but that would change soon enough. For now though he allowed the chemical tinged sleep to slowly shut down his senses and, as always, quietly hoped the nightmares wouldn’t be too bad.
Chapter 9
Whoever had stayed in the room previously neglected to switch of the alarm. Torn from his slumber with a piercing jolt John saw that it had just gone five in the morning. Even with the air conditioner on all night he found he’d managed to kick the covers to the edge of the bed leaving Bobbie to taken advantage of the extra cushioning, and was surprised to find tha sunlight already pushed its way into the room from around the edges of the curtains. He was in another country and back on the job, and that meant he had a professional reputation to uphold regardless if his personal one was beyond repair. It was time to get the show on the road.
The hotel suite had a small kitchen and dining area, and in anticipation of his arrival a care package had been placed beside the cook top. With blood slowly warming his muscles and eyes adjusting to the light of the room he looked inside the large box. There was an exotic collection of tinned food, two bags of fancy looking cat cookies and a bag of kitty litter. Sitting beside the box were two cream coloured porcelain bowls, each imprinted with the letter “B”. Impressed with the thoughtful gesture, John set up a selection of food and water on the floor by the small fridge and filled a steel litter tray in the bathroom.
The familiar sound of cookies falling into a bowl triggered Bobbie to sit up and sniff at the air. John lifted his friend from the bed to let him explore the kitchen and new flavours whilst he jumped in the shower. Once dressed he grabbed the small blanket from the crate and placed it on the floor by the curtains, bringing them open with the touch of a sensor on the wall. Shockingly bright sunlight burst into the room causing him to raise a hand to his eyes. Once they adjusted, how
ever, the view from the twenty second floor erupted with an impact that caught his breath. The dazzling blue of the ocean stretched out below, tracing along a palm tree dotted coastline crammed with towering buildings as far as he could see. Thousands of windows reflected the clear blue sky as the streets below pulsed with traffic and activity. On the water were boats of every description tearing open the surface, and he counted three helicopters as he opened the sliding glass doors to reveal a salt infused breeze.
He had to admit that in the light of day the city appeared exhilarating. It was obvious winter had no place here. The towering hotels and offices seemed to reach out for the sun and soak in the heat, and the smell of the air promised an endless summer. Maybe, he thought as Bobbie sniffed his way to his blanket and lifted his face to the sun, taking the job wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
“I know you can’t see much mate, but you’ve got yourself one hell of a view.” He reached down and scratched the back of his ears. “Might was well enjoy the place while you’ve got it. I’m gonna go down for some breakfast, so make yourself at home and I’ll check in on you later okay?”
He threw what he needed into a small backpack and rode the elevator to the ground floor. In the lobby, staff were busy behind counters or rushing this way and that with baggage trolleys and cleaning carts. The unmistakable smell of grinding coffee directed him down a hallway and into a dining area that looked out across a large island shaped pool surrounded with umbrella shaded deck chairs, luscious green plants marking the division between a well manicured lawn and the warm sand of the beach. Although still early a handful of holiday makers were already marking their territory, some swimming leisurely laps while others reclined in their seats with sunglasses and hats ready to soak up the rays.
John found a seat at one of the tables and looked over the menu. He’d barely had time to read through it when a young, pimple faced waiter appeared with a smile.
“Good morning to you sir. Would you like to order?”
“Sure,” John replied. “I’ll have a black coffee, as strong as you can make it, and a couple of eggs on toast.”
“How would you like your eggs sir?”
“Cooked.”
By the look on the kid’s face he had either missed the joke or heard it a thousand times before. Then again, it could have had something to do with the fact that John hadn’t even hinted at a smile. Humour was definitely not his strong point.
A minute or so later his coffee landed on the table, by which time he’d extracted the tablet from his pack and had placed a small notepad and pen to the side. The world might’ve been electronic, but he’d learned on more than one occasion old school ink on paper had its own advantages. Important information tended to become useless if it relied on a power supply, especially if the battery ran out, and doing the kind of job he did meant wall sockets weren’t always at hand.
He threw bitter coffee down the back of his throat and opened up his emails. Sure enough the most recent addition carried Sebastian’s name. With the sound of kid’s laughter floating across from the pool he clicked it open.
Dear John,
I hope the flight was comfortable for Bobbie and yourself. I’ve spent quite a bit of time in Miami, and about the best bit of advice I can offer is don’t be fooled by the laid back appearance – it’s not all beach and bikinis. It’s the kind of city that smiles while it bites. None the less, a man of your experience will work things out pretty quickly.
As you know I have a few ears on the ground over there, and there’s a dinner scheduled for tonight that will be hosted by some representatives of the organisation. Unlike the seminar, which seems to be one of the ways they screen and recruit potential members, the dinner is a fundraiser. From what I understand it’s to source money for research or some such business, but I’m afraid I have no idea what sort of research they’re planning to do. I guess that’s for you to find out. Judging by the price tag for their little event they’re aiming for high rollers, and I managed to purchase you a spot. No doubt they’ll track the financials to make sure you’ve got deep enough pockets for the occasion, hence the account we set up for you.
I don’t know if she’ll be there but it’s a foot in the door, so to speak. If it really is just a blatant money grab and nothing fruitful, there’s still the seminar. From the little information I’ve got they’re hinting at big returns for investment, so my advice would be to say you were pointed in the direction by your money broker back here in Australia. I suspect that should be adequate. Beyond that dear boy, I’m afraid it’s all a matter of discovery because there’s not much more I can tell you. Good luck, and I’ll be in contact soon.
Sebastian.
The day may have been early but the heat was already beginning to rise, as was the surreal sheen that was washing across reality. He scribbled a couple of quick notes then opened the photos that were attached to the email. To say he was momentarily shocked would’ve been an understatement. Rebecca, the elusive wife and reason for travelling half way across the world, smiled at him from the screen with the kind of features that could send grown men into war with just the hint of possible courtship. It was a timeless beauty worthy of sculptures, leaving John unable to determine her age. She could have been in her twenties or maybe in her forties, but either way the years seemed immune to flawless skin that was decorated with sparkling blue eyes. One thing was for damn sure, it was becoming quickly obvious why Sebastian was so desperate. Whether it was true love that had gone wrong or a case of money only being temporary John didn’t quite know yet, but he was suddenly beginning to understand a little more of the job that had flipped his world upside down.
With a swipe of the screen he sent the images to his phone then opened the final attachment. It was the confirmation for the dinner reservation, and when he checked the details he saw that it was happening that very night. Things, it seemed, were moving fast. Looking on the positive side it meant there was a good chance he could find Rebecca, tell her about the broken heart she’d discarded back in Australia and return home with Bobbie before he even had time to pick up a tan. It then struck him though, as he took another sip of coffee, that heading home wasn’t exactly anything to look forward to anymore.
He picked at his breakfast once it arrived but found his hunger had shrunk away like a rat scuttling into a dark corner. The warmth of the sun was beginning to make itself well and truly known as the thick air began to draw moisture up through his exposed pores. Still not quite coming to grips with the new surroundings he scribbled his room number onto the bill, threw his laptop and notepad into the backpack and headed for the beach that lay beyond the line of palm trees. At least that was something familiar to help him gather his bearings and warm his slightly aching muscles.
Unlike the stretch of sand suffering beneath winter storms back home he was greeted with a crowded coastline. Holiday makers were setting up towels and umbrellas while early morning joggers dashed along the edges of the water. A police patrol was slowly cruising amongst the growing crowd ready to intervene at the first sight of trouble, though John couldn’t imagine what sort of crime would be committed this early in the bright of the morning sun. Maybe, he thought sarcastically, someone might try to steal an unattended umbrella or towel, but it wasn’t very likely.
With his skin still struggling to adjust to the sudden humidity he strolled along a pear white concrete walkway. Thoughts of the last few days swirled and replayed, images of the divorce papers fighting for prime position. He became transfixed by the endless sprawl of high rises that left him feeling strangely smaller and more insignificant than he’d felt when he’d woken up. It was truly a case of being a stranger in a strange land.
After an hour or so of wandering and studying the lavish display of sun worshiping architecture he headed back up to his room to check on Bobbie, who let out a soft cry from his blanket when he stepped through the door.
“I think you’d like it down there,” John assured him. “A whole lot warmer
than back home.”
He threw the backpack onto the bed and crouched beside his groggy friend. Considering he had a dinner to attend that night it was probably a good idea to pick up some suitable clothes. He wasn’t exactly a fan of shopping on the best of days, but it would also be a good way to see a little more of the city. On the kitchen bench he found Vanessa’s business card and tried the number. Surprisingly, her voice bounced through the speaker almost straight away.
“It’s your lucky day, you’re speaking with Vanessa. How can I help you?”
“It’s John here, the passenger with the cat. Are you still available today?”
“Absolutely.”
“Great,” he said with a touch of relief. “I thought I might do a little shopping so if you can point me in the right direction it’d make my life a whole lot easier. I’m ready to go whenever you are.”
“Not a problem there John. I’ll be waiting down the front in just under an hour.”
True to her word John saw her car pull up from his seat in the lobby fifty minutes later. Jumping in the passenger door he was glad for the air conditioned breeze that flowed from the dashboard. Vanessa wore the same uniform from the previous night, and her infectious grin seemed undaunted as the car manoeuvred into the hectic morning traffic. Looking through the window by the light of day the city looked even bigger than it had under the neon cloak of darkness.
“So mister ex law enforcement cat man, what sort of shopping are you wanting to do?” she asked.
John couldn’t help but smile. “There’s a dinner I’ll be attending tonight and I didn’t exactly pack any of the fancy stuff.”
“Are we talking nachos and beer kinda dinner, or the pat your lips with expensive linen kind?”
“To be honest I’m not overly sure. If I aim for somewhere down the middle I might be alright.”
“Seeming you’re a visitor and all there’s a great shopping strip not far from here. Plenty of places to eat too, if you’re hungry.” She shrugged her shoulders and giggled. “And if there’s nothing there you like, we can wiggle our way downtown and check out what’s there.”
The Hallucigenia Project Page 9