by Teya Tapler
She vaguely remembered the day her father broth her to that vault. It was after they've discovered the first pearl. Her father had decided to store it in safe 1001 because Evan's birthday was October 1st.
Movement in the living room made her look there again. The people on the tape quickly emptied the content of the safe in their bags putting one piece in each bag and closed the safe carefully.
Her father was speechless seeing how the work of his life had been stolen. When the Professor finally closed his mouth and his breathing normalized the agent said, “Do you recognize any of them?”
“H-how did they get in?” the professor asked instead. “How did they know where I was hiding the pearls?”
“They’ve used your badge. The one you lost during the summer,” the agent answered and then tried to calm the professor down, “You did report the badge loss but the new one was issued to you while you were on the expedition. Because you haven't visited the museum since, they haven’t given it to you yet.”
“May I see the tape again?” the professor asked.
“I’d rather show you another angle. Here’s the footage from the other camera,” the agent inserted another tape, fast-forwarded it and then let it play. The screen was showing a larger image of the intruders.
“Professor, do you recognize any of them?” the agent asked again and slowly advanced the tape forward “This one here limps as if his right foot is hurt,” the agent pointed at one of the men. “Then here you can clearly see his profile again,” he added.
“What’s that? Stop the tape! Here! Look at the chin of that one.“ The professor touched the TV to show the exact spot.” It looks like some kind of a scar.”
“We thought the same but we weren't able to see it again on any other part of the film,” the agent forwarded the tape to a place where the same guy was on the foreground again.
Evan looked at the screen once more. She clearly saw the scar and there was something else. The shape of the head looked familiar to her and the combination of unmanageable hair, strong jaw and that scar bothered her: she had seen them somewhere before. Evan focused on the screen. It was hard to see any more details on the grainy black and white image from that distance.
I've watched too much TV. She told herself and headed upstairs. Just on time. Her mother came up from the basement and headed to the living room. She must have been running on the treadmill again. That was the way she kept her figure and battled the fifties.
“Why don’t you offer something to our guest?” Mrs. Shtuttgart looked at her husband then turned to the agent, “Coffee?” She was wearing a sweat suit and had a towel around her neck.
“Thank you madam, I was just leaving,” the agent said and took the tape out of the VCR. He stood up and headed to the exit. “If you hear or remember anything call me,” he said and formally handed his business card to the professor on his way out.
Outside the rain was still pouring. The agent hurried to the car and banged the doors on his way in. The car left the Shtuttgart’s driveway and made a clumsy right turn.
“Bizarre 21st century vehicle.” the agent mumbled, “Why does it need so many pedals and levers? Can’t they use a simple remote brain-computer interface instead?” He pulled out his cell phone and speed dialed. The person on the other side answered on the first ring.
“It’s Alex … Yes, I did visit,” the agent said. He was brief and respectful at the same time. His tone and words implied that he was reporting to his boss. “I showed him both tapes ... He didn’t know that the pearls were taken … No, he didn’t recognize any of the perpetrators.” The car followed the speed limit, passed the milkshake place and the high school and headed towards the closest gas station near the town line. The man was talking all the time, reporting on his visit to the professor’s house. “Yes, Mr. Mort the girl was there too … She came late and listened to our conversation ... She might have seen the tape as well ... Do you want me to talk to her? … Understood.”
Heavy raindrops splashed on the windshield making the wipers move faster. The headlights reflected off the wet road, lighting up the bushes and surrounding trees. A squirrel rushed in front of the car. Still on the phone, the driver tried to avoid it steering the car with one hand. For a split second the car skid then the vehicle stability system took control and adjusted the tire rotation speed as the car continued its smooth ride.
“I took the readings before entering the house. Only one of the pearls is there … Are you going with plan B then? … Understood … Will you need my help for the abduction? … Understood,” the man hung up.
There were fewer street lights in that part of the town. The man pulled over at the gas station and stopped the car closer to the air pump. The rain was still falling. He pulled a transcaster gun out of the glove compartment and transcasted himself.
Chapter 17
It was a normal school day. The kind of day you want to end as soon as possible either because of multiple tests or because of the way your friends behave. Evan had a Spanish test, followed by chemistry class. Zander’s mother was a much friendlier teacher than Mrs. K. they had had last year, but she was still giving them plenty of homework and folder-indexing tasks. Then, after chemistry, Evan had the dreaded gym and math classes before lunch. In gym, Mr. P made them run ten laps around the football stadium. At the end, Evan could barely breathe and because she changed her clothes slower than usual, she was late for math. Mrs. G, the math teacher, wasn’t happy about that and gave her two extra problems for homework. In addition, Mrs. G rarely smiled and always talked, repeating herself over and over. Evan had a hard time distinguishing where one thought ended and another one started. To top it all, Brittany and Megan were wondering what had happened between Evan and Kevin. They had noticed that the love-birds were not together as much as before and needed to know if he was available to cast their spell on him. They were good friends, but were overly selfish that time. Besides, Evan couldn’t tell them about the real reason for the damages on Kevin’s car. That meant she had to confess that she wasn’t ready for the next step, that her relationship with Kevin was stuck at the kissing stage. Megan and Brittany wouldn’t understand and she wouldn’t be able to convince them that she didn’t want to move forward from that kissing stage. She liked it the way it was; she didn’t want to do anything hasty that could jeopardize her future as a star TV reporter, and that meant keeping all boys at bay and let them kiss her at most, nothing else.
At lunch in the cafeteria, she sat at the popular student’s table as usual. It was the same table Kevin was sitting at, but that time they didn’t talk and there were three other football players between them. Evan focused on her sandwich and bottled water as her eyes surveyed the rest of the cafeteria. After the car accident, Kevin rarely talked to her. She suspected his father had spies in the school that would notify him if his son dared to strike up a conversation with his girlfriend. Yes, Evan still considered herself to be Kevin’s girlfriend. They hadn’t broken up: neither officially nor unofficially. They still had the same friends, still sat at the same table at lunch, still went to the same parties together. There wasn’t a new girl around him and Evan was not officially interested in anyone else; for her that counted as them still being together.
She was eating very, very slowly, not wanting to go back to the next class, whatever it was.
“You coming to the party?” Kevin’s voice made her jump out of her trance. They were now alone at the corner table. The rest of the popular group had moved to the bleachers, as they did every day, and as long as there was still a single popular student on that table no one else was going to be brave enough to ask them if any of the other chairs were taken. Being popular in the school had its perks.
Evan was surprised that Kevin had finally spoken to her. She was getting used to having him follow her quietly from class to class.
“Is your dad still mad at me? I was really going to pay for the car,” Evan said, taking a big bite of her sandwich.
�
��He’s not here,” Kevin grinned, chewing his lunch. “Don’t you remember? He flew with your parents to that conference in Switzerland.”
Oh, so his dad did have spies at school. Evan sighed and rolled her eyes.
“Those annual archeological awards. They’re so boring.” She handed him a napkin to clear the sauce around his mouth and continued. “My parents took me there some years ago. The 10-hour flight killed me and it was extremely hard staying awake during all those speeches at the formal dinner. The only nice thing was the dress I was wearing.” Evan took another bite and started chewing silently. She didn’t want to abuse his attention. Focused on the water in her bottle, she wondered whether it was half full or half empty.
He’s talking to you again. Are you feeling optimistic today, Miss Evangeline Shtuttgart? She thought.
“You coming to the party?” Kevin repeated his question and touched her left hand.
Evan smiled and nodded a yes. She hated talking with a full mouth and was happy that Kevin was talking to her again.
“Pick you up at seven then?”
“You’re the host and have to be there for the others. I’ll ride with Brittany and Josh.”
“Na-ah. The butler will help with the guests. I’ll pick you up at seven. Deal?” Kevin said.
“Okay,” Evan agreed and looked at her water bottle.
It’s half full, she thought and smiled. I am still Kevin’s girlfriend. My life’s perfect again.
Kevin left her to finish her lunch alone and disappeared toward the gym.
***
Later that day when the doorbell rang, Allie peeked through the living room window. After seeing Kevin’s car in the driveway she ran a few steps up the stairs to the second floor, looked toward Evan’s room and shouted as loud as she could. “He’s here! He’s here!”
It was seven o’clock, and Kevin had shown up to pick up Evan for the party.
“Open the door.… I’ll be there in a minute,” Evan shouted back from her room. She returned to the opened closet door and put her hand on one of the hangers inside. With eyes closed, she tried to imagine how the evening would go, what kind of music would be played, whether there would be any dancing or food and how many people were invited. Those and other important questions needed answers before she could select the perfect outfit for the event. Finally she opened her eyes and pulled a couple of more T-shirts from the closet. One after another, she placed them on her chest and looked critically in the mirror before finally selecting the best T-shirt. It was black with elbow-length sleeves, covered with lace. It was perfect for the skinny black jeans she had on and the black pumps she was planning to wear.
Evan put on the black T-shirt and stretched it along her slim body with both hands. Then she sat on her bed and put on the high heels. She felt ready for the final look and carefully got up. It was her second time in high heels after Junior Prom. She got up and with uncertain steps headed toward the mirror. A few hesitant and wobbly steps later, she almost twisted her ankles when her feet slipped out of the shoes. Evan wrinkled her nose, kicked the pumps angrily under the bed and quickly put on a pair of black flats. She approved her reflection in the mirror, smiled and ran downstairs to greet Kevin.
Dressed as a casual clothes model, he was standing next to the door with a single pink rose in his hand. When he saw her, he grinned and pushed the flower toward her.
“It’s for you.”
“Thank you!” Evan smelled the rose and smiled at Allie, who was standing close by, trying not to miss anything.
Evan’s hair was up in a ponytail at the top of her head, falling freely all around her face. Some short hairs surrounded her forehead, creating an improvised and elusive bangs. It was kind of a 60’s look, but her smile made it contemporary.
“Sis, you’re beautiful!” Allie said.
“Thanks, Allie.” Evan smiled back. “Now, do you remember what to do if Mom or Dad calls while I’m away?” Evan checked one last time.
“If they call before eight o’clock, I’ll tell them you’re in the shower. If the phone rings after eight, I will not answer it.” Allie repeated the directives verbatim.
“Great! See you tomorrow!” Evan said and left holding Kevin’s right arm.
Seeing the Maserati in her driveway made her gasp. “Wow! It’s like, like new.” She ran to the car and started caressing its top with her fingertips. She looked at the front and when she reached the co-pilot’s side Kevin opened the door for her.
“My Lady!” he waved his hand to invite her in.
“Thanks!” Evan smiled and got in. The heater had been on for a while and the car was pleasantly warm. She buckled up and pressed her feet to the floor. The last time they rode together, Kevin’s driving style was more suitable for a race-car driver than a high school senior.
The engine purred as Kevin started it and they drove away to Thunder Gate Mill.
It was a late September evening and the black clouds for the rainy forecast were gathering above Hamptonville. Kevin turned on the headlights and focused on the road. Evan chewed slowly her gum, popping one bubble after another. The pink rose lay on her lap. In the headlights, the trees by the road looked like party toothpicks: all lined up with their ruffled tops, ready to have fun.
When they reached Thunder Gate Mill, Kevin passed by all the cars parked in the gravel driveway and drove to the back of the house.
“It’s a surprise. My … dad had the underground … floors of the … house renovated, turning … them into a one-of-a … kind entertainment … area. You’ll see,” Kevin said, leaving some really awkward pauses. He slicked back his blonde hair and got out of the car. The silly grin on his face didn’t hide very well how uncomfortable he was, acting as though he was alone with Evan for the first time. His eyes darted around and his hands trembled holding the door open for her.
Evan got out of the car and inspected her surroundings. It was dark and hard to see too far in the distance: the path was covered with gravel, the windows at the upper floors of the house were dark and the cloud-covered sky was hanging low making everything around them even quieter. A swift rush of cold air made her hesitate. Her happy thoughts stopped for a split second and searched for a place to hide.
She looked Kevin in the eye and took his hand - nothing was going to spoil her evening: Kevin’s father was away, and so were her parents. Dancing the night away with her Prince Charming would be the best night of her life.
Kevin escorted her to an inconspicuous door, hidden among the huge rhododendrons at the back of the house. It was a single panel door that opened inwards without squeaking.
“This way, my Lady!” Kevin mustered some courage to speak without pauses and to grin once more.
Pink rose in hand, Evan entered the dark corridor, expecting the lights to go up any moment and for everyone to start shouting: Surprise! Anticipating balloons and whistles, she squeezed Kevin’s hand. Evan was going to have the best night of her life. She was happy and her life was perfect....
When they had gone a few steps, someone put duct tape over her mouth and threw a thick, coarse canvas bag over her head. Before she realized what was going on, her hands were tied behind her back.
Evan dropped the rose. Her heartbeat accelerated. She tried to wiggle her way out but she couldn’t move her arms. She couldn’t scream for help. The only thing she could see, through the thin strip of light at the bottom of the bag on her head, was her feet on the tiled floor. The tiles leaned to one side and then disappeared as someone picked her up, carrying her like a slab of beef. Her breathing became heavier. Her thoughts scrambled. She tried to focus, thinking that this, obviously, was a very different sort of surprise from what she had expected. She kicked as hard as she could, but her feet were already in the air and she couldn’t reach anything.
“There you are!” She heard a male voice. “I see you have the package. Put her over there and go to entertain your guests. You’ve earned it.”
The person carrying Evan disposed of her
on the floor. Falling down, she felt the hard surface and tried not to hit her head. Then she heard the distinctive, heavy click of a metal door being closed and locked, followed by the taps of footsteps going away. Disoriented and not being able to see, she didn’t know where the floor or the walls were. She stood still, afraid to make even the slightest move. Questions rushed in from all directions. She wanted to know who’d taped her mouth and pulled the bag over her head; who’d carried her disrespectfully and thrown her on the floor.
Was that the other man or … did Kevin do that? … Very likely. It was just the two of us in that corridor, or wasn’t it? It was Kevin’s house and his party. Or was it? Who was that other guy? Mr. Mort? It didn’t sound like him. Mr. Mort is usually yelling and this one was calm and content. Wasn’t Mr. Mort away with my parents? Evan’s thoughts chased each other furiously. Oh, Evangeline Shtuttgart, what did you get yourself into?
“Sir, he is back in his room. Do you want me to put you through?” an inviting female voice said.
“Yes, Amanda,” the first man said.
In the darkness surrounding her, Evan heard that something was moved around and buttons were clicked.
“Professor Shtuttgart, your daughter is with us.” An extremely deep and digitalized voice filled the room. “You have 24 hours to deliver the pearls or she will be terminated. Please stand by for instructions.”
Another click followed, and then Evan heard the first male voice again.
“Tell Kevin to end the party at midnight. We have work to do.”
“Yes, Zull,” Amanda replied and Evan heard how Amada high heel taps on the floor faded away.
Chapter 18
“Mrs. Shtuttgart? I’m Mary Sage, Evan’s chemistry teacher.” A smiling blond woman in a tight, turquoise, sleeveless dress with a scoop neckline stretched her hand out to Agatha Shtuttgart.