Quick as lightning, I responded with the fast hand movements of striking, jabbing, thrusting, and parrying. It was pure muscle memory from the nightly visualization practices. I jabbed the tightly rolled magazine into the middle of the attacker’s neck, right below his Adam’s apple. It happened so fast he didn’t see it coming. He looked up with wide, surprised eyes. The look instantly turned fearful because suddenly he couldn’t breathe.
Choking and in a panic, he gasped for air and leaned forward, clutching his throat. As he bent over, I struck him on the back of the neck. It made a loud thwacking sound as the missile connected. The attacker fell noisily to the floor on one knee. He tried to rise, but I used the makeshift bat to smack him squarely in the face. I heard a crunching sound as the force of the baton broke his nose. Blood spurted across the floor. The would-be assailant looked up in utter amazement, shaking his head in disbelief. He turned pale before passing out. All three blows had hit critical impact points in approximately four seconds, and he couldn’t believe it. Neither of the two men could believe it.
My attack on his partner was over quickly. Louis was so surprised at the sight that for a few of those moments he merely watched with incredulity. He’d been told this was an easy snatch-and-grab. By the time he stopped gawking at his partner, his face was splotched red with anger. He squinted and glared his rage. That kind of fury is foolish. It makes regular people do stupid things—and what Louis did next was brainless.
Louis forgot about the gun tucked inside his waistband. He ran forward with arms outstretched as if to tackle me. I’d learned in high school that big guys often think they’re invincible and that their size compensates for everything else, including agility. When Lewis hurled himself forward, I easily sidestepped the frontal attack and pivoted in one fluid motion as I’d done in the ring with Troy. The thump of the magazine connected sharply, and Louis yelped in pain as it slammed against his right ear. He went down hard on both knees; the impact rattled lamps sitting on end tables. He reached to cup his badly damaged ear and felt the warm trickle of blood oozing along his cheek. The missile’s hard, loud smack had ruptured his eardrum and he was feeling all the signs of vertigo. His world was whirling and tilting out of control as another roar of rage found its way out of his throat.
I knew even from the small taste of Kali training in Roussillon that it wasn’t over until the attacker was no longer a threat. Louis was in utter shock, completely disorientated, and barely struggled as I slipped behind him. I applied pressure to his thorax, effectively putting him out cold. The big man slid to the floor, landing face down.
I checked their pulses to make sure they were still breathing. I didn’t want to kill anyone. This was my first hands-on use of the techniques learned. My intention was only to disable and disarm them. After I was certain they were out of operation but alive, I took the gun and sat it on the entry table. Then, I retrieved a couple of heavy-duty plastic cable ties to bind their wrists and feet together. They shouldn’t cause any more trouble trussed up like turkeys. As soon as I’d done everything I could to make my home safe again, I called Joe’s cell phone. He answered on the first ring.
“Joe, I’ve got bad trouble over here.”
“I know. Maria called me. I’ll be there in about five minutes. Stay put and stay safe.”
“Ok....and...Thanks for coming.”
“Don’t thank me yet, Mike. You’ve got some serious explaining to do. I won’t get into it on the phone, but we’re going to talk this time.” Joe hung up.
Maria, hysterical and rocking back and forth with her ears covered, was wedged between the vanity and the toilet. I called her name several times before she looked up. Her eyes were wide and fearful.
“Oh, Señor,” she cried out, “Pensé que íbamos a morir. I thought both of us were going to die. Those men, they had a gun. I’ve never been so frightened in my life. Quiero irme a casa. I need to go home right now, Señor Mike. Please, I need to go home. Por favor, por favor,” Maria pleaded like a frightened child.
“Perrdón, lo siento, Maria. I’m sorry. I’m sorry you were involved in this. I’ll send you home after Joe says you can leave. They’re going to want to ask you some questions,” I replied as I pulled her up from where she was crouching and hugged her. In the four years that I’d known Maria, I’d never touched her. Now, in an attempt to calm her fears, I wrapped my arms around her and softly repeated, “Lo siento, Maria. I’m so sorry, Maria. I’m so sorry.” I was still in the bathroom with her when Joe and four agents arrived.
Joe found the two men restrained in the living room floor and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He called out for Mike and then followed the sounds of Maria’s crying upstairs. His presence soothed Maria enough to get her back downstairs. Joe wondered how in the hell his quiet, unassuming friend had taken down two dangerous men.
“When Señor Mike came in from the kitchen rather than the front door, it surprised the men so much that they let me leave the room,” Maria said as she answered Joe’s questions. “It was his unexplained entrance that saved my life. I did exactly what he told me, except I didn’t wait to call you. I called you right away.”
“It’s all right, Maria. You did wonderfully and you’re safe now. I’m glad you didn’t wait to call me. Two of my men will take you home. You can decide whether you want them to stay. It’s important for you to know that you’re safe—these men weren’t after you; they were after Mike,” Joe said to reassure Maria.
“But, why Señor Joe; why are they after Señor Mike? He’s a good man and would never do anything wrong or illegal. Why are they after him?” Maria asked still crying.
“I don’t yet know the answer to that, Maria, but I promise I’ll find out.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“Well, let’s hear it,” Joe finally said. We were sitting at the patio table with two cups of coffee between us.
“I’m just going to spill it because I don’t know any other way to do it. The truth of the matter is that I have a secret…I see images of the future through a kaleidoscope.” I admitted, looking Joe squarely in the eyes. “My life went to the crapper after I told Nelson. As a therapist, I hoped he could help me.”
“So, that’s what this is about?” he asked.
“You don’t sound surprised.”
“I’m not. You may think it’s a secret, but I knew about it in college,” Joe said, and then laughed. “Well, let me revise that; I knew you were special. It was obvious that you saw things the rest of us couldn’t see, but I didn’t know you saw those things through a kaleidoscope.”
“What do you mean?” I demanded.
“Ah, hell, Mike…we all knew how special you were. Some company men came around Columbia right after I met you, asking if I’d watch you and make reports on you,” Joe explained.
“I didn’t know, Joe,” I replied, visibly shaken.
“They were willing to pay big bucks to get me to do that, but I refused. I thought it was an invasion of your privacy. I knew I wanted to work in criminal law. I mean, I could’ve used the money, right? You know how tight it was for my folks to send any money at all. They singled out all of your friends, Mike. How the hell didn’t you know that?”
I didn’t have an answer. Adom was right after all—this started when I was in college. Casey was right, too—it wouldn’t stop.
What the hell am I going to do?
“And, that’s what this is about—the bugs and tracking devices in your home and computers?” Joe continued. “The men who tried to abduct you? Cassandra D’Angelo watching you for four years? All of this happened because you see the future?” Joe asked.
“Yes. Someone even followed me home from the last job in Terni, but I didn’t want to believe it.”
“Ok, Mike, let’s start from the beginning. You think everything started after you told Nelson Fitch about your secret. Let’s start there. Lay it out for me step by step,” Joe said.
I told Joe everything that happened after I told Nelson about the k
aleidoscope. I laid it out in chronological order. Joe took a few notes, but he didn’t interrupt. When I was finished with the confession, the rift between us healed instantly. I felt such relief I didn’t know why I was resistant to tell him in the first place.
“Do you see a common thread running through your story, Mike?” Joe asked after I finished the tale.
“My ability to see the future is embroiled in every detail.”
“No, that’s not what I’m referring to. Stop blaming yourself for who you are. If you hadn’t had this ability, all of us—you, me, Tasha, Sarah, and Nelson—would be different people today. Without realizing it, you used your ability, dormant or not, to help each of us through some tough times.” Joe paused briefly and then continued. “You’ve said it before… It began when you told Nelson.”
He believes Nelson is responsible for this shit-storm…so did Adom.
“Listen, Mike, those company men approached all of us. I talked with Tasha and Sarah about it after it happened. We wondered if we should say anything to you. The consensus from the girls was not to say anything…that you probably already knew. You had that uncanny ability. I found it odd that Nelson never said a word about it or volunteered any information, even when he overheard us discussing it. He acted as if they hadn’t contacted him, but I was always certain that they had. He must’ve taken their offer; it’s the only logical explanation,” Joe concluded.
“That’s what Adom thought, too.”
“Stop kicking yourself, Mike. You were amazing in college. You had a mysterious knack for knowing what to do in any situation. We trusted you completely. To be honest, you were the glue that held our little group together. None of us knew you saw stuff through a kaleidoscope, but we knew you saw things that we couldn’t. We loved and admired you. It was a bonus that you used it to help your friends. When any of us had a problem, it was as if you looked down the road and saw the solution. And you were never wrong. It was amazing. Sarah and Tasha came to the restaurants where I worked during my breaks. One of us always had a story to tell the others about what magic you’d recently worked. You had a gift and it helped everyone except you. Do you remember that girl you dated, the grad student? What was her name, Janet?” Joe asked.
“Janelle,” I corrected.
“Well, in that instant you couldn’t see the future. You had to experience it. We could tell she was bad news, but you just kept on with her until you knew it too.”
“Sometimes, we have to experience what we don’t want before we know what we do want. Janelle was that for me, and until she fulfilled her purpose, she was in my life,” I admitted.
“See, that’s what I’m talking about, Mike. You were wiser than the rest of us. You still are. You always said it was your mother’s training. But Mike, we knew that you were exceptional,” Joe softly said with deep admiration. “I’m hoping the old Mike comes home. I’ve missed you,” He added with a nostalgic undertone.
“I had no idea,” I repeated. “For me, the last fifteen years have blurred into a dull routine. I was so sick of it that I reached out to Nelson. I had no idea he’d betrayed me.”
“I’d like to kick Nelson Fitch’s ass for adding to this illusion and not coming clean with you too. He should’ve told you everything during the first appointment. He’s been stringing you along and milking it for all its worth,” Joe said. We sat in silence for a while as I absorbed everything he’d just told me. “So you think you have to run in order to be safe?” Joe broke the silence.
“Look, they want me. Casey said they wouldn’t stop until they got me. I sincerely believe that if they ever get their hands on me, they won’t turn me loose,” I replied solemnly.
“You’ve been doing a pretty good job of protecting yourself,” Joe grinned. “I don’t know how you took down two armed assailants and got over the back fence, but I’d say you’re safe for the time being, as long as someone doesn’t slip you a roofie.” He laughed this time and I finally laughed too.
“That’s exactly what they tried to do in Marseille. I realized then that I was in danger and needed skills to protect myself. Casey and the two men with her were amateurs—I’m an amateur. Since then, I’ve trained in close-hand combat. I work at it day and night,” I admitted.
“Close-hand combat training, huh?”
“Yes, as you know, I was never a jock. The only way I escaped the first abduction attempt was pure adrenalin and wild reaction. It was crazy.” I laughed again and Joe chuckled with me. “I mean, I’ve stayed in good shape, but I couldn’t protect myself. I didn’t know how. So I’ve been doing some Aikido training in hand-to-hand combat. It helps me feel more in control of my life.”
“Good for you,” Joe replied.
“I had to do something.”
“You’re sure they won’t let you go after you answer their questions?” Joe asked.
“Everything I know tells me that once they get their hands on me, that’s the end of life as I know it. They’ll make me disappear. If I’m going to disappear, I want to do it on my terms.”
“Look, Mike, I don’t know what I have to offer, but let me do some checking around. I’ll be in touch,” Joe said as he stood up to leave.
“Thanks, Joe,” I replied as I walked him to the front door.
Chapter Thirty
While I was in Albany helping Magin, Nelson left several messages. He’d seen the news and was aware that the blackout had occurred in Crystal River. He was anxious to find out about the newest images. The company was eager to get Nelson’s report. The idea that Nelson shared everything from our sessions galled me, but my instincts warned not to cut him out of my life entirely—not yet, anyway.
I needed to set things right in my will. Like Magin, I’d also left my estate to deceased parents. I hadn’t updated the company life insurance and retirement benefits either. I sent an email to Becky asking her to change the beneficiary information to Magin James Lewis and included Magin’s current address as well as his birthday, April 4, 1970. Becky would send paperwork to sign before a witness or notary to make it official. I called the family attorney, Mr. Nathaniel Brown. He lived and worked nearby.
When I arrived for the appointment, I was sent into his private office. It was nice but unpretentious. Mr. Brown was seated behind a plain, dark walnut desk with a matching credenza. Many certificates and degrees were slathered across the wall behind him. The right side of his office was lined with bookshelves and filled with law books. The left side held three floor-to-ceiling tinted windows showing a view of the street below. Overall, his surroundings were modest rather than extravagant. I’d met Mr. Brown eight years ago but didn’t recall any impression he’d made. Today, I saw the man more clearly and immediately liked him.
“Hello, Mr. Lewis. I see we have your paperwork here and that we drew up your last will some eight years ago. Let me say, on a personal note, that I was very sorry to hear about your mother’s death six years ago and then your father’s only two years later. They were good people,” Mr. Brown sincerely offered his belated condolences.
“Thank you. I wasn’t aware you personally knew my parents.”
“I did. Now, how can I help you today?” Mr. Brown asked professionally, but with a gentle smile.
“I’ve left everything in my estate to my deceased parents. I have only one other living relative at this time, a cousin about two years younger. I just got back from Albany where we buried his father. It seems appropriate that I change my will so that he inherits whatever I’ve accumulated.”
“Of course; that’s most understandable. Did you bring a list of assets with you today?” Brown asked.
I retrieved a folder from a flat expandable briefcase where I kept the most recent account statements of investments and handed it to Mr. Brown. The lawyer had perused the paperwork thoughtfully for several minutes before he spoke. “You have accounts at each of these brokerage houses?” he asked with eyebrows raised.
“Yes, I’ve been investing most of my salary for the las
t twenty years.”
“It seems you’ve accumulated a bit of wealth, Mr. Lewis,” Mr. Brown carefully studied the account statements. “We’ll get this drawn up immediately. Karen will give you a call when the papers are ready for your signature. Will that complete your business today?” The attorney stood up and came around from behind the desk.
“Yes, that’s all,” I replied.
“Again, it’s a pleasure doing business with you. I was very fond of both your parents. They were fine people and I can see that they’ve reared a fine son.” Mr. Brown placed his hand on my shoulder and walked me to the door.
Later that evening, I went to the dojo to work with Sensei Wakahisa. I’d given it a lot of thought—if Louis had pulled the gun, I might be dead. I needed to know how to disarm an attacker. It was only one more step to protect myself.
“Sensei,” I began politely and bowed.
“Yes, Michael-san; what is it? You reek with questions. What do you seek?”
“I seek to disarm an attacker.”
“Why do you want this?”
“Because my life was threatened by two men and one had a gun,” I humbly replied.
“You are here,” Sensei said. “You were able to overcome your attackers.”
“Yes, Sensei, but had he pulled the gun instead of attacking in rage it might be a different story.” My head was lowered respectfully.
“I see,” Sensei stated flatly. And, that was all it took: a desire to learn. We began the training necessary to disarm any kind of weapon, whether gun, knife, or baton. We started with the baton, but Sensei assured that the steps were the same. First, he handed the baton to me and waved his arms wildly.
“Don’t hurt me! I don’t want any trouble,” Sensei yelled. The waving distracted me, and he easily moved his left hand onto the baton and his right hand on my wrist. In the same fluid motion, he pivoted his body to my right side, making a counter-clockwise circular step between my feet. In only a few seconds, if that, my wrist was locked, the baton was now pointing at my throat, and the wristlock forced me to the ground. It happened so fast I was stunned and thrilled at the same time.
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