by Gary Starta
James nodded. “I appreciate Mr. Kovalenko’s kind offer. But I work solo on this. I do need to plan a rendezvous point with you.”
The man nodded and handed him a pager. “Beep me when you’re concluded your transaction.” James could not see the man’s eyes behind his black sunglasses. But a smile tugged at the man’s lips. He would have to take a leap of faith that the pilot would come back for him. It stood to reason. James had solidified Covalence’s success in Tampa by laundering money. Yet he couldn’t worry about the return trip right now. He had to hope the women shoppers were taking their time picking out dresses. He squelched an urge to tell the pilot to hurry.
The copter made an impromptu landing on the grounds of Lowry Zoo. Located about two blocks from the dress shop, it would make an ideal rendezvous point. James believed his luck was karmic. I owe the bitch Palmieri some payback. He nodded to the pilot on his way out. The man returned a thumbs up sign.
Traversing the two blocks to Kirby was uneventful. Karmic retribution, James thought, fighting the urge to run.
After pacing the store’s front sidewalk for eight minutes, James would now learn if karma did indeed work for his side.
There they are. And all smiles and hugs.
Palmieri lead young Anya and her mother out of the store. Each woman carried a hefty shopping bag.
Here goes… James popped off a bench, nonchalant.
He slid in pursuit behind them.
“Oops, ladies, I think you dropped something…”
Anya turned first, oblivious to any concern for deceit.
But in the blink of an eye, James saw that concern wash over Palmieri"s face. She was all business, even out of uniform. The chief motioned to grab Anya’s arm, but the agile teen was too quick.
The girl’s eyes scanned the ground. They seemed to scream „where"?
“Right here,” James snickered, snatching the girl by her crook of her left arm. Before her bag dropped to the pavement, James had his arm fastened about her neck.
And in that second, James believed Palmieri not only recognized his identity, but the beast residing within.
The excitement burst forth from James with a growl. He aligned his head to Anya’s neck.
“No. You wouldn’t…” Palmieri screamed the words. The mother could only groan in agony.
A wave of nausea prevented James from reacting to Palmieri"s taunt. He leered away from the girl’s neck, as if sickened. James squinted. Finding his vision blurred by an intense, blue light.
The figure before him, Palmieri, appeared as an outline in blue. His distraction nearly allowed Anya to slip from his grip. But he caught a handful of her dress in his fist. “You’re not going, anywhere. Not before you change.”
When he opened his mouth to bite her, he found a gun trained on him.
Damn it! Palmieri came prepared…
“Let her go!” she said, her legs were spread outwards, both hands trained on her weapon. He was clearly in her sights. If his brains had to be splattered, he thought, could he at least infect the girl with his affliction? That was the ultimate plan. To change the girl, so she would need treatment. Then the cure would have to be made available for public consumption. Wouldn’t it? James squinted. Vision blurred blue again. Wasn’t that the plan? He didn’t know. The blue haze was accompanied by blinding pain. He fell onto the girl, his mouth slack, in no position to bite her, she struggled a moment before knocking him off her. He fell to the pavement as quick as bricks. I failed. I am no fucking gladiator…
But to his surprise, the gun was no longer trained on him.
A replica of James now stood between him and the chief. The girl had retreated to the arms of her mother. Palmieri shouted for them to return to their vehicle. As they ran, their voices squealed, high and pitched, inviting a full bout of nausea to return.
James held a hand to his cramped stomach, fighting vertigo to return to his feet. Meanwhile, his doppelganger blocked her path to him.
He would have to retreat himself. He knew it. Maybe he hadn’t totally failed. The lying bastard was certainly now aware of his zombie like presence, not to mention the strange replicated creation which had thankfully saved his ass.
He darted towards an intersection. West Kirby to West Lowry Lane would get him back to the park and zoo. He fiddled in his jacket for the beeper. He dared a peek back. Palmieri was still engaged with his supernatural twin. He punched a number then he ran and ran.
Huffing and puffing, nearly halfway to his destination, he heard the report of a gun.
He surmised Palmieri had fired at the twin. But did it have substance to be injured? He might be able to remote view himself, he thought, a deranged grin taking shape on his face as he entered the craft.
The pilot greeted him with a smile, assuming his momentary glee meant: mission accomplished.
As James caught his breath, he reevaluated himself. Maybe he didn’t fail.
He hadn’t transformed young Anya but he did introduce a serious scare factor into the equation. The bastard Palmieri would now live looking over her shoulder. And when she wasn’t looking over her shoulder, she would be thinking. Perhaps very seriously between long pulls on some whiskey. Wondering, that maybe, her cover up might have put her young friend in unnecessary peril. And Amado James had to conclude that maybe „perhaps" and „maybe’s" were tangible tactics for warfare after all.
Chapter 15
“What a long strange trips it’s been…” David Finch sang the classic rock song, off key and off time, keeping drum beat with a free hand on the steering wheel.
Lorelei stirred in the passenger seat. A groan followed.
“Sorry, love. Didn’t mean to disturb you…uh…here’s a dumb question. Were you sleeping?”
“Umm,” she uttered.
“I thought you and Burnham were engineered insomniacs. Didn’t need any rest.”
“We need a few hours. I didn’t really get them…” She yawned. “Burnham kept me out too late patrolling.”
“And what did you catch?”
“Oh, the usual…nothing... Just scared some crap out of another dealer. Big whoop…” Lorelei twirled her index finger. “Hate to ask the obvious…but…”
“Are we there yet?” Finch finished her sentence. “We’re still in the Carolinas. Don’t ask me which one. But don’t worry. We’ll be there in plenty of time to stretch our legs before our appointment. I know Congressman Katz is eager to meet us.”
“Maybe it will do me good. To get away for a while, even a few hours…”
Finch hazarded to guess. “You mean your quest to kill Amado James, Tampa’s resident crime lord?”
Lorelei nodded.
“Don’t want to push my nose into your business, but…just how do you plan on killing him? He’s kind of invincible, like you are, right?”
“We got a gun now, Finch. You know bullets will do the trick.”
“Sure, I know. I mean I’ve seen every zombie flick…”
Lorelei giggled. “Come now, my geek. How many films have you seen on the subject…and better yet, how many do you have on DVD?” Burnham’s face flushed crimson.
“So I’m a sci fi geek. What you got against them?”
“Oh, other than they live to escape reality…plenty.”
“I’m not escaping reality. I’m living it, babe.”
“Yes. I forgot. You’re knee deep in the trenches of an urban bar every evening.”
“Don’t forget it, love.” Failing to keep a straight face, Finch laughed. “Seriously, those blokes in the bars have some rough lives. I help them through it. I keep their focus off their bad lot with my humor. I wished I could do more. I wish...” He smacked his hand on the dashboard. “I wish I wasn’t just a distraction to them. Like Burnham told me, him and his police mates saw my act and felt better about their lives at my expense. But wh
at if things could change? What if we could all feel better because we were better?”
“I’m hearing zombie lust, Finch. What exactly are you envying here?” She waved her hands along her body. Her hands stopped at her face. “How about these, you want this?” She pointed to veins, blue spider streaks caressing her cheek.
“That might be a small price to pay.” Finch’s voice was low and dour.
“I fucking lost my daughter to this. There was no small price to pay.”
“But offing this James fellow won’t change that fact, will it?”
“Shit, Finch. You’re right. Just like Burnham. I’m full of blood lust. I want to rip his freaking head off. But I’m looking at the bigger picture here. Thanks to Burnham. So I’m in agreement. We need to find the extortionist. We need to stop the pill distribution before it happens on a mass scale. That’s why I’m riding with you, today. Don’t worry about me. I’ve got myself under control.” She pointed to the duffel bag. “It’s filled with pills and my concealing makeup.”
“I know you think I’m a traitor to your cause. I sometimes like to play devil’s advocate. I mean there might be advantages to having new abilities. Then again, there might be hell to pay. I mean, I’m not a natural born citizen. Suppose I die and reanimate. Would they make me apply for my green card all over again? How about driving…hmmm? I might need to get a driver’s license. Would marriages automatically dissolve? This could be one helluva bureaucratic nightmare come to think of it. I just like to present all sides. And don’t be so hard on Burnsy. He’s a good chum. Always looking out for his friends…that means you, love.”
Lorelei smiled and cupped her hands. “Well, hallelujah. All is right with the world, then.”
“You can shelve your sarcasm. Just because Burnham’s religious, he’s not going to force his views on you.”
“No, he’ll just beat himself up about it. Then go do something stupid on the streets and we’ll all pay for his penance.”
“You might not be religious. But some part of you still feels. You can empathize with his condition, his guilt? Can’t you?”
“We didn’t cause this.”
“But your actions brought Burnham into the picture. Now, I’m not going to seek vengeance on you.” Finch’s eyes suddenly bore holes in her. “I’m not going to judge you for something you say you weren’t responsible for. So why don’t we all agree to find the bastard behind this. Then we all can get in touch with our feelings and bash the tucker’s brains in.”
Lorelei smirked.
“Sounds like a plan?” Finch asked.
She nodded.
“I respect your resolve, Lorelei. I really do. What happened to you affected your family. But Burnham’s my family. And now I’m affected as well.”
“How did you meet?”
“Our mums, they both met in the hallways of our apartment complex. Both excited to find another relocated Brit, they became fast friends. Although once Burnham’s dad died, his mum, homesick for London decided to return. Burnham refused. Said his life should go forward. Maybe that’s why he’s so good at sticking this situation out. He’s got a great will. Anyway, he became a sort of second son with my mum. Since Burnham’s mum gave birth to him in the states he never had to fiddle with bureaucracy.” He smiled. “I think if he had, it might have taken a toll on his resolve. Paperwork can be a real bitch.”
“So Burnham’s mom lived here for decades?”
“That’s right. I have to think she moved here for the sake of Burnham’s dad. Love can do funny things.” He turned to gaze at Lorelei.
“Watch the road, Romeo.”
“That’s okay if you’re not feeling the Finch charm at the moment. I can wait because I’ve got a great resolve too.”
“Lucky me,” Lorelei said, folding her arms across her chest. “Now I won’t have to go and compete with all those girls on The Bachelor.”
***
“Thanks for driving up, folks.” Congressman Daniel Katz set two steaming cups of coffee before Lorelei and Finch before taking a seat behind a mahogany desk.
“I love your office. It’s so official,” Burnham stated.
“We do our best. Now tell me all about this rogue drug that’s going to threaten Generation Y.”
Lorelei intervened. “First, Congressman. Let me tell you how much I appreciate your focus on our youth. I’m here today, because of the children.”
“So, you have kids yourself, Ms. Lindquist?”
Her eyelids fluttered. “No. I have a good friend who does. And I want her to grow up in the best world possible.” Finch, seated to Lorelei’s right, cast doe eyes at her. Katz did not fail to notice. Lorelei sipped her coffee, eyes pleading with some force to make the congressman’s inquiries go away.
“We’re in agreement, then,” Katz said to Lorelei. “Maybe one day soon, you’ll have a child soon.” He turned his focus to Finch and laughed.
“Oh…” Finch wagged a finger between Lorelei and himself. “We’re not a couple, Mr. Congressman. Just good mates, go way back.”
“Mr. Finch, I’m sorry, didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I understand you discovered this rogue drug from a friend, a friend you say works in the law enforcement field?”
“That’s right. And I can’t blow his trust. You see he’s undercover. Only his superiors are aware of his operation. And I can’t betray that.”
“I can respect that. Anyway, I’m not DEA or law enforcement. I’m not here to arrest anyone. But I want to make it very difficult for whoever’s behind this drug to sick it on our populace.”
“That’s what I hoped you’d say, Congressman. I hope you will alert the Mothers Against Drug Dependency. Let them warn our children.”
“That’s not the quite exact name for the group, Mr. Finch. But will do. Although...” He paused to scratch his chin. “I am also concerned this might not be just a street drug. What if it’s pharmaceutical in nature?”
Finch produced a baggie from his coat pocket. “Can you tell that by looking at it?”
Katz’s brows furrowed as he took the bag from Finch. “Aha. It’s blue in color and in capsule form. This might denote who the manufacturer is. But I don’t see any lot numbers. Still, this could be the experimental, trial stage.”
“So there’s a fear this might be mass produced. This sounds very bad,” Finch added.
“Pharmaceuticals can be just as addictive and just as destructive on our population as any street drug; maybe even worse, because parents keep them stored right at home in the family medicine cabinet. Kids sometimes mix a concoction of these pharmaceuticals together at parties. As you imagine, this trend disturbs me.”
“What can we do to prevent mass distribution?” Lorelei asked Katz.
“Lobby against drug dependency on every level. But that’s not easy because even though most of the population agrees drugs are bad, they often don’t equate pills advertised on TV as part of the problem. And to top it off, pharmaceutical companies spend more on advertising than they do research. They often lobby to keep the prices of prescription drugs at a maximum. Control the market by encouraging the FDA, through payoffs, to approve the drugs. And worse, after they drugs are on the market, the FDA does little to reevaluate the safety of the drug. But I don’t just blame certain FDA officials. Some of my colleagues bend to the pressures of the pharmaceuticals by accepting campaign contributions. Often, congressmen leave office to work for these companies and vice versa. So, as you might gather, I’m fighting the tide on this one. You might call me a maverick.”
Finch laughed.
“Ah, you’ve heard that phrase before. Well, let me assure you folks. I am the real deal. I hate how every other ad on TV nowadays is drug related.”
“I think people are becoming hypochondriacs in response, Congressman,” Finch interjected. “If the telly says you’ve got problems with s
ex, going potty, sleeplessness or even dealing with the anxiety of a coming day, one might self diagnose himself as really having these problems. I’m sure the alcohol companies aren’t too thrilled. I imagine people in the old days sought relief by the pint instead of the prescription. When did alcohol fail to become good enough?”
Katz cleared his throat.
Lorelei flinched, equating the congressman’s behavior with shock.
“Don’t take my friend too seriously,” Lorelei said. “He’s a comic by nature.”
Finch snapped his fingers. “Almost had you there, Congressman? Eh?”
“But Mr. Finch, in all seriousness you are dead on about self-diagnosis. The pharmaceuticals run these ads hoping the public will latch on to some phony ailment and then become addicted. Don’t think the pharmaceuticals are so benevolent as to present all these drugs simply out of the kindness of their hearts. In most cases, most of these treatments are unnecessary. And not too long ago, big pharmaceuticals lobbied congress to pass legislature extending medical coverage to Medicare recipients, all for the purpose of expanding their market. Pharmaceutical lobbyists are now writing bills and they are getting passed through coercion tactics.”
“Have they ever tried to strong arm you, Congressman?” Lorelei asked.
“Tried, yes; succeeded? No.”
Lorelei smiled.
“You’ve got a pretty smile, young lady. Show it more often. This is a fight, but it’s a fight we can still win. We’ve got to save this country for our children.”
“She’s starting to come around to my way of thinking,” Finch said to Katz. “Life isn’t all pain and suffering. Right, dear?”
“Right again, Finch.” She turned her eyes to Katz. “Sometimes I tell him to quit his comedian gig and become a positive thinking coach or maybe one of those motivational speakers. I think he’s a natural, probably was born with that cheery disposition. Right, dear?”
Burnham smiled, his faced reddened.