They moved slowly through the waxworks, whispering comments into each other’s ears, trying to focus on something besides their growing attraction to one another. Layla knew all about the historical figures, but she drew a complete blank at most of the pop culture and modern movie references. When they entered into a section of horror films, Layla recognized Frankenstein’s monster and Dracula, but she had no idea who Freddy Krueger was.
“I loved Halloween when I was a kid,” Ramon laughed. “I dressed up like Freddy one year.”
“I never had a costume,” Layla admitted. “The professor didn’t believe in celebrating Halloween.”
“You never went out trick or treating?” Ramon asked.
“No,” she said.
“No Halloween candy?” he asked in horror.
“He said that it was a foolish pagan ritual.”
He took her hand and squeezed it. “That’s too bad. It’s a lot of fun.”
She sighed, “I guess so… We never knew much about it until we were too old.”
“You’re never too old for fun,” he told her.
A group of giddy squealing children passed by with their parents chasing after them, and Ramon pulled Layla aside to let the group pass. Suddenly they were alone in the dark, standing much too close to one another. He pivoted to kiss her with her back up against a wall, and this time, it was very different.
He buried his hands in her hair, and she felt his tongue trace lightly inside her lips, opening her mouth to his. It felt nothing like she thought it would, and the sensation encompassed her entire body, sending shivers down her spine and turning her bones into rubber.
His kiss was like night and day compared to Conrad’s, as different as fire and ice. Where Conrad had been cool and sweet, Ramon was all fire and desire. His mouth telegraphed his intentions, and Layla could feel his barely contained lust wash over her like a wave, intoxicating and emboldening her.
The dark made her less self-conscious too, and she satisfied her curiosity, brushing her lips across his smooth cheeks, tasting the skin on his neck and running her hands up his muscled arms and across his broad shoulders. Her touch aroused him so much it was almost frightening, and she pulled away with a gasp, shocked to realize that she was getting just as excited as he was.
“We better get moving,” he panted, “Or I’m not going to be able to walk.”
“Okay,” she agreed in a daze, feeling exactly the same way.
~
It was well after dark when she pulled up in front of the diner to drop Ramon off, and no sooner did she stop the car than he kissed her again, nuzzling her neck and showering her with so much pink affection mixed with blood-red desire that it sent her head spinning.
“I wish I didn’t have the early shift tomorrow,” he muttered.
“Why?” she asked.
He chuckled, “Because I’d like to stay up all night with you.”
“Oh,” was all she could squeak out, imagining what that would be like. The images didn’t involve pajamas.
“When can I see you again?” he asked, running his lips along her jawline until she couldn’t think straight.
“I don’t know,” she breathed. “When’s your next day off?”
“How about Friday night?” he asked. “We can catch a movie and dinner.”
“Okay,” she nodded, wondering how she could wait almost a whole week. “Sounds good.”
They parted reluctantly, and she watched him walk to his car and turn to wave. She drove the whole way home with a dreamy smile on her face, coming into the house to find Calvin and Cali curled up on the couch, eating ice cream and watching a movie.
“Did you have a nice time with Ramon?” Caledonia inquired out of politeness, without really needing to be told.
“Uhm, yeah… It was fun,” she said, bolting for the stairs before Cali could ask her anything else.
That night Layla lie sprawled across her bed, finally feeling like her luck was really changing. Just when things seemed so dark and depressing, Ramon had come along like a ray of sunshine to break apart the clouds of doom and gloom.
Now the future looked brighter than ever, and for the first time since she’d made her escape from Max’s house, Layla was starting to believe that there was nothing but good things coming her way. That night, her dreams were filled with feverish images of Ramon, and she wrapped her arms around her pillow and held on tight.
~
The next morning the buzzer rang for the second time in as many days. His first thought was that Layla had returned, so Professor Reed rushed to answer, surprised to see a middle aged man in a shabby suit standing at his door. He was disappointed, and not in the mood to deal with an annoying salesman.
“Yes?” he snapped, “What do you want?”
“I’m looking for a girl,” the man said, “A redhead named Layla.”
The professor’s eyebrows shot up with surprise. “What do want her for?”
The man’s expression didn’t change, but his eyes betrayed his excitement. He knew he’d hit pay-dirt, and he could certainly use the money. “Why don’t you invite me in?” he asked, “And we can discuss the situation.”
The professor sized him up and took a step back, “Alright. Come in.”
He led the man down the hallway and into his laboratory, gesturing for him to sit in the very same chair last occupied by Layla. The professor took a seat opposite him, tenting his fingers and looking sternly across the desk at the man.
“Who are you, and what do you want with Layla?” he asked.
“I’m representing a client who’s interested in contacting the girl.”
“A client? Who?” Professor Reed asked.
“An important man. A wealthy man. A man who wishes to remain anonymous.”
“Why?”
The private eye looked at him shrewdly and shrugged. “That’s not any of your concern. Do you know where the girl can be found?”
The professor may not have been possessed of Layla’s abilities to read people’s emotions, but he could see how badly this man wanted the information. “I might be able to help you out.” He leaned forward in his chair, his hands gripping the edge of the desk. “But you’re going to have to tell me more.”
The man sighed, “What do you want to know?”
“Who exactly is looking for her?”
“He’s a politician. A powerful man. He’s willing to pay a good deal to locate her… and keep this whole thing quiet.”
“A politician? From Southern California…” he mused, remembering the address he’d written so many times, fruitlessly trying to contact Layla.
“Yes,” the man answered.
“How powerful is he?”
“Very,” he replied with a meaningful look.
“A mayor? A congressman?” Professor Reed asked. When the man didn’t answer he guessed again, “A senator?”
The tiniest hitch in the man’s eye told the tale. Professor Reed may have been a heartless sociopath, but he was also a much better manipulator than the person who sat before him. “And that would be… Senator Blackwell… Right?” he guessed. “What does he want with Layla?”
The man slumped in defeat. “The girl was working as a prostitute… She was also involved in a gangland style slaying.”
“I see…” He steepled his fingers again, drumming the tips together as he thought. “I suppose that he wants to see her punished?”
The private eye smiled knowingly. “Eventually. In a manner of speaking...”
Professor Reed’s eyebrows shot up at the grubby man’s innuendo, but he nodded slowly. “I suppose a meeting could be arranged.”
“Great! When?”
“Not so fast,” the professor eyed him shrewdly. “What is she worth to him?”
“I could give you a thousand dollars cash today for her whereabouts.”
“Don’t insult me,” Professor Reed hissed.
“What do you want?”
“I’d like to speak directly w
ith him… your patron.”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible.”
The professor rose from his chair, calling his bluff, “Then I’ll be showing you out.”
“Wait!” the private eye yelped. He was a desperate man, with his own demons to do battle with. He needed this job, and he couldn’t afford to go back to Los Angeles empty handed. “Let me make the call.”
The man pulled out his phone and got up to pace at the far end of the room. Professor Reed strained to hear little snatches of conversation.
“He says he can get her, but he won’t do anything without speaking to you first… I didn’t say anything!” he looked sheepish. “He guessed… But he says–”
The man cringed and handed the phone over. He watched the old man stand up straight, his demeanor changing as he prepared to negotiate. “Please allow me to introduce myself. I’m Professor Theodore Reed.”
The voice on the other end of the line was hostile, “What do you want?”
“I’m very familiar with the girl that you’re looking for… And I’m the only one who knows where she can be found.” He paused, listening. “It will be my pleasure to hand her over… But I’m afraid the kind of money you’re offering simply will not do.”
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line. “What kind of money were you thinking of?”
“I’m in need of some serious funding for some important scientific research.”
“What kind of research?”
“I’m working with genetics, cloning and gene therapy.”
“Genetics are not really the hot topic now… If you could say, somehow tie it in with green energy, I could get you a sizeable grant with no trouble at all.”
“How sizable?” Professor Reed asked.
Since it was taxpayer money, the senator was extremely generous, and Professor Reed’s mouth went dry at the prospect. He made plans to have a grant proposal messengered to the senator’s personal assistant, assuring him that once the money appeared in the professor’s account, he could deliver up Layla on a silver platter. “Whatever you might want her for,” he added, “No questions asked.”
The senator may have been corrupt, but he wasn’t foolish. “I’ll release a small portion of your funding when I receive your proposal. I’m afraid the balance won’t be yours until I’ve seen the girl.”
“I suppose that’s reasonable,” replied Professor Reed. He was already formulating what he would say to get Layla alone.
“Where is she located?”
Professor Reed had already tried to attach the phone number to an address, but had only been able to narrow it to the area code. He suspected that Caledonia had something to do with the location.
“She’s nearby,” he bluffed. “Just a few hours north of here… In fact, she recently came by for a visit. I saw her in person only yesterday.”
Senator Blackwell sat up in his chair. “I can fast-track your application. I’ll have your first installment transferred within three business days.”
“Excellent,” the professor said. “I’ll have my proposal messengered to you as soon as possible.”
After he handed the detective back his phone the professor smiled, feeling good for the first time in months. Far from ending his dreams of continuing his research, Caledonia’s meddling had simply pointed out a new pathway, and the professor convinced himself that this was the reason it all happened. His groundbreaking research had led him to discover two individuals with rare genetic mutations, superpowers really, and now all he had to do was clone them to create a race of super humans.
Even better, with enough funding he might be able to isolate and introduce the gene into adult subjects… Maybe even himself. It was certainly a power he could make good use of. His mind raced as he started planning a gene therapy program using subjects from local homeless shelters. No one would come looking for them if something went amiss.
He straightened up, filled with renewed zest. He was only in his seventies, and in good health. Plenty of his contemporaries had careers that spanned many years… even decades. If Layla had to be sacrificed for the greater good, so be it. He had no other choice, and he clutched at this chance like it was his last straw, because it was.
The senator hung up the phone in disgust. He’d suspected that the private eye was a simpleton, and he’d just been proven right. His jaw tightened with anger, and he wished he was alone with the girl at that very moment. He was in some serious need of tension relief, and he hadn’t been able to be satisfied ever since the day she’d slipped right through his fingers.
Oh, that little bitch was going to pay dearly for trying to blackmail him. He closed his eyes and remembered how she’d yelped in pain when she’d felt the first sting of his belt. He’d been rudely interrupted before he’d even had the chance to really get started…
Daydreaming about her only strengthened his resolve, and he considered the ramifications of the latest turn of events. Maybe it would work out for the best. He sat up straight in his chair with a smug air of authority. Taxpayer funded grant money wouldn’t cost him a dime, and who knows… He could be forwarding the interests of science as well as his own.
He was a public servant after all.
~
Chapter Sixteen
FRIDAY NIGHT
~
The professor wasted no time at all submitting a mocked-up request for funding, claiming to be working on a revolutionary new solar cell. True to his word, Senator Blackwell pulled some strings to rubber-stamp the application, and by the middle of the week, a large sum of money had magically appeared in the professor’s account.
His lab was on its way to being back in business, and he called the senator to finalize the arrangements.
“You do understand that the girl will run again if she knows anything about my involvement,” Senator Blackwell warned him.
“I understand,” the professor replied. “But she’ll meet with me. I have something she wants.”
“Good. You’ll have my man to help you with the logistics.”
“I’ll be in touch as soon as I have news,” the professor said.
“So the nearest airport is in Ukiah?” the senator asked.
“Yes. I’ll try and arrange to have her meet me in town.”
“Ukiah… Ukiah…” Senator Blackwell repeated aloud, reaching into his desk drawer to fish out an invitation. “It just so happens that I have business in Ukiah on Saturday. Do you think you can… make the delivery… by this weekend?”
“That’s a definite possibility,” Professor Reed replied.
“I’ll be in town. Don’t let me down.”
Senator Blackwell hung up, dialing his personal assistant’s number right away. “Yes… I’d like to attend that event in Ukiah after all. You know– The performance hall opening, ribbon cutting, charity fundraiser, blah, blah, blah.”
He listened for a few seconds with an annoyed look on his face. “Yes, I know its short notice, but it will be good PR. And the wife deserves a getaway… Book a few spa treatments for her. Maybe I’ll do a little… golfing… before we fly out. Have the jet ready to take us… I don’t pay you to ask questions… Just do it!”
~
Layla spent the next few days dodging Conrad’s calls, hoping that he’d give up on her. Her attraction to Ramon was undeniable now, but she also felt terribly guilty. Even though the thought of spending another date listening to Conrad talk about himself was unbearable, she simply couldn’t bring herself to break the news to him.
That night, she had the dream about her grandmother again, and this time it was so vivid that she could smell the roses and feel the soil as it slipped through her fingers. She climbed out of bed and met Cali in the hallway. Both girls were immediately aware that it had happened again.
“You saw her too, didn’t you?” Layla asked.
They went downstairs in the middle of the night to compare notes over a pint of ice cream, trying to decipher what it might mean.
<
br /> “I think she wants us up there,” Layla said. “It must mean that we’re on the right track.”
Caledonia had to agree, and they both decided that it must be a good omen. Layla told Cali about her plans to see Ramon on the weekend, admitting that she no longer wanted to date Conrad.
“What should I do?” she fretted. “He won’t stop calling, but I don’t want to deal with him.”
“Be honest and get it over with. Tell him that you’re seeing someone else and you don’t want to go out with him anymore.”
Layla knew her cousin was right, so she finally worked up her courage, answering his next call. There was a slight edge of annoyance in his voice, “Where have you been? Did you get my messages?”
“I’m sorry… But I– I’ve been busy.”
“I wanted to talk to you about the opening this weekend– I have some very exciting news.”
She grimaced, “Conrad, I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to attend.”
“Why not?” he asked angrily. “Is it because of that cop?”
Layla’s silence told him everything that he needed to know.
“Well that’s just great,” he said sarcastically. “You know, there are plenty of girls that would love to accompany me to an important event like this.”
“I’m really sorry,” she said, feeling terrible. “You’d better ask one of them, then.”
She heard him exhale with frustration. “You might want to re-think this. I just heard that we’re going to have some special VIPs in attendance… Senator Blackwell is coming up from Los Angeles, and I bet that means some of his Hollywood friends will put in an appearance…”
Layla’s blood ran cold at the mention of the hated name. Unbeknownst to Conrad, he’d just made everything much, much easier on her. Her voice was ice cold when she told him, “I have to be going now. Goodbye.”
The Caledonian Inheritance (The Athena Effect) Page 14