by Beth Hoyer
“I recommend you remove the disguise and hide it in the panel underneath the floor. There are camera technologies capable of seeing through the windows no matter how tinted they are.”
Jinks obeyed yanking off the disguise as the car moved through the city and felt the floor to feel a hidden latch which he yanked open to see metal box which he stuffed the disguise in it then slammed the box door shut. He sat back leaning in the seat to stare out the window watching the car drive thought the city. He continued to watch as the car drove past the penthouse building to see a crowd of people standing in a semi circle facing the entrance that made him grimace. He watched as the car took a route around the building till they reached the garage doors which the car drove through while surrounded by men in military combat gear having backs to the car. He watched as the car entered the garage room before going to park. Jinks sat in the car as the driver got out and walked to the car door yanking it open which he got out and walked to the elevator taking it to the penthouse floor which he saw Gustav standing looking at him with a frown on his face and relief in his eyes.
Jinks sighed and walked to the dining room to sit and he spoke to Gustav “Tell the cook to prepare me some strawberry milkshake.”
He saw the butler nod his head before disappearing through the kitchen doors as he sat staring at his hands in his lap. He eyed the table seeing that the familiar newspapers weren’t still there. Groaning he assumed that the TV was still unplugged as he heard the kitchen doors swinging to look and see Jacqueline arrive carrying a cup which she placed in front of him then stepped back staring at him with relief in her eyes and a frown on her face. Jinks took the cup and gulped down the contents feeling he better then placed the cup on the table.
He spoke as Jacqueline lifted the cup up “How long was it from that incident of people touching me to today?”
He stared at Jacqueline who spoke “About three days. You were immediately sent elsewhere I don’t know where after I’m told you passed out.”
He nodded his head and then added “Is the TV still unplugged?”
He saw nervousness appear in her eyes as she spoke “I haven’t checked the TV or been in the TV room.”
Jinks sensed it was the truth spoke “Dismissed.”
He saw Jacqueline nod her head before going into the kitchen with doors swinging. Groaning Jinks got up and went to the TV room to examine the TV he saw was still unplugged. Sighing he wandered to the library room and sat in an armchair to feel a book between the cushion and the chair. He reached behind him to pull out a book he saw was a paperback with a couple in a clinch position on the cover that told him was a romance novel. Sighing he saw a bookmark between the book got up and placed the book back where it was and went to the other armchair to sit sensing nothing serious with the chair and its cushion.
He sat feeling bored as Lance’s image flashed in his mind followed by his father’s voice speaking “Read a book.”
Jinks mentally thought “Like what book? There are too many choices.”
He again got the image followed by the voice speaking “Just read the titles. You’ll find something interesting.”
He groaned and looked around the room then picked a spot in a corner along with a row and forced himself to read the titles. He found titles that made him think they were romance novels along with other titles that gave no clue to what their genre were. Jinks felt his right hand reach to a row below his eyes reading the row and pull out a hardcover book which he jerked to stare at the book seeing its title and author. He saw the book’s title and stared at it then read the back to find a blurb saying it was a memoir by a deaf female with Alexei Zesky’s last name written in the year two thousand oh one when she was nineteen. Sighing he opened the book to see it was published years passed the year she wrote the memoir. Sighing again he went to the armchair to sit and again felt the book between the cushions which he got up and went to the other chair to sit. He opened the book and began to read till he reached the last page finishing the book and heard a throat clearing noise which he closed the book and looked up to see Gustav standing in the doorway.
Gustav spoke “its nine o’clock now. I thought I would let you know of the time.”
Jinks nodded his head then got up to place the book back into the bookcase and walked out of the room to sense the butler not following him. He went to his bedroom shutting the doors behind him. Jinks yawned feeling himself tired which he stripped himself of his shoes and clothes leaving them piled on the floor to spot sitting folded on his made bed were his pajama pants which he grabbed putting them on his form and yanked the blankets up. He got into the bed and yanked the blankets up to his chest while lying on his back. He sighed and shut his eyes falling asleep. Jinks passed out unconscious to come too hearing the alarm sounding its noises which he twisted to glare at the clock seeing it was eight o’clock in the a.m. Groaning he got up and hit the bathroom to shower then once done changed into the clothes folded on the sink counter seeing that they were a plain black long sleeve shirt with familiar dressy pants and along with sneakers with socks in them and underwear shorts. Jinks did his hair and walked out of the bathroom then out of the bedroom to spot Gustav which he went to the dining room followed by the butler and sat in the chair waiting as the Builder went into the kitchen. He sat waiting as Jacqueline arrived carrying a tray filled with food and drink which he ate and drank underneath her watchful eyes. Once done he got up and went to the TV room finding the TV was still off by it not blaring that familiar blue light. Sighing he left the TV room as he recalled reading a book the previous day walked intending to go to the library only to find himself walking to the elevator and going inside it and pressing the button for the lobby.
He grumbled thinking to himself “I don’t know if I should bother seeing those people if their going to pull that same stunt again.”
He got a communication from Lance saying “Trust me I’ll make sure that they won’t do it what you call a stunt again.”
Jinks exhaled a breath to compose he breathing through his nose breathing techniques as the elevator did its descending with his eyes closed and arms folded. He felt the elevator stop opened his eyes and walked out unfolding his arms. He saw the glass doors still having four familiar guards in front of them outside which he walked to the doors and stood willing himself to calm.
He thought to himself “I got to trust my father in this but its not easy going out to face those people.”
He heard from Lance “It’s alright. I know how you feel.”
He frown feeling confused as his father added “I’ll tell you later.”
Jinks walked out opening the door as his guards separated in two which he walked forwards hearing the crowd become silent as his guards flanked him while sensing himself filmed by news people standing facing him behind the rope barricade. He stopped as he felt nervousness hit him willed the emotion to leave him.
He heard from Lance “Trust me by taking a look at each person and you’ll see why they won’t pull that stunt again.”
Jinks obeyed seeing while struggling to hide his shock scattered police officers around the semicircular perimeter looking seriously alert with hands on their holstered handguns. He noticed that the cops each gave him a short bob or a touch hand on their hat gesture when he looked at them with their faces and eyes expression remaining the same without changing. Jinks sighs a soft sound as he looked around seeing that the crowd was more nervous of the cops than they were of him by some of the people darting eyes to the police and to him back and forth with nervousness in their eyes. Jinks sighed softly and with confidence turned around and walked inside. He took the elevator to the penthouse and found himself walking to the library where he stopped once inside.
He heard from Lance “Read a book, Jinks.”
He went to a book row and peered at the books only to discover his hand pulling a book from the row as if guided by something. He examined the book seeing it was an old paperback on Connecticut High School Football
and appeared to be an almanac. Sighing he placed it on the table and sat only to feel a book between the cushion and the chair. Grumbling with displeasure he yanked the book out and placed it on the table to eye the sports book. He saw the sports book had fallen open to highlight a page which he peered at while lifting up the book. He frowned seeing a picture of himself wearing a football uniform when he was a teenager and a sophomore in High School. Sighing he read the page detailing about he playing for Wethersfield High School and helping his team break records along with a throwing record. He continued to read that he was voted the High School football league’s Most Valuable Player award. Sighing he sensed memories come within his mind allowed them through to recall them very clearly. Jinks remembered the past when he tried to kill himself. He was teased in school without mercy in High School. He discovered his locker open in the hallway after school was over and found a bag holding a bottle of sleeping pills in his backpack with a note scrawled in bad handwriting telling him to take all of it and it’ll put him out for good. Jinks felt he go numb with sadness hitting him seeing the bottle realized that someone took pity on him and left him the bottle. He left the school only to be met with the bullies from