Mystique's Journey

by Daniel A. Jones

  Mystique would return to school for now along with an embassy representative to assist her with any troubles she might encounter. The ambassador had intended to assign her a bodyguard, but Mystique had been adamant about not needing a babysitter. Finally she’d agreed to a member of the embassy staff being assigned. The staff member would work with the school security force and ensure Mystique didn’t have any legal problems. During the summer break, Mystique would join Daemon and Angelica in East Hollow, where the research team would test her.

  After lunch, the trio was escorted back to their room. Angelica and Daemon would stay for another day before returning to East Hollow. Mystique said her goodbyes and headed back to school. She’d missed a lot of classes in the last few days and was eager to get back.

  ***

  Chapter 3

  Back to Normal

  Mystique was a little irritated to find a note from Lt. MacDonald attached to her door. It instructed her to report to his office at 8 a.m. the following morning. Mystique had no idea how long the note had been on her door or who had read it, but she expected everyone to know about it. The idea of finding Lt. MacDonald and paying him a visit flashed through Mystique’s mind, but she decided killing him would only cause more problems.

  Mystique was about to enter her dorm room when a feeling of foreboding ran down her spine. Mystique had felt the warning before and new there was something wrong with the door. Mystique carefully inspected the door and frame until finally she spotted a small string that looked to be stuck between the two. A closer look revealed that it was actually a wire that had been bent over and slid into the crack between the frame and the door. Mystique wasn’t sure what it was, but she did know someone had put it there and whatever it did was going to happen as soon as the door moved. She needed to know what it was, and she knew just the person to explain it to her.

  ***

  Michael Flanary waited patiently to be buzzed into Lenard Johnson’s office. He had news about the Graysons and knew Lenny would be interested in hearing it. The slight click of the magnetic locks being pulled warned Michael the door was about to buzz. He started toward the door just as the buzz sounded.

  “Boss, Miss Tomlin is back from her trip. I contacted her and she will be arriving at the restaurant tonight at eight. I have a couple of guys watching her to make sure she doesn’t decide to skip dinner,” Michael informed Lenny as he walked up to stand in front of Lenny’s desk.

  “Good. You get a read on her?” Lenny asked, looking up from his computer.

  “She knows enough to be nervous. She recognized your name, but didn’t argue when invited to dinner. I think she’ll cooperate,” Michael replied.

  “Good, but just in case, get something to loosen her tongue. I want to make sure she tells me everything she knows. One other thing: nobody is to know what we’re looking into,” Lenny instructed, making sure he made eye contact as he said the last part.

  “Understood. I also found out the excitement at the hospital the other night involved the Graysons. I am looking into to it and should know more in a few days. I do know that an armored troop transport from the New Sydney embassy picked up a few people and transported them back to the embassy. If it was the Graysons on that transport, the ambassador will be involved,” Michael informed Lenny.

  “We have friends in the embassy. See what they know, but don’t tell them why we’re interested,” Lenny instructed, expecting Michael to already be working on getting the information.

  Michael nodded to Lenny before turning and leaving. He had a few people to talk to and a visit to make. Names had been useful at times, but Lenny didn’t want him sharing the information he had given them. Michael was going to have to make sure Names had told them everything before he allowed him to pass on. Michael decided to first pick up the drugs Lenny had requested. He would be nice and use them instead of torture to get Names talking; after all, Names did deserve something for the information he’d provided.

  ***

  Mystique found Bruce in his advanced mathematics class and had to wait for it to be over before talking to him. When the bell finally rang, Mystique slid to the side and waited for Bruce to come out. None of the students who exited the room noticed Mystique as they walked by her. Mystique spotted the two boys Bruce had been with when she’d confronted Mark. They were arguing about something as they stepped past her. Bruce was a few steps behind, looking at some electronic device he was holding and not where he was going.

  Mystique decided that since she wanted something from Bruce and he was not obligated to help her, she would act nicely toward him. If he refused to help her, she would resort to more painful forms of persuasion. Mystique thought of Angelica and believed she would approve. Bruce didn’t notice her until she stepped up and took him by the arm. She looked over his shoulder at the device he was staring at.

  Bruce jumped a little at her sudden appearance and physical contact, unsure what was happening. His face went through a dozen emotions as he realized Mystique was the one holding him. He was happy to see her but also afraid she was going to hurt him. He had nothing to do with whatever his mother had done, but Mystique could easily think he did and want to punish him for it.

  “Relax. I just need a little favor. Someone put something on my door and I want you to tell me what it is,” Mystique whispered in his ear. Sam chose that moment to turn around to see what was keeping Bruce. He smacked Alan in the arm to get his attention.

  Alan was about to make a rude comment, then remembered what Mystique had done to Mark. “Hi” was all he said instead.

  “Hey, did your sister heal you? Is that how you got out of the hospital so fast?” Sam asked. Bruce tensed, remembering the reaction he’d received when he mentioned Mystique’s family.

  Mystique just looked from Sam to Bruce before saying, “I will give you one chance to explain to them how I feel about questions concerning my family before I hurt them.”

  Bruce swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat before replying. “Thank you. What does the device on your door look like?”

  Sam didn’t hear everything that Mystique said, but he did catch the part about hurting them. Sam had been bullied before and was used to people threatening him, but there was something about the way Mystique talked that scared him. “We’ll leave you two alone. Come on, Alan, we’ll be late for our next class,” Sam said as he grabbed his friend’s arm and started to drag him away.

  Bruce was relieved to see his friends run off, glad he would have a chance to talk to them before Mystique did. He knew he was going to miss his next class, but any chance to make points with Mystique was worth it. They started walking toward her dorm room.

  Mystique checked to make sure the wire was still there before pointing it out to Bruce. Bruce recognized the wire even before Mystique pointed it out. He should because he was the one who put it there. It was a tiny transmitter that would signal him when the door opened. He had been confident that nobody would ever notice it. He should have known better. For a moment, Bruce thought about lying and claiming he knew nothing about it. But then he realized what Mystique might do if she found out he’d lied to her.

  “That is a radio transmitter. It’s designed to send a burst signal as soon as it moves. I put it there to let me know when you got back,” Bruce admitted.

  “Still spying on me?” Mystique said with a chirped laugh as she reached up and plucked the wire from the door. She handed it over to Bruce and opened her door. Mystique stepped in and to the side, motioning for Bruce to enter.

  “Well, come in and take your beating like a man,” Mystique instructed with what she thought was a little humor. Bruce heard something completely different and thought seriously about running, but realized she would find him and then the beating would be even worse. He lowered his head and stepped in, expecting at any moment to be grabbed and tossed into the far wall. Mystique closed the door and stepped over to her kitchenette. The small kitchen area had cost Angelica an extra two-thousand cre
dits a year, so Mystique felt obligated to use it. That’s when she spotted the box sitting on her table.

  “That from you?” Mystique asked Bruce, who was still waiting near the door.

  Bruce looked over, slightly confused and relieved that Mystique didn’t look like she was preparing to hit him. “No, I would never enter your room without permission.”

  “Good,” Mystique said as she carefully opened the box. Inside it she found her knife collection. Each knife was individually wrapped in some kind of durable plastic bag. The bags had a description of the contained knife written on the outside. Mystique started to remove them and lay them out for inspection.

  “Do you need me for anything else?” Bruce asked, the sight of the knives making him a bit nervous. He knew he had violated Mystique’s privacy. Mystique didn’t seem to be upset, but he knew that could change in a heartbeat.

  “Yeah, have you talked to your mother? What has she told you about what happened in the café?” Mystique asked, not bothering to look at the reaction on Bruce’s face.

  “No, I haven’t talked to her. The only person I talked to about it was her attorney, Mr. Shensi. He says you started yelling and then attacked my mother. I knew he was lying when he said you started yelling,” Bruce explained.

  “Your mother reminded me a lot of my mother and I am afraid I may have lost my temper. I didn’t hurt her badly, did I?” Mystique asked as she finished unpacking the knives.

  “She had a concussion and a broken wrist. The auto-doc at the corporate hospital fixed her up,” Bruce told Mystique. “You’re not going to do something to her, are you?”

  “No, and I convinced Daemon not to either. He is a bit less rational and a bit more violent than I am. I don’t think I could stop him if she were to do something else, though,” Mystique warned Bruce matter-of-factly. Bruce stared at Mystique’s back for a few seconds as he imagined the giant from the hospital being more violent than Mystique.

  “Please inform your mother of that fact and try to make sure she understands. I will not pursue the matter any further, and I am willing to forget it. If she feels she has to, then a lot of people are going to die. I may be one of them, but she definitely will be. As for her demand, I will leave that up to you,” Mystique told Bruce as she started putting her knives back into the wall cabinet.

  “What demand?” Bruce asked, trying to understand what Mystique was telling him.

  “You mother forbade me from having any contact with you. She was threatening to go to the embassy or the police when I lost my temper. Ambassador Quinn has cleared up the paperwork errors with my citizenship, so your mother’s leverage in that respect is gone,” Mystique explained.

  Bruce could not believe it. All this trouble because his mother didn’t approve of his choice of girlfriend. He stood in the center of the room slack-jawed, trying to imagine just how out of control things had become. After a few seconds, Mystique looked over to see if Bruce was going to reply. The look on his face amused her, reassuring her that he had known nothing about his mother’s plans. Mystique walked over, took Bruce by the hand, and led him to the door.

  “Bruce, talk to your mother; convince her to leave me alone. And if you choose to contact me, be sure you understand the risks if she decides to do something about it,” Mystique told him as she guided him out the door.

  ***

  Lenny was sipping a smooth single-malt scotch when Sara arrived at his table. She was wearing an attractive, if not plain, tan dress that stopped just above the knee. Miss Tomlin stood about five and a half feet tall and had some very nice curves. Lenny had always had a thing for redheads.

  Sara took a seat opposite Lenny. She blushed a little when their eyes met briefly, before she lowered her gaze. Lenny decided he was going to enjoy Sara’s company for a while before turning her over to Michael.

  “You wanted to talk to me?” Sara got the nerve to ask, still not looking at Lenny.

  “Yes, but first we eat. I took the liberty of ordering you the filet of trout. It’s very good,” Lenny responded, taking charge of the meeting.

  A few minutes later the waitress brought their food. Lenny was having a prime rib dinner with a side of red potato wedges, while Sara was served the trout covered with a light lemon butter sauce on a bed of rice pilaf. They ate in silence, each enjoying the rich flavor of their meal. The white wine that was served with Sara’s meal had a delicate flavor with none of the aftertaste of the cheap wines she was used to drinking.

  “Now to business,” Lenny stated after the waitress removed their dinner plates.

  “Yes, sir. How may I help you?” Sara asked, feeling a little less nervous.

  “I would like you to tell me about what happened on your last voyage with Captain Stevenson,” Lenny instructed calmly.

  Sara didn’t answer at first; instead, she again dropped her gaze to the table and fought for control of the terror that gripped her every time she thought of that voyage. Finally, after almost of minute of staring at the table, she answered. “I can’t remember what happened. All I know is the slightest thought of it terrifies me. I remember leaving here and jumping to our destination; the next thing I remember is being towed to the starport in orbit. I used to dream about exploring different planets; now the thought of entering jump space terrifies me. Please, I beg you don’t make me remember what happened.”

  Lenny had seen people beg before and he could tell Sara was truly scared, so instead of making a scene here he would save that question for later. “All right. What can you tell me of the three people you picked up?”

  “Angelica is one of the sweetest, most caring people you’ll ever meet. She has this aura about her that makes you feel calm and safe around her. Mystique is a typical teenager. She keeps to herself and doesn’t like being told what to do.” Sara stopped as a shiver ran down her spine. “Daemon is a monster. He may look human, but there’s nothing human about him. If it wasn’t for Angelica, I think he would have killed us all for fun,” Sara explained in a voice just above a whisper.

  “So, Angelica’s in charge?” Lenny asked, dismissing most of what Sara told him as exaggeration.

  “Yes, Daemon and Mystique are totally loyal to her. I think they would do anything she asked them to,” Sara told Lenny, relieved he hadn’t asked more about Daemon.

  “Mind joining me for a nightcap?” Lenny asked as he stood to leave. Though he had phrased it as a request, Sara could tell she didn’t have a choice.

  “Of course. I would be delighted, though I do need to be home in time to get some sleep before work tomorrow. I’m still on probation and would hate to lose my job,” Sara replied, hoping Lenny would let her go since she’d been so cooperative.

  “Don’t worry about your job. I’ll make sure it’s waiting for you,” Lenny told Sara with a smile. Lenny led the way to the exit and into his waiting limousine. Sara didn’t like the idea but didn’t think she had a choice so she followed dutifully. Once in the limousine and away from prying eyes, Lenny grabbed the neckline of Sara’s dress where it dipped to show a modest amount of cleavage. Lenny simultaneously pulled Sara to him and tore her dress open. Sara’s cries for help were music to Lenny’s ears. Sara’s feeble attempts to fight him off only added to Lenny’s excitement. The limousine slowly pulled into traffic and headed toward Lenny’s mansion.

  ***

  “Hello, Detective Montgomery. This is Doctor Fitzroy.”

  “Hi doc. What’s up?” Detective Montgomery replied, a little wary of why doctor Fitzroy would be calling him.

  “I just thought you would like to know that the boy who received the special treatment is cured. He’s in perfect health. I mean, she even fixed his allergies. I did a little research and there are no reports of anyone being able to do that,” Doctor Fitzroy told the detective, growing more excited as he spoke.

  “Calm down. I knew something was strange. The brass went from getting ready to crucify me to patting me on the back. The New Sydney ambassador sent me a letter of gratitude
and has asked to see me. Doc, I suggest you keep your head low and stay out of this whole mess; this is getting way too political,” Detective Montgomery advised.

  “I understand. I just thought you might want to know that with her level of power she could be responsible for the modifications to her brother and sister. There is no way of knowing what she could do.”

  “All right, but remember she was the nice one. Let’s just hope she stays that way.”

  “True. If you do see her, could you let her know I would like to talk to her?”

  “Sure. Have a good day, and be careful who you talk to about this,” Detective Montgomery advised the doctor before hanging up. Detective Montgomery whiped his face with his hands as he thought about what had happened in such a short time. He had been in the meeting and about to be fired when Ambassador Quinn had called to thank him for his quick thinking. His superiors had reversed their stance immediately from punishing him to congratulating him. To top things off, he now had a meeting with Ambassador Quinn the next morning.

  ***

  Mystique arrived at Lt. MacDonald’s office at 7:50 a.m. Mrs. Bloomington, his assistant, was just arriving and preparing for the day’s activities. Lt. MacDonald was already in his office. Mystique could smell the lingering odor of his cheap cologne. Mrs. Bloomington informed the lieutenant that Mystique was waiting, before continuing to unpack her day bag. Mystique stepped to the side and waited.

  Lt. MacDonald waited until eight o’clock sharp before requesting Mystique step inside his office. “Good morning, Miss Grayson. I trust you found your knife collection in order. There were a few that were in violation of the law and as such were destroyed. The rest were returned to you.”