The 95th Floor

by N R Brooks

  “Well, when I get back up there, I will help him get the place going again. There has got to be other people who would pitch in. We had tons of regulars that we knew by name.”

  “He will be happy to hear that. I’ll let him know when I see him again. I’ll let you know about all the court stuff too.” She said looking like she was already feeling better.

  “Please do. And let him know I miss him. I can’t ever thank him enough for what he has done for me. I owe him so much, more than I could ever repay.”

  “Stan, I don’t think he wants you to repay him. Just be there for him.” She knew how to pull the heartstrings.

  “Of course I am there for him. And I will be even more when I get back.”

  I was incredibly relieved that Pops’ life could possibly get back on the right track again. If I only knew how I was thrown into the past in the first place, I wouldn’t think twice to go back to only a few months ago and try to derail the whole incident on New Years.

  When we finally arrived at the Key West airport, I made my smoothest landing yet, and we took our little rental car just down Roosevelt Blvd to our suite right off the beach. We only had to walk across the street to reach the long stretch of sandy beach and a view of the water that seemed to reach to eternity. In reality, it is only about a ninety-five mile boat ride to reach Havana, Cuba. If only the earth wasn’t curved, we could see it. Take that Flat-Earthers.

  We spent a lot of time swimming in the ocean and relaxing on the beach. When we tired of the smell of ocean water, we swam in the pool at the resort. With Keiko’s Japanese ancestry and mine being Scandinavian, we both were on the pasty side. We made sure to have an ample supply of lotion to keep from being burnt to a crisp in the Florida sun.

  When we weren’t soaking up the sun and getting shriveled raisin fingers from all the time in the water, we were roaming the city, seeing what else other than beaches and resorts it had to offer. We visited the Ernest Hemingway house, Ripley’s ‘Odditorium’ and various museums. Although there was more than enough for us to do and see, I was only interested in Keiko.

  After our tour of the city, we went back to our suite and had the best sex we had ever had. When we were finally done, the both of us were so exhausted that neither of us woke up until after noon the next day. But that was only so we could do it once more before we finally hit the shower and put on some clothes for the day.

  We would repeat this cycle more than once during our stay in Key West. Memories were what we were trying to create, and I believe we were more than successful. This ended up being the one vacation we really needed. When we finally made it back to Venice in our trusty little Cessna, both of us felt completely rejuvenated. The best part was, we still had an entire week to spend together. Our fun had only just begun.

  On Valentine’s Day, Keiko and I traveled to Bok Tower Gardens, a 250-acre botanical garden resort which also houses a significant library relating to carillons—an instrument made of numerous tuned bells. Now, neither of us consider ourselves green-thumbs, however, the pictures we saw of the resort had a very romantic feel. So, what better imagery would you want for the most romantic day of the year?

  The drive was much shorter than the drive to Miami. We only had to travel just southwest of Orlando so all in all, it was roughly a two-hour drive.

  When we arrived, we took a look around our suite which was magnificent and went outside to meander through the many acres of foot trails and paths that encircle the park.

  We gazed at the many moss covered trees that hung low to the ground as we made our way to the namesake of the resort. The large Bok tower that contained not only the carillon library but also the resting place of the founder of the park.

  The various glades contained within the park were adorned with a multitude of vivid colors, some of which I doubt I had ever seen before. Neither of us could name a single plant, but they were awesome to look at nonetheless. Simply walking through the various paths gives one a sense of clarity and isolation, taking your mind off any troubles that may lie in the outside world.

  The romantic aura that permeates through the park only helped to inspire a longing for close contact with Keiko. A longing that could only be satisfied under the sheets of the bed in our suite. Fortunately, this longing was mutual. We spent the rest of the night enjoying each other’s company in a very personal way.

  We drove back home early the next day as I had my own obligations at the store which I was scheduled to work at. Due to our early morning venture, we were able to watch the sun come up from the gardens before leaving. One more memory we could mark off on the list.

  At work that day, Jeni made it clear to me that the four of us—David included—were to go out on Friday for some drinks and entertainment. I was okay with this as we had plenty of alone time the previous weekend in the keys and the day before at the gardens. Keiko was excited to hang out with Jeni again. I suggested Shorty’s since I was familiar with the place.

  When Friday finally came, we once again met up at the store, Keiko and I in my car, Jeni and David in his Jeep, although this time he was not leaving a trail of dried mud in his wake. They followed me to the only bar in town I had ever visited. It wasn’t that I was fond of this place, but rather I knew it, and I felt comfortable being at a place I was familiar with.

  Had I still been the teenager I was back in Idaho, I might have felt a little bit snubbed since as soon as we parked, Keiko took off with Jeni into the bar. Not even a ‘see you later’ or anything. But I was no longer that sensitive little teenager anymore. I vowed never to let that kid ever come out again.

  I stood outside with David for a minute just catching up since it had been a while since I had seen him. I figured since I had him alone without Keiko or Jeni nearby, I could talk to him about a subject matter that had been on my mind once or twice since our little ‘hunting’ adventure.

  “So, I have a question for you,” I said to him.

  “Oh yeah? Shoot.”

  “Well, I was thinking of getting myself one of those air rifles. I was wondering how I could get some of the Ketamine you used when I shot that skunk.” I tried to sound as innocent as possible.

  “Well, you either have to be a veterinarian or work for animal control. There is no way you are getting the stuff any other way. It is a controlled substance. Sorry man.”

  “Well, what if I gave you some money? Could you maybe, spare a little?”

  “What?! You know how much trouble I could get into if I did that?” He said with a serious look on his face.

  “I know. Just a little. I had fun when you took us out in the woods. I figured I might want to just go practice on some critters in my own time some day.” I didn’t know how convincing this sounded.

  David just looked at me with one eyebrow raised. I guess he was trying to size me up to see if I was being honest with him. “You sure that is all you want it for? Critters?”

  “Yeah, man.” I gave a half smile, almost feeling nervous. “You know, badgers, foxes, maybe even skunks.”

  “Yeah, I know what critters are.” He took a long pause before continuing. “How much are you wanting?”

  “I don’t know. A few milliliters?” I didn’t actually think of how much I would need. I knew I would need enough to take out two people at most, but never actually did the math.

  “Well, that is more than enough to take out a whole pack of critters. I get the stuff from the city, but it will cost you for me taking the risk.”

  “Oh, I know. I am willing to pay. I don’t want you to get in trouble. I just had fun shooting critters without killing them, you know?”

  “The stuff isn’t cheap. I’ll give you half of a 5mL vial for a hundred bucks.”

  I had the feeling that this wasn’t his first time giving the stuff away, or selling it. David didn’t exactly strike me as a ‘by the books’ kind of guy. Not that he was a bad person or anything. But he wasn’t a straight arrow either.

  “I can handle that. You want the mo
ney now?”

  “Give me the money, and I’ll bring you the vial later. I don’t have them with me at the moment.”

  “Sounds good.” I was feeling glad that was over. “This isn’t…uh…the first time you have done this, is it?”

  “Nope. And not a word of it to anybody. Not even my sister.” He didn’t even look at me while replying.

  “Don’t worry. I can keep a secret.” As soon as I said that, I had a mental image of her incredible tits. “Not a word.”

  I gave David the money, and we walked into the bar to meet up with the ladies. When we found them, they had a booth all to themselves, both with large tumblers with some brightly colored cocktails. I opted just for juice as I refused to drive with any alcohol in my system. David had a few beers all to himself. He could probably pound a six-pack without even getting a slight buzz.

  The rest of the night went by as one would expect. Jeni left the bar completely shit-faced with a significantly tipsy Keiko. David and I, the designated drivers, bid each other a farewell with a silent acknowledgment that he would provide me the Ketamine I requested the next time I saw him.

  Keiko and I only drank on occasion, so it never took much to get either of us drunk. She was asleep before we even got to the house. Instead of waking her, I carried her in the house as if she were my bride and laid her down on the bed. I was still wide awake, so I decided to check today’s paper to see if there had been any word about the FBI making any arrests. I had been checking it quite regularly since I mailed my letter but never found anything. I decided that I would start sending more letters of warning to them until something was done. I spent the rest of the night crafting another letter and eventually went to bed next to an already passed out Keiko.

  Sunday morning was Keiko’s scheduled flight back home. We had grown used to departing each other that at this point there were no tears, our embrace was much shorter, almost a simple hug goodbye, and I would drive back home.

  On my way home, I searched around and found a shop that sold air rifles. I asked the clerk various questions regarding the different models and found that I would probably want to be within about 50 yards of my targets. Less for even better accuracy. Of course, this was going to be used on ‘critters’ I just never mentioned what kind. I doubt he would get what I meant if I told him the critter in question was Egyptian.

  I made my purchase and took the rifle home, hidden away in my closet since I wouldn’t need it for a while. I had no plans to practice with it since that would be a waste of chemicals that were not cheap.

  On Monday morning, David made an appearance to the store for a cup of coffee and to drop off some ‘donuts’ for Jeni and me.

  “Well, hey there you bright-eyed beams of sunshine.” Obviously, this was a jab at Jeni who apparently had way too much to drink Friday night and was miserable all weekend. She replied to him with a fully extended middle finger.

  “Ouch. Sisterly love, huh?” I joined in.

  “Yeah, she still doesn’t know her limit when it comes to alcohol. Here, I brought some breakfast in for you guys.”

  David had two little bags of Krispy Kreme donuts, one for Jeni and one for me.

  “Ohh! Krispy Kreme? Now I take back the finger I gave you.” Jeni immediately beamed with joy at the sight of donuts.

  “That’s what I thought.” David handed us each our respective bags. “Here is one for you, and one for you.”

  I looked inside the bag, and in addition to two plain glazed donuts, there was a carefully wrapped item right next to them. I immediately knew what it was.

  “Ah, you got me just the kind I wanted. Thanks, man.” I gestured with a hint of additional gratitude.

  “You got it. Nothing like brightening up a friend’s Monday morning.”

  David filled his thermos with coffee and paid at the counter. Jeni charged him for the smallest cup as she usually does.

  “You off on more adventures today?” I asked him.

  “I wouldn’t exactly call them adventures. Most of the time I just end up chasing stray dogs and cats. Once in a while, I get more interesting calls like a snake in the house. It is not as entertaining as you might think.”

  “Well as long as you come in bearing gifts of donuts, we all thank you for your service,” I said giving a mock salute.

  Jeni was already mowing down her second donut. I was wondering why she was quieter than usual.

  “Yeah well don’t get used to it.” He winked. “Okay, I'm out of here. You two behave, alright?”

  “See ya.” I waved.

  Jeni only waved as her mouth was full of donut. I was thankful for David not only for keeping his word and bringing me the substance I paid for in advance, but also for putting Jeni in a much better mood for the rest of the day.

  Once again, I ran home from the store and hid the little vial in my closet next to my air rifle and darts. I did my usual routine of reading the paper, scanning for any news from the FBI but with the same disappointing result as every other time. I grabbed the envelope I had sealed with the wet q-tip Friday night as Keiko slept beautifully on my bed and dropped it off at the post office. The only thing I could do now was continue pestering them and checking the paper for results. This would end up going on for much longer than I had anticipated.

  Chapter 26

  By the third week of March, I was regularly sending letters to the FBI headquarters in DC every other week. I advised them a month prior—on my second letter to be exact—that I would continue sending the same letter repeatedly until I had seen results. I made it clear that it was not a hoax and disaster was looming if nothing had been done. I would do what I could with the limited knowledge I had, but I could make no guarantees that my effort alone would be the remedy.

  Still, even with my repeated warnings, I had seen no write-ups in the newspaper or seen anything on the television. I was becoming frustrated at the lack of results. I was positive that the information I had given was enough to at least catch two of the terrorists. It is not as if these guys were clever and were hiding any sort of paper or money trail. They were openly using their own names on bank accounts, purchases, and rental transactions.

  On the 20th of March, realizing that I had less than six months remaining until zero hour, I grew impatient. I had decided I would write a letter per week. Actually, I had stopped actually ‘writing’ the letters and had made copies to send off. I saw no point in wasting time handwriting every single letter when I sent the exact same information every time.

  I was putting together my letter and sealing the envelope when I received a call. When I looked at my phone, I saw that it was Keiko. It was odd for her to call at this time of day as she would still be at work for a couple more hours. A call at this time of day would only cause me to worry. I immediately set down my letter and answered.

  “Babe, is everything alright? You don’t normally call this early.”

  “Stan! Yes, everything is fine. I couldn’t wait until later to call you, I have great news.” She sounded as excited as I have ever heard her.

  I gave a sigh of relief. “Good, you scared me. So, tell me the news.”

  “Okay, well I have two pieces of good news. First off, Pops was acquitted of all charges! He is a free man again.”

  “Oh god, are you serious? That is great news! How is the old man doing? Have you seen him since?” I had to sit down as this had been on my mind all too much lately. It was a huge relief to know that it was done and over with and that Pops wasn’t going to spend the rest of his life in prison.

  “He is great! He said he is going to keep the shop and try to get it back up and going again. It looks like everything should be back to normal soon. All we need is you back up here.” She giggled at the last part as it was just a jab at me. She knew I hated being pestered about coming back when I insisted that I would eventually.

  “Yeah yeah, I know. You know I will be back. Still though, I feel so much better knowing he didn’t take the fall for me. Hopefully, we can ju
st forget about the whole thing. Well, not forget Ian, but you know what I mean.”

  “Of course.” She was silent for a moment before continuing with the rest of the news. “Stan?”

  “Yeah? What is the other good news?”

  She was silent again. I didn’t know if she did it on purpose or if she was trying to maximize the suspense.

  “I’m pregnant.”

  Now both of us sat there in silence on the phone. I was speechless to the point I could barely make a sound.

  “…Really?”

  “Yes! Aren’t you excited?”

  “Well, Yeah! I mean…I don’t know what to say.” I was still struggling with words. “Wait, aren’t you on the pill?”

  “Yes, I never stopped taking it. I don’t know how it still happened, but either way, I am excited about it. Maybe you and I are just a little bit too fertile? I mean, we had a lot of sex the last time I was down there. I mean, a LOT.”

  “Yeah. Still…”

  “You aren’t mad are you?” Keiko suddenly began to sound worried, as if she didn’t get the reaction she was expecting.

  “No! Of course not! I am ecstatic! I just…I am shocked. But in a good way.”

  “Stan, I want you to come back. I want to talk to you about this, face to face. Please?”

  I still couldn’t leave here just yet. But with these events creeping up on me from all angles, I was beginning to feel like I was being pulled in every direction and was going to be torn to pieces.

  “Let’s get me a flight up there for the weekend so we can talk about it and figure out what to do okay? Baby steps…no pun intended.”

  “Okay, I’ll take care of the flight. I’ll call you after I get everything set up. Okay? Stan, I am so excited!” She sounded as if she was going to jump through the phone at me.

  “I am too. Just a little shocked, that’s all.”

  “Stan?” She said in a tiny voice.

  “Yes?”

  “I love you.”