LiTTLE CHERiNE Book 02 - post210

arthur.grafo (69)in #sfandf-fiction • 6 years ago

^{“I’m sure you are. No, I don’t want to, I’d rather remember you like this, a lovely girl who gave me a great meal and talked with me.”}

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1238

“Are you American?”

“No, I’m English.”

“You tourists are strange. Not like the Italian men.”

I left there with a heavy heart. I knew she would not even take off the day, but would soon be back on the street hoping to make an extra few bucks. Without any money I could not stay in Rome so I began to walk, aiming to find one of the roads leading north and to the western side of Italy. I found the highway and was lucky enough to find a lift that took me over a hundred kilometres away.

It was almost dusk and I would soon have to get off the road and look for somewhere to sleep when a Mercedes Benz stopped by me. The man rolled down the window and put out his hand. He gave me a wad of money and grinned. “The one you call the spider says you amuse him. He says go have a proper meal, he does not want you to die. Maybe one of these days he can use you.” He laughed and drove off.

I let the money fall and the breeze blew it about.

Chapter Ninety Seven

I spent the night walking and trying to decide what to do. I suppose I had truly thought I was free of him and it was a shock to find out he is watching me, that he knows all I do. The thought that over-rode all others was my fear that he may find a way to use me against my loved ones. I considered killing myself, but it is not easy to do so. If one of my girls hurt me or I hurt them I want to die, but at the moment I did not want to die - I was more in the mood for fighting.

By morning I had walked a good distance and was exhausted. More than anything else I was thirsty. No cars or trucks stopped for me and I carried on walking, sitting every now and then. This day chose to be one of those winter days when the sun shines brightly and by ten o’clock I was suffering, dizzy from exhaustion and my thirst. I felt the healer fill me with energy even as I heard a vehicle stop by me. I saw it was the same man again, though this time he had another three men with him.

“Teller, I am here to teach you a lesson. Since you are not man enough to kill yourself, then you must learn to obey the Master. He told you to use the money for a meal, not to throw it away. You will obey and now you will find out what it means not to.”

As he was speaking a swarthy brute approached me and he grabbed hold of me before being ordered to. He pulled my head to his and whispered in my ear, “You know what I am Robert. He is using his powers now, do I take them? If I do they may kill you.”

“Hit me and then do it. Let them think I did it.” He hit me so that I fell, and he turned as if looking for instructions. The Sparkler within him latched on to the powers of the man and attacked, shutting his mind from them. He screamed, falling to his knees, his face grey.

“You bastard! You have killed me.”

“Not I. If your master decides to kill you, it is your fault for joining someone like him.”

“Kill him, I’ll pay whatever you want, just kill him!” he shouted in Italian.

1239

I could not even withdraw into my mind to avoid the pain. Finally I thought to call to the healer to shut off the pain. It did so and all I felt were the blows and kicks and the snapping of my bones. My man pretended to be part of it, though his blows were softened as he held back. He pushed the others away and felt my pulse and pulled my eyelid up.

“He is dying. No point in carrying on, we better get away before anyone sees us.”

The other two picked me up and threw me into the ditch alongside the road so that cars passing by would not see me. I heard car doors slam and they left. A long time later I heard a car pull up. It was the police, a truck driver passing by had seen my body and called them. While they waited for an ambulance they went through my things and found my passport.

I woke up in hospital and saw a policeman waiting by my side. “You are a lucky man, Mr Teller. The doctors say you should have been dead. Do you know who did this to you?”

“No.”

“We have contacted the British Consulate. They are trying to trace your family. Would you like to give me their address? You do have family?”

“I do, but I’d rather not have them know about this.”

“Someone has to pay all the medical expenses Mr Teller. This is not Britain and you are not Italian.”

“I understand. I have money, I’ll pay.” I gave him the name of my bank and asked they get a representative to bring me whatever needs my signature.

“I will need a statement and description of your attackers.”

“Later please.”

“The longer we delay the less chance we have of catching them.”

“I don’t care, later please, I need to sleep.” I closed my eyes, but I felt him watching me suspiciously. I drifted off, feeling as I did a bone moving within me, being put back in place. I ordered the healer to slow down, only do what is necessary to keep me alive. I needed time to stop and think.

The next day the police officer was back again. They had found my diary and thanks to my code they had become extremely suspicious. They wanted me to translate it back into English. I refused. “I’m in the IT industry. These are notes of my work and are confidential.”

“Nevertheless you will translate them. This may explain the attack on you.”

“Probably. I am sorry I cannot help you officer.”

“Your Consulate said they are sending someone to see you this afternoon. If you have not agreed to co-operate by then, I will have to advise them you are being held as a suspect.”

I laughed and winced. “Of what! Of beating myself up?”

“Far more serious than that Mr Teller, we believe you are here to spy on us as an agent of your government. If not for your government then for industrial espionage.” I felt the fingers of the spider in this, but kept the fear to myself. I refused to talk any further after telling him he was being ridiculous. I suppose my attitude did not do much to help my case.

“Mr Teller, I am from the British Consulate. You will be relieved to hear we have traced through your records your employer in Greece. He has already authorised transfer of funds to cover your costs here. He is also, through his own Embassy, arranging for your problem with the local authorities to be settled. He has confirmed that you are working for an IT company of his and have very confidential information that belongs to them.”

I stared up at this young woman who was trying to strike an officious pose. I could not help giving her a grin. “What is your name?”

1240

“Miss Howard.”

“I’m very glad to meet you Miss Howard. Tell me, since I am a British subject, are you allowed to relax and smile at me?”

“You do not seem to appreciate the seriousness of your situation.”

“I have just been attacked and beaten to a pulp and I do not appreciate it?”

She smiled at my wording. “It would seem you have some rather powerful friends in Greece Mr Teller. Apparently their Chief of Police has already been in contact with his opposite on this side, asking that you be protected as you are assisting your boss in a very large and confidential deal.”

“Good old Periklis. How soon will I be allowed to leave?”

“You are joking! The doctors say you will be in that bed for another month. I believe they were waiting to either find next of kin or for you to authorise an operation.”

“Permission not granted Miss Howard.”

“You do not even know yet why they need to operate!”

“It does not matter. According to my religion it is up to my body to repair itself. No operation.”

She sat down in apparent distress. “I must tell you that if you do not allow them to operate you are very likely going to die within the next few days.”

“Miss Howard, I am a betting man. I bet you that I will not die. If I do not, then you must take me out to supper with a good bottle of wine. If I lose the bet then I have to take you out to supper.”

She shook her head. “My brother is just like you. Why is it that all you computer boffins are so weird?”

“Perhaps because we belong to the future whereas most people are trying to hang on to the familiarity of the past.”

“I must tell him that one - I’m sure he will plagiarise it to death.” She smiled at the thought and became serious again. “Mr Teller, why will you not be more co-operative with the police and the doctors? You give vague descriptions of the men who attack you, claiming you did not even see their car. You refuse to let the doctors operate. Are you really hoping you will die?”

“Call me Robert. No, I want to live. If I tell you something in confidence, do you have to repeat it to the police? Okay then. The men who attacked me, they failed. If they belong to the corporate organisation I think they do, they will never be found. By now they are probably dead. As for my being treated. I am willing to agree that if the doctors examine me tomorrow morning and still see a need to operate, I will give my permission. Please come along, I’d like you here to see the consternation on their faces when they find I have healed.”

“I will be here to make sure you sign the consent form.”

“I would shake on that but it hurts too much. Do me a favour though?”

“What?”

“When you come tomorrow, please bring with you your smile. I know you leave it at home when going to work, but I am a very sick man and need all the smiles I can get so that I will heal faster.”

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