Girl Undercover 10 & 11: The Abduction & Dante's Inferno, page 12
“Oh, we are, we are.”
When I had given the girl the water and made sure she was all right, I asked Javier if I was allowed to return to Dante to check on him. Javier gave a curt nod, so I did.
Sliding down beside my friend, I asked him how he was doing.
“I’m okay,” he said. “I’ll be fine.” Leaning closer to me, he whispered, “I’m sure that Ricki has told Jose and the others what happened. They might be more effective than the cops making sure everyone gets out of her unscathed.”
“No whispering,” Javier said, waving his gun at us. “Please don’t make this any harder than it already is for us.”
“Why is it so hard for you?” I asked. Before he could answer, I blurted, “Because of Otto Stenger and The Adler Group?”
His body tensed and the ends of his mouth turned downward suddenly. Aha! I had hit the nail on the head with my question.
His shoulders slumping, Javier stared at me. “What do you know about them?”
“We know everything,” I responded quickly, not about to lose this precious moment to hopefully learn why the hell they’d taken us all hostage. “About all the hybrids, the experiments, the labs. The coups that are about to take place. How Stenger wants to change the world according to his”—I was about to say “twisted,” but changed my mind at the last second and just said—“world vision.”
“His world vision,” Javier repeated nostalgically, gazing into the distance momentarily. “We all thought it sounded so great. Until we learned that it wasn’t.”
“What do you mean?” I pressed on, sensing that Javier wanted to talk about this subject.
“He’s not the kind, well-meaning man I grew up to believe he was.”
Kind and well-meaning? I couldn’t help but stare incredulously at the handsome, tan, young man before me. He must have meant those words sarcastically. But the more I regarded him, the less I believed that. He really had meant those two words.
“Can you please expand on that?” I asked him.
“When I grew up, my parents used to tell me about him,” Javier began. “How wonderful this man, Otto Stenger, was. He’s like a legend to us. Very few people have actually seen him. They told me how he would make the world a better place. A beautiful place where there were no wars and everyone was happy. A clean world where no one would ever be without food or housing or healthcare. Everyone would do the job they were meant to do. Everyone would get to do their dream job. I should’ve known it was too good to be true.” He gave a laughter full of scorn.
“It was only when I graduated college and met Tim in a nightclub and fell in love that I realized that he was not at all a kind, well-meaning man. He’s evil and will destroy us all. If you’re not good-looking, healthy and smart enough for his taste, you’ll die or become a slave or the subject of experiments. It’s even worse for gays, at least if you’re a hybrid like Tim and I are. I refused to believe it at first and thought Tim was just making it up. But it’s the truth. Do you know what it means to be a hybrid?”
“Yes,” I replied. “Why is it so bad for gay hybrids?”
“If you love a person of the same sex, you’ll be tortured to death. If you’re a man, your genitals will be cut off and stuffed into your mouth and then he’ll let you bleed to death.”
An image of what Javier was describing took root in my mind, but I immediately pushed it away it was so horrid.
“Stenger secretly abhors gay people and wants them to become extinguished,” Javier continued. “The only way he’ll let you live is if you’re powerful and have money or someone sponsors you to become a special-status human. But that only goes for regular people. Not hybrids like us.”
My thoughts immediately went to Senator Janine Eastwood, who was a lesbian, and her girlfriend, Marissa. Janine was obviously rich and powerful enough to become an untouchable and could buy the same status for her girlfriend.
“When I found out,” Javier continued, “I decided to do something about it. I refuse to pretend like I’m straight when I’m not. My life loses its meaning if I can’t be with Tim any longer. He feels the same way.”
“I’m confused,” I said. “How exactly will ten million dollars help you live peacefully as gay hybrids in Stenger’s brave, new world if he doesn’t approve of hybrids being gay?” I asked. “Are you going to try to buy special status somehow?”
“No, that would never work. Stenger would never allow for us to live as special-status humans. Tim says that he doesn’t want to set a bad precedent.” He shot Tim a glance full of love. “So he and I will become fugitives instead. Stenger is only aware that I’m gay. No one knows about Tim. They barely know he exists.”
“How did Stenger find out about you being gay?”
“I’m not sure he’s actually found out yet. Only his son knows about it.”
I sat up straighter and, before I could think twice about whether I should let on that I knew Jonah, I’d blurted out, “His son? You mean Jonah?”
“Yes, that’s his name. Do you know him?”
I tried to read Javier’s expression to determine if it was to my advantage to tell him just how well I knew Jonah. I decided that it wasn’t, so I would omit the girlfriend part and also fudge the truth a little.
“I don’t know him personally, but my boyfriend knows him,” I said. “He’s a trainer and worked with Jonah at Nikkei when he lived in New York. Jonah is really into my boyfriend’s sister. He promised my boyfriend’s sister that she and her brother would become untouchables if only she’d go out with him. When my boyfriend brought it up to me, I did some digging and found out about all the labs and the hybrids.” I plastered a grin to my face, hoping he’d buy my impromptu story. As long as he didn’t think about it too much, I thought that he should.
Javier stared at me for a long, tense moment during which it appeared he was debating whether I had told him the truth or not. My lies were only believable if hybrids like Javier and Tim weren’t aware of just how hard it was for us regular humans to find out what The Adler Group was up to. I didn’t dare to breathe. Only when he nodded did I finally inhale again.
“Jonah is a power-crazed, sadistic piece of shit,” he snarled, his disgust obvious from the way his features had twisted. “And his friends are no better, it turns out. Spineless backstabbers…”
“How did he find out you’re gay?”
Javier’s cheeks heated and he lowered his gaze to the floor. “One of his buddies here in L.A., um, caught me watching gay porn on my laptop and told him.” He looked at me again, squaring his shoulders. “That’s when I found out what will happen to us gay men when Stenger takes over. Jonah sent me an email with a photo of a man who’d been executed the way I just described, informing me that very soon I’d suffer the same fate. I threw up when I opened that attachment.”
He gazed into the distance again, looking like he was reliving the moment because his face turned ashen.
The more Javier talked, the younger I realized that he was. He was far more innocent than Jonah, who was practically the same age, despite the fact that he had killed at least two men and had the capability to speak and behave like a rogue. It now seemed his earlier behavior had been mostly an act to force all the hostages into submission.
“Aren’t you worried that Stenger will track you down?” I asked boldly. “You guys do have those tracking chips in your systems, right?”
“Yes, we both have those chips installed in us unfortunately.” Javier clenched his teeth, not looking happy at all about this fact.
“But that means Stenger will eventually find you guys, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, and that’s why we have to do this.” Javier made a sweeping motion with his free hand, indicating all the hostages. “We need most of that cash to pay a doctor who’ll remove the chips.”
“A doctor?” I asked. “Just a regular doctor?”
“No, one of the Adler doctors. Regular doctors wouldn’t know how to remove the chips without setting them off. We’ll use one who I know is a little shady already. I approached him about it and he said he’d do it for eight mill.”
“He must be one of those doctors who doesn’t take insurance then,” I said dryly and actually got a chuckle out of Javier, who said that I was probably right about that.
“What happens when a chip is set off?” I asked.
“If someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing tries to remove a tracking chip from a hybrid, it’ll explode, blowing up the hybrid.”
I couldn’t stop myself from gasping a little. That sounded very… controlling. And evil. Then again, from what I’d heard about Stenger and knew of his son, this shouldn’t surprise me in the least. In fact, anything less would be surprising.
“How did you find out they’ll explode if removed improperly?” I asked Javier.
“When I asked the doctor if he was willing to remove our chips, he explained it to me. He also mentioned that the chips can be activated remotely to blow someone up. If Stenger finds out about what the doctor does, he’s a dead man. That’s why he wants so much cash for the job. Basically, he’s blackmailing us, but we have no choice. We don’t want to die.”
“Hmm. How do you know he’s not making it up?”
“That they’ll blow up if removed improperly?” Javier shrugged. “We don’t, but we choose to believe him. It goes with everything else Tim has found out about Stenger and his true intentions.”
I nodded. I had to agree with Javier. No wonder this doctor could get away with charging four million a person to get them out of Javier and Tim.
“So that’s why we have to do this. We’ve planned this for weeks, we’re so determined to go on living.” Javier turned to Dante. “If Todd and Rico hadn’t tried to play such tough guys, they would’ve gone on living, too.”
There were suddenly tears in Javier’s dark eyes. “I had no choice but to take them out.” He blinked a couple of times and the glassiness was gone as quickly as it had appeared, making me wonder if it hadn’t just been the setting sun playing tricks with my vision. “But you should know that, in a way, I saved them. Neither of them are particularly attractive and not overly bright, either. At best, they would have become house slaves after Stenger’s takeover. Personally, I’d rather be dead than someone’s slave.”
“Are you done chitchatting soon, Javi?” Tim suddenly cut in. “You might wanna pay the other hostages some attention or who knows what they’ll attempt. We don’t have time for any more mishaps. The helicopter’s almost here. Get ready. We’re leaving soon.”
Javier left us and began pacing up and down the studio like he did before, keeping close tabs on all the hostages.
As the mayor announced that the helicopter would have the money delivered in two minutes, well within the deadline, I glanced out the windows. All I saw was lots and lots of glimmering ocean. How the hell were these two planning on getting out of here intact and with all that money? As far as I knew, the only way out of the studio was through that glass door, or by jumping into the shallow water beneath the terrace. Since Tim had requested the money be carefully sealed in airtight trash bags, it must have something to do with them transporting it in water. Were they going to swim to a boat somewhere? It made the most sense, except I couldn’t see a boat anywhere. Which meant that, if there was a boat somewhere, it must be so far away I couldn’t see it despite that it was perfectly clear out. The sun that had just disappeared behind the horizon no longer impeded my view. How would they be able to swim such a distance, especially considering that they’d have the extra load of money with them?
Then I remembered that they were hybrids. Who knew what superhuman powers these two possessed? Surely extreme strength and endurance. Unfortunately, all the cops outside knew far less about their unusual state, which meant that these two would likely get away. After having heard Javier’s story, part of me sympathized with them, almost wanting them to succeed. But then I thought of the two trainers he’d killed in cold blood, same as his boyfriend had done to that other man. They needed to pay for that.
“The helicopter will be dropping the money in thirty seconds,” the mayor announced, “and then a man will deliver it to you in a trolley, exactly like you asked for. Ten million in hundreds wrapped with rubber bands in watertight garbage bags tucked into two sturdy backpacks. He will roll the money up to Cuerpos’ glass door entrance.”
“Sounds dandy,” Tim said and waved Javier over. The deafening sound of a chopper getting louder and louder soon drowned out the conversation. Tim mouthed something to Javier, who walked over to the wall with all the windows and opened the terrace door. He walked out onto the terrace and did something I couldn’t see, but it seemed he adjusted something that was next to the terrace railing that attached to the building. Then he went over to the other corner of the building and adjusted something there before returning into the studio.
The sound of the helicopter diminished and the mayor spoke again via the speaker phone. “I’m being told that the money is being rolled over to the entrance right now. Can you see him?”
Standing close to the glass door, Tim peered out. “Yes, I can. When he gets to the door, I’m coming out to take the money. If I’m shot by any of all those cops out there, my friend in here will execute three hostages immediately, so don’t do anything stupid, you hear me? When I have the money and have made sure it’s in the shape I requested, it won’t take long before all the hostages will be released.”
“I understand perfectly. I’ll tell them exactly what you just told me, so they’ll leave you alone.”
“That’s not good enough,” Tim said sharply. “I want to hear it announced outside. I’m sure there are law enforcement agents there who can announce this order using a bullhorn so all armed men are clear on the orders.”
“Fine.”
Thirty seconds later, a loud voice boomed out, ordering all officers, including snipers, to hold their fire while the subject received the money and until further orders were given.
“Good.” Tim pulled out a ball cap from his denim vest that he put on his head, pulling the bill low over his face. Then he stuck his hand into a pocket on his pants and fished out a red clown nose that he put on his own nose.
He must be worried that the press out there will take photos of him and wants to remain incognito, I thought, impressed against my will at this precaution. If he and Javier were planning on becoming fugitives, the fewer people who knew what they looked like, the easier they could remain hidden. It struck me that Tim Dalton was probably not his real name, either. That name would be all over the news soon.
Throwing a glance over his shoulder, he gave Javier a nod. “Be ready to kill off some hostages if they disobey my orders, okay?”
Javier nodded, getting his machine gun ready.
Chapter 5
The people on the floor all tried to make themselves smaller and more inconspicuous, moving toward each other so they became one big human cluster. Dante and I remained several feet away from them, seated together in a corner.
The man with the money must have reached the entrance because Tim opened the glass door and stepped outside. Holding the door, he instructed the man to unload the two backpacks from the trolley and throw them inside the studio.Thump! Thump! Both backpacks were on the rubberized gym floor, having landed about a yard beyond the front desk. They were military green and of the sturdy kind with padded shoulder straps.
Tim must be pleased, I thought grimly.
Dismissing the delivery man, Tim closed the door and moved the backpacks farther into the studio, a good distance away from the entrance, then kneeled beside them. He opened each backpack, removing the airtight seals from the garbage bags and examining all the bundles of hundred-dollar bills inside. He took his time.
“They look okay?” Javier asked eagerly.
Tim nodded slowly. He put the stacks of money back into the garbage bags, screwed the juice container caps on tightly and closed up the backpacks. Then he removed his ball cap and clown nose, tossing both items into a nearby trashcan. He got to his feet and strapped one backpack onto his back. Lifting up the other, he walked it over to where Javier stood with his hands on the machine gun, near the open terrace door.
“I’ll watch the hostages while you put it on your back,” he said to Javier, extending him the heavy-looking backpack. Javier handed him his machine gun in exchange for the backpack that he slipped onto his back like it weighed no more than a small dog.
Yeah, these two are definitely very strong, I couldn’t help but note. But I still couldn’t figure out how they thought they would get out of here alive. Were they going to jump off the terrace and into the shallow water below, run farther out into the ocean and then try to swim away? Even if they moved fast, they wouldn’t get far before all the cops outside spotted them and could easily shoot them.
“You go first,” Javier said after Tim had given him back his weapon.
“You sure?” Tim said, gazing into the other man’s eyes in a way that spoke of how strongly he felt for Javier, how much he loved him. Javier returned the gaze with equal passion. The tender moment was jarring and sent conflicting emotions through me. On the one hand, the intimate display fascinated me, but on the other, I felt like a peeping Tom watching them, intruding upon this couple’s privacy. Not that they gave me and the other hostages much choice.
“Yes. You know I’ll be able to get farther out than you much quicker,” Javier replied, not removing his eyes from Tim’s. He threw a glance at the hostages, who were all staring at the two men. “We have to go now.”
“Okay,” Tim said. “I love you. Whatever happens, don’t ever forget that.”
Javier smiled at him. “I won’t. I love you, too. Now go!”
Tim leaned in and landed a quick peck on Javier’s lips, then swiveled around and dashed out onto the terrace. While Javier aimed his gun at us, Tim jogged over to a corner outside and grabbed something next to the railing. Suddenly holding onto a very long pole, he sprinted across the terrace, a distance of perhaps six or seven yards, and pole-vaulted himself up into the air and flew over the ocean. He traveled dozens of yards in a big arch before finally touching the water and disappearing below the surface.
