Frank Klus - Azaleas Don't Bloom Here

“There’s nothing else to do, Commandant. Some of the memory neurons must have reconnected. There is still so much we don’t know, but this is what must be happening. We must have missed some synaptic connections. If there are any buried connections they could resurface in a dream state. This must have been happening with your wife. Once an initial memory comes back, the brain will search for the memory. It will make new connections. The only treatment is with the brain probe.”

“Sedratol,” Casimir said.

Dr. Schmidt just stared at Casimir with a look of incredulity. “Grifton said that?”

“Nothing else; just Sedratol. What do you know of it?”

“Grifton isn’t thinking clearly. Forget what he said.”

“It was the only time he did seem lucid, Dr. Schmidt. What did he mean? What is it? If it’s something that can help my wife, I want to know.”

Schmidt’s eyes were downcast. “I helped Fred develop it and conducted the testing myself. It’s dangerous and not certified by the FDA for human use. Just forget it, sir.”

“Tell me about it—that’s an order.”

Schmidt just stared at Casimir, and then he stood up and began pacing around the office. Finally, he turned toward Casimir. “It’s an inhibitor, and it’s very dangerous. We used it on various test animals. It’s designed to inhibit the limbic system to reduce dreaming, but without the correct dosage it can lead to various psychotraumatic illnesses such as PTSD. It may be years before we have all the answers.”

“Could you get it for me?”

“Commandant, I could lose my license for that.”

Casimir just stared at Schmidt. Schmidt knew Casimir had the power to do just what he feared if he didn’t cooperate. “Let me talk to Grifton.”

“I want it now. If Martinez should ever find out about Sandra, he’ll order her back to Hell House or kill her. Anything is better than those alternatives.” Schmidt knew he couldn’t refuse the Commandant.

“Hello, hon.”

(Pause) “Yeah, I’m still in the office. I’ve got to get this research on S-1051 for Trident. I’m already late with it, and I promised him he’d have it on his desk first thing in the morning. I think I’m going to be pulling an all-nighter.”

(Pause) “What’s that?”

(Pause) “Oh, sure. I’ll be home for an early breakfast. Then a quick shower, and back to the office.”

(Pause) “I don’t know. Maybe I’ll take a little catnap.”

“Huh?”

(Pause) “Oh, I don’t know. We got some procedural votes in the afternoon. I’ve got to be here for that. After that I should be able to get home. It depends on how the vote goes. I could be stuck in a meeting. You know how Trident is. He’s always got to have a plan—”

“Huh?”

(Pause) “Yeah, that’s what I mean.”

(Pause) “Sure. Make reservations for us, okay?”

(Pause) “Love you too.”

Senator Everson Moore hung up the phone, opened the spreadsheet, and began entering more numbers; but he couldn’t get his mind off Pamela. He got his pocket phone out. “Gino, any word on those Hogs?”

Moore made a face after Gino filled him in. “Sure.”

(Pause) “What should I tell her?”

(Pause) “Christ! It’s a sort of you’re damned no matter what you do.”

(Pause) “Yeah, I’ll relay those options to Ray. It’s best I let him make the decisions.” He hung up the phone and dialed Ray.

“Ray, it’s Ev. I got some information for you, but it isn’t exactly good news. Any place you go west there’s going to be someone looking for you. They know you’ve switched vehicles, so they’re looking for faces. No matter where you stop someone’s going to see you and report your position to the Hogs.”

(Pause) “I know. It’s sort of damned no matter what you do.”

(Pause) sh“Okay, Ray. Keep me posted.”

Ev got back to his spreadsheet, staring at the numbers. He didn’t like the answers, but he knew to be thorough. What if we boosted the variable for commerce? Let’s see. About point one.

He heard a knock at the door that momentarily startled him. “Yes?”

“Janitor.”

“I’m rather busy in here.”

“It’ll only take a minute sir. Just trying to do my job.”

Christ , he said to himself. “All right, just a minute.”

As Moore opened the door three men burst in. They quickly wrestled him to the ground, put a large piece of tape over his mouth, and tied his hands. They hustled him down the hall quickly and out a service door to a waiting van. He was then blindfolded and taken somewhere. Moore was frightened out of his mind.

“Casimir. It’s Al.”

“Yes sir. Always good to hear your voice.”

“Cut the shit. We’re bringing in Senator Everson Moore.”

“Who, Al? I don’t understand.”

“You know—the guy who warned you off Eugene Sulke.”

“Was that this guy, Moore?”

“The one and only. He’s as much a thorn in our side as yours. Always causing trouble for us and, apparently he’s won over the Traffic Committee minority leader; a man named Trident. They’re trying to make it easier to get exit visas to travel to Sick America.”

“That’s very good news, sir.”

“We want to use Alt House, and treat Senator Moore.”

“Okay, Al. We’ll keep it open.”

“According to my men in Washington, they’re supposed to upgrade their security. We had to act fast, and when we found out Moore would be working in an empty part of the building… well… we couldn’t pass up the opportunity.”

“I understand, Al. What do you want me to do with Sulke?”

“Go back to the original plan. Arrest him, stick him in jail, have a trial for co-conspiracy to commit murder, and let him spend a few years in prison. Plenty of time then to put him through Hell House.”

“Sure. We can do that, but what about the Blues?”

“We’ll find a place for them. Now, where are you at on that prick’s capture?”

“We’ve got him holed up somewhere in the southeastern part of South Dakota. They appear to be moving toward the Canadian border. I’ve got my best men hunting for them. It shouldn’t take long.”

“Just make sure they don’t make it to Sick America.”

“No problem on that end, Al. We’ve got our men at the Canadian border and we have a network of volunteers in Montana in case they go that way. It’s just a matter of time sir.”

“Keep me posted.”

“Senator Trident, Linda Gomez, a Senate page, wants to talk to you.”

“I really don’t have time. I can’t find Moore, and I don’t have any research on S-1051.”

After a few minutes the secretary came back in. “I’m sorry, Senator Trident, but this woman won’t go away. She says she has important information for you.”

“Very well. Show her in.”

“Senator Trident, Senator Moore was kidnapped.”

“Kidnapped?”

“Yes sir. Last night.”

“Have you called the police?”

“Yes, sir, but I don’t think they believed me. You see, I was cleaning Senator Dickens’ office last night. He had me running a bunch of errands. It was around ten o’clock last night that I heard a shout and some commotion a few doors down from where I was. I opened the door a crack and I could hear voices and a muffled sound. Then I saw three men taking Senator Moore out the service door. That’s all I know.”

“And you reported this to the police?”