Terry Neale - Jo-el

She turned toward the entrance, I followed. It was eerily quiet of people in the grand entrance. Two security guards stood by the x-ray machine, similar to every airport.

“Pippa,” I called out quietly. She swung around to face me and waited. “I’m not carrying any weapons.” Not strictly true, my fire power with Sally at the controls was lethal, but they didn’t need to know that. “Before I go through the x-ray machine, I need to tell you that I’m wearing a computer around my waist, it will set off the machine, but I can’t remove it.” She hesitated, unsure how to proceed. I glanced around the foyer, there were two men the other side of the x-ray machine watching. No sign of any of the other members of the task-force.

“Let me ask someone?” her voice was calm, she seemed to have worked passed the initial nerves of meeting me. I’m such a smooth talker. She spoke into a microphone attached to her collar, spy stuff, so cool. I didn’t try to hear; it was obvious what she was saying. “Someone’s coming.”

We waited no more than a minute, they weren’t far away. Colin Alberton joined us and I shook his hand.

“Can you show me?” he said.

I lifted my top shirt and showed him the belt computer.

“What is it?”

I thought I’d already told them. “It’s a computer.”

“Can you take it off?” Maybe they don’t listen.

“No.” I was firm.

“Go through, let’s see what happens.” He indicated the x-ray machine, but I noticed something else and I knew immediately it was a sign. He scratched the top of his bald head with his left hand. I knew he was right handed. Time to bring in my A-Team.

“ Sally, what are they up to?”

“ Four of the Swat team are moving in.”

“Damn!”

“You want out?”

“No, not yet. Let’s do the electrical shield, fifty volts only.”

“Okay, boss!”

The x-ray machine beeped, there’s a surprise. Suddenly four men in full combat gear rushed into the foyer and pointed their menacing looking weapons at me. Pippa was on my side of the x-ray machine, she mouthed, ‘ I’m sorry, ’ I smiled. She truly was a beauty. I was surprised by my lack of fear. It’s all about expectations.

Alberton bypassed the x-ray machine and joined me. I think he was devoid of the right thing to say, also.

“I thought we agreed, no weapons,” I said, fuming.

“Not sure I actually agreed to that part,” he replied. “We just want to talk.”

“That’s what I agreed to do, Colin, but not like this.”

“I need you to remove the computer.”

Oh, crap! Wasn’t expecting that.

“ Sally, you ready?”

“Sure.”

“ That’s not going to happen.”

“Do you have a choice?” Alberton replied, noting the Swap team.

I addressed the Swat guys, “before you guys do anything rash I have to tell you that you might get hurt.” As soon as I said that I decided it was a bad idea. You want to rile one of these guys, just throw down a challenge. Me and my big mouth.

“I’ll escort you downstairs.” Alberton ignored my threat, he didn’t understand.

I thought I might as well say a few more things before doing the big vamoose. “If you change your mind Colin, about talking to me, have Pippa send me an email or text. I will only receive correspondence from her. Send it to ‘Jo-el’”, I spelt it out, “no dot com or anything like that.”

I heard Sally in my ear, “ oh, please!”

“This is a big mistake, Colin. Anymore bullshit like this and my next trip will be east.” That should give him something to think about. “I’m leaving now.”

I took a step toward the exit and as I expected the nearest Swat guy raised his weapon and swung the handle at my head. I don’t think he had any intention of hitting me, he was just flexing his muscle. The butt of his semi-automatic met the force shield and bounced off. That felt good. Test one complete. He was surprised and made the mistake of grabbing at my arm with his left hand, which he’d removed from his weapon. His hand went into the fifty-volt electrical field, which is a long way from dangerous, but when you’re not expecting it, it’s a bit of a shock (pun intended). He leapt backwards and fell over. Funnily enough I felt sorry for him. That triggered the other three guys into action, as you would expect. They all brought their weapons up.

“ Time to leave, Sally.”

Right before their eyes I disappeared, the saddest thing was I didn’t see the look on their faces.

“Put it on the monitor, Sally.”

She did, as I fell back onto the sofa, my wings disappearing. There were eight of them, the four Swat guys, Alberton and Pippa Moran and the two security men manning the x-ray machine. They were all standing still staring at the space I’d vacated. Mouths were agape. Then one of the security men dropped to his knees and began making the sign of the cross. No one said anything. What could they say? I was grinning, so was Sally.

“That was a cluster fuck!” I said, “but it was exciting.”

“What now?”

“God, I don’t know. Wait and see what they do? I’ve given then a lot to think about.”

We both watched the 3D monitor. It was about a minute since I’d bounced out of there. Alberton was gaining some composure. He addressed the Swat team.

“This is classified, one word and you’ll be cleaning toilets, understand?” They all nodded. “Get out of here.” The team shouldered their weapons and headed along the corridor. He turned to the security guys, one was still on his knees, “same for you guys, right?” One nod, one ‘yes sir.’

“Moran!” He didn’t say anything but walked away, Pippa followed like an obedient dog.

“Should be interesting,” I said to Sally. “I wonder what they’ll do? I’m going to make some coffee, keep Alberton on the screen.”

Sally nodded.

Twenty minutes later Alberton was in the CIA Director’s office.

“You screwed up, Colin.”

“How the hell was I to know what this guy could do? I saw it and I still don’t believe it. He disappeared right before our eyes. Jesus, how’d he do that? This is outside our understanding.”

“He asked for the meeting? What could his reasons be?”

“He said he just wanted to talk.” Alberton said.

“And he contacted you through Moran’s computer. He hacked our network.”

“It would seem so, yes.”

“How the hell did he do that? Can we trace his IP address?”

“I’ve sent Moran to the tech office, they are looking at it as we speak.”

“Good. What did he say again about going east?”

“He just said ‘anymore bullshit and he’d go east.’ He didn’t say where.”

“East usually means China, Colin.”

“I realize that, sir.”

“Whatever technology this guy has, we better get it first, I don’t want to explain to the President that our handling of the situation pushed him into Chinese hands. You better get him back here and do it his way this time. I can’t see any alternative. I want to know why he wants to speak to us?”

“I don’t agree, Sir. I think we need take him, somehow. Find out what makes him tick.”

“Later, we need him to let his guard down. Seems like the thing around his waist has something to do with it. Maybe he’s some crazy genius. Whatever, we can’t let the Chinese get him.”

“No, sir.”

“Why’d he pick Moran?”

“She’s attractive.”

Sally winced.

“I’ve heard of worse reasons.”

“Work it with her, okay.”