Curiosity Part Twenty

The sun was fading and with it so was my sense of security.  This man was psychotic.  He really believed that he was doing good work.  I decided I would get as much information as I could before I left.  I would then change my name and move to the deepest darkest jungles in Peru.  The natives there would accept me and make me their own and I would never need to think about this crazy man and his ideas for world domination again.  All I needed to do was learn Spanish….

            “So, how did you come to work for the company?”  I asked casually. 

            “Same as you, I found it in a want ad.  They were looking for an idealistic individual interested in public relations for an up and coming organization.  I jumped on it and got the job.  Once they told me their mission statement I was all for it.”

            I worked with all my might to sound as interested as possible.  “How do you find funding?”

            At this he shrugged.  “It’s hard to find grants in favor of our revolutionary ideas, so we get them by whatever means necessary.”  He must have realized how that sounded because his eyes widened.  “I mean, we eventually convince those with the means to donate to our cause.”

            He must have meant to say they steal it.  “So, why the letter?”

            “Oh!”  he smiled now.  “That wasn’t my idea.  Nate wasn’t very pleased with your, he called it, ‘unconventional happiness’ and he wished to deter you.  I just thought it was funny.”  

            I didn’t.  My brain was telling me it was time to wrap things up, but I still had a couple more questions before I bid this man goodbye forever.

            “So, now that I’m in the circle, what kind of role will I play?”  Costumes design for your super villains?  I thought bitterly.

            “I’ll have to get back to you.”  He looked pleased.  He thought he had recruited another but he was wrong.

            “Okay, one more question,” I asked simply, taking a deep breath.

            “Shoot,” he said happily.

            “What do you call yourselves?”

            His smile turned and became something else that sent chills down my spine.

            “Now that would ruin the surprise, wouldn’t it?”

Curiosity Part Nineteen

 “I was afraid you would ask that.”  He looked up into the cloudless sky.  “But, I did arrange this little meeting so I guess it’s time I give you something, whether it’s to your liking or not.”

            My good common sense was telling me to high tail it to my car, but as always, my curiosity won.  I sat there, quietly, tempting fate.

            “We equip the select and reinforce their endeavors to establish a new order by which we can benefit.”  His words sounded rehearsed and he looked very pleased after saying them.  I, on the other hand, was not.

            “In English, perhaps?”  I prodded, still not sure where this was going.

            His smile faded a tad but he went on to say, “Each of our clients has a unique vision but all with a common goal.  We support that goal whole heartily.  Unfortunately, not all of them know how to make their visions come alive.  That’s where we come in.”  As his enthusiasm grew so did my understanding.

            “And what’s the goal?”  I managed.

            “Complete and total freedom for those who are able enough to obtain it.”

            “And for those who aren’t?”

            “They will be dealt with.” 

Dealt with?  My insides were crawling.  I was reminded strongly of some evil character in a movie.  Kent was smiling now but he wasn’t looking at me.  His attention was now on the people walking by.

            “So, Kent,” I said as normally as possible.  “Why did you decide to tell me all of this?”

            His eyes shot to me.  “Like I said, I like you.  All the others were boring and plain.  You’re different.  When things finally kick into motion I want you to be right there with us, embarking on a new world, free of the morons who bogged us all down.”

            I cleared my throat.  “What about those who try to resist?”

            “If they know what’s good for them, they won’t.  And if they don’t know what’s good for them then they shouldn’t be around anyway.”

            I laughed nervously, “Sounds like some kind of super villain alliance or something.”

            He wasn’t laughing but instead looked more thoughtful. “I prefer visionary.  The term ‘villain’ is offensive in my opinion.”

Curiosity Part Eighteen

“Secrecy is our business but it’s not our only business.  Does that help?”

            “No,” I said quietly, shaking my head slightly.

            He looked around then scooted closer to me.  I froze.

            “Okay.”  He seemed to be searching desperately for the right words.  I wished I could help him find them because the tension was killing me.

            “You’re different,” were the words he chose and were no more helpful than silence.  “I just don’t want….”

            “What is it?”  I said suddenly and he blinked.

            “The same thing to happen to you,” he finished. 

            “And what is that?”

            His confidence appeared to be dwindling with every word spoken.

            “I don’t know.  That’s the thing.  I want you to stick around.”

            Confusion was welling up inside me and I feared I might explode on him if he wasn’t straight with me soon.  “You have got to be more clear,” I whispered.  “What is it you do there?”

            He nodded resolutely then said, “I, myself, am head of public relations.  We are a growing organization, if you will.”

            Was he serious?  “Why have a public relations manager for a building with no name?”

            This guy could not make up his mind and he was starting to get on my nerves, his beating around the bush.  He looked around and lowered his voice again.

            “I know you opened that box.”

            My eyes widened but I held my own.  “Oh?”

            “And I know you’ve been asking around about us.  I know a lot and there’s a very good reason why you don’t and if you knew any better you’d want it to stay that way.”

            I gulped.  “And why’s that?”

            “Plausible deniability,”

            I waited.

            “Sometimes what you don’t know can’t hurt you even if you’re staring it right in the face.  That’s a very good thing in your case.”

            A horrible thought crossed my mind and I hesitated to voice it.  “And. . . this business, it is good, right?”

            He seemed to ponder this question and took a little too much time on it, in my opinion.

Curiosity Part Seventeen

“Shannon, glad you could make it.”  His voice was cool and so devoid of any hint of malice that I literally laughed out loud from nervousness. 

            He smiled.  “I bet you have a lot of questions.”  He motioned to a little bench a few yards from us and we both sat down.  I made sure to keep a good couple of feet away from him on the bench despite his easy going disposition.

            His smile faded slightly but it remained present on his face and I couldn’t manage to speak.  Here it was, the moment I’d been waiting for and I couldn’t say anything.  He waited patiently and then I exploded.

            “What makes you different?  Why does everyone there hate me?  What’s the deal with the note, the camera, the mic, the secrecy, the game that you all play?  What’s the point?”  My voice was a little higher and less controlled than I would have liked it to be and when I finished his smiled had gone.

            “Yes,” he said.  “That is a lot.”

            I stared at him.  His smart grey suit and slick dark hair helped paint the picture that he had information and his kind face made me feel that whatever he said would be the truth.  I waited for the answers he had promised. 

            He sighed and stared hard at me, then leaned back on the bench.  This sudden change in behavior caused what little sense of calm I had to dart off like a runaway cat.

            “What’s wrong?”  I asked sharply.

            He turned in his seat and almost seemed to deflate.

            His next words might have been, “The world is ending and our building is a rocket ship heading to Mars to save the human race,” for all sense it made to me.

            Instead he uttered plainly, “Listen, I like you, but you’re probably not going to like what I’m about to tell you.”

            I was floored and he still hadn’t even told me anything-yet.