2 Carotid, 1 Carotid, None

By Al DesHôtel

After losing his on again and off again girlfriend to an assassin the reality of what he does finally sinks in. So Dan lets the tide of the underworld of secret agencies have their way with his career. As it turns out his intuitive knowledge and keen situational awareness prove to be a valuable and very marketable skill set.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Al DesHôtel
• Release date: Mar 7, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224881482

Al DesHôtel

Greetings! I started writing science fiction in the late 1980's because I always felt that most science fiction was missing a few things. The routine, every day life occurances always seemed to be glossed over or not mentioned at all in lieu of the high excitement items. While my writings have plenty of high excitement scenes there are also mention of routine things and how they apply from the every day life to the storyline. The Alaytion Archives series started out as an idea of an alien race and how an every day ordinary person with above average intelligence could end up far in the future with them. As it evolved I kept finding more and more of the story to write about and it now currently spans 5 novel length books. Another genre that I've taken up in recent years is action-adventure. From the basic shoot 'em up type scenes to complex interlocking plots of advanced spy novels. Like many authors I weave my every day real life experiences into my work so that it becomes more alive and exciting. -Al

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Book 2, Wired Assassins

© 2024 Al DesHôtel

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The flight from Tel Aviv had a stop no matter which way I selected. The one through Frankfort Germany was actually shorter by a few minutes. However, I picked that one since the Germans, if anything, are usually prompt and on time. I hoped at the time that it would also correspond to fewer delays on the connect. With an hour and forty-five minutes layover there should be plenty of time to change gates and cram down some food somewhere.

As I pulled into my condo garage after arriving from the Dallas airport, I noticed that Beth’s car was there. And to the side. Good girl, not in the middle as she so often was when I was out of town. After unloading my luggage, I got into the house and found her in the kitchen cooking. Um. Smells good.

Figured you would be hungry. She kissed me as I came in. Although we had not been living together for as much this time around as the first time a few years back still it was comfortable and familiar. And she really was skinnier than her dead sister Sasha. Not quite as smart though and that was being a bit generous.

So, I see a lot of stuff gone. I sat at the table.

Yes. The movers cleared both places out of the stuff to toss and brought the stuff we wanted to keep here. Not much left over there. Scheduled for the handyman and a painter to freshen it up a bit and they start next week. I’ve got all the kitchen stuff sorted, all the closets straight. Been working hard while you were gone. She got out some plates.

Looks like it. Good. Got all of your recurring credit cards and such moved?

Yep. And doing a temporary drivers license until the new one comes in. Of course, with you things like that are a bit amusing. She giggled thinking about the way that I switched identities so often.

Working for the Mossad and often contracted to the CIA and flitting from one country to the next with different politics I did change a lot. And sometimes when doing a, ahem ‘job’, which usually ended with someone dead, I would nearly always use a fake identity. Those identities included driver’s licenses, passports with a few fake stamps so they wouldn’t look new, a couple of credit cards. I even had a list of master forgers in several countries that could crank out new identities in just a few days in most cases. Had my photo on file with at least seven I could think of. So just shoot them a name and what country it needed to be issued from and a few thousand in the coin of the realm and poof, new identity.

I did have my true identity, which I seldom used any more except in Dallas which is Dan Wilken. And that one I did have to be polite and get it renewed and keep it legal. Bank accounts?

Yeps

You can probably drop the internet and cable TV stuff over there now that you don’t have a TV there. I told her.

Not just yet. Need the Internet for the thermostat so the realtor can show the place. Beth told me putting down some food on the table and going back for a bottle of wine.

So I’ll be here a week or two. Just spend some time chillin’ out. I told her.

Good. You need that. Me too. I’ve been bustin’ ass keeping busy to keep from crying. She fought back a sniffle at the loss of her sister Sasha.

Yeah. I need to study I think. I told her.

Your PE?

Yep. Professional Engineer. Always just put it off for some reason. Now though, think I need to do it and get it done before I forget too much shit from school. They do have a lot of crap on there that the guys just getting out of college can wiz through that will take me a bit of brushing up. Out in the real world not everything works like the classroom. Unfortunately most of the PE exam is written by professors teaching shit in the unreal world of school.

Yea. She looked at me a moment.

So, what do you plan on doing with your life? I asked Beth.

Don’t know. She answered.

Another pharmacy job? I asked her.

Maybe. Seems to be overrun with corporate overhead though. Not much of a chance anymore to move up very quick. District managers usually have twenty years in before they become a manager. Just the same old drudge work for that long isn’t appealing right now. Beth looked a bit depressed at that. I wondered though how much was the recent loss of her sister and how much was all the shit that had gone down with her being raped.

You still seeing the shrink?

Nah. Wasn’t much point to that when I had insurance and now that I don’t a total waste of time and money. So quit that. No worries, I think I have enough counseling to last a lifetime now, even considering what happened to me. You are amazing though. Even knowing what had happened to me you still welcome me into your bed and make love to me like a normal woman.

You are a normal woman. Sometimes bad shit happens. You move on. I said and frowned. I needed to heed my own advice as I thought about it. Had just had plenty of bad shit happening to me lately.

You look tired. Go take a shower, I’ll clean up. Beth told me.

Ok. And thanks. Not only for dinner but for all of this. I made a circle motion to encompass all the work she had done on moving in with me. She had done all of it. I had only given her hints every so often to things on how to wrap up Sasha’s affairs and estate.

--**--

Four days later I was sort of burning myself out studying. Beth was giving me space and she was handling all of the shit with the realtor on getting rid of Sasha’s condo. Around lunch I saved my spot in the study guides and then headed out the door. Grabbing a quick burger, I sat in the restaurant taking a breather. Then decided I need to show my face at the new firm.

So driving out to the location that they had given me, I hadn’t even seen it yet, I pulled up in the parking lot and looked at the inexpensive sign they had up. With a short lease we had all voted for a cheap sign here. Just enough to be in business and not operating out of someone’s house. Just an office warehouse type place. We didn’t need to store anything just needed offices. Looked up at the sign. SWSW, LLP and the sub title under it Professional Engineers. Yep, that was what it was. I went to the door and stopped. It was locked. Then I heard the buzzer and pulled.

Welcome to SWSW. The receptionist said, I smiled. She couldn’t have been more than nineteen at most, if that old.

Good afternoon. Is anyone in? I asked.

Me. She looked back at me.

I laughed. Guess you are. Any of the partners?

Um. Yes. And you are? She asked.

Dan Wilken. I told her.

And you are with? She asked jotting down my name.

SWSW, LLP. I told her. She looked at me perplexed.

Um. You are at SWSW. What company are you with? She asked again.

SWSW. I told her. I could see it wasn’t registering with her. Perhaps you could just show me to my office?

I don’t understand. She stated, clearly confused.

Well maybe just let whichever of the partners is here know that Dan Wilken is here.

She frowned. Then picked up the phone and dialed a number. Jack. There is a man in the lobby. His name is Dan Wilken. She said and gave me a side eye. Yes sir. She disconnected. He said he will be here in a moment. Please have a seat.

Sure. I said and sat down.

Dan! Jack came walking down the hall at a brisk pace. We did the man hug thing.

Good to see you. Thought I would drop by. I told him.

Yeah! First time! Wow. Very surprised. He looked over at the receptionist. Amanda, would like you to meet the first W in our name, Dan Wilken. He is one of our partners. Although mostly absent I would add.

Amanda finally got it. Oh. Sorry sir. She said realizing that she probably should have known the four partners in the business that employed her.

I put my hand out. Glad to meet you Amanda. I said. She shook my hand, starting to turn red.

Come on back! Jack grabbed me and dragged me away. Fortunately for Amanda.

So seems like you have functional offices at least. I followed.

Yeah. Grab a seat. Something to drink?

Sure. I answered and landed in the three-person sofa in his office.

Very surprised. Didn’t even know you were in town. He handed me a soda.

Yeah, just got back from Israel and cleaning up some more shit there. Taking a couple of weeks and studying for my exam. Scheduled for next Thursday. I told him popping the top on the can of soda he had handed me.

Excellent! The Smith brothers are on site with a client. I am working on a proposal. So guess you aren’t here to work then?

Unfortunately, not. Just needed a few hours break. Getting cross eyed studying. Thought if I can clear my head I can get back to it tomorrow.

Sorry about Amanda. She has only been here for a couple of weeks. Just have her answering the phone, proofreading and sorting the mail. Jack said leaning back in his chair.

For what you are paying her that is about all I would expect. I told him.

I hear from our benefactor John way more than you.

Yeah, well, he is sort of retired and has more time on his hands. And he wants a return on his investment. So far, mea culpa, I haven’t contributed that much.

Oh you did us right with him. And now that we are really in business and not just blue sky dreaming he has brought us some business. He seems to keep up with a lot of things. Gives us hints and sometimes even arranges a meeting or two for us to make a pitch. Jack told me.

He plays the stock market so natural outgrowth of that, he spends a lot of time reading financial reports, searching web sites and so forth. Good use of his talents too. The same data he is filtering to figure out his stock also plays well for getting you guys customers.

Oh definitely. So far half of our customers are from one of his contacts or suggestions. Invaluable guy. Jack reached over and shut off the TV that was muted on a news channel.

We caught up for the next half an hour on his wife and kids and then it was my turn. Told him about what had happened to Sasha, up until then they just knew she was dead and had sent flowers from the company and all of my partners showed up for the funeral. Then the discussion turned back to business. The other three felt like they were keeping busy enough and didn’t really see me being absent that much of an issue right now, as they put it I was deferring my salary anyway since I wasn’t contributing much and just taking equity holding with the company for what participating I was doing.

Finally after a restroom break Jack showed me to my office. I had a name on the door and everything. As they put it they had all decided it would look better if all four named partners had a sign on the door. I did notice, though, that my name didn’t have the PE initials after it like theirs did. Which, in some way, gave me that little incentive to study hard tomorrow.

Another hour of chatting with Jack, while I was looking around in my office and adjusting things and he went back to work. I sat there wondering about studying here as opposed to home when Amanda knocked at the door. Need anything?

Um. Not sure. I looked up at her. Was just sitting here thinking about maybe coming in and studying. How quiet is it here?

Pretty quiet most of the time unless Jack is really lit up with a call. I know most days I get all my homework done. I’m working on my nursing degree at North Lake campus. Just answer a few phone calls, sort mail, make sure things are open or locked as the case may be and make coffee for any customers who come in.

Sounds good. I will give it some thought. Sometimes my roommate gets noisy and I have to shut the door to concentrate. Studying for my PE exam. I told her.

Here is your key. I have been holding it until you arrived. Almost forgot about it. Amanda slid a small brown envelope over to me.

Gate code too. I noted looking at the outside.

Yeah, they don’t close it until seven on weeknights. Keep it closed all weekend. I’ve only had to use it once on a Monday morning early. Well then, if there is nothing else, time for me to leave. Amanda said.

Thanks. Good to meet you. I told her. Then I noted it was nearly five PM. Probably time for me to go too unless I wanted to get stuck in the grid lock traffic.

--**--

The following Thursday afternoon I arrived back at the condo. Beth was cooking dinner. So? She asked as I kissed her on the way by though the kitchen.

Long. Hard. Think I might have done good. Won’t know for a week though. I told her after completing the PE exam.

So you still planning on going to Rio next week? Beth asked.

Pushing back a few days. Reading up on the email looks like they are mostly full in the office and not hurting for me being there. Operations seems slow. I told her.

Go wash up. She told me.

After dinner we had a few hours of play time with each other. That was definitely enjoyable after having studied so hard for the past two weeks. Now that the exam was over with though I could kick back a bit and relax. Having had the office to fall back on I had used it for a couple of days to study. Got a few hours in with the brothers too talking about the business and everyone was happy I was going for the PE exam since I was the last of the four of us to take it.

A couple of days later the realtor was showing the condo. The market was slow she admitted even though the condo was in a good area, easy access to freeways and such. Good shopping. Not really a family type setup though, more of a yuppy thing. Still though she had staged it with a staging place and taken a lot of the cool walk around videos and had it up on her web site.

Since I was in Dallas though the guys all wanted to have a so-called board meeting. We got together in the office conference room with Amanda running coffee and snacks for us. The flying Smith brothers had some civil engineering projects lined up and had a place for Jack to handle some of the electrical issues. Since I wasn’t going to be there much we all agreed to keep my participation limited for the time being as I wasn’t really costing them anything and adding some semblance of a PR, public relations, value.

I got the point across that our investor, John Lawson, shouldn’t be advertised or mentioned in any way and he was going to remain in Brazil. I covered for the witsec aspect of him being there by telling them that although he wasn’t wanted for anything outstanding in the US that he had been denied a visa for entry due to some youthful indiscretions. They bought that story. Also then seemed to understand why he needed to remain in the background like a silent partner and not be in any mention of publicly identifiable paperwork like the Texas LLP. He had invested in us via a shell corporation.

So do you have any idea of what your future plans are? Luke Smith asked me.

Yeah, eventually I’ll be here. Once my current employer in Tel Aviv had rescinded the offer to fund this outfit they sort of lost the cover of using it. I think they got a bit too ambitious trying to onboard me. After freezing my nuts off in Alaska though I was sort of done with that outfit I had been working on. Normally though I’d angle to keep my security clearance by finding another job that would support the ongoing maintenance of it. In the case of my current employer they do support it even though it is sort of masked behind a few layers of companies. So yeah, get to keep my clearance. Meaning, for the short term though that if you guys do get any defense sector gigs you can use me to meet any requirements just so long as I don’t have to get here in any sort of a hurry for a meeting or something.

No, I meant your real future plans. Luke added.

Oh, you thinking of what sort of things can I bring in to work on since my specialty is building missiles? I asked him.

Yeah. More or less.

Probably sort of stick to defense stuff. Still a significant amount here in town.

He was thinking things over. How much time do you have with your other gig down south?

It comes and goes. For the past two weeks stagnant down there. Hence why I’m here, with most of my staff there in the office and no one on vacation yet they can do without me for a bit. They had a bunch of interconnected jobs running for the past few years and that is wrapped now. For the bulk anyway, most of the players are dead. I added and looked at Luke.

Dead. Yeah. He thought about it.

Don’t have to dance around it Luke. Yeah, Sasha was who got me into that business and she eventually got killed because of it like I told you all. So I tracked down the person responsible and took her off the board. I told him.

Jesus Dan, you make it sound like playing checkers or something. Guess we just want to know if we have to be concerned about our own safety. Kelly Smith said.

At this point no. Should I turn up deceased maybe. But is it like Sasha, she was killed as part of a cleaning up loose ends and her sister, Elizabeth, wasn’t. Only so many levels of separation that most people were willing to track down. The expenditures can add up for things like that and sooner or later it comes to light like it did with what Sasha was involved with that enough people shut it down. I told him.

Kelly shook his head and looked back at me. You are one scary dude now. Not like when we were in school.

I just gave him a smirk.

--**--

Rio de Janeiro

You’re in. Abril stopped by my office on her way in for the morning.

Yeah. Got home last night. Short day for me today though, still a bit sleepy. Just wanted to try to knock off the high spots first today. I told her.

You need to talk to Caroline today.

About? I asked.

Something about the budget. Abril told me and dropped a stack of paper into my inbox on the corner of my desk.

Yeah.

My phone rang. Abril had already retreated to the hallway.

Greg

Heya. Close your door. John Smith told me.

Shutting the door I sat back down. What’s up?

I saw your email you are back in carnival land down there. What does your schedule look like?

Catching up. Been gone for nearly a month now.

So guess you aren’t caught up on any local news then? John Smith asked me.

Nah, haven’t had time.

Might need to watch the stuff on Uruguay. They are slinging mud in the pre-election jitters that usually occurs in most countries. So naturally the perfect time for us to intercede and give it a gentle push. John Smith told me with a snicker.

Let me guess you have some dirt on your guy’s opponent?

You got it on the first guess. Usual, usual, photos of the communist candidate in a compromising position with his mistress. Regardless of if he had a hall pass or not from his wife it probably won’t play well in public.

So just send to the newspaper there and be done with it.

If only it were that simple. While it may cause a bit of a scandal that place has a history of candidates not getting knocked out of the race with that. So here the feeling is to take a multi-prong approach. We’ll publish the photos and he will lose his luster. The girlfriend has a criminal record which will also get published. Of course everyone will blame it on our guy for mudslinging, not much can be done about the public fickleness though. The communist candidate is funded by a group with strong drug running habits. So knocking that out from under him would be the other prong. John Smith said.

Knocking out a drug funding? How? I asked, clearly not seeing a way since I knew nothing about it.

Funny you should ask. Our research indicates that the political candidate was a lawyer in a legal case a few years ago against one of the drug organization kingpins. The lawyer pulled some questionable shit to get his client out of the charges, namely making the witness disappear permanently. It just so happens that there was other evidence that was not suppressed but also not known about during that case. The person holding it is willing to exchange it with us for safe passage out of Uruguay. We decided to play ball with him too. So you go in there, get the guy out with his evidence. Then I have a team get that into the hands of their legal system to reopen the case against the drug boss. From there it blows back on the candidate about what he covered up and he is out of there. John Smith said.

I processed that for a moment. Give me a moment on that.

Yeah. You’ll need a beer too. A bit complex. I’ll send you the contact there in Montevideo and the details that we have put together so you can get a good understanding of it. Extraction is pretty easy and we’re going to bring him up North a bit and drop him in Jamaica. Have a cottage set up for him there already. Just need you to escort mostly. John Smith told me.

--**--

A week later I was checked into the hotel in Montevideo Uruguay. As hotels went most of what I had looked out for a reservation looked pretty low end. Then again most of the country in Uruguay was low end too. Didn’t really seem worth it to me for the CIA to even bother to steer an election there. However, the bigger picture was containment of communism, so for that I was in even if it was a shitty assignment. Easy enough. I made contact with the informant slash broker for the deal. An older lady, obviously on the take and wanting a payout nearly for everything.

Two days of dickering with her led me to the real person with the information. He and I met and chatted and I gave him an outline of what he needed to do to prepare himself to exit. Then we parted and I went back to Rio.

Two weeks after that I was back. The guy was ready to go then. Had liquidated everything and had set up a bank account offshore and put his money there. With a definite timeline and exit strategy he did well. The lag also gave the ‘company’ time to get him a new ID set up. For Jamaica. So simple enough to hop a plane from there and deposit him with the field office in Kingston and my job was done.

Being that close to the mainland US though I availed myself of the opportunity and went up to Dallas.

--**--

Having spent close to fifty hours in the office since arriving back from Jamaica on Tuesday I felt like it was time for some rest. So on Saturday morning I slept in. It was very nice and didn’t wake up until nearly noon. The problem with that is that most places to eat out were not serving breakfast that late, so I just scrambled up an egg and some toast and sat out on the veranda at my condo looking over the pool some three floors down. Not much going on yet. Just one guy reading a laptop from what I could see.

I heard my door chime ring. So getting up I dropped the empty plate and glass on the bar and went to see who it was. Wasn’t expecting anyone, could be a solicitor though. So I looped my shoulder rig for my .45 over my shoulder on the way to the foyer. That usually deterred most of the solicitors. I looked out the door and didn’t see anyone. Cracked open the door. Looked a bit to the side.

Daniel I smirked and stepped back.

Surprised?

Well yea. Come on in. I let him pass and then locked the door.

So you always walk around armed? He walked towards the living room.

Deters the solicitors. I told him.

Ah. And he took a seat after I motioned for him to.

Brew?

Sure. He said.

I grabbed two bottles of chopp out of the fridge. Handed him one and the opener.

Taking the seat opposite I accepted the opener back and opened mine. And don’t tell me you were in the neighborhood.

Daniel laughed. Guess I am now.

We toasted bottles and took a good swig. The local chopp beer was passable. Very inexpensive too. Of course at four and a half percent alcohol it took a lot to get drunk. So John Smith updated you about the thing in Uruguay?

No, hadn’t heard.

Simple extract more or less as a trade for some intel on the opposition party in the upcoming election. Personally, didn’t seem like all that great and was pretty complex. Then again whatever it takes to keep the communists at bay. I related to him.

Ah. Yeah, not our circus. Has he got you lined up for anything right now? Daniel asked.

Nope. Things in the office are sort of slow too. Some of the cottages are sitting empty more than half the time.

Yeah, that happens. They are a lot bigger than we are though so just the normal course of doing business for them. So, guess I should get to the point. Why I’m here. Needed to check up on a couple of things but figured I could come see you for a change, need the airline miles anyway. So you remember the thing in Argentina last year? He asked me.

I scrunched up my face. Oh yeah, the guy’s wife who got kidnaped and sold to slavers. That op?

One in the same. Yes. Just to refresh, the politician Glen Zimmer had his wife snatched and they sold her to some slavers in Africa. You escorted her back to him. Well, the political winds have changed. Seems that Glen has forgotten which side of the bread is buttered. Daniel said.

So what, you want me to go put her back in the whorehouse? I laughed.

Ah .. no. Glen’s affiliation with us was more than good a few years ago. Mutual back scratching in a sense. And of course, when she was abducted, he wasn’t getting much traction from his own government for protection of politicians. The government there in Argentina seems willing enough to protect the people in office but not their families’ meaning children and spouses. Not sure why they seem to be in the distinct minority for that either. Most countries at least make a token effort to include the dependents just so they can’t be used for leverage. Then again we are talking Argentina and they every so often just kidnap people of the opposite party if they can get away with it. So after she was returned to him he made a token effort at voting in ways favorable to Israel. Not as strong as we would like and that has tapered off quickly. Daniel said.

I looked at him a moment as he paused the story. Seemed like he wanted to make sure I was following along and also to see if I had any insights. Maybe he didn’t want her back.

Precisely. You are good! We didn’t see that. Even went back and dug up your after-action report you filed about the conversations you had with her. Apparently, the department in charge of handling Argentina did a less than outstanding job on keeping up with things. Since we didn’t have any KIAs or wounded from the action easy enough to forget it rather quickly. Just a few shekels and then done with it and we allegedly have a guy on our side there. He started voting moderate on a few issues that concerned Israel but since it wasn’t against us no harm no foul. In recent months though he did sway all the way the other direction and has sponsored legislation most decidedly not in our best interests. So do the guy a favor and he treats us like that less than a year later. Our department head finally noted the discrepancy on a report and someone read it. Then more questions and soon it has come out that Glen has switched allegiances. So much so that he has aligned himself with Palestine and Syrian interests, the kind that we pay attention to. Daniel paused and took a swig of the chopp.

So has your case handler contacted him?

Yes. Glen blew him off too, said that what he was doing was in the best interests of Argentina. And after several tries at that we started digging to see what had happened. And your after-action report was read and considered. Sent an agent to contact the wife, Sarah, and see if she could shed some light on Glen’s affiliations. Well it turned out that he had rigged up a mental institution lockup for her. We don’t think she lost it but he had several psycho shrinks attest to the fact that she needed to be committed. So now she is in there. Reviewing all public data that we could harvest we saw no indication that she is really crazy. No public lewd behavior, no police reports of any kind. Social media came up negative. One minute she was in the limelight from being rescued after the kidnapping and a few weeks later nothing. Just disappeared. Once she was located we have some records of where they have her locked up and naturally incommunicado. Exactly what Glen wants if he wants to get rid of the wife and be banging his girlfriend. Which is what he is doing. See her in photos at events by his side as his plus one as you yanks call it. Daniel said and wet his mouth with the cheap beer.

I looked at him a moment. So then the next thing as you would expect is we made contact with a nurse there willing to pass some notes back and forth for us with Sarah. It didn’t take long to determine that she had a load of dirty laundry on Glen. So ..

Ah. Go get her out of the whacky shack. I commented.

Exactly. Your next mission. Daniel told me.

Break into a prison and get a prisoner out. Wow Daniel.

Not really a prison. Just a mental hospital. So secure enough to prevent her escape but not so much like hardened criminals. And we have a contact of a nurse inside that can help you. So pop over there, get her out and then extricate. You’ll need to talk to her though and at least get something from her for intel before you leave – she has to have something actionable and you may need to get copies of it. Daniel told me.

And why me?

Because first off you know what she looks like and you spent a couple of days with her. True it was a while back but more than most of my other agents around. And you aren’t really all that far away here in Rio de Janeiro. Is there a problem? Daniel asked.

Maybe. I thought about it. Got any psych techs on the case?

Sure. They looked at what they can look at. Not much there. We don’t think she is really crazy though. Just her husband had her stuffed in there and they keep her drugged up. Daniel told me.

What I didn’t ask him though was if I am going in there to get her out and the fact that I brought her from Africa and then make a repeat that might be an issue. Generally, in the Stockholm syndrome category. She might could just resent me bringing her to her husband anyway.

Possible. I’ll check. He said and keyed in a text on his mobile phone.

So, no fancy IDs, no guns. I told him.

Nope. Just get her out of there whatever you think is the best way. Oh a fake ID might be helpful if you go in to talk to her, wouldn’t want a record of Greg going to see her. Drop a request in on email for me and I’ll get that approved. Any ideas? Daniel asked.

At the moment not a lot. Would need to see the place, see how she is locked up. Probably can’t get so lucky as to get one of the guards to rent her out for a quickie, that would be so easy. Maybe that nurse has some idea. Is it a state run hospital or private? I asked.

Private.

Ah, that might make it easier. I’m guessing so he can keep her there by applying political pressure or money. Or both. State run hospital not so easy to get them snowed to keep her locked up. That mansion she was living in someone has some coin in the bank. Also depending on what medical facility they have there on site sometimes they transfer medical issues to a hospital. So maybe get something that mimics a sickness, have her take it then she gets transferred. Nightshade or something like that. I told him.

Nightshade. Shit. Haven’t heard anyone using that shit in decades. Would have to be something that doesn’t mimic a tranquilizer, they likely keep her doped up anyway. So she would have to have some symptoms. Simple self-harm like cutting they can probably deal with right there at the psych hospital. Daniel said.

Ah. I smiled at him. Pyridium.

What is that? Daniel asked.

Doc gave it to me once for a UTI. Makes your pee red. They warn you about it too- freaky as hell when you take a whiz and it comes out red. I told him.

Ah. Yeah. Can see them getting a bit freaked out if one of their patients did that. So you can smuggle some into her. Any side effects?

Nope. Just red pee. Guys in university make it a good joke to slip some in a fraternity brother’s food without telling him. I laughed.

Daniel laughed too. Yeah, that is a hell of a prank.

Good bet her husband paid for a doctor so going in there pretending to be another doctor probably won’t fly. The Nightshade though is generally a zombie drug from the Caribbean. Datura too. Just have to use the correct amount for the body weight. I told him.

Daniel was shaking his head. Thought you were an engineer, not a pharmacist. Shit. I’m assuming you can check the dosage out with someone?

Yeah. Have a buddy I talk to every once in a while. He gets off the rails sometimes in theory. Will just tell him I’m hearing about someone who got hoodwinked by zombie lore and taken for some money. He’ll do the research if I point him in the right direction. And you can have someone look at it medically so we will have two opinions. Pick something, go in there and then if she really is lucid have her self medicate a couple of days after I leave. Less obvious that way. And who knows, go to pissing red get checked in the hospital and they find nothing. Couple of days later she is a zombie pissing red and they have to bring her back for another round at the hospital – would have to make sure though that she doesn’t end up in the morgue. I told Daniel.

Yep, that would be bad.

So then once we get her out and get whatever it is she has on Glen then what? I asked.

Stash her somewhere. Daniel told me.

We ran some theories for a couple more beers. Then Daniel excused himself to his hotel, passing on my spare bedroom.

--**--

Caroline. I said loud enough to get her attention as she passed in the hallway.

She took a step back, Yeah?

Have a seat. I told her. She came in and sat down. So, been two months since anyone stayed in Macae cottage. Got a note from Ben this morning to look at selling it. He attended some high-level meeting at HQ and the general consensus is that they need to trim budget.

Too bad. Really liked that place. Better than the two here in town. A long drive though. Caroline said looking sad.

Yeah. Oh well. We should get a good price for it. Really didn’t spend all that much fixing it up. I emailed you the spreadsheet link for the place. Also put a price in there that I’m thinking of asking. So maybe next week go out there and strip out some of the stuff that is unique to us like the gun safe, radio and go bag. Figure out what you can recycle like the soft goods and kitchen stuff and get it boxed up and put into storage. The newer place here in town might have enough storage for it since there is an attic. And linens and such do wear out and need to be replaced. Then the week after that I’ll talk to the realtor, the same one we used a couple of years ago, and you and I can ride over there and walk it with her and come up with an asking price. I told Caroline.

Can I bring Abril?

Of course.

--**--

Bueno Aires

I drive up to the building at the address listed. Hospital Borda it said on the sign. Old place too. The premier psychiatric hospital there in Bueno Aires. Pulling on a jacket as I got out of the car I brought my satchel with me. Locked the rental up. Then slowly make my way up the front entrance. After informing the receptionist that I needed to see nurse Carlita Sanchez I sat down to wait. Along about fifteen minutes later she showed up.

Mr. Larry Carrolton? She asked.

Yes, I’m Larry. Carlita?

Yes. Please, follow me. She led me out of the lobby and down what looked like an administrative wing. Up some stairs and to more offices still. Then she used a key and unlocked a door. It had her name on it. That was a surprise. From what I could tell every person had their own office. Obviously, the building was from the era before the open concept thing took over. Have a seat. She pointed at the chair and then shut the door and went around her desk and sat down.

So guess we are alone. I looked around her office.

Yes. Our mutual friend told me that you would like to arrange a visit with Sarah Zimmer. I’ve been reading the messages and it is an interesting story. Carlita told me looking at me.

I wouldn’t think particularly unusual though for a husband to do that to his wife. I’ve heard of it happening from time to time.

True, it does. So you don’t think she is insane?

No. Met her a year ago after she was freed from the whorehouse. Seemed very sane to me. I told the nurse.

So do you think she will recognize you?

Hopefully. I did spend two days with her, most of it on an airplane. She was in pretty bad physical shape though after that ordeal.

I heard that. Sarah has told me about it. When she is lucid.

So you keep her drugged up?

Of course. The nurse said but I could see it in her eyes that she didn’t agree with it.

Just curious about something. Do patients get conjugal visits? I asked the nurse.

Actually yes. In some cases it helps them. In Sarah’s though, her husband has never requested it and even if he did I doubt she would accept him willingly. The nurse told me.

Ah. Yeah, they were having a few words when I saw them last. So can she have visitors? I asked her.

For her case type – not generally unless her doctor clears it. The nurse said. However, I could see the wheels turning in her head. So our mutual friend told me that you did need to speak to her. She pulled out a hypodermic syringe and put it on her desk. This is her daily medication.

I looked at her and tried to figure out what she needed from me. And how much does that cost, you know, typically?

On the wholesale market about twenty-five hundred pesos. Retail though easily ten times that amount. She told me.

Ah ha, the hand out for money. I pulled out some cash and handed her twenty thousand pesos. She smiled and slid the syringe to me. So when does she typically get it?

Usually mid-morning. Need to keep her in the habit of getting it though. And need to write it down for the records. She smiled and pulled out another syringe from her desk drawer.

Placebo effect?

She nodded but didn’t say anything. Follow me, she should be in the common room by now.

Following the nurse she led me through the hospital. I had on a visitor badge. Can I stop by the restroom please?

Of course. She said and I went into a restroom we were passing.

In the restroom I took out my mobile and took a very good close-up photo of the ID badge that I had on. I had earlier taken a discrete side angle photo of her badge. After taking care of business I went back to the hall and we proceeded to the common room. There I saw perhaps thirty or so patients in wheelchairs, most of them looked stoned. Heads lolled to the side or just staring into space.

Sarah? The nurse asked to see if she could get a response. Sarah turned her head slightly. You have a visitor Sarah. This is Mr. Carrolton. The nurse took the syringe out of her pocket, the placebo since I had the other one in my pocket. She wiped with a wipe and then injected Sarah’s arm. There you go dear. Enjoy your visit. Maybe he can roll you out to the garden.

Hi Sarah. I sat down at a chair beside her. The nearest other patient was some ten feet away. Would you like to go to the garden?

She looked at me and I could tell was processing things. Finally her eyes got wider and she stiffened slightly. She nodded yes. So I got up and pushed her chair out to the garden. It was a lot less crowded there and I rolled her around slowly. I leaned over to talk to her. Do you know who I am?

Yes. Ziv. She said softly.

Good. Very good Sarah. Do you know where you are? I asked her.

Um. Yes. Locked up in a nut house. She told me.

And how did you get here?

Motherfucking bastard Glen! She blurted out.

I put my hand on her shoulder. Calm down or they will come drug you. I know they usually do that. This morning though you should be ok, they just gave you some water instead. I stopped rolling her and took a seat on a bench in front of her. I know it is difficult with all that you have been though but I am here to help you. So I need you to remain very calm and be very, very careful. Do not tell anyone about this.

She nodded slowly. I understand.

Just so you know, you’ll be drugged a few more times before we can get you out of here. So just relax and roll with it. Don’t fight it. I am working on plans on how to get you out. Your husband and that doctor are working together to do this to you. So a friend of yours was contacted and told that you have some evidence we can use against Glen. Is that true?

Yes. She had her lips pursed into a hard, thin line. It wasn’t all that attractive of a look.

And what is it?

I have a copy of some of the payoffs he had taken. Also some he has made and a keepsake from – from a rival he had murdered. Sarah spoke and looked around a bit to make sure no one was listening close.

Good. Very good. Where is this at?

At home. She told me.

Ah. Ok. Somewhere to where Glen won’t find it? I asked her.

Yes. In the attic. She said looking at me. When are you getting me out of here?

Not today. I have to do some planning. And I will also need to plan on getting into your house to get the evidence before we get out of Argentina. Do you have a problem with leaving Argentina? I asked her.

No. She sighed. Guess I am done here anyway. She said.

Good. It will be safer.

When?

Soon. Need to set things up though. I took the packet of four pills out of my pocket and leaned over and gave her a little kiss on the cheek. You need to hide these good in your room. Do you have a place?

Yes. When they don’t strap me to the bed. Sometimes they do that.

Can you behave so they won’t? I asked her. She nodded yes. Good. Take one in the morning and one at night. After the first one your pee will turn red. Tell the nurse and she will have you pee in a cup. Then take the second one as quick as you can after that without getting caught. Make damn sure they don’t find these pills. They are a sort of an anti-biotic so harmless. The side effect though is red pee. That freaks a lot of people out though. Then I need you to wait a day or two before doing the second pair. Can you do that for me?

Yes. She nodded and looked at me and looked at the pills in her hand.

Good. The idea is to get them to take you to the hospital for some x-rays or something. They won’t find anything though. Then a couple of days later you do it again. That is plan A. And notice what hospital they bring you to and if you are restrained or not when they take you to the hospital. I will work on finding out if we can take you on the second trip. They may not take you the first time and ignore it. By the second time though you need to start complaining about pain in your back. Lower back. No complaining other than the red pee the first time. Got that?

Yes. She nodded. Thank you for helping me. Ziv you are the only person who has.

I know. We need to work on this though. This hospital is designed to keep people in who are crazy. If you are scheming though that is an entirely different matter. I am using a different identity now though. My current name is Larry Carrolton. I handed her a printed card. Need you to put me on your visitor list. List me as your cousin. That way they will allow visits easier than what I had today. Then next time we will work on some more methods of getting you out of here. If they ask or if you see a check box on a form tell them you want a conjugal visit with me. If they whine about that tell them that even prisoners get conjugal visits and then that your husband hasn’t been interested in you sexually since you were kidnapped last year. If they press you for details just tell them that you and I used to have sex together when we were younger. That is plan C. I told her.

She furrowed her brow and looked at the card. Larry my cousin I used to fuck. Ok. Then she looked up at me. So would you really fuck me to get me out of here?

If it came to that sure. However, I think we might can get you out at the general hospital if they are doing tests on you.

She smiled. Conjugal visit sounds like a lot more fun than x-rays.

Or maybe a conjugal visit in an x-ray machine?

Cool. She smiled. That might be fun. Then she actually laughed and giggled a bit. It was good to see. I saw a nurse at a distance turn and look at us.

Ok, calm down and be passive. That is what they want here. I told her.

So what is plan B? she asked me.

I will tell you that next time. I saw one of the roaming nurses going patient to patient and apparently working her way towards us. Time to go back inside though. I got up and leaned over and kissed her on top of the head. Then pushing her chair I wheeled her back towards the building. The roving nurse just glanced at Sarah and nodded to me and proceeded to complete her welfare check round.

The nurse on the take showed back up and escorted me to the front desk. I thanked her and left. I stopped by the rental car and took out the camera, then walked around the trees outside the parking lot and found a good location and strapped it to a tree and hit the start button on it. When I got back to the hotel there was a package there waiting on me. So up to my room and open it and it was the Datura along with dosage. One pill and apparently you would be out for four hours. Two pills and it could go as long as twenty-four. Three and you risked death. The package only had two in it.

Using my laptop I logged into the web site and looked at the camera I had planted. It had a good view of the driveway, the only entrance to Hospital Borda. Using the software I set it to alert me on motion and found a filter to eliminate small animals and people walking. Was only interested in an ambulance anyway.

Bored, I called Beth and had a good conversation with her. She was on a movie watching binge and as she put it sort of just taking it easy after all the hustle of getting Sasha’s place ready to sell and consolidating. Since the mission wasn’t like a secret or anything I did tell her I was in Buenos Aires. Sent a few pictures too of me near landmarks.

Two days later I got a call from the nurse. She told me that Sarah had been sent to the general hospital. So off I went. The receptionist at the hospital surprisingly didn’t give me any shit and told me that Sasha wasn’t assigned a room but was just there for tests being done. I thanked her and returned to the hotel. That was good to know. Using my laptop, I was carrying two, I stayed in touch with the office in Rio de Janeiro. Caroline was doing good getting the cottage in Macae ready to sell. The realtor and her had been working together for the paint touchups and stuff and they were about ready to put it on the market there.

The following day the nurse told me I should come visit Sarah. Grabbing a stack of cash I took off. We quickly played the game and she sold me the sedative for what more or less amounted to a hundred or so bucks US. Then the same deal, to the common room. I did get confirmation however that I had been added to the list for conjugal visits. I could see it in her eyes though that she thought that was a bit on the down low side since she knew for a fact Sarah was married.

After Sarah got her salt water injection from the nurse I wheeled her out to the garden again. She didn’t seem as nervous this time. So, it worked just like you said. That was cool.

What?

The pills. Peed red. Good thing I knew about it or I would have been really whacked out. So a couple of hours after taking the first pill I started screaming and they sedated me as you would expect. When I woke up though they had me strapped to a bed and had put a diaper on me. After they changed the diaper and saw the red they decided that maybe it wasn’t so crazy and they unshackled me from the bed. Got the second pill and took that. Then told them I was hurting in my back and peeing red. A couple of nurses stopped by, a doctor. Then they shipped me to the medical center and took x-rays like you said they would. Did some blood draws, peed in a cup and everything. Back to this place though. Sarah said.

Regular ambulance or a private car? I asked.

Ambulance. No sirens though. Not much in the way of markings either. Sarah said.

Were you strapped to the gurney?

Yes. Had a nurse riding in the back with me too. Driver and a helper. They wheeled me into the hospital took me to the radiology department. Did the blood draw and pee in the cup there. Then hooked me up, gave me something and took x-rays. A couple of hours later back here.

Were you strapped to the gurney the whole time?

Yes. Sarah told me.

Handcuffs?

No. Just the leather things they use here. Both hands though. So no getting away and running. Sarah told me and smiled at the nurse making rounds. The nurse came over and asked her how she was doing and then kept moving. Apparently, Sarah was convincing enough with her slower speech to convince the nurse that the sedative was working.

The sedative syringe though was in my pocket. I thought briefly what would I need to do with this since I now had two. Then I had an idea suddenly.

What size dress do you wear? I pulled out my mobile.

Um. Small or medium. She told me.

Shoe size?

Thirty-six sort of. Sarah said frowning at me.

Need to get some clothes for you to wear for plan A. I told her.

I’m out of those pills.

Yep. I pulled another bag of three out and handed it to her. So need you to wait a day and then the same thing. Take one, wait an hour and then take two more at the same time. Put your hand on your back like it hurts again. After you finish them off complain about the pain and that it burns a bit when you pee. I told her.

Ok. But what is that going to get me? More x-rays?

Likely they will. More blood work and more pee in a cup. However we are building up a history and hopefully they will keep you overnight in the hospital this trip. If not then we move to plan B. I pulled a small brown envelope out of my pocket and handed it to her. This is plan B. Need for you to wait a day after plan A. Then you take these. Fair warning though - this will make you pass out and they will have to take you to the hospital. If they don’t keep you overnight for peeing red this one definitely will. I told her.

So you need me to be away from here and in a regular hospital for an overnight stay?

Yes. Easier to make you disappear from there. After all like you said just have you shackled to the bed there. Hospital cameras for sure but that isn’t a huge deal either. And once you are out of Buenos Aires they aren’t going to bother to look for you. I told her.

And if that doesn’t work then on to plan C?

Yes.

I put in the request for that on my visitor list. They didn’t even ask any questions. Sarah told me.

Well that is good. The true proof of them accepting me on the list will be though if we have to fall back to that. I told her.

Um.. She looked at me with a look that telegraphed to me she wanted to ask something but was conflicted.

Question?

Um. Yes. So plan C, how does that work? She asked.

Well not real well thought out yet. However, if they do allow conjugal visits, and you would know more about this place than me, we would be alone in a room. So provided they don’t actually lock the door easy enough to just sneak you out. I told her.

And if they lock the door?

Either overpower the nurses and orderlies or disable them by other means. I told her.

So no sex then? She asked and seemed to maybe hope for it.

I raised an eyebrow looking at her. "Wouldn’t need to. Once you are alone with me then we get