Finding out that the president himself ordered an investigation into your activities, sure was a shock to me, let me tell you. Unbelievably amazing, actually. The coins by themselves were enough to throw up red flags in their computers for some reason. Combined with the pendants that I was quite stupidly melting those same gold coins to cover the enchantment engravings, made me a 'very interesting person' to be looked into.
It also pissed me off. “What the hell does freezing my assets have to do with any of this?”
“You were cashing in coins, far beyond what you had shown already.” Stacy said.
“Then you disappeared without a trace. No plane or bus tickets and no one matching your description had left the area.” One of the agents said. “We wanted to try and flush you out.”
“By ruining my life? My sister's life?” I asked. “What the hell did that accomplish except hurting me?”
“Damon.” Stacy let out a sad sigh. “Once the Department of the Treasury got involved...”
“Nine million dollars in gold wasn't enough for them?” I asked. “How much more did they want?”
Stacy's face flushed red and stayed quiet. I understood what she didn't say, though.
“You better not tell me that they took my safety deposit box with a hundred million dollars in gold coins inside.” I said and she turned her head away. “I agree with the secret service agent. You all better leave right now and GET MY MONEY BACK!” I yelled at them. “GO! FUCKING GOOOOO!”
“Damon, please! It's just being held in trust...” Stacy started to say.“Get out of my sight before I do something you'll regret.” I said through gritted teeth. “...and I don't mean making you scream in pleasure.”
“Stacy, let's go. You can't tell me that wasn't a threat.” The fake detective said and pulled her out of the room. The others soon followed and left me all alone.
It was just in time, because the last wind spell ended just as the door shut. I used the last Detect spell I had equipped and there were no listening devices left in the room. I deposited the spent rings on the nightstand and equipped more rings with Detect spells. I checked for cameras again and relaxed.
I stored the handcuffs holding my wrists and I took out the IDs of my captors next. I lucked out and also had their official badges for the agencies they worked for, and two fake IDs. My guesses had been right on the money, too. Secret Service, NSA, and FBI were the three agencies. They had all ganged up on me, or worse, had cooperated and not stopped each other from stomping all over my inalienable rights, all because they wanted my gold.
I'll give them my gold all right. I thought as I started to memorize the real names and personal details of the five people that had come together to apprehend me. I'll shove it right down their goddamn throats.
I was surprised that Stacy was the FBI agent's actual name and it wasn't a pseudonym. Stacy Miller was twenty nine years old and had a normal address, which meant that it was a house or a condo. I didn't recognize the street; but, it was within the same city as mine, so I wasn't that far away. Hopefully. As far as I knew, they could have taken me here in a helicopter, wherever here was.
I shook my head at that. No, they would have had a car or van take me here for ease of transport. I thought as I read the other addresses and the two secret service agents were from Washington D.C., surprise surprise. The fake detective and the tech guy were locals, just like Stacy was. I would be sure to visit them and see how much they liked having someone mess up their lives for no reason. The DC assholes would have to wait for my revenge since they lived so far away.
I wonder how long it'll take them to realize all of their stuff is gone? I asked myself with a smile and stored the IDs and badges, then put the cuffs back on. Good luck proving that I took them.
The room door opened and the nurse came in. “Is someone ready for lunch?”
“More than ready. I'm famished.” I said. “I fact, I think it's time for an airplane to land in the hanger to make a delivery.” I made an airplane sound and opened my mouth.
Brenda smiled and put the tray and stand over my lap. “No wonder you're so good with kids.”
“It's not because of my personality. It's because I'm super rich and I paid them all off with five bucks each to buy ice cream.”
Brenda laughed and sat down on the stool and started to feed me the white rice and chicken dish. She didn't even look at the pile of gold rings on the nightstand. “I hope you don't mind that I brought fresh soda pop for you.” She said and opened the bottle.
“You didn't have to do that.” I said and she gave me a drink. “Ahh. Nice and cold. Thank you.”
“You're welcome.” Brenda said and fed me a bit more. “I see that they didn't release you yet.”
“They said they're waiting for word from the head office or something.” I said with a shrug. “Personally, I think they made a huge mistake and they are trying their best to stop it from blowing up in their faces, before they let their superiors know.”
Brenda gave me a stern look. “I hope you don't mean an actual bomb.”
I chuckled. “Hell, no. I wouldn't know the first thing about making one or buying one.”
“I don't think you can actually buy bombs.” Brenda said.
“What? I'm sure there's some underhanded and enterprising criminal out there somewhere...” I started to say and she chuckled as she slapped the back of my hand lightly.
“You know what I meant.” Brenda said.
I nodded and ate some more. “Say, isn't it hot wearing that thing on your head?”
“What did I say about flirting?” Brenda asked and gave me a drink of pop.
“Be really sneaky about it?” I asked and she laughed.
“I'll have you know that I am happily married and my husband is also happily married.”
“Wow, that's pretty rare.” I said. “Is it with each other?”
Brenda laughed again. “Yes, surprisingly.”
I smiled and let her feed me until everything was gone. “Say, any word on getting the IV removed? It's not like I need the fluids or the nutrients.”
“No, and I can't remove it on my own initiative, either.” Brenda said. “I'm sorry.”
“It's all right. I'll put up with it for a bit longer before I complain again.” I said. “What about my clothes?”
“They are in one of the labs and are being tested on.” Brenda said. “I can't get them for you.”
“Thanks for not trying to be an unsung hero to rescue my poor denim from being experimented on.” I said to make her smile. “What's for supper?”
“That depends. Do you have any requests?” Brenda asked.
“Twice as much food and an extra spoon for you?” I asked and she shook her head with a slight blush. “Well, that's the extent of my flirting knowledge.” I sighed. “I can't believe you didn't fall for it.”
That made her laugh and she picked up the tray. “I'll be back to check on you later.”
I nodded and she left. I waited for several minutes before I stored the handcuffs and thought about the two recording devices and if I should bother taking them out. I had no way to check them or how to watch their contents, so I didn't bother. It was the same with the guns. I didn't want to touch the things, let alone examine them or use them. I had never used one before and I wasn't sure if I wanted to start now.
I did have a brilliant idea, though. I equipped a minor healing ring and then stored the discarded IV bag in the trash. I looked at the tube and needle in my arm and carefully pulled up the tape. I positioned the discarded bag close by and then pulled the little needle out, used Minor Healing to seal the wound, and shoved the end into the discarded bag and taped it in place.
I put the new receptacle for the IV at my side and put the handcuff on that side back on my wrist. I fluffed out my blanket to cover my arm on that side and then laid down and put the other cuff back, too. As far as anyone could tell, I still had the IV in. I wasn't normally suspicious by nature; but, keeping me hooked up to a very convenient drug delivery system was too good of an opportunity to pass up for someone that wanted to get rid of me.
I lowered the bed and leaned back as I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep. I didn't really need to do that, since I didn't expect them back for hours. It was good to stay in character, though.
*
“What are we going to do?” The tech guy asked. “There's no way we can get the treasury to hand over a hundred million dollars in gold that they've had in custody for nearly six months.”
“It's only being held in trust.” Stacy said, fully believing that they hadn't used it for investments.
“Let's ask Mr. Secret Service Man.” The tech guy said. “What do you think? Will they hand over gold that they probably don't have anymore?”
“I don't care about what other parts of the treasury do.” The agent said. “What I do care about is what my partner and I are missing.”
“What's that?”
“Our service pistols. Both of them.” The other agent said. “Is anyone else missing a gun?”
“I am.” The female fake detective said. “I didn't notice right away, since it's so light.”
“Is that why you got so angry over Damon asking you about shooting him? Because you couldn't?” Stacy asked.
“Yes.” The agent said. “He was taunting me and dared me to draw the gun that he knew I no longer had.”
“Would you really have shot him?” Stacy asked. “Even with witnesses?”
“He is a national security risk.” The fake detective said. “Do you realize what he could do with that inter-dimensional tunnelling thing? He took our guns from ten feet away. Ten feet! I didn't even notice until I moved and didn't feel the familiar weight!”
“Nothing is safe if he can just be near it to make it disappear and then reappear.” The first agent said. “Is he making copies or are they originals? How many guns can he produce now using that quantum state thing if they are copies?”
“That's not the problem, I don't think.” The tech guy said.
“What is?” Stacy asked, curious.
“We've seen him playing around with small things; but, we also saw him produce a whole bed out of nothing.” The tech guy said. “Is that the limit on what he can do that with or can he do it to something bigger?”
Everyone fell silent and thought about that. If a bed size is the limit, then it was a bit mind boggling the number of things that were smaller than a bed that he could take. If he could make larger things disappear, then he was a much bigger danger than they assumed he was.
“We definitely need to make more calls.” The other agent said. “We are not equipped to handle this.”
“I do not want to let my supervisor know that we found someone with these kinds of abilities.” The fake detective said. “I'll be relieved of duty and probably committed.”
“The footage we have might be able to convince...” The tech guy started to say and then cursed.
“What is it?” Stacy asked.
“My recording device is gone.” The tech guy said and looked at the first agent, who checked his pocket and then shook his head. “How do I make that claim? Lost in service, somehow, to a guy that's handcuffed to a hospital bed?” He cursed again and sat back in his chair. “Now what?”
“We have to keep trying to get his things back.” Stacy said.
“That's your libido talking.” The fake detective said.
“No, it's my brain talking.” Stacy said. “Didn't you notice that he didn't react to me this time?”
The others gave her slightly surprised looks.
“He did say there was a time limit to how long he could talk to you before he lost his mind.” The first agent said. “What if we...”
“No, you are not using me as bait to keep him under control.” Stacy said.
“Do you really want someone like him to own the country?” The tech guy said.
The two secret service agents laughed.
“What?” The tech guy asked.
“He can't buy the country.” The first one said. “The most he could do is buy the debt from the credit holders and then we would owe him trillions of dollars and not them. It doesn't give you ownership of the country.”
“Whew, that's a relief.” The tech guy said. “I doubt any of us would have a job anymore if he owned the whole country and he told everyone that it was our fault.”
“Um... can't credit holders demand the loans be paid off?” Stacy asked.
“If it's in the terms of the original agreement and if we miss any payments.” The first agent said.
“Won't it become a new agreement if he buys the debt? Can he change the agreement if it's him the country has to pay?” Stacy asked. “How does any of that work, anyway? What do we pay with? Printed money?”
They all fell silent at her questions, because they were good questions.
After a few minutes, the tech guy stood up. He dug into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. “Well, I'm starving. I'm heading to the cafeteria to...” He stopped talking when he opened his wallet and saw that his driver's license was missing. “Oh, shit.”
“What is it?” The fake detective asked and he turned his wallet to show her the empty spot. “No!” She gasped and dug into her pocket and saw that her little folio was missing. “It's gone!”
The two secret service agents checked and theirs were missing, even the fake ones that they had used for this mission. Stacy didn't even bother checking, because she knew that her ID and her badge were gone, too.
“What do we do?!? He knows who we are! Where we live!” The tech guy asked, a little panicked.
“He also knows who we work for.” The fake detective said, her face sad.
Stacy stood up and took a deep breath, then walked over to the door.
“Where are you going?” The fake detective asked.
“I'm going to ask for our things back.” Stacy said.
“Do you really think that's going to work?”
“No, but I have to try.” Stacy said and opened the door. “How much do you want to bet that he won't give them back until we give him his things back?”
No one answered her and no one tried to stop her when she left the room. Alone. She was going to be all alone with a man that had her motor running for two straight days without relief, no matter what she did. Her nerves were frayed and her mind was frantically searching for something... anything... to give her relief.
She knew what could, had known since he'd asked that very first time, and she wouldn't admit that just having sex with him could be the answer. It didn't make rational sense. There was no such thing as fatal chemistry, was there? It shouldn't be possible. There's no way that two people could meet, almost randomly, and be so attracted to each other that they ignored everything else in their lives, just to be with that person.
It could ruin marriages, it could wreck lives, it could even destroy people's reputations... like hers. She had devolved into a big bundle of nerve endings, had become a nervous wreck, and all because a handsome man had told her that he wanted her so badly that he would commit federal crimes just to have her. In her opinion, that was as flattering of a compliment than anyone could have ever given her.
Stacy grew wet in anticipation of going into his room, to finally be alone with him, and to perhaps give in to this seemingly insatiable need she had gained for him. She knew her mind wasn't prepared to handle it. She knew it like she knew the back of her hand... and she went anyway.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter