Neighbors Read online

  posefully designed interrogation room. An overweight, middle-aged man

  with thinning hair sat behind the desk, appearing as guilty as anyone she

  had ever met.

  “Yes! The facts speak for themselves.”

  “Are you sure you were selected for security?” Curtis passed a file to

  Ann as he walked into the room alone, letting his temper settle. The scent

  of fresh morning spring, perhaps mountain air, was heavy in the room.

  Curtis never cared for the scented rooms and couldn’t tell the difference

  between the scents. There were only two seats in the room, one occupied

  by their interviewee, and one other surrounded a very small coffee table in

  the center.

  Curtis sat down across from the man. Around them were pictures of

  nature or space, in very secured frames, designed to keep the place feeling

  calm. There were no screens aside from the mirrored glass.

  “Robert, my name is Curtis, I am the head of UEF security, and I am

  investigating a harassment claim filed against you. I am not a member of law

  enforcement, there are currently no charges against you, and you may leave

  this room at any time without legal penalty. This would, however, greatly

  affect your employment status with the company. Do you understand?”

  Robert nodded. Curtis pulled out a voice recorder and placed in on the

  coffee table between them. “I need you to verbalize your understanding.”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. Robert, I want you to know that I have not taken sides in this

  matter, and I am going to conduct an unbiased investigation. Once I have

  all the facts, I will make a recommendation to my supervisors.”

  Robert looked at his hands as though they were the most interesting

  thing in the world.

  “Can you please, in your own words, describe the events that led up

  to you getting picked up outside…” Curtis flipped a few pages in his note-

  book, “Lisa’s domicile.”

  “What’s the point? Everyone wants me fired. You’ve seen the news,

  16

  right? Everyone wants to see me gone. What chance do I have that the truth will even matter?”

  “Robert, I assure you outside opinion has no bearing on my

  investigation.”

  Robert rung his hands harshly. “I was just trying to protect her!” he

  snapped.

  Curtis wrote down a short note in his notebook. “Please start at the

  beginning.”

  “Okay, I get it, I know how this looks, I asked out Lisa for a date,

  she turned me down. For me that was it, it was over, you know.” Robert

  licked his lips, his forehead glistening with sweat. “So I am using the stall in one of the bathrooms, you know…doing my business, and these two guys

  walk in. They started whispering to each other about how this woman is a

  fine piece of meat, and whatever else. I don’t think they knew I was there,

  because then the other guy says, ‘when are we going to take her?’ I thought,

  what, to the movies? But no, the other guy says, ‘We’ll grab her in the park-

  ing lot, she should be there any minute, did you put the rope in the back?’

  The other guy says yes.

  “They had my complete attention at that point, but they finished

  peeing and left the room. Didn’t even bother to wash their hands.

  “I pulled my pants up and ran out of the bathroom right behind them.

  I couldn’t believe it was two security guys. I followed them across the entire floor to the elevator. They looked at me once, kinda funny, but paid me no

  attention. They got out on the first floor and went to the parking lot. They

  waited next to a black SUV. I wandered around the parking lot, acting like

  I lost my car. They were focused on the main doors like they were waiting

  for someone.

  “Then I see Lisa walking out, and the one guy gets in the SUV. The

  other pulls out his phone and starts talking, without even looking at the

  screen or anything. I walk towards Lisa, I knew she was in danger. She sees

  me and runs to her car. The guy on the phone jumped into the SUV, and I

  jumped in my car.

  “Lisa left the parking lot and headed towards her residence building,

  followed by the black SUV, and I followed them all.

  17

  “I pulled out my phone to call the police, but my battery was dead. I forgot to charge it the night before, and it must have just died.”

  “As you know, it’s a short drive to the building. Lisa parked her car, and

  the black SUV parked not too far away. So I parked between them. One

  guy exited the SUV and started walking towards Lisa’s driver side door.

  I got out and said, ‘Hey Lisa.’ She said, ‘Oh my God, leave me alone.’

  I was like, ‘It’s not what you think,’ but I realized what it looked like at

  that moment.

  “Anyway, the guy was really surprised I was there and pretended to be

  heading somewhere else. Lisa walked to the building really fast, which was

  a good thing. I figured I’d wait for her to get inside, then I’d go get help.

  Right after she walked into the building, the other guy gets out of the SUV,

  and they both go to the building. So I followed them. They took the eleva-

  tor, and I took the stairs to the fourth floor.

  “They were walking to her door when their security radios made a noise.

  They whispered about something for a few moments, and then someone

  behind me asked if I was Robert. I said yes, and he and some other girl

  escorted me home, where I stayed until I was brought here. I tried telling

  them, but no one wanted to listen to my story. Lisa is in real danger. You

  need to protect her and not worry about me so much.”

  Curtis was furiously writing notes and continued to write for some

  time after Robert finished talking. Many questions hung on the tip of his

  tongue, but something made him think that maybe Robert might be telling

  the truth.

  “I got to take a leak.” Curtis stood up and walked out of the room,

  taking the notepad with him, but left the voice recorder. He passed Ann on

  the way down the hall.

  “You don’t believe that crazy story, do you?” she demanded.

  Curtis glanced at her, then continued to the video surveillance room.

  “Hey, guys, anything interesting?”

  “Get a load of this!” One of the camera operators was zoomed in on a

  man, who was reaching way too far out of his chair to grab something just

  out of view. The man fell over and onto the floor, the chair falling to the

  side and sending him tumbling.

  The security team broke into hysterical laughter. After they settled

  18

  down a little bit, Curtis said, “Hey, pull up video from outside residence building eight at about—”

  “Sir, you are talking the Robert video? I got it cued up over here for

  you. I figured you would want to see it.” The camera operator stood up and

  led Curtis to another nearby computer, where the video waited to be played.

  Pushing play, he watched the incident unfold precisely how Robert

  described. Two security men loitering around a black SUV, their approach

  to Lisa’s door, and following her inside the building.

  “Well, I’ll be damned,” he mumbled to himself. “Hey, who are these

  guys, do you know?”

>   “No, they didn’t report that they entered the building. I figured they

  were off a shift or something.”

  “Hmm. I want you to review all the video logs that pertain to these two

  men. I want close up facial shots.”

  “Yes, sir. That will take a while.”

  “There’s one woman out there that doesn’t have that kind of time, so

  be quick about it.”

  Curtis left the room and walked up to Ann, still watching Robert from

  the other side of the security glass.

  “Innocent.”

  “Get your cherries out of here!” Ann’s face held disbelief

  “Uh—” Curtis was stunned by the odd expression.

  “You must be joking.” She put her hands on her hips.

  “Nope, our suspects are now two unidentified security members.”

  Ann turned her attention back to the man behind the security glass.

  “Lucky guy.”

  “Lucky about what, exactly?” Curtis raised his voice. “You quite liter-

  ally condemned the man, poised to ruin his life forever, and now that he

  has been found to be innocent, you say he’s ‘lucky’. For what? Having you

  around? Your decision to condemn him is your responsibility, and all the

  people you influenced in your righteous anger over this man. Now they are

  convinced he’s guilty, with the news implying as much, and your partially

  to balme. You failed him and embarrassed yourself in the process. If I had

  any real grounds, I’d fire you right now. Let this be a goddamn lesson to

  19

  you. Your official position in an investigation is ‘no comment’ until you get all the facts straight. Get out of my sight!”

  As Ann turned away, Curtis noticed the shine of tears welling up in her

  eyes as she turned. Tossing his notebook to a nearby counter, Curtis walked

  into the room with Robert, alone.

  “Your story checks out. We are tracking down the security guys as

  we speak.”

  “Oh, thank god! Where’s Lisa?”

  “She’s in her office right now, I’ve got someone with her.” Sitting down

  again in the empty chair, Curtis looked into Roberts’ eyes. “There’s just one

  thing that still bothers me. When the security guys went to the elevator to

  push the up button, you went to the stairs, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “How did you know to go to the fourth floor?”

  A long pause filled the room, the sound of guilt pervaded saturating

  the room itself.

  “Let me think…” Robert was busy chewing one of his nails. “During

  a lunch a couple of weeks ago, I overheard her having a conversation with

  a friend of hers, and she was talking about all the noise on the fifth floor

  above her. I made an assumption. I wasn’t really sure that was her floor.”

  Curtis slowly stood up while keeping an eye on Robert and grabbed

  the voice recorder. “Please return to your domicile and consider yourself

  quarantined there until official judgment has passed. I’ll have one of my

  men escort you.”

  Curtis stepped out of the room, his mind made up. He was going to

  have to select a far milder scent for the interrogation room.

  20

  Chapter 2

  Roots

  ALEX SAT IN a comfortable, tan-colored chair inside the Complex. He

  was in the Distinguished Visitors Lobby area, as he conversed with Pataya,

  the representative from India, and waited for the other visitors to arrive.

  “Any news on other weapon systems we can install on the Raziya?”

  Pataya sipped her green tea, sitting straight in her chair in a way that made

  Alex subconsciously attempt to as well. She wore a light grey jacket, white

  undershirt and a grey skirt. She had straight brown hair and soft brown

  eyes, crinkled at the moment in a charming smile.

  “It’s in progress. I expect we will be installing the weapon systems after

  the ship is completed, not before, unfortunately.” Alex sat in jeans and a

  solid black dress shirt, his hands clasped between his knees as he talked.

  Jackie was nearby with a camera, taking publicity shots of them.

  Pataya put her tea down on the glass table between them. “If you would

  prefer, we can install some conventional weapons on the Raziya.”

  “That won’t be necessary. We will need that space to mount our

  weapon systems.”

  “I’m afraid I must insist. My government doubts the validity of your

  claimed ‘advanced weapons’ that have yet to be demonstrated, and we did

  agree to build your shipyard and ships with the understanding that India

  would be protected in the event of an attack.”

  “I don’t recall India being involved in the recent attack,” Alex said, watching the doors opposite him.

  “No, we were lucky. If we were, your response would have been much

  desired, yet not very expedient.”

  “A fact that will be remedied when we add more ships to the fleet,

  thanks to your shipyard. We will have the Raziya added shortly.”

  “A ship without weapons is as useful as a rowboat, Captain. I assume

  you can understand that. We will install weapon systems we feel will give

  the Raziya an edge. If you come up with these other weapons you speak so highly of, feel free to remove them and install as necessary. Be fortunate

  that we didn’t decide to man the ship ourselves.”

  Alex leaned to the very edge of his seat and locked eyes with Pataya.

  “If your government cannot stick to original agreements, then the UEF has

  no need for you. I think you’re the one who should be careful. I don’t see

  any drive systems on the ship yet. Might be kind of hard to fly without it.”

  Alex stood, leaving Pataya to stare after him. He waited for her to

  stand, but she did not. He watched as she tapped out a text message. Alex

  sighed through his nose; he figured he knew what message she sent. In the

  corner of his eve he observed Zeek and began making his way toward him.

  Zeek stood just outside the lobby area, talking to the new ambassador

  to China, Wang Lon. Upon seeing Alex, Wang Lon bent far over at his

  waist as a sign of respect. Zeek, with a humorous flourish of his hand, did

  the same. Alex cracked a smile, relieved that his friend could break the ten-

  sion in him so easily. It made for much more interesting meetings.

  “Captain. My government offers its deepest apologies for what Won Li

  attempted to do and, as a token of our continued relationship, we want to

  make a peace offering,” Wang Lon said, handing Alex a three-ring binder.

  Alex recalled the incident that led them here. When the Won Li attempt

  to take control of the Destiny with a group of armed men.

  Alex took the binder. Each page was laminated, with pictures of various

  objects and equipment filling the pages: a grand necklace from the second

  dynasty of China, an advanced mobile radar system, various nuclear weap-

  ons, a royal Penthouse in the capital… As Alex looked from one picture

  to the next, Wang said, “Our government will allow you to select any one

  22

  thing to abate any hostilities you hold against us as a show of faith that his actions alone did not represent the government.”

  Alex flicked through pictures of tanks, an older style submarine, vari-

  ous aircraft… Then Alex saw an
object he didn’t recognize.

  “What’s this?” He pointed a rounded rectangular mass of circuitry.

  “That’s an artificial entity—A.I., as many call it.”

  Zeek was silently geeking out next to Alex, and elbowed him, hard.

  “It’s the first we managed to create, and sadly, it might be the last. We had

  a difficult time controlling it. I think our government would think it more

  of relief rather than a loss if you were to choose that particular object. A

  powerful minority continues to fund the project, while a larger majority

  wishes to end it.”

  Alex continued flipping pages when images of women appeared. The

  women were all beautiful, some of them looking lost and alone, others

  happy as though celebrating something. Zeek elbowed Alex again.

  Alex looked at Zeek, brows furrowed with annoyance. “Don’t you

  have a game to play or something?” When Zeek looked chastened enough

  to stop elbowing him, Alex turned to Wang. “Who are these people?” he

  asked, tilting the laminated pages so the man could see them.

  “They all descend from well-established family lines. Marrying one of

  these women would earn you great wealth and renown in my country. If

  there is something else you want that is not on the list, we can try to pro-

  cure it for you. Hydrogen or neutron-based weapon platforms, a construc-

  tion project, perhaps?”

  Alex rolled his eyes and wondered what Amanda would think if he

  brought an arranged marriage or hydrogen bomb into the living room. He

  wasn’t sure which would be worse.

  Alex continued to flip to the last page, which had a small pallet of

  stacked gold bricks.

  “Based on current market trends, that’s worth one hundred and forty-

  five million dollars.” Wang Lon smiled at Alex, holding out his hand to

  take the binder back.

  “Allow me to converse with my associate on the matter,” Alex said with

  a respectful nod.

  23

  Wang bowed slightly and stepped back several paces. Alex and Zeek turned away, facing each the other direction with their heads together.

  “Taking the gold is the easy choice.” Zeek pretended to look at the far

  wall but his eyes betrayed the rapid thoughts in his head.

  “We have money, a lot of it…Not sure having more would benefit us

  in any way. There are several things on that list we do not have, such as a