CHAPTER 24
~T-minus 35:36~
For a time after his outburst on Kiyama Hill, Will was a wholly different person. Unpacking that rage that he'd kept inside him for so long had spent his energy, leaving him without his familiar zeal. He was quiet at breakfast, speaking no more than a few words to Sam, keeping his head down and eating quickly. His usual character returned with the sun's advance, and by noon the old Will was back in force, with language spiked with passion and steps filled with the joy of existence. Sam responded in turn, and both of them were in fine spirits as Will led them on an impromptu trip to Amos Street.
"Now this is the part that I've been looking forward to," said Will, tapping his thumbs on the steering wheel to the rhythm in his head.
"What's the big deal?" said Sam. "It's just another neighborhood."
"Just another neighborhood? It's Amos, man. It's different. This is where the lab people live."
"So?"
"So? They're from all over the country, all over the world even. All these people bringing their own tastes to this one spot? It's like a itty bitty New York City, right in our own town." Will tapped Sam on the shoulder. "Hey, do you remember when they started building it? Took them less than a year to get the whole thing set up. Those Jameson guys had it all planned from the start, they knew exactly what their people needed. Shops and restaurants to cater to the world's elite minds? Yeah, I guess I'd like to see what it's like. I'd like to see how these people live."
"Yeah, I guess that is cool," said Sam. "So where are we going to eat?"
"That's your call, buddy. All of these places are nice. Forget the Orientale, these places..." Will gaped through the window. "...the hell?"
Will, who had kept well clear of the new neighborhood, had certain perhaps unrealistic expectations for Amos Street. In his head, it was a place that epitomized class - long rows of $80-per-meal bistros and cosmopolitan boutiques vending goods from countries he'd never heard of, broken up at regular intervals by well-kept parks and classical gardens showcasing exotic plants. What met his eyes looked more like the dividing line between gang territory, or perhaps a test fire range. Each shop was covered in spectacularly profane graffiti, and many had broken windows, forced open doors, or other signs of burglary. The streets were filled with shards of glass from busted street lamps and cameras, the alleys covered in garbage from flipped dumpsters. The afternoon shoppers were not out - they would have no room to walk with the streets choked by city workers performing repairs, police officers moving in and out of crime scenes and merchants desperately trying to scrub the filth from their walls.
Sam snapped his fingers. "Oh yeah, I heard some kids at school talking about coming down here and busting things up. I didn't think they'd actually go through with it, though. They say stuff like that all the time."
"That explains why the cops left," muttered Will.
"What?"
"Nothing, never mind." Will turned onto a side street and parked with his usual level of care. "Well, let's go."
"We're still going?" said Sam. "I don't think these people are in the mood to deal with people from town."
"Nonsense. I've got money, they'll take it." Will stepped out of the car. "One of these places must be open. We'll go to the first one we find."
Now privileged with a closer view, Will realized that the damage to Amos was far worse than it appeared from a comfortable distance. It was a miracle that the street was open at all, what with the mounds of rubbish and debris littering the walkways and road. Burn marks marred the street as well, odd scorched patches ringed by shattered glass - Molotov cocktails, Will thought, a thing he never thought he'd actually see. The whole neighborhood had been defaced in a particularly thorough way, leaving no sign unbattered and no traffic light intact. This wasn't the work of rowdy kids. This was the aftermath of a full-on riot, an angry retribution for the violence carried out the previous day.
Will crossed his arms over his chest as he surveyed the street. "All right, this is kinda uncomfortable, I'll grant you that. Maybe we skip lunch and just grab a snack? They've gotta have a cafe around here." Will sprinted past a pair of workers. "Let's see...'The Space Beyond.' Yeah, this one's open. It's a lot nicer than the House, too. Come on, let's get something fancy and overpriced!"
"Are you sure?" said Sam. "These people are giving us some dirty looks."
"It'll be okay, we'll just stay a minute."
For whatever miseries had afflicted the other Amos Street business owners, the owner of the Space Beyond must have been pleased. The riot had inflicted minimal damage as it passed the cafe, leaving the facility in good enough shape that it could open for business as usual, scooping up the customers for the other restaurants. It was a very nice cafe, a far cry from what Will was accustomed to in Patmos. The furnishings were new and pricey - the sectional sofa in the front probably cost as much as a car - and the walls were decorated with art from nationally-known artists whom even Will could recognize, each piece an original.
"Not bad, huh pal? You know, the way they price things in places like this, you could spend a week's salary, no problem." Will felt a vibration in his pocket. Surreptitiously checking his phone, he caught Sara's name on the screen. "All right, pick out what you want, I gotta get this."
Beep. "Will? Will, are you there?"
"Whoa, a little aggressive there, aren't you? You that eager for a follow-up interview?"
"Just...I'm glad you're all right."
"That's nice, I guess. Look, I'm with my brother here so let's keep this brief, all right?" Will sidled to a relatively quiet corner of the room. "Is this about the Gazette thing?"
"Huh?"
"The break-in last night?"
"What break-in? What are you talking about?"
"You know, those guys that..." Will turned to the wall and cupped his hand over his mouth. "...Those guys who were at the office last night."
"That one's news to me. I've been downtown and it doesn't look like anyone broke in."
"But I was there! Are you saying..." Will's tongue stilled for a moment as he shot a glance at the patrons behind him. "...Never mind. Just tell me what you want so I can get going."
"I don't need anything from you. I was just checking in. You can hang up right now."
"I'm totally lost. You're checking in?"
There was an audible sigh from the other end. "...All right, Will. I'm putting myself out there by saying this on the phone...Remember Zoe Mulroney?"
"I don't...oh, wait, the girl from the lab, right?"
"She's disappeared."
"Disappeared?" Will pulled the phone away and peeked back over his shoulder, longer this time, scrutinizing the crowd for anyone out of sorts. "...So she hasn't picked up her phone. Lots of reasons why someone would do that."
"It's not just that. I checked her apartment, checked with her neighbors. No one's seen her in days."
"What are you saying?"
"Will, they're shitting themselves at the lab right now. There's that white paper...thing, the leak that you got. Now rumor is that some rogue tech, maybe the same person, is spreading around these gizmos to get around their surveillance and security. They already suspected Zoe. She talks to me, now she's gone. So what am I saying? I'm saying this whole thing has gotten a lot nastier than I would have imagined."
Will chewed apprehensively on his lip. "It...yeah, it sounds bad, but it could still be a coincidence."
"Will...goddamn you. I haven't been fully honest with you. I've been investigating the Jamesons for years."
"Investigating?"
There was another protracted sigh from the other end. "They brought me on to write about them when I was sixteen years old. It was a gimmick, it looked cute to have this teenager writing their story. When I got old enough...well, I decided to branch out. A friend of mine set me up with an interview with this guy who worked for one of Jameson's Chinese businesses. It was this guy named Roderick."
"Roderick Butler?"
"Yeah. Turns out that this guy was tied straight into everything. Working for a company funded by Jameson money, run by Zhang, he was banging Zhang's daughter, maybe engaged to her depending on who I was talking to. People spotted him hanging out with Jameson's kid, the kid's wife, a really connected guy...he's gone too, Will. No one's seen him in days. I could give you more, Will. People who talk to me go away."
"Well, that's...no, you're being paranoid. I know there's a lot of money at stake here-"
"You think it's about money, Will? Money is shit to these people. They're building the future, you think they're gonna let me stand in the way? I'm probably on their list, and so are you. Just...watch your back, all right? Watch your back. And if you let this slip to anyone...well, watch their backs, too." Click.
Will stared at the now-silent phone for a moment before returning it to his pocket. He was suddenly aware of the conversations around him - idle chatter, mostly meaningless, at least to his ears. He took notice of the eyes glancing in his direction, the gentle sneers - derision at a townie, or was there something more sinister here?
"Will? Hey, Will." Sam tugged at Will's shoulder. "Who was that?"
"Who? Oh...just a friend. Are you, uh...do you know what you'd like?"
"Excuse me, sir." One of the staffers approached the two of them, far friendlier in demeanor than the patrons. "Are you Will Scarborough?"
"...Sure," said Will. "Who wants to know."
"There's someone here who'd like to speak with you," said the staffer, gesturing toward the back of the cafe. "He's in the tea room. If you'll come with me, it'll just be a few minutes."
Will squinted at the staffer. "...Who, exactly?"
"I'm really not at liberty to reveal that here. Suffice it say that he's extremely important and plenty of people would love to have this opportunity." The staffer shot Will a knowing grin, then drew in closer. "Sir? He's not used to being refused."
A single name floated into Will's head and stuck fast to his brain. His hand drifted into his pocket, wrapping around the strange little device that he'd been given the day before. "Not used to being refused, huh? Well, then I suppose I shouldn't..." He felt for the button as he stalled, finally finding it with his thumb and pressing it so hard that he half-expected the gadget to shatter in his hand. "...keep him waiting."
"What about me?" said Sam.
"We'll keep an eye on him, sir," said the staffer.
"Of course. Hey, buddy, I'll only be a minute." Will reached into his pocket again, pulling out a fistful of bills. "Here, get whatever you want. I'll be right back and we'll do...I don't know, whatever you want to do. Be thinking about it, okay?"
A server appeared to attend to Sam as Will followed the staffer to the isolated room in the back. "Through here, sir," said the staffer. "Enjoy yourself."
"Thanks." Will reached for the knob but hesitated before his fingers could as much as brush it. He had never been in awe of a door before, but then he had never seen such detail lavished on something so simple. He was eye-to-eye with a raven - one carved from mahogany rather than flesh and bone, with feathers colored by wood finish rather than nature, but a bird nevertheless, one ready to fly away at any moment. "You guys are really into the little details, huh?"
"We have generous patrons, sir." The staffer stepped away from the door. "Go on in."
Will had barely grasped the brass handle when the door drifted open and the room beyond greeted him with opulence. The cafe was class, but the tea room was true luxury. Will couldn't begin to calculate the value of the crystal in the fixtures or the paintings on the walls - masterpieces, either the finest reproductions ever made or the result of some under-reported heists - but even his peasant eyes could appreciate the cost. A mahogany table dominated the room, around which were seated three men. The one on the left was familiar - he'd been in the Orientale, and the intimidating aura that enveloped him was still present. On the right was a rotund man with short-cropped hair and the general countenance of a fanatical accountant. Between them was a silver lion, a figure Will had seen and heard many times before, a figure who had been a presence over his life for what seemed like ages.
"William?" The man in the center rose from his chair. "My name is Joshua Jameson."
"Yeah, I know." Will tried to hide his awe as he scanned the table. "Mr. Zhang, you I know..." His eyes swept to the right. "Which would make you..."
"Dr. John Bellamy." Dr. Bellamy knocked his fist against the table. "Joshua, why are we wasting our time with this imbecile?"
"John, please." Joshua pointed to a chair opposite the three of them. "Please, take a seat."
"No thanks, I..." Will halted as he felt strong hands on his shoulders. The room was more crowded than he had thought - there was a man standing at each flank, stern Asian men in dark sunglasses who reacted to each tiny motion that Zhang Yanli made. "...All right, I can hang out for a few minutes. No problem." He took his seat with a firm assist from the two men. "So what can I do for you?"
Joshua returned to his own seat. "First, are you comfortable right now?"
Will shifted in his seat. "I guess. I mean, I'm not used to, you know, digs this nice."
"Of course. I actually own this cafe, you know, and I had the operator put together this room just for meetings of a more casual nature - less formal than the office. I'm sorry if you feel awkward, but I was not expecting you." Joshua leaned over the table with his arms crossed, a firm jaw topped with soft eyes, the very image of the stern but loving father. "William, I understand that you've been causing some problems for my company."
"Uh-uh, no way," said Will. "All I wanted was to have a little party. This was nothing to do with me."
"You lying bastard!" said Dr. Bellamy. "Joshua, Aaron told me that this man was running with those rioters, trying to stir up anger against the company. He was there whipping them up."
"Hey, I was there on an errand," said Will. "I stumble on in, literally, and someone shoves a microphone in my hands. I just went with the flow."
"I see." Joshua turned his attention rightward. "Mr. Zhang, do you have an opinion on this?"
Zhang Yanli leaned back from the table, hands bridged before his face. "My daughter tells me that he is not such a bright man."
"Aaron told me the same thing," said Dr. Bellamy. "It doesn't take a lot of brains to cause chaos, though, does it?"
"What, you brought me here just to insult me?" Will waved a finger at Dr. Bellamy. "Your son is a goddamn psychopath. He cooked with me with a heat gun, waved a gun in my face, threatened with a taser, threatened to have me shot..." He spun toward Zhang Yanli. "And you - it was your men who came by my house, right? What, you're threatening my family now?" He tried to stand, but the men at his back forced him back down.
"Son, calm yourself," said Joshua. "First, I'll not abide by blasphemy. Don't take the Lord's name in vain in my presence again. Now, I am aware of the various charges that have been leveled against me, my company and my associates over the years. I'm not sure precisely what you have heard-"
"What I've seen, Josh," said Will. "Documents, the ones your boys were trying to find at the Gazette last night, I'll bet. You've been lying to everyone."
"I've never deceived a soul," said Joshua.
"Well, then maybe Dr. Richter has been lying to you," said Will "Where is Otto anyway? His life's work is about to go live and he's still not around?"
Joshua reclined from the table, hands clenched - fatherly disappointment this time. "William, I haven't brought you here to discuss that."
"Well, we're discussing it now. Stop the goddamn test. Are you hearing me?" Will slammed his fists on the table. "Cancel the test, you maniac!"
Zhang Yanli tipped his head and his men set to work, moving so quickly that Will wasn't aware what had happened until his face was already pressed against the table. Each of them had one of his arms, rendering him immobile. From his new position, he could only see one of the three men at a time, each face reflecting a different style of anger.
"I told you to mind the blasphemy." Joshua stood up and leaned over the table. "We're not here to discuss that. You are here to answer a question: Where is my son? Where is Benjamin?"
"What?" grunted Will.
"I know you've been in contact with him," said Joshua. "Where is he?"
"I don't know - augh!" One of the goons wrenched Will's arm with precisely enough force to send a wave of pain through him. "Damn it, I don't know!"
Joshua glared absently at Will. "Where is he?"
"He's not here anymore!" Will broke out into nervous giggles. "He's in Mexico."
"Don't play games with me, son," said Joshua.
"Tijuana. In a dark and dingy little bar with a winsome senorita - augh!" Will's giggles turned into laughter, crackling slightly from the pain. "He's in Beijing, on the Great Wall with Zoe and Roderick." He cast a sideways glance at Zhang Yanli. "You know what I'm talking about. The close friend, right?"
With a half-swallowed sigh, Zhang Yanli crouched down to Will's eye level. "My daughter is smart but not wise. She laid down with a dog because she could not see that he was a dog. Though he was a clever dog and a reliable dog, so it was a shame to lose him. But you are not a clever man or a reliable man. You are a useless man."
"Joshua, we need to get rid of him now," said Dr. Bellamy. "He's a wild card and we can't have him ruining everything we've worked for!"
"He did incite a riot," said Joshua. "I can call the attorney general and see to it that charges are filed. He'll not trouble us for a few years at least."
"But the test is tomorrow," said Zhang Yanli. "He is an immediate problem, yes?"
"Not to mention all the people he's been talking to," said Dr. Bellamy. "That crazy Mills woman, for one. And his brother's outside-"
"Don't you dare mess with Sam!" With a primal roar, Will launched himself upright and brushed off the two goons, sending each staggering back. One of them reached for Will's arm but he seized the man by the lapels and shoved him back into Zhang Yanli, knocking both to the ground. The chair was in his hands now, a crude weapon he swung wildly before tossing it in the general direction of Joshua and Dr. Bellamy, both of whom dove for cover. Will could sense that the shock from his outburst was wearing off, and that time was short to make an escape. He barreled for the door, yanking it open and tripping over his own feet as he made an abrupt reentry to the main cafe area. He couldn't see the faces, but the screams of panic were certainly clear.
"Will!" Sam sprinted over to Will, who was sprawled on the ground. "Are you okay?"
"Fine," said Will. "Hey, what did you order?"
The goons stormed out of the tea room and were on Will before he could regain his footing. One of them hauled him to his feet while the other delivered a blow to Will's solar plexus, dropping him back to his knees.
"Leave him alone!" shrieked Sam.
"I'm fine!" Will laughed maniacally. "Is that the best you got, ya pussies? Go on, why don't you try actually hitting me for a change!"
Suddenly, a woman charged through the door of the cafe. "Will, you idiot, get out of here!"
"Diana!" Will shoved the goons away, grabbed Sam by the back of his shirt and bolted for the entrance. "Come on! It's for us!"
"What's going on?" said Sam as he fled.
"I'll explain later!" shouted Will.
There was a nondescript white sedan idling on the street outside of the Space Beyond, a dull and forgettable vehicle that may as well have come straight from a robbery. Diana was already in the driver's seat, gesturing madly for Will and Sam. "The cops are coming! Hurry up, damn it!"
Will fumbled for the handle, his fingers numb from pain and panic and slick with sweat. When the door at last opened, he all but tossed Sam inside before diving in after him, landing flat on his back. He had barely cleared the street when the car took off, the door swinging wildly under the acceleration. Will stretched for the open door, his fingers scraping against the frame until a bump in road pushed it close enough that he could yank it shut.
Sam's eyes traced the interior of the car as though probing for some sign of a trick. "Will?"
"Yeah?"
"What just happened?"
"We escaped, that's what."
"And where are we going?"
"Uh…"