The Book Keeper (25 page)

‘Thank-you Mia,’ I said politely. 
Do not engage an enemy
.  I returned to my designated seat, and put my mind back to the newspaper.

Forty-five minutes later the slight creak of the door to ice kingdom alerted me to some movement.  Three men in black suits exited Mr B Rubin’s office.  I caught a glimpse of a gun holster with a gun just under the coat of the second man in my peripheral vision.

“Mr Darcy.  CAI’s most wanted.  Get your ass in this office!’ boomed Mr B Rubin’s voice.

Nice.  Good to hear that he hasn’t changed.  He was still the epitome of rudeness.

‘It is your lucky day Mr Darcy,’ he blurted out, poking me in the chest with his pointy finger, the smell of alcohol on his breath.

‘And how is that Mr Rubin may I ask?’ I enquired with my hands in my pocket, narrowing my eyes as I looked into his.

‘I have decided to spare your life for a little longer Mr Darcy.  I have found your little wifey, and have decided that she would be very useful to us with our research,’ he declared with a deceitful smile.

“
A beautiful brunette……what I could do with her….delicious….”

His thoughts were loud and clear.

I started to shake my head vehemently.

‘But Mr Rubin, your source of information is wrong.  I am neither married, nor engaged.
’

‘Then perhaps a girlfriend with benefits huh?’ he added winking at me.

“Long nights in bed satiated by se”

‘Not even that Mr Rubin
,’ I responded before he could finish his thought. His vulgar mind repulsed me to the point of nausea.

“
What is wrong with you boy…are you gay you deadbeat?”

‘Mr Rubin, where is my office located?’ I asked him, distracting him from his train of drunken thoughts. 
 

His mood changed suddenly.  He became irritable. 
He picked up his scotch glass and hurled it at the wall, splintering it into a thousand pieces.

‘Get out of my office. Do not show your face here unless I request it.  Understood?’ he spat at me acidly in a low threatening voice.

‘Clearly,’ I replied calmly. Then I stood within inches of his face.

‘I warned you about the MRI device.  I told you that I would trial the MRI and suffer the consequences should there be any.  But you did not trust me, and had to have it implanted into your own eye and brain.  You are the way you are by your own choosing Mr Rubin
!’

Then I turned away from him and walked out of his office.  I nodded at Sterile White Girl as I walked past her desk, then entered the elevator and ascended one level to the 28
th
floor and back into my own office.  It remained the same.  Nothing about it had changed.

I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply.  What am I doing here?
 

What.  Am.  I. Doing.  Here?

I felt as though I was locked in a prison, with one tiny window allowing a pinpoint of lightshine into the small square cell.  I was looking at the rays of light deliriously, wishing that I could fit through that tiny pinpoint in the wall.  I was clawing at the brick wall to escape.  But all that transpires is the ripping of my nails from their nail beds, pain is supposed to be searing through my body, and blood, my blood being smeared over the walls. But I am numb, numb to the bone, and my sanity is the only thing that escapes….from my mind. What. Am. I. Doing. Here?

Play the game.  Play it better.

I sat at my desk, slumped, and then put my head into my hands.

Funnily, none of the superheroes have the ability to read minds. Did their creators know that it would be a burden to heavy to bare? That they would find pure hearts and minds as rare as
hen’s teeth, and that those perceived as good, in reality may not be as good as the mask that they wear.  If I had to continue with intruding on the minds of others, voluntarily or otherwise, there is no doubt that I will lose my sanity.  I will lose my own mind in the process.  There is no good in the ability to read another’s mind, only destruction of the self.

I have effectually cursed myself.  Alone, I have put myself into this position.  I only have myself to blame, and my stupidity in allowing the greed of others
to define my future.

I will take my secret to the grave.  No soul will ever know of my mind reading ability.  To humankind, I am a mere man.  Average Joe.  Nothing special.  Nothing exciting.  Just one to blend in with the jungle vines.  Camouflaged by the shade from the canopy of trees reaching for the light, to be seen above the others.  A ground dweller.  That was what I was.  A lowly ground dweller.  A safe lowly ground dweller.

But is that what I truly wanted?  To be a wallflower.  Sadly, I did not know what I truly wanted.  All that I knew was that the MRI must be used for truth and justice. And once I started to lose control, or feel as if I was losing my sanity, that was the time to end it all, in some shape or form.  Not with my life, but with the MRI device.

I did deserve a happily ever after didn’t I?

A loud sound alerted me to a presence outside my office.  I opened the door to see Mia talking with police.

‘This is the one that you need to arrest,’ she instructed.  The officers entered my office.

‘Mr Cohen Darcy?’ the police officer asked.

‘Yes,’ I answered
.

‘We have a warrant for your arrest.  Either you walk out of the building calmly with us, or we will handcuff you sir.  The choice is
yours,’ he instructed.

I put my hands up in the air.  There was no way that I was going to be handcuffed.

I looked into Mia’s eyes as I walked past her.  She had betrayed me.

“I am doing this for your own protection Cohen.  You will be safer in jail. Our boss is losing the plot.  I have done this to protect you...” 
her thoughts were loud and precise.  I nodded to her in thanks.  She nodded back at me.

The  journey to the police station was stress free.   The police officers did not make much conversation.  They walked me into headquarters and then placed me into a cell.

Periodically, an employee from the police department would sit and talk with me.  Sometimes they were in police uniform, others times not.  Sometimes it was a psychologist, sometimes a detective.

Nobody mentioned why I was being held in a cell.  And I remained there under close watch for three weeks.

Then they started to take me out of the cell occasionally.  I sat in on questioning sessions with officers, who were gifted in asking the necessary questions to persuade an alleged criminal or victim to giving a statement.

The process was long and drawn out, often physically and mentally tiring for the officers and the alleged criminal or victim.

At one stage an officer walked away from the interrogation table and leaned up against the wall.

‘May I ask a few questions?’  I asked.  He nodded at me.

I slipped my glasses on and then sat opposite the suspect.  Immediately our eyes made contact.

Immediately I could read his thoughts, and started my tactics for questioning, luring him into
the truthful confession of carrying out the crime.  The case was closed, arrests made.

This first break through led to other cases that I became involved in. And in  no time I was a fully pledged  plain clothes Police Detective.

I moved out of my CAI Surveillanced apartment and into shared accommodation with another policeman – Jack.

Thanks to Mia, my life had taken a different pathway.  I could use my mind reading implant for the purposes of truth and justice. And only Mia and I knew the truth to my apparent gift as the other officers called it.

I also had permanent protection from the police force, and legally carried my own firearm.

This was a good as my life was going to get.  The chains the CAI had been severed, and I was free. And I was eternally thankful.

Chapter  20

Twelve months later…..

11:03pm.  My Tim Jennings emitted a once familiar sound that announced the arrival of an email.  It had been such a long time since I exchanged emails in the cover of darkness to avoid being exposed.

I reach
ed over to my lamp and turned it on before grabbing my Tim Jennings. I should have eradicated it from my life a long time ago.  But I couldn’t bare it yet.  It was my only connection to Georgia. Not that I would contact her again, even though my life was ‘normal’, safer.  I still loved her.

FROM: Georgia Harrison

SUBJECT:
?

DATE: December 30 201
2   23:03

TO: Tim Jennings

Dear Tim,

Hi.

X Georgia

I leaned my head back against the back board of the bed and closed my eyes, a smile etched on my face.  I haven’t used the alias of Tim for such a long time.  It brought back good memories of Georgia, and the sadness of our final parting.

I
opened my eyes and focused on the dancing lights on my ceiling.  I didn’t know whether I should reply to her.  Would it be like opening up an old wound?

I did shut her out of my life for good.  But it was a long time ago. 
She was probably married now.  She should be.

FROM:  Cohen Darcy

SUBJECT: 
greeting

DATE: December 30 201
2   23:07

TO:  Georgia Harrison

Dear Georgia,

Hi back at you.  Smiling.

X Cohen

Send……

The softness of the pillow cocooned my weary head as I closed my eyes, still with a smile on my face.  I placed my hand over my heart.  It had accelerated at the mere sight of Georgia’s name.  The remaining strength of my love for her surprised me.  She was my soul mate, but I had consciously chosen to ignore my feelings for her.

The
Tim Jennings vibrated in my hand.  I opened up email again.

FROM: Georgia Harrison

SUBJECT: 
You replied!

DATE: December 30 201
2   23:12

TO: Tim Cohen Jennings Darcy

Dear ?

I am glad that you are smiling.  It is infectious.  I am smiling too. And crying….

Georgia
    #thegingerbreadmenarejumpingupanddownwithhappiness

FROM: Cohen Darcy

SUBJECT:
apologies

DATE: December 30 2013  
23:15

TO:  Georgia Harrison

Georgia, forgive me for making you cry.  Please take my cybertissue and wipe your tears away before your sadness becomes contagious.  When you are sad, I am sad.

I am no longer Tim Jennings.  I have been freed from the chains of CAI.

Cohen      #thegingerbreadmenneedtogotobed.itislate

Send…..

FROM: Georgia Harrison

SUBJECT:
cybertissue

DATE: December 30 201
2   23:20

TO: Cohen Darcy

Dear Cohen,

They are not tears of sadness, but of happiness.  I would prefer for you to wipe my tears away in person.  I have missed you terribly.

Georgia    #whenevericlosemeeyesIreliveyourlipsuponmine<3

FROM: Cohen Darcy

SUBJECT:
lips

DATE: December 30 201
2   23:23

TO: Georgia Harrison

Our lives have changed now.  I have followed your busy social life in the media.  I am sure that you have a man who has stolen your heart and worships the ground that you walk on.  I still miss you terribly.

Cohen    #ourmomentsofpassionarepermanentlyburnedintomymemorynevertobeforgotten<3

Send……

FROM: Georgia Harrison

SUBJECT:
Georgia HARRISON

DATE: December 30 201
2   23:27

TO: Cohen Darcy

Cohen – I am single, until I find the one.  Even if I have to wait a lifetime.  I need to have tea for two with you – please.

Georgia      #please:usedasapoliteadditiontorequests

FROM: Cohen Darcy

SUBJECT:
I love tea

DATE: December 30 201
2   23:30

TO: Georgia Harrison

Must I remind you that the book has rules?

Cohen  #
pleaseisassweetasthesugarthatIputinmytea