Chapter 41

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Jake’s cell phone rang. Julie moaned and rolled over.

“Jake, Jerry here. The meeting with Ryan Caldwell is set. You need to get into the city. You’ve got 45 minutes.”

“What time is it, Jerry?”

“It’s 2:30. You have to be at the IHOP on Commerce at 3:15. This is very sensitive, Jake. If you’re not on time, Caldwell won’t wait for you. He’s putting himself in a dangerous position as it is.”

“Is it just us?”

“Yes, I had an intermediary set up the meeting, but there’s no reason for him to be there.”

“Any last-minute instructions?”

“No. Yes. You know what’s at stake, Jake. If he wants to bolt, I’ll find a hole for him to hide in. He’ll know as well as we do that so long as Cox and he are both alive, this won’t ever be over.”

“Is that all?”

“No, I like having a law license. Don’t let anyone who sees you talking to him know that you work for me.”

Jake was surprised how busy the pancake house was at 3:15 in the morning. He saw Caldwell sitting in a booth and sat down across the table from him.

“What the fuck do you want?” Caldwell snarled, and then took a good look at him. “I recognize you. You’re the squirt from the deposition who was taking all the notes. What the fuck do you want?”

Jake smiled at him and then looked around.

“I don’t get out much this time of day. Why’s it so busy?”

“It’s the bar crowd. They’ll be clearing out soon. I’m not going to ask again. What the fuck do you want?”

“I want you to live long enough to tell the truth.”

“I’m not in any kind of mood to play at riddles. Tell Amos that he’s going to regret this stupid stunt, whatever it was supposed to be.”

He started to stand up.

Jake had not been sure how he was going to play it with Caldwell. This development clarified his thinking. He took control of Caldwell, linking fear to the intention of disobeying Jake or lying to him.

“Please, sit, Mr. Caldwell.”

Caldwell’s legs collapsed. He looked scared.

Jake continued. “You will never tell anyone about me. Sit here until I tell you that you can leave. Answer my questions honestly. Now let’s figure out what you’re going to do about this mess that you’ve found yourself in.”

“I’m not in any mess.”

“Do you really believe that?” Jake took a close look inside his mind. “I don’t get it. You’re the number-two guy for the most powerful man in the state. Doesn’t that mean that you’re supposed to be smart? Do you really not see the danger that you’re in?”

“Suppose you tell me what this danger is.”

“The danger is that Tommy Cox is about to have you killed.”

“Tommy? Why?”

“For selling him out on the O’Connor suit.”

“I did no such thing. That would be crazy. Nobody betrays Tommy and lives.”

“Of course you didn’t. But Cox thinks you did. In fact, he’s sure of it.”

“How could he?”

“Remember that deposition? All that stuff Jerry Amos asked about? There is only one person who could have fed him that information.”

“Who?”

“You.”

“But I didn’t.”

“Son-of-a-bitch. You really aren’t very smart. How can Cox be so formidable when his chief of staff is so, well, not very smart? Doesn’t politics require you to be cunning or something? Like the guys on The West Wing?”

“Tommy does his own thinking. It wouldn’t matter if I was fucking Einstein. Tommy doesn’t need me for that. He needs someone loyal.”

Jake sighed. It was time to be direct.

“Mr. Caldwell, Tommy Cox thinks you were Amos’s source because I read your mind and fed everything you knew about the accident to Jerry Amos. That’s why I was taking notes. Only two people knew all that stuff—you and Cox. Cox knows it wasn’t him who talked, so he figures it had to be you. Conventionally speaking, his reasoning is sound. That he happens to be wrong doesn’t matter. He will have you killed, probably soon. Does he know where you are right now?”

“Hold on a second. You’re fucking playing me. There’s no reason for me to sit here and listen to crazy talk.”

“Have you noticed that you’ve been telling me your secrets? And that you can’t get up and leave? If you think I’m just some little kid playing a joke on you, go ahead and go.”

Caldwell tried to move and realized that he couldn’t make himself do it. A wave of panic struck him. He started flailing around. When he started to scream Jake put him to sleep.

The restaurant went quiet. The other diners stared. The manager hurried over. He knelt and looked at Caldwell’s face.

“Should I call 911?”

“Thanks, but that’s not necessary. I’m impressed, though, at how fast you responded. If I ever have a seizure or something, I hope you’re there to take charge.” Jake nodded toward Caldwell. “My friend has a panic disorder. He just passed out. He’ll come to pretty soon. If he can’t get himself under control, I’ll take him out of here so that we don’t bother your customers.”

“It’s the night shift. People wig out here regularly. We’re used to dealing with it. Let me know if he needs medical attention. Otherwise, I’d appreciate it if you would remove him if he’s going to disrupt the other diners.”

“You can count on me.”

The manager walked away, looking back at Caldwell over his shoulder.

Jake pushed calm into Caldwell and then jostled his arm until he woke up.

“I have to say that you didn’t look very suave there, Mr. Caldwell.”

Caldwell looked around a bit sheepishly.

“The thought of being held captive really scares me. When I couldn’t get up, I felt like I was trapped.”

“So are you willing to admit that I can control you?”

“Uh, okay.”

“Do I need to prove that I can read your mind?”

“If you don’t mind.”

“Think of something that I couldn’t possibly know. Something that you wouldn’t want anyone to know.”

Jake gave him a second to bring it to mind. When he did, Jake was astonished.

“Holy crap. No wonder Cox trusts you.”

Caldwell dropped his face in shame. Jake lowered his voice.

“Let me make sure I’ve got this right. You killed your sister, and he’s been holding it over your head since you were eighteen?”

“Please, don’t tell anyone. If my mother found out, she’d kick me out of the family.”

“But it was an accident, an unfortunate but perfectly understandable accident.”

Caldwell, his little sister, and Cox had been swimming at a quarry when Caldwell floundered. The sister had tried to help him but Caldwell had panicked. As he had flailed about, he had unknowingly held his sister under the surface and she had drowned. Caldwell himself had only barely made it to the shore.

“Tommy said that it looked like murder,” Caldwell said, whining. “He helped me to bury the body. He told me that if I did what he said, he wouldn’t ever tell anyone.”

“So Tommy Cox has been evil from the beginning. And you’ve always done what he told you. Perhaps I’ve done you a favor by ruining your partnership with him. Mr. Caldwell, do you believe that I can read your mind and make you do things?”

“Yeah, I guess I’ve got to.”

“So when I read your mind last week and then gave the information to Jerry Amos, Cox had to think that it was you who told him. Do you agree, so far?”

“I guess.”

“And you know a lot of Cox’s secrets, don’t you? The kind that would make him look really bad?”

“Uh-huh.”

“And since he doesn’t trust you anymore, he can’t afford to let you live.”

“Uh, yes,” he said and began to cry.

“Hasn’t Cox been acting differently to you since the deposition on Thursday?”

“Well, yeah. He hasn’t talked to me at all or had me sit in on any meetings.”

“Looking back, doesn’t that make sense given that he doesn’t trust you anymore?”

“I guess.”

“Okay. Here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to check you into a motel, someplace where he won’t find you. Someone will arrange for you to get out of town until your deposition. We’ll have to figure out a way to get you and your family a new start where Cox can’t hurt you.

“There’s a Day’s Inn about a mile north on the interstate. Drive there. I’ll meet you.”

Jake took care of the tab and left with Caldwell following him. When they got to the Day’s Inn, Jake had Caldwell get into Jake’s car. He drove them to a motel not far from Jake’s apartment and had Caldwell check in, paying with cash.

“Mr. Caldwell, use cash for everything until I tell you otherwise. Stay here. Don’t call anyone except me. Don’t call me unless it’s an emergency. I’ll have someone get in contact with you. Remember, if Cox finds out where you are, he’ll have you killed.”

Jake left. On the drive back to the DeRizzo house he called Jerry.

“He’s dumb as a post, Jerry. The only reason Cox uses him is that he has him blackmailed.”

“So what did you do with him?”

“I put him under my control. He’s at that trucker’s motel at Main Street and the interstate, room 204. I’ve told him to stay there until he heard from someone. He’s got no car and I told him to use cash. I think he understands that Cox is out to get him. In the long run, the only thing he can do is offer the information he has to the authorities in exchange for witness protection or whatever. Do they really have witness protection?”

“Yes, Jake. The feds do. They’re the only ones with enough money to do it right. We’ll hold off on that until the O’Connor case settles. I’ll get him out of town and into hiding, through intermediaries, of course.”

“Can I go to bed now?”

“Yes, Jake. Sleep peacefully.”

Jake woke when the alarm sounded and turned to Julie who was still asleep next to him. He pulled the sheet down to expose her barely developed breasts. He returned to the task of making them more sensitive, work he had been doing the night before when Julie had finally begged him to stop and let her sleep. They were getting pretty responsive. Jake thought they were close to just right. As he suckled at her nipple, Julie began to wake, breathing faster and writhing.

“Jake, that feels so nice. The sensations go straight to my pussy now.”

Jake said nothing. He continued to suck and cultivate the nerve bundles that processed the sensations.

Julie moaned. She reached down with her hand. When she felt that he was hard, she pushed him onto his back. She impaled herself on him and then leaned forward to offer her breast to him again. Jake continued to work on her while she rocked back and forth. When Jake decided that he had done enough, he wet a finger in his mouth and started rubbing her anus. She screamed and quickly climaxed, taking Jake with her. He kept her orgasm going until she was wobbly. Then he let her come down.

“You are so good to me,” she said as she panted.

“I love to watch you when we make love.”

“You were sucking my tit. You couldn’t see anything.”

“Nuh-uh, I could still see your face. You looked beautiful.”

Julie gave him a peck on the lips. He rolled her onto the bed.

“Busy day,” he said. “I’ve got to get started.”

Jake showered, dressed and trotted down to the kitchen for breakfast.

Kara and Leanne were sitting at the table. Jake kissed each one and then got himself a bowl, milk, and a box of cereal.

“What have you got planned for today, Jake?” Leanne asked.

“I’ve got to feed the prisoner and then go to the hospital. Mom’s being released today.”

“Put her in my room when you bring her,” Leanne said.

“I guess we know where the party room is going to be this week.”

“Shut up, Jake.”

“Jake, what are you going to do about your father?” Kara asked.

“I won’t know for sure until I finish questioning him. I’m afraid there’s not an easy answer. It’s one of those damned-if-you-do-and-damned-if-you-don’t things.”

“I don’t follow.”

“I’m not sure how much I can say. So I’ll change the subject instead. Let’s just suppose that I come upon a secret society of people who like to eat pumpkins. The pumpkin-eaters get all pissed off if people start to talk about them and they also get pissed off if one pumpkin-eater messes with another pumpkin-eater. You can see how pumpkin-eaters have to be careful about what they say to non-pumpkin-eaters.”

“You’re joking, right?” Kara asked.

Jake sighed.

“No, it seems that there’s politics involved. I won’t know what my options are until I learn more.”

“Are you thinking about doing something bad to him?” Leanne asked.

“Do you think I’m a nice guy, Leanne?”

She nodded.

“Kara?”

“Oh, you’re nice to the people you like, but you’ve got a vindictive side. I think you’re capable of real cruelty.”

“You get the prize, Kara. I ruined two careers over that affair with your mom last week. As soon as I’m finished with this current spot of excitement, I’m going to ruin the other bad guy. And as far as my father goes, he will wish he had never been born. I won’t lose my temper or take pleasure in the pain that I cause him, but I will punish him. I will do that to anybody who attacks anyone in my family.”

He turned to Leanne and kissed her on the cheek. “I kind of like it that you think of me as sweet, little Jake. I will be that nice Jake whenever I can. But I won’t hesitate to be the vindictive Jake when I think it’s needed.”

“You’re comfortable with the vigilante thing?” Leanne asked.

“I am, really. But then, I can see into people’s hearts and minds. There’s no guesswork for me. I know what the bad guy did. I know if he did it out of malice or recklessness or negligence. I don’t worry that I might punish an innocent by mistake. And punishing the guilty doesn’t keep me awake at nights.”

Jake could sense that neither of them was upset. He was grateful that he had a penchant for smart and sensible women. Still, he was not sure how they would take his next piece of news.

“You two need to know about Shannon and Christine.”

“The Harrison girls?” Leanne asked.

“Yes. You know how my mom is? They’re like that but kinkier. I figured it out about Shannon at the gun class last week. I learned about Christine on Friday.”

“That’s why she was acting so humble at your birthday party?” Kara asked.

“I didn’t know then, but yes.”

“And what does this have to do with us?” Leanne asked.

“Ellen and I have been — I don’t know, call it dating — we’ve been dating Shannon to see if we can help her with her submissive needs. So far, I believe that we’ve been good for her. We plan to continue. I’ll talk to Christine soon to see if we are going to take her under our wings also.”

“Jake, in all honesty, I’m not thrilled about sharing you with women I don’t know,” Leanne said. “Why do you have to do it?”

“I’m going to put the larger part of the burden on Ellen who is pretty good at being a dominant if her dominant tells her to do it. Not that I won’t be involved on occasion. The reason that I got involved is that submissive women are at terrible risk. The thought of either of those girls ending up with someone who abuses them makes me feel sick.”

“But you can’t take on every submissive woman you meet.”

“You’re right about that. What I need to do is find dominants who are good matches for Shannon and Christine. You want to know something funny?”

“What?” Kara asked.

“Brian could be one of those guys. At least he could be if we can teach him to respect women.”

“But he’s such a misogynist and a jerk,” Kara said, and then glanced over at her mother. “Sorry, Mom. I love him, but he is what he is.”

“But if you take away the bad parts, what’s left over could be just what Shannon and Christine need. Those girls could be what Brian needs, too. How’s he doing?”

“He’s pretty gloomy,” Leanne said. “He’s been staying pretty much to himself since Friday.”

“How has he been getting along with Nina?”

“They don’t talk much, but he’s been helpful getting her into her wheelchair and to the bathroom and such.”

“I hope he comes around,” Jake said. “Anyway, thank you for the lovely faces to go with my breakfast. I better run.”

Jake knocked at the doorway to the front sitting room. Nina called for him to come in. She was lying on the sofa reading the book he had given her.

“I’ve got to go get my mother from the hospital. I wanted to see how you’re doing before I left.”

“For a bed-ridden girl, I’ve certainly had my share of excitement for the last couple of days.”

“Do you want me to roll you to the kitchen?”

“Take me to the bathroom first.”

Jake knelt in front of her, put his arms around her, and lifted her into the wheelchair. At the bathroom, he lifted her onto the toilet.

“I hear that Brian had to help you yesterday while I was occupied. Did that work out okay? If he does anything out of line, I’ll take care of him.”

Nina laughed.

“I’m not that modest, Jake. He was embarrassed putting me on the toilet. On the other hand, I think that helping me into the bathtub was the highlight of his day.”

“It would be the highlight of mine. You’re a beautiful girl.”

“You should have seen me before the accident. I was working out every day. I had real muscle tone. I’ve gotten all soft since then.”

“You got soft very nicely. Still, I can only imagine how you must have looked then.”

“I’ll get back in shape as soon as I can.”

“Don’t forget to call that doctor tomorrow. I’ll either take you myself or we’ll make some arrangement.”

Nina wiped herself and Jake put her back in the chair. He rolled her to the kitchen where he said goodbye to Kara and Leanne all over again.

Jake walked into his bedroom. He unparalyzed his father who smelled bad.

Stand up.

Jake took his arm and led him into the bathroom.

You are standing right in front of the toilet. Go ahead and take care of your business.

Harris felt around and located the toilet. He hurriedly took his penis out and pissed. Then he pulled his pants down to shit. He felt around for toilet paper and wiped himself. When he had put his pants on again, Jake led him back to the bed and pushed him down. He threw a bag containing an Egg McMuffin at him.

Jake watched Harris try to make up a story. Jake tied the testicle pain circuit to the intention of lying to Jake. Harris cried out and bent over.

Who else have they made examples of?

Again Harris cried out.

Jake thought about what Harris had said. Jake would normally send a trickle of energy to specific brain regions, but there was no reason he couldn’t affect an entire chunk of the brain all at once.

Jake focused on Harris’s entire motor cortex and pushed a little energy into it. There was no effect. He doubled it and then doubled it again. Harris’s muscles began to stiffen. Jake doubled it one more time and Harris froze. Jake pushed him onto his back on the bed.

You’re not going to leave me like this again, are you? Harris sent.

Jake paralyzed him. He picked up the empty sack and sandwich wrapper and left.

Jake sat with Ellen in her hospital room until the doctors finally released her. Her eye wasn’t as badly swollen. She could see with it again.

Jake loaded her into Harris’s car and drove back to their apartment.

“My father is in my room,” Jake said as they walked into the apartment.

“He’s here?” Ellen said, panicking.

“Don’t worry. He’s harmless. He’s blind, deaf, and paralyzed. And more importantly, he can’t use his mind on us. I probably could have let him have the run of the apartment, but I’m not feeling that charitable. Do you want to take a look at him?”

She was nervous but steeled herself. “Yes, let me see him.”

Jake opened the door and stepped out of the way. Ellen looked in.

“He stinks.”

“He pissed himself last night. I haven’t let him wash.”

“He’s helpless?”

“Completely.”

“Can he feel things?”

“Yes, but he can’t see, hear or move. He can still read minds.”

“So he can tell that I’m thinking about kicking him in the nuts?”

Jake checked Harris’ thoughts.

“Yes, he’s a bit anxious about that possibility. You can do whatever you want to him, but it won’t surprise him. He’ll know it’s coming.”

“Then I won’t keep him in suspense.”

She walked to the side of the bed and socked him in the groin with her good hand. He made no visible reaction but Jake knew that he was in pain. She stood above his head and socked him in the face. Then she reached for his hand and pulled a finger back until it popped. She did it again to another finger.

“Tell him that the only reason I’m not going to shove a broom handle up his ass is that he smells so repulsive.”

“No need. He knows. He also knows that you’re planning on coming back and visiting him again.”

“Good,” she said and left the room.

Jake followed, closing the door behind him.

“Go to your room, take off your pants and underwear, and kneel beside the bed until I come in.”

“Yes, master.”

Jake checked his email, not that he expected to find anything but spam. He wanted Ellen to stew for a couple of minutes. Finally he went into her room.

“Why am I punishing you?”

“Because I was disloyal to you.”