Chapter 35

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Jake let himself into the suite. As he had ridden the elevator up, he had been bracing himself for a wave of women. But as he got into range, he wasn’t able to connect to anyone.

Well, good for them. Jake was glad they were out playing. Things had been tense for a long time.

He had caught an early commercial flight to Chicago that day, hoping to spend some time with Lizzie and Emily before their flight back to Iowa. At least he would still be able to say goodbye. Jake checked the bedrooms. Yes, the Broadman’s suitcases were still there. They would have to come back to pick up their bags before leaving.

Jake lay down on the bed with some relief. He didn’t think he had lost that much blood, so he was surprised that his stamina was down from normal. The flight had taxed him. He went to one of the beds and lay down gingerly on his belly. Some solitude would help him think. There was something that he had to consider.

When he had gotten home from seeing his father the night before, the doorbell had rung. The caller was a very abrupt little man, who shrilly demanded to know why Jake was trying to avoid him.

Jake read him and his stomach dropped. Still, he had to play out the charade. At least the caller was not a mind reader.

“I don’t even know who you are. Why would I be trying to avoid you?”

“You know perfectly well how you would know who I am. Take me someplace where we can talk in peace.”

“I’m more likely to take you someplace to teach you some manners.”

“You’re just making this harder on yourself.”

Jake stepped out on the front porch and closed the door behind him.

“There. We can speak without fear of being overheard, but I’ll tell you right now that you better speak civilly, or I’ll make this conversation very painful for you.”

“You’ll speak to me respectfully or—”

Jake shoved him off the porch hard. The caller went tumbling down the stairs, landing on the sidewalk. He stood up, breathing hard, his face red, his hands scraped, and a hole torn in his pants.

“I don’t know who you are,” Jake said, “or why you think that you can talk to me that way, but I don’t have to put up with it. This is private property and you’re trespassing. You haul ass out of here right now, or I’m calling the police.”

“I am a representative of the Council. I come with their authority. You are required to answer me.”

Jake pulled out his cell phone. “I’ll give you one last chance before I call the police. What are you talking about? The UN Security Council? The Council of Trent? The Jedi High Council?”

“You can read my mind. You can see what council I am talking about.”

Jake stared at him for a moment.

“How do you know that?”

“The Council knows it. They have sent me. Read me.”

“All that tells me is that you think there is a council — whatever that is — and that you think you work for it. I don’t know why I should have to endure your bad manners because of that.”

“The Council are your masters. That makes me your master, too.”

Jake stimulated his testicle pain circuit. The man screamed. Jake had kept the pain going for a five-count.

A moment later he had sensed Ellen running their way with her gun drawn.

Stop! Jake had sent. This is not an attack. Observe what’s happening and read everything you can from this ass’s mind.

When the visitor had finally recovered, he glared at Jake.

“I have the power to make your life hell. You’ve just guaranteed that that is what’s going to happen.”

The screaming started again. This time Jake let it last for fifteen seconds.

“I live in a free country,” Jake had said when the screaming stopped. “No one is my master. And I don’t take kindly to threats any more than I do to rudeness. So why don’t you tell me politely why I should cooperate with this Council and then ask me what you want to know.”

“You know perfectly well who the Council is.”

Jake turned to the door.

“When you can act like a civilized person, and you’re willing to explain to me who you represent then you can come back and talk to me. I’ve got an early appointment tomorrow, but if you’re here at seven in the morning, I’ll give you fifteen minutes. But if you show me more disrespect tomorrow, I’ll hurt you worse than I did today.”

Jake had gone back inside. When the little man pounded on the door Jake had given him 30 seconds of testicle pain. That had been enough to get him to leave.

What do you think? Jake had sent to Ellen.

Again, do I dare? Besides, that’s a big step to take against someone who hasn’t yet done anything to hurt me. Jake turned and walked to the kitchen. Besides, I don’t care what the threat is, I don’t want to turn into the kind of person who would kill someone just to make things easier for himself.

Jake had felt her thrill at the prospect. With the recent craziness, it had been too long since he had let her know how much he loved her.

It all rides on whether I’ve managed to cut all the links between me and my father. If so, I’m just a spoiled boy tweaking the nose of a snooty servant. If they figure out that I’ve taken control of Harris then they’ll decide that I’m actively flouting their authority. In that case, they are going to want to punish me, maybe make an example of me. We’ll just have to see how it plays out. Now come with me. There’s something that’s been troubling me.

Jake had led her to her bedroom

“I recently read that Marine Corps drill instructors bounce coins off the bunks of their recruits to see if they were made tightly enough.”

He had taken a quarter from his pocket and tossed it onto Ellen’s bed. It had landed with no rebound. Jake had shaken his head sadly and turned to Ellen with a more-in-sorrow-than-in-anger expression.

“That’s unacceptably slovenly. A grown woman should be able to make her bed smartly. I’m going to have to teach you to take pride in yourself and your things.”

“But Jake, those are little bunk beds. I can’t get a queen-sized bed that tight.”

“Slovenly and too lazy to even try to do better. I see we have some major attitude adjusting to do. Take off your clothes and lean over your bed for punishment.”

When she was naked and in position over the bed, Jake had paralyzed her. She had fallen helplessly upon the bed. He had spent the next two hours restoring her muscle control and then removing it again, experimenting with how to use the helplessness of her paralysis to enhance her titillation.

Just standing over her motionless, defenseless, and naked body was almost enough in itself to cause her to come. Threatening to abuse her was enough to put her over. Being surprised by suddenly losing control of herself while they fucked was usually sufficient to throw her into an orgasm. Ellen had nearly spontaneously combusted when Jake told her that he was going to call Boris and have him come over so that he would find her naked and vulnerable.

When it was done, he had smiled smugly. Yes, those innovations were definitely a success.

Jake had still been dressing when the visitor had pounded on the lake house door at 6:45 the next morning. He had hit the caller with 60 seconds of testicle pain. The next knock sounded at seven on the dot. Jake had answered the door and stepped out onto the porch.

“My name is Jake Fielding,” he had said. “May I ask yours?”

“Elias Grubb.”

“Tell me why I should take notice of this Council of yours, Mr. Grubb.”

“The Council rules the mind-reader community.”

“Like the government?”

“Exactly.”

“How do mind readers elect them?”

“They are not elected. They rule.”

“They rule because they want to?”

“The strongest rule.”

“So if I want to rule, I could step up, push everybody else around, and take my seat on your council.”

“I don’t concern myself with how they choose their members. I just serve them. They rule the community of mind readers. Respect toward them is obligatory.”

“Okay, but help me out. What should I respect them for besides the fact that they push other mind readers around?”

“They demand respect by virtue of their office.”

“They can demand respect ‘till the cows come home. I give it when it is earned.”

“They will not tolerate your insolence.”

“I don’t think this is getting us anywhere. Why don’t you ask me your questions? Maybe I’ll answer them despite your stupid council. I don’t mind trying to be helpful as a rule.”

“Where is your father?”

“I don’t have a father.”

Grubb had been having trouble controlling his temper. The evasive answer put him over the top.

“You will answer my questions as asked.”

Jake hit him with 90 seconds of pain. It took Grubb several minutes to recover.

“Why do you put yourself through that?” Jake had asked. “It can’t be good for your heart.”

“I will kill you for this.”

Jake hit him again, this time for two full minutes.

Annabelle drove up before Grubb could talk again and parked at the curb.

“It’s time to go, Jake,” she had called out. “I have your carry-on bag with me.”

Jake looked down at the caller, lying in a ball, breathing heavily.

“I won’t be back until tomorrow late, Mr. Grubb,” Jake had said. “If you dare, you can come back then to continue your investigation.”

“I’ll be back,” he had hissed.

“I have never killed a man before, though I’ve come close. You may just be my first.”

Jake had considered the matter on the drive into the airport and then again on the flight. Jake didn’t like what the investigator’s visit presaged. And Jake didn’t know if he had bought himself more trouble than he could handle with his defiance. In the long run, Jake didn’t think it mattered how he treated the investigator. Based on what he knew of the Council from his father and from Grubb, he didn’t think he would ever allow himself to submit to it. He would just as soon submit to the Coxes.

The flight had been taxing, and the hotel bed was very comfortable. Jake drifted off.

He woke when the bedroom door burst open and Kara and Julie raced through. They threw shopping bags aside and jumped on him. Everyone was alarmed when he screamed.

“Get off him, girls!” Leanne said, her tone urgent.

She pulled up his shirt in the back, exposing his bandage. She pulled off one side of the bandage and lifted it to see the stitches.

“Jake, what have you done to yourself?”

“What is it?” Nina said as she rolled her wheelchair into the room.

“I’m not going to say. You’ll just make fun of me.”

“You can’t hide it from us forever,” Kara said.

Jake cast around. Lizzie and Emily were in the other room packing. Kate was with them talking.

“No, I suppose you’re right. Boris and I were questioning Tommy Cox’s psychotic mother when it happened.”

“When what happened?” Julie asked.

Jake played his memories of the incident to them.

“I don’t know if I should be petrified at the danger or tease you for letting that girl turn your head,” Leanne said.

Julie looked at Jake’s wound.

“There are sixteen stitches here. You must have bled like crazy, Jake,”

“Fortunately, the cut wasn’t that deep. I was never in any real danger. Next time I’ll keep in mind how dangerous girls are. I’ll start by practicing on you four.”

Kara kissed him on the cheek.

“You haven’t learned the right lesson yet, my love. We’re the ones who will protect you from those dangerous girls. Come on. Let’s go talk to Lizzie and Emily. They have to leave in an hour to catch their flight.”

She helped Jake up and they walked to the other bedroom. Lizzie and Emily were packing.

“Jake!” Emily cried when she spotted him. She ran and threw her arms around him. Jake cringed but hugged her back.

Lizzie saw his expression.

“What’s wrong, Jake?”

“A little back pain. I’ll be back to normal very soon.”

“They say you took down the guy who was after Nina.”

“I don’t know that I can take the credit, but the good news is that the guy agreed to let Nina be. We’re very comfortable that Nina can go about her life without fear.”

“Did Boris come down with you?”

“Not this time. I didn’t ask him. He’s got real responsibilities that he has to tend to when he’s not babysitting me.”

Lizzie’s disappointment was sharp.

“Can I talk to you alone for a minute?” she asked.

“Of course you can.”

Jake led her back to the bedroom where he sat carefully in a chair.

“Jake, I’m not sure how to say this. Emily has had such a good time this last week. And I did, too. Boris and I hit it off. It was great, but I don’t know what to expect going forward. Was this a one-time thing and it’s all over? Will we all continue to see each other? Will we send cards at Christmas? This whole thing is outside my experience. I don’t think this situation is covered in Emily Post.”

“Lizzie, do you like us enough to continue our friendship? I mean not with just Boris, but with all of us?”

“There’s not one of you that I’m not fond of. We’ll I’m not so sure about Brian. He makes me uncomfortable when he stares at my tits.”

“I’m sorry about Brian. We’re trying to train him better. What did the women say to you about us?”

“For what it’s worth, they say that they expect to keep in touch.”

“Why do you say for what it’s worth?”

“The real question is what you want. They’ll follow your lead.”

“Why? They’re their own people. They choose their own friends. I would never stand in the way of you and them.”

“Let’s be real here, Jake. I’m sure you believe what you’re saying, but it’s obvious that you are the center of their universe. If you don’t want to keep up our friendship, I doubt that they will.”

“I think you’re wrong. First, I’ve enjoyed our friendships, both with you and with Emily. I’ve never regretted for a minute asking you to put sunscreen on me. Second, even if I did, I think a lot of my women. They are not fickle. If they like you today, they’ll like you next month, too.”

“Listen to you, calling them your women. That just confirms what I’m saying.”

Jake laughed. “I suppose it sounds presumptuous.”

“It would except it’s obvious that they feel the same way. They’re just too careful with their words to come out and say it.”

Jake sighed. He knew Lizzie wanted reassurance that she could continue her relationship with his family. That was fine with him. He just had to figure out what that would mean and how to make it happen.