Chapter 18

Needless to say, sleep did not greet me swiftly.

I tossed and turned. I tried lying on my back until my shoulders became sore ... I tried my stomach ... but my neck began to ache.

All the while the clock silently marched forward.

Twelve O'clock.

One O'clock.

Two O'clock.

I put a towel over the clock ... knowing the time wasn't helping anything.

Sarah's words kept echoing in my head.

'You act like an entirely different man when we fuck. You stand a little straighter, your eyes are a little brighter and your voice is colder. That man is my Master. That man can keep me on my knees, begging to serve him.'

Right now the Master would settle for a good six hours of sleep.

Slowly, my bed did begin to feel more comfortable ... and all my little discomforts seemed to fade. My body grew calm ... even if my mind did not.

As it always is with sleep, I don't remember when I succumbed to it.

I was sitting in a dark room ... or a dark space ... I had no idea whether I was inside or not. All I knew was that the darkness was so complete I couldn't see my own hand inches from my face.

It was disturbing...

I couldn't decide if the chair I was in was comfortable or not. It was made of a material I could not name. It felt like stone ... but I had never encountered rock so smooth ... so seamless. It was hard ... such as most rocks were, but the chair felt like it contorted to the every curve of my body.

I peered out into the darkness ... looking for something ... anything ... that would make sense.

Something shifted out in the abyss.

"Hello?" I called out. I could hear the nerves in my voice.

The darkness moved again, and a seated figure emerged.

The chair was made of a black stone ... it looked like it was made of obsidian ... yet it was too perfect ... too formed to be real.

But that wasn't what caught my attention ... it simply registered in the back of my head.

No, what held my attention, was that the figure seated in that chair ... was myself ... which was impossible ... I could not sit across from myself.

My doppelganger smiled.

He looked different from the present me though. He was wearing one of my favorite suits ... yet he casually had a couple buttons undone ... something I never did. His face was thinner, and he filled out the suit much better than I currently did. It was almost like I was peering at a me that hit the gym every day.

He held himself in such a confident manner I couldn't help but feel awed.

In his left hand he loosely held a silver chain.

My doppelganger cocked his head and looked at me ... amusement in his eyes.

He suddenly jerked the silver chain.

From out of the darkness, Sarah, my red headed beauty, crawled slowly toward my doppelganger's feet.

He dropped his hand down, and slowly stroked her fiery mane. She edged up closer to him ... and rubbed her face against his leg. It was almost as if she were a big tamed cat ... wanting nothing more than her owners attention.

My double looked me right in the eyes.

"You could be me you know," he said.

My alarm started blaring.

I jerked awake ... rivulets of sweat were coursing down my forehead. I shook my head ... and sent a few drops flying from my face.

I removed the towel from my alarm clock and used it to wipe my brow. I clicked the alarm off.

I ran through my morning ablutions hastily. I showered, shaved, and slipped into my cheap suit that I wore to work every day.

All of these things were routine, I could do them blinded folded and hung over.

What wasn't routine was my anxiety over facing Sarah this morning. I didn't know how I should react to the conversation we had last night.

Should I be sterner? Or should I just pretend last night never happened?

I sighed. Why couldn't girls be like math problems? Those were easy. I'd rather do an entire Calculus workbook cover to cover than attempt to understand a teenage girl.

I straightened my tie, and checked my appearance in the mirror. I sighed; it was time to face the music.

I tentatively checked the guest bedroom. Instead of finding a sleeping Sarah, I found only a immaculately made bed.

The kitchen then, I thought. I bounded down the stairs onto the ground floor. I didn't smell any evidence of cooking.

"Sarah?" I called out.

Silence.

I rounded the corner into the kitchen. Once again I was greeted to nothing but an immaculately clean room.

She must have cleared away last night's dinner.

I briefly wondered if she had run away, until I spotted a note lying neatly on the kitchen counter.

It was addressed 'Master.'

It wasn't sealed, and I flicked it open with my thumb.

'Dear Master,

I'm sorry about arguing with you last night, I feel terrible and I would like to apologize. I should be grateful that the man whom I call Master is kind and considerate to me. When you get this note I shall be gone. I have an early shoot to go to this morning, and I will probably be gone by the time you get this note. I'm taking a taxi, so don't worry about your car.

Your devoted slave,

Sarah.'

I gingerly set the note down.

I exhaled slowly. Sarah was fine, and she wasn't angry with me. What a relief.

I pulled up to the Bureau for the first time in a week. It felt odd coming back after such an impromptu vacation.

"And a fine morning to you Jon," said Paul. "It is nice to see you back."

I grinned, "Nice to be back Paul, it's been a weird week."

The good natured giant winked at me. "Well don't get too comfortable now, the way I hear it things are quite hectic up there."

"Thanks for the tip." I replied.

Paul buzzed me through, and I clambered into the familiar elevator. I wished the FBI would invest in some calming elevator music.

The door dinged open.

When Paul had said everything was hectic up here my imagination had gotten the better of me. I had expected papers to be flying everywhere while Agents scurried around on some errand or another.

Instead, everything looked normal. No one looked panicked, no one looked confused. Everyone was calmly going about the day. Phones rang, faxes were sent, and the ever present hum of the fluorescents hung overhead.

I passed by my own office, I was here to help Jim; I had nothing on my plate as of now.

Jim's office was right next to Jones' office, which meant it was much bigger than mine. I knocked on his door.

Jim was slow in answering the door, but when he opened it I could see why.

He looked like a wreck. Jim's usual immaculate appearance was in tatters. He neatly quaffed movie star blond hair was askew, he was in his shirt sleeves with the cuffs rolled up, and his eyes sported dark circles that would be the envy of any raccoon.

"Jesus Jim, you look like shit." I said. I was too shocked to filter my thoughts.

He nodded, "I know. Now get in here so you can help me."

I followed him into his office, and took a seat in front of his desk. He sank down into his chair.

"When was the last time you slept Jim?"

He shrugged, "Yesterday sometime, took a nap on the couch." He gestured to the tiny couch he kept in the corner.

I shook my head. "You weren't kidding when you said you needed help. So, what can I do you for?"

Jim eyed me from across his desk. "How much do you know about the neurological processing units?"

I shrugged. "Nothing I couldn't observe. Jones took me off the case remember."

Jim nodded. "So, what have you observed Jon?"

I sighed. "I've observed that these neuro units are incredibly potent mind control devices. I can attest first hand to their power."

"So you know nothing else?" He asked.

I shook my head.

"Well then, let me bring you up to speed." Jim said. "Ronald Turner, the CEO of UniCORP is in hiding here in America. Apparently he wasn't on his private plane when it took off. We were able to flag it down when it landed in The New Republic of Venezuela and the only people on it were two scared board members.

Ronald Turners name will be going on the FBI's most wanted list in approximately twenty four hours.

I groaned. The FBI is famous for its most wanted list. But it was always a small sting to our pride to admit we haven't caught someone.

"Have we uncovered any more auctions selling people with chips in their heads?" I asked.

Jim shook his head. "No, and that's the strange thing. The entire Bureau and all its branches are trying to uncover more of these chips ... but so far, nothing."

I put my head in my hands. "That isn't necessarily strange. We've cut off the serpent's head, it's not a surprise no one else has been bitten."

Jim raised an eyebrow. "No metaphors Jon, I haven't slept."

"Sorry."

Jim shrugged. "I've been looking at files all day. We've already sent Agents to his house, and to all his relatives houses. When that didn't work, I even started sending teams to check out all the random properties that UniCORP owned before it was seized."

I sighed, "Let me guess, nothing?"

"You got it."

I paused in thought. "UniCORP was a big company right?" I said speculatively.

Jim nodded, "You and I both know that Jon, so what?"

"Well think about it. UniCORP must have owned subsidiary companies. Have you checked the random and obscure properties that they own?"

Jim paused. "Damn, this is why I need you. You provide a new set of eyes on this shit."

I grinned. This past week had had me doubting my own intelligence. It was good to be back in my element.

"Anything else I can put some new perspective on Jim," I said.

Jim smiled, "Now there's that ego we've been missing around here."

I shrugged.

"Well then," Jim said, "You can look at these files. These files each represent the girls that were kidnapped. We've been trying to put together a profile on how these girls were selected. We think this will help us root out the kidnappers who actually made the grab. Think you can lend me a hand?"

"Hand me one."