“We don’t have that type of relationship,” she says. “Remember?”
“Sorry. I’ll check around, find the best doctor for the boob job. I’ll let you know when and where.”
“We’ll have a meeting first, right?”
“You and the doctor? Of course.”
“Thanks again for that.”
“My pleasure.”
Kimberly enters her apartment, locks the door behind her, heads for the kitchen, sees the message light blinking. She presses the button, hears her father’s voice. She looks at the digital clock on the oven. 8:55 a.m. Which makes it 5:55 in Vegas.
She calls her father, gets his voice mail. Leaves a message. “You said to call anytime before nine. I stupidly assumed you’d wait till the last minute to hear from me. But no. It’s exactly 8:55, and you’re nowhere to be found. Thanks a lot!”
46.
Sam Case.
“Hello?”Sam says.
“Was it everything you hoped it would be?” Doc Howard says.
“What are you talking about?”
They’re on the phone, Sam driving to the airport, Doc Howard, somewhere in Virginia.
“Do I really have to say it out loud?” Doc Howard says. “It’s vulgar.”
“I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I’m talking about you and Kimberly Creed.”
“What about us?”
“You’re forcing me to say it? Fine. You fucked her. Was it all you hoped it would be?”
“How did you know?”
“It’s my job to know.”
“Did you have someone following me?”
“Following and listening.”
“ How? We were in a hotel room, for crissakes!”
“Doesn’t matter. It’s time to start paying the piper. Get off at exit 24-B, turn right, drive a half-mile to the bowling alley. Park there, and I’ll call you back.”
“How will you know when I park?”
“I’ve got a tracking device on your car.”
“I’m trying to catch a plane.”
“I know all about the flight. You’ll have plenty of time to catch it.”
Sam clicks his phone off and sighs. From where he is, the drive to exit 24-B will take ten minutes, a sufficient amount of time to reflect on how he and Doc Howard became allies in Sam’s war against Donovan Creed.
47.
Six Weeks Earlier.
Six weeks ago, Doc Howard treated Sam for a nasty snakebite. Toward the end of the treatment, the two men sat down and had an interesting talk, during which Doc Howard said, “Apart from providing the snake that bit you, why do you hate Donovan Creed so much?”
Sam said, “He destroyed my life.”
“How so?”
“Why should I tell you? You work for the bastard!”
Doc Howard smiled. “You might be surprised how my path and yours can intersect to your benefit. Tell me more.”
“Creed stole my wife, put me out of business, and cheated my investors out of billions of dollars.”
“What type of investors?”
“I was hiding money for the world’s most dangerous people. Creed kidnapped my wife, Rachel, threatened to kill her if I didn’t give him the access codes to the funds. He wound up stealing every last cent, then he and Rachel revealed they’d been having an affair for six months. She’s been with him ever since.”
“They walked away and left you with nothing?”
“He cut me a check for a percentage of the take. As if that would compensate me for stealing Rachel and putting my life in jeopardy.”
“He’s your arch enemy,” Doc Howard said.
“Like Superman and Lex Luthor.”
“And you see yourself as the good guy.”
“Aren’t I?”
“Well, I think so, but what do I know? I’m an old man.”
“What do you know?” Sam said.
“I know Rachel carries the gene that can cure the Spanish Flu. I also know she’s been taken to Area B, at Mount Weather.”
“Wait,” Sam said. “ You know where Rachel is, but Creed doesn’t? How’s that possible?”
“It’s my job to know things.”
“Your job as a doctor?”
“I’m many things, including a physician. But let’s talk about you.”
“What about me?”
“From what I understand, you’re a computer genius.”
“So?”
“If you could find a way to get into Mount Weather, and work there, we could form an alliance that would benefit both of us.”
Sam said, “If you know about Rachel, you probably already know I’ve been selected to live and work in Area B. With Rachel.”
Doc Howard smiled.
Sam said, “If you have access to this type of information, how could I possibly help you?”
“I don’t have physical access to the facility.”
“Why not?”
“The President trusts me to perform surgery on him, but not to be near the pretty things hidden away in Area B.”
“You want me to steal government secrets for you?”
“I’m not sure what I want just yet. But I won’t ask anything of you that you can’t deliver.”
“And what would I get out of it?”
“Two things: first, I can deliver the sweetest revenge against Creed you could possibly imagine. Second, I can allow you to stay alive.”
“Tell me about the revenge part,” Sam said.
“You might find this hard to believe, but I’ve been communicating with Donovan Creed’s 20-year-old daughter, Kimberly, for nearly a year. Ever since he stopped having her followed.”
“So?”
“You’re a computer expert, Sam. I’m a mind control expert.”
“Go on.”
