Desperate Times Three - Revolution Page 12

  Jimmy’s head snapped back. Julie had her index finger stuck into his chest; he had never seen such anger in her eyes. He nodded his head. “Whatever you say, baby. Whatever you say…”

  Julie narrowed her eyes and studied him for a moment longer—a Julie he had never known even existed, a Julie full of hatred and uncontrollable rage. “Don’t ever bring it up again,” she repeated. “Come on, let’s go see Ken. Prepare yourself; it isn’t a pretty sight.”

  “Think they got any beer?” Bill asked, oblivious to their conversation.

  “How the hell would I know?” snapped Jimmy. “Pick up the damn phone and find out yourself!”

  Bill stood there with the phone in one hand and a menu in the other and stared back at Jimmy with incomprehensible hurt. One by one, Bill dropped the menu and the telephone receiver and returned to his wing chair and placed his head back in his hands, his body shaking with uncontrollable sobs.

  Julie stuck her finger in Jimmy’s face and her eyes blazed at him. “Are you happy now? God damn you! Try to remember what he’s going through. His daughter is missing! Not everyone here has a suite and a roomful of brand new clothes and shoes. Who bought them for you, huh? Thanks for thinking about us. We’re wearing everything we own in the world, and you’re spouting off about room service? Give me a break. Don’t you ever talk to him like that ever again. Do you hear me? You have no right!”

  “Thanks, Julie,” muttered Bill, not bothering to look up.

  Jimmy’s head spun with Julie’s tirade and bit his tongue, knowing that anything he said would be spun into something bad.

  “Aren’t you going to apologize?” asked Bill.

  “I’m sorry,” said Jimmy, not sure at all that he was. “Okay? I was wrong, and I had no right to bite your head off. Go on, order whatever you want. I’m sure they’ve got beer.”

  Jimmy had to hide his smile when Bill popped up out of his chair and returned to the telephone. Julie stood with her mouth hanging open and suddenly spun on her heels. “Come on,” she said, taking Jimmy by the arm. “Let’s get this over with. Room service… It must be rough. Who the hell is paying for all of this, your girlfriend, Katie Flourish?”

  Jimmy shook his head and before he could respond, they were inside Ken’s dark room. Jimmy spun Julie around and took her into his arms. They kissed, and Julie slowly warmed to the gesture. Whatever had happened and whatever they were up against, they were nothing without each other. Jimmy held her close for a long minute, and she ran her hands up and down his back. “Are we good?” Jimmy whispered.

  “Yeah,” Julie breathed into his ear. “I’m sorry, baby.”

  “Me, too.”

  They found Ken sitting in the corner, a wine bottle in one hand and a cigarette in the other. He looked up at them with tear-streaked cheeks. “She’s gone, Jimmy,” he said, softly. “They took her from us.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Jimmy. “We’ll find her, Ken. We have to.”

  “I tried to stop them,” blurted Bill from behind them. “I swear to God that I did everything I could.”

  Jimmy twisted, and pain shot through his ribs.

  “We know you did, Bill,” croaked Ken. “I’ll never forget it.”

  “Will you two stop it?” asked Julie. She fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around Ken. “She can’t be dead; I would’ve felt something. Don’t ask me how I know that, but I’m absolutely sure of it. She’s alive, Ken, and we’re going to find her.”

  “What the hell is everyone talking about?” asked Jimmy. “Would somebody please fill me in?”

  “They called her a useless eater, Jimmy,” said Bill, who now stood next to Ken. He reached down and took the wine bottle and raised it to his lips. “They wanted to harvest her organs, and I tried to stop them.”

  Jimmy felt dizzy and could feel himself begin to hyperventilate. He suddenly broke out in a cold sweat and his knees gave out. Luckily, Julie leapt to her feet and caught him just before he fell to the floor. He felt as if he had entered a nightmare, one that there would be no returning from. He couldn’t imagine a world without Patty in it.

  “Isn’t anyone going to say something about my new leg?” Bill asked. “They told me that it’d take months to get used to, but I took to it like a duck to water.”

  Julie led Jimmy to a chair and sat down and rubbed his eyes. “I’m sorry, Bill,” he said, forcing the words. “That’s awesome.”

  “Yep, Dr. Chen got it for me, and it isn’t just some wooden piece of crap, either. He said it was top of the line.”

  “We need a game plan,” said Julie. “Patty and Cindy are out there, somewhere, and we’re going to find them. We can’t think any other way.”

  “They could’ve done it,” Ken said, sitting on the edge of his chair and staring down at the floor. “They changed the laws while we were away. They could’ve legally carved her up and taken her organs. How in the hell did we let that happen?”

  “We didn’t allow anything,” Jimmy said, finding his voice. “We’re going to find her, Ken. And then we’re going to change things back to the way they used to be. You’ll see…”

  “They called her a useless eater,” said Bill, hanging his head. “They didn’t even know her.”

  “She wasn’t useless to me!” roared Ken, jumping to his feet and balling his hands into fists. “She was my goddamn wife, and nobody had the right to take her organs!”

  “Don’t think like that,” urged Julie. “We have no proof that ever happened, and the people at the Monroe Institute really seemed baffled by her disappearance. She’s a strong woman, Ken. I think she got out of there. I really do.”

  “Julie’s right,” agreed Jimmy. “She is a strong woman, and she’s out there, somewhere. We’re going to find her.” He looked over at Bill. “And Cindy too,” he added. “We’re going to find them both.”

  The conversation continued on like that for another ten minutes, but Jimmy could gradually see some hope in Ken’s face. Bill excused himself to wait for his food, and Jimmy was happy to see him go. His patience for Bill was really growing thin. Julie reasoned that wherever Patty was, she couldn’t have gone far and that Ken should use his newfound celebrity status to help locate her. This idea really perked Ken up, and soon he was riding the hope train with Julie.

  “I’ll call the local news first thing in the morning,” he said, pumping his fist.

  “That’s the spirit,” said Julie, smiling for the first time since she arrived.

  The aroma entered the room before Bill did and caught their attention at once. The smell of grilled meat and something else, perhaps deep fried, caused them to cease their conversation and stare at the door between the rooms. Bill entered a moment later, carrying a plate covered by a stainless steel lid and a six-pack of canned beer. “Doesn’t this smell good?” he asked, sitting down at the little kitchenette and uncovering his meal. The plate contained one of the biggest cheeseburgers he had ever seen. Piled next to it was a mountain of steaming, golden-brown French fries. Bill licked his lips as he raised the burger to his mouth. He suddenly stopped with the burger inches from his lips. “Aren’t you guys hungry?” he asked. “I ordered the same for everybody, and we got a whole case of beer in the next room. You can thank me later.”

  Ken ate his dinner with Jimmy and Julie, and they talked quietly as they finished their food. Bill watched television in Ken’s room with the volume up high. They stayed up until nearly midnight, drinking cold beer and picking at French fries. Ken discussed his plans to find Patty, and with Julie’s help he seemed to grow more optimistic every hour. When it was time for bed, Bill was given a blanket and a pillow and directed to the sofa in Ken’s room. Julie and Jimmy slept tangled together, as if something might come and try to separate them during the night. Despite sleeping for half the day, Jimmy had no problem sleeping until his telephone woke him at 7:00 the next morning.

  “Jimmy? This is Thrill Melbow. Are you guys okay?”

  Jimmy cleared his throat. “Um, yeah
, I think so. Thanks again for everything, Thrill.”

  “Thank God. Listen, Katie and I have been hearing some things out here in New York. I’m afraid we’ve got trouble, but I suppose we should’ve expected as much. I don’t want you guys to leave your rooms until my people show up, all right? They should be there in a few hours.”

  Jimmy sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes. He could hear the shower running and the sound of Bill snoring in the next room. “What are you talking about?” he asked. “What kind of trouble?”

  “We kicked a hornet’s nest, Jimmy. That’s what I’m talking about. I don’t want to alarm you or your friends, but we just have to take this threat seriously.”

  Jimmy was suddenly wide awake and sprang out of bed. “What type of threat are we talking about?” he asked, opening his window shade a crack and peering down to the parking lot.

  “I’m not going to sugarcoat this, Jimmy. There are some people in this country who have spent a lot of time and money to ensure things went their way. I’m sure you know what I mean. I don’t want to get into it on the telephone, but these are powerful people, and we don’t want to take any chances. I heard you were able to find your friends; is that right?”

  “Yes, well… Patty and Cindy are still missing. We’re still looking for them.”

  “Patty, that’s Ken’s wife. Correct?”

  “That’s right,” said Jimmy, wondering how Thrill knew so much.

  “I have it on good authority that she’s still alive. I want you to tell Ken that for me, all right? I also want you to tell him that if ever wants to see her again, he should listen to my people when they get there. Now, I’ve made some calls and there will be some packages arriving shortly for Miss Hartman and Mr. Hawkins.”

  “Huggins,” corrected Jimmy. “Bill Huggins.”

  “Right, Mr. Huggins. Well, I want everyone to have their things packed and ready to go when my people get there, all right? We have to get you guys to a safe location, pronto. You need to trust me, Jimmy. Your lives depend on it.”

  Jimmy stared at the phone and asked the question that had been burning inside of him. “Why are you helping us?”

  Thrill roared with laughter. “Jimmy, you really have no idea, do you? I want you to think about something. How many people do you know like your friend, Ken? He’s as clean as a whistle, sharp as a tack, and people like his no-nonsense attitude and rock solid values. I know this started off as kind of a joke, but I firmly believe that you guys have a shot at this. And even if you guys weren’t running, I’d still want to help. I’m filthy stinking rich; you know that, right? What else am I going to do with my money?”

  Jimmy thought about that and shrugged. “Thank you,” he said.

  “You can thank me by being ready to move. Stay safe and we’ll talk tonight.”

  A few minutes later, Julie opened the bathroom door and walked over to join him, wearing a snow-white towel across her middle and another wrapped around her head. “Are you going to hang that up?” she asked, staring at him curiously.

  Jimmy looked down at his hand and saw that he was still holding the receiver. “Yeah,” he said, placing it gingerly back in the cradle.

  “I hope you were calling room service,” Julie said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “I could really go for some coffee. Hey, baby, what’s wrong? Who was that on the phone?”

  Jimmy took another quick look outside and ran his hands through his hair. “That,” he said, sitting down next to her, “was Thrill Melbow. He has some people on their way here, and they want to move us to a safe location, whatever that means.”

  “Oh, my God.”

  “He also said that he has it on good authority that Patty is still alive. Don’t ask me how he knows, but he already knew that we’d found you and Bill.” There was a soft knock at the door, and Jimmy sprang from the bed. “Get back in the bathroom,” Jimmy whispered. “Hurry!”

  Who is it?” Jimmy asked, peering out the peephole.

  “Room service,” replied a man’s voice.

  Jimmy, standing in his t-shirt and boxers, breathed a sigh of relief and unlocked the deadbolt. There were four bellhops standing there, and three of them were pushing luggage carts piled high with more shopping bags and department store cartons. The fourth bellhop was pushing a food cart.

  “Compliments of Mr. Melbow,” the fourth bellhop said with a wink. He was short and thin as a whip with premature-gray hair and a baby face. “I hope you like steak and eggs.”

  There was an awkward moment at the door as the men finished their business and rolled their carts back into the empty hallway.

  “I’m afraid I don’t have any money to tip you,” Jimmy said. “I’m really sorry.”

  “Oh, no,” one of the men said. “Mr. Melbow has already taken care of that. What we’d like is, I mean, if it isn’t too much trouble.”

  “Spit it out, Larry,” urged one of the men.

  “Okay, would you mind taking your picture with us? I mean, with some clothes on?”

  Jimmy held his hand over his mouth to stifle a smile and held his index finger in the air. “No problem,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”

  A few minutes later he was back in the room with the door closed.

  “Can I come out now?” Julie asked. “I can smell the coffee and its driving me nuts!”

  “Just a minute,” Jimmy said. “One of them is still here,” he added, lying. He quickly went through the bags and cartons and sorted Julie’s out on the bed. The smell of fresh fabric and new leather found Jimmy’s nostrils and filled him with nostalgia, reminding him of long ago school clothes shopping trips, with his mother. He went to the door and rapped lightly. “Okay,” he said. “You can come out now.”

  The door opened and Julie reemerged, still clad in only a towel. She gave Jimmy a puzzled look as she spotted the bed and held her hand to her chest. “What is all that?” she asked.

  “Those are gifts from Thrill Melbow,” said Jimmy. “Go ahead, take a look.”

  Julie nearly pounced on the packages, and fresh tears ran down her cheeks as she examined the labels and checked the sizes. “How on earth did he know my size?” she asked. “This is unbelievable. He must have spent thousands of dollars.”

  Jimmy smiled and nodded his head. “I think he’s going to be all right,” he said. “I’ve heard he’s filthy stinking rich.”

  Julie peered into a cherry-red shopping bag, and her hand shot to her mouth. “Oh, my God,” she whispered. “Oh, my God!”

  Jimmy had already peeked inside the red bag and was well-aware of what was inside. Thrill Melbow had thought of everything a woman needed to feel like a woman, right down to the underwear and lingerie. “Well, I suppose you should try some of that stuff on,” he said, giving Julie a sly wink. “Just to be sure that it fits.”

  Julie smiled impishly. “I think you’re right,” she said, dabbing the tears from her eyes. “There are a few different outfits here. Would you mind if I modeled them for you?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Do I smell steak?” Bill’s voice cooed from the adjoining door. “Whoa, Julie, you should put some clothes on. Or not. I guess that would be fine, too. Holy shit, where did all of this crap come from?”

  Jimmy clenched his teeth; he and Julie exchanged a quick look. Bill stood there, expectantly, in his soiled white t-shirt, flashy bionic leg, and rumpled boxers. He looked like he hadn’t shaved or showered in a week, and his hair stood out in spiky brown tufts.

  “Get out,” said Julie. “Here, you take the food cart back with you. Jimmy and I have to get dressed. Go now.”

  Bill gave Julie a knowing smile. “I hear you,” he said, nodding his head and flashing Jimmy a quick thumbs-up. “But… what about all of these bags and boxes?”

  Jimmy grabbed the food cart and pushed it into Bill’s stomach. “Let me help you with them,” he said. “What is Ken doing?”

  “I don’t know,” said Bill, already wheeling the cart through the door. “He’s gone
.”

  “Oh, shit,” said Julie. “You’re kidding me, right?”

  “No, I’m not. I didn’t talk to him, I just smelled the food. What time is it, anyways?”

  “Eat and get yourself cleaned up,” said Jimmy. “Take a damn shower and be sure to shave, okay? Everything you need should be in these bags and boxes. When you’re through, pack everything in the duffel bags on the bottom of the cart. Move it; we don’t have a lot of time.”

  “You’re not the boss of me,” Bill said, lifting the lid on one of the plates. “Oh, come to papa.”

  Jimmy turned and headed back to his room. “Just do what I say, Bill. I mean it. I’m not messing around here. We have to find Ken. We’re not staying here.”

  Bill had already taken a bite of steak, lifting it to his mouth like a hamburger. “What do you mean?” he asked, chewing his food like an old cow. “I like it here.”

  Jimmy shook his head and closed the door. The moment was gone. Julie was just zipping up a pair of blue jeans.

  “You’d better get in the shower,” Julie said.

  “I hope they’ve got plenty of cold water,” replied Jimmy. “I’m gonna need it.”

  “Very funny. Okay, this is creepy. These clothes fit me as if I bought them myself. How the hell did those people know my sizes? Look, even the shoes are exactly my size.”

  “Ken seems to think it’s because someone kept track of your credit card purchases and Thrill and his people connected the dots. Those jeans look great on you. I’m not complaining.”

  Julie stepped in front of the mirror, turned, and stared at herself over her shoulder. She smiled. “You’d better not complain, buster. I think I look pretty good for a woman my age.”

  Jimmy stepped close to Julie, but she gently shoved him toward the bathroom door. “Get in the shower. We’ve got to find Ken.”

  Jimmy sighed, realizing that Julie was right. He went into the bathroom and studied his bruised face in the mirror. The swelling had gone down considerably since the day before, and most of the black and blue was fading to a dark green. He’d been pummeled in the ring before and knew that he’d look like his old self in a few days. That didn’t excuse the police for what they had done to him; he had offered no resistance. The thought made him angry, and he became angrier still when he thought of what had happened to Ken and Julie.