Chapter Six : The Disc
Police Officer James T Hackensack arrived home to his wife Margaritte. He was delighted to see that dinner was almost fully prepared. He greeted his wife with a kiss on her cheek. Their two young children were watching television in the sitting room.
Officer Hackensack had dark thinning hair, a black moustache with streaks of grey and light blue eyes. He had a red complexion and stood no more than six foot tall.
Margarite was five inches shorter, had blonde curly hair, and brown eyes. Her complexion was like leather which she put down to plenty of tanning and smoking in her younger years. However. she was still quite attractive.
“The electricity bill came today James,” Margaritte said in a downbeat manner. “How are we going to pay it?”
“Don’t you worry, I have a feeling that in the not so distant future we won’t have to worry so much about electricity bills,” the police officer responded in an upbeat manner.
“What do you mean by that honey?” his wife asked in a surprised manner.
“We’ll get by until some luck comes our way.”
For a brief moment, the married Mother had held out hope that her husband had a winning lottery ticket, but this did not appear to be the case. It appeared he was dreaming again. He was holding out hope for an island of his own in the Caribbean when in fact he would most likely end up out in the street.
“I wish I had your confidence,” Margaritte replied.
The middle-aged officer loved his wife greatly and his children. He wished more than anything that he could offer them the best things in life. Recently he was convinced that this ambition might not be some vain aspiration of his. Most windfalls were the result of risk taking. Recently the police officer had taken a risk that could prove to be quite lucrative. It could also prove to be quite dangerous.
Margaritte proceeded to put food on plates while James set the table. In no time at all they were sitting down to their meal which consisted of chicken, cabbage, carrots and potatoes. Her two young boys, Denis and Malcolm were five and three years old. For the most part, they had a strong bond which Margarite was proud of. Like most boys, they wished that they could skip dinner and move straight to dessert.
Margaritte was urging her youngest child Malcolm to eat his greens, when suddenly the front door to their apartment was thrust open. Five tall men dressed all in black, with black robes and black masks entered.
“Where is the disc?” their leader demanded in a strong powerful voice while pushing the Police Officer back in his chair.
This was the first time that either James or Margaritte had encountered Reapers. They had heard stories about them in the past two weeks since they had been set up. They appeared to be even more intimidating in person than the reputation that preceded them. Underneath their black robes were black trousers and black boots. All of them were taller than six foot five inches and looked quite fit in appearance.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Officer Hackensack replied, hoping that they would believe him and leave them be. In truth, the police officer didn’t know whether to look the Reaper in the eyes or look away. It was difficult to gauge the Reaper’s facial expressions behind the black mask and difficult to look him straight in the eye. Looking away would probably make him look guilty.
“We have reason to believe that a disc has gone missing from the station. We know that you have it,” the Reaper responded defiantly
“I don’t understand. What disc?” the policeman replied, hoping that this recent turn of events was just a minor obstacle that he had to get over.
Margaritte was embarrassed both for her children and the fact that the neighbours might be listening in. In the blink of an eye her world had been thrown upside down. She wondered what authority these men really had. They didn’t seem like criminals but they didn’t seem like federal agents either. They were however extremely intimidating and threatening in their behaviour.
As embarrassed as she was, she was also angry with her husband. He had clearly taken a chance in stealing an important disc in the hope of selling it to an interested third party. She didn’t want to say it aloud but she couldn’t help feeling that James had done something incredibly stupid. She would much prefer struggling to get by with a loving family than spending the rest of their lives in jail.
“Don’t play games with us Hackensack,” their leader threatened him with his hand around the officers throat.
“You have no right to burst in here without asking and then start talking in Riddles,” the policeman responded defiantly. “On whose authority are you here?”
“The President of the United States,” the leader declared before punching the Police Officer in the face.
Inwardly, the Father of two was afraid that his life and dreams were slipping away from his grasp, but outwardly he tried hard to appear innocent and oblivious to what the lead Reaper was talking about.
“I told you, I don’t know what you are talking about,” officer Hackensack responded groggily as he attempted to recover from the blow.
“In that case you’re coming with us; you and your wife.” the leader of the Reapers declared in a loud booming voice.
Margaritte was now certain that her husband was lying. She was conscious that his mood seemed upbeat prior to the arrival of the men in black robes. She had known him for twenty years and always believed in staying loyal to her husband.
Margaritte’s thoughts however turned away from her and her husband to her children. Malcolm had been crying through most of the episode, while Denis looked just as terrified as she was.
“What about the children,” Margaritte exclaimed.
“They’ll be still here when you return.”
Two of the Reapers began searching the apartment while the other four escorted the Police Officer and his wife from the apartment. Margaritte could not help but feel upset as she was dragged away. The electricity bill was now the least of her worries.
James and Margaritte would never return.
A young fourteen year old boy had been listening in the hallway. Charlie Morrison was a bright and diligent student but there was something about President Westwood and those that were loyal to him that made his blood boil. Maybe he was too young to be afraid of them. All he knew was that they stirred up nothing but contempt in him.
Charlie was of African American descent. He believed that President Westwood was a racist and hoped more than anything that he didn’t serve for another four years. It seemed inevitable however that the election would be a walkover and that nothing was going to stand in his way.
The schoolboy had seen the Police Officer hide the disc in a tree in the woods. He now knew it was important. His curiosity was getting the better of him. He waited for five minutes, before making his way down to the woods by bicycle.
His heart was racing as he wondered what information could be contained on the disc. He hoped it was the details to bank accounts with money on them or something so significant that a journalist might give him thousands of dollars in exchange.
Charlie had absolutely no intention to turn the disc in no matter what was on it. He went to the exact spot where he saw Officer Gilhooley place the disc several hours earlier.
The small wooded area was at the top of a hill. It was located in a small park through which, many members of the public would go for walks and children would play. It was now quite late in the evening at the end of October and many children had dispersed. Most of them were distracted by their own group of friends and hardly noticed Charlie at all.
He paused for a moment beside the tree where he had noticed his neighbour. The adolescent listened intently for a moment in case there was someone hiding in a tree nearby. He looked around cautiously before removing the disc from inside the tree trunk. Charlie had brought a sports bag full of dirty clothes in order to conceal the disc. He put it inside and cycled back to the apartment.
His Mother, Aretha, greeted him at the apartment doorway. For the most part, Aretha Morrison was a likeable human being who worked hard to put her only son through school and ensure he had a good education. She had a heart of gold. Her husband had died in a bar fight several years earlier but even though she was still attractive and trim, she rarely dated other men. Charlie was her number one priority and her son deep down respected that. The young teenager also knew that his Mother was a hard task master and disciplinarian and he was reluctant to cross her.
“Where have you been?” she asked with her hands on her hips. “Have you done all your homework?”
“Yes mom,” he replied hesitantly.
“Go and show me,” she insisted. “I was worried sick about you. Them Reapers were here asking questions. They took some of our neighbours away to ask questions. I’m serious Charlie. These are scary times. You can never be too careful with those guys around. I was afraid, they’d arrested you. Now show me that homework.”
Charlie should have known his Mother well enough by now not to lie to her. To most men, her light blue eyes were quite beautiful, but Charlie mostly only saw their dark and angry side.
“Well I mean I have just an English essay left to finish.”
“Get to it,” she ordered him.
His mother, Aretha was part of the reason why Charlie was such a good student. She demanded that he fulfil his potential and get a job that paid him more money than Charlie’s father had done. While she worked hard and helped to put food on the table, Charlie sometimes wished that she could be a little more fun. While she couldn’t be perfect in every way she was still a fine role model for Charlie to look up to.
His Father worked long hours for little pay. In his early years the young schoolboy never saw Woodrow during the middle of the week. He was closer to his Mother because of this. Woodrow had a sense of humour that was hit or miss, but he was very loyal to his wife and they rarely raised their voices at each other. His death was a shock to both Charlie and his Mother. They had been a close knit family whenever they had the time to spend with each other.
When Charlie closed the door of his room he removed the disc from his bag and examined it. It seemed to be in good condition but he knew he could not examine what was on it unless he tried it on the dvd player in the living room or the outdated computer they still kept in the laundry room.
Charlie decided that the best time to view the disc was between 4:30pm and 5:00pm the following day. This was the only time when he was sure to be alone in the apartment.
When the adolescent went to bed that night he could not contain his excitement. It was hard to think about anything else. It must be valuable he thought to himself. Maybe, he would become the next Woodward and Bernstein. It might give him a boost to become a prominent journalist. Maybe just maybe he could dream of a better life.
Jacob Standler had just finished his meal at table number five in Herbie’s Restaurant in Billington. A waitress, named Marjorie in her early forties started to remove the plates from his table. She was quite attractive and was approximately the same age. Jacob would like to ask her out or at least chat to her more but because he was very shy he talked himself out of it. In any case, she could be married with six kids but Jacob would never know for sure.
“Would you like anything else sir?” she asked.
“No thanks,” he replied. “Can I get the bill.”
Jacob paid for the meal and left a generous tip. The restaurant was half full when he left and it was 8:45pm. As he approached his car Jacob noticed an African American teenager being assaulted by three white teenagers. The victim was pinned down against the rear of Jacob’s car. Bullying was something that Jacob detested. Again, he wished he could do or say something to stop it but he was afraid and outnumbered.
“Excuse me,” he said, “can I get to my car.”
The protagonists stopped momentarily. In this time their victim ran away desperately. His attackers ran after him and Jacob was able to gain entry to his car. Jacob kept telling himself that he should have done something. It was pointless because he knew he was a coward and knew he would always run from danger.
As he drove down the main street Jacob could see the African American teenager running. On this occasion Jacob motivated himself to try and do the right thing. He decided to pullover and open the passenger door twenty yards in front of where the victim was.
The young teenager climbed into the car and closed the door. Jacob drove away, happy that he had made the right choice for once. “Why did you walk away back there? Why didn’t you do something back there?” the young teenager asked. “You’re an adult. They might listen to you.”
“I guess I’m just a chicken shit,” Jacob replied.
The young boy seemed bruised, battered and angry.
“Where do you live?” Jacob asked.
“Please don’t take me home. My mother will be angry with me. At least for now. I visited a girl named Stoica. She’s from a white neighbourhood and my mom would kill me if she found out I was responsible for this.”
“You’re not responsible for it. Those guys were assholes,” Jacob replied before pausing. “I hope she was worth it. What’s your name anyway?”
It made Jacob feel good about himself that he was helping someone for a change and he wasn’t about to betray the teenager’s trust too easily.
“Charlie, Charlie Morrison. And you’re Jacob, right?”
“How did you know?”
“Some of my friends put graffiti on the walls of your house numerous times and they kept going on about the fact that you never did anything about it. I wasn’t involved. Honestly.”
Jacob was somewhat surprised that his passenger would be so honest about something like that. He thought it was refreshing. In his opinion too many people would keep secrets like that and others to themselves.
“Well there hasn’t been any graffiti since I painted the walls last summer.”
“Would you like to get a coffee, Charlie? There’s a nice café on Dorset Avenue. It will kill time for you.”
“Oh alright,” Charlie responded in a manner that seemed downbeat.
“Don’t overdo the enthusiasm. I know I’m boring. I just didn’t know how boring.”
“I’d rather be boring than an asshole like those guys back there,” he young teenager responded.
In truth, the middle-aged man appreciated the company. Most nights for him were spent alone in front of the television and most of the time he watched repeats of movies or programmes he had seen before. In any case, Charlie seemed like a genuine kid, to him.
Jacob pulled into a car park outside Annie’s café on Dorset Avenue. The café was relatively large but not very crowded at this time of day. It was approaching closing time on a week night. Both Jacob and Charlie sat down at a table and a waitress approached.
Her name tag said Beatrice. She was in her early thirties and looked beautiful. Even if Jacob had a killer personality and Hollywood looks he would be no match for her, he thought to himself.
“He likes you, I can tell,” Charlie said in an upbeat manner.
Jacob rapidly changed colour from white to beetroot red.
“Can I have a Cappucino?” Jacob asked once his embarrassment had eased somewhat.
“I’ll have a hot chocolate with marshmallows,” Charlie replied.
The waitress then moved to behind the counter.
“Why didn’t you just go for it Jacob?”
“It’s not my style,” the middle-aged man replied in a low voice, hoping that Beatrice would not hear him and that Charlie would get the hint and lower his voice also.
“Your style is to do nothing. If you don’t put yourself out there. You’ll end up being alone for the rest of your life. Leave it a few more years and no Lady will want you. Seize the day Jacob. Seize the day.”
Jacob was of the opinion that if he did seize the day he was likely to have a seizure. Attractive women made him nervous and when he tried to think of something interesting to say to them he felt even more nervous. The end result was that he always said something dull and boring.
“What age are you again?”
There was a brief pause in the conversation.
“What do you want to do with your life Charlie? Do you have any ambitions?”
“I don’t know. Tell me about what you do Jacob. What’s your job like?”
“I work for the IRS”
“Well that ends that conversation.”
“There must be something you want to do Charlie.”
“I’m only fourteen. My mom wants me to go to school maybe even college, but I don’t think that’s on option unless we get the money or get a scholarship. To be honest a sports scholarship is my most likely option, but I’m not fast enough, I’m five foot four and have no real talent. It doesn’t stop me from trying though.”
“I went to college. It’s not all its cracked up to be. Some people manage to fit in in those situations but not me. I dropped out after a year and a half. My old man never forgave me. He put up a lot of money even if it was a second rate college. I never knew what I wanted to do until I enjoyed the IRS and even that has its drawbacks. The obvious one being that you’re not the most popular person around from day one. Nobody likes the IRS.”
“You wouldn’t catch me in a job like that. I’d rather saw my own hand off. No offence but you seem like a guy who has a high tolerance for dull and boring things. I bet you handle it really well.”
Jacob didn’t mind the level of honesty from Charlie. In fact, he welcomed it. It was a while since Jacob had a conversation with someone else who respected him as much as Charlie did. At work, Jacob wasn’t the most popular guy in the office and most people kept to themselves. Jacob hardly knew any of his neighbours He tried online dating but was too dull to attract the women who interested him. Charlie made him feel important. It was as if the schoolboy was saying “your life matters.”
“Do you have friends Charlie?”
“I got some. No close friends though.”
“Did you know those kids back there?”
“They’ve been picking on me for two years now. Not every day though. One of them, Eric Everard says his Father works for General Conrad. He’s the guy that’s in charge of this unit that hunts changelings. He says he’s going to get his Father to lock myself and my mother up or anyone else who messes with him.”
Beatrice then arrived with the Cappuccino and Hot Chocolate.
For some reason unknown to him, Jacob decided to give Beatrice a warm smile. Beatrice’s demeanour turned into something of a grimace however.
“I don’t think she likes you Jacob.”
“What happened to, “seize the day?” the exasperated IRS employee asked.
“Jacob, for a guy like you, ninety-nine times out of a hundred the girl may not be interested, but if you don’t try, you will never succeed that one time that she is interested. That’s what I’m talking about.”
“What are you going to do about that shiner above your left eye?”
“If I get home late enough my Mother might be in bed.”
“Won’t she be worried about you, the longer you leave it?”
“Or, I could tell her I’m sleeping at Leroy’s house.”
“That shiner will last for a few days. I don’t think there’s any getting around it.”
Charlie mulled the situation over in his mind. There didn’t seem to be any way in which he could emerge from his current predicament unscathed.
“I guess I’ll just have to tell her that I tripped and fell,” he said aloud before taking a further sip of his hot chocolate.
“Then you’re bound to be hit with twenty questions.”
“More like a thousand,” the teenager said before pausing. “One day, I will grow up to be an adult and I won’t have to deal with those questions.”
“That’s what you think.”
“Yeah, I guess I’m screwed then aren’t I.”
“You may as well drink up your hot chocolate and get it over with.”
“Well thanks for your useless advice old man. Maybe I should go over to the counter and try and smooth things over with Beatrice for you.”
“No. I think that’s a lost cause.”
After a while, Charlie summoned up the courage to go home. He didn’t want to do it but he knew it was something that would have to be done eventually. As Jacob drove him home, he noticed that he himself was smiling most of the way home. Jacob wasn’t rich by any means but he wished he was rich enough to help Charlie get through college one day. In Jacob’s opinion the young teenager deserved all the breaks he could get and hopefully he would remain as positive and warm an adult as he was a teenager.
Three days later Charlie Morrisson was on his way home from school when he noticed a police car outside the apartment block. His apartment was on the ground floor. Instead of going inside he hid behind a neighbour’s bush. He could make out the sound of his Mother’s muffled voice giving out to the police officers as they handcuffed her and escorted her out of the house. Of the three policemen, one of them stayed behind.
Charlie wondered what they were doing. He remembered the taunts from one of the school bullies Eric Everard, who repeatedly told him he would have him locked away. Eric’s Father was a high ranking Government official and the student was so nasty and shallow that his taunts could have a sting in the tail. They were not just hot air, Charlie thought to himself. It wouldn’t surprise they African American teenager if Eric was in attendance, cheering on every move of the Police officers.
Going back to the apartment would be a risk but there was one item in there, concealed in his room that could be of importance. It was a disc with a recording on it that he had told nobody about until now.
After the police car drove off and the third police officer entered the apartment, Eric quietly made his way to the side of the apartment block.
His bedroom window was on the ground floor. The window was slightly ajar because his Mother always liked to air out his room at every given opportunity. The window frame was wooden but quite often it would be stiff and make a creaking sound. Gently he tried to prise it open so that he could fit through. At the sound of every creak, sweat would form on his brow and his heart would beat faster. He focused intently for any sign of movement by the Police Officer. Eventually he prised it open and tried to propel himself through with his hands and feet first. As he did so he managed to knock a small ball from the window sill to the ground. Again he wondered if the policeman would be distracted by this. He heard movement from the sitting room. He stared at the bedroom door, wondering if it was about to open. He stayed there on his hands, with his legs still halfway through the window, waiting for the door to open but it never did. Charlie continued to pull his legs inside as he did so he knocked over a toy spaceship made of Lego that he had been building. He would surely be discovered now he thought. Quickly the young teenager retrieved the disc and tossed it through the window. By now the policeman had opened the door but Charlie opened the window wider and jumped through it head first. He put the disc in his school bag and started to run. As he ran, he had only one place in mind, Jacob’s house.
He could hear the police officer behind him running after him, but his pursuer seemed to be out of shape. Charlie didn’t stop to catch breath until about a mile later. He chose not to run in a straight line but tried to be as unpredictable in his movements as possible by turning left and right down different streets. After about two minutes of running he could hear police sirens blaring in the distance.
Eventually he reached Jacob’s house and rang the doorbell. Even though Charlie was quite fit, he was now sweating profusely and breathing heavily. Almost a minute later Jacob answered the door.
“Can I come in?” Charlie asked, still breathing heavily. For a split second the teenager wondered if under the circumstances Jacob would want to know him. Charlie wouldn’t blame him. In his mind, Jacob was his only hope.
“Of course,” the middle-aged man replied. “I’m just cooking dinner.
Charlie entered and closed the door after him.
“Are those bullies still after you?”
“No, it’s worse. They reported me to the Police,” Charlie responded before taking a deep breath. “I think they’ve told them that I’m a changeling.”
Jacob nearly had a heart attack. As much as he liked Charlie, he wasn’t enthusiastic about being drawn into Charlie’s nightmare. Anyone who helped a changeling was in the eyes of the law another changeling. He was conflicted. He didn’t want to throw Charlie out, but he didn’t want his life ruined either.
“What are you going to do now?” Jacob asked him.
“I don’t know. Eric Everard knows that we know each other. This is one of the first places they will come to.”
Jacob felt like having a meltdown. He didn’t know what to do.
“Maybe you know somewhere we can go to,” the teenager suggested. “Do you have an old girlfriend or work friend.”
“No one who likes me enough to want to help me,” Jacob responded in a downbeat manner. He desperately wanted to help Charlie but he was conflicted as to whether he would now be in over his head. “I have to say that it doesn’t look good. Our only hope would be to escape to a remote part of the country where no one knows our name. As long as it doesn’t get reported in the press we should be fine. I’ll get together as much cash and essentials as I can. The dinner will have to wait.”
Ten minutes later Jacob reversed his car out of the driveway and drove away. The Tax Auditor knew that his chances of coming out of his current predicament alive and free were slim. No matter where they went to, a Caucasian male adult and African American teenager on a road trip would look conspicuous.
For the best part of half an hour neither of them said a word. When they were outside the city, Jacob glanced at Charlie’s school bag. “Are you planning on catching up on your studies,” the older of the two asked.
“The main reason I brought it is because there is a disc inside.”
“What’s the importance of the disc?”
“It’s explosive, trust me.”
“Is that the real reason they’re after you?” asked in a stressed out manner.
“No, it’s just coincidence,” Charlie responded as if he regretted volunteering too much information.
“Are you going to tell me what’s on it?”
“I could show you but then I’d have to kill you,” Charlie said before looking at the expression on Jacob’s face. “I’m joking,” he assured him.
Two hours later, having crossed the state line, Jacob drove the car into a parking lot of a small restaurant off the highway. On the entire journey they had left the radio on so that they would be aware of any news about them. Both Jacob and his teenager companion were feeling very hungry, having gone without food since lunchtime. As he climbed out of the car the middle-aged man breathed a heavy sigh. He hoped that they were over the worst of the danger posed to them.
After apprehensively entering the establishment a middle-aged woman greeted them with a pleasant smile. “Hello boys. Would you like to take a seat? Beryl will be with you in a moment.”
As Jacob went to sit down he cursed himself for not smiling when the waitress greeted him. His own nervousness was likely to get him into trouble.
In their current state of hunger, everything on the menu appeared tasty. Without much hesitation they both ordered pizza’s, chips and milkshakes. As it turned out, the standard of the food was average but it filled them up. Neither of them spoke very much in case anything they said would be overheard. They also didn’t feel like making small talk while they were wanted by the police.
At the end of the meal, Jacob approached the counter. The restaurant was at this point largely abandoned with only about four customers and two waitresses. There were however, several television screens placed around the establishment with the sound turned down very low. As the cashier, named Carrie Ann accepted Jacob’s cash payment he noticed his and Charlie’s picture flash up on the screen. His heart sank.
Carrie Ann noticed Jacob looking at the screen and spotted the resemblance. Jacob’s blood ran cold.
“I wish you all the best,” Carrie Ann replied. “I hope that President gets what’s coming to him. It’s all bullshit if you ask me. Camera tricks. Take care now.”
Jacob felt somewhat relieved but still wanted to leave the Restaurant as soon as possible before anyone else noticed the likeness. To make matters worse, Charlie wanted to go to the restroom and they agreed to meet at the car. Jacob sat into the vehicle, a twelve year old Ford car, and kept an eye on the clock. Five minutes later, there was still no sign of Charlie. Anxiously he looked around but saw no sign of activity through the restaurant windows.
It was then that a Police car pulled into the parking lot. A police officer climbed out of the car and entered the restaurant. Jacob looked intently over his shoulder and through the Restaurant windows. He started to reverse his car out of the parking space, in order to make a quick getaway or to make it easier for Charlie to make a run for it. “Come on Charlie,” he kept muttering to himself apprehensively as he tapped his fingers on the dashboard. As soon as he saw Charlie handcuffed to the Police Sargent he gave him no hope and drove away in a calm manner so as to avoid suspicion.
Two miles down the road, Jacob glanced at Charlie’s schoolbag. If the teenager had told the truth and Jacob was caught with the disc in his possession, then he would be made an example of. If he got rid of the disc he might have a chance.
A short distance later Jacob pulled the car in to the side of the road. He removed the disc, placed it in an envelope and placed some stamps on it. He drove to the nearest letter box and posted it to an address outside the country. After driving for a short distance Jacob encountered a road block. He was prepared to give himself up. He slowed down the car and came to a stop ten yards before the obstruction. The IRS worker got out of the car and complied with everything the arresting officers said. Soon he was handcuffed in the back of a police car wondering what he had done to deserve his current predicament.