[003] - Reclamation Part 2

Continuing from where we left off:

***

The internet, as Tom had suspected, provided no useful insight.  Just a mixture of fiction and metaphysical nonsense.  Lisa had indeed gone out to seek other advice, though she hadn’t yet returned.  At this late hour, she had at least texted him to let him know she’d made it to a friend’s without incident.  Tom still wished she had come home instead.  Granted, he’d likely remain equally as powerless to help should her unknown assailants strike again, but he would have felt better off with her by his side.

Anxious, he grabbed his phone to call her and noted that his call log showed no record of the conversation earlier that day.  He tapped her name, and the connection seemed to take much longer than usual.  When it did finally connect and start ringing, the sound came across distorted.  Tom frowned and looked at the display, but the signal appeared fine.  He couldn’t say he was surprised when the voice from before greeted him on the other end of the line.

“Mr. Dabber, so good of you to call.”

“It wasn’t you I was trying to reach.”

“Yes, yes.  You wanted to reach your dear, sweet, helpless wife.”

“She’s hardly helpless.”

“Oh, most assuredly.  Usually.  However, here with us, she’s no more hardy than a baby in a pen with a rabid, hungry bear.”

“Well, gee, that makes me feel so much better.”

“We are not here to console you, Mr. Dabber.”

“That much is abundantly clear.  Are you going to get to the point and let me know what it is you want?  I’m sure based on the nature of your earlier demonstration that it’s not money, not that I have that to give, either.”

“Astute of you, and correct.  We need you to perform some tasks for us.”

“I’m not about to get involved with anything that flies in the face of what’s right.  I might be happy with Lisa, but I was happy before her, too.  I won’t sacrifice myself for whatever your twisted plot is.”

“Now you sound like one of us.  In it for numero uno.” A harsh bark of laughter, then “Sacrifice can have so many meanings.  You’d be surprised what you’re capable of.”

“No, I’m well aware of that.  You’re assuming I’m like most people.”

“So much the better, then.  Your desire for self-preservation will be a useful asset.”

“I’m no asset of yours.”

“We can kill your wife such that all the evidence points to you.”

“Then you wouldn’t have leverage to get whatever it is you want.” Tom said with more confidence than he felt.

“And you would lose your freedom.”

“But I’d still be alive and uncompromised.”

“Such bravado.  Do you really want us to kill her?”

“No, I care about her, so I would prefer you didn’t.  What I’m saying is that if you do, you’re back to square one and will have to find some other sap to manipulate.”

“Yes.” The voice hissed.  “Because she’s not close to her family, and even if she were, their faith would only get in the way.  What can we offer you to perform the tasks we need?”

“Desperate much?  First you threaten her, now you try to buy me?”

“If you knew...” the voice trailed off, losing its former confidence before snapping back when it continued.  “No matter.  That wasn’t a flat denial of our offer.  What will you ask of us to perform these tasks?”

“I also didn’t say I would take your offer.”

“True.  But you’re human and must want for something.”

“All creatures have wants.”

“Are you always this difficult?”

“Ask Lisa.  I’m not going to agree to anything unless we seal the deal face-to-face.”

“That would be a rather...elaborate process.”

“Well, without it, we’ve reached a stalemate.  Neither of us gets what we want.”

“We will see what we can arrange.  This meeting will not come without cost.”

“Well, what does?”

“You are both a wise and foolish man, Mr. Dabber.  Until next time.”

When the call ended, the phone directed him right into Lisa’s mailbox as if the conversation had never occurred.  

“Hey Lisa, hope you’re okay.  No real progress on this side, but hope to see you soon.  Love you!”

Tom set down the phone and took a deep breath to calm himself.  Despite his earlier bold words to whoever he’d spoken with, he didn’t want any further harm to come to Lisa.  While he had indeed enjoyed his life and remained certain he could move on and enjoy it again if the worst happened, he also knew that the time he’d had with Lisa so far numbered among the happiest of his life.  He would probably regret arranging to meet the unknown party, but no other options seemed readily apparent, especially given that no record of these calls showed on his phone.  Going to the police would waste both their time and his.  After all, Lisa clearly had not been taken in any traditional sense, so what evidence could he even present?

He continued to mull over the events as he waited for the phone to ring once more.  None of it made sense.  Phone calls that never happened, Lisa’s wounds caused by no visible means, the Lisa that had spoken over the phone followed by his Lisa mirroring the same words seconds later, all fell well outside the rational.  But if Tom could make it out of this Lisa and back to their ordinary lives, he wouldn’t even care if a rational explanation never presented itself.

The phone buzzed with a text message: It’s Megan. Something happened 2 Lisa.  She fell asleep mid-sentence n now I can’t wake her.  Plz come.

Tom responded with a quick ‘On my way’ then threw on a pair of shoes and immediately to his car.  He’d probably pushed his luck too far with the caller and now Lisa had to suffer for his rash behavior.  Dammit, didn’t they want his help with something?  Or maybe they just wanted chaos, regardless if that came by forcing him to obey or by taking a more direct approach.  He couldn’t say, as he still had no idea of the identity or motives of the responsible party.  Definitely seemed like the latter option, though.  Why else would they subdue Lisa?

Just a few streets away from Megan’s house, disaster struck.  Tom had just begun traversing an intersection on a green light, and given the nighttime hour and the empty streets, Tom certainly hadn’t expected a semi to run a red light and slam directly into the passenger side of his car.  He winced at the crunch sound, then gripped the wheel tightly as he tried to stop its uncontrolled spin.  Moments later, he felt the car start to tilt and watched helplessly as the road and stars swapped positions.  Not long after, the airbags deployed and the sound of metal scraping against the road filled his ears before the motion stopped and silence returned.  Tom reached for the door handle and groaned at the pain that accompanied the motion.  From outside the shattered window, he could hear the semi’s door open and glass crunching under the driver’s feet as they approached the window.

“Jesus!  Yeah, I hope he’s okay, too.  I never wanted ta kill nobody.”

“Hello?” Tom called out.

“Yep, that was him, he’s alive.” A pause.  “I’ll bring ‘im, just don’t hurt mah little girl.”

“Shit.” Tom muttered, again trying to extricate himself without success.  A boot appeared outside his window.

“Mister Dabber?” Dabber came out Dabba.  “You’ve got, uh, an important meetin’ ta get to.”

A pair of calloused hands reached in with a knife and cut Tom free before unceremoniously yanking him from the ruined vehicle.  Tom cried out in pain, something obviously bruised or broken, but the sound didn’t last long as an oily-smelling rag was shoved in his mouth.  He struggled as the man dragged him towards the semi, ignoring the constant stabs of pain that accompanied his movements, but could not break free.  When they reached the truck, the man set Tom down to open the back and Tom took the opportunity to run for it, only to find his legs giving out after only a few feet.  He fell forwards and felt the rough surface tear at his hands.

“Almost there now.”

Tom felt himself lifted once more, carried into the trailer compartment and placed roughly onto a table secured in the center.  He looked from side to side in panic as the driver and another man fully restrained him and saw a small assortment of medical equipment and not much else bar the lamps illuminating the space.  The driver looked ashamed, sadness in his eyes as he looked at Tom, but the other appeared to have no such reservations.  Dressed in an immaculate suit, he smirked as he filled a syringe with a clear fluid.

“Ah, ‘m sorry, I didn’t want ta do this, but theys got my girl.” The driver said to Tom, before looking to the other man.  “You ain’t gonna hurt her, is ya?”

“No torment will come to your daughter so long as you extricate us from here expeditiously without arousing unwarranted suspicion.” 

“What?”

“She won’t be hurt if you get us away from here and keep the cops from pulling you over.” The condescension in the man’s voice would have put Alan Rickman to shame.

“Oh, got it.” He looked back to Tom.  “Sorry again.”

He backed away after a glare from the other man and the trailer door closed with a loud bang.  The suited man leaned in close to Tom and removed the crude gag from his mouth.

“A meeting you wanted, and a meeting you’re getting.”

“You’re not the person I’ve been speaking with.”

“No.  I’m merely a facilitator.  This,” he said, holding up the syringe, “is how you will arrive to the meeting.”

“And that’s what?  Something to weaken my mind, leave me defenseless?”

“Well, it will certainly do the latter.  And more.”

“More?”

“Well, if I told you, I’d still have to kill you.”

“You mean you would have to kill me.”

“No, that I would still have to.”  He inserted the syringe and depressed the plunger.  “That’s what this does, after all.”

“You asshole.”

“You wanted the meeting, Mr. Dabber. As you were told, the process is elaborate.  I’m here to make sure you don’t stay dead. Without expert supervision, that is exactly what will happen.”

“Awfully...big...risk...” Tom managed to say.

Then the world disappeared.

***