Page 24 of Velvet and Valor
“Yes, but you’ve done heroic stuff for the good of the country, without violating the Geneva conventions,” Stone replies. “Moorcrock’s…different, or so I hear. Don’t underestimate him.”
“His real name’s probably not even Moorcrock,” I chime in.
“Of course not, nobody uses their real names. You think my real name is Chip Stone just because that’s what it says on my passport?”
“Chip Stone? Really?”
“It’s easy to remember,” he replies. “All I know is, not two hours after you left the airport, the woman you collided with? Dead. Found on the side of the highway, and it wasn’t pretty. She’d clearly been tortured for info, and then for fun before they decided to show her some mercy. The triad obviously wasn’t happy with her when they found her. Ming Xa and the Chinese Mafia branch she represents are really, really pissed. Might start a war between them and the folks this Moorcrock fella represents, whoever the hell they are.”
“You don't know?” Axel asks. “Harlowe said you knew just about everyone.”
“Yeah, well, Harls is flattering me, and the keywords here are ‘just about.’ Even I don’t know all the players, kid. I know it’s not much, but the two are connected. Wish I could give you more.”
“You’ve given us a great deal, Mr. Stone,” I say, handing him my business card.
“What the hell is this?” he asks.
“I am willing to bet your life would make an intriguing screenplay…with names changed to protect the innocent, of course. Give me a call, we’ll do lunch.”
We take our leave of Mr. Stone, and the hidden casino.
“Thank God, I can breathe fresh air again,” I gasp, staggering outside. “We don’t know a lot more than we did.”
“It’s a start. I’ve never heard of this Ming Xa person but I’m willing to bet Dane or his sister Harlowe has. We’ll network with them, but for now we need to get you somewhere safe.”
“I really need to go home,” I say. “I have to get my backup laptop. I have business to conduct. I can do most of it remotely, but I can’t let this situation slow down the momentum I've worked so hard to build.”
Axel’s nostrils flare as he tries to stare me down.
“I don’t think you understand the gravity of the situation,” he says in a huff. “Did you not hear what he said in there? About Moorcrock? He’s a spy. A killer! The Geneva Conventions forbid torture. Moorcrock’s type knows how to do it anyway and leave no evidence to implicate Uncle Sam.”
I can’t suppress my shudder.
“Like water boarding?”
“No,” he says, his jaw set hard. “Not like waterboarding. I once came across some handiwork of one of Moorcrock’s ilk. Or what was left of him. The prisoner had been strapped to a dentist’s chair, his mouth held open with clamps.”
“My god,” I whisper.
“We only knew that because of security footage. When the Spook was done with the interrogation, he jammed a live grenade in the prisoner’s mouth and pulled the pin.”
“What happened to the security footage? Did you turn it over to the government?” I ask.
“We did. Never heard what happened after that. I kind of don't want to know,” he shakes his head. “This is scary stuff. I don’t want you getting hurt. It’s my job to protect you, and I’m going to protect you. Period. So no going to your place.”
Anger flashes inside of me. He’s probably right. It would be really stupid to take the risk of running by my place and honestly, I can do most of my work on a regular laptop anyway.If I am being honest with myself I just wanted to go so I’d feel less homesick.
“Okay, it makes total sense for me not to go home.” I heave a long sigh. “But we have to go somewhere, don’t we? Should I get a hotel room?”
“No need,” Axel says. “I have a place in mind. Nobody will think to find you there.”
“Where?” I ask, a bit anxious, “Not that hole in the wall we just came from.”
“No, my place.”
I give him a look.
“This isn’t going to be another gross bachelor pad, is it?” I ask.
