SEARSH |
"Acid Rain"(page1)
I pulled up to the curb and switched off my car, just as it started to rain. I'd
listened to the morning news so I had made sure to put on my environment suit
before leaving the Federal Building. As the auto-valet pulled my car into the
hotel's car storage area, I climbed the short flight of stairs.
The annoying, but necessary rinse off over, I removed the suit and went
over to the check-in desk.
"Clean skies to you, sir. How may I assist you?" The clerk
attempted to hide a cough behind a gloved hand as I looked him over. I flashed
him my ID and badge.
"I need to know what room Dana Maris is staying in and whether or not she has
received any calls or messages since yesterday afternoon."
As the clerk called up the relevant data on his terminal, I checked the
screen's reflection in the polished marble wall behind him. I was unsure whether
she was still in her room.
"She's in room 4005. No messages since yesterday, but she did receive one
phone call at nine P.M. last night."
He had neglected to add that the call lasted only 30 seconds or that she
had made three calls of approximately 45 seconds each immediately afterwards.
The 'client present' flag was blinking, so unless Dana had unusual pull with the
hotel, she should be up there.
"Thanks. I'm now going to go up to her room. Don't signal her or you will
be in violation of federal law. Don't call anyone she may have told you to."
The clerk looked nervous and coughed again. I gave him that stern, commanding
look they tell you to use. It never works so I slipped him 50 dollars.
The elevator had an attendant, in keeping with the expensive room rates.
I told him to take me to the 40th floor. The hum of the elevator was almost
inaudible and it accelerated and decelerated smoothly. The doors slid open and I
left to find room 5.
After a foyer of the same marble as the lobby desk, a long hall with nine
doors stretched out before me. With four doors to either side, any reasonable
numbering sequence would put hers at the end. One sane numbering sequence later,
I was facing her door. I knocked, not using the palm plate signal. I didn't want
her to know who it was, yet.
I could almost imagine the click of her heels as she walked towards the
door. I could almost smell whatever perfume she would be wearing. I
unfortunately was not prepared for the door to snap open and a taser to be
jabbed in my gut. Brief flashes of black stiletto heels and an expensive Chanel
perfume stabbed into my mind as I collapsed to the floor. My head hit the
doorframe, my consciousness left with my breakfast.
* * *
A swirl of pain and blurred vision greeted my return to to the
waking world. I could taste vomit, and blood from a split, swollen lip. It felt
as though I was on a soft surface, like a bed. My wrists and ankles testified
that I was tied down. As the visual details of my surroundings sorted themselves
out, my conjectures about ties and a bed proved true. Since the decor matched
the hotel's, I surmised the bedroom to be the one in room 4005. I couldn't have
been out longer than about 30 minutes, judging from the state of the cut on my
lip.
"Ms. Maris, I assume you are still here. I must inform you that
assaulting a federal agent is punishable by imprisonment and forced
reeducation."
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