When Darth said I was staying at his office I figured that was some sort of euphemism, or at best he’d lock me in a drab meeting room and I’d be stuck trying to sleep on the floor. Turns out they put me in what looked like your standard issue economy-grade business traveler’s hotel room. Nice enough, but I was locked in. And there was no phone or terminal or any other way to communicate with the outside world. But there was a tv, a bathroom, some clean clothes and breakfast. By 11 am I was showered, dressed, feed and eager to see what was next.
I didn’t have to wait long. Someone came to get me. Darth wanted to see me.
Darth had a big office. Big desk. Big chair. Conference table. Seating for ten. Couch. Bar. Credenza, Every executive thing. All from an earlier era. Worn, but clean. After I had taken in the ambiance for a few minutes from a chair in front of his desk he entered from a side door, sat in his big chair and faced me.
“How are you today Mr. Bryce?”
“Better. How’d you know my name?”
“We searched your belongings.”
Yes, of course. I need to get my brain in gear. “I don’t know your name.”
“I’m Adams.”
Darth Adams. Didn’t quite sound right.
“Can I leave? Am I under arrest?”
“No, you are not under arrest. You can leave at any time.”
“That’s great.” I started to stand up. I didn’t care why I was here. Or where I was. I just wanted to get away. I’d sort things out later.
Adams switched on Barry White, “To be fair I should tell you that should you decide to leave, I will call the police and tell them we apprehended you loitering in our parking lot in a suspicious manner and recommend that they should come and pick you up. I’ll then ask my director to ask the deputy-minister to write a federal security certificate requiring the police to detain you in secrecy for at least fourteen days while we investigate the incident and determine its security implications. You will spend that time in solitary confinement in the city jail. I have been told it is not as nice as our rooms here.”
I sat back down. “I want to call my lawyer.”
Adams continued undeterred,”On the other hand, should you decide to stay with us, we could probably wrap this up within a day or so, if not sooner. If your wife reported you as missing to the police, they will not take any action for forty-eight hours. By then we will have worked out a solution to our mutual problem and you will be free and on your way home.”
Some choice. “Why should I believe you?”
“You are free to go if you wish.”
I guess I was a wimp. Or maybe I was curious to find out what was going on. After all, somebody seemed to have invented a ray-gun. “I’ll stay. What now?”
“We have not decided. You are an unfortunate loose-end of an operation that did not go as we expected.”
“A ‘loose-end’?” I squirmed in my seat.
“You will be escorted back to your room and we will speak at length later today. I needed to know if you would be staying with us for awhile.”
And that was that. I was walked back to my room. They didn’t lock it this time, but did leave two NFL linebacker types outside my door ‘in case I had any questions’. I turned on the tv, flopped on the bed, and tried to figure out what was going on.
Part 6 is here.
Part 6 is here.
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