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home.”
    “Who
are you? Why have you done this to me?” Etty finally spoke.
    “How
inhospitable of me. Let me introduce myself. William McKinsey,
President of World Investment Corporation.” He bowed
slightly.
    “You
said it was Leeson on the phone. Impersonating a government
official, kidnapping, torture. I don’t want any more of your
hospitality. Let me go.”
    “You’ll
feel better in a bit. When you are ready, call me at extension 454,
and I will have you escorted to my office. I have a proposal for
you that, well, you’ll just have to hear to believe.”
    Etty
watched his mouth form the words. She felt outside of herself,
looking in at some odd dream, an impossible combination of
frightening, yet ridiculous events.
    “Mr.
Maslow here will attend to your needs. He will be a perfect
gentleman in every way. If I hear from you, Miss Bishop, that this
is not the case, I will have Mr. Maslow reprimanded.” Turning
to Bart, “Is that clear, Mr. Maslow?”
    “Yes
sir.”
    Facing
Etty again, “Now, you go ahead up to your new room. Take your
time, get acclimated. It’s now 10am Saturday morning. If
possible, I would like to see you before the end of the day in my
office. Just call me. There’s a phone in your room.”
Mr. McKinsey turned and headed for the door. He looked back before
leaving. “Welcome to Global Growers. You are in the
Agricultural Research wing of our international headquarters
complex, located in Las Colinas, Texas, only a few miles from
Dallas. You’ll like it here, Miss Bishop. Consider it your
new home.” Then he walked out.
    Bart
trailed behind, turning to catch eyes with Etty before closing the
door. “I’ll wait outside until you’re ready.”

    

    Etty
had no reason to stay in the cell. Her chances for escape were zero
from the locked room, and a hot shower sounded good. She lingered
while retrieving her things, only to spite Bart who had to wait
patiently on the other side of the door.
    She
finally knocked, and Bart’s bulging face appeared in the
opening, wearing a stupid grin. “Escort, at your service,
Ma’am.” She didn’t say what was on her mind.
    They
walked down a long white hallway, past door after door with small
signs. Electron Microscope; Agricultural Research Library;
Nanotechnology . Some doors had a brightly colored warning sign, 8+ RESTRICTED .
    Etty
finally asked. “I thought you were a finance company.”
    “We
have one of the biggest Botany and Molecular Biology research
centers in the world. Business related work, mostly agriculture.
How to make things grow better, without disease, that kind of
stuff.”
    “But
you only found work where they needed brawn, not brains.”
    Bart
squeezed her arm until she cried out. “You learn fast.”
    Soon
they passed a security gate, and entered a large Rotunda area. Etty
could hardly believe the size, considering this was an employee
common area. It was like walking into a shopping mall. Hundreds of
people wandered throughout, coming in and out of stores around the
perimeter, or stopping at the sellers carts in the center. The
domed ceiling reached at least 100 feet above them. Light shined
through a profusion of thin windows, artistically arranged to look
like an explosion of light arising from the zenith. White polished
marble covered the floors and walls, accentuated by a parade of
large columns around the edge of the circular room. Restaurants,
Men’s and Women’s apparel, Sporting Goods, Gift Shops.
    “This
is all Global Growers?” Etty asked honestly amazed.
    “Sure
is. Well, and the Hospital staff shops here too, who are
technically separate.”
    “I
can’t believe I hadn’t heard of this company.”
    “We’re
privately owned. No stock, no public records. But believe me,
we’ve touched your life. Mr. McKinsey can tell you a lot more
than I can.”
    “I
don’t need anyone to tell me how you’ve touched my
life.”
    They
came to another entrance. Etty realized there were four