Free American Mutant by Bernard Lee DeLeo Page B

want you in with us Mr. Connor on a more direct basis. We have much time and money invested in you.”
    “I gave more than I ever got, and we both know it. If you have nothing further, you can talk to me at work. I am off the clock right now.”
    “You will find Dr. Blakely had to leave suddenly. There will be three men at your table when you get back. They will explain what happens next.”

Chapter 9 Nate  
    The phone went dead, and Connor hung it up. He controlled the rage building quickly within him. Making his way back quietly to the table, he saw three well dressed thugs sitting around the table. One was sipping Champaign out of Karen’s glass. They all wore their hair short, and were clean-shaven. All of them looked bored with their assignment. The older looking of the three leaned toward Connor with his hands folded in front of him on the table.
    “Mr. Connor?”
    “That would be me.”
    “We have taken care of the bill. Would you follow us please?”
    “No, unless you plan on taking me to where Dr. Blakely was taken.”
    “Make no mistake Mr. Connor, you will go where we want you to. It just so happens we will be taking you to the same place, and you would do well to do as you are told, if you want your girlfriend to get through the night.”
    Connor smiled and sat down in the only other empty chair. He looked at his hosts, and then drank a sip of his now cool coffee. “I do not want anything to happen to Dr. Blakely, so if you three will be kind enough to show me the way, I will follow.”
    “Now you are being reasonable Mr. Connor. We paid your bill, so why don’t we get started.”
    “By all means gentlemen, let’s.”
    Karen came to; tied up in a plain wooden backed chair. Her head ached, and she felt sick to her stomach. Her feet were tied to the legs of the chair, and she could move nothing but her head. She remembered a man sitting next to her, and then a sharp poke with a needle, then nothing else until now. She was in an empty warehouse. Only one bank of fluorescent lights provided illumination.
    There were men milling around with what looked like machine pistols. Five men in suits sat around a long table, directly in front of her. When they saw her lift her head and look around, they stopped talking, and waited for her to speak.
    “How did I get here, and what do you want with me?” Karen asked, as she wondered if Connor were dead.
    The man in the middle of the group smiled at her condescendingly. “We do not mean you any harm Dr. Blakely. We just needed to get Mr. Connor’s
    cooperation. He needs to work for us directly, and unfortunately, he does not wish to cooperate.”
    “Where is Thomas?”
    “He will be here shortly Doctor. It may seem a bit heavy handed, but we intend to use you to get him to cooperate. It would be in your best interest if you would convince him to join us.”
    “Let me get this straight,” she said wonderingly, “you are having Thomas brought here, and you plan to threaten him with my well being?”
    “Precisely.”
    Karen burst into laughter. She could not help herself. The thought of these men bringing Connor to an isolated warehouse, to threaten him, made her lose control. Her laughter angered the gray haired man at the center of the table.
    “You are in no position for levity Doctor,” he told her angrily.
    Karen regained control of herself. “Sorry, have you ever seen the movie The Outlaw Josie Wales with Clint Eastwood?”
    “I detest western movies Doctor. Make your point. You are beginning to try my patience.”
    “Well, the main character’s Indian sidekick gets captured by Comancheros, and when his sidekick sees Josie Wales on the ridge with the sun at his back, he smiles. Another captive asks him what he sees. He tells her ‘Hell is coming to breakfast’.”
    “What in the world does that story have to do with any of this,” one of the others asked.
    Just then the side door on the warehouse opened, and Connor walked in ahead of the men