Free Mysterious Gift by Carlene Rae Dater

Phelps rose and everyone followed. “I’ll meet you here in the dining room at eight in the morning. Right after breakfast, we’ll go to the lab and start your tests. Sleep well.” He barely glanced at Robin.
    Brian gritted his teeth and helped Robin out of her chair. He didn’t get a single flash of anything and was as surprised as he was grateful. Robin didn’t say a word on the way to her bedroom. He almost put her into his bed but thought better of it and took her to the yellow and blue room. Once in the bedroom, she flopped on the bed and closed her eyes, all without uttering a word. He took off her shoes and covered her with part of the bedspread, puzzled as to what made her so lethargic. Perhaps she was one of the people unused to alcohol who got drunk fast. Still, it bothered him a bit.
    After he shut off her light and went into his room, he got ready for bed, set his alarm, and took a pain pill. A cool breeze wafted in through the open French doors and within seconds, he fell asleep.
    He awoke five minutes before the alarm was set to go off, shivering in the cold morning air. He jumped out of bed and hurried over to close the doors. Before showering, he went to check on Robin. She had curled up on her side and drawn the spread around her body. He tiptoed over to wake her but decided to let her sleep. There was no sense in having her sit around and watch the doctors do tests on him. He went to the desk against one wall and found some paper and a pen to jot a quick note telling her to come find him in the lab where they’d be doing tests, or take the morning off and they’d meet up later. He anchored the paper with the soap dish on the sink in her bathroom where she’d be sure to see it.
    He found Phelps seated at the end of the table in the dining room, wearing his usual dark suit/white shirt combo.
    “Good morning, Brian. Ready for the big day?”
    “Yes, I’ll be happy when I can touch people again without knowing their entire history.”
    Phelps chuckled.
    Brian went to the sideboard for coffee then decided to eat while he could and filled a plate with scrambled eggs, bacon, and fresh fruit. He sat next to Phelps and dug in.
    “You mentioned last night an assignment for me in Europe,” he said between bites. “What exactly am I supposed to do?”
    “It’s simple, really. There’s a man, a duke actually, who we think is trying to broker an arms deal with some very nasty people. He’s having a ball on Saturday, and I managed to get you invited.
    “That doesn’t give me much time.”
    “Oh, we’ll get you up to speed very quickly. You’ll see.”
    He wasn’t too sure of that. “What am I to do?”
    “All you have to do is meet the duke, shake his hand, and read as much of him as you can.” Phelps lips turned upward in a stiff smile. “I will give you a special cell phone. Anytime you get information you feel will be of interest, call the pre-programmed number. No one will answer, you’ll simply hear a beep, and you leave a message. Give as many details as you can. Everything will help.”
    Brian got up to refill his coffee cup and give himself time to process the information. When he sat back down, he asked, “What has any of this to do with the institute?”
    “We contract out with our government occasionally, with several governments actually, but none who are enemies of the United States. Those fees along with private funding keep the institute in business.” Phelps stood and buttoned his suit coat. “Ready to get started?”
    He nodded, got up, and followed Phelps down the hallway to a small elevator that was barely big enough for the two of them. It creaked slowly downward then jerked to a stop.
    When the doors opened, Brian found himself in a laboratory. There were separate rooms off toward the sides, and several people wearing white lab coats working in the various spaces.
    “Interesting, no?” Phelps walked alongside Brian and pointed to a glass door. “Right through