THERE WAS A HIGH WHINE SOUND followed by crackly sounds. The TV was coming back to life after months of hibernation. The sound of wind and background birdsong brought their attention to the TV.
James saw two men heading to the front door. He noticed a pimple on one man’s nose as he stared directly into the camera, oblivious to being watched. The other man had turned and James saw the ‘DoD’ on his jacket. One was talking—there must be support people somewhere.
Now they were inside what looked like a barn of some sort. They had guns. The taller of the two put some goggles on.
“They’re heat sensing goggles—oops, almost said googles.” Lucas laughed at himself.
James didn’t respond. He watched as the men went outside the barn. Then he saw Ava.
“She is a stunner,” James said.
“Yep, but those eyeballs of yours can get you into trouble. Misperception can get you into big, big trouble. And this lady is trouble with a capital T.”
“You’re right, but she’s still a stunner.”
“Yep, dangerously so. We need to look beyond the good looks.”
James nodded in semi-agreement. The lady was talking.
". . . agree with you. There’s an underground bunker. You also should know that your drone up there is out of communication with you. You see, we need the girl more than you do and we’re desperate".
There was a sound. Like a rush of air. A swoosh. They watched as the DoD men fell to the ground.
The lady’s voice could be heard as the cameras readjusted to her movements. She was now in the barn.
"Maybe we should set fire to the barn. That would have the vermin scattering.
"So, Isabella, I know where you are and it looks like we may need to come and get you and your friend. Be warned we are armed and dangerous. Your lives mean nothing to me. Just like your parents."
When the file reached its end, a listing of files and folders displayed. “That might do for now, James. There are more media files, but I’m sure we got the gist of what’s on the device.”
Included in the list of folders was one named ‘Perdu.’
“See, she’s a dangerous woman. And I’m puzzled as to why she wants to kill Isabella.” Lucas said. “But we have some conclusive evidence here. And the barn was set alight. We just need to get this recording to the authorities. There could also be some interesting things in that ‘Perdu’ folder.
“That’s the business name, I assume?”
“Or the family name,” Lucas said.
“It may be best for me to contact the authorities, Lucas. You’re a wanted man. Maybe we can send in the proof and they may be more lenient towards you.”
James watched Lucas as he reflected on the proposed strategy.
“Okay. Understand. You can make the call and get details of where we can drop off the recording.”
“We must be the only people on planet earth that don’t have a mobile communication device. I can wander down to a store and get one?”
“I’ve been in prison and you’ve been living as a hermit. So we have valid excuses. Can we get a disposable phone? I doubt they still have public phones.”
James was stroking his chin. A hermit, hey? “Okay, I’ll shoot off.”
“Get some food while you’re out there, please. I don’t have any money, but I’ll pay you back somehow.”
James brought his hands together. He didn’t feel good about the flow of the conversation and decided that Lucas’s head wasn’t in the right space yet. Aftershocks, maybe?
“That’s okay. I had a big piggy bank back in my hermit shack. I raided it before I left.”
“James, I think maybe we’re both a bit out of touch with reality. Not sure if you have kept up-to-date with things with your lifestyle choice, but in prison I read a lot about what’s happening in the outside world. I guess you focused more on the inside world.”
“What ya getting at?” James asked.
“Cashless society.”
“Cashless society? Wow. Well this ‘inside world’ research I do may be more real than I’m giving it credit for.”
“What do you mean?”
James reached for his notebook and skimmed though some pages and then paused. “Here we go. It’s from the Bible, from the book of Revelation.”
"Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666."
“Well there was one man in prison who had 666 tattooed on his forehead. But no one else. Now that you mention it, I remember some similar talk when the Apple watch came out, particularly when people would pay for items with their watch. But that’s the wrist, not the hand.”
“Yea, lots of false assumptions. I suppose . . . but an interesting subject.”
“You may be right. But what you just quoted doesn’t say anything about society being cashless. It just says you wouldn’t’ be able to buy anything. Maybe cashless is just the way society is going. You know, striving for efficiency.”
“Maybe. And that’s why we have credit cards, although I don’t use mine much.” James said.
