Evil Agreement (21 page)

“Will I be able to talk to my mother?”

The specter nodded affirmatively.

“What does the man who is after me look like?”

“You can see him with your mind’s eye, without turning
around. Just close your eyes and concentrate on the area near the high table
behind you. You will see him.”

Aaron closed his eyes, and concentrated with all his might.

In a moment, a picture was formed in his mind, as if he was
now looking through a rearview mirror. He could see several people seated at
the bar. All were engaged in conversation with someone, except for one man.
This man was staring straight ahead. He was holding his glass up to his chest
but it appeared he hadn’t drunk much, if at all. The man’s eyes caught Aaron’s
attention. Aaron began to focus in on the man’s face, then his eyes.

His eyes were black as coal. They were as lifeless and
menacing as those of a great white shark, killer’s eyes.

“I can see him,” said Aaron.

“See who?” said
Korie
.

Aaron opened his eyes and saw
Korie
seated across from him. His ears picked up the normal sounds of the activity in
the room.

“You were sitting there with your eyes scrunched closed.
What’s happening Aaron?”

Aaron told her what had just taken place. From her vantage
she could plainly see the man Aaron described to her.

“So, how do we get out of here without him following us, at
least not right away, that is?” asked Aaron.

“Easy,” said
Korie
. “When I went to
the women’s room I passed the men’s room and on the opposite side of the
hallway is a fire exit door.”

“Okay. So we leave out that door. Won’t he be suspicious if
we both head out to the bathroom and don’t come back in a couple of minutes?
He’ll guess we’ve run off, and head straight for the hotel.”

“That’s why you’re going to stay here.”

Aaron looked incredulous.

“Look, if we’re both gone then he will be suspicious. But if
we split up, then I think we have a chance to get away. I’ll leave out that
back door and head back to the hotel and get our things. I’ll meet you out
front with the car, thirty minutes from the time I leave. However, you’ve got
to make him stay.”

“Sounds like it might work but how do I make him stay?”

“I don’t know. Since he’s interested in you, give him what he
wants. Play some music again. That ought to get his attention.”

“Okay, so how do we start?”

“Easy,” she said as she turned and signaled for the waitress.

In a moment the young waitress was standing at their table.
Korie
spoke to her for a moment—the waitress nodded a
couple of times. She gave her the glass she had been using.
Korie
had slipped a ten-dollar bill inside the glass. The waitress turned and left.

Korie
and Aaron turned and watched
the band perform a B.B. King cover. She began to push Aaron on the arm and back
to get up and head to the stage. Reluctantly he stood up, shrugged his
shoulders, and then headed in the direction of the stage.

Moments later the waitress arrived with a clean glass and a
small plate of Buffalo wings. She leaned over and spoke discreetly to
Korie
, and then left her alone.

Aaron meanwhile had made it back to the stage just as the
band finished up the B.B. King number. The person who had been playing bass
gestured to Aaron to take his place. Aaron stepped up onto the low stage and
took the bass from the man. After shortening the strap he slipped it over his
shoulder.

The lead guitar player leaned over and said “We’re going to
do another B.B. King piece called
Ain’t
Nobody’s Business
. Can you handle it?”

“Just give me the key, and I’ll follow right along.”

 
He gave a little smile
and wave to
Korie
who was still sitting back at their
table.

The song began.

Korie
half filled her glass and
took a couple of sips from it. She sampled the Buffalo wings and found them to
be delicious. However it was time to put her plan into action. She bent over a
bit and held her stomach as if she was feeling a stomach cramp. She repeated
this gesture again.
Korie
stood up and began to
slowly make her way past several tables, while she held her left hand to her
stomach.

Ed watched
Korie
head to the
bathroom. He turned his attention to the band and more specifically Aaron.

He’s not half bad,
thought Ed. He turned around and
asked the bartender for a refill. The drink was poured and Ed once again handed
the bartender a ten dollar bill and told him to keep the change.

During that moment,
Korie
slipped
out the emergency door next to the bathrooms. She went down the small alley way
to the front of
Mojo’s
. There was a cab waiting in
front of the restaurant. She quickly got in the cab and gave the driver her
instructions. The cab driver put the car into gear and pulled away. Moments
later,
Korie
paid the cabbie and got out in front of
the Radisson Hotel. She went to a side entrance to avoid going through the
lobby. Just inside the entrance she located the emergency stairwell and pulled
on the door handle. It wouldn’t open.

That’s right, shit. This is the first floor, hotels always
lock the emergency stairways from entrance on the first floor,
she thought.
She hurried to the elevators, making sure she couldn’t be seen directly from
the lobby, she was careful to keep her back to the security camera. If what
Aaron had been told was correct, then someone inside of this hotel had
cooperated with that guy at
Mojo’s
. She wasn’t going
to take any unnecessary chances. The elevator doors opened on her floor and she
hurried down the hallway holding her hands to her temples as if to massage a
headache. She reached her room, unlocked the door and quickly slipped inside.
Everything looked in place. Nothing seemed to have been disturbed.

Could Aaron have the message wrong?
she thought.

Then she noticed the tour magazine she and Aaron had read
earlier when they had decided to go to
Mojo’s
. She
remembered specifically having left it on the table. She was sure of it. It was
now lying on the bed.

That was all the confirmation she needed. Her efforts now
kicked into high gear, as she opened the dresser drawers tossing their clothes
onto one of the beds. She pulled their luggage out of the closet and in just a
few minutes she had managed to cram all of their belongings into their luggage.

Korie
took the television remote
and turned on the television. She changed channels until she located the
hotel’s house channel. Using the remote control she selected a menu which
allowed her to check out of the hotel electronically. With that task completed
she left the room key card on top of the low dresser. She picked up their
luggage and left the room. She went back down the hall and stopped at the
icemaker machine and reached behind it to retrieve the diary. It was still
where they had left it. She unzipped Aaron’s large bag and stuffed it inside.
Moments later, she was putting the luggage into the trunk of their car which
was parked inside the Hotel’s garage. She got inside of the car, started it up
and pulled out of the parking slot.

“Shit!” she said. She had just remembered that she needed the
room card key to exit the parking garage.

Damn, this means I’m going to have to go to the front desk
and get an exit pass.

Just then she noticed another car drive by on its way out of
the garage.

What the hell,
she thought as she put the car into
gear and followed the other car to the exit gate.

The other driver put his room key card into the exit gate
slot. The gate slowly rose up. The other car pulled through the exit gate.
Korie
pulled up close behind the other car. There couldn’t
be more than a foot between the two cars.

I hope he doesn’t stop,
she thought.

The gate began to descend. It landed on the trunk of
Korie’s
car and bounced up a foot in the air after it hit
the trunk. It descended again. This time, there wasn’t anything in its way,
since
Korie’s
car had now cleared the exit.
Korie
headed to
Mojo’s
to get
Aaron.

Meanwhile at
Mojo’s
, Aaron and the
other band members were in the middle of playing the
Texas Hop
,
originally performed by Pee Wee
Crayton
.

Ed had finished his second drink.

The band was looking to take a break. Aaron looked at his
watch and noted that it was too early for
Korie
to be
out front.

He spoke up to the members of the band, “Say, how about one
more just to close out the set? It will be my last one.”

“What did you have in mind?” asked the keyboard player.

Aaron thought for a moment, when inspiration struck. He
reached into the back pocket of his pants and pulled out his harmonica, which
he had a habit of carrying around.

“If someone will take the bass, I’ll be glad to play the harp
on
C-Boy’s Blues
by the Fabulous Thunderbirds, if you
fellas
know the tune.”

“Cool,” said one of the trumpet players. “We haven’t played
any T-bird covers in a month. I’m in.”

In a moment, places were exchanged as the band slipped into
C-Boy’s
Blues.
Aaron’s harmonica playing was the best he had ever done. The room
was soon tight once again with the band, and the music. When the number was
over, the room erupted into a standing ovation for the tired musicians.

The lead guitar player spoke into his microphone “Hey, you
people are just great. Listen, we’re going to take a fifteen minute break,
okay? I know Ron would want you to take this opportunity to order some more
suds, so he can pay his bills. So help the poor guy out.”
 

There was a smattering of laughter from the room. People
began to mill around as the band members came off the stage. Aaron headed for
the door. He was stopped by Ron.

“Hey man, you’ve got a gift with that harp. You blew us
away.”

“Thanks,” said Aaron. “I’m in a hurry right now. Listen could
I pay you for our drinks and...” as he fumbled with his wallet he pulled out
four twenties and handed them to Ron.

“That should more than cover it,” said Aaron as he looked
over Ron’s shoulder. He could see Ed had left his seat at the bar and was now
heading in Aaron’s direction.

Ron was studying Aaron’s eyes. He could see the nervousness
and fear.

“Something wrong?” asked Ron.

“No, uh, not really, it’s just that I’ve got to go.”

“Uh-huh. Your waitress told me that your girl friend had to
slip out the back earlier. You in trouble? Someone after you? Cause if they are
I’ll be glad to help. You just say the word. We blues men have got to stick
together, you know.”

Aaron took a chance “Sort of trouble, I guess, there’s a guy
who has been following my friend and I for a couple of days, and we don’t know
why. He scares the shit out of us, and he’s here now. In fact, he’s coming this
way.”

For a moment Aaron and Ron’s eyes met. Ron’s brow furrowed up
as he tapped Aaron on the hip. “Go, I’ll slow him down for you. Hurry!”

Aaron smiled at Ron, “Thanks.”

Aaron turned and headed to the front door.

Ron turned around and he immediately spotted a tall man
dressed in a well-worn business suit heading for the door after Aaron. The
man’s focus was entirely on Aaron. He didn’t see Ron approaching him from a
right angle. Even though Ron walked with a limp he could manage some speed when
he needed to, especially in his own place. Ron managed to head the man off a
few feet from the front door.

“Hey, what’s your hurry?” asked Ron as he stepped in front of
Ed.

“Out of my way.”

“You don’t look like a satisfied customer. As the owner, I’m
interested in your feedback. Are you unhappy with the food, the service, what
is it?”

Ed tried to step around Ron who managed to stay in front of
him. Aaron had exited the front door and climbed into the car as
Korie
pulled away from
Mojo’s
.

“Everything was fine—now get out of my way.”

“Really...” said Ron.

Ed was getting exasperated by this man. He pulled out his old
FBI badge. He flashed it in the face of Ron.

“FBI business, now move.”

“Is that a real badge? Shit, it is,” said Ron.

Ed’s senses were on full alert. They told him this man had
run interference for Aaron. By now Aaron had slipped away. From deep inside, a
power was unleashed.

Ed’s eyes met Ron’s.

Ron didn’t like what he saw in those eyes. His senses told
him he was looking into the face of a monstrously evil person. Suddenly, Ron’s
two legs began to burn with a sensation that felt as if his legs had been
tossed upon a bed of white-hot coals.

The pain was beyond anything Ron had ever felt before. He
buckled from the searing sensations. He had to grab the back of a nearby chair
to steady himself.

Ed easily stepped around Ron and he, too, left
Mojo’s
. In the cool air of the summer’s night, a slight
breeze was blowing from the west across Lake Champlain. He knew he had lost
Aaron and
Korie
. It didn’t matter that much. He
suspected that sooner or later, they would turn up in Sutton. He decided to
head back home. He had a good look at the two and they both seemed ordinary
enough. The two would not be a match for the combined power of Moloch’s coven.
The end was coming.

Moments later, Aaron and
Korie
entered the ramp to head south on Interstate 89. They were going to Sutton.