Mind Games (3 page)

“Why do you have to make it more complicated than it is? They had a shootout. The car dealer prick is dead. I’m going home.” Vince started towards the door and aimed his flashlight down the pitch-black hallway.

“Vince, get back here.”

“No, Amy. We’ve got the bomber. Chill out.”

“Wait.” Cameron’s gaze locked onto something. “Amy, come over here. Ok, right where I’m standing. Look forward.”

Amy followed Cameron’s curiosity. “Vince, if you walk out on this tonight, you’ll be one step closer to being suspended again.”

Vince was almost to the end of the hallway now. “Oh, right. Another vacation from work. Boo hoo.”

Amy focused her eyes on a small seam that protruded from the drywall with a subtle difference in paint color. The seam formed an irregular oval shape. “Vince. There might be another room here.”

He was listening now.

“It may even be a secret passageway.” Amy knew the mystery would be enough to reel Vince back.

“Did you say secret passageway? Here? No way.”

“Get over here.”

Vince meandered back into the room, glancing across to the wall. “Hello, what’s this?” Vince felt along the crease. He knocked on the wall with his knuckles, following the seam until he heard a hollow spot. Then, he turned and sneered. “There’s another room behind this wall.”

“That’s what I just told you.”

Vince sighed. “It’s awfully tempting.”

“Careful,” Cameron warned. “There could be more explosives back there.”

“No shit, Sherlock.” Vince patted Cameron on the back. “You’re warning me about traps. I don’t think so. Unless you want to go back to taking senior portraits, you’d better shut your mouth.”

Cameron glared. “Maybe we should come back with more help.”

“Oh, sure…let’s do that,” Vince spat. “Then, we can take another day dragging this out.” Vince held the flashlight up to Cameron’s face. “Just tell me something. Why are you even in this line of work? How did you get this job anyway?”

Cameron smirked, “How di
d
yo
u
, Vince?”

“Well, I sure didn’t get it by wetting my pants about breaking down a bit of drywall. Come on, let’s do it. Of course it’s dangerous. Duh. That’s why they hired us.”

Amy stepped between them. “Ok, enough. We have work to do.”

“Then let’s do it.” Vince moved towards the drywall, but Amy grabbed his flashlight.

“Vince, just stay here and cool off.”

“Are you frickin’ kidding me? You’re gonna’ investigate with goldilocks and let me stay watch? I don’t think so. If anything, I’ll help tinsel town overcome his acute fear of nothing. I’ll be right back.”

Vince returned a few minutes late
r
with a sledgehammer from the police SUV outside. “You want the first swing, Cam?”

With great strength, Cameron smashed in the drywall as Vince held the flashlight.

“Any day now, buttercup.”

When the opening was wide enough, Cameron dropped the sledgehammer and crawled through to the other side. Vince followed and beamed the flashlight from ceiling to floor revealing a long passageway with four large, metal doors on the right side.

Vince yelled back to Amy, “I should have lugged along my GPS with all the crap this guy wants us to find.” Vince eyed Cameron. “Is there a certain door that tickles your fancy, cause we’ve got all night?”

“Well, since we’re here…” Cameron opened the second door and stepped inside. The room was alive with hundreds of blinking LEDs emitted from dozens of computer servers, and the walls in-between the four rooms were constructed of dusty glass panels.

Vince marveled at the sight. “Wow, fat, ugly, and a psycho nerd. This Stefani guy is really growing on me.”

When Cameron glanced through the glass panels to the room on their right, panic crawled up his spine like a lethal spider.

Vince’s eyes followed as he aimed their light source through the murky glass into room number three. Fiber optic cables pulsed radiant colors. The thin wires led towards the center of the room before disappearing into the floor.

“If this guy was killed by aliens, I want a medal,” Vince quipped as he backed out of the second room.

Cameron followed Vince back into the hallway. The LEDs from the second room danced on the narrow walls.

Vince hesitated for only a moment before swinging the door to the third room wide open. The fiber optic lights seemed to rush into the floor like radioactive liquid flowing down a drain.

Cameron noticed through the glass that the final room to their left was still pitch black. As they stared at their own reflections in the glass, Vince knocked on the panel. A faint echo traveled back to them from below.

Upon opening the final room, Cameron found a ladder leading down.

“Hold it, princess,” Vince sprayed. “I have the light, so that means you get to go down the ladder.”

“Fine, but if I don’t come back up, you’ll have to live with that.”

“I’m sure I’ll get over it.” Vince sneered.

Cameron swung his foot down and placed his weight on the top rung. Suddenly, the entire ladder shifted down several feet, pulling Cameron’s chin near Vince’s boots. The doors to the other rooms simultaneously slammed shut.

Cameron felt his heart pounding in his throat.

“What the hell was that? Was that you, Cameron?”

“I guess so.” Cameron tried to catch his breath from the sudden drop. He continued down the ladder for a few seconds and looked up. He was now about twenty feet below Vince’s boots.

Darkness ruled below.

“There’s no floor to this room!” Cameron called up.

“Keep going and see where it leads. I’m not gonna leave you here. Yet.”

Cameron lowered himself and soon felt concrete beneath him. Relieved, he stepped away from the ladder and peered up.

“Heads up!” Vince dropped the flashlight into the darkness, and it bounced against the concrete, shattering the bulb.

Cameron and Vince now stood in pitch black.

“Nice going!” Cameron yelled.

Vince responded with a hint of fear in his voice. “Can’t you catch anything?”

Amy carefully felt her way through the narrow hallway towards Vince. “You guys are real pros, you know that.” She cracked three glow sticks. “I’m going down there.”

“Alright, I just hope Stefani doesn’t wake up to find us in his underground labyrinth,” joked Vince as Amy descended towards Cameron.

Once at the bottom, Amy and Cameron walked together through a maze of more kitten posters on narrow walls. The maze seemed to have no real pattern, but it soon became illuminated by the same glowing fiber optics that lead from above. The lights lined glass casings within the winding walls and led them deeper underground.

In the distance, they could hear the ferocious clacking of an old keyboard.

After a few more twists and turns, the clacking sound increased. Then, after one more turn, Cameron and Amy reached a room sealed entirely by glass walls. Amy gestured for Cameron to look around the corner. He saw an overweight man with shaggy white hair typing lighting fast on an old computer with a dusty monitor. Frightened by the presence of the unsuspected man, Cameron hid again behind the wall.

The keyboard clacking stopped abruptly, and they heard a chair move. Then, the room vibrated as if the walls were shifting around them. In another moment, there was complete silence.

Amy now looked as the cords of light fed through holes in the glass walls and met at one focal point: a horizontal tablet computer the size of a coffee table.

Cameron looked from the glass room back to Amy. “It’s like he vanished straight through the walls.”

Two glass chairs accompanied a rickety office chair that slowly swiveled to a stop. Strangely, the two computers used technology from separate eras spanning at least twenty-five years. Amy stepped into the glass room and the touch screen table lit up, displaying several brands of guns, all paired with prices in a variety of currencies.

“This station might have been used for video calls between these other men,” Cameron said.

“Looks like we’ve got a couple black market weapon dealers.” As Amy took another step forward, the touch screen displayed a local map of San Francisco. Several neighborhoods on the map began blinking. Then, an ominous hum fell over the room.

Amy checked her watch. “We’ve got to get the tech unit down here tomorrow. This can of worms is going to rot fast.”

Cameron and Amy weaved back through the maze to call down Vince. He reluctantly climbed down, and they told him about the vanishing man.

When Vince saw the touchscreen computer, he couldn’t contain himself. “Damn, I’ve got to get me one of those.”

Cameron glanced around the room. “There has to be another way out of here. We were the first to break through that drywall up there by the servers.” He quickly noticed two small buttons on the back glass wall. Curiosity prompted him to press the top button. Clunking sounds rumbled above them until the wall lifted revealing an ascending set of concrete stairs.

“These guys are professionals,” Amy said.

Cameron snapped some final photos of the glass room before the team ascended the stairs and found themselves in the backyard of Fred Stefani’s high-end property.

Vince brushed himself off. “If only the neighbors knew what kind of freak show they’ve got right next door. They would have called the cops a long time ago.”

JEN

Cameron Frost wasn’t always a CSI Photographer.

Years before he felt comfortable breaking down walls with a sledgehammer, he was just a regular college student at the University of San Francisco where he studied photography.

It’s not that his life was less exciting before CSI work. Rather, the excitement had different origins. On the weekends, he earned cash from photographing weddings. He also dabbled in portraits. But Cameron’s real passion was nature photography. He had always dreamed of traveling the world to work fo
r
National Geographi
c
.

Cameron spent most his evenings rushing outside to try and find something amazing to capture with his camera. He’d already catalogued over three hundred sunsets.

Most of the photos he took with his modern, digital camera, but he always took sunset photos on his Polaroid camera. It was amazing to him that the moment could be captured and printed out just seconds after he snapped it. The method was a little retro, but that’s what he liked about it.

The images were pure nostalgia.

There was a certain charm to holding a physical snapshot of the visual world. When he held a Polaroid, watching it develop before his eyes, Cameron felt like he was holding a real moment. It was the closest he ever came to freezing time.

After completing his fine arts degree, Cameron was ready for a change. He left San Francisco to stay with his friend Brian in Colorado. He wanted to experience hiking in the mountains. Brian grew up in Colorado Springs and became accustomed with many of the main hiking trails around the area.

The Colorado trip also yielded an important event in Cameron’s life when he met his future wife, Jennifer Miller. He first saw her waiting tables at a Denny’s in Colorado Springs.

From his seat in the breakfast booth, Cameron also noticed Jennifer’s astonishing beauty. She was a total knockout. Jennifer’s glossy, brown hair swung back and forth in a mesmerizing ponytail pendulum. She recently added a single streak of red, and it accented the redness of her soft, delicate lips. A regular girl next-door appeal was evident in her endearing smile, and her rosy cheeks were no less than inviting.

One week, as Jennifer took Cameron’s drink order, he told her a joke about his musty hiker smell. Cameron explained how his friend was showing him nature’s backyard and how he wanted to document everything with his camera.

Their interactions were hardly flirtatious at first, but after a few weeks of bringing omelets to Cameron’s booth, Jennifer slowly turned on the charm.

For Jennifer Miller, first impressions were everything.

“I’ve got to ask. Isn’t breakfast at this place getting old for you? I mean, you order the same thing every morning.”

Cameron blushed. “Yeah, these are just amazing omelets. The eggs are top notch.”

“Whatever floats your boat. Hey, why don’t you try something different?”

“Well, I know the omelets are good, so when I get them, I know I won’t be disappointed.”

“Sounds like an adventurous philosophy.”

“Well, what do you recommend?”

“You have to at least try our Mandarin Orange French toast. They’re loaded with powdered sugar. That’s what I always get.”

“Ah. So, you’re an adventurous eater too?” Cameron teased.

“Ok, I see what you did there. Yeah, I have my comfort zone. I like oranges. Anything with oranges.”

“Oranges. Got it. So, did you always want to be a waiter or what?”

Jennifer placed her hand on her hip. “What are you implying?”

“I don’t know, it just seems like there’s got to be more jobs out there for you other than listing muffin options for the rest of your life.”

“Really? Are you going to read my palm too?”

“No, it’s. Hmm, let’s start over.” Cameron extended his hand. “I’m Cameron Frost.”

“Pleasure to meet you, I’m Jennifer the Snowman.”

“No kidding?”

Jennifer laughed. Her cool demeanor and confident laugh made Cameron find her even more attractive. “Actually, it’s Jennifer Miller. My friends call me Jen.”

“So, Jen, I want to be honest with you…I…come here every morning not for the omelets, but to watch you.”

“Whoa. Creepy.”

“No, no, no! That came out wrong. I meant to say…look, I’m…I mean, you are…”

“Use your words…”

“Jen, you’re...stunning.”

“Like a scorpion or like the electric chair?”

“No, nothing like that. Beautiful I mean. You’re beautiful.”

Jen laughed to herself. “I knew it wasn’t the omelets.”

“Look, I’ve seen how you treat the regulars. It’s amazing.”

“Oh, I see. This must be the first time you’ve seen a girl wait tables?”

Cameron leaned back, trying to play it cool. “I just find you very attractive.”

“Yeeaaaah. How many times did you practic
e
tha
t
in the mirror?”

Cameron shrugged. “If I get you to go out with me, it doesn’t really matter, does it?”

“Are you the health inspector or something?”

“Ouch! Hey, what happened to cute and friendly?”

“Oh, I just put on that face for the old customers. If I smiled and winked at everyone, I think my face would fall off by the end my shift from muscle exhaustion. So, is this a regular occurrence - stalking waitresses and hitting on them at random diners? Or, are you checking every Denny’s off the map and scoring chicks cross country?”

Cameron was getting frustrated. “Do they pay you more to be this sassy?”

“No, actually people tip less when I’m myself. Go figure.”

“Well, forget I said anything.” Chris tapped his spoon on the table. “So, what do you do besides this?”

“I’m in college for Electrical Engineering. Wires, circuits, building computers…that sort of thing.”

“Like NASA?”

“Umm.”

“Just kidding. Wow, that’s…”

“Cool, I know.” Jen shifted her weight from one hip to the other. “There aren’t too many girls in my major.”

“How far are you?” He asked.

“I’m a senior. Almost done. Then I can actually go change the world and all that. Who knows, maybe I’ll build an anti-gravity car or something. What about you?”

Cameron smiled. “I’m a photographer right now, but I’ve always been interested in criminal justice.”

“It’s funny you say that. I’m in a criminology class right now. That’s scary stuff.”

“You can say that again,” Cameron glanced out the diner window.

“That’s scary stuff.” Jen didn’t bat an eye.

“Hey! Yeah, all of those wind-up crazies who walk around, I mean, they could be in the house next to you, and you’d have no idea.”

“Right, until something went wrong.” Jen stopped. “Wait, why are we talking about this? I’m not making any more tips for chatting with you, am I?”

“That depends…”

“One boring-smoring omelet comin’ right up.”

As Jen walked back to the kitchen, Cameron wondered what just happened. He stared at his rolled-up silverware.

Jen returned with a large plate of Mandarin Orange French Toast and gently placed it in front of Cameron.

He looked at the plate for a moment then up to Jen’s beaming face.

“I didn’t order this.”

“I don’t care.” Jen’s eyes widened. “You try to hit on me again, and I’ll bring you a liver sandwich with a side of fried okra.” Then she turned around and began to walk away.

“Yeah, I’m smelling what you’re stepping in.”

Jen turned on her heel and gave Cameron the death glare. “I’m sorry, what did you just say?” She walked forward and stood towering over him.

An awkward moment came and went.

“I’m like the only person I know who says that.” She smiled. “Good job, handsome.” Jen patted Cameron on the back. “At least you’ve got that going for you. Next time, let’s cut the chit chat and focus on the French toast, okay?”

Jen stretched out her hand to Cameron. He grasped it and shook it.

“I have a feeling you’re going to be single for a long time,” Cameron said through gritted teeth.

Jen mimicked his obnoxious tone. “That’s what I’m going for. Single and loving it!”

Cameron released her hand.

“You’re a real charmer yourself,” she said.” Have a nice day.” Jen attended to another family table.

More than any other girl Cameron had met, this one made him angry. He could tell she was sharp, maybe even smarter than he was, but he obviously wasn’t going out with her tonight.

When Jen returned to the kitchen, veteran waitress Molly playfully elbowed her in the side. “Hey, what’s going on out there, Jen?”

“Well, if you need help with your apartment renovations, there’s a tota
l
too
l
at table seven. I’m sure he could help.” She grabbed a tray of burgers for a family party sitting in a curved booth, balancing them on her hand.

“Jen, seriously. He’s hot. Give him a chance.”

“Yeah, he’s great until he opens his mouth.”

“Come on, Jen, this happens all the time. Sweet guys come in and talk to you and you basically tell them to shove it. I wish I had your problems…”

“No. You don’t. And this one’s a creeper. Trust me.”

“At least he’s close to your age,” Molly said.

“Yeah, at least he has all his teeth,” Jen said as she flung the swinging kitchen doors open.

Jen’s behavior followed a notable pattern.

The more she agitated a guy, the more she liked him. She was a girl who thrived on control. Besides, any guy that could handle her wisecracks was probably worth giving a try.

And Cameron didn’t let Jen’s snide comments get to him. He was drawn to her strength. She wasn’t like the other girls – she had a spine.

As his interest grew in Jennifer Miller, Cameron kept ordering omelets and she kept bringing powdered French toast with a side of sass – just to screw with him. As sort of a running gag, Cameron started to bring an orange every morning.

He would draw a funny face on the orange with a marker and toss it to her across the restaurant. Every time she caught it, Jen dug her nails into the rind, letting the tart spray glisten in the sunlight streaming through the diner windows.

Certain days, Cameron got a different waitress, but he still managed to steal glances at Jen. There were times she seemed to take the long way around the diner just to walk by his table.

He knew he liked Jen because he was extremely nervous around her. It was as if she pressed a button that flipped his stomach every time she walked by. Consequently, Cameron was becoming fond of Mandarin Orange French Toast and even fonder of Jen’s attention.

Then, one breezy Colorado morning, Cameron entered Denny’s with a fresh bouquet of flowers in hand. He sat down in the booth and straightened his new blue tie.

The kitchen doors swung open and Jen stopped in her tracks. She couldn’t help but notice the flowers and Cameron’s clean-cut appearance. No question, this was all for her.

Jen swallowed and approached Cameron’s table. “Let me guess, you’re going hiking in that dress shirt later today.”

Cameron gave Jen a smoldering glance, and noticed the lovely symmetry of her face. “You got it,” he said, “I think the bears will appreciate that I made an effort.”

Jen tried not to laugh, but couldn’t help herself. “Bravo. How many slices of French toast today? You want high stack?”

Cameron licked his lips. “You got any blueberries back there? I’m feelin
g
adventurou
s
.”

“Isn’t there something else?”

Cameron rubbed his hand on his square jaw. “Actually, there’s a girl here. I think the regulars call her Jen? Have you seen her around? I’m not sure how to describe her, but she’s an awful lot like a sour patch kid. Sour, sweet, gone.”

“Nice try. I don’t know about the sweet part though. I’ve experienced mostly the sour side.”

“Yeah, me too. But, I think I figured it out…”

Jen batted her eyes twice.

“I think that’s just her screwed up way of flirting.”

Jen cracked a smile and smacked Cameron with a menu. “Just ask me!”

“Hey, alright! Jen, you want to get a bite to eat tonight?”

“I don’t eat anymore.” Jen cracked again and started laughing. “Yeah. You want to rent a bicycle built for two and catch a drive in flick after?”

Cameron lost it and laughed until his eyes watered. “Um…sure. Let’s do it.”

“No, I’m serious. I’ve always wanted to ride a two-person bicycle.”