This is the fourth Dupuis story. First came “The Mysteries of Armand Dupuis 39: The Case of the Barefoot Murderess” set in 1895. Next, “The Deep Sleep” set in 1959. Then, “The Dorvak Protocol”, set in 1972, as is this story. Those stories should be read before this.
The Dorvak Reckoning Part One
Isla Garda, Southwest Florida
September 1972
Petey put down the old book, needing a break. He’d read it over twenty times. When he first picked up his paperback copy three years ago, it’d been a different time. Sure, Dad was sick. But most of those details were kept from him. He mostly enjoyed his life, surrounded by loving women like his “aunts” Nancy, Dori, and Patty. Most of all, he had the love of his mom. He lived in an affluent cocoon.
Now, he was in this rental beach home, a fugitive from those very same women. His dad and uncle were dead, the women now hypnotized by Norma Breckinridge. His adopted brother Trevor was missing, probably dead. Now, he depended on three strangers: an odd neuroscientist, a literary heroine, and a deadly, brainwashed, killer.
When he last held the paperback, he read it for pleasure. He’d loved reading and re-reading the adventures of his Great Uncle Armand Dupuis, the stalwart Prince Singh, and the beautiful, talented Briar Gasdsen. He’d read all 39 Books in order. Then he’d seen all of the Hollywood versions though most of them weren’t very faithful to the books or even that goodd. He even wrote his own “Armand Dupuis” stories. One of these had actually won first prize in a school competition.
But Petey was not re-reading Aunt Briar’s original edition of “The Mysteries of Armand Dupuis #39” for pleasure now. He did it for research. He studied every hypnosis related passage. He desperately looked for clues to help rescue his mother from her hypnotic servitude.
Petey sighed and looked over at his roommate, who laid flat on her back on the cot that sat across from his bed. Her ever present semiautomatic pistol, tipped with its long silencer sat under the cot. She lay motionless, as if asleep.
His gaze lingered. She wore boyish, striped pajamas. But even modest sleepwear couldn’t hide the curves of her body. To Petey, Cassie was a gorgeous angel. It was kind of weird and awkward sharing a room with her. He was a thirteen year old with all the expected urges, and he’d developed a huge crush on Cassie. He had to suppress many fantasies about her. He felty guilty lusting after his adopted brother’s girlfriend. More shameful was that he often fantasized triggering and hypnotizing her. The guilt of these dark thoughts had led him to ask that they sleep in separate rooms.
But Cassie wouldn’t have it. Trevor had programmed her that protecting Petey was her Cause, and she rarely could be persuaded to leave his side. And Petey had seen first hand what she was like in her deadly, Daisy persona. He had to admit he felt safer with her ever present.
He got up from his bed, and walked across the room. He wasn’t surprised when Cassie suddenly sat up, her eyes fully aware.
”Mikey? Is everything ok?”
He sighed. The Doc had told him it wasn’t her fault. “Mikey” was probably some buried memory in her brainwashed mind. But still, it annoyed him. “I’m Petey......Cassie. And I’m just getting something to drink. Go back to sleep.” Nevertheless, she got up and followed him out to the stairs.
Briar Gasdsen sat with her eyes closed in an easy chair listening to classical music from the stereo that had come with the house. A cup of tea sat on a small table next to her. The only sign she was awake was her small smile and the nodding of her head to the music.
Peter still found it hard to believe that this woman was, by his estimate, 107 years old. She looked more than half that. Like all of the women exposed to the full Dorvak Process, she aged at a much slower rate. Other than her silver hair and occasional anachronistic turn of phrase, there was no clue she was the author and heroine of a turn of the century series of books.
Her son, Dr. Spender,k sat at the kitchen table, furiously writing on paper, his own cup sitting ignored next to him. A haze of cigarette smoke hung over the table. Petey went to the kitchen, while his pretty watchdog sat on the steps.
Petey was poured tap water into a glass. Fred Flintstone was painted on the side.
”I still don’t get why we couldn’t stay in the desert. Now we’re thousands of miles away from Mom.”
Spender just ignored him and kept writing.
”I said, I still don’t..........“. Petey now sounded petulant.
Spender groaned, and put his pen down.
”Your beloved Mother knew the location of our compound. If she knew it, it’s a sure thing Norma knows it now. We probably just got away from there in time. Good thing we planned ahead for emergency bug outs. Your mum probably drew Norma a map right to it.”
Petey wanted to argue and defend his Mom, but he knew Spender was right.
The music on the radio ended.
“From the campus of the University of South Florida in Tampa, this is your host Grant Jimson. You just heard Mahler’s Seventh Symphony, performed by the Berlin Philharmonic, von Karajan conducting. After an orchestral feast like that, I think we should contrast it with a great piano performance . Next up, from his recent RCA release, Van Cliburn performs Ludwig von Beethoven’s ‘Fur Elise’.”
It took a moment for Petey to register the title, and the haunting opening had already begun to play when he dropped the Flintstone glass and sprinted to the stereo.
”Aunt Briar... don’t listen to the music, you gotta cover your ears!“. Petey turned the stereo tuner off.
Spender stood, looked at the shattered glass, then stared at the boy.
”Have you gone daft?“ Then, he seemed to realize something, and began to laugh.
”Hey Mum, the tyke thinks you’re triggered. Let’s test it.....you will now act like a kuala bear.” He theatrically snapped his fingers.
Briar ignored her son, and went over to Petey by the stereo. She smiled reassuringly, and put her small hand on his shoulder.
”It’s quite all right, Peter. ‘Fur Elise’ is not my post hypnotic trigger...in fact....it never was. You’d agree it wouldn’t have been too cagey to give give the world the key to my mind. It’s one of the many things I.....needed to change for my book.”
”What.....What other parts of the story did you change, Aunt Briar?”
Her face drained of color, as her eyes began to water. Her son interceded, looking at his mom with uncharacteristically tender concern.
”All right then, that’s enough jibber jabber. You and Cassie are going to be up early, helping me set up my lab. Once we’re in business, we can find out who turned Cassie into ‘Daisy’. We might even find out why she calls you ‘Mikey’. Now, off to bed with the lot of you. You too, Mum, you’ve had a long day.
Briar kissed Peter on the head. She whispered, “Go on, dear....I promise, we will talk on this soon.”
Later that night, the nightmare came to her again.
It was 1895 again, and Briar stood in the entranceway of Armand’s townhouse. Normally, all her attention would be on the love of her life. Armand knelt on one knee, looking so young and dashing. But, instead, Briar stared at the prostrate giant lying next to Armand, his body convulsing.
A part of Briar’s mind knew this wasn’t correct. Yes, under hypnosis, she had brought poisoned salt water taffy to what she believed was an imposter Singh. But she’d left soon thereafter, returning to her masters in the carriage. She’d hadn’t been present when the real Singh had.......died.
Dream Armand interrupted these thoughts.
”For God’s sake, Briar.....what have you done? Singh is dying...don’t just stand there...You can still undo your crime...you must telephone for help!”
Dream Briar slowly nodded her head.
Back in the beach rental, Briar sat up in bed. Her eyes opened, then her legs swung her feet to the floor.
Dream Briar grew more confused. The Dark Commander had ordered her to go to Armand’s townhouse wearing shoes so not to be suspicious. Yet she felt the wooden floor beneath her bare soles.
Dream Armand grew more insistent.
”Briar.....you’ve poisoned Singh....but you can save him.....go to the phone. Do it now!”
Back in Florida, Briar stood and went to her door.
Thousands of miles away, Lorna 6748 was worried, despite her deep hypnotic trance. The Dark Count looked peaceful enough, floating in his tube filled with alchemical potions. But the gauges told another story. The needles fluctuated wildly, showing that the mostly dead man was exerting tremendous psychic energy.
“The Master is dangerously straining himself. We must end this.” She reached for the red button.
Lorna 3748 grabbed her hand. “No sister, he has commanded. We are not to interfere until every gauge is in the red.”
Cassie dreamt of a long ago Thanksgiving Dinner.
“Mom....Mikey is giving his carrots to Spike, under the table!” Dream Cassie sounded so young, like a teenager.
”Shut up, Cass I am not.“. Mikey playfully kicked her.
Back in Florida, Cassie woke up with a start. Something wasn’t right. Her Cause mattered more than any pleasant dream. She looked over at........Peter, who seemed safe and deeply in slumber. She then heard soft footfalls in the hallway. Cassie picked up her pistol, and got off the cot. She looked out in the hallway, and saw a shadowy figure.
”Miss Briar.....you OK? Cassie whispered.
Back in the 1895 Dream, Briar heard someone call to her. But Armand walked next to her now,demanding her whole attention.
”Ignore that voice, Briar. We cannot be delayed. You’ve poisoned Singh.....but you can still save him. Just go down the stairs to the telephone.” He was beginning to sound desperate. “You must go down the stairs.”
Dream Briar thought, that’s not right. Armand’s new telephone hung on the wall in the kitchen on the same floor. But she loved Armand, and knew his genius was beyond question. If he said go down the stairs, that is what she should do. She glided down the staircase. Now, she saw she was in the beach house, in 1972. But Dream Armand was still there with her.
”Yes, my love. Follow my instructions to the letter, and Singh will survive your murderous attempt, and you and I can be together. But first, we must save Singh.”
“Yes, Darling.....we must save Singh.”
Briar reached the small table with a phone, and waited further instruction
”Now Briar...I will give you the number to dial. You will dial the number. When your call is answered, you will give your current location, the address. That way Singh can be saved. You will dial 1-212-436-8769. Do it now.”
“Yes, Darling...I will obey you, my love.
Briar picked up the phone and reached down to dial.
Suddenly, a hand tightly grasped her wrist.
Dream Armand dissolved, and for a fleeting second he was replaced by a hideous corpse like visage. But then, that too dissolved, and she saw Cassie’s worried face.
Briar woke, and screamed.
Suddenly, the gauge needles all swung to zero.
Lorna 3748 sighed. “The Master is calmer now.”
Lorna 6748 did not reply. Her eyes blinked, then rolled up in her head. Zombie like, she padded to the tank. She pressed her right palm against the glass. He eyes again to rapidly blink, then closed, again. When she spoke, her voice was clear and strong.
”Briar Gasdsen is in a beach house, Florida maybe. The Master has new instructions.”
Spender held onto his Mother as her thin body was wracked with sobs.
”I killed him....I murdered Singh......he was like a father to me....I had a chance to save Singh....why.......why did you stop me?”
“Mum......wake up.....it was a nightmare......you were sleepwalking again.”
Cassie brought a blanket and covered Briar’s shaking shoulders. She spoke to Spender.
”I think it was something more than that. It was like someone was talking to her....commanding her...like you know....when I’m triggered.”
”Impossible. No one but me has triggered Mum in decades. Petey going on about what she changed for the book probably just stirred up a lot of bad memories. She’s sleepwalked before, that’s probably all there is to it.”
Both of them were startled when Briar spoke, her voice calm and lucid.
”No........she’s right. He has found a way to get to me when I sleep....I’m sure of it. I suspected the last time you found me sleepwalking in Nevada, but I wasn’t sure so I kept quiet about it. Now I’m sure of it.”
”Mother, that’s too incredible, even for him.”
“Don’t you see? It explains everything. Norma Breckinridge was fully processed in 1959. Nothing should have broken her Good Norma programming. Now we know...he found some way to awaken her true self and to nudge her along. He can’t fully control us, not like we’re triggered......but he can worm his way into our sleep and make his little suggestions. He always was a sly devil.”
Cassie interrupted. “You both keep going on about ‘He’ and ‘Him’. If I’m going to protect you people, and if Norma Breckinridge isn’t the primary target, who is?”
Spender and Briar just looked at each other.
From the top of the stairs, Petey spoke.
”They’re talking about the Dark Count, Cassie. It makes no sense....but that’s who we’re talking about, right?”
Briar slowly nodded her head.