The Dorvak Protocol 6
Norma ran and ran through the crowd. The people were mostly heading toward the scene of the blast, trying to get a look. None of them tried to stop the barefoot woman running from it.
Finally, she took a chance, stopped, and caught her breath. She then stepped up on the hood of a car parallel parked on the curb. She looked hard, but saw no sign of Trevor pursuing her. She looked around and saw a yellow taxi at the Four Queens cab stand, it’s driver standing outside gaping at the mayhem. Norma jumped down and walked towards him. As she did, she reached in her purse for the phone book page.
By the time Trevor began to wake, he was all trussed up with a black hood over his head. His mouth was taped close. Every once in a while, the Big Man would lift the hood to check if he was still breathing.
After a while, the ride grew rough. Trevor knew they were now driving off road, in the desert.
Norma regretted the loss of her sandals. Not for comfort, like all women who’d been through the Dorvak Process, she just as soon never wear shoes again. But the old hag of a librarian seemed thoroughly unimpressed with Norma’s charms, and downright hostile to her unshod feet.
”I told you, girl...the card catalogues are over there. Look it up yourself.”
”Yes......but you see, I’m in a bit of hurry. Look....the faster I find what I’m looking for, the faster I’ll be out of your hair. Please.”
The dour spinster looked at her balefully, then said:
”Try Literarture-English, 820, I think.”
Norma forced herself to not run to the stacks
Angie sat before the large mirror, brushing her still raven hair. She saw there were still no sign that she was forty-six. That was a side benefit of Dorvak’s hypnosis, but one she would have gladly traded for a normal life.
Angie tried her best to give that to her son, Peter. She’d promised to take him to the movies. “Conquest of the Planet of the Apes” had finally opened, and Peter was a huge fan of the series. She was happy to see him finally distracted from his Dad’s death.
But she was worried. She’d expected a call from either Dr. Spender or Trevor by now. Angie desperately wanted the call to come before they had to leave for the theater.
Angie gazed into the mirror, and sighed. Despite her youthful appearance, she was feeling overcome by the weight of responsibility. She was now a single mom to a sensitive teen. Artie still needed her help overseeing the two restaurants. Bart was doing well in keeping the Agency going, but she still made the big decisions.
Plus, there was the matter of the hundreds of Zombie Gals spread all over the country, most of them happily ignorant they’d been brainwashed. Johnny had sworn that they would be protected and cured, if possible. That was Johnny, all over. A hero right up to the time his mind and body failed him.
Since then, it’d been left to Angie. She hadn’t given herself the luxury of grieving Johnny yet, she had no time. Nancy and Dori were good friends and helped. Patricia had devoted a lot of money and other resources to Spender’s research. But most of the soul crushing weight was on Angie.
Trevor was her hope, someone to share the load. If only he could grow into the man Johnny saw in him, the fight could go on. Peter was meant for gentler things. His teachers all said he had real writing talent, but he had too gentle a soul for the task. It had to be Trevor.
Transporting Norma was Trevor’s test, one she desperately needed him to pass.
She opened the drawer to put away the brush, and saw the tape recorder. The cassette it held was Johnny’s last gift to her, recorded while he could still speak. She was tempted to play the tape, and enjoy the escape and the release it unfailingly gave her. But she knew it was time to get going. Petey needed her, now more than ever.
She knew she’d neglected him in past few days. It didn’t matter she had excuses. She’d just have to trust Trevor would get the job done. Tonight, was dedicated to making it all up to Petey. A movie date, complete with a visit to the diner for a Space Gal Monster Sundae.
Angie smiled at the thought, and did a final check on her make up.
Norma found the pay phone next to the restrooms. The cool tile contrasted with the threadbare library carpeting of the stacks and felt good on her soles. Carefully balancing the heavy tome with her body against the wall, she picked up the headset with one hand, and dialed with the other. The operator picked up as she adjusted her reading glasses.
”Yes....I want to make a collect call.”
Angie was grabbing a pair of heels from her closet when the phone began to ring. She sprang up and sprinted to the phone next to the bed. She simultaneously sat on the bed and picked up the headset.
“Hello...what? Sure....I’ll accept....Norma? What the hell? Why are you calling, has something happened to Trevor? Norma...why are you giggling?”
Suddenly, Angie’s instincts told her to hang up the phone.
Norma realized she was blowing it. She took a quick breath, and loudly blurted:
”Barefoot Angelina must listen.”
Angie had started to pull the headset from her ear, but Norma’s voice came through loud and clear. At first, she felt like screaming “NO”. But by the end of the first trigger stage, all she felt was sweet anticipation as the heels dropped from her other hand.
Norma was torn by doubt. Was Angie still on the phone? Should she have said “Angie” rather than “Barefoot Angelina”? Had Angie pulled her ear away in time? There was no choice but to plunge ahead.
Norma looked down at the book, then spoke with a shaky voice.
”Thou still unravish’d bride of quietness.”
Angie felt the familiar relief of all her cares and worries fading away.
“Thou foster-child of silence and slow time.” Her voice was barely above a murmur.
She listened, then spoke.
”Yes, Norma...we have spoken the words, and I must obey.”
Angie listened, then responded.
“I’m sorry...we have spoken the words, and I must obey, Goddess.”
She listened again.
“Yes Goddess, I am an ugly stupid woman with no class.”
Norma squealed with delight and danced a little jig. Her librarian nemesis was walking past and gruffly shushed her.
This brought Norma back down to Earth. This was fun, but there was work to be done.
“Tell me, you low rent piece of shit, what are your plans for this evening?”
She listened to Angie’s answer.
”Oh no, Bitch.....that won’t do at all. Now listen carefully.”
Peter bounded up the stairs two steps at a time. When he got to the master bedroom door, he knocked. When there was no answer, he opened the door and entered. He looked around, then heard his mom in the walk in closet.
“C’mon, the movie starts in an hour.....we gotta get going.”
Angie came out of the closet, a small suitcase in hand. She put it on the bed, opened it, and started packing.
”Mom......what’re you doing.....we gotta go.”
She blankly looked at him for a moment, then went back to packing.
”Mom?”
Angie looked like she remembered something.
”Something has come up. I have to go out of town for a while. Call your uncle if you need anything.” She padded over to the dresser for more clothes.
”But, Mom.....you promised.” His voice shook with barely suppressed emotion.
Angie paused, turned towards him, and looked with empty eyes.
”Something has come up. I have to go out of town a while. Call your uncle if you need anything.”
She went back to packing.
About an hour later, Angie was in Johnny’s office. She knelt and opened the safe. She pulled out the ledger, with its master list of post hypnotic triggers. She put in on the large mahogany desk, then sat in Johnny’s seat.
About twenty minutes later, Johnny’s private line began to ring. She answered.
”Goddess, I have obeyed.”
She listened.
”Yes, Goddess.....I’m leaving for Vegas now.”