Trifecta (66 page)

E
ve hurried straight to Ivar through the bright,
busy lobby.  She looked at his astonished face and said, "I to have to speak
to you openly.  There's an emergency.  Sato Hashimoto has Sabrina.  He won't release
her unless I go to Japan."

"They're holding her against her will?"  Ivar
asked, frowning.

Eve nodded.  She explained that she had agreed to meet
Hashimoto at LAX that night.  He would release Sabrina when she got on the plane
to Tokyo.

Ivar glanced over at Malcolm, who had lost all interest
in covert surveillance and was watching them with undisguised curiosity.

"Hashimoto says Sabrina will be in a terrible accident,
unless I do what he says."

"Did anyone hear his threats?"

"A bodyguard of his, named Kokuro.  But Hashimoto
beat him up and a doctor took him to the hospital.  And he'll probably pretend he
can't speak English, anyway."

Eve saw that Malcolm was walking over, so she explained
quickly that Hashimoto wanted her computer and planned to dissect her to get it. 
There was no time to pussyfoot around.  Ivar probably knew, or suspected, anyway.

When Malcolm reached them, Ivar explained the situation
to him.  He omitted homicidal threats, an implanted computer, a beaten bodyguard
and the swap at LAX.  He had a ferocious desire to protect Eve from those who planned
to open her head and take her treasure.

Malcolm was dazzled just to be this close to the person
he had been fantasizing about.  He did not question the story, just said he needed
to speak to Ivar alone for a moment.

Eve heard the conversation because they didn't know about
her enhanced auditory ability.  Ivar pointed out that Burgess Whitcomb expected
them to bring in both of the women.  One would not do because they couldn't tell
which was which.  The Japanese wanted to take Eve out of the country, an occurrence
that Burgess would probably kill them for.  After he kicked them out of the CIA. 
If they let it happen. 

Malcolm agreed to help, but said it had to be 'by the book.'
Eve wondered if that meant more delays as she sat and twisted in a chair, watching
all the interesting costumes pass by in the crowded lobby.  These women, leaving
the Republican Party luncheon, were probably rich and would be the targets of Sabrina's
new fashion design store.  Eve thought the majority of them looked silly.  The women
behaved theatrically, with dramatic, exaggerated and frantic body motions.  Sabrina
would be doing them all a favor by opening her shop where they could get some help. 
They were all named Dear and Darling, and were overtly affectionate in strange ways,
kissing air around the peoples faces they talked to.  They all smelled terrible
to Eve's nostrils, overly sensitive to strong perfumes.

Eve went over to the bank of lobby telephones, passing
distinct pathways of perfume scent.  She noticed nauseating areas where two distinct
fragrances lingered and mingled in obnoxious combinations.  Her upturned nose twitched
with revulsion.

Eve called the Los Angeles Times Newspaper and got Mark. 
She explained that Sabrina was missing, a prisoner of Sato Hashimoto.  She mentioned
Hashimoto's threats.

Mark suggested she leave Sabrina alone and go somewhere
far away and never bother to come back.  Then he said he would be right over to
help search for Sabrina.  Eve told him to hurry and to bring his camera.

Ivar came over to her.  He said that to conduct the search
they had to get permission from the hotel manager.  The process could take some
time.  The hotel manager would probably be adamant that the Japanese Embassy be
contacted.  And then the FBI would get involved. 

"Call it off."

"My thought exactly,"  Ivar said.

"What will we do about Malcolm?"  Eve asked.

"He agreed to let me handle it if we don't work strictly
legitimate.  Malcolm doesn't want to lose his job.  Hashimoto is leaving the hotel,
so he'll follow Hashimoto."

Eve told Ivar that they would have to wait for Mark Ponti. 
He could be useful because he was a journalist. 

"These places have master keys,"  Ivar said,
as they sat down in the lobby.  "The maid service uses them routinely.  I wish
we could get one.  I'm afraid if we do find the right room, we won't be able to
get in."

"I'll break the door down." 

Ivar thought she was joking and commented, "Too noisy."

Eve started telling Ivar that there were some things about
her that he didn't know, and that she would explain.  She was interrupted when Mark
rushed through the glass doors into the lobby, spotted her, and hurried over. 

Eve felt an instant surge of pure love for Mark, which
she immediately recognized as a Sabrina Emotion.  She realized she truly had to
get Sabrina and Mark back together again.

Eve introduced Ivar and Mark.  They were sizing each other
up like two wary animals meeting for the first time.  Sabrina had probably told
Mark about her relationship with Ivar.  Mark must know that Ivar was a spy.  That
realization did not help Mark's response to Ivar, which was definitely cool.  Mark
looked at her and she could tell he was wondering how she could have involved a
spook into this predicament. 

To defuse the situation, Eve started talking very fast,
"I'll run up the stairs and peek down hallways.  As soon as I find a door with
one of the bodyguards outside it, I'll come back to the lobby and get you two. 
Mark, you have to get pictures of the guard in front of the door.  You'll have to
be very fast.  When we get inside, I'm afraid they will be restraining Sabrina. 
Remember this, Mark, because it's very important.  Take the pictures before you
run to Sabrina. 

"And Ivar, when we get inside, you pull out your ID
and act very official.  Scare them into letting her go." 

Mark looked at Eve dubiously.

"We'll get her back, Mark, don't worry, but I would
rather not have to hurt anyone."

Both men watched her stride quickly away.

"Damn,"  Mark said sighing and shaking his head
in gloom.  "She's pure trouble."

"She was kidding about hurting people.  Wasn't she?" 

"Don't you know anything about your girlfriend? She
breaks peoples legs.  And bites them.  And now look what's happened.  Sabrina's
been kidnapped!.  The strange thing is, Sabrina is totally loyal to Eve.  Even with
her whole life in a shambles.  You'd think they really were sisters."

"Identical twins.  Aren't they?"  Ivar asked.

Mark looked at Ivar with pity.  He didn't trust the man
enough to tell him the truth.  The funny thing was, he had a gut instinct he could
rely on the guy, even though Ivar looked like a movie star spy, and Mark didn't
usually trust handsome men.  As he sat waiting, Mark decided that Ivar was the type
of man that Sabrina had been looking for all along, while dating him.  It was probably
true because Eve, who was Sabrina's duplicate, had fallen for him like a brick.

"You'll have to ask Eve about her relationship to
Sabrina,"  Mark said, finally.

W
hen Hashimoto arrived at the intensive care ward at Cedars
Sinai Hospital, he caught sight of Stephan and Alexander coming down the hallway
to visit their father.

Both men stopped and looked at Hashimoto with undisguised
hostility.  Alexander was the first to speak, "Why are you here? Dad's too
sick to have visits from strangers."

Hashimoto managed to come up with a plan on short notice. 
He feigned humiliation and sorrow, telling the brothers that he had done research
on their father.  He was now convinced that there was truth in the fantastic story
they had told him about the computer named Eve.

"And if you find it's true?"  Alexander asked.

"Of course, if it is, I would be willing to pay the
finders fee we already agreed upon."

Hashimoto saw greed light up the faces of the two big men. 
He had promised to pay a princely sum for the computer.  Now they thought they had
a chance to get it. 

Of course, Hashimoto had no intention of making good on
his promise.  As far as he was concerned he had control of the woman and the computer. 
He merely wanted all the information he could get before he went back to Japan. 
He was afraid with her great strength and genius brain the computer could be very
hard to handle.  He wanted to minimize the risks to himself and his own scientists
when she was no longer threatened with the death of her sister.  The best hope would
be to convince the old scientist to come with him to Japan, to help handle her until
they were able to remove the computer.

"In that case, we would be happy to have you meet
with our father,"  Stephan said smoothly.  "I want to go in first and
tell him about you."

"Oh, we've met before,"  Hashimoto said.  "My
first day here in California I stopped by.  Your father and I had a chat.  Then
he had that unfortunate stroke.  We were discussing a visit to Japan."

Stephan Steinbrenner had a talk with the nurses.  They
allowed Hashimoto a quick visit.  The bodyguards were not permitted in the hospital
room, so they stood in the open doorway. 

The right side of Ferd Steinbrenner's face looked like
it was tired because it drooped down, affecting grief, while the other half smiled
in recognition of his sons.  Hashimoto waited while each dutifully kissed the old
man's cheek. 

Then Stephan Steinbrenner brightly said they brought a
visitor.  Hashimoto came forward to shake the hand that was held out to him.  He
looked into the old man's eyes and saw only confusion.

Hashimoto explained that he had come the week before, bringing
his expert in computer technology.  They had talked about a trip to Japan so Dr.
Steinbrenner could help his scientists.

Dr. Steinbrenner spoke slowly and seemed to have some difficulty
finding the proper words, but his voice was easy to understand, although it slurred
periodically.  He said he had been sick and didn't remember the meeting.  He was
curious about the kind of computers Mr.  Hashimoto's scientists needed help with. 
He didn't believe the doctors would allow him to go to Japan, but if he could assist
them in any way he would be happy to do so.  Dr. Steinbrenner seemed grateful that
his expertise would be useful.

"It's about your newest experiment, Dad,"  Alexander
said eagerly, leaning over the old man.  "You know.  The secret one," 
he whispered in a hiss.

"Ah, the secret one,"  Dr. Steinbrenner said
smiling.  "Unfortunately, I don't remember a secret computer."

Alexander whispered so Hashimoto would not hear, "You
remember the experiment.  We brought you the baby girl."

"The baby,"  Ferd said loudly, frowning in concentration. 
"I do remember the baby.  What happened to her?" 

Hashimoto watched in astonishment as the old man's face
suddenly crumpled in a sadness so great he was almost moved himself.  Large tears
ran out of clear blue eyes and down the drawn cheeks.  The doctor's face had taken
on an aspect of intense grief.

"I want her back,"  Dr. Steinbrenner whispered. 
He sat with tears falling and a look of fierce of longing, until Stephan leaned
over and wiped the old face with tissues he plucked from the box by the bed.  The
tears almost disappeared as quickly as they came in the wrinkled parchment-like
skin, but they kept flowing silently from crinkled eyes.

"It's all right Dad,"  Stephan whispered.  "She's
all grown up now.  She's very beautiful."

"You're sure she's all right?"  Ferd asked plaintively. 
"I do remember the baby."

"I'm sure."

Dr. Steinbrenner pulled the tissues out of his son's hand,
wiped his own face and straightened up with difficulty, and some dignity, using
only his left arm.

"Perhaps I should leave,"  Hashimoto said quietly
to Alexander.  He was embarrassed by the old man's strong emotions and felt pity
for him, mingled with contempt for his lack of control.

"No,"  Dr. Steinbrenner said.  "Please don't
leave yet.  I get strange, almost uncontrollable, emotions sometimes.  You see,
I can't remember the last ten years or so.  I've lost so much.  I do remember a
tiny baby girl."

"That's all right, Dad,"  Stephan said quickly. 

Hashimoto thought any help he could get from the old scientist
was totally gone with the stroke that had taken Steinbrenner's memory.  Still, he
might try.  "It's a computer that could work within the human brain." 

"Robotics? Cybernetics? An interesting concept.  I
would have to do some research to update myself on the state of the art today," 
Dr. Steinbrenner said, seeming to gain more control.  "I have lost almost a
whole decade.  Still, it is an amazing concept.  Why don't you have your people
come over and talk to me?"

"I will be sure to have them do so, Dr. Steinbrenner. 
We have to leave tonight, so we'll make it another time.  I'm sure my scientists
will be grateful to speak to you,"  Hashimoto said, taking his leave courteously,
bowing himself out the door.

As he left, he heard Dr. Steinbrenner insisting to his
sons, "I do remember the baby girl.  I do."

"It's all right, Dad."

M
ark and Ivar sat in tense silence.  Finally Eve
appeared, shaking her head.  "I was sure they would have a bodyguard outside
the room.  But they didn't.  Then I searched every restaurant and public area."

Eve turned and quickly went to a bank of courtesy lobby
phones.  Mark and Ivar looked at each other blankly, then followed her.

Eve called the front desk, saying she was with the L.A. 
Times Newspaper.  She glanced around and saw the woman who had taken her call across
the lobby.  Eve said she was calling because a reporter was on his way to interview
Mr.  Hashimoto.  He would be arriving late.  Could she have his room? Eve got the
expected response that Mr.  Hashimoto was not answering. 

Mark and Ivar stood on either side of Eve, bent down, listening.

Eve told the operator that Mr.  Hashimoto had reserved
several rooms.  Would they please check? She had the reporter on his car phone on
another line and he was waiting.  After a few minutes and the front desk clerk said
there was no answer from any of the rooms.  Mr.  Hashimoto had reserved rooms 509,
510, 511 and 512, as well as the penthouse suite.  Eve thanked the operator and
told her, no, she did not wish to leave a message.

"They're not supposed to give room numbers," 
Ivar commented.

"Fifth floor,"  Mark said.

Eve had already strode to the elevators.  Ivar and Mark
hurried after her.

Mark muttered, One track mind, and stuck his arm in the
elevator door to keep from being left behind.

"They've had her almost an hour,"  Eve said. 
"Is the camera ready?"

Mark nodded, as they exited on the fifth floor.

Eve walked quickly to room 509 and stopped before it. 
She stood there for a minute, doing absolutely nothing. 

"What's she doing?"  Ivar asked, almost to himself.

"Shh,"  Mark said.  "Listening."

"These rooms are expensively built, with good soundproofing," 
Ivar said.

Eve went to each of Hashimoto's rooms and stood there a
while.  On the last door, 512, Ivar could see her whole body tense as she leaned
into it.  Then she turned around.

"Sabrina's in 510.  Someone is telling her, over and
over, how happy she will be living in Japan with her sister.  They're using some
kind of mind control technique.  There are at least three people in the room, maybe
four.  Someone said something about a drug overdose."

"Oh my God,"  Mark exclaimed.

"I'm afraid of what will happen to Sabrina if I make
a lot of noise getting inside.  The suites are probably interconnected.  If I broke
into one, they could hustle her to another, which would give them too much time
to call security."

Eve glanced at Mark, "If they are using these methods,
they might consider Sabrina expendable.  Give her an overdose on purpose, if they
believe they'll be caught.  Big headlines: Famous Model and Owner of Sabrina's Fashions
Commits Suicide at Century Plaza Hotel.  So we have to go in fast and quiet.  Totally
surprise them.  Which means we have to get a control key card to open the door. 
Any ideas?"

Mark shook his head.

"I'll break into 511,"  Sabrina decided.  "It's
next door but further from the elevators.  We can call from there for towels.  The
Japanese are notorious for their baths." 

"As long as you don't make too much noise," 
Mark said.  "And assuming we can con the maid into letting us use the key." 

Ivar wondered how Eve could possibly believe she could
break into one of the rooms.  A successful attempt would require a hacksaw, but
he saw Mark nodding.

As they made plans for the assault on room 511, a party
of four people exited the elevators.  Mark made a good imitation of looking for
his key card, while Eve and Ivar asked loudly and irritably if he could have left
it somewhere.  Mark pretended to pat through numerous suit pockets.  The charade
ended abruptly when the two couples entered their rooms.

"I'll stand guard,"  Mark said, positioning himself
in front of the elevators.  If an elevator opened he would cough loudly to warn
Eve, and detain the people leaving the elevator by blindly walking into them.

Eve and Ivar went to room 511 and stood in front of it. 
Eve took a deep breath and pushed with all her strength.  The door did not budge
a millimeter. 

"My legs are stronger,"  she whispered. 

"No one can kick down a door,"  Ivar said.

Eve took off her shoes and tried a high kick right next
to the lock.  It resulted in a thundering crash that reverberated down the hallway. 
She dented the door slightly. 

Ivar watched with astonished concern.  He thought she must
have broken her foot.

"I might get in, eventually, but it would take too
long and it's too noisy."  Eve took a bottle of syrup from her purse and took
a few swallows.  They waited for someone to poke their head out of a room to see
what the disturbance had been, but no one checked. 

Ivar started searching his pockets for tools.  "The
doors are encased with metal, with wood in the center.  The lock is metal soldered
to metal alloy.  We'll have to try to break the lock off."  He took out a very
sharp knife.

"Let me try."  Eve put it on the seam of the
lock where it attached to the door.  She pushed so hard her arm started to shake
and the knife blade bent in an arc.

"I'm sorry."

"That's all right,"  Ivar said.  He had known
she was heavier than regular people, and very strong, but he was astonished.

Eve bent the knife back so that it was almost straight,
using both her hands, as Ivar simultaneously told her to be careful.  She might
cut herself.  She did, but the gash on the thick pad of her thumb closed before
his eyes.  He would have said something about the miraculous healing, but Eve had
put the thin blade into the slit where the card key fit and was feeling around inside
with the knife.

There were loud metallic crunching noises and percussive
pops.  Ivar glanced over at Mark.  He was shaking his head with a finger over his
mouth.

The interior of the lock mechanism was more delicate than
Ivar thought, or else Eve was phenomenally strong because she was destroying it. 
He didn't think it would do any good. 

Eve hacked at the lock with the knife and pressed on the
bar handle.  She was breaking off the lever.  It would be totally useless.  There
was no way she could make the bolt come out of the door jamb.

Eve turned her head and smiled at Ivar.  The door clicked
open.

Mark hurried down the hall and entered the room with them. 
They had to move quickly now.  The door lever was hanging at an odd angle.  Anyone
walking down the hallway would notice.

The room looked like more than one person had changed rapidly
and without a thought to neatness.  Gi's, black belts, shirts and pajamas were strewn
across the two beds haphazardly.  Eve went to the phone, dialed housekeeping and
handed the phone to Ivar.  They would be expecting a male to be in the room.

Eve told him what to say, "Hai.  Towels please.  Room
510 and 511."

Mark stood in the doorway, holding onto the door handle
to disguise the fact that it was broken.  Eve stood beside him, leaning against
him, with an arm around his neck.  She wanted to look like a wanton prostitute. 
She stuck out one hip, unbuttoned a few buttons on her blouse and pulled it loose
from her jeans as though she had dressed hurriedly.  Ivar stood behind the door
in case they would need muscle.

Mark looked at Eve and nodded approvingly.  He messed up
her hair with his free hand and wished he had some gum she could pop.  He had to
tell Eve not to lean on him so hard.  She almost knocked him over.

The Century Plaza has very good service, but it seemed
a very long time before they saw a woman in the hotel uniform walking down the hallway
toward them carrying towels. 

Eve languidly straightened up as the woman came abreast
of them.  "We need two towels for this room.  Give me two more for next door."

The woman handed Eve the towels.

"Honey,"  Eve said, "I want to surprise
the guys next door.  A little gift.  You understand.  Just let me open the door?"

The maid handed Eve the key card while Mark smiled and
nodded at her.  Eve took the key and slipped it in the lock for room 510.  She quietly
pulled on the lever so that it clicked, and then handed the key back to the housekeeper.

Mark smirked at Eve lewdly for the benefit of the housekeeper. 
He gave Eve a wink, slapped her on the bottom and whispered loudly, "Give em
hell, baby."

The housekeeper was discrete and exited quickly.  She looked
back only once, saw the guests waiting for her to leave before opening the door,
and got into the elevator.

"Okay, Ivar,"  Mark said quietly.  Ivar came
into the hallway and stood behind them.

"Remember.  Use the camera right away, Mark."

Mark and Ivar stood on either side of Eve and she gave
a brief glance at each of them and nodded.  She threw the door open.  It hit the
doorjamb on the opposite wall, broke it, and crashed into the wall.

Mark was as good as his word and started snapping pictures.

The bodyguard who had been walking Sabrina across the hotel
room was so surprised and blinded by the flashing strobe that he dropped Sabrina. 
She crumpled to the floor.  Mark took pictures of the psychologist following her,
reading a script.  He took pictures of the doctor trying to put a cloth over the
syringes and medications that were used to drug Sabrina.  He took pictures of Sabrina,
lying in a loose heap on the floor.  He turned once to get a picture of the door
with the room number on it.  He took pictures of Ivar holding up his identification. 
He took pictures of the physician trying to run out of the room. 

Then Mark dropped the camera and ran to Sabrina.

Eve picked up the camera and resumed taking pictures. 
One of Ivar running after the tiny physician and grabbing him by the back of his
collar, pulling him back into the room.  One of the psychologist cringing and trying
to hide the papers he had been holding.  Eve grabbed the papers from him and took
pictures of every page.  She took pictures of the medications.  She took pictures
of the physician, the psychologist and the bodyguard sitting together on the bed
where Ivar made them stay.

She did not take pictures of Mark, carefully holding Sabrina's
head up and repeatedly asking if she was all right.  Or of the tears he batted away
when he found she was breathing and that she could move a little. 

Mark picked Sabrina up, carried her to a chair and sat
her down in his lap, petting her hair, murmuring over and over that she would be
fine.  He would take her home.  He rocked her like she was a small child.  She didn't
seem to recognize him.

Eve took pictures of Sabrina's dazed face, the dilated
eyes showing terrible fear and confusion.  Then Eve left the room, afraid if she
stayed any longer she would murder the three men sitting on the bed.

A couple of minutes later Ivar called her back inside. 
He needed her to take pictures of him confiscating the vials of drugs and syringes.

By this time the physician had regained his professional
hauteur.  He explained that Sabrina had become ill.  They had been tending to her.

The physician had a skinny neck that looked like a wrinkled
arm.  His adams apple bobbed as he said that he was a licensed physician.  What
right did they have to intrude? In Japan, patients regarded it as an honor to be
treated by him.  That he was being questioned about his expertise was an indignation.

"Save it,"  Ivar said harshly.  "I want
to know how much of each of these drugs you gave to Sabrina Miller."

Ivar took a pad out of his coat pocket and had the physician
shakily writing the amounts of each of the drugs.  Then he made the doctor sign
the bottom of the paper, threatening that if he did not sign it he could be put
in prison.  The doctor probably knew Ivar was bluffing.  He also knew, surely and
instinctively, that Ivar would hurt him very badly if he didn't sign.

Eve wanted to give Mark and Sabrina time together and let
Ivar scare the men a little more, so she went through the room looking for hidden
drugs.  She ripped out the telephone cord so the men couldn't make any calls.  Eve
found that this hotel room was connected to the rooms on both sides of it, as she
had speculated.  She dismembered the phones in both of those rooms violently, growling
low in her throat and pretending the phones were the doctor's skinny neck.

Eve went into the bathroom, got a wet towel and handed
it to Mark so he could revive Sabrina.  She kept falling asleep moments after he
tried to rouse her.

"Is there an antidote?"  Eve whispered to Ivar,
who was still questioning the Japanese men.

"No.  They say the drugs will wear off in a few hours."

"We don't have that much time.  We have to get out
of here.  What scares me is the overdose.  What about permanent brain damage?"

"The doctor says she will be perfectly fine, if we
keep her awake."

Eve ran over to the chair where Mark was holding Sabrina
and told him it was vital to keep Sabrina awake.  They decided to resume walking
her, and each supported one arm and started moving her from one side of the room
to another, telling her to move her legs and help them.  It was like trying to propel
a body made of rubber.  Her knees kept collapsing and her head sagged forward on
her chest.  Once she moaned, "Not again."

"You have to stay awake Sabrina,"  Eve said loudly,
shaking her a little when she seemed to doze even while stumbling forward.

Mark glared at Eve.

"I wish we could put her in the shower.  A very cold
shower." 

"You heartless bitch." 

"We can't take a sopping person through the lobby," 
Eve said, totally unmoved by Mark's comment.  He was overwrought.

While Eve and Mark walked Sabrina, Ivar wrote a confession
and made each of the men sign it.  It stated that they had, under the direction
of Mr.  Sato Hashimoto, given drugs to a woman named Sabrina Miller.  They had used
mind control techniques with a script written by the psychologist, also following
Mr.  Hashimoto's direct orders.  Eve and Mark signed as witnesses.