BAD WINE CRAPPY CHOCOLATE

CHAPTER SEVEN-2

"Well, as I said before, your activities were beneficial to us. So up until now we didn't help them as much as we might have."
"What's changed?"
"Cybil Cane, and some of the other senators, have been discussing the possibility of nationalizing Allisours. One of their rationales for doing so is that we have been, as you said, so inept at protecting our shipments. And since these senators believe the rumor that Vitala is necessary for the survival of those who use it..."
"Rumor?" Bardy interrupted him.
"Theory, if you will...this situation is unacceptable to them. So by arresting you, we hope to demonstrate to the government that Allisours, in cooperation with the bureau, can prevent the theft of our product, at least by your organization. It was our internal security force that gave the bureau the information they needed to arrest you. We knew your alias, you see. The bureau is also planning a raid on your base of operations. The Canadians decided to cooperate with them in exchange for Allisours selling them our new wheat hybrid. Bardy's Knob will be getting very crowded before long. You're better off here, Max. It's interesting: the Canucks agreed to let you operate freely in their country in exchange for a better price on Vitala, and now they gave you up for our wheat hybrid. Commerce is truly the invisible hand that rules the world."
"So who's going to supply the working people with their Vitala?"
"An associate of yours will be setting up shop very shortly. He was the one who gave us the aliases. And he'll be much easier to keep track of, since we've given him a Mibil. You had to be replaced. After all these years of claiming to have been pursuing Max Bardy, the Security Bureau, and the security people who work for Allisours, had begun to look somewhat ridiculous. Now there will be a new scoundrel to justify our security costs. And the high price of Vitala, of course."
"I'm sure the media would be interested in hearing about all this."
"But no one would ever believe you, Max. You've got such a terrible reputation."

The prisoner sat back in his chair, thinking about the end of his enterprise. There was no way to warn the people on the hill, at least not while he was in jail.
"Someone will be coming here to question you shortly. The bureau is very interested in the woman who came into the city with you."
"Woman? What woman?"
"I wouldn't know," Foster replied with a grin. "I haven't seen the security images yet. But they seem to think that she entered the city illegally, with you by her side."
"Well, it wouldn't be the first time those guys were wrong, would it?" Max said with a smirk "What would it take for you to let me walk out of here, Foster? I've done very well over the years, so I could make it worth your while."
Foster looked at him with a bemused expression on his face.
"I've also done very well over the years. In fact, I've stopped keeping track of how wealthy I am. My only interest is in winning the game now. I want to stay on top. Good day, Mr. Bardy. It's been a pleasure."
Max was led back to his cell, where he brooded about the traitor for a while longer. Bardy eventually chastised himself for his reaction. He knew that every man had his price, so the defection of a close friend shouldn't have been so devastating. Yet at this moment it was.
"I'm turning into a sentimental fool," he thought aloud.
Max stood up and leaned against the wall of the cell. In the next instant he found himself outside, walking down the street in a disoriented state.
"It's me," someone said from behind him.
He turned around, but no one was there.
"Brandon? Where the fuck are you?"
He received no reply, but instead felt something being wrapped around him. "Come with me," the disembodied voice instructed him.

The unseen guide grabbed his arm. Max was led down the street toward one of the towering apartment buildings. A small group of people walked toward him, and he looked around for a place to hide until they passed.
"Don't worry, they can't see you, Max," Brandon said in a whisper.
The pedestrians never looked at Bardy as they walked past. The Vitala thief was speechless, and said nothing until Brandon guided him into the starscraper. They went by the security imagers and slipped into the vertical car after two other people walked out. The two men were silent until Brandon shut the door to Jesse's apartment behind them. He suddenly appeared, and made a motion as if placing something on a chair.
"You can take off yours too, Max."
His friend removed the garment that had been wrapped around him earlier.
"What the hell is this?" Max asked.
"An invisibility suit."
"You made this thing?"
"No, it was invented in Cori's time. I came across it when I was back there. It was still on the drawing board, as they say, so I refined it. The suit works like a charm, doesn't it? That's why the government stopped its development. Security imagers don't do any good if people can walk by them without being seen. Now, where's Cori? Is she still back at the knob?"
"No, she came to Chicago with me. Cori had run off with my horse and it took me a couple of days to catch up with the babe. I was going to take her back to the hill, but then I got a message saying that Gino Chou needed to see me. We were really close to the city, and I knew if Cori went back with Hoochie that she'd just run away again. So I took her with me. My gut told me it was the right thing to do, and that's what I live by. She was with me when I was arrested at Gino's. But Cori got away. Nathaniel and Gino set me up."
"How do you know it was them?"

"Nathaniel created an alias for Cori and me. The stiffs knew what they were, so he must have given the names to them. They were looking for Hilda Wright and Tom Jackman. I also think Gino was lying when he said there was another outfit trying to cut in on my business. He just wanted to get me here. Though..."
"What's the matter?"
"Something feels out of place. It's like I should know something, but I can't remember it. And besides that, I would have expected someone like Hoochie to make a move against me. He always had a bigger set of balls. Anyway, thanks for keeping my ass out of jail."
"Actually, you were in jail. But now it never happened, because I used the Mis to go back in time and free you before they took you into the station."
Max's memory began to function once again. Now he remembered being led toward the entrance to the security station by the two stiffs, with one on either side of him. Suddenly the officers convulsed, falling to the ground after crying out in pain. Max didn't linger to investigate the situation, but instead casually walked away.
"But you nailed them before they took me into the station."
"That's what you remember now," Brandon said. "That's not the way it happened originally, though."
"I guess shit happens, and then unhappens, eh? What did you use on the stiffs? They were in bad shape."
Brandon took a taser out of his pocket.
"This is also from the past. It delivers a powerful electric shock. Is Cori still at Gino's?"
"I don't know. I told her to get away from me when the stiffs showed up. I should have left her on the hill in chains."
"Cori wouldn't be safe there. They're going to raid your place."
Bardy was not surprised, and in fact seemed to already know it. For a moment he was puzzled by that, but then attributed it to his sixth sense.