The Adventures of Will Irving: Automaton Trouble

Chapter 20

Arthur walked into a room where several people dressed in white lab coats were buzzing about various pieces of electrical equipment and other mechanical apparatuses. He made his way to the far end of the room where Jim was standing over a desk, speaking with another man, and tossed a newspaper onto the table so that the front page headline was directly in Jim's line-of-sight.

"What's this?" Jim asked.

"That bastard has my daughter!" Arthur said in a disgusted, angry tone.

Jim picked up the newspaper and read the headline: "Daughter of Distinguished Automaton Inventor Missing."

"Hmmm..." Jim said as he scanned the article. "This can't be accurate. You told me she was going to be working on that research project 'til Christmas."

"That's what she told me. Either she must have come home without me knowing, or Moe had her kidnapped from the research facility," Arthur replied.

"Or this is just another example of bad reporting," Jim said cynically.

"No, Jim," Arthur contradicted. "There's no coincidence. First, I was kidnapped by Moe...then you rescued me...and now Claire is supposedly missing?"

"It could just be a ruse," Jim noted, tossing the paper back onto the table. "If this is Moe's doing, then he could be trying to lure us in. What better way to get to you? Why don't you try calling her?"

"I already did," Arthur said. "No answer at her apartment, but I left a message...and I haven't been able to reach anyone at the research facility...They probably already left for the day."

"Keep trying," Jim suggested.

"I will, but we need to do something," Art said impatiently. "I can't just sit around and wait knowing that Claire isn't safe."

"You don't know that for sure, Art," Jim said reassuringly. "Patience, remember? We can't take unnecessary risks. That's exactly what Moe would want."

"You saw what he did to me," Arthur said heatedly. "What do you think he'll do to her?!"

"There's nothing you can do," Jim stated firmly. "We can't risk you leaving anymore. We're only days away from completing our work. That's our answer...finish and take Moe out for good."

"What good will that be if we're too late to save Claire?!" Arthur fumed.

The room went silent as Arthur and Jim locked eyes.

"Atticus and I will find her," Jim finally said.

"When?" Arthur asked anxiously.

"We'll leave now," Jim replied. "In the meantime, keep calling and let me know if you hear anything."

"Do I have your word?" Arthur asked.

"Yes, you have my word," Jim answered. "I'll do my best to bring Claire back safely."

"Your best?" Arthur questioned.

"Honestly, what more can I promise, Arthur?!" Jim argued, clearly growing irritated. "You know who we're dealing with here...and when we started this, you knew the risks that were involved. Just focus on finishing your work, and leave it to me. We've already been delayed long enough."

"You're right...I'm sorry," Arthur apologized. "I'm just worried."

"I know, my friend," Jim empathized, placing a hand on Arthur's shoulder. "This will all be over soon."

Arthur looked searchingly at Jim, nodded slowly, and then turned and left the room. Jim brooded for a few moments and then turned to the man with whom he had been speaking before Arthur had interrupted.

"I'm not sure how long this will take, but I'll be back as soon as possible," Jim stated. "Go forward with the next iteration as we discussed. And, Sal...keep an eye on Arthur. Don't allow him to leave for any reason."

"Yes, sir," Sal agreed with a nod.

Jim left the room with a determined step and began to make his way through a wide hallway.

"Atticus!" Jim called loudly as he continued walking down the hallway.

Almost immediately, the black automaton entered the hallway from a side room some distance ahead. It stood at attention until Jim reached it and then quickly fell into step beside him.

"It appears that Moe has taken Arthur's daughter, Claire," Jim shared. "We need to find out if that is indeed the case...and if it is...then we need to rescue her. The Ferrymans seem to have an unenviable penchant for being kidnapped."

Atticus remained silent and kept pace with Jim until they reached a large garage where a number of vehicles were parked. They stopped near a small black car, and Jim opened the trunk while Atticus got in the passenger's seat. Jim pulled out a dark, hooded cloak and put it on. He then reached into the trunk again and removed a dark mask, which he placed over his face. Finally, he shut the trunk and got in the driver's seat. Jim started the car and began to drive rather quickly toward a large service gate at the far end of the garage. Armed guards stood on each side of the gate. As the car neared the gate, the two large gate doors began to slide open, and Jim accelerated until they sped through the narrow gap and into the dusky twilight outside.