A Touch Of Lightning (COMPLETED!)

Chapter 69 Focus Point 2

       

Chapter 69 Focus Point 2

"I'm not your enemy. Yet." Callin stated flatly.

Michael nodded. "Ok. Good. And I'm not your enemy. I simply require some information. The snipers are there to keep me safe, as you are very much an unknown element. I really don't want to try to force information out of you, and I'm convinced that the minor information I need shouldn't cost you anything to give up."

Next to them, Arianne laid her cell phone on the table, looked around at everyone, then deliberately reached out and pressed a button. The screen lit up once, then went black. And then Callin saw what looked like heat wave ripples clinging all around Arianne, making her appear slightly blurry.

"Just a little precaution. My father doesn't like when I'm near snipers."

Michael waved his hand at the phone and one of his men standing by the door to the café hurried over and held what looked like his own cell phone inches above Arianne's, moving it in slow, widening circles. After a moment, he nodded at Michael and went back to his post by the door.

"A precaution of my own. Have to make sure we have just a passive device here. It's very interesting. Is it linked to the metallic fibers woven throughout your outfit?" Michael asked her.

Arianne smiled and shook her head. "Can't hide anything from you. Does this ship have X-ray machines on doorways?"

Callin was unsure what was happening here, but he suspected Arianne's phone was somehow linked to the outfit she was wearing, and was likely creating some sort of shield around her. A shield that would likely be capable of defeating the electro-optical scopes of snipers, but not much else.

"You're not the subject of this conversation, so unless you get stupid, you have nothing to worry about."

Arianne relaxed and gestured at Callin. "I do not intend to get stupid. Perhaps we should directly ask Callin to give us a bit more information now that the situation is...clear."

"I actually have my own questions. If I'm such an unknown element, and I'm so terrifying, why did you allow me on your boat? And why did you allow yourself to almost get kidnapped?" Callin asked. "Drawing out your enemy by putting yourself, and your wife, out into that open, vulnerable position? What was supposed to have happened, if I hadn't come along?"

"Ah. I wondered when you were going to come to that conclusion. Yes, as you suspect, I was drawing out the enemy. I announced my intention to retire from my...agency multiple times over the last year, and that I would likely be going on this cruise as a retirement celebration. As you can imagine, the time, date, and departure information of a cruise of this size is readily available."

Callin and Arianne found themselves both listening closely. Michael had a regal bearing, and his voice was rich and smooth. He was a natural storyteller, Callin knew. He found himself wondering how important that particular skill was for Michaels obvious success over the years.

"I've had a few attempts at kidnapping occur over the last few years, but we were never able to trace who was behind it, and what their ultimate motive was. So I staged this cruise as one last attempt to get them to try again, under my own conditions, with my team ready to move in at a moments notice."

He gestured at Callin, his eyes holding a hint of a smile. "I suppose you must see me as a man of great resources. But I'm sure you must have been skeptical of exactly how quickly I had a helicopter onsite and ready, correct?"

Callin actually had been pondering that feat. He nodded, feeling a grudging bit of respect for Michael winning out. He found that he was able to appreciate Michael's cunning, calm, and clearly analytical mind.