Simon and Simon: Now You See Me...
Throbbing pain...that was the first thing he felt. A deep throbbing pain in his head. He groaned and reached up to feel a large gash caked with blood on his temple. He groaned again and tried to open his eyes. They were swollen shut and he a tiny slit was all he could manage. It took a bit for his eyes to focus. Through his swollen eyelids he saw a grey stone wall. That was all he could make out. With an effort he tried to sit up. Restraints on his wrists and ankles prevented such an action. The confusion he had been feeling up to this point began to give way to panic. What was going on?! Why was he chained up and who had hit him?! Realizing that panicking would only make things worse he swallowed hard and forcibly calmed his breathing. Once he felt like he could once again try and make sense of his situation he tried opening his eyes again. As before he saw grey stone walls...but just off to his right, a small grating. It was low down on the wall. It looked to be a vent of somekind. Tugging at the chains he felt their thickness and knew breaking them would be impossible. He began to mentally check himself out. As he had initially noticed his head hurt badly. He felt bruises and cuts on his face and arms...had he been fighting with someone? Why was he here? As he concentrated on trying to remember what had happened to him he heard faint music...tinny music like...like...a circus! That was it! He had been at a circus! He closed his eyes and relaxed, allowing the memory of the music to take him back.
12 hours earlier:
"Come on, AJ," Rick Simon pleaded with his brother, "It's supposed to be the greatest magic show in the US."
AJ shook his head and strode ahead through the tents and boots that made up the largest traveling circus in North America, "No!" He said firmly but without malice, "We are here to meet with a client, not to see a magic show."
Rick frowned, "I know that AJ but we have never had a client meet us at a circus before. Let's enjoy it! I haven't actually visited a circus since...well I don't know how long it's been...that's how long it's been!" He cried, stepping in front of his brother and cutting him off.
The younger Simon halted and met his older brother's eyes, "Look, you know I like magic as much as you do but we do not have time. We are supposed to be in the big top by 6:00pm and it's 5:45 now."
"Alright," Rick grumbled, "But one day you'll be sorry you missed this opportunity."
AJ laughed, "We'll see about that."
With that the two brothers made their way to the big top and quickly found their seats. Rick bought a bag of popcorn from a passing vendor and leaned back in his seat. "So, how're we supposed to recognize this client?" He popped a few kernels into his mouth.
AJ leaned over and snatched some of the salty snack and began munching, "He is going to find us. He paid for our tickets, remember? He knows the seat numbers."
Rick switched the popcorn to his other hand so that AJ couldn't reach it, "When is he supposed to show?"
"During the second act," AJ said, casually reaching around Rick and jerking the bag of popcorn out of his hands.
"Hey!" Rick grabbed for the bag and ripped it down the middle sending popcorn all over the woman sitting in front of him. She stood and turned to face him, her eyes filled with anger.
"This is my best dress!" She hissed, "And now, thanks to you jerks it is covered in grease stains!"
AJ smiled apologetically, "I am very sorry, Ma'am. How can we make this right?"
"You can start by moving to a different seat!"
Rick looked at AJ who met his eyes, "Uh, ya see, Ma'am, we can't do that. We are meeting a friend here and he is never going to find us in this crowd if we move."
The irate lady leaned forward slightly, her teeth bared in a snarl, "That is not my problem."
Rick's brow furrowed as a look of anger swept over his features, "Look, Lady! We are sorry about ruining your dress but we have apologized and that's all you're going to get from us, is that clear?"
AJ placed a hand on Rick's shoulder and drew him back, "I am sorry, Ma'am for my brother's rudeness. What he meant to say is if you will send us a bill and give us your address we will mail you a check to cover any damages incurred to your dress." He said diplomatically as he slipped one of their P.I. cards into her hand.
Rick's mouth dropped open but he sat down, arms crossed. The lady sniffed haughtily at him then turned to AJ and handed him a card of her own, "There, that is my address. You will hear from me soon!" And with that she turned and after brushing the remaining popcorn out of her seat she sat down, indignantly.
AJ sat too and then punched his brother's arm, "Now look what you've done!" He whispered. "You are always getting into trouble."
Rick's eyes widened and he punched AJ back, "It wasn't me who stole the popcorn, it was you!"
"Shut up, the both of ye!" A man shouted at them from two rows above, "The show's startin'!"
Rick and AJ both crossed their arms and turned to face the center ring where a man in a flashy sequined suit and top hat was stepping up onto a small platform. He raised a megaphone to his lips and began to expound on the wonders of the show the audience was about to see. He went on about elephants and lipizaners, tightrope walkers and trapeze artists but one announcement caught Rick's attention.
"Tonight, Ladies and Gentlemen, tonight you will be given a special treat," the ringmaster said mysteriously, "Tonight you shall witness the greatest performance of magic on earth! You shall see fascinating, unexplainable things that will boggle your mind!"
As the description continued a small voice whispered to the Simons from directly behind them, "I am your contact. The heat's on and this place isn't safe. Meet me out behind the elephant pen after the show!"
"We could get you out of here now," AJ started to say but when he turned, the seat behind them was empty.
"What should we do?" AJ asked his brother.
Rick thought for a moment then turned back to the ring, "We meet his as requested, after the show. But for now we enjoy it. We have no idea what our client looks like or what is going on. So we just sit tight and wait."
AJ nodded, "Alright."
"I need two volunteers from the audience please!" The magician cried from the center ring. In the short time the brother's attention had been distracted a stage had been erected and a large box had been wheeled out onto it. A tall thin man in a cape stood near it. He smiled as nearly every hand in the tent shot up, all wishing for a chance to participate in a magic show. The magician's eyes roamed over the crowd until he stopped on Rick and AJ. "You two!" He shouted, "You two fine young men will be perfect. Come on down!"
AJ shook his head politely and remained sitting. Rick stood and began heading down the bleachers. AJ caught his sleeve, "What are you doing?"
Rick grinned, "Having some fun, come on!"
AJ shook his head again but the crowd had begun to cheer and clap, all eyes on him. With a sigh or resignation the blonde man stood and made his way down to the center ring beside his brother. "I hope he doesn't have us do anything embarrassing!" He hissed at Rick who smiled and put his arm around his shoulders.
"Don't worry so much, AJ."
The magician walked over to them and began to explain the trick. One of the brothers would step inside the box while the other behind a curtain. The curtain had four sides so it would block him from view. With a sigh, AJ stepped into the box. Rick grinned and went behind the curtain. The magician began a long string of "magic" words and then he gestured wildly at the box. A puff of smoke obscured the door for a moment but when it cleared the box was empty! The crowd cheered and the magician repeated the incantation and then with a puff of smoke the curtains were drawn back to show that the second Simon was gone as well.
That was it! He had stepped into the box and then he had felt the floor drop out from under him! He had been slugged and tied and that was the last thing he remembered. 'Well now you know what brought you here. But why are you all beat up? And what happened to Rick?' AJ's mind raced. He had last seen his brother when the door to his box had been closed...was he ok? Was he here somewhere?
"Rick!" He called out, "Rick, are you here?"
A muffled groan answered him.
"Rick! Is that you?!"
"I think so..." Came the faint reply.
AJ turned his head, trying to decipher where the voice was coming from. He realized it was coming from the grating he had seen aerlier. They must be in two different cells. As relieved as he was to know where his brother was, AJ couldn't help but be a bit frightened that they were separated.
"Are you badly hurt?" AJ shouted, and then winced as the effort caused another wave of pain to wash over him.
"I feel like a piñata," Rick said dryly. "You?"
"The same."
"Do you know where we are?"
AJ struggled to open his eyes further, there was light in the room. Daylight, not artificial so there had to be a window...he twisted his head from side to side, ignoring the stabs of pain at the movement. He spotted the window off to his left. A tiny, barred opening that looked out onto rolling green hills. There were no there buildings in sight and no familiar landmarks however. "No, I can see out a window in here but I don't recognize anything."
Rustling came from the grating as Rick too -looked around at his cell, "Why'd you get the room with the view?" He mock-complained. "No windows in here."
"I don't here any traffic noise either, so we must be out in the country."
"Yeah, I think you're right," Rick was silent for a few moments before speaking again, "Who do you think did this to us?"
"I was hoping you'd know," AJ admitted.
"What can you remember?"
"I remember the circus...the magic act...falling through the floor and getting clobbered. You?"
"Yeah, yeah, I remember all that and an interrogation."
"Interrogation?" AJ asked in surprise, he could recall nothing of an interrogation. But as he frowned he felt the bruises on his face. That's how he got beat up. "What did they want?"
"That's the odd part," Rick said, "They kept asking about the papers and asking where Algernon was. Don't you remember?"
AJ thought back, "No," he said at length. "I can't seem to remember any of that."
"I am not surprised, they hit you pretty hard. They thought they'd killed you for a bit there."
AJ closed his eyes, even they ached dully. "So how are we going to get out of here?"
"I am worried about them," Cecilia Simon said to Lieutenant Brown as she sat across his desk from him.
The man listened and nodded, his warm brown eyes full of concern. He had known the Simon brothers for several years and he knew they could get into all kinds of trouble. He knew they could be laying low to avoid said trouble too but they would never let their mother down. "And you say they were supposed to be at your house for breakfast early this morning?" He asked.
The little woman nodded, "Yes we were going out on the boat to do a little fishing and they promised to be at the house by 5:00 am so that we could get an early start. I know that Rick likes to sleep late so I didn't worry until 7 o'clock came and went without a sign of them."
Lieutenant Brown leaned forward with his chin on his hands, "Any I idea where they might have gone?"
Cecilia shook her head, "I know they were supposed to meet a client last night, but I am not sure where. I went by AJ's house but their beds hadn't been slept in. They never came home last night."
Brown could see the fear in the lady's eyes, he took one of her hands in his, "We are gonna find them, ok?"
She nodded and tried to smile, "I know you will do everything you can."
Brown smiled and stood, escorting Mrs. Simon to the door, "You go home and stay near the phone. I will call you as soon as I know anything." For a moment she looked as if she might argue with him but she thought better of it and left the precinct. Brown watched her go and then grabbed his jacket. "Come with me!" He called to two uniformed cops awaiting assignment. There had to be a trail and the best possible place to start was the Simon's office. 'What have you two gotten yourselves into?'