An unexpected meeting.

Chapter 11

Michael would begin his investigation at Dr. Wayne's office building. The elevator in that building was where the bald headed man had slipped the photo in his mother's purse. Maybe one of the offices there would hold a clue.

The Doctor's office building was located in the area known as the Old Miami Historic District. Unlike many of the business buildings in this area of Miami, this nondescript building did not carry the usual bells and whistles of some of the modern day structures.

This building could only be described as Mediterranean decrepitness, complete with rough stucco walls, rusted wrought iron gates and unsolicited graffiti.

As Michael walked from his car towards the crumbling building, he noted a burly man wearing a baseball cap, glasses, and a cheap vinyl jacket. The man tried to appear inconspicuously in the shadows, as he walked behind Michael at a distance.

If a spy wants to know if he is being followed, simply drop something and see if the other person's rhythm is also broken.

Michael had been carrying today's newspaper under his arm, a typical prop used when pretending to be an everyman. He casually allowed the newspaper to slip from his arm, down to the ground. As Michael reached down, he could see the upside down image of the capped man as he stopped and pretended to look around.

There was no doubt he was being followed.

Michael uprighted himself and strategized. He knew the guy would not attempt anything so bold as to try to overtake him out in public, so Michael casually entered the old office structure and walked over to view the directory, like any passerby might do.

Glancing through the directory list, Michael's eyes paused at one business name that stood out among the list of offices. He now had an idea which office the bald man had been heading to that day he had "bumped" into his mom.

A spy should not put himself in a dangerous situation unless there is no other way to ascertain information.

So Michael went decisively forward, knowing he needed to find out the connection between the photo of bank robber Tom Turner and the bald headed man.

With his senses on red alert, Michael headed for the outdated elevator, the same one his mother had previously used. He entered the elevator, and pushed the button to the fourth floor.

Just as the doors began closing, the disguised man quickly jammed in. The elevator doors slammed shut.

The two were alone in the closed elevator room. No glances were exhanged, no phrases were spoken. Michael felt the same prickling feeling in the back of his neck that he had when this whole adventure started. And he knew why. Even though this guy didn't have a mustache, Michael knew for certain by the shape of the body that this was the same bald headed man from The Cantina.

Michael breathed in the stagnant air of the closed space. He had never thought he was claustrophobic, but the confined four walls were stifling him. The sealed elevator room felt like an oversized coffin.

The elevator had just started going up when the man, without warning, pushed the emergency latch. The archaic elevator jerked to a stop between floors. There was no way to get out.

Michael remained calm, although his mind was racing. When the man had reached for the latch, his jacket had opened slightly, revealing a gun. Not good, especially since Michael had left his own gun in the car.

The silence in the elevator was louder than thunder.

There were several ways Michael could play this. He could do nothing, he could attack the guy, or he could attempt to leave. All options led to one result-Michael would have to fight his way out.

Michael became aware that the man was reaching into his jacket. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out what he would pull out. An unarmed person might panic with fear. His inclination would be to try and grab for the weapon.

But a spy knows not to be guided by fear.

Trying to grab the gun away would be a mistake. The gun- toting person would also make that same assumption and therefore, would hold fast to the gun like it was another appendage. Wrestling a gun from an opponent would be too unpredictable for everyone concerned.

No, Michael needed to wait for the opportune moment. Timing was the key to any takeover.

"Who the hell are you?" Baldy demanded, as he aimed the gun in Michael's direction. Michael didn't flinch as he eyed the gun before steadily looking back up at 'Baldy'.

"I'm just someone trying to protect his mother," Michael stated, emphasizing "mother" instead of "elderly girlfriend".

Baldy guffawed, "Forget the hell you ever saw me. Just hand over the picture. If you don't, I'm going to pulverize you into oatmeal with this gun."

Michael figured the guy would not shoot him, being that Michael was the only link to getting the photo back. He hoped he was right.

"Oatmeal, you say?" Michael baited him, "That actually brings to mind a pleasant image."

The man's face reddened with anger.

A spy is trained to control his feelings. You do not want your mind occupied with unnecessary thoughts.

And right now Baldy was distracted by his own anger. Now would be the ideal time to strike.

Michael made his move.

Michael's whole body snapped into action as he reached over and slapped the folded newspaper onto the man's startled face. The man yelled out at the unexpected assault. Michael then landed a strong elbow jab to the guy's nose. He knew that the elbow was the strongest bone in the body, whereas the nose was one of the most vulnerable.

There was a sickening squelching noise, like someone stepping on the crunchy shell of a big, black garden bug, as the elbow made contact with the man's face. Instantly, blood sputtered from the guy's nose.

"You broke my effing nose!" Baldy cried out in pain, as he grabbed his nose with his non- gun hand, slightly bent over in pain.

But Michael was not done. Using one hand to hold onto the guy's head for leverage, Michael then used his elbow again to smash into the exposed area of Baldy's neck, nearly caving his windpipe in. A gurgling sound could be heard from the man. Then nothing. Michael followed it up with a knife-hand strike to the gun-hand.

The gun flew onto the floor, skidded across, and smacked against one of the walls of the elevator room. Michael then quickly grabbed the man from behind in a chokehold. Not too tight, however, for he needed to interrogate the guy.

"Why did you put that photo in my mother's purse?" Michael asked insistently.

The man painfully pointed to his throat. He struggled to answer, his windpipe seemingly damaged. Michael loosened his hold slightly.

That turned out to be a miscalculation on Michael's part. Baldy now did to Michael what Michael had done to him at The Cantina.

The dangerous-looking man suddenly attacked with an unexpected crazy fury.

Michael was no longer in control.

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(Sorry, I don't use cuss words in my daily language, so if I write "effing"-I think you know what I really mean!)

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