I do not own anything from Charlie and the Chocolate factory. All rights and likenesses belong to Roald Dahl, Johnny Depp and Tim Burton. No profit is being garnered from this work. It is a little known fact that more than 900,000 people in the United States go missing every year – 23,000 a day. The sad reality is that less than 25 percent of these people are ever found. The next time you pass someone on the street – think of that fact and you start looking at humanity a little differently. – Stealth Phoenix
Chapter 53
It was the swirling sensation the Veronica noticed first. Her eyes were still closed, but her head seemed to be at the center of a merry-go-round and everything spun around her in sickening circles. Her mouth was dry and a horrible taste was making her already churning stomach rise in her throat.
She tried to turn over off her back onto her side where she could throw up, but her hands were bound behind her back. Panic started to threaten. Losing her lunch was inevitably now and she couldn't move enough to make sure the flow wouldn't get on her or worse – inhale it and die choking on her own vomit
Veronica must have made some small noise of alarm, because gentle hands helped her turn onto her side and pushed her hair out of the way so she could heave helplessly.
"I've got you – there's a bucket by the bed," said a softly accented man's voice.
Gripped in heaving, she could only hang in his hands, the bitter fluid stinging her dry lips and some seeped into her nasal cavity, making her heave even harder. The bile of an empty stomach and whatever dregs of coffee in her system leaving quickly.
Her head was pounding horribly, muscles aching with the effort as she shook involuntarily – sweat popping out all over her body adding to the general misery.
She hadn't felt this bad since her last bout with the flu.
After dry heaving for what felt like about five minutes, the heaving subsided and she sagged weakly – all energy exhausted. The man nudged her upper body back onto the mattress and tucked a worn flat pillow folded in half under her head.
It hurt too much to move or make the attempt to open her eyes. She felt a wet cloth wipe her face and a moment later a plastic bottle was pressed to her lips. She cautiously sipped, tasting water – flat and stale, but tasting like Nirvana to her parched throat.
"The Chloroform will make you feel like shit for a while. Lie still and that will be the worst thing to happen to you," he said, taking the bottle away and she heard him set it down nearby.
For the first time Veronica opened her eyes to see her captor.
A Hispanic man, in his late 20's or early 30's sat looking at her. His dark eyes were intent waiting for her affirmation. It was the man who had gotten into the driver's seat.
Licking her lips she nodded and said, "I understand."
Her eyes were sagging shut again against her will, but she was able to take in the rough details of her prison; one room, cabinet with a hot plate and a coffee maker on it, two seats at a worn table with a single bulb burning overhead. The floor was hard packed dirt and the shack only had one door at the far end across from her, bolted and locked. No windows – the walls were wooden boards.
Not wasting any more time holding her eyes open, she concentrated on smells. Thanks to her upset stomach – her sense of smell was heightened and she could smell the heady sweet citrus aroma of orange blossoms permeating the area. There was also the spicy, greasy smell of whatever her captor had prepared himself for dinner – meat with sharp spices that made her cringe in renewed nausea.
The room was still spinning and her thoughts moved like cold treacle. She could hear the sounds of crickets and wondered for the first time what time it was and how long she'd been knocked out for. Veronica bitterly regretted the jet lag that had her so turned around it was impossible to even guess what time it was outside.
Giving up for the moment, she allowed the press of drugged sleep to overcome her.
--
L.A. paced in the spacious area of the conference room. Downtown Los Angeles was sprawled in its smoggy splendor outside the huge bank of windows that filled the room with bright sunlight, but it's glory was lost on the rooms occupants.
Tupik-Ra snapped the slender purple phone with the golden embossed 'W' on it shut and turned to his companion, "He's on his way – they'll be here in about two hours. I gave him the coordinates to the Four Seasons – they've got the facilities and privacy we need. With a little financial prodding, they cleared out one of the remote bungalows."
L.A. was silent, one hand pressed tight across her lips, brows furrowed in thought.
Gritting his teeth, Tupik-Ra climbed unsteadily to his feet from where he sat at the conference table. Moving slowly – as if recovering from surgery or someone not used to moving, he shuffled over to where L.A. paced.
"We should have traveled with her – watched her back," she said softly as he caught her arm as she passed and collected her into his arms for a comforting hug.
It was so nice to get a hug from one of her people again – even under the circumstances. She had grown so large that it would have four adults to circle her waist.
Tupik-Ra looked down at her face, his stern features softening as he shared her guilt and grief, "Without foreknowledge, that was not for us to know. Won-Ka is coming – nothing will stop him from finding Ver-Oni-Ka. We must do what we can from this end to enable him to find her safely."
Blinking back tears she nodded and pulled away to straighten her clothes, "Right. So what should we do?"
He gave her a grin – the transformation to his solemn features to pure gamin was startling to those who did not know him.
"That's the spirit - let me show you what Sni-Ki of the Cyber team managed to dig up and send our way before they left." He motioned for her to join him at the conference table.
She looped one arm around his waist to help him balance as he wobbled as he turned, "Still not used to it yet, are you?"
Tupik-Ra snorted, "No – bloody beanstalks the lot of them – all arms and legs. Not the proper size at all."
L.A. helped him regain his seat and took the chair next to his to lean over to see what was on the screen of the purple laptop computer with the secure satellite connection that Willy had insisted that his lawyer take with him when traveling.
"This is a list of Brahm's last tax return and what properties he's claiming on. These three in town here are restaurants or catering businesses. He's also got a condo listed as a primary residence. The police are already hitting the places of business, but they're having problems establishing just cause for a search warrant for his residence," he explained.
"Yeah, well. We're not the police. Should we go and check it out?" she asked dubiously. "I seriously doubt that he'd be stupid enough to take her to where he lives."
"Right off the evil overlord list," Tupik-Ra agreed, "Our quarry is a conniving hornswaggler, but he's not an idiot. However…"
He typed in another command and a new form was brought up, "He's claiming a tax rebate for health insurance on one person under his employ listed as a domestic. I think he's got someone to come in and clean his place."
L.A. smiled for the first time since learning of her friend's abduction and it had nothing to do with humor, "Well then. Maybe I should to have a chat with Rosalinda Valdez. If Brahm holds up to type with mistreating females under his employ, she might be willing to assist us."
He nodded, "Good idea. I'll head over to the Four Seasons and get things set up there for Won-Ka and the team's arrival. I'm not going to be much use until I get a few more rounds of practice getting stretched out. How have you managed to survive it this long?"
L.A. was silent and he felt guilty for reminding her of her handicap.
"Because there was no other alternative. I'm used to it now and when I'm out here, it feels normal. It's only when I go home to the village that I realize what I've lost from growing so large," she said softly.
Tupik-Ra's heart nearly broke from the resignation in her voice. He and the others had never realized how isolated she was. To be of the tribe and yet apart from it in this strange land...
He'd loved her since she was a girl, and had sought her hand in marriage from Sher-Man-Ra as she sought out her outside education by computer. It was right after he had managed to attain his law degree and gotten his accreditation.
Then the awful day when she had returned from her first practice with the stretching toffee and waiting for her to shrink down to her original proportions.
L.A. never did.
She had freed him of their engagement and their relationship had been put on hold ever since.
His heart ached with her sadness and he wondered if they would ever be able to press forward again.
"I'm sorry – that was rude of me," he apologized, dark features blushing slightly.
L.A. ignored the comment and said, "I'll take a cab to the Condo and scope it out first before trying to track down Ms. Valdez."
She rose and strode out of the room, closing the door silently behind her, leaving the Oompa Loompa man with the hurt expression to his business.
--
The condominium was in a gated community behind a thick wall of stucco and iron fencing. There were three buildings surrounding Victor's home and two different entrances that she could count. One was out of site of the condos behind the separate garages – a large sliding gate intended for trucks or deliveries. The front entrance was key-coded narrower –for more common vehicles. Both had video surveillance and bored gate guards posted in shacks at both entrances.
L.A. glanced at her watch. Won-Ka would be arriving in little less than an hour, so there were only a few minutes to explore before taking the waiting cab back to the Four Seasons to meet her employer and accept whatever punishment he wished to deliver for failing her duty.
Still, she vowed to bring back some useful information. Time to go check and see if anyone was home. If anyone answered the door, she'd pretend to be lost or meeting someone. All the buildings looked identical so it would be an easy assumption for someone to make once inside.
"Wait here please, I'll be back in about 10 minutes," she told the driver, shoving a wad of bills to pay the fare up to that point.
L.A. followed the line of the wall. Lush foliage peeped overhung at points and she looked for an area where the leaves and branches would conceal her next actions.
A sturdy vine of some sort clung to the wall of one section beyond the narrow entrance to the complex. She scanned the trees and surrounding area for any other form of protection.
None.
Slipping out of her heels and slinging her purse around her body, she rapidly scaled the vines and hopped over the wall. To one used to climbing trees as most people would climb stairs, the exertion didn't even raise a sweat.
She slipped the shoes back on and walked along a pretty gravel pathway to the entrance of Victor's home.
L.A. swallowed nervously, raising her hand to knock.
The black metal door opened just as her hand descended and she jerked back in surprise with a cry.
The matronly Hispanic woman with iron grey hair and a trim figure also fell back with a cry, grasping for the crucifix at her throat.
"Aie! Madre Lo Dio!" she gasped, "You frightened me!"
"You too. I'm sorry to have startled you. Are you alright?" L.A. said, taking a deep breath as her heart hammered loudly in her chest.
"Yes. I was just leaving this accursed place," the woman grumbled, shutting the door behind her. She wore a plain black button down dress with a white collar.
This must be Rosalinda, L.A. thought excitedly.
"Accursed?" she asked delicately.
"Si. The man is a pig – his Madre must be much ashamed of her boy-child, for he is filled with the devil himself," Rosalinda said, obviously recovering herself after a fright. "He leaves such things as broken glass, food and other nasty surprises for me to pick-up after. I would never let my son treat anyone in such a way."
"Really. I'm sorry to hear that you're having such problems," L.A. said softly. "No one should have to be treated that way – simple common decency is a fundamental human right."
Rosalinda nodded, "Si. You were brought up right. Such a good girl. Now him?" she pointed back over her shoulder to the door with a shudder. "Any boy who leaves…," here the woman blushed in embarrassment, "…jugo de hombre sitting in a glass like left-over soda should have his ears boxed."
The woman's humiliation was clear enough to L.A. what she had said without understanding the Spanish phrase.
Ew.
"That's disgusting. You must be quite upset," she said sympathetically.
"Si. This is the last time I clean up after that pig. I don't need this job- I've got four other houses to clean and two more on a waiting list. I do not need his filthy money."
Rosalinda stomped up the path to a worn-looking Honda civic. L.A. walked beside her, "Has Mr. Brahm been your boss for long? I was coming to ask him about a job he was looking to fill."
The older woman snorted, "Three months – longer than the last two maids and longer than I should have been putting up with his garbage."
Rosalinda cast an appraising eye over L.A., "You seem like a good girl, so I warn you – do not work for this man. He has evil in his heart and will attempt to take advantage of you. He left me alone because I am too old for his taste."
L.A. nodded respectfully. Rosalinda was exactly what she'd been praying for and could hold the key to finding out where Victor was holding Veronica.
"Listen, I'd like to talk more about this if you have the time. Would you let me buy you a cup of coffee or something as a price for some more good advice?" She offered. "I took a taxi and am unfamiliar with the area – so wherever you suggest, I would be willing to go."
Please say yes, L.A. thought. Anything to help find her friend.
Rosalinda gave her a hard look, trying to figure out the young woman's intentions. It had been a long stressful day and a cup of coffee and a chance to vent before heading to her next house to clean would be a welcome diversion.
"What is your name, Child?" asked the older woman.
"Llana Aloua, but my friends call me L.A."
"Very well, L.A. I am Rosalinda," she held out a dry hand to shake hands with the younger woman.
L.A. was amazed at the strength of the grip.
"Treat this old lady to some coffee and sweet cake and I will fill your ear with all sorts of nonsense about that devil."
L.A. returned the woman's smile, hope flaring in her heart.
She'd be late joining Tupik-Ra at the Four Seasons...
...but she would be bearing valuable gifts when she did.