Thump, Thump.
The leather gloves struck the heavy bag with a soothing rhythmic tempo. Vince felt his muscles begin to relax as the tension slowly bled from his body. Ruvi's lessons had taxed what was left of his mind and he had left the tent feeling more unsettled than ever. The familiarity of the feel of the gloves against the bag was soothing. He paused as his eyes settled on Max's large form in the doorway of the room. The man nodded as he entered, pausing nearby as Vince continued his rhythmic assault against the bag.
"So, how is your training going with Rivu?" Max asked.
Vince turned his attention away from the bag for a moment. "It's going fine, I guess."
Max folded his arms across his wide chest, his dark eyes assessing his friend. "Does this mean you will be able to get some sleep tonight?"
Vince sighed heavily as he steadied the swaying bag. "Do you really think that someone is attacking me through my dreams and these techniques are going to stop that?" He asked.
Max smiled mysteriously, "The better question is what do you believe?"
Vince shook his head as he retrieved a bottle of water and took a swig. "Am I ever going to get a straight answer out of you on anything?"
Max sat down in a nearby chair. "I am not the one with someone digging around inside my head. I don't have to believe that the techniques will work."
"You think someone can really reach inside my head and dig out all my secrets in my sleep?" Vince said as he fiddled with the bottle in his hands.
"Considering the strange things you have encountered since donning the cape, you still ask yourself this question? The mind is a wonderful and powerful thing. What it can do knows no bounds." Max countered, holding up a finger to halt Vince's reply. "I don't know if you have looked in the mirror lately or not, but you are not going to be able to continue like this much longer. The body can only handle so much stress. If you don't get the rest you need, your body will stop you whether you want to or not, no matter how strong you think you are."
Vince sighed, knowing Max was right. The men looked up as Orwell entered the room, followed closely by Ruvi.
Orwell pulled her portable computer from its carry bag and set it up swiftly on a nearby table. "I think I have discovered the identity of your dream walker." She stated as she dropped into a chair and rolled out her keyboard. The men moved closer to view the screen as her fingers flew across the keyboard, pulling up the information she had acquired.
A grainy picture of a scowling figure hung in mid-air before them. Orwell paused and leaned back in her seat. " Meet Markel Vitari. Born in Germany, parents immigrated to the U.S. when he was five. Rose quickly among the academic world later in life and until a few years ago he served as a professor of psychology at UC Berkeley." She toggled a key and a series of images and figures cascaded across the screen. "His field of study was dream research, particularly the study of how dreams affect the human body. He was expelled from his position at Berkeley and cast out by the academic community at large when a couple of his test subjects suffered permanent brain damage following unauthorized experiments. He left the U.S. shortly after..popping up at various places around the world from Brazil to Thailand to Africa..apparently turning his attention to the darker arts of mind manipulation. In each location, a mysterious death was reported, each a healthy individual who suddenly dead of heart failure due to exhaustion as a result of a sudden, extreme exertion…while they were asleep. He was last seen in Asia where he dropped off the grid…until two days ago." She punched a key lightly and a new photo filled the screen. "This was taken two days ago at the Los Angeles Airport."
An oppressive silence filled the room as each considered what they had heard. Finally Max spoke. "I want you to stay in Trolley Park tonight…and I want someone to stand watch over you."
Vince immediately stiffened. "I don't need a babysitter. You want me to force someone to stay awake and watch me sleep. No!"
Max held his hands up in a placating manner. "Just one person. That way if things get bad at least we will know it sooner rather than later." Max could tell that Vince was not being swayed. "Let me put it this way. When you learn the trapeze you don't start off 20 feet off the ground. You start low with a net underneath you in you fall. This will be your net."
Ruvi nodded. "That would not be a bad idea. We could watch in shifts so someone will always be alert." He turned to leave the room. "I have something else that may help as well." He stated mysteriously before slipping out of sight.
oOo
Across town
A slender figure in a well cut suit walked swiftly into the damp room as if he owned the building...which was in fact the case. A frown twisted his thin lips as he paused before the table set at its center.
"What is taking so long?" Fleming demanded, his dark eyes gazed icily at the man before him.
"Patience is a virtue." Markel said in a hollow tone without turning to face his guest.
"And one which I have none of." Fleming stated flatly. "I want the Cape and I want him now." The dark eyes narrowed into thin slits. "You do not want to know what happens to those who upset me."
"You don't want to threaten me." The gravelly voice stated calmly as the empty, hollow pools of black raised to meet his, and Fleming's frown deepened as he repressed a shudder.
The voice continued. "You have to sleep sometime. I might have fun playing with all the skeletons in your closet."
"You don't want to go playing around in my head." Fleming snarled, letting the threat hang in the air for a few tense moments as the two formidable foes had a silent show down. "Besides, if I'm dead how will you get paid?"
The mention of money ended the silent stalemate and the dark eyes lowered to regard the image at the center of the candles. "His wall is crumbling and he will crack before much longer. One more attack and you will have everything you have ever wanted to know about The Cape."
A smirk twisted the thin lips. "Excellent."