Chapter 24 – The Electrical Charge Part 2
The burlap sack was pulled from Nikola's head, uncovering his face.
He groaned slightly, whatever drugs his kidnappers had given him were strong…they probably gave him enough to bring a large horse down.
"Here you are, caught and delivered," said one of his kidnappers.
"Excellent," said another voice, he couldn't tell where it was coming from.
"Eh! We ain't handing him over until you hand us over our pay, we earned it, he nearly busted my men's shoulders, as well as taking me out, and we got it done 2 days earlier than the prescribed due date, I think that counts for double," said the man.
"We agreed on 10 thousand," he recognized that cheapskate voice now…it was none other than his rival Edison…he must be very desperate if he's willing to kidnap him like this.
"Eddie!" exclaimed Nikola, a little drugged out.
"What's wrong with him?" asked Edison.
"He's some kind of freak, he took two bullets in the leg and a whole bottle of chloroform just to go down, and it didn't keep him down for long, it took three horse tranquilizers just to knock him out long enough to transport him down here," said the man.
"Interesting, well here's and additional 2000 to pay for your expenses," said Edison.
"Two thousand? We agreed double if we caught him earlier, never mind repaying our resources, we're talking personal damages, he nearly dislocated my boy's shoulders!" argued the man.
"We agreed on ten thousand, you are getting 2 additional for your personal injuries and expenses, I am being more than generous, you can take the money or you can leave without a penny," said Edison.
"Just take the cash Johnny," muttered one of the men.
"Fine, good day Mr. Edison," Johnny snatched the cash from Edison's hand and the three of them left without another word.
"You always were a cheap son of a bitch," muttered Nikola, blinking the blurriness out of his eyes.
"I'm a businessman, I can't go throwing money willy-nilly," Edison stepped in Nikolas view. "I also have to eliminate the competition, I am the frontier of electrical engineering, I can't have you stealing my title, now can I?"
"I never liked you," Nikola felt himself being lifted from the floor on to a chair. His hands were tied by twine; he could easily rip through it with his vampiric strength if he wasn't drugged to hell.
"It seems we share a similar opinion of each other," laughed Edison, moving to sit at his desk.
"Y-you were always threatened by-by my mustache," mumbled Nikola.
Edison laughed again.
"Believe what you will, Tesla, today you have the distinct honor of witnessing an Edison invention first hand," he grinned under his own vile mustache.
"Do what? Fail?" Nikola blinked a few times trying to gain focus.
"Oh no, this device knows exactly what to do," said Edison.
"I get the impression that this won't end well for me," said Nikola.
"Amazing, even when drugged you still manage to be somewhat intelligent," joked Edison.
"And it amazes me that even when sober you still manage to be a complete idiot," bit Nikola.
The humor drained out of Edison's features.
"You are a thorn in my side, Tesla, always have been! You and your superfluous alternating current! Well now I will get you both back and out of my hair, it all came to me when two of my employees approached me with this idea to create a chair that executes with electricity, a more humane death than a hanging, they mentioned using AC as the primary power source, of course they were thinking like everyone thinks, it's more efficient…but my real reason behind supporting this project was not to develop a humane way to kill murderers, rapists and other assorted ne'er-do-wells, it was so that you would be my first test subject. Just like that everything clicked. In the next few days you will be found in your lab killed by your own invention, furthermore discrediting AC, returning DC back to it's original place, as the world's leading power, where it belongs!"
Nikola laughed.
"Are you really that petty?" he looked at Edison.
"I am not petty! I just know where my place is, now I am putting you in yours!" Edison's face turned red as he stood up. "The experiment should be ready soon, we'll see how smug you are when you have a steady stream of electrical current is running through that genius brain of yours!"
He moved over and dragged Nikola roughly to his feet.
It was dark outside, he might have been out for a few hours…maybe more. He saw the night sky through the window as Edison pushed him from his office, through the main lab and a pair of reinforced steel doors into a secondary lab. The windows were covered with a thick black material, and the floor had many cables and wires running across it.
In the middle of the room was a chair - if you could call it that - it was a very demonized form of a chair. There were straps on the armrests and along the legs, and metal plates in strategic places all over the chair's surface.
Edison shoved him closer to the chair.
"Are we ready, gentlemen?" asked Edison.
Harry P. Brown, and Arthur Kennelly peeked their heads from behind what seemed like a monitor. There were so many medical devices in this lab that it could almost be mistaken for a hospital in hell…Nikola never really liked hospitals.
"Is this the subject?" asked Brown.
"Yes," said Edison.
"He looks a lot like…"
"He's not," Edison shoved Nikola into the chair and cut the rope restraining his arms.
"What'd he do?" asked Kennelly.
"He stole something…" Edison looked at Nikola sharply. "…that didn't belong to him."
"That's not something that most people end up on death row for," said Brown.
"I assure you, what he's done has qualified him perfectly for this experiment," said Edison.
Kennelly came up and restrained Nikola's arms as Brown restrained his legs.
Nikola's shirt was opened and several pads were placed down his chest.
"What are those for?" asked Nikola, still shaking off the horse tranquilizers.
"To read your vitals, to see if it's effective enough," answered Kennelly.
"Arthur, we don't have to explain it to him," hushed Brown.
"Sorry," said Kennelly apologetically.
"I see," Nikola felt a chin and forehead strap come over his face, securing his head to the back of the chair.
Electrodes were attached to certain areas of his body, (temples, heart, major arteries, etc), and then the two men stepped back along with Edison.
Nikola didn't even flinch at the prospect of death. He just scoffed, his eyes scanning the area around him.
"You're a coward, Edison!" he shouted. "Can't even kill me yourself! Have to get your lackeys to do it! There's a reason your power is failing in more ways than one! Killing me only proves how truly pathetic you are!" said Nikola.
"What's he talking about?" asked Brown.
"Does it matter? Flip the switch!" ordered an angered Edison.
"Yes sir," said Brown. He signaled to Kennelly to pull on the large lever connecting the chair to the electrical current.
Nikola grunted slightly. The drugs made it hard for him to focus his strength to rip out of the chair. He struggled for a minute; he resisted the urge to morph again, digging his nails into the wood.
Suddenly he was filled with electricity, he cried out in response. It was a wave of white-hot pain, he could feel it shooting out his fingertips, the sparks dancing across his skin. His already drug-adled brain filled to the brim with static. All he heard was Helen's voice whispering into his ear gently. He wanted to understand what she was saying but the static was causing too much interference.
His eyes shot open and he knew he had morphed slightly, his vision turning red momentarily.
He wasn't dead.
He looked around him, he was still very much alive.
Suddenly the current was gone.
"What happened?" shouted Edison.
"20 seconds, that should've been enough to kill him," said a very flustered Brown.
"It killed the cats in less time," said Kennelly.
"Put it on a higher voltage and try again!" ordered Edison.
"But sir…"
"Try again!" screamed Edison.
"Uhh…"
"Do it!" he shouted at the pair of them and they nodded fearfully.
Edison turned his head to glare at Nikola.
Nikola smirked back.
"Alright sir, trying at 2500 volts," announced Brown flipping the switch.
The current came back less painfully and Nikola welcomed it. Hopefully his vampiric immortality would give him enough time to be rescued, someone must be missing him.
"Helen," he prayed, "Come and find me."
~~~~London~~~~
Helen heard the telephone ringing off its hinges in the main foyer and she descended the many steps of the grand staircase to answer it.
John trailed behind her, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
James peeked his head out of the study, wondering what all the commotion was about.
"What the devil?" he muttered.
"Who calls at this time of night?" whined Nigel, coming out of his room.
"Obviously someone who can't wait," huffed John, his grumpiness due to his lack of sleep.
"Hush," said Helen to the three of them as she picked up the receiver. "Hello."
"Excuse me…is-is this Helen Magnus?" said a female voice from the other line.
"Yes, may I ask who's calling?" asked Helen politely.
"My-my name is Bianca Waller, I'm a friend of Nikola Tesla's," said the young woman.
Helen's heart skipped a beat.
"Is something wrong?" she asked cautiously.
The young woman broke into tears.
"He-he was supposed to meet me last night and he never showed up, at first I thought he was in his lab being forgetful, so-so I went to his lab to talk to him, give him a piece of my mind, you know. When I got there the lab door was wide open, the place was in shambles, tables overturned, things thrown on to the floor, and Nikki nowhere in sight! I went to Mr. Westinghouse to tell him what had happened and he told me to call you, he said you were a friend of Nikola's and that you could help…I fear the worst…" sobbed Bianca.
"When was the last time you saw him?" asked Helen, trying to mask the fear in her own voice.
"Uhh, y-yesterday afternoon, he was in his lab," said Bianca.
"Alright, don't go back there, stay with Mr. Westinghouse, we'll be there to help soon," said Helen hanging up the receiver.
"What's wrong Helen?" asked John, noticing her sudden distress.
"It's Nikola…he's gone missing," she looked at the three of them.
"Are you sure?" asked James.
"Could he have stopped taking his medication?" she asked.
"You don't think?" started Nigel.
"We can't say for sure, but I'm not willing to risk it, we need to get there right away, Nigel, John, get dressed and get the stunners, James get that medication," she ordered.
"What about you" asked John.
"I'll change then help James," she said.
"What if he's just off being Nikola?" suggested John.
"You're willing to risk that explanation over a vampire loose in New York City?" she glared at John.
"Of course not," he relented.
"Alright, I'd like to leave as soon as possible," she said firmly, Nigel and James needed no further explanation, but John spent an extra second to look at Helen.
Helen pushed past him and walked up the staircase back to their room quickly pulling off her nightgown to change into what James referred to as her hunting outfit.
John followed behind her, his eyes never leaving her.
"You seem awfully concerned," he said suspiciously.
"I am, it's Nikola, he's very dangerous, you know that," she came up to him gesturing for him to help her with the straps of her outfit.
"Is that all?" prodded John.
"Yes, I am more concerned for the wellbeing others than the wellbeing of that man," she sighed.
"You haven't really talked about what happened on your little trip to New York," continued John.
"What John?" Helen growled.
"Did he do something to you?" he asked, tugging sharply on her corset.
"No, we had an argument, he refused my help, then left, I told you," Helen sighed.
"Is that the whole story, Helen?" John spun her roughly to face him.
"Yes! Nothing happened! I would sooner drink a vile of poison then spend another waking thought on that man! How dare you accuse me of being unfaithful, John!" she pushed herself out of his arms.
"I know you're hiding something, Helen, something you're not telling me! Something to do with Nikola!" he glared at her.
"I did nothing with Nikola, nothing I haven't told you!" she shouted as she pinned up her hair.
"You and Nikola have always been running around keeping secrets with each other, we are to be married Helen!" he fumed.
"Stop it! This game of petty jealousy you've been playing with Nikola just stop it! I am not a prize for you two to fight over! I love you, John, and only you," she stepped up to him placing her hands on his chest. She leaned up to kiss him lightly.
"You're right, I'm being silly," he sighed.
"And grumpy, you're always grumpy when you're tired," she teased. "We're going to go check this out, if it turns out Nikola is just being an idiot you can punch him and we will leave him…but I think this woman sounds genuinely afraid."
John nodded silently.
She checked herself in the mirror.
"Now get ready," she stepped to the door. "Nigel will need your help, I would like to have the least casualties from this situation as I can," she walked out of the room to go help James.
John watched her leave intently. He knew she was hiding something from him. Eyes rarely lie. He dressed quickly then pulled out his specialized pistol, something Nigel had made for him. This would get him his answer.
~~~~New York, Outside Tesla's Lab~~~~
Helen walked down the street, the others behind her.
She had been abnormally silent since they had left Westinghouse's home, meeting the young woman that had contacted him.
"You must be Bianca."
"Yes, you're going to find Nikola, right?"
She walked with a quickened pace. It was strong and purposeful, and frightening enough to have her friends and fiancé stay a good three steps behind her.
"May I ask how you met Nikola?"
"Uh, he attended a party of a friend of mine, for him it was just a social necessity, we ran into each other and we, uh, expressed an interest in each other…you're the woman from the picture, aren't you?"
"What picture?"
"Oh, nevermind."
"Excuse me miss, but are you saying you are in a relationship with Tesla?"
"Yes, well, sort of, Nikola's form of a relationship is less formal than most."
A relationship! That's what she said. Nikola with that brunette bimbo! An actress no less! Without any intent to court! The bloody bastard!
She clenched her fists.
"Is there a reason Helen looks like she's about to kill Nikola herself?" whispered Nigel to James.
"Probably due to the way he was shamefully using that young girl as a sexual object," muttered John.
"She seems very intelligent, I don't think she minded his affections, or maybe is misguided in his true intentions, or in love enough to hold on till they change, affairs of the heart are very fickle," shrugged James.
"So you said he was supposed to meet you last night?"
"Yes, at his place, I arrived there with a bottle wine, a nice vintage given to me as a gift for a performance, I knew he loved wine, but he wasn't there, at first I thought he was stiffing me, but when I got to his lab…and saw…"
"Thank you, Miss Waller, that's all we need."
Helen scoffed.
"Helen, you're starting to scare the pedestrians," John walked up to Helen and grabbed her arm to stop her ongoing march.
"I'm sorry…I was just…thinking about something," she shook her head.
"Was it something that Miss Waller said?" asked John.
"No, I'm fine, look, we're here," Helen opened the door to the building and headed up the narrow flight of stairs to the door to the lab.
James went in behind her, John next, and Nigel last.
"Well this definitely looks like a scene from a drunken pub brawl," said James.
Nigel noticed a cloth lying on the floor. He picked it up and smelled the strong odor.
"Chloroform," he said.
"What?" James came up to him and examined the cloth.
"This is looking more and more like a kidnapping," said Nigel.
"Indeed, but who would want to kidnap Nikola?" asked John, a small smirk cresting his lips.
Helen ignored the three of them as something on the floor near the desk caught her eye.
There was broken glass everywhere, but amongst the glass was a single broken frame lying on the floor. Helen picked it up in gloved hand.
"You're the woman from the picture, aren't you?"
Helen bit her lip and put the frame face down on the desk.
"We should split up, John, you and Nigel go to Nikola's apartment, see if there are anything of interest, James, you and I will process the lab."
"Are you sure that's wise, Helen?" asked John.
"It's the only way we can cover the most area, when we're done here we'll join you," said Helen.
"Alright," John bowed his head and he and Nigel left.
When they were gone Helen exhaled and leaned against the desk.
"Helen?" James came over.
"I can't go on like this James, any moment now John is going to find out and he is going to hate me forever," Helen lifted up the frame.
"Helen, what did you do?" James looked at the frame with wide eyes and a growing suspicion.
"I kissed him…" Helen whispered. "I almost let it get too far but then Nikola noticed my ring and stopped and told me to go home. He knew I wasn't going to leave John for him. I didn't mean for it…I'm such an idiot," Helen rested her head in her hands.
"Why did you kiss him?" asked James softly.
"I don't know why…I guess I wanted to know if I was making the right choice before it was too late…"
James placed the frame down and put his hands on Helen's shoulders.
"And did you?" he asked softly.
"Yes, I mean, I think so…I love John very much, I know I want to marry him…but every time I think about my future life with him I wonder about Nikola…this Bianca woman upsets me more than it should, I shouldn't feel this way if I love John I shouldn't be jealous of Nikola, what's wrong with me?" she looked at James.
"You are clouding your feeling for John and your friendship with Nikola, you want them both to be happy, but only one of them can be happy with you, and even Nikola himself has acknowledged that man to be John," said James.
"Then explain that photograph," snapped Helen.
"Obviously, he misses your company more than he would let you believe, you two were very close, and instead of admitting the loss of that he has resorted to pretending…we'll never know his true intentions unless you ask him," James took her hands. "First lets find him."
"Alright," she nodded. "Please don't tell John, it's something he should hear from me."
James nodded.
"Of course."
She patted his hand then stood up to her full height and began searching the room as thoroughly as she could.
James used his powers of observation and his investigative skills. Aside from the cloth drenched in chloroform and a few drops of blood on some shards of glass the lab was practically spotless of any evidence of Nikola's alleged kidnapping.
"There's nothing here" sighed Helen.
"Let's join the others," James agreed.
He closed the lab door behind them as they headed back down to the street.
Three men with a two-horse drawn wagon watched them curiously from across the street.
"What do you make of those three?" said James.
"Too curious to be just bystanders," Helen looked at them just out of the corner of her eye.
"Indeed," muttered James.
"They're coming this way," she said seeing the three of them walk over.
"Hey you! Are you looking for the mustached guy that owns this building?" said one of them.
"And who are you?" said James to the man.
"Name's Johnny," said the man.
"Do you know what happened to this man?" Helen took out a photograph of Nikola and handed it to Johnny.
"Yeah, that's him," said Johnny. "We kidnapped him."
"What?" exclaimed Helen.
"Look, it was nothing personal, this big shot fella paid us some steep cash to kidnap him, we tried to bargain with him and he stiffed us, this guy nearly broke Frank's collarbone," Johnny pointed to the photograph.
"Where is he?" asked James.
"We're willing to tell ya…for a price," bargained Johnny.
"How do we know you won't just stiff us?" said James.
"Look we're fair business men, we're willing to do it for a fair price, say 3000 and we'll draw you a map," smirked Johnny.
"James," said Helen.
James sighed and pulled out his wallet.
"For this, you're going to show us the way, we'll pay you half now, and half when we get there, deal?" said James.
"You got it, hop in!" Johnny took the cash from James' hand and gestured over to his cart.
"Did you hear him James, hop in," Helen smirked slightly.
"Shouldn't we contact the others?" asked James.
"No time," Helen pushed him towards the horse cart. "Nikola could be in grave danger."
"All the more reason to have back up," said James.
"Don't worry, Nigel has a back-up plan," Helen climbed into the cart, James following after. "He'll know where we are, besides, I left a note when you weren't looking."
James sighed sat down beside her.
"You always were a few steps ahead of me," he looked at her and took her hand gently as the cart started to move down the street.