Chapter Four

KEY LARGO, FLORIDA

"Where is Anthony?" Jeannie II asked Tom - one of Maurice's henchmen - as she strode through Maurice's living room. She wore her signature green harem outfit paired with a matching green sheer silk cloak.

"Wine cellar," Tom replied. He was thirty-nine and overweight. He had wavy dark brown hair and a matching dark brown mustache.

"Where is the wine cellar, then?" Jeannie II asked sarcastically. "I do not come here that often."

"Towards the back, near the pool," Tom replied.

"Thank you," said Jeannie II as she made her way towards the back of the house.

"While you're there, could you put Tony in the car?" Tom asked. "Boss wants the job to go down TONIGHT."

Jeannie II turned back towards Tom and replied, "Of course!"

"Thanks," said Tom as Jeannie II turned back around and continued on towards the wine cellar.

Funny how she calls him "Anthony", Tom thought after Jeannie II had left the room.

Jeannie II entered the wine cellar to find Tony Jr. blindfolded, gagged, and tied to a chair.

"Take off his blindfold," said Jeannie II to another one of Maurice's henchmen. The two were standing inside Maurice's wine cellar.

"Why?" the henchman inquired.

"Just DO it!" Jeannie II snapped.

The henchman shrugged his shoulders and took off Tony Jr.'s blindfold. Yes, ma'am.

"I was wondering if you would leave us alone for a while," said Jeannie II.

"Why?"

"I need to check on Anthony ... and YOU ask too many questions," Jeannie II shot back.

The henchman rolled his eyes and said, "I'll be standing outside the door." He then turned and left the room.

Once the henchman had left, Jeannie II went to work. She lifted up Tony Jr.'s shirt and began examining his chest.

Bruises, shoe prints on his chest, Jeannie II thought as she examined his chest.

Great Haji, he has been TORTURED!

Jeannie II felt around Tony Jr.'s back and shoulders. "Your shoulder is dislocated," she said as she felt around his right shoulder.

What's it to ya'? Tony Jr. thought as he glared angrily at Jeannie II. Not like YOU'RE going to do anything about it.

As Jeannie II continued to examine Tony Jr., she dug her fingers into his left shoulder. Her jaw set, her chest heaved, her face quivering with barely-concealed rage.

Why is she doing this? Tony Jr. wondered as he stared at Jeannie II's curious behavior. He was now thoroughly confused. She's never felt this way towards me before.

Regaining her composure, Jeannie II let out a breath and licked her lips. Steadying herself with her right hand on Tony Jr.'s left shoulder, she touched his dislocated right shoulder and blinked.

Tony Jr.'s shoulder popped back into its socket!

She's healing me, Tony thought as one by one, Jeannie II healed his assorted cuts, bruises, and abrasions.

What have I done to deserve THIS honor?

Once she was through, Jeannie II put Tony Jr.'s blindfold back on. Having done this, she glanced out the glass door that opened into the wine cellar, taking care not to be seen by anyone.

Seeing that the coast was clear, she stroked the back of Tony Jr.'s head and blinked. His head slumped forward onto his chest and off to one side.

"Sleep now," said Jeannie II softly as she gently caressed the back of Tony Jr.'s head. "Rest." She then bent down, kissed him tenderly on the cheek, and whispered into his ear, "I love you".

Her work complete, Jeannie II stood up, folded her arms in front of her chest, and blinked. Tony Jr. - blindfolded, gagged, and tied to a chair - disappeared.

"I put him in the black BMW," said Jeannie II to Phil and Tom. "Backseat."

"Thanks," said Phil, another one of Maurice's henchmen. "We'll be out there shortly."

Phil was forty-two and was as skinny as Tom was fat. He had curly red hair, blue eyes, and a thin, angular face.

All at once, the air was filled with the sounds of breaking glass and popping corks. Phil and Tom rushed back towards the wine cellar.

As Phil and Tom opened the door to the wine cellar, they found the floor littered with popped corks, broken wine and champagne bottles, shards of broken glass, and red and white wine pooling and mixing together on the floor. The racks were now filled to the rafters with broken, dripping wine and champagne bottles.

"How much was that collection worth again?" Tom asked.

"Quarter of a million," Phil replied solemnly.

"Oh, did I do that? My bad!" Jeannie II cackled from the living room.

Tom and Phil turned around. Jeannie II had disappeared, her disembodied evil laughter still hanging in the air.

Inside the black BMW, Tom and Phil buckled their seat belts as they prepared to leave.

As Phil put the key into the ignition, a big black panther suddenly appeared on the hood before them! With one swipe of its paw, the panther's razor-sharp claws gouged the windshield.

"START THE ENGINE! START THE ENGINE!" Tom screamed as the panther roared outside.

"I'm trying! I'm trying!" said Phil as he frantically turned the key in the ignition. "It's not turning over!"

Tom frantically pulled a smartphone out of his pocket. The panther reached through the windshield and batted the phone out of Tom's hand!

"Where's the phone?" Tom shrieked.

"Forget the phone! Let's get outta here!" As much as Phil kept turning the key in the ignition, the engine still wouldn't start.

The panther passed through the windshield and placed its front paws on Tom's legs. The interior of the BMW was now almost completely filled by the monster.

With the push of a button, Tom pushed the back of the passenger seat down, trying to get away from the panther.

The panther leaped into the car and set its front paws onto Tom's chest, its glowing yellow eyes boring straight into him. It hissed, growled, and roared, baring its bright red tongue and gleaming sharp, white teeth.

Those ... EYES. Those glowing ... penetrating ... yellow eyes. Tom couldn't stop staring at them.

All at once, those eyes seemed to fill the entire car.

Gaze into my eyes, Thomas, cooed a soft feminine voice inside Tom's mind. Gaze ... deeply ... into my eyes...

"Who are you?" Tom gurgled. "How do you know my name?"

My name is not important, the voice replied soothingly, softly. How I know what I know ... How I know about YOU ... none of that matters now.

Phil, this car, the outside world ... they are all fading away now. Fading ... away. All that matters to you now ... is the sound of my voice.

All you see ... are my eyes. All you hear ... is my voice ...

As quickly as the panther came, it vanished.

At long last, the BMW's engine finally started. Thank God, Phil thought.

"Tom, I got the car started!" Phil announced happily.

No response from Tom.

"Tom?" Phil asked. "Tom?"

Phil unbuckled his seat belt, looked over at Tom, and gasped. Tom lay way back in the passenger seat, his left arm draped over the side of the seat, staring up at the ceiling with his mouth agape.

Tom was Deeply entranced ... Deeply hypnotized ...