Post by Gabriel Baal on Feb 6, 2016 10:28:27 GMT -5
Gabriel’s office had been off limits to Lilith from the very first day she moved in – it was a point upon which he’d never waivered. It was, he’d said, his sanctuary. The one place in their home in which he could feel complete isolation from the world. His privacy, she knew, was paramount. His phone was secured, locked down with passwords and encryption that she couldn’t have even imagined existing. His personal effects were generally stored in his office – clothes aside. She’d tried, more than once, to test that lock to see if he’d , perhaps, forgotten. Always the same, whether he was inside or not. The door was always locked.
But not today.
This morning had been unpleasant – his rage had been terrible to behold. Something had happened, something to do with the missing patient from Angelfield’s. She’d suffered for it before he left – her scalp was raw and her back was blistered from the impact from his belt. She’d waited for the door to slam before she let out a sob. She’d learnt to control it now – hide the pain and the rare occasion of fear that still reared it’s head. Most of the time she enjoyed their trysts, but there were moments where her agony was born from some other rage in his mind.
She’d stepped out of the shower, still hurting, still shaken and walked to the kitchen to make some coffee. Across the room, she saw it – the glint of a silver key in the lock to his office. The key hadn’t gone with him. Now, for the first time, she had a chance to learn more about the man she knew as Gabriel. As she walked towards the office, she chanced a look at the door. She wanted to know she was alone. She wanted to know that he’d really gone.
Her hand reached for the key, as if in slow motion. She felt the cool metal against her skin and turned until she heard the click. Slowly, like a child finding their Christmas presents, slowly pulled open the door with her heart beating up in her throat. As she pulled open the door, she reached out a clicked on a light. The room was thrown into illumination, and to her surprise it was almost ordinary. Inside, the decoration was much like the rest of his apartment – wood and leather. It was unfathomably tidy, with right angles everywhere – even down to the pen and paper on his desk.
Much like the rest of his life, there was little of a personal nature on display. There were no pictures of friends or family, past or present. The wall was lined with ancient looking chests and the oldest set of drawers she could ever remember seeing. His shelves were adorned with what seemed to be bric-a-brac. An old pen knife, an open locket with no pictures inside, a set of three smooth pebbles. There were so much more than these three pieces but each seemed to be placed meticulously.
It was only then she saw the frame – a small, unspectacular thing in the far corner of the top shelf. From the distance she couldn’t read it, but she slowly reached up and took hold of the frame and pulled it down from it’s place. Inside was a newspaper clipping – it was small and impersonal, but in it’s own way embodied everything she knew.
Lilith read the report once, twice, three times. She looked for something, anything that would explain what she was reading. Another report, perhaps, about him being found, about his miraculous return to the land of the living. There was nothing. She slowly replaced the frame back onto the shelf, before a voice poured cold, icey water down her spine.
”Enjoying yourself?”
Lilth turned to see the furious face of Gabriel staring back at her – that red glint in his eye. His breathing is deep, but he says nothing else. She slowly walks towards him, but he is unmoved. She stops, just inches away before turning sideways to allow her to pass. She moves through the door, and hears it slam behind her. The pain was immediate as his hand wound deep into her hair.
“Quiritatio.”.
And scream she did – like her life depended on it.
Gabriel walked out of his office, much to the surprise of Vanessa sat at her desk. He stopped, silently stood staring at her.
”What time is my lunch meeting?”
Vanessa looked down at the pad.
”2pm, sir. Joe’s Shanghai on West 56th street.”
It was a small place – discreet. Hidden away from the main hustle and bustle of 5th Avenue, but still close enough to be accessible. It was one of Gabriel’s favourite eateries in NYC. The Soup Dumplings were to die for, and his regular server had called him the “Dumpling Fiend of Midtwon”. Yet this was not a pleasurable visit – this was a meeting of some significance.
”I’ve had a call from local law enforcement, to say that they’ve brought a man in who is asking for me by name.”
”A call? Nothing came through the desk…”
”Private line, Vanessa. Not everything is for your ears. I’m heading down now.”
He didn’t wait for a response. He walked through the halls of Angelfield’s with his mind filled with so many things. Alan Myer, the escapee, The Global Challenge and now someone asking for Gabriel by name. Of course, he was well known – but it was rarely the patients who asked for a referral. He felt something in his stomach, something he hadn’t felt for a long time. He was nervous. This was unscheduled, without time to research with whom he was meeting – he didn’t like not knowing who he was going to face.
Minutes later, Baal reached the Check in area of Angelfields.
”Good morning Dr. Baal.”
”Morning, Arnold. Lilth. That’s a hell of a shiner you have there. I do hope you’re Ok.”
Lilth looked back at him across the desk. At this moment, they were employer and employee – having managed to keep their relationship quiet. Just a week ago, Arnold had approached Gabriel to express his concerns that Lilith may well be in an abusive relationship. That had raised a rye smile. Not now, though – he’d told her to stay home until the bruising had cleared up.
”I slipped in the shower.”
”If you need some time off, you’re more than welcome to it.”
”No – I’m not worried about people seeing. I’m just really clumsy.”
She was testing his patience now. He’d told her – commanded her. Yet how could he punish her without opening up questions about how she was getting hurt. Perhaps this relationship was more complicated than what it was worth.
”Well perhaps you should move – you seem to be falling quite a lot recently. Perhaps you need a change of scene.”
Her eyes widened, momentarily, before she turned away to look at some files open on the desk.
”Where are they?”
”Room 618, doctor. The officers are with him.”
Baal nodded, and picked up a blank file, and walked towards the door. As he approached, instinctively he reached for the handle but stopped. He needed some more information first. He needed to know anything he could. He opened the door slowly and asked the one of the officers to join him outside.
”Thank you for bringing him in – I’ll do whatever we can to help. Where did you find him?”
”Scaring kids in Central Park. Nothing sinister – he didn’t go near them. He just, kind’ve yelled things at them. We picked him up about three hours ago.”
Baal’s brow furrowed. The Park was often full of vagrants who yelled at everyone – it wasn’t normally cause for arresting them. Normally, they would be moved on, only to return later.
”What kind of things?”
”We didn’t get too many specifics but an older kid was still at the scene when we arrived. The guy had called out to him that he should get home – that the kid’s father was going to fall down the stairs in the next couple of hours and if he was alone he’d die.”
Baal grinned and shook his head.
”I don’t understand – it’s unpleasant, for sure, but nothing I can see that would require treatment here. The state facilities would be more than able to deal with a simple case of alcoholism.”
”That’s the problem – he’s not drunk. And the same kid called for an ambulance when he got home. His father was lay at the bottom of the stairs – no pulse.”
Baal’s eyes must have widened because the officer smiled.
”Freaky, right? That’s when the guy started asking for you. “I need to see Gabriel Baal. I need to speak to the Doctor.” That’s when we brought him in.”
Baal swallowed – he couldn’t imagine why this man was causing him so much worry, but he was. Baal shook his head, before pulling his normal confident mask back on.
”Thank you Officer – if you could wait out here, that would be for the best.”
Gabriel reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell – he pulled open an app on his phone and scrolled through until he found room 618. A few clicks later and the camera feed had been pulled. Baal opened the door and entered. The second officer stepped outside and as the door closed, the occupant speaks.
”Hello Doctor – it’s such a pleasure to meet you.”
Gabriel didn’t answer straight away. He could see what the officer had meant. This wasn’t a vagabond – this man looked like a teacher. Tweed jacket and horn rimmed glasses, and from what he could see under the table – chinos. Baal pulled up a seat, and sat down opposite this newcomer.
”My name is –“
”Gabriel Baal – I’m well aware. I know exactly who you are. But based on what the officer has just been telling you, you knew that already.”
Baal smiled – trying to keep the upper hand.
”Of course. The officers never told me your name.”
”Likely because I didn’t offer it – unfortunately, the same has to be said for you for the moment.”
He was smiling. Baal did his best to keep the nerves out of his voice. For the most part, he was successful – he wasn’t so sure his eyes weren’t betraying him though.
”The officers were telling me that you predicted the death of man – you warned his son that it was going to happen. I need you to tell me how you did that. I need you to tell me how you knew. Because right now, all that I looks like is that you killed a man and followed his son to the park. Do you understand?”
The face didn’t change – he was still smiling. It was a kind smile, which was ironic given how it was making Gabriel feel.
”I understand, Dr. Baal – but I can’t tell you my methods. What I can tell you, is that I know things about people without them telling me. I know, for example, that that woman with the black eye is your girlfriend. That he black eye was given to her by you and that you were worried about what I would say, which is why you’ve turned off those cameras.”
This was, spectacular in its way – but Baal had started to piece together just what this man truly was. A con man – a stalker – a psychotic. Baal’s returned grin was full of confidence now.
”Your cheap parlour tricks might work on everyone else, sir. But I am a different animal – I am an Intellectual Juggernaut. Everything you’ve said has told me everything I needed to know. You picked up my name from some kind of reading about this facility – you followed me home and noticed that Lilith made her entrance last night. This morning you watched me leave, followed by her with a black eye. You made your way to a local man’s home and observed his son, before entering the abode and committing murder. You then followed the son to the park and tried to hide your knowledge, but stirring it in with insane rambling about random passers by. You’re nothing new, you’re nothing interesting and you’re wasting my fucking time – I’ll have the officers take you back to the precinct.”
Baal pushed up to his feet, the chair sliding back across the room in apparent anger. Much to Gabriel’s fury, the man still grinned. On and on, endlessly. Gabriel buttoned his jacket and turned towards the door.
”Your relationship will not last Gabriel. She will learn the truth of you and it will sicken her to her very stomach. She will take away everything you are, unless you take away everything she is.”
Baal turned back, his eyes flashing red once more.
”You’re angry, Gabriel. I can understand. This can’t be easy to hear – I’m not going to tell you whether you will win or lose, this week. I’m not going to tell you whether you’re going to be successful but I will tell you this – come the end of the Global Challenge, your career may be flourishing but your life will be collapsing. You will have work to do to stop the woman you control from controlling you. She will hold the keys to your life and the very choice you have to make will break your heart in two.”
Baal took a deep breath and walked slowly around the desk, before leaning down towards the smiling man.
”You think you know who I am? that you know all about me. You know nothing, you pathetic little man. I am The Hell that Every Man Fears. Would you like to hear how I came by my name?”
Gabriel’s question was filled with malice and anger – but quietly so.
”I know how you came by your name, and so does Patient Zero. Not only that. But Patient Zero knows your real name, that’s why you force him to wear that mask. Isn’t that right Mr. –“
The abrupt end to the sentence came at Gabriel’s right hand. His eyes were wide, as he staggered backwards staring at the now unconscious, still smiling face of the man in front of him. Baal looked from the man, to the door. He made a quick decision and brought his forehead down hard on the metal table. He heard the splatter of blood as his forehead tore open. The door burst open as Baal stumbled backwards.
”He… He attacked me.”
The officers immediately went to check on the now unconscious man at the table, before checking on Baal himself.
”Are you alright? What happened?”
”I… I confronted him about his potential role in the death of the young boy’s father. He… He jumped to his feet and head butted me. I managed to catch him with a punch and luckily he was knocked out. Officer’s he is disturbed, clearly disturbed. I’ll have my orderlies sedate him and have him moved to the secure wing.”
Without waiting for a reply, Baal turned and left the room behind him. His head swimming, still trying to squash the words of this… whatever he was… from his mind.
Gabriel took his seat opposite Alan Myer at his usual table on the ground floor of the restaurant. Myer had a beer in his hand and a smug look on his face. He had the look of a man who seemed to have won. He had the look of a man who knew he had won. Gabriel’s regular server made his way over with a glass of water.
”You want usual, Dr. Baal?”
”That would be great. Can I get you anything, Alan? The Soup Dumplings are to die for.”
”I’m good – I wont be here long.”
Baal smiles and nods up at the server who turns and walks away. Baal takes a sip of his drink, but remains silent as Alan stars back still grinning.
”Well?”
Alan shrugged, arrogantly.
”I figured you’d wanna talk, Baal. By now I assume you know how I got out. I’ve not been able to get hold of Jerry to pay him for his service. Not only did I get out, but you saved me and my friends an absolute fortune.”
Gabriel smiled as the service he’d become accustomed to showed no signs of wavering. A portion of hot, steaming soup dumplings were placed in front of him and without a word he began to eat.
”I’m just surprised you agreed to meet me. After what I did, I figured you’d want to stay as far away from me and my friends as you possibly could. I wanted to meet you, Baal, because I wanted to tell you that this is far from over.”
Baal smiled and nodded slightly as he poured ginger soy over his first Dumpling and took a bite. The hot, tasty broth burst in his mouth and the sumptuous pork inside was well seasoned and juicy. He continued to chew, allowing Alan’s arrogance to turn into frustration.
”You made a fucking mistake not turning me free when you had a chance, Baal. You could have had anything you wanted. You could have had everything. They got me for my brother’s murder, but that was just the tip of the fucking iceberg. The men I deal with, the men I got behind me will pull your life apart.”
Baal second portion was eaten differently. He took a small bite out of the side of the dumpling and sucked out the broth, finally taking the remaining part into his mouth and chewing without the risk of straying broth across the table. Alan’s grin was a sneer now. He was leaning across the table, his eyes wide and angry.
”I know you think I’m here to tell to keep the fuck away from me, but I came here to warn you to watch your back. Because we’re going to get you. I swear it.”
Baal wiped his mouth with a napkin and placed his spoon at the side of his plate.
”Let me stop you right there, Alan. And I say this giving you the knowledge that I do not let my soup dumplings go cold without good reason. I’m not afraid of you, or your friends. Do you hear me?”
”You think you’re safe because you’re in a public place? You think you’re safe because you’re surrounded with safety in numbers? You have to leave here, man. You have to walk home or drive home and we can get to you in a second.”
Baal smiles and takes a deep breath, still not looking Alan in the face, but still arranging the utensils and glasses and ornaments into perfect symmetry.
”You have made so many mistakes Alan. Firstly, calling this meeting. You should have just hidden – we might never have found you. You’d have been free for a little longer. Secondly, thinking that I’m afraid of you and your friends. I’m not – I have bigger friends in higher places. I have connections you don’t even know exist. Anything you think you can do to me, I can bring on you tenfold. But lastly, and most importantly, the biggest mistake you’ve made is thinking that I would ever meet you in a public place.”
Alan Myer looked around, before letting out a burst of mirth-filled laughter.
”You’re fucking insane. This place is packed from top to bottom. Fucking look at it.”
Gabriel smiled.
”Yes Alan… Look at it. Pareo.”
Alan’s eyes widened in fear as each and every person in the entire restaurant from top to bottom stopped whatever they were doing and lowered their heads to the table. Those servers stood around, dropped to their knees.
”What the fuck… What the fuck did you do?”
”I’m not just some Doctor, Alan. I have friends everywhere, people who owe me everything they have. Everything they are. You think you’re safe in this city, Alan? You’re not. This is my city and everywhere you turn I have people who are loyal to me, who will listen to me and what I can do. I’m their father, I’m their brother, I’m their son and I’m their friend. But most of all, Alan. I am The Nightmare. I’m your fucking nightmare. Take him away.”
Immediately, the two nearest patrons climbed to their feet and gripped Alan Myer under both arms.
”Take him out the back – theirs a van waiting to take him back to Angelfields.”
”No… NO!”
Alan’s calls fell on deaf ears, as Baal picked up his spoon and turned back to his dumplings.
”If you want something done properly, do it yourself. Can I get another portion of dumplings?”
Baal took a deep breath and smiled, lifting the next one to his lips only to be stopped by a memory.
”I know how you came by your name, and so does Patient Zero. Not only that. But Patient Zero knows your real name, that’s why you force him to wear that mask. Isn’t that right Mr. –“
