“Splendid. We’re ready when you are. And please, call me E. Mr. Eel is my father.” The Meat behind him rumbled a collective, obedient laugh, which set me giggling.
I struggled to get my face under control. The bodyguards behind me were all wearing practiced scowls and even the R&D nerds had managed expressions of somber menace. Mean nerds. What would a villainous lady do with her face? I tried a smirk, to see if I could hold it.
“Okay, everyone,” the woman with the call sheet said, clapping her hands for a moment of attention. “Remember your job is to make your boss more impressive. Loom, but don’t mean-mug too hard. Try to project some intensity, but take your cues from E and don’t go overboard. You’re like . . . evil bridesmaids. You’re here to make him look even better.”
The Meat behind me grumbled at the comparison and I fought against another smile. I tried to project a sense of menace. I indulged in some revenge fantasies and hoped they carried to my face.
“We’re live in ten!” the camera operator called, and then continued to count down on his fingers. E sat a little straighter on his makeshift throne. He dramatically steepled his fingers and allowed one corner of his mouth to quirk up the slightest bit. I found myself suddenly gripped by nervousness. With a final thumbs-up, we were live.
“Mr. Mayor. Councillors. Chief Danczuk. Pardon me for interrupting this municipal session on, what was it, public transit?” E paused a moment, mentally counting out a few seconds to allow for the sounds of shock and outrage he imagined had erupted on the other side of the closed-circuit channel he’d invaded. “Please, I promise not to take up too much of your time.
“At the bottom of this screen there is a crypto-wallet address. This is a very simple ransom demand: the equivalent of five million dollars, delivered within the next five minutes. Nothing outrageous, nothing that would bankrupt the civic purse, just a little nest egg to get my next project off the ground.”
E glanced meaningfully across the room, where two of his bodyguards had been standing by the door. One of them nodded and touched his earpiece, barking a quick command. The other held the doors open. A third man walked in, bigger than any of the other Meat, half dragging and half carrying a long-limbed teen boy with him. The kid had grass stains on his knees and was wearing a jersey emblazoned with the logo of a doughnut shop; he must have been grabbed from soccer practice. As the thick-necked man holding him dragged the boy closer to the desk, I could smell the salt of his fresh sweat and a high note of panic. One of the kid’s feet was bare and it looked like his own sock was stuffed into his mouth.
One of the Meat behind me kicked me in the back of the leg, and I realized my mouth was hanging open. I struggled to compose my face.
“Of course, I understand that you need some incentive for such a business proposition, so let me provide it, along with a demonstration of the new project I am working on,” E said jovially, gesturing the Meat closer. He dragged the boy into the frame of the camera. E paused again for a reaction he couldn’t see on the other end of the video feed, then plucked the sock out of the boy’s mouth. The kid shook his head and spat.
“We’d like to thank Jeremy for volunteering for this demonstration.” E stood. He picked up the Mood Ring and set it humming, much louder this time; I could feel it in my teeth. “Jeremy, your dad is watching, so try to put on a good show for him. I’m very excited that you were able to help us out.”
“Where is my dad?” Jeremy’s voice was a lot higher than I expected.
E pointed to the camera. “Your father can see you, Jeremy, but I’m afraid that you can’t see him. Now, answer me this: How do you feel, Jeremy? What would you say your emotional state is like currently?”
Jeremy attempted to kick the Meat holding him with the foot still wearing a cleat. “Let me go! Let go!”
E nodded. “Upset. Would you say that’s fair?”
Jeremy’s lip was trembling. He was even younger than I thought he was at first glance; what I had originally taken for a skinny fourteen was probably more like a tall twelve. He was close enough to me now that I could see the scabs on his knees and the dirt under his fingernails. I was struck at once by how vulnerable this poor kid was, and the fact that I was standing almost directly behind him while we were live-broadcasting his kidnapping. The room swam and I suddenly felt like I was going to barf.
“Okay, Jeremy,” E was saying, his voice even and soothing, almost hypnotic. “We’re going to try something together.” He adjusted the settings on the Mood Ring slightly, and the vibration seemed to rattle around in my sinus cavities. E brought the Mood Ring close to Jeremy’s head, and the kid yelled and struggled against the huge hands around his upper arms. “Now. Tell me how you feel.”
The reverberating hum became a deep pulse. My jaw ached, but something in me relaxed. Where I had been panicking a moment before, I now felt a strange, artificial serenity.
Jeremy stopped struggling completely. His eyes had been feverish with panic but now they glazed over. He rested in the hands of the man holding him, where he had frantically resisted seconds before. A little drool pooled in one corner of his mouth and he absently wiped it away with the back of his hand.
E patted the shoulder of the Meat restraining Jeremy, and the big man slowly let go. The kid made no attempt to move or get away, just shifted his weight, looking around the room with vague curiosity.
“Feeling better?” E’s voice was encouraging, almost gentle.
“Yeah. I am.” Jeremy’s voice was slow and wondering. His face was relaxed now; he looked almost sleepy.
“I’m glad to hear that, Jeremy.” E gestured for the boy to join him behind the desk. Jeremy ambled over and stood next to E obediently.
E squeezed the kid’s shoulder gently. “What do you feel like doing right now, young man?”
Jeremy’s brow furrowed as he thought. “Well. That depends on what you want me to be doing, mister.”
E’s face split into a grin, showing white wolfish teeth. “Very good answer, Jeremy. You’re a very bright boy. And please, call me E.”
“Okay, E.”
“That’s perfect. Now, there’s a small favor I want you to do for me, Jeremy. Would you like to help me out?”
At the prospect of being given something to do Jeremy’s face lit up. The boy nodded, a deep swoop of his head. “Sure!”
“Wonderful.” E made a demanding gesture toward one of his bodyguards, who reached into the tactical messenger bag he held and produced a long, rectangular box. It was heavy and closed with a latch, not unlike a jewel case for a necklace, but larger. E took it eagerly and laid the box on the desk between him and Jeremy, who was watching the exchange, calm and intent.
E turned to me then. “Hold this,” he said, so casually, and handed the Mood Ring to me. I held up my hands to fend it off, but he calmly took my wrists and curled my fingers around the handle of the device. I could feel the weird pulse that it was emitting become dampened, like a current was passing through my body, but I was safely grounded now, letting it pass through.
“Keep it close to his head,” E said conversationally. “Works better that way.” My arms shook but I held it, gritting my teeth against the weird keening and wondering if this meant I was going to jail.