Seventy six

CHAPTER 76

SANTIAGO

Martha sidled up to me. When it became clear that the men had been waiting for us, I met them halfway.

When I was up close, I could see that there was something dark and secretive about these men. Perhaps it was in the way they moved lithely, like cats, or the way the shorter of the men kept looking this way and that, as though keeping an eye out for trouble.

"Mr Santiago?" said the taller of the men. He turned slowly to Martha. "Martha?"

"Yes," I replied. "I am Santiago. She is Martha, and you are..."

"Agents from the company you are making plans to work with," the man replied.

"Oh."

"There is something very important that the company has to discuss with you."

I sighed. This was the last thing I wanted at the moment. The confrontation with Glenn, Martha's claims, and now this! They were all coming so fast on the heels of one another that it was exhausting.

"I'm sorry, gentlemen, but whatever it is we have to discuss will have to wait." I pointed to the elevator. "Martha and I were just about to go into our hotel rooms, before both of you came along. I am sure that we can reschedule another meeting." I reached into my pocket for my card, hesitated. "I expect you already have my number, so you can call me later-"

"I'm afraid that it is not going to work that way," the taller agent insisted. "This meeting can't be shelved until later."

"Why not? It's not like your company gave me a prior notice or a heads up about the meeting-"

"And we apologize for it-"

"But we have been ordered to bring you to the venue of the meeting," said the shorter agent, speaking for the first time. "So coming with us is not optional."

I looked around the lobby, where there was only the curious receptionist who was looking over at us.

"This is damned inconvenient. Where are we holding the meeting anyway? I don't see signs of any other persons apart from you two."

"That is because the meeting is not being held anywhere around here. My colleague and I will take you to the venue." The tall agent stepped away from me and gestured in the direction of the door. "Shall we?"

The shorter agent stared stonily at me, and looked like he would use force if necessary to make us go with them. Irritated at the inconvenience, I beckoned to Martha, brushed past the agent and headed outside.

The men soon flanked Martha and I. They led us to the parking lot where there was an SUV with tinted glasses. The minute Martha and I got in the backseat, an agent got behind the wheel and drove off.

I tapped the seat of the agent in the passenger seat. "Where exactly are we going, Mr... I don't think you told me your name."

The man looked at me through the rearview mirror. "Our names aren't important, sir. We are just merely messengers. You will soon meet those whose names are perhaps worth knowing."

"I see... And for my first question? Where are you taking us?"

"To a secure location for the meeting," was the cryptic reply, and he lapsed into a stony silence.

After some minutes of driving, I nudged Martha who sat at the very edge of the seat and stared sulkily out of the window.

"Hey, Martha," I said in a hushed whisper.

"What?" she ground out.

"These men... the agents. Did you contact them? Do you know anything about this meeting they're talking about?"

"No," she snapped.

"No? I'm just trying to figure out what is going on here."

Martha ignored me and resumed staring out the window. She was obviously still angry with me.

Knowing I would get nothing out of her when she was in this mood, I occupied myself by trying to figure out where exactly we were going.

The driver drove fast and expertly, negotiating turns and taking bends almost too fast for my eyes to follow. He seemed to be taking a circuitous route to wherever it was we were going to.

After about a few minutes of this, I gave up trying to get a map of the routes we took in my head. I just relaxed against the car seat, and wondered what the urgent meeting was all about.

The busy part of the city soon fell behind. We drove on scarcely used roads. Finally, we drove through a mass which shut behind us immediately we got in. I slowly got out.

In front of us was a building four stories high, surrounded by high walls. It had an air of disuse about it, and it definitely had a spooky feel. My first thought was that one could scream here for hours and days on end, and not be heard. I shivered at the thought.

"This way, please," said the tall agent.

I followed him into the building and straight into a room that was set up for a meeting. Three smartly dressed men, with an air of importance who were talking in low tones before we came in, looked up as we came in. The agent ushered Martha and I into seats and marched out.

"Mr Santiago... Martha. Welcome," said one of them, a gray haired man.

Martha grunted and I nodded stiffly.

"We apologize for informing you about this meeting rather abruptly," he continued. "-but it was urgent that we get you two here."

"And what is this very urgent and top secret business?" I asked.

The gray haired man looked to the man on his right who cleared his throat. "You will understand why this is all very hush-hush when you know what this is about. You see, we want you to work on something extremely confidential."

Martha made an impatient gesture. There was a terse note in her voice as she asked, "What exactly are we supposed to work on?"

"Werewolves," said the gray haired man. "You are to work on werewolves."