Page 59 of Sundowners
Her frightened gaze landed on me, and she clutched at the hospital sheet, pulling it up to her chin.“They believe human-created energy can sustain us, could even cure hunger, if it’s harnessed properly. They’re doing research on the most powerful and reliable sources.”
“How do they mean…harnessed?”
She shook her head. “I’m not involved in that work. I’m kept in the department working on the blood synthesis project.”
She’s kept?The report I read said she was the director of research at her company. How is she kept anywhere? “Tell us about that.”
Her eyes darted to the door, and Vanessa picked up on it. She closed the door and came back to the bed.
“They have the blood of this…person…and they’re trying to copy it. They are saying it’s because their blood contains properties that will eliminate the need for human donors—”
“I thought they were doing that already with plasma?” I asked.
“They are, and they say it’s for mass production, but I’ve overheard them talking about creating this blood only for particular people, ones they would select if they were worthy. Look, my husband and I were invited to join this elite group of executives…I thought it was going to be like a way to rub shoulders with the highest echelons of society here in the Bay Area, but it’s something…else.
“Once you’re accepted, you have to turn over every aspect of your life to them for approval, and when they learned what I did for a living, they forced me to introduce them to the board members and officers of my company. Next thing I know, one of these men—they call each other Leader—Stephen…he’s the new CEO of my company. The board was replaced with members of the organization, and they’re throwing all of the company’s focus into this blood program and the energy shit, which I think is bullshit, but I don’t dare say anything. Stephen and his cronies are…they’re manipulative, and I don’t feel comfortable around them.”
“So what were you running away from?” Vanessa asked her. “You told the CHP officer that you were trying to escape.”
She looked down at her hands and let out a shaky breath. “They initiated my husband. He promised me he wouldn’t do anything unless we both agreed, but then he did…and he was so…differentwhen he came home. He scared me. So I left.”
“What do you mean by initiated?” I asked her, my neck getting tighter as I waited for her answer. If there was any way that Creed was even remotely tied to this…
“I don’t know,” she said, shaking her head as if she could shake the negative thoughts right out. “I don’t. You only get to know if you are chosen, and I haven’t been. The other people I’ve met in the organization are all like Stepford Wives-ish. There was no one I could go to, so I tried to leave, but someone followed me.”
“Were you leaving from your home?”
“Yes. We live in Aptos. I figured if I could get out of the mountains, get to San Jose, I could catch a flight, I could go far away. But as soon as I got on seventeen, someone was following me in a gray Mercedes SUV. They ran me off the road.”
Vanessa had been jotting down notes the whole time. She read through everything and she looked up at me. “Ms. Hicks? Is there anything else you can tell us?”
She gazed out the window, still hiding behind her sheet. Her fear was tangible. Whoever these people were, they had a successful woman terrified of repercussions.
“The organization has some powerful members. Local politicians, police, CEOs of tech companies…I even saw a state senator at one of the meetings.”
“What is the name of this organization, Ms. Hicks?” I asked her.
“EVE. It stands for Elite Ventures Enterprises. There’s not a lot of information about them on the internet. I looked before we joined. It’s a word-of-mouth kind of thing. They have a house off of Highway Seventeen. I don’t know the address, but I could tell you where it is.”
“Thank you, that will be helpful. Now,” Vanessa asked, “is there someone you’d like us to contact? Someplace you’ll be safe?”
She was quiet for a long time. She really had to think hard of a possibility.
“I suppose my sister. She lives in Colorado. We don’t talk much. We had a falling out after Timothy and I were married. I was kind of awful to her. Timothy would never expect me to go to her, and her husband is a correctional officer.”
“Good. That’s good,” Vanessa said, placing a hand on her arm. “We can have the hospital social worker help make arrangements for you. If you need a police escort to your home to pick up your things, we can arrange that as well.”
“Thank you,” she whispered. “Perhaps tonight. I think they’re releasing me today, and there’s an EVE meeting tonight, their monthly gathering. It’s when they bring in new members, usually only one or two couples each time.”
“How many members do you think they have?”
“Maybe a hundred? It’s tough to tell, tough to get in. You have to be invited, and sometimes it takes up to a year of conversations before they finally bring you to a meeting.”
Vanessa and I looked at each other, and I could tell what she was thinking.
“No,” I said to her. “You can’t.”
She sighed. “You’re right. But maybe we could have someone go out and take a look, get some license plates. It would help if we knew who we were dealing with.”
