Master of Plagues, D. B. Reynolds [best books to read fiction .txt] 📗

cried herself into oblivion. Her stubbornness would prove damaging in the end.


CHAPTER—41

CITY OF CAPITALIST KINGPINS

Washington, D.C. would’ve been the last city in the United States that Stuart thought he’d end up. His father, Harry Duffelmeyer, fought a long and mildly-destructive war against politicians. Those capitalist kingpins charged that Harry got too big in the real estate game which led him to cheat on his taxes. Politicians weren’t exactly Stuart’s favorite type of people. Their codes of morality weren’t up to standard as far as he was concerned.
Deceive the people. Get in office. Make as much money as quickly as you can. Stuart believed those were the mandates politicians lived by. People needed someone to believe in. They had to vote for someone at election time. It was always a choice between the lesser or the greater of two evils. On either side, they knew they’d get screwed in the end. The special interest groups who ran the U.S. in the first place were the true winners at the end of the day.
It came as no surprise when Stuart picked out the finest of five star hotels in every city he traveled to. Washington, D.C. was no different. The Grand Hyatt Washington would be the spot where he decided to take up temporary residency. He didn’t mind shelling out over a thousand dollars a night for a king room at the Grand Hyatt. Glancing around the room, Stuart felt refreshed from the contemporary décor and stunning views of the serene interior atrium and lagoon of the city.
Stuart considered himself a discerning traveler. He stepped into the bathroom and just loved seeing the gold and marble fixtures around the bathtub and shower. Thirsty terry towels and scented soaps adorned the bathroom with elegance. Dual line telephones with voicemail, a coffeemaker, AM/FM clock radio, high speed wireless internet, cable/satellite TV channels, an iron and hair dryer, and individual air-conditioning with heating controls, they were all the amenities that Stuart enjoyed from the privileges of being a Duffelmeyer.
The cell phone inside his black travel bag sounded off with his favorite ringtone.
Stuart slipped it out and answered in his composed voice. “Stuart Duffelmyer speaking.”
“Stuart, my love?” Laura chirped through her phone. “Stuart, where are you now?”
“In Washington, D.C.”
“Don’t want to sound like I’m already your wife, but what’s going on in Washington?”
“Actually, it’s the last stop that I have to make before heading back to New York.”
“Thank God!” Laura emancipated, turning loose a wind of relief. “I’ve dubbed you as the ‘traveling all-star’.”
“You can take out the all-star. I’m just a plain old guy who lives a routine life.”
“So, does Washington have something going on dealing with your pet stores and vet clinics?”
“Has a lot going on when it comes to my businesses.”
“Stuart, I really look forward to seeing you.”
“Likewise, Laura.”
“You stay on my mind night and day. Never, I mean never, have I met someone as wonderful as you.”
“Shhhhhhhhhh!” Stuart fizzled. “Don’t say that too loud. There are many who’ll beg to differ with you.”
“They don’t matter, Stuart. What matters is that I see you when you get back to New York.”
Stuart paused for a moment to look out the window at the beautiful atrium. A smile big enough to light up the Washington Monument faltered onto his face.
“Stuart?” Laura wailed through the phone.
“Yes, Laura, I’m still here. I’m enjoying the breathtaking view of this hotel.”
“Will I meet your parents when you get back to New York?”
“Yes, you can meet Mr. and Mrs. Harry and Isabel Duffelmeyer.”
“Great!”
“As soon as I can get them to come up from Florida. Both of them being retirees, they hardly ever like leaving the sunshine state.”
“But, don’t your parents own goob gobs of real estate in New York?”
“That they do. But, they’re just like other people. Once they build their empires, they usually entrust others to run their businesses for them.”
“Must be nice.”
“Yes, it’s nice when you’ve busted your butt all your life to build wealth from nothing.”
“It feels good going from nothing to something.”
“Especially when you work hard for it.”
“Listen, do you need someone to pick you up from the airport when you get back to New York?”
“Yes, that would be nice.”
“Are you flying into JFK or LaGuardia?”
“LaGuardia, more than likely. Well, I have to get ready to embark upon another business venture.”
“Stuart Irwin Duffelmeyer, you’re someone special.”
“Laura Rivenburg, you’re someone special, too.”
“See ya back in New York.”
“New York City it is.”
“Bye.”
“Bye bye.”
Stuart hung up and went into the bathroom to freshen up for his upcoming trip. The scented soaps and potpourri delighted his allure of smell. While spreading a special soap all over his face, the spiritual figure of Rabbi Irwin Wedemeyer appeared once again. The bright celestial glow gave the bathroom a more divine atmosphere.
“Stuart, my beloved son,” spoke the soft, spiritually-inclined voice of Rabbi Wedemeyer. “Will Washington, D.C. be the last American city that you will embark upon?”
“Yes, it will, Rabbi Wedemeyer, my beloved father,” Stuart humbly replied.
“The wonderful young lady, is she still winning over your heart?”
“Yes, Rabbi Wedemeyer. Laura has the master key to my heart. You always told me growing up as a little boy, that love was a many splendor thing.”
“My son, love is splendid and marvelous. It brings about the true essence of life.”
“She’s a special kind of girl.”
“Will the city of Washington, D.C. be the last city in which you will seek vengeance against another person who has violated you?”
“Yes, it will.”
“My son, you are in a city of corrupt, immoral people.”
“The capital for capitalists, special interest hoodlums to say the least.”
“You have covered thousands of miles in your quest to seek out your revenge. After covering thousands of miles in area, and several months in time frame, you have activated the supernatural powers from the Universe to work through several creatures and elements. Stuart, I was once your Earthly father, and have now become your spiritual father. As I was once chief rabbi of the biggest synagogue, I know that you have a pure heart. The eight NYU college students who violated you will learn the principles of treating others as they want to be treated. Your works through the creatures and elements have proven beneficial to mankind.”
“Rabbi Wedemeyer, I do not seek to harm any person. The so-called harm brought upon the group I call the ‘egomaniacal eight’, will certainly teach them to love and care for others like they’d care for themselves. The creatures and elements of this Earth that have been ordained with Universal powers, they have engaged in acts of bravery and integrity.”
“Since the inception of their consecrated powers, they have saved human lives.”
“Their works are commendable, Rabbi Wedemeyer.”
The cosmic glow around the spiritual form of Rabbi Wedemeyer intensified. “My son, I have made this trip to Earth this time to warn you.”
“Warn me about what?”
“A meteorite crater of great magnitude is heading straight for Earth.”
“Rabbi, does this meteorite crater not travel through space at this given time?”
“Stuart, my beloved son, evil of abominable horrors will bring scourge to the Earth.”
“How do you know this?”
“The tranquil forces of the Universe have been disturbed.”
“Can anything be done to stop this meteorite?”
“If those with universally-ordained powers stand guard around the galaxies, only then can this meteorite crater be intercepted. My son, it is millions of light years away right now, but it is traveling at speeds where it can still hit the Earth in the coming weeks.”
“Rabbi Wedemeyer, we can’t let that happen!”
“You will be enlightened on what occurs in the future.”
“Thank you, Rabbi.”
“Before you leave Washington, D.C., you will see me again.”
“Again, where?”
“Surprises can be so delightful.”
“Where will we see one another again?”
“You’ll see.”
The spiritual form of Rabbi Wedemeyer dissolved from the reflection of the mirror. Stuart splashed water on his face and dried off with a thick face towel. A long trip indeed was in front of him.


CHAPTER—42

WILD WINDS, RACING RAINS, AND WRATHFUL WATERS

Stuart flashed his platinum Master Card, and once again, he rode off in minutes behind the wheel of a Lexus IS 350C convertible. Nextcar of Washington, D.C. ran him through the computer. It didn’t take long for them to know that big dollar signs were behind the Duffelmeyer name. Clerks at Nextcar explained to him about additional drivers fees, taxes, and fuel charges being extra. This only stirred up his sense of humor.
The weekly charge of $170.00 suited him fine. The silverish polish of the Lexus produced reflections of the tourist attractions he drove around. Like other big cities he’d traveled to, the dollar-sign eyes of the young women couldn’t resist staring at the fancy automobile he drove. Behind the wheel of the expensive Lexus was a young man with strangely good looks and eminent intelligence. But, they would notice the car over him.
Stuart cruised up to the front gates of the White House and parked. Where was the President of the United States? If he was in the White House, what was he in there doing? Could Stuart get one of the security personnel to go inside the White House and tell the President that he wanted to see him? Those were the questions