Mind Duels: Illumination

By Imma Argiro and Pat Argiro

Mind Duels-Illumination is the final installment in the Mind Duels trilogy.
Recommended for ages 13+.

Ding…Dong…Ding….Dong…

Time is ticking. Jackie paces nervously, confined to the panic room, unsure of her next move. Jack's fate seems sealed as he lies helpless, bleeding profusely.
The killer surprises everyone. Single handedly, he outwits the Investigative Team and every officer on his trail.
Chief Williams shifts gears and formulates a new strategy, promising to flush out the killer.
….the diabolical plan unfolds.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Nov 5, 2012
• ISBN: 9781624882821

Book preview

Chapter 1

He clutched the photo in his hands. The photograph had been taken on a cruise to the Mediterranean. The trip had rejuvenated them, rekindling their passion. He caught the sparkle in her eyes. It brought back so many vivid memories. His thoughts took him years back, when their passion had sizzled into a steamy love affair. Life had taken on special meaning as their relationship had flourished beautifully. They had everything any couple could possibly desire: success, money, love, and happiness. They were the envy of the world.

Everything was picture perfect, until fate came knocking on that bitterly cold January day.

His grip tightened.

A set of rather twisted and morbid events destroyed everything, taking them both completely by surprise, ultimately sending their lives into a downward spiral. The news of her illness had been doubly compounded by the events that followed. His facial expression darkened, bitter contempt fueled an indescribable rage within him. He glared at the photo, sadly recalling her last painful moments.

For months on end, they had watched helplessly. Family and friends came to visit, offering words of encouragement. Sadly, no spoken words could ease their anguish. A deep melancholy hung thick in the air, promising to choke off their air supply.

Her hoarse voice heightened everyone’s anxiety. ‘Nooo, please help me. Why won’t anyone help me?’ She was in a delusional state, her breathing was quite erratic and her frantic cries made it heart-wrenching to bear, even for the strongest and bravest of men. She held a cold distant look as she fought to get her final words out.

‘You’re all going to rot in hell for this,’ she spoke in a vindictive tone, almost promising revenge. They looked on piously, but no one or nothing could assist her anymore, except God himself. The whole ordeal was incredibly painful, it was bloody excruciating even for a man of his stature.

The nurse watched her writhe uncomfortably, injecting another dose of morphine into her thin veins which helped to diminish the pain. Cassandra’s stark complexion revealed her excruciating agony. She had become so thin and frail, with barely any flesh to stretch over her shrunken skeletal figure. Each breath proved to be a daunting task, a woman’s desperate struggle to hang on. She fought valiantly with everything left in her innermost being to hang onto that precious thing called life. They all looked on with empathy as she struggled to remain in their realm, barely hanging on. His left hand clutched over hers, trying his best to comfort her. He had often taken life for granted, and now unfortunately it was too late. Tears rolled down his face. He was an emotional mess, realizing that final moment was soon approaching.

Each gasp became less and less frequent and more and more faint, until she drew her final one. All her pain and suffering was now history, except for the pain encapsulated in all of her loved ones’ hearts. He leaned over her, sobbing and mourning the loss of his beloved.

Now grimacing, he drew the photo next to his heart, still reliving that painful moment. A moment that would inevitably live on with him, haunting him and consuming his inner sanctity, until that day, that final day of reckoning when he himself would receive eternal sanctuary.

Taking small calculated steps, he advanced very slowly; one wrong step could land him in the morgue. Before anything else, he had to ensure his opponent was actually down and out, and not pulling a fast one. They had to finish the job; after all they still had to collect their money.

He stared down at the motionless figure, drenched in a pool of blood. Hey—look who we have here. Not as invincible as you once thought. What a pity, it seems like your time is about up, he towered over Jack. I could take you out right now, but that wouldn’t be much fun, now would it? the killer gloated sadistically. It was obvious that if Jack continued to lose blood at the current rate, his demise would be imminent. Let’s make this slow and agonizing. After all, a man only dies once. By the way, you won’t need this anymore. Now you just stay put, the man chuckled, knowing full well Jack wasn’t going anywhere. To add salt to the wound, he stepped on Jack’s wrist. Jack’s eyes sprang open as piercing pangs of pain shot up his arm. If circumstances had been different, Jack would have beaten him to a pulp. The man exerted his full weight onto Jack’s hand, before taking the gun from him.

Jack struggled to keep his eyes open, but it became more and more difficult. It felt like two blocks of lead sat on top of his eyelids. Objects soon began losing their solidness and dark shady tones were abruptly obliterated into nothingness. Jack’s thoughts took him back to a time long ago. Images surfaced, soon transforming into crystal clear pictures. It had been a relatively cool day, but Jack nonetheless eagerly anticipated the game between the Yankees and the Red Sox. He held the tickets securely in his left hand, as they excitedly made their way to their seats. His wife, Ashley had bought two front row seats, right behind home plate. The Rocket prepared to fire the opening pitch. His arm unleashed a fireball, which smacked hard into the catcher’s glove. The umpire behind home plate shot out his arm, indicating a strike, much to the delight of cheering fans. Jack sat glued to his seat, enjoying every play. It was the end of the fourth inning, and the game was knotted at one a piece, when Jack made his way to the concession stand, struggling through a jam-packed stadium. While standing patiently in line, he was suddenly startled by a light tap on his shoulder. He turned around and was surprised to see a man dressed in a trench coat handing him a folded piece of paper. Jack glanced at the note only for a split second, but before resuming his gaze the man had sped off. He had disappeared so quickly that Jack didn’t have an opportunity to question the note or get a good hard look at him. The note proposed a meeting, a time and place were clearly specified within. Jack returned to his seat frustrated. The incident left him distracted with endless questions.

Jackie paced nervously. A toxic barrage of negativity swirled inside her head. Her slender frame shivered. Desperately, she knew it was imperative that she pull herself together. It would be a cold day in hell when she would remain within the secure confines of the panic room, while Jack bled to death. Especially after everything Jack had done for her. The enormous risks he undertook bailing her out, just to keep her safe from the jaws of a cunning tyrant. It wouldn’t be morally right, not to mention fair, to simply abandon him while she remained safe inside. She had no choice but to break her promise. But she felt herself shudder, knowing full well that she had just barely escaped the two armed men. Feelings of desperation were setting in, and part of her wanted to crouch in a corner and weep, but she tried pushing away these fears. After all, it was only fear which caused her to hesitate, not her love for him. Jackie had known for some time that she was in love with Jack. Almost sobbing, she blurted to herself, "Nothing good ever comes out of fear, over and over again. I need to be strong for Jack’s sake." The spoken statements gave her courage. She felt a rush of adrenaline sweep throughout her entire body.

She looked around the panic room. Her eyes fell upon the night vision goggles. A plan quickly began to take shape.

She only needed a couple of minutes, at most, to aid Jack. Experience taught her to gather bandages and other essential emergency supplies, quickly stuffing them into a plastic bag. Jackie then walked over to the computer monitor to see what was happening. Both intruders were climbing the second floor stairs. It was now or never, she thought to herself. Jackie unlocked the door, cautiously glancing around, although mostly out of fear, and then headed towards the main circuit panel box, guided by night vision goggles. The panel box flew open and with the flick of a switch she killed the power. The two men stood startled by the sudden darkness.

Jackie sped up the stairs, quickly reaching the main level. Before making a run for it, she glanced both ways. The two men were still upstairs. She cringed and nearly stopped breathing, witnessing the dead man and the bloody mess in the hallway.

She turned the corner rather abruptly, and nearly lost her balance. The sight of blood itself did not faze her, but she prayed that Jack had not lost too much. She gasped, and her heart stopped momentarily, seeing Jack’s chest area drenched in red. Jackie quickly leaned over him. Fortunately, the bullet had missed his heart entirely, miraculously piercing his shoulder area.

Jack, Jack can you hear me? she cried. He was still breathing, but his pulse was dangerously low. Honey I’m here. I’m going to help you. It will only take me a minute, she whispered encouragingly.

Jack barely opened his eyes. His hands felt ice-cold.

This may hurt, but I need to bandage you to stop the bleeding. The other two men are upstairs, so I don’t have much time, she informed, fervently pulling out gauze pads and wrapping them as fast and tight as she could.

Honey—make a break for it, Jack mumbled. Run.

Jackie hopelessly fought back tears. Shh honey—they’ll hear us.

She repositioned him to make him more comfortable, and threw a heavy woolen blanket on him to help keep him warm.

Jack I’ll be back. You are all bandaged up. I will get help for you. Honey, hang in there. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Tears stung her eyes. She dreaded leaving him there so helpless, but had to find a way to get him to a hospital immediately. Cautiously, she made a break into the study room. The computer was still running, now on battery backup. She prayed that it would not shut down until she called for help. She keyed the info as fast as her fingers had ever moved. She informed them that Jack Trempton had been shot by the armed men and had lost a lot of blood, and needed help fast. She also informed the police that two armed men were presently upstairs and another man lay dead. She managed to state her name and included her profession as a registered nurse. Jackie included Jack’s blood type, along with a couple of other pertinent details before e-mailing the message.

Jack’s eyes flickered a few times before they finally slipped shut. His thoughts dreamily reverted back to their initial encounter. As he drove up the final incline, he felt foolish for having accepted the invitation. Just who are these men and why do they wish to meet with me, Jack had asked himself the same question repeatedly over the last couple of weeks? He pulled into the parking lot and then proceeded towards the building. He remained on full alert as he walked towards the elevator. Jack wondered if it had been a smart idea coming all alone. He got off on the fourth floor and strolled down the hall until he stood in front of the specified suite number. Interesting, thought Jack as only a number plate hung on the outside of the door. Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside. He mused if the meeting was some sort of business proposal, but couldn’t understand why all the secrecy. Oddly, there was no receptionist to greet him. Of even greater suspicion, was the mere fact that no paintings hung on the walls and no seats occupied the waiting area. Convenient, thought Jack, deducing it to be a makeshift office. Jack shuddered, wondering if it’d be better to get the hell out of there. Just as he was pondering this, a tall well-built man strolled into the front receptionist area and greeted him.

Mr. Jack Trempton, thank you for coming. Please come this way, my associates have been expecting you, he announced with a warm smile, just as if it was a casual meeting. Jack placed the gentleman in his early forties. His sandy blond hair was well trimmed, he wore a professionally tailored designer suit, and judging by the suit’s hefty contours, the man probably hit the gym a few times a week.

Jack suddenly realized that the gentlemen had not introduced himself, which aroused further suspicion. But before Jack had a chance to probe for answers, the man opened a door revealing three other gentlemen seated around a long oval table.

Excuse me, but I find this meeting quite unusual. Perhaps someone would like to explain to me what this meeting is all about? Jack asked bluntly, still standing.

Mr. Trempton, I can assure you there’s no need for concern. Please have a seat, and we’ll explain, the man who originally greeted Jack stated, before closing the door. Jack’s face still held a quizzical look. Hesitantly he sat down, patiently waiting for answers.

Chapter 2

The Chief cursed. He just received an emergency call from Terry. He could never understand why everything happened at once. There was definitely truth to the saying, when it rains it pours. As he stepped outside, he inadvertently dropped his keys onto the asphalt. By chance, he caught sight of something unusual underneath his car. He knelt down to have a closer look. He bent down further, stretching his arm all the way until he was able to reach it. The Chief stood momentarily puzzled, holding a tracking device in his open palms. What the hell! Anger and bewilderment soon replaced his initial surprise. All the way over, he was still fuming, wondering how long he had been followed and by whom.

He navigated his way through the last few roads and pulled in directly behind a police cruiser. He had heard a couple of thunder bolts, and remembered the weather man promising rain. Terry saw his car pull in and waved him over.

What the hell is going on here, the Chief’s voice exploded above the multitude of police sirens.

Chief, I’m not quite sure, Terry genuinely blurted out. Jack went out for a walk and was making his way back home, at which point he was being pursued by three men. The next thing I knew one of the three pulls out a gun, and Jack just barely made it through the front door, literally diving into his own home. Somehow he must have caught on that he was being followed and fortunately just in the nick of time. Afterwards, the other men stormed into his home and there was a series of gunfire.

Now I’m real confused. If Jack is our killer, then why the hell is someone trying to hunt him down?

I’m just as confused, perhaps they are vigilantes, Terry suggested trying to make sense of the whole situation. Abruptly, they drew their attention to an approaching helicopter. Blades of grass blew in every direction, as it landed on a wide stretch of lawn further down the street. The Chief looked puzzled as he instantly recognized it to be a military chopper. The noise was deafening, he blocked his ears with his gloved hands.

A tall man sporting a green military uniform, army helmet, and long black boots marched towards him. A few soldiers armed with scoped rifles followed closely behind. He spoke in an authoritarian tone, Excuse me, are you Chief Williams?

That’s correct, the Chief hesitantly answered, totally bewildered.

I’m Colonel Stanford and I’ll be taking over.

Terry and Chief Williams looked at each other stunned. They would have been less stunned if someone had slapped them hard across the face. Before the Chief had the opportunity to ask him for some sort of explanation, his cell rang.

Hello Chief, we just received an urgent message. A lady by the name of Jackie Stolths, apparently a registered nurse, has e-mailed us. She’s in the house and has just informed us that Jack Trempton has been shot. She’s managed to bandage him, but he’s lost a lot of blood and needs urgent medical care. Another man is dead and two armed men are positioned upstairs. She states that she had been hiding out in a panic room and watched the armed men through a surveillance camera. They were heading upstairs, so she made a quick break to help her friend, Jack, Officer Neally informed.

Just one minute. The Chief quickly relayed the news to Colonel Stanford. After a few moments, the Chief instructed Officer Neally, Ask her to vacate the house through the front door, since we have it covered. Assure her that we have the two armed men in full view.

Sure Chief, I’ll keep you posted.

Minutes later Officer Neally called back, "I’m not sure why, but she hasn’t responded. I also forgot to mention that she stated that windows have been