Dare You Dare Me

By Andrew Burgess II

Grey Mandrake-Moonie is an engineering prodigy, genius and somewhat socially challenged man who, as a teenager, made his first breakthrough in computing. Using that, he created an artificial intelligence or (quantum life form) named Maggi. With the help of Maggi and his best friend, a woman named Natalie, he built a successful business that allowed him to develop his ideas and technology. Along the way he helped the De La Lune sisters who seemed to have fallen for him. Now his past is starting to catch up with him. From hostile people from a hometown he abandoned long ago, to rogue government agencies willing to trying anything to take away his ideas and technology and use it for their own ends. How far will Grey have to go to protect everything and anyone he holds dear?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Andrew Burgess II
• Release date: Apr 16, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463117613

Andrew Burgess II

I have worked in the tech industry for over twenty-five years. I have been hobby writing most of my life. Of both these, I love both. I Have a wonderful family, a wife and two children. I've spend the early part of my life travelling the world with a parent in the Canadian Military. Good memories of Europe. I Happily live on the west coast of Canada.

Book preview

One

Grandmother Hattie said that it had started a long time ago but didn’t specify how long ago. Grey wasn’t sure if he could trust her sense of time as she seemed to show, at the best of times, only a semi-coherent connection to her surroundings. Grandmother Hattie, the old woman that the neighborhood had accepted as the local grandmother for all the stray kids, would sit out on the steps of the old brownstone townhouse and just watch the world pass by her building. She would sit there every day and every Friday, a long black limousine would roll up to the curb at the bottom of her steps, a tall buxom and graceful woman with long black curly hair and tan complexion would step out of it. She’d walk slowly down the wide sidewalk and come to stand in front of the street person positioned between Grandmother Hattie’s and Ms. Paniccia’s stairs. An old blue construction site porta potty chained to the short wrought-iron fence next to them elicited a pungent smell. Ms. Paniccia’s building had been under renovations for more time than the eleven months Grey had occupied his townhouse. He had moved into the area a little more than six months after he had purchased the property. It had taken six months to renovate it to his specs.

He had grown used to the character of the neighbourhood. Children running and playing in the small park next to his building, Grandmother Hattie watching the world from her steps. Ms. Paniccia hanging out the window talking with her friend next door. The eminently top-heavy thirty-nine-year-old (not forty!) Ms. DaSilva whom anyone could have guessed passed her fiftieth not too long in the past. Grey thought she looked pretty good even for someone in her 50’s whereas Ms. Paniccia still reminded him of the little old lady who used to give him sweets whenever he delivered her newspaper as a small boy. Grey smiled at this memory and returned his attention to the beginning of the weekly circus.

The supermodel looking woman stood stock still in front of the bedraggled street person sitting cross legged on the ground. Head bowed and eyes averted with the rough and stained cardboard sign leaning against one knee. If he squinted, he could just make out the words, Will do dares for food. Grey knew that the sign had, in smaller print, Nothing dangerous or sexual. Must not require travel in brackets. It made for interesting viewing to see the dares people would request. Never to be failed. All dares done. Grey reminisced on the simple and complex dares he saw completed in the small area of sidewalk. From simple things like eat this or that to the one time he saw the single hand handstand. Amazing someone in a stain ridden long canvas coat and thick baggy black wool pants could do. Nobody stood too close to the street-person because the stench would overwhelm any perfume or air-freshener. On particularly humid or hot days people complained quietly of the smell. He personally didn’t see the problem with the smell as it was no worse than when he had to clean out the mess the horses left in the barns back home. Musky and strong smell of aged urine along with the musk of heated body odor filtered through canvas.

The first shout bit like a gunshot as the supermodel began her tirade at the seated individual, the circus had begun. Over the next twenty minutes the tall lady would verbally lay into the individual without pause. Sometimes quietly but mostly loudly in staccato shouts. None of the neighbors Grey spoke with could tell what language was being spoken, nay, Shouted at the one seated. He never understood a single word thrown in visceral emotive assault. And yet, he could tell that, each time she would come to yell at her altar of stench and degradation, the woman seemed to use a different language although there were similarities from one time or another and he guessed he had heard close to four or six different tongues spoken so far. Today’s rant was a new one he had not heard before and it was just as big a surprise to one other individual across the street, Grandmother Hattie, who perked up just enough for Grey to notice. He watched the tirade continue while he watched Grandmother Hattie out of the corner of his eye put her hand slowly over her mouth in surprise. The look was slowly replaced with one of interest and fascination that finally caught the eye of the supermodel hollering so unladylike at the bowed individual.

She went silent for a moment as she glanced over at the wrinkled elderly lady and scowled momentarily. Returning her attention to the target of her venom she spat one more sentence, spun on her heel and returned to the long black car where the fair complexioned chauffeur scrambled to open the door quickly for her. Grey was never quite sure but it seemed that by the time the lady was finished her tirades normally she would display the signs of someone who was just starting to cry like she didn’t want to yell at this person, that it hurt her emotionally to do it. He often wondered why someone would spend all that time yelling at a destitute old street person if it upset them so much. It had ended with more a look of frustration on her face than tears.

Grey considered the situation and decided, it was time to have Grandmother

Hattie over for tea and a chat. It wasn’t as if he had anything to do anytime soon and something interesting like this might just fill his empty moments between jobs. His vacation was not over for another twelve weeks anyway. He smiled as he watched the long black car pull away and turn the corner at the end of the block. He waved at Grandmother Hattie and she waved back with a pleasant smile. Sliding the windows of his flat closed he walked through the living room, to the short hallway that exited out to the stairs at the front of the three-story brownstone townhouse he currently lived in. He didn’t own it. His company owned it and he leased it for a single dollar a month. A great write-off for his business and one of several properties the company owned that he could use. He ambled down the stairs with an air of nonchalance as he made his way to stand in front of Grandmother Hattie. Excuse me dear lady, he asked politely but with a grin, Might I have the pleasure of your company for some tea?

Grandmother Hattie scowled at him for a moment then, grinning back, reached out and took his hand to help her to her feet. Son, I don’t need any fancy words from some young upstart if the tea is good.

They ambled across to Grey’s place and he assisted her politely but unnecessarily up the stairs. She didn’t seem to fight it, but it was obvious that, although elderly, she was in no way infirm. Grey put the kettle on to boil and placed the tea bags into the two cups. Grandmother Hattie seated herself on the cushioned seat at the round kitchen table with a quiet harrumph and watched him go through the process of making two cups of tea.

Serving the tea and placing down a plate of cookies Grey took a seat and toasted

Grandmother Hattie with his teacup in the air. Here’s to good tea and involving mysteries he said with a raised eyebrow.

Mysteries? There is no.. she began but Grey interrupted quietly.

I saw. He dunked a small chocolate chip cookie in his tea causing Grandmother Hattie to scowl, You know what was said by that person and I, he took a bite of the slightly soggy cookie. He finished it off, Have too much time on my hands at the moment to NOT be interested in what you heard. He pinned her with a grin and a squinting eye.

She stared at him silently for a very long time. She saw a tall six-foot six inch well muscled man with light clear skin, no tan, brown eyes that smiled and hair that matched his eye colour. His face was oval and lean without being gaunt. He looked like he worked out regularly at the gym. She would be surprised to find out he hadn’t been to the gym in quite some time. Wearing jeans and a black t-shirt he looked like he was in his mid twenties. Taking a big, unladylike swig of tea and almost slamming back down on the saucer. When I was just a little nipper, sixteen or seventeen. My daddy had us living in a big’ol wooden house on a big’ol island in the Pacific Ocean, Palau if you must know. In them areas where pirates still roamed and the local islanders there are languages spoken that don’t get spoken anywhere else and if you speak to the locals real nice like and offer the proper incentives to the right people. She selected a cookie and consumed it in two bites, They will teach you what they know. How to fish, what leaves make the best wraps, what words are what. I showed enough skill and interest with one particular boy and he thought it might be good to teach me how to speak with him so my Papa couldn’t tell when we was being naughty.

Grey smiled at this personal exposure, What happened to the boy?

Grandma Hattie smiled gently and stared off in the distance of her memories, her eyes cleared and focused on Grey Fucked his brains out until Papa caught us then we moved back here and that was that.

…ah. I see. uh, so your point is? He stammered after the sudden raw exposure.

The lingo the tall one used was the same as what my boytoy taught me. She smiled at his discomfort, It only took a few words before it all came back. I heard and understood EVERYTHING she said after the first sentence was finished.

Grey smiled mischievously at her. Tell me everything.

Grandmother Hattie’s eyes clouded over, and she gently shook her head. It was a tale of woe you might not want to hear.

Grey pursed his lips thoughtfully then responded, I am prepared, hit me with it.

She sighed then looked him in the eyes. You realize that, she indicated the person on the ground down across the street below, Isn’t a….

Grandma Hattie stopped speaking when Grey slowly rose, staring out the window, to their right, at the slouched figure on the sidewalk. Her attention turned to the figure seated on the sidewalk. A pair of teen boys had gathered in front of the figure and were speaking down. There was a pause then the larger of the two teens put a foot on the shoulder of the figure and nudged them. Grey stepped closer to the window. The other teen boy grabbed his friend and tried to pull him away and move on but the one who nudged was apparently not happy with the lack of response and shoved a bit harder with the foot. The neighbors in the vicinity voiced a warning to the troublemaker and started moving towards the aggressive youth.

Grey’s eyes went wide, and he bolted towards the front door. The heavy hard wood door slammed against the side of the building as he went out and, completely skipping the flight of stairs down to the sidewalk, landed at a dead sprint across the quiet street towards the two youths. He arrived at the other sidewalk just as the aggressive youth pulled his foot back like it was kickoff at the Rose Bowl and he was aiming for a field goal. Grey’s six-and-a-half-foot tall muscular frame transferred its force into the thick arm which caught the youth up by his waist and slammed him into the green port-a-potty door. The door, fiberglass and flimsy, did not hold and the youth spun through feet over head and slammed into the rear of the smelly cubicle. Not able to go any further the boy slid down the wall and into the well used honeypot with a blue dyed splat. The friend standing next to Grey glanced in fright at the tall man who moved with lightning speed then back at his friend in the blue container. He gasped and bolted over to his drowning friend and dragged him out of the contained fluid. Sputtering and retching the now badly blue stained and feces covered friends bolted off down the street to the strains of cheering and hooting from all the neighbors.

Grey stood for a moment watching them run then turned to the figure on the ground. Laying where the rough treatment had put them. No eyes could be seen through the matted and greasy curly hair as it covered most of the face along with the long coat collar. He could tell there didn’t seem to be any blood,

Are you OK? He asked quietly. There was a curt nod and the figure slowly pulled themselves up back into the seated position and returned the sign to its place against the knee. Will do dares for food looking closer he saw, Nothing dangerous or sexual. Must not require travel

The smell was slowly making its way back to him. Not a bad smell… just strong.

You sure you’re OK? I can take you to the clinic if you want. He reiterated.

A greasy and dirt stained finger tapped the cardboard sign above the Must not require travel a few times and then stilled. Grey nodded to himself, or to the figure on the ground, he wasn’t sure, and returned slowly to his home. Grandmother Hattie was still sitting at the table drinking a fresh new cup of tea.

"Good tea. I like it.’ she mumbled around the last cookie.

Grey sat down, It's Rooibos with lemon peel. He mumbled then took a deep breath and slowly released it with eyes close. what were you saying before that? he asked. "

Are you in a relationship Grey? she asked him cryptically.

Uh, not that it’s anyone’s business but, no. he responded suspiciously.

Grandmother Hattie leaned back in the chair and leveled her gaze at Grey. She seemed to size him up then with a curt nod responded. OK. I am not going to tell you what I was told just yet. You are going to have to earn it. No freebies. You will get the entire story but only one piece at a time and you will accept that. She crossed her arms firmly, No more and no less, take it or leave it.

I am not going to date your niece or daughter or anyone else from your family so forget it. Grey responded briskly to her before standing and gathering the dishes from the table. We are done here, and you can return to your stoop for that piece of manipulation. He flipped to her as he stashed the dishes in the dishwasher.

The light wrinkles at the edge of her mouth deepened as Grandmother Hattie slowly smiled. I don’t HAVE any relations left in this world Grey so no, this has nothing to do with me…. Her eyes twinkled at him. This is all you. Your first task is to go down to that..., she indicated the cross-legged street person across the street, And do a dare like the sign says. Bring some of your cookies with you and just get them to hold your hand for a little while. Nothing more for now. After that I will give you a snippet of what that lady was yelling. She finished firmly.

Grey opened his mouth in rebuttal but paused to look at her suspiciously for a moment. For how long?

Thirty minutes. No questions or words just dare them to hold your hand for thirty minutes. The old woman said archly

Ten minutes and you tell me what you were going to say before I do it. Grey responded, trying to make a deal.

No deal. Thirty minutes and after that I’ll tell you exactly one sentence of what was yelled. She said with a steel look at him.

Grey knew right away he would not get any other deal from her, but his curiosity was gnawing at the front of his mind. The old lady was not going to change her stance.

Fine. Let me get some rubber glov…

Grandmother Hattie cut him off. NO! hold bare hand to bare hand, you can wash your hands later, sit down next to them and hold hands. Nothing more. She demanded with an angry frown. Her face softened then she stood and retrieved a new clean plate from the cupboard, extracted six fresh cookies from his cookie jar, and faced Grey with a calm face. "Here is your payment for the dare now go do it. or you will never know what was said.

"What do I dare? He asked.

Simple. Like I said. dare them to hold your hand for thirty minutes. She grumped at him. You want a road map or something Jesus Grey. Don’t you know how…. Oh, just go do it." she forced him out his front door and, closing it behind them, followed him down the stairs and across the street. She patted the slightly confused and embarrassed man on the lower back and made her way to her own front door smiling to herself the whole way.

Grey stopped in front of the cross-legged beggar and watched the old lady totter up her stairs and back into her apartment before turning to face the slightly acrid and musky smelling individual. He crouched down to as close as he could get to be level with the others face. A matt of greasy black curls and dirt that covered most of the dirt encrusted face. Not much could be seen except a single eye peeking out from deep within the unpleasant mass. There was a vocal sound like a questioning grunt that made Grey jump slightly.

Sorry to bother you but I have a dare. Grey glanced down at the hand he would possibly be holding and saw cracked and crusted fingers covered in grime along with what looked like bits of dried food and who knew what else. He suppressed a shiver that momentarily passed and settled his mind on the realization that this was a human and this was not the worst thing he had held in his hand. Having had to reach into the rectum of a cow to extract a chunk of plastic from its bowels and avoid internal damage. Far more disgusting than the sight of this unclean hand. No open wounds, No blood or puss seeping. Fine. He thought to himself, "I can do

this."

I dare you to hold my hand, he held up his right hand, palm facing himself, for thirty minutes. He stated clearly, if a little forcefully, and nodded with satisfaction. Then laid the plate of cookies down between them.

There was almost a look of shock flash in the one visible eye, but it disappeared to return to the dead look that it had arisen from. The beggar's hand rose slowly, and Grey took the hand in his. He sat down with the plate between then and held the hand gently. If felt bony and delicate like it was brittle and would break with the slightest pressure. Warm without being too warm with a texture of roughed leather or course suede. Small like his nephew’s…, No like his nieces’ hand when they would walk together to the ice-cream store on special weekends back home. Grey’s mouth gained a bit of a quirk on one side as he remembered the good times he had with his Aunt’s kids during the summer.

Grey felt a bit uncomfortable after a short time, holding this stranger’s hand so he decided to just talk to fill the void of silence. This reminds me of sitting outside the ice cream shop back home with my sister’s kids after getting them a cone each. Lily loves the vanilla ice-cream the most. She says it reminds her of her sister. I don’t take her to the store that often anymore because I’m not as cool as she used to think when she was twelve. She’s fifteen now and thinks I’m just weird and… well I still miss those times. My nephew is still young enough to think I’m ok. He’s just turned thirteen so there’s still some time before he comes to the same conclusion. Grey snorted lightly at his own joke then grew quiet again. He wondered how much time had gone by when he heard an almost imperceptible rasped word in the form of a question. He almost didn’t understand it until it dawned on him. The street person had used the word sister as a question. He puzzled about it for a little while then realized it was probably a reference to his niece and the ice-cream

Oh! Right, my cousin and Lily’s sister. Grey let out a slow breath, a sigh really. Lily had a sister named Camellia, same age, sorry, twins. She passed away from a type of non-genetic leukemia when Lily was ten. It… Grey froze as suddenly the hand he held clamped down hard, almost painfully, on his and he saw a small shiver pass over the figure next to him. He remained silent from that point and waited for the pressure to let up from his hand. After what seemed like forever, his hand was released, and the cookies were swept clear from the plate like they’d never even existed.

Grey nodded slowly, retrieved the plate and stood up, Hope you liked the cookies. Made them myself. One of the few things my Aunt taught me that I still do. He said just loud enough for the seated figure to hear and wandered back to his apartment. He closed the front door, made his way to the kitchen sink and washed the plate by hand.

Leaving it dry in the adjacent dishrack.

It was starting to get dark out, with