The Backup Asset

…80

The doorbell startled Sylvia; she had dosed off on her couch, and the book she’d been reading had dropped to the floor.

She looked at her watch and frowned. It was late… Who could it be so late?

The doorbell rang again, prolonged, impatiently.

“Yeah, who is it?” she asked and looked through the peephole at the unfamiliar man standing there.

“Ms. Copperwaite?” the stranger asked.

She replied through the locked door, “Yes, who is this?”

“I am here to discuss your gambling addiction and what that will do to your career.”

She felt the blood drain from her veins and her heart starting to pound in a deafening rhythm.

“We can do this through the locked door if you prefer,” the stranger added unperturbed, “for your neighbors’ enjoyment. There’s no entertainment like real-life drama, you know.”

She removed the chain and unlocked the door, then invited the stranger in. He was a tall, broad-shouldered man with a fierce, uncompromising look in his eyes.

“Come in,” she said hesitantly.

The stranger walked in and remained standing.

“Ms. Copperwaite, tomorrow you will be fired from your job, because your employer will learn you stole money to cover your gambling debt. Then you will be arrested for theft.

Fear hit her like a fist in her stomach, almost making her keel over.

“That’s… that’s not true,” she managed to articulate. “I haven’t stolen a dime.”

“That’s not really relevant, Ms. Copperwaite, it’s just a minor detail.”

She let herself slide to the couch, her knees suddenly too weak to support her. She felt the burn of streaming tears coming from her eyes. She’d always feared she’d hit rock bottom some day, and wondered what that would look like.

“You have a choice though,” the man added. “Entirely up to you.”

“Who are you? And what do you want?”

“Doesn’t matter who I am; only what I want, and what I can do. I want the power source and storage schematics for the laser cannon,” the man said calmly, looking her straight in the eye.

She turned pale, as her brain started processing the information in a different light. She suddenly became aware of the man’s slight accent that she couldn’t place. Oh, my God… she thought. Oh, my God…

She hugged herself and started rocking back and forth, still seated on the side of her couch.

“That’s all you want?” she asked quietly, almost whispering.

“Yes, that’s all.”

The man watched her silently, giving her time to make up her mind. There wasn’t much choice. Maybe she could call someone and explain. Would the Feds believe her?

“There’s a bright side to your cooperation, if you’ decide to help us. Your gambling debts have indeed been paid, every single dime. Cash deposits were made in your name at the ATM, using your bankcard. Incidentally, the same amount of money was stolen tonight. No one can correlate the two events unless you decide to decline my request.” The man made his threats with the calm and detached demeanor of a TV weather announcer. He was simply stating the facts.

She swallowed hard, keeping her eyes pinned to the carpet. Trapped. She was trapped, with no way out.

“It’s up to you if you continue to gamble or not, but as of today all your accounts are taken care of. All we need in exchange for this generous gift is the power storage schematics. Your call; take it or leave it.”

Silence fell between them, interrupted briefly by Sylvia’s whimpers and sniffles, as her tears continued to fall, staining her cheeks.

She felt a chasm of fear and darkness open inside her, then heard herself speak quietly.

“OK, I’ll do it.”