Monsters - Chapter 13 – Monsters Play With Bugs

Monsters

By Karen Singer

Chapter 13 – Monsters Play With Bugs

It was a long fast bike-ride back to Las Vegas.  And once they hit the city, the traffic made the rest of their journey maddeningly slow.  Eventually they reached the hotel and turned their motorcycles over to the parking valets.  Carol and Brandy hurried inside and straight up to Brandy’s suite.  They were met outside the room by a Chinese man who stopped them from going in.

“Please do not enter,” he told them.  “We’re still working.”

“Still?” Brandy asked.  “How can it take so long to remove two little bugs?”

“We are not removing them,” the man told her.  “And we found six bugs inside spread through every room.”

“Six!”

“Our equipment is better than yours.”

“Why aren’t you removing them?”

“We are in the process now of trying to trace the listener.”

That stopped Brandy.  “Good!  I didn’t know you could do that.”

“Is not easy,” the man replied.  “I don’t know the latest, but I know they are trying to search the rooms right below yours on the next two floors down.”

“Find me someone to kill!” Brandy told him flatly.

“Brandy!  Carol!”

They turned to see Susan Wu and two more Chinese men hurrying from the elevator to meet them.  They knew that Susan was going to be following them to the hotel as fast as she could get there.  Evidently, she had gotten there almost as fast as they did.

Susan was slightly out of breath by the time she reached them.  “According to my latest update, they’re trying to find out who planted the bugs.  They’re trying to check the five rooms below yours and also the five rooms below that.  Based on the bugs they found, they don’t think the devices can reach much further than that.”

“So it’s someone in the hotel,” Brandy stated angrily.

“Maybe.  We don’t know yet.  And trying to get into someone else’s room in this hotel isn’t the easiest thing to do…especially if the guests are there.”

“You can’t just knock and find out?”

Susan smiled.  “I’m sure they’re doing that.  But that’s their job.  They’re the experts.  We’ll let them do it for now.”

“Let’s head to my room,” Carol suggested.  “We can get out of these suits and I can lend you something else to wear.”

“No!  Don’t!” Susan told her.  “They haven’t had a chance to check your room yet.  Let me call and see if one of them has a few minutes to do it.”

Susan made the call.  The door to Brandy’s suite opened a few minutes later, and a man walked out.  “Which room?” he asked Susan.

“The very other end of the hall,” Carol told him.  She handed him her room key and the man hurried away.  Carol followed him more slowly.  At the room, the man stopped before opening the door.  “Is best if you do not come in.  No noise.  Must be very quiet.”

“Don’t worry,” Carol told him.  “I can be very silent!”

The man finally nodded, then opened the door slowly and went into her room.  He closed the door behind them just as slowly, doing everything possible to make no sound at all.  Carol stood in the middle of the living room of her suite and watched as the man went over every square inch of her room, checking everything including the ceiling and the glass on the windows.  He finally stopped and came back to her.

“Clear,” the man told her.  “No devices.  Based on what we saw in the other room, it looks like they were concentrating everything they had right there.  I will go back now.”

“Send Brandy back here,” Carol told him.  “Susan too if she wants to come.”

The man bowed and hurried out of the room.

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“You’re sure?” Susan asked, speaking into her phone.  She listened.  “Okay.  Keep me posted.”

She hung up and looked up at Brandy and Carol, both of whom were now wearing shorts and t-shirts.

“They traced the listener to nothing but a computer, not in one of the rooms below yours, but in the maintenance area between your ceiling and the roof.” she said to Brandy.  “The computer was forwarding everything to in IP address.  They traced the IP address to somewhere in Mexico.”

“The Mexicans?” Brandy asked.  “I wouldn’t have thought they’d do something like this.”

“I doubt they did,” Susan told her.  “In situations like this, we’re sure that they’re going from one IP address to another.  That signal is probably being bounced all over the place.”

“So you can’t find it?”

“I didn’t say that.  I’m just saying that we’re still working on it.”

“How about getting back into my room?”

“You can go back now.  We want you to behave normally in it.  Talk about normal things.  Just be careful what you talk about.  And whatever you do, don’t mention that the bugs were found.  We want them to think you didn’t find them.”

“How long are you going to leave them there?”

“Until we find out who is ultimately doing the listening.”

Brandy wasn’t happy about that, but…  “Okay,” she replied.  “How about Ralphie.  He’s still at your restaurant.  Can you tell him to get a cab back here?”

“We’ll have someone bring him.”

“Good.”  Brandy looked at Carol.  “Want to go back to my room now and we can start giving our listeners something worth listening to?”

“Sounds like fun.”

Once in her suite, Brandy texted Ralphie and instructed him to text her before he got into their suite.  With that taken care of, Brandy looked over to Carol.  “It’s been way too long since you and I shared a proper kiss.”

Carol, now understanding Brandy’s intention for something for their listeners to hear, gave her wink and replied.  “I wasn’t sure you wanted another one.  The last time we made out, you didn’t seem as enthusiastic about it.”

Brandy, now knowing that Carol and her were on the same page, as if she would have to wonder about such a thing, went over to her and replied in her sexiest voice, “Not enthusiastic enough?  Try me!”

Twenty minutes into their louder than usual lovemaking, Carol asked, “Is that your phone.  Now?”

“Yeah,” Brandy replied.  “It’s probably Ralphie.  He should be back about now.  Let me take care of him and I’ll be right back.”  She grabbed one of the hotel’s bathrobes and hurried out the door.  Ralphie was just reaching the room.  “Ralphie,” she whispered.  “The bugs are still live.  Whatever you do, don’t mention them or anything about them.  We want whoever is listening to think we didn’t find them.  Understand?”

Ralphie nodded.

“Please, Miss Brandy…”

“Wait!  Ask me once we’re back in the room where they can hear.”

What he needed to ask, Ralphie wasn’t interested in anyone else hearing.

Once they were both back in the suite, Carol asked.  “Did you have fun shopping?”

“Not really,” Miss Brandy.

“Perfect!” she replied happily.

“Miss Brandy, please,” Ralphie said urgently.  “May I change my diaper?  It’s been leaking for some time now.”

Brandy looked closer and saw the liquid running down both his legs, soaking the short little girl socks he had on that day.  She laughed.  “You are leaking!  Very good.  Yes Ralphie, you can change.  In fact…”  She stopped to consider a few things.  “Let me unlock your dress and shoes.  Then take that diaper off and get yourself a good shower.  When you get out, find a nice dress to wear instead.  Whatever you do, don’t disturb Carol and me.  We’ll be in my room.  Understand?”

Ralphie was just elated that he didn’t have to wear the silly diapers and little girl outfit anymore.  “Oh, thank you, Miss Brandy,” he replied enthusiastically.

Brandy went to her room for a moment and came back with a thin piece of wire that she used to unlock the two locks on his dress and the locks on each of his pink little-girl shoes.  “Okay.  And when you’re done, don’t disturb us.”

“Of course not, Miss Brandy,” Ralphie said happily.

He started to hurry away, when Brandy stopped him again.  “And Ralphie,” she said seriously.

He stopped and turned.  “Yes, Miss Brandy?”

“You did good today,” she said.  “Very good.”

“Thank you, Miss Brandy,” Ralphie replied happily.

Brandy returned to her bedroom and her interrupted, if noisy, lovemaking with Carol.

It was several hours later when the two of them, fully showered and dressed, emerged with the intention of going to dinner.  Ralphie was working at the desk in the outer room.

“What are you doing Ralphie?” Brandy asked.

“Just arranging todays receipts,” he told her.

“His receipts?” Carol asked.

“He has to account for every penny he spends.”

“Oh.  I wondered why you were so free with him and money.”

“I make him buy and do all kinds of things.  I just need to know that he’s actually doing them.”

Carol’s cellphone started vibrating.  “Susan,” she mouthed toward Brandy when she saw the caller ID.  She connected the call.  “Hello?”

“Hi Carol.  Are you in Brandy’s room?”

“Oh, it’s so good to hear from you,” Carol replied.  “I just stopped in to see Brandy for a few minutes.  We were going out to get some dinner.  Would you like to join us?”

“Yes.  But not for dinner.  I’ll meet you in the car in front of the hotel.”

“Great, you’re going to drive.  We’ll see you in a few minutes.”  She looked over at Brandy.  “We’re having dinner,” she said happily for the sake of the listeners.”

“Sounds like fun,” Brandy replied with a smile.  She got her things together then spoke to Ralphie.  “Ralphie, go out and get yourself some dinner.  Don’t eat here in the room.  After that, come back and wait to see if I have any other errands for you to run before you go down to the casino tonight.  Understand?”

“Yes, Miss Brandy.  “I can’t order room service?”

“No!  Go somewhere.  Not in this hotel.”

“Yes, Miss Brandy.”

“Good.  We’ll see you later.”

The two women left the room and went downstairs.  There was a limousine waiting for them out in front of the hotel.  The Chinese driver opened the door for them and they found Susan in the back seat.  They got in the back with her and the car left.

“We traced where we think that signal was going,” Susan told them.  “It started in your room, went up above your ceiling, then was broadcast out to Mexico.  From Mexico it went through Seattle, someplace in Alberta, then down to Chicago, and finally right back here to Las Vegas.  We traced the final IP Address to a building owned by Jubilee Investments here in downtown Las Vegas.  Jubilee Investments is owned by Charles Allingham.

“Allingham!” Brandy exclaimed.  “The number four mob group in the city, right after Morrow?”

“Exactly!” Susan replied.  “We couldn’t find any further trace of the signal after that, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t being sent on to somewhere else.”

“So it could be coming here to throw someone off track,” Carol stated.

“Yes.  It’s possible.”

“How do we find out?”

“That’s up to you, if you’re that interested,” Susan replied.  “Or, leave it alone.  Or, now that we know where it’s going, let us remove all the bugs in your suite.  That should put a stop to it.”

“I’m thinking just remove the bugs,” Carol replied.  “Now that we know who’s behind it, I think pulling the bugs will send enough of a message that we’re onto them and will put an end to it.”

“Most likely,” Susan agreed.

“I think…” Brandy started.  She turned to Carol.  “Are you up for some late-night work?”

“Always!” Carol replied with a smile.

“Not that kind of work.  I think I want to go in there and see if we can find anyone who might actually be listening, or maybe find whatever equipment has been recording us.  Are you game?”

“Sure.  Why not?”

“Good.”  She looked to Susan.  “Do your people have anything that can help us track that signal once we get inside the building.”

“It’s an internet signal,” Susan replied.  “If we don’t have something, we can probably whip something up pretty fast.”

“Good.  See what you can do with that.  Carol and I will grab a quick bite to eat and then go back to the hotel.  I want to make sure the listeners have plenty of stuff to listen to while we’re hunting through their building.”

“Can we drive past the building first?” Carol asked.  “I want to see what it looks like.”

“Of course,” Susan replied. 

She transferred the message to the driver and a few minutes later they passed a large office building.

“How many floors in that thing?” Brandy asked.

“A lot!” Carol replied as the car drove around the block so they could see it from all angles.  “How do you want to go in?”

“I’m not sure yet,” Brandy told her.  “It’s not that far from our hotel.  Let’s stop and get something to eat, then check it out on foot.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Carol replied as they drove past the other side of the building.

“Where can we drop you?” Susan asked.

“Fast food!” Carol replied.

“Are you going back to your hotel before you go in looking?” Susan asked.

“Yes.  I need to talk with Ralphie to set something up,” Brandy told her.

“Then I’ll have my people meet you at the hotel as soon as they have something you can use to track that internet signal.”

“Thanks,” Brandy replied.

“I’ll make sure I have some rope,” Carol told Brandy.

“Yeah, bring some, but I’m thinking about something else.  Bring a knife too!”

“A knife?  I never leave home without one.  Retribution time?”

“Absolutely!”

“Good.  I think I was having withdrawal symptoms.”