AZOTUSLAND chapter sixteen

When Maugham woke up again it was light. Martine was gone but there was a small folded note on the nightstand.

You are really sweet, when you want to be.
~M

He smiled, then brooded about the dream and leapt up to fire up Ops.

As the bank of three computers started to awake from slumber he threw on overalls and an old T and walked over to the cafe and plopped down at the counter. It was 10:45 and Jonathan was eating his sandwich but Maugham was in no mood.

Renata got him a double Americano and he slugged down a gulp after he had dashed with with plenty of cold half and half.

"Thanks Babe" he said.

"Hey you know better!" she fumed suddenly and started to walk off.

"Hey hey Ren...sorry...no offense...No BOUTROS!" he yelled after her.

"Shit."

He left and returned to Ops to check his email. There it was:

Maugham

He hasn't told you the truth. It's not in him. Look for the Portal. When you find the Portal you will find the rest.

Hugs,

Rnonynmous

He slumped back in his chair and finished off his Americano.

He heard laughter downstairs and knew Jim would be by in a matter of minutes. He had always been utterly straight with Jim and that was not about to change.

"This bitch is nuts" he said to himself.

Then Jim came in with a smile.

"Damn that was good!" he said lighter than usual. "Jonathan did his Robin Williams imitation...kind of an interview and it was fucking hilarious...yet even weirder if you can believe that. I think he's ready for a stand-up night."

"Well good because you better sit down for this."

Jim face turned downward. "What is it."

"It's her Bro, and she's pissing me off."

Jim read the screen without any reaction.

"Sounds like a nutcase to me. Put it in the spam file."

"What does she mean by a 'Portal'?" Maugham asked directly.

"I have no idea Maug," he said. "Look I wanna be striaght with you, I did get another email yesterday, and I suspect there is one on my computer right now. I just didn't want to alarm you, but I looked in some old journals and I think I might have some clues...just a possibility, okay?"

"Okay Bro. Not a problem. You know I got your backside no matter what."

With that they got up and walked down to the Bunkhouse. There was another email. It stopped them both cold.