Ever-Life the Two Book Set: The C.P.T Incident and Time Trust by Andrew Sarkady

but no one stopped.
    “Well, Babe, it’s 3:30 in the morning. Nobody is going to pick up hitchhikers?”
    “Really, Mr. Smarty; I remember college. You are so wrong.”
    Angie did a few sexy poses in front of the next cars. Then, finally; “Look! Ralph! Look! They’re slowing down.”
    Angie started ju mping and hugging Ralph.
    “They a re slowing, Ralphy. They’re slowing. We’re saved!”
    The dark blue van approached in front of them, slowed to a stop beside them. The van’s side door slid open. It all happened so fast, Ralph had no time to react. Three men were dressed in what looked like reflective dark blue jump suits. Two men jumped out very quickly. They forced the two nurses apart. While one man pushed Ralph to the ground, another grabbed Angie’s arms, and turned her into the van doorway. A third man behind her, in the van, put a black hood over her head and pulled her so she sat on the edge of the door guard. The first two then grabbed her on each side; and, they swung her into the van. The last man slid the door shut; and the van sped off. It was a total of ten seconds; and they were gone, leaving Ralph laying on the roadside in disbelief. He looked up to see the van a quarter-mile away.
    “You bastards; you fucking bastards!”
    He was in the night , alone, with only the streetlights and nothing but sand in sight.
    “What the f…?”
    As Ralph started to walk in the direction the van disappeared, he could hear a cell phone ringing. He walked in the direction of the sound, found the phone, picked it up and pushed the round blinking button.
    “Hello, hello; who is this? Please don’t hang up.”
    “I’m not going to hang up,” the voice said. “Just walk a mile in the opposite direction, back to the Complex. Good luck…If I were you; I would get back to the hospital, as soon as I could. You don’t want to miss any of this, do you?”
    The phone went dead and Ralph stood with his mouth open.
    “What the hell is going on? This is the strangest night of my life.”
     
    Chapter 11   
    Money Talks
     
    Marion Brock was more than a successful billionaire philanthropist, although that would be enough for most. He had all the characteristic s of a man of stature and power; not to mention six homes, in four countries, and worldwide contacts in top financial circles. He was a combination of being a self-made success, in his own right, and carrying on his many businesses and family empire, which grew to staggering value over generations. The Brock name was known globally as the ‘billionaire’s billionaire’. Among his many ventures, he also held several lobbyist positions in Washington D.C., managing that effort with a staff of Ivey League lawyers and future state and federal judicial candidates. Years ago, he committed to financing the completion of the Brock/Swanson Complex, in Arden, New Mexico. He was the link that allowed its completion. Gordon Swanson introduced Brock to Mathew Bellos and Jack Sheldon at a Complex fundraiser. After Bellos gave his stunning presentation ‘The Cure for the Common Cold’, Brock negotiated with Swanson and the Complex’s board directors that he alone would pay cash to finish the Campus in the southwest. Impressively, he wrote a personal check for the last fifteen percent of all construction costs and all the newest state of the art computer requirements. Additionally, he agreed to pay for updating all software and hardware, as needed. In return, he would have a personal 3000-sq ft, three bedroom suite, on the sixth floor of the ‘Fargo’ building, which lay in the remote area of the campus’s 600-acre landscape. And his name would appear first on the Complex’s advertising marquees. The one other proviso he had, was that he never be directly involved, in any regard, with the personnel working on the campus. They would know him by his name only. Any communication, with him, would have to be in writing and only come from Dr. Mathew Bellos, Chief of Hospital