Todd believed he had hit bottom. The chair in which he sat felt other worldly, despite it being his familiar comfy chair in the living room. His wineglass was real, but he had lost count of the drinks. He noticed his shallow breathing and feared this could get worse – beyond bad health and the crushing guilt. His daughter was dead and his wife had gone: off to relatives to grieve and Todd had not…
December 23, 2004 My routine had been uninterrupted for weeks. It was 5:35 p.m. and I was returning from the gym. Nothing was different when I keyed my security code into the door of my apartment. (Yes, I had a special reinforced door with a dual code and key lock that the Strata council hated because it would make emergency access tougher. But my job and job history made this a requirement.) As always,…
February 10, 2003 CBC News presented footage of George W. Bush giving a press conference. The camera followed the President of the United States as he walked to the podium. In the background a brown-skinned man – not African, not Arab, not Indian, but clearly not white – was conferring with Donald Rumsfeld. Karl’s stomach formed a knot. Shortly the camera focussed in on George W. as he started talking about how to win in…
Timothy McFarrell walked briskly down an alley north of Broadway in Vancouver. It was his custom on Christmas Eve – bordering on a tradition – to do last minute shopping. The lane provided a quicker way to London Drugs than the crowded street. He hoped to find some favourable “stinky stuff” for his mother in the cosmetics section of the all-purpose drug store. A back door to a bank burst open and two men with…
December 23, 2001 Renihan admired the lights on the houses as the limousine passed through the Arlington neighbourhood. Across from him, the serious young man who had been sent to collect him was not looking outward. Since they had left San Francisco that morning, Renihan had tried to engage his chaperon in conversation but had given up somewhere over Idaho. It was all a little cloak-and-dagger even for a man who was a card-carrying member…
“This climb had better prove worthwhile,” said The King. The Wizard pulled his cloak tight around him to help keep out the mountain wind. “Of course; it’s just another few steps away.” They plodded through snow and kicked aside rock. The Wizard was unaided; The King had Protection, a veritable giant standing more than a head taller than anyone else. Protection looked unhappy to be on a cold mountainside. With Protection were six other members…
James Castle was going home for the holidays. His dark basement suite on Dupont wasn’t much of a home, but it was a huge improvement over his GenX veal fattening pen and chair to which his bottom had been adhered during the eighteen months of the Y2K project. It had included excessive OT, five vacation days (non contiguous), five sick days (contiguous) and one funeral day for a friend who had taken his car and…
Prelude In 1983, Dr. Riley was an obstetrician and gynaecologist who also performed abortions when he felt the case merited it. He was a nervous man. The controversy surrounding the practice of therapeutic abortion brought with it notoriety and perceived personal security risks. Despite being off the well worn path to the Toronto clinic of Henry Morgantaler, a man who had spent time in jail for performing abortions, Dr. Riley’s clinic regularly received bomb threats. …
Kovack came into existence with a scream. His charred left side and its missing arm had not magically stopped hurting during his escape. In front of him was the Mediterranean with a brilliant sunset blazing across the water. He stood in the centre of what remained of a small Roman amphitheatre. As he turned around he saw the Crusader castle, still impressive despite its abandoned state. “Computer, please state time and location.” “We are fifteen…
Jaw set, knuckles edging into the white, and nostrils flared, it was clear (even to Gerry) that he was driving in the wrong mood. The MR2, a fast red sports car, hurtled up the wet surface of Granville Street. The dashboard clock told him it was 8:35 p.m. It was December 23. Nothing but trouble. Bugs in the software. Contracts being cancelled. And Christmas. For Gerry it always brought painful memories. The middle lane was…