A Logical Magician

4

Despite all that had taken place in the past few hours, a few lingering doubts troubled Jack. He needed to prove to himself that Merlin had been telling him the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. There was only one sure way to find out. He decided to test the Universal Charge Card.

It didn’t take him very long to find an outdoor cash station. They were scattered all over the Loop. Even the local McDonald’s had one.

Gingerly, Jack put the plastic rectangle into the ATM. Without a flicker of hesitation, the machine sprang to life. “Please enter your four-digit identification code” appeared on the video monitor directly in front of him. Gulping, Jack typed in the special code listed on the back of the card he had memorized earlier. No alarms sounded. So far, so good.

Following the instructions on the screen, he entered “withdrawal” when asked what type of transaction he wanted to perform. Up to then, everything followed the usual routine for cash stations. Then magic took over.

Normally, the next screen should ask where he wanted the money taken from—his savings account, checking account, or as a cash advance against his credit card. Instead, large block letters merely asked, “How much, Jack?”

Licking his lips, he typed in “$250.” Jack found it somewhat unnerving to have a machine address him by name.

“Small bills okay?” flashed the new message.

“Yes,” typed in Jack.

With a hum, the machine closed up tight. When it opened a few seconds later, there was $250 in fives and tens in the money drawer. Along with Jack’s card.

“Take care” flashed across the video screen as Jack scooped up the cash and stuffed it in his pockets. There was no receipt nor did Jack ask for one.

After three more withdrawals at different machines. Jack was convinced. He had remained cautious, never taking out more than $250 at any one machine. Not that the automatic tellers questioned the amount. As far as he could tell, they would have given him as much as he wanted. Thousands at least, if not more.

At least he had been smart enough to ask for big bills when prompted by the other machines. Even then, the wad of cash bulging in his pocket made him slightly paranoid. And, he had to admit, feeling terribly tempted.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of cash machines dotted the city and surrounding suburbs. Finding them wouldn’t be difficult. It might take a few days to reach them all but he could do it. Especially considering the reward. If he withdrew a thousand bucks from each ATM, he would end up with over a million, tax free, cold cash, dollars. Enough pay to make his most decadent imaginings come true. The thought of that much money his for the taking gave him the shakes.

Jack shook his head. It was a seductive idea, but he was much too honest to do anything more than dream. Merlin obviously knew the power of the card, and yet he had still given it to Jack. There was no way he could betray the magician’s trust. Besides, a fortune wouldn’t mean much if Merlin’s ominous forecast of the future came true.

That thought in mind, Jack started walking down the street to the El. If he was going to save the world, it was time to stop daydreaming and do something. Always methodical—the mark of a good mathematician—Jack planned his next moves.

First and foremost, he needed to return to the university and get some medical attention. After that, dinner would be nice, and some time to reflect carefully on what little Merlin had told him. Then, hopefully, working from that information, he could formulate a plan of attack. Though, he suspected preventing the destruction of civilization might prove to be a bit more of a challenge than his usual routine.

Reaching the entrance to the subway, Jack hesitated. He wondered if taking the underground back to campus might be a bad idea. Money in his pockets put a new twist on things. A rash of muggings, many of them taking place near the Elevated station, had plagued the college for the past month. Walking the three blocks from the train to the school might be tempting fate. As far as he was concerned, one beating a day was more than enough.

Fingering a crisp new twenty-dollar bill, Jack contemplated taking a taxi back to campus. This was entirely different from his daydreams about spending the money on wild living. A cab ride was a perfectly legitimate expense. Merlin had given him the Universal Charge Card and told him to use it whenever necessary. Or, at least the magician seemed to imply that when he gave Jack the card back in his office. Jack couldn’t actually remember Merlin saying anything about the card one way or another.

Stifling the last few twinges of guilt, Jack flagged down a cab. One of the prerequisites of saving the world, he decided, was staying healthy long enough to get the job done. And if that meant spending some money not his own on a few luxuries, so be it.

Settling back in the backseat of the taxi, Jack breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone he knew said he spent too much time making decisions. He had to admit they were probably right. On the other hand, it might be the reason Merlin hired him.

“Ain’t it somethin’ about those girls disappearin’ in the Loop?” the cabdriver asked, breaking through Jack’s reverie. “Real mystery, huh?”

“Sure,” Jack answered, his mind on other things. Then, the meaning of the words gradually sank into his consciousness. “Exactly what disappearances are you talking about?”

“Been talking about it on da radio all day,” said the driver. “Big story. Surprised you ain’t heard the news.”

“Too busy working, I guess,” said Jack. “Tell me all about it.”

“Seems dat bunches of women, office workers mostly, been vanishin’ from Loop buildings durin’ the past week. Police been trying to keep the story quiet, but one of the relatives squawked to the news. Caught the cops with their pants down. I heard the chief of police three times today, claiming they expected a big break in the case anytime now. You know what dat means. They ain’t got a clue what’s happenin’.”

“Bunches of women? Disappearing?” asked Jack, frowning. He wondered if the story tied in some way with Merlin and Megan’s kidnapping. A cold chill ran down his spine. Coincidence only stretched so far.

“Forty or fifty of them, according to the radio. Missin’ without a trace from offices all over the Loop. They just vanish—leavin’ work, goin’ ta the ladies room, comin’ back from lunch. It’s damned spooky.”

“Only women?” asked Jack.

“You got it, boss. Just babes. Funny thing, though. Ain’t only the good-looking ones missin’. According to the news, the dames range in age from twenty to sixty. No ransom notes, no dead bodies, no nothing turned up as of yet. Watcha think? White slavers or somebody like dat? Grabbing the women and shipping them overseas or somethin’? Maybe dose rich Arab sheiks are behind the whole t’ing?”

“I don’t know,” said Jack. Nor did he. “I truly don’t know.”

Jack grimaced in frustration. It seemed safe to assume that Merlin’s kidnapers were the same gang behind the other abductions in the Loop. But, if the police, with all of their resources and manpower, were baffled by the crimes, how could he expect to solve the mystery? He was a mathematician, not a detective.

I guess if I’m going to save the world, he thought to himself, I’ll have to be both.

Somehow the thousand-dollars-a-week salary Merlin mentioned no longer seemed that outrageous. Jack had a feeling that before too long he would be feeling underpaid.