I couldn’t tell fact from fiction any longer. More than before, I wanted off NAFTA.
“I’ve had it up to here. Whoever you are…I don’t want anything to do with this anymore! If you’re not a law enforcement agent, then you could take these damn handcuffs off―just let us go, please, we’ve been through enough. What do you want from us anyway? What’s this all about?”
“I understand both of you are under loads of stress. I understand…believe me. You have gone through situations that are difficult to deal with. Both of you have behaved valiantly, I applaud you on your strength and determination. You need answers though. I plan on filling in the missing pieces. Just give me the opportunity to explain myself. Then you can make whatever decision you want. I won’t stop you―I would understand if you walked away as well. Back there, that situation with the U.S. Customs and Border Control. Do you even know what that was about?” he asked.
Helena said, “Look, whoever you claim to be, we’ll give you the opportunity to explain yourself, after that, just let us go. We’ll decide how truthful your story is, but please take these handcuffs off. You’re acting like you know who us, as if we’re doing something illegal. Who do you think we are anyway? I think you’ve got it all wrong.”
“Okay, the handcuffs are coming off. That’s showing you an act of good faith, but you have to promise to listen to the story. It’s all I ask―deal?”
Helena looked at me with a disturbing glance cemented across her face. The suspense could be unwound by pulling a thread. That’s how concrete it was. My gaze was fixated on the mole above her upper lip. I couldn’t concentrate on another part of Helena’s body, not even her eyes as she stared into my blankness.
“Michael. Are you there? C’mon, snap out of it. You ready for this or what?”
My neck flailed, it was uncontrollable, and it dangled from my head as if the guillotine was being prepared. A simple nod was produced. The surrealism of the situation influenced incongruous movements. I even believed I saw this Dr. Igor character slipping off our handcuffs while toting a pistol in his hand.