"Hello!" he said, before she could ask who he was, or how he had avoided becoming Rottweiller food."Hello!" he said, before she could ask who he was, or how he had avoided becoming Rottweiller food. "I'm giving away free samples of Forest brand air freshener!" He held up an aerosol can. "Just smell this springtime-fresh scent!" Before an irritated Mandy could tell him, "We're not interested!", the man let go a shot from the can, enveloping her head in a cloud of mist. It doesn't smell like air freshener at all, she thought, as the daylight began to dim around her, it smells.... The 'salesman' stepped forward quickly as her knees buckled, caught her as she toppled, and lowered her gently to the floor. Moving fast, he pulled her inside, grabbed his sample case, looking once around outside, and closed the door. The whole exchange had taken less than fifteen seconds. Inside, he knelt by her head, felt her pulse, examined her pupils. "Perfect," he muttered to himself, "Now where's that slave, Flower, or whatever she calls her..." He peeled off the false mustache as he headed for the stairs. After searching the house, he finally discovered Jason and Flora by following faint noises coming from the basement door. He stood staring in appreciation at the two for several minutes, and then chuckling, returned upstairs. Flora and Jason missed him completely, since Flora had her back to the door, and Jason couldn't have made out a face that far away, due to his distorted view through the silicone rubber helmet. Even if they had seen him, they would have been quite beyond caring in any case. The new visitor checked Mandy's unconscious form most carefully then, examining fingernail color, and palpating with the skill of a doctor. Indeed, he used his stethoscope and blood pressure cuff as if from long experience. From his sample case he removed a small syringe and gave her a carefully measured injection. |