The Bloodbath Ritual by Andrew Downs

Author:Andrew Downs
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Thriller
Publisher: Cardinal Shrine Press
Published: 2012-11-06T00:00:00+00:00

Florino’s Italian Restaurant Washington D.C.

Friday October 25th, 1985 7:49 p.m.

Hollick sat at a booth in the back of Florino’s waiting for Dr. Jones, who was to meet him there for an eight o’clock reservation. Today was Dr. Jones’ birthday and Hollick had asked her out to celebrate the occasion. Florino’s was a restaurant they had both come to love. The restaurant provided a nice, quiet atmosphere where intimate conversations were possible.

The friendship between Jones and Hollick had grown substantially in the last three weeks. What had started out as an impromptu therapy session had quickly turned into a budding kinship between the two of them. While sex had become a part of the equation, most of their time had been spent talking about psychology, politics and books that they enjoyed.

Hollick had bought, “The Art of War,” at a bookshop near his home. This would be Dr. Jones’ birthday gift. He hoped she would like it since he had mentioned the book many times in the last few weeks. She did seem genuinely interested in reading the book and not just for the sake of humoring Hollick.

He had still not heard a word from Los Angeles. He kept reading the Times and L.A. was still pretty quiet compared to his last visit nearly two months ago. He also hadn’t heard anything from Secrets Division, which worried him. He made it a point that he was going to page Silva if he didn’t hear anything by the first of November.

Dr. Jones walked in a few minutes late, but looked beautiful as usual. Through asking her about her graduation year, Hollick had surmised that she was born in 1949, making today her thirty-sixth birthday. Hollick would be turning twenty-eight in a few weeks himself. The age difference had never bothered him. He appreciated the wisdom, grace and maturity that Dr. Jones offered. In a few fluid steps, she came and joined him at the table, “Sorry I’m late, Alex,” she leaned in and gave him a peck on the lips.

“It’s okay. Happy Birthday, Patricia!” he said.

“Thank you, Alex. It’s good to spend it with you.”

They both ordered the Chicken Parmesan with salads, garlic bread, wine and tiramisu. This was a meal they both enjoyed, a reminder of their first dinner together just three weeks earlier. They talked a bit before Hollick pulled out the gift-wrapped book, “Patricia, I got you a gift.”

“I told you not to get me anything.”

“It’s nothing, just a token of my appreciation.”

“Well thank you, Alex,” she replied as she tore the wrapping paper off the book, “‘The Art of War,’ this is the book you’ve been telling me about, right?”

“Yeah, I’ve learned a lot from it. I think you’ll like it too.”

“Well I can’t wait to read it. In college, I must have walked by this book twenty times wondering what was in it.”

“Well now you’ll know,” he said. Hollick smiled at her and she returned the smile, flirting with her beautiful blue eyes, “Patricia, you remember that art museum in New York City you were telling me about?”

“The Metropolitan?” she asked.

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