Boy I must really be rusty I've been on plenty of dates when I was in college, but now, this is different.

want her to think that I am a respectful guy not some punk that just wants to get in her pants. We are

going to the Grayman Theater to see some play named étrange créature I think it means strange

creature.

(Ring ring) the Motorola Motosurf phone I got last week goes off. (Ring ring)

Hello?

Hi Logan I am about 2 miles from your house, its number 534 right?

Yup.

Okay. Click!

I fold the phone; I told her I would pick her up but no! I say to myself. I guess that is why I like

her; she always finds a way to persuade people to do what she wants them to do. She has been

like that as far back as I can remember. You see I've known Erin Meskrow for about 20 years I

met her in college and studied alongside her at Cambridge University. We were both civil

engineering majors and, both of us very good in our fields but i felt she was far better than me.

Sort of ironic now that I am the CEO of my firm national steel, and she is working for my rival

Bridgetronics. I've been CEO for a few years now. I think its all result of my Dad working for

Mr. Early all those years, but he says it's because I can "sell a bridge to a fish".

(Knock knock) I head to the 9 foot tall door to my nearly 200 year old Victorian style house.

There she stood 5 feet 6 inches tall about 130 pounds she was absolutely stunning in that little

black dress and red hair. It took me a minute to say it but "hi" finally dropped out of my mouth

like a brick. I walked with her back to my garage refusing to let her drive, I guess that is why she
liked me I am as stubborn as she was. As we got into the '42 Ford I had restored over the past

years I realized just how beautiful she was, and how much I had aged compared to her.

So where are we going?

She asked.

To a play, it’s in the city and I hear it’s really good.

Ok but can we eat first I haven't eaten all day.

Yeah that's fine where do you want to eat?

How about Fugu it's a Japanese sushi bar.

Yeah that sounds good.

As I find a place to park the old Ford I see a man trying to get into a car.

Hay you need any help? It appeared that his door was stuck.

No I'm fine just trying to get this key to work its bent.

Ok well if you need help just holler!

You know you have been like that as long as I can remember. In fact do you remember how we

met in college?

Yes as a matter of fact I do you were trying to get away from your friend Julie and I acted like I

was one of your professors and tried to get you to come with me.

Yup you were always trying to help somebody no matter what you needed to be doing.
Well I'm not all gold and you know it.

Yeah I know you were in jail one time but you got acquitted of the charges right.

Yeah but the thought still haunts me.

What do you mean?

Well I did kill the guy.

It was self defense!

I know but it does scare me sometimes.

Ok well let's just forget about the past and go eat ok.

I open the door to the little fish hut it was nice but I had never cared for them. She walked in

first and I had trouble not staring at her as she walked in front of me. We sat in front of the bar

and I had the chef’s choice for two reason: first off I wanted to look smart, and second I know

just enough Japanese to piss people off. She had the fugu it's a delicacy and if not cut right it

will kill you, a sign of trust if ever there was one.

Well are you going to sit there and eat or are you going to talk to me.

Oh I'm sorry it's been a while since I was on a date I'm rusty on the whole social scene.

Its ok we are not as young as we were in college.

Yeah I know but I do wish that I was better at this I know that you have been on a lot more dates

than me.

Well I haven't been on as many as you think, maybe 20 or so in the past 10 years.
Wow why so few, someone as beautiful as you should not have any problem finding men who

will give you anything.

That’s the thing I want him to love me, not buy me things, no amount of money can ever buy

that.

That’s true.

So how about that old car, I didn't know that you were into old cars and stuff.

Yeah I found that car in a barn at an old house not long after college; it was in real bad shape so I

decided to rebuild it from the ground up.

Well what color is that I've never seen anything like it?

It took quite a while to get that color, and a lot of money, a man be the name of Gene Pachart

made it for me he is a custom car builder and I hired him to make it, it's called Profuse Red.

I think it looks great. It has the 351 Winsor right?

Well yeah but how did you know that?

My Dad he was a classic car mechanic I had ratchets instead of rattles, I love old cars like that.

Wow I never would have guessed that.

Well I never would have guessed that a man that slept through most of his classes would have

become CEO of a big company. How did that happen anyway?

Well most of it has to do with my dad he worked for Mr. early for 30 years as a foreman he paid

for my college and laid the road for me to walk to the top. I will never be half the man he was. I

really miss him.

Oh when did he pass?

5 years ago Thursday.

Oh I'm very sorry I know that you two were close.

Yeah but its ok he isn't suffering any more.

What was wrong with him?

Asbestos they used it as insulation in those days and it got everywhere.

Oh okay.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The window shatters and glass and debris comes flying at us.

GET DOWN! NOW!

Logan what's going on?!

Just stay down let me find out!

I pull the Desert Eagle out of my side holster and quickly find a bead on some man's head. He is

wearing a turban but his skin is a white as mine. What the hell is going on! I try to stand up but

me leg is pinned be the big pile of what used to be a bar.

EVERY ONE SHUT UP! This is how it is going to work. If you move you die. If you talk you

die. Now where is Logan Grayson?

That's me what do you want?

You are coming with us.

Like hell.

A tall man in a black coat comes up to me.

Mr. Grayson this can be easy or hard.

I aim the weapon.

Then everything goes black.

Chapter 2

I wake up with a terrible head ache. Hay what's going on!?

Hello Logan my name is Demetri Colsicof. Does that mean anything to you?

Yeah it meant something to me he was the leader of the infamous Black Ring. It is an over

funded organization that does the dirty work for the Russian government. They pay these people

to "take care" of things for them but what do they want with me.

Yes I know who you are but what do you want with me? I'm nothing but a CEO of a company.

Well why do you think you are here?

Aside from being dragged out of a restaurant?

Yes.
I know you are not holding me ransom for money you have that. And I'm sure you don't need a

bridge build so what do you want.

Do you remember what you wrote your thesis on in college?

Yeah it was on something thet I now believe to be impossible.

and what is that?

I thought you would know that considering you spent a lot of money and time to get me here.

Humor me.

I was trying to hold off as long as I could so that I could figure out just how much he knew.

Mr. Grayson! The answer. Now!

I wrote about the effects of high frequency on steel.

True and what did you find out?

I concluded that if a person finds just the right frequency that it can destroy any type of steel.

And what is that frequency?

I could tell that he was toying with me. All he had to do is look up my old thesis and read it.

I think you know the answer to that question.

Do I? Do I really? Because I think you lied on that paper I think that you decided that it was too

dangerous for just anyone.

This guy had done his homework. I wrote the paper at Cambridge and thought that if anyone

would read it he could build a weapon that would bring down entire buildings. But back in those

days technology was so big that even if you were to build it you would have to cart it around in

an 18 wheeler.

No you are wrong I wrote the frequency on that paper and that is the one I used.

We tried to use that one but it never worked, you however, brought down entire buildings with

yours and you built it in a basement.

Well you are doing something wrong.

We are doing everything the way you did and nothing works. Nothing!

Why do you want this thing anyway? All it ever did was make the structure weak it never

worked the way that I planned.

That is private information, you may not know.

Then I am afraid I cannot help you.

Sir just in case you have not noticed you are is an underground bunker in the middle of nowhere.

Now all I want to know is the frequency that you used to bring down that building.

What he didn't know is that the machine uses different frequencies for different types of steel so

that it will not affect the others around it. I could tell him any working frequency that would

work, but, he could use it to bring down anything that he wants. And considering I run the

company that built most of the major cities in the U.S.A. that would be very bad for me.
look it's been a long time sinceI built that infernal machine and I really don't remember the codes

that is used. But for sake of curiosity just what do you plan to do with my machine and how did

you get it?

Mr. Grayson I have played your game, and I grow tired of it now, tell me the frequency or I will

kill your girl friend.

chapter 3

Detective Harvey DeVasco was one hard man to read, having never been maried more than two

or three years he was a man of the force. He was strong headed and didnt like to be bothered

with trivial things like kidnappings but somehow he was intrigued by this one. As he scoured

over the crime scene he felt like this was all too purposefull like he was ment to be here; like

someone wanted him to know this was thier work. Although he had been one of the top

investgators in the city for ages, a lot of his street cred was from the way he delt with the crimes

he had to deal with. You see Harvey DeVasco would be a man after Roosevelt's own heart he

was a man of few words but when bad things happened he never lost his cool, just drew, aimed

and fired.

Detective, we found white powder on every piece of the broken glass but nothing else, what do

you think of it.

Was the glass frosted?

No sir we thought of that too but the owner said it wasn't.

Then get it to forensics.

Yes sir.
Detective, do you want the good news or the bad?

Give me the bad rick.

Forensic scientist Richard Stanner and Harvey DeVasco had known each other for the last 25

years, they graduated high school together and were best of friends, but that all changed after

Harvey went to war and Richard went to college. Harvey came back a different, man he had 300

confirmed kills and he never forgave himself for killing those people.

What is wrong Rick?