The Blue-Haired Bombshell by John Zakour Read Free Book Online

ground.
    ‘‘As you can see, I also make an excellent billy club,’’ GUS said proudly.
    The thug to the left tried to grab me but Carol caught him with a telekinetic blow to his stomach, doubling him over.
    ‘‘Sorry, Tió,’’ she said rushing into the room. ‘‘All the teenybopper baaing must have clouded my psi senses.’’
    I pointed my gun at the woman sitting on my desk.
    ‘‘What’s the meaning of this?’’ I growled.
    The man behind her approached me slowly, keeping his hands where I could see them. He was a big man, but he was more round than muscular. He didn’t look like your standard hired muscle. I kept my gun trained on him as he approached.
    ‘‘Please, Mr. Johnson, this is not what you think it is,’’ he said voice crackling in fear. ‘‘Let me introduce ourselves.’’ He slowly and cautiously touched his wrist holo-communicator. The image of a business card appeared.
    It read: CARLOS WOLF, PERSONAL ASSISTANT TO MARIA C. PEREZ, UNIVERSAL INSURANCE COMPANY.
    ‘‘You’re from my insurance company?’’
    Maria nodded. ‘‘Yes,’’ she said proudly.
    The word CONFIRMED flashed in front of my eyes. So she was who she claimed to be.
    ‘‘You know, I kind of think I prefer the standard h-mail telling me you’ve raised my premiums.’’
    Maria pointed at me. She was an older woman but still not too hard on the eyes. ‘‘I’m sure your computer has confirmed who my assistant and I are, so you may lower your weapon.’’
    ‘‘I don’t know, with my premiums so high, I’m still kind of tempted to shoot you,’’ I said.
    Without warning my gun jerked from my hand and flew into Maria.
    ‘‘What the . . . !’’ Carol said. ‘‘She’s a psi! How come I didn’t pick that up?’’
    ‘‘My gun won’t work for anybody but me,’’ I told Maria.
    She looked at Carol. ‘‘Sit down and be quiet until I tell you to speak,’’ she ordered.
    Carol obediently sat down, legs crossed, thumb in her mouth.
    Maria looked at me. ‘‘I don’t need weapons, Mr. Johnson.’’
    ‘‘So I see.’’
    ‘‘She caught Carol off guard so she must be at least class I level 6,’’ HARV said to me. ‘‘Tread lightly, Zach. Killer thugs have nothing on insurance company salespeople.’’
    Maria released my gun. It floated back to me. She was definitely not afraid of me.
    ‘‘You did a really stupid thing today, Mr. Johnson.’’
    ‘‘You’re going to have to be more specific.’’
    ‘‘How true,’’ HARV said.
    ‘‘You rushed into traffic to save a dog.’’
    ‘‘One, I didn’t know it was a dog. Two, I knew the cars were computer controlled, so the odds of me being hit were slim.’’
    Maria smiled at me. ‘‘Mr. Johnson, there’s no need to be defensive. While we as your insurance provider certainly don’t condone your actions, the masses found them quite appealing.’’
    ‘‘Your point being?’’
    ‘‘We would like you to be our official spokesperson. Your catch phrase will be, ‘If they insure me, they’ll insure anybody’!’’
    ‘‘Catchy and true,’’ HARV laughed.
    ‘‘You’re kidding!’’ I told her.
    Maria pointed at me. The mere gesture pushed me back and pinned me to wall. She strutted over to me. She lifted her finger up. I rose up off the ground. She dangled her finger under my nose.
    ‘‘Do I look like I’m fooling around?’’ she said. ‘‘Your choice is simple. Do the nice dignified ad or bark our jingle naked.’’
    ‘‘Hi, this is Zachary Nixon Johnson, if World Insurance insures me they’ll insure anybody,’’ I said in my peppiest voice.
    Maria lowered me to the ground. ‘‘Very good.’’ She snapped her fingers. Carlos moved forward, pulling a paper-thin computer from his back pocket. He unraveled the computer to show me the contract.
    ‘‘Trust me, it’s fair,’’ Maria said. ‘‘Just give us your DNA print.’’
    I touched the screen with my thumb.
    Carlos turned the paper computer over,