*Read part one and part two here*
The teenager turned and looked at me, "See you later Jason." I did a double take, as he went into the elevator.
Marcus met me inside, and I hooked a thumb at the door. "That kid, was that someone wearing a suit?"
"Yes, he's here to do some business. He's a very-very old customer. But before this prospective partner of yours arrives follow me."
He led me into the locker room and handed me the basket with my own clothes inside. "Take off Garrett, I'll wear him for the meeting. It'll be easier to talk."
He helped remove the identity I'd been using for the past day. As I got dressed, I watched Marcus force himself inside Garrett. Within minutes the young bodybuilder was standing in front of me with a cheery grin pulling on the clothes I'd only just discarded.
"So let me tell you about this guy," I began.
Garrett held up his hand. "No need," he taped his head, "it's all up here. You met Jacob on the train, and he showed you around Greyson's on 23rd."
I followed him outside and we sat at the table, "So tell me about these other options?"
Marcus's eyes turned steely. "There is another way. The suits you've seen," he gestured towards the side room.
"A majority of them are just as you see them, no sense of being just disguises; somewhere to hide--
"Others," he continued "like Garrett and Richard have memories, experiences, a life history. They are something quite different." I frowned trying to understand. "Those come from a third party."
"Who?" I asked.
Marcus shifted uneasily. "Lets just say many would consider its source--unethical, but--"
"But what?"
Marcus nervously looked around. On a sheet of paper he drew three interlinked sixes, and then violently scrawled over the design.
I looked at him, "Seriously?"
"Think about it, the identity you've been wearing is so complete how could it be something that's manufactured?"
I felt myself getting warm, and started to sweat. "Fuck, you mean Garrett's a real person?"
"Was."
"OK Fuck! A real dead person!"
"The suit is alive," Garrett added.
"Shit, this gets better," I moaned. "What did they do? Murder them, skin them alive?" I started to get to my feet.
"Wait! Let me explain," Garrett blurted out holding my wrist. "They all did it willingly--I promise you."
"Are you mad? Why would they agree to that?"
"It was their own choice," he added. "Let me tell you about Garrett. He was driving with his girlfriend, they had an awful, awful accident. Garrett escaped, but Macy--his girlfriend--had a severe head injury and went into a coma."
I slowly shook my head, "You're making it up."
"I not, it's the truth. Garrett was wracked with guilt, after six months there was still no signs of Macy's recovery. That's when the 3rd party made contact, made him an offer."
I looked at the sheet of paper on the table, and the obliterated design. "An offer to restore Macy to perfect health, in return he had to sacrifice himself--willingly.
"Garrett was so desperate, he signed the contract. Anything to restore his loved one--even though he could never see her again."
I sat there, enthralled with the story. "Two days later Macy miraculously recovered, none of the doctors could explain her recovery."
"And Garrett?"
"He'd already signed the contract, and his soul was stripped from his body. What was left was sent to me, to be held in storage."
"Held in storage? Why?"
"If any of *his*," Garrett looked around again, almost expecting somebody to appear, "subordinates needed to visit, this is where they'd pick up something to allow them to *fit in*."
"That kid I met at the elevator just leaving, was he?" I stuttered.
"He was." From the recent revelations, I don't question further. "This Jacob guy, it sounds like he's a suitable candidate. He needs money and stability to bring his family back together again. Sounds like he'd do anything."
I shook my head, "He's the perfect front, needs some work needs to complete his exams. If you get your *contact* to do that *thing* what would be the point? He'd be a suit like Garrett, all looks with no strength. I'd be back where I started," I replied.
"True, but there is a way. The cost--to you--would be vast. But you would have his looks, memories and more importantly his strength."
"How expensive?" I asked.
"I would cost you everything you had."
A shiver runs down my spine. "Everything? Explain."
"He can remove the guy from his body, but he can only change his fortune if there's somebody inside. You'll sign a contract, just like him, to sacrifice your own existence to complete the transfer. You'll keep your mind but your body will become something for others to wear--like Garrett."
"And me? What will happen to me?"
"You'd be inserted into his body, it would be yours until you die."
"And I'd have his full strength?" I asked.
"And his memories--and responsibilities," Garrett explained. "Then *he* would guarantee success in your business, but you would be bound by Jacob's contract to look after and support his family. Fail them, and--well I'll leave that for you to think about."
"I want to be successful, whatever the cost," I blurted out.
Garrett smiled. "Good, that's the answer I was waiting for."
I was going to ask what he meant when then door intercom buzzed. "That'll be Jacob. I'll introduce you as my marketing guy then you leave and wait in the suit room until I call."
"Why?"
"There's a lot of technical talk to do with the contract, I wouldn't want to bore you with it. Have a look at the suits, see if there are any you like."
The intercom on the wall buzzed a few times. Garrett pressed a button. "Jacob, we're on the second floor. Come on up," he said and presses another button.
I sat there wondering what the hell I was doing, then swallowed at the reference.
Garrett met Jacob at the door and showed him to the table; he was smartly dressed in a shirt and tie. "This is Jason," Garret said gesturing to me. "He looks after the marketing and social media. Jason his is Jacob, he's going to be my business partner."
Jacob leaned across the table and gave me a firm handshake. "Hey!" I replied, the dampness of his palm suggested he was nervous.
"We'll get Jason back later, in the meantime I want to talk to you about the business and the contract," Garrett said to Jacob. I took this as my queue and retired to the suit room.
----
I started to walk along the racks of suits, my hand touching each one in turn. There was such a variety; tall, short, fat and thin. The collection was mostly male, with only a few females. I stopped at female, blonde shoulder length hair with an exquisite physique. Reaching out I touched her ample breasts, holding and feeling their weight--they felt, well real.
As I passed the group of females, the males stood waiting in line. Firstly the big men, a large overweight man, then huge bodybuilders, all the weights, builds and ages.
The largest of the bodybuilders was something quite amazing. I pushed my hand and arm into the mouth of the suit right up to my shoulder. Groping around inside, pushing all the way down to the hand. Flexing I pulled the arm up and gasped at the thick bicep. "Oh my god!" I muttered. "I have got to try this monster on sometime."
After retrieving my arm, I continued down the line and recognised Richard from the previous day. He hung motionless, supported in someway. His eyes were open, but they looked dull and empty. There was a space next to him with the name *G. Williams* on a plaque--Garrett's place.
As I walked to the end of the line, the suits looked younger all the time. Another space, this time the name was *T. Dales*, the teenager I'd seen outside. The last three spaces where suits of Marcus's sons.
I lifted the last one from it stand--*D. Quill*, its hair was longer than the rest and a little unkempt. I thought for a moment, and stretch open the suits mouth. Throwing the suit's body behind me I forced my head into its mouth, pulling its head over mine. I pushed the teen's features into my own, and blinked at the light as my eyes aligned with his.
Turning I looked into one of the mirrors, the body of the suit flapping behind me like a cape. I'd dropped a couple of years in age, and a glint of innocence still shone out from his eyes. "Davy Quill," I whispered. Then I realised, I had all of Davy's memories; but without the pain. Marcus had said these suits were different. Davy's suit was complete--even with his earliest memories and experiences.
I recalled Davy looking into the eyes of himself; this must have been when Marcus was wearing the suit. I remembered him saying, "Get out of your clothes, I want to pull a prank on your brothers." The memories showed Marcus helping his son into the discarded Richard suit. "You pretend to be me inside him," I heard Marcus say in my head. "I'm going with your brothers, I want to see if they can tell I'm not the real you."
There was a distant sound, then it rang clearer. "Jason," then the shout was louder. "Jason, you can come back in now." It was Garrett calling.
---- END OF PART THREE
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