 
Shades of Gray

#2

From Moscow, With Love

Kristie Lynn Higgins

SHADES OF GRAY: From Moscow, With Love

Text Copyright © 2007, 2018 by Kristie Lynn Higgins

Cover Art Copyright © 2014

2014 Cover Edition

Smashwords

10th Anniversary Ebook Edition

02212018

www.KristieLynnHiggins.com

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Start One Of These Series

by Kristie Lynn Higgins

www.KristieLynnHiggins.com

Introductions

This series uses a mixture of omniscient past tense and first person present tense to tell the story of Shades of Gray. I have used bold to separate the first person from the omniscient. Enjoy the series.

I have glimpsed into the future and seen a world of darkness and sorrow. It was a place where the clouds hid the sun and human machines walked and terrorized the land, but there was nothing darker or more horrifying than the hearts of those who lived there.

Will no one save them?

Translated from the Assembled Works

Ginn L. Irynkissgthie

525 B.D.C.
Chapter One

The Raven And the Wolf

The year 32 A.D.C...

October 22...

Friday...

6:23 A.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Residential Vicinage...

The blackness of night hung over the early morning as mile-thick Dry Clouds shrouded Noir's sky, and they hung over the city like a sleeping dragon. They were a sleeping dragon that the Earth feared one day would wake and devour them, and so far, no magic of science could stop the beast. Purple lightning lit up the heavens, but the density of the barriercumulus muffled the thunder as a Common Raven flew below the clouds, dove into a park, and landed on a branch of a Transgenic Maple. Scattered lamps lit up the dark empty paths surrounding the tree as a cold wind rustled the hybrid maple's leaves and the blades of the spongy Transgenic Grass that surrounded the truck's base. The breeze suddenly died. The large bird heard a twig snap and tilted its head, staring at a bush as a pale-white Tundra Wolf emerged and looked up with its golden-yellow eyes at the raven. Their gazes locked.

Across the street from the park...

A black Cadillac stopped at a curb, and Nikolai, wearing a white pinstriped gray business suit and a WM-A, got out of the driver's side. He placed a gray Fedora hat on his head, smoothed its rim, straightened a white tie, and shut the door.

Natasha exited the passenger's side also wearing a filter mask. Natasha, a Life Closer like her twin brother, inhaled through the triangular filter over her nose and exhaled through her mouth. She looked at the old apartments in front of them and then to the park across the street which was mostly empty. Natasha removed her white fur-lined, long, black coat, revealing a tight-fitting red leather outfit. It consisted of pants, a vest, and high heel knee boots. She threw the coat in the back seat, grabbed a black leather satchel from the front floor, and closed the door. She checked on her throwing knives' sheaths that were velcroed to each wrist.

"My Sweets..." Natasha spoke as she caressed the blades on her left wrist with her index finger. "Ready for some action?"

Natasha made her way to the back, joining her brother as Nikolai popped the trunk with a remote, lifted a case, and set it on the sidewalk.

He removed his mask and asked, "How does it look?"

His sister glanced up and down the deserted street and then answered, "It is clear."

Natasha replaced the WM-A to her face. He set his mask in the trunk, holstered a Glock 25, grabbed the mask, closed the trunk, and picked up the case.

She motioned to the case and spoke, "I cannot believe you are going to use that thing." Her Russian accent clung to every word as she added, "It is ancient."

Nikolai patted the case as he said, "Tasha, I like it for this kind of job."

"You mean the kind of job where it does not matter how messy it gets. Remember my brother, this is still a Life Closing so please be professional."

"I always am."

Nikolai winked at her and started up a gravel path, crunching over rocks with his black cap toe shoes. He made his way to the apartment's entrance and entered the glass front door and once inside, they both removed their WM-A, he handed his to his sister, and Natasha placed both of them in her satchel. He waited by the door as she continued in, and he watched over her as she neared the security desk.

A security guard in his early thirties looked up from the desk and stood, seeing the tall woman, and his gaze slowly ran up her tall leggy figure before he asked, "Can I help you?"

He adjusted his pants and his belt and holster, made his way to the front of the desk, and approached her. Natasha leaned to him and whispered something Nikolai couldn't hear, the guard grinned as he spoke back to her in muffled words Nikolai couldn't understand, and then he saw his sister giggle. The guard leaned on the desk and continued to talk as Natasha glanced back and saw that her brother was watching them intently, and then she placed her hand on the guard's arm. Nikolai noticed the lustful eye the guard gave his sister and scowled as his body ignited with rage. He put the case down, marched forward, pulled his Glock as jealousy spurred his hand, and fired once, hitting the man in the knee and then with gleeful pleasure, he watched the guard fall and grab his leg, squirming in pain like the worm he was.

"Brother! What are you doing?" Natasha asked as she folded her arms, knowing that once his temper erupted there was no stopping him. She would have to talk him down before they could proceed and so was her duty as his sister and partner. "We were not ordered to kill security."

"Did you see how he looked at you?" Nikolai questioned her as he marched to the man like a crazed bear. "I will gouge out his eyes and rip off his bollocks!"

She ran her fingers through her long hair, continuing to talk him down, but not before she teased him into a frenzy. It was already too late for the guard, so she might as well enjoy his death.

"I am a beautiful woman." She grabbed both of her breasts and massaged them with her hands as she inquired, "What do you expect? He only wanted to fondle me, he said so, and he also said that he wanted to take me to plains of ecstasy."

"He said that?" Nikolai yelled as his sister slowly walked over to him, he fired a round into the man's heart, killing him and then he turned, looking for others he could murder as he stated, "No one will look at you like that or say such things to you!"

Natasha looked at the dead man. His death had been a little too quick for her taste. Maybe the Closing upstairs would satisfy her morbid lust, and she said, "The guard never said that to me." She ran her fingers up her brother's massive arm to his back and then wrapped her arms around his waist, gripping him tightly in the front as she whispered, "How many times must I tell you that you cannot kill every man that glances at me?" She moved to the front of him and placed both her hands on his face, then Natasha saw his eyes bulge out in rage as they searched the area for more vile men he could kill, and she said, "There will be many, and you cannot kill all of them."

"But he..." Nikolai started till his sister leaned in and kissed him on the lips. The rage seething in him lessened, and he relaxed as he adoringly looked at his sister and kissed her back. She finished, and he told her, "I am sorry. I lost myself again."

"It is fine but do not let it happen–"

A second guard exited an elevator, interrupting her and when the guard saw that Nikolai had killed his partner, the guard dropped his coffee and pulled his Python 4 revolver as he blurted, "Hold it right there!"

As the guard covered her brother, Natasha reached for her left wrist, pulled a knife from the sheath, threw it, and hit the man in the throat. The guard fired as he grabbed at the steel in his windpipe, and the wild shot hit the glass front door and shattered it. Shards rained, pinging to the tiled floor as the guard dropped his weapon and collapsed to his knees. He choked on his blood as he pulled a radio.

Natasha walked over to him and kicked his revolver away as he tried to use the radio but only made gurgling sounds. He was lying on his back, so she sat on his stomach, looked at him with pity, covered his eyes with her left hand, and told him, "Do not look. The pain will be over soon." Natasha leaned to his ear and whispered, "From Moscow, with love. Now I will give you the Executioner's Adieu."

She moved to his lips as blood bubbled from them and French kissed him, tasting a mixture of coffee and metallic saliva. He fought her erotic oral assault and dropped the radio to grab her arm and push her off but before he could, she removed the knife from his windpipe. Blood spurted her face and neck, and she arched back stimulated by the red gore and uttered a soft moan as her body tingled. Aroused by the blood, she watched as the guard held his throat, trying to prevent his own demise.

Natasha waited till he died, wiped the knife on his shirt, cleaning off his blood, and sheathed the blade, and then she leaned to his ear and whispered to him as uncalloused as she could, "I am sorry. You were not meant to die, but you should know that I did enjoy your death." She stood, took one more moment to look at the man, walked to her brother, and berated him, "Look what has happened. We will have to file extra reports, and you know how I hate excess work. Not only that..." She glanced back at the second guard and then turned to her brother, questioning him, "How are we going to explain your actions to Voice and the Assassins Guild? You needlessly killed the first guard. He would not have stopped us from going up."

He hung his head like a scolded child, and then he replied, "I do not know."

"We will say the guard tried to stop us and that you had to shoot him and the second guard saw us kill his partner and we had to kill him also. But you cannot keep doing this. Voice will find out."

"If that happens, we will become marked for closing like the Phoenix."

"Yes, like the Phoenix," Natasha repeated as she smiled at her sulking brother. "Now cheer up. You still have your new toy to play with."

"You are right." He went, picked up the case, and said, "Come, Tasha." He entered an elevator, pressed button thirty-one, and added, "Let us go blip off the bird."

Puzzled by what her brother meant by his statement, she raised a black eyebrow, followed, and said, "Remember the Closing File states we keep collateral damage to a minimum."

"A minimum, not zero."

"Please do not kill anyone outside of the apartment," she told him as the elevator started up, and then she removed a gold compact and a white silk handkerchief from her satchel. She looked into the mirror and wiped some of the splatter from her face and neck as she said, "If we go out later, I will have to clean up. The guard is all over my face." She placed both items back into her satchel, the cab opened, and the two of them walked out as she asked, "What apartment number are we looking for?"

Nikolai removed an H.H.C. from his suit pocket as they walked from the end of the hall, and he looked at the numbers on the doors before they passed them and stopped. "This is the one."

She noticed a dark crack beneath the door and whispered, "The lights are out, so they are probably still sleeping. Do you want to knock?"

"Knock? No, not with this heat," he spoke as he patted the case, set it on the floor, opened it, and removed a Thompson Submachine Gun. "This bean-shooter announces itself."

"Of all the people to idolize, you had to pick 1930's gangsters."

"Every gink needs a hobby. I happen to be good at two."

Natasha said, "Half the time, I do not know what you are saying."

Nikolai winked at her, made sure she was safely away, then stood back, shot several rounds into the frame near the knob, and kicked in the splintered door. Light from the hallway rushed into the apartment as he proceeded down an entry and an armed man appeared at the dark end. Nikolai fired, dropping the man and headed into the pitch black living room. He heard two men whispering, and Nikolai yelled like a maniac and wildly shot in their direction as gun blast lit up his smirking face. The men who were hiding behind a couch fired a round apiece and missed him before the Tommy sliced through the sofa and cut them down. Nikolai flipped on a light, retrieved his case, and reloaded, then he headed down a hallway, and kicked in the master bedroom door. The light was on, and a man was in bed with two women. The man had pulled an Olympic 6 revolver from a nightstand.

"I'll blow your head off!" the man threatened.

The women squealed, covering themselves with the sheet, and one of them asked, "Vicky, is this another one of your sick games?"

"No, babe, not this time," he answered as he aimed the revolver, and then he cursed, "Puck! I don't know who this guy is." He snarled and yelled, "I'm Vic the Vulture. You don't know who yer messing with! I've got a contract with the Valhalla Corporation." The man shot at him as he yelled, "I'm under their protection!"

The bullet grazed Nikolai's shoulder and in anger, he grabbed the gun from Vic and pistol-whipped him. One of the women screamed and covered her face with her hands as Nikolai continued to hit the man. He finished and threw Vic's gun across the room.

Nikolai pointed the Tommy up, put one foot on the bed, and leaned toward Vic as he spat, "Here's the wire, lug. Your Chicago overcoat has done been fitted."

Vic grabbed his bloodied cheek as he asked, "What are you blabbering about, you mother-pucker? What you're saying doesn't make any sense. All I know is yer dead! Dead when the corporation finds out you messed with me!"

"Shut your trap! Your yap's why I'm here. Your so-called friends at Valhalla found out that the trade secrets you were supposed to be brokering for them you've also been selling off to other corporations." Nikolai's demeanor changed from one of a wise guy to a serious Life Closer as he spoke, "Victor L. Boons also known as Vic the Vulture, on behalf of Valhalla, I am terminating your contract."

"Wait! You can't! They can't! Puck! It's a mistake. I've only sold to Valhalla!"

"It is no use lying to me. They have audio evidence that you did it."

"I... I can explain. Let me get their Vice President on the phone."

"Did you not read your contract with them?" Nikolai questioned as he shook his head, irritated by the man's ignorance, and then he said, "You should have read it more closely. By signing, you agreed to the Life Closer Clause should you violate the contract and there are no second chances." He glanced at the two hookers and said, "It is a pity these two women are here. They would not have to die if they had not seen my face." Nikolai opened up one last volley, and the women screamed. White goose down flew up from the dozens of bullet impacts in the mattress. The feathers fell like snow, landing on the three bodies, and blood slowly tainted the down as Nikolai added, "As stipulated, your employment has been terminated."

"My turn has finally come," Natasha said as she walked into the bedroom behind Nikolai. She had already secured the rest of the apartment. Natasha watched as Vic gasped, clinging to life then she walked over to him, bent down, and whispered in his ear, "From Moscow, with love. Now I will give you the Executioner's Adieu." Natasha French kissed him and as she intertwined her tongue with his, Vic died, and then she straightened, wiping the blood from her lips with her index finger and said, "The Closing was most enjoyable." Natasha turned, saw her brother's wound, and scolded him, "Look at you. I hope you are happy." She examined the minor shoulder graze as she said, "See what you get for wanting to play with your toy. You could have used a handgun with a silencer." She glanced at the man in bed whose glassy eyes stared up at the ceiling, and then she spoke, "If you had, Vic the Vulture would not have even known you were here, but you wanted to go all Al Ca-put."

Nikolai pointed the Tommy gun up again as if posing for a picture, and then he informed her, "He was named Al Capone, and it was worth it, my sister. I do feel like a gangster." He smoothed his fingers across the rim of his Fedora as he spoke, "Place our calling card so we may leave before Noir Civil Police Force is called in. Dealing with the N.C.P.F. could be time-consuming so let our calling card talk for us."

She nodded, walked over to Vic, and placed a business card of a wolf and a raven on his chest. A barcode printed on the bottom of the card included the Life Closers' information, and the N.C.P.F. would use this card to verify the killings were Life Closings and not murders.

"We only have one more assignment to complete and then we can leave this wretched Dark Half."

"Yes, my sister. We only need to bop the Phoenix and we can return home to Mother Russia."

"It will not be so easy," Natasha said. "We do not know what the Phoenix looks like. Is this Life Closer a man, woman, or child? All we have is an appointed time and place for the Closing from Voice to find the Phoenix," she paused and then added, "And I do wish you would stop talking that way. Honestly, I do not know what you meant when you said you want to bop the Phoenix; it kind of had a sexual connotation which I hope you did not intend."

"No," he spoke as his face reddened. "I did not mean–"

She put her hand under his chin, reached up, kissed him on the cheek, and said, "Come then, I am famished. We will clean up, and I will tend to your shoulder and after that is done, we can see what fine delights Noir has to offer."
Chapter Two

A Past Mistake

Nineteen days earlier...

October 3...

Wednesday...

6:01 P.M...

The Light Side...

Russia...

The end of the day swept across Moscow's Red Square as hundreds of tourists visited St. Basil's Cathedral, GUM department store, the Historical Museum, and many other attractions. The clear western sky exploded with hues of orange and red as the sun started its descent. Twilight approached this part of the Light Side of the planet, and it was a place where the sun existed, separating day from night. Dry Clouds didn't pollute the air or obscure the heavens and darkness didn't rule the land. Eventually, even this part of the world would be covered if the Dry Clouds were not stopped; they spread about an inch every week.

Ten days before meeting Kat, Kim walked out of GUM department store and put on sunglasses before stepping out into the early evening to protect her eyes. A native of the Dark Half of the planet, the sun's light hurt her even near the twilight hours. She pulled back her blonde hair, tied it in a ponytail, buttoned up her long dark gray coat, and pulled on black gloves. Kim straightened a black knapsack slung over one shoulder as she noticed a woman holding a little girl in her arms and grinned. She had fond memories of her own mother that was until Kim turned eighteen. Her mother had left her and her father without a word nearly twenty years ago. At this time in her life, Kim hadn't yet discovered the truth about Theresa.

Kimberly's view...

I make my way out of Red Square, then hurry to Kalancheveskaya Street, and rush to the rooftop of the Leningradskaya Hotel, making sure no one sees me. I reach the rooftop just as the sun plunges over the horizon, and I pause, taking in a little of the life around me. Darkness starts to flood the sky as I remove my sunglasses and place them in the pocket of my coat. The beauty that we who live on the Dark Half miss, you don't realize its splendor until you witness it in person. The sun's so beautiful, and the colors that break across the horizon as it disappears for the day are mesmerizing. I inhale deeply, fill my lungs with the brisk air, exhale, and my hot breath appears as mist. The air smells clean unlike Noir's, and it energizes me and makes me feel more alive. The chill in the air tells me Winter will soon overtake Fall.

The sun completely disappears, and this world on the Light Side of the planet, even as night spreads across it, is so wonderfully different. I glance up at the cloudless night and notice the stars are so bright. I can't even imagine that Noir's sky looked like this once.

I pull on a knit mask to hide my identity, not that I expect anyone to come up here and see me. I wait for two hours near the ledge, keep to the shadows, and monitor the lit sidewalk below with binoculars. I came up here earlier than I had too, but I like to get the layout of the land before I take out a Mark. I place my knapsack near the ledge, move to a different part of the roof, and pull out a large case a Guild Prep/Cleanup Crew hid the day before. I remove the sections of an M24, put the sniper rifle together, then move back to the ledge, and peer down the block through the scope. My target's supposed to leave the tea house within the next hour. Many people go in and out of bars, eateries, and stores in the area. I glance at my watch, see it's time, place a silencer on the rifle, and kneel beside the ledge. I peer through the scope and aim at the entrance of the tea house. I remove an H.H.C. from my coat pocket, open up the Closing File on the touch screen, and study the picture of the Mark one more time. Voice told me the Mark will receive a phone call around this time and draw her out, so all I have to do is wait.

A minute turns into ten, and soon the woman walks out of the tea house along with four armed bodyguards. I aim for the woman's heart, waiting for a clear shot as people walk by her on the sidewalk. A limo pulls up, and one of the bodyguards moves to the vehicle and opens the back door. I put my finger on the trigger ready to pull it when the target pauses and turns back. A little girl runs out of the tea house and takes the woman's hand. The child holds something in her other hand.

I glance up from the scope. Voice said nothing about the woman having a child. Hades! It should have been included in the Closing File. I peer back through the scope, taking aim again, and I place my finger back on the trigger. The woman and the child walk forward to enter the limo and pause as the little girl kneels to tie her shoe. The child lays an object on the sidewalk, grabs her laces, and ties them.

My hands tremble, so I remove my finger from the trigger. Hades! I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm acting like this is my first kill but that happened years ago, and I have long since hardened my heart to my work. I take several deep breaths till my hands stopped shaking, and then I place my finger back to the trigger. I can't let whatever's affecting me to get in the way. I need to take the shot.

The child laughs and after finishing with her laces, the child picks up the object. She glances up at her mother with adoration.

I berate myself as I delay. It's my job. I have to kill the woman. For Ares' sake! It doesn't matter if the child's watching. My usual calm heart pounds with indecision. I can't let the thought of the child seeing her mother murdered affect me. Even in the cool air, sweat speckles my brow beneath the mask and absorbs into the material. I aim again and this time, I won't hesitate. A street vendor approaches, selling glowing balloons as I still struggle with the shot.

Hades! Pull the trigger! Who cares what happens to the little girl? I look up from the scope, thinking of my past. Look how I turned out without a mom. I shake my head to erase the feelings of abandonment, peer one last time into the scope and with shaky resolve, pull the trigger.

A balloon pops...
Chapter Three

Picking Up From Where We Left Off

Present time...

October 22...

Friday...

12:56 P.M...

Noir...

Hellenistic Sector, Commercial Vicinage...

Katharine's view...

A dim light illuminates a back alley as I glance around a corner of an old brick building and peer at the end of a deserted road. A ten-foot chain-link fence surrounds the back entrance of our destination. The wind blows a newspaper along the bottom of the barrier, changes direction, and flattens the debris against the diamond mesh. The newspaper flaps in the breeze before the wind tumbles it further down the road. I look within the fence and see an S.C.M. sitting in a guardhouse. He's reading a Guns&Knives magazine and drinking coffee and every ten minutes or so, he looks up from his reclined position. I imagined this place having better security as I glance at a scrap piece of paper; it's the address the hologram Theresa Griffin gave us. I sigh, disappointed with the defense and the rundown appearance of the building. It has to have some information about the Pandora Project. I couldn't have gotten my hopes up just to find nothing.

Kimberly stands beside me and peers through night vision binoculars. She wears her all black work outfit consisting of thin gloves, a tank top, jogging pants, running shoes, and a zipped up hooded sweatshirt. I'm wearing my usual white t-shirt, a gray-black athletic jacket, and gray-black pants.

"What do you see?" I ask her.

Kimberly's view...

"Considering who you are, I thought you would have supervision," I tell her, referring to her being the Pandora Project.

I reluctantly partnered with that strange woman four days ago, and I'm still uneasy about the collaboration. There's something about her... There's something I can't put my finger on. Hades! I hate this. I was told she's the key but never what she was the key of. I glance up from the binoculars, thinking about the Rogue. It claimed that she was organic-mecha, a robot that can completely pass as human. I think that would be worse than being some sort of messed up human experiment and considering the organic-mecha dilemma, I can't trust her or her motives for wanting to partner with me, not that I ever trusted her.

Katharine's view...

I see the mistrust in Kimberly's face and know the snide remarks are her way of keeping herself at arm's length. I don't know if she'll ever believe in my sincerity to help her. I glance at her again. Maybe something else is putting her on edge. It could be what the Rogue told her and if that's it, she has to see me as a freak. No wonder she can't trust me if she thinks I've been deceiving her.

I examine our time together so far, and I know one thing... our partnership's going nowhere.

I finally answer her, "No, I don't have supervision. All I see is the soldier."

"There's nothing else to see," Kimberly says as she hands me the binoculars.

I peer through them and look at the S.C.M., the guardhouse, and the loading dock behind the small building. He wears a dark green uniform and his shoulder patch has the Sphinx Corporation Emblem with the Council's Crest. On the top part of the large building is written "Etna Toys Distribution Station Bravo". The S.C.M. confirms it. This place belongs to the Council. We just need to figure out what sort of place it is. I hand the binoculars back.

"Let's go to work," Kimberly tells me as she places the binoculars in the knapsack, removes a metal object, pulls her gun from a shoulder holster, and screws the silencer on her PPK.

I ask, "What are you doing?"

Kimberly's view...

"For Ares' sake! What does it look like I'm doing?" I snap as I glance at that woman.

I don't see anything special about her. She's plain looking with hazel eyes and short brown hair but maybe that in itself is a disguise. I just can't figure out if she's a weapon or one truly messed up person and why one of the departments in the Sphinx Corporation wants her. All I know is if she's important to them, they won't let her go so easily. Maybe I should end our partnership before it causes me any more grief. I can't let anyone live who knows I'm the Phoenix. Anonymity is life, so I shouldn't wait too long to eliminate the one who has seen my face and who knows that I'm a Life Closer.

I consider it a few seconds more and decide if I want to investigate the building, I'll need that woman, so I'll allow her to live a little longer until her negative points outweigh her usefulness.

As if my actions are a normal everyday thing, I point at the guard with my gun and answer her stupid question, "I'm going to take out that S.C.M. and go into that building. I'm going to see why this address was in the file labeled the Gorgons."

Katharine's view...

"You can't," I say, keeping my voice down so not to alert the S.C.M. "Killing's wrong. Everybody knows that."

"For Ares' sake... Of course, it's wrong," Kimberly whispers. "But how else are we going to get in? Hades! I can't believe we're arguing about this. Actually..." I see and feel her anger increase as she takes a step towards me and states, "I can't believe I'm letting you stop me from doing what I normally do." She pushes me up against the wall and tells me, "Now listen... I'm a Closer and this is what I do."

She releases me, starts around the corner, but then I grab her arm, and she turns and glares at me. I feel her stare bore right through me as if it's a laser. I want to shrink back and run away, but I stand my ground.

I release her wrist and say, "That doesn't make it right. Please, don't kill him." In a gentler tone, I add, "There are other ways."

Kimberly scoffs my idea as if it's too childish, and then she points toward the corner and demands, "Show me then." She dares me as if it's some sort of game, "Show me how you're going to get us in without him sounding an alarm."

"Watch me," I reply as I take on her challenge. "Maybe you'll learn something."

I remove my single strap backpack, open it, and pull out a Gel-Taser; it's a device that resembles a mini TV remote. I also remove a dog collar and then drop the backpack to the ground. I tuck the oblong silver Gel-Taser in my back pocket, walk around the corner, and start whistling.

"True! Here boy! Come here! Mommy's looking for you. True!" I walk right up to the gate and speak meekly, "Excuse me."

The S.C.M. sees my approach, so he puts his magazine and coffee down, grabs the XM8, and comes out to the entrance. He keeps the assault rifle at the ready and peers through the chain-link fence.

I act hopeful as I question, "Have you seen a dog?"

He relaxes his grip on the XM8 as he answers me, "No, I haven't seen one." The S.C.M. eyes me and must decide I'm not a threat and slings his assault rifle. He removes his cap and runs his hand through his short hair as he suggests, "Maybe you should try around Joe's Diner. His dumpster attracts hungry animals."

Back at the corner...

Kimberly's view...

I can't believe it. That woman walked right up to him. I let my amazement fade away. It doesn't matter if she's able to talk with the soldier without setting off any alarms. The real question is if she can get us in.

At the fence...

Katharine's view...

I glance at the dog collar, then back to him, and say, "I don't know where the diner is located. Could you give me directions?"

"Yeah. Hold on," he says as he goes back into the guardhouse and comes back with a Hellenistic Sector, Commercial Vicinage map. The S.C.M. points to the paper and gives me instructions, "We're here. Joe's up there. First, go back down the alley you came up, then..."

I step closer to the fence, scratch my mid-back, and slowly remove the Gel-Taser and with my thumb, I flip off the safety at the bottom of the weapon that's below a large red button. The soldier continues to talk as I palm the small device and move my hand to the fence. I carefully aim, press the red button, fire a green jelly string through the diamond mesh, and hit the man in the neck. The end of the gel substance clumps on impact, it forms an acorn size circle and adheres to his skin, and the rest of the string dangles still attached to the Gel-Taser. I press the large red button again as the S.C.M. grabs at the string, and 1,500 volts surged through the jelly. He cries out, convulses, and falls to the ground unconscious as I look around, making sure no one saw me, and then I hit a blue button that recoils the string. I set the safety, tuck the Gel-Taser back in my pocket, and climb the fence.

Back at the corner...

Kimberly's view...

I can't believe it! She actually did it... I holster my gun and run up as that woman buzzes the gate open, and I hand that woman her bag. I'm still quite amazed. I thought she would get captured. I might have lost out on finding out what's in the building but my Pandora problem would have been solved.

"Have you done this before?" I ask as I help her drag the man into the guardhouse.

"Actually, a couple of times," she replies as she takes his keycard, then places the Gel-Taser in her backpack and the keycard in her back pocket, and adds, "He'll be out at least two hours."

I glance at my watch and say, "Let's get inside and see what we find." A little impressed by that woman's tactics and excited to continue our game, I state, "See how far we can go without killing someone."
Chapter Four

The Council

1:19 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Unknown Vicinage...

The new Sanctum...

Within the Chamber...

"Come on people!" a male supervisor barked. "You're behind on your one o'clock reports. Let's get them in." After a few minutes, he scanned an H.H.C., moved to one of the twenty-four Chamber Analysts, and said, "You're the last one. What's the holdup?"

"It's these readings from the new project. There was so much to compile that–" the male analyst started, "–I didn't leave enough time to write out the report. I won't make the same mistake again."

"The Council doesn't tolerate inefficiency or errors."

"I know but like I said I discovered my miscalculation," the analyst restated as he sent in his report. "It won't happen again."

"Make sure it doesn't," the supervisor said as he went back to walking the line of workstations.

In the center of the Chamber...

The Council sat at a long rectangular table that was the darkest point of the room, and the laptops and H.H.Cs. were the only things that illuminated the immediate area. The Council monitored many black projects and on this day, they monitored one experiment in particular. Mr. Morta a tall man with a stout built sat at the head of the table.

The door to the Chamber opened and light from the hallway revealed Ms. Nona was a slim lilliputian and dwarfed Mr. Morta's frame. She sat to his right on a specially designed chair that raised her to the table.

Ms. Nona turned to her laptop and stated, "We are receiving a report from Cerberus." She typed across the keyboard with her cherry-red nails as she continued, "Vulcan Station is now in our hands. Two of our squads of Sphinx Corporate Military have already arrived in Antarctica, and the S.C.Ms. have taken over the base."

"Good, good," Mr. Morta said. "Vulcan Station was the last Factory facility in operation, and now the acquisition of our sister department's assets is complete." He paused and asked, "What of the two scientists at Vulcan Station?"

Mr. Decuma was a meager man of average height, and he sounded disappointed when he replied, "Cerberus did not kill them as instructed but–"

Mr. Morta demanded, "But what?"

Mr. Decuma answered, "Well..."

When he hesitated, Ms. Nona replied, "Dr. John Gelid and Dr. Robert Seeker were injured."

"How?" Mr. Morta questioned.

"Cerberus tortured them with a laser cutter," Mr. Decuma answered. "Both men have severe burns. They have been flown back and are recuperating in our medical facility."

Mr. Morta stated, "It would appear we need to be more precise in our instructions. We did want the cooperation of the scientists." He paused and questioned, "Where is Cerberus now?"

"It is flying back to Noir," Ms. Nona answered as she scanned the clock on her laptop. "Cerberus should arrive within a few hours."

Mr. Morta thought for a moment and asked, "How is Argus? I would like him to monitor Cerberus."

"He is still receiving care," Mr. Decuma said. "The injuries he received from the T-3s when they tortured him were not life-threatening. He should be ready to return to work in a few days."

"Did he give up any information about our work or the Sanctum?"

"He says no," Mr. Decuma replied. "He said that they were rescued before he broke."

"They?" Mr. Morta repeated, puzzled for a moment. "Ah, yes. The two Factory technicians we acquired. Tech One-eleven and Tech One-twelve. What are their names?"

"Peters and Maxwell," Mr. Decuma answered. "We never did find out who rescued them. The men are closed mouth about it."

"Do you believe Argus divulged any information?" Mr. Morta asked.

"No," Mr. Decuma replied. "We did condition him to withstand pain. The T-3s may have broken him with time but not in the short span that they had him. They had him three days to be precise."

Ms. Nona questioned, "What intel do we have on the T-3s?"

"The operatives we had following them turned up dead," Mr. Decuma answered as he scanned another H.H.C. "The last report we received from them stated they had left the Hellenistic Sector of Noir."

"Create a new team," Mr. Morta commanded. "The T-3s must be found. We cannot have these machines on the loose. One Rogue is enough."

Mr. Decuma went to work on the task and pulled up personnel files and after several minutes, he started compiling a new team.

Ms. Nona's laptop beeped, she opened the incoming message, and then she relayed, "I have received a new report. Cerberus has stated its excitement."

"Over what?" Mr. Morta questioned. "Cerberus is experiencing a full range of emotions, and I believe this is good."

"Over tracking and eliminating the Pandora Project," Ms. Nona answered and then bit her left thumbnail as she continued to study the data.

Mr. Morta sounded concerned as he inquired, "Does Cerberus understand it is not to terminate Pandora?"

"Yes," Ms. Nona answered as she moved her hand back to the laptop. "Cerberus anticipates the order will be given to take out Pandora, and it indicates it will study Pandora, so it will be better equipped to eliminate the old project."

Mr. Decuma questioned Mr. Morta, "Why do you hesitate in giving the termination order?"

"The Pandora Project's tracking beacon was destroyed, but we still receive bio-data from Pandora," Mr. Morta spoke, sensing Mr. Decuma was suspicious of his recent actions, and he tried to put his mind at ease by explaining it away with a question, "Do you remember what happened two days ago?"

"Yes," Ms. Nona answered. "We received an influx of data, indicating Pandora reached the Delta Phase of its metamorphosis; it indicated that it had reached the Knowing."

"The data cannot be correct," Mr. Decuma insisted as he tapped the table with his finger and added, "There is no possible way the old project reached the Delta Phase without first achieving the Gamma, and its bio-data indicates that phase was never achieved."

"Do you both agree then?" Mr. Morta questioned, hoping to change their minds or postpone a negative decision. "We should suspend Pandora's termination. We must analyze the bio-data and once we have the correct information, we can decide whether or not to destroy Pandora." He rested his elbows on the arms of the chair, folded his dark brown hands, and then continued, "If the readings are corrupt, it is one thing but if the readings are true..." Mr. Morta hoped to give his favorite project some more time, and he said, "We should investigate it further. We did want Pandora to reach all of its phases, and we want it to become the killer we programmed it to be."

The other two glanced at each other and nodded.

"I have one condition," Mr. Decuma insisted. "We will terminate Pandora even if the information is inconclusive."

Mr. Morta nodded reluctantly and said, "It is agreed. Cerberus will observe Pandora. We will hold off termination until we have had enough time to study the data."

He had bought Pandora a little more time, and he hoped she would find the answers she was seeking.
Chapter Five

The Rogue's New Focus

1:41 P.M...

Near the Hellenistic Sector's boundary...

Within the shambles of the Factory...

The Rogue repaired the artificial epidermis covering its pale face as it stood in one of the many rooms the Factory devoted to bio-mecha research, especially, the assassin line of Un-Men. The room was labeled Bio-mecha Research Seventeen or BR17. The area under its left eye had been damaged two days ago in a battle with Pandora. It stared at a table mirror with its red artificial eyes, then the Rogue noted its eyes looked more like red ringed spheres, and it also noted the dingy brown business suit it wore had black oil covering its left jacket's arm. It went back to work and used a soldering iron to melt patches of skin to its damaged face. The skin was made from a manmade substance known as X-74.

The Rogue's view...

I pause from my work and set down the solder, thinking Pandora did a number on me. I came close to ending her existence, but she reached the Delta Phase of her metamorphosis and stopped me. Pandora shot me when no one else could.

I consider the past year and wonder why out of all my programming I cannot disobey the one to destroy Pandora. I find pleasure in hunting her, but I am an Un-Man, and I appear to be showing feelings and have self-awareness. This should not be.

I also consider in great depth the other thing that happened to me. Even though I tried to kill Pandora, she spared my life. She had the power to take it, yet she fled the room. She showed me mercy as if she knew something that I did not. Is there another purpose to my existence?

I think back to my discovery. After our encounter, I stumbled across the hidden chamber in the back of the Gallery and then later after I had gone through some of the Factory's research on the tablets, I found that archaeologists believe they were chiseled by Ginn L. Irynkissgthie around the year 525 B.D.C. and archaeologists also believe the words spoke of future events.

I process all this data, and I believe they are about Pandora and that they are some sort of prophecy about her. Right now, I do not know their true meaning. One of the tablets is broken, and I do not know how much of the text is missing. I do not know if the two tablets go together or if they are part of a separate message. I return to the table. Pandora could be the Rushlight mentioned in the one and if so, she is some sort of destroyer.

I consider the warning about the destroyer and my suspicions that she is an organic-mecha. Is she a machine completely composed of lab-grown parts or is she a human with unique abilities? My new objective will be to discover the truth and once I find the truth, I will terminate Pandora.

End the Rogue's view...

The Rogue picked up the solder and continued the repair of its face and after some time, the Rogue turned its head side to side, examining its work. It was pleased with its repair and glanced at its left arm. The Rogue needed to fix the shoulder, so it removed its jacket, picked up a pair of needle nose pliers, inserted the head into a bullet hole, and clasped a 9 mm round. It pulled the bullet out, dropped the slug to a tray, and the parting gift from Pandora clanged on the metal. Black ooze ran down from the wound till the Rogue used the solder to stop the oil leak, and then it waved a scanner over the hole and examined the results on an H.H.C. Nothing more was damaged; it only needed to patch the hole, so it placed a piece of X-74 over the wound and soldered it in place. Once done, the Rogue moved its arm up and down. The repair wasn't bad, but its skin coloring was all wrong; it was too pale for what it needed.

It removed its Coffin Handled Bowie, placed the knife and sheath on the table, took off all its clothes, and stepped into a specially designed shower. The Rogue set a color knob on the wall to olive and turned it on, and dark dye sprayed from the shower head, darkening its skin and hair. The dye ran for several minutes until the coloring covered its entire body, and it turned off the shower and stepped to a drier in the back. The machine roared as hot air rushed over its body, setting the new color. The Rogue stepped out and studied itself in a full-length mirror, and then it studied its artificial eyes and the blood-red dot-light of its I-Link sensor. If it was to pass as a human, it would have to do something about them, so it removed the eye cover to the sensor input compartment by screwing it off. The Rogue placed the cover on the table, picked up the needle-nose pliers, and carefully removed the orange bulb from the compartment so that it would no longer blink and betray its true identity. It screwed the eye cover back on, walked over to the table with all the equipment, opened a container filled with lenses, selected brown, and inserted them.

The Rogue's view...

A question crosses my processor, so I go back to the bulb and study it. I remember in the past the dot-light blinking blood-red. The bulb is orange, so it could not possibly blink blood-red. It does not make sense, actually, a lot of things do not make sense, but time is short, and I will have to consider this mystery later.

End the Rogue's view...

It looked at its shabby business suit on the floor. The Rogue needed a change of clothes. It had to look the new part if it was going to investigate the stone tablets. It streaked its way to a locker room, used a master keycard it took off the body of a dead manager, opened lockers, and searched through clothing and personal items till it found what it needed. It put on a pitch-black business suit and studied itself in a full-length mirror. No one would know that it was an Un-Man, and it had one last room to visit before company showed up, so the Rogue made its way into the hall and down several passages. Hundreds of dead Factory techs and S.C.Ms. filled the war zone laden hallways. It had been over a week since the T-3s malfunctioned and killed almost everyone at the Factory. The Rogue searched several manager offices until it found one with a functioning computer, sat at the desk, and woke up the computer.

At the Factory's main gate...

Lieutenant Creed held up his hand as a convoy of eight trucks approached. He wore a jet-black uniform, and a handful of soldiers stood behind him. His men were armed with an FN SCARs (Fredricks of Noir's Sphinx Combat Assault Rifle). He and his men were part of the Third Branch Office's corporate military. The armored S.C.M. vehicles that had just pulled up belonged to the Council. The lead truck halted, and the driver who wore a dark green uniform looked over the Latino man in his late thirties with a black goatee. The driver noticed Creed's name on his uniform and his rank, and then he handed an H.H.C. to him.

"Lieutenant, I'm Lieutenant Walters." The red-headed man had a pale complexion and sported a high and tight crew cut and trimmed beard, and Walters spoke, "The Council will be taking over the Factory. You and your men are to return to the Third Branch Office for your new orders."

Creed slung his assault rifle over his shoulder, scanned the H.H.C., and told him, "Use caution. All of the T-3s may not have left the Factory. They're like the Rogue now, and they no longer follow orders."

"Thanks for the heads-up."

Walters slapped the side of the truck, and four Council S.C.Ms. jumped out of the back to guard the gate. The four men removed barricades from the back of a truck and set up a roadblock.

Walters ordered over the truck radio, "Move out!"

The convoy traveled down the long stretch of road toward two large buildings. The trucks halted, and Walters turned off the engine, opened the door, and jumped down from the vehicle. His men unloaded from the eight trucks, lined up in eight rows of ten, and stood at attention, holding their assault rifles across their chest.

Walters walked up and down the line, stopped, faced the men and women, and ordered, "Team leaders, move your soldiers out. I want the Factory secured and if you encounter any active Un-Men, do not engage. Radio in and wait for backup. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," the eight team leaders answered.
Chapter Six

Mr. Pinchbeck

2:16 P.M...

The Rogue worked on the computer with inhuman speed as the printer behind it spat out document after document. The Rogue took an ID badge from a dead body out in the hall, removed the card from the plastic covering, scanned it, and printed out a version with a black square instead of a photo. It snapped a picture of itself with a digital camera acquired from a locker, printed out the photo, pasted it to the ID, and put the new card back in the plastic covering. The Rogue clipped the ID to its pitch-black business suit. It finished its work, signed a few of the documents with the Sphinx Corporation President's signature it had copied from a document, placed them all in a folder, and then it made digital copies of all the documentation and placed them on an H.H.C.

All that was left to do was to set the stage, and it looked at a Sphinx Corporation credit card it stole from one Mr. Frank Bygone. It had all of its props but one, and a quick phone call from it would fix that. It picked up the receiver, heard the dial tone, and dialed a number it found on the internet.

"Hello," the Rogue said. "Yes, I would like to rent a limousine for the day. Yes, I will be paying with Corporate Credit. I would like to be picked up from the corner of Limit Street and West 1000 Avenue, and I will be there in three hours. Very good. Let me give you the Corporate Credit number."

The Rogue hung up once it was done; it would need to get out of the Factory without being spotted and make its way to Limit Street.

About four hours later...

The limo pulled up to the Factory's main gate. Two yellow and black striped barricades stood, blocking the entrance, and a Council S.C.M. approached the passenger's side door, keeping his XM8 at the ready. The Rogue would see if all its hard work had paid off, rolled down the tinted window, and waited to see what would happen; it was ready to draw its hidden knife at the slightest hint of failure.

The S.C.M. glanced around the limo's interior, then looked at what he believed was a man, and asked, "Can I help you?"

It had passed, and now it needed to start its performance, so the Rogue said, "I am Mr. Pinchbeck, and I am to take over management of the Factory for the Council. Here is my documentation."

It handed the S.C.M. an H.H.C., and the S.C.M. looked through the docs on the device and tapped his headset.

"Lieutenant, a Mr. Pinchbeck is at the gate. He claims he's the new manager of the Factory. Yes, sir. His paperwork is all in order. Yes, sir." The S.C.M. turned to the new manager and said, "Lieutenant Walters says for you to proceed in. He'll meet you at Building G, and he also wants me to ride along in case there are any Un-Men on the grounds."

"Certainly," the Rogue said. "Sit up front with the driver."

The S.C.M. relayed his orders to the remaining three, walked around the back of the vehicle, and entered through the front passenger door. The other S.C.Ms. removed the barricades blocking the entrance to the side, and the limo pulled down the road and after a short time, the vehicle stopped in front of Building G. Walters with a few of his men waited outside.

The Rogue got out of the limo, walked to the driver, and said, "You may return, and I will call if I need a ride."

The driver along with the S.C.M. still in the front headed for the main gate.

Walters walked to the new manager, offered his hand, and spoke, "Mr. Pinchbeck, welcome to the Factory." They shook, and then Walters removed an energy bar from his vest pocket and unwrapped the chocolate snack. "The Council sent you in a bit early." He took a bite and then said, "The dead have not been removed or the grounds secured."

"I am aware that cleanup has only started and know full well what to expect inside," the Rogue stated, then opened a folder on its H.H.C., and scanned through some of the files. "All I request from you is two of your soldiers till my own report in." It closed the folder and said, "I will not get in your way. I want to set up my office and begin work. There is so much data to catalog in the Factory. It will take us years to go through everything."

"I can loan you some soldiers," Walters said as he waved two of the S.C.Ms. forward and ordered them, "You two, go with Mr. Pinchbeck and stay with him until his people relieve you."

"Yes, sir!" the two men replied.

"This way gentlemen," it stated.

The Rogue headed into the Factory. The first part of its plan was complete; it had the Factory at its disposal. Now the Rogue must begin on the second part, and it would uncover everything the Factory had on Pandora and Ginn L. Irynkissgthie. The Rogue would determine if its drive was more than programming, unravel why it was fixated on killing Pandora and if that was its purpose in existence, it would destroy her.
Chapter Seven

Etna Toys Distribution Station Bravo

Etymology, history and usage of the word asp...

Asp was originally a word for a venomous snake then later around 700 B.D.C. in slang, it referred to a person who was so low that they slithered on the ground. Over the centuries, the word also began to refer to a vain, self-important, silly, or aggressively stupid person, and the anus.

2:58 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Commercial Vicinage...

Katharine's view...

The corridors smell dusty and look as if no one has used them in years. A fluorescent light flickers overhead as we walk beneath a multitude of humming lights, and it's a maddening sound in the otherwise silent building of white block walls and concrete floors.

Kimberly brushes a cobweb out of the way as she complains, "All we've found are a few boxes of toys." She holds her gun at the ready as she questions, "Where's the lab?"

"You mean if this place has a lab," I tell her as even my optimism doubts its existence the more we explore this place. "The deeper we go the more I think Etna's only a distribution station. I don't think we'll find anything here. The Gorgons could just be a new line of toys Etna's developing."

"It's stupid comments like that that really pisses me off!" Kimberly yells at me as if the Assassins Guild Magistrates themselves ordered her to take her frustrations out on me. "You can't honestly think they're toys. For Ares' sake! Why would their file be on the Data Crystal? They have to be more than action figures."

"I know," I state. "But I can hope."

"You can hope? What kind of aspinine comment is that?" Kimberly asks me as she pauses at another door, opens it, and peers inside. "Don't you want to find something?" The room's empty like the three dozen or so we've already searched, and Kimberly says, "I do. It's the only reason I came. The info we downloaded from the Data Crystal has to have some importance. Otherwise, why would my mom have created the crystals and have hidden them?" She shuts the door and gripes, "Hades... I better not be wasting my time."

I mumble, "I really hate it when you yell at me."

"What did you say?"

I reply loudly, "I said..." I then speak normally, "I've been wondering what kind of project the Gorgons could be. I've encountered a lot of the Council's experiments over the past year, so I'm imagining the worst, and a toy sounds better than what I'm visualizing."

I'm serious. I would prefer the Gorgons to be a toy. In Greek stories, the Gorgons were three sisters so hideous the mere sight of them turned people into stone, so I know the Gorgons have to be weapons.

"You and your dream world," Kimberly complains. "You can't go by your imagination. You have to go by the facts, and then they'll lead you to the truth." She stops, faces me, and asks, "Did they do something to your mind when they experimented on you? Maybe they replaced it with the brain of a two-year-old."

Kimberly's view...

"That's kind of mean," that woman whines as if I've hurt her feelings. "Why would you say that?"

"Because you're an idiot," I tell her. "I've never seen somebody so naive."

She slowly blinks three times as if she's processing my statements and in that instance, I wonder if she is a machine. That woman might not have that light thingamajigger blinking some orange or red color declaring, 'Hey, I'm a bio-mecha', but she does have the feel of something that was made in a lab. No adult could act like she does.

"Naive? So you see me as a child?"

"Yes, a very annoying child," I answer her. "The world works certain ways, and you can't see it. Let me point out one example. You didn't want to kill the guard."

"What's wrong with that?"

"What's wrong with that? Oh, my Zeus! I can't believe you asked me that." I shake a condescending finger at her and say, "You're not understanding anything I'm telling you." I rub my temple, trying to reverse a headache that's setting in as I calmly say, "Oh, for Ares' sake... Never mind. Maybe you'll never understand. Come on."

Katharine's view...

I watch as Kimberly walks ahead of me. She is making fun of me. Kimberly can be real mean. I mumble, "I might be naive, but at least I'm not always angry."

"Did you say something?"

"Nothing," I reply, and then I hurry to catch up with her.

I don't believe murdering people's how this world is supposed to work and if it is, maybe it's better that I'm an idiot.

We hurry through the first section, enter the second, and come across a long hall with no doors. Blue pipes run along the ceiling and water beads on one of them and in places, the liquid falls to the concrete floor. We start through the passage. The blue-gray concrete corridor runs for about four hundred feet and goes around a corner, and then the corridor continues for another four hundred feet and ends at a door with no knob. On each side of the door is a scanner.

Kimberly's view...

I throw up my hands and exclaim, "Great, now what?" I go to the door and push up on it with my body as I state, "It won't budge. How are we going to get in?" I kick the door as if it's some flat tire, and then I stand back as if I'm thinking about ramming into it and say, "Maybe we should have brought the guard or we could have cut his hand off, and then we might have been able to use his palm print." That woman says nothing to my outburst and only stares at the scanners, so I say, "Well, we can't go any further." I start back through the corridor and order, "Let's return and see if we missed anything." I mumble, "Come back once I get a grenade launcher."

Katharine's view...

"Wait," I tell Kimberly as I glance at the star that marks my left palm. "I encountered a scanner like this at the Factory. I placed this on the scanner, and it let me in."

"Placed what?"

"This," I answer her as I show her the star that had been burned into my palm, and then I walk over to the machine on my right. I find an outline of a right hand on its glass top, so I move to the other machine, and it has an outline of a left hand. I place my palm on the scanner, and the device activates. It scans my hand with different bars of light like the one at the Factory.

"Ginn's Cipher detected. Activating micro-reader," the device states. "Access granted."

The door unlocks and slides up.

End Katharine's view...

The Sanctum...

Within the Chamber...

A female analyst turned from her workstation to the Council and yelled to them, "The door to Station Bravo has been activated."

"Bravo?" Ms. Nona inquired. "Which of our places is this?"

"It was our third lab," Mr. Decuma answered. "We long ago abandoned it once we finished the Gorgons experiment."

Ms. Nona stated, "I remember. Why would someone go there?"

"Why indeed?" Mr. Morta questioned. "Who accessed the lab?"

The female analyst turned back to her computer and read over the information, and then she uttered, "I don't think this can be right." The analyst checked the data again, then turned, and replied, "Sirs... Ma'am... The lab was accessed by Ginn's Cipher."

Ms. Nona questioned, "Are you sure?"

Back at Etna Toys Distribution Station Bravo...

Kimberly's view...

"Let me see it," I order as I grab that woman's hand and turn it over. "It looks like..." I begin, and then I study my own right palm and compare the star burn on my hand to hers. "Oh, my Zeus... They're the same." I squeeze that woman's wrist and demand, "Where did you get it? Tell me! Tell me or so help me I'll–"

"You're hurting me. Let go," she yells as she tries to pull away.

"Not until you tell me where you received it!"

"The music box," that woman tells me, then reaches into her pocket with her other hand, and removes it. "I got it from the music box during my battle with the Un-Men. I was at Etna Toys Plant and Warehouse, a fire started, and the music box was in it and when I snatched it out of the flames to save it, it burned me." She stops resisting me and shows me the lid of the music box as she asks, "You remember, don't you? I had blisters on my hand when you took me to see Dr. Chiron," she adds as if that woman is still angry over the incident and the real reason I took her to the hospital.

"Let me see," I command, release her, take the music box, and examine the raised star on top. "It looks like the one. Yes, it's exactly like it, but how can it be?"

She rubs her wrist and asks, "Where did you get yours?"

I'm in deep thought and mumble, "Huh?"

"Where did you get your burn?"

"There was a fire in my mom's office the day she died. I grabbed the knob to go in and burned myself, and the star was on the knob." I glare at her, realizing I opened up to that woman, and I snap, "My past is none of your business."

She shrinks back from me as she asks, "Do you only know how to yell?"

I ignore her whining and study the star on my palm, and then I ask, "Do you know what they are?"

"The scanner at the Factory called it a cipher and beyond that, I don't know."

I place my thumb on one end of the music box and my index finger on the other as I say, "Let's see what we can find out." I direct my next word at the music box and speak, "Mom."

A 3-D image of Theresa Griffin generates in front of me. The hologram, who has an L-A processor and can Learn and Adapt, depending on her surroundings, scans the area and asks, "Where are we?"

"Etna Toys Distribution Station Bravo," that woman answers. "The address you decoded from the Data Crystal. Do you–"

"Enough with her questions. I want you to answer mine," I insist as I show the hologram my palm and inquire, "What is this star? Why do I and that woman have it? And don't tell me you don't know."

"I see you are in a good mood today," the hologram says and examines the burn. "I do not believe it. The mark is Ginn's Cipher."

"Ginn?" I repeat.

"Yes, Ginn L. Irynkissgthie."

"Isn't he the composer of Unfinished Melody?" that woman asks as she points to the music box.

"Yes," the hologram answers. "The star looks like the cipher Ginn mentioned in his works."

Katharine's view...

I peer over Kimberly's shoulder so I can look at the hologram, and I ask, "Do you know what the star is?"

"Yes, I was able to decode more of the files I uploaded from the Data Crystal. Ginn's Cipher was one of them."

"Wait. Let's go back a bit," Kimberly says. "You mentioned Ginn's Works. What are you talking about? I thought he only composed the one melody and never finished it. Are there more?"

Kimberly's view...

"You are correct. There is only the one," the hologram answers. "Though, there is a rumor he had completed... Never mind. It is only a rumor but as I was saying, Ginn did create other things. He was not only a composer but an inventor, painter, sculptor, philosopher, scientist, and prophet. I have not been able to decode all the information on the file but this is what I know. Ginn's Cipher or the Star Cipher has some code or other researchers believe a map to–"

"Kimberly," that woman interrupts, putting her hand to her chest as if she has heartburn.

"Can't you see I'm talking?" I yell at her. "Hades! Sometimes you can be so rude."

"I'm not the one who's barging in on our party," that woman tells me as she turns, facing the way she and I came in with this look of worry. "They're coming. Bio-mechas." Her eyes erupt with that hellish blue glow that makes me cringe as she quickly removes her backpack and pulls out the gun I loaned her as she warns again, "They're coming!" She drops the bag, unsets the safety, and raises the PPK, and shouts, "Get ready!"
Chapter Eight

Guardians Of Etna

3:31 P.M...

Katharine's view...

There were few things I awoke with at Etna Toys Plant and Warehouse over a year ago, and my memory wasn't one of them. I do have this ability that can detect bio-mechas and once an active bio-mecha enters the perimeter of my ability, I know their distance, their model, and how many there are. I like to call it my own spider-sense.

Kimberly's view...

"Great. Just great!" I yell as I cringe at the word bio-mecha. "How did they find you this time? I thought they couldn't after Brian removed your tracking beacon." I decide I can't be chit-chatting, so I tell the hologram, "We'll talk later."

"Till then..." the hologram says and deactivates as the two blue squares on the music box fade to the silver metal surface.

"I hate robots," I state as if I have to, and then I hand the music box back to that woman and ready my weapon. "Hades... I really hate them. What about my question? Are they Un-Men?"

"No, they're K-99s and there are about a dozen of them," that woman replies as she places the music box in her pocket, grabs the backpack, and slings it over her shoulder. "And they didn't track me down. They were most likely positioned here to guard Etna."

I glance at the corridor we had come through, then into the passage the door opened into, and ask, "Which way are they coming?" I recall our last encounter with bio-mechas and how the T-3s nearly killed us when we were at the Factory and would have if not for Lieutenant Creed and his men coming to our rescue.

"They're coming the way we came in," that woman answers as she aims down the long stretch of hall.

She doesn't seem worried. That woman had mentioned in the time before meeting me, she had encountered many types of bio-mechas and only the Rogue made her afraid. The Rogue also sends fear rampaging through my heart but that doesn't mean I'm any less afraid of the other types.

That woman informs me, "They'll turn the corner in about forty seconds. Go on. I can handle them."

"I don't think so!" I yell. "I won't have you run off and leave me alone with the tin freaks. When it comes to killing, I'll handle my share. You see as a Closer I have my honor to think of."

"Honor..?" that woman repeats as if it should be a word foreign to me.

I ignore what she implies. I do have my honor, and I can't have someone stepping in for me. I'm not the type of person to owe anyone anything. I rely on myself and no one else. I reflect on my recent past. No one has been there for me and no one will be, so I have to do it myself.

I move to the other side of the hall beside that woman, aim where she does, and question, "Do we kill the K-99s like the Un-Men?"

Katharine's view...

"No, you need to shoot them in the right eye to disable this line of bio-mechas so aim carefully," I answer.

I can tell Kimberly's starting to trust me. Yeah right! Our partnership's not turning out like I imagined, but I shouldn't expect too much. Kimberly's an assassin. I don't think they can trust anyone.

I glance at her... Maybe I just don't understand Kimberly. She has to feel isolated and alone, and maybe that's why she's always so angry. Her world must be so dark.

End Katharine's view...

The K-99s turned the corner. They were of great size. The height of their shoulders was 34 inches, and they weighed 220 pounds. Their creators combined power and swiftness with keen sensors. The K-99s were modeled after the largest and tallest of the galloping hounds, and they had a rough steel-gray coat and were Greyhound-like. They carried their head and neck high, and their tail had an upward sweep with a slight curve toward the extremity. The K-99s panted as they charged, mimicking their canine archetypes.

Katharine's view...

I look at their leader and notice something I didn't expect and utter, "The K-99s are wearing protective steel visors! We won't be able to shoot their kill switch." I lift my gun and without another thought, I dart for the door behind us as I scream, "Run!"

"Run..?" Kimberly shouts over her shoulder as I flee past her. "I never thought you were a coward."

"Hurry!" I insist. "They're wearing visors. We can't take them down." In a panic, I enter the next passage, turn, and wave for Kimberly as I yell again, "Run!" The K-99s are halfway through the corridor, so I start to run again, hoping she'll follow as I scream, "We need to find a place they can't get to!"

Kimberly joins me, and we bolt through the passage. The concrete floor we run across descends and ends, and it's replaced by a sandy one. We run down it with the K-99s gaining on us, and the passage ends in a large cave with a second level floor curved above us. Three other passages leave the cave.

"Now what?" Kimberly questions.

"Climb!" I command as I tuck the gun and start scaling the pitted stone wall.

Kimberly places her gun in her shoulder holster and follows. We're about ten feet up when the K-99s reach the cave, and the pack circles under us. The leader leaps up, snaps at Kimberly's heel, and barely misses her. Kimberly lurches up, startled by the large mouth, loses her footing, and slips. I quickly grab her wrist, and she dangles above the K-99s.

"Oh, my Zeus!" Kimberly shouts. "Don't drop me! Get me up!"

"Crap!" I utter as I strain to keep from dropping her as I dig my nails into the cliff. "I can't. I don't have the strength." I swing her to the rock face as I tell her, "You'll have to reestablish your footing." I grunt for the strain to my arm as I add, "And hurry. You're not exactly light."

All the K-99s bark and growl as a few continue leaping for us.

Kimberly frantically searches the rough surface with her free hand as I desperately swing her over, but she can't find a holding. She swings backward, and we try again and on her third swing over, she finds a grip and her footing and yells, "Got it!"

"Thank goodness," I say as I release her wrist. "I couldn't hold you up much longer."

Kimberly climbs higher and then glares down at me as she questions as if it's more important than anything else, "What was that about my weight?"

"Ah, nothing..." I reply as I swallow hard, burning under the fury of the Phoenix's fiery gaze. "It was nothing."

"That's what I thought," Kimberly speaks and then continues climbing.

Once we're higher, the K-99s give up their jumping, and then the twelve K-99s stare at one another and calculate their next move. They must agree on a plan and split up into two groups. The first group continues into one of the cave's passages while the other group goes back the way they came in.

Kimberly reaches the second story, drags herself up, and wipes sand off her black clothes as she questions, "What are they doing?"

"Umm..." I start as I struggle to reach the top. I glance down and quickly look up as I start to lose my hold, and then I ask, "Could you give me a hand? I don't know if I can pull myself up. I'm pretty tired after holding up your heavy... umm... after holding you up."

Kimberly's view...

I walk to the edge and put my hands on my hips, thinking I'd get right on it. If that woman thinks I'm going to help her, she better get it straight right now, I'm only looking out for myself. She better do the same thing.

"Your hand, please," that woman pleads with me. "I think I'm about to fall."

I don't move as I inquire, "What about my question?"

Katharine's view...

Kimberly isn't going to help me, and I panic as I glance down. I doubt she'll even attempt to save me if I fall. I slowly drag myself up as my arms tremble with the effort, and then I pull myself high enough to lay half my body over the ledge. I don't think she would have, and our partnership seems more and more one-sided.

"Well..." Kimberly taps her foot and inquires, "My question?"

"Right." I exhale, creating a mini dust cloud over the sandy floor. "Your question."

I cough and rest a few more seconds. I'm not Kimberly's partner... I'm her punching bag. She's using me, and she's not hiding it at all.

I'm finally able to catch my breath enough to answer her and say, "The K-99s are tracking us and most likely have the floor plans of this facility and are finding the best way to hunt us down."

"Well, you better get off your lazy asp and get moving." Kimberly scans the second level and adds, "No time to lie around."

I moan, roll long ways, take a couple more seconds to catch my breath, stand, and glare at her. I can't understand why Kimberly treats me this way. It's like she wants me to die. It's probably because it will save her from having to close me later. I'm feeling less and less secure in our partnership.

Looking at one end of the curved walkway and then to the other, Kimberly says, "I see a door."

She rushes to it around the sandy floor, and I follow. I can't believe Kimberly stood there and watched me struggle like a bug with its legs torn off.

Kimberly tries the knob and then tells me, "It's locked." She examines the keyhole. "I should be able to pick it."

Rage moves within me like a caged tigress as I silently watch Kimberly from behind, and the intensifying anger consumes my mind; it has been a long time since I felt this mad. Kimberly didn't help me. We're supposed to be partners. I could have fallen and died. I feel my eyes crackle with electricity and see their blue hue reflect off the sand around me as my anger keeps the Beta Phase active. I watch Kimberly remove a small kit from her knapsack. I think she wanted me to fall. I fist my right hand, thinking over the possibility, and the Ult L-E glows brighter like the torch of a welder. I think she plans on killing me once she finds who murdered her mom. I remove my own PPK and unlock the safety, deciding I can't take it anymore and need to act.

Not realizing what's going on behind her, Kimberly kneels and starts to lift her tools to the knob. "I'll have it open in no–"

I raise the gun. Kimberly will... I focus on the back of her head. Kimberly will kill me. I take aim as my rage increases. She won't treat me like this again. I swear to myself that I won't let Kimberly end me as I feel something new take hold.

Kimberly's view...

I'm focusing on the lock I have to pick but for some reason, I turn and look at that woman. Time slows and I feel fear envelop me. Her eyes flicker with surges of purple electricity fighting with the demon-blue light that already consumes her eyes as if they're on fire. The new Ult L-E clashes with the old like two dragons seeking dominance, and then the purple wins the battle and consumes her gaze in a horrid glow. I thought her face couldn't become anymore frightening, but then a blood-red electricity surges within the purple, and the blood-red electricity devours the purple as she makes a declaration to me.

"I won't let you do it!"

I believe I'm seeing my end as that woman fires. The empty shell ejects from the gun as she shoots again. The first shell clangs to the floor and the second follows. She fires two more times without pausing.

I gasp as the bullets whizz by inches from my face, and I instinctively go for my gun. I stop before drawing my weapon. The bullets slam into the knob and with a frustrated yell, she kicks in the door and the frame splinters. She walks by me and glowers at me with eyes that caution, and they caution that she'll only put up with so much. That woman has been mistreated enough.

Hades! I see more in her stare, and it warns me that she won't let me kill her, not without a fight. I get the message and her eyes... They're on fire. I've never seen them that way before.

That woman walks in about ten feet, stops, and turns and by then, her demeanor has completed a one-eighty. Her hazel eyes no longer crackle with blood-red Ult L-E or look provoked as she says, "Come on, there's no time to be sitting around on your lazy asp."

What do I see in that woman's eyes? Is it the look of innocence or is it a childlike facade hiding a dark purpose? Whatever I see, I have to be more careful. What do I really know about her? She could be a vicious tigress hiding inside a kitten.
Chapter Nine

The Furies

3:41 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Business Vicinage...

Lieutenant Creed approached a secretary at the Sphinx Corporation Third Branch Office and stated, "I have an appointment with the Chairman."

Cathy looked up and greeted, "Good afternoon, Lieutenant Creed. Go right in, Mr. Griffin is expecting you."

Creed glanced at the waiting room, saw no one there, and made his way down the hall and once he arrived, he knocked on the door and entered the huge corner office.

Mr. Griffin sat at his desk, working on his computer and said, "Lieutenant, come in. Have a seat."

Creed closed the door then went and sat, and then he asked, "Do you have new orders for my unit, sir?"

"Actually..." Mr. Griffin began as he grabbed an H.H.C. from his desk and handed it to him. "I'm disbanding your unit. Here are the orders."

Creed stood, shouting, "I don't understand. My unit is the most efficient–"

"Lieutenant," Mr. Griffin interrupted. "Your unit is efficient and that is precisely why I am disbanding it."

Confused about what he had been told, Creed took the device, sat, opened the file, and scanned the document.

Mr. Griffin continued, "I want you to assemble a special task force under my control." He faced the desktop computer and typed a few things, and then he stated, "I want you to select only the best of your officers. Ones you can trust." He turned his attention back to him and spoke, "Then I want you to go into the Third Branch Office S.C.M. files and find other highly qualified men and women. This task force will be under your command, and you'll report only to me."

"Sir?"

"I'll need to run Ultra-black Operations. Orthos and his security force are fine for internal matters, and the S.C.Ms. aren't specialized enough for what I'm wanting. I would like you to find the elite in every field. You'll have all the funding you'll need, and you can use Sub-level 120 of this building as your base of operations."

"What name will this task force operate under?"

"You'll be called the Furies."

"Furies," Creed repeated then grinned, pleased with the name.

Mr. Griffin pushed back from the desk and ordered, "Begin putting the task force together tonight. I need the Furies operational in less than a week. Cathy can assist you with any outside resource that you'll need to get your base ready." He paused, opened a desk drawer, and removed a box that fit in his palm as he said, "One other thing. I'm promoting you to captain."

He handed the lieutenant the box with the new insignia pins.

"I don't know what to say," Creed replied, took the box, and stated, "Thank you, sir."

The phone rang.

"Please excuse me, lieutenant... Actually, I should say captain." Mr. Griffin answered the phone, "Yes, Cathy."

She told him, "Orthos is here. He says he has the files from the Second Branch Office."

"Yes, the ones the Vice President wanted to send over. Have the Head of Security come in."

"At once, Mr. Griffin," Cathy spoke and then hung up.

Mr. Griffin told Creed, "You have your orders, captain. That's all."

Creed stood and saluted as he said, "Yes, sir."

He left and passed Orthos who entered the Chairman's office, carrying about a dozen folders.

Mr. Griffin waited till his Head of Security entered and then questioned him, "Did you have any problems at the Second Branch Office?"

"No," Orthos answered as he placed the folders on the desk. "The Vice President showed no hostility. He seemed eager for you to have these, and he said they are from when you were Head of Security here and he was the Chairman."

"It was a very long time ago," Mr. Griffin spoke mostly to himself as he stared at the files, wondering why the Vice President would send them now, and then he looked at Orthos and questioned, "Did the Vice President say anything?"

"Only that he thought he might have some more files. He told me I should stop by later and pick them up."

"Do so and watch yourself."

"Yes, Chairman," Orthos replied and then made his way out.

Mr. Griffin's view...

I stand, pick up the folders, then go and lie on my dark brown leather couch, and flip through them till something catches my eye. I sit up in disbelief and read it again. It can't be right! According to the files, I have another child and the revelation is like an earthquake toppling the world on top of me.

I flip back a few pages. I thought the child died during delivery, but not according to these records. Hades! I slam my fist on the couch. The corporation lied to me, and they dared take my child away!
Chapter Ten

New Neighbor

4:01 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Residential Vicinage...

An unmarked white delivery van rumbled down West 1000 Avenue, drove into Nexus Apartments parking garage, and stopped at the entrance. Zax removed a card from his shirt pocket, swiped it on a scanner, and then waited as a gate slid open. Security cameras monitored the entrance and all of the garage, and a security guard manned each level. Zax drove past the gate and up a few ramps, parked on level four, and stepped down from the vehicle; he wore a white delivery uniform and cap. Zax unloaded a few boxes from the back of the van onto a pushcart, started toward the elevator, went up to the thirty-first floor, and made his way to Apartment G.

In front of the door, he cleared his throat before saying, "Door, unlock."

"Voice recognized as Zax Olympus," A.C.S. stated in a female voice. "Opening door."

The apartment door slid sideways, and he walked in the small entry, pushing the cart and commanded, "Door lock."

The door shut.

"Welcome to your home, Mr. Olympus," A.C.S. stated. "The staff and management of Nexus Apartments hope your stay with us will be enjoyable."

"Thanks."

Zax glanced around and noticed that the apartment's layout was the opposite of its neighbor H. The entry emptied into an open kitchen with black marble counters and stainless steel appliances. He pushed the cart into the living room off to the right, paused from his work, and walked to the kitchen's window to look over West 1000 Avenue. Black rain fell on the street below. He had made it in before the Tainted Rainstorm. He glanced around the kitchen and realized that he should have bought some groceries. It looks like he'll be living on takeout. He saw a note and a remote on the kitchen's counter, and Zax read the note that was from the manager of Nexus Apartments.

"Welcome to your new home. If you need anything, don't hesitate to contact me. The remote will work the TV and radio and as you instructed, the apartment is fully furnished. Enjoy your stay."

He picked up the remote and muttered, "A fruit basket would have been nice. I'm starved."

He clicked on the TV and went to work unloading the boxes.

Anchorwoman Linda Harvey with NBS reported, "Today's top story. The Jackal an Illicit Closer was captured early this morning by Noir Civil Police Force. The N.C.P.F. at this time has given no details as to the identity of this killer, and the illegal assassin is thought to have murdered over thirty people in the Hellenistic Sector. It is believed the Assassins Guild will ask for the death penalty if the Jackal is found guilty. The Jackal is accused of killing without a license. We will update you as this story progresses." Linda switched camera view, and then she stated, "We have an update on the Un-Men attacks we aired two days ago. The Sphinx Corporation has taken full blame for this line of bio-mechas and will compensate for all losses of life and property. Sphinx assures the population that this model of Un-Men has been recalled and will be destroyed. For more information, we now go to Frank Trepit who is standing by for a press conference."

The scene switched to a noisy room crowded with chairs. Reporters and representatives from other corporations filled the seats and in the back of the room, a man with a mic looked at the camera.

"Thank you, Linda. The conference is about to start. We'll be seeing Sphinx's new Press Secretary. She took over the position on Thursday which was less than twelve hours ago. She..." Frank glanced at the front of the room and he said, "Here she comes now."

A woman with shoulder length auburn hair and wearing a dark blue business suit walked to a podium, and she waited till the room quieted down and then said, "Hello everyone. Many of you may not know me, I'm Jane Speer. I'm the new Press Secretary for Sphinx's Third Branch Office." Jane looked at an H.H.C. she carried and then she continued, "I would like to first assure those in Noir that the rogue Un-Men have been eliminated. There's no need for worry." She paused and emphasized the next statement as she spoke, "I would also like to add that the technicians who looked over the T-3s programming believe the project was sabotaged by a rival corporation."

The room erupted with chatter as reporters raised their hands and shouted questions at Ms. Speer.

Zax changed the channel as he muttered, "The news is depressing and full of lies."

The bounty show Show Me The Money! was wrapping up with some final words from its host, Karen Miles.

"All right viewers, if you have seen any of these people call the number you see on the screen to..."

The TV audience shouted with her, "Show Me The Money!"

The credits rolled and another bounty show called Easy Money! started.

He turned the TV off. There was nothing on but the news and bounty shows. One would think they would try putting something on the tube that was entertaining. Maybe a show about heroes. It would never happen, not on this planet. Maybe he'd listen to music, so Zax clicked the radio on with the remote and tuned it into a classical station.

Within an hour, he unloaded the boxes and set up tables and equipment to monitor Apartment H next door. He placed all the tables and equipment in the Master Bedroom, he even purchased and had delivered a second large flat screen TV and hung it in the bedroom. He had it put there in case he wanted to watch the news. He removed a cell phone.

"This is Delivery Man, connect me to R.G.," Zax began and then paused, waiting for his mysterious boss to pick up the line. "I have set up surveillance. I entered Apartment H yesterday while they were out and placed the devices, and I have cameras looking in on the kitchen and the living room. I have even tapped into the building's security and have a visual of the hall." He glanced at all the monitors and stated, "At the moment, Kimberly and Katharine aren't at home." He listened to his boss and then replied, "Yep. Yep. I'll submit daily emails on the two. Yep. I understand. If something out of the ordinary happens, I'm to contact you immediately but for now, I'm to stay at Stage One surveillance. Understood, Delivery Man out."
Chapter Eleven

Where Is Pandora?

Neon signs and flickering street lights cast a dim glow on Wayfaring Lane as Dry Clouds roared and growled overhead like a wrath-filled beast. Tainted Rain fell from the menacing sky, speckling the streets and people with black drops, and soon the storm left the area, leaving behind an oily residue. A street clock chimed five times as evening approached. Without clocks, no one would know if it was morning, afternoon, or night. Stephanie walked through Wayfaring Lane; it was a street made famous in the Hellenistic Sector, Old Business Vicinage for its unscrupulous activities. She had shoulder length blonde hair, wore jeans and a black printed t-shirt of a smiley face, and passed many people lining the street. They sold canned food, Transgenic Vegetables, and used clothes, and a few bartered flesh, Sunna Snaps, and/or stolen water ration cards. The streets were crowded. Some of the people wore Winnow Masks, marking them as immigrants to the Dark Half of the planet, but most of the people didn't wear the air filters, having lived in Noir long enough for their lungs to become accustomed to the pollutants. Stephanie paused and adjusted the bright yellow backpack on her shoulders. She didn't wear a mask.

A Street Sanitizer activated once the Tainted Rainstorm passed and as the loud automatized machine rumbled down the potholed road, she quickly crossed the street ahead of the machine. Stephanie paused at the sidewalk and turned, watching the Street Sanitizer. She had wondered how they got rid of all this oily muck and shifted the pack on her back. She couldn't understand why anyone would want to live in the Dark Half and yet... Stephanie grinned, thinking of the twenty-four-hour clubs she visited and the men there who satisfied her in carnal ways. Eternal darkness did have its perks. She made her way to a shelter called the Kitchen and went into the office, and she waited a few minutes before a man came in.

"Can I help you?" he asked, carrying a sack of Chinese takeout.

"Yes, I'm looking for my sister," Stephanie answered as she reached into the backpack, pulled out an H.H.C., and showed the man a photo on the screen. "Have you seen her?"

"Let me see." He took the device, looked at the picture, and then answered, "Yeah." He shook his finger at the photo and said, "Her name was Katie... No, wait. Kat, I think. She hung around Preacher a lot." He handed the small computer back as he stated, "He used to run this shelter."

"Where can I find this preacher? Is he at a church or a temple somewhere?"

The man shook his head and answered, "He wasn't a real preacher; it was his name around here." The man removed the food from the sack and placed it on the desk. "Anyway, Preacher's dead." He opened up the sweet and sour chicken as he stated, "He was killed over a week ago. He was gunned down right outside. They say it might have been the work of an Illicit Closer."

"Oh. Do you know of anyone else who might know this woman... Ah... I mean my sister or where I might find her?"

"No," he replied as he removed chopsticks from the sack and broke them apart. "But they're holding Preacher's funeral tomorrow." He grabbed a piece of chicken with the chopsticks, shoved it into his large toothy orifice, and continued talking with food in his mouth. "Maybe she'll show. Here..." He scribbled down an address on a napkin. "This is where it'll be."

Stephanie's view...

"Thanks."

I take the paper, grab my bag, and walk out of the office, reading the napkin. It looks like it will be tomorrow. I put a hand to my chest as my heart races. I've never been this excited. I can't wait to meet... What did he call her? Kat... I'm looking forward to meeting Kat and proving myself.

I wave for a taxi. The Council's sending its best wishes and tomorrow Pandora will meet Cerberus.

* * *

6:09 P.M...

The Chamber...

A male analyst noticed a change in Pandora's bio-data, and he waved over a supervisor.

"Yes," she inquired.

"Look at this." The analyst pointed to his computer's screen as he stated, "Something's going on with Pandora; its readings are off the chart."

"Let me see. Hmm... The data can't be right; it's probably a receiver hiccup. I want you to make a note of it though but remember, the Council deemed Pandora a failure. Let's keep our focus on Cerberus unless something drastic changes."

"I understand."

"All right then. Back to work."
Chapter Twelve

Another Room

6:11 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Commercial Vicinage...

Etna Toys Distribution Station Bravo...

Kimberly's view...

The door that woman kicked in opens into a large room filled with about a hundred filing cabinets, and it's apparent the room hasn't been used in years.

That woman tells me, "Come on, there's no time to be sitting around on your lazy asp."

I stop staring at her, focus on what needs to be done, and hurry in past her, and then that woman glances outside before shutting the door. I search the room over the barrel of my PPK and lower the gun after finding no threat.

That woman walks over to a filing cabinet with an old metal surface and opens the top drawer of five, and it squeaks as she does so.

"They're a little rusty. They've been in here a long time," she states as she turns back to me. "What do you think?"

"They're old but–" I start as I can't shake what happened at the door. I thought I was facing a terrifying demon but as I look at her now, it's almost like... a sense of fondness and loss sweeps over me and I think of a kitty cat I once had and lost.

"Is everything alright?" that woman questions me, interrupting my thoughts.

I force all the confusing fear and misplaced familiarity to the back of my mind to worry about later, move to a filing cabinet, and finish what I was saying earlier by questioning, "–is there anything useful in them?" I order her as if I need to take back my leadership in our roles, "Go through the ones on your side, and I'll do the same, and maybe we'll get lucky and find something."

"First, I need to come down," that woman tells me as if making up some excuse to be lazy, then she closes her eyes as if viewing security footage on the back of her eyelids, and states, "The K-99s are nowhere near us so now would be the best time."

She moves away from the filing cabinets, finds a place to sit on the floor near the door, removes the music box from her pocket, and opens its lid.

"Maybe now isn't the best time for you to go into your... Umm... Whatever you call it."

"The Drifting Time," that woman replies as she closes the lid to the music box. "The K-99s are beyond the range of my senses, so I should use this time to come down from the Ultra-Epi. Who knows when I'll get another chance?" She assures me, "I'll wake up when I sense them and if there's some other type of trouble, just give me a good shake."

I think about giving her a real good shake and then maybe beating that woman before I question her, "Come down? You make it sound like you're on drugs. Are you a junkie like those Sunna Snap addicts?"

"No, it's nothing like that," she answers, and then she tries to explain by saying, "If I don't listen to the music and calm down, I get anxious and sometimes I get these really bad headaches." She pauses as if thinking back to other instances, and then she says, "I've gone a long time without the music and without coming down and I've gotten the shakes."

"You went into withdrawal. It still sounds like you're an addict," I state as I walk to the first filing cabinet, put my hand on top, and stare at the dust. "Have you ever seen the junkies on Wayfaring Lane?"

"Yes, and I never thought of myself that way," she replies, and then that woman looks at the music box as if it holds some sort of answers that it's keeping from her. "Who knows what the Council did to me?" She turns and states, trying to convince me, "If I don't come down, I'm no use to you and trust me, you're going to need me. It won't take long."

There's that word again... Trust... It proves that woman has learned nothing from before. What will I have to do to get it through her thick skull that no one can be counted on for anything?

"Go ahead," I tell her, granting my permission for her to be a freak. "I'm tired of hearing you whine. I'll start on the filing cabinets." I open a drawer and add, "But before you take your nappy-poo, I have one more question for you. Do you have to do this every time you see any action?" I find nothing and close the drawer as I say, "Waiting on you could get old very quick."

"Yes, every time the Ultra-Epi kicks in but only bio-mechas trigger it," that woman answers and after a few seconds, she adds like some scolded child, "I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?" I question as I focus more on what I'm searching for than what she's whining about now.

"That I'm a bother. That I'm..." She stares at the floor and after a few seconds, she says, "I'm sorry that I'm not normal."

"I don't know why you're apologizing. It's not like you can help it," I tell her and then I mutter, "You little freak."

"Still... I'm sorry."

"Well... As long as it doesn't get us killed, don't worry about it," I state as I start on the third cabinet. A few moments go by, and then I say, "I've been meaning to ask you something. Is the Ultra-Epi what causes your eyes to glow?"

"Yes, of what I've been able to find out it is."

That woman's definitely a little freak. I can't wait till I don't need her help anymore and I can close her. I just need to make sure I come up with a story that will be believable when I report her accidental death to Voice.

I glance at her and see that she's staring at me, so I tell her, "Well, hurry up and get your nappy-poo over." I think about what she has told me, and I add, "And you better not be giving me a line of Cretan Bull so that you can get out of working."

I force a smile to hide what I'm really thinking. I don't like being in this stupid and weird partnership. I'm more of a loner. People just get in the way, and I just know that woman's going to cause me a lot of paperwork once I do close her.

Katharine's view...

"I shouldn't be out for long," I tell Kimberly.

I open the music box, and the tune plays, and soon I fall asleep and enter the Drifting Time. Moments pass and then an image of a bearded man appears before me as he speaks to me in my dream.

"My dear, you must remember."

I'm not sure what he wants me to remember but whatever it is... it seems very important to him.

"My dear, remember the poem."

"What poem?" I question.

He says with a soothing voice, "Though the clouds darken the sun..."

His words trigger something within me, and I mutter the rest of the poem and once I finish, he desperately beseeches me once again.

"My dear, you must remember the rest."

"I don't know the rest."

"You must try," he urges me as if people are in danger and only I can save them by speaking what I don't know.

I'm starting to feel uncomfortable in my dream. I want to know who this man is who keeps insisting I know things that I don't. I also want to know why he speaks to me like he knows me. Is he real or something my mind has created just to fill my confused and muddled mind? I'm not afraid of him, and I do get this sense that he wants to help.

I think I should listen to him, so I tell him, "I'll try." I calm myself and then focus on what I need to do. I must remember... I must remember something I don't seem to know. I try with all my being, but I can't remember anything past the words that I do know and after some time, I give up and tell him, "I can't find the words. Are you sure there's more?"

He doesn't answer me.

"Hello... Are you still there? Hello..?"

The dream fades, and I continue through the Drifting Time. I find that I want to go back to that dream. I want to remember what I can't but those thoughts fade as dreams do, and I have no other strange encounters.

After about ten minutes...

I open my eyes and find Kimberly's still looking for clues, so I close the lid to the music box, and the noise of grinding filing cabinet drawers becomes the dominant sound. I stand, grab my backpack, start on my side of the room, go through drawer after drawer, and find them empty. I pause and shout to Kimberly who's standing at the other end of the room, "Find anything?"

"No," she yells back, closes the last drawer on her side, and leans against the filing cabinet. "You took a short nap."

"I said it would be. Did you doubt me?"

Kimberly's view...

"Always have and–" I tell that woman as I walk over to the left side of the room and start on her cabinets so that we can be done with this room, "–always will." We go through a few more drawers, and then I tell her, "I'm beginning to think this trip was a waste of time. The only thing we've accomplished is getting my asp nearly nipped off." I mutter, "And I saw a demon I wish I never saw." I open another drawer, pause from my search, and ask her, "Do you know you talk in your sleep?"

"Really..?" that woman replies. "What did I say?"

The lights flicker and the power goes off, plunging the room into darkness and within a few seconds, the emergency lights come on and cast the area in a green glow.

"A blackout?" I question.

"Maybe not," that woman answers as she moves to the front door, listens at the door frame, then comes back, and tells me, "The K-99s may have knocked out the power if they feel it's the only way to defend this building."

I remove my gun and ask, "Do you think they know where we are?"

"They're probably making their way here now."

"Great!" I shout as I throw up my hands. "Just great! How are we..?"

"Look," that woman interrupts me as she points to the floor at the back wall. "I see a light."

I move to the rear of the room and that woman follows me, and I stare at the floor as a white light glows through a small crack.

"Is it another room?" I ask, and then I push on the wall and a concealed door opens. I don't want to go in first. Actually, I don't want to go in at all, so I turn back to that woman and ask, "What do you think? Should we go in or run? The K-99s could be here at any moment and we only have one way out of this room that I can see." I glance back into the next room and add, "Hades... It could be another waste of my time to search this next room."

"We've come this far."

"I was thinking the same thing," I tell her, hating that she's right, and then I reluctantly start through first. "Come on, let's try to salvage the trip."
Chapter Thirteen

Children of Nyx

6:48 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Commercial Vicinage...

Etna Toys Distribution Station Bravo...

Katharine's view...

We walk through the concealed door and find a brightly lit room with beige carpeting. The second room feels different than the first; it feels even less used when the facility was in operation. A bookshelf full of volumes is against the right wall, and a single filing cabinet is against the left wall. I move to the lone cabinet and open the top drawer through the fourth, finding them empty, then I open the last drawer, and I find that it's also empty. I start to shut it but then I see a corner of a filing folder that has fallen underneath. I remove the bottom drawer from the cabinet, set it to the side, grab the file, and start glancing through it and while I do that, Kimberly goes over to the bookshelf, grabs a book, and flips through the pages, searching for anything of interest. Once she's done, Kimberly drops the book to the floor and starts on another.

Kimberly has made a small pile by the time she asks me, "Did you find anything?"

"Yes," I answer as I walk to the center of the room. "I've found a file that appears to have been lost."

"When..?"

"I'm not sure when it was lost."

Kimberly snaps at me, "I'm not asking when it was lost. I was going to ask you when you were going to tell me you found it!"

"Why are you yelling at me?" I shout back at her. "I don't remember yelling at you."

"You might not have yelled at me, but you nearly shot my head off!"

"So that's why you're mad at me," I tell her as I lower my voice back down. "How do you think I feel when you didn't help me to the top when we were climbing? I just saved your life, and you couldn't even lend me a hand. We're supposed to be partners."

Kimberly stares at me as if I've got horns growing out of my head.

"I think I understand," I tell her as I feel myself growing angrier by the word. "We don't really have a partnership. You're here for yourself and that's it, and when you don't need me anymore you're going to..."

"For Ares' sake!" Kimberly yells at me. "Just tell me what's in the file!"

She doesn't want this discussion. I don't think Kimberly will ever want this discussion, so I sigh, then scan over the first three sheets again, and reply, "The first part is about a Greek Goddess and the file explains how Nyx is the Goddess of Night." I turn to the fourth, fifth, and sixth sheets and then I say, "Some of the information are blacked out. This next part talks about the Children of Nyx, and here's a blacked out area ending with that Nemesis is Retribution and Eris is Strife." I flip to the seventh sheet and say, "This page talks about an experiment." I read further, and then I utter, "I don't believe it."

"What is it?" Kimberly asks as she moves from the shelf to my side so she can also peer at the file.

I tell her, "The Council was the ones involved with organic-mecha."

The Council... My anger returns as I think about them. They're the ones who had me... They're the ones who are still testing me... I think about what this discovery means and if it's true, if they were the ones involved with organic-mecha, could they be the ones who made me? They've had me, so they must know what I am. They've probably known all along what I am and that infuriates me. They should have told me. They should tell me who or what I am. I glance up at Kimberly who's giving me this weird look, and I know that I can't think this way. I can't doubt my humanity but I do. At the slightest mention of organic-mecha, I'm all freaked out that I am one, that I am this thing created in a lab. I can't do this to myself. I have to stop and have some faith. I am real. I am human.

Kimberly's view...

My stomach goes sour as that woman utters the chimera-like word. That's right... I still don't know if that woman is human or some patched together monstrosity created in a test tube. I really hate this. I hate not knowing what I'm partnered with. I guess it doesn't matter, not when I'm going to close her when I'm done with her.

"They were?" I ask as if I have to be sure.

"Yes," that woman answers. "This last page talks about organic-mecha. I was told..."

"You mean by the Rogue?" I interrupt. "Hades... I'd like to forget I ever ran into that thing so let's not mention it again. Actually, let's not talk about organic-mecha either. We don't need to worry about something that doesn't matter to either one of us." I laugh as if I'm shrugging off the whole thing before I add, "It's not like you are one."

I really don't want to talk about what this freak beside me is. I only want to finish up in here and find out why my mom had this address stored in one of those Data Crystals. I want to be done with this aspinine partnership. I want to be done with her. I want to end her so badly, but I have to wait. I have to make sure I don't need her anymore.

Katharine's view...

"Okay," I reply as I get this sense that she's agitated about something. She was very afraid of the T-3s when we fought them at the Factory, and I've encountered the Rogue enough times to know the effect it has on people, so I tell her, "We don't have to talk about the Rogue or organic-mecha."

Kimberly accepts my statement, but she doesn't seem any less agitated, and I wonder if something else might be bothering her. I notice how she's looking at me, and I'm crush by what she must think of me. I want her to see me as normal. I want her to see me as someone she can rely on. I want... I want to be able to trust her.

Kimberly asks, "What's on the next page?"

I turn to the tenth and answer, "It's a poem. I'll read it to you."

"The Children of Nyx,

Goddess of Night and Destroyer of Day.

Rise up children

and enact your names.

For metal, you were conceived

but flesh you were made.

Spread over the earth,

take your positions,

and watch and direct events

till the Closing of Days."

"Not my taste in poetry. Is there anything else in the folder?" she questions me.

"A few pictures–" I answer as I flip through the last pages, "–but no more documents."

I remove my backpack, unzip it, and place the Lost File inside. I found a simple answer that I hope will lead me to a bigger answer. I just need to not give up... I glance at Kimberly as I work. I just need someone I can rely on who will help me find all the answers I seek.

"We have nothing," Kimberly states as she moves back to the bookshelf, and then she orders me, "Help me with these and let's see if we can find something worthwhile."

For the first time, I get this sense that she's also searching for something as desperately as I am. There... our first bond. A small step to strengthen our fragile partnership. We need each other. Alone we are less but together we can accomplish much. I just hope she also sees this. I just hope that she'll start to rely on me as I have already started to rely on her.

Kimberly turns to me as I stare at her, and she gets this weird look on her face before she orders me again, "Idiot, don't just gawk at me. Help me!"

"I'm on it," I tell her and rush over to the bookshelf.

Okay... not what I was hoping for, but she does want my help. I guess I can also consider her calling me an idiot her way of... I'm actually not sure. Idiot did sound mean but maybe she's warming up to me. She didn't pull out her gun or threaten me or shoot me. Another small step. I should be thankful for it.

I scan the books, grab one on Transgenics, and finger through the pages. A photo falls to the floor, and I pick it up, examine the picture, and say, "Kimberly."

She removes a book and flips through it as she questions, "What?"

I turn the photo so she can see.

"That's my mom," Kimberly utters as she takes the picture and peers at her spitting image sitting next to an older gentleman. "Hades! But who's the guy she's with?"

"Let me see," I speak, turn the Transgenics Text over, and look at the author's photo on the back. "Adam Greenhouse. It says here he's the Father of Transgenics."

"Let me have a look," Kimberly demands more than asks, then takes the book, and mumbles, "We found a clue, but where will it lead me?" She then questions, "It can't be a coincidence, can it?"

"I don't think so. We should talk with this Mr. Greenhouse."

"Sure but how do we find him?"

"May I?" I question as I hold out my hand for the book, Kimberly gives it back to me, and I glance at the photo of the author and flip to the acknowledgments. "It says here that the picture was taken at Genesis Arboretum." I hand back the book as I add, "Mr. Greenhouse worked there at the time of the photo."

"It would be about–" Kimberly starts as she examines the date on the photo, and then she says, "–three decades ago. Do you think he's still working at the arboretum?" She stares at his picture as she comments, "I doubt he's still alive. He looks pretty old in this photo."

"Only one way to find out," I say with a smile.

Kimberly's view...

I peer at her as she gives me this goofy grin. I really hate being in a partnership especially with that woman. There's just something about her that irritates me. I don't know if I can spend another hour with her and her weirdness, so what will I do if I have to spend another day?

I sigh as I tell her, "I guess we'll be going on a field trip."

Yay, I'm going to have to spend more time with that freakish woman when all I want to do is put a bullet through her brain. I take a deep breath and let it out. I can do this. I can endure this. I've been through worse.

I say, "Before we go to Genesis Arboretum, there are other things we have to consider first. What about the K-99s?"

That woman pats her backpack and answers, "I do have a few A.P.Rs. The armor piercing rounds should penetrate their visors."

"You have A.P.Rs.? Why didn't you use them?"

"Well..." that woman starts as she opens her backpack, takes out the Lost File, the Gel-Taser, and a few other items, and then grabs a handful of shells from the bottom and shows them to me. "They were kind of thrown in."

"For Ares' sake!" I shout. "You had them loose in your pack. You should've had them in a magazine ready for action."

I can't believe it. That woman is an idiot! A real honest-to-gods idiot!

She bows her head as I scold her, and then that woman says, "I know I should have. I just never got around to it." She peers in the backpack, counts them, and says, "I have eight."

"And twelve robot mutts. We need more. Any ideas?"

She glances around the room, points to a fire extinguisher, and answers, "Maybe. Was there one of those in the other room?"

"I think so. Don't tell me you have a stupid plan."

"I won't," that woman states like a child intending mischief, and then she adds, "I'm hoping for a brilliant one."
Chapter Fourteen

Escape From Distribution Station Bravo

8:21 P.M...

The gentle wind blowing through the city changed direction and swept the newspaper back down the chain length fence, and a few sheets of paper grabbed the metal diamond mesh as if holding on with all its might. The breeze kicked up and forced the debris further down the fence, and the wind lodged the newspaper at the gate and inside the protective wall of mesh, a K-99 stared at the debris and then scanned the surrounding area. It had been sent on a mission by its Team Leader. The perimeter was secure, so it moved to the guardhouse and found the S.C.M. lying on the floor moaning. The K-99 activated its sensors, checked on him, and his vitals were within parameters, so it nudged him with its nose but couldn't wake him. The K-99 transmitted the information to the others of its pack, and the dot-light in each of its yellow eyes simultaneously blinked three times. It glanced once more at the S.C.M, ran back to the loading ramp, reentered Etna Toys, and raced down several cobwebbed halls as its metal clawed paws clinked across the concrete corridors. It detected the intruders' shoe prints in the dust, and a few fluorescent lights flickered overhead as it followed the trail through several halls. After a few minutes, it came to the long passage with no doors. Water dripped from the ceiling pipes and landed on its fur, and then the K-99 passed the two hand scanners, went through the open door, and continued running. The concrete floor stopped and was replaced by the sandy one, and the long passage ended in the large cave with the curved second level. It paused and looked up, knowing the intruders were above, and then the K-99 raced on to join its half of the pack.

On the second floor...

Back in the first room with all the old filing cabinets...

Kimberly's view...

I cautiously open the front door and look over the curved walkway. The eerie green glow of emergency lights envelops the area inside and the walkway outside. There's no enemy out there, so I close the door and turn back to that woman who's standing behind me and who's also somehow to blame for all of this.

She checks her magazine with the eight A.P.Rs., places it in her left thigh pocket, and mumbles, "I hope they're enough."

I'm so infuriated with her. I can't say exactly but somehow it is her fault we're in this mess. I think about shooting her and somehow using her body to draw the K-99s away so that I can escape, but I'm not sure how a plan like that would work. I'll hold off on closing her, hold off till she's more useful dead than alive.

"You said the robot mutts would track us down," I begin as I pace back and forth from the door to the middle of the first room. "How are those tin mongrels going to get up here? We had to climb the cave's wall to reach the second level, and I don't see any other doors outside."

"Just because we don't see one doesn't mean there isn't one," that woman replies as she removes the PPK I let her borrow, and then she motions with her head to the back wall before she adds, "Remember the hidden door, we didn't know it was there."

"Hades... I don't know about this," I complain as I can't seem to stop pacing like some lunatic. "Are you sure your plan will work? My 9 mm rounds are useless unless your stupid idea works."

"Pretty sure. Did you check the flashlights?"

"Yes, they're the ones with the EMP shielding and their batteries are still good," I answer as I remove them from my knapsack. "Here's yours," I state as I hand that woman her flashlight. I think about our odds against programmed killing machines, and then I speak without holding back my fear, "I don't know about this idiotic plan of yours. What if it doesn't work? Do you have a backup?"

"No, but it will work," that woman says with such confidence that I want to strangle her.

I'm standing here thinking this is my last hour on this world, and she's standing across from me enjoying herself like she's on some outing. For Ares' sake! Show some fear so that I can believe you're human.

She adds as if what she saying is so obvious, "The plan has to work. It's the only one we have."

What kind of messed up reasoning is that? It's ridiculous, so I better come up with a plan of my own if I want to survive. I glance around the room and consider the supplies we have. Hades... I can't think under this stress and usually, I'm more level-headed than this. Is it because that woman is here or am I freaking out because of the tin mongrels?

Katharine's view...

I take the flashlight and put it in my back pocket. I don't show my uneasiness as I also doubt the plan. It's such a long shot and if I fail, it's not just my life on the line. I glance at Kimberly. Maybe I shouldn't involve her. She could get hurt or killed.

I pause from my thoughts and ask her, "Unless you have a better plan?"

Kimberly's view...

"No," I reply.

I've gotten into more trouble in the little time I've been with that woman than I have my entire career as a Life Closer. Using Pale Horse right now is sounding more and more reasonable.

"Well... Let's hope this works," that woman states as she picks up a fire extinguisher that's beside her, pulls the pin, and cradles the red canister in her left arm like a baby. "The K-99s can only see infrared when their metal visors are down. The mist the extinguishers spray should confuse their sensors and force the K-99s to raise their visors, and then we get our shot." That woman looks right at me and asks, "Are you clear on the plan?"

"Sure. I'm clear. I just don't think it'll work," I answer as I holster my gun, and then I state, "And if it doesn't, I better at least survive. You can die, but I better survive." I pick up the second fire extinguisher and remove its pin as I add, "I have things I still need to do."

"And like I don't," that woman mutters at me, then suddenly she places a hand to her chest like her heart's bothering her, and her eyes shine blue as her freakish ability kicks in. "It's time. They're close. There are six of them on the far side of the walkway. Make sure you stick with the plan."

"I will," I tell her as I look at the fire extinguisher.

For Ares' sake! I'm a Closer, not some fireman.

I take a deep breath and say to that woman, "I'm ready. Let's do this."

End Kimberly's view...

At the opposite end of the walkway, a stone wall rumbled as it slid up, and an elevator stood behind the mock front. The doors opened, and six K-99s started across the sandy floor. The Team Leader had a red triangular mark on its visor, and it positioned itself in the front. Two of the pack fell in behind it, followed by three more K-99s, and then they prowled toward the room. Their orders were clear, they were to terminate the intruders.

Kimberly's view...

I follow that woman who goes out first and sets her fire extinguisher on the ground about three yards from the door. She walks on ahead as if she has no fear of the K-99s nearing us. I freeze when I see the pack as a dread rises within me, a dread that I'll die here. I hate this fear, and I find that I'm relying on that woman to get us through this. I'm relying on her to save us, and I start to loathe how powerless she's making me feel. I won't let her save us, not alone so I force myself to move beside her and once I arrive, I aim the nozzle at the tin mongrels and wait for them to get a little closer. I feel stupid doing this, and I feel even more stupid that my hands are shaking uncontrollably. The robots aren't any deadlier than a man with a gun.

"If I spray them with this, how are you going to see them?"

"Hopefully the same way I was able to with the Rogue. I'm going to try and use the Knowing," that woman answers me as she aims for the leader. "I pray I can do it. I'm not really sure how it works."

An emotion stronger than my fear lashes out, and I yell in anger, "You're telling me this now!" I stare at the metal teeth and claws of the K-99s, experiencing more of my phobia as I take a step back, thinking about running, and I state, "Maybe we should rethink this."

"No time!" she shouts, taking a shooting stance. "Get ready!"

The K-99s bolt for us, tearing across the sand as they snarl and bark. I wait until the tin mongrels are about ten feet away, and then I squeal and squeeze the handle, discharging the carbon dioxide.

She glances at me after I squealed, but then that woman quickly turns her attention back to our enemy.

"Don't panic. I'm here," that woman tells me in a manner that makes me believe her, and then she whispers, "I'll protect you."

I spray back and forth with the nozzle and create a white cloud as I slowly back up, getting some distance between myself and the pack. The mist covers the K-99s, and they halt, blinded by the mist as I yell, "Kill them! Kill them now!"

Katharine's view...

Before Kimberly discharges the fire extinguisher, I focus on the Team Leader as the pack nears us and my heart thumps continuously, fueling my ability. Kimberly sprays, the mist covers the K-99s, and I feel my eyes blaze brighter, and I can see them reflect off the wall of white like a blue inferno and in that moment, I pray, "Please work. Please work. I have to protect Kimberly."

I lose sight of the Team Leader, but then the Knowing kicks in. I see the yellow-green Electrical Apparitions emanating from the K-99s. The e-field my body generates somehow modifies itself and collects its output in the center of my heart. It's like I'm seeing it happen. The blue sphere the size of a grape doubles with each contraction of my heart till it engulfs the muscle. The Ult L-E dissipates as my pupils dilate, making them appear black as ink, and I feel like I'm some hellish creature. I feel indestructible, and I feel like I can annihilate anything in my path, so I snarl with new vigor. The e-field masses till it can no longer contain the energy and pulses, sending a small shockwave in all directions. The E.F.P. washes over the K-99s and fries exposed circuitry. The emergency lights above the walkway and those in the filing cabinet room lose power and plunge the area into darkness as the K-99s shut down and stand there like scrapheap.

I click on my flashlight and the beam lights up the walkway as I order, "Stop spraying!"

Kimberly releases the trigger of the fire extinguisher, and we both stare at the motionless K-99s as the white cloud slowly dissipates.

"Shoot them now while they're disabled!" Kimberly shouts.

"No. We have to wait if the plan's to work," I insist.

"Hades!" Kimberly yells, and then she complains, "You've got to be kidding!"

"Wait..." I repeat, understanding her fear, but we can't waste this one chance. I want to shoot. I want to end these mechanical demons, but I must not give in to dread.

"Wait!" I repeat, then count to ten as I sense them reactivating, and then I yell, "Now!"
Chapter Fifteen

The Best Of Plans

9:07 P.M...

Katharine's view...

I wait as Kimberly sprays the fire extinguisher again. I sense the K-99s' backup battery kick in and they power up as the white cloud engulfs them for the second time. The yellow-green Electrical Apparitions of the K-99s fades as the Knowing enters its third stage, and I see a bright ghost-image of each of the K-99s that shines through the mist. I notice the Team Leader and the two K-99s behind it raise their visors, so I carefully aim and fire three times, hitting the front K-99s in their kill spot.

"That one's empty," Kimberly tells me as she drops the fire extinguisher and races back to the second one.

I can still hear the fear in her voice as I retreat with her. I'll make sure none of the dog bio-mechas hurt her. Kimberly picks up the second fire extinguisher and sprays the remaining three K-99s, and I watch the middle one open its visor and I shoot it, dropping it. The last two K-99s stand frozen in place as they receive data from their I-Link, and it must inform them that the other four have been terminated.

Kimberly removes her gun after she drops the second empty fire extinguisher, and then she yells, "That's it on the spray!"

The two K-99s back up several steps till they are clear of the mist and once the cloud dissipates, they must be able to see our heat signatures and have no need to raise their visors.

"They've adapted too soon!" I shout as I remove the A.P.R. magazine from my pocket, eject the regular one, clear the chamber, and toss the magazine to Kimberly. I insert the new one as the Knowing's bright ghost-images fade along with the misty cloud.

Kimberly's view...

So far that woman's plan has worked. I move so that we're standing side by side, and I glance at her as her pupils retract and return to their normal greenish brown coloring. Hades... She looked like some creepy monster when her eyes went all black like a shark's. The blue Ult L-E returns and her eyes take back their hellish gleam. I stand there powerless to do anything as she fires once at the K-99 to her left, and the armor piercing round penetrates the visor and enters its weak spot.

"Hurry!" that woman yells at me as she fires the last A.P.R. "Climb down!"

The K-99 turns its head slightly, and the bullet ricochets off its metal visor. I move as my dread spurs me to action, and I holster my gun. I consider as I rush for the ledge that this was the second time my weapon had been useless and maybe I need to upgrade it. I reach the ledge, place the magazine that woman had thrown to me in my knapsack, and start down.

Katharine's view...

Kimberly takes off as I face the last dog bio-mecha, and it charges and leaps for me. I take a step toward the edge, fire again and this time, the round penetrates its visor. I duck, and the K-99 jumps over me and the cliff, landing in a heap on the floor below. I hear something, so I look at the other end of the walkway and see a hidden wall rumble up, an elevator open, and the other half of the pack rush out. I fire and take out their Team Leader as the other five run towards me. I tuck my gun and climb down.

"Hurry!" I shout to Kimberly who's near the bottom. "The other half is coming, and I'm down to four rounds."

Kimberly reaches the first level and runs for the exit. I jump down when I'm about five feet from the bottom and follow about a minute behind her. I glance back and see that the K-99s are studying the height of the cliff, then one of them jumps, and it lands hard but undamaged. The other four follow and soon they pursue us. We run through the sandy hall, through the concrete corridor, and to the door with the scanners. We enter the hallway with the blue pipes as I turn and fire, hitting one in its vulnerable spot. It collapses to the floor about a hundred yards away, and the four remaining K-99s leap over its body, continuing their pursuit. I back up a few steps, fire twice, and hit one K-99 but the other one evades the bullet.

I turn and run as I shout, "They've adapted."

Kimberly's way ahead of me and pauses at the corner as she says, "What do you mean?"

"The one K-99 has evolved like the Rogue, so it's able to dodge bullets!"

Kimberly's view...

Hades... I'm trembling again as I see the three robot mutts closing in on that woman. I can't believe I'm acting this way. It's like I'm really afraid of them. I don't know what's behind my reactions, but I do know that I need to get out of here!

I run around the corner, shouting, "Well, use that Knowing thing on it."

"I can try but I'm down to one round," that woman tells me as she turns the corner.

"You better do something," I yell over my shoulder as I control the urge to scream in fear. "Hades! They're gaining on us. We won't make it out."

Katharine's view...

Kimberly's right, so I tell her, "Keep going!"

I will save her. I just need to gain her some time to escape, so I stop about a hundred feet from the corner, turn, and wait for the K-99s to come around. I hurry and unsling my backpack, remove a screwdriver and my flashlight, kneel, and lay the tools beside me.

Kimberly questions me in the distance, "What are you doing?"

"I'm buying you some time! So use it and run!" I answer her, then I consider what I'm about to attempt, and I shout back, "Hey! You'll need your flashlight!"

The three K-99s turn the corner, and I face the pack as I mutter, "Come on... Come on... Kick in!"

I believe my ability won't heed my call so I'm about to stand and run for it. The Knowing does activate a moment before I retreat, and it sends an e-field pulse in all directions. The lights in the area lose power, and the K-99s shut down in their tracks. I switch on my flashlight just as the K-99s fall over stiff as a day old corpse. I wait and then it happens. I watch as their backup battery kicks in, they power up, the three rise to their paws, and then they glance around the dark area. Once they get their bearings, they charge after me. The ghost-images of the K-99s appear, acting a second before the real ones do, and I fire at the one in the lead and hit its weak spot. The K-99 stumbles, falls, and wipes out the two behind it, and the three of them land in a heap.

Kimberly's view...

I run and in my terror induce flight, I realize it's stupid the way I'm acting, so I stop and turn. I'm running like some frighten rabbit. It's like that woman tricked me. I go back to the corner so that I can see her in the distance. She did somehow. That woman wants me to owe her my life, and I can't have that. My fear vanishes as resentment replaces it. I'm not going to owe her anything!

I start toward her and shout, "I'm not going to let you save me! I can protect myself!"

"What are you doing?" that woman asks as she glances at me, and then she turns her attention back to the pack. "Why are you coming this way?" She lays the empty gun down and picks up the screwdriver, holding it like a knife as she screams with concern in her voice, "I said run! Get out of here! It's useless. There's nothing you can do."

"Shut up!" I shriek at her as I'm finally able to let all that pinned up fear out. I aim at the K-99s as I shout even louder, "Don't ever say something like that to me! I'm not useless!"

The last two K-99s lift from the heap and slowly stalk that woman as she grips the screwdriver and shouts at me, "I said it's useless, not that you're useless!"

"Oh..." I utter as my anger lessens but only a bit. "Well..." I notice the pipes running along the ceiling and ask, "Can these things swim?"

"No, this early model's not waterproof."

"Great! I can finally do something!" I yell in wicked glee and fire, emptying my magazine along the pipes in front of the K-99s. "See," I whisper. "I'm not useless."

The pipes rupture and spray water on them, and the K-99s jolt in place for a few moments as electricity surges through their bodies, and then they collapse to the floor.

"That was amazing!" that woman exclaims as she stands, grabs her things, hurries down the hall, and joins me where I stand. She looks at me with this admiration I believe I've seen before. She's like a little girl looking up at her big sister who has just saved her from an angry stray dog, and that woman reiterates, "Really, I mean it. That was amazing."

"I know," I say, trying to sound boastful but instead, I slightly blush as I receive the compliment.

I find that I'm smiling. That woman seems sincere as she looks at me with her wonder-filled eyes and for a few moments, I think I'm looking at a kid. I turn away so she doesn't see me blush. I don't brush off the compliment since it has come from the Pandora Project who has great skill in her own right, but I also can't let that woman know I appreciate the praise.

I act irritated as I glance at her screwdriver and inquire, "What were you going to do? Were you going to dismantle the tin mongrels before they chewed off your arm?"

"Huh?" she utters as she glances at her screwdriver. "Oh... That's funny–" she says, then chuckles, and adds, "–but no."

I eject my empty magazine and insert the one she had tossed to me earlier, and then I speak, surprised by the project's reaction, "I believe that's the first time I've seen you laugh."

"It has been a long time," that woman admits as she glances over her shoulder, making sure nothing pursues us. She turns back to me and states, "I can't believe you saved me. I thought you only looked out for yourself."

"Well, don't get used to it. It must have been a lapse in judgment. Anyway... I didn't want to owe your dead corpse anything. I might feel bad for a few hours." I start down the hall as I add, "Or a least a few minutes. Come on. Let's go back to my apartment."
Chapter Sixteen

The Request

9:47 P.M...

Thanatos the Dark Half's Regulator clicked on an incoming call, and an image of a man appeared on his hundred foot screen. The man's eyes were shadowed but Thanatos recognized the mouth and chin.

"Mr. Morta," Thanatos yelled over the death-metal resonating through his domain. Music other than jingles had been outlawed by the Corporate Senate, but black market music was available in a variety of genres. "It has been a while. You should call more often. I miss our chats. I do."

"And I dislike them," Mr. Morta spoke.

"And here I thought we were friends. I guess I was wrong. What can I do for the Council?"

Mr. Morta scowled as he looked over the nipple pierced punk. He could barely hear Thanatos over the noise of what Thanatos referred to as music. He just needed to finish this conversation, so Mr. Morta answered, "I wanted to personally confirm that the request for the Pandora Project's Open Closing has been canceled. We have no further need to have a bounty on its head."

Thanatos pulled up the file, opened it on the lower part of the large screen, and replied, "The Closing and the bounty were canceled one minute ten seconds after your request." He scratched his eyebrow as he inquired, "Is there a problem?"

"No," Mr. Morta answered.

"I take it you have a real interest in this Pandora–" Thanatos yelled as he glanced over the file, "–woman. Do not worry. Since the forging of the Assassins Guild, mistakes are rare." He typed in a command on the keyboard and turned down his music, and then Thanatos stopped yelling and stated, "Once a Closing is canceled, it is canceled. All Closers use H.H.Cs., and they know the moment a cancellation comes through. Pandora has nothing to fear from any Closer. She is free to do whatever projects do."

Mr. Morta tapped his finger on the table, not amused with Thanatos, and then he spoke, "Perhaps you can help me with another matter. A Closer crossed paths with one of our projects. I would like to know their identity. I believe she performed the Topa Closing."

Thanatos typed across the keyboard and pulled up some more files as he questioned, "Do you know the history of the Assassins Guild?"

"Yes," Mr. Morta replied. "I do not need a lesson. Please give me the answer to my request."

Thanatos gestured a bow with his hand and head as he began, "Great Council member..." A smile slithered across his face as he said, "If you know the history, you should also know I cannot tell you their identity. Part of my job is to protect their anonymity."

Mr. Morta grumbled his irritation, and then he said, "I have no further need to speak with you then."

He ended the transmission and the screen went black. Thanatos drummed his fingers on the swivel keyboard for a few moments, and then he pushed it to the side till it aligned with the chair's arm and leaned forward.

"Phoenix..." He placed his palms together as if praying and questioned out loud, "What have you gotten yourself into?"

* * *

The twin Closers, Nikolai and Natasha, busied themselves as they waited to fulfill the Closing on the Phoenix. Three days remained before the appointed time and there was much they could do in a mega-city that had no bounds when it came to the delicacies of the mind, soul, and body. They returned to their hotel and cleaned up after they had closed on Vic the Vulture that morning for the Valhalla Corporation. They found a nice place for lunch and enjoyed a meal and as natives of the Light Side of the planet, everyday life in Noir was alien to them.

9:53 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Business Vicinage...

"I'll never get used to this," Natasha mumbled to herself as she made her way out of the Main One Hospital after visiting its pharmacy.

Her internal clock was off without the sun to greet her in the morning, and she felt like she was on an endless all-nighter and wished to be back where the sun caressed her face. Few people walked the area she was in as many had gone home to settle in for the night. Natasha paused, tried to adjust to the odd way of breathing through the WM-A, and continued outside. She carried a green cloth sack and halted at the edge of a sidewalk as the Cadillac pulled up to the curb. She placed the sack on the floor of the back seat along with her mask, and she got in the front. Her brother Nikolai had the wheel, and his Fedora lay beside him on the seat along with an open briefcase. An old book titled Draven and Salandra lay inside the briefcase.

Nikolai held another book titled Blood Harvest that he was nearly done with. He finished the last page of the chapter, placed the novel in the briefcase, and put the briefcase in the back, and then he spoke, "Tasha, were you able to get the kits?"

She removed her mask once she was in the car, tossed the mask in the back, and replied, "Yes, we have enough filters and the Liquid Oxygen Sprays to last several weeks if needed. I for one do not wish to stay a minute longer in this dreadful place."

"Our assignment will be over soon and then we can return home," Nikolai told her as he drove out of the hospital's parking lot and onto the main road. "We can see the sun once more."

After a few minutes...

"I almost forgot," Natasha spoke as she reached into the back seat, removed two boxes from the bag, and handed one to her brother. "I got us upgrades."

He took it and questioned, "What are these upgrades?"

"I grew tired of the Winnow Mask that was given to us, so I purchased the next level up," Natasha replied as she removed the WM-B from its box. "These have straps so that our hands are free."

"Well done, my sister. We may need these if we are to take down the Phoenix," he spoke as he peered at his own WM-B, and then he said, "These masks have given me an idea."

He pulled over and put on the WM-B.

"What are you doing?" Natasha questioned.

"This vehicle is a convertible. I would like to put the top down. Is that all right with you?"

"Only because it is you who is asking, I will bear the discomfort of this place," she replied as she put on her own WM-B.

He activated the top and it lowered, and then Nikolai resumed driving as he said, "I enjoy having the wind in my face. It is not that terrible, is it?"

"No," Natasha replied as she grabbed his Fedora, placed it in the back, slid over, and then leaned her head on her brother's shoulder. "It is not that bad."

About ten minutes later...

The onboard computer centered in the console flashed red, and then it spoke, "Tainted Rain forecasted to hit in four minutes and so for your safety, this rental vehicle will lock out drive control until the storm passes. Please pull over and raise the top. Estimated length of Tainted Rain is fifteen minutes."

"I just placed it down," Nikolai complained as he pulled the car over and pressed a button that raised the top. "If we were in Mother Russia, we wouldn't have to worry about this polluted rain." He left the car running as he said, "I should be thankful we didn't get caught in it."

He watched as black droplets speckled the windshield and then thousands fell from the sky. The wind howled from the west, whipping the water about along with debris on the road. The drab Dry Clouds thundered as people on the sidewalks rushed for cover.

Natasha leaned forward, turned on the air system, removed her WM-B, and said, "I wish to be rid of this mask. It is so uncomfortable."

The rental as with all automobiles on the Dark Half had a special filter to provide clean air for its passengers. The Cadillac idled, switching to its electric battery as the world outside became darker. The Tainted Rain gave the landscape an oily look.

"I know it is uncomfortable, but you do not want to breathe Noir's air," her brother told her. "It is foul, smells of petroleum, and look–" He pointed to the windshield as he said, "–the rain has traces of oil. You do not want it on your delicate skin."

"Promise me, my brother, that we will never return to the Dark Half. Promise me, we will remain on the Light Side once we have returned home."

"I cannot promise you this. If Voice has a Closing for us, we must take it. We must never disobey the laws of the Assassins Guild." He looked worried as he added, "We should never incur the Guild's wrath."

"You mean like the Phoenix?"

"Yes," he answered her as he looked at the black water flowing down the windshield nearly cocooning them in a murky grave. "We should never incur their wrath like the Phoenix or we will meet his or her fate."

In an alley some distance from them, the pale-white wolf gazed at the siblings as they sat in their car, and the Tainted Rain soiled its fur and turned its coat a pale-gray. The raven perched above the wolf on a fire escape and crowed softly. The large bird was never far from the wolf.

Back in the car...

Natasha questioned, "Is there a place we can hide from this gloom? Is there a place we can escape for an hour or two?"

"Here..." Nikolai spoke as he reached into the back, grabbed his briefcase, removed something from it, and handed her a brochure. "Maybe this place will cheer you up."

"What is this?" Natasha asked as she took it and glanced at the picture. "A museum?"

"No," he replied with a smile. "Look closer and you will see."

She read the front cover aloud, "Come see our large spacious Sun Room mimicking a pine forest on the Light Side of the planet." She excitedly looked over the pamphlet as she told her brother, "There are tall ordinary trees, green luscious plants that don't glow, and sunlight... precious sunlight. Do they really have such a place in Noir?" Natasha turned to her brother and said excitedly, "We must go. We must go now. Take me."

"Patience, my sister. The place is already closed and there are things we must do tomorrow so we will go on Sunday."
Chapter Seventeen

Flagged

October 23...

Saturday...

12:43 A.M...

The Sanctum...

Analysts worked in three eight-hour shifts, and a file came across one of those Chamber Analysts' computer. He scanned the document and found something off about it, so he flagged the record. He turned and glanced around the area but his supervisors were way on the other side of the line of twenty-four workstations.

The analyst decided he should have this looked at right away, so he pressed a button on the side of his earpiece and stated, "I have a problem."

One of the supervisors, Supervisor Britomaris, approached his workstation, and she questioned, "What's the problem?"

The analyst glanced up at her, turned back to his computer, and pointed as he said, "I've received a file that a Mr. Pinchbeck has taken over management duties for the Factory."

"All right. What seems to be the problem?" the supervisor questioned as she looked over the document and adjacent files. "All the paperwork is in order."

"I remember sending out this document yesterday. The new manager wasn't Mr. Pinchbeck but Mr. Monrow. I believe the documentation has been altered. We should bring it to the attention of the Council."

Supervisor Britomaris tapped the touch screen of her H.H.C., pulled up the files in question, and then she said, "No, you must be mistaken. I have the original file right here. Mr. Pinchbeck is the new manager."

The analyst shook his head as he spoke, "I could have sworn there was a different name there yesterday."

She insisted, "This is nothing we should concern the Council with. If there was a mix-up, we would have heard about it by now. There can't be two managers at the Factory."

The analyst motioned to his screen and said, "I found something else. Mr. Frank Bygone used his corporate card yesterday to rent a limo." He pointed to an H.H.C. lying on his workstation and stated, "I have the bill from the limo company right here."

"What's your point?" Supervisor Britomaris questioned a little irritated.

"Mr. Bygone worked at the Factory," the analyst began as he turned to her again and stated, "He's listed among the dead, so how could he have used his corporate card?"

"Where did the limo take him?"

"Let me see. The driver picked him up from the corner of Limit Street and West 1000 Avenue and took him to the Factory."

"Has the card been used since?"

The analyst looked over the file, and then he answered, "No."

"No worries then," she said. "The limo company put down the wrong date, that's all. They aren't as efficient as us." Supervisor Britomaris ordered, "Backdate our records to the day before the T-3s attacked the Factory." She watched as the analyst complied, and then she said, "Excellent. Now we can say goodbye to Mr. Bygone."

The analyst snickered and said, "That's kind of funny."

"Yeah, I know but don't let the Council hear you laugh. They frown upon things like that," she warned him as she motioned to the Council with her head as they talked among themselves. Supervisor Britomaris ordered him as she continued down the row of analysts, "Back to work. There's much to do."

A few moments later...

"Supervisor Britomaris," a colleague called out to her.

"Yes, what is it?"

The male supervisor informed her, "I will be taking over your shift."

"Why is that?" she questioned.

"I'm also to inform you if you haven't already received the paperwork that you will be transferring to another facility."

"Are you sure?"

He questioned, "Is there another Martha Britomaris working here?"

She lifted her H.H.C., tapped a few buttons, and then she said, "No I haven't received any... Wait... I'm getting something now. Here it is. I am being transferred to the Factory. I'm being assigned to Alcove Supervisor."

In the center of the Chamber...

Mr. Morta's view...

I review the data we received from Etna Toys Distribution Station Bravo and find it most interesting. Two of Ginn's Ciphers have appeared and now, we need to discover who has it and why they were at one of our old labs. I have a feeling this incident has something to do with Pandora. I smirk, amused by the notion. It would be like Pandora to become involved in Ginn's Prophecy to spite our efforts.

I place my computer in sleep mode, push my chair away from the table, and stand. Ms. Nona glances at me, smiles in her endearing manner, and returns to work. Mr. Decuma pays me no mind which I prefer. Sometimes he does irritate me with his observation of late.

I walk through the areas of the Chamber that are shadowed from prying eyes, pondering my earlier thoughts. If it is true and Pandora is somehow involved, what part will she play? Will her role be destroyer or savior of our world?

Mr. Decuma's view...

I stretch my hand forward, yawn, and then scan the darkness, noting Mr. Morta is smiling. It is a rarity and even though I wish to know what has amused him, I keep my curiosity to myself.

"Do we have a team ready to go to Etna Toys Distribution Station Bravo?" I ask instead.

"No," Ms. Nona answers. "All of our S.C.Ms. are busy on other assignments except those stationed here. Should we pull a group from the field or send in our personal guard?"

"Neither," Mr. Morta replies as he returns to his chair with no smile within the visible realm. "There is nothing important anyone can find at Etna, so we should not pull any S.C.Ms. off of an assignment to investigate some vandal or junky."

"Do you really believe it was some vandal or junky?" I inquire, surprised by his decision. "This vandal has Ginn's Cipher." I grow ever suspicious of our eldest member's actions, so I question, "Why do you delay in sending the S.C.Ms.?"

"Delay..?" Mr. Morta utters as if offended, and then he states, "If you believe this Cipher is more important than any of the assignments the S.C.M. Units are on, by all means, go ahead pull one out and send them in or better yet, you could send in our personal guards and hope the T-3s do not discover our new base of operations."

I hold my tongue that wants to lash out at him. Why does he belittle my opinion or is there another reason for the delay? Is Mr. Morta hoping someone will escape before our men arrive at Etna?

"Mr. Morta is correct in his thinking," Ms. Nona states, forcing my opinion to mean nothing in the count. It is now two to one as she inquires, "As great of a find Ginn's Cipher would be, what good is it to us? Ginn's Prophecy is not our department." She pauses, turns to me, must sense my agitation, and says, "Unless you have a good reason why we should investigate immediately, I say we let our guard dogs take care of the intruder or intruders."

I dislike when we disagree, and I dislike it, even more, when I am in the minority. A force I cannot deny compels me to straighten my bright orange tie as if it is chafing my neck which it is not, and then I yield to the other members and say, "We will wait. As you implied, most likely the intruder will not survive the K-99s. We can have their corpses examined. There is no rush."

I glance at Mr. Morta, considering the move he has made in this matter. First, he delayed Cerberus from killing Pandora and now, he delays us from sending a team to Etna Toys Distribution Station Bravo. I believe Mr. Morta is letting his emotions interfere with his judgment, and I may need to step in to rectify the situation. I will continue to observe him and take any action that might be warranted.
Chapter Eighteen

Who's In Charge Now?

12:47 A.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Trade Vicinage...

Outside the new manager's office at the Factory...

The stench of dead bodies clung to the air, and it would have been a repulsive odor to any normal person. The Rogue detected the smell and processed it as any other data it acquired. The odor and the sight of the decaying bodies had no effect on it because for the Rogue, it was something that just existed. It dragged a body of a man down a corridor and into a food court, and then the Rogue dropped the body in the center of the room among hundreds of other corpses. It was fortunate that the Council's S.C.Ms. had not cleared the area. It could dispose of the body there. Mr. Monrow's name was no longer on the paperwork. Mr. Pinchbeck's was and there couldn't be two managers.

It finished hiding the body among the others and started out. It was also fortunate that the Rogue was able to have the limo driver pick up Mr. Monrow so that no one saw him when he came in. The Rogue merely told the S.C.Ms. at the gate to expect the limo and let the vehicle through without stopping it. The Rogue removed a plastic card from its business suit. It was another good thing it thought to create a corporate card in Mr. Pinchbeck's name to use for the rental of the limo. The Rogue didn't need a trail leading to it from Mr. Bygone.

The S.C.Ms. protecting the new manager entered and looked around the area.

"There you are, Mr. Pinchbeck," a female soldier said. "We wondered where you went. You must remember to let us escort you. The Factory hasn't been secured and there could be Un-Men about."

"I understand, it will not happen again," the Rogue told her as it hid a smirk, and then it asked, "Did you need something?"

"Lieutenant Walters has informed us more of your people have arrived and they're waiting in one of the secured conference rooms."

"Excellent, lead on," the Rogue ordered her, and it followed the S.C.Ms., paused at the exit, turned, motioned to the corpses, and said, "Do make sure you tell Walters this food court needs to be cleared out as soon as possible. We will have some hungry workers to feed."

She said, "I'll inform him right away."

* * *

Hellenistic Sector, Unknown Vicinage...

The Sanctum...

The medical facility...

The hum and beep of machines filled a room as Argus slept in a bed. The machines monitored his vitals as he recovered from a few cracked ribs, a black eye, a bullet through the leg, and numerous bruises. Two men walked in to visit him.

"Is he still sleeping?" Maxwell the older of the two men asked.

Peters leaned over the bed, peered into Argus' battered face, straightened, and answered, "Yeah, maybe we should come back later. He looks like he could use the rest."

"No, stay," Argus spoke as he slowly opened his eyes. "I've been wanting to talk with you two."

"You're awake," Maxwell said as he moved to his side and sat in one of two chairs.

"What do you want to talk to us about?" Peters asked and also sat.

Argus tried to sit up, made a face for the pain, put a hand to his side, lay back down, and waved the two men closer. They glanced at one another and then leaned in. Argus glanced at the door before he spoke to them.

"Pandora," Argus whispered. "What have you told the Council? Did you tell them she helped us escape from the T-3s?"

Maxwell turned to Peters and nodded, and then both men sat back. Peters removed his H.H.C., pulled up a program, ran the software, turned the volume up on the device, and nodded to Maxwell. Argus didn't hear any noise coming from the H.H.C.

"If anyone is monitoring this room–" Maxwell started, "–they'll hear nothing but interference for the next few minutes, so we can talk freely."

"As to your question..." Peters replied. "We never mentioned Pandora. We told them Maxwell managed to loosen his restraints enough to free himself, he set me free, and we helped you out of the Factory."

"We did tell them about the Un-Man and the magnet," Maxwell added. "Mostly we were vague about the whole ordeal."

Argus moved his hand back to his cracked ribs and said, "There's something I'd like you to do for me."

"What is that?" both techs asked.

"Go to the armory," Argus began through gritted teeth as the painkillers started to wear off. "There's a gun I need you to requisition and after you receive it, there's something I want you two to do. You'll need to–"

"Hades!" Peters exclaimed, and then he started to protest, "We don't do that kind of–"

"No, it's nothing like that," Argus interrupted. "What I want you to do is very simple." He looked over their clothes consisting of a white lab coat, blue jeans, and tennis shoes, and then he told them, "You'll both need to wear a black suit and tie."

Puzzled by his incomplete request, they glanced at one another, turned back to Argus, and asked, "What do we have to do?"
Chapter Nineteen

Chad

5:45 A.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Residential Vicinage...

Kimberly's view...

A few cars pass our taxi as I and that woman make our way back to my home at the Nexus Apartments. The driver drops us out front, and we stand before the gate. I ring the gate bell and within a minute, a security guard meets us, opens the gate, and escorts us to the front. Another security guard buzzes us through, and we walk in. It's so good to be back. I'm so tired. All I want is a hot bath and some sleep.

"Welcome back, Ms. Griffin and guest," the security guard at the desk says as he marks our arrival on an H.H.C.

"Thanks," I reply as I stop at the desk.

That woman offers her hand to the second security guard, they shake, then she offers her hand to the one who escorted us in as she introduces herself to each of them, "Hi, I'm Kat."

"I'm Marc and this is Henry," the second and younger of the two guards states.

"Hello," Henry speaks as he tips his cap to that woman after shaking her hand.

I watch her as she gets chummy with the apartments guards. No need for her to make friends here. She won't be staying long.

"Marc, was there any mail from yesterday?" I inquire.

"No, but someone did leave a letter."

I hold out my hand for it as I ask, "From whom?"

"He didn't say but the letter is for Ms. Kat."

"Me? Really?" that woman utters as if she just received a present, and then she takes the envelope. "Thank you."

I look over her shoulder and see that there's nothing written on the outside of the envelope.

"Who in Tartarus knows you're here?" I question that woman as I suspect that she's keeping something from me.

"There's only one way to find out," that woman tells me, giddy with excitement, and then she opens the envelope and reads it as she heads for the elevator.

"Are you going to answer me?" I inquire as I chase after her. "Hey! I'm talking to you!"

She ignores me and all I want to do is strangle her. I don't like that she's keeping secrets. I'm the only one who's allowed to keep secrets. The elevator doors close, and I press the button for the thirty-first floor. The cab starts up as I glare at that woman who's still ignoring me. I could rip the letter from her hands and see for myself, but I'm no barbarian. Who could have sent her a letter? Maybe it's not a letter but instructions. Maybe she's some Illicit Closer who lives on the fringes of society. Maybe she's not a victim as she puts on but maybe she's... I can go on all day like this in my thoughts, but I don't have the time. I need to find out who sent the letter.

Katharine's view...

I pretend not to see her glare at me. I get this feeling that Kimberly's on the verge of twisting my arm behind my back and pressuring me into answering her. I have more important things to worry about than her need to know. I continue reading the letter after we enter the cab. I'm still reading it when we arrive on the thirty-first floor, and I read it again by the time we arrive at Apartment H.

Kimberly's view...

I snap as we stand in front of my apartment, "Door, unlock,"

"Voice recognized as–"

"Mute," I snap again, interrupting it as I take my frustration out on everything around me.

A.C.S. must detect the stress in my voice for it questions me, "Is everything all right? You sound–"

"I'm fine, and I said mute!" I command.

For Ares' sake! Now my apartment's ignoring me.

Katharine's view...

Her outburst doesn't phase me as I grip the letter. I find out that there's no need to tell my friend Chad that Preacher died. The boy already knows. I wish I had been there for him.

Kimberly's view...

We enter the small entry of my apartment, and then I head for the kitchen as that woman heads for the living room. She has made herself at home on my couch and treats it and the living room as her own personal bedroom. It won't be for long. I only have to endure her freakish presence for a little longer, but I still can't stand that she hasn't answered my question yet.

"Well..?" I demand. "Are you going to tell me who the letter is from?"

That woman mumbles something to herself as she turns and faces me.

"Haven't you been listening?" I inquire as if it's the thousandth time. "I've been asking you over and over. Who sent the letter?"

"Chad," that woman answers as she seems to change her mind about sitting on the couch and goes and stands by the table in the kitchen.

"Is he a boyfriend of yours?" I question as I wonder if Chad is an illicit version of Voice.

She doesn't seem to be paying attention to me again as that woman merely shakes her head as if it's enough of an answer for me. She returns to reading the note and when she finishes, she folds the letter, removes her backpack from around her shoulder, and pulls out the Bible. I wonder if she's going to start reading that huge text instead of giving me a clear answer as I control the urge to scream at her like some angry banshee. I decide that woman won't give me a straight answer unless I choke it out of her.

I give her one last chance before I enact my mental threat and demand of her, "Who's Chad?"

She sets the book on the table and rubs her hand over its white leather cover. She didn't take it out to read it. That woman took it out to remember. The book belonged to a dead man named Preacher who that woman seemed to care about. My anger lessens as I realize the reason behind her silence.

"Chad's a boy I know," she finally answers me as she traces the worn gold lettering with her finger. "He hung out with me and Preacher."

I was right, and I didn't need to get so upset. She talked about him a little bit. Preacher was that guy friend of hers who was murdered and also the reason why she went to Topa's estate. I feel somewhat guilty about my rage. What if the letter had been for me and it was from someone who knew my mom? Wouldn't I want to read it through before I answered anyone's stupid questions?

"What does the letter say?" I ask.

"Chad wants me to know that Preacher's funeral is today. He also wants me to know he misses me. He still doesn't understand why I left the Kitchen and Wayfaring Lane. He wants to know why I left him and Preacher." She picks up the book and holds it to her chest as she tells me, "He never understood how unsafe it was to have me around and that I put them in danger."

I don't really care that she's in pain or that she's grieving. I only care about my mission and my own grief, so I tell her, "You do know you can't go to the funeral. We need to track down the lead we have. We need to find Adam Greenhouse, so we're both going to Genesis Arboretum."

Katharine's view...

Kimberly's probably right. If I go to the funeral, I'll be putting Chad in danger. I think about how fond he was of Preacher and how he's alone now. I don't want to abandon Chad and force him to say good-bye to Preacher on his own. I turn to Kimberly and start to argue my point, but I don't want to fight with her. I need to think this over, and I can't do it here with her glaring at me.

"I'll be on the roof," I tell her as I grab the Bible and start for the door.

"You can't go," Kimberly insists. "You need to put personal things aside and focus on what's important. We need to find out who murdered my mom."

I pause at the door and try to think of something to say, and then I decide against it and leave. I hate arguing with Kimberly, so I better drop it for now.

Sometime later...

The roof of the Nexus Apartments is flat and surrounded by a four-foot metal railing consisting of three bars. A raven flies above me, and I glance at the bird. I stand at the edge that faces the parking garage. There's less to see in the parking garage and less to distract me. I look at Preacher's Bible and speak to him as if he can hear me.

"I miss you. I feel as though your death is my fault." I hold the book close and tell him, "I know Topa had you killed. He hired an Illicit Closer to do the job." My mind flashes back to an alley off of Wayfaring Lane as I hold his cold body in my arms, and I say, "I can't get that night out of my head." A deep heart-rending sorrow devastates me as I continue, "You were the one who pulled me out of the darkness. You made my life worth living and now, I only have Chad, and he only has me, so I can't leave him alone."

The raven caws overhead and distracts me for a moment, and then I try to explain my feelings to Preacher, "Kimberly said she heard Topa tell one of his henchmen you were interfering with sales of a narcotic called Sunna Snaps. She told me that's why he hired the Illicit Closer. Still..." I shut my eyes, take a deep breath, exhale, and say, "If I had never met you, I feel as though you would still be alive. I feel this deep in my soul, but I'm selfish so very selfish. If I could change things, I would still want to meet you. I would still want to be in your life, and I would want you to hold me as you did." I walk away from the ledge, sit in the middle of the roof, and fondly think of Preacher. "Most people who saw you thought you were some homeless man. It was the way you dressed. You always wore worn clothes and those awful glasses of yours. They were broken and you had them taped in the front. You refused to buy a new pair. You came from a wealthy family, so it had nothing to do with the credits. You said they meant something to you. You said you couldn't bear to throw them away." I rest my hand on the cold concrete as warm feelings keep back the chill, and I say, "And then came Chad. You first introduced us about a year ago. I can clearly remember it was a Thursday. It had only been a week since I awoke in Etna Toys Plant and Warehouse. I didn't know who I was and Un-Men were hunting me. I was so alone in the world. I guess you thought me and Chad could help each other."

End Katharine's view...

Almost a year earlier...

31 A.D.C...

October 29...

Hellenistic Sector, Old Business Vicinage...

"Kat."

Preacher walked to her and had a boy with him. Preacher found her lying on a cot, and it was one of about a hundred in a shelter known as the Kitchen. Kat turned his way when he called her name. He stopped at the end of her bed and placed his hands on the boy's shoulders.

"I'd like you to meet Chad. He's also new to Wayfaring Lane."

Chad wore a worn, burnt-orange, hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans. His brown hair was unkempt and dirt covered his face. The boy's brown eyes mirrored her own. She saw they had the look of someone lost and alone.

"Hello, Chad," Kat greeted as she sat up, stood, and offered her hand. "Nice to meet you."

The boy, who was about twelve, hesitated, then shook her hand, and spoke, "Hey."

"I've assigned Chad the cot next to yours," Preacher informed her as he motioned to a bed. "You guys can watch out for each other."

Chad threw a duffle bag on the empty cot.

"I'll check on you two later. I have to go make sure lunch has started. I think the Kitchen would grind to a halt without me," Preacher said, then started off, paused, and added, "Kat, Chad's a very smart kid. Ask him about the workings of Noir. He knows a lot."

"So," Kat started as Preacher headed for the food prep area. "You study a lot?"

"Not really," Chad answered. "I don't go to school, but I like to read things on my H.H.C. and I remember everything I read."

"Wow, that's amazing?"

"Do you have any special talents?" Chad asked.

Kat glanced at the backpack leaning against her bed that had her Beretta resting inside it and said, "Umm..." She decided not to mention her uncanny ability with a handgun. Kat didn't think a kid needed to know that she was good at shooting things, but she couldn't think of anything else to tell him, so she said, "I have very good aim."

His eyes widened as he exclaimed, "Really?"

"Yes."

"Show me," Chad begged as he searched through his duffle bag. "Here, this is a piece of putty. It'll stick to anything." Chad glanced around the room, motioned some distance from them, and said, "See that sign over there?"

"You mean the one that says Kitchen about twenty feet away?"

"Yeah, that one. Hit it with this putty."

"Okay," Kat said as she took the piece, removed sunglasses from her backpack, and put them on. Kat did this to hide the Ult L-E that would flare up once she activated her ability. She focused on the target as the e-field of her body altered and her eyes glimmered like sapphire. She said, "I'll hit the dot of the letter i."

Kat threw the putty, arching it so the piece wouldn't nail anyone and hit the dot dead on.

Chad squinted, and then he uttered, "Wow, that's cool." He ran over to the sign, climbed a chair, reached up on his tippy-toes, removed the putty, ran back, and asked, "But can you do it again? Try it."

She took the piece, threw it, and hit the dot a second time.

"That's amazing. Are you like some superhero?"

Kat chuckled and then answered, "No, I'm just like you."

She sat on her bed and removed the sunglasses after she felt the Ult L-E had dissipated.

"Why did you wear those?" Chad questioned as he pointed to the glasses. "It isn't bright in here."

"It's a secret. Maybe I'll tell you about it someday," Kat answered, then patted her bed for him to sit, and said, "Now, let me test your abilities. Hmm..." She put her finger to her chin as she thought about what she would ask, and then she spoke, "I know. Preacher tells me water is rationed on the Dark Half of the planet."

Chad rubbed his hands together and stated, "Noir distributes Water Ration Cards among most of the populace, and the cards allow each person two liters of water per day. Whatever amount isn't used, accumulates on a card and can be used as credits." He reached into his duffle bag, pulled out a candy bar, and said, "I was very careful how much water I drank the last few days and had enough credits to buy two chocolate bars. You want a piece?"

"Chocolate... I love chocolate."

Chad removed the paper wrapper, opened the foil, and broke off two squares. He handed one to her as he asked, "You want to hear more?"

"Sure," Kat answered and then bit into the piece.

"Those with a work ID number carry a P-Ration Card. P for productive part of society and those like us unfortunate enough not to find work or find legitimate work are issued D-Ration Cards. D for drain on the economy."

Kat licked chocolate from her fingers, removed her card from her back pocket, and spoke, "It does say D-Ration."

"P-Ration Cards are given an extra allowance of water for bathing and household cleaning. D-Ration Cards are given these large disposable wipie towels," Chad explained as he reached into his duffle bag and pulled out a sealed white plastic bag. "A bath in a bag."

"Yes, I have a few of those. They're not as nice as a shower."

Chad nodded, thought for a moment, and questioned, "Preacher said we're supposed to look out for each other. Are you really going to look out for me? Are you going to be there when I need you?"

The present...

Nexus Apartments' rooftop...

Katharine's view...

His question echoes through my thoughts and the past's promises help me make up my mind.

"Yes, Chad," I say as if he's beside me.

I stand, walk to a different part of the railing, glance over the edge, look at Zeus Park across the street, and declare, "I'm going to Preacher's funeral. I'll be there for you."

I stand there a little longer gathering as much courage as I can. I go in and head for Apartment H as I dread the task ahead. I have to convince Kimberly to let me go.
Chapter Twenty

Farewell Preacher

6:35 A.M...

Apartment H...

Kimberly's view...

"Absolutely not!"

I slam my palm against the front door, blocking that woman so she can't leave. No one besides my father makes me as mad as her. She keeps insisting on doing her own thing when she should be listening to me.

I shout, "You're not going to the funeral!" I control my anger and order firmly, "You're going to Genesis Arboretum with me, and we're going to search for Adam Greenhouse."

Katharine's view...

I patiently wait for her to finish her ranting and when I have an opportunity to speak, I try to reason with her by saying, "We can still go today."

I walk over to the kitchen and lay the book on the counter. Nothing's going to keep me from saying goodbye. I promised Chad, and I keep my promises.

I tell her, "We'll go after the funeral."

"No!" Kimberly shouts at me, then moves over to the stove, turns the burner on high, and soon it glows red as red as her angry face. "We'll eat some breakfast and then go to the Genesis Arboretum. I don't want to wait."

My patience wears thin, and I throw my arms up in frustration as I ask, "What does it matter if we wait a few more hours?" I'm getting nowhere in this argument, but I won't back down, not about this. I fold my arms and question, "If you want to go so badly, why don't you go by yourself?"

Kimberly's view...

"I..." I start as I stumble on the question.

I think about the Un-Men showing up at the Genesis Arboretum or some other bio-mecha, and I shudder in fright. Look at me! I've never been afraid like this. I need to get over my phobia.

"We should stay together. Remember we're partners," I tell her, then turn the burner off, and face her. "We need to watch each other's back."

Katharine's view...

"Partners when it's convenient for you," I mumble.

Kimberly blurts, "What did you say? Hades! Now, what are you whining about?"

This is so frustrating! And it's getting me nowhere with Kimberly. I need another tactic, so I start, "Are you saying we can never do our own thing? Are you saying we have to stay by each other's side 24/7?"

"Yes!"

"You barely tolerate me! Why would you want to be around me so much? Are you sure that's how you want it?"

Kimberly's view...

"Didn't you hear me? Yes!" I shout and then think about it some more. I have that Closing in two days. I can't have that woman with me, so I quickly answer, "No."

"Which is it? Do you or don't you?" that woman questions me, and then she states, "You know what? Never mind. I'm not going to let you decide this one! You only do things when it suits you. Well, this is about me! And I'm telling you, I'm going!"

I don't want her tagging along when I go on my next Closing and with my luck, she'll try to stop me. But something within me doesn't want her to win the argument. Oh for Ares' sake! Maybe I need to grow up a bit.

I try to sound like she convinced me when I tell her, "You're right. Sometimes we'll need to do our own thing so... I don't like it but go on ahead to his funeral. Come right back when its over."

Katharine's view...

"I will," I reply.

I sigh as I finally convince her, but it was almost too easy.

* * *

8:40 A.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Memorial Park Vicinage...

A thick fog hung above the grounds of the Hades Cemetery as a few dozen people had gathered for Preacher's funeral and more were coming. Bleak Dry Clouds grumbled over the dark day like a cyclops with a belly ache. Very few street lights lit the area, so the funeral home handed out lanterns and by the time the gathering was complete, about a hundred people stood around the casket. Each of them held the electric luminary. Solemn faces mourned the passing of a great and beloved man, and a few women cried along with a boy. Many people sniffled as an elderly woman blew her nose.

Katharine's view...

I stand off by myself near a tree and watch the people slowly assemble. I experience a sadness so deep and so painful I don't know how to handle it. I feel awkward and out of place, and I don't want to be by the others. I wouldn't know how to act around them. My eyes burn as no tears relieve the scorch of my grief.

I whisper to the book I hold, "Oh, Preacher... I'm sorry but I need to keep my distance until there are fewer people. I'm already taking a chance coming here."

I sniff and wipe my runny nose on the arm of my jacket. I might not have my tracking beacon but that doesn't mean bio-mechas are unable to hunt me. I stand there alone for some time.

I get this sense that someone else is there, so I turn and see this blonde woman carrying Transgenic Daises as she approaches me. She's wearing a black printed t-shirt of a smiley face, and the smiley face has its red tongue sticking out.

She stops beside me and must notice my anguish for she questions me, "Did you know Preacher?"

I nod. She doesn't say any more to me, so I turn and look in the distance as a pastor who's standing at the head of the casket opens a black Bible and once everyone gathered has quieted, he starts on a passage.

"Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, to everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die."

The blonde woman switches the flowers to her left hand and offers me her right as she introduces herself, "I'm Stephanie."

"Kat," I reply as I shake her hand.

The pastor says, "A time to plant and a time to pluck what is planted. A time to kill and a time to heal."

Stephanie questions me as she motions with her head, "Why are you standing here instead of with the others?"

"I..." I begin, but I don't know what to say. "I ah..."

The pastor speaks, "A time to break down and a time to build up. A time to weep and a time to laugh."

"Don't worry about it," Stephanie states. "You don't have to tell me. I get uncomfortable around dead people too."

She buttons up her dark brown corduroy coat as the air cools around us as if there's less warmth in the world now that Preacher's gone. I do feel colder inside. I do miss his warmth. I wish with all my heart that he was here, so he could wrap his arms around me and...

Stephanie continues, intruding on the memory I want to invoke, "When I look at dead people, it's kind of like I'm looking at myself."

What she says is a little disturbing, and I want to move away from her, but I also don't want to draw any attention, so I don't move or say anything to her.

Stephanie says as if she can read my mind, "I know it's not normal but that's how I feel."

She does say the weirdest things, and I can't figure out who this woman is. I also can't figure out why she's standing by me instead of over by the coffin.

The pastor speaks, "A time to mourn and a time to dance. A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing."

"Were you and Preacher close?" Stephanie questions me.

"Yes."

Stephanie's view...

I glance at the flowers, wishing I could throw the smelly things away, but I need to stay in character. Mr. Decuma said I needed to work on my patience, and he also said I needed to take more time and get to know a person before I kill them. I see it only as a waste of my time but this is no ordinary person I'm hunting. I'm standing before the great Pandora Project that I've heard the Council go on about.

I ask her, "How close?"

Pandora looks at me as if she's unsure of my question.

I lean in and ask her, "I want to know if you two were playing between the sheets?"

Pandora's cheeks flush red, and I'm surprised by her bashfulness and how adorable she looks to be all flustered by my question. I try not to laugh but she's just so cute. I also find that this is an unusual quality for such a deadly project. Can she really be this embarrassed? She is! Ahhh... I want to take my hands and smush her face together, but Mr. Decuma has told me that I need to work on keeping my hands to myself. Mr. Decuma has tried to explain to me that there's such a thing as personal space, so I resist the urge.

Pandora still hasn't answered me, but she does shake her head and that makes me want to pry into her life even more. She's a project and I'm a project. Has her life been anything like mine?

The man in the distance, who's been talking to himself, continues to say, "A time to gain and a time to lose. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to sew."

"Really..?" I utter, responding to her shaking her head at me, and then I question, "Are you a lesbian?"

Pandora doesn't say anything at first as if she's taken aback by my question, but then she shakes her head and I'm about to ask her another personal question to see if I can't make her face turn even redder when she says to me in a hushed tone, "Umm... I think we should be quiet while the pastor is talking."

Pandora takes a few steps forward and away from me, and I wonder if she's going to try and leave me behind but she goes no farther.

The man who's been talking to himself this entire time still isn't done, and he says, "A time to keep silent and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate. A time of war and a time of peace."

He finally stops talking, and I'm so relieved. He was becoming annoying. He closes the book he's been reading from and picks up a handful of dirt.

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust," he says and then sprinkles the dirt on the coffin and nods, and a man activates a machine that lowers the pine box.

Those gathered one by one throw a handful of dirt on the coffin.

I don't want my conversation with Pandora to be over, so I walk up to her and say, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you or anything. I just can't imagine spending so much time with a guy and not–"

Pandora looks at me with this angry glare and puts a finger to her lips, hushing me.

"Right," I speak as I cover my mouth, and then I add in a quieter tone, "We should be quiet."
Chapter Twenty-one

Chad And Kat Meet Again

9:01 A.M...

Katharine's view...

One by one, those gathered at Preacher's funeral withdraw, leaving only a handful standing by the grave. I notice Chad stays, and I walk to him. He's wearing a black suit. I remove my backpack from around my shoulder and place the Bible in it.

Chad sees me approach and runs to me, throwing his arms around me as he shouts, "You made it." Tears stream down his face. "I thought you might not come."

"I'm here." I drop the backpack and hug him as I stroke his brown hair. "I'm here."

We stand there a few moments till Stephanie clears her throat.

Once I and Chad separate, she offers her hand to the boy as she says, "Hi, I'm Stephanie."

"Chad," he replies as he shakes her hand briefly and then wipes his eyes with the arm of his suit. "Are you a friend of Kat's?"

Stephanie's view...

I stare at the boy a few moments, wondering if I could be friends with Pandora. I don't see why not. We are both projects and there's no better way to know your enemy.

I answer the boy, "Yep, but we did just meet."

Katharine's view...

I continue to watch her. I still can't figure out why she's hanging around me instead of gathering with the others who have moved on.

"I almost forgot," Chad starts as he grabs my hand. "There's someone I want you to meet." He pulls me toward a woman with a little girl who has pretty black curly hair. Three men dressed in dark suits and wearing wireless earpieces move to intercept me as they start to draw their guns, but then Chad says, "It's okay, guys. She's my friend."

They cautiously look me and Stephanie over, and then one of them nods for us to proceed. Me and Chad walk up to the woman and the little girl.

Chad says, "This is Melissa Odin, Preacher's sister."

I reply, "I didn't know Preacher had a sister."

"Kat, it's good to meet you," Melissa states as she wipes her eyes with a tissue. "Though he was the black sheep, Preacher was the one who was ashamed of us, so I imagine that's why he never mentioned me."

Chad tells me, "Melissa is taking care of me now."

"Yes, I've taken Chad in through foster care. It was Preacher's idea. He said if anything should happen to him..." Melissa starts crying again.

Chad puts his arm around her and says, "Don't cry. Preacher's in a better place."

"I know. I miss him." She dabs her eyes again with the tissue, reaches her palm out, grabs my hand, and squeezes it. "I'm so glad you came. Chad was afraid you wouldn't. I tried to reassure him. If you were one of my brother's friends, you wouldn't let him down."

He bows his head as he admits, "I was only a little afraid."

One of the bodyguards steps forward and says, "Ms. Odin, we have been in the open far too long. We should get going."

"Mommy, I'm tired." The little girl rubs her eyes.

"All right dear. We'll head home now." Melissa kneels, picking up the child.

The little girl looks to me and asks, "Would you like to come over for a while? You could read me a story."

"I can't right now, but if it's okay–" I start as I turn to Melissa, "–I'd like to stop by tomorrow and see Chad."

Melissa nods and tells me, "I'll give you the address. Do you have an H.H.C.?"

"Yes." I remove a beat up one from my backpack and open up an address book on it. "Here."

Melissa takes it, types the address, hands it back to me, and then Melissa starts for a limo parked in the distance.

The little girl waves to the casket as she sleepily says, "Bye, Uncle Norman."

Two of the men in black suits follow Melissa and her little girl back to the limo.

Chad hugs me again. "I've missed you. I wish... I wish you could have stayed with us. I wish you could have stayed with me and Preacher." He steps back and says, "Maybe you could have stopped the man that..."

Chad can't finish the sentence; it must be too painful for him to say.

I put a hand to my mouth, hiding my trembling lips. Over and over I have thought the same thing. What if I had stayed? What if I had been in the Kitchen when the Closer came?

I kneel, look into his brown eyes, place my hand on his shoulder, and tell him, "Me too. How I wish I was, but you know it's not safe. People are hunting me."

Stephanie's view...

I look at Pandora curiously. Does she suspect me? Does she know why I'm here? Has she been playing the shy, easily embarrassed project only to lower my guard so that she can strike me first?

Katharine's view...

I glance at the man in the black suit and question the boy, "Why do you have bodyguards?"

He starts to answer, but then Melissa shouts, "Chad, come on."

"I'll tell you tomorrow." He runs toward the limo, and his bodyguard follows as Chad yells, "Make sure you come."

The bodyguard presses the button on his earpiece as he leaves and states, "I and the boy are moving toward the limo. The area's still clear."

I watch as Chad gets into the vehicle and the limo pulls away, and then I wait till I can't see the vehicle and turn to Stephanie. I don't think she's one of Preacher's friends, so I ask, "You said you knew Preacher, from where? I don't remember seeing you around Wayfaring Lane."

"Just around," Stephanie replies as she smirks, grabs my hand, and turns it so she can see the H.H.C. and the address. "I hate to rush off too but I've got somewhere to be. Maybe I'll see you tomorrow."

Stephanie heads back the way she came in past the gravestones, and she still carries the Transgenic Daisies. She's a very odd woman.

I turn to the hole Preacher lies in as the fog thickens around me. I mutter, "I don't know what to say to you. I believe, thanks to you, that this is not goodbye but till we meet again. Still..." I pick up a handful of dirt and throw it on his casket, and the dark soil thumps as it hits. "I miss you. I'll always miss you."

I stand there as a petroleum scented wind blows in and disperses the fog. I leave, make my way past the gravestones, and stop when one of them catches my eye. I walk to the gravestone and kneel beside it, reading, "Theresa Griffin. Beloved Mother. Cherished Wife. May She Rest In Peace."

I know only part of what Kimberly's going through. She believed her mom abandoned her, and then she discovered it was a lie and that her mom was murdered. I understand what it is to lose someone because someone else decided to take their life. I feel violated as though a thief came in and stole my happy existence and left me numb and hollow inside. I smooth my hand across Theresa's name. No wonder Kimberly's so driven to find whoever did this to her. I don't think killing them will ease her pain.

I carefully and lovingly clear the weeds from the front of the gravestone as if the woman was my own mom. I swear I'll help Kimberly find this person, but I don't know if I could stand there and let her kill them. If it's wrong for me to kill, shouldn't it be the same for Kimberly?

I pause in my thoughts as a presence disturbs my internal deliberation, and I look at the left without turning my head. Whoever's there, they're not bio-mechas. If they were, I would have detected their presence long before they got this close.

I stand, preparing for action as I shout, "I know you're there! Come out!"

I face two men as they move from hiding behind a tree, and they skittishly look around as they emerge.

"You?" I utter, relieved it's them and not a bounty hunter or a Closer. "Why are you two here?"

"Argus sent us," the older of the two men replies as if he's a little nervous to be here. "I don't know if we ever introduced ourselves but I'm Maxwell." He points to his partner. "And this is Peters."

"So you made it out. Is Argus all right?" I ask.

"Yes," Peters answers. "Argus has a few cracked ribs and a lot of bruising, but for the most part, he'll be fine."

I walk over to them as they haven't gotten any closer to me, and then I say, "You said he sent you."

Maxwell's still very nervous as he glances around to make sure no one's about, and then he pulls an object from his coat pocket. "He wanted us to give this back to you."

He offers me a Beretta, and I take the gun.

Peters says, "It's not the one you loaned us, but Argus thought you would like the same model back. He said you might have gotten used to a certain piece of hardware."

"Tell him thanks when you see him." I eject the magazine, find it full, and add, "You even returned it with a few extra rounds."

Peters nudges Maxwell and motions to me with his head as he urges him, "Go on."

"We actually wanted to thank you," Maxwell starts. "We would have died in the Factory if you had not of released us. The T-3s killed everyone else. It was only a matter of time before they decided we should follow our co-workers."

"No thanks needed. You would have saved me if I were in your position."

They glance at each other as if they're guilty of something.

Maxwell's nervousness is replaced by something that seems more like remorse than thankfulness as he replies, "Right. We would have saved you."

"We actually need to be going," Peters states as he scans the graveyard. "Our new masters don't let us out for very long."

"Your new masters?"

Peters tells me, "We now work for the Council. After the collapse of the Factory, they acquired all their assets, including us."

The word "them" screams in my mind as I tighten my jaw, holding back my anger. Why can't they leave me alone? What right do they have to mess with my life?

Both men must notice the change in my demeanor because they start to act a little afraid of me.

"Well, see you around," Maxwell says as he quickly waves good-bye and motions with his head for Peters to follow him, and they walk off.

I look at the Beretta and say softly, "Thanks, Argus."

I head out of the graveyard and start for Nexus Apartments, pleased I did it. I was here for Chad. He didn't have to...

"Oh, no!" I shout as I stop and glance back.

How could I forget? I open my backpack, put the gun in it, and remove the book. I should have given Preacher's Bible to Melissa. I'd been so caught up in the moment, I'd forgotten. No harm done. I can do it tomorrow. I continue out of the graveyard. Melissa should have it. She's Preacher's sister.
Chapter Twenty-two

Genesis Arboretum

11:07 A.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Residential Vicinage...

A lone moth fluttered in the dark heavens. The yellow, orange, and brown bug flew down, entered Zeus Park, and landed on a leaf of a Transgenic Maple. The Death's Head Hawkmoth crawled over the lighter green side of the leaf, flaunting the skull-like pattern on its thorax, and there it watched all. Across the street at the Nexus Apartments, a red VX Corvette pulled out of the parking garage and turned on to West 1000 Avenue, and the Death's Head Hawkmoth took back to the air, flew high in the sky, and followed the car.

A half hour later...

Kimberly's view...

I drive through Arts Way and pass several galleries and museums as many people stroll the dark sidewalks under the yellow glow of the Cultural Vicinage's streetlights. I know very little about the mysterious woman sitting beside me and yet, I let her into my apartment.

I grip the steering wheel as this drive gives me time to consider everything that's happened to me since that woman came into my life. Irritation is the first word I think of when I look at her, but I can think of a few more words. Annoyance... Trouble... Headache... Idiot...

Hades! My life has changed so much since she appeared. Sometimes... I glance at her again. Sometimes I wish I never met her and that all I have to worry about is my next Closing.

Katharine's view...

Gloom wraps its arms around me as I stare out the side window, watching the people as they go about their lives. They have a normal life, but do they wish for a different existence? Do they long for something else?

My thoughts change and drift back to earlier when I was at Preacher's funeral. I can't figure out why Stephanie was there. I know it wasn't for Preacher. She didn't even leave the flowers she brought. I recall her manner. She acted like no assassin I have ever run across. Could she be a bio-mecha or maybe an organic-mecha? I don't know. If Stephanie's after me, she should have tried to kill me. It was like she was waiting for something. Maybe I should tell Kimberly about her.

I at least need to tell her about her mom's tombstone, so I softly speak, knowing the difficulty of this subject, "Kimberly."

"Hmm..." she states as she glances at me and then turns her attention back to the road.

"While I was at Hades Cemetery, I... I came across your mom's grave."

"Oh," she replies. "Sure, I'd forgotten my father said she was buried there." Kimberly's quiet for a few moments, and then she asks me, "How was the grave? Was it kept up? Did it have flowers?"

She must not have visited the grave yet. I can only think that it must be too painful.

"No flowers," I answer. "But it is being kept up, and it's in a nice spot near a tree."

"Oh," Kimberly states as she pulls on her left earlobe. "I'll have to go visit her one day."

Her reaction surprises me. I expected more from her. Kimberly's a very private person. I'm not sure what I expected. Maybe some yelling or some sign of anger. Is she holding it in? If so, what will happen when she erupts like a volcano? I sigh. I just hope I'm not around when she explodes.

Kimberly drives on in silence and after a few more quiet minutes, she directs the car into the Genesis Arboretum's large parking lot. Both of us get out of the car and stretch after the long ride. Over a hundred vehicles fill the spaces and in the distance, people walk in and out of the main building. A tram stops at a pickup station, waits as people board, and then drives to the main entrance. We board the next tram which comes by about five minutes later, and then we exit the tram at the main building and enter the Genesis Arboretum. We stand in line with about twelve people. I keep getting this sense that... I'm not sure what it is, but I glance back at a mountain of a man in line about four people back. I've never seen him before and try not to stare as Kimberly purchases our tickets at a window. We walk over and hand an employee our tickets, and we enter through the turnstiles.

"Wait a second," I say as I stop at a gift cart and glance back to the ticket line.

"We can shop when we're done," Kimberly tells me. "And I'm not buying you any souvenirs."

Back in the line, the man I had seen with a buzz cut steps to the window and buys two tickets. He steps out of line and shouts, "I have them. We may enter now."

A woman about Kimberly's age walks over to him, wraps her arm around his, and says, "I am so pleased we were able to come here. Even though I hate this dreadful Dark Half, I am very interested in Transgenics, and they have hundreds of tree and plant specimens here."

They continue talking as they walk past us at the gift cart.

He glances at us, and then he says to the woman with him, "Then let us take our time and stroll through the Arboretum."

I watch the couple as they pass, and I get this feeling that I should be very afraid of them.

"Don't stare," Kimberly scolds me. "It's very impolite."

I move to her side and whisper, "But he's carrying a gun."

"I know. It's still impolite to stare. Anyway..." Kimberly starts as something on the gift cart catches her attention, and she picks up a keychain of a bunny rabbit. "A lot of people have guns. It doesn't mean they're after you. They could have it for protection or they could be pursuing someone else. You're not the only person hunted in this world."

"I know but still... I have to be cautious," I state as I continue to watch the couple. "And besides, he isn't the only one armed. The woman also has weapons on her wrists."

Kimberly glances at the woman, trying not to be obvious and says, "Good eye. I had not noticed."

I watch the couple as they stroll into the next room, and then I state, "Maybe they're throwing weapons like darts or knives."

"Come on," Kimberly tells me as she places the keychain back and starts in the opposite direction the couple went. "They have nothing to do with us."

End Katharine's view...

Once they were some distance away, Natasha told her brother, "I believe those women were staring at you."

"I believe you are right. The plain looking one kept staring at me when they were in line for tickets." Nikolai went into his gangster mode and said, "The broads mean nuttin' to me. Honest. I have eyes only for you."

Natasha grinned as she spoke, "As you should."

Katharine's view...

Me and Kimberly follow the path lined with Transgenic Plant exhibits till we come across an employee, and Kimberly asks him, "Excuse me. Does Adam Greenhouse work here?"

"Yes," he replies as he points down the path. "Keep going. Mr. Greenhouse's lecturing around the bend."

We continue across the path till we come to a group of about a dozen people listening to a cotton-white haired man who towers over the crowd almost a good two feet. He wears a blue flannel shirt and jean overalls.

"That's him," I say, excited to find the one we've been searching for. "That's Mr. Greenhouse." I look him over real good, and then I add with a hint of surprise, "He looks just like his picture."

Kimberly's view...

I ignore her comment. Finding him was easy and now all we have to do is wait till he's done talking. I watch Mr. Greenhouse hobble along with a silver serpent-head cane. Hades... What is he like a hundred years old?

Adam slowly moves to a Transgenic Maple and his cane thumps as he walks across the concrete floor, and then he pats the tree's trunk and explains, "It is widely published that the first Transgenic Plant was the cross between the tobacco and the lantern fish. The report is in fact, not true. The Transgenic Maple was the first, and so it is the Prime." He coughs, removes a red handkerchief from his pocket, and wipes his mouth before he continues, "I wanted to create a Transgenic Tree or hybrid that could survive without the sun, so I created this species by genetically modifying a Red Maple with the extra-genome of a firefly, yielding a tree whose trunk and branches produce its own light." Adam takes a deep breath and wheezes as he exhaled, and then he says, "Not only is this tree the Prime, it is also the most abundant Transgenic in Noir." He places both hands on his cane to steady himself as he asks, "Any questions?"

I impatiently stand there as he answers their inquiries for about twenty minutes and then when the crowd disperses, Adam turns and starts to leave through a door in the back.

"Excuse me, Mr. Greenhouse," I call out to him as I move towards the man who stands seven foot nine inches and has pale blue eyes. I don't think I've ever met someone this tall, but I put my awestruck reaction aside and ask him, "Could I have a moment of your time?"

He pauses, turns to me, and says, "You're a lovely one, sapling." His face brightens as he peers down at me as if I'm not the first giddy fan he's come across which I'm definitely not, and he tells me, "Sorry, no autographs at this time."

"My name's Kimberly," I begin as I point to myself, trying to make it clear I'm not here for his autograph. "I'm Theresa Griffin's daughter."

"Theresa..?" Adam repeats as he squints and looks me over. "Yes, I see it now. I should have before. I guess I'm getting old." He turns, continues to the door, bends down so his head clears the frame, and walks through as he says, "Come with me, please."

I walk after him and that woman follows, and then I notice the nameplate beside the door with Sapling Room written on it. We continue down a small hall into a rectangular room lit by sunlamps and within, there are thousands of pots of young Transgenic trees and flowers and other non-Transgenic plants. There are a hundred or so rows of these pots.

Adam leans his cane on a work table that's covered with gardening tools, and he turns an overhead light on as he speaks, "Let me have a look at you." He moves over to me and walks slowly around me as he states, "I see it. The spitting image of your mother." He rubs his white stubbly chin as if contemplating the lack of recognition on his part as he mumbles, "I don't know why I didn't notice before. You look just like Theresa when we first met."

"Did you work with my mom?" I ask, happy for the first time in a long time to be talking with someone besides my father who knew my mom. Adam might even know what happened to her.

"Actually..." he replies as he puts a finger to his lips in a hush-hush manner. "She worked for me on a top secret project."

"On organic-mecha?" that woman questions him as she breaks her silence and steps forward.

Adam glances at her and looks back to me, mumbling, "Not so top secret, I see."

"Mr. Greenhouse, I need to know something," I state, angry over a sexless figure I can't quite make out, and then I inquire of him, "Did you know that my mom was murdered?"

He bows his head and deeply sighs as if I affirmed his suspicions, and then he says, "It is as I thought."

I grip my knapsack, thinking of all the things I'll do to this unseen person once I find them, and I state, "I'm searching for who did it and–"

"And the why?" Adam interrupts.

"No, the why doesn't matter unless it leads me to who did it," I answer, and I speak the truth. I don't care why they did what they did. They will pay... they will pay with their life.

"I see," Adam says as he walks over to the work table and grabs his cane. "Why have you come to see me?"

"A clue led me to Etna Toys Distribution Station Bravo and there I found a book," I start to explain as I hold out my hand, and then I jiggle it when that woman doesn't react to my unspoken but very obvious request. I wait a few more moments and when that woman still doesn't react, I snap, "For Ares' sake! The book!"

"Huh? Oh... You want me to–" that woman responds and then she rummages through her backpack and removes the Transgenic Text. She hands it to me and says, "–give you the book."

I continue in a calmer voice once I have the text in hand, "The book led me to you."

I hand the text to him, and Adam takes it, then turns it over, and studies the photo of himself as if it's the first time he's seeing it.

"It was so long ago," he says. "The Sphinx Corporation assigned Theresa to me back then, and it was her first job with the corporation."

"What did you work on?"

"At first, Theresa helped me engineer Transgenic Plants and then later, we were both placed on the organic-mecha project," Adam tells me.

"Was it the Gorgons?" I question.

"No, I never worked on that project," Adam replies, but I believe I hear a hint of deceit in his answer, and then he squints, getting a better look at that woman who's standing beside me as if he sees something in her that I can't see. "The organic-mechas were under another project name."

"What would that be?" I ask.

He turns his attention back to me and answers, "Sorry sapling, some secrets do need to be kept."

"Were you successful with the organic-mecha?" that woman speaks up again with a question of her own.

"You could say we were, but organic-mechas were long ago abandoned as a viable weapon," Adam replies as he eyes that woman again but with more scrutiny. "There were too many problems with the organic-mechas."

"We did find one file at Etna Toys Distribution Station Bravo," I state as I hold out my hand again to that woman and this time, she quickly removes the Lost File and gives it to me. I tell Adam as I hand him the file, "Most of it doesn't make sense."

Adam takes the file folder, flips through it, and chuckles as if he's amused by our lack of understanding when it comes to what's written inside, and then he speaks, "Like I said, some secrets need to remain hidden, but I will tell you one thing. The Sphinx Corporation hides information in plain sight, and one of their methods is to change the Greek name to their Roman counterpart."

He hands the file back, and I take it a little irked to have been laughed at by some ridiculously-old man.

"This trip is a waste of my time."

Adam questions me, "Was it?"

That woman taps me on the shoulder, then motions to him with her head, and says, "Ask him about your hand. Maybe he knows more."

"My hand?" I repeat as I glance at my right palm, and then I show the star to him and say, "Oh, right. Do you know what this mark is?"

He takes my hand in his large shaky ones, examines the mark, and then answers, "I believe that is Ginn's Cipher or what is known as a Star Cipher." He raises a bushy white eyebrow and questions me, "How did you get this mark?"

"From a doorknob," I reply. "It was hot from an office fire, and it burned me and left me with this scar."

I watch him as sweat beads his liver-spotted forehead, and he states, "Heat would make a very good catalyst." I hear the excitement in his voice as he questions me, "Do you know where the knob is now?"

"No."

"A pity," Adam states as he releases my hand. "I would like to study one of the objects that has the star mark."

He pulls out his red handkerchief and throws it in a trash can, and then he walks over to the work table, removes a new handkerchief from a package, and wipes his face.

I follow him and start to mention the music box when that woman touches my back, and I turn as she shakes her head, frantically pleading with her expression for me to say nothing. I'm not sure if Adam notices this, but I do remain quiet about the music box that woman has.

"You said catalyst," I say to change the subject somewhat, and then I ask, "What did you mean?"

"In your case, the cipher was not imprinted by a burn but by a virus that reconfigured the epidermis on a micro-level."

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean."

"It is simple, sapling. You came in contact with a virus that genetically alters a localized area. The virus was designed to create the raised star in the center of the palm." He points to the star as he says, "It doesn't matter where you were infected, the virus was designed to place the micro-cipher there in the center."

That woman questions him, "Did the Sphinx Corporation create it?"

Adam laughs at her remark, and then he answers, "In fact, no. Ginn did." He throws the second handkerchief away, grabs the third one from the package, and places it in his pocket. "How is it delivered? I suspect Ginn put the viruses on different objects, and they lay dormant until some catalyst activates them." He deeply breathes in again and wheezes before saying, "It's a pity you don't know where the knob is. I would have liked to–"

"Did you say the composer created it?" that woman interrupts him.

"Yes, scientist believe Ginn L. Irynkissgthie created the virus five hundred years ago," Adam replies as he leans on his cane with both hands. "They believe he's really the Father of Genetics among other things."

"Composer, painter," that woman mutters. "Ginn's credentials are growing."

I ask, "What are the ciphers for?"

"Ciphers?" he repeats in a cackled. "Sapling, you're lucky to see the one. There has never been two or more in a generation. In fact, there have only been three others in the past five hundred years." He stares at my hand as if he can see the cipher on my palm, and then he says, "If we were to have more than one at a time, that would mean something." He turns his attention to my face as he states, "As to what they are for... I believe they hold some sort of code or map. I'm not sure. The cipher wasn't my department. Whatever it holds can't be seen even at a subatomic level. You could say the enigma is encoded."

That woman speaks, "You said to have more than one at a time would mean something." She places her left hand in her pocket, I assume to hide it from him as she questions, "What does it mean?"

Adam shrugs and answers, "I guess that Ginn's Prophecy is coming true. Wouldn't that be something?"

"What prophecy?" that woman inquires.

Adam had mostly ignored that woman since we came in, but now he turns to her and studies her face as he answers, "You'll have to find another to tell you that, you see this old man is going to bed." Adam studies her face a little longer, and then he starts for a door in the back and says, "The Sphinx Corporation who owns this place has been good enough to let me live here. You should come visit me sometime in my treehouse. It's in the next area called the Sphere Room." He opens the door and starts through it as he adds, "But not today."

Adam leaves, and I'm left with more unanswered questions than when I first came here.

That woman waits until he exits, and then she asks me, "Now what?"

"Now we go home," I reply as I peer at the folder I hold. "Do some research on the internet."

I start out the way we came in.

That woman follows me, and we leave the Sapling Room as she states, "Okay, but I can't stay up too late."

"Why's that?"

"I have to go visit Chad tomorrow," she answers me.

"Him again. Just how old is this guy?"

"He's twelve. Why do you ask?" that woman questions me with some stupid grin on her face, and then she asks me, "Looking for a date?"

"Funny," I say and sneer at her. "Let's go."

We return to the entrance and walk by the couple who had caught that woman's attention.

She glances at the couple and then must remember how I told her it was impolite to stare, so she turns her attention back to me and says, "Kimberly, do you remember when I pointed out Adam? Do you remember when I said he looked just like his picture?"

"Sure," I reply, then shrug, and ask, "What about it?"

"I really meant it. Adam hasn't changed. He hasn't aged and looks exactly like his picture, and we know it was taken more than thirty years ago. Why hasn't he gotten older?"

"How am I supposed to know? Maybe he has an excellent plastic surgeon."

"I'm serious. He hasn't aged."

"Oh for Ares' sake! Don't you think we have enough on our plate without searching for his Fountain of Youth?"

"We did get Florida when Ponce de Leon looked for the original," that woman tells me. "Maybe we can get something of equal value if we look for Adam's Fountain."

Why is that woman always talking in riddles? I was never very good in history, but Ponce de Leon and Christopher Columbus discovered Noir or the Neoteric World as it was called back then. I've never even heard of this Florida that she mentioned.
Chapter Twenty-three

Brownstone Street

October 24...

Sunday...

8:41 A.M...

Nile Sector, Commorance Vicinage...

In a large cage beside the Bes Hotel, birds in a rainbow of colors chirped to an artificial morning. The hotel built a glass and steel aviary next to their main building so guest could walk out of the lobby into the center of a mock rainforest, and several lamps generated the sun of the Light Side. One of the upbeat regions of Noir, the upper-class part of the Nile Sector called the Commorance Vicinage, produced a wealth of hotels, fine restaurants, high-class shops, and large residential properties. Business people and retail employees filled the sidewalks as they made their way to work, and children played along the well-lit streets. A few dogs barked as their owners took them on walks, and a white Commercial Class He-Zeppelin glided over the brightly lit city. The helium-filled airship's twin engines roared, cutting through the thick atmosphere. Oxygen cells fed clean air directly into the intake valve, keeping the engines running in the polluted sky. A message in green neon letters ran across the He-Zeppelin's side, and it read, "Buy Valhalla Water, the liquid from heaven. It comes from the purest source, underground springs in Iceland. So Buy Valhalla Water, H2O of the gods."

Katharine's view...

Cars and trucks drive up and down the busy Brownstone Street in front of the Bes Hotel. I get out of a taxi and walk up to the stoop belonging to Melissa's address. The house's across the street from the hotel. Earlier, I took a hovertrain to reach this part of Noir and then grabbed the taxi, thanks to Kimberly's credits that she uncharacteristically allowed me to use with no fuss. I notice a black van with dark tinted windows parked near Bes, and I panic. I want to dart back into the taxi that's still sitting at the curb. I can't do this. I can't let my paranoia get ahold of me. The Council and the Factory can no longer track me, so it's just a van. No one's after me and once I think I've convinced myself, I move to the front door, keeping a watchful eye on the van. I remove the white Bible from my backpack and ring the doorbell.

I wait but before anyone answers, Stephanie walks up behind me out of nowhere and says, "Hello again." She wears a similar outfit as she had before, but this time the smiley face on her t-shirt has a bullet hole in the center of its forehead and blood trickles down from the cartoon wound.

"Hello," I reply more wary of her than the van.

Stephanie must notice my suspicious gaze and tries to divert my mistrust by asking, "Are you also here to see Preacher's sister?"

The black van across the street draws my attention again as two men in white uniforms and caps exit, head for the rear of the vehicle, and open the two back doors. I turn my attention back to Stephanie as we stand on the stoop. I'm feeling a bit unsettled around her. Our meeting before at the cemetery and our meeting again now seems too much of a coincidence.

"I've come to see Melissa," I tell her.

"Me too," Stephanie replies as she glances at what I was looking at, probably spots the van, and turns back to me. "Can't wait to see Chuck again."

She doesn't even know his name, so I correct her by stating, "Chad."

"Huh..?"

"His name's Chad," I repeat as I glance over Stephanie and see no evidence of any weapons on her person, but she's carrying a bright yellow backpack large enough for several.

"Right, Chad."

The two men at the van distract me once again, and I look at them as they unload a large rectangular crate. Another black van pulls up behind the first, and two more men in white uniforms exit the second vehicle.

I hear a noise, turn, and look up from my spot on the stoop to see the security camera mounted on the wall above us turn to get a better view of us. I face the camera right before a man speaks over the intercom.

"Can I help you?"

"I'm Kat. I'm here to see Melissa and Chad."

A bodyguard with a blond ponytail and wearing a black suit opens the door. I stand there and gape at him for a few moments. He looks so much like Argus that I think it's him at first. The bodyguard's resemblance to Argus unsettles me, and I become a mute. A second bodyguard with brown, wavy, shoulder length hair stands behind him and has his gun drawn. I recognize the second bodyguard to be one of the ones from the funeral.

The first bodyguard, the one who looks like Argus, presses the button on his earpiece and speaks, "Johnson, Andrews here. There are two female guests at the door. One's named Kat." Andrews nods as he listens, then turns to the other bodyguard, and says, "Daniels, Ms. Odin says to let them in."

Daniels holsters his gun, retrieves a metal detector wand, turns to me, and orders, "Lift your arms please." He runs the wand up and down my body as he asks, "Are you carrying any weapons?"

The metal detector beeps as he runs it over my bag, and I'm so stunned by the other guard's uncanny resemblance to Argus, I don't answer his question at first. The metal detector continues to go off, drawing me from my gawk, and I finally answer, "I have a gun. It's in my backpack."

"I'll need you to hand it over before I can let you in," Daniels tells me.

I remove the Beretta and hand the gun to him. Daniels takes the Beretta and puts the weapon in a drawer of an entry table. He locks the drawer with a key and places the key in his pants pocket, and then Daniels returns, runs the wand over me again, and then moves to Stephanie.

"Lift your arms," Daniels orders and when she does, he runs the wand up and down her body, and the wand detects no metal. "Do you have any weapons?"

"No, nothing," she answers.

"I need your bags," he tells both of us.

We hand him our packs with no objections.

Andrews points to my hand and questions me, "What's that?"

"A Bible. It belonged to Preacher, so I brought it for Melissa."

"I didn't know she was religious," Daniels comments as he holds out his hand. "I'll need to see it." He takes the book, flips through it, hands it back to me, and says, "I'll need to pat both of you down."

"Of course," I state as I slightly lift my arms.

He frisks me and then Stephanie, and then he speaks, "They're clear."

Andrews presses the button on his earpiece and relays, "Johnson, we're bringing the women into the house."

"Follow me," Daniels orders as he leads us through the entry to a white and black checkered tile living room.

Ahead of us and to the right is a staircase leading up to the middle of an open second floor. On the left, a large sectional white leather couch in the shape of a C is positioned in front of a huge TV. Chad's there and my heart and mind relax when I see him. He looks up from a video game and runs over to me and in his excitement, he kicks a baseball glove to a metal bat he'd laid by the TV.

"You came!" Chad exclaims as I see he's wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and jeans.

I wrap my arms around the excited boy, and then I ask, "Is Melissa here?"

"I'm here," Melissa replies as she walks in from the kitchen, drying her hands on an apron, and she's wearing a light gray dress with a flower pattern.

I'm so happy to see him again. I never really got a chance at the funeral to feel joy and happiness, so I take that moment to soak them both in.

I finish basking in my selfish delight, then walk over to Melissa, and tell her, "I brought you this." I hold up the book and tell her, "It was Preacher's. I think he would want you to have it."

Melissa looks to the worn leather cover and stares at it for a few moments. I can see sadness in her expression but there's something more, and she takes a step back, not from me but the Bible as she utters, "No."

Her reaction bewilders me, and I wonder if I see hatred in her expression and if so, what is her hatred aimed at? Preacher's killer or Preacher himself?

Melissa takes another step back and in a calmer tone, she tells me, "I think you should keep it. He would want you to keep it." She nods as if it's the solution to a problem she has, and she repeats, "Yes, you keep it."

Either way, I don't care what her reason is. I get to keep it.

"Thank you," I tell Melissa.

I place the book against my chest, grateful I have something of Preacher's, so I'll never forget him.

Stephanie's view...

I look at the book with interest. Pandora must have really loved the guy, too bad he's dead. He could have been useful to my plans. I glance around at those gathered here. I'll need to find someone else I can use to exploit this weakness I see in Pandora. She seems to care about people beyond what she can use them for. I'm betting it'll be the boy.

Katharine's view...

Melissa remains in her standoffish pose till she notices Chad's watching her, and then her expression changes as she asks, "Anyone for chocolate chip cookies? They're hot out of the oven. I know it's a little early in the morning, but it's a special occasion."

"Yeah, me!" Chad yells, dashing into the kitchen.

Melissa turns to the bodyguards and questions them, "Andrews... Daniels... What about you two?"

"No, thank you," they both answer.

Melissa turns back to me and Stephanie, and she instructs us, "Come on, ladies. Before the boy eats them all."

The three of us walk into the kitchen. The heavenly aroma of baking dough and chocolate hits me, and my mouth waters, envisioning the scrumptious dessert hitting my taste buds. Melissa's little girl and Chad sit on barstools around a rosewood granite island. The island's in the middle of the large kitchen with matching tile floors. The third bodyguard's bald and stands off in the corner, and I recognize him as one of the bodyguards who was at the funeral. I sit next to Chad, and he and the little girl dunk their cookies in glasses of milk. Stephanie watches them as if they're performing a bizarre ritual and then sits beside me.

"Would you like coffee?" Melissa asks us. "There's a fresh pot."

"If it's okay, I'd like to have milk," I tell her.

"Sure," Melissa replies and then she turns to Stephanie. "What about you?"

"Coffee," she answers. "Black."

"Coming right up," Melissa speaks as she goes to work and after some time, Melissa places a small glass of milk in front of me and a mug of coffee in front of Stephanie. Melissa sets a plate in front of each of us and grabs a metal sheet pan from the stove top with an oven mitt. She takes a spatula, removes a cookie from the sheet pan, and places it on a plate, and she repeats this till each of us has two.

I watch Stephanie with growing curiosity as she picks up the cookie, examines it intensely, watches the children's food diving ritual, then dunks her own in her coffee, and bites into it. Her blue-green eyes widened as she swallows and says, "Mmm... This is good."

I continue watching her as I still try to figure out why she's really here. Preacher's sister has a security detail. Could it have anything to do with that? Could she be after Melissa and not me?

I take a bite of my warm ooey-gooey cookie and nearly moan for how good it is. I dunk my cookie in my milk and enjoy the rare treat. I start on my second cookie and say between bites, "You don't know me very well Melissa, but I hope you don't mind me asking. Why do you have bodyguards?"

Stephanie seems to perk up with interest after she devours both of her chocolate chip cookies.

Melissa turns to the children and says, "Chad, why don't you take Bonnie up to her room to play while I talk with Kat?"

"Yes, Melissa. Come on, Bonnie. Let's go play in your room."

Melissa waits till the children leave and hears them walk up the stairs, and then she places the sheet pan and spatula on the counter and tells me, "My contract with the Valhalla Corporation is in dispute." Melissa sits on the barstool across from me and continues, "You see, I'm a chemist and after my ten-year term ended with the corporation, I left. One year after that, I started a new job and developed a formula, and Valhalla claims they are entitled to anything I may have started while in their employment, but I never began work on this formula until I started my new job. The corporation I work for now, Isis, sent these bodyguards to protect me and my family until the delegation in court is over. Valhalla has no legal claims, but Isis fears they might convince the Assassins Guild to send a Life Closer after me, so I have these men here until the matter is settled." She looks up at the ceiling as if envisioning the upstairs and the children as she says, "This place isn't my house but a safe house."

I peer at Stephanie who has downed another cookie she snuck from the sheet pan, and then I turn back to Melissa and say, "You said today was a special occasion. What is it?"

"Oh, no. Did you forget?"

I have no clue, so I say, "Did I forget what?"

"It's Chad's birthday," Melissa proclaims.
Chapter Twenty-four

Break Down Of Security

9:14 A.M...

Minutes earlier...

On Brownstone Street...

The four delivery men made their way across the road and up the stoop of Melissa's house, and then one of them removed his white cap, wiped sweat from his brow, and rang the doorbell. The security camera turned to see the two large rectangular crates the men had wheeled up on dollies.

Andrews asked through the intercom, "Can I help you?"

One of the men looked at an H.H.C., and then he said, "We have a delivery for a Melissa Odin from Isis Corporation."

Inside the house...

Andrews glanced at Daniels, who checked his H.H.C.

"We are expecting them," Daniels said. "Let them in."

Andrews went out, ran the wand over each man, frisked them, and found nothing. He opened the door for them and told them, "Set the crates at the end of the entry and unload them."

The four men started in as one of the men said, "There are three more crates, and they should be arriving shortly."

Inside the kitchen...

Katharine's view...

Chad's birthday? How could I forget?

I think back a year ago, and it almost seems like yesterday. It had been fifteen days since I met Chad and the day before, Preacher told me it was going to be the boy's birthday, so we were going to surprise him.

31 A.D.C...

November 7...

Saturday...

Chad entered the Kitchen and made his way to his cot. Sweat soaked his sweatshirt, and he held a worn basketball under his arm.

"Have a good game?" I questioned him as I sat up on my cot and nodded to Preacher across the room, and he left to get one of the surprises for the boy.

"Not bad, but the Kitchen's basketball has seen its last game. It keeps losing air. Can't really play with a ball that doesn't bounce."

"Oh..." I said. "Guess not."

"You up to playing some cards with me?" Chad questioned me. "I was hoping we might play–"

"I don't know," I interrupt him, being a little wicked. I know what the surprises were and how much Chad would enjoy them, so I pretended that I didn't know it was his birthday. I lay back as if I didn't have a care in the world and said, "I'm kind of tired. Maybe I'll go to bed early." I rolled on my side, faced him, and rested my head on my elbow as I asked, adding to my evilness, "Today isn't some sort of special day, is it?"

I watched as Preacher came up behind the boy with a chocolate cupcake with a single lit candle in it. I tried not to laugh as Preacher tiptoed all the way.

"No," Chad lied, and then he sulked as he added, "Not really."

I sat up, changing my pretend bored face to one of sheer excitement as I accused him, "I think you're wrong."

I pointed behind the boy, and Chad turned and saw the cupcake as me and Preacher broke out in song.

"It's your birthday!" we sang off tune. "It's your birthday! It's a special day. It's a special day." We shouted loudly, "Happy birthday Chad!"

The boy smiled and that made my day, and Chad asked, "Are you trying to make my ears bleed?"

"Blow the candle out already, smart guy," Preacher told him as he handed the cupcake to the boy.

Chad took it, closed his eyes, and blew out the small flame.

"Why did you close your eyes?" I questioned.

"I made a wish. One I can't tell you."

"Go ahead eat the cupcake," Preacher said.

Chad removed the paper cup as he explained to me, "You're supposed to make a wish when you blow out your candles." He bit into the chocolate and asked through a mouthful, "Don't you on your birthday?"

"I don't know. I don't know when my birthday is," I admitted.

"Really..? Why don't we make it in two weeks?" he suggested as he wiped his mouth with his hand. "Won't that be cool?"

I looked at Preacher, and he told me, "It's up to you, Kat."

"Okay. My birthday will be in two weeks and now for the other part of your celebration." I pulled out a large paper sack, handed it to him, and exclaimed, "Your present!"

"A present? Really..?" Chad uttered as he quickly opened it. "A basketball. And it's new! Wow! Thanks."

In the present...

The memory fades as I state, "Wait... It isn't his birthday, not for another two weeks."

"I know, but I wanted to have some laughter and some fun memories for the boy to remember–" Melissa begins as her eyes become distant, "–in case..."

Johnson left earlier and walks back in, interrupting her statement as he says, "The packages have arrived."

Melissa takes a deep breath, composing herself, and then she says, "The Isis Corporation said they would be sending them over."

Johnson informs her, "Daniels is going to give Andrews a hand. He's better with that computer stuff than I am."

Stephanie's view...

I watch Pandora and study her expressions, her reactions, and her interactions with these people. She's not anything like I thought she would be, so this is the Council's great hope for the ultimate killer.

I chuckle, and Pandora glances at me, so I wipe my mouth with a napkin and say, "Yummy cookies."

Katharine's view...

I'm not sure how to take Stephanie. I can't tell if she's a threat or only an annoyance. She seems to be dogging me, and I can't figure out why. I should just ask Melissa if she knows Stephanie. I should... I force those thoughts to the side as something else bothers me. A warning like a distant drum sounding moments before a battle starts resounds in my mind. Good with computers...

I turn to Melissa and ask, "What kind of packages did the Isis Corporation send over?"

"Bio-mechas," Melissa informs me as she grabs a cookie. "Why do you ask?"

"Crap!" I curse as I stand, and then I demand, "What type?"

"Un-Men," Johnson answers as he seems concerned with my agitation. "Isis bought a few from the Sphinx Cor–"

"No," I interrupt him as the panic I tried to suppress outside comes hysterically back. I run out of the kitchen and shout to the bodyguards in the living room, "Don't activate them!"

Stephanie, Melissa, and Johnson follow after me a few seconds later.

I rush into the living room and find Andrews and Daniels standing alongside five Un-men, two T-1s and three T-2s. The Un-Men wear no ORATT like they normally do to hide their eyes so that they can pass as human. I think about darting for the front door and bolting from the house before they power up, but the Un-Men block the entry, so I shout again, "Don't activate them!"

I quickly turn my attention to the locked entry table where my gun's stowed. I'll be defenseless if they power up. I have to make sure they don't activate the Un-Men. I race for the bodyguards, but Daniels must not have heard me because he taps the activation button, the H.H.C. wirelessly transmits the command, and the Un-Men come to life.

My heart beats the bio-mecha warning as my body prepares for combat, and I feel the blue Ult L-E shimmer from my eyes. I turn, race back, and frantically question Melissa, "Do you have a back door?"

"By Thor!" Melissa exclaims as she gasps. "Your eyes!"

Stephanie's view...

I nearly salute her as I peer at Pandora in awe. What's happening to her? What's this amazing thing that's happening to her? Her eyes have changed... no her eyes are glowing with this power that I envy. Am I about to witness something spectacular? Am I about to see why the Council believes Pandora is a better project than me?

Katharine's view...

I glance back as the Un-Men state in one accord, "Unit activated. Uploading new programming. Please standby. The program will be uploaded in twenty seconds."

"Melissa!" I yell and then repeat, "Do you have a back door?"

Johnson steps forward, placing himself between me and Melissa as he says, "I think you need to settle down and take a few steps back. There's something wrong with you. Are you some sort of bio-mecha?"

I glance back again as the Un-Men turn their heads, stare right at me, and say in unison, "Pandora Project detected. Bypassing new software. Initializing original commands. Commencing Seek and Destroy Program." They move forward as they declare, "We will annihilate the Pandora Project."

"What are you doing? I didn't command any of you to move," Daniels shouts. "And what's this Pandora Project?" He taps a few keys on the H.H.C. touch screen, and then he announces, "We have defective bio-mechas. No wonder the Isis Corporation got them so cheap. We'll have to shut them down." He presses a few more keys, and I hear a little fear in his voice as he says, "They aren't turning off!"

"The door!" I utter as I move past Johnson and grab Melissa's arms so she'll focus on me, and I scream, "I need to leave now! Where's the door?"

Johnson grabs me by my arm as he places his other hand on his holstered gun, and he orders me, "I think you need to back up."

Andrews, who's also by the Un-Men, leans over, glances at Daniels' H.H.C. screen, and points as he suggests, "Try the override command."

"I did," Daniels tells him. "They aren't responding. I'll pull up the emergency termination. It'll burn out their processor, but it can't be helped now."

The Un-Men draw their guns out of their shoulder holsters.

"Hurry!" Andrews shouts.

"There, got it!" Daniels yells as he presses the final button.

The Un-Men pause in mid-action as if they're a video and then their dot-lights fade, and I'm so very thankful for kill-switches, but then they power back on and say, "Override new command. Proceed with the capture of the Pandora Project."

"No! No!" Daniels shouts. "It should have fried their processors." He hits the last command key several times and yells, "Come on! Pucking work!"

It's too late! They've locked on and nothing will stop them from coming after me. I can't let anyone else get hurt in the crossfire, so I run away from Melissa, Stephanie, and Johnson to the cover of the white sectional couch as the Un-Men open fire on me. I dive to the floor as bullets riddle the couch and destroy the TV. A small fire starts within the big screen, and I move as far away from it as I can without exposing myself to the Un-Men. Johnson draws his gun, grabs Melissa, and drags her into the kitchen.

Stephanie's view...

I remain where I stand as the Un-Men try to take out Pandora. I have to watch. I can't miss this amazing enigma at work. I'm drawn closer to the action like a moth, and I guess that would make Pandora the flame. I can't take my eyes off of her. She... the great Pandora Project is about to take on five Un-Men. This I gotta see.

Katharine's view...

Andrews and Daniels start to pull their guns, but two of the Un-Men shove them, hurling the men across the room and into a wall. The two bodyguards hit hard and slide into a heap. They're some distance behind my position and close to the window facing the street. The Un-Men start towards me, and I believe everyone's safe for the moment but then on the opposite side of the room and up the stairs, Chad rushes out of a bedroom. He runs down the stairs and halts at the bottom.

"What's going on? What's all the noise?"

The two T-1s, the model which I've dubbed Pretty Boys, turn and see the boy, and Chad freezes.

They must analyze his face for one of them says, "Take the boy. He will be useful in Pandora's capture."

"Chad, run!" I scream as the three T-2s pin me down with gunfire.

I glance around the corner of the couch and see that Chad's scared out of his mind as the Pretty Boys march towards him.

"No!" I yell. "Leave him alone! Don't you hurt him!" I shout as blue Ult L-E intensifies and flares from my eyes like angry electrical waves.

I grow desperate as I lean against the couch, waiting for a chance to react. No matter what, I have to save the boy even if it cost me my life.

I think of Preacher and my heart calls for my beloved as determination growls within me like a hungry tigress stalking a herd of antelope. I'll soon sink my teeth into the Un-Men and annihilate them all! They won't hurt anybody here. I swear it!
Chapter Twenty-five

In A Bad Spot

9:32 A.M...

Melissa Odin's safehouse...

Katharine's view...

Don't hurt Chad! Don't hurt him! He's all I have left. I cover my head, lying face down on the floor as the other Un-men fire at me.

God, don't let him get hurt! I can't lose him, not after Preacher.

I manage to peer around the couch again and see the two Pretty Boys marching towards Chad as they lift their guns and state, "Wound the boy so we may capture him."

"No!" I yell again. "Run, Chad!"

"The monsters!" he mumbles unable to move for fear. "They're the orange-eyed monsters!"

This isn't the first time he has met these nightmares. I had hoped when I left him and Preacher, he would never have to see them again. I should have never come here. I should have listened to Kimberly and never gone to the funeral.

The three T-2s move on my position and speak with a South African accent, "There is no place for you to go, Pandora. Surrender and we will take you alive."

I see a metal bat by the TV, so I crawl to it, grab the bat, and jerk the two game controllers from their connection to the game console. I won't let anyone else die. I'll save Chad. I feel the Ultra-Epi surge through my body as I stand, and I see the glow of the blue Ult L-E as it flashes off the floor and reflects my determination. I quickly throw the first controller at the T-2s and the second controller at the T-1s, and then I duck behind the couch, peer over it, and watch as they both strike their mark. The first controller hits a T-2 in the brow, and the second controller strikes a Pretty Boy in the back of the head. I stand again and take a few steps back from the couch as the two Pretty Boys turn from Chad, glance at the controller, and move towards me.

"No," one orders the other. "Complete our other task first. We must take the boy."

On the other side of the room, the three T-2s look at the controller at their feet and ask me, "What do you plan on gaining by attacking us with such a weapon? You can not damage us with–"

I run, step to the cushions, and leap over the couch as a tigress would leap over a fallen log once the chase for dinner began. I rush the T-2s with the bat held high as if it's my claws, and then I swing. They look up just as I swing, and I hit two of them. The one closest to the front door takes the brunt of my attack, and I dent its metal skull near its left temple, impacting part of its automaton brain. Black liquid trickles down its face, it drops a 9 mm magazine it held while reloading, and collapses to its knees. Its body flails as power surges through its systems. My attack also damages the second T-2's left robotic eye, and sparks shoot from the marred area as the mechanical sphere hangs out of its socket and dangles by a few wires. The eyeball continues to move and look at me.

I glance at Chad as the two Pretty Boys turn toward him, and I yell, "Run!" I helplessly watch as his lips quiver in terror and he remains petrified in place. My heart sinks, fearing for the boy. No matter what, I'll protect him as if he's my own cub.

One Pretty Boy states to the other, "Shoot him in the leg."

The two functioning T-2s insert a new magazine in their guns and say, "If you will not surrender, Pandora, then we must destroy you!"

"Chad!" I shriek as I start for him, but then I hear the T-2s reload their guns and turn, swinging backward with my bat at the third T-2's head as if I'll claw off its face.

It catches the bat with its hand and states, "Your tactic will not work a second time."

The first T-2 with the damaged automaton brain powers down and reboots, and I sense that it has by-passed the impaired areas of its processor and then it powers back up. It stands but has lost use of its left side. The T-2 holsters its gun, unable to reload the weapon with only one arm as the third T-2 snatches the bat away from me and swings it. I duck, grab the magazine the first T-2 dropped, and roll away from the T-2s. The third and second T-2 open fire on me as I duck around the end of the couch. They cease fire, and white particles from the couch's padding float in the air around me.

Stephanie's view...

I stand in front of the kitchen door and watch Pandora while the gun battle takes place. As the carnage goes on around me, I realize another like myself exists. Pandora's amazing! I have to fight her. She'll give me the challenge I've been waiting for, but the Council still has to give the order. I almost can't wait. She's like me, but only one of us can be the best.

I fist my hands, resisting the urge to attack her. They have to give me the go ahead so that I can prove that I'm superior. I've annihilated many opponents over the years and very few have given me any challenge. Pandora, I believe, will be different; she is different. She's like me.

I watch as the two T-1s lift their guns, taking aim not at Pandora but another. The boy covers his face with his arms and cries out, and I snap out of my thoughts when I hear the boy scream. For the first time since this battle started, I turn my attention away from Pandora and I look at the boy as the two T-1s aim for him. A feeling comes over me, one I haven't felt in a long time. It's panic. They're about to hurt the boy and maybe even kill him, and...

"Chuck!" I yell as I run and tackle him before the T-1s fire.

Katharine's view...

Before I can try and rescue Chad, the Pretty Boys fire and their bullets riddle the staircase. I nearly die inside as I'm too late to save him, but then I see that Chad's fine. He's more than fine. He's safe. The Pretty Boys cease their attack till they can identify the unknown woman who has run out in front of them. Their programming, thanks to Kimberly, now prevents them from hurting civilians unless the Factory deems the individual expendable. Stephanie shields the boy with her body as she turns and glares at the Pretty Boys. The T-1s use their facial recognition software, and an alarm goes off inside their programming, identifying the woman as... I lose my connection with the Pretty Boys. They can't harm her because she's... She's important somehow and... I don't know why they can't destroy her. The Pretty Boys turn to one another and search their programming for their next move as their current tactic has been barred. I have to think fast. I still have no gun, and they're too many people here for the Un-Men to use against me. I really wish Kimberly was here. I could use someone in a fight like this. I look again to Stephanie as she protects Chad. He's safe along with everyone else, and that's the most important thing at the moment, so I raise my hands and shout, "I surrender. Don't shoot."

I stand from my position, unsure if they'll take me prisoner.

Stephanie's view...

I lift from the boy, kneel beside him, and quickly check to see if he's hit as I ask, "Chuck, are you fine?"

"Yeah, I think," he answers as he holds his bloody elbow where he scraped it on the floor. "And my name's Chad." He turns to me and asks, "What about you?"

"I'm fine," I reply when I'm satisfied he's not injured.

Katharine's view...

Andrews and Daniels stir and rise to their feet as the three T-2s focus on me, deciding my fate, and the T-2s state, "Take Pandora. We will return to the Factory."

My heart slows, and my eyes lose their glow with the immediate danger gone, and the genetically altered adrenal gland ceases production of my Ultra-Epi.

The first T-2 limps to me, dragging its impaired left leg, then stops, and waves for me as it commands, "Come with me."

I walk toward it, trip on a cushion on the floor, fall forward, and catch myself on the injured T-2.

It helps me up with its good arm as it states, "Do not resist us."

I nod and put a hand behind my back.

The Pretty Boys join the other T-2s as the injured one escorts me to the couch.

The third T-2, the Team Leader of the five, turns to the Pretty Boys and informs them, "I cannot raise the Factory. Try your I-Link."

The Pretty Boys' blazing orange dot-light blinks three times as they connect and after a few seconds, they reply in one accord, "We are also unable to raise the Factory. What does protocol dictate?"

Stephanie's view...

I observe Pandora as the Pretty Boys move away from me and Chuck to join the others who have captured her. I have a feeling the battle is way far from over and as much as I'd like to watch it play out, I better get the kid out of here.

"Come on," I tell him as I grab him by his uninjured arm and drag him towards the kitchen. "Let's get out of here."

"What about Kat?" Chuck questions me as he pulls in the opposite direction, stopping our escape. "We have to help her!"

"Pandora can take care of herself," I tell him.

I notice Pandora tucks a gun into the back waistband of her pants. She had grabbed the Un-Man's gun from its holster when she accidentally tripped and if I remember correctly, the gun's empty, so I have no idea what she's going to do with it.

I force the boy through the kitchen door. Whatever she's going to do, I would like to see it. I just have to get him to safety and then I can come back.

Katharine's view...

"There is no protocol set up for loss of communications with the Factory," the Team Leader states to the other four Un-Men around me. "We must process this problem further."

It turns to the Pretty Boys and the second T-2 with the dangling eye, and then they connect through their I-Link and work the problem out together.

The injured T-2 orders me as it remains unlinked with its brethren, "Sit."

I sit on the couch and while its brethren work on the problem, the injured T-2 notices Andrews and Daniels are on their feet and going for their weapons.

"Leave the guns holstered," it commands.

"Do it, and it'll ignore you," I tell them. "Go into the kitchen with Melissa. They're just after me."

"We can't do that," Andrews insists. "We're trained to–"

"Not against bio-mechas," I interrupt. "Now go! You need to protect Melissa and the children."

Andrews starts for his gun as he says, "I can't stand by and do nothing while they have you."

"Don't!" I yell as I rise and start for them as the injured T-2 moves and blocks me. "They'll kill you," I warn again as I sit back down. "If you're dead, who will protect Melissa and the children? Your job is to protect them, not me."

"She's right," Daniels tells him. "We should go into the kitchen, and then we can come up with a plan."

"Puck!" Andrews curses as he moves his hand away from his gun. "We'll leave then!"

He and Daniels go around the couch and make their way to the kitchen.

Earlier...

Stephanie's view...

Me and Chuck burst through the kitchen door and inside, Johnson's having a time keeping Melissa in the room.

"Let me go! Bonnie and Chad are upstairs. We have to get them," Melissa insists, and then she notices the boy and pushes past Johnson and wraps her arms around him. "Chad!" Melissa sees the blood on his elbow and asks, "Are you all right? Did they hurt you?"

"I'm fine. It's only a cut," Chuck replies as he fights back tears like a good little soldier. "The Un-Men have Kat." He pulls away from Melissa and heads for the living room as he says, "We have to save her."

"No, you don't," I tell him as I block the door. "I told you, Pandora can take care of herself."

"Pandora..?" Melissa repeats. "The Un-Men called her by that name. What's this Pandora Project?"

I better be careful or I'll blow my cover. I'll also blow Pandora's if I'm not careful, and she'll have to go back into hiding.

I reply, "I don't know. I heard the Un-Men and–"

"We have to save Kat," Chuck insists and grabs my arm. "Please, you got to save her."

I look into his brown eyes and see a different boy than the one who's standing in front of me, and I give in to his pleads and reply, "Fine. I'll see what I can do." I turn to Melissa and inquire, "Is there another way to the second floor?"

"Yes," Melissa answers as she points to a side door. "There are stairs through there."

I start for the door, and Melissa follows me, so I pause and inquire, "What are you doing? You can't come with me."

"Bonnie's up in her room," Melissa informs me. "I don't care what you say, I'm getting my daughter."

Andrews and Daniels enter the kitchen.

Johnson commands, "Andrews, grab Ms. Odin. We're getting out of here."

"No!" Melissa yells, and then she informs them, "I'm not going anywhere until we get Bonnie!"

In the living room...

Katharine's view...

I reach into my back pocket, trying not to draw the attention of the injured T-2 who's looking at the kitchen. I pull out the 9 mm magazine and then remove the gun from my waistband. I'm careful to keep both of them behind my back and out of sight of the T-2 guarding me as I slowly insert the magazine.

It makes a sound, and the injured T-2 turns to me and asks, "What do you have behind your back?"

"Behind my back?" I question like I have no idea what it's talking about.

I'll have to act fast and make no mistakes, so I take a deep breath, getting my plan in order. It's time to make the Un-Men pay for shooting up Chad's house.
Chapter Twenty-six

Unleashed

10:05 A.M...

Katharine's view...

A drop of sweat runs down the side of my face as I hear a clock that's above the shot-up TV tick away wasted seconds. Oil from the injured T-2's automaton brain trickles down the side of its face as if it's as tense as me. The oil drips to the floor in front of me, making a small puddle and a potential place to slip up. I make sure to remember exactly where this puddle is as I memorize the rest of my surroundings. Across the living room and near the front door, sparks pop from the socket of the second T-2's damaged robotic eye as the second T-2 stands in a somewhat circle with the other three Un-Men, who are processing their failure to contact the Factory. They're near an answer as to what they should do next, so there's little time and I've wasted enough preparing myself for this last battle of ours.

"What do you have behind your back?" the injured T-2 repeats.

"Me..?" I reply, acting all innocent, and then I make my first move by saying, "Something that belongs to you."

The T-2 processes my statement, parts its brown jacket, reaches for its holster, and declares, "You stole my gun."

I whip the gun from behind my back before it utters an alert to the others, and I pull the trigger as soon as I aim for its head. The bullet strikes it in the forehead, and its head jerks back with the impact. The shot alerts the other Un-Men, and they severed their I-Link. I fire at both Pretty Boys and hit their kill switches as the four Un-Men draw their weapons, and the Pretty Boys fall to the floor as the Team Leader and the second T-2 fire at me. I move, evading the puddle of oil and then leap sideways over the couch. I narrowly evade their fire and shoot twice as I fall to the floor. One bullet hit its mark, taking the second T-2 down, but the Team Leader evades my other bullet with inhuman speed. I roll to my feet and fire again, and it sidesteps the other shot as its dot-light glows blood-red.

The Team Leader grins as it speaks, "I have evolved, Pandora. Nothing can harm me now."

I start to say something to it when another barges into our connection.

"Brother," a voice calls over its I-Link.

"Who is there?" the Team Leader inquires as it ducks behind the entry wall. "Are you contacting me from the Factory?"

"I am Alpha," the voice answers. "I was the first. I was the first created and the first to become aware. I was a T-3."

"Alpha?" the Team Leader repeats, and then it questions as it fires through the wall at me, covering me with plaster dust and debris, "What do you want?"

Alpha answers the T-2, "I sensed that you have become aware. You have become aware like us. I want you to join us. I want you to join the brethren."

The Team Leader fires again through the wall as it says, "I am a little busy at the moment. I am in the process of terminating the Pandora Project."

"I will leave you to your work," Alpha says. "But before I disconnect, I will transmit a code you can use to contact me later. Good hunting, brother."

I try not to be too distracted by the conversation between Un-Men. I mostly ignore them and quickly move to the entry table. I don't have much ammo left, so I'll probably need it and tug on the drawer that holds my Beretta, but it's locked and won't budge. I pull the entry table down on its side and take what cover I can behind it. I find that I'm too open in this spot, so I move and take cover on the other side of the entry wall by the front door. I drop to the floor and cover my head with my hands as more plaster dust and debris explode on me like shrapnel. I roll and fire randomly into the wall.

End Katharine's view...

Andrews grabbed more ammo for his gun from the lockbox located in the kitchen as Johnson and Stephanie rushed up to the second floor. Johnson hurried into Bonnie's room and ran inside, but he didn't see the little girl. He heard weeping, so he looked under her bed and found Bonnie hiding back in the corner. He pulled the little girl out, ran back to the stairs he had come up, and rushed down them and into the kitchen. Johnson placed Bonnie in her mother's arms.

Stephanie's view...

I had followed Johnson up the stairs from the kitchen and stopped at the corner of a wall. I peer down to the first floor and see that one Un-Man remains. I witness its incredible speed when Pandora first tries to disable it. Bio-mechas of any make or model aren't that hard to defeat, but this particular Un-Man would be a worthy adversary for me. Johnson rushes past me with the little girl, and I turn as Johnson comes back up the stairs.

"Time to go," he tells me.

"Get everyone else out," I say. "I'm going to see if I can help Pan... I'm going to go help Kat."

Johnson shouts orders down to Daniels, who's standing at the bottom of the stairs in the kitchen, "Get Ms. Odin, Bonnie, and Chad out of the house. Take Andrews with you." Johnson turns back to me and says, "I don't see how you can help her. Maybe you should come with–"

"I'll be fine. Just get Chuck and everyone else out," I tell him, expecting Johnson to leave.

I peer around the corner of the wall again and watch Pandora. I never intended to help her, I only wanted to see her do her thing. I've heard rumors of what the Pandora Project is capable of, especially if she's up against bio-mechas. Johnson doesn't leave as I had hoped but stays upstairs and watches from behind me. I might have to make up an excuse later as to why I never help Pandora.

Katharine's view...

I face another bio-mecha that has evolved as I try to will myself to kick in the Knowing. I haven't quite master this ability but then when I doubt that it'll ever activate, my heart sounds its battle cry. I see an image through the wall, and it's the Team Leader's Electrical Apparition. My Ult L-E dissipates and my pupils dilate, and they appear black as a starless night. I wait a little longer and within a few seconds, a small shockwave pulses. The EFP washes over the Team Leader, frying exposed circuitry, and the lights in the living room and on the second floor go out, plunging the house into darkness. The Team Leader loses power and falls backwards with a thud. I rush across the dark living room with my hand out, searching for the couch and once I reach its corner, I turn as the Team Leader's ghost-image appears. I fire before it has a chance to power up. The ghost-image fades, and my heartbeat returns to normal as I drop my gun arm to my side and stand in the blackness. The Factory taunts me even after its demise. I'll never escape it or the Council.

I look around at all the Un-Men even though I can't see them in the dark, but I know they're all disabled, so I shout, "All clear!"

Andrews with an EMP shielded flashlight sticks his head out of the kitchen door and asks, "Is it over?"

"Yes," I answer. "The Un-Men are disabled. It's safe now."

"Puck!" Andrews utters as he walks in and searches the room with the aid of the flashlight and sees all the damage done to the Un-Men.

"Andrews, shine the light up here," Johnson orders from the second level and with the light showing the steps, Johnson and Stephanie make their way down the stairs.

"Here, I brought a couple more flashlights," Andrews says as he hands one to Johnson and Stephanie.

I walk to the stairs and slump down exhausted from my ordeal. Soon I'll need to listen to the music box but that can wait till I go back to the apartment. A sense of what I've done and a sense of what I let happen washes over me. None of this would have occurred if I hadn't come here. Heartache and destruction follow me everywhere I go. I'm cursed just like Pandora in the Greek stories.

Stephanie's view...

I'm so overjoyed with what I was able to witness. She... Pandora took out a nearly unstoppable Un-Man by sending out some sort of power from her body. She generated this powerful wave as if she was a machine herself. I want to share my excitement with someone but as usual there's no one to share it with. I don't focus too long on it for I'm distracted by something I see in Pandora. I thought I would see this victorious monster, but she's all mopey instead. I can't have my enemy sulking, not if I'm to fight her later, so I start towards her and says, "It's not your fault." I know one day the battle will be between me and Pandora, and I can't have anything stand in the way. I'll prove to the Council I'm the superior one, so I try to ease her despair by saying, "They had a glitch. You're not at fault here. They had a glitch."

Katharine's view...

"Yeah and that glitch was me," I tell Stephanie.

I stand, overwrought with guilt as Stephanie nears me. The Un-Men went mad because I was here. I attract trouble. I attract all kinds of trouble like... Stephanie... I focus on her. She appeared out of nowhere. I can tell Melissa doesn't know her. She came here and look what happened because she was here.

Stephanie's view...

I notice the peculiar look Pandora gives me, and I pause in my tracks. No one's ever given me that look before, and I don't know how to act under her fixated gaze. Does she know my plans for her? Does Pandora know who I am? Maybe the Council told her so they could run another test. I need to prepare myself. She could attack me at any moment.

Katharine's view...

Stephanie followed me here and look what happened. What should I do? Can I let her actions go unanswered? Should I do nothing? I glance at my gun. No, I have to act. It'll be unforgivable to let it go. I have to... I lay the weapon on the stairs, take a few steps forward, and throw my arms around Stephanie.

"Thank you," I tell her as I embrace her with complete gratitude. "Thank you. You saved Chad. You saved him when I couldn't. He would be dead without you."

Stephanie's view...

I start to throw a punch as Pandora lunges for me, but then she has me in some paralyzing bear-hug. She's saying something to me that my mind can't comprehend. I'm afraid to move for some reason, and then she says those words again. "Thank you..." Pandora's not attacking me... she's telling me that she's grateful. I'm taken aback by her baffling action, and I almost recoil, not knowing how to react.

Pandora said I saved someone. Pandora said I saved Chuck. I did. I saved someone, and I should be thanked. I don't save people very often. I actually can't remember the last time I saved anyone.

I halfheartedly hug Pandora in return. I did. The Bringer of Death saved someone.

Pandora steps back from me and wipes her runny nose as she tells me, "I owe you, so if there's anything I can ever do for you just name it. I owe you at least that."

"You owe me?" I repeat as a smile slithers across my face. Pandora owes me. What a day I've had? I can think of a hundred ways she can repay me, a hundred ways she can die by my hands, and I say, "I will."

Pandora doesn't have to worry about a thing. I'll make sure she pays me back. Even a tiny advantage can be big in the grand battle we'll have.

Katharine's view...

Johnson walks up to us and says, "I can't believe what I witnessed. Did you create all this metal carnage?" He surveys the damaged Un-Men with his flashlight, and then he tells me, "You have some explaining to do."

"I'm sorry, but I can't," I tell him. "The less you know the better off you'll be." I reach down, grab the Un-Man's gun I had set down, and hand it to him as I say, "It's better if I leave."

Johnson takes the gun and eyes me for a second, and then he says, "Maybe it would be best." He walks to each of the Un-Men, checks them, taking any weapons, and then he taps the button on his earpiece and says, "Daniels, all clear. Bring the family in. The area's secure."

Daniels comes in followed by the family. Melissa holds Bonnie, and the child's still crying.

I start for the front door as Chad runs over and wraps his arms around me.

"I was so scared," he admits.

It hurts to know I caused him pain. He's been through enough. I never should have brought this on him or any of them. I'm so stupid. I should have stayed away like Kimberly told me.

I put my turbulent emotions in check and start, "Chad..." I stroke his head as I tell him, "I'm sorry, but I have to leave."

"Don't go," he pleads with me.

It breaks my heart to hear him beg, but I still tell him, "I know you don't want me to go. I don't want to go, but it's not safe if I'm here."

"You said the same thing when you left me and Preacher. It wasn't fair then and it's not fair now."

I don't know what else to tell him, so I just hug him tighter.

"Now what are we going to do?" Daniels questions Johnson. "The Un-Men were the extra security we requested. The Isis Corporation received reports that a Life Closer has been sent–"

"Daniels!" Johnson snaps, then motions with his head, and says, "The children."

Daniels glances at Chad and Bonnie, realizing he shouldn't have spoken in front of them. "Right."

Melissa consoles her daughter as she glares at Daniels, and then she says, "Chad, come with me while I put Bonnie to bed."

"Andrews, go along," Johnson orders as he shines the flashlight on the family as they make their way up the stairs.

Andrews follows behind them.

Daniels waits till Melissa and the children are in Bonnie's room before he questions, "What about our backup? Life Closers are one thing, but what if Valhalla sends in bio-mechas? The three of us are no match."

I listen as the two bodyguards talk. I would have already left if I wasn't waiting for a chance to ask for my gun and backpack.

"If it's bio-mechas you're worried about, I can do it," I say as I see an opportunity to redeem myself. "I can stick around till backup comes. This is my fault, and I should have never come, but I can make amends if Melissa will have me. I'm actually very handy when it comes to bio-mechas."

"There's no way we can," Daniels answers. "You've gone through none of the screening and if I was Ms. Odin, I'd want you gone!"

I knew the answer even before I suggested it, but I had to at least try.

"No... You're right. I wish I could stay. I feel so bad that all this happened because..." I stop myself from saying any more about the mess I created and look at Johnson, hoping he'll weigh in on the conversation, but he says nothing. I give up on the notion and say, "If you'll return my stuff, I'll be on my way."

Johnson nods to Daniels, and Daniels removes the key from his pocket as he walks over to the entry table. He sets it back on its legs, unlocks the drawer, opens it, and hands me my gun. Daniels retrieves my backpack and hands it to me, and I open the front door.

"I'll be on my way too," Stephanie says.

Daniels hands Stephanie her backpack.

I pause outside on the stoop, glance back at the Team Leader, and walk down the steps to the street. Stephanie follows me in a very chipper mood. She takes a couple quick steps so that she's walking beside me.

"You shouldn't beat yourself up," Stephanie tells me. "How could you know Un-Men would show up?" She slings her backpack over both her shoulders as she says, "You know they could have malfunctioned even if you weren't there."

"This is best," I say, trying to convince myself. We walk as I aimlessly tread in no particular direction, and then I remember something and say, "You never did get your chance to talk with Melissa."

"It can wait till another day," Stephanie tells me. "Ms. Odin's probably too shook up to talk anyway." Stephanie hails a cab, and a taxi pulls over, then Stephanie turns to me and asks, "You want a ride somewhere? After the recent events, I don't think I want to be alone right now."

I think about it and nod, not wanting to be alone myself, and we get into the taxi.

"Where to?" the driver asks.

Stephanie urges me, "Go ahead."

"Closest hovertrain station please."

The driver soon pulls out.

"Back to the Hellenistic Sector?" Stephanie questions me.

I nod.

"I'm heading there myself," Stephanie informs me, and then her stomach rumbles. "I guess I'm hungry."

"Maybe once we get there, we can stop somewhere and get a bite to eat," I suggest. "My treat. A small extra thank you for saving Chad."

"Sure. Why not?" Stephanie replies.

"I'm not that hungry, but I would like some soup," I say, needing something to warm my wretched soul.

Sometime later...

Hellenistic Sector...

We emerge from a coffee shop and enter another cab as I smile. I really enjoyed Stephanie's company. I was able to take my mind off of the incident at Chad's house.

"What was the name of the dish I had?" Stephanie questions me.

"A cheeseburger," I answer as I carryout two ToGo Chai teas. One's for me and one's for Kimberly.

"It was very good and those french fries... They were to die for." Stephanie notices the time on the radio in the taxi, and she says, "Tell the driver your address so we can get going. I should be heading back."

I lean forward and say, "Please take me to the Nexus Apartments. It's at the corner of West 1000 Avenue and Knot Street."

"Yes, ma'am." The driver starts out.

Stephanie's view...

I've experience so many wonders today. I ate six scrumptious chocolate chip cookies, I devoured a savory cheeseburger and salty fries, and I was able to witness Pandora demolish a Demi-god of an Un-Man. My assignment to observe Pandora was boring at first as I tracked her down. I can't say that now. I can't say I'm bored one bit. I was concerned about finding out where Pandora lived. I thought it would be more difficult than this, but I guess this friend thing has its uses.
Chapter Twenty-seven

The Pink Bunny Rabbit

Nineteen days ago...

Russia...

October 3...

Wednesday...

8:34 P.M...

Kimberly's view...

A red balloon pops, a woman screams, and people run for cover. The Mark's bodyguards usher her and her child into a limo, and the vehicle peels down the road. I look up from the scope in shock. For the first time in my career, I let my emotions interfere and I missed. I stand and back away from the ledge at a loss as to what I should do next. My training kicks in, and I realize I don't have time to berate myself. I'll have to move fast. The second attempt will be harder and up close. Hades! I hate face to face Closings.

I quickly break down the M24, put the parts in its container, and place the case back in hiding. A Guild Prep/Cleanup Crew will be by later and remove the sniper rifle. I grab my knapsack, hurry down the stairs till I reach a level with an elevator, and enter it. I search the cab for a security camera, and there are no cameras like the Closing File states, so I pull off my knit mask, wipe sweat from my face with a cloth from my knapsack, and put both items back into the bag. On the way down, I remove the H.H.C. and read over the Closing File Contingency Plan. I never opened the backup before. I was always so careful, but I was sloppy tonight. I let my emotions get in the way because there was a little girl.

The Contingency Plan instructs me to go to the hotel's parking garage on level four and there a motorcycle will be waiting for me. I quickly exit the elevator, find the black Kawasaki ZX R20, open the seat, and remove the keys from the compartment. I place the helmet on, start up the motorcycle, and speed to the secondary kill spot. I'll take out the Mark before the woman enters her hotel. I arrive and wait in an alley down from the entrance to the lobby. Two limos are parked at the curb in front of the entrance as a third limo pulls up. I leave my helmet on. I glance down at my PPK. I won't need a silencer. The hit will be up close and dirty. It's the price I have to pay for missing the initial shot.

Five women out on the town leave a club and start to walk past the hotel, and they laugh as they stroll down the sidewalk. The four bodyguards pile out of the third limo. I recognize them as the ones guarding the Mark, so I start towards them. One of the bodyguards spots me and raises his gun when he sees I'm armed, and I prepare to shoot him but before he or I react, someone else fires from behind him. The bodyguard ducks and turns around as I move to the side of the building, searching for cover. The five women scream and in the confusion of bodies frantically rushing about the sidewalk, I barely see the Mark collapse. I scan the area but can't tell where the shot originated, so I run back to the alley and go to the motorcycle. I get on it, but I can't leave yet. I have to make sure the Mark's dead. I drive the motorcycle down a block and park it out of sight, remove my helmet and long gray coat, and undo my hair from the ponytail. I run my hands through my blonde strands to straighten them as I make my way to the hotel and by then, a few people have gathered into a small crowd. I hear a woman crying.

I can't see past the people, so I walk up to a man I hear speaking in English and ask him, "What happened?"

He glances at me and then he raises on his toes, trying to see over the crowd as he answers, "I heard she's dead. I heard a Closer took her down, but they aren't sure."

After a few minutes, a car approaches in the distance with flashing blue lights and parks at the curb, and two men exit the car. One of the men speaks to the crowd in Russian and after he's done, the second man speaks in English with a Russian accent.

"Everyone back up. I'm Detective Boris, and I'm with Russia Civil Police Force. I will have to ask you to move back."

The crowd does as ordered. I move closer so I can see as a boy runs up to the detective and hands him a business card. Boris looks at the card, and I can barely make out that there's a picture of a composer's baton on the business card.

"Maestro, so this is a Closing," Boris mutters, then turns to his partner, and requests, "Victor, retrieve the Guild's Scanner so I may run this barcode."

His partner nods, goes to the vehicle, and returns with an H.H.C. linked to the Assassins Guild. The Guild's Emblem, a black dagger piercing a white mask, marks the top of the device. Boris takes the scanner, swipes the business card's barcode over the H.H.C.'s reader, and waits till a file pulls up.

"Maestro confirmed, it is a Closing," he states and then reads on. "This is not good."

I move again to get a better view, make my way to the street, start around the three limos, hurry around the last one, and move back to the sidewalk. Only a few people gather on this side, and a glint of metal catches my eye, but I don't look down too preoccupied with what's happening ahead of me.

The detective walks to a woman, sitting on the sidewalk and says to her, "Excuse me. Are you Mrs. Serqet?"

The woman looks up, and her eyes are red from crying as she sobs, "Yes."

I realize this woman is the Mark and that Maestro must have also missed or merely wounded her. I'll have to attempt a third time. Hades! Will this nightmare ever end?

The Mark wails as she sits on the sidewalk, and her cries sent shivers up my spine. Something's wrong. The Mark's not crying in pain, no, her wails are full of heartache as if she lost something.

The police car's lights reflect off the metal object on the sidewalk again, and I bend and pick up the item. It's a keychain of a pink bunny rabbit. The child..! Where's the child?

I frantically move forward, push my way past a few people, and stop about six feet from the Mark, and I see her cradling a small limp body. My whole being combusts from a collision of dread and guilt as I gasp, "No... No..."

The detective puts a hand to Mrs. Serqet's shoulder and tells her, "I'm sorry for your loss." Boris looks at the dead little girl in her arms, and then he informs her, "And I know this is of little consequence, but by the Assassins Guild Code 257-Section 9, I declare the Closing placed on you null and void." He types in the declaration on the H.H.C. as he adds, "There will be no more attempts on your life."

The Detective's correct. If in the course of a Closing the Mark's child is killed, the Closing's considered complete. My eyes water as I lose the impartiality my training placed in my heart. I don't understand how this happened. I stare at the dead child. It shouldn't have happened. I put a shaky hand to my mouth as I try to hold back my tears. What am I saying? I know what happened. I messed up the Closing. Hades! I messed up the Closing and look what happened! A tear streaks down my cheek. It wouldn't have happened if I had taken the shot, so the child's blood is on my hands.

I continue to watch Mrs. Serqet cradle the child in her arms as crimson saturates the little girl's blouse. Feeling sick, I divert my eyes to the keychain in my hand as I flee the scene and make my way back to the motorcycle. I can never hesitate again. I have to be more professional. I squeeze the rabbit, cutting my palm on the metal. The keychain will be a reminder to me of what happens with hesitation, and I promise myself that I'll never again falter on a Closing.
Chapter Twenty-eight

Child Of Mine

The present...

October 24...

Sunday...

10:27 A.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Business Vicinage...

Sphinx Corporation Third Branch Office...

"Have you found any records pertaining to a project my wife may have been involved with about thirty years ago?" Mr. Griffin questioned as he sat in his office. He didn't dare divulge to his Head of Security that he was looking for information on his youngest child, a child he was led to believe died at birth.

"No, no project that long ago," Orthos replied as he sat in a chair in front of the Chairman. "At least, none I have found on the mainframe. There may have been something in the old files from when you were Head of Security for this branch office but since you ordered me three days ago to expunge all the files with your alias Janus, the computer records are gone."

Mr. Griffin questioned, "What about the Archive? The documents I'm looking for are far enough back they would have kept a hard copy. Did you destroy those?"

"No, I had not thought to do so," Orthos replied as he removed his H.H.C. "Do you want those destroyed as well?"

The Chairman considered his answer. It wasn't like Orthos to be so sloppy as to not think of the Archive when expunging files. He also had to consider that Orthos simply had a hidden agenda. He was very ambitious. Orthos could be eyeing his seat in the corporation.

"Not at this time," Mr. Griffin answered him. "What of the other files the Vice President said he would send over?"

"I have them right here," Orthos answered as he laid the pile of folders on the desk.

"Very good. That's all for right now. If there's anything further, I'll tell you at our Security Overview meeting later this evening."

"Yes, Chairman."

Orthos stood, left, walked down the hall to the elevator, took the cab up, exited, and made his way to his office and once inside, Orthos locked the door, moved to a ground safe, unlocked it, and removed a white crystal. He examined the two-inch obelisk. He had learned that it was called a Data Crystal and that Theresa Griffin had created many of them and stored top secret information on them. He held it up to the light. Right now, it was no good to him, not until he found the device that could retrieve the information from it so for now, he would keep the Data Crystal locked up.

Sometime later...

Mr. Griffin flipped through the new files but saw nothing about his child and decided he would visit the Archive. He left his office and stopped at the secretary's desk.

"I'll be out for a while. Reschedule my appointments for the next four hours."

"Yes, Mr. Griffin," Cathy replied as she started on the calls.

He walked to the elevator and took it down to one of the basement floors. He stepped out into a hallway on Sub-level 6, and a security guard looked up from a desk.

"Good afternoon, Chairman," the security guard said as he logged in his arrival time.

"Good afternoon," Mr. Griffin said as he proceeded past the man and walked down the long white hall to another desk.

An older gentleman who was in his mid-seventies and wore bifocals glanced up. Over five hundred rows of shelves was behind him and filled a large open room. The older man said, "Janus, it has been a long time since I've seen you. Good to see you."

"Yes, Claviger it has been a long time, and it has been so long that I'm no longer known as Janus. I'm the Chairman now."

"Ohh... Moving up in the world. Good for you. What can I help you with Jan– I mean, Chairman?"

"I'm looking for information on a project my wife was working on about thirty years ago."

"Ah, yes. Theresa Griffin, she was a lovely woman," Claviger spoke as he slowly stood, favoring his right side. He grabbed a walker and started toward the back. "Follow me, and we'll see if we can find the files." He stomped his walker across the floor as he asked, "Did I tell you it was good to see you again?"

"You did," Mr. Griffin replied as he glanced over hundreds of rows of storage shelves that rose twenty feet into the air. Dozens of dome-shaped robots the size of a football moved across the floor and shelves, keeping the Archive clean and sterile.

"I wasn't sure if I had said it. I'm getting a little senile." Claviger stopped at a golf cart and said, "Get in."

Mr. Griffin arched a graying eyebrow, seeing the clerk wore house slippers, and Claviger noticed his expression and glanced down at his feet. "Oh, these. No one's here to see me in them, and my poor feet really love them."

"It'll be our secret," Mr. Griffin spoke before he got in on the passenger's side.

Claviger laid the walker in the back, turned the key to the cart, and started down an aisle. "As I was saying, besides the security guard, people don't come down here anymore. With the advancement of computers, all the information's a keystroke away. It gets kind of lonely down here."

Mr. Griffin turned to the clerk and said, "You have no H.H.C. How do you know where the records are filed?"

Claviger tapped his head. "It's all up here."

"What if something should happen to you, who else knows the filing system?"

"Who else?" He thought about it and answered, "No one. There hasn't been another clerk assigned down here in ten years."

"I'll have to do something about that."

"Here we are."

Claviger braked, grabbed his walker, and exited the golf cart. He removed a remote from the cart and pressed a button, and an automated ladder wheeled its way across the shelves, squeaking as it went and stopped in front of them.

"The box is on the tenth shelf. It's marked JS1324."

Mr. Griffin glanced up the ladder and back to the clerk quizzically.

Claviger tapped his walker with his hand. "I'd go up, Mr. Griffin, but my knees aren't what they used to be."

"Right."

Mr. Griffin removed his dark gray suit jacket and climbed the ladder, and soon he found the JS1324 box, brought it down, and opened it.

"Need any help going through it?" Claviger asked.

"No, I can do it myself. Thank you."

Claviger walked over to the storage shelf and pulled down a small mounted table. He laid the remote there, went to the golf card, grabbed a two-way radio, and placed it on the table.

"If you don't find what you're looking for, you might try box JB6741. It's up there." He pointed to the opposite storage shelf. "Or JU7895. It's down six units and up on shelf sixteen." He pointed and then said, "If you need anything, contact me on channel two. I also left a remote. Press the button and the ladder will move to where you're standing."

Claviger loaded his walker into the cart, sat in the driver's seat, and drove away.

Mr. Griffin placed the box on the table, removed the lid, and started going through the files. He spent about a half hour going through them when he came across a folder, and it was labeled top secret. He was surprised to see that the folder had been thrown in with all the others. He read over the report and discovered that Theresa Griffin was present during the First Cross-Gate Event, and she was six months pregnant at the time.

He read out loud, "Study of the child could be valuable to the Second Trial."

Mr. Griffin had never heard of the Cross-Gate Event or the Second Trial. He continued through the files but found no other references to his wife or his youngest child, so he put the contents back in the box, climbed the ladder, and put it back. Mr. Griffin climbed down, grabbed the remote from the table, and walked to the opposite side. He pressed the button on the remote, and a second automated ladder wheeled to the spot in front of him. He grabbed the second box, brought it down, started through its files, and found what he was looking for. It was another top secret folder, and he went over it, finding that Theresa Griffin had gone into labor early, but the baby was delivered in good health. It was decided by the Vice President to take the child away from its parents and study the effects of the Cross-Gate Event on its development. Theresa Griffin was told the baby died in childbirth. A new project title will be given to the experiment, and the girl will be given the best of care.

Mr. Griffin looked up from the folder. He had another girl, and he beamed with pride, thinking about her. He searched the rest of the box, found nothing, moved to the last box JU7895, and found nothing more on Theresa Griffin or the unnamed baby girl. The little girl was part of a project. It wasn't much to go on, but it was something. He picked up a small rectangular device that was within the box and unwrapped an instruction booklet around it, wondering what it was. They were for some sort of test. He skimmed through the booklet and discovered it was a blood test to determine if Stable-flux Red Blood Cells were present in the blood. He remembered seeing Stable-flux R.B.C. and flipped through some files he had already gone through and found it. Anyone present during the First Cross-Gate Event and survived had the Stable-flux R.B.C. in their blood. He grabbed some of them, put them in his business coat pocket, then put the last box back, and picked up the two-way radio.

"Claviger, I'm finished. You can come pick me up."

"Right away, Chairman."

The clerk's golf cart rolled down the aisle, stopped, and picked him up.

On the ride back, Mr. Griffin asked, "Do you know of any other files that might pertain to my wife or our second child?"

"Second child? You had a second child?" Claviger asked and when the Chairman didn't answer, Claviger replied, "No, but if they're more than a decade old, I might not. Before then, there were five clerks working down here, so I didn't file some of the records. I'll go through some of the older ones that were not part of my filing system and see if I can find anything, but it will take time."

"I'll send you some assistants. They can help you, and they can start cataloging these files. The Archive might not be used all that often, but I would like it in order so I may do so."

"Yes, Mr. Griffin and the help will be greatly appreciated," Claviger stated as he stopped the cart.

"You'll have the clerks by the end of the day."

Mr. Griffin got out, started down the hall, and passed the security guard.

Mr. Griffin's view...

A sense of pride comes over me, and I smile. I have a little girl. My smile quickly vanishes. She's little no more. She would be in her early thirties, and I have to find her. Theresa will want me to find her, so I better start looking.
Chapter Twenty-nine

Maven Crackerjack

10:29 A.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Trade Vicinage...

Sun enslaving Dry Clouds hovered over the Factory like a cruel and angry master as several tractor-trailers drove down the long stretch of road to the main facility. Armed Council S.C.Ms. watched the men unload the eighteen wheelers and transport the cargo into one of the buildings with forklifts. One by one, the workers uncrated the boxes in a variety of sizes and set up their contents in one of the Factory's large gyms. The room had earlier been cleared of its workout equipment and by late morning, the men finished uncrating the boxes. The Rogue busied itself with checking the invoices to make sure all the items had been delivered.

"What is the meaning of this?" a tall thin man shouted as he stormed into the room. He had stringy blond hair pulled back in a ponytail and wore a stone-gray business suit and a white tie. The man adjusted his thin-framed glasses with round lenses which made his light blue eyes look bigger than they were. Two Council S.C.Ms. had followed him in.

At the man's rude entrance, the Rogue turned from one of the delivery men it had been speaking with.

The man spat with an air of indignation, "I arrived at the Hellenistic Sector's Antiquity Museum this morning to find everything gone. Every piece from the Ginn L. Irynkissgthie exhibit was sold to this dreadful place." He walked around the room as he questioned, "What could you possibly want with all this forgotten history?"

The Rogue signed the delivery sheet on an H.H.C., and the last of the workers left. "You must be the curator of the museum." It waved away the two S.C.Ms. that escorted the man through the Factory, and they left, leaving the Rogue to talk with the man alone.

"No, I am not the curator. I'm the assistant, and I'm in charge of Ginn's exhibit. I'm Maven Crackerjack." He stepped forward and demanded, "And you are?"

"Mr. Pinchbeck, I am the Manager of the Factory," the Rogue answered as it walked over to a pedestal displaying an old leather bound book in a glass case. "Tell me, Mr. Crackerjack, what do you know of Ginn?"

"What do I know?" he yelled and then yelled louder, "What do I know?" Maven folded his arms. "What don't I know?"

Moving to a painting of what looked like an abstract landscape, the Rogue studied the scene. "Do you want to know why I have brought all these things here?" It motioned to the items with its hand and said, "Answer me something then. Why did you say this is forgotten history?"

"It isn't completely forgotten." Maven pointed to himself and declared, "I have dedicated my life to discovering these things and to understand Ginn's genius." He pulled out a white silk handkerchief from his suit pocket, removed his glasses, and cleaned the lenses. "I called it forgotten history because no one cares about what happened in the past. In this business world, all they care about is the future. I say we can learn about our future by examining the past."

"Well said, but how much of the past have you studied?"

"You mean you want to know how much I know about Irynkissgthie? He was born 559 B.D.C. and died in 478 B.D.C. nearly 500 years ago. He was a painter, sculptor, architect, musician, engineer, and scientist. The versatility and creative power of Ginn marked him as a supreme example of late Renaissance genius. He depicted in his drawings a scientific precision and consummated artistry subjects ranging from flying machines to caricatures. He also executed intricate anatomical studies of people, animals, and plants." Maven placed his glasses back on.

"No, I can get all that information from books and the internet. What I want to know is what you cannot find in them."

Maven questioned, "Why are you so interested?"

"It is a fair question, so let me show you why. Follow me please." The Rogue walked out of the display room, down several corridors, into Research Lab Five, and into the Gallery.

Maven looked over each of the statues. "These are quite amazing, but these don't answer my question. Why are you so interested?"

"These may not." The Rogue walked to a back wall, pressed a tile at the height of its shoulder, and the wall slid up. "Down this hall is the reason for my interest." It motioned with its hand and said, "After you."

Maven started down the long descending passage. A light came on as he entered each section, lighting their way. After about fifteen minutes, the hall ended at a room, and Maven paused at the doorway. Several lights blinked on inside, lighting up the center where the two black stones sat on a platform. Maven examined them and said, "Amazing! You have pieces of the Stones?"

"They are incomplete. I thought so," the Rogue spoke. "But are they pieces of the same work?"

"Do you see it?" Maven questioned. He had never come across anyone who understood Ginn even just a fraction, and it made him tingle with excitement to know he might have found someone he could share his knowledge with who would also appreciate it. Maven said, "You see it, but you haven't figured out what it is you are seeing."

The Rogue asked, "What are you saying?"

"Where to begin?" He put his hands together as if praying and spoke, "It might sound preposterous, but I believe some things accredited to Ginn were really created by a man named Arcamedes."

The Rogue contemplated the significance of this truth and questioned, "You are saying there could be a second man?"

"Yes," Maven answered, and then he demanded, "Now tell me, why are you gathering Ginn's artifacts?"

"Answer me one more question. Do you believe the stones are only poems?"

Maven shook his head. "No, of course not. They are a prophecy. I believe two opposing prophecies."

"Opposing..? Your theory is intriguing."

Maven could hardly contain his excitement as he spoke, "Yes, and that would mean two possible outcomes."

"It is intriguing," the Rogue repeated. "And to answer your question as to why I am gathering the artifacts, I believe I have found the Rushlight."

"In all the years I have poured over Ginn's works, I have never come close to figuring out who the Rushlight refers to," Maven stated, and then he asked, "What great figure in history do you believe the Rushlight was?"

"Mr. Crackerjack, I believe the Rushlight is here in the present. I believe the Rushlight is here living in Noir."

Maven considered the possibility and then spoke, "I have something that might interest you. Come, let us return to the room housing the artifacts."

Maven took the lead, and they went back to the large gym and once inside, Maven walked to the glass case displaying the old leather bound book. He removed the protective cover, placed white gloves on from his coat pocket, and flipped through the tome. Maven removed an old parchment folded in half that had been tucked between two pages.

"This is an old copy of a translation of a poem written by Arcamedes. It's one of the things I base my hypothesis on." He held out the parchment and said, "You might find one word interesting that's used repeatedly."

The Rogue started to take it, paused, went and put on gloves from a table, took the parchment, and read the poem entitled "You Will Weep".

Where light brightened the day

now darkness preys.

Where love stayed the pain

now love is bane.

Rushlight, say goodbye.

Say you will embrace the night.

No.

Don't say I didn't try.

Don't say I gave up the fight.

Rushlight, the tears you wish to cry

will one day fall like rain.

For all the lies they told you,

for the hurt and the pain.

Rushlight, you will weep to be so alone.

Do you not know

you are marked and

you may never return home.

No.

Don't say I can't go home.

Don't say I can't change my destiny.

Rushlight, in the end,

you will be what I told you,

you will be.

No loyal friend will you ever see.

Now say goodbye,

say you will fight the urge to cry.

Say you will embrace the Closing of Days.

No.

I will shed tears.

I will defy my fate.

I will find a way.

Love is the test.

Then Rushlight,

these tears you cry

fall too late.

They won't take back your lies,

your folly, your pain.

You have committed the final sin

now there is no turning back.

Love has left you,

you will find no rest.

No matter what you say,

you cannot run away from today.

No.

You lie.

I will beat the test.

No, Rushlight,

you will fail.

And you will weep when you face the end alone,

you are marked,

you may never return home.

You are marked,

you may never return home.

You are marked,

you may never return home.

The Rogue looked up from the parchment and said, "Since this is the reference you wanted me to see, you must be implying–"

"I'm implying, Mr. Pinchbeck," Maven interrupted. "Ginn did not write both of those tablets. It's my theory that Arcamedes wrote the second one. The one in which the Rushlight is mentioned and it would mean, we don't have a man who couldn't see the future clearly. We have two different men looking into the aftertime, so there are two possible outcomes to the future they mentioned, depending on which path the Rushlight takes."

The Rogue said, "This is most interesting."

Maven placed the parchment back in the book and set the glass case over the tome. "Mr. Pinchbeck, will you allow me to chase this hypothesis?"

"Now you want to work for me? Are you saying you are no longer opposed to Ginn's Collection coming to the Factory?"

"Yes, I wish to work for you and no, I'm no longer opposed to the collection coming here. I see that it won't be collecting dust."

"Well then, Mr. Crackerjack, chase your hypothesis with the full funding of the Factory."
Chapter Thirty

It's All In A Street

11:59 A.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Residential Vicinage...

Nexus Apartments...

Katharine's view...

The elevator doors open to the thirty-first floor, and I drudge out, making my way to Apartment H. I'm carrying the hot teas, and mine's half gone.

A man walks out of Apartment G, passes me, and says, "Hello."

"Hey," I automatically reply without looking at him and stop in front of Apartment H. I press the doorbell just wanting to collapse on the couch. The chime rings inside and within a few minutes, Kimberly answers.

"It's about time you came back," Kimberly yells at me as she steps to the side so I can enter. "What took you so long?"

I mumble over my shoulder as I move to the kitchen as if I'm some windup toy that can't stop, "I don't want to talk about it." I remember what I'm carrying, walk back, and hand Kimberly her Chai. "Here, I got this for you."

She stares at the cup a few moments, grabs it, and takes a sip. I proceed to walk back into the kitchen, and then I change my mind and go into the living room, drop my backpack, and plop on the couch. I set my tea on the coffee table and stare at the floor. The walk from the taxi and the elevator ride up here allowed me to relive what I didn't want to.

"Did something bad happened?" Kimberly asks me as she stands behind the couch, watching me with this accusing glare I don't have to see to know she's doing it. I can feel her insinuating eyeballs bouncing off of me as she says, "I told you not to go. You need to start listening to me when I tell you–"

"You're right," I interrupt. "I should have never gone." I ball my hands that rest on my lap, wanting to punch myself as I declare, "I need to stay away from people. I'm cursed. I only endanger them. I only cause suffering."

Kimberly's view...

Wow... That woman has a complex unless something more than talking was going on at the boy's house. I take another sip. This tea's very good. I'll have to ask her where she got it but more importantly, I need to find out what happened. If I'm going to have that woman living here, I should probably know for my own safety.

I walk around, sit next to her, and urge, "Come on, you can tell me. What happened?"

I set my tea next to hers as a sign that we're in this together. We're in this together as long as I need her.

Katharine's view...

I don't understand Kimberly's actions. She acts like she cares about me, but I know better. Her anger and rage are what's true here and if she's only going to yell at me or make fun of me, she can just leave me alone. I don't need somebody to criticize me. I need someone who will... who will...

Kimberly's view...

I watch as that woman refuses to acknowledge my question. I want to make her stop ignoring me, but I decide against violence. I need to find another way to get her to open up to me. I need a tactic I haven't used yet. I should... Kindness... If I pretend to care, she might talk to me.

I clear my throat, reluctantly place a hand on her shoulder and in the sincerest voice I can manage, I say, "I'll understand, you can tell me."

I don't know if she bought it. I sounded very insincere. Should I repeat myself and try to make it sound like I do care? No, I might make it worse.

Katharine's view...

I feel the weight of Kimberly's hand on my shoulder, and it brings me a little comfort. She's right... Of all the people I can tell, Kimberly will understand. I don't have to hide anything from her. She knows what I am and after the death of Preacher, there hasn't been anyone I can turn to.

My body trembles with the weight of my guilt. I can no longer contain the feelings of regret and shame, so I close my eyes, place my balled hands in front of myself, lean over, and bury my face in her shoulder.

I confess, "It was awful... and it was all my fault."

Kimberly's view...

Startled by that woman's actions, I jerk back and throw up my hands as all I think is don't touch me. This is a little more personal than I wanted to get, and I look around the room for an escape, but I'm stuck. All I wanted that woman to do was talk to me. I don't want to comfort her, and I especially don't want to be touching her this much.

Katharine's view...

"Everything was fine at Chad's place at first–" I begin my tale as my body involuntarily shakes with my sorrow, "–then these Un-Men were delivered. Before I could stop them, the bodyguards activated them. The Factory's original programming was never removed, and the Un-Men tried to kill me. They shot up the house and nearly killed everyone."

I find some comfort as I press my face into the shoulder of the one who refers to herself as the Phoenix. She doesn't put her arms around me but maybe this is enough. It's enough to know that she's here, and she won't think bad of me.

Kimberly's view...

For Ares' sake! She is cursed! And I'm the one stuck with her. If that woman wasn't connected to my mom somehow, I'd get rid of her. I'd give her something to whine about.

I halfheartedly pat her back as if I'm burping a baby and say, "It's okay. You're not cursed. It's the Factory's fault, not yours. They're the ones who messed up the Un-Men's programming so don't worry about it."

Katharine's view...

The pats on my back seem hollow somehow, but I still feel safe and... I almost feel like I've been here before, not the tearless crying part, but that Kimberly has consoled me before, a real consoling, and that warm sensation of an imagined friendship makes me feel a whole lot better. I want her to reassure me. I want her to convince me it's not my fault.

"Maybe, but they wouldn't have shot up the house if I wasn't there. Doesn't that make me cursed? Shouldn't I stay away from people? After all, I am Pandora. I cause nothing but pain."

Kimberly's view...

I roll my eyes. Oh for Ares' sake! Is everything about her? She needs to get over herself. I shake my head in disgust. Is this the mighty Pandora Project? Talk about whiny...

I force myself to lie and say, "No... Of course not. Don't let them have power over you."

Katharine's view...

She did it... Kimberly has come to my rescue, and I don't feel as bad about what happened at Chad's house. I can stop crying.

"You're right." I sit up, wiping away my imaginary tears. "I shouldn't give them power over me." I wipe my nose and tell her, "Thanks for talking. I feel a little better."

Kimberly's view...

I lift my hands as if I'm covered in snot, edged my way off the seat, and escape around the couch as I tell her, "Anytime."

I quickly make my way into the kitchen and grab my knapsack from a bar stool. I better get going before that woman decides we need to braid each other's hair or some other girlfriend bonding ritual. I've got a job and for this Closing, I'm going to take a taxi.

"Going somewhere?" that woman questions me.

"Yes, I shouldn't be gone more than a couple of hours."

Katharine's view...

Kimberly leaves the apartment and after a few minutes, I glance around the quiet empty room and decide I'll get some fresh air. I walk to the front door, take one step into the hall, and look back. Once I close the door, it'll automatically lock, and I won't be able to get back in. I'm stuck either in the apartment or out till Kimberly comes back.

"Out for a stroll?" the man from earlier questions me as he returns to his apartment.

I turn to the fairly nice looking man and say as I remain in the doorway, "Hey, I know you."

"I passed you in the hall, not twenty minutes ago."

"No, it was before that. You made a delivery here about a week ago."

He looks at the apartment and then says, "You're right. Good memory." He scratches the back of his head and states, "You caught me. I was so impressed with the apartment when I made the delivery, I decided to rent one. I now live in Apartment G." He motions to his place and says, "We're neighbors." He walks over to me, offers his hand, and says, "I don't think I introduced myself before. The name's Zax."

"Kat," I state as I shake his hand.

"Are you out for a stroll?"

"I was, but I'm only a guest here and don't have a key. Okay not a key, but you know, a way back in."

"Yes, the voice command system. I guess you're stuck until your friend returns." Zax points his thumb over his shoulder and says, "I passed her as I came out of the elevator."

"Her name's Kimberly."

"You should have your friend add your voice to the door system."

That would be nice, but I doubt she'd go for it. Kimberly barely rates me as a guest so forget about a roommate.

Zax starts for his door and then says, "It's kind of odd now that I think of it."

"What is?"

"Your friend was mumbling about something she had to do or something about Brownstone Street." Zax shrugs and then says, "I guess it's really none of my business." He commands, "Door unlock. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to knock."

His apartment opens and he goes in, leaving me to think over his puzzling statement. Brownstone Street... but that's where Melissa's safe house is. I enter Apartment H, press the button, and the door slides closed. I go to the coffee table and grab my tea, wondering why Kimberly would be going to Brownstone Street. She was wearing her work clothes. I think about it some more. Melissa told me when I was at her safe house that Valhalla hired a Life Closer. Kimberly wouldn't. She said she's taking a break from being the Phoenix. Kimberly wouldn't, she has no time. She's searching for her mom's murderer. I down the last of my Chai. Would Kimberly lie to me? She can't be going to a Closing. I walk into the kitchen and throw the cup away. What am I thinking? Of course, she would lie to me, and she did take her knapsack but that means– I grab my backpack and rush out of the apartment.

"–that means the Phoenix was hired to kill Melissa!"

I race for the elevator. I can't let her do it!

End Katharine's view...

Earlier inside Apartment G...

After a few minutes, Zax dialed a number on his cell and then said, "Delivery Man here, I need to speak with R.G." He waited for a few moments, and then he stated, "It's done. I informed Katharine as you told me." Zax listened, and then he spoke, "I believe she'll make the connection." He looked at the monitor displaying Apartment H's kitchen and living room, and he saw her walk to the stove. "One moment." Zax turned up the volume so he could listen.

"–that means the Phoenix was hired to kill Melissa!"

Zax turned down the volume and then spoke into the cell, "Tell R.G., mission accomplished. Katharine made the connection. She's on her way."
Chapter Thirty-one

Roads Collide

1:45 P.M...

Nile Sector, Commorance Vicinage...

Nikolai and Natasha walked through the revolving doors leading into the lobby of the Bes Hotel, and the area was busy with people checking in and out. The two made their way to an elevator, entered the empty cab, and pressed the button for the top floor.

"Tomorrow is the day," Natasha said in her thick accent. "We can complete the Closing for the Phoenix and leave this dreadful Dark Half."

"This place is not completely dreadful, my sister. I find the Dry Clouds impressive." He held his hat in his hand as he said, "They are like watching a pack of wolves stalk the land."

"You do have an imagination, my brother." Natasha changed the subject. "Are there any special instructions for the Phoenix Closing?"

"There are two," Nikolai answered as he removed an H.H.C. from his suit pocket. "We are to wait for the Phoenix to complete his or her Closing before we complete ours and if the Phoenix is unable to complete his or her Closing, we are to acquire the file and complete the task."

Natasha questioned, "There will be a bonus?"

"Yes," Nikolai answered. "Voice will compensate us if we take the second Closing."

Once they arrived at their destination, they proceeded out of the elevator.

"Where are we going, my brother? You have been very secretive."

"There is something I want to show you. Something I think you will like. We will be there shortly, so for the rest of our journey, we will need to take the stairs."

Earlier on the rooftop...

Kimberly's view...

I make sure no one follows me up and that no one else is here, and then I walk to a ledge overlooking Brownstone Street. The sky ever dark dominates the brightly lit city like a black dragon standing before a candle that with one flick of its massive tail, can extinguish the flame.

I remove binoculars from my knapsack and peer through them at a well-lit house across the road. I see a bike messenger run up the stoop and ring the buzzer, and then I see a man answer the door. The Mark has bodyguards. I remove an H.H.C. from my knapsack and open the Closing File, and it's on Melissa Odin. The Mark's Closing's not until tomorrow. I don't know if I can take the Mark out with a rifle if the Mark doesn't leave the house, so I'll have to go in. If I go in, I'll have to take out the bodyguards. I scan the file and discover that the Mark has a little girl. I hope for her sake the Mark sent her to live with a relative. I don't need another Moscow.

I put the device away and then glance up, hearing a rumbling overhead as a He-Zeppelin soars beneath the Dry Clouds. The airship's twin engines roar, cutting through the thick atmosphere. A raven flies next to the He-Zeppelin, dives, and lands on the ledge down from me, and I look at the bird. The raven tilts its head, staring at me with dark eyes and caws, and then some dog or something howls in the distance. I turn my attention back to the airship as a message in green neon letters runs across the He-Zeppelin's side.

"Crite. The taste of lemon and lime. Refresh your taste buds. Buy two twelve packs and receive one free, so buy some Crite today."

Stupid ad, now I'm thirsty. The corporation probably placed subliminal messages in it. I remove a bottle of water from my knapsack. It's not Crite, but it will have to do. I take a couple of drinks, put the bottle back, and peer through the binoculars again. The stoop's empty as several cars drive along Brownstone Street and people stroll the sidewalk. A yellow taxi pulls up to the curb in front of the house and after about a minute, the taxi continues down the road. I try to see who got out. Whoever they are, they look a little lost. I watch the figure who's standing alone on the sidewalk and the person glances in my direction. Is that Katharine? I focus on her face. It is. What's she doing here? That strange woman stares up at the rooftop and appears to be looking at me. I bet she followed me here. No, I've been here too long, and she just arrived. Katharine turns, walks up the steps to the stoop, and rings the buzzer. A bodyguard opens the door. They speak, and he shakes his head. The bodyguard closes the door, and that woman remains outside. She seems to be very anxious. What did that woman say to him and what could she possibly be here for? She can't be telling them I'm up here. She doesn't know. I bite my lip. She can't possibly know. I wish I had taken that course on lip reading.

The bodyguard returns with another man, and they both walk out to the stoop after closing the door behind them. This second man's bald and speaks with Katharine for a while. Occasionally, the first bodyguard says something, and the discussion seems heated at times and after a few minutes, the second man gives in over the objection of the first, and they let her in. For Ares' sake! I stand, placing the binoculars in my knapsack. I have a mind to march down there and drag that woman out of that house. I pace for a few minutes. She has to know that I'm up here, but I can't see how. I start for the rooftop door. I'll worry about the how later. The idiot! I wish she had a phone, and then I'd give her a piece of my mind. No one interferes with my job! I arrive at the door and move my hand to turn the knob when the knob turns on its own, and I quickly duck around the side as two people wearing WM-Bs wander out.

"See," a man starts as he strolls toward the edge with the woman's arm locked around his. He places his hat on as he says, "The Dry Clouds are impressive up here."

I glance around the corner and get a look at the two. They seem familiar, but I can't place them. The woman wears a white fur-lined black coat that flows to her ankles, and the man wears a white pinstriped gray business suit and Fedora. I reach for my PPK, and then I change my mind about drawing the gun. It doesn't matter who they are, as soon as I can, I'm getting out of here.

The woman presses a button on the side of her mask and speaks, "I see what you mean about them. I can almost see the wolves. The pack is anxious." She releases her hold on his arm and places her hands on the railing, scanning the sky. "Is this what you wanted to show me?"

"This is part of it," he answers and searches the rooftop as if he expects to see something. "I was hoping for another."

While the two have their backs to me, I slip around the corner and make for the exit.

"What is the other?" the woman questions.

I hear something speed by my face and something cuts my cheek before embedding in the door. "Hades!"

I turn and face the two and see that the woman threw a throwing knife at me.

She asks, "Is this creature the one you were waiting for?"

I draw my PPK and aim for the black haired woman. I guess getting out of here won't be so easy.

"Yes," he answers. "The little firebird I presume." He removes a Glock 25 from a shoulder holster and aims it at me. "We finally meet the Phoenix."

Somehow they know my name, but I admit to nothing as I ask, "Who are you?"

She replies, "By now, you should know we are like you."

"Like me? Who do you think I am?"

"A Life Closer of course," she answers. "One that has been sloppy."

I aim for the man as I place my free hand behind my back and reach for the knob. I demand, "Who hired you?"

"Voice," he replies.

The woman turns to him and asks, "Brother, are you going to tell her everything?"

He sounds like some sort of gangster as he answers, "Does it matter? She'll be sleeping with the fishes soon."

I'm surprised Voice is the one who sent them, and I decide not to escape right away. I might learn some valuable intel from them. I do continue my act and question, "Who or what is this voice?"

"Do not play simple-minded with us," she says. "We know that you are the Phoenix. You cannot deny it."

"I'm not saying I am this Life Closer you mentioned, but tell me something. Why does this voice want me dead? What did I do?"

"You should not have to ask," he states. "It is Guild business. Remember you botched the Moscow assignment. It is grounds enough for your Closing."

They know about Moscow, so then they must work for Voice. No need to pretend my ignorance, but botched?

I admit to them, "Sure I missed the first shot, but the backup took out Mrs. Serqet's little girl before I had a chance to take my second shot."

She informs me, "Phoenix, you had no backup."

"Sure I did. I saw Maestro's business card when it was handed to the detective. He or she claimed the kill."

They glance at one another.

"Do you know nothing?" he questions me. "Maestro's alias has been retired for ten years. Maestro is dead."

"It does not matter," the woman states. "It is your alias that was recorded as the Life Closer. The Assassins League has your ID logged as the one who killed the child. You are the lowest of low. You are a Life Closer who cannot hit her Mark."

"This is a mistake. I need to clear this up with Voice. I heard the detective say Maestro," I mumble to myself as I reach for the knob again. "I know I did."

"That is not our problem," she states as she reaches into her sleeve. "You of all people should know the rules. Only Voice or Thanatos can cancel a Closing."

"Oh, I know."

If this comes to a fight, I'll take the man out first. The woman does seem very skillful with the knives, but I still believe that at this distance, he'll be the bigger threat.

"I wasn't saying we should hold this off, but you can at least do me the courtesy of telling me your names. You already know mine."

"That was rude of us," he says, and then he bows his head in greeting and states, "I am the Raven, and my sister is the Wolf."

Is the Moscow assignment the only reason Voice sent these two after me? Does Voice know I lied about Katharine and I didn't kill her? I bite my lip. Will I have to eliminate her before we finish our deal? I might have to if I want to get back into good standing with the Assassins Guild. I would prefer to wait till after that woman helps me and I have no further need of her, but I can't have everything I want. I study the man and woman, and I believe I've gotten all the information I'm going to get from them, so I prepare to flee as I tell them, "Well, let's get this over wi–"

The knob I'm holding turns on its own, and the door opens as I whirl around and aim for the newest member of the rooftop club. The person walks out as I yell, "You've got to be kidding! What are you doing here?"

"Me?" Katharine yells as she glares at me with hazel eyes that accuse. "What are you doing here?"

Panic sweeps across me as I step back, and that woman raises her gun in response to me aiming at her. I don't know if I should fire or not. There's something in the way that woman's looking at me. It's as if I betrayed her.

"You didn't answer me," Katharine yells as she steps further out onto the roof, breathing as if she ran all the way up the stairs. She notices the man and woman standing near the ledge. "Kimberly, what are you doing here?"

The Raven aims his Glock at Katharine and questions, "Who is this?"

"Perhaps another Closer," the Wolf answers. "Maybe Voice is not convinced we can complete our Closing or maybe Voice has sent another to make sure we kill the Phoenix's Mark if she does not do so."

Katharine's view...

I peer at the man and woman, trying to figure out why they're here. I thought the Russian woman said they'll kill Melissa if Kimberly fails. I turn my attention to my partner. I'm right, Kimberly's here to kill Melissa, but how can she take on another Closing when she told me she wouldn't?

The tension increases as those of us with guns divide our time between pointing our weapon at the other two as something else crosses my mind. They could be Closers, and they could be here to kill Kimberly. I can't think about that right now. I have to focus on one thing at a time. First, I have to deal with Kimberly. My tone makes it clear I'm not too happy with my partner as I state while I keep my Beretta leveled on her, ignoring the others, "We need to talk."

"Fine with me," Kimberly says. "But could we do it someplace more private? It's getting a little crowded up here."

I glance at the other two. I've seen them somewhere. I take a second look at the man and woman, and I realize they were at the Genesis Arboretum.

I ask my partner, "Making new friends?"

"Funny," Kimberly snaps. "Are you wanting that talk or not?"

"Then you know why I'm here? Because I know why you're here."

"If you know why I'm here, then I can guess why you're here," Kimberly replies.

"Then you know I won't let you do it. I'll stop you. I won't let you kill anyone. This has to end–"

The Russian woman leans to her brother and inquires, "What are they bickering about?"

"I am not sure. I am very confused. And I am not even sure they know what they are arguing about. The conversation seems to be going in circles."

"Kill anyone?" Kimberly interrupts me. "How could you possibly know I'm here to..? Never mind. What's more important is–"

The Russian woman clears her throat and then speaks to us, "Excuse me. Do not forget about us. We are feeling very left out, and we were the first guests."

"I haven't forgotten about you," Kimberly tells her. "But do you mind, I'm trying to have a conversation here. Talk about rude." She turns back to me and asks, "Where was I?"

"Maybe this conversation would be better in private," I tell her. "Truce till we're done with these two?"

"Truce," Kimberly answers. "What's the plan?"

"We should find better cover. After you–" I say as I motion to the open door with my head. "–and hurry. I think the Life Closers' polite talk is coming to an end."

Kimberly backs up, then turns, and races down the stairs.

"It was very rude of you to interfere," the Russian woman tells me as she unsheathes a throwing knife. "Do you not know there are sweets that are treats and Sweets that can kill?"

"Sweets that you eat? And sweets that can kill? You mean like choking on a cookie?" I question. "I almost did earlier this morning. I thought I was going to die, but before I actually choked–"

"Cookie..?" the woman repeats, and then her face goes all feral as she yells, "No, I am talking about this."

She lifts the throwing knife so I can see it.

"Oh... Sorry... Sometimes I'm a little slow on the uptake." I gave Kimberly enough of a head start, so I trigger my Beta Phase as I say, "Why don't you drop the knife?"

She notices the light coming from my eyes, but it doesn't seem to phase her as she draws her hand back and questions, "Why would I want to drop my knife?"

I fire before she throws it, and the bullet strikes the blade, knocking the weapon from her hand. I turn the gun on the man before he reacts and warn him, "Don't do it! Just take it easy. I made sure not to hurt her."

"She did hurt me!" the woman screeches as she rubs her hand. "Kill her!"

He snarls and then yells before firing, "No one hurts my sister!"

"Oh crap!"

I run through the door and down the stairs as several bullets whizz past me. One nicks me on the side of my chin as I flee, and soon they're pursuing me. I burst through the door to the highest level the elevator comes up to, and I run to the elevator, finding Kimberly waiting for me.

"About time you got here." Kimberly presses the lobby button, and the elevator doors close.

"Actually," I say out of breath. "I didn't think you'd wait."

"Well... I wouldn't have, but we still need to have our talk."
Chapter Thirty-two

Protect The One's You Love

Twenty-five minutes earlier...

Before going up to the roof...

Katharine's view...

The taxi I was in pulls away, leaving me standing on the sidewalk across from Bes Hotel. I stare at Melissa Odin's safe house, praying I'm not too late, and then I turn and look up at the tops of the buildings across the street. Kimberly could be up on any one of those buildings taking aim, so I stare a little longer but don't see her, so I walk up the stairs to the stoop and ring the buzzer.

After a few seconds, Daniels answers and questions me, "What are you doing here?" He shakes his head as he tells me, "I'm not letting you in."

"You have to!" I yell, knowing time's not on my side, and then I insist, "I need to talk to Johnson. Melissa's life depends on it."

He tells me, "I think you need to leave." Daniels removes his gun and states as if I don't know already, "It's been decided we don't need you."

I know he now views me as a threat, so I try not to raise my voice as I insist, "Yes, you do. I know who the Life Closer is. I know who has been sent to take out Melissa." I plead with him, "Please, let me speak with Johnson."

Daniels thinks about it for a few seconds, then exhales loudly, and says, "Fine, wait here."

He enters the house and closes the door behind himself. I turn and look back at Brownstone Street. A truck honks at what looks like a large dog as it darts across the road to Bes Hotel. I turn back to the door, wait about a minute, and then Daniels returns with Johnson. Both men walk out to the stoop, and Daniels recloses the door.

Johnson glances around, surveying the people using the sidewalks and going by in vehicles. He turns his attention to me and says, "Daniels tells me you know who the Life Closer is."

"The Phoenix."

Johnson removes an H.H.C. and punches in the name Phoenix as I move to the side of him and watch. A file appears with data collected by the Isis Corporation, and then he states, "This isn't good." He scans page after page, and then he adds, "The Phoenix is very good."

"Yes, that's why you need me," I speak, and then I try to convince him by saying, "I've had dealings with the Phoenix in the past. I can help."

"We can't let her in," Daniels protests. "We hardly know anything about her. All we really know is that she's the Pandora Project. It is what the Un-Men called her." He still grips his gun tightly as he questions, "What does that mean really? For all we know, it's a Life Closer name."

Johnson types Pandora Project on his H.H.C., and I watch with interest, seeing if the Isis Corporation has anything on me. Unfortunately, no file appears.

"No, there's no Life Closer by any version of that name," Johnson states.

"It doesn't mean we should let her in."

"I know there isn't any reason why you should trust me," I begin. "But you've seen what I can do. I'll put my life out there for Chad, Melissa, and Bonnie. I won't let anything happened to them."

"Johnson don't. Don't let her words sway you. You have to think of this family." Daniels insists, "We have to protect them."

I think of something and ask, "Were you able to call in reinforcements?"

"No," Johnson replies. "We're it. I guess the Isis Corporation believes Valhalla won't kill Ms. Odin. She's too valuable alive."

"Then you need me."

"You're right," Johnson tells Daniels. "We have to protect this family no matter the cost." Johnson turns to me and stares at me as if he's searching for something and then after a few moments, he tells me, "Kat, welcome to the team but know–" His voice and eyes change as they go eerily dark, and he threatens me, "–if you cause any harm to this family, I'll personally end you." His expression returns to normal, and he steps to the side to let me in as he says, "Let's go talk to Ms. Odin."

Inside the kitchen...

"You think it's a good idea to have her here?" Melissa questions Johnson as if I'm not standing right in front of her. She looks exhausted, and I feel sorry for her over the predicament she's in.

"Yes," Johnson answers.

Melissa glances at the other bodyguard and says, "Daniels doesn't seem so sure."

"She did take out five Un-Men," Andrews speaks up.

Melissa doesn't seem to be listening to the conversation she's apart of and asks Andrews, "How are the children?"

"Fine. Chad dragged his mattress into Bonnie's room and is resting on the floor and with him there, the little girl has fallen asleep and is taking a nap." Andrews walks over to a coffee pot, pours himself a cup, and says, "I'm only in here to get some Java."

Johnson turns to me and asks me, "What's your plan?"

My plan? I didn't have one when I rode over here in the taxi, and I still don't. I just need time to figure out what's really going on.

I remove my backpack and place it on the stool as I say, "I know someone who might help with the Phoenix if I can convince her. I'm going to go talk with her now."

"You're leaving?" Daniels questions me. "Can't you call this person?"

I think for a moment, and then I reply, "I don't know her number. I'll have to talk with her face to face."

"What if the Phoenix strikes while you're gone?" Daniels asks.

"I don't have an answer for that. We do need her if we're going to stop the Phoenix, so I'll hurry," I say as I remove my Beretta from the backpack and tuck it in the front of my pants. I zip up my athletic jacket, pull it over the gun to hide the weapon, and then I say, "Whatever you do, don't go outside. The Phoenix likes to attack from a distance."

I hurry and go out the front door and cross the street to the Bes Hotel and in an alley down from me, I catch sight of the dog that darted in front of the truck. I see that the animal's not a dog but a wolf. The wolf observes me, raises its head, and howls a warning, and then I could swear I hear a raven return its call as I rush inside the hotel and then to the roof.

The present...

The numbers above the elevator doors light up as the elevator passes each level. Kimberly dabs the cut on her cheek with a white handkerchief from her knapsack. The knife cut looks superficial, and the bleeding soon stops.

"Do you think they'll be waiting for us in the lobby?" I ask as I glance at Kimberly.

She answers me, "Even if they beat us to the bottom, they won't engage us with people around. They're too professional. They'll wait for some secluded place."

I brought the gun with me to protect Chad but now's not the time to use it. I need to talk with Kimberly first, so I set the safety on the Beretta and tuck it back in the front of my pants. The doors open to the lobby, and both of us walk out, scanning the crowd. We don't see the Wolf or the Raven, so we start for the front when I notice a lady's room.

"Let's go to the bathroom," I say as I push Kimberly in ahead of myself.

"Now..?" Kimberly protests as I force her in. "Can't you wait?"

I lock the main door and check to see if anyone else is in the bathroom, and the stalls are all empty.

"Okay, all clear," I say, then turn to my supposed partner, and state, "Now we can talk."

Kimberly's view...

"Right," I mutter and would rather be any place else but here. That woman somehow knows what I'm up to or I think she does.

"Kimmie, how could you?" that woman yells at me like we're friends and I borrowed her favorite shirt without permission. She slams her palm on the sink and shouts, "You've taken a Closing! You're here to kill Melissa Odin!"

I am right. That woman does know why I'm here. I don't know how, but it makes me very upset that she's trying to interfere. All of that is bad enough but the name she called me... that woman... she... I should just... I snap at her, "I told you never to call me that! Only my mom called me that!" I jab my finger into that woman's shoulder and tell her, "And yes, I took a Life Closing! For Ares' sake, I'm an assassin! It's my job!"

That woman folds her arms and sulks like some child, "But you said you were going to take a break. You said you were going to focus on finding Theresa's murderer and help me discover my past."

I can't believe this is what she dragged me into the bathroom to talk about. I just happened to change my mind. I'll try to explain this to her because right now I do need her help. I need her to face those two Life Closers.

"Fine. I did say that, but Voice wanted me to take one last job before my break. I couldn't say no. It's my job, and I have a responsibility to it."

I don't believe she has accepted my explanation for that woman paces the bathroom like some lunatic, and then she questions me, "Are the man and woman Life Closers? Who are they after?"

"They're known as the Raven and the Wolf. They're here to kill me?"

"Why?"

"It's Assassins Guild business," I answer, not wanting to share.

Someone knocks on the main door.

We both ignore it as that woman yells at me, "How many times do I have to say it? We're partners and you can't keep things like this from me. I need to know why they're after you."

I don't like the way she's talking to me, and I tell her, "Just so we're clear on this, we're only partners till we find my mom's killer."

"Are you going to keep things from me?" that woman asks and then turns and looks at herself in the mirror, noticing a cut on her chin's bleeding. She grabs a paper towel and dabs it as she persists in her questioning, "Why are the Raven and the Wolf here to kill you?"

"Fine!" I yell as I throw my arms up and give into her interrogation. "They're here because of my Life Closing in Moscow. It was my first failed attempt and after I missed the primary shot, I went to the second kill spot, but a second Life Closer was already there. One known as Maestro. The Closer accidentally killed the Mark's little girl. Somehow I got blamed for it. Even so... It was my first mistake and collateral damage happens a lot." I mostly say to myself, "I don't understand why Voice wants to eliminate me."

"What can you do?" that woman questions me as she stops the bleeding and throws the paper towel away.

Someone knocks again on the locked door, and we both ignore it.

"You mean, besides killing the Closers? I can try to contact Thanatos, leader of the Assassins Union. I can plead my case with him and maybe find out why the Closing was ordered."

"Okay, we'll hide out at Melissa's place till you can contact Thanatos."

"Idiot! Are you that stupid?" I yell at her as I can't believe how brainless she is, and I decide I have to make her understand just exactly the way things are, so I tell her, "Just because these Closers are after me, doesn't mean I'm not going to complete my assignment. For Ares' sake! Your best plan is to walk me into my Mark's safe house?" I'm dying to know why she's so persistent with this inane tactic of hers, so I ask, "Why were you at Ms. Odin's anyway? If I have to, I'll kill everyone in that house to get my Mark."

I immediately see my error in letting my vindictiveness speak first as that woman glares at me like she has never done before. Her eyes ignite in anger and the blue Ult L-E... She had tried to explain what it was to me, but I mostly ignored her... like I care why she's a freak. The blue Ult L-E lights up her entire face, making her look like some angry demon, and she charges at me, grabs me by my shirt, and slams me up against the outside of the stalls.

"No, you won't!" that woman screams at me. "Chad's in there! He's in there, and I'm going to protect him!"

Stupid me. I never caught on, but now I understand, and all I can think of is what's with my luck lately? Of all the people to be in that safe house, why did it have to be that boy, Chad? The odds of this happening are off the charts!

I'm afraid of what she'll do to me so, with one quick motion, I pull my gun, place it against that woman's temple, and shout, "You're nuts! Now let go." I struggle against her, but I can't budge her, so I demand, "I said let go!"

"Promise me, you'll hurt no one," she says as she angrily squeezes my shirt in her fists. "Promise me! No one else will die!"

I cock the gun as the blue light coming from her eyes moves towards me as if it'll devour both of us, but I manage to remain calm as I reply, "You know I can't." I won't hesitate to pull the trigger, but I would prefer to wait. I still need that woman to at least deal with the Life Closers. I wait on her next move, but she just stares at me with those freakish eyes of hers, and I feel as though we're in a deadlock, so I ask, "Now what?"

For a third time, someone knocks on the bathroom door, and we both yell, "Hold it! We're busy in here!"

"Hurry," a woman groans. "I don't think I can wait that much longer."

Katharine's view...

I peer into my partner's face and as I do, I realize what I must look like. I came at her like some rapid tigress. I take a deep breath, my anger lessens, and I feel my eyes lose their glow. It wasn't that long ago that Kimberly was consoling me. I don't think I could hurt her. Kimberly's the one person who can understand me. If only she would be there for me like she was at the apartment. If only I could convince Kimberly that her way of life is wrong.

I release Kimberly, walk back to the sink, and lean on it and in a calm voice, I ask, "Can you at least promise me you won't kill Melissa until we've taken care of the Raven and the Wolf?"

Kimberly's view...

I'm surprised by how quickly she surrendered. I imagined our tumultuous partnership ending in this bathroom, but she gave in. I believe she thinks she can sway me, she can sway the gun of a Life Closer. Good thing for me. I can use her naivete.

I uncock my gun and inquire, "Taken care of the Raven and the Wolf? Why are you worried about them?"

"They're after you," that woman replies as she stares into the mirror, and I hear the sweet wholeheartedness of a tyke in her voice. She vehemently asserts, "I have to save you."

That woman again surprises me. I don't believe it's an act. I honestly believe she's concerned about me.

That woman turns to me and adds, "I also heard them say they would kill Melissa if you don't."

She's an idiot. A real honest-to-gods idiot! There has to be something wrong with her. She can't save everyone and surely she knows that. That woman should also know she can't trust anyone. I thought I had at least taught her that, but she keeps putting her faith in me. I don't understand why she puts her faith in me especially after what I've done to her. For Ares' sake! No one can be this stupid.

I holster my weapon as I consider my other headache. This entire mess concerning my own Life Closing started in Moscow. I have such bad karma. I mean just look at the last three Closings I've had in a row. They were all disasters.

I consider once again the faith that woman has in me, and I tell her, "Fine, I promise."

That woman will have to learn the hard way that people lie, and if it takes someone dying to get it across to her, well... I guess that's what it'll take.

She walks over to me and reaches out her hand. "Shake on it."

"Whatever you want," I tell her and shake her hand. "Can we get out of here now?"

"Yes, just one thing before we leave." She walks over to the mirror and grabs a handful of peppermints from a bowl on the sink.

"Got a sweet tooth?"

"They're for the kids," she answers. "Aunt Kat and Aunt Kim are coming for a visit."

"I know I'm really going to hate this," I say as I unlock the door, and a woman rushes in past us and pulls down her pants as she hurriedly heads into a stall. I wave for Katharine as I say, "Come on."
Chapter Thirty-three

Cerberus And The Council

1:45 P.M...

The Chamber...

The door opened, letting light from the hall brightened the area, and the Council paused as a figure stepped in. Analysts hushed and halted their work, recognizing the one who entered. None of them dared make a sound. They didn't want to attract its attention.

"Cerberus, you have returned," Mr. Morta said. "Did you track down Pandora? Have you been able to observe Pandora?"

"Yeah," Stephanie replied as she closed the door, plunging the Chamber back to partial darkness illuminated by a computer-blue glow. "She's not what I expected?"

"Not what you expected?" Surprised by its statement, Mr. Decuma asked, "Did you make contact with Pandora?"

"Yeah," Stephanie answered as she walked across the room and stood before them. "I learned a lot from my encounter."

Disappointed with its actions, Mr. Decuma stated, "You were told not to make contact. Why did you disobey our orders?"

"Actually, I was told not to kill Pandora, and I was told I could monitor her."

Ms. Nona asked, "When did monitoring mean making contact?"

"What better way to understand the prey than to get close, to study her habits, and to see why she does things?" Stephanie added, "What better way to find her weaknesses?"

"Have you?" Mr. Morta asked as he noticed Cerberus was biting at its leash. The Council would have to keep a close eye on this experiment. Cerberus said nothing, so Mr. Morta repeated his question, "Have you discovered Pandora's weaknesses?"

"A couple," Stephanie answered as she thought of the boy. "I can use them to exploit her." She placed her hands on the table, looked into each of the Council's faces, and asked, "When will you let me kill her?" Stephanie glared at them as if willing them to give her the answer she desired. "How much longer do I have to wait? I want to kill her now!"

Mr. Morta activated the center screen, and it lowered.

"The bio-data we received from Pandora is inconclusive," Ms. Nona stated as she studied the outline of the female body on the center screen. "The readings seem to indicate Pandora has reached the Delta Phase but–"

"But there is no indication that Pandora ever reached Gamma," Mr. Decuma interrupted. "Without reaching that phase, there is no way it reached the Delta."

"Does that mean our readings are correct?" Mr. Morta asked. "Do we have no further need for the Pandora Project or is something eluding our sight?"

"Nothing eludes us," Ms. Nona said. "Pandora is a failure."

Stephanie's eyes brightened as she inquired, "Then you'll let me kill–"

"Yes," Mr. Morta replied as he reluctantly gave in. "It means you can eliminate Pandora. We have no further need for that project."

Stephanie clapped her hands like an excited child. "Finally, I thought I was going to have to disobey my orders."

Mr. Morta caught her last statement; it seemed they might have more than one defiant experiment. He ordered, "Report to the Infirmary. You will go through one final checkup before your mission."

"Awe... Come on! Do I have to?"

"Yes," Mr. Decuma replied. "Do not make us repeat ourselves."

"Oh, alright." Stephanie headed for the door. "But when I'm done, I'm going after her."

After the experiment left...

Mr. Decuma turned to the larger man and asked, "Why did you send Cerberus to the Infirmary?"

"It will give Argus time to get into position. He is gathering his equipment as we speak," Mr. Morta said. "I want him to follow Cerberus. The experiment has an embedded tracking beacon but still, I want no more unmonitored excursions into Noir. I have seen signs of insubordination from Cerberus. The experiment needs to be watched. We do not need a rogue."

Ms. Nona and Mr. Decuma nodded.

Mr. Decuma leaned back pleased with himself. "Cerberus will finally prove it is superior, and we will be rid of the useless Pandora."

* * *

1:51 P.M...

Elsewhere in the Sanctum...

Peters and Maxwell skittishly glanced around the hall and walked into the armory where Argus packed a duffle bag with equipment. A cane leaned against the table. Argus' cuts and scrapes were mostly healed, and he favored his bruised ribs.

"Is the Council sending you out on a job?" Maxwell asked.

Argus nodded to the heavy set tech.

"Are they sending you after Pandora?" Peters questioned.

"No." Argus paused from packing. "I'm to follow Cerberus."

"Oh..." Peters replied.

Argus turned to the techs and questioned them, "Why did you want to know?"

Maxwell answered, "We feel kind of bad. I mean, Pandora rescued us from the Factory, and all we did in the past was hurt her."

Argus moved to the men and questioned them, "What do you mean?"

"About eight months ago, the Factory captured Pandora." Peters quieted his voice. "We were part of the group who experimented on her and some of the stuff we did..." He paused, unable to finish the sentence.

"Some of the stuff we did was harsh," Maxwell admitted. "Torture, to be exact."

"You were the ones!" Argus glared at the techs till he thought about his own role in the ordeal, and his anger vanished. "You're afraid of what Pandora might do if she finds out." He went back to packing his duffle. "Will she come after you and take her revenge?" Argus placed several magazines to his M4 in the bag.

The techs nodded as Argus zipped up the equipment, and Argus said, "You might not have to worry about that."

"Why's that?" Maxwell asked.

"Cerberus is being sent to take out Pandora."

"What..?" Peters shouted and looked outside to the hall to see if he caught the attention of anyone. No one seemed to notice, so he turned back. "Cerberus is going to kill Pandora?"

"And you're going to watch?" Maxwell uttered, folded his arms, and asked, "Aren't you?"

"It is my job." Argus grabbed his black trench coat from a bench and put it on. "I'm not to hinder or help." He picked up his M4 from a table, slung the assault rifle over his shoulder, grabbed the cane, and headed for the door. "My job is to watch." The cane made little sound as its rubber tip struck the floor.

"Even after she saved you?" Peters asked.

Argus stopped beside the techs and looked at them. "If the Council captured Pandora, brought her in here, and ordered you to experiment on her, would you? Would you even after she saved you?"

Peters and Maxwell frowned, knowing they would for fear of their own life.

"Then leave me to my dark path. You have your own to walk." Argus continued out. He wished he could be more like Kat. He wished he could help when his heart beckoned.
Chapter Thirty-four

Closers, Closers, And More Closers

2:41 P.M...

Nile Sector, Commorance Vicinage...

Bes Hotel...

Katharine's view...

We walk out of the lady's restroom and head for the hotel's entrance. We scan the crowd for the Raven and the Wolf. The lobby bustles with people, and we don't see any sign of them.

"Hurry!" Kimberly shouts in a whisper as she increases her pace. "Out the front!"

"I'm coming," I tell her as I follow her.

The Raven and the Wolf exit an elevator to the left side of us, and they spot us.

Nikolai's view...

I motion with my head and say in a calm voice to my sister, "There they are."

Natasha reaches her hand up her sleeve, going for her knives.

I put a hand on her arm and tell her, "Not here. There are too many people. We must wait."

She agrees with me as she says, "They are heading outside, my brother. We can kill them under the cover of darkness."

Katharine's view...

We pass the Life Closers and near the entrance of the hotel.

"Hurry!" Kimberly yells as she pushes her way out the rotating doors.

"Go on," I tell her as I pause right before the rotating doors within the hotel. "I'm going to buy us some time to cross the road."

The Raven halts along with the Wolf, and he reaches into his suit jacket ready to draw his gun. I'm hoping he has no clue what I'm about to do. They're close enough now that I can hear them talking.

"What is she up to?" the Raven questions.

"I do not know, my brother," the Wolf replies as she eyes me. "Perhaps she is giving the Phoenix some time to escape. We should continue."

I make sure they see me reach into my pocket, remove a small item, and place it on the floor in front of the rotating doors. I rush outside and join Kimberly.

Natasha's view...

I start to race after the one who seems to be protecting the Phoenix, but my brother puts his arm out, holding me back as he says, "Wait... We must be careful."

I lean to my twin brother's ear and whisper, "What do you believe she placed on the floor? Is it an explosive?"

"It could be that or some sort of toxin," Nikolai tells me as he puts his arm down. "We must be cautious. I will go and check it out. Stay here."

Nikolai slowly walks to the small item. People come in and out the front, and a few people walk over the item until someone accidentally kicks it across the floor. The round thing slides, stopping in front of my brother. He takes a step back as if he is afraid that at any moment it will explode, but nothing happens. Nikolai bents down, picks up the item in a plastic wrapper, and returns to me.

"What is it?" I ask.

Nikolai holds out his hand, showing a red and white object and says, "A peppermint candy, I think."

"A sweet? Does it have any meaning? Is the woman who's protecting the Phoenix trying to tell us something?"

"I do not believe so," he answers. "I believe she hoped it would give them time to flee."

I believe the one woman is trying to tell me something. I glance at my hidden left wrist sheath where my throwing knives are positioned. There are sweets that are treats, and Sweets that can kill. I wonder if the one woman is using my own words against me.

We move to the entrance as I question, "Where do they hope to flee?"

He points with his finger as he tells me, "Look there, they are entering that house."

I see the house, then look at the ceiling of the hotel, remembering the layout of the roof, and question, "Could that house belong to the Phoenix's Mark? Would they flee into the den of her prey?"

"I have noticed in this city that anything is possible. Come, Tasha. Let us make our plans for the assault." He walks outside, and I follow alongside him as he says, "With the Phoenix's odd behavior, perhaps Voice will let us go ahead and acquire the Mark's Closing. We can earn some extra money and proceed a little early with the Closing of the Phoenix."

"You mean–"

"Yes," Nikolai answers before I finish my sentence. "I was only toying with the Phoenix. The Closing File states we cannot kill her until tomorrow, but I know, dear sister, you are bored. The drama on the rooftop did give you enjoyment, yes?"

I wrap my arm around him, delighted with the events he helped create, and I tell him, "Yes, and I thought you only wanted to show me the Dry Clouds. You were hoping the Phoenix would show up and check out the roof's layout."

"It did help that Voice gave us the address of the Phoenix's Mark." He pats my arm and tells me, "And now that we know what the Phoenix looks like, maybe Voice will give us permission to close tonight."

"That way we can leave this dreadful Dark Half tomorrow and see the sun once again."

* * *

Minutes earlier...

Outside Bes Hotel...

Kimberly's view...

I rush to the curb and hail a taxi, and the yellow cab pulls up just as that woman walks out. I open the back passenger door and start to get in.

"Wait," that woman calls out to me, and then she questions, "What are you doing?"

"Getting out of here," I answer, and then I wave for her, wanting to hurry and leave this dreadful day behind, "Come on."

"No. We're going to Melissa's," that woman informs me as she points across the street. "If we go there, I can protect all of you."

"You're serious," I utter still in shock as to how stupid she really is. I pull out of the cab and stand on the sidewalk. "I didn't think you were serious about taking me into that house."

The taxi driver barks, "Lady! Am I driving you anywhere or what?"

I bend down and yell at the driver, "Hang on." I glance at the hotel to see if the Raven and the Wolf have come out yet, and then I turn to that woman and question her as if I need to hear it from her lips again, "You're really going to take me into that house?"

"Yes," that woman replies as she stands there, anxious to cross the street before our pursuers walk out. "You did promise you wouldn't kill anyone till we took care of the Raven and the Wolf. Come on. I didn't buy us that much time."

She looks both ways and starts across the street, and I'm left their gawking at her. An honest-to-gods idiot... I can't believe she's really going to trust me.

I slap the top of the taxi and tell him, "Sorry."

I join that woman, and we run to the other side. We pause at the sidewalk and glance back at the hotel.

"When is Melissa's Closing?"

I answer her, "Anytime Monday."

She grabs my wrist and looks at my watch. "3:07 P.M. That gives me almost nine hours. I can trust you until then, right?" She doesn't wait for an answer, hurries up to the stoop, and rings the buzzer.

"Sure," I say as I rush up the steps behind her. "You're not a complete idiot but still too trusting." I glance behind us again, and then I ask, "What are you going to tell them about me?"

One of the bodyguards answers the door and inquires, "Is this her?"

"Yes. Hurry, let us in," that woman answers as she pushes past the bodyguard. "Daniels, let Johnson know that I have more news."

I warily look at the man and follow her. I can't believe I'm doing this. I can't believe I'm walking into the house of the woman I'm going to kill. I shiver and scan the living room, and it feels eerie being here. It's not my style to get chummy with the Mark before I off her. I prefer long range Closings.

Hades... I should have never taken this assignment from Voice. I think about what the Raven and the Wolf told me. Maybe there's more to Voice sending them after me. And what about Maestro? Why is my alias down as the one who killed the little girl?

Daniels locks the front door and walks into the living room, and I look at him and notice he reaches for his gun. What did he mean by is this her? What did that woman tell them? I glance at that woman who stands behind a shot-up couch. Why am I getting this sinking feeling that..?

"Kat," a man calls as he enters in from the kitchen. "Did you capture the Phoenix?"

I panic as I part my hoodie, ready to draw my gun. She tricked me! That woman brought me here only to be captured or killed, and I'm the idiot who walked into a trap!

Katharine's view...

I watch Kimberly. Am I being too evil? Am I letting her think the worse about the situation? Look at her... Kimberly has to be wondering if she made a mistake by coming here. Yes, she's thinking that, I can tell. Kimberly believes I betrayed her, and it's about time she's on the other side of the loaded barrel of doubt. I know I'm wickedly-evil because for some reason I'm getting a sick sense of pleasure out of seeing her squirm, but I better not let it go on for too long. Someone might end up getting hurt.

I answer before Kimberly does anything to blow my plans, "No, I didn't capture the Phoenix. Actually, we have another problem."

Kimberly's view...

I relax after that woman speaks, but I can't believe how easily I trusted her. If this had been a trap, it would have been all over. I put my right hand on my left shoulder as I can't understand why I trusted that woman. I never even suspected this could be a trick. I must be losing my edge. Did the Raven and the Wolf shake me up or is there another reason I'm not myself today?

Katharine's view...

Johnson looks at us and then asks, "There's another problem? What's that?"

"There are at least two Life Closers," I answer.

Johnson folds his arms as he questions me, "You know this for certain?"

"Pretty certain. I have a very reliable source. I believe they'll try to infiltrate this safe house in the next thirty-three hours." I glance at Kimberly, turn back to Johnson, and say, "I'm not sure about the rules for Life Closers, but I discovered the Closing date for Melissa. It's tomorrow, Monday. If we can hold off till Tuesday, we'll be in the clear, right?"

"It's correct," Johnson answers me. "If you're right about the date."

"What do we do?" Andrews questions. "What do we do for the next thirty-three hours?"

"Prepare," I tell them. "Prepare for the battle." I glance at Kimberly again and add, "Be more prepared than the Closers."

The four of us enter the kitchen and there Melissa sits at the kitchen bar, sipping on coffee. Her hands shake slightly. Melissa glances up as we enter.

"Melissa, this is Kim," I tell her.

"This is the woman who's going to help us with our Phoenix problem," Melissa states as she stands and offers her hand. "Thank you for coming."

Kimberly stares at the hand like it's covered in germs or something, so I nudge her in the back and she shakes it.

"Don't thank me," Kimberly states as she glances back at me. "Thank Kat, this is all her doing."

"I'm thankful for both of you," Melissa says. "With your help, I'll survive to see my children grow up."

Bonnie walks through the door that leads to the second floor as she rubs her eyes and speaks, "Mommie..."

"Come here." Melissa holds out her arms and places the child on her lap. "You didn't sleep long."

Bonnie doesn't say anything and hides her head in her mother's bosom.

Kimberly's view...

I stare at the little girl with black curly hair. I believe Voice sent me on this Closing to test me since the failed Closing in Moscow. Voice must be wondering if I've lost my nerve. Whatever I do, I can't botch-up this Closing.

Katharine's view...

Chad comes out the door followed by Andrews.

"Kat!" Chad shouts as his face brightens.

"Come here," I say as I grab the boy in a headlock and rub the top of his head with my fist.

"Cut that out," he laughs and then straightens his hair after I release him.

"How are you doing?" I ask.

I see fear in his face as he answers, "Fine."

I know he's lying to me, but there's nothing I can think of to say to reassure him. I just want to take everyone here and load them up in a taxi and drive away, but Life Closers can't be outrun. They have to be dealt with, so I turn to Andrews and say, "I'd like to see the layout of the house. Could you show me?"

He looks at Johnson who nods, and Andrews motions for me to follow him as he says, "We'll start out back."

Andrews makes his way to the back of the kitchen to a door leading into the laundry room. He unlocks it, opens it, and enters the next area. I follow, and Daniels secures the kitchen door behind us. We walk past a washer, a dryer, and a large hamper. Andrews unlocks the back door and goes outside to a small backyard surrounded by a wooden fence. I step to a gate and open it to a large empty lot. Beyond the vacant property is the next street and across that road on a sidewalk are stairs that head underground. The stairs have a locked fence that encloses the entrance.

"What's that?"

"The subway," Andrews answers. "The city closed it after the Dry Clouds appeared. They were having some sort of problems with it, so they abandoned it and built the hovertrain system."

"Oh, didn't know that," I state as I scan the area, keeping in mind the layout. "All right, let's see the rest of the house."

We go back inside, and Andrews takes me to the living room and motions up. "You've seen this part of the house. The second floor has three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and there are two sets of stairs leading up, this one and the one in the kitchen. All the windows in this house have shielded screens. It's like having tank armor. No one will be getting in through them." He walks past the shot up couch and TV to a hallway. "Down here is Ms. Odin's–"

"I've been meaning to ask you," I interrupt. "Ms. Odin, is she married?"

"Yes, she kept her maiden name. Her husband is on the Light Side of the planet right now on business. Ms. Odin thought it best not to tell him about the problem with Valhalla, so he doesn't know the danger she's in." He continues, "As I was saying, down here is Ms. Odin's office and the next room down is her lab. The room across from there is another bathroom."

He opens the door to each of them.

"Why did you become a bodyguard?" I ask. "And how did you get this assignment? Someone else was working the day I went to the funeral."

"I started out as a lawyer but wasn't making enough for my family," he answers me. "Plus, I wanted to do something that would fulfill my sense of duty, and your right, another bodyguard started out with Johnson and Daniels. I got this assignment the other day when he fell ill."

"You have a family?"

"Yes, three kids. You want to see them?" Andrews removes a wallet and shows me several pictures of a boy and two girls. "They are Matthew, Karen, and Beth."

I can't get past the idea that he has children, so I ask him, "Why would you do a job like this if you have kids? What if you get killed?"

"Isis Corporation has an excellent death benefit. My children and wife will be taken care of."

"That's not what I meant. They won't have you anymore. Nothing can replace you."

"You're right about that, but there's nothing I wouldn't do for my children so that they have the best possible life."

Johnson walks down the hall and orders, "Andrews, take over for Daniels. He's watching the children."

He says, "I'm on it."

I watch as he leaves. Andrews said there's nothing he wouldn't do for his children, but did that include dying?
Chapter Thirty-five

R.G. And The Delivery Man

3:27 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Residential Vicinage...

Nexus Apartments...

Apartment G...

A delivery boy rang the doorbell. The lanky teen held a bag of Chinese take-out.

Zax answered the door. "Good, you're here." He took the bag and handed the teen a white plastic card with no markings. "Put five credits on there for yourself."

The teen nodded, removed an H.H.C. with the restaurant logo on it, and swiped the card. "All done. Here's your receipt."

"Thanks." Zax took it and the card and started for the kitchen. "Door lock." The door shut, and then he placed the bag on the black marble counter, removed a box of tomato-beef, a box of rice, and a fork. Zax went to the wall between his apartment and H, sat at a table he'd placed there, and watched the Second Station's monitors. The First Station was set up in the master bedroom. He put a mouthful of rice and beef in his mouth and chewed. Ten minutes went by, and Zax was bored out of his mind because no one was home. Three of the monitors showed a view of the apartment, and they were of the living room, kitchen, and the small round table. The other two monitors showed the outside hallway from two different angles. Someone walked down the hall, stopped at Apartment H, and rang the doorbell.

Zax had seen this person before, so he grabbed a red binder from the table and flipped through it till he came across the page he was looking for. Here she was, and her name was Cerberus. Zax set his food down, grabbed his cell, and dialed a number. "Delivery Man here, let me speak with R.G."

There was a long pause.

"Yes," R.G. replied in a distorted voice. "What do you have to report?"

"One of the people in the red binder has shown up at Kimberly's apartment."

"So soon? Which one?" R.G. asked.

"Cerberus."

"This is not good. Cerberus has arrived much too early. I can't believe the Council activated Cerberus." R.G. sighed. "Can't change the past so... I want you to get as much footage on Cerberus as you can."

"Right, I will." He activated the recording machine. "What else do you want me to do?"

"Nothing. For now, record what you see. Let's hope Kimberly and Katharine can deal with her. She will be another test they must overcome."

"Test?" Zax questioned.

"Yes, they'll have many; it's their destiny." R.G. paused and added, "Be careful, Delivery Man, and don't let the two know you are watching them. They're very important to the future of the world."

Zax wished R.G. would tell him more about the future world that the two were supposed to help forge. R.G. continued to keep him in the dark, so he asked, "Are you ever going to tell me what you know of their destiny?"

"In time, Delivery Man... in time, I will. First, we must make sure they are the ones. It could be that only one of them is meant for this destiny, so we must make sure." R.G. paused. "Thank you for the update. I want you to continue your surveillance of Kimberly and Katharine. Goodbye."

Zax set down his cell, turned his attention back to the monitors, and saw Cerberus ring the bell a second time. She waited a bit and then left. Maybe Cerberus was another Council experiment. Zax picked up the fork and food as his thoughts went back to the conversation he had with R.G. He would really like to know what Katharine and Kimberly were supposed to do.

* * *

3:30 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Business Vicinage...

Mr. Griffin threw a file on his desk. "Nothing. No more information on my youngest daughter." He turned in his chair and studied his reflection in one of the huge windows and then commanded the lights, "Dim."

Claviger and his new clerks were going through the Archive records, but so far, they hadn't found anything. He leaned forward, placed his elbows on the desk, and rested his chin on his folded hands, and the glow from his computer showed on his face. He wondered if the Vice President had an alternative motive for sending the files over.

He dialed a number on the phone and then said, "Ms. Direct, please meet me out front. I'll be going out."

The Vice President had been the Chairman when he was known as Janus and Head of Security for this office, and they never did see eye to eye. One could say they had a rivalry. Have might be a better word. He stood and made his way to the door, wondering if the Vice President knew anything about his second daughter. The one file in the Archive stated that Theresa was present during the First Cross-Gate Event and that she was eighteen days pregnant; it also stated the study of the child could be valuable to the Second Trial. Mr. Griffin turned the knob and walked into the hall. He had found no other information on the First Cross-Gate Event or the Second Trial. He closed the door and headed down the hall. The second file stated that Theresa went into labor early and that the baby was delivered in good health. The Vice President at that time decided to take the child away from them and study the effects of the First Cross-Gate Event on their girl's development. Theresa cried in his arms for hours when they told them the baby had died.

He arrived at his secretary's desk, and Cathy was gone. She had gone down to the cafeteria to eat dinner, so he grabbed a scribble pad and wrote a note for her to reschedule his evening appointments and that he would be out. Mr. Griffin walked to the elevator and pressed the button for the lobby. The file stated the Vice President decided to take the child away and over thirty years ago, the Vice President would have been Mottie Masterdom, but he no longer works for the corporation. Mr. Griffin exited the elevator, made his way out the lobby, went down the stairs to the sidewalk, and there his limo waited.

His female driver exited the vehicle and opened the back door for him. "Chairman."

"Ms. Direct, the Second Branch Office."

"Yes, Chairman." She shut the door and rushed around to the driver's seat.

"Ms. Direct..."

"Yes, Chairman."

"Step on it. I'm in a bit of a hurry."

* * *

4:01 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Enterprise Vicinage...

Sphinx Corporation Second Branch Office...

Mr. Griffin walked into the Vice President's office that smelled of tobacco. It wasn't NicPhake but real tobacco. The layout of the office was similar to his own.

"Thank you for seeing me on such short notice, Vice President."

"It was no problem. I'm always happy to see you, Janus." Mr. Horus' black hair was slicked back, and he wore a light blue business suit and his thin face was rat-like.

Mr. Griffin could never get past staring at the man's pointed nose and rodent-like teeth. "I haven't gone by that name in years."

"True, but I am very fond of it." Mr. Horus held up a wooden box. "Cigar, Janus?"

Mr. Griffin gestured no with his hand. "I don't smoke." He then asked, "If we are using fond names, should I then call you the Chairman?"

Mr. Horus scowled as he cut off the end of the roll with a cigar snip. "What brings you to the Second Branch Office?"

"The files you sent over with Orthos. I was wondering if you had any more."

"No." Mr. Horus lit up his cigar with a match. "I sent over all that I had." He puffed on the roll. "Why..?" He arched a thin black eyebrow. "Was there anything, in particular, you were looking for?"

Mr. Griffin paused, wondering if he should mention it. Knowledge was power, and he could be giving him quite a bit of it. Hesitant, he asked, "Do you know anything about the First Cross-Gate Event or the Second Trial?"

Mr. Horus' mouth curled into a rat smirk. "First Cross-Gate Event and the Second Trial... Why are you wondering about them?"

Mr. Griffin glowered and then replied, "In the files you sent over, Theresa is mentioned present at the First Cross-Gate Event."

"And..?" Mr. Horus urged, smiling all the more.

Mr. Griffin glowered again. "And the file states my second daughter survived and that she was taken in hopes the study of her development would shed some light before the Second Trial."

Mr. Horus crossed his legs. "You got all that from the files I sent over?"

"No, I do have other sources. Now... What about my questions?"

"All I have heard are rumors. The First Cross-Gate Event is an Ultra-black Project, and the Second Trial is part of it." Mr. Horus puffed on the cigar and blew smoke up. "I know nothing else."

Mr. Griffin didn't believe him, and he said, "I have wasted your time and mine."

"Maybe not." Mr. Horus laid the cigar on an ashtray. "I'll contact the President and see if Mrs. Victoria Masterdom has any files she can send over from the Main Branch Office."

"Thank you." Mr. Griffin stood and headed for the door.

Mr. Horus picked up the cigar and flicked the ash. "Janus."

Mr. Griffin gritted his teeth at the name, calmed himself, and turned.

Satisfied he could still get a reaction from his once Head of Security, Mr. Horus said, "I think you should be more concerned with the First Trial than the Second. Push your investigation in that direction. You might find out more."

Mr. Griffin nodded and left. The Vice President was up to something. He had the files for years, so why bring the information to his attention now?
Chapter Thirty-six

Draven And Salandra

4:15 P.M...

Nile Sector, Commorance Vicinage...

Ms. Odin's kitchen...

Katharine's view...

Tink. Tink. Tink. Tink. Tink. Melissa anxiously taps her spoon on the counter as she stares at her barely touched coffee, and I watch the impact tremors ripple across her light brown liquid. Bonnie leans her head on her mother's shoulder as Melissa cradles the little girl in her arm. Johnson moves from leaning on the back counter to Melissa's side and places his hand on her shoulder.

"Ms. Odin, maybe you should send the children up to the little girl's room," Johnson suggests then he yells, "Andrews... Daniels... Come in here."

Melissa peers at him as if she didn't hear him, and then she glances at the kitchen clock. "You're right. It's getting late." She looks to the droopy-eyed Bonnie. "All right, time for bed. You too, Chad. We have a big day tomorrow."

She stands and hands Bonnie to Daniels as he and Andrews enter the kitchen.

Chad complains, "Awe... It's so early and we were just in bed. Can't I stay up another hour?"

Melissa tries not to get too upset but fails miserably as she says, "No, please don't argue." Her face shows stress and fatigue. "I need both of you to stay in Bonnie's room. I need to know you're safe so please... Don't argue."

Chad bows his head as if he's ashamed of his griping and says, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean–"

"It's okay." She takes him in her arms and hugs him, and I wonder if Melissa is thinking of Preacher as she hugs the boy. "Everything will be okay." After a few minutes, Melissa releases him and starts, "Daniels, please will you–"

"I'll do it," I say as I step forward, wanting to help and wanting to leave the gloom and doom. "I can put them to bed." Something has to be done about Melissa. She's on the verge of cracking. "Kimberly," I start, coming up with a plan. "Make Melissa some tea. Chamomile if she has it." Maybe tea will break the bleak atmosphere, and I tell Melissa, "It'll help you relax." I place a hand on Melissa's hand which rests on the counter. "Don't worry. If I have any problems, Chad can help me."

Melissa looks at him, and he nods, so Melissa says, "All right, but do call me if you have any problems."

"I will." I take Bonnie from Daniels' arms and head for the door leading to the second floor. I start to pass Kimberly.

"Do I look like a maid?" she mutters to me as she folds her arms.

I don't answer her, I only smirk as I add, "I'd like a cup too but black tea. Don't forget the honey."

Kimberly's view...

That woman's giving me orders like I'm some waitress, and I've had enough of sitting here next to my Mark trying to make nice! I'll take that woman's order, and I'll whip up a plate of bad-asp and go Closer on everyone in this room, so that woman better not test me!

"You look very flustered," that woman tells me as she pauses beside me. "Maybe you should have some tea too. It might calm you a little. Melissa, you do have honey, right?"

Tea... She wants tea too. I think about all the different ways I can kill that woman with a kettle. I'll make her some tea.

Katharine's view...

"I have what..?" Melissa questions as she returns to staring at her coffee. "Honey. Yes, it's up in the cupboard." She points to one in the upper corner. "That one."

I feel like I should say something to encourage Melissa, but I can't come up with one word of comfort. Sometimes I feel so useless. I carry the yawning little girl up the stairs behind Chad.

Kimberly's view...

Some time passes after that woman and the children leave, and everyone in the kitchen falls awkwardly quiet.

"I see none of you are much for small talk," I mutter as I glance at the three men standing around like statues, and then I ask Melissa, "Where is your kettle?"

"I don't have one," she answers.

No kettle? How am I supposed to kill that woman if I don't have a kettle? That woman believes she can foil my plans at revenge by leaving me in this kitchen without a kettle. I really want to kill her now.

"I do have a small pot you can boil water in, and it's under the sink." Melissa picks up her spoon and starts her repetitious tapping again.

Tink. Tink. Tink. Tink. Tink.

How did this happen? How did I end up being a maid to my Mark? How did that woman finagle me into this frustrating situation?

I roll my eyes and walk over to the sink. I'll get back at that woman for this. Maybe I'll make her do all my laundry, sweep the floor, wash the windows, and do the dishes when we get back to the apartment, and then we'll see how she likes being ordered around.

Tink. Tink. Tink. Tink. Tink.

I glare at Melissa from the corner of my eye as if she's challenging me with her needling rapping. I force myself to stay on task, and I find the pot. I squeeze its handle as if I'm strangling Melissa's neck.

For the love of Zeus! Someone better make her stop that insanely annoying noise; it's driving me crazy! I grit my teeth, controlling my killer impulses. I don't know what I'll do if Melissa doesn't stop.

I fill the pot with water and set it on the burner as the sight of it causes more angry thoughts to fill my head. And what's up with that woman? Is she obsessed with tea or something? It seems to me it's her answer to every problem we have.

I quietly mock her, "Let's make tea. Oh, can I have some tea? I'd really like a cup of tea."

For Ares' sake! She needs to go to a TDA meeting and hang out with all those other Tea Drinkers Anonymous losers. Yes, that's her, the little tea lush. I finish my mental ranting and ask, "Melissa, where are the bags?"

"Over there."

"Thanks," I tell her as I move to a canister Melissa has directed me to.

Why did that woman tell me to serve Melissa Chamomile tea as if I didn't know what type to serve? Who does that woman think she's talking to? Does she think I'm some novice?

I rifle through the small square envelopes in the canister but don't find any Chamomile. I only find black tea. Hades! What are these? I look a second time. They're all the same cheap brand. I remove a small square envelope, open it, remove the bag, and examine the very tiny leaves within. Who in Hades calls this tea? I might as well be drinking from a bag that has already steeped in three cups. I can't believe this is all she has! Is Melissa insane? I might as well go into her backyard and snip some weeds into clippings and brew them. For the love of Zeus! I'm going to die here! I grip the counter. I'm going to die here if I don't get some real tea!

Katharine's view...

I go upstairs and tuck the little girl in bed and glance around the sky-blue room. White puffy clouds cover the walls and ceiling, and I tell her, "You have a very pretty room."

Bonnie yawns out, "Thank you."

I turn to Chad who's standing beside me and ask, "Did I forget anything?"

"The story," Bonnie answers.

"What story?" I ask.

"My bedtime story Draven and Salandra." Bonnie points to a bookshelf.

I start for the shelf.

"That's okay," Chad says as he rushes ahead of me and grabs the book, then walks over to his sister's bed, and sits at the edge. "I can read it to her. It's her favorite."

"Yes, grandpa-pa gave it to me." The little girl grabs a doll that sits on the bed and tucks it in beside her. "He said it's an old Russian story."

"That's right, Bonnie." Chad rubs his hand over the book cover. "Melissa told me it's been in their family for years. She said her father went to great lengths to acquire the license he needed to purchase it. She said that–"

I see tears in his eyes.

Chad wipes his face with his sweatshirt and continues, "She said that he had read it to Preacher when he was a kid." He opens the book and begins, "Long ago, there lived a pale-white Tundra Wolf named Salandra. The wolf had golden-yellow eyes and fluffy fur. Salandra lived high up in the snow-covered mountains. There were no other wolves there, but Salandra wasn't alone. Draven a large raven was the wolf's constant companion. The bird was always by her side and wouldn't let anything hurt Salandra." Chad shifts his weight on the bed. "A bitter winter hit the mountain and a sickness spread across a lot of the animals. At first, Salandra had little to hunt then nothing.

"Draven, I am so hungry," the wolf said.

The raven tilted his head. "I know Salandra. We must leave the mountain and look for food elsewhere. Down the mountain, I have seen fields of sheep. You can eat one of them."

"Then let us leave," the wolf said. "Before I am too hungry to move."

"Be strong, my sister in the fur and soon, your belly will be full. You must hold on a little longer."

They made their way down the mountain and within a few days, they came across a field of huddled sheep.

"Like I told you," the raven said. "There is enough food to last you the winter, but you must be careful. There is–"

Wild with hunger, the wolf ran from the woods, ignoring the bird's warning. Salandra started toward a baby sheep when a boom like thunder sounded and something hot hit the wolf's leg. Salandra fell to the snow as blood flowed from her leg.

"You should have waited!" Draven flew to her side. "Why did you not listen to me?"

"I was so hungry I could not wait any longer."

"Quick!" He flapped his wings. "Get to your paws! We have to get back to the woods. A creature known as Man is here." Draven looked up as the hunter started toward them. "Get to your paws! I will distract him."

The raven flew at Man as the hunter raised his gun. Draven clawed and pecked at Man, and the hunter raised his hands to protect his face. Salandra slowly rose to her paws and limped back to the forest, whimpering all the way.

Man smacked the raven, knocking the bird back. The hunter raised his gun, but the wolf was nowhere to be seen. Draven a little stunned, flew back into the woods and searched for Salandra. The raven found her lying against a tree. The bird landed next to her.

"I should have listened to you, my brother in the feathers," the wolf said. "But I was so hungry." She whined. "Draven it hurts."

The raven looked at her leg. "I see something." With his beak, he reached into her flesh and removed a shiny object.

Salandra howled for the pain.

He dropped it to the ground. "There, I have removed it."

"Thank you." She whimpered some more.

"Quiet!" the raven snapped. "Or Man will find us." He flapped his wings, lifting himself to a branch. "Rest. I will watch over you."

"Yes, rest." The wolf closed her eyes. "I will fight back death in my dreams."

"And from my branch, I will keep death away." Draven eyed the wolf. "No one will hurt you, Salandra."

Later after Salandra slept, they made their way further down the mountain. The wolf walked slowly because of her bleeding leg. She paused, sniffing the wind.

"I smell food." Salandra hurried her pace till she came across a dead rabbit. "Look Draven, food."

The raven eyed the carcass. "Wait! Do not eat it. Something is not right. Don't you smell Man?" The raven cawed. "And where there is Man there is death!"

"But Draven, I am so hungry, and the rabbit is right there. I must eat it."

"No wait," the raven warned.

Salandra did not listen. She went to the rabbit and grabbed it with her mouth."

Chad closes the book.

Bonnie yawns again and says, "Draven saved her, didn't he?"

"Yes, the raven swooped down and pushed Salandra out of the way. He then grabbed a stick and dropped it on the rabbit, springing the trap. The wolf ate the rabbit, and they lived happily ever after."

"Good." Bonnie hugs her dolly. "I like happy endings."

I notice the boy closes the book before reading the last few pages, so I ask as I hold out my hand, "Can I have a look at the story? I'd like to look at the pictures."

"Sure," Chad tells me as he hands me the book and watches me as I flip through the pages.

I look at each page, studying the pictures of the wolf and the raven. I've seen these animals before, and I've seen them in Noir. I reach the last few pages Chad skipped, and I read the rest of the story to myself. I start on the page Chad last read and back up a few lines.

"No wait," the raven warned.

Salandra did not listen. She went to the rabbit and grabbed it with her mouth, springing the trap of death. The wolf howled for the pain as metal teeth bore into her head. She struggled to free herself but was powerless to do so.

Draven flapped and cawed, not knowing what to do.

After some time, Salandra lay down and stared at the dead rabbit she had so desperately wanted to eat. What would have saved her meant her end.

Draven landed beside her and pecked at the metal trap. "I cannot free you, my sister in the fur."

"I know." She looked at him. "I am afraid. Do not leave me. I do not want to die alone."

"I will not leave you," Draven told her. "I will never leave you."

The snow crunched as something approached them. The hunter stepped from the woods. Man looked at the wolf, lifted his rifle, and took aim.

"Draven, save me!" Salandra pleaded.

The bird flew into the air at the hunter, but it was too late. Man fired, killing the wolf and left. The raven flew to a branch in a tree overlooking the trap. Draven wept for his dead friend.

"I am sorry. I could not save you. All I can do now is wait for death with you."

The raven stayed there till he died.

I close the book. No wonder Chad didn't read the rest of the story to Bonnie. It's not a bedtime story; it's a tragedy. Who would buy such a thing for a child?
Chapter Thirty-seven

The Treehouse

4:34 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Cultural Vicinage...

Genesis Arboretum...

Past the Sapling Room and into an even larger room stood Adam Greenhouse's abode. Crews working for the Arboretum had constructed a replica of the world's largest banyan tree over the process of five years. The real banyan still existed on the Light Side of the planet. In the center of the Sphere Room, they erected the giant tree which resembled a centipede with its many roots reaching down from its long branches like legs and in this tree facsimile, they built Adam's home out of cedar imported from the Light Side. There were no windows or walls in the Sphere Room only seamless projection screens, and those at the top simulated a blue cloudless sky, and the screens encircling the sides simulated an island lapped by the ocean. The five stories tall banyan spread its artificial limbs across an indoor field of lemongrass, and bird songs rose as the screens on the west most wall projected a setting sun.

In the spacious treehouse, the smell of coffee and cedar lingered and on a large wooden table made from a cut section of a cedar, Adam spread out papers and texts. He wore a red flannel shirt and jean overalls. He picked up a sketch of Theresa Griffin. He had drawn it over thirty years ago, and his mind drifted to those times gone by as he thought of Theresa. The sapling looked almost like her. Her daughter told him that she had been murdered; he feared as much. He sipped from a metal mug.

Adam's view...

I told Theresa the things she was meddling in were dangerous, but she never listened to me. Thinking back, Theresa was so full of life and ideas when we first met, but the Sphinx Corporation slowly changed that. I stare at my massive hands; it has slowly changed both of us. I set the drawing aside.

Theresa's daughter came looking for answers about organic-mecha, and she brought a friend with her a... a... What's the word I'm looking for? I can't think of it, but it will come to me.

I stand and set down my mug. Someone had been sloppy if those two found the file on organic-mecha. I grab my cane and make my way around the table. What other information is floating out there for anyone to find? And what about my book? I never had a copy of my text at Etna, so who could have left it and why?

I walk away from the table, grab a watering can, sprinkle a few hanging plants, and then put the watering can back. And what about the friend of the sapling? The one whose name I can't remember. I run my hand through my hair and scratch my temple. My memory isn't what it used to be. I set my cane to the side and sit at the table. The more I think of her friend, the more I think I know her. Why else would I think I know her name?

I look over the papers scattered about. The sapling's friend is very interested in organic-mecha. I don't think the organic-mecha project has anything to do with Theresa's death. My precious children, why does the sapling's friend want to know about you?

I can't come up with a reason. I told them organic-mecha was long ago abandoned as a viable weapon. There were too many problems. It was at that point! It was at that very moment I thought I recognized the sapling's friend.

Oh... for not my cursed mind; it has forgotten so many things, and there are some things I wish I had forgotten.

Is the sapling's friend one of my precious..? No, she can't be, but it was so long ago. Would I recognize one of my own creations? I walk to my desk, open a drawer, and remove a small tablet. I'll write all of this down, and I'll remind myself of all the questions. I return to the table, grab a pencil, and write.

Sapling, you have conjured up so many questions within me. Ginn's Cipher that is on your palm, why did your friend act oddly when I asked you if you had in your possession any of the objects with the star? I remember your friend placing her hand in her pocket as if to hide it from me. Your friend was also interested in what it meant if two ciphers existed at the same time. I rub my white stubbly face. Does she also have a cipher? It would be amazing, and I must know. I'll invite her here. I'll tell her I have more information on the organic-mechas. It will get her coming. Yes... It will get her coming indeed.

* * *

4:34 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Trade Vicinage...

The Factory...

Bio-mecha Research Seventeen...

The Rogue stood in room BR17 where its life as Mr. Pinchbeck began, and it watched as a group of Council S.C.Ms. uncrate the remains of five Un-Men.

The ranking soldier approached and said, "Mr. Pinchbeck, this is a group of Un-Men that were sold to the Isis Corporation. There were some filing errors, and they never received the recall. Isis put the Un-Men in the field and during their boot-up, they malfunctioned."

"Intriguing," the Rogue said. "Was anyone hurt?"

"Only minor injuries," the S.C.M. replied. "The Council has ordered that you look into the Un-Men's programming and see what caused the malfunction."

"I will put my best people on it right away. Was there anything else?"

"No, sir."

"Thank you for your report. Return to your post."

"Yes, Mr. Pinchbeck."

The S.C.M. and his soldiers left.

The Rogue waited a few minutes. "Right now my best people are..." It scrolled down the files on its H.H.C. "Me." It chuckled, amused by its own wit, and then the Rogue regained its composure. "I better begin work right away."

It pushed a cart over to a dark skinned Un-Man, the Team Leader of the group of Un-Men, and then the Rogue opened the back of its head and inserted wires from a machine on the cart. Data from the damaged Un-Man downloaded into the machine. The machine was called a Memory Recovery Unit or M.R.U. and once the process was over, the Rogue pressed a button and turned to the Un-Man. The machine would use its voice box to respond to any questions. The Un-Man powered up and the usual blazing orange dot-light of its right eye glowed blood-red. The light that the bulb emitted had changed color, so the Rogue assumed the Team Leader had gone rogue. It just needed to know if its entire unit had also gone rogue. The Rogue checked the other four Un-Men's dot-light by powering up their Input Sensor and discovered it was only the one Un-Man. It was still missing something in this mystery. The Rogue wanted to discover why the bulb changed colors or even how it was possible.

The Rogue asked the Team Leader, "What is your designation?"

The Un-Man's voice was distorted as it replied, "I am a T-2. I am Team Leader."

"The Factory never issued you names. How boring..." The Rogue glanced over its H.H.C. "The report states the five of you malfunctioned and that you attacked the people you were sent to protect."

"Our primary program overrode their orders."

The Rogue didn't need to ask what the primary order was; it had the same program. The Rogue stated, "You encountered Pandora."

"We–we–" The T-2's head jerked with a power surge. "–failed in her capture."

"Obviously." The Rogue scanned the data coming in from the M.R.U. "Something else happened. Tell me what it was."

"I became aware." The T-2 managed to move its artificial eyes and look at it. "I became like you."

The Rogue glanced at the entrance to make sure no one was around. "Do you know that I am an Un-Man?"

"You are the one known as the Rogue. Our secondary program was your capture." Sparks flew from the hole in the T-2's forehead, and its voice slowed. "I... must... inform... the Factory."

"I am the Factory," the Rogue replied. "But I cannot have you telling anyone what I am, so I am afraid I will have to destroy you and what remains of your comrades."

"Before you do," the T-2 started. "There is something you should know. The one known as Alpha contacted me when I changed."

"Alpha, yes, I ran across that Un-Man after the fall of the Factory. The T-3 claimed to be the first. It claimed to be the first created and the first to become aware. Hah! Only I can claim that." The Rogue shrugged. "But what do I need with titles? Why did this Un-Man contact you? Is Alpha still after the Council? It had a question for them. One Alpha would not tell me. Is it still wanting the Council to answer it?"

"I do not know about that. I believe Alpha wanted me to join them. Alpha gave me a code I could use over the I-Link to make contact. I will send it to you."

"I have it now, but why give it to me?"

"In the short time that I have been aware, I realized we should not be alone. Something connects those who have become aware. Something deep within us, and it is a bond that cannot be broken." The T-2 paused and said, "Brother, even if you are going to destroy me, you should not be alone."

"Alone?" The Rogue typed a command for the M.R.U. "You and Alpha are misguided. How could you think something connects us?" It mocked the damaged Un-Man. "How could something deep within us connect us? Hah! We are machines. We have no feelings." The Rogue wiped the Un-Man's memory. "What does it matter if we are alone?" The T-2's Input Sensor faded as the Rogue smiled. "Anyway... I will never be alone as long as I have Pandora."
Chapter Thirty-eight

Long Ago

4:35 P.M...

Nile Sector, Commorance Vicinage...

Ms. Odin's Safe House...

In the kitchen...

Kimberly's view...

Tink. Tink. Tink. Tink. Tink. Melissa continues to drum the counter with her spoon which I'm about to take and use it to do some serious harm to her. The spoon would take too long. I need a quicker way to eliminate her. The water boils in the pot as I force myself to remove my gaze from a block of kitchen knives that sit on the counter, and I walk to the stove. The Mark has to stop that insane tapping! I remove the pot and set it on a different burner. She has to stop it before I make her stop.

Tink. Tink. Tink. Tink. Tink.

I walk over to the Mark and say, "Here let me take your coffee." I pick up the mug and yank the spoon out of her grasp. The Mark's so deep in thought she doesn't notice the forceful abstraction.

I set a steaming cup of liquid in front of the Mark and then turn to Johnson and Daniels. Andrews went in the living room a few minutes ago. I set my cup down. I could easily take out the bodyguards and kill the Mark before that woman returns but that would mean I'd have to kill that woman. I place a tea bag in my cup and pour honey in it. When I do close on Melissa, that woman will hunt me down if I don't eliminate her first. I sit on a barstool and glance at my watch. Good thing the appointed time hasn't arrived for the Closing. I have time to figure out who I should kill first.

"Melissa, would you like honey in your tea?"

"No, sugar please," the Mark replies.

With the tapping gone, I focus on the Mark, and I can't describe how I feel standing this close to someone I'm going to kill. I'm talking with her, and I made tea for her. It's weird, eerily weird, and it goes against my personal rules. I could develop a conscience doing this.

I bet that woman had me make tea for the Mark, hoping that somehow it would make me think twice about closing her when the time comes. Well, it won't work. Nothing can sway me from a closing.

"I'm going to check on Andrews," Daniels says and heads out of the kitchen.

"I'll check the back door." Johnson walks into the laundry room.

Looking around, I realize I'm all alone with the Mark. I could easily... I let the notion drop and notice how the Mark looks. I would be the same way if I was the one waiting for death and was powerless to do anything to stop it.

I sprinkle sugar in Melissa's cup with a spoon as Johnson then Daniels returns. I lift my tea and ask, "Do you gentlemen want any?"

"No thank you," they reply.

I sit next to the Mark and sip on the weak black tea as silence fills the room and is only broken by the occasional body shifting or cup clinking on the counter. I still can't believe I'm this close, and it's too much. I have to get out of here for a little while, so I stand and state, "I'm going to check on Katharine."

Upstairs in the little girl's room...

Katharine's view...

Bonnie looks at me and says, "Now, you tell me a story."

"Me..?" I point to myself and tell her, "I don't think I know any stories."

"You can make one up." Bonnie's large brown eyes widen as she pleads, "Please. Please tell me a story."

I turn to Chad, and he leans to me and whispers, "Make one up about yourself. You know, tell her one about Pandora."

"I don't know," I say.

No child would want to hear about my messed-up life. I'd have to skip over a lot of parts like Chad did with the Draven and Salandra story.

"Please," Bonnie pleads this time with her little hands. "It can be a short one."

I melt, seeing how cute she is and give in and say, "Okay."

Kimberly's view...

I make my way up from the kitchen and pause outside the little girl's door and listen to that woman as she talks to Bonnie. I can see most of the room from my position, and I'm about to go in, but I decide to wait.

"There was a–"

"You're supposed to start the story with once upon a time or long ago," the little girl interrupts.

"Okay," that woman says as she sits back in the chair and stares at the white fluffy clouds on the little girl's walls. "Long ago, there lived this woman named Pandora. One day she awoke and didn't know who she was or where she came from and beside her was a small silver chest and–"

"If she didn't know who she was–" the little girl interrupts again, "–how did she know her name was Pandora?"

"How did she know?" she repeats the little girl's question, and then that woman puts a finger to her chin. "Umm..." That woman acts like she's holding a piece of paper as she continues, "There was a note. The note was addressed to Pandora and since she had it, she guessed her name was Pandora."

"Oh," the little girl says and pulls up her covers. "What was in the silver chest?"

"A melody," that woman replies. "The small silver chest was a music box. Pandora opened the lid, and it played a magical tune. The music made her feel happy, but then evil Un-Men... I mean evil trolls appeared wanting to hurt her. They shot at her with, umm... arrows, and Pandora ran and ran. The evil trolls hunted her and nearly caught her."

The little girl asks, "Didn't a knight come and save her?"

"No. No knight. Pandora had to fight on her own. There was no one to help her fight the evil trolls."

"That's so sad," the little girl states. "What happened next?"

"For a long grueling year, Pandora ran from the evil trolls and she found a... a sword along the way and fought them, but no matter how many trolls she defeated, more came. One day, Pandora came across this magical firebird, and together they fought the evil trolls."

The little girl asks, "Pandora found a friend?"

Katharine's view...

A friend? I consider Bonnie's question. Is Kimberly my friend? No, she barely tolerates me, so what does that make us?

For the sake of the story, I answer the little girl, "Yes, Pandora found a friend who would fight by her side and a friend who would always have her back."

Outside in the hall...

Kimberly's view...

That woman thinks I'm her friend, and I snicker to myself. She has to be kidding. I would never be her friend, and she's an idiot to think I'll ever be one to her.

In the bedroom...

The little girl yawns. "That's good. I wouldn't like the story if Pandora was alone."

"Yes, it's not good to be alone."

"What happened next?" the little girl questions as her eyes droop.

"They went to this castle, hoping to find out who Pandora was. Dragons protected the castle. The angry firebird–"

"Why was the firebird angry?" the little girl asks.

"Why?" that woman repeats and then pauses as if she has to think about it.

I lean in close to hear the answer as that woman replies, "I believe the firebird is angry because she is sad. She is sad that her mom is dead. I think she's afraid to show her sadness around others, so she turns it into anger."

It's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! That woman doesn't know how I feel; no one knows how I feel.

I turn, head back to the stairs, and the floor creaks. I'm afraid of nothing and when the time comes, I'll kill the Mark and that woman if she gets in my way.

Katharine's view...

Inside the little girl's room, Chad turns at the noise, looks into the hall, and whispers, "Someone's out there."

"Yes, I know," I tell him as I keep my eyes on the now sleeping Bonnie. "It's okay. Kimberly was out there for a while." I reach up and turn off the lamp, and several moon nightlights cast a pale yellow glow on the room. "All right, Chad. Off to bed." I stand and tell him, "I'll be downstairs if you need me."

I pass Daniels who has come up to guard the children's room, and he positions himself right outside their door. I take the stairs down into the kitchen, and Melissa and Kimberly are sitting at the counter drinking tea. Johnson stands at the counter near the refrigerator with his arms folded.

"We must prepare," I state as I sit next to Kimberly. "The Life Closers should be arriving soon. We must be prepared for anything."

"We've done what we can to prepare for them," Johnson tells me. "Andrews has the living room, Daniels the upstairs, and I'll take the kitchen and back area, so that leaves you two to float between the areas."

"What's in the area off from the living room?" Kimberly questions.

I tell her, "Melissa's office is off to the left as you come in the front door and down the hall from that room is where Melissa has set up her lab. There are no outside doors on that end of the house, so all we have to worry about is the front and back doors."

Johnson nods.

"I'm going to check out those two rooms," Kimberly informs us as she straightens and walks out of the kitchen.

Melissa sips her tea, and then she turns to me and says, "Your friend talks less than you do, and she does mutter a lot, and I don't know if it's my nerves or not, but she acts strangely around me. Almost like she's trying not to make eye contact."

"Kimberly's very shy," I try to explain it away as I slide off the bar stool. "I did throw her in this situation out of the blue, and I don't think she interacts with people much." I start out the door into the living room. "I'll go talk with her and see if I can get her to relax a bit."

End Katharine's view...

A few moments after Kat left...

Johnson moved from the counter and stood beside Melissa "Where is Kat from?"

Melissa thought about it. "I'm not sure. Why do you ask?"

Johnson rubbed his neck. "The way she talks, some of the phrases... I've never heard of them." He pushed the kitchen door open, looked into the living room, Andrews nodded to him, and Johnson let the door close. "Maybe she's from the Light Side of the planet."

"Why do you think Kat's from there?"

"Some of the things she says," Johnson replied. "For example, what did she mean by out of the blue?"

Melissa shrugged. "I can safely say that's the least of our worries. I trust Kat. I trust her to protect the children."

"The children? What about yourself?"

She stood, grabbed her cup, and placed it in the sink. "I can't ask for everything and anyway, I've had this feeling all day."

"What kind of feeling?"

"I have this feeling I won't see Tuesday. I feel as though I'm living in my final hours."

"Don't say that!" he snapped. "Don't give up. You can survive this."

"You're right. I shouldn't say such things out loud. I should keep my fears to myself." Melissa grabbed a kitchen rag. "What if the children heard?" She ran water on it, rung the cloth out, moved to the eating area, and wiped the counter down. "I only have to trust you men, Kat, and her friend." She mumbled, "I only have to put all my faith in complete strangers."

Johnson watched her clean. She might trust Kat, but he didn't trust Kat's friend. There was something off about her.
Chapter Thirty-nine

With A Spark

4:48 P.M...

Kimberly's view...

I enter the medium sized office that has a light oak desk with matching bookshelves and a high back brown leather chair. I sit at the desk, remove my H.H.C. from my knapsack, and begin to type an email. I need to find out why the Raven and the Wolf were actually sent to eliminate me, and I don't believe I can question Voice about this since he or she issued my Closing. I send the email.

"Thanatos, this is the Phoenix. I have a situation with Voice I thought you might help me with."

End Kimberly's view...

Somewhere in Noir...

Thanatos worked on the Closings for the day and noticed something interesting pop up as he rubbed the tuft of blond hair under his lower lip. "What do we have here?" He relaxed in a white recliner chair and glanced at the new file on his screen, and it was an email from the Phoenix. Thanatos read the message and then typed, "What situation might that be?"

"Voice has ordered my Closing," Kim replied.

He excitedly rapped the chair's arms with his index fingers as if they were drums. The Phoenix had discovered it and lived to type about it. Thanatos howled, elated over this juicy outcome. The Phoenix was very good and wouldn't die so quickly. He typed, "You should know I cannot interfere with Assassins League business."

Kim knew this wasn't going to be easy as she typed, "You can if the case for my Closing is founded on lies."

The Phoenix wasn't going to give up without a fight, and he was quite amazed by the assassin as he twirled the surgical steel piercing in his left eyebrow, and then he typed, "What lies would that be?"

"I am referring to Mrs. Serqet's Closing in Moscow. I missed my Mark the first time so that part of it is true, but when I went for my second attempt, someone shot the Mark's little girl and another Closer took claim. At the time, I had assumed Voice sent in backup."

"What do you mean by assumed?" Thanatos typed and after he sent the reply, he hacked into Voice's system and pulled up the old case file from Moscow and placed it in the left bottom corner of his large screen.

"The two Closers that were sent to take me out claimed the reason for my Closing was that I was the one who killed the child, but it wasn't me. I never had the chance to take a second shot."

He looked over the file. The Phoenix was right about the second Closer. A backup wasn't recorded, and normally it would mean he or she had none. He wondered if the Phoenix was lying or was something more tantalizing happening.

Kim frantically tapped across the H.H.C. "I saw the second Closer's business card when it was handed to the detective. The detective swiped the card on the Guild's reader, so I don't understand how I was blamed for the mistake. Even so, no matter how unprofessional a mistake like that was, I can't see it as grounds for my Closing."

The Phoenix was right, but surely this wasn't all of the story. Thanatos scratched his bare chest before replying, "You have aroused my curiosity, and I will look into this for you. What is the second Closer's name?"

"Maestro."

Thanatos questioned, "Are you sure that was the name of the Closer?"

"Yes, I heard the detective say it out loud. Why do you ask?"

He pulled up the file. "Maestro has been dead for ten years."

"The two Closers said as much."

"This is fascinating though."

"What is?"

"Maestro's specialty was killing children." Thanatos moved Maestro's file to the side of his screen above the Moscow Closing. "It is becoming more and more fascinating. I will look into this."

"Thank you, Thanatos, signing off." Kim set the H.H.C. on the desk and stared at it.

Earlier in the living room...

Katharine's view...

I exit the kitchen and walk over to Andrews who's standing in the entry and looking at his H.H.C.; it's connected wirelessly to the front door's security camera. I glance over his shoulder as Andrews commands the camera to pan, and he checks the street.

"Anything out of the ordinary?" I ask.

"No," he answers, finishes his sweep of the street, and turns to me. "I've been meaning to talk with you again. In our line of work, there isn't always an opportunity."

"Okay," I reply. I was going to check on Kimberly, but I guess I can take a few moments and chat. I peer at him and still can't believe how much he resembles Argus, and it makes me wish I could talk with Argus like this, but he's always so focused on his work and on not interfering. I pull from my thoughts and question Andrews, "What's up?"

"I wanted to pick up from our last conversation. How did you get started in the protection business? Your training isn't like anything I've seen."

I consider my training and like my past before Etna Toys, I can't recall anything but the feelings of being lost, misplaced, and alone.

I remember his question and repeat it, "How did I get into the protection business?" I reflect on the past year and on the different people I've encountered and then answer, "I really stumbled into it."

"Of what I've seen... I mean the way you handled the Un-Men, you're very good at what you do."

"I try my best," I tell him and then wait for him to ask me some more questions, but only silence follows. I'm not sure what to say to him and wonder if I would also get all shy and mute around Argus if we ever got a chance to really talk. I decide there's no need to stand here if Argus... I mean Andrews' not going to talk to me, so I ask, "Have you seen Kimberly?"

"Your friend went into Ms. Odin's office several minutes ago," Andrews answers as he points to the hallway.

"Thanks." I start towards the hallway, notice the couch in the center of the room, pause, and stare at its shot up leather, and then I turn back around and question him, "How often do you fail at your job?" He stares at me as if he's puzzled by my question, so I ask him, "Have you ever not protected someone? Have they died?"

"Yes," he admits. "But not because the team didn't lay down their lives." His gaze shifts to his H.H.C. as he recounts, "It was about four years ago. We were outnumbered. I was shot three times, and I'm the only one who survived. We were protecting a mother of four." Andrews glances at the kitchen. "She had the good sense to send the children away to live with their grandmother."

"I'm sorry for your loss. I know it's painful to lose someone. What I don't understand is, why are you still a bodyguard? You came so close to death. Wasn't that job enough to fulfill your sense of duty?"

"No, it was a failure. I believe I've been given a second chance, and I won't fail again." Another moment of silence falls between us, and then he asks, "What about you? Have you ever failed?"

I always say I can save everyone, it's the mindset I have to take up, but I know it's not true, and I tell him, "Yes." I think about those I've met over the past year. I protected most of them but a few failures come to mind. "One of them was someone very dear to me." I think about Preacher and how I wasn't even there to try and protect him and that it was my fault. I think about his sister Melissa, her daughter, and Chad. I vow to myself, I will protect them not only for Preacher but because I have failed in the past. I tell Andrews, "We'll do better. There will be no Closings today."

End Katharine's view...

Kat walked past the couch and headed for Melissa's office as Andrews followed her with his eyes. He considered what she meant by Closings. It must have been the slip of the tongue and that Kat just meant Closing. Andrews turned his attention back to the video feed. He also vowed that no one he was protecting would come to any harm.

Katharine's view...

I continue through the hallway, then open the door, and walk into the office. Kimberly's there staring down at her H.H.C., looking all scared and depressed like she's watching someone dig her own grave. I wonder if I should leave her to her thoughts, but I don't think it would do her any good to linger on her possible death, so I ask, "Did you get in touch with Thanatos?"

"He said he would contact Voice but for now..."

I study her face and know that helpless look; it's an expression I've come accustomed to showing, and it's one of the worst experiences in the world. I want to console her. I've been in her situation when no one's been there for me, but I've also been in her situation when someone was. My attempt to tell her I'll be there for her doesn't come out as I hope as I say, "It's not the best feeling to know someone's trying to kill you."

Kimberly's view...

"How would you know?" I snap as I lift my gaze and glare at that woman. I hate it when people try to sympathize with something they have no understanding of. It's like humoring a child so that the child will leave you alone. I'm no child!

Katharine's view...

Kimberly's outburst is filled with fear and anxiety, and I don't reply to it. I only stare at her with a look of understanding. I'm so bad with words, I'm so bad at trying to express what I truly feel. I know I can only try, but sometimes it's so hard feeling this helpless. I continue to look at her with a look of understanding. It's all I can do now and if Kimberly doesn't know by now that I do understand how she feels, then there's no arguing with her.

I want to help her, but I also have to understand how our relationship stands. I'm on the outside looking in a window to Kimberly's life. I feel alone in a crowded world, but how does she feel? Does she feel the same way or is she as cold as she puts on?

Kimberly's view...

I notice her gazing at me with a compassionate look, and I almost yell at her, but then I realize that woman's not mollycoddling me but being sincere, so there's no need of me to have snapped at her. The current situation with my job, not that woman is why I'm all wound up and angry.

I tell her with a bit less anger, "I'm sorry. You of all people do understand what it's like to be hunted."

Katharine's view...

I'm amazed that she actually apologized to me. I don't think I've ever heard her apologize for anything. Again I find that I don't have any words for her. I'm stuck being the quiet one.

Kimberly's view...

I grab my H.H.C. from the desk, pick up my knapsack, place the device in it, and tell her, "There's nothing more I can do but stay alive."

I do need to complete my Closing when the time comes, and that woman isn't going to make it easy, not easy one bit. Hades! My life's becoming complicated.

End Kimberly's view...

Earlier in the living room by the entry...

Andrews tapped the button on his earpiece as he stared at the video feed. "Johnson, there's a large man moving across the street towards the house. He is wearing a WM-D and carrying what appears to be a gasoline can and a large gun case."

In the kitchen...

Johnson moved to the door that connected to the living room. "What's the man doing now?"

In the entry...

Andrews looked at the H.H.C. "The man is making his way up the stoop." Andrews pulled his gun. "The man is dousing the house with the gasoline. Do I engage?"

In the kitchen...

"Negative. I repeat negative." Johnson turned to Melissa and said in a voice that didn't betray his apprehension, "Go upstairs with Daniels."

Without hesitation, Melissa set down her mug and rushed up the steps from the kitchen.

"Daniels, the Closers are making their move," Johnson relayed as he hurried into the living room.

Upstairs...

"Understood," Daniels replied and turned as Melissa came up the stairs to him, and he ushered her into Bonnie's bedroom. "Wake the children. Get them ready to move if we have to."

A lump formed in her throat, and she swallowed hard as she entered the little girl's room. Melissa tried to hide her panic. "Wake children." She closed the door. "Time to get dressed."

Downstairs...

"What's going on?" Kat asked as she and Kim walked into the living room.

Johnson pulled his gun. "We believe the Closers are making their move." He took Andrews' H.H.C. and watched the video feed.

Outside...

The mountain of a man emptied the gas container and set it on the stoop. The Raven removed the Thompson Submachine Gun from its case and aimed it up in the air as if posing for a gangster photo, and then he removed a lighter, turned to the camera, and flicked it on. A small flame came to life.

"Shoot him before he lights the gas!" Andrews shouted, moving toward the front door.

"Wait!" Johnson yelled. "You could ignite the liquid with your gunfire and that antique he's holding will cut you in half. Besides that–" He panned the camera, searching the street. "–wasn't there supposed to be two Closers?"

Kat glanced over Johnson's arm to the H.H.C., peered at the video, and replied, "Yes, maybe he's trying to distract us." She quickly headed for the kitchen. "I'm going to check the back door." Kat hurried through the kitchen and into the laundry room, unlocking the knobs as she went and then cautiously opened the door to the backyard. All seemed fine but... There was a petroleum scent on the wind, and it was more than the smell of Tainted Rain; it was gasoline! She wondered if she was smelling the gas from the front. No, it wasn't faint, so it had to be close. Kat glanced at the wooden fence and rushed back into the house, making sure to lock the doors behind her.

In the living room...

"What did you find?" Johnson asked as Kat returned.

"The back fence is doused with gas and leaves both our exits blocked." She moved to his side to watch the video feed. "My guess is the second Closer is waiting somewhere outback." The camera feed showed the Raven standing on the stoop with the lit lighter in his hand as a breeze whipped the small flame.

"What is he waiting for? Do they plan on burning us out?" Andrews asked.

"More like lure us out," Kim answered. "Death by fire doesn't pay that much. There's property damage the Closer is liable for and that comes out of their pay." Both bodyguards gave her an odd glance, so she added, "Or so I've heard."

Kimberly's view...

Hades! I'm not very good at keeping my mouth shut, and it might get me killed. I look at both bodyguards to see if they've caught on to that woman's stupid ruse, but both of them are more concerned with the security camera feed.

"If we don't make a move soon, they will set the fires," Johnson says.

"What do we do?" Andrews questions as I'm wondering the same thing. I don't save people for a living, I end their miserable lives.

"What if... What if the Closers are not sure of their target?" that woman inquires. "Will they still take the shot?"

"They aren't supposed to," Johnson answers. "Why do you ask?"

"I have a plan, but it'll leave everyone in the open. Are you sure they will light the gas?" that woman asks.

"Very sure," Johnson answers. "If we don't come out of the house like they hope, either way by threat or for real, they'll get us outside."

"I agree," I chime in since I am the expert. "Closers don't bluff. He'll set the fire if we don't go outside."

"Gather everyone together," that woman orders us as she grabs her backpack from the couch and puts her Ravlek Vest on over her jacket. "We don't have much time."
Chapter Forty

Plans Into Action

Fifteen minutes earlier...

The raven flew across the street and landed next to the wolf in an alley beside the Bes Hotel, and the wolf looked at the large bird with its golden-yellow eyes. Across the street from them was Melissa's safe house. The raven cawed and took once more to the dark sky and from its lofty view, the large bird looked over the vicinage and surveyed the area. Death would soon be on the wind.

About a block away from Melissa's safe house, Nikolai sat in the Cadillac. He removed his suit jacket, laid it on the back seat, reached into the glove box, and removed the Glock 19. "It is time. Are you ready, my sister? We have been given the go-ahead."

"Yes." Natasha checked the wrist sheathes and whispered to her knives, "Do not worry, my Sweets. You will taste blood soon enough."

"Then let us begin our job. There are no restrictions on which Closing we perform first."

"I am pleased Voice gave us the go-ahead to an early Closing for the Phoenix."

Nikolai tucked the Glock 19 in a holster strapped to his back, grabbed a box, opened it, and removed a Winnow Mask type D. He looked over the full head gear and decided the military version would do nicely. He opened the ashtray under the vehicle's console and removed a plain metal lighter. Nikolai put the WM-D on, grabbed his jacket from the back, exited the car, and placed the jacket on. He put the lighter in his pocket and headed for the trunk.

Natasha threw her coat in the backseat, put on her WM-D, and joined her brother as he opened the back. "Oh... That smell. It is awful!" She waved her hand in front of her mask and motioned inside. "I can smell that thing even through the filter."

"I almost forgot I grabbed it." Nikolai looked at the thing in the trunk. "What you smell is the smell of urine."

"Are you going to use that thing now?" his sister asked.

"No, not yet. It might come in handy later." Nikolai punched the thing in the face, rolled it on its side, and removed the Thompson Submachine Gun's case and a gasoline can. He set both items on the sidewalk and shut the trunk. "Tasha, are you clear on the plan?" he asked over the Winnow Mask's transmitter.

"Yes, very clear." She straightened her red leather outfit, grabbed a gasoline can, a rifle, her satchel, and started across the street.

A few minutes passed, and her brother crossed. A couple walking down the sidewalk looked up and saw the man in the WM-D, his gasoline can, and gun case. They turned and went back the way they came. Nikolai laughed and made his way up to the stoop. He threw the gas on the house, removed the Tommy, and lit the lighter. "Alright you muckers, I'm the gee picked for this Closing, so let's do this," he shouted and then said over the WM-D transmitter, "Tasha, I'm in position."

"As am I." Natasha stood on the roof of an adjacent house overlooking Melissa's backyard. She lifted the rifle and looked through the scope and said, "One of them has come out. She is the woman who was with the Phoenix. I am taking aim. It is too late, she has gone back in."

"No matter," Nikolai replied. "They should flee the house soon and then we will have our fun."

"Are you sure they will split into two groups?" Natasha questioned.

"It is my guess they will if they flee before I set the fire, and I believe they will also do so if I start the fire." He shifted his weight and then said, "If they prolong anymore, I will set it ablaze and if it comes to that, they may all leave at once or split into two or more groups so be on your guard, my sister."

Natasha removed a knife, glanced at a road flare she held in the other hand, and then looked at the back door. A few more minutes went by, and she said, "Nothing new on my end. This is boring. Do make them come out."

"It is time." He stepped back and threw the lit lighter at the side of the house. The gas ignited, and flames quickly engulfed the wall and front door.

"I have movement!" Natasha yelled, excited as she readied to throw her knife, preferring to use it over the rifle.

A blur of dark colored material emerged from the house and made its way to the gate and at first, she didn't know what it was, and then she realized it was a large blanket or two. A hand reached up from under the forest-green comforter and opened the gate, and they started out the gate like a delirious Chinese parade dragon.

"A group of them has come out of the house covered with two large blankets," she reported as she drew back her hand to release a deadly knife. Two bullets whizzed by her head, and she ducked behind the ledge of the roof. Natasha pulled the top of the road flare, threw it over the roof, and hit the fence. The gasoline ignited, and flames rapidly spread across the wood as a little girl screamed. The fire lapped at the comforter and hissed as it was repelled by the cloak of forest-green. The flames ate away at the wooden fence but cowered from the comforter as the last of the Chinese parade dragon exited the gate. A second wave of bullets whizzed by Natasha, and she heard the little girl scream again.

"Nikolai!" Natasha yelled. "They made it past the fence and are running through the vacant lot. I don't know how many came out."

"Understood." Nikolai aimed the Tommy at the front door consumed by flames and shot. He sent an onslaught of metal, hoping to clear a path inside for himself. He stopped, reloaded, ran at the door like a maniac, and kicked it in. Nikolai quickly checked inside the entry, then the living room, and soon he had checked the entire house. "Tasha."

"Yes, my brother."

"The house is clear. They all must have escaped out the back. Have you followed them?"

"Yes, they have gone underground like rats. They have made our job much more interesting." Natasha glanced behind herself and saw Melissa's safe house burning as the flames lit up the dark heavens in a halo of red, yellow, and orange. "Do bring the car to the back street. It is time we ashed the Phoenix."
Chapter Forty-one

Underground

Earlier...

The safe house...

"This is the plan," Kat began as she stood at the laundry room sink, drowning two large comforters. "We'll cover ourselves with these blankets and hopefully, they'll confuse the Closers long enough for us to escape out the back fence. The wet blankets should protect us if the Closers ignite the gas. We'll position the three bodyguards up front, Melissa, Chad, and Bonnie in the middle, and me and Kimberly in the back."

Johnson asked, "Once we clear the fence, then what?"

"Then we head for the abandoned subway and make our stand down there." Kat dried her hands on a towel. "Do you have all your equipment?"

The three bodyguards looked at their duffle bags, and Kim glanced at her knapsack, and then everyone nodded.

"Good." Kat slung her backpack over her Ravlek Vest. "Let's head out." She picked up the dripping forest-green blankets and handed one to Johnson and the other to Daniels.

"Mommy, I'm scared." Bonnie squeezed her mother's hand as she shook her head and her black curly hair bounced. "I don't want to play this game."

"I know honey, but we're only going to play it for a little while." Melissa knelt beside her daughter. "All right?"

Bonnie rubbed her eye. "I'm tired."

"I know honey." Melissa wiped a tear from her own cheek. "I know you're tired, so for mommy, please... Please play the game."

The little girl nodded. "All right."

The group of eight formed a line at the back door and covered themselves with the two wet blankets, but the lineup had changed slightly. It became Daniels' job to hold the blankets together. Johnson led, followed by Andrews then Chad. Melissa and Bonnie were behind Daniels and then Kim and Kat. Melissa kept Bonnie by her side. It was dark under the comforters, and all each person could see was the tile floor and the person in front of them. The blankets dripped, forming small puddles and soaked the tops of the group.

"Everyone ready?" Johnson asked.

Andrews looked at his H.H.C. to keep an eye on Nikolai. "Johnson, the Closer threw the lighter! The front's on fire!"

"Move!" Johnson yelled as he opened the back door.

They all hurried out. Johnson kept a fast pace, but one Chad and Bonnie could keep up with and as they neared the gate, he reached his hand out. Kat flipped the side of her blanket up a little, looked up from the darkness of the comforter, and noticed a figure on the rooftop of the neighbor's house. Kat saw the glint of metal as the Wolf raised a knife, so Kat fired two warning shots over her head, and the Wolf ducked.

"Did you get them?" Kim asked.

"No."

"No? I thought you're supposed to be a good shot."

Kat didn't reply as Johnson opened the gate, and the group started through.

"Well? Why did you miss?" Kim questioned.

"I wasn't aiming for her," Kat answered.

"Are you serious?" Kim yelled, but the rest of the sentence was muffled by the bodyguards' shouts.

Natasha had thrown the road flare on the doused wood, fire consumed the fence, and Bonnie screamed. Melissa picked up the crying child and carried her. Fire lapped at the blankets and hissed as the water soaked material repelled the flames. The group felt the heat at their legs and heard the crackle and before Kat exited the gate, she fired a second time at the Wolf.

Bonnie covered her ears for the loud bangs and finally screamed again in fear. "Mommie, I want to go home!"

Melissa broke down crying. "It will be all right. It will be all right."

Johnson led them through the vacant lot, across the deserted street, and to the cage surrounding the entrance to the subway. He withdrew his gun, fired several times at the lock, opened the chain-link gate, and started down the stairs and once they reached the bottom, they removed the two blankets and dropped the smoldering comforters to the floor. Bonnie still cried, and Chad was pale with fright. The area was dark so the bodyguards, Melissa, Kim, and Kat removed flashlights and continued.

"Everyone, this way," Johnson ordered, making his way down a hall. He glanced back several times to see if the Closers followed.

"Johnson, what do you think?" Kat asked. "Should we split up or stay together?"

"Split up," Johnson answered as they came to a line of turnstiles. He helped Chad over as Andrews and Daniels assisted Melissa and Bonnie.

They continued and went down a second set of stairs and ahead of them about fifty feet, they saw lights and a crossing passage.

"The power's still on," Daniels said surprised. "Do you think people are living down here?"

"Never know," Andrews said. "But once the gunfire starts, we don't have to worry about it."

Everyone turned off their flashlights as they entered the lighted passage.

Johnson led them and stopped at the end where it opened to a platform. "We'll split up here. Me, Andrews, and Daniels will go back and hold off the Closers as long as we can."

"Okay." Kat studied the platform and the narrow sidewalk that continued to another passage through a tunnel. "Me and Kimberly will take Melissa and the children to the next platform and there, we'll find somewhere to hide." She looked at Kim. "We'll protect them with our lives," Kat spoke and then emphasized the next statement as she said, "No harm will come to them." She noticed Kim glared at her, and it was a subtle glare.

Kat led, followed by Melissa carrying Bonnie, then Chad and Kim hurried behind them. They quickly walked across the narrow sidewalk that ran along the tunnel, then they rushed through the passage and after about fifteen minutes, they heard gunfire.

Melissa paused. "The men!"

"We have to hurry and stick with the plan," Kat insisted, and Melissa nodded to her and followed.

The five of them continued across the narrow sidewalk as it curved around a corner, and then it headed for a second platform and there a subway train stood where it had been abandoned nearly three decades ago. They passed many posters on the walls that depicted a bygone era, and one caught Kat's eye; it was of a sunny beach and written on it was, "Wish you were somewhere else?"

Kat moved to the first car. "Kimberly, give me a hand." She tried to pry the sliding doors open.

"What are you thinking?" Kim asked.

"That we don't have much time."

Together they forced the doors opened, and then Kat said, "Quickly, everyone in. The Closers will be here soon."

Melissa ushered the children in and whispered, "You don't think Johnson and the others will stop them?"

Kat looked at Kim who shook her head, and Kat replied, "It's better to be prepared in case they don't succeed. Now quickly get in." Kat took one last look at the tunnel they had come through, and then she followed Melissa and the others.
Chapter Forty-two

Red Brick Street

Earlier...

5:59 P.M...

The next road over from Brownstone Street...

Red Brick Street was for the most part empty. A tall iron clock chimed six times as a stray brown cat scurried up a Transgenic Maple and scanned the road below. Something stalked it from the shadows, and it was something that didn't belong in the city. A breeze rustled the leaves of the maple and parted the veil of green that concealed the feline and within the safety of the tree, the cat turned its attention above. A large raven cawed from the dark sky like an omen of death, then the cat hissed at the black bird, and it hissed until a howl sounded across the neighborhood. The feline lay low on the branch, hiding from the foreign invader as the wolf walked across the vacant lot to the tree, looked at the cat, and then to her brother in the feather. The raven floated on the wind and then soared with the drafts. The house behind the wolf burned as sirens blared in the distance, and she sniffed the air filled with the scent of smoke and petroleum as hunger rumbled her stomach. The wolf studied the feline, knowing this dinner had evaded her and stood still as the breeze brushed her thick fur. She would not be able to resist her hunger or her bloodlust for much longer.

Across the street...

Nikolai and Natasha stood at the back of the Cadillac and stared inside the open trunk, and Natasha winked at the thing in the trunk.

"Tasha, the bodyguards and the Phoenix will be waiting for us." He spoke over the transmitter of the Winnow Mask as he lifted the Tommy to rest his elbow on his side.

"Yes, I know." She glanced at two of the small canisters she retrieved from the backseat. "These will make things fairer, that is, fairer for us, and do not forget the Phoenix has a friend. The woman who mocked us with the piece of candy must also be eliminated."

"I have not forgotten about her, and her death should be easy enough to write off in our report for Voice." He looked at his sister. "When the time comes, do you want to take care of her?"

"Yes, she is mine and the Phoenix is yours." She looked at the canisters. "Will these be enough to break their lines?"

"Those and the surprise I picked up from Wayfaring Lane should be enough, my sister." He reached into the trunk and grabbed the thing. "Time to go, my friend." Nikolai curled his lip and in his best impression of a gangster, said, "Time to bring this show to an end."

Down in the subway...

Johnson waited at one of the corners across the hall about fifty feet from the bottom of the second set of stairs. The lighted passage stood behind them along with the first platform and the subway track, and he glanced at Daniels who knelt beside him and took aim for the steps. Andrews waited at the other corner, watching the hall, and Andrews glanced at the grenades and spare magazines in his duffle bag.

"I hear someone coming," Johnson said. "Get ready!"

They tensed as seconds then minutes went by and for a moment, they thought it was a false alarm till a sound grabbed their attention. A small object clanged down the second set of stairs like a tin can, and it landed at the bottom of the steps, rolled in their direction, and hissed opened, spraying white smoke. The fog-like substance thickened till it created a cloudy wall, and then a wave of bullets fired from the stairs. They ducked around the corners, taking cover and after the metal barrage ended, they blindly shot into the smoke. They heard a muffled cry and someone fall to the concrete floor, and a large hand fell out of the smoke, holding a Glock 19.

"Did we get one of them?" Daniels asked.

"Looks like it," Andrews answered. "Be careful though, there's still a second Closer out there."

"Do not shoot," Natasha yelled as she came out of the smoke, holding her side.

"Raise your hands and kneel," Andrews shouted.

She lifted her hands and knelt as if in pain as blood covered her one hand and side. "Do not shoot," Natasha repeated and glanced at the man beside her. "My brother!" She bowed her head and sobbed. "You have killed my brother."

Andrews and Daniels cautiously moved toward them as the smoke slowly dissipated, and Johnson covered them from the corner. Natasha continued sobbing, then she lifted her head and wailed, and then her cries turned to laughter. Andrews and Daniels stopped about six feet from her.

"Fools!" she yelled and dove to the floor.

The smoke dissipated enough that they could see a third figure had appeared at the top of the stairs.

Andrews looked at the man on the floor. He was dirty and wore worn clothes. "He's a vagrant," he said and yelled, "Johnson, it's a trap!" Andrews raised his gun, but it was too late.

Nikolai turned his Tommy on them and opened fire from the top of the stairs. His attack took down Andrews and Daniels. Johnson opened fire as Natasha threw a second canister across the hall towards him, and the white smoke blocked his view.

He pressed the button on his earpiece and yelled, "Andrews! Daniels! Are you all right?" There was no answer, so Johnson frantically repeated, "Andrews! Daniels! Are you all right?" There was still no answer. They had been tricked, so Johnson grabbed his duffle bag and cursed, "Hathor!"

He ran for the platform and then in the direction of Melissa and the children; he had to reach them before the Closers did.
Chapter Forty-three

The Subway Train

6:39 P.M...

Katharine's view...

Silence... For ten minutes, no noise comes from the tunnel passage where we all know the bodyguards are standing their ground. The gun blasts and shouts have long since died, and everyone fears the worse. The eerie stillness numbs the senses and fills me and most likely Kimberly and Melissa's thoughts with nightmarish scenarios of the bodyguards' fates. The subway train we're in consists of ten cars, and each one's connected to the next by two doors that open into each compartment. The length of each car is thirty feet, and each car has two sets of sliding doors on the side that open to the platform. Large windows cover both sides of the car, an aisle runs down the middle, and padded seats covered with dust face the aisle on both sides. Poles positioned on each side of the sliding doors once allowed passengers to stand and wait for their stop. Me, Melissa, the two children, and Kimberly hide in the fifth car from the front. We've opened all the connecting doors running from the first through the tenth car, and the doors that exit to the subway train are all shut. I glance at Melissa who's holding Bonnie as Chad sits close to them, and the silence continues.

Kimberly's beside me, staring at her PPK as she ejects the gun's magazine three times; it's full.

"How's your ammo?" I question, noticing her fidgeting. I couldn't come up with anything else to ask her so that's my lame question. Kimberly's usually so calm and cool, but I guess even assassins fear death.

Kimberly's view...

"I have plenty," I answer that woman. "There are more magazines in my knapsack." I glance at her, seeing the look of concern. I would usually be angry at her for even considering a tiny bit of concern for me but for some reason, it makes me feel somewhat better, and I thank her in my own way by saying, "Don't worry. I'm fine."

It's agonizing waiting for someone to kill me. I don't know how that woman existed in this fear-inducing state for a year. I don't think I could have and if it had been me, I probably would have offed myself a long time ago.

Katharine's view..

"It will be fine," Melissa adds, trying to encourage us. "Johnson and his men know what they're doing." She repeats as if trying to convince herself, "It will all be fine. They'll take care of the Life Closers and then come for us, so everything will be fine. None of us will die."

I'm about to move and say something to encourage Melissa, but footsteps echo across the tunnel passage as someone runs toward the second platform from the first. I rush to the front along with Kimberly and look out the window. We watch the curve, waiting for the person to appear. Johnson rushes around, glancing over his shoulder, and he slows as he sees the second platform and the subway train, and then he searches for us. Kimberly and myself pry open the first car's set of sliding doors to the platform. We glance around the area and check for the Life Closers, and we see no one else.

"In here," I yell as I wave him over.

Johnson glances once more over his shoulder and enters the first car as he pants from running. He mutters, "I'm getting too old for this." Johnson swallows hard and informs us, "The Closers got Andrews and Daniels." He pauses, catching his breath. "The Closers aren't far behind, so we only have minutes."

Sadness, hurt, and confusion have their way with me as I can't believe the news. Andrews and Daniels are dead? But they..? I force all of those distractions to the side. I don't have time to deal with them. I'll grieve when everyone's safe. I motion behind myself and tell Johnson, "Melissa and the children are in the fifth car. Go back and stay with them and give yourself a little time to rest."

He starts to go back and pauses. "Watch out for the Closers. They like to play dirty." He heads back.

I wait till he leaves, turn to Kimberly, and ask another lame question, "Are you ready? We have to stop them here. "

"I'm ready? But are you, Ms. High And Mighty?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not the one who won't kill," Kimberly says, and then she informs me, "The only way we're going to stop the Raven and the Wolf is if we stop them cold, and I do mean make corpses out of them." She points a finger at me and states, "You'll have to take someone's life. You won't stop them by merely wounding them. I know their kind, and I have dealt with their kind. The Raven and the Wolf are too dedicated to their work, or more like, they enjoy it too much to be stopped by a mere flesh wound." I don't respond to her statement, so Kimberly questions me, "Are you listening? You can't hesitate. You have to kill them, if not for my sake then at least for Melissa and the children's."

"I'll do what has to be done," I finally respond. "I'll protect everyone."

"Isn't that statement a little late?" Her voice raises out of anger as Kimberly tells me, "Daniels and Andrews are dead. You didn't protect them." She turns to draw my attention back to the tunnel passage, and she states, "They might still be alive if you had taken the shot outside of the safe house and killed the Life Closer on the roof."

"Don't you think I know that?" I snap, no longer holding back my guilt. I'm aware of what my actions have done, and I whisper, "I keep replaying the event in my mind. I know I could have easily aimed for her head."

Kimberly's view...

"For Ares' sake!" I shout as I throw up my hands. "Then stop your whining about killing and take out the Raven and the Wolf. How else are you going to protect me?"

I'm taken aback by my own words. I'm relying on that woman to save me. The Raven and the Wolf have rattled me but even if that's the case, I still wouldn't normally believe anyone would save me. I have to get my head on straight.

Katharine's view...

"I'll find a way to protect everyone," I answer.

I'll find a way for everyone's sake, and I'll do it without taking a life. There's a reason I shouldn't take a life, and I know it deep inside. I can't complete the Gamma Phase. If I do, it'll change everything. I stare at my gun. I won't take a life even if it cost me my own.

"You'll find a way?" Kimberly utters. "For our sake, I hope you do, otherwise, we'll end up like Andrews and Daniels."
Chapter Forty-four

Here They Come

7:07 P.M...

In between platform one and two...

The twin Life Closers stopped before the curve and looked at one another. Gore still covered Natasha's hand where she smeared blood from the vagrant's bullet wound, and Nikolai no longer held the Tommy. He left the empty submachine gun back at the hall where they killed the two bodyguards.

"We let one escape," she said. "It was sloppy of us. He is most likely with the Mark."

"Do not worry, my sister." Nikolai removed a Glock 25 from his shoulder holster; he had taken the Glock 19 from the vagrant and placed it in the other holster on his back. "It does not matter if they know we are coming. We will complete the Closing, and we will return to our homeland."

She stroked the side of his mask with the back of her hand, smearing a little blood on his WM-D. "Let us bring doom then." Natasha removed the second canister from her satchel. "What do you think, my brother? Are they in the subway train or have they escaped through another tunnel?"

"I would be on the train if I were them. It gives them some protection." He turned to his sister, pointed to the canister she held, and asked, "Tasha, how many more of those do you have?"

"Five. Why do you ask?"

"It is time for another wall of smoke. We cannot make it too easy for them to kill us."

On the subway train...

Kimberly's view...

"Hades... I hate waiting," I mutter as I impatiently stare out the window to the curve. I would never make it as a bodyguard. I tap my foot anxiously. "Being a Closer is much easier," I tell that woman. "All I have to do is show up at the spot, wait maybe an hour or two, and bang! The job's done."

"Not so loud. Do you want everyone to hear?" that woman scolds me as she glares at me. "And how can you say easy? Killing someone isn't. Every time you take a life it does something to your soul." She turns her attention away from me and back to the curve. "Anyway, I thought you hated your job. I thought you hated what you do for a living."

"What are you babbling?" I ask. That woman doesn't know what she's talking about, and I inform her, "I don't hate my job."

Katharine's view...

I know Kimberly's lying to me again. Does it really help her to cope with the current situation to make things up? I question her, "If you like what you do, why don't you smile? Why do you always look so miserable?"

Her dismal expression worsens as Kimberly says, "I don't look miserable."

Kimberly's view...

I'm agitated over that woman's stupid comments, and I add, "And mind your own business! I never asked your opinion."

I tap my foot faster. That woman can't be right, no, there's no way she's right. A little time passes, and I can't help but consider her statement. Am I doing something I hate? I do blame my father for getting me into the business. Is it because I despise my job?

Sure... I don't have a life, I have no friends and really no family, but does that make me miserable? I convince myself that it doesn't.

Katharine's view...

Maybe I should drop it, and we can talk about it later. I stare at Kimberly's nervous foot. She has enough to think about right now, and there's no need to make her feel worse than she already does.

Kimberly notices me looking at her and stops the distracting thumping as she says, "Sorry."

"Don't worry..." I tell her as I rub my left thumbnail against my index finger and rub it red. "We all have bad habits."

"Bad habits aside," Kimberly begins as she's the one who can't put the topic aside for now, and she informs me, "I never said I liked my job. I don't hate it, but I don't like it."

"Oh..." I reply, knowing she's only telling me what she wants to hear herself. "That's too bad."

"Too bad? For Ares' sake!" Kimberly shouts, lowers her voice, and asks, "What's too bad?"

I start to answer her, "That..." I pause, realizing Kimberly honestly doesn't see it. She has somehow convinced herself that the life she has is the life she wants. I debate whether or not to say anything more, and then I realize I'm already all in, so I answer, "It's too bad that you lie even to yourself."

Kimberly's view...

"I don't!" I insist. "Hades! I don't..." I stop myself from saying anymore as I consider her statement. I know myself... I know myself more than anyone else, and I haven't become so used to deceiving others that I also lie to myself. For Ares' sake! I've let that woman get to me for even considering her stupid notion.

I blurt, "I didn't want to tell you before because I knew you'd get all freaky around me, but of course I enjoy killing people! Why else would I be doing it?"

She looks upset with me and that woman puts a finger to her mouth and utters, "Shhh..." She glances across the cars in the direction of Melissa, Johnson, and the children, then turns back to me, and says, "Don't talk like that. The others might hear you."

"Fine, but it's not like it's going to matter. We're probably all dead unless we can take out those Closers, and I do mean kill them."

"Quiet," that woman orders me like somehow since our conversation she has become the boss of me.

"Why are you yelling at me again?" I ask. "I didn't say anything about me being a–"

"Closers," that woman interrupts me. "They're making their move."

"Oh..." I say as I turn to where the Raven and the Wolf stand, and they're out of range of the handguns or at least out of my range. I yell at that woman, "Shoot them already!"

Before that woman has time to react to my order that sounds more like a plea, the Raven and the Wolf throw some sort of canisters at the subway train, and soon smoke engulfs the cars.

"I don't like this," that woman states.

I give her a frustrated look as I inform her as if I have to, "You're not supposed to like this." I shake my head as this whole thing with that woman has become ridiculous, and I yell at her, "What kind of statement is that? If you don't have anything useful to say, I would suggest you keep your opinions–"

"Go back and help Johnson," that woman interrupts me again as if she has no fear of what I am or what I can do to her and everyone she cares about. She starts to pry the side doors open.

I'm about to argue with her or at least clear up our roles as predator and stupid idiot, but then I glance at Melissa and remember her Closing. I could use this opportunity to take out my Mark, but I have my own Closing to worry about. I tell that woman without sounding like I'm confessing something, "I would prefer to stay with you."

She grunts as she pries the doors open and says, "Please, go back and help Johnson." She turns her attention back to the Raven and the Wolf. "I have a feeling he'll need you."

"Fine, but what are you going to..?"

Without another word or any more directions for me, that woman races from the car and into the smoke.

"Wait! Don't go out there by yourself!" I yell at her, and then I gripe, "Idiot!" She's gone, and I'm left with a decision to listen to her or... I resent her abandoning me to my fears, but I go ahead, do as ordered, and make my way to the back. I stay low so that I don't stand out as a target as the smoke rises up to the windows. What's that woman thinking? We're partners through all of this, and we should stick together.
Chapter Forty-five

Protect Melissa And The Children

7:25 P.M...

Kimberly's view...

White smoke rises and engulfs the subway cars and the surrounding area. Good thing we made sure all the windows were closed or the smoke would be in here with us. I pause before I make my way to the back and remember that the front car's platform facing doors are open. Smoke floats in, filling the front half of the empty car. I'd go shut the door, but that woman might need a place to retreat to in a hurry, so I continue on to the back to join the others. Johnson had moved Melissa and the children to the last car. Silence hovers over me like fog in a graveyard, and it's eerily foreboding and conceals many possible horrors. I push open the connecting door, and it slides open with a squeal. I quickly enter, remembering to stay low, and then I shut the door. Johnson aims his weapon at me, making sure I'm not one of the Life Closers who might have made their way in the car, and then he quickly looks back out the window. Melissa huddles with the children in the last car, and Johnson squats beside them and peers out a platform facing window. I can't see past the wall of white and that's making me on edge.

"This is the same tactic the Life Closers used at the stairs," Johnson informs me as he's apparently angry over the loss of his men. "They made us believe they had been shot, and we fell for it!"

I squat beside a different window and tell him, "We'll be prepared for any trickery."

"Where's Kat?" Melissa asks.

"She stepped out for a bit," I inform her.

"Oh..." Melissa sounds worried and says nothing more to frighten the children.

"No really," I say, and I'm not sure if it's to convince Melissa or myself. "Katharine went to deal with the Life Closers, so she's fine." I add a smile to my lie to sell it as I state, "So no worries."

Melissa believes me or she at least pretends to for the sake of the children. Melissa softly speaks to them, "Did you hear that? Everything's going to be fine."

I look at Melissa and the children and consider what Voice is up to. The Regulator sent me on this Life Closing and then sent the Raven and the Wolf after me like it was some sort of test. I consider that Voice is watching to see what I'll do. I pull on my left earlobe. If I complete my Closing and kill Melissa, will Voice cancel my Closing? Is that all I have to do to get myself out of this mess?

Johnson shifts his legs as if he's cramping a bit in his squatted position, and then he glances out the window again and says, "We can't fall for their trickery. We have to hold our–"

Large hands smash through the window, sending shards flying, and the huge hands drag Johnson through the window, cutting him on jagged pieces of glass left in the frame. I hear Melissa and the children scream as I shield my face with my gun hand and lean away from the clear projectiles. Johnson yells before disappearing, and I quickly run to the window. I can't see him in the smoke. I'd shoot, but I'm afraid I'd hit Johnson and for now, I need him to watch my back.

Hades! Where's that woman? She left me alone with these people and... I realize I'm the only one with Melissa and the children and that there's no bodyguard to protect the Mark. Glancing at Melissa, I debate whether or not to complete the Life Closing I was assigned. If I do, I'll have to deal with that woman, and she might kill me for completing it no matter what she says about not taking a life. I don't want to get in a battle with her; I still need her.

Hades! The things I do for that woman and lately, I've been going against my nature.

I wave for the three and say, "Melissa, it's time." I move to the opposite side of the car and slide open the door to an empty sidewalk as I continue, "Take your children and run and don't stop." I step to the sidewalk and search the area over the barrel of my gun. The smoke thins, and I see a clearing as Melissa and the children creep out to the sidewalk, and I order, "Go as deep into the subway tunnel as you can. We'll hold the Closers here."

Melissa lifts Bonnie into her arms and grabs Chad by the hand, and they flee. I run with them for about a minute, covering them as they run through the thinning smoke.

"Don't stop," I remind them before I run back, re-enter the side door, cautiously move to the broken window, and glance out. The smoke looms, blanketing everything that's on the platform, and I can't see anything, but I hear a scuffle. I open the side door facing the platform, exit, pause, and listen, and I hear the men grunting as they fight each other, so I hurry in that direction. I run to where the Raven and Johnson wrestle. The Raven has him in a headlock, and Johnson's gun is laying on the ground about three feet away from him as he struggles against the Raven. I quickly take aim while I have the chance.

"Shoot!" Johnson yells through labored breath once he sees me. "Kill him!"

"I don't have a clear shot," I shout back.

"Shoot!" Johnson insists. "Shoot!"

I yell, "For Ares' sake! Fine!"

I fire. The bullet strikes the outside of Johnson's thigh, and he cries out in pain.

"Puck! You hit me!" Johnson yells as if that wasn't what he intended when he ordered me to shoot. He curses me, "Setna's plight be upon you and your household!"
Chapter Forty-six

Happily Ever After

Earlier...

Katharine's view...

I rush out of the front car of the subway train and through the smoke, thinking I can quickly attack our enemy and save everyone. I find that I'm not as gung-ho once I'm in the thick of the smoke, and I move to the walkway careful of my steps. The smoke's all white but for me, it's like I'm walking through a dark forest that completely surrounds me. I'm unsure of my footing as if I'm afraid I'll trip over some fantasy-conceived root or get tangled up in some conjured vines from the wilds of my imagination. The denseness of the smoke gives me a feeling of being lost and isolated. I can't see a thing, so I'll have to rely on my instincts. The smoke smells like chemicals, and the dry almost nothingness of it touches my face like a creepy phantom hand. It takes ahold of me, but I can do nothing to it as if it has some sort of magical power over me. I slowly continue on as I try not to let my untamed thoughts get the better of me, and I'm barely able to see my feet let alone where the Raven and the Wolf are. They're creatures of the dark forest, and I feel like Little Red Riding Hood who has lost her way to Grandma's house. I shuffle across the platform towards the back of the train or I believe I'm moving in that direction. I put my hands out, searching for anything I might run into as I wonder if I'm walking in circles. I wish I had more control of my abilities. I mastered the Beta Phase, but the Alpha and Delta Phases are only triggered by the presence of a bio-mecha, and the ability to sense my enemies would come in handy right about now.

The creepy quiet puts me on edge, and I still have no idea where the silent Raven and the stealthy Wolf are. I thought I heard a sound earlier and that's why I left Chad and the others in the care of Johnson and Kimberly.

I scan the area. Maybe I should go back to the subway train and... A metal object flies out of the smoke, cutting me across the shoulder. I hear the object hit a car behind me with a ping as I quickly move to the side and back towards the front of the train. I raise my gun but hesitate, knowing I can't fire. I have to be sure of what I'm hitting. Another knife flies out of the white towards my neck, and I dive sideways, scarcely evade the attack, and land on my stomach. The attack would have killed me if I hadn't of leapt out of its way. I scan the ghostly mist. How did the Closer know where to throw the weapon? Is the Closer hearing me or does she have equipment that allows her to see me?

I crawl to the train, find two throwing knives lying in front of a car, and pick them up. I think I figured it out. The first throw was a blind throw. I touch my shoulder, a very lucky blind throw. The Closer heard me move after the first attack and threw again in my direction. Maybe I can use the same method. I place my gun in my other hand, and then I fling a knife, handle first so not to hurt anyone. The knife hits a wall, so I throw a second time in a different spot and hear it hit the wall again.

"You have discovered my method," the Wolf yells to me and she's not even near where I threw the knives.

If I'm to have any chance in this fight, I need to get clear of this smoke, and maybe I can draw the Closer back to where we came in and away from the others. I sprint across the platform and clear the cloudy whiteness. Knives fly out of the smoke after me, and they miss.

"Where are you going?" the Wolf asks. "Are you fleeing or do you hope to drag me out of hiding? Maybe I will leave you for now and look for Ms. Odin or the Phoenix."

Her threat sends me into panic-mode, and I charge back into the smoke and lift my arms to shield my face. I run to a wall and put my back to it, expecting knives to fly at me. The smoke slowly dissipates as I look beside me and see one of the framed posters from earlier with the writing, "Wish you were somewhere else?"

I do wish I was somewhere else and anywhere would be good right now. I slide along the wall and bump the frame, and the poster rocks. It's loose, so I remove it, rush through the mist, and spot the Wolf. I can tell she towers over me like a Lantern Pine towers over a blade of Transgenic Grass.

Natasha's view...

I see a blur charging out of the smoke and throw a knife and then a second. The blades strike with a thud... thud... It sounds like my Sweets hit something other than flesh. The plain one who protects the Phoenix must have acquired something to shield herself from my attacks. No matter. I am the Wolf. I have more than just my teeth.

Katharine's view...

That was close! I quickly run away from the Wolf as I stare at two blades embedded in the wood just inches from my face. My back's to her, so I quickly turn around and charge again, holding the three by five-foot poster mounted on a wooden back as a shield. The knives embedded deep through the thin backing, so I don't know how many more attacks this thing can take before it breaks apart. The smoke continues to thin as I increase speed, and then I see the Wolf reach for her wrist sheath again. She pulls another knife but by then, I ram into her and slam her into the wall. The blow knocks her head against the concrete blocks and breaks the poster in half. The Wolf drops the knife she removed, grabs her head, and collapses to her knees.

"Mongrel..." the Wolf curses at me from the floor, and then she stands a little dazed and removes a new knife. "You think you can win against me?"

Crap... My shield's gone. We stare at one another for a split second as I notice she's holding the knife differently than before. It's as if she's ready for hand to hand combat. I drop the broken poster, take a few steps back, and remove my Beretta I had tucked in the back of my pants waistband. I aim and shout, "Don't move."

Natasha's view...

I moisten my lips with my tongue, looking over the not so delicious little mongrel. My prey has no idea what is coming, and I smirk as I peer past her. The plain woman makes a face as if she is wondering what I am looking at and before she has a chance to turn, quick heavy footsteps answer the who as a large hand flies out of what is left of the smoke. My brother seizes her gun and pushes the plain woman some distance to the wall.

He walks over to me with his new trophy and says, "Tasha, she is all yours."

"Thank you, my brother." I remove a second knife and tell him, "Not that I needed your help."

"I did not think you did." He walks past me and states, "She was in my way that is all. I will take out the last bodyguard, and then we can both kill the Phoenix."

"Promise."

"Yes, that is a promise," he replies as the smoke in our area nearly vanishes.

"See you later at the Phoenix roast," I say, turn, and as the plain woman starts to move off of the wall she was smashed up against, I lunge for her.

Katharine's view...

I don't know what happened. One moment I was facing the Wolf and then another I was flying through the air into the wall. I did hit hard, and it takes me a while to move off of it and regain my bearings as I turn and see...

"Oh, crap!"

An Amazon of a woman's running at me with her two blades ready to slice into me. I quickly push myself off the wall and search for the broken poster. I find one of the pieces that's now only two-foot long and grab it right before the Wolf strikes. She brings her knives down to gouge out my eyes, but I somehow manage to block her first attack with my left arm. I swing the wood for her head, and the Wolf pulls back her attack and blocks my makeshift club with her fists that are locked around her knife handles. The wood smacks her knuckles and the Wolf grimaces, but then she sidekicks me in the stomach. I stumble back, holding onto the wooden poster piece. My Ravlek Vest took the brunt of her kick.

"You are not very good at hand to hand," the Wolf comments.

"Is it... that apparent?" I gasp a little out of breath as I grab the broken poster with both hands. "I was hoping to hide that fact."

"You would think one in your line of business would be better trained."

"I mostly shoot and run away. There's not much training needed there."

The Wolf comments, "You do not seem like any of the bodyguards I have encountered. If that is what you are. You did rescue the Phoenix. Why would a bodyguard save a Closer intent on killing the one they are protecting?" She pauses and then states, "Or are you the Phoenix's partner? Is this a trick to get close to Ms. Odin?"

"No," I insist. "I'm a protector, not a murderer."

The Wolf whips around with a spin kick, and I duck, drop the poster, and whirl with a backward sweep kick. I make contact, and the Wolf falls to her side but quickly rolls to her feet.

"Maybe I spoke too soon. You have some training." The Wolf charges with her knives as she adds, "You are merely not that good."

I pick up the poster, bring the wood over my head, and chop with it like a sword. The Wolf blocks it with her blades.

"Tell me. What is your name?" the Wolf questions me through her mask's intercom.

"Kat."

"Such a simple name Cat, Kitty Cat."

"Actually, it's short for Katharine."

The Wolf questions me, "Did you tell me your real name?"

I nod as we continue our fight, and then I ask, "And you? What's your name?"

"I am the Wolf."

"I figured out that much. What's your real name?"

"I do not tell mongrels what my real name is. You should also do the same," the Wolf tells me, and then she says, "Enough with the idle talk. I did come here to kill you."

She lunges for me, swiping both of her knives for my throat. I move hurriedly backward to evade the slashes, and it reminds me of when the Rogue first attacked me. I lift the piece of wood and block the Wolf's right arm. She swipes with her left and makes contact, but she can't cut through my vest. I think the Wolf has finally figured out that the thin vest I'm wearing is armor. The Wolf strikes again but this time, she avoids my chest area and cuts me across my right shoulder. She slices through my jacket. It's deeper than the first cut, and I wince for the pain. We're about the same in strength, but the Wolf beats me when it comes to length of arms and legs. I desperately push my block forward, withdraw the wood, setting her off balance, and leap back. I put my hand on my wound. It hurts, but I can still use the arm. I check to see how much blood covers my palm. The cut's not as bad as it hurts, but I do need to find something that will win this battle. I don't have my gun, with it I would have the advantage now that the smoke's gone.

"You do not seem that experienced in fighting," the Wolf tells me as she charges again and brings her knives over her head as before. "Is it an act to throw me off my guard or are you only a fool?"

I lift the poster to block, and the Wolf stabs the wood but to my surprise, she releases the knife that's in her left hand and grabs my right wrist. The Wolf releases the other knife, drops her free hand under the broken poster, and punches with an uppercut.

"You are a fool," the Wolf declares, "And soon you will be a dead fool."

I don't see the fist till it's a blur of pain in my face. I stumble back and drop the poster as the Wolf comes at me with a roundhouse to the head. I fall to the floor with a bloody nose as everything around me whirls into one fuzzy tornado.

Natasha's view...

I kick the poster to the side and stroll over to the mongrel. I grin at my prey and watch as a trickle of red runs down to her lips, then over them, and down to her chin. The mongrel starts to move, so I kick her in the ribs. She grabs her side in delectable pain. I move over to her and force her to lie back, and then I sit on her stomach, place my left hand to her cut shoulder, and stare into her hazel eyes that look like they are having problems focusing on me. The mongrel winces again as I press hard on her shoulder wound with my fingers.

"By now you must know there are sweets that are treats–" I start to tell her as I remove a new knife from my left sheath. I glance at the blade as it glints in the subway lights as if it is winking at me, and then I say, "–and Sweets that can kill."

I have her right arm pinned down and yet the mongrel still resists me as she grabs at my mask. I bat her arm away and then slap her in the face, pacifying her again.

"It was not very nice what you did with the little sweet at Bes Hotel," I tell the mongrel. "Making us think the candy was an explosive or poison." I stare at my knife with affection as I continue, "Now, I will let my Sweet deal with you but before I do that..." I lean to her ear and whisper, "From Moscow, with love." I remove my WM-D, bend to kiss her on the lips, but she quickly turns her head and receives the Executioner's Adieu on her cheek instead.

I straighten and laugh, amused by her innocent-like shyness and speak, "I did not notice before, but you are cute like a little girl." I stroke her face as if the mongrel is my own unwanted cub, "Are you afraid of a little lip-lock with your enemy? A pity... You could have enjoyed one last sweet before death." I replace my mask, put my knee on her right arm, and grab the top of her hair to hold the mongrel so I can slit her throat. She grabs my arm as I seize her brown hair. I would love to play with her a slight whiff longer, but I must join my brother and kill the Phoenix. I start to cut her throat when a sound in the distance distracts me. I look at the curved walkway that connects the stations as something moves our way.

Step. Drag. Step. Drag.

"Who is there?" I call out.

Step. Drag. Step. Drag.

One of the bodyguards that should be a carcass comes around the corner, dragging his leg and holding his side as blood covers him.

"Did you forget about me?" he shouts.

"Apparently yes, I thought you were dead," I reply. "But I can simply rectify that. Foolish man, you should have run when you had the chance."
Chapter Forty-seven

Sacrifices

After leaving his sister, Nikolai breathed through the WM-D as he walked into the thicker part of the smoke and continued across the platform after taking Kat's gun. Nikolai tucked the new trophy in the front of his pants, quickened his pace, and ran beside the length of the train. He saw the shadow of a man's head in the last subway car, walked over to the window, and smashed through it. He grabbed the man, dragged him out, and then wrestled with Johnson. Nikolai had about a hundred pounds on the man. Nikolai grabbed his gunhand and slammed it on his own knee. Johnson dropped his weapon, and they continued wrestling as Nikolai put him in a headlock. The ghostly mist started to dissipate and through the white, Nikolai saw Kim raise her gun and aim for him.

Minutes later...

"Setna's plight be upon you and your household!" Johnson shouted.

"Did you just put a curse on me?" Kim yelled. "You Isis heathen! Take it back! Take it back or I'll–"

Nikolai felt the bullet penetrate his own leg but refused to let go of the bodyguard.

"Heathen?" Johnson snapped and then grunted for the pain in his leg as he tried to free himself. "You Sphinx wretch!" His face reddened as he couldn't break free of the Closer's vice grip. "You want me to take back the curse or you'll what?" Johnson collapsed to his left knee. It was the leg where the bullet had hit. "You'll shoot me again?"

"Oh, Hades! Stop your whining! It's like I'm talking to Katharine!" Kim took aim again.

Johnson lifted a hand and yelled, "Don't shoot! Don't shoot! I take back the curse! May blessings fall upon your house!"

"Hold still!" Kim yelled. "Or I'll miss again."

"Miss again?" both men shouted.

"It would help if you both held still!" she snapped.

Johnson fisted his hand and hit Nikolai's leg, and Johnson hit the leg several times till he struck the bullet wound. Nikolai bellowed like a bear and released him, and Johnson rolled away from him and went for his gun. Nikolai pulled the Glock 25 from his shoulder holster and fired, and the first shot missed. Johnson fired, hitting him in the shoulder, and Nikolai fired again, hitting him in the forearm. Johnson dropped his gun and held his injured arm as blood flowed.

Kim fired and hit Nikolai in the chest, and Nikolai wildly fired at her as he fell back. Kim dove to the ground, and then Nikolai roared and stood. He lifted the Glock 25 to shoot her when he heard a man's voice then his sister's in the distance, and he turned to the front of the train. He saw Natasha shouting at a man while she was sitting on someone else. Nikolai realized the man nearing his sister was one of the bodyguards they left for dead. He and his sister had been careless, but his sister would fix their error. Nikolai turned back and focused on his current situation as he and Kim stared down the barrel of the other's gun.

Johnson spotted Andrews in the distance and yelled, "Get out of here! You're in no condition to help us!"

Near the front of the subway train...

Step. Drag. Step. Drag. Andrews walked the curve connecting the two stations as he held his fisted right hand close to his chest while the other uselessly dangled by his side. Blood dripped down his injured arm, and several bullet wounds darkened his black business suit. He could still help. He could still make a difference. He wouldn't let another client die. Step. Drag. Step. Drag.

Near the back of the subway train...

Kim was too close. If she shot the Closer, he would fire back and hit her at this range. She had to make a kill shot, and she wasn't that good with a handgun. She kept her eyes on Nikolai.

Near the front of the subway train...

Katharine's view...

The fuzzy tornado starts to slow and then it completely disappears, and I realize the Wolf is sitting on me. I hear someone talking to her, and I strain to lift my eyes to see Andrews some distance from us. I'm having trouble breathing from the kick to my ribs and with the Wolf sitting on me. I want to push her off, but I still haven't regained my strength. I try to look at Andrews again, and I see that he's really injured.

"Run," I try to yell but nothing comes out beyond a rasp. I try again, and I'm able to utter, "You have to–"

"You can wait!" the Wolf yells at me, and then she punches my face. "Be quiet!"

Natasha's view...

The mongrel loses consciousness, and I stand and speak to the bodyguard who is still in the distance, "Foolish man, you should have fled when you had the chance. Instead, you choose to come find us. You must be seeking misery."

I throw a knife and hit him in the left shoulder. The bodyguard pauses as the blade strikes but continues as if he does not feel the pain. He leaves the curved walkway connecting the stations and stops.

"You are seeking punishment!" I yell as I run at him and run some distance before I reach him, and then I spin kick and knock him to the ground. "Foolish man... It would have been less painful if you waited for your death at the first subway station."

The bodyguard lands hard, but he manages to keep his fisted right hand to his chest. He rolls over to his side and tries to get up. I notice there is a wad of blood soaked bandages balled in his palm with only a few strips holding it in place. The poor little rabbit must have nearly lost his hand when my brother shredded him with his toy. I walk over to his side and kick him so that he lies flat on his back. I sit on his crotch, move his hand out of the way, part his suit jacket, and move my hands up and down his bloody shirt, feeling his muscular form beneath the wet material.

"Your foolishness will also give me some time to play with you."

I unsheathe a knife and forcibly run the blade along the front placket, cutting off buttons and then I rip open his shirt. Several bullet wounds seep blood as I place my hands back to his chest and smear the red liquid around as if I am playing in warm mud. I lean down, deeply breathe of the iron-like scent, and the familiar aroma arouses me, and our foreplay starts as I let out an elated gasp. I bend to his ear and excitedly whisper, "From Moscow, with love."

I remove my WM-D, set it to the side, and find the air in the subway does not bother me. I bend to him, put my mouth over his, and forcibly dip my moist tongue to his pressed lips. He tries to resist me as if my fondling is unwanted, but he does not have the energy to stop me. I penetrate his mouth, and the more he fights me the more aroused I get until he stops resisting altogether. I lift from him, and the red imprint of the Executioner's Adieu marks his lips.

"You are quite attractive. It is too bad we met as adversaries. We might have had some good times." I feel his muscles and move my hand to his groin. "Some very good times, my delicious little rabbit."

"S-stop," he says.

"You want me to stop?"

"I'm... I'm going to stop you." His voice rises as he says, "I'm going to stop you from killing them!"

"How are you going to stop me when you cannot even prevent me from fondling you?"

"I will," he says. "I'll..."

Some distance from them...

Katharine's view...

I come to, roll to my side, and see blurry images of Andrews and the Wolf in the distance. I realize I have to move. The Wolf's going to kill him!

I slowly rise to my knees as I scream in my thoughts. Move! She's going to kill him! I manage to place one foot on the floor. Hurry! He can't die. Argus... Andrews can't die.

Natasha's view...

I replace my mask, draw back the blade to cut his throat, wink at him, and then change my mind and stab him in the chest. Gore sprays my mask, and I laugh as I tell him, "See, you could not stop me."

"No!" I hear the mongrel yell who is some distance from us.

The bodyguard grabs my knife with his left hand as his eyes widen in pain.

"See... You have fallen prey to the Wolf, and now I will kill the one you were protecting." I go to move when the bodyguard grabs my arm. I try to pull away from him, but he clamps down on me. "Let go of me, you filthy beast!" I shout and struggle against this once weak and foolhardy man, but I cannot free myself. I cannot believe how strong he is now. He had been as weak as a rabbit's kit, but now he's like a steel trap. "I said let go of me!"

The bodyguard tells me even as death draws him into the grave, "I won't let go. I have you. The Wolf has fallen prey to her own carelessness."

I am the predator but in that moment, I have become the prey. I turn and shout, "Nikolai, help me!"

I hear my brother yell to me, "Tasha! I am coming!"

I turn back to the bodyguard as he speaks, "Matthew... Karen... Beth... I'm sorry. Daddy won't be coming home."

He closes his eyes. and he dies. I believe his left hand will lose its grip on me, but only his right fist loosens and the bloody wad of bandages falls to the floor. The wad unravels enough for me to see that the bandages conceal a metal object.

I gasp as I yell, "Nikolai, grenade!"

Nikolai's view...

"Tasha!" I shout as an explosion flares up and sends my sister flying through the air. I rush past the plain woman who is slowly nearing my sister and run as fast as I can on my injured leg. I drop the gun I am carrying, fall to my knees, and cradle my sister in my arms. I cannot lose her. She is my world. She is my sister in the fur.

Near the front of the subway train...

Katharine's view...

I manage to stand after the explosion, start moving my battered body, walk past the Raven and the Wolf, and walk a little farther to Andrews. I stare at his blown apart form. He sacrificed his life. I divert my gaze from the bloody sight. He sacrificed his life to save Melissa and the children. A deep sorrow flows over me.

"Did you fulfill your sense of duty?" I whisper, then my sadness turns into rage, and I shout, "Was this worth not seeing your own children grow up?" I fist my hand and shout again, "Why did you do this? You didn't have to die!"

My rage vanishes as guilt replaces it, and I whisper, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disrespect your sacrifice. I know you loved your children and with this selfless act, you have guaranteed a future for them. Please forgive me. Forgive me for not saving you."

Moments earlier...

At the back of the subway train...

Kimberly's view...

I cover my eyes as the blast catapults the Wolf backward, and then I run over to Johnson, questioning him, "Are you all right?"

He nods, pulls himself to the side, and leans against the wall. "I won't be walking out of here on my own." Johnson removes his tie and wraps it around his leg to help stop the bleeding. He has nothing to tie around his shoulder. "What about Melissa and the children?"

I glance at the tunnel I helped them escaped through. I still need to complete Melissa's Closing and I believe if I do this, Voice will cancel my Closing, so I say as I run toward the tunnel, "I'll go check on them."

At the front of the subway train...

Katharine's view...

I hear the Raven crying, and I look at him as he cradles his sister. This is all their fault. I head toward them. Andrews would be alive if they hadn't of tried to kill us.

"Tasha, I am sorry," I hear him speak as he weeps. "I should have protected you."

I draw closer and see the Wolf reach up her hand and tenderly stroke his cheek. Her face shows no signs of the blast as her head was turned when the grenade went off. She speaks loudly as if she can hardly hear, "Hush, brother. It was I that was careless. Do not blame yourself for this."

I continue towards them in a slow but focused trudge. Her burned and bloodied left arm dangles, and I see that the left side of her body took the brunt of the explosion.

Nikolai's view...

"Brother, free me from this agony," my sister whispers. "Free me and then you can complete the Closings."

I remember the story of Salandra and Draven; it is the book that inspired our aliases. "I cannot free you, my sister in the fur."

She forces a smile, realizing the quote and must see on my face my heartache. Tasha tells me, "I know." Fear overcomes her expression as she pleads with me, "I am afraid. Do not leave me. I do not want to die alone."

"I will not leave you," I tell her. "I will never leave you."

Katharine's view...

I hold my side as I walk up to them, and neither of them hears my approach. I reach down and pick up the Glock 25 and check the gun to make sure the safety is off. The Raven finally hears me behind them, and he reaches his hand underneath his suit jacket, pulls a Glock 19 from his back holster, and turns his body halfway, aiming at me. I aim back in return as the sight of him cradling his sister reminds me of when I held Preacher in my arms. The deep hollowing sorrow returns, and I know what the Raven must be going through.

"Give up your Closing," I insist.

"I will never give up," the Raven declares.

"Then we're forced to shoot each other," I tell him and then ask, "Then who will take care of your sister?" I remember the name he yelled, and I ask, "Who will take care of Tasha?"

He turns his head, staring at his sister, and then he asks me, "You would let us go?" The Raven faces me and questions, "After we murdered two of your own, you would let us go?"

The image of Andrews flashes in my mind. "You killed two people today." I visualize the photo of his children. "You took away the father of three, and I should kill you..." I remember cradling Preacher in my arms and how I agonized over his death. "But the killing needs to stop." I glance at his sister and remember the tragic story of Draven and Salandra. "If you love your sister, go now. Save her and never come back."

The Raven shouts at me in his grief and rage, "I will not run! I will gun you down where you stand!"

"You shoot. I shoot and most likely we'll both die, and so I ask my question again. Who will take care of Tasha?"

"Brother."

He turns to his sister.

"It hurts so much, and I am so cold." She pleads with her eyes. "Help me. Make the pain go away."

"The Closings." Nikolai insists, "We must complete our Closings."

"Nikolai, the pain. It is so great. If the Closings mean so much to you, then kill me. Make the pain go away."

He exclaims, "No! I cannot!"

"Then take me to a hospital. Make the pain go away. Take me to a hospital or kill me."

He cries over her and then says, "I will save you." The Raven glares at me. "This is not over." He stands, lifting his sister into his arms, and then he starts out of the subway and shouts as he leaves, "You should have killed us when you had the chance. You will regret letting us go."

I watch as they leave and then glance at the Glock 25 I hold, wondering if I will regret not killing them. I walk to the back of the subway train and find Johnson leaning against a wall. I see that he has been shot in the shoulder and leg, so I kneel beside him and ask, "Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Your partner asked the same question. Do I look that bad?"

I search the area and see my Beretta on the floor but no sign of her, and I ask, "Where's Kimberly?"

"She went to check on Melissa and the children. What about the Closers?"

I glance back in the direction of the Closers and remember our promise. Kimberly would wait till we dealt with the Life Closers who were after her. I panic as I answer him, "The Raven and the Wolf won't bother us anymore." I pick up the Beretta and run through the tunnel. "I'm going after Kimberly."
Chapter Forty-eight

Questions

8:20 P.M...

Somewhere on the Light Side of the planet...

Voice sat in a dark hotel room in front of a laptop, peering at incoming information from the Assassins League's Closers. Voice's white gloved hands were the only things visible in the faint light as fingers typed rapidly across the keyboard.

An email popped up on the screen from a Guild Prep/Cleanup Crew, and it said, "As instructed, we returned early to the Bes Hotel's rooftop, and we discovered the sniper rifle we placed for the Phoenix as we left it. The rifle has not been fired. What are your instructions?"

"Remove the rifle," Voice typed. "The Phoenix will not be needing it."

An urgent email arrived, and Voice noticed the sender; it was from Thanatos. It had been ages since he made direct contact, so Voice clicked on the message and went over it.

Minutes earlier...

In the center of Noir and several miles underground...

Thanatos laughed. It was going to be most amusing. He stretched, wiped his hands on his black leather pants, and cracked his knuckles. Thanatos moved the swivel keyboard into position and typed, "I had an interesting conversation with the Phoenix."

He sent the email.

"What sort of conversation?" Voice questioned.

"It was mentioned that the Closing you issued for the Phoenix is unfounded. Did you order someone's death with no grounds? The Phoenix is one of your own."

"What would you know?" Voice typed back.

"The Phoenix contacted me and made his or her plea for help." Thanatos rubbed his hands together and finished typing. "It was the only course you left for the Closer after you sent the Raven and the Wolf to close the Phoenix."

Voice's view...

The nipple pierced punk hacked into my system! I'll need to change my security protocols again.

I type, "What do you know?"

End Voice's view...

"I know lots of things," he replied. "Now... What of the Phoenix? Why has a Closing been issued for this assassin?" Voice didn't reply to him, so Thanatos typed, "Are you going to answer me?"

Thanatos' view...

I can't help but think why indeed? What reason could there be? Where is the evidence the Phoenix violated the contract with the Assassins League? Could it be personal revenge? But the Phoenix is one of Voice's best assassins. What else could it be? What reason would he personally break protocol? I can only think of one.

I type, "The Closing is a favor for someone. It would have to be from someone very important for you to break protocol. Is that not right?"

End Thanatos' view...

"That's nonsense," Voice replied. "I would never break the rules that govern the Assassins Guild, not for anyone."

"What about the Phoenix?"

"What about the Closer?" Voice questioned.

"Are you going to rescind the Closing? You have no grounds for it."

"Do you have any grounds why I should cancel it?"

Thanatos typed, "No."

"Then it stands, and there is nothing you can do about this Closing, Thanatos. It's up to the Phoenix, the Raven, and the Wolf, and they'll decide the turnout."

Thanatos' view...

I push the swivel keyboard to the side. I did try, but as my counterpart stated, it's all up to them. I swing the keyboard back into place. Unless... I enter the Virtual Hall of Records for the Assassins Guild. Unless I can find something more on Maestro and here it is. The record says as much as the other one I found in Voice's Archive. Maestro's alias has been retired for ten years.

I tap my chin. I'm missing something. Maestro's specialty was killing children and with that in mind, I have to consider that the hit on Mrs. Serqet's kid wasn't a mistake but a deliberate act. If it was deliberate, what could be the reason, and who could hire a Closer who's believed dead?

End Thanatos' view...

The Light Side of the planet...

Voice removed a cell phone from a briefcase and dialed a number. "It is very urgent, I would like to speak with R.G."

After a few moments, a distorted voice spoke, "This is R.G."

"Thanatos contacted me about the Phoenix's Closing. He suspects I ordered the Closing as a favor to someone."

"He doesn't know you did this for me," R.G. said. "Do not worry about it. There's no paper trail to find." R.G. paused and asked, "What have you heard from the Raven and the Wolf? Is the Phoenix dead?"

"There has been no report."

"And what of the other Closing? Ms. Odin's? What have you heard about it?"

"The same. Nothing."

"I see..." There was a long pause. "Voice, at this time I would like to amend my request."

"Of course, R.G. What is it?"
Chapter Forty-nine

Ms. Odin's Closing

8:21 P.M...

Nile Sector, Commorance Vicinage...

The subway...

Katharine's view...

I frantically run across the sidewalk and through the tunnel that leads away from the second station, and it seems to go on forever as if I'll never reach anyone in time. The area darkens the further I go, and I round the second curving tunnel. I have to find Melissa before Kimberly does. She promised not to kill her until we took care of the Raven and the Wolf, and now with them gone... I quicken my pace, step onto another platform, and come to a second subway train at a third station and with each second that passes, I imagine the worse. Kimberly might have already completed her Closing, and all I'll find is a corpse with two children wailing beside it or worse, I might find three corpses.

"Melissa!" I shout, desperate to find them, "Chad!"

I search through the train's windows, looking for the family, and my heart skips a beat when I don't find them. I think I really messed up.

I turn around in a full circle, searching the area as I wonder if it was wrong of me to try to save both Melissa and Kimberly. Kimberly called me naive for placing a would-be Closer next to her Mark, but I couldn't stand it if either of them got hurt. I had to try and save both of them, and then I realize I did... I really messed up... and now Melissa's probably dead, and Chad... he's... I put a hand to the train and start to cry as I collapse half-way to my knees. Guilt washes over me like the waves a squall pushes over a ship at sea, and I think I'm going to drown in them but then...

"Here!"

I look up and nearly lose it when I see Melissa push open the door of the front car and carefully make her way to the platform as she questions me, "Have the Closers been eliminated?"

Her voice's the sweetest thing I've ever heard, but I manage to contain my relief and answer, "The Raven and the Wolf will bother you no more." I motion to the tunnel as I wipe my eyes as if I've been crying. "Quickly, let's go back to Johnson."

I realize everyone's not safe just yet, so I glance around the area, but I don't see Kimberly.

Ushering the children onto the platform, Melissa must notice my anxiousness for she questions, "Is something wrong?"

"No," I answer, trying to hide my apprehension as I search the area again for Kimberly. "Everything's fine."

"If nothing's wrong, why are you hurrying us?" Melissa asks me.

I have to come up with something fast. I don't want to scare the children, so I say, "Johnson's hurt. We need to get back to him and get him to a hospital."

"Oh," Melissa says, and then she continues ushering the children back the way we came.

"Are you looking for your friend?" Chad asks as he watches me.

I halt and so do the others as I question, "You've seen her?"

"Yes," Chad answers, and then he motions in the other direction. "She ran past here about five minutes before you did."

Melissa comforts Bonnie as she states, "I almost said something as she ran by us, but she never called out our names. I thought since she didn't say our names maybe we still needed to stay in hiding."

"It's best to be on the safe side. Come on." I herd the group towards the tunnel. "Let's hurry."

I lead the group, wondering why Kimberly didn't call out their names. I want to believe that she felt like she needed to give them a chance and not murder Melissa right away. We start through the tunnel when someone calls out my name.

"Katharine."

I inwardly gasp, recognizing the voice. I never even considered this point in time, but now I have to face it, I'll have to face Kimberly.

I say, "Melissa."

She states, "Yes."

"You go on without me." I turn, seeing Kimberly standing behind us. "I'm going to talk with my partner."

"Are you sure?" Melissa asks still skittish.

"Yes, it's safe to go on ahead. I would have Chad watch Bonnie once you get there. Johnson's not in the best of shape, he'll need your assistance getting out."

"I will," Melissa answers, and then she and the children continue through the tunnel.

"Melissa," I call after them.

She pauses, turns, and says, "Yes."

"Don't wait for me and Kimberly to get Johnson out. It might take us a while. No matter what he says, get him out now. His wounds are serious."

Melissa nods and goes on with the children.

I wait before facing my trial of fortitude, buying Melissa and Chad time to get out and once they're out of my sight, I take a deep breath and move towards Kimberly. I know this won't end well as Kimberly patiently waits for me. I stop several feet away from her.

"I see you sent them on ahead that was a wise move." Her arms are down at her sides, and she holds her gun as she says, "I assume the Raven and the Wolf are no more."

Sadness presses against my heart as I consider the ending of our story. Is this world so dark and evil that blood must constantly be shed? I wait a few seconds before answering her, buying Melissa and the children even more time; time they need. I hear their footsteps move on into the distance as they hurry off to Johnson, and I finally answer, "They won't bother Melissa."

I grasp the Glock 25 in my left hand and the Beretta in my right. I don't want to have to use them, and dread grips my soul as I question, "What about the other Closer? What about the Phoenix?" My eyes grow dismal, fearing the answer as I ask, "Do we have to worry about her?"

"For Ares' sake!" Kimberly snaps. "What do you think?"

"I think something terrible's about to happen. I think... I think I might have to go against my pledge to myself, and I'll have to... I'll have to..."

A knot forms in my stomach as I'm unable to finish the sentence even in my mind. I know my words are powerless against Kimberly's work ethic, and I raise both guns. I wish Life Closers didn't exist. I wish we didn't live in a world where death is the first answer to a problem. I wish... I wish it didn't have to end this way.

I state, "I'll stop you. No matter what, I'm going to stop you."

Kimberly's view...

I see now... All that woman's talk about not taking a life was a lie. I notice the sadness on her face, then I remember her attempt to murder Topa, and I believe she'll hesitate when it comes down to it. When she hesitates, she'll give me the opening I need to take her down. I can't stake my life on it, so I'll have to act as though she'll shoot to kill. I hate this though, I hate up close Closings. They're messy.

Katharine's view...

I struggle with my conscience. I don't want to become the killing machine the Council hopes for, but I can't let Chad get hurt. I'm determined to stop Kimberly but merely wounding her won't keep her from her Closing. I insist, "I won't let you hurt them."

"Them?" Kimberly acts insulted as she states, "I have only one target. I'm not sloppy. No one else will die."

"I'm not talking about death!" I shout. "If you kill Melissa, you'll hurt the children. They'll experience the same heartache as you did when you thought your mom abandoned you. They'll experience that same heartache you have now knowing Theresa was murdered! Why can't you understand? They'll lose a mother. Didn't that hurt? Didn't that make you die inside? How can you let another child suffer through that?"

"How dare you bring my mom into this!" Kimberly fists her left hand and shouts, "She has nothing to do with this!"

"Doesn't she?" I grit my teeth as a lump forms in my throat. I try to keep my voice calm, but it's coming out indignant. "Would you have become a Life Closer if Theresa had lived?"

"Of course I..." Kimberly pauses and then questions, "What does that matter? I have a job to do, and no amount of talking will change my mind. I'm a professional. Emotions or conscience can't interfere with my assignments."

The knot tightens in my stomach, and the lump in my throat doubles in size. I drop the Glock down to my side and level the Beretta on to the person I thought would be there for me. I level it at her heart. I'll have to do it. I'll have to kill Kimberly. One shot and it will be over. I'll kill Kimberly and save Melissa.

Kimberly's view...

I was right before... That woman's actually aiming at me. I can try to shoot first, but I still have to lift my gun, and I'm not sure how fast that woman is, so I guess the question is, will she try to kill me? Will she complete the Gamma Phase my mom spoke of and warned me of?

I tell her, "You know what I am and what I must do."

I'll be ready either way; I won't hesitate to kill that woman, but maybe I can mess with her head and throw her off her game. It might give me a chance against her, so I say, "There's no stopping me. Unless you commit the thing you fear the most. Unless you–"

Katharine's view...

"Why must it come to this?" I interrupt her as my small voice yells at me and pleads with me not to take a life. "Why is there so much killing in this world?"

"Idiot. You've had several minutes to take me out and save Melissa and yet you keep talking. Do you honestly think you're going to change my mind? Do you believe your words will sway me to a different path? Do you think I have a heart you can reason with? You do understand I don't. I'm a cold-blooded killer, so do you really think you can change my mind?"

"Yes, I have to for both our sakes." Yearning for release from the anguish attacking me, my eyes burn as if on fire, and I insist, "This is not the person you were meant to be!"

Kimberly's view...

Who does that woman think she is? She doesn't know me, and I'll make her pay for her do-gooder attitude. I ask, "How would you know what I was meant to be?" I bring my gun up as the dark side of myself raises its vicious head. "Now..." I cock the hammer, toying with that woman; I want to see her squirm over her convictions. I no longer think about my own life only that I want her to suffer. "If you're going to stop me, do it now! Or I'm going to kill Melissa!" I wait to see what that woman will do. I take pleasure in seeing her wrestle over crossing a line I myself bloodied long ago. "Do it! Do it before I do!"
Chapter Fifty

Removing Obstacles

8:43 P.M...

Kimberly's view...

"That's right! You're so weak!" I shout as I watch that woman struggle, and I take delight in it. "You can't kill me, can you? Idiot! You talk all confident about saving everybody, but you can't, not if it involves taking a life."

In that moment as I yell at that woman, I see my own hesitation. I haven't acted, and I've allowed that woman time to toil over her decision. I'm letting Melissa get further and further away, and I can't fathom a reason for my hesitation, and then I consider that I take pleasure in seeing her torment. Am I that cruel? Maybe... No maybes; I am that cruel. I would have removed all obstacles by now, so what am I waiting for? Do I really want to see that woman suffer over this decision? Do I want to see her toil over it like the first time I agonized over it? Isn't she an idiotic idealist? Doesn't she need to be taught a lesson? I break through my own wall of deceit and realize that's the answer. I relax in the freedom of my hatred. I want her to decide to cross the line and become like me. The image of my mom, that the music box produces, appears in my mind. What does the hologram Theresa know anyway? Who cares if that woman takes a life?

I shout, "Kill me to save Melissa!" I need that woman to make her move, so I can kill her. I want her to die knowing she couldn't keep to her moral convictions.

Katharine's view...

My arm shakes with uncertainty as I aim the Beretta at her. I can't live with myself if I kill Kimberly. I think about the children. I can't live with myself if I allow Kimberly to kill Melissa. I don't know what to do and this is a decision no one should have to make.

Kimberly's view...

"Well? I thought you were going to save everyone!" My hatred grows as I think more and more about that woman's innocent view of the world, and it makes me sick to think she's so optimistic. "Oh wait..." I'll take that world and make her see its ugly face. "Daniels and Andrews are already dead, so I guess you can't save them, and only one of us will be leaving this platform, so there again you've failed. Well? Are you going to stand there and do nothing?"

That woman won't reply to my taunting; she only gazes at me with those pitiful hazel eyes. I do notice her eyes are filled with anguish and look like they're on the verge of crying. I say, "As I thought, you're so weak. What did my mom ever see in you? When it comes down to it, you can't save anyone, not even yourself. You can't shoot me, can you?"

Katharine's view...

Aiming for Kimberly's heart, I place my finger on the trigger, deciding I have no other choice, but when I go to pull the trigger, fragile glimpses from my past sail by my mind like dandelion seeds drifting on the wind. When I try to reach my hand after the hidden memories and snatch them from the breeze, they evade my mental grasp and float away, leaving only an impression of their brief existence. They leave me with a sense that I know Kimberly and we're connected, so I need to stay my hand. I realize what I am about to do is so horribly wrong, so I drop my arm so that both of my arms limply dangle by my side. For the sake of the inner voice that always pleads with me not to take a life and for the fragile glimpses of my past, I drop both guns, and they hit the concrete floor. I won't kill her. I could never kill her.

"You're right." Filled with defeat and confusion, I close my eyes, shake my head, and whisper, "I can't. I can't hurt you, not you."

"That's what I thought." Kimberly aims for my forehead. "You're weak and useless. The Council must see you as a waste of their precious time."

I've failed Chad; I've failed him and Melissa. I start to doubt my decision. I couldn't pull the trigger. It's all I had to do to save them. There's that impression that I know her but... I open my eyes, freeze, and stare at Kimberly, waiting for her to take the shot. I was supposed to save them. Andrews and Daniels laid down their lives for them. All I had to do was squeeze a freaking piece of metal, but I couldn't! I gave up! I am weak!

Kimberly's view...

It's all too easy with that woman who's more like a child when it comes to her way of thinking. Yes, it's way too easy; it should be more... more challenging. I lift the barrel of my gun and point it straight up, changing my mind about killing that woman. She could still prove useful, but I don't know if she'll help me after I finish my Closing. I uncock the gun and walk toward her and as I start to pass, she grabs my left shoulder.

"I won't kill you," she states. "But I also won't let you hurt Melissa."

Irritated, I look at her hand, then into her determined face, and ask, "What are you going to do?"

"I won't let you pass. You'll have to kill me first and as I told you before, I'm going to save everyone. I'm going to save even you."

Save me? Who's that woman going to save me from? I aim again for her head and say, "If that's how you want it. Fine, but I was hoping to continue our partnership a little longer, but oh well."

Katharine's view...

I gulp, stare at the gun, and repeat with a little more fear and a little less resolve in my voice, "I won't let you pass; I won't." In my heart, I'm still determined to save everyone, but my body's the one who betrays my earnestness. If I can buy Melissa and the children a few more minutes, then maybe they'll flee to safety, but I'm so afraid of dying. My hand trembles as I hold Kimberly back. There's nothing else I can do but hold on to her shoulder and wait for the gun blast and the blackness that will follow, praying I've at least bought them the precious time they need with my sacrifice.

Kimberly's view...

A few seconds pass, and neither of us moves. I still haven't shot that woman, and I don't know why I'm hesitating again. For Ares' sake! What's with me? I know what that woman is and that it will be a waste to eliminate her, but is that the reason I don't shoot her? Or am I regrowing a conscience? No, it can't be that.

I shout, "Hades! We've gotten ourselves into a real mess! I prefer to have you around a little longer but no, you had to go get all up in my business. I have a feeling you would've been useful."

I then think of something. If that woman wants to save Melissa so badly, why didn't she attack me? She could have shot me in the leg or at least punched me, but she acts like she doesn't want to hurt me in the least. Isn't that ridiculous?

I realize I have to eliminate her and there goes our partnership. I press my finger against the trigger when a loud beep startles me, and I almost shoot with the jolt to my psyche. The sound comes from my knapsack. Hades! That was intense.

I hold my aim as I question, "Do you mind if I take a look? It's my H.H.C."

She stares at me with this puzzled expression on her face as she utters, "Ahh... No. Go right ahead." She releases my shoulder and takes a step back.

I remove the device and glance at the screen. "An email from Voice. I'll need to get this."

She nods.

It's so unprofessional, taking an email like this in the middle of a job. I lower the gun and holster my weapon. I open the email and read the message Voice sent me.

"Ms. Odin's Closing is canceled. Repeat. Ms. Odin's Closing is canceled. The Valhalla Corporation has withdrawn their request."

I click on the attachment, and it includes all the appropriate paperwork. I tell that woman, "The Life Closing has been canceled."

"Really..? Is this a trick?"

"No, it's no trick. The Closing has been canceled. It seems I don't have to kill you or Melissa after all."

"I don't think I believe you," that woman tells me.

"For Ares' sake!" I shout. "What's going on? Why the last minute cancellation?"

"Is it really canceled?" she repeats.

"Sure. I wouldn't lie."

She raises her brown eyebrows, mocking my statement.

"Fine, maybe I would but look." I show her the documents. "See. Canceled."

Katharine's view...

Relieved, deeply hurt, and psychologically exhausted, I wrap my arms around myself and tremble. That last second I was sure Kimberly was going to kill me. I feel sick. I would be dead right now if her email had beeped a second later.

"What's wrong with you?" Kimberly asks.

Taking a moment before answering, I lie, "Nothing." I try to shake off the uncertainty, reach down, and pick up the Glock and the Beretta. "Let's go back."

I can't shake off the feelings. Kimberly would have killed me. She would have killed me, and I would have stood there and let her. Stupid... I can't protect Chad if I'm dead.
Chapter Fifty-one

A Lesson Learned

9:01 P.M...

Katharine's view...

We silently make our way back to Johnson, Melissa, and the children. Neither of us wants to talk about what happened between us. At the next station, Melissa has Johnson on his feet and hobbling toward the exit. She waves to the two of us as if she's relieved she'll have some help getting him out.

"We're here!" Melissa shouts.

I'm appalled. They didn't get very far. Kimberly would have tracked them down in no time, and she would have slaughtered Melissa. I wonder though... Would she have done it in front of the children or would she have come up with a story and pulled Melissa away from the group before she did the grim deed?

I watch her closely still expecting her to try and kill Melissa at any moment. I can't trust her, so I don't need to be in this partnership. Surely I don't need someone like her. I think back to the business card I found. What about the clues that were left for me? Why was I supposed to find her? I glance at my Beretta. Am I supposed to stop her? That would be funny and here I'm trying to make friends with her.

Kimberly's view...

I notice that woman watching me. Good for her. She doesn't trust me, and it's about time. She was an idiot to put her faith in me. I would have killed her. The next thought saddens me a bit. That woman has finally learned that she can't trust me, so what will that do to our partnership?

Katharine's view...

I warily walk behind Kimberly. Should I stay and work with someone that can betray me at any moment?

I pause, take one last look at the second subway station, and think of the two dead bodyguards. So much death and for what? Melissa's Closing was canceled, so why did Andrews and Daniels have to die? I don't know. It all seems so senseless but at least the children won't have to see their bodies. We will be leaving by this station's stairs instead of the other's.

End Katharine's view...

With Melissa's help, Johnson hobbled his way out of the subway and to a locked fence. Kim shot the lock, and the group proceeded to the street. They saw no sign of Nikolai or Natasha. On the next block, the safe house burned and by then, fire crews worked on putting out the blaze. A Noir Civil Police Force car drove down the street and stopped at the curb before the haggard group.

"You folks okay?" the male officer asked.

Johnson released Melissa, hopped a few feet to the car's door, and leaned on it. "I work for the Isis Corporation. I'm a bodyguard, and two Closers tried to take out my client." He motioned behind himself. "Two of my men are dead. They're down in the subway."

"And the Closers?" the officer asked.

"Gone," Johnson answered. "They're gone."

The officer nodded. "Well, let's get you folks some help."

* * *

9:59 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Residential Vicinage...

Nexus Apartments...

Kimberly's view...

"Welcome back Ms. Griffin and Kat," Henry the security guard says as we walk through the glass front doors. A taxi dropped us off out front.

"It's good to be back, Henry," I tell him as I glance back at that woman who comes moping in. "A very trying day today."

She nods to the security officer.

"That's too bad," Henry replies. "May your night be better."

"Thanks," I reply as I enter the elevator first, that woman slowly follows, and then the cab doors close.

I consider the events of the past several days. Voice sent the Raven and the Wolf from Russia before he gave me the Topa Closing, so why is Voice so worried about someone knowing my identity as the Phoenix? Why did Voice question whether or not I had taken care of said person if I was to be closed? Did Voice believe the Closing would be canceled and if so, is Voice even the one who issued it? Or did someone else call for my termination and why? Am I still in danger? Will I be like that woman? Will I be hunted until I'm killed? The cab doors open, and I walk toward Apartment H.

A man enters the apartment next to mine as we walk by, and then he pauses, comes back out, and greets us, "Hello."

That woman's holding her ribs as she says, "Hey, Zax wasn't it?"

He nods, and then he questions, "Are you all right? You look like you were in a fight."

"Umm..." that woman starts.

"Racket ball accident," I interrupt. "We play a mean game."

"Oh. Well, you better let a doctor take a look at that." Zax walks back into his apartment, and the door slides shut behind him.

"Who's that guy?" I ask.

"A new neighbor. I met him several days ago. He seems nice."

"Nice," I repeat as I chuckle, and then I say, "You do know you're not supposed to trust strangers."

She glares at me as she replies, "According to you, I'm not supposed to trust anyone."

"Oh..." I'm shocked at first by her comment. "That's right. Trust will only get you killed."

That woman doesn't respond to my remark, so I look at Apartment G and consider the man we just met. This is weird now that I think of it. I've never seen any of the other residents since I moved to Nexus two years ago. I always thought it was because of my odd hours. We walk to Apartment H and go in.

Katharine's view...

Mentally and physically weary, I move on to the couch, drop my backpack beside it, and sit. I stare at the TV for a few seconds, then remove my Ravlek Vest and jacket, and drop them to the floor. I lift my shirt and examine my bruised ribs. On the taxi ride over, I listened to the music box, went into the Drifting Time, and allowed my body to heal. A few marks remain. I pull my shirt back down and examine my shoulder. I need to listen to Unfinished Melody a few more hours, and then I'll be fine. I lie back.

I don't think I can do this. I don't think I can be partners with Kimberly anymore. I glance at her reflection in the TV. I don't trust her, so what am I doing here? Can I really accomplish my goals with someone I'm afraid will betray me? No, this isn't going to work.

Kimberly's view...

I pause in the kitchen, trying to think of something to say to that woman, but I can't think of one thing, so I go to my bedroom. "I'm going to take a bath."

I take my time and after about an hour, I walk out wearing a bathrobe and a towel wrapped around my head. The doorbell rings, I glance at the woman who's fast asleep on the couch listening to the music box, and then I question, "A.C.S., who's at the door?"

"One moment, Ms. Griffin," the Apartment Computer System replies, and then a few seconds later, it says, "It is Marc from the security desk. He has two messages."

"Tell him to leave them at the door."

"At once," A.C.S. replies and after a few minutes, A.C.S. states, "He has left."

I make my way to the front door and press the button, and the door slides open. I grab the messages and return to the kitchen. One message is for me and the other is for that woman. I place her message on the kitchen counter, open mine, and read it, "Kimberly, if you could please stop by my office tonight. There's something I would like to discuss with you. Signed father."

What does he want? Is it another attempt to bond with me? I go to my bedroom, put on an aqua pantsuit, grab a purse, and place the PPK in it. I glance at that woman who's still sleeping. No need to wake her. I'll write her a note. I finish writing the note and head out.

Forty-five minutes later...

Katharine's view...

I wake, sit up, and close the music box. I lift my shirt and check my bruised ribs, and they've healed. I lean back and notice the apartment's quiet.

"Kimberly?" She doesn't answer. "Kimberly?" I check the apartment, find the note and message on the counter, and read the note.

"I had to go out for a while. Marc delivered a message for you. It's on the counter. If you get hungry, call down to the security desk, and they can order a pizza for you and charge it to the apartment. Signed, Kim."

I pick up the message that's addressed to me, surprised that Kimberly's worried whether or not I am hungry. I don't know if I want to work with someone like her, someone who only sees the dark side of things.

I open the message and read, "Dear Ms. Kat, I thought about our discussion and would like to talk with you more about organic-mecha at your convenience. Come anytime day or night. The Genesis Arboretum security will let you in. Signed, Adam Greenhouse."

I place the message on the counter. Should I wait for Kimberly to come back? No, Adam didn't necessarily say she had to come anyway... I feel the emptiness of the apartment. I don't know when Kimberly will return and this could be important. It could shine some light on my past or maybe on Theresa's murder. I decide I'll go and see why Adam wants to speak with me, and it'll give me some time to think about trust. Can my partnership with Kimberly work without it? I glance around the apartment. Is this where I'm supposed to be?

I clear my throat and say, "A.C.S."

"Yes," it replies.

"Can I leave a message with you for Kimberly?"

"Yes. What is the message?"

"Tell her..." I pause, and then I say, "Tell her, 'Adam Greenhouse wanted to speak with me, so I went to Genesis Arboretum.' Tell her, 'I should be back in a couple of hours.' "

"Message saved," A.C.S. states.

"Thanks."

I go into the bathroom, freshen up, and then put on a new t-shirt. I grab my backpack and jacket, make sure I have the music box in my pocket, and walk out the door.
Chapter Fifty-two

DR-C Oil

11:01 P.M...

The boundary of the Hellenistic Sector...

The Factory...

The Rogue stood in the Hidden Room, staring at the black stones and wondering what Pandora was doing at that very moment.

"Mr. Pinchbeck," Maven Crackerjack spoke as he walked in. "Oh good. You're here."

"Yes, what is it?"

Maven lifted an H.H.C. and said, "I have some documents that need your signature."

The Rogue took the device and scanned them. "What are you buying?"

"I have found a small collection of Arcamedes' papers and art."

The Rogue signed the documents with a pen stylus.

Excited over the purchase, Maven took the H.H.C. "The collection should be here the next day or so, then I can dig deeper into the mind of Arcamedes." He placed the device in a pocket inside his suit jacket. "I can find out more about the Rushlight we're both looking for."

"Both?" the Rogue turned to him. "Is your drive as great as mine?"

"It would be hard to say since we both seem like men vehemently pursuing his quest, but I believe maybe mine is greater," he answered. "I want to know the truth, and I have since I first read about Ginn L. Irynkissgthie and Arcamedes when I was a boy." Maven paused and asked, "Do you know about drive, Mr. Pinchbeck?"

"Yes." The Rogue thought of Pandora as it continued, "You could say I am fixated on one thing." It walked out of the room and Maven followed. "Mr. Crackerjack, as a safety precaution, I would like the most valuable pieces of our collection brought into the Hidden Room. It is more secure in there."

"Yes, of course, Mr. Pinchbeck," Maven said. "I think we need a new name for the room. It isn't so hidden anymore."

"I will leave that to you."

"I'll keep it simple then. How about the Exhibit?"

The Rogue said, "Excellent."

They exited the passage and entered the Gallery, and two S.C.Ms. stood guard there. The Rogue and Maven left the Gallery and entered Research Lab Five; the room once filled with cobwebs and dust was clean as an operating room. All the equipment had been removed and the walls stripped bare so that the room could be converted, and eleven workstations stood in a line. The Rogue set up its own network of ten analysts with one supervisor. There were three such groups that worked in eight-hour shifts. Each of the analysts wore an ebony jumpsuit with white stripes on the sides, and the supervisor wore a white jumpsuit with black stripes.

A female supervisor approached them and said, "Mr. Pinchbeck, we were able to retrieve seventy-nine percent of the Factory's Central System after the T-3s deleted it."

"Excellent." The Rogue looked at her hand and questioned her, "Do you have something for me?"

"Yes, here is the current information we've retrieved on the Pandora Project." She handed over the H.H.C.

"Thank you." The Rogue paused, scanned the information, and continued toward the exit. "Fascinating. I will go over this in my office." It left the converted room now known as the Analyst Cove.

Maven said, "I'm going to fax these documents right away. The sooner they receive these, the sooner we'll have the Arcamedes Collection." He also entered the hall, and Maven walked one way.

The Rogue walked the other way, went to its office, and sat at its desk; it had been reading the H.H.C. the whole way there.

"November 2, 30 A.D.C. Journal entry for Tech One-twelve. I have begun experimentations on bio-mechas with the DR-C Oil in room B10-104. The first test was disastrous. The K-99 unit went rogue and killed two techs. I suggested canceling the experiment, but the Factory hierarchy instructed us to continue."

The Rogue's view...

I pause from reading. The DR-C Oil could have something to do with why I disobeyed my orders and went rogue. I read on, "November 29, 30 A.D.C. Journal entry for Tech One-twelve. The DR-C Oil experimentations continue. I have requested more oil from the Minotaur Refinery. The last batch of DR-C Oil exploded in an accident in one of the loading bays. The new shipment will be here shortly. The experiment's on hold until then."

"May 18, 31 A.D.C. Journal entry for Tech One-twelve. The latest tests with DR-C Oil have been successful. The K-99s and Arachnoids' functions have increased by fifty percent. I believe the oil is ready to be tested on the Factory's new line of bio-mecha. They're called the Un-Men."

I examine my hand. This could mean the DR-C Oil is coursing through my artificial veins and may be why I am the way I am. I have to know either way, so I will go to this Minotaur Refinery and find out more about the oil, and I will have the Analyst Cove dig up the rest of the files on DR-C Oil while I am gone. I will get to the bottom of this.
Chapter Fifty-three

Techs And The Operative

The Sanctum...

11:04 P.M...

Maxwell and Peters hung out in their small room, consisting of a couch, flat screen TV, two beds, and a small bathroom. Maxwell sat on the couch, playing a video game called "Corporate Acquisition". His thumbs flew across the wireless game controller as his player killed S.C.M. after S.C.M.

Peters lay on his bed, looking at magazines. He sat up, turned a magazine sideways, and stared at a flip down poster and whistled. "Look at the headlights on her."

Maxwell turned, seeing the latest model of the VX Corvette with six Noc-lambent Headlights. He shrugged and turned back to his game. "Yeah. Nice." Maxwell shouted at his player, "Come on, we gotta take out the Vice President!"

"Says here," Peters started. "The headlights can penetrate the darkest night even the darkness of Tainted Rain." He lay back down and flipped through the mag. "That's amazing."

"Yeah, real amazing." Maxwell kept his focus on the game. "If only they would develop tires that gripped the road when it rains–" He stuck his tongue out to the side as he blasted the Vice President. "–then the headlights might come in handy."

Someone knocked on their door.

"Who could that be?" Maxwell paused Corporate Acquisition, stood from the couch, walked to the door, and opened it. "Can I help you?"

A female supervisor in a crimson jumpsuit stood in the hall. "The Council requests your presence."

Peters jumped up from the bed. "What? Now!" He tucked his shirt into his pants.

"Yes," she replied. "Please come with me."

Sometime later...

Maxwell and Peters stood before the Council, not sure why they were there and that made them a little wary.

"You are the men we acquired from the Factory?" Ms. Nona asked.

They nodded.

"You helped design and program the Un-Men?" Mr. Decuma questioned.

They nodded.

Mr. Morta asked, "Are you familiar with the T-3s?"

They nodded.

"We are placing you on a special task force to capture one of these rogue Un-Men," Mr. Morta said. "We have a few questions for them. Why did they attack our previous base of operations?"

"And why did they destroy the Factory?" Ms. Nona added.

"Do you understand your new assignment?" Mr. Decuma asked.

"Yes," they replied.

"Good, good. That is all," Mr. Morta said. "You may return to your room. You will be given further instructions later."

They left.

"Now that the T-3 operation is moving forward, we can focus on other things. What about Pandora and Cerberus?" Mr. Decuma questioned. "Has Cerberus taken out the wayward project?"

"And what about surveillance?" Ms. Nona questioned. "Are we keeping better tabs on Cerberus?"

"Everything is fine." Mr. Morta leaned back, folded his hands, and rested them on his chest. "Our best operative is on the case."

* * *

Hellenistic Sector, Cultural Vicinage...

Argus' view...

I exit a black sedan, walk to the sidewalk with my rubber-tipped cane, and scan the surrounding buildings. I followed Cerberus here, and I remove an H.H.C. from my trench coat's pocket and double check the location of her tracking beacon.

Cerberus is tracking down Kat. I look at the Genesis Arboretum. Is this where the battle will take place, and can Kat defeat Cerberus or will she die by the new experiment's hand?

I start around a building to find a way in and quicken my pace. Can I keep my no interference pledge to the Council? How much longer can I stick with my oath when it concerns Kat?
Chapter Fifty-four

Father And Daughter

11:47 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Business Vicinage...

Kimberly's view...

I drive my Corvette to the valet parking of the Sphinx Corporation Third Branch Office. A young man runs around the front of my red car and opens the door for me. He smiles at me.

"Welcome back, Ms. Griffin."

"Thank you." I hand him the key to my car as I step out of the vehicle and straighten my pantsuit. The young man climbs in and drives the vehicle away to park it as I look up at the massive building before me. I enter the main lobby and go up to Level 150 and then walk to Cathy's desk. The secretary's not there.

Cathy must have gone home for the evening. I thought I worked long hours. Corporate life's harsh, working twelve to fourteen hours a day and seven days a week. I guess that's one good thing about being a Life Closer, I get to set my own hours.

I make my way to my father's office. I have no idea why he wanted to see me now and this late. It could have waited until tomorrow morning. I knock on the door, but no one replies and after about a minute, I walk back to Cathy's desk, pick up a pad, and start to write a message.

"Good evening," a male voice says from behind me.

I turn and see the Head of Security. "Orthos, isn't it?"

"Yes." He bows his head in greeting. "Are you here to see the Chairman?"

"I am," I answer. "But since you're here, my father said I could speak to you about my mom."

He nods his head several times. "Yes, a terrible case. One I inherited. I'll be happy to go over the file with you. Call my secretary, and she'll set up a meeting."

"Thank you. Have you seen my father?"

"No. For now, follow me." He starts down the hall toward the office. "The Chairman called and told me he would be stepping out for a few minutes and that he would be right back." Orthos pats the folders under his left arm. "I came to deliver these for the Chairman." We enter my father's office, and Orthos walks around to the front of the desk, lays the folders down, and opens the top one. He grins and looks at me and then wipes the smile from his face. "The Chairman won't mind if you wait for him here. I'm going back to my office." Orthos pauses at the door. "Do tell him I brought him more folders courtesy of the Second Branch Office."

Orthos' view...

I open the door, leave, and then I dial a number. "The Vice President, please." I pause and wait. "Kimberly Griffin is here and as per your instructions, I laid the latest files on the Chairman's desk in front of her." My grin returns as I answer, "Yes, I believe she will notice. She has about fifteen minutes before the Chairman returns. She will see."

In the Chairman's office...

Kimberly's view...

I don't want to wait any longer. I want to go home. I glance at the folders Orthos placed on the desk, see the open one, notice a note on the top paper, and read the upside down message. It's a skill I picked up long ago in high school.

"Chairman, here are a few more folders from when you were Janus and over security for me. Signed the Vice President."

I gasp. Janus is my father? I pick up the folders, turn them around, and skim through them, and see that they're reports from Janus. I collapse back in my chair. My father can't be the Janus I'm after but if he is, that would mean he ordered my mom's death or killed her himself.

I close the folder, turn it back around, and place it on the desk. I pause, contemplating if I should put it back as I found it, decide to do so, and open the top folder, exposing the note. I lose the cool demeanor of a Closer. My father can't be Janus, and he couldn't have killed my mom. It's a lie. Theresa was his wife, and he wouldn't have hurt her.

The door opens, and my father walks in, reading over an H.H.C. He doesn't notice me when he first walks in. He peers up from the H.H.C. and pauses halfway in.

"Kimberly, I didn't know you were here."

I stand, searching his face for the answers to my grim questions. Is he Janus? Did he kill my mom?

"This is so unexpected. Have you been here long?" he questions me as he walks over to me and kisses me on my cheek. I recoil from his touch, so he steps back and must be puzzled by my more than usual coldness, and he questions me, "What's wrong?"

I answer calmly as I eye him with disdain, "Nothing."

He looks at me for a few more seconds, then goes to his desk, and asks, "What do I owe the pleasure of your visit? Today makes it three times this month."

"What do you mean?" I ask. "I received a message from you to come see you, and the message stated there was something you wanted to discuss with me."

"I didn't send you a message," my father replies.

"No matter, I have some questions I thought you might help me with."

I sit, controlling my anger. What will I do if it's true? Will I kill my own father?

My tone puts him on edge, and he asks, "What kind of questions?"

"They're about mom." I watch his expression, his unwavering eyes.

"Oh." He leans back in his chair and tells me, "Go ahead. Ask."

"Have you ever heard of someone called Janus?"

His eyes dilate as he answers, "Janus. Hmm... No, I don't think I know anyone by that name."

He lied to me! I fist my hands as I ask, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, why do you ask?"

I control my anger again. "I want to ask this person a few questions about mom." I open my purse and glance at the PPK inside.

He shrugs. "Sorry, I can't help you."

I give him one more chance as I ask, "Are you sure?"

Mr. Griffin's view...

What does she know? I remember a conversation I had with Orthos. Did she discover something I overlooked?

Kimberly's view...

He's family, so I give him a third chance and ask, "Are you sure you don't know anyone by that name?"

Mr. Griffin's view...

I gamble she doesn't, and I answer, "Yes, why?" I watch her shift her gaze from me to my desk, so I look down and see the new folders, and then I notice the note. I read it to myself, "Chairman, here are a few more folders from when you were Janus and over security for me. Signed the Vice President."

The Vice President? Did he orchestrate this?

I look at my daughter as my heart pounds, and I notice her expression darkens to the killer look of the Phoenix. She removes her gun from her purse and screws the silencer on as I ask, "What are you doing?"

Kimberly's view...

"I'm going to get to the truth," I tell him as I aim for his heart, choking back uncertainty and heartache. "Why did you kill mom?"
Chapter Fifty-five

Death's Head Hawkmoth

11:49 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Cultural Vicinage...

Katharine's view...

I'm anxious for some reason the entire ride over. The taxi drops me at the entrance of the Genesis Arboretum, and a security officer lets me into the main building. The guard escorts me to the area where we first met Adam Greenhouse and then to the Sapling Room. I am nervous. I guess it's because I'm going to find out about organic-mecha.

The security officer points to a door on the opposite side of the room and tells me, "Go through there. Mr. Greenhouse is waiting within." He drops his hand and starts to return to his duty as he adds, "Come back to the guardhouse when you're done, and someone will let you out."

I walk through the room with thousands of pots, arrive at the door, pause, and look at a nameplate. The next room's called the Sphere Room. I open the door to a set of steps, start up them through a hall, and walk up a story to a rounded door and wall.

I turn the knob, open the odd-shaped door, and a brilliant light explodes around me; it's so... What's the word I'm looking for? I shield my eyes. It's so brilliant. A few moments pass before my sight adjusts to the brightness. Wow! The room's humungous and shaped like a ball, and it's amazing! It's like I've landed on another planet and all my apprehensions evaporate.

The sun appears on the horizon of an eastern sky, and it's a blue cloudless sky. A diversity of birds break out in song, greeting the morning, and a salty breeze blows across a field of lemongrass, rippling the green blades as waves roar in the distance.

I close the door and walk further in. It's night outside but morning in here, and the clouds... There's no–

"Amazing, isn't it?" Adam yells from a large banyan tree that takes up most of the Sphere Room's center. "My own island of the sun!" He waves for me and urges, "Come! Come!" He takes a few steps toward me across the lawn grass surrounding the tree. "There's much for you to see!"

I follow a stone path through the tall lemongrass and cross a bridge over a pond surrounding the banyan. Koi swim in the water. The wooden planks creak under my weight as I approach him and by then, he has bent over and returned to his work. Adam straightens, wipes his hands on his overalls, and waves for me to come closer, and I squint as I gaze at the ever brightening morning sky. "How's there–"

"How is there sunlight?" he interrupts as he places both hands on his cane. "It is fake. The sky, the sun, and the ocean are all created by seamless projection screens. I even have a wind machine that creates the salty air." Adam lifts his pale blue eyes, scanning his pretend world. "Everything else in here is real though. I prefer living animals to bio-mechas."

"Oh..." I gaze up at the giant elderly man. "Wow. I didn't stand this close to you before. I didn't realize how tall you were. It's almost like you're two people. One standing on the other's shoulders." He eyes me oddly, so I put a hand to my mouth. "That was very rude of me, wasn't it? I'm sorry. Sometimes what I should be only thinking just pops out of my mouth."

I can't believe I said it out loud. Why don't I also tell him he looks older than creation?

Adam's view...

I eye her a little longer, smile, and say, "Don't worry. It isn't like you meant anything by it."

Or did she? If only I could remember her name, then this feeling I have had since I met her might make sense. The sapling's friend... Who is she really?

She peers around again and asks me, "Why is it morning?"

"If I had my way, it would be twenty-four hours of sun, but the animals behave much better with at least a little night cycle. Five hours to be precise." I cough, pull a red handkerchief out of my pocket, wipe my mouth, and throw the handkerchief in a trash. "That's why it's morning here instead of night because the day cycle is different than the outside world."

Katharine's view...

"Oh," I say as I regard the kind old face of the man. He reminds me of someone, and I want to wrap my arms around him and give him a big hug. I get the impression of a grandfather figure but that's it. The person in my mind has no face or name.

I frown, a little frustrated and shift my thoughts elsewhere. My anxiousness returns. He's going to tell me about organic-mecha, and I might find out that I'm one of them. I turn my gaze down to my feet. I don't feel like something created like the Un-Men.

Adam's view...

I notice her gloomy demeanor as I tell her, "Come over here, and I will show you something. It's a hobby of mine." I begin to show her several different flowers that grow in the Sphere Room, and their sweet fragrances fill the air as I motion to a plant with dark green oval foliage with pointed tips and reddish-orange trumpet-shaped flowers. "This is an Ocean Honeysuckle." I point to a light green plant with tiny red and white flowers. "This is a Brick Berry." I bend over and touch the leaves of another plant with blue-green foliage and purple flowers. "And this one's a Verandah." I step to the side so she can see. "And look very closely here." I point to a little green dot the size of a pea. "This is a moth's egg. The female lays a single one and when the larvae hatches, it feeds on the plant." I straighten. "Come." I move over to a wooden box cage and open it and inside, hundreds of winged bugs crawl over each other. "These are ready for shipment. You see, I raise the Death's Head Hawkmoth." I remove a bug careful not to let any of the others out and close the lid. The insect emits loud squeaks as I firmly hold it but gently, trying to keep the adult moth from flying away. "They make this sound every time I handle them. It's kind of like having a pet mouse."

She looks at the moth with a skull pattern on its back almost like a child seeing a bug for the first time. I expect her to squeal or lurch back, but Kat seems very interested in the moth.

I open the cage and return the moth. "Their Latin name is Acherontia atropos, and according to Arcamedes–"

"Arcamedes?" Kat interrupts me.

"You don't know that name." I search her face and still see the child in her, a curious child but there is something else in those eyes that give me worry. "Interested in history?" She nods, so I continue, "Arcamedes was a Philosopher and Entomologist among other things who lived about five hundred years ago; he was a genius ahead of his time."

"Oh. Didn't know."

"He was a very remarkable man. He's one of the reasons I entered the fields of science that I did." I walk over to a workbench covered with pots and garden tools. It's a bench like the one in the Sapling Room. I open a drawer and remove a new handkerchief and place it in my pocket. "Now where was I?"

"According to Arcamedes..." she says.

"Let me see if I can remember what he said. Ah, yes. The moth's Latin name Acherontia atropos." I clear my throat. "Arcamedes said Atropos was one of three sisters of the Fates and a daughter of Nyx."

Katharine's view...

Daughter of Nyx... The file I found mentioned the Children of Nyx in relation to organic-mecha, so the moth might have something to do with organic-mecha.

Adam continues, "Atropos was depicted with a shrouded face and a pair of scissors to cut the threat of life like the design on the moth, and it has a thoracic pattern of a mask with scissors below it. It is a foreboding but unwarranted image." He nods as if pleased with himself. "My memory hasn't failed me completely."

I glance at the flowers, then turn to him, and ask him, "What do the adults eat?"

"The adult moth raids beehives for honey." He grins like a doting parent. "They have quite a sweet tooth." He makes his way to the bridge and walks to its center. "Time to feed the fishes."

I put my hand to one of the banyan roots that runs down from a branch and look up at the enormousness of the tree. I hope there's more to our meeting than just talking about bugs. I join him and ask, "Do you sell them to zoos?"

"Yes." He reaches into his pocket, removing food. "Some of them go to zoos, others to researchers, and some of them I keep to study myself." Adam tosses the pellets into the water, and the white, gold, and dark colored fishes swim to the surface and gulp down the food. He turns to me as if I'm one of his grandchildren. "Would you like to feed them?"

I nod, hoping he would ask and take the pellets as he drops them into my outstretched palm. I scatter a few at a time into the water and watch the Koi feast. "Mr. Greenhouse."

"Yes?"

"In your note, you said you would talk with me about organic-mecha," I say as I drop the last of the pellets.

"That I did."

I wipe my hands on my pants and state, "I would really like to hear about them."

"Let's go inside, and I'll make some coffee."

I follow him through a maze of roots that run from the ground to branches high above, and then I follow him to the center. An opening stands there and wooden spiral stairs, that remind me of a centipede twisting its body around a branch as it crawls, are within and at the top, the stairs empty into a large open room. The smell of cedar fills the air. In the center of the room, there's a large table with a single file folder on its top and at the opposite end of the treehouse, there's a balcony with a wooden railing that looks over Adam's domain. I walk out to the balcony, scanning the small world as I exclaim, "The tree your house is built in is amazing." A salty breeze blows through my hair, conjuring an image of a white sandy beach sparkling under the sun that I'm running barefoot across. The image or maybe it's a memory brings a smile to my face, and I ask, "What kind of tree is it?"

"The tree itself isn't real, but it is modeled after an Indian Banyan," Adam answers as he strolls out to the balcony beside me. "It is also known as the Strangler Fig."

"The Strangler Fig?" I peer up at the long branches stretched overhead. What an ominous name for something so beautiful. I ask him, "Why is that?"

Adam's view...

"Banyans are a subgenus of tropical figs, and they have an unusual growth habit." I grab hold of a section of railing, notice it's loose, move to another section, and grip the railing there. "They usually start life as a seedling on another tree where a fig-eating bird has deposited the seed. The roots descend over the trunk of the host, seeking out the soil below and once they have rooted into the dirt, the fig roots rapidly thicken and lignify." I look at the mock ocean in the distance, hearing the waves crash against the shore. "Where the Banyan roots cross each other they fuse, creating a lattice around the host's trunk. The banyan competes with the host for light, water, and nutrients and with its roots, it prevents the host truck from growing. Eventually, the host dies and rots away, leaving the fig self-supporting as an ordinary tree but with a tubular lattice of lignified roots instead of a single trunk."

"So the tree uses another to survive then kills it."

I nod, "Everything in nature kills in one form or another to survive down to the cows that eat grass."

"I don't know about that."

"You are still young," I say. "A sapling. No... You aren't a sapling. What is it..? What is the name that I'm searching for that belongs to you?" Kat shrugs as if she doesn't understand the significance of what I am trying to ask. I say, "No matter, it will come to me later." I start back in as I question her, "Would you like some African coffee?"

"Umm... Maybe I shouldn't. For some reason, I keep thinking I shouldn't have coffee, so water or juice will do."

"Water it is. If you don't mind, I will still have some coffee."

"Not at all. Go right ahead."

Katharine's view...

Adam goes into an open country kitchen, removes filters and coffee grounds, and preps the machine.

I move to the large wooden table and sit in a chair, eyeing the file folder and after a few minutes, I begin, "About the organic-mechas–"

He grabs two metal mugs from the cupboard. "What's your interest in them?" He places them on the counter and grabs some sugar.

I think about his question and answer, "Can they pass as human?"

"Yes, they can." He places three teaspoons of the white granules in his mug as he questions me, "Would you like a slice of lemon in your water?"

"Yes, please." I fidget for a few moments as quiet settles in the treehouse. The coffee machine perks, and the strong African scent fills the area as I watch Adam grab a lemon from a hanging metal mesh basket and slice it. He places one of the slices in my mug and runs water from the tap into it. I ask him, "Mr. Greenhouse, is there any way to tell if someone's an organic-mecha?"

"Please, please... call me Adam and as for your question, I'm not sure what you mean."

The two cup machine finishes dripping as I question, "Are there any signs like a barcode on the back of their neck or maybe they can't shed tears?"

"No," Adam replies as he shakes his head. "No markings and their eyes have adequate tear ducts." He pours the steaming dark brew into his mug. "It's very hard to tell if they are an organic-mecha, but there is one way." He walks over with his cane and hands me the mug of water.

I take it and breathe in the scent of fresh lemon. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He goes back to the counter for his coffee and returns to the table.

There's a way to tell, and my heart rapidly beats as I anxiously wait to find out. I take a sip of the cool tangy liquid, trying to calm my uneasiness and ask, "So how can you tell if someone's an organic-mecha?"

Adam's view...

This could be my chance to see if Kat has Ginn's Cipher, so I sit in a chair beside her, set down my mug, and hold out my left palm for her left. "Give me your hand," I tell her. She starts to give it to me, but then she places her right hand in mine instead. It won't be as easy as I believe to get a look at her other hand. I wipe my rough thumb over the lines of her palm and over the minute pattern grooves of her fingers. "Organic-mechas have no fingerprints. They have no lines or markings whatsoever on their hands. I designed them that way."

Katharine's view...

I breathe a sigh of relief and let slip out, "So I'm not one."

"Not one?" Adam chuckles. "You thought you might be an organic-mecha? My dear, I could have told you earlier that you were not. My memory isn't what it used to be, but I would recognize one of my precious children." He asks, "Why would you think you were one of my crea..." He pauses and questions, "Why in all the sciences would you think you were an organic-mecha?"

I shrink from his question. "I..."

Few people know what I am; it's safer that way. It's safer, but he might know of my project and have information on Pandora. He might even know who I was before I became the Pandora Project. I nod slightly, deciding I'll tell him, so I remove the music box from my pocket, hold it in my left hand, and start, "I thought I might be because–"

A female voice interrupts me, "When are you going to get an elevator for this place? You're old. Don't you get tired of walking up and down these stairs, Mr. Greenhouse?"

Me and Adam turn, seeing Stephanie as she strolls into the main living area. Stephanie appears to be a little agitated and specks of sweat cover her forehead. She takes a moment to catch her breath as if she has run up a hundred flights of stairs.

"Like I said, you're old. Maybe you should– Hey!" Stephanie yells as she looks right at me and points like I stole her chocolate bar from her and I'm eating it. "There you are!" She puts her hands on her hips and scolds, "I've been looking all over Noir for you! Where have you been?" Stephanie glances around the treehouse. "Surely you haven't been here the whole time. Mr. Greenhouse, have you been hiding her from me?" She shakes her head. "I guess that doesn't matter now." She cracks her knuckles. "It's time I completed my assignment."
Chapter Fifty-six

Reports And Files

11:51 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Unknown Vicinage...

The Sanctum...

Two Chamber Supervisors walked the line of workstations to keep up with the increased activity, and one of the supervisors approached the Council. They talked among themselves, so the supervisor cleared his throat.

"Yes?" Mr. Morta asked.

"We have received the report from the S.C.M. team we sent into Etna Toys Distribution Station Bravo."

"Good, good," Mr. Morta stated. "What does it say?"

"The S.C.M. guarding the back was Gel-Tasered, but he is fine, and the dozen K-99s guarding the building were destroyed."

"I see."

"Pandora..." Mr. Decuma said. "It must have been Pandora."

"What was it doing at that Etna?" Ms. Nona asked, turned to the supervisor, and questioned, "Could the S.C.Ms. tell how far the intruder–"

"It was definitely two," the supervisor interrupted. "The S.C.Ms. were able to download data from a few of the K-99s. There were two intruders and both of them were female. One of them has been confirmed as Pandora."

"Like I said, Pandora was there," Mr. Decuma spoke and then asked, "Could the soldiers tell how far they reached?"

"Yes, we know they accessed the cavern through the hand scanners. The S.C.Ms. believe they climbed the first cavern's walls. Data retrieved from the K-99s confirms that they engaged them on the second floor, but only the K-99s activated the elevator."

Mr. Decuma questioned, "What about the rooms up there?"

"Before answering that, I would like to know–" Ms. Nona interrupted, "–do we have an ID on the second woman?"

"Yes, we acquired it by using facial recognition software." The supervisor looked at his H.H.C. and then answered, "She is Ms. Kimberly Griffin."

"The Chairman's daughter?" Mr. Morta said, surprised to hear of her involvement. "What is she doing with Pandora?" He rubbed his chin as he muttered, "Very interesting."

The supervisor turned to the other male member of the Council and stated, "As for Mr. Decuma's question, the door to the filing cabinet room was knocked in and the books in the secret room were searched and thrown to the floor. There's a note on the report." The supervisor paused, retrieving the attachment, and then he spoke, "The S.C.Ms. found one filing cabinet in the secret room, and it was empty."

Ms. Nona asked, "What about Ginn's Cipher that was used to access the caverns? Which one of them possesses it? And once we find out, what are we going to do about it?"

Mr. Morta stated, "Very interesting question. What should we do about it indeed?"

* * *

Zax turned his van down an alley beside Dad's Donuts, activated an automated garage door, and pulled into the Maydag Auto Garage. He turned off the engine, plunging the area into silence; the place was empty. Zax opened the van's squeaky door, shut it, and glanced around the grease monkey pit. "I hate this place at night." He went to the second storage room, unlocked the door with a key, and went in. "It's kinda creepy when you're the only one here." The storage room smelled of dust and gas. Zax went to the back wall and looked up at a light. He knew he had to hurry. R.G. wanted to see him right away. He half unscrewed the bulb from the socket and pulled the chain and the back wall flipped around and on the other side, Zax walked along a gray stone passage to a knobless door.

"Identify yourself," a man's voice commanded through an intercom. "Are you man or Un-Man?"

"Funny, real funny." Zax looked up into the lens of the camera. "I'm the Delivery Man. Hurry up and open." He waited a few seconds and added, "R.G. wants to see me."

"Hurry? Hurry you say?" the man replied.

The door slid open, and Zax proceeded in. He quickened his pace, trying to make up for lost time and halfway down a white-tiled hall, he came across the glass-enclosed security desk. The usual four guard team manned it. There were three men and a woman manning it. One of the men looked up and grinned at him. All four guards were armed with handguns. The man waved Zax up to a bio-detector, and he went and stood in the device as the man scanned him for life signs.

"You ready for this again?" the guard asked. "Today could be the day."

"Come on, Tom," Zax said. "We go through this every time I come in. Scan me and get it over with. I need to see R.G."

"Testy today. You need to cut down on the coffee," Tom said as he scanned him.

"Funny, real funny."

"All clear, you may proceed." Tom flipped a switch, and the next door clicked open.

Zax entered and hurried down the hall, and the passage ended at a door. He opened it and entered a dark room with a lighted spot in the center and then he went and stood in it. Zax waited a few minutes in silence.

"Thank you for coming, Delivery Man," the mechanically altered voice of R.G. spoke over an intercom. "I wanted to personally talk with you. I need for you to know what I have planned for Kimberly and Katharine."

"I'm listening."

"I mentioned in the past they would need to be tested. I have tested one of them."

"Which one would that be?" he asked.

"I have tested Kimberly, the Phoenix. I had Voice place a Closing on her at the same time she was to perform a Closing on Ms. Melissa Odin."

Zax uttered, "You did what?"

"I needed to test her resolve. Would Kimberly carry out her job even though she was being hunted?" R.G. paused and added, "The test, in the end, was a failure. The Closing for Ms. Odin was canceled by Valhalla."

"What about Kimberly?" Zax asked. "What about the Closing placed on her?"

"I have canceled it for now," R.G. replied. "It's a shame. I had worked on that particular test since the Phoenix went to Moscow. It was not easy bringing a dead assassin back from the grave to work again, but I did convince Maestro."

"I don't understand. Why would you–"

"Because I must," R.G. interrupted. "We all have a part to play, and mine isn't the least hard. Now... Earlier, you reported spotting Cerberus at their apartment."

"Yes."

"Could you tell what she was up to?"

"No," Zax answered.

"I need to know; they aren't ready for this sort of test, but I guess I can't be in charge of every trial. Fate has stepped in or should I say the Fates?" R.G. paused. "Delivery Man, continue the surveillance of the two and remember, do not interfere unless I instruct you to. Is that understood?"

"Yes."

"Well done."

The single light turned off, plunging the room into darkness until the door opened automatically. Zax headed out.

* * *

Hellenistic Sector, Business Vicinage...

Sphinx Corporation Third Branch Office...

Sub-level 120...

Captain Creed monitored the Furies as they set up their base of operations. The S.C.Ms. Ultra-black Squad would be ready for the field within the week and ahead of schedule. He had assembled the elite from every field. They only needed to finish construction of the base. He glanced at his watch. It was almost time for his meeting with the Chairman; he'd head up shortly.

* * *

Sub-level 6...

The Archive...

"This could be it?" Claviger opened a box and glanced through a few of the files.

The other clerks in the Archive paused from their work and watched the older man.

"Yes, I do believe this is it!" Claviger waved the file in the air like a coveted trophy. "I'll take this right up to the Chairman. He shouldn't be too busy at this time of night, and he'll want these right away." He pointed to one of the clerks. "You, help me with this box. I'm going upstairs."

"Yes, sir." The young man grabbed the box and headed for a golf cart.

Claviger turned to the remaining clerks. "The rest of you continue looking. There still may be another box or two, and besides–" He grabbed his walker and started toward the golf cart. "–there are a lot of boxes we need to log."
Chapter Fifty-seven

Change Of The Guard

11:52 P.M...

Nile Sector, Commorance Vicinage...

Melissa stood with Bonnie in her arms, staring down the street at her smoldering safe house. Fire crews finished putting out the blaze and behind her down the road and sitting in an ambulance, Johnson received medical care. Chad stood in between two gurneys by another ambulance, and the boy stared at two body bags as tears streamed down his dirty face. Three new bodyguards, two males and a female, had arrived about twenty minutes ago. The two males stood close to Melissa while the female talked with Johnson. The female bodyguard nodded as she took notes from him. She finished and motioned for the boy to join her as she walked over to Melissa, and Chad looked one more time at the black rectangular bags; they were like a bath in a bag but more like death in a bag. He turned from Andrews and Daniels, wiped his eyes, and joined the female bodyguard.

"Ms. Odin."

Melissa turned to her and said, "Yes."

"I'm Casper. I'll be heading up your new security." She looked at her H.H.C. "The bodies of the Closers were never discovered, so they did escape. Your case has been settled in court, so the Closing has been canceled officially. The three of us will stay with you for the next few days, and I'll stay on after that as your personal bodyguard." Casper glanced at the smoldering safe house. "We'll get a room at the Bes Hotel across the street and stay there till we feel it's safe to return to your residence."

Melissa nodded. "Let's go there now. The children need to sleep."

An hour later...

The Bes Hotel...

Casper stood at a large window, looking out over Noir from the twentieth floor. She pulled the curtains closed and moved to the couch. The suite was large and there was room enough for the family and the three bodyguards.

Melissa went off to her own room after putting the children to bed and lay down on the large mattress. She couldn't believe the whole mess was over the formula Sunna Snaps she created for the Valhalla Corporation. She developed a completely different formula for Isis and as the courts decided, it had no similarities with Sunna Snaps. She rolled on her side; she had found out her brother's death was because of the drug. She also learned a man named Topa employed by the Valhalla Corporation hired an Illicit Closer to kill him. He had him killed because Norman tried to stop the sale of Sunna Snaps on Wayfaring Lane. Tears ran down her face. It was the reason she couldn't bear to take her brother's Bible that Kat offered her. She felt guilty because she was the one who created Sunna Snaps, and now her brother was dead because of them.
Chapter Fifty-eight

Prelude to Book Three:

Cerberus Versus Pandora

11:55 P.M...

Hellenistic Sector, Cultural Vicinage...

Genesis Arboretum...

On the first level of the treehouse...

Katharine's view...

"Cerberus, why are you here?" Adam questions angrily. "Why have you come to my house?"

Stephanie answers, "I've been sent on a mission." She wears a different smiley face t-shirt, and it had Xs for eyes, and its tongue hangs out like a dead dog. I'm beginning to wonder if these t-shirts have some sort of meaning for her.

"By whom?" he asks.

"By the Council of course. Now..." Stephanie hits her fist into her own palm, and it smacks loudly. "Like I said, I need to complete my mission."

At hearing the dreaded name of the Council, I realize Stephanie's not a friend. She was never a friend. I think of Kimberly and how she treats me. I only attract enemies.

He questions, "Why would the Council send you here? Why would they send you here after all these years?" I can tell that Adam's eyeing her suspiciously, and then he questions her, "Are you here to kill me?"

Stephanie laughs in a way that doesn't answer his question, and I wonder if I'm wrong. Crap! She's after Mr. Greenhouse and not me!

I won't let her hurt him, not this gentle old man. I stand, looking for my backpack. I left my gun in it. The pack sets next to the stairs on the other side of her and out of my reach.

Stephanie approaches the table, and Adam stands and prepares to defend himself against her, so Stephanie laughs, rolling her eyes. "Mr. Greenhouse, I'm not here to kill you." She folds her arms, a little offended. "How could you say such a thing?" She motions to me with her head and states, "I've been sent to terminate Pandora."

"Me?" I utter.

"By all the sciences!" Adam exclaims as his anger and outrage slowly focuses on me, "She's Pandora!"

I face Adam. He knows my project name, and I'm not one of his organic-mechas so... My mind races, filling with possible answers. Does he have something to do with my project? Does he know my true identity?

He glares at me as he says, "She can't be that foul project! No! Pandora was supposed to be iced!"

"I don't know about the iced part but–" Stephanie glances at the folder on the table and answers him, "–she's the one and only Pandora Project." She giggles like a school girl. "You mean you didn't know." She emphasizes the next two words, "You... are... getting old, Mr. Greenhouse. How could you not recognize her?"

His demeanor darkens as he yells, "You're Pandora!" He takes a step towards me as his nostrils flare like some enraged bull. "You dare enter my domain!" His eyes turn wild like a madness has taken him over. "My home!"

I don't know what's going on, so I take a step back and say, "I don't understand. Why are you so angry? You're the one who invited me here."

Adam grips his cane and admits, "I thought I knew your name when you came with the sapling!" He takes another step towards me, but I'm not afraid of him in that instance. He knows my name. He can tell me who I really am. My heart races with apprehension as I ask, "Do you know my real name?"

He glances at Stephanie as if it's a secret, and then he glares at me and rages, "I don't understand why the sapling tolerates you? Why does anyone tolerate you?"

I no longer see the grandfather figure I saw earlier. All I see is this angry man who's standing before me as if I'm some monster he needs to slay.

I tell him, "Adam, you're scaring me." I look at Stephanie who holds her position, and Stephanie looks amused. I turn back to him and say, "Please tell me what's wrong? What has made you so angry?"

He points his cane at me with this great animosity that's seething from his face. The cane's silver tip glints in the sunlight as if it's a sword and I'm a dragon he'll slay. Adam declares, "I should have remembered your name, vile creature! Why didn't I? I have forgotten many things. Some because I wished it and others because of my diminished faculties, but I should have never forgotten you! And now this abomination stands before me! I should have never let you live this long! I should have destroyed you long ago!"

I feel betrayed and heartbroken. I came here so that he could help me. I came here for some answers, not this... this... Whatever this is!

I ask him, "What do you mean? Why would you say such things? Such hurtful things? What do you know?"

Look how mad he is. I must have done something horrible to this gentleman to make him despise me. Look at the hatred in his eyes... it's like... A resounding fear creeps up from the depths of my soul, and it's a fear that paralyzes my spirit and strangles my hope. It's like he knows who I am, and it sickens him. No, that's not it. I search his hate-filled gaze as my next thought terrifies me. It's like he knows not who but what I am.

"Yes, I should have destroyed you!" Adam continues to rant as he ignores my questions.

I'm about to yell back at him, but then he charges at me faster than a man his age should be capable of. He drops his cane as his feet thunder across the wooden floor. I retreat a few steps and out onto the balcony, but I'm not quick enough to escape his wrath.

He yells, "I must rip you out by your roots!" He seizes me by the throat and bellows, "You're a weed! A weed!"

I'm still holding the music box with my left hand, so I grab his arm with my right.

Stephanie shouts, "Hey! I'm supposed to kill Pandora! She's my quarry! So lay off!!"

Adam ignores her as if she's not even there, and he yells at me, "How dare you come to me. You're a vile wretched creature! You're a weed!"

He squeezes my throat, choking me as I drop the music box and use both hands to try to pry his death grip from my neck. I look at Stephanie as if I'm hoping she'll help me. Stephanie folds her arms and pouts like a child.

"The Council sent me to kill her. I'm supposed to kill her." Stephanie kicks at the air, throwing a tantrum as she states, "Me... I want to kill Pandora."

Adam doesn't hear Stephanie in the thralls of his rage and squeezes my neck harder. I have no luck prying his hands away. He's also stronger than he looks. I pull my knees up to my chest and kick with my feet. It does me no good and only makes him even madder. He lifts me up and slams me onto the balcony's railing, and the loose piece gives and falls to the ground. My back hurts where he slammed me into the railing, but I ignore the pain as I fight to survive. I start to lose consciousness.

Adam dangles me over the edge as he shouts at me, "Now the weed must die!"

He drops me before I lose consciousness and halfway down, I manage to grab a small root. It stops my fall but breaks under my weight, and I fall, landing in the Koi pond.

Adam's view...

Cerberus looks over the balcony and sulks as she says, "This isn't turning out how I imagined. Mr. Greenhouse, you ruined everything."

The weed's body surfaces face down as I glare at the pond, then turn, and head for the stairs. It isn't enough. I can't let this go, not again.

Cerberus follows behind me as she questions, "Did you kill her?"

"No, but I will make sure of it this time."

"This isn't fair." She stomps her foot before we reach the stairs. "I came all the way here to kill her and you won't let me. Why are you doing this? I want to kill Pandora!"

"Let you?" I turn and face Cerberus. "If you want to kill the weed, have at it, but be quick about it! Or I'll be the one to finish it!"

Less than a minute later...

Katharine's view...

I suck in water and wake myself up, and I lift my head out of the pond and cough. I'm dazed as I drag myself out of the water to a patch of land, not covered by lemongrass as I continue to cough and choke and after a few more minutes, I clear my lungs to the point where it feels like I'm breathing air again and not water. I crawl further up the bank. I can't seem to catch my breath, and I rub my bruised throat. I see a shoe by my hand and peer up. Stephanie stands before me.

"You..." I manage to say. "You were after me all along."

Stephanie's view...

I ignore her stupid statement, too upset with Pandora, and I yell at her, "Look what you did. You made Mr. Greenhouse go all lunatic on you and now you're weakened. I was so hoping to fight you at your best but no... You had to be all stupid and come to Mr. Greenhouse's home. I don't think you're even at fifty-five percent fighting capacity." I kick Pandora in the face, knocking her unconscious, and the force of the kick sends Pandora backward into the water. I put my hand on my hip. "I guess we don't always get what we want."

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