Lover

by Valerie J. Long

  The white-painted hallway, lit by a chain of light emitting diodes, led two-hundred meters straight on—toward the Invasion, my Analogy said—before it opened into a small room. Opposite, the hallway continued.

  From the heart of power, through a half-open door, voices reached my ear. I immediately recognized one—Jana. Who were the two others? Two men. While I listened to them, I had a look around.

  The Cartel sanctum’s interior was sobering and plain. It consisted of two small office rooms, one larger conference room, a small kitchen and a toilet. Three persons occupied the conference room—Jana, a short baldhead, and a slender beanpole.

  “I’m not sure what exactly went wrong,” Jana just admitted. “But there’s an interesting coincidence. Everything starts with the nightly incident at the Japanese consulate general, where we wanted to strike the following night. I’d only made that decision on the same evening and personally told the local head. It might be pure chance that the other party—according to the Japanese, a short-grown person—picked just this night. Okay, moreover someone found out about our transports for the following weeks. I’ve checked that—just this information had freshly arrived when I paid my visit, and the papers were in the local head’s safe.”

  “Yes, and? Did someone break into the safe and listen in on you, or what?” Baldhead asked.

  “The safe’s intact. There’s no evidence for a wiretap operation, and the security’s still in place. But that night, a person called Velvet was sighted in town.”

  “Velvet. Cute.”

  “Should we know the name?” Beanpole asked.

  “No,” Jana admitted. “You needn’t. However, I know the name. A thief who’s grown a reputation. It’s told that she’s very good at intruding locations with first-class surveillance and leaving with her booty unseen. She even visits the ZONE, if necessary.”

  “I’ve heard of that,” Baldhead said. “The technician, right? And his device?”

  “Which she stole from the Flying Gardens, exactly. My sources say she’s never failed on a mission. Moreover, witnesses say she’s darn quick with a knife.”

  “Knife?”

  “Knife. I don’t have reports on firearms. So, what I’m getting at—I wouldn’t put it past this Velvet to even break into the local head’s safe and perhaps intercept the communication on preparations between him and his men somewhere.”

  That’s an error in your reasoning, Jana, I thought. I had been much too fast for that—the capo would only have reached his men on the next morning.

  “Velvet is reported as a young woman, about one meters fifty tall, black hair. The description of the unwanted visitor to the Japanese consulate would match, the approach less—she was spotted. On the other hand, the surveillance was very tight there due to construction works.”

  “But then she would have been to the local head and the consulate during the same night?”

  Exactly, the reasoning error. Baldhead paid attention.

  “If it wasn’t chance. It could even be that she’d been to the consulate first and raided the safe later. In any case, I’ve put a specialist on her heels. We might have good use for such people, but it can’t happen that she’s working against us.”

  But even less for you.

  “Do we have any intelligence on how she can be so successful? Or where she comes from?” Baldhead asked.

  “No. Obviously, Velvet is a cover name. She’s not been in business for long yet. She’s acquiring some of her missions through a certain Gomez—a little fish, working diligently and reliably, but nothing special.”

  Not in business for long yet? Me? You’ve got no clue!

  “Well.” Baldhead seemed to be unhappy. “You’ll surely fix that soon. How will that influence our plans?”

  “Not directly. I’d like to have had that new Japanese technology analyzed, but we can find a different way there. The deliveries are not important. We’ll have to push Sunrise anyway, and everything else is in line.”

  “Don’t you see a risk that the resistance here sees chances?”

  Jana hesitated. “The timing is inconvenient, as we couldn’t reinforce all positions yet, most importantly here in the west, and because we now have to focus on Japan. But the opposition doesn’t know how thinly staffed we are, because we’re permanently rotating the suits, and they wouldn’t stand a chance anyway.”

  “Details, please.”

  Thank you, Baldhead. Now Jana listed the exact Cartel deployment. I memorized every word. Alan would surely be able to make something from it.

  Chapter Sixty-Two

  Happy faces, sweaty bodies raced past me. The cooling wind smelled like salt and sand. Far ahead of me, at the next bend, I saw Alan and Fiona waiting, and I reduced my speed.

  I could become used to inline skates, I mused. If you could keep your balance as well as I could, it was a highly efficient way of getting around.

  Here on Los Angeles’ Venice Beach, it first of all was the perfect disguise—in combination with outrageously scanty and tight pants, a nothing of a bikini top and blonde-dyed hair, I looked almost like all the other girls, only somewhat shorter.

  Shortly before reaching Fiona, I decelerated almost to a stop and rolled the last meters easily toward the two. “Hello together!”

  Alan beamed. “Hello! I almost didn’t recognize you, erm—”

  “Jo. Well yes, a few old acquaintances who I don’t want to meet are looking for a certain black-haired person. Moreover, I thought it’d be time to change my type. Blond fits better here anyway, doesn’t it?” I winked at Fiona.

  “Perfect, sweetie,” she confirmed. “You’re looking simply hot, like you were made for Venice, nothing but sun and men on your mind.”

  “Sun and sex, okay. Not limited to men.”

  Fiona blushed, Alan laughed. “Jo, leave it. You won’t score with Fiona.”

  “Fiona, you’ll regret turning down this offer. But let’s have a walk along the sea and talk.” With a few moves, I had taken the boots with their wheels off and dropped to the side.

  Fiona already held her sandals in her hand, and Alan fought a moment longer with his socks.

  “You just let the rollerblades lie around?” he asked.

  “Hereabouts things don’t get lost—skaters watch out for each other. And if—what does it matter?”

  “Fine. I’d rather take my shoes with me.”

  Together, we trudged through the soft, hot sand toward the shoreline. The two clenched their teeth. Only in the more dense, wet sand did they relax. “You don’t care?” Alan asked.

  “You know my story. Then you also know why I’ve been in the hospital?” He slowly nodded. “Do you think a little hot sand should bother me anymore?”

  “No, probably not.”

  “Your hints regarding the ships were good,” Fiona said. “But it didn’t really bring us forward.”

  “Some people would like to know more about the memory chip,” Alan went on. “And talk to someone who knows the subject—no, they said that in general, they don’t know about you. They rather think of someone in Japan. In any case, they say if we could reconstruct that stuff, and probably better adjust it, the Cartel would be caught cold with their plasma guns.”

  “Only right now, we’re stuck,” Fiona agreed. “They simply outgun us—we can’t risk a direct attack.”

  “They’re weaker than you think. They only have a few combat-ready plasma weapons and suits, which they rotate to appear stronger. Any new supplies must be directed to Japan, because they expect more force fields there. Especially the west coast is weak. Your action with the ships has hit a more strategic spot than it seems. Moreover, they’re, well, somewhat stirred up. A certain Velvet showed them weaknesses they weren’t ready to admit to themselves, and right at the moment this creates significant distress up into the highest ranks.”

  “Nobody knows the highest ranks,” Alan rumbled. “There are a few suspects in Vegas, but nobody knows anything tangible.”

  �
��Except for Velvet.”

  Alan stopped. “You’re not telling me that you know them?”

  “Velvet goes where Velvet wants to go. Even if it is the underground command central between Invasion and Inferno.”

  “Holy Dragon nuts. You don’t stop at nothing.”

  “This is my mission. The Cartel overall, the Hydra’s head. I don’t have the time to dissipate my energies on the peripherals.”

  “Why didn’t you just take them out?”

  “Because I’m not the type to take lives.”

  “Jo, you’re too good for this world.”

  “That’s what you tell a thief.”

  “That’s what I tell a woman who has found her own way.”

  Chapter Sixty-Three

  “What are your plans now?”

  Alan and Fiona looked at each other. Alan nodded. Fiona licked her lips and began. “We want to re-form against the Cartel. We know a few people who are willing to fight if we can offer a reasonable and promising plan. I think we have such a plan. With your current information, it looks even better. Step one is a visit to Frostdragon. We need intelligence for the following steps. Step two—we’ll somehow procure plasma weapons in the ZONE. In the third step, we’ll then steal suits from Frostdragon. With them we can then take out the strongest Cartel units. What do you think?”

  “Crazy and dangerous. Just my pay grade.”

  “Yes, sure. It won’t be easy, but we will manage.”

  Alan chimed in. “Let’s do one step at a time. The Frostdragon central is impregnable, except by sheer power. We’re prepared to take losses.”

  “Frostdragon is no problem. A walk in the park, so to say.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “I’ve been inside.”

  Fiona rolled her eyes and stopped. Obviously, she no longer cared whether the next wave would reach her feet. “Another surprise. Was it worth the effort?”

  “I found useful intelligence about the Australian factory’s security.”

  “What for—oh my goodness.”

  I nodded. “I’ve been there. Headquarters and factory.”

  “And you’ve been to the ZONE already?”

  “Yes.”

  “But not near the plasma weapons factory.”

  “Not here, no. In Belgium, yes.” I briefly looked around. “Let’s walk on, we don’t need attention.”

  “We must revisit our plans,” Fiona said to Alan. “This changes everything.”

  “In which way?”

  “First, our targets had visits before. That means, it’s becoming more difficult.”

  “We had assumed anyway that they’re expecting visitors and that they’re now and then put to the test. The only difference is that Jo got away unhurt.”

  “Okay, no argument there. Nevertheless, we should check our scoring.”

  “Agreed. Anything else?”

  “Second, I’d raise the question whether we need the first step anymore. What do you think, Jo?”

  “It could be helpful to get an update,” I pondered. “But there’s the time factor. To visit the headquarters will cost a few days, and if they spot the visitor, the next target will become more difficult. If we’re going straight into the ZONE, which they don’t expect, we’ll have the moment of surprise.”

  “But you’d get in and out unseen?”

  “Possibly.”

  “Difficult?”

  “They’re using camouflage armor suits for their guards, just as in Vegas.” Where I had only noticed the guy upon leaving the party when I had taken the other path out together with Jana, through the Invasion. It couldn’t hurt to know this side, too, I had thought. Suddenly there was the suit—camouflaged. I had smelled him, heard his breath, seen the fine air turbulences he caused, and had nicely remained at Jana’s side until I’d been outside.

  “Damn. Moment—if they’re camouflaged, how could you spot them?”

  “Smelled.” I grinned at Alan. “After one shift in the suit, those guys are cooked, regardless how well those things are conditioned.”

  “Okay. And you think we could simply walk into the ZONE?”

  “Of course not. You need a clue what you’re getting into. The ZONE has a reputation, and that’s not coming from nothing. It’s a place for bad guys who don’t take it easy and give unwanted visitors a hot welcome.”

  “There shall be different gangs.”

  “Definitely, Alan. Each gang has its territory—but when it’s about shielding the ZONE from the outside, they stick together. You need a battalion of soldiers to get inside, and if you bring soldiers, you won’t find what you’re looking for.”

  “How do you do it then?”

  “Trickle in. Either as I did it—unseen, unheard—or across rat runs that aren’t controlled. In exchange, you may then deal with the radiation, moreover, there are trip wires and landmines.”

  “Sounds ugly. Okay, we knew it wouldn’t be a walk in the park.”

  “First of all we must know where we’re going. Any idea yet?”

  “Not at all. That’s why we wanted to visit Frostdragon.”

  “Oh no, the plasma factory doesn’t belong to Frostdragon. That’s a separate secret Cartel project, of which originally only few people in the Cartel leading board knew. Meanwhile more information has seeped through because they’ve used these weapons.”

  When had I first heard of it? Ulf, right. Before I had died, a darn long time ago.

  “You’re right. What would you suggest?”

  “I’ll go alone and scout the area. Once I know where you’ll have to go and how the factory is secured, we’ll make detailed plans.”

  “We have some good scouts, too.”

  “Have they been to the ZONE before?”

  “No. So they’ll have to learn.”

  “I won’t play the Nanny. Not while scouting, and not during the actual mission.”

  “But you’re in,” Fiona noted. It surely hadn’t escaped her attention that I had said We several times.

  “I’m in. I’ll contribute my share, because your success serves my purposes.”

  “To fight the Cartel.”

  Exactly. And to survive, and—perhaps—to one day not having to glance over my shoulder.

  Chapter Sixty-Four

  “Hello, Gomez.”

  He looked up from his beer and pointed at the stool at his side—basically pointless, as he was the only remaining guest at this late hour. “Oh, hello. Take a seat.”

  “Gladly.” I answered the barkeeper’s questioning glance with a gesture toward Gomez’ beer and a nod.

  “What do you want?” he grumbled.

  “I’m sorry. It doesn’t go well, or does it?”

  “No.”

  “As it seems, I’ve treaded on some people’s toes. I’m not sorry for that, but these people have found out that you’ve acquired for me. I’m sorry for you, even if there’s no direct connection.”

  “That doesn’t help me.”

  “No, naturally not. You’re now high up on the list, and that’s not good. At the same time, you don’t have earnings from me, because I’m doing my jobs alone—or not at all. Have the latest prospects called again?”

  “No.”

  “I thought so. Either they’ve understood that it was no good idea from the start, or someone clarified that certain staffing decisions aren’t made by outsiders.”

  He remained silent.

  “You have no reason to be mad at me. I didn’t betray you and else I don’t owe you anything. You’ve made good money from me.”

  “What do you want?”

  “To warn you—a change of your field of operation would be good for you. I won’t stop annoying the opposition.”

  “And you want me out of the way.”

  “You know, Gomez, I don’t have to be here. If I didn’t want it, you’d never meet me.”

  “Yes, yes. So, why are you here?”

  “There’s another option. I’ve learned to know you as a
reliable partner.”

  Now, I had caught his attention.

  “Gomez, I could need you.”

  “What for? I thought you work alone?”

  “For what I’m planning, that won’t do.”

  “Oh. What are you up to?”

  As if I’d broadcast that in a public bar. He must have recognized that, too. He sighed. “A typical Velvet mission? The impossible is the standard?”

  “If it looks impossible, you haven’t considered all options.”

  Now he laughed. “Yes, it must be that. As I hadn’t considered that you might find me even in Reno.”

  “Jesse had a tip.”

  “You’ve trusted Jesse?”

  “Well. In his place at eight o’clock in the morning, that was no great risk.”

  “My, Velvet, but why? I can’t be that important.”

  “Are you the Velvet?” the barkeeper interrupted.

  “That she is,” Gomez confirmed. “North America’s best thief. Cheers.”

  “Hey!” I protested. “I’m the best on four continents.”

  “Four?”

  America, Europe, Asia, Australia. “I haven’t been to Africa yet.”

  “I’ve been called. The police are looking for a woman called Velvet.” The way the barkeeper said it, it sounded like a curse. “Damn. These bloody cops are all working for the other side. Anyone taking up this fucking Cartel deserves an award. Or did we already give up? Aw crap, we need a bloody Angry April.” His scrutinizing gaze rested on me. “Is there anyone anywhere in America accepting this challenge?”

  “I’m no American,” I noted.

  “That’s not my question. The damned Cartel’s operating worldwide, so why should I be picky?”

  “Well then. I’m the Velvet, whatever that means. And I don’t need you burdening me with some superheroine role at all. I’m no bloody Angry April. Not interested, thank you.”

  “I don’t care why you’re doing your thing as long as it works,” he insisted. “Your beer’s on the house.”

  “As you like.” I was about to turn back to Gomez, when a reflex in the next tap’s polished brass ring forced my attention.