Dark Spy’s Mission

by I. T. Lucas

  Vlad’s pale cheeks reddened, and he looked away. “I wonder what’s keeping the others. Do you think they decided to eat in the kitchen?”

  “I think they wanted to give us privacy.”

  The blush deepened. “I’m sorry about that.”

  “Don’t be. They must have roped you into coming just as they roped me. But now I’m glad that they did.”

  “Yeah, me too.”

  37

  Arwel

  “Are you clear on what you need to do?” Arwel looked at the four new arrivals.

  Douglas nodded. “We wait in the cars until we get the go signal from William.”

  “We are going to do it in four-hour shifts.” Arwel clapped the Guardian on the back. “I know that’s a long time to sit on your ass, but since you don’t have to be alert until the signal arrives, you can take a nap or watch something while you wait.”

  “No worries. We are on it.”

  After the Guardians left, Arwel headed back to William’s office. Jin was upstairs, working on her business plan, the new team members had been assigned their tasks, and Arwel had nothing to do but wait for a fancy car to exit Kalugal’s gate.

  “I have them on the screen.” William pointed. “Do you see those four dots moving? Those are our guys.”

  Arwel watched them until they stopped in various spots next to the major streets crossing the neighborhood.

  Whenever a car left Kalugal’s mansion, they would get the model and license plate, and once it passed by one of the Guardians, he was going to follow it while the others remained in place for the next one.

  It was risky, but hopefully with enough cars to switch around, Kalugal and his men would not notice the tails.

  “And now we wait.” He pulled out a chair, sat down, and fired an update text to Onegus.

  “We should give the girls earpieces,” William said. “I don’t like the idea of them going in with nothing.”

  “Kian doesn’t want anything about them to arouse Kalugal’s suspicions, and even a small earpiece might get noticed from up close.”

  “Not if it’s covered by hair. They could braid the wigs over their ears to hide the devices.”

  Arwel chuckled. “True. It will match the dorky look they are going for.”

  William leaned down and pulled two devices from a box he had stashed under the desk. “Do you want to call them?”

  “Not yet. They are brainstorming Jin’s business plan.”

  William put the earpieces next to his keyboard. “I would feel better knowing that they have them and know how to use them before we next spot Kalugal.”

  “You are right.” With a sigh, Arwel pulled out his phone and texted Jin.

  She replied a moment later. Give us five minutes.

  “They’ll be down shortly.” He put his phone down.

  Not surprisingly, Arwel could feel William’s excitement rising, and it wasn’t because of the earpieces.

  “You like Jacki.”

  William shrugged. “She’s beautiful, and I like her assertiveness, but she is not interested in me.”

  “She is nicer to you than she is to the other guys.”

  “That’s because she doesn’t view me as a threat.” He grimaced. “I’m the cuddly teddy bear, not one of the wolves.”

  Arwel chuckled. “Jin calls Jacki Goldilocks, and the Guardians the three burly bears.”

  William smiled. “Good one.”

  “I think that Jacki is not interested in anyone. Jin says that she was the same way in the program. She might be asexual.”

  “Or she might be waiting for the right guy. It’s uncommon these days, and especially for a knockout like her, but it’s possible.”

  They both fell silent at the sounds of footsteps coming down the stairs.

  “You wanted to show us something?” Jin asked.

  William held out the two earpieces. “I know that we agreed on no communication devices, but I feel uneasy about it. I want you to try hiding it under your hair. I mean the wig’s hair. Maybe braid it over it to hide the earpieces.”

  Jacki took one and pushed it into her ear. “I don’t think it’s a big deal even if he notices the thing. People wear earplugs to clubs, and many have earphones on. I thought you were concerned about him somehow picking up on the transmissions.”

  William shook his head. “If he can do that, it’s another talent I’ve never heard of. To monitor transmissions the conventional way, he would have to travel with a van full of equipment, and we didn’t see one following him the few times that he left the compound.”

  Jin took the other piece and put it in her ear. “Can you see it? It’s really small.”

  Arwel nodded. “But that’s because your ear is showing. Try pulling your hair over it.”

  She shook her head, letting the wig’s thick waves cover her ears and half of her face. “Better?”

  “It’s invisible.”

  “Good.” William walked up to her. “I’ll show you how to work them.”

  When he was done, Jacki tried it first. “How come there is no wire coming out of it? I thought it was needed to talk back.”

  “These are special,” William said. “Tap once to connect just to me and tap twice to connect to everyone in the loop.”

  Jin took the piece out and examined it closely. “So, the moment I tap it once, you hear everything that’s going on around me?”

  William nodded. “That’s correct.”

  “And I hear what you are saying?”

  “Only if I open a talking channel to you. I can talk to everyone in the loop at once, or I can select one or more people at the same time.”

  “But I have only two options, right? I can talk either to you or to everyone. I can’t choose just Arwel if I want to.”

  “Correct. But I can do that for you. I’m like a switchboard.”

  “Who do I hear? Do I hear everyone, or just you?”

  “Normally, just me. But if, for example, Arwel wants to talk to you, he can tell me, and I can connect the two of you.”

  Jin nodded. “Got it. So basically, the moment I walk into wherever Kalugal is, I tap the earpiece once and leave it open.”

  “That’s right.”

  “Shouldn’t Jacki and I be connected?”

  “Of course.”

  “What about Arwel?”

  “You’ll have to ask me. Arwel needs to communicate with the other Guardians, so he can’t be connected to you the entire time.”

  38

  Kalugal

  Kalugal peered over the crumbling fragments of an ancient tablet and snapped a photo. Piecing the puzzle together was his favorite part, and the best way to do that was to upload the pictures to a large-screen computer and move them around until things started to make sense.

  A lot of guesswork went into filling in the blanks, and sometimes he would go to bed frustrated with the results because he knew he hadn’t done it right. Oddly, the answer would often come to him in a dream.

  The mind was a curious thing, and little was known about its functioning. Should he invest in research in the field? Doing so would not provide any immediate benefits for him, or even long-term ones, and it would cost a lot of money. But then Kalugal didn’t have to justify his actions to anyone, and not everything he did was motivated by financial gain.

  He was spending most of his free time deciphering ancient texts and piecing together fragments of the past, and he could hardly claim that it was good for anything other than stimulating his intellect and satisfying his curiosity. Even if he discovered more clues about the gods, those probably weren’t going to give him anything tangible either.

  “We were supposed to leave by now,” Rufsur said as he walked into the room.

  “I know.” Kalugal straightened up. “I needed to take more photos of the tablet I’m working on.” He walked past Rufsur and put the camera on his desk. “I’m ready.”

  Rufsur looked him up and down. “You’ve got dust on your pants.”

&nbs
p; “No one is going to see them anyway.”

  “You are, and it’s going to bother the hell out of you.”

  His number two knew him well. Kalugal slapped his thighs, clearing some of it.

  “Phinas is coming with us,” Rufsur said.

  That was a surprise. The guy liked to go hunting alone.

  “I’m glad. The more, the merrier.”

  They were going out to celebrate the successful acquisition from that morning. No documents had been signed yet, but he’d shook on it with the human. If for some reason the guy went back on his word, Kalugal could compel him to go through with it.

  As a rule, he didn’t use compulsion or thralling to convince people to sell their businesses to him. It wasn’t because he was such a straight-up guy, but because it tended to backfire.

  He needed the owners to keep working on the new technologies he was acquiring, and if they’d been coerced, their reluctant subconscious would sabotage progress.

  In the bunker’s sprawling car garage, they found Phinas leaning on the wall next to the door.

  “I didn’t know which car you wanted to take.”

  Kalugal glanced at the rows of cars, and as always, his eyes were drawn to the Ferrari.

  It was a forty-five-minute drive to San Francisco, long enough to enjoy his favorite toy.

  “The Ferrari, and I’m driving.”

  39

  Jin

  “Take a look, is that Kalugal?” Arwel handed Jacki his phone.

  She nodded. “That’s him. He’s wearing aviator glasses, but I recognize that mustache. What does he look like to you?”

  “A handsome young dude in his mid to late twenties. His shroud is wearing aviators as well.”

  “Does yours also have a small mustache?”

  Arwel shook his head. “No. He’s clean-shaven.”

  While they were talking about glasses and mustaches, Kalugal was getting farther away. Jin put her hand on Arwel’s shoulder. “So, do we go after him?”

  “Let’s see where he is going first.”

  “He is going out to party,” Jacki said.

  Arwel looked up at her. “How do you know that?”

  “He is shrouding himself as a young, handsome guy. When he goes out to business meetings, he put on an older man’s shroud. We should get in the car and drive in whatever direction he is going, so when he gets there, it won’t take us long to reach him. And if he is not going anywhere public, we’ll go home.”

  “Let’s do it.” Jin pulled out the earpiece from her pocket and put it in. “I just need to get my purse.”

  “Yeah, me too.” Jacki rushed after her. “I wish I could see what he looks like while he’s shrouding himself. I can’t even tell you it’s the guy in the white button-down because he can project whatever clothes he fancies. I can only describe whoever he is standing next to.”

  “It’s still possible that I could see the real him through the tether. Which reminds me that I need to do that.”

  “You can tether me on the way,” Jacki said. “You can’t do it while rushing out. It requires concentration.”

  “Yeah, you’re right.” Jin slung the strap of her purse across her body. “I’m so nervous that my hands are shaking. I’m actually going to do this.”

  Jacki looked her over. “Take your puffer coat. It’s freezing outside.”

  “Right. I forgot about that.”

  Jacki shook her head. “You need to relax, girl.”

  Easier said than done. Up until now Jin had thought of herself as such a badass. She was going to attach a tether to a very dangerous man and spy on him. But when it was actually time to do it, she was scared like a little mouse.

  Down in the house’s garage, Arwel was waiting for them next to one of the cars, while two of the three burly bears were sitting inside another.

  “Who’s driving?” Arwel asked.

  Jacki lifted her hand. “I am.”

  He tossed her the keys. “Tap the earpieces open as soon as you get into the car and test them.”

  Jin nodded.

  Arwel pulled her into a quick hug. “We will be right behind you. You have nothing to worry about.” He kissed her hard before letting her go.

  Planting a smile on her face, Jin waved goodbye before getting in the car with Jacki.

  “Arwel said to tap the earpieces open.”

  “I heard him. Mine is on.”

  Jin tapped hers. “Testing. Can you hear me, William?”

  “Loud and clear.”

  Letting out a breath, Jin leaned back and closed her eyes.

  “Don’t forget to tether me.”

  “Right. Let’s do it now.”

  She put her hand on Jacki’s arm and imagined attaching a hook to her mind and tying a string of her consciousness around it.

  “Is it done?” Jacki asked.

  “Yup.”

  The whole thing had taken no longer than a couple of seconds, but Jin wondered whether it was too long for the brief contact she would have with Kalugal. The way she envisioned the encounter, she would bump into him and then clutch his arm as if to stabilize herself.

  She would have to buy time by apologizing. The thing was, she’d never tried tethering anyone while talking. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be a problem.

  It hadn’t occurred to her to test it before, and now she considered releasing the tether from Jacki and then reattaching it while talking.

  Yeah, she should definitely test it.

  “I want to release the tether and reattach it while talking to you. I need to find out if I can do that.”

  Jacki shrugged. “Go for it.”

  “Okay.” Jin put her hand on Jacki’s arm. “I’m releasing it now.” She checked the connection. “It’s done. That wasn’t hard to do while talking.”

  “Talk about something else while you are tethering me again. You need to find out if you can concentrate on two separate things.”

  “Good idea. So, what do you think about dyeing my wig red? I think I would look good as a redhead.”

  “Horrible. But I’m willing to do it.” She cast Jin a sidelong glance. “Did it work?”

  “Yup. You are tethered.”

  That was a relief. “My plan is to fall onto Kalugal and apologize while holding on to him. I need about two seconds to latch on to his mind.”

  “Good plan. I can push you.”

  “Yeah, that will look more natural.”

  40

  Kalugal

  “There’s no selection here.” Kalugal emptied the whiskey down his throat and signaled for the waitress to bring him another.

  Rufsur frowned. “What are you talking about? They have the best whiskeys from all around the world. That’s why we come here. And for the Cuban cigars.”

  The Cubans were illegal, but for the right price the owner was willing to sell them, sans the label, of course. He only sold them to regulars he knew well, and the transactions took place inside the humidor. Cash only.

  It was a good place to celebrate successful business deals, but it was probably the worst for hunting. After a good drink and a great cigar, the only thing missing was good sex.

  Kalugal waved a hand at the mostly male clientele. “No gazelles.”

  Phinas arched a brow. “Did you expect to find any here?”

  “So far, it's been a lucky day. I hoped my luck would hold, and we would find a trio of hotties here. I had this image of slender fingers with long nails holding on to thick cigars, red lips curling around them as my imaginary seductresses puffed out smoke, cloaking themselves in mystery.”

  Rufsur laughed. “I didn’t know you had such an active imagination.”

  “How do you think I come up with all my world domination schemes?”

  “I guess that requires a creative mind.”

  “Of course it does.” He leaned back in his chair and contemplated buying another Cuban.

  Rufsur puffed on his cigar. “We can go after I finish this.” He looked at Kalugal. “Unless you'l
l allow me to smoke in your precious Ferrari. Then we can leave right now.”

  “You know the rules. No one smokes in my cars. Not even me.”

  They were more than vehicles of transportation. They were a collection, and Kalugal took good care of the things he collected.

  When the door opened and two lovelies walked in, he smiled. “Perhaps I’ll get another cigar.”

  “They are not going to stay,” Rufsur said. “And besides, there are only two of them and they are nothing special.”

  Kalugal shrugged. “Up to you, gentlemen. But I think they have potential.” He pushed to his feet. “I’m going to get another thick one and see if either of them would like to take a puff.”

  It was true that the young women were plain-looking, and they were brunettes, which wasn’t his favorite. But the one with the long hair had a very nice butt, and the other one had lush lips that would look amazing wrapped around a thick cigar.

  As the owner opened the door to the humidor, and the two went in, Kalugal followed them inside.

  “Are you ladies buying for yourselves or for someone else?” he asked, to start a conversation.

  The one with the lush lips smiled seductively and flipped her hair back. “We are getting a birthday present for our father.” She leaned closer to him. “Cubans are his favorite. But I hear that they are quite pricey.”

  Sisters.

  That could have been fun if his men weren’t there and he didn’t have to share.

  “They are,” the owner said. “For a present, I would suggest a box of superb Dominicans. They are almost as good, and you can get the entire box for the price of one Cuban.”

  Apparently, they were new to the store, and he didn’t trust them with his illegal stuff.

  Smart man.

  He’d offered Kalugal the first Cuban only after they had become pals.

  “I agree with John.” He clapped the owner on the back. “You can trust his recommendations.” He offered his hand to the one who was doing all the talking. “I’m Kenny.”