“AH, BUT THEY WERE SHORT-RANGE NUCLEAR WEAPONS. NO WAY TO GET THEM TO AMERICAN SOIL. JUST ENOUGH RANGE TO PASTE CUBA. OR HAITI, SHE SUPPOSES, IF A RETARGETING BECAME NECESSARY FOR WHATEVER REASON. BUT THEREIN LAY THE PROBLEM, BECAUSE AFTER THE CRISIS WAS AVERTED... CORAZON DIDN’T GIVE THEM BACK.”
“So why didn’t the US come down with both feet on him?”
“PERHAPS THEY TRIED. BUT AFTER HOW INEPT THE CIA WAS WITH CASTRO, IS IT ANY WONDER THAT CORAZON THWARTED THESE HYPOTHETICAL ATTEMPTS? OR HERE’S ANOTHER THOUGHT; WHAT IF HE THREATENED TO GO PUBLIC WITH THE MISSILES? REVEAL THE DEPTHS OF NIXON’S TREACHERY?” I shrugged. “OF COURSE, THAT’S ASSUMING THAT THE NEXT ADMINISTRATION KNEW ABOUT THEM AT ALL. SOMETHING LIKE THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN THE BLACKEST OF THE BLACK OPS, AND AFTER THAT MESS IN CHINA, AGNEW MIGHT HAVE BEEN LEFT OUT OF THE LOOP ENTIRELY. IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN BETTER TO LEAVE THOSE MISSILES IN CORAZON’S HANDS, LET HIM THINK HE’D WON... UNTIL THE TIME CAME WHEN YOU COULD SLIP IN AND TAKE THEM BACK.”
“You think that was our mission?”
“SHE THINKS THE CIA GOT WIND OF THE PLANNED REVOLUTION, AND CAME IN TO SEE IF AN OPPORTUNITY AROSE. WHICH IS WHY YOU KILLED CORAZON WHEN DIRE HAD HIM... LIKELY HE WAS ONE OF THE FEW SURVIVORS WHO KNEW, AND YOU COULDN’T RISK HIM TALKING. BECAUSE GOOD GOD MAN, WHO KNOWS WHAT THAT CRAZY SUPERVILLAIN WOULD DO IF SHE GOT HER HANDS ON NUKES? EVEN SMALL ONES.”
They said nothing.
“AND IT WAS NO COINCIDENCE THAT YOU WERE SPYING ON THE CHAMIS VILLAGE. THE HUB OF THE MUTANT METAHUMAN TRADE DOWN HERE. HOW LONG HAVE YOU KNOWN ABOUT IT?”
“About eight months,” Colleen confessed.
“Colleen!”
“Look, the slave trade was disgusting, okay? And going by her profile, she’s got to be against it—”
“TRUE.”
“—shut up, lady. So this we might as well talk about. At least see if we can bargain some goddamn victory out of this flop of a mission.”
“DIRE’S OPEN TO MUTUAL BENEFIT. GO ON.”
“Yeah. So we got wind of the trade. Interpol’s been trying to crack it for a while. Someone’s been making slaved metahumans, and a disproportionate amount of them were Latino. And almost every one of them registered traces of this rare isotope stuff—”
“EASTMAN-LAIRD RADIATION.”
“Yeah. Normally only works on animals, but on the right people, it does bad things. Sometimes they get superpowers. Usually they just die.”
“AND YOU INVESTIGATED AND FOUND THE VILLAGE.”
“We were headed to Mariposa anyway, looking for a staging ground. A lucky drone flyover caught the yachts being loaded one night. One of the people being loaded had obvious mutations, all insect parts poking out of his skin. So mission control put two and two together, and we figured while we were waiting for the revolution, we could try to track the chain back, see who was in charge. But the security was too tight. Even I couldn’t get in.”
“THE CHAIN’S BEEN BROKEN. DIRE BUSTED UP THAT OPERATION, WITH SOME LOCAL HELP. HER ROBOTS ARE SECURING THE FACILITY AS WE SPEAK.”
Mitch sighed. “You found it, then.”
“IT WAS ACTUALLY YOUR CLUE ON THE HILLS THAT DID IT. DID YOU KNOW DOROTHY WAS DIRE WHEN YOU SPOKE TO HER?”
“No. Not at all. We were separated from the Chamis for a while, only got back in touch with them after the task force established a beach head.”
“AH YES. YOU KNOW, DIRE THOUGHT IT A DISPROPORTIONATE RESPONSE. POLITICAL MANEUVERING. BUT THERE WAS SO MUCH MORE AT STAKE, WASN’T THERE? SIX LITTLE WARHEADS, ALL EVIDENCE OF THE UNITED STATES’ GUILT. IF THIS STORY CAME TO LIGHT HOW DO YOU THINK RUSSIA WOULD TAKE THIS, GIVEN THEIR NEW STATUS TODAY?”
Mitch’s eyes turned to flint. “If such a story were true, and I’m not confirming it, then if you wanted to bring it to light, the response would probably be fatal. For both you and this little island.”
“WOULD IT?” I asked, standing. “WOULD IT REALLY?” I slapped a folder off the desk, papers spraying and they flinched back. “YOU COME IN HERE! YOU COME IN AND THREATEN HER COUNTRY AND HER PEOPLE! YOU COME IN HERE, TO THREATEN DIRE, AND YOU THINK THIS WILL END WELL! SHE STOOD AGAINST CRUSADER, SHE STOOD AGAINST HITLER, SHE STOOD AGAINST FOES YOU WILL NEVER KNOW OF AND THANK YOUR PATHETIC LITTLE GODS THAT THIS IS SO! AND YOU, YOU LITTLE WORM, YOU HAVE THE AUDACITY TO THREATEN HER.”
I slammed my hand down next to the button, and Mitch gasped, going pale... before I moved it to show I’d struck to the side, not on it.
“MITCH, YOU DUMBASS. DIRE’S ARMOR HAS A REACTOR BUILT INTO IT. IF SHE WANTED NUCLEAR MISSILES SHE’D MAKE THEM AND THEY’D BE WAY THE HELL BETTER THAN SOME OUTDATED OBSOLETE STUFF THAT WAS ROTTING IN A CAVE FOR FOUR DECADES.” I sat back down. “BUT ALL THIS IS A MOOT POINT. JUST A GOOD STORY, HM?”
“Kind of entertaining,” Mitch said, after he stopped hyperventilating. “What now?”
“YOU HAVE A VOXCASTER SOMEWHERE. WE NEED TO GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE ON IT AND HAVE A SERIOUS TALK, TO PLAN A HELL OF A SHOW. AFTER THAT, DIRE WANTS A HAPPY ENDING FOR HER SUBJECTS; THEY’VE SUFFERED ENOUGH.”
“I can’t guarantee that. There’s been too much posturing. The President can’t back down, can’t be perceived as weak to a supervillain. Not now, not this year.”
“NO, NO, YOU MISUNDERSTAND. DIRE DOESN’T WANT A HAPPY ENDING FOR HERSELF. JUST HER PEOPLE. HERE’S THE PLAN...”
We spent the next half-hour haggling. Finally, we came to an agreement, and I sent the guard-bots out to retrieve the CIA voxcaster from his safe house. Once it arrived, some hasty negotiation with his superiors did the trick.
After that, I called up General Ricio. “GENERAL. STATUS?”
“They’re starting the push. We’ll hold as long as we can, Empress.”
A lump in my throat. I’d sort of gotten used to hearing that, and soon it would be over. I swallowed until it disappeared.
“SHE’S GOT THE NEXT BATCH COMING. SHE’LL FLY AHEAD TO CATCH YOUR FOES IN THE REAR. LISTEN... SHE DOESN’T KNOW WHAT THEY HAVE THERE. DIRE WILL FIGHT, BUT IF SHE FALLS, YOU SURRENDER. YOU UNDERSTAND? YOU SURRENDER TO CAPTAIN DAMIANO.”
Quiet on the other end of the line. Then a sigh. “For what it’s worth, Empress, it’s been an honor to be your general.”
“WE’RE NOT DONE YET, RICIO. HANG ON, CAVALRY’S COMING.” I shut off the voxcaster. “ALPHA? ARE YOU READY?”
“Yeah. The suit’s pretty much duct tape and prayers, after what you put it through, but it’ll fly. It’ll fight. For like a minute, maybe.”
“THEN DO HER PROUD.”
“On it!”
I sat back, and closed my eyes. He was a good man, was Ricio. He deserved what was going to happen to him, assuming the US didn’t cheat.
Mitch cleared his throat.
“OH. RIGHT.” I stood, moved over to a tarp-covered crate, and pulled the canvas free. “HERE’S THE DOWNPAYMENT.”
The two of them stared in horror at the warhead. “What the hell?” Mitch barked. “You know what that stuff does? And we’ve been in here with it all this time?”
“WRAPPED IN LEAD FOIL, THICK ENOUGH TO STOP THE RADIATION.” I put the lid on the crate. “IT’S HEAVY. PROBABLY GOING TO NEED A FORKLIFT TO GET IT OUT OF HERE. OR THAT POWERHOUSE WHO JUMPED DIRE BACK IN THE US AMBUSH.”
Mitch shook his head. “Goddamn. Lady, for both our sakes, I hope you keep your word.”
“DIRE’S DREAMS AND GOALS ARE THE ANTITHESIS OF NUCLEAR DEVASTATION. SHE HAS NO NEED FOR YOUR DIRTY LITTLE BOMBS. ONCE THE US HOLDS UP ITS END OF THE BARGAIN, SHE’LL DROP A MESSAGE WITH THE LOCATION OF THE OTHER FIVE. NOW, ARE WE DONE HERE?”
Colleen nodded, stuck out a hand. After a moment’s hesitation, I took it. She smiled, and her voice went soft. “I liked you when you were Dorothy, for what it’s worth.”
“IT WAS A GOOD VACATION. YOU WERE GOOD FRIENDS. LET US PART SO.”
“Can’t guarantee we’ll stay that way. Stay out of my scope, Dorothy.” Colleen reclaimed her hand, pointed a finger at me, and dropped her thumb like a hammer falling on
a bullet. I chuckled.
“NEXT TIME YOU SHOOT HER YOU DIE.” I patted her shoulder, and left the room, with the guard-bots falling in behind me.
I made it down to the sea cave, just before Señor Acertijo cleared his throat behind me. I pulled the mask off, looked back at him. “Yes?”
“What now?”
I shrugged, as I sat on the edge of the tidal pool. I pulled off my shoes, dipped my toes in the water. “My armor gets shot to pieces during an ambush on the way to Malo Verde, and then blows up. But no body is ever recovered. Ricio surrenders to Damiano. The US forces join the rebels in a triumphant march to free Mariposa City from my robot nightmares... and during the middle of the fight, the factory security gets knocked out, and the rebel POWs swiftly escape, coming to aid their friends with anti-robot weaponry that has been conveniently left lying around. Then Damiano becomes the new Presidente, and pardons Ricio upon recommendation of the US ‘advisors’. Ricio probably stays as the head of the military, because to prevent a repeat of Corazon’s brutality, you want to keep government and military separate. Or maybe Ricio retires to the country and drinks margaritas for a while, Dire doesn’t know.”
“And you’ll give back the missiles?”
“Yes. Dire wasn’t lying. She could make better nukes in her sleep. If she wanted to.”
“One thing bothers me, still. Three minutes.”
“Ah yes. Figured that out.” I grinned. “The Maestro’s timer on the nuke. The easily-disarmable warhead. He didn’t want to blow Dire up at all. He wanted Dire to blow herself up.”
“Then why was it easily-disarmed?”
“Because he’s gotten an entirely wrong read on Dire. He thought he’d slip her a nuclear warhead, and she’d laugh and find a way to use it against her enemies. Use it to threaten the US forces. And since that was their main objective, and the reason for being there, they’d take that as confirmation that she had uncovered the cache, and probably level the city to take her out. He’d frame her for having possession of all the warheads, cover his tracks, and get rid of Dire all in one fell swoop.” I clicked my teeth together. “Cunning, if he’d been right about Dire.”
Acertjio chuckled... and to my shock, reached his hands up, and removed his mask.
“Ha! She knew you were the reporter!” I stabbed a finger at him, gloating my joy to the world.
“My civilian identity.” He smiled, flashing perfect teeth because of course they were. “Though I probably will need a new one.”
“Oh?”
“While you were shooting guards in Gluttony’s parlor, I was raiding his records. Maestro M is currently in London.” His face lost its warmth. “I have many debts to repay to that man. He is my nemesis and I will see him brought to justice.”
Chills ran down my back. Good ones, for a change. He was just so intense, and he had the talent to back it up. We’d worked well together, too. I glanced out to sea, saw the black yacht I’d had Alpha steal and repurpose coming in to the harbor. A couple of hours to load up Suru and the lair’s goodies, and then I figured I’d be gone and away. On to the next sinister plan
But if he had a lead...
“Want some company?”
“What?” He blinked, looked at me as if I’d punched him.
“Maestro M tried to dominate Dire. She owes him a lesson in why that’s a very bad idea. Also for the lives of those he’s killed, he and his minions.” I cracked my knuckles. “Slavers and penny-ante villains who punch above their weight class need to learn what happens, when you come at the Queen and miss.”
“Empress, wasn’t it?”
“Mmm, do say that again.” I purred, sliding closer to him, joking.
To my surprise, he didn’t slide away. He leaned closer, and I made a very small noise in my throat that might have been surprise, as he put his arm around me.
“You want to come with me?” he asked. “We could fight crime together. At least until the Maestro is defeated, and the Sin-dicate is destroyed.”
I shrugged. “Ah... sure?”
Acertijo fell silent, and his face was close, and then I was kissing him, and he was kissing back.
When our lips separated, he ran a hand through my hair, eyes still locked on mine. “You know this is a horrible idea, yes?”
“Oh yeah,” I whispered, grabbing him and rolling toward the wall. He didn’t resist. “Hero and villain? Horrible idea. Never works out. Drama central.” Buttons flew, as we ripped at our shirts.
And then we were too busy to care.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Thank you for reading DIRE:WARS! I am grateful for your patronage. If you’ve got a few seconds, please leave a review. Each review helps Dire accomplish her sinister master plans!
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Best wishes,
Andrew Seiple
Dire : Wars (The Dire Saga Book 4) Page 31
