by Mike Gomes
"No problem there. We can run standard bullets in and out all the time. India is great for that sort of thing, they don't do a lot of checking at the entrance points. So, things like bullets could be hidden away with no problem whatsoever, and even if they are detected, we have vehicles that will destroy them before they're ever completely discovered."
"Not bad, Tyler. I have to say it's pretty impressive. But I'm not so sure I wanna lay my life on the line with a gun that gets snapped together and then bonded with my own body heat," Gabriella raised her eyebrows at him.
"Well, maybe you'll like this a little bit better, something I've had for a long time, it's a shirt that cuts down the power of any weapon by 75%," Tyler said, pleased with himself.
"What do you mean, cuts down the power of any weapon? You're telling me, this somehow sends off a signal that makes the bullet travel at a slower rate?" Gabriella questioned, allowing her face to become twisted with confusion over what he was saying.
"No, but that's a really good idea." Tyler stopped in place and took a sip from his drink, then nodding his head profusely, he said, "I gotta get working on that.
"So, what is it then?" she asked.
"Well, I think you'll enjoy this. I created the fabric in the shirt to be able to be bulletproof, but obviously it's not gonna have the same kind of intensity and power of a regular bulletproof jacket or vest. So what we did, is we actually went into each individual fiber and put Kevlar within it. What you're gonna save yourself from is the bullet entering your body when you're hit, instead, it will smack against it and your body will still need to absorb the power. If you have ever worn a regular bulletproof vest you know you can feel it pretty good even through one of those. But the material's lighter, it's made to look fashionable.
"So, it's like getting hit by a truck?" said Gabriella, again, raising her eyebrows to him and raising her drink as if she was toasting him.
Raising his drink in return he clinked the glasses together and let out a small smile while leaning in. "Not so quick, my dear. Because the fabric moves, it’s able to accept the bullet in. It slows it down. Try to think of NASCAR racing. Or F1. The biggest problem that they had for years was that the walls had no cushioning on them. So, Physics told us that when someone hit the wall going 200 miles an hour and then stopping at zero, it had an incredible impact on people that were in those cars causing more deaths and injuries than needed to be. Well, after the incident with Dale Earnhardt, they sent the men to work to try to fix this and they padded the wall. And what they found is two or three feet of padding could absorb the car into the wall, and rather than stopping abruptly, it stopped over a period of those three or four feet. It lessened the impact on the driver and everybody wound up living, and there has been no death since that point."
"Thank you for the lesson in NASCAR but I already knew that." Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Through all of this, is what you're trying to tell me, that because of the loose-fitting of the clothing, it grabs the bullet and it slows it?"
"I always said you were one of the smartest, Gabriella." Tyler lifted his glass again. "It's not much. We've only got an inch or so to play with. But the fabric is designed that once it's hit, it will grab. When you initially put it on, poke your finger into it and you'll actually feel the fabric wrap around it. The idea is if we can do this within that split second, we're gonna take the lethality out of the hit and not allow it to go into the body. It'll still hurt, and it will still probably feel like a freight train sometimes depending on the caliber of the weapon, but you won't be dead.
"I like that. Staying alive is a very good thing for me." Gabriella finished the contents in her glass.
"Then this is the last one, made this one especially for you." Tyler winked with a large smile on his face. "Sunglasses," he said. Not expanding on the thought at all.
"Tyler, I'm sure you make great sunglasses, but what do they do?" Gabriella pushed. "Communication device, something to be able to see through walls, some kind of other magic trick?"
"No, they're designed to kill people," Tyler confirmed, finishing the contents of his glass and placing it on the table for emphasis. "My sunglasses kill people, and that's the way I like it."
Tyler let out a laugh at his own joke feeling amused with what he had to tell the woman. She had had previous experience with Tyler and knew him quite well, so when he got to the point where he was giggling about one of his own inventions, it was usually something extremely good.
"My sunglasses activate very easily, you put them on, you wear them around like you always would, and I know how you love your sunglasses," Tyler winked at her, reaching in to the pocket of his shorts and pulling out a pair of sunglasses that looked as if they would have been at home on any beach-goer or anybody out in the sun.
"These are them. You see here up on the band where the arm reaches into the frame itself. Well, right there, if you squeeze the top and bottom at the same time with some hard pressure and count to three, you'll see a red light blink on the inside of the frame. Then you've got two seconds for it to shoot."
"Shoot what? No bullet can go in there," Gabriella noted. "Anything that would fit in that is nothing more than a peashooter. It's useless in the field."
Hello, Gabriella, have you just met me? You know I got more than that," said Tyler, striking his shoulders at the woman and adding a little flair to his step. "No, no, the glasses themselves shoot. You see, when your fingers are still in that spot, holding the parts up and down, you can then take them off your face. With a flick of your wrist and the motion you want it to go, the glasses will actually give themselves a little burst and strike the person that you're aiming them at. It's not lethal, but if you hit them, it will knock them away and stun them, giving you time to go for a more conventional weapon. A perfectly designed mini-assault."
"I'm racking my head, Tyler, in how I would ever use them. I think you just like making fashionable clothing."
"My mother would be so proud, she wanted me to be a designer." Tyler laughed. "Trust me, the testing I've done with this thing, it packs a wallop. Picture if you took off the glasses and you just kind of snapped your wrist like you wanted to flick it. Well, they would take off and go approximately one hundred times faster than they normally would. It's aerodynamic, a little bit of propulsion in there, and some stuff I fooled around with in the mechanics. It's all kind of next level stuff.
"Oh, too much for my pretty little head to figure out," said Gabriella, flashing out a smile at him.
"No, Gabriella, I know you can figure it out. But I don't think most of the people we'll deal with will have any idea, when that thing is coming at them, they’ll wonder what the hell happened," said Tyler. "Like I said, the design is more for close company between two people and it can buy you some time. Some of the trials I ran it through, I realized if I was within five feet of the person, maybe even ten feet, I could hit them, stun them, and actually be upon them to get them in a physical confrontation before they even realize what's going on. Same holds true for getting out of somewhere from close enough and I can hit them with it, and there's actually an open way to get out, I'll be out the door before they pick themselves up off the ground. It'll be useful to you, trust me."
"You never fail to amaze me, Tyler. I'm just hoping that I don't have to worry about any of that. I can go in and get the target and be out of there." Gabriella sighed. "And with that in mind, I have a flight that I need to catch in a few hours. And if getting through customs is anything like in the States and also the TSA, then it's gonna take quite a while."
"Say no more, ma'am, I will have everything sent to you when you let me know where you're going to arrive. Send it on the encrypted channel, have it be short, sweet, and to the point, and I'll make sure everything is there once you arrive."
"I'll send you the information from the sky. They never can track anything from the sky."
"Gabriella, one more thing, you know the KGB's still after you? From what we've heard, they're not in the area, bu
t let's face it, you're gonna stick out there. You're gonna be very noticeable to everybody around. If you get any indication that the KGB is coming after you in there, please get out. It's a mission that can go to somebody else, and we don't wanna risk you."
"That's very kind of you to say, Tyler, but you know who I am," Gabriella straightened herself up and placed her hands on her hips. "I'm a kickass woman that don't take shit from nobody."
Seven
The shores of Bora Bora were a distant memory as Gabriella looked out the cabin window of the cruise liner that she was on. It wasn't that the cruise liner was anything shabby. It was standard, holding all the fun events that cruise-goers enjoyed. Gone were the days of shuffleboard tournaments, with older men in knee-high socks and velcro sneakers pushing a small plate trying to knock their enemy off of their spot. Cruises had changed, become far more developed. Nightlife in clubs, elegant dining, and shops galore were what now decorated cruise liners. And in addition to all of that, a cavalcade of locations to travel around the coasts of any desired countries, letting the passengers get a taste of one location at a time for just a few days.
Knock, knock.
"One moment, please. Who is it?" said Gabriella, moving to the door in her normal fashion, staying to the side. The one week already on the cruise liner hadn't lowered her intensity, but rather made it even higher. She was wary of anybody that came around, and with the vast looks of all the different people on a cruise, it was hard to see anybody standing out as abnormal in any way.
"No problem, ma'am," said a young, sheepish voice on the other side of the door. "Take your time."
Satisfied that the sound of the voice was recognizable as the cabin boy that had come to visit her before, Gabriella slightly cracked the door, peering out and seeing his face. With recognition, her hand continued to move, opening the door, while her other hand let go of the pistol that was placed firmly in the waistband on the back of her pants.
"Hello, William. What do I owe the pleasure?" Gabriella smiled widely at the young man whose cheeks immediately became flush with blushing. "You always have something nice for me."
"Yes, ma'am. I'm here to let you know that we should be in New Delhi within the hour. I thought if you'd like I could help show you around," said the young man with an English accent, casting his eyes away from the woman that he knew was clearly out of his league. "I've spent a lot of time on this trip and New Delhi's one of my favorite places. I know a lot of restaurants the others don't know about."
"That's very sweet of you, William." Gabriella extended her hand and touched the young man's shoulder softly. "But I think I might stay on the ship."
"Is there a problem, ma'am? Is there anything that I can help you with?" said William, flustered and knocked off center by the woman's rejection of his overture. "I hope that I didn't come on too strong to you, ma'am. I in no way was looking for a romantic encounter."
"William, I'm a bit older than you and I think I know when a young man is interested in a relationship," Gabriella said softly, raising her smile at the same time the boy's eyes looked down to the ground. "It's nothing to feel strange about. These sorts of things happen all the time. I'm guessing a young buck like you is having the time of his life on these cruise ships. Talk about a place to meet people."
"Well, I'm not like some of the other guys. Those guys from Norway and Sweden, they tend to get all the girls, the blond hair and the blue eyes. For guys like me, I guess we get the leftovers."
Raising an eyebrow, Gabriella looked at William, swinging her face in front of him and crouching down. "Am I one of the leftovers?"
Feeling discomfort throughout his body, the young man unwillingly gave an expression of mortification. "No, no, ma'am. Not in the slightest. I did not mean that at all."
"And what did you mean?" said Gabriella. "Young man, this is your moment to learn how to speak to women when you're already in trouble."
"Well, ma'am, those boys, they would never have the courage to ask a lady like you out. They'd be too frightened," William said, trying to regain some of his composure.
"So I'm scary?" Gabriella asked, amusing herself to no end as the poor young boy knew exactly what she was doing, having sport with him in a playful and friendly manner.
"No, ma'am. You know that's not true. What I mean to say is, they're only interested in young ladies who are out for a good time. When I saw you, I knew you were a more sophisticated person, a woman with far more intelligence than that. I think they'd be so intimidated by you, they would never even stop to refill your water glass in the dining room."
"But you, William, you weren't afraid. You stood here right in front of me, asked me to join you in New Delhi and didn't back away," said Gabriella. "In fact, I'm quite impressed with you. Even when I told you I wasn't leaving the ship for New Delhi, you could have stammered a few words and then got out of here as fast as possible, but instead you made sure that I felt comfortable and at ease with the proposition you had made and what its intent was, even if it was a lie."
"I guess you have me figured out," William said shyly. "I guess a beautiful woman like you has a lot of guys coming up to her and taking a chance. Probably all things you've heard before."
"The difference is, from you it was genuine and it was sincere, not just an attempt to try to get me into bed," Gabriella said, easing the boy's burden of having struck out and having nothing to fall back on. "In fact, let me tell you this, William. If I had been going on to the mainland, I probably would have taken you up on your offer. It's just that I'm having a little discomfort in my stomach. Not something that I really want to go on to the mainland and have a problem with. You know how it is on the cruise ships. Everybody wants to sample something new and sometimes when you sample something new, it hits you different than anything else ever has."
A snicker came from the boy, knowing exactly what she was talking about. "You don't have to tell me twice. I feel like my first two months on the ship, I did nothing but stay in the bathroom."
"So, you understand what I'm saying and you understand that it's not you. It's no feelings I have about you in a negative way at all. I bet you'd make a fine guide and take me to a beautiful dinner."
"That I would," William nodded. "I guess this is the time where I say goodbye, and then mutter something to myself as I walk down the hall about you being the one that lost out, not me."
Gabriella let out a long laugh and smiled at the young man. "You know what, William? It is my loss. No matter what you think, it really is my loss."
"Thank you, ma'am. And if you need anything while you're still on the ship, there'll be plenty of people still around to help you out. I know the ship doctor that's on call today and it's Martinez. He's ready to help out with anything and if you'd like, I can let him know that you're having some health issues."
"That won't be necessary, William," Gabriella smiled. "It's not quite that bad. All it needs is a day of some very light eating and a lot of relaxation. I know my side of the boat is going to be facing the shore so I'm thinking I'll spend quite a bit of time out on my balcony, just enjoying the sights of New Delhi from there."
Nodding his head, the young man stepped away and started to walk down the hallway.
Closing the door, Gabriella watched the boy walk away, knowing if she were a young woman who knew the things she knew now, that he was exactly the type of boy that would grow up to be a good husband, a good companion, and loyal in all ways. "You're going to make somebody a great husband."
She sighed before turning back into the room and walked over to the bed, grabbing her suitcase that laid beside it and placing it up on the table, allowing her to open the top and go through it.
As the two locks unlatched easily, the cover opened up as if on a spring. Holding itself open and steady, and allowing Gabriella to see the contents inside. Nothing unusual. Several pairs of underwear, a few bras, shorts, t-shirts, an evening gown that had been rolled up and made far too wrinkled to be worn out, and a few pairs o
f pants. Everything the tourist would need. But the suitcase held more than that for the woman that was embarking on her mission in the city she had never been to before.
Letting her fingers feel upon the frame of the suitcase, Gabriella dug her finger in, ripping the fabric away and exposing the plastic lining. The lining worked its way completely around the cover and the base of the suitcase and was held intact by glue against the fabric.
"Alright, get out here," she said out loud, reaching her hand in tightly and ripping the plastic out in one rectangular shape, letting the bag flop on the inside, giving it no structural integrity. Moving her hands along the plastic, she waited until she found a spot that was harder than the rest.
"There you are, my pretty." Gabriella grinned, feeling the hardening that came into a tip. Bending the plastic, she pulled down hard, having a silver gleam come through the plastic and expose itself to be a hand-held knife that had a blade three inches long. The blade wasn't ornate or fancy in any way, it simply had a small hand grip that was then covered by a flashing that would protect the user from having their hand slide down the blade on contact, and then the blade itself. Which was razor sharp.
Working her hands around the rest of the perimeter of the plastic, Gabriella found three more knives suiting her needs, and allowing her the protection she wanted for her first foray into the city of New Delhi. Her contact would not be far off, but that was no guarantee that she wouldn't find trouble before then.
"Damn, Tyler, I love the way you think," Gabriella said in awe, looking at the plastic and holding it up in front of her. ‘I guarantee he stole this from drug dealers. I remember the scene in that show where they would hide the cocaine inside the plastic of suitcases,’ she thought to herself.
Placing one of each dagger high on her inner thighs, she took the other two and placed them aiming downward under her armpits. If she were to be jostled or pushed in the wrong direction, she could find the blades sticking into her side quickly. A simple taping of a gauze pad where the tips hit protected her from flowing blood and showing everybody exactly who she was.
