by Siegel, Alex
They were in Japantown. The neighborhood wasn't nearly as big or impressive as Chinatown, but there was still plenty of Japanese culture on display. She saw several restaurants that all served Japanese food. A pagoda made of concrete stood tall in a plaza.
"It sounds like everything is going according to plan," Laurence said. "Maybe we should accelerate the schedule?"
Iris shook her head. "Let's not get overconfident. Remember, Vulture had every advantage. He was talented, experienced, and powerful. He had a solid organization in place and a good plan. All of his people vanished without a trace. We may never know how they died or even where. Even my Guardians of the Pit were wiped out to a man. We must never forget we're playing for very high stakes here, and the smallest mistake could be fatal. We'll stick to the plan. The Society won't know what's really going on until after Olivia is dead."
He nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
"Now, let's find a hamburger joint. Seeing the barbeque made me hungry for beef."
* * *
Marina looked around headquarters. Olivia was hiding somewhere in the building, and Marina's job was to find her. It was a fun game that taught an important survival skill.
Marina went to the science cage first. It contained many cabinets and drawers that were the right size for a little girl. The cage had come with the building, and it had been built to contain electrical discharges. The battery research company had worked with very high voltages. Corrie had turned the cage into a research station where she performed physics and chemistry experiments. She hadn't been home in weeks though, and the equipment had started to get dusty.
Marina opened the door of the cage as silently as she could, but an annoying squeak made her wince. Going through the cabinets was a quieter operation. She peaked inside each one, and most were packed full of scientific apparatus. She didn't know what the stuff was for, and that bothered her a little. Her expertise on the subject of killing was unparalleled, but she was weak on other topics. Scientific and technical matters baffled her in particular. She wished she didn't have to rely on assistants all the time, but working alone wasn't an option.
Olivia wasn't in the cage, so Marina moved on. She went to the machine shop on the northern side of headquarters. Imelda owned this territory, and the mechanic was working there now. She was a tall, skinny Mexican woman. Her course, black hair was tied back to keep it from getting caught in machinery. She had a pleasant face brightened by a wide smile. She was wearing stained, blue coveralls over a black T-shirt. A tool belt hung loosely on her bony hips. She was using a mill to make a replacement component for a broken sniper rifle.
Imelda looked up from her work. "Playing hide and seek with Olivia again, ma'am?"
Marina nodded. "She's getting better at it."
"She's a smart kid. It's fun having her around, even though she scares me a little."
"Yes. She'll make a perfect wife for Wesley someday."
Marina started poking around among the lathes, saws, drill presses, and sanders.
"She's not here, ma'am," Imelda said. "I won't let her get near this machinery. It's too dangerous."
Marina nodded and moved on.
She checked her office next. There weren't many places to hide in there, so it didn't take long. She couldn't help but notice all the paperwork on her desk. She had fallen well behind.
A lot of it was personal correspondence from other commanders in the division. By ancient tradition, they sent hand-written notes back and forth using special couriers. The notes were news, observations, requests for advice, or sometimes just emotional rants. Commanders let down their guards to each other in ways they couldn't in front of their teams. It was also a great way to share hard lessons learned. Marina wasn't very social by nature, and responding to the notes was work. She was rarely caught up.
Another big pile of paperwork was for the construction of the new headquarters. She was building a new shopping mall in San Jose as a cover, and her people would be located in a massive bunker deep underneath. It was a huge project involving enormous excavations. The sensitive work had to be done by special contractors approved by the Society, and there were elaborate procedures to keep most people in the dark about the details of the project. Imelda was the only one who had the complete picture. It would be at least a year before the San Francisco team could occupy their new home, and even that deadline was ambitious.
Marina continued to work her way around the building. She checked a storage closet and a bathroom. She arrived at her private quarters and hesitated. That room was off-limits to Olivia, but a smart girl would take advantage of that fact. Marina had taught Olivia to always take risks and do the unexpected. It was the best way to stay one step ahead of her enemies.
Marina silently pushed open the door and slipped inside. The lights were off, and she left them that way. She didn't need to see to get around her own bedroom.
She held her breath so she could hear better. Olivia had instinctive ninja skills, so finding her in the dark would be a challenge, but Marina was up for it. She knew of very few people who were better ninjas than herself.
Marina crept through the room on her belly like a snake. She heard the slight rustle of cloth rubbing together. She had several clothes racks in her bedroom, and they provided a perfect place for a little girl to hide.
Marina heard a gasp. Got her, she thought.
She approached her quarry until she could hear Olivia breathing. Without warning, Marina reached out and grabbed her.
Olivia squealed in fright. She slapped Marina on the head, and suddenly, Marina felt crushing depression. Images of pain and death filled her mind. She desperately wanted to kill herself, but she had too much self-control to let it happen.
"Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!" Olivia cried. "You scared me!"
"Fix it," Marina said through her teeth.
Olivia groped around until she found Marina's head again. The depression immediately vanished and was replaced by a bubbly, happy feeling. Marina just wanted to feel normal but decided to let it go. The unnatural joy would wear off soon enough.
She went to the light switch and turned it on. Olivia emerged from behind a clothes rack. The girl was wearing a black sweat suit with a hood like a good little ninja.
"Control!" Marina said loudly. She tried to sound angry but was still too happy. "A powerful gift like yours must be kept under control at all times. I could've easily killed you or myself. You're very lucky nothing bad happened."
Olivia looked down. "Yes, ma'am."
"I think you need to be punished. You also came into my room when I explicitly told you to stay out."
"But you said it was OK to break the rules to win."
"Yes," Marina said, "but getting caught has consequences. Taking a risk doesn't always pay off. Tomorrow, you're going to sweep headquarters with a broom. Clean out all the dust."
Olivia's black and white eyes widened in horror. "The whole building?"
"Yes. The task will give you plenty of time to think about what you did."
Olivia frowned. "Yes, ma'am."
Marina heard a commotion in the main part of headquarters. She left her bedroom to see what was happening.
Her legionnaires had returned from Tim Taggart's sermon. Ipo had already delivered a disappointing report over the phone, and Marina didn't have any more questions. Taggart had turned out to be a common huckster.
Marina met her team in the middle of headquarters. "Good job, even though it didn't help the investigation."
"Thank you, ma'am," Ipo said.
"But we need a plan now," Marina said.
Min Ho looked up from his computer. "I may have something for you, ma'am."
She walked over to his workstation. "What?"
"I'm seeing buzz on the internet about a book written by a guy named Brian Kelly. He was some kind of expert on the secret language of Heaven. The book is called Symbology of the Divine. The writing on the walls is supposed to be exactly like what the book describes."
&nbs
p; "Really? How old is this book?"
"It was published ten years ago," he said, "but it's been out of print for nine. It sold very poorly. The publisher went bankrupt recently."
"What about Brian Kelly? Where is he?"
"That's a mystery. He dropped out of sight a few years ago, but he used to live in San Francisco, not far from where the angels appeared today."
Marina furrowed her brow. "Interesting. I think we need to buy this book."
"I can't find any copies available online, ma'am. It never became an e-book. Even the Library of Congress doesn't seem to have a copy. You'll have to buy it from a private party."
"And who is that?"
Min Ho typed on his keyboard. "I found one guy in Hayward who posted that he has it but doesn't understand it. I get the impression the writing is pretty bad."
"OK. Ipo and Yang, go to Hayward and get the book. Hanley and Katie, locate Brian Kelly. Jia will assist you."
"Yes, ma'am," all the legionnaires said in unison.
Chapter Four
Hanley looked up at the front of an apartment building. It was twelve stories tall and made of unpainted concrete. The surface looked like gravel. The windows were simple openings without frames, and they reminded him of a prison. He wondered what kind of architect would design such an ugly building.
He was with Katie, and they were in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco. It was a crime-infested neighborhood, famous as a hot spot for drug sales. One could buy any sort of product or service in the Tenderloin no matter how illicit. Coming to the district at night made the adventure more interesting. Dealers were working on many of the street corners, and surprisingly, most were women. Excessively loud music was coming from the windows of cars.
The apartment building had an iron security fence. Hanley used a box to call apartment 708.
A woman with a scratchy voice answered, "Hello?"
"Hi. We're from Storm Cloud Publishing, and we're looking for a Mr. Brian Kelly."
"He doesn't live here anymore."
"Really?" Hanley said. "That's a shame. We have a royalty check for him. We've been trying to reach him for weeks."
"A check?"
"Yes, for twenty thousand dollars. It would be a shame if he never received the money."
The woman paused. "Come on up." The gate buzzed.
Hanley and Katie entered the apartment building. The lobby had stains on the walls and smelled like marijuana smoke. The legionnaires avoided a questionable-looking elevator and climbed the stairs instead. They arrived at room 708. The yellow door was plain and cheap, and it rattled loosely when Hanley knocked.
A woman opened the door. She had long brown hair which was tangled and dirty. Her short dress had white and red vertical stripes, and she obviously wasn't wearing a bra. Her gut made the dress tight around the middle. There were fresh needle marks in her left arm.
"Let me see the check," she said.
"Hold on," Hanley said. "Who are you?"
"I'm his wife, Demi."
"I wasn't aware he was married."
"It wasn't, like, official." Demi smiled, showing her yellow teeth. "I'll hold the money for him until he comes back."
"You told us he doesn't live here anymore."
"Well, he might, uh, visit."
"Out of my way." Hanley pushed her aside and entered the apartment.
"Hey!" she yelled.
Hanley glanced back.
Katie had already drawn her gun, and she pointed it at Demi. "Be quiet."
"You're not publishers," Demi said.
"That's right."
Katie shoved Demi into the apartment and closed the door.
Hanley looked around. There seemed to be just two rooms and one was a bathroom. A mattress was on the floor in the corner. The kitchen was in the opposite corner of the same room, but it was so small, he couldn't see anybody preparing a serious meal there. The refrigerator was one of the small units usually used in college dorm rooms. Demi had spent some money on a television, but a set of rabbit ears antenna suggested she couldn't afford cable. A dining table was scratched and dinged. The air smelled like cigarettes and spoiled meat.
"We need to find Kelly," Hanley said. "Any information you have would be helpful. This was his last known residence."
"Are you cops?" Demi said.
"No, just very interested citizens."
"Then you don't have a warrant."
He noticed an open closet and peeked inside. It was packed full of women's clothing. The style was generally colorful, short, and revealing.
"That's true," Hanley said, "but we do have cash."
He turned and saw an eager expression on her face. "How much?"
"Plenty. What do you know about Brian Kelly?"
"We were close. He was good for me. It almost killed me when he left. I still have some of his shit."
Demi pointed to a cardboard box under the dining table. Hanley hurried over and pulled it out.
"Hey," she said, "pay me first."
He nodded to Katie. She took a cash roll from her pocket, peeled off several bills, and handed them to Demi.
Hanley dug into the box. There were stacks of books with titles like "Conversations with God," "The Secret Teachings of Jesus," and "The Many Numbers of the Beast." He also found thick bundles of handwritten notes. Hundreds of pages were packed with lines spaced so closely together, the letters overlapped. Algebraic equations were mixed into the sentences at random locations. Hanley tried to read some of the text, but he was quickly defeated by strange terminology and horrifying grammar.
"Why did he leave you?" he said.
"He was very sad about nobody buying his book," Demi said. "He spent years writing it and worked so hard. He even paid an editor to clean it up. One day, he told me he needed to find 'peace' and just left."
"Oh."
Hanley found paraphernalia in the box. There was a dented tin chalice, rosary beads, astrological charts, a broken black candle, medallions, bottles, and crystals. He put the crystals into his pocket because he knew they could be tested for exposure to supernatural radiation. Of course, Corrie had to come home before she could perform the test.
Keeping one eye on Demi, Katie came over to help with the search. She flipped through the books.
After a few minutes, she held up a business card she had discovered stuck between pages. "Ah ha! Maybe he went here."
She gave the card to Hanley, and he saw it was for a local Buddhist temple.
"It's a possibility," he said.
He searched for a few more minutes without finding anything else of interest. Judging by his possessions, Brian Kelly didn't seem to have a life outside of religion. He was pathologically obsessed with it.
Hanley and Katie left the apartment. When they were safely down the hall, he called Marina.
"Report," the commander said.
He explained what had happened.
"Visiting the temple at night is probably a bad idea. Drop the crystals off at headquarters. Then I want both of you to go home and sleep. You can continue the investigation first thing in the morning."
"Yes, ma'am," Hanley said. "Bye." He put away his phone.
"What a luxury," Katie said. "A good night's sleep during an investigation."
He nodded. "I don't know how I'll function if I'm too well-rested and alert."
"We'll just have to muddle through."
* * *
Ipo and Yang walked up to a little brown house in Hayward. The town was on the east side of the San Francisco Bay. It was generally considered a bedroom community for people who worked elsewhere, although one of the California State Universities was located there. Yang thought of Hayward as an uninteresting part of the endless sprawl that constituted the Bay Area.
Ipo knocked on the door. A moment later, a young man opened it. He was Hispanic, and he had an impressive amount of black hair on his head and face. His beard had been meticulously sculpted. He was wearing a blue shirt and jeans with holes in the
knees.
"Yes?" he said.
"Mr. Jorge Alba?" Ipo said.
"That's right."
"We're looking for a book. Symbology of the Divine. You posted on the internet that you have a copy."
"Wow. Everybody wants that book tonight," Jorge said. "You're the third one."
"Oh?"
"I already sold it."
Ipo furrowed his brow. "That's unfortunate. Who bought it?"
"This guy." Jorge showed Ipo a business card.
Yang leaned in for a closer look. The text read, "Alexander Reinagle - Rare Book Broker." Ipo used his phone to take a picture.
"Well, maybe you can just tell us about the book then," Ipo said.
"I found it in a used book store," Jorge said. "I'm a Religious Studies major, and it looked interesting."
"Was it?"
"Not really. Kelly kept quoting sources that don't exist. His math was full of errors that even I could see. I think he made up the whole language. At least, I've never seen anything like it before, and I've read a lot of books on religion."
"But Kelly's text matched the writing from the angels," Ipo said.
"Yes. I was amazed when I saw the pictures. Theoretically, you could use Symbology of the Divine to decode the writing, but it would be a lot of work. The book was hard to understand and just not good, in general."
Ipo nodded. "I think we'll try to find this book broker. Thank you for your time."
"No problem."
Ipo and Yang walked away.
"Nice kid," Yang said.
"I bet he got screwed on the sale."
* * *
Ipo knocked on the door of an apartment in San Bruno.
Yang checked his watch and saw it was ten o'clock at night. It was very late to be making unannounced visits, but Ipo didn't seem to care. Yang had noticed members of the Society didn't pay a lot of attention to etiquette or manners. Marina's insensitivity was famous.
A man wearing a bathrobe answered the door. The robe had printed flowers on a black background and seemed Japanese in style. A gold chain was draped across his shaved chest. His blond hair was teased out, and a little gel held it in place. He had diamond studs in both ears.
