by Siegel, Alex
Marina climbed into the pilot's seat and started the engine. Hanley and Katie climbed into the passenger compartment, gave each other worried looks, and buckled their seatbelts tightly.
Marina was as aggressive in the air as she was on the ground. She flew low and very fast, probably breaking several FAA rules in the process. She crossed the mountains first, and Hanley made a point of enjoying the scenic view despite almost clipping a few tall trees. South San Francisco was next, and from the air, he could see the dense mix of residential and industrial neighborhoods.
Half a minute later, the helicopter reached San Francisco proper. The urban mass was so compact, there was no room for front yards. The yards behind the houses were just big enough for a little grass and maybe a tree. Some buildings extended to the lot line on all four sides.
People on the ground were looking up with astonished expressions. The helicopter was low enough to set off car alarms and maybe crack a few windows.
Hanley could see the interchange directly ahead through the front windshield. The Bayshore Freeway bent to the left at a triangular interchange with Interstate 80. Both highways were raised above the surrounding buildings. Bumper-to-bumper traffic was at a dead stop in every lane, even on the shoulders.
"This is really pissing me off!" Marina yelled.
Hanley spotted writing on the white wall of an office building. The squares and circles looked the same as the other times, but there were a lot more of them. An entire paragraph of Kelly's geometric language had been burned into the wall, covering most of the surface. Hanley expected a translation would be posted on the internet within the hour, and he was afraid of what it would say.
Flashing red and blue lights showed where dozens of emergency vehicles were trying to reach the interchange, but it was going to take them a while. A police helicopter and two news helicopters were also buzzing around.
"Figure out where the lasers came from!" Marina yelled.
Hanley scanned the surrounding area with his eyes. He was looking for someplace high, flat, and open. The obvious choice was a parking garage adjacent to the interchange. He pointed, and she nodded.
She flew over. The cars on the top floor of the garage filled almost every space, and he didn't think there was room for the helicopter, but she squeezed it in somehow. The rotors were just inches from hitting cars on both sides. He exhaled with relief when the helicopter touched down, and she killed the engine.
Marina, Hanley, and Katie immediately began to search for clues. Hanley didn't see anything, and he wasn't surprised. He expected the Warriors had been careful, and the wash from the helicopter had blown away all loose debris. Of course, there was a good chance the team was looking in the wrong place entirely.
"There must be a surveillance system," Marina said. "Come on."
They ran down stairs to reach the first floor of the garage. They found a Chinese woman in a payment booth by the exit.
"We're with the FBI!" Marina said. "Where are your surveillance recordings?" She pointed at a camera above the exit.
The woman's eyes widened. "An off-site company records the feeds."
Marina snarled, and Hanley understood her anger. Min Ho or Jia could hack into the company and grab a copy of the video, but they were asleep. Retrieving the video would have to wait.
Two police cars with flashing lights raced into the garage. They were headed up.
"Shit," Marina said.
She led Hanley and Katie back up the stairs at a run.
The police cars were parked in front of the helicopter when the Spears arrived. Four uniformed officers were staring at the aircraft with perplexed expressions.
Marina didn't hesitate. She ran forward and jabbed her fingernails into the necks of two of them. A third cop tried to pull a gun on her, but she kicked it out of his hand and then kicked him in the face. While he was dazed, she injected venom into his neck.
The fourth cop reached for his gun. She charged forward, flipped, slammed both her feet into his chest, and landed on top of him. She gave him a dose of venom.
The entire one-woman assault had taken just a few seconds. Hanley had to clap in appreciation of her inhuman swiftness and skill.
"How much venom can you produce, ma'am?" he said.
"Ten to fifteen doses a day, depending on their size," Marina said.
"Have you ever run out at a bad time?"
"Yes."
Hanley looked over at the elevated freeways. Some people had stepped out of their cars and were taking pictures of the writing on the wall.
He imagined trucks spraying gas had simply driven through the interchange. The enemy had already left when the angels appeared. The still morning air would've allowed the cloud of gas to persist long enough to create the illusion.
Why? he wondered. What is the Goddess trying to accomplish?
"Let's go before more cops show up," Marina said.
"Where are we going, ma'am?" Katie said.
"Home, I suppose. Once again, we're a few minutes too late. It's so frustrating. We have to hope we find something on the video. I'll wake up Min Ho. A couple of hours of sleep will have to be enough for him."
The team climbed back into the helicopter. Marina allowed the engine to warm up, and then she took off. She flew more slowly and at a higher altitude this time.
When they were about half-way home, her phone rang. She unclipped it from her belt, checked the number, and handed it back to Hanley.
"I can't fly and talk to this guy at the same time," she said.
He answered, "Hello?"
"I'm trying to reach Ms. Pointu," a man said.
"Who are you?"
"Joshua Harp."
Hanley raised his eyebrows as he recognized the name of the FBI special agent. "I'm her assistant. How can I help you?"
"A woman with red hair just knocked out four police officers. The incident involved a helicopter illegally landing on the roof of a parking garage. I'm sure it's just a coincidence, but it sounds like you're in a helicopter now."
"The officers will be fine. She just put them to sleep."
"I've turned a blind eye to a lot of her shit in the past," Harp said in an angry tone. "God knows how many people she's killed. I've even witnessed her doing it. But until now, she didn't assault on-duty cops in broad daylight. This one was over the line."
Hanley had been an FBI agent before joining the Society, and he sympathized with Harp's position. By any civilized standard, Marina's behavior was abhorrent, but an entanglement with the police would've been a disaster. The commander certainly couldn't allow them to arrest her. Putting them to sleep was a kind and gentle solution.
"I apologize on behalf of Ms. Pointu," Hanley said. "If there is anything we can do to make amends, let us know."
"At some point, I'm going to have to arrest her and live with the consequences."
"Those consequences would be very bad."
"That's the other thing," Harp said. "You people are always threatening me. I'm a senior federal agent in command of a large organization. I don't appreciate being treated like her lackey."
"I wish I could explain. All I can say is all of us are working for the common good in our own way."
"We seem to have different definitions of common good."
"Not really," Hanley said. "I should mention that Ms. Pointu also has an organization, and we will protect her."
"You can't beat the FBI."
"We can, and we have." Hanley recalled his own painful experiences in that regard. "I feel bad for you. I understand you're in an impossible situation. We'll try to make it right somehow. Bye." He hung up and gave the phone back to Marina. "Harp is really pissed."
"I know." She shrugged. "I'm not sure what to do about it."
He settled back in his chair and tried to shake off his foul mood. He detested the oppressive secrecy and isolation that was part of life in the Society. He wished there was a better alternative, but none came to mind. The problem seemed endemic to the way the
Society was constructed. Mere humans were being told to solve inhuman problems. We need a different kind of legionnaire, Hanley thought. One that isn't so... limited.
A few minutes later, the helicopter landed at the airport. They got in the car and headed back to headquarters.
Marina had called ahead, and Min Ho was already at his workstation by the time the team arrived. His eyes were half-closed with exhaustion. He was wearing the same shiny blue and green outfit as the previous day, and Hanley wondered if Min Ho had even taken it off.
Marina and her legionnaires gathered around him.
"Did you find anything?" she said.
"Kind of, ma'am," Min Ho said. "The parking garage uses a service called Wide Eye Surveillance. I successfully hacked into their system, but all the recordings were already deleted."
"Damn it."
"Give me a few more minutes. I'll come up with something."
Marina stepped away to give Min Ho some space. She used the time to brief Ipo and Yang.
Everybody looked frustrated. Last night had been their golden opportunity to bring the investigation to some kind of resolution, and now they were grasping for fresh leads again.
"We need to do something," Marina said. "We can't just sit on our hands. The 'rapture' is supposed to be at noon today. That's just four hours from now."
"Let's work on a theory," Hanley said. "We know how the angels are made, but we don't know why. What's the point?"
"It could be about money," Katie said. "The Goddess could be running a whole bunch of scams based on religious hysteria. If she were properly prepared, she could reap millions, maybe billions. Look at how much Tim Taggart made on the first night."
Marina shook her head. "Then why base everything on a book written by a complete unknown? The Goddess would be promoting her own book if this were about profit. Besides, this doesn't feel like a regular scam. I've met plenty of con-men in my day, and they like to keep a low profile. These angels are receiving the kind of intense public scrutiny that crooks avoid like the plague."
"Then maybe it's religious?" Yang said. "We know the Warriors of Dagda hate Christians."
"That's probably closer to the truth, but the Goddess is pulling the strings, and we don't know her views on religion. She might not be a pagan at all."
Min Ho lifted his head. "I got something, ma'am!"
Marina and her team surrounded the hacker again.
He clicked on his keyboard. "I pulled this from a surveillance camera on a convenience store across the street."
A video appeared on his computer screen. It was an off-angle view of the front of the parking garage, and the details were a little fuzzy. Eight vehicles emerged from the garage in a tight caravan and sped off. The group consisted of vans, delivery trucks, pickup trucks, and cars of various colors and model years.
"That was three minutes after the angels were done," Min Ho said.
Hanley furrowed his brow. "Looks like the bad guys ditched the green trucks."
"Which means finding them will be a lot harder," Marina said. "The surveillance drone probably won't work a second time."
"It's interesting." Katie said.
Marina looked at her. "What?"
"The enemy suddenly got smart. Why were they so stupid before? Those green trucks were practically an invitation for trouble, and they brought us straight to the encampment. The Warriors seemed to know we were coming. Walfred said the Goddess foretold our attack..." Katie stared at the floor with a contemplative expression.
"I see where you're going. We're being played, but that would imply the Goddess knows about us, which is impossible."
"That's what it feels like, ma'am."
Marina sighed unhappily.
"Maybe the answers will become clear when the latest message is translated," Hanley said. "It won't be long. Until then, I think we have to sit on our hands."
She frowned but didn't argue.
* * *
Iris stepped out of the car. She looked up at the underside of the Golden Gate Bridge, and even from this odd angle, it was a very impressive structure. Everything was painted International Orange, although it looked more red than orange to her. The span was two hundred feet above her head. The massive steel beams formed a triangular framework, and she had read the bridge weighed almost 900,000 tons in total. It was the perfect location for a leap of faith.
She turned to Laurence who was in the driver's seat of a black Mercedes Benz McLaren. "Go."
He grimaced.
"I told you to go! I'll be fine."
"Yes, ma'am," he said.
He backed up the car, turned, and drove off.
Iris looked around. Tourists normally visited the south end, but she was at the north end of the bridge where it abutted the Marin Headlands. The Headlands were known for scenic trails which criss-crossed the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, but she couldn't see any trails at the moment. Her view was mostly of the turbulent Pacific Ocean. She was on a flat, rocky piece of land just above the water, and splashing waves threatened to spray her shoes.
She turned to face a steep hill beneath the bridge. Only scattered blades of grass grew on its rough surface. She explored the hill with her fingers until she found a concealed latch. A door popped open, revealing a cavity in the bedrock. There was just enough room for her to sit, although her chair was made of cold stone. She wished she had thought to bring a cushion.
She sat down and tried to make herself comfortable. When she was settled, she pulled the secret door closed. A grid of small holes allowed cool, moist air to circulate. She looked out through a slit covered with camouflage gauze. From the outside, her hiding place looked exactly the same as the rest of the hill down to the finest detail. The door was insulated so even her body heat wouldn't be detectable. Everything depended on seeing without being seen.
Walfred would be along shortly, but he didn't know the "Goddess" had come to watch the show in person. He would be very surprised if he found out, and even more surprised if she told him why.
Chapter Ten
"We got the translation, ma'am!" Min Ho said. "It was just posted."
Marina ran over. He pointed to words on his computer screen. She read out loud for the benefit of her legionnaires who were gathering around.
"'At noon, the portal will open above the purifying waters. All the faithful must leap from the Golden Gate. They must wear their birth colors to be accepted into Heaven.'"
Marina faced her team.
"Does that mean the Golden Gate Bridge?" Hanley said.
She nodded. "I think so. What else could it be?"
There was silence as everybody contemplated the significance of the message. Marina expected thousands would jump off the bridge if nobody stopped them. It was actually a popular way to commit suicide, and the survival rate was very low. If the impact with the water didn't kill the victim, drowning or hypothermia would.
"People aren't actually that stupid, ma'am," Katie said, "are they?"
"They are," Marina said.
"Let's not panic," Hanley said. "I'm sure the authorities are already working on a plan. The bridge will be blocked off. Unauthorized personnel won't be allowed on the deck."
She turned to him. Over the last year, he had emerged as the best of her legionnaires. Ipo had more seniority, but Hanley was smarter, more skilled, and in some ways, more experienced. He could give Ipo an even fight during a sparring match despite Ipo's greater size and strength. The expression on Hanley's face reminded Marina of a cat ready to pounce. He always leaned forward slightly and looked directly into her eyes.
"You're right," she said, "but the Goddess will have a plan for the plan. I'm expecting a final, spectacular illusion to get the crowd going. The message mentioned a portal, and it was probably a literal statement."
"What are your orders, ma'am?"
"The Warriors of Dagda will be there, and so will we. Our job is to figure out what's going to happen before it happens and stop it. Let's see how many li
ves we can save. Then we'll play it by ear."
"A million civilians will be there," Hanley said.
Marina nodded. "Ipo will be at the south end of the bridge. Yang will watch the north end. Hanley and Katie will cruise the Bay in a boat. I'll patrol the deck of the bridge."
"We're all going, ma'am?"
"We have to. There is too much ground to cover. We need as many eyeballs watching as possible. Let's prepare our cover stories and disguises. Move!"
"Yes, ma'am," all the legionnaires responded.
* * *
Ipo pushed through the crowd. He was trying to be nice, but a certain amount of rudeness was necessary to make progress. Some people had come to jump off the bridge, some had come to watch, but most had come just because it was the place to be. Regardless of the reason, far too many had come.
The crowd was standing on Interstate 101, a.k.a. El Camino Real. It was the main road leading to the Golden Gate Bridge. Normally, the eight lanes were filled with cars, but all vehicular traffic had been diverted and a mob of pedestrians had taken their place.
Ipo associated the 'rapture' with death and destruction, but the mood was festive instead. Open bottles of booze were all around, and he could smell the alcohol. A faint undertone of marijuana smoke wafted through the air. The crowd wanted to celebrate right up until the end.
Most people were wearing bright, colorful clothing, and jewelry sparkled in the sunlight. A lot of women had chosen slutty evening attire which he found ironic. He wondered if they expected to go to Heaven looking like whores. One woman wasn't wearing a top at all, and her nipples stood proudly in the cool, damp air.
The crowd became denser and more combative as he approached the bridge. The serious jumpers were fighting for position. All of them wanted to be first through the "portal" to Heaven.
They tended to wear clothing with a single, solid color. The angels had not provided a definition of the phrase "birth colors," but most people had associated it with their birthstone. Surrounded by a rainbow of hues, Ipo had the feeling he had walked into a candy commercial.
He was hearing a lot of prayers, and some sounded desperate. The jumpers wanted to take every precaution before making the leap of faith. Ipo expected a lot of them didn't think they could get into Heaven any other way. Guilt or fear had driven them here.
