I couldn’t believe Conan was telling me all this for no reason. I was convinced that he was trying to get me to confess and turn on the White Queen … or worse. It was bad enough that I’d fallen for him. I could probably still get away with my life, but if I turned double agent—and the White Queen found out—she’d have me killed.
“Scarlet, I think we need to talk.”
“About what?” I asked with my best poker face. Is this it? I put down my fork and felt for the switchblade in my heel. If he’s on to me I’ll have to cut his vocal cords and make the bodyguards believe I’m just going to the ladies, then I can make a run for it.
“I know finding the ring last weekend was a shock. I’m sorry.”
“Thanks.” Phew, I’m safe … for now. “I’m sorry too … for reacting like a lunatic.”
“Don’t be. I understand,” said Conan. “I’m working on putting that whole ugly episode with my ex behind me, but it will take a bit of time. Can you be patient with me?”
“How patient?”
“I’m not sure, but I don’t want anything to change between us. I’d still like you to spend weekends with me. I’m just not ready to make any promises about the future.”
“Conan, I’m not really sure what you’re saying.” I wanted to ask him if we had a chance at a real future or not, but I couldn’t talk about that until I was free of the White Queen. I still had to find my mother, and that meant completing the mission.
“All I know right now is that I want to do something nice for you, something to show you how special you are to me.”
“Like what?” I asked in a sultry voice.
“Well, I know you don’t like diamonds. So which gems do you like? Rubies? Emeralds? Sapphires?”
“Thinking of showering your love with some expensive jewelry?”
“I love showering a ravishing beauty with the beautiful things she deserves.”
“Oh you’re good Mr. Casey.” I smiled. “I like red rubies. They remind me of my name.”
“Red rubies for my Scarlet Queen. I should’ve guessed,” he said, staring at me like a hungry wolf. “Will you meet me at my apartment later? It’s my turn to be in control and I’ve been thinking about what I’ll do to you.”
“Mr. Casey, control yourself,” I teased. “Don’t ever forget that you serve the Scarlet Queen.”
“I won’t. I’m sorry.” Conan blushed and stroked his water glass with his long fingers. “I can’t help myself. You stoke my desires … turn me into a wild beast.”
“As I should.” I felt blood rush down my spine and I ran my foot up his leg. “But I can’t meet you later.”
“Why not? Is something wrong? Are you still upset about the ring?”
“No, nothing’s wrong,” I lied. I wanted to spend as much time as I could with my knight before the White Queen put Wilmar in checkmate, but I wasn’t convinced that he didn’t know I was an agent. “I have to feed my cat, and I want to get an early night.”
“I’m disappointed, but I won’t hold it against you.”
“Next time,” I said, tilting my head and twirling a lock of hair behind my ear.
“I’ll hold you to that.” Conan smiled and ate the last bite of his steak. “So, when did you get your cat? What’s its name?”
“Her name is Milky. She was a stray who appeared at my kitchen window the day I moved into my apartment. I gave her food and she kept coming back. I eventually decided to keep her.”
“I’m not surprised that your powers of enchantment extend to animals.”
“My powers?” I laughed. “You flatter me.”
“Never,” he said, squeezing my hand in earnest. “Scarlet, I don’t think you truly realize the affect you have on me.”
“I’d love to hear more, but a cat’s got to eat and a man’s got to get back to work.” My stomach was still churning and I’d had enough of this game. I was anxious to get home … safely.
“You’re right.” Conan looked at his watch. “I must go protect the profits … so that I can buy pretty things for my Scarlet Queen.”
“You make that sound like a bad thing. Life without a good woman is pretty meaningless for most men.”
“I can’t deny that.” Conan smiled and kissed my hand.
“It’s eight forty-five. You don’t have time to take me home. I’ll just get a cab.”
“My driver can drop you off after he takes me to the office.”
“That’s all right.” The last thing I wanted was to be alone with one of Conan’s guys. Just because he didn’t knock me off it didn’t mean that one of his guys wouldn’t. “Poor little Milky must be starving, and I don’t want to risk pissing her off. She has her own ways of getting revenge.” “As you wish,” said Conan as we walked to the elevator.
* * *
I turned on the radio and closed the curtains as soon as I got home. Then I called Mimi.
“Hey Scar, what’s up?” Mimi asked.
“I think Wilmar could be on to us. We have to be extra careful.”
“What happened?”
“I just had dinner with Conan and he told me he’s having an emergency meeting with the board tonight to discuss White Holdings. It looks like the White Queen could be going for a hostile takeover and Conan’s calling battle stations.”
“Oh crap.”
“No kidding! I thought he knew I was an undercover agent for White Holdings. I think we need to stay in closer contact from now on.”
“Stay safe,” said Mimi. “I’ll let Vanus know and she’ll get the word out.”
“Thanks Mimi. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“Night Janet,” said Mimi and she hung up.
Milky sat at my feet and started meowing. “Don’t worry Milks, I won’t betray you too.” We went to the kitchen and I gave Milky her favorite canned tuna.
Serving two masters was really starting to take its toll on me. I had to finish my mission, but I wanted a future with Conan—an impossible future. I needed to reconnect with real myself before I was subsumed by one of my fake identities.
I walked over to the large mirror in my living room and took off my clothes. I spend more time in front of this mirror than watching television … oh well, I suppose it’s better to watch myself than an electronic box full of lies.
I studied the shadows in the mirror before turning around and caressing the tattoo in the middle of my lower back. The two isosceles triangles were joined at their apices—one on top of the other—to make a simple red hourglass.
The tattoo was my graduation gift to myself. It was a testament to my new identity and my new life. I’d never forget the pain of the thin needle piercing my flesh. What I wasn’t expecting was the euphoria once my body began releasing endorphins. The mixture of pain and pleasure was ecstasy. Getting my tattoo introduced me to secret, dark pleasures. I would always be a marked prisoner, but I was a liberated soul.
I thought about the White Queen’s world. She inflicted pain on her enemies to protect the weak. Were her pure intentions made impure by her cruelty? Sometimes you have to do evil to be good … I guess.
I inspected myself in the mirror. My hair almost reached down to my slim waist, and all my muscles were toned. I rubbed the dark crescent scar on my left side. It was the only blemish on my perfect body—a permanent reminder of Mimi’s betrayal. I hissed angrily at the mirror.
I grabbed my notebook and lay on my bed.
“This is the stronger me,
Alone in this world.
This is how I feel.
This is who I am.”
I dozed off and woke up in a cold sweat. My life had been flickering before my eyes in slow motion.
I’d dreamt that I was back at the farm. I was sitting on the white glider bench, gently rocking back and forth. The sun was blazing and I was staring off into the sunflower fields. “Get up!” my stepfather screamed, slapping me across the face with his huge hand. “Get inside and do the chores!” he commanded in his booming voice.
The scene suddenly changed. Conan and I were standing on the roof of the tallest building in the universe. We were lost in space, looking down at the lights twinkling below us. We made love, sweetly kissing and caressing each other. “Do we have a soul link?” I asked. “Does our love transcend the physical? Does it exist beyond this dimension?”
I was transported to the White Queen’s office and she was a dressed like a huge snowy owl with flowing white feathers that covered the room. “It’s wrong to fall in love!” she squawked, pointing her long finger-like talon in my face. “Love is for the weak! You’re my Red Hourglass and you’re strong … too strong for love!” She ran her pointed nails along my cheek. “I made you into a deadly black widow, and all you have to do is finish your mission. You know you’re my best assassin,” she assured me softly. “Listen to me my darling, and you’ll never be hurt again … never feel pain again.” Her haunting voice trailed off into the distance as I jerked awake.
My notebook was next to me and two lines popped into my head.
“When life and death are a blade apart,
It’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s not.”
I got up and switched off the lights before stumbling back to bed.
The Plan
I had a voicemail from Vanus when I woke up. She said to report to the mansion immediately. I sent her a text as I was leaving my apartment.
I boarded the train at Grand Central Station and settled in for the journey. The carriage was empty and I didn’t want to be alone with my thoughts. I slipped my earbuds into my ears.
“Won’t you hold me now … nothing matters but the two of us …” a song blasted. The lyrics clicked with me and my mind began to race.
What if I don’t really want to complete the mission? Could our love fight the forces of the White Queen and free me? Are we destined to be together in this lifetime?
“If our love is a tragedy, why are you my clarity?” the song continued.
If our love is a tragedy, why does Conan seem to be the solution to all my problems? Maybe our love isn’t a tragedy at all. Maybe it’s pointing me to something more.
“You’re a piece of me I wish I didn’t need … still I chase you relentlessly … I don’t know why …”
The more I try to run from his love, the more I fall back into him. He’s my anchor. I need him. I can’t stand alone any longer. I’m a rat trapped in a maze. Maybe I won’t be with him in this lifetime, but he’ll forever be deeply engraved on my heart—like a scarlet letter. Our love will be a secret we share forever.
I ripped out my earbuds and went to the restroom to splash cool water on my face. As I walked back to my seat, images of the White Queen and my sisters flashed through my mind—the night the White Queen saved me, sparring with Mimi, having coffee with Vanus.
Will I ever be able to lead a normal life? They’re all part of me, how can I leave them? If I try to leave, will the White Queen send Mimi and Vanus to kill me?
I stared out the window at the countryside whizzing by. I didn’t understand how I could even be thinking of going to the other side—going against my ideals—but I was desperate to be done with my double life. I wished Conan and I could escape to a deserted island.
Am l willing to risk death to be with my love?
* * *
A white Mercedes-Benz picked me up from the train station. I sat into the back seat and closed my eyes. When I opened them we were pulling up to the gates with the gigantic white and gold coat of arms. The guards made me get out of the car and go through the usual security procedures before they let us in.
The mansion on the hill never ceased to impress me. It was a glorious structure, a monument to the past. Places like this aren’t built anymore.
I rang the bell and the butler opened the door. He nodded toward the state room off the grand entrance hall without saying a word.
The double doors were open and there was a projector in the middle of the room. The White Queen was sitting in a high-back white leather armchair. She was wearing her white mink coat and her moonstone ring was glistening in the sunlight.
“My darling Janet, come here to me,” said the White Queen, opening her arms. “Thank you for last night’s report.”
“Hello Mama. You’re welcome,” I said. Hugging her was like hugging a huge furry animal.
“Sit down.” She waved to the empty seat beside her. “Your sisters will be here soon.”
A maid in a black dress with a white apron came in through a side door. She was carrying a tray with a sterling silver tea service. She poured tea into delicate white china teacups with a floral pattern and handed us the cups on thin saucers.
“How’s the tea?” the White Queen asked.
“Nice.” I nodded my head and smiled as I sipped the jasmine and chamomile concoction like an obedient child. It smelled like perfume, but I wasn’t going to tell the White Queen that. I felt like Alice in Wonderland having tea with the Queen of Hearts. I wish this were a Coke.
“Good, good. We’ll have lunch after the meeting.”
“Do you have any news about my mother?”
“My dear, searching for her at this point is probably futile. She may not even be alive.” The White Queen looked at her long nails. “But if you complete your mission, I promise you we’ll intensify our efforts.”
“Have your spies looked in New York City? That’s where she was born … according to the birth certificate. When I was a child she told me stories about the Big Apple. I think if she’s anywhere it’s got to be there.”
“Lovey, sometimes people disappear on purpose. Maybe she doesn’t want to be found. You must prepare yourself for the worst … in case we can’t find her.”
“Mama, you promised you would help me find her.”
“And I will. In the meantime, we must focus on the mission.”
“Yes Mama.”
“Mother, I’ve missed you!” Vanus sprang into the room like a green fairy. She and the White Queen hugged each other warmly.
A twinge of jealously washed over me. I missed my mother and hated her at the same time. I craved her warm embrace, but I’d still kill her on sight for abandoning me. She left me all alone in the cruel world and I’d never forgive her. I pinched my left hand to control my emotions.
Winda was next to arrive. She was about five feet nine, lean, and muscular. Her body was built for combat. I’d never seen her fight, but I imagined that she was swift and smooth, striking her targets like an unexpected gust of wind. I wasn’t sure that I could take her in a fight, and I didn’t want to find out.
Liza, the fiery Latina—aka the Pyro—walked in behind Winda. She was wearing jeans and an orange sleeveless top that exposed her toned arms. She had dark-brown curly hair and the sharp green eyes of a deadly panther. There was a disgruntled look on Liza’s face as she flopped into an armchair and tilted her head. She began playing with her Zippo, making clicking sounds as she flipped the lid up and down with her thumb.
Mimi and about fifteen other girls I didn’t know straggled in. As far as I knew, they weren’t all on the assignment and I wondered why they were joining us.
“My darlings, welcome home.” The White Queen rose from her chair like an empress. She walked to the center of the room, her white fur coat trailing behind her. “Armand, the projector please,” she said to the butler.
He nodded and switched on the projector. The first slide was a newspaper article. The title read: “Zhong Yuan Holdings increases stake in Wilmar Enterprises.”
The White Queen waddled over to the screen. When she inhaled she reminded me of a snowy owl puffing itself up to scare off predators.
“My girls, I want to thank you for the excellent job your doing on the Wilmar assignment. Because of your fine work, our way forward is now clear. Zhong Yuan Holdings is buying up Wilmar stock and the companies are planning a merger. If it goes through, our city will no longer belong to us. Our job is to make sure the merger doesn’t happen. Armand.”
&nb
sp; The next slide appeared on the screen. It was a headshot of a man.
“This is Hao, the CEO of Zhong Yuan. He’ll be bringing his board to meet with Wilmar and sign-off on the merger later this year. A few of you will be entertaining the board members before the meeting. Your sisters working in Zhong Yuan have informed me that we won’t be able to compromise Hao that way, but he’s greedy. I’ll see him before the meeting. If he doesn’t accept my generous offer and agree to forget the merger, we’ll have no choice but to kidnap him. If we have to resort to that, his board will be scared off and the merger will fail. Of course, the evidence we’ll collect against the decent family men on the board will also help them make the right decision.”
The White Queen went through slides of the Zhong Yuan board. She gave us a brief history of each board member, outlining their sexual weaknesses and other peccadilloes. They were bringing their own security, but some of my sisters would be working the underground Chinese casinos that the board members planned to visit. The casino owners were just as anxious as the White Queen to keep Zhong Yuan out of New York, and they were all working together to stop the merger.
“Any questions?” asked the White Queen.
“Why is White Holdings buying up Wilmar stock?” I asked.
“Janet,” said the White Queen with a scowl, “Wilmar’s developments are already destroying lives in our city. Haven’t you noticed the increase in homelessness?” She polished her ring on her white mink and smiled. “Dearies, the easiest way to stop Wilmar’s attack on New York is to take control of the company. We have to prevent the merger at all costs. That is our mission.”
Mimi walked over to me and grabbed my arm. Her crystal clear Chinese eyes looked pained. I knew what that look meant—she didn’t want to kill anyone—and I stroked her hair.
Red Hourglass Page 17
