by Diana X Dunn
Sara held in the urge to sigh, seeing that she wouldn't be able to win this argument. “How is it going to work, then?”
“I’ve hired a transport bus to take us all to the zoo. Once we arrive, the students will be given thirty minutes to transform themselves and enter the zoo. We’ll be using a simple tagging application on wrist-cons. You’ll have to identify each student before you get within a certain range of him or her. If you’re right, the student will be tagged out of the game and have to go back to the transport. You’ll have two hours to find everyone.”
“How big is the zoo?”
“You can check all of the details on your M-ped. It’s about eighty acres, I believe, with both indoor and outdoor exhibits. The plan would be to arrive at the zoo by nine-thirty. The gates open at ten, which is when you would start searching. The challenge would be done by noon. I thought we could maybe go and get some lunch after.”
“Lovely,” Sara sighed. “There’s no way I’m going to change your mind, is there?”
“None at all,” the girl replied cheerfully. “It’s going to be incredible.”
“No doubt.”
“Seriously, though, I hope you don’t really hate the idea. It will be good for the students to get away from the compound for a few hours. They need a real world challenge, too. All this classroom instruction is great, but they need to see how it gets put into practice. I’ve no doubt you’ll be able to find everyone fairly quickly.”
“I’ll go over the map today. There may well be areas that I’ll want to declare off-limits. Anywhere with private spaces where someone could simply hide for the entire two hour period, for example.”
Candie nodded. “Ethel and I will be tracking the students from the transport. Part of the challenge will be for them to keep moving. If anyone stops for more than a few minutes at a time, we’ll intervene.”
“So they have to keep moving and stick to public areas. That should make my job a lot easier.”
“The zoo gets very crowded on a Saturday morning,” Candie cautioned her.
Sara nodded. No doubt most of the visitors would be families with small children. The students would probably stand out like sore thumbs.
“There’s also a special event for seniors this coming Saturday,” Candie added. “There will probably be lots of older men and women around the place.”
That didn’t worry Sara. Makeup and wigs made it easy to appear older, but it took great skill to master the walk and stance of a much older person. Few of the students would be able to manage that by Saturday.
“Is there anything else?”
“I don’t think so,” Candie frowned. “Robert might be back by Saturday. He’s eager to take part if he is back. Dr. Freeman might be here, too. If he isn’t back, he wants me to take pictures of each student in his or her disguise. He seems to think that the disguise each one chooses will tell him something about that person.”
“I’d better go and redo all of my lesson plans for the week. I don’t want the students feeling overwhelmed by the challenge.”
“It would be good if one or two of them managed to stay hidden for the whole two hours.”
Sara raised an eyebrow. Was she suggesting that Sara should deliberately not find some of the class? “I’m sure Jeff is already an expert at disappearing,” she said. “Mark and Luke might have some experience in that area, too, as might Donna.”
“Maybe you could find all of them before you look for Tamara,” Candie suggested. “Dr. Freeman suggested that she could use a self-confidence boost.”
“Sorry, but if I’m going to do this, I’m going to do it my way, which means looking for all of the students the entire time. If I find Tamara first, I’m sure she’ll deal with her disappointment.”
Candie made a face and then shrugged. “We can discuss it again later.”
“Or not,” Sara said as she got to her feet.
“Have a nice day,” Candie said brightly as Sara left the room.
The next few days seemed to fly past as Sara worked to introduce the students to the basics of physical transformation. Because of the short amount of time available, she found herself working with small groups of students after hours, often into the evening. Heading back on Thursday night, she ran into Ethel.
“Good evening,” the older woman said. “Do you have time for a glass of wine?”
Sara hesitated. It was late and she was tired, but she knew she’d enjoy talking to Ethel. “One, if it’s quick.”
Ethel smiled. “You look tired. I find, at my age, that I don’t need as much sleep as I did when I was younger.”
“There are some advantages to getting older, then.”
“Perhaps. Come in.” Ethel opened the door and let Sara walk in front of her into her suite. “I’m going to engage the privacy setting so that we can talk frankly.”
Sara watched as the woman coded the room’s security for privacy. Ethel got them each a glass of wine and then they settled on a couch together.
“How are you, dear?” Ethel asked.
“I’m fine,” Sara replied automatically.
“Yes, of course you are, but how are you, really? I spoke to Robert very briefly earlier today and he told me that you’ve been trying to reach him. He asked me to apologize, if I saw you, but he’s very busy.”
“In Dallas?”
“I believe he’s in Dallas. I’m not actually sure where he is, really. Does it matter?”
“I suppose not. I assume Dr. Freeman is still in Dallas, dealing with Jake’s autopsy.”
“I believe that he’s taking his time over it. He isn’t in any hurry to get back here and I’m sure doing the autopsy makes him feel important, as well.”
“You don’t think he wants to come back here?”
“He hasn’t been particularly well received, has he? None of the staff want anything to do with him, and I understand the students have been equally reluctant to submit to his exams and analysis. I also believe that some details about his former position have been discovered and discussed, at least among the students. I believe he’s rather uncomfortable about that.”
“I was told, by one of the students, that he lost several former patients to suicide.”
“Yes, that’s the rumor I heard as well. Robert won’t confirm or deny anything, of course, but everything I could discover about the doctor suggests that the story is correct.”
“Assuming that Robert knew his history, why did he hire him?”
“He was hired to test and counsel the students on their journey through their training. Agents in covert operations need strong mental health. Dr. Freeman sold himself to Robert as an expert at testing for mental health issues.”
“And now Dr. Freeman is hiding in Dallas to get away from people who might be talking about him.”
Ethel chuckled. “Perhaps he’s good at spotting weaknesses in others because he recognizes them in himself.”
“Perhaps,” Sara sighed.
“But what did you need to discuss with Robert? I don’t know when I’ll be speaking to him again, but I may be able to put some of your questions to him when I do.”
“I have questions and concerns about a number of students, actually. I think we all need to get together to discuss each of them in turn. I’m not certain that some of them are mentally or physically up to the challenges of this course.”
Ethel nodded. “I have some of the same concerns. I’ve shared a few of my thoughts with Robert already, but he isn’t in a position at the moment to deal with them. He’s agreed to a staff conference once he’s returned. We’ll all sit down together and discuss our students and their likelihood of success. Robert is prepared to consider alternate training plans for a few who may be better suited to work in very specific areas, as opposed to more general training.”
“Like Lloyd,” Sara suggested.
“Especially Lloyd,” Ethel laughed. “Was that all that’s bothering you?”
“I’d really like to know what Jake’s au
topsy has revealed.”
“Wouldn’t we all? Dr. Freeman hasn’t released any findings yet. While I’m reasonably confident that Jake died of natural causes, I’ll be relieved to have confirmation of that.”
“What if it was murder? It’s a bit late to start an investigation now.”
“I’m sure Robert will do whatever needs doing, once we have an official ruling. As I said, I believe Dr. Freeman is taking his time over the matter.”
Sara sighed and sipped her wine.
“You’re missing your old life, aren’t you? I’m sure things were very different at your former agency.”
“It was very different, but I don’t know if I’m missing it or not. It feels rather odd being in one place for such a long time,” Sara confided.
“You should spend more time with the students. They have social gatherings every night after their classes. I’ve been to a couple.”
“I was with the women tonight for long enough,” Sara laughed. “We did hair and makeup for hours.”
“How is that going?”
“Slowly. I’m doing as much in class as I can, but we’ve so much to cover that I’ve had to add extra sessions to get them ready for Saturday.”
“I’m looking forward to Saturday. It will almost be like being in the field again.”
“That makes one of us.”
“I thought maybe you and Donna might become friends. She’s close to your age and you have a similar background.”
“I’m not good at making friends. I’ve not had much experience with making those sorts of connections.”
“Aside from F7.”
Sara nodded slowly. “We grew up together. We were like sisters, really. We even had nicknames for one another. In some ways that was the only identity that actually ever mattered to me.”
“Nicknames? What sort of nicknames?”
“She called me Sixy and I called her Sevs.” Sara shrugged. “It sounds silly now, but at the time it felt special. We always signed our notes to each other with our nicknames.”
“I’m sure losing her was difficult.”
“It was the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“Worse than growing up without parents?”
“You don’t miss what you’ve never had.” Sara shook her head. “But we’ve wandered off topic. We were talking about Donna. She has secrets and she keeps her distance.”
“She’s hiding here. She doesn’t need the training. There was a problem at her last agency, but there are plenty of other organizations that would hire her regardless. This is just a temporary respite until certain things get sorted out for her.”
“She told me she needs to stay here for six months.”
“That should be about right,” Ethel agreed. She laughed. “It isn’t much of a secret, or it won’t be for much longer. Donna is pregnant. It’s a long and sad story, and not one that I’ll repeat. If she wants you to know, she can tell you herself.”
“She’s carrying the baby herself?”
“She’s chosen to have that experience, yes. Her plan, at the moment, is to give the baby up for adoption when it arrives.”
“Why not just have it taken out and grown ex-utero, then?”
Ethel shrugged. “You’d have to discuss the matter with Donna. They are her decisions to make, of course.”
“Yes, of course, it just seems odd, that’s all.”
“What would you do if you found yourself unexpectedly pregnant?”
“It couldn’t happen. We were all treated at fourteen. Unless I have a procedure to reverse the treatment, I can’t have children.”
Ethel frowned. “That seems quite horrible.”
Sara shrugged. “I’m told the reversal is fairly straightforward. I’ve never bothered to find out more as I’m not interested in having children.”
“I hope, if you ever do change your mind, that the procedure is as described.”
“I could always have children ex-utero, regardless. The procedure didn’t stop my body from producing eggs, it simply doesn’t let those eggs go anywhere.”
Ethel nodded. “Of course. Would you have a child that way, with your history?”
“As I can’t imagine having a child in any way at all, I don’t think I can answer that question. What about you? Did you ever regret not having children?”
Ethel frowned. “We’ve wandered quite far off topic, haven’t we? Was there anything else you wanted to discuss with Robert?”
Sara shook her head. “I’d like to try to persuade him to cancel Saturday, but I don’t think I’d succeed.”
“Candie has put a lot of effort into planning Saturday’s little outing. I’m sure it will be interesting and a real learning experience for our students. Why would you want to see it cancelled?”
“I just don’t think the students are ready for a test like this yet. Learning to do makeup and change their hair is one thing. Learning to blend into a crowd and act natural especially if you spot the person pursuing you is another.”
“Perhaps exercises like these are the best way for them to start learning those skills.”
“Maybe. I’d have preferred more time in the classroom first. We’ve barely started talking about all of these topics.”
Ethel shrugged. “If Saturday goes horribly wrong, we’ll know that we pushed the students too hard, too quickly. I think it’s going to be brilliant, though. I believe it’s exactly what they need right now. A chance to try hiding in plain sight, a chance to play at covert operations before it starts to really matter.”
“I hope you’re right. In the meantime, I need some sleep. Tomorrow is another day.”
Sara stood and said her goodbyes before she headed back to her room where she ended up pacing anxiously for several minutes. She’d been so busy that opportunities to spend time with Luke had been severely limited. Maybe she’d manage something on Friday, she thought, as she got ready for bed.
“Tonight, then, I’ll be working with the men on their makeup and hair,” she reminded the class at the end of the day. “Meet me in the studio at six.”
“I won’t be there,” Jeff told her on his way out. “I already know what I’m going to do tomorrow with my appearance. Anything I did tonight would just make it easier for you to identify me tomorrow.”
“You could deliberately do something completely different, just to throw me off,” she suggested.
“Which would be a waste of my time,” he replied before turning on his heel and leaving the room.
“I hadn’t thought about that,” Bill said anxiously as he approached her. “You’ll know everything that you showed me, which means it will be really easy for you to find me.”
“I’ve already shown you three or four different techniques to either age yourself or make yourself look younger. Tonight will be about practicing some of those techniques and working on refining them for each of you personally. I’ve booked the studio for two hours, but I’ll only be staying for the first hour. You’ll have the second hour to work on your plans for tomorrow without me seeing you.”
“You could just watch the video back,” Mark suggested with a wink.
Sara sighed. “I could just hack my wrist-con and use it to track you all, too, but I’m not interested in cheating. I’m hoping this will be a valuable learning experience for everyone.”
She spent the hour between classes eating a bar and then playing with her own hair and makeup. At six, she opened the studio space and then waited for the students to arrive.
“Oh, I was expecting Sara,” Mark said when he walked in a short time later. “I didn’t know you knew anything about this stuff. I thought you were just Robert’s assistant.”
“There’s lots you don’t know about me,” Sara giggled, trying to pitch her voice to Candie’s annoying lilt.
“Candie? Where’s Sara?” Lloyd demanded as he walked into the room. “I don’t want to go tomorrow. I’ve no idea how to change my appearance.”
“Hi, Candie. Are you g
oing to learn to transform yourself, too?” Bill asked as he walked in a moment later.
Luke walked into the room and looked around slowly. When his eyes met Sara’s, he looked amused.
“Is Sara coming?” Lloyd demanded after a minute.
“Lesson one,” Sara said in her own voice. “Appearances can be deceiving.” She swiped a remover cloth across her face.
“I knew it was you all the time,” Mark said quickly. “I was just playing along.”
“I want each of you to do your best to make yourself look like someone else in this room,” Sara told them. “You can choose who you’d most like to resemble. It makes no difference to me.”
“I’ll have to do Luke,” Mark said. “He’s the only one here who is almost as handsome as me.”
Sara chuckled but didn’t respond.
“I was going to do Luke,” Bill complained.
“You can both try to look like Luke,” Sara said, swallowing a sigh. “Lloyd, what are you planning?”
“I’m too old to look like any of them,” he snapped back.
“You’d be surprised what can be done with the right technique, but you haven’t learned enough yet to properly manage. You’d be better off trying to do Robert or Dr. Freeman,” she said.
“Neither of whom are here,” he replied.
She pulled up images of both men on a large screen. “There you are. Take your pick,” she told him.
Luke sat down in one of the chairs in the corner and began to work.
“Whom are you trying to duplicate?” she asked him when she reached his side.
“I thought maybe I’d try someone else altogether.” He named a famous video star.
“He’s dreamy,” Sara said with a sigh.
Luke grinned at her and muttered so only she could hear. “If I do a good job, maybe you’ll be more interested in that twirl after all.”
Sara blushed and then laughed. An hour later, the men were done.
“You’ve all done very well,” she told them. “Bill, your nose is a bit too long and your eyes aren’t quite right.” She grabbed a few tools and quickly made the adjustments.
