“There’s a fire,” he said. “We need to get out.”
“Fire?” said Ursula standing.
“Come on!” he said, waving her to come.
She jumped up and hurried toward the door. In the hallway, there was no line. Everybody else had already fled. She followed Bruno down the stairs and out into the dark alley.
“Where’s the fire?” she asked, breathing hard, looking back at the building.
At night, it should be easy to see light from the flames.
“It’s on the other side of the building, in the front,” he said. “But I think we should get out of here.”
“Has anybody called the fire department?” she said, starting toward the front.
“I don’t know. Let’s go this way,” he yelled. “The car’s this way.”
Ignoring him, she ran down the alley to the front of the building. As she rounded the corner into the street she finally saw the fire, but it wasn’t the building that was burning at all.
Stuck into the small dry lawn, in-between the sidewalk and the curb, was a giant burning cross. A couple of teenage boys were attacking it with a hose but it didn’t seem to be doing much good. Underneath the far arm of the cross there was an even brighter blaze.
“Ursula,” said Bruno, reaching for her arm. “Don’t.”
She danced away from him and stepped into the street. A car veered around her and honked its horn. There was nobody else around except for the two boys who now stood staring at her.
Under the cross, someone was hanging by a noose.
“Oh my god!” she yelled.
Then, to her relief, she realized it was only an effigy.
It had a tall pink hair wrap, a long velvety gown and a face painted black with bright pink lips. The head burst into flames as she watched, shock mixing with horror. That had been her face. She was being burned in effigy, hanging from a giant cross.
Bruno had her by the shoulders and was ushering her quickly to the car. The boys were pointing at her and saying something she couldn’t hear. Bruno had her running now. He opened the back door and thrust her inside, slamming the door. In moments, he had the car started and the tires squealing as they hurtled down the alley.
She sat stunned. Turning to look out the back window, she could still see the flames. As they turned the corner, the cross disappeared. She turned back to Bruno.
“Do you have Ursula’s phone?”
He looked in the rear view mirror.
“No, I didn’t pick it up.”
“Do you have yours?”
“Yes,” he said, fishing it out of his jacket pocket.
He passed it back to her and she took it in trembling hands. She knew the number by heart.
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
“WHAT AN INTERESTING odor,” Wan-li said, coming back into the front room.
Livvy almost didn’t hear her. She continued to stare at the components in front of her as she bit her lower lip. Finally she looked up at Wan-li, trying to understand what she was talking about. Then Livvy glanced at the bedroom.
“Oh, the place was ransacked and the jerks who did it urinated on the bed,” she said quickly, her mouth dry. Although she’d opened all the windows, the stench hadn’t disappeared.
Wan-li’s eyebrows arched but she said nothing. It wasn’t Wan-li’s reaction that had Livvy worried, though. It was the goggles.
“I’m not going to have enough parts,” she said, shaking her head.
Her mind raced now, trying to think of anything else she’d forgotten. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of it until now.
“Yes, of course not,” said Wan-li, as though it had been expected.
Possibly, it was to be expected. Events were moving fast. Not only was Ursula on her way, but SK had also talked to Carmen and would be picking her up. In the excitement, it hadn’t occurred to Livvy that she didn’t have all the parts she’d need.
“You know what you need, yes?” Wan-li asked, taking out her phone.
“Yeah, but…”
Livvy looked at the time.
“Not to worry,” said Wan-li, dialing. “Mamacita will not mind the hour. Business.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
ACROSS THE STREET, sitting in a black SUV with tinted windows, the Nahual had watched as Ursula’s car had pulled up and she’d gone inside. First Wan-li, and then Ursula. Now, as she watched, a silver Mercedes passed slowly by and the driver, a blond woman, craned her neck and looked this way and that. Must be lost, thought the Nahual, but then the woman pulled to the curb and parked.
As she got out, the Nahual could see she was headed to Livvy’s building. At the gate, she stopped when she realized it was locked. The woman glanced around nervously, then went back to her car, quickly got in, locked the doors, and made a phone call. After a few minutes, Livvy came down to the gate and opened it, looking up and down the street.
The woman got out of her car, alarmed it, and came over to the gate. She said something to Livvy and they both looked back at the Mercedes. Livvy checked the street again and, although the woman seemed apprehensive, they eventually went inside.
Necio, thought the Nahual. Fool.
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
“WHAT A CHARMING neighborhood you live in,” said Sunny, as they entered the front door. She looked as though she’d come from a yoga class, in the pastel blue leotard and sheer white robe, but with white high heels this time. Her long blond hair was pulled into a ponytail.
When she saw Wan-li, she stopped. She glanced at the Bible verses on the wall and then back to Livvy and Wan-li. Wan-li appraised her coolly. These were two very different shamans, two very different people.
“Sunny, this is Wan-li,” Livvy said. “Wan-li, this is Sunny.”
“A pleasure,” said Sunny, in her best schmoozing tone.
“Yes,” said Wan-li, curtly.
Livvy sighed. This was going well.
“What is that...smell?” asked Sunny, tilting her head. “I don’t think I recognize it.”
“Really,” said Wan-li, amused.
“Oh, is it something of yours?”
“Certainly not,” Wan-li sniffed.
“Someone ransacked the place,” said Livvy quickly. “They peed on the bed, and painted the walls.”
Sunny held her hand to her nose.
“Charming.”
Even though the early morning hours were upon them, as the others arrived the energy in the room steadily grew. When the courier with the parts from Mamacita arrived, the shamans brought out their goggles and laid them on the table. It had been like watching someone get undressed: embarrassing, forbidden, and exciting, all at the same time. Livvy turned to each one, going around the table.
Sunny’s goggles were the only white ones. Wan-li nearly gagged with disgust when Sunny brought them out.
Carmen’s goggles looked like they were made mostly out of duct tape. Parts from several sets of goggles had been kluged together, not unlike Livvy’s.
“Sorry,” she said, as she put them on the table.
Wan-li’s goggles were sleek and black, with a golden tiger engraved on one side and a golden dragon on the other.
Ursula’s goggles were decorated with neon symbols down the sides and the dark front lenses had red and white spirals painted on them that looked like crazy eyeballs. Livvy had to chuckle when she saw them. Sunny seemed aghast.
“They work for Ursula’s people,” Ursula said, lifting her chin.
The food that SK had asked Wan-li to order arrived as Livvy settled down to work. Bruno was out on the street, standing guard at the iron gate, so Ursula took a plate down to him.
Livvy ignored the food, working non-stop. The shamans sat nearby in the living room, on the couch or the floor, but there wasn’t much chitchat. SK walked by her on his way back to the kitchen for more food.
“You should eat something,” he said.
“I’m fine,” she said quietly, not looking up from the magnifier. “I just wan
t to finish this.”
“Before they change their minds,” he said, under his breath.
“Exactly,” she whispered.
When Ursula returned, she brought a new face with her. Alvina stood at the entrance, glancing up at the two Chinese bodyguards.
“Must be the place,” she said, with a smile and a wink.
Standing next to Ursula, she looked smaller than before. She wore a different floral print dress, with large purple flowers on white, but the same long vest. Beneath her short white hair and set within the tanned and wrinkled face, her dark eyes glittered with interest.
“Come in,” said SK, smiling.
He made introductions all around.
“The smell is urine in the bedroom,” said Sunny, after he introduced her.
“Goodness,” said Alvina, but she was already looking at Wan-li, who SK had saved for last.
“Alvina,” said Wan-li, inclining her head.
“Wan-li,” she replied, smiling broadly. “You’re looking well, dear.”
“Yes, and you.”
Alvina came over to Livvy.
“So, we’re going to do it,” she said, bringing out her goggles.
The other shamans strained to see what they looked like. Even Wan-li craned her neck. Alvina’s goggles were ultra sleek, top of the line and deep red. Ursula nodded.
“Yeah, we’re going to do it,” said Livvy as she took the goggles. “As you can see, some disassembly is required.”
Alvina looked down at the table and the long lines of wires.
“I can put them back together when we’re done,” Livvy said.
“When we’re done,” said Alvina, smiling. “You think we’ll be done. That’s good, dear.”
She looked at all of the goggles and then turned to look at the shamans in the room.
“Why the extra set of goggles?”
“What?” said Livvy.
“There are seven pairs of goggles, dear, and six shamans,” said Alvina.
“Oh,” said Livvy, separating a pair from the rest.
“These belong to Min.”
Alvina looked around the room, lingering on the door to the bedroom, smiling expectantly.
“And where is Min?”
“She’s…she’s in the hospital,” said Livvy, whispering.
She had never thought to tell them about what she and Min had done, and what the result had been. As she recounted the story, she realized that not even SK had heard all the details. She told them about Indra as well. The silence that followed was deep.
“Yes,” said Wan-li. “Anything else?”
“Uh, no,” said Livvy, slumping down in her chair. “I think that covers it.”
“Well, dear,” said Alvina, shrugging, putting her hands into the deep pockets on her vest. “It’s not like we didn’t know there were risks.”
“In the words of the philosopher,” said Wan-li. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”
“I didn’t know Confucius said that,” said Sunny.
“Yes, possibly because he did not,” said Wan-li. “It was Benjamin Franklin.”
Everyone shifted in their seats, releasing tension, as the anxiety in the room dropped a notch. No one had asked how long it would take to put the goggles together. Patience and waiting were part of their trade, even at two in the morning. Livvy quickly snipped the wires that led to Min’s goggles and set them aside. It wouldn’t have hurt to leave them hooked up but she only had electronics for six. There were muffled voices outside and a knock on the door.
This time, it was SK’s turn to look surprised. He hadn’t been expecting anyone else after Alvina. As he opened the door, though, it wasn’t SK who looked surprised, it was Joel. He looked shocked.
“Joel?” said Livvy, getting up from the table.
“Oh, wow,” he said, looking at the assembled group. “I didn’t think…”
“Joel, what are you doing here?” Livvy whispered as she came to the door.
The two Chinese guards looked up and down the hall.
“My shift ended and I just wanted to…”
He stared over her shoulder and saw the Bible verses painted on the wall and that the furniture had been rearranged. Most of the women were looking at him with mild curiosity.
“Be right back,” Livvy said, as she stepped into the hallway and pulled the door closed behind her, discharging a couple of sparks to the knob. Joel glanced at the guards.
“Let’s go over here,” said Livvy, heading to the stairwell.
“Who are these people?” said Joel.
“Just some new friends,” she said.
“And that big guy down in front?”
Bruno, thought Livvy.
“Friend of a friend,” she said.
She opened the door to the stairwell.
“What are you doing here at this hour?” she asked.
“Well, I was just driving by to see if you were all right. I didn’t really think you’d be up but I saw the light. Then when I saw that guy downstairs I just thought I’d check on your apartment. He let me in, but then the guys at the door…” He paused, frowning. “Livvy, what’s going on? Is everything all right?”
“Yeah, I think it is. Well, I think it will be.”
“You’d tell me if it wasn’t, right?” he said, taking hold of her arms and looking down into her eyes.
“Definitely,” she said.
“I worry about you,” he said, lifting one of his hands up to the side of her face. “You know that, right?” he said, stepping closer.
She put her hands on his waist but kept her eyes on his as she stepped closer as well.
“Definitely,” she whispered as he slipped a hand behind her back and slowly bent down.
He kissed her softly at first, sweetly. As she kissed him back, he quickly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Although she was surprised, she didn’t resist. He didn’t seem to want to stop, his hands moving lower on her back.
She managed to squeeze a hand between them and pushed on his chest as she pulled back, sucking in a breath. He didn’t know his own strength. The muscles in his arms rippled but she felt his grip loosening as she stepped back.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, trying to get hold of himself. “You’re just so–”
“No, that’s okay,” she said. “It’s just that it’s not a great time.”
“Right, I know,” he said, sounding disappointed but letting go of her.
“But I’m glad you stopped by,” she said.
“Me too,” he said, flashing the radiant smile.
She thought for an instant about kissing him again.
“I’ve got to go,” she said. “Everybody’s waiting.”
“All right,” he said, looking down the hallway at the two guards. “Whatever you’re doing, just be careful.”
“I will,” she said, backing up into the hallway. “I’ll see you soon?”
“Not even the guy downstairs could stop me,” he said, beaming.
She laughed a little and went back down the hallway to her apartment, giving him a quick wave before she opened the door.
CHAPTER SIXTY
“YOU ARE CONFIDENT she can do this, yes?” said Wan-li, as SK watched Livvy leave with Joel and close the door. He didn’t seem to hear her.
“SK,” she said.
He turned around.
“What?”
“You are confident Livvy can do this, yes?” she said, again.
“She’s got what it takes,” he said, defensively. “And then some.”
He waddled over to the coffee table and threw the book down.
“Yes, I do not want the opinion of your testosterone,” she said.
Sunny snickered.
“She can handle herself over there, yes?” asked Wan-li.
He turned to face her. Wan-li saw the anger there, but he held it in check. Alvina was sitting on the end of the couch and was looking at him with a sad smile. Carmen was on the other end of the couch
, her head back, eyes closed, and her plump hands folded over her tummy, apparently asleep.
“Yes, she is young and quite pretty–perfectly understandable,” said Wan-li, in a matter of fact tone. “But the young part, it is a worry.”
“She’ll be fine,” he grumbled.
“Oh, of course she will, dear,” said Alvina. “But it is a disturbing pattern.”
SK turned to her.
“What pattern?”
“Min, Indra, Livvy,” she replied.
He stared at her, his eyebrows furrowing together, and shook his head.
“The young ones,” Alvina said finally.
Ursula had been staring down into the alley, watching someone push a shopping cart over the bumps and cracks in the street.
“Ursula wonders if your judgement has been clouded,” she said, looking over from the window. “You are the Dwarf, the Master of Animals.”
“The Water Baby,” agreed Alvina.
“The Protector of all shamans,” said Wan-li. “We need you to think clearly, no matter how you feel about her.”
SK looked at her, his lips pinching together in a tight line.
“Ooh, pushed a button there,” Sunny chimed in.
“Enough,” said Wan-li, bringing a hush to the room.
Nerves were starting to fray. Slowly, she rose from the floor, stretched, and went over to the table to look the mess over. It was late and they were anxious to get started. Well, everyone but Carmen. Wan-li looked at the woman who seemed to still be asleep. She was the only one doing the sensible thing.
“It does not matter,” said Wan-li, looking back at the goggles as she crossed her arms. “We will know soon enough.” She nodded to herself. “Yes, soon enough.”
Ursula returned her attention to the window while Sunny closed her eyes and assumed a lotus meditation posture.
Alvina got up stiffly from the couch.
“Think I’ll see about some candles,” she said.
As she passed SK, she squeezed his shoulder. The front door opened and Livvy came back in, smiling.
Shaman, Healer, Heretic (Olivia Lawson Techno-Shaman) Page 21
