by Finian Blake
“We shoot commercials and do contract work for the movie studio on a regular basis. The first movie that the studio did here paid off big dividends, so we make it a point to have enough equipment on hand. We hung permanent cables through the tunnels and arranged each area of the property so that all of the areas are permanent sets with editing as our strong point. I am a wizard with the equipment if I do say so myself. I am sending Irina and Lilia to film school to work on the areas where I am lacking. They are paying their way through design school. They occasionally work as models so they work both sides of the camera. They are both working part time while they are in school.” That is why I sent them shopping with the women. “All of our girls are fanatic about earning their own way and all of the money that they earn is invested, and growing under Lynn’s care.”
“Would improving their wardrobe help them considerably?” Alex asked.
“Yes, Susan helped them with some outfits, but they could use some extra help.” Alex had forgotten that they each had a hundred thousand Pounds in the bank when he left three years ago.
“Get them whatever will help them with their career and give the bill to Lynn. Keep it around ten thousand pounds each and do not forget yourself. You are my sister in law.”
“Is that all that I am?”
“Not by a long shot, you are a person of rare courage. It took me a while, but I found out the story on all of the women that you brought over. You brought them over with the Generals who caused their misery. That was a bold move.”
“Yes, but two of the generals still want to claim them for their prostitution ring in the States.”
Alex made a sour face, “I compensated them for their inconvenience. They have no call on the girls. Keep me posted on that issue. I will not say any more than that.” The customer walked in and Sarah put Alex to work. He moved the back drops and set the lights.
Happy hour at the pub was truly a happy hour. They called security to be sure that Alex would be in Terri’s Place when they returned. The ladies came back to the Inn. The cars were loaded with proof of their serious efforts and after some questioning Beth and Arlene looked Alex up first. They were dressed in torn dresses and combat boots sporting a variety of iridescent colors in their hair and clothing.
“You have spoken for a few months of output. How do you want to handle the order? We have other clients that use our services.”
“Use the business as filler for your down time, or you could use it to justify an apprentice or two. I understand Lilia and Irina are going to design school perhaps you could put them to work. I can guarantee enough business to justify the expansion. With the regulars here plus Alice and Anna that makes twelve standard customers. I will guarantee one hundred fifty thousand in business per year for the next ten years, and I will give Lynn a free hand with the transactions.”
The door of the pub opened and Alex was disappointed when Nadia and Angela walked in. Nadia wore a torn jean jacket, a long leather skirt slit above the hips, torn fish net tights and something that looked like combat boots. Her makeup was black with black lipstick, and there were streaks of bright green in her raven hair. Angela wore torn fatigue pants her red satin blouse was torn exposing sections of her transparent bra and her sandals laced to the knee over her fatigue pants. Her blond hair had bright blue streaks in it and there were four uneven pig tails sticking out from her head at odd angles. Nadia and Angela backed Alex to the support beam in the center of the room producing two loops of plastic that were linked together.
“These are the latest in security devices they call them zip strips.” Alex was secured to the beam before he could protest.
Anna walked in next she was wearing a low cut leather halter top that produced mounds of cleavage, a short skirt slit up the center that came just below the essentials, torn bright purple fishnet tights over red tights and heavy soled patent leather platform boots with spurs. Her hair was done in a pony tail that was centered at the top of her head. Her top lip was bright red and her bottom lip was dark purple. She sipped a shot of whiskey and kissed Alex forcing the liquid into his mouth. This went on until all of the women displayed their punk fashions with each woman forcing a shot on Alex with a kiss. The last was Susan. After modeling her outfit, she produced a blind fold putting it over his eyes. She opened his shirt wide pealing it back. Alex heard the women giggle and he was kissed and caressed for over an hour. Periodically a woman would deliver a shot of whiskey, vodka or gin by mouth with a thank you. When he was released from the beam Anna guided the drunken man up the hill to the guest cottage. His body was covered by thirty plus lip prints of bright rainbow colors. After several shots of liquor, he was staggering more than a little bit and needed some assistance going up the hill.
Anna walked Alex into the bath and stripped him. There were black, red, purple and green lip stick smears all over his body. Anna lay down on the floor, and pulled him to her.
“You have one more thing to do before you shower.” She tore a hole in both pair of tights and pulled him into her. “Edward needs a brother.” When they were through Alex collapsed on the shower floor. Anna stripped her clothes off soaping the lip stick off of the unconscious man. When he was rinsed and dried, she helped Alex into bed.
“You are strangest man that I have ever met in my life and I love you beyond words.” Anna fell asleep thinking of Edward’s new brother.
2.
DETAILS
Alex was still rocky from the night before. Anna dressed in a button front silk dress that seemed to be the unofficial uniform of the Inn. Nadia took them to the airport in the Mulsanne. She was worried that Alex might be put out by the events at the pub last night. Nadia looked in the mirror at Alex seeing his warm smile as usual.
“I thought that you might be mad at me for what I did. I put Anna and Angela up to the fashion show. I was saying that we should come back dressed in punk just to see what you would do. When I saw the plastic cuffs one thing led to another.” Alex smiled at the memory of the evening.
“Every time I turn around; you do something that makes me glad you are my daughter. You could have dumped the whole thing off on Anna saying that it was her fault, but you stood for your actions. I am proud of you.” He turned to Anna. “You always come up with something to make life interesting. Even Beth and Arlene came back dressed in punk that had to take a lot of convincing.” Alex put his mouth to Anna’s ear and whispered quietly.
“I never asked you if I could claim Nadia and Angela as daughters. Is it alright with you?” Anna did not whisper her answer.
“Of course it is I hope they will claim me as a mother.” Nadia pulled the car over to the side of the road and came into the back seat. She kissed both Alex and Anna.
“I am proud beyond words to be your daughter, and have parents like you.” Nadia moved back to the driver’s seat continuing to the private terminal where she got out of the Bentley with her purse over her shoulder kissing them both goodbye.
The twin Otter was ready to fly. Anna still did a walk around. There was a note on each landing gear. SAVE THESE AND PUT THEM IN MY MAIL BOX. Roger wanted to be sure that Anna did her walk around. Anna laughed and put the notes in an envelope.
“Roger is crazy about his baby. We need to be sure that we have it waxed before we give it back.” Anna took the left seat and Alex joined her in the cockpit. She fired up both engines and taxied out to the runway clearing with the controller and they were off to Barcelona. They planned a direct route across France, heading across the Cherbourg Peninsula, skirted the Bay of Biscay and flew over the Pyrenees to Barcelona. Landing at the airport which was south of the city and parking at the private terminal Alex arranged to have the Otter fueled, serviced, and polished.
Alex called the number of the hospital and was told that Juan Garcia was having tests until later in the day. He called the hotel Gaudi booking a junior suite with a terrace. Barcelona was a beautiful old city. It was a remarkable mixture of old and new. The Gaudi was a new four-star ho
tel not far from the Cathedral. When the bell man took them to the suite both Anna and Alex were impressed with their room finding it spacious with a private terrace. The furniture was modern and generally new. The sounds of Barcelona drifted up to the terrace and when they walked out on the terrace, the Cathedral la Sagrada Familia stood out before them. Its twisted towers looked more like a corkscrew than a church steeple was still under construction. Alex called the hospital again and put in touch with an aid. He used the ‘Hermes’ name and was instructed to come to the hospital room immediately.
“I would like you to come with me because you deserve the first hand story. I will need your help, or at least your cooperation, so you might as well hear the instructions for yourself.”
Anna was unsure, “Will he talk in front of me?”
“You are my partner all the way through this and I am not sure. If you aren’t there you will have to take my word for it.” Anna had more than earned her right to be called a full partner and Alex wanted her with him all the way.
“If you want to try, I will go along with you.” Anna was acknowledging his sensitive situation.
Alex and Anna did not bother to unpack taking a cab straight to the hospital. He was surprised at the generic look of the building. There was no sign over the entrance. A simple double steel door was the primary entrance to the hospital which made it look more like a factory than a hospital. The building was actually an extension of the hospital intended for privileged patients with a tunnel connecting it to the main complex. Alex asked for Juan’s aid and was connected to Laurita. She was five foot four with a trim figure. Her clothes were modest and business like. Laurita wore a crisp grey linen top and grey pin stripe pants wearing her clothes loose, but not baggy. Anna noticed that her movements were smooth and precise. Alex recognized her instantly, but made no show of his knowledge.
“Juan is groggy, but he wants to see you. Have your assistant wait out here while we talk to him.”
“Anna is my partner not my assistant. She will be carrying out his directions with me.” ‘Hermes’ was the go to man for tough assignments. She was not happy to hear ‘Hermes’ request. Laurita frowned, but relented knowing that he would not budge.
“‘Hermes’, since when did you take on partners.” She did not try to disguise her displeasure. “Bring her along, but she will have to leave if Juan objects.” They were escorted past the desk and to the elevator. Laurita used a key to activate the control panel of the elevator and went up to the fourth floor. There were only four rooms on the floor. The nurse’s station was just a few feet from the elevator door and there was a double bulletproof security door protecting her and all of her charges. The two entry door setup would only admit one person at a time. This was the celebrity annex of the hospital and security was stringent. She buzzed them in, after clearing Anna and Alex entering their names in the log she allowed Laurita to escort them in the room. The Nurse’s primary duty was security not monitoring Juan’s condition. Each room had a dedicated nurse providing ‘one on one’ nursing.
The three people stepped into the room. It was a double room not the standard hospital room. The first room contained a single bed, and a small dining table with a refrigerator in the corner. The second room held a single hospital bed for the patient and furniture that looked more like a hotel room. The doorway between the two rooms held no door. When the outer door closed Laurita greeted ‘Hermes’.
“It has been a very long time. It looks like Anna whipped you into shape.” Laurita kissed him warmly to see if she could get a reaction from Anna. She was extremely disappointed to find no reaction at all. Laurita took a critical look at Anna’s purse slipping her hand under Anna’s purse hefting the purse doing an external examination. She held it up in front of Anna.
“May I inspect your purse? I am responsible for Juan’s security. We don’t allow any recording devices or weapons.” Anna nodded her approval. Laurita smiled when she felt the weight of the bag. She looked inside finding only personal items. It took Laurita a few tries to find the hidden panel at one end of the purse. She placed her hand in the opening finding the pistol inside. She took the Glock out admiring the silencer.
“This is a nice Glock nine. I see that it fits in the purse with the silencer on it.” Laurita nodded her head in admiration. “Where did you get this purse?”
Anna broke her silence, “A friend designed it for me. I can fire it from inside the purse. There are three more end pieces that can be attached with Velcro.” Laurita took a minute to reappraise Anna. She was not just a secretary or a mere assistant.
Laurita turned to ‘Hermes’. “I see you and Juan have some of the same habits.”
She walked over to the night stand putting her Glock in the drawer and then laid Anna’s purse in the drawer locking it.
“You know that he only trusts you.” She turned her attention to Anna. “Ever since ‘Hermes’ killed him, he is the only person that Juan really trusts. I must admit that I am more than a little jealous.” Laurita led the way into the inner room. Juan was lying on the bed. His once six foot three robust frame was thin as a rail with the skin hanging off of his bones. He might have weighed one hundred ten pounds. Cancer had eaten his body and some of his mind. When he saw Anna standing next to ‘Hermes’, he frowned.
“I only wanted ‘Hermes’. This is critical.” Alex did not hesitate to reassure Juan.
“Anna is my partner. She structured the last operation and she will help me carry out whatever you want done.” Juan looked at Laurita. She had been his personal aide for the last twelve years. All of his instructions went through her because she was ‘Mercury’. Laurita saw to the delivery of all his messages. If ‘Hermes’ picked up a partner it did not make much difference, because Juan would be dead soon enough.
“If ‘Hermes’ trusts you, I will go along with his decision.” Juan turned back to ‘Hermes’. “Alright, if you put your name on her she is acceptable.”
Juan could barely manage a whisper, “I wanted to talk to you about that last mission. Those generals that you brought over this last time are making a big problem for Tony and the others in Chicago. They are moving in on every operation that they have. You must clean up your mess. They are assassinating everybody that they do not like. Chicago is a mess and the boys are really pissed off. They still do not know that it was you that brought them over. I am going to give you some information for Tony and he will help you clean up your mess. Those three generals have to go.” Juan weakly tapped Alex’s on the chest with his finger for emphasis. “I do not want you to clean up every mess out there, but you need to correct your mess.” Anna sat impassively listening to all of the information that needed to be relayed. Alex sat and listened quietly while Juan laid out the information. It was not difficult for Anna to slip back into her silent mode. She would sit in the front seat for hours listening to Gregory conduct hundreds of deals. The other parties regarded her as part of the car, much like the steering wheel. Her job was to observe and listen without comment. Juan motioned Anna over to the bed.
“You need to clean up your mess. We will not talk again. I do not think there will be time.” Juan said as Anna prepared to leave.
“Good luck Juan, I will pray for your recovery.”
“I have made my last shot at getting better. I am going to take a nap and if I do not wake up it will be my good fortune. ‘Hermes’ gained twelve more years for me.” Juan turned to ‘Hermes’. “Remember we have a contract.” Laurita walked them to the outer room not commenting until they were in the other room.
“Juan has taken care of me. There is no will. I will handle his Roman accounts.” He did not ask you to take care of me because I have my own protection.” Laurita paused, “Can I ask you for a favor from time to time?”
“I have never forgotten you, nor will I forget you once Juan is gone. You gave the maximum that anyone could give. You know where to find me. However, after this I won’t do any more operations. I will be happy to attend to som
e of your personal needs.” Alex kissed her warmly on the cheek and started to leave.
Laurita went straight to her question. “I have heard of a secluded place in the English midlands called the Inn would I be welcome there?”
“You would, as long as you do not use ‘Mercury’ as a reference. You could say you are an old friend of mine. I will always stand behind you.” Alex looked back at Juan. “What are you going to do about his funeral?”
“We already buried him in Chicago. I thought that we would bury him here under the name Juan Garcia.”
‘Hermes’ took her hand, “I would like to pay my respects to you later. I will tell Susan to expect your call. We have a secure line set up on the property.”
Laurita looked Anna over critically. Anna’s clothes were an impeccable fit. She wore a light purple button front dress there were no gaps in the buttons and her shoes were a perfect match to the color of the dress.
Laurita’s eyes went to the jeweled hair picks in Anna’s hair. “Would you mind showing me your hair picks?” Anna removed the picks and handed them to Laurita. The picks were heavy with a narrow flat surface.
“Are these weapons?” Anna nodded silently. “Do you know how to use these?” Anna gave her a wicked smile. Laurita switched her attention to ‘Hermes’. “You have a gem here. Do not lose her.”
“That would be the tragedy of my life.” Before Laurita gave Anna her purse back she had one more look at the Glock. “The silencer is different work from what I have been seeing. Do you have someone doing special work for you?”
“Yes, we have access to a complete machine shop and firing range. The good news is that we have two people that are expert with the machinery and they can go out in the field when necessary.”
“I thought that you were out of the business,” Laurita smiled at ‘Hermes’.
“We have a friend that trains and equips security forces all over the world. He takes care of us.”
