by Leji Albano
The Hybrid thrust for the surface, and when his head broke the water he exhaled loudly, then sucked in gasps of fresh air. It took him a few minutes to swim back to shore, where he emerged, water sluicing off the black fur in torrents.
Alexander shifted back and shivered as he walked to where Jacob stood with a towel.
“Is it done?” the leader of the local Mer asked.
The towel paused long enough for Alexander's head to emerge. “It is.”
Jacob jerked a nod at these words. “Good. I expect you can find your way back to your car.”
The Master of the city shook his head in wonder as his gaze followed the taciturn little man, then he got dressed and drove back to Spokane.
Alexander exited the elevator and poured himself a drink before leaning against the island in the middle of his kitchen. The bourbon burned its way down his throat before settling into his stomach, and suffused his body with a welcome warmth.
He took out his cell phone and dialed a number. As he waited for Mel to answer, he rolled the cold glass across his forehead, eyes closed, and looking weary.
She answered on the third ring. “Is it done?”
A huge sigh escaped him. “Yeah. Not that Jacob seemed to care one way or the other.”
“He did. You know how difficult he can be.” She paused a moment. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”
“Couldn’t be helped. There was zero chance that she could be redeemed.”
“Still….”
12
“…The fires burned in multiple places around the city, and the flames could be seen clearly from the windows of the penthouse. Smoke blanketed much of the Spokane metropolitan area, and people were unsure as to what they should do. A state of emergency had been declared, and all available resources were being thrown at the fires.
October 16th, 1991 would go down as a dark day in local history—two people had already died, and at least a hundred homes had succumbed to the flames. By Saturday, October 19th, the city was surrounded on three sides by uncontrolled fires. There was little danger to the city center, but for anyone living on the outskirts, it was a different story.
The emergency responders hoped that at least partial containment would be reached by Monday, but any success was predicated upon the weather cooperating. Sixty-plus mph winds were what had started the crisis in the first place…trees falling across powerlines and sparking the initial fires that had quickly escalated into full-blown uncontrolled wildfires.
I sat in the penthouse, lights off, the TV on in the background providing reports, and watched the world burn….”
An excerpt from the diary of Alexander Matthews
Late August 1970, Spokane Indians stadium
Alexander had just returned to Spokane after his involuntary deployment to Southeast Asia, courtesy of the CIA. He was still adjusting to civilian life and had decided to catch a game. The Spokane Indians were a Triple-A farm team for the LA Dodgers and were having an outstanding year. In fact, it looked like they might have a good chance of winning the pennant.
A cold beer in one hand and a hot dog drenched in mustard and onion in the other, he cheered loudly as Davey Lopes singled another run in. Alexander was unfamiliar with most of the players since he had been overseas for the last two years, but he could see that this team had some real talent.
He chuckled as the short, stout, and rather loud manager, a man named Tommy Lasorda, rushed to get into the face of the home plate umpire when he didn’t like a call that had just been made. Highly animated and flailing his arms about in a most Italian manner, he finally felt he had made his point and marched back to the dugout.
The warm evening sun beat down on Alexander, but the shadows were beginning to stretch across the field, first base and right field already shadowed as the sun sank in the west. Cheering fans, the smell of popcorn and hot peanuts permeating the air, and a sense of well-being all contributed to making this night feel magical. There was nothing more All-American than a good baseball game on a beautiful night…especially as no one was actively shooting at him.
Tina looked up as the door to the hallway opened, revealing a pretty Japanese woman, maybe twenty years old, and dressed in the latest designer fashion from Tokyo. A bright-white smile flashed as she strode forward and stopped in front of the desk. Raven-dark straight hair was pulled up into a high ponytail that jutted up and back at a fifteen-degree angle, then fell free.
“Is Mr. Matthews in?” she asked Tina in a perky voice.
“May I tell him who is requesting a meeting?” Tina inquired in a slightly icy tone.
“Hai. Please let him know that the daughter of Lady Kitsune is here to pass on a personal message.”
Alexander's assistant walked over to the door that led into his office, and she cracked it wide enough to pass the message along, then turned and gestured for the young lady to go in.
“Arigato,” she said as she walked past.
Tina closed the door and went back to her desk, confusion evident on her face.
In the meantime, Alexander had walked from behind his desk and greeted his unexpected guest, guiding her to the couch.
“Would you care for something to drink? I’m afraid I don’t have tea, but I can make an espresso?” He stopped, then prompted in a chagrined voice, “I’m sorry, but I forgot to ask your name.”
“Thank you, but no. I won’t take up much of your time,” she replied with a smile. “You may call me Tamiko.”
He smiled brightly. “Ah, a child of great beauty, indeed.” Then he seated himself across from the couch. “My assistant informs me that Lady Kitsune is your mother?”
“Hai. I am attending Mukagawa in the fall, although I have come early so that I may acclimate before my studies begin. My mother insisted that I call upon you and pass on her best wishes.”
Alexander chuckled. “While I am flattered, I must admit that I am somewhat surprised that she even remembers who I am.”
Her answering giggle surprised him. “Apologies, Alexander-sama, but my mother has spoken of you often, and with great respect. Others, those who were with her during her time here, regaled me with stories of your exploits. The great wolf who took on all challengers and swiftly defeated them quite easily. As you can see, your legend is still very much alive.”
Turning a bright shade of red, he stammered out, “That’s not quite how I remember that night. It would seem that a fair number of liberties has been taken with the facts of the matter.”
She leaned toward him, clearly amused. “Perhaps. But the fact remains that both my mother and her attendants hold you in high esteem. I believe you may know how unusual that is for a foreigner?”
“I do, and my esteem for the Lady cannot be overstated. I only regret that I could not spend more time with her.”
“How fortunate that part of my visit is to pass on an open invitation to join her at the family estate outside Kyoto. It would seem that my mother shares your regrets.”
Alexander leaned back into his chair and expelled a surprised breath. “Please pass along that I will be honored to take her up on her offer, although I cannot commit to a firm date at this time. Additionally, my assistant is a Normal, and completely unaware of our world. I must think about that angle.”
“As you say.” Tamiko tilted her head slightly, then continued. “My second purpose here is to request that you take me on as a disciple, at least part-time. My mother has made it clear that you have much to teach me, and that learning your unorthodox fighting style will go far to mitigate any flaws that I may have where the martial arts are concerned.”
Alexander smiled and paused briefly before responding. “I would be honored, of course, but I do travel quite frequently, so any schedule will be hit or miss.” His eyes narrowed as he continued. “Also, I train my assistant as well. Would you have any opposition to sharing my time with her? It would mean disguising your true abilities.”
“This is acceptable, and surely, some time can be set as
ide for private instruction so that I can practice at full speed?” she countered.
“Agreed. I will have Tina share our training calendar with you.” His eyes twinkled gleefully as he asked, “I don’t suppose you need ballroom dancing instruction as well?”
Tamiko looked confused. “Excuse me?”
“Never mind. I look forward to our lessons.”
He stood, indicating that their time was up, and walked her to the door. She bowed to him respectfully, and the bow he returned was even more profound. Tamiko grinned and waved at Tina as she headed for the hallway, ponytail swishing in time with her steps.
“Who was that?”
“Royalty, Tina. An honest to God Japanese princess.”
The scowl on his face showed just what he thought about the situation. “A fucking Ginger. Why did it have to be a goddamn redhead?”
“I don’t understand what the problem is, Alexander. Why does the color of her hair have anything to do with it?” Tina asked, curious despite herself.
He turned to her in surprise. “Are you being serious right now? Everyone knows that Gingers are fucking crazy.”
“That seems to be a bit broad-sweeping, don’t you think?
“Really? Name one redhead you have ever known, who wasn’t a complete fucking bitch, I dare you. At best, they might only turn out to be bi-polar and psycho, but I guarantee that all of them have superiority complexes and think that the rest of us only exist to cater to their whims.” The last words came out as a growl.
“Now you’re just being silly.”
“Am I? I guess we’ll see.” With that statement, he marched into the conference room and sat. Tina followed in his wake, taking the seat beside him and opening up the folder that contained the details of the proposal they were gathered to discuss.
The woman in question was in her late forties and dressed in lawyer-chic. Granted, the cut and material were of the highest quality, but the whole ensemble still screamed ambulance-chaser. The nonchalant aura she was actively projecting was all part of the act, and in no way fooled Alexander.
Her eyes bored into his, probing for any weakness, even as she leaned forward and slid a similar folio his way. “As you can see, my client has made a very generous offer on this property. In fact, too generous, based upon current market value. You won’t get anything close to this if you seek another avenue of sale.”
Alexander grunted and leaned back in the chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “That’s all very interesting, but I’m curious as to where your client got the idea this building was even on the market? Certainly not from me.” The question posed as a challenge.
The redhead’s lips thinned in aggravation at his lack of appreciation of the offer. She turned her dead eyes toward Tina. “Be a dear, and go get us some coffee.”
When Tina started to get up, Alexander's hand came down on her arm, stopping her from doing so. “We don’t have any coffee.”
“Water then.” A calculating smirk passed over her face as she looked at him. “In fact, I see no reason your secretary should be present at all.”
Now you’ve done it, he thought, highly amused by the situation. A slow mental countdown commenced in his head….
Tina had stiffened in her seat, and he could hear her heart rate skyrocket. His hand patted her arm softly, letting her know that he would handle it. By the way her teeth were audibly grinding, he figured that it was almost time to end this farce.
“We don’t have any water, either. Or tea. Or anything else you might ask for.” He leaned forward aggressively, and a low rumbling growl could be heard emanating from his chest. “The only reason I agreed to this meeting was that my secretary convinced me it was a good idea. In fact, the only thing you have said so far that I agree with wholeheartedly is the fact that my personal assistant shouldn’t be subjected to any more of your bullshit.”
The woman across from him was gasping like a fish as she processed his words. Tina bumped his leg with her own, letting him know that she appreciated what he had just done.
“I don’t think you understand, Mr. Matthews; this property sits in a prime development zone and could be far better utilized than it currently is. Especially if it is replaced by a high-rise multi-use building.”
Damn, she recovered faster than I had hoped. He sighed tiredly.
“What part of not interested is your intellectually challenged state not able to understand?” he asked.
“Excuse me?” she gasped, not used to being spoken to in this way.
“You heard me. I’m going to spell this out in the simplest possible terms. Ones that even you and your client should be able to digest.” Alexander poked his index finger into the surface of the table with each statement. “This building is currently not for sale. It will still not be for sale next year. Nor the year after that. As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t sell this property to your client if I only had a nickel left to my name.”
He stood, lifting Tina at the same time. “Is that clear enough for you? Because if it isn’t, that’s too damn bad. We are done here.”
Alexander paused at the door to the conference room. “I trust you can find your way out?” Then he made his way to his office, Tina trailing him closely.
He had left the door to his office open, specifically so that he could keep an eye on the lawyer and make sure she didn’t leave with anything that she hadn’t arrived with. Tina walked over to the wet bar and poured herself a tumbler of the bourbon he kept on hand. Her hand shook with anger, and the crystal chimed as the decanter bounced along the edge of the glass.
She gulped half of the contents down, sucking in a hissing breath as it burned its way down her throat, then she lifted an eyebrow at him and gestured with the glass in her hand.
“Yes, please. Two ice cubes in mine, if you will,” he told her.
Tina walked over and handed the drink to him. “You were right, she was a bitch.”
“Yup.” Alexander sipped his drink as he watched the lawyer exit the suite in a huff. “Any lawyer is bad enough, but a Ginger lawyer is like dealing with the Devil himself.”
“Thanks for sticking up for me, by the way,” she said softly.
“Of course. This business doesn’t work without you at the helm, and nobody talks down to my friends. No one.”
Tina laughed at that. “She was a real piece of work, alright.”
He turned to look down at her. “They feed on fear and weakness, you know? That woman would put the fear of God into a great white.”
“Alexander?”
“Yeah?”
She shuffled her feet for a moment, not looking at him. “It was a lot of money.”
“So?”
Tina shrugged. “I’m just saying.”
Alexander walked over and sat on the couch, patting the seat next to him. When she had joined him, he turned to face her.
“It’s not just about the money.” He held up a hand to forestall her objections. “Money is just a tool, Tina. I don’t do this as an excuse to accumulate cash. Having deep pockets allows me to do the things that really matter to me.
“Let’s say I sold this building, my home. What then? Can you think of anywhere else that would meet our needs as well?”
“I guess not,” she replied.
“And what about all of our tenants? Some of them have been here for decades. Where would they go? Not to mention that all of them would have far more expensive leases—I don’t charge market value on any of them.” Primarily because they were all genetic misfits like him, and they were assured that no awkward questions would be asked, but also because he could…but he couldn’t exactly tell Tina that.
“Why is that? I mean, I had guessed that based on the rental income, but why not?” She looked at him curiously.
He raised one shoulder in a shrug. “Are we hurting for money?”
“No. But still….”
“I’ve known most of these people for most of my life. They may as well be family.” One corner of hi
s mouth quirked up in amusement. “Well, maybe some of them are like the relatives no one talks about, or wants to acknowledge, but family, nonetheless.
“This building, with the exception of a few businesses, functions almost as a mini-city. We leverage each other’s specialties when we need something. If you need a will drawn up, you go to Mr. Esposito on the third floor. Looking for some temps? Mrs. Summers on the second floor can take care of you. Do you understand what I’m trying to get across?”
Her faced scrunched up as she visibly processed what he had said. “I think so. Selling this building would have an adverse effect on many more people than just you, and money alone isn’t the primary deciding factor as far as you are concerned.”
“Exactly.” He paused momentarily. “That, and I like this building. I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”
Tamiko darted in and latched onto Tina’s upper arms, then pivoted and slammed her into the mat. He heard all of the air rush out of his assistant’s lungs as she made contact with the lightly padded surface. She lay there gasping, unable to get up, and Tamiko backed away, giving her time to do so.
Once she had regained her composure, Alexander stepped into the arena and gestured for both women to stand down. They knelt and waited for him to proceed. The Japanese girl quickly raised an eyebrow at him and wore a small, self-satisfied smile. He shook his head in exasperation, trying to hide his answering grin.
“OK. What happened, and why?” He looked to Tina for the answer.
Scowling up at him, she sucked in a breath, then answered, “I was looking for an opening and Tamiko beat me to it.”
“True. Tamiko?”
“She was overthinking and left herself open. I seized the opportunity.”
He nodded his head. “Also true. Tina, sometimes the best defense is a good offense.”
Tina leaned back on her heels, frustration clearly evident in her expression. “What the hell does that mean, Alexander?”
