by C. R. Daems
I didn't feel too bad when I entered the plane. Five days of rest had helped me regain my strength, but my ribs were still in a bad mood, particularly when I took a breath.
"Welcome aboard Miss Lynn," Kathryn said in her usual cheerful voice. I had just sat when she appeared with coffee and a tray of appetizers. "Seeing as you are using your plane to go to Denver, am I to assume Clare will not be in a good mood when we arrive?"
"I didn't tell her I was coming."
"Coward."
"I like to think of it as a surprise visit."
"I guess Mr. Witton didn't tell her you were injured, either."
"No. He's left that to me."
"You're both cowards."
"Yes. It's a lot easier having an Assassin pissed than Clare. She takes it personal." As usual, Kathryn hovered over me the entire flight. At the airport I caught a taxi-home. There, I told the taxi to wait while I freshened up and changed into one of my one of my new outfits Clare had insisted I buy. I chose a white, open-collared blouse, a dark-blue jacket and skirt, and black low-heeled shoes. I didn't look nearly as good as Catherine, but I hoped presentable.
The taxi dropped me at the Denver Post and I made my way to the second floor. I was disappointed when no one recognized me, but shouldn't have been. I was in disguise.
"Can I help you?" a young man, who I didn't recognize, asked.
"I'm looking for Clare Frazer." I said looking around. She wasn't in her regular office.
"I'm afraid she is busy right now with Mr. Wilson. Susan can make an appointment for you." Then I spotted Clare in Harry Wilson's, the Managing Editor, office.
"No need, I found her," I said as I headed for them, leaving the young man stuttering something about needing an appointment. When I reached his office, with the young man following, I knocked on his window. Harry waved me in.
"Lynn, what a pleasant surprise. You look...like you're here on business." He said while coming around his desk.
"She's hurt and looking for sympathy," Clare said, frowning as she scanned me from head to foot. "I know. She didn't call to let me know she was coming, and she stopped at the condo to clean up."
"She looks healthy," Harry said giving me a good once over.
"She is using all of her considerable control to keep from limping, or wincing, or... And she's tickled pink she found me with you so I can't smack her silly." Clare came over and gave me a hug and kissed me on the cheek. I tensed reflectively as my ribs expressed their extreme displeasure.
"SEE, I told you so," she shouted and she stepped back and inspected me again.
"Lynn, it's very difficult to fool our new City News Editor," Harry said with a big smile. "I don't want to be in your shoes."
"Harry, that is just going to encourage her feeling justified getting injured because she's propelling you, me and the Post to new heights." Clare said pointing an accusing finger at me. "See that slight twitch of the lip. She has another story. Just once, Lynn..." Her eyes misted.
"Harry, everything is done for tomorrow's paper. I'm going home and get drunk, since I can't afford a shrink." With that, she took my hand and led me out of the building. She was quiet on the way home, but never let go of my hand.
***
At my insistence, Clare didn't take any time off for the next two weeks. While I recuperated, I was content to stay at home during the day, reading, catching up on national events, and refreshing my language fluency. On the job, it was impossible. The first week, we stayed home at night content just to be together. The second week we ate out most nights at restaurants normally too expensive for Clare. I considered being here with her a special occasion and didn't mind the expense. What better way to spend my accumulating salary? I surprised her one night with tickets to Krishna Das at the Paramount Theater. I managed to get Club Seating with VIP in-seat beverage service and private restroom.
"Are you trying to bribe me?" Clare asked when we reached the Club area in the Mezzanine.
"Yes."
"It's working."
***
"Well, Clare, where do you want to go?" I asked.
"Are you paying for it?"
"No the Committee is paying for it."
"Too bad. I thought I'd go some place expensive. Part of what you owe me, but you don't care about money, do you?"
"What's mine is yours. If you want to spend it, it's fine with me. The Committee is paying because catching the Mind Bender Assassin was critical. If I had failed, the Kazak Guardians would have been terminated."
"How am I supposed to stay mad at you?" She leaned over and kissed me. "Let's call Gabe and Lauretta and see if they can get some time off. Gabe has always wanted to see the Hill and I'd imagine you wouldn't mind see how Jody and Megan are doing. Then the committee can treat all of us to a week at the Hastings House."
"I thought you would have wanted to be alone." I was truly surprised. I liked the idea of seeing Gabe and his wife, Lauretta, and I always enjoyed the Hill. And I was curious about Jody and Megan.
"Don't get confused. You still owe me. You aren't going to call Witton before six weeks, and he better not have an assignment waiting-he owes me too. So, I don't mind you visiting the only other friend you have and checking up on your babies." She gave me an evil smile. "Hastings House is one of Canada's top three hotels. It's located in the Gulf Islands between Vancouver and Victoria, B.C. and will be a nice change for Gabe and Loretta."
"I do owe you, my love-for many things."
***
I was getting the VIP treatment. Witton sent the company plane to Denver to pick us up, and then to Las Vegas to pickup Gabe and Lauretta. They had left their son, Dario, with his grandmother.
"Welcome aboard Mr. and Mrs. Wilkenson," Kathryn said as Gabe and Lauretta entered the plane at McCarran Airport.
"Hi, Lynn, Clare. Do you always travel like this?" Gabe said giving Clare and me a kiss on the cheek. Lauretta gave each of us a warm hug.
"No. Only when she's been shot to pieces and Witton's feeling guilty," Clare said. I doubted Witton or the Committee ever felt guilt-maybe appreciative the client lived.
"Gabe and I appreciate you asking us along. With Dario and everything, we haven't been on a vacation in a long time. We could've with the extra money he earned teaching those women, but we decided to put the money down on a house," Lauretta said. Kathryn got us settled quickly and before long we were in the air again. While being served a meal, Gabe brought us update on Dario's adventures, their new house, and his promotion to daytime bar manager for the casino. Then Kathryn announced our preparation for landing.
"We in Canada already?" Gabe asked, looking out the window.
"No, we have a detour," Clare said trying to hide a grin. She was like a kid at Halloween with a bag full of candy. We departed the plane and within minutes boarded a helicopter and were airborne. Gabe kept staring at me, but I said nothing.
"It's beautiful," Lauretta said, looking out the window. It was a clear day, and the Hollister Mountain range was visible all the way to the Canadian border. As we approached the Hill, Gabe had his nose flat against the window.
"That's Hollister Mountain! Lauretta look, that's the Kazak School!"
"Thank you, Lynn, Clare. You couldn't have given him a better present." Lauretta said. When we exited the plane, Master Johar was there to greet us.
"Welcome, Master Lynn. I see you have brought us VIP visitors. Welcome, I'm Master Johar." After introductions, he showed us our sleeping quarters and gave us a tour of the facilities, stopping to watch students training. The meal that night was bland.
"You have to excuse the food. They don't want prospective students to get use to good food, sleeping regularly, or having fun. It encourages them to stay," Clare said while pushing around the Hill's version of the military's shit-on-a-shingle.
"They want the candidates to leave?" Lauretta asked.
"They want all the sane ones to leave," Clare said, punching my arm. Early on the third day we got a chance to talk to Jod
y and Megan. They each had a client tagging along, all their senses alert for an attack. It was obvious they weren't the same women Gabe had taught that year in Las Vegas.
"Congratulations, Jody, Megan, on passing the fifth challenge. I see you have clients." They were the first male clients I had seen. I suspect they paired opposite sexes as a temptation. I'd bet Jody would be a Tiger and Megan a Panther as I watched them. Johar introduced them and to Gabe and Lauretta and walked us over to the new Hazard area.
"We've incorporated some new features to simulate the known Assassins types based on Master Lynn's experiences. And we added some new electronics." He walked over to a panel with a simple keyboard and a LCD screen. After a few minutes he returned. "Gabe, would you like to try it?"
Gabe nodded smiling and walked up to a line that defined the start of the test. When he stepped over the line, his head was moving back and forth watching the buildings, cars and other places to hide. Nothing happened for twenty steps, and then a man came out from behind a building. Gabe turned and fired hitting the target twice before the figure fired. Two steps later, another man popped up from behind a car. Gabe fired at the same time as the target assassin. A paint ball hit Gabe in the chest ending the test.
"For your first time in the Hazard and the fact you don't practice with guns, that was a respectable performance, Gabe," Johar said. He had Jody and Megan go through the Hazard. It was apparent the targets responses were considerably faster. They each encountered three assassin targets and two civilian decoys. Jody killed the three assassins, one civilian, and received a non-fatal wound. Megan also received a non-fatal wound, killed the three assassins, but only wounded the civilian.
"Jody, Megan, we would prefer you didn't wound or kill innocent civilians. It gives us a bad name. Other than that, your performance was adequate. Master Lynn, do you have any advice?"
"Yes." I turned to them. "You're thinking to much. It slows down your response. Spend more time in the temple. You need your mind empty and at peace."
"Would you like to try our new and improved Hazard, Master Lynn? We have incorporated your suggestions on how to display realistic Assassins," Johar said with a grin.
"Yes, it looks like fun,"
"Jody, loan Master Lynn, your client. His name is John," Johar said as he walked over to the keyboard and reprogrammed the course.
"What do you want me to do?" John asked hesitantly.
"Just start walking. We're headed for that line over there," I said and gave him a slight push to start him walking. I followed two feet to his left. Almost immediately I detected a figure emerging from behind a building. I shot him before he was half way out. I had barely pulled the trigger when another popped up from behind a car. Knowing John or I would be hit if I tried to kill him, I dropped using my leg to sweep him off his feet. He landed on his back with a thud. The figure fired two shots, which were high. I fired before he could fire again, hitting him in the chest and head. I rose, dragging John up with me. We had only taken a couple of steps when a woman appeared over to our right. I held my fire and continued walking. After a couple of feet, a man and a woman appeared on my left. The man screamed at her for no apparent reason. I put my foot in from of John's leg and drove my body into him. As he fell forward, multiple shots sounded. I followed him to the ground, shooting the woman on the way down and rolling over and shooting the man. I ignored the other woman on the left. She wasn't part of the team. He had used her as a convenient distraction for his woman partner. John lay face in the dirt. As he rose on his hands and knees, I detected a blurring behind a rock ten yards ahead. I stepped on his back hard enough to drive him back down and launch myself well ahead of him. I hit the ground and rolled. Paint splattered around us as the blur cleared and I identified a Ghost Assassin on my second rotation. On the third and fourth rotation, I hit him. John was still down. As I stood, a target emerged at the end of the Hazard. I took one step and using a nearby boulder and launched myself into the air. He fired three times as I threw my knife towards its head. He missed low. I didn't. I walked back. Clever trap-it had waited for me to empty my gun. I dusted John off and we walk back to the start. John looked a little worse for wear and I handed him back to Jody.
"When the instructors practice, I usually set it at three-quarter speed and they feel great if they make it through with only minor wounds. What do you think?"
"I thought it had a nice mix of situations. A Ghost Assassin, a team with an Illusion Assassin, good timed attacks from the right and left. I particularly liked the one at the end. It obviously waited until my gun was empty. Overall, a nice mix."
That night all the Instructors met with Clare, Lauretta, Gabe, and me to hear about the new Mind Bender Assassin. When the conversation turned to answering Gabe's questions, Clare and Lauretta decided to leave.
"Lynn, Lauretta and I are going to visit that building you call the Temple," Clare leaned over and whispered.
"Remember, the quieter you are, the more you will hear," I said and kissed her cheek. It was early in the morning by the time the meeting broke up. The women didn't return until it was almost light. We left several hours later and were on the Company plane before noon.
"Lynn, I can't thank you enough. I've always dreamed about the Hill and what it was like. Now I know if I had stayed the couple of years I had planned, I would have been bored to tears. I'd had a year's college and the initial techniques they teach I already knew from my Kung Fu classes. The secrets I wanted to learn don't exist. What makes you and the Kazaks so dangerous is your speed and awareness of your surroundings. Jianyu was right, as always. Your decision to act and acting is almost simultaneous. I stood next to Jody and Megan while you negotiated the Hazard. They had trouble describing what was going on after the fact. Johar told me the Hazard had been set at quarter speed for me, half for Jody and Megan, and full for you, and you had a client to protect." Gabe settled down with Lauretta. They look very much in love.
"I'm sorry, love," Clare, said leaning against me.
"Why?"
"That building does feel like a temple. We met the Witch Meztlil while we were there. She's amazing. Thanks to her, I realize trying to smother you when I see you only diminishes the time we have together. I don't want to change you; therefore, I need to enjoy and cherish the time we do get together.
***
We spent a week at the Hastings House-a small waterfront luxury country resort, spa and restaurant, overlooking the Ganges Harbor on Salt Spring Island. Ann Marie had reserved the Churchill premier cottage for us, so we spent most of each day together. Although I'm not a connoisseur of fine dining, everyone raved about each and every meal. Every night we enjoyed continental-style cuisine and sampled the local favorites: Salt Spring Island lamb and Dungeness crab. During the day, we went on a sailing cruise, kayaking, and a visit the island's artist colony shops and galleries. Lauretta and Clare found time for several oil massages given in our cottage. It had been a wonderful ten days with friends.
Clare returned to work and I spent the days at a local fitness center working out, working on my Spanish, and meditating at a local mosque. The local Imam allowed me access to the prayer room, after I convinced him I knew the Salat and the Quran.
"Well, my love," Clare said. We had just finished a quiet diner at home and were relaxing in each other's arm. Clare had an Andre Rieu CD playing. "You appear well enough to let lose on the world again. Meztlil made me realize that if we tried to change each other we could lose what we have. So...you can call Witton."
"Tomorrow," I said as I pulled her close to me and lost myself in her embrace.
***
"Hi, Boss. Clare has declared me fit to return to work. Physically if not mentally."
"Ann Marie and I have had a wager on that very subject. She won. Clare managed to keep you there a week longer than I expected."
"A week longer than I expected, but I think she was right. So whom have you got for me to annoy. I'm getting out of practice."
"Give Clar
e her interview and be ready to leave two days from now.
***
The interview went smoothly. By now the process was almost mechanical-everyone knew their part and what to expect. Clare had heard the story several times and knew exactly what she needed to ask and what she couldn't. That night we ate at one of our favorite restaurants and spent all night talking and trying to capture feelings and sensations we could hold onto until we could be together again. In the morning, she drove me to the airport.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
I arrived back at my condo in the late afternoon. I was anxious to find out about my next assignment, so I decided to see if Witton would see me.
"Hi, Lynn, nice to see you healthy again. Clare is a miracle worker," Ann Marie greeted me as I exited the elevator.
"Yes, she's the sane half of the partnership." I felt sane, but sane was defined by what was seen as normal conduct in a society. When I compared my life to hers, I was definitely not sane. But at least I was a happy nut case.
"You're very lucky, she's a wonderful woman." She smiled. "Go right in. He wants to see you."
Witton sat behind his desk, dark-blue executive-cut suit, white shirt, and a blue and red striped tie-the quintessential executive. It was hard to imagine him as Witton the Panther, a Master Kazak with eight Assassin kills. He waved me to one of the tufted, beige leather wing chairs.
"You look much better than the last time I saw you. I should put Clare on the payroll," he said looking serious. I had to agree with him. She had a magical touch.
"How do you feel about protecting Catherine? Yes, the same one that hung you out to dry."
"She was just doing her job. I think she made the right call for the Kazaks."
"I always worried you wouldn't last long what with having to kill, watching people get killed, and risking your life for people like the gangster Lauro. But you are the perfect Kazak-except you get too much sick time." He smiled.
"What's her problem? Did she upset someone...someone on the Committee."
"Bingo. She's found that there is a weak link on the Committee that potentially threatens its existence. That person wants her dead before he or she is identified. Catherine has told the Committee she wants you assigned to her, because she may have a lead on who killed a Committee member two years ago. She had been unable to find the killer at the time. In reality, she doubts there is any connection but she needs a reason for requesting a Kazak. The Committee has agreed. If she is right, it means Assassins. Are you still willing?"
