by John Bluck
"What if they check Tanya's roof?" Lena asked.
"Then we'll have to get down the fire escape and head for the Chinese market down the street. There are lots of tourists on the sidewalk, and we can blend in."
"I'll keep an eye peeled on the tattoo building's roof," said Lena.
"Okay," Wilson said softly. "I'll check the alley every few minutes to see if the police have gone away."
They waited five minutes. "Nothing yet on the tattoo roof," Lena whispered.
Wilson peered down the alleyway. "The two cops have left the alley," he said. "I'd better look over the front to see if the squad cars have gone."
He stooped and crawled the last few feet to the front wall along the roof's edge. A few bricks were gone near the top of the wall. He looked through the gap in time to see the two squad cars pull away.
"The police left. Let's go," he said.
"We should still be careful," Lena said. "They must have gotten our description from those thugs near the hotel, but why would they have reported us?"
"Maybe one of them is a snitch," Wilson said. "A firearm was discharged, and we did stun one of them. That's at least assault and battery, if the police hear just the men's side of the story."
"Yeah, well, we better leave Chinatown as soon as we can get a cab," Lena said.
"There are a few taxis by the Chinese market down the street." He took another look in the alley but saw nobody.
The two went down a metal ladder from the roof and onto the fire escape. They descended to the alley, which smelled of stale garbage. There were dumpsters near the buildings, and cans, bottles, and discarded newspapers littered the area. Scraps of paper blew along the length of the alley, which acted like a wind tunnel.
Wilson spied heavy foot traffic on the street from his vantage point in the alleyway. Throngs of tourists walked towards the Chinese market.
"I see a couple of cops about a block down on the right," he said. "I don't think they'll see us in this crowd."
"We should change what we look like in case they got surveillance video of us from near the hotel," Lena said.
"Good idea," Wilson said. "Let's walk to the market and merge with the foot traffic. Maybe we'll see a clothing shop."
Chapter 30 – Maunakea Market
After Wilson and Lena climbed down from a Chinatown roof and evaded the police, the duo walked along the crowded sidewalk and mixed in with tourists. Wilson saw a sign, "Maunakea Market." An arrow pointed to the shopping area.
"We're almost there," he said. "But with a crowd like this, there could be at least one policeman on foot looking for shoplifters and pickpockets."
"I see lots of security cameras everywhere. The cops must have pictures of us from near the hotel," said Lena.
He looked up and saw a sign painted in black letters on a light purple background, "Costume Shop."
"Look," Wilson said. "Just what we need." He steered Lena left to the shop's doorway and pulled its door open. A bell jingled as they entered.
"May I help you?" said a thin, young Caucasian woman with dark brown hair. She was striking in a delicate way.
"Yes, we have to attend a costume party next week, and we just happened upon your shop," Wilson said.
"I thought you might be actors," said the young woman.
"That's flattering," Wilson said. "I wondered the same thing about you."
She smiled. "You are perceptive," she said. "I have a small part in a drama that's playing at the Hawaii Theater Center. I had to take this job to earn a bit of money."
"Does this place cater to actors?" Lena asked, in her Scandinavian accent.
"Yes, lots of actors come here," the young actress said, "amateurs as well as professionals. Sometimes Hollywood studios shoot in the Hawaiian Islands."
"Oahu is such a beautiful island," said Lena.
"Are you from Sweden?" asked the young woman.
"Yes, but it's been a long time since I've been there," Lena lied. She shifted on her feet and pointed to a rack of wigs. "Could I see the long black wig on the second shelf up?"
"Of course." The young lady handed the black wig to Lena. "There's a mirror by the changing room," she added, as she pointed to the rear of the shop.
"What wig do you think would change my appearance a lot, but still look natural?" Wilson asked.
"The dishwater blond one would be excellent – the one with hair a little longer than yours." She reached for it. "You can even add a small pony tail."
Wilson put the hairpiece on, tucking his hair under the wig's edges. As he removed it, he asked, "How much is it?"
"These are very good wigs, so I hope you aren't shocked when I say this one costs $495, whereas her wig is $350."
"I'll take this one," Wilson said. "Lena, do you like the one you have?"
"Yes, dear," Lena said as she walked towards Wilson and the sales lady. "I saw some cute fake mustaches in the back that you might want to look at, too."
Wilson observed, Lena lies like a pro.
"I'll take a look," Wilson said. He wandered towards the mustache display, and the actress followed, carrying his wig. He picked a blond King Lear style mustache and goatee set. "How do you attach it?" he asked.
"With spirit gum," she said. "We also sell a small bottle of remover. The mustache and goatee set is eighty dollars. The spirit gum and remover are a few dollars more."
"I'll take them. Could you help me try them on?" he asked the sales girl.
"Sure, I've helped put on mustaches before," she replied. She opened the spirit gum package and stuck the mustache and goatee to his face.
"It would be fun to scare your mother, wouldn't it, dear?" Wilson asked.
"To surprise her would be great," she replied, and she turned to the young saleswoman. "My mother is just down the street shopping! Let's put these wigs on right now." Lena smiled, and her hazel green eyes twinkled.
"My mustache and beard make me look like somebody else. You did a great job putting these on so they look natural, Miss," Wilson said as he peered in the mirror. He paid for their purchases in cash, and added, "Here's an extra five dollars for your help with the mustache."
"Thanks. We actors struggle and can always use a little more cash," the young woman said. "I hope you'll surprise your mother-in-law."
"If this doesn't do the trick, I don't know what will," he said as he put on his wig, and Lena put on hers.
"Let's find Mama," she said. "Bye, Miss. Thank you."
"Goodbye," the young saleslady said. She waved as they left the shop to re-join the swarm of tourists.
A few buildings away from the costume shop, Wilson and Lena came across a midsize department store that had both men's and women's clothing.
"Let's split up," he said. "I'll buy a set of clothes while you go to the women's department. You could tell the clerk that you want to wear your new clothes out of the store because the airline lost our suitcases, and we need to change."
"Good idea," said Lena. She strolled to a rack of ladies' clothes.
On the way to the men's clothing section, near the far wall of the store, he noticed a backpack display. He chose two new packs, one light green and another light pink. I should throw away the black backpacks, he told himself.
Wilson also picked two light jackets, one maroon and light blue for him, and a pink one for Lena. I'll get rid of our black jackets, too, he decided.
He bought underwear, socks, handkerchiefs, a pair of blue jeans, and a green Hawaiian shirt that included a red-flower pattern. He paid at the cash register in the men's department and asked the clerk to remove the labels.
Lena returned as the clerk was cutting the labels from Wilson's purchases. She wore a light green pair of jeans and a white blouse, and she carried a shopping bag that contained her old clothes.
"Are you almost finished?" she asked.
"Yes, I'll dress in the changing room," Wilson answered. "I bought a couple of backpacks to carry the clothes until the airline delivers our suitcases to t
he hotel. Backpacks are cheaper than new luggage."
"Good," Lena said. She turned to the clerk and asked, "Where are the washrooms?"
"On the opposite wall near the elevators," he said.
Wilson changed his clothes, and then he and Lena walked towards the restrooms. They took a few steps, and Lena said, "We can throw the old backpacks in the trash after we put our old stuff in them."
"Maybe we shouldn't," Wilson said. He stopped. "A store detective might notice. They look for shoplifters, who might ditch their old clothes and wear new clothes when they walk out."
"You're right," Lena said.
"We should stop here in sight of the clerk and put the old packs into our shopping bags. If a store detective sees us, the clerk can vouch for us."
They left the store without a problem, though Wilson saw a man look at them as they left. Just outside the store, they stepped into an alley and threw their shopping bags and old clothes into a dumpster. After they left the alley, Wilson felt self-assured. They had almost reached the Maunakea Market when they went into a shop where Asian women were crafting leis – beautiful flower necklaces. Lena bought two, which were made of maroon and white blooms.
"Bill, stand still," she said, and she dropped a ring of flowers around his neck. "Your disguise is better now." She put her garland on, too.
"You look great, Lena," he said.
They walked half a block and crossed the street. There were two gray statues of lions on either side of the market's entrance, and a brick façade bordered the entryway. An orange and yellow sign that hung above read, "Maunakea Marketplace." They walked under the marker and into an outdoor area of shops that included many kinds of goods.
Wilson saw a surveillance camera above and to the left of the walkway. On the right, colorful beach umbrellas were on display. Chinatown residents and tourists jammed the wide blacktopped area between the shops.
At the far end of the space, he saw the market's rear entrance. Near it were a few cabs stopped at the curb.
"Look ahead," Wilson said, nodding towards the taxis.
"We shouldn't arrive at the airport too soon," Lena said. "Let's look in some of the shops. I don't think the police will spot us."
At that moment, a policeman walked out of a shop accompanied by another man in a sports coat and slacks.
"I think the inspector who was at the tattoo shop is next to that patrolman," Wilson said under his breath. "Just ignore them."
"Okay, but I've got my hand on my laser pistol," Lena said. "I hope yours is set on shock like mine is."
"Yep," he replied.
The inspector and the uniformed policeman approached and looked at the faces of people in the crowd. The two cops glanced at Wilson and Lena but did not recognize them.
"Good thing they put in those high definition TV cameras in the bushes at Waimanalo Beach," the inspector said as he passed Wilson and Lena.
"Yeah," the uniformed officer said, his voice trailing off as he passed by.
"These disguises worked," Lena said. "But we better not stay here. What's that beach he mentioned?"
"Rachel had to deliver some diamonds to a Sunevian courier, and the cops closed in," Wilson said. "I think they had set a trap for drug dealers, but caught the courier instead. We just barely got away. I'll tell you about it later."
"You should have told us about that last night," Lena said, frowning.
They passed a small fruit market shaded by green beach umbrellas. There were bananas, pineapples, apples, oranges, and various kinds of tropical fruits that Wilson couldn't identify.
"Let's go to the cabs, but not too fast," he said. Then he spotted two more officers who were chatting with the cabbies. "Wait. See those two cops?"
"We'd better duck in that fish market," Lena said, and she grabbed his arm. They moved towards an area with small seafood stands. "One of the cops is from the back alley behind the tattoo shop. Let's wait until they leave."
"Better safe than sorry," Wilson said, as they walked directly towards the fish market but moved slowly enough so as not to attract attention.
Wilson smelled fish as the two neared the seafood bazaar. When they went in the market, he saw a stainless steel produce display, a tub eight feet long filled with ice and fish. On the left-hand side of the display were large, bright green fish. A sign behind them read, "6.50." Next to them were much smaller orange fish. A sign there advised, "We clean, $3.85." The tub also had silver-striped and yellow fish.
"Let's buy a few," Wilson said. "If the police see us with fish packages, we might look more like the locals."
"Okay," said Lena.
He scanned the seafood arcade. There were arch-covered sections where different merchants hawked food from the ocean, mainly a sundry collection of fish. It seemed like a tropical aquarium, but these fish were big. A brownish fish was labeled, "Island Kalikali."
"I've never seen so many kinds of fish together except at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California," Wilson said.
"They're beautiful," said Lena. "Too bad they're food."
He looked behind the stainless steel tub of fish and spotted a rear entrance. Sunshine streamed through the upper glass windows of two swinging doors. Because they were covered with dull, white paint, the bottoms of the two doors were smudged. Apparently workers had pushed them open with their muddy shoes while they carried boxes.
"That's our way out," Wilson said, nodding in the direction of the doors. He saw that there was plenty of room in front of the doorway, though there were stacks of picnic coolers nearby that probably contained more iced fish. Also, a soda vending machine stood to the right of the exit.
"We could buy a soda and go out the door. No one would think it unusual," Lena said.
Wilson's mobile phone rang. "It's Raven," he told Lena after he saw Raven's name appear on the phone's display. Wilson took the call, and Lena put her head next to his. "You're here early, Richard," Wilson said.
"We heisted a lot of gold, tons of it," Raven said. "We need to take it back to Sunev right away."
"I saw a TV news report that people had broken into Ft. Knox," Wilson said. "The newsman said that only about a ton was missing."
"I'm sure they put out false info because a bigger loss would have seemed impossible," Raven said. "We tracked you to Chinatown with your cell phone signal. Is Rachel with you?"
"Yes, she has her ear to the phone."
"Hi, Rachel," Raven said.
"Hello, Richard."
"We'll talk more when we get you both on board The Ghost Liner," Raven said. "We'll create a shed illusion in the alley behind the fish market. You can enter the ship there."
"It may not be that simple, Richard," Wilson said. "The police are after us because the cops most likely arrested the courier after Rachel gave him the briefcase. We barely got away."
"Use your ship finders to zero in on the shed," Raven said. "Yarnell and I will enter the fish market. The authorities won't recognize us."
"By the way, we've disguised ourselves," Wilson said. "I have a blond wig, goatee, and mustache. Lena has a long black wig."
"Lena?" Raven asked.
Wilson felt a chill, and he cleared his throat. "They do look alike," he said.
"I think you've certainly taken Lena's place, Rachel," Raven said, chortling.
"Sorry, Rachel," Wilson said. "We'll see you soon, Richard."
"Roberto and I will be there in a flash. Bye, folks," Raven said, and he hung up.
"Look!" Lena whispered. Two uniformed policemen were approaching with their eyes locked on her and Wilson.
"Let's take the back exit," Wilson said. They turned left to go around the stainless steel seafood display, but he knocked down a bright orange cone marker near the end of the fish counter and tripped.
Lena grabbed for his torso, to try to stop his fall. Instead, both of them fell next to the blue cinder block wall. So much for buying a soda and slipping out of the market unnoticed, Wilson thought.
They scrambled to
get up as the police closed in. Wilson saw Raven's thin, skinny form. His eyes had a wild look, as he raised his odd gun and fired a shock ray at the lead policeman. The ray was light blue, not the dark blue of a kill ray, and the cop fell stunned, not dead. The second officer drew his pistol.
Women in the crowd screamed, and people tussled to leave the fish market. A man slipped, and two other men stepped on him and stumbled as they escaped.
The second cop pivoted to take aim at Raven, but Yarnell had a bead on that policeman. Yarnell fired. His light blue shock ray found its mark. The second cop fell like a big bag of flour.
Lena and Wilson slammed through the rear swinging doors into the alley. Most of the people who had been in the market had run away. Raven and Yarnell banged through the rear door seconds later.
"It's the shack past the next dumpster," yelled Raven.
Wilson reached the shack door first. He opened it, and he and Lena stepped into the safety of The Ghost Liner. A moment later Raven and Yarnell joined them.
"That was a close call," said Wilson.
"Yeah, and we've got to get out of here now," said Raven as he slammed the door. "We need to get the gold back to Sunev and get ready for the water raid."
They jogged to the transfer area and took their seats for the jump to Sunev. Lena pulled off her black wig and tossed it next to her flight chair. At the same time, Wilson opened his bottle of spirit gum solvent and began to take off his false mustache and beard.
Chapter 31 – Precious Cargo
Wilson felt The Ghost Liner vibrate more than it usually did. Raven was pushing the ship to go faster to the dimension that contained his home planet, Sunev. Wilson figured that the Sunevians were desperate to build more ships. The Ghost Liner's precious cargo of tons of gold that Raven and Yarnell had stolen from Fort Knox would enable the aliens to construct not only more ships, but fusion engines for many other kinds of machines.
The Ghost Liner returned to a large island on planet Sunev. This landmass is in the middle of the Great Ocean, equal to where the Hawaiian Islands are on Earth.
