by Siegel, Alex
"Why is secrecy so important? What are you hiding?"
Aaron pursed his lips. "I'll try to explain. Imagine you owned a beautiful mansion with manicured lawns, gardens, expensive art on the walls, and the finest furniture money can buy. Your home is an architectural masterpiece."
"OK."
"God sees this world the same way. It's His pride and joy. The problem is that every house has flaws. Sometimes rats get into the walls, or the wrong people move in next door. These flaws have to get fixed quickly and quietly before the house guests notice. We do the fixing."
"But God doesn't need your help," Smythe said. "He's supposed to be omnipotent."
"He certainly has that reputation. Enough talk. Let's finish sorting this luggage."
Aaron put his own and Marina's clothes into one suitcase, and Smythe packed another. Everything they didn't need was put back in the trunk.
Marina returned to the car carrying two sets of keys.
"That took a while," Aaron said.
"The manager was a real grouch after I woke him up." She gave one set of keys to Smythe. "He called me a tramp. He was very rude."
Aaron smirked. "So, instead of paying him, you knocked him out with your venom and swiped the keys."
"You know me." She held up her sharp, black fingernails. "I thought it was fair, and we'll be gone before he wakes up."
* * *
Aaron woke up when the alarm on his phone went off. An instant later he felt needle sharp points pressed against his neck. There was only one possible explanation. He remained perfectly still.
"Relax, Marina," he said slowly and softly. "It's just me. I'm not a threat. Don't kill me."
The sharp points were removed. He rolled over to look at Marina's beautiful, freckled face. Her reddish blonde hair lay strewn across her pillow.
"Sorry," she said.
"You're a little edgy this morning."
"I had a nightmare."
"Want to talk about it?" he said.
"Not really."
"You almost killed me. I deserve to know why."
She swallowed. "OK. A man was raping me. He was huge and covered in black robes. I couldn't move. I felt like he was crushing me. When he ejaculated, this black... goo came out. It sprayed all over my face and went down my throat. I was drowning and helpless. It was awful." She squeezed her eyes shut.
He gave her a tender hug. "Maybe it's a sign from God that we're on the right track."
"I hope so," she said. "At least this nightmare was different than the usual one. It's time to get up."
Aaron went straight to the tracking device, lying on a table. He quickly confirmed that the homing beacon was still nearby and transmitting. "We're good," he said. "The Eternals must still be asleep."
They had allowed themselves only four hours of sleep. It was still dark outside but dawn would come soon. He yawned.
I have to get dressed. He chose blue jeans and a plain green shirt from his suitcase because those clothes would help him blend into a crowd. He strapped a knife to each ankle and put a small gun in a holster under his shirt, just above his belt buckle. He slipped a TEC-9 into a holster on his back in case he needed more firepower. Finally, he put on a gray windbreaker and zipped it up.
Marina wore a brown dress with long, loose sleeves and a full skirt. He expected she carried several knives underneath her clothes. Blades were her specialty. According to her, being very close to her target when she killed made the experience more "intimate and meaningful." No doubt she also carried guns, but it was her weapon of last resort.
"Let's wake up the rookie," Aaron said.
"We'll test him, too," Marina said. "Let's see if he's a heavy sleeper."
"Right now? I don't know if this is a good time for tests."
"Of course it's a good time," she said. "He won't expect it."
He shrugged. "OK, but nothing elaborate. Just a pop quiz."
They packed their belongings and put the luggage back in the car. Then they went to Smythe's room. Marina took a set of lock picks from a hidden pocket in her skirt, looked around, and quietly picked the lock. The worn out, cheap deadbolt presented no challenge for her.
She pushed open the door just enough to peek inside. "He's still in bed," she whispered. "I'll go right and you go left."
She opened the door a little more, and Aaron heard the sound of glass breaking. He looked down. A fine thread was tied to the door at knee level. Smythe set an alarm. Smart.
There were only two choices now: charge forward or retreat. He didn't wonder which choice Marina would make.
She shoved the door open, but before she could launch herself into the room, he grabbed both her arms and held her tight.
"No!" he said firmly.
She kicked, more out of reflex than intention. He twisted out of the way to avoid taking a shot in the gonads. She finally settled down.
"Why did you stop me?" she said.
"We need to be quiet. The Eternals are just two doors down. The test is over."
She frowned.
Smythe stood up from behind his bed, holding a gun. Something was stuffed under his blanket, and in the darkness it had appeared he was still in bed. It was a classic trick meant to confuse intruders, and it had worked.
"What the hell are you doing?" Smythe said. "Were you breaking into my room?"
"Sorry," Aaron said. "Marina wanted to ambush you."
"Are you serious? Why?"
"It was a test and you passed. Congratulations. Now get dressed. We have work to do."
While Smythe dressed, Aaron studied the tracking device. According to the small display, the homing beacon was thirty yards due east. This reading confused him because the motel didn't extend that far to the east.
"Marina..." he said.
She came over and looked. "That can't be right. The knife would have to be in the river."
Using the tracking device as a guide, he walked around the motel to the riverbank on the other side. The river was about ten yards across, and the brown water moved slowly, hardly making any noise. He could tell that the water level was low because the roots of trees were exposed. His breath turned into mist in the cold air.
The ceremonial knife was stuck in a tree trunk, its point embedded deeply in the wood. The hilt had been pried open to expose the transmitter inside. The knife pinned a black envelope to the trunk.
"Damn it!" Aaron said.
Marina sighed. "They must've slipped away while we were asleep. We lost them. Shit."
"At least they left a note."
"I'm guessing it won't be very helpful. We should collect the evidence properly and take it back to headquarters. There could be fingerprints."
"I think I remember seeing some evidence bags in the luggage. I'll go get them."
Aaron walked back to the car. Along the way he encountered Smythe, who had finished dressing. Smythe wore a plain blue shirt and gray pants, and both articles of clothing were perfectly nondescript. Aaron approved.
"We have a problem," Aaron said. "The Eternals are gone. They left the knife behind just to prove they're smarter than us. Help me find the evidence kit."
He opened the trunk of the car and they dug through the luggage.
"You impressed me this morning," Aaron said. "Who taught you to be so paranoid?"
"The battlefield was my instructor," Smythe said. "You learn how to protect yourself in war, or you die."
"Useful lessons. I never spent any time in an actual war zone, unless you count the streets of Chicago."
"I miss the intensity. It's addictive. It's hard to live a 'normal' life afterwards."
"I know what you mean." Aaron nodded. "Why do you think I have this job?"
He found the evidence kit on the bottom of the pile, of course. They began putting everything else back.
"Actually, I don't know why," Smythe said. "Your job seems insane. I certainly don't believe all the religious crap."
"You'd still walk away, if you could?"
> "Sure. I never volunteered for this."
"It's interesting the way that worked out," Aaron said. "We needed a teammate with your expertise and here you are."
"Are you suggesting God set me up? Woods' accident was part of some divine plan?"
"I'm making an observation."
"What kind of God kills a man just to force me to join your crazy club?" Smythe stared.
Aaron shrugged and closed the car trunk. They started walking around the hotel.
"Are you religious?" Smythe asked.
"Not very."
"That's a strange answer, coming from somebody who claims he works for God."
"The Gray Spear Society is not a religion," Aaron said. "We don't have long ceremonies or organized prayer. We're just employees of the Almighty."
"But you believe in God."
"I've actually felt His presence and seen His manifestations. But I'm a soldier, not a priest. I honor the Lord by destroying His enemies. That's all He wants from me."
They arrived back at the tree. Marina stared up at the knife with a contemplative expression. It was too high for her to reach from the ground.
"Cute," Smythe said. "The Eternals sure made you two look like idiots."
"I guess the homing beacon wasn't hidden well enough," Marina said. "It was a good idea, though."
"What made you decide to investigate them?"
"We talked to the local fringe lunatics about what was happening at Saint Athanasius," Aaron said.
"I don't get it. The government recruits the best scientists available, sets up a dedicated research laboratory, and accomplishes nothing. Meanwhile, you talk to 'fringe lunatics.'"
"It was Ethel's idea. She has fantastic intuition."
Marina opened the evidence kit and snapped on a pair of rubber gloves. Aaron used his hands to create a step so she could reach the knife.
"Don't touch the hilt," he said. "Try to grab a spot where you won't smudge fingerprints."
She gave him a look. "I know what I'm doing, darling."
She stepped onto his hands, reached up, and grabbed the knife by the guard. Carefully, she worked the blade out of the wood. His arms were getting tired from holding her when she finally freed the knife. The black envelope fell, and she snatched it with her other hand.
She hopped down, still holding both items. He found a couple of plastic bags in the evidence kit, and she deposited the evidence in them.
"Are we going to look inside the envelope?" Smythe said.
"Hold on," Aaron said.
The kit contained a scalpel. He kept the envelope inside the bag as he gently sliced it open, taking care not to touch the evidence with his fingers. Then he took a pair of tweezers from the kit and extracted the contents of the envelope. It was a folded piece of black paper. With her hands still protected by rubber gloves, Marina took the paper by the corners and unfolded it.
"It's blank." She held it up. "I can't see any writing."
Smythe moved in and looked closely. "Shit!" He backed away hastily. "It's poisoned. Close your mouth! Put the paper back in the bag without shaking it. Aaron, don't touch it!"
Marina slipped the paper back into the bag. His heart beating fast, Aaron put everything into the evidence kit.
"Hold up your hands," Smythe said to Marina. "Don't move."
She held up her gloved hands. He peeled off the gloves, starting from the bottom, so that they turned inside-out. He was very careful not to touch the outer surface. He threw the gloves into the evidence kit and kicked it closed with his foot.
"How did you know?" Aaron said.
"I saw a very fine powder." Smythe ran over to the river and rinsed his hands. "These Eternals are more dangerous than I thought. Marina, do you feel OK?"
She nodded. "Fine."
"Wash your hands and face. If you have any symptoms, let me know."
She washed herself in the river. "Thanks. You may have just saved my life."
"Yeah." He furrowed his brow. "I guess you owe me."
"What's our next step?" Aaron said. "We can't give up. Maybe we should call the number again and find out where the Eternals are having their next meeting."
"I bet there won't be another meeting," Marina said. "At least not for a while. They know their recruiting has been compromised."
"What number?" Smythe said.
Aaron took out the Eternals' black business card and handed it to him. "It connects to an answering machine."
Smythe studied the card. "That machine must be somewhere."
"That's a very good point." Marina took the card. "Edward can use this phone number to determine the location. I need to report our status to Ethel, anyway." She took out her phone and stepped away.
"Who is Edward?" Smythe asked quietly.
"Our resident technology geek," Aaron said.
"How big is your team?"
"Marina and I are field operatives, also known as legionnaires. Our assistants are called caculas. We have five in Chicago, each with a technical specialty. They usually stay in headquarters."
Smythe raised his eyebrows. "So, including Ethel, that's eight."
"Nine. You're a legionnaire now."
Smythe clenched his jaw.
Marina finished her conversation a moment later and closed her phone.
"Good news," she said. "Edward got an address. It's in Rockford, Illinois. My orders are to go there alone and investigate."
"What about us?" Aaron said.
"Ethel wants to give Smythe the introduction speech. Take him and the evidence back to headquarters."
"Will you be all right on your own?" He touched her arm.
"Yes." She rolled her eyes. "Don't be so overprotective. You know I hate that."
"I'm sorry." He raised his hands in surrender. "But you'll call if you need help."
"Yes, I'll call! You act like I've never done this before. Let's get out of here, but we need a second car."
He nodded. "I'll steal one."
"I have a better idea! The manager of this motel is still asleep in the office. Take his keys and his car."
"You're still mad about being called a tramp? You can be a vindictive bitch sometimes."
"Yes." She smiled. "It's part of my charm."
Chapter Eleven
Smythe stared at the cars ahead on the Eisenhower expressway, west of Chicago. As usual it was stop and go as far as he could see. He had never seen good traffic on this highway, but at least the weather was pleasantly cool. He hated being stuck in a jam on a hot day.
"How long have you been in the Society?" he asked Aaron.
"A little over a year," Aaron said.
"That's all?"
"Yeah. I was the new guy until you came along."
Smythe hated to admit it, but he was starting to like Aaron. The man had the steady temperament of a veteran. Nothing seemed to upset him, a quality that was very valuable in the heat of battle.
"But I had plenty of training before I joined," Aaron said. "I already told you I was a cop, but that was just part of a colorful life. I was also a private detective and a bouncer. When I was a teenager, I even hung out with a street gang for a while. My specialty was stealing cars."
"What about formal education?"
"I went to Northwestern University for a year, but the college experience didn't work for me. I couldn't sit in stuffy classrooms and listen to dull lectures all day."
"But now you're happy?"
Aaron nodded.
"What about Marina?" Smythe said. "What's her background?"
"She was an international spy."
"Oh?"
"Don't jump to conclusions." Aaron glanced at him. "She worked for the CIA. She's a loyal American, same as you. She investigated the black market in arms in Eastern Europe. Her parents are Russian immigrants, so she speaks the language."
"Why did she quit?"
"She had to do things she hated for people who didn't appreciate her. Eventually, she got tired of the whole deal."
; "I've been there." Smythe nodded.
He had mixed feelings about Marina. She had a body that most women would kill for, and her natural grace made her even more sexually attractive. It was clear why Aaron was fond of her. However, Smythe could tell underneath her beautiful exterior, she was twisted and angry. Her eyes told an ugly story.
"I'll be honest," Aaron said. "She has issues."
"I noticed."
"She's trying to control her temper, but sometimes it gets away from her. My advice is to treat her with respect. If you push her buttons, she'll punch yours, hard."
"You're speaking from experience?" Smythe said.
"I have a few scars. Those black fingernails are razor sharp."
"Then why are you dating her?"
Aaron shrugged. "I'm happy to take the bad with the good. She's incredibly talented. I've never met another woman like her, not even close."
Smythe decided to drop the subject. It wasn't smart to argue with a man about the woman he loved.
The car was finally moving at a more reasonable pace. Aaron drove smoothly in the heavy traffic, seemingly unperturbed by the other cars weaving in front of him.
"Where is headquarters?"
"Downtown," Aaron said. "We'll be there in ten minutes."
"Is there anything I should know before we go in?"
"When Ethel talks, listen. It's always important. Also, the others work for you now. They have to follow your orders, but don't treat them like servants. They are highly skilled professionals who will save your ass someday, if they don't hate you."
Smythe understood. He had heard of soldiers "fragging" their superior officer to settle personal disputes. More commonly, soldiers would simply allow an officer to walk into a lethal situation unawares. On the battlefield it didn't take much effort to make people die.
"That's about it," Aaron said. "Ethel will tell you the rest."
He drove into downtown. Huge buildings shaded the streets and made the day seem darker and colder. He turned onto Lower Wacker Drive.
Smythe had never used this street before. It was like driving in a poorly lit, dirty tunnel that went under the city. Huge concrete pillars ran along both sides. Wacker intersected with other roads, some leading to even lower levels. I'm in the bowels of Chicago, he thought. Garage doors provided access to the basements of buildings.
