by Alex Siegel
"Strange," Katie said.
"Yeah." Ipo nodded. "Check your weapons."
She was reaching under her shirt when five men came running out of the apartment building. They were wearing dark camouflage with a modern digital pattern. They carried Heckler & Koch HK 417 Battle Rifles which had a sleek design but still carried a big punch. The soldiers also had grenades and pistols. Relatively light body armor had obviously been chosen to allow quick movement.
"Shit!" Katie said.
The soldiers piled into the Humvee with the discipline of professionals. Ten seconds later, they were driving off.
Ipo immediately followed them.
"What about the girl?"
"If they had wanted to kill her, she's already dead. We can't let these guys get away!" he said.
Katie grimaced. It was a tough call, and there was a good argument either way.
The Humvee sped away with its headlights off, making it hard to see at night. Ipo was forced to follow closely. The chase continued to the end of the block, and both cars turned the corner.
Two soldiers leaned out of the back windows on both sides. They had their rifles, and they opened fire immediately. Katie screeched and ducked as bullets shattered the windshield of her car. Ipo swerved hard. The car spun and slid sideways into a telephone pole. The airbags deployed, knocking Katie back against her seat.
She heard the roar of the Humvee's engine as it sped off into the night.
"Are you OK?" Ipo said.
She took a breath and heard her own heartbeat in her ears. "I think so. Damn it!"
The airbags were already deflating. There was broken glass all over the seat and dashboard. Steam was coming from the engine, and clearly, the radiator had been punctured.
Ipo got out of the car. "Let's get back to the apartment building."
Katie stepped out, but her wobbly legs forced her to lean against the car for a moment. She would have some pretty bruises in the morning.
"Come on," he said.
He jogged off, and she did her best to follow him.
* * *
"Sir!" a console operator yelled. "The team had some trouble."
Vulture hurried over. The operator was in his forties but was going gray prematurely. He, like all the members of the operational staff, was wearing a red uniform.
"What kind of trouble?" Vulture said.
"An unmarked blue sedan attempted to pursue them as they left. The team opened fire and escaped. No injuries."
Vulture furrowed his brow. "That's disconcerting."
It was possible the Gray Spear Society was already involved. If a benefactor had told the Pythagoreans about the girl, then the Great Adversary could've given His allies the same information. In a way, the brief engagement was encouraging. It suggested the Society didn't know where the girl was either. The enemy was being forced to play catch-up.
"Tell everybody to be on high alert," Vulture said. "It could be an exciting night."
The operator nodded. "Yes, sir."
* * *
By the time Katie and Ipo returned to the blue apartment building, more police had arrived. Four cars were parked in the street, and they had the classic black and white paint jobs.
"Cover story," Ipo said between breaths. They had run the entire way.
"We're still dressed as reporters," Katie said. "We'll go with that."
"Fine."
The sound of people talking drew them to an upstairs apartment. The door was open.
She peeked inside and saw several police officers. Two were on the carpeted floor, both injured, one seriously. Other officers were providing emergency treatment.
A man, a woman, and a young girl were sitting on a white couch. The child matched the description that the witnesses had provided.
"Do you think that's her?" Katie murmured.
"Wesley told us we would know," Ipo said.
"I don't know, so I guess it's not her. Besides, the bad guys didn't kill her. They must believe it's the wrong girl."
A cop came to the doorway. He was Hispanic, and his dark brown hair was cut short. His gut made his dark blue uniform bulge around the middle.
"Hey!" he said. "Get out of here. This is a crime scene."
"We're reporters from the Berkeley Gazette," Katie said.
"I don't care. Go." The officer pointed down the stairway leading to the ground.
"We just have a few questions..."
"Do I have to arrest you? I ordered you to back off! The detective will talk to the media when we have information for you."
Katie and Ipo reluctantly went down. An ambulance with a wailing siren arrived just as they reached the street.
A crowd of curiosity seekers was gathering on the sidewalk, and they were pointing and muttering. The legionnaires moved further away so they could have some privacy.
Ipo took out his phone and called Marina.
"Report," the commander said.
He quickly summarized recent events.
"We were lucky it was the wrong girl," she said. "We were too slow. Obviously, the enemy is listening to the same police channels as us, and it will be a race every time. We have to be the first to arrive, not the second. Tonight could've been a total disaster."
"Yes, ma'am. What are our orders?"
"Go back to the witnesses as quickly as possible, and keep a close eye on them. I may decide to interrogate them after all. Obviously, the enemy is playing hardball, and so should we. Bye."
"Yes, ma'am." Ipo closed his phone and furrowed his brow. "Let's run back to the car."
"But it's wrecked," Katie said.
"The trunk is packed with equipment we might need. We can't just leave it. Come on."
He took off. He was obviously using his gift to make himself lighter and quicker, and she had to press hard to keep up. Fortunately, she was in great shape, and they didn't have far to go.
They ran around a corner and saw their crashed blue sedan. A police car was parked in the middle of the street with its lights flashing. An officer was inspecting the wreck and talking on his radio.
"That's our ride," Ipo said.
"We're going to steal a police car?" Katie said between gasps for breath.
"Didn't I just say that? Marina told us 'as quickly as possible.' Let's handle the cop."
She grimaced and already felt guilty. The forces of good didn't hold up cops and steal their cars, but Marina had explained the Society wasn't necessarily good. They were much more interested in being effective.
Katie approached the officer with a smile. She drew a Beretta Px4 Storm from under her shirt and aimed at his head. A short suppressor was screwed onto the barrel. His eyes widened.
"Hands in the air," she said calmly. "Don't make any sudden moves."
He had a robust build without quite being fat. His round, white face looked sickly under the yellow street lights. A very thin layer of blond hair covered his shiny scalp.
He raised his hands. "What are you doing?"
Ipo grabbed the cop's gun from its holster and tossed it into the bushes. Ipo patted the cop down, discovered a backup piece, and threw it away, too. Ipo also found the keys to the police car. He opened up the trunks of both vehicles and began to transfer the luggage. The legionnaires had brought standard mission supplies in gray duffle bags.
"Don't steal my car," the officer said. "You're going to get into a lot of trouble for this. Think about what you're doing."
Katie nodded towards the telephone pole that the car had crashed into. "Handcuff yourself to that."
He hesitated.
"Listen, I really don't want to hurt you, so obey my instructions. I don't think you want to get killed over a car."
The officer went over to the pole, took out his handcuffs, put his arms around the pole, and cuffed his wrists together. The cuffs looked very loose, so Katie went over to check them.
He abruptly pulled his hands free and tried to grab her gun. Her training kicked in automatically. She swept his hands
aside with her arm, spun, and planted her foot in the side of his head. He collapsed onto the sidewalk, stunned. She dragged him over to the pole and secured his wrists, and this time, the handcuffs were tight.
"Nice," Ipo said.
"Thanks." Katie smiled.
It took him just another moment to finish transferring the luggage. Meanwhile, she took away the cop's radio and cell phone. She made sure he had no easy way to call for help.
The legionnaires sat in the police car, and Ipo drove off. A computer attached to the dashboard forced Katie to sit with her knees to one side.
"Once the word gets out," she said, "this car will be hot. Every police department in the area will be looking for it."
He nodded. "I know. We need to change cars again. Call Min Ho, and he'll make the arrangements."
She raised her eyebrows in surprise. She called Min Ho, and he answered immediately.
"Yes, ma'am?" the hacker said.
"We need a new car, and it has to be somewhere between our location and the witnesses. We're in a hurry."
"I'll text you instructions in a few minutes."
"Thanks." Katie hung up. "That was easy."
Ipo nodded. "We do plan ahead for these kinds of situations."
After five minutes, she received a text message that included an address. Ipo headed in that direction. The instructions also mentioned the new car would cost a thousand dollars in cash.
"You have a thousand dollars on you?" Katie said.
"We have plenty of money in the bags."
The address turned out to be a large high school. It was closed at night, and all the windows were dark. Ipo drove around to a rear parking lot which couldn't be seen from the road. A green Chevy Impala was waiting, and a skinny Mexican man in a white T-shirt stood beside it.
Ipo parked the police car and got out. "Hi. We're here for the car."
The man's eyes widened. "Chingao! Where did you get that?" He looked at the police car.
"We stole it, just like you stole yours. Give me the keys."
The thief handed a set of car keys to Ipo. The legionnaire opened both trunks and began to transfer the luggage again.
The thief leered at Katie. "You're a fine cualquiera with great agarraderas."
"Thanks, I think." She frowned.
She helped Ipo with the luggage. After they were done, they found the duffle bag containing the cash and took out a thousand dollars. Ipo handed the money to the Mexican.
"What about that?" He nodded towards the police car.
"I'd leave it alone if I were you," Ipo said.
He and Katie left in the Chevy. The green vinyl interior was cracked, and it smelled like Thai food.
It took fifteen minutes to return to the brown house where the witnesses lived. The reporters and news vans were gone, and tall street lamps provided the only light. Ipo parked across the street.
"We'd better make sure they're still home," he said.
He looked up and down the street. Then he got out of the car and ran over to the house. Katie sprinted to catch up to the big man.
They crept around the house and peeked in through windows until they spotted the witnesses. The couple was sitting at their kitchen table, but there was no food in front of them. They were just staring at each other with anxious expressions.
"Something is definitely wrong with them," Ipo whispered.
Katie nodded.
Chapter Four
Marina parked the blue BMW under the tent behind headquarters. She and Hanley got out of the car.
She yawned even though it wasn't very late. Driving long distances always wore her out, and she had been all over the Bay tonight.
"What's next, ma'am?" Hanley said.
"We're going to get the truth out of those witnesses."
"Then why did we come home?"
"Because the best interrogator in the world is here," Marina said. "If Wesley is involved, it will take two minutes to get the whole story. We won't need to use torture at all. The problem is his protection team won't be happy about him going out. He's supposed to stay away from danger. This will be a delicate negotiation."
He furrowed his brow. "And you don't have much leverage."
"No. Ultimately, the kid will decide, and he'll blame it on destiny."
The night air was cooler so close to the Pacific Ocean. A steady breeze was blowing to the east, and it chilled her skin. She heard a small animal moving in the bushes.
They walked around to the front of headquarters and entered. Yvonne was in the security booth, which struck Marina as very weird. Her own people were supposed to guard her home. Yvonne was wearing formal gray robes, and the plush fabric softened the bulges of her extreme muscles.
"Hi. Did you talk to everybody you needed to talk to?"
"Mostly," Marina said. "The rest I can deal with over the phone tomorrow. We have an interrogation tonight. I need to borrow Wesley."
Yvonne grimaced. "I don't think that's going to work."
"I'll talk to Charles about it."
"Good luck."
Yvonne pressed a button, and a back door buzzed. Marina and Hanley quickly went through.
Marina looked around the large, open space and saw Min Ho and Jia working at their computers. Marina didn't see Corrie or Imelda, but it was possible they had gone home for the night. If Marina needed them, she could call them back quickly. Everybody on the team lived in Pacifica.
Atalanta and Yang were working together in the back of the room. Wesley's bodyguard was teaching a sword fighting technique to Marina's newest legionnaire. Marina wondered if Yang knew how fortunate he was. Atalanta was one of the top swordsmen on the planet, and a lesson from her was worth a great deal.
Marina walked over for a closer look.
"Hesitation is death," Atalanta said. "Never stop attacking."
She had a gleaming katana in her hands. She moved across the blue workout mats, performing lightning-fast thrusts and slashes, and every attack had lethal power behind it. She was as precise as a robot and as fluid as a cobra. It was hard to believe she was made of mere flesh and blood. Marina had never met a better personification of a "killing machine."
Yang also had a katana. He tried to duplicate the sequence, and Marina expected to be disappointed, but he actually did a fair job. Clearly, he had received expert training in sword-fighting before, but he was still light-years from Atalanta's level.
"Well done," Marina told him. "Take a break."
Yang came over. "Hello, ma'am."
"I'm sorry I haven't spent much time with you. Normally, recruits get a big introductory speech and plenty of time to ask questions. We try to ease them into the Society, but unfortunately, you were dropped into the deep end. Are you OK? Are you starting to settle down?"
"A little. I talked to Jia and a few other people."
"Good. You'll be helping us tonight. We need all hands on deck." Marina faced Atalanta. "Where is Charles?"
Atalanta smirked in an irritating way. "Right in front of you. You can't see him? Is your mind too weak?"
Bitch, Marina thought.
The challenge was before her, and she wasn't about to admit defeat. She started by just looking around. She knew her eyes could see Charles even if her mind refused to. She would locate him by finding the place that felt different.
She identified a spot on the blue couch in the living room. Whenever she tried to focus her eyes in that direction, her attention wandered off. She just couldn't make herself look at that spot for more than a second. Something was there, but it was incomprehensible.
She clenched her jaw and locked her gaze on the target. It took all her mental strength to keep from turning away. The struggle was making her shake, and the muscles in her neck hurt. It had been a long time since she had fought this hard.
Marina began to see a glimmer of something. It was surrounded by rainbows, and the effect reminded her of sunlight striking water mist. The supernatural beauty was both breathtaking and frightening.
Charles described his own gift as "wearing the Cloak of the Lord," and she finally understood what that phrase meant. Looking at him was like looking at the face of God. It was too much for most mortal minds to grasp. To see Charles, she needed enormous courage, profound humility, and a willingness to accept the Lord's infinite nature. She was like a flea standing before an elephant the size of a mountain. Every instinct was telling her to gibber in fear.
Marina smiled because she wasn't afraid of God at all. He was her best friend and frequent companion. The Lord had even saved her life more than once. That realization allowed her to see through the Cloak without great difficulty.
"I've always wondered about that silver cane," she said. "What surprises are hidden inside?"
Charles stood up and walked over. His cane was always in his hand or within easy grasp. It went well with his immaculate gray suit.
"If I told you, they wouldn't be surprises, would they?" he said.
Yang turned his head back and forth. "Where is he? I can't see him!"
"Calm down." Marina patted him on the shoulder. "One day, you'll figure it out."
She looked at Hanley. He was staring at Charles, and the strain was making his face purple. Hanley was clearly close to the same breakthrough as her, but he hadn't quite achieved it yet.
"Do you remember what it felt like when you got your gift?" she said.
He nodded. "Yes, ma'am. Boundless love and power." His body was quivering with effort.
"Hold on to that feeling. Accept God into your heart, even if you can't wrap your mind around the concept. Let your fears and preconceptions go. Allow yourself to perceive His true nature instead of what you think He should be or what you're afraid He might be."
Hanley relaxed, and his face returned to a normal color.
His eyes widened. "Wow! I can see him now. That's incredible!"
Marina smiled.
Charles looked back and forth between them. "Both of you are very impressive. Now, what do you want from me, Marina?"
"I need to borrow Wesley for an hour. We need to interrogate the witnesses from the news report."
"No." He shook his head. "Impossible. Wesley will stay here where it's relatively safe."
