by Alex Siegel
As soon as she touched his forehead, he visibly relaxed. He sat on a chair with a dreamy smile. Marina nodded with appreciation of the girl's powerful gift.
"Whoa," he said. "Suddenly, I feel strange."
"Let's talk about the murder of Tom and Jessica Bellar," Marina said. "What do you know about it? How is the investigation going?"
"Badly. The murderer left no clues behind. Aside from the daughter, it appears nothing was stolen. Our only hypothesis is the motive was kidnapping, but why were the parents killed? It makes no sense."
Marina realized she knew the answers to those questions. She knew a lot of things she hadn't told Olivia, but those memories belonged to Marina, not Sheila. If she opened that door, she might not be able to close it again. To protect the Sheila identity, Marina had to at least pretend ignorance.
"What about the five men who were killed by the Bay yesterday?" Marina said.
Brown shook his head. "That case is completely stalled, too. The victims had no identification and were very heavily armed. It's incredible that they were all killed so easily. The killer was described as a woman with red hair, and she was carrying a girl. It's possible the child was Olivia Bellar. They left in a red limousine."
Marina noticed another man looking at them. He was standing a long distance away, but he could see the meeting through the glass wall. He was wearing a police uniform. He was trying to appear disinterested, but she wasn't fooled. The bad guys have an informant, she thought. I should've known.
"Thank you," Marina said. "You haven't been helpful, but I appreciate the effort nonetheless. Keep up the good work."
She reached over and stuck her fingernail into his neck. She injected a light dose of venom before he could swat her hand away. After a few seconds, he closed his eyes and slumped over.
"Were you born with those fingernails?" Olivia said.
"No, I... I..."
Marina stopped herself. God had given her the fingernails as a reward for exemplary service and to help her fight His enemies. She pushed aside that powerful, dangerous memory just like all the others.
"I don't know," she said finally. She noticed the spy was gone. "We have to get out of here before there is trouble."
Marina took Olivia's hand, and they walked out of the conference room. They headed back to the car, but after going just halfway, Marina stopped.
"What?" Olivia looked up at her.
"The enemy will be here in a few minutes. I want to see what they look like, but it will be risky. If you're scared, we can just go."
The girl furrowed her brow. After a moment, she said, "I feel safe with you. I'll stay."
"You're brave. Good. Now let's find a place where we can observe."
* * *
Vulture was sipping a cup of coffee as he stood in the command and control room. Tiredness was interfering with his ability to focus. He hadn't slept well. He had fucked Sheila twice last night in an attempt to settle his nerves, but it had only helped a little. The feeling of pressure continued to grow as the mission wore on.
"Sir!" a console operator said. "Our contact in the Marin County Sheriff's Office is reporting something suspicious. The lieutenant in charge of homicide had a meeting with a woman and a girl. After they left, the lieutenant was unconscious."
Vulture raised his eyebrows. "Did he describe the woman or the girl?"
"They had black hair but otherwise, it seems like they're the ones we're after. The girl was wearing sunglasses indoors."
Vulture pursed his lips as he contemplated. Bringing the girl along for the meeting with the lieutenant had been risky and pointless. Vulture couldn't imagine why the Gray Spear Society would do something like that. The woman had to be part of a different group or working alone. Who is she? he wondered.
"Send one of the squads of Guardians," he said. "I'm sure the enemy is long gone, but it can't hurt for our guys to look around. Tell them to be extremely cautious and to wear their headsets at all times."
"Yes, sir," the console operator replied.
* * *
"Over here, sir!" Min Ho yelled. "I have something."
Ipo jogged over to the computer area, and Hanley, Katie, and Yang joined him. Everybody had been waiting for something to happen, so they came at once.
"Lieutenant Scott Brown of the Marin County Sheriff's Department was found unconscious in a conference room," Min Ho said. "He's the lead investigator for the murders in Marin. I managed to grab some interesting surveillance footage."
A video appeared on his computer monitor. It showed a woman and a girl leaving a conference room. The woman was obviously Marina, but she had dyed her hair black. She was wearing a long, brown dress. The girl was Olivia but she had also dyed her hair, and sunglasses covered her unusual eyes. They walked swiftly out of the camera frame.
"They look good," Hanley said.
Ipo turned. Hanley had a red handprint on his face thanks to Atalanta.
"But going to see the lieutenant was dangerous and pointless," Ipo said. "I don't understand what Marina thinks she's doing. She knows exactly why those murders happened. She committed most of them."
"I understand," Katie said. She had a cut lip from the fight with Atalanta. "I remember how the lie affected me. She's creating mental partitions to avoid inner conflict. She won't let herself recall important facts, and it will get worse."
Ipo grimaced and looked at Min Ho. "When was this video taken?"
"Fifteen minutes ago, sir," Min Ho said.
"Damn. Marina is gone by now."
Min Ho's computer chimed. He clicked a few keys and said, "Another thing, sir. The legate will be landing in San Francisco in twenty minutes. She wants you to pick her up at the executive terminal."
A chill went down Ipo's spine. "Only twenty minutes? Shit. Bye." He ran out of headquarters.
Chapter Sixteen
Marina was standing in the County Assessment Office. Long lines of people were waiting to talk to clerks, so her presence wasn't drawing attention. Olivia was sitting on a couch by herself. For a nine year-old, the kid was remarkably quiet and disciplined. Other children in the room were causing a lot more trouble.
Marina could see through a window into the main corridor of the building, and she noticed a group of five men. They were wearing white business suits, white shirts, and white shoes. Only red belts provided any color. They were walking in a column with synchronized footsteps like marching soldiers. They had short, military-style haircuts. Bulky radio headsets covered their right ears and had integrated microphones.
Marina leaned against the glass. The SAS operatives in the forest battle had worn the same kind of headsets. The enemy had arrived.
She watched the men approach the part of the building where the Sheriff's department was located. They spread out in an obvious search pattern.
"Olivia," she murmured. "Get over here."
Olivia trotted over. Marina pointed through the window at the men in white.
"Why are they dressed that way?" Olivia said.
"We'll find out. Stay out of sight until they leave."
After fifteen minutes, the men seemed to grow bored with their search. They formed a column again and marched back the way they had come.
"You're sure you want to do this?" Marina said.
Olivia nodded but looked fearful.
Marina patted her on the head. "Stay right behind me. If I run, you run."
Marina slipped out of the Assessment Office and followed the men. Their bright white suits made them easy to pick out in the crowd. It was an idiotic way to dress for an assignment that demanded discretion, and she decided they couldn't be professionals.
Olivia stayed with Marina step for step. The girl had natural grace and quickness, and with some training, she would probably make a decent fighter.
They followed the men out to the parking lot. The column broke up when they reached a white SUV.
"Stay hidden," Marina told Olivia. "Come when I whistle."
Olivia
nodded and crouched behind a car.
Marina ran towards the SUV. The crowded parking lot provided plenty of good cover, and she wasn't visible until the last instant. She drew her Ruger SR9 and fired through the window, killing the driver on the far side. Three more quick shots took out the passengers in back. Only one man in front was left alive. The suppressor on her gun kept the noise down, but it was still annoyingly loud. Fortunately, there were no witnesses around to hear it.
The survivor reached inside his jacket.
"Don't," Marina said as she aimed her gun at him, "or you'll get the same as your friends. Hands on the dashboard where I can see them."
He glared at her but complied with the order. Her gun was just a foot from his head, and she couldn't possibly miss.
Marina whistled loudly without taking her eyes off her enemy. Olivia ran over. She made a squeaking noise when she saw the bloody corpses.
The man in the white suit stared at Olivia with wide eyes. "It's the devil girl!" he cried. "Get back foul beast!"
Marina frowned. She yanked open the door of the SUV and gave him a quick dose of venom. It wasn't enough to knock him out, but he would be paralyzed and groggy for a few minutes. He slumped forward onto the dashboard with his eyes open.
She lifted Olivia so the girl could touch the man's forehead. He relaxed even more, but just to be safe, Marina backed up and covered him with her gun. Olivia cowered behind Marina's legs.
"Start again," Marina said. "Who are you?"
"We are the Guardians of the Pit," the man mumbled. It sounded like his mouth was full of marbles. "We protect the Earth from the spawn of Hell. The angel Uriel inspires us."
"How lovely for you. What do you know about this girl?"
"She will be the bride of Satan and the mother of the Man of Sin. We were summoned to destroy her."
"Summoned by whom?" Marina said.
"He is known as the Vulture. He revealed the truth onto us."
"Describe him."
"Tall and handsome," he said. "A brown beard across the bottom of his chin. Scar on his nose. A powerful voice, like honey for the ears. It seemed to make the air vibrate. I've never heard anything like it."
She recognized the description of King Edward, but the man had called him the Vulture. She was very confused. Edward couldn't possibly be her enemy. She staggered backwards, suddenly overcome by a splitting headache.
* * *
"Sir!" a console operator yelled. "You'd better get over here!"
Vulture ran over. The operator was responsible for the secure communications system. It used satellites, encryption, and obscure radio frequencies to prevent tracing.
"What?"
"I'm picking up something strange," the operator said. "One of the Guardians we sent to the Marin County Civic Center is talking on his headset. He's describing you, sir."
Vulture's eyes widened. "Terminate him! Terminate the whole squad immediately!"
* * *
The man's headset exploded, spraying brains across the windshield of the car. The concussion momentarily stunned Marina, but she wasn't injured. The blast had been small and focused.
She forced herself to move despite a ringing in her ears and a dull feeling in her head. She looked into the car and saw the other four men had suffered the same fate. They were doubly dead, and the interior of the car looked like a slaughterhouse.
Olivia was screaming. Marina scooped up the girl and ran.
* * *
"Damn it!" Vulture said. "I told them to be careful! Amateurs!"
The command and control room was very quiet. The operators kept their noses in their own business.
"Do you have a recording of the conversation you picked up on the headset?" Vulture added.
"Yes, sir," the console operator said. He clicked a few keys.
Vulture heard the short conversation through computer speakers. It sounded like the Guardian had spilled his guts without even being coerced. A woman's voice was barely audible, and she didn't say anything interesting. She was probably the woman who was protecting Olivia.
"Do those idiots know how to keep their fucking mouths shut?" Vulture said angrily.
"Maybe the enemy used a drug on him," the operator suggested.
"Maybe." Vulture snarled. "Let me talk to Gabriel."
The operator typed on his keyboard and then handed a standard headset to Vulture.
Vulture slipped it over his head. "Hello?"
"This is Gabriel," a man answered.
"This is Vulture. Five of your men just died because at least one of them was blabbing to the enemy."
"I'm sure that's not true, sir."
"I heard it!" Vulture yelled. "And they were probably spotted in the Civic Center. If this is the level of professionalism I can expect in the future, I might as well send you home now. You're useless to me. By the way, what were your men wearing?"
"I imagine the standard white suits, sir. As clean and bright as our faith. That's how we always dress among civilians."
Vulture put his face in his hands. "Are you familiar with the concept of a covert operation? You're fighting Satan's minions! Stop dressing like dorks!"
Gabriel paused. "I'll talk to my men. I'll caution them."
"That might be a good idea."
Vulture ripped off the headset, threw it to the floor, and stormed off.
* * *
Marina was driving on a road. She didn't know which road or even which direction she was headed, but it didn't matter. She just needed to be somewhere else.
Hills covered with dense forest were on her right, and single-story homes of varying quality were on her left. She wondered what it was like to live in those ordinary houses. She had never led an ordinary life, not even close.
Olivia was curled up in the back seat, sobbing pitifully. She hadn't stopped crying since the ugly scene in the parking lot.
"Calm down," Marina said. "You're OK. Both of us survived."
Olivia sniffled. "You heard that man. I'm a horrible freak, the bride of Satan. That's why they want to kill me. My parents died because of me!" She cried even harder.
"That's not true."
Olivia sobbed.
"Listen," Marina said in a stern voice. "None of this is your fault. You have no reason to feel guilty. I don't even think there is a Satan, at least not in the classic sense."
"I'm a monster!" Olivia wailed. "My eyes aren't even the same color."
"So what."
"I'm evil!"
Marina rolled her eyes. She pulled over to the shoulder and parked with two wheels in the weeds. She moved to the back seat of the black Escalade and sat beside Olivia.
"Pay attention," Marina said softly.
Olivia continued to weep pathetically.
"Look at me!"
Olivia looked up with bloodshot eyes.
"I've met real monsters," Marina said. "Creatures that kill in the blink of an eye. I've seen horrors that would shatter your little mind. I've fought a thousand forms of evil. Babe, you can do an interesting trick, but you're barely scary. This mess is not your fault."
Olivia broke down again. It seemed the message wasn't getting through.
Marina wrapped her arms around the girl and held her instead. The warm hug was clearly more effective than words. After a few minutes, Olivia calmed down a little.
"I am scary," she said with snot running down her face.
"Not to me."
"I can make people angry. I can make them feel fear. I can make them wish they were dead."
Marina paused. "I'll keep that in mind."
They continued to hold each other. Slowly, Olivia relaxed, and Marina gazed at her face. The girl was so beautiful.
"That man claimed he took orders from a guy named Vulture," Marina said quietly, "but the description sounded exactly like King Edward. How is that possible?"
Olivia looked up at her. "Maybe it was a mistake."
"I don't think so."
Marina frowned. She decided t
o put the mystery aside until she learned more. Edward couldn't be the one behind all the trouble. He was a good king.
She sighed loudly. "I can't do this anymore."
"Do what?"
"Living in 2014. It's too hard for me. I'm fighting for control of my own mind and body. I'm being torn apart from the inside. I need to go home."
Olivia furrowed her brow. "Where?"
"1936. I have to go back to when the world made sense. I have to see Edward again."
Olivia frowned.
"It must be possible," Marina said. "I came here, didn't I? I'll figure it out."
"What about me? Who will take care of me?" Olivia looked down with fresh tears on her cheeks.
Marina shook her head. "I don't know. I can't talk about this. It hurts my brain too much. I think our next stop will be an expert on the physics of time travel. Maybe science can put me back where I belong." Marina kissed Olivia on the forehead. "Doesn't that sound interesting?"
"No."
"I'm sorry, but I have to do this. I don't expect you to understand."
Marina returned to the driver's seat and drove off.
* * *
Ipo watched the private jet of the legatus legionis of North America land at San Francisco International Airport. The legate's personal aircraft was an awesome sight. It had started life as a B-1B bomber, and from the needle-sharp nose to the angled tail fins, the fuselage was 150 feet long. The wings could pivot forward for normal flight or sweep back for supersonic speeds. Four jet engines hung low and close together beneath the fuselage. He expected an assortment of missiles and bombs were hidden inside. A black and gray paint job made it even more intimidating.
Ipo sighed nervously.
The jet taxied over to the section of the airport where private planes were kept. A separate terminal on the north side of the runway served overpaid executives who could afford their own aircraft. It was a nice facility with two huge hangers, but he didn't see any jets as big as the legate's, and certainly, none looked as fierce.
As soon as the jet stopped, the ground crew drove a stairway over to the hatch. Ipo wondered what the locals thought about a bomber landing in their airport.
