by Alex Siegel
"But they will protect me, right?"
"Yes."
"Then take me to them," Olivia said. "I won't be your problem anymore."
"No. I can't make contact with them. They would destroy Sheila and allow Marina to take over. I might as well kill myself."
"But the Society will be at the exhibit."
"Probably." Marina sighed. "I don't know. Maybe both sides will be there, but I don't have a choice. The exhibit is about Edward."
Olivia looked down.
Marina felt like an icepick had been driven into her skull. She knew she was crazy and getting worse. She had lost the ability to make obvious, rational choices.
"I have to come with you," Olivia said. "Maybe the Society will see me and rescue me."
"What if the people who killed your parents are there? It could be extremely dangerous."
"You'll protect me just like before."
Marina hated this plan. Stupidly risking her own life was one thing, but she couldn't drag Olivia down with her. Even in the depths of Marina's insanity, that fact was clear.
With some difficulty, she said, "There is another option."
"Oh?" Olivia raised her eyebrows.
"I know people in this area, or rather, Marina does. I could ask them for help and protection. We don't have to see the exhibit alone."
"You have friends?"
Marina grimaced. "The person I have in mind isn't really a friend, but he will deal with me."
Olivia gave her a suspicious look.
"Come on." Marina started walking.
* * *
Yang was selecting weapons from the collection in headquarters. The closet had enough military hardware to appease the most rabid gun fetishist. There was everything from palm-sized pistols to RPG's. There was even a device that produced a deadly beam of microwaves. He had no idea how one would even acquire such a thing.
He wasn't in the closet to marvel at the guns. Ipo had prepared a shopping list, and Yang was finding the items and placing them on a cart.
A dozen fragmentation grenades, he thought. He found a green crate with the right markings, and he began to take out grenades.
The sound of footsteps made him turn. Jia entered the weapons closet and closed the door behind her. She was wearing a white silk dress with pink flowers printed on it. The outfit showed off her petit body nicely.
"I came to say goodbye."
"In private?" Yang said.
She ran over, pulled his head down, and kissed him on the lips. He had never seen so much passion in her, and it took a moment for him to recover from the shock. He hugged her while they kissed.
After they finally parted, she said, "Goodbye."
He smiled. "I like the way you say that."
"I wanted to make sure our last moment together was memorable."
"What do you mean? I won't see you again?"
"Every time a legionnaire goes out, he might not come back," Jia said. "I've lost friends before. That was a 'just in case' kiss."
"Oh." Yang frowned. "Well, I expect to come back."
"And I'll be waiting." She gave him another quick kiss.
There was a knock on the door. "What's going on in there?" the legate called from the other side.
Jia squeaked in fear.
"Just getting everything together, ma'am," Yang said. "I'm almost done."
Ipo, Katie, and Hanley had been at the site of the exhibit all morning. Yang would drive the legate and her bodyguard there in a few minutes.
"Hurry up," the legate said. "I want to go."
"Yes, ma'am," Yang said.
"And Jia, stop distracting him. You know better. I hope you won't be so pathetic every time he leaves headquarters."
Jia paled. She opened the door and ran out of the closet.
The legate stood there with a disapproving expression. Her impossibly black eyes seemed to suck the warmth out of the room. A thin layer of darkness clung to her skin.
He swallowed. "I'll be ready to go in five minutes, ma'am."
"Good." She nodded and walked off.
* * *
Marina and Olivia stood in front of a giant orange house. Curved red tiles covered the roof. Heavy curtains prevented anybody from looking through the arched windows.
"This is the home of El Toro," Marina said. "He is perhaps the most powerful criminal in the Bay Area. A large number of other crooks pay tribute to him."
"Oh," Olivia said. "Why will he help us?"
"He owes me for past favors. Just be quiet when we're inside. Let me do all the talking."
They walked up to the front door. Two Mexican men in brown suits were sitting on either side of it. They looked out of shape, but Marina expected they could handle a gun.
"I'm Ms. Couteau," she said. "I need to speak with El Toro at once. He's not expecting me."
One of the men frowned. "I've never heard of El Toro."
"Cut the bullshit. This is important. Tell him I'm here. I know he works at night, so he's probably home."
The Mexican went into the house. A few minutes later, the door opened again, and El Toro was standing there. Bull's horns were tattooed on his gleaming bald head. His thin mustache was shiny as if it had been waxed. He was wearing a white shirt with gold buttons and a tight collar.
"Ms. Couteau," El Toro said in a thick Spanish accent. "You're becoming a frequent visitor."
Marina smiled politely. "May we come in?"
The crime lord ushered her and Olivia into the foyer. The enormous crystal chandelier impressed Marina again. It hung from the center of a plaster painting on the ceiling which showed Jesus and the Virgin Mary.
"Who is the pretty little girl?" El Toro said.
Olivia looked up at him. She was wearing a blue dress, and sunglasses concealed her unusual eyes.
"This is the child you were supposed to help me find," Marina said. "Obviously, I found her, and the deal is off."
He furrowed his brow. "Oh."
"But I have a new deal for you. Same terms as before. We need some protection this evening. We're going into a situation that might be dangerous."
"You need my protection?" El Toro raised his eyebrows. "But you have your own people."
"For reasons I can't disclose, I'm forced to rely on you instead, just this one time."
"How dangerous will this be?"
"That's not clear," Marina said. "It's a public exhibit, but people might be waiting for us. We'll be disguised, of course, but having men with guns around us can't hurt. If you could also create a distraction, that would be helpful. My goal is to get into the exhibit, take a look around, and get out without any trouble."
"What kind of exhibit?"
"A tribute to King Edward of England. It's in a community center surrounded by a big park. Here are your instructions." She handed him a piece of paper covered with hand-written notes. "Three cars with five men each sounds about right. There is an empty field to the west which is being cleared for construction. You'll use that space for the distraction. Plant a bomb with a radio detonator, and give me the detonator."
"This is starting to sound complicated," El Toro said.
"It's for your son," Marina said, "and it will only take a couple of hours. Have your men meet me at 5 PM at the address on the paper. Bye." She headed towards the door.
"Where will you be until then?"
"Preparing our disguises."
Marina and Olivia left the house.
* * *
Vulture was staring at a recent satellite image of the community center where the exhibit would take place. Yellow dots marked where squads of Guardians were posted. They formed a loose semicircle, as close as they could get without being seen. Unfortunately, the building was on the shore of the San Francisco Bay, so the circle couldn't extend to the north side. He couldn't even park a boat in the water because it was protected wetlands.
Vulture turned to the operator responsible for combat. "Is the truck ready?"
"Almost, sir," the opera
tor replied.
He had ordered a delivery truck to be packed with enough explosives to demolish the community center and kill everybody inside. A Guardian would drive it on a suicide mission, but first, they had to make sure the target was there. One of the squads would enter the exhibit after it opened and look for the girl. If she was found, those men would also be sacrificed, and if there was trouble, Vulture could bring in reinforcements from all directions.
He liked the plan. It was simple, flexible, and safe. The worst possible outcome was the girl never showed up. In that case, the Guardians would simply leave. They would be wearing the special radio headsets in case he needed to terminate them, and even if they were captured, they knew nothing.
"Carry on," Vulture said.
"Yes, sir," the operator replied.
* * *
Hanley stared at the murky green water and sighed. As a Navy Seal, he had spent a lot of time in the water, and they weren't all fond memories. He had endured hypothermia many times. The sense of adventure and excitement had faded after the first hour of misery. At least this time, the water wasn't too cold.
He turned to Katie. "Ready to get wet?"
Both of them were wearing black wetsuits and snorkel masks. Weapons and equipment hung from utility belts, and more weapons were on straps across their chests. Waterproof radio headsets would allow them to use their phones while wading in the Bay.
Katie made a face. "I guess."
They slipped into the salty marsh at the south end of the Bay. Cold water seeped through Hanley's wet suit causing him to shudder.
A big, white pelican squawked at him. He automatically looked around for witnesses but didn't see anybody. They were entering the water in a location where some trees provided cover.
The marsh was shallow enough that they could walk on the soft, muddy bottom. Hanley and Katie kept only their heads out of the water as they moved slowly towards the community center in the distance. The low, white building was about a quarter-mile away.
"This plan didn't seem so complicated when we first came up with it," Katie said.
"I know," Hanley said, "and there's a good chance Marina won't even show up."
"If she sees the ads, she'll come. I remember what the lie was like. It infected my brain and compelled me to ignore common sense. She may even realize it's a trap, and it won't matter. I'm more worried about a lot of civilians showing up. We didn't skimp on the marketing."
Hanley had the same concern. The plan was to spot Marina and Olivia, quietly snatch them, and get them home. The public didn't need to see a thing. He expected the reality would be a lot messier.
He tried not to make any noise as he pushed through the cold water. The chill failed to quench the burning sensation in his gut.
Chapter Twenty
Marina looked at herself in a mirror with a critical eye. Her hair had been bleached, dyed, cut, and permed. She now had wavy brown hair designed to make her look like a man. She had even trimmed her eyelashes.
Not bad, she thought.
She turned to Olivia who was still getting her hair done. They were in a beauty salon. Six purple chairs stood in front of large, lighted mirrors. Purple swirls on the white walls created a jazzy effect.
Marina wished their time together didn't have to end, but she sensed their adventure was about to reach a climax.
The stylist finished working on Olivia. Her haircut was the same as Marina's, and they looked like father and son. Olivia checked herself in the mirror just as Marina had.
"I look like a boy," Olivia whined.
"That's the point," Marina said. "Come on. Let's finish getting ready. It's almost show time."
After paying, they went outside. The air in Sunnyvale had grown very warm during the day. Marina retrieved a shopping bag full of new clothes from their black Escalade. They hurried across the parking lot of a strip mall to a clothing store. Marina and Olivia went into a dressing room together.
Marina changed while Olivia tried to stay out of the way. Marina first stripped off her clothes and weapons. She wrapped stretchy bandages around her chest to squash down her breasts. She taped padding to her shoulders and gut to create a more masculine profile. She strapped her guns back on, and finally, she put on a white shirt, a blue suit, and a tie.
"How do I look?"
"Like my dad," Olivia said.
Marina had a few other small items to add to her wardrobe. She had purchased a set of lock picks, and she taped them to the back of her shirt where her jacket would cover them. She also tucked away some knives with flat handles and thin, flexible blades. They were placed in locations where a normal pat down wouldn't find them. Now she was properly dressed.
"Your turn," she said.
Marina helped the girl transform herself into a boy. Olivia put on jeans and a cowboy shirt. Even though she was prepubescent, a little padding in the right spots made a big difference.
"Now for the yucky part," Marina said. "Hold still. You don't want this in your eyes."
She took a big tub of light brown makeup from the shopping bag. She used her finger to apply the makeup to all of Olivia's exposed skin.
"It's sticky," Olivia said.
"It should dry in a few minutes. It's designed to stay put."
Marina went over Olivia twice to make sure she didn't miss any spots. When Marina was done, Olivia looked Hispanic. The last piece of Olivia's disguise was a pair of tinted glasses.
"Do you want to do my face?" Marina knelt down and gave Olivia the makeup.
Olivia smiled a little as she painted Marina's face. Her little hands worked quickly.
"Don't try to change my feelings," Marina said.
"I won't." Olivia paused. "Tell me about the Gray Spear Society. Are they nice?"
Marina snorted. "I wouldn't say that. Their job is to protect. They do very nasty things to bad people."
"Oh."
"Don't worry. They'll be nice to you." She patted Olivia on the arm.
Marina took over the job of applying makeup to herself. She looked in a mirror and made sure the coating was nice and even. She had paid for the good stuff, and the coloring appeared natural. She also used a piece of charcoal to make her eyebrows appear a bit bushier and to emphasize the creases in her forehead. She darkened the bags under her eyes. Finally, she gave herself 5 o'clock shadow with just a light dusting of charcoal.
"You're good at this," Olivia said.
"I'm an expert," Marina said. "I think we're ready to meet our escorts. Hopefully, they won't keep us waiting."
She stuffed the old clothes into the shopping bag, and they left the clothing store. They climbed into the Escalade and drove off.
It was a short drive to the rendezvous point. Marina parked in the lot of a convenience store with the front of the car pointing towards the exit. She left the engine running.
She unconsciously reached for her phone to check the time, but she didn't have one. She wasn't wearing a watch either.
After a few minutes, three identical cars entered the lot. They were classic Thunderbirds painted green with white stripes. The engines rumbled like angry lions. Each car held five men wearing black T-shirts.
"That's inconspicuous," Marina said.
The cars parked in a line. She hopped out and walked over to one of the drivers.
She spoke to him through his open window. "You're escorting me."
The Mexican driver widened his eyes in surprise. "You're a woman?"
"Yes, and you're supposed to give me a radio detonator."
There was some discussion in Spanish. Eventually, Marina was given the remote control for a model airplane.
"Turn it on and press up on the throttle," one of the men explained.
Marina nodded. "Follow me." She hurried back to her own car and climbed in.
"Is everything OK?" Olivia said.
"Not really, but it's as good as it will get."
Marina drove away, and the three Thunderbirds followed right behind her.
/> She kept her eyes open as she approached the public park where the King Edward exhibit was taking place. She had done her homework and knew the park contained a swimming pool, an outdoor amphitheater, picnic areas, baseball fields, and of course, a community center. The park was at the northern edge of Sunnyvale where the city met the Bay.
There was one parking lot with just one entrance, so Marina was forced to enter that way. She proceeded slowly, looking from side to side. A wooden sign read, "Special Event: King Edward the Eighth. One night only."
"It's the right place," Marina said. "Watch for trouble."
"OK," Olivia replied nervously.
The large parking lot was only one third full, but it was still more cars than Marina wanted to see. Having civilians around would complicate the situation, but on the other hand, it would help conceal her.
She didn't see any obvious threats. If any hostile parties were here, they were keeping a low profile, at least so far. She hoped they stayed out of sight.
Marina parked and got out. She could really smell the marshlands of the nearby wildlife refuge, and the odor reminded her of mulch.
Olivia jumped to the ground and ran around to join Marina. The girl grasped Marina's hand with a firm grip.
The fifteen Mexican gangsters also got out of their cars. They came over in a disorganized group, chatting casually in Spanish. Marina frowned at their lack of discipline.
"Is everybody armed?" she asked.
The men nodded. She could see gun bulges under the shirts of many of them.
"OK," Marina said. "Your instructions are simple. Stay close but not too close. Don't attract attention. I don't want it to be obvious I have an escort. If a fight breaks out, do what comes naturally."
The gangsters gave each other sidelong looks and appeared amused. They made a few comments in Spanish, and she recognized enough of the language to realize they weren't flattering. She wasn't too concerned. Their job was simply to be a distraction if there was trouble, so she and Olivia could escape.
"Come on," Marina said.
Everybody crossed the parking lot to reach the actual park. They walked along a path bordered by trees, and she was surprised trees could grow at all. She expected the ground water was highly saline so close to the Bay.
