by Alex Siegel
She still didn't see any sign of danger. The weather was extremely pleasant with the nearby water moderating the heat of the day. The sun was low in the sky. There were baseball fields, but no games were being played at the moment.
The community center was just a square, white building. Banners advertised the presence of the King Edward exhibit. Strangely, the face of Edward as portrayed on the banners didn't match what Marina had seen on the yacht. She saw Aaron's face in the background images again, and this time, she didn't think the exact likeness was a coincidence. The Gray Spear Society was sending a message.
She had no interest in receiving that message. The Society was as dangerous to her as the men who were trying to kill Olivia.
The lure of Edward compelled Marina to move forward. She found the exhibit in the front of the building, and it was even more than she had hoped for. Glass cases contained hundreds of artifacts that looked authentic. She wandered through the large room.
She saw Edward's uniform from when he had served in the British Army during World War I. The uniform was handsome but smaller than she expected. She saw the scarf he had worn as a military pilot. There were medallions celebrating his investiture as the Prince of Wales. There was a tuxedo and top hat from the 1920's. An elephant gun from an African safari looked like something from a cartoon.
The exhibit was delightful, but as Marina walked, she became increasingly distressed. None of these items were familiar at all. Even Edward's face wasn't what she remembered. The inescapable fact was that she knew absolutely nothing about the king. She wasn't much of a consort. With a shock, she realized she didn't even know his last name.
Plenty of other people had come to see the exhibit. They were dressed in casual clothes and showed only mild interest in general. Marina found it easy to blend in. She simply moved with the crowd and made sure Olivia was nearby. The Mexican gangsters scattered themselves around the room and only occasionally glanced at Marina.
She noticed a man wearing a radio headset. He was a big guy, and at first glance, she assumed he was security for the exhibit. He was definitely more interested in the crowd than the items on display. He was wearing a nice red shirt, a jacket, and slacks. She looked again, and she realized it was the same type of military headset she had seen on the men in the parking lot of the Marin County Civic Center. His high level of alertness also made her suspicious. He was expecting trouble.
Marina casually surveyed the room. She discovered a total of five men with the same headsets.
She leaned down and whispered in Olivia's ear. "The enemy is here. Don't react. Act natural."
"Where?" Olivia glanced to either side.
"The guys with the big headsets."
"Oh. What about the Gray Spear Society?" Olivia whispered.
Marina took a long, hard look at the crowd. "I don't see them."
* * *
Ipo frowned at the surveillance monitors. Hidden cameras were placed throughout the exhibit, allowing him to see the crowd from all angles without exposing himself. Every square inch of the room was covered.
"This isn't good," he muttered.
He turned to the legate. She and her bodyguard were with Ipo in a small office in the community center. The office had been converted into an ad hoc security booth.
She stared at the monitors. "I count fifteen Mexicans, and at least half of them are armed."
"The guys with the headsets concern me a lot more, ma'am. That's our enemy. The SAS soldiers wore the same type of headsets. I have no idea who the Mexicans are. Unless..."
"What?"
"Marina knows the top crime bosses in the area," Ipo said. "She definitely has a relationship with El Toro, and his gang is Hispanic. She could've asked him to provide her with an escort. At some level, she must realize this exhibit was meant for her, and that it's a very dangerous situation. Even if she's insane, she would take precautions."
The legate grunted. "That make sense, but then she must be here. Where?"
Ipo took another hard look at the monitors. Marina was a master of disguise, so finding her in a moving crowd wouldn't be easy.
"There!" The legate pointed at a Hispanic man on a monitor. "I recognize the structure of her face, and the green in her eyes is unique."
Ipo leaned in. The man had a boy with him.
"That must be Olivia," Ipo said. "Those are excellent disguises."
"I'll talk to her," the legate said, "by myself."
Boreas raised his eyebrows. "Without me, ma'am? But that room is full of threats."
"She's in a very fragile state of mind. We worked together for many years, and she trusts me. Our best chance is a quiet conversation between just me and her. Begin the lockdown in case she tries to run anyway."
"Yes, ma'am."
She left the office.
Ipo took out his phone and called Yang.
* * *
Yang's phone hummed softly. He checked the caller ID and saw Ipo's code number.
"Yes?" Yang answered.
"They're here," Ipo said. "Friends and enemies alike. Put up the gate, and watch for trouble."
"Got it. Bye."
Yang put his phone away and crawled out of a hole in the dirt. A screen made of branches and leaves covered the hole, making it invisible from the road. He was near the entrance to the parking lot.
He pulled a heavy chain out of the hole and dragged it across the entrance. He locked it to thick trees on both sides. The chain was suspended at the right height to catch a car in the grill. Sharp steel hooks hanging from the chain would catch and tear sheet metal. Warning signs were also attached to the chain.
Yang scattered caltrops to create an additional barrier. They had four hollow spikes which would puncture and deflate even self-sealing tires.
There, he thought. Nobody is getting in or out.
The final item he dragged out of the hole was a .50 caliber Browning Machine Gun. The massive weapon was too big to fire while holding in his arms. He placed it on its tripod behind the cover of a bush so nobody would see the gun from the road. Bullets were fed from a box on the side.
Yang got into firing position with a grin on his face. The Gray Spear Society had fantastic toys. He chambered a round. Let the enemy come.
* * *
"Any word, yet?" Vulture said.
"No, sir," the combat operator replied.
His lanky body was slouched in his chair. His red uniform was rumpled and had a coffee stain on the collar. It had been a long, tiring afternoon for everybody, but Vulture had allowed his command and control staff to have only short breaks. Even he had been standing for most of the day, and his knees hurt.
A live feed from an aerial reconnaissance drone was being shown on a wall monitor. Vulture had managed to acquire the drone on short notice. It was small, unarmed, and flying at low altitude, but the intelligence it provided was priceless. He would be able to see everything that happened around the community center. The level of detail was such that he could make out individual faces, and the camera could even function at night. The drone had enough stealth features to avoid easy detection.
He watched the feed with great interest.
* * *
"I don't see any familiar faces," Marina whispered. "Maybe the Society isn't here."
Olivia sighed unhappily. "Then can we go, please? This place is very dangerous for me."
"In a minute."
Marina had to admit the exhibit had been more unsettling than satisfying. She felt no closer to meeting her beloved Edward again or returning to her own time. Seeing all the historical artifacts had only reminded her how distant those goals were. Nothing was familiar.
She remembered her conversation with the man in the parking lot of the Marin County Civic Center. He had described Edward but had called him Vulture. Were they the same man? Was it possible she had been running from her lover all this time? The idea intrigued her. Her problem could have a simple solution after all, and she was desperate for any glimmer of hope,
no matter how slight.
She spotted Ethel approaching. The legate was a black woman with tightly curled hair the color of fresh snow. Mirrored sunglasses covered her eyes, but Marina knew her pupils were infinitely deep pits of darkness. Ethel moved with unnatural, jerky quickness. She was wearing a shiny gray suit.
"Oh, shit," Marina murmured.
"What?" Olivia said.
"My boss is here."
Marina was twitching with anxiety. Running from Ethel was insanely stupid but fighting her was even worse. She always carried silver-plated machetes which she used to dissect her enemies alive. She was so fast, Marina would have no chance to defend herself. She had seen Ethel butcher entire rooms full of men.
Ethel got close enough to speak without being overheard. "It's good to see you alive and well, Marina."
Marina stiffened. "My name is Sheila."
"So I've heard." Ethel made a bitter face. She knelt down in front of Olivia. "And you must be the child who has caused so much bother. Let me see your eyes."
Olivia removed her glasses, revealing her black and white eyes. The legate took off her own glasses, and Olivia gasped.
"You see?" Ethel said softly. "We all have something to hide. You're among friends now."
"You're not my friend," Marina said.
Ethel stood up and stared at her. Even though they had worked together for a long time and had been as close as family, the legate's gaze still intimidated Marina.
"I am your friend," Ethel said softly. "You just have to remember."
"That life belonged to Marina. I'm Sheila."
Ethel snarled and turned her attention back to Olivia. "Do you have any special abilities, darling?"
"She has a form of mind control," Marina said. "She can change a person's mood, attitude, or emotions. She just has to touch their head."
"Very impressive." Ethel nodded.
"You got your prize. Now let me go."
"Marina, listen to me. The enemy has infected your mind, but you have the strongest will of anybody I've ever met. You can heal yourself. You just have to let go of the lie. Let go of Sheila. She doesn't exist."
Ethel's words were causing Marina to feel unbearable pain. She grimaced.
Ethel continued, "I know you won't fail me. You'll win just like all the times before. Try, for me."
Marina had to get away but just running wouldn't work. Ethel was too fast, and no doubt the rest of the San Francisco team was here to back her up. Marina needed to create a distraction to cover her escape.
She looked at the Mexican gangsters, and then she looked at the five men wearing radio headsets. Finally, she looked at the detonator in her hand. It would set off a bomb in a nearby empty field. She smiled in a crooked manner.
"Marina," Ethel said softly, "calm down. Whatever you're planning, don't do it."
"You have three seconds to get Olivia to safety," Marina said.
"Marina..."
"Two."
Ethel hesitated for another split second. Then she scooped up Olivia and ran as only the legate could. She was out of the room in a flash.
"Olivia Bellar is here!" Marina yelled. "Olivia Bellar is here!"
The five men wearing headsets drew guns from under their shirts. An instant later, the gangsters drew their own weapons. Women screamed in fright.
Marina turned on the detonator and pressed the throttle switch. An explosion rattled the windows, and she could feel it through her feet. Dust drifted down from the ceiling.
The crowd ran for the door, and she allowed herself to be swept along. She heard gunshots as the gangsters and the men in headsets began to kill each other.
* * *
"Sir!" a console operator yelled. "Something is happening!"
Vulture looked up at the wall monitor. A live surveillance feed from an aerial drone showed rising smoke. A detonation had occurred in an empty field not far from the community center. A second later, a crowd of panicked civilians started to spill out of the front door.
The operator pressed his headphones against his ears. "There is a gun battle inside the building. The girl might be there. Somebody yelled her name."
"Send the truck!" Vulture said. "Send the truck now!"
"Yes, sir."
The operator spoke rapidly into his headset.
The truck full of explosives was two minutes away. Vulture clenched his jaw. It was going to be a long two minutes.
* * *
Ipo and Boreas met the legate just outside the exhibit hall. She was carrying the girl in her arms, and even though the legate was very strong for a woman her age, she was struggling with the load. Ipo immediately took Olivia from her. As he held the girl, her remarkable black and white eyes looked up at him. She was frightened, but she didn't squirm.
"Get her to safety!" the legate yelled. "Use the Rover!"
"Where should I take her, ma'am?" Ipo said. "Headquarters? That's what Wesley wanted."
The legate furrowed her brow. "Sure. I'm going after Marina."
Ipo ran off with his precious cargo in his arms. He knew the regular entrance to the parking lot was impassible, so he went out the back door of the community center. A four-wheel drive, green Rover with bulletproof windows was parked there. The team had anticipated the need to escape under adverse conditions.
Ipo put Olivia in the back seat. "Buckle your seatbelt," he told her. "This could get bumpy." He slammed the door.
He took out his phone and called Hanley. Ipo looked out at the Bay but couldn't see Hanley or Katie hiding in the water.
Hanley answered immediately, "We saw an explosion."
"That was Marina," Ipo said.
"Huh?"
"I got the girl, and we're leaving. Cover my escape."
"What about Marina?" Hanley said.
"The legate went after her. I have to go." Ipo hung up the phone.
He climbed into the Rover, started the engine, and drove east. He went straight across open fields of grass and baseball diamonds at high speed. The excellent suspension absorbed the worst of the bumps.
"Who are you?" Olivia chirped in a scared, little voice.
"Ipo."
"That's a funny name."
"It's Hawaiian," Ipo said.
"Are you going to keep me safe?"
"I'll do my very best. Now be quiet. I need to focus."
* * *
Vulture spotted a green SUV fleeing across open fields behind the community center. The aerial surveillance showed it bouncing over uneven terrain. It was headed east.
"Get that car!" he yelled.
"We'll mobilize the Guardians, sir," an operator replied.
"Yes. Send them all. Get everybody moving. And where the hell is that explosive truck?"
"Ten seconds, sir."
* * *
Yang heard a roar and turned to look. A military cargo truck was coming up the road at high speed. It clearly intended to ram the chain protecting the entrance to the park. The big, green truck probably had the mass and momentum to bust through. A heavy steel grill protected the front. The caltrops would puncture the tires, but that might not be enough to stop the truck entirely.
As a Marine, Yang had guarded American bases throughout the Middle East and Southern Asia. He instantly recognized the behavior of a suicide bomber. There was a big crowd of people in the parking lot and more in the community center. If he didn't stop the truck, many if not most of them would be killed. On the other hand, if he shot the truck, it might detonate and kill him.
He didn't hesitate. He mashed the fire button on his Browning Machine Gun and poured a stream of hot lead into the front of the truck. His battle cry added to the noise from the gun. If he was going to die, he would go out like a warrior.
The truck exploded when it was just ten meters away. There was a flash of light.
Time stopped.
He was left staring at a fireball just inches from his face. Through the white flames, he saw debris from the truck flying outwards. He was milliseconds aw
ay from being incinerated and shredded at the same time, but nothing was moving. His body was as frozen as everything else.
Hello, a voice said, but it wasn't really a voice at all. It was more like a feeling, and it was accompanied by a wave of boundless love.
God? Yang thought. Is that You?
Yes.
You stopped time.
Yes, God replied, and it wasn't as easy as it looks.
Yang paused to contemplate the enormity of the moment. He had never imagined he would actually talk to God, but he didn't doubt it was happening.
Am I going to die? Yang thought.
Not today. You have too many important things to do. Now pay attention. This part is cool.
Time resumed, but Yang didn't die. The flames and shrapnel went around him as if an invisible shield were in the way. The incredible force of the blast didn't even knock him down. He only felt gentle warmth as walls of flame surrounded him.
The whole event was over in a flash. He looked around and saw total destruction. Trees were shattered, and bushes had been blown away. The pavement was blackened. Nothing remained of the truck, not even the frame.
He patted himself. He couldn't believe he had survived.
Wow, he thought. I love my new Boss.
* * *
Hanley and Katie were climbing out of the Bay when the second explosion went off. The concussion was powerful enough for Hanley to feel it in his chest. A spectacular fireball rose up into the sky.
"That came from the parking lot," Katie said.
"Yeah," he said. "It was close to Yang's position. Too close."
She grimaced. "I'll call him."
She took out her phone and dialed.
Hanley heard an odd buzzing noise. His palms were vastly more sensitive than human ears, and he swiveled his hands to pinpoint the source of the sound. It was coming from above. He looked up at the darkening sky but didn't see anything. He knew exactly what was making the noise though. He had heard it before on other battlefields.
Hanley took out his phone and called Ipo.
"What?" Ipo answered. "I'm a little busy." Hanley heard thumping noises in the background.
"Bad news," Hanley said. "A drone is in the air, and it's not ours. I heard it."
"Shit! That's why the bad guys keep getting in my way. We need to deal with the drone first thing. I can't go home with it following me. Call Min Ho. I have to drive."
