Blood on the Water

by Mark Hildebrandt

  “No.” She whispered.

  “I didn’t think so. He doesn’t need to scare or intimidate people; his goal is to get rid of them. If his intent were to hurt Marcus, Irena or the children would be much more effective than you. No, he is after you because he is convinced, you can supply him the ammunition necessary to get Marcus.”

  Cassandra sighed and slowly nodded her head, “You may be right, but there cannot possibly be any connection between my research and what Marcus is doing. I don’t see how Kukulcan can use me, my work, or you to get at Marcus.”

  James smiled “It may appear that way, but consider an oft quoted phase from an author in my dimension, ‘…when you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth…’”

  As she looked back into his intense emerald eyes, it was obvious; he was convinced of the connection. She wanted to share his conviction, but something was getting in the way. She was beginning to develop feelings for this man; strong feelings and they were accompanied by physical desire. She mentally cursed herself for allowing that to happen, then eased into his embrace.

  Chapter 22

  - Not yet -

  Optio insisted they leave the boat disguised and supplied Cassandra and James with a complete set of battle fatigues and equipment. The fatigues included a helmet with tinted face shield that fully obscured the face. The twelve left the boat in complete anonymity, and easily blended, unnoticed, with other Legionnaires on the base.

  They were led to the headquarters building, and into to a large conference room. Cassandra and James removed their helmets and were introduced to the base Legatus. “Dr. Vespus, I am very pleased to meet you.” He said. “I have been briefed on your escape, very nasty. I am glad to see you are safe and sound.”

  Cassandra, on a subconscious level, instantly changed her deportment at the Legatus’s words. The formality of his speech and professional air thrust her back into the position of Vespus. Funny, she thought, these last few days had certainly been exciting, but more than that, she had managed to forget who she was. “Yes, Legatus we are safe and unhurt.”

  “Excellent. The Minister has requested you contact him as soon as possible. I have made arrangements for a secure link to be routed to this display. He suggested the conversation be limited to You, Dr. Woodman, and your Optio. Please be assured the room is secure. I will be in my office should you need anything. There is a canteen down the passageway where the men can wait. My staff and I stand ready to carry out your instructions. Good day Dr. Vespus.” The Legatus departed without another word.

  Optio turned to his team and said, “You heard the Legatus, out! You will be summonsed when needed.” The nine men snapped to attention and in unison responded, “Yes Optio!” And marched out the door. Cassandra and James made themselves comfortable in chairs facing the holo-projector, while Optio remained standing, at parade rest, slightly behind and to the left of Cassandra.

  Before initiating the call, Cassandra noted it was ten thirty local time, four thirty in Rome. She completed the connection and Marcus appeared sitting behind his desk in the middle of the room. “Good afternoon Marcus.”

  “Oh Cassandra, I’m so glad to see you. Are you, all right?”

  “Yes, Marcus everyone is fine. Would you care to tell me what is going on?” Cassandra said and scrutinized her brother’s reactions.

  “I’m afraid the battle is heating up. Kukulcan is after you. I had to apply a bit of counter pressure on his family to insure your escape.”

  Her brother’s concern seemed sincere, but there was something unsaid. While she watched her brother, something he said on the villa porch to Josephus came to mind, ‘we don’t need to keep secrets from Cassandra any longer’. If that was true, why did she feel, he was not telling her everything? She reassured herself it was only an artifact of the politics. “Marcus I am concerned for you and Irena. I have been studying this Senator; he is dangerous. He has set his sights on the Empire and you stand in his way.”

  “Yes, I know, but we are safe. Irena and the children are well protected in the villa, and he cannot openly attack me. It would be too obvious. Besides that, is clearly not his style. It is you; I am concerned about. He knows you are in Cuba. He has scheduled a Senate Military Oversight committee meeting tomorrow morning. My sources tell me he will ask for Senate approval to search the base for Dr. Woodman. By tomorrow afternoon the base will be crawling with Senate security. You need to be gone before then.”

  Gone, where the hell were they going to go? She wondered. “Marcus, what do you suggest? Where can we go and not be found by Kukulcan?”

  “I don’t know, and what’s more I don’t want to know. I don’t want to have any idea where you are going. If I meet with Kukulcan again, I don’t want in any way, conscious or unconscious, to be able to give him a clue where to look. Optio?”

  Optio snapped from parade rest to attention, “Sir!”

  “Can you find someplace to take Drs. Vespus and Woodman? Someplace safe and out of the Senators reach.”

  “Sir, if I were given access to all the resources of this base, there is not a doubt in my mind I could.”

  Marcus smiled, “good. I have already prepared a message to the base Legatus conferring to you all the authority of the Ministry. You now have anything on the base you want.” It almost appeared as if the Optio was smiling when he nodded his understanding to Marcus. “The Senate will be in recess in just under a week. At that point Kukulcan’s powers will be significantly reduced. We will be able to send a shuttle for you. We need Dr. Woodman back at the clinic for a final exam, and then we will get him back to London, and home. And Optio, tell no one of your plans, make sure no one knows who is traveling with you, or where you are going.”

  “Yes sir!”

  “Good, Cassandra call once you are safe.”

  “I will.” She answered, but still felt uneasy, still felt Marcus was hiding something, “Marcus, why is Kukulcan chasing me, chasing James?”

  His expression slowly changed to concern, “I cannot speak for Kukulcan’s motivation.”

  “Very well, suppose you take an educated guess?”

  “I’m sorry Cassandra, I won’t even speculate. Now I suggest you get moving, you cannot be there when the Senate Teams arrive tomorrow.” And the image was gone.

  Marcus refusal to answer her question left a sour taste in her mouth, and an ach in her chest. She quickly pushed both aside to deal with what need to be done. “Optio,” she said breaking the silence, “perhaps a wilderness trip would be in order. I always found the wilderness was a good place to hide, no people, no spies and no Senator.”

  “Agreed Dr. Vespus.”

  “Good, would go ask the Legatus to rejoin us for a moment?”

  Optio smiled, “yes ma’am” and left.

  Cassandra noticed James grinning at her, “What?”

  “Are you sure you are ready for the wilderness?”

  “Quite frankly Dr. Woodman, I am very comfortable in the wilderness, I was actually more worried about whether or not you would be up for it.” She shot back, wondering if his remark was some form of challenge. James just continued to smile.

  The two were interrupted when Optio returned with the Legatus. Cassandra stood and faced him, “I appreciate the use of your communication system. I need your assistance with two or three additional items.” Cassandra easily changed her bearing back to Vespus authority.

  “Yes Dr. Vespus. If you need anything on this base, it is yours.”

  Cassandra smiled and bowed her head to the Legatus, “Excellent. First and most important, all knowledge of our presence on this facility is to remain confidential.”

  The Legatus nodded, “Yes ma’am. None but your people and me will know.”

  “Second, I need my Optio to have full access to base operations. Since I must remain out of site, Optio is to be afforded all the respect and authority I would be granted. He is my eyes, ears and voice.”

  “It will be as
you ask, Dr. Vespus.”

  Cassandra once again bowed her head slightly to the Legatus and turned to Optio. “Anything else Optio?”

  “Yes ma’am.” Optio answered then turned to the Legatus and continued, “I understand teams from the Third rotate through this base for training purposes. We would like to have one of the empty team’s barracks for Dr. Vespus and the rest of my Decum while the details of our departure are finalized.”

  Cassandra was amazed by Optio’s mettle. He was talking to the Legatus as if he was an equal. But she had come to appreciate, with James help this man was not an ordinary Optio.

  “Very good. The billeting office is just down the hall. Tell the lead Optio what you need and do so in my name, there won’t be any problem.” He then turned to address Cassandra and extended his arm, “I understand your need for secrecy, if I don’t see you before you leave, good luck and good journey.”

  Cassandra took the Legatus’s arm and stared into his eyes, “Thank you. Your assistance will be rewarded.” The grasp was broken both nodded and the Legatus departed.

  After the Legatus left, Optio said. “Well great! If you two will remain for a few minutes, I will arrange our quarters. You’d be surprised how fast things can happen when acting in the name of the Legatus.” This time he did not even try to hide the grin, and Cassandra had to chuckle a little as well. First, he got to talk to a Legatus as an equal now he gets to give orders like a Legatus.

  ◆◆◆

  Cassandra slumped down on the bench adjoining the long wooden table running the length of the dismal barracks. It was one of several small single-story buildings at the end of the main base road. This had been a long and confusing day and for it to end in a place like this was depressing. As she sat staring at the Spartan surroundings, The Decum, James and Optio poured into the room removing their helmets. Optio was last and as he passed he said, “You look tired. There are two training officer rooms in the back of the barrack. Why don’t you go lie down while we get situated?"

  Cassandra simply nodded and said, “yeah,” but remained sitting on the bench.

  Optio without pausing continued to the back of the room where the teams had assembled, and began issuing orders, “Team one, you are now the procurement team. Locate and obtain gear and supplies. We are going to need food, and survival equipment for a week in the bush, Drusus you are in charge. Any questions?”

  “Yes Optio. Are we looking for tropical equipment?”

  Optio gave Cassandra a questioning look, but she only returned a blank stare. He turned back to Drusus, “No. We need mountain gear. Plan on just above freezing at night warm during the day and rain showers. Now anything else?”

  “No sir.”

  “Team two. You are to locate and secure a transport for us and our material. Coordinate with team one and get back here with our gear before eighteen hundred. I expect we will be leaving early. Okay you both know what to do, get to it!”

  Team three. You are on guard duty. Keep an eye on our two doctors. Gaius – front entrance, Pompeius, back and Atticus outside patrol. Do not allow any form of primate within one hundred yards of this barrack. If anyone has the balls to question you, explain it is Legatus orders, if they have a problem see him, and if that doesn’t work shoot them. Is that clear?”

  “Yes Optio.”

  The Optio smiled as teams hurried to their assigned tasks. “Good men,” he said then turning to Cassandra and James. “I’m going to arrange our transportation out of here. I should be back in a couple of hours. We have been on the go for the last couple of days. I suggest you both get some rest.” As quickly as the others had left, Optio was gone, leaving Cassandra and James alone.

  Without saying a word James joined Cassandra on the bench. She wanted to tell him the silence was appreciated, but as she looked around the barracks, she felt her heart pound, her mood darken, and just didn’t want to talk. What the hell was wrong? She wondered. It certainly wasn’t the barracks. She had been in hostels on backcountry trips that made this place look like a palace. Was it that a madman was chasing them, or perhaps the fact that people died this morning on the Cozumel beach? No, the fact that people died was sad, and the madman was disturbing, but that wasn’t it either. Finally, her mind settled on what she believed the cause, her brother lied to her. Her brother knows why James is important; her brother knows why Kukulcan is chasing them, why did he tell her, he didn’t. Her mind circled the thought but identifying the cause didn’t seem to brighten her mood. On the contrary she seemed to be feeling worse.

  Her thoughts were disturbing and disturbed when she felt something touch her. Her involuntary response was to jump and pull away from the sensation. As soon as it was clear, her mind realized the touch was only James trying to take her hand. “Easy.” He said, “I wasn’t sure where you were, but I thought it might be a good idea to follow Optio’s suggestion. Come on let’s lie down and get some rest.” Cassandra just stared at him with a blank expression. The touch and suggestion may have broken the downward spiral her mind was traveling, but her mood had yet to brighten. “Are you, all right?” He asked, and she slowly nodded yes.

  He got up, took her hand, “Come on, we can use the rooms in the back.”

  “James, I’m all right, I’ll be better after some sleep.”

  James led her back to the training officers’ room at the back of the barrack, “We can use this one and leave the other for Optio,” and then began helping her out of the heavy battle fatigues. Both had just put the battle clothing on over the comfortable lightweight clothes supplied by the Praefectus on the submersible.

  “Oh, that is much better.” She said free of the bulky clothing, and then watched as James stepped out of his.

  “I agree”, he said tossing his aside. Then looking at the two beds asked, “which one do you want?”

  As she stood and looked at him, Cassandra felt a flood of emotions begin to well up from somewhere deep down. She almost thought, she might begin to cry. What the hell was wrong with her? Was it just Marcus? Maybe, but she couldn’t ignore the fact that her world had been completely turned upside down, over the course of the last few days. And try as she might she couldn’t quite shake the melancholy, but just look at James, she scolded herself. He was yanked out of one world and thrust into a different one, yet he was taking this much better than she was. Finally, in fear of James seeing her tears, she threw her arms around his waist and buried her face in his shoulder, and thank the gods, he hugged back. Damn why was he the only thing in this mixed up world that felt right.

  With her tears in check, she pushed back slightly, just enough to look into those captivating eyes. “James, I’m so confused. It’s not just the Senator and his henchmen; I just don’t know who I can trust anymore. I feel closer and safer with you and Optio than anyone else.”

  James lightly kissed her forehead, “That is not true. You have your brother, his family and his Ministry looking out for you. You’ve simply spent too much time with Optio and me the last couple of days.”

  “No James, you don’t understand. Marcus lied to me this afternoon. He has never done that before. He is hiding something. He has always been there to look out for me, part big brother, part father and part friend, but now I don’t know if I can trust him.

  “James, right now, you may be the only person in the world that I do trust.” The words had left a lump in her throat, and once again she could feel her eyes begin to water, and quickly hugged him burying her face in his shoulder. The embrace lasted for several minutes. Regaining her composure, Cassandra pushed back slightly from the embrace, but this time it was not to look into his eyes. It was to smother his mouth with hers.

  Soon all her anguish had been transformed into basic carnal passion. The two lowered themselves to the bed and continued the kissing while their hands began roaming the others body. Cassandra had been with a few men, but none had ever stirred this much desire. The others were either simple sexual experiments or necessary physical outlets. She had
never been able to get close, emotionally, to a man. She was convinced all of them were only after her family name and prestige. She never believed any one was interested in her. James was different. He felt different, and she could clearly see in his eyes that he wanted her, not for her name and not for her money. He wanted her for her.

  As the passion grew, so too did her desire to have him. She lowered her hands to his belt and began to unbuckle and unbutton his pants. She could feel, he too was ready, and that excited her more.

  She had almost broken him free from the confinement of his pants, when he slowly and gently pushed her away. “Cassandra, wait a minute.”

  With her concentration broken for a moment, she redirected her gaze to his eyes, and in an almost panting voice said, “Wait? For what?”

  James took a deep breath, took hold of her hands, raised them to his mouth and tenderly kissed them “There are ten soldiers out there and anyone of them could come bounding through that door at any time.”

  Her heart was still beating fast, but her passion was slowly waning. “James, that is the way it has been my entire life. There have always been soldiers outside my door.”

  “Yes, that may be true, but there have never been soldiers outside of my room. Even so this is different.”

  “How so?” She asked.

  “I suspect this may be the first time in your life, that you have been in real danger. Those guys out there are no longer, oh what did you call them wallpaper. They really are here to protect you. And as much as I don’t want one of them to see you and me together, I defiantly don’t want one of them to have that picture in his head, when he has his weapon pointed at legitimate threat. Please understand Cassandra, I want you more than any woman I have ever known. You must know that is true. You said I was the only one you could trust, well then trust this, we will get our time, I promise, but this is not it.”