by Doug Solter
Emma turned her head and saw Mrs. B standing on the pebble-stone ring that surrounded the fire pit. The bald man from the mall was with her.
“Good afternoon, Emma,” Mrs. B said. “I hope you don’t mind the intrusion. Your gate was unlocked.”
Grandma boosted herself from the chair and glared.
Emma wasn’t expecting Mrs. B to drop by like this. She thought maybe a new message would pop up on her phone with another strange address. How would Emma explain this?
“Get out of here or I’ll call the police!” Grandma said.
Emma had never heard this level of hostility from her. “No…it’s okay, Grandma. This is…Mrs. Baker…the assistant principal at school.” Emma jumped to her feet. “What a surprise. What are you doing here on a Saturday?”
“Such deception will not be necessary. Your grandmother knows who I am.”
“Really? How do you know my grandmother?”
“I told you never to come here, Laura.” Grandma’s eyes betrayed a familiar disgust. “Ken told you to leave Emma alone.”
“Yes, but wouldn’t you agree the circumstances have changed?”
Grandma placed her book on the table and crossed her arms like a concrete block. “Emma? Head inside please.”
“Why? What’s going on?”
“Please do as I ask. This doesn’t concern you.”
Emma drifted towards the house. Curiosity weighed down her feet.
Mrs. B leaned on her cane. “This most certainly does concern Emma.”
“No, it doesn’t. If you have something new to talk about, then discuss it with me, her legal guardian.” Grandma’s head snapped to Emma still lingering on the patio. “In the house. Now!”
Her voice scared Emma enough to reach for the French door handle quickly.
“This is not what Angela wanted,” Mrs. B said.
Emma’s hand froze on the handle. Angela was her mother’s name.
“Emma!” Grandma yelled.
But she couldn’t leave. Something strange was going on, and not only did it involve her father but her mother as well?
Emma spun around and walked to the fire pit. “What’s going on? How do you know this woman, and how does she know my mother?”
The air felt thick.
No one spoke.
Snoopy ran up to see what all the commotion was about. He barked at Mrs. B, who stiffened.
Emma was determined to stand there in her bikini all night if necessary until she got answers.
Grandma closed her eyes. Breathed in. Opened them again to address Mrs. B. “Ken wanted you to leave her alone.”
“And I honored his wishes. Until he was killed.”
“It was an accident.”
Mrs. B revealed a heartsick look towards Grandma. “We found out it wasn’t.”
“Fine. Then do whatever your fascist organization does, Laura. Why does Emma need to be involved?”
“Because she’s been inquiring through official diplomatic channels about Ken’s death for some time now. And since Emma is the heiress to the Rothchild estate, it gives her the perfect cover to investigate her father’s—”
“You’re disgusting. Using Ken’s death as an excuse to recruit his daughter?”
Mrs. B scoffed. “I honored your son’s wish for twelve years. However, I have an obligation to Emma’s mother as well. Angela didn’t want her daughter kept in the dark like this.”
“I won’t let my granddaughter be a pawn for a fascist organization secretly supported by capitalists.”
Mrs. B stood taller on her cane. “Once again, your information is based on paranoid conspiracy theories.”
“My son saw the light and wisely left,” Grandma said. “But I’ll be damned if you steal his daughter.”
“That’s not why Ken left us.”
“Horse shit, Laura…I don’t believe anything coming from your scheming mouth.”
“Let’s be clear. I’m not here to steal Emma or to give her any more grief than she’s already been through. I only want her to know the truth.”
“Why is everyone acting like I’m not here! I want to know what the hell is going on with my mom and dad. Will someone please tell me the truth?” Emma wiped her watering eyes. “Please?”
Grandma and Mrs. B faced off again, each of them standing their ground.
“She’ll find out sooner or later,” Mrs. B said. “It’s illogical to keep it from her.”
Grandma blinked as if trying to extinguish a fire in her heart. “Fine. Make it quick.”
Using her cane, Mrs. B approached Emma. She took a moment before speaking. “At one time, both your parents were members of a secret organization called The Authority. This secret group was formed after the carnage of World War I by a group of well-to-do families in Europe and North America.”
“Well to do capitalist families,” Grandma added.
Mrs. B lifted her chin. “These well-to-do families blamed the destructive world war on politics, nationalism, and greed on both sides. So they decided to form an organization that defended humanity. A secret organization immune to political, religious, and national agendas. These well-to-do families independently supported the organization as it grew in size and sophistication.”
“Isn’t supporting capitalism an agenda?”
Mrs. B pivoted to Grandma. “May I continue? Uninterrupted if possible?”
Grandma took her book into the house and slammed the French door shut.
Mrs. B went on. “Today, those well-to-do families span the seven continents. The Authority answers to no government. No national or religious leaders. We pursue those who hurt the innocent for the sake of their own greed or twisted agenda. Emma, your family was one of the first to sponsor the Authority. Your grandfather and great-grandfather were pillars of our organization. Your father was the New York station chief for years. That’s where he met Angela, your mother. They fell in love, married, and had you.”
Emma digested the information. “My mother didn’t die in a car accident, did she?”
Mrs. B steadied herself with the cane. Her eyes betrayed a hint of pain. “Angela was killed during an operation in South Africa. We were all devastated. Losing a daughter is—pardon me—your father took it quite hard, which was understandable. He wasn’t quite the same man afterward. Your father stayed on the executive committee for less than a year after her death before he left the Authority.”
Emma was only four at the time so she couldn’t remember much…only that Dad told her that Mommy had gone to heaven and how sad her dad was.
Grandma watched both of them through the windows of the closed French doors.
Emma excused herself and slipped inside the house. Grandma held the edge of the kitchen island with an iron grip, as if it were the only thing keeping her from falling.
“Is what she said true?” Emma asked.
Grandma swallowed. “I’m afraid so.”
“Were you ever going to tell me?”
“You deserve freedom from the family’s legacy. A new path to discover yourself. There’s so much good in you, young one. Your heart is pure and loving. You’ll grow into a wonderful human being…if you turn your back on this woman right now. Tell her to never bother you again. If it comes from you, Laura will respect your wishes. Trust me. The Authority doesn’t need to soil your life with their misguided patriotism. Besides all that, your father didn’t want this life for you.”
“But my mother did.”
“Believe me. If your mother saw what it did to your father, she would have changed her mind.”
“How is Mrs. B related to my mom?”
“She’s Angela’s mother, unfortunately.”
“What? Then that makes her my—when were you going to tell me my other grandmother was alive?”
“The Authority doesn’t need you. This is all Laura’s doing. She wants you to fulfill the family’s destiny, something your parents have already paid the price for.” Grandma touched her chin. “Young one, their burde
n is not yours to carry. You have a choice.”
“Then why keep me from making it?”
“I’ve always believed in free will. You should choose which path to walk upon. I don’t like Laura or the organization she represents. But I won’t stop you if that’s the path you wish to choose.”
“Good. Because I want to see what this Authority is all about,” Emma said. “I want to get all the facts.”
“I understand. I hate it…but I understand.”
Emma hesitated before stepping back outside to the garden. “I want to know more before I make a decision. Can you show me your secret base…or whatever you wanna call it?”
Mrs. B tilted her head. “I’m pleased to hear that.” She lifted her cane and pointed it at Emma. “Please forgive me, but it’s necessary.”
“What is necess—?”
A whiff of cold air blew up her nose and the world around Emma faded into blackness.
Chapter 5
Emma woke up in a fully reclined chair that was cushy and hugged her body. So comfortable. The room she was in featured black walls and floors with a single row of lights running along the ceiling. A series of fish tanks glowed inside rectangular slots along one wall, their reflected light creating a soothing place to relax. Chairs like Emma’s were lined up along the center of the room. A few were occupied.
Mrs. B watched a big yellow fish swimming up and down the tank. She noted Emma’s reflection moving against the glass. “Welcome to The Authority.”
Emma tried to focus her eyes. Did she fall asleep?
No…Mrs. B had sprayed something in her face and poof, she was out. As her eyes finally cooperated, Emma’s first impression of The Authority was that the place looked like some new-age aquarium.
“Sorry for putting you under sedation. But our location is a secret. I hope you understand.”
Once the grogginess had worn off, Emma followed Mrs. B out of the fish-tank area and into a sprawling, open-office area with two levels. Glass walls separated most of the offices and meeting rooms. Everyone could see everyone else. It was bright, using yellow, white, and light brown as primary colors. A second area was designed like a jungle, using fake or real trees. There were these large, green pods scattered throughout the jungle. Inside these pods were comfy chairs in a semicircle.
“We moved into this facility a few years ago. You won’t find this type of office at the CIA or MI6, for that matter. We keep secrets, yes. But not from each other. We need to see each other through the walls. Feel we are a part of one team, which is important when we’re working alone on our assignments,” Mrs. B said. “Most of these people are involved with risk assessment. They analyze data and make recommendations for future operations. Our eyes and ears in the world.”
Emma followed Mrs. B into a different section of the vast complex.
“And this is what we call the labyrinth.”
They entered a maze of dark blue walls, floors, and ceilings. The only light source was a series of white strips running along the top and bottom of each wall, their glow providing an ominous vibe to the area. Glowing white letters pressed into the walls identified different destinations…
CAC Division
EQ Division.
IT Division.
TR Division.
FO Division.
SH Division.
“The labyrinth always reminds me of a starship set from one of those science fiction movies,” Mrs. B said. “I’m afraid I can’t take you deeper into the labyrinth without the proper clearances. It’s our most sensitive area.”
They emerged from the labyrinth and headed back to the fake jungle area. Mrs. B picked a green pod and sat inside it. Emma followed. Mrs. B rested her hand on a pad, which came alive with options to select. Mrs. B touched a selection and the door to the pod slid into place and sealed. She touched another button and the pod emitted a slight hum.
“What did you just do?” Emma asked.
“I engaged the cone of silence mode. Have you ever seen the 1960s TV show Get Smart?”
Emma shook her head.
“Never mind. Inside joke. The cone of silence mode scrambles any device trying to capture audio or video within fifty feet of the pod. It also gives false readings to any thermal-imaging device. What we say in here will be private. So what do you think?”
“This place is amazing.”
“And I didn’t show you the truly amazing things inside the labyrinth. But I’d like to.”
Emma detected the hard-court press from Mrs. B that Grandma had warned her about. How eager Mrs. B was to sign up her granddaughter. But what Grandma didn’t understand was that Emma had to do something. Even if The Authority never existed, Emma needed to find out what had really happened to her dad. The lack of answers created this dark chasm inside Emma and her life couldn’t go on without finding a way over it. Maybe these people could help her find that bridge.
“What plan were you talking about?” Emma asked. “The one to use me as cover.”
Mrs. B placed her hand over the pad again and a menu appeared. Her fingers flicked through some choices before a 3-D projected image of Europe hovered inside the pod.
“Basically, you’ll be playing yourself. A representative of your father’s conglomerate, visiting Europe to do your own investigation into your father’s accident. In secret, you’ll be providing my field operatives cover identities as part of your entourage. This will allow them to investigate the people and places your father visited in Europe right before his death.” Mrs. B paused. “I have something else I’d like to show you.”
She selected something else off the menu, then removed a tablet from a charger slot in the wall.
“Take a look at this.”
Emma took the tablet and touched her finger to the screen. Only two folders were on the desktop.
The Authority Information Guide.
The Gems Project.
“The Gems are a special group of young ladies under my command. Each girl possesses different skills that make the team diverse and flexible as an intelligence unit, especially in places where adults can draw too much attention. I need a fourth girl to balance the group and I think you would be perfect.” Mrs. B leaned forward. “Despite my enthusiasm…please don’t feel pressured. I don’t want you to rush into any decision. Take that pad with you and read about the organization and about the Gems. Walk around the place and look around. The only area you don’t have access to is the labyrinth. Do you understand?”
“Yes. Of course.”
Mrs. B smiled and opened the green pod, leaving Emma alone inside it.
Emma leaned against the cushions and processed everything she had seen so far. The tablet went into screen-saving mode as it waited for her. Emma touched the screen and it flashed back to life. She tapped on the first folder.
It gave a general overview of The Authority. There were no names used. Managers and controllers were assigned random letters and addressed in person as Mr. or Mrs., depending on gender identity. Station chiefs, agents and other field assets were assigned an animal. Some examples given were Great Dane, Cricket, Lemur, Salamander, and so on. The only exceptions were members of the Gems and Stars projects. Emma wondered what the Stars Project was about.
Next she clicked on The Gems Project folder. Three girls were listed as members; their real names and pictures were not shown.
The first Gem was code-named Emerald. She was seventeen years old. Half English and half Jamaican. Her skills took up two pages of her bio. Leadership. Marksmanship. Surveillance. Emerald was even a trained pilot in single-engine aircraft and helicopters. Emma was impressed. She just got her driver’s license a few months ago and this girl could fly a helicopter.
The second Gem was code-named Sapphire. She was sixteen, the same age as Emma, but that was where the similarities ended. Sapphire was a computer whiz and science nerd from Saudi Arabia. At thirteen, Sapphire had created a science fair project about zero-g agriculture that got her invites from NASA and the E
uropean Space Agency, plus a waiting scholarship to MIT. Emma couldn’t believe this girl. Sapphire would take one look at Emma and know instantly how stupid she was.
The last Gem was code-named Ruby. She was sixteen and her family lived in Okinawa, Japan. Ruby was trained in four different fighting styles: kickboxing, jiu jitsu, judo, and kendo. Ruby’s skills also included scuba diving, gymnastics, and jungle survival training. But unlike the two previous girls, there was a new section under Ruby’s bio labeled reprimands…
Failed to follow procedures.
Disregarded controller’s orders.
Used unauthorized RPG rocket to destroy ex-boyfriend’s motorcycle.
Emma read that last sentence again. She used a rocket to destroy a motorcycle? Ruby sounded like a psychopath.
How could Emma seriously work with these girls? She was a nobody. These girls flew helicopters, survived in jungles, got scholarships to MIT, created science projects about zero-g agriculture…that was insane. All Emma did was eat, read, and go to school. These three girls would take one look at her and laugh their butts off.
Her? She’s part of our team? What a loser. She can’t even drive a car without hitting a dog.
Emma put down the tablet and decided to have a look around like Mrs. B had suggested. She entered the large open area and climbed up the circular staircase to the second floor. Rows of people were at their computers. Glass walls surrounded them. Two men were having a conversation, but stopped when they saw Emma near them. Their eyes fell to her chest and Emma was disgusted. But then, the men completely ignored her. Emma touched the plastic badge pinned to her chest and realized they were only checking her badge.
She tilted it upward to read it…
CAC Guest Level 1
Emma wondered what CAC meant and why she was guest level one. No one said anything to her so Emma kept looking around the office. Numerous dry-erase boards hung on the walls. Some had titles such as—
Casualties of MOSSAD Operation Condor
North Korean Intelligence Operations in Hawaii