by Peter Fang
“Ah, sure. There’s nothing here to see, though—no body.”
“I know…you said that, but I need to come down and see for myself. Make sure nobody comes into the morgue until I get there.”
“Don’t worry. They have this place locked down now because of probable cause of break-in.”
“Okay, be there in half an hour.” Koda clicked off his phone and rubbed his forehead. He felt a migraine brewing. Come on! Get it together! He slapped the side of his head several times hoping to numb the pain, but it only made it worse.
Koda showed up at the morgue. He was accompanied by the lab assistant, and he looked through the place for clues, but there was nothing. His friend Matt was there as well.
“Where was the body lying?” Matt asked the assistant.
“What do you mean?” asked one security guard.
“Where was it? Here? This one?” Matt pointed at the bench.
“No, it was that one, I think, but things got moved around a bit.”
Matt and Koda went over to observe each bench. When he came to one of the benches, he noticed a blotch of red stain on the bench. It looked as if someone sat up and there was a sign of the blood stain smeared across the bench. Right around the edge, there was a clear set of blood-stained fingerprints against the metal bench.
Matt bent down and examined the prints.
“These prints looks fresh––I think we can get a read off of this.” Matt dialed a number and someone on the other line answered.
“Yes, this is Matt. Can you come over to the morgue? Sorry to get you out of bed, but we have a situation here. I need to pull a set of prints and run a match immediately.”
Matt turned and spoke to Koda, “Look, Koda, this is my case, so let me look into this. I will let you know when something comes up. Mason specifically told me to inform you to stay off of this case.”
“Mason told you that?” Koda sighed.
Matt nodded.
“Fine. I’ll go home and jerk off until you find out how a body just walked away from the morgue.”
“Koda—“ Matt spread his palm. “I’m just following orders here. Please don’t make me the bad guy…”
Koda made a salute gesture at Matt. “I trust you would do fine without me. I’m outta here.”
20
Final Duet
Meredith and Manfred used to be avid dancers. Their favorite was the waltz. It was a tender harmony between a man and a woman; a perfect balance between intimacy and respect. Each partner depended on the other moving in synchronicity, one complementing the other. It all had to stop when she fell ill, but Manfred's poison allowed them to dance again. Due to her deteriorating derangement, each of their dates was brief, but the intimacy with her husband made her feel reborn every time they met.
Meredith stirred. She stretched her arms and a bolt of lightning shot down her spine. The burning sensation spreading across her body reminded her of the wound from the queen’s encounter. But she also felt the wounds in her body healing rapidly. She was reassured by the feeling that her son was nearby. Baobao, yes, he is around. Images of her Baobao as a child in his cradle flashed before her eyes. She refused to believe that her husband would leave her, not like this––there must be a reason. Her reasoning ability was dimming, like a candle’s last light. She remembered her past and how Manfred tried to save and lengthen her life. The dances Manfred shared with her in her darkest moments and the helplessness she felt when she lost her human form. She felt the pull of that primordial energy on her, a feeling that was familiar to her––the feeling of vulnerability. In her final lucid state, she realized the possibility of the queen having taken Manfred’s soul from her. There was no way he would just leave her. Now her goal was to heal and track down the queen. Baobao, where are you going? She sensed her son leaving her. She scrambled, but it was too late. The tightness around her body accelerated, and she felt her bones crack under pressure. Her limbs twisted into different shapes. The pain was so intense that it tore up her soul.
When she woke up, she sensed Baobao's body nearby, but inside a spellbound knot of moving strings. There was Manfred next to her, too, but he was not moving. Manfred’s body had been brought back by one of Manfred’s bred zombies, but there was no sign of life in that still body. Images of Manfred's limp body gave her the chills. When Manfred was embracing Meredith, she was temporarily linked to his mind. Through Manfred, she saw the thousands of nameless faces the queen had killed over eons. The more pain, the more the queen enjoyed. It was something that kept the queen going and made her feel alive. Meredith also saw souls trapped inside that disgusting subterranean worm, serving out their miserable lives for the queen. There was no doubt in her mind that the queen was the killer of her beloved Manfred.
With much labor, she slowly broke through. She crawled out the soft tissues of the cocoon and let her limbs slowly stretch out so she could shed off her old skin. Like a newly molted insect, her freshly generated body needed time to regain strength.
“Manfred, you have given me life so many times; it’s now my turn to save you.” Meredith dragged Manfred’s stiff body close to her. She started to dance with him inside the close space. Remembering each step of their favorite waltz, she used her multiple arms to move Manfred's stiff body as they slowly danced through the choreograph.
“1, 2, 3—1, 2, 3—” Meredith whispered and hummed the melody from Manfred's old record player. They danced around the space in an ever faster pace until she was almost spinning in mid-air. She giggled as Manfred's limbs lost grip of her.
“Don't get fresh now—the dance is almost over.” She opened her mouth and regurgitated a worm from her mouth. It slithered into Manfred’s stiff body. She carefully laid him on the ground and waited. Soon, his body twitched and roots grew around him and encased him inside a cocoon.
“My love, you stay here this time. The worm will keep you alive; it will change you, but you and I are one. I see what you have seen. I’ll go take care of that evil witch. It’s been too long since she had someone to challenge her. Baobao, you’d better stay here and guard your father. You are no use facing the queen. Down here, the queen can’t see or hear you.”
Baobao nodded and then retreated into a dark corner, where he was nearly invisible against the moldy wall.
“Reading you, Manfred, I see you and our queen have found two blood children, and for some strange reason, the queen is abandoning Elise. Well, if the queen doesn’t want Elise, I will take her. What a waste it is not to use her talent. I’m sure I can use her against the Queen.”
Meredith stretched her scapula to let out her wings, but the small enclosure restricted her movements. She glanced wistfully at Manfred and exited into the warehouse. With a flap of her wings, she was airborne. The bright moon cast a clear view of the town. She reoriented herself with the new wings. She spread the wings open wide to catch the upward drift. Her body ascended upward like a dark kite against the bright moon. There was an immediate sense of direction of where she was. Now she just had to pick up a sound, a scent of where the queen was, and she could be there in minutes. She already sensed something about this rainy town—a familiar taste. It reminded her of the only other human being she cared for besides her husband. Her name was June. She remembered they were close, and she could still see the girl’s face in her mind. June was like her adopted daughter. What tragedy had befallen that child! There was a gust of wind, and small traces of that familiar smell were hanging in the air, so minute they were almost undetectable. She could still taste both blood children in the air, but she was only interested in Elise.
Northeast. She flapped her wings and glided past a cold, low-hanging cloud. It was dark, but the silver moon was brighter than the sun. She felt a burst of energy surging inside her.
Queen, you took my Manfred—now I’ll give you death.
21
Deceit
The party was roaring at Seattle’s Four Seasons main ballroom. It was the annual banquet party for Roberts
and Sons Financial. The mood was jovial, the live band was swinging, and the guests had just started the dinner and engaging in their casual conversations.
Ansen and Maria were there for the party. Maria was dressed in a beautiful black evening gown with a pearl necklace with matching earrings. She was still wearing the jade bracelet that she got from Gretchen. After a few days, she had gotten used to it around her wrist and she had developed a liking to the cool feeling against her skin. She didn’t notice before, but the jade had thin, spider-like red lines crawling across the surface of the stone. According to Gretchen, the jade would grow a new red line every time it saved her from evil. To her, she just liked how it fit around her wrist.
As they worked the crowd, Maria slowly moved, directing their route towards a group of men that was sitting in a corner of the dining area.
“I need to go over there and pay my respects to the overlords,” Maria whispered.
“You mean you need to kiss ass?” Ansen smirked.
Maria rolled her eyes. “Yes, call it whatever you want, but those are chief executives, my boss’s boss. It never hurts to kiss up a little.”
“Okay, I’ll do this for you, but make it quick. I’m getting hungry.” Ansen raised his brows and made a face at Maria. She ignored Ansen's comments and walked purposefully towards the large, round table that was still brimming with food and drinks. She passed the waitress and presented herself in front of an old man with thinning gray hair. The older man was around sixty years old with a set of sharp, dark eyes and a broad face. He had just finished laughing at someone’s joke.
“Hello,” Maria heard her own trembling voice. “I’m Maria from the auditing department.”
The old man looked at Maria up and down with a withering stare and then smiled. “Oh, yes. You are with Gordon’s team. I’ve heard good things about you.”
“Thank you. Uh—” Maria felt her face flushing. This is ridiculous. At my age and I’m blushing?
“Hope you are having a great time here.”
“This is my boyfriend, Ansen,” Maria said awkwardly, trying to divert attention away.
“Nice to meet you, Ansen.” The old man nodded. “I hope you enjoy our party here. Help yourself to the food. Don't be shy.”
Ansen acknowledged this with a bright smile. He reached out his hand to offer his respects.
The old man chuckled and reached out to shake his hand. “I’m sorry, I have a busted back, old war injury, so pardon me for not standing up.”
Maria leaned over also to shake his hand. “Loved your book on the economy recovery mechanics. Congrats on making the bestseller list.”
The old man’s eyes slowly glittered. His brim lips softened into a wide grin. “Why thank you, Maria. Everyone has to leave some legacy behind. I hope the book was enjoyable to read. I tried not to be too dry. It was my first book in thirty years; can you believe it?”
Surprised by the old man’s exuberant response, Maria didn’t know what to say right away. She was mad that she was so nervous in front of the old man, and she didn’t even know why.
Ansen noticed Maria’s body language, so he leaned forward a bit and squeezed her arm to offer his encouragement. “Maria also told me about the research she was doing around the Southeast Asian countries. You should hear her synopsis. It is quite eye-opening.”
Maria looked at Ansen and smiled, but she was squeezing Ansen's hand back.
Ansen wasn’t sure if it was a thank you or a sign for shut-up.
“Really?” The old man’s eyes widened. “Well, we have the whole night here. Why don’t you two sit here with us and let’s chat more.” He waved at the two guys next to him gently, followed by a stare. “Gordon, Rob, terribly sorry to ask, but would you mind to scoot down just a bit so we can make room for Ansen and Maria to join us?”
The two men reluctantly obliged without a single word. Maria recognized Gordon Illman as the legal department’s head honcho. The other man was Rob Eastman, finance head. She suddenly felt like she was thrown into a shark tank, but she was not going to let the situation swallow her. She felt the initial nervousness in her had ebbed and she could think clearly now. She sat down next to the old man and Ansen followed her. Ansen nodded at Gordon and Rob but was met with a cold stare.
“Delightful,” Ansen swore under his own breath. “Hope I meet you guys at a poker table one day.” He turned his attention to the room now, looking for someone. He checked his phone but didn’t see any messages. Where is she?
On highway I-5, inside a maroon Porsche Speedster were two well-dressed adults. One was Elise and the other Finley. He was wearing an Armani striped suit, with his hair combed back in a slick streak. The Porsche’s hard top was on, and the inside cabinet was filled with the droning sound of the flat four air-cooled engine.
The two didn’t exchange any dialogue. Elise, in the passenger seat, pulled out a makeup mirror from her purse and checked herself for last-minute touch-ups. They were about ten minutes away, and she needed to get mentally ready. She nervously tugged on her red gown and then checked her phone. She knew Ansen well enough that he was probably checking on his phone right about now. But we are only a half hour after the dinner started––as planned. They wanted to make sure everyone could see Elise when she made the entrance to the ballroom. A phone call at this point would only make her nervous, and if Ansen really wanted to talk to her…
The phone in Finley’s pocket buzzed. He pressed a Bluetooth piece onto his ears and answered, “This is Finley.” He nodded and then tossed a look at Elise and said, “Yes, we are almost there. You want to talk to Elise?”
Elise shook her head.
“No, sir, she’s fine, but I got a no-chat request from her.” Finley winked at Elise.
Elise could barely hear Ansen, but she knew that he was being impatient. “That boy needs to learn to count to ten.”
Finley eyed her with an imperceptible smile; then he looked ahead into the streaks of brake-lights on the freeway. “Ansen, there’s a bit of heavy traffic near the exit. I’ll try my best to be there in the next fifteen.” Seconds later, he clicked off.
“See, told you he was going to call.” Elise reached out her left hand.
Finley sighed. He flipped out a money clip and pulled out a Benjamin for Elise.
Elise smiled, plucked the bill, and twirled it between her fingers. She saw the money had ink all over it like graffiti patterns. “So, not only did you lose the bet, but it was a tattooed hundred-dollar bill. Did you know that it’s illegal to deface the federal money?” She tried to rub it in; then she securely pushed the bill snuggly into her bras.
“Hey, I didn’t do that. Don’t judge,” Finley answered curtly, barely noticing Elise adjusting her undergarments.
A flash of red and blue neon light appeared two cars behind them. A short and loud siren blared to signal people to make room for the patrol car. Cars slowly spread apart like being pushed aside by some unseen force.
Finley swiftly moved his car aside to let the patrol car through. His eyes followed the car as it slowly got swallowed up by the traffic jam ahead. “Hmm…an accident. This is not good for our event.” With that, Finley saw an opening on his right; he made a swift maneuver and squeezed the Porsche through several SUVs and a semi before gunning the car off to the convention center exit.
Elise felt herself gripping the car seat. She wondered if she was going to throw up before dinner.
“Don’t vomit in my car,” Finley said coldly as he brought the car to a stop at the traffic stop.
“Where did you learn to drive like that?” Elise asked, still feeling queasy from the quick car movement.
The car zipped down the road and soon they were close to Four Seasons.
“How do we know this is going to work?” Elise felt a slight uneasiness brewing within her.
Finley gave her an inquisitive look. “You nervous?”
“Me?” Elise sniggered. “You have no idea of the kind of creeps we might be dealing with. I see t
hese people at the bar all the time. You will be surprised.” She lifted her red gown, revealing a thigh holster.
Finley raised his eyebrows. “You packing?”
“Just my personal protection,” Elise answered absently.
Finley saw Elise’s pistol and said, “I would carry a Glock 36 if you want small carry.”
“I am more accurate with 9mm, so I prefer Kel-Tech P11.” Elise tapped her right thigh. “And a knife that never runs out of bullets.”
Finley smiled. “Nice!”
“What do you carry?” asked Elise.
“FN 57.”
“Exotic! It’s the only gun with bullets left in the gun shop when the apocalypse hits.”
Finley smiled. “If the apocalypse hits, I got my HK and AR-15. You and I should hang sometimes at the shooting range. Speaking of guns, you think they may have metal detectors at the door?”
“No, they don’t; I already checked. They’ll check the bags, but they don’t have the time for the metal detector.”
Finley laughed out loud. “I really like you now! You are two steps ahead. By the way, once you and the target leave the party, I will be following you the whole time. Just make sure to get him to the hotel. We got two trackers on you. One is in your purse, which is a long-range tracker; the other is on your gown, which has a shorter radius.”
Elise nodded. “I’m sure this was Ansen's idea. He’s the paranoid one. I told him we only needed one. Putting the tracker on my gown was a bitch!”
Elise felt strange, but something was bothering her. Something about tonight’s mission made her feel uncomfortable, yet she could not put her finger on it. Blackmailing was something they’d been working on for a while, and everything would likely go as planned. They had learned everything they needed to learn about their targets—there were two this time. They knew everything about their habits, where they worked out, where they went for coffee, and what type of movies they liked. They even collected their garbage for analysis.