THE PRICE SHE'LL PAY: For the secret she never knew she had...

by Cara Charles

  Elise was thinking. Scanning her amazing memory for a solution, a plan unheard of.

  Desiree watched her face. An idea was forming. She had it.

  Elise began… “This is how it will go forward. I want the Kimirov team to catch me, so I can carry out her sanction, myself. Program me with misinformation if you have to. It is my duty to avenge my family. It is my duty and my right to avenge what has been taken from me, do you understand? It is also my duty to protect Shanti. Sam and Shanti are the only family I have left. I killed six men that were following me in Montecito. One got away. I killed two, plus others in Ojai. I beat up the guy who owned Buddy.”

  “You have fine skills. Let us take care of her. She also has field training, killing skills. She will do everything she can or hire others who will extract the information from you.”

  “Then I have nothing to lose, but my life. But, I’ll have a chance to avenge the loss of Lara and Tom. Don’t you understand? They were my life! And I will avenge their loss if it is the last thing I do,” Elise shouted that to Dez and sent Buddy running upstairs.

  Elise put her face in her hands and cried, thinking of her precious Lara.

  “And Tom, my Tom. Tom was the love of my life. My darling beautiful Lara! Do you understand? And my dog… They even killed poor old Boogie. I loved them more than life itself. You have to let me finish her. I've done this for you and it cost me my family! My entire family, Dez! Something my father never counted on! I deserve this! You arrange it, because as long as I live, I’ll move heaven and Earth to find Mavra Kimirov. I will have my pound of flesh, with or without your help!”

  “Yes. Yes. We’ll help you. You still need our protection. My techniques are now taught in the agencies of our allies. A greedy mercenary psychiatrist can be easily bought, these days, so they definitely can break you.”

  “If the information is locked inside me they can’t get it out, and if they do, we can always alter the plan,” Elise said wiping her tears, eyes brighter, engaged, completely on mission.

  “Theoretically, no. We believe she is using tragedy to soften you, so even if you had intense training it will be compromised. When she finds you, defenses broken down by the loss of your family, she already has plans to break you. She arrogantly assumes you have knowledge of the woman Ivan knew, Herta/Shanti. We’ve been keeping tabs on the most capable doctors. One Dr. Arden, has just gotten a huge bonus.”

  “How did she make this connection? She was rarely in court, only Ivan attended. He was always smiling at me, always pleasant. She did come to the office when he signed the check. I remember the look she gave me. It’s also the money. It makes sense now. That’s why he settled, isn’t it?”

  “Probably,” Dez said.

  Elise got up and paced now, thinking, seeing it all in her mind.

  “But your involvement in Ivan’s secret is only an assumption with her. They wrote about your abilities many times beginning in high school, remember? We scrubbed the newspaper archives, but they still found out things about you, by having conversations with your co-workers. You are quite the legend in your law circle. Any number of social scientists could have told her, you are an extraordinary person, plus you’re Charles Larsen’s daughter. She found the information. All she had to do was backtrack the mistake that happened four days ago. Ivan and Herta/Shanti were on Eisenhower’s plane when he took off from France after the Germans signed the surrender. Mavra has a lab set up to exploit her, when they do find Shanti, Elise. They mean to do to her what the Germans had hoped to be able to do with her and the Russians had developed the genetic science to find her. Ivan, President Eisenhower, your father and you, me and METAPHOR, our retired spy and tech group dedicated to her, and you, protect her from these kinds of people. If you hadn't so innocently, mentally recorded all you heard that day, her secret would have died with your father. She could have lived her life in anonymity. If Ivan had not been an old fool and a grateful, lonely young man hadn’t innocently released this out of sequence information to the FOIA Archive web site, to be captured by her people, then this never would have happened. I’m so very sorry your family was tragically involved. Choose to move forward now, Elise. We’re here to help you and help you heal. You are part of us, now. You have a long life ahead. It will be the hardest climb you’ll ever have to face. But you are your father’s daughter. Your mind is clear and sharp. You can weather this by taking one day at a time, and plan your mission with us.”

  “Thank you, but no. She’s mine.”

  “Elise. You’re not a killer. Let us clean this up and finish our mission.”

  “But I am. I killed eight men. Maybe more. Without hesitation or regret. I had their blood and brains on my hands. My entire family died because of this secret. My mother and father died in the Outback, didn’t they? They died protecting us.”

  “Yes. They followed you and your family and Shanti there. Remember?”

  “Of course I remember. I still have nightmares about the heat and being buried.”

  “I’m so very very sorry.” Desiree hung her head, her energy dissolving.

  “Today, I choose to avenge my family. After I’ve done my duty, I will put it aside and begin the healing. But for now, I will accomplish my mission to avenge their needless, senseless loss. I want to remember everything.”

  Elise looked deep into Desiree’s eyes. Dez knew there’d be no turning her. A lifetime of loss had to be cleansed by avenging their deaths. She and METAPHOR could only assist. Elise would act with or without them, and perhaps die in the process. ‘Suicide by revenge.’

  “Do you have, Sammie? Is he in danger?”

  “He is protected. We have two teams with him.”

  “Those men?”

  “Yes. Our METAPHOR men and the friends of the young ski patrolman she killed on the mountain. We hope they will join us. Sam will be here soon.”

  SAM SAT in Elise’s living room trying to figure out what to do next, as he packed up the Christmas bulbs, but he couldn’t concentrate. He was worried about Elise. She’d always been a runner since she came back from Australia. But she always came home. It had been 72 hours since she ran from the funeral. They’d checked Sedona and Monument Valley but no one had seen her. They’d come home.

  Sam looked at Iain. The SB METAPHOR team included Dennis and Larry looked ragged. He wondered when they had last slept. They were on edge. Sam played over in his mind the lengths his father had gone to, to fulfill his mission and duty. Loyalty was too great a cost sometimes.

  Dennis was listening to his earpiece then he leapt across the room to Sam.

  “Bogies! Sam? Let’s get you to the airport. Tell us the fastest way. Let’s go.”

  There was a popping outside as two men crashed through the bedroom doors.

  Dennis tossed Sam a gun. “Safety’s off. Point and shoot! Don’t shoot any of us.”

  From the hallway, Larry took cover to fire on the guys trying to take cover from Dennis and Iain’s hail of bullets. Iain dragged Sam backwards off the couch and pulled the sofa table over them to make a barricade.

  Dave and Mac circled outside climbing out of the other master bedroom window. They tiptoed in through the kitchen and opened fire.

  Ian opened fire. Five seconds later the four young intruders were dead. They dragged the bodies, outside.

  “I’ve gotta clean up the blood,” Sam said in shock.

  “Leave it. We’ve got teams for that. Let’s go!” Dennis pulled him out the door.

  The six of them ran for the car, half of the new SB team watched for other hit teams and half drove Sam to the airport, where the plane and fresh pilots were waiting.

  DENNIS AND LARRY waved goodbye as the Lear rotated off flying to the San Juans, to bring Sam, Iain, Dave, Mac and Deedee to Elise in Friday Harbor.

  “Dear shouldn’t have given us a choice to decline,” Dennis said.

  “I feel low too, but she knew it would hit us we were circumstances away from death. We struggle enough with our own PTSD
. Let’s ride this one out and catch the next one,” Larry sighed, he was exhausted he had to admit.

  “Ya well, doesn’t make me feel any less of a heel. But you’re right, there’s always the next one. I need a beer.”

  “Me too, let’s go and visit the Andersens and have a drink with Tom and Lara and Boogie.”

  Minutes later D&L with their Guinness six-pack headed up to the knoll in the cemetery overlooking the ocean.

  After their toast, they’d settled down on the grass to watch the ocean and enjoy the quiet, the beautiful grounds, and the warm sunny day, appreciative of the chance to finally wind down. Bless Dear.

  “Guess what amigo. We’ve got a loose end,” Dennis said finishing his third Guinness.

  “The kid,” Larry said laughing.

  “The kid. He’ll shit his pants this time,” Dennis said.

  “Recruitment won’t care. Ready when you are,” Larry laughed.

  “After our nap, we’ll hit the road.” Dennis said and stretched out on the warm grass, the beer and the warm sun was all it took. He sighed.

  “Good plan…” Larry agreed and settled down too. He was the first to start snoring.

  STANLEY ARCHED his back and rubbed Sid’s leg as if to say, ‘I know what it means when the phone rings that many times, Man. I miss you already.’

  “Sorry Stan, old man. Duty calls. I’ll be back soon this time, I promise. Naah… My gut says different. Let’s find your carrier. You’re coming with me this time.”

  Sid placed Stan on his shoulder as he went to his new turntable and put on his daughter Karina’s “Men At Work” 1982 album, the occasional beginning of his prep rituals. “Who Can It Be Now,” was Sid’s prep song.

  Playing her album always reminded him why he joined METAPHOR and why he couldn’t be a retired old artist, quite yet. Sid put Stan in the bathroom and closed the door so he wouldn’t have to hunt for him, while he cleaned the cat carrier, excited he’d be seeing his lady love in a few hours.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE -- SADDLE UP

  IN FRIDAY HARBOR, Desiree sat in her second story office, looking north watching the point of Brown Island. She looked at her mother’s old mantle clock which had chimed at the quarter hour moments ago. It was a heavy head wind the ferry pushed through. Th rain blown against the windows sounded like tiny pebbles.

  0947 now.

  There she was, the ferry in all her hefty white and green elegance, rounded the point. Her heart rate quickened. The Chelan ferry built in 1965 crept out of the foggy rain, and swung into the harbor.

  Desiree reviewed METAPHOR’S status.

  Janitor had sabotaged some experiments, slowing the lab’s work down.

  Sid was on his way.

  Sam, Iain, Mac, and Dave with Deedee were en route.

  The aged mantle clock consumed the minutes with the resonating tick tock of the ancient mechanism. The nasty weather would be rough for Sid. Sam would bring Elise comfort. She needed her brother.

  Winter weather in the Northwest was usually blustery, with weekly Southerly winds bordering on gales. North winds brought the cold from Fraser Valley, Canada.

  The ferry crept closer to the dock. Through the rain-spattered window, Dez saw the cold, wind-blown walk-on passengers, waiting to disembark. There was her heroine, her Lady in Red.

  A year earlier Dez, had not paid much attention to the walk-on passengers until she noticed the tall, pretty, middle aged woman in the long hooded red raincoat in a walking cast come in from Anacortes, four random mornings a week on this very ferry. Dez would catch glimpse of her navy blue uniform pant leg. A nurse. Today, she was alone. Dez watched Lady in Red struggling against the headwind, up the steep gangplank toward the gate opened by the attendant. She was tired, always the last of the passengers. Her limp seemed better. She’d been working in a walking cast for two months.

  Desiree was looking for Mavra’s new team. ‘Good. Not one young stud among the walk-ons.’

  Now the cars drove off the ferry turning right then left at the big tree, past her shop.

  Dez picked up her binoculars looking hard into each windshield, wondering if Mavra knew exactly where Elise was. No one that fit the general description of Mavra’s advance team was coming in on the ferry. She could see the people in the cars, most were couples or a single person, not a car full of men. No vans.

  Some days, Dez knew Lady in Red had been waiting too long in the rain under the canopy of the shops by the dock. Dez had often gone to rescue her gal, but as she’d headed that way, she’d see her heroine in her son’s car. When it was her husband who met her, he’d meet her high on the gangplank at the gate, thread her arm through his, kiss her and help her walk those impossible last steps that would end her night’s work.

  Often, Dez picked up her most powerful binoculars just to see her heroine smile, as her true love came to rescue her. She could feel their love. They had a profound love for each other Dez could see from her window. There was goodness, commitment, and love in the world. They proved it. She and Sid had it. Elise had it…

  Tears welled in Dez’s eyes.

  ‘Rest well, my dear,’ Dez thought, sending her Lady in Red best wishes, as she and her son drove by, underneath her shop window. Dez knew since her Lady in Red was working off island, the effort to sustain their dream of living in Paradise was having enormous costs. One day they’d meet face to face, a heroine celebrated. Dez was her biggest fan.

  Dez watched the ferry empty the last car to be sure it was clear with no late walk-on passengers leaving after the cars. The street was empty again. Dez felt relieved. She rubbed her temples. She had a headache from the lack of sleep. Now the waiting cars were boarding, to leave for Canada.

  She turned back to her desk to watch Elise in the monitor, and think of the perfect words to get the media interested in making the trip here tomorrow.

  There were a dozen ways Mavra Kimirov could get a team here, by boat, by seaplane, by jet, by local airlines, by ferry, or private barge. They’d probably come in by jet to the unattended airport. But Eamon or his deputies were patrolling there.

  Desiree thought, ‘Mavra would know they could steal cars from the used car lot, a quarter mile from the Friday Harbor airport. Mavra would know private jets were housed there in private hangers. Corporate pilots, almost always put them to bed, topped off.’

  She’d call Eamon, a former IRA activist from Ulster, now her undercover fifth in command, the town Sheriff for cover, and alert him.

  Dez checked her email and cell phones. No new messages. After METAPHOR called the media, they’d probably come in at night from Canada’s Vancouver Island.

  None of her spotters on the west, north and south side of the island had reported a boat coming from there, and the winter ferry loading for Canada would not return from Victoria to Friday Harbor until three p.m. Dez would be amazed if Mavra knew Elise was here now. Dez knew they were scouring the country for Elise, because Dez’s teams were scouring the world for that vicious bitch. She’d conveniently disappeared.

  The spotter’s report said, the south of the island, off of the Cape was clear. The blustery day was perfect weather for a diversion.

  But there was nothing in the skies the radar said, except for the scheduled Kenmore Air flight. The pilots were bush types however, who would fly below the lowest ceilings, skimming the water if they had to. It had been years since they’d cancelled a flight due to bad weather. End of the year weather in the Northwest was like a young moody Mother Nature. White caps appeared on the water beyond the harbor blown up by the fierce winds.

  An updated wind advisory alerted on Dez’s cell. The Seattle TV station KIRO-7 projected an incoming storm, mirroring how she felt.

  Dez knew the media would brave these Northwest elements to get their story. They’d fly in and out in their station’s seaplane.

  Desiree’s trembling hand had started to call the media many times. She couldn’t. She was terrified everything would go wrong, again.

  She’d l
ost her edge the minute Elise regressed to the child she’d known years ago. How Elise remembered the voice she’d had as a child was astounding, her voice sent chills up Desiree’s spine. Her regression was complete and true. Dez wished she still loved research. How the brain works was such a mystery, but she’d never let this information out. It was as deadly as the secret to building the bomb.

  Dez was sobered by an intrusive thought so profound it brought more tears to her eyes.

  If Elise died executing her plan, perhaps suicide by principle, Shanti would be on her own, her total freedom long past due, a cruel and heartless irony in spite of all Elise had sacrificed, what they all had sacrificed.

  Desiree sighed. It was so inviting to let go. Dez would go on, her duty-bound soul would press on with her last dying breath, onto another mission with METAPHOR, because there were no others like them. They’d sworn a life allegiance.

  Dez wiped away the warm tears that fell down her face like the raindrops on the window. Her heart was deadened with regret and what was to come.

  Iain was on his way with Sam and his two vet friends. The irony was the three had figured it out, and had insisted on getting to Elise, a woman they didn’t even know.

  Dez convinced Elise, she had to have Sam and the METAPHOR west coast team with her when they put Elise’s plan into motion.

  Elise agreed to wait. Dez knew Elise was a powder keg, set to blow with the slightest provocation.

  Dez looked up at the camera screen. Elise was in her room looking out the window. Perhaps thinking the same thing as Dez, while watching the ferry come in. She knew in her heart Elise was going to bolt because, she’d trained her to.

  Elise had been watching the cars drive off the ferry. She turned her head toward the door, listening for Desiree’s footfall. Elise crossed to the door.

  Buddy was with her, but sleeping.

  Dez held her breath, expecting Elise to be storming toward her office. But Elise just stood, listening at the door. She shook her head in frustration, sat on the bed, calming herself by stroking Buddy’s head. She laid down beside him, curling around him, pulling him into her arms, as the tears fell down her cheeks.