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

by Cara Charles

  Dimitri examined Mavra’s nose, kissing her, “First, I would like to see your guest step into your new, state of the art laboratory. Then, we must call the doctor and set about repairing this beautiful face, right love?”

  Dimitri smoothed her brow.

  “Yes, this hurts like a bitch,” circling her face, “but it can wait. We didn’t work this hard, get this far this fast, not to take the ball over the goal line,” Mavra said.

  “You, love. Not we. You tenacious wench.” D smiled to disarm her.

  Dimitri stroked Mavra’s thick, silky copper colored hair. An ugly image flashed into his eye, her copper mane was laid across the snowy ground, her Cossack blood flavoring the snow with dark cherry syrup. D gently kissed her mouth to mask his thoughts. He worried about her run of luck and prayed it had finally played out.

  ‘True. Mavra needed to be put down like a rabid animal. He didn’t want to be the one to do it. The truth lay heavy in his bones. But who else?’ He was the only one who would administer humane justice. Not that she deserved it. Don’t be a sentimental fool. Do your sworn duty.’

  “Sorry, Ms. Kimirov. My bad, but you shouldn’t delay the doctor. Bones are re-knitting and quickly settling in,” Kenny said watching D play Mavra like a violin.

  Mavra always enjoying his firm lips nodded reluctantly, “True. Then stay with our prize, lover. Get her to Dr. Wise, so I can get the repair to this mess underway. Carlos? Coming?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Carlos bugging his eyes at Kenny, pointing at her disappearing backside meaning, ‘this should be you. You’re the one who has the hots for her.’

  Kenny shrugged glancing at D, back to Carlos. ‘Sorry man, orders are orders.’

  Carlos rolled his eyes. ‘Ya right.’

  Kenny whispered, “Payday,” pointing to his phone.

  Money always made Carlos happy.

  Kenny joined D and Shanti as they entered the van.

  Carlos got out his phone to check his account as Mavra got into her car.

  ‘Something’s up,’ Carlos could feel it, pissed they hadn’t included him. Carlos watched Kenny help the beautiful, dignified black woman into the van.

  “What’s the matter, Carlos? Feeling left out? I won’t bite. Unless… you deserve it,” Mavra said trying to ease out the vibe resonating off him.

  Carlos smiled relaxing his face to neutral as he climbed in beside her, trying to dissipate the stink of suspicion, before she caught scent of it.

  ‘There’s no ‘I’ in team,’ he reminded himself, and let it pass. Carlos gave his beautiful ruthless boss full eye contact letting her read, ‘You’re so hot.’ Her eyes all over him, like a suspicious security guard. To further distract her, Carlos added a slow blossoming Bruce Willis smile to his face. She loved to flirt.

  “It’s not that often I get the boss to myself. So, I’m good.” He telegraphed his thoughts through his smile, until she looked away. Satisfied, he prayed.

  She put her hand on his thigh. “Yes. You are. Driver? Follow the van closely,” Mavra had sensed Carlos’s paranoia.

  It had started to sleet, the wipers pushing the slush to and fro across the windshield. The sound was making her sleepy. She had one more thing to do. Mavra angled her body away from Carlos, to hide her phone call. She punched in number four on her speed dial.

  “It’s a beautiful day for ducks, isn’t it?” Mavra said quietly pocketing her phone.

  He smiled, not getting her joke. “Ducks fly south for the winter.”

  “Some ducks. Some stay home and weather it.”

  “You’re right.” ‘That was a signal. She doesn’t trust D.’

  Carlos watched the mirrors without being obvious, watching for the backup she’d called. He’d wait to tell D to see if he was just being paranoid. His knew his mind was a bit screwed up from his years on pain pills, but he’d always have D and Kenny’s back. Always.

  When Dimitri settled in as the van got underway driving through the city, D lingered on the driver for the first time out of boredom. Suddenly his body was thrown into a panic. His body recognized this guy with a fear response, his brain scrambling to catch up and make sense of it. D inhaled softly, forcing himself to relax, waiting for his brain to sort it.

  Shanti noticed his wide eyes.

  Kenny followed D’s gaze and stared at Janitor’s neck.

  Janitor sensed the atmosphere ripple with fear. Janitor braced for Dimitri’s comment or a defensive response, like a garroting, but none came. Janitor waited. At least the woman was sitting behind him. Janitor relaxed his shoulders and shoved his gun back under the hem of his jacket.

  For miles Kenny, Shanti, and Dimitri rode in silence, looking at the sites and countryside.

  D kept his head turned toward the window. He signed to Kenny below Janitor’s eye line. D signed, ’you know this guy?’

  ‘Not sure. You?’ Kenny returned, not looking directly at D’s hand.

  Janitor looked at her in the rearview mirror, she was watching their hands.

  Shanti felt his eyes on her and slowly looked up at his reflection.

  Janitor smiled.

  She gave him a quick smile, then looked out the window wondering if he was ‘friend or foe.’

  Janitor watched her in his side mirror and the boys in the rear view.

  ‘Intuitive. Come on D and Kenny! You’re losing your touch.’ Janitor surmised.

  ‘Gut says I do.’ D signed after a minute or so.

  In the sparse countryside now, a bakery van and semi entered their road. Two cars swung in behind them, six car lengths back.

  Janitor exhaled, eyes on the mirror.

  D and Kenny interpreted Janitor’s body language correctly, as he slowly accelerated. D and Kenny looked behind them. D made Shanti change seats and put her in the middle.

  ‘Mavra’s paranoid. Good,’ Janitor thought as his team swung in behind hers.

  Dimitri and Kenny put their guns in their lap.

  D gave Shanti back her gun.

  “Company?” D asked the driver’s rear view mirror.

  “We’re covered,” Janitor said.

  Janitor’s hint of accent helped D fine tune his memory search.

  Janitor remained the mute servant as they drove in silence to an all girls’ boarding school on the outskirts of little Regensberg.

  The car, semi and vans following continued on, not giving away their cover, as Janitor pulled up to the electric gates of the school.

  D and Kenny re-holstered their guns.

  Armed guards opened the gates. They drove in.

  D helped Shanti out of the van, as Janitor waited.

  Shanti stepped from D to Janitor, taking his offered hand.

  Janitor hurried away from Mavra’s approaching town car.

  Carlos got out, stretching.

  D went to fetch Mavra.

  Kenny turned to watch D.

  “She’s asleep. Her pain meds changed her mind,” Carlos said.

  D peeked in at her, her mouth open. He knew to wake her.

  Shanti and Janitor walked alone toward the double glass paned doors.

  Janitor whispered, “Nadanya.” ‘Good friend’ in Ge’ez.

  She squeezed Janitor’s hand hard smiling, her eyes brightened. Shanti turned to look back at the town car, she winked at Kenny following, carrying the Igloo chest of her blood samples. She sighed. Her life’s secrets were in there.

  Dimitri, grumpy Mavra and Carlos brought up the rear, thirty yards back.

  Janitor held open the double doors.

  The marbled corridor was lined with giddy scientists. Dr. Wise stood at the end of the receiving line. Many had nervous smiles, seeing Shanti in the flesh. They started clapping.

  Shanti looked them in the eye, greeting them as any royal would. One bowed deeply. Others followed. Soon they were all bowing, humbled by her presence. They closed in behind her, whispering to each other smiling.

  Mavra entered in her groggy state, her head down.

  D held o
pen the door. No one noticed her.

  “What the hell are you doing? Stop that immediately,” Mavra bellowed.

  The scientists cowered, eyes downcast, not meeting her eye.

  “Stay where you are. Carlos! Search them for cell phones… which are prohibited!”

  The scientists stood still for their frisking. Once cleared, they re-joined the processional.

  Shanti looked behind her at the scientists.

  They dutifully followed turning their backs on Mavra, their benefactor.

  Shanti smiled at Mavra.

  Someone unseen also smiled, tears were building.

  “Don’t alienate them. They’re being respectful. It’s a generational thing,” D said.

  “Sentimental fools can’t do this project. I want a status report on Elise. I had a bomb planted in their food cart, just in case they followed us,” she whispered through her teeth.

  Both D and Kenny tried not to react.

  “That stupid risk to your identity wasn’t necessary. But, I’ll check,” D smiled.

  D was seething, but in control.

  When Mavra and Carlos walked ahead, Kenny bugged his eyes at D.

  D shook his head slightly, signed behind her back, ‘ASAP call hospital. Tell Dr. Dez.’

  Kenny nodded. He handed off the samples to a quiet Dr. Wise, who had observed the exchange. Kenny snuck outside.

  The procession disappeared into the new lab, the former science classrooms with most of their walls removed. The hallway was deserted. Mavra was given a tour.

  Carlos sought out D.

  “Hey man, I’m out. I’m tired of her shit. I’m an inch away from exploding all over her ass. After I drop her off at the doctor’s, I’m taking a cab to the airport. I’ve already got my ticket.”

  “No problem, Carlos. Enjoy the beach and the senoritas.”

  “Will do man. See you soon.”

  Carlos went back to the lab to wait on Mavra.

  After a few minutes, spry old Dr. Titus entered the empty hallway, smiling. He’d watched Shanti disappear into the lab. He watched Janitor close the door behind the procession, Janitor noticed him. He nodded.

  Dr. Titus nodded back. Dr. Titus hurried down the cellar stairs and left the building through an old forgotten tunnel that lead to the old church down the street, exiting the tunnel through the church garden. Making sure he was alone, he hit the ancient cobbled street and whistled “The Shadow of Your Smile” as the snow came down in lacy petals.

  ‘She lives,’ Johan thought. ‘She lives and is still that exquisite, nubile beauty.’

  DESIREE AND SID’S METAPHOR team changed planes to a long range BBJ at JFK. As Sid climbed in the co-pilot’s seat, his got a text alert from Desiree.

  ‘It’s Joe, here. Dear doing well. Full recovery expected. Sends her love to all.’

  ‘Our love to her. Reports when boots on ground in 12+ hours. XO to Dear.’

  ‘Copy. JRJ out.’

  Joseph smiled at Dez, her transfusion dripping. He handed her the Blackberry. “Your coloring is better, Dear.”

  “Thank you Joseph. You want to join them, don’t you?”

  “If I can be of some use, I’d like to very much.”

  “I’ll arrange it. Get your phone ready to enter some addresses and numbers. I want you to memorize them in case you lose your phone. The lab is on the outskirts of Regensberg, ten plus miles north of Zurich in an old girls boarding school called…”

  Minutes later, Joseph left Warm Springs Hospital in a cab for the airport where a charter was waiting.

  Joseph would spend the next twelve hours going over his FBI training and memorizing numbers that meant the difference between life and death and building a plan to contribute to numerous contingencies. One thing he knew Marva Kimirov was famous for throwing lavish parties.

  Desiree IM’d Sid to lookout for Joseph in Zurich, and Desiree IM’d Janitor.

  ‘Dear here. Joe winging to you. ETA 12 hrs. He wants to help and has some marvelous ideas.’

  ‘Copy. Get better. J’

  Sid had not responded by the time Desiree had taken her pain pill.

  An urgent message for the “anonymous female with gunshot wound,” was waiting for delivery for fifteen minutes, as the house supervisor settled down the E.R. She’d make her rounds back to the operator to pick it up.

  Message in hand now Brenda, the stressed house supervisor took it to Desiree’s room. Desiree was asleep. The house supervisor checked Desiree’s flank dressing. She thought the message was a joke.

  It said “MK planted a bomb in the food cart. Get well soon. Forgive me. KS-J 4 DV.”

  Brenda decided not to wake this critical patient. She left the “silly” message on Desiree’s uneaten food tray.

  The nursing assistant came by later and took the untouched tray back to the floor’s food cart never noticing the note.

  Rover and Rusty, the Homeland Security Ranger and his bomb-sniffing Beagle were known as “R&R” because they never found anything, cruised the tarmac at Reagan Airport, sniffing trucks. Rover got a hit, and bayed like a good Beagle. Rover, an incendiary device-sniffing Beagle pulled Rusty, the Homeland Security Ranger toward one food truck.

  Rusty radioed ahead and let Rover do the talking...

  “What’s happening, R&R? Shit! I hear him!”

  “I’m at the food truck depot. Send back up!”

  “Good goin’ man. Way to go Rover! On their way.”

  Sirens were coming Rusty’s way.

  Rover sniffed the box of the truck and sat. A big hit. Rover got a puppy cookie.

  Rusty felt the hood. It was cool, not cold.

  According to the red faced and sweating food truck supervisor, “Really man, we were just about to call you guys. Food truck 523 had on-loaded newly arrived gourmet specialty meals then left to finish off-loading its cargo containers twenty-five minutes ago, dispatch said. They were late reporting in. The “new” crew to truck 523 hasn’t answered. Their scanner and computer, missing. There is no record of what planes they serviced. But, we have their assignments.”

  The Homeland Security Supervisor groaned and grabbed the printout out of the guy’s hand.

  FBI and local Cops were dispatched to the crew’s addresses, their apartments spotlessly, vacant.

  More alert security dogs were brought to the food trucks and they were inspected.

  Rover and his crew didn’t find anything else. The other dogs were rewarded then, sent back to their baggage and passenger areas. Higher ups kept this from the press.

  After thirty panicky minutes, all truck 523’s departing flights in the last two hours were checked against other trucks’ records at the food service office.

  Rover found their crew car in a long-term lot.

  They checked the time in on the lot ticket then, backtracked the flights from that time. With Truck 523’s flights identified now, Washington Center began to vector flights to their nearest airport to be inspected by other brilliant dogs like Rover, terrifying hundreds of passengers.

  The press got the story from a reporter on-board a vectored plane. MSNBC and others now carried the story.

  As the controller blinked and got ready to hail the plane again, the one private jet that had filed a flight plan for Zurich from Reagan that hadn’t responded, disappeared from his scope.

  “Shit. Ron? I think we’ve found our needle. I think it was our target.”

  “Was? Geezus. Maybe they can divert to Bermuda, I’ll call the FAA, the Coast Guard and the NTSB.”

  Ron shook his head, sadly as the controller called Bermuda Center.

  The loss of the plane hit the wires as Rover got the rest of the day off with a huge meaty bone, plus a romp in the dog park. His favorite squeak toy was waiting for him at day’s end. He’d earned it.

  “Miss Kimirov? We’re ready to spin the blood samples.” Dr. Wise called out.

  Shanti’s blood samples were in the centrifuge, his assistants prepared the slab gel and the CE capillary
electrophoresis for their atomic force microscope, connected to a computer. The computer was programmed to sort genetic molecular information. It had a video tap with monitor that would display the molecule in a three dimensional rotating graphic with color-coded components. Shanti’s DNA would be dissected to see what made her special.

  Then their plan to clone her DNA would commence.

  Mavra sat on the stool the doctor provided for her. She was hit by a thought, “Wait.” Mavra dragged herself off the stool, stepping by Dr. Wise.

  Dr. Wise allowed her to look inside the cooler and the centrifuge.

  The same number of tubes that exited the cooler was inside.

  He knew her natural paranoia. She was Russian.

  Mavra spun her finger in the air as she took her seat.

  Dr. Wise pressed a button.

  Shanti’s genetic secret filled blood, spun down.

  Mavra sat gingerly and leaned against the tiled wall, exhausted and in mounting pain.

  D and Kenny escorted Shanti to the glass inner office, overlooking the lab floor, while someone got her tea.

  Scientists watched the monitor.

  Mavra stared at them. Most stayed, defying her.

  Dr. Wise, a fit, small wiry older man with heavy brows and a shaved head examined Mavra’s broken nose.

  “Nasty and you’re exhausted. Let me call you when I have results. No need for you to watch. You’re in need of expert attention. How long ago was this injury?”

  “Twelve hours or so.”

  “Bones knit quickly at your age. They will have to re-break it, surgically.”

  “God,” ‘Mavra rolled her eyes imagining more pain.

  “Get this fixed, now. Beauty can’t wait. Your hard work is done. Good work, by the way. I’ll have a preliminary report for you in eight hours and phone you the results. Go to your doctor. Now, Ms. Kimirov, I implore you. Beauty is too fleeting to waste,” Dr. Wise put a kind hand on her shoulder.

  “Alright. Wake me, no matter what. I need to know.”

  “Sleep well. I love your mind Ms. Kimirov. I don’t want you to miss a single detail. We’ll be working hard, night and day. Let the woman rest, have a meal, and get back on a daily routine. We don’t want to stress her any further, either. Agreed?”

  “Yes, Doctor Wise. Come on boys let’s go. Kenny? You stay with the Professor. Do not ever leave her side. Understand me? Set her and Kenny up in a room here in the dorm, Dr. Wise. D? I want to have a celebration party tomorrow night. Is that sufficient time for preparations?”