by Siegel, Alex
Tawni looked down. "Yes, sir."
Sheryl shook her head. What a hard ass, she thought.
"Norbert," Aaron said, "why did you enter the factory through the back door?"
"It was the only way in, sir," Norbert said. "The car fire was in front."
"But it was likely the back door was guarded, and indeed, it was. You needed to find a more covert point of entry, even if that meant working harder and taking a little more time. People died because of your laziness."
"Yes, sir." Norbert blushed.
"What about me, sir?" Smythe said.
Aaron turned to him. "Sending Tawni through the woods alone was a mistake. Her lack of experience makes her vulnerable. As the senior member of the team, it was your job to stick with her."
"Yes, sir."
"At least none of you got hurt. That's always something to be thankful for."
The team didn't look very thankful.
"Bethany," Aaron said, "I hope you have something to contribute."
Bethany placed a piece of paper on the table and read it, "The Shkotovo Company was originally a Russian military unit. They were part of Spetsnaz, the Russian Special Forces. The name Shkotovo comes from a small town north-east of Vladivostok. They were stationed there."
"How did they become mercenaries?"
"The soldiers decided to make extra money by moonlighting for the Russian mafia. They became assassins and enforcers while still in uniform. Eventually, there was a scandal. The entire unit was given a dishonorable discharge and sent away. They remained together though. They first went to Kazakhstan and worked for rebel factions and local crime bosses. That was seven years ago. I don't know how they ended up in Indiana."
"Do you know how big the Shkotovo Company is?" he said.
"The original unit was a hundred men, sir, but I have no idea what the current size is."
"What else do you have for us?"
"That's all," she said.
"Tawni took some pictures of license plates."
"We haven't looked at them yet."
Aaron furrowed his brow. "I've seen you two accomplish miracles in five minutes, and you've had more than an hour this morning. It took you all that time to do basic research on a group of Russian thugs?"
"Yes, sir." Bethany lowered her gaze.
"Why do I think you weren't entirely focused on the task? Leanna, do you have anything to say for yourself?"
Leanna cleared her throat. "No, sir."
"I'm very disappointed. Go back to your computers and generate some leads. Get out of here."
The twins left the kitchen. Norbert watched them go with obvious concern.
"Keep an eye on them," Aaron said.
"Yes, sir." Norbert hurried after the twins.
Aaron sighed and shook his head.
"What's wrong with them?" Sheryl said.
"The project with God is going badly. Stay out of it. You don't want to get involved. Let's give the twins a couple of hours to do their jobs. We'll have another meeting at eleven." He stood up.
"Wait," Marina said. "I'm supposed to go back to San Francisco this morning."
He frowned. "Oh. I forgot."
"I think you forgot on purpose. This has become a business trip, so I can justify extending my visit by one more day. Does everybody want me to stay? Aaron, you don't get a vote. I know your opinion." She looked around the kitchen table.
"Of course, ma'am," Smythe said. "We can always use somebody with your enormous amount of experience and skill."
Tawni nodded. "I want to spend some time with you, ma'am. You could teach me so much."
Marina looked at Sheryl and raised her eyebrows.
"Just as long as you don't give me another martial arts lesson," Sheryl said in a low voice. "I'm still sore from the last one."
Marina smiled. "Then we have a consensus. I'll have to double-check with my team, but assuming there are no big problems at home, I'll stay one more day. Tawni, do you want a sword fighting lesson?"
"Absolutely!" Tawni grinned.
"In an hour." Marina stood and grabbed Aaron's hand. "Come, dear."
The two lovers walked out.
Smythe got up. "That's my cue to take a nap. Excuse me, ladies." He also left.
Tawni took a bite of her apple.
"You had a big night," Sheryl said.
"Not really. Just wait until we get serious."
Sheryl looked down.
"What's wrong?" Tawni said.
"This business is scarier than I expected. You're scarier than I expected."
"Me?" Tawni snorted. "I'm just a rookie. I can't do anything right."
"You can kill with shadows. That's pretty freaky."
"Yes, but Marina could still kick my ass with both hands behind her back. And the legate could kick her ass. And I've met people who could kick the legate's ass. I have a long way to go before I'm officially scary. That's a pretty dress by the way."
"Thank you," Sheryl said. "I put it on for you."
"You're still hot for me?"
"I was..."
Tawni reached across the table and took Sheryl's hand. Her touch was comforting.
"I know it's a lot to handle," Tawni said, "but you're doing fine."
Sheryl wiped her eye and smiled a little.
"After I'm done with my sword fighting lesson," Tawni said, "I'll work out with you. Just us girls. It will be fun."
"Are you going to pound me into the ground like Marina did?"
"Just half-way into the ground. Hey, if you want to get into my pants, you got to work for it. I'm not going to date a wimp."
Sheryl's eyes widened. "You're interested in me?"
"Curious, at least. I think I'll take a short nap, too." Tawni stood up and yawned. "I'm wrecked." She left.
Sheryl found herself alone in the kitchen. She had wanted to become part of something special and secret, but this was ridiculous.
Chapter Ten
"You're trying to show off again!" Marina said. "You're throwing your sword around like it's a rubber chicken. Stop it."
"Yes, ma'am," Tawni said.
Sheryl was watching Marina give Tawni a lesson. As Sheryl had come to expect, it was an amazing thing to witness.
"Do the exercise again," Marina said. "Quick but smooth."
All the women were wearing white karate uniforms with gray belts. Marina's outfit was dry and neat, but Tawni's was sagging with sweat.
Tawni was holding a Japanese sword with both hands. She performed a series of forward lunges and slashes in a rapid sequence. To Sheryl, the movements looked efficient and deadly.
Marina shook her head. "Let me have the sword."
Tawni handed over the weapon, and the sharp edge gleamed in the light. It wasn't a practice sword.
"Observe," Marina said.
She performed the same attack sequence, but her moves were twice as fast and three times as deadly. Sheryl could hardly believe her eyes. Marina operated on a different level than ordinary humans.
"Cut! Cut! Cut!" Marina said. "A sword isn't a magic wand. Waving it around won't accomplish anything. Focus on cutting your enemy." She leapt, flipped, and landed in a perfect stance. The sword stopped just millimeters from Tawni's neck. "Finish every attack with a cut. Neck, belly, wrists, hamstrings. Those are your targets." She gave the sword back. "Do it again."
Tawni repeated the exercise. She still looked great, but even Sheryl could tell she was slowing down.
"That's enough for today," Marina said. "You're obviously too tired to get it right."
Tawni drooped. "Yes, ma'am. Thank you."
Marina headed towards the showers.
Tawni exhaled deeply and let the tip of the sword drop to the floor. She faced Sheryl and said, "Come over here. It's your turn."
"Now?" Sheryl raised her eyebrows. "But you're already exhausted."
"I got a little left in the tank. We'll just work on basic stuff."
Sheryl walked over. The air around Tawni smelled of
sweat, but it was clean sweat. Sheryl didn't mind.
"Let me see you get into a stance like this," Tawni said.
She bent her right leg and extended her left leg backwards. Her back was straight, and her shoulders were square. Even tired and sweaty, she was a magnificent woman.
Sheryl tried to duplicate the stance.
"No." Tawni shook her head. "You're slouched over."
She gently pushed Sheryl into the right position. Sheryl didn't mind being touched.
"A little better," Tawni said. "How does that feel?"
"It stretches my hips."
"Walk forward."
Sheryl moved forward and stepped back into her stance. The motion felt very awkward.
"Yuck." Tawni made a face.
"That bad?"
"Did you learn anything from Marina yesterday?"
Sheryl rolled her eyes.
She heard Norbert speaking in a firm tone in the computer room. One of the twins answered in a soft, polite voice.
"What's going on with them?" Sheryl said. "Why did God tell me to back off?"
Tawni drew back. "The Boss talked to you?"
"Yes. What's the big secret?"
"Hmm." Tawni crossed her arms. "How do I put this? You know how computers have security software. Anti-virus shit."
"Sure."
"Sometimes it needs to get upgraded."
"Because there are always new viruses," Sheryl said. "So?"
"The twins are writing an upgrade, but it's not for a computer."
Sheryl had a bad feeling. "What is it for?"
"The universe."
Sheryl blinked. "That doesn't make sense."
Tawni shrugged.
"You can't be serious. The whole universe? What if they make a mistake? What if there is a bug? The world could be destroyed!"
"Aaron didn't tell you because he didn't want you to worry."
"That is utterly insane," Sheryl said. "It's ridiculous. The laws of physics are... laws. A couple of autistic princesses can't upgrade the universe."
Tawni waved her finger in the air and created a little whirlpool of darkness. "God thinks they can."
Sheryl turned and took a few steps. Of all the unbelievable things she had seen and heard in the last few days, this one topped the list. In retrospect, she wished she hadn't insisted on knowing. Aaron had been wise. Now, she was frightened.
"Forget about the twins," Tawni said. "Come on. Let's work on that stance."
Sheryl went back, but instead of getting into a stance, she put her arms around Tawni. Tawni stiffened but didn't push Sheryl away. Sheryl put her head on Tawni's shoulder. After a moment, Tawni gave Sheryl a big, sweaty hug. It felt so good she sighed.
"Seriously," Tawni said, "we have to work on that stance. It hurts my eyes."
"You're not so scary," Sheryl said softly.
"We'll see."
* * *
Aaron walked into the computer room. He was gratified to see the twins seated at their workstations. At least they weren't on the roof again. Norbert stood by them with a stern expression like a strict school teacher.
"How's it going?" Aaron asked. He had to speak loudly to be heard over the fan noise from all the computers.
"Not well, sir." Norbert shook his head. "They're very distracted and depressed. I have to keep reminding them to get back to work. I don't think they slept much last night."
"This is becoming a serious problem."
"For everybody. I'm losing touch with them. They're fading away. I wish I knew what to do."
Aaron sighed and went to Bethany. A headset was wrapped around her head, completely covering her ears. Her big, brown eyes were staring up at her grid of computer monitors. Information was flowing across the displays, but her hands were idle. She was just a passive, disinterested observer.
He tapped her shoulder until he finally got her attention.
"Sir?" She took off her headset.
"Do you have any leads, yet?"
She winced.
"I'll take that as a no," he said.
"I'm sorry, sir," she pleaded. "We're trying, really. You've always been nice to us. We want to do a good job for you, but we keep thinking about this."
She pointed at one of her monitors. Alien notation covered the screen, and it wasn't even arranged in sensible lines or columns.
"If you don't have any answers, maybe you can tell me who does. Give me the name of somebody I can talk to. Somebody on the inside."
"Yes, sir." She turned her attention back to her computers and started typing. After a moment, she said, "John Wilman, CFO of the Huhawira Casino. He signs the checks. He'll know where the money is going."
He smiled encouragingly. "That wasn't so hard, was it? And it just took you a few seconds."
She blushed.
Aaron went back to Norbert. "You're going to have to sit this one out. I need you here to supervise the girls."
"Yes, sir." Norbert nodded. "At least I got a little action last night."
Aaron left the computer room and went straight to the conference room. Marina, Sheryl, Tawni, and Smythe were already seated. Aaron took his place at the long oak table.
"We got one lead, of sorts," he said. "John Wilman, chief money changer for the Huhawira Casino. Smythe and Tawni, drive up there and talk to him. Dress as FBI agents. You're angry about a money laundering scheme. Bring some official-looking paperwork."
"Yes, sir," Smythe said.
"Hey," Sheryl said, "I know Wilman. He's kind of a creep."
"Can Marina come?" Tawni said eagerly.
Aaron raised his eyebrows. "Why?"
"I want to see how a female commander operates in the field, sir, and she can tell us stories about her missions during the long drive."
He turned to Marina. "Well?"
"I was there last night for Sheryl's untimely death," she said, "and I watched her show before that. I'm not excited about driving up a third time. I'll have to wear some kind of disguise."
"Please, ma'am?" Tawni said. "It would mean a lot to me."
Marina's shoulders sagged. "OK."
Aaron wasn't pleased with her decision. They had had sex in the morning, so he couldn't complain about a lack of intimacy. Still, he didn't want her to go. Their time together was precious and fleeting.
She patted his arm. "It will just be for a few hours. I wouldn't want to disappoint a fan." She looked towards Tawni.
Aaron nodded. "I guess I'll train Sheryl while you're out."
Sheryl slouched in her chair as if she were trying to disappear under the table.
Marina kissed Aaron. "I'll be back before dinner at the latest." She stood up. "Let's go."
Smythe and Tawni followed her out the door.
Aaron looked at Sheryl and smiled.
"Sir," she said, "Tawni already gave me a pretty good workout today."
"I saw." He shook his head sadly.
"If I'm so terrible, why did you make me a legionnaire?"
"Because Wesley told me to, and you're not terrible. You just have different strengths than most legionnaires. Once we shore up your weaknesses, I'm sure you'll be very effective."
"How long will that take?" she said.
"Depends on how hard you work. Could be six months, could be a year."
She winced. "I have to put up with this hell for at least six months?"
"For the rest of your life." He stood up. "Move. Sitting there and whining isn't making you a better fighter."
* * *
Tawni and Smythe were following Marina through the back hallways of the Huhawira Casino. All of them wore cheap, blue business suits, yet somehow, Marina made the outfit look sharp.
Tawni was in awe of the commander. Marina projected an air of confidence that Tawni could only envy. Every detail, from the way Marina walked to the way she held her head suggested the peasants around her would do well to follow her commands. The incredible stories she had told during the long drive had created the impression of a woman who c
ould walk through an inferno without getting scorched. She and Aaron were well matched.
"This way," a security guard said.
Two guards in green uniforms were escorting the team. They carried semi-automatics in holsters, but Tawni wasn't impressed. She had two machine pistols under her jacket.
The group arrived at a doorway. One of the guards was about to knock on the door when Marina just opened it. She went inside without hesitation.
Tawni followed her in.
A tall man with gray hair was sitting behind a desk. He was wearing a black suit, but the jacket was hung over the back of his chair. Skin the color of cinnamon and a long, straight nose indicated his family had come from Southern Italy.
"John Wilman?" Marina asked.
Wilman nodded. "Who are you?"
"FBI, White-Collar Crime Program." She took out her wallet and flashed a badge.
His eyes widened.
She sat on a chair facing him. The look on her face suggested he was just a dead bug on a windshield to her. Tawni and Smythe stood behind Marina with their hands at their sides.
Without being obvious, Tawni checked the room. The two guards were waiting near the doorway with anxious postures. One of them had his hand near the grip of his gun.
The office was strangely furnished. Wilman had many books with titles like "True Ghost Stories" and "Methods of Paranormal Investigation." A crystal ball rested on a silver stand. There was an antique clockwork mechanism made of bronze, but the metal was corroded. Clear plastic encased a plaster cast of a giant footprint.
"What can I do for the FBI?" Wilman said.
"We're investigating the Super Double Monkey machines," Marina said.
His face lost a shade of color but he didn't flinch. "Why?"
"Just tell us what you know."
"Should I call my lawyer first?"
"Mr. Wilman," she said, "I'm giving you an opportunity to cooperate of your own free will. Right now, you aren't a person of interest in this case, but that could change. Do you want to have this conversation in the FBI main office in Chicago?"
He smiled, but it was forced. "I want to cooperate. It's just that the monkey machines are a very sensitive topic. I signed a contract specifically stating I wouldn't disclose any information. Breaching that contract could destroy me professionally and financially."