A nurse walked into the room. "Is there something you need, Ms. Griffin?"
She snapped, "Yes, we're checking ourselves out."
"I don't think that's such a good..."
Kim interrupted the nurse, "Do you know whose daughter I am?"
"Yes," the nurse replied.
"Well then..." Kim folded her arms. "Get the paperwork moving."
Chapter Forty-nine
Also Known As
10:22 A.M...
Hellenistic Sector, Business Vicinage...
Sphinx Corporation Third Branch Office...
The Chairman's office...
The secretary's voice spoke over the intercom, "Mr. Griffin, Orthos is here."
He told her, "Cathy, show him in."
Within a few minutes, the secretary opened the door, and Orthos entered.
"Will you be needing anything, Mr. Griffin?" she questioned as she stood by the door.
"No, Cathy, that will be all."
The secretary left.
Orthos said, "I have received some intel from the Factory." He paused, unsure how to proceed, and continued, "Your daughter discovered a disk that was stolen from your office five years ago."
"What do we have to worry about? As you said, the data is at least five years old."
Orthos paused again and relayed, "That particular disk had termination orders for one Theresa Griffin signed by Janus."
Mr. Griffin scowled. "It will only become a problem if Kimberly discovers that's my a.k.a. I have not gone by that name since my promotion from Head of Security for the Third Branch Office, and Kimberly has never heard me referred by it." He leaned forward, resting on his elbows. "To be on the safe side, make sure all records relating to Janus are expunged and retrieve that disk."
"I already have the disk in my possession." Orthos laid the jewel case on the desk.
Mr. Griffin noticed the dried blood and panicked. "Is that Kimberly's..."
"Your daughter is bruised but unharmed so do not worry. Lieutenant Creed's men were able to extract them from the Factory."
"Well done. Did my daughter or the stray have anything else in their possession?"
"No, sir."
"See to the Janus records."
"Right away, sir," Orthos said and then added, "You do understand I cannot erase any of the records at the Second or Main Branch Office."
"Yes, I understand. Let's hope Kimberly doesn't stumble across anymore information pertaining to her mother." He paused and added, "That is all."
Mr. Griffin faced the picture of his wife after Orthos left. He didn't understand why she had to go against Sphinx. She also made him choose between her and his work. Mr. Griffin picked up the picture frame and gently stroked Theresa's face. He hoped his daughter didn't force him to make the same decision.
Outside in the hall...
Orthos passed the secretary and entered the elevator, and once the doors closed, he reached into his coat pocket and removed the Data Crystal he'd taken from Kat. He hated lying to the Chairman, but he did have his own promotion to think about, and he couldn't gain anything if he gave away his resources. Orthos examined the two inch white obelisk.
* * *
Hellenistic Sector, Residential Vicinage...
Asclepius Hospital...
Maxwell stood by a large window, examining the new day enveloped by night. The bald tech had a bandage on his right elbow and one on his chin. The nurses at Asclepius Hospital treated him and his partner very well. Peters sat in a chair beside Argus' bed as the operative rested. Peters' wrist was bandaged.
Dr. Brian Chiron walked in and reviewed Argus' chart. "You had a run in with those... What do they call them?"
"Bio-mechas," Peters spoke up.
Brian put the chart back. "You guys are lucky to be alive." He walked over to Argus and checked his vitals. "Those machines have killed a lot of people."
"Don't we know it." Maxwell made his way to the bed. "How's he doing?"
"Fine, considering they beat him up pretty badly. There was a slight infection from the bullet; it had been in his leg for a long time. I removed it with no problems, and the meds are taking care of the rest. He should be fine." Brian started out. "I'll check on him again in about half an hour." He left.
Maxwell picked up a remote and turned on the TV. The NBS news was on, and Linda Harvey was in the middle of a story.
"At this time, it is still unclear which corporation was behind the bio-mecha attacks that happened earlier this week. N.C.P.F. have confirmed that all these robotic men have been eliminated and that they are no longer a threat to Noir citizens." She turned to a new camera. "In other news, an upset in the Corporate Senate. The quarter cent sales tax raise was not voted through. Analysts are..."
"I hate the news," Maxwell muttered and turned it off.
Peters questioned his partner, "What do we do now?"
"Hmm... What do you mean?" Maxwell asked.
"What are we going to do now that the Factory's gone?"
"That is easy," a man answered.
Both techs turned.
The man wore a black suit and stood in the doorway. "You're going to come work for us."
Five S.C.Ms. rushed in, and a doctor and a nurse came in with them. The doctor and nurse moved to Argus' bed and unhooked him from the machines.
"What are you doing?" Maxwell asked.
"The Counsel wishes for Argus to return home," the man in the black suit answered. "Don't worry, the Sanctum has the best medical facility in Noir. He's in excellent hands, but we were talking about you two." The man removed two envelopes, then handed one to Maxwell and one to Peters. "Here are the Council's offers for you two to come work for them."
"We can't," Maxwell spoke up. "We signed a non-discloser..."
"Yes, we know about that agreement. If you would look at the other papers in the envelopes, you will discover a document stating we have acquired all information and technology from the Factory, and as some of the surviving employees, we would like you two to come and work for us. You can have your lawyers look over the contracts before you agree."
"Maxwell, they're offering twice what we were making."
"Yeah, I see."
"What do you think?" Peters asked.
"If the lawyers clear it, I say we take the man's offer."
"I'm with you," Peters replied. "Looks like we won't be out of work."
Chapter Fifty
Ms. Melissa Odin
10:34 A.M...
Nile Sector, Commorance Vicinage...
A gold limo drove down the busy Brownstone Street in front of the Bes Hotel, and a Corporate Emblem of a golden triangle marked the front doors and hood. The vehicle came to a halt, the chauffeur got out, and walked to the back. The driver put one hand behind his back and opened the door. A thin man with a shaven head stepped to the sidewalk; he wore a light blue business suit with white stripes, and the suit resembled a pharaoh's headdress. The man dreaded the job that lay before him. He stood tall almost seven foot and wore Kohl, a black eyeliner; he also had a small pony tail on the right side of his shaved head.
"Find some place to park," the man told the driver. "I will call you when I'm done."
The chauffeur nodded, "Yes, Mr. Serbet." The driver went back to the vehicle and soon pulled away.
Mr. Serbet made his way to a stoop and rang a doorbell of a two story brown stone, and a security camera mounted on the wall above him turned to get a better view.
A man spoke through an intercom, "Can I help you?"
"I am Mr. Serbet. I am from the Isis Corporation. I am here to see Ms. Melissa Odin."
"Can I see some ID?"
"Of course." Mr. Serbet removed a wallet and lifted the photo ID to the camera.
A device on the camera scanned the identification bar code and transmitted the information to a H.H.C. the man inside held. "Thank you," the man said. "Please wait one moment."
A few
minutes earlier...
Inside the two story house...
Melissa stared at a notebook, looking over formula equations; she wore a light gray dress with a flower pattern. She shook her head; everything she was going through was because of these formulas. About six days ago, Melissa converted the empty room into a home lab. Several beakers on a large table had a yellowish substance in them, and a few racks of test tubes sat beside a microscope. Someone knocked, and she looked up.
"Yes?"
A man opened the door.
"Daniels, what is it?" Melissa asked the bodyguard.
"There is a Mr. Serbet from the Isis Corporation at the door. Should I let him in?"
"He's from the Isis Corporation? I wasn't expecting anyone today. Let him in and bring him here."
The bodyguard left and soon returned with the man from the corporation.
Melissa stood, walked over to the man, and shook his hand as she said, "Hello, Mr. Serbet."
The man bowed his head in greeting. "Ms. Odin."
She turned to the bodyguard. "Thank you, Daniels. Please go check on the children."
"Yes, Ms. Odin." The bodyguard exited.
Melissa motioned to a chair. "Please have a seat." She sat in another chair. "Is there any word on my case? Will my old employer, the Valhalla Corporation, take me to court?"
"Valhalla is taking you to court over your contract with them. Your lawyers from Isis were able to excuse you from appearing. The judge agreed Valhalla might decide to hire a Life Closer to kill you before the matter's settled in court. It's a good thing we placed you and the children in this safe house. Two more bodyguards will be showing up shortly." He crossed his legs. "Is there anything you need?"
"No, this house has everything we need." She stood. "Would you like some coffee?"
"Actually, Ms. Odin..." He also stood. "There's another matter I must tell you; it's the reason I came in person."
"Oh... What is that?"
He motioned to her chair. "Maybe you should sit back down."
"Why would I..." she started to ask and then questioned, "What has happened?"
"It's about your brother, Norman." Mr. Serbet wasn't sure how to tell her and decided to come right out with it. "He's dead."
She fell back, caught herself on the table, and knocked over the rack of test tubes, and the yellowish substance spilled. A few of the glass containers fell to the tile floor and broke, shattering into pieces. Mr. Serbet quickly moved to her and helped her to the chair and after a few moments of shock, Melissa put a hand to her mouth as tears streamed down her face. "How did it happen? Was it a Closer?"
"Yes."
She gasped.
Daniels burst in with his gun drawn. "Ms. Odin! Are you all right?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Please, put your gun away." The bodyguard still looked a little worried, so Melissa added, "Really, everything's fine."
Mr. Serbet turned to the bodyguard. "Ms. Odin received some unsettling news about her brother."
"I see." Daniels didn't know what to say and holstered his weapon. "I'll be in the living room if you need anything, Ms. Odin."
Melissa sniffed. "Thank you, Daniels."
The bodyguard left.
Ms. Odin turned to Mr. Serbet. "Tell me about this Closer. Does this have anything to do with my court case?"
"No, we believe it has nothing to do with your current problems with Valhalla. The Closer was an illegal one hired by a man named Topa. Topa works for Valhalla, but went out on his own to hire the Illicit Closer." He handed her a handkerchief.
Melissa wiped her eyes, blew her nose, and then asked, "Has Topa been arrested?"
Mr. Serbet shook his head. "No, an assassin named the Phoenix closed him."
"Do you know why Topa wanted my brother killed?"
"Your brother Norman, a.k.a. Preacher, disrupted sales of Sunna Snapps on Wayfaring Lane, and that's why Topa had him killed. Valhalla Corporation had him testing the drug there."
Melissa's view...
It's because of Sunna Snapps; no, it can't be. Not the drug I created.
I look to my note book, then to the yellowish substance, and say, "If that is all Mr. Serbet, I could use some time to myself."
"Of course." He heads for the door. "I'll show myself out."
After he leaves, I lay my head on the table. It's my fault. It's all my fault that my brother's dead. I weep as I say, "Please forgive me, Norman. I'll never forgive myself."
Chapter Fifty-one
Returning Home
12:18 P.M...
Hellenistic Sector, Residential Vicinage...
Tainted Rain poured on West 1000 Avenue, covering the street with oily black water, and the six-wheeled automated Street Sanitizers paused from their work and shut down everything but their parking lights. They allowed Noir's drainage system to take care of the rain. The Sanitizers' work would come again when the storm passed.
Frustrated over the loss of the Disk and Data Crystal, Kim and Kat sat in the back of a limo that had picked them up from the Main One Hospital. Mr. Griffin sent the driver to take the women back to the Nexus Apartments. The limo passed several of the dormant street cleaners as the vehicle traveled through the Residential Vicinage. Several apartments and restaurants lined West 1000 Avenue. Many of the people that walked the dark sidewalks lit by street lights had umbrellas and/or were dressed in raincoats, and even a few wore Winnow Masks. Some people rushed to have lunch before their break hour ended, and many more vehicles roared up and down the road, spraying the Tainted Rain on the sidewalks.
Katharine's view...
We're both in the limo as I stare at my shoulder. I should have told Kimberly while we were at the hospital, but I never found the right moment, and I roll my eyes, remembering back. I never had a chance with Kimberly yelling so much. And she was mostly yelling at me like it was my fault they took the disk from her. I wonder if I should tell her now. Maybe if I want to get yelled at again.
"Hades!" Kimberly bellows for the tenth time. "I should have known better! For Ares' sake! I can't believe I stayed in bed while they robbed us." She folds her arms. "Who is behind this? How did they know I had the disk or that you had the crystal?"
I don't reply; I have no answers. I watch the city go by, deciding I'll wait a little longer. Kimberly's too mad, and what I have to tell her will be hard enough without staring into her angry gaze. She may look at me different once I've told her the unsettling news, and I don't know if I could take that. I finally have someone who's on my side.
End Katharine's view...
"I'll track them down," Kim vowed. "And when I find them..." She squeezed the knapsack on her lap. "They'll wish..."
"I think we need some tea," Kat interrupted, still staring out the window. "It will calm us and clear our minds." She glanced at her shoulder. "A lot has happened today, and we have a lot to think about. Maybe even talk about."
"Tea?" Kim turned to her. "Is tea your answer to everything?"
"No, it's just..."
Beaten for the moment, Kim let out a long breath. "It's just that we can't do anything else right now, so why not. Fine, we'll have some tea."
The limo pulled into Nexus Apartment's parking garage and dropped off the women, and after some time, the two of them sipped on hot lemon zinger in silence as they sat in the living room.
Kim finally broke the quiet. "Please tell me you downloaded the information from the Data Crystal to the music box."
"Yes, I think so." Kat retrieved it from her backpack, placed the music box in her palm, and commanded, "Theresa."
The hologram materialized and examined the room. "Where are we? I don't recognize this place."
"It's my apartment," Kim answered.
"It is very nice. I take it the Un-Men are no longer hunting the two of you."
"We're safe." Kat placed the music box on the table. "What information did the Data Crystal contain?"
<
br /> "The files were locked," the hologram replied. "I am working on breaking the encryption, and it may take me some time." She added, "There was one file entitled the Gorgons with no encryption; it only contained an address."
Kim retrieved her laptop from the master bedroom and logged on to the internet. She typed the address in a map locater search box, and within seconds, the results popped up. "This place is in the Hellenistic Sector." She studied the cross streets. "I haven't been to this part of the sector. We'll have to check it out."
Exhausted, Kat pleaded, "Tomorrow." She wanted to take some time and play Unfinished Melody and regain more of her strength. Kat could function at this point, but she was a little on edge. "It'll still be there tomorrow."
Kim wanted to go now, there could be clues, but she did have to think about her new partner. If Kat collapsed, she'd have to lug her around, so Kim closed her laptop and said, "Sure, we need the rest. I imagine your shoulder is killing you after all the stress you put it through."
"My shoulder?" Kat put a hand to it. "Actually..."
With her thoughts elsewhere, Kim interrupted her, "Tomorrow then." Kim stood and grabbed her laptop. "I'll be in my room." She went into the master bedroom, locked the door, sat at her desk, opened her e-mail on the laptop, and typed, "Voice, Phoenix here." She waited and received an instant message from the Regulator of the Assassins League.
"Has your problem been taken care of?"
Kimberly's view...
I glance at the door, think of that woman, and type, "Yes, the problem has been taken care of."
"Are you sure?" Voice types back. "I would hate for this to come back on you, if the problem hasn't been taken care of."
Does Voice know? No, Voice doesn't know who I am, so Voice can't have me under surveillance. Why does Voice doubt my answer? I've never lied in the past.
I type, "The problem is gone like I said. Do you doubt my word?"
"No, of course not; I only wanted to make sure for my own piece of mind. Since the Closing in Moscow, well... this latest event concerned me is all."
I stare at the screen, wonder how to respond, and type, "I contacted you to inform you I'm taking a hiatus as you and my father suggested." I press the send button and wait.
A few minutes pass, and an instant message beeps on the screen. "I have an assignment I was hoping you would do for me. It's local. It is a rooftop Closing. Would you mind taking one more assignment before starting your break? It won't take more than a day or two. I'll owe you one."
All Worlds: Fantasy And Science Fiction Series Starters Page 43