by Alex Siegel
Marina went over to Min Ho and Jia. The hackers were rearranging tables, computers, keyboards, mice, and monitors. They seemed to have a plan in mind. They were working around a bundle of cables which went up to the ceiling and through conduit to the electrical closet.
"How does it look?" Marina said.
"Great, ma'am," Min Ho said. "They have some decent hardware here. The servers in the closet were built for serious number crunching. There is even a fast internet connection. We should be up and running by late tonight. Of course, we'll have to buy a lot more hardware eventually, but we have enough here to do our jobs."
"Jia, do you concur?"
The petite Chinese woman nodded. "Yes, ma'am," she said in a soft voice. "This is better than we could've hoped for. How did you find this place?"
"The hackers in Chicago found it for me. Speaking of which, if you need any kind of help, you can use them as a resource. Their names are Bethany and Leanna. They're incredibly smart, and I'm good friends with them."
"We'll certainly want to talk to them, ma'am. We've been out of action for a month. We don't know the latest Society security protocols. They change all the time."
"After you settle in, I'll give you their number." Marina walked over to check on Hanley.
He was cleaning out the small closet in the south-east corner of the building. It was full of extra laboratory equipment and supplies. There were a lot of jars of chemicals, and some of them had stark, red warning labels. He was carrying everything into the reception room. It was as good a place as any to stick extra junk for now.
"Some of this stuff is probably worth keeping," he said.
"I'll let Corrie sort it out," Marina said.
"You're sure she'll join?"
"I've shown her mysteries. Scientific curiosity will compel her to stay and learn the truth."
She began to help him clean out the closet. They worked side by side.
Hanley nodded. "I never even had a choice, ma'am. The legate simply told me I was a member."
"You had put yourself in a very difficult position. Considering you were working with Xavier, the legate had every reason to torture you for information and kill you. Actually, Aaron was the one who suggested you were worth saving. You owe him your life."
"Oh. Next time you talk to him, thank him on my behalf, please."
"I'll do that," Marina said with a smile. "Hopefully, he'll visit soon, and you can thank him yourself."
They worked in silence for a while. The labor was making her sweat, but she didn't mind at all. She was creating a new home for herself. It was a labor of love.
After a little while, Corrie approached Marina. The scientist appeared tentative, and her footsteps were slow. Marina put down the equipment she had been carrying.
"I want to know the truth," Corrie said, "ma'am."
"The truth is very expensive," Marina said.
"You want money?"
"No. I want everlasting commitment, loyalty, and faith. Those are much more precious than money."
Hanley stopped working and joined them. His face was flushed.
Marina went on, "Everybody in this room works for me. They follow my orders. They will kill for me, and they will die for me. That's the price of learning this secret."
Corrie looked at Hanley. "You, too?"
He nodded. "Of course."
"And you're happy?"
"I'm pretty new, so I'm still getting used to the idea, but so far, I'm very impressed. I finally found my place in the world, and so have you. Just say, 'yes'."
Corrie's shoulders sagged. "This is the craziest thing I've ever done, but 'yes.' I'll join."
"Congratulations," Marina said loudly. "Welcome to the Gray Spear Society. My name is Marina."
"What is the Gray Spear Society?"
"I'll explain."
Marina looked at the chemistry lab. The usual beakers and test tubes were on a workbench, but there was also a lot of high-tech equipment. She saw one thing that looked like a big, flatbed scanner with an unusual number of knobs. One gadget looked like a miniature printing press with solid steel rollers.
She walked over, grabbed a clean beaker, and filled it with tap water. Corrie joined her.
"The universe is like this beaker," Marina said. "God is holding the beaker and using it to conduct an experiment. The pure water inside is life."
Corrie drew back. "What kind of experiment?"
"I don't know. One involving love and free will, I imagine. The important thing is God has enemies who are trying to contaminate the experiment."
Marina broke open a pen. She used her fingernails to slice the plastic cartridge containing the ink, and she dipped it into the beaker. The water became cloudy.
"The purpose of the Gray Spear Society is to keep the water clean," she concluded.
"You're making no sense at all," Corrie said.
"It's not complicated. We search for contamination and destroy it."
"What kind of contamination?"
"The supernatural kind," Marina said. "The Lord has given us special abilities to help us fight His enemies. My fingernails, for example. But mostly, we use guns."
Corrie shook her head. "That's a load of metaphysical nonsense. For one thing, God is omnipotent, right? He can't have enemies, and if He does, He certainly doesn't need your help to fight them. It's worse than bad science. It's bad logic."
"I'll let you talk to another scientist in our organization. Maybe he can explain in terms you'll understand." Marina took out her phone and called Kamal in Chicago.
"Marina?" Kamal said in his Indian accent. "Why are you calling, ma'am? Aren't you in San Francisco?"
"Yes. I need a favor. I just recruited a new scientist, and she doubts the rigor of our methods."
He chuckled. "I did, too, at first."
"Could you talk to her?" Marina said. "Explain what we do, one scientist to another."
"My pleasure, ma'am."
Marina gave the phone to Corrie. "Talk to this guy."
"Hello?" Corrie said into the phone. "Who is this? Wait. I've heard that name. I may have read one of your old papers..."
Marina nodded and walked away. My work here is done, she thought.
She went back to Min Ho. He was arranging monitors and keyboards in a big semi-circle. He seemed intent on using four computers at one time.
"Before you spend too much time feathering your nest," she said, "I need some information."
"What, ma'am?" he asked.
"Did your old boss ever talk to the mayor of San Francisco or the chief of police?"
"Yes. He sometimes did favors for both of them."
Marina smiled. "That's what I expected. A commander is supposed to have lots of valuable, high-level contacts. I hope the cover stories he used are on the backup tapes."
"I think so, ma'am," Min Ho said.
"Dig up that information right away. I need to start making new friends."
"Today?" He sounded surprised.
"Why wait?" she said. "You guys can work on this place without my constant supervision."
"Yes, ma'am. I should have the information for you in ten or twenty minutes."
Chapter Four
Marina looked up at the magnificent face of the San Francisco City Hall. The architecture was neoclassical, and the building seemed much larger than was necessary for a city government. There were many tall columns and triangular dormers. Granite panels covered most of the exterior. A huge dome with gleaming brass embellishments crowned the structure. More brass sculpture framed the doors and ran along the balconies. It's like a palace, Marina thought.
She turned to Ipo. She had brought him along to provide guidance and advice. He knew the lay of the land around here, while she had barely begun to learn major street names.
Both of them wore expensive business suits. Marina was wearing gray, and Ipo had chosen black.
"Have you met the mayor before?" she said.
"A couple of times," he said. "I didn't reall
y talk to him though."
"That's probably a good policy this time. I should do the talking, but if I say something stupid, put a hand on my shoulder or get my attention."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Any last minute advice?"
"Be politically sensitive," he said. "Don't scare them."
She smiled a little. "It seems you already know me. Let's go."
Marina and Ipo walked up the steps and entered the rotunda of the building. It was just as spectacular as the exterior. She was surrounded by elegantly carved stones leading up to a high, domed roof. Pillars and arches were everywhere. Natural light spilled in from many windows.
"This puts Chicago City Hall to shame," she said.
"They've filmed a bunch of movies here," he said, "and you can rent this space for weddings."
"Cool."
They had to pass through a security checkpoint. Marina had expected it, and she had no weapons hidden under her clothes. She only had to take out her phone to pass through the metal detector. Ipo also had no trouble.
The mayor's office was in the building, but they didn't go there. Instead, they went to one of the many conference rooms on the first floor. Marina knew she had found the right place when she saw four uniformed police officers guarding a door. The Honorable Mike Brown had wanted a discreet location for this meeting.
Marina went to the door, but one of the officers stopped her.
"Sorry, ma'am," he said, "but this room is in use."
"I know," she said. "The mayor is expecting me. Tell him I'm an associate of Mr. Spade."
The cop went into the room, spoke for a moment, and came back out. He ushered Marina and Ipo inside.
The mayor was a tall African-American gentleman with graying hair. He was wearing a black jacket over a yellow, turtleneck sweater. A white silk handkerchief was folded neatly in his pocket.
He was sitting behind a wooden table alongside the chief of police. The chief had a big, round, bald head and pale skin. His dark blue uniform was immaculate and sharply creased. He looked reasonably fit.
Marina smiled and took a seat facing the mayor. Ipo closed the door and stood behind her.
"Where is Mr. Spade?" the mayor said. "I've been trying to reach him for weeks."
"He retired," Marina said. "I'm his replacement."
"He wasn't that old."
"Sometimes we choose retirement, and sometimes retirement chooses us. I'm Miss Sharp. I'm very glad to meet you. I'd give you a business card, but I haven't had time to print them. I just arrived in your beautiful city. I'll make sure you get my number later."
The mayor and the police chief stared at Marina suspiciously. She remained cool.
"We had a relationship with Mr. Spade," the second man said. "We trusted him with matters of great sensitivity. He was a very reliable friend."
"I'm sure. I'll also be your very reliable friend. I'll help you with your problems, and you'll occasionally help me with mine."
The men continued to stare at her.
"Why did Mr. Spade retire?" The mayor glanced up at Ipo.
"That's not a question I'm permitted to answer," Marina said.
"He told us he worked for an exterminator company."
"I work for the same company. We root out dangerous infestations."
"That's easy to say," the mayor said, "but hard to prove. For all we know, you killed Mr. Spade and took his place. You could be the last person in the world we should trust."
She sat back in her hard, wooden chair. She was growing impatient with this conversation, but she maintained a calm exterior. If only she could tell the truth, it would make everything so much easier. She wondered if she would feel this frustration for the rest of her life.
"I'll tell you what. I'll do a favor for you to prove my legitimacy. Why were you trying to reach Mr. Spade?"
The police chief looked at the mayor. After a moment, the mayor nodded.
The chief leaned forward and said, "Do you know about the Gang Task Force?"
"No," Marina said, "but I'm new in town."
"It's a unit in the SFPD. They specialize in gang and narcotics related crime. One of the officers in that unit is dirty."
"How do you know?"
"Informants and witnesses have gone missing," the chief said. "Surprise raids are coming up empty. The effectiveness of the entire unit has dropped dramatically in the last few months, and people are getting killed. But we don't know who the dirty cop is."
She nodded. "Sounds like a big problem."
"The kind of problem Mr. Spade was good at solving." He took a picture out of his pocket and handed it to her. That's Oscar Quintero."
Marina studied the photo. It showed a big, chubby Hispanic man with a black beard. Long scars marked both his cheeks.
"Who is he?"
"Enforcer for a local Mexican narcotics gang," the chief said, "and a very bad man. He's served time on both sides of the border. He knows who the dirty cop is."
She nodded. "And you want me to have a conversation with Señor Quintero."
"Encourage him to perform his civic duty and give up the information."
"Consider it done." She put the picture in her pocket.
The chief furrowed his brow. "You're actually going to interrogate him?"
"Are you doubting me because I'm a woman?" Marina raised her eyebrows.
"Well..."
"I'll give you the information tomorrow."
She stood up and left the conference room. Ipo followed, and they exited the building.
She checked the angle of the sun. It was the middle of the afternoon, and she had a lot of preparations to make before tonight's adventure.
"Ma'am," Ipo said, "I'm not the kind of legionnaire who usually begs out of assignments, but I've had a tough month. I was really looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight. I'm just not up for a long night of mayhem and torture."
Marina patted him on his big shoulder. "I understand. Don't worry about it. I'll take Hanley with me. It will be a good training exercise for him, and I want to see how he performs under fire, but we will need guns and body armor. Do you know where we can buy top-grade hardware on short notice?"
"I know a local arms dealer. He lives on a fishing boat several miles out in the Pacific."
"That's not convenient."
"He prefers to spend his time in international waters," he said. "I know how to reach him, and he'll come in for a customer, but he only takes cash or cash equivalents."
"Naturally. We'll pick up some 'cash equivalents' on the way."
* * *
Marina looked up at a sign that read, "Elite Coins and Bullion." The storefront was nothing more than a door on the second level of a small strip mall. I hope they have enough gold on hand, she thought. The door was made of solid metal and clearly built for security, an encouraging sign.
She and Ipo went inside. The coin store was narrow and brightly lit by too many incandescent lights. Gold and silver coins were artfully placed on black velvet inside a display case. The thickness of the glass suggested it was bulletproof. A big framed poster showed many different types of "investment grade" coins and described their features.
A short, pudgy man was standing behind the counter. Thick glasses with thick frames didn't help his appearance. He was wearing a plaid shirt which was a bit too small around the waist.
Marina went up to him and said, "Hi. I'm really worried about inflation, and my broker told me gold is a great way to protect my money."
The shopkeeper smiled. "That's right. Gold is nature's currency. It has intrinsic value which can never be lost. I like to call it the king of metals."
"Then I'd like to buy some, please."
"We have all types of coins here, or if you want to buy in bulk, we also sell bars. Look around. I'll be happy to answer any questions."
"I already know what I want," Marina said. "One ounce gold coins, bullion grade. I'm not picky about the particular style."
"Excellent choice, mad
am." The shopkeeper bowed slightly. "How many coins would you like?"
She took a credit card out of her wallet and placed it on the glass counter. "A hundred."
He stared at the card. "A hundred? You understand that gold coins are rather expensive."
"Of course. At the current market price, I believe the total will be somewhere around 131,000 dollars. That's a respectable investment."
"There will be a small surcharge if you're using a credit card," he said timidly.
"Whatever." She waved her hand dismissively. "Just ring it up. I have other appointments."
He rushed to fill her order as if he was afraid she might walk out if he took too long. He started to put the coins into individual gift boxes, but she didn't want to carry around that much bulk. She had him stuff all the coins into a velvet sack instead. The total was about seven pounds of precious metal. She hefted the sack in her hand and smiled.
"I feel like an old-fashioned miser," Marina said.
Ipo snorted with amusement. "I think we should go, ma'am. My friend with a boat will be expecting us."
"Yes." She turned to the shopkeeper. "Thank you."
They left.
* * *
Marina and Ipo were standing on the dock at Pillar Point Harbor. It was located in El Granada which was fifteen miles south of San Francisco. The harbor had a few hundred berths, and there was a mix of commercial fishing and private pleasure boats. Inner and outer breakwaters protected the harbor from the ravages of the ocean.
Marina looked out at the horizon. She had thought Lake Michigan was impressive, but the Pacific Ocean was the real deal. Huge waves rolled in and smashed onto the breakwater with violent energy. The sky was a cloudy gray, and the water was only slightly bluer. Seabirds circled overhead. A chilly breeze carried salt spray to her nostrils. The view reminded her that in the battle between man and nature, nature would always have the upper hand.
"There." Ipo pointed at a fishing boat coming into the harbor.
It had a blue and white hull and was big enough for a commercial fishing operation. Tall, white masts could support large nets. Radars, radio antennae, and flood lights decorated the masts. A few rust spots gave the vessel a shabby appearance. Blue diesel smoke puffed from twin smokestacks, and Marina could hear the engine puttering from across the harbor.