Trifecta

by Pam Richter

  One thought kept recurring, though. Eve told her to give Mark a chance. Being rational, she could do that in case the preposterous was true.

  Sabrina decided on the third trip around the block that she would give Mark a chance, as a final promise to Eve. But she was not going to make a fool of herself or be at the mercy of a man who loved her only when he thought she might die.

  Sabrina was still confused and sad when she walked back into her apartment.

  "Damn it, where were you?" was her greeting.

  "I took a walk," Sabrina said coldly to Mark. She went into the kitchen and poured some tea and fought back tears. Same old, same old, she thought cynically.

  Mark followed her into the kitchen.

  "I was worried. I thought that Hashimoto character might have grabbed you again. Jack said you just ran off after Eve got into the taxi. They said you could have a heart attack, or seizure, or convulsions from withdrawal. I couldn't decide whether to go after you or stay and wait for Ivar to call."

  Sabrina was silent, so Mark added, "Sorry I yelled."

  Sabrina nodded. "You want some tea?"

  "No. I want strong black coffee. You really pissed me off Sabrina. You were entirely thoughtless."

  Sabrina watched the bunched muscles of his back as he rummaged for a cup and made instant coffee, banging things a little unnecessarily to punctuate his feelings.

  "I guess I was. I was so sad about Eve I wanted to walk around for a while. You didn't hear from Ivar?"

  Mark sat down at the table. "No, not yet."

  "Well, you don't have to stay. I'll wait for him to call."

  "If you think you're going to get rid of me now, you're totally nuts."

  "How charming," Sabrina said, smiling. "But really. You can go."

  "I'm not leaving until those damn drugs are entirely out of your system. And I'm sorry Eve had to leave. We talked today and she is truly amazing. I never understood your loyalty to her. I just thought she was endangering you in a very scary situation."

  Sabrina suddenly jumped. Morris, who had been sitting on her lap, had stabbed claws through her jeans. "Ouch! Bad cat, Morris."

  "Did you hear something?" Mark asked.

  They heard a light tapping at the door. Sabrina got up to answer it and Mark shook his head. He made her wait out of sight, to the side of the entrance hall. They were both worried. No one got past Jack.

  "Who is it?" Mark asked through the door.

  "Ivar Cousin."

  Mark cautiously opened the door, leaving on the chain, and peered out.

  "Excuse me for bothering you. I thought Eve might be here."

  For the first time Sabrina detected the slight accent. Maybe because he was under stress. Ivar's eyes seemed to dart around and his presence was surprisingly large.

  "Come in Ivar. We were being cautious because Jack didn't call."

  Ivar smiled wolfishly. "Spy tricks."

  He looked at the two blank faces and said, "Sorry, just joking."

  The three of them went into the living room. She wondered really how Ivar had gotten past Jack. Spy tricks? He probably knew them all. It was hard to imagine such a large person being a shadow.

  "Eve was trying to reach you," Sabrina began. "She wanted to tell you she was leaving the country for a while."

  "Where'd she go?" He was already heading for the door.

  "Wait, Ivar," Mark said. "She told us everything. She called Burgess Whitcomb's office and they're searching for you. So she said for you to use her apartment if you were in danger. Then, when the heat's off, you can leave. She'll be in the Bahamas for two weeks."

  Ivar stood at the door looking at them. "How much did she tell you?"

  "Everything. You're from Russia. Probably the KGB. There's going to be a manhunt."

  Ivar stood and looked at Mark and Sabrina for a while, not saying anything and not moving. Finally he said, "You don't despise me?"

  Sabrina smiled and shook her head.

  Mark said, "Ivar, we're grateful for everything you did. You may have saved Sabrina's life today. If we can help you in any way, just ask."

  Ivar took a deep breath and seemed to relax a little. "I believe you. So. Okay. I think I am not yet in trouble. I want to be with Eve. I think I can protect her, but if I ever endanger her, I will have to leave her. You understand?"

  They nodded.

  "I'm going to be hunted by two powerful governments. But Eve and I may be safer together because there will be people looking for her, too. A couple is always less suspicious. So if you can do one thing, you may give me a little more time."

  Sabrina made the call to Burgess Whitcomb's office with Ivar's coaching. Ivar had just stopped by to make sure that she was all right. Ivar had mentioned that he had a date that night with a girlfriend who lived in West Hollywood, but no, she didn't know who the woman was.

  "Now we have covered for tonight," Ivar said, visibly nervous and pacing. "I don't think they will began seriously searching until tomorrow, when I don't show up for work." He went over to the balcony and stood looking down at the street from between the curtains. "There are some people out there. Burgess has started another surveillance, so you will be safe, Sabrina."

  Ivar turned around and faced Sabrina. "Mr. Hashimoto and his gang are being escorted by federal agents to the airport right now. He has already been read the riot act by Burgess Whitcomb, himself. He won't even be allowed off the plane on the layover in Honolulu. And as for the Soviet threat, I think I've taken care of that. Sergi Malcovich and another man covertly inside the CIA are being deported. Normally the CIA would keep them here for trial, but they want the whole thing hushed up, so they are sending them back through very secret government channels. It's a diplomatic embarrassment they are trying to avoid. It will happen to me also, the deportation, if I am caught."

  Sabrina noticed Ivar's sentence structure was a little backwards sometimes. Like he was from a European country.

  "What are you going to do?" Mark asked.

  "Go to the airport and hire someone to buy tickets on my credit cards. New York. Boston. You can always find someone at the airport willing to buy tickets for a little cash. Might as well use them up. I'll then pay cash for a trip to Texas tonight. And from there, Florida. Then on to the Bahama Islands."

  "Can I give you some money for the trip?" Mark asked.

  Ivar shook his head, "Thank you. I knew this was coming and liquidated. I'll just leave my car at the airport. I wish I could tell you to go to my apartment and get my beautiful chess set. I couldn't bear to sell it, and you might enjoy it, but I'm afraid my apartment is already being watched."

  "I can't believe everything you've sacrificed," Sabrina said.

  "Oh no," Ivar said, smiling at her distress. "You're entirely wrong. I had been thinking for a long time about disappearing. It was either that or become a triple agent for the United States. It is very hard to appear to be one thing and be another entirely. Always pulled in two directions. In that, Eve and I are alike. She is one way and has to act another. I'm happy now. I will be with Eve. It's like I'm off to a great adventure."

  Sabrina was finally convinced by his smile.

  Sabrina and Mark walked with Ivar to the door. Sabrina held out her hand, but got hugged and kissed on both cheeks. Mark got the same treatment. Very Russian. Then Ivar pulled the door open, checked the hallway and walked rapidly and almost soundlessly to the staircase. Sabrina and Mark watched as he cautiously peered down the stairwell, then turned and waved and was gone.

  As soon as Ivar disappeared, Sabrina ran to the closet and yanked a wind breaker off the hanger. Then she ran to the door.

  "What are you doing?"

  "Lets get out of here!"

  "Oh. Right." The agents outside would have to follow them. It would give Ivar an edge.

  In the lobby they greeted Jack ostentatiously. Mark nudged Sabrina and nodded at a man reading a newspaper just outside the entrance. As they got into the garage elevator they saw the man lower the
paper.

  Mark drove so fast the wheels squealed and the car slid in controlled, four wheel skids on the slick surface with each sharp turn.

  "Do you think Ivar will make it?" Sabrina asked, holding onto the dashboard and door handle to keep from being thrown around in the hurtling car.

  "You better believe it," Mark said as he negotiated at top speed up the ramp that led out of the underground garage. "If he was in deep cover as long as Eve thinks, he's really a pro. KGB are supposed to be very tough, dirty infighters when cornered."

  "I can't help wondering if he'll be more dangerous to Eve than if she was alone. At first I was so relieved, but now I'm not sure."

  "The KGB and an android." Mark had settled down to a more controlled speed once they were on the public street. "Are you kidding? What a combination."

  "She is human, Mark."

  "I know. But their abilities combined will be awesome,"

  "I miss her already."

  Mark nodded and they rode in silence. Sabrina didn't have to ask where they were going. They followed Santa Monica Boulevard until it ended and then turned on the Pacific Coast Highway. Mark drove over the wooden beams of the Santa Monica pier and onto a cement lot next to it. Then they walked down into the sand.

  It was almost twilight and the gulls screamed and circled in the sky. Sabrina had to squint her eyes because the sun was almost down and glinted on the sea, making her eyes water. There was a brisk breeze. The vast expanse of almost empty shoreline was made of pastel colors, the wet sand and water both reflecting colors of the waning sunset sky for miles. They watched tiny, long legged birds run along the shoreline, poking sharp beaks into holes in the sand.

  "Work cloths are not de rigor here," Mark said after they had walked about a half mile. "Especially my shoes. They're already squashing with sand."

  They went almost to the water's edge.

  "I'm going to have to wake you up every hour tonight, Sabrina."

  "You don't have to stay." Sabrina wondered if he felt an obligation or was really concerned. She also felt shy. They had argued and he had left her last night. She wanted to just keep going, walking along the beach with Mark forever.

  "Like hell. Chemicals have hit you over the head like a big club. To be safest you should be awakened often tonight to see if you're okay. Not confused or anything. I'm almost afraid to let you sleep."

  "I feel fine. You know how my metabolism is. It's probably all burned out by now."

  Actually, she really was a little scared of staying alone. What if she had a grand mal seizure and never woke up. It was a creepy thought. She still felt a little dizzy, but maybe it was due to lack of sleep. Plus the fact that she had to fight off the effects of the various drugs. She was very tired. If her legs stopped moving she thought she would fall asleep standing up.

  "Sabrina, they wanted you in a hospital. You wouldn't go. Now I'm going to take care of you. This is serious."

  "Torture me every few hours?" Sabrina asked.

  "Exactly. A few days at the very least. It won't be that bad. I'll program my watch to beep. Then poke you and make sure you haven't lost it. Go back to sleep."

  "You know you never wake up to that thing. I always have to wake you. Then you'll be grouchy. I think I'd rather stay alone."

  "That's not an option, Sabrina. Unless you'd rather go to a hospital."

  "Come on. You know you'll never wake up."

  "Probably not, after last night," Mark mumbled.

  "What?"

  "I don't ever want that to happen again. I hardly slept at all."

  "You poor thing," Sabrina said, trying not to smile. He had suffered and she was guiltily pleased and felt a little vindicated with her own unhappiness. "After you left I went right to sleep. It was terribly refreshing. In the trampy black teddy. And the dreams, you wouldn't believe. All night long."

  "You're lying," Mark said positively and smiled.

  "Am not."

  Mark knew her too well for her to get away with this, but she persisted for the fun of it and to keep herself awake. "You don't have to worry about me. I probably won't even sleep tonight, I had such a long rest last night. You know, this reminds me of the toothpaste commercial. Eve was so new then," Sabrina smiled at the memory. "I had to run up and down the beach for hours."

  "You're doing it again, Sabrina," Mark complained.

  "What?"

  "I was just getting to the plan, and you knew it, and got scared and changed the subject."

  "What are you talking about? I just said that the beach reminded me of the commercial. And Eve."

  "We were talking about our respective nights, last night after I left your place. I said I didn't want it to happen again. So I have this plan."

  "A plan?"

  "Yes. You promise never to tell me to leave again."

  "That's it? That's the plan?" Sabrina looked at him angrily.

  "Part of it." He was smiling at her.

  Sabrina pushed his arm off of her shoulder and strode ahead. Outrunning him was impossible, but she decided to make him endure some discomfort in his hard leather shoes. What an unmitigated ass. Her lethargy was entirely forgotten.

  Mark was walking quickly behind her while she jogged up the beach. "Slow down, Sabrina. I can't run in these shoes. And the goons up there might shoot me."

  Sabrina slowed down and waited for Mark to catch up. "Goons? What are you talking about?"

  "The guys on the bluff up there, dressed in business suits like me. They're smarter though, not getting in the sand. They've been keeping pace with us. They'll think I'm trying to harm you if you run away. They probably have Uzis."

  Sabrina looked up where Mark had indicated and saw two large dark shapes that were indeed keeping pace with them.

  She was still angry. She was supposed to never tell Mark to go away again? That was a plan? She looked around but there was nowhere to go, but she was not staying here with Mark. No way. She shrugged out of her jacket.

  "What are you doing?" Mark asked.

  Sabrina kicked off her shoes.

  She turned and walked directly into the ocean. It was very cold but she was so upset she didn't even feel it. She knew the sadness would hit later and wanted to put it off, even if it meant freezing in the ocean.

  Sabrina walked quickly through the water as it got deeper and deeper, until it was up to her waist and she was buffeted by waves that nearly reached her shoulders. Then she took a deep breath, shuddering in anticipation, and plunged under the next wave that rolled toward her. She loved to swim, but the water was very cold and choppy.

  Sabrina could hear Mark yelling at her but she didn't care. It took about five minutes for Sabrina to get really teeth chatteringly cold. She decided she better get out. She really might get sick. She did a slow breast stroke in to shore, finally felt the sand under her feet, and stood up. She was still up to her thighs in cold salty water. Her jeans stuck to her legs like cold lead and her feet felt dead. Still, she didn't want to get out and be with Mark and his stupid, humiliating plan.

  "Come out, Sabrina." He stood just at the waters edge.

  "No way."

  "You didn't hear the whole plan."

  "Don't want to," Sabrina shouted. She could hardly hear him over the crashing waves. The sea gulls were making a tremendous amount of noise, doing their end of the daylight shrieking.

  "Yes you do. First part. You never tell me to leave again. And to make it impossible for you to ask me to leave, I'll make sure you have a baby. Soon."

  "That would take cooperation," Sabrina shouted. "You sure are presumptuous."

  "It would be cruel and unusual punishment to say bye-bye to Daddy."

  "Are you discussing legal...or what?" Sabrina shouted and then shut her mouth, wondering where the nerve to ask that question had come from.

  "Legal," Mark yelled back.

  "I don't believe it," Sabrina muttered to herself. It was hard to switch gears in her head because she was almost numb with cold. It seemed like Ma
rk said he wanted to marry her and have a baby. She wondered if Eve had been right.

  "Come on. You're going to get pneumonia."

  "I still don't believe you. If you really mean it, come in and get me." She tried to look irritated, but had trouble with her mouth, which kept quirking into a smile.

  Mark started taking off his shoes.

  "No fair taking off the shoes. If you take off your shoes I won't believe you."

  Mark had a shoe in each hand and he looked at them. He remembered how Sabrina had lost two pairs at Ferd's laboratory when Eve had thrown them out the window. They would be ruined by the salt water anyway. He took his right shoe and threw it as far as he could into the ocean, muttering to himself, 'There's the commitment.' He threw the other one out to sea and said, 'There's the promise.'

  "I didn't hear you," Sabrina said, jumping up and down to keep warm. The gulls were screaming and the waves crashing.

  Mark started wading into the ocean. "I can't believe this."

  "I didn't say yes, yet," Sabrina said, still trying to act cross.

  "Getting in the water like that. Crazy." Mark was shaking his head. "So, what do you say?"

  "You want to marry a lunatic?"

  "Sure. But then I'm a lunatic too." Mark started pulling Sabrina out. "And you better believe it's terminal. I'll never get over it. You see, it all began when I was minding my own business. Happy and serene. Walking down Melrose Avenue. Then I just happened to look into a window and saw the most beautiful creature. I couldn't just walk by. That's where the lunacy began."

  Mark took off his jacket and put it around her shoulders. He put his arm around her too, to try to keep her warm. She was shivering and her lips were almost blue with cold. She was smiling and her face was so wet he couldn't tell if she had tears in her rapidly blinking eyes or not. Maybe it was salt water.

  "Did Eve say something to you?" Sabrina asked.

  "Let me go on with the story of my strangeness. See, madness had begun. I could not control myself. I had to see the beautiful woman up close. And closer was even better."