Edge of Tomorrow

by Wolf Wootan

  He could see in her eyes that she did. He smiled, then said, “Tell me about it, dear.”

  She told him everything.

  • • •

  Karen had spent all day in her office in the Royal Palace pouring over her notes, and the stack of papers that contained hours of research done by her legal assistants in San Francisco. She was preparing her case around the refusal by Italy in 1945 to give economic aid to Monterra as required by the Treaty of 1861.

  Something kept nagging at her. She shuffled some papers, and then she saw it! She picked up her phone and called the Prince’s appointment secretary. She needed a meeting with him as soon as possible!

  • • •

  Hatch mulled over everything that Syd had told him. He wished he had killed Gramble years ago, then Syd wouldn’t have had that encounter with the Russian assassin. He had to agree, however, that her solution was better than killing Gramble. This way, the Company would not come to his aid. They would want to distance themselves from him. He was a disgrace.

  “Well, I’ll admit that you did good, girl!” he finally said. “Soup is something else, isn’t he?”

  “He sure is! I don’t know how he pulled this off. I hope it works!”

  “It will. Soup is good. I don’t want you doing anything else until I’m out of this bed. It’s too dangerous,” he said.

  “You’ve talked enough,” admonished Syd. “You get some rest. I want to bring you home!”

  “Sit tight, Syd! Wait for me!”

  She kissed him again, and replied, “I can still do some snooping while you’re in here relaxing. Now, get some rest. I’ll visit you again this afternoon. I love you!”

  Then she was gone. Hatch began worrying.

  • • •

  Back at Klaus Haus, Mrs. C. had lunch served to them around the pool at tables shaded by blue and white umbrellas. After lunch, Syd told Mrs. C. that Hatch could be coming home in three or four days. She gave Mrs. C. a list of things to do in order to prepare for his arrival. The list included a hospital bed for his suite, a wheel chair that would fit into the service elevator, and one of those hospital tables that swung over the bed for feeding him. She also wanted his piano tuned, in case he wanted to play it while he recuperated.

  “And anything else you can think of, Mrs. C.,” Syd added.

  Syd then went to the library and logged on to the Triple Eye system and checked the file Soup had posted there for her. She studied the list of names for awhile, then two of them peaked her interest. She sent Soup an internal email message asking him for more details on those names. Something was brewing in the back of her mind. She did not like what she was thinking. It was outrageous!

  She leaned back in the swivel chair and closed her eyes. She was exhausted, and she had a throbbing headache. She was supposed to report to the University of Miami at 9:00 A.M. Monday morning to start her orientation, get her office assignment, and file various forms with them. How was she going to make everything work out?

  A beep on the computer jerked her out of her reverie. A flashing icon informed her that she had a message. She brought it up on her screen. It was from Soup. It was a record full of information about the names she had asked him about. She stared at it.

  “Well, I’ll be damned!” she said out loud. “This is unbelievable!”

  She reached into her bag, retrieved her Blue Phone, and called the GS-V crew. She told them to be ready to leave by 5:00 P.M. Then she paged Sara and found her pool-side.

  “Sara, repack your overnight bag. After we visit Hatch this afternoon, we’re taking a little trip. This time, you get to watch my back very closely!”

  • • •

  That afternoon, Syd told Hatch that she had a meeting the next day at the University, so she would not see him again until tomorrow evening. She hated to lie to him, but she didn’t want him worrying about her. She hoped she would be back by tomorrow evening. She prayed he would forgive her later for her little lie.

  • • •

  The GS-V took off with Syd and Sara aboard at 5:03 P.M. Syd called Soup from the plane and told him her suspicions. He agreed, after some thought, that she could be right. He told her, also, that his inside information indicated that the government was poised to indict Gramble for violation of several Federal statutes, including treason. The media would have a field day. They were calling it Spy-gate.

  • • •

  At 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, September 5, the woman opened the door to the magnificent library of the palace-like mansion and found it dark. This surprised her. The drapes were drawn and the lamps were off. She made a mental note to chastise the help for such an oversight as she flipped the light switch on. Two Tiffany lamps came on, bathing the room in soft light. The woman gave out a small shriek when she saw a woman sitting in an arm chair next to one of the lamps.

  “Who are you?!” she gasped. “Speak, or I’ll call the guards!”

  “Keep your panties on, Countess—if you’re wearing any! Take a closer look at me,” said the woman in the chair.

  The countess took a step forward, then gasped, “You!”

  “You seem surprised. Didn’t Colonel von Reitz tell you he shot Hatch instead of me?” answered Syd from the chair.

  “You bitch! What are you doing here?” spat Countess Elizabeth von Braten, her nostrils flaring.

  “Your assassin, Colonel Rudolph von Reitz, shot my fiancé. I came to deliver my own brand of justice, you friggin’ slut! How dare you?!” spat Syd.

  “You should have listened to me! You could have left us alone! But no! You had to have him all to yourself! You selfish bitch!” snarled Elizabeth.

  “So, you sent Colonel von Reitz and Lieutenant Würtz to kill me, eh?”

  “You were in my way! He would have come back to me with you gone!” shouted Countess von Braten. “Colonel von Reitz disappointed me greatly! I will have to do the job myself!”

  She went to a table and jerked open its drawer and withdrew a revolver. She spun and pointed it at Syd.

  “I know Hatch is recovering. He will never know I had anything to do with this. And you will be dead! He will come running to me for consolation! Now I’m about to shoot a trespasser!”

  The roar of the pistol was deafening in the closed room. The countess kept pulling the trigger until the gun was empty.

  “OK, Sara, that should be enough,” said Syd, who was unharmed.

  Sara appeared from behind one of the drapes and walked over to the countess and pushed her roughly into a chair. She wanted to rip her head off, but Syd had warned her not to be too rough. The library door opened and Count Karl von Braten strode into the room with a major from the Austrian Army.

  “Well, Elizabeth! I did not believe these two when they came to me with such an outlandish accusation!” snarled the count in German. “After I spoke with von Reitz, however, he broke down and told me everything. I also heard your little performance here!”

  He switched to English and said, “I apologize, Fräulein Steppe, but your claims seemed so outrageous! I am certainly pleased that you put blanks in that revolver.”

  “Me, too, Count,” said Syd as she stood. “What have you done with the other two?”

  “Lieutenant Würtz is in custody, and I had put Colonel von Reitz under house arrest until we played out this charade. I have just been informed that he donned his dress uniform and shot himself in the head with his service revolver! I suppose he couldn’t face the considerable disgrace.”

  Syd was happy with that piece of news. The person who had actually shot Hatch was now dead.

  “That leaves the countess,” Syd pointed out. “What are your plans for her?”

  “You need not worry, Fräulein. She will no longer harm anyone. I will take care of this matter firmly and discretely,” said the count.

  Sara interjected, “Do you trust this guy, Syd? I could break her scrawny neck right now! The bitch!”

  “Now, Sara. We are in Austria, remember? I trust the count. I thin
k our work here is done. Come. Our plane is waiting. Thank you for your help, Count von Braten. I’ll give Baron von Hüber your regards.”

  • • •

  On the flight to Austria, Syd had explained to Sara what she had pieced together. Seeing the two German names on Soup’s list had caught Syd’s eye. The detailed information that Soup had sent her confirmed that they were officers in the Austrian Army! And Lieutenant Würtz was a helicopter pilot! Syd had thought back to the scene by the pool when Hatch had been shot. She remembered Hatch bumping her just before the first shot, and her slipping just before the second shot. She realized that she—not Hatch—could have been the target! Then she remembered Elizabeth! How angry she was that night in Vienna! It all came together!

  • • •

  That evening at 5:30 P.M., Syd and Sara visited Hatch again. The last 24 hours—over 20 of it in the air—had exhausted both of them despite getting sleep on the plane. The jet lag was horrendous, but in spite of it, Syd felt at ease for the first time in days. She had an inner peace that flowed outward and actually eased her facial features, and how she carried herself. All known dangers had been dealt with. She could now focus on tending to the love of her life, and begin planning the rest of their lives together. She smiled at Hatch and took his hand. He thought he actually saw an aura about her, then squeezed her hand and smiled at her. Her inner peace—and intense love—flowed from her hand to his, and he felt it, too.

  Epilogue

  Pacific Ocean, 30 Miles South of Tahiti

  Saturday, March 23, 2002

  2:00 P.M.

  The diesel engine of the La Mer, a 66-foot, wooden-hulled fishing boat, hummed monotonously as the boat headed west at 8 knots. The boat was at least 40 years old, but had been well-maintained and its bright work sparkled in the afternoon sun. The boat’s captain, Jean-Marc Chalon, was at the helm, guiding the boat home for the day. Home was Bora Tiki, Hatch’s island, which was 30 miles south of Tahiti. The island was only seven square miles in size, but it was lush and had plenty of fresh water. The south end rose up to 1000 feet and had a small lake which collected rain water in the rainy season. Many springs fed a small stream that ran to the eastern coast and entered the sea. That was where the small “village” was.

  There were three men and three women on the La Mer today. Hatch was buckled into a fighting chair on the stern, making one last try for a Blue Marlin as they headed for home after a day of fishing. His beard was full again—but trimmed—and he was wearing only swim trunks. The scar on the chest of his well-tanned body was hardly visible. He was back to full strength now, and his stint in rehab was just a memory.

  Jean-Marc’s 25-year-old son, Kopaka—called Bob—was forward tying down the nets, readying the boat for port. His 23-year-old sister, Akela, was on the port side gutting fish. Their mother, a Polynesian woman, had died four years ago from cancer.

  They had caught several dozen Red Snappers, and Akela was cleaning some of them for their dinner tonight. Samantha Smart—the former Lady Morley, a.k.a. Judy Beecher—was helping her, and they were chatting amiably in French, laughing a lot.

  Syd was stretched out on a lounge made of aluminum tubing with white plastic webbing crisscrossed on it. She had put a large, plush towel down before stretching out on it, since she did not like the web marks on her body.

  All three of the women were wearing only bikini bottoms and sunglasses, including Syd. Her normally lily-white breasts were now as tan as the rest of her body. She no longer had strap marks. Syd and Hatch had arrived at Bora Tiki on February 16 to continue their honeymoon—they had spent a week in Paris first. They found Judy Beecher—now “Sam”—completely recovered from her wounds and in very good health. She had lost 35 pounds and was slim and fit—and topless. She had gone native months before, and had recently moved out of the house Hatch normally used when he was there, and into Jean-Marc’s house. They had found that they were very compatible, and both enjoyed the sex. She also felt that Hatch and Syd should have his house to themselves. She helped with tending the gardens and manned the fishing boat several days per week. She was very happy with her new life, and had no intentions of going back to the stress-packed world of intrigue, guns, and double-crosses. Hatch told her that she could stay as long as she wished.

  When Syd first arrived on the small island, she was self-conscious—and felt a little uneasy —about Sam and Akela running around topless almost everyday. They did not pressure Syd to join them—they didn’t mention it at all. After three days, Syd ventured into uncharted waters and left her bikini top in the house. She had massaged her breasts well with sun block and went out into the hot sun to join the others for breakfast. Although the men gave her a cursory look, that was it. After an hour or so, she forgot all about it.

  If the evenings were cool, they wore sarongs, so Syd finally learned that the weather dictated what they would wear—or not wear—more than modesty did. She couldn’t help but wonder what Sara would think of her now!

  • • •

  Syd stretched her supple, tanned body and adjusted her position on the lounge to get more comfortable. She glanced over at Sam and Akela cleaning fish and smiled. She wanted to be helping them—after all, she was good with a knife—but they would not let her do much since she had discovered that she was over a month pregnant. She thought that was silly, but she was 33 and wanted to make sure all went well, so she let them have their way. She had stopped drinking and smoking, and they were actually eating healthy food since they had been here on the island—a lot of fish, fruits, and vegetables.

  She reflected back on how well things had gone in her life since she and Sara had returned from Austria. The first thing she had done was tell Hatch about her little lie and begged for his forgiveness. Of course, he gave it. They had checked with the Triple Eye Vienna office for information about the Countess von Braten, and all that office had culled from the newspapers was an announcement that the countess was indisposed and had canceled all of her engagements. That was back in September. Nothing had surfaced since.

  • • •

  Syd had brought Hatch home to Klaus Haus on September 7, 2001. She and Mrs. C. had watched over him like mother hens. He healed rapidly, but Syd didn’t have the large party she had planned for him on September 12, his 49th birthday. They did have a small get-together with just family. That included, of course, his parents, Syd, Sara, Mrs. C., and a few Triple Eye key people. Marty Winsocki flew down with Jane Forbeson in her GS-IV. Syd was surprised—even though Jane oozed sensuality—that she was not jealous of Jane. Syd was secure in her position in Hatch’s heart. The two women got along just fine.

  On September 17, she started teaching at the University of Miami. She had classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so she spent Tuesday, Thursday, and the weekends at Klaus Haus, and the others at her condo in Miami. She hated every minute that she was separated from Hatch.

  By September 24, Hatch was spending two or three hours a day playing his piano and working on his musical. That pleased Syd, and when she could, she sang his new songs with him.

  A bright day for everyone was the arrival of Karen and Bruno from Monterra on October 2. Karen had completed her work for the Prince on the Italy/Monterra conflict. Right after the others had left Monterra, Karen had discovered a significant fact in the lineage trees of the di Contis and the Carfagnos. A granddaughter of Carla Carfagno (the alleged real di Conti girl) had married twice. The first marriage was short-lived since her husband was killed in a boating accident. This name change had obscured her connection to the Carfagnos. Her second marriage in 1935, was to Salvatore di Conti (who was alleged to be a Carfagno), who became Prince of Monterra in 1950. They had a son, Giuliano, who was the current Prince. Hence, if the Carfagno letter was true, the current Prince’s mother was a di Conti descendent, and so should he be.

  Karen convinced the Prince to secretly test his DNA so they would know for sure. The results showed he was a di Conti, so it did not matter whether the Carfagno l
etter was true or false: either way, he was the true Prince of Monterra!

  Since the lawyers for Italy were pressing the Court for DNA tests, Karen went to the World Court on September 19 and surprised everyone by reversing her position and stating that the Prince would submit to the DNA test on condition that, if he was shown to be a di Conti, that the 1861 Treaty would be null and void, and Italy would stay out Monterra’s business forever. The attorneys for Italy were trapped. They agreed to Karen’s conditions, and on September 28, when the new DNA results were available, the Court ruled in favor of Karen’s motion. She had won! Monterra was free from any future connection to Italy!

  There were great celebrations in Monterra, and the Prince gave Karen the Royal Order of Merit, which was given to people who rendered exceptionally meritorious service to the Crown. Since Karen had essentially saved the Crown, she certainly qualified. She was now Lady Karen Steppe, and also was an honorary citizen of Monterra.

  The Prince awarded her a large monetary bonus as well, and retained her as the Royal Attorney for International Affairs. She received another huge retainer against possible work she might be called upon to perform for the Crown. Her next task was to petition for NATO protection for Monterra so the agreement with Libya could be dropped.

  Bruno and Karen stayed at Klaus Haus for three days, then Karen said she had to get back home to San Francisco. Bruno requested a temporary transfer to the Triple Eye San Francisco office so he could be closer to Karen. They obviously had become a couple. This request was, of course, granted. It was not clear who actually granted the request, but Syd had called Jane Forbeson, and the paperwork was magically taken care of. Sara had to find a new Chief of Security, but that did not seem to bother her. Looking for men always thrilled her. She wished Bruno much happiness.