by Bella Knight
She’d sounded the drum repeatedly, saying, "No one's luck is that bad." And finally, they let her burn him.
She figured he'd stashed enough to go to some island and retire. But, true to form, the little psychopath became an arms dealer. One that kept sneaking into facilities using false identities and the identities of people he'd killed. Or ones that were going to show up for their first day. Killing seemed to amuse him. He would leave the bodies in abandoned places, like shuttered amusement parks, and leave the bodies in strange positions. He got out with scraps of cobalt, uranium and phosphorous. He sold his little toys for astronomical amounts of money, to terrorists who were interested in all makes and models.
Now, she had the little shit where she wanted him. He'd already been doped up on Thorazine, and had talked about being a spy. Luckily, he hadn't used the word "terrorist," yet. That would get a call to Homeland Security. They just thought him to be a run-of-the-mill nutcase.
She was still his handler. Only now, he had a lot to say while under the influence of a variety of chemicals. Things that meant nothing to the staff, but a great deal to her. Listening to the recordings was... informative. Then, he started talking about how he would kill a bitch called Wraith, and that became... interesting. Apparently, she'd tasered him a few times.
She found the other listening device when he was in therapy, and when she went in to install a better device. Who the hell else was listening to him, and why? And how did the person get in? She decided to backtrack, and find the doer. Then, she found out someone had tried to assassinate Wraith. All bets were off; she had to find the listener. And soon.
She also had to send a warning. But to whom? She did some searches in her considerable databases. She'd started out as an analyst, and learned a great deal about information. She had even learned how to code. Wraith; she discovered, was married to an ATF agent. She also belonged to a motorcycle club, known as the Valkyries. She found Skuld, the law enforcement trainer. Now, to send a message without it being traced back to her.
Skuld worked on her laptop at the hospital, directing the Valkyries on their search for the scarred person, all while waiting to take her turn in a “giant condom,” as she called it, to hold Wraith's hand. She sent an email to Herja, and sent her a quick report on the search and Wraith's unchanged condition. She clicked on the email from an FBI server, assuming it was from Haviland, Thom, or one of his nerds. A little dancing ghost came out; a pink one. It developed an ear, and listened at a wall where a black and ugly demon was behind bars. The scene went to the other side of the prison wall, where a second ghost (this one gray and indistinct), had its own giant ear to the wall. Then, the gray ghost turned, and blew, and a silver-haired stick figure went flying through the air. Skuld's jaw dropped, and she made an inarticulate sound. She grabbed her iPhone and called Haviland. She got his voicemail, hung up, and called Casey with a video call.
"Is she...?" asked Casey.
"She's unchanged," said Skuld. "You gotta see this." She held the phone’s camera up to the ghost video.
Casey made the same sound when she saw it, then put her brain into gear and started analyzing. "We've found Jasper Palliver/Robert Smith's handler, or monitor… or whatever. The handler and someone else bugged the prison where he is and one of them is our doer. The handler is female; hence the pink. Palliver is the demon, and Pink Ghost Handler has no idea who Grey Ghost Doer is, or anything about the person."
"I assume she sent it to me because I'm a Valkyrie that works with law enforcement," said Herja.
"Don't know why she didn't contact Haviland," said Casey.
"Pink Ghost Handler doesn't know who to trust," said Herja. "The doer may be law enforcement, and is certainly a spook."
"Well, fuck," said Casey. "Do you trust me?"
"Because you're female? No. Because you move fast and have shown no sign of not being on board with this, yes. Provisionally. If you did this..."
"I'm going to be drawn and quartered by four bikes going four different directions. I get it. I don't think we're looking for a man. The doer is female. Savage. Furious. Her man was taken down and taken in, and she can hear his pain and suffering through the wall; probably a bug. Listening device. Anyway, the body type is slight. The scars are probably makeup. The ball cap obscures features. I think our doer is, or was, that demon (Palliver's) girlfriend."
"Did you get any info on Demon Palliver?" asked Skuld,
"Running into 'cannot confirm or deny.' Talked to a Quantico buddy, an analyst that went to Spookland. She says his file is so redacted there aren't five words in it. She's tracking down who knew him."
"Fuck," said Skuld. "We need intel. Can she be trusted?"
"If not, I'm a horrifyingly bad judge of character. I know her, and I roomed with her for a while. And I went through some very bad training scenarios with her. And she's a lesbian, so I don't see her falling for Palliver."
Skuld barked laughter, then grew serious. "That man has nasty tastes. Wraith said she picked him up in a whorehouse beating a lady of the evening. Whoever this is, if they're sexually involved, she may have a screw --or six loose."
"In other words, batshit crazy, " said Casey. "Okay, the Pink Ghost Handler, or Pinky, she wants to warn us that someone has been listening to Demon Palliver, and that someone attacked Wraith."
"Check," said Skuld.
"That person could be male or female, but I'm voting female," said Casey.
"Check," said Skuld.
"Grey Ghost is probably a psychopathic, murderous bitch, going after the person she feels is responsible for Demon Palliver's arrest."
"Check," said Skuld.
"The spooks tend to keep their prisoners in deep, dark holes," said Casey. "So, Grey Ghost is probably another spook. Trained in disguises, wet-work, survival, mayhem, and generally staying hidden."
"Check," said Skuld.
"How do we catch this bitch?" asked Casey. "We can't find out who he worked with. That's been redacted. Even if we did, it may be someone he met after he got kicked out. Sometimes burned agents are still considered 'useful' and used for nasty jobs."
"We're looking for a spook in charge of nasty jobs," said Skuld.
"They won't tell us that's their job description," said Casey.
"We set a trap," said Skuld. "And we need to put protection on anyone else who was there when Wraith took him down."
"A trap," said Casey. "Count me in!"
"We need a disinformation campaign. And sleight of hand. She's going to know we're looking for her, and maybe that we know she's an agent." Skuld made notes on her computer. "We need to take her down before she tries to finish the job.”
"Let's make a plan," said Casey. "What are our assets?"
"About a hundred angry bikers," said Skuld. "Guns, ammo. Knowledge of Vegas you can't even begin to imagine. A lot of law enforcement and former military. Very trained people. Motivated people."
"People who will gut our girl like a fish when they find her," said Casey.
"Do you really think she'd go to trial?"
Casey screwed up her face. "A definite point. She'll be dropped in a hole like Demon Palliver."
"I foresee her escaping --or suicide by cop, or being deranged enough to try to pop Loverboy out of prison."
Casey nodded. "I think she would have broken Loverboy out by now, if she could have. I think she's being passive there, waiting for her moment."
"So, we need two traps; one here, one there. If you can find out where 'there' is." Skuld thought quickly. "We can send a little, pixelated message back. One asking where the boy-toy is located. Maybe even ask her to set up a sting on her end."
"A one-two punch," said Casey. "I like it. How do we do this?"
"Let's loop in Ivy and Henry, and Herja, and..."
Casey cut off Skuld. "Too many people will know, and it will get out," she said.
"Planners," said Skuld. "The best ones. And, the people in it will only know their parts, not how the whole thing comes togethe
r."
"Okay, but no more than four," said Casey. "I've gotta run this as DEA and keep Haviland out of it. FBI is not used to running deep, undercover ops. We are."
"The Dirty FBI are. We're in touch with them. But, I agree. The DEA wants her more than anyone."
"Come here, little mousey," said Skuld. "I've got me some cheese."
Herja came down from Pahrump, exhausted from working with the Soldier Pack. "Those ladies push me to tell them everything on the first day, and they demand perfection from themselves," said Herja to Skuld, after they touched foreheads in the hotel parking lot. "Amazing women, but I'm not sleeping enough."
"I helped build their apartments here," said Skuld.
"Scouting places there," she said. "One's really bad, it’s a crack house. But, fixed up, it would be gorgeous. One-bedroom, nice kitchen."
"Good," said Skuld. "Ivy's got a babysitter and Cougar is covering for her at work. Henry is here, and they're ready to go mouse hunting."
"Well, let's catch a mouse," said Herja.
They went up in the elevator, speaking in Old Norse about the weather and the ride. Skuld opened the door, and found Henry sitting on the floor. Ivy was reclining on a couch. Henry had his tablet, Ivy a laptop.
Herja dropped her backpack and hugged Ivy and Henry, then introduced herself to Casey, and said, "No electronics. That way they can't be hacked."
"I sniffed for bugs," said Casey, "But, you're right."
Herja reached into her backpack, and withdrew several legal pads and a pack of pens. "We go old school," she said. They mapped it out, refined it, and made it beautiful. They divided it into segments and teams, and then got busy deciding who did what.
Ivy began that night with a very public argument with Saber, leaving a hole in the room-sitting defense. He texted Sigrun that he was going back to the hotel, and a little about the argument. He didn't find the note in his jacket pocket until he stopped at a convenience store on the way back to the hotel. He was literally heartsick that Ivy had called him a terrible husband, unable to protect his wife, and an idiot for leaving Vegas when she needed him the most, over and over again. He switched out beer for Red Bull and made his way back to the hospital, hoping he didn't trip up whatever plan they'd hatched.
An Iron Knight ate something that made him sick and vomited right there in the hallway, leaving another hole, a tiny one. Herja put on a fake baby bump, and took over. She listened to music, and left the room open, twice.
On the second time, the Grey Ghost slipped into the room. Henry was there, in his moon suit, singing the sacred songs over Wraith's head. He had weapons, very good ones, ready to use, and hiding in folds in the moon suit. The Grey Ghost was dressed in scrubs and a white coat. Henry knew she wasn't on the approved list. She was short, with brown hair the color of old peat, with faded blue eyes, and the slow movements of a tired doctor making last rounds for the night. She nodded to Henry, who continued singing without a hitch.
Skuld was behind the door, and caught the arm with the syringe. Henry didn't strike out in the usual way. Instead, he dosed her arm with a mix of stinging nettle and some hotter-than-hot pepper spray. She cried out. Skuld got her in the back of the knee with a low-electric-shock taser. She crumpled, but corkscrewed herself out of Skuld's attempt to arrest her.
She tried to lunge or fall forward with the needle, but Henry knocked it out of her hand. They grappled. Herja came into the room, popped the woman on the back of the head, and caught her when she crumpled. Skuld immobilized her hands, and they took her out to Casey's waiting car, with the "sick" Iron Knight rushing to replace Herja at the door. Saber met them at the door, and led them out the back way to the back lot.
Of course, the Grey Ghost was faking. She fought well with her hands tied together with plastic cuffs. The fight was fast, a confused battle of arms, legs, and a baton the Grey Ghost had hidden, which was strapped to her leg.
Sigrun stepped forward into the desert night, and they were silhouettes by the lights of a car. "Baby, get back," said Saber. "What are you doing here?"
"You texted me, upset about Ivy. I came here to yell at her. Is this the one that hit our girl?"
"Get back!" repeated Saber.
Herja spit out blood from a split lip. Skuld took out her own baton, and they fought as if they were swords. The ghost took advantage of someone entering the parking garage, and ran toward the car. She broke the windshield with her baton, and screamed at the woman inside to get out. The woman backed out instead, screaming with anger. Infuriated, the Grey Ghost ran after the car. Herja tripped her, then knocked her down. The woman came back up with a gun. It was a pea shooter, and she pulled the trigger. Sigrun turned white, and fell. Ace now ran toward her.
There was another shot, one much louder. Casey came out from behind a car, with a gun in one hand, and a badge in the other. She appeared at the same time Grey Ghost's skull exploded into a mess of bones and gore.
Herja and Skuld stepped away from the splatter of blood and brains, and ran to Sigrun. She was on her back, breathing in shallow gasps, with a hole in her chest.
"Not again," said Skuld, and knelt. She took off her leather jacket, threw it to Herja, and took off her shirt, exposing the camisole underneath. She pressed it into the wound.
Hospital security came running. Casey badged them, and had them call for an EMT and a stretcher. They loaded Sigrun. Ace and Skuld following her in. Herja stayed to give a statement while Casey called her superiors, and checked over the body.
"The coroner's going to have a field day," she said. "Woman's got a garotte in her hair, two blades strapped to her ankles under her support hose, and a shit-ton of ammo."
"Thank you," said Herja. "Always better when law enforcement gets the doer."
Ace followed the sirens to the back of the hospital and parked his Harley. "Did you get the doer?" he asked, then he saw Sigrun being loaded on a stretcher. "I'll stay with your wife, Saber. You take care of Sigrun."
"Thanks, brother," said Saber, rushing past, holding Sigrun's hand. "You're going to be fine, baby," said Saber. "If you're going to get shot, a hospital parking garage entrance is the place to do it."
Cameras throughout the hospital and the garage backed up the explanation of what happened, and when. Haviland showed up and took over the scene, although a DEA agent was involved. Thom helped with the interviews and the mountain of paperwork. They put the whole thing to bed at three a.m.
Casey went back to the hotel once they cut her loose. Henry was back from his singing; Ace had replaced him, then Ivy replaced Ace. Henry sat with Ace on the floor. Ace was mumbling with exhaustion, but too wired to sleep. Henry mumbled back with a reassuring tone.
Casey knelt before them. "Before I go home, I wanted you to know that the Grey Ghost I shot --her name is Emilie Roux. She's been with the Agency for a redacted amount of time, and she was his black-site handler when he left the Pink Ghost Handler. I still don't know her name, but she sent this." There was a cartoon of a pink ghost, with the demon in prison, and the cartoon of the grey ghost now had Xs for eyes. "I think she's verifying that we got her."
"Good to know," said Henry. "Casey; you, Haviland, and Thom, go home. I'm getting this one to bed."
"Mmm," said Ace.
The Valkyries waited until the bullet was out and her prognosis was good. They did this before telling the exhausted Saber that he could go back to his wife, and that they would take care of Sigrun. The bullet had punctured a lung and broken a rib, but it was a through-and-through and was expected to heal well.
Rota held Skuld's hand as they moved to the ICU waiting room. "Two of our sisters down," she said. "You both have bruises on top of your bruises." She gently touched Skuld's purpling cheek. "Let me get you a cold pack."
"At least we can stand down," said Skuld, gently removing Rota's fingers from her face. "Now we can begin to heal. And yes, please get me some ice."
Herja swung in, two ice packs in hand. "I've got two," she said, motioning for Rota to s
it down. "I am really tired of people getting shot." She sat carefully, and handed a blue pack to Skuld. She put hers on her lip, and Skuld put hers on her cheek. "I'll fight any day. I live to fight. But shot? And two from the same family?"
"I wish they could legally marry," said Rota. "They are three, but they're all adults."
"I wish so as well," said Skuld. "They each are strong in different ways, defending the others' vulnerabilities."
"Maybe somewhere, sometime, people will be more free," said Rota.
"From your mouth to the universe's ears," said Skuld. "Let's call in other sisters. I think we all need to go home to heal."
"Already done," said Herja. "Ivy's in with her, and we're not on the schedule for another eight hours. Let's go get some food and rest."
"Ice cream," said Skuld. "Cold and goes down easy."
"Sonic has great shakes," said Rota. "Let's go!"
Reconnaissance
Sigrun was up and walking, but still in the hospital, when Saber kissed Sigrun gently. "Love, you've got your sisters here, and someone will be with you at all times. Numa's going to teach you how to card wool, and David will help you bead things. They're great people; the best. Learn what they have to teach you."
"I want my paints," she said.
"Way ahead of you," said Saber. "I couldn't get in paints, but I brought you colored pens and pencils, drawing paper, calligraphy paper and a calligraphy book and pens. There are these special pens that look like paper. Take them. Play with them. Use them."
"Alright." She kissed him, and his kiss was like a butterfly wing. "Love, you really have to go?"
"I called in some favors trying to track down Grey Ghost. Some of them big ones. I have to repay them when asked."
Sigrun smiled. "How the hell did you get her real file? She was involved in some shady-ass stuff."
"Only half redacted," said Saber. "No dates, times, or place names, but we did track down how she met her ‘One and Only.’ She was Demon Guy's handler when he infiltrated an arms dealer. Ended up becoming one himself --one weapon of mass destruction, at a time. The Feds are apparently interrogating him to track down all his little toys and the crazies that purchased them." He kissed her again. "I see what you're doing. Trying to get me to stay." He handed her the bag of goodies. "I snuck in chocolate and bubblegum. Behave."