Green Eyed Burn
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Yen-ping’s jaw dropped.
“You irresponsible bitch!” Catherine exploded with such a fury everyone within ear shot turned to watch the show. “That man,” Catherine pointed at John, “is not a pawn in this little game you play! How dare you use him as bait to keep Raymond Smyles from blowing my cover here. Mr. Riel is a civilian. A civilian! You know, someone we are here to serve and protect?
You have crossed the line here St. James. Effective immediately you will tender your resignation.”
“You don’t—” St. James started.
“Shut it!” Catherine sneered and narrowed her eyes. “How did Smyles manage to escape anyway?”
St. James said nothing and stroked her jaw.
Catherine frowned, infuriated. “Kurt.”
Burton yanked St. James to her feet. “What the hell are you doing?” she snapped.
“How did Smyles escape and learn of Johnny’s whereabouts?” Catherine demanded again.
“Goddamnit, Cathy! How the hell should I know?” St. James yelled back.
“You’re right,” Catherine replied with a sudden calm, “You haven’t a clue.” She looked at Bonita. “You on the other hand.”
Dr. Yen-ping blinked, bewildered. “What are you talking about Cathy?”
“Doctor Bonita Yen-ping,” Catherine said slowly, “you are under arrest.”
Burton stepped behind the doctor and fastened handcuffs to her wrists.
“This is ludicrous,” she struggled with Burton, but to no avail. John tightened the lens as Catherine continued her allegation, “Dr. Yenping, I am accusing you of being the mystery figure known as ‘The Group of Ten’; and in that role you orchestrated the largest international drug operation ever undertaken, involving Canada, the United States, and the Commonwealth of Independent States. You also ordered the contract murder of Russian citizen Vladimir Zadneprovsky and the attempted murders of Videographer Johnny Riel, Russian Major Nikita Triska, and myself.”
“That’s absurd Cathy,” Yen-ping stated flatly. “I though we were friends. More than friends.”
“I’m sorry Bonita.”
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“But, there is no way I could be this ‘Group.’ Besides, and this isn’t an admission, you have no proof.”
“Ah-hem,” Madhuri interjected, “We do. I decoded the scrambling and the voice prints match.”
John continued the narration as the image on his view finder, and on televisions and monitors switched to a split image, “What you see is a video tape supplied by, at great risk, by Major Nikita Triska, a Russian member of Operation Arctic Snow.” One half of the screen showed Yen-ping held by Burton and an electronic readout of her voice superimposed on the lower portion of the image. The video reversed and played back, “-this isn’t an admission, you have no proof.” The other half of the screen showed a section of the video tape. A darkened figure, cloaked in shadows, speaking to Jefferson Stein. On the lower portion of that image was another superimposed electronic readout.
The tape played.
“—and the Russian woman?” the figure in the shadows asked.
“In DeTully’s care,” replied an off screen Jefferson Stein.
“Good. Leave no clues. Have Zadneprovsky eliminated and report back when you have Wildman.” The video ended.
Even with the voice electronically altered, the Shadowcam’s microcomputer sound processor was able to filter out the distortion and match it up with the recording of Dr. Yen-ping. Then, to prove the point further, Madhuri adjusted the black levels and punched up the picture gain. Unmistakably, Bonita’s image appeared.
“How?” St. James asked. She was dumbfounded.
Madhuri switched the image back to John’s shot of Catherine who continued, “The perfect place for someone to operate. A minor official in a country that prided it self on its control of illegal narcotics.” Catherine looked directly at Bonita. “In the nest of vipers as it were.” Yen-ping’s face remained blank. “We were looking for someone above suspicion. Not below it.”
“What tipped you off?” Bonita asked.
“My psychological profile. Only you could have given it to Stein,”
Catherine said. “Why Bonita? Why?”
“You figured it out so far Cathy. You tell me,” Bonita said.
“Money and power,” Catherine answered.
Bonita smiled. “When I was younger my family and I worked the opium fields under Khun Sa. Then under his successor, Chin Wah Pong. My father. It was then, after I helped arrange his assassination in Rio de Janeiro, I learned 270
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the true meaning of power. Not guns, not bombs, but drugs. Government rise and fall. Religions come into favor, then loose their hipness. The one thing that remains the same are people; and they will want an escape, be it from whatever, they will want it. Now, here in this land of opportunity,” she smiled again, “I provide it.”
“And the group?” Catherine asked.
“The Group of Ten was already formed and in place when I stumbled across it, quite by accident. Jefferson Stein’s predecessors and my father met and formed a partnership. The theory you and St. James concocted about the formation of the Group was very accurate. Then as the times changed its focus had changed. I learned about the Group from my father, and was eventually accepted into the core membership. Once in I was able to manipulate that directionless fellowship of old men and their old ideas, with money, sex, and drugs, to serve my needs.” Bonita looked around at the faces studying her. “It’s not about ideology, people. It’s not about borders and boundaries. It’s all about—”
“Money and power,” Catherine said softly.
Bonita looked at her. “Yes,” she confirmed, “Money and power.”
The air became deathly silent around them all.
“Get her the hell out of her,” St. James finally said. “We’ll sort this out later”—she looked at John— “off air.”
John widened the lens to capture more of the action as Burton’s troops load Crudup’s staff and guests into several large armored busses. He then started to explain the back history of the raid on the Estate, the killing of Chin Wah Pong, and the formation of Operation Arctic Snow. Catherine watched Burton led Bonita away. She still had a question that needed answering.
St. James stepped before Catherine. “Officer Wildman,” she said and cleared her throat, “There are points of national security that you do not understand. Points that both you and Mr. Riel are required to protect. You, Officer Wildman, as a servant of the crown and you, Mr. Riel, as a citizen.”
St. James sucked in a deep breath. “Cathy, no mater what you think of me I had reasons to do what I did. It was not to stroke my own ego.”
Catherine looked at St. James and exploded, “C’est le bout d’la merde!”
St. James was shocked.
John grinned. He had wanted to say a lot more.
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Catherine dashed around police cruisers and met up with Burton and Yenping. She blocked their path, “Could you excuse us Kurt. I would like to talk to the prisoner.”
Burton nodded and stepped back.
Catherine gestured toward the waiting cruiser and Yen-ping started walking. Catherine fell into step alongside and Burton two steps behind. They walked in silence for a moment before Catherine finally cleared the air between them. “It was you who recommend me for Special Operations duty,”
she stated.
“Yes,” Bonita replied evenly.
“You ordered the deaths of Nikita Triska and Vladimir Zadneprovsky,”
Catherine continued.
“That’s correct.”
“You placed Jefferson Stein, your right hand man, undercover as my partner, under the alias Gene Hatton, to keep me from learning that the Crudup Estate was the center of the entire operation. Although, I suspect you did not realize he and I became romantically involved.”
“Correct on both accounts,” the
doctor said with a hint of pride. “You are good at this. The fact you slept with a man even surprised me.”
Catherine ignored her comments and continued, “You once told me ‘Take out the leader and rest should fall like dominoes.’ You knew that I was close to unraveling the secret of the Group of Ten. That was why you wanted me to violate St. James’ orders and remain with John in the apartment, hoping my feelings would out way my duty.”
“Real good.”
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Catherine dropped her bombshell, “So why didn’t you just have me killed?”
All the color drained from the doctor’s face. She stopped in her tracks. Catherine turned and faced Bonita. The doctor opened her mouth and then suddenly closed it. Her eyes misted up behind her glasses. Catherine waited.
For a long moment Bonita stared at the ground, then slowly she met the intense green eyes watching her and said, “Because, I still love you.”
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Epilogue
The morning sun climbed over the horizon and shot its rays of orange and gold into the retreating darkness. Johnny Riel stood somberly on a rise several meters away from the buzz of activity surrounding the events he helped set into motion. The crisp air kissed his face as he watched the dawn of a new day.
Catherine Wildman, her face freshly scrubbed clean, wounds tended, and with a blue pea coat pulled across her shoulders, slipped away from the circus below and soon stood at his side.
John greeted her with a warm smile.
Catherine slid her arm around his waist and snuggled into the crook of his arm. “We lost each other during the onslaught of the media machine,” she said. “I’ve heard words about you batted about. Words like ‘hero.’”
“Never wanted a title,” John replied.
After a moment of silently watching the sun advance upon the darkness, Catherine asked, “What are you thinking?”
“You ever make love on a train?” he asked.
Catherine laughed gently and held him tighter. “The future is wide open, Johnny.”
John looked into her beautiful green eyes. Eyes that spoke of integrity and pride. “You bet’cha,” he said.
Catherine smiled. The world is yours, chick.
The Beginning…
Catherine Wildman & Johnny Riel will return
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