ZAP Agent Mathis

by C. R. Daems

  Jasmin laughed. "I think it would be a little easier to disguise Kate than me, unless she's going to vacation in south Los Angeles or Watts."

  "Actually, that may not be a bad idea. Jasmin can merge into the general population, while I will stick out—but so will our murderers." I said, warming to the idea.

  "Only if our murderers aren't African Americans," Liang said, and she immediately began leafing through one of the files she had on her desk. "No luck. Two of our ten suspects are black. So in all probability we are looking at a group which may include white and black members. I hope it's one individual, but I doubt it."

  "Well, Kate?" Jasmin asked.

  "I don't like you being a decoy." I said, realizing she wouldn't be a typical client. I was too fond of her and that wasn't good.

  "I trust the murderer won't get off a shot with my trigger-happy friend around."

  "That's what concerns me. I can't follow you like a client."

  "I can also shoot, I'll be wearing protective gear, and I'll be armed." Jasmin said, frowning in indignation.

  "You win." I turned to Liang. "What's my disguise?"

  "Let's figure out where Jasmin will be staying and what she'll be doing for entertainment. Then we can decide on your cover and disguise."

  To my growing frustration, that took another two days. Dory made us reservations at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverley Hills, two adjoining luxury rooms. My room was under an alias, Martha Simons. A team was dispatched immediately to install cameras and sound equipment. I was provided three different outfits including wigs and padding for different parts of my anatomy.

  On the third day, I took a cab to Edwards Air Base and an hour later took another cab to the Four Seasons, dressed in my Martha Simons school-teacher-on-vacation disguise: a slightly overweight middle-aged woman wearing glasses. Jasmin was scheduled to leave later that morning, so her arrival would be a couple of hours after mine. By the time she arrived, I was sitting in the lobby looking at tourist brochures while my brooch-camera sent pictures of everyone entering after Jasmin to my tablet.

  I had only been there for fifteen minutes when I recognized Sammie Bolin, a ZAP candidate who had made it into the second year class before being asked to leave. At the time, I had been amazed and worried about my chances because he was good at everything. Now that I reflected on him and the training, he had a quick temper and tended to be sadistic. It took every bit of my self-control not to shoot him, but if Liang was right, he was probably part of a group out for revenge against ATG9 for rejecting them. I'd wager he and the others thought themselves better than those that qualified and were out to prove it by killing ZAP agents.

  He left after a discussion with a young woman on duty at the reception counter, no doubt after Jasmin's room number. I rose and went outside and asked the attendant to get me a cab, while keeping an eye on Sammie. Sure enough, he stood waiting by the curb and a few minutes later a car picked him up. I couldn't get a picture of the other man's face, but I did get the license plate number. My cab arrived too late to follow them.

  "Where to, ma'am," the Indian-looking cabbie asked.

  "Here." I handed him three twenties. "Drive me to the nearest Starbucks, and pick me up in an hour. Whatever is left over is your tip."

  He looked at the twenties like they might have been counterfeit, and then a broad smile appeared. "Yes, ma'am."

  At Starbucks, I used my tablet to let Jasmin know what I had seen and sent her the pictures I had taken. I had decided to stay an hour just in case a third person was watching the lobby and noticed me. I reasoned that an hour should be enough to appear like the normal comings and goings of a tourist. I went straight to the room, found the connecting door, and knocked.

  "Come in, it's open." Jasmin said, and continued as soon as I closed the door behind me. "What do you think, Kate? Did they leave someone else to watch for when I leave?"

  "That would seem logical. Unless they’re going to attempt to attack you in the hotel hallway or the room." I sat, frustrated at not being able to just shoot Sammie while I had him in view. Knowing I’d done the right thing didn't help. "They will be wearing protective gear," I said, feeling confident I was right. "They may think they’re better than us, but they aren't stupid or brave, based on their previous murders."

  "I agree. Shoot for the head." She laughed. "The frustrating part is ensuring we get them all. Otherwise, we are going to be looking over our shoulders every time we go out."

  "Griffith Park?" I asked, needing to get dressed. We had worked out a tentative schedule with the appropriate disguises for me.

  "Yes. First the Alcove Café & Bakery for lunch."

  "All right, give me one hour to get in position so I can watch you leave. I'd like to see if they have someone tailing you, and hopefully who." There was a good chance I might recognize him ... or her, if not from having interfaced with them in a class, then from our list of suspects, since I had reviewed the files and seen multiple pictures of each person on the list.

  "I hope they don't drag this out," Jasmin said as I got up to leave. "You have good disguises, but they are bound to notice if they tail me for several days. Besides, I'd like to get this over with—it’s creepy."

  "I think the odds are good, judging by the type of people we're dealing with. They aren't the patient type. They like instant gratification, so I think you will get your wish." I went back to my room and dressed in my six-months-pregnant Sally outfit, applied makeup, and headed for the lobby. I didn't notice anyone I knew or who looked to qualify as a candidate for the ZAP school, so I walked outside and unfolded a map and engaged one of the valets in helping orient me—while scanning the area. I thought I recognized a woman sitting in a car ... Tasha something or other, unless my imagination was in overdrive. As I stood talking to the young man—who was getting frustrated and trying not to show it—Jasmin got a cab and the silver car followed, which confirmed it was Tasha.

  "Thanks for your patience, Ted." I handed him a twenty. "You've been very helpful," I said, leaving him open-mouthed and speechless. "Now, could you get me a cab?"

  Nodding his head like his neck was on a spring, he ran off. Two minutes later, a cab appeared and Ted opened the door for me. "Thank you, ma'am," he said as he closed the door with a smile.

  "Griffith Park, someplace close to the Alcove Café," I told the cabbie as I settled back, putting my hand into the pocket which had an opening into the baby-pouch where I had my Glock and extra clips. As an extra precaution, I also had a knife strapped to my calf under the flared skirt I was wearing. Pregnant-Sally was a redhead, complete with a light complexion and freckles.

  When I arrived, Jasmin was sitting in the outside garden, so I went inside and sat and ordered a chocolate molten dessert and a glass of milk to keep up pretenses. Ironically, I found it far too sweet and had trouble eating the whole dessert. I was never much on sweets anyway, but the school had destroyed any craving for them. I felt like a pregnant hippo as I left to get ahead of Jasmin on the hiking trail I knew she would take. I hadn't seen Tasha or Sammie, so either they were well hidden or a third member of the team would be following her.

  I found a spot about thirty minutes into the East Griffith Observatory Trail and sat like I was resting. Some thirty minutes later, Jasmine came along, asked if I was all right, and kept going when I nodded. No one followed, to my surprise and annoyance. I had to assume there were too many people on the trail. There were only a limited number of ways back, which three could cover.

  Jasmin returned on the trail several hours later, to my relief, and went to Little Dom's, an Italian restaurant, for dinner. I caught a taxi and spent the two hours driving around communicating with her via our tablets. The cabbie must have thought me crazy. I was back in time to see her leave and made my way to the area where the Symphony on the Glen would be held that evening. It was a grassy outside area. I found myself a place off to the side with a good view of where I expected everyone to be sitting.

  Jasmin appeared fo
rty-five minutes later and settled down close to the front. I was frustrated when I didn't see anyone I recognized or anyone following her. Consequently, I can’t remember which songs they played or whether they were any good, I was too busy repeatedly searching in vain for some sign of the murderers. When it was over, Jasmin lingered talking with a small group of stragglers and was one of the last to leave. As I rose to leave, I heard the puff-sound of a silencer just as I was slammed in the back and thrown forward onto my stomach.

  "Good disguise, Mathis. I almost didn't notice you tailing Williams." Sammie's gravelly voice had an amused ring to it.

  Pain exploded through me as he kicked me in the ribs several times. My entire body felt on fire and my head was spinning. Knowing I was on the verge of losing consciousness, I fought to quiet my mind—panic would mean my certain death.

  Ironically, I was fortunate that it was Sammie. His sadistic nature wouldn't allow him to kill me quickly. He would want to enjoy causing me pain and hoping to get me to beg for mercy. I moaned for his benefit, and it helped to focus and quiet my mind—no thoughts of living or dying, revenge or hate, justice or punishment. I was only going to get one chance. I curled into a fetal position for access to my knife, which I removed and let lie along my forearm.

  He laughed and kicked me again and again. He then shoved me with his foot so I rolled onto my back.

  "They should have failed you the first year. You were pathetic. Look at you!" His voice rose and his face twisted with hate. "Neil, Tasha, and I are each worth ten of you, you sorry dumb bitch." He put his foot on my neck and pushed. "They’ll kill Jasmin at the hotel, but I wanted you, the bitch who thought her shit didn't stink. I always wondered who you fucked to pass. It doesn't matter now. Any last words before I ZAP you?" He threw his head back and laughed.

  Blood squirted over my hand as my knife sliced through his femoral artery.

  He jumped back, grabbing his leg with one hand. "You fucking bitch!"

  As his gun rose toward me, I rolled away while reaching into my pouch for my Glock. I felt multiple heavy blows to my vest, and pain lanced through my leg as I rolled away. I stopped on my back, fighting to breathe as pain from the hits to my vest exploded through my chest and back.

  He raised his gun and fired just as I rolled again onto my stomach.

  Multiple bullets tore through the grass where I had been lying as I steadied my elbow in the ground and aimed for his groin. Dirt sprayed into my face as we fired simultaneously. Sammie screamed incoherently and collapsed into a sitting position, head bent and face twisted in pain and rage. While he fought to stop the bleeding with his hands, I shot him in the head.

  It took all my strength to pull out my tablet and send Jasmin a warning. "TASHA OR NEIL ARE WAITING FOR YOU IN THE HALLWAY. BE CAREFUL." I sent it urgent, which would alert her even if her tablet were closed. I cut off a strip from my skirt and made a tourniquet to stop the bleeding in my leg. It at least slowed from gushing to oozing.

  "Are you hurt? Were you and he attacked?" A young man asked as he came running over. His uniform said he was a park attendant; his job was probably to clean up after events.

  "I'm FBI Agent Mathis." I took out my badge and held it so he could see. "This is a life and death matter. Another agent is going to be assassinated minutes from now if I can't get to her. I need a taxi or some way to get to a place where I can get a taxi. NOW!" I shouted to jolt him out of his wide-eyed shock as he surveyed Sammie.

  "Is he—"

  "Now. Hurry!" I said and lay back down, my body throbbing with pain.

  He opened his cell and walked a few feet away. Couldn't blame him; Sammie was a mess.

  "Charlie, this is Nick. I have an FBI agent on the Glen who has ..." he talked for hours, or what seemed like hours as I was desperate to get to the Four Seasons. Charlie apparently kept asking questions.

  "Give me the phone," I tried to shout. But it took three tries to get his attention. I waved and Nick came back and handed me the cell. "Charlie, I'm FBI Agent Mathis. I need to get to the Four Seasons immediately or another FBI agent is going to die. Do whatever you have to do to get me there in the next five minutes." I closed the cell to keep Charlie from asking more stupid questions. I had enough sense to realize I was better off waiting than trying to run—stagger—off and find a car on my own.

  A short time later, a car came driving across the field. I got to my feet, feeling like a centenarian who crashed her motorcycle into an eighteen-wheeler. Every nerve in my body screamed for attention, my breathing was labored probably from my cracked rib, and I was dizzy and having trouble maintaining my balance.

  "You need to go to the hospital ... agent," the short plump man said as he exited his pickup truck. "I've called the police. They can send someone to help your—"

  I raised my badge within inches of his face. "Drive me to the Four Seasons. Now! Ignore speed limits and lights. Her life depends upon you getting me there fast," I said while staggering toward the passenger side door. Getting in was like climbing the stairs at the Washington monument. I think I may have passed out, because I only remember flashes of the drive there.

  To Charlie's credit, he did ignore the laws, because we had a police car on our tail for the last mile or so.

  Ignoring the pain wasn't hard with my mind on Jasmin, but of course the body couldn't ignore the effects: I was limping badly, lurching every few steps, dizzy, and weak. I saw Neil rising from one of the lounge chairs in the lobby when I was halfway to the elevators.

  He stood frozen, uncertain what to do.

  I wasn't. I shot him, which sent the lobby into panic with people running or crouching behind furniture.

  "FBI. He murdered an FBI agent." I shouted again and again as I limped as fast as I could toward the elevators, holding my badge high so it could be seen. I didn't need some well-meaning hero tackling the mad-woman with a gun. One elevator was just closing, and I stuck my hand with my badge in between the closing doors. The doors stopped closing and opened. "Out."

  The couple scurried past me.

  I stepped in and pressed thirteen and called Jasmin on her cell.

  "I'm a little busy right now," Jasmin said, and I could hear automatic gunfire in the background.

  "I'm coming up in the elevator. Get ready in ten ... nine ..." My legs wouldn't support me any longer, and I slid down the wall into a sitting position.

  "She's to the right of the elevators, shooting right toward me—"

  "Four ... three ... two ... one ..." The elevator stopped, there was a short delay, and then the door slowly began opening. I fired as soon as I could see Tasha, not worried about killing her so much as distracting her.

  I had fired two shots when the inside of the elevator, above my head, was shredded with a short blast of automatic fire, followed immediately by silence. When I rolled part-way out, Tasha lay in a pool of blood with her head partly blown away and Jasmin was limping past Tasha toward me.

  "You look like road-kill," she said as she entered the elevator and pushed the Lobby button.

  "Stay away from shiny surfaces," I said, which started us laughing. I stopped abruptly when the pain I had managed to distract returned with a stored-up vengeance. When the door slid open, several men in SWAT gear had their weapons pointing at us.

  "On the ground!" the sergeant shouted.

  I raised my hand slowly with my badge in it. "We are ZAP Agents Williams and Mathis." I limped out of the elevator, ignoring their orders to Stop, opened my FBI ID and held it so he could see it, then reversed it. "Our director will explain events to your director after we've briefed him, but for now we need a medic before we bleed to death, Sergeant."

  He stood there not sure what to do, rereading my ID. "Gerson, Jackson, help these agents to the paramedics."

  "There's another dead body on the thirteenth floor," I said as a six foot four guy supported me in the direction of the lobby. I noticed he was dialing someone on his cell, probably the number on my ID. I don't remember much after that.<
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  * * *

  "I'm on my way to the Beverly Hills Medical Center," Liang said, standing in the door to Matel's office.

  "Why? What's happened?"

  "I don't know. I'm going to find out. It started with a phone call from a police sergeant wanting to know if we had an agent Mathis. He claims she ordered a supervisor caretaker at Griffith Part to drive her to the Four Seasons and forced him to ignore the speed limits, stop signs and lights, and refused to stop when the police took chase. She disappeared into the hotel before he could apprehend her. I told him she was in pursuit of a murderer," Liang said, worrying her lip.

  "It sounds like she got separated from Jasmin or ... worse. Ten minutes ago, a SWAT Lieutenant called from the Four Seasons to clarify the cannot be arrested clause on the back of Kate's ZAP ID. Apparently he wanted to arrest her for killing a man in the hotel lobby without probable cause. It turns out the man had a gun in a shoulder holster, but witnesses claim he was just standing there when the woman—Kate—shot him."

  "Who was he?"

  "Neil Daniels, one of the ten we identified as suspects. To top that, the lieutenant wanted to detain Agent Williams as a witness to a killing on the thirteenth floor. He wasn't happy about her leaving the scene of the incident either. He explained they were both injured and were being transported to Beverly Hills Medical Center—under guard. Want to come along?"

  "It sounds like you might need support," Matel said while grabbing his jacket.

  Just then the phone rang and Liang and Matel froze.

  "Director Liang it’s the chairman of the COC," Dory said. "I'm transferring him to your cell.