Teller of Lies (Gray Spear Society Book 13)

by Alex Siegel

  Olivia was carrying a woman's purse on one arm and a cloth shopping bag on the other. She was struggling with the weight, but she wasn't complaining. Marina was holding a suitcase hastily stuffed with clothes.

  They went out the back door of the house. A wooden fence surrounded a tiny yard which had been transformed into a lovely garden. Cool darkness made Marina smile. For some reason, shadows brought her comfort.

  She peeked over the fence to make sure it was clear. She lifted Olivia and helped her reach the other side safely. Then Marina tossed the suitcase over and vaulted the fence.

  She decided the best thing to do now was to hide and rest while she worked out a plan. She was mentally and physically exhausted. It didn't help that her two identities continued to fight for dominance. Sheila was in control for the moment, but Marina was tough to put down.

  "Quiet," Marina whispered.

  Olivia nodded.

  They crept past a house and continued to the street. It was a funky neighborhood where every house was different and peculiar. The steep slope forced architectural anomalies such as front doors and porches built over garages.

  Marina worked her way down the street. She found she could move silently if she wanted, another skill she had inherited from her Marina identity. Olivia was wearing pink sneakers, so she was almost as quiet.

  Marina checked mailboxes until she found one with several days of mail stuffed inside. It was a brown house with a second floor behind and below the first floor rather than above. She knocked on the front door, but nobody answered. She rang the doorbell, and still, nobody responded.

  Home for the night, she thought.

  She led Olivia around to the back of the house. Marina tried windows until she found one she could push open.

  "We're going to live in somebody else's house?" Olivia said.

  "Just for the night," Marina said. "We won't break anything. It will be OK."

  She slipped through the open window. The house was quiet. There didn't seem to be a dog, and she hadn't seen any sign of a burglar alarm. She helped Olivia get inside.

  "Leave the lights off," Marina said.

  "But how will we see?" Olivia said.

  "Your eyes will adjust in a few minutes."

  They found the kitchen and made sandwiches using food from Olivia's grocery bag and from the refrigerator. Salami and cheese tasted like ambrosia to Marina. She also drank orange juice until her thirst was finally quenched. For dessert, they ate chocolate ice cream.

  They had to turn on the light in the bathroom, but they kept the door closed. They took showers but couldn't brush their teeth. Washing off the itchy sea salt was a great relief to Marina.

  She didn't want to use somebody else's dirty bed, so they laid down on couches in a living room. Marina usually went to bed a little later, but she was ready to sleep now. Olivia was already yawning.

  When they were settled, Olivia murmured, "I heard what Aunt Suzy said about me."

  "You heard that?"

  "She was yelling."

  "Oh," Marina said. "Don't take it too seriously. It was a bad day for everybody."

  "She called me a monster."

  "Being different isn't a bad thing."

  "My parents kept me in the house most of the time," Olivia said. "I never went to school. I have friends on the internet but not in real life. Is it because I'm dangerous?"

  Yes, Marina thought, exactly. "Don't worry about it. I'm not afraid of you. I'm a monster too, or at least, Marina is. She can put people to sleep with her fingernails."

  "Who is Marina?"

  "An acquaintance. My name is Sheila," Marina said forcefully. "We need to sleep. We're both tired, and tomorrow could be a long day. Good night."

  Marina stared at the ceiling. The turbulence in her mind wouldn't let her calm down despite her exhaustion. She kept remembering things that belonged to the wrong life.

  Olivia got off her couch, crossed over, and laid next to Marina. There wasn't much space, but the girl was small and Marina didn't mind a little company. She wrapped her arms around Olivia and pulled her close.

  After a moment, Marina said, "Can you help me relax? I'm all wound up."

  Olivia put her hand on Marina's forehead, and Marina felt a wave of peace and contentment. She went right to sleep.

  * * *

  Ipo and Yang were walking through a hospital in Berkeley. The hallway was clean and white. Nurses in blue uniforms were moving swiftly from room to room. Ipo heard beeping noises from machines and occasional general announcements.

  "Pretending to be federal agents is against the law," Yang whispered.

  "So?" Ipo said. "What's your point?"

  They turned and entered a room where a woman in her forties was lying in a bed. Her hairstyle made her look a little like a man, and a shapeless, blue hospital gown didn't help.

  "Suzy Cox?" Ipo said.

  "Yes," the woman said. "Who are you?"

  "FBI." Ipo took out his badge and showed it to her.

  Yang did the same. Both men were wearing standard business suits.

  "I already talked to the police," Suzy said.

  "Tell us what you told them," Ipo said.

  "A strange woman came to my house with Olivia. She had red hair and green eyes. Very pretty. Her name was Sheila."

  "Was she athletic?"

  "Absolutely. Not an ounce of fat on her, and she was wearing a tight, red outfit."

  Ipo furrowed his brow. Why would Marina wear that? he wondered. "Black fingernails?"

  "Yes, filed to sharp points. You know who she is?"

  "I might. What happened next?"

  "We let them into the house," Suzy said, "and after a few minutes, she attacked me. She stuck something into my neck and put me to sleep."

  "Any idea why?"

  "I was on the phone, talking to the police about Olivia. Sheila didn't like that."

  "Why not?" Ipo said.

  "She told me to not tell anybody about Olivia. She was afraid the men who killed her parents would come for her."

  "A reasonable fear. Why didn't you obey that request?"

  "I didn't want Olivia in my house." Suzy leaned forward and lowered her voice. "That brat is a freak."

  "Oh?"

  "She has spooky powers. I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. Her parents tried to keep it a secret, and now they're dead. Olivia is probably why. She belongs in a cage like a lab rat."

  "You're talking about your own niece," he said.

  "She's a monster."

  Careful, Ipo thought. Some of my best friends are monsters, and so am I.

  He wasn't surprised to hear Olivia had a powerful gift. She was destined to become the wife of the Voice of Truth, so she had to be a very special girl.

  "What can she do, exactly?" Ipo said.

  "She affects people's minds," Suzy said. "I don't know how it works, but touching her is dangerous."

  "Do you have any idea where they went?"

  "No. I woke up here."

  "Is that all?" he said.

  She nodded. "She was in the house for only a few minutes."

  "OK. Thank you. That will be all for now."

  Ipo and Yang left the hospital room.

  "That was good news in a way," Ipo said. "We now have confirmation that Marina is protecting Olivia, and both of them are uninjured. The bad news is her protector is insane. If Marina would just make contact with us, we could rescue them both. One quick phone call would be enough."

  Yang nodded. "What now?"

  "We'll go home and sleep while we wait for something to happen. If Marina doesn't want to be found, she won't be. She knows every trick in the book. I'll drop you off at your apartment. The legate will be here tomorrow, and you'll want to be well rested when she's around."

  "She's scary?" Yang said.

  "A vision of death. Let's go."

  The legionnaires walked off.

  * * *

  Vulture was standing at the end of the runway in the San Rafael Airp
ort. The small, private airport usually handled local traffic and executive jets. An adjacent park included a 9-hole course for CEO's who wanted a quick round of golf before taking off. He couldn't see them in the darkness, but there were hills to the west. Lights from the city made the sky glow orange.

  A dozen bodyguards surrounded Vulture. Long, leather coats covered their weapons and body armor. With the Gray Spear Society prowling around, he wasn't taking any chances.

  His phone rang. With a frown, he answered it, "Yes?"

  "It's command and control, sir," an operator on the Fearless Star said. "We just got the police report."

  "Give me a quick summary."

  "A woman was with the girl. Red hair and green eyes. Her name was Sheila."

  Vulture raised his eyebrows. An odd coincidence. "Go on."

  "After entering the house, Sheila knocked out the aunt and another woman. That's why the call to the police was cut short. In the hospital, the aunt reported that Olivia has unusual mental powers."

  Vulture was confused. He didn't understand why Sheila had brought Olivia to the aunt at all. A member of the Gray Spear Society would've known it was reckless and stupid. The proper move would've been to hide Olivia someplace where she would never be found. Vulture concluded Sheila wasn't a member of the Society, but then who was she?

  "What powers?" Vulture said.

  "The report isn't specific," the operator said.

  Vulture saw an airplane descending towards the runway. "I'll hear the rest when I get back to the ship. Bye." He put his phone away.

  A Boeing 717 approached at a steep angle. It was a big aircraft for a short runway, but it had been modified to greatly improve its performance. It was Iris's private jet. She had wanted a plane that could get in and out of tight places in a hurry.

  It landed with a hard bump. The brakes squealed and the reverse thrusters roared as the plane struggled to stop before it ran out of asphalt. Vulture stood his ground bravely. When the plane finally came to a halt, he breathed a sigh of relief.

  His bodyguards pushed a rolling stairway over to the door of the aircraft. The regular airport crew had been paid to take the night off.

  The door opened, and men clambered down the stairway. They were wearing white dress shirts, white pants, white shoes, and neon orange belts. Orange face paint made them look like giant Oompa Loompas from the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Vulture suppressed a smile. Each of them carried a white plastic suitcase.

  The men were in great shape despite their silly appearance. They obviously trained hard and regularly. They walked with their shoulders back and their heads held high.

  Vulture waved for attention. The man leading the column came straight over with a stern expression.

  "Hello," he said, "I'm Gabriel, the Colonel of the Guardians of the Pit."

  Vulture nodded. "Glad to meet you. I'm known as Vulture."

  Iris had already briefed him on his new assistants. The 'Pit' referred to Hell, and the Guardians believed their mission was to keep demons from running amok on Earth. They were a militant, extremist Christian cult. They viewed the Bible as the only possible source of truth, and they took every word in it literally. They often prayed to an angel named Uriel.

  "A strange name," Gabriel said.

  "It serves its purpose. Have all your men gather around me. Make sure everybody can hear. I'll explain your assignment."

  Vulture made a specific gesture to his bodyguards, and they immediately walked away until they were well out of earshot. His ability to lie was powerful, but it was also nonspecific. Everybody who heard his voice would believe him. His bodyguards knew there were certain times when they had to be somewhere else.

  The Guardians of the Pit formed a semicircle in front of Vulture. There were a hundred of them, all dressed identically. It wasn't exactly a terrifying army, but it was the best he could manage on short notice. At least they were ignorant and expendable.

  "Your assignment is to find and kill a girl," Vulture said. "Olivia Bellar, age nine. She is destined to be Satan's bride and the mother of the Antichrist unless we stop her."

  He was using his special voice. It rumbled like thunder and could penetrate any mental defenses. The Guardians nodded as if his statement made perfect sense.

  Vulture continued, "Olivia is guarded by a demon who has the appearance of a woman with red hair. Do not be fooled by her beauty. She is exceptionally dangerous. Other demons may also try to protect the unholy child. It's likely some of you will die, but if we fail, the Beast will rule the Earth for a thousand years. Obviously, no sacrifice is too great. You should feel proud you were chosen for such an important mission."

  The Guardians smiled and patted each other on the back. A lie worked best when it matched the expectations of the audience.

  "Here are your vehicles." Vulture pointed to twenty white SUVs arranged in a neat line beside the runway. "They contain weapons, armor, money, maps, instructions, and other items you'll need. There are also radio headsets and a satellite uplink in each car. Use the equipment to communicate with me and my command team. Wear the headsets at all times. I repeat, do not take them off. We may need to reach you urgently."

  "Where will you be?" Gabriel said.

  "That's not information you need. I want you to split into twenty squads, five men per car. I've picked locations scattered across the Bay Area where you can safely wait until the girl is located. The addresses are in the cars. Be ready to move the instant I call. Go! May Uriel guide you to victory!"

  The Guardians eagerly sorted themselves into squads and chose vehicles. They drove away in an orderly convoy, and Vulture watched them go with an uneasy feeling.

  * * *

  The sound of typing on a keyboard woke Marina in the morning. She opened her eyes and looked over. Olivia was using a computer in the corner of the living room.

  Now that there was light, Marina could see the interior of the house. The room was small, but white paint and an abundance of windows made it feel open. A large television was hung from the ceiling to save floor space. Blue and white striped fabric covered the couches and chairs.

  Marina had slept in a bathrobe because she didn't have any pajamas. She hunted through the suitcase full of clothes she had stolen from the aunt's house. Marina settled on a long, brown dress with loose-fitting sleeves and a pleated skirt. It would cover her weapons nicely, and she had a feeling she would need them.

  After getting dressed, she walked over to Olivia. "What are you doing?"

  "Trying to find out who killed my parents," the girl said.

  Marina could see she was searching news sites on the internet. She was quick with the keyboard and mouse. Obviously, she had spent a lot of time with computers, probably because her parents had kept her in the house so much.

  "Find anything?" Marina said.

  "No." Olivia turned to her. "Who are you? You never really told me."

  "I'm Sheila. I'm from the year 1936, and I'm King Edward's consort. That's a fancy name for a girlfriend."

  "Huh? It's 2014."

  Marina nodded. "That's because my spirit travelled through time and landed in another woman. I'm really Sheila, but I'm inside Marina. I'm using her body and her memories."

  Olivia furrowed her brow.

  "I know it sounds a little strange, but it's the best explanation I can come up with."

  "Who is Marina?" Olivia said.

  Marina knew the answer but couldn't express it out loud. Sheila and Marina were fighting for dominance, and Sheila was winning but just barely. If Marina were allowed to express herself at all, the balance might shift. Sheila couldn't risk losing control and being obliterated by her host.

  "Some kind of commander," Marina said. "It doesn't matter. Let's focus on your problem. Searching the internet probably won't tell you much. The police don't release information to the public until the investigation is over, if then. If we want to know what's really going on, we'll need to get the facts from the detective in ch
arge of the case, and that will be dangerous. If we expose ourselves to the authorities, the bad guys might hear about it. The bunch I killed is just the tip of the iceberg."

  "How do you know that?"

  Marina suddenly had a headache, and she rubbed her temples. Answering that question required delving into memories that belonged to the wrong identity. She had to be careful.

  "I just know," Marina said after a long pause. "Wait. Can we use your gift to make the detective cooperate peacefully?"

  "Yes," Olivia said. "He'll be very helpful."

  "Great, and after we're done talking, I'll put him to sleep so we can escape. That should eliminate any risk. We just need transportation."

  Olivia had brought a purse from Suzy's house, and it was lying on the floor. Marina went over to search the purse. Aside from the usual makeup and clutter, she found a wallet containing seventy dollars in cash, credit cards, checks, and identification. Marina could only use the cash safely. The enemy was probably monitoring the bank accounts, and the identification had the wrong picture.

  Seventy dollars wasn't much, but it would buy a cab ride. She tentatively dipped into Marina's memories and came up with a place to go. She knew exactly where she could acquire a lot more cash, extra weapons, and a nice car at the same time.

  "But before we go," she said, "let's look for hair dye in this house. We'll be safer if we're disguised."

  Olivia smiled. "I always wanted to change my hair."

  "Then this will be fun."

  Chapter Fifteen

  Ipo walked into the entry chamber of headquarters. He looked through the glass into the security booth, but nobody was there. His eyes widened in dismay.

  "Calm down," Charles said. "I'm in here."

  He's invisible again, Ipo thought. "Can you let me through, sir?"

  The back door of the chamber buzzed. He hurried over and pulled open the solid plate of steel.

  He entered the main part of headquarters and looked around. It appeared he was the first legionnaire to arrive, but Min Ho and Jia were already at work despite a late night. Their diligence was admirable.

  Ipo went straight to Min Ho. "Any luck?"

  "No, sir," Min Ho said. "There were no more suspicious incidents during the night."