by Alex Siegel
The legate came out first, and she moved with disturbing quickness. She was a thin woman of medium height. She seemed full of youthful energy, but pure, white hair showed her true age. She was more than old enough to be a grandmother. She had very dark skin, and a subtle layer of shadows made it appear even darker. Even the sunlight was afraid of her.
She was wearing a gray suit which fit loosely. Ipo expected plenty of weapons were hidden underneath.
Her bodyguard exited the plane. Ipo had never seen him in person, but Ipo knew his name and reputation. Boreas was a giant man in all dimensions, as big as Ipo in some ways. A dense, gray beard and gray hair gave Boreas the look of an old sea captain. His face was rough and creased, as if it had been left out in bad weather for too long. The whites of his eyes had an odd, bluish tint.
Ipo felt it was ironic that the legate had a bodyguard. She was an elite warrior in her own right and dangerous in every conceivable way. Certainly, nobody messed with her twice.
Ipo waved his arm. The legate and Boreas came straight over.
"Ma'am," Ipo said, "it's very nice to see you again."
At close range, he saw her most disturbing trait. Her pupils were monstrously oversized, and they held a darkness that went far beyond mere lack of light. Her eyes were like small windows to a place where life was instantly snuffed out, a place utterly without hope. He was reminded his existence was fleeting, but he tried to appear brave.
"A pity it's not under better circumstances," the legate said, "but it never is. Let's go."
Boreas was carrying two large suitcases. Ipo offered to take one, but Boreas shook his head. The three of them walked over to a black sedan. Boreas put the suitcases in the trunk, and they got in. Ipo drove off.
"What's the latest news?" the legate said.
"Marina and Olivia are still alive, ma'am," Ipo said. "We saw surveillance video a short while ago that showed both of them clearly."
"Olivia?"
"Olivia Bellar, age nine. Wesley told us to save her life. Apparently, they'll marry and have kids someday."
"Sounds like the Child of Destiny is up to his usual tricks," the legate said. "That kid is a pain in the ass."
"Yes, ma'am."
He told her as much as he knew. The debriefing ended just as they arrived back at headquarters. He parked directly in front of the building instead of driving to the tent in back. It didn't seem appropriate to make her walk around.
They stepped out into cool, breezy air. The legate looked up at the green, concrete walls of headquarters. Narrow windows were made of thick, frosted glass. There was nothing to indicate what was happening inside. The only sign had the words, "Perpetual Energy Technology."
"This is it, eh?" she said. "I like the setting. The mountains are certainly nice, and the location is secluded. The building itself is underwhelming though. It wouldn't take a very big demolitions charge to knock a hole in the wall, and while I'm sure you have hidden weapons scattered about, I can't believe there are enough to fight off a substantial force."
"The facility is temporary, ma'am," Ipo said.
"I'm aware. Let's go inside."
The three of them went through the front door.
Guthrum occupied the security booth at the moment. He always struck Ipo as being too gaunt to qualify as an elite warrior. Guthrum was as tall as Ipo but weighed much less. It seemed one good, hard punch would knock Guthrum down. Of course, the real trick was landing that punch. The veins in his bare scalp formed a clear road map of some foreign land. He was wearing the formal, gray robes of a legionnaire.
The legate nodded. "You're looking well. It seems serving as Wesley's bodyguard agrees with you."
Ipo remembered that Guthrum had once been her bodyguard.
"Yes, ma'am," Guthrum said in a scratchy voice. "He interacts with time in interesting ways."
"I'm sure. Let us through."
The back door buzzed, and Ipo ran to hold it open for the visitors. He hadn't shaken off any of his nervousness. An almost visible aura of death surrounded the legate at all times.
Wesley was there to meet them. The boy looked cute in an orange shirt, black pants, and a San Francisco Giants baseball cap.
"Ethel!" he said with a smile. "It's good to see you."
Ipo was shocked. He couldn't believe Wesley had addressed the legate so informally. Ipo would be decapitated if he tried such a thing.
Ethel nodded. "I'd like to say the same, but your presence always brings trouble."
"I can't do anything about that." Wesley shrugged. "The next few months will be very busy for both of us."
"Oh?"
"Have you seen the twins lately?"
She shook her head. "I haven't been in Chicago since last winter."
"You'll be there again soon," he said, "and the changes will amaze you. The project is moving quickly now. The big show will happen this winter."
The legate looked at the crowd around them. The entire San Francisco team and the remainder of Wesley's protection team were in attendance. It was the biggest group that had ever been in headquarters.
"We shouldn't talk about that here," the legate said.
Wesley smiled. "That's right. It's a secret." He winked. "I don't think you've met everybody."
"Some of the faces are familiar. Ipo, introduce me to the newest members of the team."
Ipo jumped forward. "Yes, ma'am. You met Min Ho, Jia, and Imelda before. I don't think you know Katie. She's a legionnaire. She used to be a Special Investigations Officer in the Air Force. That's a kind of detective."
Katie came forward and shook the legate's hand. Katie's brown hair was tied back in a ponytail. Her blue eyes showed anxiety.
"It's an honor, ma'am," Katie said nervously.
"You met Hanley in Chicago, I believe," Ipo said.
Hanley shook the legate's hand next. He had a lean, strong body, and even though he was quite a bit shorter and less massive than Ipo, Hanley was still a respectable fighter. He had his usual fierce expression. Dark, curly hair had been recently trimmed down to an even half-inch all around.
"You've gained quite a bit of muscle," the legate said.
"Marina trains us until we drop every day."
"Good for her. And you have a gift?"
Hanley showed her the red, circular pads of flesh on his palms. They looked like fresh burns. "Yes, ma'am."
"According to Marina's reports, you've become a very impressive legionnaire. You certainly look the part."
He blushed. "Thank you, ma'am."
Ipo frowned. It was painful to admit, but Hanley was threatening to usurp Ipo as the second in command on the team. Hanley's quick intellect and great wealth of experiences made him a natural leader.
"Corrie is our scientist," Ipo said.
Corrie came forward. She had Navajo heritage, and her light brown skin was lovely. Silky black hair framed a nice face and a winning smile. Unfortunately, her body was less attractive. Despite Marina's admonitions to exercise more, Corrie was still pudgy and awkward. She was wearing a plain blue shirt and jeans.
Corrie was staring fearfully at the legate's eyes.
"My eyes frighten you?" the legate said.
Corrie swallowed. "Yes, ma'am. They're like black holes."
"They've seen too much death and horror."
Corrie bit her lip.
"Finally," Ipo said, "our newest legionnaire, Yang. He has a military background. A soldier in the People's Liberation Army and in the Marines. Wesley recruited him a couple of days ago. Actually, it wasn't really recruitment. Wesley just told us Yang was a member, and bang, he was."
The legate snorted. "Typical."
Yang shook her hand. His face was perfectly proportioned, and Ipo was slightly jealous of Yang's good looks. His wavy black hair had been brushed back. He was wearing a karate uniform which was a little damp from working out.
"It's an honor, ma'am," he said. "They told me you have the gift of speed?"
The legate moved so fast s
he was just a streak of gray and black. An instant later, she was standing behind Yang with a knife in her hand. The point was pressed against his throat. He twitched in surprise.
"Yes, I'm very quick, but enough fooling around." She put the knife away. "We have a mission to finish. What's the plan?" She looked at all four of the San Francisco legionnaires.
"I have some news, ma'am," Min Ho said. "A police report came in while Ipo was picking you up. There are photos."
"Let's see," the legate said.
The whole crowd shifted over to Min Ho's computer workstation. He sat in his chair and typed. Photographs appeared showing a white SUV with blood all over the interior. Five men in white suits had big holes in their skulls.
"This happened in the Marin County Civic Center parking lot," Min Ho said. "That's where Marina was."
"Interesting," Hanley said. "The SAS operatives suffered exactly the same kind of wounds. They were killed by their own headsets."
"I don't think these men are SAS, sir. The entire squadron was wiped out."
"The enemy has found a fresh set of tools," Ethel said grimly. "A couple of you will go up to Marin and examine the bodies, but first, what is the general plan of attack?" She looked at everybody again.
"Actually, ma'am," Ipo said, "we were waiting for the hackers to produce a fresh lead."
"That's not a satisfying answer. Your commander and Olivia are in grave danger. You can't just sit and wait for your assistants to do your job for you. What if we planted a false story to lure the enemy out?"
"We did that, ma'am," Hanley said. "It worked once, but I doubt it will fool him again. On the other hand, Marina is vulnerable to deception. She's insane, after all. A trick that normally wouldn't work on her might work now."
Katie perked up. "Yes. She believes the year is 1936, and she's the consort of Edward the Eighth."
"But that's obviously ridiculous," the legate said.
"She'll rationalize it somehow, ma'am. The lie is stuck in her brain, and it will push all other thoughts out of the way. She has no choice but to believe it."
The legate furrowed her brow. "Sounds awful. Let's think about exactly how we want to draw Marina out of hiding without endangering her or the girl. Keep in mind the enemy will be paying attention, too. It could get messy. In the meantime, Hanley and Katie will check out the corpses in white suits. Both of you have forensics training. Go."
"Yes, ma'am," Hanley and Katie responded in unison.
They hurried off.
"Ipo and Yang," the legate said, "help Min Ho and Jia."
"But we're not hackers, ma'am," Ipo said.
"You have eyeballs and brains, right? You can read documents and reports."
"Yes, ma'am."
She looked over at the kitchen. "And I'll have some breakfast. I'm starving."
* * *
Marina looked up at the building containing the Physics and Astronomy Department of San Francisco State University. It was a big, white, ugly edifice made of concrete. The square windows were just holes in the walls without frames. She had never understood why architects were more interested in following the latest trend than producing buildings that actually looked nice.
Marina and Olivia went inside, although the girl was dragging her feet a little. Marina didn't blame her. For a kid who had lost both her parents and had seen two mass murders, she was holding up very well.
They wandered the hallways until they found Professor Ronald Wells in his office. He had a reputation as an expert on the physics of time and space. Wells was an African-American man with a big, round head. His thin mustache was scrappy, and Marina felt he needed to shave it off. He was wearing a stylish black shirt.
His office had shelves full of books and papers. Two computers stood on an expansive white desk. Posters showed illustrations of space warps and black holes.
He looked up at Marina. "Hello? Can I help you?"
She smiled. "Yes. I have a problem. My spirit travelled in time from the year 1936 and occupied this body. It was sort of a spontaneous psycho-temporal transplant. I want to know how to get back to my own year."
He stared at her. "Is this a joke?"
"No. I'm perfectly serious. I'm the consort of King Edward."
"You're crazy."
"But you're an expert on time travel," Marina said.
"That's right, and I know how difficult it is, if it's possible at all. To make a large object travel through time, you need energies comparable to colliding black holes. You need masses that can twist space into a corkscrew."
"But I'm not talking about moving my body. Just my spirit and soul. That's much easier, right? It doesn't weigh much."
Wells pointed to the door. "Get out."
"Huh?"
"Leave my office. You urgently need to talk to a shrink."
"No," she said.
"Then talk to a psychic. Maybe they can tell you how to move a spirit through time, because science has absolutely no answer for you."
Marina's face fell, and she walked out of the office. Olivia trotted along with her.
"He was right," the girl said. "You do sound a little crazy."
Marina glared at her. "Don't you start that, too. I know exactly what I'm doing."
Their footsteps on the tile floor echoed from the walls.
"Where are we going next?" Olivia said.
"A psychic."
"Really?"
"What else can I do?" Marina said. "There are plenty of psychics in San Francisco, but we want a good one. We'll ask around and get some food while we're at it."
Chapter Seventeen
Yang was sitting as close to Jia as his chair would allow. He was almost touching her shoulder. Her proximity was giving him all kinds of thoughts that had nothing to do with his work.
Jia was studying shipping manifests and crew rosters on her computer. She was still trying to figure out if the enemy was using any ships in the San Francisco Bay, but it was a daunting task. The amount of naval traffic flowing in and out of the Bay every day was enormous. The Port of Oakland was the fifth busiest in the United States. To make matters worse, Jia expected the enemy was doing everything possible to disguise their activities. She was looking for a camouflaged needle in a very large haystack.
Yang watched the pages of information appear and disappear on her computer monitors. Little of it meant anything to him. He would be the first to admit his usefulness was limited to moral support, but Jia seemed to like having him around, so it wasn't a waste of time.
He looked down. A short red dress revealed her perfect thighs. They were long and smooth, and they had just the right amount of muscle for a petite girl. His gaze naturally drifted up to her chest. Her small breasts were round bumps underneath her shirt.
"Checking out the goods?" the legate said.
Yang looked up and realized she was standing right next to him. He hadn't heard her approach. The shock of seeing those frightening eyes at close range made his heart skip a beat, and he could feel the chilling presence of death. She was the stuff of nightmares.
"Uh... uh..." His mouth refused to form coherent words.
"Relationships in the Society are fraught with risk," the legate said. "Legionnaires tend to suffer untimely, horrible deaths. Consider that fact carefully before you make that poor girl fall in love with you."
Yang glanced at Jia and saw she was shivering.
Wesley hurried over. "What gives you the authority to talk about love?" he asked the legate.
Yang knew the boy was on dangerous ground. High-ranking officers didn't like to be confronted by children.
"I'm the legatus legionis of North America. I can talk about anything I like."
"But you've forgotten how important love is," Wesley said.
The legate stiffened. "That's not true. I remember."
"Remember what? Your infant who died? That was a very long time ago."
She gave him a look that probably would've killed any normal person, but he just stared back
at her.
"How dare you," the legate growled.
"You don't know about love. It's the most important thing. It holds the universe together. Without love, we are nothing but dust. If Yang and Jia are meant for each other, you should be happy for them instead of trying to scare them. Just because your heart is frozen solid doesn't mean everybody else should suffer."
"And you're just a kid. You haven't even hit puberty. What do you know about love?"
Wesley smiled. "I know Olivia and I will love each other. We'll have a very long and interesting life together. And I feel God's love all the time. Yang, kiss Jia."
"Huh?" Yang said.
Wesley looked at him. "Go on. You both want it. Give her a nice, big kiss. Express your true feelings. That's a direct order from the Voice of Truth, the Beacon of Light, and the Child of Destiny."
Yang looked at the legate.
"Forget her," Wesley said. "Do it. I promise you won't regret it."
Yang turned to Jia. She had wide eyes full of fear, but after a moment, she puckered her lips. He leaned over and kissed her.
The legate stormed off.
"Ethel!" Wesley said.
She turned back. "What?" Her voice was full of fury.
"The Democratic National Convention starts in a couple of weeks. President Roy Haley will be presiding. He's quite handsome."
"So?"
He smirked. "It's an interesting fact." With a mischievous grin, he walked off.
The legate went in the opposite direction.
Yang sighed deeply, and his body relaxed. He felt like an ant who had just witnessed a battle between elephants.
Jia frowned and looked down.
"What's wrong?" he said.
"That was a terrible kiss."
"I was terrified."
"Do it again," she said.
He snorted. "Yes, ma'am."
Yang leaned over and gave her a much better kiss. He let it go on and on until he was sure it was good enough. Her warm lips felt wonderful pressed against his.
When it was over, he sat back. Ipo and Min Ho were staring at him from the other side of the computer area.
"The Voice of Truth told me to," Yang explained.
Ipo rolled his eyes. "Get back to work. There will be time for fooling around when the mission is over."