No Place to Hide

by Opa Hysea Wise

  Carole raised her head slightly in Artie’s direction.

  “It can happen, Artie. It’s a long assignment, but, nonetheless, you can’t just hand the details of Smythe’s security over to Dennis. Once you accepted the assignment and I briefed your benefactor, that person specifically requested that you be heavily involved in the day-to-day interactions with Smythe. You accepted that requirement.”

  “Carole—”

  “No, Artie. You indicated that since Davey was out of the picture for the coming year, you could take on this kind of assignment. The benefactor was satisfied that their request had been granted. And you are being handsomely paid.”

  “However—”

  “Let me finish, please. Dennis is a good guy. He’s sharp, and it helps that he has been with you since the inception of your company. I trust his level of expertise completely. However, if this had been any other case, I might well have gone to bat on your behalf; but your benefactor will want him only as your number two.”

  Artie shifted in the booth, glancing past Carole into the almost empty bistro. Vacant of any activity from the window she gazed through, Artie’s eyes dulled to the world around her.

  Carole watched her friend’s demeanor. She reminded herself of the recent change in Artie’s behavior—the ever-present sharp edges in Artie’s countenance softening over the last several weeks and now, in front of her, she could see how much her friend had compromised her objectivity. After a few moments, Carole spoke again.

  “Your benefactor has done the necessary homework on you, Artemis. You’re it.”

  Artie ran her fingers through the sides of her hair. It was a tell that Carole had become familiar with. Artie was uncomfortable, and on more than one occasion, Carole had used it to her advantage.

  “You really like her, don’t you?”

  Artie sighed. “Yeah, I do. There’s something about her. She’s intelligent, kind, compassionate, stubborn as a mule, and she likes kids.” Artie said, half smiling.

  “All the more reason to keep her alive, then.”

  “That’s cold, Carole, even for you,” Artie shot back, her gray-brown eyes glaring at her friend.

  Artie shook her head and stared into her coffee cup before taking a sip. She was conflicted, something she had never experienced in her professional career. Her own ethical standards prevented her from becoming emotionally involved with her clients, friendly or otherwise. They were the job. Period. That standard had never been an issue—that is, until Smythe. Yet, from the moment she officially met her in the middle of the intersection, her heart had begun to sing. While she did not understand the rise in emotion at the time, she maintained her laser focus on the protection of her new client and simply shoved whatever feelings she had for Smythe aside.

  But now, months of living with Smythe had worn her defenses, and she was beginning to question some of her security decisions around her protection. She needed her friend Carole to help her navigate her increasing feelings toward Smythe—not Carole, the mutual colleague concerned about the same case.

  “Look, I don’t know Smythe the way you do, but I’ve seen that stubborn side of her. Her stubbornness is the reason you’re protecting her now. She should have gone into WitSec. However, with that said, I’ve discovered that life has a funny way of bringing things together for the benefit of all, in some of the most outlandish ways. The trick is to keep our hands off of the how and just do the next thing we’re supposed to do.”

  “You’re beginning to sound like Smythe.”

  “Well then, pay attention. I don’t know about you and Smythe, but perhaps the gods have planned this all out. Let’s face it—you don’t get out much anymore, and from your pattern of life assessment of Smythe, she doesn’t, either. Maybe this was the only way for the two of you to meet.”

  Artie shot Carole a look.

  “Don’t give me that look. All I can tell you is that if your feelings for her are hindering your objectivity, you are going to have double down on your efforts. Lean on Dennis to be a second and third pair of eyes around your protocols.”

  “I’m already doing that.”

  “I figured as much. So, does she know?”

  “I don’t know, but—well, I don’t know. Right now, I’ve got to keep her alive. As you said, I’ve got to get her to trial.”

  Carole paused, choosing her next words carefully. “Might not hurt to lean into her a little bit. You might actually get more cooperation from her.”

  Artie raised an eyebrow.

  “Listen, love, I’ve known there’s been something between the two of you, or at least with you. You’ve been more, mmm, protective in your speech about her rather than your usual clipped descriptions. I’ve read your reports. I’m not sure she fully grasps the significance of the case. And the amount of traveling she wants to engage in over the next few months makes me really nervous. Leaning in a bit might get us the necessary cooperation.”

  “To your last comment, the answer is no. Next, I’ve added the necessary security detail for the trips. I’ve also taken away all but one day of her driving privileges. Beyond that, it has to be business as usual, or she’ll bail, Carole. She was really close yesterday.”

  “I know you’ve taken the necessary precautions. I’m just saying that if she has similar feelings for you, she might be more willing to be more security cooperative out of loyalty to you.”

  “You obviously don’t know Smythe.”

  Carole reached her hand out and placed it over Artie’s.

  “No, I don’t, but I’m hoping to. Just keep the ranks closed in around her as much as possible and get her to trial.”

  Artie nodded.

  “I need to change the subject. I have additional information to share.”

  “Sure.”

  “My sources in Kauai have been doing some snooping. PAC money has been given to several local government officials to turn a blind eye to what the chem company is doing. We’re looking into corruption from local government officials. I’m not sure any of this is connected, but we’ve also learned the local syndicate on the island is connected to the one here. We don’t have all of the pieces, yet it seems likely through some backdoor dealing that the chem company has hired some muscle to keep their dirty dealings a secret.”

  “What?!”

  “Yeah, and we also have evidence the vic was part of a local valley group here, which was hired to look into the company. He obtained the missing documents from his grandfather on the island of Kauai.”

  “Where did the grandfather obtain them?”

  “From a company employee. The employee has a daughter who has become very ill with the illegal spraying of those GMO crops.”

  “Jesus. Are the employee and the grandfather safe?”

  “Right now, yes. I can’t say much more than that.”

  “Understood. So, what exactly would this vic and his group have been able to do? They’re up against giants.”

  “There is a lack of political courage. Ultimately, this local environment group is fighting for a political system that works for the people, and not big business.”

  Artie rolled her eyes.

  “I know, I know, Artie. But it has to start somewhere.”

  “So, my client got caught up in the middle of a political mess. Politicians, chem companies, and the syndicate are all cozied up, and in walks Smythe?”

  Carole remained quiet.

  “Keep her alive, Artie. Take no unnecessary risks. Trial may come toward the end of the year. I’ll keep you posted.”

  Artie nodded. The two finished their meal and set up a tentative meeting before going their separate ways.

  *

  * *

  Artie climbed into sat in the back seat of her team’s SUV, stunned at the news Carole shared.

  Nothing is by coincidence, she thought.

  “Where to, boss?”

  “To the client.”

  The late summer sun seemed at its brightest, and temperatures were climbin
g. Yet, for Artie, her internal season felt like winter—darkness prevailed in the early morning and late afternoon.

  She reflected on the notion of the word “darkness” and all of the misconceptions around it. She held a curiosity both for the physical and emotional darkness. She maintained that it was in this place—where it was difficult to see, much less navigate—where real growth took place. Darkness, she believed, required we become very quiet and lean into our senses. Firmly planted into the physical realm, she had come to befriend the dark, recognizing the rich texture of complexity contained within it.

  Artie turned her thoughts toward her recent conversation with Smythe. Artie’s understanding of the human condition and her keen sensitivity to energy rarely steered her wrong. After initially surveilling Smythe, Artie used her behavioral profiling skills. She determined Smythe’s recurring pattern of normalcy—how she interacted with others and reacted to any given situation. That pattern assisted Artie in creating a psychological profile of her client. She felt Smythe was stable, if not just a bit eccentric at times, highly intelligent, learned in a variety of subjects, holding a wide variety of interests given the sheer number of books she read per week—especially in the arts and psychology—and highly introverted, needing calm and minimally stimulating environments.

  Yet, beyond that, Smythe was hiding something, of this Artie was sure; something she kept well hidden in her darkness. Given yesterday’s meltdown, her intuition told her there was a deep undercurrent of pain Smythe had yet to express to her, perhaps even to herself. It was that deep undercurrent that concerned Artie, as she believed it would prove deadly under stressful conditions.

  “What are you hiding?” Artie questioned aloud.

  “What’s that, boss?” her team member asked.

  “Nothing, just thinking aloud.”

  What do I know about you? What are you hiding, baby?

  “Boss, we’re being tailed,” her driver said.

  Artie looked up.

  “Alpha tango, now.”

  She pulled her weapon from its holster and braced herself for the bumpy ride that was about to ensue. She leaned forward and peered into her driver’s side-view mirror, taking note of a gray SUV sitting two car lengths behind her vehicle.

  “I’m really beginning to tire of this,” she sighed.

  In the left lane, her driver executed the maneuver Artie requested. The series of movements would allow them to drop back to an open right lane, abruptly reducing their speed and force the tailing vehicle to pass them. A quick maneuver would allow Artie’s vehicle to tail the SUV that had been following them. It was a well-executed move that often drew the attention of everyone around them, but Artie was in no mood to play nice. She simply wanted to lose the vehicle.

  Artie’s driver found what he was looking for in the maze of city traffic. Without warning, he abruptly pulled over to the right lane. With no time to tuck in behind Artie, the gray SUV drove past them. Now the SUV was in front and to the left of her vehicle which allowed her driver to trail their nemesis.

  “Well done,” Artie said, as she sat back against the seat.

  Artie’s driver copied the license plate to discover the identity of the owner, but Artie shook her head in resignation, confident his endeavor would not provide them the information they wanted.

  “More than likely, it will be registered to a shell company, but run it anyway,” Artie said.

  Another event to give Carole an ulcer over.

  The suspect drove along a route which eventually led them out of the city and away from Smythe’s location. After tailing the vehicle for a few miles, Artie instructed her driver to conduct another driving maneuver, which allowed them to lose the vehicle in the maze of traffic well before leaving the city limits.

  “Boss?” the passenger team member started. “Is it possible they don’t have a bead on our client’s location?”

  “Unlikely, but it is curious. They seemed to have made themselves known. That wasn’t sloppy surveillance work on their part. Did you notice them while I was with FBI?”

  “No, not at all.”

  Artie made a call to Dennis, who reported Smythe was safe within her unit. She described what happened and asked that he dispatch a team to conduct a perimeter sweep of the complex as well as an interior sweep of Smythe’s apartment.

  “I’ll be there shortly.”

  Sensing danger for her friend, Artie called Carole and offered a security detail, but Carole refused.

  “I’m good. Use your resources for Smythe and yourself. And I agree. It wasn’t sloppy tailing.”

  “Carole…”

  “No, Artie. I mean it. Your resources aren’t infinite. Thanks for the offer, but I’m ok.”

  The Renovations

  A SHORT TIME LATER, ARTIE’S TEAM ARRIVED AT THE GATE OF SMYTHE’S COMPLEX.

  “Drop me off in front of the rental office. There are some construction issues I need to check on. Then sweep the streets around the complex.”

  As her team left, Artie entered the office. Knowing full well the complex offered only one- and two-bedroom units, she introduced herself as a prospective tenant looking for either size apartment. The office manager was a young female recently hired by the management company to oversee the sweeping changes that had just begun to impact residents. She was all too pleased to entertain Artie’s questions, spending the better part of an hour with her. Polite in her demeanor, Artie asked for a tour of both apartment sizes, preferring to physically see the location of each available unit.

  “I would be happy to give you a tour. We’re spending quite a bit of money to renovate each unit,” the manager began. “As you are probably aware, there have been several new complexes that have sprung up in the area, and we feel we are positioned in an ideal location to do some cosmetic upgrades that will yield not only a benefit to our tenants, but to our owners as well.”

  “So, these units are differently renovated? I ask because I have a friend who has lived in this complex for a couple of years, and her unit appears to be upgraded.”

  “Oh, yes, some of them have been, but even those will be further renovated once a tenant moves out. The units you speak of were renovated before the new owners purchased the complex. We also have a lot of tenants who have been here for seven years or more, and their units were never upgraded. As they are vacated, we will be putting in new flooring, as well as updated cabinetry and hardware in the kitchen and bathrooms. We’re also redesigning the kitchen slightly, taking out the breakfast bar between the kitchen and the dining room. We believe it offers a more modern feel.”

  Artie smiled and nodded her head.

  “I would be happy to show you our recently renovated units. However, those units that are vacant and still under construction are unavailable for viewing,” the manager said.

  “Can you point out those that are empty and currently unavailable as well? At least so I can see where on the grounds they’re located. I’m kind of picky about location. For me, it’s all about how the daylight dances within the unit. A unit that receives midday sun is not preferable, given the summer heat here in the valley,” Artie pressed.

  “I understand. Sure, we can do that for you.”

  The property manager escorted Artie along the property grounds, pointing out the location of apartments under construction. She opened several renovated units, allowing Artie to get a feel for each apartment.

  “How does the light feel in here?” the manager asked as Artie gazed around a unit. Artie’s response was always the same: “It feels stuffy and hot. Let’s see the next unit.”

  Standing in front of a two-bedroom unit, Artie asked, “So how many units are there in the complex?”

  “Well, what I can tell you is that we have five one-bedrooms and about a dozen two-bedroom units available now. And this is the last of the two-bedrooms that have been renovated.” The manager placed her key into the front door and opened it, allowing Artie to enter first.

  In a unit adjacent to a
small parking lot positioned directly across from Smythe’s building, the manager followed behind Artie into a newly renovated two-bedroom apartment. Artie gazed around. The layout appeared exactly like the last eleven units she had toured. The hallway extended further out to allow for a second smaller bedroom. All of the units were bathed in white quartz countertops. New, wider pearl white shutters replaced the easily bent white blinds that were still in Smythe’s unit.

  Artie slowly walked around, opening a closet in the dining room. She walked into the kitchen, allowing her fingertips to roll lightly over the surface of the countertop. She opened the door to the laundry room to find a new, more efficient washer and dryer ready for use. But Artie was stalling. She was calculating the number of units currently vacant, but what she really needed was the number of new tenants who started occupancy over the last three months.

  “So, this is the last building where we currently have empty units immediately available,” the manager pressed, a bit frustrated at what she considered was a nit-picky prospective tenant. She watched as Artie opened yet another kitchen cabinet, walked into each bathroom, and finally stood in place in the living room, staring directly ahead to Smythe’s unit.

  “So, how many new tenants have come into the complex? I’m looking for stability when it comes to my neighbors.”

  “Well, we’ve had a bit of turnover, but nothing unexpected,” the manager said wryly.

  “I would imagine that your rent for the units has increased for new tenants,” Artie replied a bit offhandedly.

  “Well, yes, they have. The valley has seen an increase in population as well as business. So, in today’s market, prices have risen.”

  “Yeah, I know. I’ve lived in the valley for the past ten years. I’ve noticed the increase in traffic over the past six months or so.”

  “Yes. That would be the downside of growth.”

  “Supply and demand,” Artie said.

  Artie thought about the population in the city—twenty minutes from where she now stood. There had been a time where she could have driven from one end of the valley to the other end in under forty minutes. There was open land and blue sky. But over the past six to eight months, the population of the valley had exploded. Open land had been developed to accommodate new businesses and home developments. The blue sky had taken on a brownish haze. Traffic reminded her of Los Angeles gridlock, and crime was at an all-time high. Murders, home invasion robberies, and physical assaults were all up and continuing to rise. And she knew it all was slowly encroaching upon Smythe’s tiny enclave.