by Jack July
The doctor started to argue, but she shot him a look. He said, “Okay, that’s fine. Any injuries I can’t see?
“Couple bruises, but they’ll be okay.”
“Okay, gunshot wound, very nice. You will have to have some cosmetic surgery after it heals. It tore a lot of skin on the back of your arm.”
Elle nodded. The doctor said, “You know, young lady, I have a brochure to a truck drivers training school in my desk if you wish to change careers.”
Elle looked up at him with a little smirk. “Nah, I’d probably be dangerous.”
That comment made him laugh. “An assassin with a sense of humor, that’s new.”
Right then it hit her. That’s what she was, an assassin. But was that WHO she was? Being lost in Elle made her feel powerful and fearless. Even as the doctor began to dress her wound and pain shot through her arm from the perforated bicep and the small rip in the lateral triceps, she didn’t care. She liked it. It was a sign she was still alive, she could still feel. She was feeling many things at once. Sadness and pain as another man she was interested in, if only for a few moments, was dead. She felt happiness—pure joy—that Kristy Wilson would be home with her family soon. Then there was curiosity about what would be next. What would the CIA want from her. Training? Like Navy boot camp or SEAL team BUDS. Then, there was the lust. Lust that ran through her body like it hadn’t, well, ever. She needed something, and she needed it bad. “Dr. Kennedy?”
“Yes.”
“Do you have any amphetamines?”
“Yes, what do you want?”
“I have something I need to do this evening and I would like to be awake for it, so what do you have?”
“Sure, first let me finish sewing your muscle back together.”
“Okay,” she said with a little smile as she leaned back and relaxed.
T and Cody returned to the communication center. They found Danny typing up a form on the computer. T smiled at him and said, “I think we are done. Good job as usual.”
“Thanks T.”
“Are you going back to the sandbox?”
“No, I’m filling out a vacation form. I’ll be taking a few weeks off. Edie said she would like to show me around Germany. I’m thinkin’ I’m gonna let her.”
“Well, good for you. Would you call Adele for me?”
“Sure.”
Danny dialed and a few minutes later Adele appeared on the screen. “Yes, what can I do for you?”
“When is our debrief?”
Adele looked at the clock, “You should be able to make it back by tomorrow evening. Get some rest, then I want you and Elle right here.”
“What’s on the docket?” T asked. “Any bullshit?”
“Yeah,” Adele said dismissively. “You and Elle have some questions to answer. You’re coming home light. I don’t see you having a problem. But ah, she’s never dealt with it.”
“As long as she tells the truth, which she will, we won’t have any problems.”
“You sound confident.”
“I am.”
“Dotson wants you in on the transition interview when you get back to D.C.”
“We saw her in action, what the fuck does he want?”
“Maybe he would like to do at least one thing by the book,” Adele joked.
T sighed, more fucking hoops. “All right. Anything else?”
Adele shook her head. “Nope. President North is really happy with us.”
“What about Long Cho?”
“That is Diplo-shit now. Ain’t nothin’ to me or you.”
T nodded. “Got it, see you tomorrow.”
‘Yes ma’am, you will. Is Cody there?”
“Yeah, right here. Hey Cody,” she called across the room, “It’s Adele.”
“Hi hon, nice job,” she said to Cody with a smile. “Say, do you want a part time job?”
“Hmm…” Cody smiled back.
CHAPTER 52
November 27th 10:00 P.M. The White House
Physically President North was having a before bedtime snack with her family. Mentally however, she wasn’t really there. A few hours earlier, the President of China had decided to blow her off. A call had been set up and agreed to, then at the last moment he decided not to show. Donna Hu explained to her that this was blatant disrespect. It was a power game. Suddenly she heard something in the distance. It grew louder, Liz, Liz, Liz, LIZ!
“What!” She jumped a little.
“It’s me, your husband. Do you want some cheesecake?”
“No, thank you, my skirts are getting tight. I think I’ll go to the office. I have some catch-up work to do. I love you, and you and you and you,” she walked around the sitting room with a smile giving out hugs and kisses.
“Hey,” said her husband. She turned around. “You don’t wear sweats to the oval office.”
“I know, I’m just going to the study.”
He gave her a big hug. She looked like she needed one. He whispered in her ear, “Whatever is bothering you, you know what the right thing is. You always have known. That’s why they hired you.”
She kissed him like mommies kiss daddies in front of the kids and walked out.
She strolled down the ground floor corridor looking at the portraits and sculptures of the Presidents that came before her. Deep in philosophical thought she wondered, Did they know what they were getting into? How does one have so much power and yet feel so weak? How could she let herself be manipulated by Shen? The answers all seemed seem so clear standing outside the White House. We are Americans, good people, fair people, why can’t the Chinese see that? Why can’t we work together? Why can’t we get along? Then she stopped at the portrait of Harry Truman. My God, he gave the order to drop the bomb. His order incinerated men, women, children, entire families and communities gone without a trace. How do you do that? Then she answered her own question.
You do it knowing that the alternatives are worse. Knowing that the Japanese would fight to the last man, and they would wire their children and their wives with explosives, commit mass suicides, like they did at Okinawa. Nuking those cities saved American lives and Japanese lives. It’s the basic mathematics of war.
She turned and came up on a Capital security guard. She smiled and said “Hi, Frank.”
“Madam President.”
“How’s your wife?” she asked.
“The doctors think they got all the cancer. She’s recovering at home now. My daughter came from California to help us.”
“She’s lucky to have a good man like you.”
“Thank you Ma’am.”
“Do you need anything?”
“No, ma’am, it’s my job to take care of the house and everyone in it. That’s what I’m gonna do.”
“You’re exactly right Frank, exactly right. Have a good evening.”
“Yes, ma’am, goodnight.”
The President smiled a righteous smile walking down the corridor. The answer was right there, simple and clear: I take care of my house and everyone in it. And I will take care of anyone who hurts them. Period.
Elle returned from the doctor bandaged and shot up with painkillers. She also had six pills of 70mg Adderall XT. She came through the door and T said, “Hi, you missed all of our congratulations. The President on down has sent us a ‘good job.’ ”
Elle smiled and nodded. Then she looked a little distracted. T stepped close to her and in a soft voice said, “You okay?”
“Yeah, yeah I’m okay. Just a little overwhelmed. I’m trying to come down.”
“Sure, I understand that.”
“Good,” said Elle with a crooked smile. T wondered what that meant.
November 28th 10:30 P.M.
They started picking up the room, collecting and shredding anything left over. Elle nudged T and said, “Hey,
I’m going to get out of here for a while. Have some dinner. You know.”
T smiled and said, “Okay, where are you going?”
“I was thinking old town.”
Hmm, she thought, the little redhead. I know those feelings. “That’s fine, take Cody with you. Here is your room key; we’ll be staying at the Radisson Blu. You are responsible for your own room service and any other charges. The mission is over. We are on our own dime.”
“No, um, no, I want to go by myself.”
“Look, I don’t like playing this card, but, you are a trainee and I am an agent. Every step you take in this country is my responsibility. Cody IS going with you”
“Yeah, but Cody? Um, no, um, you don’t understand. I want to…”
“Hey,” T interrupted, “listen to me. He’s going with you. Just so you know, he doesn’t talk and he doesn’t judge. Do what you need to do to feed the beast. I get it. It’s okay. Understand?”
She leaned close to T and whispered. “No, I don’t. I don’t understand my own feelings. Why am I feeling this way?”
T smiled at her, giving her a warm hug, and pulling Elle’s head down to her shoulder. Then she whispered in Elle’s ear, “Elle wants what Elle wants. Elle needs what Elle needs. Give it to her, make her happy, complete who she is. It’s okay. There are no rules. Indulge her and she will protect you.”
Elle pulled away a bit and a tear began to roll down her face. T wiped it away and said, “Why are you crying?”
Elle said, “I don’t know. Hey, Cody, how about some dinner in old town?”
“You know it. I’m starving.”
“Do you have money?” asked T
“I still have 950 Euros left over,” Elle said, reaching in her pants pocket.
Tatiana gently grabbed her wrist. “No, you don’t. You bought information with it. Understand?”
Elle and Cody left, leaving Tatiana alone with her thoughts. Elle wasn’t who and what I thought Elle was going to be. She’s better and worse. I didn’t count on the bit of sexual deviance. It wasn’t a mystery; I knew there would be something. People who are violently raped as children never get the innocence back. The natural experience of sex is stolen from them. Its purity and beauty never felt, never experienced. It will always be something else.
A small knock on the door broke T’s train of thought. She opened the door to a 6’4” blonde haired muscular German special operations soldier wearing a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. She shut the door behind her and leaned into the wide solid chest. Letting her lips dance around his neck, she spoke from deep in her throat like a ravenous animal, “Anson, I thought you were going to stand me up.”
The deep masculine voice exhaled the word, “Never.”
T smiled to herself as she they turned to walk down the hall. Her heart began to race and she thought, Then again, I guess we all have our needs.
Elle and Cody enjoyed a nice meal with Elle picked up the tab. It was getting close to midnight when Elle told Cody, “You can drop me off here.”
“I’m sorry, I can’t. I have to stay with you.”
Elle sighed; she was at the point where she didn’t care. “Okay, park here.” They walked two blocks to Prince Eddie’s. After paying the cover they sat at a table next to the back wall. Cody had a beer and Elle sipped on a bourbon and water trying to get the courage to ask for what she wanted. Then it tapped her on the shoulder. The porcelain-skinned red head was even prettier with her clothes on.
“Dia Dhuit,” she said with a smile.
Elle smiled and said, “Dia’s Muire duit.” Then she laughed, “You are Irish. My mom used to greet her old relatives that way. I am Elle.”
“Well now, that would be a fine Irish name. I am Fiona. I wanted to thank you for the Flaithiuil.”
“You earned all of it. Could I buy you a drink?”
“Sorry, can’t drink in this pub.”
“Someplace else?”
Fiona looked at her and thought She looks nice. I’ll spend her money. “Sure, I’ll be off soon. Where ye be heading?”
“The Raddison Blu.”
Hmm, top of the range, and what a striking woman, she thought. “Give me a few minutes.”
Cody smiled at her and said, “I didn’t know this.”
“T said you didn’t judge,” Elle muttered.
Cody shrugged. “I don’t. Do you want the car or will you take a taxi?”
“Taxi’s fine.”
“Okay. Once you’re on your way, I’ll go.”
“Thank you, Cody.”
“No worries. How’s your arm?”
“I should have it in a sling. I shot it up, it’ll be fine until tomorrow.”
“Watch yourself. Berlin can be tough after dark.”
Elle nodded and patted the holster under her jacket.
An hour later, Elle and Fiona sat at the bar inside the Raddison. Fiona was not shy about ordering some very expensive appetizers and top shelf liquor. Elle continued to sip a bourbon and water while listening to Fiona talk. Her accent was mesmerizing. Elle didn’t see T and Anson walking through the lobby but T saw her and Fiona. Finally the bar closed. Elle invited her up to the room to finish their drinks.
They walked through the door of the room when Elle took Fiona’s Jacket and hung it in the closet along with her own. Fiona saw the bandaged arm, holsters and guns. She became a little nervous. “What is it that you do?”
Elle slipped off her shoes, walked up to Fiona and said, “I’m a medical student.” She unsnapped her shoulder holsters and hung them on a chair next to the bed.
Fiona was many things. Stupid was not one of them. She was also smart enough not to ask questions. “Do you like music?” she asked
Elle smiled shyly, looked at her and nodded yes. Fiona played with the satellite music until she found a decent mix. Alex Bands quivering wanting voice filled the room with The Calling’s “Wherever You Will Go.” Fiona reached out to touch Elle’s face and she backed away. Fiona slowly moved toward Elle when Elle said, “I don’t know.”
A half smile appeared on Fiona’s face, she reached over and turned up the music a little more. Fiona saw something in Elle’s eyes, something needy and innocent. “Dance with me,” asked Fiona.
Then the slow drum beat and soft mesmerizing voice of Radiohead’s Thom Yorke filled the room.
Elle put her face in Fiona’s hair. It smelled wonderful. The closeness, the swaying took Elle to another place. Then a feeling crept in, a feeling so strong that it told Elle in no uncertain terms this was wrong. If this gorgeous girl couldn’t start a fire, then the answer was clear. No, no she wasn’t.
CHAPTER 53
November 29th 4:00 P.M. The Situation Room
CIA Director Dotson read the entire war cabinet into Golden Angel, video included. When the director was finished, he called in the President.
“So, any questions?”
Speaker Alder spoke up. “Okay, why are we here?”
“I want Long Cho,” stated the President.
“Short of war, you will not get him.”
“That’s why we are all here,” said the President with a smile. “You see, just yesterday the President of China stood me up on a phone call to discuss this issue. Laughed at me, laughed at you, laughed at the entire country when I suggested that the man responsible for what you just saw, be brought to justice. I have twenty-one more of those videos if you would like to watch all of them. You know, just in case that one had no effect on you.”
Senator Carl Ebson, majority leader of the Senate said, “Yes ma’am, I think we all agree this is horrible, but can’t we do something economically? I mean, war? You can’t be serious.”
“I thought about that. Danforth and I spent most of the early hours going over abuses by the Chinese. We have never pushed hard for anything. Every time we call them on some
thing, they get upset, bluster and we back off with a, ‘It’s just not worth it’ mentality. It’s a long list of abuses and it just gets longer. I’d read them off but you all know. It’s everything from currency manipulation to stealing our artists’ movies and music. But now the murder of our children, our children, tortured, raped and murdered for fun and profit? Dismissing that atrocity? Our children? What every American agrees is our most valuable commodity. No gentlemen, it stops today. The Secretary of Defense is going to read you in on Dragon Slayer. It is a non-nuclear first strike against the Chinese military and leadership. Call your offices and tell them you will be busy, no details. I have no problem with executing people for treason. Nobody leaves until this thing is over. OPSEC protocols are in effect. David, quietly go to DEFCON 3. I’m going to make another appointment with President Shen. Carry on.”
President North stood and waked out. Speaker Alder looked around the table and said “Any thoughts?”
Senator Ebson spoke up, “This won’t get far, they will back down.”
Secretary of Defense shook his head in disagreement, “That’s the problem with you civilians. You don’t study history. They have no reason to believe we won’t back down. We’ve been backing down for thirty years. We are in uncharted territory. To be honest, better now than later while we still have an advantage. Joint chiefs, let’s get it rolling.”
Alder spoke up again, “Excuse me Secretary Gist.”
“Yes Mr. Speaker.”
The room got real quiet when the speaker asked, “Can we take ’em? Can we beat ’em bad?”
“I believe so, but the longer it goes, the more we will be hurt. Expect casualties, lots of them. They are not Iraq.”
November 29th 6:00 A.M.
When T woke, the big German was gone. She liked it that way. She strolled to the shower and turned it on. While the water was warming up she brushed her teeth then stood in front of the mirror and thought not bad, the breasts are a little lower, but I still get what I want. She climbed in the shower and soaped up. Hot water blasted against her muscles as the smell of aftershave, sweat, sex and regret washed down the drain. I wonder what Elle is doing?