Kimberly's view...
"Didn't you hear me? Yes!" I shout and then think about it some more. I have that Closing in two days. I can't have that woman with me then, so I quickly answer, "No."
"Which is it? Do you or don't you?" that woman questions me and then she states, "You know what? Never mind. I'm not going to let you decide this one! You only do things when it suits you. Well, this is about me! And I'm telling you, I'm going!"
I don't want her tagging along when I go on my next Closing, and with my luck, she'll try to stop me. But something within me doesn't want her to win the argument. Oh for Ares' sake! Maybe I need to grow up a bit.
I try to sound like she convinced me when I tell her, "You're right. Sometimes we'll need to do our own thing, so... I don't like it, but go on ahead to his funeral. Come right back when its over."
Katharine's view...
"I will," I reply.
That was easy; it was almost too easy.
* * *
8:40 A.M...
Hellenistic Sector, Memorial Park Vicinage...
A thick fog hung above the grounds of the Hades Cemetery, and a few dozen people had gathered for Preacher's funeral and more were coming. Bleak Dry Clouds grumbled over the dark day like a cyclops with a belly ache. Very few street lights lit the area, so the funeral home handed out lanterns and by the time the gathering was complete, about a hundred people stood around the casket. Each of them held the electric luminary. Solemn faces mourned the passing of a great and beloved man, and a few women cried along with a boy. Many people sniffled as an elderly woman blew her nose.
Katharine's view...
I stand off by myself near a tree and watch the people slowly assemble. I experience a sadness so deep and so painful I don't know how to handle it. I feel awkward and out of place, and I don't want to be by the others. I wouldn't know how to act. My eyes burn because no tears relieve the scorch of my grief.
I whisper to the book I hold, "Oh, Preacher... I'm sorry, but I need to keep my distance until there are fewer people. I'm already taking a chance by coming here."
I sniff and wipe my runny nose with the arm of my jacket. I might not have my tracking beacon, but that doesn't mean bio-mechas are unable to hunt me.
End Katharine's view...
Stephanie approached from behind, carrying Transgenic Daisies. She wore a black printed t-shirt of a smiley face, but this time it had its red tongue sticking out. She stopped beside Kat, noticing her anguish. "Did you know Preacher?"
Kat gripped the book she held. "Yes."
In the distance...
At the head of the casket, a pastor opened a black Bible and once everyone gathered had quieted, he started on a passage.
"Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. A time to be born, and a time to die."
At the tree...
She switched the flowers to her left hand and offered her right. "I'm Stephanie."
"Kat." She shook her hand.
In the distance...
"A time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted. A time to kill, and a time to heal."
At the tree...
Stephanie asked, "Why are you standing here instead of with the others?" She motioned with her head.
"I..." Kat didn't know what to say. "I ah..."
In the distance...
"A time to break down, and a time to build up. A time to weep, and a time to laugh."
At the tree...
Stephanie examined her face and tried to figure out her expression and what Kat was thinking. "Don't worry about it," Stephanie said. "You don't have to tell me. I get uncomfortable around dead people too." She buttoned up her dark brown corduroy coat as the air cooled. "When I look at them, it's kind of like looking at myself."
Kat couldn't figure out who the woman was. She said the weirdest things. She also couldn't figure out why she was standing by her instead of over by the coffin.
Stephanie continued, "I know it's not normal, but that's how I feel."
In the distance...
"A time to mourn, and a time to dance. A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing."
At the tree...
"Were you and Preacher close?" Stephanie asked.
"Yes."
Stephanie glanced at her flowers; she wished she could throw these smelly things away, but she needed to stay in character. Mr. Decuma said she needed to work on her patience, and he said she needed to take more time and get to know a person before she killed them, so she asked, "How close?"
Kat looked to her unsure of her question.
Stephanie leaned in. "What I want to know is, were you two playing between the sheets?"
Kat's cheeks flushed red as she shook her head.
In the distance...
"A time to gain, and a time to lose. A time to keep, and a time to throw away. A time to tear, and a time to sew."
At the tree...
"Really?" Stephanie brushed a stray hair from her own face. "Are you a lesbian?"
Taken aback, Kat said nothing at first, but then shook her head again, and then she said in a hushed tone, "Umm... I think we should be quiet while the pastor is talking." Kat took a few steps forward and away from Stephanie.
In the distance...
"A time to keep silence, and a time to speak. A time to love, and a time to hate. A time of war, and a time of peace." The pastor closed his Bible and picked up a handful of dirt. "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust." He sprinkled the dirt on the coffin and nodded, and a man activated a machine that lowered the pine box. Those gathered, one by one, threw a handful of dirt on the coffin.
At the tree...
"I'm sorry." Stephanie walked up to her. "I didn't mean to offend you or anything. I can't imagine spending so much time with a guy and not..."
Kat angrily looked at her, trying to figure out what was with her.
"Right." Stephanie covered her mouth as she said, "We should be quiet."
Chapter Twenty-one
Chad And Kat Meet Again
9:01 A.M...
Katharine's view...
One by one, those gathered at Preacher's funeral withdraw, leaving only a handful standing by the grave. I notice Chad stays and I walk to him; he's wearing a black suit. I remove my backpack from around my shoulder and place the Bible in it.
Chad sees me approach and runs to me, throwing his arms around me as he shouts, "You made it." Tears stream down his face. "I thought you might not come."
"I'm here." I drop the backpack and hug him as I stroke his brown hair. "I'm here." We stand there a few moments till Stephanie clears her throat.
Once I and Chad separate, she offers her hand to the boy. "Hi, I'm Stephanie"
"Chad." He shakes her hand briefly then wipes his eyes with the arm of his suit. "Are you a friend of Kat's?"
Stephanie's view...
I stare at the boy a few moments, wondering if I could be friends with Pandora. I don't see why not; there's no better way to know your enemy.
I answer the boy, "Yep, but we did just meet."
Katharine's view...
I continue to watch her. I still can't figure out why she's hanging around me instead of gathering with the others.
"I almost forgot." Chad grabs my hand. "There's someone I want you to meet." He pulls me toward a woman with a little girl; the girl has black curly hair. Three men in dark suits wearing wireless earpieces move to intercept me as they start to draw their guns, but then Chad says, "It's okay, guys. She's my friend."
They cautiously look me and Stephanie over then one of them nods for us to proceed. Me and Chad walk up to the woman and the little girl.
Chad says, "This is Melissa Odin, Preacher's sister."
I reply, "I didn't know Preacher had a sister."
"Kat, it's good to meet you." Melissa wip
es her eyes with a tissue. "Though he was the black sheep, Preacher was the one who was ashamed of us; I imagine that's why he never mentioned me."
Chad tells me, "Melissa is taking care of me now."
"Yes, I've taken Chad in through foster care. It was Preacher's idea. He said if anything should happen to him..." Melissa starts crying again.
Chad puts his arm around her and says, "Don't cry. Preacher's in a better place."
"I know. I miss him." She dabs her eyes again with the tissue, reaches her palm out, grabs my hand, and squeezes it. "I'm so glad you came. Chad was afraid you wouldn't. I tried to reassure him. If you were one of my brother's friends, you wouldn't let him down."
He bows his head as he admits, "I was only a little afraid."
One of the bodyguards steps forward. "Ms. Odin, we have been in the open far too long. We should get going."
"Mommy, I'm tired." The little girl rubs her eyes.
"All right dear. We'll head home now." Melissa kneels, picking up the child.
The little girl looks to me and asks, "Would you like to come over for a while? You could read me a story."
"I can't right now, but if it's okay–" I turn to Melissa. "–I'd like to stop by tomorrow and see Chad."
Melissa nods and tells me, "I'll give you the address. Do you have a H.H.C.?"
"Yes." I remove a beat up one from my backpack and open up an address book on it. "Here."
Melissa takes it, types the address, hands it back to me, and then Melissa starts for a limo parked in the distance.
The little girl waves to the casket. "Bye, Uncle Norman."
Two of the men in black suits follow Melissa and her little girl back to the limo.
Chad hugs me again. "I've missed you. I wish... I wish you could have stayed with us. I wish you could have stayed with me and Preacher." He steps back. "Maybe you could have stopped the man that..." Chad can't finish the sentence; it must be too painful for him to say.
I put a hand to my mouth, hiding my trembling lips. Over and over I have thought the same thing. What if I had stayed? What if I had been at the Kitchen when the Closer came?
I kneel, look into his brown eyes, place my hand on his shoulder, and tell him, "Me too. How I wish I was, but you know it's not safe. People are hunting me."
Stephanie's view...
I look at Pandora curiously. Does she suspect me? Does she know why I'm here?
Katharine's view...
I glance at the man in the black suit and question the boy, "Why do you have bodyguards?"
He starts to answer, and Melissa shouts, "Chad, come on."
"I'll tell you tomorrow." He runs toward the limo, and his bodyguard follows as Chad yells, "Make sure you come."
The bodyguard presses the button on his earpiece as he leaves. "I and the boy are moving toward the limo. The area's still clear."
I watch as Chad gets into the vehicle and the limo pulls away, then I wait till I can't see the vehicle and turn to Stephanie. I don't think she's one of Preacher's friends, so I ask, "You said you knew Preacher, from where? I don't remember seeing you around Wayfaring Lane."
"Just around." Stephanie smirks, grabs my hand, and turns it so she can see the H.H.C. and the address. "I hate to rush off too, but I've got somewhere to be. Maybe I'll see you tomorrow."
Stephanie heads back the way she came in past the gravestones, and she still carries the Transgenic Daisies. She's a very odd woman.
I turn to the hole Preacher lies in as the fog thickens around me. I mutter, "I don't know what to say to you. I believe, thanks to you, that this is not good-bye but until we meet again. Still..." I pick up a handful of dirt and throw it on his casket; the dark soil thumps as it hits. "I miss you. I'll always miss you."
I stand there as a petroleum scented wind blows in and disperses the fog. I leave, make my way past the gravestones, and stop when one of them catches my eye. I walk to the gravestone and kneel beside it. Theresa Griffin. Beloved Mother. Cherished Wife. May She Rest In Peace. I know only part of what Kimberly's going through; she believed her mom abandoned her then she discovered it was a lie and that her mom was murdered. I understand what it is to lose someone because someone else decided to take their life. I feel violated as though a thief came in and stole my happy existence and left me numb and hollow inside. I smooth my hand across Theresa's name. No wonder Kimberly's so driven to find whoever did this to her. I don't think killing them will ease her pain.
I carefully and lovingly clear the weeds from the front of the gravestone as if the woman was my own mom. I swear I'll help Kimberly find this person, but I don't know if I could stand there and let her kill them. If it's wrong for me to kill, shouldn't it be the same for Kimberly?
I pause in my thoughts as a presence disturbs my internal deliberation, and I look to my left without turning my head. Whoever's there, they aren't bio-mechas; if they were, I would have detected their presence long before they got this close.
I stand, preparing for action as I shout, "I know you're there! Come out!"
I face two men as they move from hiding behind a tree, and they skittishly look around as they emerge.
"You?" I utter, relieved it's them and not a bounty hunter or a Closer. "Why are you two here?"
End Katharine's view...
"Argus sent us," the older of the two men replied. "I don't know if we ever introduced ourselves, but I'm Maxwell." He pointed to his partner. "And this is Peters."
"So you made it out. Is Argus all right?"
"Yes," Peters answered. "Argus has a few cracked ribs and a lot of bruising, but for the most part, he'll be fine."
She walked to them. "You said he sent you. Why?"
Maxwell glanced around to make sure no one was about and pulled an object from his coat pocket. "He wanted us to give this back to you." He offered her a Beretta, and Kat took the gun.
Peters said, "It's not the one you loaned us, but Argus thought you would like the same model back. He said you might have gotten used to a certain piece of hardware."
"Tell him thanks when you see him." She ejected the magazine, finding it full. "You even returned it with a few extra rounds."
Peters nudged Maxwell and motioned to her with his head. "Go on."
"We actually wanted to thank you," Maxwell started. "We would have died in the Factory if you had not released us. The T-3s killed everyone else. It was only a matter of time before they decided we should follow our co-workers."
"No thanks needed." Kat smiled. "You would have saved me if I were in your position."
They glanced at each other with a bit of guilt.
Trying to hide his remorse for a past action, Maxwell replied, "Right. We would have saved you."
"We actually need to be going." Peters scanned the graveyard. "Our new masters don't let us out for very long."
"Your new masters?"
Peters said, "Yes, the Council; after the collapse of the Factory, they acquired all their assets, including us."
Katharine's view...
The word them screams in my mind as I tighten my jaw, holding back my anger. Why can't they leave me alone? What right do they have to mess with my life?
End Katharine's view...
Both men noticed the change in her demeanor, and they were a little afraid, knowing what Kat was capable of.
"Well, see you around." Maxwell waved good-bye and motioned with his head for Peters to follow, and they walked off.
Katharine's view...
I look at the Beretta and say softly, "Thanks Argus."
I head out of the graveyard and start for Nexus Apartments, pleased I did it. I was here for Chad. He didn't have to...
"Oh, no!" I stop and glance back.
How could I forget? I open my backpack, put the gun in it, and remove the book. I should have given Preacher's Bible to Melissa. I'd been so caught up in the moment I forgot. No harm done. I can d
o it tomorrow. I continue out of the graveyard. Melissa should have it. She's Preacher's sister.
Chapter Twenty-two
Genesis Arboretum
11:07 A.M...
Hellenistic Sector, Residential Vicinage...
A lone moth fluttered in the dark heavens. The yellow, orange, and brown bug flew down, entered Zeus Park, and landed on a leaf of a Transgenic Maple. The Death's Head Hawkmoth crawled over the lighter green side of the leaf, flaunting the skull-like pattern on its thorax, and there it watched. Across the street at the Nexus Apartments, a red VX Corvette pulled out of the parking garage and turned on to West 1000 Avenue, and the Death's Head Hawkmoth took back to the air, flew high in the sky, and followed the car.
A half hour later...
Kimberly's view...
I drive through Arts Way and pass several galleries and museums as many people stroll the dark sidewalks under the yellow glow of the Cultural Vicinage's streetlights. I know very little about the mysterious woman sitting beside me and yet, I let her into my apartment.
I grip the steering wheel. Irritation is the first word I think of when I look at her, but I can think of a few more. Annoyance... Trouble... Headache... Idiot...
Hades! My life has changed since she appeared. Sometimes... I glance at her again. Sometimes I wish I never met her, and that all I have to worry about is my next Closing.
Katharine's view...
Gloom wraps its arms around me as I stare out the side window, watching the people as they go about their lives. They have a normal life, but do they wish for a different existence? Do they long for something else?
My thoughts change and drift back to earlier when I was at Preacher's funeral. I can't figure out why Stephanie was there. I know it wasn't for Preacher; she didn't even leave the flowers she brought. I recall her manner. She acted like no assassin I have ever run across. Could she be a bio-mecha or maybe an organic-mecha? I don't know. If Stephanie's after me, she should have tried to kill me. It was like she was waiting on something. Maybe I should tell Kimberly about her.
I at least need to tell her about her mom's tombstone, so I softly speak, knowing the difficulty of this subject, "Kimberly."
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