Confused by Shadows

by Geonn Cannon

  A woman in the doorway said, "How about Artemis?"

  Lance tensed. She had only heard the voice a few times, from a distance, but she knew without a doubt who it was. She turned to face the new arrival.

  "Goddess of the hunt. Goddess of wild things. Patron goddess of the Amazons." Tania St. John stepped into the office, followed by her sister. She smiled coldly and said, "Hi, Carmen. How's my ex-girlfriend doing?"

  #

  Chapter Seventeen

  "You look surprised," Tania said. She walked past Lance and took a seat in front of the desk. "Didn't Calico mention that I was part of the group?"

  "No," Lance said. "She left that part out." So much for no more secrets.

  Rebecca said, "Did they explain the code names?"

  "Carmen is Artemis," Nemesis proudly reported. She nodded, satisfied that the mystery was solved. She winked one large eye and smiled. "Hestia is right. It does fit you. Very well, in fact. Artemis."

  "Hestia." She looked at Tania. "Goddess of home and hearth? Kind of a stretch, don't you think?"

  Tania's cold smile faded. "You don't know me. Don't pretend you do."

  Lance scoffed at Tania's hypocrisy. "Where are Hatcher and Gerard?"

  "Right here." Lance turned at the sound of Hatcher's voice and watched the two enter the room. Gerard's hair was pulled back in a ponytail, her cream colored suit tailored to her statuesque form. Lance had no doubts why this woman bore the name Aphrodite. And one look at Hatcher's cold, judgmental blue eyes explained his pseudonym. Hatcher stopped in front of Lance and stared at her. Their every interaction had been cold, with him barely regarding her as worthy of his time. But now he seemed very intent on reading her thoughts, her body language.

  Hatcher's voice was dry and flat. "You're doing this to protect your friend?"

  "I am."

  "Then I have no problems with you." He extended his hand, and Lance took it. He squeezed once, firm but not trying to prove anything, and let her go. He turned to Rebecca and said, "We should assign her a name."

  "Hestia took care of it," Nemesis said. Her hands were clasped behind her back and she was rocking her hips from side to side. "Artemis."

  Hatcher nodded. "Excellent. We might as well go over the rules. No real names outside of this room. Rebecca, I would like to go over the plan again. I'd like to know what Artemis thinks. It'll be nice to have fresh eyes on the plan."

  Rebecca took a seat and crossed one leg over the other. "Very well. The target is Hyperion Bank and Trust, as you know. Tania is a security guard there. She's going to make sure that the metal detectors are disabled and the back door is open. You're going in on a Friday morning, when the drawers are full in anticipation of payday. We'll be wearing masks, rolled up over our foreheads, covered by baseball caps. The security cameras are high, so they won't catch your face if you move correctly."

  "That seems stupid," Lance said. "Why would they put the cameras too high to see faces?"

  "They want to see hands, and they want to watch what people are doing. You've seen all those signs when you walk into a bank telling you to please take off your hat and sunglasses? That's why."

  Hatcher handed Lance his BlackBerry. A .JPG of a bank's floor plan filled the screen, and color-coded baubles marked members of the entrance team. "You'll all be wearing different colored ties. Nemesis, can she still wear pink?"

  Nemesis didn't even consider the question. "No. Green."

  Rebecca shook her head and gave Lance a 'you got me' shrug. "Okay. You'll go in one at a time. Ares will approach the front counters, but he won't be making a transaction. Fill out deposit slips, balance your checkbook, whatever you have to do to make sure you're near the front of the line, but not actually speaking to a teller. Keep your head down.

  "Dite and Nemesis, the two of you will approach the New Accounts Offices on the west side of the building. There are a row of chairs. You'll wait there. If anyone asks if you've already been helped, say yes. Minimize contact. Morpheus, you'll be behind the bank near the back door. Nemesis will let you in after the fun starts.

  "Artemis. There's a flight of stairs leading up to the second level. There are offices there, but only the bank manager should be at work when we go in. The clock starts when Artemis gets to the top of the stairs. Zeus, you will enter the bank and announce the robbery. Artemis, when the bank manager leaves her office to see what's going on, you bring her down to the floor with the rest of the hostages.

  "Ares and Dite, the cash drawers at the counter are yours. Nemesis and Artemis will keep an eye on the hostages, Morpheus take care of the vault."

  Lance handed Hatcher his BlackBerry. "What will Zeus be doing during all of this?"

  "In the safe deposit room," Hatcher said.

  "That's a bad play, unless you have the keys," Lance said. "It takes too long to drill."

  "We have it covered," Hatcher said.

  Lance shrugged. "All right. I'm the newbie."

  "We'll have a car for you by the day."

  "Actually, I'd rather use my Mustang." Rebecca waited for her to explain. "I've been on the road with that car for years now. I know how it'll react and I know how hard I can push it. If we get into a situation where we have to run, I want to have faith that it'll do what I want when I want. As a bonus for you, even if the cops identify it they'll connect it to me and that'll throw them off your scent."

  "Why does that matter?"

  "Trust me. It'll make a difference."

  "Fine. Artemis uses her own vehicle. Moving on," Rebecca said. "Zeus calls the time. When he says you go, you go. Stop loading even if you only have one bag full. You leave the bank and all the hostages, you get into one of the two cars we'll have waiting. The women will go with Artemis in the Mustang, the boys come with me in the SUV. The money will be in the Mustang. Artemis and the girls get the hell out of Dodge, the rest of us fall back to the restaurant. Artemis, we'll go over the escape routes tonight."

  "Why wait?" Ares said. "I don't know about everyone else, but I'm not sure how I feel about this last minute replacement. We all seen Demeter race. We knew what to expect from her. You? What? You played bumper cars at the state fair? We don't know you. We haven't seen your work. So forgive me if I'm a little apprehensive until we got a reason to trust you."

  Lance shrugged. "Why don't we settle that right now?"

  #

  The Mustang tires squealed as Lance took it around a sharp corner. A sign announcing a new restaurant appeared on the left and quickly disappeared as she stood on the gas. Dust blown by the wind washed over the hood, obscuring her view as she came to an intersection. She pumped the brake, turned the wheel and fishtailed as she took the corner.

  She risked a glance in the rearview and saw Rebecca's SUV rounding the corner a few seconds later. Lance whispered, "Come on, baby. Just a little more juice. Show 'em what you've got."

  She was on the fourth lap, leading Rebecca and Hatcher on a merry chase around the undeveloped streets around Sinjin's. She was so focused on finishing this lap and proving herself worthy that she almost didn't register the Camaro that was fast approaching from the left. The sleek front of the white sports car weaved toward her and Lance had to swerve out of the way or risk getting spun. The Camaro moved behind her and then raced forward, riding her ass.

  Lance knew the restaurant was coming up on the right, so she had to get rid of him. She didn't want to risk wrecking the car, not on a trial run, so she eased to the right, spun the wheel, and spun the car around so it was facing the opposite direction. She hit the brakes and ended up sitting in the middle of the road, plumes of dirt rising up past all the windows as if the car were on fire.

  The Camaro sped by on her left, and she revved the engine. She slammed on the gas and rocketed forward, aimed for the center of the car's front bumper. The car's horn blared, and the driver swerved to avoid the head-on collision. Lance spun her car again, tires howling in protest, and aimed the car over the grass partition between the road and Sinjin's parking lo
t. The Mustang rode every rise and fall, bucking her like a bronco until the tires once again found smooth asphalt of the parking lot.

  The Mustang howled to a stop at the front door, the car rocking on its tires when it finally came to rest. Ares, Nemesis, Aphrodite and Morpheus stood at the door, having watched the chase from a safe distance. Lance stepped out of the car, practically buzzing from adrenaline, and turned to watch the Camaro come in off the road like a pair of little old ladies out for a Sunday drive.

  The Camaro door flew open and Tania jumped out. Rebecca got out of the passenger side door and joined Tania as she charged across the parking lot. Rebecca's eyes were aflame as she shouted, "What the fuck was that?"

  "Getting away," Lance said calmly. "Wasn't that the point?"

  "Demeter would never have pulled that shit," Tania said.

  "No," Hatcher said, calmly walking up behind the two women. "She most certainly would not have done anything like that." He looked at Rebecca and waited for his meaning to sink in.

  Rebecca nodded slowly. "You're right. She wouldn't even have thought of it." She looked at Lance and said, "Looks like you're in. Welcome to the group."

  Lance looked at the gathered faces and saw varying reactions to the news. On Tania's face, anger and frustration. Nemesis appeared pleased, but Lance figured she was pleased by much of what she witnessed. The others were nearly impossible to read, except for Hatcher. He looked absolutely blank. If she didn't know better, she'd have said he didn't care one way or another how the bank robbery went.

  #

  Jodie seemed surprised when she came into the lit apartment to the smell of cooking food. "Hello," she said. "Claire, are you cooking something?"

  "Yeah. I thought I would—" Lance came out of the kitchen and Jodie laughed out loud. Lance looked down at her red and white checkered apron. "What?"

  "Nothing," Jodie said. She cupped Lance's face and kissed her. "Hi, honey, I'm home. I take it dinner is on the stove?"

  "There's food," Lance said. "I hesitate to call it dinner at this point."

  "Still, I have to admit," Jodie said, hooking her fingers around the straps of the apron, "I kind of like the idea of having someone here, waiting for me to get home. Dinner on the table. I feel like I should have a suitcase and a trench coat draped over my arm."

  Lance smiled. "Well, sit down, put your feet up. Smoke a cigar, read the paper. Pretend it's the fifties."

  "The fifties, huh?" Jodie said. She thought about it and said, "Okay, first thing I have to do is go kill myself for being a lesbian."

  Lance smiled. "The seventies then."

  "Bra burning, women's lib. Yeah. I can do the seventies." They kissed again and Jodie said, "What's for supper?"

  "Macaroni and cheese with little pieces of hot dog sliced up in it."

  Jodie gasped. "I had no idea I was dating a chef."

  Lance smiled. "What we were talking about earlier. About this whole thing having an expiration date. It got me thinking that I want to spend as much time with you as possible while I still can. That means dinners at home, when one of us can be convinced to cook. Eating on the couch rather than some restaurant. Having each other for dessert." She bent down and nibbled Jodie's earlobe, and Jodie made the quiet cough, chuckle sound Lance now knew so well. Lance pulled back and said, "I need to check on my mac and cheese."

  "Okay. I'm going to wash up."

  They separated and Lance returned to the kitchen. She didn't want to bring up Tania and the fact Jodie conveniently forgot to bring her up, not when they were both in such a good mood. They had spent too much of the past few days arguing and Lance was determined not to keep up the trend. When the food finished cooking, she transferred the pot to a cool burner, served up two bowls, and got some milk out of the fridge to pour them each a glass.

  Jodie returned from the bathroom as if on cue. She wore a pair of shorts and a white T-shirt, her hair up and feet bare.

  "Let's go."

  Lance looked at her. "You're not exactly dressed for any restaurants I know. Besides, I went to all the trouble of cooking—"

  "No, I mean let's go. Pack our things, a couple changes of clothes, and let's get out of here. Out of Shepherd and Washington. Let's forget everything and just drive. We'll be the only two people in the world again. Out on the road, driving. You and me. That's all that matters, right? Just forget the damned bank and Rebecca and... and..." Her voice trailed off until she was just making sounds.

  Jodie had gotten more frantic the longer she spoke, and Lance had grown very still. Finally, Lance walked to her and put her hands on Jodie's shoulders. "Rebecca would just let you walk away?"

  "I don't know." She looked away, proving she was lying. She knew exactly how Rebecca would react.

  "I do. You can't walk away from what you owe Rebecca, and I don't think she would let you go. If she was willing, Hatcher wouldn't be. She'd chase us. And then..." She kissed Jodie's eyebrow. "You'd be as trapped as I am. Always running. Always looking over your shoulder. Never able to stop even when you want it with all your being." Jodie grabbed Lance around the waist. Her tears were wet on the front of Lance's shirt. "If I have to run again, at least I'll know that you're here. You're safe. Let me do this for you, so you don't have to."

  She remembered saying the same thing to Andrea Taylor in Road Ends. She'd been willing to kill so Andy wouldn't have to sacrifice the life she'd worked so hard to build. Robbing a bank was small potatoes compared to that. Especially when she was doing it for someone she truly loved.

  After Jodie stopped crying, Lance kissed the top of her head. "Are you all right?"

  "No. But I will be." She swept both hands over her cheeks. "I had to let you know you could walk away. You don't have to do this for me. I'd be willing to run."

  "But I'm not willing to let you run. Let's just enjoy the time we have... okay?"

  Jodie nodded. They carried their food into the living room and Jodie made a show of looking chipper.

  "For once," Jodie said as she sat her food down, "we're going to watch TV while we eat." She went to the entertainment center, opened the glass front, and crouched down to look at the row of VHS tapes lining the bottom shelf. She picked one up and pushed it into the VCR player.

  "What are we watching?" Lance asked as Jodie joined her on the couch. "Does anyone 'Do Dallas' in this?"

  "Alas, no," Jodie said. She fumbled with the remote and leaned close to Lance. "I do have some of those in the bedroom, if you want to watch one later." She rubbed her arm against Lance's and hit play. "This is an educational film. The year, 2008. The day, April 20. The place, Twin Ring Motegi in Motegi, Japan." Television footage of an IndyCar race appeared on the screen. Jodie changed her voice to mimic a race announcer. "And now, driving the blue and black Motorola car, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the track...Ms. Danica Patrick."

  Lance laughed and settled in to watch the race.

  #

  Jodie fell asleep before the race was over.

  Lance guided Jodie's head to her lap and stroked her hair, determined to watch the race to the end. Their empty bowls and glasses sat on the coffee table, and Lance kept finding herself distracted by the intricacies of Jodie's hair. She threaded it through her fingers, brushed it with the back of her hand, watched how it fell over her ear and across her cheek. When the race ended and Danica Patrick was interviewed, Lance said, "Hey. Calico."

  Jodie's eyes fluttered open. "Hm?"

  "Danica won."

  "Yay," Jodie muttered. She smiled, stretched, and rolled onto her back so she could look up at Lance. "It was her first win. Before that, people thought she was just another pretty face. Thought it was unfair for a woman to race in the same league as the boys because of the weight issue. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't even let myself dream of joining NASCAR."

  "In that case, I would be thrilled to have a threesome with her. For you."

  Jodie smiled. "You're so sweet."

  "I try." She put her hand on Jodie's stomach and
said, "I want to kiss you, but I don't think I can bend down that far."

  "Then allow me," Jodie said. She reached up with both hands, linked her fingers behind Lance's neck, and pulled herself up. They met in the middle and kissed passionately, Jodie twisting her body so she could move onto Lance's lap. Lance slid her hands up Jodie's thighs, into the baggy legs of her shorts, until she felt the cotton of Jodie's underwear. Jodie broke the kiss and pressed her forehead to Lance's. "I'm going to make love to you every single night I can. In the morning, you're going to wake up with my fingers inside of you. I'm going to make you so sick of me by the time you have to leave." A tear slid down her cheek and Lance kissed it before it could reach her chin.

  "Never, Jodie," Lance swore. "But you have my blessing if you want to give it a shot."

  Jodie laughed and another tear slid free.

  #

  They ended up in bed, Lance tangled in Jodie's sheets with Jodie draped across her lower body. They were both sweating, Jodie's heart still pounding. She turned her head and kissed Lance's stomach, then slid up to look into her eyes. "One night down," she said. Lance smiled and embraced Jodie, rolled her onto the mattress, and slipped one leg between Jodie's. "Oh," Jodie said. "I've noticed you like to be on top."

  Lance grinned and rocked her hips forward. Jodie's eyes closed and she ran her hands down Lance's arms. She held on tight as Lance thrust against her, digging her fingernails in hard enough to leave marks. She arched her back and bared her throat, and Lance let her eyes linger. She followed the line of Jodie's throat to her cleavage, where her breasts fell to either side. Her brown nipples, standing erect and eager, down to the smooth curve of her belly.

  Jodie's cell phone chirped on the bedside table, but she didn't even turn her head. She opened her eyes, completely focused on Lance. The green in her eyes seemed to glow, and Lance couldn't help herself. She sighed, "Jodie. Jodie."

  "Claire," Jodie answered.

  Lance bent down and kissed Jodie's throat, running her tongue down to the dip between her collarbones. Jodie's fingernails turned into claws and cut into the flesh of Lance's upper arms. Only one bead of blood appeared, but Jodie's eyes opened. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."