Blood on the Water

by Mark Hildebrandt

  “Yes sir.” Dr. Singh said smiling and nodding his head.

  “Then she is cured?”

  “Of the virus she is.”

  “What kind of an answer is that?” Marcus barked. Obviously, Dr. Singh had neglected to mention some minor, but not insignificant, fact once again.

  “Well sir. The virus is completely gone, but it left a lot of destruction in its wake.”

  “Go on.”

  “Most of her internal organs have been damaged beyond repair.”

  “Okay, I assumed there was organ damage when I noticed all the life support systems. Certainly, you have replacements growing in the organ clone laboratories?”

  Dr. Singh looked down at his feet, and Marcus found his initial excitement was quickly waning. “Well Dr. Singh?”

  “We could easily grow replacements, but I don’t think it will help.”

  “And just why the hell not!”

  “Because the organ with the most damage is the brain. About the only thing left functioning is the brain stem; most of the remainder closely resembles Swiss cheese, and since the clone protocol oath forbids, the cloning and transplanting of entire brains, we appear to be at the end of the road with this patient.”

  Marcus considered Singh’s words. “Dr. Singh, we expected this. We knew the kind of damage to expect in the tertiary phase.” Singh still looking down nodded his head. “Oh, come on Singh, this is good work.” He still didn’t move, so Marcus took Singh by the shoulders, and slowly choose his words, careful to make eye contact when he spoke, “You and your team have done excellent work. I would never have believed you could get this far this quickly. Don’t give up. We will lick this thing. Because I want you to know something, Dr. Singh, the praise of the entire Empire is less than a week away. You have proven you can treat an infected patient with the phage and not harm them.”

  Slowly the grin, Marcus noticed on Dr. Singh’s face when he first saw him, was returning. “Oh yes sir. We have it on the run.”

  “Good, that’s what I want to here. Now what I want you to prefect this titer dosage technique. Test on as many terminal patients as you can, because next week we will be testing a non-terminal patient.”

  ◆◆◆

  It was only nine thirty when Marcus returned to his office. He walked past Aeliana and instructed her hold his calls. He wanted fifteen minutes of quiet to organize his thoughts and plopped down in the chair behind his desk. He stared out the window at Rome, but his wandering thoughts were interrupted by a chirping from is personnel communicator. He almost started to harangue Aeliana for disobeying his orders by allowing a call to go through, but he soon realized it was a personnel call, so without further thought, he completed the connection. He was startled to find the holo-image of Kukulcan standing in the middle of his office. The Mayan was standing arms crossed and smiling. His thick shiny black hair was tied neatly at the back of his neck. “Good morning Dr. Vespus.”

  “Kukulcan.” Marcus said glaring at the image.

  Kukulcan just continued smiling, “You are incredibly lucky, somehow your sister and Dr. Woodman seem to have slipped through my fingers and vanished. One of the things I have come to respect over the years is beginners’ luck.”

  The nerve of this man, Marcus thought, how can any ego grow as big as his? “Look perhaps what you call luck is merely a reflection of your own ineptitude. Did it ever occur to you, that you might not be as good as you think?”

  His words simply increased the size of Kukulcan’s smile. Laughing discreetly, he said, “Oh Marcus you have been a fun adversary. I’m sincerely sorry our game is almost over.”

  When Kukulcan paused, but before he could say another word, Marcus blurted out, “What are you going to do, send your heathen son after me, so he can cut out my heart? What the hell is wrong with you people?” He then watched as the smile faded. It was almost frightening to watch the internal battle Kukulcan seemed to be experiencing at the mention of his son.

  Kukulcan took a deep breath, but the smile did not return, it had been replaced with a truly evil glare, “You have no idea what you are talking about. The Morning Star is a religion, one that is preparing for the return and rule of the Feathered Serpent. Since you don’t know anything about it, I suggest you forget it.

  He paused, and the glare slowly faded. When he once again appeared to have regained his composure, he continued, “Now the reason I called is to tell you our contest is at an end. I must have control of the Ministry of Health and Environment, and I have neither the time nor patients to wait for you. Up until this point, your play has been very one dimensional, so I doubt you will be able to anticipate my next move. You may not be able to anticipate it, but I guarantee you will recognize it; however, it will result in checkmate. Since I never address a defeated opponent, I called just so I could say goodbye.” And without any kind of gesture the image was gone.

  Marcus stared at the blank spot where Kukulcan had stood and was startled when Josephus appeared in the doorway. “Josephus, what brings you up this way?”

  “I understand you just received a call from Kukulcan. Did he threaten your sister, does he think he can get to her?”

  Turning to face Josephus, Marcus slowly said, “No to both questions. But tell me Josephus. How did you know I just took a call from Kukulcan? Have you tapped into my private number? You could, because other than family you are the only one who knows it.”

  “Of course, I don’t have your number tapped.” Josephus said in a conciliatory voice. “I would never dream of intruding on your privacy. Besides if I had, why would I need to ask if Kukulcan just called?” Then he quickly continued, “I have been trying to keep tabs on Kukulcan, and I know he made a call into this building. Since I have been unable to locate a traitor, I had to assume the call was to you. Simple deductive reasoning, that’s all.”

  Marcus considered his words briefly, and quickly accepted the explanation. Josephus had been his security director for many years and he is a good friend. It was just something in the way he said it that didn’t sit right, but the uneasiness he detected soon floated to the back of his mind and stayed there just beyond conscious recognition. “Josephus, he is defiantly up to something, and for whatever reason, he doesn’t seem to be targeting Cassandra and Dr. Woodman any longer. I think I am now the target, but I get the feeling he plans to hit me with a ricochet and not a direct shot.”

  Josephus frowned, “Well that makes picking out the shooter damn difficult doesn’t it?”

  “Not at all Josephus,” Marcus responded. “I know the shooter. What I don’t know is what direction he will be shooting. It will be something that he is clearly convinced will land on me. Our only defense is to look harder at this guy. One thing I did learn from the call, there is something Kukulcan believes is very important regarding his son and this Morning Star sect. We need to find out everything we can about them. I think the answer will be found there.”

  “I’ll get on it.” Josephus said. “I’ll turn every Imperial intelligence resource loose on them.”

  “One other thing. Kukulcan said something else. I also heard about it on the news this morning. They said something about the return of the Feathered Serpent. Everyone seems to know about this but me, even James mentioned it during the call the other day. Find out what the hell it is.”

  Chapter 30

  - That changes everything -

  Cassandra looked around the dark interior of the assault craft and saw only solemn faces. Not a word had been spoken since the door had closed. All nine people sat quietly in the Spartan interior as the ship bounced in the turbulent low altitude winds. She discreetly reached over and took James’s hand and grasped it, thankfully he gave a reassuring squeeze in return. The touch, of someone she had grown to care for, seemed to take the emotional edge off the moment, and the loss of three comrades.

  She had tried to convince Optio, before the ship departed, they should send someone to the base of the cliff and look for survivors. “There are no su
rvivors.” Optio had barked, “Both my combat team telemetry and the biosensors indicate no life.”

  “But Optio they may be malfunctioning. Shouldn’t we at least check?” She persisted.

  “If I had only one instrument, perhaps, but I have two independent systems saying the same thing. Besides Cassandra, you saw the explosion. It created a rather large crater where Team two had been positioned.”

  How very odd, she thought, bolstered by James’s touch, this was the first time she even knew the names of her bodyguards, and now they are gone. Perhaps after this was over, it would be best to once again keep the guards at arm’s length. She slowly looked over at James and saw in the dim interior that he was looking at her. She smiled, and he reciprocated with one of his own. They squeezed hands almost on cue, and she lowered her head to his comfortable shoulder. This man is why the Teams will never again be wallpaper, she thought. He had changed her life and allowed her to experience emotions like never before. This loss was a perfect example, a painful one, but it was an emotion and after all, how could anyone truly experience great joy if they never experienced great sadness? Her life had been so boring. Everything was always the same, always predictable. Things were always fine, but never great and that was because things were never bad. James had opened her eyes. He had expanded her horizons. Take a chance. You may get hurt, on the other hand you may find great pleasure. She felt great pleasure just sitting next to him and holding his hand.

  After a couple of hours travel, the ship began to noticeably decelerate. They had left the mountains early in the afternoon, traveled due east on this slow-moving ship and were now at the coast, landing in the early evening. Cassandra looked out the small window as the ship circled to land. The base appeared to be miles and miles of woodlands nestled along the coast of a large bay. James turned and looked out the window as well. “Where are all the cities and people?” He asked. “You told me this became an Imperial province a thousand years ago. Was it never colonized?”

  “Of course, it was. This province is one of the richest in the Empire. Most of the food is grown here, in the middle of the continent, and that is where the population centers grew. There are a number of large cities along the coast, but the Legion selected this spot because of its remoteness.”

  The craft landed and taxied for several minutes. When the door opened they were inside a large hangar. The tired, dirty and solemn team slowly filed out of the craft behind Optio. They assembled next to the ship and were greeted by the base Legatus flanked by two Centurio and a Tribunus. “Good evening, Dr. Vespus,” he said speaking only to Cassandra. “I hope your ordeal was not too taxing.” He looked at the others briefly, and before Cassandra could even acknowledge his greeting, he continued, “If you will please follow me, I will take you to the lodge.”

  “Wait!” Cassandra said emphatically. “Before we go anywhere I would like you to tell me who informed you, I was on this craft, and what exactly do you know about our ‘ordeal’? Then please explain, how you plan to protect us from other assassination teams?”

  The Legatus abruptly stopped and turned. The expression on his face clearly evinced he was not accustomed to being addressed in the manner Cassandra just had. She, on the other hand, had dressed in her best Vespus façade. The one where she was superior to all life forms, and the Legatus was nothing special. The effect on the Legatus was immediate; he broke into a large endearing smile and in a very conciliatory tone said, “I beg your pardon, Dr. Vespus. I had assumed you would be tired and in need of rest. I have been in contact with Director Josephus. He has made all the arrangements. If you follow me to the transport, I will explain along the way.”

  A large transport was waiting inside the hangar. It was sized to accommodate a trio of decums, thirty men, and had a tinted one-way canopy. The Legatus led the way and took a seat next to Cassandra. “The lodge is the Emperor’s secret retreats. Very few people even know of its existence. I assure you it is perfectly safe. The Imperial family has been using the facility for the last hundred years. And in all that time, no one has even guessed where the Emperor was, let alone gotten within seventy miles of the lodge.” The Legatus was clearly proud, and still smiling as the transport began rumbling from the hangar.

  The seventy-mile trip to the Imperial compound only took a few minutes, in which time the Legatus explained the existing security arrangements, and those requested by Josephus. Cassandra clearly felt much better by the time the vehicle reached the lodge gates.

  The retreat was about ten miles beyond the gates, but once they approached the main building Cassandra marveled at how much it resembled a typical Roman Villa. It was remarkably like her family villa in Rome. This will do nicely, she thought.

  Once unloaded, the Legatus informed Optio and his men the military quarters were in a low building just to the west of main villa, and suggested they collect their gear and settle in. He then began to escort Cassandra and James into the main house. Optio had dispatched his men but would not leave Cassandra and James.

  Inside the main building, Cassandra was even more surprised how similar it was to her family’s house, except for size that is. From her perspective the family villa was a magnificent dwelling, other than the Imperial palace, she had never seen a similar sized house. But this place was amazing, out here in the middle of the forest was a villa every bit as grand as the imperial palace.

  The Legatus paused inside the atrium to introduce them to the master of the house, Claudius. “Claudius will tend to your needs. His integrity is beyond reproach.

  “I’m sure you will find everything you need in the house, even though it is only a hunting lodge, it has been equipped with all the necessary conveniences. Should you wish to leave the compound and explore the surrounding woods, please let Claudius make the arrangements. Now if you will excuse me, I must get back to my office. Should you need me, just summons Claudius, he knows how to reach me day or night. Dr. Vespus,” he said clasping Cassandra’s forearm, “I hope we have the opportunity to meet again before you depart.” When the grasp was broken, he nodded to James; “Dr. Woodman” turned and left.

  “First things first.” Claudius, a bald, pudgy, middle-aged, slightly effeminate man said. “Allow me to take you to your rooms. Please follow me. I made arrangements to put a verity of suitable clothes in the wardrobes. Josephus was good enough to send your sizes. I’m certain you will want to get out of that battle gear.” He said scrunching his nose when he turned back to look at Cassandra and James over his shoulder. “Here we are, this is your room Dr. Vespus and the one across the hall is for Dr. Woodman. There is a proper bath behind the house, but each room has also been equipped with bathing facilities for the convenience of the guest. I have made arrangements for refreshments to be served in an hour, and dinner will be at eight.” He then looked at Optio, who was still following and said, “I apologize I did not expect you would be staying in the main house as well. If you will give me a few minutes I will prepare a room.”

  Optio looked around and shook his head, “No that won’t be necessary, I will rejoin my men. I will be much more comfortable in the barracks. But before I leave, please take this Dr. Vespus,” he said holding out a small device that appeared to be a silver button. “Should you need anything just activate this signal device, and I will come immediately.”

  As Optio turned to leave, Cassandra heard herself say, “Wait! Optio. I would like it if you and the rest of the Decum would join us for dinner.” She then looked at Claudius, whose expression had not changed, and added, “Dinner for nine Claudius.” It was a declarative statement and not a question. Cassandra had no doubt about his role, but she was surprised about her impetuous decision to ask Optio and the rest to dinner.

  She did not wait for Claudius to respond, instead went into her room and closed the door. But before she was halfway across the room in route to the bath, she was startled by a banging at the door. The surprise was immediately replaced with pleasure when she discovered it was James. She leaned forw
ard and gently kissed him, he started to kiss back, but then stopped. “What is it?” She asked, “Have you already lost interest in me?”

  Staring intently into her eyes he said, “Absolutely not. I just thought it might be nice to wash away the last couple of days of grime first.”

  “Well why are you standing here? Go get cleaned up and we can try this again.”

  She pushed him towards his room, but he stopped. “Cassandra, I need your help. Claudius did a damn fine job of stocking the wardrobe, but I have no idea what appropriate attire is. At least in the bush with Optio, it was easy, battle dress. There are so many selections, I don’t know what to pick.”

  Cassandra smiled but suppressed a laugh. James was so confident in the woods, hiking up and down mountains and dodging bullets, but here in this villa, faced once again with the modern Roman life, he was like a fish out of water. “Of course, come on.” She took him by the hand and walked to his room.

  There were a few items laid out on the bed. James pointed to them and asked, “I was wondering if this might be okay?”

  Cassandra looked at the selections and shook her head. “It might be if we were going to the beach, but defiantly not for dinner. These short pants are only for swimming and are never appropriate for dinning.” She said, and then moving to the closet, “These should do.” She pulled out a pair of light-colored linen slacks and multi colored silk tunic. While he was looking at the selection, she kissed him and said. “Now if you don’t mind I would like to bathe and prepare for dinner. I’ll see you on the patio in about an hour.”

  Cassandra reveled in the bath far longer than she should have, but the hot water seemed to melt away more than just the mountain grime. Much of whole ordeal seemed to be slowly washed away as well. This house reminded her of the one she grew up in. It took her back to the simple days of childhood, long before the she was aware of the war between the Senate and Emperor, and how deadly it could be. As she contemplated the war, her resolve was reinforced; no matter what happened, she must keep James out of Kukulcan’s hands. She must honor her promise; she must get James home.