"Yes?" Mr. Morta asked.
"We have received the report from the S.C.M. team we sent into Etna Toys Distribution Station Bravo."
"Good, good," Mr. Morta stated. "What does it say?"
"The S.C.M. guarding the back was Gel-Tasered, but he is fine, and the dozen K-99s guarding the building were destroyed."
"I see."
"Pandora..." Mr. Decuma said. "It must have been Pandora."
"What was it doing at that Etna?" Ms. Nona asked and turned to the supervisor and questioned, "Could the S.C.Ms. tell how far the intruder..."
"It was definitely two," the supervisor interrupted. "The S.C.Ms. were able to download data from a few of the K-99s. There were two intruders and both of them were female. One of them has been confirmed as Pandora."
"Like I said, Pandora was there." Mr. Decuma then asked, "Could the soldiers tell how far they reached?"
"Yes, we know they accessed the cavern through the hand scanners. The S.C.Ms. believe they climbed the first cavern's walls. Data retrieved from the K-99s confirms that they engaged them on the second floor, but only the K-99s activated the elevator."
Mr. Decuma questioned, "What about the rooms up there?"
"Before answering that, I would like to know–" Ms. Nona interrupted. "–do we have an ID on the second woman?"
"Yes, we acquired it by using facial recognition software." The supervisor looked to his H.H.C. "She is Ms. Kimberly Griffin."
"The Chairman's daughter?" Mr. Morta said, surprised. "What is she doing with Pandora?" He rubbed his chin. "Very interesting."
The supervisor turned to the other male member of the Council and stated, "As for Mr. Decuma's question, the door to the filing cabinet room was knocked in and the books in the secret room were searched and thrown to the floor. There's a note on the report." The supervisor paused, retrieving the attachment. "The S.C.Ms. found one single filing cabinet in the secret room, and it was empty."
Ms. Nona asked, "What about Ginn's Cipher that was used to access the caverns? Which one of them possesses it? And once we find out, what are we going to do about it?"
Mr. Morta stated, "Very interesting question. What should we do about it?"
* * *
Zax turned his van down an alley beside Dad's Donuts, activated an automated garage door, and pulled into the Maydag Auto Garage. He turned off the engine, plunging the area into silence; the place was empty. Zax opened the van's squeaky door, shut it, and glanced around the grease monkey pit. "I hate this place at night." He went to the second storage room, unlocked the door with a key, and went in. "It's kinda creepy when you're the only one here." The storage room smelled of dust and gas. Zax went to the back wall and looked up at a light. "Better hurry. R.G. wants to see me right away." He half unscrewed the bulb from the socket and pulled the chain and the back wall flipped around and on the other side, Zax walked along a gray stone passage to a knobless door.
"Identify yourself," a man's voice commanded through an intercom. "Are you man or Un-Man?"
"Funny, real funny." Zax looked up into the lens of the camera. "I'm the Delivery Man. Hurry up and open." He waited a few seconds and added, "R.G. wants to see me."
"Hurry? Hurry you say?" the man replied.
The door slid open, and Zax proceeded in. He quickened his pace, trying to make up for lost time and halfway down a white tiled hall, he came across the glass enclosed security desk. The usual four guard team manned it. There were three men and a woman. One of the men looked up and grinned at him. All four guards were armed with handguns. The man waved Zax up to a bio-detector, and he went and stood in the device as the man scanned him for life signs.
"You ready for this again?" the guard asked. "Today, could be the day."
"Come on, Tom," Zax said. "We go through this every time I come in. Scan me and get it over with. I need to see R.G."
"Testy today. You need to cut down on the coffee," Tom said as he scanned him.
"Funny, real funny."
"All clear, you may proceed." Tom flipped a switch, and the next door clicked open.
Zax entered and hurried down the hall, and the passage ended at a door. He opened it and entered a dark room with a lighted spot in the center and then he went and stood in it. Zax waited a few minutes in silence.
"Thank you for coming, Delivery Man," the mechanically altered voice of R.G. spoke over an intercom. "I wanted to personally talk with you. I need for you to know what I have planned for Kimberly and Katharine."
"I'm listening."
"I mentioned in the past, they would need to be tested. I have tested one of them."
"Which one would that be?" he asked.
"I have tested Kimberly, the Phoenix. I had Voice place a Closing on her at the same time she was to perform a Closing on Ms. Melissa Odin."
Surprised, Zax uttered, "You did what?"
"I needed to test her resolve. Would Kimberly carry out her job even though she was being hunted?" R.G. paused and added, "The test in the end was a failure. The Closing for Ms. Odin was canceled by Valhalla."
"What about Kimberly?" Zax asked. "What about the Closing placed on her?"
"I have canceled it for now," R.G. replied. "It's a shame. I had worked on that particular test since the Phoenix went to Moscow. It was not easy bringing a dead assassin back from the grave to work again, but I did convince Maestro."
"I don't understand. Why would you..."
"Because I must," R.G. interrupted. "We all have a part to play, and mine isn't the least hard. Now... Earlier you reported spotting Cerberus at their apartment."
"Yes."
"Could you tell what she was up to?"
"No," Zax answered.
"I need to know; they aren't ready for this sort of test, but I guess I can't be in charge of every trial. Fate has stepped in or should I say the Fates?" R.G. paused. "Delivery Man, continue the surveillance of the two and remember, do not interfere unless I instruct you to. Is that understood?"
"Yes."
"Well done."
The single light turned off, plunging the room into darkness till the door opened automatically. Zax headed out.
* * *
Hellenistic Sector, Business Vicinage...
Sphinx Corporation Third Branch Office...
Sub-level 120...
Captain Creed monitored the Furies as they set up their base of operations. The S.C.Ms. Ultra-black Squad would be ready for the field within the week and ahead of schedule. He had assembled the elite from every field; they only needed to finish construction of the base. He glanced at his watch. It was almost time for his meeting with the Chairman; he'd head up shortly.
* * *
Sub-level 6...
The Archive...
"This could be it?" Claviger opened a box and glanced through a few of the files.
The other clerks in the Archive paused from their work and watched the older man.
"Yes, I do believe this is it!" Claviger grinned. "I'll take this right up to the Chairman. He shouldn't be too busy at this time of night, and he'll want these right away." He pointed to one of the clerks. "You, help me with this box. I'm going up stairs."
"Yes, sir." The young man grabbed the box and headed for a golf cart.
Claviger turned to the remaining clerks. "The rest of you continue looking. There still maybe another box or two, and besides..." He grabbed his walker and started toward the golf cart. "There are a lot of boxes we need to log."
Chapter Fifty-seven
Change Of The Guard
11:52 P.M...
Nile Sector, Commorance Vicinage...
Melissa stood with Bonnie in her arms, staring down the street at her smoldering safe house. Fire crews finished putting out the blaze and behind her down the road and sitting in an ambulance, Johnson received medical care. Chad stood in between two gurneys by another ambulance, and the boy stared at two body bags as tears streamed
down his dirty face. Three new bodyguards two males and a female had arrived about twenty minutes ago. The two males stood close to Melissa while the female talked with Johnson. The female bodyguard nodded as she took notes from him. She finished and motioned for the boy to join her as she walked over to Melissa, and Chad looked one more time at the black rectangular bags; they were like a bath in a bag, but death in a bag. He turned from Andrews and Daniels, wiped his eyes, and joined the female bodyguard.
"Ms. Odin."
Melissa turned to her and said, "Yes."
"I'm Casper. I'll be heading up your new security." She looked to her H.H.C. "The bodies of the Closers were never discovered, so they did escape. Your case has been settled in court so the Closing has been canceled officially. The three of us will stay with you for the next few days, and I'll stay on after that as your personal bodyguard." Casper glanced at the smoldering safe house. "We'll get a room at the Bes Hotel across the street and stay there till we feel it's safe to return to your residence."
Melissa nodded. "Let's go there now. The children need to sleep."
An hour later...
The Bes Hotel...
Casper stood at a large window, looking out over Noir from the twentieth floor. She pulled the curtains closed and moved to the couch. The suite was large; there was room enough for the family and the three bodyguards.
Melissa went off to her own room after putting the children to bed and lay down on the large mattress. She couldn't believe the whole mess was over the formula Sunna Snaps she created for the Valhalla Corporation. She developed a completely different formula for Isis, and as the courts decided, it had no similarities with Sunna Snaps. She rolled on her side; she had found out her brother's death was because of the drug. She also learned a man named Topa employed by the Valhalla Corporation hired an Illicit Closer to kill him. He had him killed because Norman tried to stop the sale of Sunna Snaps on Wayfaring Lane. Tears ran down her face. It was the reason she couldn't bear to take her brother's Bible that Kat offered her. She felt guilty because she was the one who created Sunna Snaps, and now her brother was dead because of them.
Chapter Fifty-eight
Prelude to Book Three:
Cerberus Versus Pandora
11:55 P.M...
Hellenistic Sector, Cultural Vicinage...
Genesis Arboretum...
On the first level of the treehouse...
"Cerberus, why are you here?" Adam asked angrily. "Why have you come to my house?"
Stephanie answered, "I've been sent on a mission." She wore a different smiley face t-shirt; it had Xs for eyes, and its tongue hung out like a dead dog's.
"By whom?" he questioned.
"By the Council of course. Now..." Stephanie hit her fist into her own palm, and it smacked loudly. "Like I said, I need to complete my mission."
At hearing the dreaded name of the Council, Kat realized Stephanie wasn't a friend.
He questioned, "Why would the Council send you here? Why would they send you here after all these years?" Adam eyed Stephanie suspiciously and then questioned her, "Are you here to kill me?"
Katharine's view...
Stephanie laughs in a way that doesn't answer his question, and I consider if I'm wrong. Crap! She's after Mr. Greenhouse and not me!
I won't let her hurt him, not this gentle old man. I stand, looking for my backpack. I left my gun in it. The pack sets next to the stairs on the other side of her.
End Katharine's view...
Stephanie approached the table, and Adam stood and prepared to defend himself against her, so Stephanie laughed, rolling her eyes. "Mr. Greenhouse, I'm not here to kill you." She folded her arms, a little offended. "How could you say such a thing?" She motioned to Kat with her head. "I've been sent to terminate Pandora."
"Me?" Kat uttered.
"By all the sciences!" Adam exclaimed, "She's Pandora!"
Katharine's view...
I face Adam. He knew my name, and I'm not one of his organic-mechas, so...
My mind races, filling with possible answers. Does he have something to do with my project? Does he know my true identity?
End Katharine's view...
He glared at Kat as he said, "She can't be that foul project! No! Pandora was supposed to be iced!"
"I don't know about the iced part, but–" Stephanie glanced at the folder on the table and answered him, "–she's the one and only Pandora Project." She giggled like a school girl. "You mean you didn't know." She emphasized the next two words, "You... are... getting old, Mr. Greenhouse. How could you not recognize her?"
His demeanor darkened as he yelled, "You're Pandora!" He took a step toward Kat as his nostrils flared. "You dare enter my domain!" His eyes turned wild with rage. "My home!"
Confused and frightened, Kat took a step back. "I don't understand. Why are you so angry? You're the one who invited me here."
Adam gripped the cane and admitted, "I thought I knew your name when you came with the other sapling!" He took another step toward her.
Hopeful, Kat's eyes brightened and her fear vanished. "My name?" Her heart raced with apprehension. "Do you know my real name?"
He glanced at Stephanie then glared at Kat and raged, "I don't understand why the sapling tolerates you? Why does anyone tolerate you?"
Katharine's view...
I no longer see the grandfather figure I saw earlier. All I see is this angry man who's standing before me now.
I tell him, "Adam, you're scaring me." I look to Stephanie who holds her position, and Stephanie looks amused. I turn back to him and say, "Please tell me what's wrong? What has made you so angry?"
End Katharine's view...
With great animosity, he pointed the cane at Kat, and its silver tip glinted in the sunlight as if it were a sword and she was a dragon he would slay. "I should have remembered your name vile creature! Why didn't I? I have forgotten many things. Some because I wished it and others because of my diminished faculties, but I should have never forgotten you! And now this abomination stands before me! I should have never let you live this long! I should have destroyed you long ago!!"
Kat felt betrayed and heart broken. "What do you mean? Why would you say such things? Such hurtful things? What do you know?" she questioned.
Katharine's view...
Look how mad he is. I must have done something horrible to this gentle man to make him despise me. Look at the hatred in his eyes... it's like...
A resounding fear creeps up from the depths of my soul, and it's a fear that paralyzes my spirit and strangles my hope. It's like he knows who I am, and it sickens him. No, that isn't it. I search his hate-filled gaze as my next thought terrifies me. It's like he knows not who, but what I am.
End Katharine's view...
"Yes, I should have destroyed you!" Adam ignored her questions and charged faster than a man his age should have been capable of. He dropped his cane as his feet thundered across the wooden floor. Kat retreated a few steps backwards and out onto the balcony, but wasn't quick enough to escape his wrath. He yelled, "I must rip you out by your roots!" He seized her by the throat and bellowed, "You're a weed! A weed!"
Still holding the music box with her left, Kat grabbed his arm with her other hand.
Stephanie shouted, "Hey! I'm supposed to kill Pandora! She's my quarry! So lay off!!"
Adam ignored Stephanie as he yelled at Kat, "How dare you come to me. You're a vile wretched creature! You're a weed!" He squeezed, choking her as Kat dropped the music box and used both hands to try to pry his death grip from her neck.
Stephanie folded her arms and pouted like a child. "The Council sent me to kill her. I'm supposed to kill her." Throwing a tantrum, she kicked at the air. "Me... I want to kill Pandora."
Adam didn't hear Stephanie in the thralls of his rage and squeezed harder.
Kat had no luck prying his hands away. He was also stronger than he look
ed. She pulled her knees up to her chest and kicked with her feet. It did her no good and only made him even madder. He lifted her up and slammed her onto the balcony's railing, and the loose piece gave and fell to the ground. Her back hurt where he had slammed her, but she ignored the pain as she fought to survive. Kat started to lose consciousness.
Adam dangled her over the edge as he shouted at her, "Now the weed must die!" He dropped her.
Halfway down, Kat managed to grab a small root. It stopped her fall, but broke under her weight, and she fell, landing in the Koi pond. Water splashed up.
Stephanie looked over the balcony. "This isn't turning out how I imagined." She sulked. "Mr. Greenhouse ruined everything."
Below him, Kat's body surfaced face down as he glared at the pond then turned and headed for the stairs. It wasn't enough. He couldn't let this go, not again.
Stephanie followed behind him as she questioned, "Did you kill her?"
"No, but I will make sure of it this time."
"This isn't fair." She stomped her foot. "I came all the way here to kill her and you won't let me. Why are you doing this? I want to kill Pandora!"
"Let you?" He turned to Stephanie. "If you want to kill the weed, have at it. Be quick about it! Or I'll be the one to finish it!"
Less than a minute later...
Kat sucked in water and woke herself up, and she lifted her head and coughed. Dazed, she dragged herself out of the water to a patch of land not covered by lemon grass as she continued to cough and choke and after a few more minutes, she cleared her lungs. She crawled further up the bank. Kat panted unable to catch her breath, rubbed her throat, saw a shoe by her hand, and peered up; Stephanie stood before her.
"You..." Kat managed to say. "You were after me all along."
Stephanie ignored her statement, too upset with her. "Look what you did. You made Mr. Greenhouse go all lunatic on you, and now you're weakened. I was so hoping to fight you at your best, but no... You had to be all stupid and come to Mr. Greenhouse's home. I don't think you're even at fifty-five percent fighting capacity." She kicked Kat in the face, knocking her unconscious again, and the force of the kick sent Kat backwards into the water. Stephanie put her hand to her hip. "I guess we don't always get what we want."