“Topa’s Closing is complete then,” Voice typed. “The payment will be placed into your account. Did you run into any trouble?”
Kim started to type no, but backspaced and responded, “About a dozen robot like men showed up and killed everyone in sight.”
“Must be some sort of bio-mecha, perhaps the next generation of assassins,” Voice typed. “Most likely someone there was their target, but was it Topa? We’ll probably never know, at least you got out.”
Kim raked her hand through her hair, knowing the grave mistake she had made, and she moved her hands toward the keyboard to write, and they shook with dread. Kim forced herself to type, “Someone saw my face.” She hit the send button and stared at the screen, and two grueling minutes passed with no reply. “What should I do?” She hit the send button again, hoping for a reply and praying for some guidance and solace.
“Find them and kill them; you know it is very dangerous, Phoenix. Even I don’t know who you are or what you look like. If your identity gets out, you will become the target, and then the Assassins Guild will be forced to deal with you.” The statement ended and another followed. “But before that happens, you know I will step in, and you don’t want me to rectify the problem. You know my means.”
She did know; there was no reprimand for a Closer. Kim grabbed the sides of her desk and gripped them tightly. She knew with Voice and the Assassins Guild there was only one way to deal with a Closer who had lost their anonymity, and it was the sanction of their own Life Closing.
“Don’t contact me again until this matter is taken care of. Voice signing off.”
Rolling her chair away from the desk, Kim glanced at the dark afternoon through the bedroom’s window. She had to find that woman, but she didn't know that woman's name. She only knew that woman was there to kill Topa because he hired an Illicit Closer to murder someone named Preacher. Kim didn't even know what he was a preacher of.
“Hades...” she uttered. “This is going to be impossible.”
* * *
Two days later...
October 15...
Friday...
6:49 A.M...
Katharine's view...
Hundreds of street lights light up twilight as a horde of bats fly across the ever dark horizon. The sidewalk goes on forever in both directions as I make my way across West 1000 Avenue and pause, looking at the tall Nexus Apartments. So this building is the Phoenix's nest. I walked all night and morning to reach this part of the Hellenistic Sector, and my shoes feel heavy, and my feet are sore. I adjust the strap of the backpack that crosses my chest as I study the sensors on an eight foot concrete wall lining the building’s perimeter. They consist of a black sphere the size of a volley ball and are spaced about ten feet apart along the top of the wall. I follow the sidewalk to a gate. On the gate's metal bars is a gold shield; it's the Sphinx Corporation Emblem. I run my hand over the shield and over a winged creature in its center with a woman’s head and a lion’s body. The creature’s right paw is lifted, and its claws are extended. The emblem seems to plague every place I go. I know the Council and the Factory are departments within the corporation, but what does Sphinx want with me? It's another mystery among hundreds. I study the perimeter and let my mind drift to other questions. Do these sensors provide more than security for the building? I put my hand up toward a black sphere and feel and hear a hum coming from the device. Do they act as a barrier?
End Katharine's view...
A white van pulled up, a man got out, and walked up beside her. He was dressed in a white uniform and said, “Excuse me.”
Kat moved out of his way.
The man tipped a white cap. “Thanks.” He pressed the button to an intercom positioned beside the gate and released it.
“Welcome to Nexus Apartments,” a man's voice said over the intercom. “I’m the manager. How may I help you?”
The delivery man pressed the button again and spoke, “Delivery for Kimberly Griffin. Security Code 10 Alpha.”
After a few seconds, the manager replied, “Code verified. Proceed to the gate that faces Knot Street, and I'll let you in.”
The delivery man went back to his van, started up the engine, turned down Knot Street, and parked, and Kat followed the sidewalk around the corner, walked by the vehicle’s passenger seat, and noticed it was empty. The delivery man got out, strolled to the back of the van as he whistled, and started on a crate.
She watched as the man struggled to load a rectangular box on a flat cart. “Where’s your partner?”
“What?” He paused, wiping his brow with the back of his hand.
She leaned on the back of the van. “Usually at least two men do this kind of job, so where's your partner?”
The delivery man pointed his thumb over his shoulder. “He’s out sick.”
“Would you like some help?” She motioned to the apartments. “I was on my way up.”
He looked her over. “I’m not supposed to cause of business policy, but...” He grinned. “You aren’t some murdering psycho are you?”
“No. Definitely not.”
“Well then...” He placed the wooden crate on the cart. “If you could push from behind; it weighs a ton.”
Kat went to the back of the cart and pushed on the crate. The apartment manager and a security guard met them at the gate.
The old white haired manager looked over his H.H.C. “Kimberly Griffin isn’t home right now, so I’ll show you in.” He examined the delivery man’s employee badge and typed the ID number on the Hand Held Computer. “Follow me please.”
The delivery man pulled the cart as Kat pushed, and they moved to the glass front doors where another security guard buzzed them in. The manager led them to a service elevator, and they along with the guard went up to the thirty-first floor. Security cameras monitored the hallways.
The manager stopped in front of Kim’s apartment and commanded, “Apartment H, unlock. Manager code 12 Beta.”
“Voice recognized as Nexus’ Manager,” the Apartment Computer System stated. “Opening door.”
“Wow,” the delivery man exclaimed. “Automated apartments. I bet you can tell the lights to come on.”
The manager said, “Our apartments are equipped with voice commands and manual utilities, giving our tenants the best in security and luxury.”
“I’ll have to look into getting one of these places,” the delivery man said.
He pulled the cart down a small entryway as Kat pushed and once they were in the living room, the delivery man started uncrating a cedar chest, so she went and looked around. The lady's huge apartment covered more than three thousand square feet. The entryway emptied into an open kitchen with four barstools at the counter, a large living room was off to the left, and beyond it down a hall were two bedrooms and two baths; off to the right of the entryway, a small round table sat next to a window.
Kat thought it was odd that the table was so small, considering it was the only one in the apartment. She asked the delivery man, “Do you need anymore help?”
“No, I got it from here. Thanks.”
Katharine's view...
I leave, note the apartment's H, head for the regular elevator, go up to the roof, and wait. I watch what little traffic travels West 1000 Avenue as I grip the icy metal railing that surrounds the top. Finally, I'll have some answers once I meet with the lady who owns the business card. A cool breeze sweeps in, chilling the air and my thoughts, so I zip up my athletic jacket, but it does little to stay off the cold. Will I like what I hear? I clench the jacket over my heart with my right fist as if I'm in pain. Will knowing be worse than this unbearable ignorance I've endured this past year? My lips tremble for the chill and my fears.
End Katharine's view...
Back in Apartment H...
The delivery man finished his work and set the cedar chest against the wall in the living room out of the way. He placed the crate pieces back
on his cart, had the manager sign for the package, and headed back to his van and once inside the vehicle, he made a cell phone call.
“I would like to speak with R.G.” He waited for a moment. “Hello, Delivery Man here. Yes, my work is finished and as per your instructions, I permitted Katharine to enter with me into the Nexus Apartments. She's still there.” He paused for a moment, listening. “Yes, so far security doesn’t know she is still on the premises. Do you want me to monitor the situation?” He started up the engine. “Understood. Returning to base.”
He drove the van, heading away.
Chapter Thirteen
Confrontation
7:22 A.M...
On the roof...
Katharine's view...
I lean on the metal railing and continue staring at the road below and at times of quiet stillness, I feel the barriercumulus and its presence is like an evil eidolon. If this is true, who does this phantom look-alike belong to?
The Dry Clouds softly roll and unsettle me, and it has done so ever since I first laid eyes on it, but there's also something else about the Dry Clouds; it's a hint of familiarity. I can't explain it, but today the foreboding's stronger than the familiarity. Is it because they're unnatural? Does everyone feel this way around it or is it just me? I watch them go by and look for shapes within the clouds and see an old sailing ship being chased by a sea serpent. The Dry Clouds have been around for thirty-two years and have been given the name the Great Specter of Noir. People also say that it's a mystery. I chuckle. In a way, we're the same.
An hour goes by, and I notice the Corvette pull into the parking garage. I jump up and down like a little girl who has just got the pony she wished for. I want to run back down and meet her and ask her all my questions, but I contain my excitement and wait a few more minutes, giving the lady enough time to arrive at her apartment. I don't want to come at her like some crazy person, so I'll have to keep my cool.
A few minutes later...
Kimberly's view...
I hear a ding and the whoosh of the elevator opening and then someone approaches me as I put my mail in my dark green purse that matches my pant suit. I stand outside of my apartment and realize how odd it is that I have never seen any of the other tenants the whole time I've lived there. I need to at least get a glimpse of one of my neighbors, so I turn. My Closer training kicks in a second before I have a chance to panic as I spot that woman I've been hunting. For two days, I scoured Noir and turned the city on its head, but I couldn’t find anything on this mysterious woman, not even her name. I drop some of my mail as I open my purse to grab my PPK and remember the floor’s security cameras. I can't kill her out here, not unless she threatens me, so I wait on that woman's next move.
Katharine's view...
Elated and full of expectations, I stop about two yards from the lady. Finally after a year of knowing nothing, I'll have some answers; I question, “Are you Kimberly Griffin?”
Kimberly's view...
“What?” I ask, keeping my poise.
Where's that woman's gun? Is she here to kill me? Does that woman know I've been hunting her?
Katharine's view...
The lady looks confused, so I repeat, “Is your name Kimberly Griffin?”
Kimberly's view...
“Yes,” I reply as I step back and size up that woman. How did she know my name? I examine her face and she looks happy to see me like we're best friends and haven't seen each other in years. Is it an act? Is that woman also waiting to strike when there are no witnesses?
She says to me, “I had a contact in the Noir Civil Police Force look up your address from your license plate. It cost me two months worth of water rations.” She starts to ask me something and looks over her shoulder at the cameras. She removes two business cards, shows me the blood speckled one, and then questions me, “Is this you?”
I grip the gun in my purse sure that woman reaches for a weapon, but I'm surprised to see the business cards. What's that woman doing? What kind of game is she playing? A million things go through my mind. That woman tracked me down and came all the way to my apartment. Is she hoping to blackmail me? Only an idiot would think they could blackmail a Closer, so why is she here?
I scan the hall to see if anyone else is on the floor and ask, “What do you mean, is that me?”
Katharine's view...
“I’ve been looking for...” I start to answer then decide I shouldn’t say the Phoenix out loud. Someone could be listening, and the lady might not want anyone else to know, so I continue, “I’ve been looking for this... Umm...” I flip the card over, look at the picture, and turn it back to her. “This firebird. Is this you? If so, I would like to talk.”
Kimberly's view...
I can't let her leave, and I can't kill her out here. I glance at the hall’s cameras. If I can only get that woman into my apartment, then I can... I wickedly grin as I visualize myself shooting that woman and then I see myself standing over her lifeless body. All I'll have to do is call Voice for a Guild Prep/Cleanup Crew, and I'll have this annoyance taken care of.
That woman reaches down, picks up the dropped mail, and hands it to me as she asks, “This isn't a bad time, is it?”
“No, of course not,” I answer.
It's almost too easy, but still I have to be on my guard; it could be a trick.
“Come on in,” I say as I take the mail from her still wary of that woman and command, “Door, unlock.” The door slides sideways; I motion for the woman to go in first and then I follow. “Door, lock,” I command, and the door closes, entombing us.
End Kimberly's view...
The Apartment Computer System turned on the lights as they entered each room. “Welcome back Ms. Griffin and welcome guest. The apartment...”
“Mute,” Kim commanded.
Kat walked down the entry, stopped, and studied the kitchen. She walked over to the faucet and glanced back at her. “I see no scanner for a Water Ration Card. Your water isn’t portioned?”
Kimberly's view...
I look to the sink then think of the shower and bathtub and realize I never thought about it. Most of the city's given an allotment for the month and here I enjoy unlimited. I'm wary of that woman's suspicious questions. Is she trying to distract me or is she really this naive?
I answer, “No, my water isn’t portioned.”
“Oh, you must be rich then.” She sets her backpack on the black leather couch, walks over to the small round table, and sits as if she's here for a visit.
What is that woman doing now? What is she up to that she's acting calm? I start to pull out my gun, notice the cedar chest in the living room, and turn my attention back to that woman.
She sees the teacup I left earlier that morning and states, “Tea. I love tea.” She turns wide eyed like a child asking for a piece of candy. “Could I have some, please? I haven’t had tea in a long time.”
“Tea?”
I glance at the kettle on the stove then at my purse. She has to be joking; she has to be here to kill me. I'm not sure what to do, but then I think of Topa's Closing. Maybe I can find out what was going on there, so I'll play along for now, and I answer her, “Sure, why not. Let’s have some tea. Is black okay?”
I don't wait for an answer as I carefully position my purse on the counter, so I'll have quick access to my gun.
“Yes, black tea is fine.”
Keeping a close tab on that woman, I fill the kettle, place the stainless steel pot on the burner, and turn it on high. “So...” I place two sets of cups and saucers on the counter. “Who are you and why have you come to see me?”
Katharine's view...
“Who am I?” Heavyhearted over Preacher's death and still weary from the endless running, I laugh a melancholy chuckle as I stare at the table. “That's a good question.”
I reach into my pant’s pocket for my dearest possessions; they've been with me since the begi
nning, and maybe now one of them will lead me to the answers I desperately seek and a place I yearn to belong.
Kimberly's view...
I go for my purse and reach for my gun until I see the items that woman removes. She places a small silver box, two business cards, and a worn paper on the table and then opens the paper. She answers me, “Katharine, I think. If this note is meant for me.” She seems to be studying the writing.
I could shoot her now that that woman's distracted and end this game. The kettle shrieks, stealing away the moment; I turn the burner off, remove the pot, and pour hot water into the cups. The aroma of orange fills the air as I say, “Note? I don’t understand.”
“Huh?” She turns to me. “Oh, I guess you wouldn’t. You see, I don’t know who I am.” She looks back to the items. “The only clues to my identity are these three things.” She seems unsure herself as she adds, “At least, I think they are.”
What an unlikely story. I carry the two saucers to the table with my purse strapped over my shoulder. What kind of ploy is this? I set a teacup in front of her and one at my spot. Either that woman is very clever or very stupid.
“See...” she says as she gives the paper to me.
I read the note, “Katharine, you must not fail; this is your last chance to redeem yourself. I know you can complete your mission, my dearest Kat. I am counting on you. Signed, R.G.” I peer up from the note. “Who is R.G.?”
She shrugs.
“I don’t understand. What does this have to do with me?” I ask as I hand back the note.
She folds the paper, picks up the business cards, and then explains to me, “For the past year, I’ve been trying to figure out how these clues fit in my life, and now I’ve found a person who belongs to one of these items.” She slides the red speckled card across the table. “I found this at Topa's.” She places the second one beside the other. “This one I've had.”
I look over the blood covered business card I left beside Topa, pick up the second business card, and ask, “Where did you get this one?” I examine it more closely. “This is an earlier design from years ago.”