* * *
Minutes earlier...
Outside Bes Hotel...
Rushing to the curb, Kim hailed a taxi, and the yellow cab pulled up as Kat walked out. Kim opened the back passenger door.
"Wait." Kat watched as Kim started to get into the taxi and then questioned, "What are you doing?"
Kim paused and told her, "Getting out of here." She waved for Kat. "Come on."
"No. We're going to Melissa's." Kat pointed across the street. "That way I can protect all of you."
"You're serious." Kim pulled out of the cab and stood on the sidewalk. "I didn't think you were serious about taking me into that house."
The taxi driver barked, "Lady! Am I driving you anywhere or what?"
Kim bent down and yelled to the driver, "Hang on." She glanced at the hotel to see if Nikolai and Natasha had come out yet and then turned to that woman. "You're really going to take me into that house?"
"Yes." Kat stood there, anxious to cross the street before their pursuers walked out. "You did promise you wouldn't kill anyone till we took care of the Raven and the Wolf. Come on. I didn't buy us that much time." She looked both ways and started across the street.
Kim slapped the top of the taxi. "Sorry." She joined Kat, and they ran to the other side. Kim couldn't believe Kat was trusting her.
They paused at the sidewalk and glanced back at the hotel.
"When is Melissa's Closing?" Kat asked.
"Anytime Monday."
Kat grabbed her wrist and looked at her watch. "3:07 P.M. That gives me almost nine hours. I can trust you until then, right?" She didn't wait for an answer, hurried up to the stoop, and rang the buzzer.
"Sure." Kim rushed up the steps behind her. "You're not a complete idiot but still too trusting." She glanced behind them. "What are you going to tell them about me?"
Daniels answered the door and inquired, "Is this her?"
"Yes. Hurry, let us in." Kat pushed past the bodyguard. "I have more news."
Kimberly's view...
I warily look at the man and follow her. I can't believe I'm doing this; I can't believe I'm walking into the house of the woman I'm going to kill. I shiver and scan the living room, and it feels eerie being here. It isn't my style to get chummy with the Mark before I off her. I prefer long range Closings.
Hades... I should have never taken this assignment from Voice. I think about what the Raven and the Wolf told me. Maybe there's more to Voice sending them after me. And what about Maestro? Why is my alias down as the one who killed the little girl?
Daniels locks the front door and walks into the living room, and I look to him and notice he reaches for his gun. What did he mean by is this her? What did that woman tell them? I glance at that woman who stands behind a shot-up couch. Why am I getting this sinking feeling that...
"Kat," a man calls as he enters in from the kitchen. "Did you capture the Phoenix?"
I panic as I part my hoodie, ready to draw my gun. She tricked me, and I'm the idiot who walked into a trap!
Katharine's view...
I watch Kimberly. Am I being too evil? Am I letting her think the worse about the situation? Look at her... Kimberly has to be wondering if she made a mistake by coming here; yes, she's thinking that, I can tell. Kimberly believes I betrayed her, and it's about time she's on the other side of the loaded barrel of doubt. I know I'm wickedly-evil because for some reason I'm getting a sick sense of pleasure out of seeing her squirm. But I better not let it go on for too long; someone might end up getting hurt.
I answer before Kimberly does anything to blow my plans, "No, I didn't capture the Phoenix; actually, we have another problem."
Kimberly's view...
I relax after that woman speaks, but I can't believe how easily I trusted her. If this had been a trap, it would have been all over, and I would've been caught or killed.
I put my right hand to my left shoulder as I can't understand why I trusted that woman. I never even suspected this could be a trick. I must be losing my edge. Did the Raven and the Wolf shake me up or is there another reason I'm not myself today?
End Kimberly's view...
Johnson looked to the two women and then asked, "There's another problem? What's that?"
"There are at least two Closers," Kat answered.
Johnson folded his arms. "You know this for certain?"
"Pretty certain. I have a very reliable source. I believe they'll try to infiltrate this safe house in the next thirty-three hours." She glanced at Kim and turned back to Johnson. "I'm not sure about the rules for Life Closers, but I discovered the Closing date for Melissa. It's tomorrow, Monday. If we can hold off till Tuesday, we'll be in the clear, right?"
"It's correct," Johnson said. "If you're right about the date."
"What do we do?" Andrews asked. "What do we do for the next thirty-three hours?"
"Prepare," Kat answered. "Prepare for the battle." She glanced at Kim. "Be more prepared than the Closers."
The four of them entered the kitchen and there Melissa sat at the kitchen bar, sipping on coffee. Her hands shook slightly. Melissa glanced up as they entered.
"Melissa, this is Kim," Kat said.
"Then this is the woman who's going to help us with our Phoenix problem." Melissa stood and offered her hand. "Thank you for coming."
Kim stared at the hand till Kat nudged her in the back and she shook it. "Don't thank me," Kim said as she glanced back at Kat. "Thank Kat, this is all her doing."
"I'm thankful for both of you." Melissa smiled. "With your help, I'll survive to see my children grow up."
Bonnie walked through the door that led to the second floor as she rubbed her eyes. "Mommie..."
"Come here." Melissa held out her arms and placed the child on her lap. "You didn't sleep long."
Bonnie didn't say anything and hid her head in her mother's bosom.
Kim stared at the little girl with black curly hair. Voice had sent her there to test her, and since the failed Closing in Moscow, Voice must have been wondering if she had lost her nerve. Whatever Kim did, she couldn't botch-up this Closing.
Chad came out the door next, followed by Andrews.
"Kat!" Chad's face brightened.
"Come here." Kat grabbed the boy in a head lock and rubbed the top of his head with her fist.
"Cut that out," he laughed and then straightened his hair after she released him.
"How are you doing?" Kat asked.
His face showed a little fear, remembering the Un-Men as he replied, "Fine."
Kat knew he lied to her, but there was nothing she could think of to say to him to reassure him. She turned to Andrews and said, "I'd like to see the layout of the house. Could you show me?"
He looked to Johnson who nodded, and Andrews told Kat, "Yes." He motioned with his hand. "We'll start out back."
Andrews made his way to the back of the kitchen to a door leading into the laundry room. He unlocked it, opened it, and entered the next area. She followed, and Daniels secured the kitchen door behind them. The two walked past a washer, a dryer, and a large hamper. Andrews unlocked the back door and went outside, and a wooden fence surrounded the small backyard. Kat stepped to a gate and opened it to a large empty lot, and beyond the vacant property was the next street and across that road on a sidewalk was stairs that went underground. A locked fence enclosed the entrance.
She pointed and asked, "What's that?"
"The subway," Andrews answered. "The city closed it after the Dry Clouds appeared. They were having some sort of problems with it, so they abandoned it and built the hover train system."
"Oh, didn't know that." She scanned the area, keeping in mind the layout. "All right, let's see the rest of the house."
They went back in, and Andrews took her to the living room and motioned up. "You've seen this part of the house. The second floor has three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and there are two s
ets of stairs leading up, this one and the one in the kitchen. All the windows in this house have shielded screens. It's like having tank armor. No one will be getting in through them." He walked past the shot up couch and TV to a hallway. "Down here is Ms. Odin's..."
"I been meaning to ask," Kat interrupted. "Ms. Odin, is she married?"
"Yes, she kept her maiden name. Her husband is on the Light Side of the planet right now on business. Ms. Odin thought it best not to tell him about the problem with Valhalla, so he doesn't know the danger she's in." He continued, "As I was saying, down here is Ms. Odin's office and the next room down is her lab. The room across from there is another bathroom." He opened the door to each of them.
"Why did you become a bodyguard?" Kat asked. "And how did you get this assignment? Someone else was working the day I went to the funeral."
"I started out as a lawyer, but wasn't making enough for my family," he answered. "Plus, I wanted to do something that would fulfill my sense of duty, and your right, another bodyguard started out with Johnson and Daniels. I got this assignment the other day when he fell ill."
"You have a family?"
"Yes, three kids. You want to see them?" Andrews removed a wallet and showed her several pictures of a boy and two girls. "They are Matthew, Karen, and Beth."
Kat couldn't get past the idea that he had children. "Why would you do a job like this if you have kids? What if you get killed?"
"Isis Corporation has an excellent death benefit. My children and wife will be taken care of."
"That's not what I meant. They won't have you anymore. Nothing can replace you."
"You're right about that, but there's nothing I wouldn't do for my children, so that they have the best possible life."
Johnson walked down the hall and ordered, "Andrews take over for Daniels. He's watching the children."
He nodded. "I'm on it."
Katharine's view...
I watch as he leaves. Andrews said there's nothing he wouldn't do for his children, but did that include dying?