Apocalypse Cult (Gray Spear Society) (6 page)

"What happens if I try to quit?"

"We have a retirement package. It's called a pine box, six feet under. Good bye." She quickly left the apartment.

He frowned.

He walked over to where the dagger was embedded in the wall. On the counter below, a fly was cut cleanly in half. He stared at the bisected insect in disbelief.

* * *

Aaron walked into the Green Clover Tavern, and the familiar aromas of beer and corned beef brought a smile to his face. This place was exactly what the doctor ordered.

He threaded his way through the thick lunchtime crowd. Professional men and women of all stripes occupied every seat in the tavern, which was located in downtown Chicago. Aaron spotted a police officer in uniform sitting at the bar with an empty stool beside him.
There's my buddy
, Aaron thought. He quickly took the stool.

"Pete!" Aaron pounded his friend on the back. "It's great to see you. Sorry about the short notice."

"You sounded so weird on the phone," Pete said. "I had to come. What's wrong?"

He had the rounded, stocky build that was practically a tradition among Chicago cops. Even though Pete was only thirty-five years old, strands of gray could be found in his short, brown hair. White powder speckled his thick mustache, and Aaron knew it was from the sugared donuts that Pete loved to nibble while on duty.

"Nothing," Aaron said. "Nothing important."

Pete gave him a hard look. "Hey, it's been a long time. Six months? Still working as a bouncer?"

"When they need extra help. I'm also a private eye."

"You?" Pete chuckled. "I just can't imagine you sneaking through back alleys and taking pictures of cheating husbands. Not your style."

The bartender took their order. Aaron asked for two beers and the corned beef special, which included a big pile of cabbage boiled to perfection. Pete was still on duty, so he ordered a burger and a Coke.

"What was my style?" Aaron asked.

"Kicking down doors with a gun in each hand," Pete said with a grin. "You loved that wild west cowboy shit. Always right in the middle of the action."

"I'm not like that anymore."

"Yeah, sure. I bet you still have a closet full of big, fancy guns."

In fact, Aaron had sold most of his guns for cash. Keeping them in his home was too dangerous. Getting caught with that kind of extreme firepower as a civilian would result in felony charges.

"A man needs to protect himself in this city."

"Of course." Pete furrowed his brow. "How is life as a private eye? Earning good coin?"

"No, but I'm building up my reputation. One day I'll have quality clients who pay their bills."

Pete nodded. "I knew you'd land on your feet after... the mess."

"It hasn't been easy."

There were televisions all over the tavern, and Aaron saw that the Cubs were playing baseball. He had forgotten the team had a game today even though he considered himself a fan.

"What about Amy?" Pete said. "Are you still in touch with her?"

The name of Aaron's ex-wife brought back old pain. "No. I don't know what she's doing these days."

"She was a great girl. You two were great together."

"Yeah." Aaron sighed. The memory of Marina's beautiful face flashed into his mind, and his pain eased.

"Will you tell me what's wrong now?"

Aaron leaned very close to Pete. "Something strange happened," Aaron whispered. "I want your opinion, but it will sound a little crazy when I tell you."

"Just tell me. I'll decide if it's crazy."

"Do you believe in miracles?"

"I think God helps us," Pete said. "It's in the
Bible
."

"No, this is different..."

A hand on his shoulder made Aaron stop in mid-sentence. He turned to find that Marina was standing just inches away.

"May I join you gentlemen?" she asked. "Your conversation sounds fascinating."

Aaron hopped off his stool in surprise. He had never seen her in street clothes, and she was stunning. A silky red dress clung to every part of her fine body. Matching red pumps made her long legs seem even longer and more shapely. Ruby earrings were the perfect finishing touch.

His delight at seeing her again was tempered with suspicion. Why was she here?

"Sure!" Pete said in an overly enthusiastic tone. "Take my seat, honey. I'll stand."

"What are you doing here?" Aaron asked.

"Just keeping an eye on you," Marina said.

"That's not necessary."

"Really?" She raised her eyebrows. "It seems I barely got here in time."

Pete looked back and forth between them. "Aaron, you know this woman?" He sounded impressed.

Aaron took a deep breath as he tried to figure out what to do. He couldn't openly talk to Pete with Marina hanging over his shoulder, and it was obvious she wouldn't leave.

"Sorry, Pete," Aaron said. "I just remembered I have to be somewhere else. It's great to see you. We'll get together again soon." He threw twenty dollars onto the bar and left.

He was angry as he stepped into bright sunlight outside the tavern. He hated being followed or spied upon, even by a woman as gorgeous as Marina. Not only were these mystery people invading his life, but they were being obnoxious about it. He stomped off.

Rapid footsteps made him glance backwards.

Marina caught up to him. "I'm sorry," she said. "That was awkward."

"I was having a private conversation with my friend."

"About us."

"I have to talk to somebody!" he said.

"You're lucky I stopped you. Any more, and I would've had to kill him."

"Come on." He looked at her. "I know you're a tough broad, but you wouldn't...."

There was no amusement in her eyes. "Secrecy is the highest priority of my organization," she said. "We protect it by any means necessary. If you have to talk to somebody, talk to me."

"You?"

"You can trust me."

"Ha!" He stopped walking and stared at her. "You lied to me from the beginning. You used me. I don't even know your last name. Trust you? That's hilarious."

He started walking again. A homeless man asked for money, and Aaron pushed him out of the way.

Marina followed Aaron closely.

"What are you doing?" he said.

"Ethel doesn't trust you. She ordered me to stay with you."

"For how long?"

"Until she tells me to stop."

He picked up his pace, and so did she.

He couldn't avoid the irony of the situation. He was stuck with the woman of his fantasies, but he wished she would go away instead.

"Why did Ethel send you instead of Victor?" Aaron said. "He would be more intimidating."

"Ethel was being kind. She knows you're attracted to me."

"It's that obvious?"

Marina nodded. "You kept staring at me, like a hungry dog staring at a meaty bone."

"Hmm. Sorry."

They were walking east towards Lake Michigan. Soon he would run into the crowds shopping on Michigan Avenue. The height of tourist season had arrived, and parts of downtown were awash in sweaty families wearing brightly colored clothing. He turned south towards the financial district to avoid the crowds.

Aaron couldn't let Marina follow behind all day like a lost puppy. He let her catch up and join him.

"I don't like the secrecy," she said. "If it were my choice, I'd tell you everything." There was a long pause. "My full name is Marina Pavlova. That's the truth."

He noticed for the first time that she had a slight Russian accent. Perhaps she was revealing a little bit of the real Marina at last.

"Why do you have to be so secretive?" he said. "Do you have something to hide?"

"Secrecy is intrinsic to our overall mission, and yes, we have plenty to hide."

"You sound like criminals, or a cult, like the Church of One Soul."

She pressed her lips together, then said, "We're neither, but the comparison is not unfair."

"Great. I really want to join your crew now." He shook his head.

"How can I explain?" She looked up at the sky. "Do you remember what it was like your first day as a police officer? You had trouble sleeping the night before because you were so excited. Putting on that uniform was like dressing in ceremonial robes. You felt important, part of something bigger than yourself. You were ready to make a difference. You wanted to be the
best
cop ever because it mattered."

"I remember." Those days seemed like part of a previous life.

"I have that feeling every day,
all
the time." She spread her arms wide. "What we do matters to millions of people, even though they don't know it. Sometimes the assignments are difficult and even painful, but they are
always
worth it. Can you imagine what that is like? The intense satisfaction? I know what I'm going to do with the rest of my life."

Her enthusiasm made his own life seem completely empty and pointless. It was an ugly emotion that he couldn't shake off.

"So," he said, "you're like secret police with some kind of connection to God."

She remained silent.

"Hello?"

"I'm sorry." She grimaced. "Me and my big mouth. You'd think I'd learn after all these years. Now we both have a problem because you know too much. I really do apologize."

"Why? Because you'll have to kill me if I don't join your organization?"

She looked down. "Ethel will make that decision."

They were passing through the district where the wealthy came to decorate their homes. Boutique furniture stores, art galleries, and design studios lined both sides of the street. Aaron glimpsed a few price tags, and the numbers were startling. He couldn't believe people paid so much for weird furniture and art that looked like the scribbles of a three year-old kid. The rich were idiots.

"Ethel asked me questions about my religion," he said. "About God and miracles."

Marina nodded.

"Do you believe in God?"

"Of course," she said.

"Why?" He looked at her freckled face.

"He gave me this."

She held up her right hand to show off her black fingernails. They were sharpened to a needle point. There was a dull shininess at the tip, like they were slightly wet.

"I don't understand," he said.

"Do you really want me to explain? You may already know too much. This is very risky territory."

He looked into her green eyes. He wanted to know everything about her, no matter the risks. "Sure. Tell me."

She smiled a little. "God gave me these fingernails as a reward two years ago. The color is natural, not nail polish."

"How is that a reward?" He furrowed his brow.

"I'll show you. We need to sit down someplace where nobody will bother us."

It took a while, but they found a bench in a small park by the river. A single tree provided welcome shade from the summer sun. A barge filled with sand and gravel floated past on the green-brown water.

"Now lean against me," she said. "Relax. You'll feel a little prick."

He slouched down and rested his head on her narrow shoulder. He was anxious about what she would do to him, but curiosity compelled him to cooperate.

She touched her needle-sharp fingernail to his neck, and he felt a painful tickle. Seconds later a wave of tiredness passed through his body, and he fought to keep his eyelids open. His arms and legs became dead weights. He tried to speak but managed only an incoherent mumble.

"Shh," she said softly. "I gave you just a tiny dose of venom. It will pass quickly and harmlessly."

Venom?
he thought.

He couldn't move, but there were worse predicaments than a beautiful woman holding him close on a clear summer day by the river. The venom didn't seem to have unpleasant side-effects aside from paralysis and sleepiness. It wasn't so bad.

"A bigger dose will cause unconsciousness," Marina said. "I can also kill. This is the gift God gave me."

The venom's effect was already fading, and Aaron managed to sit up straight. Carefully pronouncing each word, he said, "What happens if you prick yourself?"

"I'm immune."

He was very bewildered, and not just from the venom. He had seen two impossible things today, first Ethel's reflexes and now Marina's fingernails. Was he going insane?

A tourist boat floated past on the river. Two geese that were fishing in the water honked at the boat, and then they flew off.

"You keep talking," Aaron said, "and showing me things. For a secret agent or whatever you are, you're doing a bad job of keeping your mouth shut."

"You're right." She frowned.

"And your little, red dress is something special. It's too sexy by far. Do you know what I'm starting to think? You really like me. You're trying to force me to join your organization by spilling too many secrets."

She walked down to the edge of the water and leaned on an iron fence.

His legs were still wobbly, but he managed to stand up without falling over. Slowly, he went over and stood beside her.

"This is bad," she said softly. "I'm acting like a teenage girl instead of a professional."

"We're both adults, and we're allowed to be attracted to each other. What's the problem?"

She grabbed his wrist and squeezed hard. "You don't have any idea. This situation just got dangerously complicated. I'm not allowed to like you in that way." She rubbed her temples.

"Why? You have a boyfriend? Is it Victor?"

"Him?" Her eyes widened. "No! God, no. He's a creep. It's just that romantic relationships are a problem in my business. They make it hard to be objective. Be quiet while I think about this."

He enjoyed her presence in silence for a few minutes. Despite the heat, it was a nice day to be out for a walk in the city. A steady breeze kept the air fresh and clean.

Marina's cell phone rang, and she answered it immediately. Like the rest of her team, her phone was big, thick, and gray. "I'm here... I understand... I'll talk to him." She closed the phone.

"What's up?" Aaron said.

"The evidence we collected was tested, and the results were conclusively positive."

"What does that mean?"