Red Hourglass (8 page)

“I know sweetheart, thank you. Vanus told me you did an excellent job … although you left quite a mess for the clean-up crew.”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be silly my dear. The girls thought you must’ve had some fun with the target, that’s all. Sit, sit. Did you have a nice journey from the city?”

“Yes. It’s good to be home,” I said as I sat in one of the large chairs in front of her desk. A fluffy white Persian cat was sitting on the floor licking its paws. He jumped onto my lap and looked at me with his golden eyes, demanding attention. I stroked his silky fur. He gave a soft meow and began to purr.

“Oh dear, look at those dark circles around your eyes.” The White Queen came around her desk and sat down in the chair next to mine. “You haven’t been sleeping well, have you? What’s troubling you?”

“The police … the sirens. I’ve killed a lot of men. Sometimes I can still hear their screams. I’m afraid of getting caught by the police. … And what if the rest of the mobsters come after us?”

“Lovey, the mobsters were bad, bad men.” The White Queen took both my hands in hers. “You and Mimi did a good job getting rid of them. The police are greatly indebted to us now … more so than usual. The mobsters are our enemies, but the police are our friends. Life is about trades, darling.” She looked down and began rubbing the insides of my palms with her thumbs. “I have an arrangement with the police. I offer them things that are much, much more valuable than the small favors I occasionally ask of them. And I settle everything else with the police commissioner over
tea
.
You needn’t worry about these things, but if the police ever arrest you, you’ll be released as soon as I speak to them. Mama takes care of her girls. You know that, yes?”

“Yes Mama … but … we were almost killed when the mobsters found out that we’re your agents.” I pulled my hands away. She was squeezing them a bit too hard. Mimi and I had taken out seven mobsters without any help. If Vanus hadn’t found us immediately afterward, I would’ve died.

“I’m sorry that happened, but it couldn’t be helped.” The White Queen stood up. She pick up her cat and held him up to her face. “My lovely little puss puss.” She tried to kiss him with her thick, wet lips but he struggled wildly until he escaped her grip and ran under a table.

“My dear Janet,” said the White Queen in a soothing voice as she sat down behind her desk. “You’re a highly skilled agent. You’ve been trained to protect yourself, and that’s exactly what you did with the mobsters. And Vanus was looking out for you … she got there in time. Darling, life, by its very nature, is full of many perils. Now, can we put those evil men behind us and look to the future?”

“Yes Mama.”

“Excellent. I’m sure you’ll be happy to know that you’ll be staying here for the next six months. You’ll be far away from any danger as you train for the next assignment.”

“What will I be training for?”

“Secretarial work.”

“Secretarial work? I know nothing about that. Are you sure I’m the right agent for the job?”

“My dear one, of course you’re the right agent for the job. We’ve employed an administrative specialist to teach you everything you need to know about secretarial work and then some. But I’d also like you to join martial arts and knife combat classes … to keep in practice. The specialist has set up an office downstairs for training. You’ll both live here in the mansion for the duration of the course.”

“What’s the mission?”

“You’ll be going undercover at Wilmar Enterprises,” said the White Queen. “I need you to get inside information.”

“Why?” Most of my previous missions had been pretty straightforward—a single target, find out his daily habits, and then get rid of him. I had no clue about going undercover long-term, never mind working full-time in a big company.

“Their rapid growth is decimating established inner city communities. Mom and pop businesses and longtime renters are losing their leases as Wilmar buys up entire city blocks and throws them out into the streets. How are those people supposed to make their livings? Where will the people who lose their homes live? Large-scale, corporate gentrification is bad for the people we’ve vowed to protect. We need to identify Wilmar’s investors, and then we must figure out how to stop the inhumane expansion of their empire at the expense of ordinary people’s lives.”

“I understand,” I said. “But I don’t think I can do it alone. Will any of my sisters be at Wilmar with me?” I clasped my hands and squeezed my fingers tightly. I didn’t like the idea of being in a heartless corporation all on my own.

“Yes sweetheart. We have other agents there now. Mimi’s working with her own instructor, and you’ll both be applying for jobs at Wilmar in about six months. Of course, you must not reveal your previous relationships with your sisters. That would compromise the mission. But it will be fine if you act as though you’ve met on the job and are friendly work colleagues. Everything else will be taken care of. “

Mimi was pretty careless on the mobster mission, but I was still glad to know that she’d be with me in Wilmar.

“Do you have any questions?” asked the White Queen.

“Just one. Do you remember the special graduation gift that you promised me?”

“Ah, that. Yes.” She took an envelope out of her desk drawer and slid it across to me. “One of our spies found that in your stepfather’s abandoned house.”

“What is it?” An image of my stepfather’s rotting corpse flashed through my mind. I wanted to ask if the body was still in the house, but I was sure I was being ridiculous.

“Open it and find out.” The White Queen smiled as she polished her moonstone ring on the edge of her mink coat.

I tore open the envelope. It contained my biological mother’s birth certificate. Her full name was Matilda Ann Summers. I’d been thinking about her a lot since the mobster mission. For the first time in years, I was starting to feel like I’d do anything to find her again.

“Have you found out anything else about her?” I asked.

“Since we now know her full name, it’s only a matter of time. Our spies are searching for her last known residence as we speak. My dear, I promise you that we’ll know where she is by the time you complete the next mission.”

“Thank you Mama.”

“The best way to thank me will be to make sure that we stop Wilmar’s expansion.” She held out her hand and looked at the glittering moonstone ring from different angles. “Pretty thing, isn’t it?”

“Yes. Who gave it to you?” I didn’t mean to ask, but I was curious and couldn’t help myself.

“Ah, well, that’s my little secret. But you’re correct to think it was a gift … a prized gift.” She circled a finger around the surface of the ring and kissed it. “A very prized gift.”

Application

I left the Academy and went to my new studio apartment in Lower Manhattan. It was barely furnished, and the fire escape blocked my view of the zigzagging steel fire escapes on the backs of other buildings.

The White Queen instructed me to call Vanus as soon as I reached the city, but I freshened up and polished my nails first. It was about four o’clock before I made the call.

“It’s me,” I said.

“Janet, there you are. I’ve been waiting for your call.” Vanus sounded bubbly and happy, like a fairy. “Let’s meet at the usual spot.”

I ran downstairs. The midsummer heat and glare were unbearable. I pulled a pair of shades out of my tote bag. The sun immediately began searing my exposed skin and I crossed the street to escape the burning rays.

I peered through the window of The House, my favorite bohemian café. A barista was behind the counter making an espresso at an antique copper and brass cappuccino machine. I was looking for signs of a spy, but there were only a few students huddled around a corner table. The place was oddly quiet. In fact, it was downright somber.

Vanus was sitting in the corner opposite the students, reading a magazine. She was wearing her usual green shirt and jeans. Her dress sense was so unlike her mother’s penchant for all things white. There was half a glass of iced latte on the table, along with a laptop and a few newspapers.

“Hey, Vanus,” I said softly.

“Janet! Do you want an iced latte?”

“Can I just drink some of yours?” I asked, picking up her glass. I was nervous about my first big undercover mission and I wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.

“Help yourself.” She smiled.

The milky iced latte was cool and refreshing. I’d missed the delicious coffee at The House.

“What’s up?” I put down the glass.

“Here are your documents, instructions, and new phone.” Vanus handed me a bulky envelope. “I also have your secure laptop and homework. You’ll need to read the highlighted articles in these papers.” She pointed to the newspaper on the table. “It won’t be easy to replace the documents quickly, so don’t lose them. And don’t forget to destroy the instructions once you’ve read them.”

“I won’t.” I slipped everything into my bag as police sirens sounded in the distance. “I better get going.”

“Wait a sec. Tell me, honestly, are you fully recovered from that mobster mission?” She sounded concerned.

“I’m fine,” I lied. I would’ve died that day if Vanus hadn’t rescued us.
If I’d died maybe I’d be with my mother now
.

“Be careful … play it safe. Okay?”

“I’ll try.”

“You’re not alone on this job. Don’t forget that. Call me if you have to.” Vanus reached across the table and touched my arm.

“Thanks Vanus.”

I walked on the shady side of the street back to my apartment. As soon as I got inside, I looked through the envelope. It contained instructions, a New York state ID, a passport, a university transcript, and a résumé. My new name was Scarlet Walters and my new birthday was October thirty-first.
I was born on Halloween, that’s easy enough to remember
.

I looked through the newspapers and found one of the highlighted articles.

WILMAR EXPANSION

Wilmar Enterprises has been acquiring properties on prime land around Brooklyn and Manhattan. Plans are underway to redevelop the dilapidated properties into upscale condos and shopping malls. A few thousand residential and business tenants will soon be displaced to make way for the new developments.

Wilmar Enterprises CEO, Johnson Wilmar, said, “We will continue to acquire land on the East and West Coasts of the US for redevelopment.”

Wilmar Enterprises is a major property developer in the United States with subsidiaries in logistics, telecommunications and renewable energy. Their combined portfolio is currently worth $200 billion.

The sun was long gone by the time I finished reading all the articles about Wilmar. The articles were mostly about how great the investments would be for property prices. Only a few even mentioned the families and small businesses that had been in those neighborhoods for generations.

I was getting hungry, but the kitchen cabinets and fridge in my new apartment were bare. I didn’t like living in an apartment with no food, it made me feel queasy.

I grabbed my shopping bag and went downstairs. It was a bit cooler, but still hot. The street was filled with rainbow neon lights from the shops, and the evening breeze carried the sounds of traffic and sirens. The sirens reminded me of the muffled screams of my targets as they choked on their own blood. I missed the tranquil surroundings of the Academy.

I walked by The House and it was closed.
That’s strange
. It was usually open late. I noticed a note on the door.

Dear Patrons,

We’ve lost our lease and we’ve been forced to close our doors.

We want to thank our loyal customers for your wonderful support over the last twenty years.

We’ll miss you all.

Sorry,

The House

I wonder if Wilmar Enterprises is behind this
.

Walking into the air conditioned bodega on the corner was a relief. I went to the grocery aisle and loaded up on bread, milk, ground beef, beans, soup, canned tuna, and canned vegetables. As I walked by the canned corn I was reminded of how much I hated the color yellow. I despised all things yellow, shiny, and bright—the sun, sunflowers, lemons, corn. Most people thought yellow was bright and cheery like a sunrise, but to me it was the dull, yucky color of vomit. I hated yellow so much that I usually closed my eyes until everything yellow disappeared. I wanted to rush out of the store, but I forced myself to go to the counter and pay for my groceries.

Memories of my mother flooded over me as I walked back to the apartment. I couldn’t get the image of her walking away from me out of my mind. Her white dress was flowing behind her as she walked through the sunflower field, toward the setting sun.

I’d tried to find her for so long that I hated to be reminded of her out of the blue. I no longer remembered what she looked like. I detested her.
Did she ever look for me
?
Maybe she’s dead
. I could put my search to rest if the White Queen handed me her death certificate, or if I found her grave. Until then, I’d be haunted by my fading memories.

I climbed the stairs to my apartment and put away my groceries. Then I warmed up a can of soup and ate it out of the pot.

A black and white cat appeared on the fire escape outside my kitchen window. I figured it was a stray. I opened a can of tuna and put it on the window ledge before I unpacked my suitcases.

I got the envelope and my laptop and sat down on the floor. I looked at my instructions written in agent code. I had to apply to be the secretary for Wilmar’s chief security officer.
Easy enough
. The cat was still sitting in the window as I destroyed my instructions in the kitchen sink by running water over the page—all our agent communications were written in code with a fountain pen.

According to Wilmar’s website, Conan W. Casey was the chief security officer. His photo on the site was only a headshot, so I googled him. The first result was a picture from a magazine. I clicked to enlarge the photo. He looked handsome and sophisticated—but tough—in his designer suit.
Nice
. He had a slender build and his gray eyes gave him a wolf-like quality. I guessed he was in his thirties. There was a short blurb under the photo.