"Are you free to see your adopted sister?"
"You're not hurt again, are you? If you are, I'm going to
...
I'll think of something really nasty."
"No, I'm fit and on vacation. I'm entitled to four weeks a year. Witton insisted I take two. Probably just wants to get rid of me."
"That sounds very suspicious. Alright, when and for how long?"
"Two weeks if you can. You may be able to justify it, since I have another installment for your Kazak series."
"Are you sure you're not hurt? Never mind. Where do you want me to meet you?"
"I'll pick you up tomorrow at Concourse A."
"I'm never going to be able to fly on a commercial plane again. You've spoiled me."
"After Vegas, I want to go to Dominica, in the Caribbean. I hope you'll want to come with me. It's not La Paz."
"I have to go to keep you out of trouble. Of course I'll go, even if I won't like it. See you at Concourse A."
***
I don't know what Gendel told the pilot and stewardess, because they treated me like I was the president of the United States. Shortly after we had reached cruising altitude, the pilot made an appearance.
"I hope you're comfortable, Miss Lynn. If you need anything let us know. Do you know where you want to go?"
"Thank you, Captain. I plan to stay in Las Vegas for only a few days, and then I'd like to go to the island of Dominica in the Caribbean. I'll pay for your sleeping accommodations and food, if you don't have to return before I want to leave for Dominica."
"We've been told to take you where you want and wait to bring you home. As for expense, we appreciate the offer but Mr. Gendel has been very generous in providing for our accommodations."
Then the stewardess appeared again, a young, trim woman immaculately dressed in a blue suit and white blouse.
"Would you like something to eat or drink, Miss Lynn?"
"A light snack and more coffee. I'll wait for dinner until after we pick up my friend in Denver."
"If you'll let me know the kind of food you like, I'll have it on board."
Gendel seemed to have thought of everything. I had become very fond of him and his family. I don't know about bonuses and such. I just know about the Gendel family.
***
"You've changed planes," Clare said as soon as she entered. "I had to ask the attendant twice if this was my ride. That emblem on the tail isn't the Kazak one. Did the company buy a new one?"
"No, I've a benefactor. He's promised me a ride on it any time I want. All I have to do is ask."
"What stupid thing did you do to earn that?"
"Relax for now. You'll get the whole story during your interview." I grinned.
We had hardly begun to catch up when the pilot announced our decent into McCarran International Airport. When we entered the concourse, Gabe stood waiting with a tall woman with a good figure, something I seem destined never to have. She had a small infant in her arms.
"Lynn!" Gabe grabbed me and gave me a hug. "Hi, Clare. It's good to see you two again. I want you to meet my wife, Lauretta, and our son, Dario," Gabe said in a rush.
"I'm pleased to finally meet you, Lynn," Lauretta said in a somewhat stilted tone. "I've heard a lot about you."
"I'll bet you've heard too much. Gabe and I have never been anything but good friends. Actually, he's more like a brother to me. I think perhaps Gabe lives the dream of being a Kazak through me, although I'm sure he's much happier being married to you and having a fine son like Dario."
"Thank you; we're still discovering each other. Now that you've said it, I recognize the truth of what you said." Her voice softened and a small smile appeared.
"Hey, I'm standing right here in case nobody noticed." Gabe grinned. "She's right. I couldn't climb to the top but she did. I felt disappointed but happy for her; however, since talking with her, I realize it wasn't the life for me. I'm happily married and wouldn't have it any other way. Lynn lives on the edge of death every day she's guarding someone. I prefer working in a bar where the most I get is a nasty drunk, which security handles. And I get to come home to a wonderful woman."
Lauretta smiled. I hoped we had cleared any doubts she may have had. That night I treated everyone to dinner at Il Mulino at Caesars Palace and after dinner we attended the
KÀ
Cirque du Soleil performance at the MGM Grand. It was a wonderful dinner and show. Afterward, we went back to Gabe's place and sat around and reminisced about old times, which cemented the fact that he and I were never in a romantic relationship.
The next day, I wanted to visit Master Jianyu. Gabe now taught classes on Mondays and Wednesdays. I decided to attend Gabe's class and insisted that Lauretta, Dario, and Clare come along. I don't think Lauretta had ever attended the classes judging by the wide eyes and the hand at her mouth the whole hour. Afterward, Jianyu took us into the back room and made tea.
"It's good to finally meet you, Lauretta. Gabe talks about you and your son all the time. Like Gabe has said many times, he's a fine-looking boy." Jianyu gently touched the child's cheek, which produced a smile and giggle.
"Thank you
...
Master Jianyu." Her face beamed with joy.
Jianyu then turned to me. "I thank you for thinking of me, Master Lynn. It's always a pleasure to see you." He gave me a small bow.
"Master?" Gabe asked.
"Yes, Lynn is one of a select group of Kazaks with the title of master. The title is reserved for Kazaks who have killed three or more Assassins."
Clare already knew about those encounters but Gabe was speechless.
"You've only been a Kazak for a couple of years. I'd love to work out with you."
"I forbid it," Jianyu said softly. "It would be exciting to fight with a Kazak, and more so with a master. Gabe, you're very talented and know more weapons and techniques than Lynn, but even in a friendly match you'd risk serious injuries."
"Lynn wouldn't hurt me," Gabe protested.
"Not intentionally. You would look for her weaknesses and plan your attack as you have many times over the years. Lynn's conditioned to see an opponent's weakness and strike instinctively. It would be so fast and hard the resulting injuries can't be predicted."
"You're right, Master Jianyu," I said. "A couple of weeks ago one of the instructors on the Hill wanted to show the sixth-year students what it would be like to be a Kazak. He wanted me to fight a volunteer. I allowed two more. The fight lasted less than a minute and although I didn't intend to hurt anyone, all three required treatment afterward. One was seriously injured and may have to leave the school."
"The time between Master Lynn's recognition of weakness and her action has become zero. Her life and the lives of the people she protects depend on that ability." When he looked from Gabe to me, I detected sadness in his words. "Lynn, would you mind taking off your shirt? Gabe has admired you for years, as I have. He sees only the glory of the Kazaks but not the sacrifice. Gabe, before you sits the embodiment of the old Samurai-duty or death."
Jianyu had an insight that few possess. I stripped off my shirt and the several weapons underneath, leaving me naked from the waist up. I don't know what I had expected. Lauretta screamed. Gabe stared, his eyes wide and then misty. And Clare grabbed me by the arm and shook it.
"You lied to me. Those are new wounds across your stomach and chest. Damn, damn you, Lynn. Just once I'd like to see you
...
" Tears streamed down her face.
"Not a lie, Clare. One who loves you trying to protect you from unnecessary worry, until you could see she's again fit," Jianyu interjected.
Clare ran her finger gently across the new scars as if she had felt the pain of each cut herself.
When Jianyu pointed toward my tattoo, I nodded and he reached out and touched the fox in the center of the badge. "The old woman named you well."
***
The next day, Clare spent two hours taping her interview with me. It was fun to watch her expertly draw out every last detail. We decided to include a picture of my recent scars, keeping the frame tight enough that you couldn't detect they were on a woman's body. We left out Gendel's name, left him a CEO but with no implication of being in the financial industry, and bumped Sibeal's age into the early teens. Otherwise, the basic facts of the story were correct, if short on specifics.
"You were really hurt this time, and don't lie to me," Clare said after the interview.
"Yes. I spent over a month on the Hill recovering in both body and mind. I'm at peace with myself. I know you disapprove, but I hope you will always love me for what I am rather than what I do."
"Lynn the Fox. You're the stupidest sister a girl could have, but I love you anyway. By the way, where are we going in the Caribbean? I forgot."
"The Island of Dominica."
"That sounds like fun. Why did you think I wouldn't want to come along? Never mind, it doesn't matter. I'm going anyway."
***
We landed on the island of St. Lucia and had to change to an American Eagle turbo-prop to the town of Canefield, close to Roseau, since the island of Dominica had no international airport. From Roseau, we had a fifty-five minute drive to Beau Rive where I had made reservations.
"It's beautiful," Clare exclaimed as we drove into the complex. Two white two-story buildings stood on the side of a hill among a jungle of green shrubbery and tree ferns of every size and description. I had to admit it was a stunning sight. From our room, we had a panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean. "I don't know why you were worried about me coming here."
"I need to see something, and it isn't the view from this hotel."
The next day we were driven to Roseau, the capital. In general, the people were poor and the houses in bad condition. We spent the day wandering the streets and eating where the locals ate.
"Lynn, why are we walking around here?" Clare's head swiveled like a bobble-headed dashboard doll. "According to the hotel tourist information, there are beautiful places up country. This has got to be the poorest part of Dominica."
"Yes. Humor me a bit, Clare." I had to admit it actually looked worse than most American slums. We went back to Roseau again the next day.
"I'm surprised we haven't been mugged yet. You seem to be able to find the poorest and most run down places to eat and chat with people. We could've visited the slums in any city in the U.S." Clare whispered in my ear.
"Would you have felt safe walking down any of those streets? The chances of being mugged or raped, depending upon the time of day and the local gangs, would be forty to fifty percent. The rate of crime here is less than one percent." We went back again on the following day. Although still nervous, Clare had finally begun to relax a little.
"You're right. Now that I've gotten used to the run-down conditions and the poverty, I don't feel threatened. Did you notice the children going and coming from school? They had on white shirts and ties. Our kids wear pants with the crotches down to their knees, jeans that look fifty years old, chains on their clothes, red-spiked hairdos, and t-shirts with all sorts of crude sayings."
"On the Hill the old lady had me sit in the temple and review my life from my earliest memories. I had to stop every time I got emotional over an event. I had to view each event as a bystander. It took days to get past some of the incidents, but I did."
"Why?"
"For me to see how the past shaped what I am today. I have a free condo, a salary twenty-five times more than I need, and a private plane to take me places. Is it the luxuries that make my life so perfect? No. If I didn't have them my life would still be rich beyond words, because I have a sister I love and who loves me, good friends like Gabe and Jianyu, and a profession I love. The money, plane rides, and condo are not what make my life complete. In the U.S. too many people measure their degree of happiness by how much money they have, yet most aren't really happy. They always want more and are unhappy because they can never get enough. Look around, Clare. These people have little, yet they're happy. They don't want to steal what you have. They've loved ones, friends, and love their way of life. Money could make their lives easier, but it isn't what makes them happy. I think Mr. Gendel may realize that now."
"Yes, it's easy to forget what's important. Every day I see people scrambling for more and still unhappy when they get it. I'm glad you dragged me here."
"Good. Now we can visit and enjoy all those places made for us affluent visitors without the delusion that that's what makes our lives complete."
"Damn, Lynn. You risk your life for people who don't know you and who could care less about your life, and you don't do it for the benefits it brings. You feel your life is complete because you love what you do and have a sister that loves you. Perhaps you're not as dumb as I keep saying."
For the next week, we visited Fort Shirley at Cabrits National Park, experienced the tropical wilderness with its rivers, springs, and waterfalls, saw the world's second-largest , and lazed on sandy beaches. We ate well-mostly fish dishes, the island's specialty. The service was erratic and cuisine simple. Many nights we lay on the same bed, sharing stories and secrets of our growing-up lives, giggling like ten-year-olds. The best part for me was being with Clare.
"Well, boss, I'm on my way home." I had called Witton after dropping Clare off in Denver. I had just finished a steak dinner and had a hot cup of coffee in front of me.
"About time. I'll have to give you a hard assignment to make up for all the time off you've had."
I could almost see him grin.
"That's good, boss. I'm tired of those easy ones and the days and days of boredom."
"When you arrive at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, the company plane will be waiting for you. They will have clothes from your condo and instructions. Call me if you have any questions." The phone went dead.
I guess he doesn't know I had one more day of vacation remaining.
After writing Mr. Gendel a short note when the plane landed thanking him for making my vacation a wonderful experience, I disembarked and immediately boarded the Kazak-marked plane.