"The Witness Wiper"
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dochermes"The Witness Wiper"
9/20/2010
I.
After an hour of driving down the Georgia coast, Josef pulled the rental car over to the side of the road under a pair of red maple trees. Sitting in the passenger seat, Sable watched in bemusement as the Blind Archer reached behind him and came up with a small leather case. As soon as the latches on that case opened, her enhanced sense of smell recognized spirit gum and she figured he was going for a disguise of some sort, although naturally he didn't explain his actions. He seldom did.
A year or two past thirty, Lauren Sable Reilly was an slender woman of medium height, with thick black hair brushed straight back off a high forehead. She had large dark eyes, a snub nose and full lips, and although she hardly ever bothered with even a hint of make-up, she was naturally attractive in a way both men and women found endearing. For this impromptu trip, she found herself wearing sensible flat shoes, Navy blue slacks and a long-sleeved blouse of pale blue with two breast pockets. The silk-thin flexible Trom armor she habitually wore under her civilian clothing did not show at all. A light windbreaker hid the anesthetic daert gun holstered across the small of her back.
Behind the wheel, Josef Jubilec was working carefully as he affixed a wig of dark brown hair with numerous grey flecks down over his own short-cut sandy hair. A matching mustache covered his upper lip and seemed to need trimming as it hung over into his mouth slightly. He took his time making sure the hairpieces were adjusted correctly. A wire-rimmed pair of glasses with a ten per cent amber tint completed the transformation. The Blind Archer was still under forty, but he had a weathered face lined with exposure to many harsh environments and he looked much older.
"It's effective," Sable said. "Someone who had only seen you once or twice would not recognize you."
Josef regarded her somberly. "I find a minimum disguise works better than something more elaborate." He replaced the case to the back seat and started up the car again. "Now I'm afraid I am going to have to reveal some secrets to you, captain."
"Of course. You know you can trust me," she said. "When you first joined our team, the Teachers of Tel Shai judged your character and integrity. Several of them are telepaths. They vouched for you to become a Tel Shai knight. That was enough to qualify you for membership in the KDF as well. More importantly, I have gotten to know you over the years."
"I appreciate that," he said as he eased back up on the deserted back road. "You have never asked what I do on my days off or when I accept commissions as a Blind Archer. But you must have been curious."
"Oh well, naturally." She grinned and seemed much younger, almost a teenager. "Something in your voice tells me you're getting ready to spill all your secrets now, am I right?"
"I suppose." He took a deep breath and lowered his head for an instant before snapping his attention back up on the road. "The past few days, our team has been investigating White Web activity in South Carolina. We concluded that the assassins had moved on, and you sent the others back to New York in the CORBY. But I asked you to accompany me for a day or two on another case."
"Yes. Leave it to Unicorn to tease us about wanting a little fling away from everyone, but if she really thought there was anything between us, she would not have said that." Sable tilted her head. "You're worried and anxious. Come on, let it out, you can tell me anything."
To their right was a gravel road leading into the woods. A tree on either side bore a large notice, 'PRIVATE PROPERTY - NO TRESPASSING, VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED.' Josef swung down this side road and leaned back in the seat as he drove. "You're right. Sable, there is more to my life than any of you realize. You know I was an orphan sold to the Blind Archers as an infant and raised in Chujir. I was one of only three of our sect to ever break away and seek refuge in the real world. I made a living as a bodyguard and courier for several years before I met Jeremy... and it was he who sponsored me to apply as a student of Tel Shai."
"And you have done well as a Tel Shai knight and a KDF member," Sable said. Her enhanced hearing detected the subvocal tremors in his voice that meant he was under great strain. "I figured your private life on your own time was not our business."
"Yes." Josef stopped the car where the gravel road ended and a stone bridge wide enough for only one car at a time led out for a half mile to a round green island. There stood a four story mansion made of stone blocks, with a square watchtower at its east corner and enclosed porches running around its exterior. There were well-tended grounds and an attached garage. Down by the far shore was a long boathouse. The residence itself was of pre-Civil War construction, solid and reassuring. In the late afternoon sunlight with the ocean sparkling nearby, it seemed peaceful as a postcard image.
Sable stared at the unexpected scene, then turned back toward her teammate in silent questioning.
"My other life," Josef Jubilec told her quietly. "That's the world of Harold Purcell, my secret identity."
II.
Where the bridge met the island, two granite posts supported a metal barrier which swung open at a signal from his Link. "That gate being triggered also alerts my staff that I'm arriving," he said. "Harold comes and goes without notice. They are always ready to receive their boss."
"Hmm. And who do they think this Harold Purcell is?"
"An information broker, perhaps one who makes international deals of a slightly shady nature. He is known to have dubious acquaintances. There are five people on staff here, they rotate two days off each week where they can go to the mainland but when on duty they live on the estate. There's a groundskeeper and a maid, a security man who runs errands and brings in supplies, and a cook who also tends the gardens as his own hobby. Then there's Lucy... Lucy Rush. She handles all the paperwork, pays the bills and writes out staff salary checks, arranges my airline tickets and so forth."
Sable repressed a smile at how his tone changed when he had mentioned this Lucy. Josef normally kept a poker face and an subdued voice but some emotion had slipped out just then. They circled around on the crushed shale drive to the front of the mansion. Already, a huge man in a dark suit and tie had emerged on the porch and was marching toward them.
"Quick then," the Blind Archer said. "You're a business associate here to negotiate a trade deal. Better use your real first name, Lauren but maybe a different last name."
"Benitez is good," she prompted. "I'm Cuban on my mother's side, some second cousins are the Benitez clan."
"Fine. Here comes Sunny Jim. Jim Crowley, we call him Sunny Jim." The Blind Archer stepped out and snatched his suitcase from the backseat. Following his lead, Sable fetched her own travel bag as well.
"I'll take those, boss," said the big man. Sunny Jim towered a good three inches over Josef, who topped six feet himself. The security agent had a long mournful face that seemed as gloomy as if going to a funeral. His voice matched his face. Sable fought back an instinctive urge to ask him what was the matter.
"Thanks, Sunny," Josef said. "Put my case in my usual room and leave Miss Benitez' bag in the best guest room. The one on the second floor front. Everything nominal?"
"Smooth as a Grandfather clock, Mr Purcell. Franz is working on lamb for supper but of course he'll whip up anything you want right now."
"We can wait. Let's head inside." As they walked toward the front porch, the Blind Archer offered, "Miss Benitez is here to squeeze every penny she can out of a big property transfer up North. You may hear us arguing and throwing things."
Sunny Jim remained dour. "Business is business, boss. It's not pattycake."
As they entered the high-ceiling drawing room with its cut crystal chandelier and gleaming polished wood floor, Sunny Jim hustled up the curving staircase to the second floor. From a door on the far side of the room, a lean old man wearing a white apron hurried out. He was wiping his gnarled hands on a washcloth.
"Ah, Mr Purcell! So glad to see you," the chef gushed. "In an hour, we will be serving the finest lamb I have seen in many years. It is all I can do to restrain myself from eating it before anyone else gets a chance. Grilled rack with saffron rice and herbs from our own garden..."
"It sounds great, Franz. Miss Benitez will be joining us."
"Ah, did I mention the apple pie that is even now cooling? With a slice of Cheddar, it is the perfect ending to a meal. Perhaps brandy afterwards."
As Purcell, the Blind Archer smiled more broadly than he ever allowed himself as his true person. "Excellent. Excuse us, we have to check in with Lucy."
Bowing and grinning, Franz withdrew back to the kitchen. As he went through the door, tantalizing aromas drifted out. Sable said quietly, "You lead a luxuriant life, Harold."
The disguised Josef pushed his glasses back up on his nose. "Any fool can be uncomfortable. This way, please."
They moved down a hallway flanked with oil paintings of storms at sea and marble miniatures of rearing horses in niches. An unmarked wooden door was ajar and Josef rapped on it with his knuckles before pushing it inward. "Lucy?"
Getting up from behind a desk absolutely groaning under the weight of loose papers and manila folders and bundles of receipts, as well as a half-eaten tuna sandwich in a clear wrapper, Lucy Rush held up one hand, index finger extended in a friendly half-salute. "Good to see you, boss. I could use your signature on a few documents and you've had maybe a thousand calls this week."
"This is Lauren Benitez, here on a business negotiation," Josef said. "This is Lucy Rush, not exactly my executive secretary but more my business manager and legal representative. This place gets along fine without me for a month at a time, but it would collapse if Lucy were gone more than two days."
"Aw, it's funny because it's true." Lucy seemed to be in her mid-twenties, a tall slim woman with dark reddish hair pulled back in a severe bun. The dark green pantsuit and white silk blouse added to the businesslike appearance. And yet, the round face with its sprinkling of freckles over an upturned nose was lit with glee that bordered on mischievous. "Maybe you'll want to wait until after we all eat to do paperwork."
"Yes, thank you." As Josef started to turn, the hulking form of Sunny Jim filled the doorway behind him.
"Oh, sorry. Hope I wasn't interrupting anything..." he grumbled.
"Not at all. We'll see you two later." The Blind Archer lightly touched Sable's arm as they left.
In those few seconds, Sable had seen glances shoot back and forth from Sunny Jim to Lucy, from Lucy to Josef and from Josef to each of his staff. There was a definite triangle going on, she thought. Sunny Jim fixed a puppy dog look of adoration on Lucy, but she hardly noticed him. Lucy was gazing at 'Harold Purcell' as if she had never seen a man before. And Josef seemed uncomfortable with the whole situation.
Before they closed the office door behind them, Sable distinctly heard Sunny Jim mutter, "Well, you must be glad the big guy is here unexpectedly." And Lucy replied, "Just what is THAT supposed to mean?"
Then they were heading back outside where the setting sun made everything cast long distorted shadows. Josef steered her toward a round gazebo and motioned for her to sit on one of its benches. He pulled out his Link and took some readings before seeming satisfied. "I check the grounds constantly for any listening devices," he explained. "My staff is honest and trustworthy but I have only lived this long by being careful."
Resting one arm up on the railing, Sable took a deep breath of the fresh air before prompting him, "Well, my friend. I am glad to see your private world but it's time you unburdened yourself. What is eating at you anyway?"
"We found no sign that the White Web had been active where those two murders occurred," Josef said. "But I spotted a few hints that someone else had been on the scene. A serious rival, one of my peers in the badlands of assassins and counter-assassins. So far our paths have not crossed, but I think he will be going after the third partner in the clandestine transactions those two victims had been working on. His real name is Sergio Torres, originally from Bolivia. He's called the Witness Wiper and with good reason."
"This is interesting," Sable said. "Who is his next target?"
The Blind Archer jabbed a thumb at his own chest. "Harold Purcell."
III.
To Sable's surprise, everyone ate together in the dining hall. She had expected the boss to dine separately from the servants, but they all gathered at the long table covered with spotless white linen and adorned with two vases of fresh-cut flowers. It turned out that the groundskeeper and the maid were a couple in their sixties, Mr and Mrs Hutchinson; it was the first of their two days off and they had gone to visit family and to spoil their grandchildren. As for Franz, the chef was in his glory. He nibbled in the kitchen while bringing out more food, another bottle of wine, clearing away the empty soup tureen and generally enjoying himself immensely.
The meal was excellent. Sable devoured everything put in front of her and her compliments were heartfelt. Franz nearly glowed with pride as he tried to seem modest.
At the head of the table, Josef also ate heartily. Sable was seated to his right with Lucy Rush opposite her. Sunny Jim had taken the chair next to Lucy and surprisingly picked at his food and left some untouched. A big bruiser like that might be expected to have a bottomless appetite but he seemed more glum than usual. Lucy did not pay much attention to him. She was gushing over Harold Purcell, laughing at his barely perceptible dry wit and watching his every move.
Sable tried not to let her irritation show. She would not have been surprised to see Lucy slip her boss a note that read, 'Do You Like Me? Yes/No?' like a schoolgirl. But Sunny Jim was not enjoying the meal. His opening remarks to Lucy were dismissed blithely and his attempts at a joke or two fell flat. Sable made a point to include him in the conversation at every chance.
Josef took this meal as an opportunity to catch up on developments on his estate. It seemed he had last been here three weeks ago and had only called once or twice. Lucy informed him that a healthy check from a client in Brazil had cleared and that he had received increasingly urgent pleas for help from something called Western Development with an office in Maryland. Josef got a few more details and promised he would return their calls.
After Sunny Jim tried to go into detail about taking the speedboat to the mainland for repairs, and having his comments cut short as Lucy promptly interrupted to say that a strange prop plane had circled the island that very day, the big security agent folded his napkin and pushed his chair back. "If you don't have any instructions for me, boss, I guess I'll turn in."
"Sure, Jim. Do you feel all right? You're not getting sick?" asked Josef. The apple pie had arrived and was perfect. He paused with a hefty chunk on his fork.
"Naw, I'm just a little tired. I've been getting up earlier and earlier to work in the garage." He got to his feet and tugged down his suit jacket over a solid midriff. "I'll be in my room if you need anything."
As Sunny Jim lumbered out of the room, Lucy glanced over at Sable and received a critical glare that made her wince. The redhead swung her head around in time to see the door close. "That's...not like him," Lucy said. "He always wants seconds of Franz's pie."
"People are complicated," Sable began but cut off any further remarks. This was none of her business. She didn't even know these folks. They were adults anyway, they needed to handle their own affairs. Putting her fork down on an empty dish that had held a slice of pie seconds earlier, she said, "Heavens, I went through that meal like an army ant. I usually don't eat that fast, honestly."
Starting to clear off the dishes and silverware, a clean towel over shoulder, Franz laughed with glee. "That is what I like to hear, young lady! Thank you so much."
Rising herself, Sable turned to Josef. "Perhaps we might walk around the island? It's a warm night and I feel moving around would do me some good. And we do have business to discuss."
"Sure, it's a good idea." He nodded at Lucy, then said, "We'll take care of business in the morning. You stay up too late for what I pay you."
"I don't mind..." she said as Sable and Josef left the room. Her shoulders slumped. Lucy Rush sat down again and turned to where Franz was tidying up. "I don't suppose there's another slice of that glorious pie left?"
IV.
There were no beaches to speak of. The island's edges dropped off sharply into deep water. Strolling along the perimeter under a starless overcast night, Sable waited until the mansion was out of any possible earshot before saying, "I suppose we are both staying alert for intruders?"
"Oh yes. My ability to detect lifeforce is in full gear right now." The Blind Archer cocked his head and exhaled in relief. "A few crabs down by the water. An owl over in those trees. The usual species. What about you?"
"I'm not picking up anything," she admitted. "I've got my hearing augmented and I cut in the sense of smell at intervals. Nothing suspicious. But I think inspecting your boathouse is a good idea."
Josef clasped his hands behind him as they walked, frowning down at the short grass. "I brought one of our dart guns and I have a few of the KDF gadgets. But no bow, no arrows. It's no wonder I'm uneasy."
"I'm amazed. None of your people here know about the Blind Archer? That you're a Tel Shai knight and a KDF member? I can't imagine keeping a secret like that."
"In a secret compartment under the rear porch is one of my bows and an assortment of arrows. I would hate to have to use them. It would change everything I have built here with my staff... my friends. Things would never be the same again."
"You would lose your safe place," Sable said.
"There is that. I also like the idea that if I ever needed to abandon my Midnight War career for some reason, I could retire to the life of Harold Purcell for years. I have considerable wealth tucked away in various banks."
Unexpectedly, Sable chuckled and reached up to rub his shoulder. This was a rare gesture from her, especially since Josef did not encourage contact. "Come on, open up for once," she said. "It's me! We've been friends for ten years. I think you've created the family here that you never had as a little kid."
For the first time since she had known him, the Blind Archer laughed out loud. "You're right. I realize it. Relaxing for a day or two with my people, playing pool with Sunny Jim and kibitzing in the kitchen with Franz and arguing about legal tangles with Lucy... it's a healing time for me."
Sable stopped walking and gazed out at the ocean. "I wouldn't mind a double life like yours. I hardly visit my family. All my friends from college have long ago drifted away. I feel like the Midnight War is all I have." She stiffened and reached under her windbreaker for the dart gun holstered in the small of her back. "I heard a splash that no fish ever made," she whispered.
"Yes," said Josef as he drew his own weapon. "It looks like we will not have to search for the enemy." Automatically, he moved away from his captain so that a single gunman could not cover them both. The absence of his bow gave him a sharp pang but he was not helpless. Never helpless.
A short thin man in a black neoprene wetsuit seized a projection on the ridge of the island and heaved up into view. If he was surprised to be greeted by two people instead of an opportunity to go unnoticed on his mission, he didn't show it. Still wearing the mask with its attached snorkel, he unsnapped a watertight flap holster on his belt and whipped up a Ruger Blackhawk. "Purcell, eh? Thanks for making this quick."
Simultaneously, four thin metal darts jabbed into his chest to the low coughing sound of the gas-propelled guns. Unfortunately, the points did not quite penetrate the tough material of the wetsuit. This was a drawback of the dart guns. They were designed to work best on bare skin, but thick winter clothing or other protective gear rendered them useless. The Witness Wiper glanced down for a second in puzzlement but immediately straightened out his arm again.
Although Josef was wearing the flexible armor under his civilian clothes, enough impact from bullets at close range would knock him down. His head was still exposed and a follow-up shot would kill him as surely as it would anyone else. In that split-second, though, Sable called out, "Hey, Torres! Sergio Torres!"
Hearing his real name spoken diverted the Wiper's attention again. He swung around toward the unknown woman who obviously knew too much about him to be allowed to live and started to squeeze off a shot... just as a rounded stone cracked against the side of his head right above the ear. The assassin fell straight down in a heap, the gun clattering from his lifeless hand.
Josef Jubilec was lowering his arm from that throw. Even without his chosen weapon, his aim was precise and his arms were powerful from a lifetime of drawing a longbow. He stepped closer. "His lifeforce has gone out."
"Yep," agreed Sable, holstering her dart gun. "Not even a trace of breathing. There goes the last of the blood circulation. Nice throw, Josef."
"My instructors had us practice with anything that was at hand. Their motto was, 'there is always a useful tool within reach.' I must say that was a quick encounter."
Sable crouched over the corpse, retrieved the Ruger and returned it to its holster on Torres' belt. "I wish more of our fights were as short and painless as this one. Those long brusing duels don't excite me any more. Should we conceal the body for now?"
"I think so." Josef came over and helped her haul the limp form over under some neatly trimmed bushes. With that done, he slapped his hands together as if dusting them. "We'll sneak back out when my staff is asleep and take Torres out to sea in my speedboat. We must weigh him down before tossing him. His current employer will never know what happened."
"I don't feel sorry for him at all," Sable replied. "I've read his FBI file. He has killed innocent men, children, old people, pregnant women, anyone as long as the money was good."
"We should get back to the house and act normal," the Blind Archer said. "Harold Purcell had nothing to do with this. He was only haggling a transaction with Miss Benitez."
V.
On the top step of the front porch, Sunny Jim sat with his head down and his hands clasped in front of him. He had not moved noticeably in twenty minutes. Behind him, light poured out as the door opened and Lucy emerged. She moved past him to drop on a lower step where she could look up and see his expressions.
"Jim, talk to me," she whispered. "What IS the problem? Is it something I did, I hope not?"
"Aw, you don't owe me anything," the big man answered. "But I have to get away from here. This is tearing me apart. I'll get back my old job at the hotel."
"I don't understand. What's the problem? How come you never talk about what's going on inside you?"
"Not that I blame you. Mr Purcell is rich as hell, he has no ex-wife or kids, he's not bad looking. I'm sure lots of women tumble for him."
Lucy scoffed. "Tell me about it. Did you get a good look at his guest? Miss Benitez. She's gorgeous and she moves in his circles. I don't have a prayer of competing with the likes of her."
"That's what I'm hurting over," said Sunny Jim in a strained voice. "I don't even come into your thoughts. I'm not even second choice."
"Jim. Are you saying you have feelings for me?" she asked after a moment. "How would I know? You never asked me out. You never tried to kiss me or even give me a friendly hug."
He shrugged in the gloom. "What was the use? You were mooning over the boss when I first came here."
Moving up to sit next to the big man, Lucy Rush let out a deep unsteady breath. "Oh my God. It all makes sense now. I understand a lot of your reactions over the past year. Oh, Jim. I must have seemed so mean to you. I didn't ever intend to hurt anyone."
"I can't blame you," Sunny Jim said. "My mom said the heart goes where it wants to. But I can't take this anymore. I'll tell the boss I'm quitting in the morning."
"Wait, wait. Please. You know, I realize now I have thrown away my pride. I have been offering myself to the boss like...like a meal on a plate and he has never shown the slightest interest. He treats me like anyone else on the staff. Where is my self-respect? I deserve better in life."
Jim started to get up, but she grabbed his arm and tugged until he plopped down again. "Don't do anything hasty. Listen, Jim, I can't promise anything. Maybe we wouldn't work as a couple. I don't know. But I think the two of us deserve a chance. Stay for a while at least and we'll see what happens."
"That's more than I could ask," he said and looked her in the face for the first time. "Win or lose, we should roll the dice."
"Ah ah, no kiss. Not now. Let's get to know each other," she said with relief in her voice. "It's so funny, I've worked with you for a year but I really never got to know you."
A hundred yards away, Lauren Sable Reilly turned her enhanced hearing down to normal levels. She had heard every word and she repeated the conversation to Josef standing beside her.
"Your powers always amaze me," he said. "Well, I'm glad those two are finally opening up to each other. The tension in the air was getting unbearable."
Sable folded her arms and sighed in satisfaction. "I'm happy about it, too. They were both miserable and it was bothering me. So, Josef, you were deliberately being gruff and distant with Lucy to give Jim an opening?"
"Yes," he said. "There is no place for a woman in my life. Aside from the dishonesty of my double identities, I might be killed on any mission. And romance would weaken my spiritual discipline. All I wanted is for those two to have a chance."
"Old friend," she said as she started walking toward the mansion. "I keep finding you're a better person than I thought."
2/14/2018f
9/20/2010
I.
After an hour of driving down the Georgia coast, Josef pulled the rental car over to the side of the road under a pair of red maple trees. Sitting in the passenger seat, Sable watched in bemusement as the Blind Archer reached behind him and came up with a small leather case. As soon as the latches on that case opened, her enhanced sense of smell recognized spirit gum and she figured he was going for a disguise of some sort, although naturally he didn't explain his actions. He seldom did.
A year or two past thirty, Lauren Sable Reilly was an slender woman of medium height, with thick black hair brushed straight back off a high forehead. She had large dark eyes, a snub nose and full lips, and although she hardly ever bothered with even a hint of make-up, she was naturally attractive in a way both men and women found endearing. For this impromptu trip, she found herself wearing sensible flat shoes, Navy blue slacks and a long-sleeved blouse of pale blue with two breast pockets. The silk-thin flexible Trom armor she habitually wore under her civilian clothing did not show at all. A light windbreaker hid the anesthetic daert gun holstered across the small of her back.
Behind the wheel, Josef Jubilec was working carefully as he affixed a wig of dark brown hair with numerous grey flecks down over his own short-cut sandy hair. A matching mustache covered his upper lip and seemed to need trimming as it hung over into his mouth slightly. He took his time making sure the hairpieces were adjusted correctly. A wire-rimmed pair of glasses with a ten per cent amber tint completed the transformation. The Blind Archer was still under forty, but he had a weathered face lined with exposure to many harsh environments and he looked much older.
"It's effective," Sable said. "Someone who had only seen you once or twice would not recognize you."
Josef regarded her somberly. "I find a minimum disguise works better than something more elaborate." He replaced the case to the back seat and started up the car again. "Now I'm afraid I am going to have to reveal some secrets to you, captain."
"Of course. You know you can trust me," she said. "When you first joined our team, the Teachers of Tel Shai judged your character and integrity. Several of them are telepaths. They vouched for you to become a Tel Shai knight. That was enough to qualify you for membership in the KDF as well. More importantly, I have gotten to know you over the years."
"I appreciate that," he said as he eased back up on the deserted back road. "You have never asked what I do on my days off or when I accept commissions as a Blind Archer. But you must have been curious."
"Oh well, naturally." She grinned and seemed much younger, almost a teenager. "Something in your voice tells me you're getting ready to spill all your secrets now, am I right?"
"I suppose." He took a deep breath and lowered his head for an instant before snapping his attention back up on the road. "The past few days, our team has been investigating White Web activity in South Carolina. We concluded that the assassins had moved on, and you sent the others back to New York in the CORBY. But I asked you to accompany me for a day or two on another case."
"Yes. Leave it to Unicorn to tease us about wanting a little fling away from everyone, but if she really thought there was anything between us, she would not have said that." Sable tilted her head. "You're worried and anxious. Come on, let it out, you can tell me anything."
To their right was a gravel road leading into the woods. A tree on either side bore a large notice, 'PRIVATE PROPERTY - NO TRESPASSING, VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED.' Josef swung down this side road and leaned back in the seat as he drove. "You're right. Sable, there is more to my life than any of you realize. You know I was an orphan sold to the Blind Archers as an infant and raised in Chujir. I was one of only three of our sect to ever break away and seek refuge in the real world. I made a living as a bodyguard and courier for several years before I met Jeremy... and it was he who sponsored me to apply as a student of Tel Shai."
"And you have done well as a Tel Shai knight and a KDF member," Sable said. Her enhanced hearing detected the subvocal tremors in his voice that meant he was under great strain. "I figured your private life on your own time was not our business."
"Yes." Josef stopped the car where the gravel road ended and a stone bridge wide enough for only one car at a time led out for a half mile to a round green island. There stood a four story mansion made of stone blocks, with a square watchtower at its east corner and enclosed porches running around its exterior. There were well-tended grounds and an attached garage. Down by the far shore was a long boathouse. The residence itself was of pre-Civil War construction, solid and reassuring. In the late afternoon sunlight with the ocean sparkling nearby, it seemed peaceful as a postcard image.
Sable stared at the unexpected scene, then turned back toward her teammate in silent questioning.
"My other life," Josef Jubilec told her quietly. "That's the world of Harold Purcell, my secret identity."
II.
Where the bridge met the island, two granite posts supported a metal barrier which swung open at a signal from his Link. "That gate being triggered also alerts my staff that I'm arriving," he said. "Harold comes and goes without notice. They are always ready to receive their boss."
"Hmm. And who do they think this Harold Purcell is?"
"An information broker, perhaps one who makes international deals of a slightly shady nature. He is known to have dubious acquaintances. There are five people on staff here, they rotate two days off each week where they can go to the mainland but when on duty they live on the estate. There's a groundskeeper and a maid, a security man who runs errands and brings in supplies, and a cook who also tends the gardens as his own hobby. Then there's Lucy... Lucy Rush. She handles all the paperwork, pays the bills and writes out staff salary checks, arranges my airline tickets and so forth."
Sable repressed a smile at how his tone changed when he had mentioned this Lucy. Josef normally kept a poker face and an subdued voice but some emotion had slipped out just then. They circled around on the crushed shale drive to the front of the mansion. Already, a huge man in a dark suit and tie had emerged on the porch and was marching toward them.
"Quick then," the Blind Archer said. "You're a business associate here to negotiate a trade deal. Better use your real first name, Lauren but maybe a different last name."
"Benitez is good," she prompted. "I'm Cuban on my mother's side, some second cousins are the Benitez clan."
"Fine. Here comes Sunny Jim. Jim Crowley, we call him Sunny Jim." The Blind Archer stepped out and snatched his suitcase from the backseat. Following his lead, Sable fetched her own travel bag as well.
"I'll take those, boss," said the big man. Sunny Jim towered a good three inches over Josef, who topped six feet himself. The security agent had a long mournful face that seemed as gloomy as if going to a funeral. His voice matched his face. Sable fought back an instinctive urge to ask him what was the matter.
"Thanks, Sunny," Josef said. "Put my case in my usual room and leave Miss Benitez' bag in the best guest room. The one on the second floor front. Everything nominal?"
"Smooth as a Grandfather clock, Mr Purcell. Franz is working on lamb for supper but of course he'll whip up anything you want right now."
"We can wait. Let's head inside." As they walked toward the front porch, the Blind Archer offered, "Miss Benitez is here to squeeze every penny she can out of a big property transfer up North. You may hear us arguing and throwing things."
Sunny Jim remained dour. "Business is business, boss. It's not pattycake."
As they entered the high-ceiling drawing room with its cut crystal chandelier and gleaming polished wood floor, Sunny Jim hustled up the curving staircase to the second floor. From a door on the far side of the room, a lean old man wearing a white apron hurried out. He was wiping his gnarled hands on a washcloth.
"Ah, Mr Purcell! So glad to see you," the chef gushed. "In an hour, we will be serving the finest lamb I have seen in many years. It is all I can do to restrain myself from eating it before anyone else gets a chance. Grilled rack with saffron rice and herbs from our own garden..."
"It sounds great, Franz. Miss Benitez will be joining us."
"Ah, did I mention the apple pie that is even now cooling? With a slice of Cheddar, it is the perfect ending to a meal. Perhaps brandy afterwards."
As Purcell, the Blind Archer smiled more broadly than he ever allowed himself as his true person. "Excellent. Excuse us, we have to check in with Lucy."
Bowing and grinning, Franz withdrew back to the kitchen. As he went through the door, tantalizing aromas drifted out. Sable said quietly, "You lead a luxuriant life, Harold."
The disguised Josef pushed his glasses back up on his nose. "Any fool can be uncomfortable. This way, please."
They moved down a hallway flanked with oil paintings of storms at sea and marble miniatures of rearing horses in niches. An unmarked wooden door was ajar and Josef rapped on it with his knuckles before pushing it inward. "Lucy?"
Getting up from behind a desk absolutely groaning under the weight of loose papers and manila folders and bundles of receipts, as well as a half-eaten tuna sandwich in a clear wrapper, Lucy Rush held up one hand, index finger extended in a friendly half-salute. "Good to see you, boss. I could use your signature on a few documents and you've had maybe a thousand calls this week."
"This is Lauren Benitez, here on a business negotiation," Josef said. "This is Lucy Rush, not exactly my executive secretary but more my business manager and legal representative. This place gets along fine without me for a month at a time, but it would collapse if Lucy were gone more than two days."
"Aw, it's funny because it's true." Lucy seemed to be in her mid-twenties, a tall slim woman with dark reddish hair pulled back in a severe bun. The dark green pantsuit and white silk blouse added to the businesslike appearance. And yet, the round face with its sprinkling of freckles over an upturned nose was lit with glee that bordered on mischievous. "Maybe you'll want to wait until after we all eat to do paperwork."
"Yes, thank you." As Josef started to turn, the hulking form of Sunny Jim filled the doorway behind him.
"Oh, sorry. Hope I wasn't interrupting anything..." he grumbled.
"Not at all. We'll see you two later." The Blind Archer lightly touched Sable's arm as they left.
In those few seconds, Sable had seen glances shoot back and forth from Sunny Jim to Lucy, from Lucy to Josef and from Josef to each of his staff. There was a definite triangle going on, she thought. Sunny Jim fixed a puppy dog look of adoration on Lucy, but she hardly noticed him. Lucy was gazing at 'Harold Purcell' as if she had never seen a man before. And Josef seemed uncomfortable with the whole situation.
Before they closed the office door behind them, Sable distinctly heard Sunny Jim mutter, "Well, you must be glad the big guy is here unexpectedly." And Lucy replied, "Just what is THAT supposed to mean?"
Then they were heading back outside where the setting sun made everything cast long distorted shadows. Josef steered her toward a round gazebo and motioned for her to sit on one of its benches. He pulled out his Link and took some readings before seeming satisfied. "I check the grounds constantly for any listening devices," he explained. "My staff is honest and trustworthy but I have only lived this long by being careful."
Resting one arm up on the railing, Sable took a deep breath of the fresh air before prompting him, "Well, my friend. I am glad to see your private world but it's time you unburdened yourself. What is eating at you anyway?"
"We found no sign that the White Web had been active where those two murders occurred," Josef said. "But I spotted a few hints that someone else had been on the scene. A serious rival, one of my peers in the badlands of assassins and counter-assassins. So far our paths have not crossed, but I think he will be going after the third partner in the clandestine transactions those two victims had been working on. His real name is Sergio Torres, originally from Bolivia. He's called the Witness Wiper and with good reason."
"This is interesting," Sable said. "Who is his next target?"
The Blind Archer jabbed a thumb at his own chest. "Harold Purcell."
III.
To Sable's surprise, everyone ate together in the dining hall. She had expected the boss to dine separately from the servants, but they all gathered at the long table covered with spotless white linen and adorned with two vases of fresh-cut flowers. It turned out that the groundskeeper and the maid were a couple in their sixties, Mr and Mrs Hutchinson; it was the first of their two days off and they had gone to visit family and to spoil their grandchildren. As for Franz, the chef was in his glory. He nibbled in the kitchen while bringing out more food, another bottle of wine, clearing away the empty soup tureen and generally enjoying himself immensely.
The meal was excellent. Sable devoured everything put in front of her and her compliments were heartfelt. Franz nearly glowed with pride as he tried to seem modest.
At the head of the table, Josef also ate heartily. Sable was seated to his right with Lucy Rush opposite her. Sunny Jim had taken the chair next to Lucy and surprisingly picked at his food and left some untouched. A big bruiser like that might be expected to have a bottomless appetite but he seemed more glum than usual. Lucy did not pay much attention to him. She was gushing over Harold Purcell, laughing at his barely perceptible dry wit and watching his every move.
Sable tried not to let her irritation show. She would not have been surprised to see Lucy slip her boss a note that read, 'Do You Like Me? Yes/No?' like a schoolgirl. But Sunny Jim was not enjoying the meal. His opening remarks to Lucy were dismissed blithely and his attempts at a joke or two fell flat. Sable made a point to include him in the conversation at every chance.
Josef took this meal as an opportunity to catch up on developments on his estate. It seemed he had last been here three weeks ago and had only called once or twice. Lucy informed him that a healthy check from a client in Brazil had cleared and that he had received increasingly urgent pleas for help from something called Western Development with an office in Maryland. Josef got a few more details and promised he would return their calls.
After Sunny Jim tried to go into detail about taking the speedboat to the mainland for repairs, and having his comments cut short as Lucy promptly interrupted to say that a strange prop plane had circled the island that very day, the big security agent folded his napkin and pushed his chair back. "If you don't have any instructions for me, boss, I guess I'll turn in."
"Sure, Jim. Do you feel all right? You're not getting sick?" asked Josef. The apple pie had arrived and was perfect. He paused with a hefty chunk on his fork.
"Naw, I'm just a little tired. I've been getting up earlier and earlier to work in the garage." He got to his feet and tugged down his suit jacket over a solid midriff. "I'll be in my room if you need anything."
As Sunny Jim lumbered out of the room, Lucy glanced over at Sable and received a critical glare that made her wince. The redhead swung her head around in time to see the door close. "That's...not like him," Lucy said. "He always wants seconds of Franz's pie."
"People are complicated," Sable began but cut off any further remarks. This was none of her business. She didn't even know these folks. They were adults anyway, they needed to handle their own affairs. Putting her fork down on an empty dish that had held a slice of pie seconds earlier, she said, "Heavens, I went through that meal like an army ant. I usually don't eat that fast, honestly."
Starting to clear off the dishes and silverware, a clean towel over shoulder, Franz laughed with glee. "That is what I like to hear, young lady! Thank you so much."
Rising herself, Sable turned to Josef. "Perhaps we might walk around the island? It's a warm night and I feel moving around would do me some good. And we do have business to discuss."
"Sure, it's a good idea." He nodded at Lucy, then said, "We'll take care of business in the morning. You stay up too late for what I pay you."
"I don't mind..." she said as Sable and Josef left the room. Her shoulders slumped. Lucy Rush sat down again and turned to where Franz was tidying up. "I don't suppose there's another slice of that glorious pie left?"
IV.
There were no beaches to speak of. The island's edges dropped off sharply into deep water. Strolling along the perimeter under a starless overcast night, Sable waited until the mansion was out of any possible earshot before saying, "I suppose we are both staying alert for intruders?"
"Oh yes. My ability to detect lifeforce is in full gear right now." The Blind Archer cocked his head and exhaled in relief. "A few crabs down by the water. An owl over in those trees. The usual species. What about you?"
"I'm not picking up anything," she admitted. "I've got my hearing augmented and I cut in the sense of smell at intervals. Nothing suspicious. But I think inspecting your boathouse is a good idea."
Josef clasped his hands behind him as they walked, frowning down at the short grass. "I brought one of our dart guns and I have a few of the KDF gadgets. But no bow, no arrows. It's no wonder I'm uneasy."
"I'm amazed. None of your people here know about the Blind Archer? That you're a Tel Shai knight and a KDF member? I can't imagine keeping a secret like that."
"In a secret compartment under the rear porch is one of my bows and an assortment of arrows. I would hate to have to use them. It would change everything I have built here with my staff... my friends. Things would never be the same again."
"You would lose your safe place," Sable said.
"There is that. I also like the idea that if I ever needed to abandon my Midnight War career for some reason, I could retire to the life of Harold Purcell for years. I have considerable wealth tucked away in various banks."
Unexpectedly, Sable chuckled and reached up to rub his shoulder. This was a rare gesture from her, especially since Josef did not encourage contact. "Come on, open up for once," she said. "It's me! We've been friends for ten years. I think you've created the family here that you never had as a little kid."
For the first time since she had known him, the Blind Archer laughed out loud. "You're right. I realize it. Relaxing for a day or two with my people, playing pool with Sunny Jim and kibitzing in the kitchen with Franz and arguing about legal tangles with Lucy... it's a healing time for me."
Sable stopped walking and gazed out at the ocean. "I wouldn't mind a double life like yours. I hardly visit my family. All my friends from college have long ago drifted away. I feel like the Midnight War is all I have." She stiffened and reached under her windbreaker for the dart gun holstered in the small of her back. "I heard a splash that no fish ever made," she whispered.
"Yes," said Josef as he drew his own weapon. "It looks like we will not have to search for the enemy." Automatically, he moved away from his captain so that a single gunman could not cover them both. The absence of his bow gave him a sharp pang but he was not helpless. Never helpless.
A short thin man in a black neoprene wetsuit seized a projection on the ridge of the island and heaved up into view. If he was surprised to be greeted by two people instead of an opportunity to go unnoticed on his mission, he didn't show it. Still wearing the mask with its attached snorkel, he unsnapped a watertight flap holster on his belt and whipped up a Ruger Blackhawk. "Purcell, eh? Thanks for making this quick."
Simultaneously, four thin metal darts jabbed into his chest to the low coughing sound of the gas-propelled guns. Unfortunately, the points did not quite penetrate the tough material of the wetsuit. This was a drawback of the dart guns. They were designed to work best on bare skin, but thick winter clothing or other protective gear rendered them useless. The Witness Wiper glanced down for a second in puzzlement but immediately straightened out his arm again.
Although Josef was wearing the flexible armor under his civilian clothes, enough impact from bullets at close range would knock him down. His head was still exposed and a follow-up shot would kill him as surely as it would anyone else. In that split-second, though, Sable called out, "Hey, Torres! Sergio Torres!"
Hearing his real name spoken diverted the Wiper's attention again. He swung around toward the unknown woman who obviously knew too much about him to be allowed to live and started to squeeze off a shot... just as a rounded stone cracked against the side of his head right above the ear. The assassin fell straight down in a heap, the gun clattering from his lifeless hand.
Josef Jubilec was lowering his arm from that throw. Even without his chosen weapon, his aim was precise and his arms were powerful from a lifetime of drawing a longbow. He stepped closer. "His lifeforce has gone out."
"Yep," agreed Sable, holstering her dart gun. "Not even a trace of breathing. There goes the last of the blood circulation. Nice throw, Josef."
"My instructors had us practice with anything that was at hand. Their motto was, 'there is always a useful tool within reach.' I must say that was a quick encounter."
Sable crouched over the corpse, retrieved the Ruger and returned it to its holster on Torres' belt. "I wish more of our fights were as short and painless as this one. Those long brusing duels don't excite me any more. Should we conceal the body for now?"
"I think so." Josef came over and helped her haul the limp form over under some neatly trimmed bushes. With that done, he slapped his hands together as if dusting them. "We'll sneak back out when my staff is asleep and take Torres out to sea in my speedboat. We must weigh him down before tossing him. His current employer will never know what happened."
"I don't feel sorry for him at all," Sable replied. "I've read his FBI file. He has killed innocent men, children, old people, pregnant women, anyone as long as the money was good."
"We should get back to the house and act normal," the Blind Archer said. "Harold Purcell had nothing to do with this. He was only haggling a transaction with Miss Benitez."
V.
On the top step of the front porch, Sunny Jim sat with his head down and his hands clasped in front of him. He had not moved noticeably in twenty minutes. Behind him, light poured out as the door opened and Lucy emerged. She moved past him to drop on a lower step where she could look up and see his expressions.
"Jim, talk to me," she whispered. "What IS the problem? Is it something I did, I hope not?"
"Aw, you don't owe me anything," the big man answered. "But I have to get away from here. This is tearing me apart. I'll get back my old job at the hotel."
"I don't understand. What's the problem? How come you never talk about what's going on inside you?"
"Not that I blame you. Mr Purcell is rich as hell, he has no ex-wife or kids, he's not bad looking. I'm sure lots of women tumble for him."
Lucy scoffed. "Tell me about it. Did you get a good look at his guest? Miss Benitez. She's gorgeous and she moves in his circles. I don't have a prayer of competing with the likes of her."
"That's what I'm hurting over," said Sunny Jim in a strained voice. "I don't even come into your thoughts. I'm not even second choice."
"Jim. Are you saying you have feelings for me?" she asked after a moment. "How would I know? You never asked me out. You never tried to kiss me or even give me a friendly hug."
He shrugged in the gloom. "What was the use? You were mooning over the boss when I first came here."
Moving up to sit next to the big man, Lucy Rush let out a deep unsteady breath. "Oh my God. It all makes sense now. I understand a lot of your reactions over the past year. Oh, Jim. I must have seemed so mean to you. I didn't ever intend to hurt anyone."
"I can't blame you," Sunny Jim said. "My mom said the heart goes where it wants to. But I can't take this anymore. I'll tell the boss I'm quitting in the morning."
"Wait, wait. Please. You know, I realize now I have thrown away my pride. I have been offering myself to the boss like...like a meal on a plate and he has never shown the slightest interest. He treats me like anyone else on the staff. Where is my self-respect? I deserve better in life."
Jim started to get up, but she grabbed his arm and tugged until he plopped down again. "Don't do anything hasty. Listen, Jim, I can't promise anything. Maybe we wouldn't work as a couple. I don't know. But I think the two of us deserve a chance. Stay for a while at least and we'll see what happens."
"That's more than I could ask," he said and looked her in the face for the first time. "Win or lose, we should roll the dice."
"Ah ah, no kiss. Not now. Let's get to know each other," she said with relief in her voice. "It's so funny, I've worked with you for a year but I really never got to know you."
A hundred yards away, Lauren Sable Reilly turned her enhanced hearing down to normal levels. She had heard every word and she repeated the conversation to Josef standing beside her.
"Your powers always amaze me," he said. "Well, I'm glad those two are finally opening up to each other. The tension in the air was getting unbearable."
Sable folded her arms and sighed in satisfaction. "I'm happy about it, too. They were both miserable and it was bothering me. So, Josef, you were deliberately being gruff and distant with Lucy to give Jim an opening?"
"Yes," he said. "There is no place for a woman in my life. Aside from the dishonesty of my double identities, I might be killed on any mission. And romance would weaken my spiritual discipline. All I wanted is for those two to have a chance."
"Old friend," she said as she started walking toward the mansion. "I keep finding you're a better person than I thought."
2/14/2018f
