“Bartender, may I have a glass of blood?” I swear I will treasure the look on their faces forever before I started giggling. “Kidding guys, I really am not a vampire and I don’t drink blood. I am kind of thirsty though. A small glass of soda water if you’re open this morning.”

The bartender hesitated before he reached under the counter, retrieved a small glass and filled it with soda water. He set it on the bar sans paper coaster.

I picked it up and took a drink. “Hey guys I’m really not that bad. Relax, your heart rate is up and your adrenalin is in flight mode. Chill you two.”

Harold was the first to find his voice. “You can hear our heart beat or were you kidding about that too?”

“I can hear it. You’re a little rapid yet. Your arteries are good but both of you need to get out of this place more often. Your lungs could use a little more fresh air. Both of you are putting off a frightened scent.”

“You’re kidding us now?”

“Nope, I hear the air moving in and out of your lungs. Both of you need to spend more time in the fresh air. I’ll talk to Kathy and see if she won’t spring for an electronic air filter for this place. The carpet, the dust, pollen, and particles the drinking crowd brings in makes the air in here worse than Los Angeles.”

The barkeep was looking at my mouth. “Where do they go?”

I put a finger up beside my nose.

“May I see them again?”

My fangs slid out over and past my bottom lip.

“That has got to be the most amazing thing I have ever seen in my entire life. I don’t remember Jenna having those.”

My fangs retracted as it was hard to speak when they were out. “I’m guessing here. She might not have been old enough. I don’t think they come in until one reaches age of maturity. I’m sorry, I’m no expert here. I’ve heard there are others. I’ve never met one. Most of the stories are lies and fairy tales. I wish I had met Jenna.”

Harold added his voice. “You would have loved her. She was the sweetest, nicest person one could ever hope to met.”

“And then they killed her.”

“Yeah, and then they killed her. Bastards! She never hurt anyone.”

“Uh, don’t take this the wrong way but you seem different than Jenna. You don’t have that innocence she had unless you are trying to project it. I asked for your ID last night. How old are you?”

“I could possibly have known your great great grandmother if we had met.”

Both men blinked as they tried to get a handle on the years. “Horse and buggies before there were cars?”

“Yep.”

“You’re a walking talking historical document. I’d love to hear some of the stories you could tell.”

I laughed. “Do I still need an ID?”

Harold laughed as he nodded. “Absolutely. Anyone who looks as young as you must have an ID to get into the club.”

I needed to get moving to check out what was shipping in and out on the docks. I had a strong suspicion some of those arrivals weren’t actually ordered by the restaurant or the club. They were certainly paid for by the restaurant. My presence there would put a dampener on some of it even if I wasn’t allowed to start putting the brakes on it yet. “Guys, I gotta go, duty calls. Harold, I’ve got your back, kid. I promise no one will hurt either one of you while I’m here.”

I headed back through the dinning room and the four guys were still standing there trading stories. I headed for the stairs. I was knocking on Brent’s door.

“Nova would you stop that. You and Kathy are the only two people in this organization who don’t need to knock and probably the only two who do. I have the cameras you requested. Thought you would pick them up last night. Kathy told me you were…, um, occupied?”

“Yes Sir. I have another request if I may. I want a small recorder and a snooper camera. One I could wear as a necklace.”

“You got it. Anything else?”

“Yes Sir. As soon as I take over there will be only one person to authorize billing, shipping, inventory control, and payments. Find a better than good accountant to stay on the numbers. Too many people are authorized to sign for freight and other services. It has to stop. Only one dock supervisor will have that authority. Cash flow is going to become a four-tier system. Only one person will be authorized at the docks, the restaurant, and the club. They send all the data to the accountant crunching the numbers. He or she in turn posts a spread sheet to Kathy every Tuesday.”

“Why Tuesday?” Brent was curious.

“Friday everyone is trying to wrap up for the weekend even if they have the weekend shift. Monday is organization and get back in the grove day. Tuesday, Wednesday everyone is back on track. I happened to pick Tuesday.”

He leaned back in his chair giving it some thought. “You got it. Anything else?”

“No Sir.”

“Nova, you call me sir one more time and we are going to come to blows in the middle of the floor. No doubt I’d get my butt kicked. I’d sure feel a whole lot better afterwards.”

That one caused me to giggle as a smile touched my lips. “It would be an interesting contest.”

He pointed to two boxes beside the door. “Your cameras. Anything else?”

“No Sir.” I swept up the boxes as I ran out the door.

“Smart ass.” Followed me down the hall.

In the executive suite I unpacked the cameras and read the instruction sheets. Nothing I hadn’t handled before. Setting up the battery chargers for both I headed back to Kathy’s office. I knocked and then headed in. “I need four memory cards for two cameras and extra batteries.” I handed her the information I had written down.

“How soon?”

“Before tonight.”

“If I give you the address of a camera store could you pick all this up yourself?”

“Possibly.”

“Money? I should have thought of this before.” She reached into her purse, took out her billfold and retrieved a credit card. “Company credit card. Pick up whatever you need. They will call making sure you are authorized. I’ll okay it. You think of anything at the camera store or Walmart, or the camping store, or anywhere and I’ll okay it.”

I took the card. “Kathy, thanks for trusting me.”

“Trust? Nova we’re all dead here without you pulling us out of this mess we became entangled in. Trust, yes, desperation is more like it.”

“I won’t let you down.”

“I know you won’t hon. Now scoot, you have shopping to do. There is nothing a woman loves more other than chocolate.”

“Oh, I almost forgot.” She reached over to the side of her desk and picked up a tag. “Your name tag was delivered a couple minutes ago.”

I looked at the name Nova and then pinned it on my blouse.

=============================

Taking my time wondering through the docks I strolled from one end to the other. I was definitely putting a cramp in some of the stealing going on. Now I was showing my name I bet it was placed beside Mr. Walker’s. Bring it on children. I’m getting tired of this cat and mouse game. I dropped down off the docks and headed out to my car. In the car I reached under the seat and flipped a rocker switch. The outside rearview mirrors had cameras in them. My GPS screen showed two guys coming up to my car last night and reaching under the rear wheel well. Cute guys, there was a tracker under the rear fender. I bet they were pissed when I didn’t leave last night. If it was a decent system now all they had to do is follow me on their computer. Gotta love this new age technology.

I brought the camera store up on my GPS. It was five blocks from a Walmart. I wasn’t going to clue them in I was camera shopping. I parked at Walmart and walked to the camera store. Sandwich meat, mayo, bread, and a lot of other goodies loaded my cart before I left Walmart. It didn’t seem right to be mooching off the company even if I was employed by them and staying in their executive suite. Kathy had given me an okay on that but it still didn’t seem right. I was going to stop theft not become one of them.

Back at the docks I carried my Walmart bag as I strolled back down the dock. Sitting down on the edge of the dock I took out my booty from Walmart and made myself a sandwich. The shipping crew stopped moving pallets where they didn’t belong. I was making them nervous even if they believed I was only hired to do cleaning. It would look a whole lot more convincing if I was wearing coveralls and pushing a janitorial cart. I’d do that later if I got a chance.

“What in the hell is she doing? Anyone know what her job description is and where she belongs? Find her time card yet? Hell I don’t know, look for Nova on the card. The bitch has got to go. She’s too nosey for her own good. Where did she go? Walmart and that was it? Make it tonight if possible. I’ve had enough of her wandering around looking at us. Hell, follow her out and make it look like a car jacking. We don’t need to know where she’s sleeping. Get rid of the bitch. She’s getting on my nerves.”

‘Tonight, make it look like a car jacking? Guys you got a date. Hope you can keep it. Never go hunting unless you know what it is you’re gonna find.’ A little over an hour later I put all my lunch fixings into the plastic bag and headed inside. I was singing as I headed to the executive suite to load my cameras and put away my food. I took a couple shots with each camera and then checked to make sure I was getting pictures. I cut a small circle hole in the side of the purse I purchased in Walmart, put one camera in there and taped it down. Using the remote I practiced holding the purse in the position I needed to take a picture. Not every picture was perfect but I had a huge space on each memory card. Wasting shots was not going to be a problem.

It was after eleven, the dinning room would be busy now. I headed for the kitchen.

“You! I have to tell you again I’m going to slit your throat and toss you in the garbage bin. Get out of my kitchen!” He was pointing that big knife at me again.

“I’m sorry, this is such a big place and I can’t seem to figure out where it is I belong.” I had over three dozen pictures before I left his kitchen. One of them was him waving that big knife at me.

In the docks someone started to reach for me from behind. I jumped forward and spun at the same time expecting to put down a couple men. Instead it was a girl about twenty or so.

“I didn’t mean to startle you. Brent told me to find you. He wants to see you.”

“Okay” I headed for the hallway. When she didn’t follow I stopped. “Come on. The docks aren’t anyplace for a girl to be wandering around by herself.”

She gave me a confused look. “But you…”

“Long story. Come on, I’ll walk with you back inside.”

I left her in the dinning room. She was one of the waitresses from the bar. I figured she would be safe enough going back there.

“You wanted to see me?”

He placed a couple small recorders and a necklace camera on his desk. “This work?”

Taking the memory card out of the camera in my purse I handed it to him. “Download what is on there and I’ll want it back. That is the tip of the iceberg. I figured since I’m here I’ll get you primed on some of the problems we are facing. Kathy better be ready with a boatload of new help. It is going to look like wholesale slaughter around here when you turn me lose.”

“She’s called several temp agencies. Twenty or thirty people be enough? Is Monday still a time frame?”

“Kathy moved me up to Friday night. Saturday at four AM. I want those people here and told what their job is before the regulars start clocking in. I’ll need yours and Kathy’s help at that time. I can’t be everywhere explaining everything to all of them. So far the waitresses are safe. Harold and Ben your barman are keepers. Some of your liquor is flowing out the back door. One of the barkeeps has to be helping.”

“Kitchen?”

“Not that much theft I have caught yet. Most of the food theft is happening on the docks before it ever gets to the kitchen. A lot of spoilage because food isn’t being properly stored. The kitchen itself has some problems. It is there I haven’t caught who is doing it. A whole lot of sloppy laziness. Some are going. I’ll be getting rid of the ones who aren’t going to get with the program. There are two I’ll get rid of Saturday morning. I’ll figure out who else by the end of next week.”

“Our cooks?”

“Two go. They are unprofessional in handling food. Your head chef stays if we can come to an understanding. He’s an ass and a grouch. I kinda like him. I’m disappointed he hasn’t cleaned up his own help in his kitchen. I think he got tired of fighting knowing what was going on.”

“I’ll inform Kathy she needs to add two cooks to that temp list. Anything else?”

“Some men are going to follow me home tonight and do a car jacking. I’m supposed to end up dead. It may get messy. I may need help if the cops get involved.”

“You’re going home? I thought you were staying in the executive suite?”

“I don’t have a home nor an apartment. I’m the bait and they are the mice. Don’t try and stop me from having fun.”

“God Nova, you’re one scary person when you talk like that. I have a friend who owns a security company. Be all right if a couple of his men pace you and take over when you’re finished? They can take the heat from the police for stopping a car jacking.”

“I like it. Tell them to get it on film. I won’t stick around to answer question for the police.”

“Car and tags?”

“Plates are liberated. I’ll put my old plates back on. They are stolen too but out of state. Might not show up on their computers.”

“They might talk if they are still alive. Remember what you promised Kathy.”

I laughed. “You think they will brag to the police they tried to kill a bitch from work? I don’t think so. They rat out me they rat out their buddies. They will clam up tighter than Ft. Knox. I’ll leave them alive if possible.”

“That is all we can ask. When? So I can let my friend know?”

“My time card says my shift ends at six this evening. Still good light so cameras can get good pics. I can’t predict how far they will follow me before they pull the car jacking. I’ll lead them to the less respectable part of town to give them a golden opportunity. They put a tracker on my car. If your security guys get close enough they can pick up and key in the tracker signal so they can keep up too.”

“Nova, this isn’t a game. Don’t get careless because you don’t think you can lose. Kathy will go to pieces if she thought she put you in a position where you got killed.”

“Brent, I’m not Jenna. I have several hundred years experience with people trying to kill me. So far I’m proving I’m pretty tough to kill. It will happen one day. Not tonight. Most certainly not by a couple two bit hoods.”

His mouth was open and he was blinking. “several….hundred…..”

I turned and headed out the door. “Give those security guys a heads up. They will need time to get their act together. They have the rest of the day. Should be plenty of time if they are professionals.”

Brent watched as Nova reached the stairs. He softly muttered to himself. “Kathy what have we let loose in our midst?”

“I HEARD THAT!” Came back as Nova stepped down the stairs.

Brent plopped down in his chair. “THAT woman gets scarier and scarier by the day.”

==================================

The day went pretty much like the others except I was now getting a whole lot of solid provable data on the cameras. I loved bugging them at the docks. I was an unknown to them. They weren’t really smart enough to realize I knew some of those pallets were going where they didn’t belong. They were still shifting things on the dock. They just weren’t sliding loaded pallets back into the trucks.

I was pushing a cleaning cart with brooms, cleaning supplies, mops and everything else a respectable janitor would have. There were several problems with me pushing that cart. The ones assigned that duty were in one of the back storage rooms playing cards or had left without clocking out. No doubt one of their friends would clock out their time card at the right time. How many were not even bothering to show up and let someone else clock them in and out? This place was totally out of control. The only way it could possibly get this bad is the team leaders in each department were doing it themselves or getting paid to look the other way.

It wasn’t long before I was standing in front of Kathy again. Her and Brent were the only two with authority I trusted. “Need a duty roster for all the help. Every single one of them. I want their time slots and where they should be hour by hour. I want all their personal information, home address, phone numbers, next of kin, everything.”

“That bad?” Kathy was watching me.

“Hell is coming to this place. I’m delivering it. Stay with me, Kathy. You said you trust me. Hold on to that.”

==================================

I was smiling ear to ear that evening as I clocked out and walked out to my car. There were two guys who had followed me out. They were so obvious a blind dog would have spotted them. Involuntarily my fangs came down over my lower lip. Oh yeah, I could smell blood in the water. My tongue came out between my fangs and licked my upper lip.

What are they driving? Starting my car up, I dropped it in low and floored the accelerator. Burning rubber I headed out of the parking lot. Both sprinted to a black utility van. Slowing down I pulled out into the street and headed toward the warehouse district. The less expensive trackers have a limited range. I almost laughed, if they are using a low cost tracker, they knew if I got a couple miles out of their range they would lose the signal. It was the reason my sudden takeoff. It had them scrambling for the van. Now I knew what they were driving.

After I told him about the car jacking coming up, Harold clued me in where I should go if I wanted something fairly deserted. After a couple blocks I switched off my GPS. If a satellite can track you, the government can track you. Same as with cell phones. It was one of the reasons I didn’t carry one. My car was new enough to have a factory tracker installed. Supposedly the car wouldn’t run if it was disabled. There were ways around those things if one knew the right people. There were a lot of black market parts installed the government wouldn’t approve of. Checking my rearview mirror I could see the van pulling out of the parking lot. “Guys, I’ve seen better attempts at following someone from kids on bicycles.”

Still no sign of the professionals Brent said would be along. They would or should be in camera range. I passed a large sedan sitting at a stop sign on the side street. It had two men in it. Ahhh, they were good but not that good. The driver didn’t have his hands on the steering wheel. Probably because he was the one using the camera at the moment. I was right. Keeping a check on the mirror, the sedan eased out after the van had passed.

There were several places the idiots could have tried as it was a ten mile drive with several stoplights before I pulled into the old warehouse district. It would have been a more believable car jacking if they had tried at one of the stoplights. These guys weren’t up for any MENSA awards.

Ernie looked at Pete and nodded after the bitch had stopped at one of the warehouses. “That must be where she’s bunking out.” They were only a couple blocks away when she stopped. He floored the van to get up beside the car before she got in the building.

I could see them coming. Lying down in the seat, I reached over opened the passenger door and slid out of the car.

Pete was shooting at where the bitch should be sitting in the seat after Ernie pulled up beside the car. Nineteen bullets later he realize she wasn’t there. “Where did she go?”

“She’s down on the floor. Get out and finish this.” Pete was halfway out when something grabbed him. yanked him out, and slammed him down on the pavement. The air was knocked out of him, his head hit the pavement with a resounding thud. He was through.

Ernie was starting to react after he had seen Pete fly out the door. “What the hell?” He was pulling a gun out of his waistband.

Jumping up and kicking off the side of my car, I launched myself horizontally into the van. I flew across the passenger seat and the storage compartment between the seats. Colliding with the driver, he was slammed up against the door dropping the gun in the process. Reaching across him I pulled the door handle and pushed on the guy between the door and me. Which caused the door to swing out of the way and both of us to go tumbling out of the van. The guy was toast, still alive but out of working order with broken ribs and a punctured lung. He was semi conscious which was probably a blessing.

The dark sedan was coming in. I was wondering how much of that they got on tape? When they pulled up and the two men got out I could sense a mutant. The guys were as focused on me as I was on them.

Looking at the guy on the ground one of them turned his attention back to me. “Fascinating piece of athletic ability.”

He wasn’t a sensitive so he was guessing if I was a mutant. They either had it on tape or had seen the whole thing. “I try to keep in shape. How good of a picture do you have of me?”

“I’ve already edited it where the whole thing is kind of fuzzy. Still clear what they intended with them shooting into your car.”

“Pushers can do that without having to edit the tapes.” I watched a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

“Yeah, I heard the same thing. Never one around when you need one. I also heard sensitives can tell when mutants are near by.” He was looking for that look from me.

I didn’t bite as I nodded in agreement. “I heard those rumors about them too. Need more of them working for the government so we can round up all those freaking mutants. What’s going to be the story? I’m not sticking around to talk to the police.”

“You were shot and drove off before we got here. Probably needed to get to the hospital. The tapes should be good enough to put them away. We happened to be in the neighborhood checking out a warehouse for a client, saw the car chase, got curious, followed up, and happened to be taking pictures. A solid case would be your testimony. I take it you aren’t fond of the police?” He was still fishing.

“I like to stay off their radar as much as possible. The past carries a lot of baggage.” I noticed the other man was staying clear of our conversation. These two were a team who had seen some serious crap over time. The normal was letting the mutant find out what he could. I liked these guys.

“Think your car will still run? We can push you into one of the empty warehouses if necessary.” He was walking over to take a look at my car while the other one kept watch on the guy on the pavement.

“My door and seat received the latest in cool ventilation customization but yes, the car itself is still good.” I followed him over.

He stopped and looked at the guy lying between the vehicles. “Dead?”

“Broken but still alive.” I was standing back, not getting too close as I watched the man.

He nodded before he turned around and studied me. “Nova, Brent gave me a heads up about you. I met one of you already. Her name was…”

“I know, Jenna right? Has everyone met Jenna?” More and more I was wishing I had met this girl myself.

He gave me a sad smile. “A lot of us had. Jenna never had anyone tell her the dangers of being a mutant. She wasn’t raised around people who hated her for what she was. She used her gift to help people and loved almost everyone. All those in turn loved her back. She was what all of us wish the world was like, normals and mutants living in harmony. She died because she was naive. I arrived after the police had forced her car off the road. She had no idea they weren’t going to let her live no matter what. Two squad cars had pulled her over. Four policemen were yelling for her to get out of her car. When she did, they never gave her a chance. They turned her and her car into mincemeat once they started. The news claimed she was armed and shooting back at the police. She didn’t have a gun until they planted one on her body.”

“I have several different videos of the assassination and the names of every single one of those bastards.” His voice caught in his throat.

Stepping up I took his hand and looked into his eyes. “Don’t carry her death on your shoulders. From what I have heard about her, she wouldn’t want that. Revenge is a dark hole sucking the life out of those who let it get a grip on their own soul. Trust me, I know first hand about revenge. Build on Jenna’s love. Use what you have to help others not able to help themselves. There are too many like us who are just as evil as those policemen you despise. Is it any wonder many normals hate everyone tagged as mutant? Maybe Jenna’s love for everyone can be a start for understanding among the normals and us? I’m willing to give it a try. How about you?”

He looked at me for several long seconds before he nodded. “You’re the only other Huntress I’ve met. In your own way, you’re like Jenna without the innocence. Are you really as old as Brent said?”

My eyes closed slightly as my fangs slipped out before I pulled them back in. “I’ll have a talk with Brent about what he is saying about me. One doesn’t speak about a woman’s age if they are a gentleman.”

He looked shocked and then he started laughing. “Oh you are good. Pulled me in there for a second. I was fixing to call him up and tell him to run! Lady, you are really something. Hope you get that mess straightened out for Brent and Kathy. They deserve better. Both of them have put their lives into that place trying to hold it together.”

“Oh it will be straightened out one way or another. Might be nothing left but a wasteland when I’m finished. All those who have been bleeding it to death are going to regret the day they were born. I keep trying to tell you people I’m not Jenna. I have tasted the evil of revenge and own it. Try the place out after I’m gone. I think you will like it.” I gave him a wink.

“You won’t stick around?”

“Can’t, won’t, revenge is a cruel mistress. Everyone will know about me after it is over. I will have to move on so I don’t end up like Jenna.” I pointed to the guy lying on the ground. “I can handle a few dozen like him. A hundred government guys who hate mutants with me in the middle would be a loosing proposition.”

“With your ability to alter reality and hiding in plain sight, I imagine you will live to a ripe old age.” I backed up. “Listen, time for me to go. Let Brent know if what you have doesn’t hold these guys.”

“You would kill them?”

“Damn straight. They have killed a couple others who got too close to what they were doing at the restaurant. I’m a blood thirsty bitch who gives no quarter nor asks for none. The only reason they are still alive, I promised Brent and Kathy no killing. I can tell you it is putting a wrinkle in my kindness to no end.”

His eyes got a little bigger. “Killing is kindness?”

“I have ethics. I only kill mercifully unless I’m rushed or they really piss me off.”

He shook his head. “I was wrong, you’re not Jenna.”

“She would have understood if she had lived long enough. It’s in our blood. We aren’t called Hunters because we are the sweetheart at the party. I don’t know if there are any more out there. As long as I have lived I haven’t met another one. Lots of rumors though. The last thing one would want to do is head off where people were claiming mutants had killed someone. For my own health I steer clear of those areas.”

He pointed off toward the exit. “Go, I’ll try to stitch this together enough so the police will believe it and file charges. Nova, take care and stay alive. I find you fascinating. I’d like to sit down with you over a cup of coffee and have you tell me some of those stories you have lived.”

“Name?”

“Spencer Miller.”

“I’ll keep you in mind Mr. Miller. Maybe in a few years after things have cooled down around here?”

“I’d like that.” He gave me a smile.

Before I left I opened up my trunk and retrieved the ammo box. Taking the index file with the cell phones out, I handed it to him. “I’m asking for a favor. These belong to the guys who were ransacking Kathy’s house. Run the numbers and let me know where they lead. Find out who the person all three of them called the most. I don’t believe in coincidence. Out of all the homes Kathy’s was targeted? Someone told those guys what her hours were and she lived alone. I don’t believe for an instant they were intelligent enough to disable her security system without someone passing them the code. I want names, addresses.”

“One last thing. I used one of those phones to call nine one one. I suspect the police will be trying to ping it to find out who called it in even though the name listed should lead back to one of the men they have in lock up.”

He took the box. “Careful and discrete is my middle name. Be careful Nova. I have a gut feeling you dropped into the middle of a bunch of heavy hitters here. How do I get back in touch with you?”

“Through Brent or Kathy. I need to check out a junkyard and see if they have a driver’s door which will fit my old Mercury. Or get a ton of Bondo and gray primer paint. The bullet holes are too eye catching to ignore.”

“Miller, how old do you think Jenna was?”

A hint of sadness touched his eyes. “Don’t know. She moved here eighteen years ago. She looked like she was seventeen or nineteen then. When they killed her I’d swear she was seventeen or nineteen. Should have kept moving. Badges don’t like it when someone doesn’t seem to age.”

“Did she ever mention where she was from?”

“She mentioned Canada at times. Of course she mentioned most of the fifty states too.”

I had a strong suspicion what got her killed. “Too many people she started liking. She hung around too long. Friendship has to be temporary for those like us.”

“Ouch.” He gave it some thought. “Has to be a miserable life not having any long term friends.”

“Better than the alternative…, I guess.”

I got in my car, and started to roll down my window before I thought. Rolling down the window wasn’t necessary. It wasn’t there. I yelled back to Spencer. “Know any good body shops where they are ‘careful and discrete’ and don’t ask questions?”

“Charley on Tenth and Adams.” He yelled back. “Tell him Jack sent you.”

“I want the names and numbers off these guys cell phones too. Make it happen before calling the police and losing their personals in holding.”

=============================

I slept in the car and came to work after five the next morning. I wanted everyone to see me arriving. Which I doubted the wisdom there of myself when I sensed the mutants. Oh the glory of living when they wanted me dead and I didn’t co-operate. They called in a couple mutant enforcers. These guys were the muscle for the organization to keep everyone in line. Or, in my case, take out anyone the first two idiots couldn’t manage. I bet one or both those clowns from yesterday called from the hospital and told someone I was still upright and not filling in the compost pile.

Walking close enough to the mutants I was able to get an understanding of their powers. Both were one trick pony instead of being multi talented. The short one stood about five six and was a mind caster, He could put thoughts into people’s minds. He wasn’t as powerful as those who could nudge actual events. The other one was some kind of power house able to destroy people’s bodies with a lightning surge. The mind bender was already trying to project on me. I was supposed to walk into the storage room on my right. Probably where Mr. Lightning would light me up?

Although I had been targeted by a lightning caster, I had never been hit by a mutant generated lightning strike. I wasn’t sure I would like it. I also wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to handle him? “Morning men.” As I walked on past and headed to the club, I had their faces on camera.

One more time I was standing in front of Kathy’s desk. “What kind of policy do you have about unauthorized visitors?”

She took a deep breath before looking up. “I take it this is the dock area since we welcome those kind of people in the restaurant and club?”

“Un huh.”

“Because so many come and go from that area, including the delivery drivers, there isn’t any.”

“Call the security company Brent called yesterday. Have them send out the two guys who wrote the report about finding two of your employees firing into a passenger car. Have them hang around the docks today with the excuse they were called in to see if they could figure out the two shooter’s motive. Tell Mr. Miller there are two mutants on our docks who are not employees. He needs to be extra cautious. These guys are the muscle for the organization stealing this place blind.”

Kathy rubbed her forehead and hesitated before she replied. “Nova, I…, didn’t realize it was this bad. You getting killed isn’t worth it. Leave them alone. We’ll try another way.”

“Kathy, this is going to stop. I’m going to be the one putting nails in their coffin. You hired me to do a job. You can fire me if you like. I’m not pulling out until I finish what you hired me for, paycheck or no paycheck. This is what I’m good at. I promised no dead bodies. That was before I realized they were killing people. Bringing in a couple mutants also changed the rules. These are not nice people. They play hardball. I believe I’m the best player in the game.”

“Today is Thursday, they have one more day before I get their attention unless they start the fight sooner. Those two mutants aren’t there to make sure the proper number of bananas get loaded back onto the truck. One of them is a pusher like you said your brother is. Only this guy does it in a bad way which gets people hurt or killed. His crime might be why your brother is in jail. Possible he did something and gave the thought to the police your brother did it. He already tried his mind game on me. It didn’t go the way he planned. I’m a null, they can’t sense I’m a mutant. I’m not affected by what mind powers or projected thoughts other mutants have.”

“Kathy, have all your shippers put RFID tags on everything they ship from now on. They don’t want to tag it then find a new supplier. From now on I want an electronic trail from the time an order is placed with one of your suppliers to the time it reaches its destination here in this club. Put an ID dot on every uniform, piece of clothing everyone in this place wears. Everyone who gets close to any delivered supplies will be tracked. There is no way I’m letting this place revert back into the mess it has got into. This has as much to do with inventory control as it does to mishandling supplies. Besides the stealing there is an awful lot of waste going on because produce is misplaced or mishandled. Every time anyone moves any produce or supplies the information is to be transferred to a computer database. If anything is wrong you can backtrack it to the problem. If employees can’t do their job right you don’t need them. Get rid of them and get more help.”

“I’m working on it, Nova. All this will take time.” Kathy was trying to tell her some things didn’t happen instantly.

“Which we no longer have. Make it happen, Kathy.” I turned and left her office.

Kathy was shaking her head. “Now she’s my boss making demands. I’m beginning to wonder if I should have stayed with the thieving? She held up her hand and started counting on her fingers. Nova, thieves, Nova, thieves, Nova. I guess I stick with Nova.”

“Wise choice.” Echoed down the hall with a big hint of laughter behind it.

Kathy closed her eyes and smiled. “That girl gets scarier by the hour.”

==============================

Taking lots of pictures as I went, I was making a slow run through the bar and the storage room. Harold and the barkeep Ben I liked, were keeping a close watch as I circled the barroom fending off advances from the drinking crowd. The other barkeep Jake was shuffling things under the counter when he didn’t think I was looking. The guys on the dock must have told him to keep an eye on me. Probably made him nervous when I showed up after their failed car jacking scheme. Except for the guy who rose out of his chair and tried to paw me, which resulted in him having a sprained wrist and shoulder, the walk through was uneventful. Harold started out to protect me before I forcefully put the guy back down into his chair.

I was leaving the bar into the dinning room when Harold leaned over in my direction. “I’d hire you as a bouncer. Be sure to put in your application. I can guarantee approval.”

That got a giggle out of me. “Never work. There would be too many lawsuits for medical bills once they found out I was working for the club.”

“HAW!” Escaped his mouth before he reined it back. “Little girl my ass!”

In the dinning room I circled among the tables listening to the conversations to see if anything was amiss I might not be catching. Wilted salad was one of those that caught my attention along with cold potatoes. The kitchen definitely needed a kick in the un huh along with quality control. The waitresses should be sending some of this food back instead of giving it to the customers. The system was failing in more than one area. The waitresses were clean but several were lacking curb appeal. They lacked the spark to make each customer feel like a guest. Ladies, either get a better attitude or after Saturday start job hunting. Joan at the beauty shop was going to receive a bunch of new clients. I wanted our waitresses to ooze cheerfulness and beauty. Kathy would scream about the cost. I knew it would pay back ten fold within a month. As I walked by the buffet bar I scanned it with the digital thermometer I asked Brent to get for me when I first started asking for cameras and other things. It was one of the items I picked up along with the cameras a coupled of days earlier. I swear I’m going to skin maintenance and cleaning personnel alive come Saturday. The bar that was supposed to be hot was luke warm. The salad bar wasn’t chilled. Wilted salad indeed!

Following the waitresses I made the kitchen. Much to my disgust it was still filthy.

“Hey you, girl, I told you what I would do if you came back into my kitchen.” He had been deboning a ham shank and now was headed my way waving a really large knife.

“Sorry, I got lost again. This place is so big I can’t quite figure it out.” I side tracked around the table he had been standing at. I was now in the opposite direction he had first spotted me. I liked this salty old buzzard. We would need his spit and fire to get this kitchen cleaned up. All I had to do is rekindle that fire.

I had read his employment application. Pete had been the head chef in JaMageo’s in New York, French The Cajun in New Orleans, Chatell’s in Seattle. The background Kathy had run on him, he lost two sons in those wars we always seem to be fighting. He lost two daughters, one to an attack of a jealous ex boyfriend as she left work one evening. The other was killed in a jewelry heist gone bad. Each time he moved to leave the bad memories behind. The final straw that broke his will was when the life long love of his life whom he married out of high school, was killed by a hit and run driver as she was out jogging one morning. The police report claimed by the tire tracks, the guy had intentionally weaved over to hit her. They caught up with him and he received two years probation for vehicular homicide. That was probably around the time Pete stopped living and only put in his time to live out his years. When this job was no longer an option for me I planned on visiting Seattle.

Pete came at me with the knife held at the ready. I waited until he was within range. I had his wrist in my left hand as I yanked the knife out with my right. Before he had a chance to respond I pulled him up close so I could talk softly in his ear. “Listen to me you old buzzard. Saturday I take over this shit hole as manager. I’m going to need your help to get this kitchen mess straightened.”

His eyes were registering shock as he tried to get out of my grip and couldn’t. He shook his head. “I’ll move on.”

“No you won’t. Because if you do I’ll come hunt you down and drag you back here in chains if I have to. I’m going to need someone familiar with this place and you are it whether you like it or not. You might have bailed out on life. What you won’t do is bail out on me.” I turned him loose and came down on the ham shank he had been working on. The knife went through the meat, ham bone, and buried itself in the cutting board.

Shock was beginning to register on his face. Picking up one of the pans on the table I turned it over and drove a fingernail through the bottom. When I held it right side up my nail was clearly sticking though the bottom of the pan. “You’re going to help me clean this place up. Agree?”

The shock on his face was replaced by the hint of a smile as he pulled the pan off my fingernail. He turned it upside down to examine the slit in the bottom. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I’m in.”

I honestly believed for the first time in years he truly smiled and whispered. “You’re not manager yet.” Before he yelled at me. “Get out of my kitchen before I skin you and serve you up on the menu.”

“Yes sir, sorry sir, I’m going Master Chef. Please forgive me. This place is just so big.” It was all I could do to keep from giggling as I spun on my heel and headed for the storage and dock area at a fast pace.

===================================

My list of people who I could trust was growing slowly. I was sure of one thing, I could trust them. The two mutants walked out of Joe Bryan’s security office as I was slowly moving across the docks discreetly photographing everything and everyone. I could feel the head case trying to get into my mind again. ‘Turn about is fair play.’ I would follow these two tonight and make sure they never bothered anyone again.

Dreamer turned toward Jolt. “She must be blonde. I can’t find a brain in there to give suggestions to.”

“Damn it Dreamer, you’re totally worthless. You were supposed to get her to walk into storage C and I would take her out there. Never mind.” Bolt raised both arms, put his hands together, and pointed at the bitch.

The problem with being top predator is one begins to believe the stories told about them even if they are mostly imagination and tall tales. I giggled listening to the two idiots talking about me.

A flash of lightning, an ear shattering boom which shook the restaurant and club, Nova went flying across the dock to slam up against the wall at the end. Her clothes were burnt off her back, her skin on her back was blackened to a crisp, her long black hair was mostly gone burnt off. The stink of burnt hair, flesh, and clothes wafted across the surrounding area.

Kathy and Brent gasped when the building shook along with the sonic boom. They both had the same thought at the same time. NOVA! Brent went to his closet, unlocked the gun case and retrieved a shotgun with a drum underneath it. Illegal but at the moment law be damned. He headed out the door.

Brent met Kathy in the hallway as she came out of her office. She was carrying a Glock, with a full fifteen shot mag. He glanced at her, nodded toward the stairs. The pair walked through the restaurant. The patrons and waitresses looked surprised but not scared until they saw Kathy and Brent heavily armed. They deduced the problem wasn’t in the restaurant. They headed for the barroom. Harold was coming out carrying a pump shotgun and shaking his head. “It wasn’t here.”

The same idea hit all three at the same time. Docks, it had to be where all the stealing was going on. They were going to find and rescue Nova if that was what happened. What they discussed among themselves later was it was more stupidity than courage driving their actions.

Bolt smiled in evil satisfaction and boomed out in a loud voice. “Anyone says anything they will get the same treatment. Toss that piece of crap in the back of the van.”

Two men gathered up what they could as their stomachs rebelled. They carried the burnt body off the dock and shoved it into the back of a van. Then it was more than they could hold back as both went to their knees and started retching on the pavement.

Bolt climbed into the passenger side as Dreamer got under the wheel, started the van, and was pulling out of the loading area.

Looking for all intents and purposes like a war party, Brent, Harold, and Kathy walked into the kitchen. Pete took one look, shook his head, pointed to the hallway leading to the docks. He picked up a large cleaver and joined them. They failed to notice the black van pulling out into the street as they stepped onto the dock area.

Brent headed directly for Joe Bryan who was standing twenty feet away. “The new girl, Nova, you see her?”

Joe shook his head. “Not since earlier this morning.”

What Brent didn’t miss was the lying guilty look Joe had on his face. Brent swore at that instant if anything had happened to Nova none of these bastards would live very long. The same thing they had asked Nova not to do, he was ready to do himself.

“The explosion a few minutes ago. Where was it at?” Brent was focused on Joe’s face figuring he probably wouldn’t get a truthful answer.

“Don’t know. Kind of rattled us out here. Sonic boom or something.”

Knowing nothing useful was coming with any further questions Brent turned to scan the docks. Almost every man there looked like they were scared to death of something. Those who didn’t look scared looked sick and some had been throwing up. Then it hit him! He had smelled burnt meat before. That smell with smoldering trash was still in the air. He was looking at ash on the east end of the dock. They were too late. He felt his emotions roll. “SHIT!”

He pointed to the darkened area. “WHERE IS SHE!” He looked around at the men as they turned away. “YOU BASTARDS! I SWEAR EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!”