My fiery hit the red line as I leaped at Sally Ann. If Kitcha was going to give up her life than Sally Ann was most certainly going to forfeit hers. She didn’t have time to react other than to start raising her left hand while she tossed a vial at the pavement with her right. I batted the vial back under the car and slashed her throat. Blood sprayed all over as shock registered in her eyes. Grabbing her throat, she fell backwards into the car and then slid down to a sitting position on the pavement. Her eyes glazed over as her arms fell limp by her sides. Sally Ann had to be a re-gen working with that many toxins and surviving. I took care of that possibility before looking around for Kitcha.

Fifty feet away she was holding up the vial in her right hand. She was wearing neoprene gloves. “Stopped by the janitor’s closet before we left the club. Had them under the seat. I came prepared if we were going up against poison man. I don’t have your ability to detect scents like you and Scooter. I also don’t have your ability to shrug off poisons.

“Toss the vial and the gloves into her car. Hazmat can take care of the clean up job. Let’s go before we are surrounded by cops checking on the accident. Kitcha, I need the car because I’m toxic. I got a lot of her blood on me. You can’t ride in the car with me. Can you hide out in the McDonald’s we passed three blocks back? I’ll call it in and have someone come pick you up.”

She nodded in agreement. “I can manage. What about you? How you going to clean up?”

“Poisons have a weak link if they aren’t already internal. Most can be neutralized with baking soda and soap or vinegar and soap. The kinds I got on me from her will take both before I get clean.”

“Okay go, I’m good.” She turned and peeled off her gloves inside out after she tossed the vial into Sally Ann’s car. She was headed up the sidewalk carrying her gloves.

I understood why she was taking them. Fingerprints can be lifted from the inside after someone has worn gloves. I was sure she would toss them in a dumpster behind McDonalds. If the police thought of gloves they wouldn’t think of looking there. It was then I remembered Kitcha and I looked like ninety miles of bad road to fit in with the cast offs as we searched for information about Dagger. I wondered if McDonalds would call the cops to evict her if she tried going inside?

Pulling out onto the street, I turned into the first off side street I came to. The cops would be using the main street. I’d work my way through the residential streets to the club. My car with the left front fender all crumpled would be a lighthouse beacon for police looking for the other car in a wreck.

Calling Spencer again I gave him the address of Sally Ann’s car. “Call it in anonymously so they can’t track it back to you, the club, or anyone else. Tell them the car and everything around it is deadly to anyone who gets close to it. Alert them to Sally Ann’s house also before any unsuspecting soul buys it in a foreclosure sale for back taxes in a year or two.”

“I’m on it. Jodi, are you contaminated? Is that the reason you left Kitcha?”

“Yes I am. Not only from getting close to her car, I also got a lot of her blood on me. Sally had a lot of that stuff circulating in her own system.”

“I’ll have a porta shower set up in the back parking lot when you get here. Anything special you need?”

“Keep everyone away and leave a bag to toss my clothes in. I won’t be saving them. Don’t involve hazmat in this or there will be questions we can’t answer. The drain water needs to go down the storm drain instead of trapped. Put the shower over in the northeast corner over the drain.”

“You’re awfully hard on clothes. I’d hate to be paying for everything you seem to be wearing and tossing.”

“Maybe I need to ask Kathy if there is a clothing allowance in the budget?”

“Let me know how that one works out. Okay, I need to make some calls. Nova, I’m glad you’re on our side. I’d hate to think that psycho made it to the club and how many would have died.”

“She’s through murdering people. Stay safe.” I hung up.

Spencer looked at his phone. Stay safe? Nova was the one taking all the risks it seemed. Of course Kitcha was there also but still. He shook his head. What makes a Huntress care about others more than herself?

It was twenty seven years back when I first met Sally Ann. I was looking for license plates I could use. As I passed a house full of kids having a party, I heard someone screaming. Looking over the privacy fence there were four boys holding down a girl and pulling her panties off. Hopping over the fence I proceeded to turn the boy’s lights out. Picking up the girl, I took her to my car and got her to stop crying long enough to find out where she lived. The only thing I learned about her was her name. Sally Ann Bechamp. She didn’t tell me she was a mutant and I didn’t ask. I could sense it.

What makes them turn on society like Bolt, Dreamer and so many others? Did we have a rogue gene inside us like a switch? I’d probably never know.

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

Standing in the suite, Kathy was handing me nylons to put on. “Brenda wanted you to come to her place for the fitting until I told her what you had gone through.”

“I don’t blame her. Most are going to be a little skittish around me for awhile.”

Scooter was standing across the room watching. She had given me a passing grade after I spent more than an hour washing and scrubbing in that porta shower. It would be impossible to get a hundred percent clean as some toxins would get into the pores of the skin. The thing was, I wasn’t a hazard to anyone else even if Scooter could still sense some.

Kathy closed in and gave me a hug. “Nova, none of us at the club are afraid of getting close to you. We realize the risks you took and what lies ahead.”

Scooter nodded in agreement. “Same here Nova. However for the time being I’m not going to hug you.”

Kathy walked over to the bed and removed a black dress from a garment bag. She turned holding it out to me. Brenda thought this one was appropriate for your duties tonight as you circulate through the club. Are you sure you don’t want to take a couple days off? We can handle it you know.”

Looking at the dress I started laughing. “A turtle neck, sweater knit dress? And did she send the appropriate silver jewelry? Cause you know only silver not gold is going to be able to compete with that dress.”

Kathy pointed to a box on the bed. “Brenda isn’t a fashion expert without experience. She’s tops in her field.”

Kathy walked with me down to the dinning room. The time was after seven and those who dined out for the enjoyment, friendship, business, as well as the food were beginning to arrive. Turning to Kathy, I gave her a nod. “Time for me to earn my paycheck.”

Walking across the dinning room I smiled and greeted everyone who looked up at me from their tables. I met Eva at the entrance. “Any reservations?”

She pointed to a screen on the desk. “We have nine tonight.”

“Okay, I’ll take it for twenty minutes. Take a break.”

She shook her head as she looked me over. “Girl, if a few tables aren’t bumped as you lead our guests to their tables, it will because they are blind and following their dog.”

“That was a nice compliment. Now go, you’re wasting your break time.”

Four men walked in the door. Obviously business men all in suits. “How many?” I was already picking up menus from the stack on the desk.

“Four.” Came from the guy in front.

“We have a quieter section over by the hanging garden if you prefer to be discussing business with your meals.” I had stepped out from behind the desk.

They were all giving me an appraisal. I almost laughed. Did I pass? The one in back was the first to answer. “Yes, that would be nice.”

Leading them across the dinning room to the hanging garden wall, I spread out the menus in front of the four men after the were seated. “Your waitress is Debbie, she will be here shortly. Enjoy your evening and please let me know if there is anything wrong. Thank you for coming to the Garden Club gentlemen.”

As I was walking away I heard them discussing me. I slightly shook my head. “Gentlemen, I am not on the menu. Take care of the business you planned on discussing tonight over dinner.”

I picked up a logjam of arriving diners before Eva returned. I stayed until she and I had led the last ones to a table. “Whew, does that happen often?”

“Nova, word is getting out the Garden Club is fresh and the food is to die for. Traffic has been increasing every night for the past three nights.”

A group of six people were coming in the door. “I’ll get you some help up here.”

Earlier with Sally Ann no longer a threat I decided it was safe to let Scooter return back to her own life away from humanity. Tears leaked from my eyes as I watched Enchantress drive off with her. I loved all humanities misfits. I only wish so many didn’t have to hide in order to live. I found Kitcha sitting on the dock. “May I talk you into helping Eva as Maitre d’ until the dining crowd slows down?”

She hopped up and brushed her pants. “Sure.”

“Did you happen to bring a knock them dead dress when you came?”

She eyed me suspiciously. “I had intended to do some partying, yes.”

“Find it. I’m going back to give Eva a hand. Come when you can.” As beautiful and sexy as Eva was, I had seen Kitcha when she turned on the charm. Not many others could compete. Enchantress of course was in a class all her own. So was Scooter but she would never show her natural beauty in public. Mutant would be the first thing on everyone’s tongue.

My back was to the hallway that led to the bathrooms, stairs, and docks when I noticed people were turning to look across the room. I already picked up menus and was going to lead a man, wife, and teenage daughter to a table when I looked up myself.

Kitcha was wearing a sleeveless, turquoise dress with a very low breast cuddling neckline. The dress kinda flowed in the light over her body with every step she took on her matching four inch heels. Her diamond earrings matched a diamond necklace. Her makeup accented her uncommon beauty. Her mutant gene had turned her into a sex kitten. She knew how to emphasize it with makeup. As if she needed any to begin with.

By the time I had seated my diners and made it back to the front desk, Eva was coming back also. She stopped and looked at Kitcha before turning toward me. “You sure this is a good idea? I thought better than excellent food, family or business dining was our business.”

Looking at Kitcha and then Eva, I managed to hide a smirk. “Are you insinuating we have another business besides food and an adjoining bar?”

“Check it out yourself.” Eva gave a slight nod of her head over her shoulder.

I already had. Many of the patrons were looking at the three women by the front desk instead of their food. The waitresses weren’t much better. Those who weren’t carrying food or bussing tables were watching also. “We needed help at the front desk and Kitcha volunteered.”

Kitcha gave me a sharp look.

Eva closed her eyes as two more groups were coming in. “I’ll bet tomorrow night our customer base is up two percent and the majority will be men.”

“No bet. Kitcha, no fighting in the dining room. After they feel, you take their name and address and kill them later. Much later.”

Kitcha frowned. “Nova, you are a wet blanket. You take the fun out of everything. Okay, I promise I won’t kill them tonight.”

Leaving Kitcha and Eva, I headed for the hallway leading to the bar next door. Harold held up his hand as he met me at the door. “You look a little young, lady. You have an ID?”

Feeling down along my hips and then up on my breasts as if I was searching for pockets, I shook my head. “I must have left it lying on the dressing table. I promise I’m old enough.”

“To be your great, great, really great grandmother.” I whispered so only Harold could hear.

He was trying really hard to not laugh out loud as he shook his head. “If any of my grandmothers looked like you, I’m afraid I would vote in favor of incest.”

“How are things looking tonight?” I wanted Harold’s outlook on the situation.

He got serious. “Funny thing Nov…, Jodi. There isn’t any underage trying to get in tonight. I believe it has something to do with the problem you took care of earlier today.”

“Stands to reason. No one wanted to go down with the ship so to speak. Have no idea what that committee will try next. You can bet your last lucky dime they aren’t through trying. If they lose the Garden Club there will be others following. Their kind of organization is held together with fear. One broken link is a threat to that kind of control.”

“And you?” Harold studied the unbelievably beautiful woman in front of him. Knowing what she was capable of, he was wondering if others still had chills running up and down their spines every time she got close? He most certainly did. Almost like being in a cage with a panther. Even if it wasn’t trying to kill you at the moment, you knew she was capable anytime she chose to do so.

“Options are in play. This game they started isn’t over until there is a winner. It isn’t going to be them no matter how high up the public ladder this goes.”

Walking over to the bar Yano, the new bartender, met me. “Ma’am, you have an ID?”

Ben was behind him and silently laughed as he waited to see what I would do. “No I don’t but…”

“I’m sorry, Harold shouldn’t have allowed you in. No ID no service and you aren’t allowed to stay.” He waved his hand at Devin by the front door.

When Devin walked up. Yano gave a nod in my direction. “Please escort the lady from the club. She says she doesn’t have an ID.”

Devin frowned as he gave me the get ready to get evicted look. “Is that true, Miss Jodi? You don’t have an ID?”

By now Harold was closing in to catch what was going on. Yano looked shocked as he looked from Devin to me and back to Devin. “You know her?”

Devin’s eyes were dancing in amusement by now. “Yep. Miss Jodi was there when Kathy hired me. Yano, I would like to introduce you to the manager of the Garden Club, Miss Jodi. Do you still want me to toss her out?”

That did it. Harold and Ben both started haw hawing as poor Yano looked like he had swallowed a persimmon. I took pity on him. “Yano, it’s all right. We were never introduced and we have both been busy. I’m glad you are double checking IDs. Please keep it up. If there is any doubt have them escorted out. It will save the Club a lot of heartache and legal expense. Probably stop those who would like to see us fail by shutting us down. Keep up the good work. I’ll tell Kathy she wasn’t wrong in hiring you.”

Yano was wiping his hands on a towel as his cheeks flamed. “I’m sorry Miss Jodi. I didn’t know.”

“Nothing to be sorry about. You didn’t know and you did exactly what you should be doing, checking IDs. Keep it up.”

“Yes, ma’am, I will, and thank you ma’am.”

Circulating through the bar, I was checking tables and listening to conversations. I didn’t expect to catch anything about the committee. Harold was probably right. They pulled all their people with the knowledge Sally Ann was going to turn the Club into a dead zone.

The four men were still by the end of the bar watching as I walked through the bar. Harold leaned over and whispered to Yano. “You ever get in trouble, that lady is the one you want next to you. Don’t ever underestimate her.”

Across the room, over a hundred feet away with dozens of people at tables drinking and talking, I turned around, nodded to Harold and mouthed, ‘thank you’.

Yano was staring, “Is she listening to us?”

I nodded again.

“Holy crap! This is a joke, right?” He looked around at the other three men.

Devin looked stunned as well. Harold and Ben had smirks on their faces as they shook their heads. Harold reached out and put his hand on top of Devin’s shoulder. “Guys, be thankful Jodi is on our side. If she wasn’t all of us wouldn’t be here now. And that isn’t a joke either. Do your job and don’t get to scamming or stealing because Jodi will know within a day or two. The final warning is don’t accept bribes to sabotage the club. No matter how much they offer it isn’t worth your life. And that is what you are selling if you do.”

I didn’t try and socialize with those in the bar club. It was a different crowd and would have been taken wrong. Since it was stable at the moment I headed back to the dinning room. Bobbi was watching as Kitcha seated a group of eight at one of her tables.

“I got this one, Bobbi. I took a notepad from under the desk at the cashier’s desk. Walking over to the table, I introduced myself. “Good evening gentlemen, welcome to the Garden Club. I am your hostess, my name is Jodi. Your waitress as Kitcha explained is Bobbi. She will take over shortly. May I get your drinks while you are deciding on your meal?

All of them looked at each other. I got the idea it wasn’t to decide who was going to be the first one to order.

“I’ll have a Black Russian.”

“I’ll have a Singapore Sling…, no wait make that a Sidecar.”

“I want a Royal Arrival.”

“Make mine a London Fog.”

“Hurricane”

“Brass Monkey”

“Think I’ll have a Tequila Sunrise…, I changed my mind. Make it a Bloody Aztec”

“A Koestritzer Schwarzbier if you please.”

“Thank you. Sir, I apologize on behalf of the Garden Club. Your German black beer will come from a bottle instead of draft. Would it be acceptable if it was served in a frosted mug?”

The guy looked surprised I knew what he had ordered. “uh, yes, that would be fine.”

“I’ll be back with your drinks shortly while you are deciding on your meals.” There was no doubt these eight men planned this before they arrived to test what kind of bar the Club had.

Back in the bar I handed the drink order to Yano. “Eight for the Garden Club.” Watching as he made the drinks he did real good and was quick. He set a tray with eight drinks in front of me.

“Thank you Yano, that was very professional.” I headed back to the dinning room carrying the tray shoulder high cradled by my right hand. A boy about nine came running out of the hallway from the bathrooms and ran into me. I managed to balance the tray as I caught him with my left hand to keep him from falling down.

“You okay there, Speeder? This place is crowded isn’t it? Try slowing down and watching for traffic.” I turned lose of him as he regained his balance. He looked up at me and then ran for his parent’s table.

Eva leaned over to whisper to Kitcha as both had watched the whole crash scene unfold. “If any of our waitresses had been carrying that tray, she and the boy would be on the floor. Drinks and broken glass would be all over them, the floor, and those near by. That ladies and gentlemen is a small example why they call her Huntress”

At the table I stopped by the first man’s left shoulder. “You ordered the London Fog.” I reached up to the tray with out looking and sit his drink in front of him.

I stepped over to the man on his right. “You ordered the Hurricane.” Without looking, I turned the tray in my right hand, lifted off a drink and placed it in front of him.

It was when I placed the drink in front of the fifth man, he bumped it with his wrist. I caught it before it tipped over. A few drops had splashed out of the glass. “I’m terribly sorry sir. I put my hand on the top of your glass. I will get you another. Finishing up placing the other drinks in front of the respective men, I walked back to the bar and retrieved a second Royal Arrival. Returned to the table, changed drinks, and blotted the table with the towel I had over my arm.

“Have you gentlemen decided on what you would like? If not I will give you more time and return shortly.”

Their orders weren’t strictly by the menu as they added or subtracted substitutes, nor were their orders in sequence from one man to the next around the table. “Thank you, I will be back with your salad shortly.”

“She didn’t write any of it down.”

“There is no way she can remember after we changed our minds several times.”

“If she gets it right there is a camera recording us.”

Pausing by Bobbi, I talked softly enough only those closest would hear. “Something is going on and I have a good idea what. This table is mine. You can help me deliver the meals.”

It was pure luck Pete had already shifted to the nighttime schedule as I turned in the requests from the eight men. Pete was writing it down as I gave him the list. He smiled and looked up at me when I finished. “I’ve seen something similar to this several different times. They are testing us. In a week or two you can read their report in one of the food qusine magazines. I shall delight in satisfying their palate. This can’t be done in haste. It will be about forty minutes before I am finished. Now for their salads? Ah yes just as I suspected. Two wanted to try the House Dressing. I have my own special recipe. Give me five minutes there.”

Bobbi helped carry the salad dressings and crackers back to the table. I placed the salads and dressing each man ordered in the right order. As we left I heard them talking. “How does she do that? Even if they have a camera it isn’t possible. We’ll try something different when she brings our meals.”

I almost laughed. ‘oh? I accept the challenge. Game on then gentlemen.’

Laura and Bobbi helped deliver the meals and side dishes. I was placing them around the table when one of the men looked at his. “I ordered the KC with shallot buttered lobster tails.”

I nodded in agreement as I placed another dish in front of one of the others. “Yes sir you did as your third choice. Then you changed your mind a forth time for the filet mignon, rare, sautéed in garlic butter with buttered asparagus tips, and baked potato with sour cream.”

One of the other men on the opposite side of the table grinned. “She got you David. Men, we have been out maneuvered and out gunned.”

He looked up at me. “Ma’am, the order is right. I have no doubt the food will be somewhat lacking only in respect to your skill in delivering it to us.”

My smile was sincere. “Thank for joining us at The Garden Club. Do any of you gentlemen wish for your drinks to be freshened? Is there anything else you desire for your dinning pleasure?”

After retrieving more drinks for all of them, I turned the table over to Bobbi. “Keep a close eye on that table, Bobbi. Pete suspects they are food critics.”

Later that night after closing, Bobbi closed in on me while I was talking to Eva and Kitcha. She held out her hand. “They left a four hundred dollar tip. This is yours Jodi.”

“No hon, it isn’t. That is yours. I can’t accept tips as that would show favoritism and eventually all of you would feel I’m stealing what you earned. Tips are a reward to be the best you can be. You’re a single mother trying to raise a nine year old girl. I’m truly sorry the hours you work keep you away from her. Every child needs a parent. You can shift to daytime if you want. The tips aren’t as good.”

Bobbi threw her arms around my neck and hugged me. “I’m torn between leaving her alone and working. You’re making it better for all of us, Jodi. I was looking for another job before you came. No way I’m leaving now. My daughter and I will make this work some how. Thank you.” Turning loose she was wiping tears as she turned away.

Bobbi never noticed that smallest fraction of an instant when I was moving from her strike zone and back again as she was reaching to hug me. After a lifetime of fighting for my own life it was ingrained so deeply there was no way to not react instinctively.

Eva and Kitcha didn’t miss it. Eva looked over at Kitcha. “Think we will ever be as good as Nova?”

Kitcha shook her head as she stared at me. “Not in my lifetime I won’t. When I caught the vial, poison girl tossed, I thought I was saving her. Now I’m not so sure.”

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

Craig looked around at the other nine men in the room. “Why in the hell isn’t that fucking club shut down by now? Where is that bastard Bolt?”

Arnold cleared his throat. “Bolt seems to have taken a vacation or something. Nobody has any idea where he went. The last anyone saw of him, he and Dreamer were leaving The Outsiders Club. They haven’t been seen since. Wherever he is he took his van. It is gone also.”

Elmer nodded in agreement. “Some of our men are missing. Did you all hear about Dagger? Damn bitch was found with her throat ripped open. Her heart was ripped out and laying on top of her car.”

Craig snarled, “Looks like we will have to take care of that club another way. They will lose everything if their electricity is lost for several days. Be best if they lose it for a week. Now here’s the plan…”

It had been over a week since we had any trouble. Spencer wasn’t picking up anything from his connections. Scooter had return back to her own life away from humanity. At the moment things were actually normal for a high end restaurant. I was standing on the dock thinking of all those who had fought lived and died beside me. Kitcha was beside me Scooter’s name had come up in our conversation. Kitcha tapped me on the shoulder with her fist. Well from Kitcha it was more than a tap. If she had done that to anyone else she would have knocked them down. “You old softy. All of us know you will be there for us if we ever need you just as you always have been there for us. How many times did you save Scooter’s life? Three that I know of. There are only a couple here who don’t owe their life to you, Nova.”

Sniffing I nodded. “I’ve lost too many, Kitcha. I wasn’t there for Jenna was I?”

She took my hand to lead me back into the restaurant. “Life goes on, Nova. You didn’t know about Jenna did you? All of us will shake hands with the Grim Reaper in our own time. You can’t stop that. Come on and freshen up that beautiful face of yours. It’s closing in on seven and the evening rush is beginning.”

At seven twenty six the club was filling up with diners when the lights went out. The emergency lights kicked in. The club wasn’t in total black out. “Everyone please stay seated. Anyone trying to get to their car will only get someone hurt. I’m sure it is only temporary. Please give me a minute to find out what happened. Thank you.”

Heading for the dock and our breaker boxes, I figured a master switch had got thrown even though we had upgraded everything when we upgraded the club.

Spencer met me in the hallway. “Area wide blackout, Nov…, Jodi. A semi ran into a transmission tower taking it down. I bet our friends were behind this.”

“I was guessing they might try something like this. I need help. Paul is in the kitchen. He moonlights as an electrician. Charles is a bouncer in the club. He’s a heavy equipment operator and a mechanic. I’ll get Paul, you go get Charles and met me at that semi trailer parked in the lot for the past three weeks.”

“I’m on it.” He headed for the club.

Unlocking the back doors on the trailer, Paul and I climbed in and pushed out some stairs. Next I found a coiled up power line as big as my wrist. I picked up one and Paul a second one. We snaked them out to the equipment room where I unlocked the door. There I matched the green tape on the end of my power cord with a green marker on a huge junction box terminal. With the wrenches laying on a bench close by I screwed down the lugs onto the wire. Handing the wrenches to Paul I headed back out to retrieve another wire as he fastened his into the junction box.

Charles was inside the trailer and the sides were folding up. He hollered at me as I was climbing back into the trailer. “I have the disconnect thrown and locked out. Double check me, give me an okay, and I will start this beast.

I checked. “You’re good to go.”

The big Cummings diesel started turning over and quickly caught as I was climbing down pulling cable and Paul was climbing in for the forth wire. Five minutes later we were wired in. I walked back out beside the trailer where Charles was standing by the monitors and gauges. “WE’RE GOOD!”

“OKAY, COMING ON LINE! YOU’RE HOT!”

I gave a thumbs up to Paul inside the equipment room. He gabbed hold of the big lever on the breaker box and heaved. All the lights in and on the outside of the club lit up along with all the refrigeration, cooling equipment, and fans coming back online.

Charles watched the gauges for a minute before turning in my direction. “Everything is steady and looking good.”

Walking back into the restaurant a lot of relieved people were looking around, I raised my voice to be heard. “Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for the inconvenience. I assure you there is no need to rush your meals as the power is not going out again. Please accept as a token of my apologies a free drink of your choice. For all you minors who thought this was your lucky night? Sorry, only a soft drink for you. Thank you.”

Spencer found me. “Word is it will take four days to a week to get power back on. You obviously were expecting this?”

“Only preparing for the worse. Is anyone working for us caught up in this blackout? Generators are going to get scarce for over two hundred miles around as prices triple. See if you can find out. Buy up a couple generators now. If any of our people don’t need them we can sell them tomorrow.”

He pulled his phone and started punching numbers. “I’ll send a couple of the guys from the company out to do that right now. Our office isn’t close enough to be caught up in this black hole. People won’t be getting excited there yet.”

Now I had a different problem. I was sure in a couple days those in that committee would think about sabotaging our generator when they heard we were still open for business. From what Spencer could tell me there wasn’t another Bolt or Dagger in the area. That didn’t mean another couldn’t be brought in.

“I believe when they find out we are still up and running, our generator will be their next target.” I figured my job would be out there baby sitting that generator twenty four seven.

“No…, Jody, I’ll contact some people I know. They try and stay under everyone’s radar and hidden from everyone including the government. They are even more black operations than the government black operations. They will ask for fifty thousand up front even if they only show up for one day. Expensive but worth every cent if one needs their special skills. Even black operations needs some way to be contacted and paid provided one knows where to look. Bill’s Deals is a front for a stock broker firm. Real enough but trading in the stock market isn’t what goes on in the back room.”

As of this moment Spencer had become my favorite go to person as if he wasn’t already. His knowledge and contacts was making my job a thousand times easier. Didn’t mean I still didn’t long for the days a sword or an arrow was the perfect answer to most problems. “How soon do you think you can have them here?”

“If they are available, probably tomorrow night at the earliest.”

“Make it happen if possible. Let me know. I’ll tell Kathy. With all the cash flow going out of this place, she probably won’t scream too much.” As far as I was concerned, fifty thousand to protect that two hundred thousand dollar generator, all the produce, meats it was keeping from spoilage and keep the club open was cheap insurance. I hoped Kathy would see it the same way.

“WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SHUT THAT DAMN CLUB DOWN!” It had been two days since the blackout in that one area. Craig glowered at all the men in the room. He pointed at two men not at the table but standing by the door. “Fryman, Harvey, I’ve been informed it is going to be three more days before power is restored. Go out there and destroy that generator they have.”

Harvey gave a nod of his head before both men turned and left the room.

For the past two days several men and women had been indiscreetly hiding in different locations around the club. It was a good thing Spencer let me know they were the Black Operations people he had called in for help. He had also informed Allen, their squad leader, there were a couple women at the club who would be checking them out.

Allen made contact with Spencer when he and his crew arrived. He shook his head. “Spencer, you need to tell those in the know they need to stay away if they spot any of my guys. We can’t do our job with clueless and curious people trying to check us out.”

A smile touched the corners of Spencer’s mouth. “Allen, I think I mentioned there are two women who may be checking on your people after they dig in. I’d bet a bottle of hundred year old Scotch whiskey your people will never know they are there unless they want them to know.”

Allen rubbed his chin. “Make that five bottles and you’re on. The people I brought with me are some of the best I’ve ever been around. After we set up the parameter nothing will move we don’t see or know about.”

“And if you lose?”

“I’m not going to lose this bet.”

Spencer nodded. “Okay, hypothetically if you lose…?”

“I’ll buy you five bottles of that hundred year old Scotch.”

“Hope your billfold can stand the lightened load.” Spencer left Allen standing there.

At three forty one A.M. on a rooftop of a building a block east of the club Wayne scanned the area again with his thermal imaging device. Looking over at Jackie he shook his head. Nothing was moving in the neighborhood. Jackie felt someone looking at her. Slowly she turned around. Twenty feet away was a female. She was dressed in black pants, black turtle neck sweater, and black sneakers. With nary a sound, the woman nodded, turned, and went over the edge of the roof.

When the woman turned away, Jackie noticed she had a ponytail of long black hair so shinny it glistened in the soft glow of the city lights. Earlier that day at their security meeting one of the guys had described the manager of the club. Jackie had no doubt she had seen the manager just now. Tomorrow she would let the rest of the team know the manager of that club was more than a club manager. The company recruited those with special skills if their psych tests came back in the normal range. Which was rare as those with special skills hardly ever tested mentally in any kind of normal range.

Except for Brad and Ellery on watch, the security group met at eight A.M for discussion about how the watch went for each of them. Wayne looked around, I guess I’ll go first. Jackie and I had the Wescomby clothing store roof watch twenty four hundred to O eight hundred. The club dumps their trash at twenty three fifty one hundred. Lake and Harvey will tell you about that as Jackie and I had just arrived to take over the watch. A German shepherd ran down the alley at O two O six hundred. Quiet night until morning help started arriving at O four fifty six hundred. Want me to go on? It was only restaurant help and deliveries until Jackie and I called it a night at O seven forty nine hundred to make this meeting.”

Allen nodded in agreement. “Quiet night then. Lake your report?”

“Just a minute, I have something to add to Wayne’s report.” Jackie became the focal point of everyone in the meeting.

“At three forty one I felt someone was watching us. When I turned around a tall woman dressed in black was across the roof from us and was watching us. She nodded and turned, disappearing over the edge of the roof. She had long black hair that reached to her butt. From the description Norman gave us about the manager of this club, I believe it was her.”

“You sure you saw someone?” Allen could see his whiskey bet getting very expensive.

Jackie gave Allen a frown. “I as sure as I am you are standing there now.”

“And she dropped over on the fire escape?”

“Fire escape hell! She went over the edge. There is nothing on that side of the building besides a sixty foot drop down to the sidewalk.”

“She repelled down?”

Jackie glared at Allen. “For that she needed to have it anchored at the top wouldn’t she? Are you insinuating I’m seeing ghosts on the roof with us now? Fire me, send me home if you don’t believe me.”

Allen shook his head. “I believe you, Jackie. It’s going to cost me five bottles of whiskey. Spencer Miller bet me two women would be checking us out. Did anyone see the second one last night?”

Amber held up her hand. “Now that you mention it. I thought I saw some shadows moving last night. I didn’t check the time because I wasn’t sure.”

The second night as it was closing in on eight fifteen P.M. “Hawk, I have two men getting out of a black van. They are wearing black jumpsuits. Both of them pulled on black ski masks. One of them is carrying an RPG. The other has…? It looks like HK MP5N? It is! These guys are carrying some seriously illegal hardware. I need to find out who their supplier is.”

“Trip Wire, make sure of their intended target and then put them down.”

“Sparrow, I have them. They are headed toward the back parking lot of the club. I don’t think they are there to sell encyclopedias or bibles.”

“Trip Wire, Sparrow, your option. Take them down anytime.”

“Tell Mongoose he has two packages to pickup…, NOW!”

The two shots weren’t extremely loud but the hypersonic shockwave of a high velocity bullet was going to make a lot of noise. Two men really had no opportunity to know what happened as they were dead before their bodies were knocked backwards and fell onto the ground. A black van slowly came down the alley and pulled up beside the two bodies. A large figure in black got out, opened the cargo doors of the van, and tossed both bodies up into the van along with their RPG and a Heckler and Koch HK MP5N submachine gun.

“Humming Bird, are their keys still in the ignition?”

“Yes.” A distinctive female voice answered on the secure radios. The van the men arrived in was slowly pulling out a minute later.

Spencer’s cell rang. He turned it on. “Tag team two. Generator secure.”

“Place acquisition as agreed.” He answered. The signal was gone.

Tonight I was wearing what most call that little black dress. Mine wasn’t that short and the neckline that plunging. What it did though was enough. It was knit fabric and it hugged my body like tar on pavement. A six foot one girl with four inch black patent heels, black wavy hair long enough to reach my butt, wearing silver jewelry?

Eva whispered in my ear I was more sexy than if I had been naked.

Spencer found me in the dinning room. He was over ninety feet away and just stepped inside from the kitchen when I looked at him. “We need to talk. Office.” He whispered.

I nodded before I turned my attention to Kitcha. “Spencer wants something. I’ll be right back.”

“Okay, Eva and I got it for a little. Don’t take too long or we will get a logjam again. Jodi, you need to start looking for replacements for everyone. When this place settles down most of us will be gone again. None of us can stay in one place too long as it gets too risky.”

When I made it to Kathy’s office no one was there. I could hear them down the hall in Brent’s office. When I walked in, Spencer didn’t waste any time.

“There were two of them. They were going to take out the generator. They had the equipment to do it. One of them was carrying an RPG.”

“This has to stop. If they don’t have Bolt or Dagger they are going to more conventional methods…,”

Brent looked at me in surprise. “An RPG isn’t exactly a conventional weapon.”

“You know what I mean. I’m guessing their two pet mutants they had on a leash may have been the only ones they controlled.”

Now it was Kathy’s turn to look surprised I would talk about mutants like that.

Rolling up my bottom lip I gave it some serious thought. “Why haven’t they sent the Fire Marshal at us? They either don’t own him or they realized after Kinor not getting to first base it wasn’t worth the effort. My guess is they will start picking us off one by one.”

I looked at Kathy and then Brent. “You two will be top priority on their list. Anytime either of you leaves the club you will have an armed escort. This isn’t up for debate. Don’t step out the door front or back until you get an okay from your bodyguard.”

“Which reminds me. I need to pay back a debt and pick up someone. I plan on bringing her back here if there are no objections. My car is in the place where it seems to have found a home almost from the time I arrived. Charley on Tenth and Adams is seeing more of my car than I am. Anyone want to loan me a car?”

Brent was the first one holding out a set of keys. “Take mine.”

Looking at the keys and then Brent, I shook my head. “You know that car screams at every cop to pull us over, check us out, we’re guilty of something. I need something no one will remember because there are a million others like it. Tags untraceable back to anyone here if possible.”

Spencer smiled. “When do you want it?”

“Seeing how we might have a reprieve from the Committee for a day or two after this last attempt, sometime this evening? After the evening crowd rush is over. It won’t be a problem for Eva to handle all the traffic.”

“It will be in the back parking lot when you want it. Keys on the floorboard under the front seat.” He walked out of the office as he was dialing.

It was beginning to dawn on me how invaluable Spencer had been to us. If there ever was a go to guy…, woman, he was tops in that department. Heading to the suite, I needed a change of attire.

I didn’t try parking in the general area where I had parked the last time when I came here. There wasn’t any need. I wasn’t going to be here that long. When I pulled into the alley where I left her, she wasn’t alone.

Two men were beating the holy shit out of her. They hesitated after I pulled into the alley. When they saw a woman get out of the car they both grinned.

“Bring it on, bitch. We get a two fer.” One of them yelled at me as they turned loose of Sonya and let her drop to the ground.

Then he gave her a kick in the ribs. “That’s for ratting out Dagger. We know it was you. Your friend Alice gave you up. I don’t guess she was that good of a friend was she? Fryman and Harvey had to take care of the club because someone got to Dagger. The same way we are going to take care of you.”

Soyna didn’t try and tell them Alice wasn’t a friend. Alice was a heavy meth user. She get to needing her next fix she’d sell out her own grandmother, trading information for a fix.

He kicked her again. Sonya cried in pain. “Did that hurt, bitch? I’m sorry. Here let me fix it.”

He flicked open a switch blade. “I’m going to cut your tongue out and then I’ll slit your throat. I’m going to cut out your heart too. It’s what happened to Dagger. Everyone will know it’s what we do to snitches.”

I was instantly there. It’s been said the top speed of the fastest normal was twenty eight miles per hour. My sprint was better than that. With my elbow out, my hand up against my chest, I twisted my body into him just before I hit him. The impact was three times faster than if I had hit him only running. I clothes lined the guy with my elbow. His neck was crushed as his body was flung back fifteen feet down the alley. The second man didn’t have a chance to react before I grabbed him and slammed him up against the wall. He was stunned and reaching for his gun. It wasn’t there as I had it in my hand after tearing it and the holster off his belt. It dropped on the pavement.

Pulling him toward me, I slammed him back against the wall again. “Now hot shot, I want names. Who sent you? What are the names of those in that Committee? Who are their clean up men in the police department?

He glared at me. “Screw you bitch. You’re fucking dead.”

“Obviously you didn’t get the memo.” Nodding at the limp body of the other guy with his head laying at an impossible angle. “You should ask your buddy how that works when you don’t pay attention.”

Grabbing his crotch, I started squeezing. He was screaming bloody murder as his fists were flailing at me. With my left hand I pulled him away from the wall and slammed him back again while squeezing a little harder with my right. “NAMES!”

He was crying, screaming expletives, and names in a tirade while still trying to beat me off. He managed to land some weak blows to my face. It wasn’t anything compared to what I was doing to him as I pulled him away from the wall, slammed him back and squeezed harder. “NAMES! I WANT NAMES OF EVERYONE CONNECTED TO THE COMMITTEE!”

He was screeching names now. Minutes later he was sobbing. “That’s it, that’s all I know.”

Grabbing his head I snapped his neck. “And nineteen more to go.”

Turning my attention to Sonya, she looked in pretty bad shape. Picking her up, I stood her on her feet. “We need to leave. You have anything you want to take with you?”

She pointed to the box she lived in. “Pictures of Jenna and me, family, the money you gave me.” She was spitting blood as she talked.

Nodding I braced her against the wall. “Can you stand or you want to sit?”

“I’m okay.”

She was anything but okay. I didn’t argue as I ducked down and crawled back into her box she used as her home. Seconds later I was out again with a handful of pictures and money. “Wrap your arm around my neck if you can. I’ll carry you to the car.”

Sonya was a trooper. She grimaced as she managed to lift up her arm. I ducked under it and picked her up, carrying her back to the car.

At the club I carried her in the back way. Spencer was among the few who watched when I lifted her out of the car. He shook his head but didn’t say anything. There was something odd…? Spencer figured it out. Nova was barefooted.

Clothes and all, I sit her on the floor of the shower, turned it on with both of us in it, and then started removing her clothes. The shower door opened, Kathy was there with washcloths, soap, shampoo. “Need help?”

“If you don’t mind, a robe after I get her cleaned up. A garbage bag for her rags if you will.”

“Why?” She was staring at Soyna. Her nose was smashed, her lip split, one eye swollen shut, both were blackened, blood was all over her and her clothes.

“She gave up Dagger. Probably saved all our lives. The Committee found out. I should have gone back after I took care of Dagger. This is my fault.”

I was bent over her removing her ragged jacket and shirt. She reached up and touched my face. “It’s not your fault. No one blames you, Huntress. I’ll be okay tomorrow. I’m a healer. I can heal people. This is nothing. A good night’s sleep and I’ll be as good as new.”

Wearing a borrowed nightgown, Sonya was tucked in bed, sound asleep before I headed to Kathy’s office. “Kathy, I hate to impose on you and Brent as you have enough troubles as is. I won’t send Sonya back out on the streets. Until that damn Committee is taken care of she won’t be safe. If she can stay for a couple days, I’ll have someone pick her up.”

“No need of that. She’s welcome to stay as long as she likes. You said we owe our lives to her. It wouldn’t be right to toss her back out to fend for herself. What size is she? I’ll send someone to pick up some sweats for her and we’ll work it out from there.”

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

Detective Maurice Ward looked at the bodies before he crouched down by the one with his head twisted backwards. “Whoever did this was powerfully strong.”

Mutant was the first thing he thought of. The gun and holster lying in the middle of the alley indicated the mutant didn’t care about weapons. No doubt it was ripped off the belt of the man he was looking at…, Or possibly not? “This belt looks like it has been cut, not torn apart. The attacker managed to cut the belt and remove the gun and holster in one swift move.”

The man’s crouch was bloody. He would need to wait for the guy’s pants to be removed and the autopsy for that answer. “This killer would be a strong mutant.”

He looked at his partner. “What do you think?”

Detective Elaine Arnold had seen a lot in her twenty two years on the force. So far this had all the tell tell signs of a mutant. “I think you’re right. Let’s not prejudice ourselves though. Could be a really strong man.”

Ward stood up and walked over to examine the switchblade on the pavement and then to the cardboard box someone had been sleeping in. The shopping cart full of…, junk. He shook his head. “This smells like a contract killing. A homeless person, female from the items in the cart, said something or saw something someone decided shouldn’t have been said or seen. Someone sends out two heavies to take out female.”

Elaine slipped on latex gloves and was looking through the items in the cart. “Lot of castoff clothing and junk. Nothing to indicate who the owner was besides female.”

Ward watched her for a little while before he walked down the alley to look at the other body. The neck had been crushed. He couldn’t do that if he had the biggest baseball bat he could swing. “From the bits and pieces of skin and clothing in a trail pointing back to the other man and the cardboard box up the alley, something was traveling at a high rate of speed when it impacted this fellow.”

Elaine crouched down and examined the body. “Hit by a car with a high rail or something you think?”

“I don’t know what to think.” He looked up the alley at the crowd of people outside the yellow tape barrier.

“IT WAS THE HUNTRESS! Come to take revenge on the police killing that other Huntress. They don’t take kindly to killing of one of their own. This town is going to swim in blood before she’s through.” Came from a female voice of someone hidden in the crowd.

Ward tried to see who was talking but the speaker was hidden behind a bunch of other people. He walked up to the tape. “Who said it was a Hunter?”

No one answered as they all started backing away. Nobody wanted a ride down to the police precinct. Those from this part of town who got that ride usually never returned.

“Wait, I only want to talk.” It was to no avail. They were scurrying away, all of them.

“These people get funny ideas living like they do. Most of them are on drugs and spaced out ninety percent of the time.” Elaine had moved up beside Ward.

“Un huh and sometimes they know more than all the rest of us. That babbling about a Hunter…,”

“Huntress.” Elaine corrected him.

“Yeah, whatever. I remember the incident they were talking about. Six months ago a couple of the guys pulled over a mutant and filled her full of holes as she got out of her car. Not one but all four of them guys had fully automatic rifles and extra clips. They claimed she had a gun and was shooting at them. Funny thing, no body cams and no dash cams were turned on. The other funny thing is, if she really was a Huntress, why didn’t they call in the SWAT guys? That whole thing still stinks.” He looked over at Elaine.

Elaine lowered her voice. “Maurice, keep your opinions to yourself. Some of our fellow officers have got too nosey about certain things and ended up dead themselves. We do our job, catch the bag guys, and don’t rock the ship. I get to retire with a full pension in another six years and eight months. I would like the chance to use it.”

“About those stories of mutant Hunters, we have a lot of actual police reports and news articles about Hunters. Almost every time a mutant goes rogue they are labeled Hunter. We both know there isn’t really a class of mutants who are Hunters. It’s a catch all phrase. Same with Huntress, it’s a made up mutant because Hunter wasn’t bad ass enough. She’s supposedly the ultimate nightmare who preys on little children drinking their blood and eating their hearts. It’s too easy to write up a report and claim the murder was done by a Huntress. Everyone will accept it as a given with no real proof. The file will get shoved into the back drawer because no one wants to go looking for the creature in the stories of their nightmares.”

Ward’s face was in a serious frown as he nodded back down the alley toward the bodies. “Say what you want. Did you notice nothing in this alley has been touched? The bodies have their clothes. The guns and knives are there for the taking. The shopping cart and cardboard box are still there. In this neighborhood everything should have been scavenged minutes after the murders. Real or not, everyone has been spooked, even the crack heads who can’t add up two plus two.”

As Ward and Elaine walked out of the alley neither one consciously thought of the shredded brand new sneaker on the pavement as they walked past it.

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

The next morning at around eight Sonya was led down to the restaurant. JoAnn, who had taken up the chief position when Pete moved to afternoon, was preparing for the morning rush along with her band of kitchen help. She was also fixing breakfast for everyone who was now sleeping in the suite.

Nova led Sonya to breakfast after a set of sweats had been found for her. Everyone in the know at the club was use to Nova, and Kitcha eating like farm hands when they got the chance. The others figured it was because of the high octane bodies the two women had. Kathy and Brent were kind of surprised when the next morning Sonya had the same appetite. She blushed when she noticed she was attracting looks from the others. She had finished off ten plate size pancakes, six slices of bacon, four eggs, a cup of coffee, a glass of orange juice, and two large glasses of milk.

Kathy noticed Sonya’s embarrassment. “Don’t mind us, we are kind of wondering where you are putting all of that. By the way, all your bruising is gone. How’s the rest of you?”

Swallowing her last bite, Sonya wiped her lips with her napkin. “I’m a healer and I’m good. My broken ribs, punctured lung, is back to normal. It is no different than what I go through when I heal someone else who may have sickness or be physically damaged. When I hold them I absorb their problems. Then depending on how bad it is I either heal myself immediately or it takes awhile for me to return to normal.”

Brent nodded as he looked across the table at her. “I’ve heard of healers but didn’t know how that worked. I’m surprised you people haven’t put our doctors out of business.”

“We can’t cure every illness, especially the bad ones, or I can’t. There are other reasons Doctors, nurses, hospitals will always be in demand. There aren’t enough of us to help everyone. When government finds us they imprison us. We are used either to fix all their own people or in sick pathetic experiments to see if they can duplicate us. It is no different than how they treat every mutant. Kill us, use us, or experiment on us to make their own submissive designer mutants. Fools don’t understand mutation isn’t a disease or a set series of DNA sequencing. We can’t be bred like rabbits. It’s a gift or a curse however one is looking at it. It happens and that is all it is.”

Sonya looked over at Nova. “The Huntress was one of the first and possibly the longest living. Maybe there are divine gods intervening in our lives. Or could we be picked at random, a mistake of nature? Even I who of necessity when healing someone feel every hour, every minute of one’s life when I heal them, haven’t a clue. The only thing for sure is those in government will never be able to duplicate mutants no matter how many of us they kill in their sadistic experiments.”

Kitcha arrived at that time as others around the table were looking from Nova to Sonya and back again. “What did I miss? Is it too late to order a dozen pancakes and a dozen eggs with a pound of bacon?”

Everyone started laughing. Kathy was wiping tears from her eyes. “Kitcha, you’re going to be as round as you are tall if you keep that up.”

I shook my head. “No she won’t. How old are you and what are your measurements?”

Taken aback for a second as she gave it some thought. “Well…, I’m certainly not the few millennia old as you. Actually I’m only two hundred eighty years old. I’m thirty four, twenty two, thirty four and stand five four.

“Nice figure by the way and I’m seriously kind of jealous as it is close to normal with out being overdone.” Looking at Kathy a smile crept across my face. “Sonya, Kitcha, Eva, and the majority of mutants you meet won’t really be changing from the day you first laid eyes on them. In all the years as Sonya and Kitcha had to sadistically point out that I have lived, I learned mutants once they reach maturity don’t really change. Kitcha will still be everyone’s sex kitten the day she dies. The same way Sonya will still be most men’s wet dream.”

Brent turned his attention my way. “I’m going to change the subject. I noticed when you came in last night you weren’t wearing your shoes. That is the second time I’ve heard or saw you barefoot. When you sprinted into the dinning room when you figured a table had been poisoned was the first time.”

He didn’t say anything else. I figured he was waiting for an answer. “When I pulled up to the alley a couple men were beating the snot out of Sonya. After I got out of the car one of them pulled a knife and decided to slit her throat. The distance from me to them was close to two hundred feet. I covered that distance in a little over two and a half seconds.”

“Whoo weee” Brent let out a whistle.

I nodded in agreement. “Think of what a car does when it suddenly accelerates.”

“Burns rubber.” He was shaking his head in disbelief. “You shredded your shoes.”

Nodding in agreement I continued. “We work mostly within the same laws of physics everyone else does.”

“Mostly?”

“There are exceptions. Look at us. We are an exception to normal are we not?”

“I’d say you were more of an exception than most, Huntress.” Spencer had walked in by now and was listening to the conversation.

Harold nodded in agreement.

“No, not really. I’m no better than anyone else. Take Sonya who is sitting here with us. She can heal people who might otherwise die. I can’t do that. Kitcha is a tigress in her own way. She can hold her own in any fight.”

I sighed a lifetime of living longer than I should have. “Maybe I’m not the worst though. I’ve put down my fair share of those like Bolt, Dagger, and others like them. And made a lot of mistakes along the way. One day my luck will run out. I will become a memory like so many others.”

There was no doubt I too would die just as every mutant has before me. I wasn’t immortal. The growing old part was already true even if my body didn’t show it. Somewhere around nineteen my body stopped showing signs of age.

“Well, that little tidbit was as depressing as hell.” Brent looked across the table at me. “When did you know? …, you were different.

“I guess we have time for a little story. The exact age is kind of in question. The years are kind of muddled. Back then the years were seasons and not that clearly noted as age. By the time I was around six turns of the season the rest of the village was becoming suspicious of me. I didn’t quite fit in with the way little girls were supposed to act. It was the time of the season before the heavy snows which surely follow the warmth of the season.

“I had gone out into the forest to pick the wild berries, and millet. Hopefully a basket of each. The nuts of the trees would be another day of gathering. I felt them long before I saw them. A pack of eleven wolves had moved up and were watching me. No doubt they could kill me if they wanted. They stopped a hundred feet or more away and were either standing or laid down and watching. I instinctively knew who was the alpha female. At that moment it felt right to acknowledge her. Hello.”

“She sat down on her haunches and kept watching.”

“Food first play later I told her as I went back to picking berries. Hours later my basket was full. I headed off to gather the seeds of the broomcorn millet. Which incidentally was on the other side of the wolf pack. Picking up my basket I headed their direction. They parted giving me a narrow lane between them. After I passed through they formed a circle out around me, some even ranging ahead. The millet patch was a quarter day’s walk from our village. It was also in a part of the forest infested with bear, wild boar, and of course wolves. None of the villagers would dare go there without weapons and less than ten at a time. This wasn’t my first time I was this far from the village although none knew it.”

My focus was so intent on gathering seeds of the millet, I wasn’t paying attention to the position of the sun. It was getting dusky before I realized I would be walking back to the village in the dark. “Just great! I know daddy and momma will be worried now.”

“Heading back at a slow run, the wolf pack was still with me keeping pace. I was almost back when I sensed him before I saw him. A huge boar came crashing through the woods headed straight for me. The pack started closing in around me.”

“Shouting NO! The wolves fanned back out. Dropping my baskets, I found a large club. It was too big, too long but it would have to do. I didn’t have time to go shopping for something better. In a full run the boar closed in. I was ready. My swing connected when he was a couple feet from me. His snout plowed the ground, his body flipped upside down, and he skidded past me. His head was bashed in, my club was in pieces, and my basket of berries was flattened with berries scattered everywhere his body had crushed it when he flipped.”

“The wolves waited. I knew we could use the meat. I also knew the wolf pack had spent the whole day guarding me. It didn’t take long to decide. I pointed at the boar as I picked up my basket of millet. He’s yours. They closed in.”

“At that time, my innocence didn’t warn me of the danger of the other pair of eyes, which watched the whole episode unfold. I knew Asger had been watching. I didn’t fault him for not loosening an arrow. By now most of the light was gone. He wouldn’t have hit the running boar as he wasn’t that good of a bowman. Besides, he was well back in the woods and too far away.”

“Enough story, we have to get ready for our first customers of the day.” I pushed back from the table.

Brent rose up from his chair and started picking up plates. When he walked behind me he leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. “If there is a god, you’ll still be around when my time comes. After all, I know without a doubt I’m going to grow old and die.”

I had moved out of his strike zone and then back before he kissed me. Sonya, and Kitcha both noticed although no one else did. Kitcha had been with me many times over the years. It was Sonya’s first time to notice how quick my instincts were. Her eyes widened just the slightest before a smile spread across her face. She muttered to herself. “The Huntress’s instincts are honed to perfection.”

Sometimes I wished I had died instead of those who were trying to kill me. Living as long as I had wore on the spirit and the mind. Maybe growing old and dying like normal people would be nice. I had the old part down pat. I wondered if I would loose my sight, my hair, my teeth, or my hearing before I died?

I was circulating between the restaurant, kitchen, club, dock, and security most of the morning. Everything was settling down to a normal routine. Harold wasn’t getting any underage trying to get into the bar. The restaurant customers were normal people. Twenty minutes before twelve Spencer found me in the restaurant by the front desk. “Let’s talk, security office.”

He turned around headed for the hallway. I stepped up beside him. When we reached the security office he unlocked it, we both went in, and he locked the door. He grinned, “Only place I know that doesn’t have a security camera watching.”

Unlocking a file cabinet he pulled out a thick folder and handed it to me. I understood. Slowly I thumbed through it memorizing every detail, every face. It was a dossier on everyone in or working for the Committee. It included detailed data on every individual, pictures, places they worked, their day to day lives. Some had deceased stamped on their picture. I didn’t miss Craig Albright listed as head of the committee. Nor did I miss the pictures of the four policemen and their captain at the end.

“Jenna’s killers, is this all who were involved and is this as high as it goes?”

Spencer looked grim. “As far as we know. There aren’t any leads pointing anywhere else.”

“I’ll make damn sure they know a Huntess took them out. Then I will have to leave the country and let it cool down for awhile.”

He looked at me and then shifted his attention. “I wish I could do it.”

“No you don’t. You might say it but you’re not a killer. Spencer, I understand and maybe God made me this way because I can and I have. With my memory, I remember every single one of them and exactly how I killed them. It’s possible all those like Dagger and Bolt felt the say way. Sometimes late at night I wonder if there is a right and a wrong and am I on the right side?”

“I don’t need to question Jenna’s killers before I bring retribution. She was assassinated, murdered, or executed however one wants to say it. And more than that Spencer, I trust you are telling me absolute truth because of who and what you are.”

Turning around I slipped the folder back into the cabinet, slid the drawer home, and pushed the lock. “I need to tell Kathy and Brent I’m taking some time off.”

Brent looked serious. “I’ll go with you. Someone needs to make sure those video cameras aren’t taking pictures when someone dies.”

“No. You’re staying out of it from here on out. You need to be clean and protect Brent, Kathy and the others if someone outside the committee decides to retaliate. I’ll be long gone as soon as this is over. I won’t be here to help.”

“Nova…,?”

“Let it go Spencer. It is the story of my life and how things work. Because of what I am, it can’t be any different.”

“All of us owe you our life. If you hadn’t stopped…”

“And if I hadn’t come along, maybe Brent and Kathy would have tossed in the towel and that would have been it. Nobody owes me a thing. I don’t tally debts and favors. Life is life, however it works for everyone is probably the way it was supposed to be no matter how much we think we were involved ourselves.”

When we walked back into the restaurant, one of our waitresses Brenda, came over. “Jodi, Kathy was looking for you. Said you had a certified security package. The driver won’t leave without handing it to you. They are still in her office I think.”

“Kay, thanks Brenda.”

Spencer raised an eyebrow as he looked at me. “Sorry Spencer, best you know nothing about nothing.”

He shook his head. “Why do I get the feeling as interesting as things have been, they are about to turn into a nightmare for a whole lot of people?”