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  “This is the address,” said Helen as she surveyed the area for hostiles.

  Chelsea had changed considerably in the past five years, going from a nondescript neighborhood to a cultural mecca. Galleries had appeared virtually overnight. Mikaela got out and looked around warily.

  “Do we have a name?” she asked.

  Helen nodded as she closed the driver side door with a small thump.

  “George Stevens. I don’t know how he came by his information but it seems David thinks he is a reliable source so, here we are.” said Helen.

  Mikaela looked at the townhouse and noted the four floors. The style was turn of the century back when this area was the home of the rich and affluent that preferred not to live on Madison Avenue only a few blocks away.

  “What floor is he on?” Mikaela asked as she headed up the steps. She couldn’t believe someone with this kind of information would be so exposed.

  “Apparently all of them, Stevens owns the building and the one next to it.” said Helen.

  Mikaela arched an eyebrow.

  “Really, I’m guessing George is a trust fund baby, perhaps? What’s his background?” said Mikaela.

  “Can’t say. File on him is so short it’s useless, which usually means enough on its own. In my experience dealing with a ghost is bad news, usually ends up biting you in the ass.” said Helen.

  Mikaela grunted in agreement and pressed the bell for the first floor. She noticed the camera perched in an oblique corner and looked directly at it. The door unlatched moments later. A handsome forty something dressed in jeans and an Armani Exchange T-shirt opened the door. Mikaela checked off the trust fund baby in her head as she noticed the man.

  “George, George Stevens?” asked Mikaela.

  “Yes, please come in. I’ve been expecting you. David said you would be dropping by today.” said George as he headed back up the winding staircase.

  “Really, when was this?” said Mikaela

  George stopped a moment on the stairs as if in thought then continued.

  “About ten minutes ago. You guys have a real security issue in your organization.” said George.

  George arrived on the second floor which was a large spacious living/sitting room. Several computers lined one of the walls and Mikaela could tell from glancing at the hardware that they were a hacker’s wet dream.

  “Some nice equipment you have here.” she said as she walked by some of the computers.

  “I just dabble here and there, you know nothing too serious,” he waved his hand dismissively as he sat down on one of the futons opposite the computer terminals.

  Helen turned to face George.

  “You have some information for us?” said Helen.

  George gestured for them to sit.

  “Ah where are my manners? Would you like something to drink, coffee, tea, juice?”

  “No thanks.” Helen and Mikaela said together.

  “So who do you work for?” asked Mikaela.

  “I’m mostly freelance but David and I go way back. He asked me to look into this for him; he always had a healthy dose of paranoia. Anyway it turns out your organization or group, CATT, is compromised. God who thinks up these awful acronyms?” said George as he went to a computer.

  “Compromised, how?” said Mikaela.

  Mikaela felt something was off but couldn’t pinpoint it yet. Her gut was telling her not to trust this ‘informant’.

  “Can you be more specific?” said Helen.

  “Sure, one second.” He began typing rapidly. “By the way, your security sucks. Well not really,” he laughed. “But it has some glaring holes. Ok there.” he said as he pointed to the screen.

  Mikaela had to read it twice before her brain processed the information. It was a kill order, priority black – the highest level.

  “Are you certain this is valid?” said Mikaela in a measured voice, the anger threatening to break free.

  Mikaela stepped away and began to think how this would be possible. Helen went over to the screen and read the order.

  “Shit,” she whispered.

  The screen was linked to the CATT’s secure system, under the termination heading was one line: Termination order-Petrovich, Mikaela – Priority Black – Commissioned –Soros, David - Director

  “David ordered this?” asked Mikaela incredulously.

  “Doesn’t make sense, does it? So the answer would be no,” said George.

  “So who –”

  Mikaela couldn’t believe her eyes. This was a serious nightmare in the making. Every available resource would be allocated for her termination. What happened earlier was just the beginning. Mikaela looked at Helen.

  “Listen Helen if you –” started Mikaela.

  “I don’t abandon partners. If David felt you were good enough to be my partner, that’s enough for me.” said Helen. “Looks like you need me now more than ever.”

  Mikaela couldn’t disagree with her. Mikaela turned to George. She had gotten control of the anger and now appeared to be calm and collected. It was this ability that earned her the name ‘ice queen’. She had to assume CATT was operating against her, which explained why David had come to her. She would have been apprehended, detained and summarily erased had she gone to the CATT site. She looked at Helen and knew this was David’s way of helping her, providing her with an ally.

  “Do you have a secure line I could use to make a call?” asked Mikaela.

  “All my lines are secure. Please help yourself. I’m sure he would like to hear from you before he dies.” said George.

  If Mikaela was surprised, she didn’t show it. The fact that George knew she was going to call David wasn’t the surprising part. It was the knowledge of the protocol she had discussed with David years earlier. David who always believed in being prepared had told her that if things ever went south at CATT, that she should be ready to “die”. He meant it as a figurative death, dropping off the grid and going underground. She chalked it up to his paranoia back then. Nevertheless he made sure she had documents, several false passports, money in accounts and several safe houses to run to should she need to go to ground. She thought he was being excessive, now she whispered a quiet thanks to his neuroses.

  She picked up one of the cell phones and dialed David. He picked up on the second ring.

  “I see you met my friend.” said David.

  No names which meant he thought his line was not secure.

  “I did. Apparently someone wants me to retire.” said Mikaela.

  “Not me, but it seems that way.”

  He was telling her he had nothing to do with her kill order.

  “Have my friend show you the other retirement plan. It would seem I’m supposed to join you.”

  Mikaela looked a question at George, who pointed to the screen in front of him. It was another termination order, this one was for David. It didn’t say who ordered it.

  “Any idea who ordered this?” asked Mikaela. The calm in her voice hid the intense anger she was feeling.

  “Don’t know, but I will find out. Right after I take care of a few things. Don’t go home. You know what you need to do.”

  He was telling her to stay away from CATT and known places.

  “I have a few calls to make and then I’m on my objective.” said Mikaela.

  “I would strongly advise against it, but who am I kidding?” he laughed, a short bark.

  “Find that objective. He is tied to all of this somehow and it seems someone is very pissed,” said David.

  “How will I contact you?” said Mikaela.

  “You won’t. I’ll contact you. Have my friend give you a phone and I will stay in touch. I have to go. Speak to you soon unless I’m dead of course.” He hung up.

  Chapter Thirty Eight

  As John faced Lea, he knew that the other fights were merely preludes to this one. He took a deep breath and assessed Lea.

  She was lean with a dancer’s body, but John could see that she trained extensively in con
ditioning her body. Her knuckles were callused and John was willing to wager that everything that could be a weapon was just as conditioned.

  They faced each other and bowed. John knew he would have to blur to a certain degree or this fight was over before it began. The question was how much before it became unfair? Lea answered the question for him. The sensation of pain blossomed in his solar plexus as air escaped his lungs and he dropped to one knee. Lea stood behind him. John winced as he caught his breath. John stood and turned to face Lea. He bowed slightly acknowledging the blow. She moved again and John blurred. Time seemed to stop. She was fast he admitted. He was faster.

  As she prepared to strike, John grabbed her wrist and threw her. For a moment, she remained frozen in space then time snapped like a rubber band and she flew across the dojo floor, a look of surprise across her face. Twisting mid-air, she recovered and landed on her feet. John was impressed; few people could recover that well or that fast.

  In an instant, she was upon him. She launched a barrage of hand strikes designed to distract him. The real threat came from the kick she threw in between the strikes. To the untrained, it would appear that she had only used her hands, her leg moved so fast the eye could not keep up with the technique. John was highly trained and saw the kick concealed in the feint. If he let it connect uncontrolled he’d wake up some time tomorrow, wondering what happened, it was too late to dodge so he opted to stop the kick and Lea.

  He focused as he was taught, so many years ago. He needed to redirect the energy and his breath combining them with intention. He caught the kick on his left side and heard the bone break almost immediately. He had hardened his muscles but it wasn’t enough to stop the force of the kick. They energy travelled through and fractured the first thing it encountered; in this case his ribs, two to be precise. He was definitely out of practice. He should have factored the force travelling through his body.

  “Nice kick.” said John through clenched teeth.

  Lea stepped back into a relaxed fighting stance and looked at him.

  “You may want to consider stopping now. I don’t know how you‘re still standing but I’m certain you have a few broken ribs.” said Lea.

  John hated doing this without having the time but it couldn’t be helped. He focused on the ribs and knitted them. He wasn’t as elegant as Masami and it wasn’t healing, but rather a technique his sensei had taught him to deal with breaks. The pain was intense and forced him to breathe shallow for a few moments. It was a stopgap measure and John didn’t think he could take another kick there but for the moment he could continue.

  “I’m a little out of practice. If you don’t mind, I would like to continue,” John said.

  “Very well,” Lea assumed a different fighting stance.

  She glided in on his left. Capitalize on the weakness. It’s what he would have done. He shifted to his left, avoiding the elbow that would have smashed into his injured side. He blurred past her, touching her on the left shoulder and causing her deltoids to spasm. It rendered her arm useless. It didn’t stop Lea. She launched herself at John, her arm hanging limp at her side. John stood waiting for her. He didn’t want it to get out of hand. So far no permanent damage had been done. He wasn’t sure it would remain that way if they continued. Before she could reach him, a hand shot out and grabbed her, holding her firm to the ground as if she had been nailed in place. The Sensei stood between Lea and John, his hand resting lightly on Lea’s shoulder.

  “I will speak with this man.” said the Sensei in a low voice.

  Lea bowed her head. “I apologize, Sensei.”

  “There is no need, the outcome was determined before the first blow.”

  John bowed to Lea.

  “I believe my assistant can help with the injuries, Masami?” said John.

  Masami walked over and placed a hand on Lea’s shoulder, moments later Lea had full mobility in her arm.

  “That was amazing. What did you do?” Lea said as she moved her arm tentatively.

  “I think it’s best if we speak to our guests privately.” said the Sensei.

  “Yes, yes of course.” said Lea.

  Turning to the class, Lea spoke to the students.

  “Hajime, please continue!” Terrance began to lead the class in a series of drills as the Sensei stepped off the dojo floor into his private office followed by John, Masami and Lea.

  Chapter Thirty Nine

  This had proven to be a dead end. She was no closer to her objective. She needed to find another asset, someone higher up on the food chain. It needed to be someone who could provide her with some answers. She left the building and headed downtown, using her long coat to cover most of the blood. The Shadow Blades would not be so easily dismissed, had there been more she would have had considerable difficulty. Analyze, assess, and adapt, her instructor’s voice came back to her.

  She stopped at the next corner and took out her phone, punching in some numbers.

  “Yes?” the voice was male.

  “The information you gave me was a dead end. Shadow Blades were waiting for me.” she said.

  “Literally for them I’m guessing – Blades you say?” he asked.

  “Yes, I need someone higher up. This is getting me nowhere.”

  “Not so, you now have the attention of the Blades which is no small matter. Do not underestimate their tenacity. They will not stop until you are a distant memory.” said the voice.

  She knew the Blades were relentless and if they were involved in this, she knew she was headed in the right direction.

  “The name and a location,” she said.

  “Very well, the information is being sent to your phone. His name is Trevor, Trevor James, he will be at that location at that time. He should have some answers for you and if not… well, you can do what you do so well.” the voice said.

  She hung up the phone. Forty eight hours and she could have a clear path. She smiled.

  Chapter Forty

  Mikaela was angry. It wasn’t the fact that someone wanted her dead and was framing her friend. She was accustomed to being disliked, hated even. It came with the job. What angered her was the subterfuge. She had always preferred a direct confrontation. You want to eliminate someone; you put a bullet between their eyes, a knife in their throat. This sending of lackeys to do your dirty work disgusted her. She sat quietly in the Rover, going through her options.

  “What’s the plan?” asked Helen.

  “Look Helen –” started Mikaela.

  “Stop, Don’t even continue.” said Helen.

  “Things are going to get real messy real fast. You can still walk away,” said Mikaela.

  Helen looked at Mikaela for a moment before answering.

  “David said you would try to lone wolf your way through this. I’m here to make sure you don’t. I gave him my word.” She turned to face Mikaela, then “My word is my bond. It’s all I have. I do not give it lightly and once I do, I keep it.”

  “I understand,” said Mikaela.

  Helen hadn’t realized she was gripping the steering wheel so tightly and eased up a bit. She blew out air forcefully to relieve some of her stress, an old nervous tic.

  “So, what’s the plan?” said Helen.

  Mikaela looked out of the passenger side window. They had left George’s place thirty minutes earlier and were headed downtown.

  “Someone wants me erased, and it has to do with Kane. I don’t respond well to threats Helen. They make me unreasonable. We need to regroup and plan a strategy. By then David should have contacted me.” said Mikaela.

  “And if he hasn’t?”

  “Then you and I are going to have to ask some questions in an unpleasant way.” whispered Mikaela.

  Helen smiled then.

  “Let’s go talk to John Kane.” said Mikaela.

  Chapter Forty One

  John and Masami followed the Sensei into a private section of the school. The space was sparsely furnished with tatami mats covering the floor, a low wooden t
able in the center and several bookcases lining the walls. The Sensei sat before the table and gestured for John to sit before him. He looked at Lea.

  “Tea, please Lea.” said Himara.

  Lea bowed and left the room. In the background, John could hear the class underway punctuated every so often by shouts. Masami sat behind John and to his right. No one spoke, each taking comfort in the blanket of silence that enveloped them. Lea entered with a tray and began serving tea. The set itself was a traditional Chado set and John noticed that she was quite skilled.

  She served John and Masami as it was customary to serve guests first. Next she served the Sensei before retreating from the table. Throughout this process not a word was spoken. Once Lea was done, John sipped his tea.

  “Exquisite.” said John.

  Lea bowed her head in acknowledgement.

  “It is excellent.” said the Sensei which was high praise indeed. Lea bowed again.

  “I observed you have had some unique instruction.” said the Sensei.

  John knew this was his best chance at finding who was eliminating assets. If this Sensei did not teach them then he would know who did.

  “Yes, Sensei my instruction was not what I would call common,” said John.

  The Sensei nodded.

  “I was hoping you could help me Sensei.” said John. He knew asking directly was risking the entire conversation. The Sensei’s jaw tightened and John feared the worse then the saw the Sensei relax slightly.

  “What do you wish to know?” said Himara.

  John was unsure how to proceed. He decided to be frank and plain.

  “Someone with very unique abilities has been eliminating certain individuals. These abilities are unique enough that there could be at most two or three Sensei with the skill to impart such knowledge in this entire city. I need to find this person before more death occurs.” said John.

  John knew that at most it could only be three people. The Sensei sitting before him was one, the person who had taught the assassin, and himself.

  “If I give you this person’s name, what will you do with this information?” asked Himara.