One Rule - No Surrender, page 22
part #2 of One Rule Series
"You could have children, a picket-fence family. No worries about the cops busting down your door or some evil corporation coming after you."
"We could have children – a family – too, couldn't we?"
"I don't know. How would they turn out? Maybe they'd have wings or something."
Louis's smile held an uncertain edge. "I'm sure they'd be perfectly normal. Not to mention beautiful and brilliant like their parents."
Thalma snorted out a laugh. "Beautiful and brilliant shape-shifters."
"Speaking of that, how was it being Mark? You were him longer than usual, weren't you?"
"I managed." Thalma figured the less said about that the better. "But it was good to get back to being me."
"It was kind of freaky meeting him for the first time. Flying out of the hospital in his arms."
"Yeah. Though it was kind of romantic, wasn't it?"
"Oh, for sure." Louis's laugh had an awkward edge. "Hey, I'm not complaining. I was in a world of hurt until then, even with the painkillers, and looking forward to months of rehab – until you healed me. And I don't think I would've done very well when the cops started interrogating me in that state."
Thalma rolled on her back and frowned at the ceiling.
"What's it like to be him? I mean, to have a male body?"
Thalma sighed. "It's like being a guy." She forced a smile. "You know, you want to thump your chest and grunt about 'them Packers' - and all you think about his your dick."
"I like sports, too. My favorite spectator sport is women's beach volleyball."
"Ha."
"But seriously. Do you still feel like you're yourself?"
"Yes. Mostly. At first."
"At first?"
"The longer I'm in that form, the more I tend to get confused about who I am. There is a different perspective – personality, I guess – that starts to develop the longer I stay Mark."
Lines of concern were starting to dig into Louis's forehead. "Is there a point where you aren't Thalma anymore?"
"Not exactly. It's hard to explain. I know it bothers you, Louis, and it bothers me, too, believe me. But my core self is Thalma. I could never lose that."
"Would you be okay with never becoming him again? Not that I'm saying you shouldn't. I can see it offers some cool escape options. But if you didn't need to turn into Mark, would you ever feel like doing it anyway? Would you miss him?"
Thalma wanted to say "no" – the word coiled on the end of her tongue, longing to spring free – but it got stuck between her lips.
"I don't know," she said. "Maybe a little. It's a different experience – like swimming in the ocean - but I don't feel a strong drive to be anyone but myself."
"When you were Mark, how did you feel about me?"
"I still loved you."
"But in, you know, a sexual way?"
Thalma murmured out an uncomfortable laugh. This was "The Talk" she'd dreaded but always believed she'd have someday with Louis, and she'd rehearsed it more than a few times in her head, but the reality of it held unpleasant nuances she hadn't anticipated. Louis was too perceptive and too pugnacious to miss those nuances and not pounce on them.
"No," Thalma sighed. "Mark is basically straight, from what I can tell. Though in the early phase he could probably 'swing both ways.'"
"From what you can tell? Can't you look directly into his mind?"
"Mark isn't that introspective," Thalma said with a dry chuckle. "And I haven't really pushed into his head much on that subject. His last sexual relationship was with a guy – my boyfriend."
"Fuck," Louis muttered, rubbing his head. "I'm starting to wish I never started this conversation."
"I've been wishing that all along." She rolled back to him and kissed him on his pliant, full mouth, her hand sliding down through the soft hairs of his stomach. "Want to talk about something else?"
"I think I could get into that."
HOME SWEET home. Thalma breathed in the heavenly pine needle scent and the patches of sun glinting on her skin as she stretched out on the lounge chair in the front yard. Louis and Maggie were performing chef duties at the smoking grill while Socrates and Plato took turns chasing squirrels in the woods at the edges of the grass. Thalma had made it clear to Socrates long ago that killing small creatures would not be tolerated – and he had learned that lesson well – but could not resist filling the occasional squirrel or rabbit with terror.
For an animal that had once tried to tear Thalma's throat out, Plato was proving to be a pussy cat in monster dog disguise. From the start, he'd never shown any interest in harming Socrates or any other creature great or small. Either something had changed in him after his bout with her, Thalma thought, or his true nature was coming out away from his former sociopath owners.
As sweet as it was to be home, both physically and geographically, their get-together had a bittersweet feel to it for Thalma. Maggie would be returning home to San Diego for a much-deserved break, and while Murphy spoke of them working together again, he hadn't offered any clues about when that might happen. The sad truth was that Maggie was the only friend she'd had since basic training and WASP. She'd miss her.
Her sister added to the bittersweetness. Thalma hadn't realized until she'd met her how much she'd secretly longed for a family – for a blood relation who actually approved of her. Laura had appeared out of nowhere in her life, and just as quickly disappeared. Thalma had made an uneasy peace with that, at least for the time being. She was in no position to take another person into her life when she was barely succeeding in keeping the one she had.
"Deep thoughts?" Maggie asked, sauntering over, beer in hand.
"Not so much. I don't suppose you heard anything new from Murphy about the vaccine business. Since he almost never calls me anymore."
"Ah." Maggie bent down and patted her shoulder. "Maybe I'm just a better yes-woman. But no, nothing new."
"Am I the only one getting the feeling that maybe Brunner isn't the reformed billionaire with a heart of gold he's pretending to be? That maybe he's going to sit on this and use it for his own profit?"
"Heh. I've had the feeling from the start." Maggie shrugged her broad bare shoulders. "But mine is not to reason why."
"Mine is." Thalma thought of the copies of the CDC files and the recordings of Dr. MacDougal house calls secured in her basement and elsewhere on her property. If Brunner wouldn't do the right thing, she would. Screw Murphy's precious contract with him and customer relations. That kind of selfish thinking was what fueled the kind of greedy corruption that ruled the world today.
"Let's give it some time." Maggie sounded uneasy. "It's only been three days since we got back." She flopped down on the lounge chair beside her. "Missing your sis?"
"I'm not sure why I should. I hardly know her."
"I'm sure you can find a way to get together when things calm down a little."
Thalma had to smile as Louis flipped a couple of steaks with a flourish. She tapped her hands together in muted applause and he bowed.
"I've been wondering how WSGI will respond to what happened in Seattle," Thalma said. "A lot of people in their organization saw me."
"Yeah." Maggie's jaunty smile flagged. "Too bad you're so uniquely gorgeous. I'm just another blonde bimbo."
"Do you have family? You've never talked about them."
"Parents split up, living on different sides of the country. A few aunts and uncles and cousins skulking about. No siblings. Yada, yada."
"Come and get it!" Louis called from the grill.
They helped themselves to steaks, artichokes, and baked potatoes. Plato bounded over and regarded them with bright-eyed hope until Thalma snapped at him and he retreated to join Socrates several respectful yards away in stoical staring at the woods.
Maggie's cell jangled. She dug it out.
"Yup." She raised her eyebrows to Thalma. "Okay. Just a sec."
She wiped her fingers and sprinted to her car, retrieving her laptop.
"Murphy wants a powwow," she said.
Maggie opened her laptop. Louis stood looking over her shoulder as she logged into her encrypted email account and then launched the secure chat program. Communiques from Murphy appeared and then faded away the moment Maggie typed in a response.
"Fuck," Louis murmured.
Thalma couldn't make out all the words from where she was sitting, but Louis's comment said it all from what she could see: the WSGI had zoned in on her as a prime subject for the Seattle and CDC operation.
"Give me the damn computer," she said. Maggie handed it over.
It's me, Thalma typed. Are my sister and mother safe?
Several seconds passed before Murphy's answer appeared. I'm checking in on them as we speak. I believe they are in the preliminary stages and haven't planned any action against you yet. But for safety's sake, I will assign protective agents to your family.
Can they track me here?
Possibly. I found you, after all. Depends on the priority they give it. Sorry I can't be more reassuring.
What's the status of our previous operation?
It's in the contractor's hands, as I'm sure M has told you. He has a team poring over it.
I need to contact my family and warn them.
We will warn them shortly in person. I wouldn't recommend contacting them insecurely.
Thalma released a low growl of exasperation.
I want to know when you've made contact and what their security will consist of.
At a minimum, I'll place a man on each, and we'll set up a camera on their property. I'll let you know when we've made contact.
Okay. Let me know. Thank you.
Thalma returned the computer to Maggie, shaking her head. Maggie typed a few more exchanges with Murphy and then closed the laptop.
"Sorry about that," she said to Thalma.
"So what are we supposed to do now?" Louis asked. "He thinks it's possible the World Security Group International people could track you to here."
"Anything's possible," Thalma grumbled. The idea of living alone with only herself to look after loomed with renewed seductive power. Alternatively, if she could find a way to encapsulate everyone she cared about in some form of impenetrable cocoon...
"I'm going to cancel my traveling plans," Maggie announced. "If there's going to be trouble, I want to be here."
And be one more person I have to protect. Thalma frowned at her uncharitable thought. Maggie was capable, smart, and could hit a target with a gun, but she really wasn't terribly experienced, as well as being mere flesh and bone. Still, she had saved Louis's life once, and – who knew? – she might save him again. But she wasn't comfortable with thinking of Maggie as a sacrificial pawn defending Louis.
"I don't suppose you'd be interested in taking another vacation?" Thalma asked Louis, tilting her head back to view his scowling face.
"I'm done taking vacations," Louis growled. "I want to get back to work." He forged a more mellow expression. "Joe's good, Thal, but we've got a lot of catching up to do, and some projects I'm aching to get my hands dirty on."
"I know," said Thalma softly.
"I also want to do some work on my cars," Louis added.
Maggie spit out the piece of steak she was chewing on while Thalma released a grudging laugh.
"Anyway," said Louis, now smiling, "I'm serious about not running away – not from a bunch of private mercenaries. I say we take a stand. We can't keep running every time there's a threat."
"Okay, but on the condition you learn some self-defense, including some firearms training." Thalma fixed him with a stern stare.
"I'm willing with the guns, but not with the martial arts. Last time we did that I spent two weeks covered with bruises."
"I know what you mean," Maggie laughed. "Maybe I can help with that. My flesh is a lot softer."
Thalma's stern stare transferred to her. "That's what I'm afraid of."
"Don't worry, Thal. After your brother, I'm firmly back in the gay camp again."
Thalma's insides chilled. This was the first word Maggie had spoken about her time with Mark, and she really wished it hadn't been around Louis, whose puzzled expression evolved with lightning speed to suspicion.
"Brother?" he asked.
"You know, um, Mark." Maggie was squirming a bit under their twin glares. She made eye contact with Thalma and apparently received the message because she added breezily, "I mean, just being, you know, around him made me remember how much I miss being with women."
"You mean he's that over-the-top macho?" Louis asked, puzzlement taking precedence over suspicion in his narrowed eyes.
"Yeah. That's what I meant." She glanced at Thalma. "Maybe I'm just allergic to take-charge guys?"
They resumed eating, and Thalma resolved to have a talk with Maggie about her experience with Mark - emphasis on keeping her damn mouth shut about that. Luckily, she seemed to have received Thalma's psychic message.
Of course, she could just tell Louis the truth, which part of her longed to do.
Then again, maybe I could just hammer a stake into his heart?
Chapter 15
THALMA EMERGED FROM THE city's new vegetarian restaurant, Green Leaves, bearing sandwiches stuffed with Brussels and alfalfa sprouts with a dash of sauerkraut - and all manner of organic fresh veggies and cheese made from raw milk. Louis had been complaining a bit lately about their high-protein meat-based diet, so she thought she'd surprise him for lunch. She'd purchased sandwiches for Maggie and herself, too, but she wasn't sure how well they'd go over for any of them. For her, vegetables, fruits, and grains made an okay meat topping. She thrived on meat, but in this case what was good for the gander might not be ideal for the goose.
She spotted the four rough-looking men wearing Aryan Nation patches before they started across the parking lot toward her. Really? Could they truly be this stupid? She calculated she'd make it to her pickup and safely stow the lunch before their paths intersected, but then one of the men – a shaggy-haired dude with an eighties Marlboro Man mustache and a bow-legged cowboy stride – waved the others away and continued on toward her alone. So a parley, she thought. God, the last thing she wanted to revive was her war with these cretins.
As she dropped the sandwiches in the passenger seat the man rounded the back of her pickup with his palms up and facing her with an "aw shucks" lopsided smile.
"No harm intended, Mrs. McDowell," he said. "Just thought I'd introduce myself. I'm Val Gordon. You might say the new A.N. sheriff in town. I believe you knew my predecessor, Lance Pilgrim."
"Yes. I heard he killed himself. Work-related stress, I guess."
A hint of hardness entered the man's aw-shucks smile. "Maybe so. But I'd guess it was more a case of terminal stupidity. Some people just don't know when to leave well enough alone."
Thalma closed the passenger door quietly. Val Gordon's three companions hadn't moved from the end of the parking lot twenty-five yards away.
"What I'm saying is," the man continued, "I got no beef with you. Nor do any of my boys. The way I see it, you live your life, we live ours."
"I'm still planning to testify against the bank robbers."
"I got no problem with that. Any of my boys do something that dumb, I'd string 'em up myself."
"You must be one of those law and order types."
Val Gordon chuckled. "I see you got me pegged. So do we have a deal? You don't mess with us, we don't mess with you?"
"I can live with that."
"Okay, then. Have a nice day, Mrs. McDowell."
He withdrew with a dip of his head and a wink.
At the shop, she mentioned the encounter as she distributed the sandwiches to Maggie and Louis in his office.
"Good to check at least one enemy off our list," said Louis, his eyebrows crimping as he bit into his sandwich. "What's in this anyway? There's something really sour I can't quite figure out."
"Probably the sauerkraut." Thalma shrugged at his incredulous look. "They said it's an important source of probiotics and vitamin k2."
"I appreciate the thought, baby," said Louis. "But it tastes to me like rabbit food gone bad."
"I wish I had a rabbit to bring this home to." Maggie set aside her sandwich, wrinkling her nose. "Do you think we can trust this new 'sheriff'?"
"I think we can trust that he doesn't want to die." Thalma shrugged. "He doesn't look like as much of a snake as Lance Pilgrim was."
"What about the bank robber trial?" Louis asked.
"He says he's okay with me testifying – that basically they deserve it for doing something so dumb."
"Gee, he almost sounds enlightened," said Maggie.
Thalma took a few bites of her sandwich. Louis's description sounded right on. She suspected she was expending more calories chewing through the dense greenery than she was gaining. Louis gave her a rueful smile.
Maggie's phone rang. She listened for a few seconds before hanging up.
"Murphy says to turn on the TV to the news. I'm getting my computer."
Maggie left for the front office while Louis reached for the remote. The older television mounted in one upper corner of the wall flickered to life. It was already on CNN – the only channel Louis ever watched at work.
"In other news, billionaire financier Maxwell Brunner and his seven-person crew died in a private plane crash over Lake Ontario en route to Montreal. Mr. Brunner was to speak at the World Trade Council in Montreal, and was flying in his Global Express jet, when unknown mechanical issues were noted by the pilot. The FCC is currently working to recover the wreckage from the lake's deep waters..."
Maggie returned to the room and popped open her laptop. Louis and Thalma edged in on either side of her. Murphy's words sprang up in the encrypted chatbox:
We had no inkling of an assassination attempt on Brunner's life. Could be a coincidence, a legitimate accident, but my spidey sense is tingling. Apparently, Brunner was communicating with WSGI higher-ups, but we don't know the nature of their discussions. My thought is that they ended on a severe down-note.
"Ask him about my mother and Laura," Thalma said.
