Undercover Rose
Chapter 49

Copyright© 2013 by carniegirl

Upon our arrival at the dining hall the sentry advised us, "The dining hall is closed, however you may prepare anything you liked using the microwave. It is the procedure for operatives, who arrive late for meals."

Nobody went away hungry it seemed, but they also didn't leave a mess for the kitchen crew. Inside the freezer there were several things that could be microwaved. Most were in plain white boxes with large black lettering. Closer inspection told me that the boxes were not printed, but they had those self adhesive labels applied. They could be made on any ink jet printer.

I decided on a cheese pizza since my stomach was still churning. It isn't easy to cut a man's throat, no matter how much of a pig he is. The General had been my first. The Porter Dagger was a much cleaner weapon. It would be my first choice from that moment on, I decided.

Jeremy and Alice chose the Pepperoni Pizza, so we pooled them along with our diet sodas. The conversation was utilitarian at best. Pass the hot sauce, kind of thing. We were each going to have to deal with it in our own way. I was the one who cut the pig's throat, but they knew the secret and had to deal with it in their own way. Talking about it might help, but we agreed that we had to be very careful who we talked with. It had to be either each other or someone from the camp, no others.

The pizza was gone too soon only because I wasn't ready to face the music. Jeremy and Alice left me to meet Andrew alone. I climbed the stairs to the offices above the kitchen. I wondered how Andrew made it up those stairs.

When I first met him he was using one of those frames on wheels. He graduated to two canes for a while. Before we left for New York he was down to one cane. Since he was Commandant of the Camp he could surely have commandeered a first floor office somewhere, I thought.

"Come in Rose," the voice came from the inner office.

"So did you fire Magda, or does she work nine to five?" I asked.

"Magda was proficient enough to move on to the swamp," Andrew said.

"Oh?" I asked.

"My receptionists come from the Swamp, because their English isn't good. They stay here while they learn more English. We both struggle while they learn enough English to not be a danger to their fellow operatives. Most of the people we run from the Swamp are contracted to do security for high profile people, or embassies, that kind of thing. It helps if they can communicate with the clients at least some," Andrew explained. I didn't really need to know, so I didn't really make any effort to understand.

"So Rose what happened?" he asked.

"Nothing really it went down clean just as I planned it. We left the area leaving no trace," I explained.

"Yes you did an admirable job, but we still have a problem. Two million dollars worth of uncut diamonds are missing. Do you know anything about them?" Andrew asked.

"It really hurts my feelings that you would even ask such a thing," I said.

"You do know that no reputable diamond merchant will touch those stones," Andrew said.

"Blood diamonds?" I asked.

"One of the other crimes of which General Bad Juju was guilty. The world has condemned the use of slave labor to mine the diamonds. So no one will touch those stones. Trying to sell them will bring you to the attention of the police. That will bring me to the attention of the police, so I would not be happy," he said.

"I really didn't want to see one of those thugs walk off with these," I said tossing the bag on the table. "I also wouldn't mind having two mil."

"I think we might get you a finders fee, in lieu of our standard ten grand payment for services rendered," he suggested. "It won't be two million, but it will be considerably more than 10K."

"How do you arrange that?" I asked.

"Sylvia has her ways. She called me last night when she heard from the guys, who monitor such things, that the diamonds were missing. Also that it was the only clue the cops had. So she went to work to solve the problems thinking you probably found them laying about," Andrew said.

"Okay, well are we through?" I asked.

"Unless you would like to try kicking the shit of our Killer," he said.

"What?" I asked.

"Some operatives find it cleansing to go a couple of rounds with Killer," Andrew suggested.

"I still have injured ribs maybe next time," I said.

Andrew nodded, "Then next time? Get your ass out of my camp."

"My god you didn't even say get my beautiful ass out. Now I'm really offended. First you assume I'm a thief, now I'm a thief who has lost her good looks," I commented in a whiny voice.

He did smile but he did not say a word. I might should think about my future since my looks were going to fade one day. All the surgery in the world couldn't postpone it forever.

"So we can go now, and sin no more," I said when I reached the cabin. "I for one am going to drive the hour home right now."

When I got home, it was almost midnight. By the time I got the fire going it was midnight. There was just time enough to build a fire and get into bed on the sofa, before the witching hour.

When I lay in the familiar surroundings, I realized Jose and Joan hadn't visited while I was gone. Maybe it was true that an idle mind was the devil's workshop, I thought. Either way, I fell asleep and some time there after I had a visitation. Joan was again baiting me with Jose's only average looking appendage.

"You know you want to," she said with a smile.

"Even if I did, which I do not admit, I would not do that to his family," I said.

"There are so many things wrong with that excuse. One; in case you hadn't notice we're dead, so I don't think those rules no longer apply to us. Two; they already blame you anyway. In for a penny as you always say," the apparition stated the obvious.

"Well you enjoy yourself," I demanded. "But leave me out of it."

"Oh I do. The young ones so want to learn. They even want to learn things that bring them no pleasure at all," she admitted.

When Joan decided to leave me alone, it was time to get out of bed. The house wasn't really warm, but the fire had heated the air. The walls and furnishings would take a little longer to really warm.

I put another split log on the fire, then went back to start the fire ring under the hot water heater. The morning ritual calmed me. It also helped me work through any depression from the last 48 hours. There is nothing quite so depressing as committing a murder, going on the lam, as they say in the movies, and losing two million bucks. All in all, I was having a bad couple of days. I really need the routine and the ritual this morning," I thought.

The phone rang, "Be there in five minutes," Alice said. I was not surprised the two of them were ready to go back to the morning work out. I would also not have been surprised, if they had opted out. Since I was in my thermal outfit I pulled on the jeans, a sweatshirt, and my hunting coat. My knit cap and ski gloves I slipped on while seated on the trike.

When I reached the end of the driveway, I saw only one set of lights. "Where is Jeremy?" I asked.

"He stayed home to dress for the day's work. He is determined to go check out the cabin's progress. He is going to pitch in just to see why there is a hold up, if there is one," Alice said.

"In that case how about a nice leisurely ride today?" I asked.

"Yes please, Jeremy is so competitive," she said.

"It's a set that men have. With the cock comes competitiveness," I said.

When we got to the restaurant the SMP Officers were in the restaurant. "You do look much better when you are not out of breath and sweaty," the older one said.

"Then don't ever have sex with us," I said as I walked on by.

"So does Jeremy think that Carlos is cheating him?" I asked.

"I have no idea," Alice said. "You want to ride up there to see what is going on?"

"Sure why not," I replied. "But I do want to take a shower and put on something less smelly. I can start a load of clothes after my shower."

"You are so domestic lately. I used to think you had such a wonderful life. Back when Carlos and his family were working for you. You know they did your laundry and took care of your grass."

"Don't forget Jose went with me to buy wood, and did most of the loading and unloading. It was pretty good relationship," I admitted.

"Jeremy and I were so sorry about Jose. Also the split it caused between you and Carlos' family," Alice said.

"Well you know what they say, it is what it is," I said.

"Yes, I suppose so. I will pick you up in an hour, or would you rather drive," she asked.

"I'd like to drive, I think, ' I replied.

After Alice left the Country Store, I took a shower then dressed for the day but not in baggy jeans and a sweatshirt. I dressed in skinny jeans, even though I probably was too old for them, and a thermal tee covered by a sleeveless red sweater vest. It was the brightest red I could find at the time of its purchase. The buckskin short boots added to the grunge look. With the mustard colored hunting coat, I really was almost a cross dresser. Only the tight jeans saved me from being accused of being a lesbian for sure.

I took a moment to recover the emails from Luis my tattoo mentor. I wanted to read them, but I held off till after the trip to the resort under construction. I wanted to savor his letters, so I didn't even open the emails.

"Well Alice don't you look sexy," I said.

"Careful Rose, you will turn my head," she said with a laugh.

I drove the truck down the road, then down the path. Alice and I walked in the last few yards since I didn't have a 'ATV'. I had seen the first cabin which had been done remarkably well. I stood looking at the second cabin which wasn't nearly as interesting looking.

"What happened to this one?" I asked Jeremy when he appeared in the doorway.

"Carlos quit and this guy decided he knew more than anyone in the whole world about building. So now I have a cabin that has a very out of joint foundation. It goes up hill for ten feet. Then it runs ten feet level, then down hill for ten. Someone told him that a cabin's foundation follows the contour of the lot," Jeremy said.

"Well it wasn't me. I always let Carlos set the foundations. It looks like there are three different cabins attached to one another," I said. "So what you planing to do?"

"Well, I'm not going to tear it down for sure. I'm thinking about going with a sunken living room and then leveling the other two floors. I checked and because of the post every ten feel the house is stable, just really strange looking."

 
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