Chapter 02: Chaos

When Linda woke up she walked into the luxury yacht’s en-suite bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror.

Have we become the monsters we hate? Linda asked.

I’m not a monster, Mouse told everyone.

We’re not either, the Twins said together.

If I’m a monster, I want to be a great big nasty one, with claws and teeth and bad breath, Little Tinker Bell added.

Ret told them, We’re Angels. Someone has to be the Angel to protect everyone else. This time around, in this world, it’s us. We’ve no choice now. We’ve gone too far to just stop. The world needs Angels. The real monsters are those four remaining Ancient Ones. Somehow, they have to be stopped.

If we’re not monsters then we must be insane. Anyone with six girls living in one head who flies around in the air and kills hundreds and hundreds of people and feels no remorse must be insane. No, I don’t even know the word I’m looking for, but something is wrong with me. With us, Linda sighed.

Okay, assuming you’re right, some day they’re going to come and lock us all up. Until then I plan to have as much fun as I possibly can! Mouse exclaimed. Now, get Jessie down here. Let’s turn on CNN news and party!

Linda started laughing. She couldn’t help herself. Mouse always had a way of cutting through all the bullshit. When the rest of the gang realized Linda’s immediate crisis was over they began laughing with her. Linda walked over to the ship’s intercom and buzzed Jessie.

“Come on down and talk, I’m awake now, so bring me some food and that Moscato I like so much.”

Linda went into the bathroom, peed, then splashed water on her face. Her mouth tasted like garbage so she brushed her teeth, walked back in her room, and turned on the TV. CNN still had advertisements on when Jessie knocked on the door, and walked in carrying a tray of sandwiches, chips, and glasses while holding a large bottle of chilled Raspberry Moscato under her arm.

Jessie set the tray down beside Linda and poured them both generous glasses of the pinkish colored wine. While Linda ate, Jessie rubbed her hand softly up and down Linda’s arm, comfortingly. The news program on the CNN Special Report resumed.

“Ladies and gentlemen we have a new report in from New York’s Kennedy and La Guardia airports. All flights leaving the city are packed. The airports are full of people presumably trying to escape the wrath of the Burning Angel. The same scene is being repeated at any airport close to the city. Los Angeles is reporting the same phenomena. The airports are madhouses of arrivals who either want to see the Angel or interact with her in some way, and people who want to escape her wrath and leave. Washington is now reporting a mass exodus as well. Interstate highways in all three areas are gridlocked with vehicles going in both directions, into and out of these major metropolitan areas.

“This just in. Chicago, Minneapolis, Dallas, San Francisco and almost all major cities in the country are beginning to experience heavy backlogs on any flights leaving the country. Passengers interviewed at airports all around the US will only say they’re afraid the Angel will come for them, but refuse to give explanations about just why they’re worried. We can only guess, and speculate. The rats, ladies and gentlemen, are leaving the ship!”

Linda TK’d the television off, and turned to Jessie. “It’s a mess, isn’t it?”

Jessie started laughing! It took a couple of minutes to compose herself, while Linda watched impatiently.

“It’s glorious, fantastic, wonderful. This is the best mess ever! Linda these are crazy times. Now, for the first time in ages the crooks and criminals are scared. They’re running away! You didn’t see all the reports earlier while you slept. Let me give you the high points!”

“I’ll start with Washington. At first, there was a lot of push-back against what is being called the ‘Wonder Angel’ since she looks so much like Wonder Woman. Politicians from the president right on down to junior members of congress were all pontificating that this ‘Vigilante can’t give orders to the United States.’ I remember one senior well-known Senator specifically stating that ‘She will be hunted down and either captured or killed. The full power of American law enforcement has been given carte-blanche to arrest and subdue this person.’

“It was then reported that he had slipped quietly out of town, after resigning his seat in the Senate. People are leaving Washington DC by any means possible. Planes, trains, buses, and private vehicles are all packed and clogging the roads and airports. They can’t leave fast enough. Even the most conservative estimates say that Congress and the White House have reached a fifty percent or more vacancy rate. The news services can’t keep track of the number of resignations. Lobbyist offices are empty. You can’t find a living lobbyist anywhere in DC. Bureaucrats are also jumping ship. Anyone with something to hide, or some kind of criminal activity is running! Within a week, we may not have a national government left! And get this, the FBI has announced they’re not investigating any Angels. They’re concentrating their investigations into the flood of information released to social media from multiple sources incriminating thousands of public servants, CEO’s, and others. Name someone with power in this country and they are probably under investigation now. No one has a clue where all that will end.”

The flood of information must be the Ancient One’s blackmail files, Ret reminded them, and you can bet the CIA doesn’t share the FBI’s focus.

Jessie continued, “In New York the scene is chaotic. Crooked politicians, criminals, all the scum who have preyed on innocent, hard working people are getting out while they still can. The Burning Angel has them pissing in their pants. The reports of the number of ‘Angel Deaths‘ in New York range from one to ten thousand. Yes, I said Angel Deaths. That’s the new name being used nationwide for anyone killed by an Angel, anywhere. Some on social media and cell phone text-slang are calling them ‘AD’s.’ It’s becoming a new word in the English language. ‘You’ve been AD’d’ has become a popular term in youth culture.”

Linda started to interrupt but Jessie stopped her, and turned the TV back on.

“Wait, listen to this reporter. This part is good. Then you can just sit back and smile,” she said.

“Los Angeles has been processing all this longer than the other two cities. Official estimates have twenty percent of law enforcement resigning, or just not showing up for work. Close to a third of the city and county governments within two hundred miles of LA are missing in action. Known crooks, and I’m talking pimps, drug dealers, and the few gang-bangers and bikers still hanging around are getting lynched on street corners by angry mobs of citizens ‘taking back our city.’ Law enforcement types have watched and done nothing to stop them. In some cases, reports are they have helped identify and lynch the criminals. The White Angel of Los Angeles is, well, I don’t even know how to say this. She’s almost a Goddess there now. Definitely the new Patron Saint of LA. In each of the three cities, the average people are more than just proud of their Angel. They love her. Citizens in other cities are a bit jealous and want their own Angels! There are reports of a slow trickle of former ‘important people’ leaving cities all over the country now,” the harried reporter informed everyone.

“An Angel I know is going to be very busy in the future! Hell, Linda, this is going worldwide. People in other countries are watching the United States, very carefully. Speculation is ripe about just where and when another Angel will appear. And in what country!” Jessie told her.

Linda began to cry. She couldn’t help herself. No, she wasn’t mourning all the dead monsters she had killed. It was the raw emotions she felt about how this crusade of hers was turning out. Who could have guessed that an attempted sexual assault in a dirty alley back in Cauthen would lead to all this? She was just an eighteen year old girl, and she was changing the future of the United States, maybe the entire world. It was just too much to handle. She felt the weight of the world on her shoulders now.

Jessie suspected what the problem was. Linda was overwhelmed with all the results and support she was receiving in her little crusade. The fact it wasn’t quite as little as she expected was getting to her. Everything was snowballing downhill. There’s a lot of responsibility leading a crusade. Linda was just starting to feel that pressure.

“Let’s go up on deck and get some sun. We’ll talk about fun stuff, not all these changing the world things. We’re just Southwest of Puerto Rico now. We’ll be stopping off there at a fun port I know called Ensenada. Puerto Rico is a great place, nothing like Haiti at all.”

Linda changed into a bikini, gathered her sun worshiping gear, and headed up to the sundeck. On the way, she walked past the crew lounge and saw four of her off-duty crewmen raptly watching the unfolding national stories. The screen showed pictures of all three Angels, in action at the same time, and the men started cheering. The News video of the White Angel rescuing families from the apartment fire in LA was now the most popular YouTube video of all time. A guilty feeling of pleasure washed through her, but she also realized she was blushing dark red. Linda was definitely not used to this kind of favorable attention, ever. Mouse agreed.

On the sundeck Linda chose a lounger and sat back, slathering on sunscreen and enjoying the view.

Ret reported no dangerous contacts within range, as Jessie joined her wearing her own bikini.

Jessie slipped the top of her bikini off, smeared on her sunscreen and lay back, half naked. Linda noticed her boobs were well tanned.

“So, take off the top, Linda. Relax. The crew won’t mind, I’m positive,” Jessie laughed.

Linda glanced around a bit nervously, then removed her own top, and applied sunscreen to her boobs and nipples. She lay back on her lounger, but face-down, not face-up. Jessie giggled at her.

“Come on girl. Relax. Live it up a bit. Give the guys a show. Just pretend that you don’t notice when they sneak a peek at us.”

“They peek?”

“Well of course they do. They may be crew members but they’re still men.”

Linda glanced around nervously, then asked Jessie, “Hey Jess, I need a favor. Can you order a bunch of Rosetta Stone language thingies for me?”

“I guess so. You mean the language software, right? Why and which languages?”

“Since we’re going to visit the Mediterranean, I want to speak some of those languages. Can’t really identify crooks if we don’t speak the language. Better get me some French, Spanish, Italian, German and Arabic. Oh, and British. I don’t want any government computer snoops checking out what I buy, and making any connections, so I’m going to have you do the ordering.”

“Sure, Linda. You do know the British speak English, right?”

“They do? Then why can’t I understand half of what they say?”

“They do have some different ways of using words than we do. The Irish and Scots are even worse. They mix in Gaelic and Celtic words. I think you can probably understand enough to get by, though.

“You said the Mediterranean? Are the Angels going International then?”

“Yes, I think so. Maybe. Later I’ll need some Asian languages too, and maybe Russian and Indian. Large populations there, so lots of crooks. I have to visit cities all over that have no connection to me as ‘Linda.’ So far, every place I’ve ‘Angelized’ has a remote connection to me. Being here on the Lady Whisper is good cover. I can’t be in two places at once, right? But I need to find a way into, say Chicago for example.”

“I heard a news reporter say that earlier, ‘Angelized.’ Kinda catchy phrase, isn’t it? Anyway, what about jumping into one city and then flying commercial to Chicago or wherever?”

“Well, can’t do that right now from any of Angel’s cities. The airports are too jammed.”

“What about that small city you lived in? What was it, Cauthen, right?”

“That might work. I could go in disguised and buy a ticket with cash, if the overflow from DC hasn’t flooded Cauthen’s airport.”

“Remember though, you have to show valid ID when you buy a ticket so TSA software can verify you’re not on the ‘No Fly’ list.”

“Damn that’s right. I forgot about that. Let me think a second. Work with me on this, Jessie. I can disguise myself to look like an old granny going to visit the grandkids and pay cash for the ticket. Then I can confuse any ticket agent into believing I submitted valid ID for ‘granny.’ I just have to use a name that’s not on that list. Then I can either ‘Ghost’ around TSA checkpoints or teleport to a ladies room near the boarding gate.”

“Sounds like a plan. You can always just go straight to the private charters at any airport too, and ignore TSA. Be sure to dress warm. It’s nice here in the Caribbean, but it’s still winter up North. Once you have Chicago on your jump list, you can add other places, too.”

Ret and Mouse agreed with the plan. This was something they could handle easily.

“Tonight is an unwind and party night. Tomorrow, while we cruise down toward St. Kitts, I’ll do some city jump expanding.”

“Hey girl, time to turn over. Get some sunshine on those boobs! I’ll get the Rosetta Stone software in after lunch, and you can start studying while we cruise.”

Linda looked around to see if she was being observed, saw no one and turned over, covering her boobs with one hand and reaching for her sunglasses with the other. Mouse laughed at her. Tink and the twins didn’t think it was a big deal, and Ret kept searching for possible targets. Pirates. Drug smugglers.

After donning her sunglasses Linda lay back on the lounger and tried to relax. Having her boobs hanging out was, different. Maybe she could flash her boobs with a Chicago Angel. Nah! Too damn cold there. She’d freeze her nipples off. It was just a random thought, she told herself. Mouse snickered, thinking about nipple freezing weather. Tink reminded her they still didn’t have any steel-toed shoes.

“Hey Jess, could you order about ten pairs of different style steel-toed shoes for me, when you get the Rosetta Stone stuff?”

“All purple?”

Linda laughed. ‘No, just one or two purple ones if they even have any. The rest can be any color.”

“No problem. Consider it done. I’ll have them overnighted into St. Kitts for you. We’ll be at sea all day tomorrow and half the next day to get there. Have some nice relaxing fun, then cruise on up to the Bahamas in time for your tournament.”

“Sounds good. Lunch ready yet?”

Jessie got up and walked over to the intercom and told the cook to have lunch delivered to the captain’s private lounge. “Let’s go eat. Cooky is bringing our lunch to my little lounge. After we eat I’ll go do some Captain type stuff while you do some visiting. Get back this evening and we’ll go ashore in Ensenada.

After lunch Linda took a quick shower to wash off all the sunscreen, and put on some warm clothing. Mouse disguised them as an elderly lady. The KK twins teleported them to a dirty alley in Cauthen, Virginia.

Oh fuck! It’s mid-January here. We’re freezing our butts off! Mouse screamed. Kelly and Karen, get us out of here!

A helluva lot colder than I remember, too, added Linda. Must be all the time we’ve spent in Australia, Hawaii, and the Caymans. We’re not used to this!

After a quick scan by Kelly, Karen moved them to the airport. The girls were still shivering as Linda searched the departure listings. The next available flight was leaving in half an hour from Cauthen to Boston for a short layover then on to Dallas with Jet Blue. Perfect. This would add two new cities on Kelly and Karen’s teleport list. And at least inside the airports it wouldn’t be freezing. Just in case, Linda bought a long sleeved sweater from an airport shop. The granny ID plan and then teleport past TSA worked perfectly. Welcome back former blonde trophy wife, Mabel Jones, grandmother now!

In Boston Linda walked around looking for a spot the twins could use for teleporting. They finally decided on a location inside a magazine shop. Not perfect, but if they arrived invisible the first time, then the girls could find better locations in the city proper.

While Mabel Jones waited for the check-in time to board the flight to Dallas, Ret told Linda See those five guys over there? Four of them are friends and bodyguards for the guy in the black pinstripe suit. He’s a major Mafia Don here in Boston. He’s rabbiting the country. Really bad news. He deserves a stroke or something.

Good idea. How’s his blood pressure? Linda asked.

Do I look like a damned nurse or something? How do I know what his blood pressure is? Ret replied, testily.

Okay, okay. You’re right. I just get used to you knowing everything. Tink, shave some blood vessels down in his brain so he’ll have a stroke if he gets upset. In fact do all five of them, Linda decided.

On the flight to Dallas there were no incidents, and the girls napped and rested the entire time. After arriving in Dallas, Linda told Kelly, Find a spot outside that Karen can teleport us to. Some place near the center of the city. Then get that spot locked in for future moves. When we get that done take us back to the Lady Whisper.

Back on the ship Linda punched in the intercom for Jessie and let her know she was back, then ordered something to eat.

“We’re almost to Ensenada. We’ll be docked in about two hours. Now’s your chance to clean up and look pretty. You and I are going ashore to party tonight!”

Are we going to tell Jessie about the rest of us? Mouse asked.

Not a great idea, Ret suggested. It’s hard enough for anyone to accept what Linda can do, let alone dealing with the other five of us in here.

We vote for ice cream, the Twins said.

What? What’s all this about ice cream? Linda asked.

I vote for a boyfriend, Mouse sighed.

Ice cream for me, too, Tink offered.

Voting? Who started all this voting stuff? Ret asked.

We figured if you guys are going to vote about telling Jessie, we could vote, too. Ice cream is our vote. That’s three votes for yummy ice cream, Tink said.

Ice cream is always a good vote, Kelly added.

Okay, Linda told them. We’ll go up to the kitchen and see if we can talk Cooky out of some chocolate ice cream. Then we’ll come down and wash up and get dressed for some serious dancing tonight. Ret, I want you to try something. See if you can learn any Latin dance moves from snooping in ladies minds at the clubs. Maybe we can learn how to do stuff that way.

Sounds like a good idea. I should have thought of it a long time ago, Ret whispered. We may be able to learn all kinds of things by borrowing thoughts and skills.

After eating their chocolate ice cream and washing up Linda changed into her hot red cocktail dress and added her ruby and diamond jewelry.