Chapter 9

April sat in a large black leather chair. She was in the living room of her suite of rooms. She had changed into a t-shirt and sweat pants. She was angry, she was frustrated. I am not going to cry, she thought. How did I get into this mess? You know damn good and well how you got here. Your family was killed; assassins tried to kill you. Why is it so easy to kill?

My anger is misplaced. I'm mad at myself, not Martin. Has power corrupted me? I rationalize murder by saying that no one who is innocent should be killed, but I want the people who kill my brother and my parents dead. I want vengeance. That isn't me; at least that wasn't me at one time. What has happened to me?

April's thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. "Come in," she said automatically, though her voice had an edge to it. Dan entered and sat on the leather couch opposite April's chair. Neither spoke for a moment.

Dan finally spoke. "You should have stayed a few more minutes. Martin had more interesting things to say."

"Will it make any difference if I hear it now or in the morning?"

"April, you must hear what he said but you can wait."

"Tell me in the morning." She paused, "Will you sleep on my couch tonight? I need someone nearby."

"Sure. I'll save block-buster news for tomorrow. Let me go get ready for bed."

Dan slept poorly on her couch that night. April left her door halfway open and she too slept poorly.

Dan woke-up to daylight streaming through the window. He stretched before he realized he was being watched. April was in her leather chair. She had her knees pulled under her t-shirt; her hair was a mess and she wore no make-up. Dan thought she was beautiful.

"You don't snore too bad," she said.

"I don't snore at all."

She laughed and stood. He did the best he could to keep his eyes on her face but the punch line of an old joke went through his mind. How long were her legs? They went all the way to the floor. She walked to him and kissed his forehead. "Thanks for sleeping here last night. Now go away so I can get ready for breakfast." He didn't watch the back of her head as she walked away; his eyes were lower.

Over breakfast the next morning with her mouth half full of toast April asked, "What did Martin say?"

"Lots. I'll tell you the most troubling first, at least the most troubling to me. He said that a time would come when our kind, yours and mine, would take over the world. I don't see that happening without a fight, a big bitter fight."

"Do we have to compete with the young ones?" April asked.

"I suppose not, but there is only one earth and humans, all of us, react out of emotions not from logic. I'll use you as an example because you are a good person. Look at you. You're mad at Martin for killing the people that killed your family and tried to kill you. The cops can't help you. Only Martin can protect you. But murder is wrong, and I think that you are a better person because it bothers you. Where is the logic in that? They will try to kill you again. Should you do nothing? Could Young Ones and Old Ones peacefully share the planet? Of course. Will we? Probably not."

"Don't be so sure I'm a better good," April said and they lapsed into silence.

"Dan," she asked. "Doesn't this feel like some gangster movie? They hit us so we hit them?"

"Yeah," he laughed. "And none of those movies end well do they?" He went on more seriously. "No matter how many die, how many he killed last night, I'm almost certain I have killed more fighting our country's wars. You've got to let it go. It don't mean no thing."

"You mean nothing."

"No," he laughed again. "It's a saying from Nam. It don't mean no thing. You don't have control over it. Someone jumps out of a hooch with a rifle, you cut him in half with a M60. Turns out it was a kid with a toy rifle. It don't mean no thing. If you hadn't, it would have been a gook with an AK47. You'd be dead. It don't mean no thing."

"Whatever is bothering you," Dan continued. "If you feel bad because you want vengeance or if you feel bad because you can't stand to see anyone die, put it out of your mind."

"So we shouldn't be judged by morals?" she asked.

"Of course we should and I believe God will, but he'll judge us on the real choices, not the ones we have no control over. Martin killed Yoshima last night. You and I had no control over that."

April and Dan didn't follow the rules of etiquette at the breakfast table. They were interrupted by Howard before they could start.

"Yoshima is dead, as is Phung of Ca Mau, Kanh of Manila, and James. James was just bad luck, the others were known to be in Yoshima's house when it was struck last night. Two planes flying out of a Russian base fired four laser guided bunker busters into and one fuel air bomb over Yoshima's house. The planes were ditched three hundred kilometers off the coast of Japan where the crews were rescued. If the ground crew, their families, and the air crew's families follow instructions, they should all live out the rest of their lives with more than enough money."

"I don't know what the fuck this means but I assume you do. Martin will go into hiding. He said he could run better alone. He told us that April is now the principal. They may try to get at Dan, but Martin doesn't think they know of him, so keep his security light. Make it look like he is part of a four man team that lives in town. Then he can do his job."

"April, Martin said your main job is to make peace through William. His house would be perfect as a sanctuary. Get him to buy into peace and meet with others if they swear no harm will come to you. He said to find out what else Mary the bitch is up to, his words not mine."

"April, he said you must be made safe, that he would even forgo his vengeance for all past deed against him and his if it will guarantee your safety. Make whatever deals you have to."

"Dan, when the DNA analyses are done, find more of those like you and go talk to them." Dan looked up from the paper he was reading. "I sure as fuck don't know what that means. He continued, "Quietly build a network. April will give you all the money you need. Martin has turned all assets over to her, except for some hidden funds."

"He has one large project that he will be working on. Do not investigate it. In the event that he is killed, you two will need to finish it. Every other month he will send you a post card, if you don't receive three in a row, open the folder in the armory. It will tell you all you need to know. Otherwise don't look at it."

"How big is a Russian FOAB," Dan asked.

"Its pressure wave is about four times our MOAB with longer peak pressure."

"There wouldn't have been any pieces left. How did they know who was in the building?" Dan inquired.

"William seemed to know."

"I need to call him now," April started to the phone.

"No April, you need listen to the news you wouldn't listen to last night."

{3}

{3}

Successful disappearing is more about leaving false trails than about leaving no trail. By the time the hunter finally found the real trail, the quarry should have gone. Martin left four false trails. Four Ethiopian men, all of whom resembled him in height, weight, and facial features; all dressed in expensive clothes and all in expensive cars. Two headed across Canada and then to Ethiopia, two headed towards Mexico and then to Ethiopia.

Martin used a tanning booth to darken his complexion, inserts to make his cheeks wider. Now looking more Afro-American than Ethiopian, he drove a brand-new BMW-328 towards LA. From LA, he flew to Rome; there, he disappeared.

April winced as she said, "William. This is April, not Martin. He's gone. I don't know where he is. I need to talk to you directly and assure you that I had no knowledge of his attack. I knew that he was going to kill Yoshima but not the methods. May I come to your house?"

"You'll swear that when you get here?"

"Of course."

"Then come, but be careful. Even I'm worried I might be next and I'm his friend. Imagine how others feel. You would make a great bargaining chip."

The off hand comment gave April pause. Would William abduct me? No. Screw that. I have to trust at least one Old One. Martin is gone for now so William is my only choice. "I'll be careful. See you in two or three days."

She called to Tommy and said. "Get the plane ready. We'll fly to Charlotte this morning and drive up from there. I want to be at Mr. William's before dawn. I want you, two of the girls, and another guard of your choice with me. Leave Dan with three guards. It should look like he is guarding one of the others. No. Wait. Give me two of the girls and your two top guards. Dan and three other guards will look like they are protecting you. You keep him safe. I should be safe if I make it to William's."

"Miss April, Mr. Martin told Howard..." Tommy started to say before he was interrupted.

"Tommy, stop. I don't want to know what Mr. Martin told Howard unless I really have a need to know. I don't want William or another Old One catching those thoughts from me. Unless it impacts my attempt to put a truce in affect, I don't want to know."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Two last things from me," April said. "Whomever you leave in charge here, make sure that they give all the art to the National Gallery for display for the next ten years. At that time we will take control back. Martin would never forgive us if his art was destroyed. Work through enough lawyers to hide his identity."