Chapter 25

One of the first things I noticed, as the plane accelerated off the runway and began gaining altitude, was a gradual, yet very perceptible, decrease in the emotional baggage I'd been carrying and had nearly gotten used to. The higher up we went, and the further from the masses of people below we got, the better I felt. It's trite, I know, but it actually did feel like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Of course there was still the air crew, Lucy and her bunch to put up with, but any improvement, to my mind, was still an improvement, and more than welcome.

I sat back, unbuckled the seat belt, and stretched my legs out. Lilly lifted the arm rest that separated our seats and leaned against my arm.

She was scared, worried, nervous and wracked with guilt.

I lifted my arm and draped it around her shoulders. "Don't do this to yourself sweetie. It's not your fault. They could have gotten sick even if we'd been there."

For some reason I felt a stabbing, guilty twinge all my own when I spoke those words.

"I guess so. But I still feel guilty."

"Why?"

"I shouldn't have left them."

"I needed you with me."

"No you didn't. You wanted me with you, but you didn't need me."

I pulled her firmly against me. "You're so wrong. You don't actually think I could have made it thru this past week alone do you? Without you I'd either be dead or terminally insane and burning LA to the ground with a cheerfully maniacal grin on my face." Lilly shook her head 'no', but inside she was pleased. "Well, I know how much I need you, even if you don't." I kissed her forehead. "The doctors will do everything they can. And what they can't do, I will. Our babies are gonna be just fine, you'll see."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

We cuddled up as best we could for several minutes, ignoring the roar of the engines and the atonal mutterings of the crowd gathered behind us. But it didn't take long for their emotional overflow to get on my nerves, which were stretched pretty thin.

I gave Lilly one more hug and a light kiss on the lips. "Guess I'd better get the troops in line before someone does something stupid." I said and slipped out of my seat and half walked/half crawled back down the fuselage. Executive jets just aren't designed for people over six one to stand upright in.

The loud muttering died away when they finally noticed I was on my way back and by the time I'd hunkered down in the aisle every mouth was closed and all eyes were locked on me.

Lucy, who with her brother, was seated to my left, reached out and put her hand on my shoulder.

I raised one hand, palm out, in a 'hold on' gesture.

"Is there anyone here who doesn't understand English?" I asked loudly, raising my voice to be heard over the engines.

Lucy shook her head. "Everyone speaks English, we just prefer to use Chinese and Vietnamese ... it keeps the gwailo confused." she said with a grin.

"Gwailo? That would be me and Lilly, right?" Lucy nodded. "Figures. Well, it might have been a good laugh where you were, but where you're going it's only going to attract attention, and for a while that's the last thing any of us need. I suggest all of you drop that habit right now. And you might want to think about cultivating a southern drawl ... couldn't hurt."

"You don't sound like a southerner." Lucy pointed out. I smiled faintly.

"Dah-lin," I drawled, imitating the voice and tone of a congresswoman from Mississippi I'd worked with years before, "ah'm nawt tha one hidin' from tha gov'n'ment, ya'all air."

Lucy laughed brightly and clapped.

"That's amazing! It didn't sound anything like you. How do you do that?"

"I have no idea; it's just something I can do. Anyway, back to the business at hand."

I linked with the lot, excluding Lam Fan, and rapidly slapped rings into each of them.

"Listen up folks. The NSA, the Justice Department and very probably the FBI now know all about Lucy's extra curricular activities. They didn't know who or where she was until yesterday, but they do now. That's my fault, and it's why I destroyed your office building and why you all have to disappear. As of now, for all intents and purposes, all of you are dead. Your families and friends have to believe you're dead, so no one ... and I do mean no one ... calls home, tries to make contact with anyone you knew who isn't currently on this plane or goes back to the west coast for any reason. I will fix it so that each of you gets a new identity, a new past and a new life. Think of it like being in the Witness Protection Program, just like in the movies, because that's what's happening. Your main function from now on is to protect and support Lucy. Beyond that I have one hard and fast rule ... no one says anything to anybody about what you've seen me do or what you think you've seen me do. Are we very clear?"

The rest of the speech was pretty standard: obey any orders I gave them, be on the lookout for information relating to me or my family ... and so on and so forth.

When I was satisfied with their reactions I cut the links and turned to Lucy.

"I've been giving some thought to what we discussed before and I've decided to change the plan ... just a little. We'll still create our little think tank, but in the mean time I think the best place to hide you and your people will be right out in plain sight. How would you like to be a section chief in the NSA?"

Her eyes grew wide. "Can you do that?"

I smiled coldly. "It'll take a few days to arrange, but yeah, I can do that. Once the FBI creates new identities and backgrounds for everyone and fakes the SCI checks, I'll have a talk with Marcus." Lucy gave me a blank look. "Marcus is the Director of the NSA. Once we get you and your team in place I'm going to give you all the data I've gathered on Carlos Negron and the very first thing I want you to do is find his family. Every damn one of them, no matter who or where they are."

Lucy nodded her understanding.

"Okay ... now, one at a time, introduce me to your people. You and I are going to collect all their personal documents and identification and get a brief life history from each one."

"What for?"

"The documents and ID have to be destroyed to protect your new identities and I'll need the information in order to build them."

"I didn't know the CIA did that kind of thing."

"We don't. I've got people in the FBI who do."

After we'd spoken with the two seated farthest to the back of the plane, Lucy tugged on my arm. I knelt down in the aisle and lowered my head.

"You're not taking notes." she said loudly in my ear.

I favored her with a half smile. "Sure I am ... I'm just not writing anything down." I tapped my temple with one finger. "It's all up here."

Lucy's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Just how good is your memory?"

My smile evaporated. "Too good."

An hour and a half later I had a bag full of driver's licenses, Social Security, business and membership cards and photographs in my hand and seventeen people's lives burned into my memory.

Lucy returned to her seat beside her brother and I got up and made my way back to Lilly. Once I was seated I took the little scramble phone out and began entering alpha-numeric sequences.

"Internal Security." came the immediate response.

"Eric, this is Dr. Blacktower." I rattled off a list of things I wanted him to take care of.

"I'll get right on it Doctor."

"One last thing, Eric. In my top right desk drawer is a list of numbers. Contact the third number on that list. Tell the person who answers that I'm calling in a favor and to meet our plane when it lands with armored transport for twenty and a full crew. Make that very clear. A full crew. And tell them this isn't just a favor, it's a contract."

"Right away sir." he confirmed.

"Thank you Eric."

I disconnected and immediately began a new sequence.

"Special Agent Skidmore."

"Number Two, this is Dr. Blacktower."

"Good evening sir. What can I do for you?"

"I've got twenty one people in need of the full Witness Protection treatment, seventeen immediately, four others to follow in about a week." I said and began listing names, descriptions and IDs. "Don't concern yourself with relocation; I'll handle that. I also want all of them granted complete SCI background checks."

"How high do you want them cleared?"

"Right up there with your esteemed Director."

"These are your people sir?"

"They are."

"Understood. I'll get right on it."

"How's the security setup at Bethesda?"

"We're taking it in shifts sir, pairing up with your department's people."

"Any problems?"

There was a long pause.

"No security problems sir."

I took a deep breath.

Neatly qualified Mr. Skidmore ... very neatly qualified.

"Thank you Number Two."

"Good evening sir." and he hung up.

I put the gadget back in my coat pocket, reclined the chair-back slightly and closed my eyes.

Lilly snuggled up next to me.

"She's very pretty." Lilly said as she brushed her lips against my ear.

"Hmmm ... huh? What?"

"Lucy. She's very pretty."

I exhaled slowly.

"You think so?" I countered.

"Don't you?"

The corner of my mouth twitched as I fought to hold back a smile.

"Lilly, her brother is some kind of giant mutant kung-fu monk; she's smaller than Peggy and dresses like a bad mix of catholic schoolgirls gone wild and damn near every major character in an Anne Rice vampire novel."

"So you don't think she's pretty?"

"Lilly?"

"Yes?"

"Why don't you just come out and say whatever it is that's on your mind?"

Lilly rubbed her cheek along the outside of my bicep, dragging her skin over the soft leather and humming deep in her throat. I linked and drained away her gradually increasing store of lust and desire. I could feel her emotions shift when she stopped humming and started pouting.

"Lucy doesn't want you."

I opened my eyes and looked into Lilly's upturned face.

"So?"

"You don't find that interesting?"

"No, not really."

"Well I do."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I guess I've gotten used to watching women drool over you, so it's just kinda weird finding one who doesn't."

I looked down the aisle where Lucy had pulled her legs up beneath the rest of her body and was leaning against her brother. One of Lam Fan's enormous hands was gently caressing her flame red hair.

"Maybe I'm not her type." I suggested.

"You didn't hear what she told me when you came walking out of that fog bank."

"Do I want to?"

Lilly chuckled softly, shifted in her seat and rubbed her cheek against my shoulder. "She was very... impressed."

"Yeah, well it isn't every day you see someone walking around covered with fire." I said.

"That's not what impressed her." Lilly laughed.

"Oh." What else was there to say?

"Lucy?" I called out loudly.

The tiny little woman lifted her head from where it rested against her brother's chest and looked in our direction.

I waved her over with my free hand. She hopped out of her seat and nearly skipped down the aisle to join Lilly and I.

I pried Lilly's fingers off my arm, got out of my seat and stepped into the aisle.

"Have a seat; we'd like to talk with you for a bit." I said. Lucy launched herself into the chair with a neatly executed hop-jump that reminded me of Peggy in one of her energetic moods.

I sat down in the aisle so that I was facing the two women and stretched my legs out, leaning back with both hands extended behind me.

"What's up?" Lucy asked, looking from me to Lilly and back again.

"Lilly's concerned by your lack of sexual interest in me." I said.

Lilly looked flustered and embarrassed ... she felt even more so ... while Lucy just smiled impishly. She reached out and gave Lilly's arm a reassuring pat.

"It's nothing personal, really. From what I've seen," and she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, "he's everything a girl could want in a man, and then some. But he's just ... well, he's the Bai Long, you know?"

She turned her head and looked me in the eyes. "You're the closest thing to an honest-to-god God I'm ever likely to meet in my life. That's kind of intimidating." Lucy turned back to Lilly. "Besides, I've seen the way you two look at each other. A girl could get burned to a crisp if she ever tried to come between you. Literally."

Lilly blushed brightly and lowered her eyes.

I smiled slightly. "I could say the same about you and Lam."

Lilly's eyes came back up quickly, darting from Lucy and down the aisle towards her brother.

Lucy smiled prettily. "I didn't think we'd be able to fool you."

"Did you mother know?"

"Oh yeah ... she knew alright. It's one of the reasons we drifted so far apart towards the end of her life. Probably the biggest reason."

"You and your brother?" Lilly muttered wonderingly.

"He's a wonderful man, and I'd never have been able to do half the things I've done so far without him!" Lucy snapped defensively.

"Lucy, relax. Lilly's not judging you or your brother. I think she was so preoccupied with your lack of reaction to me that she simply didn't pick up on the signs like I did."

"You don't mind?" Lucy asked warily.

"Why do people keep asking me if I mind? You don't need my permission or blessing."

"You're the Bai Long." she replied, as if that explained everything.

Not to me it didn't.

"Lucy ... dragons are mythical creatures."

"Myths are stories wrapped around fragments of truth. Who's to say that the very first dragon wasn't just a man with abilities like yours?"

Lilly grinned and wiggled her eyebrows at me. "Didn't your grandfather compare you to some legendary Sioux hunter?"

"Lakhota." I corrected.

"So what's the difference between a legend and a myth?" Lilly pressed on, ignoring my interruption.

"Not a hell of a lot." I conceded. Put in that context, I had to admit that they had a point. I just wasn't very happy about being jabbed with it.

Lilly put her hand on Lucy's shoulder. "Don't worry; he gets like this from time to time. Ike doesn't like being told that he's not like other people."

"Why should that trouble him? He's not like other people." Lucy radiated puzzled curiosity.

"You see it, I see it, Peggy and Izzy see it ... even our children can see it, but not Ike. He still thinks he's just a regular guy."

I snorted my response to Lilly's proclamation, still thinking about the myth/legend thing. I wanted to be either one of those about as much as I wanted to be a hero.

"Who are Peggy and Izzy?" Lucy inquired.

"My wives." I replied absently, pulling my legs up and resting my chin on one knee.

Out of the corner of one eye I saw Lucy's head swiveling side to side, from Lilly to me and back again.

"He said you were his wife." the little woman said to Lilly.

Lilly smiled faintly. "I am."

"But he just said..."

Lilly nodded. "The three of us share him."

Lucy's mouth dropped open. "Three wives?"

"We aren't legally married, so I suppose it's a little misleading to call us his wives. But that's how we think of ourselves and how Ike thinks of us."

"And you have two children? Are they yours or one of the others'?"

"Rose and AJ are mine, Belle is Izzy's and Tink is Peggy's."

Lucy's mouth worked open and shut like a fish. "Are any of them like ... I mean do they ... can they... ?" She fumbled to bring her thoughts into spoken form.

"Are they like me?" I supplied lifting my head and folding my legs into a half lotus.

Lucy nodded.

"Hard to say; they're all still very young. The girls are just about to turn seven, and AJ won't be six till the summer. I didn't discover my own ability until I was thirteen. But on the plus side, none of them look like I do. They're all spitting images of their mothers; beautiful, cheerful, happy little trouble-makers with more intelligence and talent than any little kid should have."

"You're very proud of them, aren't you?"

"Absolutely. When they were first born I spent a lot of time worrying. I wanted their lives to be happier than mine had been, I wanted them to turn out better than I did; smarter, more capable ... better than me in every possible way. Watching them grow has been one of the greatest joys of my life. Seeing them become individuals, developing separate personalities and discovering their talents, all while remaining a tight knit little group. They never fail to impress and awe me. They're my greatest accomplishment. I've done some terrible things in my life Lucy ... one or two good things as well, but the four of them ... they're the real mark I'll leave behind to show I was here, that I made a difference."

Lucy looked down at her lap for a moment then turned back to Lilly.

"He's very modest, isn't he?"

Lilly wiped her eyes and smiled weakly.

"Yes. Ike worries that having as much power as he does might make him arrogant, so he works very hard at being modest and humble. It can be very annoying at times, but we love him anyway."

"Lam had the same problem when he was younger. That's why he became a monk, to learn humility."

"People with power should be humble. Without humility, power inevitably leads to arrogance and abuse of that power." I muttered.

Lucy nodded. "True, but even a good thing can be overdone. Too much humility leads to acceptance and then to inaction; an inability or unwillingness to use your power for the good of others. That is humility's great weakness. Learning that is one reason why Lam eventually left the monastery."

"You were the other?" Lilly asked.

Lucy blushed. "One of them. My brother found out what I was up to and decided I needed looking after. He didn't trust anyone else to do it."

I nodded. "I can sympathize. Looking after sisters can be a full time pain in the ass."

Lilly gave me a sharp look, while Lucy's was more calculated and appraising. I ignored Lilly's implied criticism and pressed on with my questioning.

"So what exactly were you doing?"

Lucy's expression went neutral, but her emotions were much more vocal and expressive.

"Hacking of course. I got into it at first on a dare in high school. These nerdy guys I knew said a girl could never be a hacker. Girls didn't have technologically orientated minds, or some such drivel. I took it as a personal challenge and set out to prove to them that not only could I become a hacker, but that I could be a better hacker than any of them."

"I'm guessing you won the dare." I said with a smile.

"You better believe it. It took six months of reading and studying and practicing, but half way thru my senior year I'd hacked, raided and trashed each and every one of their personal systems, the school's system and even managed to break into a couple of university nets. After two years in college I'd cracked the entire state government, most of the high tech companies in Silicone Valley and the IRS."

Lucy's face was calm and composed, but her emotions bubbled with pride and delight.

"Good times, huh?"

"Yeah. It's hard to explain, even to myself, but the rush I got from a successful hack was better than drugs, better than sex ... it was like I was..." she trailed off.

"Like a god among mortals?" I offered.

She shook her head and laughed. "Not really. I'm not quite that egotistical. More like a genius debating morons I think. Sure, there were probably people out there who were almost as good as me, but after high school it stopped being about showing off or competing with others. I just wanted to find out how good I really was, you know? Most of the time ... it was just so damn easy! For the first few years there was nowhere I couldn't go, no system that could keep me out, no data that was safe. And I guess knowing that kind of put a damper on the rush. It got to be too easy. I was getting better, but my competition wasn't keeping up, and eventually I got bored with the whole damn thing. So when I graduated some friends and I started up White Dragon Security and went into the defense business. For a few years it was almost as much fun as hacking. Fending off attacks, developing defensive programs, offensive programs masquerading as defensive ones, making heaps of money saving companies from people just like me. Like I said, it was pretty cool for a while, but then I started getting bored again. There was no challenge."

I nodded. "Then what?"

"I went back to hacking, but instead of just being satisfied with cracking the system's defenses, I started actually looking at the information I found inside. I'd never paid much attention to the contents before. Some of the stuff I found was pretty mundane, kinda like reading a history book, lots of names and dates and places, but if you think of it all as stories it begins to make a lot more sense. I discovered people's lives; the good and the bad. And some of what I found was pretty damn bad.

"So I started stashing their lives away. All the hardware we sent Thanh and his cousins after, that's where all that data is stored. Anyhow, I figured some of it might come in handy one day. And it did. Three years ago I went after the FBI, the CIA, the Pentagon and the White House. When I cracked them, people started looking for me. For Lucifer, I mean. That's when I started using some of the data I found. Getting people with secrets they didn't want anyone to know about to help protect me and the company from being found out."

"Like the cop in San Diego?"

"Yeah, just exactly like him. Haggarty. He's got a thing for young boys. The sheriff in LA, he's been moonlighting in the drug business. There are hundreds of others all over the country I've used to throw investigations off the scent."

"If you were so well covered, how did Chorney end up putting me on your trail?"

Lucy shrugged. "I don't know. After I cracked the NSA two years ago I stopped hitting government agencies altogether."

"They told me that you tried but didn't get in."

Lucy responded with a wide grin. "They really ought to hire a new IS crew. It took me four months, but I did get in."

I smiled in return. "Good for you. If you stopped hacking the government, who were you going after?"

"K-Street."

Lilly frowned. "What's K-Street?"

"Lobbyists." I answered before Lucy could. "K-Street in DC is where some of the most powerful and influential law firms and lobbying groups are headquartered. Half the time it's impossible to tell where one profession ends and the other begins."

Lucy nodded in agreement. "People think politicians have all the power, but they're wrong. Politicians make the laws, but the groups that supply them with money and perks have a hell of lot more power and influence than your average politician ever will."

"You figured that if guys like Haggarty were useful, the K-Street crowd would be even better?"

"Makes sense, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I guess it does. How many did you get into?"