Silent Mobius Fan Fiction ❯ Red Destiny - Book 1: New York ❯ Memories of a Shadow ( Chapter 3 )

Silent Mobius: Red Destiny

Book 1: New York

Chapter 3: Memories of a Shadow

Authors: OSTOCOM

Email and Website: See our profile

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: We do not own Silent Mobius or its characters, but we do own our own characters. See Book 0 for complete disclaimer.

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Calixta woke up surrounded by ethereal whiteness, with the music of pan flutes drifting around her. (This is what heaven is like?) she thought groggily. She lifted her head slightly and felt a dull throbbing ache. (But why am I so sore?) She rubbed her eyes, and her arm jerked against a cord. A mechanical blip broke through the music. As Calixta opened her eyes again, a sterile hospital room came into focus. She groaned. "Not again!"

"Oh, good, you're awake." Calixta turned her head and noticed Miakoda sitting across from her. Her visitor pushed a button on a small portable music player, and the pan flutes were silenced. "The doctor told me that even though you were in a coma, you could still hear things. I thought some Peruvian music might make you feel better."

Calixta smiled. "Thanks. It reminded me of home." She nestled down into her pillow, and then suddenly bolted upright. "Wait a minute-a coma? How long was I out?"

Miakoda gently pushed Calixta back down onto the bed. "Calm down. It's only been two days. Are you feeling any better?"

"No, I'm not! Two days? I need to get out of here!" She pushed herself into a sitting position and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She winced, gritting her teeth in pain. "Ow…"

"Are you all right?" Miakoda looked at her, concerned.

"I'm fine. Quick, hand me my gun."

Miakoda sighed. "Calixta…"

"What, you think they're just going to let me waltz out of here? Ha! Not until they've drained me of all my blood and all my money. Hand me my gun. They'll never take me alive."

"Calixta, listen to me very carefully," Miakoda said. "One, you're in no condition to leave. Two, we need our computer specialist in good health, so you should rest and recover your strength. Three, there's no reason to make a spectacle of yourself and raise awkward questions. Four…your gun is back at headquarters."

"Oh." Calixta leaned back against her pillow. "In that case, hand me my watch."

Miakoda took Calixta's watch off the dresser. "Why?"

"It has a miniature holographic projector inside it, and a remote data link to my holomodule," she explained. "Push Mode-9, Set-1, Option-4, and you should get a realistic, functioning holographic gun beamed right over."

"Calixta, did you hear a *word* I said?"

"Yes, I heard that my gun is back at headquarters." Calixta examined her watch and handed it back to Miakoda. "You'll have to do this, because I can't quite see the buttons. Please hurry. Any minute now, this sadistic intern is going to come along and try to give me an injection. When he does, I want you to shoot him in the head."

Miakoda grasped Calixta firmly by the shoulders. "Calixta, *think* about what you're saying," she ordered. "What would Jesus do in this situation?"

"Jesus would have just died and raised himself three days later, so it's a moot point," Calixta replied. She grimaced. "Besides, I *really* hate needles."

The door clicked open and a tall, white-coated intern stepped inside. "Good, you're awake," he said brightly. "And how are we feeling today?"

Calixta's eyes widened in terror. "Fine…we're feeling fine!" she assured him. "Not nearly as schizophrenic as we were yesterday. Much, much better. We think you should let us go."

The intern chuckled. "She took quite a hit to the head, didn't she?" he asked Miakoda.

"It was pretty bad," Miakoda admitted, smiling slightly.

"Thanks a lot!" Calixta glared at her. She turned to the intern and smiled as convincingly as she could. "No, really, sir, I'm not schizophrenic. Under your watchful care, any little medical inconveniences associated with my accident have vanished, and I'm feeling energized! Fantastic! Better than ever! Like a completely new woman, but not in the psychotic disorders sense!"

"Mmm-hmm," said the intern noncommittally, tapping a syringe against his hand.

"Hey! Get away from me with that harpoon! I feel fine! Go away! Miakoda, stop him!"

"This won't hurt a bit," the intern insisted.

"Liar! Miakoda! He's a Lucifer Hawk-I just know it! Get away from me, you evil demon sadist! You'll pay for this! Get back! Back!" The intern ignored her and inserted the syringe into her vein. Calixta screamed.

"There now," he said, smiling. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Calixta stared at her teammate imploringly. "I thought you were my friend," she whimpered.

Miakoda turned to the intern. "Is she going to be all right?" she whispered.

"Sure," the intern said. "That was just some codeine for the pain. She'll be a lot more comfortable now…and a bit calmer, too."

"How long until she'll be able to leave?"

The intern shrugged. "Possibly as early as tomorrow, assuming she gets enough rest." He looked at Miakoda pointedly.

"Right. I won't be long." The intern nodded and exited the room quietly. Miakoda turned back to Calixta. "I'm going to let you get some rest now," she said.

"That sounds good," Calixta said, looking off into the distance with a faint smile on her face. "You're really nice. That intern, he was a nice person too. Everyone's nice. Really nice. Yeah."

Miakoda looked at her quizzically. "Even the Hawk that put you here, blew up our building, and got away scot-free?" she asked. "I wouldn't exactly call him nice."

Calixta frowned. "Well, no…but I'm sure he's nice deep down. Everyone's nice. This is a very happy place." She smiled. "Very white. White is happy."

"Ahhh…" The light went on in Miakoda's mind. "I guess it didn't take long for the codeine to start working."

"Codeine is very nice," Calixta said, grinning. "Very, very nice."

"I see," Miakoda said. "Well, since you're so happy, I'm going to go back to work, okay?"

"Okay," Calixta said. "Work is happy."

Miakoda smiled reassuringly and slipped out the door. She shook her head. Mackenzie would be glad to know Calixta was all right, but it would still be nice to have a better report. She wasn't feeling as optimistic as the intern. It didn't seem to her that Calixta would be back to normal by tomorrow. (Then again,) Miakoda reminded herself, (this is about as close to normal as Calixta ever is anyway.) The thought disturbed her, so she pushed it gently out of her head as she stepped outside into the sunshine.

------

It was a beautiful Saturday in downtown Manhattan. The sky was blue and the people were out in force, enjoying the mild, slightly wintry weather and scenic attractions on their day off. But Mackenzie Jameson was unable to appreciate any of that. She sat in the remains of her office, ostensibly staring at the latest batch of reports from her officers.

She sighed as she realized she had been reading the same page for the past twenty minutes. (Face it Jameson,) she told herself, (You still can't shake what that girl told you.)

Ramirez…that was her name. Amber Ramirez. She was getting too close to things that were better left alone. Jameson needed to know what she was dealing with. If she was just a girl who had stumbled in during the wrong time, then things could be fixed. But if she was someone with too much knowledge and experience, she could be dangerous…too dangerous. Reaching a decision, she pushed a button on her desk. "Lieutenant Nakai."

"Yes, Chief?" Miakoda's voice sounded over the receiver.

"Did the doctor say when Calixta could come back?"

"Maybe as early as tomorrow."

"Good. Think she'll be up for a little research project?"

"Um…" Miakoda hesitated. "You might want to ask her."

Mackenzie sighed. "All right, I'll do that. Keep me appraised."

"Yes, Chief." With that, Miakoda signed off.

Mackenzie sighed again and leaned back in her chair, wincing as it creaked loudly. The Lucifer Hawk they had fought three days ago had done a number to the building. Her office had received the least amount of damage, and it had been one of the first places to be repaired, but there was still a lot to be done. All the walls needed new paint and the floor on the left side of the room had a huge hole in it, with only a piece of plywood for covering.

She had a hard time trying to decide just exactly *how* the repairs were to be done. The Lucifer Hawk they had fought had disguised himself as a member of the technical crew they had hired in order to upgrade the holographic modules. This caused a major dilemma when trying to decide whom they could call to effect repairs after the battle.

Finally Adara proposed a solution that everyone could live with, namely hiring a company that her father used frequently and having Calixta do background checks on *everyone* who came into the building. It wasn't one hundred percent foolproof but it was close enough to make everyone else relax…except for Calixta. Mackenzie felt a little guilty about putting her computer specialist into overtime right out of the hospital. Still, she was confident Calixta could handle any obstacle in front of her.

------

"Ow!" Calixta tripped over a steel beam and fell gracelessly onto the floor of the main lobby. "Why didn't you tell me that was there?"

"I *did* tell you to watch your step," Miakoda reminded her patiently. "Are you all right?"

"Fine," Calixta grumbled.

"You're sure? Nothing's sprained or broken? Any dizziness or lightheadedness?"

"No," Calixta snapped. "And I don't care if I'm seeing pink giraffes and have five pieces of bone sticking out of my leg; you're taking me back to that hospital over my cold, dead body."

"Hey, Solaris!" Adara waved at her across the room. "Nice move. Are you feeling better?"

"Splendid," Calixta mumbled. "When are we going to get someone to clean this place up?"

"I was just going to talk to you about that," Adara said. "How do you feel about being in charge of the background checks?"

"I'm not sure she should be doing that much work right away," said Miakoda. "The doctor said-"

"The doctor doesn't know anything about it," Calixta interrupted. "I'll be fine." She crossed the room briskly and sat down at the main computer. Her fingers flew over the keyboard and she looked intently at the databases popping up on the screen.

"Look, I just think you should take it easy for a while," Miakoda explained. "You've been through a lot over the past few days, and there's no sense in putting your body through more stress just because-"

"Done!" Calixta announced. She motioned Adara over. "Okay, this should let you access and cross-reference most government records, including the FBI database. Our access password is JRX0018ECC. I've also linked to a few underground criminal networks, so if you get a red X in this field, you'll know there's something shady going on. Make sure you run all their information through to make sure it checks out, and run their references through as well-they should have at least five. Any concerns or technical questions, call me over." She grinned at Miakoda. "Is that taking it easy enough for you, doctor?"

Miakoda and Adara stared at her. Adara's mouth opened and closed a few times, and she finally blurted out, "If it's this easy, why didn't we do this in the first place?"

"Well, we could have, but we just got our access password yesterday." Calixta shook her head. "Stupid bureaucracies."

"So we couldn't have done any of this before yesterday?" Adara asked.

"Well, not *legally,* no. Of course, in retrospect, we should have just broken the law like a porcelain doll, but how were we supposed to know that?"

"Or we could have waited," Miakoda pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess," Calixta said. "Anyway, we have access now, which allows for nice, simple, mostly legal background checks."

"Well done." Mackenzie's voice rang out behind her, warm and full of authority. "You seem to be feeling better."

"Chief!" Calixta smiled and saluted. "Yes, it's *very* good to be back."

"I'm sorry to spoil the good feelings, but I have a project for you, if you're up to it."

"Well, as long as it doesn't involve explosions, Hawk fights, late hours, or a high-cholesterol diet, it should be fine, right, doc?" She winked at Miakoda.

"No, no, it's nothing like that," Mackenzie assured her. "I'll tell you about it in my office."

------

Mackenzie shut the door and perched herself on her chair. "I'd offer you a seat, but-" She gestured around the dilapidated office.

Calixta shrugged. "It's all right. What can I do for you?"

"I need a favor. Give me everything you can find on Amber Ramirez-official and…unofficial."

"Understood. You think she's going to be trouble?"

"I think I'd like to know what we're up against. I always like to prepare for the worst. When do you think you'll be ready to start?"

A look of mild annoyance crossed Calixta's face. "I'm ready now. You'll have a report by the end of the day."

"There's no rush," Mackenzie said gently.

"All right. Tomorrow morning, then." She stared defiantly at Mackenzie, as though daring the chief to challenge her.

Mackenzie looked at her computer specialist and understood. "I'll expect it on my desk first thing tomorrow," she said. "Dismissed."

Calixta saluted sharply and withdrew to her workstation across the hall. She turned her computer on and smiled as the blue-green glow lit her office. "It's been too long, old friend," she murmured. "Let's see what we can find…"

Now that she had the access password, it was actually fairly easy to obtain Ramirez's official files. Within minutes, she had everything from the girl's identification number to her college transcripts downloaded and waiting to be perused. The unofficial stuff, though, that was going to take some work. (This is a job for Langley,) she thought irrelevantly, remembering an X-Files episode Miakoda had made her watch. (But since it's just me…)

"All right," Calixta said to herself, cracking her knuckles, "put on something black and sexy and prepare to do some funky hacking."

Her mind slipped into another world, a world of data, binary pathways, shortcuts, and numbers flying by at lightning speed. She heard only the clicking of keys and the frantic whirring of her computer. It could have been seconds or days. She looked at her watch.

"Seven minutes to hack into the CIA database?" Calixta exclaimed. "I must have hit my head harder than I thought." She shook her head and began reading. Her eyes widened as she scrolled through the information. "Interesting…"

Calixta sat transfixed, her mind continuing to absorb facts. She didn't see the sunset, or notice her teammates leave, and her computer continued glowing well into the night.

------

The workroom in the New York Sentinel was strangely quiet. (Of course,) ace reporter Amber Ramirez thought to herself, (I'm not usually here at midnight.) She rubbed the bridge of her nose absently as she took another look at the data she had managed to assemble on her latest project.

She was so involved in her work that she never heard the footsteps come up behind her. "What in the world are you doing here so late?"

She started and whirled her chair around. "Daniels!" she exclaimed, clutching a hand to her chest. Her eyes narrowed and she smacked him in the arm. "Don't do that!"

"Sorry," Tad said sheepishly. "I thought you heard me coming up. And anyway, you didn't answer my question. Why are you still here?"

She gestured to the piles of paperwork that currently littered her normally tidy desk. "I'm working."

"*Still*? Amber, it's past midnight. Go home, get some sleep."

"Well what are you doing here if it's so late?"

"I just forgot something I needed," he dissembled, looking towards his desk. (I can't tell her I got worried because she wasn't at home,) he thought.

Amber had already returned to her work. "Who knew a simple story about mem-sweep technology could turn into such a big hassle? My only sources won't talk, and every time I find someone who *should* know something, they don't!" She sighed. "I'm not going to get anywhere on this story."

"Maybe you just need a fresh perspective," Tad suggested as he pulled up a chair. "Let me see what you've got so far."

She pulled up a few folders for him too look at. "See here. I got this name, Mackenzie Jameson, from a reliable source that said she'd been involved in mem-sweep stuff. But when I went to talk to her and her former commanding officer, they both said that she'd been nowhere near anything involving mem-sweep."

Tad blinked his big hazel eyes. "Well, are you sure your source is reliable?"

"I know she is! At least, she *was* until she conveniently died a few days ago. And I also think it's suspicious that Mackenzie Jameson was involved in a supposed accident that left her with amnesia. She can't remember anything from the time she was seventeen until she woke up from the accident when she was twenty-nine. That's *exactly* what mem-sweep is supposed to be for, Daniels," the young woman said intently. "I just can't shake the feeling that she was a test subject and doesn't know it. But no one seems to believe me."

The dejected look on her face was hard for Tad to stand. "Don't worry, Amber. I know you'll come up with something. And you have enough for a draft of what Mortenson wanted you to cover, right?"

"Yeah, I've got enough for a draft. I wrote a whole piece from a 'debate about' point-of-view. But I *know* there's more to this story. And I won't rest until I find the truth."

"Well it's obvious you're not going to get anywhere with this Marshall guy. And you said Mackenzie Jameson is being reluctant too, right?"

"She refuses to even talk about the *possibility* that she was a mem-sweep test case," Amber agreed.

"So why don't you try getting information from someone else close to her? Maybe someone who's as concerned as you are and would be willing to listen."

Amber's brown eyes lit up with delight. "That's a great idea, Daniels!" She threw her arms around him in an enthusiastic hug. "I've got the names of some of her subordinates. Maybe I can talk to one of them…" She flipped through one of her folders quickly before stopping and pointing to a name on the page. "Adara Davis. She's Jameson's right-hand woman. I can catch her coming off work tomorrow night, and hopefully she can tell me something! Thanks again, Daniels! Sometimes I don't know what I'd do without you."

She hugged him again and didn't notice when he stiffened slightly, or the goofy grin on his face when she let him go. She hastily turned back to her desk and organized it quickly. "Okay, I'm off to get some sleep, and you should go home too. Night, Daniels!" she called over her shoulder as she left the office.

Tad sighed as he watched her waltz out of the newsroom. It seemed like no matter what he tried, he couldn't get Amber to even notice that he existed as more than a friend. He shook his head somewhat self-depreciatingly as he headed over to his desk and gathered a few files. Since he was already up, he might as well finish the draft he had been working on earlier. At least one of them would get a good night's sleep tonight.

------

\\"Blow out the candles, Mackenzie!"

Mackenzie looked over at her best friend and scowled. "I'm not three, you know, Kendra. I'll blow out the damn things on my own." She stuck her tongue out, but proceeded to laugh as Kendra returned the silly gesture.

"Come on, Jameson," someone in the crowd called. "Don't keep everyone hanging! Blow out the candles already!"

Mackenzie took a deep breath and let it out, extinguishing the tiny flickering candles that sat atop the white-frosted cake. Everyone in the room cheered and clapped wildly, and she couldn't keep herself from smiling. In the background, she heard the phone start to ring, but she ignored it, figuring that her father would answer it. She started to cut the cake, laughing and joking with several of her friends who had gathered around her.

The scene played out like a bad movie. She heard the phone drop and turned to see her father staring straight ahead, a glazed look on his face.

"Daddy?" She took a hesitant step forward. "Dad?"

"That was Captain Kingsley. Nick…"

Mackenzie felt the tears start to collect in her eyes. "No, Daddy," she whispered.

He took a shuddering breath and nodded. "Nick's dead, baby. Your brother died."\\

She felt the world around her shatter…and woke up in her bed, gasping for breath. "Damn it," she whispered to the empty room. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the headboard. If she concentrated, she could almost see Nick's face, the expression locked in eternal exuberance, the same way she had seen him before he left for the last time.

She ran a hand through her sleep-tousled hair, trying to put the dream, the memory, out of her mind. She knew from years of experience that she wasn't likely to get any more sleep that night, so she wrapped herself in a robe and poured herself a glass of water before deciding to check her e-mail. Mackenzie noticed with some surprise an e-mail with a large attachment from Calixta. She opened it.

"Hey Chief," it ran. "Here's what I found about Amber Ramirez. I'll give you my report tomorrow, but here's the more extensive information if you're interested."

Mackenzie smiled slightly. That poor girl was absolutely hell-bent on proving herself for some reason. Still, she was grateful for the distraction. Anything to take her mind away from the memories that couldn't seem to leave her alone.

------

The next day brought gray skies that added to her already sour mood. Deciding on a whim to do something about it, Mackenzie called the office and told Miakoda to tell Adara that she was in charge for the day. Then she made another phone call, to a man that had acted as a father to her since she had awoken as a seventeen-year-old in a twenty nine-year-old's body.

"Damien Marshall, please," she told the young female secretary who answered the phone.

"Captain Marshall is very busy. May I ask who is calling?"

Mackenzie rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to growl at the little twit. "This is *Commander* Mackenzie Jameson, Petty Officer. Please inform the Captain that I wish to speak with him. I assure you, he is not too busy for me."

"Please hold," the young woman said in a small voice. Mackenzie smiled with some satisfaction. At least she could still put the fear of God into a Petty Officer.

The phone clicked once and a new voice came on the line. "Well, if it isn't my favorite commander. How are you doing, James?" Damien Marshall asked warmly.

"Just fine, sir. Just fine. Listen, I was wondering if I could meet you for lunch today. Say 12:30, Rockefeller Square?"

"Let me check…" He trailed off and she heard the sharp sound of keys clicking in the background. "I'm free this afternoon, so it sounds like a date! But I've got to ask, James, what brought this on so suddenly?"

"Oh nothing really," the dark woman dissembled. "Just feeling a little nostalgic lately and thought I'd look you up. We haven't seen each other in a while."

"Mm-hmm." Marshall sounded unconvinced. "Is it more dreams?" he asked her seriously.

She sighed. "Yeah. Same thing, except this time I remembered…we got the phone call the day of my party, didn't we?"

There was an uncomfortable pause. "Let's meet for lunch, James. We'll talk about it more then. 12:30 at Café Diana's in Rockefeller Square, right?"

"Right. See you then." With a soft click, she set the phone on its receiver. Turning the uneasy portion of their conversation over in her mind, she stared out the window and wondered just what her old friend was going to tell her at lunch.

Four hours passed quickly, and before she knew it, she was sitting in a small booth at the back of Café Diana's. A waitress came up to take her order, and she thought a bit before finally deciding on a glass of lemon tea. She had just placed her order when a tall black-haired man entered the restaurant and came over with a smile. She stood as he approached.

"Hello, Captain."

He smiled fondly and shook his head. "We're off duty, James. You can call me Damien."

She smiled back. "Force of habit, I'm afraid," she replied as they sat down. "How've things been, Damien?"

"Oh, just fine." He smiled at the waitress as she returned with Mackenzie's tea, and placed his own order of coffee and a turkey sandwich. Mackenzie also ordered a sandwich, and the two of them chatted inconsequentially for a while before the food came.

Marshall took a bite of his turkey on rye with a satisfied sigh. "So James, let's talk about what's been bothering you."

Mackenzie frowned. "It's the dreams again. I think I remembered more. We were at our house and I had a few friends over for my birthday. I could hear the phone ringing and my dad came out. He said that Nick had died." She dropped her gaze to her tea. "Can you believe I almost can't remember what he looked like? It's been so long…"

Damien placed a sympathetic hand over hers. "It's all right, James. You know the accident played hell with your memory. It's only expected that some things would be less clear than you want them to be."

The hand that was currently not being held by her former commander clenched. "I don't like it!" she whispered fiercely. "I hate having these…these *holes* in my memory! I can barely remember what my own brother looks like!" Then she turned with a hurt look toward the older man. "Why didn't you tell me about when he died?"

"You know what the doctors said. It's better if we allow your memories to return on their own. I told you all I thought I could get away with. You're very important to me, Mackenzie Jameson. Almost like the little sister I never had. I didn't want to do anything to hurt you."

Mackenzie broke away from his gaze. "All right, I understand." She took another sip of tea before returning to her sandwich. "But it doesn't mean I have to like it. Or that I'm going to stop searching for answers about my past."

This caused Marshall to break into laughter. "Stubborn as always. I'm definitely beginning to think it's a family trait. Your mother and Nick were like that too."

"I can hardly remember her," she sighed dejectedly. She turned an intense gaze on him and tightened her grip on his hand. "Damien, please…tell me about her."

His eyes hardened. "You know I can't. The doctors said…"

"Damn the doctors! I don't give a *fuck* about what the doctors said! I want to know! This isn't fair!"

"Keep your voice down," he hissed at her.

She glanced around furtively and saw that they had indeed drawn curious stares. "I'm sorry. But I need to know about her. And about my brother and my past!"

"I can't tell you anything, Commander Jameson. I am under doctor's orders, and I won't defy them just because *you* want me to."

"Then I don't see that we have much more to say to one another," she said coldly. "Good day, *Captain.*" With those last words she stalked out of the restaurant, not bothering to look back.

"Damn it, James," Marshall growled softly after she was out of earshot. "Don't you realize that some things are better left forgotten? You're playing with fire…I just hope you don't get burnt too badly."

------

Adara had just gotten home from work and finished setting up for her favorite game when the phone rang. She stopped, looked at the phone, looked back to the game room, and sighed. Picking up the phone, she answered, "Adara Davis."

"Um, hi," came a slightly nervous voice over the line. "My name is Amber Ramirez and I'm a reporter with the New York Sentinel. I'm doing a story on mem-sweep technology and I was wondering if I could interview you."

"Interview me?" Adara asked as she frowned at the phone. "Why in the world would you want to interview *me* about mem-sweep technology?" Then it hit her just who was calling. "Oh. You're that reporter the Chief was talking with."

"By 'Chief,' you mean Commander Jameson, right? I talked to her, but she didn't-I mean she wasn't able to give me much information."

"Well then, I don't see why you think I can help you. The Chief's more up to date on government technology than I am. I'm sorry, but-"

"Wait!" Amber interrupted her. "Please, listen. I think there's something going on that involves Commander Jameson. I don't really want to go into it over the phone. If we could meet somewhere…"

Adara was about to tell the reporter to leave her alone and mind her own business, but something in the young woman's voice made her change her mind. "All right," she found herself saying. "Why don't you come over to my place? We can have a drink and talk about things."

"Thank you! I really appreciate this."

Adara rattled off her address and gave the reporter a few last instructions before she hung up the phone. "And it was looking like such a peaceful night too," she sighed as she gazed at the game room forlornly.

A few hours later found the lieutenant commander ushering her night visitor into the house and serving coffee in the drawing room. Amber seemed awed by the lavish decorations and the sheer size of the small mansion.

"This is amazing," the reporter breathed as she took in the sights.

Adara hid a smile behind her coffee mug. "Thank you, Ms. Ramirez. I'm afraid I'm somewhat of an elitist when it comes to architecture and interior design."

"You really have done a wonderful job. But I guess that's not really why I came here, right?" She set her coffee mug down and turned a serious gaze on the auburn-haired woman. "I wanted to talk to you about Commander Jameson. I think she's been mem-sweeped."

Adara blinked. "Excuse me? You think the Commander's been mem-sweeped? What gave you a ridiculous idea like that? Don't you think we'd notice if she suddenly lost her memory?"

"Not recently," Amber said exasperatedly. "Six years ago. The accident Commander Jameson was involved in on the _Victorious_…I don't think it *was* an accident."

Adara's eyes narrowed. "Ms. Ramirez, that accident is well documented by Navy records. I'll admit it's a bit suspicious the way she lost those memories, but it certainly doesn't mean she was mem-sweeped! What possible reason would someone have for using mem-sweep on Commander Jameson, anyway? She was a simple Lieutenant Commander serving on the _Victorious_."

Amber chewed her bottom lip. "I'll admit that I'm not sure *why* someone would mem-sweep her," she said hesitantly. "But I know what my instincts tell me, and they say that there's a lot more to Mackenzie Jameson than what the records show. The _Victorious_ is an intelligence ship, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. But I still don't see what that has to do with the Commander being mem-sweeped."

"Look, I'm just suggesting that maybe things aren't as clear-cut as the Navy records make them out to be. I got Commander Jameson's name from a source I trust. You have more resources than I do, so what could it hurt to do a little checking and make *sure* everything's on the up and up?"

"Ever heard of a little thing called invasion of privacy?" Adara said sarcastically. She sighed. "Look, I don't know whether I should trust you or not. All you've done is raise questions and speculations that are completely unfounded."

"I can't give you more than that! But I *know* that Captain Marshall was being less than honest with me when I talked to him. And I also know that Jameson won't disbelieve anything he says because *she* trusts him. I just think it's a bit suspicious that all the information on her accident is filtered through him in some way."

The mention of Marshall's name caused Adara's eyebrow to rise. "You got that feeling too, hmm?" she asked softly.

"What?"

"Nothing. Never mind. I can't promise anything but…I'll try to look into some things. Do you have a number I can reach you at?"

Amber immediately brightened as she flipped open her ever-present notepad and scribbled down a few things. "Thanks a lot, Adara! I can call you Adara, right? Of course you can call me Amber. Trust me, you won't regret this."

The auburn-haired woman sighed as she shut the door behind her guest after ushering her out. "I certainly hope not," she whispered to the empty room. It was time to call Calixta.

------

Calixta was in the middle of brushing up on her black-belt tae kwon do form when the phone rang. She did two handsprings across the room and picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Adara said.

"Nah," Calixta said. "I was just in the middle of an unsanctioned martial arts practice. Not exactly what the doctor ordered. So what's up?"

Adara sighed, not exactly sure where to start. "I got a phone call from a reporter, Amber Ramirez. She'd been talking to the chief-"

"About the mem-sweep story, right?"

"Right. How did you know?"

"Well, when the Chief had me research her, I took a look at her latest story drafts. Really interesting stuff. Did you know that the first mem-sweeps were conducted in Brazil twenty years ago to help soldiers affected by post-traumatic stress disorder?"

"No, I didn't," Adara said, a little annoyed at the irrelevant information. "But anyway-"

"Yeah," Calixta interrupted. "And no wonder they had it, too, what with all the uprisings and terrorist attacks. Basically the soldiers had to enforce a military state and attack dissenting civilians. Pretty brutal. I could see how you'd want to forget that. And of course the military ate the mem-sweep idea up because it made the soldiers easier to control. Of course, this is where a lot of the debate is coming in-"

"Calixta, I don't give a damn about the debates. The point is, Amber Ramirez thinks the chief was a test subject."

"Ahh…so *that's* the missing link." Calixta paused reflectively, then shrugged. "Well, if she says so, it's probably true."

"Am I the only one around here who needs *proof* before accepting these ridiculous theories?" Adara exclaimed.

"No, no, no," Calixta assured her. "It's just that-the girl has razor-sharp instincts. She…has a way of knowing things. It's uncanny."

"You have a lot of faith in her, considering she's a total stranger."

"Well, obviously you don't completely distrust her either, or you wouldn't have called me." Calixta sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Look, if you promise not to tell anyone, I'll tell you why I believe her."

Adara leaned back on her leather sofa, curious in spite of herself. "I'm all ears."

"And no mouth, right? Fine. It has to do with Tico Hernandez Garza."

The socialite flipped through her mental catalogue of names. It sounded familiar, but… "Who…?" she murmured.

"The Peruvian president about five years ago."

"Oh, right." It clicked now. "The one who was assassinated by terrorists, right?"

"That's the story up here, anyway. But Ramirez wrote an editorial about two years ago indicting the CIA for his death and advising against further US interference in the Latin American Coalition."

"That just proves she's a political power broker and a conspiracy theorist," Adara said tartly. "It probably *was* terrorists."

"No, it wasn't," Calixta insisted. "I lived in Lima at the time, and the thing about living in a war zone is that you get to know your friendly neighborhood terrorists: what they will do, what they won't do, and why. So everyone down there knew that it wasn't terrorists-at least, not *our* terrorists."

"But that doesn't mean it *was* the CIA, or that Ramirez had any special knowledge of what happened," Adara argued.

"That isn't conclusive, no," Calixta agreed. "But then when the polls pulled out Pablo Romero Muñoz as Tico's successor, and when he was so eager to work with American businesses at the expense of Peru's indigenous economic development…well, that indicated a few things. And then there are the CIA records themselves."

"What?" The word fell with a dull thud. "Don't tell me you hacked into the CIA's computers."

"Well, I prefer to call it, um…" The computer specialist searched for a suitable euphemism. "I guess there's no way of getting around that-which is why you can't tell anyone. Anyway, Ramirez has a CIA file as long as your arm, dating back to that article. If she keeps going at this rate, they're going to have to either recruit her or kill her."

Adara shuddered slightly. "Well, despite her brilliant record, the fact remains that she doesn't have any evidence about the Chief one way or another." She paused. "Which is where you come in."

------

Calixta stared, bleary-eyed, at her computer. (I can't believe I'm doing this again,) she thought. (Why can't I just say no? No, I won't hack into the CIA database. No, I won't risk my job by illegally accessing classified Navy files. No, I won't pry into things that aren't any of my business.)

ACCESS DENIED.

The words flashed prohibitively in red on the screen. "And furthermore," Calixta wondered aloud, "why can't I just take no for an answer?"

She stretched out her fingers and began exploring the network's back roads. In that moment, she understood. (I can't say no, because I want to understand,) she realized. (I have to know, and I understand that other people have to know, too. Seek, and you will find.)

But there wasn't anything there.

Calixta blinked and looked again. Where the file should have been, there was a black empty space. (Someone deleted it. But if it was recent enough…)

Calixta plunged into the hidden depths of the database, her eyes searching for the slightest glimmer. She would find what she was looking for. She had no intention of coming up empty-handed.

------

Darkness had fallen without Mackenzie noticing. She sat at the bar in her apartment nursing a neat scotch and thinking about the words that had passed between her and Damien Marshall. Part of her felt remorseful for her treatment of her superior officer. The rest of her was really too drunk and pissed off to care. She couldn't believe the nerve of Damien. After all they'd been through, the fact that he could still refuse to tell her about her past really hurt.

Downing the rest of her drink in one swallow, she set the glass heavily on the bar. That was the fourth or fifth such drink she'd had. And since she wasn't one for heavy drinking, she decided that it would also be the last. She took another look around the large, empty apartment and decided that she would try to get some rest. Sitting around and being depressed just wasn't her style, and besides, she had work to do tomorrow. ECC wasn't going to run itself.

She slept fitfully. In her mind's eye, she saw the faces of everyone she had known, one after the other. The images started to blur together until she couldn't recognize any of the faces she saw. She cried out in her sleep.

["Take the shot."

"I'll take the shot when *I* deem it appropriate, not when you order me to. Just a little closer…"

"Who's there?" Mackenzie asked the surrounding darkness. Was this a dream?

Suddenly, a face popped out of the darkness. Mackenzie stifled a scream and jumped back as she saw the pale face and sightless eyes. The body dropped heavily to the floor as a feminine laugh echoed in the empty space.

The darkness started to dissipate and she could make out vague shapes surrounding her. A rustling noise sounded in the distance, coming closer and closer until it was almost on top of her.

A heavy hand fell on her shoulder, startling her and making her whirl around. A black and green face stared back at her. "You still with us?"

"What-"

"Take the damn shot!"

She was breathing heavily as she looked down on the crowd of people below her. No one knew just how close she was. She was the best. And she was going to…

Her attention was distracted as a brown and white Saker Falcon flew overhead.

She looked up into a barely recognizable face. The edges were blurred and the features softened almost to the point that she could not distinguish anything. A soft voice was humming a half-remembered tune.

"That's because she's the best. She's got a reputation to live up to, remember?"

(That's the whole damn problem, isn't it?) she thought bitterly. (I *don't* remember.)

"Mackenzie? Hey, sis! You coming or not?"

"Nick?" she asked as she turned her head. She saw a young boy of fourteen gesturing to her from a bright field of grass.

"Come on! Dad's going to beat us there!"

"Nick!" She ran toward him, but as she watched, something tore into him from the side, splattering blood over the peaceful scene. His body fell to the ground. Mackenzie turned to see a shady figure holding a gun that was leveled at where her brother had been standing.

"Why?" she asked brokenly.

"I'm the best," a woman's voice answered.

"I don't understand…"]

Mackenzie woke up and found her pillow drenched in tears. She felt like a little girl with her mind caught in a nightmare, and no one was around to tell her that it was only a dream. And even if there had been, she wasn't sure she would have believed them.

------

"Well, here's the information you're looking for." Calixta threw a sealed envelope onto Adara's kitchen counter.

Adara nodded and handed Calixta a cup of coffee. "Good. Amber should be here in a few minutes. The traffic isn't usually too bad at this hour of the morning." She leaned forward. "Is the Chief on the list?"

"I have no idea," Calixta said. "I didn't look at it." At Adara's look of surprise, she explained, "I figure that if someone finds out, they'll only need a little torturing before they realize I haven't seen it."

"Torture is a little extreme," Adara pointed out. "They'll probably just inject you with sodium pentathol."

Calixta shuddered. "That's even worse."

The doorbell rang, and Adara left to answer the door. When she came back, the short Hispanic woman was with her. Adara offered her a drink, and Amber accepted a cup of coffee.

"Thank you *so* much for helping me," Amber said volubly. "I really appreciate it, um-" She faltered a little when she noticed the computer specialist.

"Calixta. Computer specialist and expert stable cleaner."

"I see." Amber looked less than confident. Well, Calixta couldn't blame her. It wasn't as though she had offered a promising first impression.

"Calixta got the list of mem-sweep test subjects," Adara explained, gesturing to the envelope on the counter.

"A partial list," Calixta corrected. "Someone had deleted the file a few days ago, but I was able to restore about 75 percent of it."

Amber tore open the envelope. Her eyes skimmed over the list of names. "She's not on here," she said dully.

"Well, that's good news, right?" Adara said hopefully.

"Not really, because she could still be in the 25 percent," Calixta said. "We don't *know* anything."

Without warning, Amber banged her fist on the table next to her so hard that the mugs sitting on it shook. "Damn it! I-I just wanted to *know!*" Anger flared in her eyes for a moment before she schooled her face back into a semblance of calm and smiled apologetically at the other women. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me…"

"Well, you have a list of sources now," Adara said sensibly. "And besides, you still have the source you got the Chief's name from, right?"

"Well, no," Amber said. "She's dead now. She probably died while I was talking to her."

"Ah." Something clicked in Calixta's mind. "Admiral Henderson, I take it?"

Amber turned abruptly and stared at her. The redhead was obviously sharper than she looked. "That's right, but how-"

"I keep an eye on the obituaries," Calixta explained. Amber could sense there was more to it than that, but she didn't say anything. "I wondered about her death…heart failure, I think they said."

"The timing was very convenient," Amber said bitterly. "But I can't *prove* anything." She picked up the envelope and tucked it into her purse. "I'm sorry. I meant to help you-I *wanted* to help you…"

"You did your best," Adara assured her. "And now we know to keep our eyes open, so we will."

A new fire blazed in Amber's eyes. "So will I," she said.

As she left the kitchen, she felt someone catch her by the shoulder. She turned and saw Calixta standing next to her. "Look," she said. "I like you. And I know you want to understand what's going on. But I don't think you know what you're up against."

Amber's eyes narrowed. "Are you trying to warn me away?"

"No, it's just-cuidate, Ramirez."

Be careful. The Spanish advice took Amber by surprise, but she remained firm. "I'm going to figure this out," she insisted. She made her exit and shut the door behind her before Calixta could say another word.

Calixta sighed. "Then God help you."

------

Amber looked up at the tall apartment building with a little bit of nervousness. Mackenzie Jameson definitely had the ability to intimidate her. But, the young reporter vowed, this was the last time she was going to stick her neck out for the older woman. Gathering her wits about her, she strode up confidently to the front door.

"Good evening, madam," the stocky doorman said to her, tipping his hat over a head of jet-black hair. His dark eyes glittered dangerously.

Warning bells went off in Amber's mind. This was the exact same feeling she had gotten right before the explosion last week. She clutched her necklace and afforded him a nervous smile. "I'm here to see Mackenzie Jameson."

The man's eyes narrowed. "Is she expecting you?"

"We have a standing appointment," Amber replied evenly.

"By all means then, go on in, and I hope you have a pleasant day." He bowed as he held open the door for her.

His last sentence having confirmed her suspicions, Amber entered and headed up the stairs with one last nervous glance in his direction. (I've got to warn Commander Jameson,) she thought to herself.

She reached Jameson's third floor apartment and knocked. There was no answer. She knocked again and spent a nervous few minutes hoping that Mackenzie was actually home. Just as she was about to leave, the door opened and the apartment's owner stood on the other side, scowling. "What are you doing here, Ms. Ramirez?"

Swallowing her nervousness, Amber put on a cheerful smile. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

The scowl deepened as Mackenzie stepped aside, allowing the younger woman to enter the apartment. Once the door was closed, Amber dropped the cheerful façade and said intently, "I think your doorman might be a bad guy. What is it you call them? Hawks? He's got the same feeling as that guy from last week, right before the explosion."

Mackenzie blinked. "You think my *doorman* is a Lucifer Hawk? And just how much do you know, anyway?"

Before she could answer, they were interrupted by the door being blasted inward. Mackenzie cursed as she beheld the glowing red eyes set in a partially human face that was now transforming into something otherworldly. The ECC's commander shoved her guest out of the way as the Hawk's long arm shot forward. It missed its target, but slammed into a cabinet, breaking dishes and scattering other small knickknacks.

Mackenzie raced towards her bedroom, and her gun, leaving Amber alone with the Lucifer Hawk. The reporter screamed as it turned its attention to her and grabbed her by the throat in one of its overly large, clawed hands. She felt it squeeze, and she brought her hands up to try to force him to let go. She could feel her lungs burning with the need for air, and the pressure on her throat was becoming almost unbearable. Just as she thought she might pass out, a red streak shot past her head and collided with the monster's arm, causing it to howl in pain and release its hold. Amber sank to the floor, taking in a huge lungful of air as she tried to recover.

"That was a mistake, human," the Lucifer Hawk said, its voice dripping with malice as it held its injured arm.

"It's you," Jameson breathed. "You're the same Hawk that blew up our office!" She gritted her teeth in anger. "Damn it! Do you have any idea how much damage you caused?"

Amber looked at the other woman askance. This thing was here to kill them, and she was worried about the amount of property damage?

"Puny human. You have no idea what you face. I am Isheth Mannos do Kauas! *I* will be the one to defeat you and open the gates to Nemesis!"

Then he looked at her with his deep red eyes, and Mackenzie let out a stifled shout as she felt the headache from earlier coming back with a vengeance. "Face your deepest fear, Mackenzie Jameson! Face the truth you have run from for so long."

It felt like her mind was shattering. A thousand thoughts, memories, and dreams intersected at one point in time. All of them were equally strong and all were equally demanding her attention. Blackness was closing in on her vision, and she knew that it would soon be too late for either her or Amber.

"Call them," she managed to gasp out through the pain. She threw something at the young reporter weakly; a small communication device. Then the pain overtook her and she collapsed onto the floor.

"Hello? Hello! Is anyone answering this thing?" Amber pushed buttons frantically as she tried to get the device to work.

"Get away from that!" Mannos roared. He tried to grab her in one of his claws, but she managed to dodge, and he needed all his energy to keep Mackenzie in the debilitating state he had her in now. He growled as tried to focus more effort on the spell he was casting.

"If anyone's listening, you have to get to Commander Jameson's apartment now! We're being attacked…" She was cut off as Mannos managed to hit her this time, smacking the communicator out of her hand and breaking a few bones in the process. Amber clutched her injured hand and snarled.

"That's my writing hand, damn it!" She saw Mackenzie's discarded gun lying a few feet from her, and wondered if there was any way she could get it before the monster could notice and kill her for trying. Things were definitely *not* looking good.

(Think, Ramirez, think!) She grabbed wildly and felt something smooth brush against her hand. Grabbing it, she winced as she felt the sharp edge of a broken piece of glass cut into her palm. She tightened her grip on it, however, and plunged it directly into the monster's arm.

Mannos cried out in surprise and looked down, allowing Amber just enough time to scramble for the gun. "Insufferable human!" he roared as he tore the glass from his arm. The wound sealed itself up quickly. He started towards the young reporter, who had backed into a wall and leveled the gun at him.

"Stay back!"

He snorted in amusement. "You think that weapon will hurt me?"

He advanced towards her and she tightened her good hand on the gun, gasping as she felt the cold metal cut into the already painful wound on her palm. Without thinking, she fired a shot, and her eyes widened as she saw the round slam into his shoulder, spraying aquamarine blood a short distance.

He hardly paused. Amber started to shake as she realized that she was probably about to die. He advanced again, and she fired another round. This time he growled and shot out his hand, grasping her around the throat once more. "No more playing, human. This time I'll snap your neck like the bug you are."

She felt his grip tighten, and then heard a cacophony of sound. She wondered if that was what it sounded like when you died. Then she felt his grip loosen, and she sucked in a grateful breath of air. As her eyes refocused, she could see that he had turned to face three new women who had entered the battle.

"First you damage our headquarters, and now you have the *nerve* to attack our commander? You're going down, ugly," Adara stated as she faced him down.

"A bit dramatic, but you can't argue with the sentiment," Calixta agreed.

The three spread out and Miakoda cast a quick spell, forming a shield that served to push the Hawk in her teammates' direction. Adara followed up with a small burst of flame, and Calixta took her time before aiming and firing three simultaneous rounds into the Hawk's head. Mannos roared in anger and confusion. Finally realizing that he would not win this battle, he growled and teleported away to heal himself.

"Are you all right?" Miakoda asked as she knelt next to Amber.

"Mostly," the young woman croaked as she rubbed her sore throat. "Right hand's broken, and I've got a nasty cut on the left one, but other than that, I think I'll be okay."

Miakoda nodded sympathetically and pulled out the emergency medical kit they had brought. "We'll fix you right up," she assured Amber as she started to work. "Don't worry about a thing."

Meanwhile, Adara and Calixta were checking on Mackenzie. Calixta sighed as she ran a portable scanner over her commander. "Well, this thing isn't exactly set up for a medical scan, but it *looks* like she's mostly okay."

Adara nodded. "All right. Let's get the paramedics in here and get them both to a hospital. We got pretty lucky this time."

To that, Calixta could only nod in agreement.

------

`

Calixta was getting awfully sick of seeing the inside of a hospital room. (At least this time I'm not the patient,) she thought to herself. She, Adara, Miakoda, and Amber Ramirez were gathered around the small hospital bed where Mackenzie was recovering from her ordeal.

"So when do you think they'll let you out of here, Commander?" Adara asked.

"I'm just being kept overnight for observation," Mackenzie assured the lieutenant commander. "I'll be taking tomorrow off, so you'll be in charge, but I'll be back the day after that."

Adara saluted smartly and grinned. "I'll be sure to keep these two in line for the day," she said, indicating Miakoda and Calixta. Both of them shot her mock glares.

"Actually, I'm hoping you'll be able to keep these *three* in line," Mackenzie replied as she looked in Amber's direction.

"Me?" the reporter squeaked.

"If you think you're up for it, I'd like you to become a member of our team. The ECC could use your skills and your instincts in the fight against the Lucifer Hawks."

Amber looked quickly at Mackenzie, wondering just how much the ECC's chief knew about where her so-called "instincts" came from. (Not that I have anything to be afraid of if they know…Adara throws fireballs and Miakoda casts spells, so it's not as though they're exactly what I'd call normal,) she thought. She glanced around at the encouraging faces that filled the room. These women were all people she could definitely see herself liking...although the redheaded crazy girl was going to take some getting used to. And she found that she would really like to get to know them better. Add that to the fact that she'd be helping to save the world, and there was really only one reply she could come up with. "Sure."

The others smiled and welcomed her to the team one by one. When it came back to Mackenzie, she shook the younger woman's hand gently and said, "Welcome to Equine Cleanup and Control. Adara and Calixta will start your training first thing tomorrow morning." She paused to get everyone's attention. "I want you all to be alert. That Category One we dealt with managed to escape, and he may turn up again."

"Someone should stay here, then," Amber suggested. "After all, he seems to be targeting you. Although I'm not sure what the connection between the Hawks, the government, and mem-sweep technology is…"

Jameson's eyes hardened. "We have no evidence that he was involved in anything having to do with mem-sweep. He was probably targeting me because I am the ECC's commander. Taking me out would be quite a victory for the enemy."

Adara, Amber, and Calixta exchanged an unreadable look. Finally, Adara spoke up. "Commander…I know it's odd, but I think Amber's theories might bear some investigation. I mean you can't be one hundred percent sure about Captain Marshall, right? Some of the things he said were really suspicious."

"The subject is closed," Mackenzie replied in a tone that brooked no argument. The others fell silent.

"I guess we really should be getting back to the office," Calixta said finally, breaking the tension. "We'll keep an eye out for everything while you're gone, Chief."

"Thank you, Lieutenant. Good night, everyone."

Miakoda lagged behind as the other filed silently out of the room. "James, are you sure you're okay with all of this?" she asked seriously.

Mackenzie cracked a small smile. "It's been a while since you've called me that, Willow."

Miakoda allowed herself a small smile. "And it's been a while since *anyone* has called me Willow. I almost miss those days," she said with a hint of nostalgia. "But you're also avoiding the question."

Mackenzie broke her subordinate's gaze and stared out the small hospital room's window. "I don't want to believe her. I've known Damien Marshall for a long time, Willow. Longer than I've know even you, and you're one of my oldest friends. If I start to doubt him…where will it end?" She looked at Miakoda intently. "The few memories I have are so precious to me. What will I do if those are taken away? How will I know what's real?"

Miakoda was silent for a long moment. Finally, she chewed her lip slightly and said, "I guess…I think everyone needs something or someone to believe in. For me, it's Jesus Christ and the saving power of the cross. But for you, it's your faith in order and the chain of command. But James, please remember that people are not infallible, and the chain of command is only as good as the people who make up that chain."

"I'll remember. But I *know* Damien Marshall. He's been like a brother to me, Willow. There's a bond there that I don't want to break over a few pieces of supposition. The simple truth of the matter is that whatever Amber and Adara say, they have no real proof. No facts to back up their claims." Mackenzie's eyes narrowed. "But I *will* get answers the next time we speak. Or he'll have to risk breaking the bond of trust we've worked so hard to build."

-----------------------------------

Next Episode Preview:

Amber: All my life, I have watched. Reported. And now I find myself on the front lines of a fight I don't completely understand. I'm trying to find a balance between my old life and my new one, but it isn't easy. And keeping the ECC a secret without lying? Also tough. Sure, my new job is stressful sometimes, but that's nothing a healthy dose of homemade Mexican food won't fix!

Next Episode: Veritas