Silent Mobius Fan Fiction ❯ Red Destiny - Book 1: New York ❯ Like Water for Chocolate Truffles ( Chapter 7 )

Silent Mobius: Red Destiny

Book 1: New York

Chapter 7: Like Water for Chocolate Truffles

Authors: OSTOCOM

E-mail and Website: see our profile

Rating: PG-13, bordering on R for language

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

Thanks to: linesthataregood.com/lame.html for the god-awful pick-up line.

Special thanks to our beta reader OPR-kun, who's managed to fit us in on top of all his graduate math courses. You're the best!

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

Miakoda Nakai took in a deep breath of the aroma of the fresh coffee she was preparing, savoring the silence of the moment. It was 8:05 in the morning, meaning she had exactly five more minutes before the rest of her teammates arrived and the peace was shattered. Not that Miakoda minded their company at all. She just wished that the others would be a little less…rowdy, on occasion.

By 8:12 she had all of the coffee out and ready in their owners' respective mugs. It was then that she heard familiar voices outside the break room door:

"…so can you please try next time and get up early enough to get ready? I thought lobster fishermen were used to early hours," Adara's clear, strong voice said with a touch of annoyance.

"We're used to having our *own* hours is what we're used to. And besides, what's the big deal? We're only two minutes late."

"You'd be surprised what a difference two minutes can make sometimes…"

Amber, Adara, Calixta and Maris then entered the break room, some looking less alert than others. They were all used to Miakoda getting there earlier and making coffee, so they immediately grabbed their mugs. "Listen to Adara," Calixta said to Maris between sips. "The Chief's been raised in the military, where they think punctuality is next to godliness."

It had only been two weeks since Maris Lynn had joined them, and she was already fitting in like a square peg in a round hole…which, by ECC standards, was fairly promising. Adding her transitional stress, Maris lacked the funds needed to rent an apartment anywhere vaguely near headquarters. To put a stop to Maris's lengthy and profane complaints, Adara had allowed the lobster fisherwoman to live in her guest home. It was a nice compromise, except it was very clear that Maris was uncomfortable in her new and rather posh surroundings.

Calixta and Adara exchanged glances as the rest of the ECC attempted to wake up with the morning's coffee. Adara ignored the pleading look from Calixta and announced, "In honor of the fact that it's Valentine's Day, I think we should all do an extra round in the holomodule."

There was a silence, and three pairs of eyes blinked back. "Today's Valentine's Day?" Maris said somewhat incredulously.

"Don't tell me you forgot," Amber said, smiling slightly.

"Well, it's not exactly my favorite holiday," Maris grumbled. "And anyway, what does holomodule practice have to do with Valentine's Day? That thing gives me the creeps. It's all there and not there…just the whole being inside a computer program thing makes me jittery."

"Why do I have a feeling that this is a Valentine's Day present for Calixta more than the rest of us?" Miakoda wondered aloud.

"Calixta's just mentioned that she had a particular program that I think would be good for today's occasion, and I thought it would all be helpful if we tried it," Adara explained. "Besides, we've had almost no Hawk attacks these past two weeks. If we don't stay in top form, we're going to be in trouble when a real attack comes along."

The others finally consented, but not without some poorly concealed grumbling. They all finished off their coffee, suited up, and followed Calixta to the holomodule area. They stepped into the empty room, their footsteps echoing on the metal floor.

"Computer, run program BadDay.sim," Calixta announced to the blank room. There were a few raised eyebrows at that, but no one actually commented. The five women stood ready as the lights dimmed and a new scene popped up: a poorly-lit and crowded bar. A bartender was cleaning glasses, a boxing match was blaring on the TV wall, and various men and women were standing around talking in low voices.

Maris threw a glance at Calixta. "This is your idea of a romantic Valentine's Day? Your tastes are even worse than mine!"

Calixta shrugged. "Actually, this wasn't my idea at all. It was Adara's."

Adara glared at Calixta and hastened to defend herself. "But *you* designed the décor!"

"So I did," Calixta admitted, "along with a few other things. I guess I should warn you that I was in a bad mood at the time."

Miakoda looked at her warily. She knew Calixta sometimes used the holomodules just to vent and with no other real outlets, her creations could be…unsettling.

The ECC stood around for a few minutes, warned but unsure of what to do. Then a man made his way through the crowd towards them. His hair-if it was even real-looked like it had been greased with Pennzoil, and the loud alligator-skin suit he wore would have made milk curdle. He smiled a mouthful of painfully yellow teeth at them and drawled, "Hey there, ladies…want to come see my hard drive? I promise it isn't 3.5 inches and it ain't floppy."

The ECC's reactions to this man were all fairly similar. Miakoda quickly looked the opposite direction and coughed violently. Adara's eyebrow twitched, and a small flame formed behind her hand. Amber looked irritated and fingered her necklace. Maris simply responded with an irritated, "Fuck off!"

Mr. Bad Pick-Up apparently wasn't fazed. "If I do, promise me you'll be there for the big finale?" He winked and slapped Maris on the butt.

Maris's face turned lobster-red, and she looked ready to annihilate a city block or two. "Sir, permission to kick this bastard's ass!"

Before Adara could answer, Maris decided to take matters into her own hands. A dozen yellow teeth went flying as Maris threw a right hook straight into Mr. Bad Pick-Up's jaw. He landed hard on his back, and nursed his bloody face. The rest of the crowd barely reacted to the punch, as their job was mainly to stand around and be extras.

Maris shook out her hand and looked at the results of her work with some satisfaction. "Now that's what I call the best part of waking up!"

Mr. Bad Pick-Up turned back to the ECC, the blood on his face suddenly gone. His smarmy voice became a low growl as he said, "You'll regret that, human!"

"He's a Lucifer Hawk?" Amber moaned. "Honestly, Calixta…I'd never thought I'd have to say this, but I hate you."

Mr. Bad Pick-Up slowly morphed into a ten-foot tall monster that was only slightly less appealing than his human form. Maris blinked, and turned back to her teammates angrily. "Wait a minute, you mean he's a Hawk that can disguise himself as a human?"

"Yeah, he's a Category One," Miakoda said. "Don't you remember going over that during your training?"

"Well shit, I don't remember anyone telling me that!" She ducked as the Hawk swung a massive tentacle-like appendage at her head. The rest of the ECC immediately jumped to attention and prepared themselves for battle. A Category One was no laughing matter, even if it was holographic. The rest of the extras finally took notice of the monster and began to flee the scene.

Adara took the offensive and hurled a fireball at the Hawk's head. It teleported itself out of harm's way and reappeared right behind Amber. She turned around fast, raised her NX-5150, and fired three shots. She managed to get one shot into its head before it teleported again. "Dang it, hold still already!" Amber demanded.

Miakoda pulled out her own firearm to assist in Amber's attempts. She wasn't exactly ready to call upon any of the Spirit Servants yet, but the way this fight was going, she was beginning to reconsider. Adara's fireballs and their bullets were keeping the Hawk on its toes, but it didn't seem to be doing any damage. "Is there something wrong with that SATI or whatever you call it, Calixta?" Amber called. "Nothing here seems to be working."

"There's nothing wrong with the computer; he's just really hard," Adara said with frustration.

"That's right, I am hard," the Hawk sneered. "Guess you're starting to figure out who's got what it takes, and who has to fake it." It teleported directly behind Amber and lowered its mouth to her face. "Hey baby, how 'bout a little kiss for the road?"

Amber raised her gun to fire, but the Hawk suddenly enveloped her in a mass of gnarled flesh. Her yells for help became muffled as she got absorbed into the Hawk.

"Stand back!" Maris suddenly shouted. She summoned Nauticus from her Evian water bottle and held the liquid sword upright in front of her. She closed her eyes, as if concentrating all her energy into the sword with a will. She then opened her eyes, and began chanting in a language that none of them understood:

/Seven seas for seven sins/

/Seven times cleansed/

/Poseidon is the king of the depths/

/The purifier of evil/

/I call upon the wrathful king/

/To purify this unholy creature/

/Heed your servant, send your oceans/

/Purge your enemy of its life!/

As soon as she shouted the last words, a wall of water nearly as tall as the ceiling swept outwards from Nauticus and engulfed the Hawk and the bar. The rest of the ECC attempted to shield themselves as the seawater splashed up against the walls and the ceiling, knocking over random objects and soaking all of them completely through.

When the water finally dissolved into thin air, both the bar and the Hawk were completely gone, and the scene had been restored to the normal blank room. Amber landed on the floor where the Hawk had once stood, and spat out a mouthful of seawater. Maris looked triumphantly at her teammates as Nauticus also dissolved. "Now that's how you teach those damn bastards their lesson!"

"Actually, I'm afraid you didn't teach them anything." Calixta sighed as she attempted to wring out her jacket. "I commanded the program to shut off right before you did the spell. It's game over if any one of us gets eaten."

"Ensign Lynn, I have a request to make…" Adara said with obvious irritation.

"What's that?"

"That you would please *not* use that spell in the future unless I specifically ask you to."

Amber stood up shakily, looking more annoyed than the rest of them put together. "I saw his hard drive. Let's just say it's a few bytes short of an operating system."

------

After the excitement of their somewhat disastrous round in the holomodule, Mackenzie figured it would be best if they all cooled down with some paperwork…that, and she was obviously displeased that they had managed to completely drench their uniforms before lunchtime. Now, each ECC member sat with a daunting mound of papers on their desks, all of which needed to be filled out before 2:00.

"I don't see why Mackenzie's punishing us with all this…" Maris complained for the umpteenth time as she completed one form out of the stack. "After all, *she* wasn't the one that had to deal with that smarmy asshole."

"It was just a hologram," Miakoda sighed. "You should be thankful that wasn't a real person, or a real Hawk. Otherwise we'd have much bigger problems to be dealing with than wet uniforms and paperwork."

"Such as the fact that I'd be Hawk dinner," Amber piped up. "I don't know about the rest of you, but that whole trial run wasn't exactly reassuring. I thought training in there was supposed to help prevent that sort of thing!"

"It is, but there's only so much we can train against," Calixta said, pressing harder than was necessary on their quadruple-sheeted forms. "Category Ones are never easy…for us or AMP or anyone. But it never hurts to be aware of the fact."

"I'm aware of the fact that he was a bastard that needed to die painfully, and that's all I need to know," Maris huffed. She held out the next form and stared at it quizzically. "What the hell is 'number of non-planar offensive measures'?"

"It's how many spells you use, or just how many times you use magic," Adara said. "You need to report how many shots you discharge, how many spells you use, what kind of spells you use, what damage your spells and/or shots did to the surrounding property, what the surrounding property is, any persons or animals injured or affected by your spells and/or shots, any treatments you required following the fight, the duration of your stay in the hospital, any damage done to your weapon, the serial number of your weapon, your badge number, your PBN, your social security number, your insurance number and a few other numbers I don't remember off the top of my head."

"So you do need to know a bit more other than the fact that they need to die painfully," Calixta said.

"Fuck that…" Maris grumbled, and went back to scribbling on her forms.

After a few minutes of unnatural silence hanging in the large office, Adara finally pulled out one rather large form and looked at it worriedly before handing it to Miakoda. "Think Mackenzie will be angry if I show this to her? Or should I wait until she gets the bill herself?"

"What is this for?" Miakoda asked, scanning the document over.

Adara looked towards the ceiling innocently. "It's, erm…a little bill I sort of acquired during a date with Richard last Friday."

"Acquired? Adara, this is $2,344.59!" Miakoda exclaimed when she saw the number at the bottom of the page. "And this is all coming out of the taxpayers' pockets? For one date?"

"Well, Richard just offered to take me out that evening, so I offered to foot the bill. I mean, I can pay all of this back…"

"That's beside the point! How did you manage to spend two thousand dollars on just one date?" Amber said.

Adara began counting on her fingers. "Well, there was the soup, the salad, the side dishes, the appetizer, the lobster, the swordfish, the 1997 Dom. Romanee Conti, the dessert, the coffee, the play, the live band, the fireworks…"

"Okay, I think we get the picture," Miakoda said. "Although if you do have the guts to show this to Mackenzie, I suggest that you leave out the coffee."

"Speaking of expensive dinners, has Richard, you know…popped the question yet?" Amber asked none-too-stealthily.

"Popped the…what?" Adara was caught somewhat off-guard, and blinked a few times before she could talk again. It was certainly unusual for Adara to be at a loss for words. "No, no, nothing like that. We're just dating. It's nothing serious."

A few unconvinced coughs replied to Adara's claim. "If this is nothing serious, I'd hate to see what the serious bill looks like," Miakoda said, handing the form back to Adara. The ECC field commander knew what all of her subordinates were thinking, and she didn't dare and arouse their curiosity further…so she decided to hide the receipt for the hotel that had followed the theatre and fireworks.

"Well now that I think about it, Amber, maybe he's waiting until tonight to go through with it," Miakoda winked. "Today is certainly an appropriate day."

"Hmph, I highly doubt Richard would do anything of the sort, especially where we're going," Adara said.

"So where *are* we going, exactly?" Maris asked suspiciously. "You've been throwing hints out all day, and it's getting on my nerves."

"We're going to go clubbing as soon as we're done with all our work here," Adara said. "I know all of you guys…we hardly ever go out on the town. Well, today we finally have an occasion, so we're all going out together and we're going to enjoy ourselves!"

"That's why she had me program in that simulation," Calixta said. "She just wanted to use my holomodule to train you guys."

"Train us in what, exactly?" Maris said.

"In proper clubbing etiquette, which *you* failed miserably," Adara said, turning to Maris. "Once we do go out, you're going to have to be on your best behavior. Maybe back home people knew you better and knew not to mess with you, but here you're going to have to be courteous even if people are less than polite to you. Any stunts like the one you pulled in the holomodule are definitely going to get us kicked out of the club."

"Do I have to be polite even if greasy jerks like that Hawk slap me on the ass?"

"If they actually are Hawks, then no. If they're human, then yes. You should at least refrain from punching them."

"Well, this whole thing better damn well be worth my time…" Maris said. Calixta secretly shared Maris's sentiment. She was less than comfortable in those sorts of situations, and had agreed to go only by Adara's pleading…and bribery.

Suddenly, alarms sounded throughout the building, and screens began to pop up along all of their stations on Hawk activity. The girls jumped to attention as Mackenzie's voice came over the intercom: "We have some massive Hawk activity up in old Manhattan, near the coast. This needs to be taken care of immediately."

"Already on it," Adara said for the group as she and the rest of the ECC leapt from their seats and headed for the transport.

------

The 'Aurora' circled the skyscrapers precariously, searching out an inconspicuous place to land. Unfortunately, there was almost nowhere that was inconspicuous, even in this run-down part of the city. The fading daylight aided somewhat in their mission, but they also knew that would hinder them in the coming fight. Adara steered their vehicle towards an abandoned roof parking lot in the center of an old shopping center, while Calixta scanned their opponents below. She frowned as several large colored masses appeared on the screen before her. "This is really bad…there are three Category Twos down there, and a whole herd of Category Threes circling the perimeter."

"What are they all doing down there?" Amber wondered.

"This is really strange, but it looks like they're…digging," Calixta said after punching a few more buttons. "At least the Category Twos are. They're burrowing down into the floor of the abandoned shopping center while the Threes are just milling around them."

"Calixta's right…this is really bad," Adara said in all seriousness. "These aren't just lost Hawks happening across an easy meal. These guys are looking for something specific, and they'll be more than ready to defend themselves."

"So what's the plan?" Miakoda asked.

"The plan is a good old-fashioned sneak attack. It's usually best to take out the big guys first, but in this instance we should attack the Threes. The last thing we need is for the big guys to discover our presence and sic all of their lackeys on us at the same time. Miakoda and I will take the left flank; Amber and Maris, you take the right. Calixta, stay here and inform us if the Twos start making a move, but be ready to get down here if we need backup. I don't think I need to remind you all that this is the biggest fight we've had in awhile, so we all need to be on our guard." Adara looked at her teammates pointedly.

"Hey, I'm fine as long as those damn bastards don't start hitting on me," Maris said, although everyone else could tell that she wasn't 100% confident either.

As soon as the STAV touched down, the four women got out and split into two groups, walking in a wide circle around where the Hawks were supposedly operating. The tapping of their shoes rang eerily loudly in the empty shopping center, tightening their already tense nerves.

"Time to save the world and all the pretty horses," Calixta said sarcastically over the collar communicator.

"Do we have to include the horses?" Maris asked. "They're the ones shitting all over the place."

"Yeah, but without them, we don't have jobs."

"Speaking of jobs, better start counting your rounds," Amber added, raising her weapon. A clattering sound came from the floor below them, followed by a mass of bat-like Category Threes slithering up the broken escalator.

"Get outta the way; we've got bigger fish to fry!" Maris challenged the Hawks, and she and Amber began firing at the oncoming enemy. Most of their shots hit the Hawks, and they disintegrated into nothing on contact. A few, however, slid past them and circled around back the way they had come.

"Not such big shots now, are ya?" Maris called after the escaping Hawks.

"Stop taunting them and go after them!" Amber cried, running down the escalator. "They'll get back to the Category Twos and then we'll really have problems!"

"I'm afraid it's a little late for that," a low and unnerving voice said directly behind them.

"Adara, we've got trouble!" Calixta shouted over the communicator. "Two of those Category Twos just moved position, and I'm not picking them up anymore."

"Dammit! I didn't expect them to realize we were here so quickly!" Adara said. "We need to regroup. Maris, Amber, do you guys read me?"

"They can't reply to you if they're already dead," said another voice above them. Miakoda and Adara looked up and dodged just before the Category Two's psychic attack came crashing down on top of them. Adara instinctively shot a column of flame at the Hawk, but the fire barely even affected him, and the heat seemed to die in her hand.

"You will not interfere with our work!" the Hawk shouted, preparing to cast another attack spell. "We have been given specific orders from Lord Jerel to destroy anything and anyone who keeps us from recovering what we need!"

Miakoda's psychic shield was up in a flash, but she barely managed to deflect the spell before it died away again. She stepped back to catch her breath, allowing Adara to attempt to flame the Hawk again. Adara remembered some Lucifer Hawks mentioning a Jerel before, and it was beginning to really bother her. "Well if your boss is so important, let us talk to him ourselves!" she yelled, and cast more flames at her opponent. Once again, the fire had little effect, and just creating a simple fireball seemed to require more energy than was usually necessary.

"There's something wrong with your powers, isn't there?" Miakoda said to Adara quietly.

"I don't understand this at all…it's like there's some energy here that's making the fire die. I can't seem to generate any power…" Adara responded, looking worried. The Lucifer Hawk decided to take advantage of the misfortune, and went straight for Adara. The Hawk's claws came rushing at her just as she was about to raise her weapon.

------

"Adara? Adara, Miakoda! Amber! Where are you guys?" Calixta yelled into the communicator. The signals for the three main Hawks had reappeared, but now her teammates were missing.

(It's just interference. There are four whole layers of building down there, and these instruments aren't entirely accurate. And magical energy as well…that's been known to cause disruptions in electrical instruments. It's definitely happened before. It's just those spells that Adara and Miakoda and Maris are using. There's no way all four of them could possibly be downed by some lousy Hawks…just interference,) Calixta repeated over to herself while staring at the monitor. However, the more she said it, the less she believed it.

(Well if you don't believe yourself, you better go down and help them,) a voice inside her said.

(Adara specifically commanded me to wait at the STAV unless called for. The last thing we need now is for people to start disobeying the commander's orders,) she said back to herself.

(Oh, is that the excuse you're going to give yourself? When really it's just that you'd rather stay with your computers than actually go out there and fight like the rest of them?)

(My job is just as important as theirs, thank you very much. And I intend to do it correctly.)

(Especially when it requires sitting on your butt waiting to receive orders.)

(I'll show you what it requires!) Calixta finished to herself angrily. She grabbed her gun and portable scanner and jumped out of the 'Aurora'. She looked back and hesitated for only a second, then stiffened her shoulders and headed into the building.

Inside it was unnaturally silent…no ECC, no Category Twos, no Threes even. She checked her scanner, and saw that all of the Twos were still somewhere in the building, while the Threes seemed to have dispersed to the outside. Still no sign of her teammates. She walked to the center of the main lobby, where the three Hawks had started digging. Although she didn't want to face off against a Category Two alone, it was better than waiting for the Hawks to come and find her.

Calixta continued forward with her gun drawn, ready to take on any Hawk that dared stand in her way. The concrete and dirt floor was coated with an almost invisible layer of ice, and a large pile of stone and metal lay to one side of an enormous hole. Calixta then began to realize just how cold it was inside the building, and she wondered where all the ice had come from.

Suddenly, a monstrous figure rose out of the hole in the ground…the third Category Two. Its large claws were covered in dirt and scratches, indicating that it had been doing most of the digging.

(I don't know what they're looking for,) Calixta thought, (but I'm not about to let them find it.) She took her second gun out of the holster, focused the laser sight carefully, and fired.

The bright white plasma charge flared as it streaked past the Category Two's head and impacted the ceiling behind it. The Hawk's eyes glinted smugly as it turned toward Calixta. "You pathetic human," it taunted. "How can you hope to defeat us if you cannot even aim your useless weapons? You are no threat to us."

"You're absolutely right," Calixta said, smiling as she watched the pillar behind the Hawk crumble over the hole. "My aim is just *devastatingly* awful."

The Hawk whirled around and roared as it saw the avalanche pile of rubble fill in the hole it had worked so hard to dig. "You!" it shouted. Its throat seemed to choke up as it searched for suitable words. "You will-"

"Find my teammates," Calixta interrupted. She raised her plasma gun threateningly and demanded, "Where are they?"

Her question was answered by a sudden commotion on both sides of the lobby. Calixta looked up with relief and then concern as she saw first Maris and Amber and then Adara and Miakoda appear on the level above her. However, all four of them were busy fending off a Category Two and a host of Category Threes…and they didn't seem to be doing very well.

Adara glanced down and saw Calixta with the digger Category Two. "Lieutenant! I thought I told you to stay with the STAV until we called for backup!"

"Sorry sir, but from the looks of things, I think I heard your mental call for backup," she called back, thankful that at least all of them were still alive.

"Well, since you're here, you'd better make yourself useful!" Adara responded. She was trying hard to disguise the fact that it was getting more and more difficult to use her fire power, but the strain was wearing on her, and she knew it was only so much longer before the Hawk finally got the best of her. Calixta did her best to help, mainly by picking off all of the Category Threes that were swarming around her friends. It helped some, but it was clear that the Twos were still the main problem.

"Hey Calixta, behind you!" Amber suddenly shouted as she began to back down the stairs. Calixta spun around as the digger Hawk rose up above her, and she emptied her clip into its head. The Hawk wailed, raised a claw as if to strike, and then fell over dead.

The other two large Hawks noticed their partner fall. "You will pay for that!" the Hawk nearest to Adara and Miakoda roared, and swung its arm at both of them. Miakoda was knocked to the floor, but Adara slid down the ramp behind her and fell into what was left of the hole.

The momentum knocked her sideways into the rubble. Adara picked herself up carefully, not even wanting to think about how much she was going to feel that in the morning. The massive bruise on her shoulder that the Hawk had given her earlier was damage enough. She felt a twinge of pain as she reached up to clutch the edge of the hole. (Just ignore it,) she thought. (Just get yourself out of here.) She tried to use her feet to push herself up, but her shoes slipped on the concrete wall as though it were slimy. Curious, she looked down, and realized that almost the entire hole was sheeted in ice.

And suddenly, everything fell into place.

"Maris! You know that spell I told you to never use again unless I told you to?" Adara yelled.

"Yeah?" Maris called back, already unscrewing her water bottle.

"Well, I'm telling you to use it now!"

"With pleasure!" Maris said, glad to finally be able to bring out her old friend. She summoned the massive sword from her container, and held it upright before her opponent. The Lucifer Hawk took a step backwards at the sight of Nauticus…it seemed as if most Hawks could recognize the willed blade.

/Seven seas for seven sins/

/Seven times cleansed/

/Poseidon is the king of the depths/

/The purifier of evil/

/I call upon the wrathful king/

/To purify this unholy creature/

/Heed your servant, send your oceans/

/Purge your enemy of its life!/

The tidal wave was released from Nauticus again…only this time it made the previous wave look like a ripple. Maris herself was thrown back as gallons upon gallons of seawater rushed outwards from Nauticus, knocking both the Hawks and the ECC off their feet. The wave crashed against the walls of the building dangerously, and splintered several of the concrete pillars. However, the spell didn't stop at the first outward wave…the water spiraled back on them, and crashed in on itself until it reached the ceiling of the two-story lobby. For a few horrible moments, all of the ECC found themselves struggling for air in the dark.

Then the water quickly evaporated into nothing, causing all five women to land harshly on the damp ground below. There was a general consensus of coughing up water and rubbing of eyes before they thought to look for what happened to their opponents. The Lucifer Hawks had not fared so well against the attack…the Category Threes had been completely obliterated, and all that remained of the two large Hawks were a few pieces scattered around the upper level.

Calixta stood up shakily, not even bothering to try and wring out her uniform this time. She looked at Maris pointedly. "Umm…overkill much?"

"Hey, don't look at me," Maris said, staring at Nauticus with wide eyes. "I don't even know what the fuck that was. I've done that spell before, but I've *never* gotten a reaction like that. You know, Nauticus, not everyone in this room can breathe underwater," she told the sword.

//My apologies, Ms. Lynn…I was simply responding to the immediacy of the situation. I did not mean to put your friends in danger.//

"It's not Nauticus's fault," Adara finally said. "It's where we are. We're right above a very large water ley line."

There was a confused silence. "How do you know that?" Miakoda asked.

"It's the only explanation for what's going on here…the ley lines in the earth are what magic-users draw their power from. My powers as a fire elemental were weak here, nearly useless in fact, because fire is the opposing element of water. So it would only make sense that Maris's use of water magic would be heightened in this area."

"Maybe to you, but it doesn't make sense to me…" Maris said, shaking the water out of her hair. "I never knew there were all these rules to magic and whatever. I just said whatever was coming out of Nauticus."

"Most people don't know all the rules," Adara said. "A lot of it has been lost since the Sorcerer's Guild was last truly active almost thirty years ago."

"Well, magic rules or not, that certainly did the trick." Amber looked up to where the Hawks had once stood. "And I think the fact that we were able to beat out this group of Hawks will help Mackenzie to forget that we've now ruined two sets of uniforms in one day."

"Well, it's all in a day's work for the world-famous Equine Cleanup and Control!" Adara said confidently as the other women gathered around her. "I'd say we've definitely earned ourselves a night on the town with this one."

"As long as we can get something hot to eat while we're out. Oooh, some home-cooked enchiladas sound really good right now…" Amber sighed.

"Mexican? You're covered in seawater; you need New England clam chowder or steamed mussels!" Maris protested. "How can you possibly stand smelling like the ocean and then not eating seafood?"

"Well unlike *you,* Ms. Lobster Fisher, I don't intend to keep smelling like the ocean when we eat," Amber replied.

"I suppose it's somewhat useless to offer my opinion…" Adara sighed as Amber and Maris immediately resorted to their endless banter on which was the better cuisine.

"I'll have what you're having, as long as it's worth less than three months of my salary." Miakoda winked at Adara.

"And just what is that supposed to mean?"

The ECC exited the empty building and headed for the 'Aurora', leaving the cleanup for later staff members. None of them noticed as all of the water still clinging to the walls and floor began to slowly move of its own accord. It clustered together into puddles and seeped downward until it reached the hole in the center of the room. At the bottom of the hole, it finally gathered until it solidified into ice, adding another layer to what was sealed only a few feet below.

------

Miakoda stretched out on the couch and sighed. She was glad to finally be finished with the second round of paperwork. It helped that she hadn't gotten a chance to use very much magic. More magic meant more paperwork, and while the quadruplicate carbon forms weren't the worst part of her job, they were a hassle. Everyone except Amber was still wading through the stacks of bureaucratese and repetitive questions.

"Hey," Amber said. "Mind if I join you?"

"Sure," Miakoda said, moving over on the couch. Amber sat down next to her.

"I'm so excited about tonight," she said. "If we weren't going out, I'd just be having a big dinner with my family. I mean, it's fun and everything, but it's always the same thing, you know? It's nice that I finally have some friends to go out with."

"I'm glad," Miakoda said. "I probably wouldn't be doing anything tonight either if we hadn't made plans."

A frustrated scream drew their attention to the offices. "This is the third time they've asked the same fucking question!" Maris shouted.

"So it shouldn't be too hard to give them the same answer," Calixta said. "Or you could make them all different, just to see if they're paying attention."

Maris laughed. "Good idea! That'll show those overpaid pansy bastards!"

"Thanks a lot, Lieutenant!" Adara snapped.

"Sorry, sorry…just kidding about that," Calixta said hastily.

"Aw, damn," Maris muttered. She continued her paperwork in sullen silence.

Amber looked over into the set of offices. "You know, I feel really sorry for her," she said. "It can't be easy, being alone on a day like today."

Miakoda looked up. "What do you mean?"

"Well, take that whole thing in the holomodule," Amber said. "You can totally tell she's had some bad experiences with men, and she's scared of getting hurt again. But still, she has to feel lonely."

Miakoda recalled the caricatured drunk in the simulation. So that was how Calixta felt about men…no wonder she never went out. She couldn't believe she hadn't seen it before. "That makes a lot of sense," Miakoda admitted. "It really explains a lot."

"Right! Like how she always keeps to herself."

"Exactly!" Miakoda sighed. "I just wish there was something we could do about it."

"I know!" Amber leaned back dejectedly on the couch, picking at her cuticles. Suddenly she sat up again. "Oh my gosh! I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner! I know the perfect guy to set her up with tonight!"

"Er…I don't know," Miakoda said skeptically. "I'm not sure she would appreciate that."

"No, trust me. He is the nicest guy in the world. You have nothing to worry about."

"I just don't want her to have another bad experience, that's all," Miakoda said.

"He's a total gentleman," Amber assured her. "She'll have a great time. Trust me."

Miakoda sat still for a moment, trying to gather her impressions. It was a risky business, meddling in affairs of the heart. Still, Amber obviously trusted this man, and she didn't trust people easily. "All right," she said finally. "Just make sure it's all right with her first."

"I'm sure it will be fine," Amber said, jumping off the couch. "Just leave everything to me."

A vague foreboding feeling ran through Miakoda, but before she could call Amber back, the former reporter was already in her office and on the phone.

------

Tad Daniels sat in his office, flipping through a Valentine's Day catalogue. He knew it was too late to actually order anything, but maybe it would give him some last-minute inspiration. (Chocolates? Does Amber like chocolate? I think so, but what kind is her favorite? Dark? White? Milk? Truffles? Why are there so many different kinds of chocolate? There's a conspiracy in here somewhere...) He flipped through several pages. (Stuffed animals? It seems a little juvenile...but I don't know...)

Tad's throat began feeling constricted. (I should have done this weeks ago. I should have known that one day wouldn't be enough to find Amber the perfect gift...) His fingers clutched his head. (Maybe I should just call her. Just pick up the phone and tell her...)

The phone rang. Tad's body shot upright as he grabbed the receiver. "Tad Daniels, New York Sentinel," he said automatically.

"Hey, Daniels!" Amber's warm voice sounded in his ear. It was the perfect chance. (Just say it. Just tell her...)

"Oh hey, hey Amber." (Does my voice always sound this stupid?) Tad wondered. "Um, what's up?" (Yes, it does. I sound like an *idiot*.)

"I actually had a favor to ask..." Amber paused.

"Yeah, sure. Anything."

"I'm sorry about the late notice, but my coworkers and I are going clubbing this evening, and I was wondering if you-"

"Yeah, sure," Tad said eagerly. "I'd love to come."

"That's great!" Amber said. "I knew you'd help me out. My coworker will really appreciate this."

"Um...what?" Tad's mind went into shock.

"Yeah, she's had a really hard time of things, and she just needs someone nice to be with tonight, so I thought of you."

"Right. Of course." Tad sat numbly as the words slipped out of his mouth. "That was nice of you."

"Is 7:00 okay for you?" Amber asked.

"Sure. Fine."

"Okay, we'll meet at Adara's house." Amber proceeded to give him directions. "Thanks so much for doing this, Daniels!" she said. "You're a great friend."

The word "friend" echoed in Tad's ear long after Amber had hung up. He slammed his head on his desk. The precariously balanced catalogue slipped off the desk and fell to the floor. He looked down. It had opened to the engagement rings page. Tad laughed bitterly and threw the catalogue into the trash can. He knew when he was being mocked.

------

Adara emerged from a walk-in closet with a silky gray-blue cocktail dress and a smile that barely concealed her frustration. "Well, what about *this* one?" she asked.

Maris clenched her hands into fists. "Absolutely no way in fucking hell! I told you, I'm *not* wearing a dress!"

The doorbell rang. "Fine," Adara said. "Miakoda, you talk some sense into her. I'll be back."

"It would mean a lot to Adara if you dressed up tonight," Miakoda said. "It doesn't have to be a dress, just something a little bit nicer-like this." She gestured toward her own brown leather pants and jacket over a loose white linen blouse.

Maris looked less skeptical. "Well...maybe," she said.

The two turned as they heard the sound of Adara, Calixta, and Amber coming up the stairs. "No, really," Amber said. "I brought extra clothes just in case."

"I'm sure we can find something in my closet that fits," Adara added.

"But why?" Calixta said. "I'm perfectly comfortable."

"But it's a special day!" Amber persisted. "Special days require special clothes!"

They opened the door to the room. "See?" Calixta said, pointing to Maris. "She's wearing jeans. So what's wrong with black pants?"

"She's changing," Adara said. "And so are you." She rifled through her closet and emerged with a slim black skirt and a tailored red shirt. "Try this."

Calixta raised an eyebrow. "I can already tell that getting my legs through that skirt would be like squeezing two orcas through a tube of toothpaste."

Amber held up a skimpy dark blue dress. "How about this?" she asked.

"Well, I'm a reasonable person," Calixta said. "Tell you what. You can put that getup on my cold, dead corpse."

Maris grinned. "That's the spirit!"

A dangerous glint shone in Adara's eyes as she locked the door. "I have never given ground to a Lucifer Hawk," she said, "and I'm not about to lose a battle to two of my officers." She turned to Amber. "Ensign Ramirez! Take Calixta to the adjoining room. Lieutenant Nakai and I will take care of Maris."

Adara pulled back a curtain to reveal a vast array of cosmetics and jewelry boxes. "You have access to any resources you need," she said. "Let the battle commence."

------

Nearly an hour later, everyone regrouped downstairs in Adara's parlor to admire the effects of their victory. Maris wore black leather pants and jacket, a necklace in the shape of an anchor, and had her hair done up in a French braid. Calixta crossed her arms over what she considered an inordinately low-cut red tank top. She tried uselessly to readjust the loosely draped fabric for better coverage. The back was too low as well-but at least she had gotten to keep her pants. That was something, anyway.

"Don't they look fabulous?" Amber squealed.

Calixta and Maris stared at each other with the sympathetic understanding of two prisoners of war. "You look nice," Calixta said.

"Aw, shit, do I really?" Maris asked, alarmed.

"Well, I mean, nicer than usual," Calixta amended hastily.

"Oh." Maris looked relieved. "Well, I guess that's all right, then. And you-um, you look nicer than usual, too."

Calixta sighed. "Thanks."

Amber circled around Maris. "I love what you've done with your hair! And the necklace…Tad's going to love it!"

"What?" Miakoda exclaimed. "But I thought-"

"Who the hell is Tad?" Maris demanded.

"He's a friend of mine, and your date for the evening." Amber beamed. Maris began turning an unusual shade of purple.

*Ding-dong!* The sound echoed like a death knell through Adara's house. "I'll get it!" Amber shouted. "It's probably Tad!" She bounced off down the hall.

"She set me up on a fucking blind date?" Maris shouted.

"I'm so sorry!" Miakoda exclaimed. "I had no idea she meant you-"

"You *knew* about this?" Maris demanded, whirling on her in a fury.

"Well, no! I thought she was setting him up with Calixta."

"Oh, thanks a lot!" Calixta exclaimed.

"I'm going to fucking kill her!" Maris roared.

"Ensign Lynn!" At the sound of Adara's voice, Maris snapped to attention in spite of herself. "You will, I repeat, *will* be a model of good citizenship tonight. You will be the perfect date: gracious, charming, and polite. If you are not, I will bust your sorry butt five ranks and you will spend the rest of your life as ECC janitor. Do I make myself *absolutely* clear?"

Maris twitched. "Yes…sir."

"Good." Adara forced a smile. "We're going to have a good time tonight if it kills us."

Amber returned, dragging behind her a sandy-haired man in khakis and a white dress shirt. "Maris, this is Tad. Tad, Maris."

Tad stared at the tall, muscular woman. Her smile did not reach her blue eyes, which flashed the unmistakable message: "I want you dead." (Run,) he thought. (Run away while you still have all your limbs and internal organs. Run.) Then he looked at Amber, who was looking up at him, watching for his reaction. (I'm not doing this for me,) he reminded himself. (I'm doing it for her.)

"I'm…delighted," he said carefully. "I-uh, brought you flowers." He brought a bouquet out from behind his back.

"What the fuck am I supposed to do with flowers?" Maris asked. She glanced at Adara and quickly amended, "I mean…how…charming." She smiled and said through gritted teeth, "Thanks so much. I…really appreciate it. They're…beautiful. Let me go put them in some water."

"I'll do it," Adara said quickly. "I know where the vases are." (And the last thing I need is my house flooded with seawater and two mysterious dead bodies that I have to explain to the police.)

Tad stood awkwardly as he watched Adara swish out of the room. He glanced over at Amber, noticing how attractive she looked in her form-fitting red and black dress. (It's not about Amber,) he reminded himself. (I need to be nice to my date...) He snuck a glance up at Maris, who was still fuming. (...civil to my date...) He looked down and noticed her hands were clenched in fists. (...survive my date...)

The doorbell rang again. "I'll get it!" Tad said quickly. He tried to calm his body down enough to avoid running from the room. He swung the door open and saw a tall, dark-haired man in well-tailored casual wear holding a bouquet of roses.

When the stranger saw Tad, his smile faded. "What are you doing here?"

(Please don't kill me,) Tad thought desperately. (Who-? Oh. Of course. Adara's boyfriend.) "I'm not here with Adara!" he said hastily. "I'm meeting my date here. I'm going with Maris."

From upstairs, the two men heard a shout. "What? Well, he'd fucking better not expect me to kiss him!"

"...with her," Tad concluded miserably.

"Ahh..." The dark-haired man smiled sympathetically. "Maybe it won't be so bad." He extended his hand. "Richard Price III."

Tad shook his hand. "Tad Daniels."

Richard stepped inside, and Adara came out to greet him. He handed her the roses, and whispered promises of more later. Adara smiled.

"It looks like everyone's here," she said. "So how should we divide up for the ride over? Men against women?" She grinned at Richard. "I don't know about you, but I feel like a race."

"The faster, the better," Richard said amiably. "Shall we?"

"I'll see you there," Adara said.

"...after you've kissed our dust!" Maris concluded, grinning wickedly.

A red 1966 Chevrolet Impala SS 427 convertible peeled around the corner, close on the tail of a silver 2032 Mercedes-Benz convertible. The Impala merged into the next lane, accelerating quickly.

"Come on!" Maris shouted, pounding on the dashboard. "We're right on top of them!"

Miakoda tightened her fingers around the bar above the door, her face slightly pale.

"You can actually go a lot faster than this," Calixta said. "This car has a pretty powerful engine. They really don't make them like this anymore."

"They really don't." Adara sighed regretfully. "Well, let's show them what the good old cars can do."

"Just remember that the speed limit's 60 on this road," Amber piped up.

"I'll remember," Adara said. (I may ignore the fact, but I'll remember…) She smoothed the skirt of her short, black cocktail dress and placed her hand on the gear-shift. A smile lit her face as she pushed the car into fourth gear.

The Impala leaped forward, its engine purring. It pulled alongside the Mercedes and kept pace with it. The two cars zoomed through the traffic, the sound of their engines echoing in the brisk night air. Suddenly, the Impala shot ahead, cut in front of the Mercedes, and pulled into a nearby parking lot. Adara got out of the car and grinned triumphantly.

The Mercedes pulled into an adjacent parking spot. "Did we have to let them beat us?" Tad asked.

Richard shrugged. "It was either that, or wreck the cars."

"Come on," said Adara. "I'll take care of the cover charge."

"No, no," Richard insisted. "Allow me. It is Valentine's Day, after all."

After a little bickering, Richard won the day. He paid a snobbish man at the door, and the group stepped inside. They saw a spacious hardwood dance floor, lit predominantly by red and white lights. Leather couches and booths with glass-topped tables encircled the dance floor, and a polished marble bar counter stood at the far end of the room. Techno music pumped through the club.

"I love it!" Amber squealed. "Come on, let's start dancing!"

Maris crossed her arms over her chest, and Calixta said simply but stubbornly, "I don't dance."

Amber's face fell, and Miakoda said quickly, "I'll dance. That sounds like fun."

"We'll join you in a few minutes," Adara said. "I just want a drink first." She and Richard went over to the bar.

"I guess we'll, um, go sit down," said Tad, looking nervously at Maris. The two of them went and sat at one of the booths.

"I'll sit with them," Calixta said.

Amber shook her head furiously. "No, no, no!" she said. "You should let them be by themselves. Besides, you want to look available."

Calixta raised an eyebrow. "I do?"

"Come on," Amber pleaded. "Just dance."

"No. But I'll go sit by myself if that will make you feel better."

"Right," said Amber. "That's the best way to meet someone. And then you'll have someone to dance with! That's the best way to go."

"Right." Calixta decided it was more trouble than it was worth to shake Amber free of her delusions. She walked over to the bar and sat down. "I'll have a Coke, please."

The bartender looked at her a little oddly. "Just a Coke?"

"Well, if you could put a slice of lemon in it, that would be nice."

"Of course." The bartender poured her a Coke and placed a wedge of lemon in the glass. Calixta smiled and took a sip.

"How are things going?" Adara asked, coming up behind her.

"Splendid," Calixta said. "I haven't had a Coke with lemon in ages."

"Uh…that's good. Listen, if you want any more drinks, feel free to put it on my tab. Richard and I will be on the dance floor." Adara looked up at Richard, who kissed her playfully. "Are you sure you don't want to dance?"

"Quite sure," Calixta replied emphatically.

Richard's eyes searched Adara's, as though asking a question. When he had his answer, he turned to Calixta. "Calixta, I'd love to dance with you later. You'll save me one, won't you?"

Startled and confused, Calixta turned and looked up at him. "Look, that's very nice, but-but I can't-I don't dance-that is, I prefer not to. But thank you anyway."

"Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find us," Richard said. He and Adara threaded their way through the tables and club patrons until they emerged on the dance floor. "May I have this dance, Miss Davis?" Richard asked gallantly, extending his hand toward Adara's.

"This one, and as many others as you'd like," Adara replied, smiling and placing her hand in his. They stepped and swayed to the lively beat and jazzy vocals of "Flames of Desire."

"That singer sounds a lot like you," Richard said, an amused twinkle in his eyes.

"Actually, it *is* me," Adara replied. "I cut that album several years ago. It's very surreal, coming somewhere and hearing yourself sing." She shook her head. "And I know you know that."

"You're right, I'm being silly. It *is* a beautiful song though," Richard said, pulling her closer toward him. "Just like its vocalist."

"Mush ball," Adara accused lightly. But she made no attempt to pull herself from his embrace.

Across the room, Tad sat across from Maris, staring longingly at the dance floor. Richard and Adara certainly seemed to be having a good time. Miakoda was dancing too, her lithe body moving gracefully, interpreting the story of the music. And Amber….

Tad smiled as he watched the exuberant sensuality of Amber's dance. The smile faded as one of the men on the dance floor grabbed her hand, and the two them began dancing. Why couldn't *he* be dancing with her? (Oh, that's right,) he thought, looking back at his date. (Maris.)

Just then, he resolved to make the best of his evening. (I'm doing this for Amber,) he thought. (I'm doing this for Amber's friend. Maris is *not* going to have a bad time tonight if I can help it.) Tad leaned forward and smiled at Maris. "Would you like to dance?"

Maris stared at him, surprised. "Look, I don't dance with just anyone."

Tad narrowed his eyes. (So that's what you think of me, is it? Well, I'm not giving up that easily.) He smiled flirtatiously. "I'm not just anyone."

Tad's sudden confidence took Maris off guard. "Okay," she said. "Tell you what. Let's play a little game. If you win, we dance. If I win, we don't."

"Fine," Tad said. "What's the game?"

"Just your basic drinking game," Maris replied. "Is rum okay, or would you rather have something else?"

"Uhh…" Tad leaned back nervously. (A drinking game? Not such a good idea.) He looked back at Maris. (Then again, it's better than sitting here awkwardly and doing nothing.) "Sure, rum is fine."

"I'll go get some," Maris said. She walked over to the bar and asked for a bottle of rum and two shot glasses. She took them, and then noticed Calixta sitting at the counter. "Hey, having fun?" she asked.

"No," Calixta said. "How about you?"

"Getting better," Maris said. "We're about to start a drinking game. You can join us if you want."

"What's the point?" Calixta said. "I'm tiny, and I never drink. I have zero alcohol tolerance. I'm no competition at all."

"I dunno." Maris shrugged. "I guess you could just get blitzed out of your mind and forget that it's Valentine's Day."

"Tempting," Calixta said, drumming her fingers on the counter pensively. "But I'm all right here. Have fun."

"I think I will," said Maris, a mischievous glint in her blue eyes. She took the bottle and shot glasses back to the table. "Round One," she announced, pouring two shots.

She and Tad threw back the rum shots. They repeated the process again, and again. After the fourth shot, Tad began feeling a little light-headed. He massaged his forehead gently with his fingertips.

"Giving up that easily, are you?" Maris taunted.

"No, I'm fine," Tad said. He took another shot. "Yeah, I feel good." He smiled stupidly.

"You're going to lose," Maris said, grinning. "I barely feel anything at all."

"Well hey, how about we just arm-wrestle for it, then?" Tad said. "I mean, it's not really fair otherwise, right? I mean, we want it to be fair. So let's just arm-wrestle for it, okay?"

"Hell yeah, that's okay with me," said Maris. She stretched her arm out on the table.

Tad clasped her hand. "Three…two…one! Go!" he shouted, pushing against her arm.

Maris pushed back, shoving Tad's arm to the table. "Ow!" said Tad. "My poor arm…" He shook it out.

"Looks like we're not dancing after all," said Maris.

"Come on," Tad pleaded. "Best out of three?"

Maris clasped his hand obligingly. "Three...two...one!" she shouted.

Immediately, Tad kicked her shin under the table. "Ow!" said Maris, her hand loosening reflexively. Tad took advantage of this moment to push her arm down to the table. "That's one for me," he said, grinning.

"That's because you cheated, you sorry-ass-" Maris clapped her hand over her mouth. "Oh, shit. I'm supposed to be behaving myself."

"Yeah, me too," said Tad. He looked guiltily toward the dance floor, but Amber and the others appeared to be blissfully ignorant. "I just really wanted to dance. I like to dance, but I shouldn't have-I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"Hell no," said Maris. "I'm not some glass doll you have to worry about breaking. I guess I could even handle dancing with you. You're not a total loser."

"Yeah, thanks," said Tad. He stood up a little shakily and took Maris's hand. "So let's dance then."

He led Maris to the dance floor, where a salsa number was just starting. "Do you salsa?" he asked.

"Do I *what*?" asked Maris.

"Okay, it's all right," said Tad. "Just keep your weight on the balls of your feet. Loosen up your hips, just let them move to the music. Now follow my lead."

Maris raised an eyebrow skeptically, but followed Tad's instructions. "Back, down. Back, down. Forward, down. Forward, down."

"Hell yeah!" said Maris. "I think I'm getting it!"

Amber looked over at Tad and Maris. They certainly seemed to be having a good time. "I think it's going well," she said to Miakoda.

Miakoda admitted to herself that it *was* going better than she had expected. She diplomatically changed the subject. "How do you salsa dance again?" she asked.

"It's not that hard," Amber said. "Mostly you just move with the beat." She looked wistfully back over at Tad. "Still, it's a lot more fun with a partner..."

Tad looked back at Maris and smiled weakly. He didn't know whether it was the alcohol, or the fact that it was Valentine's Day, or the glimmer in Maris's eyes, but he found it hard to resist the primal urge to throw up on his date. "I'm not feeling well," he admitted once the song was over.

"Aw, come on," said Maris. Then she looked at Tad's face and decided he was serious. "Okay, we'll go sit down then." She collapsed on one of the leather couches next to Richard and Adara.

Across the club, Calixta poked the lemon at the bottom of her third glass of Coke. (You know,) she thought, (no matter what the ads say, there's only so much fun you can have with a soft drink.) She looked over toward the dance floor. Maybe it wasn't too late to join them...maybe she could go sit on the couch by Adara and Richard, or by Maris and Tad. But Adara and Richard were lost in their own cutesy couple world, and Maris and Tad were laughing over some joke she wasn't in on. (I guess I could go find Amber and Miakoda-no, they're dancing. I hate dancing. In fact, I hate all of them for bringing me here...)

"Hey there," a low voice drawled behind her. "What's a sexy girl like you doing all by yourself on Valentine's Day?"

Calixta gritted her teeth. "Writing a murder mystery," she muttered. ("Blood flowed down Amber's neck in a thick red river. The killer turned toward Adara, swinging a double-bladed battle axe and laughing maniacally.")

"That doesn't sound like very much fun," the stranger said. "Wouldn't you rather dance?"

("The killer turned from Adara to her new victim, a...") Calixta turned to look at the man who had accosted her. ("...gorgeous man with chiseled features and black hair falling into his eyes." Okay, so he's good-looking. Fine. The world could use more attractive corpses.) "No," she said. "I don't dance."

"That's a shame, angel," he said, leaning forward intimately. "Because we could have a really good time."

Calixta's eyes narrowed. "Dancing isn't my idea of a good time." She jumped off the stool and turned away.

"I see how it is," the stranger said. "You have other ideas of fun." He smiled seductively and stroked her bare shoulders. "I can show you a hell of a time tonight, angel," he murmured into her ear. "That is, if you think you can handle it."

"Oh, I can handle you, all right!" Calixta exploded. She turned and drove her elbow into his chin, and as he staggered backwards, she kicked him just beneath the ribcage. He fell to the ground in shock, blood streaming from his mouth.

A crowd began to gather around the scene. The man stood up angrily and moved threateningly toward Calixta, wiping the blood from his mouth. Maris ran up and roughly pushed him away. "Hey, leave her alone!" she shouted.

"What's going on here?" Adara demanded.

"Don't blame me-he started it!" Maris said, pointing to the black-haired man. The two glared tensely at each other until the bouncer came up to them and said quietly, "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you will all have to leave."

"Don't apologize," Calixta said. "That's the best news I've heard all day." She turned and headed toward the door, her coworkers close at her heels.

"Care to tell me what that was all about, Lieutenant?" Adara asked once they were outside.

Calixta drew a breath of the cold night air. "No." She looked at Adara and sighed. "But I'll give you a full report in the morning."

Miakoda put her hand on Calixta's shoulder. "Are you all right?"

"Oh yes, splendid." Calixta noticed Amber standing to the side and added, "Look, just let me lie in peace, all right? I'm sorry I ruined things for everyone, but-just leave me alone. Go find something else to do."

Amber hugged Calixta. "I'm sorry you didn't have a good time," she said sincerely. "Would you rather go to my family's for dinner? My mom would love to have anyone who wanted to come."

Calixta's eyes lit up. "Really? Do you think we could?" She caught herself quickly and added, "I mean-only if it's okay with your parents and everyone else, of course."

"I don't know," Adara demurred, looking at her watch. "It's getting kind of late."

"Then they'll just be getting started," Amber said cheerfully. No one else had any objections, so Amber borrowed Adara's cell phone and called home.

"Hello, Mami?"

"Amber!" Mrs. Ramirez's warm voice came over the line. "When do you come home for dinner?"

"That's just what I was calling about," Amber said. "I have some friends with me, and they wanted to come too."

"Of course, of course," Mrs. Ramirez said. "Your friends are always welcome. How many do you have?"

Amber counted quickly. "Six."

"Good. I'll just cook un poquito más. Adios."

Amber smiled, knowing that "un poquito más" meant enough to feed five armies instead of just one. "Adios, Mami." She handed the cell phone back to Adara. "All right!" she said excitedly. "Get ready to eat!"

------

"Come in!" Mrs. Ramirez pushed back the door. Her eyes stopped on Richard, Tad, and Maris, and they introduced themselves properly. She promptly kissed each of them on the cheek, a custom that took Maris by surprise. "Uh...hi. Good to meet you," she said gruffly.

Tad smiled and hugged Mrs. Ramirez. She smiled back, flattered. "You have such a nice boyfriend-Maris, did you say? The two of you, such a cute couple."

Tad cringed, and the smile faded from his face. (This is just great,) he thought. (This is the worst day of my life. I *hate* Valentine's Day.)

From the depths of his despair, he heard Maris's loud, clear voice declare, "We're not a couple." A sense of relief flooded through him, and at that moment, he could have kissed her. "No," he agreed firmly. "We're not."

"Oh," said Mrs. Ramirez, clearly disappointed. Then her face brightened. "But wait-I know just the *perfect* people for you..."

Tad was able to save himself and Maris from Mrs. Ramirez's maternal matchmaking instinct only by quickly declaring how wonderful all the food looked. The flattered Mrs. Ramirez took the bait and began explaining the plate system to her assembled guests.

Everyone piled their plates high with enchiladas, fried rice, and homemade salsa. The room was soon filled with the sounds of eating, conversation, and laughter. Amber watched the scene happily: Richard discussing the stock market with her father, Adara curled up on the couch next to him, Calixta chatting to her mother, and Maris regaling Miakoda with a tale of her exploits at sea. But Tad was standing by himself off to the side of the couch. "Hey Daniels," Amber said.

"Hey Ramirez," he responded. "Happy Valentine's Day."

"You too," she replied warmly. She looked around. "I'm glad everyone's having a good time. Especially Calixta." She leaned back against the wall with a sigh. "I can't believe I didn't see how lonely she was. It was so *obvious*. What kind of reporter can't see what's right under her nose?"

"A human one," Tad said gently. "Especially one who doesn't usually look down her nose at things."

Amber smiled in spite of herself. "You can't absolve me that easily," she said.

"Well, you know Edgar Allan Poe said that the best place to hide something is out in the open," Tad said lightly. He looked at the beautiful curly-haired woman in front of him, trying to work up the nerve to say what he'd wanted to say for months. "Amber-" He put a hand on her shoulder and swallowed quickly.

"Yes?" Her dark brown eyes looked up at him with curiosity, but no comprehension.

(She really doesn't understand,) Tad thought. (She really can't see it...) "Poe was right," he said abruptly, dropping his hand. "Crazy, but absolutely dead-on right."

"What do you mean?" Amber asked, but Tad was already on the other side of the room, talking to Maris.

"No, you really don't have to take me home," Maris argued.

"It's only polite," Tad replied.

"Well, if you're ready to go, we should probably go, too," Adara said. "Especially considering that your car is back at my house." She stood up and thanked Mrs. Ramirez for the dinner. "Last call for rides back," she said.

"All right," Calixta said, reluctantly extricating herself from a Tekken tournament with two of Amber's brothers. "I guess I should go. But I promise I'll be back to defeat you once and for all," she assured the boys. They grinned, and argued that *she* would be the ultimate loser.

"How about you, Miakoda?" Adara asked.

"No, I think I'll stay and help clean up," Miakoda said.

"All right," Adara said. "See you tomorrow, then."

The good-bye process took longer than Adara expected, as everyone felt obliged to say good-bye to everyone else, but eventually, there was no one left but Miakoda and the Ramirez family. The younger children and Mr. Ramirez excused themselves to bed, leaving Amber, Mrs. Ramirez, and Miakoda alone in the kitchen.

"I like your friends, Amber," Mrs. Ramirez said as she filled the sink with hot, soapy water. "You should invite them more often. Especially Calixta. Pobrecita, losing her mother like that."

Miakoda looked down at the stack of dishes on the table. "It is hard," she said.

"That girl needs a family," said Mrs. Ramirez decisively. "I don't understand why her father didn't come back. The Navy should not keep him so busy that he forgets about his family."

Miakoda felt a sudden psychic vibration and nearly dropped the dishes she was holding. She looked up and noticed Amber clutching her necklace. Their eyes locked in sudden understanding.

After the dishes were cleared away and the house was set in some semblance of order, Amber took Miakoda aside. "I have an instinct about this," she said. "It doesn't have to do with my powers exactly-it just comes with being a reporter, I guess. You just get hunches sometimes."

"Do you still have the list?" Miakoda asked.

"Not with me, but…oh, wait… Never mind. I do. I almost forgot. I mentioned to Mami a couple of months ago that my filing system in the apartment was overflowing, so she let me take over some of her drawers. I keep a backup copy of the list in this filing cabinet here," Amber said. She took a small key, unlocked the top drawer, and proceeded to remove a slender folder. Miakoda looked over Amber's shoulder as the shorter woman flipped the file open. The top sheet read, "LETHE."

"The river of forgetfulness," said Miakoda. "The classical reference is a nice touch. So was Calixta's father a mem-sweep test subject, or not?"

Amber flipped through the pages. "Let's see... Saunders, Ensign Lea; Smith, Ensign Ellen; Tucker, Commander Samuel. No Solaris. But this isn't a complete list." She slapped the file closed and shoved it back into the drawer. "So, should we tell her?"

"Tell her what?" Miakoda asked bitterly. "We don't know anything."

"But maybe Calixta could find out," Amber argued. "At least, maybe it would give her some hope that her father still loves her after all. I mean-"

"I know," Miakoda sighed. "But it might just worry her, especially if she never knew for sure and couldn't do anything about it. It would eat away at her."

"It's already eating away at her," Amber objected. "Doesn't she have a right to be pointed in the right direction?"

"What if it's a dead end? What if it turns out her father *did* abandon her and *doesn't* want to see her again? What then?"

"At least she would *know,*" Amber insisted.

"If we can find proof, we'll tell her," Miakoda said. "If not-she has enough to worry about."

Amber looked at Miakoda rebelliously. "I don't like this," she said.

"I'm not asking you to like it," Miakoda said. "I'm just asking you to think about what this will do to Calixta before you act on your instincts."

"I guess that's fair," Amber said. "I just-I just don't want her to feel unloved."

"I think it's hard to feel unloved when you're around," Miakoda said, smiling.

Amber laughed. "I wish that were true," she said. "But it didn't seem to help tonight. I just wish she could be happy and celebrate holidays without bad memories interfering."

"Well," said Miakoda as she opened the door to leave, "I guess there's always Arbor Day."

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Next Episode Preview:

Calixta: "We all have skeletons in our closets, ghosts from the past that show up at the most inconvenient times. Like when someone gives us a nice little computer virus and I'm the only one who can fix it. But I'm not bitter! Just bring me another caramel frappucino and watch me kick ASCII!"

Episode 8: 'Fantasmas.'