The Lotus Eaters

off by fakes.' Victor looked around and ordered, 'Get into the kitchen, behind the refrigerator. I'm going to go get your father.'

'But there were three of them, and there's only one of you.'

'There are probably four of them. So? Trust me; they're toast.' Chapayev stood and ran for the side door.

Casa Linda, Balboa, Terra Nova

I get to the Volgans by killing at least one of my guards, Lourdes thought, then amended, No, be honest. I get to them by killing the one who obviously intends to rape me. But . . . how?

She looked around the bedroom. Patricio keeps a pistol under the mattress, but it will make noise . . . a LOT of noise. That will put an end to any escape. Knives? No . . . no, no knives here. But . . . aha!

`She kept a small desk in the bedroom, since by common, if unspoken, agreement with her husband that room was hers and he was just an invited guest. And on the desk was a large brass letter opener with an onyx handle.

I can't kill for beans with this, she thought, unless I can get it into his heart or his brain. And I'm not sure I'm strong enough to push it through the muscles on his chest. So brain it will have to be.

She suddenly felt nauseous at the thought of the thin, dull point driving through eye and bone. And then she considered how she was going get him into a position to drive the blow home. That made her more nauseous still.

But still . . .'Anything,' Mac said. And . . . if this is what I think it is Patricio is a dead man and my girls orphans—assuming they're allowed to live—unless I act. So . . .'anything.' Forgive me, Patricio.

Quickly, Lourdes began to undress. As she tugged at her clothing with one hand, the other took up the letter opener. Now where to put this? What piece of furniture am I going to defile?

Santa Clara Temporary Detention Facility, Dahlgren Naval Station, Balboa, Terra Nova

The facility had been a school once, with the classrooms built atop a hill and the gymnasium down at the base, both connected by a covered walkway. Later on, after it had lost that function and been abandoned, it had served as a training facility for city fighting for the very first incarnation of the Legion del Cid. This function it had lost once better facilities were built. Now the upper level school served as temporary barracks while the lower level held Parilla. The helicopter bearing a bound Carrera from his home touched down by the upper level. President Rocaberti was waiting to meet it when it landed, along with a couple of his larger and beefier presidential guards.

'Duque Carrera,' Rocaberti sneered as Patricio was tossed at his feet. 'How very pleasant to meet you again in this way.'

'Fuck you, fat boy,' Carrera answered.

'Fuck me? No, I don't think so. I did tell me nephew, Moises, to fuck your wife, though. He's a good lad, and obedient to his clan patriarch. By now your skinny, working class bitch, Lourdes, should be on all fours making the choo choo.'

Turning to the guards, Rocaberti ordered, 'Beat the foreign swine.'

Quarters 39, Fort Williams, Balboa

He knew he would need an advantageous position. To that purpose, Chapayev first ran parallel to the road leading away from the house. His uniform was the legion's dark pixilated tiger stripes. Against the light beige house this would have stood out in the moons' glow. Against a background of jungle, it would be considerably less noticeable, essentially invisible, in fact.

About twenty meters past the house, he cut left, aiming himself toward the vehicle into the trunk of which the colonel's captors were attempting to stuff him.

Right, he thought as he padded across the soft grass, legitimate police don't stuff a prisoner into a trunk.

His pistol was lining up on the head of the captor nearest him when Victor thought, I need one prisoner, but only one. His finger stroked the trigger lightly, his pistol's muzzle flashed, and a man's head exploded in red mist and spraying bone. Chapayev rolled then, dropping from the view of the other two men as they turned to face the threat, for the moment forgetting Munoz-Infantes. They, however, were looking in the wrong place. Victor was already almost behind them. He fired again, three rounds into the one, and then again, a single round, center of mass, into the other. Then he was on his feet, running again to stand next to a shocked driver. This one had time only to open his mouth is a surprised 'O' before Victor put a single round through his head, just under his left eye.

He returned around to the back and began helping the colonel out of the trunk. 'Maria! Call out the guard!'

'No!' the colonel said. 'One of those people was mine!' His voice was rife with bewildered hurt. 'One of my own men. Who could believe it?'

'Then we'll take you to the military academy. You'll be safe there.'

'But those are just chi—' Munoz began to object. 'Ah. Yes, of course. And we must take Maria as well.'

'Of course. Are you up to helping me move the bodies inside?'

'Sure,' the colonel answered, 'if you can get these handcuffs off of me.'