AN: I have a backyard garden, for growing Veg. A few weeks ago, I went to buy two raised garden beds that were on special at a local hardware store. (I don't have a lot of growing space in my backyard.) When I went to the store, I was told that the supply warehouse had over 800 of these raised garden veggie beds. They were sold out within a week. The world is shifting undeniably toward a need to take care of your own needs #Salutes home-growers#
Lizzie Quinn was a hard woman to predict or understand. On any given day you never knew how she'd react to anything. Working Public Relations for the Planeteers meant having a variety of skills. One minute she'd be accepting an award on their behalf, other times she'd be putting the best spin she could on burning factories and fleeing workers in the jungle somewhere. On the bad days, she had to remind herself how many hoops she had to jump through just to get in a room with The Planeteers, let alone get them to accept her as a Public Relations Agent, given how their first instinct was to avoid the spotlight. Given some of the people she had in her phone book now, and some of the things she had seen and helped do, it was more than worth the tough days.
Tonight however, was to be a good deal easier, as long as her clients showed up.
A number of operations that caused environmental damage skirted with the strictest letter of the law on what they could and could not do. The Planeteers watched these shades of grey like a hawk, waiting for something they could hit, in any country, at any time.
The Planeteers had a public schedule of course. Rarely did a week go by without them involved in some project, some clean-up. Lizzie had been taking in invitations from every direction. The one rule that the Planeteers had, was that it had to avoid politics. The five of them were from different countries, and had long been walking the tightrope, doing their best not to take anyone's side. They were focused on the goal, not on who was helping them, or who was supporting them.
The public schedule said that they were going to be in New York all weekend, helping a clean-up of the Hudson River, before coming to a fund-raiser for Green Technology at the hotel Grand that night. When Lizzie got there, she had been informed by the Hotel Staff that the Planeteers had chartered a flight to the Congo, to stop some loggers over a full day before. The plan to tear down the trees had been scheduled to happen exactly when the Planeteers were supposed to be in New York, on camera. By the time anyone found out, the trees would have been cut down and the lumber would have been sold.
It didn't work. The Planeteers were on them before anyone knew they were away from New York. The Geo-Cruiser was still parked off Staten Island, with the celebrity watchers keeping an eye on it. As far as anyone knew, the five of them hadn't left town.
Lizzie suspected Karen Gillys of letting them know what was happening on the far side of the world. The reporter would have loved to get a new Planeteer story beyond a photo-op at a gala event.
Lizzie was rehearsing her apology on behalf of the Planeteers for not showing up, when her cell-phone beeped. She checked.
Just landed. Bring our clothes to the hotel, we'll meet you there! – K.
Letting out a breath of relief, she went to get their evening-ware delivered to the Hotel Grand Chancellor, hoping none of them had any bandages that would draw attention.
The Plaza Hotel Ballroom was large enough for a fund-raiser, and the hotel expensive and exclusive enough to keep it from becoming a circus. One of the benefits of being a global celebrity was that when you needed a room to freshen up in before the ball, you were given a five star suite; and the staff didn't so much as blink if you looked like you'd just come from a war-zone.
The Planeteers were given a large suite and cleaned up, gotten changed and checked to see if their scrapes and bruises were visible. Lizzie had sent their invitations and their clothes for the event direct to the hotel, and the Concierge had discreetly taken care of the arrangements to sneak them upstairs through the car park entrance. Since the Lumber Company wouldn't want to admit that they'd been trying to tear down an isolated part of the Congo jungles, there wouldn't be an official report, and with a little luck, nobody would know they were ever gone.
Kwame had to admit to feeling like he was on a roller-coaster. He could handle trying times better than most. He'd handled plenty of them in his life. But the whole story of his life had a Spy Movie feel to it these days. Life and death struggle in the morning, formal banquet dinner by night.
Wheeler had changed and showered so fast his hair was still wet, when he came downstairs to the waiting room, with his tie in one hand, jacket in the other, and stopped dead. Linka was already there waiting for him and the others, wearing a sky blue, backless, and floor length gown. He let out a low whistle.
Linka smirked slightly and told herself she wasn't really posing for him. "You like it?"
Silence. After a few moments Wheeler stopped staring and looked at her face. "Sorry. What?"
Linka smiled secretly, as the door opened again, and Gi came in. Her dress was floor length, off the shoulder, and a dark rich blue. She was smiling like Cinderella. "Isn't this great?"
Wheeler pulled the jacket on, adjusted his bright red cummerbund. "Never been to a Black Tie event before."
"Me neither." The girls admitted in unison.
"You would have thought we'd be invited to at least one before now." Gi put in.
"Nobody was sure of what to do with us. Most still aren't. I hear we were put on the guest list deliberately for this one."
"Maybe it's a surprise party." Wheeler quipped.
Kwame and Ma-Ti came in. Kwame was wearing a Tux, with a handsome green cummerbund, and Ma-Ti was dressed in his usual woven shirt and khaki cargo shorts.
Kwame was holding a tie in one hand. Wheeler held out his own tie. "Can you help me with this?"
Kwame held up his own bow-tie and shrugged. "I was hoping you could."
Linka chuckled. "Well don't look at me. Why do men think it's classy to tie a knot around their own necks?"
"I hear ya." Wheeler agreed, staring at the tie in his hands helplessly.
Gi snorted. "How do you guys even leave the house?" She reached out, took the tie off Kwame, whipped it around his neck, tied it expertly, cinched it up, and proceeded to do the same thing for Wheeler before anyone could blink. "Ha! Geeks Rule."
"I was just about to do that myself." Wheeler offered.
Kwame glanced to Ma-Ti. "It doesn't bother you that you'll stand out dressed like that?"
Ma-Ti shrugged. "Plenty of people will be wearing expensive clothes in there. Choosing not to is nothing to be ashamed of."
Kwame chose not to push it, as it was hardly the strangest thing Ma-Ti had ever come out with; and Lizzie Quinn chose that moment to step into the room. "Hey, look at you!" She fired off with her usual enthusiasm. "Oh yeah. YeahYeahYeah, you guys scrub up great! How you feeling tonight? Like the clothes?"
"I was worried about the backless dress, but I think I look okay." Linka mused.
"Just okay?" Wheeler began.
"I'm anticipating every possible response you can make, and I find none of them amusing." Linka said sharply, and then checked herself in the mirror again. "If nothing else it might kill those anorexia rumors People Magazine keep running."
"I told you to finish that cheeseburger!" Wheeler quipped.
Gi smirked cannily at her. "Liz, if you don't mind my saying, I can't help but notice how you selected some interesting evening-wear for us." She pointed to the each in turn. "Dark Blue and Light Blue for the gowns, Red and Green for the cummerbunds… You picked the colors of our Rings."
Lizzie shrugged. "They suit you. It's all about image, right?" She flipped open the program for the evening. "The part is in the Ballroom, you go in through the lobby. That's where the press are, you'll be announced at the entrance to the Ballroom. You're familiar with the schedule?"
"We get introduced, we wave to the cameras, we have dinner; at the end of the night we thank people for their donations." Linka sped through it. "How soon can we get out of here without hurting the donations?"
Lizzie was taken aback by that. She sent Wheeler a look.
The American glared at her lightly. "Linka, you are a case study in obsessive behavior. We aren't going to do anything tonight that we can't do, while we enjoy ourselves."
Linka sighed. "So everyone keeps telling me."
Kwame adjusted his tie. "There's press here too?"
"Society pages mainly, taking photos of all the celebrities and all the ball-gowns."
"You'll make sure I get some 8x10 Glamor shots of Linka right?" Wheeler quipped.
"Wheeler..." Gi warned him lightly.
"No, let him have it. Wallet sizes too." Linka teased. "Me in a backless dress is never gonna happen again."
Gi laughed and turned back to Kwame. "There's press here, but they'll just ask about tonight's goals, and such. Just be light about it. Enjoy the party."
"Actually, there's a few serious reporters here. The guys who organized the event asked for them specifically. They'll have an open bar, so they'll be quick. A few quotes, a handshake, enjoy your meal."
Kwame shivered. "One thing I never get used to."
The other Planeteers felt for him. One side effect of being a celebrity was that nothing you said was ever forgotten. Kwame had answered questions before, and had them thrown back in his face ever since. Lizzie had worked with him, convinced him to ignore that.
"They'll ask you about Somalia." Gi said. "It's been reported as a weather problem. Drought causes famine. They'll ask you why we haven't gone there."
"The drought in Somalia has been going for a long time, it's not like if we went there right now and tried to conjure a rainstorm, they'd eat. If anything, it'll just wash away all the dry dirt, and it'd still be months before any more food grew."
"I agree, I'm just saying they'll ask you about it." Gi tapped her newspaper. "Texas is currently in the middle of a massive heatwave. Over a hundred consecutive days over 100 Degrees. They'll ask you about Texas, and about Australia."
"What's going on in Australia? More drought?"
"Actually, now they call it a 'Permanent Dry'. Calling it a 'Drought' implies that it's gonna stop at some point."
Lizzie was about to elaborate when her phone beeped again. "I have to take that, so I will leave you now." She said brightly. "Anyway, the emcee tonight will come and collect you. You're celebrities, so you'll have to be announced when you come in, with the other VIP's. You get the best tables. The others are running a few minutes late. A delegation from The Corporation. They're funding the event." She said, on her way out of the room. "See you after the party; love ya!"
There was a beat of silence as the door closed.
"Whaaaaaat?" Gi squawked. "Did she just say…? When did that happen?"
Kwame sighed heavily. "Can anyone else remember a time when we stopped polluters and taught people to live better?"
"Vaguely." Someone quipped back.
The Planeteers froze as the door opened again.
Vernan Stumm came in, adjusted his tux, and smiled broadly at them. And on his left, wearing a stunning evening-wear dress that showed off every curve was Bligh. Her eyes went straight to Gi, and turned ice cold. Stumm had been a Board Member for the Corporation, and had tipped them off to an illegal drilling operation. The Planeteers had destroyed the Mobile Oil Rig, and exposed the operation to the world. Stumm had used it as a chance to seize control of the largest economic and social force the world had seen. Bligh was second in command of the operation, and had been The Planeteers' jailer on the Rig. She had apparently been an informant for Stumm, now his head of security. There had been casualties when The Planeteers managed to escape, and Bligh had very nearly been one of them, but she had escaped, leaving the majority of her crew to die, including the ship's captain.
For a time, they just stared at each other, and only Stumm seemed to be completely at ease. He ruled this room, as he did every other he walked into. It was the first time they had been in a room with Stumm since the day he told them about the Rig, and the first time they had seen Bligh since their imprisonment and... examinations on the illegal Rig.
"Good to see you all again." Stumm drawled. "How are you enjoying the party?"
"Was enjoying it a lot more five minutes ago." Wheeler sneered. "I was going to ask who you bribed to look like a great humanitarian. Then I realized: Everyone!"
Bligh stopped glaring at Gi long enough to glance at Wheeler. "Your attitude hasn't improved. How are the ribs?" She taunted.
"Settle down Bligh." Strum told her gently.
"You too Wheeler." Kwame put in.
There was a beat as they all cooled off, through Bligh kept glaring at them all.
"The Plaza Hotel again?" Kwame said finally. "I thought it was a coincidence; but if you organized the night…"
"They know me here." Stumm said lightly.
"Not like we do." Wheeler growled at Bligh.
"Try to see beyond the job, would you?" Stumm said. "Who do you think is paying for this party? Who do you think got all these donors together? Your grand mission to save the world will get a huge popularity boost and a fortune in donations tonight. It's a good night for you."
Beat.
"Why would you do this?" Kwame offered slowly. "I'm assuming you're the one who put us on the guest list, if you're the ones organizing the event. You have to know that the longer we are in the same room, the more likely someone will recognize the connection between us."
"People are already aware of the connection between us." Stumm said easily. "I made it public knowledge that you were the good guys."
"Yeah, but you only did that to get control of The Corporation." Linka spat.
"So what if I did?" If Stumm was at all concerned, it didn't show. "I'm not your enemy."
"She is." Wheeler said, pointing at Bligh.
"Not necessarily."
"No, I am." Bligh said honestly. Her glare at Gi intensified. "Especially that one."
"Simmer down." Stumm said sharply. "Bligh works for me, Planeteers. I have no quarrel with any of you. I told you when we met that hated my predecessor and the way he did things. I wanted to do it better, and do it myself. I saw an opportunity to remove him, by giving you something you wanted in return. You five got world attention and I got this job. It was a good deal. Look around; tonight I plan to make millions of dollars for you and your cause. Another good deal. There's no reason we can't be allies."
Wheeler was about to set Bligh's dress on fire, just a little bit, just for fun; when a phone rang.
"That's me; I have to take this call." Stumm said, and quietly slipped out of the room.
Bligh did not. Five Planeteers were in a staring contest with Bligh, and she was staring them all down. "So. Here we are again."
Gi tensed, and looked down. She couldn't meet the woman's gaze. "Did you kill Dennis Edger?" She said softly.
Bligh seemed confused by that one. "Who?"
"The Ranger in ANWR. Was that you?"
Bligh reached into her purse, and drew out something small and electronic. She pushed a button or two on it, and Gi felt her cell-phone beep. She checked it. Switched off.
Bligh put her little tool away and smirked. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Wheeler seethed, and stepped in behind Gi, giving support silently. "Don't think we're on the same side here. We don't work for you."
"I know this."
"Sooner or later we'll be coming after you again."
"You should have killed us when you had the chance." Wheeler sneered.
Bligh sent Gi a look that would strip paint. "Ditto."
Gi looked down again. "I'm sorry I almost drowned you."
Bligh sneered. "You didn't almost drown me. You succeeded. Took my men three minutes to make me cough."
Gi shivered.
"And the time is gonna come, when I thank you. Properly." Bligh said, slow, soft and cruel, like she was enjoying a delicious thought.
Stumm had returned. "Bligh. That's enough." He looked to the Planeteers. "You told me once, that you didn't want to work with me because you didn't trust me. Most all my allies don't trust me. We are on the same side for as long as it's convenient, just like everyone else in the world. I don't hold a grudge."
"Plus, you still want to know how our Rings work." Wheeler pointed out cannily.
Stumm shrugged. "Oh, that. No, I already know how they work."
Kwame smirked a little. "You do?"
Stumm nodded. "They work as Conduits for the Elemental Powers of Gaia. That's why they only work with you, and why they have no detectable power source. She, if such a thing could be considered a She, gave you access to Her abilities because she wanted a human will to find a solution to her problem; thus commissioning the five of you for a mission to save the world from men like me."
Stunned, the Planeteers stared at him.
"Well…" Wheeler said finally. "That's… close."
Stumm grinned evilly. "I wish I had a picture of your faces right now."
The knock at the door made them all jump, but it was just Lizzie poking her head back in. "Hey guys, they're ready for you now. The party can't really start without you." Her phone beeped again. "Ahh, I'm gonna flush this thing down the toilet one day!" She looked at the screen, and her face suddenly turned to stone. "Yeah. Go to the party; I have to take this."
And then she was gone again, and the Planeteers were left alone with their enemies again.
"Assuming you were correct, how did you learn any of that?" Kwame asked carefully.
Stumm grinned. "There's more than one way to get anywhere Kwame. Let's go enjoy the party."
"Mr Deka!" The reporters started shouting as The Planeteers filed in. "What are you hoping to achieve tonight?"
Kwame took the question. "Since Hope Island, we've been working to raise awareness about the dangers our planet is in. Awareness is no longer an issue. The Climate Reality Project put out a full 24 hour broadcast with information about Climate problems, and solutions, from 24 time zones around the world, free for everyone to watch. Some people rented out movie theaters to show as many people as they could."
Stumm stepped in next to Kwame. "That's right. By the time the live broadcast finished, over 8.6 million people saw it. By now the whole world knows. The people swearing that there is no Climate problem seem more and more ridiculous with each passing day. The next step is to find solutions. For all the effort that the Planeteers have put into teaching people to take individual actions, tackling big problems is easier with resources, and that's what tonight's fundraiser is all about."
The Press were busily snapping photos of the two of them, and so they missed the hooded looks the other Planeteers were giving Stumm behind his back.
The Press had their quote, and their photos, and they all made their way into the ballroom where the party was happening in earnest.
"That went well." Stumm said easily. "When we're on the same side, we work very well together, don't we?"
"And when we are not on the same side?" Kwame probed.
"Kwame, I told you, I don't hold grudges. I'm a businessman. When I see a chance at a profit, I take it. What profit is there in being your enemy?"
Kwame didn't push it then, but he knew that Stumm hadn't answered the question.
The ballroom was beautiful, with tables set around the outer edge of the room. At the head of the room was a podium, used for little more than announcing arriving guests. The head of the room was taken up by a live band, which played soft, light-hearted music non-stop. The VIP Tables had the best view of both, and there were two of them. One for the Planeteers, the other for Stumm and his little delegation from The Corporation.
The two VIP tables were at the sides of the room in relative privacy, opposite each other. Kwame couldn't figure out why they were the VIPs on a guest list with so many A-Level stars, but when Stumm arrived, he knew why. None of it was a coincidence.
The speeches were simple enough. Nobody said anything worth writing about. It was a photo-op, nothing official. The story was having all the celebrities in the room for a fund-raiser. But they had deep pockets, and were eager to show their character, and the money would go to the right people. Everyone took it as a victory.
The meal was excellent, the atmosphere perfect, and somebody had the good sense to put The Planeteers and the head of the Corporation at different tables. The five of them were enjoying themselves, glad to have some time free after the morning's Mission.
The toasts were kept strictly to the emcee, and he was gracious, giving kudos for the evening to the Hotel, the guests of honor, and the Organizers from The Corporation. And then Stumm stood up and returned the toast. "First, I would like to thank our hosts and our guests for the generosity and their efforts here tonight. I won't claim to have the moral high ground on matters like pollution, but I care deeply on the subject, just as you do, and I have an enormous technology base on which to offer solutions."
People murmured. Something was happening. This was not the vacant toast that all the others had been making.
While speaking, he moved to the front of the room, no longer toasting the crowd, but making a speech. "There's a lot of work to do. Nobody knows this better than The Planeteers, who have dedicated their lives to a desperate, some would say hopeless mission, based on nothing but their desires to do good. I cannot in conscience allow them to do it alone. Though I do not have a magic wand, I have at least a new idea. As Gi Takashi is so fond of saying, new ideas can change the world."
The Planeteers plastered smiles on their faces. He was doing it again. He was making himself immune to their criticism by giving them the credit.
"With that in mind, I'd like to present to you the latest creation of The Corporation's Earth-Link. Our Eco-Based Think-Tank has come up with something that will make it so much easier to solve a hard-to define problem. With all the talk about Climate Change and Co2, it's easy to forget that it's not the only thing poisoning the world."
The cameras started flashing faster. The reporters present were from the society papers, none of them were real hard hitting journalists. The photographers however, were freelance. They knew a story building when they saw one.
"To that end, I am pleased to announce the creation of... The Reclaimer. A dramatic name, but a descriptive one too. The new facility is being built even now, in upstate New York. It's well known that you're not supposed to toss batteries with regular garbage. As batteries corrode and age, they leech acids and other chemicals that do far more damage to the earth and its waterways. But batteries are omnipresent in the world, and most people, me included, simply can't be bothered. Our Think Tank has come up with a solution. A way to reclaim and recycle battery sludge. A way to save money for corporations, including my own, a way to help the world by turning a useless waste that inevitably does damage, into a useful source of revenue."
The Planeteers clapped louder and harder than anyone, but inside they seethed. Ma-Ti spoke to them privately. I can hear you.
He's doing it again! Wheeler shouted.
No, he's doing what a responsible head of a Global Corporation should do. Kwame returned. He's using his resources to create something better, and innovate a better solution. This is exactly what we've been trying to get him and others like him to do since we started.
He's only doing it to make more money. Linka countered swiftly.
So what? We aren't a business or a political movement. Do we care who gets the money? Gaia cares nothing for money. Our job is not to decide who makes a profit, only to change how things are being done.
Stumm wasn't finished. "Planeteers, I invite you to join me personally for the Grand Opening of The Reclaimer, one week from today in Upstate New York. I can think of nobody more welcome in a move to help the planet."
More applause.
The announcement made and the photos taken, Stumm slipped off to the side to answer questions and give quotes to the press. Bligh went with him, keeping guard, and the evening progressed on schedule.
"So what happens now?" Gi asked quietly.
Kwame checked. "According to the night's program, there is to be dancing."
Gi tensed as the music started to play, and people cleared the dance floor. "Oh. Joy."
Wheeler sent her a look. "You knew that this was coming. Right?"
"Well... yeah, but I didn't think I'd have to dance myself." Gi flushed.
"We're the guests of honor. We're pretty much expected to start the dancing off ourselves."
The announcer spoke, warm and inviting. "And now that the band has cared to indulge us, if someone would like to start-"
Linka leaned forward swiftly in her seat and licked up Wheeler's ear. The American nearly levitated out of his seat with a high-pitched yell; and the spotlight swung around to catch him.
"Ah! We have a volunteer! James 'Wheeler' Johnston, one of our favorite celebrity guests!"
Applause rang out politely as the band shifted smoothly a slow jazzy rendition of 'Moonlight Becomes You'.
Feeling trapped, Wheeler made the best of it, turning out and holding out his arm to Linka, who waved him off immediately. The camera's ate it up.
Taking it in stride, Wheeler left their table, picked a movie star and made the offer. This time it was accepted, and the dancing began, other couples coming out on the dance floor to meet them.
"Well..." Kwame said in amusement. "In any event, Wheeler can only carry the dance so far. Gi, I know you're not wild about the idea, but..."
Gi flushed. "Kwame, I never learned how to dance."
"Me neither." Kwame said honestly.
Gi took his hand and they both stood up. "Well then, as long as you don't expect me to make you look good."
Linka did her best to look uninterested as the rest of her team went out of the dance floor. Ma-Ti was still in his seat next to her, swaying to the music like a cobra did to a snake-charmer. Linka looked at Gi. She looked happy, arms around Kwame, not really dancing, but swaying with him. Wheeler looked to be enjoying himself too, glancing back at her every few minutes. She tried not to stare at them. She looked to Ma-Ti finally. "What about you? I can't imagine you'd step on any toes. You don't feel the need to slow dance with someone?"
Ma-Ti answered without looking at her. "I'm five years younger and two feet shorter than anyone else on the team, and a lot younger still compared with the majority of the room. Who would I dance with?"
Linka chuckled. "I suppose so."
Wheeler sent another look back at the table and ended his dance by giving the woman he was with a dip. he looked a question to Linka, and she turned away slightly in response, discouraging him.
"It kills him when you do that, you know." Ma-Ti finally looked at Linka. "Why didn't you just admit you can't dance either?"
"No. I couldn't." Linka vowed quickly.
"Why not?" Ma-Ti asked.
"Because I would rather die than ever give in to Wheeler on anything, ever." Linka said with heat.
He didn't seem the least surprised. "And why is that?"
"You know what he's like. He's so competitive." Linka sneered lightly.
"Gi, how long till we get to Hope Island?" Kwame asked.
"Five minutes less since the last time you asked." Gi responded from the front seat.
"And another thing!" Wheeler interrupted. "Where the hell did you think that licking me would be a good prank?"
"It worked!" Linka shot back. A cell phone rang. Linka pulled hers out of her pocket and answered it. "Hello? Ruby!" She beamed. Since the small almost town on the edge of the Great Siberian Forest was Linka's hometown, it had been enjoying the effects of celebrity too. The small supermarket was now regularly stocked, and the small home-school for the local children was brought up to date, and Linka had splurged, giving Ruby and her Grandmother a satellite phone so that they could keep in touch. "Yeah, I'm still on the Geo-Cruiser."
The others smiled.
"Your homework?" Linka looked trapped for a second. "Uh…the area of a parallelogram is…"
"Height times width." Gi called from the front seat.
"Height times width." Linka repeated into her phone, and then listened for a while. "I miss you too sweetie." Linka said warmly. "We'll be back the Island soon, and I'll call you then, I promise. Love you." She hung up, smiling warmly, and turned swiftly on Wheeler without missing a beat. "And by the way Yankee, what shampoo do you use? Tasted like peaches." She taunted.
Kwame and Gi fought to hide their giggles. If Ma-Ti was aware of the conversation at all, it didn't show.
"She can turn it off and on like a switch, can't she?" Wheeler complained to the front row before turning back on her. "You could have at least danced with me once tonight!"
"That's what you're mad about?"
"I'm just saying, if you were going to push me off a cliff like that..."
"You seemed to get over it pretty quick." Linka retorted.
"Well what did you expect me to do? Clutch at my broken heart and run from the room in tears at your rejection?"
"Broken heart. Nuclear Winter couldn't break your heart!" Linka snorted.
"Hey! I'll have you know I'm a lot more mature and sensitive to other people than I was before you lunatics came into my life."
Linka reached over and yanked open his dinner jacket. "HEY!"
Linka pulled out his cell phone. "How do you work the speaker phone on this thing?" Linka mumbled to herself.
Wheeler lunged. "Gimme that back!"
"Would you two quit wrestling back there?" Gi shouted. "You're going to flip us all over!"
"Yes mom!"
Linka hit the right button; and his messages played. A series of female voices played. BEEP. "Hey Tiger. I saw you on the news yesterday. You looked good. Call me." BEEP. "Hey Wheeler. I got an offer from a tabloid to talk about some old memories. Want to make some new ones?" BEEP. "Hey Wheeler. You probably don't remember me. We went to grade school together. We should catch up, talk about the old gang." BEEP. "Wheels, it's JJ. I'm changing our phone number here; I'm not your secretary."
Linka stopped the playback triumphantly. "If The Geo-Cruiser was any bigger, you'd have Swedish stewardesses in here."
"Can I have my phone back now?" Wheeler asked politely.
"Gi, how long till we get to Hope Island?" Kwame asked.
"Two minutes less since the last time you asked." Gi responded from the pilot seat.
Bleep.
Linka looked up. "Whose phone is that?"
Bleep.
"Not a phone. It's the Geo-Cruiser. MIT gave it all the bells and whistles. We have a call."
"From who?"
Bleep.
Gi stared at the console in front of her. "It's... It's... wait, no, damn, my clairvoyance is on the blink today." She teased.
"We could just answer it and find out." Kwame suggested helpfully.
Gi hit the button, and the screen with the GPS map changed to show a video feed. "Hello?"
It was Linka's mother. She blinked. "I didn't think you had video chat in the Geo-Cruiser."
Secretly, neither did Gi. "Of course we do." She said, as though she'd known all along.
Linka leaned forward in her seat. "Mom?"
"I'm at the Interpol Office in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Linka, I need you to come see me. And I need you to do it quietly. There's something you all need to know." The Interpol agent disconnected before they could respond.
Kwame sighed. "Can we make Brazil?"
"Sure."
"Let's go, and see if you can find a spot to land that won't be noticed."
"At least her message wasn't cryptic or unsettling at all." Gi commented sarcastically to the blank screen, setting it back to GPS.
"Believe me, if you knew her better, you wouldn't be surprised." Linka said thickly.
Wheeler gave her a look as the Geo-Cruiser banked into a turn. "Linka, is there nobody in the world that gets a moment of sympathy from you?"
"You've known her less than six months. You have no idea what you're talking about."
"About your family, I'm sure." Wheeler said instantly. "But you're like this with everyone! Doesn't anyone ever get the benefit of the doubt with you?"
"Well excuse me for staying focused! We're here for a reason Yankee!"
"Oh my God Linka. In the time it took you to say that, another hundred trees were torn down, how can you live with yourself?" Wheeler said dramatically, and then covered his mouth theatrically. "Oh no, in the time it took me to say that, we lost another hundred trees! How can you live with me?"
"How long till we get to Brazil?" Kwame asked Gi.
The Geo-Cruiser was one of a kind. Built by MIT, and declared a failed experiment, it had been bought by the Planeteers for a very reasonable price, as their combined powers made it a practical mode of transport.
It was the second such transport that the team had used; the first having been a home-made version of a Glider, built by Gi over years. Their first mission had taken its toll, but Gi had to admit she was very pleased with how things had turned out.
The Geo-Cruiser was professionally made, and had been designed with all sorts of innovations and ideas that Gi herself simply hadn't thought of, or could not afford to implement. The larger interior meant that the five passengers could at least carry some luggage, if not cargo. The flight controls included professional level indicators, GPS guidance, a top level communications system, power indicators...
Not including their Ring abilities, the Glider was wind and solar powered. The wings contained fans and propellers that gave precision control, and made the total wingspan a lot shorter than the first Glider. The propellers in the wings were powered by batteries, constantly being recharged by solar panels on the hull, and air scoops on the tail section, which drew air in, letting it pass through the aircraft as it flew, spinning small turbines with recharged the batteries as the Glider moved.
But it was a recognizable craft. It was the only one of it's kind and it belonged to globally recognized celebrities. It made a secret meeting difficult.
Like the first Glider, it could land on earth and water. They found an out of the way spot and landed on the coast.
Sao Paulo was a new place for the Planeteers. A coastal city in Brazil, with a fairly large population, it had a night-life like any large town.
Linka called her mother back, for more directions. "I'll meet you at a café on the edge of town. I can't take all of you." Alana said shortly. "We have to keep this quiet."
She gave them the address, and disconnected again without a word.
"I'm trying to decide if that woman is scared, rude or in trouble. She's definitely at least one or more." Wheeler offered. "So who goes?"
Kwame looked at him. "You and Linka. A visit from her daughter will be easy for Agent Petrova to explain. Every gossip magazine in the western hemisphere thinks you two are a couple. It'll draw less attention if it's just you visiting her."
Linka gave Kwame a look that would freeze lava.
Wheeler grinned broadly. "Well, shall we go darling?"
Ma-Ti, Gi and Kwame stayed with the Glider; waiting for them to return. "I should have gone with them." Ma-Ti said quietly.
"Linka and Wheeler can handle it." Kwame counseled. "And if they get into a scrape, their powers build on each other in a far more dangerous way than ours do."
"Yes, that's the reason." Gi said blandly.
Kwame looked at her, not so much as a smirk. "What do you mean?"
"I know about the bet." Gi fired.
Kwame ducked his head in embarrassment. "How'd you hear about that?"
"Oh come on, we all know that you can't keep a secret about this team. People Magazine pay off every hotel, diner and grocery store we go near to keep a running tally of how many calories Linka eats. My parents have had to shoo the London Daily Mirror away from their garbage all month. Hearing about Wheeler making a bet about Linka with you is nothing." She looked at him shrewdly. "The only thing I can't figure out is whether you sent them together to help him along, or to get them bickering again."
"I don't want them bickering at all." Kwame said. "We still have to work together. Those two work together very well."
"I agree. It's when we're not working that they have trouble." Gi shot back.
Kwame changed the subject. "What do you think about Stumm's announcement?"
"About a battery recycler?" She shrugged heavily. "It seems like a good idea. I hope it works. I really do. Y'know, Stumm is the only reason we aren't all in jail right now. The fact that he profits from it isn't necessarily a bad thing. He's interested in profit. That hardly makes him a bad guy. Or at least, the worst bad guy in the world."
"I agree. But I still don't trust him."
"He doesn't trust us. We like to work with people we trust, he doesn't care. It's not a bad thing he did tonight."
"The only reason he put together that fund-raiser was so that he could announce his new toy. He got all the celebrities together so that the investigative reports wouldn't be there, but the cameras would be. He wanted high profile without having to answer tough questions, and he used us to do it."
"And he raised a million bucks for us in return." Gi offered. "I remember something he said to us, the first time we were all in that hotel together. He said the best deals were ones where everybody profits. We all got what we wanted tonight."
Kwame sighed. "I suppose so." He shook his head. "I don't know what it is; I just don't like it. Every time he does something, it feels like…"
"Like he's screwing us over, and we can't see how?" Gi put in. "I know. I think that's just the impression he gives." She turned to the back seat. "You're being very quiet back there Ma-Ti. What do you think?"
"I think Stumm doesn't know what 'wrong' is." Ma-Ti said quietly. "It makes it hard to know if he's doing wrong if he doesn't know the meaning of the word. Stumm has changed."
"Changed how?" Kwame asked Ma-Ti without turning around.
"I don't know. I just know that there's something there that wasn't there before. A touch of something, like he has a shadow cast over him. It is a blemish on a soul that has sold itself willingly."
On that unsettling comment, Kwame and Gi went silent, trying to understand what that meant.
Ma-Ti seemed troubled, lost in a distant thought. "How did he get all that information about Gaia and the Rings?"
Linka's mother was waiting for them at the café as expected. The second the two of them walked in she waved them straight back out again, and met them in the street, away from the customers. "Technically, I'm breaking a few Interpol regulations telling you all of this." She said as soon as she came to them. "So if we can get this done quickly, it'll just be safer for all concern."
Wheeler could feel Linka's blood rising, and made the sarcastic comment before Linka could. "Nice to see you again too."
The Interpol agent led them back to the Regional Interpol Branch office, and let them in the back door with her key-card, explaining that all people entering the building had to be logged via card, but the back door didn't have cameras, and likely as many people about.
Sure enough, at that time of night the offices were nearly deserted. Linka's mother apparently worked in a cubicle, and they joined her at her desk as she logged in, opened a file, and finally told them why they were there. "We'll have to be quick, before anyone come by."
"I'll take notes." Wheeler promised. He picked up a notepad off the desk. "What is this? You fill up a whole notebook with doodles?"
"That's Russian." Ivana told him shortly, pulling open her desk draw, and tossing him a fresh, brand new notepad. "Now listen. Interpol gets a lot of tips on crimes and criminals. Most of it is just people trying to get attention. We have experts who sort out the legitimate tips from the practical jokes. Since becoming Globally known figures, you yourselves have been mentioned about a million times since Hope Island."
"Something serious?"
"One of the tips, made reference to some things that happened on the Mobile Oil Rig you destroyed. Things that were never made public knowledge. Giving information like that is considered a reliable tip off."
Wheeler collected a few sheets of paper out of her office recycling bin, selecting ones that were still relatively smooth and flat. "What was the tip?"
"That sometime in the next two weeks, somebody is going to try and kill you."
Silence.
"Who?"
"I don't know." Ivana admitted.
"We haven't heard about this..." Wheeler said. "We hear everything people say about all of us, why haven't we heard about this?"
"Why does this meeting have to happen in secret?" Linka added. "If we've been targeted for murder, why does a warning have to come quietly?"
"Because the tip has already been discredited." Ivana explained. "By itself, that's not unusual. Thousands of tips get written off and summarily dismissed every day."
Wheeler shuffled the pages he took out of the rubbish and shuffled them neatly into a square pile. "But you said this one was credible?"
"Yes. But it was dismissed anyway. I tried to get it investigated anyway, and I was told to stay objective. I was taken off the case so fast I nearly got whiplash."
"You think somebody was trying to kill the tip-off." Linka suggested.
"They didn't try, they succeeded. The tip was dismissed, there was no investigation, and there is no file."
Wheeler turned the pages over so that the blank side was facing up, and grabbed a pair of scissors from Ivana's desk drawer. "Why'd you call us in here? You could have told us this over the phone."
"Yes I could, but I couldn't show you this." Alana tapped a few keys on her computer. "Information is closely guarded by Interpol. Printouts are logged, emails are tagged. You needed to see this, and it had to be done here."
Wheeler was cutting the pages into thirds, and Linka leaned in to take a look. "What's this?"
"The tip off gave a list if five people on the same hit list. The names on that list were Kwame Deka, Gi Takashi, Linka Petrova, Ma-Ti Costa, James Johnston, and Elias Levinson."
Wheeler and Linka traded a look. "Who's Elias Levinson?"
"I was hoping you could tell me." Linka's mother said quietly in frustration. "He's not in any of the reports you filed, he's not listed as anyone connected to you, your projects, your Missions, or your little band of Boy Scouts."
"What do you know about him?"
"He's a Yale graduate. His doctorate was in chemistry. And this is what brings me to you." She pointed to the screen again, now showing a file with a picture of a young man with glasses and dark hair. "Your father is off trying to find Elias before anyone else does."
"Who else is on the case?"
"Nobody. Nobody's taking it seriously, because quite frankly this guy isn't important enough to kill. But it was the same man who called in the warning about you, and whoever he is, he has knowledge of your last great mission that the world does not."
"If Elias Levinson isn't that important, why does someone want to kill him?"
"Officially, nobody does." Ivana pointed out, tapping at some keys. "This is his life in a hundred words or less. See if anything jumps out."
"Chemical Recycling Technology." Linka read. "His thesis was on reclaiming battery chemicals for recycling."
Wheeler looked up sharply at that. "The Corporation just rolled out-"
"I know. That's why I called you. The timing of this is just too damn close. Officially, there's nothing I can do. I'm off the case. There is no case. But if somebody's going after this guy, and you... There has to be a connection. The only thing that involves him that might in any way connect him to you is this recycling technology..."
"We'll look into it." Linka promised.
Ivana nodded, and sent Wheeler a glance. Wheeler became fascinated by the papers in his hand. "I need a stapler. Hang on, I'm going to go find a stapler."
He left them, and Ivana was grateful as she squeezed her daughter's shoulder. "I never did spend the time I promised with you."
Linka looked down. "It's all right. You were busy, I understood."
"You always understand Linka." Ivana pulled her into a hug. "I am proud of you Linka, and the things you have done. But I do wish you weren't on a hit list."
Linka smiled. "I can take care of myself."
"There's a small continent out on the ocean that suggests you are correct." Ivana conceded. "But I still worry."
Linka gave her mother a hug. "I should go."
"I have to make sure nobody finds out you were ever here."
Linka headed for the door. "Wheeler! We're going!"
Wheeler reappeared swiftly at Alana's desk, with a stapler in one hand. "Behind you every step of the way babe."
"Eyes a little higher Yankee." Linka smirked and turned to leave.
"Babe? Yankee?" Ivana frowned. Linka blushed a little at her mother watching, but waved that off and headed for the door.
Wheeler lingered for a moment and just looked at the Agent. "You're as bad as she is y'know."
Ivana reacted. "What?"
"Maybe you couldn't email or print out the information for us, but you could have jotted it down on a post-it, if nothing else. Is it really so hard to admit that you were worried when you heard Linka was on a hit list, and just wanted to see your daughter?"
Ivana reacted like she'd been caught out at something.
Wheeler didn't push it. He stapled the paper strips together at one corner, and tossed the improvised notepad down on Alana's desk. "Reuse your scrap paper; save a tree."
Ivana didn't say anything as he went after Linka. But she took the untouched new notepad, and put it back in the drawer. Wheeler's improvised one would serve as well.
They were out of the building, and Linka's first step was to pull out her cell phone. "Gi, track down a location for a Yale Graduate named Elias Levinson." She listened a moment. "Okay. We'll be back with you soon."
"Y'know, even if we get an address, there's no chance he'd still be there." Wheeler pointed out.
"I know. If my father is trying to hide him, his home will be the last place he will go. But I don't know where else to start, do you?"
"No, and that's assuming your dad found him." Wheeler admitted. "Someone's coming."
Linka pulled Wheeler aside, and they hid behind a parked car, till the random pedestrian hurried by.
"Why are we hiding?" Wheeler asked. "We're clear of the Interpol office."
"Our faces are known Yankee. I would rather people not be asking questions about why we're in Brazil."
"We could just say that we're on vacation... oh wait, it's you. Nobody would buy that."
"I wish we'd brought Ma-Ti." Linka whispered. "It'd be easier to slip away unnoticed."
"If this were a spy movie, I'd put you up against the wall and kiss you passionately every time someone came close enough to see us; hiding our faces till they passed by." He sent her a look. "You know, like you see in all the James Bond movies..."
Linka paused, turned to face him, and gave him a smouldering invitation. "So go ahead."
Wheeler's eyes bulged in surprise. "I... um, okay I..."
"Too late." Linka said immediately, and walked off, not missing a beat.
"Wait! I wasn't ready!" Wheeler spluttered and took of after her.
The flight back to the States was a hive of activity. Linka took over piloting the Geo-Cruiser, while Gi got to work hunting down their target.
"Elias Levinson." Gi announced. "I've got an address. He's in Chicago. He was working for a Chemical Company. I've also got his cell phone number."
Beat.
Kwame nodded. "Call him."
Gi picked up the headset, and keyed in the number. The Geo-Cruiser had its own satellite phone line, since it did a number of international flights, making cell-phones difficult. She listened for a moment. "The phone is not in service." She announced, mimicking the automated voice she heard.
"If he's in hiding with my father, he probably doesn't have his phone with him at the moment." Linka put in.
"Call your father." Kwame suggested. "See if he's found Elias yet."
Linka nodded and took the headset from Gi with one hand. "He's not answering, what a surprise."
"Is that a good sign or a bad sign?"
"It means he doesn't want to be reached."
"Does your mother have a way to reach him?"
"If she does, she didn't tell us."
"Then we go for his apartment." Kwame said finally. "There might be something there that can give us a clue. If not... we try Linka's mother again."
Gi put her hand up like she was in class. "I hate to bring this up, but if Elias isn't at home, it's because he's been targeted for murder. By the same people that targeted us. If his house isn't safe for him, then it's not safe for us to go there either."
"We have a better chance than he would." Wheeler put in.
"We would indeed." Kwame said seriously. "All right, set course for Chicago."
Beat.
"Okay." Linka asked finally in some embarrassment. "How do I work the GPS in this thing?"
"Ha! Geeks Rule!" Gi quipped and reached forward, tapping the console with one hand.
Linka banked the Geo-Cruiser into a turn and raised her Ring. "Wind!"
AN: And we're off. Once again, with the majority of the introductions and character background taken care of in the first story, this one will be more plot. I really hope you're all following this okay, and I promise that it'll all make sense. It's a mystery after all.
