The delay in posting was due to some rewriting of this chapter. I wanted to bring the other characters back in. Their presence explains how devoted they are.
Re: Guest's comments - Helena did not hesitate to tell Myka her secrets because she did not think she could handle them, but rather out of concern of what knowing them will do to Myka. Helena already knows the toll it has taken on Mrs. Frederic.
That said - - this is how the revision turned out. I'll be waiting to hear what you think. It's not my best chapter, but it is the best of the versions I wrote of this one. (Oh that's a lot of help I hear you say...lol)
Trouble
Mrs. Frederic was used to giving out directives without explaining them. An easy-going woman, when her mind was made up, she was not to be questioned. So when she told Pete and Claudia that her emergency code was "1866", they knew better than to ask why. She now included Eileen in that because she knew no one was more dedicated to Helena. And Claudia suggested she add Steve to the list. When Irene sat in her home in Queens that night and could not dismiss the feeling that Helena was in some danger, she sent the text out to the four individuals. It was a simple four digit code that simply meant – they should assemble at The Pen and Pencil restaurant not far from Wells Corps headquarters.
Eileen was nervous when she saw the text come in, but collected herself quickly. She changed out of her sweatpants and St. John's University t-shirt into pants and a blouse and went back downstairs.
"Going out," she called to her parents.
"At this hour?" her mother asked.
"I'm not a kid, mom," she said as she headed out the door. She may not have been a child, but she did live the farthest of the staff members called to gather and so they sent a car for her.
"She just got into a car," her mother said to her father.
"It's not that Tommy Boy Lopez kid, is it?" he asked as he got up to go to bed.
"No, I don't think so," her mother said because the car looked expensive.
"Good," her father said, kissing her mother goodnight. "Let me know when she gets back in."
"Ms. Sullivan?" the driver asked and held the door for her as she got in. "Mr. Lattimer sent me."
"What does this mean again?" Steve asked Claudia when he looked at the strange text.
"It means we have to go. It means your boss, my boss got herself into a mess of trouble that needs sensitive handling. Like this one time, she was with the son of a dignitary ..," Claudia started to relay.
"So we're babysitters?" Steve asked because it sounded like they were running to help a spoiled woman get out of trouble.
Claudia had to think about that. "Yes, but really well paid babysitters."
Pete was in the car as soon as he saw the text. A man of military training, he knew how to follow orders. He dispatched the private cars to get Mrs. Frederic and Eileen and headed to the restaurant.
Irene knew this would be hard for the staff to understand. She knew asking them to trust her was not the issue. It would be asking them to help in a situation she herself was unsure of just yet. They gathered in a large booth in the back of the establishment known for its patronage by writers and artists.
"I've never been to one of these," Eileen said to Claudia, hoping she had dressed appropriately for the clandestine gathering.
"That's a good sign," Claudia said. She had been to a few emergency meetings before, but never one as a result of that coded text. This was serious.
"Thank you all for coming," Irene said. "I have it on very good authority that our boss may be in some trouble before the evening is out."
"What authority?" Steve asked.
"My intuition," Irene said and no one asked anymore about that.
"Ms. Donovan, can you verify that Ms. Wells is at her townhouse?" Irene asked and the Teckie already had her iPad out.
"She is," Claudia confirmed and then looked at the group. "What? I may have ….injected a tiny transmitting disc into her ….," she started to say.
"You are kidding me? You put a GPS device in your boss?" Steve asked surprised at this.
"She asked me to," Claudia said defensively.
"Oh right, I bet she did," her friend said because he didn't know Helena well enough to know that in fact it was her idea.
"What do you think I did? Just shot her in the ass one day as she was walking by? Hey boss, bang!" Claudia said.
"It's in her ass?" Pete said none too quietly.
Mrs. Frederic feared she was losing control of the group. "I am sure if Ms. Donovan inserted the device, it was by request," she said uncomfortably. She simply couldn't imagine why.
"See?" Claudia said grateful someone believed she didn't go rogue on her boss.
"Any issues with surveillance?" Irene asked and Pete took his iPad out and accessed the external cameras at the townhouse. "No readings from the security system there," he told them.
"Is Ms. Wells in danger?" Eileen asked and the concern was palpable in her voice.
Irene gazed at the youth and thought how fortunate Helena was to have this woman on her staff. People usually did not take to Helena so early in their careers at Wells.
"I don't know, dear," Irene said sincerely. "I sense that former associates of Ms. Wells' might try to contact her regarding a disagreement over a prior contract."
Steve looked around the table to see if anyone else was thinking the same thing he was. "You make it sound like she was involved with the Mob or something," he almost laughed.
"Worse Mr. Jinx. Ms. Wells was dealing with a more cunning group than the Mob," Irene said trying to tune in to her own feelings to see if anything felt worse.
"So what do we do, boss?" Pete asked as he snacked on day old pretzels from a bowl.
"We wait, Mr. Lattimer," Irene said and turned to stare out the window. She couldn't tell them what the plan was because she wasn't sure what would be required of them. She just knew they needed to be together and ready.
Helena slept soundly encased in Myka's arms. For the first time in a long time, Helena didn't have nightmares. As soon as Myka wrapped her arms around her, she knew this is where she wanted to stay. So she gave up the effort to explain to Myka who she was. She would try again tomorrow.
Helena felt so blissful in fact, that she was surprised when she woke up later with a pointed pressure in her head, by her temple. Coming out of the deep sleep, she heard a man's voice whisper; "Don't make any sudden moves, Helena. You don't want to wake up your friend."
When Helena was an agent, the one thing she was adamant about was using anything - but a weapon - if possible. She perfected her skills in martial arts and was already planning on taking her assailant out, but she knew she had to be away from Myka to do it.
"OK," she said moving ever so slowly so she didn't disturb Myka.
The fire had died out and the room was blanketed in dark. Helena assessed what she could. She could tell by the point of the gun it was a Tesla. She could not smell anything from his clothes except that he had been outside and the temperature had dropped. He pushed the gun in her back to guide her out of the room and into the hallway.
"Don't make any sudden moves, Agent Wells. Believe it or not, I'm not here to harm you," the man said.
"You will not get the chance, but if you so much as look at my guest in there, I will do worse than simply harm you," Helena said ready to make good on her promise.
"Very protective, I see," he said back to her. "You don't know how lucky you are that I am here."
"The same can't be said for you," Helena said back - already planning his demise.
"You're familiar with what this weapon can do, and you must know where I am from since I have it. So let's go in here and talk things over," he said pushing Helena gently to the door of the living room. "We don't have much time."
He followed Helena into her living room across the hall. "Sit down," he said and told Helena to put on the lamp on near where she sat.
Helena did so because she wanted to see the man who had entered her home uninvited.
"You don't know me," he said sitting across from her.
"That will make it easier for me to hurt," Helena said sizing him up. She was convinced if he didn't have the gun, she could take him in spite of his large frame.
"Listen to me Agent Wells, I don't have to be here. I could have just let them come for you, but I asked them to allow me time to talk some sense into you," her guest said getting annoyed by her tone.
"And you want me to appreciate this?" Helena said.
"Yes, I do, but it's not you I'm doing this for. Now just listen to me. Your contract with the Warehouse is in danger of being violated. We put a listening device in the pen your friend presented to you, so we heard it all," he informed Helena. She made a move to get up and he waived the gun at her.
"Set to stun, Helena. Set to stun," he warned her of the setting.
"How did you?" Helena asked.
"We took a few things from your room in the Achieves and planted them. We do come up with some ingenious ideas now and again you know," he said proud of this subversive move. "We did it because we had to be sure."
"Sure of what?" Helena said stalling, trying to figure out her next move.
"Don't play with me. You know that divulging any information about the Warehouse or about who you really are - is against the policy," he said.
"Then if you were listening you know I didn't tell her anything," Helena said.
"But you are planning on telling her, yes?" he said. Helena didn't answer him. "Agent Wells, how can we have anyone knowing who you really are? It's not just the Warehouse we're protecting. If you were to tell anyone that you are the HG Wells – how would we ever explain that?" he asked. "We just don't think it's a good idea."
"I do not bloody care what you nor anyone at that place thinks," Helena said.
"Yes, we know. You made that perfectly clear when you took the Time Machine against orders," he said and smiled at her. "Helena, I asked to come here as a courtesy. I was hoping to get you to understand the gravity of your decisions," the man said staring at her.
"My decisions are my own to make. Tell that to your bosses," Helena said crossly.
"You agreed to limit that information before you were released," he said as if she needed to be reminded.
"Do you think it's fair that I cannot tell the woman I love who I am? How can the Warehouse expect me to keep that secret from her? I won't! How can I expect her to love me – with her whole heart if she does not know who I really am? I can and I will tell the woman I love….. that I am HG Wells. That is my God given right and I will not have you nor anyone else for that matter telling me I cannot share that truth," Helena yelled back at him.
Anger filled her veins and she shot up from the couch and walked to the fire place and hung her head down in despair. The man in her house appeared to be earnest and patient. She knew the Regents would not be the same with her. She felt caught in a vice and she resented the hold they still had on her.
The next sound she heard was the bang of metal hitting something. She turned around quickly to see Jack slump over in the chair, the Tesla dangling from his hand.
And behind his chair stood Myka, holding the metal dust pan from the other room in her hand. "Did I kill him?" she asked worried.
"No darling, I dare say you knocked him unconscious. Good show," Helena said taking the Tesla out of his hand.
"Helena, why is my neighbor in your house and why was he pointing a ray gun at you?" Myka asked slowly and very confused.
"You know this man?" Helena asked surprised.
"Jack Gore – he's my neighbor," Myka said dropping the pan.
I'm afraid your neighbor is an agent with the organization I told you about," Helena said checking his skull. That was going to be some nasty bump.
Myka nodded her head as if she could begin to understand that.
"And Helena?" Myka asked still dazed.
"Yes darling?" Helena asked.
"Why did you tell him you were….the HG Wells?" Myka asked now staring directly at the Brit.
"Now!" Pete said pushing in the front door even though it was unlocked. The lack of resistance made him fly through the door.
"She's really got to start locking this door," Claudia said as she followed him in.
Irene walked in behind them. "All clear," Steve said coming from the back.
"You are sure you felt something, Mr. Lattimer?" Irene asked looking around. Nothing seemed askew in the house.
They had been sitting in the restaurant when Irene was certain something was happening, but by the time they reached the townhouse, the sensation of Helena being in any danger had passed for her. Irene didn't know it but the threat ceased the moment Myka disabled the intruder.
"Yeah, I'm sure of it. I get these vibes and this one is really strong. I'm sure Ms. Wells is in some sort of trouble right now," he whispered.
Indeed she was – in the very next room.
Now I don't want you to think of this as Helena is in trouble with Myka. After all - she did try to tell her and she does want to tell her.
Rather this is Pete's interpretation of what is going on. I don't know why - but it just came out this way. I think it was the aftermath of writing that emotionally charged (last) chapter.
TMI?