REMEMBER ULYSSES by Lyda Mae (RavenDove) Huff

Chapter Eleven: In Plain Sight

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Jeanette led the MI6 agents to a small apartment. "Annika, and I shared this flat." Jeanette pulled a small key from a flower pot; that held a lousy fake palm.
Jeanette opened the door to a disastrous, mess. "I expected as much, but not quite like this." Absolutely everything was overturned. Shelves, paintings, and figurines lay shattered across the floor. Jeanette stooped; picking up what remained of a stained glass window. "No respect for original art." She set it down; then walked over to what had once been a television. There in the remains of a CD rack she searched. "I hid the ciphers on a disk. It was a demo-copy of a recording Annika made; there was plenty of room to burn the ISO-image. I figured none of Hobear's goons would think to look right under their nose." She stood up holding a cracked case. "As you can see they did not find it." She inspected the disk. "The case may have broke, but the disk itself is untouched." She handed it to Bond.
"You hid it in plane sight." Bond looked at her impressed.
"Sometimes the best way to conceal something; is to put it on display. Now we best leave; this apartment is not a safe place to tarry long." She led them out; locking the door. She dropped the key back in the flower pot.
The three of them turned to leave; only to find they had company. Three women, and a brutish dark-skinned goon stepped in to the hall from the stairwell. The leader of the three; was a small caramel skinned woman, with black eyes, and dark hair with burgundy high-lights. She stepped forward; her Indonesian style clothes billowing behind her. "I thought those idiots missed something. Hand over the ciphers, and I will see to it you die quickly." Her speech was that of the mid-western U.S. She waited a moment and outstretched her hand; as if to emphasis the point.
Bond had his machine gun pointed at her; not wanting to shot in such close quarters. "And who would you be to make such a promise?" (she was familiar.
"You mean you don't remember Commander Bond. After all the time we spent together." The woman smiled maniacally; taking on a defiant stance.
Jeanette leaned on the wall; loosing hope. "Kali-Shiva, mistress of pain." Jeanette thought of the weeks watching James' torture. (Thor may have made the implements of torment. Ulysses may have given the orders, but this demon in human form invented his pain.) Jeanette looked at her, and spat on the floor. "May you meet your namesake in Hell." Jeanette hurled at the woman.
Bond knew; this was a woman who thrived on anguish, pain, and death. "Kali for the mother of life, and bringer of destruction. One of the four consorts of the Hindu god Shiva." He looked at her with contempt.
Kali-Shiva laughed "So I'm not entirely forgotten." She made a gesture to her companions. "Since you aren't giving up the ciphers; I guess I'll have to convince you to. Athena, Freya, Anancie; do what you must with the spies. However try to bring ciphers, and their thief intact." At this Kali-Shiva stepped back to let them do the dirty work.
The one called Athena was a Brunette; Freya was a blond. They were both tall, and slender with deadly layers of muscle. Body-builders, and champions at that. They both wore cloths of spandex; leaving no curve to be imagined. Pretty good choice for fighting too; both having studied several forms of martial-arts.
Kind of reminded Bond of Xenia Onattop; tall, beautiful, and deadly. Just like Onattop their best weapons were their own bodies.
Ande had to think fast. "Interesting offer, but I think not today." She grabbed Jeanette shoving her toward Bond. "Regroup!" she exclaimed, tossing him her repelling cord to support Jeanette. She then grabbed a smoke grenade from her pocket, and threw it at their attackers.
Bond took a hint, and broke the window with the butt of his machine gun. Then firing off the pitons in both of the more obvious versions of the repelling device; he wrapped one around Jeanette '5 wrist, his arm around her waist, and they jumped swinging across the street below.
Ande made her way through the thugs, and henchmen with ease. Slicing with her switch-blade, using her gun to bludgeon, and dodging every move with a sort of grace. Taking a hit in the ribs from the one called Anancie. Knocked the breath out of her, but she didn't stop. Taking a quarter turn she slashed his face with her knife. Then as Kali-Shiva came at her; she kicked the woman, and used the momentum to land at the bottom the landing. Taking the stairs two at a time from there; she reached the door and was out on the street before the Pantheon members could rally themselves to chase her.
Bond had used the remote to call for the car as soon as Jeanette and he had hit the pavement. He was waiting by the front door with the passenger window rolled down when Ande came barreling out of the building.
Ande saw the car, and wasted no time hoping in the open window.
"Glad to know you can take a hint; let's get out of here."
He never had to be told; having punched the gas as soon as she was in. He rolled up the window; for the protection. "Not very observant are you Dr." he remarked snide.
"Not at the moment Commander; my mind needs to catch up with the rest of me for that." she gave him a cold look.
Bond concentrated on driving. He switched on the G.P.S., and tried to remember the name of the town that Ulysses had mentioned. "The base is near Trouville; right." he glanced in the rear-view mirror at Jeanette.
"Yes; by the seashore across the mouth of the Seine from Le Havre. That is where we will find Hobear. I only hope we can get there in time to stop the launch." She fell silent, and both James, Ande could hear her trying not to cry.
"Now that we know where were going; would anyone care to tell me exactly who Madam Pain in the Neck is?" Ande looked at Bond then Jeanette; wondering when she would get an answer. "Don't speak at the same time now." she held out her hand as if to say I need to know'
Bond finally spoke up. "Kali-Shiva is a nuclear physicist; with a great love of causing pain, and all forms of torture." He didn't have to say any more.
Ande looked at him understanding. "I understand why you would both view her with contempt. I despise the woman just hearing what I have, but you have seen what she is capable of." Ande said no more; thinking to herself (I hope that demented witch is in the complex when it blows). The rest of the trip passed mostly in an uneasy silence.

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It had been near an hour when they were nearing Louviers; glad to have lost Kali-Shiva back in Paris. That did not matter now; Ulysses would be expecting them in Trouville: Ande and Bond had been working out a plan with Jeanette's knowledge of the base called Pomegranate Seeds. Ulysses had it set up as a research installation; Jeanette had gone there with him before she knew what it really was. The man she had fallen in love with had been a dedicated researcher; looking for ways to help humanity. That man was only a mask. He had died the day she found out his true face; that of a mad scientist.
Ande sat in the front seat; squinting at the diagram on a notepaper in the fading light of dusk. "Now let's see," she pointed to the diagram with a pen. "This is the Main gate strait off the road, and this is a smaller gate off a side trail."
Jeanette looked over Ande's shoulder. "I admit my drawing is not the best, but that is how I remember the place." She pointed at a rectangle in the far corner of the page; near the shore line. "That is the place where he has helicopters, and one small plane. The single landing strip is only big enough for a ten person plane, and the figure includes the pilot." She sat back, "The security at the smaller gate is minimal. If they aren't expecting us that way it will be only a lock, and the barbed wire on top."
Ande looked at Bond; a smile on her face. "We need to stop in Louviers."
Bond looked at her wondering. "If you needed to use the ladies room; you should have taken the time back in Paris."
Ande got a sour look on her face. "You don't need to be crude James. As it happens I have an idea, but in order to carry it out we need too transfer the packs into the back seat. Also Jeanette is wearing a white shirt; she is the one who knows where everything is, and it's harder to hit a target that blends in."
Bond looked over at her again. "I think I see what you're getting at. Fill me in on your idea when we stop."
"I'll do that. By the way; since we are stopping we best take the opportunity we have to take care of the necessities such as what you mentioned. Heaven knows that could be annoying when you're fighting for your life. It has also no doubt been hours since any of us has eaten." Ande placed the pad back under her seat.
Bond had to admit Ande was right; the only way to win this fight would be with every advantage they could get. They didn't have room for simple human complaints. Not with so much at stake. "I'll find a store with a place to park in back; hopefully we can get something for the road."
They made their way through Louviers with caution. Once Bond found a likely spot he parked. After Ande had switched things around explaining her plan, and grabbing some things for Jeanette they headed for the front of the store. Bond stopped long enough to make sure the security system was set right.
Inside Bond asked in fluent French where he, and his companion might find the restrooms. The clerk spoke politely gesturing toward the back of the store. Ande turned to him as they walked in the indicated direction. "You will be through first; so if you would order three ham sandwiches from that deli counter over there." She pointed to a counter along the one side of the store. "I'll have mustard on mine, but please remember no mayo." She turned to Jeanette who had been listening carefully.
"I'll have both."
Bond looked at them both. "It will save time."
Ande had an anxious look on her face. 'It will indeed. Thank you James." His last glimpse was of the two of them as the door shut.
Ande had been right of course; Bond leaned on the counter waiting for the sandwiches and his companions. He gazed out the front window impatiently. He hoped those two women would hurry; they didn't exactly have all the time in the world. Plus he was in no hurry for members of Pantheon to find them.
As the deli clerk brought the sandwiches to Bond; he glanced in the direction of the ladies room to see Ande leading Jeanette over to him. The delicate French girl's face was still visibly bruised, but Ande had cleaned her up some more. Jeanette had changed from the dirty torn jeans and tee- shirt; now she was dressed much like his fellow agent. The change was good; not only did she look better, she looked like she felt better.
The deli clerk looked at them suspiciously. "Why do you all wear black? And why is Mamsel's face so bruised?" He pointed at Jeanette; though he looked at Bond.
Bond was use to such questions; after all agents in the field tended to stand out if they weren't under deep cover. He shrugged; acting as if the question was nothing. "The cloths were what we were given. As for my friend's bruises; they were the work of her now ex-lover." He gestured to Jeanette's face. "I think you can see why she left him."
The clerk nodded his head; as if he would except the answer. Though it didn't seem to add up. The three of them gathered the sandwiches, some drinks, paid the casher and left.

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