Conversations
Berlin
They had made it out of Russia, not knowing how close the secret police were behind them. Berlin seemed the natural next stop. The strain of all the travel, plus everything else seemed to have finally caught up with Julian. Since his rant at the club, he'd fallen silent and listless. Clark could see the concern in Suzette's eyes.
They managed to check in at the H10 Berlin Ku'damm on Joachimstaler Strasse. Clark helped Julian into one of the bedrooms and laid him down on the bed. As he placed the comforter over him, Julian opened his eyes and smiled a weak smile.
"Just a little rest, that's all I need, Horse,' Julian whispered. "Just a little rest."
"Okay, good, if you need anything just let me know,' Clark replied. He pulled the comforter up and then turned off the light before slipping back into the main living area. Suzette had one hand on her hip and one to her chin as she paced back and forth deep in thought.
"He's resting,' Clark offered. She turned towards him and nodded.
"This is not good for us,' she said.
"For us?"
"For all of us, Kal. We can't stay in this hotel for too long, it adds to the risk."
"I'll leave before you two are in danger.' He offered. "You've already done more than enough for me."
Suzette smiled, then walked over and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"You don't get it, do you?" She said. "The authorities have figured out by now you had help. We are known associates of yours and if anyone in Moscow talked, they know we are with you. We're your accomplices now and that puts us all in the same predicament."
"I didn't even think of that,' Clark replied. "I'm sorry, I didn't want you two to get caught up in this."
"It's an adventure, Kal, adventures come with risks. We weren't worried about it, so don't you be,' she said, giving him a little kiss. "What we need to worry about is right now. The hotel is probably safe for tonight, but we need to move."
"Where?"
"Julian has many friends,' she informed him. "They are also my friends. I will contact them and arrange for a safe house. The trouble is moving Julian."
"I think the travel, along with the changes in climate and time zones have just caught up with him. He just needs some rest and he should be okay."
"Let's hope so,' Suzette replied. "If not, we will have to leave him."
"Leave him?"
"Yes, if he can't travel he becomes a liability, a weakness,' she explained.
"I'm not just going to leave him, Suzette and I'm surprised you would."
"Julian would understand and do the same if the roles were reversed." Suzette held Clark's gaze unblinkingly. He had never seen her so focused or coldly logical. He suddenly realized there was much more about her he didn't know then he first suspected. She kissed him again and flashed a teasing smile. Somehow it never quite made it to her eyes.
"You are right, of course he will be fine. He's just tired,' she said. "I know it sounds hard, but it is better to speak of these things before they become necessary."
She kissed him again and then moved away. She picked up her phone and began dialing a number.
"This will take a while, Kal, you should go out and check to see if there is anything in the papers about Moscow,' she suggested. "I'll keep an eye on Julian."
"Yeah, okay, I'll do that,' he replied. "I'll be back in a little while."
He moved towards the door and could already hear her talking in French to someone. He glanced and watched her for a moment, marveling at how smooth she was. He didn't make a sound as he opened the door and exited. On the way down in the elevator, he suddenly felt incredibly naïve. He'd not only had sex, but also thought he'd made love to Suzette and so he believed he knew her just a little bit. He'd always assumed when two people share something that intimate they formed something of an understand about each other. As the elevator doors opened onto the lobby, he sadly realized sometimes sex is just sex.
His phone began to vibrate and he suddenly remembered he'd promised to call Bruce back. In all the chaos of their escape it had slipped his mind. He pulled out the phone and immediately his jaw clenched. It wasn't Bruce, but a text message.
"The Tiergarten, by the Bismarck Memorial in 30 minutes. Be there or else. N."
Washington
Diana shifted through the papers on her desk looking for anything, even the smallest clue. She had made Bruce give her copies of everything he had. She knew he liked to work alone and while she always preferred the collaborative approach to problems she was certainly capable of doing a little detective work on her own. While most immediately thought of Bruce when they pictured a detective, he was by no means the only one with those abilities. In Diana's case, it was simply that her other amazing abilities tended to overshadow those quieter skills.
She came at the problem completely different than Bruce would. While his method was almost exclusively logical, deductive reasoning, Diana tended to try and personalize it in addition to the cold hard facts. Instead of just looking at the dry words on the paper, she tried to shift her perspective and see things from each of the involved persons' view. It was hit or miss, she understood, but this seemed like something that required a more out of the box solution. She also felt she had an advantage of knowing at least two of the participants better than most.
That was the point from which she started, but as she got into the puzzle of this case, she began to realize some things. She didn't know Tom as well as she thought she did. Diana didn't believe he was the killer by any stretch of the imagination, but why he was there was troubling. They had never spoken about his work in detail. She understood that much of it was classified and he couldn't discuss it even with her. Could he kill? Yes, she didn't doubt this, but he would only do it if he had a reason. Was her going to Kal enough of a reason for Tom to kill? If it had been, wouldn't he have gone to kill Kal, not two innocent civilians?
Then there was Julian Grinka and Suzette. Diana gave a little scowl as she looked at their pictures. She didn't like either one of them. They were both certainly capable of murder, but the question again was why? It wasn't as if Kal were going anywhere. He seemed content to wallow in Phuket for the foreseeable future, Diana thought. There was also the fact that they most likely helped Kal escape from the murder charge. Why? From the latest reports, they were apparently still with him. Why set him up for murder and then run away with him? It had a romantic quality to it, but as Diana looked at their photos, she highly doubted that explanation. They were manipulators, tempters she believed. Direct action such as murder wasn't their usual method of operation. They were more likely to hand you the gun and point you in the proper direction than to pull the trigger.
Then there was the method of the killing. Beating someone to death was harder than most would believe. Unless you were extremely lucky or extremely powerful, it didn't happen in one or two blows. It's messy and brutal, even if the victims were drugged. That eliminated Suzette as the primary killer, but didn't excuse her from being the motivator. A seductive word whispered in the right ear could be more damaging then a fist at times.
Diana scanned over the notes she'd taken. She had pieces of the picture but knew there were some still missing. How all the pieces fit together was still just beyond her grasp. She picked up the picture of Kal. It was the one the police were circulating. He looked so wild, so lost in the picture, it was hard to reconcile this was the same man she knew. He was still spiraling down then, she thought; yet even then he hadn't killed the liaison for what he'd tried to do. That would have almost been justified, but he didn't. If he didn't then, she knew he hadn't this time. Now she just needed to figure out how the pieces fit together and find who did.
Berlin
Clark pulled the collar up higher on his jacket as he made his way towards the Bismarck Memorial. He was in the papers and on the news, but they still only had the one picture from Afghanistan. They also only had the name Kalvin Kent, while he was traveling under the legal name of Jordan Elliot.
The troubling part was they now had descriptions of Julian and Suzette. Julian might be able to blend in, but Suzette tended to attract every eye within range of her. Her exotic looks also stood out especially here in Berlin. He knew either one of them in the same situation would probably just keep walking. Clark couldn't do that. He owed them a debt. Whatever they might be involved in or what others might think of them, they helped him when he needed it most. He would be in a Thai jail now if it weren't for them. Many things had changed in Clark's life, but some things define who you are. He hadn't changed so much; he forgot to repay his debts.
His feelings towards Nemesis weren't so charitable. The man had barged into Clark's life and tried to take it over. From the moment he'd met him, Nemesis had blackmailed, bullied and threatened to get his way. Clark didn't like being used, especially when the man told him to his face that was what he was doing. Nemesis would probably want Clark to thank him for letting him know the secret police were on their way in Moscow. He would be disappointed, as Clark fully suspected it was Nemesis that tipped them off in the first place. It was part of the game to Nemesis, Clark realized. Tip the police off and then warn Clark that they were on their way. It showed how tenuous Clark's situation was and reinforced just how much he needed Nemesis if he were going to stay clear of the law. It was a good plan, Clark had to admit, but he just wasn't going to go along with it.
Clark had a good look now at the sort of men Nemesis wanted information on. Being an informant with them seemed like a job with a short life span to Clark. Even the hint that something wasn't quite right with you and they didn't wait to make sure. They eliminated you. It was a game to Nemesis, but Clark's life was at stake. It wasn't a game to him. He saw Nemesis standing by the Memorial smiling as he watched Clark walk towards him. Neither spoke until they were about three feet apart.
"Wise move showing up, Mr. Kent. The German police are much more efficient than the Russians."
"Especially when someone tips them off,' Clark replied.
"Figured that out, did you? Well, give yourself a gold star. I had to get your attention and that seemed the best way."
"What do you want Nemesis?"
"What I've always wanted, names to go with the faces,' Nemesis replied. "You just spent considerable time with a large segment of the Russian mafia, Kent. I want to know everyone you met and everything you heard."
Clark suddenly remembered one piece of information he did want Nemesis to know.
"I overheard two men talking about a hit in Sarajevo of some dignitary. I didn't get their names or the exact time, but it has to be pretty soon. A group inside the country is behind it. They are called the Black Hand."
Nemesis just stared at Clark for a moment.
"The Black Hand?"
"Yeah, that's what they said."
"In Sarajevo?"
"Uh-huh."
"Well, maybe the target is the Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Good work, Kent, now all I need is a time machine to go back to 1914! Are you really that stupid you thought that would work?"
"Look, I know how it sounds,' Clark replied. "But this sounded like something that was going to happen soon. Is there any international events happening in Sarajevo in the next month?'
"I would imagine there are,' Nemesis admitted.
"Look don't believe me, but you must have been watching me in Moscow,' Clark continued. "If you were think about when you sent your text. The two men standing outside at same time were the ones discussing it."
Nemesis considered this for a moment. He did remember the two and they were well known within the industry as high-level assassins. They were professionals, so he highly doubted they would talk so openly in front of Kent. Still it might turn out to be something.
"All right, I'll pass it along,' Nemesis finally said. "That's not what I'm primarily interested in Kent and you know it. The Council, I want names!"
"They don't exactly wear name tags Nemesis."
"Smart ass,' Nemesis growled and then took a swing at Clark. His punch didn't reach its destination. Clark caught Nemesis' fist in midair and stopped it.
"You only get one free shot, Nemesis, and you already used yours."
Nemesis was surprised, he hadn't expected Kent to be that strong, but he could feel the powerful grip on his hand. He finally snatched it away. He took a step back and rubbed his wrist, while glaring at Clark.
"Let's be clear, Kent,' Nemesis whispered. "You don't like me and I most certainly don't like you. Those new pals you were hanging out with recently? They're criminals, the worst kind. You might want to turn a blind eye to that, but I don't. I'm not going to let you either. Get me those names or start running. I'll have ever cop from here to the English Channel on your tail unless you play ball. You have my number. Call within 48 hrs or else."
With that, Nemesis stalked off. Clark watched him go, knowing his life had just gotten harder.
The phone rang in his pocket.
"Hello?"
"I thought you were going to call me back, Clark?"
Bruce.
"I was, but things got a little crazy," Clark replied.
"Yes, I've seen the news. I take it your safe now?'
Clark turned and looked in the direction Nemesis had gone.
"Safe might not be the best way to put it."
"Can you talk?'
"Yes."
"Good, there's been some developments from Phuket," Bruce informed him.
"Good ones I hope?"
"I don't know yet. What can you tell me about Tom Tresser?"
Clark thought about it for a moment. The name didn't register.
"Nothing, I don't know the man,' he finally replied.
"He was at your hotel room in Phuket on several occasions, Clark. He also goes by the name Nemesis."
"Him I know."
"Why was he in your hotel room and what did he want?"
Clark related the first meeting with Nemesis and the subsequent meetings. He told him of the threats and what he wanted Clark to do. He finished by telling him of the meeting that ended right before Bruce's phone call.
"The Council, that makes sense,' Bruce said. "You know about his brother, right?"
"Yeah.'
"Did he mention Diana?"
"Why would he mention Diana?"
"Until recently they were going out." Bruce informed him. "She says he blamed you for her ending it."
"Oh wow,' Clark sighed. He sat down on the closest bench as this bit of news sunk in. "No, he never mentioned her. God, what a mess I'm in. No wonder the guy hates me. I'm surprised he didn't shoot me when I first walked in the door. If he wasn't such a prick, I would almost feel sorry for him. I didn't know anything about him and Diana, Bruce, I swear."
"If it helps, I don't think you were the reason she broke it off,' Bruce offered.
"Bruce she came to Phuket. She was there the same night I first met Nemesis. He must have known."
"She was in Phuket to teach you to fight, Clark, I doubt that would set him off."
"It wasn't that night, Bruce,' Clark reluctantly said. "That wasn't why she came."
"Oh, I see."
"No, we didn't,' Clark immediately replied. "I was a complete idiot to her and ruined it before anything really happened. Damn, I've been so busy screwing up my life I didn't even think about the other lives I've affected."
"Before you start wallowing in your misery again, Clark, can I mention one point you seemed to have missed?"
Clark gave a little chuckle at this.
"Always the sympathetic shoulder to cry on, huh, Bruce? Okay, what am I missing?"
"Someone killed two people in your room and pinned it on you,' Bruce replied. "That someone had to have a reason. Your friend Nemesis seems like he had a very good reason, don't you think?"
This caught Clark off guard.
"You think he did it? Because of Diana?"
"I don't want to believe it, but men have killed for less. I think you should start cooperating with him for the time being, Clark. Until we can sort this out, we don't know who is responsible or what they want. Friends close, enemies closer seems like a good motto to have right now if I were you."
"I'll think about."
Clark glanced around him and noticed there were police starting to patrol the area.
"Bruce, I should probably get back, but I wanted to thank you again. I do appreciate the help."
"That's what friends do, Clark."
"I know, but it's still appreciated. Thank you."
"You're welcome. Stay safe, my friend."
Before Clark could reply, the line went dead. Just like always, he had to get the last word in, Clark mused.
Phuket – Thailand
While Batman couldn't just fly over to investigate, Diana could. It only took a matter of minutes, so she decided to see what she could find out on her own. Wanting to keep as low a profile as she could, Diana dressed in business casual, black suit, white blouse, sunglasses and her hair in a ponytail. While this diminished some of the attention and looks she received, it by no means made her anonymous. She had learned a long time ago, that while she could change her appearance enough so they didn't connect her with Wonder Woman immediately, she would always get more than her share of looks. Just the fact of how tall she was seemed to guarantee this.
There were upsides too. People were always much more likely to help a beautiful woman than just about anyone. Doors opened and meetings were easier to get when they were accompanied by a lovely smile. Things like permission to look through the hotel room or talk to the investigators gave her an advantage that even Bruce didn't have. A few well-placed phone calls to government officials and other diplomats she had relationships with opened other doors.
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Diana found herself enjoying it. It was a chance to use skills she didn't normally get to use. Yes, in her career as Ambassador she used observation, deductive reasoning, working out time frames and possible scenarios, but used them in a different capacity. This was a real world puzzle in 3 dimensions. There was something fascinating about rolling up her sleeves and digging into the physical evidence of the case.
One of the things that surprised her once she was on the scene was the realization that she saw the world differently then the investigators did. It had nothing to do with being Wonder Woman, but her actual physical height. Both investigators were five six or seven at best. She towered over them just like Kal would. When they examined the crime scene they saw it from their view, not his. It probably didn't seem like anything to them, but it was the difference between looking up and looking down at the world. Just a few inches changed your perspective. Any woman that wore a pair of high heels understood this. It was the difference between looking a date in the throat or the eye.
It was the vertical world versus the horizontal world.
As she moved through the hotel room, Diana could see it from Kal's point of view. Out of politeness she let the investigators walk her through how they saw the crimes happening. She watched and listened as one of them played the role of Kal and showed how he thought he'd killed the two. It all made perfect sense from their point of view, but she pointed out Kal's point of view wasn't the same as theirs. By shifting everything just a bit higher, angles, trajectories and blood splatters shifted ever so slightly.
There was also the matter of Kal's size she realized. Just the two investigators and herself standing in the bathroom were cramped. Kal was much broader in the shoulders and chest than any of the three, so with two other people the space would have almost been claustrophobic. A big man like Kal needed space to operate. In such a confined space the blood should have been everywhere, not just the one wall behind where victims were found. If he swung with the force necessary to kill, he would have eventually made contact with something else in the bathroom besides the two victims. There should be his blood somewhere, but there wasn't. All these things she pointed out to the investigators plus the drugs in each of their systems pointed to someone or others being the real culprits.
The investigators resisted this explanation, countering if he had nothing to hide why did he run. Diana smiled and then patience asked if they were in his place what would they do? He was in a foreign country and woke up to find two dead bodies in his room. The police were already on their way. Blind panic would take over. His fight or flight instincts would have kicked in and flight would of course win out. Once he ran he would have to keep running until the case was solved, wouldn't he she asked? Doesn't that make more sense then he would beat two people to death and then wait around for the police to arrive before escaping?
It took a few hours but by the time Diana left the investigators had promised to open up the investigation to include other suspects. As she was flying back, Diana called Bruce to fill him in on the details. She knew him so well; she could almost hear the surprise in his voice, almost. Now if that frustrating idiot Kal would just call her she could tell him too.
Berlin
Everything was arranged by the time Clark got back to the hotel. They wouldn't stay the night but leave as soon as the car arrived. Julian was sitting in the living area, but he looked worse than he had just a shot time ago. Clark could see by the way Suzette was looking at Julian she was already considering the possibility of leaving him here. He packed his bag as Suzette made a few last minute phone calls. When he finished he carried it out and saw her standing over Julian. She looked up at Clark.
"He can't walk from here to the car."
It was a statement of fact, but her expression gave it added meaning.
"We can get a wheelchair from the hotel."
"That invites more attention,' she replied. "Attention is something we don't need."
"Then I'll carry him," Clark flatly stated. "He's leaving with us."
They looked at each other from across the room. It would have been a test of wills except that two things happened. The first was Julian speaking.
"I can make it, I can,' he weakly said. "I'm just tired that's all, tired, so tired."
The second was the hotel doorbell ringing. They both looked at it.
"That will be the bellhops for the luggage,' Suzette said. "All right, if he's coming he can't go out the front lobby. Give me 15 minutes to get the luggage stored and I'll have the driver bring the car around the back. There will be less attention if you two come out that way."
"15 minutes, we'll be there,' Clark replied.
Suzette nodded and then walked over and kissed Clark. She glanced at Julian and then went to answer the door. She was in complete charge of the bellboys from the moment they saw her open the door. A few smiles and small flirtatious looks got them to do anything she wanted. The door closed behind them in less than 3 minutes. Clark turned his attention to Julian. He had lapsed back into silence. Clark moved over and knelt down next to him.
"Julian,' Clark softly said.
The older man's eyes opened and looked at him.
"We have to go now."
Julian just nodded, but didn't seem able to stand.
"I'm going to carrying you, Julian, just hold on."
Clark effortlessly picked him up in his arms and started for the door. They made it into the hallway and started for the back stairway.
"She wanted to leave me, didn't she?" Julian asked.
"No one is leaving anyone, Julian, just save your strength."
"She was right to want to leave me,' Julian replied. "Weakness, Horse, remember? She saw it right away. Like everyone she hates weakness."
"There's no weakness in needing help, Julian," Clark stated. "Everyone needs help some time."
"She was still right, Horse,' Julian whispered. "If roles were reversed, I would have left her without a second thought. Weakness."
"Well then it's probably a good thing I'm a weak man like you said, isn't it?' Clark replied. "I'm not leaving you behind."
Copenhagen – Denmark
The trip was a little over 200 miles between Berlin and Copenhagen. Suzette and Julian's friends had a safe house all ready for them when they arrived. It was in the Sluseholmen Canal District in the South Harbor area. The development was comprised of 1,350 apartments. The apartments were built on eight artificial islands, separated by dug out canals. On each island was a closed block of townhouses, 4-7 stories tall, built around a sheltered courtyard with public access. It was quiet and safe, for now. The three-bedroom townhouse sat on the end with a beautiful view of the water.
It was early evening and Suzette and Julian were already retired to their rooms to rest from the trip. The drive hadn't helped Julian's condition. Suzette hadn't said another word about leaving him, but Clark could tell it was on her mind. As had become the norm, they each had separate bedrooms. The door to Clark's room was closed and the only light came from the sliding glass doors that separated the room from a small balcony.
Clark had his phone in hand. He had promised Diana he would call and he wanted to call her. The information about Tom Tresser being Nemesis and his connection with Diana were the only thing making Clark hesitate. He wasn't quite sure how to broach that subject and whether he was partly responsible for their break up. He finally just decided to call and play it by ear, just say the first thing that came into his head as an ice breaker.
Washington
It was late and Diana was already in bed. The sound of her phone ringing woke her. It wasn't an emergence or her League communicator would have went off. As she picked up her phone and sat back against the headboard of her bed, she wondered if it was finally Tom returning one of her calls. Since talking with Bruce she had phone him several times wanting to know what his role in all of this was. The number wasn't listed, so she knew it wasn't him. She had a very good idea who it was though.
"Hello?"
Copenhagen
"So what are you wearing?"
Clark cringed as the words left his mouth. He'd wanted to say something light to open the conversation, but that just seemed to come out.
Washington
"A parka, Kal, I told you I'm not doing that with you and certainly not on the phone!"
Copenhagen
"Okay, sorry, it was just an ice breaker."
Washington
"Try again."
Copenhagen
He sat down on the bed and looked out at the moonlight reflected on the water. Okay, he thought, light didn't work, might as well just dive right in.
"Tom Tresser."
Washington
She sat up a little straighter in bed at the mention of his name.
"You spoke to Bruce I take it?"
"Yeah."
"Why was Tom there, Kal?"
He told her the same things he told Bruce about Nemesis coercing him into spying on the Council for him. He didn't go into all the threats, but she understood there must have been some involved.
"So he was waiting for you in your hotel room that night after you left?"
She asked only because that part of the puzzle was still not set in her mind.
"Yeah, he had a gun pointed at me when I opened the door."
"I don't think he knew where you'd just come from,' Diana informed him. "He was genuinely surprised when I told him about that night."
"You told him?"
"Yes, Kal, I felt I had to be honest with him no matter what,' she replied. "I'm starting to realize I was the only one that felt that way."
Copenhagen
There was a question he felt he needed to ask, but was a little afraid what the answer was going to be.
"Diana, did you break up with him because of me?"
Washington
Diana rolled her eyes at this.
"No, Kal, I hate to tell you this, but not everything revolves around you. It wasn't working and hadn't been for some time. I realize now going to you was just a symptom of something deeper that was wrong in our relationship."
Copenhagen
"I was a symptom?"
Washington
"Yes, Kal, like the flu."
"Gee, thanks."
Diana smiled and had to bite her lip not to laugh.
"The truth hurts some times, Kal."
Copenhagen
He could hear the teasing tone in her voice.
"That parka must bring out the mean side in you, Diana. Since when do you wear a parka to bed?"
He could hear her huff into the phone and smiled.
Washington
"Since you keep asking me what I'm wearing! How would you like it? What are you wearing right now, Kal?"
"Well…"
He paused for a moment.
"Kal, so help me if you say you're naked I'm hanging up!"
She heard his laugh on the other end and had to smile. He had a nice laugh.
Copenhagen
Clark leaned back on the bed against the pillows.
"Not naked, Diana, fully clothed, but I am bare foot, I hope that's not too much for you."
Washington
"I think I'll survive,' she replied.
She decided to slip in a quick question hoping to catch him with his guard down.
"So how's Berlin?"
"Lovely,' he replied, but then added. "I hear."
"So you're not in Berlin now?"
"No."
"But you were, weren't you?"
"Aren't you the detective all of a sudden."
"It doesn't take that much detecting to figure out once you left Moscow you'd stop in Berlin,' Diana replied. She felt the desire to needle him just a bit. "Now that you're a spy, Berlin just makes sense."
"Very cute, Diana, I'm not a spy by any of stretch of the imagination. And before you ask, I'm not telling you were I am, either."
Diana frowned at this. Why was he so stubborn?
"You know you should be nicer to me, Kal, I got the Thai police to reopen your case and start considering other suspects."
Copenhagen
Clark sat up at hearing this.
"Excuse me? How did you managed that?"
He listened as she explained her trip to the Phuket and her investigation. He was frankly a little dazzle by her detective work.
"I don't know what to say." He finally replied once she was finished. "Thank you, Diana, that's amazing. Thank you."
Washington
"Your welcome, Kal. I am Wonder Woman too, you know, plus a diplomat among other things."
"Must have forgot about that,' he offered.
"Yes, you must have since you're still not telling me where you are and being stupid trying to protect me."
Copenhagen
He laid back down on the bed and smile.
"Guilty as charge,' he admitted. "I guess I always think of you as just Diana."
Washington
Diana smiled. She liked that. She knew it was just an offhand comment, but she liked it very much. She suddenly realized no one had said they thought of her as just Diana in a long time. Of course he ruined it with his next statement.
"So Wonder Woman, huh? Speaking of sexy outfits."
Diana kicked the covers away and was on her feet.
"Don't you dare even think about it, Kal! My armor was given to me by my Gods and not to be thought of like that!"
"Okay, I'll go back to picturing you in the parka,' he quickly replied. "Doesn't seem very fair though. Everyone else gets to picture you in that outfit."
"Well you don't! Especially not on the phone!"
"Yes ma'am."
Diana nodded to herself glad she'd straightened that out. She sat back down on the bed.
"So if you're not in Berlin now, where are you?"
Copenhagen
Clark sighed and shook his head. He had to smile.
"Guess."
Washington
His reply surprised her. She was expecting him to refuse to tell her like always.
"What do you mean, guess?"
"Well, since you don't seem to believe me when I say I'm not telling you, my only alternative is to let you guess."
"Kal, I don't need you to protect me!"
"And I don't need you to rescue me, Diana. Your help, yes, I'll take that. I know you're a hero and I'm not ... anymore, but I don't want you to swoop in and rescue me. Some times you just have to rescue yourself with a little help of course."
There was a pause and then he changed his tone again.
"Besides I'd feel silly with you carrying me like I see in all the photos."
Diana bit her bottom lip as not to laugh.
"You think you're so funny, don't you?"
"You laughed, you just don't want to admit it,' he replied.
This made her smile even more. She understood what he was saying, but she didn't want to let it go just yet.
"Paris?"
"Huh?"
"You said to guess,' she replied. "So Paris?"
She could hear him chuckle before he replied.
'No."
"North or south from there?"
"I left my compass back in Phuket."
"That means north,' she replied. "You know I'm going to be in Europe next week so if you change your mind about being rescued you could let me know. The finally stop is in Sarajevo, Kal."
Copenhagen
He sat up at the mention of Sarajevo.
"What's happening in Sarajevo next week?"
"Why? I was just joking, Kal, unless that's where you are."
"No, I'm not, Diana, but please, just tell me what's happening in Sarajevo next week."
Washington
Diana immediately noticed the change in his tone.
"There's an international conference taking place, Kal. Representatives from all over the world are going to be there. It culminates with a special show at the Sarajevo National Theatre. Why?"
Copenhagen
Clark related the conversation he'd overheard in Moscow.
"I know its kind of thin, but your conference seems to fit."
Washington
"Yes it does. I'll let the organizers know about the threat, but without more specifics or the exact target it will be difficult. I should be able to get them to tighten security though."
"Plus you'll be there, so things will be in good hands."
"So will I see you when I'm in Europe, Kal?"
There was a pause on the other end of the line.
"I tell you what,' he replied. "Maybe when you're out touring around in that diplomatic limousine you might glance out the window and see me on a street corner. How's that?"
"In which city?"
This brought a laugh from his end. It was a warm, generous laugh, the kind that made others want to laugh too. It certainly did Diana. It also made her a little playful.
"You know if you tell me, I might tell you what I have on under the parka, Kal."
"I would have never imagined you as a tease, Diana. What would your mother say?"
"She'd say you should tell me where you are."
"Uh-huh, sure she would. Good night, Diana. Sweet dreams."
"Good night, Kal. I'll be looking at those street corners so you better be on one of them."
"It's a promise. Good night."
"Night."
Tokyo – A few days later
Tom Tresser's supervisors, Frasier and Sloan stepped out of the non-descript building they used as the Agency's headquarters. To all appearances they were just two businessmen locking up their offices at R$G Global Imports. They said a few brief words to each other and then parted until the next morning. Sloan flagged down a cab and headed off towards his small apartment. Frasier watched him leave and then started walking. He had a newspaper under his arm and continually glanced in every direction. If anyone had been following him they would have had a hard time, as he made so many cut backs and detours it would have been impossible for him not to see a tail.
45 minutes later Frasier was inside a club heading towards the back. When he reached the door, a short stocky Japanese man stepped forward and frisked him. When he finished he opened the door and Frasier stepped inside. Another Japanese man sat behind the desk. There were bodyguards on either side of him.
"You shouldn't have contacted me at the office,' Frasier grumbled.
"It was necessary,' Max replied. "You haven't told us about Nemesis or the mole he was supposedly trying to get within our organization. That's unacceptable, Frasier, to the Council and to me."
"Look, I told you I would handle it, but your people screwed it up!"
"Explain,' Max said.
"Tresser's man," Frasier offered. "He should be out of the way. I went down and set him up myself. He should be rotting away in the Bangkok Hilton right about now, but your people rescued him!"
Frasier took the newspaper from under his arm and tossed it on Max's desk. It was the International Herald. There were three pictures on the front page, Clark, Julian and Suzette. Max seemed shocked by it and looked up at Frasier.
"Horse? Pale Horse was the informant?"
"That's what I thought, but once your two friends there rescued him I had to reconsider. I think all three of them are in on it!"
"Grinka would never do that,' Max dismissively said.
"How well do you really know your friend Julian Grinka, Max? It wouldn't be the first time he's worked both sides, would it?"
"This is not good, not good at all,' Max replied. "They will have to be dealt with immediately."
"Make sure it's permanent this time,' Frasier added. "I'll handle Tresser, you just take care of them! Those three are the weak links!"