Part Eight: "You've been called the Da Vinci of
our time. What do you say to that?" Absolutely ridiculous. I don't paint."
Three weeks had passed since the first time that
Vladimir and Lexis had met. They decided to start a relationship on that day.
Lexis was told all about the Irish Mob and what his own job was, but Vladimir
could tell that Lexis was hiding something, he just could not figure it out.
"Vlad, do they have like, operatives at the
Mob?"
"Um...yeah, I think so. It is not like I am
going on missions, but they do have special groups that go on missions and
stuff like that."
"Do they like to have...unique people working in
those groups?"
"Well...I guess. Usually the people in those groups
are overly qualified, they all have like kung fu moves. What are you getting
at?" Vladimir was a bit confused, but stayed calm. Was she wanting to join?
The Mob would be ever so pleased with him.
Lexis paused, knowing that this was dangerous,
but she needed a job. She could not last much longer on the money she had left,
"are they hiring?" Lexis gave a chuckle and small smile.
"Lexis it is too dangerous for you to join. And
I do not know if they need anyone."
"But I have..."
Vladimir was confused. What did she have?
"I have powers, Vlad. Powers that the Mob could
use. They will beg for me."
Vladimir was shocked, "why did you not tell me
this before?"
"I...I...I do not know. I guess that I was just
afraid of what you would think. Please forgive me."
He ran up to her and held her in his arms, "Do
not apologize. You just could not trust anyone else and that is okay."
Lexis quietly cried in Vladimir's arms as he
thought of a way to get back to the headquarters.
"Let me tell my boss about you. He will want to meet
you as soon as possible."
Lexis weighed the pros and cons, but there were
no pros that she could think of. This was crazy, but she let it happen, "I
guess you can. Just do not get killed getting there. Okay?"
"I won't, I promise." Vladimir kissed her on the
lips and opened the door. When he walked out he gave her a wink. That was code
for the coast was clear. They had come up with many different codes for things.
Now she was alone, in a hotel room, with no clue what the hell she was doing.
…...
When Vladimir arrived at the Headquarters there was a message in their secret
plank of wood safe. He looked around before lifting the plank up. Inside there
was a piece of paper that said, When you come back, if you do not have
someone in mind...let's just say, it won't be pretty. Vladimir gulped as he
read it. He had someone in mind, but he forgot to ask what her powers were. What
an idiot I am! He unlocked the door and walked in. From the outside, it
looked like a normal house, even the first level of the 'house' looked like a
house. When you went down to the basement, it turned into something that you
could see in a James Bond or Mission Impossible movie. There was technology all
over. The first time that Vladimir saw this area, he passed out.
"Vlad! How are you man!?" Vlad turned around to
see Frank. Frank was the main tech guy for the Mob. Even though he was not
Irish, he showed them his mad computer skills, and how he can hack under the
radar, which the boss man loved.
"Hey Frank!" They gave each other a man hug and
Vladimir walked towards the boss.
"Found someone, Vlad?"
"Hell yeah, I did!" He was not watching where he
was going and bumped into the boss. "Sorry boss."
His boss just looked at him, "got my message I
assume?"
"Yes, and I found someone. She wants to join
too."
"She?" He was upset with the fact that is was a
woman.
"Yes, and she is amazing. She has..." Vladimir
was worried about telling him about the powers.
"Has what...is she sick...?"
"No. No. Nothing like that. She has...powers. And
before you call me crazy, let me bring her in and show you her stuff. Okay?"
The boss glared at him, but then let it go his
was, "fine. But if she is not up to standard, you both die...Okay?"
"Yes sir. You won't be disappointed!" Vladimir
ran to the door and bolted through it. By the time he got back to the hotel, he
was out of breath.
Knock, knock, knock, knock...
Lexis opened it only to see Vladimir falling
into her arms.
"Whoa, man. What did you do? Run eighty five
miles in a river?"
Vladimir could not even laugh at that. He was
drenched in sweat and looked dehydrated. After a break, he came back to normal,
"we have to go see the boss."
"Is that code for, we have to kill the
president, because I really do not want to do that. It would get messy, fast."
"Haha, no. My boss is called The Boss."
"Well that explains a lot."
Lexis got ready, putting on her most guy looking
clothes. Camouflage cargo pants, khaki tank top and her hair up in a ponytail.
She was about ready to walk out the door with Vladimir, when he kissed her.
"Everything is going to be okay, you know?"
"Yeah, hun. I do." She kissed him again as they
walked out of the hotel.
…...
When they arrived at the headquarters, Lexis
looked at the house.
"This is the place?" Lexis thought that the
Mob would have a better facility.
"Yeah, and you will be surprised by what you see
inside." Vladimir led her inside and then quickly looked for a message, but it
was clear what the boss had said before. If she was not perfect for the job, he
would have to kill them both. Vladimir led Lexis down some stairs to a
basement. When he opened the door, Lexis gasped.
"Wow. I am impressed," Lexis then whispered,
"does he like girls to curtsy?"
Vladimir laughed, "no, just be yourself. You are
good at that."
Lexis smiled as she walked forward to the man
that looked like the boss. Vladimir stopped her and went in front of her, "stay
here, and please do not touch anything."
Lexis gave him a look, but accepted it. He
walked up to the boss.
"Hey, boss. I brought her. She is over there."
As he said this they both looked over at her and she smiled and waved. Vladimir
put his hand on his face, when the boss was not looking.
"Seems lovely, Vlad. At least you found a pretty
one. Bring her over." He nodded and practically ran to Lexis.
"Thank God you did that. Boss liked you so far.
Please impress him!" He nudged at Lexis to move forward.
"Hello. What is your name?" The boss was creepy
and gave her a look from head to toe.
"Lexis Siege."
"What a...nice name." He seemed confused by the
name, but was afraid to ask anything. "So you think you want to join...us?"
Lexis thought that that question was not too
hard to answer, "Yes, sir. I would very much like to."
"Why?"
"Well, because sir, I think that I am valuable.
And you will want me after an demonstration."
He nodded, "tell me. What...powers do you have?"
"So far, I have time manipulation, power
absorbency and psychic weapons."
He looked confused, "can you explain those to
me?"
"Well...time manipulation is where I can stop,
pause, reverse or fast forward time. When I am in stop mode, everything goes
black and if I take steps then that gets me to another location. In pause mode,
I can pause time for fifteen minutes and then it sort of unpauses itself.
Reverse and fast forward only go for 12 days. Power absorbency is where I can
take someone else's power for a week, but I can only take two powers a week.
Psychic weapons is where I can plant or influence a decision, idea, thought,
into someone's mind, and occasionally I can motivate someone into something I
want them to do." Lexis smiled at him.
The boss did not respond for a long time. It
seemed like hours until he grinned like a schoolboy. "Those are fantastic. We
can start training...Frank, when can Miss. Siege start training?"
Frank was startled when he asked this, "Um...We
got a few guys finishing up today, so tomorrow should be good. Or...pretty much
the rest of this week. The only problem will be is that she will be alone."
"We do not have anyone else to train with her?"
The boss looked upset with Frank.
"Not as far as I can see in the schedule, but
that does not mean that they have not updated it. I will call and ask." Frank
picked up the phone and dialed a number. Putting the phone up to his ear, he
sighed.
"Hey did you update your schedule yet?"
Mumble...
"Okay, is there any more recruits coming in this
week?"
Mumble...
"Wait, you can not do that! And we have another
recruit that needs to be trained as soon as possible! So no you can not do
that! Get your butts back to work!" Frank slammed the phone down and got a look
on his face. He started yelling at the room, "They wanted to take the week off!
They should all be fired for that!"
"Calm down, Frank." Vladimir said. Lexis was
stunned by his harshness. He had never been like that before.
"Um...is it okay if I do not start training
tomorrow. I would like to visit my parents first before I begin, and I swear
that I will not tell them. You can even bring someone to make sure that I do
not."
The boss looked at her and sighed, "of course.
You can take Vlad with you. We also need to discuss your education. What is
your highest education?"
"I graduated high school two years ago and I was
planning on going to college this year. I guess that will not be happening."
"No. No. We will pay for your schooling. We just
need to discuss what you will be going to school for, that is all."
Lexis was stunned. They would be paying? She
wondered why. "Um...well, I was thinking about going for Biochemistry, Computer
Security, Aerial Photography, Psychology. Computer security and aerial
photography can be done in two classes each, but the other ones will take
longer."
The boss looked at her like she was some sort of
God, "we can take care of all of that. Frank write up things she wants to do in
college."
"Yeah, sure boss man. Lexis, get your butt over
here!" Lexis gave him a look of 'oh, no. You did not just do that?'
"Sorry little lady!" She gave him the look
again, but walked over there anyway.
"Yes, Frank," she asked him her sexyest voice
she had.
Frank gulped as everyone was looking at him, not
her. Frank knew the question that they wanted him to ask her. "Tell me...are
you dating anyone?"
"Why? Looking to hook up with me?"
"N...no. No."
"Yes I am. But you and me," Frank's eyes lit up
as she said you and me, "would never happen. Sorry man."
There was a chorus of oohs after she said
was not the question people wanted him to ask, but it gave them an
insight into her. You could tell that that answer broke his heart, "geesh!
Harsh much?! Just tell me the majors again."
"The majors are Biochemistry and Psychology. The
minors are Computer Security and Aerial Photography. Got that?"
Frank nodded and started writing it down. The
boss walked over to her, "we have a flight scheduled for you. It will ship out
tomorrow morning at eight thirty in the morning."
"Sir, I do not need a flight. I can get there
using my powers. One shuffle and I am in my parents yard."
The boss had a mixture of looks on his face, "if
you say so. Will you be heading out tonight?"
"Most likely. I just need a few things from my
hotel and I will be ready. So, Vladimir is coming with me?"
Lexis looked at Vlad and then back at the boss.
"Can he come with you?"
"Oh yes. If I touch someone, then they come out
of the stopped reality. It is quite fun to scare people by doing that." Lexis
laughed as she thought of a little kid that she had taken out of the stopped
reality. His face showed excitement but he was horrified at the same time. He
even asked her if she was super woman, and she said that she was super teen and
to spread the word.
"Well you might want to come back here when you
are done. I have a feeling that you are being watched." She nodded at him and
said good bye to Vladimir. She stopped time and took a few short steps. When she
played time, she was in the hotel room and she started packing as fast as she
could. She was excited to see her parents, but she knew that it might be the
last time she would ever see them. She feared that she would die doing this
job. If not soon, she knew then she would have a painful death.