CHAPTER 6 The Last House

"No, no, no, no!" Max exclaimed where they sat in the Sunbeam Tiger at their last suspected location for the KAOS radio base. "This CANT' be it Ninety-Nine!"

"But Max, it's the ONLY one left that fits our parameters!" 99 exclaimed with a gentle shake of her brown gloved fist. "We HAVE to check it out!"

"But Ninety-Nine!" Max said spreading his hands in dismay. "It's a house belonging to a sweet-little old lady!"

They were parked about half a mile away on a rise, hidden adequately at the side of an expansive modern craftsman-style bungalow but enabling them to look down the road to the last house.

Max had to accept the fact that the house was indeed ideal, situated in a slightly less congested part of the neighborhood with more trees around it then other houses on its side of the road. Its closest neighbor was a larger American Foursquare house across the road directly opposite and another house just a few hundred feet down the road from this house.

The house in question, was itself, a 2 story Dutch Colonial style house with the distinctive dark grey, broad sloping gambrel roof with eaves flaring over the long side. Typical of such designs, a porch lined its long northern and southern side with the southern long side facing the road. Second floor windows protruded from the sloping side on the south side and on the west side they could see windows for the ground and second floor, all with elegant parted lacy curtains on the inside. The brick chimney for this house protruded distinctively from the ridge of the roof right at the center and they could imagine where the fireplace was.

Perfect as its location and design was, Max simply could not get over the occupant. With his bino-specs, he could see now, the older lady, bent slightly with obvious age come hobbling out the front door at the left corner of the south side of the house. Her white hair was pulled back in a bun and she wore round, rimless eyeglasses perched low on her nose and her bent form was shrouded in a heavy grey shawl, long flowing matching skirt and a long sleeve baggy white blouse.

Max adjusted the focus on his bino-specs to zoom in slightly and 99 could see the lens of the device extending slightly. The old lady had turned around holding the door open and out trooped about 5-6 children, a mixture of boys and girls about 5 to 6 yrs old, accompanied by a woman in her late 20ties in a light green sleeveless knee length dress—most likely a mother to at least one of the kids while babysitting all of them. Max couldn't tell what they were saying but the kids appeared very excited clapping their hands and jumping about on the porch and the young lady had to remind them to keep quiet.

As he looked on, Max could not see that the old lady actually had a hand woven basket of some sort and she smiled and talked happily while handing out what looked like large individually wrapped chocolate chip cookies to the happy children.

"Ninety-Nine! This is NOT possible—" Max said turning his head to face 99. "—look what that…my Ninety-Nine, what a big NOSE you have."

Just at that moment, 99's equally gigantic lips smiled lopsidedly as she said.

"Maaax."

Max blinked and realized he had not taken his bino-specs off.

"Oh sorry." He said doing so. "Look Ninety-Nine! Do you know what that sweet old lady is doing?! She's had a bunch of kids visiting! Likely telling them old stories and fairy tales which end 'happily-ever-after' and she's now giving them COOKIES! Which by the way look reeeeally de-LICIOUS! How could any KAOS agent be doing that?!"

"I know. It's very hard to believe." 99 agreed

"She must be eighty, Ninety-Nine!" Max asserted as he put his bino-specs back on and continued observing. "Plus, for the past forty-five minutes that we've spent watching her, we've seen the equally sweet old lady in the house across the road come over with an apple pie for her! And she immediately returned the favor with a basket of blueberry muffins she had on hand! And inside of FIVE minutes, another neighbor drives up to her house and she gives her a cherry pie! Then ten minutes after that, a young couple drives up with their three kids for what seemed like a normal run-of-the-mill visit and they leave with baskets of muffins AND cookies! And for the past fifteen minutes, it's this whole bunch of kids and their babysitter! And look! Look! She's taking forever just easing herself into that rocking chair on the porch! How could she be a ruthless, cold-blooded, cunning, merciless KAOS agent?"

99 blew out a breath, holding her chin in her gloved index finger and thumb as she accepted everything Max said.

"I know. You're right Max. She apparently has a very close relationship with most of her neighbors, welcomes any number of guests into the house at all times, well-liked by every one of all ages…hardly the behavior of a KAOS agent trying to keep a low profile!"

"So you SEE what I mean!" Max declares turning back to her. "My Ninety-Nine, what big ears you have."

This time 99 just smirked and rolled her eyes sideways at him, making Max realized what was happening again and with a grimace, removed his bino-specs.

"But Max, don't you think we should check it out anyway, just to be thorough?" 99 insisted.

"And how are we supposed to do that?" Max asked. "The building inspector badges are right now, somewhere in Switzerland." His face became downcast as he continued in a jealous grumble. "Likely pinned to someone ELSE Verena is role playing with! Geez I hope she doesn't SCRATCH them! CONTROL won't give me my fifty buck deposit back!"

99 sighed with a lopsided smile as she cast a sideway stare at Max before looking away at the house in question again. The old lady was still on the rocking chair, apparently knitting something.

"We could maybe pretend we're lost and ask for directions?" Max suggested. "Maybe you or I could ask for the bathroom and take a look around? Or maybe I could ask for those cookies of hers. Or even better, let's forget about this house, and just ASK for the cookies before moving on to the Dining with Cupless Ds."

99 sat up looking past Max and shaking her gloved right fist.

"That's it Max!"

"Right! Dining with Cupless Ds it is!" Max said reaching for the ignition. "We'll come back another time for the cookies!"

"No Max!" 99 exclaimed grabbing his forearm. "Quick, lend me your bino-specs!"

99 dons the device and adjusts the focus looking intently for a few moments before explaining.

"That's it Max! The house further down the road on the side of the neighbor's!"

"What about it?" Max asked looking into the distance at the California style bungalow there.

"It's on sale! I can see the real-estate agent's number on the sign!" 99 removed the bino-specs and elaborated quickly. "Quick, use your shoe phone, call the real estate agent. We'll pose as a couple, married maybe for about a year or so and moving into this neighborhood and looking for a new house where we'd like to start a family! Make it sound real promising like, 'we're willing to pay full up front' or 'put down the majority of the price right now', whatever you have to so the agent will come right down to show it to us. Then, after we view the house, which SHE would definitely notice, we can pretend to talk to her about the neighborhood, where the nearest schools, how are the neighbors like and maybe even ask to see her house on the pretext of getting ideas on how to redecorate!"

Max frowned before exclaiming.

"Pretend to be married and wanting to start a family?!"

"That's right!" 99 nodded eagerly.

Max looked 99 up and down incredulously.

"But you're not Verena!" he declared "You're not even blonde! And most of all, you're just Ninety-Nine!"

99 blew out an exasperated breath again tilting her head back with up-rolling eyes before as she said.

"Max! You'll just have to settle for me for a few hours."

Max grimaced giving in saying as he reached for his shoe phone.

"Ooookay! But while we're waiting we need to get you into my custom made 'My-Wife' disguise in the trunk."

99 frowned, perplexed as Max twists the heel lock and removes the shoe's false underside to reveal the mechanisms of the phone.

"Max, you made up a disguise for a fake wife?"

"That's right! People will find it more believable if the woman I'm with fits the bill!" Max said flipping up the round microphone at the bottom of the shoe just below the arch to reveal the rotary dial under it and began dialing.

99 leaned her head back for a moment, eyes closed trying to fight the ache from her cracked rib which threatened to flare up any time she groaned tiredly.

"Max, I DON'T want to put on whatever you THINK a PROPER WIFE of yours' would wear! We don't have time and we look fine as it is!"

"Okay," Max said putting the round earphone which protruded from the shoe's heel to his ear and awaiting for someone to pick up. "just put on the blonde wig then."

It took less than 20 minutes before the appointment was made and the delighted real-estate agent was on her way and Max and 99 (sans wig or correct wifely outfit as perceived by Max) was walking down the road toward the house, deciding to leave the Sunbeam Tiger out of sight. They chatted happily about the neighborhood and looking at the houses with 99 holding Max's arm playing the part, both in their belted trench coats, 99's being a light green one now replacing her damaged one in the morning.

"There it is honey!" Max pointed as they were approaching the Dutch Colonial house but aiming at the vacant house further down. "I told you we'd find it easily enough!"

"Oh Alan! It's beautiful! Just what we're looking for!" 99 gushed as she set eyes on her supposed dream home. "There's plenty of space for kids to run around! And everything on the ground floor! See how convenient it is!"

"It's definitely a find honey!" Max fake grinned and wonders if he would EVER grin for real in a real situation like this even if it was with a Verena.

"Hello there!"

They both stopped and turned right at their objective, smiling brightly.

There on the porch, the old lady was leaning forward in her rocking chair, straining to see them through her rimless round glasses. At this range, they could see her baggy loose sleeved white blouse actually had a heavy ruffled collar which extended to the front of the garment over her chest.

"Helloooo!" 99 smiled brightly and waved

"Hello there!" Max greeted.

"You two looking to buy that house down there?" the lady asked, voice quavering with age.

"Oh yes!" 99 said bounding on her knees slightly with enthusiasm as she clutched on to Max's arm. "It's everything we want in a home!"

"Oh splendid! Splendid!" the woman declared clapping her wrinkled hands. "Mrs Ackleberry and I have been waiting for ages for some new YOUNG neighbors! You and your children can visit anytime!"

"Well ah…we're still working on the kids." Max grinned nervously. "But we still have da talk to the agent. I…I mean the price is a little steep."

"Oh pish posh!" the lady scoffed flapped her wrinkled long fingered hands. "That' what instalments are for! A wonderful home where you can raise your family and grow old together is priceless! I would know!"

"That's what I've been telling him!" 99 smiled brightly. "But…Alan worries incessantly!"

"When he holds his firstborn in his arms," the lady assured clasping her hands together, "he'll KNOW what's important!"

"That's what I've been saying sweetie!" 99 said stroking Max's face.

"Yes! Ah...yes, so you've said!" Max nodded trying not to sweat despite the nippy weather.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" the old lady exclaimed. "I'm Mary. Mary O'Dowling. Claire Ackleberry and her husband Roger across the way there."

"Alan Kinsborough." Max smiled "My wife Melissa."

"You must want to know about the neighborhood and schools available in the area before you buy the house." Mary guessed.

"Oh yes! We'd love that!" 99 nodded.

"Well come on in!" Mary beckoned with a shaky arm. "I can put on a pot of tea and tell you all you need to know!"

"Oh that would be lovely! Thank you!" 99 said.

"Oh wait, honey, the agent is here!" Max said pointing to a yellow Volkswagen Type 3 pulling up at the California bungalow for sale.

"Don't you fret!" Mary assured. "You go on right ahead! And if you'd like, come right back afterwards for some tea and I'll tell you everything you need to know about this beautiful neighborhood."

"Oh thank you so much!" 99 gushed

"That's very kind of ya." Max nodded as they proceeded on their way.

"Well, Ninety-Nine?" Max asked when they were out of earshot and nearing the house for sale. "What did I tell you? Sweet-old-LADY! She's invited us in without us even ASKING! No KAOS agent running a secret radio base would do that!"

"I know Max!" 99 groaned slightly as her grey kidskin boots clicked softly over the road as she walked. "We'll just have to follow through with it and if we're wrong, hope the Chief's reinforcements get here in time da help us search the area more thoroughly."

"Right Ninety-Nine." Max said. "And I'll grab enough cookies for our trip over to Dining with Cupless Ds—"and before 99 could protest he called out to the real estate agent who was waiting for them. "—Hi there! Thanks so much for coming down on such short notice!"

The lady real estate agent was extremely thorough, showing them all the modern amenities and rooms of the bungalow which was also fully furnished. They spent a good deal of time with her to make it seem convincing though 99 felt somewhat bad for wasting the agent's time on what was a charade which would not result in any form of commission for her. It was nearing 3pm when the real estate agent drove off with Max promising to contact her by tomorrow if they had a decision and they started walking back to Mary's house.

Mary was overjoyed to see them again.

"Well? Lovely home isn't' it? Wonderful place to raise a family?" Mary asked, her hands clasped at her chest.

"Oh, it is!" 99 gushed again, gloved hand over her chest as they stood before her on the porch.

"But we're hoping da get the agent ease back on the price a little." Max admitted. "But we're still not even sure about the area and all."

"Oh, then let me talk it up!" Mary declared. "Come on in and I'll get the tea ready! I've just made a fresh batch of cookies too! The kids reeeally love them! Oh…I'm sorry, could you help me up please….sigh…it's getting harder and harder these days…"

Mary laughed as she reached her arms out and 99 and Max obligingly eased her out of the rocking chair. She continued to lean on Max's arm as she led them into her home through the front door which was near the left corner of the south side.

As they entered, Max and 99 found a staircase on the west wall about 20 ft from the front door while the remainder of the space they saw was the homely living room with a sitting area in the center consisting of a long rich grey sofa with 2 matching armchairs before it facing each other, all bordering a large coffee table.

"Oh your home is lovely Mary!" 99 declared quite sincerely as she walked with her coat draped over one arm, slightly ahead of Max who had his own trench coat on one arm and Mary on the other.

"Oh thank you dear." Mary quavered as she and Max stopped near an arm chair. "Though I'm not sure how much longer I can stay here. I can barely make it up the stairs anymore in less than an hour! Soon, I might have to sell it for a smaller place."

"Oh I'm so sorry." 99 said with sincerity again, turning to them, having taken note of the rest of the living room layout. "How long have you lived here?"

The northern wall they realized was a dividing wall which separated the living room from the kitchen. But at the center of the dividing wall was as they expected, the broad chimney breast constructed from solid red bricks protruded, extending all the way up into the ceiling and beyond through the second floor till it emerged as the chimney from the roof. The chimney breast itself was nearly 15 ft wide. On either side of the projection was a door leading into the kitchen with the door on the left of the chimney breast squeezed between the bricks and the spandrel. The long heavy grey cushioned sofa was positioned just 8 ft in front of the chimney breast with the furniture's back to it.

"Oooh all my life," Mary smiled with wrinkled lips. "Ever since I came over as a young lass from Ireland with my Liam—rest his soul."

"Your husband?" Max asked patting the old woman's hand.

"That's right." Mary confirmed, a light seeming to come to her eyes behind her glasses upon mention of her love. "He fought in the first war! All through the middle east, Africa, across Europe and the Pacific and came home withOUT a scratch! Ooooh, he was STRONG back then!"

"How long ago did he pass?" 99 asked stepping up to the brick face of the chimney breast.

"Oh, almost a decade back." Mary said wistfully as she moved forward with Max's help.

99 and Max had now both realized that the 'fireplace' itself was missing. The hollow whether arched or square in shape had been bricked up and sealed.

"I remember when Liam and I used to sit in front of that fireplace on cold winter nights." Mary recalled "The warm glow of the flames making our skin almost red! Uuuuuhhh…the memories."

"I can only imagine." 99 said lowering herself down onto a crouch at the chimney flute, her coat over her lap, brushing her gloved hand slowly over the brick.

"Uh…what happened to the fireplace Mary?" Max asked his left hand crooked with his trench coat over it while Mary leaned on his right arm where they stood just a few inches from the back of the sofa behind 99 crouched at the chimney breast.

"Sigh…" Mary quavered shaking her head sadly. "I had to brick it over. It became too hard to maintain at my age. I thought of installing an electric fireplace but…sigh…it just wouldn't be the same."

"I understand." Max nodded smiling kindly.

"Sometimes the memories you have can be brighter than any flame a fireplace can provide." 99 smiled as she ran her gloved fingers along the seams in between the bricks testing the concrete. She could tell the fireplace used to be square in shape and then—her breath caught inside her throat as her gloved fingers finally discovered what they sought.

"Much safer too!" Max nodded "Plus saves you a ton on the electric bill."

"Oh Alan!" 99 laughed as she focused on the bricks. "Don't you see what Mary is trying to tell you?"

"As I thought dear, you see much more than many realize."

99 still crouched facing the chimney breast felt her breath catch again in her chest and throat at the sound of the voice. It was Mary, but not Mary. No more wistfulness of a love lost, no quavering. The tone was the same but it was strong, steady and laced with a cold, cunning strength that sent a chill down her spine.

99 twisted slightly looking back to see Max still standing there, beaming away, playing his part not realizing what was wrong as he could not see what she saw since Mary was still bent slightly at her side, her face hidden from him. But 99 saw it. The kind expression and warm eyes of the sweet old lady giving cookies to the kids, were gone, now replaced with a visage of stone, eyes flaring over the rimless glasses with a terrifying, cold, razor focus and lips curled in a cruel smile that sent another blast of chill through her, causing her cracked and bruised ribs to ache again.

Before she could cry a warning, the formerly sweet old lady suddenly sprang up to her full height, all weakness gone and her arm flew up and swept down in a blur of white blouse and grey shawl. Her knifehand strike slammed down onto the back of Max's neck at the base of his skull with a thump loud enough to be heard outside.

99 gasped as Max's eyes rolled up and his face and jaw went slack. As he fell forward and landed face down in a blue suited heap on the carpet, 99 thrusted her hand into her purse under her left arm, grabbing about inside.

Mary moved with frightening speed, not a sign of aged infirmity left as she converged on Max's unconscious form, long fingered hands grabbing his shoulder and effortlessly flipping him over. Before 99 could stand up, Mary had ripped open Max's suite jacket and yanked the 5 inch barreled Colt Official Police from his shoulder holster with her left hand while her right appeared out from under her shawl with a 100 mm barreled Luger P08.

99 sprang to her feet, her hand finally coming out of her handbag with her Derringer pistol.

"Stop! Drop the gun and step away from him!" 99 instructed aiming her small Derringer at Mary who she couldn't understand why, did not seem interested even to look at her.

The answer came a millisecond later as the doors on either side of the chimney breast swung open and armed men in black multi-pocketed vests, matching pants and grey-green shirts charged into the living room from both of them, their heavy black leather boots thumping loudly on the carpeted floor.

Immediately, 99 found a man taller than the rest, his golden hair shorn in a crew cut, broad chested with blue eyes almost as cold as Mary's behind her to her left with a metal stock folded MP40 submachine gun levelled, waist high at her. She instantly breathed out in dismay tilting her head back as she lifted up her hands. One of the two men that had come through the other door from the kitchen, square jawed, in his late 40ties with a back mustache and beady glittering eyes of a focused predator stepped over to her, Walther P38 in his hand and snatched away her Derringer with the other.

Not caring for her safety, 99 immediately dropped to her knees next to Max cradling his head in her brown gloved hands.

"Max! Max! Can you hear me?—Maaax!"

"Unnnngggghhh…." Came the reply groan.

Even before his eyes opened, Max's face twisted in agony as his legs moved to help him sit up while his hand went to the back of his neck.

"Nine…Ninety-Nine?" came the blurry question

"Yes Max! I'm here!" 99 answered stroking his face.

"Wha…where…" Max struggled to speak as he opened and squeezed his eyes shut to try and focus. "…where'd that eighteen wheel semi come from?"

"What?" 99 asked fearful that Max was delirious from concussion. "What semi?"

"The one that HIT me of course! Arrggh!" Max groaned immediately following his snap holding the back of his neck.

"It wasn't' a truck that hit you Max." 99 said.

"What?" Max squinted before sighing and said. "Don't tell me it was the sweet old lady who hit me because she's actually a KAOS agent?"

"I'm afraid so Max." 99 affirmed.

Max groaned squeezing his eyes shut.

"I ASKED you not to TELL me that!"

"Enuv!" Mary commanded waving her Luger P08. "Get zhem eento zhe bazement! Schnell!"

Immediately the mustached man grabbed 99 by her right bicep and yanked her to her feet, causing her to gasp as pain seized her left ribcage again while the third man, in his 30ties, lean and compact with neatly trimmed brown hair and sculpted angular jaw went for Max. He more lightly built than Max and only an inch taller with a Walther P38 as well in his hand. Despite this, with just one hand on Max's collar, he effortlessly yanked the CONTROL agent up. Max actually felt his shoes leave the carpet for a fraction of an instant before they settled down again.

Mary led them into the large kitchen through the door on the left of the chimney breast. Max looked about the large kitchen which featured a round dining table in the center, basin on the northern wall and a back door in the northeast corner. A counter lined the east wall with cabinets and more cabinets were installed over it.

He watched as Mary led them to the northwestern corner of the kitchen where there was a rectangular concrete protrusion about 10 ft in length and 6 feet wide extending to the ceiling. Set in the 6 ft southern end of this protrusion was a door directly in line with the door they just came through.

Mary opened the door revealing a staircase going down and she proceeded first. Only when she reached the bottom out of sight did the mustached man march 99 down while Max was covered by both the angular jawed and taller blond KAOS agents.

As Max's turn came to be marched down the stairs, he thought he would need time for his eyes to adjust to the gloom but surprisingly, other than the hollow area in the protrusion at the top of the stairs, as he went down, it was perfectly lit. He reached the bottom with the MP40 wielding blond KAOS man behind him, and found 99 standing there still with her hands up watched by Mary and the mustached KAOS agent. The basement he realized was longer than wide and the staircase was in the middle of its length on its long western wall.

"Herzlich willkommen! Herzlich willkommen!" a strong voice boomed

Max stood next to 99 and they both faced the origin of the voice, at the southern end of the basement.