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Chapter -9- Planning Period

June 21, 7:30pm Marseille, France ...

Karla Chintzy sat up in bed with a start. She looked around the empty hotel room.

She pressed her lips together. Her lip-gloss had worn off, leaving her to wonder how long she'd been unconscious. She slid off the bed and saw her purse on the floor in front of the nightstand.

The bathroom was empty. She returned to the bedside and opened the large drapes.

Out on a sundeck, Chance and Sinopa sat side by side, having a conversation. Michael wasn't among them.

Karla opened the sliding glass door and stood in the doorframe. "Where's Michael?"

Chance looked up. His smile dissolved into an abrupt frown. It said everything without a word.

Karla's heart dropped. She listened to his brief explanation but the words didn't really register. Instead of letting the boy drag it out word-by-word, she lifted a hand and interrupted him. "Does Nathanial know?"

"No," he said. "Karla, I'm sorry. I liked him. He was a good guy."

"Yeah. I didn't really know him all that well. But I feel like I let Nathan down by letting one of his close friends die. What happened? How did we get out?"

Sinopa reached over and put a hand on Chance's shoulder. "Your knight in shining armor saved us all, Karla-san. It was most impressive."

"Chance?"

He shrugged, causing Sinopa's hand to fall away. "I guess I did. You were down, and had the wind knocked out of you. Mike was stabbed with those ... finger-knives. You were next. I lost my mind."

"You what?"

Chance shrugged again, not knowing how to express himself to her. "I remember every second of it. I saw blood dripping from that thing's fingernails. It lifted its hands above you after having just stabbed him and..." He swallowed down emotion. "You're all I have, Karla. I ... I lost control, somehow, and suddenly everyone was unconscious."

"Nearly myself as well," Sinopa added. "Had he been stronger, I most certainly would have not been able to withstand what he'd done. Do you have a headache, Karla-san?"

"No, uh, not really." The succubus ran her fingers back through her hair. She stepped out onto the deck.

Karla moved adjacent to Chance. She kicked his feet apart a little bit, settled down onto his lap, and dropped her head onto his shoulder. "Thanks."

Chance froze. He looked over at Sinopa, unsure of himself.

The kitsune nodded towards Karla and mouthed the words, 'Hold her.'

He swallowed back his nervousness, put his arms around Karla's waist and rested his chin atop of her head. "I'm sorry things got so weird. I'm sorry the mirror got away. But, uh ... I have two questions and maybe you can help me with them."

Karla's voice was muffled against his shoulder. "Yeah? Go ahead, ask'em."

"Uhm, right ... so first question is, what exactly does inexpugnable mean?"

Karla remained still, speaking against his collarbone. "Unable to become pregnant, why? It's kind of an old word - nobody uses it anymore."

"You, uh ... said it in your sleep. You were referring to yourself."

"Oh. Awkward." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. Karla pursed her lips and sighed through her nose.

"Go on."

Karla grimaced, wanting to avoid the subject. "Well, I'm turning four hundred this fall. No kids. It's a long time to feel alone. I, uh ... you know. I'm a girl underneath it all. Surprised?"

"Karla..." He kissed the top of her head. "You don't have to keep this stuff in. You're not alone anymore."

A secret smile found her lips. "I appreciate that." Her body relaxed somewhat, and she lifted her head from his shoulder. "What's your other question?"

"Where is Tunguska? That's in Russia, right?"

"Yeah. It's where Nathanial and I met Kalen. It's where Nathan earned his respect from the rest of the Esoteric Council, even though he doesn't subscribe to their current political meandering. Why?"

"It was the last thought on that one guy's mind. Foster. The guy that works for the Grand Justiciar, based out of Chicago. He's going to meet up with people there or something like that."

Karla put her hands on either side of his face then pushed her lips against his firmly.

It shocked the boy but he quickly melted into her kiss.

She kissed his nose, his cheek, his forehead, and his other cheek. It caused him to laugh nervously.

She kissed him all over his face for a moment, and then she hugged him. "That's my boy. That's where they're going. And even if it's not, that's our lead."

Chance hugged Karla back.

He stole a glance over at Sinopa. For the first time, he noticed her facial features were European, not Asian. It was strange to say the least.

The fox demigod grinned in reply. Chance heard her unspoken words. 'You got the kiss you wanted for saving her.'

He blinked several times. Chance heard a different voice say, 'I am so proud of him.'

He swallowed.

Neither girl spoke

Chance cleared his throat. Despite all he'd been through, he still wondered if telepathy was somehow all just a figment of his imagination. "So, how do we go from France to Russia?"

"I'll call Nathan. We don't have Michael's sat-phone, but I know a number to call so I can get directly in contact with Nathan while he's out and about."

Chance nodded.

Karla continued. "Also, I'm going to need to call Natalia Kincade and let her know our progress. For that much money, she's going to want a status report." Karla slid off his lap and offered him a soft smile. "I am so proud of you." She turned about and walked into the hotel to start making phone calls.

Chance sat there, staring out over the Mediterranean Sea. She said what he thought he heard in his head a moment prior. The reality of his ability was still a difficult pill to swallow.

He licked his lips then, with a slight chuckle to disguise his nervousness, said, "Well, I, uh, I got the kiss I wanted for saving her."

"Hai, Chance-san. I was just thinking such when I saw her kiss you. Very good. I see how much you like her when you look at one another."

He swallowed again. More proof that the voices were real. He continued to stare out to sea. "Yeah. I liked it."

Sinopa's voice softened as a display of empathy. "What is on your mind, Chance-kun?"

He looked back from the water, towards Sinopa.

Neither spoke.

Chance shrugged and gazed back out over the briny blue. "I uh ... I was just thinking that Judge Richter said he wanted to go to Barcelona after all this blows over."

"He told you this, or he thought it before passing?"

"Both." Chance sniffed disdainfully. His eyes lowered. "Yesterday, he pointed out across the water and said Barcelona was just over there, somewhere. It's a shame, you know?"

"Hai, but he died honorably, in combat. Nathanial has told me more than once that his team has always expressed the desire to die a noble death, as a warrior, fighting for what they believe in. They said that growing old was unfathomable. Dying in their sleep would be even worse."

Chance felt moisture well up in his eyes. He pursed his lips tightly, causing frown lines to mar the corners of his mouth.

Sinopa gently touched his forearm. "Take solace in the fact that Nathanial's friend died the way he wished to die: In the throes of battle."

"It didn't seem that way," Chance murmured. "It wasn't like he was actually _in_combat when that thing killed him. He was knocked down, unable to get up. He was wounded, lying on his back after trying to help Karla escape. Doesn't seem the same."

"A death to the enemy is still far more desirable than a death by one's body giving out from old age - it was quick and painless. You rendered him unconscious so that..."

"It wasn't quick and it wasn't painless," Chance told her with sorrow in his eyes. "At least not to him."

Sinopa drew her hand back from Chance's wrist.

"I felt it," he said. His voice grew with frustration as he continued. "I felt him die. I felt the pain in my chest. I felt the agony. I felt the regret he had. He didn't die proud and quick. He died feeling disappointed because he couldn't see this through with us. He had so much he was looking forward to. The money from Karla that he was going to use to get his life back on track ... Michael had a lot to live for."

Sinopa lowered her eyes and folded her hands.

Chance brought his fist down on the railing around the sun deck. "Michael was upset when he felt it all stripped away from him in the blink of an eye. Yeah, it might have been better than dying old and frail. But when Nathanial told you that, they were in a different mindset because they were younger ... I know what I felt when I watched him lying there, helpless and writhing."

"But he died honorably with a sense of..."

"No," Chance said in a stern tone. "He wasn't proud, nor was he filled with a sense of accomplishment. He died wanting to see the beach in Barcelona, okay? He wanted to be anywhere but bleeding out on a concrete floor."

"I see." Sinopa frowned.

"I ... I'm sorry, Mrs. Parker. I'm just upset. I should be happy because I saved Karla; I got a kiss and I did my best. But I don't know how to control my ability, I don't know how to focus it or put it away when I don't want to use it ... I'm a wild card."

"You saved most of us."

Chance wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "The way I see things, Mrs. Parker, if I knew how to use this stupid ability I could have saved everyone. Including Michael."

"Hey." The voice belonged to Karla. She stood in the doorway behind him. "Stop blaming yourself. I mean it. You've done more in one month, with your limited understanding of your 'stupid ability', than some people have their whole lives with training and intimate knowledge of their own capabilities."

Chance swallowed. "I can't sense anything right now, but I could five minutes ago. I'm a wildcard."

Karla shook her head. "You're the best rookie I've ever seen. You get better each day."

"But how do I use it?" he demanded to no one in particular. "What's the trigger? Sometimes it happens when I'm emotional, like after the car accident, after getting almost killed repeatedly, and when I saw Mike die. I freaked when I saw that thing about to kill you. But other times, it just happens at random. I hear something, or I feel something ... and most of the time, I'm just questioning myself."

"You'll learn, baby-boy."

Chance sighed in frustration. "What about the day we met? I wasn't fast enough to tell you there was a guy behind us with a gun. And what about just now? You just snuck up on me. I had no idea you were listening."

Karla stepped back out onto the deck and put her hands on her hips, glaring at him. "Okay, look. You've done a good job so far. But right now, you're whining. Yeah, I know it sucks. I know you're not a 'level ten badass' right now. And I know you doubt yourself. But suck it up."

His voice lowered. "Suck it up, huh?"

"You heard me," she replied. "Right now you've kept the two of us alive. You've still got a 'to do list' needing to be done. You've still got questions needing to be answered."

He opened his mouth but couldn't think of anything to say. He sank back down into a deck chair.

Karla added, "You can't go through life whining about things that didn't pan out. So, take it from a girl who has seen a lot of things turn to shit in her life ... you have to focus on your accomplishments in life." She held her hand up to keep him from speaking.

She approached him, coming face to face. Karla met his gaze. She kept speaking without missing a beat. "You need to stand up, be a man, and you need to strut around like you have a three foot cock, you got me? I'm not saying to be egotistical, I'm saying to be confident. Because without confidence, it's going to be hard to be motivated. And without motivation, you're not going to amount to anything. And if it takes 'getting the girl' to motivate you, then get your ass in here and get your pants off."

Sinopa and Chance remained silent.

"And, no, don't you go around thinking I'm offering this because of my nature," Karla said in a stern tone. Her voice softened, adding, "The fact is, you've _earned_it. You didn't just save my ass back there in creepo-land. More than once you stood up for me, whether or not I needed it. You were offended when that guy back talked me. You were quick to stand in front of me, protectively."

Karla pushed a lock of blond back, over her shoulder and continued her monologue. "Now sure, I don't need protection. But it's nice to see a man give a damn about me. I liked it. I feel like I deserve to have a man give a damn about me like that for once in my life. You got that?"

Chance nodded in silence.

A slight smile found the succubus' lips. "You've come a long way in three weeks. I. Am proud. Of you. Are we clear on that?"

"Thanks." His voice was soft.

Karla shook her head. "Don't ruin how I feel about you by moping. You've been strong. You've shown some masculine fortitude. You've been damn impressive."

"Impressively nervous," he muttered.

"I'm not talking about your shyness thing. Whatever, okay? I could care less about whether or not you're outgoing or shy." Her voice raised, as if swelling with pride. "I'm talking about you being at gunpoint and being a man. Anyone else would have dropped to their knees and begging for his or her life."

"If I really am telepathic, then I'm just feeding off your confidence. I'm holding it together because I'm feeding off your coping mechanism or whatever."

Karla smirked. "Tch, that's such bullshit. You were brave when I was unconscious. You were brave against Ethan when I was in emotional distress. You've been impressive from day one. Don't start crying now, because that won't get you anywhere and it most certainly will not get you laid. Now. Have I made myself clear?"

Chance sat there stunned. He'd never had Karla go off on him before. And he'd never been insulted by her before. But at the same time, she'd also complimented him and told him she was proud of him. She also teased him with the promise of more than a kiss.

For the first time, since coming to terms with the possibility that he might be telepathic, something clicked.

Initially, he didn't know how to react based on her lecture, alone. But all that changed in an instant.

Instead of sulking or wondering how to act, he thought of how to react based on what he perceived may have been the meaning behind her words.

He stood up from the deck chair and turned directly towards Karla.

She put her hands on her hips with an expectant look. She arched her brows as if to say, 'Well?'

It all became clear to him: she wasn't admonishing him. It was her way of trying to motivate him, and she was saying it the best way she knew how. She was challenging him to do better, to be better. She was trying to inspire him to be ... not necessarily some all-powerful telepath ... but simply to be the best person he could be, and, more importantly ... to be someone she could count on and trust.

He heard Sinopa's voice at the back of his head. 'Kiss her, you silly baka.'

Chance reached up, put his palms on either side of Karla's jawline and moved in close. His lips hovered just above hers, but he kept her from leaning up to meet his kiss by keeping his hands on either side of her face.

He spoke so that she could feel his warm breath against her lips.

She could feel his lips nearly brushing against hers from his proximity. But there was a sensual sort of teasing in the way he didn't yet kiss her.

Instead, he spoke. "No, I haven't earned 'it' from you just yet. But I'm closer than I was before. This is where I'm supposed to kiss you like they do in action movies. The hero kisses the girl, then there's a romance scene, and he goes off to win the day in the climactic battle."

Karla remained silent, listening to what he had to say.

"That's not how real life works all the time. I like kissing you. And I want to be someone you can rely on. So ... that's who I'm going to be. I'm going to do what I can to be my best. I know that's what you want to hear."

"No," she murmured with a sultry smile. "This is the part where you kiss me."

"No." Chance drew his head back so he could see her green eyes in the late afternoon sunlight. He swallowed, took a deep breath, and said, "This is where I tell you that I'm falling in love with you."

The succubus swallowed, unprepared to hear his admission of love.

He rubbed his left thumb against her right cheek. "I promised you I'd be fair by being open with you, since I'm the mind reader and you're not. After today, I think I'm finally ready to believe in my ability, after feeling the wind knocked out of you, and Michael's last moments. And after stopping those ... creatures. Karla, I'm finally ready to..."

Karla knocked his hands away from her cheeks and lurched forward. She silenced him by pressing her lips to his. She threw her arms around his neck while up on the tips of her toes.

Silence.

Sinopa grinned, watching them. After a moment to enjoy the affectionate display, the kitsune gave the couple a little privacy by looking back out over the water. She began to think about her husband, over in Italy. The kitsune brought a hand to her swollen belly, trailing her thumb back and forth over the firm expanse. Twins...

Her thoughts turned to Aris Sokolov, who used to work with her husband for a short time. After telling him that she wanted desperately to have children with Jonathan, he managed to make the dream a reality. But who knew the timing would coincide with all the wild adventures that now popped up out of the blue?

A hand touched Sinopa's shoulder. She looked back at Chance.

Karla moved around to the other side of her. Sinopa cut her head to the left, at Karla, and then back at Chance over her right shoulder. "I ... why did you stop? I was giving you two privacy and..."

"I heard your thoughts," Chance said. "Sokolov was your fertility doctor?"

"Hai. He's acted as a physician for quite a few supernatural people. He and Steven Milford are the leading doctors for the Esoteric Community on this continent. He seemed best suited to help with my desire to have a child with Jonathan. Why do you ask?"

Karla looked up at Chance. She turned back to Sinopa and cut into the conversation. "I found a number in a Rolodex for a person named 'A. Sokolov.' Do you have his number? I want to compare them."

"I have it memorized."

Karla held her hand out and her handbag teleported from the floor inside the hotel where she'd last seen it. The handbag appeared on a deck table with a sunbrella.

Sinopa tilted her head.

Karla opened her purse and rummaged through it. She pulled out a small piece of card-stock with two holes at the bottom. Karla ran her thumb over the telephone number, took a deep breath, and handed it to Sinopa.

Parker frowned. "It's the same number. Do we know his involvement?"

"No. But he doesn't know that we've found this. I'd like for you to call him and tell him to meet us in Russia. Set up an appointment to have him do a sonogram or something. Then we can keep an eye on him. If Chance really does spark off from emotion, or from adrenaline, or something to do with a hormone or a gland ... then we'll put ourselves just outside the room during your exam."

Sinopa nodded. "What should I tell Dr. Sokolov to allow for a proper reading?"

Karla shrugged. "Tell him you just came from Marseille and that you saw creatures, and four men stole a mirror ... then, when he's got that on his mind, I'll find a way to inspire Chance in a way that covers all the bases ... emotions, adrenaline, glands, all of it."

Sinopa nodded in understanding. "You'll kiss him passionately, as you did a moment ago, which allowed him to relax enough to read _my_thoughts."

Karla grinned. "Yup. And with any luck, Chance will get a good reading. Then we'll know if Sokolov is involved or not."

"And if it turns out we can trust him?" asked Sinopa.

Karla thought about it for a moment. She smiled and said, "Then we'll find out which one of Sokolov's contacts, who had his number, could have the know-how to work on one of those freaks. If the doc turns out to be trustworthy, we'll solicit his help."

Chance looked from Sinopa back to Karla. "Okay, we've got a plan. Good. Let's get ourselves on a plane, then. The sooner we get this mirror for Karla, the sooner we can _all_relax." He gave Karla's forearm a confident squeeze. "Karla, since you speak French, you're going to have to be the one to return the cargo van to the rental agency; get us a taxi to the airport, and order the tickets we'll need."

Karla nodded with a smile.

Chance turned to Sinopa. "Mrs. Parker, you should call Dr. Sokolov first. I want you to see when he can meet us in Russia. We'll plan around his schedule, of course."

Sinopa cut her amber gaze towards Karla. They grinned at one another.

Karla winked. "See how a really good kiss can turn a boy into a man? I'm pretty good, huh?"

"Hai, Karla-san. He went from moping ... to taking charge. You're very good with him." The kitsune stood up and moved around the deck chairs to the sliding glass door. "I shall call Aris from the phone by the bed. I'll only be a moment." She excused herself, stepped into the hotel room, and pulled the sliding glass door shut.

Karla turned to Chance. "She's calling him privately? Can we trust that she won't warn him or something?"

Chance tilted his head and paused. He shrugged and offered Karla's forearm another reassuring squeeze. "She's apparently a little bit on the private side concerning the details about the pregnancy. I don't know Japanese customs or anything, but ... maybe it's something they don't talk about in public. I mean, you know ... doctors ask personal questions, like weight and sex stuff, and eating habits and stuff. Maybe she's just not comfortable talking about that in front of people."

"I did a job with Sokolov and Jonathan, once. Funny thing is, JC didn't believe I was immortal. Don't get me wrong, I was just starting to accept it about myself at the time. Anyway, JC just thought I was a kid who could telepathically move stuff. Aris took me serious, though."

"So you helped them work as a team once?"

Karla nodded. "I thought those guys were legit badass together. They had a lot of promise as a team. But if Aris turns out to be trouble, then I misjudged him. I just don't know who I can trust right now, except for you, Nathanial, and Methos."

"Just three people?"

Karla shrugged. "Yeah, just three people. The funny thing is, I never used to have trust issues. Then again, I never used to be afraid of flying in a plane, either. Now I'm starting to see things differently."

"Thanks for trusting me."

She smiled softly and reached for his hand. Karla sat down on one of the deck chairs.

Chance settled on the adjacent one, interlacing his fingers with hers.

She ran her thumb over his knuckles. "I've seen you at your strongest, and I've seen you at your most vulnerable. When you told me you love me just a few minutes ago," Karla trailed off with a smile. Her voice lowered as if reverently. "You let me in, babe. So, yeah. I can trust you. Not to mention you carried me out of that place. You ... did carry me right? You didn't drag me, did you?"

Chance laughed with a bright smile. "No, I carried you. I promise. I feel like I just ran a triathlon, though."

"Like I said earlier, you're impressive, Chance."

He bit his top lip. "I, uh, don't recommend sleeping for six months then trying to carry someone for, like, a mile up a ramp. My arms were rock hard by the time we got to the van. I felt like I could have bench-pressed one of those big-ass creatures after that. I'm going to be sore tomorrow, though, but that's okay."

Karla shook her head and gave his hand a squeeze. "I'm impressed. You raised the bar for yourself. I'm going to take you driving when we get to Siberia. I just hope Sokolov tells her she's okay to fly."

"What's wrong with flying? Wait," he trailed off, "This has nothing to do with your flying stigma, does it?"

"Nope. I'm sucking it up again because timing is a priority, and because I have you with me." She offered him a wan smile and added, "She's pregnant. Very pregnant. And a pressurized cabin can make things very uncomfortable. What trimester is she in again?"

"I think she's at twenty-eight or twenty-nine weeks." He paused. Chance rubbed his chin and asked, "What if her pregnancy period is shorter or longer than normal? I mean, she's not human, right? She has fox ears and tails. And I don't think animals carry nine months, so what if it's shorter?"

"I'll ask her if she knows what the gestation period is for her kind. For all we know, she could be due this week. Then again, she might even carry longer than normal. Good thinking, though."

"Oh, right, thanks." He gazed back out over the sea. "I'd like to think that Mike is over there, in Spain, right now, on the beach. You know, in some capacity."

Karla nodded in silence. That wasn't something she wanted to think about right now.

Chance glanced at her, took the hint, and grew quiet for the time being.

They held hands.

X

X

June 23, 1999. Noon, local time Krasnoyarsk Krai, Siberia ...

Chance eased into the accelerator a bit. "Do we even know the speed limit on this road?"

"Do we care? Just go whatever speed feels safe to you. I haven't seen another car in at least ten minutes. Maybe longer." Karla grinned. She reached over and patted his knee. "You're doing fine."

"So, that strange mirrored complex we found ... are we going to go back and get the mirror?"

"Half a million bucks, babe. Hell yeah we're going back and getting that damn mirror. But first, we have to hurry back because Sinopa Parker has her appointment with Aris Sokolov, remember?"

"Right, of course. That first." Chance looked around the silent, lush, green countryside. They were no other people, nor were there signs of civilization, except the road, which was in desperate need of repaving. "This place is so quiet. Where is everyone?"

"Sweetheart, people are slowly trickling out of Siberia. To be honest, there wasn't many to begin with."

"So," Chance licked his lips, wanting to make conversation. "Are there really people out there who can heal instantly?"

Karla blinked at his sudden change of topic. "Well, yeah. But they're rare. Even more rare than people who can survive serious injury, like falling from a plane. Why do you ask? Because of those creatures?"

"Yeah, exactly. Wait ... people have survived falling out of planes?"

"Well, yes, they have. There was an American Air Force gunner who fell twenty-two thousand feet with a bum chute. Air is pretty thin four miles up, so he was unconscious. He fell through the glass roof of a French railroad station during the Second World War. Somehow he survived. He was captured by the Germans and they were impressed, so they gave him medical treatment. And no, he wasn't supernatural."

"He fell four miles and survived, and he _wasn't_supernatural?"

Karla shook her head. "Nope. The Esoteric Community was quick to look into it after hearing of the fall. They were afraid of the Third Reich getting their hands on someone with abilities, because the Nazi war machine had a paranormal division that was tasked with studying humans with abilities. They wanted to try and find a way to reproduce it for themselves. There are still rumors that people are trying to learn how to create abilities, but so far it's all been bullshit."

Chance looked down at the steering wheel to make sure he was holding it in the 'two-and-ten-o'clock' position. "So normal people can really survive that kind of fall?"

"Yup. Another guy, Ivan Chisov fell during that same war, but he landed on a snowy ravine, and slid all the way down. Lucky guy. But then there were people with mild supernatural abilities who never knew about themselves..."

"They didn't know they manifested a power?"

Karla nodded. "Same war, Nick Alkemade fell about eighteen thousand feet, thinking he'd rather die on impact than burn alive in his damaged plane. He fell three miles then came down over some pine trees covered in snow. But three miles at terminal velocity is still three miles at terminal velocity, hon."

"What happened to him?"

"He had a sprained leg. The Gestapo got him. They were really impressed and treated him more like a celebrity under guard than a prisoner. The EC looked into that, too, found out he had mild fortitude abilities and kept an eye on him. The Jerries' orders were to keep him from escaping and get a sample of his blood. Also, there was a plane in the 70's that crashed in the Czech Republic. It had one known survivor, a flight attendant who apparently clung to a man who actually had legitimate healing abilities. He held onto her until the crash. It saved her life."

"Wow, what happened with that situation?"

Karla shrugged. "After the crash, the stewardess was still alive, but the guy, the Special, claimed he didn't know it at the time. He healed his injuries and wiggled out of the wreckage. He distanced himself from the crash site and contacted a member of the EC to come get him."

"Were they upset?"

"Oh, no, quite the contrary, Chance. He did everything by the book. He left the site, he didn't talk to anyone about it, and he changed his name so that he would be assumed as dead under the name he used to board the plane. The lady, Vesna Vulovi? Yeah, she is still alive. She's a national hero or something. Uses her clout as a miracle survivor to speak her mind about politics without getting in serious trouble with her Government. Personally, I say good for her. Meanwhile, the supernatural guy disappeared. Not really sure of his name. You'd have to ask Methos or Nathanial, or someone from the EC." Karla grinned. "Not that the EC would want to have much of a conversation with you, right?"

"Yeah, I guess not." His eyes widened. Chance slammed his foot on the brake pedal, and reached his right hand over, across Karla's torso, to keep her pinned against her seat.

The rented Toyota SUV slid to a halt.

Several feet ahead, a large animal charged out onto the road, only to stop when it saw the nearby 4Runner. After a moment, the large animal turned about and bounded off back into the woods.

"God. That caribou would have charged right into us if I didn't stop. It had to be over three hundred pounds."

Karla reached for his hand, along her upper chest, and took him by the forearm. She kissed his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "In America, grandma will run over a reindeer. In Soviet Russia, reindeer will run over you." She looked over at Chance.

He looked back at her with confusion in his eyes.

The succubus laughed. "Haven't you heard that song? Grandma got run over by ... aw, nevermind."

"I thought this isn't Soviet Russia anymore? I don't get it."

She sighed and shook her head. "You've never heard of Yakov Smirnoff?"

"Smirnoff ... like the vodka?"

"Yeah, everybody loves Smirnoff ... what a country!" she paraphrased.

"I..." he trailed off and tilted his head. "You're quoting something that's a little before my time, aren't you?"

"Afraid so, hon. I'm probably saying it wrong, anyhow." She released his hand and smiled. "You know, you should keep both hands on the wheel when you hit the brakes. Just for future reference, Chance."

"Right, right. To keep control of the vehicle and stuff."

She looked out the window, adding, "Check your mirrors then you can go again."

"Got it."

Karla smiled inwardly. It felt nice to have a guy reach for her as his first instinct. It was proof that he cared about her. It was tangible proof she could see and feel - he wanted to protect her from a possible impact. She felt safe with him.

For Karla, it was nice to have someone care about her after centuries of trysts and one-night stands. It was something she'd longed for and now she felt like she finally had it.

The succubus cleared her throat and said, "Anytime now."

"Oh, right." Chance chuckled nervously and eased into the gas pedal. The Toyota moved forward again. "Right, so, I forgot what we were talking about."

Karla chuckled. "Lucky survivors verses people with abilities. Let's focus on you driving until we get to where we're going. I don't want you distracted. Although, you know ... if I was the one driving, we wouldn't have stopped in time and that thing would have come right out of the woods and plowed into us."

"I don't know how I did that. That was pretty wild."

She pointed forward with a grin. "Yeah, that was pretty good, hon. Quick reflexes on the brakes, too." She looked over at the digital time on the radio display, adding, "It's not much longer."

"So, I have a question for you."

"Sure, what's on your mind, babe?"

"Why don't you wear a watch?"

Karla shrugged. She reached over the shifter and put her hand on his knee. "I'm not good with watches. I kill the battery or something, I don't know. If I wear one, the time is wrong after just a few hours. If it's a windup watch, it just ... dies after a while."

"Wait, seriously? Why would you ... how?"

"Maybe I just observe the Biblical precept of Exodus 22:18: You shall not suffer a watch to live." She offered him a lame grin. "Maybe I'm saying that one wrong, too." Karla gave his knee a playful pat. "Anyways, we're almost there, silly."

Chance looked over at her and smiled.

She nodded forward.

He nodded and faced the road. Something about the way she said the word 'silly' made him melt a little inside every single time. He licked his lips and said, "Is it just watches?"

"Ever heard of Street Light Interference, Chance?"

"No."

Karla shifted her weight in the passenger seat. "I've heard them called SLIders. They're people who mess with electronics. I _don't_do that. My laptop always works, and I never mess up the time on my computer. At least, well, so long as it's connected to the internet."

"Oh. So it's not a time control thing, then?"

"Yeah, no, I've ruled that out. I don't have temporal powers." Karla pushed a wayward strand of canary yellow from over her right eye.

"I thought you had a weird uncle who can do that? Didn't you tell me that once?"

Karla rubbed her chin. "I'm not sure that I did. I might have mentioned it in passing, but off the top of my head, I don't recall telling you about Raul."

"So how can you stop bullets? I mean, I could understand if you had slight time-perception powers..."

Karla shrugged. "Maybe it's good old fashion ESP? That's Methos' hypothesis. So far as my problem with time pieces, they have to be very close to me to be affected. That's best explained by science - my natural magnetic field and body chemistry probably mess with watch batteries. Nothing supernatural - just good ole fashion nature."

"I see." The wooded area opened up ahead and they passed through a clearing with downed trees. Chance's eyes widened at the devastation. "Whoa, what happened there?"

"Honey, those trees have been down for almost a hundred years."

"Oh."

She glanced down at a street map. "Up ahead, you're going to want to take a right." Karla lifted her right index and used the tip of her lacquered nail to capture a tiny clump of sleep from the corner of her eye. "I really hope Aris Sokolov isn't involved in this mess."

"Why not? Are you two friends?"

"No, just acquaintances," she said. "I've only worked with him on an in-depth case two times. I don't even know if I'd recognize his face anymore."

"Really? I'm pretty sure I saw him the day you met me."

"I mean, I might. It's just that I see a lot of faces in my line of work, you know?" Karla rubbed her thumb and index finger together. "I remember that he's really smart."

"So what do we do if he turns out to be a problem?"

Karla pursed her lips and shrugged. "A smart bad guy is a capable bad guy, y'know? God. Listen to me, referring to people as 'good guys' and 'bad guys' like I'm some sort of kid."

He smiled. "It works for me."

They continued past the clearing and, up ahead, there was an intersection.

Chance eased the SUV to the right and asked, "What time is Sinopa's appointment? And do you think it might be best if we simply hid in the next room? I mean, if the guy is smart and stuff, and if he turns out to be our bad guy ... then you don't want him to know you're involved because he could come up with a contingency plan for someone with your abilities, right?"

Karla pulled down a sun visor. She opened a vanity mirror on the visor and withdrew a tube of lipstick, which matched her fingernails. "I'll tell Sinopa to say she's working alone. If that guy, Foster, managed to live and reports back to Aris, then we can tell Sinopa to counter by saying she left us in France."

"If he's really that smart, he won't show his hand by bringing up anything to do with France. He would want to feign ignorance."

Karla nodded. "Damn, babe. You're right about that, too. Good thinking. We'll have to tell Sinopa to play things really casual, just in case he's two steps ahead of us."

"I hope everything goes smooth. I'd rather Sinopa and Dr. Sokolov dance around the subject so I can use this ability."

"Right. That'll give us the upper hand. We can't let him find out that we're in the area, no matter what." Karla applied the lipstick. She put the tube back into her purse and rummaged around in the large handbag.

"What's a favor?"

Karla grinned at him. She withdrew two handkerchiefs. One was cotton, the other was silk. She brought the cotton one to her lips, blotted her lipstick onto the fabric and folded it in half. She put the cotton handkerchief back into her purse and offered him the silk one.

The silky square, monogrammed with an embroidered 'K' in a corner. Scalloped lace edges, and a floral pattern in the remaining three corners, gave it a fancy decorative look. "I have them made because silk shatters over time. But I used handkerchiefs like this to attract a feed in my youth. These were referred to as 'favors'."

"Oh. You mean like, in a movie, when a knight is trying to win the maiden's favor ... that means getting her hanky, not her attention."

Karla grinned. "You win her favor after you get her attention. He earns it by doing something brave or heroic."

"Does carrying you out of danger in France count?"

Karla's grin broadened. "It sure does." She reached over and tucked the silk handkerchief down the front of his shirt. "You've earned it."

Chance kept his hands on the wheel. He felt elated and proud to have her handkerchief in his possession. The exuberant grin on his face made it obvious.

Karla pretended not to notice his expression, but seeing him happy made her feel giddy. She drew slow calming breaths to relax her excited heart.

The road continued along for another few miles.

Karla reached over and patted his knee. "Here's good, babe."

Chance pulled over. He switched with Karla, letting her drive into the town of Ust-Ilimsk, due to the fact that she had a driver's license.

They began passing a few cars on the road and before long they arrived back at their hotel.

Chance unbuckled himself and opened the passenger door. "Why are we so far from the place that might have that special mirror?"

Karla unfastened her seatbelt and stretched. "Because. This town rents four wheel drive stuff. Siberia is huge and lacks roads in many places."

"But, I mean, we're nowhere near where the mirror is being kept."

Karla reached her left arm behind herself. She took her left hand into her right, and pulled, using her left wrist to pop her back.

Chance flinched, feeling the odd sensation of relief in his own back.

She sighed in content. "Much better. Anyhow, Siberia is an enormous, empty chunk of land. Just hundreds upon hundreds of miles of empty open land, swamps, and nature. Back in 1908, when the blast happened, there were just a few trading outposts for the entire region."

"How big and empty are we talking?" he asked.

Karla smirked. "Very big and very open. The explosion happened in June of 1908, babe. It took twenty years before the first science teams got out here and looked around."

"Jesus."

"Yup." She grinned again. "Besides, being this far away from that complex we found ... it has pros and cons."

"Yeah, seems like a good thing we have this SUV and big tires. So, why make that big building we saw way out here in the middle of nowhere?"

"Yup. Four wheel drives comes in handy," said Karla, adding, "Your question has a complicated answer, baby-boy. Did you know that Lake Baikal is the largest body of fresh water in the world? It's a mile deep in some places, and has almost two thousand species living in it, about half of which cannot be found anywhere else on this planet. Now, are you ready for the real kicker?"

Chance grimaced. "Please, don't say aliens."

"Aliens," she retorted with a grin. "Now, on a serious note, Aris Sokolov is said to be from this region. Born and raised. I've also heard rumors that he grew up under the tutelage of Ilya Ivanov, and in 1930, the two of them were exiled to Kazakhstan by Stalin."

"Josef Stalin, right? I've heard that name before. Wasn't he the leader of Russia a long time ago?"

"Yup. Maybe you passed Social Studies after all."

"So Stalin kicked them out?"

Karla nodded. "Yeah, he sure did. But why on earth would Joe Stalin do that? I mean, exile is usually to northern territories, where it's blistering cold."

"You mean, like, up near the North Pole or something?"

"Exactly!" Karla said. "Exile is supposed to suck; you're not supposed to be, like, 'here, go somewhere sunny with beaches!' you know? I have good memories in Atyrau, by the way."

"Oh, uh, okay. Moving on?"

Karla boisterously announced, "Moving on!" She grinned at him and continued her story. "Conjecture aside, Aris built a compound a few years ago, and it's located not too far from the heart of the Tunguska blast area. I learned that while working with him and Jonathan a few years back."

"A different building than the complex we just saw?"

"Not sure," Karla said with a shrug. "Some say Sokolov was under investigation by the Esoteric Council because his work wasn't sanctioned by the councilmen."

"What kind of work?"

Karla stretched again and put the sun visor up. She slid out of the rental and moved around to the front of the SUV.

Chance closed his door and met her by the front bumper. They leaned against the hood, side by side. "Well?"

Karla looked around the area. She eased up onto the hood, feet on the front bumper. "Aris does genetic research at Lake Baikal. But ... the EC doesn't have any real power over him. He's a scientist; I don't know if he has any abilities or not. Just smarts. Rumor has it he doesn't age. I mean, c'mon, he doesn't look old enough to have been alive in the early 1900s, you know?"

"Right. So what's the story behind this guy and this area, Karla?"

She nodded. "Right, right. Anyways, eighty million trees are down and, to this day, ninety-one years later, many are still just lying there. Proof that a vast majority of this area isn't inhabited. What a great place to do secret research right? He's near a big lake with two thousand unique species, half of which don't exist anywhere else in the world. He's doing genetic research. Who knows, maybe he invented a few of those species, right?"

"Uh, okay ... I'll bite. What if he's genetically creating unique species? Does that make him a bad guy?"

"I don't know, Chance. The real question is regarding the building Sokolov owns: Is it the same one we just saw this morning? And if so, why would he need a building that damn big. And if it's not his ... who owns it, and is my mirror really there?" She smiled at Chance and patted his knee. "Are we on the same page, hon?"

"Okay, so ... we just went to teach me how to drive, and we spied on that big building out in the woods ... we confirmed it exists. So, uh, now what?"

Karla rested her head on Chance's shoulder and said, "Well, let's assume that building is where the mirror was sent. You read someone's mind in France and it brought us here. I let you drive and you homed in on it like a shark to chum, babe. My money is on your ability. All five hundred thousand, sweetness."

"So, basically, you think I subconsciously figured out the exact location from that guy in France." Chance rested his chin atop of her head. "Then you had a hunch I would blindly drive to wherever the mirror is being held. You're really betting all your chips on my subconscious?"

"Uh-huh." Karla gently raked her fingernails over his thigh. "Guilty as charged, baby-boy. The next question is ... does Sokolov own that big-ass place? What's in there?"

"Does it matter?"

Karla nodded firmly. "That's a really big building for it to be on soft swampy land. It would sink without a deep, wide foundation. So, how deep does it go? What the hell is in there? Why isn't anyone else seemingly aware of that place? Why did someone paint the roof green and brown?"

Chance nodded. "Yeah, that's weird. But the thing that stuck out the most, at least for me, was the fact that the whole building is glass. You'd expect that in New York City, but not in a forest."

Karla smirked. "Which leads to another question, babe - why was the damn building wrapped in a mirrored coating?"

Chance rubbed his chin and shrugged. "It reflected the forest, making it almost invisible at a glance."

"Mm-hmm. So, why do that crap, unless you want to keep your building a secret, right?"

He sighed with a frown. "I just hate that we have to be so far away from that place. I wish we could have found a trading outpost, or maybe we could have camped out closer to that weird building."

"This is where Aris is going to meet Sinopa, goober." Karla grinned. "It makes her look like she's close ... investigating the mirror, but over a hundred miles away, over the river and through the woods."

"Right, I get it. Just in case this Sokolov guy really is involved, it will look like Sinopa is close but nowhere near finding the mirror."

Karla gave his knee a pat again. "It's a smart play, Chance."

"So you really think her OBGYN is involved in a conspiracy to help the Supernatural Council obtain a portal that would allow them to attack a universe full of gods?"

Karla snorted in amusement. "Geeze, when you put it like that, it sounds pretty stupid huh?" Karla rested her head on his shoulder again. "I don't know, honestly. She told Aris on the phone that she's going to look for her mirror in Siberia. He suggested they meet in this little town. Here we are. Besides, this town is the only place that has SUVs for rent in this region, remember?"

"When will Sokolov be here?"

Karla stretched and slid off the hood of the Toyota. She twirled the key ring on her finger, smiled, and dropped the keys into her purse. "In about an hour. That's why I kept looking at the time on our way back. Anyhow, let's go over the plan we came up with so Sinopa knows what's going on. Since her room is next to ours, you should be close enough to do your mind-mojo thing, right?"

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure we'll be fine."

"Okay, good deal." She reached for his hand and interlaced her fingers with his.

Their eyes met.

She afforded him with a playful grin. "You like that?"

"Holding your hand? You bet I do."

Karla's grin evolved into a broad smile. "Good."

X

X

June 23, 1999, 2:10pm_ _ Siberia, Russia

Sinopa Parker looked down at the medical wand. It slid through glistening gel on her belly.

She glanced back over at the sonogram screen with a smile of fascination. "I see them both. Could ... you print that image?"

"Of course," said Sokolov. He pressed a key on the machine's keyboard. "So I understand you're here searching for the Celestial mirror?"

A nearby inkjet printer began to hum softly. It didn't start printing yet. Instead, it flashed a small light to indicate that it would start printing shortly.

"Hai, Sensei."

"Oh, please, there is no need for honorifics."

"Isha ... kudasai, Aris-san, it feels comfortable to address you with respect."

"Fair enough. So ... you are searching for the mirror? Adventuring while pregnant can be dangerous, Mrs. Parker. Still, I would prefer you did not undertake the stress of constant traveling."

"Jonathan was worried when I went from Rome to Marseille, but now that I'm in Siberia, he's very much against the idea. He says I'm far too pregnant to be gallivanting about on an adventure, especially alone."

"I am inclined to agree with him. You're carrying precious cargo, Mrs. Parker."

"Hai. However, my obligation is to the Celestial Bureaucracy."

Aris picked up a clipboard of notations. "Alright, well, consider finding someone you trust to help you. The safety of your children should always come first."

"A wise precaution," she replied.

The printer hummed softly. It began printing, albeit slowly.

Aris looked up from his clipboard. "I'd like to verify my notes are accurate from when we spoke last autumn. You said that you're kind gestates between forty-eight and fifty full weeks, correct? Just making sure my notes are accurate from when we spoke last autumn."

"Forty-eight weeks is average, but Tamamo tells me that fifty weeks isn't out of the ordinary. That is why I had to lie about my pregnancy for the first ten weeks." For some reason, Sinopa felt somewhat nervous speaking to him. She felt as though she was rambling. "It's the reason I couldn't change to a normal doctor after you assisted me in conceiving. I couldn't have someone notice the extended length of my pregnancy, as that would draw attention."

"Quite right. Do you have the urine sample I asked for?"

"Hai, doctor." She nodded to a smaller cooler adjacent to the office door. "The jar is packed in ice."

"Very good. And how has your personal health been lately?"

"Very well," Sinopa told him with a hint of shame in her voice. "I am sorry I haven't made myself readily available to see you throughout the pregnancy."

"I call now and then to check on you," he replied.

"Hai. I have an entire cassette tape full of messages you've left on our answering machine."

"The number I've been calling direct to the Parker mansion in San Francisco, correct?"

"Hai, and I am ashamed I have not returned most of your calls. Unfortunately, life has been more exciting than I initially intended when Jonathan and I decided to come to you for the initial artificial insemination consultation."

"Have you been taking your prenatal vitamins? And how has the pregnancy gone thus far?"

"Every day, as instructed. I can happily report that my pregnancy has fared much better than I feared when we consulted you in New York seven months ago."

"I remember that day. You were emotionally distressed when you came into my office."

Sinopa nodded. "Hai. I'd just pulled a teenaged boy from a car accident after visiting the Inari shrine."

"Ah, yes. The 'John Doe' boy. He was in a coma until early June. It seems he has awakened."

Sinopa licked her lips. "Hai, that is very good news, doctor."

"I wish I knew more about the boy," he said idly. Sokolov looked from the printer to the small sonogram screen. "I only know that the boy woke without any signs of permanent injury."

"Understood."

Aris looked up from the monitor. "I don't see any tails or fox ears on the children. It seems they'll both be normal human children."

"Hai. Human genetics overpowers the genes of supernaturals and deities. We both knew they would be human from the beginning. I'm quite pleased."

"Have you pondered kitsune children in your future, Sinopa?"

She shook her head. "Spirit foxes can only breed nogitsune children with our own kind."

"Nogitsune? How are they different from kitsune?"

"Nogitsune are wild foxes. We claim the title of 'kitsune' when we take a vow to serve and honor Lord Inari."

"Ah, I see now. And do you raise them to serve your lord?"

Sinopa shook her head. "No, Aris-san. Like wild foxes from this world, a kitsune is compelled to turn her children over to the wild after a while. It is up to a fox to make his or her own way in the world."

"Your kind abandons your children?" Aris tilted his head.

"Only pure-blood fox spirit children," she said in a soft voice. "It is an overwhelming instinct to chase them from the den when they reach puberty. Please, do not judge my species. Did you know that any mature fox will adopt an orphaned fox and raise them as per instinct? However, when they reach a certain age, the instinct reverses."

"That won't happen with human children?"

"I'm told by multiple, reliable sources, that it never happens with human children. We bond with them the way human parents normally do." Sinopa lowered her eyes, stealing a glance at the picture in the paper tray of the nearby inkjet printer. As an afterthought, she added, "I wish it wasn't so difficult to procreate naturally with a human. It is such a rare occurrence for our kind - such that when it does happen, it becomes Japanese lore."

Sokolov nodded in understanding. "Well, you came to the right person, and your pregnancy seems to be going quite well, Mrs. Parker. However, it would be best to keep this pregnancy from becoming part of Shinto mythology."

"Hai, Aris-san. I wanted so desperately to have a family with Jonathan, and I very much appreciate your help in the matter."

"It was my pleasure. Science can help with nature's obstacles in many different ways. So ... back to your adventure. What happened in France that brought you here? Was the mirror simply not there to begin with?"

"Iie, Doctor, it was there. I tracked the mirror to an impressive underground research center in Marseille. The Esoteric Council sought to steal it from the research facility. I was locked in combat with four members of the EC. Nathanial Carrington sent friends looking to take the mirror for themselves. I believe they were working for Methos."

"Sinopa, you shouldn't be in combat. You're pregnant."

"Hai, doctor. Forgive me."

Aris frowned thoughtfully. "So, what happened against the four men?"

"One of them created a wall of fire while the other three escaped with the mirror. Even over the roar of the flames, my sharp fox ears are as reliable as ever. I overheard him tell the other men to take it to Tunguska. They have an impressive research center here in Siberia."

"I have to wonder if the EC is shadowing me."

Sinopa cocked her head in a manner reminiscent of an animal. "What do you mean?"

"Sinopa, I own the research facility beneath Marseille. I worked on a Russian-backed super soldier program throughout the early 90's at my facility here, in Siberia. I have the rejects in stasis in the facility in Marseille."

"The rejects?"

Aris nodded. "They cannot be killed. We've even tried liquid nitrogen' my research team shattered them. When the pieces melted, they came back together and spawned numerous new bodies. We created it to be indestructible. We've only successfully killed one, using extremely concentrated radiation to vaporize all tissue. But we didn't have enough material to vaporize the rest of the batch. So they're in stasis until we find a way to destroy the rest."

"How ... horrible."

"They aren't sentient. If they were, they could be reasoned with, which would make them a success. They instantly clone themselves, like ditto sheets."

"Ditto sheets aren't perfect copies."

"Exactly," Aris said. "They retain instincts, some skills, however each copy is further removed from the origin host. No emotion, no thought. They began operating as a hive mind, like insect drones. They're dangerous."

"That explains a great deal. They also evolve."

"Ah, yes, we noticed that. If you try to kill one with a gunshot to the head, by the fourth generation, the skull would be impenetrable to a typical bullet."

Sinopa nodded and thought back to when she beheaded one, but could not fully behead its spawn copy. "They are fearsome creatures."

Aris nodded with a frown. "And a complete disaster. That is why they were put into stasis. But now I'm curious - why would the EC send supernatural warriors to my old research facility to find and steal a mirror belonging to the Celestial Realm? Why would the mirror go to that facility in the first place? That complex is used as a stasis center only."

Sinopa eyed him for a moment, wondering if he really was genuine about not being involved. She stole another glance at the printer.

Aris reached for the inkjet copy and passed the photograph to her.

Sinopa looked down at the picture with a smile. Her eyes lifted back to Aris. "As I understand it, the council determined that someone brought the mirror to Marseille to hide it, possibly because that research center is nearly abandoned. Therefore, it provides reasonable privacy. The EC tracked it to France, as did I, and apparently, so did Nathanial's friends."

Aris shook his head. "I do not like being involved in affairs that do not concern me."

Sinopa tilted her head again. "Were you the only one left out of the loop?"

"I'm afraid so, Mrs. Parker."

"Did you ever succeed in your super soldier research?"

Aris paused. He reached over and turned off the portable sonogram monitor. The fan in the back of the unit grew silent. He took several printouts from a printer on a tray at the bottom of the metal cart and handed them to her.

She added the pages to her photograph and brought them to her chest.

"Sinopa ... between us, I have. Seven weeks ago we turned a soldier into a stable superior being. We're still studying him. But he appears completely normal. Our biggest hurdles were the skin cells and red cells."

"I do not understand."

Aris sat back down on his wheeling stool adjacent to Sinopa's reclined seat. "He's impervious to normal injury. Paper cuts and the like. So long as he's conscious, that is. The brain regulates the healing while conscious."

"How was such a hurdle?"

Aris folded his hands in his lap. "Skin cells are meant to die. As are blood cells. Initially, his didn't. His body created new cells but the old ones didn't die. That created complications."

"I see."

The doctor looked up at her, grimaced, and lowered his gaze again. "We only recently figured out how to give those cells a timer. After they live for a certain amount of time, they go into apoptosis. The body can then flush them normally. The overage of red cells nearly gave him a stroke. The brain heals itself because the body is preprogrammed with an image of what to default on after serious injury."

"Very fascinating, Doctor."

Aris continued. "...But brain damage from a stroke is still brain damage that would remain intact the way a split nail remains split and cut hair doesn't grow back from the end where it is cut."

"Dear me. The creature I saw at your laboratory managed to heal itself instantly, including head wounds."

"Yes, I understand one escaped and became numerous. But soldier-X can only heal when he consciously attempts to do so. And it's not quite so instantaneous."

Sinopa felt the need to continue this conversation so that Chance, in the next room, would have the ability to scan Aris Sokolov's mind.

She asked, "What would happen if your subject became brain damaged? How would he heal at that point?"

"A hard-reset healing would be in order. That would be achieved by destroying the head; it would grow back to the image preprogrammed into his genetic coding."

"What are the cons of such an action?"

Aris frowned. "The subject would lose his memories, training, and we would have to start over with whatever information is preprogrammed into him at the time of creation."

"You cannot encode memories in his genetic, ah, 'coding,' Doctor?"

"I posit a theory that it is possible to add memories to the subject's genetic coding, the way one might add text to a word document, and then re-save the file. However, we have not yet determined how to manage such."

"Theoretically, one could create memories and put them into the subject's genetic coding. Then, at any given time, someone could remove the head of the super soldier. They would reset with the new memories. It would give them the distinct flaw that they could become a Manchurian Candidate."

Aris stared at her for a moment. "You clever fox."

Sinopa smiled somewhat. "I went through a phase as a Frank Sinatra fan, Aris-san. There are rumors that the original novel was plagiarized."

"I've heard the same. Mrs. Parker, perhaps I will consider a different approach with the subject. It would be better if the subject had sole power over saving memories to his genetic code, if it even proves to be a possibility. Allowing someone else to add memories could become dangerous in exactly the way you described."

She nodded. "People inherently find ways to use one another. Staying ahead of others is the best way to protect one-self."

"You are an exceptionally bright young lady, Mrs. Parker. I am glad we spoke. Your ideas gave me food for thought."

"So your test subject has been perfected?"

"I can answer that after he's been in service for a lengthy period of time," Aris replied. "At this point, injury and healing research for our first stable subject seems premature as we don't want to risk losing the progress we've made thus far. We're taking it slow. We're keeping him at my research facility here in Russia."

"That ... is a great deal of information to absorb. Forgive me if I find it difficult to follow. But, you say that you have a research facility here in Russia. I've tracked the mirror here to a facility northwest of this location. Is it yours?"

"I would hope not. My Siberian compound is not abandoned like the one in France. I do not want my people in danger in a skirmish between the Esoteric Council and Celestial deities," Aris told her.

"So the building I've found must belong to someone else."

Aris nodded. "Some of my people have reported seeing tractor-trailers hauling things through unpaved roads. The trucks spotted by my people weren't carrying timber; they were carrying large supplies on flat beds beneath tarps. However, satellite imagery doesn't show any other buildings in the area. Mine is much smaller than the one I had in France."

"Smaller? The one that I found is many times larger than the complex in France."

"Oh? That's quite surprising to me. Should I contact people I know on the council and demand an explanation?"

"No, Aris-san. Please, if the council were behind this, I would not wish them to be alerted that I'm closing in. I have an idea, though."

Aris withdrew a hand case for the medical wand. He coiled the wire on a metal cart with the sonogram machine. He gave Sinopa a towel for the gel on her belly.

"Arigato."

"I hope you're not about to suggest that I accompany you into a dangerous situation. I'm an ordinary man, Mrs. Parker. I have to put my science first; I do not wish to adventure to my death. I was nervous enough working logistics for your husband a few years ago."

"Iie, Doctor ... I was thinking you could give your super soldier his first task. To help me infiltrate this compound and find this mirror. For your help, I could easily persuade Jonathan to make a sizable contribution to your research projects. Your coffers would be brimming full."

"As delighted as I am by your offer, Mrs. Parker, please save your money."

"Pardon?"

Aris closed the hard case for the medical scanning wand. He folded his hands and set them atop the box. "I'm only maintaining the program because the mundane government demands it of me. Also, the Esoteric Council has ordered me to follow through with the program because they want to determine if it's possible for children to be bred with powers selected at birth."

"Oh?"

"Between the two of us, I do not want funding to the program because I despise it. I'd rather that America and Russia put aside their obsession with the Psychic Cold War that has been ongoing for the last thirty years. Some government-appointed human soldier should not be imbued with any sort of power. It makes him dangerous."

"Psychic Cold War?

Sokolov shrugged and settled back down on a chair adjacent to her reclining sitting chair. "When you have time, look up American Police Commissioner Patrick Price. He was a limited-vision seer who manifested late in life. The CIA hired him under project StarGate. He even pinpointed a nuclear test site in Kazakhstan. Meanwhile, Russia worked with a woman named Nina Kulagina. While it's been suggested that she was an illusionist, she was reported to have limited psychokinetic abilities, and could even stop a frog's heart. Then she was able to restart the frog's heart moments later. It's difficult to fool a team of scientists repeatedly, especially ones as skeptical and serious as Russian men of science. She passed away nine years ago, so I cannot ask her or test her for myself."

"I did not know of these people."

"The programs were top secret, Mrs. Parker. These governments managed to find people who manifested late in life and didn't have control over their abilities. They weren't part of the Esoteric Community."

"If you didn't support it, why didn't you object to it?"

"I was on the other side of the country studying with Robert White, who was trying to swap brains in chimps. I wasn't aware of that nonsense until Russia wished for me to begin the super soldier program at the beginning of the 90's."

"Well ... with or without your super project to help me, I am afraid I must return to that large complex and break in."

"Mrs. Parker. These twins are very important. I cannot let you go getting in over your head, surrounded by scores of people in a large complex. They'll undoubtedly be armed. You're tolerated as JC's wife, but most council members feel you shouldn't be allowed in this realm. They would attack you with extreme prejudice if you broke into a complex operated by the EC. Why don't you wait here until Jonathan can come and help you?"

"Perhaps I'll simply do research and reconnaissance at this point."

He folded his arms. "Mrs. Parker, you cannot shift into your fox form until _after_you deliver the children. There is no way of telling what would happen to twin human fetuses if you shift your body to a smaller size. Your organs and skeletal system is designed for transformation. Two human fetuses are not, meaning that there is a risk of crushing them to death during transformation into your smaller form."

"Oh." She frowned. "Perhaps, then, I will request aid from fellow kitsune, or I will seek aid from Nathanial Carrington, although that man seems completely incapable of doing anything low key. I wish to slip in, steal the mirror and leave ... not level it with lightning strikes."

"True. What is your time table?"

"The mirror could be moved again, or it could be used to access the Celestial Realm. This is something requiring immediate attention, Doctor."

"What will you do when you take possession of it, Mrs. Parker?"

Sinopa frowned and thought for a moment. "The mirror cannot be broken. It can no longer leave the Earth realm ... it's best to be hidden away. I may return it to a shrine in Japan; they had possession of Amaterasu's mirror until the late 1800s."

"I wish you luck. But please do not put yourself in danger." Aris cut himself off in mid-sentence, adding, "Oh, and by the way."

"Yes, doctor?"

"Regarding the boy you rescued from the car accident seven months ago."

"Hai, the one in New York City."

"Yes, we spoke of him earlier."

"Hai. Why do you ask about him?"

"He's a telepath."

Sinopa eyed Sokolov. "What's his story?"

Aris lifted a hand, gesturing her to silence. "I am not privileged to any information regarding the boy, except the rumor that he may have passed through France and then left."

"No, doctor, he is with..."

Again, Aris made a hand gesture for her to become quiet. He pointed around the room and silently mouthed the words, 'Do not give away his position.'

Sinopa stared at Sokolov for a moment in silence. Finally, she said, "I believe the boy left France with the girl who rescued him from New York a month ago. They are also searching for the mirror. When they left France, they followed a different lead. I didn't mean to deceive you - you're correct in assuming he passed through France."

"As when you met him seven months ago, I see that you are still protective of him."

Sinopa nodded in agreement. "I do not know who is out to kill him and who is out to help him."

"I merely wish to study the boy, but the council has forbidden it. Karla Chintzy and the boy are considered fugitives from the EC at this time. I have to leave, unfortunately. I'm being flown out to Chicago to treat the rather extensive injuries of one Mister Foster, who works for Reinhardt St. Leonard, the Grand Justiciar."

"I see. He's the one who attacked me in France. I left him unconscious and uninjured."

"He nearly died after you left, Mrs. Parker. He was placed into stasis for his injuries and flown to Chicago." Aris began to pack his belongings. "I'll send for someone to pick up the sonogram machine."

"Understood."

Aris looked around furtively. He withdrew a small device from his pocket and waved it around the room. Satisfied there were no electronic bugs, he told her, "Now that I feel comfortable we're not being monitored..."

Sinopa tilted her head.

Aris continued. "I know you worked with the boy and the succubus in France and I believe they're here with you, somewhere nearby."

"Oh, do you now?"

Aris nodded firmly. "Listen to me. None of you are expendable. Do you understand? Hire help if you require it, but ... the three of you are important. I want you to tell Karla Chintzy I need to speak to her."

"She and the boy stayed in France. Nathanial's friend, Michael Richter was killed in the attacks. They're following one lead on the mirror, I'm following another. You have my word, they're not here. However, I will pass on your message when I see them."

"I see. That is disappointing. I would have hoped you were not traveling alone, Mrs. Parker. That is rather dangerous."

Sinopa folded her hands. "I will call Nathan if I feel I am in danger. I trust him."

"Very well, just so long as you find someone to help you. Those twins are extremely important. You're about to become a mother, Sinopa Parker. I suggest you enjoy it instead of fighting members of the EC for a mirror that may or may not even be here."

"I appreciate your concern."

"Can I ask you for a favor?"

"Yes, Dr. Sokolov, of course."

"Find Karla and the telepath."

"Excuse me, sensei?"

"Make sure the succubus and the boy stay alive. I'm currently working with an incubus who is seeking to cure his hunger by means of science and I was hoping to catch up with Miss Chintzy with my research. There is more to her than simply her rebellious personality."

"Understood."

Aris glanced at his watch. "I must go. I have a plane to catch."

"A plane? In this region?"

Aris smiled somewhat. "I have a helicopter that will be picking me up shortly; it will take me to the airport. Mister Foster's life hangs in the balance."

"I thought you said he was in stasis?"

Aris nodded. "It's what I'm telling myself so that I will be prompt. The truth is, the council wants him revived immediately. So that they can seek information on him about what happened in France. Disgusting."

"Hai."

"Be well, Sinopa. If you have any concerns call me, or call Isaac. You know Isaac, don't you?"

"I do. Thank you again, Doctor." She tied the sash of her kimono and bowed to him.

He smiled politely in return, picked up the cooler by the door, and left the hotel room.

Silence.

Minutes later, Karla and Chance came over from the adjacent room.

Chance locked the door behind himself and sat down on the bed.

Karla sat down on the chair that was still warm from Aris.

With a boyish frown, Chance slumped back on the empty hotel bed and draped his right forearm across his forehead. "That guy was completely void. It was like there was nothing in the room with you."

"Oh, Chance," Sinopa frowned. "You couldn't read him?" Sinopa turned to Karla. "I thought you said you were going to make sure he was properly stimulated? Dare I ask what your idea of emotional and glandular stimulation consisted of?"

Karla smirked. "What? You think I went down on him or something? That would have been too distracting. I gave him a shot of Everclear and the local equivalent to Dr. Pepper. He reads people when he's asleep, so I decided relaxing him works best. Then I sat on his lap while kissing his neck. He read you, me, the guy at the front desk. He was a total rockstar, but..." She gestured to Chance.

He seemed extremely relaxed from the shot of powerful alcohol. "It was like Aris Sokolov wasn't even there. We're going to have to explore that compound. It's our best play at this point."

"See? That drink really made him relax."

Chance continued. "I was able to read every thought from both of you without even trying. He must'a found a way to block me out or something. I don't know. So when do we go breaking into that place?"

"Nightfall," said the kitsune. "Will you be able to find your way back to it?"

Karla hooked her thumb back at Chance. "He's the one who found it the first time. Kid is a regular Toucan Sam. Just followed his brain. Apparently in a place as empty as Siberia, he's able to lock onto towns, trading outposts, and ... well-staffed research facilities in the middle of nowhere. All without even trying."

Sinopa nodded. "The two of you have been up all night and all morning; we should rest before tonight."

"I could sleep," Chance said. "Alright. Then we'll go tonight. But first, do we get to see the baby pictures?"

"Jerk," Karla said, grinning over at Chance. "You took that thought right out of my head. I was just about to ask her that."

"Oh, heh, sorry. It popped in my head and I thought to ask. I can't help it if you're the one who put the thought there. My brain is networked to yours."

Sinopa glanced back to Karla and placed two photographs on the bed near them. "What if suggestions could be planted?"

Karla smiled innocently and reached for the baby pictures.

Chanced rubbed the side of his head. "I'm thirsty. Can we grab something to take back to our room before we lay down?" He blinked and turned to Karla. "Hey! That was you wasn't it?"

"You need to learn how to use your brain like a proper computing center, sweetheart. And that means you need to train yourself to have a firewall in place."

"What's ... a firewall?"

"To the best of my knowledge, it's basically computer A's software defense to keep computer B from getting too friendly with computer A's files."

Chance shrugged. "Can you explain that in a way that is easier to..."

Karla lifted her hands and interrupted him. "Listen, babe. AYou don't want to empathically become sympathetic to someone convinced that you're both suicidal."

Sinopa nodded in agreement. "She is quite right, Chance-kun. If someone can distract you with their thoughts at a crucial moment during a mission..."

"C'mon, I'll be alight. We've been fine so far," ge replied.

Sinopa frowned. "What if you were drunk and a suicidal person imprints their thoughts onto you..."

Chance winced. "I see your point. So am I a danger to myself? Or worse, am I a danger to you girls?" Chance cleared his throat and added, "I mean ... ladies."

Sinopa reached over and offered his forearm a gentle squeeze of reassurance. "You need to learn how to tune out the suggestive mindsets of others."

He pursed his lips but said nothing.

Sinopa added, "If you're surrounded by lushes, don't pick up a drink because those around you are thirsty, Chance-kun."

Chance nodded in reply. "Until I get better with my ability, I'll be sure to surround myself with positive mindsets." He paused, sighed, and said, "Why couldn't I sense that doctor guy? I'm told I read his mind in my sleep back in New York before I woke up."

"Mm, yes, I am quite curious why you could not read him, especially now that you have practiced using your ability."

"I don't trust him. What if he came up with a defense for it, because he has something to hide?"

"Hai, it is odd you cannot read him, Chance-kun. If it is true that telepathy is so rare, how would he have come up with a formidable defense? Something does not add up, my friends."

Karla rubbed her chin. "What if Aris is in league with Reinhardt?"

Sinopa tilted her head.

Karla and Chance exchanged glances, followed by nodding to one another.

Karla turned back to Sinopa and said, "The Justiciar's main ability is astra projection. He can make copies of himself that others perceive as real with their eyes and ears. But the copy isn't physical - it's not really there. What if those two are working together? What if Sokolov was a copy?"

Sinopa shook her head. "He performed an exam. He held the sonogram wand against my belly. He handed me paper from a printer. I assure you he was in this room with me."

Karla frowned. "Well, I'll give the doctor the benefit of the doubt for now. In a proper mystery, it's always the person you least expect."

"A proper mystery is kind of ... cliché you know?"

"I guess." Karla afforded him with a grin.

Chance returned the grin. He turned to Sinopa. "Alright. Let's take that nap. I'm kind of excited to get into the thick of things and find out what's in that big building." Chance paused and tilted his head somewhat. He hooked his thumb towards Karla. "Correction. She is excited about stirring up trouble. I'm just mildly curious. I just had a shot of Everclear. It's hard to turn off my brain right now."

The succubus' grin broadened into a devious smile. "If I got you drunk, I could make you do stupid shit just by thinking about it. This could be fun later on." She waggled her brows at Chance. "Maybe this is how MK Ultra started? They might have given people LSD to try programming them while they were in a susceptible frame of mind."

Sinopa shook her head. "Oh for heaven's sake..."

Chance lifted his hands. "Okay, okay. Nap time. I don't want to think about that sort of crap." Chance unlocked the hotel door and went back to his own room.

Karla grinned at Sinopa.

The kitsune grinned back. "You really like the boy, don't you?"

"Sure do. I haven't had something like this in ... well, ever. He's all mine. I can be myself without feeling judged. And he genuinely cares about me. Anyway ... see you tonight." Karla handed the pictures back to Sinopa. "Call Jonathan. He'll want to hear the kids are doing well. And I'm jealous. You're going to be an awesome mom. Always wanted to know what that's like. And what the hell did Sokolov wanna talk to me about?"

"Something about an incubus he's been studying. Will you find him and speak to him?"

"Hell no. He gives off this creepy vibe. Now that Chance can't read him, his creepy factor just sky-rocketed."

"Oh, Karla-chan, surly you're not serious."

Karla shook her head. "I'm not interested in talking to Aris Sokolov. He just rubs me the wrong way."

"Ah. Very well. I'll call Jonathan, and then lay down as well. See you tonight."

"You too. After tonight, I'm gonna be rich!" Karla left Sinopa's room and returned to the one she was sharing with Chance.

---

Next chapter: (https://www.sofurry.com/view/568179)