Testimony
Well, this was a bunch of firsts she’d thought on the first day.
In the years she’d been with Homeland’ she’d never had a subpoena before, never given testimony to any intelligence committee and never been put into a position where she had to choose between betraying her source and giving true evidence under oath. Betraying her source was a relationship breaker and she just knew if she even uttered the name, no matter the context, it would get back and she’d be dropped like radioactive dog do. Then she’d get no more leads, no support, and she’d be out in the cold.
Her first day had been surreal. Each time it was her turn to give her testimony and answer questions, something she had been dreading, she got a reprieve. First off had been a fire alarm emptying the building. Then the electrics for the building died plunging them into darkness and silence. Then, with a few hours to go she’d again stood, then the sound system had started to shriek and couldn’t be fixed. They’d given up and she’d been commanded to return the next day.
Wilhelmena Kathryn Droust was feeling even more pressured now. She’d been in fist fights, gun fights, sat on the back of a trawler with her feet up on a twenty kiloton nuke, and in each of those situations she’d felt better than she felt now.
Her second day’s session started with the chairman banging the gavel then, “Recommencing from where we were yesterday, Ms Droust we recall you, to stand, and to remember that you are under oath and that you are giving evidence before a Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Your testimony will be recorded and vetted and we can assure you, if you lie directly or by omission, the consequence will be most grave.”
Willie stood behind the bench and braced herself. She knew she had to reveal her source to the committee but she really didn’t want to. Kate demanded one thing, the highest authority in the land demanded another and so she was caught between a rock and a hard place.
“Agent Droust,” Senator Ginnsburgh again led the questioning, “Same question as last time, what is the name of your source.” The senator was looking at her with laser like intensity, but also looking furious at the disruption and farcical nature of proceedings up to this stage.
Willie knew she had no choice, she couldn’t resist. All she could do was speak the truth, strange and unbelievable as it was.
“Senator. I was called…” and she faded out as her attention was caught by something. She’d initially looked at the senator but her eyes were drawn to a thin wisp of smoke curling up from the middle of the large bench just to his right, curling up into the air. Then she saw the wood charring, the paint or lacquer started to curl, then suddenly it burst into flame and seconds later it was the size of a dinner plate and spreading fast.
The effect on the committee was instant and predictable. They threw themselves out of their chairs then rushed for the corridor, running past her. Barely a minute later the room was empty of people but full of billowing smoke.
Strangely, the fire alarm didn’t kick off and as soon as the room emptied the fire died down, but the disruption was extreme. She wouldn’t be giving evidence this day and that made her suspicious. How could this have happened two days running and as soon as she got to her feet?
Under Instruction
Senator Ginnsburgh was not greatly athletic but getting out of a room filling with smoke brought out every bit of it there was in him. Now looking at the smoke in the room, looking at the other people in the corridor, he wondered what had happened. One minute all good, the next the place was on fire and while it went out quickly, it totally derailed the session.
As he was looking around he found he was standing beside a small young woman with large dark glasses and a beret. The glasses were huge, like a pair of windscreens, almost like a disguise. He was staring down at her wondering just who she was when her head moved upward. She was looking at him but the huge glasses hid much of her face.
“So senator, you’ve forgotten our talk I see,” she said, deadpan but strongly, accusingly like he was being told off for something he knew not what.
It disoriented him, she was young, small, somewhat ‘office warrior’ normal in dark trousers and white button down shirt. The beret and the large glasses were a bit unusual but he hadn’t got to his current age and position without learning that women’s fashions were not something he had any idea about. The less said the better.
She lifted her sunglasses up till they were almost on her forehead. “Senator Ginnsburgh, I would have thought our meeting in the Oval had enough effect that you would not forget me. Clearly one, or even both of us need to lift our game.” With that she put the glasses back on her nose covering up much of her face.
“Kate! Ms Smith! You surprise me, here. How did you get in here? It’s a secure building and you’d need a pass that I don’t see. Plus you’re clearly underage.”
He looked at her face, saw absolutely no reaction whatsoever other than a single slight nod as if conceding the point but didn’t much care about it.
“Senator. Use my name. Walk over and quietly ask agent Droust who was her source and who was the person on the trawler. Tell her she’s free to discuss me with you and Senator Walsh alone. Not at any inquiry. That is a very bad idea. Tell her I shall be speaking with you two later.” She hesitated for a moment, “Oh. She won’t believe you for a second. Tell her ‘green wet suit’ is the key phrase and I was here. She might believe that, seeing as how you’ve had all these little problems.”
She then turned, walked down the crowded corridor and was lost to his vision for a moment as she walked in front of some much taller people. He strained to see her retreating form but curiously, he didn’t see her reappear at all. She appeared to have just vanished.
Not so however the star of their inquiry; agent Droust was conspicuous by virtue of her height and also her personality and undoubtedly her notoriety. She was standing beside a window, chatting to two of the secret service agents who appeared to be hanging on her every word which wasn’t surprising. Nailing a half dozen terrorists and disarming a nuke off the Chesapeake was an attention grabber for anyone and for years.
He walked up, nodded to the agents who then focused their attention more on other matters as they drifted off. Agent Droust however looked less than pleased to be collared where she thought she was safe. In the corridor. Free of the inquiry. He just had that thought, would it have been possible all these disruptions had been caused by her? She clearly didn’t want to give her testimony and each time she stood the building went into hysterics. It was an interesting thought.
“Agent Droust. Seems we’re not going to get to the bottom of your special moment this day. I wonder. Would you know a Kate Smith?” He floated the name out.
He saw the reaction. She wouldn’t make a poker player, not a hope in hell. His ‘bullshit radar’ pinged off her instantly. It was like she found her pants were on fire then tried to cover it up.
“Senator. It’s not a name that means much to me, not a lot I can say. I think I’ve heard the name somewhere. Maybe read in the tabloids?”
He chuckled, “Bullshit!” He chuckled some more, “She was here a few minutes ago. Got in past security somehow and I didn’t see a pass on her. She told me to use her name and to ask you about her source and who was on the trawler, for me and Senator Walsh alone. Said the inquiry was a bad idea in fact.”
He saw her grunt, her body spam slightly. “She was here? What did she look like if you don’t mind me asking? Need to make sure we’re on the same wavelength, same person you know.”
“You won’t give me a straight answer, even out here?” It was phenomenal the depths to which this agent was covering her source.
“Senator, I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She wasn’t going to give information up just on a name. It could have been a lucky guess, just fishing.
“Agent Droust, she said the key phrase was ‘green wet suit’ which seems strange to me. That’s what she said, then she walked off and seemed to disappear. Plus, she would need a security clearance and pass to get in here yet she didn’t have one. You got any ideas on that?”
“Senator, a promise is a promise. I’ve made one to keep my source anonymous. I believe if I break it bad things will happen. Sitting on a trawler with a twenty kiloton nuke puts everything in proportion. Shoot me, put me in jail, it’s all trivial when you think ‘if I shit on my source the next time I won’t get the call.’
He understood all of a sudden. It was about protecting what she was sworn to protect. “She’s about five foot tall, maybe in heels. Looks about ten or twelve years old, small and blonde shoulder length hair. She had on dark trousers, white shirt and a beret. Oh. Huge dark glasses. Didn’t actually give me much of anything other than tell me what to do. Bossy.” He had a lopsided grin, it sounded impossible even to him, he had grand daughters that age and he was a senior senator and thought himself impossible to brow beat.
Willie nodded, she moved forward so she could keep her voice down, then she looked around to make sure they weren’t being eves dropped. “OK. Sounds a lot like her. Far as I can tell, when she’s on a job those are her ‘working clothes’ except for when she’s on a trawler towing a nuke before it was disarmed, just outside the Chesapeake. That time she was wearing a green wet suit holding the trigger to the nuke. She’d just killed the half dozen terrorists. Nailed them before they got a shot off forensics tell me, then she tells me off for not bringing her favorite drink. You want lethal? Get on the wrong side of her and you’ll find out. She was my source of course.” She finished it with a shrug to say ‘that was the way it was’.
His mouth fell open. “Her? She’s not old enough to vote!”
She shrugged again, clearly not really caring. “Senator you can tell her that. It’s above my pay grade. She just does not care about some things. She made me take the credit, it’s the last thing she wants. She craves anonymity, being under the radar. From what I see, it works damn well too. She gets in and does things then leaves, evaporates, just like smoke and leaves some bunny to take the credit and deal with any blow back like this. One thing, she is damn cunning. She sets things up like a game of chess and she moves the pieces around just as she wants.”
Right as Willie said that, his cell phone rang. He looked down and recognized the switchboard of the White House. When he answered it he got, “Please hold for the President Of The United States,” which was something he thought was the ultimate exercise of power. Just hearing those words into your phone nearly made your brain stop, riveted your attention.
Seconds later he heard; “Senator Ginnsburgh, Robert Young. I hope I’m not interrupting anything. I want a very quiet word with you and Senator Walsh this evening. Would you mind if we did that at Camp David?”
He felt like spluttering, it was a surprising but also a very welcome invitation. “Mister President it would be a pleasure. What time and how do we get there?”
The answer pleased him. “Senator, how about you get here right on five pm. We’ll leave on Marine One at five past. We can have our meeting, have a meal then have you back for maybe before midnight if that’s alright with you?”
It was perfect. Flying out he’d he photographed by the press, and the same for returning. Both times in time for the papers the next day so that was again perfect.
“Thank you mister President, that would be fine. One thing, what is on your agenda sir?”
The response surprised him; “Senator, just a recap of a previous meeting in the Oval and also to set a course of action into motion. Something you’ll appreciate having input into. However, I do have to cut this short, the Joint Chiefs and my national security adviser and Sec-state are here. One thing. Give my regards to agent Droust,” and with that the line was cut.
He looked at the phone with his mouth open. How did the President know who he was speaking with. He looked around, they were not being observed too closely, no one was eves dropping. It must be the secret service he decided.
“Agent Droust, the President sends his regards.” It surprised him more and more as he thought about it. “Tell you what agent Droust, I’ll contact your Director when we reschedule. For now the inquiry is on hold.”
He saw her smile slightly, as if she knew something he didn’t.
The Meeting
Arriving at the White house at five pm, the end of the working day, was not the easiest thing when you factored in traffic and fighting your way through the congested streets. However he did, then saw his old friend Senator Walsh also arriving right at the same moment.
Quickly the pair of them found themselves in Marine One along side a dark haired secretary in a floral pants suit wearing horn rimmed glasses and carrying a thick laptop computer satchel. She sat with it on the floor holding it between her ankles tightly. He and Senator Walsh glanced at her a few times, noting the almost terror she showed as the helicopter lifted. She put her head back, eyes closed and was breathing deeply trying to relieve her stress.
The trip was quick, the landing uneventful and the Marines took good care of them getting them off the helicopter once the spinning blades had come to a complete stop.
Alighting he looked around, he could see just a few soldiers facing out, clearly the marines were in control and Marine One was their prime focus. Then he looked some more and decided he could see only what he was meant to see. Others were probably watching, waiting, ready for any kind of trouble.
The dark haired petrified secretary however had to be helped down. She leaned on the arm of a Marine, her arm around his waist, her head down, but she had a death grip on that satchel. She wasn’t letting that go for an instant.
The President rode in a Suburban, quickly getting in then gone. He, Senator Walsh and the secretary rode in another almost as an after thought. He decided he’d strike up a conversation with the young woman, most likely her first time at Camp David, same as himself.
He found her a shy young woman, here because the President asked her to keep notes. Her name being Ekta Himts which he thought a strange name. Maybe polish? She said not, she didn’t know of any Polish relations but she did say she was excited to be here. She said she admired the President and felt honored to be here.
He and Max were chuckling slightly, trying to lighten the mood, trying to make her feel a little more comfortable as they looked out the windows at the cottages, the trees and the setting. It was looking all very rural and relaxing.
They pulled up at the Presidents lodge then trooped inside. The secret service were in evidence but a lot more subdued than he had come to expect. Even Walt the head of detail was calm unlike his normal sharp focused and stressed out intense self.
After they got settled in the Presidents lodge, he found himself on the settee with the secretary, then the secret service were dismissed leaving just the four of them.
The President led off, which was to be expected he supposed. “Senators, I’ve invited you here to discuss a few things in privacy.”
That surprised him slightly, the secretary was here but since the President was comfortable with her presence, he would keep his mouth shut.
“First off, your joint Intelligence committee grilling of agent Droust. I need you to either terminate it or skip completely the topics of her source and how the terrorists were terminated on the trawler. I’ve spoken to agent Droust’s source and been taken through the complete scenario of how it happened. Bringing that out in a hearing breaks the agreement we made in the Oval Office.”
He looked at the President. “The agreement we made? This is a twenty kiloton nuke we’re talking about here. It got within twenty kilometers of the Chesapeake and would have killed thousands and ruined the ecology of a significant part of the nation. Not to mention the damn black eye the whole United States would have taken. The economy would be in free fall, nothing would have been the same again!”
The President didn’t seem in the least exercised about it. “Senator, my understanding is that a deal is a deal. That is what’s understood.”
He was almost shaking in agitation. “A nuke for Gods sake! We desperately need to understand how this happened! We need to understand how it can be prevented from happening again, let alone how it was prevented this time. If we don’t learn from this exercise we gain nothing. We’re just as exposed as we were before it happened.”
“Senators,” the President led with, “are you wanting to renege on the deal?”
He was feeling lost. “Renege on the deal? I fail to believe so many things here. First of all, how is that deal endangered by us putting agent Droust in the witness box and pulling every piece of priceless information out of her, then getting her source into the witness box and doing the same? Seriously? A fanciful name has been mentioned and agent Droust tried hard to make me believe it. I’m sorry but a twenty kiloton nuke and a half dozen heavily armed terrorists with that person are incompatible!”
The President was shaking his head from side to side. “Kate Smith did it all. I spoke with her at length. I have absolutely no doubt and also I spoke independently with Agent Droust on the matter. It would appear that Kate heard rumors of the nuke in the Afghan hills. She chased it down then got Agent Droust to take the front position. CIA, NSA, Homeland, FBI and all the others had not one single clue about what was happening. Kate got Agent Droust to spread out the credit to make it more believable. The central point is though, Kate got the information from the Muj and Taliban rebels in the Afghan hills. No one else has ever got anything of value from them.”
His turn now to shake his head. “Kate? Kate Smith got them to talk? The same young woman from the Oval? What hold has she got over them? That’s even more incredible!”
The President surprised him by asking “Ms Himts. Can you provide input here please?”
He turned to her, sitting right beside him. This was even more surprising.
“Mister President, I believe Ms Smith has convinced many in the Afghan hills that she is, how can I say this? Its difficult and my understanding is limited. However I think she’s convinced a significant percentage of them she is ‘The Chosen One’ and that alludes to being as close to a deity as is possible to get.”
His eyebrows were close to flying off the top of his head. “The Chosen One?” He recoiled back in the seat. “What the hell does that mean? How has she done it? You mean the same Kate Smith I met?”
The secretary looked like a rabbit in the headlights, somewhat stunned to be the center of attention. “Senator I believe it entirely. As to how she has done it, that’s something you’ll have to ask her but I doubt you’ll get an answer. She is very private. I’m only allowed to tell you this because she permitted it.”
“She permitted it? She knows about this meeting?” He was surprised that Kate knew of such a secret closed attendee meeting.
“Certainly senator. Your other question as what her being seen as ‘The Chosen One’ means, that’s very important to her so only a few people are aware of it. She would be furious if it came out as it would derail her plans for the region.”
His mouth opened. “Her plans? Her plans for the region? You’re kidding me. She’s what, fifteen or something and she’s got plans for a region and is doing something about it? She expects to succeed? It the most damn fool thing I’ve ever heard!”
The girl seemed to almost deflate as if he’d kicked her or abused her. He suddenly realized he’d let his passion for what the Kate Smith woman was doing spill over and land on this clearly innocent mouthpiece.
The President spoke up, “Senator, you’re being read into this right now only on the basis that you support Kate and on the basis of the deal done in the Oval Office. Of course if you want to renege on that deal we’ll terminate this meeting now.”
He looked at Max, Senator Walsh. “Max, you’ve been quiet. What’s on your mind?”
Max was sitting looking at the dynamic of the room. He’d been asking himself a lot of questions but only one mattered right now. Before this went any further he needed more information on one thing. On one person. “Ms Himts, how come you’re here? How come you are so well informed when I believe Ms Smith is so private that getting information out of her is like pulling teeth?”
He saw the woman beside him look surprised. “Senator Walsh! Oh dear! You don’t believe I’m just a humble secretary here to take minutes?”
Max was shaking his head slowly. “No. Not a chance. No way would a secretary get here let alone know anything about what you’ve said!”
He turned back to the woman. He saw her nod. “Senator Walsh you are quite right I’m sure. No way would Kate tell anyone other than the President what her plan was. She probably worked it out with him. Kate doesn’t share at all well. Mister President?”
The President had a slightly lopsided smile. “Senators, you two knowing doubles the total number of people who know what’s happening. That number is not to increase if you want to reap the rewards and I can promise you, when you hear it in full, you will want it with all your heart and soul.”
Max was looking surprised for a moment then a look of surprise flashed across his face then anger, then he chuckled. “Ekta Himts is an anagram then?”
He wondered what the hell Max was saying. Anagram? “Max, what the hell,” then it fell into place. “You’re kidding me? An anagram,” then he heard the words the President had said again. “You mean the four of us are the total number of people who know about what is happening. Does that mean three of us know what Kate is doing and one of us is doing it?”
The President nodded slowly.
He felt a red hot anger for a moment for the deception. “Why? Why this trickery?”
The President answered, “Because she will not be seen in public. She won’t be seen by the security here. She won’t be seen getting on and off Marine One.”
He turned to ‘Ekta’. Suddenly, in slow motion almost, he saw the personality shed, the woman transform from the shy retiring secretary type into something far different. He suddenly felt like he was endangered as she looked so fierce and formidable. “Senator, you said I’d need a pass to get into the senate hearings area? Seriously! Now I need you and senator Walsh fully on the team. I really need you to work with me on this.”
Senator Walsh was still undecided. “Kate I hear you, I hear the President, and Willie Droust is a formidable agent. But I really struggle with all this. You’re so small, so young. You doing those things just doesn’t sit right.”
He saw Kate nod slowly. “Sir it’s just the same as when we were in the Oval office. You see the package but not the contents. That’s where the need for secrecy, for privacy, comes from. I need every little bit of advantage I can get.”
The senator was still shaking his head. “Kate, any way you can, well, prove it to us? Something unequivocal?”
She looked annoyed, the senator saw, “So a miracle or parlor trick to order is required. What sir is your biggest issue?”
He was shaking his head, hadn’t stopped in ages it felt like, “Kate, well, you’re so young and small and feminine. The thought of you disarming those terrorists just doesn’t sit right. I can sort of deal with you getting on the trawler, but terminating the terrorists is a bit much.”
There he’d said it, called her out.
Party Tricks
She nodded slowly, as if weighing his words. “Sir, then, a challenge perhaps? Perhaps you set me a task then? Something challenging?”
Senator Ginnsburgh spoke up, “Kate, what about we challenge you to something impossible.”
She shrugged. “Sir, I’m game.”
“Kate, I’ll give this watch to the marines outside for safe keeping, tell them someone is going to try to take it from them. You get it back.”
She shrugged, “Simple enough sir. Tell them I’ll try not to hurt them too much. I presume you have first aid here sir,” she said to the President. “Oh. Only thing is, who do you say did it when they regain consciousness? I presume they’ll be bad losers.”
Senator Walsh was chuckling, she had more front than Maceys! “Kate, with the Presidents permission, you’re on!” The President nodded, he was interested in the outcome also.
He took his friends watch then went outside for a few minutes. He had a slight smile on his face when he returned. “Kate, the marines have it and they’re taking it seriously. I told them Willie Droust in disguise was gonna take that watch from their limp unconscious bodies.”
She chuckled, “Sir, perfect. Willie will love the attention. Let’s give them five minutes to get setup then I’ll leave from the rear, exactly where they expect me from.”
She opened her satchel then took out some flat shoes. She took off the heels she was wearing then put the flats on. “Don’t want to hurt the marines too much, or worse, damage my heels,” she said as they watched her.
Senator Walsh just laughed.
Quietly, she walked out through the kitchen then out the back door. It slammed gently.
– – – – – – – – – –
Master Gunnery Sergeant Triffit had the watch tucked into an ammo pouch on his belt, the clip of bullets it replaced was in his pocket. He thought that a reasonable hiding place; secured and impossible to know it was there.
Fact was, he didn’t take the threat all that seriously. He along with just about every man present knew of Special Agent Droust. How could they not? She’d done the damn near impossible on the trawler and that was with big stakes.
Thing was, she was just one person. Just one. He had ten of his marines, not just any old marines but his marines and he’d trained them, and trained with them for years. You didn’t get onto the Camp David patrol by being an ordinary marine. You had to be in the top few percent to make it.
Master Gunnery Sergeant Triffit was not a risk taker, not a gambler, not anything other than calm, careful, and ready for any eventuality. He sometimes took that for weakness; you had to be ready for things you didn’t expect. Also, he wasn’t a good sport, losing was not in his lexicon.
When the senator had said Willie Droust in disguise would take the watch, and only one woman was present, that then posed the simple task of intercepting her. She could only exit the chalet by two means. Each would then have three marines waiting for her. They’d subdue, cuff, then carry her back to the senator. No way was he going to wait passively.
He’d taken the remaining marines with him, trotted a kilometer then found a very quiet secluded spot to hunker down. It was away from the landing pad with Marine one on it, she’d never have seen the area and wouldn’t know to find them there. Also, with their camouflage paint and gear, sitting dead still and silent, no way was she going to find them. All that would happen is that one of his capture teams would collect her then haul her ass back to the cabin. He sat quietly, smirking.
He was wondering how long this would take when the tactical radio net came up with, “Three down,” in a young woman’s voice.
“Team front,” he called. Seconds later he got back, “All quiet sarge.”
“Team rear,” he called. Silence. “In the bag,” he got from the woman. Then, “Coming for you next,” said low and slow.
“She’s got team rear. Spread out, night vision goggles on, stay awake!” he whispered quietly. “Team front, be aware she’s collected team rear and she has their comms.”
The marines with him separated till there was a few dozen meters between them. They took cover, scanning the area in front of them, laying quietly.
Barely five minutes later they were all in agony. Each marine, wearing night vision goggles was blinded by a huge flash of light right in front of them, totally destroying their night vision and disorienting them. Their eyes reacted to the flash, tears ran down their cheeks as tear ducts tried to compensate for the flash pain.
The next thing Master Sergeant Triffit felt was his body being thrown bodily through the air. When he landed, he was on his back then he felt the ammo pouch he had the watch in ripped from his webbing belt, his body being lifted in the strength of the assault, thrown about by whoever it was. Then he was left alone.
She struggled to his feet, he felt his body and sure enough, she’d got the damn watch. His eyesight was awful, hardly able to see anything in the starlight and the damn goggles had come off anyway. Around him he could see some shapes moving, his men recovering.
He keyed his radio, “Be aware, she’s on her way back.” He didn’t give any instructions, she had he damn radio after all.
– – – – – – – – – –
Senator Walsh was wondering when the charade would finish. He’d told the marines not to hurt her too much, but to drag he back inside in cuffs would be good.
When she’d changed shoes he chuckled, she had spunk.
A mere ten minutes later there was a loud thud, then another, then a slight scream from outside.
Then the front door opened and in she walked. She held up the watch. “This is the right one I hope sir. I’d be really upset to have taken the wrong watch.”
His mouth flopped open, “You are kidding me.” He got the watch and sure enough it was the one.
He put his head outside. The two secret service agents were standing backs to the wall and looking nervous. Strewn over the roadway in front were three marines, their limbs akimbo and still. “They saw me coming and tried to restrain me,” she said quietly from behind him, making him jump and turn to look at her. She was damn spooky all of a sudden.
Sitting back on the settees, he looked at Max and the president, then at Kate sitting beside him. “Kate, you still don’t look like the person that can do any of this, but I’ll shut my mouth,” he said.
She nodded slowly, “So sir, there is no problem with our agreement then? You keep your side of the bargain and I’ll reveal what I’ve got planned for the next year or so. Deal?”
He was nodding as he thought about it. “OK Kate, I’m in, but one thing. Those terrorists. How did you, ag, deal with them?” He looked at her, “It’s one thing to beat up some marines, and that would have been impossible, but six dead terrorists? How did you do that?”
She sighed, “I thought you only wanted one party trick. So now you want another? You want I should nip the heads off a few marines to prove a point then?” She was looking mildly irritated and bored at the same time.
Max got up then went to the fire place. He pulled out a log as thick as his thigh and a foot an a half long. “Demonstrate on this then Kate? I presume it requires some kind of knife or sword? You can do it here?”
He was sitting beside Kate as she shook her head from side to side, “A girl likes to keep some secrets you know,” then she got up slowly. Max was over the other side of the room, Kate was beside him then he saw the most extraordinary thing. She moved in jumps, jerks, taking a step but she moved the distance of three or four steps, moving surprisingly quickly. Then before she even stopped moving something flashed and the end of the log in Max’s hand fell onto the floor revealing it had been cut right through lopping the end off.
Still moving in that spooky jerky way, she returned to be seated beside him looking not in the least perturbed.
There was no sign of a knife or sword on her, no indication of how she had done it yet he’d seen something flash in the lighting, something silver and about the length of his forearm, maybe a little longer. Whatever it was, it was quick. Damn quick.
He got up then walked over to his friend who was standing with his mouth open looking at the end of the log in his hand. He bent down then picked up the piece she’d hacked off. No. It wasn’t hacked off, it was cut so cleanly he could easily count the perfectly defined rings in the wood. It was almost worth keeping and applying a light coat of seal to it as it was so beautifully done and clean. He tilted it this way and that, reflecting the light off it and decided that whatever it was she had, it was the sharpest thing possible.
He walked back and looked at her as she sat primly on the settee looking slightly irritated.
“Necks are no challenge sir, and when it is done quickly and without any hint of hesitation I find they are quite surprised. For a short while.” She looked at them all in turn. “Please, is that the end of the party tricks time? I’d actually like to get home tonight before midnight.”
With that last demonstration his uncertainty was put to bed. She was the real deal.